India drops 1000 kg bombs across LoC, destroys terror camp: Reports
A group of Indian fighter jets dropped 1000 kilogram bombs on terror camps across the Line of Control (LoC) on Tuesday morning, nearly 2 weeks after the Pulwama terror attack, as per reports quoting IAF sources. A major terrorist camp was completely destroyed. Reports further said 12 Mirage 2000 jets took part in the operation.
PM inaugurates war memorial with engravings of 25,942 soldiers’ names
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated and lit up the eternal flame at the National War Memorial, spread over 40 acres in the India Gate complex in Delhi. The memorial built at a cost of nearly ₹176 crore has names of 25,942 soldiers martyred after Independence engraved. First conceptualised in 1961, the memorial got approved by Cabinet in 2015.
Maruti Eeco van used in Pulwama terror attack, owner identified: NIA
National Investigation Agency (NIA) with the support of forensic and automobile experts have identified that a Maruti Eeco van was used in the Pulwama terror attack. The vehicle’s owner is Anantnag resident Sajjad Bhat, who bought the vehicle 10 days before the attack. Bhat reportedly joined Jaish-e-Mohammed and a picture of him on social media showed him holding weapons.
Mukesh Ambani’s RIL plans to list Reliance Retail: Reports
Reliance Retail Ventures, the retail unit of Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries (RIL), is reportedly preparing for its Initial Public Offering (IPO). “It may be after June and the company expects a good response,” reports added. RIL Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani had set a target of 30% annual growth for Reliance Retail over the next 10 years.
Piyush Goyal launches ‘Rail Drishti Dashboard’ portal
Railways Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday launched the ‘Rail Drishti Dashboard (e-Drishti)’, an online portal containing information related to passenger and freight trains and links to live feeds of IRCTC kitchens. “Those in remote villages can access this and find out everything about Railways,” Goyal said. He further said that the portal was aimed at making Indian Railways more transparent.
Joker’s entry: Naqvi on talks of Vadra entering politics
A day after businessman Robert Vadra hinted at entering politics, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, “Can see joker entering politics”. “In this political circus-led by P-R (Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi), only entry of a joker was left,” he added. On Monday, posters urging Vadra to contest 2019 elections surfaced in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad.
Will pass women quota bill in 1st session if we win: Scindia
Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday said that if Congress is voted to power in 2019, it will pass the Women’s Reservation Bill in the first session of Parliament. Scindia added, “When the…bill will get passed, nearly 160-170 women MPs will work for India’s fame and honour.” The Bill seeks 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies.
Chinese firm using band to track location, monitor chickens
Chinese insurance company ZhongAn Online’s subsidiary is using bands with GPS technology to track and monitor the location of chickens to provide “safe and reliable chicken”. The device, that fits around chickens’ legs, contains sensors that monitor information reportedly including the amount they eat and how much they exercise. ZhongAn expects to expand use to 2,500 Chinese farms by 2020.
Govt doing politics over the dead body of jawans: Mamata
Talking about the Pulwama attack, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Monday said, “Government allowed them to die so that they can do politics over the dead body of jawans.” She added that even though government had intelligence input about the attack, it didn’t take any action. They want to create “war hysteria” ahead of the polls, she further said.
Angad to play Janhvi’s brother in IAF pilot biopic: Reports
Angad Bedi will play the role of Janhvi Kapoor’s brother in the upcoming biopic on the first woman IAF chopper pilot Gunjan Saxena, as per reports. Janhvi, who will be portraying Gunjan in the film, was reportedly seen shooting with Angad in Lucknow. Gunjan was one of the first female pilots to be posted in Kargil during the 1999 war.
Vietnam deports Kim Jong-un’s lookalike ahead of Trump-Kim summit
An Australian comedian who impersonates Kim Jong-un said on Monday authorities were deporting him from Vietnam, some 24 hours before the North Korean leader was due to arrive for a summit with US President Donald Trump. The impersonator visited Singapore in June 2018, when Trump and Kim held their first summit. He said he was briefly detained by authorities there.
US man who spent 39 yrs in jail gets ₹150 cr for wrongful conviction
A US man who was wrongfully convicted for killing an ex-girlfriend and her son four decades ago has reached a $21 million (nearly ₹150 crore) settlement with the city of Simi Valley. The 39 years that he spent behind bars was the longest prison term ever overturned in California. The 71-year-old was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
TMC leader shot dead in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas
A Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader, Kartik Naskar, was shot dead from point-blank range in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district on Sunday, police said. Naskar was returning home by a motorbike when some unknown miscreants allegedly attacked and later shot him, a report said. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead, the report added.
Take ‘clear & sustained’ actions against terrorists: EU to Pakistan
The European Union has asked Pakistan to take “clear and sustained” actions targeting not only all UN-listed transnational terrorist groups but also individuals claiming responsibility for attacks in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack. Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini urged Pakistan and India to urgently “de-escalate” tensions between the two countries.
Best Makeup Oscar 2019 winner has worked with Rishi Kapoor, SRK
Greg Cannom, who won Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling for ‘Vice’ along with Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney today, transformed Bollywood actors Rishi Kapoor and Shah Rukh Khan for ‘Kapoor & Sons’ and ‘Fan’ respectively. Rishi took to Twitter to congratulate Cannom for his fourth Oscar win, writing, “Cheers Greg Cannom from all of us. You are a genius!”
To hell with ICC fine, losing 2 points: Paresh on India-Pak match
Actor Paresh Rawal has said that India should not play against Pakistan in the 2019 World Cup after the Pulwama terror attack, in which 40 CRPF jawans were martyred. “To hell with ICC fine and to hell with losing two points and if it comes to not playing World Cup…To hell with it! Country comes first not cricket!” he tweeted.
90-year-old US man eats half a litre of paint mistaking it for yogurt
A 90-year-old US man ate almost half a litre of paint mistaking it for yogurt. The man’s granddaughter shared a picture of him with mint green lips. “Apparently I ate paint this morning…shit honestly tastes better than yogurt sooo #no #regrets (poison control laughed at me, but they said I’ll be fine),” the man wrote in an Instagram post.
After UP, BSP & SP announce Lok Sabha poll pact for Uttarakhand, MP
After Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party (SP) alliance announced a Lok Sabha poll alliance for Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The SP will contest three of the 29 seats in MP while BSP will contest the rest. In Uttarakhand’s five Lok Sabha seats, SP will contest one seat and BSP will contest the rest.
Who were the winners at Oscars 2019?
‘Green Book’ was named Best Picture at Oscars 2019, while ‘Roma’ director Alfonso Cuarón was named Best Director. ‘Roma’ also won Oscars for ‘Best Cinematography’ and ‘Best Foreign Language Film’. Rami Malek and Olivia Colman were named Best Actor and Best Actress respectively. ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ got Best Animation Film Oscar, while ‘Free Solo’ was named Best Documentary Feature.
Fortis asks SEBI to order arrest of Singh brothers
Fortis Chairman Ravi Rajagopal said the company has asked markets regulator SEBI to order arrest of former promoters Malvinder and Shivinder Singh over failure to return diverted money. SEBI had in October 2018 directed Singh brothers and various promoter companies to return the money within 90 days. It observed Fortis gave inter-corporate loans worth over ₹400 crore to the entities.
Trump calls on OPEC to ‘relax,’ says oil prices too high
US President Donald Trump on Monday expressed concern about oil prices and called on the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to “relax”. “Oil prices getting too high. OPEC, please…take it easy,” he tweeted. This comes as oil prices surged on Monday amid political uncertainty and involuntary curbs on several producers.
16 flights diverted from Delhi airport after rain hits city
At least 16 flights were diverted from Delhi airport as parts of the city, along with its adjoining regions, received rainfall on Monday evening. While humidity in Delhi oscillated between 95-45%, maximum and minimum temperatures were 25.4ºC and 9.2ºC respectively. The weather office has predicted overcast conditions with possibility of light-to-moderate rainfall and thundershowers for Tuesday.
UAE says first astronaut will go into space on September 25
The UAE’s Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) on Monday announced the first Emirati Arab astronaut will go to the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft on September 25. Either Emirati astronaut Hazzaa Al Mansouri or Sultan Al Neyadi will go on the eight-day space mission. The chosen astronaut is expected to be revealed in May.
Swiggy puts ₹31.2 cr in ready-to-cook food startup Fingerlix
Foodtech startup Swiggy has invested ₹31.2 crore in Mumbai-based ready-to-cook food startup Fingerlix, reportedly in a Series C funding round. The first tranche of Series C funding, worth nearly ₹20 crore, came from investors including Accel and IL&FS Trust, as per a report. Founded in 2016, Fingerlix provides ready-to-cook products including batters and parathas with fully ready accompaniments.
Legend Chris Gayle is priceless for Windies: Darren Bravo
Darren Bravo has hailed Chris Gayle as “a legend” and “priceless” player following the Windies veteran’s scores of 135 and 50 in the opening two ODIs versus England in Barbados. “He puts a smile on each and every player’s face… If you look at the stats, he’s achieved a lot at international level. He’s a special player,” Bravo added.
New Zealand move to best-ever No 2 in Test team rankings
New Zealand moved up to the second spot in the Test team rankings, the best ever achieved by the nation. New Zealand are at the second spot with 107 points, nine fewer than top-ranked India. To consolidate their second spot, the New Zealand team needs to beat Bangladesh in their three-Test home series starting February 28.
Humpback whale found dead in the middle of Amazon forest
A humpback whale was found dead in the middle of the Amazon forest last week. The whale weighing ten tonnes was discovered by locals on Marajo island off the Araruna Beach, reports said. Scientists, who found no injury marks on the mammal, believe that the mammal may have reached the forest area after high tides threw it inland.
We will finish militancy soon: J&K DGP Dilbag Singh
Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh on Monday said the police and the security forces will soon finish militancy in the state. He added that the Pakistan-sponsored militancy is still prevailing in the state and the security forces are doing a fine job to foil militants’ designs. He further said that the overall security scenario of the state is good.
Adani Group wins bid to operate 5 out of 6 AAI airports
The Adani Group has won the bid to operate five out of six airports put up for privatisation by the government, an Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said on Monday. The Gautam Adani-led group emerged as the highest bidder for Ahmedabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Lucknow, Mangaluru and Jaipur airports. It will reportedly operate the airports for a period of 50 years.
22-yr-old student leader shot 8 times, killed outside Varanasi hostel
A 22-year-old Udai Pratap College student leader named Vivek Singh was shot eight times by unidentified assailants in front of his hostel in the campus on Sunday in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi. A B.Com second-year student and native of Azamgarh’s Jamundeeh village, Singh was found lying in a pool of blood by a passerby. The hospital declared him dead on arrival.
India likely to get normal monsoon in 2019: Skymet
Skymet, reportedly the country’s only private weather forecasting agency, on Monday said that Monsoon rains in India are expected to be normal in 2019. There is over 50% chance that India will get normal rainfall and only a small probability of excessive rainfall, Skymet CEO Jatin Singh said. In India, rainfall between 96-104% is considered normal or average rainfall.
BSP to contest all 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is likely to contest all 40 Lok Sabha seats on its own in Bihar in the upcoming elections. BSP’s Bihar in-charge Lalji Medhkar said that the party chief Mayawati has instructed to prepare to contest from all seats in Bihar. He added that the party would also not join hands with the Grand Alliance.
We are very aware of iPhone pricing concerns: Apple COO
Apple COO Jeff Williams, who was speaking at America’s Elon University last week, said the company is “very aware” of concerns over pricing of iPhones and other devices. “The stories that come out about the cost of our products [have been] the bane of my existence,” he said. Williams argued that analysts don’t understand the cost of what Apple does.
Twitter given 10 days to reply to parliament panel questions
The Parliamentary Committee on Information Technology on Monday granted 10 days to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to respond in writing to questions that remained unanswered. The committee had summoned Dorsey on February 11 to question him on “safeguarding citizen rights on social/online media platforms”. It also allowed Twitter VP and Global Policy Head Colin Crowell to appear before the panel.
15 women win awards at Oscars 2019, the most in Oscar history
As many as 15 women won Oscars at the 91st Academy Awards today, which is the most number of Oscars won by women in a single edition of the prestigious award ceremony. The previous record for most female wins in an Oscar ceremony was 12, which came both in 2007 and 2015. In 2018, women had bagged six Oscars.
Anupam criticises YouTuber who mocked Kangana over her ‘nationalism’
Actor Anupam Kher criticised a YouTuber who shared actress Kangana Ranaut’s video riding a mechanical horse with the caption, “Define Kangana Ranaut’s brand of nationalism in 10 seconds?” “How much venom this man has against a self-made actress…She’ll be remembered for decades for…hard work in movies. While you got your fifteen minute fame by using her name,” he tweeted.
Berkshire overpaid for Kraft Heinz, says Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett on Monday said his company Berkshire Hathaway overpaid in the $49-billion merger that created Kraft Heinz. “I was wrong in a couple of ways about Kraft Heinz,” he added. Berkshire, which holds a 26.7% stake in Kraft Heinz, teamed up with Brazilian firm 3G in 2015 to merge Kraft Foods with HJ Heinz.
J&K will be worse than Arunachal if 35A is touched: Omar
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Monday said that if Centre interferes with Article 35A, then there will be “far-reaching consequences” in the state. “A peaceful state like Arunachal Pradesh is also up in flames,” he added. “If there is any…fiddling with J&K’s special status, the situation will be worse than what it is in Arunachal,” Omar further said.
Enough water in India but its management inadequate: Gadkari
Speaking at National Water Awards ceremony, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that India does not have a shortage of water but the “management of water is not adequate”. “It’s necessary to institute national-level water awards…to encourage people to play their respective roles in water conservation,” Gadkari added. Maharashtra came first in the ‘Best State’ category at the National Water Awards.
InMobi to invest $100mn in TruFactor, its new unit for telcos
SoftBank-backed startup InMobi on Monday announced plans to invest about $100 million over next three years in TruFactor, its new business unit for telcos. TruFactor is built on capabilities of Pinsight Media, former subsidiary of US telco Sprint, acquired by InMobi last year. “[W]e want to use it to help…telcos manage…privacy issues,” InMobi Co-founder Naveen Tewari said.
OYO opens cloud kitchens, lists on apps like Zomato: Report
Gurugram-based hospitality startup OYO Rooms has reportedly opened over 20 cloud kitchens in Gurugram and Bengaluru and listed them on Swiggy, Zomato and Uber Eats. This follows a report last week that claimed OYO Rooms was in talks to acquire Bengaluru-based cloud kitchen startup FreshMenu for $50-60 million. The cloud kitchens are fully operated by OYO, the report added.
11k Jeep Compass units recalled in India for software update
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) India on Monday said it is recalling 11,002 units of SUV Jeep Compass to update Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software. This is to rectify variations that may not comply with emission norms, it added. The recall will cover only the model’s two-wheel drive version equipped with two-litre diesel engine manufactured between December 18, 2017-November 30, 2018.
For some, family is more important than the country: PM Modi
Speaking at the inauguration of the National War Memorial, PM Narendra Modi took a dig at Congress and said that for some people, family is more important than country. “Those who consider themselves as destiny makers of nation left no stone unturned to hamper nation’s security,” he said. “They made Army and nation’s security means of their income,” he added.
World no. 1 Osaka will learn to deal with fame: Nishikori
Japanese male tennis player Kei Nishikori said that his compatriot and world’s number one female singles tennis player Naomi Osaka will learn to deal with fame. “I’m sure she’s going to adapt, she just needs the time. She has great mental [strength], very strong, very calm. She doesn’t panic too much,” Nishikori said about the 21-year-old Osaka.
Raina first Indian to score 8,000 runs in the T20 format
Uttar Pradesh batsman Suresh Raina has become the first Indian cricketer to reach the 8,000-run mark in T20 cricket. Raina crossed the mark in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2019 match between Uttar Pradesh and Puducherry. Raina is the sixth highest run-getter in T20s, with Chris Gayle occupying the top spot with 12,298 runs in 369 matches.
Snake on plane goes 15,000 km from Aus to Scotland in woman’s shoe
A snake travelled 15,000 km in a woman’s shoe on a flight from Australia to Scotland. Moira Boxall unpacked her luggage after the journey to find the snake, which had shed its skin, curled up in her shoe. Boxall’s son-in-law said when she opened her bag and saw the snake she thought it was a toy put there as prank.
RBI extends KYC deadline for digital wallets by six months
The RBI has extended its February 28 deadline for completion of KYC norms for digital wallets by six months. It said the decision was based on stakeholders’ requests to defer the deadline over difficulties in undertaking Aadhaar e-KYC. The RBI also stated the stakeholders’ concern over the time needed to employ alternative systems for completing the process as another reason.
Congress trying to ensure Rafale jets don’t arrive: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday criticised the Congress saying that the party is making all the efforts to ensure that Rafale aircraft don’t arrive in the country. Addressing a gathering at the National War Memorial inauguration, he added that from “Bofors to Helicopter” deal, all the investigations are “pointing to one family”. He said these investigations say a lot.
Which flag will J&K pick instead of tricolour if 35A attacked: Mufti
Warning the Centre against “fiddling” with Article 35A, former Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said, “Don’t play with fire; don’t fiddle with Article-35A, else you will see what you haven’t seen since 1947”. She added, “If it’s attacked then I don’t know which flag people of J&K will be forced to pick up instead of the tricolour.”
Portal for live feed of food preparation in railway kitchens launched
Railways Minister Piyush Goyal has launched the ‘Rail Drishti Dashboard’ portal through which passengers can access the live feed of how their meals are being cooked and packed at railway kitchens. The portal will also provide information about various trains, stations and tickets sold, Goyal said. The portal also has information on Railways’ achievements and earnings.
4 out of 5 CRPF jawans injured in Pulwama attack discharged
According to a report, four of the five CRPF personnel injured in the Pulwama terror attack on 14 February have been discharged from Army’s 92 Base Hospital in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar. The fifth soldier is still undergoing treatment at the hospital, the report added. As many as 40 CRPF personnel were martyred in the attack.
