Daily Highlights

26-02-2019

I salute IAF pilots, tweets Rahul on reports of India’s strike on Pak
After reports of Indian Air Force (IAF) carrying out a strike on terror camps across the Line of Control (LoC) surfaced, Congress President Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “I salute the pilots of the IAF.” Fighter jets reportedly dropped 1000 kilogram bombs during the operation. Three terror launch pads and Jaish-e-Mohammed control rooms across LoC were destroyed, reports added.

Pak shifts Jaish chief Masood Azhar to safe hideout: Report
Pakistan has shifted Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar from a military hospital in Rawalpindi to a highly protected facility near Bahawalpur, as per inputs received by intelligence agencies. Amid rising tensions with India, Pakistan has reportedly been shifting leaders of terror groups to safe zones. There were also reports of a meeting between Azhar and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin.

200 to 300 terrorists killed in India’s strike on Pakistan: Reports
Indian Air Force’s strike on Pakistan killed 200 to 300 terrorists, according to reports. The strike, which was reportedly carried out by 12 fighter jets on Tuesday, targeted terror launch pads and Jaish-e-Mohammed control rooms in Balakot, Chakothi and Muzaffarabad across the LoC. A Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting was called at PM Narendra Modi’s residence following the strike.

3 terror launch pads, JeM control rooms across LoC destroyed: Reports
Three terror launch pads in Pakistan’s Balakot, Chakothi and Muzaffarabad were completely destroyed in the strike carried out by 12 Indian fighter jets, according to reports. The control rooms of Pakistan-based terror organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed, which had claimed the attack in Pulwama, were also destroyed in the strike which was reportedly carried out on Tuesday. India reportedly dropped 1,000 kg bombs.

Saugandh mujhe mitti ki, desh nahi mitne doonga: PM after air strike
Hours after the Indian Air Force conducted air strike across LoC and destroyed terror camps on Tuesday, PM Narendra Modi in a public rally in Rajasthan’s Churu said, “Saugandh mujhe is mitti ki main desh nahi mitne doonga.” “Mera vachan hai Bharat maa ko, tera sheesh nahi jhukne doonga,” he added. India destroyed the biggest camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pakistan.

Target in Pak was selected keeping in mind civilian lives: India
The Indian government while confirming the strike it carried out in Pakistan said the “selection of target (Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp) was conditioned by our desire to avoid civilian casualties”. “The targeted camp is located in a thick forest on a hilltop far away from any civilian presence,” the government further said, adding India expects Pakistan to dismantle all JeM camps.

Supreme Court suggests mediation to resolve Ayodhya land dispute
A Supreme Court Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi on Tuesday suggested mediation to resolve Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case. “It’s not a dispute over private property. It has become so contentious,” the Supreme Court observed. “Even if there is only a 1% chance, it should be explored,” Justice SA Bobde said.

Standing ovation for IAF in Delhi Assembly for striking Jaish camp
Legislators from various parties attending the Delhi Assembly budget session gave a standing ovation to the Indian Air Force for conducting air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan. While Speaker Ram Niwas Goel congratulated IAF, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia dedicated the budget to jawans martyred in Pulwama attack. ‘Inquilab Zindabad’, ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’ were also chanted.

Today’s strike was needed: Ex-Army Gen who oversaw surgical strike
After the IAF struck three Pakistan-based terror camps, Lt General (retired) DS Hooda said, “I think it needed to be done.” Hooda, who was Northern Army Commander during the 2016 surgical strike, added, “My compliment goes to the government for taking this action and also to IAF for the way they’ve carried out this strike in an absolutely professional manner.”

Brilliant, well-planned action: Former IAF chief on India’s strike
Commenting on India’s air strike on terror camps in Pakistan, former Indian Air Force Chief AY Tipnis said, “This is a brilliant, well-planned action and unequivocal message that there is a limit to India’s tolerance.” “This shows that India’s action was not knee jerk in nature and a clear message that we are acting and not merely reacting,” he added.

IAF blew up JeM ammunition dump having more than 200 AK rifles
An ammunition dump having more than 200 AK rifles, uncountable rounds of hand grenades, explosives and detonators was blown up in strike at Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakot by the Indian Air Force (IAF). The IAF used Mirage 2000 fighter jets with laser-guided bombs, eliminating over 300 terrorists. The strike comes 12 days after the Jaish-e-Mohammed-led Pulwama attack.

Entire country with govt and PM at this time: Kejriwal
Lauding the Indian Air Force for the strike on three Pakistan-based terror camps on Tuesday morning, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “The entire country was with the government and the Prime Minister at this time.” He added, “It was a very brave act. The entire country is feeling proud and I congratulate the forces.”

China urges India, Pakistan to ‘exercise restraint’ after strike
China has urged India and Pakistan to “exercise restraint” following the strike carried out by India on terror sites in Pakistan. Meanwhile, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval along with Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat and IAF Chief BS Dhanoa is reviewing the security situation at the border. Air defence systems along the LoC have been put on high alert.

1st pics of JeM Balakot camp out; US, UK flags painted on staircases
The flags of US, UK and Israel were seen painted on staircases at Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakot, which was destroyed by Indian Air Force (IAF) early on Tuesday. The IAF demolished entire terror set-up in the suicide bombing training centre in Balakot, eliminating over 300 terrorists. The strike was carried out by 12 Mirage 2000 fighter jets.

Hours after air strike in Pak, India test fires missiles in Odisha
India on Tuesday successfully test fired quick reaction surface-to-air missiles off the coast of Odisha. The tests were carried out by DRDO for the missile being developed for the Army. The tests came hours after Indian Air Force carried out air strikes across the Line of Control in Chakothi in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), and Balakot and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan.

Pilots’ safe return a feat in itself: Mahindra after IAF strikes Pak
Following Indian Air Force’s (IAF) strike destroying Jaish-e-Mohammed’s biggest terror camp in Pakistan, Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra tweeted, “And they (pilots) returned safely… which is a feat in itself.” “Let us pray for the continued safety of those who protect us,” he added. IAF reportedly deployed 12 Mirage 2000 fighter jets during Tuesday’s operation.

Sachin Bansal invests ₹500 cr in Altico and IndoStar: Report
Flipkart Co-founder Sachin Bansal has invested ₹500 crore via debt in non-banking financial companies (NBFC) Altico Capital and IndoStar Capital, as per reports. The investment was reportedly made through BAC Acquisitions, the company Bansal started with investment banker Ankit Agarwal. Sachin, who made around $1 billion from his Flipkart exit, recently invested $100 million in Ola Cabs.

Elon Musk violated settlement via ‘inaccurate’ tweet: SEC
The US SEC has asked a judge to hold Tesla CEO Elon Musk in contempt of court for allegedly violating a settlement he and Tesla reached last year, through an “inaccurate” tweet. SEC said the tweet, which read Tesla would make “around 500K” cars in 2019, was published last week without pre-approval. The deal necessitated pre-approval of Musk’s tweets.

Amazon appoints former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi to its board
Amazon has named former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi to its board, making her the fifth female in the 11-member board. The 63-year-old, who worked at the food and beverage giant since 1994, stepped down as CEO in October and gave up her seat on the board this month. Earlier this month, Amazon named former Walmart executive Rosalind Brewer as director.

R Kelly posts 71 lakh bail in sexual abuse row, released from jail
Singer R Kelly, who was arrested last week for alleged sexual abuse, posted $100,000 (over ₹71 lakh) bail and was released from jail on Monday. Kelly was arrested on charges of sexual abuse involving four women, three of whom were minors at the time. The singer pleaded not guilty to the allegations while appearing before a US court.

Hope govt now goes after Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed: Owaisi
After Indian Air Force carried out air strikes in Pakistan, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that he hopes the government will now go after JeM chief Masood Azhar and Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed. “Was expecting this sort of response within two to three days after Pulwama blast,” he added. “[We] welcome this. We stand with the government,” Owaisi further said.

NFL team Patriots’ owner charged with soliciting prostitute
National Football League team New England Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft has been charged with first-degree solicitation of a prostitute in Florida on Monday. The 77-year-old is facing two counts of misdemeanour solicitation connected to a sting at a massage parlour in Florida’s Jupiter. Kraft allegedly visited the spa on two occasions, according to law enforcement.

3 leaders quit Bhaichung Bhutia’s Hamro Sikkim Party
Three leaders of former footballer Bhaichung Bhutia’s party Hamro Sikkim Party (HSP) resigned from the party on Monday. HSP’s working President Ran Bahadur Subba, former minister KN Upreti and Vice-President Tara Shrestha were the ones to quit the party. The three alleged that Bhutia and his supporters were running the party in an “undemocratic” manner.

Payments gateway BillDesk raises ₹600 cr from Visa, Temasek
Indian online payments gateway BillDesk has raised over ₹600 crore from American payments processor Visa and Singapore-based Temasek Holdings through Claymore Investments, as per regulatory filings. The valuation could be estimated at around $1.8-1.9 billion, reports said. This comes after Visa in November 2018 announced it will pick up a minority stake in BillDesk for an undisclosed amount.

Britannia to replace Hindustan Petroleum in Nifty 50 from March 29
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Monday said Britannia Industries will replace Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) in the Nifty 50 index from March 29. The indices are reconstituted twice every year based on data for six months ending January and July. Shares of Britannia rose as much as 1.4% on Tuesday while those of HPCL were down by nearly 1%.

Pak jets turned back after seeing size of India’s formation: Reports
The Pakistani F16 fighter jets sent to retaliate against Indian Air Force’s fighter jets, turned back due to the size of the Indian formation, according to reports. The strike carried out by 12 Mirage 2000 fighter jets reportedly killed 200 to 300 terrorists. Air defence systems along the LoC have been put on high alert following the strike.

First time since 1971 war, IAF used in Pakistan-controlled airspace
The air strike across LoC on Tuesday is the first time Indian Air Force has been used in Pakistan-controlled airspace after the 1971 Indo-Pak war. During the 1999 Kargil conflict, the Vajpayee government decided to restrict the use of IAF to India’s own side of LoC. IAF reportedly deployed 12 Mirage 2000 fighter jets during Tuesday’s operation.

Navy detects body of fourth miner inside Meghalaya coal mine
The Indian Navy on Monday detected the decomposed body of another miner, fourth of the 15 miners trapped inside the flooded rat-hole mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district. However, the Navy team said that retrieving the bodies might disintegrate them. The rescue team has been able to recover only one body till now.

Necessary step taken: Javadekar after India strikes Pakistan
After Indian Air Force struck three terror camps in Pakistan on Tuesday, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said, “It was a necessary step required for the security of the nation.” Calling it an act of “maha parakram (a mighty act)”, Javadekar added, “The entire nation stands behind the military forces.” Between 200 and 300 terrorists were reportedly killed in the operation.

Trump’s ex-campaign worker sues him for forcibly kissing her in 2016
Alva Johnson, a former staffer on Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has filed a federal lawsuit against the president, claiming he kissed her without consent in 2016. “I…felt violated because I wasn’t expecting it or wanting it,” said Johnson. The lawsuit also alleges the campaign discriminated against Johnson, who is black, by paying her less than her white male counterparts.

Hours after air strike in Pakistan, Indian Army posts poem on power
Hours after the IAF carried air strike on terror camps in Pakistan, the Indian Army tweeted a Hindi poem on power which said, “If you are docile and polite before the enemy, he may consider you as a coward, the way Kauravas treated Pandavas.” The poem was tweeted by Army’s Additional Directorate General of Public Information, on its official handle.

India carried out non-military pre-emptive action, says govt
Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale called the strikes on 3 Pakistan-based terror camps “non-military pre-emptive action”. He added, “The selection of the target was also conditioned by our desire to avoid civilian casualties. The facility is located in a thick forest on a hilltop far away from any civilian presence.” The strikes destroyed the biggest Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Balakot.

Laser-guided bombs were used in India’s air strike on Pak: Reports
Indian Air Force fighter planes dropped laser-guided bombs on Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camps​ across the Line of Control (LoC), as per reports. The laser-guided bombs are built with Israeli technology and were first used in Kargil. As per reports, Indian fighter jets dropped 1,000 kilogram bombs on terror camps, causing an estimated casualty of 200-300 terrorists.

Terror camp destroyed by IAF was led by JeM chief’s brother-in-law
The Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp destroyed by the Indian Air Force in Pakistan on Tuesday was led by the terror group’s chief Masood Azhar’s brother-in-law Yusuf Azhar. Indian government said that the camp was located in “thick forest on a hilltop far away from civilian presence”. “Existence of such camps couldn’t have been possible without knowledge of Pakistani authorities,” government added.