50 people missing after pipeline explodes in Nigeria
More than 50 people are missing after a leaking oil pipeline exploded and caused a stampede in southern Nigeria, officials said on Saturday. The explosion caused a massive oil spillage in the Nembe kingdom in Bayelsa state. It is not immediately clear if the pipeline has been shut down following the incident.
US man faked own kidnapping to avoid paying out lost Super Bowl bet
A US man has been arrested for allegedly staging his own kidnapping to avoid paying $50,000 he owed in an online Super Bowl group bet. Found tied up in his truck, Robert Brandel claimed he was abducted by two men. Police became suspicious as Brandel was ‘clean-shaven and calm when they found him’, apparently on the third day of abduction.
Syrian govt used chlorine in 2018 attack on its citizens: Watchdog
A toxic chemical containing chlorine was used in an attack in Syria’s Douma last year, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said. The US, UK and France had carried out air strikes in response to the attack by the Syrian government. OPCW has said the Syrian government previously used banned nerve agent sarin in the civil war.
Robert Vadra’s interim bail extended till March 19
A Delhi court on Saturday extended the interim bail granted to businessman Robert Vadra in a money laundering case till March 19. The court also extended the protection from arrest granted to Manoj Arora, the co-accused in the case, till March 19. The ED told the court that although Vadra has joined the investigation, he has not been cooperating.
SC to hear pleas seeking review of Rafale verdict on March 6
The Supreme Court will hear the pleas seeking review of its December 14 Rafale verdict on March 6. The review petitions were filed by former Union Ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie, advocate Prashant Bhushan, and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh. On February 26, the apex court had allowed open court hearings of the pleas.
Govt’s muscular policy in J&K causing militancy: Chidambaram
Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday said that the government’s “muscular, militaristic and majoritarian” approach in Jammu and Kashmir is pushing people to militancy. “The only way to deal with Kashmir is to try to win the hearts and minds of the people,” he added. He further said that successive governments have eroded the autonomy given to the state.
Former BJP leader Savitri Bai Phoole joins Congress
Bahraich MP Savitri Bai Phoole, who quit BJP in December last year, joined Congress in New Delhi on Saturday in the presence of Congress President Rahul Gandhi. Former MP from Fatehpur and Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Rakesh Sachan also joined the party. Phoole had resigned from BJP accusing it of being “anti-Dalit” and “anti-backward caste”.
Boeing unveils AI-powered unmanned fighter jet with 3,700-km range
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing has unveiled an artificial intelligence-powered unmanned jet developed in Australia, intended to be sold to global defence customers. The 11.7-metre-long Boeing Airpower Teaming System, with a range of around 3,704 kilometres, is Boeing’s largest investment in a new unmanned aircraft program outside the US. The first flight of the unmanned jet is planned for 2020.
Folding iPhones may have heating feature to prevent damage in cold
An Apple patent application suggests a heating system may heat a specific portion of a possible folding iPhone display from inside to prevent damage during cold weather. The system may be powered by self-illuminating pixels or other heating structures. The folding iPhones may also contain mechanisms to prevent it from opening or closing in low temperatures, the patent further hinted.
Manchester United remain unbeaten in EPL since Ole’s arrival
Manchester United extended their unbeaten EPL run under new boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to 12 matches after beating Southampton 3-2 on Saturday. United, who are now fourth in the EPL table, were helped by a brace from Romelu Lukaku. United’s neighbours Manchester City registered a 1-0 win over Bournemouth with second-half substitute Riyad Mahrez scoring the solitary goal.
Deal with ‘Jaish-e-Shaitaan’ first: Owaisi to Pak PM
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday said that Pakistan PM Imran Khan should first deal with “Lashkar-e-Shaitaan and Jaish-e-Shaitaan”, referring to terror outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. “Pakistan talks about atom bombs. Don’t we have it? We have them too,” Owaisi added. He further said that exploding bombs and attacking people is not part of Islam.
‘Compulsive contrarians’ found new Balakot in India: Jaitley
Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said that “compulsive contrarians” could not differentiate between Pakistan’s Balakot and India’s Balakote and referred to it as the target of Indian Air Force air strikes. “Why will our own Air Force attack our own territory,” he added. Balakote is located in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, along the Line of Control.
Govt should produce evidence of air strike: Digvijaya Singh
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Saturday said the central government should furnish the details of the air strike conducted in Pakistan. “I’m not questioning the recent IAF action…But pictures of any incident in open space can be accessed through satellite technology,” he added. Further, Singh “congratulated” Pakistan PM Imran Khan for releasing IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.
Was so scared of 20-inch scar on midriff: Sonali on cancer surgery
Talking about her cancer surgery, actress Sonali Bendre said she now has a 20-inch scar on her midriff. “I got so hyper about the scar…I was so scared of it,” she added. “I was clear I wanted to be in-charge of my narrative. I’d be dishonest if I say everything was sunshine,” she further said about her journey.
Special allowance part of basic wages for PF calculation, rules SC
The Supreme Court has ruled that special allowances given to employees will fall under ‘basic wages’ for calculation of provident fund (PF) contributions. As of now, the PF contribution is paid equally by the employer and the employee at 12% of the ‘monthly pay’. ‘Monthly pay’ constitutes basic wages, dearness allowance, the cash value of food concession and retaining allowance.
Woman gets shot while trying to save husband at Delhi wedding, dies
Sunita, a 32-year-old woman was accidentally shot dead while she was trying to save her husband during a fight at her nephew’s wedding in Delhi’s Mangolpuri area, police said on Saturday. During the function, an altercation took place between her husband and two brothers following which they shot at him. However, the gunshot hit Sunita after which the brothers escaped.
Future Apple products will just blow you away: CEO Tim Cook
Apple CEO Tim Cook, in a talk with investors, said Apple is “planting seeds” and “rolling the dice” on future products that will just “blow you away”. There’s a “long, great roadmap of fantastic” products related to Apple Watch and AirPods, he added. He further confirmed the technology giant is working on a pair of augmented reality glasses.
Abhinandan 1st IAF combat pilot to shoot down F-16 jet: Ex-IAF chief
Former Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy has revealed Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was flying a MiG-21 Bison during the operation, is the first IAF combat pilot to shoot down an F-16 jet. “The MiG-21 Bison, although the most advanced variant of…aircraft, isn’t a match against the F-16,” he added. “We wish [Abhinandan]… early return to the cockpit,” Krishnaswamy said.
How did investigators trace the vehicle used in Pulwama attack?
A National Investigation Agency team traced the Maruti Eeco used in Pulwama attack after finding its key, following a scan of a radius of 200 metres around the attack site with metal detectors. They initially shortlisted 2,500 cars to investigate after consulting Maruti engineers. The key and chassis number helped identify the vehicle identification number that’s unique to every car.
2 terrorists killed, 5 martyred as J&K encounter enters 3rd day
Five security personnel have been martyred and two terrorists were killed as an encounter between terrorists and security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir’s Handwara entered the third day. Three martyred jawans belonged to CRPF, while the other two were from J&K police. One civilian was also killed and several others were injured following clashes near the encounter site on Friday.
ICC rejects BCCI’s request to cut ties with nations harbouring terror
The ICC has turned down the BCCI’s request to sever ties with countries from which “terrorism emanates”, saying it’s not their domain. The BCCI had urged ICC and its member nations to sever ties with nations harbouring terrorism after the Pulwama attack. The ICC made it clear that the decision to ostracise a nation is taken at the government level.
Overseas funds inflow hit ₹17,220 cr in Feb, highest in 15 months
Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) infused a net amount of nearly ₹17,220 crore in the country’s capital markets in February, marking the highest inflow in the 15 months since November 2017. The rise in overseas funds came amid clarity on government spending post budget. In November 2017, investors had pumped in a net amount of ₹19,728 crore into the country’s stocks.
38 booked, including 5 for murder in Bulandshahr violence case
A Special Investigation Team probing the violence that took place in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr in December 2018 has submitted a charge sheet against 38 people in a local court. Five of them have been charged with the murder of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh. The Bulandshahr riots, where Kumar was killed, occurred after protests broke out following a suspected cow slaughter.
Goa CM admitted to hospital, discharged after medical test
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was admitted to Goa Medical College and Hospital on Sunday and discharged within an hour after a few ‘tests and examinations’, officials said. The official added that the results of the tests are yet awaited. The 63-year-old CM was diagnosed with a pancreatic ailment in February last year.
Banks need to lend ₹1 lakh cr to meet MUDRA target for FY19
Banks will have to lend about ₹1 lakh crore more to meet the Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA) scheme’s target of ₹3 lakh crore for 2018-19, as per government data. Over 3.89 crore MUDRA loans have been sanctioned so far this fiscal. The scheme aims to provide loans up to ₹10 lakh to non-corporate, non-farm small and micro-enterprises.
Couple fined ₹1.5L for child labour, told to plant 100 trees
The Delhi High Court imposed a fine of ₹1.5 lakh on a couple for employing a minor for housework and has directed them to plant 100 trees. The court also fined two other people through whom the minor girl was employed at the couple’s house. The court has directed them and the couple to pay the fine to the minor.
Opposition says finish Modi, I say finish terrorism: PM Modi
Addressing a rally in Patna, PM Narendra Modi said, “They (Opposition) say, ‘let’s finish Modi’, I say, ‘let’s unite to fight terrorism’.” He added, “I say that we should unite to end poverty and corruption, and open avenues for development of youth.” He further accused opposition of “demoralising” the soldiers by seeking proof of the air strike in Pakistan.
ShareChat buys video-making app Clip to rival TikTok: Report
Bengaluru-based vernacular social and content platform ShareChat has reportedly acquired Transversal Tech-owned video sharing app Clip in an all-cash deal to rival existing platforms like TikTok. ShareChat will reportedly integrate Clip app into its product and its users will also be integrated after the acquisition. Founded in March 2017, Clip app allows users to create and edit videos.
Gift that keeps on giving: Wimbledon on Federer’s 100th title
Reacting to Swiss tennis player Roger Federer winning his 100th tour-level title, Wimbledon’s official Twitter account wrote, “The extraordinary @rogerfederer. A gift that keeps on giving.#RF100.” Former US player Jimmy Connors, who won 109 tour-level titles, tweeted, “Welcome to the “Triple Digit” tournament victory club @rogerfederer — I’ve been a bit lonely- glad to have the company !!!”
Kyrgios beats Zverev to win Mexico Open title
Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios beat world number three Alexander Zverev in the final to win the Mexico Open title. Zverev had not lost a single set in the tournament but failed to win a single set in the final. Kyrgios, who will regain his place in the world’s top 50 rankings, had earlier beaten Rafael Nadal in the tournament.
No Pak artiste condemned Pulwama attack: Madhur Bhandarkar
Madhur Bhandarkar has said that no artiste from Pakistan has condemned the Pulwama terror attack. “Pakistani actors who have gained name and fame in our country, [didn’t] condemn it. They could have at least tweeted in name of humanity,” he added. Further, referring to the Peshawar school attack in 2014, Bhandarkar said that the Bollywood actors had condemned the attacks.
India charges very high import tariff, I want a reciprocal tax: Trump
US President Donald Trump on Saturday alleged India is a very high-tariff nation. Citing the example of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, Trump said, “When we send a motorcycle to India, it’s a 100% tariff…When India sends a motorcycle to us, we charge them nothing,” said Trump. “I want a reciprocal tax or at least, I want to charge a tax,” he added.
Deepak Kochhar, Dhoot leave ED office post midnight after questioning
After being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in the ICICI-Videocon loan case, Deepak Kochhar and Venugopal Dhoot left the Mumbai office of the investigating agency after midnight on Sunday. The ED had summoned former ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar and Videocon Group promoter Venugopal Dhoot for questioning. Earlier, Chanda Kochhar was reportedly questioned till 4 am.
Abhinandan suffered rib injury due to attack by Pak locals: Reports
Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who underwent an MRI scan at a Delhi hospital after returning to India, has suffered a rib injury due to assault by Pakistani locals, as per reports. The scan reportedly also shows that there’s an injury in his lower spine, which could have happened due to ejection. Abhinandan will undergo more check-ups and treatment, reports added.
Pak kept IAF pilot’s pistol; returned watch, ring & glasses: Reports
Pakistan reportedly kept Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman’s pistol before handing him over to India on Friday night. According to the handing over document, Pakistan returned only Abhinandan’s watch, ring and spectacles. Upon ejecting from his crashed MiG-21 Bison, Abhinandan reportedly had his pistol, survival kit and some confidential documents.
IIT Madras team only Indian finalist in SpaceX Hyperloop Pod contest
A 30-member team of IIT Madras students, Team Avishkar Hyperloop, has cleared the final design round of SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition 2019, becoming one of the top 22 teams selected from across the world. The team is also the only Indian finalist. The students will represent India at the finals at SpaceX Headquarters in Los Angeles in July 2019.
Populist govts threaten central banks’ autonomy: Raghuram Rajan
Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan has said populist governments are threatening the independence of institutions like the central bank. He added that a “sense of populism” is prompting elected governments to believe there should be fewer checks and balances. Such governments think their view is “supreme” because people gave them votes, Rajan further said.
Google refuses to remove Saudi app that lets men track women: Report
Google reportedly declined to remove Saudi government’s ‘Absher’ app from its Play Store that allegedly lets men take away permission for a woman to exit the country. This comes after Congresswoman Jackie Speier and 13 others wrote to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai demanding Absher’s removal. Google reportedly reviewed Absher and concluded it didn’t violate agreements.
Cricket to return to Asian Games in 2022: Reports
Cricket is reportedly set for a return at the Asian Games after it was included in the sports programme for the 2022 edition in Hangzhou. The decision was reportedly taken at the Olympic Council of Asia’s General Assembly. Cricket was dropped from the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia after featuring in 2010 and 2014.
To age from 22 to 60 was challenge: Priyanka on ‘The Sky…’ role
Priyanka Chopra has revealed that her character in the upcoming film ‘The Sky Is Pink’ will age from 22 to 60 years old. “It was a challenge to go from 22 to 60 after [2011 film] ‘7 Khoon Maaf’. I was able to sink my teeth in the part,” she added. Priyanka will play Zaira Wasim’s mother in the film.
Stupidity goes a long way in Bollywood: Emraan Hashmi
Emraan Hashmi has said that it is difficult being a smart actor in Bollywood, adding, “Stupidity goes a long way here.” “The audience is smart but not too many producers and directors take that (risk) and understand that,” Emraan further said. He added that the audience these days want to see another dimension of an actor.
Govt approves Adani Power’s ₹14,000-cr Jharkhand SEZ project: Report
The government has approved Adani Power’s ₹14,000-crore Special Economic Zone (SEZ) project in Jharkhand to export power generated to Bangladesh, according to a government official. Board of Approval, highest decision-making body on SEZ chaired by the Commerce Secretary, approved the project on February 25. The group had sought approval for setting up the project over an area of 425 hectares.
IAF pilot Abhinandan to get ‘Bhagwan Mahavir Ahimsa Puraskar’
Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be awarded with the ‘Bhagwan Mahavir Ahimsa Puraskar’ instituted by the Akhil Bharatiya Digambar Jain Mahasamiti. Abhinandan, who returned to India after being in Pakistan’s custody for 58 hours, will become the first recipient of the award. The award carries a cash prize of ₹2.51 lakh, a memento and a citation.
Cash-strapped Jet grounds more planes, 23 now out of operations
Cash-strapped Jet Airways on Saturday said two more of its aircraft have been grounded, taking the total number of planes on ground to 23. This comes after the airline had last week grounded 15 aircraft over failure to repay dues to lessors. Almost 20% of aircraft in the airline’s fleet are now out of operations.
India-born Jay Chaudhry now billionaire, his tech firm worth $6 bn
India-born 60-year-old Jay Chaudhry, who once lived in a Himalayan village, has become a billionaire and his US-based cloud-based information security firm Zscaler is now worth almost $6 billion. Chaudhry and his family benefit from their stakes in Zscaler. Founded in 2008 by Jay, Zscaler raised funds from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Google Capital and others, and went public last year.
India signs deal with Russian firm to produce 7.5 lakh AK-203 rifles
India has signed a deal with a Russian firm to manufacture 7.5 lakh AK-203 rifles, the latest derivative of the AK-47 rifles. The AK-203 rifles will be produced at the Indian Ordnance Factory at Amethi’s Korwa, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Sunday. The new rifles will replace the indigenous INSAS rifles in the Army, Air Force and Navy.
Chanda Kochhar, Matix Group Chairman appear before ED
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Sunday questioned former ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar and Matix Group Chairman Nishant Kanodia in connection with the ICICI Bank-Videocon loan case. Kanodia’s Firstland Holdings had allegedly invested ₹325 crore in NuPower Renewables, run by Deepak Kochhar. The ED earlier questioned Deepak Kochhar and Videocon MD Venugopal Dhoot in connection with the case.
AN Jha replaces Shaktikanta Das as 15th Finance Commission member
Former Finance Secretary Ajay Narayan Jha has joined as a member of the 15th Finance Commission. Jha has been posted in place of Shaktikanta Das who had resigned as a member of the Commission after being appointed the RBI Governor. A 1982-batch IAS officer of Manipur cadre, Jha retired as a Finance Secretary to the central government on February 28.
UP announces ₹25 lakh for kin of CRPF jawans martyred in Kupwara
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath has announced ex-gratia of ₹25 lakh each for families of two CRPF soldiers from the state who were martyred in the encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara. A government job will be given to one family member of each of the two martyrs. A road in the martyrs’ districts will also be named after them.
Pepperfry plans to invest ₹85 cr to open 100 offline stores
Mumbai-based online furniture and home products marketplace Pepperfry has said it expects to invest over ₹85 crore this year to set up over 100 offline stores. “Our [offline stores] drive tons of engagement…Most studios break-even within 4-7 months,” Pepperfry Co-founder Ashish Shah said. Over 20% of stores will be for Pepperfry’s in-house mattress and pillow brand Clouddio, he added.
Sri Lanka Cricket secures $11.5 million withheld by ICC
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has secured release of $11.5 million that was withheld by ICC for eight months due to a row over its leadership. In the process, SLC also secured its status as Full Member of ICC. The ICC froze funds after Sri Lanka’s government appointed an unelected official to run the sport following a dispute between rival candidates.
Dhoni 4th Indian batsman to reach 13,000 List-A runs
After his unbeaten 59-run innings against Australia, MS Dhoni became the fourth Indian batsman after Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid to breach the 13,000-run mark in List-A cricket. Dhoni now has 13,054 runs in 412 List A matches at an average of 50.79. The list is topped by England legend Graham Gooch with 22,211 runs in List-A cricket.
Only 6 countries give women and men equal work rights: World Bank
Only six countries namely, Belgium, Denmark, France, Latvia, Luxembourg and Sweden, give women and men equal legal work rights, a World Bank report has said. It measured gender discrimination in 187 countries, where the six countries scored 100% in equality, whereas India scored 71.25%. Scores were given on the basis of eight indicators ranging from freedom of movement to pension.
Anil Kumble reappointed as ICC’s Cricket Committee head
The ICC has reappointed former Team India captain Anil Kumble as the chairman of ICC’s Cricket Committee during its quarterly meet in Dubai. Kumble, who has been the chairman of the committee since 2012, will be serving for a final three-year term. Kumble had replaced former Windies’ captain Clive Lloyd in 2012.
GST collection for February slips to ₹97,247 crore
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection dropped to ₹97,247 crore in February, slipping below the ₹1 lakh crore mark crossed in January. The decline came amidst the reduction in tax rates on 23 goods and services. Compliance during the month improved with 73.48 lakh GSTR-3B returns filed up to February 28, compared to 73.3 lakh returns filed in January.
CISF sets Guinness record for longest single line cycle parade
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) created the Guinness World Record for ‘longest single line bicycle parade (moving)’ in Noida on Sunday. CISF personnel rode 1,327 bicycles non-stop in a single line, maintaining a uniform distance between the bicycles. The record was earlier held by Hubballi Bicycle Club of India, with 1,235 bicycles in a single chain.
Over 1,000 birds killed due to hailstorm in Madhya Pradesh
As many as 1,102 birds were killed during a hailstorm in the buffer zone of Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh on intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, a senior forest official said. “The dead birds comprise 590 egrets, 360 parrots and 152 crows,” official added. The dead birds were examined and have been disposed of, he further said.
