Chennai Central station to be renamed after the great MGR: PM Modi
During a rally in Tamil Nadu’s Kancheepuram, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Chennai Central railway station will be renamed after AIADMK founder and former Chief Minister MG Ramachandran. “We have decided to rename the station after the great MGR…MGR worked extensively for the downtrodden. His social welfare schemes gave strength to the fight against poverty,” PM Modi added.
‘Spiderman’ thief who climbed walls to rob houses in Delhi arrested
A 23-year-old man known as ‘Spiderman’ thief was arrested on Tuesday in connection with at least six cases of theft in Delhi. Police said the accused would scale up to first and second floors of houses and entered through balconies. Investigation has revealed that he would generally wear a red shirt or jersey while carrying out the theft, they added.
Mohit & I have sorted differences: Tinaa amid sexual misconduct claim
Television actress Tinaa Dattaa, who had accused her ‘Daayan’ co-star Mohit Malhotra of sexual misconduct, has said they have “ironed out their differences”. “We’ve concluded to make a new start. I don’t have any issues working with him,” she added. Tinaa further said, “Our on-screen chemistry works for the show and shall maintain a professional environment for…betterment of the show.”
Model accuses Being Human CEO of assault, says attack damaged her ear
Manish Mandhana, CEO of Salman Khan’s Being Human Clothing has been charged for alleged physical assault of model-actor Andria D’Souza. She alleged the attack, which took place in 2017, led to “sensorineural hearing loss in the right ear”. Adriana claimed she was first assaulted when she confronted Mandhana after her friend told her that he behaved inappropriately with her.
We should respect janta’s sentiments: Big B on ‘Thugs of…’ failure
Talking about the failure of ‘Thugs of Hindostan’, Amitabh Bachchan said, “The success and failure of a film is decided by the ‘janta’, and we must respect their sentiment and the value of the money they spend to patronise it.” “Their evaluation of a product is much greater than the value of one’s feelings of hurt or surprise,” he added.
Very closely following Pakistan’s misuse of F-16 against India: US
The US is very closely following the reports of Pakistan’s potential misuse of the F-16 jets against India in violation of the end-user agreement, US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino said. India has presented part of a fired AMRAAM missile which can only be fired from an F-16 aircraft. Pakistan has denied using the F-16 jets.
Satellite images show JeM’s madrasa still at IAF strike site: Reuters
Reuters has claimed it has reviewed satellite images showing a madrasa run by Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pakistan’s Balakot, which appears to be intact days after Indian Air Force’s strikes. The images produced by a US-based private satellite operator, show around six buildings on the madrasa site, it reported. Notably, IAF hasn’t revealed exact locations that were targeted by it.
Mahindra’s e-car can go 0-100 kmph in 2 secs, faster than a F1 car
Mahindra Group-owned Pininfarina on Tuesday unveiled its luxury electric vehicle Battista at the Geneva Motor Show. The car can run 450 km in a single charge and reach 0-100 kmph in less than 2 seconds, faster than a Formula 1 car, Pininfarina said. Expected to be launched next year, only 150 units of the over $2-million hypercar will be made.
CISF personnel killed, files burnt in fire at govt building in Delhi
A CISF sub-inspector fell unconscious after a fire broke out on the fifth floor of Pandit Deendayal Antyodaya Bhawan at CGO Complex in Delhi, and later succumbed to his injuries in a hospital on Wednesday. An official said the fire started at an office of Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry. Several files and documents have been destroyed in the fire.
PM donates ₹21 lakh from his savings to Kumbh sanitation workers
PM Narendra Modi donated ₹21 lakh from his personal savings to the corpus fund for the welfare of sanitation workers of Kumbh Mela, PM’s office said on Wednesday. “This is just the latest in the series of such steps taken by PM Modi,” PMO tweeted. Recently, he also washed the feet of sanitation workers, who ensured cleanliness during the Kumbh.
SC refuses to hear AAP MP’s Rafale plea over ‘derogatory’ comments
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that it will not hear the review petition of Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh against its verdict on Rafale deal, saying he has made some “very, very derogatory statements” about judiciary. CJI Ranjan Gogoi said the apex court would take action against him after completing the hearing on the review petitions.
Rafale needed although MiG-21 performed against F-16: Centre to SC
The Centre on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that Rafale fighter jets are needed although MiG-21 of 1960s “performed beautifully” against F-16. “We need Rafale fight jets to defend our country from F-16 fighter planes that recently bombed us,” Attorney General KK Venugopal added. “Without Rafale how can we resist them,” he further said.
Indore declared as India’s cleanest city for third year in a row
Indore was adjudged India’s cleanest city for the third straight year in the central government’s Swachh Survekshan 2019 awards announced on Wednesday. The second and third positions were grabbed by Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh and Mysuru in Karnataka, respectively. While the New Delhi Municipal Council area was given the ‘Cleanest Small City’ award, Ahmedabad bagged the ‘Cleanest Big City’ award.
Indian-origin ex-Cisco director arrested in ₹65 crore fraud in US
An Indian-origin former director of US technology giant Cisco Systems has been arrested for allegedly defrauding the company of more than $9.3 million (₹65 crore). Fifty-year-old Prithviraj Bhikha was arrested at the San Francisco International Airport on March 1. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.
China’s Colin Huang richest newcomer on Forbes list at $13.5 billion
Chinese e-commerce company Pinduoduo’s Founder and CEO Colin Huang, who is worth $13.5 billion, is the richest newcomer on Forbes’ 2019 World Billionaires list. The Shanghai-based company went public in the US in July 2018, and now has a market value of about $36 billion. Huang earlier founded online game company Xinyoudi and e-commerce platform ‘Ouku.com’.
Rebel Congress MLA Umesh Jadhav joins BJP
Ahead of the general elections, Karnataka rebel Congress MLA Umesh Jadhav on Wednesday joined the BJP, two days after quitting the Karnataka Assembly membership. Jadhav joined the party in the presence of state BJP President BS Yeddyurappa, saying, “I’m very happy and very proud to be part of the BJP.” He said, “We’ve to write a new history in Kalaburagi.”
Vijender starts training under Hall of Famer Freddie Roach
Indian boxer Vijender Singh has started training under Hall of Fame inductee Freddie Roach and is set to make his debut in the American professional circuit on April 12 against a yet-to-be-decided opponent. Vijender, who is unbeaten in his 10-bout pro career so far, will make his US debut at the Staples Center.
Chris Gayle becomes Windies’ leading run-getter in T20Is
Windies batsman Chris Gayle became the side’s leading run-getter in the T20I format. The 39-year-old, during his innings of 15 against England in St Lucia on Wednesday, moved past Marlon Samuels’ mark of 1,611 runs. The third Windies cricketer with over 1,000 runs in T20I format is the now retired all-rounder Dwayne Bravo.
Tottenham reach the last-8 stage of the UEFA Champions League
Tottenham beat German side Borussia Dortmund 1-0 in the second leg of their last-16 tie to register a 4-0 aggregate win and reach the last-8 stage of the competition for only the second time in their history. Meanwhile, Real Madrid, who have won the title four times in the last five years, got knocked out of the tournament by Ajax.
Google unveils Bolo app to teach kids to read English, Hindi
Google on Wednesday unveiled speech-based ‘Bolo’ app aimed at rural children, to teach them how to read in English and Hindi. The app, which uses Google’s speech recognition and text-to-speech technology and features an animated character ‘Diya’, is a free-to-use app first available in India, on Android. “We’ve designed the app to work offline,” Google said.
Paytm Money raises ₹28 cr from parent One97 Communications
Paytm’s wealth management platform Paytm Money raised fresh funding of around ₹28 crore in February from the fintech startup’s parent firm, One97 Communications, regulatory filings revealed. One97 had also infused around ₹25 crore in December and ₹5 crore in November 2018. This is the largest capital infusion since launch by Noida-based Paytm into its six-month-old venture.
Grab confirms raising $1.5bn in ongoing $4.5bn funding round
Southeast Asian ride-hailing startup Grab has confirmed raising nearly $1.5 billion from the SoftBank Vision Fund. Including this deal, Grab has raised over $4.5 billion in an ongoing round in the past year, reportedly a record for the region. “We continue to see a tremendous amount of investor interest…may consider upsizing this financing in…future,” Grab President Ming Maa said.
Uber to not face criminal charges for fatal 2018 self-driving crash
Prosecutors have said Uber is not criminally liable in a 2018 car crash in which the company’s self-driving SUV hit and killed a 49-year-old pedestrian in America’s Arizona. The prosecutors recommended that the backup driver be referred to the police for additional investigation. Last year, police had said the backup driver was streaming videos on her smartphone behind the wheel.
Goyal’s son leads Jet team in meetings with lenders: Reports
Jet Airways Founder and Chairman Naresh Goyal’s son, Nivaan Goyal, was reportedly seen representing the cash-strapped airline in its last two meetings with lenders. Reports added that Nivaan Goyal is likely to be elevated as a board member of the airline soon. This comes amid reports that Naresh Goyal has agreed to step down as the Chairman of Jet Airways.
SC reserves order on court-monitored mediation in Ayodhya case
The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its order on the issue of referring Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case to court-monitored mediation for “permanent solution”. Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi said that the petitioners can suggest names for mediator or panel for mediators as the top court intends to “pass the order soon”.
US reduces visas for Pakistanis from 5yrs to 3 months: Report
The US has reduced the visa duration for Pakistani citizens from five years to three months, according to a Pakistani media report quoting US embassy spokesperson. The US government has also increased the visa application fees for Pakistanis from $160 to up to $192. The US’ move came in response to Pakistan’s modification of visa policy for American citizens.
It’s horrible: Nicole as hackers release intimate video with Hamilton
Singer Nicole Scherzinger, while commenting on the release of her intimate video with ex-boyfriend, F1 racer Lewis Hamilton by hackers, said, “It’s been horrible.” “I genuinely don’t understand why someone would do something like this…It’s an unbelievably mean thing to do,” she added. Nicole and Hamilton dated for 8 years before breaking up in 2015.
Delhivery raises $350 million from SoftBank, joins unicorn club
Japanese conglomerate SoftBank has invested about $350 million in e-commerce logistics startup Delhivery taking its valuation to $1.6 billion. Founded in 2011, the Gurugram-based unicorn (billion-dollar startup) was valued at $634 million in its last funding round. Last week, SoftBank received approval from the Competition Commission of India to pick up 22.44% stake in Delhivery.
Israel’s 1st spacecraft on way to Moon sends selfie showing Earth
Israel’s Beresheet spacecraft on the country’s first mission to the Moon has sent back its first selfie. The image showing Earth in the background was beamed to mission control in Israel from 37,600 kilometres away, project leaders said. Launched by Elon Musk-led SpaceX on February 22, the 585-kilogram spacecraft is due to touch down on Moon on April 11.
Rafale documents stolen from Defence Ministry: Centre tells SC
The Centre has told the Supreme Court that some documents pertaining to purchase of Rafale jets were stolen from Defence Ministry. It alleged ‘The Hindu’ committed an offence under Official Secrets Act by publishing details from confidential documents about the deal. The apex court was hearing petitions seeking a review of its verdict dismissing the need for a CBI inquiry.
Abhinandan does not have a social media account, clarifies IAF
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has clarified that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman does not have a social media account on any portal. It advised users to not follow any “fake accounts” being used in the name of any IAF Air Warrior for spreading misinformation. IAF also shared a list of fake Twitter accounts running in the name of Abhinandan.
Lawyer says sedition charge dropped in Bulandshahr case, police deny
The lawyer of the 38 accused in Bulandshahr violence case said the court has dropped sedition charge against the accused in the December 3 incident. “Police needs to have permission from the Centre or state government if charging anyone with sedition,” the lawyer claimed. However, police maintained that the charge hasn’t been dropped and they’re awaiting Uttar Pradesh government’s permission.
Scared of people who put long tikas with kumkum, ash: Ex-K’taka CM
Addressing an inauguration event in Badami, Congress leader and former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said, “I am scared of people who put long tikas with kumkum or ash.” A priest had performed a puja at the event and the leader was reportedly targeting one of the contractors there, who was sporting a ‘tika’ on his forehead.
We cannot undo what Babar may have done: SC on Ayodhya case
Hearing the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case on Wednesday, Justice SA Bobde in the Supreme Court said, “We cannot undo who invaded, what Babar may have done, who was king at the time, whether there was a mosque or temple.” “We know about the present dispute. We are concerned only about resolving the dispute,” he added.
She’ll be missed: Trump after Hillary says she won’t run for Prez
Reacting to Hillary Clinton’s announcement to not contest the US Presidential election in 2020, US President Donald Trump tweeted, “Aw-shucks, does that mean I won’t get to run against her again? She will be sorely missed!” Trump had won the 2016 election by defeating Clinton, the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate.
N Korea rebuilds missile site it pledged to dismantle: Report
North Korea has begun rebuilding a rocket launch site it had pledged to dismantle during the first summit with the US last year, South Korea’s intelligence service said. Satellite images further showed structures at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station at Tongchang-ri being rebuilt, reportedly sometime between February 16 and March 2, in the run-up to the second US-North Korea summit.
Virgin Atlantic drops compulsory make-up rule for cabin crew
British airline Virgin Atlantic, founded by billionaire Richard Branson, has announced that its female cabin crew will no longer be required to wear make-up while on duty. Before the rule change, the minimum requirements for all female cabin crew were blush, mascara and red lipstick. The airline has also made pants available as an option to all women.
Patanjali MD Balkrishna 365th richest in the world at $4.9bn: Forbes
FMCG company Patanjali Ayurved’s Managing Director (MD) Acharya Balkrishna fell from the 274th-richest person in the world to the 365th-richest on this year’s Forbes billionaires list. Balkrishna owns 98.6% of the privately-held company, which he co-founded with yoga guru Ramdev. His net worth also has fallen from $6.3 billion last year to $4.9 billion now, according to Forbes.
Pooja Bedi’s daughter Alaia to make acting debut with Saif
Pooja Bedi’s daughter Alaia Furniturewalla will make her acting debut opposite Saif Ali Khan and will play his character’s daughter in an upcoming film. “I’m thrilled…to be making my debut as Saif’s onscreen daughter. He’s one of the finest actors…and I hope to learn…from him!” Alaia said. The film is reportedly a comedy centred around a father-daughter relationship.
Never felt the need to be desperate: Taapsee on her career
While speaking about her career in the film industry, actress Taapsee Pannu said, “I’ve never felt the need to be desperate.” “Whatever I’ve achieved is because of the faith and confidence I have had in myself. Nothing is the end of life,” the actress added. Taapsee further said that she feels success is about jumping from one failure to another.
Harrdy Sandhu to play Madan Lal in World Cup film ’83
Singer Harrdy Sandhu will play former Indian cricketer Madan Lal in the upcoming Ranveer Singh starrer ’83, marking his debut in Bollywood. “I’ll be getting an opportunity to relive my first dream – of playing cricket for the country,” the singer tweeted, confirming the news. The film is based on India’s victory at the 1983 Cricket World Cup.
Not interested in contesting LS polls: Prithviraj Chavan
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has said that he is not interested in contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from any constituency. He added perhaps his name is being taken for the Pune seat because he is in-charge of Pune Congress. He further said that he is currently representing Karad Assembly seat and wants to remain in Maharashtra.
Mumbai-based microlending startup SMEcorner raises ₹90 crore
Mumbai-based microlending startup SMEcorner has raised ₹90 crore in a debt and equity funding round from a clutch of investors. Accion Frontier Inclusion Fund, managed by venture capital firm Quona Capital, contributed a ₹35-crore equity capital tranche. Founded in 2014 by former Equifax India CEO Samir Bhatia, SMEcorner offers quick access to business loans to micro, small and medium enterprises.
DHFL rises 20% after auditor report says no funds diversion
Dewan Housing Finance (DHFL) shares surged up to 20% on Wednesday after the company released an independent auditor’s report which said it didn’t create shell companies to divert funds. The auditor concluded that DHFL hasn’t promoted any of the alleged 26 shell companies. A media report had in January accused DHFL’s controlling shareholders of diverting ₹31,000 crore to shell companies.
Fire breaks out in govt building in Delhi; 24 fire tenders at spot
A fire broke out in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment office on the fifth floor in CGO Complex’s Pandit Deendayal Antyodaya Bhawan in Delhi on Wednesday. At least 24 fire tenders have been rushed to the spot, with no official statement on whether there were people inside the 11-storey building. The building also houses offices of several ministries.
Small bombs found at 2 London airports and Waterloo station
The UK’s Metropolitan Police Service has launched an investigation after three explosive devices were received at the Waterloo station’s post office, London City Airport, and the Heathrow international airport on Tuesday. The A4-sized packages were found to be improvised explosive devices (IED) capable of igniting a small fire when opened. Flights to and from the airports have not been affected.
Pakistan officially bans Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawa
Pakistan’s Interior Ministry on Tuesday officially banned 2008 Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawa and its charity wing Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation. Pakistan had made a similar announcement on February 21 but it was found that the organisations were still kept on a watchlist and not banned. On Monday, Pakistan said it would freeze assets of all organisations banned by UNSC.
At 3:30 I spray HIT, will I count dead mosquitoes or sleep: VK Singh
Union Minister VK Singh on Wednesday tweeted, “At 3:30 am there were many mosquitoes, so I sprayed HIT. Now should I sit and count the number of mosquitoes killed or should I sleep comfortably?” This comes after several opposition leaders demanded the number of terrorists killed in the Indian Air Force’s strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Pakistan.
Kohli 1st human to score 40 ODI tons, he now chases Superman: MI
After Team India captain Virat Kohli smashed his 40th ODI hundred on Tuesday, Mumbai Indians tweeted, “Virat Kohli becomes the first human to score 40 hundreds in ODI cricket. He now chases the Superman from India.” Kohli is nine hundreds away to equal former India and Mumbai Indians’ batsman Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI centuries.
File case against me for calling Pulwama an accident: Digvijaya to PM
After Congress leader Digvijaya Singh was criticised by PM Narendra Modi and other ministers for his tweet referring to Pulwama terror attack as a “durghatna”, Singh dared the PM to file a case against him. “The tweet for which you and your ministers branded me as…deshdrohi (traitor), I tweeted that from Delhi where…police is under the central government,” he wrote.
Fish thought to live in Southern Hemisphere washes up at US coast
A rare, seven-foot-long hoodwinker sunfish has washed up on a California beach in reportedly the first sighting of the fish in Northern Hemisphere. The fish, photographed by marine biologist Thomas Turner, among others, was thought to inhabit Southern Hemisphere. “I couldn’t believe it…nearly fell out of…chair,” Marianne Nyegaard, the scientist who helped to discover the species said.
Shauk se kai baar saha hai, ek baar aur sahi: Khemka on 52nd transfer
On his 52nd transfer in 27-year career, senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka tweeted, “Shauk se kai baar saha hai, ek baar aur sahi (With pleasure, I have suffered repeatedly, let it be once more).” “Whose interests do I protect? Yours or the people’s you claim to represent? It’s your arrogance that you’ll trample me under your feet,” he added.
Unidentified drone spotted over Chennai naval station, probe on
An unidentified drone was spotted near a naval station in Chennai on Monday night, which was reportedly airborne for 5-10 minutes. The Navy filed a complaint with the Chennai police on Tuesday after which police initiated a probe. Security forces have increased vigilance on territorial waters in the wake of heightened tension between India and Pakistan.
Mauritius PM couldn’t stop self from taking dip in clean Ganga: UP CM
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, who visited Kumbh Mela this year “could not stop himself and took a dip in the [Ganga] river”. He added that in 2013, the Prime Minister of Mauritius had gone back without taking the holy dip in the river after seeing the “pollution, filth, foul smell and mismanagement”.
SC reverses own order, acquits 5 on death row who spent 16yrs in jail
The Supreme Court reversed its own order on Tuesday and acquitted six people, of whom five had spent 16 years in jail, sentenced to death on charges of murder and rape in Maharashtra. The bench also ordered ₹5-lakh compensation for each of them, holding that the investigation wasn’t fair and the accused hailed from “nomadic tribes and (were) falsely implicated”.
India resumes barter trade with Pak across Line of Control in Uri
India and Pakistan on Tuesday resumed barter trade across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri, where the exchange of goods takes place. An official said 35 trucks left for Chakothi on the Pakistani side of the border with a similar number moving in the opposite direction. Indian traders export cumin, cloth, cardamom, bananas, pomegranate, grapes and almonds.
Harley-Davidson acquires kids electric bikes company StaCyc
American motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson has acquired StaCyc, which makes electric two-wheeled bikes for children, for an undisclosed amount. StaCyc’s ‘EDRIVE’ bikes, priced at $649-699 (around ₹45,900-49,300), feature three power modes with a 30 to 60-minute drive on a single charge. “The StaCyc electric two-wheelers will provide an entry point for the youngest riders,” Harley-Davidson said.
Bioprinter uses patients’ own cells to print skin on wounds
US-based scientists have developed a mobile bioprinter that allows bi-layered skin to be printed directly on a wound using patients’ own cells to accelerate the formation of skin. It has the potential to eliminate need for painful skin grafts that cause further disfigurement, scientists claimed. They demonstrated proof-of-concept of the system by printing skin directly onto pre-clinical models.
Late designer Karl Lagerfeld’s last Chanel collection shown in Paris
Late designer Karl Lagerfeld’s final collection for French fashion house Chanel was presented at the luxury brand’s Fall/Winter 2019-2020 show in Paris on Tuesday. The catwalk was set against a painted backdrop of snow capped mountains and featured Swiss chalets with smoking chimneys. The collection was designed shortly before Lagerfeld passed away on February 19, at the age of 85.
Mukesh Ambani world’s 13th richest person with $50 bn wealth: Forbes
With $50 billion wealth, Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani jumped six positions to rank 13th on Forbes World’s Billionaires list topped by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and family with $131 billion wealth. Ambani leads 106 billionaires from India on the list where Wipro Chairman Azim Premji ranked 36th with $22.6 billion wealth. Last year, Ambani was ranked 19th with $40.1 billion.
