Ethiopia pilot reported flight-control problems, no external issues
The pilot of Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed on Sunday reported of facing flight-control problems but did not indicate any external issues with the plane, the airline’s CEO Tewolde GebreMariam said citing pilot’s conversation with controllers. All 157 on board died in the crash. Several countries including India have grounded their fleets of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft following the crash.
Wipro’s Azim Premji raises contribution to charity to $21 billion
Wipro Chairman Azim Premji has earmarked all economic benefits from 34% of his shares in the company worth $7.5 billion for philanthropy. With this, Premji’s contribution to philanthropic endowment corpus stands at $21 billion, which includes 67% of economic ownership of Wipro. His non-profit organisation Azim Premji Foundation works in the field of education, and runs a university in Bengaluru.
My abuser forced me to do things on video: Actress Evan Rachel Wood
Evan Rachel Wood, known for starring in television series ‘Westworld’, while revealing she was in an abusive relationship, tweeted “My abuser forced me to do things on video that I hated so that he could use it against me if I ever talked.” She also added that she resorted to self-harm. “I was too terrified to leave,” Evan wrote.
Rohit becomes 3rd joint-fastest batsman to score 8,000 ODI runs
India batsman Rohit Sharma has become the third joint-fastest batsman to score 8,000 runs in ODI cricket, achieving the feat in his 200th ODI innings. The 31-year-old reached the milestone on scoring 46 runs in the fifth ODI against Australia at Delhi on Wednesday, equalling ex-captain Sourav Ganguly. Captain Virat Kohli is the fastest batsman to reach 8,000 ODI runs.
Ronaldo’s girlfriend Georgina cries in stands as he scores hat-trick
Forward Cristiano Ronaldo’s girlfriend Georgina Rodríguez was seen crying in the stands after the footballer scored a hat-trick against Atlético Madrid to help Juventus advance to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. “Karma exists. God knows, God gives it to you, because the world of soccer is yours,” she wrote in an Instagram post dedicated to Ronaldo after the match.
Man drives 5,000 km to threaten Google over deleted YouTube account
American man Kyle Long was arrested near Google’s office in California’s Mountain View on suspicion of threatening the company with violence over a deleted YouTube account, the police said. The 33-year-old, who drove over 5,000 km from America’s Maine to California, was unaware that his wife had deleted his account. His wife said she didn’t think he would’ve hurt anybody.
Nehru divided Punjab, Indira attacked Golden Temple: Harsimrat
Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal today said, “If Punjab was divided, it was Jawaharlal Nehru’s decision. That border could’ve been 2 km more.” She added that Indira Gandhi “attacked” the Golden Temple and “killed thousands to demoralise Sikhs”. The first meeting between India and Pakistan on Kartarpur Corridor is scheduled for tomorrow on the Indian side of the Attari-Wagah border.
Uber spent ₹139 crore a month on self-driving technology
Uber spent around ₹139 crore ($20 million) per month on developing self-driving technologies, recently unsealed US court documents revealed. Uber had aimed to have 75,000 autonomous vehicles on roads by this year and operate driverless taxi services in 13 US cities by 2022. This comes ahead of Uber’s planned IPO, which could reportedly value the ride-hailing giant around $120 billion.
Zomato valuation pegged at $3.6 bn by HSBC, higher than Swiggy
HSBC Global Research has pegged the valuation of food-tech startup Zomato at $3.6 billion, higher than rival Swiggy’s $3.3-billion valuation. The valuation is around 70% higher than Zomato’s previous one. Notably, HSBC had earlier marked down Zomato’s valuation at $500 million in May 2016 over concerns surrounding its business model, growing competition and money-losing international operations.
25-year-old ex-SPO shot dead by terrorists in J&K’s Pulwama
Ashiq Ahmed Nayek, a 25-year-old ex-Special Police Officer, was shot dead by terrorists outside his house in Pinglena village in south Kashmir’s Pulwama. A joint team of Army and Special Operations Group has launched a cordon and search operation in the area to nab the assailants. Nayek had joined Army’s J&K Light Infantry unit but left midway in September 2018.
TN female professor accused in ‘sex for degrees’ case granted bail
The Madras High Court has granted conditional bail to a female professor who was in jail for nearly 11 months after being arrested in ‘sex for degrees’ case. Nirmala Devi was accused of luring girl students to extend favours to senior officials of Madurai Kamaraj University in return for marks. The judges have barred her from giving interview to media.
BSNL fails to pay salaries to 1.7 lakh employees for first time
BSNL has defaulted in paying February salaries to its over 1.7 lakh employees across the country due to financial constraints. This is the first time the state-owned telecom operator failed to pay its monthly salaries. Notably, BSNL reported a loss of nearly ₹8,000 crore for 2017-18, compared to ₹4,793 crore the previous fiscal.
Indians lack skill sets that match available jobs: IBM chief
American IT giant IBM’s CEO Ginni Rometty has said that even as there are many jobs available, Indians lack the matching skill sets for them. “You have got to believe in a few different things than I think you believed in the past. One is to believe that skills are perhaps more important than a degree,” Rometty added.
BJP shortlists Akshaye Khanna for seat his father represented
The BJP has shortlisted actor Akshaye Khanna for Punjab’s Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat which the actor’s father, Vinod Khanna, represented. “The party feels…if Kavita Khanna has no objections then Akshaye would bring…Bollywood charm as well his father’s memories to good effect,” a BJP leader said. He added that Akshaye will be a “tough match” for the sitting MP Sunil Jakhar.
Volkswagen to cut up to 7,000 jobs to save $6.7 bn annually
German automaker Volkswagen on Wednesday said it would eliminate up to 7,000 jobs by 2023. The move is aimed at delivering $6.7-billion annual savings at its core Volkswagen brand. This comes a day after the company said it would cut jobs as it speeds up the roll-out of electric cars, which are less complex to build and require fewer workers.
Most senior Catholic official convicted of child sex abuse jailed
Australian Cardinal George Pell, the most senior Catholic Church member to be convicted of child sex abuse, has been sentenced to six years in prison for sexually abusing two choir boys in the 1990s. He’ll serve a minimum of 3 years and eight months before he is eligible for parole. The 77-year-old denies the allegations and will appeal his convictions.
CBI books infra firm for ₹1,000-crore fraud in NH-33 project
The CBI has registered a case against infrastructure firm Ranchi Expressway and its promoters for allegedly defrauding a consortium of banks led by Canara Bank of ₹1,029 crore. The CBI further alleged the promoters diverted ₹264 crore on various pretexts. The firm was created as a special purpose vehicle by Madhucon Projects for the Ranchi-Jamshedpur (NH-33) project.
Rahul Bajaj to step down as Chairman of Bajaj Finserv
Financial services company Bajaj Finserv on Wednesday said Rahul Bajaj will step down as its Chairman and Non-Executive Director on May 16. However, he will continue to serve the company as Chairman Emeritus, it added. The 80-year-old has been at the helm of Bajaj Finserv since its inception in 2007 and the Bajaj Group for around five decades.
Urdu media says terrorists’ bodies shifted from Balakot: US activist
US-based activist Senge Hasnan Sering from Pakistan’s Gilgit has said there have been reports in the Urdu media of some bodies being transported from Balakot to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal areas of Pakistan following the air strike by India. “International, as well as local media, have not been allowed to inspect the site and assess the damages there,” he added.
No country can follow me now: Hakeem on becoming Australian citizen
Bahrain-born refugee footballer Hakeem al-Araibi has been granted Australian citizenship a month after being freed by Thailand. Hakeem, who fled Bahrain in 2014 and was granted political asylum in Australia, was arrested in Bangkok during his honeymoon in November last year. “Finally, no country can follow me now because I am Australian,” he said after being granted Australian citizenship.
Voting is sacred obligation in democracy: Mahindra responds to PM
After PM Narendra Modi requested Anand Mahindra to urge people to vote, the Mahindra Group Chairman responded, “For any citizen of a democracy, casting a vote is not just a right, but a sacred obligation.” “India is the largest democracy…We must also be the nation with the highest voter participation..Yes PM Modi ji, we can make this happen,” he added.
Defence Ministry begins process to appoint new Navy Chief: Report
Defence Ministry has reportedly initiated the process to appoint the next Navy Chief and the decision is expected to be announced soon. The incumbent Navy Chief, Admiral Sunil Lanba, is scheduled to retire on May 31 this year. As per seniority of the Navy, Vice Admiral Bimal Verma is the senior-most among the top three officers of the force.
H’wood actors among accused in ₹173cr college admission scam
Hollywood actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin were among those charged for their involvement in an alleged $25 million (over ₹173 crore) scam to help their children gain admission at leading US universities. The accused allegedly paid a college-preparation company to get their children admitted to top colleges. The company paid bribes to college coaches to secure seats at universities.
Declare WB ‘super sensitive’ state for fair polls: BJP to EC
A BJP delegation on Wednesday asked the Election Commission (EC) to declare West Bengal as a ‘super sensitive’ state to ensure a fair Lok Sabha elections. The delegation has demanded that central forces should be deployed at all polling booths in the state. The delegation also urged the EC to deploy a media observer, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
LG concept machine makes ice cream at home with special pods
Electronics maker LG has unveiled a concept machine named ‘SnowWhite’ that makes instant frozen treats like ice creams at home using specialised pods. The machine uses two pods, one to determine the flavour, and another to determine the texture of the treat. The machine can reportedly create frozen treats in up to five minutes.
2,600-yr-old solar storm particles found under Greenland ice
Scientists have found radioactive elements from a solar storm that occurred around 2,600 years ago, under the Greenland ice sheet. The event was at least 10 times more powerful than any other previously recorded in the last 70 years, scientists claimed. A solar storm of this magnitude could result in disruption of satellite-based technologies, communication and navigation systems, they added.
SpiceJet shares fall 8% as India grounds Boeing 737 MAX planes
Shares of SpiceJet fell up to 8% on Wednesday after aviation regulator DGCA announced its decision to ground Boeing 737 MAX planes. The decision came days after the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday which killed all 157 on board. SpiceJet, which has 13 Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes in its fleet, cancelled as many as 14 flights on Wednesday.
We won’t reveal number of terrorists killed, trust the forces: Govt
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said the government won’t reveal the number of terrorists killed in the air strike carried out by IAF on Jaish-e-Mohammed’s terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakot. “Trust the government…trust the Forces. Numbers shall not be given,” she added. This comes after Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa said the IAF doesn’t calculate the number of terrorists killed.
India bans Boeing 737 Max planes from its airspace from 4pm today
India has banned Boeing 737 Max aircraft from its airspace from 4 pm today, following the fatal crash of a plane of the same type in Ethiopia on Sunday. SpiceJet said it’s in the process of grounding its thirteen 737 Max jets, while five 737 Max planes in Jet Airways’ fleet have been grounded by lessors for non-payment of dues.
HDFC Bank becomes third Indian firm to cross ₹6 lakh crore in value
HDFC Bank crossed the ₹6 lakh crore market capitalisation mark for the first time on Wednesday, becoming only the third Indian company to achieve the milestone. The stock has gained around 20% in the last one year. Reliance Industries is the most valued Indian company with a market value of ₹8.50 lakh crore, followed by TCS at ₹7.50 lakh crore.
