₹5 lakh for families of those dead in bridge collapse: Maharashtra CM
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday announced ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh each will be given to the families of those who died in the Mumbai foot overbridge collapse. “A compensation of ₹50,000 each will be given to the injured, state govt will provide for their treatment,” he added. “I’ve ordered for a high-level inquiry,” Fadnavis said.
Facebook uses Twitter to announce global outage fixed after 24 hours
Facebook on Thursday took to Twitter to announce, “We’ve now resolved the issues and our systems are recovering”, after about 24 hours of global outage. Facebook said that users had trouble accessing its apps including Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger due to a “server configuration change”. “We’re very sorry for the inconvenience and appreciate everyone’s patience,” Facebook wrote in the tweet.
Foot overbridge near Mumbai CSMT station collapses, 23 injured
A foot overbridge connecting Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) railway station platform 1 north end with BT Lane near Times of India building collapsed on Thursday, Mumbai Police tweeted. At least 23 people have been injured and are being shifted to hospitals, police added. The bridge collapsed at around 7.30 pm.
Collapsed Mumbai CSMT foot overbridge belongs to BMC: Railways
After a part of foot overbridge near Mumbai CSMT railway station collapsed on Thursday killing at least four and injuring 34 people, Ministry of Railways said the overbridge belongs to BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation). “We’re extending all our support to the victims,” said Railways. “Railway doctors and personnel are cooperating with BMC in relief and rescue operations,” it added.
India’s oil imports from Iran fall 60% in February: Report
India’s oil imports from Iran plunged by over 60% in February from a year ago to about 2,60,000 barrels per day (bpd), according to Reuters data. This came after the United States imposed sanctions on the Persian Gulf country in November 2018. India has, however, been allowed to continue buying about 3,00,000 bpd of Iranian oil under a six-month waiver.
940 people poisoned in Malaysia after toxic waste dumped in river
Nearly 940 people, including several children, have been poisoned by fumes from toxic waste dumped in a river in the Malaysian state of Johor. Malaysia has ordered to close more than 110 schools after the dumping of toxic waste. Those affected displayed symptoms of poisoning such as nausea and vomiting.
115 killed due to floods in Africa, 8.4 lakh people affected
At least 115 people were killed in floods in Mozambique, Malawi and South Africa, according to officials and the United Nations (UN). Malawi has been put on red alert due to the continuous rains and an approaching tropical cyclone. More than 8.4 lakh people have been affected due to heavy rains across southeast Africa.
You also said Osama wasn’t in Pak: Swaraj on Pak claims on JeM chief
Criticising Pakistan over its army spokesperson’s claim that Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar is not in the country, Union Minister Sushma Swaraj said, “You also claimed that Osama bin Laden is not in Pakistan.” “Every time you (Pakistan) disown the terrorists from your country, but later they are found there only,” she added.
Same person made original mistake on Kashmir, China: Jaitley
After Rahul Gandhi claimed PM Narendra Modi was scared of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley tweeted, “The original mistake, both on Kashmir and China, was committed by the same person.” Claiming India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru had rejected suggestions of India joining the UNSC, Jaitley asked, “Will the Congress President tell us who the original sinner was?”
Cricketer Mohammad Shami charged with dowry and sexual harassment
Kolkata Police have submitted a chargesheet against Team India fast bowler Mohammad Shami before the Alipore court on Thursday. Shami has been charged under IPC 498A (dowry harassment) and 354A (sexual harassment). The 28-year-old cricketer was accused of adultery, sexual harassment and domestic violence by his now-estranged wife Hasin Jahan last year.
Sourav Ganguly joins Delhi Capitals as Advisor ahead of 2019 IPL
Delhi Capitals have appointed ex-India captain Sourav Ganguly as Advisor ahead of 2019 Indian Premier League. “Having known the [DC owners] Jindals and the JSW Group for years, I am now excited to be a part of their latest sports venture,” Ganguly said. “Sourav is one of the most astute minds in world cricket,” Delhi Capitals’ co-owner Parth Jindal said.
Hawking’s nurse deemed unfit to practise for failings in his care
Patricia Dowdy, a nurse who cared for late scientist Stephen Hawking, has been deemed unfit to practise nursing for failings in his care. UK’s Nursing and Midwifery Council found she “failed to provide the standards of good, professional care that…Hawking deserved”. The 61-year-old, who faced charges including financial misconduct and dishonesty, was handed an interim suspension in 2016.
Hawking was nicknamed ‘Einstein’ in school despite low grades
British physicist Stephen Hawking was called ‘Einstein’ in his school even though his grades were classified among the worst in class. Suffering from ALS, Hawking later developed theories on black holes, the infiniteness of the Universe and challenged Albert Einstein’s views on time travel. Notably, Einstein’s 140th birth anniversary and Hawking’s first death anniversary are being observed today.
SC reserves order on govt claiming privilege over leaked Rafale files
Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its order on Centre’s claim that it had privilege over documents produced by petitioners seeking review of its judgment in Rafale case. Attorney General KK Venugopal sought removal of the ‘leaked’ files submitted by review petitioners from the records. State documents couldn’t be published without permission as the government has privilege over them, he said.
Seek irreversible action by Pak against terror groups: India, US
India’s Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale met US National Security Advisor John Bolton and both the countries called upon Pakistan to take “tangible and irreversible action against terrorist groups based in territories under its control”. “[T]he US stands shoulder-to-shoulder with India in the fight against terrorism”, Bolton tweeted following his meeting with Gokhale.
Will burn Chinese goods on Mar 19 to teach a lesson: Traders’ body
Traders’ body CAIT and RSS’ economic wing Swadeshi Jagran Manch have called for a boycott of Chinese products after China blocked a bid to blacklist Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar. CAIT said it would burn Chinese goods on March 19 to “teach a lesson” to China. “Time has come when China should suffer due to its proximity with Pakistan,” it added.
Who is Greta Thunberg, 16-yr-old nominated for Nobel Peace Prize?
Sweden’s 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, who encouraged students to skip school and protest for faster action on climate change, has been nominated by Norwegian lawmakers for the Nobel Peace Prize. She began her weekly protest in August 2018 by riding her bicycle to the Parliament with ”School strike for climate” sign. The #FridaysForFuture movement went viral and spread over 80 countries.
Pak PM Imran Khan used derogatory words for Hindus: Ex-wife
Reham Khan, the former wife of Pakistan PM Imran Khan, has written in an article that he routinely used derogatory words for Hindus and Christians. She further claimed that Khan had attributed the Nirbhaya rape case to the ‘Indian masses being frustrated over Bollywood actresses wearing skimpy clothes’. “[Khan] had this superiority complex of being a light-skinned Pathan”, she added.
US planning to test banned missiles after INF treaty suspension
The US is planning to start testing types of missiles that were banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia, senior defence officials said. A cruise missile is expected to be tested in August, while a longer-range ballistic missile would likely be tested in November. This comes after the US suspended its obligations under the treaty.
Actors make worst friends as they are never available: Sunny
Actress Sunny Leone has said that she believes actors and entertainers make the worst friends as they are never available either emotionally or physically. “We are not there for our own birthdays, let alone somebody else’s birthday,” the actress added. “I don’t set very high expectations when it comes to the industry reaching out and appreciating me,” Sunny further said.
BJD MP Balabhadra Majhi resigns from party
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Balabhadra Majhi on Thursday resigned from the party claiming that he was “ignored and cheated”. Majhi, who represents Odisha’s Nabarangpur (ST) Lok Sabha seat, added, “I presumed the party no more requires me.” He also alleged that the BJD is “no longer functioning in a democratic manner.”
HP expands US laptop battery recall to 78,500 over fire risk
Hewlett-Packard (HP) has expanded the previous recall of 50,000 laptop batteries in January 2018 to include an additional 28,500 batteries in the US over a risk of fire and burn. The recall was announced in January 2019 but the US government shutdown had restricted the firm from publicising it. The affected units were sold between December 2015 and December 2018.
Soyuz crash survivors ready for ISS launch despite glitches
US astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin, who survived Soyuz rocket failure last year, have said they’re ready for new launch to the International Space Station. Ovchinin said, “[T]here’s nothing to worry about” after a newly discovered fault in their rocket was fixed. The two are scheduled to launch to ISS on Friday along with NASA’s Christina Koch.
Airtel applies for in-flight connectivity licence: Reports
Indo Teleports, a subsidiary of Airtel, has reportedly approached the telecom department for in-flight connectivity licence. The licence, which allows service providers to offer voice and data services in Indian and foreign airlines, was recently granted to Hughes Communications India and Tatanet Services. The rules for in-flight and maritime connectivity (IFMC) were notified in December 2018.
Lemon Tree Hotels to acquire Keys Hotels
Mid-market hospitality chain Lemon Tree Hotels on Wednesday said it has signed an agreement with Berggruen Hotels to acquire 100% stake in Keys Hotels in India. The transaction would help boost Lemon Tree’s portfolio to 75 hotels with 7,322 rooms in 44 cities. Keys Hotels owns and manages 21 hotels in 19 cities across the country.
DHFL denies report of clean chit by housing regulator
Dewan Housing Finance (DHFL) on Thursday denied a media report that housing regulator NHB has given it a clean chit on fund diversion allegations. The report further alleged that a consortium of 33 lenders gave the clean chit after going through an auditor’s report. An independent auditor had last week dismissed allegations that DHFL created shell companies to divert funds.
Need more time for probe: China on blocking bid to ban Masood Azhar
Defending its move to block Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar from being designated as a global terrorist for the fourth time, China said it needs more time to conduct a “thorough, in-depth assessment” on the matter. “China is ready to communicate and coordinate with all sides including India to properly handle this issue,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said.
Google engineer breaks record for most accurate pi value on Pi Day
Google Cloud Developer Advocate Emma Haruka Iwao and her team have broken a Guinness World Record by calculating the most accurate value of pi. Emma put out a blog on March 14 (3.14), celebrated as Pi Day. The team computed pi to 31.4 trillion decimal places using 25 Google Cloud machines, which took 121 days and 170 terabytes of data.
We had constructive discussions on Kartarpur corridor: India, Pak
In a joint statement released by India and Pakistan following the meeting on Kartarpur corridor, they said they had “constructive discussions” on various aspects and provisions of the proposed agreement in “cordial environment”. This was the first meeting on Kartarpur corridor, during which they discussed the draft agreement for facilitation of pilgrims to visit Gurudwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur.
India, Pakistan hold talks on opening of Kartarpur corridor
India and Pakistan on Thursday began talks to discuss and finalise the modalities for the Kartarpur corridor. Both sides held discussions on the alignment and other details of the proposed corridor that’ll facilitate the travel of Sikh Indian pilgrims to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Pakistan’s Punjab. The second meeting between the two sides will be held on April 2.
Your great-grandfather gifted UNSC seat to China: BJP to Rahul
After Rahul Gandhi claimed PM Narendra Modi was scared of Chinese President Xi Jinping, BJP responded, “China wouldn’t be in UNSC had your great-grandfather not ‘gifted’ it to them at India’s cost.” BJP added, “India is undoing all mistakes of your family.” Rahul made the statement after China blocked India’s bid to designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.
