I’m nothing like Indira Gandhi: Priyanka Vadra on comparison
On being compared to former PM Indira Gandhi, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, “I’m not a patch on Indira Gandhi. The sense of public service that she had, I also have the same and so does my brother.” “Whether you give us a chance or not, we’ll serve you,” she added. Priyanka made her political debut in January.
1st woman to pass NASA astronaut testing Jerrie Cobb dies aged 88
The first-ever woman to pass the NASA astronaut testing in 1961, Jerrie Cobb, had died aged 88 in March, following a brief illness. Cobb is sometimes also called NASA’s first female astronaut candidate, however, NASA didn’t accept women as candidates until 1978. She became a pilot at the age of 16 and set three separate world aviation records.
Google Pixel 3 user asks for refund, says he got 10 phones later
Google mistakenly sent a Pixel 3 customer 10 smartphones worth around $9,000 after he placed a new order on failing to get a refund for a defective phone. The user wrote on Reddit, “Google, I have your phones. You have my money. Let’s sort this”. Google responded, “Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I’ll send you a private message”.
Actress Surveen Chawla gives birth to baby girl, names her Eva
Actress Surveen Chawla, who is known for her roles in ‘Hate Story 2’ and ‘Parched’, has given birth to a baby girl and has named her Eva. “The feeling can’t be described in words. It’s something to be experienced,” she said about her daughter. Surveen had gotten married to businessman Akshay Thakker in 2015.
EC bans Himachal BJP chief Satti from campaigning for 48 hours
The Election Commission has banned Himachal Pradesh BJP president Satpal Singh Satti from campaigning for 48 hours for his remarks on Congress President Rahul Gandhi at a rally. Satti used an abusive slur while referring to Rahul at a rally in Nalagrah’s Ramshehar last week. “A Punjabi man asked me to convey…if…country’s chowkidar’s…’chor’, then you’re a m********,” Satti had said.
Virat Kohli smashes hundred in IPL for the first time since 2016
RCB captain Virat Kohli smashed a hundred off 57 balls against KKR on Friday in the IPL 2019. Kohli, who had last scored a hundred 35 innings ago in IPL 2016, became the first Indian batsman to hit five hundreds in IPL. Kohli hit his first 50 runs in 40 balls and the next 50 runs in just 17 balls.
Went to Dhoni’s room after hitting helicopter shot vs CSK: Pandya
MI all-rounder Hardik Pandya has revealed he went to CSK captain MS Dhoni’s room after smashing a six with a Dhoni-like helicopter shot in their IPL 2019 match. “I asked him if he liked my version of the helicopter shot. He said it was good,” Hardik added. The 25-year-old has scored 218 runs off 112 balls in IPL 2019.
I take back my words: Sadhvi Pragya on comments on Hemant Karkare
BJP leader Sadhvi Pragya has apologised for her statement on 26/11 attack martyr Hemant Karkare, saying she is taking back her statement as enemies of India were benefitting from it. “Karkare died from the bullets of terrorists from the enemy country, he is certainly a martyr,” she added. Earlier, Pragya had said Karkare died as she had cursed him.
Robot sprayed 2,500L water per minute during Notre Dame fire
A tank-like remote-controlled robot, called Colossus, was used to help put out the about 850-year-old Notre Dame Cathedral’s fire, that has the capacity to spray around 2,500 litres of water per minute. The robot, developed by French company Shark Robotics, can carry around 550-kilogram payload and be operated from 1,000 feet away. The fire was extinguished after 14 hours.
Priyanka’s exit a reflection on my leadership: Congress’ Surjewala
Speaking on Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi quitting the party, Congress in-charge of communications Randeep Surjewala has said, “I must frankly concede…it’s a reflection on my leadership”. “Everybody, and I said it also when Tom (Vadakkan) left, whenever a member of the Congress leaves, it’s a pain for us. People look for career progression. We wish them well,” Surjewala added.
Tihar official made Om on my back using hot metal: Muslim prisoner
A Muslim prisoner has alleged a Tihar jail official imprinted an ‘Om’ symbol on his back using hot metal. The prisoner also accused officials of thrashing him and forcing him to fast. A Delhi court has ordered the authorities to investigate the matter and submit a report within 24 hours. Nabbir had been jailed in an alleged arms supply case.
Leave Tripoli immediately, we can’t rescue later: Sushma Swaraj
Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj has said the Libya crisis is “deteriorating fast” and over 500 Indians are still stranded in capital Tripoli despite massive evacuations. “Presently, flights are operational. Please ask your relatives and friends to leave Tripoli immediately. We’ll not be able to evacuate them later,” she tweeted amid clashes between Libyan army and UN-recognised government forces.
A captain changes batting order to win: Pak PM on cabinet shuffle
Following a Cabinet shuffle, Pakistan PM Imran Khan said, “A good captain is always looking towards his team to win and constantly monitoring [it]. To win the match he needs to change the batting order or needs to remove and add players”. “(W)hoever is not useful for my country, I’ll change them and bring that minister who’s useful”, Khan added.
London sewers blocked by ‘concreteberg’ weighing 20 elephants
A 330-foot-long mass, weighing as much as 20 elephants, has been blocking as many as three sewers in central London. The 105-tonne ‘concreteberg’ has been caused by people pouring concrete into the sewers. According to private utility company Thames Water’s operations manager, it could take two months and cost £150,000 (₹1.3 crore) to remove the blockage.
Minor Hindu girl abducted, forcibly converted to Islam in Pak
A 17-year-old Hindu girl in Pakistan’s Punjab province was abducted, forcibly married and converted to Islam last month, her family has claimed. The alleged abduction triggered protests by the local Hindu population. Last month, two other Hindu girls were allegedly abducted and converted to Islam, with a Pakistani court ruling that they got married and embraced Islam willingly.
Trump to be 1st world leader to meet Japan’s new emperor
US President Donald Trump will visit Japan next month and become the first world leader to meet Crown Prince Naruhito after he’s crowned Japan’s new emperor on May 1. Naruhito’s 85-year-old father, Emperor Akihito, is ending his three-decade reign on April 30 by abdicating. During his visit, Trump will also hold a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Retail, telecom now make up 23% of RIL’s sales from 17% a year ago
The retail and telecommunications businesses of Reliance Industries (RIL) accounted for a combined 23% of the company’s revenue for 2018-19, up from 17% the previous year, according to Bloomberg. The revenue share of refining and petrochemicals arms of the company dropped to 77% from 83%. RIL launched Jio in 2016, spending $36 billion to roll out a nationwide 4G network.
Provided jobs to over 500 Jet Airways staff, will do more: SpiceJet
SpiceJet Chairman Ajay Singh has said his airline is “giving first preference to those who recently lost their jobs due to the unfortunate closure of Jet Airways”. “We’ve already provided jobs to over 100 pilots, 200 cabin crew and 200 technical and airport staff. We’ll do more,” he added. SpiceJet expects to induct 27 planes in the next two weeks.
Boxer won’t return to Iran after warrant issued over attire
Sadaf Khadem, Iran’s first female boxer to win an overseas fight, intends to stay in France, where she fought last weekend after an arrest warrant was issued over not dressing according to Islamic laws during her bout. Hossein Soori, the head of Iran’s boxing federation, said that Khadem was not a registered boxer in Iran.
China bans Boston Marathon cheat runners for life
Three Chinese marathon runners have been banned for life after breaking the rules at the Boston Marathon on Monday. One participant had given his bib to someone else while the other two used forged certificates to gain entry into the event. The Chinese Athletic Association claims that the runners had a “negative impact” on China in the international community.
Medvedev beats World no. 1 Djokovic in Monte Carlo quarters
World number one Novak Djokovic suffered a defeat against Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in the Monte Carlo Masters’ quarterfinals on Friday. The 10th-seeded Russian was appearing in the last eight of a Masters tournament for the first time. Medvedev next faces the unseeded Dusan Lajovic, who also reached a Masters semi for the first time.
12.5cr Indians were poor in 2016, now only 5cr: Rajnath Singh
Praising PM Narendra Modi’s leadership, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said, “American think-tank Brooklyn Institute has said that around 12.5 crore people were struggling with poverty in 2016 while now only around 5 crore people are in that zone.” Singh added that the Gandhi family has been talking about eradicating poverty since Independence but could not do so.
Total bulls**t: Trump on statements about him in Mueller report
US President Donald Trump said the Mueller report was written by “angry Democrats”, adding that it contained statements about him that “are total bulls**t”. Trump claimed that some people gave statements to Mueller’s investigators in order to make themselves look good or to make him look bad. “This was an illegally started hoax that never should have happened”, he added.
Couple faces death penalty for building ‘sea home’ in Thailand
An American man and his Thai girlfriend may face death penalty in Thailand for allegedly violating Thai sovereignty by building a “sea home” off the coast of Phuket. The couple belongs to the ‘seasteading’ movement, which promotes constructing homes in international waters so people aren’t subject to any country’s laws. The man said his home is outside of Thailand’s jurisdiction.
Church wall collapses during Easter service in S Africa; 13 killed
At least 13 people were killed after a church wall collapsed during an Easter service in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday, officials said. Twenty-nine people were admitted to hospital following the incident. The collapse is thought to have been a result of days of heavy rainfall in the region.
Ambani’s endorsement apolitical, in personal capacity: Deora
Congress’ Milind Deora has said Mukesh Ambani and Uday Kotak’s endorsement for his candidature in South Mumbai, “though apolitical and in their capacity as private citizens, is truly encouraging.” “Milind is the man for South Bombay,” Ambani said in a video posted by him. Deora is a former Union Minister in the previous government and a two-time Lok Sabha MP.
It’s baseless: Flipkart CEO Krishnamurthy denies exit report
Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy has called a report “baseless” which stated that Walmart would soon announce his replacement. “This is just not true. I am at Flipkart for the long term and fully committed to… Walmart-Flipkart partnership,” he said. Walmart India executive Rajneesh Kumar said Walmart CEO Doug McMillon commended Flipkart Group’s leadership during his recent Bengaluru visit.
Investigative journo shot dead in terror attack in Northern Ireland
Lyra McKee, a 29-year-old investigative journalist was shot dead during rioting in Northern Ireland’s Londonderry on Thursday, in what police said was a terrorist attack. The shooting was likely carried out by the New Irish Republican Army which opposes the Good Friday peace deal between the two Irish governments. McKee was writing a book on past violence in Northern Ireland.
After Gill moves to Yes Bank, Deutsche names Shaparia as India head Deutsche Bank has appointed Kaushik Shaparia as the chief country officer of its Indian unit after its former head Ravneet Gill joined Yes Bank. Shaparia, who has a 30-year experience at the German lender, was helming Asia-Pacific corporate banking and global subsidiary coverage of the bank. Deutsche started its India operations in 1980 and now has more than 13,000 employees.
