Global Breaking News Daily Updates

3 dead, 10 injured after crane collapses on set of 'Indian 2' near Chennai

At least three people died and around 10 others were injured after a crane collapsed on the set of Kamal Haasan-starrer Tamil-language movie 'Indian 2' during the shooting near Chennai, ANI reported. Injured persons have been shifted to a hospital. As per reports, the accident happened while the set was being erected.
read more at ANI

I was clear that villain in Main Hoon Na will not be a Muslim: Farah Khan

Farah Khan, director of Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 'Main Hoon Na', has revealed that she didn't want the villain in the film to be a Muslim. She added it was intentional to name villain's right-hand man as Khan, who ended up choosing his country over terrorism. Suniel Shetty played the villain named Raghavan Datta, while Khan was played by Murli Sharma.
read more at Hindustan Times

Approached Hrithik to play SRK's brother in Main Hoon Na: Farah

Farah Khan has revealed she approached Hrithik Roshan during the shoot of 'Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai' to play Shah Rukh Khan's brother in 'Main Hoon Na'. "He was...excited...then 'Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai' went through...roof and...they said...not...double hero right now," she added. Farah further said she also considered Abhishek Bachchan and Sohail Khan for the role, which eventually went to Zayed Khan.
read more at Hindustan Times

'Teesta Setalvad tutoring Shaheen Bagh protesters', alleges BJP IT Cell head

BJP has accused activist Teesta Setalvad of "tutoring" CAA protesters at Shaheen Bagh ahead of their meeting with SC-appointed mediators Sanjay Hegde and Sadhana Ramachandran. BJP's IT cell chief Amit Malviya tweeted a video in which Setalvad and another woman were seen reading five questions "protesters could ask the interlocutors". "See how organic and spontaneous this movement is?" he wrote.
read more at India.com

Stray dog invades pitch during football match in Turkey, video goes viral

A video of a stray dog invading pitch during a football match between Fatih Karagümrük SK and Giresunspor in Turkey has gone viral. In the video, players and officials can be seen trying to take the ball away from the dog. Fatih Karagümrük midfielder Zeki Yildirim can be seen carrying the dog off the field so the game could resume.

Footballer runs 60 m in 6.64 seconds, 0.3 seconds slower than world record time

Borussia Dortmund's 19-year-old Norwegian striker Erling Haaland ran 60 metres in 6.64 seconds during his team's Champions League last-16 match against PSG. It was just 0.3 seconds slower than the world record time. American sprinter Christian Coleman had run 60 metres in 6.34 seconds at the United States Indoor Championships in Albuquerque on February 18, 2018.
read more at Daily Mail

Modi govt doesn't acknowledge the word 'slowdown': Manmohan Singh

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday criticised PM Narendra Modi-led government over the present state of the economy, and said that the current administration does not acknowledge the word "slowdown". Singh also said that when problems are not recognised, finding credible answers to take corrective action also becomes unlikely. "That is the real danger," he added.

26/11 was joint operation of ISI & UPA to launch 'Hindu Terror': Swamy

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy on Tuesday tweeted, "26/11 Terror Act was a ISI & UPA joint operation to launch Hindu Terror operation and ban RSS." He added, "It fizzled because a brave Policeman caught Kasab alive. All ten others were killed. They were dressed as Hindus would be." Swamy has demanded a fresh probe into the terror attack.
read more at Deccan Herald

Uber driver held for allegedly masturbating before female student in Gurugram

An Uber driver was arrested for allegedly masturbating in the presence of a woman passenger in Gurugram. The incident took place on Tuesday when the woman, a Delhi University student, booked the cab for a metro station. As soon as she boarded the cab, the driver began masturbating, following which she de-boarded the car and returned home in an autorickshaw.
read more at PTI

5 deplaned after man tries to open IndiGo flight's door during take-off

A man on board IndiGo's Delhi-Jeddah flight tried to forcibly open the plane's door during the takeoff on Tuesday, forcing the captain to deplane him and four other passengers who were involved in the "unruly situation". He was demanding that two members of his group who had lost their boarding passes and weren't allowed to fly be allowed on board.

PM Modi's ex-Principal Secretary to head Ram temple construction panel

PM Narendra Modi's former Principal Secretary Nripendra Misra was appointed as the head of the temple construction committee of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust on Wednesday. Further, Vishva Hindu Parishad's (VHP) Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas chief Nritya Gopal Das and VHP Vice-President Champat Rai were elected as the President and the General Secretary of the Trust, respectively.

Thief enters retired Army man's house, writes apology on wall after feeling bad

A burglar entered a retired Colonel's residence near Kochi and wrote an apology on a wall after feeling bad about it. The thief, who didn't steal anything, wrote, "I didn't know it was an Army man's residence. I came to know only...when I saw the military cap." "I violated the seventh commandment (Thou shalt not steal)," he further wrote.
read more at PTI

UP MLA, 6 sons & nephews booked for allegedly raping woman, forcing abortion

An FIR was filed against BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh's Bhadohi, Ravindra Nath Tripathi, and his six sons and nephews for allegedly raping a woman. The woman alleged that she was kept in a hotel in Bhadohi during 2017 state Assembly polls and raped by them for over a month. She added that she was forced to undergo an abortion.
read more at Hindustan Times

Pak court nullifies converted minor Hindu girl's marriage to Muslim man

A court in Pakistan's Sindh province has nullified the marriage of a minor girl who was converted from Hinduism to Islam and married to a Muslim man. The judge ruled that the minor girl's marriage was not valid under the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act. The girl's father claimed the girl was abducted and married off to Ali Raza Solangi.
read more at The New Indian Express

Migrants must speak English under UK's new immigration rules

The UK has made speaking English at a 'required level' compulsory for migrants to be eligible to apply for a visa. The new visa system will treat EU and non-EU citizens equally. Any migrant wanting to come to the UK to work must have a job offer with a minimum salary of £25,600, as opposed to £30,000 currently.
read more at The Guardian

If my child confesses to being gay, it would be a matter of concern: Neena

Neena Gupta has said it'd be a matter of concern if her son or daughter confesses to being gay in the future. "I think it will take...long time to understand and for that reality to sink in," she added. Referring to her upcoming film 'Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan', Neena said, "I...think [it'll] encourage parents like us to have...conversation on homosexuality."

Don't need validation from anyone: Yami on not getting nominated at Filmfare

Yami Gautam has issued a statement after she was "overlooked" and not nominated for her role in Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer 'Bala' at Filmfare Awards. "I just want to say, these are just experiences which make you...more self-assured and determined," she said. "It re-instates your faith, in the fact, that you don't need to seek validation for your work...from anyone," she added.
read more at Hindustan Times

No coronavirus case in Mongolia despite being China's neighbour: Envoy

Mongolia's Ambassador to India Gonching Ganbold said that his country has not reported a single case of coronavirus despite being China's neighbour. He added that Mongolia has reduced movement of people and public events to prevent the spread of the virus. Ganbold further said that the virus outbreak has impacted Mongolia's tourism industry.
read more at ANI

Two die after testing positive for new coronavirus in Iran

Two people died at a hospital in Iran's Qom city after testing positive for the new coronavirus. Local reports claim that the two victims were Iranian nationals, who were also the first cases of the virus reported in the country. The new coronavirus has killed over 2,000 people and infected over 74,000 others in China.
read more at Reuters

South Korea reports 20 new cases of coronavirus

South Korea reported 20 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, increasing the total number of cases from 31 to 51, officials said. South Korea has imposed some restrictions for people arriving from China but did not impose a general ban. The new coronavirus has killed over 2,000 people and infected over 74,000 others.
read more at Deccan Herald

16-yr-old held for making TikTok video in board exam in West Bengal

A 16-year-old student was held in West Bengal's Malda disrict for allegedly making a TikTok video of the English question paper for class 10 state board exams and sharing it. The police said the student allegedly clicked three pages of the question paper, soon after the exam began. The boy then added Bollywood music to the video and circulated it.
read more at PTI

India signs intellectual property rights pact with US

India has approved a plan to sign an agreement with the US pertaining to intellectual property rights with the aim to strengthen the protection of such property. The US has long asked India to work on this policy, which has caused disputes between the two countries. The MoU was signed at a meeting presided over by PM Narendra Modi.
read more at Reuters

CCI finds no evidence of collusion by IndiGo, SpiceJet, others: Report

Investigators with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) have found no evidence that IndiGo and its rivals SpiceJet, GoAir, state-run Air India and now-defunct Jet Airways colluded to fix ticket prices, Reuters reported citing sources. The CCI ordered a probe in 2015 into allegations of anti-competitive practices after similar fares were being offered on certain routes by the five airlines.
read more at Reuters

Govt approves ₹4,458-cr scheme for dairy sector: Prakash Javadekar

The government has approved a ₹4,458-crore scheme to promote the dairy sector which will benefit about 95 lakh farmers, Information and Broadcasting Minister, Prakash Javadekar said. The government has also decided to increase interest subvention, a subsidy provided to farmers on interest rates, from 2% to 2.5%. The increased subsidy will take "White revolution" to the next level, Javadekar added.
read more at The Financial Express

India may extend deadlines for solar projects delayed by coronavirus

India will consider extending deadlines for completing solar energy projects if developers prove they have been impacted after coronavirus hit supplies from China, Renewable Energy Secretary, Anand Kumar said. Earlier, ratings agency CRISIL said projects worth about ₹16,000 crore could be at risk of penalties for missing the July deadline. India buys about 80% of its solar modules from China.
read more at Reuters

Indian pharma industry has only 2-3 months stock of Chinese raw materials

The Indian Pharmaceutical Association said the pharma industry has enough stocks of Chinese Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients for 2-3 months only. China fulfils 80% of India's requirement for APIs, the basic substance used to make drugs. The coronavirus has disrupted global supply chains after Chinese factories slowed production and people were restricted from moving in and out of the country.
read more at Bloomberg Quint

Your right to protest shouldn't affect others: SC mediator at Shaheen Bagh

Supreme Court-appointed mediator Sadhana Ramachandran met CAA protesters in Shaheen Bagh today and said that "your right to protest should not affect the rights of others" to use public roads and services. SC appointed lawyers Sadhana Ramachandran and Sanjay Hegde to convince the protesters to move their agitation to a different site. The protests at Shaheen Bagh started in December.
read more at ANI

Umar Akmal trolled for pic with Razzaq captioned 'Mother from another brother'

Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Umar Akmal has been trolled for his picture with former Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq which he allegedly captioned "Mother from another brother." Reacting to the gaffe, a user tweeted, "Umar Akmal is best. Unknowingly does sarcastic tweets." Meanwhile, another user wrote, "Injurious is smoking to health." The picture was later deleted.
read more at Cricket Country

There is a reason I can discuss life with Williamson on the boundary line: Kohli

Addressing a gathering at India High Commission in Wellington, Virat Kohli said, "In last 4-5 years we've become a team who everyone wants to beat, New Zealand would be no different but the difference is...there won't be any spite in it. He added, "That's one reason why I can sit on the boundary with Kane Williamson and talk about life."

Researchers trick Tesla cars into speeding with 2 inches of tape on speed sign

Researchers at McAfee successfully tricked two Tesla cars into autonomously speeding up after using a 2-inch electrical tape horizontally on a 35 mph speed limit sign. Elongating the middle line in the '3' of 35 mph made Tesla's camera systems misread it as 85 mph. A 2016 Tesla Model X and a 2016 Model S were part of the research.
read more at BloombergQuint

If Kashmir is normal, why is govt scared of foreign criticism?: Tharoor

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said that British MP Debbie Abrahams' deportation is another "example of how thin-skinned our government is to foreign criticism of its policies". Tharoor added that if the situation is normal in Kashmir, why is the government "so scared of critics"? Abrahams' visa was reportedly revoked for "indulging in activities which went against India's national interest".
read more at The Quint

53-year-old woman plays violin during brain surgery in UK, video surfaces

Dagmar Turner, a 53-year-old woman played the violin while undergoing brain surgery at the King's College Hospital in London to remove a tumour. This was done to ensure that parts of the brain that control hand movements and coordination were not damaged during the surgery. The doctors managed to remove over 90% of the tumour.
read more at The Guardian

Kiran Shaw visits Mohalla Clinic, says 'model should be replicated across India'

Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw visited a Mohalla Clinic in Delhi and called it "most impressive". "Neat and clean and very efficient. I spoke to the people who said it was a boon for the Mohalla. Need to replicate this model across the country," she tweeted. She later met Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and AAP National Executive Member Raghav Chadha.
read more at Twitter

UP man complains about traffic, police makes him manage traffic for 2 hours

Uttar Pradesh Police made a man named Sonu Chauhan take the charge of traffic management for two hours in Firozabad's Tundla on Tuesday after he complained of traffic congestion to the police. Firozabad SSP designated Chauhan as Circle Officer and deputed him to a circle rank police officer. They issued eight challans and ₹1,600 cash was collected as fine.
read more at ANI

UP boy threatens to blow up school like Pulwama if not paid ₹2 lakh, booked

A Class 10 student of a school in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly was detained on Tuesday for allegedly threatening to blow up his school in a "Pulwama-like" attack if he was not paid ₹2 lakh as ransom. Police have registered a case against the boy. A bomb disposal squad was rushed to the school, however, nothing was found in the search.
read more at Hindustan Times

If someone is coming to die, how can he be alive: Yogi on deaths in CAA protests

Talking about deaths during the anti-CAA protests in the state, UP CM Yogi Adityanath said, "If someone is coming to die, how can he be alive." "If someone comes out to kill an innocent person and he is challenged by police, then either he or the policeman has to die. No one died of police bullet," UP CM added.
read more at Hindustan Times

6 women forced into sex work rescued from Bengaluru spa, manager arrested

Bengaluru Police on Wednesday arrested a 35-year-old manager of a spa for allegedly soliciting for "obscene acts" and rescued six women from the premises. The women came from various northern states in search of a job and were hired as masseuses, police said. "They...were forced to approach customers and do things like body-to-body massages and also sex work," police added.
read more at The News Minute

Arnab Goswami owns over 82% of Republic TV, clarifies company

Republic Media Network today said Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami holds over 82% of ARG Outlier Media Pvt Ltd - the firm that owns and operates Republic TV. His company also owns 99% equity in the downstream digital entity that controls network's digital assets. Republic Media Network said the statement was issued in view of 'misleading' reports in Indian and international media.
read more at Deccan Herald

Pak Army is getting donations from world in the name of Kashmir: Adnan

Adnan Sami has said the Pakistani Army has always spoilt the attempts of friendship that have been made by the politicians of India and Pakistan in the past. "This is because one of the biggest thorns is Kashmir, and...Pakistan Army is getting...tremendous amount of donations from...world in name of Kashmir," he said. "Every time there has been...possibility...you've...Kargil, Pulwama," he added.
read more at Free Press Journal

If I'm told to put on 20 kilos for a role, I'll not do it: Rakul

Rakul Preet Singh has said she doesn't mind losing weight for her role but if she's told to gain 20 kilograms, she won't do it. "I'll not do anything that would harm my health," she added. Rakul further said she lost eight to ten kilograms in 45 days for her part in Ajay Devgn and Tabu-starrer 'De De Pyaar De'.
read more at Hindustan Times

Divorce with Jennifer Garner is biggest regret of my life: Ben Affleck

Actor Ben Affleck, known for playing Batman in 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice', has said his divorce with actress Jennifer Garner is the "biggest regret" of his life. He further said he started drinking more when his marriage was falling apart, adding, "This was 2015, 2016. My drinking, of course, created more marital problems." They got divorced in 2018.
read more at The Quint

Thousands march in Chennai, demand TN govt to pass anti-CAA resolution

Thousands of people marched to the Secretariat in Chennai amid heavy police deployment demanding Tamil Nadu Assembly to pass a resolution against CAA. The protest took place despite a Madras High Court order denying permission for the march. Earlier, Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami said an anti-CAA resolution cannot be passed as it comes within purview of the Centre.

Walmart paid dividends worth $11.8 bn last year, Amazon paid $0: Report

Walmart has spent $11.8 billion in shareholder payments and buying back shares of stock from its shareholders while Amazon paid nothing, despite making $13 billion more cash than the retail firm, a report said. Walmart has been paying dividends since 1974 when it announced its 5-cents-per-share annual payment system. However, Amazon has never paid any dividends ever.
read more at Livemint

Unacademy raises $110 mn from investors including Facebook

Bengaluru-based edtech startup Unacademy has raised $110 million in Series E from Facebook, General Atlantic and Sequoia. The round also saw participation from Unacademy's existing investors Nexus, Steadview Capital and Blume Ventures. Founded in 2015 by Gaurav Munjal, Roman Saini and Hemesh Singh, Unacademy helps students prepare for competitive exams and also allows them to watch live classes.
read more at TechCrunch

TN CM announces 50% subsidy for Muslim scholars to buy 2-wheelers

Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami has announced a subsidy of ₹25,000 or 50% of the vehicle cost, whichever is lower, for 'ulemas' (Muslim scholars) to buy two-wheelers and also doubled their pension from ₹1,500 to ₹3,000 per month. Palaniswami added that ₹15 crore would be allotted for building a Haj House on land identified by the state Waqf Board.
read more at Zee News

Non-bailable warrant issued against rape-accused Nithyananda

A non-bailable warrant has been issued against self-styled godman Nithyananda by a trial court in Karnataka's Ramanagara in the 2010 rape case. This comes after Karnataka CID moved the court, saying that the High Court had cancelled his bail in the rape case. On January 22, the Interpol issued a Blue Notice against Nithyananda who fled India last year.
read more at The Quint

Pak probes link between soybean dust and 14 deaths in Karachi

Pakistan's International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences is investigating if exposure to soybean dust caused at least 14 deaths in Karachi while causing over 200 people to fall ill since Sunday. It added that exposure to soybean dust sometimes causes breathing ailments and deaths. Karachi Commissioner said that a ship offloading a soybean shipment was removed from the port.
read more at Reuters

Plane lands safely in Canada after losing a wheel during take-off

An Air Canada plane made a safe landing in Toronto, Canada after one of its wheels fell off during the take-off from New York, US. The pilot declared an emergency to ensure that the plane had priority to land when it arrives, reports said. The plane was carrying 120 passengers and five crew members onboard.

US to treat Chinese state-run media entities as foreign embassies

The US said that it will start treating five major Chinese state-run media entities, operating in the country, as foreign embassies. It would require these companies to register their employees and US properties with the State Department, US officials said. They accused the media entities of spreading pro-China propaganda which increased after Chinese President Xi Jinping took office.
read more at Deccan Herald

Malaysia saw MH370 disappearance as 'murder-suicide' by pilot: Ex-Aus PM

Top Malaysian government officials believed that the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 was a "mass murder-suicide by the pilot", former Australia PM Tony Abbott said. Meanwhile, Malaysia's former PM Najib Razak said "this possible scenario was never ruled out" but officials chose not to make their views public. Flight MH370, carrying 239 people, vanished on March 8, 2014.
read more at BloombergQuint

UAE begins loading fuel in Arab world's first nuclear plant

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) began loading fuel rods into the first reactor at Barakah nuclear plant on Wednesday, the first plant in the Arab world. The country's nuclear regulator issued the operating licence to the plant two days ago. The plant was to start operations in 2017, but it was delayed due to safety and regulatory requirements, officials said.
read more at The New Indian Express

Michael Bloomberg will sell his media company if elected US President

Democratic presidential contender Michael Bloomberg's campaign said that he will sell his multibillion-dollar company Bloomberg LP if he's elected as US President. Bloomberg would first put the firm in a blind trust before selling it, with analysts estimating the deal to cost about $60 billion. His position on the opinion polls has been going up since he entered the nominations.
read more at Deccan Herald

'Military operation in Idlib only matter of time', Turkey warns Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday said that a Turkish military operation in Syria's Idlib was a "matter of time". Erdoğan said talks with Russia over the last remaining rebel stronghold in Syria had failed to arrive at an agreement. Turkey has urged Russia to stop the attacks in Idlib after 13 Turkish troops were killed earlier this month.
read more at RT

Al Pacino is old, doesn't like to spend money: 79-yr-old actor's 40-yr-old ex

Actor Al Pacino's 40-year-old ex-girlfriend, Israeli actress Meital Dohan, has said they broke up due to their 39-year age gap. "It's hard to be with a man so old...The age gap is difficult," she stated. Meital further said he only bought her flowers during their relationship, while adding, "How can I say politely that he didn't like to spend money?"
read more at Hindustan Times

Dhoni's hairstylist Sapna turns bodyguard to escort him, video goes viral

Celebrity hair stylist Sapna Bhavnani took to Instagram to share a video of herself escorting former India captain MS Dhoni in Thane. "90% Security 10% Hair 500% Fangirl #captainsaab #msdhoni #dhoni #sapnabhavnani #madowothair #dhonieverywhere," she captioned the picture. Reacting to the video, a fan wrote, "I saw this live!", while another commented, "1000% swag."
read more at Instagram

If I tried what Alia wore what's the harm? Mahira on being trolled for similar look

Bigg Boss 13 contestant Mahira Sharma, while speaking about Diet Sabya calling her out for allegedly copying Alia Bhatt's look at Bigg Boss 13 grand finale, said, "I don't understand what is there to be trolled here?" "Alia Bhatt is a youth icon and even if I tried what she had tried once what is the harm?" she added.
read more at Pinkvilla

5 lakh mussels 'cooked' to death in heatwave on New Zealand beach

Around 5 lakh mussels were "cooked" to death on a beach in New Zealand due to rising temperatures. The government said it was investigating the die-off and urged people not to collect or eat the mussels. The die-off was sparked by "an exceptional period of warm weather" combined with low tides which had exposed the shellfish, a marine scientist said.
read more at The Guardian

Footballer in France suspended for 5 years for biting opponent's penis

An amateur footballer in France has been suspended for five years after biting the penis of an opponent during an altercation after a match. The incident occurred after a second division match between Terville and Soetrich. The victim required about 10 stitches and had to take four days off work. The injured Terville player was suspended for six months.
read more at Daily Mail

Rohit shares video of himself lifting weights, gets trolled by Harbhajan

Team India opener Rohit Sharma took to Instagram to share a video of himself lifting weights. Trolling Rohit, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh wrote, "Only 40 kg for this ?? Common shaana." Responding to Harbhajan, Rohit wrote, "That's because it's my first day after injury with weights." Rohit is currently recovering from calf injury.
read more at Hindustan Times

Virat Kohli rates World Test Championship above any other ICC tournament

India captain Virat Kohli has rated the World Test Championship above any other ICC tournament. "All the other tournaments for me, they start under that. This is probably the biggest of them all as every team wants to make it to the final at the Lord's. We are no different," Kohli said ahead of the Test series against New Zealand.

Kejriwal meets Shah in 1st meeting after becoming Delhi CM for 3rd time

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal met Home Minister Amit Shah at the latter's residence on Wednesday in their first meeting since AAP won the Assembly polls and Kejriwal took oath as CM for the third consecutive term. "Had a very good and fruitful meeting. Both of us agreed that we will work together for development of Delhi," said Kejriwal after meeting.
read more at Zee News

Swiggy raises $113.3 million in round led by Naspers: Report

Swiggy has raised about ₹805 crore ($113.3 million) in Series I funding round led by South Africa-based internet group Naspers, which has invested about ₹712 crore ($100 million) alone, Entrackr reported. Existing investors including Hadley Harbor Master Investors and Meituan also participated in the round, in which Swiggy may raise more funds. Naspers now holds 40.56% ownership in Swiggy.
read more at Entrackr

Former NITI Aayog CEO Sindhushree Khullar gets bail in INX Media case

A Delhi court on Wednesday granted bail to former NITI Aayog CEO Sindhushree Khullar and others in the INX Media corruption case filed by the CBI. Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar also granted bail to former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Finance Minister, Pradeep Kumar Bagga and former Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) Director Prabodh Saxena.
read more at The New Indian Express

BJP responsible for ex-TMC MP Tapas Paul's death: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has blamed BJP-led government at the Centre for the death of veteran Bengali actor and former TMC MP Tapas Paul. She said Paul died due to pressure from the central government. Paul was jailed for 13 months in the Rose Valley chit fund case but no one knows what crime he committed, Banerjee added.
read more at Zee News

'Namaste Trump' will be similar to 'Howdy Modi' event in US: Foreign Secretary

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that the 'Namaste Trump' event in Ahmedabad will be similar to the 'Howdy Modi' event held in the US last year. The event will be held at the newly-built world's largest cricket stadium - Motera Stadium. Trump and PM Modi will hold extensive talks on Feb 25 on a range of issues," Shringla added.
read more at Twitter

Had tasty 'Litti Chokha' along with cup of tea: PM during visit to 'Hunar Haat'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to share pictures of his surprise visit to 'Hunar Haat' in Delhi. "Had tasty Litti Chokha for lunch along with a hot cup of tea," PM Modi tweeted. The 'Hunar Haat' is being organised by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, where artisans from across the country display traditional artworks and crafts.
read more at The New Indian Express

Vodafone Idea stock surges record 48% today

Vodafone Idea shares surged as much as 48% on Wednesday, a record intra-day gain, before settling 40% higher after reports said government is unlikely to invoke the operator's bank guarantees for now. CEO Ravinder Takkar and Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla met telecom secretary Anshu Prakash on Tuesday. The company said it will pay ₹3,500 crore to the government by Friday.
read more at Reuters

Elton John cancels two New Zealand concerts due to pneumonia

Singer-songwriter Elton John has cancelled his remaining two concerts in New Zealand and has rescheduled them to next year after he was diagnosed with walking pneumonia earlier this week. He also had to cut short his concert in Auckland on Sunday after he lost his voice on stage. John apologised to his fans and said he's "disappointed and deeply upset".

Fashion is all about inclusivity & diversity: Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla

Fashion designer duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla said that fashion "is all about inclusivity and diversity". They added that they are "always about maximalism" when it comes to fashion. This comes after their latest presentation at Blender's Pride Fashion Tour in Delhi wherein Sara Ali Khan turned showstopper for them, wearing a deep mauve embroidered lehenga.
read more at Hindustan Times

As actor my job is done before release: Sara on Love Aaj Kal collection

On being asked about her opinion on the "good opening" of 'Love Aaj Kal' at the box office, Sara Ali Khan said, "As...actor, I think my job is done before....release of the film." "My job is to do what my director asks...with complete conviction and honesty," she added. "Beyond that, it's for...audience...and...media to love, and I hope...they do," said Sara.
read more at Hindustan Times

Will miss how she used to reprimand me for smoking: SRK on Kishori's demise

Condoling the demise of his 'Swades' co-actor Kishori Ballal, Shah Rukh Khan on Wednesday took to Twitter and wrote, "May her soul rest in peace." "Kishori 'Amma' will be sorely missed. Especially how she used to reprimand me for smoking. May Allah look after her," he added. Kishori passed away on Tuesday at the age of 82 in Bengaluru.
read more at Zee News

First group of 500 passengers leave quarantined Japan cruise ship

The first group of about 500 passengers who tested negative for the coronavirus disembarked from the Diamond Princess cruise ship on Wednesday after spending 14 days in quarantine off the coast of Japan. The remaining passengers are scheduled to leave the ship by Friday. Of the 3,700 passengers and crew aboard the ship, 542 contracted the virus, as of Tuesday.

Google-parent Alphabet ends work on its energy-generating kites

Alphabet, Google's parent, has decided to shut its power-generating-kites firm Makani. It was formed in 2016 to make flying kites that would harness wind power. Alphabet acquired Makani in 2013 as a Google X project with other "moonshots" projects like self-driving cars. X's lead, Astro Teller said, "It no longer makes sense for Makani to be an Alphabet company."
read more at Engadget

Over 600 accident cases at Amazon's UK warehouses in 3 yrs: Report

Over 600 Amazon workers have been seriously injured or narrowly escaped an accident at its UK warehouses in past three years, GMB trade union reported. Around 240 reports of serious injuries or near misses were sent to the Health and Safety Executive last year. Responding to the report, Amazon said its critics were determined to present a "false picture".
read more at The Guardian

1,000-yr-old Shiva temple in Tamil Nadu is world's 1st all-granite temple

The Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu is the world's first complete granite temple which is reportedly built using about 1,30,000 tons of granite. The 1,000-year-old temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, houses 216 feet tall, 80-ton heavy vimana (tower). Notably, the Reserve Bank of India on April 1, 1954, released ₹1,000 currency notes which featured the Brihadeeswarar Temple.
read more at DelhiPlanet

Ex-Goa CM Digambar Kamat compares drugs, narcotics to 'Bhasmasura'

Comparing drugs and narcotics to "Bhasmasura", a mythical demon whose mere touch would turn mortals into ash, Goa's former CM and current leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat alleged that the BJP-coalition government is ignoring rampant drug trade in the state. "It's high time that all of us...come forward to kill the 'Bhasmasura of Drugs' before it's too late," he said.
read more at The New Indian Express

France to curb entry of foreign Imams to combat separatism: Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron has said that entry of foreign Imams coming to France will be restricted after 2020. He added, "The problem is when in the name of a religion, some want to separate themselves from the Republic and therefore not respect its laws." Macron further said that about 300 Imams currently arrive in France every year.

YES Bank to be replaced by Shree Cement on Nifty 50 from March 27

YES Bank will be replaced by Shree Cement on Nifty 50 from March 27, National Stock Exchange (NSE) Indices, a subsidiary of NSE, said on Tuesday. Vodafone Idea, Indiabulls Housing Finance, Shree Cement, among others will be removed from Nifty Next 50. There have been changes in indices including Nifty 500 and Nifty 200 in industries like FMCG and IT.
read more at Livemint

Russian state-owned fund looking to bid for Jet Airways: Reports

Russia-based Far East Development Fund is looking to place its bid to buy Jet Airways, reports said. The date for submission of bids for the airline has been extended to March 10, following a meeting with the committee of creditors (CoC). Synergy Group and Prudent ARC were the only two firms that had shown interest in bidding for Jet.
read more at Livemint

Welspun CEO Dipali Goenka dances with employees at office, video viral

A video of multinational company Welspun's CEO Dipali Goenka, dancing with employees to the song 'Muqabla' at the office, has gone viral on social media. In the undated video, Goenka is seen dancing between cubicles as fellow employees cheer and join her. "Thumbs up for this CEO. Happy employees have the highest productivity," a Twitter user commented on the video.

Reports of Yuvraj working in a web series surface, cricketer clarifies

Ex-India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh took to Twitter to clarify that reports of him making a debut in a web series are "factually incorrect". "The web series features my younger brother and not me....Request all my friends in media to take corrective measures on the same...Thank you," he added. Reports claimed Yuvraj's wife Hazel Keech will also feature in the series.
read more at CricTracker

Indian stuck on Japan cruise amid coronavirus sings Arijit's 'Chal Ghar Chalen'

Binay Kumar Sarkar, one of the 138 Indians stuck on Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan amid coronavirus infection, has shared a Facebook video of himself singing 'Chal Ghar Chalen' by Arijit Singh. "I want to thank Arijit...for singing many songs that bring hope and happiness in such situations," he said. "We're entertaining ourselves...Feeling better," he wrote on his timeline.
read more at Livemint

BJP used Manoj Tiwari's deepfake videos to reach out to Delhi voters: Report

BJP used deepfake videos of its Delhi chief Manoj Tiwari during Assembly polls to reach out to more voters through social media, a report by Vice claimed. Videos showed Tiwari speaking in Hindi, English and Haryanvi, questioning AAP's claims of setting up 500 schools and installing 15 lakh CCTVs in Delhi. Deepfakes are doctored videos that "convincingly" imitate real people.
read more at The Financial Express

Poet, journo held over recital of anti-CAA poem at govt function in K'taka

A poet and a journalist have been arrested over the recital of a poem against CAA and NRC at a government-sponsored function in Karnataka last month, police said. "Siraj Bisaralli (poet) recited the poem and Rajabaxi (journalist) shared it on social media," police added. They reportedly went absconding after the case was filed but surrendered before the court on Tuesday.
read more at Deccan Herald

BCCI shares bird's eye view of world's largest cricket stadium, Ganguly responds

BCCI took to Twitter to share another bird's eye view of the world's largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad. Responding to the picture, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly wrote, "Lovely to see such a massive, pretty stadium... Ahmedabad...have great memories in this ground as a player, captain...grew up at Eden with hundred thousand capacity...(not any more)...can’t wait to see this on 24th."
read more at CricTracker

Dhoni, Parthiv listen to 'Mere Mehboob Qayamat Hogi' inside toilet, video viral

A video of former India captain MS Dhoni, wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel and leg-spinner Piyush Chawla listening to singer Ishaan Khan singing Bollywood song 'Mere Mehboob Qayamat Hogi' inside a toilet of a hotel has gone viral. Reacting to the video, a fan wrote, "Better acoustics in the bathroom." Another fan wrote, "Our Mahi sir is so down to earth."
read more at CricTracker

Porsche Taycan catches fire and burns inside buyer's garage in US

Porsche has confirmed that one of its new Taycan electric cars caught fire in the garage of a US customer. "No one was harmed in this incident, and it is too early to speculate on the cause until the investigation has been concluded," Porsche said in a statement. Porsche Taycan was launched last year and deliveries began in December.
read more at BloombergQuint

Zuckerberg asks staff to blow-dry his sweaty armpits before speeches: Book

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg asks his communications staff to blow-dry his armpits before big speeches to eliminate anxiety sweat, according to a review of the book 'Facebook: The Inside Story', published in Bloomberg. Following the article, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey joked that he never needed such services and would offer blow-dry services to his communications team, if needed.
read more at BloombergQuint

My fairytale ended: DCW chief Swati announces divorce from AAP's Naveen

DCW chief Swati Maliwal on Wednesday announced her divorce from AAP leader Naveen Jaihind. In a Twitter post, she wrote, "Most painful moment is when your fairytale ends. Mine ended. Me & Navin have got divorced. Sometimes best of people can't stay together. Will always miss him & our life that could have been." Jaihind is AAP's convenor for Haryana.
read more at Times Now

Is Trump God that 70 lakh will gather to welcome him?: Cong's Adhir Ranjan

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday criticised the Centre for making elaborate arrangements for US President Donald Trump's first visit to India. "Is Trump God that 70 lakh people will gather to welcome him? He is coming here for his own interests," Chowdhury said. President Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump will be visiting India on February 24.
read more at Times Now

Insider trading charges against Droom Founder Sandeep Aggarwal dropped by DOJ

The US DOJ has dismissed all charges against Sandeep Aggarwal, Founder of Droom, who was arrested in 2013 for insider trading. Aggarwal said he paid $32,428.95 to the SEC to settle the civil case. "Those times were tough for me, my family and my team members...I know what I did was wrong and I'm sorry for my conduct," he said.
read more at Inc42

India to switch to world's cleanest petrol, diesel from April 1\

India will switch to the world's cleanest Euro-VI emission compliant petrol and diesel from Euro-IV grades from April 1. India would join the select nations using fuel containing just 10 parts per million of sulphur. "We are absolutely on track for supplying BS-VI (equivalent to Euro-VI grade) fuel from April 1," said Sanjiv Singh, Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
read more at Deccan Herald

Gadkari has innovative ideas: SC as it invites him to help curb pollution

CJI SA Bobde on Wednesday said that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has "innovative ideas" on tackling pollution and "requested" him to come to court and assist them. When the counsel of the central government said that such an order could be seen in a "political way", Bobde said that it should not be seen as summons but as an invitation.
read more at Zee News

'Why didn't you conduct lie detector test on Asthana', court asks CBI

A Delhi court reprimanded CBI for not conducting a psychological or lie detector test on former special director Rakesh Asthana in an alleged bribery case. The CBI had filed a case against Asthana based on a complaint by Satish Sana who claimed he'd given ₹3-crore bribe to Asthana. The CBI has given a clean chit to Asthana in the case.
read more at The New Indian Express

China expels WSJ reporters over article calling China 'Real Sick Man of Asia'

China has revoked the press credentials of three Wall Street Journal reporters over a column titled "China is the Real Sick Man of Asia". The editorial had criticised the Chinese government's initial response to the coronavirus outbreak. "The Chinese people do not welcome media that publish racist statements and maliciously attacks China," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.
read more at The Guardian

Jio, Airtel plan network upgrades in case Vodafone Idea fails: Reports

Airtel and Jio have reportedly started internal consultations on how they can upgrade their networks to absorb users from Vodafone Idea in case it shuts down. Vodafone Idea has 304 million subscribers, including 200 million 2G users. The operator has been ordered to pay past dues of over ₹50,000 crore, while it's saddled with ₹1 lakh crore in net debt.
read more at Livemint

Was delighted to see Ayushmann kissing a guy on-screen: Tahira

Tahira Kashyap has said she was "delighted" to see her husband, Ayushmann Khurrana, kissing a guy in his upcoming 'Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan'. "Who am I to judge? My perspective of watching him on-screen is surely from...perspective of what he as a character should be doing," she added. "Whether he kisses...man or woman, I'm seeing...emotion of the character," said Tahira.
read more at Hindustan Times

Wept through the movie: Barkha Dutt after watching 'Thappad'

Journalist Barkha Dutt on Tuesday tweeted that she watched Taapsee Pannu's upcoming film 'Thappad' during a special screening and "wept through it". "It...delights me that ['Thappad'] was made by a man [Anubhav Sinha]...my friend Taapsee as its lead shone," she added. "The film is brave and lifts the lid off silent...repressed female dream," Barkha further wrote.
read more at Twitter

Russia to ban entry of Chinese citizens over coronavirus

Russia has said it will ban the entry of Chinese citizens from February 20 for tourism, work, educational and private purposes over "worsening" of the coronavirus epidemic in China. Earlier, Russia closed its 4,250-km border with China. Russia has not reported any coronavirus cases since two women who returned from China were treated and released from the hospital.
read more at The New Indian Express

Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma invest ₹2.5 cr in startup Digit Insurance

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma have invested $340,000 (about ₹2.5 crore) in Bengaluru-based insurtech startup Digit Insurance in a round in which it has already raised $84 million. As per filings, Virat has put in ₹2 crore and Anushka has invested ₹50 lakh. The funding round, which began in January, included participation from A91 Partners, Faering Capital and TVS Capital.
read more at Entrackr

Flipkart was sold to Walmart for less: TV Mohandas Pai

Former Director of Infosys TV Mohandas Pai has said that Flipkart was "sold for less" to Walmart, adding that better exits are expected to come. "Flipkart we have sold for less. Please remember: value is what a buyer gives a seller, and not the other way around," said Pai. Walmart acquired a 77% stake in Flipkart for $16 billion.
read more at Inc42

Hyperlocal delivery startup Dunzo raises $11 mn from Alteria Capital

Bengaluru-based daily tasks management startup Dunzo has raised $11 million in a debt funding round from Alteria Capital. Initially launched on WhatsApp in 2015 by Mukund Jha, Kabeer Biswas, Ankur Aggarwal and Dalvir Suri, Dunzo offers AI-driven task management services. It is backed by Google and has raised around $78.5 million till date, as per Crunchbase.
read more at Entrackr

SC directs Rajasthan govt to stop illegal sand mining in state

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Rajasthan government, its collectors and SPs to take immediate steps to stop illegal sand mining in the state. The bench headed by CJI SA Bobde said illegal sand mining is likely to "damage the environment irreparably". The SC has asked for a report on action taken from the state government within four weeks.

Looks don't help: J&K police officer to Pak PM as Pak stays on FATF grey list

J&K Police's SSP Security Kashmir, Imtiyaz Hussain, criticised Pakistan PM Imran Khan for his efforts that haven't helped his country to be taken off the FATF grey list. He said, "Looks don't help when you're expected to act. Fail to understand by what scale Imran Khan is handsome." He added, "Handsome is what handsome does.Sponsoring terror is never handsome.Period."
read more at Times Now

Goa govt bans liquor consumption during carnival float parades

The consumption of liquor in public will not be allowed during the Goa Carnival float parades from this year, Goa Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said. The move is part of the ban on drinking (alcohol) in public places which is already in force in Goa, he added. The carnival will be held between February 22 and February 25.
read more at Times Now

4 killed in mid-air plane collision near Mangalore in Australia

Four people were killed when two light planes collided mid-air near the town of Mangalore in Australia on Wednesday. "We're not sure why both aircraft were on the same trajectory or why they were in that area," Police Inspector Peter Koger said. He added, "There was some talk of possible cloud cover and...a possibility that they didn't see each other."
read more at The New Indian Express

Sachin Tendulkar's run-out against Pakistan once sparked a riot

On February 19, 1999, Sachin Tendulkar got run-out after a collision with Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar on a Test's fourth day at Eden Gardens. The umpires took an early tea after crowd pelted Akhtar with bottles and chanted "cheat, cheat". Tendulkar pacified the crowd and play resumed, but as India were losing on the fifth day, the crowd turned violent again.
read more at Cricket Country

Rekha says 'This is danger zone', walks away from Amitabh Bachchan's photo

A video shows actress Rekha saying 'Yahan danger zone hai (This is danger zone)' as she approached Amitabh Bachchan's photo at Daboo Ratnani's 2020 calendar launch. She's seen walking with Daboo's daughter towards one end of the red carpet, which has Amitabh's photo on the wall. As soon as Rekha reached the end, she can be seen walking away.
read more at Pinkvilla

Wow what a photo, comments Anushka Sharma on her own pic

Anushka Sharma shared a picture of herself revealing her look for the Femina Beauty Awards held on Tuesday. "Wow what a photo," she commented on her own picture within minutes of posting it on Instagram. She shared a series of pictures and wrote #selflove with fire emojis in one of them. In another picture, she commented, "Good height girl #selflover".
read more at Instagram

Indian group wins America's Got Talent: The Champions; danced to 'Tattad Tattad'

Mumbai-based dance group V.Unbeatable on Monday won the second season of 'America's Got Talent: The Champions'. The group performed to Ranveer Singh's song 'Tattad Tattad' from Bollywood film 'Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela'. Tweeting the video of the same, official page of 'America's Got Talent' wrote, "This incredible performance...cemented their legacy as the best in the world!"
read more at Hindustan Times

Deepika reveals her look as Kapil Dev's wife Romi in Ranveer Singh starrer '83'

Deepika Padukone has revealed her look as Kapil Dev's wife, Romi Dev, in '83'. The film, which stars her husband Ranveer Singh as Kapil Dev, is based on India's 1983 World Cup victory. "To be able to play a small part in a film that captures one of the most iconic moments in sporting history has been an...honour," she wrote.
read more at The Quint

93-yr-old man completes his master's in public administration from IGNOU

CI Sivasubramanian, a 93-year-old man, received his master's degree in public administration at the IGNOU convocation on Monday and was praised by HRD Minister who called him a 90-year-old "youngster". Sivasubramanian finished his schooling in 1940s but couldn't attend college due to family problems. "I have asked them whether I can pursue another master's course but I'll see," he said.

11-year-old blind Kerala student successfully swims across Periyar river

R Manoj, an 11-year-old visually impaired boy in Kerala's Aluva, successfully swam across Periyar river from Advaita Ashram to Aluva Manappuram. "One of my seniors was the first blind person to swim across Periyar. That was my inspiration," he said. Manoj added that he wants to raise awareness about the increasing cases of drowning and the importance of studying swimming.
read more at The New Indian Express

Virat Kohli only Indian player to hit hundred on World Cup debut

Team India captain Virat Kohli is the only Indian cricketer to score a century on a World Cup debut match. Kohli achieved the feat by slamming 100*(83) as a 22-year-old against Bangladesh in India's World Cup opener on February 19, 2011. The hundred was Kohli's fifth in international cricket and helped India beat Bangladesh by 87 runs.
read more at Cricket Country

I will play all formats for at least 3 more years: Virat Kohli

India captain Virat Kohli has said that he will play all formats in international cricket for at least three more years. "It is around eight years now that I have been playing 300 days a year, which includes travelling and practice sessions. And intensity is right up there all the time. It does take a toll on you," he added.
read more at CricTracker

No revolt brewing against K'taka CM: BJP after letter criticising CM surfaces

After a letter criticising Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa surfaced online, BJP spokesperson G Madhusudhana said, "An unsigned letter in Kannada circulating on social media is bogus." Stating that the letter was fabricated in Yediyurappa's private secretary Santosh's name, Madhusudhana added, "No revolt is brewing against the CM." The letter reportedly accused the CM of favouring his family members.
read more at Livemint

We brought Chinese parts to UK in suitcases: Tata Motors' Jaguar on coronavirus

Tata Motors' British luxury unit Jaguar Land Rover on Tuesday said it has flown Chinese parts in suitcases to Britain to maintain production as the novel coronavirus disrupted the carmaker's supply chain. Jaguar warned it could run out of car parts for its UK factories after two weeks. The company is currently making no sales in China, it added.
read more at The Guardian

Water added to Yamuna ahead of Trump visit, official says 'can reduce foul smell'

The Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department has released 500 cusecs of water into the Yamuna from the Ganganahar in Bulandshahr to improve the river's "environmental condition" in Agra, ahead of US President Donald Trump's visit. Adding that the move will "improve the oxygen level in the Yamuna", an official said, "This move...could reduce foul smell from the river."
read more at Hindustan Times

CBSE plans to substitute words 'fail' and 'compartmental' from this year

The CBSE has planned to stop using the words 'failed' and 'compartmental' in the mark sheets of class 10 and 12. As per board officials, such words impact the students' mental health. The board has formed a committee that will ask suggestions from school principals and educationists across the country on words that should be used instead, an official said.

Giving exam made me feel closer to him: Martyr Major's wife on joining Army

Nikita Kaul, wife of Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal who was martyred during a gun-battle with JeM terrorists in February last year, is set to join the Army after she cleared the SSC examination and interview. The 28-year-old said while giving the exam, she thought how her husband went through the same situation and it made her feel closer to him.
read more at Hindustan Times

6 children of Kerala couple die in 9yrs; police dig out 3-month-old baby's body

As many as six children, three boys and three girls, of a couple in Kerala died over a span of nine years. A case was registered after the couple's three-month-old child died on Tuesday, following which police exhumed the baby's body for post-mortem. Meanwhile, the couple's relatives said that according to doctors, the deaths were due to some genetic disease.
read more at The News Minute

2 men rape 19-yr-old married woman at knife-point, leave phone number with her

A 19-year-old woman was allegedly raped by two men near a toll plaza in Haryana's Karnal when she went to a restroom while her husband waited nearby. Police said one man raped her and the other threatened her at knife-point. The accused even gave their phone number to her before fleeing, and it helped police to find and arrest them.

Black man in US kidnaps woman, forces her to see 9-hr TV show to understand racism

A 52-year-old African American man kidnapped a white woman in US' Iowa and forced her to watch nine-hour slavery miniseries 'Roots' so she could 'understand her racism'. He threatened to kill her and "spread her body parts across Interstate 380" when she tried to move away. Police said the duo had been in an on-off relationship for several years.
read more at Daily Mail

Ajay and Kajol take a bow, Saif is just brilliant: Hrithik on 'Tanhaji'

Actor Hrithik Roshan after watching 'Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior' took to Twitter and called it "an incredible movie" and "best action ever". "Ajay Devgn and Kajol take a bow! Saif [Ali Khan] is just brilliant. Entire cast/crew needs applause for this massive effort," Hrithik tweeted. He added that actress Neha Sharma was "superb" in the film.
read more at Hindustan Times

Carrying a film on my shoulders for the 1st time: Bhumi on Durgavati

Actress Bhumi Pednekar, while commenting on her upcoming film 'Durgavati', said that this is for the first time that she is carrying an entire film on her shoulders. "There is always a pressure...you try to give...better performance than your previous ones," she added. 'Durgavati' is a horror thriller directed by G Ashok, based on his own 2018 Telugu film 'Bhaagamathie'.
read more at Free Press Journal

Man seeks arrest of Raveena, Farah and Bharti for hurting sentiments

A man, who heads a local NGO in Maharashtra's Beed, has written to Maharashtra Police demanding the arrest of Raveena Tandon, Farah Khan and Bharti Singh for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of Christians. He alleged that the accused used the Biblical expression "Hallelujah" in an offensive way on a celebrity quiz show, which was aired on Christmas eve in 2019.
read more at Free Press Journal

I dedicate my 'Performer of the Year' award to Laxmi Agarwal: Deepika

Deepika Padukone was given 'Powerful Performer of the Year' award at Nykaa Femina Beauty Awards 2020. She dedicated the award to Laxmi Agarwal and "every single acid attack survivor who...have shown...what beauty truly means". Notably, Deepika's film 'Chhapaak' was based on Laxmi's life. "'Chhapaak'...is a movement...has challenged the definition...of 'Beauty'," Deepika wrote on Instagram.
read more at India.com

6,000 masks of ₹26k stolen from Japan hospital amid coronavirus outbreak

In Japan, thieves stole around 6000 surgical masks from the Japanese Red Cross hospital in Kobe amid coronavirus outbreak. Around four boxes of surgical masks worth 40,000 yen (around ₹26,000) disappeared from the locked storage facility of the hospital. As the country is facing a shortage of face masks, the authorities suspect that thieves intended to resell the masks.
read more at Deccan Herald

Sena criticises Centre for 'regressive' views on women officers in Army

Shiv Sena in its editorial mouthpiece Saamana criticised the Centre on Wednesday for refusing to treat women officers in Indian Army equal with male officers. "This is the real attitude of the government which talks of progressiveness," Sena wrote in its editorial. The party praised the Supreme Court judgment granting permanent commission to women officers in the Army.
read more at Zee News

26-week maternity leave for Chandigarh govt employees opting for surrogacy

The Chandigarh government has decided to provide maternity leave with full pay to female employees who want to have a child through surrogacy as well as to those female employees who would bear the child of another woman. The notification issued states that the heads of departments will be authorising the up to 180 days or 26 weeks leave.
read more at Hindustan Times

19-year-old girl dies after falling in open drain in Mumbai

A 19-year-old girl died after falling into an open drain in Mumbai's Andheri West. The girl's father alleged that her daughter could have been saved had the rescue operations began on time. "I got the information at around 7.30 pm. I reached the place at around 8.15 pm. But they began operations only after half an hour," the father said.
read more at ANI

Aadhaar is not a document of citizenship, tweets UIDAI

After UIDAI's Regional Office in Hyderabad sent notices to 127 people based on police reports that the 'illegal immigrants' acquired Aadhaar by false means, UIDAI has said that Aadhaar isn't a document of citizenship. UIDAI tweeted, "UIDAI has been mandated under the Aadhaar Act to ascertain residency of a person in India for 182 days prior to applying for Aadhaar."
read more at Livemint

Thai man shoots ex-wife at beauty clinic in mall, arrested

short by Kirti Joshi / 12:45 pm on 19 Feb 2020,Wednesday

A man killed his ex-wife and wounded another person at a shopping mall in Thailand. The man had gone into a beauty clinic at Century The Movie Plaza mall where his ex-wife worked and opened fire at her. He was later arrested while on the run in another province and was charged with premeditated murder and illegal gun possession.
read more at Reuters

The Moms Co. aims to solve all Mom concerns with #ScienceOfMotherhood

When Malika Sadani's daughter had her first skin reaction, she realised how hard it was to find great quality products that were natural, safe and effective. She took matters in her own hands and launched The Moms Co. in 2017. Their new campaign #ScienceOfMotherhood talks about creating products with experts from India, Australia and Switzerland and a sharp mother's instinct.
read more at themomsco.com

Relatives say I am disgracing them: T'gana man who worships Trump statue at home

Telangana's Bussa Krishna, who erected US President Donald Trump's life-size statue at his home, said he's facing "difficulties" because of his relatives. "They tell me I am disgracing them...I told them that just like you believe and worship Shiva, I believe and worship Trump," he said. Krishna began worshipping Trump when he appeared to him in a dream in 2016.
read more at Reuters

I'll expose what your mom & dad did to me: Neha after Himansh speaks on breakup

After actor Himansh Kohli said he was wrongly blamed for his breakup with singer Neha Kakkar, the latter seemed to criticise him on Instagram. "Get famous because of your work, not because of me," she wrote. "If I open my mouth, I'll bring here your mother, father and sister's deeds too...What all they did and said to me," Neha added.
read more at Hindustan Times

Urvashi sat on 4 chairs due to Filmfare Awards gown which took 730hrs to make

Actress Urvashi Rautela has revealed on Instagram that it took 4 seats for her to sit at the Filmfare Awards 2020 due to her gown. "Without my wonderful team this wouldn't be possible. One of my heaviest red carpet experiences," she wrote. In another post, she revealed that it took 730 hours to create the gown.
read more at Instagram

Who's Dr Kotnis, whom China mentioned as it thanked India over coronavirus help?

Dwarkanath S Kotnis was an Indian doctor who died while treating Chinese soldiers during the second China-Japan war in 1942 at the age of 32. Dr Kotnis went to China in 1938 as part of an Indian medical mission after China was invaded by Japan. Dr Kotnis, who's revered in China, had married a Chinese nurse who worked with him.
read more at Hindustan Times

All organisations developing AI should be regulated, even Tesla: Elon Musk

Elon Musk has said that "all organisations developing advanced AI should be regulated, including Tesla", in response to an MIT report which claimed that AI's mission is to ensure benefits to humanity. After a Twitter user asked if regulation should come from individual governments or global organizations like the UN, Musk replied "both". "OpenAI should be more open," he added.
read more at The Next Web

Google tells Samsung to stop making changes in Android code

Google has asked Samsung to stop making changes in Android code after Samsung tried to change the Android kernel code to improve the security, but ended up exposing the handset to more bugs. As per Google's Project Zero team, Samsung tweaked the code for its Galaxy A50 smartphone. The bug is being patched in Samsung's February update for Galaxy phones.
read more at Hindustan Times

Quikr no longer billion-dollar startup as major investor slashes valuation by 45%

Online classifieds marketplace Quikr in no longer a unicorn (a startup with over $1 billion valuation) as Swedish investor Kinnevik marked down its valuation by about 45% to around $570 million. This comes after the Bengaluru-based startup discovered frauds in its co-living and auto segments. Kinnevik CEO said Quikr has fired a lot of their workforce to become profitable faster.
read more at Financial Express

Public property worth ₹2.66 cr was damaged by Delhi Police: Jamia to HRD

Jamia Millia Islamia has submitted an estimate of property damage worth ₹2.66 crore which "occurred due to Delhi Police action on December 15" to Ministry of Human Resource Development. While Jamia alleged that police entered without permission, police claimed they were in pursuit of "rioters" and entered the premises as a result. The estimate includes 25 CCTVs worth ₹4.75 lakh.

I am saving big trade deal with India for later on: Trump ahead of visit

Ahead of his visit to India, US President Donald Trump told reporters, "We can have a trade deal with India, but I'm really saving the big deal for later on." Trump also stated that he still wanted to do "a very big trade deal" with India, but added he doesn't know if it'll be done before the US Presidential elections.
read more at Livemint

Made Kasab touch ground with forehead, chant 'Bharat Mata ki Jai': Ex-Commissioner

In his book, ex-Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria narrated how once he was returning from a morgue with 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks convict Ajmal Kasab and he ordered his convoy to stop at a place. He said he made Kasab touch the ground with his forehead and chant 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' twice as he "wasn't satisfied with just once".
read more at Zee News

We're not treated very well by India, but I happen to like PM Modi a lot: Trump

Speaking about trade ties with India, US President Donald Trump said, "We're not treated very well by India, but I happen to like Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi a lot." This comes ahead of Trump's visit to India from February 24 to February 25. According to reports, US and India could sign a "trade package" during the visit.
read more at Livemint

UK PM Boris Johnson reaches divorce settlement with Indian-origin wife

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his estranged Indian-origin wife Marina Wheeler have finalised a divorce deal and reached a financial settlement. A court in London gave Wheeler, who has four children with Johnson, the permission to apply for a divorce decree which will bring the marriage to an end. Johnson has been dating 31-year-old Carrie Symonds since last year.
read more at The Guardian

Man plays 'laughing game' with kid every time bomb hits Syria, video surfaces

A Syrian father played a 'laughing game' every time a bomb dropped in the war-torn country to distract his four-year-old daughter. "Every time a voice comes in, the family laughs so that the game doesn't break," journalist Mehmet Algan tweeted sharing a video. Abdullah Al-Mohammad told his daughter that the sounds of the bombs and guns were from toy guns.

Pak PM's ex-wife shares film poster showing his 'current wife' doing black magic

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's ex-wife Jemima Goldsmith tweeted a Lollywood film poster featuring herself, Imran and a burqa-clad woman doing black magic. The burqa-clad woman reportedly represents Imran's present wife Bushra Bibi who is allegedly known for her magic spells. "No disrespect intended. Like most of you, I just found it funny," Jemima tweeted.
read more at ANI

Who are India's richest non-promoter executives?

DMart CEO Ignatius Navil Noronha, whose stake in the supermarket chain is worth over ₹3,100 crore, is India's richest non-promoter professional, a report citing data from Bloomberg said. Noronha is followed by HDFC Bank CEO Aditya Puri (₹943 crore), DMart CFO Ramakant Baheti (₹666 crore), Tech Mahindra CEO CP Gurnani (₹594 crore) and HDFC MD Renu Sud Karnad (₹547 crore).
read more at Times Now

Lithium reserve found near Bengaluru

Reserves of lithium, used for making electric vehicle batteries, have been discovered in Mandya near Bengaluru. Researchers at the Atomic Minerals Directorate have estimated lithium reserves of 14,100 tonnes in a small patch of land surveyed there. "If one compares with 8.6 million tonnes in Chile, 2.8 million tonnes in Australia...this is not that large," IISc professor N Munichandraiah said.
read more at Livemint

Kannada actress Kishori Ballal dies at 82

Veteran Kannada actress Kishori Ballal passed away at the age of 82 in Bengaluru on Tuesday, reportedly due to age-related ailments. She was known for playing Kaveri Amma's character in Ashutosh Gowariker's 2004 film 'Swades' starring Shah Rukh Khan. Gowariker condoled Ballal's demise by tweeting, "Terribly sad about...#KishoriBallal ji...will be remembered for...generously...affable persona!"
read more at The Quint

It only offers entertainment to me: Alia on wedding rumours with Ranbir

Alia Bhatt has said that rumours about her wedding with Ranbir Kapoor only offers entertainment to her. "I'm not sure which rumour is on currently...every three weeks there is a new wedding date...a rumour. I find it very entertaining," she said. Notably, film critic Rajeev Masand recently claimed that Alia and Ranbir will get married in December this year.
read more at Hindustan Times

Nehru's writing gives answers to today's questions: Naseeruddin

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah read out an excerpt from India's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru's book 'The Discovery of India' at an event 'India, My Valentine' in Mumbai. "I think Pandit Nehru's writing gives...answers to [today's] questions," Shah said. Talking about today's times, he added, "I think I'm not alone in agonising over...question as to whether all this was always latent."
read more at The Quint

Film industry seems like big high school drama: Evelyn Sharma

Actress Evelyn Sharma on Tuesday wrote on Instagram that sometimes the film industry seems like a "big high school drama". "Who knows who, whom you're friends with...how do you get to sit with the cool kids," she added. "One thing I've learned...it's fun to mingle at...parties [but] in the end...boils down to your test scores at...box office," Evelyn further wrote.
read more at Zee News

No indications of coronavirus cases in North Korea: WHO

The WHO Health Emergencies Programme executive director Mike Ryan has said there are no indications of coronavirus cases in North Korea. "At the moment there are no signals, there are no indications we are dealing with any COVID-19 there," he said. North Korea hasn't confirmed any coronavirus cases, but South Korean media reports claim that the outbreak has spread there.
read more at Reuters

Japan to hold HIV drug trials on coronavirus patients

Japan will hold trials of HIV antiretroviral drugs to treat patients infected with COVID-19 which is also known as Novel Coronavirus, the government said. The Japanese government is "currently conducting preparations so that clinical trials using HIV medication on the Novel Coronavirus can start as soon as possible," Yoshihide Suga, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary told The Guardian.
read more at The Guardian

SpaceX signs deal to fly private citizens to space as early as 2021

SpaceX signed an agreement with Space Adventures that could let up to four individuals have the opportunity to fly to space sometime in late 2021 or 2022 in SpaceX's Crew Dragon. The companies said that the tourists will fly in the spacecraft and that they will orbit Earth. The private citizens will spend a few weeks training in the US.
read more at TechCrunch

Tatkal tickets availability to increase as Railways removes illegal software

More Tatkal tickets will be available for passengers as Railways has removed all illegal software and arrested 60 agents who blocked such tickets. Railway Protection Force (RPF) Director General Arun Kumar said the removal would make Tatkal tickets available for passengers for hours now. Officials explained that illegal software would bypass IRCTC's login captcha, booking captcha and bank OTP.
read more at The Financial Express

Kartarpur Corridor's opening proof of Pak's desire for peace: UN chief

During his visit to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the opening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor is a practical example of Pakistan's desire for peace and inter-faith harmony. The opening of the corridor will promote tolerance, he added. The corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India's Gurdaspur.
read more at The New Indian Express