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Navjot Singh Sidhu inducted as cabinet minister in Punjab | Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu was on Thursday inducted as a cabinet minister in the new Congress government in Punjab headed by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. Sidhu, who joined the Congress party in January, just days ahead of the February 4 assembly elections in Punjab, won the Amritsar East seat with the second-highest margin of over 42,000 votes, after Amarinder Singh. |
Startup behind â¹9 lakh smartphone fires one-third staff | British startup Sirin Labs, which launched the 'Solarin' Android smartphone at over â¹9 lakh last year, has laid off one-third of its 90 employees. However, Sirin dismissed rumours that it was also ending production of the Solarin. The phone was touted to be the world's most secure with military-grade encryption and physical switch to activate shielded mode for secure calls. |
Are we not ashamed of opposing NEET, asks HC judge | Criticising Tamil Nadu government's opposition to National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, Madras HC judge Justice N Kirubakaran on Thursday said, "Are we not ashamed of opposing the NEET?" Hearing petitions seeking allotment of 50% of postgraduate seats in private colleges to government quota, he added, "Do you feel that our students will not do better than students of other states?" |
Trash sold in the name of trends: Tamma singer on remixes | Singer Anuradha Paudwal, who sang 'Tamma Tamma' originally, has said that people sell trash in the name of trends these days, while speaking about remixing old songs. She added, "I used to get upset with...remixes. Now, I realise this is how the newer generation expresses love." Anuradha further said that songs these days have a vidhwansak (destructive) tone. |
Arsenal of over 10,000 weapons seized by Spanish police | The Spanish police has released pictures of a huge weapons arsenal including over 10,000 assault rifles, machine guns, pistols, revolvers, and 400 shells and grenades, seized from an organised crime group in January during an operation against firearms trafficking. The operation was supported by Europol. The police also arrested five people and seized â¬80,000 (â¹56 lakh) along with the weapons. |
1st US woman to become doctor was admitted to school as joke | Elizabeth Blackwell who became the first woman to receive an MD degree from an American medical school in 1849 was admitted to the school as a joke. When she applied to Geneva Medical College, the faculty allowed the all-male student body to vote on her admission, assuming they wouldn't allow a woman. As a joke, however, the students voted 'yes'. |
Cyclists use GPS to draw goat in Australia | Four cyclists in Australia used GPS to draw the outline of a goat during an over six-hour ride. The cyclists planned their route with the help of an app before embarking on the 202-kilometre journey around the city of Perth. One of them said, "You basically drop little dots on the road and it plans directions out." |
5 years since Sachin Tendulkar's 100th international century | Sachin Tendulkar became the only cricketer to score 100 international centuries on March 16, 2012, in an ODI against Bangladesh at Mirpur. It was the 49th ODI century for Tendulkar, who, with 51 Test hundreds, holds the record for most tons in both the 50-over and five-day formats. Sachin took one year four days to score his 100th international ton. |
Zara Founder to get â¹8,800 crore payout after record sales | Billionaire Amancio Ortega, Founder of Inditex which owns retail giant Zara, has received $1.35 billion (over â¹8,800 crore) after the fashion group reported record sales and profits. Ortega, who is the worldâs fourth richest person and the wealthiest European, will receive the cash as dividend payments. Notably, Ortega has an estimated fortune of around $72 billion (nearly â¹5 lakh crore). |
We are broken emotionally: Padmavati designers on vandalism | Designer duo Rimple and Harpreet Narula, who designed the costumes for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming film 'Padmavati', said that they are broken sentimentally because of the vandalism on the film's sets in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. "Something so unfortunate has happened because of illiteracy in our country. There is so much hard work that was put into making the clothes," they added. |
Youth should be made ambassadors of govt's good work: Modi | Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday addressed a parliamentary meeting over the BJP's victory in recently concluded Assembly elections and said, "Youth should be made ambassadors of government's good work." Modi further said, "This huge victory reflects the support of the public, who have faith in us. The youth are an essential part of the country." |
Google partners with trekkers to map active volcano | Google has partnered with two trekkers to capture images of an active volcano at an island off the Australian coast. The activity would allow viewers to experience the volcano and its surroundings using Google Maps. "I hope that by putting this place on the map people will realize what a beautiful world we live in", said one of the trekkers. |
Shreya Ghoshal to get wax figure at Madame Tussauds Delhi | Singer Shreya Ghoshal is set to get a wax figure at the Madame Tussauds in New Delhi. Ghoshal said, "it is an honour to be featured among such talented stars, artists, historians and renowned celebrities." The wax museum, which will open later this year, will also feature wax figures of Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. |
Australia playing without a 'Mitchell' for 1st time in 4 yrs | Ending a streak of 41 Tests, Australia are playing without a player named 'Mitchell' in their playing XI for the first time in almost four years, in the Ranchi Test against India which began on Thursday. Since the Test against England at Chester-le-Street in August 2013, either Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Marsh or Mitchell Johnson has played for Australia. |
GoPro to fire a fifth of workforce impacting 270 employees | Camera startup GoPro has announced it will be cutting almost a fifth of its workforce impacting 270 employees. The job cuts will cost the company up to $10 million but will save as much as $200 million in operating expenses for the year, it added. The job cuts add up to 200 positions GoPro said it would eliminate in November. |
SpaceX launches communications satellite in second attempt | After postponing its first attempt to launch communications satellite EchoStar XXIII due to high winds on Tuesday, Elon Musk-led space startup SpaceX on Thursday successfully deployed the satellite through its Faclon 9 rocket. The satellite was deployed into an orbit more than 35,000 kilometres above the Earthâs surface to provide broadcast services for Brazil. |
Swimwear brand launches Disney-themed bikini collection | Swimwear brand 'Enchanted Bikinis' has launched a swimwear collection styled after outfits worn by Disney princesses. The bikinis are available in sizes small to extra-large. The collection includes a 'Candy Apple' bikini inspired by Snow White's outfit and an 'Arabian Nights' set inspired by Jasmine from 'Aladdin'. While the bikini tops are priced at â¹2,940, the bottoms come for â¹2,287. |
Xbox One controllers' chargers recalled due to fire risk | American battery company Energizer and accessory manufacturer PDP are recalling more than one lakh chargers made for Microsoft's Xbox One controllers over the risk of fire. The chargers were recalled after reports of overheating and burns caused by the chargers to the users. The company is giving a full refund on the affected chargers. |
Top executive of Uber's self-driving technology unit quits | Raffi Krikorian, the senior director of engineering at Uberâs Advanced Technologies Center focused on self-driving vehicle technology, has quit the company. Formerly the vice president of engineering at Twitter, Krikorian had joined Uber in March 2015. His exit comes amid Uber facing a lawsuit from Google spinoff Waymo for stealing its self-driving technology. |
Picture of Fawad Khan's daughter Elayna shared online | A photograph of Pakistani actor Fawad Khan's daughter Elayna has been shared online. In the picture, Elayna can be seen wearing a onesie with a cat mask covering her face. Elayna, who was born in October 2016, is Fawad's second child with his wife Sadaf Khan. The couple have a son named Ayaan. |
Gold worth nearly â¹3 crore seized at Delhi Airport | Customs authorities at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi arrested two passengers on Wednesday for allegedly smuggling gold biscuits worth â¹2.82 crore from Hong Kong. Ten gold biscuits weighing 1 kg each were recovered from the passengers. The gold was found in the belts tied around their waists, underneath their trousers. |
Trump's revised immigration ban blocked by Hawaii judge | A US federal judge in Hawaii on Thursday blocked US President Donald Trump's revised immigration ban just hours before it was set to go into effect. The revised ban would have temporarily banned refugees as well as travellers from six predominantly Muslim countries. The order was halted noting that it discriminated against Muslims in violation of the US Constitution. |
Captain Amarinder Singh sworn in as CM of Punjab | Captain Amarinder Singh of Congress was on Thursday sworn in as the 26th Chief Minister of Punjab. This is the second time that Singh took over as Punjab CM, dethroning former CM Parkash Singh Badal. Navjot Singh Sidhu took oath as minister in Punjab cabinet. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh attended the swearing-in ceremony. |
Trailer of 'Baahubali 2: The Conclusion' released | The official trailer of SS Rajamouli-directorial 'Baahubali 2: The Conclusion' has been released. A continuation of 'Baahubali: The Beginning', Baahubali 2 will see Prabhas reprise the titular character of Baahubali while Anushka Shetty will play Devasena. The movie, also starring Tamannaah and Rana Daggubati, is set to release on April 28 in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam. |
US ally uses â¹20 crore missile to shoot drone worth â¹13,000 | A US ally used a Patriot missile costing â¹20 crore to shoot down a store-bought quadcopter drone worth only â¹13,000, a Commander of the US Army has revealed. The missile was shot suspecting the drone being of a malicious intent. Notably, Patriot missiles are radar-guided missiles designed to shoot down other small and fast-moving missiles. |
Federer defeats Nadal in straight sets at Indian Wells | Swiss tennis player Roger Federer defeated Spain's Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the Indian Wells Masters on Thursday. This was Federer's third straight win over Nadal and 13th of his career, while the Spaniard has 23 wins over the world number 10. Federer's last win over Nadal came in the Australian Open final in January. |
Ranchi becomes India's 26th Test venue | Ranchi's JSCA Stadium has become India's 26th Test venue, hosting the third Test between India and Australia which began on Thursday. The stadium, the world's 113th Test centre, hosted its first international match in January 2013, an India-England ODI. Since then, it has hosted four more international games including a T20I, with India winning three matches at the venue. |
What is the Sexual Harassment Of Women At Workplace Act? | The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act of 2013 requires every employer of an Indian workplace to create an 'Internal Complaints Committee' to handle cases of sexual harassment. Inquiries into complaints are required to be completed in 90 days. Redressals provided in the Act range from a written apology to termination of employment. |
Parrikar's 9-member cabinet has only 2 ministers from BJP | Other than CM Manohar Parrikar, the BJP has only two ministers in the council of ministers in Goa. Three ministers are from Goa Forward Party, while Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party got two ministerial berths. Two Independent MLAs have also been included in the council, but the allocation of portfolios will be done only after the floor test on Thursday. |
Parents, son together appear for board exams in West Bengal | A student from West Bengal, Biplab Mondal, has appeared in the Class 12th board examinations along with his parents Balaram (42) and Kalyani (32). They were students of a school in the state's Nadia district and also had the same subjects. "We are competitors in the exam hall. I have to outperform them," the 18-year-old Biplab said. |
Australia become the second team to play 800 Tests | Australia have become only the second team to play 800 Test matches, reaching the milestone in the Ranchi Test against India on Thursday. England is the only other team to have crossed the mark, having played 983 Tests since the first-ever five-day match in 1877. Out of the 799, Australia have won 377 Tests, the maximum among all Test-playing nations. |
Singapore's Changi Airport rated world's best for 5th year | The Changi Airport in Singapore has been rated the world's best airport for the fifth consecutive year in a survey by research firm Skytrax. The Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Incheon Airport in South Korea, Munich Airport in Germany and Hong Kong Airport complete the top five. The airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad are listed among the top 100. |
Dhoni signs autograph mid-match for pitch-invading fan | A fan ran onto the pitch and touched former Indian captain MS Dhoni's feet when he was at the crease, during Jharkhand's Vijay Hazare Trophy quarter-final match against Vidarbha in Delhi on Wednesday. Dhoni obliged the fan with an autograph before the latter left the field. Throughout the match, the crowd chanted Dhoni's name at the fall of every wicket. |
Private images of Emma Watson leaked online | Private images of Emma Watson have been leaked online, as confirmed by Watson's spokesperson. Her spokesperson said, "Photos from a clothes fitting Emma had with a stylist a couple of years ago have been stolen. They are not nude photographs." Earlier, reports emerged that nude pictures of actresses including Watson and Amanda Seyfried were leaked on social media. |
World moving forward, how can we switch back to ballot: Anna | Responding to the ongoing controversy over the security of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), social activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday said, "The world is progressing at a fast rate and here we are discussing of going back in time to ballot papers." Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had alleged that EVM tampering led to AAP's poor performance in Punjab. |
Sachin seemed 10 years old when I first saw him: Shane Warne | Shane Warne has said Sachin Tendulkar looked like a 10-year-old when he first saw him. "When I first saw Sachin in 1991 he seemed like a 10-year-old, and he then went on to make an unbelievable hundred. It was only after eight years that I got to play against him in India," said Warne, who first played Sachin in 1992. |
Donald Trump administration backs India's bid for NSG seat | The US on Wednesday said it is working with India and Nuclear Supplies Group (NSG) members to push for New Delhi's membership to the group. "The United States supports India's full membership in the four multilateral export control regimes, and we believe that India is ready for NSG membership," a US State Department spokesperson said. |
Last minute hotel booking startup RoomsTonite shuts down | Bengaluru-based last minute hotel booking startup RoomsTonite has shut down its operations reportedly due to cash crunch and inability to raise new funding. A handful of employees out of the workforce comprising of more than 90 people were absorbed by IDS Next Business Solutions, another firm founded by RoomsTonite Founder Suresh John. RoomsTonite began its operations in early 2015. |
SpaceX wins â¹630 crore launch contract from US Air Force | Elon Musk-led aerospace startup SpaceX has won a â¹630 crore contract from the US Air Force to launch its third GPS III satellite in 2019. This is SpaceX's second military contract, but the first time it competed with United Launch Alliance (ULA) for contract. ULA is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Space Systems and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. |
Centre approves special assistance package for Andhra | The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a special assistance package for Andhra Pradesh by way of funding the state's externally-aided projects and the irrigation component of Polavaram project. This support for capital expenditure would help the newly separated state of Andhra Pradesh to put its finances on a firmer footing and promote economic growth, an official statement read. |
Oxford comma decides US court case in labour dispute | A US court ruled in favour of deliverymen after observing that Maine's guidelines were ambiguous because they lacked an Oxford comma, used before conjunctions "and" and "or" in case of three or more items. The drivers claimed the guideline exempting overtime pay for "storing, packing for shipment or distribution" of items didn't specify whether packaging and distribution were separate activities. |
Smith calls Kohli's DRS allegations 'complete rubbish' | Speaking to the media on the eve of the 3rd Test, Australian captain Steve Smith rubbished Virat Kohli's allegations that he cheated more than once while taking DRS calls in Bengaluru. "I obviously came out and said I made a mistake... In regard to saying we do it consistently... I think he was wrong in his statement," added Smith. |
Politics is not for me: Aamir Khan | Actor Aamir Khan has said that politics is not for him while adding, "I feel there's a lot I can contribute, staying in the creative field that I am in." Talking further about sharing his opinions on important issues, Aamir said, "I don't think I've been careless in giving my opinion on matters... will continue to say what I feel." |
Tesla looking to raise $1.15 billion to fund its Model 3 | Elon Musk-led electric vehicle maker Tesla is looking to raise about $1.15 billion from stock and debt sale in order to fund the production of its next car Model 3. Musk will be purchasing $25 million of the company's stock. Tesla has had negative cash flow since 2014 and posted a quarterly profit only twice since going public in 2010. |
Trailer of Disney-Pixar film 'Coco' released | The trailer of Disney-Pixar's upcoming animated film 'Coco' was released on Wednesday. The film has been directed by Lee Unkrich, known for directing 'Toy Story 3', and revolves around a 12-year-old boy named Miguel, who finds himself in the stunning and colourful Land of the Dead. 'Coco' is scheduled to release on November 22 in the US. |
Sri Lanka to host India, B'desh for tri-series in March 2018 | Sri Lanka is set to host the Indian and Bangladeshi cricket teams for a tri-series in March 2018. The series will be a part of Sri Lanka's celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the nation's independence from colonial rule. The series is likely to be played from March 15-30 in 2018. |
Bengaluru City railway station becomes blind-friendly | Braille maps and platform indicators were unveiled at the Bengaluru City railway station on Tuesday, making it the second blind-friendly station after Mysuru railway station in India. Two Braille scripted maps with directions to platforms, ticket counters, and restrooms were inaugurated. Further, 600 Braille platform indicators were placed along the railings of the old Foot Over Bridge and subway. |
Man City crashes out in highest-scoring tie in CL history | Manchester City exited the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday after losing 6-6 on away goals against Monaco in the highest-scoring matchup on aggregate in CL history. Monaco were down 3-5 after losing away last week but came back to defeat City 3-1 in their home game. This is the first time Pep Guardiola has been eliminated in pre quarter-finals |
New Zealand gives a river the legal status of a person | New Zealand has passed a bill to grant the Whanganui River the legal status of a person with all the corresponding rights and duties. The river will be represented by two people, one from the local Maori community and the other by the government. Such a legal status is said to be the first of its kind in the world. |
US Fed raises interest rates for second time in three months | The US Federal Reserve raised interest rates on Wednesday for the second time in three months, by 25 basis points to a range of 0.75% to 1.00%. This was reportedly facilitated by steady economic growth and confidence that inflation is rising as per target. Notably, inflation is "close" to the Fed's 2% target. |
South Delhi restaurants to allow public to use toilets at â¹5 | All restaurants, including five-star hotels, in South Delhi have been directed by a Delhi civic body to make their toilets available to general public, who are not customers, at a fee of â¹5 starting April 1. "The move will be particularly beneficial for women who face problems due to lack of toilets in marketplaces," the South Delhi Municipal Corporation said. |
Offered snake charmer role in early H'wood career: Kal Penn | Indian-origin actor Kal Penn has shared scripts he received during his early days as an actor in Hollywood, where he was offered roles to play snake charmers and fire-eaters or even a 'Gandhi lookalike'. For a character called 'Careem', Kal was asked if he could make his accent "more authentic". Twitter users slammed the roles as racist stereotypes of Indians. |
What constitutes sexual harassment at Indian workplaces? | The Supreme Court of India in 1997 laid down guidelines known as 'Vishakha Guidelines' for dealing with sexual harassment at the workplace. According to the guidelines, sexual harassment means any "unwelcome sexually determined" behaviour. Such behaviour includes physical contact and advances, demand or request for sexual favours, sexually coloured remarks and showing pornography among others. |
Geeta, Babita, Phogat family attend Aamir's birthday party | Wrestlers Geeta and Babita Phogat along with their father Mahavir attended Aamir Khan's 52nd birthday celebrations at his Mumbai residence. 'Dangal' is based on Mahavir and his daughters. The film's director Nitesh Tiwari and actors Aparshakti Khurrana, Fatima Shaikh and Sakshi Tanwar were also spotted at the party. Shah Rukh Khan and Jackie Shroff were among the other guests. |
Hyderabad Indian city with highest quality of living: Survey | Hyderabad has been ranked as the city with the highest quality of living among Indian cities, as per Mercer 2017 Quality of Living Index. However, Hyderabad has slipped down five spots in the global rankings. Further, New Delhi continued to be ranked the lowest among the Indian cities on the list for the second straight year. |
Aussie media mocks Kohli, Ranchi pitch through online quiz | Australian media has slammed the pitch of Ranchi's JSCA Stadium through a mock online quiz. The quiz, titled "Quiz: The Ranchi dirt track challenge", has been posted on The Daily Telegraph's website, besides other publications, and pokes fun at Virat Kohli. The media has also accused India of pitch doctoring, calling Indian cricket being "on the brink of complete embarrassment." |
Will move heaven to implement Muslim quota: Telangana CM | The Telangana Government will "move heaven and earth" and would not hesitate to "fight" with the Centre, if necessary, for the implementation of its proposed Muslims quota, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has said. The proposal aims to provide reservation to Muslims on the basis of their socio-economic backwardness, and not on a religious basis, Rao clarified. |
Six years since start of Syria war, over 3 lakh killed | As many as 3.2 lakh people have been killed and 1.5 lakh others have gone missing since the start of Syria's civil war six years ago, according to a UK-based war monitor organisation. The UN estimates that the war has forced nearly 50 lakh people to flee the country, reportedly causing the biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War. |
Trump seeks to scrap law that accounted for 82% of his taxes | US President Donald Trump's leaked tax returns for 2005 reveal that 82% of the tax paid by him and his wife was incurred due to a tax law that he has been seeking to abolish. Trump, in his election campaign, had pledged to eliminate the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) which ensures the mega-wealthy pay a fairer share of tax. |
US charges Russian spies for hacking 50 crore Yahoo accounts | US Department of Justice has formally charged two officers of the Russian Federal Security Service for hacking Yahoo's systems to steal information from 50 crore accounts. Freelance hackers Alexsey Belan, one of FBI's 'Cyber Most Wanted' criminals, and Karim Baratov have also been charged. The 2014 breach, which is among the largest in history, was disclosed by Yahoo in 2016. |
South Sudan refuses to pay $1mn ransom for kidnapped Indians | South Sudan government has refused to pay a ransom of $1 million for two Indian oil engineers abducted by rebels last week and demanded their unconditional release. The government said in a statement that it "is bound by international law and UN resolutions to counter terrorist financing. The government is not ready to pay a ransom that encourages terrorist acts." |
Kim Jong-nam's identity confirmed with child's DNA: Malaysia | The man killed at Malaysia's airport last month has been confirmed as Kim Jong-nam, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother, on the basis of a DNA sample taken from his child, Malaysia's Deputy PM Ahmad Hamidi has said. Jong-nam was allegedly assassinated by North Koreans at the airport using a toxic substance. Notably, North Korea earlier rejected Malaysia's post-mortem findings. |
Parliamentary panel to seek expert help to test EVMs | A parliamentary panel has decided to invite Indian and international experts to examine if the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) can be tampered with. The parliamentary standing committee on personnel, public grievances, and law and justice received several petitions questioning the reliability of EVMs, the panel said. BSP supremo Mayawati had blamed the EVMs for her party's loss. |
Ousted S Korean President left her 9 dogs behind in palace | Animal rights groups have accused impeached South Korean leader Park Geun-hye of abandoning her nine dogs in the presidential palace after being removed from office over a corruption scandal. Park's neighbours had given her two dogs in 2013 which recently gave birth to seven puppies. Notably, animal abandonment is punishable in South Korea by a fine of up to â¹57,000. |
6 killed after building collapses due to explosion in Kanpur | At least six people were killed, and eight others were injured when a cold-storage facility collapsed in Kanpur following an explosion. Further, around 20 people were also feared trapped. As per initial findings, an ammonia leak had caused the explosion that brought down the entire building. "So far, teams have rescued 13 people," Kanpur District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said. |
Saudi Arabia terms Trump meeting 'historical turning point' | Saudi Arabia has termed Tuesday's meeting between US President Donald Trump and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House as a "historical turning point" in US-Saudi relations. Adding that Trump's immigration ban is not aimed at Muslims, Saudi Arabia said that the talks highlighted the two leaders' shared views on Iran being a security threat. |
Over 250 human skulls found in Mexican mass grave | Over 250 human skulls have been found in a mass grave in Mexico's Veracruz, in what was likely a dumping ground where drug cartels buried the people they killed over years, authorities said. The authorities have been working to identify the skulls using the database of missing people while facing criticism from activists that they are not doing enough. |
Centre moves bill for single tribunal on water disputes | The government on Tuesday introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha for the setting up of a single standing tribunal to resolve water-related disputes between states. Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti introduced the Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and called it a "revolutionary step". Currently, there are multiple tribunals which sometimes delay the dispute resolution. |
Kerala student commits suicide after cheating in exam | A 16-year-old student in Kerala's Varkala committed suicide allegedly after being harassed by school authorities over an incident of cheating during an exam. The school authorities reportedly convened a special meeting and insulted the student in front of his parents. However, the school has denied the charge that the boy, a student of Class 11, was harassed. |
Mallikarjun Kharge set to become next PAC Chairman | Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge is set to become the next chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). Kharge will succeed his party colleague KV Thomas, who will complete his third term as PAC Chairman on April 30. According to reports, the Congress on Tuesday wrote to the Lok Sabha Speaker recommending Kharge's name for the post. |
There are defects in you, not in EVMs: BJP to Mayawati | Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday dismissed BSP supremo Mayawati's allegations of Electronic Voting Machine tampering and asked her to "gracefully accept the people's mandate". "When you win, EVMs are right. When you lose, EVMs are wrong. This shows that there are some defects in you," Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu said. He also said the people have rejected Mayawati's party. |
Video: Armed fan invades pitch to attack football referee | An armed fan, with his face covered by a black cloth and brandishing a long iron bar, rushed onto the pitch during a Croatian football league game in an attempt to attack the match referee. Earlier in the same match, play was halted for several minutes after fireworks were set off by a home fan. |
Two leopards escape from a zoo in Himachal Pradesh | Two leopards escaped from Gopalpur Zoo in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday night, triggeringâ panic and fear among residents in the area. Following this, the administration on Wednesday sounded an alert in surrounding areas and parents were asked to not send children alone to the school. The leopards reportedly escaped from the zoo after some miscreants cut wires along the fence. |
Karnataka caps movie ticket prices at â¹200 in all theatres | The Karnataka government has capped the price of movie tickets at all cinema theatres, including multiplexes, in the state at â¹200. The state government also made the screening of Kannada and regional language films in one screen mandatory between 1:30 PM and 7:30 PM at all the state's multiplex cinemas. This is reportedly aimed at developing Karnataka's film industry. |
Biren Singh country's first CM to have been a pro sportsman | BJP's Biren Singh, who was sworn in as Manipur's Chief Minister on Wednesday, is India's first CM to have previously been a professional sportsperson. Singh was a national-level football player, having represented the Manipur state team for almost 10 years. He earlier played football for Border Security Force's team and won the Durand Cup by defeating Mohun Bagan in 1981. |
Cabinet approves 2% Dearness Allowance hike for govt staff | The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a 2% hike in Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief, which was due from January 2017. Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief are provided to central government employees and pensioners to neutralise the impact of inflation on their earnings. This will have an impact of around â¹6,833 crore on the exchequer in the financial year 2017-18. |
Stayzilla client enquired about Voodoo dolls on Facebook | A Facebook post by Stayzilla client Jig Saw's owner Aditya CS has emerged online showing that he enquired about Voodoo dolls on a shopping page in February. Notably, Stayzilla Co-founder Sachit Singhi has received a parcel with his son's photo and a voodoo doll with a nail through its forehead. The client earlier threatened Singhi's family over unpaid dues. |
Akshay to star as T-Series founder Gulshan Kumar in 'Mogul' | Actor Akshay Kumar is set to star as Gulshan Kumar, the founder of the T-Series music label, in the upcoming film 'Mogul'. The film's poster shows the title along with the tagline 'The Emperor Of Music'. "I had the good fortune of knowing Gulshanji well. My association with him started right from my first film Saugandh," said Akshay. |
Fake Gmail attachment scam fools users into telling password | Researchers have uncovered a Gmail phishing scam which uses a fake attachment to trick users into revealing their email passwords. The scammers send users an email with an image that looks like a PDF or Word attachment. Clicking on the fake attachment redirects users to a website that looks identical to Google's sign-in page, asking them to log in. |
Indian holds world record for eating a drinking glass | Patesh Talukdar from India holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest time to eat a drinking glass at 1 minute and 27 seconds. The record was established on the TV show 'Guinness World Records - Ab India Todega' in Mumbai in March 2011. Patesh is also known to eat other things such as plastic and ceramic. |
New Chinese construction work spotted in South China Sea | New satellite images reportedly show that China has started fresh construction work in the South China Sea. The Paracel Islands, which are also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan, have undergone land clearing work, a satellite image revealed. Military experts believe that the construction is a sign that China is militarising its contested territories in an attempt to dominate the sea. |
Censor Board to go digital, confirms chief Pahlaj Nihalani | Censor Board chief Pahlaj Nihalani has confirmed that the Censor Board will go digital. "Now producers would not have to submit DVDs of their films to the CBFC. Everything, including their films, will be submitted for certification online," said Nihalani. He added, "We're just waiting for the green signal from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry." |
WhatsApp flaw to hijack accounts through images revealed | Check Point Security has revealed a WhatsApp vulnerability allowing attackers to hijack users' accounts through a malicious image. The image appears normal in preview but redirects users to an HTML page which can retrieve the user's message history and photos, and spread the virus to their contacts. However, WhatsApp issued a patch a few hours after the flaw was revealed. |
Czech zoo to remove horns of 18 white rhinos after attack | A Czech zoo has said it will remove the horns of 18 rare rhinos using a chainsaw as a precautionary measure to save them from poachers. This comes after poachers shot dead a white rhino for its horns last week at a French zoo. Notably, black market rhino horn sells for up to â¹39 lakh/kilo, more than gold or cocaine. |
Uber rival Grab to open research centre in Bengaluru | Ride-hailing startup Uber's main rival in Southeast Asia, Grab has announced plans to open a research and development centre in Bengaluru. The startup is looking to hire around 200 engineers in India to focus on developing its payments service GrabPay. However, Grab's Engineering VP Arul Kumaravel said the company has no plans of expanding its on-demand cab services to India. |
BSP to observe black day each month over EVM tampering issue | BSP supremo Mayawati has said that her party will observe black day on the 11th of every month to protest against the alleged tampering with the Electronic Voting Machines in the recently concluded Uttar Pradesh polls by BJP. "I don't think... anyone will agree to the fact that BSP got such less votes in Muslim and Dalit-dominated areas," Mayawati added. |
A book at Harvard University is bound in human skin | A 19th-century book at a library in Harvard University is bound in human skin. 'Des destinées de lâame' has been a part of Harvard's collection for eighty years. The skin belonged to an unclaimed female patient who died of a stroke. A note in the book reads, "a book about the human soul deserved to have a human covering". |
Rajnath Singh dismisses reports that he will be next UP CM | Amid reports claiming that BJP may appoint Home Minister Rajnath Singh as the next Uttar Pradesh CM, Singh clarified that these discussions were "futile and unnecessary". BJP will declare the Uttar Pradesh CM on March 16. As per reports, BJP MP Yogi Adityanath and the party's UP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya are also in the fray to be the CM. |
14-year-old kickboxer dies after unsanctioned title bout | Scott Marsden, a 14-year-old kickboxer from England, collapsed during an unsanctioned national title bout last week. Marsden was rushed to the hospital for urgent medical attention, where he later passed away. The British Kickboxing Council (BKC) had not sanctioned the event as it was an under-16 bout where fighters were allowed to kick and punch each other in the head. |
Irish woman found dead in Goa, one arrested | One person was arrested in connection with the murder of an Irish woman, who was found dead near a beach in Goa's Canacona region. The body of the woman was reportedly found naked on Tuesday morning by the police. The Irish Embassy has said it is in contact with Indian authorities regarding the case. |
Retired US Navy Admiral arrested in sex for secrets scandal | Retired US Navy Admiral Bruce Loveless and eight other current and former officers have been arrested for taking bribes in the form of lavish gifts, prostitutes and luxury hotel stays in exchange for classified information. The officers provided the information to a Malaysian defence contractor which helped it gain a competitive advantage in bidding for ship husbanding contracts. |
Indian has world record for most lit candles in mouth | Dinesh Shivnath Upadhyaya from Mumbai is recognised by the Guinness World Records for the record of 'most lit candles in the mouth' at 17. Upadhyaya set the record in July 2016 by putting commercially available candles in his mouth for a minimum of 30 seconds. He previously held the record for the same at 15 candles. |
Startup makes â¹23,000 smart bag to freshen up dirty clothes | A Los Angeles-based startup has developed 'Paqsule' smart bag priced at â¹23,000 which claims to use UV light and activated oxygen to freshen up dirty clothes. The process can be activated through a button or remotely via a connected smartphone app. Paqsule claims a battery life of 72 hours and can also be used to charge smartphones. |
Kashmiri separatist leaders summoned over money laundering | The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chief Yasin Malik and separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani in different money laundering cases. One of the cases pertains to the Income Tax Department's recovery of $10,000 at Geelani's residence. Similarly, in 2001 police had seized $100,000 from a Yasin Malik aide which was to be handed to him. |
Pakistan starts building fence along Afghanistan border | Pakistan has started building a nearly 2,400-kilometer fence along its border with Afghanistan, according to reports. This comes after Afghan militants reportedly killed six Pakistani soldiers stationed at security checkpoints earlier this month. Pakistan's new fence is aimed at enhancing aerial surveillance of the border to prevent future terror attacks and the transfer of weapons and ammunition. |
CRPF jawan axed to death by Maoists in Chhattisgarh | A CRPF jawan was on Tuesday axed to death with sharp-edged weapons by Maoists at a local village fair in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Bijapur district. As per preliminary information, Maoists attacked the jawan while he had gone to visit the fair along with his family, a police official said. A combing operation was launched to nab the assailants, he added. |
First song from Sonakshi Sinha's 'Noor' titled 'Uff Yeh' out | 'Uff Yeh', the first song from the Sonakshi Sinha starrer upcoming drama film 'Noor' has been released. The song has been composed by Amaal Mallik with vocals by Armaan Malik and lyrics by Manoj Muntashir. Sonakshi will be seen portraying a Pakistani journalist-writer in the film. Directed by Sunhil Sippy, the film is scheduled to release on April 21. |
'The Matrix' film to get a reboot: Reports | According to reports, a new version of the 1999 science fiction film 'The Matrix' is in development. Michael B Jordan will reportedly play the lead role in the film. Screenwriter Zak Penn is in talks to write the script of the film, reports added. Actor Keanu Reeves starred in the original film, which was followed by two sequels. |
Snoop Dogg aims gun at clown dressed as Trump in new video | A new music video shows rapper Snoop Dogg aiming a toy gun at a clown character parodying US President Donald Trump. The video also shows a TV airing a news conference with the headline 'Ronald Klump wants to deport all doggs' airing live from 'The Clown House'. The video is for a remixed version of the song 'Lavender'. |
Madhesi Morcha withdraws support to Nepalese government | Madhesi Morcha, an alliance of seven political parties, has withdrawn support to PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led Nepal government after it failed to meet a seven-day ultimatum to fulfil their demands including endorsement for the revised Constitution amendment bill. The Morcha has 36 seats in the Parliament, but despite the withdrawal of support, there is no immediate threat to the government. |