Breaking News, March 5 | HIGHLIGHTS

IndiGo on Sunday said it is looking at enabling codeshare connectivity to the US and Canada through its partnership with Turkish Airlines. On Friday, a senior official told PTI that the airline has received approval from the civil aviation ministry to wet lease up to two planes for operating flights to the United States and Canada.

Three women and a child received burn injuries when an LPG gas cylinder and firecrackers exploded in Rampur Dhobiahar village here on Sunday, police said. Additional Superintendent of Police (rural) Pavitra Mohan Tripathi said a person had kept firecrackers in his thatched house which caught fire while food was being cooked, leading to the LPG cylinder blast.

 A 15-year-old girl, an alleged victim of sexual exploitation, delivered a girl at her home in Nagpur city of Maharashtra after watching YouTube videos and killed the newborn, police said on Sunday. A police official said the girl was sexually exploited by a man she got acquainted with on social media. "She hid her baby bump from her mother by telling her that she was having some health issues," the official said.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday launched a Centre of Excellence in cyber security for the government workforce to ensure the security of official web portals and websites, an official said. The centre was established by the Information Technology Department in collaboration with the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday inaugurated the Biju Expressway and the Biju Economic Corridor during his visit to the western districts of the state, besides attending a slew of programmes in the region. Patnaik also held road shows in Kalahandi and Bargarh districts, the two BJP strongholds.

A massive fire raced through a crammed refugee camp for Rohingya Muslims in southern Bangladesh on Sunday, leaving thousands homeless, a fire official and the United Nations said.
No casualties were reported immediately at Balukhali camp in Cox's Bazar district, said Emdadul Haque, a fire service official. The UNHCR in Bangladesh said in a tweet that Rohingya refugee volunteers were responding to the fire with the agency and its partners providing support. It provided no further details.

A man was arrested allegedly with e-cigarettes worth Rs 66 lakh after his car was stopped for checking at a police road block (nakabandi) in Masjid Bunder area of south Mumbai, an official said on Sunday.

Fixing is the "proverbial tip of the huge iceberg of corruption" in cricket and a major revamp of the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to check illegal practices is the need of the hour, writes retired IPS officer and the Unit's former head Neeraj Kumar.

The Uttar Pradesh Police Sunday announced a reward of Rs 2.5 lakh each for giving information about the five people, including gangster and former MP Atiq Ahmad's son Asad, allegedly involved in the killing of Umesh Pal -- the prime witness in the 2005 BSP MLA murder case. Besides Asad, the other four accused are Gulam, Guddu and Sabir, a senior official said. Umesh Pal, the key witness in the BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case, and his police security guard Sandeep Nishad were shot dead on February 24 outside his home in the Dhoomanganj area of Prayagraj. Atiq Ahmed is the prime accused in the Raju Pal murder case and is currently lodged in a Gujarat jail.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday urged various manufacturing companies investing in the state to work towards developing skills of the local youth along while expanding through operations of new units. During the inauguration of Berger Paints' manufacturing facility at Sandila (Hardoi) virtually, the chief minister said, "Companies investing in the state along with starting their manufacturing units should commence skill development centres for the local youth. We must work together to ensure skilled manpower for the future. "Recently our government entered into an MoA (memorandum of association) with Tata Technologies to upgrade 150 ITIs in the state to take forward the skill development programme for the youth with new age trades. At least one skill development centre should be established in Hardoi, Sandila, for which full cooperation will be provided by UP State Industrial Development Authority," he added.

AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj Sunday claimed the CBI was "torturing" senior party leader Manish Sisodia and pressuring him to sign papers containing false charges.
The federal probe agency arrested Sisodia on February 26 for allegedly not cooperating in the investigation into the Delhi excise policy case and being evasive on questions from investigators. A special CBI court on Saturday extended the custody of Sisodia till March 6.

The Mumbai police have registered an offence against four persons after a Class 12 student got the Maths question paper of the Maharashtra Higher Secondary School Certificate minutes before the exam commenced, police said on Sunday. The incident took place at Dr Antonio D'Silva High School and Junior College in Dadar area on Friday, when an exam moderator found a student with the Maths question paper on his mobile phone, an official said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting poll bound Karnataka's Mandya and Hubballi-Dharwad districts on March 12, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Sunday. Since the beginning of this year, Modi has been frequenting the state to lay foundation or to inaugurate various projects and schemes and is addressing large public meetings, as the ruling BJP shores up campaign in Karnataka, where elections are likely by May.

An ex-serviceman in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district allegedly beat his wife to death following a quarrel, police said on Sunday. The accused, identified as Vijendra Jat, is absconding, they said. On Saturday night, Vijendra thrashed his wife Saroj Devi (42) with a stick when she was in the kitchen, SHO Kotwali Surendra Singh said The woman was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared her dead, he said. “As per the primary investigation, the couple used to quarrel often. Both of them used to suspect each other's character,” the officer said. An argument broke out between the couple at night and Vijendra, in a fit of rage, hit her with a stick, he said. The couple's 13-year-old son was present in the house when the incident happened, the SHO said.

India and Sri Lanka are exploring the possibility of using the Indian Rupee for economic transactions and have discussed the initiative that will help in building a stronger and closer partnership through trade and investment-led measures between the two countries. The High Commission of India here organised a discussion on the use of the Indian Rupee (INR) for transactions between India and Sri Lanka on Thursday. "Representatives from the Bank of Ceylon, State Bank of India and the Indian Bank shared their experiences and informed the audience that they had started carrying out INR-denominated trade transactions through respective Vostro/Nostro accounts after the creation of enabling framework by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) in 2022," the High Commission said in a statement. The participating banks also outlined the benefits of settlements denominated in INR which includes shorter timelines, lower exchange costs and easier availability of trade credits. The beneficial impact of this initiative on the tourism and hospitality industry was also highlighted including its role in helping increase collections which could be utilised by other sectors.

Polling stations have opened in Estonia for a general election that the center-right Reform Party of Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, one of Europe's most outspoken supporters of Ukraine, is a favourite to win. She faces a challenge from the populist opposition EKRE party that is seeking to limit the Baltic nation's exposure to the Ukraine crisis and is blaming the government for citizens' economic misery. Over 900,000 people are eligible to cast ballots Sunday to pick representatives to Estonia's 101-seat Parliament, or Riigikogu, from a range of nine political parties. National security in the wake of neighboring Russia's assault of Ukraine and social-economic issues, particularly the rising cost of living, have been the main themes of the election.

India's imports of crude oil from Russia soared to a record 1.6 million barrels per day in February and is now higher than combined imports from traditional suppliers Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Russia continued to be the single largest supplier of crude oil, which is converted into petrol and diesel at refineries, for a fifth straight month by supplying more than one-third of all oil India imported, according to energy cargo tracker Vortexa. Refiners continue to snap up plentiful Russian cargoes available at a discount to other grades. From a market share of less than 1 per cent in India's import basket before the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Russia's share of India's imports rose to 1.62 million barrels per day in February, taking a 35 per cent share. India, the world's third-largest crude importer after China and the United States, has been snapping Russian oil that was available at a discount after some in the West shunned it as a means of punishing Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine. The rise in Russian imports have been at the expense of Saudi Arabia and United States. Oil import from Saudi fell 16 per cent month-on-month and that from the US declined 38 per cent. According to Vortexa, Russia now accounts for more than the combined oil bought from Iraq and Saudi Arabia -- India's mainstay oil suppliers for decades. Iraq, whom Russia has toppled to become the largest oil source for India, supplied 9,39,921 barrels per day (bpd) oil in February while Saudi supplied 6,47,813 bpd oil.

Television actor Sheezan Khan accused in actress Tunisha Sharma's suicide case released on bail from Thane Central Jail today

A court in Vasai in Maharashtra's Palghar district that gave bail to actor Sheezan Khan in the Tunisha Sharma suicide case has said there was no need to keep him in jail since the probe was complete and chargesheet filed. In his order of Saturday, details of which were made available on Sunday, Additional Sessions Judge RD Deshpande said Khan's presence for the hearings can be ensured through certain bail conditions as well as obtaining heavy surety from him. Sharma allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself on December 24, 2022, on the sets of a TV serial near Valiv in Palghar. Khan (28) was arrested the next day for abetment of suicide on a complaint lodged by Sharma's mother. "After completion of investigation and filing of chargesheet, I do not find any special circumstances to keep this applicant (Khan) behind the bars. The say filed by the prosecution nowhere contemplates any sufficient grounds for which the applicant is to be detained behind bars," the judge said in the order. In his submission to court, Khan's counsel Shailendra Mishra said even if it was assumed his client withdrew from the relationship with the deceased, refusal on his part to restore this relationship would not go on to satisfy ingredients of abetment.

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said attempts were being made to tell the world that the Indian judiciary and the democracy were in crisis. Inaugurating a conference of the Centre's counsels in the Eastern states, Rijiju on Saturday said the wisdom of judges was beyond public scrutiny. "Indian judiciary cannot be questioned, especially the wisdom of judges cannot be put into public scrutiny," he said. "At times, calibrated attempts are being made from both inside and outside the country to tell the world that the Indian judiciary is in crisis. A message is being sent to the world that Indian democracy is in crisis. It is a deliberate attempt by some groups to malign the image of the country," he added. No campaign with ulterior motives can succeed in defaming India and its democratic setup, Rijiju said. The US may stake claim to be the oldest democracy, but India truly is the "mother of democracy", he said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will launch a 'yatra' to connect with people in all six Lok Sabha constituencies in Mumbai in phases beginning Sunday, the party's Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar said. Two Lok Sabha seats will be covered on the first day, two on March 9 and the remaining two on March 11, with party leaders visiting key temples and other sites to connect to people, the Bandra MLA told reporters. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP and then ally, Shiv Sena (undivided), had won three constituencies each in Mumbai. The BJP won Mumbai North, Mumbai North East, and Mumbai North Central seats, while the Shiv Sena emerged victorious in Mumbai South, Mumbai South Central, and Mumbai North West.

A man was arrested for alleged possession of counterfeit currency here, police said on Sunday. Circle Officer, Secunderabad, Vikas Pratap Singh Chauhan said that on a tip off that some people were dealing with fake currency, Kakod police reached the spot. While one person identified as Rinku was caught, the other managed to flee, he said, adding the arrested person was found carrying counterfeit currency.

Former US president Donald Trump cast himself on Saturday as the only Republican candidate who can build on his White House legacy but shied away from directly critiquing his potential rivals, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Trump, giving the headlining address at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, told a cheering crowd that he was engaged in his "final battle" as he tries to return to the White House. "We are going to finish what we started," he said. "We are going to complete the mission. We are going to see this battle through to ultimate victory." Though DeSantis, seen as Trump's biggest potential rival, is frequently a subject of name-calling and other attacks in Trump's social media posts and interviews, he was not mentioned directly in Trump's address before conservative activists, who earlier in the day applauded when an old video clip of the Florida governor was shown in a montage. While CPAC was once a must-stop for candidates mulling Republican presidential runs, DeSantis and other major likely contenders skipped this year's gathering amid scandal and as the group has increasingly become aligned with Trump.

North Korea says UN should demand end to South Korea-US military drills, reports Reuters

Republican presidential aspirant Nikki Haley took a dig on Saturday at two former presidents of her party, George W Bush and Donald Trump, for massive spending and adding USD 10 trillion to America's national debt as she slammed President Joe Biden for his record-breaking spending, which she said would add USD 20 trillion in the national debt in 10 years. Haley said when she was elected governor of North Carolina in 2010, the national debt stood at USD 13 trillion. "Thirteen years later, we are at more than USD 31 trillion. And because of Joe Biden, we will add USD 20 trillion more to the national debt in the next 10 years," said the former governor, who on February 14 declared her decision to enter the race to the White House. Addressing the Club for Growth, a conservative group, retreat in Miami, Florida, Haley alleged that Biden's platform for 2024 can basically be summed up as "spend even more, tax even more and let the children figure out how to deal with it". "The only thing Joe Biden should be allowed to spend is more time in retirement. Every dollar we take out of the economy makes our people poorer," she said.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak Saturday said an explanation has been sought from the principal of Rani Avanti Bai Lodhi Government Medical College in Etah over reports that a child tested HIV positive after a doctor used the same syringe on several patients. He said that strict action will be taken against those found guilty in the matter. On Saturday, the parents of the girl admitted to the hospital complained to District Magistrate Ankit Kumar Agarwal that several children were given injections from the same syringe. Relatives of the girl, admitted to the hospital on February 20, claimed that when the child was found to be HIV-positive health workers forced her out of the hospital in the night.

The top US military commander on Saturday visited northeast Syria where American troops and their allies are launching a campaign against the Islamic State group, a US military official said. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley met commanders and troops who updated him on the ongoing operations against IS, said Colonel Dave Butler, spokesman for Milley. Butler did not say whether Milley met with commanders of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces that have been the main ally of US forces in Syria in the fight against IS. Milley's visit came a day after the US Central Command said American troops and their allies carried more than a dozen joint operations in northeast Syria in February during which five IS operatives were killed and 11 detained. "While there, he received updates on the counter-ISIS mission, inspected force protection measures and assessed repatriation efforts for the al-Hol refugee camp," Butler said referring to a camp housing tens of thousands of mostly IS-linked women and children. At al-Hol, tens of thousands of Syrians and Iraqis are crowded into tents in the fenced-in camp. Nearly 20,000 of them are children, most of the rest are women, wives and widows of IS fighters. In a separate, heavily-guarded section of the camp known as the annex are an additional 10,000 people: 2,000 women from 57 other countries- they are considered the most die-hard IS supporters- along with about 8,000 of their children.

Eight persons received minor injuries after the wall of an under-construction ground-plus-one house collapsed in suburban Ghatkopar on Saturday evening, a fire brigade official said. The incident took place on R B Kadam Marg in Bhatwadi area. Three women from among those injured were taken to hospital but they were later discharged, the official said.

The persons who had uploaded the image of a few pages of the English question paper of class 10 West Bengal board exams in Malda district were identified and the details of the findings were shared with the appropriate authorities for follow-up action. Announcing this, West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) President Ramanuj Ganguly on Saturday said altogether nine mobile phones, including seven in Malda district, were seized during the board examinations that started on February 23 and concluded on Saturday. However, he did not clarify from whom the mobiles were seized and whether any of the devices were used in uploading the images. Three of the 16 pages of the question paper were uploaded on WhatsApp one and a half hours after the three-hour-long exam started at 12 noon on February 24 and circulated thereafter. "The origin of the childish mischief was traced in an exam centre at Malda. We have zeroed in on the source of three pages circulated on social media. However, we cannot go beyond that as we are not an investigating agency,” Ganguly told a press conference.