7 Headlines You May Have Missed for the IAF Air Strikes
From Nirav Modi’s properties being attached to ban on Sanath Jayasuriya, here are headlines you may have missed.
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As the news of India launching airstrikes across the border in Balakot consumed an entire nation, with people lauding the Indian Air Force for their latest feat, here’s a list of stories that you may have missed:
1. ED Attaches Nirav Modi’s Properties
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said, in a statement, that the agency has attached the properties of Nirav Modi and his associate companies, with the total worth being pegged at Rs 147 crore, reported the Economic Times.
Diamond merchant Nirav Modi has been absconding since 2018 after allegations of non-payment of dues, worth Rs 11,000 crore, taken as loan from the Punjab National Bank had come to light.
In its statement, the agency said, “ED attaches movable and immovable properties in Mumbai and Surat, worth Rs. 147.72 crore consisting of 8 cars, Plant & Machinery, consignments of jewelry, paintings and properties owned by Nirav Modi and his group Companies in the bank fraud case.”
2. SC to Hear Ayodhya Case on 5 March
As part of its ongoing hearing in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute, the Supreme Court has listed the case for 5 March 2019 when the bench will decide whether the case should be referred for mediation or not.
While hearing the matter, Justice SA Bobde remarked, “Even if there is one percent chance for mediation between parties, we should give it an opportunity”.
The court was expected to decide on the date when the hearings could take place but there was some dispute regarding the translation of documents provided by the UP government.
3. Kim Jong-un in Vietnam Ahead of Nuclear Summit With Trump
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, grinning broadly and waving at a crowd gathered on a cold, rainy morning, stepped off his armoured train on Tuesday, 26 February, after a long ride that started in Pyongyang and wound through China to this Vietnamese border town ahead of his second nuclear summit with US President Donald Trump.
Kim, dressed in his trademark dark Mao suit, shook hands with officials as Vietnamese troops in crisp, white uniforms and black boots stood at attention on a red carpet beneath large North Korean and Vietnamese flags at the Dong Dang railway station on the China-Vietnam border.
4. Indra Nooyi Joins the Amazon Board
Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi has joined the Amazon’s Board of Directors, reported CNN.
After Starbucks COO Rosalind Brewer joined the Amazon board on 4 February 2019, Nooyi is the second high-profile entry into the decision-making body of the e-commerce giant.
Nooyi had become PepsiCo’s CEO in 2006, a position she held for 12 years before stepping down in October 2018.
5. Fire in Bandipur Tiger Reserve Put Out After 5 Days
The fire that had engulfed the forests of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka and which had been raging for five long days, was finally doused on Tuesday, 26 February. Sridhar Punatti, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and the head of the Forest department in Karnataka confirmed the development to The News Minute.
Punnati said, “Fortunately, there is no fire today. The helicopters did one sortie. Till now, everything seems to be under control. We will still wait till evening. We have already sent back one of the helicopters. One helicopter has been kept here for standby. By evening, it will be shifted back to Mysuru."
6. Sanath Jayasuriya Banned by ICC for Two Years
Former Sri Lanka captain, Sanath Jayasuriya, has been banned by the ICC (International Cricket Council) from all forms of cricket for two years, reported BBC.
The move came after the 49-year-old cricketer admitted to breaching the ICC anti-corruption code twice.
According to Alex Marshall, general manager of the ICC’s anti-corruption unit, “This conviction under the code demonstrates the importance of participants in cricket co-operating with investigations”.
7. India Test Fires Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile Off Odisha Coast
India on Tuesday, 26 February, successfully test-fired two indigenously developed Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air missiles capable of simultaneously engaging multiple targets, officials said.
The missiles, equipped with radars with search on move capability, were test-fired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near here on a day when India conducted a major air assault on the biggest training camp of terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed inside Pakistan.
Describing the launch as "fully successful", a DRDO official said all the mission objectives were met during the trial.