Latest News: US May Provide India Russian Missile Alternative
Catch the latest news updates of the day here.
Catch the latest news updates of the day here.
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7 Killed in Airstrike on Yemen Hospital
A hospital in a rural area of northwest Yemen was hit by an airstrike on Tuesday, 26 March, killing seven people and wounding eight others.
The international aid organization, Save the Children, which supports the hospital, said in a statement that four of those killed were children and two adults are unaccounted for.
(Source: AP)
Malyalam Writer & Poet Ashita Passes Away
Malayalam writer and poet Ashita passes away at the age of 63 in Thrissur. She was undergoing treatment for cancer.
(Source: ANI)
Algeria's Army Chief Calls to Declare Country's President 'Unfit'
Algeria's powerful army chief called Tuesday for starting the constitutional process to have President Abdelaziz Bouteflika declared unfit for office, possibly paving the way for the ailing president's ouster after 20 years in power.
Gen Ahmed Gaid Salah's statement comes after more than a month of mass protests against Bouteflika's long rule. The 82-year-old leader has rarely been seen in public since he suffered a stroke in 2013.
(Source: AP)
9 International Smugglers Arrested Off Gujarat Coast
Gujarat ATS and Indian Coast Guard in a mid-sea operation, off the coast of Gujarat, held 9 international drugs smugglers with 100 kg of contraband in their boat, which the smugglers destroyed after being caught by agencies.
(The Hindu)
Pakistan Opens Airspace After 28 Days of Closure
Pakistan on Tuesday, 26 March opened its airspace for all domestic and international flights after keeping it closed for 28 days due to escalation in tensions with India.
(TOLO News)
Foreign Currency Woth Rs 48 Lakh Seized at Jaipur Airport
The custom department officials at the Jaipur airport have seized foreign currency worth Rs 48 lakh from two passengers.
(ANI)
Boeing Holds Test Flights for 737 MAX Fix: Sources
US aviation authorities will defend their certification methods for new planes before lawmakers Wednesday, two weeks after grounding the Boeing 737 MAX over two deadly crashes in less than five months.
Boeing has flown test flights of its 737 MAX to evaluate a fix for the system targeted as a potential cause of the crashes, two sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday, 26 March.
(PTI)
PM Modi to Address Nation at 11:45 am - 12:00 pm
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will soon address the nation, in order to make an important announcement, the prime minister said in a tweet.
CBI to Send Team to London for Nirav Modi's Hearing
CBI will send a team to London for Nirav Modi's case hearing, on Friday, 29 March.
(ANI)
Heavy Firing and Shelling in J&K's Poonch
Heavy firing and sehlleing was reported at the Mendher area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch sector.
(News18)
SC Sets Aside Bail Order for Rahul, Mukesh Modi
Supreme Court on Wednesday, 27 March, set aside a Delhi High Court order granting interim bail to Ahmedabad-based Adarsh Credit Cooperative Society Rahul Modi and Mukesh Modi.
The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) had initiated prosecution against the two for allegedly siphoning off over Rs 200 crore, ANI reported.
Court Gives ED Custody of Vijay Kothari till 29 March
A Mumbai special court on Wednesday, 27 March, gave ED custody till 29 March to absconding accused Vijay Kothari, involved in illegal remittances of foreign exchange abroad to the tune of Rs 500 Crore, ANI reported.
HC Refuses to Stay Proceeding in Defamation Case Against Tata, Others
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday, 27 March, refused to stay proceedings before a magistrate court in a 2016 criminal defamation case filed by Nusli Wadia against Ratan Tata and some other directors of Tata Sons.
A single bench presided over by Justice Mridula Bhatkar refused to extend her 18 March order whereby she had restrained the magistrate court from hearing the case until Wednesday, PTI reported.
India, Sri Lanka Hold Joint Military Drill
India and Sri Lanka have begun a two-week joint military exercise in the island nation with an aim to bring synergy and cooperation including in the field of counter-terrorism between the two armed forces, officials said on Wednesday, 27 March.
The 'Mitra Shakti-VI' annual exercise is designed to bolster military relations further between the armies of India and Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Army said, as per PTI.
Delhi Court Summons Somnath Bharti in Defamation Case
A Delhi court on Wednesday, 27 March, summoned AAP MLA Somnath Bharti as accused in a criminal defamation complaint filed by a woman journalist last year.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal asked Bharti to appear before the court on 10 April for allegedly hurling abuses at Ranjhana Dwivedi and calling her with objectionable names during a live television debate show, PTI reported.
Secretive Group Claims Raid on North Korean Embassy
A secretive group committed to ousting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has claimed its role in a raid last month at the North Korean Embassy in Spain.
Cheollima Civil Defence, a self-styled human rights group, reportedly fled with computers, a phone and hard discs. It denied using force, saying it was "not an attack", the BBC reported on Wednesday.
HC Raps Railways, Civic Body Over Mumbai Bridge Collapse
Referring to the recent bridge collapse in Mumbai, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday, 27 March, asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the railways why such incidents continued to take place despite their claims of regular structural audits, PTI reported.
A bench of Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice NM Jamdar said such accidents were apparently a result of lack of coordination between the two agencies.
UK MPs Take Charge of Parliament for Historic Brexit Debate
In a parliamentary first for the UK, MPs will take charge of the House of Commons business on Wednesday, 27 March, for a historic debate on the kind of Brexit that could command a majority to try and find a solution to the current deadlock over Britain's exit from the EU.
In a major blow to Prime Minister Theresa May's authority, MPs voted through the debate earlier this week to seize control of the business of the House away from the government and set a new precedent in order to weigh up alternatives to her twice-defeated EU divorce bill through a set of "indicative" non-binding votes.
(Source: PTI)
2 Cong Men Booked for Pasting Anti-BJP Stickers Inside Trains
The Railway Protection Force has booked two Madhya Pradesh Congress leaders for pasting stickers with the slogan "chowkidar chor hai" inside passengers coaches at Indore railway station.
An RPF official identified the two as Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) secretary Vivek Khandelwal and city Congress Committee spokesperson Girish Joshi, as per PTI.
Pakistan Must 'Deliver Outcomes': US
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has told Pakistan that it must "deliver outcomes" to build confidence and trust between the two countries, the State Department has said.
State Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino said this when asked about the recent remarks by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in which he identified Pakistan's nuclear proliferation as the third top national security concern for the US, as per PTI.
Mueller Report Summary Couldn't Have Been Better: Trump
An exuberant President Donald Trump took a victory lap on Capitol Hill, emboldened by the end of the special counsel's Russia probe, even as Democrats pressed insistently for Robert Mueller's full report and Justice Department officials said more information could be released in "weeks, not months."
Trump strode into a high-spirited gathering of Senate Republicans on Tuesday, flanked by party leaders, saying the attorney general's weekend summary of Mueller's report "could not have been better."
(Source: AP)
Bombay HC to Hear Plea Against Release of 'PM Narendra Modi' Biopic
The Bombay High Court will hear a plea against the release of the Vivek Oberoi-starrer 'PM Narendra Modi' on 29 March 2019.
The biopic is scheduled to release on 5 April.
Nepal to Hold 2-day Summit to Woo More Investment
Investors from around 40 countries, including India and China, will gather in Kathmandu for a two-day investment summit this week, Nepal's Finance Minister Yuvraj Khatiwada said on Wednesday, 27 March.
The Nepal Investment Summit is being organised in Kathmandu on 29-30 March with a view to attract more investment in the landlocked country.
(Source: PTI)
Delhi Police Bust Illegal Firearms Delivery Racket
The Delhi Police’s Crime Branch busted an illegal firearms delivery racket on Wednesday, 27 March. The police also recovered ten country-made pistols and ten cartridges of .315 bore during its crackdown, ANI reported.
China Sacks Ex-Interpol Chief from Ruling CPC for Graft
China on Wednesday sacked former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei from all his official positions and expelled him from the ruling Communist Party, accusing him of corruption, serious disciplinary violations and encouraging his wife who is settled abroad to campaign against his detention.
Meng, 65, who was once a rising political star among officialdom of the Communist Party of China (CPC), held the powerful post of vice-minister of public security before being appointed as China's first official to head the Interpol – a global organisation that facilitates worldwide police cooperation.
(Source: PTI)
Will File Charge Sheet Against Deepak Talwar Before 1 April: ED to HC
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) informed the Delhi High Court on Wednesday, 27 march, that it will file before 1 April the charge sheet against alleged lobbyist Deepak Talwar in a money laundering case.
A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Vinod Goel was informed by ED's special public prosecutor DP Singh that Talwar was arrested on 30 January, and the 60-day statutory period is about to end, as per PTI.
Veteran Journalist Prafulla Rajguru Passes Away
Veteran journalist and academician Prafulla Rajguru died on Wednesday at a hospital in Assam’s Jorhat, his family sources said. He was 82.
His family members said he was undergoing treatment for a hip injury at the hospital and died during the early hours on Wednesday.
(Source: PTI)
SC to Hear Plea to Bar Candidates From Contesting on Multiple Seats
The Supreme Court on Wednesday, 27 March, said that it would hear after two weeks a plea which has sought to restrict a candidate from contesting from more than one constituency in a general election.
The matter was mentioned for early listing of the plea before a bench of Justices SA Bobde, MM Shantanagoudar and S Abdul Nazeer, as per PTI.
Explosion in Firecracker Unit Kills Six in TN
An explosion in a firecracker unit in Tiruvarur district in Tamil Nadu killed six workers on Wednesday, 27 March.
The unit was involved in manufacturing fancy fireworks for temple festivals and other functions, as per IANS.
SC Bench Examines Validity of NCLT, NCLAT
The Supreme Court Constitution Bench is examining a petition filed by the Madras Bar Association challenging the creation of National Company Law Tribunal and National Company Law Appellate Tribunal under the Companies Act 2013.
The constitutional validity of Chapter XXVII comprising Sections 407-434 of the Companies Act 2013 which constitute NCLT and NCLAT is the issue before the five judges' bench comprising CJI Ranjan Gogoi, and Justices NV Ramana, DY Chandrachud, Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna.
(Source: IANS)
HC Seeks Case Diary in Connection With FIR Against Amit Shah
The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday, 27 March, directed the West Bengal Police to produce the case diary in connection with an FIR lodged against BJP president Amit Shah for allegedly making defamatory and provocative statements.
Shah moved the high court praying for quashing of the FIR against him, claiming that the charges against him were frivolous and concocted.
(Source: PTI)
Pak Seeks 'More Evidence' From India on Pulwama Attack
Pakistan on Wednesday, 27 March, sought "more information/evidence" from India on the involvement of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in the deadly Pulwama terror attack and the presence of camps of the UN-proscribed terror outfit in the country.
Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria was called to the Foreign Ministry by Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and the "preliminary findings" on the "Pulwama incident" were shared with him, the Foreign Office said, referring the deadly terror attack as an "incident".
The preliminary findings were shared with India after examining the Indian dossier on the Pulwama attack, it said in a statement.
(Source: PTI)
Facebook Apologises for Axing Kashmir from India
After mentioning Kashmir separately along with India and a few other countries in a blog post, Facebook on Wednesday apologised for the "mistake".
Reacting to an IANS story that said that Kashmir had been mentioned separately along with India in a violation of the country's territorial integrity, Facebook deleted the reference to Kashmir from the blog post.
(Source: IANS)
Have Asked EC to Hold Elections in J&K as Early as Possible: BJP's Ram Madhav
BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav, while speaking to reporters in Srinagar, J&K, said that the party had “asked Election Commission to hold Assembly Elections in the state as early as possible”.
He also asked the National Conference leadership if they agreed with the statement made by Akbar Lone on Pakistan.
“We demand that the administration registers an FIR against him over such anti-India statements to provoke people. Action should be taken against him,” he said.
(Source: ANI)
HC Issues Notice to Advocate General of UP
The Allahabad High Court has issued notice to the state Advocate General on a PIL challenging the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning & Development Act, 1973 and seeking to declare the same as outside the ambit of the Constitution.
Development authorities in various urban areas of Uttar Pradesh were formed by the Act of 1973.
(Source: PTI)
Andhra Defies EC, Cancels Intelligence DG's Transfer
Defying the Election Commission of India, the Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday cancelled its earlier order transferring Director General (DG), Intelligence, AB Venkateswara Rao.
Within 24 hours of an order transferring three officials including the DG, Intelligence, on the direction of the Election Commission, the state government issued two fresh orders on Wednesday.
(Source: IANS)
SC Seeks Centre's View on Bringing All Tribunals Under One Umbrella
To ensure "efficient functioning" and "streamlining the working" of tribunals, the Supreme Court on Wednesday sought to know from the Centre within two weeks its view on bringing all the quasi-judicial bodies under one central umbrella body.
The top court said it would not like to be bogged down with what is right or wrong and all it wants is that "the tribunals work efficiently and independently", PTI reported.
Pak Fully Reopens Airspace for Domestic, International Flights
Pakistan has fully reopened its airspace for all flights except for Bangkok, New Delhi and Kuala Lumpur, a month after closing it following escalating tensions with India in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack and the subsequent aerial strike by Indian jets in Balakot, PTI reported.
Pakistan closed its airspace on 27 February following escalating tensions with India.
Raj HC Extends Twitter CEO's Arrest in Case of 'insulting' Brahmins
The Rajasthan High Court has extended the interim stay on the arrest of Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey till April 24 in a case of allegedly insulting Brahmins' sentiments through one of his posts on the micro-blogging site.
A bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Garg also directed Dorsey to join the police probe into the case.
(Source: PTI)
Gujarat Govt Opposes Hardik's Plea Seeking Stay on Conviction
The Gujarat government on Wednesday opposed Congress leader Hardik Patel's petition seeking a stay on his conviction in a rioting case.
Patel has moved the high court seeking a stay on the conviction as he wants to contest the Lok Sabha election.
Public prosecutor Mitesh Amin argued before Justice AG Uraizee that Patel was facing as many as 17 cases which reflected badly on his conduct.
(Source: PTI)
CRPF in Bengaluru to Carry Out I-T Raids, Alleges Kumaraswamy
Raising fears about possible income tax raids on Congress-JD(S) functionaries, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday claimed CRPF personnel have been brought from various parts of the country to carry out I-T raids in Karnataka.
"They have been brought to Bengaluru from other states to carry out income tax raids in Karnataka," Kumaraswamy told reporters at Mandya. He claimed that the raids may be carried out at 5 am Thursday.
Striking a belligerent note, Kumaraswamy warned the BJP-led NDA government that he would follow what his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee did if it tried to "bully" the Congress-JDS coalition partners.
(Source: PTI)
Amartya Sen Awarded Oxford University Bodley Medal
Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen has been awarded the prestigious Bodley Medal, the highest honour bestowed by the University of Oxford's world-famous Bodleian Libraries.
The Medal is awarded to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the fields in which the Bodleian is active, including literature, culture, science and communication.
(Source: PTI)
British PM Theresa May to Resign
Theresa May tells Conservative MPs she will not remain as UK PM for the next phase of Brexit negotiations
(Source: AFP)
EU Parliament Approves Ban on Single Use Plastics
European lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Wednesday for an EU-wide ban on single-use plastic products such as the straws, cutlery and cotton buds that are clogging the world's oceans.
The text had already been approved in negotiations with member states and EU officials and it will now be rapidly approved into law. The ban comes into effect from 2021.
(Source: PTI)
US Working with India to Provide Alternative to Russian Missiles: Pentagon
The US is working with India to provide potential alternatives to S-400 air defence systems that New Delhi has decided to purchase from Russians, a top Pentagon official said on Wednesday.
India inked an agreement with Russia in October last year to procure a batch of the missile systems at a cost of Rs 40,000 crore. India went ahead to seal the deal notwithstanding the US' warnings against it.
There were apprehensions about the payment mechanism for the deal in the wake of the US sanctions against Russia.
"We are very keen to see them (India) make an alternative choice. We're working with them to provide potential alternatives (to S-400)," Randall Schriver, Assistant Defence Secretary for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing.
(Source: PTI)
Eminent Russian Cosmonaut Valery Bykovsky Dies
Russia's space agency says pioneering Soviet-era cosmonaut Valery Bykovsky, who made the first of his three flights to space in 1963, has died at age 84.
Roscosmos said Bykovsky died Wednesday, but it didn't state a cause of death.
Bykovsky was one of 20 Soviet military pilots in the first group picked to prepare for space. He first flew to space in June 1963 as a member of the Vostok-5 crew.
He underwent training for a moon mission before the United States won the race to the moon and the Soviet Union canceled its plans to go there.
Bykovsky made his second space flight in 1976 and his third in 1978. He spent nearly 21 days in orbit in all.
(Source: AP)
Woman's Body Found in Drain in Delhi
The body of a 40-year old woman was found in a drain in East Delhi's Patparganj area. Police suspected the woman killed self by jumping into the drain.
(Source: PTI)
US Sets up UN Clash with China over Bid to Blacklist Masood Azhar
The United States on Wednesday circulated a draft resolution to the UN Security Council that would blacklist Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) leader Masood Azhar as a terrorist, setting up a potential clash with China over the move.
China earlier this month put on hold a request to put Masood Azhar, on the UN sanctions list, over his alleged ties to Al-Qaeda.
(Source: AFP)