LIVE! ‘And the Oscar goes to…’ Trinamool’s Twitter offensive against Modi

22:20  Former IAS officer Shah Faesal announces he will launch new party:  

Former Kashmiri bureaucrat Shah Faesal has announced that he is launching a new political outfit and has already applied to the Election Commission for its registration. 

Faesal made the announcement on NDTV’s show Reality Check on Monday evening.

I want to participate in elections We are not going to join any existing party, we are going to start our own party, I want to make that announcement from the NDTV studio, the 35-year-old ex-IAS officer was quoted as saying.

Asked if he had a name for the party, he said, The name needs approval of the Election Commission. I have filed the representation there. So I will need some more time before I can reveal the name.

Leaders of a number of opposition parties will meet in Parliament on February 27 to chalk out a ‘Common Minimum Programme’ for fighting the general elections, sources said.

The leaders have been invited to the meeting in Parliament House library where a collective strategy will be evolved to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, they said.

The opposition leaders may also work out an electoral strategy to oust the BJP from power. The opposition strategy on the Pulwana terror attack may also come up for discussion, they said.

The decision to formulate a common minimum programme was mooted at the February 13 meeting of opposition leaders that included the Congress.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had earlier proposed that there be a Common Minimum Programme of opposition parties and their primary aim should be to forge state-level alliances to defeat the BJP.

The last meeting was attended by Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah, among others.

— PTI

21:51  “And the Oscar goes to…” Trinamool’s Twitter offensive against Modi:  

In a stinging attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Trinamool Congress shared a spoof video of him accepting an Oscar for best actor on Twitter for his recent gesture of washing the feet of “safai karmacharis” at the Kumbh Mela. 

The video drew a lot of flak on the micro-blogging website.

PM Modi was at the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj on Sunday to take a holy dip at the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati. 

Post the dip, he paid his respects to a handful of sanitation workers and awarded them with the “Swachh Kumbh Swachh Aabhaar” award. Things however took an unexpected turn when the prime minister washed and cleaned the feet of the awardees in front of television cameras.

In the video, PM Modi is also seen being flocked by a large group of people who are congratulating him, apparently for the best actor win.

Actors Gary Oldman and Allison Janney, who presented the recently concluded Academy Award to this year’s winner Rami Malek, were seen announcing PM Modi’s name as best actor. The voice-over was doctored from Rami Malek to PM Modi.

The song Bohemian Rhapsody by iconic rock band Queen played in the background, which is also the title of the movie actor Rami Malek won the Oscar for.

Captioned “and the Oscar goes to” the video did not go down well with Twitteratti who attacked the Mamata Banerjee-led party.

21:21  Pakistan violates ceasefire along LoC in J-K’s Poonch:  

The Pakistan army targeted forward posts and civilian areas along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Monday, violating the ceasefire in this region for six days during the last week.

A defence spokesman said Indian troops retaliated strongly.

“At about 1830 hours, Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing of small arms along the LoC in Nowshera sector,” he said.

During the last week, the Pakistan army resorted to firing and mortar shelling along the LoC in forward posts and civilian areas in Rajouri and Poonch districts.

The year 2018 had witnessed the highest number of ceasefire violations 2,936 by Pakistani troops in the last 15 years along the Indo-Pak border.

Pakistan continues to violate the ceasefire understanding of 2003 despite repeated calls for restraint and adherence to the agreement during flag meetings between the border guarding forces of the two countries, officials said.

— PTI

21:12  Pressure mounts on Theresa May to delay Brexit deadline:  

British Prime Minister Theresa May has come under increasing pressure to delay the March 29 deadline for Britain’s exit from the European Union as the prospect of a withdrawal agreement being passed by the UK Parliament continues to hang in the balance.

From an Arab-EU summit in Egypt on Monday, prime minister May insisted the UK was on course to acquire the legally binding assurances that the House of Commons needs in relation to the controversial Irish backstop clause to pass such a deal.

However, she sought more time to put it to a so-called “meaningful vote” in Parliament, which will now take place on March 12 instead of this week as previously announced.

“There is still more work to do, and my team will be in Brussels tomorrow (Tuesday) working on the legally binding assurances that the UK Parliament needs in relation to the backstop,” she said in a statement from the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh.

“But what I have sensed in all of my conversations with my fellow leaders, both here in Sharm el-Sheikh and in recent days, there is a real determination to find a way through which allows the UK to leave the EU in a smooth and orderly way with a deal,” she said.

But with another delay of the vote to next week, just 17 days before the March 29 deadline, MPs from within her own Conservative Party are beginning to speak out in favour of postponing the timeline at least by a few months.

— PTI

20:38  Congress hits out at Modi over his National War Memorial speech:  

Congress has hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his speech at the National War Memorial inauguration, saying the PM turned a solemn event into an election rally.

While inaugurating the war memorial dedicated to all soldiers martyred in various wars, PM Modi said, “From Bofors to AgustaWestland chopper deal, all the investigations are pointing to one family and it says a lot. Now these people are making all efforts to make sure that the Rafale aircraft doesn’t arrive in the country.”

PM Modi directly hit out at the Congress and said that it took seven decades for India to get a war memorial for its martyrs as the previous governments could not.

Slamming the Prime Minister for the rhetoric, Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote on Twitter, “There is a certain dignity and solmenness to the occasion dealing with place commemorating the valour and sacrifice of our soldiers. That was destroyed by Modi today, who can’t think beyond his personal PR, politics and votes, even when it is about martyrs. (sic)”

Congress national spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also targeted PM Modi asking him to not insult the sacrifices of the soldiers by turning the event into an election speech.

As many as 11 Delhi-bound flights were diverted to Jaipur and Lucknow airports due to heavy rains in the national capital on Monday, airport officials said here. 

“A total of 11 flights have been diverted due to bad weather that has created an air traffic congestion over Delhi airport this evening,” an airport official said. 

“Nine flights have been diverted to Jaipur airport and two to Lucknow,” the official added. 

Officials said more flights could be diverted.

— PTI

20:02  India likely to have normal monsoon in 2019: Skymet:  

Monsoon rains in India are expected to be normal in 2019, the country’s only private weather forecasting agency said on Monday, raising prospects of higher farm and economic growth in the $2 trillion economy. 

There is a more than 50 per cent chance that India will get normal rainfall and only a small probability of excessive rainfall, Skymet CEO Jatin Singh said.

India defines average, or normal, rainfall as between 96 per cent and 104 per cent of a 50-year average of 89cm for the entire four-month season beginning June.

The monsoon season delivers about 70 per cent of India’s annual rainfall and is key to the success of the farm sector in Asia’s third-biggest economy.

19:34  NIA identifies car and its owner involved in Pulwama terror attack :  

The National Investigation Agency has made a significant breakthrough in the investigation of the terror attack on CRPF convoy that took place on Feb 14, 2019. 

Piecing together remnants of the vehicle used by the suicide bomber in the Pulwama terror attack on the CRPF convoy, from the scene of incident, NIA investigators, with the support of forensic and automobile experts have been able to identify the vehicle used for the blast. 

A Maruti Ecco vehicle having Chassis number MA3ERLF1SOO183735 Engine G12BN164140 was sold to Md Jaleel Ahmed Haqani a resident of Heaven colony, Anantnag in the year 2011. 

It subsequently exchanged hands seven times and finally reached Sajjad Bhat son of Md Maqbool Bhat resident of Bijbehara, who had acquired the vehicle on February 4. 

Sajjad was a student of Siraj-ul-Uloom, Shopian. 

A raid was conducted by NIA team at his house with the help of J-K Police on February 23. 

However, Sajjad was found not present in his house and thereafter has been evading arrest since then. He has reportedly now joined the Jaish-e-Mohammed. A photograph to this effect has also appeared in social media where Sajjad is seen holding weapons.

The inauguration of the sprawling National War Memorial is a “landmark event” and the county now has “one more pilgrimage place” where citizens can come to pay homage to our brave soldiers, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Monday.

 Addressing a gathering of ex-servicemen at the National Stadium, she also said that there was “always an inexorable requirement to have our own war memorial” to pay tribute to soldiers who have laid down their lives since Independence.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the memorial on Monday, spread over 40 acres in the India Gate complex here, by lighting the flame positioned at the bottom of the stone-made obelisk.

Modi also addressed the ex-servicemen at the event.

“It has been wonderfully designed such that it homogenously merges with the surrounding, giving an impression that it existed ever since long. We can proudly say there is one more pilgrimage place for we Indians. We expect every citizen will pay a visit to this memorial to pay homage to our brave soldiers,” she said.

The memorial pays tribute to soldiers who laid down their lives defending the nation during the Indo-China War in 1962, Indo-Pak Wars in 1947, 1965 and 1971, Indian Peace Keeping Force Operations in Srilanka and in the Kargil Conflict in 1999.

“After World War I and the conflict in Aghanistan-Waziristan, a memorial was built in the pre-Independence era in the form of the India Gate. In 1972, the Amar Jwan Jyoti was built underneath it to commemorate the Indo-Pak conflict of 1971,” Sitharaman said.

Post-Independence, more than 25,000 soldiers have laid their lives in our national interest, defending the sovereignty and integrity of the nation, she said.

“There was always an inexorable requirement of having our own war memorial to pay tribute to our soldiers killed in the Indo-China War in 1962, Indo-Pak Wars in 1947, 1965 and 1971, Indian Peace Keeping Force Operations in Sri Lanka and in the Kargil Conflict in 1999,” she said.

It also commemorates the soldiers who participated and made supreme sacrifice in the UN Peace Keeping Missions, during Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Operations, counter-insurgency operations and Low Intensity Capital Operation, the minister said.– PTI

18:33  PM inaugurates National War Memorial:  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the country’s National War Memorial adjoining the iconic India Gate complex in the heart of the capital, nearly 60 years after it was mooted to honour the fallen soldiers after Independence.

Spread over an area of approximately 40 acres, the memorial comprises four concentric circles, namely– the ‘Amar Chakra, the Veerta Chakra, the ‘Tyag Chakra’ and the ‘Rakshak Chakra’ with names of 25,942 soldiers inscribed in golden letters on granite tablets. 

It also includes a central obelisk, an eternal flame and six bronze murals depicting famous battles fought by Indian Army, Air Force and Navy in a covered gallery (Veerta Chakra). 

The PM dedicated the memorial, built at a cost of Rs 176 crore, by lighting the flame positioned at the bottom of the stone-made obelisk. Rose petals were showered by IAF helicopters and a fly-past in ‘Missing Man’ formation was also part of the event. 

There was no national memorial to commemorate the sacrifice of fallen soldiers after independence. 

The NWM pays tribute to soldiers who laid down their lives defending the nation during India-China war in 1962, Indo-Pak wars in 1947, 1965 and 1971, Indian Peace Keeping Force Operations in Srilanka and in the Kargil conflict of 1999.

18:01  Rijiju rules out Prez rule in Arunachal:  Union minister Kiren Rijiju Monday ruled out the imposition of President’s rule in Arunachal Pradesh, which witnessed widespread violence in the past four days, and said the state government could not communicate properly to the people on the contentious PRC issue, leading to the unrest. 

Rijiju also said the Pema Khandu-led BJP government in the state should take all possible steps, including initiating dialogue with the civil society, to bring normalcy as early as possible, as there was confusion on the issue of granting Permanent Residence Certificate to six communities. 

“There is no question of imposition of President’s rule. The state government should immediately work for restoring peace and bringing back normalcy. The protests took place as the state government could not communicate properly to the people on the issue of PRC,” he told reporters.

Rijiju also denied that there was any move to replace Chief Minister Pema Khandu by the ruling BJP. The Congress has demanded the chief minister’s resignation and the imposition of President’s rule in the state. At least three people lost their lives during violent protests over granting the PRC to six non-Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APSTs) communities living in Namsai and Changlang districts — Deoris, Sonowal-Kacharis, Morans, Adivasis and Mishings — and to the Gorkhas living in Vijaynagar. Most of these communities are recognised as Scheduled Tribes in neighbouring Assam. — PTI

17:43  Modi addresses war veterans at National War Memorial :  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday dedicated the National War Memorial, spread over 40 acres in the India Gate complex in New Delhi, by lighting the flame positioned at the bottom of the stone-made obelisk.

A senior defence official said the project has been executed at a cost of Rs 176 crore and its design was selected through a global competition.

Modi told ex-servicemen at National War Memorial, “At this historical place, I pay my tribute to the brave soldiers who lost their lives in Pulwama and all those bravehearts who sacrifice themselves for protection of India. 

“The demand for a National War Memorial has been there for many decades, in the last decade there were one or two attempts but nothing concrete could happen, with the help of your blessing we started the process in 2014.

“Naya Hindustan, naya Bharat, aaj nayi niti aur nayi riti ke saath aage badh raha hai. A new India, is moving ahead with new rules and regulations. We are proving our mettle with renewed strength on an international platform. Majbooti ke saath vishvapatal par apni bhoomika tay kar raha hai. Usme ek bada yogdan aapke shaurya, anushashan aur samarpan ka hai. In this effort, you have made a huge contribution with your valour, discipline and committment,” he said.   

Three living legends and recipients of Param Vir Chakra, Capt Bana Singh, Subedar Yogendra Singh Yadav and Subedar Sanjay Kumar will be present during the inauguration ceremony on February 25. 

16:58  After UP, Akhilesh-Mayawati stitch alliance in MP, U’khand :  

The Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party on Monday announced they will fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections together in Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The two parties are already alliance partners in Uttar Pradesh for the general elections.

A statement signed jointly by Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati here said, “Both have together decided to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in alliance in Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand.”

Under this alliance, the Samajwadi Party will contest three seats in Madhya Pradesh — Balaghat, Tikamgarh and Khajraho and one in Uttarakhand- Gadhwal (Pauri), while the BSP will contest on all the remaining seats, the statement released by the BSP said.

While Madhya Pradesh sends 29 members to the Lok Sabha, Uttarakhand accounts for 5 seats in the Lower House of Parliament.

Both the parties have joined hands for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh where the BSP will contest 38 seats while the SP will be vying for 37 seats. Uttar Pradesh accounts for 80 Lok Sabha seats. — PTI  

16:02  Cong leader alleges sloganeering, stone pelting on Jammu people:  

Jammu and Kashmir Congress leader Sham Lal Sharma on Monday alleged ‘anti-national’ sloganeering coupled with stone pelting on people from Jammu was being carried out at the behest of ‘Kashmir-centric’ politicians and secessionist forces.

The former minister also expressed concern over registration of cases against youths of Jammu who protested against such forces.

“Anti-national sloganeering followed by stone-throwing on Jammu people was done with the intent to flare up communal passions at the behest of Kashmir-centric politicians and secessionist forces,” Sharma, senior vice president of J&K Congress unit, said.

The Jammu and Kashmir police had registered a case on Thursday in connection with allegedly raising anti-national slogans by some stranded Kashmiri Muslim passengers here on February 11.

The Congress leader said those who committed the crime were moving scot-free. Sharma also urged upon the government to take strict action against ‘anti-national’ elements.

“During the previous BJP-PDP government, 10,000-12,000 stone pelters were released by the alliance government….which proved a suicidal step,” he said.

The Congress leader added that the decision led to the security forces paying a heavy price.

“Not only this, the security forces got demoralised by such wrong decisions…The BJP compromised on security for the lust of power,” he alleged.  —  PTI

Image only for representation.

15:55  Par panel asks Twitter to engage with EC; summons FB, WhatsApp :   A parliamentary panel Monday asked Twitter to address issues in real-time and engage more with the Election Commission of India ahead of the general elections and also summoned senior officials of other social media platforms Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram on March 6. 

This was informed by Anurag Thakur, chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, after a nearly three-and-a-half-hour meeting with Global Vice President of Public Policy for Twitter Colin Crowell and other officials of the micro-blogging platform.

Thakur said Twitter officials were asked to “engage more” with the ECI and address issues on a “real-time” basis. The Twitter officials were told that there should not be any “international interference” in the Lok Sabha polls.

Sources said the social media platform was categorically asked to ensure the forthcoming elections are not undermined and influenced by foreign entities. This message to the micro-blogging site was in an apparent reference to numerous complaints of interference by social media platforms in the US elections, they said. 

Thakur said Twitter officials replied to most questions and would submit replies to remaining queries in writing in 10 days. The panel, which hear the views of the representatives of Twitter on ‘safeguarding citizens rights on social/online news media platforms’, has also summoned public policy heads of Facebook, WhatsApp and Platform, he said. Sources also revealed that Thakur read out a letter addressed to him by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey during the meeting. — PTI 

Image: Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey with PM Narendra Modi in November 

14:54  In solidarity with Priya Ramani :  Senior journalist Siddharth Varadarajan tweets this image, writing, “This morning, after the court hearing. In complete solidarity with @priyaramani and others who spoke out against sexual harassment at the work place.” 

Journalist Priya Ramani appeared before Delhi’s Patiala House Court this morning after the court had summoned her as an accused in connection with MJ Akbar’s criminal defamation complaint. Senior Advocate Rebecca John appeared for her. The court granted her bail on a personal bail bond of Rs 10,000 with the next hearing on March 8.

14:33  Army jawans still untraceable 5 days after Himachal avalanche:  
Five Army jawans missing since Wednesday’s avalanche near Shipki La along the India-China border in Himachal Pradesh still remain untraced, officials said Monday. Six jawans of the Army’s 7 JAK Rifles — four from Himachal Pradesh, one each from Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir — were buried under the avalanche that occurred near the Shipki La border outpost in Kinnaur district around 11 am on Wednesday. 

The body of Havaldar Rakesh Kumar was recovered the same day, while the others are still missing. An operation to trace the personnel was underway, a district official said. The weather is clear in Pooh town but it is cloudy near the spot of the incident, Kinnaur district public relations officer Mamta Negi said, adding that the rescue operation was restarted at 7 am on Monday. 

The last rites of Havaldar Rakesh Kumar were performed with full military honours at his native Ghumarpur village in Bilaspur district on Friday. — PTI

Image: Six jawans of the Army’s 7 JAK Rifles were buried under the avalanche that occurred near the Shipki La border outpost in Kinnaur district on Wednesday. Pic: ANI

First, PM Modi is under considerable domestic pressure in this pre-election period.

Second, from a strategic perspective, PM Modi has made a point of attempting to set new ‘red lines’ with Pakistan and to demonstrate that any attack of this sort will be met with a muscular response, all as a means to establish a more effective deterrent.”

14:06  When Rami Malek fell off stage after Best Actor Oscar win:  The newly crowned Best Actor at the Oscars, Rami Malek tumbled off the stage into the audience after the 91st Academy Awards ceremony concluded. Malek, who won the honour for his performance as Freddie Mercury in Queen biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody”, looked surprised with the sudden fall and was helped up by people around him.

Paramedics appeared to rush to the actor’s aide, who was photographed seated in the front row with his Oscars statuette still in hand. According to People magazine, Malek was then moved to a private area backstage. The outlet also said Malek was unable to pose with Mahershala Ali, Regina King and Olivia Colman, who also won big at the Academy Awards. 

The actor, however, did not sustain any injury and he celebrated his win by popping open a bottle of champagne and showering onlookers backstage. “Being on that stage, I don’t know how I looked on that stage, but I never thought this would happen in my life. As an actor, and there are so many of us, who only dream of one thing, perhaps it’s not this, it’s getting a job,” Malek told reporters. 

“So the fact I have got this in my hand right now is beyond expectation that myself or perhaps my family could have had. It’s been a tough battle. The fact I am here celebrating with you is proof a lot of things can be overcome and that anything is possible,” he added. At the Oscars, the 37-year-old actor beat the likes of Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Viggo Mortensen and William Dafoe for the Best Actor prize. PTI

13:40  In Rahul-Priyanka circus, entry of joker obvious: Naqvi:  Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Monday called businessman Robert Vadra a “Joker”. Mocking the possibility of Vardra joining active politics, Naqvi told ANI, “In this circus-led by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, entry of a joker was obvious. Now the Joker is about to make an entry.”

Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, has hinted at joining politics, a month after his wife Priyanka Gandhi made her debut into active politics and was appointed a general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh East in the party.

Following the reports of Vadra joining politics,posters welcoming him to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls appeared in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad city.

“Robert VadraJi, you are welcome to contest the election from the Moradabad Lok Sabha constituency,” the posters read. 

The 49-year-old businessman is currently under the Enforcement Directorate’s scanner for his alleged involvement in various land scams and money laundering cases. — ANI

13:07  SC refuses to hear plea seeking judicial inquiry into Uri, Pulwama attacks:  The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a petition seeking a judicial inquiry into alleged administrative lapses in the Uri and Pulwama terror attacks.

The petition, filed by advocate Vineet Dhanda, also sought stern legal actions against those who attacked the armed forces in any form in Jammu and Kashmir.

A bench of CJI Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said, “We are not inclined to entertain this plea.In his plea filed on February 18, Dhanda sought direction from the central government to constitute a commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge along with Army, intelligence and local administration to conduct an inquiry in the two terror attacks.

The petition also sought details of action taken against separatist leaders so far. While suggesting freezing of bank accounts of the separatists, the plea urged the top court to put a ban on the separatists from contesting elections. — ANI

12:36  Will start working on joining politics, contesting polls: Vadra :  Robert Vadra on being asked if he wants to join politics and contest polls, tells news agency ANI: “First, I need to absolve from baseless accusations and allegations. But yes, I will start working on it. There is no hurry. People need to feel that I can make a change… All in time.”

12:09  Women on whom docu film Period… is based celebrate Oscar win:  
In Hapur, the family of Sneha, one of the women appearing in ‘Period. End of Sentence.’ which won an Oscar for the Best Documentary Short Subject celebrate in Kathikhera village. The film is based on a group of women, including her, which led a revolution against the taboo surrounding menstruation.

Period. End of Sentence,  created history after winning the best documentary short subject at the 2019 Oscars. The film is helmed by Rayka Zehtabchi, who overjoyed by the win, expressed her happiness saying, “I cant believe a film about menstruation just won an Oscar.”

The film has been produced by Guneet Monga, who has previously produced critically acclaimed films like Masaan and Lunchbox. Monga took to her Twitter handle to express joy over the big win. 

She wrote, “WE WON!!! To every girl on this earth… know that you are a goddess… if heavens are listening… look MA we put @sikhya on the map.”

The film was competing with other films including Black Sheep, End Game, Lifeboat and A Night at the Garden. The documentary that tackles the stigma around menstruation in rural India, is currently available on Netflix. 

‘Period. End of Sentence.’ is the second Oscar-winning documentary short set in India, along with Smile Pinki (2008).

The 2019 Oscars were held at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Centre in Hollywood. The ceremony was presented without a host for the first time in 30 years after Kevin Hart stepped down as the host following a controversy surrounding his old homophobic tweets.  — ANI

11:43  Trump, Kim likely to hold joint press conference during Hanoi Summit:  United States President Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong-un are expected to address a joint press conference after the much-anticipated second summit between Washington and Pyongyang, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Notably, during the first summit in Singapore, the two leaders avoided the joint press conference instead Trump held a solo press conference.

Meanwhile, Kim, who is heading toward Hanoi on a train, has passed the Chinese central town of Wuhan.”Signs were detected that Kim’s special train was passing (Wuhan) early in the morning, such as the blocking of the Wuhan Changjiang Bridge,” YNA quoted an anonymous source as saying.

The route that Kim will take is still unclear, however, as per the agency, it will be the shortest way of moving from Pyongyang to Vietnam.

The North Korean leader is accompanied by several senior officials including his sister Kim Yo-jong and aide Kim Yong-chol, Yonhap News Agency quoted North Korea’s state media as saying.

The second summit, slated to be held in Hanoi on February 27 and 28, comes after the first landmark US-North Korea summit was held in Singapore in June last year.North Korea had agreed to completely denuclearise during the first meeting – a move which was hailed as a major stride by the international community. 

However, ties between the United States and Pyongyang hit a roadblock over ease of sanctions, where North Korea sought relief in economic sanctions as recognition of the steps taken towards denuclearisation.

The United States has, until now, reinforced that relief in sanctions would only be given after North Korea carries out complete denuclearisation. Both the sides aim at working towards the concretisation of steps for a peaceful Korean Peninsula, including complete denuclearisation, when Kim sits down with Trump in Hanoi this week. — ANI

11:09  Delhi court directs ED to provide copies of seized documents to Vadra:  
A Delhi court Monday directed the Enforcement Directorate to provide Robert Vadra soft and hard copies of documents seized by it during raids conducted at his offices last year in a money laundering case. The court to hear at 2 pm Vadra’s second application seeking stay in interrogation until the documents relating to the case are provided to him.

Special Judge Arvind Kumar directed the Enforcement Directorate to provide documents to Vadra, facing a probe in cases relating to the purchase of alleged illegal assets abroad and an alleged land scam in Bikaner, Rajasthan. 

Vadra, who is the brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, had said in the application moved by him on Saturday that the ED has been interrogating him based on seized documents and, therefore, their copies should be provided to him. On December 7 last year, the agency had carried out raids at Vadra’s offices at Delhi. — PTI

10:53  Truth is my defence: Priya Ramani on Akbar’s defamation suit:  
First reactions: Journalist Priya Ramani after being granted bail by Patiala House Court in connection with criminal defamation complaint by MJ Akbar said, “The next date when they will frame the charges against me is April 10. After that it will be my turn to tell my story. The truth is my defence.”

Ramani appeared before Delhi’s Patiala House Court this morning. The court had summoned her as an accused in connection with MJ Akbar’s criminal defamation complaint. Senior Advocate Rebecca John appeared for her. The court granted her bail on a personal bail bond of Rs 10,000 with the next hearing on March 8.

Image: Priya Ramani at the Patiala House Court with senior journalist Siddharth Varadarajan. Pic: ANI

10:15  Priya Ramani appears in court in defamation case filed by Akbar :  
Journalist Priya Ramani appears before Delhi’s Patiala House Court. The court had summoned her as an accused in connection with MJ Akbar’s criminal defamation complaint. Senior Advocate Rebecca John appears for Ramani. The court grants bail to Ramani on a personal bail bond of Rs 10,000. Next date of hearing is 8 March.

Ramani was among a number of women who accused Akbar, a former union minister, of misconduct. Akbar had to step down in the wake of a spate of sexual harassment charges against him. 

The MP filed a defamation case against Ramani, following which Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal summoned her. The journalist had tweeted with a smiley, “Time to tell our side of the story.” 

The Editors Guild of India had earlier suspended Akbar from membership until the defamation case he had filed against Ramani came to its logical conclusion. “A majority of our executive committee members suggested that the membership of Mr Akbar be suspended,” a statement issued by the media body read.

Image: Journalist Priya Ramani. Pic courtesy: @priyaramani

09:52  Parrikar stable, under observation: Goa health minister:  

The condition of Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, admitted to the state-run Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Panaji, is stable, a senior minister said on Sunday evening.

Parrikar was examined by doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane told reporters outside the hospital.

Two doctors from the AIIMS arrived here Sunday afternoon.

Parrikar, 63, was admitted to the hospital Saturday night.

The chief minister has been suffering from a pancreatic ailment for the last one year and has undergone treatment in the United States as well as at the AIIMS Delhi and a private hospital in Mumbai.

Rane, who visited Parrikar twice during the day, said MLAs and other leaders were not being allowed to meet Parrikar to avoid the risk of infection from outsiders.

Parrikar faced ‘some discomfort’ during the day but it was very minor, he said.

“I spoke to him just now, he is absolutely stable and fine but doctors suggest that he be kept under observation for two days,” Rane added.

All health parameters of Parrikar were ‘good and under control’, the minister said.

No endoscopy or surgery was carried out on Parrikar and the two AIIMS doctors, who had treated him in Delhi, were called to advise on change of medication, Rane said.

He appealed to people not to believe rumours.

Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar wished speedy recovery to Parrikar, while the party’s spokesperson Sunil Kawthankar appealed to people to desist from rumour-mongering.

‘We should pray for @manoharparrikar and his family. We definitely had and will have strong ideological and policy differences with him, but mocking his health and cursing him does not make us better human beings…Thus a request to all who are doing so to please refrain from doing it,’ he said on Twitter.  — PTI

08:53  IndiGo bus hits Air India employee at Bengaluru airport:  

Air India has demanded adequate compensation from IndiGo as its employee was hit by a bus belonging to the private airline at Bengaluru Airport on February 23.

According to Air India, Shiv Shankar, a young contractual employee of AI Engineering Services Ltd, was returning to the terminal after dispatching the national carrier’s Bangalore-Male flight AI 265 when the unfortunate incident took place.

Confirming the incident, IndiGo said in a press statement, “The staff escaped unhurt with minor injuries. Concerned authorities have been notified and an investigation is currently in progress with full cooperation from IndiGo.”

Meanwhile, a senior Air India official said: “The IndiGo bus hit him (Shiv Shankar) and he was dragged for some distance before the bus stopped. He has suffered serious injuries, including lumbar (vertebrae of the spine) fracture. He is in the hospital and we are all praying for his recovery. IndiGo must pay adequate compensation to this young contractual employee, apart from facing the legal consequences.’  — ANI

08:41  US to delay China tariff increase: Trump:  

United States President Donald Trump on Sunday announced extension of the March 1 deadline for increasing tariff on import of Chinese products, saying there had been significant progress made in negotiations with a visiting trade delegation from the far-east nation.

Trump also announced that he will be hosting his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida soon, to ink an agreement. The exact date has not been decided yet.

‘I am pleased to report that the US has made substantial progress in our trade talks with China on important structural issues including intellectual property protection, technology transfer, agriculture, services, currency, and many other issues,’ Trump said in a tweet.

‘As a result of these very productive talks, I will be delaying the US increase in tariffs now scheduled for March 1,’ said the US President.      

‘Assuming both sides make additional progress, we will be planning a summit for President Xi and myself, at Mar-a-Lago, to conclude an agreement. A very good weekend for the US and China!’ he said.

A high-level Chinese trade delegation led by its Vice Premier Liu He concluded its latest round of talks with a US team led by US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

Following the meeting with Trump at the Oval Office, the Chinese delegation extended its stay in Washington DC by another two days.

Trump and Xi during their December 1 dinner meeting in Buenos Aires decided to pause their trade war and negotiate an agreement by March 1.

In the absence of such an agreement, Trump had warned that he would impose additional tariffs on import of Chinese products.

On Sunday, Trump praised Xi for his help in North Korea talks. Trump leaves for Vietnam Monday morning to have his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi on February 26 and 27.  — PTI

08:26  Mahershala Ali wins Best Supporting Actor Oscar for 2nd time:  

Mahershala Ali continued his winning spree as he took home the Oscar for the Best Supporting Actor at the 91st Academy Awards for his work in Peter Farrelly’s biographical comedy-drama Green Book, his career’s second in the category.

In the film, which also features Viggo Mortensen, Ali plays Dr Don Shirley, an African-American jazz pianist and composer, who embarks on a cross-country tour that necessitates his hiring of a white driver (Mortensen) to assist him as a bodyguard while he travels through America’s racially-divided Southern states.

This is the 45-year-old actor’s second Oscar trophy after receiving an award in 2016 for his role as Juan in Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight.

The win made him the first actor in 24 years to receive multiple acting Oscars in two years or less in any category.

Tom Hanks won back-to-back best actor trophies for Philadelphia (1993) and Forrest Gump (1994).

He was presented the trophy by James Bond star Daniel Craig and Charlize Theron.

Ali paid tribute to Dr Shirley, saying all he tried to do was to capture his essence. He also thanked co-star Mortensen and the director for giving him the space to ‘work it out’.

He dedicated the award to his grandmother. “She has been my ear my entire life, telling me that if first don’t succeed, try, try again, that I could do anything I put my mind to. Always, always pushing me to thinking positively. I would not be here without here,” he said in a speech.

Other nominees in the category were Adam Driver (BlacKkKlansman), Sam Elliott (A Star Is Born), Richard E Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) and Sam Rockwell (Vice).

Ali, who has been award season’s favourite, had also won best supporting actor Golden Globe, SAG award and the Critics’ Choice Award for his role in Green Book.

The actor’s close to two-decade-long career got a boost in 2016 with an Emmy nomination for his performance in the fourth season of House of Cards as Remy Denton.

This was followed by a successful run of Netflix’s Luke Cage, Oscar win for Moonlight and critically-acclaimed performance in Hidden Figures.

Ali currently stars in HBO’s True Detective.   — PTI