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Pakistan on Thursday announced that it will release an Indian Air Force pilot who was captured on Wednesday after an aerial combat between the two countries’ fighter jets along the Line of Control. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the release of IAF pilot will be a "peace gesture". The worst military standoff between the two rival neighbours began on Tuesday when India’s external affairs ministry said the country’s air force jets had launched airstrikes against terrorists inside Pakistan. The target was a camp run by Jaish-e-Mohammed which claimed responsibility for the February 14 suicide car bombing in Pulwama, Kashmir, which killed 40 members of India’s paramilitary CRPF. On Wednesday, Pakistan claimed it had downed an Indian jet.

India has not asked for consular access to the IAF pilot captured by Pakistan , and is insisting on his unconditional and immediate return, government sources said on Thursday. They asserted that there was no question of any deal on the return of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman . The sources said Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has to walk the talk on investigating the February 14 Pulwama attack and that India wants immediate, credible and verifiable action against terrorists and their proxies. "India has not asked for any consular access to the IAF pilot. We want him back immediately," a source said. "The IAF pilot has to be repatriated unconditionally and immediately. There is no question of any deal," he said. The sources also questioned Khan's statement on Wednesday that two Indian jets were downed in an air combat and asked "was he not briefed or did he say an untruth". Denouncing Pakistan's breach of the Line ...

President Ram Nath Kovind would be the chief guest at the 25th Maha Shivratri celebrations at Isha Yoga Centre here on March 4 . Kovind, along with Isha Foundation founder Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev , would also pay tribute to the martyrs of Pulwama by planting saplings at the Isha Yoga Centre, a release from the centre said Thursday. The President would visit the 'Dhyana Linga', the 'Linga Bhairavi Devi' as well as the 'Suryakund', a energised water body that can enhance one's receptivity, before proceeding to Adiyogi where the Maha Shivratri event would unfold, it said. The silver jubilee celebration is expected to be bigger and grander than ever with several well-known artistes performing through the night on Shivaratri. Musical performances by Amit Trivedi, Hariharan, Karthik and other popular artistes, including drummers from Azerbaijan, classical dance performances, folk art and culture and meditation sessions would be part of the night...

The data-guzzling addiction to smartphones is often blamed for loss of productivity but mobile phones will continue to have a significant impact on economic growth and will remain crucial in addressing social challenges in many parts of the globe. As 5G is now upon us and brings with it the promise of a host of exciting new services, the boundaries between mobile and the wider digital ecosystem is rapidly blurring which is creating new opportunities. Mobile internet adoption is making its presence felt by contributing to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), finds a new report The Mobile Economy 2019. Here see the Report

The Income Tax Department will "only" issue refunds via the e-mode into bank accounts of taxpayers beginning next month and they should link PAN with their accounts, the taxman said in its latest public communication. The department said refunds will be sent to bank accounts as it will issue "only e-refunds from March 1, 2019." Link your PAN (permanent account number) with your bank account toget your refund directly, swiftly and securely, the department said in a public advisory issued Wednesday. It added the bank account could be either savings, current, cash or overdraft. Till now, the department used to issue refunds to taxpayers either in their bank accounts or through account payee cheques, in a case-to-case basis depending on the category of taxpayers. The communication added taxpayers can check if their bank account is linked with their PAN by logging onto the e-filing website of the department-- https://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov....

The harrowing time that he faced in the wake of a chat show controversy has "humbled him a little bit", feels opener KL Rahul , who now values his India cap more than ever before. Both Rahul and Hardik Pandya were provisionally suspended for their loose comments on women during a popular chat show. Their bans were later revoked pending inquiry. The off-field controversy erupted after Rahul endured a dismal run in the four-Test series in Australia but he is back in the national team after finding his feet with the India A side. "It was a hard time no doubt. I mean, as a player, as a person, everyone has to go through difficult times and it was my time to go through that and I like I said it gave me time to reflect on my game, on myself. I have always been someone who takes things as it comes," said Rahul after the second T20 International. India lost the short series 0-2 but Rahul made a successful comeback with scores of 47 and 50. After he was sen...

After launching the Honor Band 4 fitness band , Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei’s sub-brand Honor introduced in India the Honor Watch Magic – a smart wearable that functions both as a watch and a fitness band. The watch is made of steel and comes in black and silver colour options, priced at Rs 13,999 and Rs 14,999, respectively. Design The Watch Magic has a solid build with a CNC-processed bezel on the top, and laser-engraved markings on the lower side. These engraved markings, along with an accentuated red colour marking on the bezel and menu button, go well with the dual colour textured strap that the watch comes with. However, the sweat-proof strap has a silicone rubber on the bottom that might not suite suit everyone, especially those with skin sensitive to allergies. Thankfully, the watch is water resistant (5ATM/50 meters) and is designed so that it does not accumulate water for a long time. Display The watch has a 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen, which is big...

In an official statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry on Wednesday, India confirmed that Pakistan used its Air Force to target military installations in the morning in response to the Indian counter-terrorism operations but said their attempts were foiled successfully. Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, accompanied by Air Vice Marshal R G K Kapoor, also said details are being ascertained about Pakistan's claim of having captured one Indian pilot. Here is the full text India had informed about Counter-Terrorism (CT) action it took yesterday against a training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Pakistan based on credible evidence that JeM intended to launch more attacks. Against this Counter Terrorism Action, Pakistan has responded this morning by using its Air Force to target military installations on the Indian side. Due to our high state of readiness and alertness, Pakistan’s attempts were foiled successfully. The Pakistan Air Force was detected and the ...

With an eye on ICC World Cup 2019 , Indian cricket team led by Virat Kohli will look to make few changes in playing 11 when they lock horns with Australia in 2nd T20 International match at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday. India are down 0-1 after a poor batting performance in the first T20 match which Australia won by 3 wickets. Indian bowling attack led by Jasprit Bumrah did all it could to keep the home team in the game till the final over of the match while defending the below-par 126 runs. Will Shikhar Dhawan brought back for 2nd T20? India skipper Virat Kohli has already said that his squad composition for the World Cup in May-July is "more or less sorted" but has not ruled out rewarding standout performances over the course of two T20s and five ODIs. Considering the captain's current frame of mind, both K L Rahul and Rishabh Pant are likely to feature in most of the games against Australia. India rested opener, Shikhar Dhawan, to give g...

An IAF aircraft crashed on Wednesday in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, killing at least one person, officials said. The jet crashed in an open field near Garend Kalaan village in Budgam at 10.05 am, the officials said. ALSO READ: LIVE: Pak violates Indian air space, drops bombs; air traffic suspended The aircraft broke into two and caught fire immediately, the officials said, adding one body was seen near the site crash. The identity of the deceased could not be confirmed immediately, they said, adding the fate of the pilots was not known.

A Pakistani unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was on Tuesday shot down near the International Border in Kutch district of Gujarat, police sources said. Debris of the UAV was seen near Nanghatad village in Abdasa taluka of Kutch, they said. On hearing a loud sound around 6 am, villagers went to the spot and found the debris of the UAV, the sources said. Asked if a Pakistani UAV had been shot down by the Indian armed forces, a police official, on condition of anonymity, said, "Such an incident has happened, we are investigating the matter." The official, however, refused to elaborate further. Earlier, government sources said that in a pre-dawn strike, combat jets of Indian Air Force bombed terror camps at multiple locations across the Line of Control on the Pakistani side, 12 days after Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group carried out the dastardly Pulwama attack in Kashmir . They said the IAF's Mirage 2000 fighter jets pounded the terror camps ...

Pakistan army spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor on Tuesday claimed that the Indian Air Force (IAF) had violated the Line of Control (LoC). In a tweet, Ghafoor claimed: "Indian aircrafts intruded from Muzafarabad sector. Pakistan Air Force immediately scrambled. Indian aircrafts gone back. Details to follow." [sic] Ghafoor claimed that the Indian aircraft released payload in haste while escaping, which fell near Balakot. No casualties or damage had been reported so far. CNN News18, however, said there might have been 200-300 casualties from the Pakistan side. Pakistan's claim comes in the wake of tense relations between the two countries in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack. The Indian defence ministry, meanwhile, said it had no information about Pakistani allegations that Indian aircraft violated Pakistani airspace, according to a Reuters news alert. The IAF is yet to respond to these claims. However, CNBC tweeted citing government sour...

A film on menstruation, set in rural India, titled Period. End of Sentence, has won the Oscar in the Documentary Short Subject category at the 91st Academy Awards. Award-winning filmmaker Rayka Zehtabchi has directed the short film, which has been produced by Indian producer Guneet Monga's Sikhya Entertainment. The film came to into being as a part of The Pad Project, started by students at the Oakwood School in Los Angeles and their teacher, Melissa Berton. I'm not crying because I'm on my period or anything. I can't believe a film on menstruation won an Oscar, Zehtabchi said in her acceptance speech. She also gave a nod to Monga. ALSO READ: Oscars 2019 winners: 'Roma' wins award for best foreign language film Guneet Monga - know that you have been empowering women all over the world fight for menstrual equality, she added. Dedicating the award to her school, Berton said the project was born because her students in LA and people in...

Domestic smartphone-maker CENTRiC on Monday launched " S1 " smartphone that features an 8MP pop-up selfie camera and in-display fingerprint scanner, costing $310 (approximately Rs 22,027). The device, showcased at the MWC 2019 here, comes with a 6.39-inch full-screen FHD AMOLED display, 16MP +5MP dual rear camera, fast charging and wireless charging in - 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage and 6GB RAM, 128GB storage variants. It is powered by MediaTek Helio P70 Octa-Core processor and fueled by a 3,800 mAh battery. "Fast charging, pop-up selfie camera, wireless charging are the growing necessities to enhance the consumer experience," said Manish Agrawal, Managing Director, CENTRiC. The company also launched four smartphones - L4, A2, G5 and G3 - all powered by MediaTek chipsets and running on Andrioid 9.0 Pie, priced at $90, $140, $160 and $250, respectively. The devices would be available for retail in India from June.

Dietary consumption of peanut after completing oral immunotherapy (OIT) or sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) for peanut allergy may actually provide continued protection against accidental exposures to the allergen, according to a new study led by Edwin Kim. The findings were presented in the annual American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) conference in San Francisco. The study followed 55 people who had completed OIT or SLIT peanut immunotherapy trials at UNC-Chapel Hill and were desensitised to between 300mg and 5,000mg of peanut. Notably, Desensitisation increases the amount of peanut it takes to cause an allergic reaction, decreasing the likelihood of a severe reaction caused by accidental peanut exposure. Speaking about it, Kim said, "They don't necessarily want to eat large amounts of their allergen, they just want a level of reassurance that if a restaurant cook makes a mistake or a food label is wrong, they won't have a severe all...

Three members of a family were found dead and another was seriously injured at their house in Balrampur district of Uttar Pradesh, police said Monday. They were sleeping in their house in Jogiyapur village when some unidentified persons killed them with sharp-edged weapons Sunday night, Superintendent of Police Anurag Arya said. The deceased were identified as house owner Jagram (55), his son Raju (25) and daughter Lilawati (20) while his daughter-in-law Nirmal Devi (22) was seriously injured and has been admitted to hospital, the SP said. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem, he said. Three police teams have been constituted to work out the case and help from forensic experts is also being taken, the SP added.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram Monday termed the PM-KISAN scheme as "cash for votes" and said it was BJP's "desperate attempt" to placate debt-ridden farmers with "crumbs" of Rs 17 per day per family. The former finance minister also said the scheme showed that the BJP was living by the "truth that desperate times require desperate measures". The Rs 75,000 crore scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gorakhpur on Sunday by transferring the first instalment of Rs 2,000 each to over one crore farmers. The scheme was announced in this year's Interim budget whereby the central government announced that it will provide Rs 6,000 per year in three instalments to 12 crore small and marginal farmers holding cultivable land up to up to two hectares. "PM launches 'Cash for Votes' scheme. After driving farmers into debt and acute distress, the BJP is desperately trying to placate them with crumbs ...

The trailer of Akshay Kumar-starrer ' Kesari ' is finally out and it takes the audience on the journey of a heroic story of nation's unsung warriors. Akshay took to his Twitter handle to share the trailer of the upcoming movie. He wrote, "An incredible true story of valour, sacrifice & bravery - told like never before! #KesariTrailer out now." The trailer begins with Akshay saying, "A Britisher, once told me, I am a slave and only cowards are born in India. Today is the day to give him a reply." Just a few seconds later, the viewers can seen Afghan soldiers, in huge numbers, running towards Akshay's character Havildar Ishar Singh, the leader of the Sikh regiment. The trailer then takes the audience in the world of the bravest battle ever fought, the battle of Saragarhi. The trailer of 'Kesari' also leaves an urge for everyone to know how these 21 brave Sikh soldiers fought against 10,000 Afghan soldiers to safeguard their land from in...

At a time when Pakistan is under immense global pressure on terrorism, the country's cash-strapped government has gifted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman a gold-plated assault rifle, a media report said. The unusual gift for a visiting foreign dignitary was presented to Mohammad during his first official official visit to Islamabad. The News International reported that Pakistan's Senate delegation called on the Crown Prince at the Prime Minister's House where Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani gifted him a portrait and a gold-plated gun. The Prince is also Saudi Arabia 's defence minister. In a similar gesture from the cash-rich kingdom in January, Saudi Prince Fahd Bin Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, also the Tabuk Governor, presented a gift of 'gold Kalashnikov' and bullets to Prime Minister Khan at the Prime Minister's Office here. Khan had thanked him for the gold-plated Russian gun. The Saudi Crown Prince's just-concluded...

The Committee of Administrators (CoA) and the BCCI have not prepared any note seeking a ban on Pakistan at the upcoming World Cup and even if such a move is made, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is bound to reject it. The Pulwama terror attack, that claimed the lives of over 40 CRPF personnel, has escalated the diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan, the reverberations of which are also being felt in the sporting arena. Already, Pakistani shooters couldn't make the World Cup in Delhi, starting Saturday, after not getting visas. And there is a demand for India to boycott its June 16 World Cup clash against the neighbours and the matter is likely to come up on the sidelines of the ICC meetings between February 27 to March 2 in Dubai. "There is absolutely no constitutional or contractual way this could happen. the ICC constitution allows members the right to participate in ICC events as long as they've qualified," a BCCI official told PT...

The Samsung Galaxy S10 is actually four separate phones: the S10e (the “e” stands for “essential,”) the S10, the S10+, and the S10  5G. The first three go on sale in March, and the S10+ is the flagship of the trio. Having a family of three devices has become a trend, and in many ways the S10e, S10, and S10+ are Samsung’s answers to Apple’s iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max respectively. Despite the similar naming convention (Galaxy “S ten” versus iPhone “ten S” ), there are some significant differences between how the two flagships compete for consumers’ wallets. We’ll break down some of the most significant ways Samsung and Apple are differentiating their competing phones. Design and Photography Great pictures are essential for any top-end phone. Samsung has equipped the S10+ with three rear-facing cameras—one for close-ups, one for standard shots, and an ultra-wide one for expansive scenes. The iPhone has two lenses, however, which on paper seems to put it at a disadva...

Saudi Arabis' Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Wednesday ordered the release of 850 Indian prisoners lodged in his country's jails on Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's request as the two leaders held extensive talks in Delhi, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. After the talks, it was also announced that India has decided to extend e-Visa facility to Saudi nationals. In an important development, Saudi Arabia also joined the International Solar Alliance, a move welcomed by the prime minister, MEA officials said. Both sides noted the potential of cooperation in the renewable energy sector, not only in investment but also in research and development, a joint statement issued after the talks said.In another significant move, Saudi Arabia has also agreed to resolve issues relating to Indian workers who are currently stranded in the kingdom due to the closure of a foreign company, T S Tirumurti, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the MEA, said.

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd on Wednesday unveiled a nearly $2,000 folding smartphone in a bid to top the technology of Apple Inc and Chinese rivals and reignite consumer interest amid slumping sales. The Galaxy Fold will go on sale on April 26 and take advantage of new and faster 5G mobile networks. The device looks similar to a conventional smartphone, but then opens like a book to reveal a display the size of a small tablet at 7.3 inches (18.5 cm). The device "answers sceptics who said that everything that could be done has been done," DJ Koh, chief executive of Samsung Electronics, said at an event in San Francisco. "We are here to prove them wrong." Samsung remains the world's largest smartphone maker with nearly a fifth of global unit sales but underperformed a slumping market last year. Chinese rival Huawei Technologies Co Ltd - whose Mate series of phones also command premium prices - gained market share. Other Chinese makers like Xiaomi C...

Civil aspirants, hurry! Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has activated registration link for UPSC Civil Services Prelims 2019 examination. Aspirants will be able to access the application forms online on upsconline.nic.in. The UPSC said the last date to apply is March 18. The UPSC CSE 2019 Prelims will be held on June 2, 2019. The UPSC Main Exam will be conducted on September 20. This year's UPSC Prelims brings good news: Eligible aspirants will be able to get the benefits of reservation for economically weaker sections, the government said. Reservation will be made for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, the Economically Weaker Sections and persons with benchmark disability in respect of vacancies as may be fixed by the government, it said in a notification. UPSC Prelims 2019: How to apply Step 1: Visit upsconline.nic.in. The online application forms is a two-step process – registration and filling of Part I and Pa...