Feb 14 News Live: Nvidia CEO cancels visit to India AI Impact Summit

At least 3 people are feared injured after a portion of a pillar of an under-construction metro rail route in Mulund, Mumbai collapsed on Saturday (February 14) afternoon, a fire brigade official said.

The incident took place around 12:20pm on the arterial LBS Road in front of Johnson and Johnson factory, the official said.

"A cement slab of the pillar collapsed and fell on an autorickshaw below, completely smashing the three-wheeler. Three to four persons are feared injured. Fire brigade and police personnel as well as staffers of the construction firm are at the spot to monitor post-incident operations," he said.

The first Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) in the North East, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (February 14) at Moran in Assam's Dibrugarh district, will be a key strategic asset boosting defence, logistics and disaster response in the region, government officials said.

Located fewer than 300 kilometres from the Line of Actual Control with China, the Rs 100-crore landing facility will serve as a key strategic, multi-functional runway for Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets and transport aircraft.

Envisioned as dual-use infrastructure, the ELF is capable of handling fighter aircraft up to 40 tonnes and transport aircraft up to 74 tonnes maximum take-off weight. India's first ELF was inaugurated in 2021 in Rajasthan's Barmer district.

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Anand Ramanand Sagar Chopra, son of legendary filmmaker Ramanand Sagar of “Ramayana” fame, passed away following prolonged illness here, his wife Nisha Sagar Chopra said. He was 84.

“He took his last breath at 10:37 am in the morning yesterday. The whole family was by his side. He went away peacefully. He was a beautiful soul. He was soft spoken, he never lost his head on anybody. It’s a great loss for everyone,” his wife told PTI.

Nisha Sagar Chopra shared that her husband was suffering from Parkinson’s disease for the last 25 years.

“Even in that condition, he made ‘Ramayana’ for NDTV, which he directed. From the last two years, things became bad, it was an advanced stage of Parkinson. In the last few months, there was an infection in his body, he couldn’t recover after that. He was bedridden for a couple of months. So, advanced Parkinson and infection in the body was the cause (of his demise),” she said.

The funeral of Anand Sagar was held on Friday evening at Pawan Hans crematorium in suburban Mumbai. The family will hold a prayer meet on Monday.

Anand Sagar is survived by wife and three children.

Born on September 3, 1941, Anand Sagar Chopra made five films, “Hamrahi” with Randhir Kapoor and Tanuja, “Ram Bharose”, which featured Amjad Khan, Vidya Sinha, Sarika and Rakesh Roshan, “Armaan” with Shammi Kapoor, and others.

He also directed songs including ‘Hari Om Hari’ from the film “Pyaara Dushman” and ‘Ramba Ho Samba Ho’ from the movie, “Armaan”. Both high-energy disco songs were sung by Bappi Lahiri and Usha Uthup.

Anand Sagar also helmed TV shows like “Ramyana”, “Shirdi Ke Saibaba”, and many others.

Often referred to as the Bayalu Seeme (open fields) belt, the regions of Chikkaballapur, Doddaballapur, Kolar, and Ramanagara in south-eastern Karnataka generally witness robust earnings from rose cultivation, with strong demand emerging from both domestic and international markets.

Around Valentine’s Day (February 14), the appetite for these blooms has only intensified.

The 'Taj Mahal' variety of red roses, a favourite among young couples, is seeing unprecedented demand and is fetching premium prices at the International Flower Auction Centre (IFAC) in Bengaluru. The wide range of roses available here rarely fails to captivate buyers.

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Amid raging controversy over former army chief General (retired) Manoj Mukund Naravane’s unpublished memoir ‘Four Stars of Destiny’, the Centre may consider introducing a 20-year cooling-off period for senior government officials, including military officers who held positions of power, before they can write a book after retirement.

The development comes at a time when the Government and the Opposition are at loggerheads over the accounts of the 2020 Galwan described in the memoir.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday (February 14) inaugurated the first Delhi Khel Mahakumbh at Chhatrasal Stadium, describing the event as a transformative moment for the capital's sporting landscape.

Addressing a gathering at the opening ceremony, Gupta said the initiative a celebration of Delhi's dreams and a historic step towards providing a platform for athletes.

"Delhi has never lacked talent. What was missing was the right platform. This initiative is a historic step that will give direction and opportunity to lakhs of young athletes in the years to come," she said.

She added that since the current government took office, the focus has remained on accelerating development and creating new avenues for youth in sports.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which secured a landslide victory in the general elections, on Friday (February 14) reiterated its firm stance on seeking the extradition of ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from India to face trial.

"The foreign minister has already persuaded the case for her extradition, and we also support it," Senior BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed said.

"We always press for her extradition according to the law. This is between the foreign ministries of the two countries. We also asked the government of India to please send her back to face trial in Bangladesh," he added.

Ahmed emphasised that Bangladesh seeks normal relations with all neighbours, including India, but only on equal terms. "We need a friendly relationship based on mutual respect, equality with all the countries, including India," he said.