The annual skiing and snowboarding championship in Auli, scheduled for March 16-19, has been postponed for the third year due to inadequate snowfall. Despite preparations, the lack of sufficient snow depth on the slopes led to this decision. The event was initially set for January but was delayed in hopes of better snowfall, which didn’t occur.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams are returning to Earth after a nine-month mission, extended due to spacecraft issues. Their return became possible with the docking of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Videos of Williams joyfully greeting the Crew-10 team have gone viral. The ISS currently hosts 11 members, with Crew-9 soon to return.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has released visuals of their attack on a Pakistani military convoy in Noshki, Balochistan. The BLA claims 90 army personnel were killed, while Pakistani authorities report five paramilitary troops dead. The ambush involved a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device targeting a convoy of eight buses.
Stock market today: BSE Sensex and Nifty50, the Indian equity benchmark indices, opened in green on Monday. While BSE Sensex was above 74,100, Nifty50 was above 22,500.
NR Narayana Murthy highlighted that many so-called AI systems in India are merely traditional programming. He stressed that real AI depends on machine learning and deep learning, which mimic human brain functions. While acknowledging job losses due to AI, Murthy emphasized its economic benefits and urged entrepreneurs to create jobs to combat poverty.
A priest, Mahendra Minekar, committed suicide at a temple in Kubernagar, Ahmedabad, allegedly due to the mental torture from authorities and developers over plans to demolish the temple established by his grandfather. Police are investigating the allegations, despite officials denying any demolition plans and asserting that the temple would remain intact during redevelopment.
Top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Abu Qatal was gunned down in Jhelum, Pakistan, by unidentified assailants. Qatal, a close aide of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, was returning from a meeting with a Pakistan Army commander. The attack is believed to be due to infighting within LeT ranks. Qatal was involved in several terror activities, including attacks in J&K.
Immigration attorneys report an increase in the secondary inspection and detention of green card holders by the US Custom and Border Protection (CBP), particularly targeting elderly Indian residents. Attorneys advise against surrendering green cards at the airport, stressing the importance of a hearing before an immigration judge.
India and New Zealand have restarted discussions for a Free Trade Agreement after a 10-year hiatus. This new move aims to deepen economic ties and address market access issues to achieve balanced outcomes, as bilateral trade surpasses $1 billion.
India is accelerating the development of its fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, AMCA, to counter emerging threats from Pakistan and China. A top-level committee is working on strategies to improve efficiency and shorten production timelines, with a focus on greater private sector involvement.
