Feb 20 News Live: AIADMK-led alliance will only finish in third place, says TN Congress MP

Stock markets bounce back after falling in early trade

Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty recovered their early losses and were trading higher on Friday, lifted by buying in banking and capital goods shares.

The 30-share BSE Sensex declined 291.93 points, or 0.35 per cent, to 82,206.21 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty dropped 74.6 points, or 0.29 per cent, to 25,379.75.

However, both benchmark indices soon rebounded from their early losses and were trading in positive territory. The BSE benchmark quoted 161.43 points higher at 82,659.57, and the Nifty traded 65.55 points up at 25,519.90.

Among the Sensex constituents, Bharat Electronics Ltd, NTPC, Larsen & Toubro, Hindustan Unilever, Titan, Axis Bank, Tata Steel, PowerGrid, Sun Pharmaceuticals, UltraTech Cement, ICICI Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank were the gainers.

Tech Mahindra, Infosys, Eternal, Bharti Airtel, HCL Technologies, Mahindra & Mahindra, HDFC Bank, Asian Paints, and Trent were the laggards.

"Amidst the many crises, the strength of the Indian economy and the recovery in corporate earnings as reflected in Q3 numbers, are positives for the market," said VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited.

Tension during Shivaji Jayanti procession in Karnataka's Bagalkote, prohibitory orders imposed

Tension prevailed briefly during a Shivaji Jayanti procession here after stones were allegedly hurled at the rally, officials said on Friday.

The incident occurred on Thursday in the old city when the procession, which began around 3:30 pm, was passing through the mosque area, they said. Superintendent of Police Siddharth Goyal said adequate forces were deployed for the procession.

"We were all present at the spot. The procession began around 3:30 pm on Thursday. As it approached the mosque, two stones were thrown from a distance toward us,” he said.

According to the SP, based on preliminary information and videos reviewed by the police so far, one stone struck a police constable while the other fell on his shoulder. “No one sustained any major injuries. After that, the procession continued smoothly, and the atmosphere remained peaceful,” Goyal said.

Police said adequate security arrangements have been made in view of the procession and the situation remained under control.

Defamation case: Rahul Gandhi to appear before Sultanpur court

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is set to appear before an MP-MLA court in Uttar Pradesh's Sultanpur on Friday to record his statement in a defamation case related to his remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The Congress leader arrived in Lucknow in the morning and drove straight to Sultanpur for the court hearing. UP Congress chief Ajay Rai told PTI that Gandhi has arrived for the court hearing. "He has come specifically for the hearing after which he will fly back to Delhi," Rai said.

Ahead of the court hearing, some local Congress leaders have put up posters in Sultanpur that read 'Satyamev Jayate' (truth always triumphs).

The case dates back to 2018 when local BJP leader Vijay Mishra had filed a defamation complaint against Rahul, alleging that during the Karnataka elections in 2018, the Congress leader made derogatory remarks against the then BJP president and current Union Home Minister Shah.

Grey’s Anatomy actor Eric Dane passes away at 53 following ALS battle

Renowned actor Eric Dane, who gained global recognition for his role as Dr. Mark Sloan in the hit medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, has died after a long battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He was 53 and passed away on Thursday, February 19.

In a statement to People, his family confirmed the news, saying, “With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed away on Thursday afternoon after a courageous battle with ALS. He spent his final days surrounded by close friends, his devoted wife, and his two daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the centre of his world.” 

Eric Dane was popular among fans as McSteamy, aka Mark Sloan on Grey's Anatomy. His effortless charm and transformation on the show made him one of the most loved characters. The charismatic blue-eyed plastic surgeon joined midway in the second season of Shonda Rhimes's Grey's Anatomy and became one of the main characters.

Rupee declines 27 paise to 90.95 against US dollar in early trade

The rupee depreciated 27 paise to 90.95 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday, weighed down by a strong American currency and higher crude oil prices due to the escalated geopolitical tension.

A selling rush in domestic equities further pressured the Indian currency, forex traders said.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 90.94 and slipped further to trade at 90.95 against the greenback in early deals, losing 27 paise from its previous closing level.

The rupee rose 4 paise to settle at 90.68 against the US dollar on Wednesday. The currency exchange markets were closed on Thursday on account of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.04 per cent higher at 97.89.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.14 per cent higher at USD 71.77 per barrel in futures trade.

Tension in Jyotirmath over offering of namaz in govt building, authorities meet community leaders

Authorities in Jyotirmath in Uttarakhand held a meeting with community members, amid simmering tension after a video of namaz being offered in an under-construction government building surfaced on social media.

The municipality on Thursday withdrew the verbal permission given for offering namaz in the building and locked it. Jyotirmath Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Chandrashekhar Vashisht told reporters that a meeting was held on Thursday with members of both communities as a precautionary measure for peace.

He said police have been instructed to keep a vigil on elements that may disrupt the atmosphere. Some Hindu outfits met the district magistrate and superintendent of police on the issue and demanded an investigation.

At the heart of the controversy is a video in which some people are seen offering namaz in an under-construction table tennis court in the Meat Bazaar area of ​​Jyotirmath municipality.

Amit Shah to launch second phase of Vibrant Villages Programme in Assam

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will on Friday launch the second phase of the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP), which will cover 1,954 border villages in 15 states and two Union territories.

Designed to ensure comprehensive and sustainable development of border villages, the VVP-II will be a centrally-funded scheme with an outlay of Rs 6,839 crore up to financial year 2028-29, a government statement issued on Thursday said.

Shah will launch the programme from Nathanpur in Cachar, Assam. "Tomorrow, will launch Vibrant Village Program-II (VVP-2) in Assam. VVP realised Modi Ji's vision for the development of the first villages of India," he said in a post on X on Thursday. He said VVP pivoted all facilities to border villages available in other parts of the nation.

"It checked migration from border villages, made them thriving centres of habitation, bolstering border security manifold. VVP-II will fortify more borders by extending these benefits to a wider range of villages," the home minister said.

The programme focuses on improving essential infrastructure, enhancing access to basic services, and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities, thereby fostering secure, resilient and prosperous border communities in alignment with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, the statement said.

6-year-old killed as e-rickshaw overturns in Delhi's Janakpuri

A six-year-old girl was killed while her grandmother sustained injuries after the e-rickshaw in which they were travelling collided with a car and overturned in west Delhi's Janakpuri area, an official said on Thursday.

Speaking to PTI, the grandmother recalled the horror, saying they had just begun their routine journey to school when tragedy struck.

"I had boarded the e-rickshaw with my granddaughter and we were on our way to her school. It was an ordinary morning. Suddenly, a speeding car rammed into our rickshaw with tremendous force. Before I could understand what had happened, I was thrown onto the road," she said.

Her voice trembled as she described the scene. "When I opened my eyes, I was lying on the ground. My granddaughter was lying beside me. My hand was soaked in blood. I was in shock and pain, but all I could think about was her," she told PTI.

The grandmother said she saw the girl bleeding profusely. "I begged a car driver, who was standing there watching us, to help and take the child to the hospital. Instead of helping, he ran away. I don't remember if it was the same car which hit us," she alleged, breaking down.

New Trump administration order could lead to detention of thousands of legal refugees

The Trump administration has issued a sweeping new order that could lead to the arrest of tens of thousands of refugees who are lawfully in the United States but do not yet have permanent residency, overturning years of legal and immigration safeguards.

A memo filed by the Department of Homeland Security ahead of a Thursday federal court hearing in Minnesota says refugees applying for green cards must return to federal custody one year after they were admitted to the US for review of their applications.

DHS “may maintain custody for the duration of the inspection and examination process,” said the memo, which was filed Wednesday.

Advocacy and resettlement groups slammed the order, which will likely face legal challenges and could sow confusion and fear among the nearly 200,000 refugees who came to the United States during the Biden administration.

The order is the latest in a series of immigration restrictions by the Trump administration, which has upended longstanding policies toward refugees, including dramatically reducing the number admitted into the country. A memo obtained by The Associated Press late last year said the administration was planning a review of all refugees admitted to the US during the Biden administration, and immediately suspended green card approvals for refugees who arrived during those years.

The administration has cited national security and economic concerns for its changed policies. Experts say refugees let into the country already undergo extensive vetting.

Israeli settlers kill 19-year-old Palestinian-American, officials say

Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank shot and killed a Palestinian-American during an attack on a village, the Palestinian Health Ministry and a witness said Thursday.

Raed Abu Ali, a resident of Mukhmas, said a group of settlers came to the village Wednesday afternoon where they attacked a farmer, prompting clashes after residents intervened. Israeli forces later arrived, and during the violence armed settlers killed 19-year-old Nasrallah Abu Siyam and injured several others.

Abu Ali said that the army shot tear gas, sound grenades and live ammunition. Israel's military acknowledged using what it called “riot dispersal methods” after receiving reports of Palestinians throwing rocks but denied that its forces fired during the clashes. “When the settlers saw the army, they were encouraged and started shooting live bullets,” Abu Ali said. He added that they clubbed those injured with sticks after they had fallen to the ground.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed Abu Siyam's death from critical wounds sustained Wednesday afternoon near the village east of Ramallah. Abu Siyam's killing is the latest in a surge in violence by extremist settlers in the West Bank, which killed 240 people last year, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Seventeen Israelis were killed over the same period. The Palestinian Authority's Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission said Abu Siyam was the first Palestinian killed by settlers in 2026.