February 2020

Scientists name newly-discovered species of snail after climate change activist Greta Thunberg A new species of snail has been named after Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg for her efforts to raise awareness about climate change, say researchers. The new species – Craspedotropis gretathunberga – is approximately 2mm long and 1mm wide with grey tentacles and a concave shell. The snail was discovered by a group of citizen scientists working together with scientists from Taxon Expeditions, a company which organises scientific field trips for teams consisting of both scientists and laypeople. Source: India Today

44-yr-old former teacher, Tatyana Bakalchuk, is now Russia’s richest woman with a fortune of $1.4 bn MOSCOW: The founder of an online fashion start-up is now Russia’s richest woman, dethroning the wife of a former Moscow mayor, the Russian edition of Forbes reported on Thursday. Tatyana Bakalchuk, 44, has amassed an estimated fortune of USD 1.4 billion, beating out 56-year-old Yelena Baturina’s USD 1.2 billion, it said. Bakalchuk’s success at the helm of her online retailer Wildberries is an anomaly in Russia where most fortunes stem from the rapid privatisation of state companies following the collapse of the Soviet Union....

Roger Stone: ‘Disgusted’ judge jails Trump ally Stone, 67, was found guilty in November on seven counts of lying to Congress, obstruction and witness tampering. The judge said Stone threatened her, but Mr Trump said he should be cleared. He is the sixth Trump aide convicted on charges linked to a justice department inquiry that found Russian attempts to boost Mr Trump’s 2016 campaign. Source: BBC

India paying price for not sending Muslims to Pakistan: Giriraj Singh PATNA: The country is paying the price for failure to send Muslims to Pakistan and bring Hindus to India after the Islamic state came into being at the time of Independence, Union minister Giriraj Singh (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/GirirajSingh) has said, triggering a fresh controversy. The BJP leader made the remark in Purnea district in the Seemanchal region of Bihar which has a sizeable Muslim population and where the Begusarai MP was canvassing in favor of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Source: Times of India

Melania Trump to attend happiness class at Delhi govt school US First Lady Melania Trump will visit a Delhi government school during her brief visit to the capital next week, sources said. She is expected to attend a happiness curriculum class on Tuesday, and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia are expected to accompany her. US President Donald Trump and Melania Trump will fly to Ahmedabad on February 24. They are then expected to travel to Agra and Delhi. Source: The Indian Express

After poll loss, Indian-origin Leo Varadkar quits as Ireland PM Leo Varadkar, who became the first Indian-origin prime minister of Ireland in 2017, resigned on Thursday night after his party failed to win a majority or emerge as the single largest party in the February 8 election that threw up a hung parliament. Varadkar, 41, will continue in the post until the next government takes over, an official announcement in Dublin said. Talks to form a coalition government are due to be held over three weeks, during which Varadkar will not be able to make major policy decisions. Source: Hindustan...

Thai court to decide fate of Thanathorn’s Future Forward Party Bangkok, Thailand – Thailand‘s Constitutional Court is set to issue on Friday its verdict on an electoral case that could lead to the possible dissolution of the country’s third-largest political bloc – an outcome that could push the country into another round of unrest. The Future Forward Party (FFP) and its leader, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, are accused of breaking election finance laws when he reportedly loaned 191.2 million-baht ($6.06m) to his party during the campaign last year. Source: Aljazeera

Elizabeth Warren ‘crushed’ the Democratic debate in Las Vegas; but is it too little, too late for her? Las Vegas: Hours before Senator Elizabeth Warren would take the stage in front of the largest television audience in Democratic debate history, she was holed up in a Bellagio hotel suite outfitted with six podiums for her final practice session. Her voice was hoarse from a cold that had left her team scrambling to find a solution: “Elm bark” lozenges, teas and, eventually, a throat spray from a supporter who was an opera singer. But those worries mostly melted away as she landed...

Rajnath Singh Lays Foundation Stone of New Army HQ Building New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone for construction of a new Army headquarter building in Delhi Cantonment on Monday. Christened ‘Thal Sena Bhawan’, the complex will be spread over nearly 39 acres. “We have laid the first stone of the new Sena Bhawan… It will represent the unsung heroes of the armed forces who have sacrificed their lives for the country,” he said. Source: News18.com

Pragyan Ojha announces retirement from all forms of cricket India spinner Pragyan Ojha announced on Friday he will be retiring from professional cricket with immediate effect. Pragyan Ojha, who made his international debut in 2008, played professional cricket for 16 years. Despite not featuring in an international fixture since 2013, Pragyan was playing domestic cricket until 2019. The 33-year-old last played for India in 2013 during Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell Test against the West Indies in Mumbai. In all, he played 24 Tests between 2009 and 2013 in which he took 113 wickets. Source: India Today