Top Stories of 18th February in a Capsule

Imran Khan ties knot for the third time

On Sunday, the official Twitter account of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) tweeted that Imran Khan had got married.They wrote on Twitter: “Congratulation to Chairman @ImranKhanPTI on his marriage, we wish a happy and prosperous life ahead to Imran Khan and his wife.” The identity of his wife is believed to be Bushra Maneka, a spiritual advisor. His impending nuptials had become a huge controversy in Pakistan, and he had blasted rivals and defended himself on Twitter. According to the official handle, the Nikah took place around 9 PM in the company of close family and friends.

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Five women killed in shooting outside Russian church

Five people were killed and five others injured after a man in Dagestan shot into a crowd leaving a church on Sunday, the local health ministry said. The five victims were women, TASS reported citing the local branch of the interior ministry. The Interfax news agency said those injured include two members of local security forces and two civilians, also women. Dagestan, a Muslim-majority province in southern Russia, has been plagued in recent years by violence between Islamic radicals and security forces.

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Gujarat police detains Jignesh Mewani ahead of chaos in Ahmedabad rally

Police detained independent legislator Jignesh Mevani and others in Ahmedabad as protests flared up in various parts of Gujarat on the issue of Dalit land rights, presenting a major cause of worry for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.This is the second such large-scale Dalit protest in Gujarat since the ones that followed the flogging of four Dalit men in the town of Una in July 2016. Sunday’s protests were triggered by the suicide of Bhanubhai Vankar, a 61-year-old Dalit activist. Vankar died on Friday, a day after setting himself ablaze outside the collector’s office in Patan.

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Iran Airline retracts death toll of 66 in plane crash, operations postponed for now

After reporting that all 66 passengers and crew aboard a plane that crashed in central Iran on Sunday were believed to have been killed, Aseman Airlines retracted the death toll statement. “Given the special circumstances of the region, we still have no access to the spot of the crash" Mohammad Tabatabaie, Aseman's public relations chief, told media. The plane operated by Iranian carrier Aseman Airlines crashed in a mountainous area near the town of Semirom after taking off from Tehran's Mehrabad airport.


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PM Modi lays ‘foundation stone’ for Navi Mumbai International Airport

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid the foundation stone for the Rs 16,700-crore Navi Mumbai International Airport at Ulwe Kopar near Panvel.“Globalisation is the reality of our times and to keep pace with globalization, we need top quality infrastructure,” Modi said at the event. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the first terminal of the project will be completed by the end of 2019. According to PM Modi, projects worth Rs 10 lakh crore are stuck as the previous governments did not finish it on time. He added that it was his government had formed an aviation policy that was not undertaken by any of the previous governments.


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Nearly 79% turnout in Tripura Assembly Polls 2018

Nearly 79% polling was reported on Sunday in Tripura, where the BJP is trying to dislodge the Left Front which has enjoyed an unbroken 25-year stint in power. Polling in at least 20 centers continued till late in the night as voting was delayed due to faults in electronic voting machines (EVMs). However, the polling for 59 seats of the 60-member Assembly was peaceful, barring minor incidents, with thousands of central paramilitary forces deployed across the northeastern State.