February 15: Top news at 3 pm    

ISRO launches record 104 satellites in single mission

Space agency ISRO scripted history on Wednesday by successfully launching 104 satellites, including India's weather observation Cartosat-2 Series, in a single mission on board its dependable Polar rocket from here. Bettering the Russian space agency's feat of launching 37 satellites in a single mission in 2014, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) injected the Cartosat-2 Series satellite and 103 nano satellites into precise orbit after a textbook lift-off from this spaceport, about 100 km from Chennai. The previous highest number of satellites launched by ISRO in one mission was 20 in June 2015, the agency said. A beaming ISRO Chairman AS Kirankumar announced that "All 104 satellites successfully placed in orbit. My hearty congratulations to the entire ISRO team for the wonderful job they have done."

Jat stir: CBI registers FIRs in connection with arson on Haryana minister’s properties

CBI has registered two separate cases in connection with the alleged arson at Indus Public School and Haribhoomi Press in Rohtak during the Jat quota agitation in February last year. These properties reportedly belong to trusts run by Haryana minister Captain Abhimanyu, CBI sources said. The CBI move comes after the Centre referred the cases to it on February 6, 2017, nearly a year after the incidents. At least 30 people were killed and properties worth crores of rupees were destroyed in Haryana during the quota agitation by Jats in February, 2016. The protesters were seeking reservation in government jobs and educational institutes for the Jat community under the category of Other Backward Castes.

Six killed in suicide attack in northwestern Pakistan

Four security personnel were among at least six persons who were killed when two Taliban suicide bombers today attacked a government compound in northwestern Pakistan's restive tribal region. The explosion took place at the headquarters in Ghalanai in the Mohmand tribal region when two suicide bombers tried to enter the colony and when signaled to stop one blew himself up while the other was killed by firing of security forces, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. "Security agencies had the intelligence about intrusion of suicide bombers from Afghanistan inside Mohmand agency," the ISPR said. The Pakistani Taliban faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar has claimed responsibility for the attack, media reports said.

PIL on manipulation of land records: HC issues notices to Mayawati

The Allahabad High Court today issued notices to BSP supremo Mayawati and two of her close relatives on a PIL alleging "manipulation" of land records in their native village while she was the UP Chief Minister. A division bench comprising Chief Justice DB Bhosle and Justice Yashwant Verma passed the order on the PIL of social worker Sandeep Bhati, who had alleged that in Badalpur village of Gautam Buddh Nagar district, a large tract of agricultural land, spread over an area of 47,433 square metres, had been declared as "abadi" (residential/non-agricultural). The village falls in the vicinity of Greater Noida and the petitioner has impleaded Mayawati, her brother Prabhu Dayal and nephew Anand Kumar as parties in the PIL. The court, while issuing notices to the respondents, directed the registry to club the PIL with another pending petition, wherein similar allegations have been made, and list the matter for further hearing.

Wife meets BSF jawan, tells Delhi HC she is satisfied

The wife of the BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav, who took to social media to air grievances on the quality of food being served to soldiers, today told the Delhi High Court that she is satisfied about her husband's well-being after meeting him. The submission regarding the meeting of the couple was made before a bench of justices GS Sistani and Vinod Goel, who had directed the government to allow her to meet and stay with him for two days at the base where he is posted presently. Sarmila Yadav had visited her husband and on returning informed the court through her counsel that she does not want to press further her plea to find her husband. Advocate Gaurang Kanth, appearing for the Centre and the force, also informed the court that BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav has a new mobile phone and there is no restriction on him from talking to his family members.