February 25: Top news at 1 pm

Developing news

*Son of boxing legend Muhammad Ali detained at Florida airport because of Arabic-sounding name: US media reports.

*Collision averted between two planes at Ahmedabad airport

Superb ton by Smith, India to chase daunting target of 441

Skipper Steven Smith once again turned out to be a nemesis with a superb century on dodgy track helping Australia set a massive target of 441 for India at lunch on the third day of the first cricket Test in Pune. Australia were all-out for 285 in their second innings as their overall lead swelled to a gigantic 440 runs courtesy Smith's 18th Test hundred.

The Australian skipper scored 109 off 202 balls with 11 boundaries, an innings that will certainly be considered as one of the best by an overseas batsman on a devilish Indian track which had sharp turn and bounce. It was his fifth consecutive century against India in as many Tests. If India manage to achieve the uphill target, it will be highest by any team in the history of Test cricket.

Bandh in Manipur, PM arrives for election campaign

Normal life was largely affected in Manipur today following the call for shutdown by the apex body of six rebel groups in the state protesting against the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for election campaigning. Modi arrived here at around noon to address a rally in the poll-bound state. The entire city was put under a heavy security blanket to avoid any untoward incident. Very few vehicles were seen on the streets of Imphal. All shops except a few medicine stores, which were kept outside the purview of the bandh, were closed. Other essential services were exempted from the shutdown. The state-wide bandh call was given from 6 am till Modi leaves the state.

Goa: AAI turns down Navy's request to cut down summer flights

Airport Authority of India (AAI) has turned down the request of the Indian Navy to reduce frequency of flights at the Goa International Airport during the summer schedule which comes into force from April. "There was a request from the Indian Navy to cut down the number of flights during the summer schedule. But we have not agreed," Goa Airport Airport Director BCH Negi said today. The Goa airport, located in Dabolim, is managed by Indian Navy, which is part of its INS Hansa base near Vasco.

Indian Navy has been conducting routine sortie of its flights from this facility. According to sources, Navy wants to increase its timing of sortie during the summer schedule, following which it has written to the AAI. "At our level, we have requested to maintain the flight schedule as it is. Indian Navy had given a written request to curtail the number of flights but it is not agreed," he said. "I don't know what is being decided at (the) higher level. Even airlines have refused to cut down the number of flights," he added.

White House blocks major news outlets from press briefing

Several major news outlets including The New York Times, CNN, the Los Angeles Times, Politico, BuzzFeed, BBC and the Guardian were barred from attending an off-camera White House briefing, an unprecedented move that escalated tensions in the already fraught relationship between the Trump administration and the media. Hours after President Donald Trump blasted the media at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, declaring that much of the press was "the enemy of the American people", the White House yesterday invited only a select group of conservative news organisations for the "extended press gaggle".

The decision to block several news organisations from the briefing was decried by several White House journalists as unprecedented in the modern era. "This is an unacceptable development by the Trump White House," CNN said in a statement. "Apparently this is how they retaliate when you report facts they don't like. We'll keep reporting regardless." In a strong editorial, The New York Times said the move was "an unmistakable insult to democratic ideals". This is an undemocratic path that the administration is travelling, The Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron said.

Zeliang appointed FA to Nagaland govt

Former Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang was today appointed by Governor PB Acharya as Finance Advisor to the state government in the rank of a cabinet minister. Zeliang will receive the pay and allowances and all other facilities admissible to a cabinet minister, an official release said. Zeliang resigned from the chief ministership on February 19 conceding to the demand of the Joint Coordination Committee and Nagaland Tribal Action Committee for his decision to hold elections to urban bodies with 33 per cent reservation for women and subsequent incidents.