Latest news: US 'closely following' India-China disengagement; video of Mars landing

‘US to continue following India & China troop disengagement reports closely’ 

After India and China completed their disengagement process following the 10th round of Corps Commander-level talks in one part of border territory in Leh Ladakh, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that the United States welcomes the ongoing efforts to deescalate the situation and will continue to monitor the situation closely. 

"We are closely following reports of troop disengagement and we welcome the ongoing efforts to deescalate the situation. We will continue to monitor the situation closely as both sides work toward a peaceful resolution," Price said at a press briefing, reported ANI.

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NASA releases video of Perseverance Rover’s Mars landing 

As NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover chronicles plummeted, parachuted and rocketed toward the surface of Mars on February 18, a new video of the major milestone released during the final minutes of its entry, descent, and landing (EDL) on the Red Planet. A microphone on the rover has also provided the first audio recording of sounds from Mars.

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Rahul Gandhi supports Rihanna’s tweet on farmers 

During his visit to his Lok Sabha Constituency Wayanad on Monday, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi hailed international pop-star Rihanna for questioning the farm laws in India. He said, "The entire world can see the difficulty faced by Indian farmers but the Govt in Delhi is unable to understand the pain of the farmers. We have pop stars who are commenting on the situation of the farmers, but the Indian Government is not interested."

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Gelatin stick blast in Karnataka’s Chikkaballapur kills six people

As many as six people died at Hirenagavalli in Chikkaballapur of Karnataka on Tuesday after some gelatin sticks exploded in the area. One person is severely injured and the explosion is reportedly said to have occurred when the deceased was trying to dispose of the gelatin sticks used for quarrying. Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has ordered the officials to conduct a thorough probe and the district in-charge minister of Chikkaballapur has been directed to take stern action against those involved in the illegal possession of gelatin.

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Gujarat HC says mask rule violators will render community service 

Amid the rise in COVID-19 cases, Gujarat High Court has issued an order mandating 'community service' at COVID-19 community centres if found violating compulsory wearing of masks order. The High court has also asked the Gujarat state government to issue a notification in this regard. According to media reports, Gujarat High Court said that the people who violate the mask rules will have to do about four to five hours of community service at COVID-19 care centres for 5 to 15 days as instructed by the concerned authority. 

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