Good morning! Here are the top stories in your morning news bulletin on February 16.

Bharat bandh today

Commuters, including officer-goers and schoolchildren, across the country are likely to face inconvenience as the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of various farmer unions, and other farmers’ groups have called for a ‘Gramin Bharat Bandh’ or nationwide strike on Friday, citing a host of unmet demands, including the legalisation of MSPs. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha has also urged all like-minded farmers’ organisations to unite and take part in the February 16 Gramin Bharat Bandh. The Gramin or Grameen Bharat Bandh is scheduled to begin from 6am to 4pm as the farmers would join in ‘chakka jam’ on major roads across the country from 12 noon to 4pm. Several political parties, including the Congress, have also extended support to the ‘Gramin Bharat Bandh’. Read full story here

Fresh violence in Manipur

Fresh violence broke out in Manipur’s Churachandpur on Thursday night after a mob barged into the government complex housing the SP and DC offices and torched vehicles and ransacked government property, hours after a head constable of the district police was suspended after he was allegedly seen with armed men in a video grab, an official said. Several buses and trucks used by security forces were burnt by the agitators as hundreds of them entered the office rooms and vandalised government property, the official said. Security forces fired several rounds of tear gas shells and used “minimum lethal force” to disperse the agitators and are currently working to bring the situation under control, he said, adding that, “the situation is extremely volatile.” Read full story here

Naresh Goyal has ‘slow growing cancer’

Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal on Thursday moved a special Mumbai court seeking interim bail for treatment of a ‘slow growing cancer’, which was revealed during tests conducted by private doctors, news agency PTI reported. The 74-year-old businessman was arrested in September 2023 by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an alleged bank loan fraud worth ₹538 crore. On Thursday, the special court ordered for setting up of a medical board to examine Naresh Goyal’s medical reports even as the ED sought time to respond to his interim bail plea. Read full story here

Rohit Sharma’s 11th Test century

Rohit Sharma’s eleventh Test hundred, which enjoyed an element of fortune, was instrumental in helping India go from 33 for 3 to 326 for 5 on Day 1 of the third Test against England at Rajkot on Thursday. In terms of difficulty, the India captain’s 131 was perhaps nowhere close to his 161 at Chennai that came on a turner in February 2021 or the sage-like 127 at The Oval against the moving Dukes ball in September 2021 — both knocks against England. But heading a batting line-up which has three frontline batters with a combined experience of seven Tests, it was just as vital. The team required some shepherding, and that is something which he and Ravindra Jadeja’s unbeaten 110 did with style. Read full story here

X-Men ‘97 trailer

Marvel Studios has finally unveiled the official trailer for X-Men ‘97. The upcoming animated series is set for a March premiere. The nostalgic series picks up right after the finale of X-Men: The Animated Series, which ran from 1992 to 1997. X-Men ’97 essentially acts as a sequel to the classic ‘90s cartoon. Check out the trailer below that will take you back into the OG X-men era. X-Men ’97 picks up right after the 1997 finale episode titled Graduation Day, which saw the death of Prof. X or Charles Xavier. The animated series is scheduled to begin airing on March 20 on Disney Plus. Read full story here