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• Billionaire Michael Bloomberg will make his first appearance in a Democratic president debate amidst accusations from rivals candidates that he has used his vast personal wealth to “buy” his way into the race.


• Bloomberg has spent upwards of $300 million on ads and has run an unorthodox campaign in which he skipped the first four states to hold caucuses and primaries, including Iowa and New Hampshire.

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• Germany is sending a second shipment of medical aid supplies to China to help the Asian giant fight the coronavirus epidemic that has infected over 73,000 people.


• German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the government is sending 8.7 tons of aid supplies worth 150,000 euros ($162,000), including protective gear and disinfectants.

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• Israel’s opposition leader Benny Gantz said that if he becomes Prime Minister after the country’s third national elections next month, he would work to mend ties with America’s Democratic Party.


• The former army chief of staff accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of neglecting bipartisan ties in favor of exclusive support from President Donald Trump’s Republican Party.

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• UK Home Secretary Priti Patel today announced the launch of the Britain's new points-based visa system, aimed at attracting the "brightest and the best" from the world, including from India, and cutting down numbers of cheap, low-skilled workers coming to the country.


• The new system will come into force from January 1, 2021, at the end of the transition period after the UK's exit from the European Union (EU) last month, which will formally end free movement of people within the economic bloc for the UK as a non-member.

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• Panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir scheduled to be held next month have been postponed, the Chief Electoral Officer said, with the government citing the law and order situation in a move contrary to its claims of normalcy returning in the area.


• The election for a local government was expected to be the first big political exercise since the state was bifurcated into two union territories.

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• The much awaited bus service to connect Imphal with Mandalay in Myanmar will begin in April, Manipur’s Chief Minister N Biren Singh said.


• The CM made the statement in the legislative assembly during a discussion on the transport department. The bus service will initially be operated thrice a week and could be turned into a daily service depending on demand.

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• The Union government began a review of the economic consequences facing India due to the coronavirus outbreak and is likely to announce some measures soon to tackle disruptions feared to hit several industries that depend on raw materials from China, where factories have ground to a halt and ports shuttered in an effort to contain the swiftly spreading disease.


• Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman met representatives from industries such as pharmaceuticals, energy, banking, and automobiles and is scheduled to hold meetings with secretaries of different ministries before discussing the issue with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) later.

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• India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat has proposed Peninsular Command by merging Western and the Eastern Command of the Indian Navy, which will spread from the Sir Creek near the Arabian Sea to the Sundarbans in the Bay of Bengal.


• It will be under the operational control of the Navy Chief and will have air assets and support from the army.

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• In order to provide timely and hassle-free service to electricity consumers, the Uttar Pradesh (UP) state Government led by its Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath has implemented the Performance Regulation Act 2019 for the electricity department.


• Consumers will now get financial compensation for delay in resolving their complaints by the department.

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• 4th National Conference on Review of Implementation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) held in Udaipur, Rajasthan.


• It was inaugurated by Sanjay Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. Organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the conference saw the participation of 140 members representing different states, banks, insurance companies, RBI (Reserve Bank of India), NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development).

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• The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) will be conducting the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) Class 10 exams from February 27 to March 30.


• The exams are going to be conducted in two sessions, one from 9 am to 12 pm and another from 11 am to 1 pm.


• Students can visit the official website of the CISCE (https://www.cisce.org/) to check all the details regarding the ICSE examinations.

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• JNU vice-chancellor (VC) M Jagadesh Kumar appealed to the university alumni to contribute to the JNU Alumni Endowment Fund to help the institution achieve “financial self-sufficiency”.


• Kumar’s appeal came after the university’s executive council approved the creation of the fund.


• “On behalf of JNU, I passionately appeal to the JNU alumni to come forward and generously make your contributions.

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• Shares of State Bank of India gained 2 percent in morning trade on February 19 after reports emerged that SBI Cards will launch its IPO in the first week of March.


• The stock gained 23 percent in last one year amid NPA resolution, government measures and the value unlocking in SBI Cards. It was quoting at Rs 319.60, up Rs 2.00, or 0.63 percent on the BSE at 09:58 hours.

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• Shares of Kotak Mahindra Bank rallied 2.9 percent intraday on February 19 following approval from the RBI for promoter's shareholding dilution plan.


• The stock touched an intraday record high of Rs 1,739.95, rising nearly 34 percent in the last one year. It was quoting at Rs 1,712.10, up to Rs 21.05, or 1.24 percent on the BSE at 0933 hours IST.

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• Liverpool were the victims of an old-fashioned Atletico Madrid masterclass on Tuesday as Diego Simeone's side ground out a 1-0 win in Madrid to give themselves hope of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals.


• Saul Niguez raised the roof at a bouncing Wanda Metropolitano by scoring in the fourth minute before Atletico's defence kicked in, suffocating the European champions and denying them a single shot on target.


• "Tonight is one of those nights you don't forget," said Simeone. "We haven't gone through but we have beaten the best team in the world."

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• Laureus World Sports Awards 2020 was held in Berlin, Germany. It was the 2nd Laureus World Sports Awards to take place in Berlin, following the 2016 ceremony which took place at the Messe Berlin.


• The event was hosted by American actress Sharon Vonne Stone.

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• Sri Srinivasan, a prominent Indian-American judge, has created history by becoming the first person of South Asian descent to lead a powerful federal circuit court considered next only to the US Supreme Court.


• Sri Srinivasan, 52, became the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit.