THE WEEK morning brief: MNS march in Mumbai with calls to evict illegal immigrants

A look at the headlines today:

1. MNS march in Mumbai today, calling to evict illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh

A large number of police personnel will be deployed along the route of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's morcha today in Mumbai. The Raj Thackeray-led party has organised the march demanding eviction of illegal immigrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh staying in India. Thousands of MNS activists are expected to participate in the 'Mahamorcha', set to begin around 12 noon from Hindu Gymkhana along Marine Drive to the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai. Thackeray is scheduled to address the gathering at the Maidan. "Apart from local police, personnel of the State Reserve Police Force (DRPF), Riot Control Police, Quick Response Teams (QRTs), Bomb Detection and Disposal Squads (BDDS), and additional 600 policemen will be deployed on the morcha route," the Mumbai Police spokesperson said. He also said that police personnel in civvies will mingle with the crowd to keep an eye on anti-social elements.

2. Tendulkar to bat for one over during Bushfire charity match

Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar will bat for one over as part of the fund raising efforts for Australia's bushfire victims today, thanks to a challenge thrown by superstar Australia women's team all-rounder Ellyse Perry. Perry will bowl an over to Tendulkar during the innings break of the star-studded charity match between Ricky Ponting XI and Adam Gilchrist XI at the Melbourne Junction Oval with 10 of her Australian teammates on the field. Tendulkar will coach the Ponting XI while Australia Test captain Tim Paine will play the same role for Gilchrist XI in the 10-over charity match would go to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund. The proceeds of the match will help victims of the blazes which began in September and have left at least 33 people dead and thousands of homes destroyed. Perry threw out the challenge on social media on Saturday afternoon via a video message that quickly went viral. 

3. JKLF calls for shutdown in Kashmir today

The banned JKLF called for shutdowns in Kashmir on February 9 and 11 to mark the death anniversaries of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and its founder Mohammad Maqbool Bhat. This is the first strike call given by a separatist organisation since the abrogation of Article 370 provisions in August last year. The Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) was banned by the government in March 2019. Acting chairman of JKLF Abdul Hamid Butt in an email statement said several programmes will be held to mark their deaths. Guru was hanged inside Delhi's Tihar Jail on 9 February 2013, while Bhat was executed there on 11 February 1984. 

4. Priyanka Gandhi to take part in Ravidas Jayanti events in Varanasi today

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi will participate in Ravidas Jayanti programmes in Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today. According to party sources, Gandhi had been wanting to pay obeisance at the birthplace of Saint Ravidas for a long time. She will visit Varanasi to attend the programme at Guru Ravidas Janamsthan Mandir at Seer Goverdhanpur, they said here on Saturday. The Congress' Uttar Pradesh unit president Ajay Kumar Lallu said the teachings of Saint Ravidas for setting up a society based on equality and brotherhood are relevant even today.

5. Coronavirus death toll in China climbs to 811

The death toll in China due to novel coronavirus epidemic rose to 811, while the confirmed cases jumped to over 37,000, the National Health Commission announced today. Eighty-nine deaths were reported on Saturday and there were 2,656 new confirmed cases of the deadly infection, it said in its daily report. A total of 811 people have died of the disease so far and 37,198 confirmed cases have been reported in 31 provincial-level regions, according to the commission. Among the 89 deaths, 81 were from Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, two in Henan, and one each in Hebei, Heilongjiang, Anhui, Shandong, Hunan and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. On Saturday, 600 people recovered and walked out of the hospitals. This included 324 in Hubei province, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. 

6. U-19 World Cup final: India overwhelming favourites as buoyant Bangladesh eye history

Defending champions India are overwhelming favourites to win a record fifth U-19 World Cup title today, but a tough fight is expected from first-timers Bangladesh in an all-Asian final. If the India squad for the 2018 edition had the likes of Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill, who have expectedly gone on to play for the senior team, the exploits of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, spinner Ravi Bishnoi and pacer Kartik Tyagi in the current edition have made them overnight stars. Irrespective of what happens in today's final, India have reinforced the fact that they are undisputed leaders at the under-19 level and the cricketing structure the BCCI has developed is working better than any other board in the world.  India, who walloped arch-rivals Pakistan by 10 wickets in the semifinal on Tuesday, will be playing their seventh final since 2000 when they lifted the trophy for the first time. Having said that, success at the U-19 level doesn't guarantee success at the highest level as not all players have the ability to go on and play for India. Some also lose their way like Unmukt Chand did after leading India to the title in 2012. 

7. ISL: Chennaiyin FC, Bengaluru FC eye full points in crucial clash

Chennaiyin FC will look to continue to its four-match winning streak and close in on a play-offs spot when it takes on defending champion Bengaluru FC in an Indian Super League (ISL) match today. With 15 goals in their last four matches, Chennaiyin are on a roll and forward Nerijus Valskis (12) who tops the goal-scoring charts will be the man to watch out for. After a lacklustre start to the 2019-2020 season which saw head coach John Gregory exit, the two-time champion has turned things around well under Owen Coyle. CFC, however, runs into a tough customer in Bengaluru FC which has the talismanic Sunil Chhetri in its ranks. The visiting team hasn't been in dominant form of late but will look to pull off a win to seal their play-off berth. For Chennaiyin, Valskis, Rafael Crivallero and Maltese Andre Schembri have been in good form in recent games and will need to continue in the same vein for the team to earn three points. The host will miss the services of Anirudh Thapa, who is suspended. Bengaluru FC is close to sealing a semi-final spot, but can't afford to slip up, as they attempt to chase down the elusive top spot. At the pre-match press conference, the team's head coach Carles Cuadrat said Chennaiyin FC is in good form and also fighting for a top four spot and emphasised the need to go for three points.

-Inputs from PTI