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[00:00:09] Hello, this is your daily dose of news from Onmanorama. I am your host Swati Ajat and these are the major news stories of Friday, February 21, 2025. Kerala cricketers created history by advancing to the final of the Ranji Trophy for the first time. By virtue of their two-run lead in the first innings over Gujarat, they secured a place in the Premier Domestic Tournament.
[00:00:32] The match ended in a draw when Gujarat realised that it was impossible to go for an outright win on the last session of the final day of the match. Kerala were 114 for the loss of four wickets when captains agreed for a draw. Kerala's previous best shot in the prestigious Domestic Tournament was in 2018-19 when they made it to the semi-finals. Kerala will now play Vidarbap in the title match that starts on February 26. Karan Nair led Vidarbap beat fans in Mumbai by 80 runs to earn a spot in the final.
[00:01:02] A Mumbai Sessions Court has ruled that sending messages like, You are slim, look very smart and fair, I like you, to an unknown woman at night qualifies as obscenity. The judgment was delivered by additional sessions judge DZ Dhobley while upholding the conviction of a man accused of sending obscene WhatsApp messages to a former cooperator. The order dated February 18 stated that obscenity should be assessed from the viewpoint of an average person applying contemporary community standards.
[00:01:30] US President Donald Trump claimed on Friday that the BRICS alliance which includes India broke up after he threatened 150% tariffs for undermining the dollar. According to Trump, BRICS nations were attempting to weaken the dollar by creating a new currency. In response, he warned that any BRICS country that even mentioned such plans would face the 150% tariff. He also stated that the US would stop importing goods from them. Trump asserted that this pressure led to the break-up of the BRICS alliance.
[00:01:59] Trump added that he has not heard about BRICS since the 150% tariff threat. He stated that he is unsure of what happened to the alliance, noting that there has been no recent communication from BRICS nations. The Israeli military has stated that one of the bodies returned by Hamas did not belong to any known hostage held in Gaza. It accused Hamas of violating an already fragile ceasefire. Two of the bodies were identified as those of an infant and a four-year-old child.
[00:02:26] The third body, expected to be their mother, did not match any hostage and remains unidentified, according to the military. The Israeli military called it a severe violation by Hamas, stating that the group was required under the agreement to return four deceased hostages. In a statement, the military demanded the return of the missing individual and all remaining hostages. There was no immediate reaction from Hamas. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shiv Kumar stirred controversy on Wednesday with his remark about Bengaluru's traffic and infrastructure
[00:02:56] He stated that even divine intervention could not fix the city's problems overnight. He comments true criticism on social media, with many accusing the ruling Congress government of delays in projects and failing to address Bengaluru's ongoing traffic crisis. The opposition BJP also condemned DK Shiv Kumar's remark, accusing Sidhra Mayal at Congress government in Karnataka of severe mismanagement. That brings us to the end of this episode.
[00:03:22] Thanks for listening to Daily News Doze, hosted by me, Swati, and produced by Kannan. Follow onmano.com for detailed updates on the latest news and be sure to come back tomorrow. We'll see you next time. Bye.