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Dishant Sharma

25 Jul 2017,Tuesday

Mumbai Open to be India's 1st WTA event in 5 years

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/wta-mumbai-open-tennis-india/1/1010424.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

India will host its first WTA tournament in five years when the city of Mumbai stages the ?80 lakh ($125,000) Mumbai Open in November. Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association had recently bagged the hosting rights of Chennai Open which is India's only ATP World Tour event, and re-branded it as "Maharashtra Open", to be held in Pune.

India will host its first WTA tournament in five years when the city of Mumbai stages a USD 125,000 event in November, giving home players an opportunity to compete with the world's top-50.Yet again, it is Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) which has come forward to bring the much- needed tournament to the country.MSLTA had recently bagged the hosting rights of India's ATP World Tour event, Chennai Open and it was re-branded as Maharashtra Open, to be held in Pune."It's time that our players such as Ankita Raina, Karman Kaur Thandi, Rutuja Bhosale and others get to play at a better level and try to move up the rankings ladder. For the players' interest we have brought this event to Mumbai," MSLTA Secretary General Sunder Iyer told PTI.The last time India hosted a WTA event -- Royal Indian Open -- was in 2012 in Pune when current world number five Elina Svitolina had won the singles title by beating veteran Japanese Kimiko Date-Krumm.There will be four wild cards each on offer in main draw and the Qualifiers of the Mumbai Open. Top players in the country at that time are likely to get those wild card entries.India's best singles players, save for Ankita Raina (262), can't get direct entry into the main draws of WTA 125K level events with their current rankings. Karman Kaur Tahndi (349) and national champion Riya Bhatia (519) follow Raina in the ladder."It will be an opportunity for players to get some crucial points ahead of the Australian Open. Also, players who are to return from injuries and niggles, this event will serve their purpose. Players ranked between 11 and 50 will compete and it's good for our girls to get that exposure," Iyer said.So far, India has hosted only two USD 15,000 events -- one in Gwalior and the other in Aurangabad."I am very much looking forward to the WTA event at home.It will be a great exposure and experience for all of us since it's quite tough to enter a WTA event. I would like to request AITA to host more of these tournaments," Ankita Raina told PTI from Prague.Thandi said, "It will be great for women's tennis with that kind of event happening in India."MSLTA has lined up three more USD 25000 events which will be held in Pune and Navi Mumbai and one USD 15000 tournament in Solapur.Together with a USD 50,000 Challenger with all these women's events, lined up in November in Pune, MSLTA would spend close to USD 300,000 in organising these tournaments.This is when other state associations, including DLTA, are struggling to generate funds for a single tournament.Prashant Sutar, MSLTA Director (Development Committee), said if a proposal is put before corporates and the government with the "right vision", it's not difficult to raise money."We have KPIT as dedicated sponsors for men's challenger and a dedicated local mill as sponsors for Solapur. We have understood that proposal should be presented in a particular manner to get sponsorship," Sutar, who will be Tournament Director for both WTA and ATP World event in January, said.Sutar is hoping that Raina will be able to get a direct entry and Rutuja will be a strong contender for the singles wild card since she is a player from Maharashtra."For international players, we will see, during the US Open which players are interested in coming to India. We have the option of offering wild cards to them," Sutar said.

Ankur Vyas

03 Jan 2017,Tuesday

Ousted SP leader claims Mulayam's signatures were forged

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/kairanmay-nanda-2-different-mulayam-singh-yadav-signature-2-orders/1/848230.html

Ousted SP Vice President Kiranmoy Nanda, who was sacked for attending the National Executive meet, has alleged that party chief Mulayam Singh's signatures were forged on the two January 1 orders. While one signature had his full name, the second signature was incomplete, Nanda claimed. The two orders declared the convention unconstitutional and sacked Kiranmoy Nanda from the party.

Samajwadi Party vice-president Kiranmay Nanda, who was sacked for attending National Executive meet, has alleged that Mulayam Singh Yadav's signature may have been forged on two different orders which were issued on January 1. First letter declared Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's SP convention unconstitutional and, second letter addressed to party vice president Kiranmoy Nanda, sacking him from the party.Dekh lijiye chithi jismein likha hai adhiveshan asamvaidanik hai usmein sign alag hain&Netaji ka nahi hai-Kiranmoy Nanda,Suspended SP leader pic.twitter.com/DzBEwQlxCiNanda claims that both the signs were different. While, one signature had full name of Mulayam Singh Yadav, second signature was incomplete, claims Nanda.        Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav had also hinted that Mulayam's name was being misused and the letters were actually being issued by his estranged  uncle Shivpal Yadav.BITTER TUSSLEThe tussle between two factions - led by Mulayam Singh Yadav and son Akhilesh - to gain control of the ruling Samajwadi Party in the poll-bound Uttar Pradesh became bitter on Monday over the claim for its election symbol, cycle.Before leaving from here for Delhi, Mulayam Singh told the media that the party belonged to him as he enjoyed the support of the people of India's most populous state.In Delhi, the party sources said Akhilesh will show the poll panel video recordings, papers and resolutions signed by at least 40 per cent of party workers - the number required to call an emergency convention as per Samajwadi party constitution. Also Read:Samajwadi coup: Akhilesh Yadav, Ram Gopal unseat party supremo Mulayam Singh with 4 proposalsAlso Read:Samajwadi feud: Mulayam watches as Akhilesh Yadav wins, Shivpal bruised again

Vani Vivek

08 Jul 2017,Saturday

Gurugram firm hit by ransomware, hackers demand ?24L Bitcoin

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/haryana-company-complaints-of-ransomware-attack/1/997074.html

Servers of a Gurugram-based clothing company have reportedly been hit by a ransomware attack, with the hackers demanding about ?24 lakh in Bitcoin. In a police complaint, the company said that it received an email in which the hackers threatened to wipe out all its financial data and bank transactions if it did not meet the demands.

Gurgaon, Jul 7 (PTI) Gurgaon Police today registered an FIR against unknown person in connection with the hacking of a server of a private company here which has been asked for a 15 US bit-coins ransom, equivalent to Rs 25.6 lakh, by hackers. Mattoo Jay Kumar, general manager of Mohan Clothing Pvt Ltd, a garments company located in Udyog Vihar, phase-I here, approached the police yesterday. He told the Cyber Cell of the police that his company has computersied warehouse at IMT Maneser which stopped working around 2 am on June 16. The in-charge of the warehouse immediately informed the top management about the problem. Kumar said when he went to the corporate house in Udyog Vihar to access the situation, he could not understand the actual reason. "The company later received a threatening email in which it was told to transfer the fund in bit-coins form in a specific account," Kumar said in his complaint.

Aarushi Maheshwari

25 Jul 2017,Tuesday

Flyers make toddlers drag luggage to avoid bag fee: Airline

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jul/24/travellers-are-taking-advantage-of-bag-rules-to-avoid-fees-says-ryanair?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Passengers are making their toddlers drag suitcases onboard to avoid paying the fee for checked-in baggage, Ryanair Chief Financial Officer Neil Sorahan said. Irish airline Ryanair charges extra for checked-in baggage, and travellers reportedly avoid this fee by carrying extra cabin luggage. Sorahan said, "I've seen two-year-olds wheeling a bag up to the plane as people try to take advantage."

Cash-strapped holidaymakers are making their toddlers drag suitcases onboard planes to escape baggage fees, according to Ryanair bosses.Fewer passengers than ever are checking bags into the aircraft hold. Instead, travellers are avoiding charges by bringing more and more luggage into the cabin.Ryanair?s chief financial officer, Neil Sorahan, said the airline could review its second bag allowance, introduced in late 2013, as passengers were starting to ?take the piss?.He said: ?I?ve seen two-year-olds wheeling a bag up to the plane as people try to take advantage.? Fewer than one passenger in six now pays to check in luggage on Ryanair. Fares have been driven down as airlines compete to fill their planes; Ryanair is forecasting a further 7% fall in the next 12 months following a 13% drop in average fares from 2016 to 2017. But it can cost more to check in a bag than purchase a seat, with prices typically up to £90 extra for a 20kg suitcase on a return short-haul summer flight. A two-year-old is entitled, like adults, to bring a 10kg suitcase and a second small bag for free. A one-year-old?s cabin allowance can also account for up to 5kg of the family?s total packing, according to a Ryanair spokesman. The airline admitted its takings were falling as passengers looked to squeeze ever more into the cabin, although it made a healthy ?443m (£396m) profit in the last three months. Sorahan said: ?We?re very generous with our cabin baggage allowance; a 10kg case and a second small carry-on. If everyone does that there?s no issue. It?s the people coming with the kitchen sink that could change the policy.?Asked by a reporter if passengers were ?taking the piss?, Sorahan said: ?Some are... The vast majority of people play by the rules but some don?t. Unfortunately some bring massive backpacks and things that don?t fit under the seat. We?ve been a little bit lax or nice ? we are victims of our own niceness.?Ryanair passengers who do arrive with oversized bags risk being told to put them in the hold and charged an extra £50 at the airport.

Daisy Mowke

30 Jun 2017,Friday

Can't pull off the outfits that Rihanna can: Gigi Hadid

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/rihanna-makes-me-excited-to-get-dressed-every-day-gigi-hadid/1/990776.html

Model Gigi Hadid has said she cannot pull off the clothes that singer Rihanna can. "[B]ut she makes me excited about getting dressed... which is inspiring," she added. Gigi further said the best fashion tip she has received is if she doesn't know what to wear to a party, she should just wear jeans, a T-shirt and heels.

London, Jun 30 (PTI) Supermodel Gigi Hadid says R&B diva Rihanna inspires her to get dressed every day. The 22-year-old model says Rihannas street style is inspiring, but admits she cannot pull off the outfits the singer wears, reported Elle magazine.

Chhavi Tyagi

12 Jul 2017,Wednesday

Gurugram museum to showcase an antique Kolkata tram

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/kolkata-tram-gurgaon-west-bengal/1/999997.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

The Heritage Transport Museum in Gurugram will showcase one of the 12 antique Kolkata trams that were put on sale by the West Bengal State Transport Corporation. The first tram has been sold to a Chandigarh bidder, who reportedly wants to refurbish it into a restaurant. The wooden tram, no longer in working order, would be restored before getting displayed.

West Bengal State Transport Corporation is selling off its antique trams. According to the last count WBSTC possessed some 269 tram cars. Of these at least 50 are antique, wooden models and most are no longer in working order. Out of these the corporation has short listed some 12 trams for sale. The first tram has been sold to a bidder from Chandigarh, who reportedly wants to refurbish it into a restaurant. Earlier in teh day a second tram was sold to the heritage Transport Museum in Manesar, Gurgaon.An official of the department said that WBSTC has some 130-140 trams in working order. However only about 80-90 trams are pressed into service daily as tram routes have shrunk and the ongoing metro work has also hampered operations in a few routes.The Heritage Transport Museum in Manesar is a private museum that showcases the evolution of transportation in India. It is situated off the NH 8 at Tauru-Gurgaon. It has a built up area of over 90,000 square feet of air conditioned space spread over four floors.The displays include pre mechanised transportation. A car gallery features over 75 models of classic cars. Innovative Indian transports like the famous 'jugaad' - basically a water pump powering a four wheeled platform find a place beside two wheelers - both bikes and scooters of vintage flavour. They have restored a 1930s railway saloon from the erstwhile Bombay Baroda and Central India (BBCI) Railway. The wooden tram, once restored would find its place amongst the array of historical collection section of transportation.Also read:

Tarun Khanna

02 Jan 2017,Monday

TN CM seeks PM?s help over arrest of fishermen by Sri Lanka

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/tamil-fishermen-panneerselvam-narendra-modi/1/847586.html

Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam, in a letter to PM Narendra Modi, has sought the latter's intervention to secure the release of Indian fishermen captured by Sri Lanka. He also apprised the PM of the 114 boats captured by Sri Lanka. Notably, this is the fourth letter written by Panneerselvam to the PM ever since he took over as CM.n

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam has written another letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention to secure release of fishermen captured by Sri Lanka.

Chhavi Tyagi

15 Apr 2017,Saturday

I'm ready for anti-BJP alliance for 2019 polls: Akhilesh

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/yogi-adityanath-akhilesh-yadav-mayawati-anti-bjp-alliance/1/929754.html

Former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said, "I am ready for alliance against BJP's propaganda. I will duly perform my role in the alliance." His remark comes a day after BSP chief Mayawati proposed the idea of the anti-BJP alliance for the 2019 general elections on the occasion of 126th birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar on Friday.

A day after BSP supremo Mayawati proposed an anti-BJP alliance, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav today said that he was "ready for alliance against propaganda".Talking to reporters in Lucknow, former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav said, "I am ready for alliance against propaganda. I will duly perform my role in the alliance."Akhilesh Yadav's comment gains significance as Mayawati proposed only yesterday that an alliance should be formed to tackle the BJP.Speaking on the occasion of 126th birth anniversary of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Mayawati said that to stop BJP's juggernaut, she was open to cooperate with anti-BJP parties.'EVMs WERE TAMPERED'Mayawati had alleged that EVMs were tampered on massive scale during the recent Uttar Pradesh Assembly election. She said that the BJP tampered EVMs in 250 of 403 Assembly constituencies.Akhilesh Yadav repeated the charges saying that Yogi Adityanath government was formed after cheating the people of Uttar Pradesh. Akhilesh Yadav demanded that the Election Commission should use ballot papers for conducting polls.

Aarushi Maheshwari

16 Mar 2017,Thursday

Shreya Ghoshal to get wax figure at Madame Tussauds Delhi

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/shreya-ghoshal-wax-figure-madame-tussauds-delhi-amitabh-bachchan-shah-rukh-khan-lifest/1/905203.html

Singer Shreya Ghoshal is set to get a wax figure at the Madame Tussauds in New Delhi. Ghoshal said, "it is an honour to be featured among such talented stars, artists, historians and renowned celebrities." The wax museum, which will open later this year, will also feature wax figures of Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.

Shreya Ghoshal sure is treading new heights. With Madame Tussauds all set to come to Delhi, one of the unexpected names of celeb statues that has surfaced is that of singer Shreya Ghoshal.The statue will be created in a distinctive singing pose, and will be open to the public when the museum opens at Regal Palace, in the heart of Delhi later this year.

Parichit Mainra

02 Jan 2017,Monday

ISIS wants to carry out chemical attacks on UK: Minister

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/01/isis-chemical-weapons-attack-uk-ben-wallace?CMP=twt_gu

UK's Minister of State for Security Ben Wallace has warned that Islamic State militants want to carry out mass casualty chemical attacks in Britain. ISIS has "no moral barrier" in using chemical weapons which would be "everybody's worst fear", he said. Wallace further warned that British ISIS militants may return home posing a domestic threat after ISIS is defeated.

Islamic State wants to carry out a mass casualty attack in Britain and has ?no moral barrier? to using chemical weapons, a minister has said.The security minister Ben Wallace said there were reports of Isis using chemical weapons in Syria and Iraq, where it controls large areas, and that Moroccan authorities had apprehended a cell in February which was harbouring substances that could be used to make either a bomb or a ?deadly toxin?.He also pointed to a recent Europol report that warned of the chemical threat and the potential realisation of ?everybody?s worst fear?.He told the Sunday Times that the group?s ambition was ?definitely mass casualty attacks. They want to harm as many people as possible and terrorise as many people as possible.?They have no moral objection to using chemical weapons against populations and if they could, they would in this country.?The casualty figures which could be involved would be everybody?s worst fear.?We have certainly seen reports of them using it in Syria and Iraq [and] we have certainly seen aspiration for it in Europe.?Wallace also warned about the threat from terror groups, Russia and cyber-attackers trying to plant people in the government, the military and leading businesses.?There are traitors. We have to be on our guard for the enemy within,? he said.?The insider threat, as we would call it, is real and it can be exploited and there are people trying to do that as we speak.?THis comment comes after a year in which Europe suffered a spate of terror attacks using less sophisticated means.In two of the most high-profile attacks in Nice and Berlin, lone attackers drove lorries through crowds of people celebrating Bastille Day and browsing a Christmas market. In March, three coordinated suicide bombers attacked the airport and metro system in Brussels.Isis claimed responsibility for all three atrocities.

Chhavi Tyagi

15 Jul 2017,Saturday

Another suspicious packet of powder found inside UP Assembly

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/another-suspicious-packet-of-powder-found-inside-up-assembly/story-fxM9D2BctRu3FlG1bhNP1M.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

After an explosive substance was found inside the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday, another suspicious packet of powder was recovered inside the Assembly premises on Friday evening. The sealed packet discovered by security personnel during a check contained some powder weighing about 50 grams and has been handed over to the city police for further examination.

Security agencies have found a packet of suspicious powder inside the Uttar Pradesh assembly two days after discovering plastic explosives inside the premises, an incident that sent shockwaves through the political establishment. Sources said, on Friday evening, security personnel found a sealed packet containing some powder weighing about 50 grams during a check. This came after 150 grams of the high-potential explosive Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) powder was found near the seat of the leader of opposition on July 12.The sealed packet was handed over to the city police for further examination. The state Anti Terror Squad (ATS) and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Aseem Arun confirmed the recovery and added that primary inquiry suggested the packet contained magnesium sulphate and would be sent for the forensic examination. He said the magnesium sulphate is used as drying agent for packing material. Arun said pan masala and other eatables packets are usually thrown inside the premises and that anti-mine, anti-sabotage and bomb disposal squads were sanitising every corner of the Vidhan Bhawan premises. On July 12, the recovery of PETN powder weighing around 150 grams below the chair?s cushion in the arena where legislators sit during the assembly session triggered panic. Sleuths initially believed the PETN was simple powder and sent it for forensic examination at State Forensic Science Laboratory in Mahanagar, Lucknow. The alert was sounded after the forensic experts confirmed it as high-potential explosive on Friday. A PETN sample however is also been sent to explosive unit of Agra forensic science laboratory for check its purity level. An FIR against unidentified persons was also lodged with Hazratganj police station on Friday after the recovery of explosive powder.The PETN recovery has prompted chief minister Yogi Adityanath to tighten security and call for a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe.Police think the explosives were transported into UP from Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh or some other state where it is often used for mining. They are also questioning a Muslim youth from Deoria who threatened to blow up the assembly on Independence Day.

Arshiya Chopra

27 Jul 2017,Thursday

PMO paid IAF ?89L for PM's 128 "non-official" trips: RTI

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/as-pm-modi-flew-to-election-rallies-in-iaf-aircraft-at-rates-fixed-in-1999/story-1G8yWDiI6ZkeyediVqxfmO.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

According to an RTI reply, Prime Minister's Office has paid around ?89 lakh to Indian Air Force for flying Narendra Modi on 128 "non-official" domestic trips since he took office. The rates for these flights were last revised 1999, which makes them cheaper to travel in than the commercial flights. The trips were majorly taken by PM to election-bound states.

The Prime Minister?s Office has paid around Rs 89 lakh to the Indian Air Force for flying Narendra Modi on 128 ?non-official? domestic trips since he took office, an expense that was lower than what it would have been had the PM used through commercial providers.The trips were largely for electioneering, and India?s election code makes it must for ministers ? including the PM ? to reimburse the government if its machinery is used in such cases. The flights provided by IAF were mostly when the Prime Minister had to fly out to remote locations in helicopters or small planes instead of his usual mode of air transport: the Air India One. The rates for these flights were last revised by the defence ministry in 1999.In all, the IAF provided details of 128 non-official flights taken by the PM from May 2014 till February 2017, when Modi was on a whirlwind tour of election-bound states that included Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and Assam, the Right to Information reply provided by the air force to Commodore (retired) Lokesh K Batra said. The disclosures could cause some unease among Bharatiya Janata Party?s rivals, who can claim that the lower rates put the PM?s party at an advantage with respect to election spending.In his application, Batra asked the IAF about the domestic visits by the PM and the mode of payment. He also sought details of the rules under which the PM is allowed to use IAF planes for domestic visits.Quoting the rules, the IAF said no charge will be recovered for use of aircraft by the President, vice-president, the prime minister (except when he/she travels otherwise than on official duty), the ministers of defence and home and senior defence ministry officials for defence purposes. The reply said the rates will be calculated at commercial rates if the destination is linked by a regular commercial air service and, in other cases, with reference to per passenger per kilometres rates notified by the defence ministry. The reply said the rates were last notified in 1999.The PMO paid the air force Rs 31,000 for a Delhi-Gorakhpur-Delhi flight and Rs 7,818 for Mangalore-Kasargod-Mangalore flight, which private chartered airline operators said was lower than the commercial rate. The cost for Delhi-Rohtak-Sonipat-Ambala trip was Rs 1,00,440, and the PMO paid Rs 63,957 for Kolkata-Balasore-Kalaikunda-Balasore-Kalaikunda-Bagdogra-Guwahati flight. Cost of some flights like Calicut-Vikram ground was just Rs 5,693.?It is surprising that the PMO has paid for PM?s non-official visits which were for electioneering. As per election rules, his party (BJP) should have paid the money,? Batra said. BJP sources, however, said that the money is paid to the PMO and is shown in the election expenditure report submitted to the election commission.

Tarun Khanna

26 Feb 2017,Sunday

Won't join politics, will lead spiritual life: Nitish's son

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bihar-cm-nitish-kumar-son-nishant-kumar-jdu/1/891562.html

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's son Nishant Kumar has asserted he will not join politics and will lead a spiritual life. "I have no interest, nor any knowledge of how to do politics," he added. "My father is working hard and has taken Bihar on the road to development. If people want, he can also become the PM," he further said.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's only son Nishant Kumar has declined to enter politics. Nishant, who maintains a very low profile and is hardly seen in public life, says he wants to lead a spiritual life."I have no interest, nor any knowledge of how to do politics. So I have decided not to join politics but instead lead a spiritual life," Nishant told a regional TV channel in Patna on Saturday.His comments came on the sidelines of a function organized to celebrate the birth anniversary of his mother, Manju Sinha.Nishant also said his father Nitish was doing good work, and that he could become Prime Minister if the people so wished."My father is working hard in Bihar, and has taken the state on the road of development. If people want, my father can also become the PM", said Nishant.

Tarun Khanna

22 Apr 2017,Saturday

Sulkhan Singh takes charge as new DGP of Uttar Pradesh

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/uttar-pradesh-new-dgp-sulkhan-singh-ias-ips-reshuffle/1/935148.html

Sulkhan Singh, the 1980-batch Indian Police Service officer, on Saturday, took charge as the new Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh. Singh has replaced outgoing Uttar Pradesh Police chief Javeed Ahmed. "I assure people our police will treat all equally. Vacant posts will be filled soon," Singh said. Even criminals from ruling party will not be spared, he added.

In its first major bureaucratic reshuffle after coming into power in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government today transferred twelve IPS and seven IAS officers. UP's DGP Javeed Ahmad has also been shunted out.1980-batch IPS officer Sulkan Singh who was DG (Training) will be the new DGP of Uttar Pradesh.Besides, seven IAS officers were also transferred.This is the first major reshuffle in top bureaucratic order by the Yogi government which has just completed one month in office.IPS Javeed Ahmed has been shifted as the DG of Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC). During the recent Assembly polls, the BJP had petitioned the Election Commission to remove Ahmed, alleging that he was working at the behest of the then Samajwadi Party government.ADG (Law and Order) Daljit Singh Chowdhury and ADG Economic Offence Wing (EOW) and Logistics Aditya Mishra have swapped places in the transfer.DG (Intelligence) Jawahar Lal Tripathi has been made DG (Prosecution) and DG (Homeguards) Alok Prasad has been given additional charge of training.Surya Kumar has been relieved from the post of DG (Prosecution) and will continue as DG police recruitment and promotion board.ADG (Security) Bhavesh Kumar Singh has been made ADG (Intelligence), ADG Police Training School Sitapur Vijay Kumar has been made ADG (Security) while Alok Singh, who was on wait list has been made IG PAC (Eastern zone). IG Sanjay Singhal has been made IG, PAC Central zone.

Daisy Mowke

17 Jul 2017,Monday

CBFC head Pahlaj slams IIFA for not nominating Aamir, Akshay

http://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/pahlaj-nihalani-lashes-out-at-iifa-no-aamir-khan-no-akshay-kumar-it-s-such-a-sham/story-r0KX8RMJY7UZRAysFieM1I.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani has slammed the IIFA Awards for not nominating Aamir Khan for 'Dangal' and Akshay Kumar for 'Airlift' or 'Rustom'. "They haven't...nominated [them] just because they wouldn't attend their weekend holiday plans masquerading as an awards function," he added. Nihalani further said the award function lost its relevance when? Amitabh Bachchan opted out of it in 2011.

Producer and CBFC chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani is not a fan of the International Indian Films Academy (IIFA) awards. In fact he says he has boycotted what he considers an ?international farce? that lost its relevance when? actor Amitabh Bachchan opted out of it in 2011.?He lashes out at this year?s nominations. ?Look at the hypocrisy. They haven?t even nominated Aamir Khan for Dangal and Akshay Kumar for Airlift and Rustom just because they wouldn?t attend their weekend holiday plans masquerading as an awards function.?Nihalani says many actors who were taken to New York did not even attend? the awards events. ?They were too tired after partying all night. What I want to know is, who is paying for this extravagance??, asks Nihalani, and adds, ?It is our foreign exchange being squandered as every top star is given tickets for his spouse, children, parents , ayahs, bodyguards, friends, friends of friends .?. I?ve heard stars are even given money to shop.Who is paying for all this? IIFA is selling Indian cinema to various countries and probably getting many financial benefits. But is the Indian government benefiting from this global event??, he says.Nihalani says he is dismayed to see senior individuals from Mumbai?s film industry being ridiculed at IIFA. ?I think the day Mr Bachchan opted out, IIFA lost its dignity and relevance. In 18 years, how much global impact has Indian cinema made and what hand did IIFA have in this?? Nihalani has also challenged IIFA?s claim of representing Indian cinema abroad. He says, ?Initially we had cinema from various states getting token representation at the awards.Now we only have Bollywood. So why do they call themselves the International Indian films awards? It?s such a sham! Bollywood is not Indian cinema.?Follow @htshowbiz for more

Prashanti Moktan

18 Jul 2017,Tuesday

Pakistan's High Court lifts ban on airing Indian TV serials

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/pakistans-high-court-lifts-ban-on-indian-tv-shows-lifetv/1/1004993.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Lahore High Court on Tuesday lifted a ban on the airing of Indian television serials in Pakistan. The court stated that "the world has become a global village" while questioning for how long such "unreasonable restrictions" could be imposed. The court noted that instead of a blanket ban, Indian content with "objectionable" or "anti-Pakistan" content could still be censored.

A ban on airing Indian shows in Pakistan has been lifted by a Pakistani court. The said ban had been imposed by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), following the Uri attacks last year. The blanket ban had been put in place last October.However, a Lahore high court recently objected to the ban saying that a ban on anti-Pakistan content is understandable, but a blanket ban is not needed.The court said that "the world has become a global village" and asked how long "unreasonable restrictions" can be imposed, Dawn reported.   

Mansha Mahajan

23 Feb 2017,Thursday

Reliance gains ?38,700 crore in a day after Jio announcement

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/jio-tariff-plans-lift-ril-shares-by-11percent-mcap-up-rs-38761-cr/1/889066.html

Reliance Industries stock jumped by 11% to a nearly nine-year high on Wednesday, adding ?38,761 crore to its market valuation, after its telecom arm Jio said it will begin charging for data services from April. In his speech, Mukesh Ambani said that Jio added 100 million subscribers in 170 days since launch. Further, he also announced the Jio Prime offer.

Tarun Khanna

22 Mar 2017,Wednesday

UP Police orders to constitute anti-Romeo squad in Lucknow

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/anti-romeo-squad-lucknow-police-to-come-hard-on-eve-teasers/1/909319.html

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday issued orders to constitute anti-Romeo squad in 11 districts of the Lucknow zone to prevent eve-teasing. As per reports, some men were arrested in Lucknow and boys standing outside girls' schools and colleges were hauled up in Meerut and questioned. "Action under Goonda Act will be taken against wrongdoers," said the police.

Lucknow, Mar 21 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh police today issued orders to constitute "anti-Romeo squad" in 11 districts of the Lucknow zone to prevent eve-teasing, as BJP had promised during the Assembly polls in its sankalp patra. "In a bid to check incidents of eve-teasing and passing of comments on them (women and girls), anti-romeo dal would be constituted at the police station levels and action under Goonda Act taken against wrongdoers," IG (Lucknow Zone) A Satish Ganesh said. The Lucknow zone comprises 11 districts adjoining the state capital. The IGs order said that attempts should be made to check cow slaughter and cattle smuggling effectively and those involved should be booked.

Niharika Prabhakar

30 Jul 2017,Sunday

12 lakh businesses apply for GST registration

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/over-12-l-businesses-apply-for-new-gst-registration/1/1014138.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Over 12 lakh businesses have applied for fresh registration under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said. According to reports, 10 lakh applications have been approved, while 2 lakh are pending approval. Notably, businesses have time till July 30 to register under the GST.

New Delhi, Jul 29 (PTI) Over 12 lakh businesses have applied for fresh registration under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia has said. Of these, while 10 lakh applications for registration have been approved, 2 lakh are still pending approval. "The figure of new registrations approved in GST crosses 10 lakhs today. About 2 lakh applications pending in process," Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia tweeted. Businesses have time till July 30 to register under the GST.

Pragya Swastik

14 Dec 2016,Wednesday

None of mobile payment apps in India fully secure: Qualcomm

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/none-of-mobile-payment-apps-in-india-fully-secure-qualcomm/1/833835.html

None of the mobile payment apps or digital wallets in the country are fully secure, mobile technologies leader Qualcomm has claimed. These apps actually run completely in Android mode and do not have hardware level security, which in turn can be used to compromise users' password or fingerprint, said Qualcomm.

While government is pushing for digital payments through mobile phones, chipset maker Qualcomm said that wallets and mobile banking applications in India are not using hardware level security which can make online transactions more secure. "You will be surprised because most of the banking or wallet apps around the world don't use hardware security. They actually run completely in Android mode and users password can be stolen. Users use fingerprint which might be captured ... in India that is the case for most of all digital wallets and mobile banking apps," Qualcomm Senior Director Product Management Sy Choudhury told reporters here. He said that even most famous digital payment application in India is not using hardware level security. "Reason we are saying that none of them is using it because we work with OEMs (original equipment makers)," Choudhury said. As per market research firm Strategy Analytics, Qualcomm leads mobile chipset market globally with 37 per cent share. "Everyone is getting connected, everyone is getting authenticated by device. How do you know that your device is getting ready for demonetisation? When you download a mobile banking app you dont know if it is using hardware security or not," Choudhury said. He said that Qualcomm is now approaching digital payments companies for using secure environment for processing payments on mobile phone. "We are providing secure execution environment in the chipsets. This layer separates transactions on mobile phone from operating system. This checks any malware from effecting transactions," Choudhury said. He said that Qualcomm is also coming up with new feature in its mobile chipsets from 2017 that verify user with payment gateway using unique features like device id, phone manufacturer signature, Android version in the phone, root kit of operating system, location and time, which will be nearly impossible to duplicate. "Device attestation feature will start shipping in 2017. For end users it should be available by end of 2017," Choudhury said.

Aarushi Maheshwari

16 Jun 2017,Friday

Gold seized from trolleys, toys, ovens at Delhi Airport

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/gold-smuggling-delhi-igi-airport-indira-gandhi-international-airport/1/980017.html

Customs officials at Delhi Airport apprehended alleged smugglers attempting to conceal 5 kg of gold worth approximately ?1.4 crore in microwave ovens, trolleys, toys, wafers and confectionery boxes this week. However, officials added that gold smuggling has decreased since demonetisation. Customs officials seized 240 kg of gold in the 2016-17 fiscal, which was 190 kg less than in 2015-16.

With security becoming stricter by the day at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), international criminals are adopting innovative ways to smuggle gold into the country. Custom officials recently busted separate gangs of smugglers who were illegally transporting gold concealed in microwave ovens, toys, wafers and confectionery boxes. This week, officials seized five kilograms of gold in different forms in separate cases worth approximately Rs 1.4 crore. Officials claim two of the smugglers were arrested for illegal transport at the airport. They added that they also seized around a kilogram of gold (996 gm), which was being smuggled as gold foils concealed inside a carton and packing boxes of wafers, confectionery items and toys. GOLD HIDDEN IN METAL BAR OF TROLLEY"The gold foil was so thin and was concealed in such a way that it was difficult to detect it in the X-ray scanning machines," said a senior custom officer, adding that a 50-year-old passenger from Dubai was arrested. In another case, smugglers had concealed 1.4 kg gold inside the coil of a microwave oven. "It is hard to check electronic items as they contain main metal objects," the officer said. Over 465 grams of gold was also seized from a passenger coming from Muscat. The gold was hidden in the metal bar of a luggage trolley. According to officials, gold smuggling at the airport has taken a major hit due to demonetisation. Customs officials seized about 240 kg of the yellow metal in 2016-17 fiscal, 190 kg less than the seizure effected in 2015-16. Nearly 355 cases of gold smuggling were reported at the IGIA during the financial year 2015-2016. In these cases, the customs authorities seized 450 kg of gold, valued at a whopping Rs 132 crore (as per prevailing market rates), a senior customs official had said. As a result, about 240 cases of gold smuggling were reported in 2016-17 fiscal. About 260 kg of gold (as against 450 kg seizure in the previous financial year), valued at `76.31 crore (as per the current market rate), was seized by customs officials at the Delhi airport, he said.

Tarun Khanna

25 Mar 2017,Saturday

Bihar Dy CM Tejashwi dares Adityanath to ban liquor in UP

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bihar-deputy-cm-tejaswi-yadav-dares-yogi-adityanath-to-ban-liquor-in-up/1/912562.html

Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav has said that if UP CM Adityanath is a 'Yogi' and an honest advocate of religion, he should totally ban liquor in Uttar Pradesh like it is in Bihar. "Yogiji, don't divert people's attention and constitute [an] anti-daru squad (anti-liquor squad)," he said. Alcohol is more harmful than Gutkha or Paan Masala, he added.

Bihar's deputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav on Saturday dared new Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to ban liquor and set up an "anti-daru squad" on the lines of the much hyped anti-romeo squad."Liquor is dangerous, it pollutes health and society. Yogiji, don't divert people's attention and constitute anti-daru squad (anti-liquor squad)," Tejaswi, the younger son of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, told media.Tejaswi said if Adityanath is a 'Yogi' and an honest advocate of religion, he should order a total liquor ban in Uttar Pradesh like in Bihar.

Akshita Jain

11 Dec 2016,Sunday

Arvind Kejriwal's Twitter followers cross 10 million

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/kejriwals-twitter-followers-cross-10-million/1/831838.html

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's Twitter followers reportedly crossed 10 million on Sunday. He is second to PM Narendra Modi, who has around 25.4 million followers on Twitter. Kejriwal's social media following has increased in the recent past due to his active usage of features like Facebook Live, said an AAP volunteer.

New Delhi, Dec 10 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals following on Twitter today crossed 10 million, further cementing his position as the second most followed Indian politician. Kejriwal is second to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has an overwhelming lead with around 25.4 million followers. Kejriwal had climbed to the second place in November last year. "His social media following has increased over the recent past with him stepping up his engagement through the usage of features like Facebook Live. His videos are also being watched by a huge audience on YouTube," an AAP volunteer said.

Chhavi Tyagi

13 Jan 2017,Friday

Modi not anti-Muslim; We must relook at triple talaq: Jung

http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/najeeb-jung-says-pm-modi-not-anti-muslim-calls-for-relook-at-triple-talaq/story-7k3r3wM1aNozs79dJIWZVJ.html

Former Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has no bias against Muslims and is concerned about the lack of leadership among the community. Jung further said that Muslims should themselves discontinue the triple talaq practice, which is backward and not in the interest of women.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has no bias against Muslims and is, in fact, concerned about the lack of leadership among the community, former lieutenant governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung has said.Jung, who took everyone by surprise when he quit on December 23, told India Today channel in an interview on Wednesday that Modi was concerned about his party BJP?s ties with Muslims.Political rivals often accuse the Prime Minister of being prejudicial towards the minority community.?In my own interaction with the PM, I found no bias. I have had long, long discussions with him. Even on issues of relationship with Muslims, I found no bias,? Jung said during the To The Point programme.His comments assume significance as they come ahead of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, where Muslims account for 20% of the electorate.Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal often targeted Jung for allegedly doing the bidding of the Modi government and not allowing him to perform his duties.During one of the many standoffs, the CM took to Twitter, saying Jung wanted to be the vice-president and was trying to please Modi.The presidential and vice-president polls are due later this year.Jung said Modi and even he was concerned about Muslims? relationship with the BJP. ?I believe a lot of onus lies with the Muslim community also because if you look back, in the last 40 years Muslims have not produced a leader of their community... It is a community without leaders. And their leaders today what? ...Mr Bahuguna, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav??A former vice chancellor of Jamia Milia Islamia University, Jung said the community needed to communicate with the government but ?who goes to the PM to explain their perspective???Modi is concerned about this. He has expressed his concern to me that he would like to win them over but who is talking to him.?On the contentious issue of triple talaq, Jung said Muslims should themselves discontinue the divorces practice, which was retrograde and not in the interest of women. ?Parliament itself would have taken a view on this. If the Parliament doesn?t have the courage to upset the Muslim community then the courts must certainly step in.?Religious leaders should sit together to decide on uniform civil code, Jung said, adding he was opposed to it being ?rammed down somebody?s throat?.?The unified civil code applies to all the communities; just not the Muslims. I think it is time for the community to sit together; various religious leaders to sit together and resolve this matter,? he said.

Tarun Khanna

02 Apr 2017,Sunday

Every person living in India is a Hindu: BJP MP from Bihar

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/all-are-hindus-begusarai-bjp-mp-bhola-singh-adityanath-yogi/1/918350.html

BJP MP from Bihar's Begusarai, Bhola Singh, on Saturday said that every person living in India is a Hindu irrespective of the faith or religion he or she follows. Further, while calling Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath a "warrior", he said that the new UP CM has given voice to the country's rich heritage and culture.

BJP MP from Begusarai, Bhola Singh has stirred a controversy with his comments when he said that every person living in the country is a Hindu, whatever faith or religion they may be following. Singh made this comment in Darbhanga on Saturday."People may be following different faith and religion, but they all are Hindus," said Bhola Singh, BJP MP.The controversial MP further extended support to the crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses in Uttar Pradesh under the new Chief Minister Adityanath Yogi. The MP said that he was against killing of animals. He also called Uttar Pradesh new chief minister a "warrior"."The step taken by the new govt in Uttar Pradesh is courageous and the new Chief Minister is a "Yoddha". I am in favour of shutting down illegal slaughterhouses in Uttar Pradesh," said the BJP MP.Singh also said that Yogi Adityanath is a warrior of cultural nationalism in the country and has given voice to the country's rich heritage and culture.Singh had hit national headlines in November 2015, when after BJP's defeat in the Bihar elections, he daid that his party had not lost the elections, but had committed suicide. He also slammed PM Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah for their election strategy which failed in Bihar. He even joined another controversial and fellow MP Shatrughan Sinha in slamming the party for Bihar electoral defeat.

Sonu Kumari

24 Jul 2017,Monday

Delhi colleges may issue learners' licences to students soon

http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/soon-get-your-driving-licence-in-college/story-nUV2GHVHuqbVVewXOKeGuO.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Delhi government is reportedly planning to allow colleges to issue leaners' driving licences to students by September. It was proposed because the demand for these licences was allegedly highest among the 18-24 age group applicants. Students have to be above 18 years of age for eligibility and score at least six out of ten marks in an online test.

Students in Delhi will get a chance to take a test and apply for a driving licence at their colleges, according to Delhi?s transport minister who spoke of a new system that is likely to be launched by September.According to a proposed plan, the government will empower educational institutions to issue learners? licences. To be eligible, students will need to be above 18 and score at least 6 out of 10 marks in an online test that will be administered by the institutions. Transport minister Kailash Gahlot told Hindustan Times that the project, which will be reviewed by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia this week, is being expedited because the demand for learners? driving licence is highest among the 18-24 age group applicants.Currently, an applicant needs to visit any of the 13 motor licensing offices across the city to get a learner?s licence. Once implemented, it will be the first time that the government will authorise anyone apart from the MLOs to issue driving licences. ?More than 53% of those who took the learners? licence last year were in the age bracket of 18-24 years. Those between 25-35 years constituted 25% ? the second highest. So, primarily students are the ones taking these licences and authorising educational institutes will revolutionise the system,? Gahlot said. The project will begin with the government?s polytechnic colleges. Apart from this, seven colleges under the Delhi government such as the Ambedkar University are also being roped in. Around 88 colleges under Delhi University will also be included. Explaining the process, officials said the online test will be conducted at colleges once a week. ?Students will be able to take the test either in English or Hindi. The test is just of 10 minutes and will have 10 objective type questions,? they said.

Arshiya Chopra

19 Jul 2017,Wednesday

Death penalty belongs to medieval ages: Gopalkrishna Gandhi

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/gopalkrishna-gandhi-death-penalty-yakub-menon-shiv-sena/1/1005416.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Opposition's Vice Presidential candidate and Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi on Tuesday expressed his stand against death penalty and capital punishments calling them as medieval practices. Gandhi said, "Death penalty is wrong and this is my principle." Notably, Shiv Sena criticised him for a letter he wrote to the President in 2015, seeking clemency for a 1993 Mumbai blasts accused.

Days before the vice presidential election, the Opposition's candidate, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, once again came out against the death penalty and capital punishment, saying that they belong in the medieval ages.Addressing reporters after filing nomination papers for the post of the vice president of India, Gandhi said, "I feel that the death penalty and capital punishment belong to the medieval ages. Death penalty is wrong and this is my principle.""I do not think I need to defend myself on this issue. The death penalty is a death penalty," Gandhi added, referring to the controversy generated by the Shiv Sena attacking him over his 2015 letter to President Pranab Mukherjee seeking clemency for 1993 Mumbai serial blasts financier Yakub Memon.Gandhi noted that he has written a similar petition for Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is currently on the death row in Pakistan.SHIV SENA TRYING TO MALIGN GANDHI?Shiv Sena brandished their attack on Gandhi yet again on Monday, when Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut opposed his candidature over his anti-capital punishment principles. Raut asked,"Gandhi had used all his powers to save Yakub Memon. He even had written to the President. I want to ask (Opposition) what kind of mindset is this."Notably, Gandhi has always maintained that he is against the death penalty. In his comments today, Gandhi said that his opposition to the death penalty is inspired from two persons - Mahatma Gandhi, his grandfather, and Babasaheb Ambedkar.Before this, in 2015, while delivering a lecture, Gandhi had said, "I would like to take this opportunity to say right at the start...that India must move determinedly forward to the abolition of the capital punishment".Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and C Rajagopalachari, will contest against the NDA candidate M Venkaiah Naidu in the vice presidential election scheduled to be held on August 5. Death penalty and capital punishment belongs to the medieval ages : #VicePresidential candidate #GopalKrishnaGandhipic.twitter.com/r1zcoG2MGy

Abhishek Bansal

28 Apr 2017,Friday

IAS officers to adopt martyred security personnel's families

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/ias-officers-to-adopt-martyrs-families/1/940899.html

An association representing the members of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) has said the officers will adopt families of security personnel who lost their lives in Maoist combats, anti-terror operations or law and order duties. The bureaucrats will approach such families within their area of posting and act as facilitators to help them get their dues, including jobs and pensions.

In a unique initiative, IAS officers will adopt families of security personnel, who lost their lives in Maoist combat, anti-terror operations or maintaining law and order.The bureaucrats will approach such families within their area of posting and offer themselves as facilitators to help them (families) get their dues like pension, gratuity or allotment of services like petrol pump, jobs etc, an association representing them said today. The officers, however, would not be providing any direct financial help to such families, it said. "Their job would be to help the families get their dues from respective governments. They may also help the children in such families to get admission in a school," Sanjay Bhoosreddy, honorary secretary of Indian Civil and Administrative Service (Central) Association, said.The association represents all members of Indian Administrative Service (IAS). Initially, about 700 young officers, of past four batches--2012 to 2015--will be asked to adopt at least one family in the area of their posting."Senior officers, or those from state civil services, can also adopt such families voluntarily," Bhoosreddy, a Joint-Secretary level IAS officer, said. The officers will oversee whether the support (both in cash and kind) pledged by the state or local governments have been provided to the family concerned. They will ensure that the children of the martyred soldiers continue getting good education and mentor them so that they can pursue the career of their choice based on their aptitude and talent, the association said.OFFICERS TO PROVIDE SCHEME-BASED BENEFITSThe officers will also see whether any benefits can be provided to them based on various schemes being run by the government like Skill India, Start-up India, Digital India etc. Bhoosreddy said the support system will cater to the families of central armed police forces like Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), those in Army and all others working with local police. "The state governments have been asked to share with the association the details of such families," he said.The official noted that the IAS officers, who work as Sub Divisional Magistrates (SDM), District Magistrate (DM) and at other senior positions in state and Central governments, have immense influence on the local administrative machinery.He added that such an influence can be positively channelised to support and help the families of martyred soldiers in an effective and sustained manner.ALSO READ:

Anmol Sharma

19 Jul 2017,Wednesday

Sachin recollects how Lillee made him give up fast bowling

http://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/when-sachin-tendulkar-pretended-to-be-dennis-lillee-on-the-cricket-field/story-CwTunfPhXOpwhz1AJWjydO.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Sachin Tendulkar, while wishing former Australian pacer Dennis Lillee on his 68th birthday, revealed that it was Lillee who advised him to forget about becoming a fast bowler. Sachin said that when he visited the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai in 1987 to hone his fast bowling skills, Lillee noticed his batting skills and asked him to stick to batting.

Former Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee turned 68 on Tuesday and while there were a number of wishes from former cricketers and fans across social media, the most iconic one came from a legend of the game who admitted that he ?pretended to be a Dennis Lillee in the nets?.What made it iconic is that the legend is none other than former India batsman Sachin Tendulkar. With over 34,000 runs to his name in his international career, Tendulkar is regarded as arguably the best batsman in the history of the game with comparisons drawn alongside the legendary Sir Don Bradman. It isn?t a secret anymore that Tendulkar wanted to be a fast bowler at one point, but that didn?t happen, and instead he rolled his arms as a part-time leg-spinner later in his career.READ?| Ravichandran Ashwin fastest to 250 Test scalps, breaks Dennis Lillee?s recordIn a video posted on Facebook by Tendulkar late on Tuesday night, he wishes Lillee on his birthday before stating: ?I can?t ever forget the day I met you in Chennai in 1987. I was there to become a fast bowler, but this is something most of the guys don?t know. I was always a batter but while catching the train from Mumbai to Chennai, my brother told me ?It won?t be a bad idea to carry your batting gear because after bowling for a while, you might be standing there doing nothing. And that time you can pad up and play against all those fast bowlers.? I actually ended up doing that for the rest of the week. You correctly said ?I think this young lad should go out and bat and forget about bowling.??Well, Lillee seemed to have seen the talent hidden in that 16-year-old back then and the rest is history. However, Tendulkar admits that it wasn?t the end of his dreams of becoming a fast bowler and added: ?But that desire continued and instead of bowling in matches, I used to fulfill all my desires at the nets, bowling from 17 yards (and) sometimes also pretended to be a Dennis Lillee at the nets.?

Prashanti Moktan

23 Apr 2017,Sunday

TV actor Parth Samthaan booked for molestation

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/parth-samthaan-tv-actor-molestation-mumbai/1/936260.html

Television actor Parth Samthaan was on Sunday booked for molestation at a Mumbai police station based on a complaint filed by a model. The 20-year-old model had alleged that Parth misbehaved with her in a drunken state. She further alleged that he shared her contact number, after which she started receiving calls from boys who wanted "favours" from her.

TV actor Parth Samthaan was on Sunday booked under Section 8 and 12 of POSCO Act in Bangur Nagar on molestation complaint filed by a model last month. The model had accused Samthaan of molestation and registered a complaint at the Bangar Nagar Police Station.The victim said she was 16 when she was molested by the actor. Samthaan has moved an anticipatory bail application in Dindoshi court, which is likely to be heard tomorrow.Samthaan was earlier in news after he accused former friend and TV producer Vikas Gupta of molestation.

Chhavi Tyagi

17 Jan 2017,Tuesday

Sikh child denied school enrolment in Australia over turban

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/sikh-student-denied-school-enrolment-in-aus-for-wearing-turban/1/859459.html

A five-year-old Sikh boy has reportedly been denied school enrolment in Australia for wearing a turban as it does not align with its uniform policy. Notably, in a 2008 ruling, a Brisbane private school was forced to back down on a strict uniform policy that would have forced a Sikh boy to cut his hair and remove his turban.

Sumedha Sehra

14 Jul 2017,Friday

Army gets powers to buy weapons for 'short intense wars'

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indian-army-china-pakistan-sikkim-doklam/1/1000695.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

The government has extended financial powers to the Army Vice-Chief to make emergency purchases to keep the force ready for 'short intense wars'. The Army has identified 46 kinds of ammunition apart from spares for 10 weapons platforms, which can be purchased through the emergency route. Further, there is no limit on expenditure to purchase minimum ammunition for Army's reserve.

As the stand-off between Indian and Chinese soldiers continue at the Doklam plateau in Sikkim and the borders with Pakistan remains hot, India has quietly authorised the Indian Army to make emergency purchases of ammunition, stores, spares for several weapon platform worth thousands of crore so that the army is ready for a "short intense war", top sources told India Today.Typically, the Indian military is required to be ready to fight a short intense war that could last between 10 to 15 days.An internal audit of the Indian Army conducted after Uri brigade headquarters were stormed by terrorists last year that left 19 soldiers dead had revealed huge shortfall in critical shortfall of artillery ammunition, tanks shells, fuses and spares for weapons platforms.In retaliation to the terror attack, special forces of the Indian Army, aided by the Indian Air Force, had crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and destroyed terror launch pads and Pakistan Army facilities.An unknown number of terrorists waiting to cross over were killed in the raid.The army identified 46 kinds of ammunition, spares for 10 weapons platforms like infantry combat vehicles and half-a-dozen mines of various kinds as critical for war fighting. These items can be purchased through the emergency purchase route.NO CAP ON SPENDING The executive order authorising the Vice Chief of Indian Army to make emergency purchases was issued recently. The delegation of financial powers shortens the long winded process and red-tape plagued process of procurement."Unlike previous process, there is no per-determined cap on the amount that can be spent. Rather, the limit to spending has been tied to the minimum stores, ammunition that must be in the reserve of the army at given time. This is big shift," a senior Ministry of Defence officer said.After the internal audit of the Indian Army carried out by the office of the Master General Ordnance (MGO) revealed major gaps, the army was authorised to make emergency purchases till March 31, 2017 to plug the gaps.These powers - to make emergency purchases bypassing the laid out process - now have been extended till further notice.Earlier, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) too had highlighted severe shortfall of ammunition and spares. In a report placed before the Parliament in 2015, the CAG had observed: "while availability of authorised stock against War Wastage Reserve (WWR) to meet the expected duration of operation formed the basic criteria for ensuring the operational readiness of the Army, we found during the review that against the WWR of 40 (I) days, the availability of ammunition was only in 10 per cent of the total types of ammunition held (March 2013)."It went on to note that "the acute shortage was a serious cause of concern directly impairing the operational readiness of the Army."Also read:Doklam standoff: China tells Arun Jaitley it is also different from 1962Should India be tackling China first than Pakistan? 1971 war army veteran explainsLoC firing and Doklam: Chinese strategic expert says India unwise to engage in two conflictsChina warns India of serious consequences if it doesn't withdraw troops from Doklam area

Daisy Mowke

12 Jul 2017,Wednesday

I am ashamed to be a part of Hollywood: Charlize Theron

http://www.hindustantimes.com/hollywood/i-am-ashamed-to-be-a-part-of-hollywood-it-is-caveman-like-charlize-theron/story-EJnjT6adVWOTLcnLsoUEYL.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Charlize Theron, while slamming Hollywood for not giving women an opportunity to work with higher budgets, said she is ashamed to be a part of it. "[The industry] has never allowed a woman to work with a budget higher [than Wonder Woman]. That's so caveman-like," she added. Theron further said she hopes the scenario changes with films like 'Wonder Woman'.

Charlize Theron has slammed Hollywood for not giving women an opportunity to work with higher budgets.The 41-year-old actor said she is ashamed of the film industry, reported Variety.Charlize Theron arrives at the Dior Cruise Show at the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve. (Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP) ?I am ashamed that I?m part of an industry that has never allowed a woman to work with a budget higher (than Wonder Woman).?That?s so caveman-like. I am always hoping that this is the movie that?s going to change it,? Theron said. The actor will next be seen in Atomic Blonde, due out on August 28.Follow @htshowbiz for more

Deepali Aggarwal

14 Jul 2017,Friday

All-female Afghan team gets US visa after Trump intervention

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/13/all-girl-afghan-robotics-team-allowed-to-travel-to-us-after-visa-ruling-overturned?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

After being denied visa twice, an all-female robotics team from Afghanistan has been granted a special one-time temporary US visa over humanitarian reasons after President Donald Trump intervened. This allows the team to participate in an international robotics competition. The US embassy in Kabul did not disclose why it rejected the team's visas earlier.

Six Afghan teenage girls are to compete in person in a global robotics competition in Washington on Sunday after the US reversed a decision not to grant them visas.The initial rejection of the team?s visa sparked international outcry and the girls became national celebrities in Afghanistan, where many are perplexed about the repercussions of new US immigration rules and feel abandoned by their American allies.A US state department official confirmed to the Guardian that there were new developments under way in the girls? case. The team said they had been asked to go to the embassy in Kabul on Thursday. ?We are so happy I can?t find words for it,? Rodaba Noori, 15, said from the runway as the girls were about to board a plane from their home city, Herat, to the Afghan capital.?We will stay in the United States for about seven days. We will compare the cultures between the US and Afghanistan, and go sightseeing and talk to the people,? she said, in English. In an interview before the reversal, the girls had expressed their shock at the rejection. ?We thought the US and Afghanistan had friendly relations. We thought the US?s fight for women?s rights and equality would get us visas,? Noori said.Yet since it took international outrage to sway the US visa decision, the U-turn will not assuage confusion in Afghanistan over Washington?s future commitments. Human Rights Watch called the visa denial ?all too emblematic of the hollowness of US efforts to empower girls in Afghanistan?.Successive American governments have heralded women?s rights as a key reason for US forces? continued stay in Afghanistan, and a cornerstone of US aid to the country is the five-year Promote programme, which states: ?Everyone who cares about the future of Afghanistan supports women?s empowerment as the foundation for economic growth, peace and security.?Only teams from Afghanistan and the Gambia were denied visas for the competition, neither of which is among the six Muslim-majority countries subjected to Donald Trump?s travel ban.Afghans often struggle to get US visas. In May, only 112 Afghan applicants received the B1/B2 visa to the US that the girls applied for. In the same period the US granted the same visa to 1,091 applicants from Iran and 274 from Sudan, which are now subject to Trump?s travel ban after the US supreme court partially reinstated it.When told that a team from Iran had received visas, the girls could not contain their laughter. ?Why is it only Afghans who can?t go? It?s discrimination. It really makes me angry,? said Lida Azizi, 16.The US embassy in Kabul did not disclose why it rejected the robotics competition team. However, given the process, the most likely cause was a suspicion that the girls intended to migrate.Asked whether they would return to Afghanistan after their US trip, the girls ? aged 14 to 16 ? seemed baffled. ?Of course we will. We have our studies, our families, our classmates, our entire lives here,? said Azizi. ?We don?t have any relatives in the US. We only want to go for the competition.?If they make it on time, the girls will watch their ball-sorting robot compete against teams from 156 other countries in the First Global Challenge.From the beginning, the Afghan girls were at a disadvantage. In the male-dominated field of technology, the team?s sponsor wanted an all-female team to represent Afghanistan. But only six of the top 15 girls who emerged got permission from their families to compete.The next hurdle was Afghan customs which, apparently confused by the package sent by the organisers, held the equipment for three and a half months, leaving the girls with only two weeks to build the robot. ?The organisers said, ?you can?t do this?,? said Alireza Mehraban, the team?s mentor. To finish on time, the girls worked over the fasting month of Ramadan. ?We were tired but we came here, even during Eid,? said Kawsar Roshan. She said the team wanted to show the world how far Afghan girls had come during a western intervention that began before most of them were born.?Since I was a child, I wanted to show that girls can do anything, also outside the home,? Kawsar said.To apply for visas, the team twice travelled to Kabul, despite a recent spike in violence in the capital.Two days before their second embassy appointment, a truck bomb killed 150 people in Kabul?s diplomatic quarter. The day they arrived, anti-government protests had the city in lockdown. The girls had to walk to the US embassy, where they received their rejection.?They cried for six hours,? said Mehraban, the mentor. Fatemah Qaderyan said she cried so much she couldn?t leave her relatives? house in Kabul and missed her return flight.For Roya Mahboob, the chief executive of the Digital Citizen Fund, which sponsors the team, allowing the girls to compete sends an important signal. ?The feeling to not be ignored or be equal as boys if the opportunity is available to you is important,? she said.

Tanya Dhingra

12 Jul 2017,Wednesday

Patriarchy is hard on men as well as women: Ratna Pathak

http://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/patriarchy-is-hard-on-men-as-well-as-women-ratna-pathak-shah/story-KmasdG5O6FbrZ6ty1VCUnK.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Actress Ratna Pathak Shah has said patriarchy is hard on men as well as on women which is why there's a need to get rid of it and find new ways of looking at society. She added, "Instances...force a woman to ask for permission. It's not easy to do what you want...when you are financially dependant on the other person."

Veteran actor Ratna Pathak Shah, who will soon be seen in the film Lipstick Under My Burkha, has said the patriarchal structure anywhere in the world is hard not just on women but on men too. A still from Lipstick Under My Burkha. (YouTube ) ?How many men have a choice? How many men are doing a job that they did not want to do, doing things and behaving in ways that they did not want to,? Ratna, who will be essaying the role of a 55-year-old widow in the film, said.?Patriarchy is hard on men as well as women. So we need to get rid of the root cause of it. Get rid of this idea of patriarchy and find new ways of looking at society,? said the acclaimed actress, who is married to Naseeruddin Shah.She questioned, ?A number of times women ask for permission from the men in their lives to do something or other. Aren?t we asking for such a behaviour then? When a woman asks for a permission from someone, yes, we are asking for it... But then you have to gauge the situation and circumstances as well. There are instances that force a woman to ask for permission. It?s not easy to do what you want to do when you are financially dependant on the other person... Within a family, since childhood you are being told that you are not really welcome, a lot of girls face it... I have faced it too. But I never got stopped due to this. When a woman wants something, she doesn?t stop,? Ratna said.Lipstick Under My Burkha, which is about four women characters, will see Ratna essaying the role of a woman whose sexual longings awaken at the age of 55.Asked if the scenes where she had to show those urges in the film, made her uncomfortable or think twice about it, she said: ?It?s not like it did not occur to me as to how a few people in my family would react to my role in the film. I did think on what my answer should be if I am questioned about my role. But now I have those answers. Because I know that there are certain topics in our lives that we don?t talk about or dodge. We don?t talk about homosexuality, generation gap... There are many issues that we rarely talk about. There are some people who are educating themselves and learning, but there are people who are still struggling on those lines. But then that is how a society works. Everyone cannot think the same. Some move forward, some lag behind,? the 60-year-old said.Talking about the men in the film, Ratna hailed the ?male gaze? on the sets. ?There is a big change in the country. There is no doubt about it. The male gaze on the set without exception was unusual... I have no second thoughts on that. I have been on a lot of film sets before, so I know what kind of vibes go around. So, this was truly unusual. And in a film like this, where there was a possibility that at some point or situation there could have been a crooked man, but no, there wasn?t a single one,? she said.The actress also said that India is in dire need of sex education. ?India is in need of sex education. We don?t know how we became a billion... ?Woh toh bas bhagwaan ki daya se hogaya?. We desperately need some information, which is why Alankrita Shrivastava made this film, so that people get this information in one go -- so that our population grows from a billion to 10 billion perhaps,? quipped the actress.Lipstick Under My Burkha, releasing on July 21, was in the news after the censor board deemed it too ?lady oriented? to release. But it got a green signal after fighting the way through the censor authorities.Follow @htshowbiz for more

Aarushi Maheshwari

22 Jul 2017,Saturday

Salvador Dalí's moustache intact three decades after death

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/jul/20/salvador-dali-remains-exhumed-paternity-case?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Experts who exhumed late artist Salvador Dalí's body have revealed his moustache remains intact, nearly three decades after his death. Narcís Bardalet said, "His moustache is still intact, (like clock hands at) 10 past 10, just as he liked it." His body was exhumed to settle a paternity case, wherein a woman claimed her mother and Dali had an affair.

Experts who exhumed the body of Salvador Dalí to collect samples for use in a paternity claim have revealed that the enigmatic artist?s trademark moustache still graces his face almost three decades after he died.Narcís Bardalet, the embalmer who tended Dalí?s body after his death in 1989 and helped with the exhumation on Thursday night, said he had been delighted to see the surrealist?s best-known feature once again.?His moustache is still intact, [like clock hands at] 10 past 10, just as he liked it. It?s a miracle,? he told the Catalan radio station RAC1.Dalí is buried in a crypt beneath the museum he designed for himself in his home town of Figueres, Catalonia. His remains were disinterred to help settle a long-running paternity claim from a 61-year-old fortune-teller who insists she is his only child.Bardalet described the moment he had laid eyes on Dalí. ?His face was covered with a silk handkerchief ? a magnificent handkerchief,? he told RAC1.?When it was removed, I was delighted to see his moustache was intact ? I was quite moved. You could also see his hair.?He said Dali?s body resembled ?a mummy; it was like wood?, adding that it was so hard that experts had to use an electric saw rather than a scalpel to collect bone samples. Bardalet predicted Dalí?s body would last a good while longer. ?The moustache is still there and will be for centuries,? he said.Once the last visitors of the day had left the museum, the 1.5-tonne stone slab that rests above his grave was lifted so experts could get to his body to take hair, nails and two large bones.?The biological specimens have been taken from Salvador Dalí?s remains,? Catalonia?s high court said in a statement before midnight local time.It said Dali?s coffin had been opened at 10.20pm so work could begin.To guard the artist?s posthumous privacy, awnings were put up around the museum to stop drones recording the exhumation.The DNA recovered from the remains will be compared with samples from Maria Pilar Abel, who claims to be the result of a liaison her mother had with Dalí in 1955.Abel has been seeking to prove her parentage for the past 10 years and says the physical resemblance to the surrealist painter is so strong, ?the only thing I?m missing is a moustache?.She says it was an open secret in her family that the artist was her biological father.She told the Spanish newspaper El País that she first learned of her true paternity from the woman she said she had thought was her paternal grandmother. Abel claims she told her: ?I know you aren?t my son?s daughter and that you are the daughter of a great painter, but I love you all the same.? She also noted that her granddaughter was ?odd, just like your father?.Under Spanish law, Abel would be heir to a quarter of Dalí?s fortune if the DNA supports her contention. The Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation, which controls the artist?s lucrative estate, had unsuccessfully sought to fight the exhumation by appealing against a judge?s decision late last month to let it go ahead. As Dalí bequeathed his properties and fortune to the foundation and the Spanish state, Abel has brought her claims against both.In 2007, she was granted permission to try to extract DNA from skin, hair and hair traces found clinging to Dalí?s death mask. However, the results proved inconclusive.Another attempt to find DNA was made later the same year, using material supplied by the artist?s friend and biographer Robert Descharnes. Although Abel has claimed she never received the results of the second test, Descharnes? son Nicholas told the Spanish news agency Efe in 2008 that he had learned from the doctor who conducted the tests that they were negative.Abel told the Spanish news agency Europa Press that she was looking forward ?to the truth being known once and for all?, adding: ?I?m not nervous but happy and positive.?The results of the latest DNA test are expected in a month or two. Once the samples have been tested, they will be returned to Dalí?s grave.

Sumedha Sehra

25 Jun 2017,Sunday

Such acts only boost our morale: CRPF after attack

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/pantha-chowk-attack-srinagar-crpf-attack-inspector-general/1/986750.html

The CRPF's Additional Director General of Police S N Srivastava reacted to the terrorist attack which claimed the lives of two jawans. "Such cowardly act doesn't affect the morale of security forces in fact it will boost it. We will investigate the matter and will find out the accused behind this. Then we will respond according to that," he said.

After the gruesome terror attack today that claimed the lives of two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, Additional Director General of Police (ADG) of CRPF S N Srivastava said that such 'cowardly act' does not affect the morale of security forces."Such cowardly act doesn't affect the morale of security forces in fact it will boost it. We will investigate the matter and will find out the accused behind this. Then we will respond according to that. There is no security lapse," Srivastava told media.Earlier in the day, two CRPF jawans lost his life and two were injured after terrorists attacked their vehicle near Srinagar.According to Inspector General CRPF Ravideep Sahi the area has been cordoned off. "Firing was on our vehicle. One SI lost his life and two of our personnel are injured," said Sahi.The terrorist strike took place in Srinagar's Pantha Chowk. Moments after the attack, terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) said that it was behind the terror act. Abdullah Ghaznavi, LeT spokesperson, called a local news agency to say the outfit was behind the attack. After the attack the terrorists reportedly fled to the nearby Delhi Public School. Security forces have cordoned off the area and an intense search operation is underway. A policeman was injured after a police jawan misfired. It was a close shave for SSP who was in the vicinity when the policeman misfired.Also read:Srinagar: 2 martyred in Lashkar attack on CRPF convoy, search operation at DPS underway

Sonu Kumari

18 Jul 2017,Tuesday

Delhi govt to install CCTV cameras at bus stops

http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/cctv-cameras-at-delhi-bus-stops-to-keep-an-eye-on-dtc-drivers-who-don-t-stop-for-passengers/story-uMUfAFEXo30fIHjGcV74YI.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

To monitor drivers who don't stop buses at designated stops, the Delhi government has decided to install CCTV cameras at various bus stops. Transport officials said that skipping bus stops is a common practice among drivers of the government-run buses. It not only creates congestion on roads, but also poses difficulty for senior citizens and differently abled among others.

After receiving complaints from commuters that drivers do not stop buses at designated stops, the Delhi government has decided to install CCTV cameras at bus stops.Not halting the bus at the designated spot but close to the bus stop not only leads to chaos and congestion on roads, but it also poses a challenge to the differently abled, senior citizens, women and children.?Cameras at bus stops will also help us investigate cases of speeding and rash-driving. People wait at bus stops for a minimum of 10 minutes in Delhi and this would also ensure safety of commuters, especially women,? a transport official said. The project has been pegged at a cost of Rs140 crore, which will be taken from the Nirbhaya Fund. ?The government has already received in-principle approval for its share from the fund from the ministry of home affairs. Besides, the need for cameras at bus stops apart from buses was cited by the MHA only,? another official said.At present, the capital has 1,864 bus queue shelters (BQS), of which 1,321 are managed by the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (DTIDC), 346 by the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) and 197 by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).The practice is so common among drivers of the government-run buses that the transport department is already carrying out a drive to prosecute them. It has formed an 80-member team of enforcement officials who in just five days have prosecuted 1,296 such drivers. The officials, dressed in plain clothes, have been deployed at bus stops like Dhaula Kuan, ITO, AIIMS, Mukarba Chowk, Peeragarhi, Laxmi Nagar and INA.?From July 10 to 15, we have taken action against 393 drivers of DTC, 454 drivers of the cluster or orange bus service and 449 of metro feeder buses and gramin sewas,? the official added. In June, the Delhi Cabinet, in its meeting chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had approved installation of CTTV cameras in 6,350 Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses. However, at present, there are only 5,725 buses being run by the government and 536 more buses are in the pipeline.

Chhavi Tyagi

17 Apr 2017,Monday

RJD leader Shahabuddin acquitted in 1989 triple murder case

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/mohammad-shahabuddin-acquitted-jamshedpur-court/1/931048.html

Former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Mohammad Shahabuddin has been acquitted by a Jamshedpur court in a triple murder case that took place on February 2, 1989. Notably, three out of the eight accused died during the trial. Shahabuddin, who is linked to 45 criminal cases, is currently lodged in Delhi's high-security Tihar Jail.

Mohammad Shahabuddin, former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP from Siwan, has been acquitted in 25-year-old triple murder case by a Jamdhedpur court. The case pertains to the murders of Anand Rao, Janardan Choubey and Pradeep Mishra on February 2, 1989, near Tata Steel Power house in Jugasalai police station area. The former MP, who is currently lodged in Delhi's high security Tihar Jail, is accused in a triple murder case along with seven others namely Dasrath Singh, Rama Singh, Birender Singh, Saheb Singh, Kallu Singh, Sushil Singh and Paras Singh against. Out of the eight accused, Dasrath, Saheb and Birender died during the trial in the case.The Supreme Court on 15 February ordered shifting of Shahabuddin, who is facing trial in 45 criminal cases, from Siwan jail in Bihar to Tihar jail in New Delhi. The order came on the pleas by Siwan-based Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons were killed in two separate incidents, and Asha Ranjan, the wife of journalist Rajdeo Ranjan who was murdered in Siwan, seeking shifting of the RJD leader.  ALSO READ:Shahabuddin vs Chhota Rajan in Tihar: Why Siwan muscleman is furious over underworld donRJD strongman Shahabuddin's jail-selfie goes viral, sends cops into a tizzy

Chhavi Tyagi

12 Jul 2017,Wednesday

Gorkhaland protesters announce fast unto death from July 15

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/gorkhaland-protests-west-bengal-chief-minister-mamata-banerjee/1/999876.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

The Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee, an alliance of political parties and organisations protesting for a separate state for the Nepali-speaking population, on Tuesday said it will launch a fast-unto-death from July 15. While the BJP has denied supporting the demand for a separate state, it will take part in the hunger strike to protest against West Bengal's oppression of Gorkhas.

Even as West Bengal is reeling under the recent spate of riots in Baduria and 24 North Paraganas, groups spearheading the Gorkhaland movement has criticised the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Incidentally, both the chief minister and those working for the Gorkhaland cause have both targeted the NDA-led central government. While Mamata slammed the Centre for non-cooperation in the time of crisis, Gorkhaland Jan Mukti Morcha (GJM) criticised the centre's wait and watch policy. Both the state government and the independent groups rooting for the Gorkhaland cause are, however, apprehensive that the situation might slip out of Centre's reach and that it might worsen.Also Read:Darjeeling abandoned: Bimal Gurung hiding, CM Mamata Banerjee playing waiting game, MP Ahluwalia missing

Chhavi Tyagi

06 Jul 2017,Thursday

Modi pays homage to Indian World War I heroes in Israel

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/pm-narendra-modi-israel-haifa-world-war-i-benjamin-netayahu/1/995337.html

PM Narendra Modi visited the Haifa Indian Cemetery in Israel today and paid his homage to Indian soldiers who laid down their lives during the World War I in 1918. "I am deeply honoured to stand here today to salute the valiant Indian soldiers," Modi said. The war heroes died while protecting Haifa from the forces of the Ottoman Empire.

On the last day of his three-day trip to Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today visited the Haifa Indian Cemetery.Prime Minister Modi paid homage to Indian soldiers who laid down their lives during the World War in 1918 while protecting Haifa from the powerful forces of the Ottoman Empire.He also unveiled a plaque commemorating Major Dalpat Singh, known as the 'Hero of Haifa' for his critical role in the liberation of the city."I am deeply honoured to stand here today to salute the valiant Indian soldiers, who led down their lives for the liberation of Haifa during the WW I," Modi wrote in the guest book."The exceptional bravery and supreme sacrifice of Major Thakur Dalpat Singh MC, the "Hero of Haifa" and his men, will be remembered forever and continue to inspire generations to come. Next year, the centenary of the battle of Haifa will present another opportunity to mark this enduring bond between India and Israel," PM Modi, who visited Haifa along with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, wrote.The Battle of Haifa was fought on 23 September 1918 and every year on this date the Indian Army celebrates Haifa Day to pay respect to the martyred Indian soldiers. Battle of Haifa is considered to be one of the most bravely-contested battles of World War I. PM @narendramodi lays wreath at Indian cemetery at Haifa, which Indian cavalry regiments helped liberate in 1918 pic.twitter.com/R09FlBMUh0WATCH: When PM Modi met 26/11 survivor Moshe HoltzbergOn Day 2 of PM Modi's historic Israel tour, India and Israel signed seven agreements on Wednesday to step-up cooperation in key sectors like space, agriculture and water conservation.HERE'S ALL YOU NEED TO KNOWALSO READ:Israeli media on Narendra Modi-Benjamin Netanyahu meet: A hug and a cover-up on Iran

Saloni Tandon

12 Jul 2017,Wednesday

Paralympian dies after metal throwing cage falls on him

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/jul/12/paralympian-abdullah-hayayei-dies-london-2017-training-world-para-athletics-championships?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

UAE's Paralympian Abdullah Hayayei died on Tuesday after a metal throwing cage fell on him while he was training for the upcoming World Para-athletics Championships in London. Hayayei was reportedly struck by a pole which was a part of the discus cage. The police are investigating the incident, during which two of the athlete's personal coaches were present.

Para athlete Abdullah Hayayei has died after being ?struck by a metal pole? during a training incident on Tuesday in London before the upcoming World Para Athletics Championships. The 36-year-old, who represented the United Arab Emirates in the F34 class javelin and shot put at Rio 2016, was training at Newham Leisure Centre in preparation for the championships, which begin on Friday at the London Stadium.The Metropolitan Police said: ?Police, London Ambulance Service and London?s Air Ambulance were called shortly after 17:00hrs on Tuesday, 11 July, to reports of a seriously injured man at Newham Leisure Centre in Prince Regent Lane, E13. The man was pronounced dead at the scene at 17:20hrs. ?At this early stage, it is believed the man was struck by a metal pole which formed part of training facilities at the centre. It can be confirmed that the man was a competitor at the World Para Athletic Championships. His next of kin have been informed. The Health and Safety Executive have been informed.? The incident was witnessed by some of his team-mates as well as coaches and athletes from other competing nations, all of whom have been offered counselling. Majid Al Usaimi, the vice president of the UAE Disabled Sports Federation, told Dubai Sports TV that the pole formed part of the discus cage at the venue. He said: ?We are overcome by grief, all of the UAE delegation here in London, and are truly shocked by this news, but it is God?s will. We cannot discuss the details of the incident but what I can say is that during afternoon practice at the official training venue of the competition, Abdullah was going through his usual training routines, before the metal discus cage fell on his head. The on-site medical staff tried to help him but to no avail.?London 2017 would have been Hayayei?s second World Championships and he was due to compete in the shot put, discus and javelin F34 events. At the 2015 championships in Doha, Qatar, Hayayei came fifth in the discus and finished eighth in shot put. An International Paralympic Committee (IPC) statement said: ?The athlete?s family who are in the UAE have been informed of his death and the UAE team were brought together at the team hotel to be informed of the tragic news.? A moment of silence will be held to remember Hayayei during Friday?s opening ceremony, while further tributes are being planned. Ed Warner, co-chair of London 2017, added: ?This is a devastating event and everyone within the London 2017 organising committee is shocked and saddened. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of Abdullah?s family and team-mates at what is undoubtedly a very difficult time for them. We will be working closely with all the competitors and teams over the days ahead to offer support wherever it is needed.?Newham Leisure Centre, one of two official training venues for the championships, remains closed while a police investigation takes place.

Saloni Tandon

14 Jul 2017,Friday

Zaheer, Dravid not foisted on head coach: Sachin in letter

http://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/didn-t-force-rahul-dravid-zaheer-khan-on-ravi-shastri-cricket-advisory-committee/story-uwyrU2bFZX5CsYgtqI0zWP.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman have written to Committee of Administrators head Vinod Rai, asking him to clarify that Rahul Dravid and Zaheer Khan were made consultants after discussion with Ravi Shastri. "There have been suggestions the CAC exceeded its ambit...It has pained us to see the light in which the CAC has been portrayed," wrote Sachin.

After the appointment of Zaheer Khan and Rahul Dravid as consultants with the Indian team created a storm in the media, the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) members have taken up the matter with Committee of Administrators (CoA) and BCCI, asking them to clarify the impression created against their intentions to appoint the two alongside chief coach Ravi Shastri.The three members of the CAC, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, have written separate letters to Vinod Rai, the head of the COA, and Amitabh Choudhary, the acting secretary of the BCCI.READ?|?Zaheer Khan to be asked to give up Indian Premier League contract for India jobThey have taken exception to the fact that their decision to appoint Zaheer Khan as bowling consultant and Rahul Dravid as batting consultant has been spoken about as CAC exceeding their brief. ?There have been suggestions that the CAC has exceeded its ambit in going with Mr Khan and Mr Dravid, and these two legends of Indian cricket have been foisted on the head coach. It has both pained and disappointed us therefore to see the light in which the CAC has been portrayed in various sections of the media,? protested Sachin Tendulkar in a strongly-worded letter.?While we all know that none of these reports are true, it is out in public domain and it is imperative that the cricket-loving public at large is made aware of the reality. We could do it ourselves, of course, but we don?t want to further queer the pitch. So, we would respectfully request you to clear the air and set the record straight in this regard,? he wrote.READ?|?Here is why Shane Warne called Ravindra Jadeja a ?rockstar??The three of us played our cricket with great integrity, and we have brought that same trait in fulfilling this important responsibility bestowed upon us by the BCCI. While we are not looking for plaudits, we do not appreciate the tone and the falsehoods of some of the narratives,? wrote Sachin Tendulkar.?You (Rai/Choudhary) will be aware that we put our heart and soul into the process, approaching a task made delicate by the recent developments with a clear head and with the sole aim of providing the Indian team with the best resources possible to become the world-beaters they are capable of being.READ?|?West Indies will strive to get direct entry into ICC World Cup 2019: Chris Gayle?We also bring to your notice the mail you had circulated to us saying that we had absolutely free hand in picking the coach of the Indian cricket team. Also, we did inform you over the phone along with Rahul Johri and Amitabh Choudhary of all that transpired immediately after the meeting was over,? one of the letters stated.In an interview to a newspaper, chief coach Ravi Shastri stated that he should be entitled to select his own support staff. Shastri has made his intentions clear of wanting Bharat Arun as bowling coach.READ?|?Erapalli Prasanna?disappointed? with CAC?s drama over India coach selectionAfter the protest letters from CAC, the BCCI sent a clarification that Zaheer and Dravid will be ?batting and bowling consultants on overseas tour-to-tour basis, as per the requirement of the team?. In the original release, Zaheer was named bowling consultant.The BCCI release further stated: ?The three members of the committee ? Mr. Sourav Ganguly, Mr. Sachin Tendulkar and Mr. VVS Laxman ? have executed the assigned task with total transparency, professionalism and commitment to Indian cricket.?

Tarun Khanna

05 Mar 2017,Sunday

Pakistanis spam Indian Army WhatsApp number meant for jawans

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indian-army-whatsapp-jawan-grievance-general-rawat-pakistan-spam/1/896971.html

The Indian Army WhatsApp number launched to address the grievances of jawans has been spammed by Pakistanis to abuse India. "We have been receiving messages in large number from Pakistan and that is why, we have barred all Pakistani numbers from sending messages to it," the Army reportedly stated. The number was launched on January 28.

Army's WhatsApp number launched to address the grievances of jawans has been filled up with spam messages from Pakistanis who are using it to abuse India.The number, +91 9643300008, was launched on January 28 by the Army Headquarters to address the grievances of the jawans who were going on social media with their videos."We have been receiving messages in large number from Pakistan and that is why, we have barred all Pakistani numbers from sending messages to it. The intent is to keep it only for our usage," Army sources said here.The Army has so far received over 30,000 messages on the number, a majority of which were sent by Pakistanis who have been speaking against India and its Army.NO. SET UP AFTER VIRAL VIDEOSThe Army had set up the WhatsApp number so that its soldiers could pose their problems directly to Army Chief General Bipin Rawat instead of going to social media. The move came after a series of videos were posted online by personnel from the army, IAF and central police forces regarding various conditions that they work under.

Daisy Mowke

01 Aug 2017,Tuesday

Hansal denies reports of Kangana turning editor for Simran

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/kangana-ranaut-simran-edit-table-hansal-mehta/1/1016187.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta has denied reports of Kangana Ranaut taking over editing of the trailer of his upcoming directorial 'Simran' after being unhappy over the first cut. "All this speculation is false, malicious and fabricated," he added. Co-producer Bhushan Kumar said, "At the end, the film is a director's vision and the film campaign will stay close to that only".

Director Hansal Mehta has trashed all speculation around the Kangana Ranaut-starrer Simran, saying that they are "false, malicious and totally fabricated".Mehta dismissed the reports that Kangana had taken over editing of the trailer after being unhappy over the first cut. "All this speculation is false, malicious and totally fabricated. I collaborate closely with my team and my actors are an integral part of that collaboration. It angers me that every time some malicious gossip has to be spread, people meaninglessly drag Kangana into their stupid machinations. She is a valued friend, actor and collaborator. Period," Mehta said in a statement."I'm even more hurt that some malicious person chooses to drag my relationship with Vishal Bhardwaj into this malice. Vishal is one of my dearest friends and if I am making films today it is because of him. I would never say anything that could remotely even hurt or upset somebody I love so dearly and to whom I am so grateful," he added.Co-producer Bhushan Kumar said he is saddened by the reports as they put the film in a negative light. "We are very saddened with this news. Her (Kangana) sitting on the edit table is completely false. We all work as a team and her feedback on every promo and plan is crucial. At the end, the film is a director's vision and the film campaign will stay close to that only," Kumar said.Simran is set to release on September 15.

Shubhodeep Datta

27 Dec 2016,Tuesday

Six children move NGT over pollution in Delhi

http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/let-us-breathe-six-kids-move-green-court-against-delhi-s-air-pollution/story-6jrlG3AkmSYzzkx49f7neP.html

Six children have moved the National Green Tribunal over the pollution levels in Delhi. One of the children said they decided to file the petition for ?some sort of relief from the constant breathlessness?. In 2015 too, parents had filed a petition in the Supreme Court on behalf of their toddlers calling for a ban on firecrackers in the city.

Harsh Dahiya, 14, a resident of Swarn Park in Mundka, looks like an average Class IX student. There?s a difference though. This student of NC Jindal Public School is a petitioner in a court case demanding clean air in his toxic corner of Delhi.He and five other children have moved the National Green Tribunal, which has sent notices to the Centre and the Delhi government on the alarming levels of air pollution caused by industries in West Delhi.This is the second instance in recent times when little ones have petitioned against the foul air of the city in a court of law. In 2015, three parents had filed a petition in the Supreme Court on behalf of their toddlers, calling for a ban on bursting of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR. On November 26 this year, the apex court imposed a blanket ban on the sale and stocking of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR with immediate effect, and suspended all such licences.This present plea in the NGT was filed by Umesh Kumar, Aditi Bhardwaj, Abdul Razzaq, Harsh Dahiya, Prince Lakra and Vivekanand through their legal guardians, asking for a time-bound action plan to curb pollution in West Delhi?s Mundka and Kirari areas.Harsh told HT that the children decided to file the petition at the green court for ?some sort of relief from the constant breathlessness after running a few paces?.Read: Day after Christmas, air quality improves in Delhi but still ?very poor??Our area is excessively polluted. I easily get breathless when I go out to play, especially during winter months. Cough and breathing problems are common ailments I and friends face on a regular basis. We need some relief in the form of green spaces. Someone had to do something, so we did. It is a question of our future,? he said.Younus Khan, father of 14-year-old Abdul Razzaq ? another petitioner ? says the presence of thousands of industries in the already over-congested corner of West Delhi has worsened the condition.?There are around 50 schools in the area with more than 1 lakh students, many of whom are suffering from breathing problems, especially during winters. Things get really tough for kids and old people. Hopefully our kids plea will be heard,? Khan said.The petition says there are around 1,42,242 households here on about 4,626 acres, including the industrial and commercial areas in Mundka and Kirari, out of which 1,400 acres (30% of total area) have been carved out as industrial areas.?Around 325 acres (7% of total area) are commercial areas and 2875 acres (62% of the total area) are residential in form of colonies and villages and a negligible amount of approximately 1% is green area,? the plea, filed through advocates Rahul Choudhary and Meera Gopal, said.The matter has been listed for January 27.Read: Delhi records worst air quality in three years this Diwali

Rini Sinha

13 Feb 2017,Monday

Shah Rukh to have a cameo role in 'Baahubali 2': Reports

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/baahubali-2-shah-rukh-khan-prabhas-rajamouli/1/881501.html

As per reports, Shah Rukh Khan will have a cameo role in the upcoming film 'Baahubali: The Conclusion'. Reportedly, the director of the film franchise SS Rajamouli is currently in talks with Shah Rukh for the role. The epic historical fiction film, which is the continuation of 'Baahubali: The Beginning', will feature Prabhas, Rana Daggubati and Anushka Shetty among others.

Be it the scale or visual experience, filmmaker SS Rajamouli's period drama Baahubali: The Beginning is one of the finest Indian films of all time.While the sequel is currently in post-production stage, an interesting news about Baahubali 2 has cropped up. According to AajTak.com, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has been roped in to play a cameo in the film. Earlier to this, reports suggested that Baahubali 2 teaser would be attached with SRK's Raees, which released on January 25. Basking in the stupendous success of the gangster film Raees, Shah Rukh has made special appearances in films like like Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Saathiya and Bhootnath returns. However, we await an official confirmation from the makers.Made on a lavish budget of Rs 200 crore, the film also stars Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty and Tamannaah in the lead roles.Baahubali: The Beginning, which hit the screens in 2015, was highly successful and grossed Rs 600 crore worldwide.The makers planned for a grand teaser launch last month, but it was postponed due to pending VFX works.Speaking at India Today Conclave South 2017, SS Rajamouli revealed that Baahubali 2 would be bigger and better than Baahubali.Baahubali: The Conclusion will hit the screens on April 28.ALSO READ: Prabhas's next with Sujeeth launched

Tarun Khanna

08 Feb 2017,Wednesday

EC questions Sasikala's elevation as AIADMK Gen Secy

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/sasikala-natarajan-tamil-nadu-cm-o-panneerselvam-aiadmk-dmk-governor/1/877494.html

Amid ongoing political turmoil in Tamil Nadu, the Election Commission on Wednesday said no rules were followed by AIADMK to select its temporary General Secretary Sasikala Natarajan. The poll panel has asked for a copy of resolution about her elevation as General Secretary. Earlier, sacked AIADMK leader Sasikala Pushpa had alleged Natarajan?s elevation was carried out in an "undemocratic manner".

Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK is locked in an ugly war within as acting Chief Minister O Panneerselvam has vowed to stay put in office while party General Secretary VK Sasikala Natarajan accused him of trying to split the party with the opposition DMK's backing.A night after Panneerselvam revolted against Sasikala, who had been elected the AIADMK legislature wing leader, the long-time confidante of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa accused Panneerselvam of "betrayal" after he refused to back her plans to head the government.On his part, Panneerselvam announced that a Supreme Court judge will head a Commission of Inquiry to probe the December 5 demise of Jayalalithaa. He said there were many questions over the death.Both camps claim majority support among the AIADMK's 134 legislators in Tamil Nadu, with reports saying most of them have been bussed away to a hotel near the Chennai airport. Tamil Nadu Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao is expected to play a key role in resolving the crisis -- or recommend President's Rule in the state. Here are the LIVE updates: Tamil Nadu: Sasikala supporters outside Poes Garden in Chennai. pic.twitter.com/CC93kCxwroI continued with my post only after union govt asked me to do so after resignation: #OPanneerselvampic.twitter.com/bebSQ8mNbETN: #SasikalaNatarajan reached party headquarters in Chennai for #AIADMK MLAs meeting. pic.twitter.com/P56JnRKzi3#SasikalaNatarajan leaves #PoesGarden residence in Chennai for #AIADMK MLAs meet at party headquarter. pic.twitter.com/irIETlX8mgTamil Nadu Political crisis: #OPanneerselvam at his residence in Chennai, says will prove my strength in the assembly. pic.twitter.com/7LNCWXSWDrI will meet the Governor once he is back here: #OPanneerselvam in Chennai pic.twitter.com/0i3PLwSYHU#SasikalaNatarajan should be sworn-in as CM;If delayed itâ??ll be violence against Constitution;President must intervene-Subramanian Swamy,BJP pic.twitter.com/gbOlDA84y3How can we support #OPanneerselvam when he's in oppo?We're major party,want to come back to power,expose AIADMK's wrongdoings: TKS Elangovan pic.twitter.com/t9rzzDOhhaVisuals from #jayalalithaa's memorial at Chennai's Marina Beach pic.twitter.com/mzjqbjzwB9PANNEERSELVAM REVOLTS Immediately after being sacked from the post of AIADMK treasurer by party General Secretary VK Sasikala, Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said that no one had the right to do so and dismissed claims that DMK influenced his move. He said his next course of action would "reflect" the "aspirations" of AIADMK cadres and people of Tamil Nadu. WATCH | No one in Tamil Nadu has the right to take away my treasurer post: O Panneerselvam on his expulsion"No one has the right to remove me from the post of treasurer which was given to me by Amma 10 years ago," he told reporters.Asked if the AIADMK chief had charged him with association with DMK as she could not find any other allegation, he quoted a Tamil proverb, the meaning of which is "I have nothing and no one to fear as I have done no wrong." Panneerselvam also said "I am a grassroot-level ordinary party worker." Asked if he would launch a new party and if he would call on Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, he said "please wait and see."Also read:

Tarun Khanna

01 May 2017,Monday

Congress leaders should be beaten up with shoes: BJP MP

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/congress-leaders-should-be-beaten-up-with-shoes-bjp-mp/1/942444.html

BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini on Sunday said that Congress leaders should be beaten up with shoes for not developing Haryana. "Congress has formed government in Haryana on multiple occasions. It has turned people into beggars. And now, when BJP is in power in the state, Congress leaders are alleging that people are being wronged," he added.

Jind, Apr 30 (PTI) In a shocking remark, BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini today said Congress leaders should be "beaten up with shoes" for "not bringing development" in Haryana.

Anmol Sharma

28 Jul 2017,Friday

16-year-old golfer Diksha Dagar wins silver at Deaflympics

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/amateur-golfer-diksha-wins-silver-at-deaflympics/1/1011693.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Indian golfer Diksha Dagar won a silver medal in the women's individual golf event at the Deaflympics in Samsun, Turkey. The 16-year-old amateur golfer from Haryana lost to 25-year-old Kaylin Yost of USA in the final round. Diksha is the only Indian golfer (Under-18) to be ranked in the top 500 worldwide.

Deepali Aggarwal

23 May 2017,Tuesday

UK explosion suicide bomber died at scene: Police

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2017/may/22/manchester-arena-ariana-grande-concert-explosion-england?page=with:block-5923d099e4b0ca009308f1b5#block-5923d099e4b0ca009308f1b5

The suicide bomber who carried out the explosion on Monday night at Ariana Grande's concert in UK's Manchester Arena died at the scene in the explosion, police have said. The bomber who is believed to have been acting alone detonated an improvised explosive device, police added. The death toll from the attack has risen to 22 with 59 injured.

7.49am BST 07:49 The archbishop of Canterbury has tweeted his condolences to those affected:Heroic Manchester, dark evil cannot overcome it. We pray for those in sorrow on the hard journey of loss & pain, & for those who protect usThe Plaid Cymru leader, Leanne Wood, has joined other parties in halting election campaigning:The thoughts and sympathies of all of us in Plaid Cymru go out to all the people affected by last night?s horrific events in Manchester. We will be suspending our campaigning today as a mark of respect to all of the families.Updated at 7.52am BST 7.43am BST 07:43 Peter WalkerCharlotte Campbell?s 15-year-old daughter, Olivia, is still missing after the concert. She spoke to BBC Radio 4?s Today programme, where she began by saying when she last talked to her daughter:She was at the concert. She?d just seen the support act and said she was having an amazing time, and thanking me for letting her go. She was with her friend, Adam. Adam was found about half an hour ago ? he?s in hospital ? but Olivia?s not been found yet.I?m at home phoning everybody: hospitals, police, the centres that the children have been put in. Her dad?s in Manchester looking for her. I?ve got friends looking for her. I?ve got people I don?t even know looking for her, people messaging me, saying we?ve got her photo, looking for her, we?ll get in contact if we see her. And I?m just hearing nothing. Her phone?s dead.Social media has been wonderful. I don?t know what I?ve have done without them, it?s made it so aware that she?s missing. There?s thousands of people who now know she?s missing, there?s people out looking for her I don?t know, and I can?t thank these people enough, giving their time up.They?ve basically told me to stay put and wait for a phone call. I daren?t leave the house just in case she somehow gets home.We have still not found OLIVIA CAMPBELL. If you see her please contact me ASAP. pic.twitter.com/8LboKg0B2nUpdated at 8.03am BST 7.36am BST 07:36 Andy Burnham, the new mayor of Greater Manchester, has been speaking in the city about the attack, which he describes as ?an evil act?. He says his thoughts are with the victims, their families and friends:We will do whatever we can to support them. We are grieving today but we are strong.He also pays tribute to the emergency services:I want to thank the hundreds of police, fire and ambulance staff who worked through the night ? I want to thank the people of Manchester: even in the minutes after the attack they opened their doors to strangers and drove them away from danger ? It will be that spirit of Manchester that will prevail and hold us together.Burnham says he was a minister in the Home Office during the 7/7 attacks on London, which killed 52 people:I remember how London felt on that day, I remember it vividly ? Manchester will pull together ? that?s what we are, that?s what we do. They won?t win. This city has dealt with difficult things in the past and we will do so now.Updated at 9.17am BST 7.28am BST 07:28 The explosion happened moments after the end of a concert at Manchester Arena by Ariana Grande.Grande, who was not hurt in the blast, tweeted earlier that she was ?broken? by news of the casualties:broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don't have words. 7.24am BST 07:24 The US president Donald Trump, on a visit to Israel, is being updated on the situation in Manchester, White House spokesman Sean Spicer has confirmed:National Security Team is providing updates to @POTUS on situation in #manchesterexplosionUpdated at 7.30am BST 7.18am BST 07:18 Key updates from the most recent police press conference:Updated at 7.19am BST 7.15am BST 07:15 Chief constable Ian Hopkins confirms that 22 people have died and a further 59 have been injured.This has been the most horrific incident we have had to face in Greater Manchester and one that we all hoped we would never see.Families and many young people were out to enjoy a concert at the Manchester Arena and have lost their lives. Our thoughts are with those 22 victims that we now know have died, the 59 people who have been injured and their loved ones. We continue to do all we can to support them. They are being treated at eight hospitals across Greater Manchester.This is a fast-moving investigation and we have significant resources deployed to both the investigation and the visible patrols that people will see across Greater Manchester as they wake up to news of the events last night. This will include armed officers as people would expect. More than 400 officers have been involved in the operation during the night.To remind you, we were called at 10.33pm to reports of an explosion at the Manchester Arena at the conclusion of an Ariana Grande concert. More than 250 calls came in and emergency services were very quickly on scene. Emergency numbers have been established for anyone who is concerned for loved ones who may not have returned home: 0161 856 9400 or 0161 856 9900.We have been treating this as a terrorist incident and we believe that while the attack last night was conducted by one man. The priority is to establish whether he was acting alone or as part of a network.The attacker, I can confirm, died at the arena. We believe the attacker was carrying an improvised explosive device, which he detonated, causing this atrocity.We would ask people not to speculate on his details or to share names. There is a complex and wide-ranging investigation under way.Our priority is to work with the national counter-terrorist policing network and UK intelligence services to establish more details about the individual who carried out this attack.Updated at 7.33am BST 7.06am BST 07:06 Hopkins confirms that children are among the 22 people confirmed to have died. 7.04am BST 07:04 Chief constable Ian Hopkins says the attacker died in the explosion.He says that while police believe the man was acting alone in the attack last night, investigations are ongoing to establish if he was part of a network.He says police believe the man was ?carrying an improvised explosive device, which he detonated causing this atrocity?. 6.59am BST 06:59 Greater Manchester police says 22 people have died, and 59 injured.

Shubhodeep Datta

11 Mar 2017,Saturday

Navjot Singh Sidhu wins from Amritsar (East) by 42,000 votes

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/punjab-assembly-election-results-navjot-singh-sidhu-amritsar-east/1/902242.html

Cricketer-turned-politician and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu won from the Amritsar (East) constituency by over 42,000 votes. While reacting to his party's victory, Sidhu said this is the revival of Congress, and this was just the beginning. "Congress will spread from here," Sidhu said. Notably, Sidhu had switched sides from BJP and joined the Congress ahead of the Assembly elections.

Former Bharatiya Janata Party MP and cricketer-turned politician, Navjot Singh Sidhu on Saturday won the Amritsar (East) Assembly election in Punjab.He defeated his nearest rival, Rajesh Honey of the BJP, with a margin of 42,661 votes. Aam Aadmi Party's Sarabjot Singh came in third, polling 14604 votes.A three-time MP from the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat, Sidhu contested his maiden assembly election this time after joining the Congress.His rivals too are first timers. Honey had won two municipal council elections and is heading a local BJP unit.Attacking the Badals, Sidhu said Badals have made politics a business and for him, this win is a medium to save Punjab ."The people taught a lesson to the devils. Punjab should limp back as it was looted by dacoits and thieves. Why Badals were defeated is that they treated politics as business. I consider it as a medium to change the fate of Punjab that's why I am able to stand with dignity," Sidhu said.Slamming Arvind Kejriwal, Navjot Singh Sidhu said the Delhi chief minister tried to fool the people but failed as the people of Punjab are intelligent."Kejriwal lost as his motives was selfish. He tried to troll us on social media by hired 'pappus'," Navjot Singh Sidhu said.Sidhu's margin of votes is nearly six times higher compared to his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu's 2012 win on the same seat during the state's previous Assembly elections. Amritsar East constituency was once of the most watched constituency this time as Sidhu not only made the contest triangular but also faced BJP, which had a stronghold in Amritsar district.

Mansha Mahajan

23 Jul 2017,Sunday

Case against Mastercard on overcharging 4.5cr people blocked

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/jul/21/uk-court-blocks-14bn-class-action-case-against-mastercard?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

A £14 billion (?1.17 lakh crore) class-action lawsuit against Mastercard, for allegedly overcharging over 4.5 crore people in Britain over a 16-year period, was blocked by a court. The tribunal found no individual could receive compensation equal to the loss actually suffered. Had it been allowed, the case would have been the largest and most complex in British legal history.

A £14bn class-action lawsuit against MasterCard for allegedly overcharging more than 45 million people in Britain over a 16-year period was blocked by a British court on Friday. The competition appeal tribunal (CAT), a newly empowered court that oversees Britain?s fledgling class action regime, ruled that it would not grant the necessary collective proceedings order for the case to continue to trial. Had it been allowed to proceed, the case would have been the largest and most complex in British legal history and would have tested the limits of the new Consumer Rights Act, which introduced US-style ?opt-out? collective class actions for breaches of UK or European Union competition law in 2015. MasterCard welcomed the judgment, saying the claim was ?completely unsuitable? to be brought under the collective action regime.A law firm, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, launched the case on behalf of adults in Britain after MasterCard lost a drawn-out appeal against a 2007 European commission decision that ruled its fees were anti-competitive. The case centred on so-called interchange fees, the charges levied by credit and debit card companies such as MasterCard on merchants? banks, which card companies say cover the costs of operating card services, security and innovation. It alleged these fees were a significant cost for retailers and were passed on through increased prices of goods and services to all UK consumers, including those who paid in cash and not just MasterCard holders. London-based Walter Merricks, a lawyer who once led the Financial Ombudsman Service group that handles consumer disputes with banks and who is the representative named on the proposed action, said he was considering an appeal with his advisers. ?The new collective action regime was introduced by the Consumer Rights Act to overcome the difficulty for consumers seeking to recover losses from competition law infringements,? he said. ?I am concerned that this new regime, designed to benefit consumers, may never get off the ground.? He added that concerns cited by the tribunal, which included the difficulties in providing evidence that MasterCard fees were passed on to consumers and in precisely calculating individual losses for so many consumers, could have been overcome. The planned lawsuit had been dubbed by one lawyer the ?perfect exam question? for Britain?s CAT, nominated in 2015 to oversees the country?s maiden ?opt-out? class action lawsuits in antitrust cases. Under the regime, UK-based members of a defined group are automatically bound into legal action unless they opt out. Critics say such regimes encourage claims without merit. But others argue they are designed to offer a more effective and economic route to compensation for UK-based consumers and businesses that fall victim to anti-competitive conduct and saves on hefty advertising costs to rally a large group together.The high court ruled in January that MasterCard had charged interchange fees at a lawful level and without restricting competition in a similar dispute with retailers.

Aarushi Maheshwari

15 Jun 2017,Thursday

Man who lost 150 elections files nomination for Prez poll

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/presidential-election-elections-candidates-election-commission-election-king-manmohan-singh-pranab-mukherjee/1/979068.html

A man from Tamil Nadu who features in the Limca Book of Records for being the "most unsuccessful candidate" after losing over 150 elections has filed his nomination for the Presidential elections. "Election King" K Padmarajan has contested against Pranab Mukherjee and Manmohan Singh. Padmarajan has previously said he wishes to retain his "most unsuccessful candidate" title.

Six candidates filed their papers for the presidential election on the first day of nominations, officials said on Wednesday.Earlier in the day, the Election Commission issued notification for the presidential poll, setting the ball in motion for the July 17 election to the country's highest constitutional post. Those who filed nominations on Wednesday include K. Padmarajan from Salem in Tamil Nadu, who has earned the moniker of 'Election King' by contesting more than 150 elections.His name figures in the Limca Book of Records for being the "most unsuccessful candidate". Earlier, Padmarajan has contested against political bigwigs like J. Jayalalithaa, M. Karunanidhi, A.K. Anthony, P.V. Narasimha Rao, K.R. Narayanan, S.M. Krishna, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (in Rajya Sabha polls) and President Pranab Mukherjee in the presidential election.Others who filed their nominations were Anand Singh Kushwaha from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, A. Bala Raj from Mahbubnagar in Telangana, Saira Bano Patel from Mumbai, Abdul Hamid Patel from Mumbai, and Kondekar Vijayprakash from Pune in Maharashtra. Lok Sabha Secretary General Anoop Mishra, the Returning Officer for the election, issued the notification that the nomination papers may be delivered by a candidate or any of their proposers/seconders not later than June 28.Voting will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 17 at places fixed under the rules.The vote count will be on July 20, four days before incumbent Pranab Mukherjee's term ends on July 24. The new President is set to assume office the following day.Also Read:Presidential election 2017: Will it be Gopalkrishna Gandhi vs NDA candidate? Who will be India's next President? Election Commission begins process

Chhavi Tyagi

29 Apr 2017,Saturday

Sisodia claims Twitter hack after anti-Anna tweets appear

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/delhi-aap-deputy-cm-manish-sisodias-twitter-hacked-anti-anna-hazare-message-retweeted/1/941335.html

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday claimed that his Twitter account was hacked after anti-Hazare messages were retweeted from his account. "Someone retweeting anti-Anna Hazare messages from account. Trying to delete them, not even getting deleted," he said. "Pls don't believe them. I have greatest respect for Annaji. Can never say such things against him," he added.

Delhi deputy chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia today said his Twitter account was hacked after anti-Hazare messages were retweeted from his account.He said somebody else was retweeting from his Twitter handle.One such anti-Hazare message retweeted from his account read: "No doubt he (Anna Hazare) has taken all of us for a ride: now I strongly feel that he is an agent of BJP". My account hacked. Someone retweeting anti Anna Hazare messages from account. Trying to delete them, not even getting deleted. 1/NPls don't believe them. I have greatest respect for Anna ji. Can never say such things against him. Pls don't believe them. 2/N"People gave him a mandate and he got an opportunity to turn Delhi into a model state for the entire country to replicate. But power is bad. Once you sit in the chair, you lose your power of thinking," Hazare had said.

Chhavi Tyagi

20 May 2017,Saturday

Kulbhushan bigger terrorist than Kasab: Pervez Musharraf

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/pervez-musharraf-kulbhushan-jadhav-bigger-terrorist-than-ajmal-kasab/1/958567.html

Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said that India's Kulbhushan Jadhav is a bigger terrorist than Ajmal Kasab, who was executed by India for 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Claiming that Kasab was just a 'pawn', Musharraf added, "I don't even know how many people's deaths Jadhav is responsible for." He further said that India did wrong to approach the ICJ.

Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Friday said that Kulbhushan Jadhav is a bigger terrorist than Ajmal Kasab, one of the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, in which more than 150 people were killed. Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court in April this year on charges of espionage. Pakistan alleges that Jadhav is a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent and is responsible for fomenting unrest in Balochistan, the troubled Pakistani region where Islamabad has long accused RAW of promoting terrorism.In an interview to Pakistan's ARY News, Musharraf drew parallels between Jadhav and Kasab, who was hanged to death in India for his role in the Mumbai attacks. Musharraf said Kasab was just a "pawn" while Jadhav is responsible for getting "dozens of people" to carry out terrorist activities. "Who is a bigger culprit (between Jadhav and Kasab)," Musharraf rhetorically asked, before saying, "Obviously it is Jadhav." "I don't even know how many people's deaths Jadhav is responsible for," Musharraf added.The former Pakistani army chief also slammed his country for appearing in the International Court of Justice, which this week put a stay on Jadhav's death sentence. "It was wrong that India went to the ICJ," Musharraf said, adding, "Pakistan should not have gone (to the ICJ". Issues of espionage and sabotage are Pakistan's internal matters, Musharraf added, saying no one has the authority to advise his country on these issues. He also went on to indicate that world bodies like the United Nations and the International Court of Justice don't have any real power. Directives issued by these world bodies are ignored by some countries, Musharraf said when asked whether Pakistan could have realistically avoided sending a team to the ICJ to defend against India's claim. Musharraf went on to cite the example of the United States executing two German nationals in 1999 despite an ICJ provisional ruling putting a stay on the death penalty awarded to the two. THE KULBHUSHAN JADHAV ISSUE In April this year, Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa confirmed the death sentence handed to Kulbhushan Jadhav, accused of spying.India, which slammed Jadhav's trial as 'farcical', said that Jadhav is not a spy and that he is a former Indian Navy officer-turned businessman who was kidnapped in Iran and taken to Pakistan. Contending that Islamabad had violated the Vienna Convention by not providing New Delhi consular access to Jadhav, India filed a petition at The Hague, Netherlands-based ICJ. This week, the World Court, allowing India's plea, asked Pakistan not to execute Jadhav until the ICJ has had the time to hear the matter in full and arrive at a final verdict.ALSO READ: How Pakistani media reported ICJ stay on Kulbhushan Jadhav's death sentence

Dishant Sharma

30 Jul 2017,Sunday

Indian boxers claim five gold medals at Czech Grand Prix

http://www.hindustantimes.com/other-sports/shiva-thapa-manoj-kumar-strike-gold-at-czech-republic-boxing-tournament/story-H2WySLJMe5tjCBDi3FMamO.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

The Indian boxing contingent at the 48th Grand Prix Usti Nad Labem in the Czech Republic claimed five gold medals, two silver and one bronze medal at the event. Among the gold medal winners were World Championships bronze-medallist Shiva Thapa and former Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Manoj Kumar. The World Boxing Championships are scheduled from August 25 to September 2.

Indian boxers packed quite a heavy punch at the 48th Grand Prix Usti Nad Labem, clinching five gold, two silver and one bronze medal at the event in the Czech Republic.World Championships bronze-medallist Shiva Thapa (60kg), former Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Manoj Kumar (69kg), Amit Phangal (52kg), Gaurav Bidhuri (56kg) and Satish Kumar (+91kg) claimed gold medals after winning their respective summit clashes.Kavinder Bisht (52kg) and Manish Panwar (81kg), on the other hand, settled for silver medals. Earlier, Sumit Sangwan (91kg) had claimed a bronze after going down in the semifinals.READ?|?Hungarian GP: Sebastian Vettel grabs pole in Ferrari front-row lock outAmit and Kavinder opened the proceedings for the country in an all-Indian final. Of the two, Amit is a light flyweight (49kg) boxer but competed in the flyweight division in this event. He defeated Kavinder 3-2 to claim the top position.Next up was Gaurav against Poland?s Iwanow Jaroslaw and the Indian had no trouble notching up a 5-0 win.Shiva, who recently won a silver medal at the Asian Championships, also clinched a dominant 5-0 victory over Slovakia?s Filip Meszaros to record another morale-boosting triumph ahead of next month?s World Championships in Hamburg, Germany.Another Hamburg-bound boxer, Manoj, too claimed a 5-0 verdict against local favourite David Kotrc. However, Satish Kumar had to stave off a stiff challenge from German Max Keller for his gold.READ?|?India pip Kazakhstan to win FIBA Women?s Asia Cup Division B, rise to Division AManish, on the other hand, lost to Germany?s Ibragim Bazuev to settle for a silver medal.The tournament marked the end of a fortnight-long training-cum-competition trip for the Indian boxers ahead of the world showpiece scheduled from August 25 to September 2.Of the boxers competing in this tournament, Amit, Kavinder, Gaurav, Shiva, Manoj, Sumit and Satish will be competing in the World Championships.The eighth Indian boxer in the fray at Hamburg will be Vikas Krishan (75kg) but he did not accompany the team on this trip, preferring to train in Pune.

Saloni Tandon

06 Jun 2017,Tuesday

Delhi govt asks power suppliers to send SMSes before outage

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/arvind-kejriwal-delhi-heatwave-power-cuts-discoms/1/972270.html

Delhi government has told power distribution companies to inform people of unscheduled power cuts via SMS, besides increasing the number of call centre attendants for complaints. Deputy CM Manish Sisodia added that information about scheduled power cuts should be given on distributers' websites. The government is also planning to ask distributors to compensate people for outages over two hours.

With the mercury hitting the roof and the power demand soaring in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met the chief secretary and directed him to ask discoms to inform Delhiites about unscheduled power cuts through SMS.Arvind Kejriwal also wants the discoms to increase the staff at call centres handling public complaints and list scheduled power cuts on their websites.Discoms have also been directed to put up hoarding across the city displaying their complaint numbers for the benefit of power consumers.Discoms have been asked to mend the faults in the supply line if there is any and ensure a continuous supply. MORE HELP AT HANDAddressing a press conference, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced a series of steps the discoms have been asked to take which would give relief to Delhiites."Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, after analysing the power demand situation of past few days, has given directions to his chief secretary to ask all three discoms to increase the number of seats in their call centres," Manish Sisodia said.Among other steps, the power department has been asked to record, transcribe and analyse each complaint call for public satisfaction. Kejriwal has also asked for a daily report on unscheduled power cuts for the previous day.COMPENSATE CONSUMERSIn a significant measure, Manish Sisodia also talked of reviving an aborted clause in the Delhi Electricity Act which required discoms to pay compensation to the consumers for power-cuts exceeding two hours."The court had shot it down earlier, saying that we did not have approval of the Lt. Governor... I am meeting him (LG) tomorrow (Wednesday) and would talk to him about bringing it in practice," Sisodia said.With the capacity of producing 8,000 MW, Delhi has no shortage of power, Manish Sisodia assured, and said the national capital is only second to Mumbai in terms of sustained supply of electricity. (with inputs from IANS)ALSO READ:Heat wave kills 10 in Uttar Pradesh; simmering Delhi looks forward to rain, thunderstorm: 10 facts

Aarushi Maheshwari

25 Apr 2017,Tuesday

Aamir Khan attends first award show in 15 years

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/aamir-khan-dinanath-mangeshkar-award-dangal-lift-ban/1/937476.html

Aamir Khan attended his first award show in 15 years on Monday, after receiving a special invite for the Master Dinanath Mangeshkar Awards from Lata Mangeshkar. He was presented Vishesh Puraskar for 'Dangal' by RSS Chief Mohan Madhukar Bhagwat. Aamir said, "I want to thank Lata Didi, the Dinanath trust, and their entire family, for bestowing us... with this honour."

Actor Aamir Khan, who is known to give award functions a miss for the past 15 years (he last attended the Oscars where his production Lagaan was nominated in the Foreign Film category), made an exception on Monday evening when he was honoured at the 75th Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Award. In the presence of the legendary songstress Lata Mangeshkar, Aamir Khan was presented the prestigious Vishesh Puraskar for his film Dangal, by Mohan Madhukar Bhagwat, the current Chief, of the Hindu nationalist organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). "It's a huge respect that we've got, Nitesh Tewari - the director of Dangal and me", said Aamir at the ceremony, in Mumbai. "I want to thank Lata Didi, the Dinanath trust, and their entire family, for bestowing us and our film with this honour. A film starts with a writer, and the respect that we've got across the nation is all thanks to Nitesh's hardwork. I have achieved success and immense love from all my fans, thanks to those writers and directors who've written and made my films. I accept this on behalf of my whole team," he added. Apart from Aamir, Kapil Dev was honoured for his outstanding contribution to Indian cricket and yesteryear actress Vyjayanthimala Bali, was conferred with the Master Deenanath Vishesh Puraskar for her achievements in Indian cinema. The Master Deenananth Mangeshkar Awards are held in memory of Lata Mangeshkar's father - a well-known Marathi theatre actor, a renowned Natya Sangeet musician and a Hindustani classical vocalist.(Photos: Yogen Shah)

Dishant Sharma

18 Jul 2017,Tuesday

Bharat Arun appointed Team India's bowling coach

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bharat-arun-team-india-bowling-coach-ravi-shastri-head-coach/1/1004791.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

The BCCI on Tuesday named former Indian cricketer Bharat Arun as the Indian cricket team's bowling coach. Arun, who was Indian coach Ravi Shastri's teammate from their Under-19 days, had previously served in the same capacity during Shastri's tenure as team director from 2014 to 2016. Notably, Sanjay Bangar and R Sridhar will remain the batting and fielding coach respectively.

Bharat Arun has made a comeback into the Indian dressing room as he has been appointed bowling coach by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday.The unnamed BCCI committee comprising acting president CK Khanna, acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary and CoA member Diana Edulji met at the board headquarters in Mumbai.WATCH VIDEOSanjay Bangar and R Sridhar will remain the assistant and fielding coach respectively. All appointments have been made for a two year term.Arun has been handed a full-time role as bowling consultant Zaheer Khan will only be available for 150 days a year."I was very clear in my mind what my core team would be and you have just heard that," Shastri said after Choudhary announced the appointment in a press conference.His appointment marks a complete u-turn for the BCCI, which had named Zaheer as bowling consultant initially before clarifying that it was for specific overseas tours.There is also, no clarity on Rahul Dravid's position as batting consultant either."All depends on their availability, it depends on individuals, the number of days they want to give but their inputs will be invaluable and they are most welcome," was Shastri's cryptic response on queries regarding Zaheer and Dravid. The 54-year-old had previously served in the same capacity during Shastri's tenure as team director from 2014 to 2016. The former India bowler was also Shastri's teammate from their Under-19 and India days.Shastri, who was in London when his appointment was announced, also thanked the Cricket Advisory Committee -- comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman -- for picking him for the high-profile job."I would like to thank the CAC because it is a privilege and honour to be India's coach. And I would like to thank the CAC for considering me worthy enough for the job," he said. 

Abhishek Bansal

30 May 2017,Tuesday

64% students fail in Class 12 Bihar board exams

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bihar-board-declares-class-12-result-pass-percentage-comes-down-tremendously/1/966277.html

Nearly 64% of the 12 lakh Class 12 students of the Bihar board have failed in this year's examinations after its results were declared on Tuesday. In the Science stream, 69% students failed while 25% students failed in the Commerce stream. The officials said the pass percentage has come down as several steps were taken to stop cheating and malpractices.

Call it the impact of the infamous topper scam which last year exposed how students appearing in the Bihar Board became fake toppers by paying huge amount of money, 64 per cent of the Class 12 students of the Bihar Board have failed in this year's examinations, the results of which was declared today."This year the pass percentage has gone down as we had put in place stringent process right from filling the examination forms till evaluation. We depended completely on technology and tried to plug any kind of loopholes. Bar coding of answer sheets was used, many other measures were taken to ensure free and fair exams," said Anand Kishore, Chairman of Bihar School Examination Board.Of the total 1240168 students who appeared in the Class 12 examination Science, Commerce and Arts stream together, 794622 students failed to clear the examination meaning 64.07 per cent students failed in the exams. In the Science stream, 646231 students sat for the exams and 449280 students failed (69.52 per cent). In the Commerce stream, 60022 students appeared for the exams and 15004 failed (25 per cent). In the Arts stream, 533915 students gave the exams and 330338 failed (61.87 per cent).The results clearly shows that how the Bihar School Examination Board tightened the screw this year resulting in large number of students failing in the exams. When compared to past years, in the Science stream, the pass percentage was 89.32 per cent in 2015 and 67.06 per cent in 2016 but dropped to 30.11 per cent this year.In the Commerce stream, the pass percentage was 90.55 per cent in 2015 and 80.87 per cent in 2016 but dropped to 73.76 per cent this year.In the Arts stream, the pass percentage was 56 per cent but dropped to 37.13 per cent this year.Kushboo Kumari from Simultala School in Jamui topped in the Science stream securing 431 marks out of 500 (86.2per cent). Priyanshu Jaiswal from College of Commerce topped in the Commerce stream securing 408 marks out of 500 (81.6 per cent). Ganesh Kumar from Samastipur topped in the Arts stream securing 413 marks out of 500 (82.6 per cent).Chairman, BSEB told India Today that this year they got the answer sheet of toppers from all the three streams re-evaluated and reviewed by a committee before arriving at the final list of toppers."Those who have been declared toppers, we have reviewed their results by a special committee. After we were satisfied thoroughly, then only we declared the results today," said Anand Kishore.This year, the board is distributing cash prize and gadgets to the top five rank holders. Cash prizes to be distributed to the toppers:The top five rank holders will also receive laptops. Also Read: Bihar Board BSEB Class 12 Intermediate Results 2017 declared at biharboard.ac.in, topper to get Rs 1 lakh, laptop, e-book reader  CBSE Board Class 12 results declared at cbse.nic.in: Raksha Gopal of Amity International School in Noida tops with 99.6 per cent

Chhavi Tyagi

04 Mar 2017,Saturday

Two Muslim women divorced over WhatsApp by US-based husbands

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/triple-talaq-hyderabad-whatsapp/1/896799.html

As per reports, two women living in Hyderabad were divorced by their respective US-based husbands over instant messaging mobile application WhatsApp. The women have lodged a police complaint in Hyderabad against their husbands, who are brothers. "Sharia law lets you divorce me, but who is going to look after our children? They have made marriage a joke," the women said.

Two divorces in a Hyderabad family have ignited the debate over triple talaq. Two women living in Hyderabad were divorced over WhatsApp by their respective husbands.The husbands are brothers, who decided to divorce their wives one after another over the mobile chatting app.Heena Fatima was divorced by her husband Syed Fayazuddin Hussain in a few weeks ago. They had married in February, 2013. Four years later Hussaini, who lives in the US sent three words over WhatsApp - Talaq, Talaq, Talaq - and completed the process of divorce. Later, he also sent the divorce papers from the US.In the second case, Mehreen Noor, married to Hussaini's brother Mohammad Abdul Aqeel, was divorced by her husband over WhatsApp. Mehreen received a WhatsApp message from Akheel that she had been divorced.WOMEN SEEK JUSTICEHaving been divorced unilaterally and without seeking consent, Heena and Mehreen have decided to fight back. Heena has been quoted in reports as saying, "Sharia law lets you divorce me, but who is going to look after our children? Doesn't Sharia law ask of you to take care of your children?"On the other hand, Mehreen said that she was not even sure about the name of her husband at the time of their wedding. She has been quoted as saying, "I found out after marriage that my husband's real name is Usman Qureshi. Now, without citing any reason, he has sent me divorce.""They (the two brothers) have made marriage a joke," said Mehreen.Heena and Mehreen have lodged police complaint in Hyderabad.

Chhavi Tyagi

13 Jul 2017,Thursday

Bomb threat call at Mumbai's Churchgate station turns hoax

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/mumbai-bomb-threat-call-churchgate-station/1/1001125.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

An unverified call, received by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) on Thursday, warning about a bomb in Mumbai's Churchgate station turned out to be a hoax. Notably, it is the sixth anniversary of the triple blasts at Zaveri Bazar, Opera House and Dadar which left 26 people dead. The police are working to trace the person who telephoned the RPF.

An unverified call warning about bomb planted in Mumbai's Churchgate station today prompted an immediate search operation by the local police. It later turned out to be a hoax, officials said.The Railway Protection Force (RPF) control room received an anonymous call around 11 am. The information was conveyed to Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), Crime Branch. Local police and a team of Mumbai ATS immediately sprung into action.A dog squad was also called and investigation is underway.According to police, it was a hoax call. A thorough search of the Churchgate station revealed nothing though there was brief panic reaction among the commuters.It is the sixth anniversary of the triple blasts at Zaveri Bazar, Opera House and Dadar today, which left 26 people dead and over a 100 injured.Police are making efforts to trace the person who telephoned the RPF. -With inputs from Saurabh Vaktania, Mayuresh Ganapatye and Mustafa Shaikh

Chhavi Tyagi

12 May 2017,Friday

Clinics charging ?1 come up at 14 railway stations in Mumbai

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/one-rupee-clinics-mumbai-railway-stations-magicdil-health-for-all-central-railway/1/952195.html

The Central Railway in collaboration with a private organisation has established 24X7 'One Rupee Clinics' at 14 different stations in Mumbai, Maharashtra, that will charge ?1 to provide medical services. The clinics have been set up after the Bombay High Court ordered the Railways to do so citing lack of prompt medical help in case of accidents on railway tracks.

To help its commuters in case of medical emergency, Central Railway along with 'Magicdil' have established 24X7 'One Rupee Clinics' at 14 different stations. These clinics will be providing timely medical assistance to rail accident victims as well as commoners at a token charge of Re 1.After PIL filed in Bombay HC in March by rail activist Samir Zaveri on the issue of lack of prompt medical help in case of accidents on railway tracks, the Bombay High Court ordered the Railways to set up EMRs at all stations on the Central and Western Line in a phased manner.The five EMRs have been set up at Dadar, Kurla, Wadala, Mulund and Ghatkopar stations, in association with city-based medical firm Magicdil Health For All Pvt Ltd. While choosing the station to establish 'One Rupee Clinic', Magicdil asked for data from railway authority regarding where most number of accidents take place and which are the most crowded stations."We wanted to provide affordable Medical service to common people. We came to know about railway plan to start such scheme thus we offered them our plan and idea. Railways had helped us with the infrastructure to build these clinics," said Rahul Ghule of Magicdil.

Rini Sinha

17 Jul 2017,Monday

Jodie becomes first woman to play lead role in Doctor Who

http://www.hindustantimes.com/tv/jodie-whittaker-to-be-the-first-woman-in-54-years-to-play-the-time-lord-in-doctor-who/story-6IthnVK95XBjQe4K1TvQkJ.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Actress Jodie Whittaker will portray the Doctor in the thirteenth season of the BBC television series Doctor Who. This will be the first time the role will be played by a woman in 54 years of the show's history. Whittaker said it was "completely overwhelming" to play the role and she wanted fans to not be "scared" by her gender.

Finally, the big moment for Doctor Who fans has arrived. The identity of the 13th Time Lord has been revealed, and it?s a big surprise.For the first time in 54 years, the role is going to be played by a woman. Meet the Thirteenth Doctor #DoctorWho #Doctor13 pic.twitter.com/wycdcneZ7o? BBC One (@BBCOne) July 16, 201734-year-old English actor Jodie Whittaker, who impressed everyone with her act in shows like Broadchurch and Adult Life Skills, is going to save the humanity from dangers beyond our world.?I always knew I wanted the Thirteenth Doctor to be a woman and we?re thrilled to have secured our number one choice. Her audition for The Doctor simply blew us all away. Jodie is an in-demand, funny, inspiring, super-smart force of nature and will bring loads of wit, strength and warmth to the role,? said Chris Chibnall, the show?s new Head Writer and Executive Producer.Whittaker said it was ?completely overwhelming? to be taking on the role and she wanted to tell fans of the series ?not to be scared? by her gender. ?As an actor, as a human, as someone who wants to continually push themselves and challenge themselves, and not be boxed in by what you?re told you can and can?t be. It feels incredible,? she said.?This is a really exciting time, and Doctor Who represents everything that?s exciting about change. The fans have lived through so many changes, and this is only a new, different one, not a fearful one,? she added.The Doctor, who travels through time in what from the outside appears to be a blue police telephone box, has the ability to regenerate, allowing a number of actors to play the role since the series was first broadcast in 1963.For the uninitiated, the BBC series that was first aired in 1963, is about an extraterrestrial being from a planet called Gallifrey. Technologically efficient, the Time Lord keeps a watch on the world from his, her in Jodie?s case, spaceship named Tardis.Peter Capaldi?s, who played the 12th Time Lord, successor was declared after the Wimbledon Men?s Finale.The airing date of the next season hasn?t been announced yet.(With Reuters inputs)

Sanira Mediratta

06 Jan 2017,Friday

AR Rahman has a street named after him in Canada

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/a-street-in-canada-gets-named-after-a-r-rahman/1/321899.htmlhttps://www.facebook.com/SuperHeavy/

Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman has a street named after him in the city of Markham in Ontario, Canada. The street was named 'Allah-Rakha Rahman st' in November 2013. The composer, who is often referred to as the 'Mozart of Madras', celebrated his 50th birthday on January 6, 2017.

Chhavi Tyagi

26 Jul 2017,Wednesday

Privacy doesn't have status of fundamental right: Govt to SC

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/privacy-fundamental-right-centre-supreme-court/1/1011188.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Attorney General KK Venugopal on behalf of the Centre said in the Supreme Court, "Privacy is part of Right to Life, but does not enjoy the status of a fundamental right." He added, "Since right to privacy consists of diverse aspects and it is a sub-specie of liberty, every aspect of the sub-species will not qualify as a fundamental right."

Arguing in the right to privacy case before the nine-judge Constitution bench in Supreme Court today, Attorney General K K Venugopal said that privacy does not enjoy the status of a fundamental right. "Privacy is part of Right to Life under Article 21, but does not enjoy the status of a fundamental right," said AG Venugopal on behalf of the Centre. The debate on privacy as a fundamental right is a part of the larger debate on Aadhaar and if the scheme violates one's right to privacy.The Centre has earlier said that petitions challenging the validity of Aadhaar over violation of privacy cannot be entertained under Article 21. ATTORNEY GENERAL MOUNTS DEFENCEArguing for the Centre, AG Venugopal said that framers of the Constitution intentionally omitted mention of privacy as a fundamental right. There are several aspects to Right to Life such as right to food, shelter and employment but everything does not enjoy the status of a fundamental right, said K K Venugopal in the Supreme Court today. The Attorney General said that there is no absolute Right to Life and deprivation of the right in certain instances is in-built in the Constitution. He said that while life and liberty are qualified rights under the Constitution but their every aspect is not a fundamental right and it cannot be elevated to that status. Petitioners want privacy on a whole to be declared as a fundamental right but it will have grave consequences, argued Attorney General Venugopal. He said that a World Bank report has identified Aadhaar as a great scheme for developing countries.THREE STATES SUPPORT PETITIONERSKapil Sibal, appearing for the states Karnataka, West Bengal and Puducherry, told the nine-judge bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khekar that the states support the petitioners on the argument that privacy is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution. Kapil Sibal said that while privacy is not mentioned in the Constitution of America and Australia but it is a fundamental right. WHAT HAVE THE PETITIONED SAIDSenior counsel Gopal Subramanium told the Supreme Court last Wednesday that the Preamble to the Constitution intrinsically guarantees the right. He said that liberty, which is fundamental to a democracy, cannot exist without privacy.Senior counsel Arvind Datar argued that right to privacy flows from Article 14 (Right to Equality), Article 19 (Freedom of Expression) and Article 21 (Right to Life). Arguing for privacy as a fundamental right, Dattar said that the court must not strictly lay the right to privacy under a single article. Former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee , appearing in support of privacy right, said that even if the Constitution did not "explicitly" provide this right, it could be deduced as had been done in the case of freedom of press.WHAT HAS THE COURT SAID SO FARWhile hearing the petitioners, the Supreme Court observed that right to privacy cannot be absolute and the state may have powers to put reasonable curbs. The nine-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice J S Khekar, comprises Justices J Chelameswar, S A Bobde, R K Agrawal, Rohinton Fali Nariman, Abhay Manohar Sapre, D Y Chandrachud, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and S Abdul Nazeer. "We live in an age of big data and the state is entitled to regulate the data whether it is for the purpose of regulating crime, taxation or other activities... Right to privacy cannot be so absolute that it prevents the state from legislating or regulating it," the Constitution bench said.The Supreme Court also observed that ignorance of citizens on how personal data furnished by them was being used could not be the basis for not testing the validity of a law, in this case the Aadhaar Act.(With inputs from Anusha Soni and agencies) ALSO READ:Aadhaar vs WhatsApp: How privacy changes meaning for government in different cases

Radhika Chugh

30 Jul 2017,Sunday

Fatwa against Muslim minister for chanting 'Jai Shri Ram'

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/fatwa-issued-against-muslim-minister-in-bihar-for-chanting-jai-shri-ram/story-1OQuYhtPhLMtTlZE411VJI.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

A fatwa directing termination of his marriage was issued against JD(U) minister Khurshid Ahmad for chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' outside the Bihar Assembly after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar won the trust vote. The minister initially stood by his actions and said, "Islam teaches respect for all religions." He later apologised for his actions after a meeting with Nitish Kumar.

A Muslim cleric on Sunday issued a ?fatwa? against newly appointed Bihar minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Khurshid alias Firoz Ahmad for chanting Jai Shri Ram, saying his marriage would be terminated for his ?mistake?.An MLA from Sikta in West Champaran, Ahmad shouted the slogan, normally associated with BJP supporters, outside the Bihar assembly on Friday after chief minister Nitish Kumar won the trust vote he faced after breaking ties with the RJD-Congress alliance and joining hands with the BJP.The fatwa, or a decree, against the only Muslim minister in Kumar?s new cabinet was issued by Mufti Sohail Quasmi of Imarat Shariah, which describes itself as a socio-religious organisation active in Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha.?Islam teaches respect for all religions. If by saying Jai Shri Ram I can do some good for the Muslims, why is there such a hue and cry,? Ahmad, who has been given charge of minority welfare and sugarcane industries, told mediapersons.He would not be cowed down by such threats, he said.The minister later apologised for his statement, while talking to a TV channel.?The CM told me if anybody felt hurt by my statement, I should apologise. My intention was not to hurt anyone. I have come to serve the people. My statement was distorted,? he told the channel after coming out of a review meeting of the minority welfare department with chief minister Nitish Kumar.However, his phone was switched off when HT tried to contact himUpset over the slogan hailing Hindu god Ram, Quasmi said Ahmad?s marriage would be terminated and he would have to perform the nikah again after accepting his ?mistake?.Imarat Shariah general secretary Anisurrehman said the organisation had not issued a fatwa but it could be a personal opinion of Quasmi.?I have not talked to him. I will try to find out what made him speak like this,? he said.HT tried to reach Quasmi for comments but his phone was switched off.?A Muslim is honest to his conscience. What wrong have I done? I have not divorced my wife. I don?t know how the fatwa was issued and for what,? said the minister.The BJP came out in his defence. ?Any fatwa on such issues is against the spirit and rich tradition of India, which has always epitomised diversity and respect for each other?s religion,? Bihar BJP spokesman Azfar Shamshi said.Ahmad had taken forward the Indian tradition while the fatwa was against it. ?The days are gone when Muslims were waylaid on sentimental issues. Now, they want solutions to their core issues,? he said.Maryada Purushottam Ram was known as Imam-e-Hind (an ideal person), he said, adding Indonesia, which has the world?s highest number of Muslims, had named its national carrier named Garuda while several building were named Ramayan.In Hindu mythology, Garuda is the mount of Lord Vishnu. Ram is an incarnation of Vishnu.?It is the spirit of Ram that is important and there is no need to fan sentiments,? Shamshi said.India has always been as a country of Ram and Raheem and there should not be any effort to create a divide, JD-U spokesman Neeraj Kumar said.?Gandhi ji talked of Ram and Raheem in the same breath. Former president APJ Abdul Kalam observed both Ramazan and Navratra. Ahmad has just reflected the ?Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb of the country,? he said.As part of the so-called grand alliance, Nitish Kumar had worked hard to woo the Muslim community and his decision to join hands with the BJP is unlikely to go down well it.His decision to go with the RJD and the Congress to oppose the ?communal agenda? of the BJP saw the minority community support him in 2015 state election. Kumar had betrayed people of Bihar and joined hands with communal forces, his former allies have said.

Shubhodeep Datta

25 Apr 2017,Tuesday

Delhi's iconic 'Hall of Nations' building demolished

http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/delhi-pragati-maidan-s-hall-of-nations-demolished-triggers-outrage/story-MBN29qKNgeXJ1PbCFb4pgO.html

Five buildings at Pragati Maidan, including the iconic 45-year-old 'Hall of Nations', were demolished on Sunday night after their architect Raj Rewal lost a case in Delhi High Court. The buildings were commissioned in 1972 and the architect claimed that they were the world's first pillar-less concrete frame structures. A ?2,254-crore world-class exhibition centre is expected to replace them.

About half a dozen bulldozers worked overnight on Sunday at Pragati Maidan to pull down five iconic buildings ? Hall of Nations and Industry. Next to come under the hammer is Nehru Pavilion. Indian trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) razed the structures two days after their architect Raj Rewal lost the case in Delhi high court on April 20. Conservationists are perplexed as the demolition took place as one petition by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) to save these structures is still being heard in the same court with next hearing slated for May 1.ITPO is setting up a world-class Integrated Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC) with project value of Rs2,254 crore. The complex will have hotel, mall/multi-level food court, water bodies display, helipad and other tourist attractions.Read more:Pragati Maidan makeover mired in legal trouble, could miss deadlineThe five structures ? one of Hall of Nations and four of Hall of Industries ? were commissioned in 1972 and the architect claims that these were the world?s first pillar less concrete frame structures. AGK Menon, former convener, Delhi Chapter INTACH said, ?It?s all over now. As the ITPO did not wait for the court to pronounce its decision, we have lost all hope. Hall of Nations was demolished quietly on Sunday night when the entire world slept. As these iconic buildings no more exist, we cannot move the apex court.? The Hall of Nations was the venue of Asia 1972 ? the third Asian International Trade Fair coinciding with the India?s silver jubilee year of Independence.The Hall of Nations was constructed in 1972. (Handout) In a joint statement by architect Raj Rewal, structural engineer Mahendra Raj, former convener of INTACH, Delhi Chapter AGK Menon and president, Indian Institute of Architects Divya Kush said, ?We consider the demolition of the Hall of Nations at Pragati Maidan an act of outrage. The case was being heard in the Delhi high court and the hearings were scheduled on April 27 and May 1, 2017.??In fact as an answer to our letter to the Prime Minister, the ministry of commerce indicated to us to find an amicable resolution with the trade fair authority. But obviously somebody in the ITPO had other motives,? the statement said. In a written statement, ITPO CMD LC Goyal said the execution of IECC requires dismantling of Hall No. 1 to 6, 14 to 20 and state pavilions, including Hall of Nations, Nehru Pavilion and Hall of Industry ? which he claimed are not classified as heritage buildings.?Earlier a PIL and two writ petitions filed by India Institute of Architects in Court of Delhi were dismissed. Presently, a writ petition filed by INTACH is pending in the high court of Delhi. The high court on April 20, 2017, has dismissed another writ petition filed by Raj Rewal seeking to declare and preserve Hall of Nations, Hall of Industry and Nehru Pavilion as work of art of national importance. An appeal has been filed against the dismissal, but there is no stay granted by the court in any of the writ petitions against demolition of structures envisaged in the re-development of Pragati Maidan,? Goyal said. Goyal said the Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC) has maintained that only those buildings which are at least 60 years old can be considered for inclusion in the heritage list.

Niharika Prabhakar

14 Jul 2017,Friday

Delhi traffic cops dupe truck drivers in name of GST

http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/5-delhi-traffic-cops-suspended-for-duping-truck-drivers-in-the-name-of-gst/story-OineGCuEAB3nynSiC1RwjI.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Five Delhi traffic policemen have been suspended for allegedly duping truck drivers at Delhi?s border points in the name of the recently implemented Goods and Services Tax (GST). The policemen were reportedly extorting money by asking the truck drivers to prove whether GST has been paid on the goods they were carrying, something they were not authorised to do.

Five traffic policemen have been suspended for duping truck drivers entering Delhi in the name of recently implemented Goods and Services Tax (GST). Narendra Singh Bundela, joint commissioner of police (traffic), said on Thursday that the five cops were caught taking bribes from the truckers over the past three days. He confirmed that departmental action has been initiated against the accused traffic cops. They were allegedly stopping truck drivers on Delhi?s border points and extorting money from them by asking them to prove whether GST has been paid on the goods that they were carrying or not. Bundela clarified that no traffic policeman was authorised to check GST receipts. He urged the people to immediately report such cases as ?many more similar complaints have been received?.?People should reach us on Twitter, Facebook, our helpline numbers, emails or whatever platform they find convenient. We have instructed the traffic DCPs of all regions to review the situation and conduct surprise checks,? said Bundela.An assistant sub-inspector, a head constable and three constables were among the suspended cops.A senior police officer said the action on such cases is being directly monitored by the police commissioner, Amulya Patnaik, and Ajay Kashyap, Special Commissioner (Traffic).The Goods and Services Tax was rolled out on July 1, ushering a new system of indirect taxes in the country. It is meant to boost growth and scrap local taxes that add to overhead costs and stymie businesses.The traffic police have also been receiving frequent complaints from the city?s traders. On Thursday, a group of traders representing Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) met Ajay Kashyap, Special CP (traffic), and demanded action.?Traders have been complaining that tempo and other commercial vehicles are being stopped by traffic policemen who are demanding to see the GST bills and invoices of the goods being transported. This is being used as an excuse to seek money from them,? said Brijesh Goyal, CTI convenor, adding the traffic police were not authorised to check the GST bills.

Tarun Khanna

19 May 2017,Friday

Harsh Vardhan given charge of Environment Ministry

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/harsh-vardhan-gets-additional-charge-of-environment/1/956782.html

Minister of Earth Sciences and Science and Technology, Harsh Vardhan, has been given additional charge of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) after the demise of Union Minister Anil Madhav Dave. Dave (60), who was given the charge of MoEF on 5 July 2016, passed away at his official residence on Thursday.

Dr Harsh Vardhan has been given the additional charge of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) after the death of Minister of State Anil Madhav Dave who held the portfolio under an independent charge. Dave was found dead at his official residence in New Delhi. His death came to light after his staff tried to wake him up at 7.30 am today morning. Dave was appointed as the Minister of State (MoS) with an independent charge of MoEF in the Narendra Modi government on 5 July, 2016. President Pranab Mukherjee, acting on the advice of PM Modi, gave Dr Harsh Vardhan the charge of MoEF today. "The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has directed that Dr Harsh Vardhan, Cabinet Minister shall be assigned the charge of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in addition to his exiting portfolios," a statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan read. Dr Harsh Vardhan, a senior minister in the Narendra Modi cabinet, holds the charge of the ministries of earth sciences and science and technology. For a brief period in 2014, Harsh Vardhan was the Health Minister in the Modi cabinet.DAVE'S DEATH CONDOLED President Pranab Mukherjee wrote to Abay Dave, brother of late Anil Madhav Dave, condoling the latter's death. "I am sad to learn about the sudden demise of your brother, Shri Anil Madhav Dave," the president said. "Shri Dave rendered commendable service to the nation as Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Environment," Mukherjee also said. "He made important contribution as member of various Parliamentary Committees during his 8 years as Rajya Sabha member. His tenure as Minister of State (IC), Ministry of Environment was distinguished by extensive efforts to conserve nature and protect environment", the president added. Ending the message, Mukherjee said, "Please accept my heartfelt condolences and convey the same to the members of your family. May you all have the strength to bear this irreparable loss with courage and fortitude".Dave's death was condoled by nearly all leading politicians and members of the government, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Dr Harsh Vardhan too posted a condolence message on Twitter, saying, "Feel sad abt demise of dear ministerial colleague Anil Madhav Dave today morning- was  a noble intellectual soul.May His Soul Rest In Peace (sic)."

Abhishek Bansal

24 Apr 2017,Monday

Clashes erupt in J&K as educational institutions reopen

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/jammu-and-kashmir-college-re-opens-students-started-pelting-stones/1/936649.html

Students in the Kashmir Valley clashed with security forces and resorted to stone pelting as colleges and universities reopened on Monday, officials said. Stone pelting by the students of a local college caused a blockade of one of the busiest roads in Srinagar, they added. The educational institutions had remained closed for a week following protests by the students.

As colleges and universities opened on Monday after a week in the Kashmir valley, students again clashed with security forces and resorted to stone pelting, officials said.Students of the SP College assembled on the Maulana Azad Road and started pelting stones on security forces causing blockade of one of the busiest roads in Srinagar.Police tried to prevent the students from blocking the road.Sporadic clashes continued as security forces tried to restore traffic on the highway.An official statement said all universities, colleges and higher secondary (Class 12 level) schools would open for academic activities in the valley on Monday.These educational institutions had remained closed for over a week following widespread protests by students after security forces entered a college in south Kashmir's Pulwama town on April 12.Over 50 students were injured after they protested against a temporary check-post outside the college by the security forces.The security forces attracted criticism after video clippings showing students being beaten inside the college premises by them, went viral on social networking sites.  Also Read: 

Mishika Bangia

31 Jul 2017,Monday

Govt to take action against corrupt officials from Aug 15

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/narendra-modi-government-corruption-vigilance-department-home-ministry/1/1014881.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

The Modi government is planning to launch a crackdown on corrupt officials reportedly from August 15. Letters have been dispatched to various departments and paramilitary forces to finalise the list of corrupt officials by August 5. The list will be sent to Central Bureau of Investigation and Central Vigilance Commission who will keep a close watch and recommend necessary actions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has time and again claimed that corruption has come down since he took charge and that providing graft-free rule is on top of his priority. Now, to further polish its taint-free image, the government is preparing a crackdown on corrupt officials.According to a government notification available exclusively with India Today, the vigilance department of each ministry has been asked to prepare a dossier of tainted and corrupt officials.WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: RULES TO PROBE CORRUPTION CASES AMENDED Changing an over 50-year-old rule, the government in June set a deadline of six months to complete probe in corruption cases involving its employeesThe decision has been taken to speed up the investigation in such cases, most of them pending for quiet a long timeThe Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has amended Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965, and decided time-line for critical stages of investigation and enquiry proceedings.The Inquiring Authority should conclude the inquiry and submit its report within a period of six months, says the amended rules.However, an extension for a period not exceeding six months at a time may be allowed for any good and sufficient reasons to be recorded in writing by the disciplinary authority, it saidEarlier, there was no time-frame to complete an enquiry.ALSO READ:India most corrupt nation in Asia, most Indians believe PM Modi is checking itJolt to PM Modi's crusade against corruption as CVC's portal crashes, data against corrupt officials deleted

Vani Vivek

06 Apr 2017,Thursday

Boeing, JetBlue back Indian-origin man's aircraft startup

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indian-origins-startup-attracts-investments-from-boeing/1/921703.html

Hybrid electric aircraft startup Zunum Aero, founded by Indian-origin entrepreneur Ashish Kumar, has received investments from aerospace companies Boeing and JetBlue. The startup intends to make regional aircrafts with space for 10 to 50 passengers for flights up to 1,600 km. "Our goal is to be part of a disruptive force rather than the one being disrupted," said JetBlue.

New York, Apr 6 (PTI) A hybrid electric aircraft startup founded by an Indian-origin entrepreneur has received investments from aerospace giants -- Boeing and JetBlue owing to its goal to develop alternative propulsion aircraft. Zunum Aero, founded by Ashish Kumar three years ago in Kirkland, Washington is working to develop a an electric hybrid aircraft with potential for performance and efficiency improvements in a range of aerospace applications. "I consider us very fortunate to have backers like JetBlue and Boeing," Kumar told the Business Insider. "We have been engaged with both companies for about a year, and both are as passionate as we are in this opportunity to reinvent regional air travel," Kumar said. The startup intends to use the financing to further develop its proposed regional aircrafts that hold 10 to 50 passengers for flights up to 1,000 miles. The jets primarily operate on battery power with an aviation diesel or turbine range-extending power generator available as backup, a report in Fortune said. Boeing said it made the investments in the startup through the ventures arm of a new group called Boeing HorizonX, an innovation cell focused on accelerating potentially transformative aerospace technologies, manufacturing innovations and emerging business models. Boeing HorizonX is partnering with JetBlue Technology Ventures to invest in Zunum Aero. "At JetBlue Technology Ventures, our goal is to be part of a disruptive force rather than the one being disrupted, and we seek new technologies that look to change the game," it said in a statement. "As a company that is also deeply committed to innovation in sustainable travel, we believe that Zunum and its quiet, environmentally friendly aircraft will light up a vast network of underutilised airports and reinvent regional travel," JetBlue said. In a statement, Boeing HorizonX vice president Steve Nordlund said Zunums hybrid electric technology was leading the way in the up-and-coming segment, according to the Business Insider report.

Aarushi Maheshwari

27 Jan 2017,Friday

Two students drown while taking selfies in Hyderabad

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/hyderabad-students-drown-selfie/1/867443.html

Two college students drowned in a water body while taking selfies in Hyderabad on Thursday, the police said. The police added that the two students, who were around 16 years of age, had been warned against entering the water but they ignored this advice. Apart from selfies, they were also taking pictures with a camera.

A fun trip of college students turned into a tragedy when two of them drowned in a water body while taking a selfie.The incident was reported under Rachkonda commissionerate on Thursday, where both the teenagers drowned in a water body near a crusher unit at Ghatkesar area of Hyderabad.Details so far: 1. According to the police, a group of five students went to the water body located near a stone quarry for photography on Thursday. 2. While others clicked pictures near the water, two of them G Avinash and PDS Charan, both aged around 16, entered into the water body to click a selfie when they drowned around afternoon.3. Both of them were inter first year students of Narayana Junior college, Ratnakar, Hyderabad. 4. "The security guards near the quarry had alerted the students and wanted them to not enter the water. 5. However, they ignored the  warning and went the other side and entered into the water body," said Ghatkesar Police Station Inspector, B Prakash.

Sumedha Sehra

21 Jul 2017,Friday

MLA's assets grow 2,406% in 5 yrs, calls it misunderstanding

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/mizoram-mla-s-assets-grow-2-406-in-5-years-he-calls-it-a-misunderstanding/story-mGYUwUYIZOWfzYNHxz2sJP.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

A Mizoram Congress MLA showed an increase of 2,406% in his assets after being the MLA for five years. In 2008, Lalrobiaka had shown his movable and immovable assets at ?5.81 lakh, while in 2013, he showed his assets at ?1.4 crore. The legislator called it a 'misunderstanding', saying he didn't include details of his ?1 crore residence in 2008.

Lalrobiaka, a Congress candidate for the 2008 assembly poll in Mizoram, in his affidavit filed before the Election Commission, put the value of his total movable and immovable assets at a little over Rs 5.81 lakh.In 2013, the 53-year-old Congress legislator from Dampa showed his total assets at Rs 1.40 crore ? an astounding increase of 2,406% ? in his five-year tenure as a member of the state legislative assembly.That?s the reason Lalrobiaka?s name is among nine MLAs of the ruling Congress mentioned in a complaint filed by the Mizoram unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party with the state anti-corruption bureau seeking a probe.Lalrobiaka, who has a garment supply business, attributes the sharp rise in his assets to ?some misunderstanding?.Besides Lalrobiaka, the report includes names of chief minister Lal Thanhawla, ministers John Rotluangliana and PC Lalthanliana and parliamentary secretaries H Khiangte and K Rinthanga.Legislators H Zothangliana, KS Thanga and Lalrinmawia Ralte also find mention in the complaint filed on Tuesday.?The BJP as well as the Mizo public would like to know how these people became very rich in such a short span,? Mizoram BJP unit president JV Hluna told Hindustan Times over phone.Between 2008 and 2013, chief minister Lal Thanhawla?s assets increased from Rs 2.22 crore to Rs 9.15 crore ? an increase of over 411%.?I became BJP president in 2016 and came to know these details only recently. Hence we decided to file a case with the ACB,? Hluna said about the delay in the BJP demanding an investigation.?We are not saying these MLAs are corrupt. But people should know where their wealth came from. We don?t have details, but am sure between 2013 and now, their assets have increased manifold,? he added.Mizoram is going to the polls next year and the BJP is hoping to dislodge the Congress government in the Christian-majority state to extend the party?s footprint in the northeast.Lalrobiaka says there was ?some misunderstanding? regarding the sharp rise of his total assets as shown in his affidavits in 2008 and 2013.?Earlier we were not very careful in our assessment. Hence the affidavit in 2008 doesn?t include details of my residence which alone is worth nearly Rs 1 crore. But in my 2013 affidavit, that detail is mentioned. Hence it shows an increase in my assets,? the legislator told HT.The BJP, however, rubbished the explanation, saying that as an elected representative Lalrobiaka shouldn?t have overlooked such an important detail and mentioned all his assets clearly - both in 2008 and 2013.

Sumedha Sehra

26 Jun 2017,Monday

Demands for disability certificates rise as admission nears

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/disability-act-school-admission-delhi/1/987408.html

Doctors at various hospitals have claimed that a large number of parents are demanding disability certificates for their children to get admission in schools. They added that in several cases, there is no disability. According to one doctor, parents even say that their child doesn't want to study Science, and request for an appropriate certificate.

With school and college admissions being the flavour of season, doctors of city's top government hospitals are battling a rush of people with requests for issuance of disability certificates.Demands for disability certificates by parents and students come shortly after the Union government revised the disability act and made it mandatory for government hospitals to issue a differently -abled certificate. Previous disability certificates issued by private doctors are invalid now.A large number of parents are approaching RML doctors. The psychiatry department at the central government hospital is flooded with demands for disability certificates for students.MISUSEIn several case, experts diagnosed students with disability certificates with no disability. "It is strange to find that even though the child is ineligible to get a disability certificate, top private practitioners' at leading hospitals have issued the same to him. It is a complete misuse," said a senior psychiatrist at RML requesting anonymity.Dr Smita Desphande, who heads the department of Psychiatry at RML Hospital told Mail Today, "Our department has been getting at least 10 cases each day, wherein parents ask for disability certificate for their child to get admission done under the disability quota. Parents thus want their children to be categorised under any sort of disability- be it autism, intellectual disability or speech disorder."Parents mostly come with their kids complaining Specific Learning Disability (SLD). If doctors approve, the child gets an extra hour for writing and preparing for CBSE, entrance and university exams. Mostly, requests come for students of private schools and colleges.ANYTHING FOR MARKS"Parents know disability certificates would fetch their kids marks, even if the spelling is wrong, and would allot them extra time during exams. Often they come to us saying, 'My child does not want to take up Science, so make the certificate according to requirements," said a doctor."We have a specific tool to calculate the percentage of disability in a child. And when the assessment tool fails to identify any disability, parents force us to still issue a certificate. We were surprised to see that two leading private hospitals in Delhi have made forged disability certificates - which is unethical," said a senior psychiatrist at RML. Teachers, according to experts and doctors, are unaware of disability norms.RML doctors said parents are misguided by school teachers often."There is very poor awareness in teachers. We get the reference from school teachers who ask us to get the certificate done for so and so and our department has been receiving an increasing number of referral case. There is a need for special educators in schools."If a child is found to be not falling under the disabled category completely and is rather differently abled, with 5-10 per cent of disabilty, we provide that particular certificate and also often try to help them improve by intervention or speech therapy. We try to provide them whatever, treatment is required," said Dr Desphande.Last month, Mail Today had reported that that the Centre is bringing in 14 new categories of physical and mental conditions, under the ambit of the Disability Act, 2006. At present, the act provides the disability rights and benefits to seven special categories of people comprising blindness, low-vision, locomotive disability, hearing impairment, mental retardation, mental illness and leprosy.The new conditions will apply to people with cerebral palsy, dwarfism, muscular dystrophy, specific learning disabilities, deafness, autism, spectrum disorder, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, haemophilia, thalassemia, sickle cell disease, multiple disabilities (condition of any two disabilities or more) and acidattack survivors.Ministry officials said the previous Right of Persons with Disabilities Act 1995, mentions only seven categories including people having 40 per cent and above disability, providing them all benefits.In 2001, disability assessment guidelines were prepared for these categories, but there was no measure to calculate the percentage of disability in a person. "The ministry therefore formed a committee to review how to assess and measure the exiting as well as the proposed disability percentage in a person and accordingly entitlements would be given to the person," an official said. Also Read

Saloni Tandon

22 Jun 2017,Thursday

Poster asks people to recognise 110 BJP leaders or lose jobs

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bjp-gujarat-leaders-posters-gandhinagar-suspensions/1/984355.html

Posters were put up in Gujarat featuring pictures of 110 senior BJP leaders of the state, with the caption reading, "Identify the leaders or you will lose your job." This comes after two lower-level workers in the state were suspended for failing to recognise BJP politicians. The posters, put up near the Gujarat Assembly, were later removed by BJP workers.

The action against a couple of lower level employees in Gujarat for not recognising the BJP leaders is snowballing into a controversy. A poster sprung up in Ahmedabad embarrassing the ruling BJP.The poster has the pictures of 110 senior BJP leaders of the state, including those of party's national president Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. The caption on it says: "Identify the leaders or you will lose your job."This situation arose after action was taken against two employees - a sanitation worker and a security guard - for not recognising the BJP leaders.Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation's standing committee chairperson Manubhai Patel suspended a sanitation worker after the latter allegedly did not recognise him during a surprise visit.In a similar incident a few days ago, a security guard could not recognise Gujarat Assembly Speaker Ramanlal Vora during the latter's visit to Gandhinagar Civil Hospital.While the security guard lost his job, contract of the security agency was reportedly also terminated.Following the two incidents, some unidentified people pasted bills in Gandhinagar. The posters had photographs of 110 leaders, including top politicians and MLAs of the state. The posters had the pictures of Vijay Rupani, Amit Shah and BJP legislators. The photographs of Assembly Speaker Ramanlal Vora and GMC standing committee chairman Manubhai Patel were published prominently.A caption taking a dig at the incident and says on the poster asks the employees to identify the leaders or lose their job. The bills were pasted near the Gujarat Assembly and near Gandhinagar Civil Hospital.However, within a few hours of the posters coming up, some BJP workers reached the place and tore them off.Manubhai Patel blamed Congress for making the incident into a controversy. He alleged that Congress was trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill in view of the forthcoming Assembly elections later this year.On the other hand, the sanitary employee and other staff claimed that Manubhai Patel happened to pass through while they were resting during lunch break. This was the reason that the employee did not recognise him. The employees regretted that one of their colleagues was suspended.

Krishna Veera Vanamali

30 Jul 2017,Sunday

Firm told unpaid trainees to pay over ?17 lakh for leaving

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jul/28/capita-told-graduates-to-pay-21000-for-leaving-unpaid-training-scheme?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Capita, one of the UK?s largest outsourcing companies, has demanded up to £21,000 (?17.7 lakh) from graduates who tried to leave an unpaid training scheme. Former trainees said the training lacked any on-the-job experience and called it ?absolutely useless?. Capita has said participants were made fully aware that free training is provided to only those who successfully complete the course.

Capita, one of the UK?s largest outsourcing companies, has demanded payouts of up to £21,000 from graduates who tried to pull out of an unpaid training scheme under which they were not guaranteed a job.The company, which provides services ranging from electronic tagging of offenders to store card services for retailers and BBC licence fee collection, has been criticised for advertising a number of roles in its IT resourcing division that stipulate applicants must be a graduate and able to attend between two and four months of unpaid training in London or Manchester.Former trainees who spoke to The Guardian said they had been disappointed with the scheme, as the training consisted almost exclusively of online reading from a digital library without any direct teaching or on-the-job experience.One former trainee described the course as ?absolutely useless?. They said: ?All you get is academic textbooks to read. Anyone expecting a hands-on approach would be disappointed. I was offered a few opportunities by other graduate schemes and companies [during the Capita training] but I refused them as I was under the threat of a liability to pay £21,000. I thought at the end of it how foolish I was.?Another former trainee said that they had decided to leave after just over a year of working for Capita and had been asked to pay about £21,000. After protesting, the trainee ended up without her last month of pay, or about £1,200.?I think they knew I was vulnerable as I started as a graduate,? the trainee said. The trainee sought a new job after finding they were being used to ?fill HR gaps? rather than being given roles suitable to her training.Capita said that it now charged £13,000 to trainees who wanted to leave before completing their training and two years of work. It said it had previously charged different rates depending on the role involved.A spokesperson said: ?All participants in the training are made fully aware, at numerous times prior to commencing the training, that it is provided free of charge to only those people who successfully complete the course and are engaged by Capita or a Capita client. Those who successfully complete the training but cannot be found a role within 90 days also receive the training free of charge.?Further revelations about the Capita scheme come as it emerges that one of Capita?s rivals, FDM Group, a FTSE-listed company which works with the Home Office and Ministry of Justice, also demands graduates sign up to months of unpaid training in order to secure jobs.The group?s graduate programme includes up to 14 weeks of unpaid training, after which it says 99% of attendees are placed in a job.The company also demands that trainees pay up to £20,000 if they leave during the training or the first two years of work.A spokeswoman for FDM said: ?The professional training we provide is a major financial investment in our people and in line with employers who invest in their people, we have clauses in our contracts that look to recoup the cost of training with a cap of £20,000 if a person leaves during training or the first two years of consulting. We have a commitment to transparency with all applicants to ensure that they understand the terms clearly. Trainees have 14 days from when they start training to trial the programme and leave with no fees charged.??We have a clear and unwavering commitment for all trainees and employees to be treated and compensated fairly and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Our employees receive a competitive graduate salary that far exceeds national minimum wage levels.?Individuals undertaking our bespoke training do not engage in any work or provide any services for us or any of our clients until they have successfully completed their training, passed all relevant internal and external examinations and been assessed as ready for the workplace.?

Aarushi Maheshwari

13 Jul 2017,Thursday

Iran appoints 1st female CEO of national carrier in history

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/farzaneh-shrafbafi-iran-air-ceo-first-female-director/1/997939.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Iran has appointed its first female CEO to lead its national carrier Iran Air since the airline's inception in 1944. Forty-four-year-old Farzaneh Sharafbani, who also holds a PhD in aerospace engineering, is the first woman to head Iran Air in over 70 years. She was appointed by President Hassan Rouhani's administration, which has chosen women to lead several managerial posts.

Farzaneh Shrafbafi, a professor of aeronautical engineering at Amir Kabir University of Technology and Shahid Sattari University of Aeronautical Engineering and the first Iranian woman to get a Ph.D in aerospace was selected from among the board members of Iran Air.Farzaneh Shrafbafi, a aeronautical engineering professor will become first female CEO of #Iran's oldest airline, @IranAir_IRI. pic.twitter.com/rNw7TknmlmIn an interview given to an Iranian daily back in 2014, Farzaneh told the newspaper that she was always a keen student of science. Her father who was Physics professor at Sharif University helped shape her interest in the field.

Aarushi Maheshwari

09 Jul 2017,Sunday

Monorails come face-to-face to rescue stranded passengers

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/mumbai-monorail-halts-chembur-rumours-power-failure-mmrda/1/997639.html

Monorail services were disrupted on Saturday evening in Mumbai after a train stopped functioning due to a power failure, following which authorities deployed another to tow it away and rescue stranded passengers. Pictures of the two trains, which seemingly came face-to-face, led to speculations that a head-on collision was averted but authorities denied reports of two trains nearly crashing.

Monorail services in Mumbai were disrupted on Saturday after a train going to Chembur stopped functioning due to a power failure. Officials immediately deployed another train to tow away the affected rake. The power failure on Monorail track in the city led to emergency evacuation of coaches at Chembur station in the evening. Passengers who were inside the rake that suffered power failure were helped out using the keys of the monorail staff. The pictures of the trains led to speculation that the two rakes came face-to-face and a head-on collision was averted but MMRDA authorities denied reports that two monorail trains nearly crashed. UPS Madan, MMRDA Chief said, "One Monorail rake lost power before it could reach the Chembur station, due to which we had to send another to rake to push it so that the rake could reach Chembur station. The rumours of collision or any rescue of passengers who got stuck are completely false".The Mumbai monorail, the first such service in the country, was inaugurated in 2014 and runs a 8.93-km-long route between Chembur and Wadala.Also Read:Uttar Pradesh: Satyagarh Express hits goods train near Sitapur, 5 people injured

Chhavi Tyagi

15 Mar 2017,Wednesday

South Delhi restaurants to allow public to use toilets at ?5

http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/from-april-bathrooms-in-south-delhi-hotels-will-be-open-to-public-at-rs-5/story-TqQ8qQbI41Eb7YrTMHkNnM.html

All restaurants, including five-star hotels, in South Delhi have been directed by a Delhi civic body to make their toilets available to general public, who are not customers, at a fee of ?5 starting April 1. "The move will be particularly beneficial for women who face problems due to lack of toilets in marketplaces," the South Delhi Municipal Corporation said.

Come April and you won?t have to go looking for public washrooms to relieve yourself after a long day of shopping in a South Delhi market. Just walk into the nearest restaurant, convey your need to the staff and you will be able to use the well-equipped toilet for a meagre Rs 5.The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on Tuesday issued directions to all hotels, restaurants and eateries in its jurisdiction to make their washrooms accessible to the public from April 1. The move would allow anyone with Rs 5 in hand to access washrooms in even five-star hotels of South Delhi.According to an SDMC official, the decision has been taken on the advice of lieutenant governor Anil Baijal to explore the possibility of making toilets in restaurants and hotels open to public use.?We want the hotels and restaurants to adhere to the decision in full spirit rather than wait for the SDMC to enforce it,? said SDMC commissioner Puneet Goel.?The hotels and restaurants will also need to put up display boards informing the public about the facilities. The managements of these restaurants have been given the discretion to charge up to ~5 per usage to cover their costs towards maintenance and cleaning,? said the corporation official.The decision will be imposed on all the 4,618 eating outlets, including hotels, which are issued health trade licences by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation. ?These outlets also comprise 600 roadside eateries. However, we assume, they don?t have the provision for washrooms so, the decision doesn?t apply to them,? the official said.The move is expected to spell relief for women who have a particularly hard time for lack of enough public toilets. The civic agency is working on the modalities of the move and finalising the amount that can be imposed as penalty on defaulters. ?Since the issuance of health trade licence is at the discretion of the municipal corporation, we will add this point in its list of terms and conditions next month,? said Goel.There are 580 public urinals and 480 toilets in South Delhi. Out of 480, only 140 can be used by women. These include toilets in Lajpat Nagar, Green Park, Safdarjung Development Area, Rajouri Garden, Bhikaji Cama Place and Nehru place.

Saloni Tandon

02 Aug 2017,Wednesday

India to play record 23 home matches in 4 months this year

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-vs-sri-lanka-2017/india-may-have-two-new-venues-for-home-tests-against-sri-lanka/story-2Qs1zV50eXoRLJiACkvNtN.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Team India will play a record 23 home matches this year from September to December, the BCCI announced on Tuesday. India will host Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka during the season, with the team playing a total of three Tests, 11 ODIs and nine T20Is at home. Thiruvananthapuram and Barsapara in Assam may be added as Test venues.

Two new venues, Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala and Barsapara in Assam are in contention to host Test matches during the home series against Sri Lanka as Indian cricket team is set to play a record 23 international matches at home between September and December. A decision will be taken by BCCI?s Tours and Fixtures Committee in Kolkata on Tuesday. (Read | Virat Kohli ?spoilt for choices? ahead of second India vs Sri Lanka Test match) According to a BCCI office-bearer, Indian cricket team will play five ODIs and three T20 Internationals against Australia from September end to mid of October. The series will be followed by three ODIs and as many T20Is against New Zealand. The series against the Black Caps Kiwis will begin late in October and conclude in the first week of November.India is all set to play 23 internationals at home from Sep-Dec 2017 - 3 Tests, 11 ODIs, 9 T20Is against Australia, New Zealand & Sri Lanka.? Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) August 1, 2017The home season will end in December with three Tests, three ODIs and three T20 Internationals against Sri Lanka. After that, Virat Kohli and his men fly down to South Africa.(Read | Cheteshwar Pujara: Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel reality check strengthened resolve) ?There are 23 International matches at home. Three Tests, 11 ODIs and nine T20 Internationals. Each and every venue in India will be covered. Barsapara in Assam and Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram have got Test status. Both are vying for Test matches. Most of the bigger centres want either a T20 International or ODIs,? a BCCI official told PTI.A Kerala Cricket Association official confirmed the development.?Since Kochi?s Nehru Stadium, which has traditionally hosted ODIs, will be used for he FIFA U-17 World Cup, we are hoping that Greenfields gets its first Test,? he said.(Read | Captain Virat Kohli displays icy nerves despite upheaval in Indian dressing room) Nagpur, which was under suspension may also be in contention to host a Test match. The traditional centres such as Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru or Mohali will get ODIs or T20 Internationals, which draw capacity crowd. There are possibilities that a couple of centres may get more than a match. ?One can be rest assured that atleast 16-18 venues will be covered during this phase,? he concluded.

Rini Sinha

27 Jul 2017,Thursday

In 1950s, playback singers were called ghost voices: Lata

http://www.hindustantimes.com/music/in-our-time-we-just-sang-lata-mangeshkar-on-the-not-enough-respect-debate/story-vUF5FCGeweJvKCl1iNqHhK.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Singer Lata Mangeshkar has revealed that in early 1950s, playback singers were called 'ghost voices' because they were totally invisible to the public. She added, n"Even my name wasn't printed...it was the name of the character the heroine played that was printed on the record." Lata further said that she never thought of her nvoice being bigger than the film.

Not enough respect. Not enough attention. Not enough credit. This is what several playback singers in present-day Bollywood feel is on their plate. However, Lata Mangeshkar, the ?Nightingale of India? and Bharat Ratna awardee, says that in her days as a young artiste ? this was when the term ?Bollywood?, a derivative of Hollywood, didn?t even exist ? she never saw the need or the opportunity for media attention.Read: Bollywood doesn?t give us due credit: Playback singers voice their discontent?When I began singing, I didn?t even know about the media, or how to get written about. Mujhe toh sirf gana tha (all I had to do was sing). After my father?s untimely death, I was the sole bread-winner of the family. I had no time to think of anything except how to look after my siblings. The only thing I could do was sing. So I sang. I?d leave early in the morning and commute by train(in Mumbai) from studio to studio, meeting music directors hoping to get work,? recalls Lata tai.All that changed in 1947, when the voice of Lata Mangeshkar exploded in India cinema, wiping away all other singing prototypes.The Nightingale recalls those heady days of initial success with sheer gratitude. ?I think in 1949, I sang around 100-120 songs. The majority of them, from films like Mehboob?s Andaz and Raj Kapoor?s Barsaat, were big hits. In 1949, I had 40-50 chartbusters, including Hawaa mein udta jaye, Jiya beqaraar hai (Barsaat); Aayega aanewala (Mahal); Lara lapaa (Ek Thi Ladki); Chup chup khade ho (Badi Bahen); and Sajan ki galiyan chhod chale (Lahore).?She recalls her relationship with female leads with much fondness: ?During those days, playback singers were called ?ghost voices?, because we really were like ghosts... totally invisible to the public. Even my name was not printed on the records; it was the name of the character that the heroine played that was printed on the record. For the song Ayega aanewala, for Mahal, the name on the record was ?Kamini?, which was [actor] Madhubala?s name in the film.?In the industry, however, Lata Mangeshkar was the name everyone wanted. Apparently, all the major heroines of those times, from Madhubala and Meena Kumari to Nutan and Hema Malini, insisted on only Lataji?s voice for their playback. Some of these actors, like Madhubala, even put this in their contract.Lataji says, ?What you have heard is true. But I never thought of my voice as being bigger than the film. I sang my songs keeping the heroine?s personality in mind. There was no desire to be heard beyond the screen. In fact, for many years, I desisted from doing live concerts.?Follow @htshowbiz for more

Akshita Jain

26 Jan 2017,Thursday

Delhi Police needs over 54k personnel for better patrolling

http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/delhi-police-need-54k-more-personnel-to-improve-policing/story-dsZkRgVeoTefGBRBBAKNyN.html

The Delhi Police requires an additional 54,482 posts to improve patrolling in the capital, according to reports. However, only 14,753 new posts have been approved by the home ministry which are still waiting approval from the "competent authority". Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court has asked the Centre to submit a report on when the new appointments will be made.

The Delhi Police, one of the largest metropolitan police forces in the world with a current strength of 76,000, requires an additional 54,482 posts to improve policing in the capital.But only 14,753 new posts have been cleared by the home ministry and that too is pending approval by the ?competent authority?. The police have been facing criticism for rising crime, particularly against women. As per Delhi Police?s official website, a total of 1,981 rape cases were registered as on November last year, a decrease from 2,017 rape cases for the same period in 2015 .The Delhi High Court, hearing a public interest litigation on women safety and recruitment of additional cops in Delhi after the December 16, 2012 gang rape, on Wednesday asked the Centre and police to submit a status report on when the new appointments will be made and what happened to the remaining proposals.The court is looking to separate crime investigation and law and order duty of the police.Read: Delhi high court?no to include AAP ministers in women safety paneOn the pilot project of PCR vans comprising all-woman staff, especially in vulnerable areas, the police said since they had no sanctioned posts of female drivers, women personnel who could be deployed after training were being identified. 331 women police officers with weapons have been deployed in PCR vans all over Delhi.On additional telephone lines, the police said they required 100 active and 30 overflow lines. They said heavy flow of calls during festivals such as Holi, Diwali, Eid, etc, were handled by 40 overflow lines to reduce load on the system.On digitisation of Malkhanas, it said the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) was developing a software for the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and System and its ?bug free? version was likely to be out by March end.Data entry of all records of Malkhana has started. About 42,500 entries have been done but it will take another six to seven months to complete digitization of the remaining 4.75 lakh case properties .

Sumedha Sehra

30 Jun 2017,Friday

When was the last major India-China stand-off?

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/india-china-stand-off-sikkim-stand-off-tulung-la-nathu-la-pass-doklam-plateau/1/990826.html

The last India-China stand-off had taken place in 1967, when over 80 Indian and 300-400 Chinese soldiers were martyred. It had started after the Chinese objected to India putting a wire along the perceived border agreed upon by both sides. A stand-off at the Cho La pass forced the Chinese to withdraw nearly three kilometres away.

The last time India and China were engaged in a major military stand-off in Sikkim was in 1967.On that instance, just five years after India's traumatic 1962 war defeat, the Indian Army gave the Chinese a bloody nose, according to accounts from the time. More than 80 Indian soldiers were killed, while estimates say between 300 to 400 Chinese troops were killed.It was certainly a different time: One account suggests that to protest China's actions then in Sikkim, which reportedly included a Chinese complaint of a herd of sheep being stolen, a 43-year-old Member of Parliament by the name of Atal Bihari Vajpayee drove a herd of sheep to the Chinese Embassy in Shantipath in New Delhi to stage a rather colourful protest.There are fascinating parallels from the 1967 incident. That was also a stand-off that began with pushing and shoving, when the Chinese filled up trenches that India had dug.That stand-off was also marked by Chinese irritation at the Indian Army's presence in the then Kingdom of Sikkim. This month's stand-off, in the Doklam plateau contested by China and Bhutan, has reflected China's annoyance with the Indian Army's presence in Bhutan. China's government said this week that Bhutan was "a sovereign country" and no "third party" should interfere."The Chinese were not comfortable with Sikkim being an Indian protectorate with the deployment of the Indian Army at that time," recalled Maj Gen Sheru Thapliyal (retd), who was in 1967 posted in nearby Sebu La and later commanded the Nathu La brigade.As he wrote in an essay published in 2004 in Force magazine and later published by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies, the stand-off began as engineers and jawans started erecting long iron pickets from Nathu La to Sebu La along the perceived border, which was agreed by both sides under the 1890 treaty between Great Britain and Qing Dynasty China. A scuffle began as China objected to the laying of the wire, and the PLA Political Commissar was roughed up.The Chinese returned days later. "A whistle was heard on the Chinese side followed by murderous medium machine gun fire from north shoulder. The pass is completely devoid of cover and the jawans of 70 Field Company and 18 Rajput were caught in the open and suffered heavy casualties which included Col Rai Singh who was wounded. Two brave officers - Capt Dagar of 2 Grenadiers and Major Harbhajan Singh of 18 Rajput rallied a few troops and tried to assault the Chinese MMG but both died a heroic death," recalled Maj Gen Thapliyal.He adds, "On 14 September 1967, Chinese threatened use of Air Force if shelling did not stop. By then the lesson had been driven home and an uneasy ceasefire came about. The Chinese, true to form, had pulled over dead bodies to their side of the perceived border at night and accused us of violating the border. Dead bodies were exchanged on 15 September at which time: Sam Manekshaw, [then Eastern Army Commander], Aurora [Lt Gen Jagjit Aurora, Corps Commander] and Sagat [Maj Gen Sagat Singh, GOC Mountain Division in Sikkim] were present on the Pass."He recalled the situation "again flared up twenty days later when on 1 October 1967 a face-off between India and China took place at Cho La, another pass on the Sikkim-Tibet border a few kilometers north of Nathu La"."Despite initial casualties, 7/11 GR and 10 JAK RIF stood firm and forced the Chinese to withdraw nearly three kilometers away to a feature named Kam Barracks where they remain deployed till date. Cho La Pass is firmly in Indian hands. Indian Army had got better of the Chinese yet again."He wrote, "No wonder, Sino-Indian border has remained peaceful ever since to the extent that today Chinese soldiers come and ask their Indian counterparts at Nathu La for cigarettes, rum and tea, mail is exchanged twice in a week in a hut constructed specially for this purpose and border personnel meeting takes place there twice a year."The 1967 incident marked the last incident of casualties on both sides in the Sikkim sector. And the last death in any sector of the India-China border was in 1975 at Tulung La, and that was by accident, when two patrols were lost in the fog. So despite the close parallels, 50 years on history is unlikely to repeat itself with the border remaining largely tranquil in the decades since.Also Read:Chinese media on border stand-off: 1962 defeat has left lingering effect on India

Daisy Mowke

01 Aug 2017,Tuesday

Jaguar should've paid me for making the brand popular: Sukhe

http://www.hindustantimes.com/music/jaguar-should-have-paid-me-for-making-the-car-brand-so-popular-through-my-song-sukhe/story-it7ERu8r15RPIh4NyuejsK.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Singer Sukhe, who sang the song 'Jaguar', jokingly said the owners of the car brand should have paid him for making the brand so popular through his song. "After the song was out, there were so many Jaguars to be seen [in]... places like Chandigarh!" he added. Sukhe further joked, "Jab next part aayega, I will definitely be approaching them."

Punjabi rapper-singer SukhE?s career is on a roll. Two years after delivering the hit song, Jaguar, with rapper Bohemia, he feels that the car brand owners should have paid him for promoting them. ?Haan, I do think that (they should have paid him). Jab mera gaana aaya tha, tab very few people knew about the car brand Jaguar. I hail from Garhshankar, a small village in Punjab, and people there didn?t even know that cars of this name existed. After the song was out, there were so many Jaguars to be seen on the roads, suddenly in places like Chandigarh!?, he laughs, adding, ?Jab next part aayega, I will definitely be approaching them, ki now you have to help me out.?SukhE, who is currently working on tracks for a couple of Bollywood films is happy that almost every Hindi film today features a Punjabi song. ?At the end, what matters is result. Punjabi songs ki wajah se promotion hoti hai films ki, and thus contribute to making it a hit. But of course, making good music is a result of teamwork.? He also makes sure that the lyrics of his songs are easily understandable and thus appeal to the listeners. ?It shouldn?t be such that people in Punjab are able to enjoy my songs, while people in Delhi struggle to comprehend the meaning.The most important thing for me is that the lyrics of my songs sabko easily samajh mein aane chahiye?, says the 27-year old, who recently released his new single Superstar.Follow @htshowbiz for more

Abhishek Bansal

10 Apr 2017,Monday

Student helps deliver baby on train; gets advice on WhatsApp

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/medical-student-uses-whatsapp-newborn-surgery-in-train-nagpur/1/925257.html

Vipin Khadse, a final year MBBS student, helped a woman give birth on a moving train in Maharashtra. The 24-year-old used WhatsApp to seek instructions from his seniors and even revived the newborn who had not been breathing. The relatives of the patient gave Khadse ?101 to thank him for the delivery.

A final year MBBS student turned to WhatsApp to seek instructions from his seniors while helping a woman give birth to a baby boy on Ahmedabad-Puri Express.What 24-year-old Vipin Khadse calls 'the most memorable moment of his life', happened when he was travelling from Akola to Napur. He posted about the incident on Facebook on World Health Day and described his fear when he saw the shoulder of the baby coming out first instead of the head.When the ticket collector came in his coach to ask about the availability of a doctor, he did not volunteer. He assumed there will be a more experienced doctor than him. Moreover, he is not even a qualified doctor yet so he chose to remain silent. But the TC came again, he realised there was something serious and went with him to the general coach. A woman, aged 22 or 23, was suffering from extreme labour pain. With the help of few other women, Khadse converted the compartment into a makeshift delivery room. Fortunately, his phone was still catching the network and he was carrying few equipments required to do a Episiotomy.

Chhavi Tyagi

19 Apr 2017,Wednesday

BSF sacks jawan who had posted video on poor quality of food

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bsf-constable-tej-bahadur-yadav-samba-substandard-food-court-of-inquiry-social-media/1/932648.html

The Border Security Force on Wednesday sacked constable Tej Bahadur Yadav, who had uploaded a video clip on social media alleging poor quality of food being served to jawans at border posts. This comes after a summary court-martial found that constable Yadav's actions damaged the "image of the BSF". Under BSF rules, he can appeal the suspension within 3 months.

The Border Security Force (BSF) today sacked constable Tej Bahadur Yadav after a three-month long proceeding at a summary court martial held in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district.Yadav was dismissed by the Summary Security Force Court (SSFC), a court of inquiry which found that he had damaged the "image of the BSF" when he uploaded a video clip on the "substandard food" on social media, triggering an uproar.The trooper was facing the inquiry on various charges under provision of BSF Act and rules, including indiscipline. His plea for voluntary retirement was also rejected by the BSF authorities.SPECIFIC CHARGESThe charges specifically against him were:He was found guilty of all charges and awarded dismissal from service.  As per the BSF Act and rules, he can now submit a petition or appeal against the punishment to the higher HQ within 3 months. The SSFC proceedings commenced from 13th April 2017 and concluded on 19th April 2017. During the proceedings, all opportunities were given to the individual for his defence. WHAT DID TEJ BAHADUR ALLEGE?On January 9 this year, the BSF constable had uploaded the video, complaining about the "poor quality of food" provided to the troopers.Yadav had further alleged that the senior officials illegally sold off the food supplies meant for the troopers.Yadav also expressed apprehension that his seniors may take action against him for exposing the condition of soldiers on the border.Denying the allegation of poor quality food, the force said it was "making all efforts to ensure a transparent and effective measure for the procurement as well as distribution of healthy diet to all its personnel".Also read | BSF constable Tej Bahadur Yadav is hale and hearty, clarifies BSF after photos of dead lookalike go viralAlso read | New video of Tej Bahadur surfaces, soldier makes fresh charges against BSF

Tarun Khanna

02 Jan 2017,Monday

Samajwadi Party still belongs to me: Mulayam Singh

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/samajwadi-party-sp-chief-mulayam-singh-yadav-netaji-shivpal-singh-yadav-akhilesh-yadav-uttar-pradesh/1/847527.html

Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday said the party still belongs to him and he enjoys people's support. He further added he led a spot-free life so far, and the Supreme Court gave him a clean chit when corruption charges were levelled against him. Mulayam has approached the Election Commission to take up battle of party symbol 'cycle'.

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav today said the ruling party of Uttar Pradesh belonged to him and that he enjoyed the support of people.Mulayam told the media that he led a spot-free life so far, and the Supreme Court gave him a clean chit when corruption charges were levelled against him once.The SP founder headed to New Delhi is set to take the battle of 'cycle' to the Election Commission of India.His younger brother and state unit party president Shivpal Singh Yadav told the media that he was with his elder brother now and always."I have always been with Netaji, will always be till my last breath," Shivpal said.He said Mulayam was still the national president of the party and will remain so.He however refused to divulge at what time they will go to the poll panel.Shivpal on Sunday evening went emotional at a dinner event and sang a song that summed up his mood and also the first family of the poll bound state. Watch the video here

Niharika Prabhakar

26 Jul 2017,Wednesday

Nitish Kumar thanks PM Modi for tweet supporting resignation

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bihar-political-crisis-live-updates-cm-nitish-kumar-meets-governor-keshari-nath-tripathi-amid-row-over-graft-charges-against-tejashwi-yadav/story-TWzgT6JfRqu1MJ7GF6MyiN.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

After resigning as Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his tweet supporting his decision to resign. "Congratulations to Nitish Kumar for joining the fight against corruption," PM Modi had tweeted earlier today. Kumar had submitted his resignation to Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi citing a crisis in the ruling Congress-RJD-JD(U) alliance.

In dramatic developments in Bihar, Nitish Kumar on Wednesday resigned as chief minister, dumping the RJD and Congress to stitch a new alliance with BJP, which quickly announced support to a new government under him. Kumar, whose resignation was immediately accepted by governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, will take oath at the chief minister at 5pm on Thursday.?In the circumstances that prevail in Bihar, it became difficult to run the grand alliance government,? Kumar told reporters outside Raj Bhavan after submitting his resignation to governor Keshri Nath Tripathi.Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Kumar?s resignation, saying in doing so he has joined the fight against corruption. Immediately after Kumar announced his resignation, Modi tweeted: ?Congratulations! Mr Nitish Kumar for joining the fight against corruption.?Here are Wednesday?s highlights on the political crisis in Bihar:12.30am: Lalu Prasad says: ?Nitish Kumar has underlined that he is an opportunist. Having done what he has, he cannot stake claim without a challenge. The Congress, CPI-ML and independents will back our claims to form the next government... Struggle is my life. I have to be in Ranchi for the next three days. However, Tejashwi has been asked to present the claim to the governor in the forenoon tomorrow.?12.28am: Tejashwi Yadav along with RJD delegation will meet Bihar governor KN Tripathi at 11 am on Thursday; to stake claim for forming government.12.07am: Taking a letter of support to governor to stake claim for forming government: Prem Kumar, BJP, on Sushil Modi and Nitish Kumar?s meet with governor Keshari Nath Tripathi.12.04am: Have asked Governor for time to meet, being the largest party we will stake claim to from government, tweets Tejashwi Yadav. We will also get support from JDU MLAs, he says.11.56pm: Nitish Kumar, Sushil Modi and BJP, JDU leaders leave for Raj Bhavan to meet governor Keshari Nath Tripathi.11.11pm: Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi reaches Raj Bhavan after being discharged from hospital.10.36pm: Nitish Kumar to take oath as CM of Bihar at 5pm tomorrow.10.31pm: Bihar governor KN Tripathi admitted to Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences in Patna due to an ENT problem.10.20pm: Nitish may take oath on Thursday. A meeting of JD(U) and BJP MLAs is underway.10.07pm: When Nitish Kumar broke alliance with BJP in 2013 he choreographed and followed the same script to secure himself. He surrenders as per needs: Lalu Prasad?s tweet9.55pm: Sushil Modi says BJP has handed over a letter of support to the governor, and will be part of the new government. All NDA members are heading to 1, Aney Marg to elect Nitish Kumar as the leader, Modi adds.9.49pm: Sushil Modi, Nityanand Rai and other BJP MLAs reach Nitish Kumar?s residence in Patna for a meeting of JDU-BJP MLAs, reports ANI.9.30pm: Sushil Kumar Modi says BJP will be part of the government under Nitish Kumar. BJP and JD(U) leaders are headed to the Raj Bhawan to meet governor Keshari Nath Tripathi.9.02pm: ?There are charges against both Nitish and Tejashwi. The MLAs of the Grand Alliance parties should sit down and pick a new leader. Bihar?s poor, deprived and reservation-backed sections gave the Grand Alliance historic majority against the BJP. This is foeticide of the Grand Alliance? There were corruption allegations against us before. Did Nitish Kumar not know while making an alliance and forming a government?? -- Lalu Prasad?s tweets9.01pm: Nityanand Rai and I called Nitish Ji. The BJP decides to support him; we will support the government formed under him. We will inform the governor also: ANI?quotes Sushil Modi as saying9pm: Thank PM Modi for his tweet on my decision, tweets Nitish Kumar after resigning as Bihar CM8.55pm: There?s involvement of Narendra Modi. Nitish Kumar slapped people of Bihar. People like Sushil Modi are eager to form a government in Bihar: Lalu Prasad8.40pm: Meeting underway at Lalu Prasad?s residence in Patna. Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav and senior RJD leaders present.8.23pm: CP Joshi was informed at the governor?s house; he asked Kumar to wait. Joshi said he will get back after a word with Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi: ANI quotes sources8.21pm: Nitish Kumar did not inform Rahul Gandhi about his intention to resign in their meeting: ANI?quotes sources.8.02pm: I appeal to Nitish Kumar... All RJD, JD(U) and Congress MLAs should sit down and pick new leader and make a government... His unwillingness to do so will prove he has already struck a deal with the BJP: Lalu Prasad7.59pm: The BJP welcomes the battle against corruption in Bihar; not in favour of midterm elections... A three-member panel from Bihar will report to central leadership for final call: JP Nadda after the BJP?s parliamentary board meeting.7.58pm: We are deeply disappointed by the news of Nitish Kumar?s resignation. The Congress respects Nitish Kumar as a leader: Randeep Surjewala, Congress7.57pm: Nitish Kumar knew that he is accused of section 302; one of India?s CM is main accused in murder and arms case : Lalu Prasad7.51pm: Nitish Kumar had said that he will never join hands with BJP: Lalu Prasad7.50pm: RJD chief Lalu Prasad says did not speak to the press over corruption allegations against Tejashwi following lawyers? advice. 7.49pm: Nitish Kumar did not ask for resignation: RJD chief Lalu Prasad at a press conference after Nitish Kumar quits as Bihar CM.7.45pm: RJD chief Lalu Prasad to address a press conference shortly.7.42pm: We are happy that Bihar CM didn?t compromise on issue of corruption and did not kneel down before RJD: BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi7.36pm: We don?t want midterm elections in Bihar. The MLAs should complete their term. A three-member committee will talk to MLAs and apprise the Centre of the situation in the state: BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi7.26pm: Source say BJP legislature party to finalise support without preconditions at its meeting late evening today.7.25pm: Nitish-Lalu alliance was a mismatch. This had to happen: Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Nitish Kumar?s resignation7.24pm: PM Narendra Modi arrives for BJP parliamentary meeting in Delhi.7.09pm: The country and time require that for the bright future of India, and especially Bihar, people need to rise above political disputes and fight against corruption together: Prime Minister Narendra Modi7.09pm: I congratulate Nitish Kumar for joining the fight against corruption. The 1.25 billion people of the country are welcoming and supporting his honesty: Prime Minister Narendra Modi7.08pm: Before resigning, I had informed Laluji and Congress Bihar in-charge CP Joshi: Nitish Kumar.7.05pm: Gandhiji always said needs can be met on the Earth, but greed can never be fulfilled: Nitish Kumar7.04pm: I am not blaming anyone, those who want to blame me are free to do so: Nitish Kumar7.02pm: I felt that for a person like me it was not possible to run this government. I don?t want to create a dispute... When I saw there was no other way... I broke myself away (from the alliance with the RJD). The governor has accepted my resignation, and asked me to continue working till the next development.6.58pm: We worked in the alliance till the point we could: Nitish Kumar6.57pm: If there are charges then they must have replied to it. We felt they were not in a position to speak: Nitish Kumar6.56pm: It?s not possible to work in this environment; I tried. Tried to find out a solution: Nitish Kumar6.52pm: The situation is such that it?s not possible to work. Whatever we do, the discussion is only about one thing: Nitish Kumar6.50pm: Not possible to work in the grand alliance. We made all attempts. We never asked for anyone?s resignation: Nitish Kumar6.34pm: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar reaches Raj Bhavan to meet Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi amid speculation that he may resign.6.33pm: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on his way to Raj Bhavan to meet Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi.

Mansha Mahajan

29 Apr 2017,Saturday

Would India say no to Facebook and Google, asks Mittal

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/mittal-wonders-if-us-be-paid-back-in-its-own-coin-on-visa-curb/1/941185.html

Commenting on countries tightening work visa norms, Bharti Airtel's Sunil Mittal said, "Would we say we don't want Facebook (and) Google to operate in India (as) we have homegrown apps?" Mittal highlighted that movement of Indian workers is getting restricted, while foreign firms have millions of users in India. India is a big market for technology companies, he added.

New Delhi, Apr 28 (PTI) As the US under President Donald Trump turns more protectionist, telecom czar Sunil Bharti Mittal today asked if India should say no to Facebook and Google just because it has similar homegrown apps. Not overly concerned about protectionism as his business is "rooted in the domestic market", Mittal highlighted that it is unfair that movement of Indian workers gets restricted, while foreign firms make huge profits in India. "If you come to a situation where skilled workers which actually drive your economy back home are going to be denied (entry) or Indian companies are forced to pay a particular salary just to become uncompetitive in those countries, I think that becomes an affirmative action against the companies that want to do trade there," he said. He was responding to a question on how he would react if Bharti Airtel was not allowed to operate in certain geographies.

Gaurav Shroff

25 Jun 2017,Sunday

Having smartphone within reach reduces brain power: Study

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/mere-presence-of-smartphone-reduces-brain-power-study/1/986444.html

A US-based study has found brain's cognitive abilities may be significantly reduced in the mere presence of smartphone, even if it's switched off. In a series of tests requiring concentration, participants with their phones in another room outperformed those with their phones on the desk, and also those who had kept their phones in a pocket or bag, researchers said.

Washington, Jun 24 (PTI) Your brain power may be significantly reduced when your smartphone is within reach - even if it is switched off - affecting your ability to concentrate on a task, scientists have found. Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin in the US conducted experiments with nearly 800 smartphone users to measure, for the first time, how well people can complete tasks when they have their smartphones nearby even when they are not using them. In one experiment, the researchers asked study participants to sit at a computer and take a series of tests that required full concentration in order to score well. The tests were geared to measure participants available cognitive capacity - that is, the brains ability to hold and process data at any given time. Before beginning, participants were randomly instructed to place their smartphones either on the desk face down, in their pocket or personal bag, or in another room. All participants were instructed to turn their phones to silent. The researchers found that participants with their phones in another room significantly outperformed those with their phones on the desk, and they also slightly outperformed those participants who had kept their phones in a pocket or bag. The findings suggest that the mere presence of ones smartphone reduces available cognitive capacity and impairs cognitive functioning, even though people feel they are giving their full attention and focus to the task at hand. "We see a linear trend that suggests that as the smartphone becomes more noticeable, participants available cognitive capacity decreases," said Adrian Ward, Assistant Professor at University of Texas at Austin. "Your conscious mind isnt thinking about your smartphone, but that process - the process of requiring yourself to not think about something - uses up some of your limited cognitive resources," Ward said. In another experiment, researchers looked at how a persons self-reported smartphone dependence - or how strongly a person feels he or she needs to have a smartphone in order to get through a typical day - affected cognitive capacity. Participants performed the same series of computer-based tests as the first group and were randomly assigned to keep their smartphones either in sight on the desk face up, in a pocket or bag, or in another room. In this experiment, some participants were also instructed to turn off their phones. The researchers found that participants who were the most dependent on their smartphones performed worse compared with their less-dependent peers, but only when they kept their smartphones on the desk or in their pocket or bag.

Sumedha Sehra

02 Aug 2017,Wednesday

No info on hiring class 12 boy on ?12 lakh per month: Google

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/google-hires-class-12-indian-student-with-monthly-salary-of-rs-12-lakh/1/1015947.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Google has clarified that it has no "information on [its] records with respect to Harshit Sharma's candidacy", after a news about the tech giant hiring the class 12 Chandigarh boy went viral. It was reported that Harshit would get ?4 lakh monthly as trainee graphic designer, and ?12 lakh monthly after the training completes in a month.

Who doesn't want to work for a reputed firm like Google? But, not everyone gets such a golden opportunity. But, a student of a government school in Chandigarh makes impossible, possible. Google hires a class 12 boy from Chandigarh, named Harshit Sharma. He will be reportedly working as a graphic designer for the tech company.  Update: The India Today Tech has learned that the reports of Google hiring a school student and at a salary of Rs 12 lakh per month are false. The report first appeared in a city supplement produced by the Indian Express. In a statement to India Today Tech, Google said: "Currently, we don't have any information on our records with respect to Harshit Sharma's candidacy."Harshit always wanted to work for Google. It was his dream company and he never imagined to fulfill it so soon, he says. Hard work pays off he adds. Google recruits Harshit as a trainee graphic designer for the time being. He will be working from Google's headquarter in California. He just applied for a job posted by the company, and got a reply after a few days. Harshit applied for position for the graphic designer, along with which he submitted few of his work, which also included a poster that he designed. Days after his application, Harshit received an appointment letter from Google in June, which mentioned that he has been hired. Also Read: Google Play services becomes the first ever app to cross 5 billion downloads on Play StoreGoogle will train him for the first month. During the training the company is said to pay Harshit a sum of Rs 4 lakh per month. However, after the training ends and he becomes a permanent employee, Google will pay him Rs 12 lakh as a monthly remuneration.

Vaibhav Gupta

21 Dec 2016,Wednesday

?2,000 note costs the RBI only ?3.54 to make

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/for-rs-500-note-rbi-pays-rs-3.09-rs-3.54-for-rs-2000-note/1/839185.html

The printing of each new ?2,000 note costs the Reserve Bank of India ?3.54, while the ?500 note costs ?3.09, an RTI response has said. Notably, Bhartiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited, a subsidiary of RBI, prints the new ?500 and ?2,000 currency notes at the same price as that of old ?500 and ?1,000 notes respectively.

Shubhodeep Datta

28 Feb 2017,Tuesday

Bill tabled in LS to recall MPs, MLAs over poor performance

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/private-bill-in-ls-to-recall-mps-mlas-for-non-performance/1/893377.html

A bill has been tabled in the Lok Sabha, under which MPs and MLAs can be recalled within two years if 75% of those who voted for them are not satisfied with their performance. The bill was tabled by BJP MP Varun Gandhi. "[I]f...people have...power to elect their representatives, they should also have the power to remove [them]," Gandhi said.

New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) MPs and MLAs should be recalled within two years from being elected if 75 per cent of those who voted for them are not satisfied with their performance, according to a bill moved by BJP MP Varun Gandhi. "Logic and justice necessitate that if the people have the power to elect their representatives, they should also have the power to remove these representatives when they engage in misdeeds or fail to fulfil the duties," Varun said. Stating that the countries all over the world have experimented with the concept of Right to Recall, the Lok Sabha MP has proposed an amendment in the Representation of the People Act 1951 through his Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2016. As per the legislation, recalling process can be initiated by any voter of the constituency by filing a petition before the Speaker, signed by at least one-fourth of the total number of electors in that constituency. After confirming its authenticity, the Speaker will move the application to the Election Commission for its verification and authentication of the voters signatures on it. The Commission will verify the signatures on it and will organise the voting on 10 places in the respective constituency of MP or MLA, it says. If three-fourth of the votes that member was polled in his election, go in favour of the recall process, the member will be recalled, the bill proposes. Within 24 hours of the receipt of the result, the Speaker will notify the result to the general public. Once the seat gets duly vacated the Commission can organise a bypoll in that constituency. "A free and fair election is the right of the citizens of the country and in the event of their elected representatives no longer enjoying their confidence, the people must have a right to remove them," Varun said.

Saloni Tandon

16 Feb 2017,Thursday

Former Greece goalkeeper mentoring refugee football team

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/greece-football-antonis-nikopolidis-refugees-europe/1/883897.html

Former Greece goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis is mentoring a football team of refugees named Hope, called Elpida in Greek. UEFA, the governing body for soccer in Europe, has awarded grants to assist refugees in 15 countries, with some of Greece's share sponsoring Hope. The team, consisting of players who fled Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan, compete in amateur leagues on Sundays.

Football fans of a certain age may still remember Antonis Nikopolidis for his resemblance to American actor George Clooney and as the goalkeeper who helped Greece become surprise European Champions in 2004.Now the country's national youth team coach, Nikopolidis is helping refugees stranded in Greece regain a sense of purpose. The football team he helped build, named Hope (Elpida in Greek), is made up of players who fled warzones in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan.Most of Hope's players live in Skaramangas, an industrial zone west of Athens where metal containers have been turned into shoebox-shaped homes. They compete in an amateur league on Sundays, facing teams made up of lawyers, telecom workers and accountants.Nikopolidis, a soft-spoken 46-year-old whose hair has turned silver in retirement, says team practices and matches provide a welcome distraction for young men facing uncertain futures in the European Union's slow-moving relocation program."We're helping people who are at a difficult moment in their lives," he said. "They are guests in our country, and we are trying with this team to give them a few hours of happiness."Football is the main source of entertainment for many of the 60,000 refugees and economic migrants living in camps around Greece while they wait for asylum applications to be processed and a possible move elsewhere in Europe."You have to spend your time (doing something) because it's very boring," Hozaifa Hajdepo, 23, a Hope player from Syria, said. "If you stay in your home and you don't have work, you will be like - you will die."

Chhavi Tyagi

25 Feb 2017,Saturday

I'd rather die than accept jailbird's puppet as CM: Katju

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/sasikala-palaniswami-markandey-katju-tamil-nadu/1/891164.html

Reacting on the recent political scenario in Tamil Nadu, former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju wrote in a Facebook post that he would rather be dead than accept a jailbird's puppet as Chief Minister. "I am no longer a Tamizhan. I refuse to be a member of the people who don't mind living in disgrace and dishonour," he added.

Known for his public outbursts and raking controversies with his statements, former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju has done it again with his new Facebook post. Justice Katju has called Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami a puppet of 'jailbird' Sasikala, the AIADMK general secretary.Justice Katju has written an open letter to the Tamil community to openly lambast the people of Tamil Nadu for accepting Palaniswami as their Chief Minister which is a 'disgrace'.The former Supreme Court judge said, "A puppet of a jailbird has been made your Chief Minister, and you have done nothing about it?"

Daisy Mowke

04 Apr 2017,Tuesday

Art exhibition to showcase works inspired by Van Gogh

http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/art-exhibition-cadmium-skies-to-showcase-works-inspired-by-vincent-van-gogh/story-mcSFjWdN3oobH3AGzzaEDP.html

An art exhibition named 'Cadmium Skies' in Delhi will showcase the works of 26 children that have been inspired by painter Vincent Van Gogh. Recreations of Van Gogh's famous works such as 'Starry Night' and 'Sunflowers' will be on display. Original creations where the participants have employed Van Gogh's techniques and not recreated his work will also be displayed.

Art is not restricted to age and will never be. Cadmium Skies, an exhibition in the Capital showcasing the artworks of 26 children, is a testimony to this fact. The artworks on display are inspired by Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh?s works. Right from a six-year-old to a 16-year-old, all students have dedicated their artworks to him. But before these young artists embarked on their pursuits, they not only studied Van Gogh?s artworks and techniques in detail but also read up on his life and struggle, which in itself is an inspiration for any budding artist.Jehaan Mehta?s artwork on display at the exhibition.The exhibition is a visual treat. On display are recreations of Van Gogh?s famous works such as Starry Night, Sunflowers and others. And then there are original creations, where the participants have only employed Van Gogh?s techniques rather than imitating his artworks.Among the group of 26 children is 15-year-old Ishaana Soni, who has been learning art for the past twelve years. Her mother Silvia Soni says, ?Their teacher, Gagan aunty, explained to the kids the importance of studying the artist and the technique. What started as a hobby class quickly turned into passion for art for Ishaana.? Lavanya Kandhari?s artwork inspired by Gogh?s The Starry Night.Proceeds from the sale of artworks will be donated to an animal sanctuary, to reflect the love these kids have for animals. ?One of the parents has even put together a beautiful catalogue of the children?s works for us to keep as a memento,? adds Silvia.CATCH IT LIVEWHAT: Cadmium Skies WHERE: Wonderwall Gallery, Lado SaraiWHEN: April 8TIMINGS: 5.30- 7.00 pm NEAREST METRO STATION: Saket on the Yellow Line

Saloni Tandon

29 Jun 2017,Thursday

6-yr-old offers piggy bank as bribe to find mother's killers

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/up-dowry-suicide-daughter-bribe-meerut/1/989789.html

A six-year-old girl in Meerut offered her piggy bank as bribe to police to arrest her mother's killers. The girl named Manvi visited the office of Meerut's Inspector General (IG) of Police to seek justice for her mother, who allegedly committed suicide after harassment by her in-laws. The cops were demanding ?50,000, after which the child made the symbolic move.

Manvi stands out among those present in the office of Meerut's inspector general (IG) of police, Ram Kumar. She is just six, and clasps a clay piggy bank with her tiny hands.Manvi's mother, Seema Kaushik, committed suicide this April after allegedly being harassed by her husband and in-laws. The girl had gone to the top cop's office with her maternal grandfather, Shanti Swaroop, to "offer a bribe" after policemen allegedly demanded money to act against those responsible for the death."We got her (Seema) married to Sanjiv Kumar about seven years ago and soon he and his family members started harassing her mentally and physically for dowry," Swaroop said. "About four years ago, she left Sanjiv's house and started living with us. However, Sanjiv and his family kept harassing her and also registered two false cases against us. Fed up with the mental harassment, Seema ended her life."Following the incident, Swaroop lodged an FIR against Sanjiv, his two brothers and father. The police arrested Sanjiv and he was put behind bars, but the other accused are still free. "Once, when Seema was alive, we went to the police station to file a complaint against the atrocities, but the cop present there suggested Seema hang herself rather than come to them," alleged Swaroop.He also said the police were asking for money to prepare a final report and arrest the other accused. "The investigating officer says that nothing happens without money and is demanding Rs50,000 from me," he alleged. "This is why we decided to take such a step to let the senior officers know about the functioning of the police."POLICE ASSURES ACTIONIG Ram Kumar promised help and action. "We will look into the allegations, the case will be thoroughly investigated and the guilty will be brought to book," he said.Seema's brother Rohit told Mail Today that six months after his sister and Sanjiv tied the knot, the accused got a house on rent and started living there with his wife and away from his family. "After a few months, Sanjiv's landlord called me and said that Sanjiv had locked Seema inside the house for the past few days and had gone missing. We went there and rescued Seema and since then she was living with us," Rohit said.A few months later, Seema's in-laws registered two police cases against her family. "One case was of theft and burglary in which they claimed that we decamped with all the valuables and cash from their house.The other one was of attempt to murder. However, we went to court and the court quashed both the cases as they were found to be false. Since then, they were harassing my sister mentally," Rohit added.One day, Shanti Swaroop came home after meeting the investigating officer and told his family that the cop was asking for a bribe. "My father is just a class IV government employee and I also got married recently. So we did not have money," said Rohit. "Suddenly, Manvi walked in with her piggy bank and asked us to take her money and give it to the cops. She was ready to part with it if her mother got justice." On the way back after meeting the IG, Manvi's piggy bank fell and broke. "She started weeping and then I bought her another one, instructing her to collect and save more money," Rohit said.