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Sumedha Sehra

03 Jul 2017,Monday

Foreigners can now book train tickets 360 days in advance

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/360-day-advance-rail-booking-period-for-foreigners/1/992888.html

The Indian Railways has decided to allow foreigners to book train tickets 360 days in advance, extended from the current 120 days. However, they can book tickets only in first AC, second AC and executive class of mail express trains, Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Gatimaan and Tejas trains. A service charge of ?200 per ticket will be levied while booking.

New Delhi, Jul 3 (PTI) Now, foreign tourists can book train tickets 360 days in advance from abroad instead of the present 120 days. The Indian Railways would announce the facility this week. Aiming to attract more foreigners and NRI travellers, railways have undertaken steps to facilitate easy booking of tickets for them. However, foreigners would be allowed to book tickets only in first AC, second AC and executive class of mail express trains and in Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Gatimaan and Tejas trains 360 days in advance as the facility is not available for sleeper and third AC. Foreigners are also not allowed to book tickets in Suvidha trains that cater to last minute travel planners. The aim is to provide adequate time to foreigners and NRIs to plan their holidays well in advance, said a senior Railway Ministry official. He said the advance reservation period has been extended to 360 days for foreigners/NRIs and they can book their tickets online using credit or debit cards without depending on travel agents. They are required to give visa details, passport and international mobile numbers while booking online through the IRCTC ticketing site. IRCTC, a railways PSU, would levy Rs 200 per ticket as service charge.

Sonu Kumari

18 Jul 2017,Tuesday

Father, son arrested with stolen items in Delhi

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/delhi-police-theives-nabbed-sultanpuri-pick-pockets/1/1004513.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

The Delhi police arrested a father-son duo, who would buy stolen items from pickpockets and then sell them for a profit, from Mangolpuri. The father allegedly also used to teach theft to young boys and charge a commission from them. Cops nabbed them after a tip-off and seized ?2 lakh, 54 phones, 11 laptops, and a car from their possession.

The police have arrested a father-son duo, along with stolen items from pickpockets and mobile snatchers in the Capital. The accused, Nand Kishor alias Karate has been a dreaded history sheeter since the the last 25 years, operating in Sultanpuri area. He has also taught his son Subhash and several others the tricks of the trade of which has been a master. Sources said he had been taking commissions from young thieves. Karate is reportedly involved in as many as 65 cases of laptop and mobile theft at different police stations of the city. Besides, 42 other cases of robbery, NDPS, arms act, theft, pick-pocketing and house theft are registered against him in Sultanpuri police station alone. MN Tiwari, DCP of outer district said that father-son duo were nabbed following tip-off.

Saloni Tandon

08 Apr 2017,Saturday

Afghanistan to play McCullum-led MCC team at Lord's

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/afghanistan-marylebone-cricket-club-mcc-lords-cricket/1/923353.html

Afghanistan will play a team from Marylebone Cricket Club, led by former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, at Lord's on July 11. This will be Afghanistan's first match at the venue, which is hosting an associate nation for the second time in as many seasons. Afghan players Mohammad Nabi and Hamid Hassan earlier took part in MCC's Young Cricketers programme.

Afghanistan's cricketers will play at Lord's for the first time in July after being granted a fixture against the MCC.The 50-over match at the fabled home of world cricket was confirmed by the Marylebone Cricket Club on Friday."I am thrilled that we will be welcoming Afghanistan to Lord's this summer," MCC president Matthew Fleming said.

Chhavi Tyagi

09 Mar 2017,Thursday

Woman sacrifices own grandkids to ward off 'evil spirits'

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/punjab-chandigarh-human-sacrifices-tantric-children-electric-shock-police/1/900240.html

A 55-year-old woman named Nirmal Kaur, along with her 32-year-old son Kulwinder Singh, reportedly sacrificed her own grandchildren to free them from 'evil spirits'. While sacrificing the girl and boy, aged five and three, to achieve a degree of tantra, Kaur assured her daughter-in-law that they would come back to life. Kaur and Singh were arrested for practising witchcraft.

You may have heard ghastly stories of human sacrifices but the human sacrifice incident reported from Kotfata village in Bathinda on Wednesday evening has shocked the whole of Punjab.In a horrifying incident, a grandmother with the connivance of her son sacrificed her own grandchildren in the presence of their mother to free them from 'evil spirits'.She assured Rozy that the children would come back to life after the sacrifice.THIS IS WHAT HAPPENEDThe children were laid in front of Nirmal Kaur who along with her son first mercilessly slapped and kicked them. After which, the children were beaten-up with hot tongs(chimta).When the children fell unconscious, Nirmal Kaur ordered her son to give them an electric shock in an attempt to bring them back to life. Later, she also asked her son to put pieces of an electric tube light inside the mouths of the children.Rozy tried to stop her husband and her mother-in-law but was beaten up and locked in a room. She kept crying for help but nobody came to the rescue of her innocent children who died of an electric shock.MORE ABOUT NIRMAL KAUR55-year-old Nirmal Kaur and her son Kulwinder Singh, 32, have been arrested by the police for practicing witchcraft. "We have arrested the accused Nirmal Kaur and Kulwinder Singh. We will take action against them. The condition of Kulwinder's wife and sister is serious. They are being given medical treatment," SSP Bathinda, Swapan Sharma said.Nirmal Kaur claimed that the soul of Sheshnaga, the five headed divine snake which forms a coiled seat for Lord Vishnu to rest on, had entered her and that the locals should worship her.Sources say that the accused Nirmal Kaur had also become estranged from her husband Mukhtiyar Singh and did not allow him to return home.She had relations with some tantrics who regularly visited her.

Tarun Khanna

05 Apr 2017,Wednesday

ISIS terrorists trying to enter Mumbai through sea: Report

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/isis-terrorists-islamic-state-mumbai-on-alert-indian-coast-guard/1/920665.html

The Indian Coast Guard has reportedly alerted the police and other intelligence agencies that 3-4 Islamic State terrorists are trying to enter the city through the sea route. "We are taking all necessary precautions and getting details about the suspects from the information provided to us," a senior police official reportedly said.

The Mumbai city has been put on alert after the Indian Coast Guard sent a fax to Mumbai Police and other security agencies on Monday regarding an attempt of infiltration. The intel input was about three ISIS terrorists trying to gain access to the city via sea route. The Coast Guard had been long tracking developments in the case. A senior Mumbai Police official said, "The information is received from the Coast Guard through fax. We are taking all necessary precautions and getting details about the suspects from the information provided to us."All security agencies are now verifying the information and working to rule out any such attempt. Also Watch: Red alert issued in Mumbai after Coast Guards warn of attack by ISIS suspects

Abhishek Bansal

17 Mar 2017,Friday

World's oldest club to allow female golfers after 273 years

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/oldest-golf-club-women-join-scotland-muirfield-lifest/1/906173.html

Scotland's Muirfield golf course, founded in 1744 and believed to be the oldest in the world, will allow women to attain membership for the first time. The decision reportedly comes after the club lost out on a chance to host the prestigious Open Championship. Women, however, will have to wait for nearly 2-3 years due to a membership waiting list.

Founded in 1744, Scotland's Muirfield golf club is finally swinging its gates open for women. Believed to be the oldest in the world, the golf club will allow women to attain membership for the first time over the course of its history. Reportedly, the decision comes after the club lost out on a chance to host the "prestigious" Open Championship. Being welcomed by nearly everyone, including Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, the move is a long overdue step towards eradicating the skewed ideas that do not allow women to be members of world's most coveted golf clubs, The Guardian reports.

Chhavi Tyagi

26 Dec 2016,Monday

Over 900 LPG cylinders explode in Karnataka

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/cylinders-explode-karnataka-chikkaballapura/1/842885.html

More than 900 Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders stored in two trucks exploded on Sunday near Chintamani in Karnataka's Chikkaballapura district. The incident which reportedly took place due to a battery short circuit, engulfed two trucks and a Bolero vehicle. While properties worth around ?70 lakh were gutted in the fire, no casualties have been reported so far.

Shubhodeep Datta

17 Dec 2016,Saturday

Nithari murders: Koli given death penalty for 7th time

http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/nithari-killings-surinder-koli-awarded-death-penalty-for-seventh-time/story-5HnBDlKvSjQYYetxbvZjdP.html

Surinder Koli, the prime accused in the Nithari killing cases, was awarded the death penalty in the seventh case by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Ghaziabad on Friday. Koli was awarded death sentence by the CBI court in all the previous six cases but one of them was later commuted to life by the Allahabad High Court.

Surinder Koli, the prime accused in the Nithari killing cases, was awarded the death penalty again by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Ghaziabad on Friday. This is the seventh ? of the 17? cases in which trial has been completed at Ghaziabad. Koli has been found guilty and awarded the death penalty in all the seven cases so far.On Friday, Koli was awarded the death penalty for the murder of a 12-year-old girl, who hailed from Darjeeling and had come to stay at her aunt?s house at Nithari. The girl had gone to a local vegetable market on the morning of July 24, 2006, but did not return. She was lured by Koli inside his employer, Moninder Singh Pandher?s, house in Sector-31 Noida. Pandher?s mobile locations indicted his presence in Punjab during the period when the girl was killed by Koli in his house.?Koli attempted rape, strangulated her and later chopped the body parts of the victim before throwing them behind the house in polythene bag. He was also awarded life imprisonment for abduction, 10 years imprisonment for attempted rape and seven years imprisonment for destruction of evidence,? said JP Sharma, public prosecutor, CBI.Read More:Surinder Koli held guilty in sixth Nithari caseKoli was chargesheeted by CBI in 16 out of 19 Nithari cases. He had been contesting his cases without any hired lawyers, but a Supreme Court advocate, Ravindra S Garia, took up his cases. During arguments on conviction, Garia said that he had put forward his argument but attracted the attention of the court over several issues related to the case.?Repeated applications seeking inspection of documents and copies were dismissed. We had also put up an application under section 329 of CrPC but this was dismissed. We later approached Allahabad high court and notices were issued to the UP government. The CrPC requires that a trial court ? if faced with material indicating unsound mind of the accused ? should before proceeding trial hold a preliminary trial to ascertain whether the accused is mentally capable of facing trial,? he said.?Till date, we have not been provided all copies of the exhibited documents on which the prosecution?s case if based. In such case, it was unethical for me to put forward my arguments in the case,? he added.Read More:At 1.40am, Supreme Court stays Surinder Koli?s hangingBefore the seventh case judgment, Koli?s ailing mother Kunti Devi also arrived from her native place in Uttarakhand and met her son inside Dasna jail on Thursday.?She is old and was barely able to walk. Still, she undertook the long journey and met her son. Koli told her of his innocence and said that he will keep fighting the legal battle,? said Narayan Singh, a villager from Koli?s native place at Mangrukhal.One of Koli?s earlier cases, decided at Ghaziabad, was commuted to life imprisonment by the Supreme Court. The other cases are pending appeal at Allahabad high court.

Niharika Prabhakar

20 Jul 2017,Thursday

Man claiming to have saved Gandhi from Godse earlier dies

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/man-claimed-to-have-saved-gandhi-from-godse-s-earlier-assassination-attempt-dies/story-UBrz9OP23U5kyUFsvlUSeM.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Bhiku Daji Bhilare, who claimed to have saved Gandhi from an earlier assassination attempt by Nathuram Godse in 1944, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 98. According to Mahatma Gandhi's great grandson's book, there were four attempts on Gandhi's life before Godse killed him in 1948. Bhilare reportedly foiled the second attack in Panchgani by overpowering Godse.

Bhiku Daji Bhilare, who was claimed to have saved Mahatma Gandhi from being killed by Nathuram Godse in 1944, passed away today after a brief illness.The 98-year-old Gandhian, popularly known as ?Bhilare Guruji?, was cremated at his village, Bhilar, in Mahabaleshwar Teshil in western Maharashtra?s Satara district, family sources said.Bhilare, born on November 28, 1919, is survived by three sons.While there is no documented history about Bhilare having foiled Godse?s earlier attack, the great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, Tushar Gandhi, in his new book has dwelled on how fundamentalists had planned and made many attempts on the life of the Father of the Nation before he was finally killed.According to him, there were four attempts on the Mahatma?s life, before Godse killed him in 1948.The attack at Panchgani in 1944, where Bhilare Guruji overpowered Nathuram, was the second of these attempts, he has claimed in the book.?(In) July 1944, after his release from the Aga Khan Palace Prison Camp in May 1944, Gandhi contracted malaria and was advised rest by his physician. He retired to Panchgani, a mountain resort near Poona (now Pune), where he stayed at Dilkhush Bungalow.?A group of 18 or 20 men reached Panchgani by a chartered bus from Poona and held a day-long protest against Gandhi. When Gandhi was told about this, he contacted the leader of the group, Nathuram Vinayak Godse, for a discussion. Nathuram rejected the invitation and continued with his demonstration,? the book says.?During a prayer meeting that evening, Nathuram Godse, dressed in a Nehru shirt, pajama and jacket, rushed towards Gandhi. He was brandishing a dagger in his hand and shouting anti-Gandhi slogans. Godse was overpowered by Manishankar Purohit, the proprietor of the Surti lodge of Poona, and D Bhilare Guruji of Satara, who later became a Congress legislator from Mahabaleshwar. The other youth accompanying Godse ran away,? it saidIn 2008, at an event in Mumbai, Bhilare was lauded for having had the presence of mind and the daring to twist the knife out of Nathuram Godse?s hand as he rushed to kill Gandhiji in a frenzy.In 1944, Bhilare was the taluka pramukh of the Rashtra Seva Dal.?It was a wet July evening in Panchgani in 1944,? Bhilare Guruji had recalled at the event.?All of us had assembled in the Batha High School hall for the evening prayers when suddenly a door opposite me opened and in rushed Nathuram Godse. He was wielding a knife and muttering incoherently.?Bhilare blocked his path and twisted the knife out of his hand.?My colleagues in the Seva Dal were also quick to react, and threw him out of the premises,? he had recalled.Bhilare had also claimed that Gopal Godse and Narayan Apte, who were implicated in the Mahatma?s assassination, were present at the spot.The Panchgani incident has been documented in the memoirs of Gandhiji?s close associate, said Pyarelal, a functionary of Mani Bhawan in Mumbai from where Mahatma Gandhi initiated satyagraha and propagated the cause of swadeshi.

Aarushi Maheshwari

16 Jul 2017,Sunday

Florida sinkhole swallows 2 houses and a boat

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/florida-sinkhole-swallows-house-and-boat-parked-outside-2-dogs-rescued/story-KeODVy4DQJU7GtyxPQxJqO.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

A sinkhole swallowed two houses and a boat in Florida, United States. Police said they were called after someone noticed a depression had formed under a boat parked outside a house, and "the hole opened up" within minutes. The residents had left for work, and firefighters managed to rescue two dogs and retrieve some belongings. nn

A sinkhole that started out the size of a small swimming pool and continued to grow has swallowed a home in Florida and severely damaged another.Pasco County Fire Chief Shawn Whited said during a news conference that crews were called to the home north of Tampa about 7:30 am Friday after someone noticed a depression had formed under a boat parked outside a house. Within minutes, he says, ?the hole opened up.?Whited says the residents had left for work, but firefighters rescued two dogs and retrieved some of the home?s belongings. By 8:30 am, part of the house collapsed. An hour later, the sinkhole had swallowed most of the home and a portion of the one next door.County building officials have deemed about 10 homes unsafe and say more may be affected.The Tampa Bay Times reports Duke Energy has cut power to about 100 homes in the neighbourhood.

Shubhodeep Datta

13 Dec 2016,Tuesday

Leopard caught in Delhi's biodiversity park released in UP

http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/delhi-s-leopard-released-in-up-s-shivalik-ranges/story-K6tNSdmLuCOQ18XqO6kDWN.html

A leopard that was spotted at Yamuna Biodiversity Park in Delhi last month was released in the Shivalik ranges at Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh on Monday. The three-year-old male feline was spotted roaming inside the park and was later trapped near a village, located on the periphery of the park. The leopard underwent medical tests before being released.

The leopard that was spotted at the Yamuna Biodiversity Park last month was released in the Shivalik ranges at Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh on Monday.The three-year-old male cat was released in the Saharanpur forests around 4am, Delhi?s chief wildlife warden AK Shukla said.The leopard was spotted roaming inside the Yamuna Biodiversity Park last month. It was trapped near Jagatpur village, located in the periphery of the park, early Saturday morning.?We were mulling over releasing it in the Hastinapur area of Meerut but decided against doing so after taking into consideration few adverse reports and to avoid conflicts over territory,? Shukla said.Read: Leopard caught in Delhi may be moved to Shivalik ranges, experts unhappyBefore being released, the leopard underwent a series of medical tests in the Delhi Zoo.The leopard?s presence in the Yamuna biodiversity park had cheered wildlife enthusiasts and was being seen as an achievement considering wild cats had completely disappeared from the region.But the Delhi government decided to trap and relocate it saying it may pose threat to villagers in the vicinity. The news of its sighting had come soon after villagers in Haryana?s Sohna district had thrashed a leopard to death.Many experts have criticised the government?s decision to relocate arguing it has shorn the Yamuna Park of the rare achievement of having a complete food chain. Even the environment ministry guidelines released in 2011 observe that ?arbitrary removal of leopards could lead to increased conflict?.

Mansha Mahajan

07 Jun 2017,Wednesday

CBI denies NDTV charges, says it respects freedom of press

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/ndtv-raids-prannoy-roy-cbi-respects-freedom-of-press/1/971985.html

Responding to NDTV's allegations that CBI raided its premises "without conducting a preliminary enquiry", the agency clarified that searches were conducted based on warrants by a competent court. CBI added investigations against Prannoy and Radhika Roy weren't regarding loan default, but wrongful gain of ?48 crore. CBI further dismissed NDTV's charges, saying it "fully respects freedom of press".

Responding to the NDTV's allegations that the CBI raided its premises "without even conducting a preliminary enquiry" indicating "a witch-hunt against independent media", the central investigation agency today clarified that the searches were carried out based on search warrants issued by a competent court."It is clarified that searches have been carried out at the premises of the promoters and their offices based on search warrants issued by the Competent Court. CBI has not conducted any search of registered office of NDTV, media studio, news room or premises connected with media operations," the CBI said in its statement today."The CBI has registered the case based on the complaint of a share holder of ICICI Bank and NDTV after carrying out due diligence. Denigrating the allegations at this stage of investigation and wrongly accusing the agency of acting under pressure is uncalled for and an attempt to malign the image of the CBI," it said."It has been mentioned in the statement of NDTV that NDTV and its promoters have never defaulted on any loan. The allegations under investigation are not regarding the default in loan repayment, but relate to the wrongful gain of Rs 48 crore to the promoters (Prannoy and Radhika Roy)," the CBI said.CBI HAS JURISDICTION OF CASES OF PRIVATE BANKS On the NDTV's questioning of jurisdiction over a case involving a private bank, the CBI said, "It is clarified that the Honourable Supreme Court in the case of Ramesh Gelli vs CBI of 2016, held that the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 are applicable to the officials of private banks. Therefore, CBI has jurisdiction to take up investigation of the cases of private banks." On Monday, shortly after CBI sleuths raided NDTV offices and homes of the Roys in New Delhi, Dehradun and Mussourie, NDTV issued a statement accusing the CBI of a "blatant political attack on the freedom of the press"."It is clearly the independence and fearlessness of NDTV's team that the ruling party's politicians cannot stomach and the CBI raid is merely another attempt at silencing the media," the NDTV statement said."The CBI has been compelled to file an FIR based on a shoddy complaint by a disgruntled former consultant at NDTV called Sanjay Dutt, who has been making false allegations and filing cases in courts of law with these false allegations," the news channel said."Even though lakhs and crores of rupees of dues have not been paid by several industrialists and no criminal case has yet been registered against any of them by the CBI, the CBI has chosen not only to register an FIR, but also conduct a search for a loan which has been duly repaid to ICICI Bank. Moreover, ICICI is a private bank," NDTV said in its statement.Dismissing the charges, the CBI today said it "fully respects the freedom of press and is committed to the free functioning of news operations".Also read: CBI raids residence of NDTV founders in criminal conspiracy, cheating case

Aarushi Maheshwari

14 Jul 2017,Friday

Man meets woman on matrimonial site, flees with ?1 lakh ring

http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/mumbai-man-meets-woman-through-matrimonial-website-flees-with-gold-ring-worth-1-lakh/story-iKU468RfCiFh2NhRuz7X9N.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

A man met a woman on a matrimonial website and allegedly stole her gold ring worth ?1 lakh. They had decided to get married, and met at a Mumbai cafe where the accused said he wanted to buy her a ring. She gave him her own ring for size, following which he left to make a call and never returned.

The Khar police are on a lookout for a man who allegedly cheated a 34-year-old woman on the pretext of marriage. The accused and the victim came in contact with each other around a year ago on matrimonial website, and duo started communicating.They exchanged mobile numbers and after few months, they decided to marry. The man claimed to be ?Aryan Patel? and approached the woman in June 2016.According to the police, the victim lives in Dadar and works at an interior designer firm. In her complaint, she said that on July 11, the duo decided to meet at Café Coffee Day on carter road in Bandra (West). They met around 8pm and discussed their wedding plans and decided to inform their parents about each other.?Patel told victim that he wanted to buy a gold ring for her, so he asked for the ring she was wearing to check the size. The woman removed her ring worth Rs1 lakh and gave it to him. Patel took the gold ring and picked up the phone to call someone and went out of the cafe,? said senior inspector Ramchandra Jadhav of Khar police station.The victim was inside in the CCD but Patel did not return. After half an hour, the victim came out of the cafe to look for him and tried to call him, but his mobile number was switched off, said Jadhav.The woman then approached Khar police station and registered a case against Patel. ?The victim does not know Patel?s residential address or his job profile. It seems that the suspect did not have disclose his real name to victim, and his intention was to cheat her,? said Jadhav. The police have registered case under section 420 (cheating) and 406 (breach of trust) against the accused and have launched a manhunt for him.

Rini Sinha

06 Jul 2017,Thursday

Not letting Pak actors like Fawad work here a problem: Ratna

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/working-with-pak-actors-not-an-insurmountable-problem-ratna/1/994864.html

Actress Ratna Pathak Shah has said that not letting Pakistani actors like Fawad Khan work in India is a problem. She added, "Nobody is unhappy that these poor guys have been thrown out of the business." Notably, Ratna has worked with Fawad in the films 'Khoobsurat' (2014) and 'Kapoor & Sons' (2016).nn

Mumbai, Jul 5 (PTI) Ratna Pathak Shah, who has played mother to Fawad Khan in "Khoobsurat" and "Kapoor & Sons", says she would like to see more participation across nations in arts and working with Pakistani ators is not an "insurmountable problem". Fawad, already a big name in Pakistan, became a heartthrob in India after his debut with "Khoobsurat". However, the clamour against Pakistani artists just before the release of his film "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" prompted him to leave the country, ending his Bollywood career. Asked if not letting Fawad Khan work in India was a problem, Ratna told PTI, "It is a problem but its not an insurmountable problem. Nobody is unhappy that these poor guys have been thrown out of the business. I dont know what that says about the people who went after Fawad and saw to it that hell never get to work again.

Deepali Aggarwal

19 Apr 2017,Wednesday

Book reveals Clinton congratulated Trump after election

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/18/hillary-clinton-shattered-book-obama-election-loss?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning+briefing&utm_term=222240&subid=21525752&CMP=ema-2793

According to the book titled 'Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign', Hillary Clinton phoned her presidential election opponent Donald Trump to say "congratulations, Donald" after her loss. She added, "I'll be supportive of the country's success, and your success as president". Clinton also called former President Barack Obama and apologised to him for the loss, the book revealed.

As the first polls closed on 8 November, Hillary Clinton was preparing for the moment she would at long last take the stage as the first female president of the United States.She instead found herself apologizing to Barack Obama hours later in a harrowing phone call, moments after conceding the presidential election to Donald Trump.?Mr President, I?m sorry,? Clinton told Obama, who had contacted her to extend his condolences for her loss.The phone call is one of several revelations in the new book Shattered, in which the journalists Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes chronicle Clinton?s 18-month quest to do what eluded her in 2008 and break ?that highest, hardest glass ceiling?.The book sheds particular light on the painful turn of events on election night, as Clinton watched the returns deviate dramatically from the path her campaign had so confidently predicted. Surrounded by family and aides at the Peninsula Hotel in Manhattan, she saw the first cracks emerge as the must-win state of Florida turned dicey. Steve Schale, among the most reliable Democratic strategists in the state, informed Clinton?s campaign they were short on votes.As other battlegrounds began to crumble, a sober mood took hold in the suite. But soon, the authors wrote, aides began to blame each other as Bill Clinton grew increasingly upset and Hillary Clinton became withdrawn.It was Obama, taking in the results with his own advisers in Washington, who broke up the slumber with a series of phone calls from the White House. Wisconsin, a Democratic stronghold, had just been called for Trump. Some states remained excruciatingly close, but the president was convinced of the outcome and did not want to question the legitimacy of the election as Trump had done just weeks earlier while facing off against Clinton in the debates.?You need to concede,? Obama told Clinton after his political director had failed to persuade Clinton?s campaign manager, Robby Mook, on the point.It took one more phone call from the president ? to Clinton?s campaign chairman, John Podesta ? before she asked her close aide Huma Abedin for the phone and uttered the words she never thought she would say: ?Congratulations, Donald. ?I?ll be supportive of the country?s success, and that means your success as president,? Clinton said.It was after her brief conversation with Trump that Clinton apologized to Obama.The book is the second collaboration for Allen and Parnes, who in 2014 authored HRC, a detailed account of Clinton?s tenure at the helm of the state department, in anticipation of her second presidential run. As the first take on Clinton?s doomed campaign, they offer a behind-the-scenes view of the obstacles in her way ? some familiar and others a consequence of the shifting American electorate. There is the familiar tension between the old guard that has for decades operated ?Clintonworld? and the new blood that labored in Brooklyn to reinvent the campaign of one of the most well-known public figures in the world. The authors revisit the unexpected challenge from Bernie Sanders, whose insurgent campaign captured the wave of economic populism sweeping the country. The infighting amid the Democratic primaries, as Team Clinton struggled to decisively put away the senator, is a dominant theme of the book?s first half.And then there are the emails.The aftermath of Clinton?s decision to use a private email server as secretary of state, and subsequent discord among her inner circle over how to respond, is retold with the benefit of hindsight. We learn that Bill Clinton did not believe she should apologize, as neither he nor she felt there had been any wrongdoing.Clinton eventually did apologize to the public in August 2015, six months after the server issue was first brought to light.The role of Russian interference in the US election, now the subject of three investigations in Washington, is barely explored in the book, although the authors do say that Clinton?s former aides see it as one of the main reasons for her loss.The effects of Trump?s nationalist campaign are also relegated to the backseat, as this is a story primarily told through how Clinton?s campaign adapted (or sometimes crucially didn?t) to the evolving political climate. Staffers were confident in their sophisticated voter modeling and analytics, and fatally failed to spot when they veered off target.Clinton, for her part, carried a lingering doubt throughout the campaign. ?Why aren?t they with me?? she asked of working class white people during the Democratic primaries. ?Why can?t we bring them onboard??It was a question her campaign never quite answered.

Parmeet Kaur

23 Jul 2017,Sunday

1100 water vending machines to be installed at rail stations

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/drinking-water-at-re-1-irctc-to-install-100-vending-machines-in-stations/story-81bQh4DJh8jA73RgXBRd6O.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation plans to install 1,100 water vending machines at 450 railway stations in 2017-18. A 300 ml glass of water from these machines will cost ?1, while a litre will cost ?5 and two litres will cost ?8. This is aimed at ensuring availability of clean drinking water at low cost at the stations.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) plans to install 1,100 water vending machines at 450 stations in 2017-2018 as part of its efforts to ensure clean drinking water at low cost in rail premises across the country.A glass of 300 ml water dispensed through these machines will cost just Re 1.The railway ministry in a series of tweets said on?Sunday these water vending machines (WVMs) will provide clean drinking water at low cost, and that the initiative will help in generating employment for around 2,000 people.At present, there are 1,106 WVMs at 345 stations in the country, the ministry said.The project of setting up WVMs was initiated in 2015 with an objective of providing potable water at nominal rates.Water is dispensed through the provision of Reverse Osmosis (RO) in these machines. The WVMs are operated round-the-clock either manually or via automatic mode.The water dispensed through these machines will be much cheaper than bottled mineral water, the ministry said.While a glass of half a litre water will cost Rs 3, a litre will be available Rs 5, two litres for Rs 8 and a can for Rs 20.

Vaibhav Gupta

20 Dec 2016,Tuesday

Indiscipline in armed forces to be viewed ?seriously?: SC

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indiscipline-in-armed-forces-to-be-viewed-seriously-sc/1/837973.html

The Supreme Court on Monday observed that indiscipline by security personnel must be "viewed seriously" as disobeying orders of superior officers is an act of "gross misconduct". The apex court's remarks came while hearing a plea filed by CISF against the Delhi High Court's judgement directing reinstatement of a constable, who was dismissed for his alleged misconduct and indiscipline.

New Delhi, Dec 19 (PTI) Indiscipline on part of security force personnel must be "viewed seriously" and deserting work by disobeying orders of superior officers is an act of "gross misconduct", the Supreme Court has ruled. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur also said that past conduct of a delinquent employee can be taken into consideration while imposing a penalty on him. The courts remarks came as it dealt with a plea filed by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) against the Delhi High Courts August 2014 judgement directing reinstatement of a constable, Abrar Ali, who was dismissed from service due to his alleged acts of indiscipline and misconduct. In its verdict, the apex court held that though Ali was found guilty of deserting the force for a period of five days and not improving his conduct in spite of penalties imposed on him on three earlier occasions, the penalty of dismissal from service is "excessive and harsh" and "in our view, the penalty of compulsory retirement would meet the ends of justice". The bench, which also comprised Justices D Y Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao, said "indiscipline on the part of a member of an armed force has to be viewed seriously. It is clear that the respondent (Ali) had intentionally disobeyed the orders of his superiors and deserted the force for a period of 5 days. Such desertion is an act of gross misconduct and the respondent deserves to be punished suitably." The bench directed that Ali shall be entitled for notional continuity of service till the date of completion of minimum service required to make him eligible for pension but he will not be entitled for payment of salary and allowances for that period. Ali was appointed as a constable in CISF in September 1990 and in October 1999, an inquiry was proposed against him under the CISF Rules for allegations of misconduct and misbehavior. According to the charges, he was posted at CISF unit in Dhanbad when he had disobeyed the orders of his seniors and was habitual of committing indiscipline.

Chhavi Tyagi

14 Apr 2017,Friday

BHIM-Aadhaar app to allow payment using fingerprint launched

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/pm-modi-launches-aadhaar-pay-app-for-phone-less-digital-payment/1/929021.html

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched BHIM-Aadhaar platform, the merchant interface of the BHIM App, that will allow people to make payments through the fingerprint scanner. The service will use Aadhaar numbers linked to bank accounts, and payments will be finalised only after customers keep their finger on the merchant's biometric machine connected to the app through a smartphone.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched BHIM-Aadhar pay app, that will allow people to make payments without using a smartphone. Instead, the app will enable payments through the fingerprint scanner, by authenticating the biometric details of a user with Aadhaar database. The app, which will be available for download to merchants across the country, will link your Aadhaar number and biometric fingerprint to complete a transaction. This will not only make cashless payment more prevalent but also possibly more easy and hassle-free. To enable the transactions through BHIM-Aadhar, merchants will have to purchase fingerprint scanners.With the implementation of the new system, all you will need is your fingerprint to make a payment. Using the Aadhaar number linked to your bank account, the payment for your purchase will be requested by the merchant but is finalised only when you keep your finger on the biometric machine connected to the app through the smartphone.

Prashanti Moktan

18 Jul 2017,Tuesday

One of my haters hacked my Instagram account: Rakhi Sawant

http://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/my-instagram-account-has-been-hacked-rakhi-sawant/story-4BK8HXyXHCCcHzkkkIyVjM.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Actress Rakhi Sawant, whose Instagram account has been deleted, has said, "My account has been hacked. I am very upset. One of my haters has done this." She further talked about how people think she is a slut whenever she posts on Instagram. "They have even bad mouthed my mom so many times. These things do affect me," added Rakhi.

Actor Rakhi Sawant Instagram account has been a source of entertainment to her fans. Rakhi regularly uploads a number of hilarious videos and posts. Users were shocked to find out that her page suddenly got deleted on Monday morning. It turns out that she isn?t the one who has deleted her account. Rakhi, who has always spoken out her mind on various political issues on social media, claims that her Instagram account has been hacked by a hater. We contacted Rakhi to find out what happened to her Instagram account that had more than 1 lakh followers. ?Mera Instagram account hack ho gaya hai. (My account has been hacked. I am very upset. One of my haters have done this. This was a way I used to connect to my fans and so many stars including Salman Khan and Sohail Khan have told me that whenever they are depressed, they watch my videos for entertainment,? she says. The 38-year-old doesn?t plan to come back on Instagram any time soon because she feels that people have been humiliating her a lot on social media. ?Mein jab bhi koi post share karti hoon, log mujhe gandi galiyan dete hai. (Whenever I share a post, people use the filthiest abuses for me.) They think I am a slut. They have even bad mouthed my mom so many times. These things do affect me,? adds Rakhi.

Saloni Tandon

02 Jul 2017,Sunday

45% drop in deposits by Indians in Swiss banks: PM Modi

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/gst-icai-pm-modi-chartered-accountants-tax-reform-corruption-black-money-demonetisation/1/992044.html

PM Narendra Modi has said there has been a 45% decrease in deposits by Indians in Swiss banks. Addressing chartered accountants on the foundation day of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Modi said the deposits had risen sharply in 2013. He added people with black money will face more difficulties when Switzerland begins automatic information exchange in two years.

Addressing chartered accountants on the foundation day of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Delhi, PM Modi said there had been a record 45 per cent drop in deposits by Indians in Swiss banks.A day after the GST was rolled out in the Central Hall of Parliament, Modi said that the tax reform would help weed out black money.

Aarushi Maheshwari

02 Aug 2017,Wednesday

Female teacher suspended for getting a massage from student

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/odisha-female-school-teacher-placed-under-suspension-for-getting-massage-from-student/story-QKKWzIkTxEDJlLvBNV5jyH.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

A female teacher in Odisha was suspended on Tuesday for allegedly getting a massage by a schoolgirl on school premises. The teacher, Bharati Meher, said the incident took place around two years ago when she told a class eight student she had a headache and the latter offered to massage her head. A video of the incident went viral online.

A woman teacher in Odisha?s Sambalpur district on Tuesday placed under suspension on charge of getting herself massaged by a girl student in the school.The authorities took action against the lady teacher after a video of the incident went viral in the social media.Sambalpur District Education Officer (DEO), Pramod Panda confirmed about the suspension of the lady teacher of Sikirdi Project Upper Primary School, Bharati Meher.The DEO said Meher was suspended after the video came to our notice on?Tuesday.Meher, who is also in-charge headmistress of the school, admitted that a girl student had massaged her head. However, she said that the incident had taken place around two years ago when she was sitting in the office room.?Because of severe headache, I went inside the office room and sat there on that day. However, a class VIII girl student came to me to call me to take class. But on seeing my condition, she asked me how I was feeling. I told her about my headache. She herself told me that she would massage my head. This is the truth,? the lady teacher claimed.The girl, who massaged my head on that day, has already passed out from the school and therefore was not available for comment.

Parmeet Kaur

28 Jul 2017,Friday

Mumbai courier boy who stole 150 mobile phones arrested

http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/mumbai-courier-boy-who-stole-150-mobile-phones-arrested/story-F0vuSQSWpW0ja43ysHFeLK.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

The Mumbai Police on Monday arrested a 24-year old courier boy who allegedly stole 150 mobile phones worth over ?13 lakh. The accused used to deliver mobile phones discarded by online websites like Amazon and Flipkart back to the wholesale shop. "The accused started stealing one or two phones at each delivery back to the wholesaler," according to police.

The MIDC police on Monday arrested a courier boy for stealing 150 mobile phones of various brands worth Rs.13,52,283.The accused, identified as Abdul Salam Abdul Momin Shaikh, 24, worked as a courier boy in Gati Courier Company located at Andheri (East) and used to deliver mobile phones discarded by online websites like Amazon and Flipkart back to the wholesale shop, Hardtrac Services. Hardtrac Services used to supply mobile phones to online websites like Amazon and Flipkart. The complainant, Vimal Maheshchandra Zaveri, 50, is the director of Hardtrac Services.According to sub-inspector Dhavan, ?Online websites like Amazon and Flipkart had a contract with the courier company through which they used to send back discarded mobile phones to the wholesale company Hardtrac services. The wholesale company then used to send all the mobile phones back to their original companies. The accused started stealing one or two phones at each delivery back to the wholesaler and realised that nobody noticed the missing mobile phones. By the time Hardtrac Services realised that several phones were missing, it was too late.??It was a huge negligence on the part of the wholesaler that they failed to keep a check on the discarded pieces. Abdul took advantage of this, and succeeded in stealing such a large number of mobile phones,? he added.?The accused fled the city as soon as he came to know that an FIR was registered against him. We tried tracing his mobile number, but to no avail. We then interrogated his family in Saki Naka, where he stays, and came to know that he had gone to his native place in Uttar Pradesh. We tried tracing him in Uttar Pradesh but we couldn?t get to him. After looking out for him for quite some days, we received a tip-off that he was back in the city at Saki Naka,? said a police official.A team led by senior police inspector Pasalwar, crime police inspector Devre, sub-inspectors Dhavan and Lokre nabbed Abdul from Saki Naka on Monday at around 5pm.?We suspect that there may be more people involved; we are investigating that angle too,? he said.Abdul has been booked under the sections of 120B and 379 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)?and is in police custody till 29th July.

Chhavi Tyagi

10 Jun 2017,Saturday

Couple drop daughter at hospital, find her body at doorstep

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/tamil-nadu-girl-epilepsy-herbal-treatment-erode-dead-erode-coimbatore/1/975386.html

A Tamil Nadu couple went to attend a wedding after dropping their 17-year-old daughter at a herbal hospital and found her dead body in a freezer box kept at their doorstep on returning. The girl was being treated for epilepsy and weight loss at the hospital. Further, people have accused the hospital's owner of having no authorisation from medical bodies.

A 17-year-old girl in Tamil Nadu's Erode district who was being treated for epilepsy and weight loss by a herbal treatment centre died under mysterious circumstances. BhakyaSri was left under the care of the herbal treatment centre owner and relative Naveen Balalji by her parents on June 2 to attend a wedding function. To their shock, when they returned, they found BhakyaSri's dead body in a freezer box kept at the doorstep. Her parents then rushed her body to the General Hospital in Coimbatore for autopsy and filed a complaint in the Kavundhapadi Police Station against Balaji. BhakyaSri's father believes she was administered wrong dose of medicine which turned to be fatal and is now demanding strictest of action against Balaji. He also added that when they called in between June 2-6 to inquire about their daughter's health, the authorities said she was responding well and relaxing. According to testimony of BhakyaSri's neighbours, they saw the staff of the treatment centre drop off the freezer box on June 3. To add to their plight, the parents had to face blatant apathy at the Coimbatore General Hospital, where they were asked to pay Rs 3,000 as bribe to collect BhakyaSri's body from the morgue. Clash between the family members of BhakyaSri and Balaji broke out when he visited the family at the Coimbatore hospital. BhakyaSri's relatives claim that Naveen Balaji who runs the herbal treatment centre in Erode is a fraud and has no authorisation from medical bodies or the government. Also read: Why Tamil Nadu politics involving frequent AIADMK reshuffles is like a game of poker

Prashanti Moktan

01 Jan 2017,Sunday

Underworld code for cocaine is Alia: Mumbai Police

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/ranveer-singh-alia-bhatt-mumbai-police-ranbir-kapoor-drugs/1/847207.html

Names of Bollywood celebrities, including Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra, are being used to refer to drugs by the underworld, as per the Mumbai Police. While Alia is code name for cocaine, Katrina is used to refer to smack while Priyanka's name is code for LSD. Further, Ranveer Singh's name is used to refer to a drug peddler.

According to a mind-blowing revelation by the Mumbai police, names of Bollywood actors are used by the Mumbai underworld to refer to various key terms in the drug supplying and peddling business.That the Mumbai underworld has always had code words for commonplace things is not news anymore. In fact, Bollywood gangster films have familiarised the use of words like khoka and peti to denote Rs 1 crore and Rs 1 lakh respectively. In addition to this, there's code words like supari (contract killing), lambi (AK-47) and nine number ki chappal (9mm pistol). The list is endless.ALSO READ: Shah Rukh to Priyanka, Bollywood celebs wish fans a happy new yearSEE PICS: Here's how Saif-Kareena, Ranbir, Karishma celebrated New Year's EveALSO WATCH: Five reasons we love to hate the Sultan of Bollywood - Salman KhanNow, a report by Hindustan Times has revealed that in Mumbai underworld lingo, names of actors are used frequently to strike drug deals.Apparently, when a 'Sultan' is referred to on the phone, it means the person supplying or organising the drugs. Initially, Mumbai police would be perplexed on hearing statements like "Sultan is always late" or "Sultan proved a box-office hit" over the phone. But now the police have deciphered the code.The Mumbai underworld's list of actors to connote different terms in the drug-dealing business includes:Ranveer Singh=PeddlerRanbir Kapoor=HostAlia Bhatt = CocaineKangana Ranaut = Afeem

Ankur Vyas

29 Dec 2016,Thursday

Madras HC judge raises doubts over Jayalalithaa's death

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/madras-high-court-jayalalithaas-death-pil-justice-vaidyalingam-sasikala-natarajan/1/845112.html

A Madras High Court judge on Thursday expressed doubts over the demise of former Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa as the death was sudden and no medical report was submitted. "Media has raised a lot of doubts. Personally, I also have doubts in Jayalalithaa's death," Justice Vaidyalingam said. The court was hearing a PIL seeking a judicial probe into Jayalalithaa's death.

The Madras High Court today expressed its doubts over the December 5 demise of J Jayalalithaa, saying the death was sudden and there was no medical report submitted of her long illness."Media has raised a lot of doubts. Personally I also have doubts in Jayalalithaa's death," Justice Vaidyalingam of the Madras High Court said."When she was admitted in hospital, it was said that she was on proper diet. At least after her death now, truth should be revealed," he said. The next hearing into the case is scheduled for January 9. Also read |  Sasikala Natarajan era begins in AIADMK: Jayalalithaa's aide elected party General SecretaryAs conspiracy theories continue to do the rounds over Jayalalithaa's death, the Madras High Court is hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the appointment of a judicial commission to probe into the death of the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.AIADMK WORKER FILED PETITIONThe petition was filed by Joseph, an AIADMK worker.  There is suspicion regarding the death of the Chief Minister and that's why we filed the plea, said Vijay Anand, Joseph's lawyer.The judge has given his personal view about the suspension behind her death, Anand said.He added that it was strange that neither the health minister nor the health secretary gave any information about the treatment given to her unlike what happened when MGR was sick.  AMMA LOYALIST ALLEGES MURDERJayalalithaa loyalist Shihan Hussaini has alleged that she was killed. He wants Amma's body exhumed and an autopsy conducted on it.Also read |  AIADMK's wishlist for departed Amma: Nobel for world peace, MagsaysayHussaini, who has floated a party named after Jaya, has accused Sasikala's husband M. Natarajan of the "murder" and terms him the "mastermind".

Daisy Mowke

02 Apr 2017,Sunday

Swaraj seeks report on woman 'strip-searched' at airport

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/frankfurt-airport-indian-woman-strip-racial-profiling/1/918297.html

After an Indian woman was allegedly strip-searched at Frankfurt airport in Germany, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj has sought a report from the Indian consul general concerned. The 30-year-old Indian woman, in a Facebook post, wrote that she was asked to strip by security officers as part of 'random security checks'. She alleged that it was a case of racial profiling.

After an Indian woman was allegedly strip-searched at Frankfurt airport, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj has sought a report from the Indian consul general concerned."Raveesh - Plz send me a report on this. @CGIFrankfurt (sic)," Swaraj tweeted to Indian consul general in Frankfurt Raveesh Kumar. A 30-year-old Indian woman, who was on her way to Iceland from Bengaluru, was asked to strip by security officers at the Frankfurt airport in Germany this week.It was only after the woman insisted that her husband, a native of Iceland, walk into the room that the security officials backed out.   "Are brown people not suspicious if we have European partners or co-travellers?" she wrote in an angry post on Facebook, describing her incident of March 29."I would like to know if it is a regular protocol to ask passengers to remove their clothing, be it their underwear, as part of 'random security checks'."Shruthi Basapa had undergone an abdominal surgery two weeks ago. Shruthi passed the full body scan, yet she was willing to go through a pat-down check. She requested them to be gentle since she had had a surgery. Even though she provided medical reports of her recent surgery, they refused to let her go. "We were travelling to Iceland from India via Frankfurt with our 4-year-old daughter when I was asked to move aside for this 'random check', no explanations offered. I was taken into a room and was asked to lift my dress/ take it off so that I could be checked to make sure I wasn't 'carrying anything under my clothes'", she wrote in her Facebook post.Shruthi alleges it was a case of racial profiling.This is not the first time something like this happened with her. But the treatment meted out to her this time was shockingly unbearable. Reacting to Shruthi's Facebook post, the Facebook account of Frankfurt airport said that such a practice wasn't part of the standard protocol, according to an NDTV report. "I am shocked to hear that. Of course it is not the standard protocol reserved for anyone. We would appreciate your detailed feedback. What happened exactly? When and where was it?" the Frankfurt Airport Team asked."I hate to play the race card here, but I was the only person pulled aside and peeking at my husband instantly changed the woman's mind about the strip search that was now a regular pat-down. I'd appreciate a response from you at the earliest," she wrote on Facebook.

Daisy Mowke

07 May 2017,Sunday

Tamannaah upset as scenes were cut from Baahubali 2: Reports

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/tamannaah-scenes-cut-in-baahubali-2-ss-rajamouli-prabhas/1/947639.html

As per reports, actress Tamannaah is upset with filmmaker SS Rajamouli for cutting some of the scenes featuring her. Rajamouli reportedly deleted certain scenes as they could not be improved even with visual effects and most of those scenes featured Tamannaah. The actress had taken horse riding and martial arts lessons for her role in the film.

Remember the rebellious warrior Avanthika? Of course you do. Apart from that problematic portion with Shivudu (Prabhas) in Baahubali: The Beginning, Tamannaah Bhatia was widely appreciated for her character. However, it's an open secret that Tamannaah has a blink and miss cameo in Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. It looks like her portions were cut by SS Rajamouli at the edit table.According to a report in The Times Of India, Rajamouli chopped off certain scenes that were low on CGI. Unfortunately, most of the scenes featured Tamannaah. The report further states that the actor is miffed with Rajamouli for mercilessly removing her scenes. Reports also said that Tamannaah earned a remuneration of Rs 5 crore for Baahubali. An official statement is expected from the team.Meanwhile, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion has received outstanding reception from fans. The film is on its way to become the first Indian film to gross Rs 1000 crore at the box office. Cumulatively, Baahubali 2 has netted Rs 950 crore, globally.Baahubali: The Beginning ended with Katappa revealing himself as the killer of Amarendra Baahubali. And The Conclusion takes the story forward from where its predecessor ended.Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Sathyaraj and Ramya Krishnan star in pivotal roles in this instalment of Baahubali too.ALSO READ: Baahubali 2 to cross Rs 1000 crore soon

Shubhodeep Datta

21 Mar 2017,Tuesday

Dhanbad's ex-Deputy Mayor killed in indiscriminate firing

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/jharkhand-deputy-mayor-three-others-killed-in-shootout-in-dhanbad/1/909720.html

Dhanbad's ex-Deputy Mayor Neeraj Singh and three others were killed in the city on Tuesday after unidentified gunmen opened fire. Singh's friend, his driver and bodyguard were among the killed. The police recovered at least 50 AK 47 bullet shells from the spot with 17 bullets reportedly taken by Singh himself. A manhunt was launched to nab the assailants.

Unidentified gunmen opened indiscriminate firing at a car killing former deputy mayor Neeraj Singh and three others. Singh, his friend Ashok Yadav, his driver and a bodyguard were killed in the shootout today evening.According to police, the incident took place when Singh was returning to his home.Situation remains tense in the city following the incident. The administration has rushed in additional police force to avoid things going out of control.Neeraj Singh had recently contested the Assembly election on Congress ticket but lost. WHAT HAPPENEDDhanbad's former deputy mayor Neeraj Singh along with his friend Ashok Singh was returning home in his SUV. As soon as his vehicle slowed down due to speed breakers, gunmen opened indiscriminate firing at his SUV. Singh seated in front of the vehicle took 17 bullets. The driver, bodyguard and Ashok Yadav were hit multiple times, ADG RK Malik said.The four men were rushed to a local hospital but none could survive.The police recovered at least 50 AK-47 bullet shells from the crime spot.The police have launched a massive manhunt in Dhanbad and adjoining areas to nab the assailants. The attackers are believed to be outsiders, police said. An SIT has been formed to probe the incident.Meanwhile, Chief Minister Raghubar Das has directed the DGP to maintain law and order in Dhanbad following the incident and asked him to nab the attackers as soon as possible.

Daisy Mowke

18 Jan 2017,Wednesday

Priyanka plans to bring Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron to India

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/priyanka-chopra-baywatch-dwayne-johnson-the-rock-zac-efron/1/859184.html

Actress Priyanka Chopra has revealed that she plans to bring her 'Baywatch' co-stars Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron to India. "[W]e are doing a big promotional thing around the world and they know how important India is to me... I always tell them India is an experience and you have to be there at least a month," she said.

Deepika Padukone's xXx: Return Of Xander Cage co-star Vin Diesel arrived in India to a grand desi welcome, and wowed everyone with his lungi dance. All eyes are now on Hollywood's other discovery Priyanka Chopra. Will she also bring her Baywatch co-stars Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Zac Efron to India?ALSO WATCH Baywatch trailer 2: Priyanka Chopra makes being bad look sexyALSO READ: Did Priyanka Chopra open up on facing racism in Hollywood on Koffee With Karan?Priyanka Chopra told DNA, "We are hoping so because we are doing a big promotional thing around the world and they know how important India is to me. We are having those conversations, but we haven't started because it is not going to release until May. So, marketing will only start a few months before that. But the wheels are in motion."

Tarun Khanna

28 Jan 2017,Saturday

US thought India will capture PoK after 1971 B?desh war: CIA

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/us-thought-india-will-capture-pok-after-bangladesh-war-cia/1/868059.html

The declassified CIA documents have revealed that after the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation war the then US government had thought ex-PM Indira Gandhi might order an attack to capture Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. "It is reported that prior to terminating the present hostilities, Mrs Gandhi intends to attempt to eliminate Pakistan's armour and air force capabilities," CIA had said as per the documents.

New Delhi, Jan 27 (PTI) The US government had thought that the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi might order an attack on West Pakistan to capture Pakistan-Occupied- Kashmir after Indias operation to create Bangladesh got over, recently declassified CIA documents say. As per CIA reports and minutes of high-level meetings in Washington on Indo-Pak tensions, it was clear that the US government was readying a strategy should India smash military power of West Pakistan. US President Richard Nixons National Security Adviser Henry A Kissinger discussed various possibilities due to deteriorating Indo-Pak ties in the wake of Indias military offensive in East Pakistan. However, some top security officials in Washington felt the possibility of India launching a strike on West Pakistan was remote. At one of the meetings of Washingtons Special Action Group, the then CIA Director Richard Holmes said, "It is reported that prior to terminating the present hostilities, Mrs Gandhi intends to attempt to eliminate Pakistans armour and air force capabilities," as per papers which are part of nearly 12 million documents CIA declassified last week. According to the documents, though Nixon had "warned India to cut off economic aid in case of war in East Pakistan, the US administration was clueless on how to implement it.

Tarun Khanna

01 Mar 2017,Wednesday

ABVP sacks its 2 members arrested for attacking students

http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/ramjas-row-abvp-sacks-2-members-arrested-for-thrashing-aisa-man-at-du-march/story-NyUd3KKcy0gn3T9ig4bx8I.html

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Wednesday sacked its two members who were arrested for allegedly attacking some students over the Ramjas College issue. It also asked the police to take stern action against the duo, Prashant Mishra and Vinayak Sharma. "The two students didn't adhere to the ABVP's rules and indulged in violence," said the student group.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) sacked on Wednesday two members who were arrested for allegedly thrashing students in Delhi University?s north campus after a protest march a day ago.The group ? the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ? also asked police to take stern action against the duo, Prashant Mishra and Vinayak Sharma.?The two students did not adhere to the rules of the ABVP and indulged in violence. Their membership from the party has been cancelled. We have also ordered an inquiry into the incident,? read a press statement from the group?s national media convener Saket Bahuguna.?We will co-ordinate with the police and demand strict action against them.?The two expelled ABVP members are accused of beating up Aman Sinha, a student of Jawaharlal Nehru University and a member of the left-leaning All India Students Association, and two others near Patel Chest Institute in north campus.The alleged attack came towards the end of a march that saw hundreds of students and teachers from various colleges and universities hit the streets to protest against campus violence. Several political leaders and student political groups joined the protest.The university has been simmering for a week after ABVP members refused to allow JNU students Umar Khalid and Shehla Rashid from speaking at a seminar in Ramjas College. Soon after, clashes broke out between the ABVP and other parties ? with many students thrashed in the melee that followed.Delhi Police was also accused of beating up students and journalists and giving ABVP members a free hand. Hours after the clash last Wednesday, police registered a case and transferred it to the crime branch. Three police officers were also suspended for attacking journalists and students.

Abhishek Bansal

15 Feb 2017,Wednesday

I won't sledge Virat Kohli: Australia's Glenn Maxwell

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/glenn-maxwell-virat-kohli-india-vs-australia/1/883614.html

Australian allrounder Glenn Maxwell has said he would not risk provoking Indian captain Virat Kohli in the upcoming four-Test series starting February 23. "I am probably not going to say anything to him, that is for sure," said Maxwell. Talking about Australia's strategy to counter Kohli, Maxwell added, "[H]opefully..we can create that doubt and get him wondering about his technique."

Australia allrounder Glenn Maxwell has said he would not risk provoking India captain Virat Kohli in the upcoming four-Test series starting February 23 in Pune.Maxwell, who is a friend of Kohli off the field, said he would not say anything to Kohli that would rile him up. (R Ashwin will be ready for me but I have my game plan: David Warner to India Today)Kohli is in red-hot form, leading the way in all three formats. He recently became the first batsman to hammer double hundreds in four consecutive series. His first (200) came against West Indies and he then followed that up with another one (211) against New Zealand. After that, Kohli scored his career-best 235 in Mumbai against England and again slammed a 204 against Bangladesh in Hyderabad this month."I am probably not going to say anything to him, that is for sure. Virat is up and down, I suppose, with sledging. If you (strike) a chord with him, or something gets him agitated to play a big shot, then blokes are more than welcome to go for it. (Virat Kohli leading the way in all three formats: David Warner to India Today)"But at the moment, there's not much agitating him," Maxwell told cricket.com.au.Former Australia batsman Michael Hussey has already warned Steve Smith and Co. not to sledge Kohli as it would bring the best out of him.However, soon after landing in India, Australian skipper Smith said his team won't shy away from sledging and indulging in verbal battles against India. (Australia won't shy away from sledging Virat Kohli's India: Steve Smith)Maxwell agreed with his captain and said his teammates were most welcome to sledge Kohli if they feel."I think Steve Smith said it perfectly in the press conference yesterday - the guys that want to get involved verbally, if that gets the best out of them then go for it," Maxwell added.Top-ranked India are on a brilliant run, unbeaten in 19 Tests over a 16-month period with South Africa, New Zealand, England and Bangladesh all vanquished at home, while trips to Sri Lanka and West Indies also culminated in victories.By contrast, Smith's side were thrashed 3-0 in Sri Lanka and lost the first two tests of a three-match home series against South Africa before wholesale changes led to a consolation win in Adelaide and the new charges went on to sweep aside Pakistan.Maxwell feels that the India right-hander is on top of his game at the moment and the best way to get him is by shattering his confidence with a silly run-out or an unfortunate dismissal."I don't think it's anything particular as far as technique or anything like that, I just think he's so on top of his game at the moment," Maxwell said."Guys can go through a run of form like that where they just get on a roll and everything seems to click for them, and that's happened for him at the moment.""The thing with that is it can take only one bit of bad luck or an unfortunate dismissal where he's run out or something, and that can sometimes trigger a little bit of indecision or doubt.""So hopefully in the first couple of Tests we can create that doubt and get him wondering about his technique," he added.

Saloni Tandon

14 May 2017,Sunday

India's longest bridge to be inaugurated on May 26 by PM Modi

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indias-longest-bridge-to-be-inaugurated-near-china-border/1/953410.html

PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate India's longest river bridge, the 9.15-km-long Dhola-Sadiya bridge near the China border, on May 26. Situated over the Brahmaputra river at an aerial distance of around 100 km from the Chinese border, the bridge can withstand the weight of a 60-tonne battle tank. The bridge's construction began in 2011 at a cost of ?950 crore.

India's longest river bridge, capable of withstanding the weight of a 60-tonne battle tank, will be inaugurated in Assam close to the border with China on May 26 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.With the inauguration of the 9.15-km-long Dhola-Sadiya bridge over the Brahmaputra river, the prime minister will kick start the celebrations of the NDA government's three years in office from this eastern-most part of Assam.The bridge is seen as an attempt by India to shore up its defence requirements along the Sino-Indian border particularly in the Northeast besides providing easy access to the people of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam with air and rail connectivity.It is 3.55 km longer than the Bandra-Worli sea link in Mumbai, making it the longest bridge in India."The prime minister will dedicate the strategically important bridge to the nation on May 26. It will bolster the road connectivity in the Northeast as the bridge will be used by people of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh besides defence forces extensively," Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal told PTI.BRIDGE CAN WITHSTAND MOVEMENT OF MILITARY TANKSThe construction of the bridge began in 2011 at a project cost of Rs 950 crore. The design is such that the bridge can withstand the movement of military tanks."Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have huge strategic value to the country. Since the bridge is located close to our border with China, it will help quick movement of military troops and artillery in times of conflict," Sonowal said.The bridge is located 540-km away from Assam capital Dispur and 300 km away from Arunachal Pradesh capital Itanagar. The aerial distance to the Chinese border is less than 100 km.After Kaliabhomora bridge near Tezpur, there is no bridge over the Brahmaputra for the next 375 km upstream till Dhola, where the new bridge is constructed. Currently, all the transport between the two banks of the river are being carried out through water only.BRIDGE TO CUT DOWN TRAVEL TIMEThe bridge, when opened for the public, will cut down the travel time between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh by as much as four hours.As there is no civilian airport in Arunachal Pradesh, this bridge will help people of the state to reach the nearest rail head in Tinsukia and the airport in Dibrugarh easily.Sonowal said the delayed works of the bridge was expedited after Modi assumed the charge in 2014. The bridge was originally scheduled to open in 2015.The Bharatiya Janata Party government in Assam will complete one year in office on May 24.The bridge is one of the key projects of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in the Northeast and is built in public-private partnership with a construction company. ALSO READ:

Yash Kumar

25 Dec 2016,Sunday

Woman, teen blow themselves up during police raid in B'desh

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/woman-teen-boy-blow-themselves-up-during-police-raid-in-dhaka/1/842150.html

A woman and a teenage boy blew themselves up on Saturday in Bangladesh capital Dhaka after a counter-terrorism police unit raided a three-storey building where Islamist militants were hiding. Police said the militants are believed to be from the group responsible for the Dhaka cafe attack. Reportedly, four people, including two women and two children, came out and surrendered later.

From Anisur Rahman Dhaka, Dec 24 (PTI) A woman and a teenage boy today blew themselves up in the national capital when Bangladesh polices elite counter-terrorism unit raided their three-storey building where heavily-armed militants, belonging to an Islamist group blamed for the deadly cafe attack, were hiding. Police raided the building in Ashkona area of the capital. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told the media that a woman and a teenage boy have blown themselves up. Earlier four persons, including two woman and as many children, came out of the building and surrendered to law enforcers, bdnews reported. A minor girl, who suffered splinter injuries when the woman killed herself, has been taken to the hospital. Sounds of several explosions and gunshots were heard in the areas since afternoon. Law enforcers lobbed several rounds of tear gas canisters targeting the building after the blast, reports our staff correspondent covering the raid from the spot.

Rini Sinha

13 Apr 2017,Thursday

Malayalam actor Munshi Venu passes away aged 63

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/veteran-malayalam-actor-munshi-venu-passes-away/1/927988.html

Malayalam actor Munshi Venu on Thursday passed away at the age of 63 due to kidney failure in Thrissur, Kerala. He was reportedly undergoing dialysis since last year. The actor has featured in over 60 Malayalam films. He is known for his performance in films like 'Pachakuthira' (2006), 'Salt 'n' Pepper' (2011), 'Kanyaka Talkies' (2013), among others.

Munshi Venu, who's known for playing supporting roles in Malayalam films, passed away at a palliative care centre at Chalakudy, Thrissur. According to reports, the actor suffered kidney failure today. He was 63.The actor, was diagnosed with kidney-related ailments last year, had been undergoing dialysis since then. Reports also suggest that Munshi Venu didn't own a house and that he was living at a lodge in Chalakudy for the last 10 years.Making his acting debut with Kamal's comedy drama Pachakuthira, Munshi Venu will be more remembered for his comical characters. Venu has acted in over 75 Malayalam films. He's known for films like Chotta Mumbai, Salt 'n' Pepper, Kanyaka Talkies, Immanuel and Daddy Cool.

Tarun Khanna

11 Feb 2017,Saturday

I sacked Sasikala before she expelled me: Madhusudhanan

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/panneerselvam-vs-sasikala-aiadmk-crisis-tamil-nadu-politics/1/879945.html

Senior AIADMK leader E Madhusudhanan, who was expelled from party?s Presidium Chairman post on Friday, said that it was he who had sacked VK Sasikala from the party before she expelled him. He has also written to the Election Commission not to recognise Sasikala as AIADMK General Secretary. Madhusudhanan was sacked for supporting Interim CM O Panneerselvam.

The AIADMK feud just refuses to end and now there's a new twist to the drama. Party presidium chairman E Madhusudanan, who was earlier in the day expelled by VK Sasikala, hit back at the general secretary in the evening. Madhusudanan, claimed that he had sacked Sasikala before she expelled him from the AIADMK. Madhusudanan, who is considered No 2 in AIADMK, switched sides on Thursday to join the rebel O Panneerselvam camp.Madhusudanan also wrote to the Election Commission not to recognise Sasikala as AIADMK general secretary.SASIKALA SACKS MADHUSUDANANEarlier, sending a strong message to her detractors, Sasikala sacked Madhusudanan from the primary membership of the party, a day after he switched over to the rebel camp led by caretaker Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, and appointed former minister K A Sengottaiyan in his place.Sasikala urged the party workers not to have any truck with Madhusudanan and said they should extend their cooperation to Sengottaiyan. Sasikala had removed Panneerselvam from the treasurer post immediately after his revolt, but he has maintained that being a temporary general secretary, she does not have the powers to appoint or remove party functionaries. Insisting that he continues to be the treasurer, Panneerselvam has written to banks not to allow anybody else to operate the party accounts without his consent.Sasikala had appointed another senior leader Dindigul C Srinivasan as the treasurer.

Radhika Chugh

23 Jul 2017,Sunday

Maha farmers demand ?1 cr per hectare for refinery project

http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/west-coast-refinery-project-ratnagiri-sindhudurg-farmers-demand-rs1-crore-a-hectare/story-tdMyST1VwYcvzeh9DBBUeJ.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Farmers in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg have asked the Maharashtra government to hike land acquisition rate for the West Coast Refinery and Petrochemical project to ?1 crore per hectare. The farmers reportedly justified their demand by quoting the ?1 crore acquisition rate in Mumbai-Goa highway project and ?52 lakh to ?5.2 crore per hectare rate in Mumbai-Nagpur expressway project.

The proposed West Coast Refinery and Petrochemical project seems to have run into trouble, as farmers in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg have asked the state government to hike the land acquisition rate to Rs1crore a hectare ? at par with the Mubmbai-Nagpur super communication highway. The project, which is estimated to cost Rs2.5 lakh crore, needs 6,018 hectares of land from around 3,000 farmers in 16 villages in two districts. The state government in May issued a notification under the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) Act, clarifying its intent to acquire land for the project. The project has been proposed by three government-controlled oil marketing companies with the stakes of the Centre and the state governments. The state has followed the acquisition formula adopted for the Jaitapur nuclear power plant in 2013. Farmers in Jaitapur have opposed the land acquisition rate: Rs 22.50 lakh a hectare. In a meeting with Ravindra Chavan, minister of ports and medical education, a delegation of farmers quoted the rate given to Mumbai-Nagpur and Mumbai-Pune expressways and raised 27 demands, including Rs1crore a hectare. ?The delegation expressed its displeasure over the rate being offered to farmers. The government paid Rs1crore a hectare in the Mumbai-Goa highway road widening project and Rs52 lakh to Rs5.2 crore a hectare for the Mumbai-Nagpur corridor. The next meeting has been convened by industries minister Subhash Desai on July 24,? said an official from MIDC.Shiv Sena alleged that the project would disturb the bio-diversity, increase pollution levels and destroy farmers? livelihood. In a climbdown of sorts, it now says that if farmers are ready to handover their land, it has no objection. ?If our 27 demands are fulfilled, we have no objection to the project,? Rajan Salvi, Shiv Sena MLA from Rajapur, told HT.?I am sure the BJP-led government at the Centre and in the state will fulfil all these demands,? said Pramod Jathar former BJP MLA from Kankavali.

Niharika Prabhakar

27 Jul 2017,Thursday

Ensure children not hurt during Muharram: Bombay HC

http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/bombay-high-court-directs-police-to-ensure-that-no-children-are-harmed-during-muharram/story-yT27mpf1GujJxSV4po2VFL.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

The Bombay High Court on Monday directed the police to ensure that no minors are "harmed, injured, or permitted to carry or use weapons or sharp objects," during this year's Muharram procession. Shia Muslims participating in Muharram processions hit themselves with sharp objects to mourn the death of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad.

The Bombay high court on Monday directed the police to ensure that no minors are ?harmed, injured, or permitted to carry or use weapons or sharp objects,? during this year?s Muharram procession.The court said that while it was not oblivious to religious practices, a ?fine balance? needed to be maintained between such practices and ensuring the safety of all participants.The bench also directed the additional commissioner of police, south region, to ?personally supervise? the procession this September and ensure that the court?s directions are complied with.The court was hearing a suo moto public interest litigation over the participation of children in the mourning procession during Muharram.Shia Muslims, who participate in processions, hit themselves with sharp objects to mourn the death of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad.On the previous hearing, the bench had directed the police and state authorities to meet with the representatives of the community.The police said that the leaders of the community had said that this year, no child will be permitted to use or carry weapons during the procession. They had said that while children cannot be barred from participating in the procession, it will be ensured that ?they are not injured or harmed,? that they will ?not be permitted to inflict injuries upon themselves.?HC directed the Shia community to submit an undertaking in court stating this.

Chhavi Tyagi

12 Jan 2017,Thursday

PMO asks Home Ministry for report on food provided to jawans

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bsf-jawan-tej-bahadur-yadav-pmo-kiren-rijiju/1/855591.html

The Prime Minister's Office has sought a report from the Home Ministry on the allegations made by a BSF jawan on the quality of food provided to them in a video. "It's our responsibility to think about the welfare of our jawans. We have to check everything carefully. We take this issue very seriously," MoS for Home Kiren Rijiju said.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has sought a report from the Home Ministry on the allegations made by a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan on the quality of food provided to them in a video that went viral earlier this week.Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju confirmed that the PMO has asked for a report following a massive row over BSF constable Tej Bahadur Yadav alleging that troops were served bad quality food."This is our responsibility to think about the welfare of our jawans. But we have to check anything carefully. We take this issue very seriously. Everything would have to be updated," Rijiju said today.ALSO READ | BSF video: Jawan's wife releases audio clip; he alleges harassment by authoritiesRijiju on Wednesday said the government has sent teams of dieticians to all the posts along the country's borders manned by security forces to ascertain the quality of food served to the troops.

Dishant Sharma

02 Aug 2017,Wednesday

Stop doping or the sport dies: Usain Bolt to fellow athletes

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/aug/01/usain-bolt-warns-athletes-stop-doping-or-sport-will-die?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Speaking ahead of his final appearance on the field at the upcoming world championships, eight-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt warned his fellow athletes that they must stop doping otherwise track and field will die. On being asked about how he would feel in the 100m final at the upcoming world championships, Bolt said, "Unbeatable and unstoppable".

Usain Bolt has issued a stark warning to his fellow athletes that they must stop doping otherwise track and field will die. The triple Olympic 100m and 200m champion insisted that the sport was on the mend following the staggering revelations of state-sponsored doping in Russia but conceded more needed to be done to tackle the scourge of performance-enhancing drugs.?I don?t think it gets any worse than that,? he said, referring to the problems in Russia which he agreed had left the sport at rock bottom. ?But it?s on its way back up now. Hopefully, athletes will see what?s going on and understand that if they don?t stop what they?re doing the sport will die. And hopefully they will understand what the sport is going through and what they need to do as athletes to help it move forward.?But Bolt, who will hang up his spikes after the world championships in London which start on Friday, said he was still optimistic that these perennial problems could be tackled. ?You can?t be happy about doping at all, it?s not good for the sport,? he added. ?But over the years we?re doing a better job, it?s getting clean and we?re catching up to a lot of athletes. There?s an understanding that, listen, if you cheat you will get caught. Over time the sport will get better.?I said a couple of years ago it had to get really bad, when there?s nowhere else to go but up. The only way track and field has left to go is up.?Bolt has raced only three times this season, and last month appeared to be struggling with a back injury, but he insisted he was still the man to beat in the 100m, the qualifying rounds for which start on Friday. ?For some reason I am the underdog,? he said. ?That is what my team keep telling me so I have to prove myself once more. But I am confident in my abilities, always. When I go out there I am fully confident and ready to go ? 100%.?The last 100m race I ran was a 9.95sec which shows I am going in the right direction. It is all about who can keep their nerves. I have been here many times and I know I am ready. It is go time.?Bolt, who turns 31 later this month, also gave an emphatic answer when asked how he would feel on Saturday night after the 100m final. ?Unbeatable,? he said. ?Usain Bolt has retired unbeatable over that event. For me that will be the biggest headline. Unbeatable and unstoppable.?The Jamaican also insisted that he had been provided with extra motivation to win yet another world title following the tragic death of his close friend Germaine Mason, the Olympic silver medal winning high jumper, in a road accident in April.?It was a rough time,? he said. ?I have never had someone who passed away so close to me. I didn?t train for three weeks. My coach gave me my space, he gave me my time to get over it. But at some point the close net of people I was with said: ?Listen to us, Usain, I know it is hard but you need to get back training because Germaine would have wanted it ? he was looking forward to coming to your last race and seeing you compete and finishing off your legacy.??That really helped me get going again. It was hard. But now I really want to do it for him and his family ? and all the friends that supported me in the hard times.?

Tarun Khanna

02 May 2017,Tuesday

Indian soldiers to learn Chinese at Visva-Bharati University

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/visva-bharati-runs-chinese-language-course-for-indian-soldiers/1/943308.html

The Visva-Bharati University has started a certificate level course to teach Mandarin (the Chinese language) to Indian soldiers which will reportedly help them gather intelligence. As many as 25 Army personnel have enrolled for the course this year. The university has, however, said that the course will introduce them to the centuries-old tie between the two nations.

To make Indian soldiers conversant with the Chinese language, the Visva-Bharati University has started a certificate-level course recently. The university's "Cheena Bhavan" has been entrusted with the task of teaching the language to the soldiers, officiating vice-chancellor of the university Swapan Kumar Dutta said. "This is a certificate course in Chinese (Mandarin) which started recently and 25 Army personnel have been admitted for the course this year", Dutta told PTI. "Aimed at mental enrichment of the army personnel, the course imparted by teachers of Cheena Bhavan will introduce them with the rich Chinese culture and the centuries-old tie between the two nations," he said.Also read: Is China using its One Belt One Road initiative as an alibi to meddle in Kashmir dispute? The eligibility criteria remained the same as general students enrolled for the course. Since it was not feasible for the army personnel to attend classes in the Visva-Bharati Campus, the course is being taught at an army establishment.

Radhika Chugh

27 Jul 2017,Thursday

PWD approves flyover in Ghaziabad's Raj Nagar Extension

http://www.hindustantimes.com/noida/ghaziabad-pwd-approves-flyover-near-raj-nagar-extension/story-renxoRUuF384IDXIZULBmO.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

The Public Works Department (PWD) has approved the construction of a flyover costing ?50 crore near Ghaziabad's Raj Nagar Extension. The flyover, proposed by the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA), is aimed at decongesting the city roads. The construction of this 538-metre-long split-type flyover will begin after its modified design report is vetted by IIT Roorkee.

The public works department (PWD) has cleared the proposal for the construction of a flyover over the erstwhile NH-58 near Raj Nagar Extension (RNE). After NH-58 was denotified as a highway last year, it was assigned as ?other district road? to the PWD as per a state government notification in June.Due to massive inflow of traffic on the Ghaziabad-Meerut Road (erstwhile NH-58), officials of the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) had proposed the construction of a flyover and also altered the design, by making it a split-type flyover, as the regional rapid transit system (RRTS) corridor passes through the median of the road.?We have given clearance for the project to the GDA. They will have to prepare a service lane in the area and also have to take care of the piped gas line that passes through the area. They will make use of additional land in the vicinity and also remove encroachments. We also reviewed their traffic plan and have given them the permission after a thorough study,? said Manish Verma, executive engineer, PWD.?We also checked the RRTS alignment and had also asked them to take permission from the agency concerned. The clearance was given on a review of the traffic regulation plan and provision for the RRTS alignment. We are also planning to make the road a state highway and will send a proposal to the government. This is because the volume of traffic has remained the same despite the road being denotified as a highway,? he said.The proposed flyover, spanning 538 metres, is pegged at Rs50 crore and its design was changed from combined six-lane to three-lane (each side) split-type one. The middle portion between the two lanes will be used for the RRTS, which will come up on an elevated section, like the metro train system.The authority had proposed the flyover to decongest the city roads as a heavy volume of traffic is witnessed at the intersection.?The design for the flyover has been approved by the RRTS agency. The flyover design report is waiting to be vetted by IIT, Roorkee. The UP state bridge corporation is the construction agency. Once the design is vetted, the flyover construction can be started. We have received clearances from PWD for the project,? said Chakresh Jain, executive engineer, GDA.The authority has also proposed a flyover in Vasundhara, over the Link Road. Officials said that the proposed design is not in conflict with the RRTS alignment and pegged the cost at Rs50 crore.

Sumedha Sehra

18 Jul 2017,Tuesday

No longer part of BJP: NDA Vice Prez nominee Venkaiah Naidu

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/no-longer-part-of-bjp-will-strengthen-democratic-system-says-venkaiah-naidu/story-6i04rs2GgmZzA3EkyDXyvJ.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

M Venkaiah Naidu, the Vice Presidential candidate of NDA, on Tuesday, said that he no longer belongs to the BJP. "I am above any party now," he said, adding that he will "uphold the traditions and standards set by the worthy predecessors". He also said that the office of Vice President has been held by "illustrious people" like Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

Reaching out to parties across the political divide, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) vice presidential candidate M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday said he no longer belonged to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and will strengthen democratic institutions if elected.Naidu, who was flanked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party veteran LK Advani when he filed his nomination in the parliament complex, said the candidature was an ?honour? for him and he will uphold the dignity of the office if elected.In a ?farewell? press conference soon after he filed his nomination, he expressed his gratitude to the prime minister and BJP chief Amit Shah as he played down reports that he was not very keen for the new responsibility.?The office of the vice president has been held by the illustrious people like Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Zakir Hussain, M Hidayatullah, R Venkataraman, Shanker Dayal Sharma and Bhairon Singh Shekhawat... I am fully aware of the august responsibilities associated with the office. I would like to assure the people of the country that, on being elected, I will uphold the traditions and standards set by the worthy predecessors. I will uphold the dignity of the office of the vice president,? he told reporters.India?s beauty and strength lie in its parliamentary democratic system, Naidu said, adding that it will be his endeavour to strengthen this further.The former Union minister recalled his humble beginnings and likened the BJP to his mother.Having lost my mother at a very young age, I grew up with party workers and reached where I have due to the party?s support, Naidu said.?I am above any party now,? he added.Sources close to him said Naidu resigned from the cabinet on Monday night after his candidature was announced.He said he will continue as a member of the Rajya Sabha and cast his vote in the vice presidential poll next month.Naidu?s win is all but certain due to the NDA?s numerical superiority over opposition parties, which have fielded Gopalkrishna Gandhi as their nominee.Members of allies like TDP, Shiv Sena and LJP besides those of AIADMK and TRS, two parties outside the NDA fold but supporting Naidu?s candidature, were among the leaders who accompanied Naidu as he filed his nomination.Top leaders, including Modi, union ministers and allies like Ram Vilas Paswan, were among the proposers and seconders of his nomination.

Prashanti Moktan

25 Jun 2017,Sunday

Malayalam filmmaker KR Mohanan passes away at 69

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/malayalam-filmmaker-kr-mohanan-kerala/1/987265.html

Malayalam filmmaker KR Mohanan passed away on Sunday in Thiruvananthapuram at the age of 69. Some of his well known films include Ashwathama (1978), Purushartham (1987) and Swaroopam (1992). Mohanan, who was also an accomplished documentary filmmaker, had also headed the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy and served as the director of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK).

Noted filmmaker KR Mohanan died  in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, his family said. He was 69.Mohanan was ailing for a month. He breathed his last at a private hospital.His prominent films include "Ashwathama" (1978), "Purushartham" (1987) and "Swaroopam" (1992). He was also an accomplished documentary filmmaker.A graduate from the Film and Television Institute of India, Mohanan played a key role in setting up the CPI-M-backed Kairali TV in the nineties and also headed the programme division of the channel during its formative period.He also headed the Kerala State Chalachithra Academy.Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Mohanan had brought laurels to the Malayalam film industry. His last rites will be held in his home district Thrissur on Monday.

Tanya Dhingra

01 Aug 2017,Tuesday

Pulitzer prize winning playwright Sam Shepard passes away

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2017/jul/31/sam-shepard-dies-73-playwright-bloodline-right-stuff?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Playwright-actor Sam Shepard, who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1979 for his play 'Buried Child', passed away at the age of 73. He died of complications from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Shepard also received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor for his role in 'The Right Stuff'.

Playwright, director and actor Sam Shepard has died at the age of 73.The Pulitzer prize winner died of complications from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as motor neurone disease) at his home in Kentucky on 30 July surrounded by family. Shepard had written 44 plays including Buried Child, which won him the Pulitzer prize for drama in 1979. He also received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor for his role in The Right Stuff.Shepard started writing plays in the 60s. ?Back then, there was a dearth of American theatre,? he told the Observer in 2014. ?There was nothing going on. American art was starving.?His work included Angel City, Cowboy Mouth (in collaboration with Patti Smith that was written in just two nights) and a screenplay for Wim Wenders? Paris, Texas. He received Tony nominations for both Buried Child and a 2000 revival of True West.Shepard also directed many of his plays but with rare exceptions, he refrained from directing work of others. He directed two films: 1988?s Far North with then-partner Jessica Lange and 1993?s Silent Tongue, which starred Richard Harris and River Phoenix.He also collaborated with Bob Dylan for the song Brownsville Girl which featured on his 1986 album Knocked Out Loaded. As an actor, his first notable role was in Terrence Malick?s Days of Heaven in 1978. He went on to star in Baby Boom, Steel Magnolias, The Pelican Brief, Black Hawk Down, The Notebook and August: Osage County. He was most recently seen in the Netflix drama Bloodline, alongside Sissy Spacek.He was known as an acclaimed character actor rather than an A-lister, a route he chose early in his career. ?I had all kinds of wild offers at that time to be a movie star and I panicked,? he later said. ?I was turning down things like Warren Beatty?s Reds, that part of Eugene O?Neill [played by Jack Nicholson]. My agent was going crazy. I hadn?t realized what the experience of it would be like ? to be on the verge of being a movie star. Because it?s like you are the hottest whore in town. Everybody wants you.?When asked about his performances on stage, he said he wasn?t quite as comfortable as on screen. ?You don?t have to do anything in the movies,? he said in an interview with the New York Times. ?You just sit there. Well, that?s not entirely true. You do less. I find the whole situation of confronting an audience terrifying.?Before his death, he completed a role in the psychological thriller Never Here with Mireille Enos. This year also saw the release of his book The One Inside, a series of conversations with himself. He is survived by three children.Figures from both stage and screen have paid tribute to Shepard on Twitter. Writer Beau Willimon referred to him as ?fearless? and ?one of the greats?, Harlan Coben tweeted: ?How special was he? Even when you didn?t like something he?d done, you were glad you saw it? and Reese Witherspoon called him ?a truly original actor and an incredible writer?.

Rini Sinha

29 Apr 2017,Saturday

Man arrested for sending obscene messages to TV actress

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/man-arrested-for-sending-lewd-pictures-to-tv-actress-sonarika-bhadoria-lifetv/1/941461.html

A 23-year-old man has been arrested for sending obscene messages to television actress Sonarika Bhadoria. She revealed that the man used 25 different numbers to contact her and had been calling her since eight months. Sonarika is known for her portrayal of Goddess Parvati and Adi Shakti in the television serial 'Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev'.

A 23-year-old man from Kurkheda has been caught by the police for sending objectionable, and vulgar content to Devon Ke Dev Mahadev actress Sonarika Bhadoria.According to reports, the person is a college student who even cherished the hopes of marrying the actress.He had somehow gotten hold of the actress' number sometime last year, and had started sending her obscene messages and pictures.

Shubhodeep Datta

15 Feb 2017,Wednesday

AIIMS Delhi wins ?5-crore govt award for cleanliness

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/delhi-aiims-gets-1st-prize-for-cleanliness-pgimer-third/1/883895.html

The AIIMS, New Delhi has won the first prize among all central government hospitals and a ?5 crore cash reward for maintaining high standards of sanitation and hygiene under the Centre's Kayakalp awards. North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences in Shillong bagged the second prize while PGIMER, Chandigarh received the third prize.

New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) Premier health institute AIIMS, New Delhi, has won the first prize, and a cash reward of Rs 5 crore, for maintaining high standards of sanitation and hygiene under the Governments Kayakalp awards. AIIMS was followed by North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Shillong, which got a cash prize of Rs 3 crore. Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, received the third prize of Rs 1 crore. Commendation awards of Rs 50 lakh each were given to AIIMS, Raipur, AIIMS, Jodhpur and National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases (NITRD), Delhi, by Union Health Minister J P Nadda today. "We want to change the image of the public health facilities. The thrust of Kayakalp is to inculcate culture of cleanliness for gaining the trust and confidence of community in these facilities," Nadda said. Referring to the ICT-based application MeraAspataal (My Hospital) that captures patients feedback about their experience in the health facilities on the services that they received or sought to receive, Nadda said the Ministry is seeking the feedback of people digitally to improve the quality of services at the health centres. "Patient satisfaction is the ultimate test for assessing quality of services provided by a healthcare facility and we are now making a paradigm shift by seeking their views on quality of experience in a public healthcare facility.

Pragya Swastik

11 Apr 2017,Tuesday

UP bans management committee within 200m of exam centres

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/no-management-committee-members-within-200-metres-of-exam/1/925824.html

The entry of schools' management committee members within 200 metres of an examination centre has been banned to check cheating by students in Uttar Pradesh, Deputy CM Dinesh Sharma said on Tuesday. Running of schools at least 220 days in a year has also been made mandatory. Furthermore, sale of stationery and clothes in private schools has also been banned.

centres: Sharma Mathura (UP), Apr 10 (PTI) Entry of members of management committees of schools within 200 metres of an examination centre has been banned to check cheating by students, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma said here today. "UP would be made free from copying/cheating," Sharma told reporters in Vrindavan. He said that sale of stationery and clothes has been banned in private schools. He said that payment of teachers according to their qualifications would be ensured in the private schools. Running of schools at least 220 days in a year would now be mandatory with stress on quality education, he asserted. He said norms are being set to control commercialisation of the higher education. Referring to the loan waiver given to farmers, he said other promises made in the BJPs election manifesto would also be fulfilled.

Mansha Mahajan

13 Dec 2016,Tuesday

China's richest man looks for successor after son refuses

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/chinas-richest-man-looking-for-successor-after-son-refuses%C2%A0/1/832824.html

China's richest man Wang Jianlin, Chairman of multinational firm Dalian Wanda, on Monday said he is looking for a successor for his business after his son refused to take over. "I have asked my son...he said he does not want to live a life like I do," Wang stated. It?s better to hand it to professional managers, he added.

From K J M Varma Beijing, Dec 12 (PTI) Chinas richest man, owning a USD 92 billion empire, today said he is looking for a successor, most likely from a group of professional managers, to take over his business after his son declined to be his heir apparent. Wang Jianlin, 62, founder and chairman of Dalian Wanda Group Co, whose business includes shopping malls, theme parks, sports clubs and cinemas, said he is most likely to pick from a group of professional managers to take over the running of his business. "I have asked my son about the succession plan, and he said he does not want to live a life like I do," Wang was quoted as saying by Hong Kongs South-China Morning Post at China Entrepreneurs Summit. "Perhaps young people have their own quests and priorities. Probably it will be better to hand over to professional managers and we sit on the board and see them run the company," he said. The wealthy scions of Chinas billionaire entrepreneurs, known as fuerdai are increasingly striking different paths, as more than three decades of break-neck economic growth and overseas education have given them different experiences, world view and aspirations from their parents. More than 80 per cent of Chinese heirs are not keen on assuming the reins of their parents businesses, a survey by the Shanghai Jiaotong University, covering 182 of the countrys top family-run companies said. Some were backing off due to intense pressures, while others simply were pursuing other career interests, study by the association of Chinese private enterprises showed, the Post report said. Wanda, founded in the port city of Dalian in 1988, is the epitome of Chinas rags-to-wealth story, where it grew from a small property developer into a conglomerate operating malls, hotels, theme parks and the worlds largest chain of movie cinemas. In the process, its made Wang and his only son immensely wealthy. Wang, who visited India and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi had committed to invest about USD 10 billion in a Chinese project in Haryana.

Chhavi Tyagi

06 Jul 2017,Thursday

Man stabs woman multiple times over one-sided love

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/delhi-man-stabs-aspiring-air-hostess-mansarovar-park/1/995372.html

A man stabbed a 21-year-old aspiring air hostess multiple times on a busy street in Mansarovar Park area of Delhi in an alleged case of one-sided love affair. While the woman was admitted to GTB Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries, the accused is on the run. The incident was captured on the CCTV cameras installed in the neighbourhood.

She wanted to fly high, travel the world by becoming an airhostess. She was near to realising her dream. But her world came crashing down on Tuesday (July 4). A 21-year-old woman was stabbed multiple times by a man on a busy street in Mansarovar Park area of East Delhi. The incident was captured by CCTV cameras installed in the neighbourhood. The woman was admitted to GTB Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries today. HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED:ALSO READ:

Chhavi Tyagi

18 Jan 2017,Wednesday

Protest at Chennai's Marina Beach over Jallikattu ban

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/chennai-marina-beach-jallikattu-peta-tamil-nadu-bull-taming-sport/1/860052.html

Several protesters sat throughout the night at Marina Beach in Chennai, demanding the continuation of bull-taming sport Jallikattu and a ban on animal rights group PETA. Further, lawyers in Namakkal district have announced a boycott of courts in protest. Notably, the Supreme Court had banned Jallikattu in May 2014 by terming it as cruelty to animals.

Thousands of college students and other youth sat throughout the night at Marina Beach in Chennai demanding the holding of bull-taming sport Jallikattu and banning of animal rights group PETA, as talks with two Tamil Nadu ministers failed on Tuesday.Massive statewide protests by youth in Tamil Nadu have entered the second day today with protestors refusing to budge from their demands. And, the protests seem likely to spill over to Thursday, with 31 colleges that participated in today's protests announcing that they will remain shut tomorrow as well. ALSO READ: As Tamil Nadu CM watches MGR movie, angry Marina Beach protesters ask where OPS isThe support for the protesters is growing with the students of SRM University in Chennai announcing that they would demonstrate outside their institution.Similarly, protests have gathered momentum in several other parts of Tamil Nadu.Lawyers in Namakkal district have announced boycott of courts.DEMONSTRATION BEGAN IN MADURAIThe demonstration began on Tuesday morning after the news of the arrest of Jallikattu protesters in Alanganallur town of Madurai district spread here. The protests started on Monday morning in Alanganallur.Despite police disconnecting the power supply at Marina Beach, the protest continued with mobile phone lights in the night.DMK party's Working President and leader of the opposition in Tamil Nadu, M. K. Stalin, urged Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam to meet the protesters and take immediate action for holding the sport.ALSO READ: We want Jallikattu, cry protestors at Chennai's Marina BeachThe protesters got their boost with popular actor Vijay lending his support by saluting them."Law was not created to rob people off their tradition and rights but to protect it. Jallikattu is every Tamilian's identity. Those who are protesting against the ban on Jallikattu are united by the feeling that they are Tamilians but not out of compulsion or political pressure. I bow down to each and everyone of them," Vijay said in a video message.ACTOR VIJAY SEEKS ARRESTED PROTESTERS' RELEASE"I'd be really happy if those arrested are released immediately," he said.Actor Suriya, in between his promotional tour for upcoming Tamil action "C3", lashed out at animal rights advocacy group PETA, which is aggressively campaigning against Jallikattu.ALSO READ: Jallikattu: Madras HC refuses to interfere, says Chennai's Marina Beach not a place to protestActor G. V. Prakash, singer-lyricist Arunraja Kamaraj and filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj joined supporters on ground on Tuesday.While Prakash and Arunraja are observing silent protest at Marina beach here, Karthik is leading the crowd in Madurai.Thousands of youth who began their protest in Alanganallur on Monday against a Supreme court ban on the bull-taming sport, were taken into custody by police on Tuesday as the protest extended overnight.ALSO READ: Tamil Nadu: More than 500 detained for protesting in support of Jallikattu   Police housed the protesters -- both men and women, who had assembled in the town famous for conducting Jallikattu -- in nearby wedding halls.ALANGANALLUR VILLAGERS TAKE TO STREETSAngered by the arrests, villagers in Alanganallur came out on the streets.In Jallikattu, a bull vaulter is expected to hang on to the animal's hump for a stipulated distance or hold on to the hump for a minimum of three jumps made by the bull.The sport is traditionally held as part of the four-day Pongal festival in the state.The Supreme Court in May 2014 banned the conduct of Jallikattu.The court also held that bulls cannot be used as performing animals either for Jallikattu events or for bullock-cart races in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra or elsewhere in the country.Ever since the ban, people have been demanding the central government take necessary steps to allow the conduct of the sport.

Tarun Khanna

25 Apr 2017,Tuesday

Considerable number of Naxals killed in Sukma attack: CRPF

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/considerable-number-of-naxals-killed-in-retaliatory-action/1/937334.html

The CRPF on Monday said "considerable number" of Naxals are believed to have been killed in retaliatory action during an attack at Chhattisgarh's Sukma district in which 25 CRPF personnel were martyred. About 300-400 Naxals had ambushed the patrol party while two companies of the 74th battalion were out providing security to people engaged in constructing a road.

CRPF New Delhi, Apr 24 (PTI) A considerable number of Maoists are believed to have been killed in retaliatory action by CRPF men after an attack on them in Chhattisgarhs Sukma district, the force today claimed though no body has been recovered yet. The paramilitary force in a statement said about 300 to 400 Naxals "ambushed" its patrol party killing 25 personnel and injuring six others in Sukma district. It said two companies of the 74th battalion were out on operation to provide security to people engaged in constructing a road to connect Burkapal to Chintagufa in the area. There were 99 personnel out on the operation. A CRPF company has a strength of about 100 personnel. It said the ensuing gun battle was "fierce". The CRPF troops replied in a befitting manner but taking advantage of their geographical position, Maoists succeeded in inflicting loss on the force. "Twenty-four brave soldiers were martyred and one succumbed to his injuries while being evacuated to a hospital in Raipur," the statement read. The party was ambushed by a group of about "300-400 Maoist cadres at 12:30 PM at Kalapattar near Burkapal. "A considerable number of Maoists are believed to have been eliminated (in retaliatory action by CRPF men) as the tell-tale sign indicate from the ground," it added.

Anmol Sharma

22 Jul 2017,Saturday

Indian fast bowler assaulted in Greater Noida

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/delhi-parvinder-awana-greater-noida-kings-xi-punjab-ipl/1/1007974.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Indian pacer Parvinder Awana, who has also represented Kings XI Punjab, was beaten up by a group of five unknown people in Greater Noida on Friday. The incident reportedly happened when Awana was crossing Greater Noida while returning from Haridwar, and the group thought that he was chasing them. The state police have started investigation into the assault.

India's first-class cricketer Parvinder Awana was on Friday beaten up by a group of five unknown people in Greater Noida.It is reported that Awana was returning from Haridwar and while passing Greater Noida, five unknown people, who were travelling by car along with a girl, attacked him.The group of people, who was running away after having a fight in ice factory, thought that Awana was chasing them and, therefore, they overtook his car before assaulting the cricketer.

Saloni Tandon

26 Jun 2017,Monday

Paes wins men's doubles Aegon Ilkley Challenger title

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/leander-paes-adil-shamsdin-aegon-ilkey-challenger-title/1/987050.html

Indian tennis player Leander Paes and his Canadian partner Adil Shamasdin clinched the men's doubles title at the Aegon Ilkley Challenger Trophy in Ilkley, England, on Saturday. The top seeds defeated local wild card entrants Brydan Klein and Joe Salisbury 2-6, 6-2, 10-8 to clinch the trophy. Earlier in April, Paes and Shamasdin won the Leon Challenger tournament in Mexico.

Veteran tennis star Leander Paes and his Canadian partner Adil Shamasdin clinched the men's doubles title at the Aegon IIkley Challenger Trophy here on Saturday.The top seeds defeated local wild card entrants Brydan Klein and Joe Salisbury 2-6, 6-2, 10-8 to clinch the trophy.

Tarun Khanna

10 May 2017,Wednesday

Corruption, terrorism flourishing post note ban: Yechury

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/demonetisation-corruption-terrorism-flourishing-sitaram-yechury/1/949258.html

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday alleged that corruption, black money and terrorism have flourished post demonetisation. "Six months on, still no data on how much money in old currency notes has returned to the system," he said. "Government has let the big fish ? bank loan defaulters ? off and ruined India's informal economy," he added.

CPI -M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury today hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation saying corruption, black money and terrorism which he sought to end with the note ban, were flourishing post the economic move."Six months after demonetisation, corruption, black money and terrorism - three claims Modi made of having ended - flourish at an even stronger pace," the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader said on social networks."Six months on, still no data on how much money in old currency notes has returned to the system", he said wondering if the move was legalization of counterfeit currency.He described Modi's November 8 move to demonetise Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes as an economic disaster. "Government has let the big fish -- bank loan defaulters -- off and ruined India's informal economy which employs more than two-third of Indians and contributes more than half of our GDP.""All this while, the only movement on jobs has been backwards, as the number of jobs continues to decline. Modi's promise was of two crore new jobs every year," added Yechury.

Rini Sinha

16 Jun 2017,Friday

Katrina Kaif practises stunts for Tiger Zinda Hai

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/katrina-kaif-action-scenes-salman-khan-tiger-zinda-hai/1/980186.html

Pictures of actress Katrina Kaif practising stunts for the upcoming film 'Tiger Zinda Hai' have surfaced online. The pictures show Katrina wielding a gun and practising with swords. Reports suggest that stunt coordinators who have previously worked in Hollywood films like 'The Dark Knight Rises' are training Katrina for the action sequences.

If Salman Khan indulged in some daredevil stunts in the 2012 film Ek Tha Tiger, Katrina Kaif is set to give him some serious competition in the sequel. With the next schedule of Tiger Zinda Hai to begin soon, Katrina is busy training hard for high-octane action sequences. And these latest pictures are proof of it. From sword fight to gun shots, the 33-year-old actor will be doing almost everything in Ali Abbas Zafar's directorial venture.That's Katrina Kaif performing daredevil action/stunts in #TigerZindaHai... Stars Salman Khan... 22 Dec 2017 release. pic.twitter.com/6CiN4rlGSB If a report in Indian Express is to be believed, Katrina is being trained by the action and stunt director of Hollywood film Dark Knight Rises. A source was quoted as telling the daily, "Director Ali Abbas Zafar has committed to deliver action, stunts and fight sequences that will compete with global standards with Tiger Zinda Hai. To shoot for Katrina's action scenes, Tom Struthers, the action and stunts director of the film worked with her. Buster Reeves, the fight coordinator of many Hollywood films, also worked with Katrina on this portion. Given Struthers shot for certain action sequences for Christopher Nolan's Batman films including the Dark Knight Rises, expect the absolute best from these scenes. There are also stuntmen from France, UK and Spain involved in this portion, which is quite elaborate." The film is set to hit the screens on December 22.

Saloni Tandon

20 Jun 2017,Tuesday

Bookies lost ?2500 cr after India's loss to Pakistan: Report

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/india-pakistan-champions-trophy-betting-bookies-punters-2500-crore/1/982788.html

Bookmakers reportedly lost up to ?2,500 crore following India's loss to Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final on Sunday. As per reports, almost 50-60% punters from India and other nations, including Gulf countries, had placed their money on India, with 90% of them being Indian bookies. The odds were initially in favour of India at 80 paise for every rupee.

When India lost to arch-rivals Pakistan in Sunday's Champions Trophy cricket final match in London, it not only broke millions of hearts but also left hundreds of bettors and bookmakers broke. According to an estimate, over 80-90 per cent Indian punters staked their money on the Men in Blue who were the firm favourites with a brilliant 12-2 record against their neighbours in ICC events. A total of Rs 2,000-2,500 crore was riding on the match that transfixed two nations and received eye-popping media coverage. Legal gambling in India is confined to horse-racing while casinos are allowed only in a couple of states. Sikkim is the only state that allows betting on sports including cricket. But the underground market in the country is worth thousands of crores, say observers. NO BETS ON HOCKEY MATCHBookies told Mail Today that huge sums of money were riding on Team India- not just within the country but also gambling hubs abroad such as in the Gulf nations- as this was one of the most-anticipated sporting events in months. However, there were no takers in the betting bazaar for the Hockey World League semi-final game on Sunday in which India demolished Pakistan 7-1. "When the (cricket) match started, the odds were in favour of India. If the Men in Blue would have won the match, then punters would have earned 80 paise for every rupee while Pakistan's rate was around Rs 3.40," a Delhi-based bookie told this reporter. Pakistan inflicted a massive 180-run defeat upon title-holders and favourites India at the Oval in London to win the tournament featuring the world's top eight one-day international nations. PATRIOTISM MATTERS IN BETSThe bookmaker said almost all his 50-60 customers lost money as they had placed their bets on India. Till India dropped two early wickets, the rate chart in the gambling circuit was in favour Virat Kohli's boys. Even the massive total of 338 put up by Pakistan failed to deter bookies. History was unequivocally on India's side. The team had comprehensively beaten Pakistan when they met in the group stage. Experts claim that in an India-Pakistan match, patriotism plays a key role for bettors. "It is certain that most of the Indian punters burnt their fingers in the match. The Indian team was stronger and had also defeated Pakistan in the tournament earlier, so huge money was riding on it. Even patriotism was at an all- time high and maximum bets were placed on Team India," said Jay Sayta, founder of GLaws.in, a gaming laws' web portal. According to experts, gambling was at its peak during the match as the viewership too was massive with premium advertisement rates. "Not only Indians, but many international punters too burnt their fingers by putting money on India. Even after Pakistan ended their batting and put up a huge score before India, the odds were in favour of Virat's team due to the strong batting line-up and ability to chase down big totals," said another bookie from Mumbai. SIKKIM BOOKIES ON FIREThe only legal outlet for sports betting in India, which is in Sikkim, also witnessed a sharp rise in business volume. "Our feeds before the match started were in favour of India as the rate was 1.6 while the rate for Pakistan was over 2.20. This means that if a player had placed Rs 100 on Pakistan, then he or she would have got Rs 220 in return. But most of the people invested on India," said Ratul Sethi of Golden Gaming. Sethi explained that the rates at the sports betting zone change at frequent intervals and as the game moved on rates shifted in favour of Pakistan. "Not everyone playing at our outlet lost money as players can invest on different probables like scores in an over, next wicket, run rates, etc. We also promote sensible gaming so we advise players to place their bets reasonably," Sethi said. However, he said there were no takers for the India-Pakistan hockey match. While gambling is illegal in the country, Indians can lay their bets through UK websites with international credit cards and e-wallets. The bets are not only placed on the outcome of a match but also on other factors.Also read: Breaking TV sets, burning posters to crying on roads; How Indian fans found closure after Champions Trophy defeat

Arshiya Chopra

19 Jul 2017,Wednesday

Tamil Nadu almost doubles MLAs' salary to over ?1 lakh

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-doubles-mlas-salary-to-more-than-rs-1-lakh-per-month-amid-farmer-protest/story-yMdJJjhRczLhcLsPnhQbNM.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Tamil Nadu government has almost doubled the salary of MLAs in the state from ?55,000 to ?1.05 lakh on Wednesday. The move comes when the farmers in the state have been protesting for loan waiver and better crop prices. Reportedly, the state government also announced an increase in MLAs' Local Area Development Fund from ?2 crore to ?2.5 crore.

The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday raised the monthly salary of MLAs from Rs 55,000 to Rs 1.05 lakh, a move that has angered farmers in the southern state that is battling its worst agrarian crisis in 140 years.Tamil Nadu is in the grip of a severe drought that has worsened the economic condition of farmers, many of whom recently returned to protest in Delhi after the state government allegedly failed to fulfil its promises.Earlier this year, the government had declared all 32 districts drought-hit.?The government does not want to give us remunerative prices but wants to increase their salaries,? said P Ayyakannu, who is leading the protest in Delhi.Chief minister Edapaddi Palanisami, who in April sought time from farmers to address their problems, announced the hike in the salary and perks in the state assembly that will be effective from July 1.Palanisami had promised he would request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to waive off farm loans. ?But the TN government has gone to court to get a stay on Madras high court order on waiving farm loans,? Ayyakannu said.The local area development fund for MLAs has been increased from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 2.50 crore per year.?Tamil Nadu MLAs should not vote a hike for themselves. In fact, they should set an example for the rest of the country by refusing to accept any hike,? BJP?s state spokesperson Narayan Tirupati said.He was critical of the opposition DMK as well. ?Why is the DMK accepting this? In fact, it must oppose this announcement tooth and nail,? he said.The DMK has called for the dismissal of the state government for failing to resolve the farm crisis.Farmers are asking for a loan waiver, a revised drought package and fair prices for their produce, among other things.

Chhavi Tyagi

02 May 2017,Tuesday

Admin on WhatsApp jailed over PM's photo with obscene text

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/karnataka-whatsapp-group-admin-jailed-for-sharing-pm-modis-picture-with-obscene-content/1/943712.html

The Karnataka Police has arrested an admin of a WhatsApp group from Uttara Kannada district after a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with obscene content was posted in the group by a member. The arrested admin of the WhatsApp group is said to be an auto rickshaw driver. It is reportedly the first arrest of this kind in India.

For publishing incriminating content against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Karnataka police has arrested a WhatsApp group admin, an auto rickshaw driver.The incident has been reported from Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka.Krishna Sanna Thamma Naik had created a group called 'The Balse Boys' and was the admin of the group where a picture of Modi with obscene content was posted by a member called Ganesh Naik.Manujnath had filed a complaint with Murdeshwar police on this issue.Under the IT Act, the police arrested Naik who is now under judicial custody. Another accused Balakrishna Naik is absconding.This is for the first time that a WhatsApp group admin has been arrested for publishing content against the PM.

Akshita Jain

19 Feb 2017,Sunday

Gurugram police station gets play area for kids

http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/in-this-gurgaon-police-station-children-are-welcome/story-UuQyOfD2CBFLQ4ldsCPYSM.html

The Gurugram police station has transformed two rooms into a play area to ensure that children who accompany adults are not affected by their surroundings. "The play area is meant to provide a friendly environment, which engages them and lets them relax," said an official. The same rooms will also double as a crèche for children of police personnel. n

Young visitors at the women?s police station in Sector 51 will no longer have to witness quarrelling families, wailing parents and injured victims. The police station now has a two-room ?Phulwari? complete with toys, puzzles and a nanny to ensure children do not get affected by their murky surroundings. ?Kids often accompany adults to the police station and find the surroundings traumatizing,? said ACP Dharna Yadav. ?A number of times, children themselves are the victims and in a traditional police station, they find it difficult to tell us what happened. The play area is meant to provide a friendly environment, which engages them and lets them relax,? she added. Phulwari, which will also double as a crèche for children of police personnel, has been provided a separate entry separating it from the main police station section. The rooms, which were once the office of a senior official, have been painted with colourful motifs and stocked with story books, art and craft material, puzzles and toys to engage children between 3 to 12 years of age. ?The colours are crucial as they help children express their deepest thoughts, pain and sadness,? Yadav said.The rooms have been stocked with story books, toys, art and craft material and puzzles. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO) The area will be overseen by two full-time trained woman constables, besides a nanny. Officials say about 8-10 children walk into the station daily with couples facing marital discord. ?A number of children who come with their parents are teenagers and understand what is happening. For the time that they are here, they can also be in Phulwari and use their time creatively,? Yadav said. The police station also uses the voluntary service of a ceramic artist to engage children through pottery.Gurgaon police personnel, who are on 24-hour duty, will be able to use this place for their children up to seven years of age. ?Kids of police officials can also stay here and even spend a few days if the parent is on duty,? said Yadav.The play area will also double as a crèche for children police personnel. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO) Inspector Kailash, SHO of the women police station, said that Phulwari will be operational 24 hours and children will be given good quality food as well. ?Children who want to sleep can do so during the day as there are cots and supervisors will be working full time,? she says.Gurgaon Police claim that this is the first child-friendly police station in Haryana. Officials say the project received support of 400 women police officials of the force, many of whom also contributed in setting up the area. The art and craft material, particularly colours, brushes, and easel has been donated by the staff. Inaugurated on February 14 by Gurgaon police commissioner Sandeep Khirwar, the play area-cum-creche will also have facilities to counsel children. ?Children, whether they are victims or they visit the police station with their parents, need special care and attention. They need friends, who listen to them and care for them. This is why such a space has been created,? said Khirwar.

Parmeet Kaur

21 Jul 2017,Friday

FIR against ex-Delhi Minister Tomar in fake degree case

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bihar-s-bhagalpur-varsity-fir-against-delhi-ex-minister-tomar-in-fake-law-degree-case/story-AxPG5DXYd0ogPdC8LSaV8I.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Bihar's Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University on Thursday lodged an FIR, against former Delhi Law Minister Jitendra Singh Tomar, over his fake law degree. The FIR was filed about four months after the university cancelled Tomar's degree. An enquiry held by the university in 2016 had found that Tomar had fraudulently procured a law degree from the university.

The Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University (TMBU) administration, on Thursday, lodged an FIR at University police station against former Delhi law minister Jitendra Singh Tomar , in a case pertaining to obtaining a fake law degree from the university.The FIR was filed about four months after Tomar?s ?fake? degree was cancelled by the university, after receiving approval of the TMBU?s academic council, syndicate and senate.  TMBU proctor Yogendra, who goes by a single name, is the informant in case.?Documentary evidence emerging from the findings of a probe initiated by the TMBU administration, establishing the former minister had committed fraud for procuring a fake degree from university, has been attached with petition submitted to police for lodging the FIR?, he said.  Rajesh Tiwary, TMBU?s OSD (legal),said the findings of enquiry related to university papers and residential address submitted by Tomar at the time of his enrolment in law course at Viswanath Singh Institute of legal studies (Munger), which functions under TMBU, had also be referred to in the FIR.The TMBU officials had no clear answer as to why it took the university nearly four months to initiate legal action against former minister after his degree was cancelled. In March this year, the TMBU senate had, by a unanimous voice vote, approved the cancellation of the law degree of Tomar, which was earlier found to be ?fake? in an inquiry held by the university in 2016.The finding was conveyed to a Delhi court hearing a case in connection with Tomar?s degree, through an affidavit filed on behalf of TMBU. Subsequently, the process for cancelling the ?tainted? degree had been initiated by the TMBU authorities.The senate approval has paved way for the issuance of a formal notification by university for cancellation of his degree, which had allegedly been issued with the connivance of some employees of the university.Earlier, the examination board and disciplinary committee of the university had given their consent for cancellation of Tomar?s law degree. Even the Delhi police, in its inquiry conducted separately, had found that Tomar?s law degree was fake.Tomar was arrested by the Delhi police on June 9, 2015 in connection with the fake degree case. He had submitted his resignation to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on the following day, just hours after a Delhi court remanded him to four-day police custody.More than a dozen university employees, who had been indicted in the probe undertaken by university and also in Delhi police probe, for their complicity in issuing a fake degree to the former Delhi minister have, however, been spared legal action, for now.TMBU?registrar Mohan Mishra said hearing in the fake degree case was underway in the Delhi high court and the employees indicted in university probe had been also indicted in probe of Delhi Police. ?The TMBU decided to defer initiation of separate legal action against them till the decision of court on employees is known?, he explained.

Shubhodeep Datta

19 Feb 2017,Sunday

Tirupati Laddu caused ?140 cr annual loss for last 3 years

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/tirupati-laddu-turns-bitter-for-ttd-causes-rs-140-cr-loss/1/886676.html

The Tirupati Laddu caused an annual loss of over ?140 crore to the temple administration of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam for the last three years. The loss was owed to its subsidised price and free distribution to devotees, according to reports. The laddu is being sold at a price of ?25 per piece while its actual cost was ?32.50, reports said.

Tirupati, Feb 19 (PTI) The most sought-after Tirupati Laddu has caused an annual loss of over Rs 140 crore to the cash-rich administration of Lord Venkateswara hill shrine for the last three years owing to its subsidised price and free distribution to some devotees, temple sources said. The mouth-watering sweet dish has been sold by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) at a subsidised price of Rs 25 per piece for the last 11 years while the actual cost was about Rs 32.50, the sources said. The laddu, made at the massive kitchen close to the shrine at nearby Tirumala, is in great demand among devotees, who throng the shrine from different parts of the country throughout the year. In 2016, about ten crore pieces of laddu (ball-shaped sweet) were made and sold, they told PTI. Besides the burden caused by subsidy, TTD also incurs more loss selling the laddu at Rs 10 per piece to devotees who opt for free darshan and wait for several hours in long queues, resulting in a loss of about Rs 23 crore, the sources said. The introduction of one free laddu to each devotee who treks 11-kilometre long stairway leading to the temple from the foot of the hills also adds about Rs 22.7 crore to the annual loss. The scheme was introduced in October 2013 with an aim to encourage the age-old traditional way of reaching the sacred hills on foot. Since then, on an average about 70 lakh devotees visit the temple by climbing the hills on foot annually, they said. More than 70 lakh devotees who avail Rs 300 special entry darshan and Rs 500 VIP darshan tickets were also getting two laddus free. However, the sources said the TTD was not keen on increasing the price of the laddu to offset the losses and might consider cutting down the number of free laddus given to ticket holders.

Akshita Jain

08 Dec 2016,Thursday

Delhi's air quality expected to worsen this week

http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/get-your-masks-out-delhi-s-air-quality-severe-to-get-worse-this-week/story-R1BhThadz7R5gC8K0LQnOI.html

Air quality in Delhi is expected to worsen over the next couple of days, according to forecasts. Pollution levels in various parts of the capital reached "severe" proportions as the monitoring station at Lodhi Road recorded a maximum Air Quality Index (AQI) of 500. System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) has advised people to avoid outdoor activities.

New Delhi: Air quality in the Capital worsened on Wednesday as pollution levels in various parts of the city reached ?severe? proportions. Although the overall Air Quality Index read 379, which is ?very poor?, Pusa Road had the AQI at 404, Dhirpur 441, Delhi University 458, IGI Airport 438 and Pitampura 431. These are all in the severe category. The monitoring station at Lodhi Road recorded a maximum AQI of 500.Air pollution level is classified as severe if the AQI is between 401 and 500. China declares a ?red alert? at this level. Severe AQI for three consecutive days is met with desperate measures such as shutting down of schools and offices, closing down industries and power plants and rationing of vehicles on the roads. SAFAR has advised people to avoid all outdoor physical activity. People with heart or lung diseases, senior citizens, and children should remain indoors and keep activity levels low when air quality turns ?severe?, it said. Read: Breathing in Delhi taking a toll on our kids? futurePeople with existing heart or lung diseases such as asthma, congestive heart disease, or ischemic heart disease should avoid heavy exertion when the air quality is ?very poor?.In the morning, the 24-hour rolling average of PM10 and PM2.5 touched poor and very poor limits, respectively, according to System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) data, reading 346 and 174 microgram per cubic metre respectively. These, too, became fouler as the day progressed clocking 408 and 222 microgram per cubic metre. PM2.5 and PM10 are ultrafine particles that are the dominant pollutants in Delhi. The 24-hour acceptable levels of PM 2.5 and PM10 are 60 and 100 microgram per cubic metre, respectively.According to forecasts, the air-quality may get fouler over the next couple of days.?Cold winds from the Indo-Gangetic plains are bringing in pollution to the Delhi region and as a result air is getting fouler. The air quality will keep getting worse till Thursday when PM2.5 is expected to touch 200g/m³,? Gufran Beig, programme director of SAFAR, which comes under the earth sciences ministry, told HT.Read: Let?s fight pollution: Choked in dusty DelhiWith patterns and directions changing, dense fog has returned to Delhi. Officials predict dense to very dense fog on Thursday morning. The change in weather, in terms of dense fog, comes with the return of easterly winds. ?There is also a cyclonic movement of air over the Bay of Bengal. The factors raise moisture in the air, which in cold climates can lead to fog,? a scientist said.The minimum temperature on Wednesday was recorded at 11.2°C, which is two notches above average for this time of the year, a MeT official said. The maximum was recorded at 24.3°C, which is normal. On Thursday, the maximum and minimum temperature will be around 25°C and 12°C, respectively.

Parmeet Kaur

24 Jul 2017,Monday

Govt plans multilevel parking at Delhi's Defence Colony

http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/multilevel-parking-soon-at-defence-colony-market/story-qqqbVoz41CpSPfvkW6eFXO.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation has proposed the construction of a six-storey multilevel parking which can hold at least 180 cars at Defence Colony market to solve the issue of insufficient parking space. The parking, which will reportedly cost around ?13.5 crore, was proposed as a part of the civic bodies' market development project focusing on 70 South Delhi markets.

A six-storey multilevel parking lot will soon come to the rescue of residents and shoppers at Defence Colony market. The South Delhi Municipal Corporation has proposed the building of the parking lot within a year in Defence Colony to ease parking woes in the area. The parking, which will be able to accommodate at least 180 cars, will come up as part of the civic body?s project of market development in areas under its jurisdiction.Officials said that the south civic body wants to spruce up as many as 70 markets in south Delhi under the project. ?Defence Colony will be the first model market of the project and will have all prominent features to attract more footfall,? said a SDMC official.During the visit of Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal to the market on Saturday, SDMC commissioner Puneet Goel shared the design for the project that is proposed to be constructed on land measuring 914 sqmt. The estimated cost of the project is likely to be around Rs 13.5 crore.?Defence Colony is a hub for restaurants and is visited by tourists in large number. Though there is a surface parking facility in the area, it is insufficient to meet the demands. For the convenience of all, we have proposed to construct a fully automated multi-level parking lot there,? said Goel.Other markets, which will be developed by the corporation include Greater Kailash I and II, Aurobindo Market, Rajouri Garden main market, Green Park market, Hauz Khas, Dwarka, CR Park and Alaknanda .At the selected markets, the civic agency will ensure features such as uniform hoarding/signage (in co-ordination with shopkeers), water ATMs, toilets (especially for women), organised parking lots, stretching of dangling electricity wires, street furniture such as benches, dustbins, beautification of green patches/parks, fancy lights and disable friendly pedestrian ramps, among other things.The deputy commissioners of four zones in South Delhi Municipal Corporation have been asked to prepare list of the other markets which receive heavy footfall and have scope for doing development works. At Defence Colony, shopkeepers have already been told to install signages of uniform sizes in one month?s time. ?Though as per the Delhi Municipal Act, installing signages of uniform signages outside shops is mandatory, but people don?t follow it,? said a senior SDMC official.Last year, SDMC had started a project of giving uniform look to eight markets across south Delhi by providing disabled friendly ramps, modern infrastructure, LED lights and car-free zones. The markets chosen for revamp were New Friends Colony Community Centre, Green Park B-6 block market, Greater Kailash-1?s M-Block market, H-block Sarita Vihar, Hauz Khas Market, Saket J-block market, Punjabi Bagh Central Market and Vikaspuri?s PVR Shopping Complex.

Sumedha Sehra

03 Aug 2017,Thursday

Call devastated his life: Mom of boy who got 'Google' offer

http://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/google-job-hoax-a-phone-call-devastated-my-child-s-life-says-mother-of-chandigarh-teenager/story-seXaasS98Q2RLfpheGEl7L.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

The mother of Harshit Sharma, the class 12 Chandigarh boy who got a hoax job offer call from Google, said that the incident "devastated" his life. He got a call, after which he shared the information with the school principal, who sent out a press release. Harshit is hospitalised since Google denied giving him a job, his mother added.

Bharti Sharma, mother of the 16-year-old boy who made headlines for getting a job offer from Google and then for it being a hoax, said on Wednesday the incident had ?devastated? her son?s life. Talking to HT, Bharti, a teacher from Kurukshetra, said Harshit got a hoax call, and not a letter, informing him about his selection for the post of graphic designer. ?Harshit got a phone call. We did not believe it at first. I kept telling him it could be hoax,? said the mother. ?He shared the information with his school principal, who further released a press note, which led to media coverage.?Bharti said once the news was published and mediapersons started contacting them, they too thought the job offer is genuine.?We thought the principal has some confirmation,? she said.Where did letter come from?However, question remains over the offer letter that the school has provided to the media, claiming that Harshit had forwarded it to a teacher. The letter has several mistakes and does not contain any salary details. Bharti maintained that Harshit did not provide it to the school. Harshit had completed Class 12 from Government Model Senior Secondary School (GMSSS), Sector 33, this year. It was on Saturday that the UT administration released a press note about Harshit?s achievement. The release claimed that the internet giant would pay him Rs 12 lakh per month as salary after a year?s training. During training, it was claimed he will get a stipend of Rs 4 lakh per month.However, on Tuesday, Google denied having offered paid training and job to Harshit. Bharti said Harshit hasn?t eaten since Tuesday and is hospitalised. ?Doctors say he is traumatised. Those who were congratulating us are now taunting us,? she said.Claiming they did not want to blame the principal or any teacher, Bharti said: ?Harshit only told her about the call.??Family evading authorities?However, Beniwal maintained that Harshit forwarded a copy of the offer letter to a teacher through WhatsApp. The principal alleged Harshit?s family had been evading the authorities and there phone number were also switched off. Meanwhile, Beniwal has submitted a report to the education department after it ordered a probe on Tuesday.It is learnt the principal has stated that she was on leave and got information about the boy getting a job offer through two teachers. She has also forwarded messages exchanged between the teachers and Harshit?s family and the offer letter. She has also appended videos of celebrations at Harshit?s ancestral place in Kurukshetra.The report will be made public on Thursday. ?I have received the report, but not seen it yet,? said Rubinderjit Singh Brar, UT director, school education.

Sonu Kumari

29 Jul 2017,Saturday

120-yr-old cross demolished, residents to file complaint

http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/120-year-old-cross-demolished-mumbai-residents-to-file-criminal-complaint/story-bNt28l4tHD9NrRjG63uOSM.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Residents of Bandra's D'monte Street said they will file a criminal complaint against the authorities for demolishing a 120-year-old cross on April 29. "We want the BMC to reinstate the cross. The criminal charge-sheet is for wrongly marking the shrine and demolishing it," they said. Residents also said that the cross was legal and was on the owner's private property.

Three months after the BMC demolished a contentious 120-year-old cross on D?monte Street in Bandra (West), residents and Catholic groups said they will file a criminal complaint against the assistant municipal commissioner Sharad Ughade and two engineers of the ward office. Savio Gonsalves, who lives opposite the shrine, has been the caretaker for 35 years. ?It was shocking to see the BMC take the cross down. We got to know about the BMC?s plan a night before and we could not do anything,? said Gonsalves. On April 29, the BMC demolished the D?monte cross.The Catholic community staged a protest on May 3 outside the ward office. Residents said the cross was legal and was on private property of the owner. READ: Illegal shed over grotto demolished in ChakalaGodfrey Pimenta, trustee of NGO Watchdog Foundation, said, ?The BMC had wrongly marked the cross as category B structure. We took the case to court and till now, the BMC has not produced the affidavit in court.? Rita D?sa, head of Bombay Catholic Sabha, said the next hearing for the case in the high court is on August 21. ?We want the BMC to reinstate the cross. The criminal charge-sheet is for wrongly marking the shrine and demolishing it,? said D?sa.Ughade told HT, ?The cross was under category B in the 2011 list. We have taken action as per the court order.? Officials added that the cross cannot be reinstated. Of the 38 illegal shrines in Bandra West, only one cross has been demolished. The ward office razed close to four illegal temples on Thursday.

Prashanti Moktan

24 May 2017,Wednesday

Telugu actor booked for 'women only fit for sex' remark

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/telugu-actor-chalapathi-rao-booked-for-anti-women-remarks/1/961703.html

A case has been registered against Telugu actor Chalapathi Rao by the Hyderabad police following a woman's complaint over the actor's "women are only fit for having sex with men" remark. Chalapathi has been booked under sections 354A (4) and 509 of the Indian Penal Code, which deal with sexual harassment and insulting a woman's modesty.

Veteran Telugu actor Chalapathi Rao has landed in legal trouble after his derogatory statements on women. At the pre-release event of the upcoming Telugu film Rarandoi Veduka Chudham, Chalapathi Rao said that women are only fit for having sex with men. Following a complaint from a woman activist against the actor, the Hyderabad police on Tuesday booked a case against Chalapathi Rao at Saroornagar police station.Rao has now been booked under sections 354A (4) and 509 of the Indian Penal Code. A day after the video went viral, several celebrities including Nagarjuna, Naga Chaitanya and Rakul Preet Singh have slammed the actor for his insensitive remarks. I always respect women personally and in my films/I definitely do not agree wt Chalapati rao's derogatory comments/dinosaurs do not exist!!ð???#respectwomenpic.twitter.com/mXYZCvMPwIRespecting women is a way of life for me.The reactions shown on TV weren't for the statement made.Do I agree with it ?Absolutely NOT !On Wednesday, Chalapathi Rao issued a statement apologising for his anti-women remarks. He said, "I came to the programme a bit late. Just as I sat down, the anchor asked me the question, I answered without applying my mind to it. I didn't mean to hurt anyone. If I had hurt your feelings, I am sorry. "Rao defended his statements saying, "But I was angry when they asked me if 'girls are harmful'. Do we sleep with snakes? No. That's why I said woman are harmless and that's why we sleep with them. I don't even understand what's wrong in that. Some channel, that does not know Telugu, reported it and others are spreading it like cancer. I will never insult a woman. I will always treat women with respect like mothers and sisters."Produced by Nagarjuna, Rarandoi Veduka Chudham starring Naga Chaitanya and Rakul Preet Singh will hit the theatres on May 26.( With inputs from IANS )ALSO READ: Chalapathi Rao apologises for his anti-women remarks

Parmeet Kaur

17 Jul 2017,Monday

Baby girl delivered by two Delhi policemen in PCR van

http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/delhi-police-welcome-a-baby-cops-are-trained-to-play-midwives-in-emergencies/story-aMbugIIYEwdUW6nEfXNbCI.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

A baby girl was delivered by two male police officers in a PCR van after a woman went into labour at Old Delhi Railway Station recently. "While taking her to the hospital, her water broke and we had to get the baby delivered in the van itself," Inspector said. The mother and daughter were declared in good health.

Delhi cops acting as midwives? As crazy as that sounds, the cops ? yes, even male cops ? are trained to help deliver babies in emergency situations, and that training comes in handy every now and then. One recent occasion was when a woman went into labour at Old Delhi Railway Station at 4.15am; her panicked husband called the police control room. To cut a long story short, a PCR van (mobile patrol) arrived, and the woman delivered her baby in the van.?We rushed to the spot on receiving the call. What we saw was a woman, accompanied by her husband, suffering from labour pain. While taking her to the hospital, her water broke and we had to get the baby delivered in the van itself, near Netaji Subhash Marg,? says Inspector Rajendra Sehrawat, who was present during the incident. This is the seventh case of childbirth in the multipurpose vehicle this year. ?This is not new for us. We have trained our staff in such a way that they can handle childbirth,? says Monika Bhardwaj, DCP, Police Control Room. ?We?ve briefed our staff not to disturb the cord, giving the mother her privacy and taking the mother and baby to the nearest hospital. They have a fair idea of the process. We?re proud that they?re fulfilling their duties responsibly.? In most such cases, PCR vans come with policewomen, but this time, there were only two male police officers who handled the case. ?It?s easy when we have women officers with us. They look after the pregnant women very efficiently. But this time, the woman?s husband and our inspectors had to take charge. During trainings, we?re asked to not move the baby from his/her position, but convincing parents at that time is difficult. This father agreed and didn?t touch the baby girl,? says Sehrawat. The baby and mother were then taken to the LNJP hospital, Daryaganj, and were declared in good health. Follow @htshowbiz for more

Prashanti Moktan

05 Jun 2017,Monday

PM Modi shows support for ?1,000 cr Mahabharata film: Report

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/pm-narendra-modi-backs-mohanlal-1000-crore-mahabharata/1/971041.html

As per reports, PM Narendra Modi has written a letter to producer BR Shetty, expressing his support for the Mohanlal starrer upcoming film on Mahabharata, which is said to have a budget of ?1,000 crore. Modi has reportedly written that he is awaiting the release of the film, which will be a matter of pride for the entire nation.

Mollywood megastar Mohanlal is teaming up with ad filmmaker Shrikumar for Randamoozham, which will made on a whopping budget of Rs 1000 crore. While the film is slated to go on the floors next year, an interesting update has cropped up. According to reports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written a letter to producer BR Shetty, expressing his support for the gargantuan project.In his letter, Modi has said he is awaiting the release of the film, which will be a matter of pride for the entire nation, according to a report in Mathrubhumi.  Reports also suggest the the team has sought permission to meet Narendra Modi on July 7. It must be noted that the film ran into a controversy when the president of the Kerala Hindu Aikya Vedi had threatened to stall the release of Mohanlal's film if they use the title Mahabharatham.To be directed by Shrikumar Menon, the first part of Mahabharata will hit the screens in 2020, while the second part will release 90 days after the first part. Mohanlal plays Bheema in Randamoozham, while actors Nagarjuna has been approached for Karna's role. Also, the latest buzz is that actors Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan are being considered for the film.ALSO READ: Velai Illa Pattathari teaser to be out on June 7

Niharika Prabhakar

17 Jul 2017,Monday

Private US body helping India curb child porn: Centre to SC

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/us-based-private-body-helping-india-curb-child-porn-centre-to-supreme-court/story-4vDZCOFLphtYH62IykRfCI.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

The Centre has told the Supreme Court that it is taking the help of US-based National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to curb child porn in India. The private body acts as a resource centre for information about missing and exploited children and is reportedly trying to establish a secure communication link with the CBI for sharing details.

The Centre has told the Supreme Court that it is taking the help of a US-based private body, which gives technical details on uploading of child porn to 99 countries, to curb the menace in India.In a status report to be filed in the top court, the Centre has said that US-based National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) acts as a resource centre for information about missing and exploited children and they provide ?free? details through a secure channel to the central law enforcing agency of the US and 99 other nations.The government has told a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra that as per information conveyed by the NCMEC, they are trying to establish the ?secure link? with the law enforcing agency in the country.?The NCMEC, USA is a private, non-profit organisation and acts as a national clearing house and resource centre for information about missing and exploited children. The NCMEC hotline provides technical details of any child porn uploading to the law enforcement agency concern in the USA and across the world in about 99 other countries,? the report said.?This information is provided free, but through a secure channel to a central law enforcement agency. According to the information conveyed by the NCMEC, they have been trying to establish this secure link with an Indian law enforcement agency,? the government has told the apex court.The report further said the ministry of electronics and information technology (MEIT) has sent a letter to the ministry of home affairs, a copy of which has also been sent to the ministry of women and child development, requesting them to follow up for establishing communication with the NCMEC.Recently, in a communication to the home ministry, the MEIT has said that the NCMEC has informed that ?a large number of reports are available with them wherein illegal imagery related to child pornography/child abuse have been uploaded from Indian territory?.?It is also understood that the NCMEC has been trying to establish a secure channel of communication with the CBI for sharing details in this regard since 2013.?However, there is no concrete progress in the matter so far. Action on such reports can create a definitive deterrent mechanism for potential uploaders of such illegal imagery from India,? the communication said.The status report also gave details about various other initiatives taken by the government to curb child pornography in the country.Additional solicitor general Pinky Anand had on July 14 told the bench that the Centre has blocked 3,522 websites carrying child pornographic content last month and has asked the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to consider installation of jammers in schools to block access to such sites.The government had said that installation of jammers in school buses was ?not possible? and they were coming out with steps to deal with the menace in its entirety.?We are coming out with steps which will deal with the situation in its entirety,? Anand had told the bench that also comprised Justices A M Khanwilkar and M M Shantanagoudar.?The government has asked the CBSE to consider whether jammers can be installed in schools to curb access to such websites,? she had said.The apex court had asked the government to file a status report within two days on the steps taken by it to stop child pornography.The court is dealing with a petition which has sought a direction to the Centre to take appropriate steps to curb child pornography across the country.

Sanira Mediratta

07 Jan 2017,Saturday

Dilli Haat hosts 31st Dastkari Haat Craft Bazaar

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/dilli-haat-persian-makeover-dastkari-haat-craft-bazaar-lifest/1/851631.html

Dilli Haat is hosting the 31st Dastkari Haat Craft Bazaar, providing visitors a chance to meet artisans and craftsmen from Iran and India. The event, which will end on January 15, showcases jewellery, block printing, calligraphy, and pottery. As part of the exhibit, nine award-winning artists and calligraphers from Iran have collaborated with 200 Indian artisans.

Dilli Haat has always been decked up in beautiful colours - colours from different parts of the country. Now, nine craftsmen from Iran have flown in for the 31st Dastkari Haat Craft Bazaar. They have collaborated with 200 Indian artisans to produce calligraphy, block printing, pottery and other exciting products.The Meenakari work from Iran is the most beautiful and coveted of all displays. Copper is melted, fused and painted with brilliant hues of blue and green. There are also pendants and earrings in this collection. Prices begin from Rs 500.Says Jaya Jaitly, president of Dastkari Haat Samiti, "The Samiti's artisan-members have travelled all over and collaborated with local artisans in other developing nations to create utilitybased and market-friendly products. This is what we have tried to do with Iranian artists as well."Gholamreza Emami, the Iranian Meenakari artist, says each piece of utensil takes about a day to finish and he has been doing it for 15 years. "I love the reaction of Indian customers and I hope to come back next year," he says.Also Read:Experience the best of food and music at this 10-year-old festivalAbdul Raza, a block printing artist from Gujarat, has collaborated with block print artists from Iran to create beautiful and fascinating designs on cotton, silk and wool fabrics.There are also miniature paintings that flourished during the 13th century in Persia and continue till now. There is also papier mache jewellery from Iran, starting from Rs 500.

Chhavi Tyagi

20 Jun 2017,Tuesday

Lalu's family charged under Benami Act; properties seized

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/benami-transaction-charges-slapped-against-lalu-yadavs-family-i-t-attaches-property/1/983094.html

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's wife Rabri Devi and children have been charged under the Benami Transactions Act by the Income Tax department in connection with land deals worth ?1,000 crore and tax evasion. The department has seized a total of 12 plots belonging to Lalu's daughter Misa Bharti and her husband, ex-CM Rabri Devi, and Deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav.

The Income Tax Department has conclusive evidence that RJD Chief kin laundered money by acquiring benami properties with help of known data entry operators.Sources said Income Tax Department has conclusive proof to show that Lalu's son and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi, Tej, daughter Misa Bharti and her husband Sailesh have allegedly indulged in large scale money laundering. The Income Tax department has attached 12 plots of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's wife, son and daughters and charged them under the Benami Transactions Act in connection with its probe into land deals worth Rs 1,000 crore and tax evasion.They have taken accommodation entries through known entry operators SK Jain and Virender Jain with the help of CA Rajesh Agarwal. As per the department the properties have been acquired through cash or kind acquired through quid pro quo.  I-T Department has served notices of attachment of assets to Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh Kumar, his wife and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav and daughters Chanda and Ragini Yadav.The department has attached immovable assets such as land, plots and buildings in Delhi and Patna which bear a "deed" value of Rs 9.32 crore but the taxman has estimated their current market value at Rs 170-180 crore.A total of nine plots in Phulwari Sharif in Patna, where a mall is reported to have been coming up, has also been attached by the tax department. According to the sources, Rabri's brother Prabhu Nath Singh allegedly got a plot of land, with two-storey structure near Phulwari Sharif at very cheap rates as quid pro quo. After a few years the property was given to Lalu's son in as a gift. Later a person called Amit Katyal purchased the property at a very high rate from them in his company named A K Infosys. Later Lalu's kin purchased all the shares of the company at the face value. This transaction made them the alleged benami owner of the property.During an extensive probe into the matter I-T Department had detected an obligation chain through cash or kind. I-T had carried out surveys in at least 22 places in NCR alone recently. The probe has now revealed that the transactions have been made in a circuitous manner through the help of known accommodation entry operators, who have been arrested by Enforcement Directorate recently.Their balance sheets, books of accounts and ledger don't match indicating poor accounting practices. Consequently they have left behind a trail of benami transactions. "They have made transactions through persons who are known for unfair practices. That's why it was easy to detect the illegal transactions," sources said.Delhi: Property of Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav & his sisters Ragini & Chanda in New Friends Colony, attached by IT dept today pic.twitter.com/VlYndRhUQs1. Farm no: 26, Palam Farms, Bijvasan, Delhi.Benamidars: Mishail Packers and Printers Pvt. Ltd.Beneficiary: Misa Bharti and Shailesh KumarBook Value: Rs. 1.4 crMarket Value: Rs. 40 cr2. 1088, New Friends ColonyBenamidars: AB Exports Pvt. Ltd.Beneficiary: Tejaswi Yadav, Chanda and Ragini YadavBook Value: Rs. 5 crMarket Value: Rs. 40 cr3. Nine plots in Jalapur, PS Danapur, PatnaBenamidars: Delight Marketing Pvt. Ltd.Beneficiary: Rabri Devi, Tejaswi YadavBook Value: Rs. 1.9 crMarket Value: Rs. 65 cr4. Three Plots in Jalapur, PS Danapur, PatnaBenamidars: AK InfosystemsBeneficiary: Rabri Devi, Tejaswi YadavBook Value: Rs. 1.6 crMarket Value: Rs. 20 crIncome Tax department has summoned Lalu's daughter Misa Bharti in the first week of July to come and give their submissions against the benami property transaction proceedings. The department has already provisionally attached their properties pending inquiry.Lalu Prasad Yadav has denied the allegations. He said Income Tax proceedings against his children is politically motivated.  Son Tejaswi Yadav said: "No one in my family has got income tax notice. Misa Bharti has also not got any income tax notice. If anyone has proof about benami properties they should present it or else apologise."Lalu's kin have 90 days time to give their submissions before the department. Falling which the department could begin realisation of taxes and even confiscation of the properties.  Also read:I-T department attaches Lalu's daughter Misa Bharti's Rs 50 crore assets Lalu Yadav's daughter Misa Bharti, her husband summoned by I-T department in money laundering case

Anmol Sharma

26 Jul 2017,Wednesday

Arjun will be a winner if he has Sachin's passion: McGrath

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/arjun-tendulkar-sachin-tendulkar-glenn-mcgrath-cricket-mrf-pace-foundation/1/1010685.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Ex-Australian pacer Glenn McGrath, while talking about Sachin Tendulkar's son Arjun who is a left-arm pacer, said he will be a winner if he has the love and passion for cricket like his father. "When you have a name like Tendulkar, those are pretty big shoes to fill," added McGrath. The 17-year-old was bowling in nets to India Women players.

Legendary Australian fast bowler Glenn Mcgrath, with whom Sachin Tendulkar had the fiercest of on field battles, is in Tendulkar's home turf Mumbai for a two day fast bowling camp. The second highest wicket-taker for Australia in Test cricket is the director at the MRF pace foundation and is conducting a short clinic at the invitation of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA).McGrath when quizzed about Sachin's son, Arjun, having fast bowling aspirations sprung up this response. "I know Sachin wanted to be a fast bowler when he was younger and had come to MRF. So may be...," he quipped recalling the well documented story of a 14-year-old aspiring fast bowler Sachin rejected by then MRF director Dennis Lillee.18-year-old left arm seamer Arjun, who has represented Mumbai Under-14 and Under-16, is still on the learning curve.

Prashanti Moktan

14 Jul 2017,Friday

Westworld, Saturday Night Live receive most Emmy nominations

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jul/13/emmy-nominations-2017-westworld-saturday-night-live-lead?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

The HBO series Westworld and the comedy show Saturday Night Live have received 22 nominations at this year's Emmy Awards. Westworld actors Sir Anthony Hopkins and Evan Rachel Wood were nominated for Outstanding lead actor and actress in a drama. Indian-American actor Aziz Ansari has been nominated in the Outstanding lead actor in a comedy category for Master of None.

HBO kept its place at the top of the Emmy nominations tree with its robot western series Westworld bagging 22 nominations at this year?s event, which saw it tie with the comedy show Saturday Night Live for the most nods.The haul amounted to one fewer nomination than HBO?s usual Emmy juggernaut Game of Thrones managed last year, and was a shock to some observers who predicted a more modest showing from a series that had a mixed reception upon its release.The show will battle it out for the top honour, outstanding drama series, alongside Better Call Saul, House of Cards, Stranger Things, The Crown, The Handmaid?s Tale and This Is Us. Homeland and The Americans missed out.Westworld also had a good showing in the acting categories, with Sir Anthony Hopkins and Evan Rachel Wood nominated for best lead actors and Thandie Newton and Jeffrey Wright recognised in the supporting actor categories.Saturday Night Live also received 22 nominations, including a nod for Alec Baldwin and his impression of Donald Trump, while Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and Vanessa Bayer, were all recognised in the best supporting actress in a comedy series category.On Thursday morning in Los Angeles, the Veep actor Anna Chlumsky and the Criminal Minds star Shemar Moore read out the nominations. It was another diverse list following last year?s showing, in which actors of colour were nominated in all the leading actor categories ? a first. That feat wasn?t repeated this year, with no actors of colour nominated in the best actress in a limited series or a television musical.Donald Glover?s Atlanta received nods for best comedy series and best comedy actor for Glover. ABC?s Black-ish is up for best comedy series, and its lead actors, Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross, were both nominated in the best comedy actor and actress categories. Aziz Ansari?s Master of None is also up for best comedy, and Ansari for best comedy actor, while HBO?s The Night Of took 13 nominations.Viola Davis was nominated again for best actress in a drama series for her role in How To Get Away With Murder, and Sterling K Brown was nominated for best actor in a drama series for his performance in This Is Us.The only real shocks came in the best talk show category, where Jimmy Fallon missed out and Bill Maher?s Real Talk was nominated despite controversy surrounding the host, who used the N-word on the show recently. Samantha Bee?s Full Frontal was also included, while Jerry Seinfeld?s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee missed out.Other shows that missed out were the Leftovers, which didn?t bag any nominations in the main categories, plus Girls and Transparent which both missed out in the best comedy series category. Mr Robot?s Rami Malek also missed out on best actor in a drama series despite winning in that category last year. Carrie Fisher was given a posthumous nomination for her role in Catastrophe.

Dishant Sharma

19 Jun 2017,Monday

Pakistan fan sledges Mohammed Shami after India's CT defeat

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/pakistani-fans-sledging-india-cricketers-virat-kohli-mohammed-shami-champions-trophy-final/1/982314.html

Indian pacer Mohammed Shami, whose father passed away recently, reacted angrily after a Pakistani cricket fan sledged Indian players following Pakistan's Champions Trophy win against India on Sunday. The Pakistani fan was heard saying, "Baap kaun hai?", which is when Shami lost his cool and turned back towards the Pakistani fan and stared at him before MS Dhoni held him.

Virat Kohli was all grace and smiles after India's crushing defeat in the ICC Champions Trophy final but the Pakistani fans were downright nasty to the India skipper and his teammates.Pakistan's victory at The Oval triggered massive celebrations in and around the ground with fans dancing on the streets of London till the wee hours of the night. Fans who were supporting Sarfraz Ahmed's team inside the stadium stayed there till the presentation ceremony and it was during this period that a particular Pakistani fan started to sledge the Indian players just as they were returning to their dressing room.In a video posted on Facebook by The Witty Side, a fan could be seen mocking the Indian players and passing derogatory comments to Kohli, fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and the rest.The guy in the video could be heard telling Kohli - "akkad toot gayi hai Kohli saari" - which loosely translates to - your arrogance has been shattered. Kohli paid no heed to the comments and walked away but the guy continued to sledge the players and even made weeping sounds.He could then be heard saying, "baap kaun hai?", and that is when fast bowler Mohammed Shami lost his cool and turned back towards the Pakistani fan before MS Dhoni intervened and took his teammate away with him.

Chhavi Tyagi

07 Mar 2017,Tuesday

Explosion inside Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train injures eight

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bhopal-ujjain-train-59320-blast-madhya-pradesh-shajapur/1/898614.html

A blast took place on Tuesday morning in a Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train in Madhya Pradesh near Javdi station, injuring at least eight people. Two coaches were damaged in the blast and were separated from the train which later left for its onward journey. An inquiry has been ordered into the incident to ascertain the nature and cause of the blast.

A blast was reported in a Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train, numbered 59320, on Tuesday morning. At least ten persons were injured, two of them seriously. The two seriously-injured people were referred to a hospital in Bhopal.The others were undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kalapipal town, which is close to the accident site - located around 81 km from the Madhya Pradesh capital.  Madhya Pradesh's IG Law and order Makrand Devaskar confirmed that the passenger train explosion was a terrorist attack.  Devaskar said that it was an IED blast and the police has arrested three persons from Pipariya. LUCKNOW ENCOUNTERThe people arrested were questioned, and the information they revealed was transmitted to the Centre.Early on Tuesday evening, Uttar Pradesh Police carried out raids, arresting two men in Kanpur and one from Eatawah. A third raid targeted a home in Thakuganj, Lucknow.At around 4 PM, the UP police said in a since-deleted tweet that a suspected militant - identified as Mohammed Saiful - was involved in a standoff with the state's Anti-Terrorism Squad.The encounter ended at around 3 AM on Wednesday. ATS IG Asim Arun confirmed that Saiful was killed.Saiful is believed to be part of a larger ISIS-inspired module that is suspected to be behind the Tuesday morning train blast.DETAILS OF THE BHOPAL -UJJAIN TRAIN BLAST The blast took place in the train's second-last coach, which was an ordinary second-class coach, Indian Railways PRO Anil Saxena said.  The incident occurred at arout 9:50 AM near Jabdi station, close to Kalapipal town in Shajapur district. The train was stopped as soon as the blast was reported.  Two coaches were damaged, and were separated from the train which later left for its onward journey, said PRO Jitendra Kumar Jayant.The glass panes of the windows in the general coach were shattered. Following the blast, the train came to a halt. Smoke engulfed the general coach, causing panic among the passengers who rushed out to save themselves. PRO Saxena said the ambulance reached the site of the blast within ten minutes. A relief train was rushed to the mishap site, PRO Jayant said. (Inputs from PTI) ALSO READ

Daisy Mowke

22 Jan 2017,Sunday

Priyanka shows solidarity with anti-Trump Women's March

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/priyanka-chopra-womens-march-donald-trump-washington-pussy/1/863784.html

Actress Priyanka Chopra has shown her support for the Women's March against US President Donald Trump, organised in Washington DC on Saturday. "So proud of all my sisters and the men that are at the #WomensMarch I'm so upset I couldn't go," she tweeted. Celebrities including Emma Watson, Madonna, Natalie Portman and Miley Cyrus took part in the protest rally.

Priyanka Chopra, now a formidable public voice among female entertainers in the US, tweeted her support to the hundreds of thousands of women who marched together in Washington on Sunday.The women's march saw more than 5,00,000 participants coming together in Washington to become a part of the first major act of organised protest against US President Donald Trump since he got sworn in as the 45th President of the United States of America.So proud of all my sisters and the men that are at the #WomensMarch I'm so upset I couldn't go. #girllove#womensrightsarehumanrightsPriyanka Chopra earlier today tweeted that she was proud of all the women and men who had joined the 'women's march'. She also added that she was upset that she couldn't join.The official website of Women's March on Washington wrote in its mission statement that the march "will send a bold message to our (America's) new government on their first day in office, and to the world that women's rights are human rights."ALSO READ: Donald Trump was obsessed with me, says Twilight actor Kristen StewartALSO READ: Did US President Trump copy his inauguration speech from not 1 BUT 3 films?ALSO READ: 5 Bollywood films Donald Trump needs to watch to be a better loverALSO WATCH: Reality TV show contestant sues Donald Trump for sexual assault

Daisy Mowke

01 Jan 2017,Sunday

Kapil Sharma announces two new comedy shows

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/after-the-success-of-tkss-kapil-sharma-announces-two-more-comedy-shows-lifetv/1/847091.html

Comedian Kapil Sharma has announced that his production house K9 is set to produce two new comedy shows in 2017. "First news of the year... K9 is producing two comedy shows... hope u will like... stay happy," Kapil tweeted. He currently hosts 'The Kapil Sharma Show', which is aired on the channel Sony.

Motivated by the massive success of his comedy show The Kapil Sharma Show, the comedian is all set to produce two new comedy shows in 2017. "First news of the year. K9 is producing two comedy shows. Hope you will like. Stay happy," (sic) Kapil broke the news on Twitter.Also read: Kapil Sharma bags No. 7 position in Forbes Celeb 100 list; his journey over the years

Chhavi Tyagi

10 Jan 2017,Tuesday

Nobody should have a problem with Jallikattu: Naidu

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/india-today-conclave-south-venkaiah-naidu-jallikattu/1/853680.html

Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu has said that Jallikattu, a bull-taming event held during Pongal, is a traditional sport and nobody should have problems with it. He added that the government is getting suggestions to allow Jallikattu, which was banned by the Supreme Court recently. "I don't know whether I should be saying this as a minister," Naidu said.

Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu today invoked Constitution amendment to nullify the Supreme Court order in the Shah Bano case as a possible way out to allow jallikattu, which was banned by the apex court recently.Venkaiah Naidu hinted that in the view of strong emotional connect of the people of Tamil Nadu with jallikattu, the Centre is mulling over a way out after the Supreme Court banned it."We are getting suggestions (to amend the law). After all, we did it in the Shah Bano case," said Naidu adding, "But, we will have to see. We will have to discuss. We will have to weigh what court thinks."However, Naidu was non-committal about bringing an ordinance to deal with the Supreme Court order on Jallikattu, saying, "I am not dealing with the subject in the government."Speaking at the India Today Conclave South in Chennai, Venkaiah Naidu said, "Personally, I feel that Jallikattu is a traditional art. It is a traditional sport in Tamil Nadu. Nobody should have problem with this." But, Naidu also added, "I don't know whether I should be saying this as a minister."Shah Bano, a 62-year-old mother of five children from Madhya Pradesh, was divorced by her husband in 1978. Later, she filed a maintenance lawsuit against her ex-husband.In 1985, the Supreme Court ruled that Shah Bano was entitled to maintenance like any other Indian woman. But, this led to a huge uproar among the Muslim clerics.The then Rajiv Gandhi government amended the law by passing Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986 to set aside the Shah Bano verdict of the Supreme Court.

Ayushi Ahluwalia

24 Jul 2017,Monday

No direct runway access for Lalu, Rabri at Patna airport

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/aviation-ministry-special-vip-privileges-lalu-rabri-patna-airport/1/1008477.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

The Aviation Ministry has issued an order withdrawing the direct runway access given to Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi at the Patna airport, according to reports. The privilege was reportedly withdrawn owing to the fact that neither of the two leaders hold any constitutional post at present.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has issued an order withdrawing the special VIP privileges accorded to RJD chief Lalu Yadav and his wife, former Chief Minister of Bihar, Rabri Yadav at Patna airport.The letter, accessed by India Today, is dated 21 July and directed to the Bureau of Civil Aviation, the nodal agency responsible for airport security.This will basically disallow the two leaders from driving up in a vehicle to the aircraft on the tarmac. This privilege was accorded to Lalu Yadav and Rabri Yadav at the Patna airport for close to a decade. In recent years, it had been restricted to Patna airport only. This privilege now stands withdrawn with immediate effect.Sources indicate that this privilege has been withdraw given the fact that neither leader enjoys any constitutional position at present.This latest development could open a fresh round of animosity between the BJP and the Mahagatbandhan, especially after the recent financial investigations against Lalu Yadav and members of his family. ALSO READ:

Rini Sinha

22 Jul 2017,Saturday

Wanted to act after watching Kareena in Jab We Met: Anushka

http://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/kareena-kapoor-s-geet-in-jab-we-met-inspired-anushka-sharma-to-join-bollywood/story-5nueGkssJZcTFCIduaI7TL.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Actress Anushka Sharma has revealed that after watching Kareena Kapoor's character Geet in 2007 film 'Jab We Met', she felt she should act in films. Kareena won the Best Actress Award at both Filmfare and IIFA awards for her role in the film directed by Imtiaz Ali. Anushka made her Bollywood debut in 2008 film 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'.

Anushka Sharma says it was the fun-filled character of ?Geet? played by Kareena Kapoor Khan in Imtiaz Ali helmed Jab We Met that attracted her to the world of movies.The actor said that Jab Harry Met Sejal was the first movie to be offered to her by Imtiaz and she liked the idea so much that she accepted it immediately.?I have been waiting to work with Imtiaz for the longest time. I remember watching Jab We Met in Bikaner with my parents and I felt this is an amazing film.?Looking at the character of Geet (essayed by Kareena Kapoor Khan) I felt I should be doing films. I enjoyed collaborating with him for this film,? she told reporters here at the trailer launch of Jab Harry Met Sejal.For the first time, Anushka is playing a Gujarati girl in the movie. The actress said she prepared a lot to get the diction right.Anushka Sharma and filmmaker Imtiaz Ali during the trailer launch of Jab Harry Met Sejal. (IANS) ?I learnt the Gujarati diction from my coach Dimple. We used to write down the words in the way it is pronounced and once you are familiar with those words it was easier to talk in that accent and style,? she said.The film marks the third collaboration between Anushka and superstar Shah Rukh Khan after Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Jab Tak Hai Jaan.When asked about her first meeting with Shah Rukh, Anushka said the best thing the superstar did to her was to make her comfortable.Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor in Jab We Met.?I knew him as Shah Rukh, the superstar, and I was going to do a romantic film with him. When I met him on the sets he congratulated me, he was chilled out, he made me feel comfortable. He was not intimidating,? the actress recalled.?Later I realised that he was such a big support system for me in my first film, he made things easy for me as a newcomer without making it obvious. It was really nice of him,? she added.The 29-year-old said she treats newcomers in the similar way SRK treated her. Follow @htshowbiz for more

Daisy Mowke

05 Jul 2017,Wednesday

Priyanka among front row attendees at Armani's show in Paris

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/priyanka-chopra-giorgio-armani-paris-fashion-week-sonam-kapoor-kate-winslet-sophia-loren-lifest/1/994485.html

Actress Priyanka Chopra was among the front-row attendees at Italian fashion house Giorgio Armani's Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2017-2018 show at Paris Fashion Week. She wore a white asymmetrical Armani couture dress and a pair of brogues at the event. Other front-row attendees included actresses Kate Winslet, Sophia Loren and Isabelle Huppert.

So, after Sonam Kapoor, it was now the turn of desi girl Priyanka Chopra to ruffle some feathers at the ongoing Paris Fashion Week 2017. And she did not do that by walking the ramp; at least not yet. For the time being, the Quantico actress just showed up, looking her usual fabulous self, and made headlines.Priyanka Chopra was very much at the Paris Fashion week, meeting the celebrated Italian designer of the hot dress she wore to the event, Giorgio Armani. The two were caught by shutterbugs greeting each other rather warmly, before Priyanka Chopra went ahead and socialised with some other biggies of the industry, including Titanic actress Kate Winslet.Some of the others Priyanka was spotted with included actresses Naomi Watts, Tang Wei and Isabelle Huppert. Priyanka's fan-girl moment, however, came when she met legendary Italian actress Sophia Loren.

Ankur Vyas

26 Apr 2017,Wednesday

3 killed as jetty collapses due to high tide in West Bengal

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/west-bengal-jetty-wreckage-hooghly-mamata-banerjee/1/938676.html

At least three people were killed and several injured after a jetty collapsed due to high tide in West Bengal's Hooghly district on Wednesday. Reports claimed that several people survived by swimming towards the river's bank, while at least 30 others were missing. CM Mamata Banerjee announced a compensation of ?2 lakh each to the families of the deceased.

Three people were killed and several injured after a jetty wrecked in Hooghly district of West Bengal on Wednesday. Sources said that while several people survived by swimming towards the bank of the river, three of them died and many others were injured. Those who could not swim lost their lives in the high tide. Three dead bodies were recovered and 20 others have been hospitalized.Questions are being raised on why the jetty and boat services were not alerted about the high tide during certain hours of the day.West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakhs to each of the deceased's family.Also read:

Daisy Mowke

19 Jul 2017,Wednesday

Disney criticised for casting non-Arab actress as Jasmine

http://www.hindustantimes.com/hollywood/disney-faces-backlash-over-casting-british-indian-naomi-scott-as-jasmine-in-aladdin/story-GyFnNsU4T8di3gqyYbaNWM.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Disney has been criticised for casting Naomi Scott, who is of British-Indian descent, to portray Princess Jasmine in the live-action version of Aladdin. "All these Arab actresses...and they cast half-white, half-Indian Naomi Scott as Jasmine. Indian isn't middle-eastern, Hollywood," tweeted a user. "I don't love the "brown ppl are interchangeable" idea that H'wood believes in," wrote another user.

Disney?s upcoming live-action reboot of the 1992 animated classic Aladdin is facing blowback for casting a non-Arab actor to play Jasmine.After a months-long worldwide search Disney roped in Naomi Scott to play Jasmine in the film.Scott is of British and Indian heritage and some critics of the decision see it as a suggestion by Disney that women of Indian and Middle Eastern heritage look the same, reported Fortune.#Disney good job castin #MenaMassoud as #Aladdin but #NaomiScott as #Jasmine? ?????If u had to cast an Indian why not #PriyankaChopra ????? pic.twitter.com/xw2gSLaf8B? Tiffany Russell (@Tiffy_Russell) July 16, 2017Nothing against #NaomiScott, but someone of Indian "descent" shouldn't replace an Arab actress for an Arab role. But this is not a new issue? Chehak (@Chehak96) July 15, 2017what the actual hell, why did they pick a white girl to play a MIDDLE EASTERN princess?!!! i'm so mad smh #naomiscott #Aladdin? rose (@Rose_1o) July 16, 2017This what #PrincessJasmine is supposed to look like and we got #NaomiScott! Nah! GOODBYE, ARAB REPRESENTATION! #Aladdin #NotMyJasmine pic.twitter.com/HyqnOJpWdA? Queen Of Hearts (@WanabeeOutsider) July 17, 2017Casting an Indian to play an Arab...that too half Indian. Could they not find a single Arab actress to play Jasmine? #naomiscott #Aladdin? ????? (@RishiRughani) July 18, 2017Mena Massoud, who will play the role of Aladdin in the film, is of Egyptian descent.Aladdin, the story of a rough-and-tumble kid from the streets who enlists a genie to win the love of Princess Jasmine, is set in fictional Agrabah, which is largely seen as representing a Middle Eastern city.A critic of the decision said it was one more instance of Hollywood believing that ?brown (people) are interchangeable,? while another said fans are ?upset that their representation was taken away, and rightly so.?Disney did not return Fortune?s request for comment on the story.Follow @htshowbiz for more

Pragya Swastik

15 Mar 2017,Wednesday

ShopClues board backs Co-founders Radhika Aggarwal and Sethi

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/shopclues-board-backs-radhika-sethi/1/904089.html

ShopClues board has backed Co-founders Radhika Aggarwal and Sanjay Sethi in the ongoing battle between the third Co-founder Sandeep Aggarwal against the two. "We're proud of the fantastic progress made by the ShopClues team under Radhika and Sanjay's leadership," said a ShopClues board statement. "It's disappointing to see an ex-founder engaged in personal vendetta on a public forum," it added.

New Delhi, Mar 14 (PTI) ShopClues board today come out in support of co-founders Radhika Aggarwal and Sanjay Sethi, saying the e-commerce marketplace has made "fantastic progress" under them. The statement comes days after another co-founder Sandeep Aggarwal charged the duo of downplaying his role in creation of the online marketplace. "We are proud of the fantastic progress made by the ShopClues team under Radhika and Sanjays leadership. It is very disappointing to see an ex-founder, who disassociated from the company for his (alleged) criminal wrongdoings, is now engaged in a personal vendetta on a public forum," said a statement issued on behalf of ShopClues board. On Sunday, Sandeep made several allegations against his estranged wife Radhika in a series of Facebook posts. Radhika, who is currently the chief business officer at ShopClues, said she is shocked by the unfounded and baseless allegations. ShopClues board said the companys goal is to create value for all stakeholders. "We remain focused on working closely with Radhika and Sanjay and the management team to continue to scale the company as it captures the massive opportunity which lies ahead of us," it added.

Ankush Verma

16 Jul 2017,Sunday

Pakistan asks Facebook to link accounts to mobile numbers

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/facebook-declines-pakistan-s-request-over-mobile-phone-number-link-up/story-mQiqUguQyfhXpaUAoyBhYL.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Pakistan has asked social media giant Facebook to link opening of accounts on the social network with mobile numbers in an attempt to overcome the issue of fake accounts. Pakistan's Ministry of Information Technology said that fake accounts were often used to spread hate material on the platform. Notably, Facebook has over 3 crore users in the country.

Facebook has declined Pakistan government?s request to link all accounts with the users? mobile phone numbers, a media report said on Sunday?Pakistan had suggested that Facebook accounts be linked with users; mobile phone numbers. However, the management of Facebook believed it was more feasible to sync accounts with email addresses,? a senior official from the Ministry of Information Technology (MoIT) said Saturday.The official explained that the purpose of the request, turned down by Facebook, was to help the government deal with fake accounts, which were often used to spread hate material in cyberspace, the Dawn reported.He explained that the concept was the same that was employed by other messaging applications, such as WhatsApp.?A WhatsApp account only becomes operational when a user enters a four digit code to verify the authenticity of the phone number entered by the user,? the official said.On Wednesday, MoIT Secretary Rizwan Bashir had told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology that the government had suggested that Facebook sync users? accounts with mobile phone numbers.However, according to the MoIT official, Facebook maintained that the policy for creating new accounts would remain unchanged.The social media networking site termed Pakistan?s request to link all accounts to individual phone numbers as ?improbable?, the daily said.But the social media giant did respond positively to Pakistan?s request to block blasphemous content and other hate material posted by users.?Facebook assured us they would look into the government?s concerns on a priority basis after assessing the situation,? the official said.?Facebook has declined Pakistan?s request to link opening of Facebook new account to users cellphone number,? Facebook spokesperson Christine Chen said. ?We can confirm that Pakistani officials requested that we link the opening of a new Facebook account with [an] Internet user?s mobile phone number to address the problem of fake accounts. We declined that request,? Chen said.The spokesperson said that Facebook was concerned about government cases against some Facebook users in Pakistan that were currently in court.Last week, vice president of Facebook Joel Kaplan had met interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to discuss ways to remove hateful, provocative and blasphemous content from the social media website.This was the first time that a senior member of Facebook management dealing with global public policy had visited Pakistan to discuss measures for addressing the issue of misuse of social media platforms especially Facebook which has over 33 million users in the country at the moment.

Daisy Mowke

01 Mar 2017,Wednesday

Anita Dongre meets Duchess of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/anita-dongre-duchess-of-cambridge-kate-middleton-buckingham-palace-lifest/1/893184.html

Fashion designer Anita Dongre met the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton at the Buckingham Palace during the reception dinner marking UK-India Year Of Culture. Kate was seen wearing a white ensemble with a pair of diamond earrings from Dongre's Pinkcity line. "We chatted about our mutual love for Rajasthan," wrote Dongre while sharing a photo on Instagram.

Indian designer Anita Dongre met the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, who had famously flaunted one of her creations during her India trip last year, at the Buckingham Palace.They met at the reception dinner marking UK-India Year Of Culture. The designer attended the event on Monday and said that it was lovely meeting Middleton, who wore a jewellery piece from Dongre's Pinkcity line for the gala."Was lovely meeting the Duchess of Cambridge last evening. We chatted about our love for Rajasthan and she chose to wear Pinkcity earrings," Dongre said on social media.Was so lovely meeting The Duchess of Cambridge this evening. We chatted about our mutual love for Rajasthan and she chose to wear a pair of @anitadongrepinkcity earrings crafted by @jet_gems. #katemiddleton #duchessofcambridge #anitadongre #pinkcity #jewelry #jadau #handcrafted #handcraftedjewelry #diamond #pearl

Mansha Mahajan

20 Feb 2017,Monday

Bank of England assures Hindu group on 'non-veg' notes issue

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/boe-assures-hindu-group-on-concerns-over-non-veg-notes/1/886635.html

The Hindu Council UK has said the Bank of England has assured them that concerns over use of animal fat in new £5 notes were being treated with "utmost seriousness". Further, the bank also assured that new £20 notes would be launched only after consultation. The council raised concerns over use of tallow made from beef fat in the notes.

From Aditi Khanna London, Feb 19 (PTI) One of the UKs leading umbrella group for Hindus has said the Bank of England has assured them that concerns over the use of animal fat in the new five-pound notes were being treated with "utmost seriousness" and the new 20 pound notes would be launched only after consultations. Hindu Council UK held a number of meetings with the central banks representatives to explain that as Hindus see the cow as a symbol of grace and veneration, the use of tallow made from beef fat in the notes went against their beliefs. "Over the last couple of months, the Hindu Council UK has been in communication with the Bank of England (BoE) and raised the concerns of the Hindu Community, Hindu Temples and Hindu Organisations in the UK. "The Bank of England assured that they were treating those concerns with the utmost seriousness and wanted to understand better what impact the use of small traces of animal-derived products in polymer banknotes may have within the community before making any further statement on the issue," Hindu Council UK said in a statement this week. The BoE had announced recently that it would not be withdrawing the polymer notes and that new 10-pound notes made of the same material would also go ahead for their launch later this year. However, it would launch a consultation before issuing similar new 20-pound notes.

Sumedha Sehra

02 Aug 2017,Wednesday

76% Bihar cabinet ministers face criminal charges

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/new-cabinet-76-bihar-ministers-face-criminal-cases-72-are-crorepatis/story-mN4LhQrYzlPp0sYBQ8mK2M.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

As many as 22 of 29, or 76% of ministers in the new Bihar cabinet face criminal charges against them, higher than the 19 ministers (69%) in the previous Grand Alliance government. Further, 21 ministers (72%) are crorepatis, a little less than 22 (79%) in the previous government. Also, a minister in the new cabinet earns an average ?2.46 crore.

Twentytwo of the 29 ministers in the newly-appointed Nitish Kumar cabinet in Bihar face criminal cases against them.A report by election watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), based on affidavits filed by candidates to the Election Commission of India (ECI), said 76% ministers face criminal cases. This is three more than the previous ?mahagathbandhan? (Grand Alliance) government of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Janata Dal (United) and the Congress, in which 19 of the 29 ministers (69%) were tainted.Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had on July 26 distanced himself with the Grand Alliance, citing allegations of corruption against deputy chief minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. The same evening he took the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to stay at the helm in the state. The new ministers were sworn in on July 29.Of the 22 tainted ministers in the new cabinet, nine mentioned in their affidavits facing serious criminal cases against them. Two of Kumar?s party ministers even face attempt to murder charges under section 307 of the IPC against them. Many other ministers face cases of dacoity, theft, fraud and atrocities against them.Interestingly, the average income of a minister in the new cabinet is Rs 2.46 crore, even as the percentage of crorepati ministers dropped marginally this time as compared to Kumar?s previous government. While 79% ministers ? 22 ? were crorepatis in the GA government, 21 (72%) are crorepatis in the JD(U)-led NDA government.Labour resources minister and BJP MLA from Lakhisarai, Vijay Kumar Sinha, has properties worth Rs 15.50 crore, while urban development department minister and BJP MLA from Muzaffarpur Suresh Kumar has properties worth Rs 11 crore. Water resources and planning minister and JD(U) legislator from Munger, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, has properties worth Rs 5 crore.

Saloni Tandon

29 Mar 2017,Wednesday

BCCI treasurer objected to cash award for team: BCCI Panel

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bcci-cash-award-virat-kohli-india-vs-australia-test-cricket/1/915238.html

BCCI's Committee of Administrators has said the Board's treasurer had objected to the cash awards announced for the team after their win over Australia, saying such announcements could only be made at general body meetings. "India have won today. What is the point of announcing the award three weeks later. It will look strange if we did so," CoA said.

Soon after India had beaten Australia in a gruelling contest, an announcement was made that the players would be given a cash incentive of Rs 50 lakh each, Rs 25 lakh to coach Anil Kumble and Rs 15 lakh each to the support staff.This was a move initiated by the Committee of Administrators (CoA) and the CEO. Once this was communicated to the BCCI office bearers Anirudh Chaudhary the treasurer is said to have opposed to the idea saying such awards can only be announced at general body meetings. (Kohli says friendship with Australian cricketers over)Members of the CoA speaking to India Today confirmed the statement saying, "forever it has been the president who has made such announcements. Now it is the CoA. Why the treasurer was objecting we don't know." (Bengaluru Test win was the defining moment this home season: Kohli)They also said, "India have won today. What is the point of announcing the award three weeks later. It will look strange if we did so."ALSO WATCH

Vaibhav Gupta

18 Dec 2016,Sunday

India among most generous towards refugees: UN

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/india-among-most-generous-towards-refugees-unhcr/1/836177.html

India is among the most generous nations towards refugees, ensuring their safety and employment in the best of her capacity, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said. Adding that India provides them long-term visas instead of refugee cards, a UNHCR official said India has been tolerant with people of different backgrounds, unlike many other nations.

New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI) India is one of the most generous countries for refugees, ensuring safety and employment to the displaced people in the best of her capacity, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said today. Yasuko Shimizu, the chief of mission for UNHCR in India and the Maldives, who was awarded the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development 2015, said that the country has helped refugees by providing work permits and issuing long term visas. "India is one of the most generous countries for refugees. The country has given opportunities for such people to go for jobs by providing work permits. Although we give refugee cards to displaced people but the government here issues long term visas for them which is very helpful," Shimizu said. She said that the UNHCR has taken several initiatives in collaboration with governments and local bodies on ground, to address issues concerning proper education for children belonging to such communities. "Education is one of the most important issues for refugee families. We should have assistance for refugee children so that they can easily access education at local schools," she said. Shimizu, who has served in various capacities at the UNHCR headquarters in Geneva and for many field operations in Afghanistan, Russia and Uganda, took up her current post in June 2016. According to UNHCR Global Trends report, 65.3 million people (1 out of 113), were displaced from their homes due to conflict and persecution in 2015. "Refugees are a result of political consequences in any country. We have been raising issues at the UN that humanitarian assistance cannot replace political concerns. "India has been tolerant with people of different backgrounds, ethnicity and cultures which is not the case with many other countries," she said.

Tanya Dhingra

17 Jul 2017,Monday

People don?t see passports on buying film ticket: Pak actor

http://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/people-of-both-nations-love-art-for-what-it-is-mom-s-pak-actor-adnan-siddiqui/story-8LeRQdUmaB6MhirtyuiiNL.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Pakistani actor Adnan Siddiqui has said people of India and Pakistan love and respect art for what it is, while adding, "They don't see passports when they purchase a ticket, they see a film." He also said that he believes both nations can find peace in art because they share history, values and customs. Adnan played Sridevi's husband in 'Mom'.

One of Pakistan?s most prominent actors, Adnan Siddiqui who played Sridevi?s husband in Mom, says that people in his country loved the film and are ecstatic about the collaboration between two nations.He also spoke about the rapidly deteriorating relations between India and Pakistan and why artistes from both the countries need to rise above the politics.Excerpts from the interview:Mom opened to very encouraging review for you and Sajal Aly in India. How has it been received in Pakistan?A good product is well-received everywhere. People here in Pakistan have loved the film and are ecstatic about the collaboration between the two nations.Tragically, you and Sajal Ali could not be a part of the film?s promotion and release... Tell me your honest and deepest thoughts on not being able to be in Mumbai for the opening of your film?Obviously, it is a sad feeling when you are not able to promote a project you have spent tiring days and nights working on. But then you are relieved that the promotion lies in more than capable hands, for the likes of Sridevi and Nawaazuddin Siddiqui and Akshaye Khanna.Before you, Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan could not be in India for the release of their big films. How do you look at this situation where artistes from Pakistan are being left out of their moment of glory? Is there a growing sense of resentment among Pakistani artistes for this state of isolation?I wouldn?t go as far as saying there?s resentment to this situation. But I would agree it is hurting the relations between artists of both the countries. The politics may steer a situation in any direction but the people of both countries love and respect art for what it is. They don?t see passports when they purchase a ticket, they see a film.Political relations between the two countries have deteriorated to such an extent that cultural ties are also threatened now. What do you feel about the impasse between the two countries and how it can be resolved?No matter how hard people try, our cultural ties will come out strong. We share more than just the colour of our skins, we share history, we share values, we share customs and it is just a matter of time we will start sharing our artists, directors, writers, technicians on a large scale too. I honestly believe we can find peace in art.In fact, you have produced a TV series on Hindus in Pakistan and have constantly championed India-Pakistan peace. Is that hard to do when hostility seems fashionable?No, it isn?t. As I said, people of the both countries are smart enough not get themselves into politically incorrect situations. My production of Seeta Bagri was extremely well perceived and people in Pakistan supported its message of tolerance and brotherhood.How did you decide to work in Mom? And was it difficult to shoot for the film with growing political hostilities between the two countries?Once I got the offer, I couldn?t resist myself from saying yes since, I knew, I would be playing a role against Sridevi and I was also aware that Sajal Aly from Pakistan, who is a beautiful actor, is part of the cast. The political hostility as you say did create hurdles for the film. However, it was Boney Kapoor Saab who became the leader and crisis-breaker, sorted out the production issues and took us all home for a win.Adnan Siddiqui is known for his roles on TV.You are a known face and name in India, thanks to your wonderful television serials which have amply demonstrated your range. Tell us about your experience of becoming a television star before capturing cinema?My journey in the media industry started with my modeling career and it took off with a casual role in a drama serial. People were extremely kind in accepting me as an actor when I knew nothing and since then, I am trying to prove to them, my fans, that they were right about me.Does the film industry in your country offer you enough opportunities as an actor?The New Cinema, as I like to call it, is a growing baby. There are a lot of players with growing ambitions, hence, it is creating opportunities all across the board which is a beautiful sight. However, since it is an evolving industry, we will need time to eradicate the mistakes and enhance the strengths.Follow @htshowbiz for more

Sonu Kumari

27 Jul 2017,Thursday

Mumbai metro to launch India's 1st mobile ticketing system

http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/no-need-to-stand-in-queues-you-can-book-mumbai-metro-tickets-on-your-smartphone-from-next-month/story-7RTCnHzADdP0Rpk9yYsr6M.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Mumbai Metro One on Wednesday announced plans to launch India's first mobile ticketing system by mid-August for easy commute. Commuters will reportedly be able to buy tickets using the Mumbai Metro app, which will generate a QR code that can be used to get access through automated fare collection gates. However, tickets will continue to be sold over the counter.

From next month, you will no longer need to carry your smartcard or stand in long queues to buy a ticket to ride the city?s Metro. To ensure a hassle-free and faster commute for Mumbaiites, the Reliance Infrastructure-promoted Mumbai Metro One plans to introduce mobile ticketing. This means commuters will be able to buy tickets or monthly passes using the Mumbai Metro app. Once they pay using their mobile wallets or e-wallet, a QR code will be generated, said officials. A commuter needs to place his mobile screen close to the gate?s sensor , which will scan the code and enable him to access the platform.Officials said this would be the first mobile-based ticketing system to be implemented on India?s Metros.?Commuters will no longer need to go to a ticket counter or to customer care to get a ticket or a pass. All you need now is a smartphone,? said a senior official. Commuters can generate a QR code for journeys planned even a week later.Officials, however, said they do not plan to stop the sale of single and return journey tokens, 45-trip monthly passes and store value passes over the counter. ?Most popular Metros in the world such as the London underground and the New York and Singapore subways use mobility cards,? a senior official said. The Delhi and Kolkata metros plan to introduce mobile-ticketing systems soon.Officials said 1.60 lakh commuters buy tokens at counters at Metro stations daily. Around 15,000 smartcards are bought daily. ?The benefits of this new system are enormous. No longer will 1.60 lakh commuters have to wait in queue,? the official said.

Arshiya Chopra

29 Jul 2017,Saturday

Remains on Mont Blanc may belong to Air India crash victims

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/human-remains-found-on-mont-blanc-may-belong-to-air-india-victims/story-lxC1EA1SYcajcxFvYXJ5WL.html?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

Body parts have been found on Mont Blanc in the French Alps that might belong to passengers killed in one of the two Air India plane crashes over 50 years ago. Daniel Roche, who spent years combing glaciers looking for remains, found a hand and part of a leg. Roche also found one jet engine of 1966 Air India flight.

Body parts that could belong to passengers killed in one or other of two Air India plane crashes more than 50 years ago have been found on Mont Blanc in the French Alps, sources said Friday.Daniel Roche, who is fascinated by air plane accidents and has spent years combing the Bossons Glacier looking for remains, made the discovery on Thursday.?I had never found any significant human remains before,? he told AFP. This time however he had found a hand and the upper part of a leg.In January 1966, an Air India Boeing 707 from Bombay to New York crashed near Mont Blanc?s summit, killing all 117 people on board.The Hindustan?Times front page on January 24, 1966. (HT Photo) Another Air India flight crashed on the mountain in 1950, killing 48 people.This handout picture shows an aircraft debris, which could be from one of two Air India crashes. (AFP Photo) Roche said the remains he had found could be of a female passenger from the 1966 Boeing 707 flight, as he also discovered one of the plane?s four jet engines.Roche contacted local emergency services in the Chamonix valley who took the remains down the mountain by helicopter and they were due to be examined by experts.?These remains are probably not from the same person,? said Stephane Bozon of the local gendarmerie.?They are probably from passengers, but between the two aircrafts, it?s difficult to say?.This handout picture shows a piece of a leg, which could belong to a victim of one of two Air India crashes which occurred in 1950 and 1966, on the Mont Blanc massif, French Alps. (AFP) Just 10 days ago, two bodies were found lying near each other, preserved in a receding glacier in the Diablerets massif in the Swiss Alps.A DNA search identified the couple as Marcelin Dumoulin, a 40-year-old shoemaker at the time, and his wife Francine, a schoolteacher aged 37, who had disappeared in the Alps 75 years before.

Tarun Khanna

15 May 2017,Monday

Railways to put up CCTVs at 983 stations using Nirbhaya fund

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/over-900-railway-stations-to-have-cctv-cameras/1/954013.html

The Indian Railways will install about 19,000 CCTVs at 983 stations at a cost of ?500 crore using Nirbhaya fund. At present, out of about 8,000 stations, 344 have already been provided with CCTVs. Besides stations, important trains will also be equipped with CCTVs. The Centre had created Nirbhaya fund with ?1,000 crore in 2013 after December 16 gang-rape incident.n

New Delhi, May 15 (PTI) Indian Railways will install CCTV surveillance system at more than 900 stations under the Nirbhaya Fund at an approved cost of Rs 500 crore to strengthen security at rail premises. Tenders will be floated shortly to install about 19,000 high definition CCTV cameras at 983 stations across the country to ensure round-the-clock security to passengers including women. The Centre had created Nirbhaya Fund with a Rs 1000 crore corpus in its 2013 Union Budget to support initiatives by the government and NGOs working towards protecting the dignity and ensuring safety of women in the country. The project envisages installation of cameras at platforms and waiting areas while there will be control rooms at stations to monitor CCTV footages by trained RPF personnel constantly. The station master will also be given access to monitor CCTV camera footage as part of the project being undertaken by the public transporter, said a senior Railway Ministry official. Railways have about 8,000 stations out of which currently 344 stations have already been provided with CCTV cameras. "It is helping us in a great way. The signboard reading You are under watch has a preventive effect on criminal minds," the official said. Besides keeping a constant watch, the CCTV surveillance system helps in post-incident crime investigation. Railways aims to cover all stations with the CCTV system phase-wise.

Ankur Vyas

10 Apr 2017,Monday

Tharoor 'categorically' denies reports of him joining BJP

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/shashi-tharoor-joining-bjp/1/924925.html

Congress MP and former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor has categorically denied the rumours of him joining BJP. "For 40+ years I have spoken and written in defence of a pluralist India with equal rights...On this, no compromise," he said. This comes after CPI(M) leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said four Congress leaders, including Tharoor, were planning to join BJP.

Congress MP and former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor denied reports that he was joining the BJP.In a Facebook post, he said: "In view of the number of people asking, let me repeat that my convictions are a matter of record and they do not match those of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)"."For 40+years I have spoken and written in defence of a pluralist India with equal rights for all its citizens and communities," Tharoor, also a former UN diplomat, said."On this, no compromise. Rumours of my joining BJP have been floated periodically with no basis whatsoever. I deny them categorically and without qualification," he said.The Congress MP's clarification comes in the backdrop of a statement by CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan that four Congress leaders, including Tharoor, planned to join the BJP.Balakrishnan had said there are reports that four Congress leaders from Kerala are joining the BJP and that KPCC president M M Hassan had said that one of them was Tharoor.However, Hassan denied having made any such remarks when contacted."When media persons asked me whether the reports about four Congress leaders joining the BJP has come to his notice, I said there is no such thing," Hassan told PTI."There are no fortune seekers in Kerala like S M Krishna and Jaffer Sharif," the KPCC president said.Tharoor campaigned for the Congress-led UDF candidate for the April 12 bypoll in Malappuram, Hassan said.

Ankush Verma

21 Jun 2017,Wednesday

Pakistan to fence whole border with Afghanistan

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/pakistan-afghanistan-border-fencing-durand-line/1/983567.html

The Pakistani Army has said that it will soon begin building a fence along its volatile border with Afghanistan to improve security. Adding that a secure border is in the common interest of both the countries, the Army said that border posts will also be built to enhance defence and surveillance along the frontier. However, Afghan authorities opposed the move.

Despite Afghanistan's strong reservations, Pakistan has started the fencing work along the whole Pakistan-Afghanistan border or Durand Line. According to Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, DG, Inter-Service Public Relations and Pakistan Army spokesperson, the work is part of Operation Radd ul Fasaad, Pakistan Army's countrywide anti-terror operation and has been ordered by Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bahwa.The whole work will be completed in two phases with high infiltration areas like Bajaur, Mohmand and Khyber Agencies are being taken in the first phase. According to his Facebook post, besides building up the fence, the Pakistan Army is also building new posts and forts to further beef up the security measures.His Facebook post read, "Measures to improve security situation along the Pak-Afg border continue. In line with the directions of COAS, phased fencing of entire Pak-Afg border has commenced. In phase 1, high infiltration prone border areas in Bajaur, Mohmand and Khyber Agencies are being fenced. In phase 2 fencing of remaining border areas including Baluchistan will be executed. Besides fencing, Pakistan Army and FC KP are constructing new Forts / Border Posts to improve surveillance and defensibility. A secure Pak-Afg border is in common interest of both countries and a well coordinated border security mechanism is essential for enduring peace and stability."Nothing looks wrong with it. It is, in fact, within a sovereign country's rights to do all to secure its borders. But it is not so. The border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, known as Durand Line, is disputed and Afghanistan has vowed to never recognise it. Durand Line, drawn by Britain in 1893, is 2460 kms long and arbitrarily divides the geographical areas inhabited by Pashtun and Baloch communities. Afghanistan contends that the validity of the British era document that imposed the Durand Line on Afghanistan expired with the collapse of the British empire from the sub-continent in 1947.Earlier this year, when Pakistan had closed its border with Afghanistan citing terrorists' infiltration, Afghanistan's former president Hamid Karzai had hit back using strong words, "The Government of Pakistan had no legal authority to dictate terms on the Durand line." He added that "while we wish freedom for the people of FATA from FCR and other repressive measures, we remind the Government of Pakistan that Afghanistan hasn't and will not recognise the Durand Line." Federally Administered Tribal Areas or FATA is Pakistan's north-western province that borders with Afghanistan. FATA was seen as a region beyond Pakistan's control which regulates it now through repressive special laws known as the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) and has announced to merge it with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.The Govt of Pakistan has no legal authority to dictate terms on the Durand line.while we wish freedom for the people of #FATA from FCR..1/22/2 and other repressive measures, we remind the Govt of #Pakistan that #Afghanistan hasn't and will not recognize the #Durand line.Also read:Trump seen hardening line against Pakistan after Afghan war review Send troops to Pakistan: Chinese internet users vent anger over killings

Prashanti Moktan

21 Jul 2017,Friday

China bans Bieber from performing over bad behaviour

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/21/justin-bieber-banned-from-china-bad-behaviour-purify-discontent?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle

The Chinese government has banned singer Justin Bieber from performing in the country as he has "engaged in a series of bad behaviours, both in his social life and during a previous performance in China". Bieber will perform in Asia later this year, with concerts scheduled in countries like Indonesia, Japan and Singapore, as part of his Purpose World Tour.

?I just need one more shot, second chances,? Justin Bieber sings on his latest album. Not least, it seems, with Chinese authorities who have announced the Canadian pop idol will not be allowed to perform in the People?s Republic because of his on and offstage antics. Bieber will jet into Asia later this year as part of his Purpose World Tour with shows scheduled in Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Hong Kong. But Beliebers in mainland China look set to be disappointed. In a statement posted on its website this week, Beijing?s culture bureau explained that unspecified misdemeanours meant the artist, who has had repeated run-ins with the law - including for drunken drag racing in a yellow Lamborghini - was unsuitable for Chinese ears.?Justin Bieber is a gifted singer, but he is also a controversial young foreign singer,? said the bureau, which was answering a fan?s demand for a ?detailed explanation? about the former teen star?s absence from Chinese stages. ?As far as we are concerned, he has engaged in a series of bad behaviours, both in his social life and during a previous performance in China, which caused discontent among the public.?The bureau did not detail the exact behaviour that had landed Bieber in its bad books, saying only that in order to ?purify? China?s performing arts it had decided the singer?s exclusion was appropriate. The singer performed in China as part of his Believe tour, in 2013, raising eyebrows when he was pictured being carried up the Great Wall of China by his bodyguards. Bieber joins an illustrious list of foreign artists who have found themselves shut out of China?s potentially vast music industry, although most have been targeted for political, not behavioural reasons. In 2015 Los Angeles band Maroon 5 were forced to scrap shows in mainland China after the group?s keyboard player sent birthday wishes to the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. In 2009 Oasis were barred after guitarist Noel Gallagher performed at a Free Tibet concert in New York.His brother Liam now appears to have been forgiven and is scheduled to play solo shows in Beijing and Shenzhen next month. Beijing?s culture bureau made it clear it was not saying never to the Canadian artist: ?We hope Justin Bieber is able to improve his conduct as he grows up and will once again find public favour.? Additional reporting by Wang Zhen

Mansha Mahajan

28 Jun 2017,Wednesday

Nestle, Reliance milk products contaminated, claims Minister

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/tamil-nadu-milk-adulteration-private-firms-dairy-minister-rajendra-balaji/1/988722.html

Tamil Nadu Milk and Dairy Products Development Minister Rajenthra Bhalaji has alleged that products of private milk producers are adulterated. In a press briefing, Bhalaji held milk products by Nestle and Reliance, affirming that he had laboratory results which show that these are contaminated. He further alleged that there are contents of caustic soda and bleaching powder in the products.

Tamil Nadu Milk and Dairy Products Developments Minister Rajendra Balaji once again stirred a controversy by alleging that the products of private milk producers are adulterated. In a press briefing at his home today, Rajendra Balaji held two packets of milk products - one by Nestle and the other, a product of Reliance and affirmed that he had laboratory results which shows they are contaminated.The dairy minister alleged there are contents of caustic soda and bleaching powder in the milk products. Balaji was not worried about the health secretary's earlier report to the court claiming that no such adulterants were discovered. He stated that he has with him laboratory results, which prove his claim. "The samples were tested in Pune to see if the firms were following the Centre's food regulation norms," Balaji said.The minister also stated that he came under pressure when he took his stance and he had to fight many hurdles. A verbal spat ensued between Balaji and former education minister Vaigai Selvan over the ordeal wherein the dairy minister Selvan "someone who will speak anything if you give him a mere Rs 500 rupees". Selvan retaliated by stating that it was AIADMK which pushed Balaji from rags to riches and hence, he should not apeak against a party member in such a manner.

Mansha Mahajan

13 May 2017,Saturday

Amul is a bigger brand than Hindustan Unilever, says MD

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/amul-a-bigger-brand-than-hul-sodhi/1/953039.html

Amul is a bigger brand than rival Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation's Managing Director RS Sodhi said on Saturday. The sales turnover of Amul is over ?38,000 crore, including GCMMF's revenue of ?27,000 crore, Sodhi stated. Amul, owned by GCMMF, is sold by 18,000 village cooperative societies outside the formal distribution channel in Gujarat, he added.