Timeline Refresh
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"...We have that ugly ceremony at Wagah, almost vulgar, I don't know why we are continuing it but we are," said the senior BJP leader, who also held the portfolio of finance in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
The ceremony, which marks closing of the Wagah border in Amritsar every evening, is a daily military practice that the security forces of the two countries -- Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers -- have jointly followed since 1959.
The letter is addressed to the head of each family and details development work done by the Modi government in the last nine months, sources said.
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The disgraced 65-year-old economist finds himself back in the dock -- this time in the northern French city of Lille -- accused of being at the centre of a vice ring which hired prostitutes for sex parties in Brussels, Paris and Washington.
The silver-haired Strauss-Kahn, dressed in a dark suit, slipped past a throng of journalists to arrive in the empty wood-panelled courtroom, where he paced up and down with his hands in his pockets in front of the imposing stone bench.
Strauss-Kahn -- once one of the most powerful men in the world -- will take the stand alongside a colourful cast of characters including luxury hotel managers, police, freemasons and a brothel owner nicknamed "Dodo the Pimp."
Q1. Within India you hav a convicted Naxal supporter and people charged with related offences are being given tickets.What's your association with such forces?
Q2. During 49-day rule subsidies were given to discoms from funds for SC/STs welfare. You are not supposed to divert funds, why did you do it?
Q3. You once said you will arrest journalists and put them behind the bars. Is this the kind of politics you want? Is this responsible, or what?
Q4. An ad you say hurts communitys sentiments, then why did you in the name of VAT violations have 151 raids against a community that owns shops?
Q5. AAP candidate Irfan Ullah Khan from Okhla is an associate of a person accused in the 2008 Ahmedabad and Delhi blasts. Are you ready for anti-national activities?
"If Virat Kohli scores a century and then blows a flying kiss towards his girlfriend, I have no problems. Rather I have problem if a player scores zero and is blowing a flying kiss. We played cricket in a different era and now its a different era. We have to accept that,' Kapil said at a 'Cricket Conclave' organized by News24.
"We can't just sit back and think that cricket is no longer a gentleman's game. Times have changed. The generation I played was different. We grew up with Test cricket. But now you have sledging, abuses and T20 is an accepted format," he said.
Kapil also took a sarcastic dig at India's team huddle which he described as "hug'.
"Well I have never understood this team hug inside the ground at start of the match. What were you guys doing in dressing room. Only eating eggs!"
Police have initiated an inquiry into a complaint against filmmaker Karan Johar, actor Arjun Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, which alleged that the trio had used "filthy and abusive language" on a TV show.
According to the written complaint by Akhilesh Tiwari, President of Brahman Ekta Seva Sanstha in Mumbai, filed at Sakinaka police station today, the trio, along with other performers allegedly passed abusive and offensive remarks against one another and even at the audience during an episode of the AIB Knockout, a comedy show, police said.
The episode, which was uploaded on YouTube and other websites last week, has gone viral. In his four-page complaint at Sakinaka police station, Tiwari sought a criminal complaint against Johar, Kapoor and Singh as well as the show organiser, among others.
"I have handed over a letter to Sakinaka police demanding a criminal complaint be lodged against these so-called youth icons Karan Johar, Arjun Kapoor and Ranveer Singh. The show, which can be seen on YouTube and other websites, was extremely abusive and it is not only ruining the clean image of the Indian culture & women, but is also misleading today's youth," said Tiwari.
The 43-year-old complainant claimed that the programme was organised in south Mumbai on December 20 and was uploaded on websites last week.
"I sought action against the event organisers and other performers as well, who passed dirty comments with such audacity. The police action would be a deterrent to them so that they would not dare to do such acts publicly in future," he said. Prasanna More, Senior Inspector at Sakinaka police station, told PTI "we have received the written complaint. We are inquiring into the matter. Once we reach a conclusion, appropriate action would be initiated, if required."
The show started off with Karan Johar announcing, "Let the filth begin." Other performers had cracked jokes at audience that included actors Deepika Padukone, Sonakshi Sinha and Alia Bhatt, the complaint said.
Read these reports:When did Bollywood develop a sense of humour
and this one: 10 Stars who need a Roast
The men were convicted in the killings of 16 policemen in the town of Kardas.
The attack took place after Egyptian military forces cracked down on protests over the ousting of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in July.
Hundreds of death sentences have been passed on Morsi's supporters since but none have been carried out.
Greste, an award-winning correspondent for Al-Jazeera English television, flew to Cyprus with brother Michael after his release from Cairo's Tora prison yesterday, Egyptian officials told AFP. Greste was detained with colleagues Canadian-Egyptian Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed in December 2013 for allegedly aiding the blacklisted Brotherhood.
Their arrest sparked worldwide condemnation, with Washington and the United Nations leading calls for their release.
Fahmy's relatives expect him to also be deported under a decree passed by Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi that allows for the transfer of foreigners on trial.
His fiancee, Marwa Omara, told AFP in Cairo: "We are expecting Mohamed to be released in the coming days." Canada said Greste's release was "positive" and that it remained "very hopeful" that Fahmy would also be freed soon.
Analysts say the murders mark a "wake-up call" for Japan -- an officially pacifist country that has long avoided involvement in Middle East conflicts -- and that its response to the crisis, at times flat-footed, reveals the weakness of its diplomatic resources in the region.
"The government lacked information and that made it difficult for them to handle the situation," said Takashi Kawakami, a security expert and professor at Takushoku University. "It's a wake-up call. After this experience, they have to boost intelligence operations at home and overseas."
The Queen actress, who according to apparent witnesses had been reading an Ikea catalogue and eating Pringles, was praised on Twitter for the "impeccable" manner in which she carried her bag on her lap.
Mirren, who was on a downtown R train last Thursday, was also praised for not taking up too much space. Read
"When I made the remarks, it was as if the country was hit by a quake. The media said you have sparked an uproar with your remarks on four children. I said I have only advocated four children for Hindus not 40.... And it is important because the country needs it,' the saffron clad leader said at a function organised by Vishwa Hindu Parishad, which felicitated Hindus who have more than four children. Read
On Saturday, some 1.30 lakh devotees from various parts of Karnataka gathered in Tenali's Tenali-Burripalem road to chant the Hanuman Chalisa, creating the world record for the largest such gathering.
Organised by the Mysore seer Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swami, the event saw the presence of Tamil Nadu governor K Rosaiah, representatives from the Guinness Book of World Records, and the Tenali MLA Alapati Rajendra Singh.
Schools had declared a holiday for the event, the venue sported a massive idol of Lord Hanuman, and the district administration had made elaborate security arrangements.
The event began at 9 am with a 'parayanam' session by the seer, and ended four hours later, when the Guinness representatives handed over the certificate verifying the event to the Mysore seer.
It could be a scene from a print by 19th century Japanese artist Hokusai, but behind the evocative image is a modern story. Read
This comes after a church was allegedly vandalised by unidentified persons today in South Delhi's Vasant Kunj area, the fifth such incident since November.
Police said the incident at St Alphonsa's Church took place around 1 am and a case of theft has been registered.
They said a number of sacred items were damaged by the unidentified persons.
"We are investigating the incident and scanning the footage of CCTV installed near the church to identify the accused," said a senior police official. "We are probing all angles in the case," said the official.
The church's priest Father Vincent Salvatore claimed it was not a case of robbery. "It is a clear case of desecration of the church. It has been happening for the last many months. It happened in St Sebastian's Church in Dilshad Garden, then in Vikaspuri and in Jasola. This is the fifth church," he said.
"We have highlighted to EC about the unfortunate incident of use of caste in the election process (by AAP) which is in violation to the code of conduct," Union Minister Piyush Goyal told reporters after meeting the EC officials in Delhi.
"An advertisement by the BJP which alluded to the anarchist attitude, mindset and behaviour of the AAP has sought to be twisted into religious and castiest overtones, which is deplorable and blown out of context.
"We have appealed to the EC to take action against this kind of deplorable behaviour," he said.
Earlier in the day, Arvind Kejriwal had accused the BJP of attacking his community in its advertisement, which targetted the AAP chief for allegedly threatening to disrupt the Republic Day celebrations last year while complaining over not getting an invite this year.
Delhi BJP President Satish Upadhyay alleged that controversy being created over the advertisement was a conspiracy of the AAP.
"They are trying to twist a political statement and give a casteist and religious tone to the otherwise smooth electoral process," he said.
Stung by the reportage, the Khurshids had filed civil and criminal defamation suits against the group across the country, but now comes the news that the two sides have settled the matter, with India Today stating that there was no intention to question the personal integrity of the Khurshids.
For his part, the former external affairs minister said he regrets and withdraws the harsh words used against Aroon Puri, the founder and editor-in-chief of India Today.
Following the settlement, the Khurshids have also agreed to withdraw forthwith all the civil and criminal suits initiated by them against the publishing group.
As they said, all's well that ends well!
"I have full confidence on the future of China and India relations and I believe that good progress will be achieved in the growth of bilateral relations this year,' Xi told Swaraj who called on him at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Read more
Swaraj is on a three-day official trip to China. The external affairs minister, who is on her first visit to China, after assuming charge, said the PM would undertake the visit before the Modi government completed one year in office.
Swaraj said Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping were leaders with strong "will power" and both could think out of the box and could find a solution to the border dispute during Prime Minister Modi's "outcome-driven visit", she said.
Both sides agreed that the resolution of the border dispute should not be left to future generations.
Xi's visit to India in September last year was overshadowed by the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in the Chumar region in Ladakh which was finally resolved with the simultaneous withdrawal of troops after hectic rounds of talks.
Swaraj also announced that an alternate route for the Kailash Mansarovar yatra, through the Nathula pass in Sikkim, will be opened in June.
Click on the picture for a larger image.
Click on the picture for a larger image.
Tandon, a state executive member and Kiran Bedi's campaign in-charge, quit the party five days ahead of the polls, today.
In a letter to the BJP party president, Amit Shah, Tandon wrote, "I could not tolerate the way she gave dictation to us (BJP workers). Her (Kiran Bedi) aides used to insult me on every issue."
The BJP minister said in his resignation that he cannot bear the 'constant dictation by Bedi'. He said he quit because of Bedi's dictatorial attitude.
have a domino effect on other Congress party workers seething at the state of affairs of the 130-year-old party.
Speculation is rife that two Congress leaders -- one from Vidhharba and another from Karnataka -- will raise the banner of revolt against Rahul Gandhi.
The buzz with the Congress HQ is that Jayanthi Natarajan did two manage to bell the cat.
To counter the Aam Aadmi Party's 70-point manifesto for Delhi, the BJP's vision document 2050 will feature a road map for the development of the city in line with Prime Minister's vision to turn India into a developed country 'where all strata of the society will benefit from the fruits of pro-development policies of the government at the Centre'.
The document will be released by party chief Amit Shah.
The discussions will take place with both his immediate boss, EAM Sushma Swaraj and then with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Jaishankar is planning to move one IFS officer in Commerce, Industry Agriculture, Petroleum and Railway ministry. Why railway? That's because the bullet train is one of the key to-dos for the Modi government and needs a push from across departments.
Energy security is also priority for Jaishankar and so one IFS officer will also be posted in the Finance and Petroleum ministries.
Jaishankar is all gung-ho about this new appointment and needs the approval of the Prime Minister.
To the right, is MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin taking a picture of the meeting. Always quick with those tweets.
Click on the image for a larger picture.
The army aviation chopper was on a routine sortie when it crashed nose down from a height of about 10-12 feet on the ground at 9.30 am, Defence PRO in Shillong, Amit Mahajan said.
Defence PRO in Kohima Lt Col Emron Musavi said that there were two pilots and an army official in the helicopter but none was injured in the crash. Mahajan said the helicopter was damaged in the crash.
The slogan outlines the prospects of winnability in the Delhi Assembly polls and has been heard often in Delhi political circuits, especially after Narendra Modi entered the poll campaign.
This in fact, is a 'do or die' situation for AAP. The 2015 poll is the last resort for AAP to show its strength and if they don't form the government the enthusiasm in the AAP cadre will vanish.
Mukul Kesavan's must-read on the Delhi polls.
Discussion is rife at 24 Akbar Road, the headquarters of the AICC, for the position of chief. This will happen once the Delhi and Srirangam polls are over, but before the next AICC session.
Rahul Gandhi wants to change the chief of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee. The present boss EVKS Elangovan is afflicted by foot-in-mouth disease and is not la leader, say Congressmen. In fact, he scares away cadre.
A six-page complaint against Elangovan has been been handed over by a former union minister because of Elangovan's tirade against P Chidambaram and his son, Karti.
The notice has been issued on the plea of Congress leader Kiran Walia which says that Kejriwal cannot contest from New Delhi as he is a resident of Uttar Pradesh.
Walia is contesting against Kejriwal from prestigious New Delhi constituency for February 7 Assembly polls.
The court has also issued notices to ECI, CEO and five others against inclusion of Kejriwal's name in the list of candidates for the assembly polls.
Youngsters from the party want Priyanka to be given a Rajya Sabha seat.
What may happen is that Sonia Gandhi may agree to this proposition since it will no hamper Rahul's stature in the party.
But if Priyanka does indeed get a RS seat, the Congress will get reinvigorated..
The party of course, has to watchout since the BJP will use the move for political gain saying that the family is in Parliament and not in hearts of the voters.
Or is it because Rahul is really interested in doing his job? Whatever the truth, insiders say the pressure to take charge comes from his sister Priyanka Gandhi because she is concerned about Sonia's health.
Dr Karan Singh, long-time Congress member and its Rajya Sabha MP, is learnt to have sent a four-page letter to Sonia expressing his disillusionment with the party.
The immediate reason? He was not included in the Congress delegation that met US President Barack Obama on January 26; his arch rival, Anand Sharma, whose overreach in matters international is said to rile Karan Singh no end, was.
Dr Singh has been feeling suffocated in the Congress for quite some time now, and would have quit the party last year had it not been for Sonia and Rahul meeting him over lunch and softening him up a bit, say insiders.
But now, matters are expected to come to a head in the wake of the Delhi election results in which the party is expected to fare badly.
The sensex opened lower at 29,143.63 and dropped further to 29,024.92 on weak Asian cues coupled with foreign capital outflows before quoting at 29,142.45 at 1100hrs, still showing a loss of 40.50 points or 0.14 per cent from its last weekend's level.
The CNX 50-share Nifty also moved down by 6.95 points or 0.08 per cent to 8,801.95 at 1100hrs. Major losers were Dr Reddy's Lab (2.42 pct), Coal India (2.24 pct), HUL (1.97 pct), Bajaj Auto (1.92 pct), Icici Bank (1.70 pct), Bharti Airtel (1.68 pct), HDFC Bank (1.25 pct) and ITC (1.25 pct). However, Sun Pharma at 2.45 pct, Hindalco 2.11 pct, Maruti 2.11 pct, Wipro 1.73 pct, Larsen 1.53 pct, M&M 1.50 pct and Cipla 1.26 pct showed a rise.
On Monday, in its newest poster, BJP mocks Kejriwal threatening to disrupt Republic Day celebrations and later complaining that he was not issued a VIP pass.
Earlier, the saffron party took a dig at Kejriwal's promise of not taking up a government bungalow while being chief minister of Delhi. Kejriwal had moved in to government's bungalow at Tilak Marg last year after he became the chief minister of Delhi.
He vacated the bungalow after he resigned. Before these two posters, the BJP had released another one of a cartoon of Hazare being garlanded, implicating that the AAP had killed the veteran anti-corruption crusader.
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The BJP minister said in his resignation that he cannot bear the 'constant dictation by Bedi'. He said he quit because of Bedi's dictatorial attitude.