As part of its public diplomacy initiative, the spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs will participate in a live question-answer session tomorrow on Facebook on India's external engagements. The session will start at 3:30 pm and will continue for 45 minutes during which ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin will answer various questions. 

Islamic State terrorists have opened two English-language schools in Syria, in what appears to be a direct attempt to cater to the families of foreign fighters. Amid ongoing concerns that three British schoolgirls have been lured online to travel to Syria and join the self-proclaimed IS, activists in the militant-controlled city of Raqqa drew attention to a flier for the "attention [of] English speaking muhajiroon'. The flier provides contact details and lesson times for two separate facilities, one for boys and one for girls, which appear to have been set up on the grounds of a pre-existing school. 

It's become a popular Oscar night ritual: Watch the annual 'In Memoriam' montage, wipe away a tear or two and then take offense on behalf of the dearly departed not recognized in the segment. On Sunday night, it was the late Joan Rivers that many viewers felt had been unfairly snubbed.

India has one of the world's most-prolific film industries but preserving its output for future generations of filmgoers is proving difficult. "We have lost a colossal amount of our film heritage and we continue to lose some everyday," says Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, award winning filmmaker and founder of the Mumbai-based Film Heritage Foundation. 

The latest person in the grip of swine flu is Gujarat's Minister of State for Health Shankarbhai Chaudhary. His office confirmed that he has been tested positive for the disease. Chaudhary is another to fall prey to the epidemic, which according to latest figures, has killed 743, while 1,955 have been tested positive. 

A special court will pronounce on Wednesday the quantum of punishment to extradited gangster Abu Salem who has been convicted in the 1995 murder of city-based builder Pradeep Jain. Special TADA Court Judge G A Sanap had convicted Salem, his driver Mehandi Hassan and another builder Virendra Jhamb last week.

Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking has a long list of things that will bring doom and destruction to the human race. Add one more to that list: human aggression. "The human failing I would most like to correct is aggression," said Hawking. "It may have had survival advantage in caveman days, to get more food, territory or partner with whom to reproduce, but now it threatens to destroy us all."

The income tax department has conducted a "survey" operation at the head office of HSBC bank in Mumbai in connection with the black money probe against it and certain Indians who held accounts in its Switzerland branch.

Sources said sleuths drawn from the investigation and assessment wings of the department visited the bank's office in Fort area in Mumbai and, starting yesterday, made "inquiries" related to their probe against the global banking giant and its operations.

They said the bank has been issued notices in this regard earlier and the latest action was part of its "survey" operation where tax officials visit the business premises of an entity under probe.

Contacted for the bank's response, an HSBC India spokesperson told PTI: "We have cooperated continuously with the Indian authorities and continue to do so."

Sources said that I-T officials have seized some documents related to the bank's Indian operations during the operation which ended today even as summons were issued by it to some top executives of its Indian branch.

Time reports: One of the Mars One finalists, Sonia Van Meter, reveals what it's like to face leaving Earth forever.

Read the full report here 

Amid reports that Afghanistan may hold peace talks with the Taliban, President Ashraf Ghani today called Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and discussed bilateral relations and transit trade issues.

Ghani telephoned Sharif to discuss bilateral issues in the first direct contact between the two leaders after reports emerged that Afghanistan may hold talks with the Taliban to end the more than a decade-long insurgency.

"Matters related to bilateral relations and Afghan Transit Trade came up for discussion" during the telephonic contact, according to an official statement here.

Sharif reaffirmed that bilateral relations between the two countries have been strengthening with each passing day. Ghani expressed his satisfaction that relations between the two countries have been going on an upward trajectory and people to people and institution to institution contacts between the two countries are being strengthened with each passing day.

Wondering where Rahul Gandhi is taking his sabbatical?

Mrityunjoy Kumar Jha, a journalist @IBN7, tweets: So Rahul Gandhi left for Bangkok on 16th feb at 3.40am by Thai airways flight TG-332 flight.

The Congress vice president has gone on a sabbatical for a few weeks to reflect upon recent events and the future of the party that was completely wiped out in the Delhi assembly elections capping a string of losses.

Rahul has been granted leave of absence for a few weeks after which he will return and resume his active participation in the affairs of the Congress party, party sources said.

Highlighting the issue of crime against women, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today took a leaf out of the epic Ramayana to drive home the point that demi-god Jatayu can be inspiration for men as he died for the honour of a woman.

He also said that time has come for India to realise the potential of "soft power" as an important tool of foreign relations.

Addressing a gathering at the inauguration of International Ramayana Mela, the PM said one feels hurt after going through news about atrocities against women.

"An unarmed Jatayu fought and was ready to lay down his for the honour of a woman (Sita who was being abducted by Ravana) without fear. Can't he be an inspiration for us," asked Modi. He said the story of Ramayana has a message at its core that remains relevant today, in this case, that of respect for women.

CNN reports: Pakistani authorities have arrested a suspect in the December 16 attack on a public school in Peshawar that left more than 140 people dead, most of them children.

Taj Muhammad, also known as Rizwan, is accused of commanding one of the Taliban units that laid siege to the Army Public School. The military says he has confessed to other attacks in the same area.

Four people were killed and a fifth was seriously wounded in a shooting rampage in Killeen, Texas, police said today.

Police spokeswoman Tina Amerson said a preliminary investigation revealed that a 30-year-old male suspect fatally shot a man and a woman and wounded another woman at the home before killing himself, USA Today reports.

Read the full report here

Conversion to Christianity was the main objective behind Mother Teresa's service to the poor, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat said today.

"Mother Teresa's service would have been good. But it used to have one objective, to convert the person, who was being served, into a Christian," he said while speaking at a function organised by NGO Apna Ghar near Bharatpur, reports PTI. 

"The question is not about conversion but if this (conversion) is done in the name of service, then that service gets devalued," he said.

Just in:

More details awaited. 

Picture for representation only. 

As many as 255 Delhi routes near entertainment and eating hubs, which are frequented by women,have been identified as vulnerable for them and police have been asked to intensify patrolling.

During their meeting, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal agreed to support social activist Anna Hazare in his protest against the land acquisition ordinance. 

Pakistan's top diplomat today said that the dreaded Islamic State militant group posed a "serious threat" to the country.                 

French authorities have for the first time confiscated the passports of six nationals who were allegedly planning to travel to Syria to join jihadists.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia arrive at Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi to meet veteran activist Anna Hazare. 

The four accused, who were arrested in the corporate espionage case, were Monday remanded to judicial custody till March 6 by a Delhi court where they alleged that they were forced to sign on blank papers by the police during their custodial interrogation.

The four accused -- Lalta Prasad, Rakesh Kumar, Prayas Jain and Shantanu Saikia -- were produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Dheeraj Mittal after expiry of their police custody.

The Crime Branch of Delhi Police said they be remanded to 11 days judicial custody as they were not required for further interrogation at this stage.

Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed was arrested Sunday amid suspicions that he would try to flee the island nation to avoid facing terrorism charges. He was manhandled today when he appeared in court.

A foreign journalist working in Islamabad was found dead in Islamabad on Monday, Express News reported.

Maria Golovnina, a Russian-Japanese, had been working with Reuters as the news agency's bureau chief for Pakistan and Afghanistan for the past year and a half.

Golovnina was found in Islamabad's Sector-F neighbourhood on Monday.

Initial reports state her death occurred from natural causes.

According to her colleagues, the Russian journalist fell unconscious and was rushed to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) where she was pronounced dead.

Golovnina's husband reportedly told PIMS doctors to not carry out a post-mortem examination on her body.

BJP's youth wing chief and MP Anurag Thakur said Congress has been reduced to 44 seats in the Lok Sabha due to the absence of its leaders in the Parliament in the last one decade.

"They were missing in the last two Lok Sabhas as well. And this is why the Congress has come to 44 seats in Lok Sabha,' he told reporters when asked about Gandhi's absence.

Thakur said that though it is for the Congress to decide on what it wants to do, he feels that it would have been better if all participated in the discussions in the two Houses of the Parliament.Union Minister Kalraj Mishra also said that leaders from all parties should be present at the start of Budget session.

He, however, added that there could have been some compulsion because of which Gandhi could not come.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily, when asked by reporters to comment on Gandhi's absence, said his party would continue to function as an effective and constructive opposition under the guidance of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.

Stephen Hawking has expressed his delight at Eddie Redmayne scoring the Best Actor Academy Award.

"Congratulations to Eddie Redmayne for winning an 'Oscar' for playing me in The Theory of Everything Movie,' Hawking posted on Facebook.
"Well done Eddie, I'm very proud of you."

In his acceptance speech, Redmayne dedicated the award to all those, like Hawking, living with Motor Neurone Disease."I am fully aware that I am a lucky, lucky man,' he said. Read more

Rahul Gandhi is likely to be on leave for for a month, which means he skips the entire budget session of Parliament. Congress leaders who have quite predictably rushed to his defence and have said that Rahul may be on leave but he has not left the Congress.

Rahul Kanwal tweets: Murmurs of discontent between mother & son over direction party takes from here. Son wants full control to things his way. Hence the holiday.

Ministry leaks will continue, but India's lobbying industry should be brought under the ambit of law. Read 

Srinivasan's lawyer says he has not violated the court's order.

The Supreme Court had held that no one who had any commercial interests in BCCI events including Srinivasan would be eligible to contest elections for any post whatsoever.

Srinivasan had been clearly told by the Supreme Court that he won't be able to stand for presidential elections unless he completely dissociates himself with the India Cements-owned Chennai Super Kings.

Supreme Court slams N Srinivasan for attending BCCI meeting on February 8 despite it's orders. The SC observed, "Srinivasan should not have done this, we have certainly found that there is a conflict of interest. He should understand the spirit of our order."

The Supreme Court on Monday heard the contempt of court petition against Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president in-exile N Srinivasan for presiding over a working committee meeting in Chennai on February 8.

Earlier, the Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) on February 18 moved the apex court seeking contempt proceedings against Srinivasan and other BCCI officials for holding the meeting in alleged violation of court directives.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar on Rahul Gandhi's leave from Parliament: People have already sent the Congress on a long leave.

On December 31, 2014, the Government promulgated the ordinance to amend some provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation (Amendment) Act, 2013.  What was the need to amend the 2013 law and what is the effect of these amendments?

Read what finance minister Arun Jaitley has to say and send a copy to Anna Hazare as he begins his fast at the Jantar Mantar. 

The Energy and Resources Institute Director-General R.K. Pachauri, who is facing sexual harassment allegations from a woman employee, has withdrawn his bail application from the Delhi High Court and is likely to move the trial court for relief.

The bail application filed by Pachauri before Justice S.P. Garg was deleted from the cause list as he has to seek the relief from the trial court.High Court staff said that Pachauri's bail application was listed by mistake as he had already been asked by the judge to move a trial court for regular bail while granting him interim protection till Monday.

What happened in Parliament today that the TV channels did not spot: Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav was the centre of attraction in the Central Hall of Parliament today where President Pranab Mukherjee addressed a joint sitting of the two Houses.

Leaders cutting across party lines queued up to congratulate Yadav for the February 26 marriage of grand nephew Tej Pratap Yadav with Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad's youngest daughter Raj Laxmi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the prominent persons who attended the celebrations in Saifai in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.

Yadav's arch rival in UP and BJP MP from Gorakhpur Yogi Adityanath was among those who wished the SP chief in Parliament.

During the President's address, several members were seen thumping the desks when reference was made to the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna, Swachh Bharat Mission, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana and other such issues.

HRD Minister Smriti Irani and BJP member Kirron Kher were seen thumping the desk when the President referred to the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme initiated recently for the welfare of the girl child.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi was seated next to BJP veteran L K Advani and former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and H D Deve Gowda.

At least 25 members, who came after the arrival of the President, were accommodated in chairs lined up at the far end of the historical hall.

These included Congress member Abhishek Manu Singhvi, BJP's Varun Gandhi and some members of the AIADMK.

After the President's address, Vice President Hamid Ansari read out in Hindi the first and last part of the speech delivered in English. Soon after the national anthem was played out, several members raised slogans like 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', a practice BJP MPs have been following in Parliament.

An informal BJP Parliamentary Board meeting is scheduled at 6 pm today at home minister Rajnath Singh's residence. Up for discussion may be government formation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Shiv Aroor tweets: Rahul Gandhi requesting a 'leave of absence' is like Uday Chopra asking for a vanity van.

Veteran social activist Anna Hazare and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will meet in Delhi tonight in the backdrop of the agitation against the Land ordinance.

The meeting will take place at the New Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi, Hazare's aide Dutta Awari said.

The government is bringing a new bill to replace the Land Ordinance amid stiff opposition from non-NDA parties in Parliament and outside.

The Land Acquisition Act, 2013 stipulates mandatory consent of at least 70 per cent of land owners for acquiring land for Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects and 80 per cent for acquiring land for private companies.

In December last, the government had promulgated the Ordinance making significant changes in the Land Act including removal of consent clause for acquiring land for five areas -- industrial corridors, PPP projects, rural infrastructure, affordable housing and defence.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi was today unimpressed with the President's address, which laid the road map of the Narendra Modi government, saying there was "nothing new" in it and talked about only some revamped UPA policies.

"There is nothing new. These are only revamping some of old UPA policies and presenting it," she said when asked about President Pranab Mukherjee's address to the joint sitting of Parliament.

Asked about the sabbatical given to the Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, she said that he has been "given a few weeks. He needs some time."

Asked whether he has been given some time to reflect on recent events and future course of the party as has been told to media, the Congress President merely said, "Well, the reason is what you have been told."

Party sources had yesterday said that the Congress Vice President was "granted leave of absence for a few weeks after which he will return and resume his active participation in the affairs of the Congress party".

Jayalalithaa's supporter who got himself nailed to the cross is karate expert Shihan Hussaini. And he has demanded that Jayalalithaa be made CM again.

The Budget session of Parliament, to present the Modi governments first full-fledged budget, commenced on Monday with expectations rife that the Opposition will try its best to put it on the mat.

But even before a single word could be uttered, the Opposition ranks were left rudderless with Rahul Gandhi shocking Congressmen by his decision to go on leave to reflect on recent events.
 
This can only come as good news for Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is expected to come under enormous political pressure, for the first time since he assumed office nine months ago, following the Bharatiya Janata Partys debacle in the Delhi election. The controversial land acquisition ordinance has united all the anti-Modi forces, with even pro-BJP affiliates like the Bhartiya Kisan Sangh ranged joining in. There cannot be a better opportunity for the Congress to show that it is capable of reviving and exhibiting some resilience for the sake of its core constituency.

It is at such a critical juncture that Rahul Gandhi has opted to go on leave, and the excuse given sounds filmi, to put it mildly. If Rahul has indeed asked for leave from his mother Sonia Gandhi, who is party president, "to prepare for a leadership conclave in April, it means that the heir-apparent is incapable of multi-tasking, a necessary skill for a leader to possess.

The 44-year-old Rahul Gandhi, heir to the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, invariably features on most eligible politicians rankings, and rumours of his impending marriage have been doing the rounds since a decade or so. But, a source in his inner circle claims, this time things look serious, and that he is likely to marry his girlfriend -- a non-Indian Hindu - this summer.

The girlfriend is a former journalist turned social worker. She is quite articulate when she talks on serious topics like the environment, womens issues and human rights.

However, some Congressmen who are backing Rahul solidly and want him to take over as party president as soon as possible, claim, using cautious words, that Rahul has not made up his mind about marriage, and that she is still waiting for his nod. Its not yet known if this is one more South Delhi style rumour or if Rahul does mean business and plans to settle down and on the side also please his party-men too with a settled family life.

Be that as it may, Rahuls absence has shocked political circles who say it is unthinkable for a political party to not have its vice-president present in Parliament to stand up and raise his voice against the governments more than a dozen controversial policies in its less than nine-month rule.

For the record, the Congress party told the media today: Rahul has been granted leave of absence for a few weeks after which he will return and resume his active participation in the affairs of the Congress party." This sounds weird in view of the fact that he has been impatient to become party president as early as April.

The lack of any logic in taking leave at a most inappropriate time suggests that Rahul Gandhi is battling some major personal demons, for which he needs both time and space - and urgently at that.

Former Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa, convicted in the disproportionate assets case has not lost out on her huge fan base in the state. A supporter Hussaini gets aides to nail him on a cross and demands that Jayalalithaa be made CM again. He was on the cross for 6.7 minutes on the occasion of Jayalalithaa's upcoming 67th birthday. And yes, six-inch nails were hammered into his hands and feet. 

Former JK CM Omar Abdullah tweets: My mum always says if I have nothing nice to say I shouldn't say anything. This time I'm taking that advice.

In the wake of the oil slick left by the espionage case, joint secretaries of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the Central Board of Customs and Excise have been told to carry crucial, top-secret Union Budget files after the approval of the Finance Minister from North Block to Shastri Bhavan where the Union Ministry of Legislative affairs is housed. After the oil ministry espionage, the government believes it can only trust joint secretaries. In fact, this new drill was introduced just last week.

Several AIADMK MPs skipped President Pranab Mukherjee's address to the joint session of Parliament this morning. It wasn't a boycott of the president or the government, as much as it was a ushering in of J Jayalalithaa's birthday.

The former Tamil Nadu CM celebrates her birthday tomorrow and many MPs organised functions in their consituencies.

Whether Amma will give darshan to these MPs who want to showcase their loyalty remains to be seen. 

And by staying put in Tamil Nadu, the MPs have not wasted their free tickets to Delhi, says a source, tartly. 

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has instructed finance minister Arun Jaitley and other union ministers to give interviews to Doordharshan, All India Radio, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha TV channels only. Private TV channels will have to take their feed from these government-run channels. Union ministers are only allowed to speak to private TV channels a day later. Understandably, this has upset private TV channels who have more
viewership than DD. 

This is what President Mukherjee said on the Land Act: Govt attaches paramount importance to safeguard farmers' interests; Land Act suitably refined to minimise procedural difficulties.

Ahead of his protest against the land ordinance in New Delhi, social activist Anna Hazare today hinted at a bigger agitation at the Ramlila ground if the Narendra Modi government does not heed to his demands on the issue. He also invited Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, a former team Anna member, on stage to join him in the protest.

Immediately after his arrival in the national capital, Hazare said the two-day protest will be followed by a three to four month long 'padyatra' across the country to make people aware of the "anti-farmer" provisions made by the Centre in the ordinance.

"If the government doesn't take the ordinance back, then the people will also continue with their agitation. The activists will make aware the farmers (of the amendments).

There is a chance that farmers from across the country will gather at the Ramlila Maidan in the next three-four months," he said. 77-year-old Hazare has been highly critical of the Modi government for making certain changes in the Land Acquisition Act through an ordinance.

On December 29 last year, the government had recommended promulgation of an ordinance making significant changes in the Land Acquisition Act including removal of consent clause for acquiring land for five areas of industrial corridors, PPP projects, rural infrastructure, affordable housing and defence.

Also read: Why Anna Hazare is a lonely, forgotten man today

The courts will work their processes in the 'AIB Roast' case, but it is very rarely illegal to tell a joke, or a whole series of them, to listen to one, disseminate or laugh at one. The law does not criminalise a joke. The law cannot allow itself to be used as an instrument of suppression, of a citizen's right to speak sense or nonsense. Read more

Pomp and circumstance. President Pranab Mukherjee is escorted inside Parliament House by the Speaker, the vice president (also the Rajya Sabha chairperson) PM Modi and Venkaiah Naidu. 

 The Narendra Modi government has quietly slashed the foreign office's funding for the current fiscal by 15 per cent, forcing the already resource-strapped external affairs ministry to pull back from key diplomatic commitments.The rare pre-budget cuts for one of the administration's busiest arms will bring down the foreign office budget for the financial year ending on March 31 from Rs 14,730 crore to Rs 12,499 crore. Read more

Can this really be done? A toilet in every school by August 15 this year, promises Pranab Mukherjee in the opening address to the joint session of Parliament.

Just six months to go...

Housing for all by 2022, promises President Pranab Mukherjee.

The government reached out to the opposition a day before Parliament opens for the crucial budget session on Monday with parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu driving down to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's house to seek the main opposition party's cooperation.

With six ordinances waiting to be converted into bills, including contentious ones on land acquisition and FDI in insurance sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi too appealed to the opposition parties for cooperation at an all-party meeting.

Coverage under Jan Dhan Yojana close to 100%. My Govt has attached paramount importance to safeguard interest of farmers affected by land acquisition: President of India

President Pranab Mukherjee's address to Parliament: My govt has worked for the welfare of the poor, the marginalized and the vulnerable sections of the society.

"Swachhata is an article of faith for my government. Within a span of nine months my govt has embarked on a comprehensive strategy for unleashing the economy.

"My government is pledged to work for the welfare of the poor, the marginalized and the vulnerable sections of the society."

Finance minister Arun Jaitley is flanked by senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and PM Modi.

The fundamental tenet of my government is Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas -- All Together, Development of All, says President Pranab Mukherjee. The president is housing the joint session of Parliament.

Just before the Parliament session began, the PM said that he had met leaders of other political parties, heard their opinion and efforts will be to work for nation's benefit.

JUST IN: Issue of ordinances should not be politicized. The government is ready to discuss any Opposition objection, says Venkaiah Naidu.Rahul will not be present for the first week of the budget session of Parliament.

President Pranab Mukherjee has reached Parliament and budget session opens.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked for cooperation of all parties in the Budget session of Parliament that begins today. Many important ordinances have to be passed today, but the opposition has already said it would be bizarre to expect cooperation.

And yes, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has taken leave to "reflect on  recent events" and therefore will not be present on the first day of the budget session of Parliament.

German Bakery blast convict, Himayat Baig, alleged threat to his life and said he had been attacked in Yerwada prison in Pune.

Veteran social activist Anna Hazare will sit on a protest at Jantar Mantar from Monday against the ordinance on Land Acquisition Bill.

A former police officer and Chelsea fan apologised for his involvement in an alleged racist incident involving football supporters on a Paris Metro train. 

The Budget Session of Parliament commencing Monday heralds the beginning of a make or break phase of PM Narendra Modi's tenure. 

Australia will strengthen immigration laws and crack down on groups that incite hatred under a raft of counter-terrorism measures intended to combat the threat from home-grown terrorists. 

The weekend death toll in the vacation-packed Alps rose today when a man was killed in an avalanche in France, after four people perished earlier in a snowslide in Switzerland, police said. 

The meeting of the foreign ministers of the P5+1 nations aimed to smoothen out major bumps in reaching a nuclear deal with Iran has ended with a positive note. 

Nearly 500 miners who were trapped underground by a fire at a gold mine in South Africa were brought to the surface safely, a spokeswoman for mining company Harmony Gold said. 

HSBC chief executive Stuart Gulliver, who vowed to reform the scandal-hit bank, kept millions of dollars in a Swiss account, the Guardian newspaper reported.