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Tue, 02 June 2015
Live! Edward Snowden awarded freedom of expression prize in Norway

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22:38   Edward Snowden awarded freedom of expression prize in Norway
Former security contractor Edward Snowden won a Norwegian prize for freedom of expression Tuesday and received yet another invitation to leave his exile and receive the award in person.

The Norwegian Academy of Literature and Freedom of Expression said the 31-year old fugitive had won the Bjornson Prize named after a Norwegian Nobel literature laureate "for his work protecting privacy and for shining a critical light on US surveillance of its citizens and others."

Snowden, a former analyst at the US National Security Agency, has lived in exile in Russia since 2013 after revealing mass spying programmes by the United States and its allies.

The US administration has branded him a hacker and a traitor who endangered lives by revealing the extent of the NSA spying program.

The academy requested assurances from the Norwegian government that Snowden would not be extradited to the US if he travelled to Norway to receive the 100,000 kroner ($12,700, 11,500 euros) prize money in person on September 5.

Norway's justice ministry said it was up to immigration authorities, who indicated they would consider any entry request when and if they received one.

Read full story HERE.
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22:30   Sepp Blatter to quit as Fifa president amid corruption scandal
Sepp Blatter says he will resign as president of football's governing body Fifa amid a corruption scandal.

In announcing his exit, the 79-year-old has called an extraordinary Fifa congress "as soon as possible" to elect a new president.

Blatter was re-elected last week, despite seven top Fifa officials being arrested two days before the vote as part of a US prosecution.

But he said: "My mandate does not appear to be supported by everybody."
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21:33   United Airlines planes grounded for 40 minutes over 'automation issues'
United Airlines temporarily halted all takeoffs in the United States early Tuesday because of automation issues. Planes in the air were not affected.

The stoppage involving the world's second-largest airline lasted for less than an hour, according to air traffic control notices from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Chicago-based United said by e-mail, "We began delaying flights at approx. 8 a.m. CT to ensure aircraft departed with proper dispatch information. Flights are now departing." United didn't immediately respond to requests for further comment beyond the e-mailed statement.

Read more HERE.
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21:23   Myanmar jails writer for 2 years for 'insulting religion': Lawyer
Myanmar on Tuesday jailed a writer for two years with hard labour for "insulting religion", his lawyer said, with rights groups condemning the verdict as the country's latest strike on freedom of expression.

Htin Lin Oo, a columnist and former information officer for the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party, was arrested in December on accusations of insulting religion during a speech at a literacy event in Sagaing region in central Myanmar.

Read full story HERE.
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21:01   Israel army scraps punishment for soldier over pork sandwich
The Israeli military today scrapped a punishment for a US-born Israeli soldier who had caused a stink by violating the military's kosher rules by eating a pork sandwich while in uniform.

Earlier, the military said the soldier, whose name was not released, "violated rules and regulations," which required him to be disciplined.

The soldier was initially given an 11-day prison sentence. The punishment was later converted to being confined to base for the same duration after relatives talked to the media and a lawmaker wrote to the defense minister about the case. 

But the military then changed its decision yet again, and cancelled any punishment.

"We were wrong. The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) will continue to keep kosher on one hand, but will not probe a soldier's sandwich on the other," military spokesman Brig. Gen. Motti Almoz wrote on Facebook. "There are tensions in Israeli society and there are different stances and opinions.
There is room for everyone in the IDF."
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20:51   Delhi govt to initiate case against Nestle India for selling "unsafe" Maggi
Reports indicate that the Delhi government has decided to initiate a case against Nestle India for selling "unsafe" Maggi noodles.

Last week a case was lodged against Nestle India by UP food regulator FSDA in a local court at Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh over safety standards of its Maggi, while actors Amitabh Bachhan, Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta were also separately dragged to court for promoting the 'two-minute' noodles brand.

Nestle India, a subsidiary of Swiss conglomerate Nestle SA sells instant noodle, ketchups, sauces under the Maggi brand. 

It has around 60 per cent market share in the instant noodle category.
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20:30   'Boko Haram' dismisses Nigeria military claims of success: new video
Boko Haram rejected claims from Nigeria's military that it has been routed by a four-nation offensive in a video released online on Tuesday, which does not show the group's leader, Abubakar Shekau.

The unidentified speaker calls Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, who have been battling the Islamists, "the lying coalition partners".

"Most of our territory is still under our control," said the speaker, whose face is not shown in the 10-minute message posted on YouTube.

The video bears the logo "Islamic State in West Africa" and follows the Nigerian militants' pledge of allegiance in March to the IS group, that has overrun large parts of Syria and Iraq.

The message is the first video released by Boko Haram since February, when Shekau was shown in high definition footage and vowed to disrupt Nigeria's elections.

Read full story HERE.
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20:11   Taj Mahal ranked third among world's top landmarks
Travellers from across the globe have ranked Taj Mahal among the top three landmarks in the world, a leading travel website said today. According to TripAdvisor's 2015 Travellers Choice Attractions Awards, 

Taj Mahal was ranked third in the list of top landmarks. The top two places were taken by Machu Picchu in Peru and Angkor Wat in Cambodia respectively.

"The Travellers' Choice Landmarks highlight some of the world's most iconic, must-see attractions that have won over the TripAdvisor community," said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor.

Built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his late wife Mumtaz Mahal, the white marble mausoleum in Agra is also a symbol of enduring love. In 1983, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Taj Mahal attracts 2-4 million visitors annually, with more than 200,000 from overseas.
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19:47   India, US to sign defence framework pact tomorrow
US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter will tomorrow sign a fresh 10-year defence framework agreement with India entailing joint development and manufacture of defence equipment and technology that is expected to help take strategic ties to new heights. Carter, who arrived in the country today on a three-day visit, began his tour with a trip to strategically important Eastern Naval Command in Vishakapatnam whose theatre of operation includes the critical South China sea region and the Strait of Malacca. He will hold wide-ranging talks with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar tomorrow evening during which India-US Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) will be a major area of focus, defence sources said. The US Defence Secretary will also call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi besides meeting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
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19:32   Satyajit Ray's wife Bijoya Ray passes away.
Legendary film director Satyajit Ray's wife Bijoya Ray died in Kolkata today. She was 98 and is survived by son Sandip Ray and a daughter. 

Bijoya Ray was admitted to the super-speciality Belle Vue clinic last evening with acute pneumonia and after her condition deteriorated, doctors had put her on ventilation.

"Doctors tried their best to save her but she passed away at around 6 pm," Belle Vue CEO Dr P Tandon told PTI. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached the hospital on hearing the news and paid her respects to the departed soul.

The master director died in April 1992.
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19:23   Lalu and Nitish waiting to betray each other: BJP
Taking a dig at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD President Lalu Prasad's efforts to form an alliance, BJP today said both the leaders were "waiting to betray each other" and that their coming together was nothing but an outcome of their fear towards the saffron party.

"Both of them talk sweetly to each other about mergers and alliances but are holding daggers in their hands. Both of them are actually ready to stab each other in the back. They are just waiting to betray each other," senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters.

"Their alliance efforts are nothing but an outcome of their fear towards their opposition (BJP). They are afraid of us hence trying to come together," he added.
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18:41   Now, Delhi govt finds Maggi unsafe
Just in: Delhi govt says lab reports on Maggi noodles' samples are unsafe. But no crackdown yet on the sale of Maggi noodles in the national capital. Kerala today became the first state to ban the sale of Maggi Noodles across the state through its outlets.


This came after reports that samples of Maggi tested in Uttar Pradesh in a lab showed that it contains more than the permissible amount of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and lead, both hazardous to human health. It was found that Maggi contains 17 parts per million lead, while the permissible limit is only 0.01 ppm.


The UP Food Safety and Drug Administration is testing more batches of Maggi after ordering recall of a batch of about 2 lakh packs of the instant noodles.


The West Bengal Food Department has convened a high-level meeting tomorrow to take a view on the ongoing controversy surrounding Maggi noodles, the government said.
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18:31   Monsoon likely to hit Kerala coast on June 5
After missing its normal date of onset, Southwest Monsoon is now expected to hit Kerala coast on June 5. Though the normal date for onset of monsoon over Kerala is June 1, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted that it will hit the southern state on May 30 this year. June 1 also marks the official onset of rains in the country.


"Monsoon is likely to hit the Kerala coast on June 5," Union Minister of Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan today said.


"Conditions are becoming favourable for the onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala around June 5," said an IMD statement. Last year too, monsoon was delayed and hit the Kerala coast on June 6.
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18:25   Bengal to hold 'high-level' Maggi meeting tomorrow
The West Bengal Food Department has convened a high-level meeting tomorrow to take a view on the ongoing controversy surrounding Maggi noodles, the government said.


"Tomorrow we have convened a high-level meeting of senior official of the food department with all the reports. After going through everything and discussing elaborately, we will take a call on the matter," state's Food Supplies minister Jyotirmoy Mullick said.


Asked if the state government was planning to send Maggi samples for laboratory testing, Mullick said, "The tests are not possible as Maggi doesn't have any manufacturing unit in Kolkata.


"All Maggi products come from other states, so we are seeing what can be done about the food that is already available in the market. We have to see how much can be done about the products found in private market".


The Union Consumer Affairs Ministry yesterday said the central food safety regulator (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) is testing samples from all states and that strict action will be taken for any violation. All test reports are expected to come within two to three
days.
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18:17   J&K CM directs police to provide security to cell operators
In the wake of a spate of attacks on telecom facilities in Kashmir, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today directed police to provide security to mobile towers besides those managing them and thwart any attempt to disrupt cellular services in the Valley.


The direction came after Sayeed held a meeting with senior civil and police officers to discuss the situation arising out of a series of attacks by militants targeting telecom facilities across Kashmir over the last few days.


The Chief Minister directed Director General of Police K Rajendra Kumar to take all possible steps to thwart any attempt to disrupt cellular networks in Valley and provide security to mobile tower installations and owners, an official spokesman said today.


He said the Chief Minister had called a high-level meeting of senior civil and police officers to review the security and law and order situation in the state in the wake of the spate of attacks on mobile service providers. In the meeting, the situation following the attacks in the Valley, in particular north and central Kashmir, was discussed, the spokesman said.
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18:03   Helicopter crashes in quake-hit Nepal; 4 killed
Details have emerged on chopper crash in Nepal.

At least four people including a woman were killed today when a helicopter carrying relief materials crashed in one of the worst quake-hit mountainous regions in Nepal.


Nepal police said the chopper of Kathmandu-based Mountain Helicopters came down in a forested area north of the capital.


It was returning to Kathmandu when it crashed at Yamuna Balefi Village in Sindhupalchowk district.


Bodies of three men and a woman were recovered by Nepalese troops from the crash site. Rescuers were trying to take the bodies to Kathmandu, a senior official said. The chopper had caught fire. Another helicopter has been dispatched to the crash site. 
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17:48   India has highest number of undernourished people in the world
India has the highest number of undernourished people in the world at 194.6 million -- about 12 million more than the Pakistani population -- down 7% over the past two decades, but up 2.6% over the past five years. Read
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17:35   SBI cuts base rate to 9.70%; car, home loans cheaper
Good news for car and home loan owners. State Bank of India cuts base rate by 0.15 per cent to 9.70 per cent effective June 8.

This comes after Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan on Tuesday cut the key interest rate by 0.25 per cent, third time this year, meeting market and government expectations of boosting growth by lowering borrowing cost.

While the RBI cut the repo rate from 7.5 per cent to 7.25, it left all other policy tools like cash reserve requirement unchanged at 4 per cent and statutory liquidity ratio at 21.5 per cent.


Rajan also asked banks to pass on the rate cut to customers.


This mirrors his statement made on April 7, when he was severely critical of banks not passing interest rate cut to borrowers.He had said it was "nonsense' to assume that cost of funds has not fallen and nudged them to reduce rates.He further said that sooner the banks cut rate the better it would be for the economy. He was referring to the reluctance of banks to pass on the benefit of 0.50 per cent rate cut announced by the central bank since January.


By evening, State Bank of India reduced its base rate by 15 bps, followed by private sector lender HDFC Bank. Other banks towed the line in few days. The new base rate now stands at 9.85 per cent and is effective from April 10. 
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17:27  
Just in: Four people have been killed in a helicopter crash in Nepal. Details awaited.
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17:05   Kerala 1st state to ban Maggi noodles
The Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation has banned the sale of Maggi Noodles across the state through its outlets. This comes after reports that samples of Maggi tested in Uttar Pradesh tested in a lab showed that it contains more than permissible amount of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and lead, both hazardous to human health. It was found that Maggi contains 17 parts per million lead, while the permissible limit is only 0.01 ppm.


Food and Civil Supplies minister Anoop Jacob has directed civil supplies corporation to stop the sale Maggi noodles with immediate effect.


The corporation has intimated that the ban will continue till a clarity on the quality of the product is determined. The unsold stock will be returned to the company.


Nestl India Ltd. which owns the Maggi brand, has attempted to quell growing consumer fears over the safety of its Maggie 2-Minute Noodles, and said that it had tested samples from more than 1,000 batches of the popular snack and found them to contain acceptable levels of lead.
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16:48   Seven years in China
Goodbye to smog, cold noodles and breakneck change: my seven years covering China. Guardian reporter Tania Branigan, says she won't miss the pollution and the many injustices. But will remember the achievements, the beauty, the exuberant energy and the friends she made. Read
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16:24   Jessica Lange on being told she looked like Caitlyn Jenner
Veteran Hollywood actress Jessica Lange responded in a lovely way to being told people thought she looked like Caitlyn Jenner. Lange hadn't seen the Vanity Fair cover yet (and needed to have the concept of "trending on Twitter" explained first), but her response was as casual as it was heartwarming, reports the Independent, "That's so wonderful.  Well now I am going to have to look for that picture."  
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16:17   Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinsky in an ad for pens in Hong Kong
Stabilo, a company that makes highlighter pens, tries to make a mark with this strange advertisement featuring former US president Bill Clinton and a White House intern, Monica Lewinsky.


We could safely assume that neither Mr Clinton nor Ms Lewinsky,
a. has signed up for the ad.
b. it could earn the company a painful rap on the knuckles from either or both, if not more.


The ad which was features in a Hong Kong advertisement was shared by Gerry Doyle of the International New York Times on Monday and was reported by Vox.com.


The picture used in the ad is a graphic rendering of a photograph taken in 1995 showing Lewinsky, then a White House intern, meeting President Clinton. It was in fact submitted as evidence during the Ken Starr investigation.


So, what does the tag line of the ad read: "Once marked, forever remembered."


Kinda catchy.
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15:59   Maha mulls cloud-seeding amid IMD's grim rainfall forecast
At a time when the IMD has revised its rainfall forecast from 93 to 88 per cent, Maharashtra government is preparing to use the cloud seeding method and induce rainfall, to cope up with water shortage.


According to K H Govindraj, Secretary - Relief and Rehabilitation department, the state government has floated tenders for cloud seeding, that will be kept ready if the monsoon fails or is below the required levels.


"According to the IMD prediction, rainfall will be more or less normal. But, if the monsoon fails, we need to have a contingency plan ready to make water available. Thus, we are not only looking at domestic but also international agencies that can help us with cloud seeding," Govindraj said.


He said that the El Nino, the warming of the central to eastern tropical Pacific that occurs every two to seven years on an average may result in long dry spells, that may eventually increase the drought problems already plaguing several regions in the state.
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15:39   Taslima taken to US after death threats from Islamists who killed 3 bloggers
Countering immediate threats to outspoken writer and human rights activist Taslima Nasreen, a New York-based non-profit educational, advocacy and research organisation has relocated her to the United States.


The step to relocate Nasreen has been taken in the wake of the murder of three secular bloggers, Avijit Roy, Washiqur Rahman, and Ananta Bijoy Das in Bangladesh.


The Center for Inquiry (CIF) was prompted to act after Nasreen was recently named as one of the next targets for murder by the extremists who killed the three bloggers.


However, the group said that her safety was only temporary if she cannot remain in the US, adding that they had set up an emergency fund to help her with food, housing and means for her to be safely settled.


An appeal will be sent out on Tuesday to CFI supporters, asking them to donate to this cause, the organisation said.


"Taslima is a truly international role model, as her work and her courage inspire people of all ages to question tradition, challenge dogma, and fight for human rights," said Ronald A Lindsay, president and CEO of the Center for Inquiry. "We could not stand by while her life was in danger, nor will we turn our backs on the other brave freethinkers in fear for their lives. I know our community will make a strong show of solidarity and give generously to this emergency fund," he added.


The CFI has established an emergency fund to assist freethought activists whose lives are under threat by Islamic radicals linked to Al Qaeda in countries such as Bangladesh, where three secular bloggers have been murdered since February.
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15:26   This day, 100 years ago, Dr Ambedkar graduated from Columbia, Cong celebrates
That's Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi at Dr BR Ambedkar's birthplace in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, today.


No, it's not Dr Ambedkar's birth anniversary today. In fact, the Congress did kick off celebrations of Dr Ambedkar's 124th birth anniversary on April 14, but Rahul Gandhi was then on a sabbatical.


Now that he is back and in a new and energised version, the Congress is in a sense relaunching the party's year-long celebrations of Dr Ambedkar.


On this, day 100 years ago, Dr Ambedkar graduated from Columbia University in the US, no mean feat for a Dalit at the time.


Rahul began his visit at Mhow by paying tribute at the Ambedkar memorial, which will be followed up by a public meeting. After paying tributes at the statue of Ambedkar memorial in Kali Paltan area, Rahul meditated for nearly five minutes.


He also had a close look at the Dalit icon's photos displayed at the memorial. Rahul's visit is seen as part of his extensive countrywide drive to reach out to different sections of society, especially the less privileged.

This is one place he should probably not bring up the suit-boot bit.
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14:28   Govt slams Pakistan for holding polls in PoK's Gilgit-Baltistan
Reacting strongly to the upcoming elections in Gilgit and Baltistan on June 8, India today said it is an attempt by Pakistan to "camouflage its forcible and illegal occupation" of the regions which are integral part of the country.


Official Spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry Vikas Swarup also expressed concern at the "continued efforts" by Pakistan to deny the people of the region their political rights and to absorb these territories.


"India's position is well known. The entire state of Jammu and Kashmir which includes the regions of Gilgit and Baltistan is an integral part of India. The election in Gilgit and Baltistan on June 8 under the so called 'Gilgit Baltistan Empowerment and Self Government Order' is an attempt by Pakistan to camouflage its forcible and illegal occupation of the regions.


"We are concerned at the continued efforts by Pakistan to deny the people of the region their political rights, and the efforts being made to absorb these territories. The fact that a Federal Minister of Pakistan is also the 'Governor of Gilgit Baltistan' speaks for itself," the Spokesperson said.


He noted that "unfortunately, in recent times the people of the region have also become victims of sectarian conflict, terrorism and extreme economic hardship due to Pakistan's occupationary policies."


Read:  The region India can no longer ignore
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14:13   Retirement age for Maharashtra govt docs extended to 60
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis @Dev_Fadnavis tweets: Retirement age extended from 58 to 60 years for government doctors who were to retire on May 31, to enable health services for the approaching monsoon.
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14:03   LIVE! India will get deficent monsoon this year... again, predicts IMD
In a bad news for the country in general and the agriculture sector in particular, monsoon rains this year will be "deficient', the government announced on Tuesday.


Union Science and Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan informed that the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has revised its rainfall forecast from 93 to 88 percent, i.e. from "below normal" to "deficient".


This means India will be experiencing two consecutive years of "deficient' rains as 2014 too had turned out be a drought year.


Drought is when India experiences monsoon rains below 90 percent of the long-period average (LPA). LPA is the average annual rainfall (89 cm) recorded between 1951 and 2000.


Harsh Vardhan said the north-west region which includes Delhi NCR, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan will be affected as per the forecast.


The Southwest Monsoon has already missed its date with Kerala and is now expected to hit the southern state three days late on June 4. The IMD, in its preliminary forecast, had said that the Southwest Monsoon rains will hit the Kerala coast on May 30.


In its initial annual forecast of rainfall, the IMD had in April predicted the chances of a normal Monsoon at just 28%. The revision of forecast deals a blow to the farm sector which has seen poor back-to-back kharif and rabi seasons.


RBI governor Raghuram Rajan today said the risks to inflation identified
in April could cloud the picture with below par monsoons forecast for the second successive year.
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13:54   Govt wants 100% toilet access at schools by June 2015: Jaitley
The government is looking at 100 per cent availability of toilets at schools by this month as part of its ambitious Swachh Bharat campaign, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said today.


"Our initial target is that all schools, particularly where the girl child goes, by June, that is this month, we should have a 100 per cent rate of toilets.


"It has been included as a part of the CSR (corporate social responsibility) programme. A lot of incentives in our fiscal policy have also been announced," Jaitley said at the Swachh Bharat programme adopted by Jubilant FoodWorks, the owner of the famous fast food chain Domino's Pizza. He termed Swachh Bharat as "a preventive health care programme".
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13:43  
Just as marriages, it is often said, are made in heaven, Pranab Mukherjee's visits abroad have an indelible imprint of Bengali hospitality built into them in many instances. Read the inimitable KP Nayar for the Telegraph.


Pic: President Mukherjee's second day in Sweden concluded with a grand banquet hosted by the King and Queen.


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13:25   Lion 'jumps into car and kills woman' at South African nature park
An American woman has been killed by a lion that jumped into a car and attacked her at a nature park in South Africa, according to reports.The attack, at Lion Park outside Johannesburg, is said to have left another passenger of the car, a man, with serious injuries. Read more
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13:12   National roaming FREE on BSNL from June 15
Telecom and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said today that the state-owned BSNL will offer roaming services free from June 15. From 15th June BSNL roaming will be free all over the nation,' Prasad said.


The telecom minister further added that spectrum sharing and trading policy will go to cabinet this month adding that payment bank licence to Postal Department is expected from RBI by July or August.


BSNL last month introduced an unlimited free calling scheme during night hours to revive its landline business.


Under the scheme, effective May 1, BSNL allowed calls free of cost to any operator, including mobile phones, anywhere in the country between 9 PM and 7 am and covers all types of connections.


According to the latest TRAI data, BSNL, which dominates the landline space, was the biggest loser of fixed-line customers in February whereas Airtel emerged as the top gainer.


The company had over 1.66 crore landlines at the end of February. Even after losing 1,62,556 landline customers in February, the company ruled the market, with a 62.26 percent share
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13:02   How Caitlyn Jenner broke the Twitter record
Vanity Fair's 22-page cover story features stunning Annie Leibovitz photos of Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce, along with revealing new details. Here's a preview of the story.

That's the reason Jenner broke the world record for the fastest growing Twitter account.

After only two tweets, "Caitlyn Jenner" began trending on Twitter and her followers quickly rose past 1 million. The tweets revealed her new name and her Vanity Fair cover photo. She quickly broke the record in only four hours.


Read
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12:45   Uber molestation case: Accused driver arrested in Gurgaon
Uber molestation case: Accused driver arrested in Gurgaon. Six months after a rape in a Uber taxi that left Delhi in shock, another driver from the same service has been accused of molesting a woman.


The driver reportedly has a valid public service vehicle badge and commercial licence issued in Delhi.


The Gurgaon police on Monday evening received a complaint from the woman over an email, narrating the incident.


"In the complaint, the woman has alleged that she took an Uber cab from Pacific Mall in Delhi to Suncity in Gurgaon during which the incident took place', said Rajesh Kumar, ACP (crime).


The harassed woman further alleged that after she got off the cab around 10.40 pm, the accused driver forcibly kissed her hand, Kumar said. An FIR has been lodged at Sector 56 police station.


The accused driver has been identified as Vinod, aged between 40 and 45. He is a resident of Delhi and lives there with his wife and daughter.

According to police, the woman had gone to meet her friends in C-block of Suncity. Her friends are said to have witnessed the incident.


Police said when the car reached the destination, the driver too got off the cab and expressed his desire to shake hands with the woman passenger.


He wanted to shake hands with her and she offered her hand. He shook it and kissed it as well. However, when she tried to withdraw and pick up her bag, he tried to pull her towards him, an official said.
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12:41  
IT minister Ravishankar Prasad announces free roaming on BSNL soon. Free calls from landline to any network in Delhi, Mumbai from 9 pm to 7 am on MTNL phones.
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12:37  
Maggi Controversy: Muzaffarpur court orders FIR against brand ambassadors Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta. FIR also ordered against Nestle officials.
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12:31  
Firing in Hazaribagh court premises, three reportedly dead.
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12:27   Women, Dalits, disabled, discriminated against in Nepal quake relief: Amnesty
Aid in quake-hit Nepal is being hampered by gender, caste and ethnic discrimination, Amnesty International has said while cautioning the government and army against playing politics over relief efforts.


The rights organisation at a briefing in Kathmandu last night called on Nepalese authorities and the international community to put human rights at the core of the earthquake response.


An Amnesty International delegation that visited Nepal in the aftermath of the massive 7.9-magnitude April 25 earthquake found that groups who are often the target of discriminatory treatment in Nepal included women, dalits, indigenous people or people with disabilities. They are facing increased challenges when accessing urgently needed relief, it said.


"The devastating earthquake that hit Nepal has killed thousands and left hundreds of thousands in dire need of aid. Nepali and international actors -- including civil society -- have responded to this humanitarian crisis heroically, but there are some serious issues brewing that need to be addressed urgently," said Richard Bennett, Amnesty International's Asia Pacific Director.


"Survivors report that in some communities the aid effort has been politically manipulated. Those with 'muscle' -- political connections -- end up claiming desperately needed supplies meant for everyone," Amnesty said.
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12:16   Denying eggs to malnourished children is common in BJP-run states
A staggering 52% of children in Madhya Pradesh are malnourished but chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has flatly refused to provide them with a key source of protein they could use: eggs. He made his stand clear recently while turning down a proposal from the state's own Women and Child Development department to serve eggs on a pilot basis in the anganwadis of three tribal districts. Read more
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12:07   'If you excel, the very society that hated you will be in awe'
Manobi Bandyopadhyay, India's first transgender principal of a college, speaks of her struggles in a moving interview. Read
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12:05   Shocked to learn of the sinking of a cruise ship: PM
@PMOIndia tweets: Shocked to learn of the sinking of a cruise ship in the Yangtze River. I pray for the safety and well being of those on board: PM on Weibo.


At least 400 people, mostly the elderly, are missing after a ship capsized on the Yangtze river in southern China after being caught in a cyclone, with strong winds and heavy rains hindering the rescue efforts.
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12:00   'ACB Delhi functions under supervision of LG'
Following the Delhi government 'hiring' police officers from Bihar for the Anti Corruption Bureau, the Raj Niwas on Tuesday clarified that the anti-graft body functions under the 'authority, control and supervision' of Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, adding that it has not received any proposal for such a deputation.


"The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) Delhi, being a police station, functions under the authority, control and supervision of the Lt. Governor, a position that has also been clarified by the Ministry of Home Affairs, vide Notification No 1368 (E), dated May 21," a release from the Raj Niwas stated.


"The office of the Lt. Governor has so far not received any proposal for the deputation of such personnel from outside Delhi police. The matter will be duly examined as and when the Lt. Governor receives the formal proposal from the Vigilance department of Delhi government," it added.


The Delhi government has 'hired' six police officers for the ACB, with reports stating that one Deputy Superintendent of Police and five inspectors and sub-inspectors will be joining the body soon.
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11:49   Sensex tumbles 347 points as RBI turns cautious
The BSE Sensex fell sharply by about 350 points as RBI took a cautious stance on the economic recovery even as it cut policy rates by 25 basis points.


The RBI governor Raghuram Rajan said he has decided to front-load the monetary policy easing. "We felt it was better to front-load the rate cut and then wait for data even as there are mixed indicators of economic recovery and growth was subdued in investment and trading," he said.


The 30-share index, which gained 53.54 points in the opening trade, fell by 347.03 points or 1.24 per cent to 27,501.96 at 1130 hrs. The barometer had gained 342.28 points in the previous two sessions.


The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty dipped below the crucial 8,400-mark by plunging 93.5 points, or 1.11 per cent, to trade at 8,339.90 points. No change in Cash Reserve Ration (CRR) in its policy by the RBI also accelerated selling, they said.
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11:43   Key factors in RBI policy today
-- RBI cut the repo lending rate (the rate at which the RBI lends to banks) by 25 basis points to 7.25 per cent.
-- Global crude prices are a risk to inflation
-- FY16 GDP growth target cut to 7.6% from 7.8%
-- Volatility in external environment can affect inflation.
-- Today's policy is neither aggressive nor conservative. It is a "goldilocks" policy.
-- Banks have started passing through some of the past rate cuts, but should pass on the rate cut.
-- Mixed signs of recovery in the economy
-- Monsoon is the biggest uncertainty right now. A good monsoon will be important in keeping a lid on prices.
-- Impact of unseasonal rain moderate so far.
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11:30   Rajan nudges banks to cut lending rates again, will EMIs drop?
Today's rate cut is an attempt to ease the way for further investment to reduce medium term supply constraints, Rajan says. RBI hopes to announce one set of bank licencing by August end and says government action is clearly important on monsoon, so we need to wait and see how factors play out.
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11:30   Rajan nudges banks to cut lending rates again, will EMIs drop?
RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has asked banks to pass on the rate cut to customers. This mirrors his statement made on April 7, when he was severely critical of banks not passing interest rate cut to borrowers.

He had said it was "nonsense' to assume that cost of funds has not fallen and nudged them to reduce rates.He further said that sooner the banks cut rate the better it would be for the economy. He was referring to the reluctance of banks to pass on the benefit of 0.50 per cent rate cut announced by the central bank since January.


By evening, State Bank of India reduced its base rate by 15 bps, followed by private sector lender HDFC Bank. Other banks towed the line in few days. The new base rate now stands at 9.85 per cent and is effective from April 10. 
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11:12   RBI keeps CRR unchanged at 4 per cent
Rajan: Strong food policy management important to keep inflation and inflationary expectations under check in near term, but inflation expected to rise to 6 per cent by January 2016. RBI keeps CRR unchanged at 4 per cent. 
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11:06   Rockstar Rajan cuts repo rates for the third time in 2015
Just in: RBI cuts repo rate by 25 basis points to 7.25 per cent. Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan cut repo rates for the third time in 2015 to bolster economic growth, which continues to be sluggish despite an increase in GDP indicating a pick-up in the economy. Stock markets have already factored in a 25-basis point reduction in repo rate today.

The RBI said it has been decided to reduce policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility by 25 basis points. CRR of scheduled banks remains unchanged at 4.0 per cent of net demand and time liabilities.
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11:01   More trouble for Nestle: Larvae found in milk powder in TN
Nestle India's woes continued to escalate as dozens of live larvae were found in the company's baby milk powder in Tamil Nadu after its popular Maggi noodles were subjected to tests at several places in the country for reportedly containing very high levels of lead and monosodium glutamate.


The larvae were found by K Prem Ananth, a taxi driver from Coimbatore, when he bought the Nestle NAN PRO 3 milk powder for his twin babies. A report of the Food Analysis Laboratory in Coimbatore confirmed that the sample contained 28 live larvae and 22 rice weevils.


Maggi noodle sales have been hit hard ever since it was revealed that a sample tested for quality by a government agency about two weeks back contained monosodium glutamate and lead beyond permissible levels. The brand from Swiss foods major Nestle, which is synonymous with noodles in India, has therefore also witnessed a severe dent in its popularity and image.


Modern retailers say the impact could be in the range of 15-20% in large metros, but what makes matters worse for Nestle is that the general trade appears to be against stocking the brand given the decline in sales from regular consumers.

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10:57   Pakistan's Jamaat-e-Islami chief offers Rs 1 billion bounty on Modi
The chief of the hardline Jamaat-e-Islami party has announced a reward of Rs 1 billion to anyone who "arrests" Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Speaking at a gathering at Rawalakot in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Siraj-ul-Haq said India had not been able to arrest jihadi leaders like Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin even after offering a reward for him. "I want to say to Modi that you and your agents cannot arrest Salahuddin. And you say whoever will arrest Salahuddin, we will give him Rs 50 crore. I too say that whoever arrests Modi, we will give him Rs 1 arab (Rs 1 billion)," he said.
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10:32   Rafale deal: Former Air Chiefs say 36 jets not enough
Limiting the order for new generation Rafale fighters at 36 will play havoc with Indian Air Force's modernisation plans and the number will not be enough to plug capability gaps that are emerging in the air force as older aircraft retire, several retired officers including two air chiefs who were involved in the process of selecting the French aircraft said.  

The officers were reacting to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's assertion that the government will not purchase more than 36 Rafale fighter jets and will fill the remaining gaps with indigenous Light Combat Aircraft.

Read more HERE

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10:14   Maggi noodles are safe to eat: Nestle India
Under fire over Maggi issue, Nestle India said it has got tested samples of the noodle brand in an external laboratory as well as in-house and the product has been found "safe to eat" with lead levels within the permissible levels for consumption. 

The company was, however, silent on presence of the taste enhancer monosodium glutamate in the famous 'two-minute' noodle brand. 

"We have also submitted samples of Maggi Noodles from almost 600 product batches to an external laboratory for independent analysis and we tested samples from almost 1,000 batches at our accredited laboratory," the company said in a statement.
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09:30   Excitement peaks as Telangana turns 1 today
As Telangana completes one year of its formation today, the TRS government has planned massive week-long celebrations across the state to mark the occasion. Telangana came into existence on June 2 last year as India's 29th state after being carved out of Andhra Pradesh. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who also completes one year in office today, will kickstart the celebrations by paying tributes at the Martyrs Memorial at Gun Park in Hyderabad.
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09:18   3 reasons for PM Modi's visit to Israel
Israeli officials used to joke India treated their country as its "mistress". Though India has the most intimate of strategic relations with Israel, it has declined to acknowledge this in public. Narendra Modi's announced state visit to Israel, the first one by an Indian prime minister, is the missing piece in the bilateral relationship: a political exchange at the highest level.

Read more HERE
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09:04   Rahul Gandhi to visit Ambedkar's birthplace Mhow today
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi will be visiting Dr BR Ambedkar's birthplace Mhow today. He will inaugurate the party's year-round celebrations of the 125th birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar which is being seen as an attempt by it to reach out to the Dalit community. Mhow is the birthplace of Ambedkar while June 2 marks the centenary of Ambedkar's graduation from Columbia University in the USA.
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08:33   'Did I put my family in jeopardy?': Why NYT writer left Delhi
Rising air pollution in Delhi is a big worry for the government. New York Times journalist, Gardiner Harris, gives a harrowing ordeal between his career and the love for his children which forced him to leave Delhi as NYT's South Asian correspondent. In his blog post, Gardiner narrates an incident involving his 8-year old son, Bram, who soon developed respiratory difficulties which turned into asthma and the ordeal his family had to face even when they were prepared to handle everyday issues like, beggars, traffic, and the heat.

Read about his harrowing account HERE
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08:21   Sri Lanka captures 15 Indian fishermen, 3 boats
Sri Lanka's navy has captured 15 Indian fishermen and 3 boats between Talaimannar and Kachchatheevu. The capture comes amid talks between the two nations on the fishermen issue and their attempt to find short-term and long-term solutions.

Earlier on Sunday, the Sri Lankan government had expressed willingness to resolve the Indo-Lanka fishermen issue through bilateral talks with the Indian government. 
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08:06   Chinese ferry with 458 aboard sinks in storm
A cruise ship carrying more than 450 people capsized after being caught in a storm on the Yangtze River in southern China. The ship, identified as the Eastern Star, had been en route from Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province in eastern China, to Chongqing in southwest China, one of the country's largest cities. State media said the vessel carried 405 Chinese passengers, five travel agency workers and 47 crew members. "Eight people have been rescued," the agency said adding, "Rescue work is hampered by strong wind and heavy rain."
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04:25   Officials: US, Pakistani strikes kill 14 militants
Pakistani intelligence officials said a US drone strike killed four militants and Pakistani airstrikes killed another 10 in the North Waziristan tribal area bordering Afghanistan late today. 

Two intelligence officials say the drone fired missiles at a vehicle that was traveling from a militant hideout in the Shawal area toward the border.
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04:24   Obama: No military solution to Iran's nuclear program
US President Barack Obama has reached out to a skeptical Israeli public in an interview saying that only an agreement, not military action, can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. 

Obama said "I can, I think, demonstrate, not based on any hope but on facts and evidence and analysis, that the best way to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon is a verifiable, tough agreement."
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02:52   ISIS kills 34 Iraqi police with explosive-laden tank, officials say
At least 34 Iraqi police officers were killed and at least 48 more wounded Monday when an ISIS fighter drove a tank rigged with explosives into a joint Iraqi security forces base about 28 kilometres southwest of Samarra, two security officials told CNN.

The attack happened at 3 a.m. local time. A medical source at a Balad hospital confirmed the deaths and number of those injured. Security officials said that guards stationed at the base's entrance fired at the tank but couldn't stop it.
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02:23   US launches largest trial of precision medicine in cancer
The United States launched the largest clinical trial of its kind today aimed at studying targeted therapies for cancer based on the genetic traits of tumors, a field known as precision medicine. 

The US National Cancer Institute plans to enroll about 1,000 patients beginning in July, experts said at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago.
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02:07   Paris bridge's love locks are taken down
The padlocks that weigh heavily on the sides of the Pont des Arts tell stories dear to the lovers who affixed them to the celebrated bridge's iron grillwork.

And just as many romances melt away, now many of the locks will most likely suffer the same fate as the Paris city fathers try to preserve the bridge.

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01:31   Facebook death threat not grounds for conviction: US court
The US Supreme Court ruled today that a death threat posted on Facebook was not enough to convict its author unless there was explicit intent to cause harm. 

But the court took pains to make its ruling on statutory grounds rather than address the broader issue of whether such a statement is protected under First Amendment guarantees of free speech.
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00:35   Kerry flies home after cycling accident
US Secretary of State John Kerry today flew back home from Geneva with his orthopaedic surgeon on board, after the top American diplomat broke his right leg in a cycling accident in the French Alps. 

"A US military C-17 transport aircraft is taking him and his orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Dennis Burke back to Boston," said a statement released by the US Mission in Geneva.
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00:34   French minister: 2015 climate deal must avoid US Congress
The global climate agreement being negotiated this year must be worded in such a way that it doesn't require approval by the US Congress, the French foreign minister said today. 

Laurent Fabius told African delegates at UN climate talks in Bonn that "we know the politics in the US Whether we like it or not, if it comes to the Congress, they will refuse."

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