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Tue, 16 June 2015
Chidambaram tried to deport me but he did not succeed: Lalit Modi
Timeline Refresh
23:28
Indian Premier League governing council chairman Rajiv Shukla has denied any involvement and has said that he has not spoken to the former IPL chief in 3 years.
23:24
Now NCP chief Sharad Pawar is saying he tried to convince Lalit Modi to return to India.
23:22
Ashok Gehlot tweets: I have been raising the issue of nexus in corruption in between Vasundhara ji and Lalit Modi since 2003-04.This will be borne out from my speeches and statements at that time.If Vasundhara ji had paid heed to my warnings she would not have had to see the present day.
23:04 Chidambaram tried to deport me but he did not succeed: Lalit Modi
In his first ever interview since the controversy over his travel documents broke, the former Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi in an interview to Rajdeep Sardesai on India Today alleged that former Union Minister of Finance P Chidambaranm had tried to deport him but he did not succeed.
22:57
I have a family and legal relationship with the Sushma Swaraj family, it is a close relationship: Lalit Modi.
22:43 Modigate: Cong mounts fresh attack on PM, BJP
Opposition today mounted a fresh attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP as the Modigate controversy involving External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj took a new twist with surfacing of a document in which Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje allegedly backed the immigration plea of scam-tainted IPL chief Lalit Modi.
Alleging the hand of "entire BJP leadership" behind this "murky deal", Congress Communication Department Chairman Randip Surjewala said both Swaraj and Raje should be "sacked immediately".
Holding that Raje has no moral ground to continue in office, Surjewala demanded "immediate resignation" of the Chief Minister and added that the BJP was trying to defend an "indefensible case".
21:59 Militants kill policeman outside station in Kashmir
JUST IN: A policeman has been shot dead by militants in Anantnag in South Kashmir. The militants killed police official identified as Mohammed Arif outside the Bijbehara police station. He was evacuated to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. This is the fifth incident in a week when militants have opened fire in public spaces.
-- Mukhtar Ahmad/Rediff.com from Srinagar
21:58 Raje gave written statement in my support: Lalit Modi breaks silence
In his first ever interview since the controversy over his travel documents broke, the former Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi in an interview to Rajdeep Sardesai on India Today confirmed that the Rajasthan CM had provided a written document in his support to travel out of the UK. In fact, he said that Raje had also accompanied his wife to Portugal for her cancer treatment.
He further said that the Swaraj family has been family friends for over 20 years. When asked about the ED charges against him, a defiant Lalit Modi said, "I challenge the ED to prove even one charge against me."
21:16 Donald Trump enters 2016 US presidential race
Real estate mogul and television personality Donald Trump announced his 2016 presidential campaign. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am officially running for president of the United States and we are going to make our country great again!" Trump declared.
"Our country is in serious trouble. We don't have victories anymore. We used to have victories, but we don't have them. When was the last time anybody saw us beating, let's say China in a trade deal?' he asked his supporters to open his remarks. "I beat China all the time. All the time."
20:57 Don't know what documents you are talking about: Raje reacts to Lalit row
Vasundhara Raje finally broke her silence on the Lalit Modi row in which she allegedly backed the former IPL chief's UK immigration application on the condition that her support was not made known to Indian authorities.
Speaking to the media, she said, "Of course I know the family (Lalit Modi),but I don't know what documents you people are talking about."
20:52 UK to mark International Day of Yoga on the banks of Thames
The United Kingdom will organise a mega event on the banks of river Thames here to mark the first International Day of Yoga on June 21, with more than 30 India-focused cultural institutions celebrating the day across the country. The public event on Sunday will be held at Bernie-Spain Garden, on the South Bank of the Thames.
It will commence with the lighting of a lamp followed by speeches and exercises. It will also include a lecture titled Yoga -- The Way of Life by eminent ecologist and philosopher Satish Kumar.
20:30
PM Modi speaks to his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif to extend his best wishes for Ramzan, which starts on June 18. The PM also conveyed to Sharif his decision to release detained Pakistani fishermen on this pious occasion.
20:13 Cash-for-vote: Case against Telangana CM transferred to CID
The Andhra Pradesh government today transferred a criminal case lodged earlier against Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao by one of the accused in the cash-for-vote scam, allegedly involving a TDP MLA, to the Crime Investigation Department. The case registered here against the Telangana CM last week was today transferred to the CID on the directions of the state government, a senior police officer said.
The case under various sections of IPC, including criminal intimidation, was lodged against Rao by Jerusalem Muthaiah, one of the accused in the cash-for-vote case, at the Satyanarayanapuram police station under the Vijayawada police commissionerate.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu held meetings with senior police officials on this issue at Hyderabad today, the officer said.
The case under various sections of IPC, including criminal intimidation, was lodged against Rao by Jerusalem Muthaiah, one of the accused in the cash-for-vote case, at the Satyanarayanapuram police station under the Vijayawada police commissionerate.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu held meetings with senior police officials on this issue at Hyderabad today, the officer said.
20:11 Gujarat to celebrate World Yoga Day at over 29K locations
The Gujarat government today said the upcoming World Yoga Day on June 21 will be celebrated at more than 29,000 locations across the state.
State level event will be held at GMDC ground here and will be attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and Governor O P Kohli, Education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama said.
"The state government will celebrate this event at more than 29,000 locations across the state," he told reporters.
"Apart from this state level event here, each 33 district will organise one main event in their area. We have already designated places for each of these districts. Apart from these main events, Yoga Day will be celebrated in many other places, such as public gardens and school grounds" said Chudasama, who is the chairman of the organising committee for the event. He further said it is not mandatory for anyone to participate in the event. He also clarified that participants need not follow any particular dress code to perform Yoga at these events.
"The participants will be mostly common citizens. There is no compulsion to take part in the event. We have also roped in government and private schools, colleges and universities along with several other religious and social organisations to maximise participation," the minister said.
As per the plan, Yoga, including prayer and meditation, will be performed at all these designated centres across the state at 7 am on June 21.
State level event will be held at GMDC ground here and will be attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and Governor O P Kohli, Education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama said.
"The state government will celebrate this event at more than 29,000 locations across the state," he told reporters.
"Apart from this state level event here, each 33 district will organise one main event in their area. We have already designated places for each of these districts. Apart from these main events, Yoga Day will be celebrated in many other places, such as public gardens and school grounds" said Chudasama, who is the chairman of the organising committee for the event. He further said it is not mandatory for anyone to participate in the event. He also clarified that participants need not follow any particular dress code to perform Yoga at these events.
"The participants will be mostly common citizens. There is no compulsion to take part in the event. We have also roped in government and private schools, colleges and universities along with several other religious and social organisations to maximise participation," the minister said.
As per the plan, Yoga, including prayer and meditation, will be performed at all these designated centres across the state at 7 am on June 21.
19:59 Maharashtra to get anti-spitting law
Maharashtra will soon get a new anti-spitting law. Those found spitting will face heavy fines and compulsory community service, The Hindustan Times reports.
19:29 Now, UP food regulators find detergent in Mother Dairy milk sample
The Uttar Pradesh Food and Drug Administration today said it has found detergent in one of the samples of Mother Dairy's milk packets, a claim contested by the Delhi-based company.
"Results showed that the samples were sub-standard and one of the two contained detergent," UP FDA official in Agra, Ram Naresh Yadav, told PTI.
The samples had been picked up from Mother Dairy's collection centres in Bah in November 2014. "The samples were first sent to Lucknow and later to Kolkata on the demand of the company," Yadav said.
Mother Dairy, however, has categorically denied any adulteration of milk it supplies in pouches. S
andeep Ghosh, the head of Milk, Fruits and Vegetables Section at Mother Dairy in Delhi, said, "Mother Dairy milk undergoes four levels of thorough testing at various levels -- input, processing, dispatches and even at market level."
Every tanker of milk reaching at plants passes a series of 23 stringent quality tests to check any deviation from defined parameters. These tests assist in detecting contamination of milk through water, urea, detergent, oil, etc, he said.
"Results showed that the samples were sub-standard and one of the two contained detergent," UP FDA official in Agra, Ram Naresh Yadav, told PTI.
The samples had been picked up from Mother Dairy's collection centres in Bah in November 2014. "The samples were first sent to Lucknow and later to Kolkata on the demand of the company," Yadav said.
Mother Dairy, however, has categorically denied any adulteration of milk it supplies in pouches. S
andeep Ghosh, the head of Milk, Fruits and Vegetables Section at Mother Dairy in Delhi, said, "Mother Dairy milk undergoes four levels of thorough testing at various levels -- input, processing, dispatches and even at market level."
Every tanker of milk reaching at plants passes a series of 23 stringent quality tests to check any deviation from defined parameters. These tests assist in detecting contamination of milk through water, urea, detergent, oil, etc, he said.
19:24
@IndiaToday tweets: Coming up shortly: WORLD EXCLUSIVE with Lalit Modi as he speaks to Rajdeep Sardesai for the first time since the controversy with Sushma Swaraj broke.
You may not want to miss this one.
You may not want to miss this one.
19:13 Vasundhara Raje supported Lalit Modi's immigration plea in 2011
After External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is now in trouble in the Lalit Modi visa row. In a new twist to the controversy, Raje had in August 2011 backed the former IPL chief's UK immigration application on the condition that her support was not made known to Indian authorities.
Vasundhara's witness statement said that the letter was part of the documents that were mailed to news channels on Monday night by a PR firm engaged by Lalit Modi's lawyer Mehmood Abdi, reports The Times of India.
Read the full report here
Vasundhara's witness statement said that the letter was part of the documents that were mailed to news channels on Monday night by a PR firm engaged by Lalit Modi's lawyer Mehmood Abdi, reports The Times of India.
Read the full report here
18:52 Maggi crisis: Around 1,500 workers hit in India
Around 1,500 workers involved in manufacturing of Maggi in India have been 'impacted' by the stoppage of production after ban of the instant noodles brand.
Besides, suppliers have also been hit by the Maggi ban and Nestle India's largest supplier of spices, Moga-based Paras Spices Ltd, has already ended services of "some workers" out of the 200 temporary employees it has.
Nestle India hasn't fired any of its permanent workers yet and is engaging them in different activities but it hasn't taken a long-term view on their future in case the ban on Maggi prolongs.
"We have 115 workers who have been working on the Maggi line here at the Moga plant. After the stoppage of Maggi production, we have redeployed some of them to other units, while we are engaging others in training activities and team building exercise," Nestle India Factory Manager (Moga) Satish Srinivasan said. He said none of the permanent workers involved in manufacturing of Maggi at the Moga plant have been retrenched.
According to a senior company official, Nestle India has about 1,500 permanent workers who were directly involved in Maggi production across five plants in India. "They have also been redeployed, engaged in other activities and are in a way impacted," the official said, however, adding that there has been no job cuts.
Besides, suppliers have also been hit by the Maggi ban and Nestle India's largest supplier of spices, Moga-based Paras Spices Ltd, has already ended services of "some workers" out of the 200 temporary employees it has.
Nestle India hasn't fired any of its permanent workers yet and is engaging them in different activities but it hasn't taken a long-term view on their future in case the ban on Maggi prolongs.
"We have 115 workers who have been working on the Maggi line here at the Moga plant. After the stoppage of Maggi production, we have redeployed some of them to other units, while we are engaging others in training activities and team building exercise," Nestle India Factory Manager (Moga) Satish Srinivasan said. He said none of the permanent workers involved in manufacturing of Maggi at the Moga plant have been retrenched.
According to a senior company official, Nestle India has about 1,500 permanent workers who were directly involved in Maggi production across five plants in India. "They have also been redeployed, engaged in other activities and are in a way impacted," the official said, however, adding that there has been no job cuts.
18:45 Delhi's Stephen's announces first cut-off list; English highest at 99%
Delhi University's prestigious St Stephen's College today announced its first cut-off list for admissions to the 2015-16 academic session with the highest requirement being for English honours at 99 per cent.
The cut-off for a seat in the Stephen's English Honours class works out to 99 per cent for Commerce, 97.75 per cent for Science and 97.50 per cent for humanities, the highest for any of the subjects on offer at the college. For Economics, the cut-off is at 98.50 per cent for commerce, 97.50 per cent for science and 97 per cent for humanities.
For history, BA Pass, mathematics, Sanskrit and philosophy, the cut-offs are 98, 96.50, 97.25, 75 and 96.75 per cent, respectively. Last year, the cut-offs for English and Economics were the highest at 97.25 for science students, 98 for commerce students and 97 per cent for humanities.
The college this year has received a record 32,100 applications for the 400 seats which are up for grabs. Stephen's offers Honours courses in economics, English, history, philosophy, Sanskrit, mathematics, chemistry along with the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science pass courses.
"We have received the maximum applications this year. While 27,000 candidates had applied in 2013, this year's figure is the highest in the college's history," said Stephen's spokesperson Karen Gabriel.
The cut-off for a seat in the Stephen's English Honours class works out to 99 per cent for Commerce, 97.75 per cent for Science and 97.50 per cent for humanities, the highest for any of the subjects on offer at the college. For Economics, the cut-off is at 98.50 per cent for commerce, 97.50 per cent for science and 97 per cent for humanities.
For history, BA Pass, mathematics, Sanskrit and philosophy, the cut-offs are 98, 96.50, 97.25, 75 and 96.75 per cent, respectively. Last year, the cut-offs for English and Economics were the highest at 97.25 for science students, 98 for commerce students and 97 per cent for humanities.
The college this year has received a record 32,100 applications for the 400 seats which are up for grabs. Stephen's offers Honours courses in economics, English, history, philosophy, Sanskrit, mathematics, chemistry along with the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science pass courses.
"We have received the maximum applications this year. While 27,000 candidates had applied in 2013, this year's figure is the highest in the college's history," said Stephen's spokesperson Karen Gabriel.
18:19 Egypt court upholds death sentence for ousted president Morsi
An Egyptian court has confirmed a death sentence handed to ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi over a mass prison break during the 2011 uprising that eventually brought him to power.
Judge Shaaban al-Shami confirmed the ruling Tuesday after consulting with the country's religious authority as required by Egyptian law in cases involving the death penalty. The religious authority issues non-binding opinions on such sentences.
18:16 Al-Qaeda confirms top commander killed in US strike
Al-Qaeda today confirmed that its second-in-command, the chief of its powerful Yemeni branch, was killed in a US drone strike, in the heaviest blow to the jihadist network since the death of Osama bin Laden.
Already struggling with the rise of rival jihadists from the Islamic State group, Al-Qaeda has suffered a series of setbacks in recent months with several commanders reported killed.
18:14
Significant improvement in J&K security situation, 25 per cent decline in terrorism-related incidents in the state, says Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
18:13
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Home Minister Rajnath Singh met for over an hour at Singh's chamber before the Jaitley-Singh press conference this afternoon.
18:12 Al-Qaeda confirms top commander killed in US strike
Al-Qaeda today confirmed that its second-in-command, the chief of its powerful Yemeni branch, was killed in a US drone strike, in the heaviest blow to the jihadist network since the death of Osama bin Laden.
Already struggling with the rise of rival jihadists from the Islamic State group, Al-Qaeda has suffered a series of setbacks in recent months with several commanders reported killed.
18:10 Journo killing: High Court seeks status report from UP
The Allahabad High Court today directed the Uttar Pradesh government to file a status report within one week in the murder of a journalist in Shahjahanpur, in which a SP minister and five others have been booked.
The court asked government counsel to inform it about the stage of investigation by June 24 along with their objections raised during course of hearing the matter.
17:38 Allegations against Sushma Swaraj are baseless: Jaitley
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in a press conference in New Delhi supported External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
He said the government supports the decisions taken by its ministers and the allegations against Swaraj were baseless.
"Government is responsible for the decisions of its ministers," says Jaitley.
"Sushma Swaraj acted in bonafide way in helping Lalit Modi"
"ED actions against Lalit Modi are of quasi judicial nature and it is discharging those functions."
17:11 J&K floods: PM has announced Rs 1000 cr additional relief
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Home Minister Rajnath Singh are addressing a press conference in New Delhi.
Rajnath Singh on flood ravaged J&K:
PM Modi had also monitored the situation then and Rs 762 crore additional amount was given. Modi has announced for a relief of Rs. 1000 crore as additional amount for the people of Jammu and Kashmir We're providing an additional ex-gratia relief of Rs. 500 crore and Rs. 1000 crore for restoration of damaged structures.
17:00 A green wearing white?
Could Pope Francis become the world's foremost campaigner on global warming? That is certainly the fondest hope (or in a few cases the darkest fear) of a lot of people who are closely involved in deliberations over the planet's future.
Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, met the pontiff today and shared his mounting concern over the outcome of the Paris summit on climate change in December which is widely seen as the last opportunity for a global deal to manage carbon emissions and set some limit to rising temperatures.
Read more here
16:23 Now, weevils and fungus found in Nestle's baby food
In fresh trouble for Nestle India, which is already in the dock over Maggi controversy, weevils and fungus have been found in a pack of Cerelac baby cereal in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.
The contaminants were found in a container of Cerelac, following which the samples were sent to food safety authorities for testing, the result of which is expected in one week time.
Coimbatore resident Sriram had bought the Cerelac pack for his baby a few days back and was shocked to find it contaminated.
What's more shocking was the fact that the packet had 2016 as the expiry date of the cereal.
It is yet to be ascertained if the contamination was in just one packet or the whole batch of the product.
16:18 Damian Lewis tipped to replace Craig as James Bond
So who will replace Daniel Craig as James Bond? Going by the rumours doing the rounds, bookies have slashed the odds on Homeland actor Damian Lewis taking up the iconic role.
Following a string of bets, William Hill is now offering 3/1 odds on Lewis playing Bond -- down from 25/1 -- as Craig is widely thought to be stepping down after Spectre hits screens, the Independent reported.
This means Lewis is now second only to The Wire star Idris Elba, whose odds currently stand at 5/2. If Elba secures the role, he will become the first black actor to play Bond, the report added.
Last year, the 42-year-old posted a selfie on Twitter captioned 007 is supposed to be handsome? Glad you think Ive got a shot! to his 1.39million followers.
Read more HERE
15:55 Mithun surrenders Rs 1.2 cr received from Saradha to ED
Trinamool Congress MP and actor Mithun Chakraborty today surrendered to Enforcement Directorate (ED) an amount of about Rs 1.2 crore that he had received from scam-hit Saradha group of companies for being its brand ambassador.
Sources said a team of lawyers and other representatives of the actor reached the probe agency's office at Salt Lake in Kolkata and handed over a Demand Draft (DD) to the investigating officer (IO) of the case.
"This was part of Chakraborty's earlier commitment that he would return the funds that he had received from the group. The DD has been given to the IO of the Saradha scam probe case," sources said.
They added that the agency is satisfied with the said action and the statement recorded by the actor-politician regarding his role in the operations of the group, which has now become defunct in the wake of allegations against it of perpetrating a large-scale chit-fund scam in West Bengal and other states.
15:20 Mt Everest moved 3 cm after Nepal earthquake
Mt Everest moved three cms during the recent devastating earthquakes in Nepal but contrary to earlier reports the height of world's tallest mountain has not been affected, Chinese official monitoring agency said on Tuesday.
Mt Qomolangma, the Tibetan/Chinese name for Mt Everest, has moved 40 cms to the northeast over the past ten years, including three cms during the April 25 and May 12 quakes, China's National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation said.
Observers with the department, which has monitoring equipment on the mountain, found that Mt Everest shifted three cms after the devastating earthquake, while the height of the world's tallest mountain at 8,848 metre was left unaffected, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
This is contrary to reports by Europe's Sentinel-1A radar satellite that world's tallest peak may have shrank about 2.5 cm after the quake.
The first good view from a satellite in the aftermath of Nepal's deadly earthquake showed that a broad swath of ground near Kathmandu lifted vertically, by about one metre causing severe damage to the city, Live Science reported last month.
15:14 FTII row: Stalemate continues, students unrelenting
The stalemate over the appointment of TV actor and BJP member Gajendra Chauhan as chairman of FTII's governing council continued as the students' strike to protest against the government's decision entered its fifth day today.
Nearly 150 students of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) boycotted classes and continued their protest on the campus raising slogans against Chauhan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and put up posters on walls and buildings in the
premises.
The FTII students' association had sent a communication to Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley yesterday on their demands through FTII Director D Narain, after failing to get a positive response from the ministry even after four days of agitation.
"We are yet to hear anything from the government's side on the issue so far. The protest will continue till our demands are met," FTII students' association representative Rakesh Shukla said today.
14:29 Why is PM quiet of Sushma-Lalit Modi controversy: Congress
Mounting pressure on the Narendra Modi government to sack Sushma Swaraj for facilitating travel documents of former IPL chief Lalit Modi, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma on Tuesday said that what the external affairs minister did was unwarranted.
Addressing a press conference, Sharma said the actions of the government of India and the external affairs minister were "unwarranted" and sought to know why concessions were made to facilitate Lalit Modi's travel to Portugal.
"When there were no specific queries from the authorities in the UK, why did the GoI made this unacceptable concession," the Congress leader asked.
Sharma rubbished the claim that the concession was made on humanitarian grounds.
"There was no invasive surgery (for Lalit Modi's wife) for which the emergency travel documents were required," Sharma said, adding it's a false claim that this was done on humanitarian grounds.
"Lalit Modi was holidaying in a place called Ibiza when the passport was restored. But the Indian government did not appeal," Sharma said, adding "this person for whom humanitarian empathy was invoked was holidaying in various countries despite declaring bankruptcy".
Arguing that Lalit Modi should have been extradited and prosecuted, Sharma said, "We have to ask PM Narendra Modi directly, why is he quiet? Can there be different set of rules when you talk of probity?"
Can there be one set of rules for UPA ministers and another for his ministers? Narendra Modi had himself pressed for resignations of UPA ministers even if there was a shadow of doubt, Sharma added.
"These are all friends of Lalit Modi, they are protecting him. They are hiding facts. PM Modi must answer."
14:23 250,000 children starving in South Sudan: UN
A quarter of a million children face starvation in war-torn South Sudan, with an end to the 18-month conflict as distant as ever, the expelled UN aid chief warned today.
"Six months ago, we thought that violence and suffering had peaked and that peace was on the horizon. We were wrong," said Toby Lanzer, who was barred from the country earlier this month after warning of economic meltdown.
"Political intransigence left peace ever more distant; war raged on and is leading to economic collapse."
Civil war began in December 2013 when President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of planning a coup, setting off a cycle of retaliatory killings across the country that has split the poverty-stricken, landlocked country along ethnic lines. It has been characterised by ethnic massacres, rape and the use of child soldiers.
"In half of the country, one in three children are acutely malnourished and 250,000 children face starvation," Lanzer added, in a report urging donors to contribute to a $1.63 billion aid appeal, saying South Sudan ranked "lower in terms of human development than just about every other place on earth."
14:04 Our weapons are not meant for decoration: Pak warns India
Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that the country will respond in a befitting manner if forced into a war by India.
While noting that "our arms are not meant for decoration," the minister said, "If need be, we will use them against India."
According to the Dawn, Asif dubbed the recent spate of provocative comments made by Indian ministers as a move aimed at distracting Pakistan from the war on terror. He also accused India of promoting terrorism in the Islamic Republic.
The defence minister said that Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had brought the recent hostile statements made by India to the United Nations' notice when he met Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Dushanbe.
13:12 'Frustrated' Congress raising a 'non-issue': BJP on Swaraj row
Hitting back at Congress over the Lalit Modi travel documents row, BJP today said the opposition party was "frustrated" and had shown its "complete bankruptcy" by using a "non-issue" to target External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Referring to Congress releasing photos showing Lalit Modi with Swaraj besides Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP Chief Amit Shah, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said the picture was five years old when Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat and also the head of the state cricket association with Shah being his deputy in the board.
Terming as "baseless" the charges against Swaraj, he said that Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son and vice-president Rahul Gandhi have been clicked "practically with all coal scam accused, 2G (spectrum allocation) scam accused and Aircel-Maxis scam accused," besides those accused of CWG scam.
"They (Congress) are bereft of ideas. They want to make a non-issue an issue which will never become an issue... it shows the complete bankruptcy of Congress," Javadekar told reporters here at the airport.
"Congress has lost the plot and is frustrated because people of the ocuntry have reposed their faith in Modi government and Congress cannot digest this," he said.
12:23 MEA, finance ministry speaking in differing voices on Lalit Modi: Senior advocate
The external affairs ministry and the finance ministry are speaking in differing voices with respect to the controversy surrounding former IPL chairman Lalit Modi, senior advocate Sanjay Hegde said on Tuesday.
"The government of India is one entity and the MEA and the finance ministry are part of that. They must not take different stances. However, while the finance ministry was securing Lalit Modi's return to India, [External Affairs] Minister Sushma Swaraj requested Britain to give him travel documents. Those are two voices," Hegde told ANI.
"Humanitarian grounds cannot be used as a cloak to shield a host of decisions. The travel document was not restricted for a time and place," he added.
Swaraj on Sunday had said she had taken a humanitarian view of Lalit Modi's case since his wife was suffering from cancer.
She further said that British MP Keith Vaz had spoken to her on the same, adding she believes that giving an Indian citizen 'emergency travel documents' cannot spoil relations between India and the UK.
Vaz, who is facing an inquiry in the UK over the role he played in Modi receiving his travel papers, said that he had checked with the Indian Government before taking any action and added that he had received a 'no objection' from New Delhi.
12:13 Stung Sushma stays mum on Lalit Modi visa row developments
India Today reports: Stung by a raging row over her help to tainted former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday flagged off the annual Mansarovar Yatra at an event in New Delhi where she refused to speak at all on the controversy.
At 10.30 am, Sushma arrived at the Jawahar Bhawan and spoke for seven minutes, carefully refusing to address the issue which has put the NDA government on the mat and the opposition Congress demanding her resignation.
On Monday, the BJP insiders told Mail Today, on condition of anonymity, that there is a growing sense of damage from the Lalit Modi episode, coming as it did before the monsoon session in Parliament and the Bihar elections.
11:59 SBI bank not for $ 1 bn loan to Adani's Aus project
'Seven months after India's largest bank signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a corporate conglomerate, a big question mark hangs over whether the State Bank of India will advance a first-of-its kind loan of $1 billion or over Rs 6,200 crore to a group headed by Gautam Adani to part-finance what is supposed to become Australia's biggest coal mining project (and one of the world's biggest as well),' writes senior journalist and Rediff contributor Paranjoy Guha Thakurta in the Asian Age.
The reason for the bank's opposition, Thakurta writes, is that 'the project '" which includes building a railway line and redeveloping a port '" could damage the fragile ecology of the Great Barrier Reef, one of the great wonders of the world and the planet's single-biggest natural structure made by living organisms'.
He goes on to conclude: 'What is good for India should be good for the rest of the world. At least, that is the logic of those in the SBI who are opposing the bank sanctioning a loan for the Adani group.'
You can read the full article here.
11:57 Sushma-Lalit Modi row: Ex-Foreign Secy Sujatha Singh gives Oppn more ammo
NDTV reports: A massive row over Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj helping Lalit Modi, the controversial former chief of the Indian Premier League, obtain British travel documents, threatened to escalate on Tuesday as it emerged that a top foreign ministry official was apparently kept in the dark.
Sujatha Singh, who was foreign secretary at the time Lalit Modi got emergency travel documents in July last year, has indicated to NDTV that she was not consulted.
"I have no idea about this case. I don't recall a single paper related to this," said Singh, who was asked to quit in January this year, five months before her tenure was to end.
Her comment could give more ammo to opposition parties like the Congress, who allege that the foreign minister went out of her way to facilitate Lalit Modi, under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate for corruption linked to the multi-billion dollar cricket league.
11:28 Fake degree: Court allows Tomar to withdraw his bail plea
A sessions judge in Delhi has allowed ex-Delhi Law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar to withdraw his bail plea with liberty to file it afresh before court concerned after his four-day remand period is over.
Metropolitan Magistrate Preeti Parewa had on Monday extended by four more days the police custody of Tomar after investigators said he needed to be taken to Bundelkhand University to ascertain facts about his allegedly "fabricated" migration certificate.
The police claimed that every time they visit a new place, "new documents" surface so they need to tally specimen as well as admitted signatures of Tomar and the university officials on the educational certificates.
Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava said that last two days of the police custody were second Saturday and Sunday and it not did serve any purpose during their probe as the colleges were closed.
"We have to take him (Tomar) to Bundelkhand University, the place which we have not visited yet, as the fabricated migration certificate of BSc was issued from that university and it was submitted to Tilka Manjhi University, Bhagalpur, from where Tomar had alleged pursued his LLB degree," he said.
"The migration certificate of BSc issued by Bundelkhand University was of the year 2001 while Tomar had allegedly done his LLB first year in 1995. We need to ascertain this fact and requires his presence over there during the investigation," Shrivastava said, adding, "Tomar needs to be confronted with the teachers and his batch mates."
11:23 Lalit Modi row: Sushma offered to quit but RSS wanted her to continue
India Today reports: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj offered to resign almost a week before the controversy broke out over her help to former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi in getting travel documents on "humanitarian ground", but her offer was rejected on the intervention of the RSS, informed sources said.
The sources said the news channel that on Sunday read out e-mails of a British MP concerning travel documents for Modi, had sent an e-mail to Sushma Swaraj almost a week before, seeking her response on the issue.
Soon after that she met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and informed him of the matter in detail, a highly placed source said.
Read more HERE
11:07 Rahul begins foot-march with Chhattisgarh farmers
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday began his padyatra with farmers and workers from Saradih village in Janjgir-Champa district of Chhattisgarh.
The state government here is building seven barrages on the Mahanadi river, including at the Saradih, Biraoni, Kalma and Basantpur villages, to supply water to over 40 power plants proposed to come up in the predominantly agricultural district.
Gandhi had earlier met villagers affected by coal mining, power projects and wild elephants menace.
10:56 Negative economic data reported for May
Just In: Here are some not too bright economic data that was released on Tuesday.
India's exports contract 20.19 per cent, to US $ 22.3 bn in May 2015.
Trade deficit narrows to US $ 10.4 bn in May against US $ 11.2 bn in the same month a year ago.
Gold imports up by 10.4 pc, to US $ 2.42 bn in May.
More details soon.
10:23 Sanjay Dutt applies for parole yet again?
Zee News reports: Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt has reportedly applied for a parole once again. Son of late actor-politician Sunil Dutt, Sanjay, is serving is remaining 42-month jail term in Punes Yerwada Jail since May 2013.
He has apparently applied for a 30-day parole to the divisional commissioner. Reports suggest that senior officials have confirmed the parole application and the request is apparently under process.
Brother of politician Priya Dutt, Sanjay returned to jail after being granted furlough.
Dutt was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment by the Supreme Court for illegal possession of arms in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.
09:51 Jaguar fighter jet crashes near Allahabad, pilots safe
An Indian Air Force Jaguar fighter aircraft crashed nearly 18 kilometers away from Allahabad on Tuesday.
The pilots reportedly managed to eject safely before the aircraft crashed.
The cause of the crash is yet to be determined and a court of enquiry has been ordered by the IAF.
More details are awaited.
09:28 Mumbai: 100 state transport buses to offset June 17 auto strike
Around 100 state transport buses, along with BEST buses, will be pressed into service on Wednesday to offset the effects of the auto strike.
ST buses at the Mumbai Central depot will offer services till Panvel, Borivli and Thane from Dadar, Churchgate and Mumbai Central.
Buses from Parel, Kurla and Thane will operate on the Dadar-Borivli, Kurla-Thane, Thane-Mumbai Central and Thane-Dadar routes.
To avoid the disruptive effect of strikes on commuters in the future, the ST is planning to buy double-deckers.
State transport minister Diwakar Raote says the plan is being discussed at the administrative level.
09:03 Lalit Modi visa row: Space shrinks for Sushma in BJP
Mail Today reports: Sushma Swaraj is on slippery ground. BJP insiders have told Mail Today, on condition of anonymity, that there is a growing sense of damage from the Lalit Modi episode, coming as it did before the monsoon session in Parliament and the Bihar polls.
Though the government and the saffron party might have publicly supported Sushma, the space seems to be shrinking for India's external affairs minister as the Enforcement Directorate moves to tighten its noose around former IPL chairman Lalit Modi.
"PM Narendra Modi has always talked about transparency in the government. Given the fact that he had extensively raised the issue of corruption of the previous UPA regime during his poll campaigns, it would be difficult to go on the defensive," said a top BJP leader.
Read More HERE
08:56 Sexual harassment, rape charges rock Greenpeace India
Already mired in controversy, Greenpeace India on tendered an unconditional apology for the way it handled an alleged sexual harassment case of one of its ex-employees and said it is investigating the matter.
The statement comes after one of its ex-employees wrote an article which was published on a web forum last week alleging sexual harassment and also rape by colleagues at Greenpeace India.
"Greenpeace India reiterates its unconditional apology for the way it responded to the sexual harassment of one of our colleagues. We did not do justice to her complaint (or others) and we hope to right these failings in future.
"We are investigating what happened and will ensure these wrongs are made right...Greenpeace International will also be working closely with the Board and leadership of Greenpeace India in taking concrete measures to ensure that the organisation is able to deal with these cases effectively, moving forward," it said in a statement.
08:55 Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas Trust's crucial meeting on Ayodhya temple today
The Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas Trust will hold a crucial meeting in Ayodhya on Tuesday in which important decisions regarding the construction of Ram temple will be taken.
The meeting will be held at the Mani Ram Das Chawni temple, adjacent to the Babri Masjid premises, former BJP MP and senior member of the Nyas, Ram Vilas Vedanti had said on Monday.
Some 'important' decisions will be taken on the construction of Ram temple, he had said in a statement.
He added that the Centre has shown no positive signals regarding the temple's construction.
Senior VHP leaders including - Ashok Singhal, Pravin Togadia, Nyas president Mahant Nritya Gopal Das - expected to attend the meeting.
The local administration has issued alert and deployed security forces at vital points in the twin towns of Ayodhya and Faizabad.
08:54 FIR filed against Rajinikanth's wife in Bengaluru
An FIR has been lodged against Latha Rajinikanth, wife of superstar Rajinikanth, in connection with the veracity of a document submitted by her for securing an injunction order, the city police official said on Monday.
A lawyer for Rajinikanth's wife, however, dismissed the charge and warned of legal action against the party that had filed the complaint.
"The court has referred the matter to the jurisdictional police station which is Ulsoor Gate police station, where a case has been registered. We will investigate it under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 420," said Police Commissioner M N Reddi.
Read more HERE
04:08 Google on Apple: The end is near
The chat room and social network religious wars between Apple and Google demand that you take sides. But I've always felt that the best experience includes a cherry-picking of Apple hardware, Google services and apps from both.
Read this article HERE
02:26 It's official: Jeb Bush is officially running for president
Jeb Bush announced his 2016 candidacy for President of the United States of America. Below are his remarks, as prepared for delivery.
Read the full text of his announcement HERE
02:26 Suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers kill 27 in Chad
Suspected Islamist suicide bombers killed at least 27 people in the Chadian capital N'Djamena on Monday in what appeared to be retaliation by Nigerian militant group Boko Haram for Chad's leading role in a regional offensive against it.
Read this story HERE
01:36 Are these photographs really 102 years old?
Photographs of a girl in a red dress from 1913 have a stunning modern feel to them, despite dating back to the dawn of color photography. Browse through the gallery to see all the images.
See them HERE
01:36 Are these photographs really 102 years old?
Photographs of a girl in a red dress from 1913 have a stunning modern feel to them, despite dating back to the dawn of color photography. Browse through the gallery to see all the images.
See them HERE
01:10 This is the man US wants to kill
The reported killing of veteran Al Qaeda figure Mokhtar Belmokhtar in a U.S. airstrike in Libya represents an extraordinary intelligence achievement against one of the most elusive and powerful jihadists in North Africa.According to the Libyan interim government, Belmokhtar was killed in eastern Libya in an airstrike Saturday.
In a statement issued late Sunday, the government said the strike targeted Belmokhtar "and a group of Libyans who are members of a terrorist organization in Eastern Libya." It said the operation "took place after consultations with the Libyan government."
Read this story HERE
00:39 7 red sander 'smugglers' held; vehicles, 30 logs seized in AP
The police today arrested seven alleged smugglers and seized 30 red sander logs besides three vehicles from them in two separate incidents.
The arrests and seizures were made this morning near Kamalapuram on Ballari-Tirupathi highway and at Sugali Bidiki on Kurnool-Chittoor National Highway, said Kadapa district Superintendent of Police G Ashok Kumar.
Talking to media persons here, he said based on specific inputs, a Special Task Force team chased and nabbed Amarendra Raju, D V S Prasad and N Venkataramana, all suspected red sander smugglers, and seized a Scorpio car and 20 logs of the precious wood.
00:13 International Energy Agency warns of 4.3C jump from climate change
The International Energy Agency on Monday warned temperatures could jump by as much as 4.3 degrees Celsius by the end of the century and urged countries to improve their pledges on reducing emissions.
In a report ahead of a climate change conference in Paris this year, the IEA said more should be done to reach the goal of keeping the increase in average global temperature below 2C.
Current pledges "will have a positive impact on future energy trends but will fall short of the major course correction required to meet the 2C goal", said the report, which was presented in London.
Instead it estimated there would be an average temperature increase globally of around 2.6C by 2100 and said the rise could be higher at 4.3C for countries in the northern hemisphere.
Read full story HERE.
00:12 Dozens of US companies bet on nuclear power to fight climate change
The Pentagon's top arms provider and firms partly funded by Silicon Valley billionaires Bill Gates and Paul Allen are among dozens of companies collectively betting more than US$1.3 billion (S$1.75 billion) that a new wave of nuclear power can be a force to fight climate change.
Advanced nuclear power plants, which will employ techniques such as using fuels other than uranium and coolants other than water, have attracted private investments from more than 40 companies from Florida to Washington state, the Third Way think tank says in the first report specifying the number of firms and total money invested in the technologies.
The reactors, which could come into development in 10 to 15 years, can help curb US carbon emissions and make investments in electricity generation less costly, researchers at Washington, DC-based Third Way said in a report and to be released as soon as Monday.
00:09 Why we still need Magna Carta
The catalyst for Magna Carta was the tyrannical rule of King John and, in particular, his imposition of arbitrary taxes upon the barons. The sealing of Magna Carta marked the first time that the notion that an unelected sovereign should be restrained under law was officially recognized. From then on, the idea that citizens should not be subjected to the arbitrary rule of a tyrannical monarch but instead be ruled and governed upon foundations of accepted legal process and law had a legal foundation.
This was, in essence, an evolution of the Aristotlean idea of the supremacy of law in preference to the supremacy of man. Such a concept is today known as the rule of law and Magna Carta is widely accepted as being the birth of such rule in the UK constitution. So, a big moment.
Of course, understandings of the rule of law have altered and developed from that determined by King John's subjection. Theorists and academics have, over the centuries, debated and set out contrasting views as to what Magna Carta means in practice.
Adherence to the rule of law is now believed to demand more than due legal process in preference to arbitrary rule. It now (for example) demands the equal subjection of all people -- whatever their rank or position -- to the ordinary law of the land; the appreciation and protection of individual rights and liberties and the ultimate ability of all citizens to be able to conduct themselves freely in a system guided by law and legal principle.
Read full story HERE.
00:05 Syrian Kurdish forces seize control of border post from ISIS
Syrian Kurdish fighters seized control Monday of a key crossing on the Turkish border from ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria), an AFP photographer reported.
Fighters from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) took up positions on the Syrian part of the Akcakale-Tal Abyad border post, which lies on ISIS's main supply route to its de facto capital of Raqa, the photographer said.
The Kurdish fighters had advanced on Tal Abyad in a two-pronged offensive from east and west.
For the second consecutive day, Turkish authorities allowed at least 3,000 Syrians who were fleeing the fighting to cross into Turkey through the Akcakale post.
Read full story HERE.
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