French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius today rejected any role for President Bashar al-Assad in Syrian peace talks, saying it would be a "scandalous gift" to the Islamic State group. 

Social activist Anna Hazare today appealed to the opposition parties to resist the government's attempts to pass the Bill in Rajya sabha when introduced in the Upper House. 

Sahara Housingfina Corp promoter director Joy Broto Roy, brother of the group's jailed chief Subrata Roy, has resigned from the directorship of the company. No reason was given for his resignation. 

Solar Impulse-2, the world's first aircraft to be powered solely by solar energy, which made a stopover here en route its round-the-world trip, delayed its departure until Wednesday due to "fog concerns". The announcement was made by the SI-2 crew on their official Facebook page today. "Flight3 D-3 (Departure minus three) takeoff from Ahmedabad to Varanasi has been postponed to Wednesday, the 18th of March, due to fog concerns. After a short pit-stop, Flight4 to Mandalay will happen the day after," read the post on SI-2's Facebook page.

Haryana passed a bill which clamps a complete ban on cow slaughter in the state and provides for a rigorous imprisonment ranging from three years to ten years for killing the animal. The house passed the Gau Sanrakshan Avm Gau Samwardhan Bill 2015 which also provides for a fine ranging from Rs 30,000 to Rs one lakh.

Giving a message of larger opposition unity, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former PM Manmohan Singh will march with leaders of at least ten parties from Parliament House to President House tomorrow and submit a memorandum against the new land bill. The march is being coordinated by Janata Dal-United president Sharad Yadav.

A fitter and healthier Arvind Kejriwal reached his residence in Kaushambi, New Delhi after finishing a 10-day naturopathy course in Bengaluru. The Delhi CM had taken a leave of absence to tend to his medical needs. "Cough gone, sugar under control. Feeling fresh and fit. (I) am excited to return to resume work," Kejriwal had tweeted before leaving for Delhi.

Months before Arvind Kejriwal led the Aam Aadmi Party to a massive victory in Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi saw him as a "small single city leader" not even worth "my time to ignore".These comments were made by Modi to former BBC journalist Lance Price in July last year. 

Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman has teamed up with the United Nations to contribute to a global music playlist to commemorate the International Day of Happiness on March 20. 

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and two other AAP leaders including Deputy CM Manish Sisodia are likely to appear tomorrow in a court here which is scheduled to pronounce its order on the issue of framing of charges against them in a criminal defamation complaint. 

Another British teenager was today arrested in Birmingham on suspicion of preparing to travel to Syria to join Islamic State extremists as police stepped up efforts to stop radicalised young Britons from joining the dreaded group.  

For an inclusive growth, India needs to give a level-playing field to women and make its 'daughters' feel safe, and not exclude anyone on the basis of race or religion, IMF Chief Christine Lagarde said today.

Backed by CBI, its former Chief Ranjit Sinha today alleged in the Supreme Court that a "hidden hand" was a "controlling mind" of lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who has showered against him barrage of charges for purportedly interfering and scuttling the probe into coalgate.

Protesters block Mamata Banerjee's convoy after she visited the hospital to meet the gang grape victim in Nadia district of West Bengal. More details are awaited.

Agra's tourist attraction Taj Mahal has emerged as the most popular in Asia for global 'virtual travellers', according to Google.

Congress today demanded a probe into the alleged snooping on party vice-president Rahul Gandhi as it claimed that the next targets could be persons from the bureaucracy, political parties and media.

JUST IN: The CBI has arrested a clerk of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion in connection with alleged leakage of classified documents.

In a bizarre incident, a Chinese man opened the the emergency exit of an aircraft when it was about to take off, mistaking the door handle for a handrail to steady himself. 

As "fit and fine" Arvind Kejriwal heads home to Delhi after rest and rejuvenation exercise in Bengaluru, his close aide (or should that be one-time close aide) Prashant Bhushan says, "If he (Kejriwal) wants I can meet him with Yogendraji to sort out the problems to whatever extent possible."

On March 4, as Kejriwal did his yoga in Bengaluru, the Aam Aadmi Party dropped two founder members, Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, from the party's Political Affairs Committee.

IMF chief Christine Lagarde calls on PM Modi.

Lagarde who began her India visit today said the country India has an opportunity to emerge as one of the world's most dynamic economies but it needs to implement the planned reforms and open up more fully to the world.

She also praised the steps taken by PM Narendra Modi and RBI governor Raghuram Rajan to steer the economy to a higher growth trajectory and called for binging more women into the workforce to boost growth.


Pic: Matching matching: IMF chief Christine Lagarde calls on PM Modi

And here's another reason why PM Modi asked fin min Arun Jaitley to represent the government in Parliament today on the Rahul Gandhi snooping row, instead of the home minister.

Home minister Rajnath Singh, folks, is in Tokyo today, where a couple of hours ago,  was at the Indian Embassy there meeting with people of Indian origin living in Japan. 
  

The Centre today asked the West Bengal government to send a report on the incident of gang rape of an elderly nun at a convent in Nadia district and action taken so far. In a communication, the Home Ministry told the state government to give a detailed report about the incident, whether there was enough security at the convent and the steps taken to prevent such incidents in future.

The Home Ministry also asked the West Bengal government to inform what action has been taken to punish those involved in the incident.

The 71-year-old nun was allegedly gang raped by dacoits at Gangnapur in Nadia district in the early hours on Saturday after which a CID probe was ordered into the incident.

Swedish court to 13-year-old girl: It's not rape because you have curves.

Read

Russia president Vladimir Putin makes an appearance with his Kyrgyz counterpart, Almazbek Atambayev, in front of plenty of journalists and television camera. That should at least quash rumours that he is either dead or seriously ill.

Putin has not been seen in public since March 5 -- over 10 days now. This absence -- largely unexplained -- set rumour mills into overdrive.

Read the theories floating around.

"Why is there a song 'mera gora rang lele, shyaam rang dede', what did I say that is wrong?" asks Sharad Yadav.Under attack for sexist remarks, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav today remained unapologetic for his comments on women's complexion, as he raked it up again saying he was ready for a debate on the issue.

"What have I said ... 'saanvli' (dark complexioned) women are more in number in India, they are more in number the world over. I am ready to debate with anyone on the struggle of (Ram Manohar) Lohia and others for them," he said in Rajya Sabha. As Yadav explained his position on the issue, he was interrupted by both treasury and opposition members including HRD Minister Smriti Irani.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, phoned finance minister Arun Jaitley to answer the Congress' charges of snooping on Rahul Gandhi. (Which is why it was Mr J who spoke on behalf of the government in Parliament today.)

For his part, Jaitley prepared himself by reading media reports on the issue and also received inputs from the Director of the Intelligence Bureau and Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi. 

Jaitley wrote out three paragraphs and got it approved by the Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, the details of what information Jaitley had been armed with were also 'communicated' to the Congress.

To ensure public opinion for the government, the Delhi police also briefed editors of TV channels and print media that the Rahul controversy was not an instance of snooping, but necessary fact checks to ensure security for the Congress vice-president.

Congress leaders admit in private that this brouhaha was because of the unnecessary hype created by Abhishek Singhvi's comment alluding to Rahul's profiling as one based on the Amit-Shah Gujarat model. They agreed that in this case, the Congress was wrong. 

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe has again said that his country's navy has the right to shoot anyone who intrudes into its territorial waters, notwithstanding India's forthright disapproval.

"The Lankan navy has the right to shoot in any part of the country if anyone enters territorial waters, this is nothing new," he said, two days after his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi's trip to the island nation.

Ahead of Prime Minister Modi's visit, Wickremasinghe had told a Tamil news channel, "If someone tries to break into my house, I can shoot. If he gets killed... Law allows me to do that," drawing India's ire.

Wickremasinghe said Modi's trip to the country was a "successful visit". The two nations are trying to resolve the fishermen issue, he said.

Kejriwal is on his way back to Delhi. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said that he also visited a mid-day meal scheme run by ISCKON and was impressed with the way it was being run.

"In the last 12 days, I got the time to think on what changes which can be brought in Delhi, especially in education and ration scheme (PDS). I used to speak to (Deputy Chief Minister) Manish (Sisodia) and have made some proposals.

"I also visited the mid-day meal scheme by Akshaya Patra and ISCKON. The scheme is good and the kitchen is also clean and hygienic. We will also see how this could be improved in Delhi," the chief minister said.

The AAP leader was under-going treatment for chronic cough and persistent high-level of sugar which refused to come down despite increasing the insulin intake two-fold. He had left for Bengaluru on March 5.

So much for conspiracy theorists. Russian TV channel scotches rumours of a Kremlin coup with report Putin is at rural retreat recovering from flu, while spokesman says president will be watching Crimea documentary airing tonight. Read

Extensive searches were today on to trace those behind the alleged gang rape of a senior nun at a convent school in Nadia district.

Eight persons were detained yesterday in connection with the incident. The condition of the nun is stable.

The Board exams conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination were going on peacefully at the school.

To express solidarity with the nun, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Calcutta would take out a rally in Kolkata today.

The 71-year-old nun was allegedly gangraped by dacoits at Gangnapur in the early hours on Saturday after which a CID probe was ordered into the incident.

AAP today suspended its former MLA Rajesh Garg for anti-party activities, following his charges that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was trying to poach six Congress MLAs to form government last year. Sources said, Garg was a "serial offender", which led the party to take the decision.

Last week, Garg, a former MLA from Rohini, had accused Kejriwal of trying to poach six Congress MLAs to form government in Delhi last year.

He had also recorded a telephonic conversation between him and Kejriwal, which later surfaced and was circulated in the media.

Garg said he had emailed the recodring of the conversation to senior party leader Kumar Vishwas. Kumar shot back saying Garg was trying to blackmail him as he wanted party ticket for the Assembly election. Garg had also sent a legal notice to Vishwas for calling him a "blackmailer". The decision also comes following the legal notice sent to Vishwas.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today brushed aside the Centre's explanation on the alleged snooping of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, asking why the Union Home Ministry did not come out with it immediately.

"If the explanation for the 'snooping' is correct, then two questions - why didn't MHA offer this explanation about 500+ profiles immediately," Omar, who is working president of Opposition National Conference, wrote on twitter.

The Union Home Ministry had earlier said that the enquiries made by Delhi Police officials were "routine", carried out by the police for years and that the same had been done in the case of the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and BJP chief Amit Shah, veteran leader L K Advani, and other senior opposition leaders like M Veerappa Moily, Naresh Agarwal, and K Chandrasekhar Rao.

Omar, however, also questioned if Congress had scored a "self goal" by trying to make an issue that had a simple explanation.

"Cough gone, sugar under control. Feeling fresh n fit. Am excited to return to resume work. Grateful 2 Jindal institute,its docs,staff. Congratulations 2 Sitaramji for setting up such a wonderful institute n running it so well."


That's AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal tweeting as he is set to return to Delhi today after undergoing treatment in Bengaluru to cure a chronic allergy.

The real test awaiting him in Delhi is to set the house in order. The 350-member national council, the AAP's highest policy-making body, will meet on March 28 and is set to witness a battle that could create deep factions within the two-year-old party.

Read more

Under attack for sexist remarks, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav today remained unapologetic for his comments on women's complexion, as he raked it up again saying he was ready for a debate on the issue.

"What have I said ... 'saanvli' (dark complexioned) women are more in number in India, they are more in number the world over. I am ready to debate with anyone on the struggle of (Ram Manohar) Lohia and others for them," he said in Rajya Sabha.

As Yadav explained his position on the issue, he was interrupted by both treasury and opposition members including HRD Minister Smriti Irani.

"I appeal to the gentleman (Yadav) not to make comments on colour of skin of women in this manner. Very wrong message is going," she said.

As other MPs joined in, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said he would not allow a discussion on the issue. "I am not allowing any discussion ... white or dark colour, it is all the same," he said.

The issue figured after Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad rose to dissociate himself from comments made by Yadav last week. "I dissociate myself from those remarks. I completely disassociate and disapprove of the remarks... I appeal to Sharad Yadav to kindly withdraw his comments," he said.

JUST IN: India is a bright spot in the global economy: IMF Chief Christine Lagarde.

The much awaited Smart Cities project is likely to be rolled out next month as the extensive consultation process with all stakeholders has concluded.

"We are close to launching the much awaited Smart Cities initiative on ground. Prolonged and extensive consultations on this new concept and initiative have finally concluded. We will have all the necessary approvals for this project by the end of this month and action on ground will begin next month onwards," Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said addressing a seminar on Smart Cities today.

Describing the project as the "biggest buzz word and the flavour of the season" in the country now, he said, "We are collectively gearing up to meet the challenges of growing urbanisation with the goal of converting it into an opportunity."

NDA government had last year declared the mission of creating 100 Smart Cities across the nation based on better technology, superior management and modern governance.

"There was a time, not very long ago -- one year short of 30, to be precise -- when only a Christian was chosen to go to Punjab to fight what then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi termed "the nation's battle' against separatists. I had accepted a "demotion' from secretary in the Union home ministry to DGP of the state of Punjab at the personal request of the prime minister."

Read

Why did the Congress choose to stay put in the Lok Sabha after walking out from the Rajya Sabha over the alleged snooping on party vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

Cong insiders say that this is because Congress MPs in the Rajya Sabha Rahul Gandhi supporters, while Lok Sabha Congress MPs feel that it is Sonia who got them to Parliament and therefore they owed it to the Congress president to stay put in the house.

Congress MPs in the Central Hall openly accused friends of Rahul Gandhi for having misled the house on the issue and over-hyping it and they place the blame on the able shoulders of party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi who had stated that Rahul's profiling was on the Gujarat Model and likened it to "snoopgate"

The Congress may have walked out in Parliament today over the alleged snooping on Rahul Gandhi, but current budget session is likely to be the most productive for the Lok Sabha in over a decade, according to official data. Both Houses of Parliament have worked for more than their scheduled time, so far.

The Lok Sabha worked for 113 per cent of its scheduled time as of Friday night, Parliament data compiled by the independent, non-partisan research group, PRS Legislative Research shows. This is the most productive it has been since 2002. Read

Boil them, deep-freeze them, crush them, dry them out or blast them into space: tardigrades will survive it all and come back for more. Read

Millions of villagers are on course to missing out on livelihood-sustaining work under the national job scheme this year if figures released by the government are any indication. The figures suggest that by the time this financial year draws to a close, far fewer families will have benefited under the scheme compared with 2013-14, while the number of person days of work generated would also drop significantly. Read

Read: Why are white people expats when the rest of us are immigrants?

"Suzette Katrina Jordan was my Mama's name. She had her own perspective, her own logic as to how life should be lived. She was incontestably stubborn and unbelievably broad-minded. She believed in being real, like the beauty of waking up at noon and looking ugly from the smeared makeup, she believed in the twinkle of someone's eyes and the glow on their faces, when they spoke of something they loved, the truth, like a visitor at our place and their reaction to an untidy house and an unmade bed, or a sudden skip of a heart beat when the favourite character in a movie died. My mama taught my sister and I to live for the small moments, moments like our first kiss, the adrenaline rush during a thrilling moment. She taught us to work hard just to be Able enough to fight this world. She taught us that no work makes you big or small, and no job defines you. Mama taught me to stay humble, "No matter how much money, pride or ego we have, all our coffins are made the same size."

If there's just one thing you want to read today, read this.

Delhi Police chief B S Bassi today briefed Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, who is expected to make a statement in Parliament on the Rahul Gandhi 'snooping' issue.

Rijiju will make a statement on behalf of his senior Rajnath Singh, who is in Japan.

Bassi briefed Rijiju and top Home Ministry officials, including Home Secretary L C Goyal, about the circumstances leading to the visit of a Delhi Police official to Gandhi's residence here for security profiling.

Official sources said Rijiju has prepared a note on the basis of Bassi's briefing and a statement is expected to be made in Parliament.

And 24 yrs ago, another 'snooping' case that shaped history. Read

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's alleged snooping issue: Congress stages walk out in Rajya Sabha

Former Telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanithi Maran today filed separate petitions challenging the jurisdiction of special 2G court to try the Aircel-Maxis deal case in which they have been summand as accused along with others.

Special CBI judge O P Saini issued notice to the CBI seeking their response on the pleas field by the Maran brothers on August 3. During the hearing, the CBI also filed their response on the bail pleas filed by the Maran brothers which will be heard on August 3.

Arun Jaitley raises a pertinent point saying, "Snooping is keeping a watch on someone silently, visiting someone's office and asking staff to fill out proforma is not snooping."

Finance ministry Arun Jaitley replies to Ghulam Nabi Azad's allegation of snooping on Rahul Gandhi. "The opposition is making a mountain of what is not even a molehill."

"Police have always been profiling protected persons. Gossip can't be taken as fact. Asking for facts is not snooping. This practice started during the Cong govt in 1986. The size of the shoes are relevant. Rajiv Gandhi was identified as a result of his shoes," says Jaitley.

Jaitley also lists profiling dates of AB Vajpayee, Sonia Gandhi and says he himself has been profiled.

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad takes up the issue of the alleged 'snooping' on Rahul Gandhi. Azad said that he has been under Z-plus security for 19 years, but no such routine security check was conducted on him ever. "I haven't seen the proforma in the last 35 years in my years as a minister," said Azad.

Delhi Police chief B S Bassi briefs MoS Home Kiren Rijiju on Rahul 'snooping' issue. Rijiju likely to make statement in Parliament.

The concept of Gross National Happiness or GNH, as expounded in Bhutan, is a novel and attractive measure, and that it has not been adapted more widely is surprising. In India, people grow up in the background of dharma and karma.

If one inherits wealth or becomes wealthy in one's lifetime, it is generally considered as being destined.

If, on the other hand, one is born in poverty and deprivation, such a person may live in the hope of better times, following death and rebirth. Without wishing to give the impression of being an expert, it would be fair to say that these beliefs are also prevalent in some neighbouring Asian nations as well.

Read

An imposter posing as a former Pakistani cricketer has duped the BBC into paying him to appear as an expert on cricket shows and even took part in a discussion involving ex-Indian batsman Aakash Chopra.Nadeem Alam posed as ex-batsman Nadeem Abbasi to give his "expert" opinion on BBC World News, BBC Asian Network and Radio Five Live, despite only ever playing cricket for his home town of Huddersfield.

He even took part in a discussion with former Indian batsman Chopra, who is now retired and regularly appears on cricket chat shows for expert comments.Abbasi, furious about the fraudster's deceit, has decried the BBC for failing to check its facts.

The benchmark BSE Sensex recovered over 78 points in early trade today as participants made fresh buying in selective stocks ahead of inflation data to be released later in the day.

The 30-share index was trading higher by 78.52 points, or 0.27 per cent, at 28,581.82 as sectoral indices, led by IT, technology and healthcare, were trading in positive zone.

The gauge had lost 427.11 points in the previous session on Friday after the rise in retail inflation dampened hopes of aggressive rate cuts by RBI.

Ex-Telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran challenges the jurisdiction of the special 2G court to try Aircel-Maxis deal case.