Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed the state's religious freedom bill Tuesday, according to a statement tweeted to his account. Watchdog groups have decried the bill as discriminatory against the LGBT community, while proponents say it's intended only to protect those with strongly held religious beliefs.

JUST IN: One alleged ULFA cadre has been killed and 1 Assam police commando has lost his life in encounter on Assam-Meghalaya border in the Goalpara area. 

In a veiled attack on Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said it has forgotten dalit leader Jagjivan Ram who toiled hard for the country. 

Iceland's Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson resigned on Tuesday, according to multiple local reports, after he and his wife were named in a massive leak of documents from a Panamanian law firm that revealed secret, off-shore accounts held by multiple world leaders and international.

The Janata Dal-U today attacked the Centre over Pakistani JIT reportedly putting the blame on India for Pathankot terror attack saying it was a "slap" on the face the country for which Narendra Modi dispensation "is responsible".

A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court here by Pakistani films producers and distributors seeking ban on exhibition of Indian movies in the country.

National Commission for Scheduled Tribes today recommended Chhattisgarh government to launch a CID enquiry into allegations of rape and assault of tribal women by security forces in insurgency-hit Bijapur district last year.

Authorities in Parbhani townin the parched Marathwada region of the state, which is experiencing an unprecedented water scarcity this summer,today said they have imposed prohibitory orders near water supply spots in the town.

Iceland president refuses PM's call for new election.

The results of action plan chalked out for cleaning of rivers would be visible within a year, Union Water Resources and River Development Minister Uma Bharati said today. "My ministry is working seriously on the special action plan to clean rivers and its results will be visible within a year," she said. Referring to Namami Gange programme, Bharati said serious efforts were being made to save the pious Ganga river from pollution under a special action plan. She expressed hope that the work would be completed within a year's time. The Union Minister said that her target was to make rivers pure.

It was one of the most outrageously bold manoeuvres in military history - and 2,000 years on experts are still trying to work out how he pulled it off.But now the mystery of how Hannibal's army managed to catch the Romans off guard by crossing the Alps in an improbable 1,000-mile march could be solved, it is claimed, by tracking a trail of dung.

Scientists say that a thin crust of ancient excrement left by Hannibal's animals, which famously included 37 elephants, could reveal the route the legendary Carthaginian general took. Read more

JUST IN: Iceland's PM asks President to dissolve Parliament after allegations he concealed investments in offshore company, as revealed by the Indian Express investigation into what is being called the Panama Papers.


Sigmundur Dav Gunnlaugsson had pledged to dissolve his ruling coalition if he lost the trust of his partners after being named in the Panama Papers -- a huge cache of leaked files naming individuals linked with a law firm specialising in shell companies.


He denied any wrongdoing following the revelations and defied calls to resign as thousands of people protested outside the country's parliament building.

Just in: Amitabh Bachchan reacts to his name being mentioned in the Panama Papers scandal. The superstar denies any link to the Panama Papers and says it is possible his name has been misused.

"Don't know any of companies referred to by media and I have never been a director of any of those companies. It is possible that my name has been misused. I've paid all my taxes including on monies spent by me overseas.
Monies that I've remitted overseas have been in compliance with law, including remittances through LRS, after paying Indian taxes," Bachchan says.


More than 11 million documents from the secret files of Mossack Fonseca, a law firm headquartered in tax haven Panama, known for its factory-like production of offshore companies for its worldwide clientele of the well-heeled. These records reveal a list of individuals who have paid the firm -- and bought the benefits of the secretive, lax regulatory system in which it operates -- to set up offshore entities in tax havens around the world.

As many as 500 Indians have been named in a massive leak of 11.5 million tax documents exposing their secret offshore dealings. An investigation by The Indian Express claimed that Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan are also named in the massive leak of documents from the secret files of Mossack Fonseca, a law firm based in tax haven Panama.

The fact that the 'Balika Badhu' star was from a small town had nothing to do with her alleged suicide. Read more

A military dog who lost a leg when sniffing out a roadside bomb has been awarded the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross after serving in more than 400 missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Read more

DMDK expels 15 members including three MLAs after press meet in which they said there was no alliance with the PWF. "We want Vijayakanth to change his decision, we will wait till Wednesday afternoon for him to call us for discussion,"says Chandrakumar, DMDK.

The rebels believe that the PWF-DMDK alliance was suicidal and it would only benefit Jayalalithaa. "We want our captain to re-think on his decision with PWF. The decision taken by DMDK is suicidal. We will only loose and AIADMK will win."

Burma's former President Thein Sein has shed his formal attire and his hair to join the Buddhist monkhood.Thein Sein's ordination as a monk took place Monday, officials said, four days after he presided over a historic transition of power to the former opposition party headed by Aung San Suu Kyi.


Photographs circulating on social media show the former president, with his head shaved and dressed in a saffron robe, beside a fellow monk.


The Ministry of Information released a statement on its Facebook page Monday saying Thein Sein will spend five days at the Dhamma Dipati Monastery outside Pyin Oo Lwin, a scenic hill town near Mandalay in central Burma.

A temporary stint at a monastery is common in the predominantly Buddhist country, where boys are expected to ordain as novice monks at some point in their childhood and then return later in adulthood.

Irene Carney (90) bought a red and white retro Seafolly bikini for her cruise, after being encouraged to wear a bikini by her friends and the carers in her nursing home. And now a picture of her wearing this two piece on her holiday has gone viral on Facebook with hundreds praising her for her look.

Take a look and get inspired.

Rahul Raj Singh, the boyfriend of TV actor Pratyusha Banerjee who allegedly committed suicide on April 1, has been booked for "abetting her suicide and assaulting" her on the basis of complaints filed by her friends. Rahul is admitted to a Mumbai hospital after he complained of chest pain. Doctors treating him say he is suffering from severe depression.


Singh was questioned by the Mumbai Police on Saturday in connection with Pratyusha's suicide. The Balika Vadhu actor was found hanging from the ceiling in her Mumbai apartment. In his statement to police, Rahul said, "When I entered the bedroom, I found Pratyusha hanging from the ceiling. I got very scared. Immediately, I called the neighbours and with their help, I took her to Kokilaben Hospital. We assumed that she was alive, but she was not. I got so scared that I did not inform the police. It was the hospital authorities who informed them. After the doctor's declaration, I called up Pratyusha's family members and a few of our close friends."


Pic: Rahul Raj Singh

Moments after Kejriwal's press conference, Delhi BJP President Satish Upadhyay hit back at the Delhi CM. "We all know that CM Kejriwal and his ministers have no respect for the Constitution and he carries out an anarchic agenda just to garner political brownie points," Upadhyay said.


"Today by doing a press conference on the Pathankot issue and making his minister Kapil Mishra tweet to label PM Narendra Modi as an ISI agent, the Delhi CM has shamed the nation more so people of Delhi," he added.

Launching a scathing attack on the BJP government, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must apologise to the country for allowing a Pakistani team to visit Pathankot in connection with January 2 terror attack probe.


Kejriwal said the Centre has stabbed "Mother India" in the back by allowing Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) members visit Pathankot.Kejriwal said there was mass anger over the Modi government's decision to allow a Pakistani Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to visit the Pathankot base and also hold talks with the National Investigation Agency (NIA).


He recalled that Modi used to thunder at election rallies during the 2014 general election that one had to be stern with Pakistan and that sending "love letters" to Islamabad won't help."So what happened now? Why did our prime minister surrender to Pakistan? What were the compulsions that made him go to Pakistan to wish Happy Birthday to (Prime Minister) Nawaz Sharif? Let them (government) tell us what has been the deal... What happened when Modi went to Pakistan... Modi should apologize to the nation," Kejriwal said.


Responding to a question over his cabinet colleague Kapil Mishra's tweet in which the minister compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi with as agent of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Kejriwal said, "We are not worried about the language. The whole nation is angry over what PM has done. PM  Modi should apologise to the nation."

"Do we have a ISI agent as PM now?? Its very serious the way PM is surrendering to anti India forces?" Mishra had tweeted earlier today.

"Even though BJP/RSS chants 'Bharat Mata ki Jai,' but by inviting ISI to India they have stabbed Mother India in the back," Kejriwal had tweeted in the morning.The government allowed a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) from Pakistan, including an ISI official, to visit India last month to probe the terrorist attack in January on Pathankot air force station in Punjab.

The JIT has concluded, according to media reports in Pakistan, that the Pathankot attack was staged by India to spread "viciuos propaganda" against Pakistan.Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been protesting against allowing Pakistan's JIT a role in the investigation on the ground that the ISI, a state actor, has long been the instigator of terrorism in India.

The Supreme Court slammed the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Tuesday, saying that it has created a 'mutually beneficial society'. It also criticised it for the way it distributed funds to its affiliated units.

Union minister Gen VK Singh has said China -- which blocked India's latest attempt to have Jaish-e-Mohammd chief Masood Azhar designated a terrorist by the United Nations - risks getting hit by Pakistan-backed terrorism.


"The friendship between China and Pakistan appears to be very strong but the day is not far when China too gets affected by Pakistan-backed terrorism," said Gen Singh, a former Army chief, adding "When such a situation arises, China will have to pay a heavy price."


After terrorists believed to belong to Azhar's Pakistan-based terror group attacked the Pathankot air base in January, India had written to the United Nations calling for immediate action to list the Jaish chief as a terrorist under the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee.India's submission was considered by the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) for technical aspects of the evidence provided and, with the support of the US, UK and France was sent to all members. However, hours before the deadline, China requested that the committee put banning the Masood Azhar on hold.

Actor-politician Hema Malini is being criticized as insensitive for her tweets on what she calls "senseless suicides".  


"The world admires a fighter not a loser," the BJP lawmaker says in one of the tweets posted on Monday night. The choice of words has drawn strong feedback days after the suicide of Ballika Vadhu actress Pratyusha Banerjee.

The 24-year-old was found hanging at her Mumbai home on April 1. Hema Malini does not mention Pratyusha in her tweets.

The MP from Mathura tweeted: "All these senseless suicides which achieve nothg! Life is God's gift for us to live not for us to take at will. We have no right to do that.

"One must learn to overcome all odds & emerge successful,not succumb under pressure & give up easily.The world admires a fighter not a loser."

Pratyusha Banerjee, a familiar face on TV from the serials Balika Vadhu and Sasural Simar Ka and reality show Bigg Boss, was declared dead at Kokilaben Ambani Hospital, where she was taken after being found dead at her Goregaon apartment. Her fiance Rahul Raj Singh, currently in hospital himself being treated for chest pain and low blood pressure, has been questioned by cops.

Hitting out at Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, ally Shiv Sena today said he has "no moral right" to chant 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' so long has he failed to put AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi behind the bars for refusing to do so.


The Sena also took potshots at Fadnavis for "going soft" on the slogan issue after taking an aggressive stand at a public meeting at Nashik recently.


"After getting aggressive, the CM has now gone soft. There was no need for him to go back on his statement. He needs to make it clear why did he do so and put all the blame on media," the Sena said in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana'.


Fadnavis, while speaking in the Assembly yesterday, had said that whether or not he remains the CM, he will keep chanting 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and blamed the media for only focusing on a part of his speech made at Nashik where he had said that those who refuse to chant the slogan have no right to stay in this country.

GK Vasan, the son of the late Congress stalwart GK Moopanar, was left high and dry by both J Jayalalithaa and K Karunanidhi.

Jaya's condition that the Tamil Maanila Congress should contest within the party's leaf symbol has been rejected by Vasan.

Interestingly, Karunanidhi was keen to accommodate Vasan, but Sonia and Rahul Gandhi saw to it that the TMC was kept out of the Congress-DMK  poll alliance. Rahul Gandhi feels Vasan has ditched the Congress.

... an unreserved apology to Darren Sammy, a man I hold in the highest regard, to his team and to the coaches around them for the throwaway phrase I used in a recent column on these pages. I would have made the same apology whatever the results of the day, but I do so now in the knowledge that the people of the Caribbean will have celebrated long into the night and well into today. The spirit of the romantics will be with them and from thousands of miles away the rest of us can almost taste the rum, feel its punch and dream of the day when we return to the lapping shores of those incomparable islands. "

Full text of Mark Nicholas's apology to Darren Sammy and his boys. Read

Future IFS officers pose with PM Modi

Former Union Minister Eduardo Faleiro has opposed the BJP-led Goa government's proposed move to introduce value education curriculum in schools, to be framed by yoga guru Baba Ramdev's organisation.


"Chief Minister (Laxmikant Parsekar) has announced recently that Goa government will introduce yoga training and value education in government primary schools," Faleiro told reporters today. "Yoga training is welcome. However, it should be dissociated completely from the proposed value education," the Congress leader said.

Wicketkeeper batsman Sarfraz Ahmed has been named Pakistan's Twenty20 captain, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Tuesday. The 28-year-old takes over the reins from Shahid Afridi, who resigned after a disastrous World T20 campaign.Sarfraz was serving as Pakistan's T20 vice-captain before being named skipper in the shortest format of the sport. He has represented Pakistan in 21 T20 internationals and scored 291 runs.

Security forces today launched a search operation in a village in north Kashmir's Kupwara district following a brief exchange of fire with militants.


A brief exchange of fire took place between security forces and militants at Shiekhpura in Lalpora area of Kupwara district, 100 kms from Srinagar, a police official said. He said while no casualties were reported in the brief firing, security forces have launched search operations in the area to track down the militants. Additional troops have been rushed to the area to prevent the ultras from fleeing the cordon, he added.

It  has been 17 days since cattle trader Majloom Ansari and a 12-year-old school boy Imtiyaz Khan were killed and hanged at the Jhabar village in Jharkhand's Latehar district. The local police were prompt in taking action and arrested 5 persons within 24 hours of the murders. Three other accused surrendered later. Read more

A sensational murder involving one of the countrys most celebrated couples has mesmerized India and exposed some of its darkest fears. Sonia Faleiro explores the Sheena Bora murder. Read

While on cricket...

The legendary cricket writer Prem Panicker on why the Windies are world beaters:

"I forget where I read this, but the best explanation for the rise of the Windies in T20 stems from the problem itself: The WICB won't pay the senior stars, won't pick them (okay, faults on both sides) and so have reduced them to mercenaries. (A friend on Twitter used the analogy of samurai who, unwanted by their liege lord, turn ronin and roam the world, killing for a fee).

"What this has meant is that while this team plays very little together as a team, they are for their various franchises doing just this one thing day in and out -- playing T20, against all sorts of opposition in all sorts of conditions. And to get well paid by franchises means you really have to excel, so goes without saying this team is made up of 11 players who each excel, in some franchise or other, every other day of the year.

"And then for a world event they get together, and no matter what you think of team spirit and all that jazz, having 11 players any of whom can swing a game on his day is worth gold in the shortest form of the sport."

The stage is set for the cash-rich Indian Premier League's new season, with the ninth season set to begin from April. Kevin Pietersen is with Delhi Daredevils and is headed to Mumbai. 

Pratyusha Banerjee's tragic death triggers a feeding frenzy as all sorts of 'friends' gather to spill dark secrets and get their 15 minutes of fame. Read

No fresh liquor licences will be issued in Bihar from today. 

Just two days ago, thousands of 'desi' liquor shops were closed in rural Bihar following a partial liquor ban effective April 1. For millions of people in rural Bihar where toddy, locally called 'tadi', is considered the poor man's beer -- it came as a bad news. With reports pouring in from across the state that a large number of people, including alcoholics, thronged toddy shops after the government banned 'desi' or, country-made liquor in rural areas, a fresh directive of banning sale of toddy is likely to trigger protest.

Just in: The Bihar government has imposed total prohibition in the state.  Bihar is now officially a dry state after the cabinet banned the sale of foreign liquor as well.

A partial prohibition had been imposed on the state in last month, with a ban on the sale of country-made alcohol. Today the state imposed a complete ban with the ban on the sale of foreign alcohol. The alcohol ban is part of chief minister Nitish Kumars poll promise.


Alcohol prohibition in India is in force in the states of Gujarat, Nagaland and parts of Manipur; as well as in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. Kerala has been implementing prohibition in a phased manner since 2014.

DMK leader MK Stalin's strategy will make the  Congress feel shortchanged in the event the M Karunanidhi-led party wins the Tamil Nadu elections.

Our sources tell us that Stalin, who is believed to have engineered the alliance with the Congress for the 2016 polls, has a pre-condition in the agreement which clearly says that the DMK will not accommodate the Congress in the Tamil Nadu ministry. This is obviously a major setback to Ghulam Nabi Azad, who had met Karunanidhi at his residence in Chennai on Monday for seat sharing talks .


The agreement will be handed over to the Governor of Tamil Nadu if the DMK is to stake a claim even if it were a minority government. In other words Congress MLAs will be a 'paid partner", meaning which they will get a monthly salary, but no portfolios.


Yesterday, after meeting the DMK chief Karunanidhi at his residence in Chennai, Azad said, "Congress will be contesting on 41 seats in the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly polls.

"I am sure that under the leadership of Karunanidhi ji, we'll be able to form the government in Tamil Nadu."

After joining hands for 2004 Lok Sabha polls, DMK had walked out of the alliance with Congress-led UPA in 2013 over the vexed Sri Lankan Tamils issue. The DMK had then accused the then UPA government in Centre of not handling the Sri Lankan Tamils issue properly

Update on the car bomb blast in Afghanistan:

A suicide car bomb blast near a school in Afghanistan's Parwan province resulted in "heavy casualties" Tuesday, according to local media. Children were also reportedly among the dead. The blast took place near a high school in Seyagerd district, according to TOLO News, which cited authorities confirming at least six deaths. This is the latest bombing to hit Afghanistan in recent months. No group has so far claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attack.

A file of pic of a suicide attack in Jalalabad in April 2015. Thirty-three people were killed.

The Delhi government will build a permanent memorial to late former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam at Dilli Haat. 

Tamil Nadu CM and AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa has made changes to the pattern of electioneering in state when it goes to the polls next month. For the first time, Jaya has ensured that five of her allies contest on her party symbol -- the two leaves.


This is a clear shift in strategy since during previous poll agreements, allies used to contest on their poll symbol. This move, believes the AIADMK will stymie defectors and smaller parties from walking out of the alliance.


Jayalalithaa allotted seven of Tamil Nadu's 234 seats to allies Monday and announced an initial list of 227 candidates for her party. Jayalalithaa will contest once again from R K Nagar, north of Chennai city, from where she had won the bypoll last June with a margin of 1.5 lakh votes.

The Reserve Bank of India cut its repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.50 per cent at a policy review on Tuesday, making a widely expected first reduction since over six months to bring the rate to its lowest in more than five years.


Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan addressing the media on RBI's policy stance raised hopes of those with home loans saying he would ensure the benefit being passed on to banks would be passed on to customers as well. Highlights...

- Will ensure borrowers get rate cut benefits.
- The focus is now on transmission of RBI rate cuts
- Have cut rates by 150 bps since the easing cycle began
- Happy with the progress on cleaning up of bad assets
- Monsoon, inflation and transmission of rates will determine future monetary policy stance
- RBI to release guidelines for on-tap licensing for banks
- Expect borrowing rate to get cheaper
- Impact of pay panel hike will be much less
- During election time cash increases in the system, not just in the election states but also in neighbouring states
-- Seeing reasonable deposit growth at 9-9.5 per cent.
- Expect consumer price inflation at 5 per cent by March 2017
- Important to investigate mistakes in lending
- Cyber security is an imp risk
- Rural inflation higher than urban and demand is still very muted.
- Borrowing is now significantly cheaper.

Seyagerd District governor in Afghanistan says six killed in a suicide car bomb blast near a high school. Heavy casualties feared, reports Afghan media.  

CPI-M politburo member Brinda Karat writes for the Indian Express on the cow politics. "The hangings of a cattle trader and a child in Jharkhand took place in a context -- of a politics that stokes insecurity, trades on fear," she writes. Read more

PM Narendra Modi's suggestions to the organisers of international events, summits or seminars are always unique. Moreover, the PM ensures that his suggestions are reviewed, rehearsed and acted upon.

For instance, when India hosts the first-ever Global Maritime Summit in Mumbai on April 14, the PM wants the organisers to  have a counter for brochures and at least 30 tablets.

This is to enable foreign investors to tap on to the tablet and scour any sector for investments. There are officials to act as guides at this stall which is called 'E-corner for Maritime Summit.

Senior officials of the Shipping Ministry are on their toes ensuring everything works since the Prime Minister will visit this e-literature corner on the inauguration day. 

RBI hints at licensing other differentiated banks, like custodian banks, those concentrating on wholesale and long-term financing.

And the answer to the question: Who benefits when the RBI cuts rates? Read

FLASH: Repo rate slashed by 25BPS, down from 6.75% to 6.50%. RBI keeps CRR unchanged at 4%. EMIs on home loans is likely to be slashed. 

Rupee gained further by 11 paise to 66.10 per dollar against the US currency in late morning deals following sustained bouts of dollar selling by banks and exporters amid bearish dollar overseas. The rupee resumed marginally lower by 4 paise at 66.25 per dollar against yesterday's level of 66.21 at the Inter-bank Foreign Exchange (Forex) market.

RBI cuts key policy rate by 0.25 per cent to 6.5 per cent.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minster Mehbooba Mufti allocated portfolios to her team of ministers overnight and told the ministers to "perform or people will teach a lesson". 

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered an enquiry into the 'Panama papers' leak case in which the names of some Indians have come up, the Indian Express disclosed the second list featuring others who were involved in offshore companies.The list includes many industrialists and businessmen. 

A report in a Pakistani daily has reported that the team that visited India believes that Indian authorities had prior information about the attackerrs and used the attack as a tool to expand its 'vicious propaganda' against Pakistan 'without having any solid evidence to back the claim'.

India's fastest train, the "semi-bullet' Gatimaan Express, which is capable of reaching speeds of up to 160 km/h, will be flagged off today from New Delhi. It will run between Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station and Agra Cantonment Station.

A couple was attacked and looted by around six unidentified youths who also molested one of them at Ajmer district in Rajasthan. The couple, who were from Spain, were going to visit Ajaypal dham when the youths allegedly attacked them. They also molested and tore the clothes of a woman in the group.