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Wed, 06 April 2016
John McCain says ISIS fight reminds him of Vietnam

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23:06   6.0-magnitude earthquake hits off Indonesia
A strong earthquake struck on Wednesday off the southern coast of Java, Indonesia's main island, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
The US Geological Survey said the magnitude-6 quake was located 35.4 kilometers under the seabed, AFP reported.
It was centered 68 kilometers south-southwest of Bunisari, a village in Cianjur district in West Java province, it said.
The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, which measured the depth at only 10 kilometers, said the quake had no potential to trigger a tsunami.
The West Java Mitigation Agency said the quake caused residents of some areas to panic but there were no reports of casualties.
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22:18   John McCain says ISIS fight reminds him of Vietnam
Sen. John McCain warned Tuesday that the Obama administration's "grudging incrementalism" in the fight against ISIS risks a failure akin to the Vietnam War.

"As a young military officer, I bore witness to the failed policy of gradual escalation that ultimately led to our nation's defeat in the Vietnam War," McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, wrote in a letter sent to Defense Secretary Ash Carter.

The Naval pilot-turned-politician survived over five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

McCain said that he fears the nation's current strategy of "grudging incrementalism in the war against the Islamic State risks another slow, grinding failure for our nation."

In the letter, the Arizona Republican asserted that conversations he has had with military commanders confirm for him that the military's actions have shifted from "considering what it will take to win" to "what they will be allowed to do by the administration."

Read more HERE.
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21:02   75-yr-old Dalit kills self in Bundelkhand due to starvation
A 75-year-old Dalit man who was surviving on begging allegedly committed suicide after not being able to get food in Darguwa village near here. 

Inspector C L Parihar of Baldeogarh police station said the deceased, Sukhya Vanskar, survived on begging in the village after his son left him some 20 years ago.

Kharagpur MLA and Congress leader Chanda Singh Gaur alleged that Sukhya hanged himself in his hut as he could not get food even after begging.

About Gaur's allegation that the old man ended his life after failing to get any food, the Inspector said the police were investigating the reason for suicide. 

Image for representation only.
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20:51   North Korea may have mid-range nuclear capability
South Korea believes its neighbor to the north may be able to mount a nuclear warhead onto a medium-range missile.

In a background briefing with foreign reporters Tuesday, a government official said it appears North Korea has succeeded in miniaturizing a warhead enough to be mounted onto a Rodong missile.
The official -- who remains unnamed as per South Korean government protocol -- says this ballistic missile can deliver a one ton (907 kg) warhead a distance of 2,000 km (1243 miles), putting U.S. military bases in South Korea and Japan within range.

The official said: "We believe they have the ability to mount a nuclear warhead on a Rodong. Whether they will fire it like that is a political decision."

However, the official added they have no evidence to prove this capability, an assessment backed up by the United States.

Read more HERE.
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20:49   Central ministers exempt from odd-even
Central government ministers will remain exempt from odd-even scheme while Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues will come under the ambit of the second phase of the road-rationing plan starting from April 15, Delhi transport minister Gopal Rai said today.
Rai said that the city government does not want any "unnecessary controversy" by bringing union ministers under ambit of the 15-day scheme. 

He further said that in a survey conducted after the first round of odd-even scheme from January 1 to 15, people asked government not to give exemption to Union Ministers. 
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19:40   2015 had most executions in two decades
The world saw the highest number of recorded executions in more than 25 years in 2015, according to a new report from human rights group Amnesty International.

In what the organization called an "alarming surge," at least 1,634 people were executed last year, an increase of more than 50% on 2014.
"The rise in executions last year is profoundly disturbing," said Salil Shetty, Amnesty International's Secretary General, in a statement.
"Not for the last 25 years have so many people been put to death by states around the world."

According to the rights group's annual report the dramatic increase was fueled by three nations -- Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia -- who together were responsible for nearly 90% of executions in 2015.

Read more HERE.
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19:23  
Anupam Kher tweets: Saddened to know about the demise of Mrs. Kamla Advani. She was a warm & compassionate lady with a great sense of humour. Will miss her.
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19:06  
Home minister Rajnath Singh tweets his condolences: "Deeply pained to learn of Smt. Kamla Advani's demise. May God give Shri LK Advanji and his family the strength to bear this great loss."
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18:39  
PM Modi tweets his condolences: Deeply pained by Kamla Advaniji's demise. She was LK Advaniji's pillar of strength. I recall my many interactions with her.
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18:37   LK Advani's wife passes away
Just in: BJP senior leader LK Advani's wife Kamala Advani passes away. She suffered a cardiac arrest.  She was admitted at AIIMS where she breathed her last.
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18:35  
Omar Abdullah tweets his condolences: Very sorry to hear about the tragic passing of Mrs Kamla Advani. My heartfelt condolences to Jenab Advani sahib, Pratibha & Jayant.
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18:33   PM's Pak policy flawed, says Manmohan
Dr Manmohan Singh campaigning in Guwahati: "Pakistan ke prati iss (Centre Govt) sarkaar ki neeti fail ho chuki hai. The Centre's policy towards Pakistan has failed. Ek kahavat hai, bolne se zyada karne ka mahatva hota hai. Lekin Modi-ji jeevan ke iss buniyaadi mantra ko bhool chuke hain. There is a saying that action speaks louder than words. But PM Modi's seems to have forgotten this fundamental axiom of nature."
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18:19   'CM Fadnavis as popular in Maharashtra as PM'
Narendra Modi's popularity in Maharashtra is on the wane, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is now exactly as well-liked as the prime minister, according to an internal document circulated at the BJP's state executive committee's meeting in Nashik over the weekend. Read more
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17:59  
Just in: Water supply to be cut in Kalwa and Mumbra for 60 hours!
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17:44  
Former French far right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen fined 30,000 euros for describing gas chambers as detail of history.
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17:42  
Manjara Dam, located in Beed (Maharashtra),one of major sources of water supply, dries up. 
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17:27   Mehbooba assured me NIT students are safe, says HRD minister
Education Minister Smriti Irani said today that she spoke to J-K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti who assured her that the students are safe at NIT Srinagar. "I have spoken to 400 students, helping with arrangements for those who want to go home," she tweeted.


The minister said she would ensure that no student of the National Institute of Technology faced injustice. Paramilitary forces have been stationed after students clashed with the police on Tuesday evening.

Two top officials of the education ministry are visiting the institute today.
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17:00   An encounter with Niira Radia
There was a certain mystique around Niira Radia when I met her. It was possibly in 2003 and I was in Ahmedabad as resident editor of The Times of India. A common friend said that she had expressed a desire to meet me. I was not unwilling to touch base with her, given the reputation she had already built. Read more
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16:53  
Just in: HRD Minister Smriti Irani speaks to J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti over the NIT Srinagar issue. A 2-member HRD team to be there in Srinagar till April 11.
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16:36   Bhushan terms Kejriwal's attack on PM as 'political short- sightedness'
Activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan today disapproved Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's use of language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Pakistani JIT visit, and termed it as "political short-sightedness".

"Despite grave problems with PM, it is absurd for AK to call him an ISI/Pak agent. Politically shortsighted. Cant beat BJP in patriotic jingoism (sic)," Bhushan, Swaraj Abhiyan founder and former AAP leader, tweeted.

Kejriwal had yesterday said that Modi's "invitation" to the Pakistani Joint Investigation Team, which included an ISI official, to probe the Pathankot attack amounted to giving a "clean chit" to the spy agency for the attack and demanded that he tender an "apology" for the "monumental" foreign policy failure.

His minister Kapil Mishra went a step further tweeting, "Do we have a ISI agent as PM now?? Its very serious the way PM is surrendering to anti India forces?"
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16:28   Three countries hold the world's most executions
At least 1,634 people were executed in 2015, according to Amnesty International annual figures, which were released Tuesday evening. This marked a rise of some 50 percent from the year before and the highest number recorded by the organization since 1989. According to the rights group, three countries -- Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia -- were responsible for almost 90 percent of total recorded executions this year. Read more
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16:26   St Lucia ground to be named after West Indies captain Sammy
Darren Sammy's success in captaining the West Indies to the World Twenty20 title has been recognised by his native St Lucia after it was announced that the island's main cricket ground would be renamed in his honour. The Beausejour Cricket Ground will now be known as the Darren Sammy National Cricket Ground, with one of the stands to be named in honour of fellow St Lucian and Twenty20 winner Johnson Charles, AFP reported.
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16:17  
NHRC issues notice to Civil Aviation Ministry & Airports Authority of India over 61 incidents of glass fall at Chennai airport.
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16:15   Assam's Battle for Dispur: And What of the 'Real Issues'?
One phase of the Assam assembly elections is over and a high voter turnout was recorded -- as is usual in Assam these past decades. A fortnight down the road, the rest of the state -- especially Western Assam with substantial Bodo and Muslim populations will be voting. Read more
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16:09   HC allows CBI to interrogate Virbhadra in DA case
The Delhi high court has allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation to interrogate Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in the disproportionate assets case against him. Singh will have to appear before the CBI.

The HC however, has ruled that for arresting Singh, the CBI will have to take prior permission from the court.
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16:01   HC pulls up Nagpur civic body over plans to recite 'Hanuman Chalisa' at AIDS awareness event
Expressing anguish over the move to recite 'Hanuman chalisa' at an AIDS awareness programme, the Bombay high court has asked the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Nagpur Municipal Corporation if, according to it, 'India is for Hindus only'.

The Nagpur bench of the court, while hearing a public interest litigation, asked the NMC 'whether India is for Hindus only' and expressed strong reservations over the plan to recite 'Hanuman Chalisa' at its AIDS awareness event, in association with Poddareshwar Ram Mandir Trust.

The event is planned at Kasturchand Park ground in Nagpur for Thursday.   "Why only recital of Hanuman Chalisa and why not from Quran, the Bible or other religious literature? What is the nexus of AIDS awareness and Hanuman Chalisa recital? Is it only Hindus who contract AIDS? Is chanting of Hanuman Chalisa the only remedy for eradication of this deadly disease?" the division bench of justices Bhushan Gavai and Swapna Joshi said.

"If people can come for this event, they will also come for recitation of Quran and Bible,' they observed.

The judges disposed of the PIL filed by former corporator Janardan Moon, after both the NMC and programme convener Dayashankar Tiwari, who is the ruling party's leader in the civic body, agreed to disassociate with the two events (AIDS awareness and Hanuman Chalisa event), and pay the cost of stage and ground (used for the event) on pro-rata basis.

The judges asked the respondents (NMC and the temple trust) to keep at least an hour's gap between the AIDS awareness programme and the Hanuman Chalisa recitation, which over 1.5 lakh people are expected to attend.
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15:37   Unrest in NIT as Mehbooba didn't say 'Bharat Mata ki Jai': Sena
Training its guns at Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, the Shiv Sena on Wednesday said the recent unrest at Srinagar's National Institute of Technology campus is taking place as the former did not chant slogan of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' during her oath-taking ceremony on April 4.

'If Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti would have raised the slogan of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' before or after taking the oath, it would have sent a good message across the state. But unfortunately, nothing of that sort happened,' Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut was quoted as saying by ANI.

'This is the result of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'. There is a force in Kashmir which does not want to hear slogans like 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Hindusthan Jindabaad'. A conflict is going on with them,' he added.
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15:18   Bengal government failed to check infiltration: Rajnath
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said infiltration is on in Bengal and the state government has "failed" to check it. "Infiltration is taking place from Bangladesh and the state government has failed to check it.

The state's border with Bangladesh will be sealed and infiltration checked if BJP is voted to power in Bengal," he said at an election meeting in Bengal.

"If voted to power, we will also change the situation in Bengal," Singh said, adding the situation has "improved" in states where BJP is in power. Stating that a corruption-free and transparent administration is required in Bengal, Singh said after NDA government came to power in Delhi steps taken by the prime minister have benefited the poor.

"The poor people in the country have opened their bank accounts and the subsidies they get go directly to their accounts," he added. The polling for second part of the first phase in Bengal will be held on April 11.
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15:14  
Cabinet approves Andaman & Nicobar Islands Anatomy Regulation, 2016 for procedures for availability of unclaimed bodies to Medical College.
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14:57   PIL filed in Patna High Court challenging total ban on alcohol
A public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed today in the Patna High Court challenging the Bihar government's decision to clamp total ban on sale and consumption of alcohol in the state. An ex-serviceman A N Singh filed the PIL in the Patna High Court, a day after the Nitish Kumar ministry declared Bihar a total dry state. The petition contended that the state government's decision violated human rights of a citizen about what to eat and drink.
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14:34   3 Pak terrorists in car with explosives, may target Delhi, Goa, Mumbai
A grey Swift Dzire with three Pakistani terrorists and a local from Punjab carrying explosives including a suicide belt, is on the move in Punjab, reports NDTV.

An alert has been sent out by the police in Chandigarh warning cops across Punjab.

The car with license plate JK-01 AB-2654 could be used in plans to attack Delhi, Goa and Mumbai, the note says.

Police officers have been asked to ensure careful and detailed security checks at important public and military buildings, markets, malls, train stations and educational institutions.
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14:31  
Foreign Secy S Jaishankar says until issues of terrorism are addressed, it is difficult to say that relationship with Pakistan is normal.
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14:30   IVRCL boss sent to police custody
VP IVRCL Ranjit Bhattacharya sent to police custody till 11th April.

Two days ago, four more officials of construction company IVRCL were arrested by the Kolkata Police in connection with the flyover collapse taking the total arrests to 8 on Monday.

Earlier on Friday, senior AGM Mallikarjun, structural manager Pradeep Saha and assistant manager Divyajyoti Mazumdar were arrested a day after the flyover collapse which killed at least 24 people and injured more than 80 others.

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14:06   So, the Iceland PM has not resigned
The Prime Minister of Iceland has said he has not resigned but has simply stepped aside for a period of time, according to a press release from his office.

It comes after the leak of the "Panama Papers' from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, which reportedly show that Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson and his wife Anna Sigurlaug Palsdottir had an offshore firm in the British Virgin Islands to allegedly shield investments worth millions.
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13:27   HC raps BCCI for 'criminal waste of water', asks if people more important than IPL
Bombay High Court raps the BCCI for wasting water amid the severe drought in Maharashtra. The SC said it was a criminal waste of water and asked that the matches be shifted to states that had "water in abundance". It asked, "Are people more important or IPL? Only when your water supply is cut will you understand."

The court's observation comes after a PIL was been filed in the Bombay high court stating that IPL matches must be shifted out of the state.

The Loksatta movement and the Foundation for Democratic Reforms organisation has made the Board of Control for Cricket in India a respondent in the case. Read that story here.

In addition, Mumbai BJP Secretary Vivekananda Gupta has demanded that IPL cricket matches scheduled to be played in Maharashtra should be shifted out of the state due to prevailing drought conditions. Gupta, in a letter addressed to BCCI President Shashank Manohar, stated that a standard cricket field requires a minimum of 80,000 to 1,00,000 litres of water per application.

Approximately two to three such applications are required per week that comes to 1,60,000 to 3,00,000 litres of water per week to maintain turf growth and repair damaged areas, he was quoted in a statement issued here today. 19 IPL matches are slated to be played at Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur between April 9 and May 29. The final match of the tournament is to be held at Wankhede Stadium here on May 29.

The BJP leader said more water was needed during hot and windy conditions and less during winter conditions. Thus, more than 70 lakh litres of water will be required to maintain the grounds for the 19 matches. 
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13:17   Protests at Hyderabad University once again, students break open gates
After weeks of quiet, protests erupted once again this morning at the Hyderabad Central University, which has been a volatile zone for months over the suicide of PhD student Rohith Vemula in January.


Protesting students who demanded Vice Chancellor Appa Rao's removal were taken into custody as they broke open the campus gates. The students had tried to approach Rao's office past heavy security and barricades.


The clashes took place as the university - which has been ranked among the country's best - discussed the appointment of an ombudsman, an anti-discrimination officer and an Equal Opportunity Cell.Students demanded that the Vice Chancellor be kept out of the process to select an ombudsman alleging that "he is also under scrutiny" for his role in Vemula's suicide.


26-year-old Rohith Vemula hung himself on January 17, days after he was banned from the hostel and other areas on campus over clashes with an activist from a BJP-linked students' group. 
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13:14  
Fire breaks out at Salt Lake, Sector 5 (Kolkata), 10 fire tenders at the spot. Sector 5 is not residential, but has offices of the IT sector.
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13:04   Canadian worker flies Mexican flag on Trump building
A Mexican-born Canadian construction worker said he hung Mexico's flag atop Vancouver's Trump International Hotel and Tower over the weekend to remind the billionaire who built the tower. Diego Reyna walked up 40 flights of stairs and recorded a 43-second video that said the building wouldn't exist without immigrants.


"It was a symbolic act," Reyna said yesterday in a telephone interview. "When you say everyone in my family, my teachers, my children yet to be born are criminals and rapists, it is time to take a proactive effort."


In the video he said Mexicans performed everything from drywall to concrete finishing on the project. During his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, Trump has been criticized after Trump for saying Mexican immigrants are bringing crime and drugs to the US and are "rapists."


"This building is standing here today thanks to us, to our work," he says. "There's a little present for Mr Trump, so every time you judge us you can think who is building your towers."
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12:26   Can't turn a blind eye towards drought-hit states, SC tells Centre
In other news: Hearing a PIL on the need for help to drought-hit states, the SC tells the Centre, "Nine states are suffering from drought, you can't turn a blind eye toward their problems."
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12:21   2002-2003 Mumbai blasts: Lifer for Muzammil, 10 years for Nachan
Just in: A Special POTA court pronounces the sentence for 10 convicts in the 2002-2003 Mumbai bomb blasts.

The court pronounces life imprisonment for main accused Muzammil, while the rest of the accused to be set free after they furnish bail bonds as per procedure, as they have already undergone their maximum punishment.


Three convicted accused including Saquib Nachan, who the police said were the mastermind of the blasts, were given 10 years' sentence so they have to undergo two more years in jail. 


On March 29, the POTA court convicted 10 people and acquitted three, in the triple bomb blasts case in Mumbai between December 2002 and March 2003.

Saquib Nachan, who police said is the mastermind, had been convicted. Adnan Mulla, Harroon Lohar and Nadeem Paloba have been acquitted for lack of evidence.

All the accused have been charged with murder, attempt to murder, grievous hurt waging a war against the nation, criminal conspiracy under the IPC and on several charges under the Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act, and POTA.

The three blasts, killed twelve people and injured 139. According to the Mumbai police, the act was the handiwork of the banned organisation SIMI. Prosecution alleged that former general secretary of SIMI, Saquib Nachan along with Pakistani national and member of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Faisal Khan were the mastermind behind the blast, along with 23 other accused. Out of the total 25 accused, five including Khan died ,while five other accused are still absconding.


The Maharashtra government had sought the death sentence for Muzammil Ansari for his involvement in the Mumbai blasts. Ansari was convicted for being part of the conspiracy and planting the bombs at three locations.


The Mulund train blasts occurred on March 13, 2003, killing 12 persons and injuring 71. Earlier, on December 6, 2002 several persons were injured in the blast at McDonald's at Mumbai Central station, while a person died when a bomb attached to a cycle exploded in a market area in Vile Parle (East) on January 27, 2003.
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11:57   Lawyer defending Pratyusha's boyfriend backs out of case
A day after the police booked Pratyusha Banerjee's boyfriend Rahul Raj Singh for assaulting and abetting her suicide, the latter's lawyer Neeraj Gupta today backed out of the case.


Gupta told news channels that he had been forced to move away from the case after he realised he had been "kept in the dark" about certain facts by his client.


"My client and his family did not tell me all the facts about the case," Gupta said, adding that he had taken the decision to let go of the case on "humanitarian grounds".


"I came across some facts and (that's when) I decided to leave the case," Gupta said.It was Gupta who had interacted with the media after Rahul was hospitalised, two days after Pratyusha's death.


TV producer Rahul Raj Singh, currently in hospital, was booked after police registered a first information report based on a complaint filed by Banerjees mother Soma at Bangurnagar police station.


He has been booked under Indian Penal Code sections related to abetment of suicide, voluntarily causing hurt and criminal intimidation, among others, a police official said.


Police declined to divulge details regarding the investigation that led to registration of the FIR. They suspect Singh was in relationship with another woman about which the deceased was depressed.


On April 1, the 24-year-old actress, who shot into fame for her role of Anandi in hit TV series Balika Vadhu, allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself inside her flat at Goregoan area of western suburbs.


Police is also trying to ascertain whether the deceased was in financial troubles or had any dispute with Singh.


Some reports suggested the actress, who hailed from Jamshedpur, was depressed over not getting roles in TV serials.


On Sunday, Singh was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit of a hospital in Kandivali after he complained of chest pain and breathlessness, said police.


As part of their probe, police spoke to several people, including the common friends of Singh and Banerjee, their close relatives, friends, neighbours and domestic helps.

Police are awaiting the viscera report of the actress.

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11:47   Trump campaign calls Cruz Trojan horse after Wisconsin loss
Upset over his defeat in the Wisconsin primary, Donald Trump's campaign today called his Republican rival Ted Cruz a "puppet" and a "Trojan horse" who is being used by the party bosses attempting to steal the presidential nomination from the real estate tycoon.

"Ted Cruz is worse than a puppet'" he is a Trojan horse, being used by the party bosses attempting to steal the nomination from Mr Trump," the Trump campaign said in a statement reflecting. "Not only was he propelled by the anti-Trump Super PAC's (political action committee) spending countless millions of dollars on false advertising against Mr Trump, but he was coordinating with his own Super PAC's (which is illegal) who totally control him," the statement said. The Trump Campaign exuded confidence Trump, 69, would go on to win in New York, where he holds a substantial lead in all the polls, and beyond.
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11:39   HC rejects Centre's plea on adjournment of petition on President's rule in Uttarakhand
The Uttarakhand high court rejects the Centre's plea for adjournment of hearing on the petition challenging imposition of President's rule in the state. The Centre asks for more time to file a reply to the Centre's plea.

The Congress Party on Friday had filed a petition before the Uttarakhand High Court challenging the Centre's appropriation ordinance for the state.

A two-judge of the Nainital bench of the High Court had on Wednesday stayed the floor test for the Harish Rawat Government in the Uttarakhand assembly, which was scheduled for March 31, and decided to take up the matter on April 6.

The crisis in the hill state erupted on March 18 when nine Congress MLAs rebelled against the Rawat government, resulting in a flip-flop in the passage of the Appropriation Bill.
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11:33  
The Hindu on the Bharat Mata ki Jai controversy
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11:27   Staying accommodative
The Reserve Bank of India's reiteration of an accommodative stance after it cut the repo rate by 25 basis points on Tuesday is a clear and unequivocal message that the monetary authorities stand ready to spur economic growth. Read more
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11:25   The inheritance of loss
Mehbooba Mufti begins her term as the first woman Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir with her credibility diminished after the vacillation over government formation. How quickly she regains her mojo will determine her political future and that of the State. Read more
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11:22   HRD Ministry sends team to NIT campus in Srinagar
The HRD Ministry is sending a two- member team to NIT Srinagar campus today which has been gripped by tension following clashes among students over the Indian cricket team's loss against West Indies in the T20 World Cup last week.


"The Ministry has decided to send a two-member team comprising a Director and an Under Secretary rank officer, who will listen to the students there," a senior official said.


Unrest was witnessed again yesterday at the campus, the scene of last week's clash, with outstation students expressing a sense of insecurity and attempting to leave the campus, leading to a confrontation with police which resorted to lathicharge in which some were injured.
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11:07   Kolkata flyover collapse: Another top IVCRL official arrested
Police on Wednesday arrested Ranjit Bhattacharya, associate vice president of IVRCL -- the firm building the Kolkata flyover which collapsed last week.   Five officials of the construction firm have already been arrested in connection with the mishap which killed 26 and injured about 100 people.

Refusing to take responsibility of the incident, a top functionary of the Hyderabad-based firm had described it as 'a god's act'.

"It's nothing but a God's act. So far in 27 years, we have constructed several number of bridges...such accident never happened," K Panduranga Rao, group head (human resource and admin) of IVCRL had said.
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10:44   Six arrested for attack on Spanish tourists in Rajasthan
Six people have been arrested for thrashing and manhandling Spanish tourists in Pushkar near Ajmer in Rajasthan on Tuesday.

The attack had prompted External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to seek a report from the Rajasthan government. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had also assured all possible help to the Spanish tourists.

All the six accused, including a minor, were rounded up by the police in 24 hours and also recovered all the items they looted from the couple.

Most of the accused in this case already have a record of criminal activities in the past and have been involved in serious crimes.

On Tuesday, the tourists had rented bikes and were on their way to Ajaypal, situated on the back side of the Taragarh hills, when the incident took place.   The attackers tore women's clothes and attempted to rape them while the male tourists' were attacked with a stone.

The miscreants later fled the spot when the woman reportedly called up the owner of the hotel they were staying in. The owner arrived at the spot a little while later and took the couple to a hospital in Ajmer.
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10:30   NIT Srinagar unrest: HRD to send fact-finding team, students list out demands
The human resource development ministry will be sending a two-member fact-finding team to National Institute of Technology Srinagar on Wednesday to assess the law and order situation following unrest in the campus, J&K deputy CM Nirmal Singh said.

Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh also said that the HRD ministry will look into the matter.

"I spoke to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti as well. The Union home minister has constantly been in touch with the CM. The HRD ministry is sending a team. Force needn't be used against students," he said.

He also asked students to maintain peace, 'otherwise external elements come in to gain political mileage'.

Meanwhile, according to a CNN-IBN report, the non-Kashmiri students have list out several demands, including hoisting of national flag '" along with the state flag -- on the campus and protection from miscreants who 'often pelt stones at non-Kashmiri students'.

At least four non-Kashmiri students sustained injuries in a police lathi-charge at NIT Srinagar on Tuesday. Two companies of CRPF had to be called in to maintain calm after trouble broke out again.
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10:09   Panama Papers law firm says hacked by servers abroad, files complaint
One of the co-founders of the Panama-based law firm at the heart of the 'Panama Papers' uproar says the company has filed a complaint with Panamanian prosecutors alleging that the data was stolen by a hacking attack from abroad.

Ramon Fonseca said on Wednesday that the firm, Mossack Fonseca, has evidence the hacking was done from Europe, but he declined to give any details. 'I can't say more because the case is already under investigation,' he was quoted as saying by The Associated Press.

Read full report HERE
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09:42  
JUST IN: 'Panama Papers' law firm says 'hacked by servers abroad', complaint filed: AFP
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09:38  
JUST IN: Sensex opens 24.65 points higher, currently at 24,908.24.
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09:31   Now, US to sell thermal weapon sights to Pakistan
The United States is poised to sell state of the art thermal weapon sights and spares to Pakistan, in the wake of Obama administration's decision to provide eight F-16 fighter jets and nine AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters worth $170 million (Rs 1,130 crore) to the country.

The Pentagon on Tuesday awarded a $17 million (Rs 113 crore) contract to Raytheon for supply of state of the art thermal weapon sights and spares which improve targeting and surveillance capabilities by enabling soldiers to spot targets at long distances through haze, dust, fog and other obscurants.   Raytheon is known as a pioneer in thermal weapons sights.

The Pentagon yesterday said Raytheon has been awarded a $17,877,938 firm-fixed-price, foreign military sales contract (Pakistan) for thermal weapon sights and spares, training, and contract data requirements lists.

One bid was solicited with one received.

Work will be performed in McKinney, Texas; and Pakistan, with an estimated completion date of October 30, 2017.
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08:37   Panama leak: Sharif orders judicial commission to probe his family
Following the Panama Papers leak, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Tuesday evening that a high-level judicial commission will be formed to probe his family after the expose revealed that his sons and daughter owned offshore companies.

According to the Dawn, Sharif said that the judicial commission will be led by a retired Supreme Court judge.

In response to the massive backlash he received by his opponents following the expose, the prime minister said that there was an agenda against him and that certain people were digging issues from decades ago.

"My family has faced a barrage of accusations," Sharif said.

He also invited all politicians accusing him and his family to present evidence of any financial wrongdoing before the judicial commission.

"My father started working in Lahore 25 years before the creation of Pakistan, and by the time of independence, Ittefaq foundries had already achieved success," he said.

He added that another industrial plant was also established in Dhaka, but was lost with the fall of East Pakistan in 1971.

"On Jan 2, 1972, Bhutto took over the foundry in Lahore, and hence our assets were lost in mere moments. My family was not involved in politics till much later, as such, even before I got into politics, we were an established industrial family." Sharif added.

He further stated that his father established another industrial plant in Makkah, following the military coup in 1999. The plant was later sold, and his sons 'invested the funds into their businesses.'

According to documents available on the ICIJ website, Sharif's children Mariam, Hasan and Hussain 'were owners or had the right to authorise transactions for several companies'.

Mariam is described as 'the owner of British Virgin Islands-based firms Nielsen Enterprises Limited and Nescoll Limited, incorporated in 1994 and 1993'.
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08:05   Big victory for Bernie Sanders, Ted Cruz in Wisconsin primary
Republican Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger Bernie Sanders have snatched victories in the crucial Wisconsin presidential primary, sending a message to frontrunners Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton that their march to the nominations is not a foregone conclusion.

The United States networks -- including Fox News and NBC -- called the race for the two underdogs within half an hour of polls closing in the Midwestern state that borders Canada on Wednesday.

With seven per cent of precincts reporting, Cruz, a conservative senator from Texas, was ahead with 49 per cent of the vote compared to 35 per cent for billionaire Trump.

Cruz's win in the Badger State is a serious blow to Trump and could alter the trajectory of the Republican race.

The New York real estate mogul predicted a surprise win on Wednesday in Wisconsin, but now faces a narrower path to victory and the 1,237 delegates needed to sew up the Republican nomination.

On the Democratic side, Vermont Senator Sanders led with 57 per cent versus 43 per cent for Clinton. But the former secretary of state can look forward with some confidence to the upcoming races. She leads Sanders by double digits in New York, her adopted home state which votes April 19, and Pennsylvania, which casts ballots a week later.

Trump also leads handily in his home state of New York and in Pennsylvania.
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04:15   New Facebook tool lets blind people see photos
Social media platforms may be a great way of telling the world about your life, but not everyone can appreciate these moments in full.

Facebook is launching "automatic alternative text"; a tool that uses object recognition technology to identify and describe an image, so that visually impaired and blind people using screen readers will be able to hear -- and therefore visualize -- what's in a photo posted on the social network.

Read more about it HERE
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03:31   Global tax avoidance huge problem: Obama on Panama Papers
In his first reaction to the leaked 'Panama Papers' that revealed names of thousands of world leaders and celebrities who have stashed money in tax havens, President Barack Obama on Tuesday said that global tax avoidance may be running into trillions of dollars worldwide.
"There is no doubt that the problem of global tax avoidance, generally, is a huge problem," Obama said adding the issue has been brought up in G7 and G20 meetings.
"There has been some progress made in coordinating between tax authorities of different countries so that we can make sure that we're catching some of the most egregious examples," he said.
"But as I said before, one of the big problems that we have is that a lot of this stuff is not illegal. Unless the United States and other countries lead by example in closing some of these loopholes and provisions, then in many cases you can trace what's taking place, but you can't stop it.
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03:02   Fed up with human apathy, farmers seek Lord Krishna's help
Fed up with cold response from district administration to their demand to declare Devbhoomi Dwarka in Ahmedabad as drought-hit, farmers on Tuesday knocked at the God's door for help and submitted a memorandum to Lord Krishna seeking divine intervention to alleviate their sufferings.
Dozens of farmers led by NGO Khedut Hit Rakshak Samiti submitted the memorandum to the high priest of the famous Dwarkadhish Temple in Devbhoomi Dwarka district, about 400km from Ahmedabad, dedicated to Lord Krishna.
In the memorandum addressed Lord Krishna, the farmers pleaded for help and said they have come to him "as a last resort" after getting tired of approaching government officials with their list of demands.
They listed their demands before the God, which included declaring the district as drought-affected, setting up cattle camps, providing water for drinking and irrigation and reducing power connection tariff.
Recently, the BJP government in Gujarat declared parts of district as drought-hit.
"We have come to you as a last resort...the present government, elected from farmers' votes, is working for the industrialists. The government invest crore of rupees to organise farmer programmes but refuses to address our problems. Leaders and government officials are corrupt, and we farmers are crying for help," the memorandum stated.
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02:48   John McCain warns IS fight headed for 'slow, grinding failure'
Senior Republican lawmaker John McCain warned on Tuesday the US-led coalition is headed for "slow, grinding failure" unless it scales up the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.
"I bore witness to the failed policy of gradual escalation that ultimately led to our nation's defeat in the Vietnam War," Senator McCain, a Navy veteran who heads the Senate Armed Services Committee and ran against Barack Obama in 2008, wrote in a letter to Defense Secretary Ash Carter.
"This administration's grudging incrementalism in the war against the Islamic State risks another slow, grinding failure for our nation."
McCain said military commanders had told him they have been hamstrung in their pursuit of the IS group.
"They have been reduced from considering what it will take to win to what they will be allowed to do by this administration.... This is unacceptable," McCain said.
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02:08   Pope set to visit refugees in Greece as expulsions stalled
Pope Francis will travel to the Greek island of Lesbos on the frontline of Europe's refugee crisis next week, Greece announced on Tuesday as a controversial EU accord to send migrants back to Turkey stalled.
The papal trip to Lesbos, accompanied by the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church, is likely to pile pressure on European leaders already criticised for the deal with Turkey, which aims to defuse Europe's worst migration crisis since World War II by curbing the influx of people.
"The Greek government will welcome Pope Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as valuable defenders of support to refugees, and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will go with (them) to the island of Lesbos," a government source in Athens said.
News of the papal visit came as a last-minute rush of asylum applications stalled operations to return migrants from Greece to Turkey under a deal signed in March.
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01:34   Panama Papers: Pak PM Sharif forms high-level probe panel
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday formed a high-level judicial commission a day after three of his children were named in the 'Panama Papers' for owning offshore companies which had prompted the
opposition to demand a probe.
The judicial commission will be led by a retired Supreme Court judge, said the premier.
Sharif alleged that certain individuals had indulged in point scoring and digging up old issues from decades ago.
"My family has faced a barrage of accusations. My family was not involved in politics till much later, as such, even before I got into politics, we were an established industrial family," the prime minister said.
Sharif also challenged all those hurling allegations against him and his family to present evidence of any financial wrongdoing before the commission, the Dawn reported.
A massive leak of 11.5 million secret tax documents from a Panamanian law firm that specialises in offshore tax havens has exposed the covert offshore dealings of around 140 political figures globally including the Sharif family.

Documents on the International Consortium of Investigative Journalistswebsite said Sharif's children -- Mariam, Hasan and Hussain - "were owners or had the right to authorise transactions for several companies".
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01:14   Be articulate in expressing independence: Rajan to students
Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan o Tuesday said the country provides a lot of freedom to its people to air their views but one has to be more articulate while expressing independence.
"There is tremendous space for you to exert your independence in our country despite all pressures. Of course, you have to articulate why you are using your independence the way that you are using," Rajan told a group of B-school students who assembled for a contest at the RBI headquarters.
The governor also said though RBI's job from outside looks glamorous there is lot of hard work and pressure.

He emphasised on having a strong framework for formulating a policy and said it is equally important to take broader public along with you to bring in any reforms.
"One of the most important aspects of policy making is to have a framework, to have a sense of why you are doing things, how are you going about it and how every new development fits into your framework, as it is important to make people understand the policy objectives", Rajan said.
"If you want to make changes, you want to reform, you have to take the larger public along with you. That's the way that the political establishment also goes along with you. You have to explain to them why it makes sense," he added. 
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00:37   Trump's remarks damaging US foreign relations: Obama
The recent remarks of Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump on foreign policy, including on Mexican immigrants, have damaged US relations with other nations, President Barack Obama said on Tuesday.
"The answer to the question is yes," Obama told reporters at a White House news conference when asked if Trump's foreign policy proposals are damaging US relations abroad.

"I think that I've been very clear earlier that I am getting questions constantly from foreign leaders about some of the wackier suggestions that are being made. I do have to emphasise that it's not just Mr Trump's proposals. You're also hearing concerns about Mr (Ted) Cruz's proposals, which in some ways are just as draconian when it comes to immigration, for example," Obama said.
"The implications with respect to ending remittances -- many of which, by the way, are from legal immigrants and from individuals who are sending money back to their families -- are enormous," he said.
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00:19  
A minor blaze was reported outside Mumbai domestic airport on Tuesday after a vehicle caught on fire. The fire was doused off immediately.  
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00:18   Lapses by police caused violence during Jat stir: Inquiry committee
Retired IPS officer Prakash Singh, heading a committee set up by Haryana government to inquire into the acts of "omission and commission" on the part of civil and police officers during the Jat quota agitation, has said  lapses have been there which resulted in "large scale violence".
"Violence took place on large scale, so naturally lapses have been there. We are trying to pin-point to what extent the officials were negligent," Singh told reporters.
"We will soon complete the report," Singh said, adding after the report is fine-tuned, it will be submitted to the government.
 
It was up to the government to take action against those officials who were found erring in performing their duties, he said.
Replying to a question, Singh, who undertook a visit to the eight districts including the worst-hit areas of Rohtak, Jhajjar and Sonipat, said the committee received complaints like delay in arrival of fire brigades or the Deputy
Commissioner of the district concerned not helping out the locals.

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