LIVE! Donald Trump confident of winning Republican nomination

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Sun, 21 February 2016

Donald Trump confident of winning Republican nomination

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21:24 Donald Trump confident of winning Republican nomination

Controversial Republican front-runner Donald Trump exuded confidence that he was on his way to win the party's presidential nomination, defying the projection of political pundits who have been "wrong forever".

"So far, I'm really on my way," Trump said after he netted back to back wins in South Carolina and New Hampshire following a close second-place finish in the Iowa caucuses.

Trump's win gave him a critical burst of momentum heading into Nevada's Republican caucuses on Tuesday.

When asked if a strong opposition inside the party against him would result in a brokered convention in Cleveland, Ohio in July, Trump said he doesn't think "we're going to have a brokered convention. I think it is unlikely."

Trump said it was only the political pundits who were saying that he would not win the presidential nomination. "I think most of the smart people are saying there's not going to be a convention. Interestingly, the ones who say

there's going to be a convention, usually, they are the pundits that have been wrong forever, the ones that have been wrong about me," he said.

India has asked Pakistan to inform it at least five days prior to a planned visit by Pakistani investigators to inspect the site of the Pathankot terror attack, interior minister said.

"They (Indian authorities) said that let us know at least five days ahead of the visit," Nisar Ali Khan said as he said India has agreed to the proposal of sending a probe team to India over the January 2 attack on the key Air Force base in Pathankot.

The two sides were in touch over the visit of the special team to inspect the site of the attack, Khan said, adding that the Foreign Office has written to India about the idea of sending the team and India has already written back. Khan did not give the time of the visit of the team but official sources said it could take place early March.

One more army officer has been killed in the ongoing encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pampore district. A militant has been gunned down too, confirmed a CRPF spokesperson, adding that his body was retrieved from the spot too. Six people have been killed and 10 others injured in the gun-battle that started yesterday evening at the Entrepreneurs Development Institute at Pampore on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

Paying tributes to the martyrs, Lt Gen Satish Dua GOC Chinar Corps saluted the courage and selflessness of both the soldiers and said that their cause will be taken to its logical conclusion.

Speaking about Captain Pawan he said, He had voluntarily taken upon himself to lead his men into this most difficult phase of the operation. His commitment to his men, duty and the uniform he so proudly donned, can be guaged from the fact that despite having been wounded in an earlier encounter with terrorists only last month, he had refused to proceed on sick leave to be with his team for this operation.

They have done the nation proud and the nation salutes them. The Corps Commander also paid his tributes to the martyred CRPF Personnel and one EDI employee Abdul Gani Mir who lost their lives in the terror attack yesterday. He also wished quick recovery to the injured soldiers.

19:45 Top Hindu priest slaughtered in Bangladesh

A Hindu head priest in Bangladesh was today hacked to death by gun- and cleaver-wielding suspected Islamists at a temple in an area bordering India, in the latest attack on religious minorities that also injured two devotees.

In a predawn attack, motorbike-borne unidentified assailants, said to over three in number, pelted stones at the house of 50-year-old Jajneswar Roy in the premises of the Santagourhiyo Temple in northern Panchagarh district's Debiganj Upazila.

"They (assailants) first hurled stones at the temple which prompted him (Roy) to come out to see what actually happened. The killers then pounced on him and slit his throat," a devotee in the neighbourhood was quoted as saying.

Panchagarh police chief Giasuddin Ahmed, citing local people, said that the head priest was preparing for the morning prayers, when stones were hurled at the temple. The attack also wounded two Hindu devotees at the temple premises as the assassins were fleeing the scene on a motorbike, firing gunshots and hurling crude bombs to avoid being chased.

Ten Indian crew of a ship, which was hijacked by pirates off the Ivory Coast, have been rescued with the help of the Nigerian navy, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said.

She said the ship with 11 Indians was hijacked last Saturday. Ten Indian crew members have been rescued and efforts are on to secure the release of the 11th, besides a Pakistani.

"A ship 'Maximus' with 11 Indian crew members was hijacked by pirates off the Ivory Coast last Saturday. On our request the ship was followed by Ghana and Nigerian Navy. "We have rescued 10 Indians with the help of Nigerian Navy. We are trying to rescue 11th Indian and a Pakistani crew member from the pirates," she tweeted.

He was a Jat, but reservation politics were far from his mind.He was a graduate of Jawaharlal Nehru University but the debate around 'azadi' speeches and sedition didn't really bother him.

In his last Facebook post, he said, "Kisiko reservation chahiye to kisiki ko azadi bhai. Humein kutch nahin chahiye bhai. bas apni razai." (Some want reservation and some want independence. I do not want anything, except my blanket.)

Far removed from angry political debates, Captain Pawan Kumar didn't need need to wear his patriotism as a badge of honour. He was a soldier who did his job.

18:44

JUST IN: One more army officer injured in ongoing encounter with terrorists in Pampore. Total 10 injured, 5 killed.

18:43 Iranian state media renew fatwa on Salman Rushdie with $600,000 bounty

Forty state-run Iranian media outlets have jointly offered a new $600,000 bounty for the death of British Indian author Salman Rushdie. The announcement coincides with the anniversary of the fatwa issued the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic. Ayatollah Khomeini, the First Supreme Leader of Iran, issued the fatwa against Rushdie on charges of blasphemy for his novel The Satanic Verses on 15 February, 1989.

Pakistan has withdrawn the security of prosecution chief in the Mumbai attack case following which he has refused to appear for future hearings, the latest in a series of hurdles in the high-profile case in which the government has been accused of using delaying tactics.

The government has given no reason regarding withdrawing of the security of Chaudhry Azhar, who is also a special prosecutor of the Federal Investigation Agency.

"Yes, the government has withdrawn my security and I will not attend the Mumbai case hearing (till security is provided to me)," Azhar said. He said he is facing threats and cannot attend the courtproceedings of the high-profile case without security.

Azhar assumed the charge of the chief prosecution in the Mumbai case in May, 2013 after his predecessor Chaudhry Zulfiqar was gunned down allegedly by two members of the banned Tahreek-i-Taliban Pakistan

The situation in Haryana continues to be grim as the Jat protests have entered the fourth day. As violence continued in different parts of the city, Anil Jain, the BJP state unit head announced, "It has been decided that in coming assembly session reservation will be given to Jats in Haryana."

Renowned Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore has called on Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at his palatial residence here over a lavish dinner. Sharif, who is an admirer of Sharmila, had extended an invitation to her during the actress' visit to this eastern Pakistani city for a literary festival.

The 71-year-old actress visited the Sharifs residence at Raiwind yesterday evening and had dinner with him and his family members. Sharif's daughter Maryam Sharif received her. The Prime Minister also enquired from Sharmila about the health of legedary Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged that disgruntled NGOs and black-marketeers were conspiring to destabilise the government and "defame" him and asserted that he will not bow to any machinations. He said "some people" were not able to digest the fact that a "chai wala" (tea seller) has become the prime minister and hence were conspiring all the time to bring him down.

"You would have seen in the recent past, there is attack on me all the time. Some people are continuously at it. They are not able to digest how Modi became the Prime Minister, how a 'chai wala' became the PM, they cannot swallow it," a combative Modi said

Monopoly has got a fresh makeover with the iconic board game's new cashless version being launched that uses credit cards instead of paper money in a bid to stay relevant for the tech-savvy generation.

There was a time when true success was measured by the height of your Monopoly cash stack but these days, it is calculated with your credit score.

In an attempt to keep the classic board game relevant to the millennial lifestyle, makers Hasbro have dropped the dollar bills for bank cards in its newest Monopoly edition "Ultimate Banking," which will roll out later this year.

In the game, players will tap their plastic on a small credit card reader dubbed the "Ultimate Banking Unit" to purchase properties and pay rent. The bank cards will also track wealth and rising property values, Hasbro said.

However, whether the move will payoff or not is not known.

In 2007, Hasbro unveiled a similar concept called Monopoly Electronic Banking, but the company says the new version is different.

Notwithstanding BJP's optimism,PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti today remained ambivalent on progress in talks on government formation, maintaining that she will be on board once she is convinced that she can "fulfill the dreams" of her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for Jammu and Kashmir.

"That only time can tell," was the cryptic response of the PDP president to reporters when they asked her if there was any forward movement in talks with the BJP for government formation in the state.

Just days earlier, BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav had flown to Srinagar and held talks with the PDP chief after which he had said that "both parties are positive" on continuing with the arrangement.

Mehbooba, who attended first public function today after Sayeed's death on January 7, said her visit to Delhi was only related to her duties as a Lok Sabha member.

Situation in Haryana continues to be grim as the Jat protests have entered the fourth day. Violence continues in different parts of the state, particularly in Rohtak and Jind. Thirty-three army units have been deployed in 9 districts of Haryana along with 10 company of paramilitary forces. However, in spite of the curfew, violence has not ceased.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar met Army Chief General Dalbir Suhag in Delhi and directed him to deal strictly with the Jat protesters. Parrikar has asked the army chief to bring situation under control in Haryana by tonight. The minister asked Suhag to ensure that all major highways in the troubled state are cleared of protesters as soon as possible.

In a bizarre incident, a barber in Bangalore hurled a set of toffees wrapped in paper and screamed saying 'bomb' at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The barber named BS Prasad questioned the CM about his contribution to the barber's community at Ravindra Kalakshetra. Prasad was immediately arrested after the incident and has been taken for further interrogation.

14:31 PM arrives in Varanasi tonight

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to arrive in his Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi tonight for taking part in birth anniversary celebrations of 15th century Dalit poet Shri Ravidas besides attending the convocation ceremony at the Banaras Hindu University tomorrow.

As per the revised protocol, the PM will reach Varanasi airport from Kolkata.

In the morning, Modi is scheduled to pay a visit to the Ravidas Mandir a temple dedicated to the mystic who holds a special place in the hearts of Dalits where he may partake 'langar' (food prepared in the community kitchen).

Modi is also expected to meet NRIs belonging to the 'Ravidasiya' sect, comprising mostly Sikhs from Punjab, who are devotees of the Varanasi-born poet-mystic.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is also expected to visit the shrine later in the day in an apparent bid to woo the Sikhs belonging to this sect, with an eye on the upcoming Punjab elections.

After spending some time at the temple, Modi will return to BHU to attend the convocation ceremony.

Earlier, varsity authorities had expressed their desire to confer an honorary doctorate on the PM. However, the offer was declined earlier this week by Modi, who cited his "policy of not accepting such degrees".

The PM would fly back to Delhi from Varanasi airport at tomorrow.

14:16 Another soldier dies in Pampore encounter

Another soldier has been martyred in the ongoing encounter in Kashmir's Pampore area. Security forces making all attempts to neutralise the group of terrorists, who have taken refuge inside an Entrepreneurship Development Institute building. According to CRPF PRO Bhavesh Kumar, the attack seems to be pre-planned given the amount of ammunition being used by the terrorists.

"We are trying to neutralise the militants right now and seeing the pattern of firing, it seems like there are two to four terrorists inside the building. It is a huge building with four floors and several rooms. Most of our injured are stable and out of danger but one of our boys lost his eye," Kumar said.

With the agitation by the Jats in Haryana showing no signs of subsiding, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is set to meet the leaders from the community yet again on Sunday. The Jat and Khap leaders from Haryana will meet Rajnath at his residence at 3 pm. After the meeting yesterday, the delegation had said that they were waiting for the formation of a committee which would review the reservation demands of their community.

The Facebook account of Jawaharlal Nehru University student union president Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested on sedition charges, was allegedly hacked today, with students agitating in his support, deciding to report the matter to Delhi Police cyber cell.

Kanhaiya's profile picture was found to be "updated" around 8:40 pm. The image shows a group of soldiers trying to erect a tricolour. It has received over 600 comments within one hour after the image was posted.

13:28

JUST IN: 10 dissident MLAs, including eight from DMDK, resign from Tamil Nadu assembly, to join AIADMK next week.

13:03 JNU row: Ex-servicemen participate in unity march

Scores of ex-servicemen and people from various walks of life participated in a unity march against the alleged anti-national sloganeering on the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus over the hanging of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

The protest was organised under the banner "March For Unity To Save The Country"." People from all walks of life have come here to join this protest against the anti-national sloganeering on the JNU campus.

The protest has been organised by an apolitical group 'People for Nation' to support nation's spirit," said one of the protestors. "They should support India because this is the country which feeds us," he added.

Another protestor said any sloganeering against the nation is condemnable. "And that is why the people of Delhi have come out on the streets in large numbers," he added.

Indian doctors in the UK may find it difficult to apply for jobs under the proposed changes to the country's visa regime with plans to introduce a new test for the employers for ensuring European workers are given priority for skilled jobs.

If employers wished to recruit a migrant from outside the settled workforce for a skilled job, they will need to show that they have carried out the Resident Labour Market Test unless the post is on the shortage occupation list, according to the new proposals.

The UK Migration Advisory Committee's recommendation of a new RLMT to ensure UK and European workers are given priority for skilled jobs would mean that Indian medical graduates will be eligible to apply for higher training posts within the UK's National Health Service only once most vacancies are already filled up.

A spate of violence unleashed by Jat protesters demanding quotas has sent air fares on the Chandigarh-Delhi sector through the roof with the cheapest available one-way ticket for Monday selling for over Rs 99,000.

The one-way, 45-minute flight is priced almost double that of a Delhi-London return flight that costs around Rs 46,000. A Delhi-New York return ticket costs around Rs 63,000.

Airline sources said flights out of Chandigarh were fully booked as people were desperate to get out of the city. "These are the last few seats available and they are being sold for a premium," said an airline official who did not wish to be named.

Police are on the lookout for five JNU students who have been charged with sedition along with Kanhaiya Kumar who has been arrested. Delhi police have described the five as absconders and said they were closely involved with the February 9 event commemorating hanged terror convicts Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat in which "anti-national" slogans were shouted.

So far, the five -- aged between 25 and 30 -- have been charged with sedition merely on the basis of the "aazaadi' slogans they allegedly raised.

Read more HERE

Police are searching for an active shooter who killed six and injured several others in a murder spree in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Multiple people died in shootings at the Cracker Barrel restaurant in Texas Township and at the Seelye Ford dealership, Kalamazoo County Under sheriff Paul Matyas said.

Four people died at the restaurant, including an eight-year-old. Two were killed at the car dealership, which is located four miles from the restaurant, police said. The shootings seem to be related to each other, police said.

Hit by a serious water crisis due to Jat reservation protests in neighbouring Haryana, Delhi government today said that all schools and government offices will remain closed tomorrow.

"All schools will be closed tomorrow, both government and private. The exams and admission process have also been postponed due to the water crisis,' said Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

Delhi government moved the Supreme Court on Saturday night, seeking a direction to the Centre to intervene and ensure water supply to the national capital from Munak Canal in neighbouring Haryana which has been affected due to the Jat agitation.

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