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Thu, 02 June 2016
Woman on UCLA shooter's 'kill list' found dead in Minnesota, LAPD
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23:18 Woman on UCLA shooter's 'kill list' found dead in Minnesota
The man who carried out a murder-suicide at UCLA left a "kill list" at his Minnesota home that led authorities to find a woman's body, Police Chief Charlie Beck said.
Mainak Sarkar, 38, drove to Los Angeles from Minnesota with two guns and killed Professor Bill Klug before taking his own life yesterday, Beck said during his monthly appearance on Los Angeles TV station KTLA.
When authorities searched Sarkar's Minnesota home, they found a "kill list" with the names of Klug, another UCLA professor and a woman, Beck said.
The woman was found shot dead in her home in a nearby Minnesota town, he said. Beck said he could not release that woman's name. The other professor on the list is OK.
Beck said it appeared mental issues were involved and that Sarkar's dispute with Klug was tied to Sarkar thinking the professor released intellectual property that harmed Sarkar.
Police asked for the public's help to find the car Sarkar drove to Los Angeles, a 2003 Nissan Sentra with the license plate 720KTW.
22:56 Official says Prince died of opioid overdose
A law-enforcement official on Thursday said that tests show Pop icon Prince died of an opioid overdose, AP has reported.
The 57-year-old singer was found dead April 21 at his Minneapolis-area estate.
The official, who is close to the investigation, spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The findings confirm suspicions that opioids played a role in the musician's death. After he died, a law enforcement official told the AP that investigators were examining whether an overdose was to blame and whether a doctor had prescribed him drugs in the preceding weeks.
Prince's death came less than a week after his plane made an emergency stop in Moline, Illinois, for medical treatment as he was returning from an Atlanta concert. The official said Prince was found unconscious on the plane and that first responders gave him a shot of Narcan, an antidote used in suspected opioid overdoses.
At least two doctors' names have come up in the death investigation being conducted by the Carver County Sheriff's Office, the US Attorney's Office in Minnesota and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Dr. Michael Todd Schulenberg, a family practitioner, treated Prince twice in the weeks before his death and told investigators he prescribed medications for the singer. The medications were not specified in a search warrant for the Minnesota hospital that employed Schulenberg at the time.
Schulenberg saw Prince on April 7 and April 20 the day before his death, according to the warrant. Schulenberg's attorney has declined to comment on the case.
Dr. Howard Kornfeld, a California addiction specialist, was asked by Prince's representatives on April 20 to help the singer.
22:28 India drops one place to 163rd in FIFA rankings
Indian football team slipped one place to occupy 163rd position in the latest FIFA rankings issued on Thursday.
India, who beat Laos 1-0 in Vientiane in a play-off match of the 2019 Asian Cup Qualifiers on Thursday, are one place behind Myanmar among the Asian countries at 29th place.
Iran and Korea are the two highest ranked teams in Asia, at 39th and 50th respectively.
Overall, there has been no movement with Argentina and Belgium occupying the number one and two spot respectively.
22:27 Tamil Nadu government files defamation complaint against Tamil magazine
The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday filed a defamation complaint in the principle sessions court in Chennai against Tamil magazine "Nakkeeran" for publishing an article allegedly intending to tarnish the image and reputation of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
City Public Prosecutor M L Jegan filed the criminal defamation complaint on behalf of Jayalalithaa for publishing the article.
In the complaint, Jegan submitted that the May 20-23 issue of the weekly published a news article under the title "Containeril Pannam Pathukkal, Marraikapatta Unmaigal. Sikkiya Aavanangal" (The cash that was kept in containers, hidden truths, seized documents).
He submitted that the entire article published was "baseless and beyond the truth and only with an intention to tarnish the image and the reputation of the Chief Minister who was elected with massive support of the people".
"The article is completely baseless and unsubstantiated", Jagan submitted and said "the act of publishing the article attracts criminal defamation".
He prayed to the court to take cognizance of the alleged offence under IPC sections 499 (defamation) and 500 (punishment for defamation) against its Editor, Special Correspondent and reporter.
21:37 Two elderly sisters found dead in flat in Mumbai
Two elderly sisters were found dead inside their flat in suburban Chembur today, police said. Police suspect it to be a suicide case as the door of the flat in which, both Mohini Jethvani and Basanti Jethvavni (both aged above 70) was found locked from the inside.
The deceased were unmarried and have been staying together in eastern Mumbai. They do not have any close relatives, police said. As per the CCTV footage, the duo were last seen picking up a newspaper from outside their flat on Tuesday at around 2.30 pm.
According to police, the flat was in a poor condition. Police said the bodies had no external injuries, which were sent for postmortem.
20:56 Over 400 stranded Indian pilgrims evacuated from Nepal
Over 400 Indians stranded in Nepal's mountainous region of Hilsa and Simikot en route to Kailash Mansarovar Yatra due inclement weather have been evacuated.
The External Affairs Ministry said Nepal government and tour operators are making all possible arrangements for timely evacuation of pilgrims from Hilsa to Simikot and from Simikot to Nepalgunj. "Our First Secretary from the Indian embassy at Kathmandu visited Hilsa and Simikot and coordinated with the Nepalese authorities.
More than 400 stranded yatris have been brought to Surkhet and Nepalgunj.
"As of now, there are no bottlenecks on the route. However, in view of the forecast of inclement weather, our mission in Kathmandu has issued a travel advisory to Indian yatris to avoid the Nepal route," said External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup.
20:32 Three IITians detained in Italy, released within hours
Three IIT students were detained by Italian police in North Italy's Ventimiglia town on Monday during checking for illegal immigrants but were released hours later following the intervention of the Indian mission in Rome.
Akshit Goyal and Deepak Bhatt, from IIT Delhi and Uday Kusupati from IIT Bombay were visiting Italy as tourists and carrying valid passports with Schengen visas.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said Italian authorities have admitted it was a "mistake" on their part to detain the three as their documents were in order. He said Indian Mission has taken up the issue with the Italian authorities strongly. After they were detained at Ventimiglia railway station, the three IITians were flown along with other detainees to Bari, a town almost a 1,000 km away in south of Italy.
Swarup said the Indian mission in Rome, after coming to know of the incident from a relative of Akshit, swung into action and contacted Italy's ministry of interior affairs and police authorities in Ventimiglia. After around 10 hours, the three students were released.
20:30 Indian named as suspect in UCLA shooting
A disgruntled PhD student who had been working on his thesis for at least 10 years is believed to have killed his professor at UCLA on Wednesday after the instructor refused to give him a passing grade.
Mainak Sarkar, 38, who lived in Minneapolis but is thought to have been born in India, shot engineering professor William Klug, 39, dead in his office before turning the gun on himself, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed.
Before enrolling at UCLA, Sarkar earned a master's degree at Stanford University following an undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur, according to his LinkedIn page.
On Wednesday, Sarkar took his own life after killing William Klug, 39, in a small office in UCLA Engineering Building 4, sources confirmed.
20:06 Bhandari case: IT dept to book case under new blackmoney Act
The Income Tax department is mulling booking defence consultant Sanjay Bhandari, said to be linked to Robert Vadra in an alleged benami property transaction in London, under the stringent anti-blackmoney law in connection with its tax evasion probe against him. Bhandari, against whom the department conducted searches in April last, is likely to be summoned for detailed questioning "as early as next week" to seek his explanation on his bank transactions.
19:19 Gulbarg verdict 'stain' on PM: Sachar
Former Delhi High Court Chief Justice Rajinder Sachar today described a Gujarat court verdict in Gulbarg Housing Society case as a "stain" on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, considering that he was the chief minister in Gujarat when the killings took place.
In a statement, the former President of Peoples Union for Civil Liberties also deplored "communal approach" by "Hindu chauvinists" who were resisting shifting of displaced Muslim families to a locality following demolition of their homes.
19:18 'No evidence of Pakistan government's hand in Pathankot attack'
There is no evidence so far to indicate direct complicity of government of Pakistan or Pakistani agencies in the Pathankot attack Director General of National Investigation Agency Sharad Kumar told News18.
"No evidence to show that Pakistan government or Pakistani government agency was helping Jaish-e-Mohammed or Masood Azhar or his aides carried out the Pathankot attack." Sharad Kumar said NIA has completed its India leg of investigation and is waiting for Pakistan to allow the NIA team to visit Pakistan to complete the investigations.
Sharad Kumar said,"we are hopeful," when asked if Pakistan will allow NIA visit on the basis of reciprocity. He also clarified that charge sheet in this case will be filed even if Pakistan did not give NIA access. "We have sufficient and stringent evidence against Maulana Masood Azhar and his brother Rauf Azhar and we will include those in our charge sheet," the DG added.
18:59 PM attacks Indira Gandhi's 'garibi hatao' slogan
Attacking Indira Gandhi's 'garibi hatao' slogan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the call failed as the path chosen to implement it was wrong. "We heard garibi hatao slogan for 40-50 years. The intention of those who gave it may have been good, but the path they chose to eradicate poverty was certainly wrong because poverty, umemployment and disease grew," he said.
Modi termed BJP as a party synonymous with development, saying all BJP-ruled states were developing faster than others. "You can look at the condition of states where BJP is yet to get a foothold," he said, apparently taking a dig at the Naveen Patnaik government.
Addressing a public meeting in this 'missile city' on the completion of two years of his government, he asked the people of the state to bring about a political change.
18:44 Paes-Hingis sail into French Open semis
Leander Paes and Martina Hingis, who won three Grand Slams together in 2015, have qualified for the semi finals at Roland Garros. They defeated the pairing of Bruno Soares and Elena Vesnina 6-4, 6-3.
18:30 Fadnavis submits 'factual report' to Shah on row surrounding Khadse
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Thursday and gave him a 'report' on the controversy surrounding minister Eknath Khadse.
"I have given a factual report on recent developments (regarding Khadse) to Amit Shahji. Also held discussions on the same," Fadnavis said after meeting Shah.
"Party will direct us on further steps that need to be taken on basis of the report," he added.
Khadse has found himself embroiled in a series of controversies over allegations of impropriety in purchase of a Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation land in Pune and alleged calls from fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim's residence to his mobile.
"I have given a factual report on recent developments (regarding Khadse) to Amit Shahji. Also held discussions on the same," Fadnavis said after meeting Shah.
"Party will direct us on further steps that need to be taken on basis of the report," he added.
Khadse has found himself embroiled in a series of controversies over allegations of impropriety in purchase of a Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation land in Pune and alleged calls from fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim's residence to his mobile.
18:21 Tom Alter quits as head of FTII's acting department
Noted actor Tom Alter has resigned from his post as head of the acting department in the Film and Television Institute of India.
Alter emailed his resignation, citing preoccupation with other commitments that prevented him from devoting time to the FTII assignment, FTII director Bhupendra Kainthola said today.
He, however, said that resignation of the eminent actor had not been accepted by the FTII management so far.
"I am trying to persuade him to withdraw his resignation," Kainthola added.
According to sources in the premiere institute which has witnessed unrest on the campus on various issues during the last one year, a strained relationship with the students also contributed to Alter's decision to resign.
Alter emailed his resignation, citing preoccupation with other commitments that prevented him from devoting time to the FTII assignment, FTII director Bhupendra Kainthola said today.
He, however, said that resignation of the eminent actor had not been accepted by the FTII management so far.
"I am trying to persuade him to withdraw his resignation," Kainthola added.
According to sources in the premiere institute which has witnessed unrest on the campus on various issues during the last one year, a strained relationship with the students also contributed to Alter's decision to resign.
18:02
A view of the fire that has engulfed the Metro House building at Colaba in Mumbai. Photograph: Ajit Balakrishnan/ Rediff.com
17:53
JUST IN: Four more fire tenders from Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, have joined fire brigade to douse the flames at Metro shoes building in Colaba.
17:38 Huge fire breaks out on Colaba Causeway in Mumbai
A major fire broke out today in a five-storeyed building housing Metro Shoes and the popular Cafe Mondegar near Regal Cinema, on tony Colaba Causeway, South Mumbai, officials said.
The blaze erupted on one of the top floors in the commercial-cum residential building situated near Regal Cinema around 4 pm, said officials of Disaster Control Department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
However, no casualties have been reported as occupants were quickly evacuated, they said.
Ten fire tenders have been pressed into service and fire-fighting operations are underway. Personnel from nearby police stations have also been rushed to the spot. Traffic has also been diverted from Colaba Causeway.
The cause of the fire is not yet known and further details are awaited.
The blaze erupted on one of the top floors in the commercial-cum residential building situated near Regal Cinema around 4 pm, said officials of Disaster Control Department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
However, no casualties have been reported as occupants were quickly evacuated, they said.
Ten fire tenders have been pressed into service and fire-fighting operations are underway. Personnel from nearby police stations have also been rushed to the spot. Traffic has also been diverted from Colaba Causeway.
The cause of the fire is not yet known and further details are awaited.
17:31 Dubai-bound flight narrowly escapes crash at Lahore airport
A Dubai-bound Shaheen Air flight narrowly escaped a crash on Thursday when its tyres burst just before takeoff at Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport.
The engine of Shaheen Air flight NL-766 started making loud noises seconds before takeoff which prompted the pilot to apply emergency breaks to keep the plane on the runway, reports The Express Tribune.
However, the breaks caused three of the plane's tyres to burst.
No loss of life was reported.The Civil Aviation Authority personnel as well as engineers of Shaheen Air reached the spot and started rescue activities.
There were around 160 passengers on board this flight.
However, no one was harmed in the incident, according to sources in CAA.Following the incident, the CAA announced that the primary runway of Lahore airport has been closed for a brief period of time.
This is not the first time a Shaheen Air flight has met with an accident.
In November last year, a Lahore-bound Shaheen Air flight, carrying 121 passengers and crew members, had made an 'emergency landing' at the Lahore airport as the aircraft skidded off the runway.
The engine of Shaheen Air flight NL-766 started making loud noises seconds before takeoff which prompted the pilot to apply emergency breaks to keep the plane on the runway, reports The Express Tribune.
However, the breaks caused three of the plane's tyres to burst.
No loss of life was reported.The Civil Aviation Authority personnel as well as engineers of Shaheen Air reached the spot and started rescue activities.
There were around 160 passengers on board this flight.
However, no one was harmed in the incident, according to sources in CAA.Following the incident, the CAA announced that the primary runway of Lahore airport has been closed for a brief period of time.
This is not the first time a Shaheen Air flight has met with an accident.
In November last year, a Lahore-bound Shaheen Air flight, carrying 121 passengers and crew members, had made an 'emergency landing' at the Lahore airport as the aircraft skidded off the runway.
16:43 IMD predicts above normal monsoon, no probability of deficient rainfall
The Indian Meteorological Department has said that the monsoon will be above normal this year, with 'zero per cent probability of deficient' rainfall.
"There's a 96 per cent probability that monsoon will be normal and in excess this year. Zero per cent probability that it will be deficient," the IMD said.
Seasonal rainfall is expected to be 108 per cent for North-West region, 113 per cent for Central region, 113 per cent for peninsular region and 94 per cent for Northeastern region, the IMD said.
The rainfall for all over the nation is likely to be 107 per cent of long period average in July; 104 per cent in August, the IMD predicted.
The monsoon is expected to arrive in India in 4-5 days and will be above average, it said.
"There's a 96 per cent probability that monsoon will be normal and in excess this year. Zero per cent probability that it will be deficient," the IMD said.
Seasonal rainfall is expected to be 108 per cent for North-West region, 113 per cent for Central region, 113 per cent for peninsular region and 94 per cent for Northeastern region, the IMD said.
The rainfall for all over the nation is likely to be 107 per cent of long period average in July; 104 per cent in August, the IMD predicted.
The monsoon is expected to arrive in India in 4-5 days and will be above average, it said.
16:21 Ajit Jogi hints at floating new party, says Cong acting like BJP's 'Team-B'
Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi on Thursday said that he has no choice but to quit the Congress to improve the state's condition as the grand old party is presently working like 'Team-B' for Raman Singh-led state government.
Jogi told ANI he is under a lot of pressure to revive the state as the present state government is not letting Chhattisgarh develop.
"I have been meeting a lot of people. As of now, I have personally met at least thousand supporters and they all have mounted pressure on me saying if we want to free Chhattisgarh from the rule of Raman Singh then I have to quit Congress, which is acting as the 'B-Team' for Raman Singh or otherwise he might win for the fourth time too," said Jogi.
"So now, I think that if I have to win then there is only one way out that I have to lead a different political front. I would like to inculcate new and young faces in my party who would dedicatedly work for Chhattisgarh and help in ending the loot which is going on in the state," he added.
15:15 India, US ink terror screening info exchange agreement
An arrangement between the authorized governmental agencies of the governments of India and the United States for exchange of terrorist screening information was signed in New Delhi today.
The arrangement was signed by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and US Ambassador to India Richard Verma.
As per this arrangement, both sides shall provide each other access to terrorism screening information through designated contact points, subject to domestic laws and regulations.
The arrangement would enhance the counter terrorism cooperation between India and US.
15:10 Is Khadse on his way out? BJP chief tells Maha CM to 'handle' issue
BJP chief Amit Shah has reportedly asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to "handle" the Eknath Khadse issue "at the earliest", raising speculation that his resignation may be just a matter of time.
Khadse, the senior most minister in the state Cabinet, is embroiled in two major controversies involving a land deal and his cell phone number appearing in the call records of India's most wanted gangster Dawood Ibrahim.
NDTV on Thursday reported that in keeping with the BJP's "zero-tolerance for corruption" policy, party chief Amit Shah, has asked the party's Maharashtra unit for a detailed report on the charges against Khadse.
"It was expected he may resign on Monday, but he didn't. The central BJP is mounting pressure. He will have to give in. There is little room for defiance now," NDTV quoted a senior BJP source as saying.
15:01
Chhattisgarh Congress leader says the Congress Working Committee has decided to expel Ajit Jogi.
Jogi's statements against the party taken into consideration by CWC, he said.
14:33 Not satisfied with Gulberg verdict, fight to continue: Zakia
Zakia Jafri, who has been waging a battle for 14 years to secure justice for her late husband and former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, today expressed dissatisfaction with the verdict in the 2002 Gulberg Society riots case and said she will continue her fight.
"No I am not satisfied with the verdict. I did not like it. All should have been given punishment for what they did and what they did not. I know it all and as I have seen the massacre. I expected all to be convicted... how they killed people, how they made them homeless, I saw it myself," Zakia said.
"I can't dare to ask for capital punishment but maximum punishment should be given. They should be given life imprisonment so they could know the pain of staying away from their family and children," she said.
"My fight should have stopped but looking at today's judgement the fight will continue," she said.
13:58 No free lunch for Modi at Capitol Hill
There is nothing like free lunch in America. Reciprocity is expected from the interlocutor, which means for every move America makes, there must be a reciprocal move by the 'other' side, writes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar on Rediff Blogs, here.
13:49
Gangster Ajay Kumar shot dead in an encounter with Haryana Police in Bathinda (Punjab), four others arrested
13:42 Pak recovers slain Taliban chief's domicile certificate
Pakistani authorities have recovered the domicile certificate of slain Taliban chief Mullah Mansour which was illegally made under a fake name, officials said today.
The recovery of the domicile certificate comes after Mansour was found possessing not only Pakistan's computerised national identity card but also a valid passport with him that left Pakistani authorities red-faced.
He had a fake name -- Wali Muhmmad -- on the documents.
The domicile certificate, also known as certificate of residence in a district, was issued in 1999 under the same fake name of Wali Muhammad, according to a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) official.
13:01 Will take govt to court, says Indira Jaising on NGO licence suspension
Days after the Union Home Ministry suspended for six months the FCRA registration of non-government organisation Lawyers Collective for alleged violations of foreign funding norms, its founder Indira Jaising has termed the government action as mala fide and said that she will challenge notices in the court.
The Home Ministry had alleged that there were discrepancies in the foreign contributions cited by the association in its returns filed with the MHA, and that Jaising had violated FCRA norms by receiving foreign funds when she was a government servant.
It also said that the association had organised rallies or dharnas in 2009, as well as in 2011 and 2014, and that "organising such rallies/dharnas with political hue and colour" using foreign funds was not allowed under FCRA, 1976 that was in force in 2009.
Jaising, who served as Assistant Solicitor General during the United Progressive Alliance regime, has called the government order an an act of "vindictiveness" and "nothing but an attempt to intimidate".
In a statement, Lawyers' Collective linked the government order to Jaising and her husband Anand Grover representing various people against BJP president Amit Shah and others in the party and government in court cases. "This is nothing but gross misuse of FCRA which is being used to suppress dissent," the NGO said.
12:26 Activist Anjali Damania begins fast seeking inquiry against Khadse
Social activist Anjali Damania begins fast unto death protest at Azad Maidan, Mumbai seeking inquiry against Bharatiya Janata Partys senior-most minister in Maharashtra, Eknath Khadse.
Khadse has been facing charges of corruption.
Damania, who released a set of documents alleging Khadses role in the irrigation scam and inflating rates of land owned by his family, had on Wednesday met anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare over the issue and shared the documents.
"Even if Khadse resigns tonight, I will still go ahead with my fast, to seek a fast-track court to deal with charges against Khadse and expect that the process be completed in six months," she said.
"I won't give up my fast till the Chief Minister gives me a written assurance that the probe against Khadse will be completed in six months," Damania said.
11:55 Gulbarg Society case: 24 convicted; BJP corporator among 36 acquitted
A court of Ahmedabad on Thursday convicted 24 and acquitted 36 of the 66 accused in the 2002 Gulbarg society communal riots case relating to the killing of 69 persons, including former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri.
BJP corporator Bipin Patel is among the 36 acquitted.
Special Court judge PB Desai delivered the judgment eight months after the trial concluded on September 22, last year.
The trial court had earlier given its verdict on August 29, 2012, convicting 32 accused including a minister in the Gujarat government.
Among the 66 accused named by the SIT in the case, nine are behind bars since 14 years, while others are out on bail. As many as 338 witnesses were examined in the case.
The Gulbarg Society case is one of the nine cases of the 2002 Gujarat riots probed by the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team.
The Gulbarg Society massacre took place on February 28, during the 2002 Gujarat riots, when a mob attacked the society in Ahmedabad.
A large number of houses were burnt, and 39 persons were burnt alive, 30 others, including Jafri, went missing. However, after seven years, the missing persons were presumed dead.
The Supreme Court had stayed the trial in major Gujarat cases on petitions filed by the National Human Rights Commission and the Citizens for Justice and Peace, who sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation and transfer of the cases outside Gujarat.
The apex court bench on March 26, 2008, directed the Gujarat government to constitute an SIT, headed by former Central Bureau of Investigation chief R K Raghavan, in the case.
11:47 Sachdeva murder: Patna HC defers bail plea of Bihar MLC Manorma Devi
M I Khan reports from Patna: The Patna High Court on Thursday deferred the hearing of the bail plea of suspended JD-U legislator Manorama Devi, mother of Rocky Yadav who is accused of killing Aditya Sachdeva on May 7 in Gaya town, to June 6.
Manorama Devi had surrendered last month in the Gaya court after an arrest warrant was issued against her for keeping liquor in her home in violation of the prohibition law of the state and for harbouring her fugitive son who has since been arrested.
The court had remanded her in 14-day judicial custody and she is currently lodged in the Gaya Central Jail.
Manorma has filed a bail plea in the high court on Tuesday after her bail petition was rejected twice by the Gaya district civil court in May.
11:18 India's tallest and largest tricolour unfurled in Telangana
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Thursday unfurled a 300 feet high national flag at an event commemmorating the state's second foundation day at Sanjeevaiah Park.
After much consideration, the Airports Authority of India and Director General of Civil Aviation granted permission to hoist a massive flag atop a near 300 ft flagpole after the State revised its application to reflect "correct" mean sea elevation of Hyderabad.
Till yesterday, the accolade for hoisting the tallest flag rested with Jharkhand when the state unfurled a flag atop a 293-ft pole in January this year.
Not only did Telangana usurp this title, but it also claimed to have unfurled the largest national flag weighing 60 kg. The flag measures 108 ft by 72 ft.
The flag takes 20 minutes to be hauled to the mast with a winch.
The 100-tonne pole made from galvanised steel is bolted to a 1.5-metre reinforced concrete base.
10:46 V K Singh reignites Akbar vs Maharana Pratap row
Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh last month triggered a row when he asked the government to rename Akbar Road in Lutyens' Delhi as Maharana Pratap Road because the Rajput king "had not been given his due" despite being "truly secular and a man of masses".
While Bharatiya Janata Party leaders like Subramanian Swamy hailed the demand, saying that there are a disproportionate number of roads named after Muslim conquers, the Union minister's remarks led to furore from all corners and the government was on the back foot.
Eventually, Urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu dismissed the whole issue saying, "It's not on my agenda. My priority is to make cities a better place and to provide good governance".
On Wednesday, the External Affairs MoS reignited the controversy with a Facebook post where he wrote: "Maharana Pratap united 36 communities, Akbar who is considered great killed 25,000 innocent men, women and children of Mewar."
If you speak up for Hindus, then self styled seculars will target you. Outside forces have always divided India to rule. Self styled seculars defend Akbar on din-e-Ilahi."
"If we can have a road named after Akbar, then why not memorial after Lord Clive and Lord Dalhousie too."
10:22 PM Modi to address public meeting in Odisha today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a public meeting at Balasore in Odisha today
This would be PM Modi's third visit to Odisha this year and the fourth one after he took over as PM in 2014.
Union Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the rally is part of a series of meetings to be addressed by PM Modi on completion of the NDA government's two years in office.
10:11 Income Tax department may levy tax on startups
The Economic Times reports: Startups worried over funding prospects and falling valuations could soon have a bigger problem on their hands. The income tax department is discussing a controversial move to levy tax on those startups whose valuations have fallen recently on the grounds that the first premium was more than the firm's fair value.
Tax officials believe that Section 56 of the Income Tax Act confers on them the power to levy excess consideration, more than the fair value, against issue of shares.
"Any consideration received by a company (start up) from a resident, against issue of shares, exceeds the fair market value of such shares, such excess consideration is taxable in the hands of the startup, as an income," Section 56 (2) (vii) (b) of the Income Tax Act says.
Valuations of many startups have fallen sharply in recent times on worries over profitability, growth and intense competition.
Read more HERE
10:02 Used for non-Indian readers: NYT clarifies 'so-called' remark on Lata
News 18 reports: A report by The New York Times which mentions Indian icon Lata Mangeshkar as a 'so-called playback singer', has garnered the ire of Twitter users, who perhaps misconstrued the meaning of 'so-called'.
The newspaper's report is on Indian comedian Tanmay Bhat's controversial Snapchat video, in which he has used the app's face-swap feature to liberally ridiculed Lata and Sachin Tendulkar.
A description of the video in The New York Times report read: "In the expletive-laced video, which was created on Snapchat, Mr Bhat uses that app's face-swap feature to impersonate Sachin Tendulkar, a hugely popular cricketer who retired in 2013, and Lata Mangeshkar, a so-called playback singer for Bollywood films whose career dates to the 1940s. Playback singers record vocals for song-and-dance numbers, to which actors and actresses lip sync."
In reaction to the trolling, Ellen Barry, South Asia bureau chief for The New York Times, explained in a tweet: "A note on 'so-called': Used here for non-Indian readers unfamiliar with the term 'playback singer'. In no way a commentary."
09:53 Journalist Rajdeo's murder: Shahabuddin aide surrenders
In a major development in Bihar journalist Rajdeo Ranjan's murder case, key accused Laddan Miyan, a close aide of former RJD MP Shahabuddin, surrendered before court on Thursday.
Rajdeo Ranjan, district bureau head of a leading vernacular newspaper, was shot dead by unidentified men when he was going on his motorcycle near fruit market on station road under town police station area of Siwan on May 13 evening.
Contract killer Laddan Mian, who had been released from jail 15 days before Ranjan's murder, left Siwan with his family two hours after the crime.
Five persons have already been arrested in connection with the murder of Siwan journalist Rajdeo Ranjan.
Bihar Police ADGP Sunil Kumar had said that the five men were engaged by contract killer Laddan Miyan, known to be close to former RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin.
09:25
Sri Lankan Navy arrests 4 fishermen and detains one fishing boat from Kottaipattinam, Tamil Nadu.
09:25 Ex-cop leading Karnataka constables' June 4 mass leave arrested
Suspended Karanataka policeman V Shashidhar, who claims to be founder-president of the Akhila Karnataka Police Maha Sangha, has been sent to judicial custody after he was arrested for 'provoking police constables for protest against the government and police department's superior officers'.
Warning of stringent action against indiscipline, the Karnataka government on Wednesday banned the state police force from striking work on June 4 and invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act to maintain public order and safety across the state.
The Karnataka state police association has, however, decided to go on with its strike by taking leave en masse on this Saturday to protest exploitation of about 60,000 constabulary by senior officers, over work, under pay and poor working conditions.
Declaring police service as essential, the state government prohibited the police personnel from taking mass leave or abstaining from work and threatened to act against them under the ESMA provisions.
Karnataka has over 73,000 police officials. Of them, over 60,000 are police constables and over 30,000 of them have already applied for a day's leave on June 4. The police force has never gone on strike in the state and rules also don't permit them to abandon duty and protest
09:07 Air India refuses to let 11-year-old heart patient board flight
Times of India reports: An 11-year-old boy with a hole in his heart was reportedly prohibited by Air India from boarding his flight to the US for a June 2 appointment with a specialist ahead of surgery scheduled for June 6.
The incident took place on Tuesday evening, as patient Jasraj Singh Saini, accompanied by at least 20 family members and friends who had come to see him off, arrived at the Ahmedabad airport to board the AI-191 flight to Newark.
Jasraj's family has alleged that AI's refusal to let him board came despite a telephonic confirmation of the booking.
"Two days before the date of the flight, airline officials called and confirmed our boarding. But when we went to the airport on Tuesday, we were asked to come the next day," said Harminder, Jasraj's cousin. The June 2 appointment, the family added, will now have to be rescheduled.
Read more HERE
09:02 Parrikar to travel to Singapore today; hold talks on Rafale jets
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will today travel to Singapore to take part in the crucial Shangri-La Dialogue, an inter-governmental security forum, on the sidelines of which he will also hold talks with his French counterpart, with both countries looking at closing the deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets soon.
It is expected that Parrikar will strongly put forward India's viewpoint on Asia's complex security challenges, how to manage military competition in the region and make defence policy in uncertain times.
The Shangri-La Dialogue hosted annually by independent think-tank International Institute for Strategic Studies, is being held from June 3-5.
It is attended by defence ministers and military chiefs of 28 Asia-Pacific countries besides those of other countries. One of the critical meetings Parrikar will have there is with French Defence Minister Jean Yves Le Drian.
The issues pertaining to Rafale jets deal such as consensus on actions to be taken in case of a material breach, stringent liability clause and guarantee by the French side are likely to be discussed when the two leaders meet.
08:47
Rajasthan government to terminate services of over 500 resident doctors who are on strike for the last 3 days
08:47
TRAI launches Mobile App for telecom subscribers to register complaints against pesky calls and SMSes to tighten the noose on telemarketers
08:14 President Pranab in Shimla for summer retreat
President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday begins his five-day summer retreat in Shimla.
The President, to be accompanied by his daughter Sharmistha, would preside over the golden jubilee convocation of Indira Gandhi Medical College at Peterhoff on June 3 and attend a banquet to be hosted in his honour at Raj Bhawan.
Mukherjee, who will stay at Chhrabra, 14 km from Shimla, would host "At Home" on June 5 and return to Delhi on June 6.
08:13 Telangana Formation Day today; PM Modi wishes for progress
Telangana is gearing up to celebrate its second foundation day on Thursday.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and Governor ESL Narasimhan will join in the celebrations at the Parade Ground in Secunderabad.
Public spaces and government buildings have been illuminated here. Tank Bund, banks of Hussain Sagar Lake, Lumbini Park, state secretariat, the international airport at Shamshabad and places of worship are sparkling bright as India's 29th state readies itself for the celebrations.
Telangana came into existence on June 2, 2014, under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of Parliament.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to convey his greetings: "On the Statehood Day of Telangana, my greetings to the people of Telangana. I hope the state progresses to new heights in the years to come."
03:58 First aid for Syria's Darayya since 2012
The besieged Damascus suburb of Darayya has received its first aid convoy since November 2012, according to the Red Cross.
UN aid officials had said the town was suffering dire shortages of food, clean water and medicine.
A 48-hour ceasefire for the town, which lies south of the Syrian capital, came into force early on Wednesday.
Vaccines, baby milk, medicine and nutritional goods were being delivered, the UN's humanitarian arm said.
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03:45 'Gorilla boy' doing well, says family
A three-year-old boy who fell into a gorilla enclosure at Cincinnati Zoo, leading to the animal being shot, is said to be "doing well".
Harambe, a 17-year-old endangered western lowland gorilla, was shot dead after he started dragging the boy.
Police said they were investigating the actions of the boy's parents leading up to his fall.
On Wednesday, they also released a recording of the call the boy's mother made to police.
In it, she is heard crying: "He's dragging my son...I can't watch this." She repeatedly shouts "be calm" at the boy.
In a statement on Wednesday, the boy's family thanked zoo staff "for their actions taken to protect our child".
They also asked that any donations be made to the zoo in Harambe's name. The zoo has suggested donations would go towards a gorilla conservation project in the Congo.
02:29 Googling yourself now leads to personal privacy controls
Soon, all you'll need to do is Google yourself if you're wondering how deeply Google has been digging into your digital life.
In coming weeks, a shortcut to personal account information will appear at the top of Google's search results whenever logged-in users enter their own names in the query box.
The feature is part of an update to the "My Account" hub that Google introduced a year ago to make it easier for people to manage the privacy and security controls on the internet company's services. While Google isn't making any additional information available, it is making it easier to find.
The link to personal accounts will appear at the top right of the listings for searches done on personal computers and at the top of requests entered on smartphones.
Google is making the change because it learned that many users doing a "vanity search" under their name wanted a quicker way to find out what the company knew about them, as well as to see how they are depicted on various sites across the internet, said Guemmy Kim, a Google product manager.
A new feature on Google's mobile app will also quickly take users to their account information with a spoken request. All that will be required are the words: "OK Google, show me my Google account." This option initially will only be available in English.
01:58 Islamic State under heavy assault in both Iraq and Syria
Islamic State insurgents faced major assaults on two fronts in both Iraq and Syria on Wednesday in what could prove to be some of the biggest operations to roll back their caliphate since they proclaimed it in 2014.
In Syria, U.S.-backed militia with thousands of Arab and Kurdish fighters were reported to have captured villages near the strategically-important Turkish border after launching a major operation to cut off Islamic State's last access route to the outside world.
In Iraq, Prime Minister Haider Abadi ordered his troops to slow an advance at the gates of Falluja, Islamic State's closest redoubt to the capital Baghdad, to limit harm to civilians, two days after the army poured into rural areas on the city's outskirts.
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01:06
Los Angeles police say UCLA shooting appears to be murder-suicide; no outstanding suspects, no threat to campus
00:52 Indo-US relations not about one person: Senator
Underscoring that relationship between India and US is "not about one person", key American Senator Ben Cardin on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited to Washington because of the country he represents and not his name.
"The prime minister was not invited to address the joint session of the Congress because of his name but because of his country," he said here at a seminar after which he responded to some questions.
The relationship between the two countries is "not about one person", Cardin said in his response when it was pointed out that Modi was a pariah in the US until recently but now he has been invited to address the joint session of the Congress.
This is "representation of the importance of that relationship" between the two countries, he said.
Modi will travel to Washington on June 7 for a visit during which he will address a joint session of the US Congress.
Earlier, the US had refused to grant visa to Modi post Gujarat riots.
Cardin, who has been vocal about the "religious intolerance" in India, said the relationship between India and the US will continue to go strong beyond the election of the next administration in the United States.
"It underscores by the fact that here we are in an election year in a Republican controlled Congress and PM is to speak before the joint session of the Congress," Cardin said.
00:21 Rahul's elevation will speed up 'Cong-mukt Bharat' drive: BJP
Amidst renewed speculation about elevation of Rahul Gandhi as the Congress president, Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said any such development will only strengthen BJP's resolve for a 'Congress-mukt Bharat'.
"That only strengthens our case for a 'Congress-mukt Bharat'," Goyal told reporters when asked about reports about possible elevation of Rahul as the Congress president which have been playing through the day.
There was high speculation surrounding elevation of the 45-year-old Gandhi family scion as the Congress president, but the party dismissed any such immediate possibility even as Sonia Gandhi remained tightlipped on the issue.
Sonia, who is on a visit to her constituency Rae Bareli, was asked to comment on media reports about Congressmen wanting Rahul to take over as the president, parried a questions from the media earlier in the day.
"We are a national party. There are certain procedures... When it comes to Sonia and Rahul we all wholeheartedly accept (their leadership)... We all want Rahul to take over, as and when (it will happen), we will make a proper statement," party spokesperson Sushmita Dev told reporters.
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