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Tue, 01 March 2016
US releases new set of Osama bin Laden documents
Timeline Refresh
23:28 IS suicide bombers hit Iraqi military compound, killing 8
Four suicide bombers disguised as soldiers struck an Iraqi military headquarters in the western town of Haditha today, killing eight army officers, including a local commander, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.
Local councilman Khalid Salman said one of the bombers attacked the gate of the compound and the others struck after soldiers gathered to help the victims. He said eight soldiers were wounded in the attack.
IS claimed the assault in online statements issued on jihadi websites, saying it was carried out by two Syrian suicide bombers. The AP could not confirm the authenticity of the statements, but they resembled previous announcements issued by the group.
23:25 US releases new set of Osama bin Laden documents
The US today released new set of documents - mostly in Arabic along with an accompanying English translation that it recovered from the Abbottabad hideout of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who was killed in a mid-night raid by American commandos in the Pakistani town.
This is the second tranche to be released. The first tranche was released on May 20, 2015.
The additional declassified material released today reflect on a range of topics, including reporting fissures between AQ and AQ in Iraq and Osama's concern about the group's public image -- and his desire to depict it as a united organisation.
According to Director of National Intelligence, which released these documents, in the period shortly before his death, Osama placed the utmost importance on portraying his fraying organization as a united enterprise -- while his lieutenants privately wrestled with their growing schism from al-Qaeda in Iraq.
21:53 Modi, Sharif may meet in Washington: Sartaj Aziz
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif may meet his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi here later this month on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit, a top aide to Pakistan Premier said today.
"There are chances of meeting between the two (prime ministers)," Sartaj Aziz, the Foreign Affairs Advisor to Sharif, told PTI. "There are possibilities, when they are here (in Washington DC). They would interact with each other. Whether there would be a structured meeting I do not know. Depends on...Chances are there (for a meeting)," Aziz said.
The top Pakistani diplomat is in Washington to attend the sixth US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue which he co-chaired with Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday. Aziz said Sharif would be travelling to Washington to attend the Nuclear Security Summit at the invitation of US President Barack Obama. Modi too has been invited to the Summit on March 31 and April 1.
21:47 Two JNU videos 'manipulated': Forensic report
A Delhi government-ordered forensic probe of a set of video clippings of the controversial JNU event has found that two videos were "manipulated" where voices of persons not present in the clips were added.
Out of seven videos sent by the Delhi government to the Hyderabad-based Truth Labs, two have been found to be tampered with while the rest were authentic, sources said.
"In the manipulated clips, videos have been edited and voices have been added. The main report with a supplementary have been submitted to the Delhi government," they said. When asked whether the voices that were added were of persons not seen in the manipulated clips, they said "naturally". The Arvind Kejriwal led-government had on February 13 ordered a magisterial inquiry into the alleged raising of anti-national slogans on the Jawaharlal Nehru University's campus on February 9.
Earlier, a video showing raising of anti-India slogans allegedly by outsiders at the event had given a fresh twist to the case. In the video, the youths, whose faces were covered, could be seen raising slogans against India.
20:41 Mahishasur event: JNU authenticates documents Irani quoted from
The Jawaharlal today claimed that the pamphlets of the Mahishasur event held in 2014 from which HRD Minister Smriti Irani had quoted in Parliament were "authentic" even as the student organisers had alleged them to be fake.
Irani while giving clarification about her ministry's stringent action on 'Anti-National' forces, had last week read out a pamphlet in Parliament, which the student oranisers of the event later denied having issued alleging that the minister quoted from "half-cooked facts".
"The HRD ministry had asked us to authenticate the documents including pamphlets of the events. We checked the security reports in our records and the pamphlets were found included in them.
The documents were correct according to our records and the same has been conveyed to the ministry," JNU Registrar Bhupinder Zutshi told PTI.
"When the event took place in October 2014, a complaint was also registered in Vasant Kunj police station and the university enquiry committee was also instituted," he said, adding the findings of the probe panel were not known to him as he wasn't holding the position of registrar then.
20:22 Sharmila resumes fast demanding repeal of AFSPA
Manipuri rights activist Irom Sharmila Chanu, who was acquitted by a court of the charge of attempt to suicide, resumed her 15-year-long indefinite fast at the historic Sahid Minar in Imphal on Tuesday demanding repeal of the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in the state.
Sharmila, who was released from judicial custody by the chief judicial magistrate of Imphal West on Monday, came out of the special ward of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital here and headed for Sahid Minar with a large number of supporters.
After reaching the site, she resumed her fast to press her demand.
She also told media that she would continue her non-violent protest and added that violent means are not the proper way to solve the unrest in the state. Sharmila had started her fast in 2002 demanding the repeal of the Act which she termed 'draconian'.
Sharmila refused to undergo a health check-up after a medical team of the JNIMS approached her at the venue of her fast, police said.
The 'Iron Lady' is currently being guarded by a large number of police personnel and hospital staff and is being supported by a large number of social activists in her non-violent protest.
Sharmila, who was released from judicial custody by the chief judicial magistrate of Imphal West on Monday, came out of the special ward of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital here and headed for Sahid Minar with a large number of supporters.
After reaching the site, she resumed her fast to press her demand.
She also told media that she would continue her non-violent protest and added that violent means are not the proper way to solve the unrest in the state. Sharmila had started her fast in 2002 demanding the repeal of the Act which she termed 'draconian'.
Sharmila refused to undergo a health check-up after a medical team of the JNIMS approached her at the venue of her fast, police said.
The 'Iron Lady' is currently being guarded by a large number of police personnel and hospital staff and is being supported by a large number of social activists in her non-violent protest.
20:04 NIA to probe man held for IS links in Jaipur
The central government has directed the National Investigation Agency to take up the investigation of the case registered in Jaipur, against a man named Mohammad Sirajuddin on allegations of promoting the ideology of Islamic State.
He is also allegedly involved in inciting persons to become member of the IS through the use of online social media forums and exhorting them to indulge in terrorist and anti-national activities.
The NIA has on Tuesday registered the case at its headquarters in the national capital in connection with the aforementioned offence.
An officer of the rank of superintendent of police has been appointed as the chief investigating officer of the case.
He is also allegedly involved in inciting persons to become member of the IS through the use of online social media forums and exhorting them to indulge in terrorist and anti-national activities.
The NIA has on Tuesday registered the case at its headquarters in the national capital in connection with the aforementioned offence.
An officer of the rank of superintendent of police has been appointed as the chief investigating officer of the case.
19:43 ED gets nod to extradite Lalit Modi
The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday got court's nod to extradite Lalit Modi from the United Kingdom in its Indian Premiere League money laundering case probe.
A special court in Mumbai gave the nod to ED to extradite the former IPL chief for his alleged involvement in cases of money laundering.
CNN-IBN reported that Modi was tracked to the United Kingdom and that the ED has initiated diplomatic efforts to bring him back to India.
A special court in Mumbai gave the nod to ED to extradite the former IPL chief for his alleged involvement in cases of money laundering.
CNN-IBN reported that Modi was tracked to the United Kingdom and that the ED has initiated diplomatic efforts to bring him back to India.
19:32 Probe ordered into IG's minor son driving official car in Kerala
A minor son of a senior Indian Police Service officer in Kerala has landed in trouble after he allegedly drove an official car inside the Police Academy campus in Thrissur prompting the state government to order a probe into it.
Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala ordered that the probe would be headed by Additional Director General of Police (Training) Rajesh Diwan, sources in the minister's office said today.
The probe was ordered based on media reports that Police Academy director and Inspector General Suresh Rajpurohit's son, a higher secondary student, recently drove an official car in the campus.
Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala ordered that the probe would be headed by Additional Director General of Police (Training) Rajesh Diwan, sources in the minister's office said today.
The probe was ordered based on media reports that Police Academy director and Inspector General Suresh Rajpurohit's son, a higher secondary student, recently drove an official car in the campus.
18:59 Author Jerry Pinto wins Windham-Campbell Prize for fiction
Indian author Jerry Pinto on Tuesday was named one of the nine winners of the $150,000 (about Rs 1 crore) Windham-Campbell Prize from Yale University. Recipients are honoured for their literary achievements or their potential.
The writers -- who hail from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, India, and Ireland -- were chosen in three categories: fiction, non-fiction, and drama.
This year's recipients are, in drama: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (United States), Hannah Moscovitch (Canada), and Abbie Spallen (Ireland); in fiction, Tessa Hadley (United Kingdom), C E Morgan (United States), and Jerry Pinto (India); and in non-fiction, Hilton Als (United States), Stanley Crouch (United States), and Helen Garner (Australia).
The writers -- who hail from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, India, and Ireland -- were chosen in three categories: fiction, non-fiction, and drama.
This year's recipients are, in drama: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (United States), Hannah Moscovitch (Canada), and Abbie Spallen (Ireland); in fiction, Tessa Hadley (United Kingdom), C E Morgan (United States), and Jerry Pinto (India); and in non-fiction, Hilton Als (United States), Stanley Crouch (United States), and Helen Garner (Australia).
18:53 VHP disowns Sadhvi Prachi
The Vishva Hindu Parishad today sought to distance itself from firebrand Hindutva leader Sadhvi Prachi, whose comments in the wake of the killing of a VHP leader in Agra have invited criticism from various quarters.
'The VHP wants to make it clear again that Sadhvi Prachi is neither its leader, nor spokesperson nor any office-bearer... Her statements should not be linked to the VHP,' its international joint general secretary Surendra Jain said in a statement.
He said she had contested election and is active in electoral politics hence she cannot be called a VHP functionary.
'Nobody active in electoral politics can be a VHP office-bearer,' he said.
'The VHP wants to make it clear again that Sadhvi Prachi is neither its leader, nor spokesperson nor any office-bearer... Her statements should not be linked to the VHP,' its international joint general secretary Surendra Jain said in a statement.
He said she had contested election and is active in electoral politics hence she cannot be called a VHP functionary.
'Nobody active in electoral politics can be a VHP office-bearer,' he said.
18:35 Centre to consider partial rollback of tax on EPF withdrawals
Under all-round attack, the government today promised to consider demands for a partial rollback of the proposal to tax 60 per cent of withdrawals from provident fund and a ceiling on employers contribution but made it clear that Public Provident Fund will continue to be tax exempt.
Earlier in the day, Revenue Secretary Hashmukh Adhia said only 60 per cent of interest on contributions made after April 1, 2016 will be taxed and that the principal amount of contribution will remain untouched at the time of withdrawal.
However, in the evening a government press note said a proposal to tax only interest and not principal is under consideration.
After that Adhia also said there was a demand being made to this effect and it would be taken into consideration.
The press note said that the new tax proposal was aimed at taxing only the high salaried individuals totalling about 70 lakh people out of the 3.7 crore employee provident fund members.
About 3 crore individuals come under the statutory wage limit of Rs 15,000 per month so will not be affected by the proposed changes.
Earlier in the day, Revenue Secretary Hashmukh Adhia said only 60 per cent of interest on contributions made after April 1, 2016 will be taxed and that the principal amount of contribution will remain untouched at the time of withdrawal.
However, in the evening a government press note said a proposal to tax only interest and not principal is under consideration.
After that Adhia also said there was a demand being made to this effect and it would be taken into consideration.
The press note said that the new tax proposal was aimed at taxing only the high salaried individuals totalling about 70 lakh people out of the 3.7 crore employee provident fund members.
About 3 crore individuals come under the statutory wage limit of Rs 15,000 per month so will not be affected by the proposed changes.
18:26
JUST IN: NHRC issues notices to Union Ministries of finance and health over reported imposition of excise duty on life saving drugs making them costlier.
18:17 IS suicide bombers penetrate Iraq army HQ, kill general
Four Islamic State group suicide bombers infiltrated an army headquarters west of Baghdad, killing an Iraqi general and 5 other soldiers, army and police officers said. The bombers attacked a regimental headquarters in the Haditha area of Anbar province. Seven soldiers were also wounded in the attack.
17:50 Shiv Sena leader wants word 'Sindh' in national anthem removed
Shiv Sena member Arvind Sawant demanded that the word 'Sindh' in the national anthem be removed and replaced with an appropriate word, saying there was no state by that name in the country. He said that as the national anthem was adopted by Parliament, it should initiate action to remove the word. Sawant said a correct word with appropriate pronunciation should replace the word 'Sindh'.
17:39 My business fully compliant with laws: Karti Chidambaram
Karti P Chidambaram, allegations against whom led to stalling of Parliament, said his business was fully compliant with all laws and regulations of the country and rejected charges of money laundering.
Following allegations in a newspaper he had built a huge business empire for himself, Karti, son of former Union Minister P Chidambaram, said "my business are fully compliant with all the laws and regulations."
In a statement, he said, "one newspaper has made allegations against me, which have been adequately refuted in the past. Myself and my business are fully compliant with all laws and regulations."
The daily had alleged that he had built a "huge business empire for himself in different parts of the world and that this had come to light through documents recovered during raids by Enforcement Directorate and investigation wing of Income Tax in a scam case".
17:09 I never made such statements: MoS Katheria on hate speech
On Monday, it emerged that Minister of State for Human Resource and Development Ram Shankar Katheria along with BJP MP from Fatehpur Sikri Babu Lal, had attended a condolence meeting held for VHP worker Arun Mahaur, who was allegedly killed by Muslim youth, in Agra. At the meeting, several speakers threatened the Muslim community with revenge.
According to the Indian Express, Katheria is reported to have said: We have to make ourselves powerful. We have to launch a struggle. If we dont begin a struggle, then today we have lost an Arun, tomorrow we will lose another. Doosra jane se pehle, yeh hatyare hi chale jayen is prakar ki taqat humen dikhani hogi (Before another is lost, we must show such strength that these killers themselves disappear).The administration might think that main to mantri ho gaya, haath bandh gaye (that because Im a minister, my hands are tied).
We are not withdrawing this movement. On Wednesday and Friday, we will all hold condolence meetings in our colonies. After that, whatever our leadership decides, if we are required to take to the streets, we will come on the streets in thousands. Let anybody dare stop us.
However, following the uproar in Parliament on Tuesday over his speech, Katheria told Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com that he never made the statement attributed to him.
Q: What have you got to say about the controversial statements?
A: I never made any such statement which is being attributed to me. I am ready to respond against allegations in Parliament.
Read the full interview on Rediff.com soon!
15:59
Tata Motors hikes prices of passenger vehicles by up to Rs 35,000 to offset the impact of infrastructure cess: PTI
15:54 New EPFO tax rules apply to 60 lakh people earning about 15k per month!
ANI reports: Govt issues clarification about changes made in the tax treatment for recognized provident fund and national pension system.
Main category of people for whom EPF scheme was created are members of EPFO who are within statutory wage limit of Rs 15,000 per month.
Out of around 3.7 crore contributing members of EPFO as on today, around 3 crore subscribers are in this category, no change for them.
In EPFO, there are about 60 lakh contributing members who accepted EPF voluntarily and are highly-paid private sector employees. For this category (highly-paid private sector) of people, amount at present can be withdrawn without any tax liability. We are changing this.
What we are saying is that such employee can withdraw without tax liability provided he contributes 60% in annuity product. There are no monetary ceilings on employer contribution under EPF; only ceiling being that it would be 12% of salary of employee member.
Image: Jayant Sinha, MoS Finance
15:50
Sensex gains 777 points to close at 23,779, Nifty up by 235 points to close at 7,222
15:50
Delhi police files chargesheet in court against TERI Executive Vice Chairman R K Pachauri in sexual harassment case.
15:49
JNU row: Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya sent to 14 day judicial custody by Delhi court
15:05 Law Commission reviewing sedition law: Rajnath Singh
The Union home ministry on Tuesday informed Lok Sabha that a Law Commission is reviewing the sedition law.
The law ministry has asked the Law Commission to study the usage and provisions of Section 124A (sedition law) of the IPC.
It is noteworthy that the development has come close on the heels of the arrest of JNU students Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and others on sedition charges.
Reportedly, the Law Commission has identified certain focus areas and formed a sub-group to deliberate on the issues.
There has been a raging debate over sedition law for the past few weeks in the wake of the JNU row where anti-national slogans were raised during an event on Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
Earlier, on Monday, the Delhi high court reserved its order on the bail plea of JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested on sedition charges, till March 2.
15:01
Punjab and Haryana high court issues contempt notice to Haryana govt on riots during Jat Reservation protest: ANI
14:57 Upset of power cuts, man calls up Karnataka power minister and abuses him
Bugged by frequent power cuts, a 46-year-old resident of Sullia taluk in Dakshina Kannada district went ahead and called up Karnataka Power Minister D K Shivakumar and the Mangaluru Electricity Supply Company (MESCOM) engineer incharge and abused them in vulgar language for being responsible for the frequent power cuts.
The act, obviously, has landed him in jail.
Sai Giridhar Rai, the accused was arrested by the Dakshina Kannada police on the same day after the MESCOM officials filed a complaint.
"Giridhar, former president of the Bellare Traders Association on Sunday evening around 8 pm called the minister and the MESCOM official and abused them over telephone," said a source at Sullia police station.
"The place faces over 6-7 hours of power outage a day. This man might have gotten drunk and called up the minister and abused him," he said, adding, "We had to enter the house through the roof because he refused to open the door."
14:40 Radars, sensors to be installed along border with Pakistan, Bangladesh
A pilot project for installing radars, sensors and cameras has been launched along the border with Pakistan and Bangladesh to check incidents of infiltration, Lok Sabha was informed today.
Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said the government has decided to deploy technological solutions in the form of integration of radars, sensors, cameras, communication networks and command and control solutions in various difficult terrains where fencing could not be installed.
"Initially, it has been decided to launch pilot study in Punjab, Gujarat (Sir Creek), South Bengal, Tripura and Jammu regions. An amount of Rs 10 crore has been sanctioned for Jammu region on Indo-Pak border," he said in a written reply.
14:23
Sensex zooms over 738 points to 23,740.03 in late afternoon trade, Nifty reclaims 7,200-mark.
14:17 Maharashtra government seals Aamby valley resort
JUST IN: Aamby valley resort, owned by Sahara, sealed by Maharashtra government over non-payment of dues.
The Lonavala-based property was sealed by Mulshi Taluka Tahsildar for the non-payment of non-agricultural tax of Rs 4.82 crore.
Aamby Valley was recently in the news after an Indian regulator found that nearly Rs 15 billion had been pumped into the project to keep it afloat.
What it also found was that the company was consistently funnelling money from small savers and was invested into one of the largest projects of the Group through two of its credit cooperatives.
This was done by way of investments in preference shares.
14:17 NIA arrested 24 people for suspected links with ISIS
As many as 24 people were arrested by the NIA for their suspected links with ISIS and the outfit's funding in India is mostly through self-financing mechanism, Lok Sabha was informed today.
Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said the National Investigation Agency and police of some states have registered cases and arrested some active cadres affiliated to ISIS in the recent past.
"So far, NIA has arrested 24 accused (Jammu and Kashmir - 1, Karnataka - 7, Madhya Pradesh - 1, Maharashtra - 7, Tamil Nadu - 1, Telangana - 4 and Uttar Pradesh - 3) in the cases being investigated by the agency," he said in a written reply.
Chaudhary said the ISIS funding in India is mostly through the self financing mechanism.
"However, hawala channel has also been used in one or two instances to raise funds," he said.
The minister said ISIS uses both positive and negative imagery to attract recruits from across the world but it has influenced or attracted very few youths from India.
13:41
AIADMK members have created a furore in Parliament today over reports of Karti, former minister P Chidambaram's son's financial dealings.
For those wondering what the report says, here's what J Gopikrishnan has written in The Pioneer newspaper.
Gopi is the same reporter who broke the 2G scam, and at that time he had even appeared on the Rediff Chat.
13:12 Himachal CM writes to MHA, can't provide security to India-Pak match at Dharamshala
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has written to the Home Ministry on behalf of the state government arguing that due to public sentiment providing security for the upcoming Word T20 India-Pakistan match to be held in Dharamsala, won't be possible.
The chief minister said that at this point of time, Pakistan's match should not be hosted in Dharamshala.
Virbhadra in his letter has written that Pakistan is not acting against terrorist hence the India-Pakistan match should not be held at the venue.
The Himachal Pradesh Congress, few days back, had asked the BCCI to either cancel the proposed India-Pakistan T-20 World Cup match slated for March 19 at Dharamsala or shift the venue.
12:52 BJP MP Babu Lal defends hate speech against Muslims at VHP meet
Bharatiya Janata Party's Fatehpur Sikri MP Babu Lal on Tuesday reiterated his comments he made against the Muslim community at a condolence meeting for VHP worker Arun Mahaur, who was killed last week allegedly by some Muslim youths.
"People of other communities can do anything & we will stay quiet?," said Babu Lal, who shared the dais with Union Minister of State, HRD, Ram Shankar Katheria.
Babu Lal asked whether it was wrong for the society to unite at a time when people are killing Hindus with bullets.
"If we can't take revenge against these people then should we worship them," said Babu Lal.
On Sunday, speaking at a prayer meeting organised for a slain VHP worker, MP Babulal urged an open fight with Muslims, and said: "Don't try to test us... We will not tolerate insults to the community. We do not want unrest at any cost, but if you want to test Hindus, then lets decide a date and take on Muslims."
12:27
Gujarat: Deputy SP MA Vala shoots himself with service revolver in Chhota Udaipur; rushed to hospital: ANI reports
12:20
The letter I sent to HRD Ministry never had Rohith's name. Jyotiraditya Scindia has tarnished my image: Bandaru Dattatreya in Lok Sabha
12:17
Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm following ruckus by AIADMK over Chidambaram & Congress over privilege motion
12:09 Parliament's schedule for the day
This is the list of business before Parliament today.
In the Lok Sabha:
Bill to be introduced: The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
Discussion on Motion of Thanks on the President's Address.
In the Rajya Sabha:
Calling Attention Motion on inflammatory speeches made by a minister in the Union government and elected representatives violating the Constitution and oath of office and the response of the government thereto.
Motion of Thanks on the President's Address to be moved.
Bills for consideration and passing: The National Waterways Bill, 2015; The Carriage by Air (Amendment) Bill, 2015; The Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015; The High Court and the Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2015.
12:06
Just In: Supreme Court agrees to hear plea seeking quashing of criminal case against Gujarat cops in the Ishrat Jahan alleged fake encounter case in view of the statement made by David Headley.
11:56
CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury responds quickly to the government's EPF tax move:
'Taxing EPF is a devious move by Modi government to hurt the honest, salaried taxpayer while amnesty schemes are announced for tax evaders. The attempt to 'clarify' the EPF ruling by MoS Finance and the Secretary show us how clueless this government is on serious matters,' he has tweeted.
11:54 Headline that best defined the Budget
Special coverage during major news events such as Budget, General Elections are a time for copy editors everywhere to don the hat of a copywriter, and each news desk challenges itself to come out with the most zany, most pithy headlines.
So was the case with yesterday's Union Budget, too.
After a quick scan of the morning's newspapers, it was Mumbai Mirror's headline that stood out the most in our eye: 'Kissan Jam, Urban Squash,' it said.
Bingo!
11:53 Taxing EPF is a devious move by Modi government: Yechury
Sitaram Yechury responds on Twitter to government clarification on EPF:
"The attempt to 'clarify' the EPF ruling by MoS Finance and the Secretary show us how clueless this government is on serious matters."
"Taxing EPF is a devious move by Modi government to hurt the honest, salaried taxpayer while amnesty schemes are announced for tax evaders."
11:49
Both Houses of Parliament adjourned till noon as AIADMK MPs continue uproar seeking action against Karti Chidambaram following ED, IT raids on his premises
11:48 Only interest accrued on 60% contribution to EPF to be taxed: Govt clarifies
Revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia: Only interest accrued on 60% contribution to EPF after April 1, 2016 will be taxed;principal amount to remain tax exempt
PPF contributions will continue to be tax exempt; no tax on withdrawal.
Small salaried employees with up to Rs 15,000/month income will be kept out of purview of proposed taxation of EPF.
11:35 US State Department releases last batch of Clinton emails
The US State Department has made public the final batch of emails taken from a private server which former secretary of state Hillary Clinton controversially used during her time in office.
Clinton will hope the release will quiet the furor over her decision to spurn a government email account, but federal investigators are still probing whether her home-brew set-up posed a risk to national security.
The email scandal has been seized upon by Clinton's Republican opponents and is one of the few major clouds still looming over her otherwise very promising campaign to become the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee.
State Department spokesman John Kirby said the final batch of roughly 3,800 pages of mails brought the sum total released to more than 52,000 vetted and in some cases partially redacted pages of official correspondence.
11:24 Criticism against EPF tax starts trending
With growing protests about the government's intent to tax Employee Provident Fund withdrawals, it has already started trending on Twitter where #RollBackEPF has seen a steady flow of criticism.
Will this government, ever sensitive to online comment, roll back a measure that hits the middle and salaried classes, it core votebank, hard?
Watch this space!
11:10 Sikh Army captain sues US military over grooming policy tests
A Sikh Army captain filed suit against the US military on Monday after being ordered to undergo "extraordinary, targeted, repetitive testing" before receiving permanent permission to wear a beard and long hair for his religion, court papers said.
Captain Simratpal Singh, a member of the 349th Engineer Battalion who was awarded the Bronze Star for his work clearing explosives from roads in Kandahar Province in Afghanistan, was granted a temporary accommodation last year allowing him to dress according to his religious beliefs, the court filing said.
But Assistant Army Secretary Debra Wada recently ordered additional tests before she would grant him a permanent exemption, saying she wanted to be certain he could safely wear a helmet and gas mask if he had a turban, uncut hair and a beard, the lawsuit said.
Read more HERE
11:00
Bahujan Samaj Party gives privilege motion against HRD minister Smriti Irani in Rajya Sabha
11:00
JUST IN: SC agrees to hear plea seeking quashing of criminal case against Gujarat cops in Ishrat Jahan alleged fake encounter case in view of statement
10:46 NY judge: US cannot make Apple provide iPhone data
A federal judge has ruled that the US Justice Department cannot use a 227-year-old law to force Apple to provide the FBI with access to locked iPhone data, dealing a blow to the government in its battle with the company over privacy and public safety.
The ruling, by US Magistrate Judge James Orenstein, yesterday applied narrowly to one Brooklyn drug case, but it gives support to the company's position in its fight against a California judge's order that it create specialised software to help the FBI hack into an iPhone linked to the San Bernardino terrorism investigation.
Orenstein belittled some government arguments, saying attorneys were stretching an old law "to produce impermissibly absurd results."
He rejected government claims that Apple was only concerned with public relations. He said he found no limit on how far the government would go to require a person or company to violate the most deeply-rooted values.
And he said claims that Apple must assist the government because it reaped the benefits of being an American company "reflects poorly on a government that exists in part to safeguard the freedom of its citizens."
Both cases hinge partly on whether a law written long before the computer age, the 1789 All Writs Act, could be used to compel Apple to cooperate with efforts to retrieve data from encrypted phones.
10:44 Greyhounds gun down 6 Naxals near Telangana-Chhattisgarh border
At least six Maoists were killed in a gunbattle with police near the border of Telangana's Khammam district and neighbouring Chhattisgarh state in the early hours of Tuesday, police said.
The exchange of fire took place between a team of Greyhounds -- Telangana's anti-Naxal force -- and the rebels in a forest area bordering Chhattisgarh, a senior Intelligence official from Telangana Police told PTI.
"At least six Maoists were killed in the encounter with police on Khammam-Chattisgarh border in wee hours today," he said.
Six bodies have been recovered and the identification process is on, he said.
Eight weapons have been recovered from the site, he said.
10:42 Day after Budget, Sensex soars on rate cut hopes
A day after suffering losses following the presentation of the Union Budget, the benchmark Sensex bounced back by over 500 points (10:41am) today, bolstered by renewed hopes of a rate cut by the Reserve Bank amid positive Asian cues.
With the Budget out of the way, the focus now shifts to RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan's monetary policy action to revive investment and growth.
The 30-share index rebounded by 516.19 points to 23,518.23 on heavy buying.
The gauge had lost 152.30 in a highly volatile trade yesterday, mainly hit by a proposal for a higher dividend distribution tax on those earning more and a one on raising securities transaction tax on options trading.
Also, the NSE Nifty reclaimed the crucial 7,100-mark by surging 157 points to 7,144.05.
All sectoral indices led by FMCG, banking, IT, realty, technology and capital goods traded in the positive territory, rising by up to 3.39 per cent.
While foreign institutional investors took to selling, domestic financial institutions stuck to buying, helping the benchmark indices recover.
10:39 Sena expels youth leader for assaulting vendor for refusing free 'vada pav'
Shiv Sena has expelled Sunil Mahadik, a local youth wing leader, after he was caught on video assaulting a vendor for allegedly not giving him free 'vada pav'.
The incident took place in Vile Parle (West) area, where Mahadik is seen clearly on CCTV footage, assaulting the shop assistant.
Sources say that the incident took place over a food order for an event.
Mahadik had called up the shop, verbally abused the victim and demanded that he send an order of a hundred 'vada pav' for free for a local cricket match. When the vendor refused he went down to the store and assaulted him.
This is the second case of such an assault by a Shiv Sena member within a week.
On Friday, in a similar case, a Shiv Sena functionary was caught on camera assaulting a female police officer.
10:05 Jewellers protest excise levy, on indefinite strike from today
Jewellers will go on indefinite strike from Tuesday in protest over the reintroduction after four years of a sales tax on gold jewellery, their trade body said.
The strike could curb gold imports by the world's second biggest consumer and put pressure on global prices.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced an excise duty of 1 per cent on gold and diamond jewellery on Monday.
"Jewellers across the country will go on strike from Tuesday. We are urging the government to roll back excise duty," Ketan Shroff, a spokesman for India Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA), told Reuters.
Successive governments have struggled to curb appetite for gold in Asia's third largest economy, despite the imposition of a 10 per cent import duty in 2013 and other restrictions.
Annual imports of up to 1,000 tonnes of gold, accounting for about a quarter of India's trade deficit, have also prompted the government to launch a scheme to mobilise a pool of more than 20,000 tonnes of the metal lying idle in homes and temples.
Read more HERE
09:59 Pakistan braces for Qadri funeral
Pakistan is bracing for further protests at the funeral of the former bodyguard who killed Punjab's governor, in a case that shocked the country.
Authorities have deployed heavy security in Rawalpindi where thousands are expected to mourn Mumtaz Qadri.
Qadri was hailed as a hero by Islamists after killing Salman Taseer in 2011 over his opposition to blasphemy laws.
His execution on Monday prompted thousands of protesters to take to the streets across Pakistan.
Read more HERE
09:56
BJP Parliamentary Party Meeting along with NDA leaders underway in Parliament. Harsimrat Badal, Ram Vilas Paswan, Naresh Gujral also present
09:18 CBSE class 10, 12 board exams begin from today
Examinations for class 10th and 12th CBSE board are set to begin from today as nearly 15 lakh students are expected to appear for 10th and over 10.5 lakh for the 12th exams.
The exams for class 10th will continue till March 28th and class 12th exams will end on April 22nd.
The first examination for Class 12th students will be English for core as well as elective papers.
While the first paper for Class 10th students will be on dynamic retail, information technology, security, auto technology and international tourism.
The examination for the main subjects will begin tomorrow with science theory and practical papers.
09:03 JNU case: Umar Khalid, Anirban's police custody ends today
The police custody of JNU students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, facing sedition charges for allegedly raising "anti-India" slogans, ends on Tuesday.
The custody was scheduled to end on Monday but was extended for one more day.
The two Jawaharlal Nehru University students were presented before the magistrate yesterday after expiry of their two-day police custody in a confidential location and the magistrate allowed Delhi Police to quiz them for one more day.
Both the students surrendered before police on last Tuesday midnight outside a gate of the university.
A case against Khalid and Bhattacharya was registered at Vasant Kunj police station, soon after JNU Student Union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested under the same charges on February 12 after the event held on the university campus against the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. He allegedly shouted anti-India slogans at the event.
09:02 Home Ministry re-examining Ishrat case files: NDTV
NDTV reports: College student Ishrat Jehan's encounter killing in 2004 is being reexamined after a fresh political controversy over comments by GK Pillai, who was home secretary when the Congress-led UPA was in power.
Sources say the home ministry has asked for "all files" related to the killing of 19-year-old Ishrat and three others by Gujarat police officers who claimed they were part of a plan to assassinate Narendra Modi, the chief minister of the state at the time.
GK Pillai last week reportedly said that the Congress government's affidavit to the Gujarat High Court in 2009, which referred to Ishrat's alleged links with terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, was "changed at the political level."
Read more HERE
09:01 Jat stir: 'I was gang-raped, Haryana police asked me to maintain silence for sake of honour'
As Haryana Police continues to be in denial mode on the alleged rapes at Murthal in Sonipat district during the Jat agitation, two women have surfaced and narrated their ordeal, exposing the claims of the police.
Speaking exclusively to Firstpost, a 27-year-old woman alleged that when she was coming back to Delhi with her husband, their bus was stopped by some agitators somewhere near Sukhdev Dhaba.
Thereafter, the rioters forcefully took them to a field nearby, where she was gang-raped. The alleged rape victim maintained that the other women in the bus were also sexually assaulted.
Further narrating her story, the woman said, she saw some men around the area after she regained conscious. Fearing further assault, she tried to hide and keep quiet. Fortunately those men helped her reunite with her husband, who was badly beaten by the agitators.
Read more HERE
04:40 Veteran character actor George Kennedy, dead at 91
George Kennedy, the brawny, Oscar-winning character actor known for playing cops, soldiers and blue-collar authority figures in such films as "Cool Hand Luke," "Airport" and the "Naked Gun" films, has died. He was 91.
Kennedy died Sunday in Boise, Idaho, said his grandson, Cory Schenkel.
"He passed Sunday morning, due to old age and some health issues," Schenkel said.
The New York-born Kennedy came by his military gravitas honestly; he served in World War II and spent 16 years in the U.S. Army, many of them with Armed Forces Radio. In the 1950s, he was an adviser to Phil Silvers' "Sgt. Bilko" show and then started getting acting roles.
02:32 Super Tuesday primary: Candidates gear up
Super Tuesday is likely to live up to its billing for Donald Trump.
The first day of multiple-state voting looms large in a wild presidential race after early states trimmed the field and the brash billionaire and his army of outsider voters are positioned to send panic through the Republican establishment by tightening his grip on the party's nomination.
Hillary Clinton -- boosted by her huge win in South Carolina on Saturday -- is meanwhile hoping to start locking out her Democratic rival Bernie Sanders, who is giving her a tougher-than-expected challenge, by showing the strength of the Southern foundation of minority voters on which her campaign is built.
Both Trump and Clinton head into the most important day yet in the 2016 election dominating their respective races. A CNN/ORC national poll out Monday shows Trump getting 49% of the Republican primary vote -- 30 percentage points ahead of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. On the Democratic side, Clinton tops Sanders 55% to 38%.
Read more HERE.
02:03 Sheriff: Student injures 2 in shooting at Ohio school
A sheriff says a 14-year-old student pulled out a gun in an Ohio school cafeteria and opened fire, hitting two students.
Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones says two other students were injured either as they tried to get away or from shrapnel.
Jones says the suspect ran from the school, threw the gun down and was apprehended nearby.
Jones is not giving details on the shooting's motive. Investigators say the students who were shot were 14 and 15 years old and were taken to the hospital.
The school has said none of injuries is believed to be life-threatening.
01:52 Vatican media praises 'Spotlight' as giving voice to victims
The Vatican newspaper praised Oscar-winning film "Spotlight" today as having given voice to the "profound pain" of the faithful over the reality of
clerical sex abuse, and insisted it's not an anti-Catholic film.
L'Osservatore Romano dedicated two articles in its afternoon editions to the Academy Awards and the Best Picture won by "Spotlight," about the Boston Globe's 2002 expose of the hundreds of Boston children who were raped and molested by Catholic priests and the church's systematic cover-up of the crimes.
L'Osservatore quoted producer Michael Sugar's acceptance speech "Pope Francis, it's time to protect the children and restore the faith" saying even his appeal was positive.
"It means there's still faith in the institution, there's faith in a pope who is continuing the cleanup started by his predecessor as cardinal. And there's still trust in a faith that has at its heart the defense of victims and the
protection of innocents," said the piece by Lucetta Scaraffia, one of L'Osservatore's main columnists and the editor of its monthly edition on women's issues.
01:51 Bihar: Candidates made to sit in underwear in Army recruitment exam
In a bizarre and shocking incident, candidates appearing in army recruitment examination in Bihar's Muzaffarpur District were asked to sit in underwear to prevent cheating.
Around 1150 candidates had appeared for the exam on Sunday when they were ordered to take off their clothes and sit in only underwear in an open ground.
The examination was being conducted for the recruitment of clerks in the army.
01:10 US: Cyberattacks can expose Islamic State communications
Defense Secretary Ash Carter says US cyberattacks to disrupt the Islamic State's communications and overload their networks could force the militant group to use older technologies that are easier for the US to
intercept.
Carter and Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are providing more details on how the US is using computer-based attacks as part of the military operations against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
US officials told The Associated Press last week that the military had launched a far more aggressive cyber campaign against the group.
01:02 Trump 'misquotes' Mahatma Gandhi
Republican presidential front runner Donald Trump today posted a quote on Instagram attributing it to Mahatma Gandhi, but the American media said there is no evidence that the Indian leader had ever used these words.
"First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win Mahatma Gandhi," Trump wrote on social networking site Instagram as part of his effort to rally supporters.
The Instagram post included a picture of hordes of supporters rallying at a Trump campaign stop in Alabama.
Soon, the anti-Trump lobby was up in flames on the social media.
The Hill, a top US political website, said, "There's no record that Gandhi ever used the phrase, which has been widely attributed to him."
00:57 Freedom of speech also means right to remain silent: SRK
Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, whose remarks on intolerance had kicked up a political storm last year, today said freedom of speech also means the right to be silent.
He was speaking at the trailer launch of his upcoming movie 'Fan' here.
When asked about his experience after his remarks on intolerance, Shah Rukh said, "When I would watch Mumbai Indians' match against KKR, the only one appeal I would make is 'Out'...I am not getting into this. Freedom of speech means the right to keep silent also. I am very silent about this."
On his 50th birthday in November last year, Shah Rukh had said there was "extreme intolerance" in the country. "There is intolerance, there is extreme intolerance... there is I think... there is growing intolerance," he had said.
However, his remarks kicked up a controversy with several BJP members criticising him. His film 'Dilwale' also faced demonstrations in parts of the country.
00:24 Happy birthday, Superman!
Since his debut nearly 78 years ago, Superman has had a handful of different birth dates, including Dec. 1 and sometime in October, but Feb. 29 Leap Day! is the one thats more or less stuck. Its the date longtime Superman editor Julius Schwartz settled on, and the one mentioned both in the celebrated 1985 story For the Man Who Has Everything and in Times 1988 cover story.
And its the date DC Comics has embraced (although not always consistently in its books), and is celebrating this year with a 65 percent-off sale on select Superman digital collected editions.
Why Feb. 29 and not, say, April, when Action Comics #1 debuted, or June, when Clark Kent celebrates his birthday? Apparently to slow the (surprisingly vain) Man of Steels aging process: See, he only has a birthday every four years. Eh, Id do that too, if I could get away with it.
So, to the Man Who Has Everything: Happy birthday! Well get together again in 2020.
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