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Thu, 10 March 2016

If reconciliation fails in Afghanistan, what's Plan-B?

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23:34 NGT fine on AOL reminiscent of Jizya: VHP

The VHP today termed as "jizya", the fine of Rs 5 crore imposed by the National Green Tribunal on Art of Living as environmental compensation for holding a cultural extravaganza on Yamuna flood plains, and asked the green body to reconsider the decision.

In a statement, VHP Joint General Secretary Surendra Jain said imposing fine on a religious figure without any offence having been committed was "reminiscent of the Jizya tax that was levied by the Mughals".

Jain asked the NGT to reconsider its decision.

Earlier amid raging controversies, decks were cleared for the three-day cultural extravaganza of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's AOL with the NGT expressing its helplessness in banning the event because of "fait accompli".

Nevertheless, it had imposed a fine of Rs 5 crore on AOL as environmental compensation after coming down heavily on the foundation for not disclosing its full plans and also on the DDA and Environment Ministry for their role.

23:33 Crisil downgrades 8 Public Sector Banks

Credit rating agency Crisil today downgraded eight PSBs including Bank of India and Canara Bank, following deterioration in their asset quality and also revised the outlook on five of them to negative.

The agency also placed the rating on Syndicate Bank on negative watch list.

The state-run banks whose ratings have been downgraded are Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Corporation Bank, Dena Bank, IDBI Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Syndicate Bank and Uco Bank. Those whose outlooks have revised down are Andhra Bank, BoB, Canara Bank, PNB and Punjab and Sind Bank, Crisil said in a report.

Significant stress in the corporate loan book of public sector banks (PSBs) is expected to result in their weak assets ballooning to Rs 7.1 trillion by March 2017 (11.3 per cent of total loan book) from around Rs 4 trillion as of March 2015 (7.2 per cent of loan book).

Steep rise in NPAs, expected further surge in stressed assets and the consequent hit on profitability and capital will dent credit profiles, Crisil said. The agency, however, said the ratings on 10 other Crisil-rated state-run banks have been reaffirmed wherein four of them carry a "negative" outlook.

Pakistani police today arrested a woman for allegedly facilitating 14 terrorists in a Taliban assault on an air force base near Peshawar last year that killed 29 people, mostly soldiers.

The Counter Terrorism Department of Khyber Pakthunkhwa police arrested the woman identified as Zarri Zadgai alias Perveen from Tela Band area of Badaber near Peshawar.

According to CTD, Parveen has confessed to providing food, shelter and bottles with chemicals to make improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to the terrorists.

She has been shifted to undisclosed location for further investigation.

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists attacked the Badaber military base in September that killed 29 people, most of them soldiers, and 13 militants. The terrorists had entered the residential compound at the base near Peshawar dressed in official uniforms.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today assured the Cricket Association of Bengal of foolproof security arrangements for the March 19 India-Pakistan T20 match in Kolkata.

In a letter to CAB President Sourav Ganguly, the chief minister said they would make all security-related arrangements for hosting the match and asked Ganguly to communicate the same to ICC and BCCI, state officials said.

The chief minister has also given necessary instructions to the law enforcement authorities for smooth conduct of the match at Eden Gardens, the officials said.

"After the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh wrote to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh against hosting the match in Dharamsala, two venues were being actively looked at as alternatives -- Cuttack and Kolkata. A senior minister closely associated with cricket passed on this message to the state government and Bengal CM was the quickest to respond," the officials said.

A Thiruvananthapuram-bound Air India flight from here carrying 158 passengers including some Members of Parliament and bureaucrats onboard was delayed by two hours after a fight broke out between two cabin crew members inside the cabin.

Taking a serious note of the incident, Air India has suspended the crew members, pending enquiry, the airline said.

The incident took place this evening when Air India flight was readying for Kochi for departure. The flight was, however, bound for Thiruvananthapuram.

"We have suspended the two cabin crew members for delaying the flight. We will not tolerate any indiscipline at the airline," Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani said in New Delhi.

The airline deeply regrets the inconvenience caused to its passengers, he added.

According to sources, initially it was an argument over some personal issue between a junior cabin crew and the second senior cabin crew, which later turned into a full scale scuffle.

The US needs to be "unpredictable" to defeat terror groups like Islamic State and take its enemies head on, Republican presidential front-runner

Donald Trump said today.

"We're going to knock out ISIS so fast. And we have to be a little bit unpredictable. I have a specific thing, but we have to be a little bit unpredictable. I'm so tired of saying, we're going to attack from here and we're going to attack from....I don't want to talk about it. I want to just do it," Trump told Fox News in a Town Hall in North Carolina, which

goes to primary polls on March 15.

"We have to knock them out," Trump reiterated amidst a large applause from the audience.

To the surprise of political pundits, the real estate tycoon, who joined politics some nine months ago, has been drawing huge crowd across the nation.

In his blog piece for Rediff.com, M K Bhadrakumar writes about the national and international reaction to the police taking in former Brazilian president Lula Da Silva in for questioning on graft charges.

Praising Da Silva's term he points out what the Indian Left could learn from the Brazilian leader.

"From the Indian perspective, the intriguing question is how a left party like Partido dos Trabalhadores (Workers Party), which Lulu led, could storm the citadel of power in a bourgeois democracy and, more importantly, keep winning four times in a row? What was Lula's magic formula?" he writes.

Read the entire blog HERE.

In the aftermath of the collapse of the Taliban government in Afghanistan, Washington has been banking on a peace deal to end the war in the region -- a highly ambitious objective that is a long shot at best.

With several reasons to fear that Washingtons 'Plan A' is likely to fail For the US, betting the farm on an Afghan peace process could amount to a big strategic mistake, argues Michael Kugelman.

The column detailing the complex history of the region and its possible futures can be read in its entirety HERE.

Pope Francis imposed new financial accountability regulations on the Vatican's multimillion-dollar saint-making machine today after uncovering gross abuses that were subsequently revealed in two books.

The rules require external vigilance over individual Vatican bank accounts created for beatification and canonization causes, as well as regular budgeting and accounting to make sure the donations from the faithful are being used as intended.

After keeping alliance aspirants on tenterhooks, actor-turned politician Vijayakanth today said his party DMDK would go it alone in the May 16 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, belying the hopes of DMK, BJP and the

four-party bloc PWF.

"I am making it clear that Vijayakanth is going to fight elections alone," he said to a thunderous applause from the gathering at the party's women's wing meet here.

The declaration by DMDK came against the background of sustained efforts by the DMK, BJP and People's Welfare Front PWF (comprising MDMK, VCK and CPI(M) and CPI) to rope in the Vijayakanth-led party into their fold.

It also has firmed up the election scenario in Tamil Nadu which looks set for a multi-cornered contest among AIADMK, DMK-Cong combine, BJP, PWF and DMDK.

A Florida woman known for a strong pro-gun stance was shot, accidentally, by her 4-year-old son, authorities said.

Jamie Gilt, 31, was taken to a hospital after the Tuesday shooting, and is believed to be in stable condition.

A Putnam County Sheriff's deputy was on patrol when he noticed a truck stopped partially in the travel lanes and a woman in the driver's seat motioning for help. The only other occupant in the vehicle was the boy, who was not harmed.

20:50 'Powerpuff Girls' to make comeback on April 4

The revamped version of hit cartoon series "The Powerpuff Girls" will premiere on Cartoon Network this April 4.

The animated favourite about three wide-eyed superhero sisters protecting their home of Townsville against villains of all shapes and sizes will air back-to-back episodes, followed by two weeks of new adventures through April 15 each weeknight, reported Entertainment Weekly.

Afterward, the season continues every Thursday at 6 pm starting April 21.

France's defence minister is trying to recruit thousands more people to join the military reserve to boost anti-terrorism and other defence capacities.

Jean-Yves Le Drian says the military is aiming to increase the number of reservists from 28,000 today to 40,000 by 2018. The idea would be to have 1,000 reservists available on any given day able to deploy around the country.

"More than ever, we need reservists to confront the terrorist threat, unprecedented in scale and shape, weighing on national territory," he said in a speech today.

Beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya had made at least four trips abroad before his controversial March 2 departure since a look-out notice was

issued by CBI on October 16 last to know his movements.

Sources in the central security agencies said today that CBI had issued a look-out notice on October 16, 2015, six days after searches at his official and residential premises, requesting the Bureau of Immigration(BoI) to inform it about his departure and details of destination where he might be

heading.

They said Mallya travelled abroad in the last week of October and returned in November while he made two trips in first and last week of December and also a trip in January besides the recent trip reportedly to London on March 2.

According to a CNN report, A batch of leaked ISIS documents purports to show secret details about foreign fighters hoping to join the group, including their nationalities, previous jihadi experience and blood types.

The Syrian opposition newspaper Zaman Al-Wasl published 122 pages of documents it said it got from an ISIS defector.

The documents are surprisingly detailed, and were handed out to recruits at a border crossing into ISIS territory in Syria, the newspaper said.

The documents include 23 questions for the recruits, providing an intimate insight into their frame of mind.

19:32 Kanhaiya Kumar attacked on JNU campus

JUST IN: A man abused and tried to attack Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar in the varsity campus. The attacker was detained by students and university guards. Kanhaiya is safe and sustained no injuries.

As per initial reports, the attacker, Vikas Choudhry, is an outsider and native of Ghaziabad. Later, talking to the press, Vikas said that he was upset with Kumar over his remarks regarding the army.

"He wants to be a leader. I wanted to teach him a lesson," he said.

On the occasion of International Women's Day, Kanhaiya Kumar had sparked a controversy saying that Indian army personnel rape women in Jammu and Kashmir.

Amid a raging row at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, it has now emerged that its students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar, who is facing sedition charge, was fined by the varsity administration last year for allegedly "misbehaving" with a girl student and "threatening" her.

The incident had occurred on June 10, 2015, when the girl student asked Kanhaiya, who at the time was not the students' union president, to not urinate in the open inside the campus.

The girl, who now teaches at Delhi University, alleged that Kanhaiya "misbehaved" with her when she objected and also called her a "psychopath" while threatening her with dire consequences.

Following a complaint by her, the JNU administration held a proctorial inquiry that found Kanhaiya guilty.

"The university... has found Kanhaiya Kumar guilty of misbehaving with an ex-student (female) and threatening her. This act is serious in nature and unbecoming of a student of JNU and calls for a strict disciplinary action against him (Kanhaiya)... keeping his career prospects in mind, the Vice Chancellor has taken a lenient view in the matter," said the office order issued on October 16, 2015 by the then Chief Proctor, Krishna Kumar.

"Kanhaiya is fined Rs 3,000 and also warned to be careful and not get involved in any such incidents in future. Otherwise, strict disciplinary action will be taken against him," the order said.

Contradicting its earlier stand, Pakistan now has said that it will not send its cricket team to India for the ICC World T20 till they don't get assurance from the Indian government.

"Indian government should guarantee foolproof security to the team, if not assured then team would not go," said Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar.

"Threats are Pakistan specific. How would our team be able to put up their best in an environment of fear? asked the minister.

Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu has offered a strong defense of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's mega-festival that opens in Delhi on Friday amid environmental concerns.

"Anything that is Hindu, India, Bharatiya, you object," Naidu said in response to the opposition Congress which has alleged that the government has defaulted on its environmental responsibility by sanctioning the banks of the River Yamuna as the venue.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has confirmed he will attend the opening of the "World Culture Festival", though President Pranab Mukherjee dropped out earlier this week.

The Surat police lodged one more FIR against Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader, Hardik Patel, following the recovery of a mobile charger, mobile battery and a letter from his pocket, when he was being taken to Visnagar for hearing in a court there in a different case.

Pakistan ordered a probe into the circumstances surrounding the release of kidnapped son of the slain governor Salman Taseer after reports of a $10 million ransom to militants surfaced.

Interior minister Nisar Ali Khan ordered the probe, saying "the facts are different" after controversy erupted over release of Shahbaz Taseer, 33, who was recovered on Tuesday from Quetta nearly five years after he was kidnapped from Lahore in August, 2011.

Khan was furious over confusion surrounding Shahbaz's release as he was officially informed that Shahbaz's release was secured after a successful intelligence-led operation in Kuchlak area near Quetta.

The Pakistan team, scheduled to play in the ICC World T20 tournament, will leave for India tomorrow morning. Earlier, the team's arrival to India was delayed with the PCB asking India to guarantee their security and that of Pakistani fans.

On Wednesday, the ICC decided to move the March 19 World Twenty20 fixture between the two countries to Kolkata, as the state government of Himachel Pradesh said it could not guarantee players' safety in their state.

Some Shiv Sena workers were injured after a fight broke out between two groups near party president Uddhav Thackeray's residence, Matoshree in Bandra east, Mumbai, reports Maharashtra Times.

Baban Salvi, Shiv Sena shakha pramukh from Bandra and his supporters had an argument with the supporters of another Sena leader, Shrikant Sarmalkar, The argument quickly escalated into a fight in which Salvi and some of his supporters were injured.

17:12

The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2015, which aims to protect the interests of buyers and bring more transparency to the sector, has been passed in the Rajya Sabha.

Want to know how it will benefit buyers? Click HERE

16:56 Irani Cup: Rest of India shock Mumbai

Rest of India won against Mumbai in the Irani Cup by 4 wickets. Mumbai had scored 603 & 182 while Rest of India 306 & 482/6. This is third highest successful chase in India.

Racquet manufacturer Head plans to extend its contract with Maria Sharapova, despite her positive test for banned drug meldonium.

The Russian, 28, has already lost the backing of Nike and Tag Heuer, while Porsche has suspended its relationship with her. But Head says it is standing by the five-time Grand Slam champion.

"Maria may have made a mistake, but she has earned the benefit of the doubt and we are extending it to her," it said.

Head described Sharapova as "a role model and woman of integrity who has inspired millions of fans around the world to play and watch tennis".

It added: "The honesty and courage she displayed in announcing and acknowledging her mistake was admirable. We look forward to working with her and to announcing new sponsorships in the weeks and months ahead."

A year after launching its food and grocery ordering service, Ola, the native challenger to Uber, has shut them down, reports Tech Crunch.

Ola Caf and Ola Store were launched with great fanfare in some tier 1 cities, but rising costs and low user interest put paid to the pilot projects.

In a blog post, Ola, which has so far raised $ 1.4 billion in investments, said: 'As we strengthen our focus on building mobility for a billion people, we are drawing these two experiments to a close and taking learnings from these to serve you better in the time to come.'

You can read the report here.

The National Green Tribunal has told the Art of Living headed by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar that they have time till tomorrow to pay the Rs 5 crore fine. The tribunal noted that if they didn't till tomorrow, the law will take its own course.

Earlier, Sri Sri speaking to media channels had said that he won't pay the Rs 5 crore environmental fine that the tribunal had ordered, saying he had done no wrong and was ready to go to jail.

'Frugal billionaire Ingvar Kamprad, founder of the flatpack furniture chain Ikea, buys his clothes at flea markets to save money, he has said in a documentary to be broadcast on Swedish television,' reports The Guardian, UK.

'I don't think I'm wearing anything that wasn't bought at a flea market. It means that I want to set a good example,' he told Swedish channel TV4, The Guardian quoted business daily Dagens Industri.

Kamprad, who turns 90 this month, was listed in 2006 by Forbes magazine as the fourth richest person in the world. Recent Swedish media reports estimate him to have an accumulated fortune of about 65.5bn.

You can read more about this famously frugal entrepreneur here.

16:10 ISRO launches sixth navigation satellite

The Indian Space Research Organisation launched its sixth navigation satellite, IRNSS-1F, on trusted Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C32 in the orbit from the spaceport at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

IRNSS-1F is the sixth navigation satellite in the IRNSS space system, which comprises of seven satellites.

Till date, ISRO has launched five regional navigational satellites (IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C, ID and 1E) as part of a constellation of seven satellites to provide accurate position information service to users across the country and the region.

Lavishing praise on Anna Hazare for his contribution to society, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he cannot withdraw his security cover after the social activist questioned the protection assigned to him.

In a letter to Hazare, Fadnavis also apologised to him for any "lapses" in the security cover provided to him. Describing Hazare as a "sage-like personality", he said the social activist had done a lot for society and his life was precious.

"I can't withdraw your security cover," the CM wrote. Hazare, who has been given 'Z' category security cover, had recently alleged that the security personnel assigned to him were lax in their duty. At the same time, he had said the government need not upgrade his security and that he won't blame it if something untoward were to happen to him. Hazare said it was not easy to support a retinue of nine bodyguards and 28 police personnel at Ralegan Siddhi village.

He had said many a time those tasked with his security weren't there or come late when he is doing his morning yoga exercise.

"They are also engrossed in their mobile phones and busy chatting. They won't even realise if someone were to walk in and kill me," he had said.

'Pakistan Cricket Board's inquiry committee head Shakil Sheikh on Wednesday said if former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram is in any way found involved in the team's Asia Cup debacle, then he would be held accountable,' reports dawn.com.

'Wasim's past is well-known to everyone and old files in the board regarding his involvement in betting can be reopened anytime,' says Sheikh, and that 'it is Wasim who has brought the menace of betting to Pakistan cricket.'

His outburst came following Wasim's press conference in Karachi a couple of days ago where the latter had questioned Sheikh's appointment and the very purpose of constituting the inquiry committee.

Sheikh also took the opportunity to point out his own cricketing credentials. 'When the Pindi Stadium was inaugurated, a match was held between Tauqir Zia XI and Journalist XI in which I scored an unbeaten 135,' he said. 'At another time during a good level match at F-9 Park cricket ground, I scored 42 and former West Indian captain Clive Lloyd, who was also present on the occasion, praised my batting.'

Wasim Akram has the record for taking the highest number of wickets by a Pakistani bowler (414).

You can read the report here.

15:23 Double blow for IS, reports 'Times'

'Islamic State has suffered a double blow with the capture of its chemical weapons chief and the reported death of a notorious Chechen commander,' reports Catherine Philp in The Times, London.

US officials revealed yesterday.that Sleiman Daoud al-Afari, who once worked for Saddam Hussein's military industrialisation authority,where he specialised in chemical and biological weapons, was caught last month in a secretive raid by United States special forces in northern Iraq,' she reports here (for subscribers only).

A 26-year-old PhD scholar from JNU today allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan of his room at his rented accommodation in south Delhi's Ber Sarai area this morning.

The deceased, Dushyant, a native of Bareily in UP, left a suicide note in which he mentioned about some personal problems, including family issues and his relationship with a woman, police said. Dushyant, who was pursuing PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University, lived in the first floor of a building in Ber Sarai which had around nine single rooms, all rented to students and working men.

He allegedly hanged himself from the ceiling fan, the official said. "We received the call in the morning and rushed a team. A suicide note was found in the room. We have informed his family and initiated an inquest into the matter," DCP (South) Prem Nath said.

A case has been registered against JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar in the Kanpur civil court for giving objectionable statement against Army personnel.

Speaking at a student's gathering on International Women's Day, Kanhaiya alleged that the Indian Army personnel have committed atrocities against women in Jammu and Kashmir.

"No matter how much you try to stop us, we will speak up against human rights violations. We will raise our voice against AFSPA. While we have a lot of respect for our soldiers, we will still talk about the fact that in Kashmir women are raped by security personnel," Kanhaiya had said on Tuesday.

15:02 Geelani hospitalised in Delhi

Hardline Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani was today admitted in a private hospital in South Delhi after he complained of breathlessness.

The 86-year-old leader had complained of breathlessness and high blood pressure and was taken to Max Hospital, Saket. Sources close to him said doctors are conducting medical tests to ascertain his medical condition

14:57

Meanwhile, the SC has refused to entertain a plea for stopping the World Culture Festival The SC asked the petitioner Bhartiya Kishan Majdoor Samiti to approach the National Green Tribunal with its plea.

14:38

Earlier, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had told NDTV in an interview that he would go to jail but will not pay the Rs 5 crore fine.

"I will contest (the green tribunal's order), I want to show you the condition venue was given to us," Sri Sri said in the interview.

Decks were on cleared for the three-day cultural extravaganza of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living on the Yamuna flood plains with the NGT expressing its helplessness in banning the event because of "fait accompli".

14:36 Pay 5 crore fine, or we'll REVOKE clearance: NGT to Sri Sri

The National Green Tribunal has now said that that if the Art of Living doesn't pay Rs 5 crore fine to the DDA by 4 pm today, it can revoke clearance for event.

14:22

'None of the three major Hindu goddesses -- Kali, Lakshmi, and Saraswati -- are biological mothers. So the State's apotheosis into a mother goddess required that the image of the mother goddess be trimmed somewhat, and she be presented primarily as a devoted, selfless and spiritually inclined mother of Hindu sons. She inspired her sons to shed the blood of all those who resisted her aura. Her sons would be ready to lay down their lives, if need be, to save her honour and punish infidels -- who we are told repeatedly are non-Bharat Mata worshippers, the unpatriotic seditionists who need to be taught a swift lesson by being beaten up and jailed. To inculcate this philosophy, the champions of the cult of Bharat Mata have repeatedly insisted that all citizens -- from cinema halls to university campuses '" show unequivocal respect for Bharat Mata's symbols, the national anthem, Vande Mataram and the tricolour,' writes veteran journalist Mrinal Pande, here.

14:19 Thunderstorm likely till Monday in many parts of India, warns met

The meteorological department has said that thunderstorm accompanied with squall/hailstorm is likely over parts of India over the next three or four days. An intense western disturbance currently lying over Iran and its neighbourhood would affect the Indian sub-continent from March 11.

The states and regions likely to be affected from tomorrow till Monday, according to the IMD, are:

In the western Himalayan region: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand

In the plains of northwest India: Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh

In central India: Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Vidarbha.

In eastern India: Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal.

In the north-east: Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

In south India: Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The likely weather as per the IMD is: Rain/snowfall at most places over the western Himalayan region, mainly from the 11th to 13th.

Rain/thundershowers at most/many places over plains of northwest India from 11th to 13th.

Rain/thundershowers at a few places over central India on the 12th & 13th and over eastern India mainly on the 13th to 15th.

Rain/thundershowers at a few places over the north-eastern states and in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on the 14th.

Heavy rain/snowfall at one or two places over Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are likely from the 11th to 13th.

Thunderstorm accompanied with squall/hailstorm also likely at one or two places over the Jammu division, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Thunderstorm accompanied with strong winds and isolated hailstorm are likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh from the 11th to 13th, over western Rajasthan on the 11th & 12th and over eastern Rajasthan and eastern Uttar Pradesh on the 12th & 13th.

Thunderstorm accompanied with strong winds and isolated hailstorm are likely over Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha on the 12th and 13th and over Chhattisgarh on 13th and 14th.

Thunderstorm accompanied with squall/hailstorm are likely at one or two places over Bihar, Jharkhand and Gangetic West Bengal on the 13th-14th.

Thunderstorm accompanied with squall/hailstorm are likely at one or two places over Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on the 14th.

Continuing his 'Fair & Lovely' rant, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Government over the one-time compliance window scheme for the people with domestic black money, saying the same has been launched for 'thieves and blackmarketeers' to convert their black money into white.

Gandhi slammed the government over a clause in this scheme, which allows the people to keep the source of their income undisclosed.

"I posed three to four questions to the government few days back. The first question was about this Fair and Lovely scheme, which can be used by the blackmarketeers and thieves to convert their black money into white. I asked why they brought such a scheme. Whom do they want to benefit?" he told the media.

Pleading his innocence, actor Salman Khan today alleged that he has been framed by forest officials as he recorded his statement in a court here in an Arms Act case against him in connection with poaching of protected black bucks at Kankani village in October, 1998.

"I am innocent and have been framed by the forest officials," Khan said before the chief judicial magistrate.

Referring to a statement signed by him in which a witness Uday Raghvan had stated that he had brought the arms from Mumbai following directions from Khan, the actor claimed that he had signed the statement under pressure from forest officials.

At the start, Khan told the court "I am Indian and that is my caste". The court has now fixed April 4 as the next date of hearing. Additional Public Prosecutor Dinesh Tiwari said that the court has given Khan a chance to produce witnesses or evidence in support of his defence.

"If he does so, they will be examined in the court otherwise, the case will be listed for final arguments," said Tiwari.

All former ministers of the previous BJP-PDP government have been asked by authorities to vacate their official bungalows which they have been occupying even after the imposition of Governor rule in Jammu and Kashmir.

"We have issued notice for the vacation of ministerial bungalows to 13 former ministers, which includes six from BJP, six from PDP and one from Peoples Conference," Deputy Director Estates Jammu, Satish Kumar Sharma told PTI. The notice issued to former Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh reads that the bungalow was allotted to him in the capacity of the minister, "however after the imposition of Governor rule on January 9, 2016, you ceased to be the minister".

The notice further said that as per the allotment rules of the estates department, a person is entitled to hold government accommodation including ministerial bungalows up to one month after relinquishing/ceasing to hold the office, and this one month in the instant case has expired more than a fortnight ago.

David Coleman Headley will be cross examined via video conferencing by the defense lawyer in the 26/11 case from March 22-25.

Last month, Headley told a special Mumbai court the sequence of events and planning behind the terror attacks.

13:07

B R Ambedkar 'believed that within a decade or two quotas would bring about 'the annihilation of caste' and become unnecessary. But this was not to be...

'Today it is clear that even the Mandal reforms have failed to bring about Ambedkar's dream of a genuinely equal society. Caste, instead of withering away as Indian democracy matures, has asserted itself in new ways.'

And Rohith Vemula 'viscerally understood this unhappy truth. Since August 2015, he had faced the hostility of university authorities for being politically engaged and unusually articulate. In just one semester, he had lost his hostel accommodation, his monthly stipend and access to the classroom,' writes Ananya Vajpeyi in the New York Times, here.

12:50 Browser plugin leads to greatest media correction ever

Today, Wired filed what is surely the greatest correction issued by any publication in this still-young year. It originated with a smart piece on what Wired's Jason Tanz calls "marginal media,' content "in which background activity overwhelms the intended subject.

You can read this hilarious article HERE

12:47

The Thane Municipal Corporation's demolition drive to widen Station Road, at Thane, is threatening the lives of two families, who are still waiting for permanent accommodation, 23 years after the previous such action for road widening, when their houses were demolished, reports Faisal Tandel in Mid-Day, here.

12:45 Justice Gowda opts out of hearing Ayodhya plea, 2nd judge to do so in a month

Supreme Court judge V Gopala Gowda has recused himself from hearing the criminal appeals pertaining to the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya.

The appeals would now be placed before the Chief Justice of India for allocation of the matters to some other bench.

Justice Gowda is the second Supreme Court judge to recuse himself in one month.

In the first week of February, Justice U U Lalit, who was part of the bench led by Justice Gowda, had recused himself from hearing a plea seeking basic amenities for devotees visiting the disputed site in Ayodhya.

Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has told NDTV in an interview on NGT's order that he will go to jail but will not pay the rs 5 crore fine.

I will contest (the green tribunal's order), I want to show you the condition venue was given to us," Sri Sri said in the interview.

Decks were on cleared for the three-day cultural extravaganza of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living on the Yamuna flood plains with the National Green Tribunal expressing its helplessness in banning the event because of "fait accompli".

Nevertheless, it imposed a fine of Rs five crores fine on AOL as environmental compensation after coming down heavily on the foundation for not disclosing its full plans and also on the DDA and Environment Ministry for their role.

Delhi government's tourism minister Kapil Mishra had written to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar requesting for army's help to build additional pontoon bridge for the World Culture Festival, organised by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, reports the website janatakareporter.com.

In his letter reproduced by the website, Mishra wrote: 'We have learnt that the Army is making 1 pontoon bridge for the festival. This is not adequate for safe movement of the large gathering of people hence we request the Army for building at least 1 more pontoon bridge over River Yamuna during the World Culture Festival. The construction of more than would obviously be extremely useful and much appreciated.'

You can read the report here.

11:59 Minor blast in Manipur

An employee of a two-wheeler retail outlet was injured after unidentified miscreants exploded an IED in Imphal's commercial hub, a police official said today.

The blast occurred last night at Khoyathong locality in front of the Honda Scooters outlet, the official said. Some window panes of the outlet were damaged due to the impact of the blast, the officer added.

The injured was discharged from hospital after providing first aid, the officer said. The motive behind the blast could be extortion, source added.

11:55

Gen Joseph L Votel, who has been nominated by US President Barack Obama to head the Central Command, underwent his confirmation hearings by the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, and the exchange makes for fascinating reading. You can read it here.

A day earlier, Gen Votel, currently serving as commander of the US Specials Operations Command, made a statement before the committee, and you can read that transcript here.

11:49 5 dead, several hurt in shooting near Pittsburgh

At least five people have been killed and three others wounded in a shooting late Wednesday in a suburb outside Pittsburgh, a county official said. Lt Andrew Schurman of the Allegheny County homicide unit confirmed early Thursday that four women and one man were killed in the shooting at a house on Franklin Ave.

He said four people were dead on arrival and four others were transported to the hospital.One person died from their injuries in the hospital and the conditions of three others ranged from crtical to stable, Schurman said.

Follow this story HERE

Sreenivasan Jain reports in ndtv.com that 'in December, the ministry of culture, headed by Mahesh Sharma, sanctioned Rs 2.25 crore for the three-day event of Sri Sri's Art of Living Foundation beginning in New Delhi tomorrow.

The funding, he says, 'was allotted to the Vyakti Vikas Kendra Trust in Bengaluru, run by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, as part of the culture ministry's programme of financial assistance to cultural organisations.'

Sreenivasan Jain quotes Sanjeev Bhargava of SEHER, which organises cultural events, as saying that a grant of Rs 2 crore from the government for an individual event is unheard of. 'Normally, the ministry at best would agree to give Rs 15-20 lakh.'

But Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma counters it by saying, 'The government routinely supports events that promote tourism and culture. And, the organisers have not done anything illegal or in clandestine manner.'

You can read the report here.

Meanwhile, The Telegraph, Kolkata, reports that 'the Central Public Works Department has cautioned police that the temporary stage constructed at the site has been designed for horizontal loads of unidirectional force generated by wind speed of 4.7 metres per second, against the Bureau of Indian Standards specification of 47 metres per second.'

In a letter to Delhi's deputy commissioner of police in charge of the prime minister's security, the CPWD said 'the safety of the supporting system had been further compromised because of the absence of ground preparation and compaction, inadequate-sized base plates resulting in excessive soil bearing pressure and use of corroded worn-out pipes.'

You can read this report here.

11:25

"For the damage caused to the environment, ecology, biodiversity and aquatic life of the river, the Foundation should be held liable for its restoration in all respects. In that regard and in exercise of our powers under Sections 15 and 17 of the NGT Act, 2010, we impose an Environmental Compensation, initially of Rs 5 crores," the green panel said.

11:21 Art of Living to appeal against NGT order

Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has decided to appeal against the verdict passed by a green court over slapping Rs 5 crore fine on the Art of Living for organising a cultural event on the fragile banks of Yamuna this weekend.

The National Green Tribunal had on Wednesday faulted every concerned government agency over the World Culture Festival and slapped a Rs 5 crore fine on its organisers, but it did not stay the event.

11:18 Shiv Sena to contest WB assembly polls

The Shiv Sena on Thursday confirmed that they would be contesting the upcoming assembly polls in West Bengal."Shiv Sena will fight the upcoming elections in West Bengal," Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told ANI.

"The Shiv Sena will fight elections in Uttar Pradesh and in all those states where it has presence. We are full prepared," he added.

The Election Commission had last week announced the dates for the West Bengal assembly elections. The first phase of the six-phase voting will take place on April 4 and 11, while the second and third phases will be conducted on April 17 and 21, respectively.

11:18

Just In: Union Cabinet approves new pricing formula for undeveloped gas discoveries; price to be around USD 7.

Cabinet okays reverting Ratna Oil & Gas field to ONGC from Essar, licence extension for 28 oil & gas fields excluding Cairn's Rajasthan block.

11:15

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has issued an open letter to the residents of Haryana following the recent spate of violence following the Jat agitation, which you can see here.

Times of India journalist Bharti Jain was quick to tweet about it: Epic. CM running down another CM & Central govt in a full-page ad. And then asking everyone to rise above politics!

10:59 Shiv Sena to contest WB assembly polls

"The Shiv Sena will fight elections in Uttar Pradesh and in all those states where it has presence. We are full prepared," he added.

The world's most famous can be seen at the Madame Tussauds wax museum on Baker Street in the heart of London. Two buildings away is the home of industrialist Vijay Mallya.

He has not been seen recently at this home; the Supreme Court has asked for a notice to be sent to him through the Indian Embassy in London believing he has been in the UK since March 2.

The court issued notice to Mr Mallya yesterday on a petition by 17 banks to stop him from leaving India over the massive debt owed to them by his grounded Kingfisher airlines. The government, however, told the court that he had already left last week.

Read this story HERE

10:30 Why is NASA still flying a 1940 bomber?

The Canberra bomber was designed way back in the 1940s. So why is Nasa still using three of them today?

Click HERE to find out

Actor Salman Khan today left for Jodhpur where he is expected to record his statement in a trial court in connection with black buck poaching case for alleged illegal possession of arms.

Earlier, The district and session court summoned Khan after rejecting an application of the defence seeking recalling of a prosecution witness for his examination.

"The court has rejected the application of the defence seeking recalling of a prosecution witness, the then District Magistrate Rajat Kuamr Mishra, and ordered the defence to ensure the presence of Khan in the court on March 10 for the recording of the accused's statements", said Additional Public Prosecutor Dinesh Tiwari.

The trial of the case was completed with the re-examination of 5 prosecution witnesses on Wednesday, immediately after which defence counsel H M Saraswat had moved a fresh application to recall Mishra.But the magistrate Dalpat Singh Rajpurohit rejected the application today stating that enough time for re-examination has been given to the defence.

ISRO's sixth navigation satellite -- IRNSS-1F will be launched on PSLV C32 today at 4 pm from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

The 54-and-half hour countdown began Tuesday soon after the Mission Readiness Review Committee and Launch Authorisation Board cleared it and currently, it was "progressing normal", Indian Space Research Organisation officials said.

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C32 on its 34th mission would launch the IRNSS-1F, aimed at providing navigation accurately on par with the US-based Global Positioning System, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at the spaceport of Sriharikota about 110 km from Chenai.

Aung San Suu Kyi's party has nominated former driver Htin Kyaw for Myanmar president.

He is the son-in-law of U Lwin, one of the founders of the party and its key executive during Aung San Suu Kyi's long-time house arrest. He has also served as her driver at various times when she was released

India is among the countries most vulnerable to cyberattacks, according to a new report.Data-mining experts from the University of Maryland and Virginia Tech recently co-authored a book that ranked the vulnerability of 44 nations to cyberattacks.

Lead author V.S. Subrahmanian discussed this research on Wednesday, March 9 at a panel discussion hosted by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, DC.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court will today hear the Public Interest Litigation challenging Justice Vishnu Sahai Commission's report on the Muzaffarnagar riots.

The PIL has been filed by Allama Zafar Naqvi.The 775-page report, which was tabled in Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Sunday, had come under cloud after a social activist has challenged its constitution in first place.

The Justice Vishnu Sahai Commission has blamed the "negligence" of the local administration, the "failure" of the intelligence agencies and exaggerated reporting in the social and print media for the communal riots that left over 60 persons dead and 60,000 homeless in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining districts.

The commission was constituted to probe the reasons for the riots and the administrative lapses in controlling the violence.

There is a void in the house where Avijit Roy once lived. Nearly a year after his shocking murder, the feeling of emptiness is palpable for first-time visitors stepping into his home.

His widow, Rafida Ahmed, says she avoids the small book-strewn study where the couple once worked, shoulder to shoulder at a pair of desks, writing and editing Roy's manuscripts."This is where Avijit spent more than half of his life," she says, shaking her head. "I try not to come here."

Read this article HERE

The Sri Lankan Coast Guard detained four Indian fishermen and also seized a boat from them last night.

The fisher men were detained while they were fishing in Karainagar, which is located 20 kms from Jaffna, Sri Lanka.The detained fishermen were later on, handed over to the Sri Lankan fisheries department.

08:40 SC to hear Babri Masjid demolition case today

The Supreme Court will today hear Central Bureau of Investigation's plea against Allahabad High Court's order dropping criminal conspiracy charges against the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in Babri Masjid demolition case.

There are two sets of cases - one against BJP veteran L.K. Advani and others who were on the dais at Ram Katha Kunj in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992 when the Babri mosque was demolished.

The other case was against lakhs of 'karsevaks' (volunteers) who were in and around the disputed structure.CBI had chargesheeted Advani and 20 others under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between classes), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 505 (false statements, rumours etc. circulated with the intent to cause mutiny or disturb public peace) of the Indian Penal Code.

It had subsequently invoked charges under section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC which was quashed by the special court whose decision was upheld by the high court.

08:29 The Instagram insider's guide to India

With ten million people flocking each year to its colorful, noisy and bustling cities, the country is facing the largest urban migration in history.

CNN asked Instagrammers to give them an insider's guide, showing us the places, buildings and activities that make each city tick.

Click to see this feature HERE

Tens of thousands of documents containing the names, addresses, phone numbers and family contacts of jihadis who joined the Islamic State group have been given to the UK's Sky News, the broadcaster said Wednesday.

Sky reported that a disillusioned former member had handed over the documents on a memory stick that had been stolen from the head of the group's internal security police.

read this story in detail HERE

Rescue operations are underway for a 4-year-old boy who fell into a 280-feet borewell in Gondia yesterday.

Vivek Khushal Donode, who was with his grandmother as she took goats out for grazing, fell into the open hole of a bore well, dug only yesterday, in a field this afternoon in Ranka village of Sadak Arjuni tehsil.

Gondia Collector Dr Vijay Suryavanshi summoned the National Disaster Response Force from Pune after learning about the incident. An Army team was also summoned from Kamptee near Nagpur.

Superintendent of Police Shashi Kumar Meena and Additional SP Dr Sandeep Pakhale also rushed to the spot. The NDRF team had dropped an oxygen pipe into the hole and had started digging a rescue shaft, Suryavanshi told PTI.

Progress in India-Pakistan ties has been hindered by cross-border violence and territorial disputes, but leaders of both the countries have demonstrated commitment to reinitiate the comprehensive dialogue, a top Pentagon commander has said.

"Progress on the India-Pakistan relationship is hindered by cross-border violence and territorial disputes," General Lloyd J Austin, Commander of US Central Command told members of the Senate Armed Service Committee during a Congressional hearing yesterday.

"However, there have been some encouraging signs and lines of communication remain open as demonstrated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's meeting in Pakistan in late December 2015 and the subsequent commitment to reinitiate the Comprehensive Dialogue," Austin said.

04:33 North Korea fires two short-range missiles

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles early Thursday from North Hwanghae province, south of Pyongyang, according to a South Korean military statement.

The missiles were fired toward the sea, east off the Korean peninsula, and the South closely tracked the missiles and is monitoring the situation, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a press release.

North Korea claims to have miniaturized nuclear warheads to fit on ballistic missiles, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.

The report comes after the country reported a successful test of what it said was a hydrogen bomb in February and as tensions on the peninsula remain high as joint US-South Korean military exercises take place.

State media reported Wednesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with nuclear scientists and technicians who briefed him on "research conducted to tip various type tactical and strategic ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads."

The Lok Sabha is likely to discuss today the raging controversy over the affidavits filed in the Ishrat Jahan encounter killing case when it takes up a calling-attention notice on the issue.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh is slated to reply on the calling-attention motion for which notice has been given by some BJP members led by Nishikant Dubey, who demanded a detailed reply from the government on the facts of the two affidavits filed by the previous government on Ishrat, who was killed in an alleged fake encounter in Gujarat in 2004.

The first affidavit was filed on the basis of inputs from Maharashtra and Gujarat Police besides the Intelligence Bureau where it was said that the 19-year-old girl from Mumbai outskirts was a Lashkar-e-Taiba activist but it was ignored in the second affidavit, Home Ministry officials said.

The second affidavit, said to have been drafted by the then Home Minister P Chidambaram, said there was no conclusive evidence to prove that Ishrat was a terrorist, officials said.

Former Union Home Secretary G K Pillai had claimed that as Home Minister, Chidambaram had recalled the file a month after the original affidavit, which described Ishrat and her slain aides as LeT operatives, was filed in the court.

The wife of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday hailed the harem of the Ottoman sultans as "a school for preparing women for life".

Emine Erdogan's comments come a day after the president triggered protests by saying he believed that "a woman is above all a mother" in a speech marking International Women's Day.

Critics have accused Erdogan's government of trying to impose strict Islamic values on Turkey and curtailing women's civil liberties.

"The harem was a school for members of the Ottoman dynasty and an educational establishment for preparing women for life," Emine Erdogan said at an official event on the Ottoman sultans in Ankara, according to Turkish TV stations.

One of the more fascinating things this election has been watching it dawn far too late on many pundits and the political establishment that Donald Trump might actually win the Republican nomination.

Now, of course, the question is rather starker -- could he win the presidency, and what happens if he does?

The conclusion, in my experience talking to many Washington policy types of both political persuasions, frequently includes a swear word. Foreign diplomats, officials and policy experts often take a similar view.

For sure, Trump is like no politician in recent American history. For now, I dont necessarily expect him to win -- his supporters might be enthusiastic, but he could be even more effective at getting his opponents out to vote against him.

Read more HERE

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said his country has miniaturised nuclear warheads to mount on ballistic missiles and ordered improvements in the power and precision of its arsenal, state media reported on Wednesday.

Kim has called for his military to be prepared to mount pre-emptive attacks against the United States and South Korea and stand ready to use nuclear weapons, stepping up belligerent rhetoric after coming under new UN and bilateral sanctions last week for its nuclear and rocket tests.

US and South Korean troops began large-scale military drills this week, which the North called "nuclear war moves" and threatened to respond with an all-out offensive.

Kim's comments were his first direct mention of the claim, made repeatedly in state media, to have successfully miniaturised a nuclear warhead, which has been widely questioned and never independently verified.

The Gawker editor who posted the Hulk Hogan sex tape defended publishing the video of the ex-wrestler in an X-rated position, saying he found it "amusing."

Taped depositions shown in a Florida courtroom on Wednesday gave a window into the irreverent editorial judgment that guided Gawker Media's decision to publish excerpts of Hogan's sex tape.

Hogan's attorneys showed two tapes of recorded testimony from A J Daulerio, the former Gawker editor who posted the footage in 2012. The deposition detailed how he acquired the video and why he chose to publish it on the website.

Daulerio, Gawker founder Nick Denton and the gossip site's parent company are all named as defendants in Hogan's $100 million civil suit.

In one of the depositions, recorded in 2013, Daulerio said he was "very enthusiastic" about writing about the tape, and that he "enjoyed watching the video."

Why? "Because I found it very amusing," Daulerio said.

Read more HERE

On Monday, lawyers representing the Marshall Islands began legal proceedings at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, against India, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom.

The tiny Pacific Island state is seeking to bring the three countries into disarmament negotiations over their nuclear weapons program.

Mondays hearing begins the first phase of the case, in which the ICJ will decide if it has the jurisdiction to accept the Marshall Islands' cases against the three countries.

For Islamabad, New Delhi, and London, the case might represent an irksome bit of international legal theater, but for the Marshall Islands the initiative is earnest.

Home to the Bikini Atoll nuclear testing grounds, the Marshall Islands is one among few non-nuclear-armed states in the world to see the devastation of nuclear weapons up close.

According to the United States embassy in the Marshall Islands, the US government carried out 67 nuclear explosive tests between 1946 and 1958, including the infamous Castle Bravo test, which, at 15 megatons, involved the most powerful US nuclear device ever to see atmospheric testing.

Read more HERE

Russia's defence ministry is looking to buy five dolphins, the government has revealed, as the country strives to revive its Soviet-era use of sea mammals for military tasks.

The military has opened the bidding on a 1.75m ruble (17,000) contract to deliver dolphins to the military in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol by 1 August, according to a document uploaded on Wednesday to the governments procurement website.

According to public contract documentation, it is seeking two female and three male dolphins between three and five years old with perfect teeth and no physical impairments.

An unnamed source told the RIA Novosti state news agency in March 2014 that new training programmes were being designed to make the dolphins serve Russias military interests.

Dolphins were used by the Soviet Union and United States at the height of the cold war, having been trained to detect submarines, underwater mines and spot suspicious objects or individuals near harbours and ships.

Retired Colonel Viktor Baranets, who observed military dolphin training in the Soviet and post-Soviet eras, said that the sea mammals were part of the broader cold war arms race between the USSR and the United States.

02:04 Top headlines at this hour:

Sri Sri gets go ahead for Yamuna bank event, fined Rs 5 crore

Kanhaiya in a fresh spot over 'anti-national' remarks

BJP fields Netaji's grandnephew against Mamata Banerjee

In Rajya Sabha, PM Modi taunts Congress, says it is above criticism

WT20 qualifiers: Resolute Oman stun Ireland, pull off 2-wkt win

Mallya left India despite look-out notice by CBI?

Jewellers' stir enters 9th day; loss pegged at Rs 60,000 crore

Read Wednesday's commentary HERE