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Thu, 24 November 2016
Trump shares message of unity for Thanksgiving
Timeline Refresh
23:43 Life in Syria -- according to a seven-year-old on Twitter
Her hair tied into pigtails by matching pink ribbons, seven-year-old Bana Alabed inspects the rubble in her home town of Aleppo, before walking to face the camera.
"I am sad. It's so bad," she tells her audience in English in a clip posted on Twitter. She is later seen holding a banner reading: "Stand with Aleppo. Please stop the bombing and end the siege."
The video is the latest the young girl has shared with her nearly 94,000 Twitter followers depicting life in the war-torn Syrian city.
Her account gives a poignant human face to a nearly six-year conflict pitting President Bashar al-Assad against rebels seeking to oust him, in which hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and millions forced from their homes.
On her Twitter account, which is managed by her mother, Alabed shares pictures of the city's bombed buildings and of herself at home.
23:15 Trump shares message of unity for Thanksgiving
US President-elect Donald Trump shared a message of unity in a video published on the official White House transition team's YouTube page.
In the video, Trump acknowledges the "long and bruising" political season and says he understands that emotional divides don't heal overnight.
"It's my prayer that on this Thanksgiving, we begin to heal our divisions and move forward as one country, strengthened by shared purpose and very, very common resolve," Trump says.
Trump also emphasized the importance of bringing prosperity to the country's inner cities.
"We have before us the chance now to make history together. To bring real change to Washington, real safety to our cities and real prosperity to our communities -- including our inner cities -- so important to me, and so important to our country," Trump says.
Trump will spend his Thanksgiving at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, along with his family.
22:43 My Short Love Story for Arundhati Roy
Arundhati Roy had just joined the institute as a lecturer of script writing and I became her devoted student. This was in the late '80s and having a crush on your teacher had still not been sanctioned by American television. I would come early for class, sit in the first row, and gaze dreamily, as she spoke. Happy Birthday #ArundhatiRoy.
Read the full story HERE
22:19
JUST IN: Terrorists attack a police station in Karalgund, Handwara and later fled from the spot. Search ops underway.
22:12 1 more dead, toll in Indore-Patna Express derailment rises to 151
The death toll in the Indore-Patna Express accident has risen to 151, Kanpur Chief Medical Officer Ramayan Prasad said today.
When the body of one of the victims was going to be placed in deep freezer in Mati hospital in Kanpur Rural district, the authorities yesterday found that the torso belonged to a man while the legs, which had anklets, were of a woman, he said.
The matter came to light during checking of six unidentified bodies at the mortuary of the hospital, Prasad said. The woman's body was badly mutilated, he said, adding as the two parts were of different persons, the death toll in the train accident, which was kept at 150, is now being taken as 151, he added. The body has not been unidentified yet.
The medical staff is inquiring into the matter, Prasad said. Now the health officials are looking for the legs of the man whose torso was found and the torso of the woman, the CMO said, adding parts like legs and arms of several victims of the train accident are missing.
Indore-Patna Express had met with an accident on Sunday.
22:10 Terror gang was set to hit Paris on Dec 1: source
A jihadist terror ring was planning to attack Paris on December 1 and had researched sites including a Christmas market and Disneyland outside the capital as potential targets, a police source said Thursday.
Seven suspects were arrested in police raids last weekend in the eastern city of Strasbourg and Marseille in the south following an eight-month investigation by security services, although two were later released.
The source said investigators found the suspects had made internet searches on sites including the Christmas market on the prestigious Champs-Elysees avenue, the Disneyland Paris theme park, cafe terraces in the northeast of the capital, the Paris criminal police headquarters and a metro station.
Five of the suspects have had their custody extended under legislation covering investigations into an imminent terror attack.
21:44 Spot pothole on Maharashtra highways and get Rs 1,000: PWD Minister
Spot a pothole on the state highways in Maharashtra after December 15 and earn Rs 1,000 in reward, state Public Works Department Minister Chandrakant Patil announced today.
"The priority is to repair the existing roads with the help of machines. I have asked the PWD officials to work harder and ensure that there is no pothole on the roads from December 15. If someone spots a pothole, we will reward the person with Rs 1,000," he said.
21:42 41% don't think demonetisation will affect their marriage plans
A majority of single Indians think that demonetisation is not going to affect their wedding plans, a survey has claimed.
When people were asked whether the cash crunch situation was going to affect their wedding plans, over 41% men and over 39% women said 'No', according to the survey by matrimonial site Shaadi.com.
Only 20.3% men and 24.5% women said their wedding would be affected due to withdrawal of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.
In the survey people who said 'No' were asked 'Why currency ban wouldn't affect them'. Over 37% said they had made advance bookings while around 35% said they had planned a lean wedding.
The rest of the people said they were having a court marriage.
21:21 Demonetisation to eradicate black money, to benefit all: Govt to SC
The Modi government today asserted in the Supreme Court that the "bold move" of demonetisation would eradicate black money and slush funds operating since Independence which cast a "parallel economy" hitting the poor and the middle class.
The Centre, which filed an affidavit on demonetisation, said the decision on which a total secrecy was maintained, would now help in proper implementation of the ambitious 'Jan Dhan Yojana' under which around 22 crore bank accounts for poor people have been opened as reports of unscrupulous elements using these accounts to convert their black money into white surfaced.
Further, demonetisation is seen as a check on the real estate sector where prices get pushed up artificially, reducing the availability of affordable housing for the poor and the middle class.
21:16
JUST IN: Cabinet clears changes in taxation laws for new savings post November 8, when old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes were banned
21:13
After the government announced yesterday that one could withdraw cash up up to Rs 2,000 by using debit cards at all its stores from November 24, queues could be seen outside the supermarket where people were hoping to get their hands on some currency.
Photograph: Sahil Salvi/Rediff.com
21:09 Nepal bans new Indian Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes
At a time when Nepalese citizens are facing problems in exchanging withdrawn Indian notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination, the countrys central bank on Thursday banned the exchange of Indias new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 currency notes.
The Nepal Rastra Bank said the new Indian notes cannot be exchanged until the Reserve Bank of India issues a new notification under the Foreign Exchange Management Act. Such a notification allows citizens of foreign countries to hold a certain amount in Indian currency, officials said.
Ramu Poudel, the Nepal Rastra Banks chief for the eastern region, told members of the business community in Biratnagar that the new Indian rupees are considered illegal and cannot be exchanged until new arrangements are made by the Indian side.
Indian currency is widely accepted in Nepal, where many people have been facing problems in exchanging the old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. Due to the open border between the two countries, the new Indian notes too have entered areas along the border with India.
20:37
How the market fared today..
And the big gainers and losers.
20:13 No over-the-counter exchanges of old notes from midnight
The Central government has decided to stop over the counter exchange of old Rs 500 and 1000 notes from November 24 midnight.
The government has also limited the use of old notes for the payments of water and electricity bills.
However, payment for transactions under all exempted categories will now be accepted only through old Rs 500 notes and Rs 1000 notes will not be accepted any more in exempted categories.
Here are some more changes:-
-- Rs 1000 notes cannot be used anywhere from midnight tonight.
-- Exemption at petrol pumps have been extended to December 15.
- Payment of fees in central or state government colleges will also accept old Rs 500 notes.
- Purchase from Consumer Cooperative Stores will be limited to Rs. 5000 at a time
- Foreign citizens will be permitted to exchange foreign currency up to Rs 5,000 per week. Entry to this effect will be made in their passports.
19:36 Akhilesh meets PM, presses for more funds to cooperative banks
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to press for releasing more funds to cooperative banks due to the cash-crunch they are facing due to demonetisation.
After meeting the prime minister at Parliament House, Yadav said he also highlighted the hardships of farmers in the state due to the cash-crunch triggered by the demonetisation decision.
He said that he has asked the Centre to give a timeline of as to when would the cooperative banks receive funds from the Reserve Bank of India.
"The prime minister is aware of the hardships of the people. But farmers are unhappy and are facing a lot of trouble. This is the time for sowing... there are so many co-operative banks...when will they get the money," he said.
Sources said the meeting was a follow-up of a letter Yadav had written to Modi on the plight of the people following demonetisation.
19:20 NBW issued against Bigg Boss 10 contestant Swami Omji Maharaj
A Delhi court has issued a fresh non-bailable warrant against self-proclaimed godman Swami Omji Maharaj, a contestant in reality show Bigg Boss, in connection with a theft case lodged by his brother, saying despite
repeated calls he failed to turn up in the court.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Satish Kumar Arora issued the arrest warrant, while directing Omji to appear in the court on the next date of hearing on December 3 and also forfeited his bail bond and surety bond.
"Despite repeated calls, the accused has failed to turn up. Perusal of the file reflects that vide order dated October 14, 2016, as the accused remained absent, NBWs were directed to be issued against the accused for November 8, 2016," the CMM said.
The court noted that on November 8, an application seeking his exemption from appearance was allowed and the NBW was stayed with a direction to him to appear "positively" on the next date on November 21, yet he failed to comply with.
"On an application for restoration of surety preferred by Mukesh Jain for the accused, NBWs were stayed vide proceedings dated November 2, with directions to the accused to appear on November 8 again, but he was absent and his surety with counsel appeared and preferred an application seeking exemption from personal appearance which was allowed with cost and with directions to the accused to positively remain present for this day.
18:59 Jaitley asks banks to promote digital banking in mission mode
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today asked banks to promote digital banking in "mission mode", saying the principal objective of the government's reform is to curtail the use of physical currency.
After a meeting with heads of banks including private sector, he said a committee under additional secretary in the finance ministry is being set up to promote digital banking.
Referring to the outcry over demonetisation in Parliament, Jaitley said the politicians need to accept that habits of the people are changing and they are frequently using cards for payments.
"Some of the banks have already had a lot of success, contrary to argument which is made within the political system that Indians are not well adapted to this mode. I think political life of India has to accept that right under our nose, people are changing as far as their habits are concerned," he said.
Giving out details of digital outlets in the country, the finance minister said there are 14 lakh POS machines which are there at retail level and this figure has to be expanded manifold.
These machines are not manufactured in India, they are imported, he added.
"Additionally, with regard to banks' existing customers, debit cards and prepaid cards, e-wallets as well as mobile apps, are going to be utilised by them. They are ready with their infrastructure," he said.
18:08 'Pope Francis likely to visit India next year'
Pope Francis is likely to visit India next year, a senior Catholic priest in Kochi was quoted as saying by PTI on Thursday.
Archbishop-designate Joseph Kalathiparambil, who returned from Vatican on Thursday, said an indication in this regard was conveyed to him when he visited the Pope at his residence.
"What I understood is that the Pope wishes to visit India next year. An indication in this regard was given to me when I visited him at his residence at Santa Marta in Vatican," he said.
Kalathiparambil is set to take over as the Archbishop of Latin Archdiocese of Verapoly in Kerala on December 18.
Earlier, there were reports that Pope Francis would almost certainly visit India but no dates were specified.
Kalathiparambil said he requested the Pope to visit Kerala and Verapoly Archdiocese, and his response was positive.-- PTI
Archbishop-designate Joseph Kalathiparambil, who returned from Vatican on Thursday, said an indication in this regard was conveyed to him when he visited the Pope at his residence.
"What I understood is that the Pope wishes to visit India next year. An indication in this regard was given to me when I visited him at his residence at Santa Marta in Vatican," he said.
Kalathiparambil is set to take over as the Archbishop of Latin Archdiocese of Verapoly in Kerala on December 18.
Earlier, there were reports that Pope Francis would almost certainly visit India but no dates were specified.
Kalathiparambil said he requested the Pope to visit Kerala and Verapoly Archdiocese, and his response was positive.-- PTI
17:56 Robbers loot Rs 1.22 crore from bank, but most of it in old notes
Unidentified men robbed a nationalised bank of Rs 1.22 crore cash, most of which was demonetised currency, in Haryana's Sonipat district, police said on Thursday.
The miscreants gained entry into the bank in the wee hours today by breaking a wall near the toilet on the back side of the building, Sonipat DSP Rahul Dev said.
"Three to four men gained entry by breaking in the toilet wall of the bank. They used gas cutters to break the currency chest. They escaped with Rs 1.22 crore, out of which only Rs 50,000 were the new currency notes, while rest were demonetised old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000," Dev said.
He said the bank officials came to know about the robbery in the morning following which they informed the police.
On being asked if the police managed to get any clue from the CCTV cameras installed in the bank, the SP said 'the culprits broke the CCTV but we have got some footage and are working on it'.
A special investigation team has also been formed for further investigation and we are hopeful of nabbing the culprits soon, he said. -- PTI
Image only for representation.
The miscreants gained entry into the bank in the wee hours today by breaking a wall near the toilet on the back side of the building, Sonipat DSP Rahul Dev said.
"Three to four men gained entry by breaking in the toilet wall of the bank. They used gas cutters to break the currency chest. They escaped with Rs 1.22 crore, out of which only Rs 50,000 were the new currency notes, while rest were demonetised old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000," Dev said.
He said the bank officials came to know about the robbery in the morning following which they informed the police.
On being asked if the police managed to get any clue from the CCTV cameras installed in the bank, the SP said 'the culprits broke the CCTV but we have got some footage and are working on it'.
A special investigation team has also been formed for further investigation and we are hopeful of nabbing the culprits soon, he said. -- PTI
Image only for representation.
17:49 Army foils 2 infiltration bids in last 18 hours
The Indian troops have foiled two attempts of infiltration from Pakistan in the last 18 hours and pushed back intruders in Gulmarg and Nowgam sectors after heavy exchange of fire.
'JKOps 2 infilt attempts foiled in last 18 hrs. Alert troops push back intruders in Gulmarg & Nowgam sects after heavy exch of fire (sic),' the Northern Command of the Indian Army tweeted.
'JKOps 2 infilt attempts foiled in last 18 hrs. Alert troops push back intruders in Gulmarg & Nowgam sects after heavy exch of fire (sic),' the Northern Command of the Indian Army tweeted.
17:41
JUST IN: PM calls cabinet meeting at 8 pm today..
17:16 No toll till Dec 2, old notes to be accepted after that
Toll suspension across all National Highways is extended till December 2 midnight, said Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
Later, the transport ministry said that scrapped Rs 500 notes will be accepted as toll charge at National Highways till December 15 even after the exemption is withdrawn.
Later, the transport ministry said that scrapped Rs 500 notes will be accepted as toll charge at National Highways till December 15 even after the exemption is withdrawn.
17:15 Not sure if there will be bilateral talks with Sartaj Aziz: Swarup
"The Ministry of External Affairs had summoned Pakistan's deputy high commissioner on Wednesday and issued a demarche, the fourth one this month on continued ceasefire violations from other side of the Line of Control," MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.
He said these violent acts constitute a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement of 2003.
"The government also protested the deliberate targeting 18 villages along the LoC by Pakistan army of during November 16-21," he said.
He said Eternal Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will not be attending the Heart of Asia Conference which will be taking place in Amritsar.
Her Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz had on Wednesday said that he will attend the conference.
Swarup said Pakistans efforts of internationalising Kashmir issue has borne no fruit.
"The government conveyed concerns at continued attempts to infiltrate armed terrorists from across LoC. During last week, there were 15 instances," Swarup said.
When asked if there will be bilateral talks with Sartaj Aziz, he said, "Not ruling out or ruling in anything, but not in position to confirm."
However, he said that 'talks and terror can't go together'.
"Environment has to be terror free for talks to take place," he said.
About the release of the soldier who inadvertently crossed the LoC and was captured by the Pakistani troops, he said, 'We expect early repatriation and safe return of Sepoy Chandu Babulal Chavan."
He said these violent acts constitute a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement of 2003.
"The government also protested the deliberate targeting 18 villages along the LoC by Pakistan army of during November 16-21," he said.
He said Eternal Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will not be attending the Heart of Asia Conference which will be taking place in Amritsar.
Her Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz had on Wednesday said that he will attend the conference.
Swarup said Pakistans efforts of internationalising Kashmir issue has borne no fruit.
"The government conveyed concerns at continued attempts to infiltrate armed terrorists from across LoC. During last week, there were 15 instances," Swarup said.
When asked if there will be bilateral talks with Sartaj Aziz, he said, "Not ruling out or ruling in anything, but not in position to confirm."
However, he said that 'talks and terror can't go together'.
"Environment has to be terror free for talks to take place," he said.
About the release of the soldier who inadvertently crossed the LoC and was captured by the Pakistani troops, he said, 'We expect early repatriation and safe return of Sepoy Chandu Babulal Chavan."
16:48 Pak wont tolerate 'deliberate targeting of civilians' by India: Sharif
Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday warned that Pakistan will not tolerate 'deliberate' targeting of civilian areas by Indian troops, a day after the Pakistani military claimed 12 people, including soldiers, were killed in alleged cross-border firing.
Sharif, presiding over a meeting with civil and military leaders, said Kashmir was an 'unfinished agenda' for Pakistan and the country would not stop pursuing the issue, Geo News reported.
He claimed Pakistan has so far exercised restraint in the face of Indian actions at the Line of Control, but would not permit deadly attacks on innocent civilians.
"We will not tolerate the deliberate attack on innocent civilians," Sharif said. -- PTI
Sharif, presiding over a meeting with civil and military leaders, said Kashmir was an 'unfinished agenda' for Pakistan and the country would not stop pursuing the issue, Geo News reported.
He claimed Pakistan has so far exercised restraint in the face of Indian actions at the Line of Control, but would not permit deadly attacks on innocent civilians.
"We will not tolerate the deliberate attack on innocent civilians," Sharif said. -- PTI
16:41
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley holds video conference with chief executive officers of banks to review latest status after withdrawal of legal tender of Rs 500/1,000 notes. Photograph: ANI
16:25
JUST IN: Haryana government to give Rs 10,000 in cash to the C and D category of the government employees as part of their salaries.
16:05 Modi has created more havoc than Hitler: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee tells ANI: "You (Narendra Modi) couldn't recover Swiss bank black money, but created inconvenience for those with white money."
"You've created more havoc than Hitler."
She also accused the Prime minster of running a "Tuglaqi trade" and not allowing people to withdraw money.
She said that wage labourers and jute workers are facing the brunt of the demonetisation drive.
"Wage earners who work in tea gardens are adversely affected, their payments are on hold. In many villages there aren't any post offices or banks. When we came in 2011 there were about 700 areas where there were no banks, no post offices," she said.
"What is the government doing? It is discriminating, there is a need to raise a voice against this," she added.
She further said that the government's decision to demonetise Rs.500 and Rs.1000 currency notes has severely crippled the agricultural sector.
15:53 Remembering Anand Halve
Anand Halve, considered by many to be the father of brand planning, passed away on November 23, leaving the advertising industry in a state of shock.
Paying tribute to him, Akansha Mihir Mota writes in bestofmediainfo.com that Halve 'was a rare breed in the profession of advertising and marketing. If put together in a statement, knowledge, intelligence and talent when combined with humility and likeability results in harnessing people around an idea and making it work is what defines Halve.'
Read what giants of the advertising industry have to say about Halve, here.
15:44
Toll exemption on highways extended till December 1.
15:42
Sensex falls 191.64 points to close at 25,860.17. Nifty settles at 7,965.50
15:41 Want 'Brexit-like' vote on note ban: Uddhav Thackeray
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray wants a 'Brexit-like' vote on note ban.
"The government should take Manmohan Singh's words seriously. PM should have taken into confidence the people of the country as it was they who voted for him."
15:10
Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day following uproar on PM Narendra Modi's absence from the House post lunch during the debate on demonetisaton.
14:46
ANI reports: 2 infiltration attempts foiled in last 18 hours. Troops pushed back intruders in Gulmarg & Nowgam sectors of J&K
14:32 Jaitley defends Modi's absence from RS after lunch; says Oppn has nothing to say
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is addressing the media in Parliament:
* The people are welcoming the demonetisation move while the Opposition is unhappy with it.
* Opposition has nothing to say and they are seeking excuses to avoid discussion.
* Opposition is not ready for a debate; They were taken by surprise when PM came to the house.
* Govt wants discussion on demonetisation, govt will brief the parliament on the steps taken.
* Opposition thinks demonetisation is a blunder. Don't they think Commonwealth and 2G was a blunder?
* Those parties who were once a part of every scandal in the country are now opposing demonetisation
* Those who didnt consider scandals to be a blunder, they are considering demonetisation to be a blunder.
* Maximum black money was created in the country during 2004-2014.
* First day it was a debate without any pre-conditions, from next day they started putting unreasonable conditions and it continues
14:13
Rajya Sabha adjourned till 3pm after uproar over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to stay away from the debate on demonetisation post lunch
14:04
Manmohan Singh presided over monumental management which prevailed for 10 yrs; mismanagement resulted in present situation: Venkaiah Naidu
13:46 PM Modi will reply to Rajya Sabha debate at 12 noon on Friday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to reply to the Rajya Sabha debate on demonetisation at 12 noon on Friday, according to government sources.
In all there are 28 speakers who had given their names to speak the in Rajya Sabha. Even if the chairman allots five minutes to each member, it would take more than three hours for all of them to wrap up, and a din in between could easily derail the entire process.
But the question is, will the prime minister sit through all the 28 speeches? In that case, how would he attend to urgent government tasks, wonder old-timers.
Not to forget, he also has to attend the Lok Sabha tomorrow.
12:53 Lok Sabha adjourned for the day due to Oppn uproar
Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day today after the opposition continued its protest demanding discussion on the demonetisation issue under an adjournment motion.
As the Lower House met at noon after an adjournment, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan warned SP member Akshay Yadav, who had earlier torn some papers next to the chair of the Secretary General and thrown it across.
After this, she allowed members to lay listed papers on the table. She also rejected several adjournment notices given by members including Kamal Nath, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Dushyant Chautala and Dharmendra Yadav.
As several members from Congress, TMC and SP trooped into the Well raising anti-government slogans, Mahajan adjourned the House for the day.
Earlier, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for nearly an hour soon after it met for the day as a determined opposition pitched for discussing the demonetisation issue under adjournment motion.
12:52 Demonetisation an ill-conceived blow to common man: Derek O'Brien
(Demonetisation debate) Derek O'Brien of Trinamool Congress says:
* Demonetisation move is 'disastrous and chaotic'. This is an ill-conceived blow to common man
* If you had to keep it secret, what prevented you from printing more Rs 100 notes?
* Secrecy can't be your excuse for putting people through pain
* What are you doing about electoral reforms? 80% donations to parties are from unknown sources
* PM ran a poll and said 92% of people are happy, want to know where are these happy people, who are these people
* It's no longer 1 or 2 people, it's 16 opposition parties here. It's the voice of the people.
* There is anger among people against demonetisation, entire opposition has united against it.
* Different people have reacted differently since the announcement was made
* Some people who were part of the announcement, have quoted Bob Dylan
* They have also done polls on their mobile app to say 93% agree with them
12:31 Demonetisation decision taken considering UP elections: Naresh Agrawal
(Demonetisation debate in RS) Naresh Agrawal, SP MP says:
* Decision was not taken in the national interest, but considering UP elections.
* SP is completely against demonetisation, such policies are initiated across the world by dictators and not by elected democracies
12:25 Demonetisation to cost Rs 1.28 lakh crore
Hindustan Times reports: On November 8, the government announced its decision to stop the circulation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.
The total outstanding value of demonetised currency is around R14.2 lakh crore as of March 31, 2016. Of this, the government is expecting around R4-5 lakh crore to be unaccounted cash.
According to estimates by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), the cost of demonetisation during the 50-day window till December 30, 2016 (the deadline for converting all your old banknotes into new ones) would be R1.28 lakh crore.
Businesses are expected to pay the biggest price of the demonetisation exercise, and the immediate impact could be around R61,500 crore, almost 50% of the total cost of demonetisation, according to CMIE.
Read more HERE
12:21 Demonetisation is 'organised loot', legalised plunder: Dr Singh
More highlights from Dr Singh's speech:
* Demonetisation a case of organised loot and legalised plunder. Sincerely hope PM, even at this late hour, will find solution
* Those who say demonetisation is good in the long run should recall the quote "In the long run we are all dead"
* 55% people are in the agricultural sector are badly affected.
* I hope that PM will help us find practical ways to provide relief to people.
* I'm very sorry RBI has been exposed to this sort of criticism, but it's justified.
12:14 Demonetisation a monumental mismanagement: Dr Singh
Highlights of Dr Manmohan Singh speech on demonetisation in Rajya Sabha
* PM has been saying that this is a way forward and that demonetisation will help curb terrorism; I do not object to this. But there has been major mismanagement in the implementation; It's important to take into account the distress of the people
* PM said wait for 50 days but for the poor section even 50 days can be detrimental
* 60-65 people have lost their lives. important to take note of the grievances caused to ordinary citizens
* Demonetisation is a monumental mismanagement.
* GDP can decrease by up to 2 percent point due to demonetisation move.
* This step will hurt agricultural growth, this will hurt all informal sectors.
* PM must come with some constructive proposal how we can implement the scheme.
11:55 New York museum to host exhibition on 'Om'
The Rubin Museum of Art in New York is putting together an exhibition to celebrate the sacred sound 'Om', which is part of invocations in Hindu and other Indic faiths apart from yoga. For this the museum is all set to transform its sixth floor into an 'Om Lab, for a participatory installation from February 3 next year, reports the Wall Street Journal's India Real Time blog.
For three months visitors will be able to record their chants of 'Om' in a recording booth, writes Karan Deep Singh.
'The recordings collected from the booth will be mixed together to create a single chant that will be featured in the museum's "The World Is Sound' exhibition in June,' he writes, and that the Rubin museum 'even plans an "Om in' as part of the exhibition, during which there will be music, performances, opportunities to make art and meditation.'
Risha Lee, the exhibition's curator, is quoted in the blog as saying: "The history of Om is over 3,000 years old. It is not just a single note but serves as an important link to cross-cultures, religion. Sound is not a passive experience. We make, feel, and interact with it through our bodies."
You can read more about the exhibition here.
11:42
Anand Sharma: PM's refusal to come is a breach of parliament, he is duty bound to come; Let the PM come and the debate will resume
11:42
Akshay Yadav of the Samajwadi Party tore paper, threw it at the speaker in Lok Sabha.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar and MoS Parliament Affairs S S Ahluwalia meet Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan over papers thrown at her.
11:31
SC to hear tomorrow a plea of a TN-based cooperative society member for lifting curbs imposed on their transactions after demonetisation.
11:20
Rajya Sabha adjourned till noon amid uproar over demonetisation.
10:47 Air India Express plane makes emergency landing
A Dammam-bound Air India Express plane from Mangaluru with 131 passengers and crew onboard landed under emergency conditions at Kochi after sparks were seen by the Air Traffic Control as the aircraft got airborne.
The Boeing 737-800 aircraft landed safely and there was no harm to any passenger or crew, an Air India Express spokesperson said, adding that after an inspection the aircraft was cleared for onward journey.
The flight IXE 885 took off at 1813 hours on Wednesday from Mangaluru airport for Dammam in Saudi Arabia.
"However, Mangaluru Air Traffic Control noticed sparks in the aircraft and reported the same to the flight commander.
"The aircraft was subsequently diverted to Kochi following permission from the ATC there," the spokesperson said.
The flight made a "precautionary" landing at Kochi International airport at 1930 hours, he said.
10:44 Rape of minor: SC cancels RJD MLA Raj Ballabh's bail
SC on Thursday cancelled the bail granted by the Patna high court to Rashtriya Janata Dal MLA Raj Ballabh Yadav, who is accused of raping a minor.
In April, Yadav was named as one of the main accused in a charge-sheet filed by Nalanda Police, after he allegedly raped a minor girl at his residence on February 6, following which he was immediately suspended by the party.
After absconding for almost one month, Yadav had surrendered in March before a chief magistrate's court in Bihar Sharif in Nalanda and was sent to jail.
However, he was granted bail by the Patna high court on September 30, which the opposition used to criticise the state government for not placing facts against the RJD MLA before the court.
10:41
ANI reports: Opposition parties decide in their meeting to not hold talks with the government till November 28.
10:34
Gujarat: Fire breaks out in Jamnagar Reliance Refinery; 7 people injured and 1 dead. More details awaited
10:32 Rupee hits 39-month low at 68.84 a dollar
Rupee's unabated free-fall continued for the fifth straight day on Thursday as it hit a nearly 39-month low at 68.84 against the dollar amid foreign fund outflows and the greenback's surge in overseas markets.
Forex dealers said besides a strong month-end demand for the American currency from importers, continued capital outflows by foreign funds and the dollar's bull run on an imminent hike in Fed's interest rates, mainly weighed on the domestic currency.
Further, a lower opening of the domestic equity market also put pressure on the rupee, they said.
The rupee had shed 31 paise to close at a new nine-month low of 68.56 against the dollar in Wednesday's session.
10:30 Demonetisation: Opposition leaders meet in Parliament
Leaders of the opposition parties met in the Parliament to chalk out strategy on the government's offer to end the ongoing logjam over demonetisation.
In an attempt to break the deadlock in Parliament over the demonetisation, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar has reached out to the opposition parties.
However, there is no official confirmation about the participation of the opposition party leaders in the discussion on the matter.
As the government attempts to find a truce with a united opposition, which has disrupted both the Houses of Parliament since the beginning of the Winter Session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today attend the Rajya Sabha and is likely to participate in the discussion on demonetisation.
Since the first day of the ongoing Winter Session, the opposition leaders are calling for the Prime Minister to speak on the issue.
10:13
We will first meet opposition and then decide whether we will go to meeting called by Home Minister Rajnath Singh or not. Let PM or speaker call for meet: Mallikarjun Kharge
09:44 Why scrapped notes are flying off to the northeast
Times of India reports: Money being flown from Haryana to Nagaland might seem like a truly bizarre way of trying to convert stashes of cash in old notes into legal tender , but it's not as illogical as it might sound.
India's income tax laws allow exemptions for various categories of incomes or individuals. These exemptions are apparently now being misused to covert black cash into white money.
Among those exempt from paying income tax are members of scheduled tribe communities in Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram. Scheduled tribes in North Cachar Hills and Mikir Hills in Assam, the Khasi Hills, Garo Hills and Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya and Ladakh in Jammu & Kashmir also don't have to pay income tax.
The exemption applies to income arising from any source in these areas or from dividends or interest on securities from anywhere.
Read more HERE
09:30 SC to resume hearing of Mumbai dance bar case
The Supreme Court will on Thursday resume its hearing of the Mumbai dance bar case where, the bar owners have challenged the stringent norms regulating bars and the Maharashtra government is justifying the need for these restrictions to ensure the safety and dignity of women working in these establishments.
The apex court had earlier on September 21 ruled that three dance bars in Maharashtra with proper CCTVs can continue operating.
A division bench of the top court, headed by Justice Dipak Misra and Justice C Nagappan passed this order.
On August 30, the apex court had issued a notice to the Maharashtra Government over a new law for dance bar licenses and asked it to reply within six months.
Dance bar owners have objected to the restriction of maintaining a one kilometer distance from any religious or educational structure claiming it was not possible in big cities.
They claimed that another curb of shutting down the bars before 11.30 p. m. is discriminatory in the time when the central government was promoting round-the-clock business by commercial establishments.
09:29 SC to hear detailed affidavit on Mallya assets
The Supreme Court will hear the detailed affidavit about the assets of liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Thursday.
The top court division bench passed the order earlier last month after hearing a detailed argument from Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi and Mallya's lawyer Vaidyanathan.
A division bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman, passed the direction to the beleaguered businessman, who had allegedly failed to repay the loan amount to various banks.
The apex court also sought details of the utilization of the money which Mallya had received from Diageo on February 25.
The top court was dissatisfied with the previous affidavit and said, "Prima facie it appears that he didn't make appropriate disclosure. You have received money in February and court notice was sent to you in April. You had to disclose the assets and bank details up to March 31. $40 million had gone in exactly in 40 days. We wanted to know where and how the money has been utilised."
08:58 Will PM Modi attend demonetisation debate in Rajya Sabha today?
As a united Opposition continues to put pressure on the BJP-led NDA government to withdraw its decision to ban high-value old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the ongoing debate on the demonetisation in Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
An indication in this regard was given by senior BJP leader and Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, according to IndiaToday.
The Opposition has been demanding PM Modi's presence and participation in the debate on demonetisation.
Meanwhile, Lok Sabha witnessed a virtual washout for the fifth consecutive day on Wednesday as government and Opposition parties continued to clash over the demonetisation issue and the rule under which a debate should take place on it, with the former ruling out any provision of voting in the discussion.
Opposition members, including those from Congress, TMC, RJD, CPI(M) and BJD, besides SAD and Shiv Sena, both part of the ruling NDA, expressed their views in the House when it assembled at noon after one adjournment, with the Sena changing its stance on demonetisation and sparing the government of embarrassment by praising the move and supporting its stand that the debate be held under Rule 193, which does not entail voting.
08:33 What's making news today
* Today is the last day to use old 500 & 1000 rupee currency notes
* Earthquake of 3.5 magnitude occurred in Myanmar-India border near Manipur region at 01:28 am today
* Delhi: Junior doctors of AIIMS go on strike over assault cases of the doctors in the hospital, demand security be increased for them
* Home Minister Rajnath Singh to meet all party floor leaders today at 10am.
* SBI has slashed bulk deposit rates by up to 1.9 per cent taking advantage of the surge in deposits following demonetisation. New rates effective from today.
* UK government's changes to its visa policy for non-EU nationals aimed at curbing its soaring immigration figures will come into force from today, which will affect a large number of Indians especially IT professionals. Under the new visa rules, applications made on or after November 24 under the Tier 2 intra-company transfer category would be required to meet a higher salary threshold requirement of 30,000 pounds (over Rs 25 lakh) from the earlier 20,800 pounds (over Rs 17 lakh).
* Bureaucratic Reshuffle: 19 new secretaries appointed in various departments.
00:32 Iraq militias cut off Islamic State's access to Mosul
An Iraqi paramilitary force says it has seized a key road west of Mosul, effectively encircling the city controlled by so-called Islamic State.
The Popular Mobilisation (Hashd al-Shaabi) declared it had taken control of the road between Tal Afar and Sinjar after linking up with Kurdish forces.
IS militants still control the section of the road between Tal Afar and Mosul.
Meanwhile, an air strike reportedly hit another bridge in Mosul, as troops advanced further into eastern areas.
There is now only one functioning bridge left spanning the River Tigris, which flows through the city.
About 50,000 Iraqi security forces personnel, Kurdish fighters, Sunni Arab tribesmen and Shia militiamen are involved in the five-week-old offensive to drive IS militants out of their last major urban stronghold in the country.
00:04 Brexit fallout to cost UK extra 122 billion pounds over five years
Britain must borrow an additional 122 billion pounds over five years as it exits the European Union, the public finances advisory body said, forcing the government to shelve plans to balance the books by 2020.
The extra borrowing, worth $152 billion, covers the period until early 2021, and covers direct
and indirect costs of Brexit, explained the Office for Budget Responsibility.
The OBR pinpointed 59 billion of additional borrowing directly caused by Brexit, including 16 billion as a result of lower migration and 18.1 billion due to lower productivity growth.
Economic secretary to the Treasury Simon Kirby said he "didn't necessarily accept" the prediction of extra borrowing caused by lower migration, but accepted it would "have an impact on GDP."
"We need to be clear that the British people voted on June 23 to leave the EU because they wanted control...There are positives and negatives," he told a foreign press briefing.
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