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Sun, 09 April 2017
Government may make Aadhaar or passport must for domestic flights

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21:52   Government may make Aadhaar or passport must for domestic flights
The government is in the process of making Aadhaar number or passport mandatory for booking domestic flight tickets amid its plans to create a no-fly list to deal with unruly passengers.
"Aviation regulator DGCA will start working on a civil aviation requirement this week," R N Choubey, secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation told PTI.
The ministry has asked the DGCA to draft the CAR by next week for consultation with stakeholders in this matter. Aadhaar number or passport will be useful in identifying an "unruly passenger" who has been barred from flying. 
Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Jayant Sinha, in a series of tweets yesterday, had warned that unruly behaviour by passengers will result in "severe consequences" which would include police action as well as being placed on the no-fly list.
The no-fly list was mooted by Air India on the day Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad hit the national carrier's staff R Sukumar with his slipper. Air India had said that they were "examining" to create such a list.
The following day, the Federation of Indian Airlines, which has Jet Airways, SpiceJet, IndiGo and GoAir as its members, while announcing a ban on Gaikwad, also proposed the promulgation of a "no-fly list which shall include the names of all unruly passengers."
On Friday, TMC's Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen had allegedly fought with the crew over not getting seats of her choice in an Air India flight from Delhi to Kolkata resulting in it being delayed by nearly 40 minutes. 

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21:05   Parties should treat their manifestos as Bhagwad Geeta: Naidu
A day after Chief Justic of India J S Khehar said political parties must be held accountable for poll promises, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today said the parties should treat their manifestos like "Bhagwad Geeta".
"Political parties should treat their manifestos as Bhagwad Geeta. It should be treated as a holy book. You need to do things that you promise," he said while addressing a function organised by the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Association of India at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.

Naidu was here to attend the 'CREDAI National Investiture Ceremony -2017'. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and other dignitaries of the real estate sector were also present at the event.
"I agree with our CJI's views on pre-poll promises. Some political parties make irresponsible statements during polls. At the end of the day, parties will have to seek votes from people based on their performance in every five years. That check is already there," he said.
"People always have an option to keep a check on political parties by voting for only those who fulfill their promises," Naidu said.
The Chief Justice of India, J S Khehar, had yesterday said, "Now a days manifestos have become a mere piece of paper, for this political parties have to be made accountable."
Talking to reporters at the Ahmedabad airport, ahead of his address here, Naidu said the government would not mind if a law is enacted to ensure implementation of poll manifestos.
"We are OK if some law is enacted in this regard. Otherwise, people always have a chance to chose parties based on their performance after every five years," he said.
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20:17  
Internet services will remain suspended in the entire Kashmir valley till conduct of by-poll for Anantnag Lok Sabha seat on April 12.
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20:15   Will do everything to protect cows in UP : Deputy CM Maurya
Uttar Pradesh deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya today said that previous governments had not shown will power to act against those involved in illegal cow slaughter but the present regime would do everything to protect the bovine population.

"The previous state governments did not implement the provisions of Cow Slaughter Act (Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955) properly. But, we will work to ensure protection to cow and bovines," Maurya told reporters.  

The state government would do everything possible to protect cows, he said.

His remarks came over a question about RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's demand for a country-wide law against cow slaughter. 

 Bhagwat had today termed cow slaughter a "vice" and demanded a pan-India law against it. He had also condemned violence by cow protection groups saying it "defames" the cause.

Bhagwat said many states where RSS functionaries, a reference to BJP leaders with Sangh background, have been in power have enacted such a law and expressed confidence that other governments will follow suit by dealing with local "complexities".
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19:14   Australian PM arrives on four-day India visit
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull arrived in New Delhi today on a four-day India visit during which he will hold talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on ways to boost ties in key areas including defence, security, energy and trade.
However, the much-anticipated economic pact between India and Australia will not be inked during his visit.
According to External Affairs Ministry, the two countries are likely to sign a number of MoUs covering a range of areas including defence and security, environment, renewable energy, sports and trade.
It will be Turnbull's first visit to the country after assuming office in 2015.
India is also likely to raise the issue of security of Indians in Australia in the wake of incidents of attacks on some of them.
Ahead of his visit, Australia's high commissioner to India Harinder Sidhu had clearly said that the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement will not be signed during the trip.
"Negotiations are underway but the pact will not be signed," Sidhu had said.
The talks for CECA were launched in 2011 and during the visit of former Australian PM Tony Abbott in 2014, the two sides had expressed the hope that the pact would be inked by the end of 2015, a deadline which has already been missed.
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18:58   Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina offers prayers at Ajmer dargah
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday paid obeisance at the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer and offered a chadar (shawl) at the grave of the 12th century Sufi saint.
Hasina, accompanied by five Bangladesh ministers in the 26-member delegation, visited Ajmer by helicopter. She reached the shrine at 10:30 am and was received by the officials of the dargah's Anjuman Committee (management committee).
She offered prayers for 15 minutes at the shrine and stayed there for about an hour.
Hasina offered namaz near Jannati Gate and also recited a fatiha (prayer) for the Sufi saint.
Khadim Kalimuddeen Chisti gave "tabarrukh" and a scarf to the Bangalesh PM. The Anjuman committee gave a welcome address in her honour.
She made a brief halt at the Circuit House, had tea and flew out of the city by noon.
Among those who accompanied Hasina were Minister for Liberation War Affairs AKM Mozammel Haque, Minister of Water Resources Anisul Islam Mahmud and Minister of Law Anisul Haq.
She had earlier visited the shrine on January 13, 2010 with her family members.

Photograph: PTI Photo
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18:49   Poor 6.5 per cent voter turnout in Srinagar LS bypoll
An abysmally low 6.5 per cent polling was recorded in the bypoll for the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat from where Jammu and Kashmir's former chief minister Farooq Abdullah is contesting.
Amid large scale violence, which claimed the lives of six civilians, the prestigious seat recorded a turnout at 6.5 per cent, the state's Chief Electoral Officer Shantanu told journalists.
He said more than 100 security personnel were also injured in the violence.
When asked as to how many polling stations he expected repoll to be ordered, the officer said it could be anywhere between 50 and 100 booths or maybe more.
Shantanu said Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in south Kashmir, where bypoll is scheduled for April 12, would pose a "bigger challenge". Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's younger brother Tasaduq Mufti is making his electoral debut from Anantnag.
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18:02   There is no such rule in Quran: VP Hamid Anasri's wife on triple talaq
Vice President Hamid Ansari's wife Salma Ansari has said that uttering 'talaq' thrice does not amount to divorce and asked Muslim women to read the Quran thoroughly instead of relying on clerics.
Salma Ansari's views on triple talaq come at a time when there is a nationwide debate on the practice and the validity of triple talaq, 'nikah halala' and polygamy practices among Muslims challenged in the Supreme Court.
"Triple talaq is not an issue. There can be no 'talaq' (divorce) just because someone utters talaq, talaq, talaq," she told reporters on the sidelines of a function in Aligarh on Saturday.
Salma said women can find an answer to their questions in the Quran itself.
"If you've read the Quran then you can find the solution there itself. There is no such rule in Quran. They have just made it up. There is no such thing. You read the Quran in Arabic and don't read the translation. You accept whatever the Maulana (clerics) or the Mulla says. You must read the Quran, read Hadis. Just see what Rasool had said," she said in reply to a question on the practice of triple talaq.
Women must have the courage to read the Quran by themselves and introspect what's written in it and gain knowledge about it, she said, emphasising that women should not blindly follow anyone.
Women can be easily misguided if they don't read the Quran, she said.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board had recently told the Supreme Court that the pleas challenging such practices among Muslims were not maintainable as the issues fell outside the realm of judiciary.
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17:53  
Separatists call for 2-day strike from tomorrow in J&K to protest the death of 6 persons during voting for Srinagar Lok Sabha bypolls.
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17:28   Pak bans 'Naam Shabana' a day after its release
Pakistan censor board has banned the screening of Bollywood action thriller Naam Shabana over objectionable content after initially allowing its release with some cuts.

Last week, the film was allowed to run but a theatre in Islamabad showed it without the mandatory cuts, leading to the ban.

"It prompted the censor board to ban the screening of the movie," an official said.

He said that some of the scenes related to terrorism were not fit enough to be shown.

The officials at censor board were reluctant to allow its screening but the local distributor -- Ever Ready Pictures -- persuaded them to allow the release after editing.

Naam Shabana stars Taapsee Pannu and Manoj Bajpayee in lead roles and was initially released in Pakistan on March 31.

Pakistan banned the screening of Indian films last year after cross border tension between the two countries. 

The ban was, however, lifted at the start of this year allowing the screening of Indian films after approval by the censor board.
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16:44   Will behead those opposing Ram temple: BJP MLA
In what may spark a fresh controversy, Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Hyderabad Raja Singh has said that he would behead the ones opposing the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

"Some people are saying that they will create ruckus if Ram Mandir is built in Ayodhya. I welcome the ones who are warning of dire consequences. We have been waiting for years to behead such traitors," the MLA said while addressing a public gathering on Thursday here.

Singh, who represents Goshamal constituency in the Hyderabad Assembly, is known for his right wing activities and has also been arrested multiple times.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had observed that Ayodhya dispute is a "sensitive" and "sentimental" issue, adding that the matter should be settled amicably. Since then, various right-wing leaders have been campaigning for the temple to be built.

While Uma Bharti said she was ready to go to jail for the temple if need be, BJP leaders have been supporting the cause in their own way. 
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16:38   FM gets President's pat for finishing budget process by Mar 31
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today received a pat from President Pranab Mukherjee for completing the budget exercise by March 31 and not seeking a the Vote on Account, which happened for the first time in many years. 

"I congratulate the finance minister for completing the budgetary exercise and seeking the approval of both houses of Parliament, all the expenditure proposals, and all matters relating to the finance bill within March 31. 

"And after many years, I do not remember of after how many years, no Vote on Account was taken this particular year," the president said.

The vote on account is an interim arrangement under which approval of Parliament is obtained to withdraw money from the consolidated fund when the budget for new financial year is not passed. 

The president was speaking after the mega draw of Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojana at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government this year advanced the budget presentaion to February 1 from the traditional presentation date of February 28 or the last working day of the month. 

 The move was aimed at helping the government begin the investment cycle right from the first day of the new financial year, April 1.
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16:19   Road caves in on Anna Salai in Chennai
A portion of road caved in on Chennai's Anna Salai, also known as Mount Road, on Sunday, pulling down a bus and a car.

Initial reports suggest that around 35 people were inside the bus, and sustained minor injuries. Some of them were taken to the Royapettah Government Hospital.

A bus and a car plunged into a huge crater that was formed in the middle of Chennai's busy Anna Salai, also known as Mount Road on Sunday.

It is suspected that the crater must have been formed because of the metro rail work.

Initial reports suggest that around 35 people were inside the bus, and sustained minor injuries. Some of them were taken to the Royapettah Government Hospital.

Since it was a Sunday, there was very less traffic on the road.

The cave-in occurred due to tunnel boring work for the Chennai Metro rail that is being carried out between Thousand Lights and AG- DMS.

This is the second such road cave-in on Anna Salai in ten days.

Police have cordoned off the stretch from White's Road turning to the foot of the flyover on Anna Salai.
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16:13   Pakistan marines capture 18 Indian fishermen off Gujarat coast
The Pakistan Maritime Security Agency has apprehended 18 Indian fishermen and seized three boats off the Gujarat coast, an official said today.
Three fishing boats from Porbandar, Okha and Mangrol were seized and 18 fishermen sailing on them captured by PMSA late last night from near the International Maritime Border Line, National Fishworkers' Forum  Secretary Manish Lodhari told PTI.
The captured boats had set sail from the coastal town of Porbandar a few days ago, Lodhari said.
This is the first such incident in April, Lodhari said, adding that in March alone, 231 Indian fishermen were arrested by Pakistan authorities and 40 boats seized.
On March 26, PMSA had apprehended over 100 Indian fishermen and seized 19 boats near IMBL.
Last month, the Indian Coast Guard had captured nine Pakistani fishermen along with a fishing boat found sailing in Indian waters.
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16:08   UPDATE: 5 killed in Kashmir, violence in MP during bypolls
The death toll in Srinagar clashes has climbed to 5 after security forces opened fire on mobs attacking polling stations and poll personnel in Kashmir's Budgam district. 

Voting was affected in urban areas as the polling staff and security forces bore the brunt of stone-pelting incidents reported from across the district. 
Army was called out in aid of the state administration in Gadura area after a mob rained stones at polling stations and tried to burn down a building where a booth was located, officials said, adding that petrol bombs were hurled at the booth as well as the security forces guarding it.

Jammu and Kashmir is one of the nine states, where by-elections for assembly and parliamentary seats are being held today. 

In Kashmir, polling is being held for Srinagar parliamentary seat amid boycott call by separatists. 

Violence was also reported from Ater, Madhya Pradesh, in which several people were said to be injured. 

Two poll booths in Ater reportedly witnessed violence. Cars were damaged and gunshots were heard. Several people were said to be injured.

Elections will be held in 3 more states on April 12. 

The counting of votes will take place on April 13 and April 15.

IMAGE: Security personnel stand guard at a polling booth during byelection to the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat. Photographs: Umar Ganie
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15:06   Now, link Aadhaar with PAN through ID proof scan and OTP
Individuals struggling to link their Permanent Account Number with Aadhaar because of differently spelt names can now simply upload a scanned copy of PAN to get the work done.
Besides, the tax department is planning to introduce an option on the e-filing portal through which taxpayers can choose to link the Aadhaar without changing the name by opting for a one-time password, provided that the year of birth of the person matches in both documents.
With the linking of PAN with Aadhaar being made mandatory, individuals can log on to e-filing website of the income tax department or NSDL but the seeding cannot happen if the name is differently spelt in the two cards -- like use of full name in PAN and initials in Aadhaar.
In such cases, government has allowed a simple uploading of a scanned copy of PAN on the Aadhaar website.
The tax department will start educating taxpayers from this week through media outreach on ways to link the PAN with Aadhaar, an official told PTI.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had through amendment to tax proposals in the Finance Bill of the Budget for 2017-18, had made Aadhaar mandatory for filing income tax returns and provided for linking of PAN with Aadhaar to curb tax evasion through use of multiple PAN cards.
The e-filing portal has already activated a functionality of linking PAN with Aadhaar. Over 1.08 crore assessees have already Aadhaar-linked PAN but the number is abysmally low as there are over 25 crore PAN card holders in the country, while Aadhaar has been issued to 111 crore people.

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14:45   15 dead in Egypt church bombing
At least 15 people were killed and 42 others injured today in a powerful explosion inside a Coptic Christian church in the Egyptian Nile delta city of Tanta.

Sources said that the explosion took place inside the Mar Gerges Coptic Church. 

The primary investigations suggest that a person put an explosive device inside the church during the Christian prayers celebrating the Palm Sunday, the sources said. 

No official statement has been released.

Egypt's Christian minority has often been targeted by Islamist militants. Egypt has seen a wave of attacks by militants since 2013 when the military overthrew President Mohammed Morsi, an elected leader who hailed from the Muslim Brotherhood, and launched a crackdown against Islamists. 
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13:57   Ban cow slaughter across India: RSS chief
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat today strongly pitched for an all-India law against cow slaughter and asked the vigilante groups to obey the law while espousing the cause of protecting the animal.
"We want a law banning cow slaughter across the country," he said at an event to mark the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir in New Delhi.
The RSS chief said the work of cow protection should be continued by obeying the law.
"Any violence in the name of cow slaughter defames the cause and the law must be obeyed," he said.
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13:19   After cash-for-votes charge, EC may cancel RK Nagar bypolls
The Election Commission may cancel Chennais RK Nagar bypolls after cash-for-votes allegations surfaced. 

According to media reports, the EC has called a special meeting on Sunday to discuss scrapping of the polls. A decision is expected latest by Monday.

The Income Tax officials had alleged that the VK Sasikala faction of the ruling AIADMK paid Rs 89 crore to voters to buy support for its candidate TTV Dinakaran, who is also her nephew. 

As evidence, the department had cited documents seized during Friday's raids in more than 35 places -- including properties of the state health minister C Vijayabaskar.

One key document recovered from the minister's house gives the alleged blueprint of the strategy to buy voters. The constituency is divided into 256 segments and the target was to reach out 85 per cent of the 2.6 lakh voters. Each voter was supposed to be paid Rs. 4,000, indicating an outlay of Rs. 89 crore. 

The Sasikala faction has denied the allegations.

The byelections in RK Nagar became necessary after the death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who represented it for two terms.

Last year, polling in two constituencies -- Thanjavur and Aravakurichi -- were cancelled after both AIADMK and DMK were found bribing voters.
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12:34  
National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah with his son Omar Abdullah after casting their vote for the Srinagar Lok Sabha byelection. 

Read: Why this election matters so much for Farooq Abdullah
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12:08   Vinod Khanna is better and improving: Hospital
Some good news for Vinod Khanna fans. 

The veteran actor, who was admitted to a hospital on March 31 due to severe dehydration, is better and responding positively to treatment, says a medical bulletin.

Since the time the actor's picture showing him in a bad shape went viral, rumours about his demise started doing the rounds on the social media.

Going a step further, the Bharatiya Janata Party in Meghalaya observed a two-minute silence on Saturday to pay respect to the actor.

However, the BJP later came up with a clarification stating that few of their members had seen the news of his demise on television and they believed it without verifying.

They also issued an apology for the same and said the actor is responding well to the treatment.


Khanna, a former BJP Lok Sabha member from Punjab's Gurdaspur district, was admitted to HN Reliance Foundation and Research Centre in Mumbai's Girgaum hospital.

From the past few days, a picture of the actor in the hospital went viral on the social media.

The 70-year-old-actor looked quite pale in the photo and his body transformation shocked everyone.
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11:12   Srinagar bypoll: 1 killed, 5 injured in clashes
One person was killed and five others were injured in clashes between security forces and protesters as polling for byelection to the Srinagar parliamentary constituency began, leading to abysmally low voting in many parts.
The BSF opened fire in Pakharpora near Charar-e-Sharif area to quell stone-pelting protesters in which at least one person was killed and five injured.
Violent incidents were reported particularly from the central district of Budgam where miscreants pelted stones on polling booths this morning, a police official said.
The violence affected the overall voting percentage which was in some booths was even below 1 per cent in the first two hours. Kangan and Ganderbal reported only two persons polled in the district.
Meanwhile in Madhya Pradesh, reports of stone-pelting were received from a polling booth in Ater in Bhind district, but police brought the situation under control, an election official said.

The byelections is underway to Ater assembly seat. 
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10:14  
JUST IN: Four EVMs replaced due to fault in Bandhavgarh assembly bypoll, Madhya Pradesh.
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10:03   Bypoll: Stone-pelting in some areas of Srinagar
Sporadic incidents of stone-pelting were today reported in Srinagar Parliamentary constituency where voting for the bypoll is underway, police said.

Miscreants started pelting stones on polling booths in some areas of Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency this morning, a police official said.

He said stone-pelting incidents were reported from Budgam and Ganderbal districts of central Kashmir which are part of Srinagar Parliamentary constituency where polling began at 7 am.

In Budgam district, stone-pelting incidents were reported from Hafroo Batpora in Chrar-e-Sharief assembly constituency, Gooripora area in Beerwah, Dardpora and Soibugh in Budgam and Hayatpora in Chadoora assembly segments, the official said.

He said in Wakura area of Ganderbal assembly constituency, a polling station was without electricity and as the Power Development Department linemen tried to rectify the snag, some miscreants pelted stones on them.

Security forces swung into action and chased away the protestors, the official said.

Meanwhile, normal life was affected in the three poll-bound districts of the Valley due to a strike called by separatist groups, who have asked people to stay away from the election process.

Most of the shops, fuel stations and other business establishments in the districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal were shut, while public transport was off the roads, the official said.

He, however, said that few private cars were seen plying in these areas.

The government has declared a holiday for today in these three districts. -- PTI

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09:48   Bypolls: Voting begins in Srinagar, 10 assembly seats
Polling in bypolls for Srinagar Lok Sabha seat and 10 assembly constituencies in eight states is being held today.

Nine candidates are in fray for the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency where more than 1,500 polling stations have been set up for nearly 12.61 lakh voters.

Internet services have also been shut down ahead of the polling. All the polling stations have been declared as either 'sensitive' or 'hyper-sensitive' keeping in mind threats perceptions. 

Meanwhile, voting for the by-election to the Rajouri Garden assembly seat in New Delhi is underway. This election is being seen as a litmus test for the Aam Aadmi Party, which had won 67 seats in 70-member Delhi assembly. 

In Madhya Pradesh, polling for by-election of the Bandhavgarh assembly seat in Umaria district and Ater segment of Bhind is currently underway.

In Himachal Pradesh, polling is taking place for Bhoranj seat. 

In West Bengal, voters will be using their right to elect their representative for Kanthi Dakshin assembly seat.

In Assam, polling is being held for Dhemaji constituency is underway. 

In Rajasthan, polling is being held for Dholpur assembly.

Here voters will exercise their franchise through VVPAT machines for the first time. 

In Karnataka, voters are electing their representatives for Nanjangud and Gundlupet assembly segments. 

In Jharkhand, polling is also taking place for Litiparah assembly seat today. 

 The counting will take place on April 13 for all these seats. -- ANI
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09:13   Complaint filed against Arjun Rampal for assault
A complaint of assault has been filed against actor Arjun Rampal in Delhi. According to the complainant the incident took place in a five-star hotel.

Rampal allegedly got angry after a photographer clicked his picture and he snatched his camera and threw it which hit the complainant injuring him. --ANI
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08:44   US strike group heads toward Korean Peninsula
A United States Navy carrier strike group was moving toward the Korean Peninsula as the US boosts its defences against North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

"US Pacific Command ordered the Carl Vinson Strike Group north as a prudent measure to maintain readiness and presence in the Western Pacific," said Commander Dave Benham, spokesman at US Pacific Command.

"The number one threat in the region continues to be North Korea, due to its reckless, irresponsible and destabilising program of missile tests and pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability," he was quoted as saying by news agencies.

The strike group includes the Nimitz-class aircraft supercarrier USS Carl Vinson, a carrier air wing, two guided-missile destroyers and a guided-missile cruiser.

The North has carried out five nuclear tests -- two of them last year -- and expert satellite imagery analysis suggests it could well be preparing for a sixth.

US intelligence officials say Pyongyang could be less than two years away from developing a nuclear warhead that could reach the continental United States.

On Thursday and Friday, US President Donald Trump hosted his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for talks during which he pressed Pyongyang's key ally to help curb the North's nuclear weapons programme. -- Agencies

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