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Sat, 18 February 2017
US will hold Russia accountable: Pence
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22:14 US will hold Russia accountable: Pence
Aiming to calm European fears about US-Russia ties, Vice President Mike Pence told world leaders on Saturday that the United States will stand firm against Moscow while also seeking avenues for cooperation.
But Pence's posture was met abruptly by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who said at the same conference that the West's dominance of world affairs is ending.
The dueling messages came during a security summit in Germany, where leaders are eagerly looking for clues about how the new US administration will broach Russia's persistent challenges to international law.
"Know this: the United States will continue to hold Russia accountable, even as we search for new common ground, which as you know, President Trump believes can be found," Pence said during remarks at the Munich Security Conference, the first major foreign policy address of the Trump administration.
21:10 How a hospital paid for from PM's Relief Fund went to Adani
Budget 2017 promises an AIIMS for Gujarat but a rebuilt hospital in earthquake-hit Bhuj, originally intended to become AIIMS-West, ended up as a teaching hospital for an Adani-run medical college.
Read the full story HERE
20:04 Palaniswami government has absolute majority: TN assembly speaker
Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal said that Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami's government has absolute majority and the voting on its confidence motion was done as per House rules.
Declaring the result of the confidence vote, won by the government with a 122-11 margin, he also charged the DMK with stalling the House proceedings.
He said even if the DMK and other Opposition parties had participated in the voting, the government would have won the trust vote.
"I categorically say that this government has got absolute majority by securing 122 votes in favour of the motion of confidence...The voting was done as per the House rules," Dhanapal said.
Referring to the ruckus by DMK MLAs prior to their eviction, the Speaker said though he had the thought of forgetting the unsavoury incidents, he was anguished by Leader of Opposition M K Stalin's comment outside the House that he (Dhanapal) was "shedding crocodile tears".
He said he saw the happenings in the assembly as a "pre-planned drama" enacted by DMK without respecting his office.
"The Speaker was treated badly to the extent possible, I condemn it," Dhanapal said.
Earlier in the day, Dhanapal, who was gheraoed by DMK members, said his shirt was torn.
19:44 UP will elect its own daughter, not adopted son: Mayawati
A day after Priyanka Gandhi took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'UP's son' remark, BSP supremo Mayawati today said that the people of Uttar Pradesh have decided to ensure the victory of their "own daughter" rather than the "adopted son" in the ongoing state Assembly polls.
"The people of Uttar Pradesh have made up their minds not to elect the adopted son (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) but their own daughter (Mayawati) in this election," she told a poll meeting in Jhansi.
The BSP chief claimed that the people of Uttar Pradesh as well as the rest of the country were "fed up" with the almost three years of the Modi government at the Centre.
Charging the Modi government with "burdening the population in the name of (fight against) black money", she asked the prime minister to tell the people how much black money was deposited in banks post demonetisation.
Mayawati also attacked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, holding him responsible for the "bad shape of law-and-order" in the state.
She also claimed that SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav's brother Shivpal was "working internally" to "cut the votes" of that party.
18:48 GST council clears draft compensation bill
The GST council has approved the draft compensation bill for states for loss of revenue from GST implementation.
The government will table the bill in the next session of Parliament.
"The Draft Compensation Bill has been approved in the GST Council meeting. The government will present the Bill to Parliament in next session," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said after the GST council meeting today.
"Next GST meeting will be held on March 4-5 in Delhi and the government is expecting to clear IGST and SGST bills in this meeting. It will also discuss slabs for commodities in next meeting," Jaitley said.
"The GST council will then require one major meeting after March 4-5 to approve GST bill specifics," Jaitley added.
17:52
MK Stalin and other protesting DMK MLAs have been detained by police at the Marina beach.
17:43 Will continue to run Amma's government: Palaniswami
After winning the floor test, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami said that people of Tamil Nadu are very happy with what has happened in the assembly.
- It is my pleasure to share with you that we have won the floor test.
- We will continue to run Amma's government in Tamil Nadu
- You saw how the MLAs of the DMK misbehaved today at the Assembly
16:54 Will fast till Guv takes action: Stalin protests at Marina
Protesting against the Palaniswami's floor test win, DMK working president MK Stalin said that he will go on hunger till the governor takes action.
After meeting Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, all DMK MLAs gathered near Mahatma Gandhi statue at Chennai's Marina beach.
Stalin alleged that he was manhandled in the Tamil Nadu assembly ahead of the trust vote.
16:34 India and Pakistan are at an inflection point
Regional security in South Asia is taking a dramatic turn. Within the space of 48 hours, a new phase is commencing in 'counter-terrorist' operations by the Indian and Pakistani militaries.
Army chief General Bipin Rawat has warned of "stern action' against the civilian populations in J&K who behave like "anti-national elements'.
Two days later on Friday came a similar statement from Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
This is not say Gen. Rawat and Sharif synchronised their statements, but the stunning similarity cannot be overlooked, either.
16:31 Palaniswami visits Jaya's memorial
After winning the trust vote in the Tamil Nadu assembly, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami visited Jayalalithaa's memorial at the Marina beach in Chennai.
According to reports, while paying his tribute, the CM broke down.
16:20 Voters have been betrayed by MLAs: Panneerselvam
After Palaniswami passed the floor test, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said that people will decide if this trust vote was valid or not.
"We had kept two demands before the speaker. One was to send MLAs to their constituencies, but Speaker didn't agree to them," OPS said.
"At the end only dharma will win. If need be we will meet the Governor," he said.
"Once we go back to our constituencies will get to know the truth. The voters have been betrayed by MLAs," he added.
16:03 Jai de-mockcrazy, says Kamal Haasan
"There you go. Seems like we have another CM. Jai de-mockcrazy," Kamal Haasan tweeted after Edappadi Palaniswami won the floor test in Tamil Nadu the assembly.
"People of Tamizhnadu, Welcome your respective MLAs with the respect they desrve back home," he said in another tweet.
15:44 Stable Amma govt established in TN, says Sasikala's camp
After Palaniswami's floor test win AIADMK tweeted, "Stable Amma Govt.established in TN.#TNSaved."
"TN CM Thiru. Edapadi K. Palanisamy gets the majority.#TNSaved," another tweet reads.
The Sasikala faction also tweeted this image on its Twitter handle.
15:35 Sasikala loyalist, Palaniswami wins trust vote
After massive drama, Edappadi Palaniswami, a loyalist of V K Sasikala, has won the floor test in the assembly to remain the Tamil Nadu chief minister.
122 MLAs in the assembly voted in favour of Palaniswami. 11 MLAS of Panneerselvam faction voted against the CM.
15:25 Trust vote begins in TN assembly without opposition MLAs
Voting on Confidence Motion has resumed in the Tamil Nadu assembly with both factions of the AIADMK sans the opposition MLAs
As DMK MLAs forcefully evicted form the House and the Congress staged a walkout, the Edappadi Palaniswami government is all set to win the trust vote.
15:18 Speaker tore off his shirt himself and blamed DMK MLAs: Stalin
DMK working President MK Stalin has alleged that his shirt was torn off when police forcefully evicted him and his party MLAs from Tamil Nadu assembly.
Reacting to speaker's allegation that DMK MLAs torn off his shirt, Stalin said, "The speaker tore of his shirt himself and blamed DMK MLAs. We reiterate our demand for a secret ballot."
He further said, "We were told that assembly will reconvene at 3 pm, but at 2 pm police came and tried to forcefully evict us."
"We are going to meet the Governor to apprise him of the situation here,' he added.
15:02 MK Stalin evicted from TN assembly
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam working president MK Stalin and his party MLAs have been evicted form the Tamil Nadu assembly.
The DMK was staging dharna inside the House, demanding the postponement of the floor test.
According to media reports, DMK MLAs who have been evicted from the assembly, are protesting on the corridors just outside its door.
Earlier, Speaker P Dhanapal ordered marshals to evict DMK MLAs from the assembly for disrespecting the house traditions.
The speaker alleged that some DMK MLAs tore his shirt and insulted him in the assembly.
File image
14:22 Pakistan lists Hafiz Saeed under anti-terrorism act
Mumbai attack mastermind and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed has been listed under Pakistan's anti- terrorism act by the provincial Punjab government, a tacit acknowledgement of his links to militancy.
Dawn News reported that the Punjab government has included names of Saeed and one of his close aides, Qazi Kashif, in the fourth schedule of the Anti-terrorism Act.
Three other men were also added to the list -- Abdullah Obaid from Faisalabad, and Zafar Iqbal and Abdur Rehman Abid from the Markaz-i-Taiba, Muridke.
Saeed and the four men added to the fourth schedule of the ATA were also placed under house arrest on January 30 in Lahore amid an angry uproar from his party and political allies.
The five men were identified by the Interior Ministry as "active members of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Falah-i- Insaniyat," the report said.
The ministry directed the Counter Terrorism Department to "move and take necessary action" against them.
The names of Saeed and 37 other JuD and FIF leaders had earlier also been placed on the Exit Control List, barring them from leaving the country.
14:13
Health Ministry orders all of its 23 hospitals to use only Khadi products. 46 Khadi products have been approved for this by the ministry.
13:50
Meanwhile, the Golden Bay resort at Koovathur where VK Sasikala had confined the All India Anna Dravida Munneta Kazhagam MLAs has announced its closure, reports Puthiya Thalaimurai TV
13:38 TN assembly adjourned again after DMK MLAs refuse to leave
The Tamil Nadu assembly was adjourned for the second time after marshals unable to evict Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam MLAs.
DMK lawmakers refused to leave the assembly even after Speaker orders their eviction.
The assembly will resume at 3 pm.
13:26 DMK MLAs evicted from TN assembly
Tamil Nadu speaker P Dhanapal has ordered police to evict Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam MLAs from the assembly for disrespecting the house traditions.
The speaker expressed regret over what happened in the House. The speaker alleged that some DMK MLAs tore his shirt and insulted him during the ruckus.
13:07
Tamil Nadu assembly session begins again after being adjourned amidst ruckus.
13:04 TN assembly officer injured during ruckus
A Tamil Nadu assembly staffer injured during ruckus by opposition and later taken to hospital.
Pandemonium broke out in the Tamil Nadu assembly ahead of the crucial vote of confidence by the Edappadi Palaniswami government with the opposition members stalling the proceedings.
With the matter coming to a head, Speaker P Dhanapal came out of the assembly escorted by marshals shortly after the House assembled to facilitate the floor test.
The proceedings were stalled amid the pandemonium, where some opposition members demanded secret voting.
Meanwhile, the meeting is underway between CM Palanisami and senior ministers.
Image: An injured official being taken to hospital. Photograph: ANI
12:25 TN assembly adjourned till 1 pm after massive chaos
Tamil Nadu assembly has adjourned till 1 pm after massive uproar erupted during the trust vote.
According to media reports, DMK MLAs tore papers and threw chairs in the assembly demanding secret ballot.
The chair before the speaker was broken in the melee.
According to ANI, DMK MLA Ku Ka Selvam sat on speaker's chair in protest.
The speaker was surrounded by members following which he announced the adjournment.
12:18 Speaker declines to change voting process or date of voting
Tamil Nadu Speaker P Dhanapal has declined DMK and O Panneerselvam's demand for secret ballot or postponement of the floor test.
He said members cannot object to his decision, when questioned on the urgency to hold the floor test.
"Nobody can interfere in my decision on how to vote," the speaker said.
11:49 DMK, OPS demand postponement of TN floor test
Echoing Panneerselvam camp's demand, DMK working president MK Stalin has asked for the postponement of the floor test.
"Floor test should be done on another day. Why the hurry when the governor has given 15 days time?' Stalin said in the assembly.
"Democracy will be fulfilled only when secret ballot voting is done," he added.
Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said, "MLAs should be allowed to go to their constituencies and come back to vote for the confidence motion
He further said, "Floor test can happen after getting views from people."
11:39 TN floor test: Speaker orders division voting
DMK leader MK Stalin has been called upon to speak after Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami moved the trust motion.
Since secret ballot was ruled out, Stalin requested that the trust vote be deferred, which was turned down by the speaker.
Instead the, division voting has commenced in the assembly, which means MLAs will stand in batches and their heads will be count.
230 MLAs are present in the house.
11:28 MLAs treated like prisoners: Stalin
Ahead of floor test in the Tamil Nadu assembly, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam working president MK Stalin said that legislators have been brought in to the assembly like criminals.
"MLAs are being brought to the Secretariat like criminals," Stalin said before entering the assembly.
11:21 DMK MLAs raise slogans in favour of OPS
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MLAs raised slogans in favour of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.
The DMK, the Congress and Panneerselvam camp demanded a secret ballot.
As the trust vote is about to be held, the assembly's doors have been shut, a normal practice.
11:14 TN assembly session begins amid commotion
The Tamil Nadu assembly has commenced its session to vote on the motion of confidence moves by Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami.
Palaniswami has moved the motion for the vote of confidence in TN assembly
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader M Karunanidhi is not attending the session due to health reasons.
According to media reports, there was a commotion in the assembly over who should be allowed to speak first
11:02 Keep calm even if there are provocations: Palaniswami to his MLAs
Reports have stated that the Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswami has ordered his MLAs to remain calm during the trust vote even if there are provocations.
Of the AIADMK's official strength of 134, there are 11 dissidents including former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.
The DMK and the Congress won't vote in favour of Palaniswami, both parties have said.
Tamil Nadu assembly is going through the motion of a trust vote for the first time in 29 years today to decide the fate of the VK Sasikala faction's AIADMK government headed by Edappadi K Palaniswami.
10:56
Times of India reports that thieves struck at Transport minister Nitin Gadkari 's Pandara Road residence. Flee with PA's car
10:44 Malaysian police arrest North Korean man in connection with Kim Jong Nam murder
Malaysian police said on Saturday they had arrested a North Korean man in connection with the murder of Kim Jong Nam, the half brother of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The man was identified as Ri Jong Chol, born in 1970. He was arrested on Friday night in Selangor state, the police said in a statement.
He is the fourth suspect to be arrested in the investigations surrounding the murder of Kim Jong Nam in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.
10:14 Shouting slogans against police, DMK members reach assembly
DMK working president MK Stalin has arrived at the Tamil Nadu assembly campus to participate in the trust vote. The road ahead of Fort is choked with vehicles. The DMK MLAs shout slogans while arriving at the secretariat.
The DMK will not vote for the Palaniswami camp, they had said yesterday. Even the Congress with its eight legislators will not vote for the Palaniswami camp.
The total number of MLAs in the Tamil Nadu assembly is 234. With Jayalalithaa's death it is now 233. AIADMK has 134 MLAs including O Pannerselvam's camp, the DMK has 89, Congress 8, and IUML 1. With the Speaker not voting, the total votes will be 232. Edappadi Palaniswami needs more than 116 votes to prove his majority. In case of a tie, the Speaker's vote will be cast.
09:50 Congress MLAs will vote against the Palaniswami government
TNCC president Su Thirunavukkarasar said that the Congress MLAs will vote against the Edappadi Palaniswami government in line with the DMK's stand.
Earlier, the DMK had also said that they wouldn't vote for the Palaniswami government.
09:48 LIVE! US President Trump calls media 'enemy of the American people'
US President Donald Trump dubbed the news media "the enemy of the American people" in a Friday afternoon tweet , opening up a new front in an ever-escalating battle with the press.
"The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!" he wrote.
The US president's attack on the media came one day after a wide-ranging press conference from the White House, during which he lambasted news outlets and attempted to discredit a wide range of negative reporting on his administration as "fake news" and "very fake news."
09:35 Government junks border wall plan
The Centre has given up its proposal to build a wall along the Pakistan border in Jammu, originally envisaged as a barrier to cross-border terror.
The raised embankment, initiated by the UPA government in 2013 after the twin attacks in the Hiranagar/Samba sector, was to come up along 179 km of the International Border in Jammu.
The wall proposal was opposed by Pakistan, which shot off letters to the United Nations Security Council in 2015 accusing India of converting what it called a working boundary into a quasi international boundary.
09:10 Adolf Hitler's 'destructive' wartime phone up for auction
Adolf Hitler's personal telephone, which the Fuehrer used to dictate many of his deadly World War II commands, will hit the auction block this weekend, the US house selling it announced. Originally a black Bakelite phone that was later painted crimson and engraved with Hitler's name, the relic was found in the Nazi leader's Berlin bunker in 1945 following the regime's defeat.
Auction house Alexander Historical Auctions estimates its worth between $200,000 (Rs 1.3 crore) and $300,000 (Rs 2.01 crore).
The company, located in the eastern US coastal state of Maryland, will auction off more than a thousand items -- including the Siemens rotary telephone embossed with a swastika and the eagle symbolic of the Third Reich.
Alexander House dubbed the phone -- which Hitler received from the Wehrmacht, Nazi Germany's armed forces -- as "arguably the most destructive 'weapon' of all time, which sent millions to their deaths."
Auction house Alexander Historical Auctions estimates its worth between $200,000 (Rs 1.3 crore) and $300,000 (Rs 2.01 crore).
The company, located in the eastern US coastal state of Maryland, will auction off more than a thousand items -- including the Siemens rotary telephone embossed with a swastika and the eagle symbolic of the Third Reich.
Alexander House dubbed the phone -- which Hitler received from the Wehrmacht, Nazi Germany's armed forces -- as "arguably the most destructive 'weapon' of all time, which sent millions to their deaths."
09:00
JUST IN: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami reaches Secretariat to face floor test
08:52 In boost for OPS, 1 Palaniswami-camp MLA boycotts floor test
Tamil Nadu is facing its first floor test in 30 years. After non-stop frenzy since O Panneerselvams Marina revolt, the scene has now shifted to the Assembly where Edappadi K. Palaniswami is seeking a trust vote. The lone IUML member has decided to oppose the motion.
Of the AIADMKs official strength of 134, there are 11 dissidents including former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam. Former Chennai Police Commissioner R Natraj, the AIADMKs Mylapore constituency MLA, decided to throw in his lot with Panneerselvam.
Coimbatore North MLA Arun Kumar by-passes floor test, returns to his constituency. He has also resigned his Coimbatore district secretary post. With his boycott, Edappadi Palaniswami camp has 122 MLAs.
Nonetheless, the AIADMK whip S Rajendiran issued a directive to all party MLAs to attend the Assembly and vote in favour of the motion.
Of the AIADMKs official strength of 134, there are 11 dissidents including former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam. Former Chennai Police Commissioner R Natraj, the AIADMKs Mylapore constituency MLA, decided to throw in his lot with Panneerselvam.
Coimbatore North MLA Arun Kumar by-passes floor test, returns to his constituency. He has also resigned his Coimbatore district secretary post. With his boycott, Edappadi Palaniswami camp has 122 MLAs.
Nonetheless, the AIADMK whip S Rajendiran issued a directive to all party MLAs to attend the Assembly and vote in favour of the motion.
08:16
Heavy security at Golden Bay resort where AIADMK MLAs are staying, soon to leave for trust vote in state assembly.
Photograph: ANI/Twitter
08:06 Will Tamil CM Palaniswami get 117? Trust vote today
Palaniswami, the Sasikala loyalist, will need to demonstrate on the floor of the 234-member House, the support of at least half or 117 legislators. He has with him 123 of the ruling AIADMK's 134 MLAs, excluding the Speaker, which is a slim six more than the majority mark.
His chief rival and AIADMK alum, O Panneerselvam, who resigned as Chief Minister last week, has the support of 11 party legislators and has alleged that at least 10 MLAs in the Palaniswami or Sasikala Camp have been secretly in touch with him.
MK Stalin of main opposition party the DMK has said his party will vote against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E K Palaniswami when he seeks a trust vote today in the state legislature to decide whether he will remain in charge.
00:14 US Senate confirms Scott Pruitt as EPA head
The Senate on Friday confirmed Scott Pruitt to run the Environmental Protection Agency, putting a seasoned legal opponent of the agency at the helm of US President Donald Trump's efforts to dismantle major regulations on climate change and clean water -- and to cut the size and authority of the government's environmental enforcer.
Senators voted 52-46 to confirm Pruitt, the Oklahoma attorney general who has built a career out of suing to block the EPA's major environmental rules, and has called for the dissolution of much of the agency's authority. One Republican, Susan Collins of Maine, crossed party lines to vote against Pruitt, while two Democrats, Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp, both from coal-rich states where voters generally oppose environmental rules, voted for him.
The vote came a day after a federal judge ruled the Oklahoma attorney general's office must turn over thousands of emails related to Pruitt's communications with fossil fuel companies, which have a large presence in his state.
Environmental activists and many Democrats pushed to delay the confirmation vote until those emails are released -- probably sometime next week -- but Republicans had no interest in a delay, especially after Democrats deliberately slow-walked the confirmation process for many of President Donald Trump's Cabinet.
00:11 Why the Army Chief is right in saying what he said
Defence expert Nitin Gokhale says: Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat's tough statement warning trouble makers in Kashmir to desist from obstructing operations by his troops or else face the consequences has evoked expected reactions.
There was one section -- and I don't want to call them intellectuals -- which pays lip service to the fauj but in reality stands against everything that the army seeks to protect and defend.
This group has variously dubbed the Army chief's remark as 'intemperate statement', 'belligerent stand', and 'declaration of war against Kashmiri youth'.
This group of people have sought to create an impression that the Army chief has ordered his troops to kill and maim indiscriminately. This is nothing but deliberate distortion of an emphatic assertion by a professional entrusted with the security of the country.
Read more HERE
00:10 Kim Jong-nam death suspect 'thought she was in TV prank'
An Indonesian woman held over the killing of Kim Jong-un's half-brother thought she was taking part in a TV prank, police say.
Kim Jong-nam is thought to have been poisoned as he waited to board a flight in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.
Two women and a man were arrested over the death.
Indonesia's national police chief said one of the women, named as Siti Aisyah, claimed to have been paid to perform what she thought was a prank.
Police believe a poisonous substance was sprayed into Kim Jong-nam's face.
Read more HERE
00:10 Harsh Hezbollah words aim to draw 'red lines' for Trump
Speeches by Hezbollah's leader this week were aimed at making clear to the new administration of US President Donald Trump that the Lebanese group could strike US interests by hitting Israel, a source familiar with its thinking said on Friday.
Trump and administration officials have used strong rhetoric against Hezbollah's political patron Iran and to support its main enemy Israel, including putting Tehran "on notice" over charges it violated a nuclear deal by test-firing a ballistic missile.
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday described Trump as being an "idiot". On Thursday he said that his group, which played a major role in ending Israel's occupation of Lebanon, could strike its nuclear reactor at Dimona.
The harsh words for Israel and Trump were aimed at drawing "red lines" for the new US administration, the source familiar with the thinking of the Lebanese Shi'ite group said.
Read more HERE
00:09 Top headlines at this hour
Don't betray Amma, vote against Palaniswamy: OPS tells MLAs
Pakistan kills 100 terrorists in crackdown after shrine blast
'UP doesn't need an adopted son': Priyanka takes aim at Modi
India's only live volcano is active again
Pakistan kills 100 terrorists in crackdown after shrine blast
'UP doesn't need an adopted son': Priyanka takes aim at Modi
India's only live volcano is active again
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