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Fri, 14 July 2017
Resolve India-China border standoff diplomatically: Congress to govt

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23:44   Resolve India-China border standoff diplomatically: Congress to govt
The Congress today urged the government to engage diplomatically with China to deescalate the situation in Dokalam and resolve the border crisis without compromising on India's national interests. 
Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and Mallikarjun Kharge attended a meeting where top Union ministers and officials briefed the political parties on the standoff between India and China.
The Congress leaders also alleged security lapses in Jammu and Kashmir that led to the attack on Amarnath pilgrims and asked the government to engage with the local population and help improve the situation in the Kashmir Valley.
The Congress made it clear that when it comes to national security, all the parties are with the government as national security was the party's priority.
"We stand united when it comes to India's national interests," Sharma said.
"We had concerns. We told the government to deescalate the situation and resolve the crisis by diplomatically engaging with China without compromising on India's security interests," he said.
The Congress had earlier raised concerns over the situation in Dokalam area where the armies of China and India are in a border standoff for a month now after Indian troops objected to road construction in the area.
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23:18   'So-called' cow vigilantes are like 'nar-bhakshaks': NDA Minister
Union minister Ramdas Athawale has equated "so-called" cow vigilantes with cannibals and said that everybody has the right to eat beef.
Contending that "violent cow vigilantes" were defaming the Modi government, he demanded severe punishment for such people as he denounced the killing of a man in Nagpur two days back over the suspicion of carrying beef.
"Everyone has the right to eat beef. Since goat meat is expensive, people eat beef. I condemn the Nagpur incident. It is not right to become a 'nar-bhakshak' (cannibal) in the name of being a 'gau-rakshak' (cow protector)," the Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment told reporters in Mumbai today.
He said cow vigilantes should not take the law into their hands. "Such violent cow vigilantes should be punished," Athawale said.
A 31-year-old Muslim man, with links to the BJP, was brutally thrashed in public by alleged cow vigilantes in Nagpur on Wednesday on the suspicion that he was carrying beef.
"Such incidents should not recur anywhere in the country. The Maharashtra government has already initiated action against those involved in the Nagpur incident. People who take law into their hands in the name of cow protection will be dealt with very strictly," the minister told reporters in Ahmedabad.
"I condemn whatever is happening in the name of saving cows in the country. These so-called 'gau-rakshaks' are actually 'nar-bhakshaks' who are defaming our government by such acts," he added.
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23:16   Ramdev forms private security firm
Yoga guru Ramdev has formed a private security firm 'Parakram Suraksha Pvt Ltd', according to an official at Patanjali Yogpeeth. 

Ramdev made the announcement of the firm earlier this week.

"Right now it will provide security to different institutions of Patanjali but we are hoping to expand soon," the official said. 

"We have already begun the training of youngsters and women. Many retired officials have shown interest in joining the firm," he said.
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22:42   Tejashwi won't resign, grand alliance is intact: Lalu
Reiterating his party's stand, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav today said that deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav will not resign and mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) is intact in Bihar.

"The grand alliance is intact in Bihar," he said after holding nearly three hours long meeting with senior party leaders and MLAs at his official residence in Patna.

Lalu also said that there is no difference between him and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. 

He said that the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre has been using I-T, ED and CBI to destabilise the grand alliance government in Bihar. 

But he said that he and his party will not do anything to provide any space to RSS and BJP to put its step in Bihar.

After returning from Ranchi on Friday, Lalu hold meeting with RJD leaders in view of media reports that Congress president Sonia Gandhi has intervened to save the grand alliance government led by Nitish Kumar.

"TV channels are running baseless news that Sonia Gandhi had spoken with me. We had no discussion on the grand alliance," he said.

Lalu said he don't know whether Sonia had spoken with Nitish Kumar.

MI Khan/Rediff.com
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22:18   Google most influential brand in India, says study
Google has been ranked as the most influential brand in the country while Patanjali Ayurveda and Reliance Jio figure in the top ten, according to a study by global research firm Ipsos. 

Google is followed by Microsoft and Facebook at the second and third places, respectively. 

Patanjali and Reliance Jio have been ranked fourth and ninth, respectively, Ipsos said in its report of the most influential brands.

Others in the top ten are SBI (5th), Amazon (6), Samsung (7), Airtel (8) and Flipkart (10).
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21:29   Nation comes first, says Oppn after all-party meet on China and Kashmir
Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma after attending the all-party meet called by the government told reporters that their party has raised some doubts before the government but made it clear that "nation is first -- be it China or Kashmir".
"There is too much of tension and that should be lowered through diplomacy. We will also raise the issue in Parliament," both the leaders said.
Sharma said that the Congress made its view clear that national security was the priority and advised the government to rise above politics and tackle the situation
diplomatically.

Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien said that his party raised "some serious  questions" and claimed that the government had no answer to his question on preparedness for such incidents.

CPI-M General Secretary Yechury said that the government conveyed to the participants about the efforts being carried out to resolve the dispute.
Union minister Paswan said the external affairs minister and foreign secretary gave a detailed information on border issue especially in Dokalam.
"Everybody promised support to the government," he said.
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21:19   Five terror plots foiled in recent weeks: Scotland Yard
British police foiled five terror plots, including some being "very close" to an attack in recent weeks, Scotland Yard said today.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick, the senior-most police officer of Britain, said the plots were very close to an attack, with some "within minutes" of being carried out.
"Just in the last few weeks, five [terror attacks]. And overall, it's well into the teens in the last few years where we know people were intent on attacking and that's been stopped. These are incidents where people have been charged, so I need to be careful about what I say, but some of them were very close to an attack. Very close," she told LBC radio.
"In addition, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of arrests of people who are radicalised and are either spreading hatred or supporting terrorism or want to carry out terrorist attacks. We've had a huge number of successful operations, together with the intelligence agencies," Cressida said.
The Met Police chief, who was previously the lead on counter-terrorism, praised officers for their response to recent terror attacks in London, most recently at the London Bridge last month that claimed eight lives.
"At London Bridge it was utterly astonishing", she said.
The attackers were shot dead by armed police within eight minutes of the first emergency call.
Cressida appealed for more information from the public to help the police tackle the terror threat. 
"We clearly need a lot more [information] because what has happened in the last few months alone is horrific. We are undoubtedly seeking examples of people who have carried out attacks or people who are violent extremists. Essentially they're living in our communities and that's a problem for all of us," she said.
The UK has been rocked by many terror attacks this year, including an attack on Parliament in March which claimed five lives, a suicide bombing in Manchester which killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert and the London Bridge attack. 
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20:05   J&K police forms SIT to probe Amarnath Yatra attack
The Jammu and Kashmir Police today constituted a special investigation team headed by Deputy Inspector General  (South Kashmir) S P Pani to investigate the terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims in Anantnag district on 10 July.
"A six-member special investigation team has been constituted to probe the attack on Amarnath pilgrims at Batengoo in Anantnag on Monday," Inspector General of Police (Kashmir Zone) Muneer Ahmad Khan told PTI.
The SIT, headed by the deputy inspector general of South Kashmir, will have Senior Superintendent of Police (Anantnag) Altaf Ahmad Khan and a deputy superintendent of police as members, Khan said.
"The SIT has been formed for expeditious and thorough investigation into the case," he added.
Seven Amarnath pilgrims were killed and 21 others injured in a terrorist attack on their bus which was on way from Baltal to Jammu.
The attack drew widespread condemnation from all shades of opinion in the valley, including separatist groups.
Police blamed the Lashkar-e-Taiba for the deadly attack, but the outfit denied any involvement.
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20:01   BCCI welcomes CSK, RR back in IPL
The Board of Control for Cricket in India today welcomed the Indian Premier League franchises -- Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals -- back into the league. 

The two franchises have completed the two-year suspension imposed by the Supreme Court appointed Justice (Retd.) Lodha Committee and will now participate in next year's IPL. 

Acting President of the BCCI, CK Khanna said: "VIVO IPL will be enriched by the return of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. 

Both the teams have enjoyed tremendous on- field success and have a mass following.

"The loyal fans will again get to see their favourite teams and stars in action from the upcoming season of the IPL." 

The chairman of IPL, Rajeev Shukla added: "It is my privilege to welcome back our franchisees, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, into the 11th edition of the IPL."

"We have had a strong working relationship with Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals and hope that we can continue to build upon the close ties that we have enjoyed in the past, as we move towards the next edition of the league," he said.
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19:15   JD-U attacks RJD sharply: 'Nitish won't compromise on graft'
Ramping up pressure on the Rashtriya Janata Dal over the corruption case involving Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, the Janata Dal-United today said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will never compromise on the issue of corruption.

"Nitish Kumar's stand on corruption is well known. He will never compromise on it," JD-U spokesperson K C Tyagi said.

Asked what his party expected from the Lalu Prasad-led RJD over the charges against his son Tejashwi, he said the RJD leader should give a detailed explanation over these allegations, something his party made clear following a meeting of its leaders in Patna.

Tyagi also insisted that he never sought Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's intervention to defuse the crisis in the grand alliance and only welcomed such an suggestion reportedly made by a Congress leader in Bihar.

Sonia and Congress deputy and her son Rahul Gandhi had spoken to Kumar following his party's announcement of its support to the opposition's vice presidential candidate.

The Congress, which is a partner in the grand alliance' government in Bihar, insisted that the alliance was intact.

Earlier, the JD-U had asked the RJD to come clean on allegations against Tejashwi with facts and not to 'display arrogance' of having 80 MLAs.

"The RJD, which is showing arrogance of 80 MLAs, should no forget that it was reduced to 22 MLAs in 2010 state poll and in the elections in 2015 there number swelled due to the credible face of Nitish Kumar as head of the coalition," state JD-U chief spokesman Sanjay Singh said.

"Be within limits and come clean on accusations (against Tejashwi) at the earliest," Singh said, strongly reacting to the 80-MLA remark of Ram Chandra Purve, the Bihar unit chief of the RJD, and others.

JD-U spokesman Neeraj Kumar, in an apparent referrence to Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi, said those against whom accusations have been levelled should explain the source of their property 'to silence the opposition'.

His colleague Sunil Singh echoed similar views and made it clear that the party would in no case compromise with the 'clean image' of Nitish Kumar, saying the JD-U president and Bihar chief minister is known for his 'politics of principles and zero tolerance to corruption'.

Meanwhile, a section of media reported that Tejashwi has made up his mind to tender resignation and the decision to this effect could be announced after the return of RJD president Lalu Prasad tomorrow from Ranchi where he has gone for appearance in a fodder scam related case.

However, the deputy chief minister in a tweet ridiculed these reports. -- PTI
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18:55   Explosives in UP assembly: ATS hits at 'terrorist activity'
A first information report has been registered against unknown persons after an explosive material was found in Uttar Pradesh assembly on Friday.

UP Anti-Terrorism Squad Inspector General Aseem Arun said, "We'll scan through CCTV footage. ATS will do a detailed investigation of the spot today."

"The fact that PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate) was found at the spot hints at possibility of a terrorist activity," Arun said.

More details awaited.  -- ANI

IMAGE: UP ATS IG Aseem Arun. Photograph: ANI
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18:14   Doval, Jaishankar present at opposition meet held at Rajnath's residence
The all party meet jointly held by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is underway at the latter's residence.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar are also present at the meet.

Swaraj and Rajnath Singh will brief the opposition in the meeting on China and Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting is primarily aimed at taking the opposition leaders into confidence on both issues ahead of the Parliament session which commences on July 17.  -- ANI

Photograph: ANI
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17:55  
And that's what they saw.

Arunachal Pradesh, including state capital Itanagar, have been cut off by by  floods and landslides, while all districts of Manipur are reeling under incessant rain.

The Centre has dispatched a team led by Union minister Kiren Rijiju to oversee rescue and relief operations in affected areas in the entire region.
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17:53   Water, water everywhere
Arunachal Pradesh: MoS Home Kiren Rijiju and CM Pema Khandu take an aerial survey of flood affected areas in the state.
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17:41   Bedi hails Karnataka cop, says country needs more of her kind
Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi today praised the "courage" of a senior Karnataka police who said AIADMK (Amma) chief V K Sasikala was getting preferential treatment in Bengaluru central prison. "We need more officers of the kind of D Roopa, the DIG (Prisons) of Karnataka, to inspire  younger generation to be like her," Bedi, herself a former IPS officer, tweeted.

"Those who have the courage to speak and write out the truth as they see knowing well that they may not get support from senior quarters," she said.

The DIG also said there was suspicion that senior jail officials had accepted Rs 2 crore as a bribe to facilitate special facilities for Sasikala, prompting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to order a high-level probe yesterday. Roopa made the allegations in a report to her superior, DGP (Prisons) H S Sathyanarayana Rao.
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17:32   No need to humiliate Sasikala, says Swamy over AIADMK leader's VIP treatment
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday came out in support of former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary VK Sasikala over getting preferential treatment  in jail, asserting that punishment of being put in jail on a conviction is itself sufficient and there was no need to humiliate her.


Speaking to ANI, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said, "What kind of VIP treatment has she got? Did she get a kitchen where she can cook for herself? We all know that she has committed a white collar crime and is also a leader of a ruling party in Tamil Nadu. The punishment of being put in jail on a conviction is itself sufficient and there is no need to humiliate her."


Swamy further stated that there is no danger of her tampering with evidence as she is carrying out her sentence well.


"I think it was a mistake to keep her in Karnataka because of the language difference and local hostility and so on. In my opinion, she should be transferred to the Tamil Nadu Jail so that everyone will be alert there and the government will also be on notice. There is no danger of her tampering with evidence as she is carrying out her sentence well. But at the same time women should be given special consideration. We don't need to sensationalise these things, because this goes on in every jail," Swamy said.


Yesterday, the DMK and the Communist Party of India ridiculed the reported 'comfort' that Sasikala is getting in jail and said this shows how money can buy comforts in the jail.


A report by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) (Prisons) D Roopa had asserted that a Rs 2 crore bribe was given to the prison officials by Sasikala in order to avail special facilities in Parappana Agrahara central prison.
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17:26   Leaders arrive at Rajnath's home for all-party meet on China, J-K
Leaders arrive for the all-party meet to be jointly held by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Home Minister Rajnath Singh at his residence. Swaraj and Rajnath Singh will brief the opposition in the meeting on China and Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting is primarily aimed at taking the opposition leaders into confidence on both issues ahead of the Parliament session which commences on July 17.

The standoff between India and China in the Doklam Plateau, adjoining the tri-junction between India, China and Bhutan, is now a month old, with no end to it yet in sight.

Sources said the government also wants to discuss in the meeting the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, which has witnessed a spate of violence following the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani in July last year.
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16:54   SC demands Mallya's presence for proceedings to go ahead in contempt case
The Supreme Court on Friday demanded the presence of liquor baron Vijay Mallya in connection with a contempt case filed against him, insisting that no proceedings can go ahead without him.

New Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for Centre, told the apex court that extradition proceedings are being conducted in a British court and would most likely end by December 4.

During the hearing, Venugopal told the division bench that extradition proceedings of Mallya has already started, to which Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel asked for submission of a status report.

In the last hearing, the apex court had convicted Mallya for contempt of court and summoned him to personally appear on July 10.

Subsequently, the hearing was adjourned till July 14.

The apex court was hearing a plea by a consortium of banks, which moved the apex court after Mallya received loan of $40 million from a British firm, Diageo Plc, in February 2016, and allegedly transferred the money to his children, instead of repaying the loans that he owes to the banks.

The absconding businessman was arrested by the Scotland Yard last month on fraud allegations, which triggered his extradition process in the British courts.

However, Mallya was released on bail as he assured the court to abide by all conditions associated with extradition proceedings, including surrendering his passport.

On February 8, India had given a formal extradition request for Mallya through a note verbale (verbal note).

India had given a formal extradition request for Mallya as per the extradition treaty between India and the United Kingdom through a note verbale, a diplomatic communication. -- ANI
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16:21   Women can't live in Bengal for 15 days without being raped: Rupa Ganguly
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rupa Ganguly, while commenting on the ongoing violence in West Bengal, on Friday dared those flattering Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Congress to send their wives and daughters to Bengal to live for 15 days and survive without getting raped.

Ganguly said if they are able to survive here for 15 days without getting raped, then she would take back her statement.

"I dare all the parties, the ones who keep flattering the West Bengal government and the Congress, to send their daughters, sisters-in-law, wives to Bengal, without taking any hospitality from Mamata Banerjee. If they are able to survive there for 15 days without getting raped, then tell me," Ganguly told ANI.

Commenting further on the West Bengal violence, Ganguly said democracy has died in the state.

"No government official does his work. If one does not have sources, he cannot get his work done," she said.

West Bengal seems to have become the centre of chaos and violence, with demand of a separate Gorkhaland by the Gorkhas, giving rise to Darjeeling unrest, and the recent Basirhat violence, where communal clashes broke over a social media post. -- ANI
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15:37   SC drops perjury charges against former BCCI prez Anurag Thakur
The Supreme Court accepts the unconditional apology of former BCCI president Anurag Thakur and drops all contempt and criminal proceedings against him.

Thakur on Thursday tendered a fresh "unconditional" and "unequivocal" apology in the Supreme Court, saying it was never his intention to undermine the majesty of the apex court.

Thakur, a senior BJP leader and a Member of Parliament from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, was asked by the apex court on July 7 to tender an apology in explicit terms to get relief from the contempt proceedings initiated against him.

"I humbly submit that it was never the intention of the deponent to undermine the majesty of this court and since unintentionally some kind of misinformation and miscommunication has occurred, I unhesitatingly tender my unconditional and unequivocal apology to this court," he said in his affidavit filed today.

The apex court had directed him to file a "one-page short affidavit" tendering an apology while making it clear that it was not going to consider his earlier affidavit of apology.

The apex court had also asked Thakur to be present on July 14 to tender the apology, indicating that it was willing to accept the apology and close the contempt proceedings against Thakur.
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15:27   NCW notice to Kamal Haasan for naming molested Malayalam actress
The National Commission for Women Chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam on Friday said that suo moto action will be taken against Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan for revealing the name of the Malayalam actress in front of the media. The actress was abducted and sexually assaulted in February.

"Will take a suo moto action against Kamal Haasan. We will soon send a notice," Kumaramangalam said.

Haasan, recently, in a press conference, revealed the name of the Malayalam actress who was abducted and allegedly sexually assaulted in February, adding there is nothing wrong in letting the world know the victim's name.

"Why is it the safety of women in the film industry alone? A female's presence in the crowd is important to me and I will not let anything happen to her. It's our duty to see if you are safe. It is not just about actresses. We are not supporting her (mentions the name), because she is an actress," Haasan said.

On being pointed out that he shouldn't be naming her, he said, "It doesn't matter if I have used the name. The media itself have used her name. Do not hide the name as there is nothing wrong with it. If you want to call her Draupadi, call her that. Don't refer to her as 'a female'," he asserted.

Haasan was addressing the media regarding a complaint raised by a fringe Hindu Group over the ongoing Tamil reality TV show, 'Bigg Boss,' which he hosts.

The popular Malayalam actress, who has worked in Tamil and Telugu films, was abducted and allegedly molested inside her car for two hours by the accused, who had forced their way into the vehicle on February 17 and later escaped in a busy area in Chennai.

Meanwhile, the nationalist Hindu party, Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK), on Friday held a protest against Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan near his residence in Chennai demanding his arrest over Tamil version of reality show 'Bigg Boss'.
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15:07   Tolerance is still alive in Kashmir
"The attack on the (Amarnath) pilgrims has come at a time when the Valley is battling a political crisis, a rage of youth against the government and growing incidents of violence. While Kashmiris did question whether the attack was on pilgrims or not, they lost no time to come out against the attackers, largely calling it as an act of terror. It shows the political movement in Kashmir has come a long way and religious differences do not play a role."

Pakistan's Dawn on the attack on Amarnath yatris. Read the column here.
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15:01   Rahul returned empty-handed (brainless) from grandparents' house, mocks BJP
After repetitively being called 'immature' by the Bharatiya Janata Party, the saffron party once again targetted Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Friday, saying that the latter returned from his maternal grandparents' house without learning anything.


Haryana Sports Minister Anil Vij, while deriding Rahul's recent Italy visit, said that he expected he would derive some wisdom from his visit to his maternal grandparents' house, but he returned "empty-handed."


"Hindustan ummeed kar rha tha ki naani ghar jaayega buddhi le ke aayega, lekin lagta hai wahan se khaali haath aa gaya," Vij told ANI.


Continuing his tirade against the Congress vice-president, the Haryana Sports Minister said the grand old party is responsible for the ongoing chaos in Jammu and Kashmir.


"Rahul Gandhi is himself responsible for the present situation in Kashmir. The way Congress ruled the state, made policies and harboured the separatists, it led to such a condition of Kashmir. Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi should apologise to the nation for this. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is in fact, trying to curb terrorist and terrorism from the state," he said.


Responding to Rahul's recent tweet on the ongoing counting of demonetised currency, the BJP yesterday said that it highlights his 'immaturity'.


The Gandhi scion has been drawing flak from the politicos as he took to twitter to mock Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Reserve Bank of India  said that it is still counting the demonetised notes deposited in the banks."

"GOI looking for a Math tutor. Please apply to PMO ASAP (sic)," he had tweeted.
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14:14   Malayalam actress assault: Actor Dileeps police custody extended
Malayalam actor Dileep on Friday was produced before the Angamaly Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Thiruvananthapuram where his police custody is extended till 5 pm tomorrow on conspiracy charges owing to the abduction and assault of a popular South Indian actress earlier in February.


On July 11, Dileep was expelled from the primary membership of Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) after being arrested. He was also sent to 14-day judicial custody.


The Malayalam actor was slapped with conspiracy charges owing to the abduction and assault of a popular South Indian actress earlier in February.


The actor was arrested on Monday evening.


Earlier, the two main accused - Sunil Kumar and Vigeesh - in the abduction and assault of the Malayalam actress were brought to Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu for evidence collection.


This came after a court of Aluva in Ernakulam district yesterday granted nine-day police custody of the two accused.


The custody of the two, till March 5, was granted after they were remanded in nine days judicial custody by the Aluva First class Judicial Magistrate court.


Seeking the custody of the key accused ' Pulsar' Sunil and V.P. Vigeesh, police said it wanted to conduct further probe into the conspiracy angle in the abduction and harassment of the actress.


The police also said more evidence including the mobile phone used for allegedly clicking the pictures of the actress and the SIM cards used by the accused, have to be gathered.


A case of attempted rape was filed after the actress was allegedly abducted and molested.


The incident reportedly took place while the victim was returning from a shoot.


According to police, the actress was held in the car for two hours, after which, she was dropped near her residence at around 10.30 p.m.


The police stumbled upon the conspiracy angle last week, when Dileep's name surfaced in a jail inmate's letter, who shared the cell with Sunil.
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14:03   SC modifies order, protects Kinara mosque near Haji Ali shrine
The Supreme Court today modified its earlier order on encroachments near the Haji Ali Shrine in Mumbai and protected the Kinara mosque located near the shrine from demolition. The court also asked the Maharashtra government to decide within a week the plea seeking the regularisation of the mosque.


A bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice DY Chandrachud took on record the consent of all parties including the Haji Ali Trust that if the state government rejects the regularisation plea, nobody will oppose the demolition of portions of the mosque which are built on encroached land near the historic shrine.


The bench initially suggested that the parties should agree to shifting of the mosque to some other place. It has been alleged that certain part of the Kinara mosque falls under the encroached area which have been ordered to be cleared by the Bombay High Court. The Supreme Court has also upheld it. The bench has now fixed the matter after one week.
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13:53   LeT 'fresher' arrested with ammunition
A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist was today arrested from north Kashmir's Bandipora district and arms and ammunition recovered from his possession, police said here.

The newly-recruited LeT militant has been identified as Shahbaz Rasool Mir, a resident of nearby Hajin. Mir was nabbed during a search operation in an orchard area in Markundal village in Sumbal area of the district, a police official said.

A Chinese pistol, a pistol magazine, four pistol rounds, a hand grenade, a knife and other items were recovered from his possession, the official said, adding a case has ben registered.
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13:50   WPI inflation falls sharply to 0.90% in June, food prices ease
Wholesale inflation fell to 0.90 per cent in June -- the lowest in at least eight months -- as prices of food articles, including vegetables, declined. Inflation based on the wholesale price index (WPI) was 2.17 per cent in May 2017 and (-)0.09 per cent in June 2016.

The slowdown in wholesale inflation comes against the backdrop of retail inflation easing to a record low of 1.54 per cent in June. The WPI figure is at the lowest level in at least eight months -- since the availability of data for the new 2011-12 base year series.
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13:48   Trump 'deeply saddened' by death of Liu Xiaobo: White House
President Donald Trump was deeply saddened by the death of prominent Chinese "political prisoner" Liu Xiaobo, the White House said today, describing him as a "courageous advocate" who dedicated his life to the pursuit of democracy and liberty in the Communist nation.


Liu, who had spent more than a decade behind bars in China for his advocacy of political reform, including taking part in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, was serving a 11-year prison term for "subversion" when he was diagnosed with late stage liver cancer in May this year.


Beijing had refused to allow him seek treatment abroad despite Liu's wishes and international pressure. His death, of multiple organ failure at the age of 61 yesterday, makes Liu the first Nobel Peace laureate to die in state custody since Carl von Ossietzky in Nazi Germany in 1938.
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13:46   Maharashtra resume, 66% of sowing over
The south west monsoon has covered all parts of Maharashtra bringing good rains and relief to farmers. The central part of Maharashtra is a major foodgrain growing area and rainfall in this region has brought relief to farmers as well as the state administration.


"For the first time in July, the south west monsoon has brought rains to all parts of the state. There had been showers since July 1, but of low intensity and scattered. It is good that the entire Maharashtra is now covered," an official of the Indian Meteorological Department said.


"The central parts of the state - comprising north Maharashtra and Marathwada - received showers of medium intensity. It will be helpful for farmers as the state was facing a potential challenge of second round of sowing in the region," he said.


"The second round of sowing means an additional input cost to the already debt-ridden farmers," the official said.


Maharashtra agriculture minister Pandurang Fundkar told PTI that sowing on over 66 per cent of the total area has been done during the ongoing Kharif season.


The state administration was a bit worried over the delay in rainfall. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had even issued an advisory for postponing the sowing, he said. "As of today, the sowing has taken place on more than 66 per cent of agricultural area in the state. We are a bit relieved now," Fundkar said.


A report from Nashik said incessant rains lashed the city and other parts of the district after a dry spell, leading to water logging in low-lying areas.


The water level of Godavari river has risen following heavy downpour since last night in the catchment areas, an official said. The irrigation department has not released water from the Nashik's Gangapur dam owing to the heavy rains.
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13:41   Not joking about solar-powered wall on US-Mexico border: Trump
President Donald Trump has said he was "not joking" about his proposed plan to build a solar- powered wall on the US-Mexico border with a see-through provision for security reasons.


"No, not joking, no. There is a chance that we can do a solar wall," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One travelling with him to Paris from Washington. Major companies are looking at that, he said.


Trump said that "there is a very good chance" a solar wall could be built, and that "there is no better place for solar than the Mexico border -- the southern border."


He said the wall would have to be see-through, a demand that is been made by some Border Patrol officials who oversee the border.


"You have to be able to see through it. In other words, if you can't see through that wall -- so it could be a steel wall with openings, but you have to have openings because you have to see what is on the other side of the wall," Trump added.


"As horrible as it sounds, when they throw large sacks of drugs over, and if you have people on the other side of the wall, you don't see them -- they hit you on the head with 60 pounds of stuff?  It's over. As crazy as that sounds, you need transparency through that wall. But we have some incredible designs," he said.


Trump also admitted that his proposed wall would not cover the entire 2,000-mile border.


"And remember this, it is a 2,000 mile border, but you don't need 2,000 miles of wall because you have a lot of natural barriers," he said.


Trump said there was a need for 700-900 miles of border wall. There are currently about 600 miles of different types of fencing on the US-Mexico border.


"You have mountains. You have some rivers that are violent and vicious. You have some areas that are so far away that you don't really have people crossing. So you don't need that. But you'll need anywhere from 700 to 900 miles," Trump said.


Democrats have threatened to derail any budget proposal that includes specific funding for construction of new stretches of the wall.
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13:35   Mumbai police FIR against AIB for Modi lookalike's Snapchat pic
The Mumbai Police Cyber Cell has registered an FIR against the comedy group All India Bakchod after they tweeted a meme about PM Narendra Modi by using the Snapchat dog filter.

This comes after the group's Facebook page posted a photo of a Modi lookalike with a Snapchat dog filter and captioned it 'Wanderlust.'

And so began a political war between pro BJP and civil society on social media with an overzealous follower tagging the Mumbai Police. The Police replied yesterday, saying they would be looking into the matter, and today filed an FIR against the group.

AIB has had to delete the Facebook post.

AIB has got into trouble over their roasts of Bollywood stars apart from a snapchat video showing Sachin Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar.

These are some of the tweets on Bhat's timeline yesterday.

@thetanmay  Jul  PS: Will continue making jokes. And deleting if necessary. And making jokes again. And Apologizing if necessary. Don't care what you think.

@Memeghnad (Today's AIB saga TL;DR) AIB: Ye lo. Joke on Modi.
BJP: WTF! REPORT! PUNISH!
AIB: OK. Taking it down.
Cong: WTF! REPORT! PUNISH!
THE END

@AngellicAribam a former general secretary of the Congress affiliated NSUI: Now AIB should just stick to making anti-Congress sketches which they did with much pride during our regime, ab woh FOE yaad nahi!

@thetanmay Replying to @Biryani_ and 2 others Become a household name, spend 1 cr plus on existing cases, phir gyaan dena, thanks :)

@thetanmay Congress leaders and BJP trolls both getting mad over a goddamn silly snapchat filter meme smh


Image: The picture of the Narendra Modi lookalike on which the Snapchat filter was used.
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12:01   Explosive found in UP Assembly, Yogi seeks NIA probe
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognizance into the issue of a packet of suspicious white powder found in the State Assembly and has sought for a National Investigative Agency probe into it.


Adityanath, while confirming that an explosive, by the name of Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), was indeed found in the Assembly, pressed for more vigilance in Uttar Pradesh, more particularly in the Assembly and rued the absence of a Quick Response Team (QRT) for the state.


"The packet of the explosive was found under the chair of the Opposition's leader. It was 150 gm of PETN. 500 gm of PETN is enough to blow the whole Assembly off. This shows the severity of the situation. I suggest that everybody present in the Assembly should be investigated by the police and that the NIA should investigate into the matter," he said.


"It's unfortunate that the largest Assembly of the country doesn't have a QRT," he added.


Adityanath also said that this incident could be in connivance with a terrorist or militant group and that the security of the state and the country is paramount.


Aditynath also urged the officials to not compromise on the security of the state and the nation, more so considering the current situation of the country.


Supporting the Chief Minister's assertions, Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey said that the whole Assembly is like a family and that the security cannot be compromised.


He also apprised the members about the new security arrangements in the Assembly.


"There will be a Pradeshik Armed Constabulary (PAC) team at every gate of the Assembly. There will also be a full body scanner at every gate. Moreover, a QRT will also be deployed," he said.


Earlier yesterday, 60 grams of suspicious white powder was found in the UP Assembly during an ongoing session, which was later sent to forensic lab for testing.


Adityanath had then called for a high-level meet over the same.


Following this, the Samajwadi Party and the BJP were seen indulging in war of words over the security condition in the state, most particularly the Assembly.


"Security is a serious issue. Yesterday, even the Speaker expressed concern over the same. Whatever is to be done, will be done. Terrorists want to spread their nexus all across the nation, but they won't get the access to Uttar Pradesh or its Assembly," UP minister Sidharth Nath Singh told ANI.
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11:28   Irom Sharmila's wedding gift: CBI probe in Manipur's encounter killings
In a major move, the Supreme Court has ordered a CBI probe into 62 cases of extra judicial killings in Manipur. The CBI will have to submit an investigation compliance report by January 2018.

The killings are allegedly by the Army, Assam Rifles and the Manipur Police in the state hit by decades of insurgency.

The Indian government has defended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) at a United Nation's forum. Manipur civil rights bodies have documented the deaths of 1,528 men, women, and children believed to be victims of fake encounters.

Irom Sharmila, who ended the world's longest fast, which ran for 16 years, last year, against AFSPA, got married yesterday. A fitting wedding present. 
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10:21   News updates
Lucknow: Security officials (picture alongside) reach the Uttar Pradesh assembly after a suspicious white powder was found yesterday. UP CM Yogi Adityanath calls a high level meeting at 10:30 am today over the alleged security breach.


J&K: A terrorist has been arrested in Bandipora's Sumbal in Jammu and Kashmir during an ambush; identified as Shahbaz Mir. Pistol, grenades recovered from him.

A terrorist was arrested during an ambush laid by SOG Sumbal and the Army's 13 Rashtriya Rifles army at Markundal in Pushwari. 
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10:02   It's an Ethiopian vegan meal for Virushaka in NYC
When in the Big Apple, dig into the flavours of a hundred cuisines.

That's exactly what India skipper Virat Kohli and his love Anushka Sharma are doing in New York. Kohli posted this picture saying, @imVkohli "Lunch at Bunna Cafe in Brooklyn. Such a cool and hip spot."

The cafe is an Ethiopian and is believed to serve up some mean Ethiopian vegan fare. 

The couple are currently in New York for a mini vacation. While Kohli is believed to have made it to NYC from Kingston, Jamaica, after the lone Twenty20 loss to the Windies on Sunday, Anushka is in the Big Apple for the IIFA Awards that will be held over the weekend. 
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09:53   Infosys Q1 net grows 1.3% to Rs 3,483 cr
The second-largest Indian IT exporter Infosys today reported 1.3 per cent growth in consolidated net profit at Rs 3,483 crore for the quarter to June 2017.

It had posted a net profit of Rs 3,436 crore in April- June of 2016-17, Infosys said in a BSE filing.

Revenue of the Bengaluru-based firm grew 1.7 per cent to Rs 17,078 crore in the June quarter as against Rs 16,782 crore in the year-ago period, it added.

However, on a sequential basis, Infosys' net profit declined 3.3 per cent while revenues were down 0.2 per cent in rupee terms.

Infosys maintained its revenue growth forecast for 2017- 18 to be in the range of 6.5-8.5 per cent in constant currency and 7.1-9.1 per cent in US dollar terms. "Our persistent focus on execution in Q1 is reflected in broad-based performance on multiple fronts -- revenue growth, resilient margins despite multiple headwinds, healthy cash generation and overall business results," Infosys MD and CEO Vishal Sikka said. He added that he is encouraged by the "uptick in revenue per employee for six quarters in a row", and the strong momentum in Infosys' new high growth services and software. In US dollar terms, Infosys' net profit grew 5.8 per cent to USD 541 million in the June quarter while revenues rose 6 per cent to USD 2.65 billion from the year-ago period.
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09:44   Trump tells Brigitte Macron: You're in such good physical shape
US President Donald Trump, who is on an official visit to France, told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron's wife Brigitte that she's in a "good physical shape."

"You're in such good shape. She's in such good physical shape. Beautiful," Trump told Brigitte, reports the CNN.

Earlier in the day, they two had an awkward handshake as at the welcome ceremony in Paris, wherein Trump and French first lady Brigitte, 61, extended their hands to one another -- fumbling to make contact for a handshake -- before they embraced for a traditional kiss on the cheek.

Trump, 71, has repeatedly come under fire for his comments deemed sexist, including criticising the looks of Hillary Clinton and Carly Fiorina, comedian Rosie O'Donnell, media figure Ariana Huffington and models Kim Kardashian and Heidi Klum.

Last year, his presidential campaign was marred with allegations of sexual misconduct after the release of a 2005 Access Hollywood tape, in which he talked about grabbing women "by the p***y". -- ANI
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09:37   Nifty crosses 9,900 mark, Sensex gallops to a new high of 32,000+
Just in: The Nifty crosses 9,900-mark for first time with the Sensex at a new high of 32,109.75 in opening trade.


Yesterday, the BSE Sensex went past the 32,000-mark for the first time ever soaring over 232 points and the Nifty closed at a new peak 9,892 as inflation hit a record low, offering the Reserve Bank of India leeway for a policy rate cut.


The 30-share BSE index took 33 sessions to rise 1,000 points before it finally went beyond the psychologically significant 32,000. Higher Asian and European stocks provided fodder after US Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen, in a House testimony, signalled that the approach to higher rates will be steady, prompting investors to buy more in India.Retail inflation for June hit a historically low 1.54% and industrial growth, measured by Index of Industrial Production (IIP), slumped to 1.7% for May, boosting chances of a rate cut by RBI at its upcoming August policy meet. The macro numbers were released after market hours on Wednesday.


The BSE Sensex settled at a new peak of 32,037.38, up 232.56 points, or 0.73%. It surpassed its previous record of 31,804.82 achieved Wednesday. In past four days, the index had gained 676.75 points.


The broader 50-issue NSE Nifty spurted 75.60 points, or 0.77%, to close at fresh lifetime high of 9,891.70, bettering its earlier record 9,816.10 hit Wednesday.

Both indices rose for the fourth consecutive session.

ITC Ltd emerged as the top gainer by rising 3.03%. Bharti Airtel Ltd, ICICI Bank Ltd and Sun Pharmaceutical Ltd rose up to 1.84%. The largest IT exporter, TCS, firmed up 0.20% ahead of its June quarter results declared Thursday.

Infosys, today, posted a consolidated net profit rise of 1.3 % year-on-year to Rs 3,483 crore; revenue up 1.7% to Rs 17,078 crore.
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09:03   'Government looking for math tutor': Rahul's swipe at Centre
Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Reserve Bank of India said that it is still counting the demonetised notes deposited in the banks, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi omocked it by saying that the government was on the look out for a "math tutor", and the people can apply to the Prime Minister's Office for the post.

Rahul took to his Twitter handle by saying, "GOI looking for a math tutor. Please apply to PMO ASAP."

The remark emanated after RBI Governor Urjit Patel told a parliamentary panel on Wednesday that it could not provide an accurate amount of scrapped notes received by the banks as it was still counting the Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency.
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08:44   Modi's top ministers to brief all parties today on standoff with China
Home Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will brief the Opposition today at Singh's residence on the ongoing standoff with China over a road builiding in Sikkim and the security situation in Kashmir after the recent terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims. 

The meeting is primarily aimed at taking the opposition leaders into confidence over the major national issues.

The minister will explain the situation on the aggressive dispute with China to political leaders ahead of the Parliament session that begins on Monday.

The Home Minister will also provide details to the Opposition about Monday night's deadly terror attack on pilgrims on the Amarnath Yatra in which seven people were killed, along with information on the security conditions in Jammu and Kashmir, where two soldiers were killed yesterday in firing from Pakistan.

China has warned that it will not accept any dialogue till India withdraws its soldiers from what Beijing claims as its territory in Doklam. India and Bhutan say the land belongs to the tiny Himalayan kingdom.

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08:23   A hundred Pakistani soldiers must die: Kin of two jawans killed in LoC firing cry for vengeance
A pall of gloom descended on the suburban countryside of Jammu after the news of two soldier deaths on the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwaras Keran sector broke early on Thursday.

At Burn village in Kotbhalwal area, lance naik Ranjit Singhs wife Neha Devi sought nothing short of vengeance. I am proud of my husband, she cried, near-hysteric in her grief. He died for the country but I want justice I want revenge for my husbands killing.

His mother, Veena Devi, expressed a similar sentiment. Mere iklaute bachche ki jagah unke 100 nikalne chahiye. Mujhe insaaf chahiye (I want 100 Pakistani soldiers killed for the death of my only son. I want justice, she screamed. I want nothing from this government, only a bullet for myself. My family has been ruined.

Read full HERE
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07:51   NSA Doval likely to visit China on July 26-27
With China raising the pitch on the border stand-off over the last two weeks, India on Thursday maintained a measured tone, saying that diplomatic channels were available and were being used to address the situation. 

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is likely to visit China on July 26-27 for the BRICS NSAs meeting hosted by his counterpart, Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi. Both are also the Special Representatives designated by their governments to discuss border issues.

New Delhi, meanwhile, also reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a conversation on a range of issues on the sidelines of the BRICS leaders meeting last week in Hamburg. The Chinese government had said that there was no official meeting between the two leaders.
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01:02   Trump defends sons Russian meeting, says he did nothing wrong
United States President Donald Trump defended his son Donald Jr  after he was criticised for accepting a meeting with a Kremlin-linked lawyer during the US election campaign last year.
"As far as my son is concerned, my son is a wonderful young man. He took a meeting with a Russian lawyer. Not a government lawyer, but a Russian lawyer. It was a short meeting," he said.
"From a practical standpoint, most people would have taken that meeting,"Trump added.
The purported purpose behind taking the meeting was to gather damaging information on Hillary Clinton, Trump's Democratic opponent.

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