LIVE! Compared to other destinations, India very safe: Tourism minister

LIVE

Fri, 27 October 2017

Compared to other destinations, India very safe: Tourism minister

Timeline Refresh

23:13 Compared to other destinations, India very safe: Tourism minister

Days after a Swiss couple was attacked in Agra, Union Tourism Minister K J Alphons today said India was safer compared to many developed countries of the world.

Alphons, who had shot off a letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath yesterday asking him to take steps to ensure swift action against those accused as such incidents negatively impact tourism in the country, today tried to assuage fears among tourists visiting India.

"India is safe. Compare the number of incidents in India to the US where shooting sprees happen almost in every city everyday killing people. Then there are terror attacks in Paris and across Europe. Compared to that India is a very safe

destination.

"We are 1.3 billion people. How many incidents take place in India? Very, very few. But of course these are unfortunate incidents and should not happen," Alphons said.

Quentin Jeremy Clerc (24) and his girlfriend Marie Droz (24), who came to India on September 30, were allegedly attacked by a group of men near the railway station at Fatehpur Sikri in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. The Swiss nationals were reportedly left bloodied and bruised by the attackers.

Earlier this month, the minister had said that the "stories" of India being unsafe for foreign tourists are "exaggerated".

Congress president Sonia Gandhi was rushed back to Delhi from Shimla, where she was on a holiday, and has been admitted to hospital.

Congress vice president and her son Rahul Gandhi tweeted to say Gandhi had caught a stomach bug and was doing better now.

He tweeted, "Ma was in Shimla & caught a stomach bug so we got her back. Nothing to worry, she's much better. Thanks for the tremendous love and concern."

Sonia Gandhi has been unwell for several years and travels to the US intermittently for treatment, though her party has refused to disclose the nature of her ailment. Rahul Gandhi will replace Sonia Gandhi soon as top boss in the party, she told reporters just weeks ago.

The US considers Catalonia an "integral part of Spain" and supports Madrid's measures to keep Spain "strong and united," the State Department said today after Catalan lawmakers voted to declare independence.

"The United States enjoys a great friendship and an enduring partnership with our NATO ally Spain," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

"Catalonia is an integral part of Spain, and the US supports the Spanish government's constitutional measures to keep Spain strong and united."

Theresa May too said the UK 'does not recognise' the Catalan parliament's declaration of independence.

In a statement released by Downing Street, the British PM said: The UK does not and will not recognise the Unilateral Declaration of Independence made by the Catalan regional parliament. It is based on a vote that was declared illegal by the Spanish courts.

"We continue to want to see the rule of law upheld, the Spanish Constitution respected, and Spanish unity preserved.

22:14 President Kovind heaps praises on Kerala

President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday applauded Kerala for its record in public health and education and said that the state was a front runner in India's quest to achieve total literacy.

Speaking after launching state's ambitious Technocity project, Kovind said, "The emphasis of the state on human development, and on health-care and education has set an example for the rest of the country".

He also applauded state's achievement in sanitation.

Further commenting over the state's involvement in international trade, Kovind said: "Being a coastal state, Kerala led involvement of Indian trade with foreign countries and cultures. Moreover, it has been at the frontier of the trade."

Talking about the state's growing IT export industry, president said, "Kerala is potentially power-house of Digital India. It has among the highest rates of mobile phone penetration in India."

-- ANI

Shares in Catalan banks closed down today, dragging the entire stock market with them, after Catalonia's regional parliament declared independence.

CaixaBank, Spain's third largest lender, ended down 2.74 per cent at 3.84 euros while Sabadell, the country's fifth biggest bank which earns a bigger share of its profits in Catalonia, closed down 4.85 per cent at 1.59 euros.

Shares in the two banks have fallen since Catalonia's separatist government went ahead with an independence referendum in the wealthy northeastern region on October 1, despite it having been deemed illegal by Madrid and the courts.

Some clients withdrew their deposits from the banks, prompting the two lenders to move their legal headquarters out of Catalonia to other parts of Spain.

-- PTI

Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar will embark on a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates tomorrow for the second round of the strategic dialogue between the two countries.

During the visit, he will be hold discussions with the UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash and would also meet other senior leaders.

In a statement, the MEA said the discussions would cover the entire gamut of bilateral, regional and international matters of mutual interest.

The first round of the India-UAE strategic dialogue was held here in January. The ties between the two countries are on an upswing.

-- PTI

Harvey Weinstein has sued The Weinstein Company in an attempt to gain access to his emails and personnel file for the purpose of defending himself.

With government investigations ongoing and the possibility of many more lawsuits to come, the movie mogul claims through his new legal action that any "unjustified settlements or judgments" will diminish his economic interest in the company, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

"In addition, press reports have indicated that the Board is exploring a sale of the Company," states the complaint. "If the Board agrees to sell the Company for less than it would be worth because of the threat of unsubstantiated or false allegations, Weinstein will receive less than he should have received as a Member.

"Further, Weinstein is in a unique position to offer insight, and further explain and contextualize his emails," the complaint adds.

"By providing Weinstein access to his emails, he can more efficiently assist the Company in its investigation of these issues and defense of the NY AG investigation and any other claims asserted against the Company, such as the one filed on October 25, 2017, against TWC based on Weinstein's alleged conduct."

The complaint filed in Delaware certainly hints at the moves to come.

Weinstein was fired earlier this month as dozens of women came forward to say they had been sexually harassed by him over a period of 20 years.

The 65-year-old has maintained, since the sexual harassment and assault allegations first went public, that he believed all of the sexual encounters were consensual.

Doordarshan has been directed by the Supreme Court to produce a 10-minute show on the perils of virtual dare games like Blue Whale Challenge within a week and ensure it is shown by the public broadcaster and private

channels on prime time.

"How you (Centre) will do it, we are not concerned. But you must do it," the bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra and comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said, adding that such online games posed danger to life and they must be "contained".

The bench said "lonely" and "depressed" children are usually attracted towards such dangerous games and asked the Centre to take steps to ensure that no such deaths occur.

Terming visual medium as being most "effective", the top court said "Doordarshan shall prepare a programme in consultation with the ministries of women and child development and the human resource development within one week to educate children about the evils of Bluewhale game so that they are not involved in that game."

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has warned partner Shiv Sena that its "dual stand" will not wash and that its chief Uddhav Thackeray must decide if he wants to continue the alliance with the BJP.

"The Sena opposes all our decisions. They can give their suggestions, but cannot simultaneously play the roles of a ruling party and an opposition at the same time," Fadnavis said at a function, even as the Sena's Sanjay Raut delivered another set of jibes at the BJP, asserting that the "Modi wave has faded".

The CM said, "As a party, Uddhav-ji has to decide. People do not like the picture they are portraying. Balasaheb (Sena founder and Uddhav Thackeray's father Bal Thackeray) never saw every decision with negativity, neither does Uddhav-ji. But some of his leaders think they are bigger than the party chief and make statements."

Sanjay Raut was participating in television discussion when he also declared that Rahul Gandhi is now capable of leading the country. "People want to hear what he is saying...It is wrong to call him 'Pappu'," the Sena lawmaker said, referring to a name used by BJP supporters to mock Gandhi. "The biggest political power in this country is the people... the voters. They can make a Pappu of anyone," Sanjay Raut added in an apparent dig at the BJP.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today rejected BJP's demand for resignation of minister K J George after the CBI booked him over the death of a police official, saying the case was "totally politically motivated".

There was "no case warranting resignation of George. It is a totally politically motivated case to tarnish the image of George and the government", he said strongly backing

his minister.

Siddaramaiah's defence came a day after the CBI, which has been directed by the Supreme Court to take over the case, filed the FIR naming George and two others in connection with the mysterious death of Deputy Superintendent of Police M K Ganapathy last year.

Siddaramaiah was talking to reporters after a meeting of senior ministers where the issue and its fallout were understood to have been discussed with the state assembly polls due early next year.

There was "no case warranting resignation of George. It is a totally politically motivated case to tarnish the image of George and the government", he said strongly backing

his minister.

Siddaramaiah was talking to reporters after a meeting of senior ministers where the issue and its fallout were understood to have been discussed with the state assembly polls due early next year.

19:08 Catalonia declares independence from Spain

Catalonia's regional Parliament voted overwhelmingly Friday in favor of independence from Spain, taking the country's political crisis into uncharted territory.

The vote came as the Spanish Senate debated the Madrid government's unprecedented plans to seize control of the autonomous region in a bid to quash its independence bid.

Lawmakers voted in secret in the Catalan Parliament chamber after a heated debate on a motion "to form the Catalan Republic as an independent and sovereign state."

The outcome: 70 votes in favour, 10 against and two blanks.

The two parliamentary sessions were the culmination of a weeks-long standoff, which began on October 1 when Catalonia defied Madrid and held a banned referendum on independence, plunging Spain into its worst political crisis since the restoration of democracy in the 1970s.

18:55 Congress chief Sonia Gandhi hospitalised

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has been admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital after doctors said she was suffering from an upset stomach. She has been kept under observation for now, her doctors said.

Sonia has been keeping poor health for some time now. In the recent past, reports had stated that the party would see new leadership post Diwali as she was keeping poor health and that Rahul Gandhi would be elevated to party president.

A fresh plea was today moved in the Supreme Court seeking setting up of a constitution bench with half of the bench being women judges or a special jury with eminent personalities to hear the case relating to

women's entry into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala.

The plea, filed by S Parameswaran Nampoothiri who is also a party in the ongoing matter in the apex court, said "only women can understand and feel better" on the issues pending before the apex court.

It also referred to the fact that since 1950, only six woman judges have been appointed in the apex court and the instant matter relating to women, should be referred to a bench comprising 50 per cent of women judges or be sent to a special jury.

The petition, while seeking to constitute a "jury" as an alternative to handle the PILs, also claimed that there was a "judicial emergency" due to delay in disposal of cases.

The apex court had on October 13 referred to a constitution bench the contentious issue relating to the ban on entry of women between 10 to 50 years of age in Kerala's historic hill-top shrine Sabarimala Temple.

Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj asks for probe into adoption of 3-year-old Sherin Mathews 'killed in US by foster father'.

Sherin Mathews vanished on October 7 after her adoptive father Wesley Mathews told police he left her outside their home at 3 am as punishment for not drinking her milk.

Reacting to Sherin's missing, External Affairs Minister Swaraj expressed concern.

"We are deeply concerned about the missing child. Indian Embassy in U.S. is actively involved and they keep me informed," Swaraj tweeted yesterday.

"We are closely monitoring Sherin Mathews case. We have established the contact with the community and authorities," the Consul General of India in Houston, Anupam Ray tweeted.

Training guns at the BJP over the arrest of senior journalist Vinod Verma on charges of extortion, the Congress today accused it of squeezing press

freedom and demanded immediate release of the scribe.

Senior Congress spokesperson Ajay Maken also demanded a judicial probe into the "serious sex-related allegations" against a Chhattisgarh minister, which, he added, were being investigated by the journalist.

He also demanded a judicial probe into allegations levelled by a Patidar leader in Gujarat that the BJP had bribed him to join the party.

Referring to Verma's arrest, Maken said, "The Narendra Modi-led central government and the Chhattisgarh government have been attacking, squeezing press freedom...We strongly condemn Verma's arrest and demand that he be released immediately and a judicial probe into the allegations against the state minister announced."

-- PTI

Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of Bengal, has challenged the mandatory Aadhaar rules in the Supreme Court. The petition will be heard on Monday.

Earlier, Banerjee had announced that she would rather have her phone disconnected than submit to the new rule requiring every citizen to link their Aadhaar card number to their mobile number.

"I will not link #Aadhaar with my phone, if they want to disconnect my phone, let them," Banerjee said defiantly, addressing her Trinamool Congress party's core committee meeting.

All phone users have to link their Aadhaar card numbers to their mobile phones to avoid disconnection, a government notice said in March. The Aaadhaar number is also essential for subscribers going for new SIMs.

Chhattisgarh minister Rajesh Munat on Friday said the sex CD, which journalist Vinod Verma claimed to have against him, was fake and asked chief minister Raman Singh to order probe.

"The sex CD is fake. I appeal to the chief minister to get this investigated from any agency. I condemn this," Munat said.

Munat's response came after the Chhattisgarh police on Friday arrested Verma from his residence in Indirapuram in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad. Verma, who was arrested in connection with an extortion and blackmailing case, had said that he had a sex CD of the minister.

"That is why the Chhattisgarh government is not happy with me," he said.

An FIR was filed against Verma by a person named Prakash Bajaj, who accused the journalist of blackmailing him over a certain 'vulgar' video that features his boss.

India today said there are no new developments at Doklam and its vicinity and that reports to the contrary were incorrect.

"I would like to reiterate that there is no new development at the face-off site and its vicinity since the August 28 disengagement," external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

He was asked about a media report about China ramping up its military presence in areas close to Doklam.

"The status quo prevails in the area and any suggestion to the contrary is incorrect and mischievous," said Kumar.

Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day-long standoff in Doklam since June 16 after the Indian side stopped the building of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese Army. Bhutan and China have a dispute over Doklam.

The MEA on August 28 had announced that both sides were disengaging from the face-off site.

Controversial spiritual leader Radhe Maa lost her cool and broke down before the media in Sambhal alleging that she was being harassed unnecessarily.

On a visit to the district to attend the ongoing 'Kalki Mahotsav', she took offence to a mediaperson asking her about certain charges levelled against her.

"I have no allegation against me...why do you ask me such things," she retorted, often getting up from her seat, which

she resumed only after being pacified by her close followers.

Radhe Maa, who has been accused of hurting religious sentiments, was in news recently for sitting on an SHO's chair in a police station at Vivek Vihar in east Delhi.

She has also been accused of dowry harassment by the daughter-in-law of one of her disciples. The woman has said that her husband's family tortured her on Radhe Maa's advice.

But, the fuming self-styled godwoman shot back saying,"Are you yourself 'doodh ka dhula' (spotless)? Why do you people speak such things always?"

She lashed out at mediapersons in English, using phrases like "Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder" and "I'm only pure and pious".

"You know the meaning of 'pure and pious'? What does it mean? How far have you read?" she shouted back.

"This is too much. Behave yourself, shut your mouth... Why don't you mediapersons kill me," the infuriated 52-year-old said and asked the mediapersons to remove their cameras as she broke down at the press meet.

-- PTI

Senior journalist Vinod Verma who was arrested on Friday from his Ghaziabad residence by the Chhattisgarh Police over charges of extortion, said that he intended to distribute objectionable CDs of a Chhattisgarh minister.

"I have a sex CD of a Chhattisgarh minister, he is Rajesh Munat and that is why the Chhattisgarh government is not happy with me," Verma told reporters while being taken to court after hours of questioning.

The minister has called the CD "fake" and said it can be investigated by any agency.

Meanwhile, Verma sent on transit remand by a Ghaziabad court and he will be presented before a Chhattisgarh court by police.

Verma, who had earlier worked with BBC Hindi service, was picked at 3.30 am from Mahagun Mansion Apartments, Vaibhav Khand, Indirapuram by the team of Chhattisgarh Police with the help of Ghaziabad Police, Senior Superintendent of Police H N Singh said.

A case of blackmail and extortion has been registered against the scribe at Pandri police station in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh, he said.

As many as 500 porn CDs, around Rs 2 lakh cash, pen drive, laptop and a diary were seized from the journalist's residence, police said.

The US National Archives on Thursday said that on orders from President Donald Trump it had released 2,891 records related to the assassination of Kennedy in Dallas on November 22, 1963.

The Telegraph, London, reports that one of the most astonishing revelations from the JFK files, was that a British newspaper received a mystery call minutes before Kennedy's assassination.

According to the report, a memo to the director of FBI 'revealed that a call was made to the senior reporter at the Cambridge News at 6.05 pm on the day Kennedy was shot in Dallas, Texas'.

'The document, from deputy director James Angleton, said: "The British Security Service (MI-5) has reported that at 1805GMT on 22 November an anonymous telephone call was made in Cambridge, England, to the senior reporter of the Cambridge News. The caller said only that the Cambridge News reporter should call the American Embassy in London for some big news and then hung up,' the Telegraph report says.

The important point was that the call was made just 25 minutes before Kennedy was shot dead. Once he got to hear of the assassination, the reporter informed the Cambridge police of the mysterious phone call he had received.

A copy of the memo containing this information was in fact released by the US National Archives in July this year, but it had gone unnoticed till the latest bunch of reports were released yesterday.

You can read the Telegraph report here.

'Australia's ruling conservative coalition government was thrown into crisis on Friday after Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce was declared ineligible to sit in parliament because he was also a citizen of New Zealand when elected,' reports the South China Morning Post.

The court verdict places the government of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in jeopardy, as it enjoys a one-seat majority in the lower house. Soon after the verdict Joyce renounced his New Zealand citizenship, but he will have to re-contest the seat in a by-election.

Till that happens, Turnbull's government is perched precariously, the saving grace being that the three independent lawmakers have pledged their support to him.

You can read the full report here.

Just In: Myanmar Consul General in Kolkata Pyi Soe dies in road accident in Giridih, Jharkhand, PTI reports, quoting the Giridih superintendent of police Akhilesh Variar.

15:19 Wanted: A South Asian strategy for Pakistan?

'Rare is the minister who goes to parliament and briefs its members in a candid manner,' writes Pakistan's dawn.com in an editorial, commending its foreign minister, Khawaja Asif, for briefing the country's senate on US secretary of state Rex Tillerson's trip to Pakistan.

Nawaz Sharif, as Pakistan's prime minister, did not have a full-time foreign minister, which Dawn terms as 'one of the more perplexing mistakes of his third term'.

According to the publication, what emerged from Asif's comments to the Pakistan senate, however, is a picture of a US-Pakistan relationship that is deeply strained.

'If there is a US South Asia strategy that is emerging, it appears to involve the US, Afghanistan and India acting together to put pressure on Pakistan to do more in the fight against militancy, inside Pakistan and regionally,' the editorial says, and says, 'To push back against the unfair or unrealistic aspects of that strategy, Pakistan ought to consider drawing up its own South Asia strategy: a coordinated approach towards the US, Afghanistan and India, recognising the interconnectedness of its ties with them.'

You can read the article here.

India's diplomatic ties with North Korea could act as a "conduit for communications", US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said amidst tensions between Washington and Pyongyang over the latter's nuclear missile tests.

India had informed the US that it has "minimal" trade with North Korea, and that there was a small Indian embassy in Pyongyang which should stay there so that some channels of communication remain open.

The issue figured during talks between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Tillerson during his visit to India on Wednesday.

Answering a question about India's refusal to close its embassy in Pyongyang, Tillerson said: "I think they just indicated they think that office has a value as a conduit for communications".

Asked if he agreed with that assessment, he replied: "It could. It might", according to the transcription of Tillerson's interview in Geneva.

Trade between India and North Korea amounted to USD 130 million in 2016-17 but in the current fiscal year it stands at USD 10.95 million, according to official data.

India banned all trade with North Korea, except food and medicine, from April, in line with UN sanctions over North Korea's nuclear tests.

Tillerson said the US wants to find new ways to partner with India and other likeminded countries in Asia.

"I had a very comprehensive discussion on economic and security links with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi, National Security Advisor (Ajit) Doval, and Foreign Affairs Minister (Sushma) Swaraj. It is essential that our two democracies work together to address the challenges facing our people.

"The US has had positive relations with India for 70 years but it is never quite moved to that next level, and I think that is in part due to -- on both sides," he added. -- PTI

The Supreme Court today allowed the Centre to withdraw seven of the 15 companies of Central Armed Paramilitary Forces from strife-torn Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal for being used for election duties in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, asked West Bengal government to respond within a week to the Centre's appeal against the Calcutta High Court order directing it to allow all 15 companies of paramilitary forces to remain in the state.

The bench, which also comprised Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, stayed the pending proceedings before the Calcutta High Court saying it will deal with the case "in a holistic manner".

The court has now fixed the appeal of the Centre for further hearing on November 27.

The Calcutta high court had stayed the withdrawal of CAPF from the Darjeeling hills, the scene of unrest over the statehood demand, till October 27 after the state government approached it against the Centre's decision.

The high court had on July 14 directed the Centre to deploy four more companies of CAPF in addition to the 11 that was already present in the hills then.

The West Bengal government had written to the Centre seeking extended deployment of CAPF till December 25, but was told that of the 15 companies present, 10 would be withdrawn on October 15 and the rest by October 20. -- PTI

13:45 Brand Kohli beats Messi on Forbes top 10 list

Indian cricket team captain, Virat Kohli, has been ranked above the Argentinean and Barcelona football legend Lionel Messi as one of the most valuable brands among sports athletes by Forbes.

According to the list, the 28-year-old Indian star player is placed at the seventh spot with a brand value of $14.5 million, compared to Messi's $13.5 million.

Roger Federer tops the list with a brand value of $37.2 million, followed by basketball star LeBron James with $33.4 million and Usain Bolt with $27 million.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Forbes calculates the brand value of an athlete by subtracting the average income of the top 10 athletes in the same sport from the total earnings of that athlete, excluding salary and bonus from their sport and all investment income.

Forbes calculates Kohli's brand value at US $14.5 million, a million dollars more than the No 9 Messi, and $22.7m short of the biggest brand among athletes in sport, Roger Federer.

Here's the list of top ten most valuable athletes:

1. Roger Federer $37.2m

2. LeBron James $33.4m

3. Usain Bolt $27m

4. Cristiano Ronaldo $21.5m

5. Phil Mickelson $19.6m

6. Tiger Woods $16.6m

7. Virat Kohli $14.5m

8. Rory McIlroy $13.6m

9. Lionel Messi $13.5m

10. Stephen Curry $13.4m

Justice A Arumughaswamy, appointed by the Tamil Nadu government to inquire into the circumstances leading to the hospitalisation of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, assumed charge today.

The assuming of office by the retired judge of the Madras high court would be followed by a notification calling for information on the agenda of the one-man inquiry commission.

To a question, Arumughaswamy said the probe would be transparent.

The state government had on September 25 announced setting up of the inquiry commission headed by the retired high court judge.

Justice Arumughaswamy would hold the inquiry into the circumstances leading to the hospitalisation and death of Jayalalithaa on December 5 last year after 75 days of treatment at the Apollo Hospitals in Chennai.

The commission shall submit its report in three months, as per the Government Order.

According to the G.O issued last month, the Commission's terms of reference would be "to inquire into the circumstances and situation leading to the hospitalisation" of Jayalalithaa on September 22, 2016 and "subsequent treatment provided till her unfortunate demise" on December 5 the same year.

The probe was a key demand of the then rebel AIADMK faction led by O Panneerselvam as a pre-condition for the merger of his camp with that of Chief Minister K Palaniswami.

The two factions had merged on August 21 with Panneerselvam becoming the deputy chief minister. -- PTI

Expressing concern over the "humanitarian crisis" in Myanmar, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has urged the country's army chief to help the government end violence in the northern Rakhine state where unrest has forced over 600,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh.

In a telephone call yesterday with Myanmar's Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Tillerson "concern about the continuing humanitarian crisis and reported atrocities in Rakhine".

He sought the support of the army chief for ending the violence and allowing the safe return home of those displaced during the violence, especially the large numbers of ethnic Rohingyas, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said.

"At the same time, he urged the military to facilitate humanitarian aid for displaced people in affected areas, allow media access, and cooperate with the United Nations to ensure a thorough, independent investigation into all allegations of human rights abuses and violations and to ensure accountability," Nauert said in a statement.

Tillerson also condemned the August 25 deadly attacks by militants on security forces in the Rakhine State, she said.

Militant attacks on Myanmar security forces sparked a major army crackdown on the community.

Acccording to the UN estimates, more than 600,000 members of the minority Muslim group have fled across the border into Bangladesh since then, triggered a grave humanitarian crisis in the country.

Meanwhile, at the UN headquarters in New York, the Special Rapporteur on Myanmar's human rights Yanghee Lee said that the Security Council should issue a strongly worded resolution on the Myanmar crisis.

"The crisis in Rakhine State has not only been decades in the making but has for some time gone beyond Myanmar's borders. For a very long time now this issue has not been simply a domestic affair," Lee told the General Assembly.

Registering its opposition to a country-specific report, the representative from Myanmar said it was working with Bangladesh on the voluntary, safe and dignified return of displaced persons.

The Association of South-East Asian Nations Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management is working with Myanmar to deliver humanitarian assistance, Lee said.

The US said on Tuesday that it had initiated actions against Myanmar's military leadership involved in violence against Rohingya Muslims. -- PTI

Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra has promulgated an ordinance making persons calling for strikes or demonstrations, which lead to damage of public property, liable for fines and imprisonment up to five years, an official spokesperson said today.

The Jammu and Kashmir Public Property (Prevention of Damage) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 amends the existing law relating to damage to public property and comes into effect immediately.

"It will more effectively discourage/prevent the deleterious activities of individuals/organisations which result in damage to public and private properties," said a statement.

This ordinance, the spokesperson said, has been enacted to achieve the twin objectives of making mischief to public and private property due to direct action punishable and of making any person calling for direct action liable for abetment of such offence.

Whoever announces direct action in the form of strikes, demonstrations or other public forms of protests which result in damage to public as well as private property can be punished with imprisonment for a period of two to five years and can be imposed a fine equivalent to the market value of the property damaged or destroyed.

Moreover, the scope of the existing law which was earlier restricted to public property -- primarily government property or property owned by government entities -- has been enlarged to include private property.

The spokesperson said the amendment to the existing law has been made to implement directions given by the Supreme Court in the case, 'In Re-Destruction of Public and Private Properties vs. State of A.P (Andhra Pradesh) and others (2009)'.

As the state legislature is not in session, the governor, on the recommendation of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, exercised his powers under Section 91 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir to promulgate the ordinance. -- PTI

Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has filed a lawsuit against the Weinstein Company, for access to his personnel file and his email account, as he mounts a legal defence for himself in light of recent harassment allegations made against him.

The producer, who has been accused by dozens of women of sexual misconduct, is demanding access to his emails and personnel file from his time at the company he co-founded, reported Deadline.

In the suit, filed in Delaware, Weinstein says the company has denied his attorney's request for the documents, reported Deadline.

"Mr Weinstein believes that his email account -- which is the primary, if not only, account he used during the term of his employment by the company -- will contain information exonerating him, and therefore the company, from claims that may be asserted against him or the company," says the filing by Patricia Glaser and a team at Glaser Weil as well as Delaware's Morris James LLP firm for Weinstein.

Weinstein's access to his hw357@weinsteinco.com email and other material was blocked when he was terminated by the TWC board three days after the New York Times published its detailed expose of decades of alleged sexual harassment on October 5. Since that time around 60 women have come forward to claim Weinstein either sexually harassed or sexually assaulted them.

Weinstein also wants access to his personnel file because he believes some of it has been leaked to the media. Having that information would allow him to "pursue potential claims against the company and its representatives or officers for mismanagement by leaking confidential company information," the lawsuit states.

In a letter attached to the complaint, Glaser also accuses the board of "a knee-jerk pursuit of a fire sale of the company, all before completing a thorough investigation to discern exactly what did or did not occur."

The Delaware-filed complaint says: "In the Demand, Mr Weinstein explained that his purpose in obtaining the documents requested was to assist in his defence of civil and criminal allegations arising out of or in connection with his employment at TWC and potentially to aid in investigating claims arising out of the wrongful termination of his employment." -- PTI

12:03 Ktaka okays policy to protect transgenders

The Karnataka cabinet has cleared the State Policy for Transgenders 2017 with an aim to bring the community into the mainstream and safeguarding them from exploitation.

The policy had been drafted in compliance with a Supreme Court order, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra told reporters in Bengaluru after a cabinet meeting yesterday.

"They face insecurity, discrimination, insults, anxiety, suicidal tendencies. Therefore, this policy aims at bringing them into the mainstream of society and provide them with a secured life," he said.

The different categories of transgenders mentioned in the policy include "jogappa, Hijra, female to male, male to female, inter-sex, kothis, jogtas, shivashakti and aravanis".

The policy aims to create awareness about the transgender community in all educational institutions of the state, reach out to family members through anganwadi workers to sensitise them about trans-children, bring into place a monitoring committee or cell at educational institutions to address issues of discrimination, sexual abuse and violence against transgenders.

It also moots defining the indicators for a friendly policy, which goes beyond non-discrimination, and to include the transgender community in the 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan', Right to Education and similar efforts to promote literacy.

Jayachandra, quoting from the document, said, "All levels of formal education system should have reservations for transgender students."

11:56 Revisiting demonetisation

Very seldom does one come across economists who are willing to accept that they were not entirely right.

Writing in The Telegraph, Dipankar Dasgupta, former professor of economics, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, crunches the latest data series on quarterly gross domestic product released by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation across quarter one of the financial year 2011-12 through the first quarter of FY 17-18, which records quarterly GDPs for the period at constant 2011-12 prices, to conclude at the end of it all that 'demonetisation did cause human misery in the short run, but it does not seem to portend any long-term economic damage'.

'Having criticised the policy in the past, this columnist believes at least that there is scope yet for revisiting the issue,' he concludes.

You can read his article, and the calculations based on which he has arrived at his conclusion, here.

The Madras high court today dismissed the plea seeking to revoke the censor certificate issued for Vijays Tamil film Mersal.

Stating that the freedom of expression is for all, the court said Mersal is only a film and not a real life.

The court also said if you don't like the film then don't watch it.

Diwali release Mersal has kicked up a row with the Bharatiya Janata Party taking exception to references on GST in the movie.

BJP leader have been demanding that the 'incorrect' references be deleted from the big-budget flick.

However, opposition and a host of Tamil cinema industry representatives had supported the film crew on the issue.

Senior journalist Vinod Verma was today arrested from his home in Ghaziabad near Delhi on charges of extortion.

Verma was picked up for questioning at 3.30 am from his Ghaziabad home and later charged and arrested by a police team from Raipur.

According to media reports, Verma was planning a sting operation against a Chhattisgarh minister.

Verma, a freelance journalist, was Digital Editor at Amar Ujala and also worked with the BBC.

'The Art of Living Foundation of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will coach Indian Forest Service officers of the ministry of environment, forest and climate change on 'Building competencies for personal excellence' at a 'one-week compulsory training course', to be held at the foundation's international headquarters in Bengaluru this December, reports Jay Mazoomdar in the Indian Express.

Incidentally, the AoL is embroiled in a legal battle with the National Green Tribunal over the alleged damage caused to the Yamuna's flood plains by its World Cultural Festival.

AoL has been empanelled under the department of personnel and training's in-service training scheme since last year and 'conducted three similar training programmes commissioned by the department for all wings of the all-India services since November 2016, where the participants were mostly IAS officers,' reports Mazoomdar.

Pushp Dant, national director (government programmes) of Art of Living, cries off from sharing details of this or previous training programmes citing that they are private contracts with the government, but confirms that the December 18-22 event will be their first one exclusively for forest officers.

Asked about a possible conflict of interest in AoL conducting an event for its officers, Siddhanta Das, director general in the environment ministry, tells the Indian Express: "The (NGT) case should not be linked to this training programme, which has nothing to do with matters of forest administration. We send small batches of officers for such programmes to different government and private institutes. It's a routine matter."

'The Art of Living's proposal to the ministry mentioned Rs 6,500 (plus taxes) per participant per day as fees. The ministry's sanction letter to the NGO, however, put the course fee at Rs 15,000 per participant, plus Rs 7,500 as reimbursement for boarding/ lodging during the course,' reports Mazoomdar. Apart from this, the environment ministry will pay AoL a course free of Rs 6 lakh for the entire batch of 36 officers nominated from different states.

You can read Jay Mazoomdar's report here.

10:14 Noted Malayalam writer Kunjabdulla passes away

Well-known Malayalam novelist and poet Punathil Kunjabdulla passed away on Friday in Kozhikode, Kerala. He was 77.

He had been reportedly suffering from an age-related illness.

A qualified doctor by profession, Kunjabdulla had been running a hospital in Vatakara, and was a modernist in the Malayalam literature.

His novel Smarakasilakal (Memorial Stones) had won him the Kendra Sahitya Academy Award (Malayalam) in 1980.

Leading television producer, Gautam Adhikari, who is considered as one of the pioneers of the Marathi TV industry, passed away at his residence in Mumbai today after a brief illness, his family sources said.

He was 67.

The last rites will be performed at 11 am in Vile Parle suburban area of Mumbai.

Gautam and his brother Markand started a company -- Sri Adhikari Brothers (SAB) Group -- in 1985 as a small family owned partnership firm.

It went on to become the first publicly-listed television production company in India when it was listed on the BSE in 1995. The company initially produced serials in Marathi, but soon ventured into film distribution and production business.

It is a leading Indian M&E conglomerate with interests in broadcast, films, content production and publishing.

Gautam Adhikari, who was a diploma holder in commercial art, had directed several films and serial. -- PTI

A crucial Senate Committee today confirmed the nomination of Ken Juster as the next American envoy to India, paving the way for a full Senate confirmation of the old India hand, who played a key role in the landmark

Indo-US civil nuclear deal.

Juster's nomination was agreed by the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee by a voice vote, reflecting the bipartisan support his nomination has in the Congress.

The nomination of Juster, 62, now moves to the full Senate before he can be sworn in as America's new Ambassador to India.

He would replace Richard Verma as the top American diplomat to India if confirmed, The position has been lying vacant since January 20 after Verma resigned from the post with the swearing in of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States.

Given his overwhelming support among lawmakers, Juster is expected to be confirmed by the full Senate soon so as to be in India ahead of the next month's Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad, which is being co-hosted by India and the US.

Trump's senior advisor and daughter Ivanka Trump will be leading a high-powered American delegation of entrepreneurs to the GES in Hyderabad, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Most recently, Juster had served as the Deputy Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs and Deputy Director of the National Economic Council.

Juster played a key role in enhancing the Indo-US ties under the Bush administration.

Juster has previously served as Under Secretary of Commerce from 2001-2005, Counsellor (acting) of the State Department from 1992-1993, and deputy and senior adviser to the Deputy Secretary of State from 1989-1992.

In the private sector, he has been a partner at the investment firm Warburg Pincus LLC, Executive Vice President at Salesforce.com, and senior partner at the law firm Arnold & Porter.

He has also served as Chairman of Harvard University's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, and as Vice Chairman of The Asia Foundation.

Juster holds a law degree from the Harvard Law School, a masters degree in Public Policy from the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, and a bachelors degree in Government from Harvard College. -- PTI

09:04 Congress is on ventilator: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday slammed Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi after he launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi government over the issue of growing unemployment

BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao attacked the Congress party by saying that they are under ventilator support.

"Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party are desperately hoping that their bantering on the economy of the country will make people support the Congress party which itself is on ventilator," he told ANI.

"The economy is safe in the hands of Prime Minister Modi. The transformation of economy with various implementations is rattling the Congress party that's why Rahul Gandhi can be seen indulging in crass talks and behaving like a C-grade comedian," added Rao.

Echoing similar views, another BJP leader CK Bose asserted that the Congress leaders should grow up now.

"Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi should grow up because he has been in public life for a long time now. It seems his maturity level is rather low. We as nation have inherited problems from the erstwhile Congress regime. Bold and historic decisions have been taken up in independent India for the first time by the National Democratic Alliance government," he told ANI.

On Thursday, Rahul Gandhi, while attending the 112th Annual Session of PHD Chamber of Commerce attacked the Modi government by saying that the rising unemployment in India was 'MMD: Modi Made Disaster'. -- ANI

08:46 Russia test fires four ballistic missiles

Russian defense ministry on Thursday said the armed forces have launched four ballistic missiles as part of large-scale war games involving Russia's strategic forces.

Submarine based projectiles were launched among other missiles during the military exercises which also involved long-range bombers.

According to local media reports, one of Russia's most sophisticated weapons, Topol-type ballistic missile was launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in the country's northwest and hit a target on the Kura testing grounds.

As per the ministry, Russian Tu-160, Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 long-range strategic bombers successfully launched cruise missiles at targets placed at test grounds in Russia and in Kazakhstan, thus concluding the military exercise on a successful note.

Last month, Russia successfully tested a Topol missile equipped with a new advanced warhead, and two modern Yars intercontinental ballistic missile. Yars is a modern variant of the Topol-M series, able to carry multiple warheads.

United States President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered the unveiling of 2,800 documents related to the 1963 assassination of President John F Kennedy but yielded to pressure from the FBI and CIA to block the release of some information to be reviewed further.

Trump had confirmed on Saturday that he would allow for the opening of the documents, "subject to the receipt of further information."

In 1992, the Congress had ordered that all records relating to the investigation into Kennedy's death should be open to the public, and set a final deadline of October 26, 2017, for the entire set to be made public.

The White House said later that the remaining records would be released "on a rolling basis in the coming weeks."

"I am ordering today that the veil finally be lifted," Trump wrote in a memo announcing the delay Thursday evening.

"At the same time, executive departments and agencies have proposed to me that certain information should continue to be redacted because of national security, law enforcement, and foreign affairs concerns," he wrote. "I have no choice today but to accept those redactions rather than allow potentially irreversible harm to our Nation's security."

00:10 Pakistan violates ceasefire in Poonch

Pakistan on Thursday night violated ceasefire by targeting forward villages and posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch, ending over a week-long lull in the cross-border firing in the district, police said.

Army troops guarding the border retaliated and an exchange of fire between the two sides was underway when the last reports were received, the police said.

The police said Pakistani troops fired using small and heavy weapons at around 8.45 pm at Sher Shakti and Mandhar areas of Kerni sector but there was no immediate report of any casualty.

On October 18, eight civilians, including a two-year-old child, were injured in heavy Pakistani shelling in the district.

The firing comes hours after a team of officials led by District Development Commissioner Poonch Tariq Ahmad Zargar visited forward areas along the LoC and inspected the progress in the construction of bunkers for border residents. -- PTI

Timeline Refresh

TOP STORIES