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Wed, 04 April 2018
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23:44   5 Maoists killed in encounter with security forces
Five Maoists, including two commanders carrying rewards of Rs 5 lakh each on their heads, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Latehar district today, officials said.

The over-an-hour-long encounter with the Maoists began around 7.15 am in the forest area between Bhadgaon and Kedu villages under Heranj police station during a search operation by the Central Reserve Police Force, Jharkhand Jaguar and the district police, according to a police press release.

Jharkhand Jaguar is an elite anti-Naxal task force of the state police.        Located around 120 km from state capital Ranchi, Latehar has been a hotbed of Naxal activities.

The two self-styled sub-zonal commanders carrying rewards of Rs 5 lakh each on their heads were identified as Shivlal Yadav and Shravan Yadav, it said.

During the search operation, the police recovered three AK 47 rifles, one INSAS rifle and one .303 rifle and bullets from the place.

The release said that Jharkhand Police and para-military forces were committed to root out Naxalites.

During the anti-Naxal campaign this year, 17 encounters have taken place in which 16 Naxalites have been killed.

Last year, 47 Naxalites surrendered under the state government's surrender policy, 12 Naxalites were killed in encounters, and 608 ultras were arrested, the release said.  -- PTI
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22:53   4 ISI-trained youths planning to disrupt IPL matches held
The Punjab Police's Counter-Intelligence wing has arrested four youths, allegedly trained by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, who were planning to highlight the Khalistan issue in Indian Premiere League matches to be held in Mohali.

The youths were allegedly trained by an ISI agent through social media to disturb communal harmony in the state by propagating the 'Referendum-2020' on Khalistan by setting buses and liquor vends afire.

They were arrested from Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar district on Monday when they were on their way to set a liquor vend on fire, a police spokesperson said.

"10 litres diesel and some other material were seized from them," the spokesperson said.

According to police, the youths were members of a Facebook page 'Referendum-2020'.

"Referendum-2020" is a move by some radical outfits in support of a separate state of Khalistan.

During preliminary interrogation, the youths confessed that they were radicalised by an Indian, Deep Kaur alias Kulvir Kaur, through the Facebook page. She introduced them to an ISI agent with a fake Facebook profile (Fateh Singh).

"'Fateh Singh' instructed them to create panic among public by setting liquor shops, buses etc. on fire. They were also asked to put up posters of 'Referendum 2020' at different places," the police spokesperson said.      

The arrested persons were identified as Manvir Singh, Jaspreet Singh, Sukhwinder Singh, and Randhir. They belonged to Khankhana village of SBS Nagar district.

"They also planned to disturb forthcoming Mohali IPL T20 cricket matches by putting up 'Referendum 2020' related posters there," he said.

Three IPL matches will be played at the PCA stadium in Mohali beginning Sunday.

"A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the law. The youths are being interrogated," he said.  -- PTI
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22:19   NDA MPs to give up salary for disrupted part of budget session
In a bid to embarrass the Opposition, Union Minister Ananth Kumar today said MPs of the ruling National Democratic Alliance would forgo their salary for the 23 days of the ongoing budget session when Parliament did not function because of protests by the Congress and other political parties.

Kumar blamed the Congress for the logjam in both the Houses of Parliament, saying that it had engaged in 'anti-democratic' politics.

The party had stopped important bills from being passed, which led to a 'criminal wastage' of the taxpayer's money, the parliamentary affairs minister told reporters in New Delhi.

The MPs of the NDA, which includes the Bharatiya Janata Party and several of its allies, would give up their salary for the disrupted period of the session, he said.

The session is scheduled to end on Friday.  -- PTI
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21:32   2 jawans mowed down by CRPF vehicle amid stone-pelting
Two Central Reserve Police Force jawans were mowed down by a para-military force vehicle when its driver lost control due to stone pelting at Hiller area in Kokernag of South Kashmir, police said tonight.

The unfortunate incident took place this evening when CRPF troops were withdrawing after a day-long law and order duty in the area.

According to the police, the driver of the CRPF armoured vehicle was pelted stones in the area, 85 km from Srinagar, during the withdrawal operation in the evening.

The driver, identified as Roop Singh, lost control of the vehicle and hit a motorcycle on which two CRPF jawans -- Riyaz Ahmed Wani and Nissar Ahmed Wani -- were riding.

They were rushed to a hospital where they were declared brought dead.

The driver of the armoured vehicle has been hit in his head and has been rushed to an Army hospital in Srinagar.

Reinforcement was rushed to the spot to maintain law and order, officials said.  -- PTI

Image used only for representation. Photograph: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com
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21:13   Mayawati says as CM she favoured curbing misuse of SC/ST Act
Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati supported Monday's 'Bharat bandh' organised by Dalit outfits against what they claimed was 'dilution' of the SC/ST Act by a Supreme Court order, but as Uttar Pradesh chief minister she had herself initiated steps to check the misuse of the law.

Mayawati said she supported the protests against the changes in the SC/ST law but condemned the violence that took place blaming anti-social elements for it.

Various Dalit organisations had called for a nation-wide shutdown or a 'Bharat Bandh' to protest against the apex court ruling.

The court had, on March 20, introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the act while directing there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law.

The BSP backed the bandh but in in 2007 when it was in power, as chief minister, Mayawati had issued two orders to safeguard against the misuse of the Act or false implication of innocent people.

In an order issued on October 29, 2007, by then UP chief secretary Prashant Kumar, it was stated that Superintendents of Police and SSPs must take cognisance of serious offences like murder and rape and carry out the investigations on priority and ensuring prompt justice in the cases of atrocities on members of the SC/ST while ensuring that no innocent was harassed.

"If it is found in investigations that a fake case has been made, action should be taken under section 182 of the IPC," the order had said.

The order was an amendment to an earlier May 20, 2007 missive. The two orders issued by the then chief secretaries specified that action should not be initiated merely on the basis of a complaint but arrests should be made after the accused is found prima facie guilty in the initial probe.

In the first letter, dated May 20, 2007, and sent by the then chief secretary Shambhu Nath, point number 18 dealt at length with the issue of police complaints under the Act.

The missive was issued barely a week after Mayawati was sworn in as UP CM.

The highlight of the directive was that only serious offences like murder and rape should be registered under the Act while the less serious crimes should be dealt under the relevant sections of the IPC.

In case of a rape complaint under the SC/ST Act, action should be initiated against the accused only after sexual assault is corroborated in the medical examination of the victim and if prima facie the charges appear to be true, it said.

The note stated that police should not initiate action merely because a complaint had been lodged by a person from the SC and ST community as there were instances where people use such individuals settle scores with rivals.  -- PTI
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20:31   Rahul visits Lingayat senior seer, seeks blessings
Congress president RahulGandhi today visited the Lingayat seminary Siddhaganga Mutt in Tumakuru and sought the blessings of Sri Shivakumara Swami, the highly revered seer of the community.

On the fifth lap of his two-day election tour in Karnataka, Gandhi visited the Mutt and met the 111-year-old seer along with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Congress leaderin the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and KPCC president G Parameshwara.

Gandhi's visit comes against the backdrop of the Siddaramaiah government's move to recommend to the Centre grant of religious minority status to Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats, who are politically powerful.

The state government's action was seen as an attempt to divide the votes of Lingayats,who constitute about 17 per cent of the state population and form a strong vote base of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

BJP is projecting Lingayat strongman, former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, as its chief ministerial face.

On all his earlier tours, Gandhi had visited temples and other religious places.

BJP president Amit Shah has also visited the Siddaganga Mutt seer and other Lingayat and Veerashaiva pontiffs during his tours.

Shah had also met the seers of Dalits and Backward Classes in an attempt to reach out to the communities from these sections.  -- PTI

Photograph: Kind courtesy @DrParameshwara/Twitter
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19:31   After getting MoS status, two babas cancel stir against MP govt
A day after being accorded the 'Minister of State' (MoS) status, two religious leaders have cancelled their proposed campaign against the alleged scam in the Madhya Pradesh government's Narmada conservation programme.

Ahead of the assembly elections due later this year, the Bharatiya Janata Party government in MP yesterday accorded the MoS status to five Hindu religious leaders -- Narmadanand Maharaj, Hariharanand Maharaj, Computer Baba, Bhayyu Maharaj and Pandit Yogendra Mahant.

On March 31, the five religious leaders were appointed to a committee set up for the Narmada river conservation.

As members of the committee, they were being given the MoS status, an official of the General Administration Department had said yesterday.

Computer Baba had earlier announced to take out 'Narmada Ghotala Rath Yatra', along with Yogendra Mahant, in every district of MP from April 1 to May 15, to expose an alleged scam in planting of saplings on the banks of the Narmada river and to demand a ban on illegal sand mining.

The publicity material of the campaign was also circulated widely on social media.

Computer Baba today said they have cancelled the campaign because the state government has fulfilled their demand to form a committee of saints and seers for protection of the Narmada river.

"Now why would we take out the yatra?" he said.

On accepting the government facilities meant for an MoS despite being a saint, he said, "If we do not get the post and other government facilities, how can we work for the protection of the Narmada?"

"As a member of the committee, we have to talk to the district collectors and look after other necessary arrangements for the river's conservation. A government status is required for these works," he said.

Yogendra Mahant, who was the convener of the proposed campaign, also said that they cancelled the yatra as the state government fulfilled their demand to set up a panel for the river conservation.

On March 31, these five religious leaders were appointed members of 'Janjagrukta Abhiyan Samiti' (Public Awareness Campaign Committee) set up for the conservation of the Narmada.

The opposition Congress yesterday dubbed the decision to appoint them as MoS as the BJP's attempt to exploit the respect these religious leaders enjoy in the society.

However, the BJP hit back saying the opposition party disliked anything related to saints.  -- PTI
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19:28   AIIMS doctor performs 'wrong' procedure on patient
In a shocking incident of medical negligence, a senior doctor at AIIMS allegedly performed a procedure required for dialysis treatment on a 30-year-old woman who had complained of abdominal pain, and tampered with documents to cover up his fault.

A committee has been formed under the chairmanship of Dean Dr Y K Gupta on the directions of the AIIMS Director to probe the incident involving the doctor, an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at the premier medical institute, a source said. Inquiries ordered by the head of the related unit in the department and the medical superintendent have already indicted the doctor, the source said.

Rekha Devi, a resident of Saharsa in Bihar, had come to AIIMS for treatment of a complication caused by an abdominal surgery she had undergone at a hospital in her hometown.

At AIIMS, she was taken to the minor operation theatre for an abdominal examination under local anesthesia on February 7.

According to the nursing report, the doctor, who was told that the patient had complained of abdominal pain, made an arteriovenous (AV) fistula, a standard vascular procedure used to access blood for hemodialysis treatment in patients with chronic kidney disease.

After the procedure, a conversation with the patient revealed that she did not suffer from any kidney ailment, the source said.

"The patient and the attendants were counseled regarding the adverse event and a corrective procedure was carried out the next day," the preliminary inquiry report read.

"A wrong surgery has been performed on the patient which has not been documented in the patient records but was mentioned in the nursing report book," it added.

The incident was reported to the unit head, Dr Sunil Chumber, who got an inquiry conducted into the matter which found that the doctor had performed a 'wrong surgery and had tried to cover up by changing the documents', the source said.

The findings have been submitted to the AIIMS Director.

Another inquiry ordered by medical superintendent Dr D K Sharma also indicted the doctor and suggested withdrawing the assistant professor 'from all clinical work', according to the source.  -- PTI
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18:52   Kapil, Raina, Kohli respond to Afridi's remarks on Kashmir
A day after cricketer Gautam Gambhir had slammed former Pakistani captain Shahid Afridi for his remarks on Kashmir, other stalwarts like Kapil Dev, Suresh Raina and Captain Virat Kohli also spoke on the issue on Wednesday.

"Who is he? Why are we giving importance to him? We should not be giving importance to certain people," Kapil Dev said on Shahid Afridi's tweets.

Kohli, however, was more balanced in his response.

"As an Indian you want to express what is best for your nation and my interests are always for the benefit of our nation. If anything opposes it, I would never support it for sure," he said, adding, "But having said that, it's a very personal choice for someone to comment about certain issues. Unless I have total knowledge of the issues and the intricacies of it I don't engage in it but definitely your priority stays with your nation."

And Suresh Raina, who has Kashmiri roots, tweeted, 'Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so always. Kashmir is the pious land where my forefathers were born. I hope @SAfridiOfficial bhai asks Pakistan Army to stop terrorism and proxy war in our Kashmir. We want peace, not bloodshed and violence.'   -- With ANI inputs
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18:05   Sharifs and Imran under threat from Taliban: Report
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan is biding its time to target former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his brother Shahbaz Sharif, cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan and their families, a media report said today.

"We have received multiple intelligence reports, submitted by the premier intelligence agency, that the TTP may attack the family members of Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif," a senior Interior Ministry official was quoted as saying by The News.

Following the intelligence reports, the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) dispatched a formal threat letter to the police and law enforcement agencies, the paper said.

The reports were received on April 1 and the same day an alert was issued to the departments concerned for taking preventive steps, the paper added.

It said a separate intelligence report was also received stating that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf chief Imran Khan faced a serious threat to his life.

Citing its source, the paper said the information about the threat had also been communicated to Imran Khan and his associates on the directions of Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal.

The intelligence report was received a couple of days before Imran Khan's visit to Pind Daden Khan, Jhelum district, on March 14, the source said.        Fawad Hussain Chaudhry, the party's central spokesman and a close associate of Imran Khan, confirmed the threat.

"Yes, we were conveyed about the threat officially," Fawad was quoted as saying by the paper.

Citing the source, it said that when Imran Khan was addressing party workers in Pind Daden Khan, a phone call had advised him to avoid public appearance.

The call was also made to his party leaders, including Fawad Chaudhry.

Last year on December 27, exactly 10 years after the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, a letter written by the Inter-Services Intelligence to the interior ministry on December 19, 2007 surfaced in a media report in which it was claimed by the agency that Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden had planned her assassination.

The Al Qaeda had claimed responsibility for the deadly attack on Bhutto. -- PTI
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17:40   Mahatama Gandhi's bust vandalised in Rajasthan; 3 held
Three people were today arrested for allegedly desecrating a bust of Mahatama Gandhi in Rajasthan's Rajsamand district, police said.

The accused -- Kuldeep Valmiki, 24, Arvind Valmiki, 24, and Ankit Gehlot, 23 -- vandalised the statue in Holimangra colony in Nathdwara police station area last Monday, they said.

"All three were arrested on the basis of the footage of a CCTV camera installed near the statue," said Manoj Kumar, Superintendent of Police, Rajsamand.

"A resident of the colony had complained in the matter after which a case was registered against unidentified people," he said.

The idol was installed by the Nathdwara Municipality in 2008.   -- PTI
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17:08   BJP will neither abolish quota nor allow anyone to do so: Shah
Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah today said the central government would neither scrap the policy of reservation for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities in education and jobs nor allow anyone to do so.

Addressing a public meeting in Bhawanipatna, Odisha, he said that 'no one can dare to change' the reservation policy 'as set by Dr B R Ambedkar in the Constitution'.

Shah also held the Congress and other opposition parties responsible for the deaths of nearly a dozen people in violence during a nationwide strike called by various Dalit outfits against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

"Why was the bandh call given when the prime minister assured the people that the Centre would submit a review petition on the Supreme Court judgement... 10 people died during the bandh. The Congress and other opposition parties are responsible for the deaths of these 10 people," he said.

The Centre yesterday moved a plea in the Supreme Court seeking to review the March 20 verdict putting safeguards on arrest under the stringent SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The apex court, however, asserted that 'no provisions of the SC/ST Act have been diluted' and refused to keep in abeyance the verdict.

Alleging that a 'misinformation campaign' had been launched in the media and on social media that the BJP would withdraw reservations, Shah said, "I want to make it clear in this public meeting in the presence of so many people that the BJP will not withdraw reservations at all, nor will it allow anyone to do so."

Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP president said, "We have full faith in the Constitution of India. There will not be slightest change in the reservation policy as set by Dr B R Ambedkar in the Constitution. No one can dare to change it. The BJP will also not allow anyone to change the reservation policy."  -- PTI
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17:06   Verdict in black buck case tomorrow; Salman, others reach Jodhpur
Actor Salman Khan and Saif Ali Khan arrive in Jodhpur.

A Jodhpur court will tomorrow pronounce its verdict in the 1998 black buck poaching case against Salman and others.

Final arguments of the case were completed in the trial court on March 28, after which Chief Judicial Magistrate Dev Kumar Khatri had reserved the judgment.

All actors, including Salman, Saif, Tabu Sonali Bendre and Neelam, will be present in the court for the pronouncement of the verdict.

Salman, 52, today boarded a a chartered plane from the Mumbai airport for Jodhpur, after landing from Abu Dhabi, where he went for the shooting for Race 3, sources close to the actor said.

Salman was accused of killing two black bucks in Bhagoda ki Dhani in Kankani village near Jodhpur on the intervening night of 1-2 October, 1998, during the shooting of Hum Saath Saath Hain.

Salman Khan is facing charges under Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act and the other actors have been charged under  Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act read with Section 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code.

"All of them were in a Gypsy car that night, with Salman Khan in the driving seat. He, on spotting a herd of black bucks, shot at and killed two of them,' Public Prosecutor Bhawani Singh Bhati had said.

"But on being spotted and chased, they fled from the spot leaving the dead animals there," he said, adding that there was adequate evidence against them.

Refuting these allegations, Salman Khan's counsel H M Saraswat said there were several loopholes in the prosecution's story and it had failed to prove its case beyond any doubt.

"Prosecution has failed to prove the allegations. It engaged in tampering and fabricating evidence and documents as well as roping in fake witnesses to prove its case," he said.

"It even failed to prove that the black bucks were killed by gunshots. Hence, such investigation cannot be trusted," Saraswat said.

The case also involved two more accused, Dushyant Singh, who was allegedly accompanying the actors when the poaching took place, and Dinesh Gawre, said to be Salman Khan's assistant.

"Gawre never appeared in court and was made to disappear by the main accused. Had he been around, there could have been more information available in the case," Bhati claimed.  -- PTI, ANI
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16:22   Shah to address BJP Foundation Day rally in Mumbai on April 6
BJP president Amit Shah would address a rally in Mumbai on April 6 on the occasion of the
party's 38th Foundation Day, which is seen as a formal launch of its campaign for the 2019 polls.

Party workers from various parts of Maharashtra are expected to attend the event to be held at the MMRDA grounds in the Bandra Kurla Complex in suburban Bandra.

Besides Shah, Union ministers hailing from Maharashtra and other BJP leaders will address the congregation to be held at 11:30 am, state unit president Raosaheb Danve said while
addressing a press conference today.

For the saffron party, the Mumbai venue has an emotional connect, as its first convention after formation of the party was held in the Maharashtra capital in 1980.

-- PTI
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15:55   Come September, tobacco packs to feature 'Quitline' number
Come September, all tobacco products and cigarette packs will have a national toll-free number printed on them to assist users quit addiction, besides warnings, including enhanced pictorial images and text messages, covering 85 per cent of the packet area.

The new warnings will come into effect on September 1.

The text messages that will be printed on the packs are "tobacco causes painful death" and "tobacco causes cancer".

The quitline number - 1800-11-2356 - will also be printed on the packs.

The quitline number is a dedicated toll-free number to help tobacco users receive free support and guidance to subdue their addiction.

The aim is to amplify the message and highlight the ill-effects of tobacco consumption, a health ministry official said.

"For smoking and smokeless forms of tobacco products, the words 'TOBACCO CAUSES CANCER' and the words 'TOBACCO CAUSES PAINFUL DEATH' shall appear in white font colour on a red background, and the words 'QUIT TODAY CALL 1800-11-2356' shall appear in white font colour on a black background," according to the notification.

The government recently introduced a quitline number looking at the results of Global Adult Tobacco Survey report of 2017, which indicated that 62 per cent of cigarette smokers, 54 per cent of bidi smokers and 46 per cent of smokeless tobacco users thought of quitting because of pictorial warning labels on tobacco products.
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15:44   M'rashtra to frame policy in 6 weeks on food pricing in multiplexes
Noting that the cost of food and water inside multiplexes was exorbitant, the Bombay high court today opined that it should be sold at regular prices.   
The Maharashtra government told the court that it would soon frame a policy on the issue.   

A division bench of justices S M Kemkar and M S Karnik was hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by city resident Jainendra Baxi, challenging the prohibition on carrying outside food inside movie theatres and multiplexes across the state.   

The petitioner's lawyer, Aditya Pratap Singh, told the court there does not exist any legal or statutory provision that prohibits one from carrying personal food articles or water inside movie theatres.   

The multiplexes sell food and water inside, but at an increased price, he said.   

Agreeing with this, Justice Kemkar said, "The price of food and water bottles sold inside movie theatres are, indeed, exorbitant. We have ourselves experienced it. You (multiplexes) should sell it at the regular price."   

The court said that if multiplexes were prohibiting people from bringing outside food, then there should be a total prohibition on eatables.   

"Then you (multiplexes) cannot have your own vendors selling food and other snacks inside," Kemkar said.   

Government pleader Purnima Kantharia today told the court that the state would soon frame a policy on the issue, after taking into consideration suggestions submitted by the petitioner and the Multiplex Owners' Association (MOA). The MOA is a nationwide body of cinema theatre owners.   

The policy is likely to be framed within six weeks, she told the court.   

The bench then posted the petition for further hearing on June 12.   

The petition had claimed that restrictions on bringing outside food to theatres, particularly affected the senior citizens, and those who could not eat, for medical reasons, "the junk food that the food stalls in theatres sell".

The petition said that the only concern for the cinema hall owners, managing authorities, and the state must be to ensure that no safety or security rule was breached by the public visiting the theatres.   

Image courtesy PVR; used for representational purpose only
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15:34   Pak violated ceasefire 633 times in 2 months: Govt
Pakistan has violated ceasefire along the LoC and the International Border 633 times in just two months of this year, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.

Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said Pakistan has violated ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir 432 times and along the IB 201 times in January and February, 2018.

In 2017, the ceasefire was violated by Pakistan along the LoC 860 times and 111 times along the IB.

The highest number of such violations took place in 2002, when 8,376 incidents were reported, while 2,045 incidents of ceasefire violations were reported in 2003.

The ceasefire between India and Pakistan along the LoC and the IB in Jammu and Kashmir came into force in November 2003.

-- PTI
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15:07   Day-long fast by AIADMK over Cauvery was farcical: Haasan
Makkal Needhi Mayyam president Kamal Haasan today accused the Tamil Nadu government of being "subservient" to the Centre rather than upholding the state's rights on the Cauvery issue.

The day-long fast observed by the AIADMK yesterday urging the Centre to immediately constitute the Cauvery Management Board "was farcical", Haasan told reporters.

Later, in a statement, he alleged that the state government was being "subservient" to the Centre.

While it was the Centre's responsibility to constitute the CMB, the state government "cannot hallucinate that it has fulfilled its duty towards the people who elected them by just filing a contempt petition after the deadline or by holding a farcical one-day hunger strike", he said in the statement.

"This TN government is functioning like a subservient government to the Centre rather than upholding the state's rights, which is the essence of India's federalism," he said.

Haasan told the reporters that in 2016, when the Supreme Court wanted the Centre to constitute the CMB, the government came up with "lame excuses" and technicalities "to delay it".

"The same act is being replayed," he said.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his party men observed a day-long fast in Chennai yesterday, "condemning the Centre" for not setting up the CMB in compliance with the Supreme Court order.

-- PTI
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14:54   Sensex dips below 33k mark in pre-close trade
Just In: Sensex cracks more than 360 pts to break below the 33,000 mark in pre-close trade; Nifty falls 95 pts to 10,150.35.
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14:52   I walk the path shown by Ambedkar: PM Modi amid Dalit unrest
Days after Dalit protests across the country against the dilution of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Dr BR Ambedkar, claiming that he was walking on the path shown by the architect of the constitution.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Western Annexe of Parliament House, Modi did not make any direct reference to the Bharat Bandh protests that singed large parts of north India on Monday. 

We are walking on the path shown by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. At the core of Dr Ambedkar's ideals is harmony and togetherness. Working for the poorest of the poor is our mission, he said.

The PM added that it was the Vajpayee-led NDA government that had started identifying places of significance related to Ambedkars life and his government was proud to pay tributes to chairman of the Drafting Committee of Indias Constitution.

At least nine people were killed in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh on Monday while thousands were detained by the police and hundreds were left injured as the Centre and state governments struggled to control the massive protests that erupted across the north, west and east India over the Supreme Courts alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act.
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14:48   After Mamata and Naidu, Akhilesh visits Central Hall
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was the cynosure of all eyes in Central Hall of Parliament on Wednesday.   

The ex-CM of Uttar Pradesh, who in interviews to Rediff.com (here, and here) has said that Modi Sarkar's days are clearly numbered, met leaders from across the political spectrum, including Sharad Pawar (NCP), Murli Manohar Joshi and Bhupender Yadav (BJP), Ahmed Patel (Congress), Satish Chandra Mishra (BSP), Jaya Bachchan (SP), and Dr V Maitreyan (AIADMK). 

If Akhilesh was surprised to see young MPs take selfies with him, he didn't show it.   

Other opposition leaders who had made a beeline to Central Hall are Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress and Telugu Desam Party's Chandrababu Naidu, leading some Congress MPs to quip that while marriages maybe made in heaven, political alliances are made in Central Hall.
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14:28   UN terror list has 139 Pakistan entries
The UN Security Council's updated list of terrorists and militant groups has 139 entries from Pakistan alone, including outfits like Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafeez Saeed's Lashkar-e-Tayiba, according to a media report.

The list, headed by Osama bin Laden's heir apparent Ayman al-Zawahiri, identifies all those individuals who have lived in Pakistan, operated from there or have been associated with groups that used Pakistani territory for carrying out their operations, Dawn News reported.

LeT's Hafiz Saeed is listed as a person also wanted by Interpol for his involvement in terrorist activities.
The LeT is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans.

The list also includes Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, an Indian national who, according to the UN Security Council, has held several Pakistani passports issued in Rawalpindi and Karachi, the report said.
 
The UN claims that he owns a palatial bungalow in the hilly area of Noorabad, Karachi, it added.
Kaskar, wanted in India as the mastermind of the Mumbai bomb blasts in 1993 and accused of crimes such as match-fixing and extortion, accrued a vast property portfolio across the Midlands and south-east in the UK as well as India, the UAE, Spain, Morocco, Turkey, Cyprus and Australia.
Haji Mohammed Yahya Mujahid, LeT's media contact, and Hafiz Saeed's deputies, Abdul Salaam and Zafar Iqbal, are also listed. Like Hafiz Saeed, they are all wanted by the Interpol.

-- PTI
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14:11   'Feel honoured and humbled': Anupam Kher nominated for BAFTA award
Actor Anupam Kher has been nominated for a BAFTA in the Best Supporting Actor category, for his performance on the BBC television program, The Boy With The Topknot.

Based on British journalist Sathnam Sanghera's best-selling memoir of the same name, Kher plays the protagonist's father, Jagjit, who suffers from schizophrenia. Actress Deepti Naval is also a part of the series and plays Sathnam's mother Surjit, while actor Sacha Dhawan has essayed the role of Sathnam.

Kher is nominated alongside Adrian Dunbar (for Line of Duty), Bran F O'Byrne (for Little Boy Blue) and Jimmi Simpson (for Black Mirror).

This is the first time Kher has been nominated for a BAFTA. The National Award-winner has regularly acted in international productions. Following his nomination, he tweeted, "hank you @BAFTA for the nomination. I feel honoured and humbled."
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14:01   PM wishes Indian contingent luck for CWG
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today extended his best wishes to the Indian contingent for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, saying the whole country is behind the athletes.
The multi-sport extravaganza begins today with the opening ceremony in the Australian city known for its sandy beaches and surfing spots.

"All the best to the athletes representing India at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games! Our sportspersons have worked tremendously hard and the Games will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase their talent. Every Indian is cheering for our contingent," Modi tweeted.
India have sent a strong 220-strong contingent to the 21st edition of the Games

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13:29   Dalit protests: 5,000 booked, 32 arrested for rioting in Ghaziabad
As many as 5,000 people were booked for creating ruckus and damaging public and government properties here during protests against "dilution" of the provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the Senior Superintendent of Police said.

Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Krishna said police have lodged reports against 5,000 unidentified and 285 named miscreants under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Till now 32 agitators have been arrested and raids are being conducted to arrest others.

Furthermore, police have identified 43 places in urban and 17 places in rural areas of the district as highly sensitive where agitators may disturb peace again. Heavy police forces have been deployed on these points, the SSP said yesterday.

Nine policemen who were injured during the agitations on Monday are still undergoing treatment, Krishna said.

The Supreme Court had on March 20 banned automatic arrests and registration of criminal cases under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

Ruling that no arrest can be made under the Act without prior permission, the apex court had also held that a court can grant anticipatory bail if it, prima facie, finds the complaint is an abuse of the law, false, motivated and intended to blackmail or harass a person.

Monday's 'Bharat Bandh' was called by various Dalit groups and backed by political outfits to demand restoration of the Act to its original form.

-- PTI
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13:00   YouTube shooter held grudge against video platform
The woman who opened fire on three people before killing herself at YouTube's California headquarters has been identified as a frequent user of the site who was furious with the company for their 'dictatorial' new policies.

Nasim Aghdam, 39, shot a man and two women with a handgun when she stormed YouTube's headquarters in San Bruno on Tuesday afternoon. 

Aghdam was a prolific YouTuber who had ranted online against the company's new policies and accused them of censoring her videos.

Witnesses say Aghdam was wearing glasses and a scarf when she managed to walk onto the YouTube campus and open fire on employees in what police believe is a random shooting.

Law enforcement officials had initially said the shooting was being investigated as a domestic dispute after early indications suggested she had shot her boyfriend. 

Aghdam, who was a self-described animal rights activist and 'vegan bodybuilder', had a significant online presence with multiple YouTube channels and social media pages.

In a video that Aghdam posted back in January 2017, she vented about her content being censored. She also said that her YouTube channel, which had more than 5,000 subscribers, used to get many views but claimed she started getting less when the company 'filtered' her videos.
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12:27   5 'minister babas' spark political row in Madhya Pradesh
Five religious leaders have been given 'Minister of State' (MoS) status by the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, a move seen by the opposition Congress as linked to state elections this year.

Narmadanand Maharaj, Hariharanand Maharaj, Computer Baba, Bhayyu Maharaj and Pandit Yogendra Mahant will have the perks enjoyed by ministers because of their membership of a committee set up for the conservation of the river Narmada.

As members of the committee, they have been given the ministerial status, a GAD official said. 

The opposition Congress in the state has called it a gimmick by the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government to score political points and exploit the following of these babas.

"This is also an effort by the chief minister to wash off his sins. He ignored the conservation of the Narmada," said the state Congress spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi.

These five religious leaders in the Narmada committee should find out whether the state government has planted six crore saplings along the banks of the river, as claimed by the chief minister, said Congress the spokesperson. 

State BJP spokesperson, Rajnish Agrawal, scoffed at the criticism and said the opposition dislikes anything related to religious leaders. "Saints and seers were accorded the Minister of State status to make their work of river conservation easy. The saints were roped in for the Narmada conservation work to ensure public participation," Agrawal said.
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12:15  
Lok Sabha adjourned till tomorrow after continuous uproar by AIADMK MPs over Cauvery issue.
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12:08   After Gambhir, Javed Akhtar responds to Shahid Afridi's anti-India remark
Former Pakistan cricket team captain Shahid Afridi had, in a tweet, slammed India yesterday saying the situation in 'Indian Occupied Kashmir' is appalling and worrisome referring to the tense law and order situation in Kashmir due to the recent terrorist clampdown by the Indian security forces.

In his tweet, Shahid Afridi said, "Appalling and worrisome situation ongoing in the Indian Occupied Kashmir. Innocents being shot down by oppressive regime to clamp voice of self determination and independence. Wonder where is the UN and other international bodies and why aren't they making efforts to stop this bloodshed?"

Responding to this, veteran writer, poet and Bollywood lyricist Javed Akhtar said that if Shahid Afridi is worried about 'any human rights violations' in Kashmir, he should first ensure that terrorists from Pakistan do not infiltrate into India and that the Pakistan Army stops supporting the Separatists by closing down the training camps.

Javed Akhtar tweeted, "Dear Mr Afridi, since you want to see a peaceful Jammu and Kashmir sans any human rights violations could you please see to it that Pakistani terrorists stop infiltrations and Pakistan Army stops supporting the Separatists by closing down the training camps? It will greatly help in solving the problem."

Yesterday, Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir had responded to Afridi's comments as well. Gambhir, who will lead Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League this year, said in a tweet that the 'United Nations' in Afridi's 'retarded dictionary' meant "UNDER NINETEEN."
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11:38   Ball-tampering: Steve Smith will not appeal 12-month ban
Former Australia captain Steve Smith says he will not appeal his 12-month ban for ball-tampering.

Smith announced his decision not to fight the sanctions imposed on him by Cricket Australia on Twitter on Wednesday. "I would give anything to have this behind me and be back representing my country. But I meant what I said about taking full responsibility as Captain of the team. I wont be challenging the sanctions. Theyve been imposed by CA to send a strong message and I have accepted them," he wrote on Twitter. 

On March 28, Cricket Australia had announced that it was banning the former captain and vice captain David Warner for their roles in the ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town. 
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11:30   SC dismisses all petitions related to CBSE exam paper leaks
The Supreme Court today dismissed all petitions related to the CBSE's question paper leaks, saying it won't interfere with any of the Board's decision on a re-exam.

The CBSE earlier announced that the Class 12 Economics exam would be held again, on April 25. It also decided against holding a retest for the Class 10 math course.

The top court also turned down plea for a CBI inquiry into the leaks of the Class 10 Mathematics paper and the Class 12 Economics paper. It dismissed a batch of petitions filed by students and parents.

The CBSE yesterday decided to not hold a re-examination for the Class 10 mathematics course even though the question paper for the earlier test was leaked. Its decision came after a thorough analysis and evaluation of the answer sheets showed no specific trend that the leak had impacted the exam outcome, CBSE said.

Meanwhile, three people, including two teachers of a private school, were arrested by the Delhi Police on Sunday for their suspected roles in leakage of the Class 12 economics paper.
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11:08  
JUST IN: Lok Sabha adjourned till noon following protests by AIADMK members.
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10:42   ICICI's Chanda Kochhar pulls out of event where Kovind is chief guest
ICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochar will no longer be the guest of honour at the FICCI Ladies Organisation annual event. 

The event will see President Ram Nath Kovind as the chief guest. The event will take place on April 5 during which 10 entrepreneurs will be honoured.

She was the guest of honour, but she has backed out from the programme. So now she is no longer coming for the event, FLOs executive director Rashmi Sarita said. 

The move comes even as ICICI Bank chairman MK Sharma defended Kochhar saying that she did not need to recuse herself from the credit committee that sanctioned loans to the Videocon group as the group was not an investor in Deepak Kochhars solar energy venture NuPower Renewables when the loan was sanctioned.

Deepak Kochhar is Chandas husband.

The authorities, meanwhile, have intensified their investigation into the matter even as Videocon chairman Venugopal Dhoot and Avista Advisory founder Rajiv Kochhar have denied any wrongdoing.

On Tuesday, the income tax department issued a notice to Deepak Kochhar in connection with a tax evasion probe in the Videocon loan case. The department will probe the finances of the company and those associated with it.
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10:27   India to receive average monsoon rains in 2018, forecasts Skymet
Monsoon rains in India are expected to be average in 2018, the countrys only private weather forecasting agency said on Wednesday, raising prospects of higher farm and economic growth in the $2 trillion economy, Asias third-biggest.

Monsoon rains are expected to be 100 percent of the long-term average, Skymet said in a Tweet.

India defines average, or normal, rainfall as between 96 percent and 104 percent of a 50-year average of 89 cm for the entire four-month season beginning June.
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10:14   Five Maoists killed in Jharkhand
Five Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Serendaag jungle of Jharkhand's Latehar district today, a police officer said.

The encounter between the Maoists and a joint team of the district police and the CRPF is still on, Superintendent of Police Prasant Anand said.

Bodies of the five ultras have been recovered from the spot along with three AK-47 rifles, he said.

-- PTI
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10:09   Yogendra Yadav's Swaraj India to contest Karnataka polls
Swaraj India, led by psephologist-turned-politician Yogendra Yadav, would contest in a dozen seats in the May 12 Karnataka assembly election, said an official.

"As a new and young party, we are making a modest beginning to contest in a dozen assembly constituencies in the state to usher in probity, transparency and accountability in electoral politics," Swaraj India Spokesman B David said.

Releasing the first list of candidates, Yadav said the party would contest two seats in Mandya district, one each in Bengaluru, Chamarajanagara, Chitradurga and Yadgir districts.

The 18-month-old party will declare the remaining six or more candidates in the ensuing days, as the Election Commission will notify the assembly election on April 17, with April 25 the last date for submitting names and April 27 for withdrawal in the single-phase poll. The counting of votes is on May 15.
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09:45   Bharat Bandh: Curfew to remain imposed in various parts of MP
Curfew will remain imposed in various areas of Gwalior, Bhind and Morena districts on Wednesday in the wake of violence witnessed by the state on April 2 during Bharat Bandh.

The curfew, though, would be relaxed for two hours between 10 am and 12 noon, according to police.

On Tuesday, 50 people were arrested for pelting stones at a police party in Morena.

Meanwhile, the death toll in violence reached seven in the state after one more body was recovered last morning.

Violent protests marred the nationwide shutdown that was called by several Dalit organisations to protest against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.

In all, at least 11 people have died across the country in the violence that broke out in various states, including Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Gujarat, and Punjab.

In the latest development, the Supreme Court has refused to put stay order on its March 20 ruling, after Centre filed a review petition against the same.

-- ANI
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09:24   YouTube HQ shooting: Female shooter identified
The woman who shot three people at YouTube headquarters in Northern California has been identified as Nasim Aghdam, two law enforcement sources have told CNN. 

The woman took her own life after the shootings. She was found at the scene and appeared to have killed herself with a handgun, but the investigation is just beginning, San Bruno Police Chief Ed Barberini said.

"We know very, very little right now, and we probably won't know more until tomorrow morning," the chief said.

The shooter is believed to have known at least one of the victims.

The shooter's motive was unclear, Barberini said, adding that it's unclear whether the shooting was a domestic violence incident.
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09:10   To drump up support for special status, Chandrababu Naidu meets Delhi CM
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu at Andhra Bhavan today. 

Naidu, who is on a two-day visit to the national capital arrived on Monday night. On Tuesday, he met several leaders from different parties in the Parliament over securing a Special Category Status for Andhra Pradesh.

The list of party members that Naidu met in the Parliament's central hall are - Sharad Pawar (NCP), Farooq Abdullah (J-K NC), Saugata Roy (TMC), Supriya Sule (NCP), Jyotiraditya Scindia (Congress), Jitender Reddy (TRS), M Veerappa Moily (Congress) and Rajiv Satav (Congress). He also met Anupriya Patel (Apna Dal), Harsimrat Kaur Badal (Shiromani Akali Dal) and Tariq Anwar (NCP).

The Telugu Desam Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre has been at loggerheads over the non-issuance of the special status to the state, which subsequently led to the former withdrawing from the National Democratic Alliance last month.
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08:52   YouTube shooting: Pichai calls it 'unimaginable tragedy', Cook, Nadella offer condolences
A woman opened fire at YouTubes headquarters near San Francisco on Tuesday. According to reports three people were wounded in the shooting at the YouTube headquarters in San Bruno, California. The suspect allegedly shot herself dead, even as employees of the Google-owned company fled their office into the surrounding streets. 

Google CEO Sundar Pichai issued a statement on his Twitter account saying, There are no words to describe the tragedy that occurred today. Susan Wojcicki & I are focused on supporting our employees & the YouTube community through this difficult time together. Thank you to the police and first responders for their efforts, and to all for msgs of support. Wojcicki is the CEO of YouTube.

Apple CEO Tim Cook also spoke out on the tragedy. From everyone at Apple, we send our sympathy and support to the team at YouTube and Google, especially the victims and their families, he wrote on his Twitter feed. 

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella retweeted Sundar Pichais tweet on the YouTube shooting and said that on behalf of all of Microsoft, our hearts are with everyone at YouTube and Google today and all those affected.

Meanwhile, Twitter CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey also reacted to the YouTube shooting in San Bruno, by retweeting a reaction from US President Donald Trump and saying that one can cannot keep hoping that such incidents do not take place again. Jack in his tweet also posted a link to the March for our lives page and asked for policy change.
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08:13   Videocon loan case: I-T department issues notice to Deepak Kochhar
The income tax department on Tuesday issued a notice to Deepak Kochhars troubled firm NuPower Renewables over alleged tax evasion in connection with the Videocon loan case. 

The notice was issued under Section 131 of the Income Tax Act, which allows authorities to conduct inquiries and summon assessees. 

The department has issued a notice to NuPower Renewables, controlled by ICICI MD and CEO Chanda Kochhars husband, said an official. 

Deepak Kochhar, founder & CEO of NuPower Renewables, has been asked to furnish details of I-T returns and his personal finances over the last few years. Details related to business transactions of NuPower Renewables have also been sought, added the official. 

Notices have also been sent to those associated with the company. The department has sent a detailed questionnaire, seeking details of the firm's operations, to be answered by Deepak Kochhar.

The development comes after the CBI registered a preliminary enquiry in a case involving alleged payment made by the Videocon group to NuPower in lieu of a loan sanctioned by ICICI Bank. The bank has denied the allegations.  CBI officials said Deepak Kochhar, who has been named in the PE, would be called for questioning soon.

-- Dilasha Seth/Business Standard
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07:58   Nobody has been tougher on Russia than I have: Trump
US President Donald Trump has said "nobody has been tougher" on Russia than him even as he expressed hope that having a good relationship with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin would be a "great thing".

Trump's comments came yesterday during a meeting with leaders of the Baltic states -- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania -- a day after the White House confirmed the president invited Putin to the Oval Office for a potential meeting.

"I think we'll be able to have great dialogue, I hope. And, if we can't, you'll be the first to know about it. Nobody's been tougher on Russia than I have," he said.

Trump was asked if he considered Putin a friend or a foe.

"It's a real possibility that I could have a good relationship. And remember this: Getting along with Russia is a good thing. Getting along with China is a good thing. Getting along with other countries, including your three countries is a good thing, not a bad thing," Trump told reporters at a White House joint news conference with Baltic leaders.

"So I think I could have a very good relationship with Russia and with President Putin. And if I did, that would be a great thing. And there's also a possibility that won't happen. Who knows?" he said.

Trump noted that the US is "very strong" on energy, which he said, is not good for Russia.

"We're essentially now energy-independent. We're an exporter of energy. That is not a positive for Russia. But it's certainly a positive for the United States," he said.

His administration, Trump said, has just passed a $700 billion military budget.

-- PTI
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00:11   Netanyahu cancels UN deal on African migrants
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled an agreement with the United Nations refugee agency aimed at avoiding forced deportations of thousands of African migrants only hours after having announced the deal himself.

The stunning turnaround after Netanyahu announced the accord in a televised address on Monday afternoon came as he faced mounting pressure from his right-wing base.

The UN refugee agency urged Netanyahu to reconsider.

Monday's announcement drew immediate anger from right-wing politicians, including Netanyahu allies, and many of his traditional supporters.  -- Agencies

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