LIVE! WhatsApp says it collects very little data and every message is end to end encrypted

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Fri, 06 April 2018

WhatsApp says it collects very little data and every message is end to end encrypted

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23:33 2nd post-mortem report of blackbucks nailed Salman

The second post-mortem report of the two blackbucks played a key role in proving that the animals had died of gunshots, as the trial court, while convicting Salman Khan, mentioned that it has been proved beyond doubt that the Bollywood superstar had shot them.

The medical board report stated that there were holes, one inch in diameter, in the bones of blackbuck carcasses and this could be caused by shots fired from a gun.

Relying on this report, the trial court refused to admit the argument of the defence that the hole had been made by the investigator using a charred piece of coal just to establish the story of poaching and frame Salman in the case.

The defence counsel had argued in the court that such a hole could be made using burnt coal but failed to establish the same, leading the court to conclude that it was gun shot.

The defence had also argued the pellets recovered from Salman did not corroborate the story of the prosecution.

The first post-mortem report had ruled out the gunshot injury and the defence stuck to this report.

-- PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India against Gujarat independent MLA Jignesh Mevani.

BJP's Chitradurga district president K S Naveen lodged an FIR against Mevani for his speech in Chitradurga, wherein he urged youth to disrupt Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign program scheduled ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in the state.

Speaking at a rally earlier in the day, Mevani said, "Karnataka youth's biggest role at this time can be when Prime Minister Modi steps foot in Karnataka for the first time for campaign on April 15, then enter his rally, throw chairs in the air, disrupt his function and ask him what happened to two crore jobs?"

He further said that if the PM fails to answer, he should be asked to leave and take shelter at a Ram Mandir in the Himalayas.

At the rally, Mevani denied allegiance to any political party, and added, "I am here to awake the mass about the risk of fascism and ensure that BJP doesn't enter South India."

With the polling day inching closer, the Congress-ruled Karnataka has turned into a political battleground with parties extensively campaigning across the state.

Karnataka will go to polls on May 12 to elect its representatives for the 225-member assembly. The results will be out on May 15.

-- ANI

Facebook-owned WhatsApp today refuted reports that it is keeping track of the messages and said that it collects very little data and every message is end-to-end encrypted.

WhatsApp was responding to concerns by experts that the popular instant messaging service with over 200-million active users in India might not be as secure as being claimed.

Questions were also being raised over certain provisions of the user agreement wherein most of its wrongdoings would go un-remedied and un-challenged.

WhatsApp collects very little data and every message is end-to-end encrypted. Contrary to recent comments in the media, we are not keeping track of the friends and family you have messaged, a WhatsApp spokesperson told PTI.

"The privacy and security of our users is incredibly important to WhatsApp. Invite links are an optional feature available to group administrators to be used only with trusted individuals, the spokesperson told PTI in response to a question.

The popular messaging platform, which was acquired by Facebook in 2014, has one billion users globally and is one of the most popular mediums of instant messaging in India.

In the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, WhatsApp has come under attack from critics.

"One-to-one communication between users are encrypted and may be as secure as WhatsApp claims. But the metadata, information about the calls, is likely being mined by the company," Vivek Wadhwa, a top American technology entrepreneur and academic, said earlier.

"WhatsApp has admitted that it is sharing information about identity and device information with Facebook, allowing it to do the dirty work in snooping on users.

--PTI

Captains of eight teams participating in the 11th edition of Indian Premier League, which is set to commence from tomorrow, today autographed a Tata Nexon SUV, with the aim to increase awareness about the increasing cancer rate in the country.

The autographed compact sports utility vehicle will be auctioned and the proceeds will go to Tata Cancer Care Trust, formed to extend cancer care in India, Tata Motors said in a statement today.

In view of ever-increasing cancer cases in India, it has become extremely important to recognise the means and ways of early detection, Tata Motors said in the statement.

Breaking his silence on his frisking at a US airport last month, Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Friday said that he was neither ashamed at the process, nor did it reduced his status as the country's prime minister.

Abbasi revealed that he had travelled to the US for the last 40 years and has gone through routine security checks multiple times during his visits, Express Tribune reported.

"I've even seen former US president Bill Clinton go through such security checks. When one visits another country, it is best to respect their laws and protocol. I don't think it reduces my respect, I think it increases it. Whether I am the Prime Minister or not, it should not be deemed disrespectful if I went through their security check," Abbasi said.

The Pakistan PM explained that he could have requested for VIP protocol by writing a letter to the US embassy and asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to accompany him at the airport and "they would have concealed me and taken me through secret pathways at the airport", but he opted not to.

"The law is the same for everyone and I think it's more respectful to be in accordance with the law," Abbasi further said.

Last month, there were reports that Abbasi was frisked at the John F. Kennedy airport in New York during the security procedure.

A video of the incident showed Prime Minister Abbasi, who reportedly was on a private visit to meet his ailing sister in the US, adjusting his t-shirt after getting out of security checks with his jacket and a trolley bag.

-- ANI

The Indian Air Force will carry out one of its biggest combat exercises from Sunday to check its operational preparedness with a focus on dealing with any possible security challenges from China and Pakistan.

Officials said the two-week long exercise named 'Gaganshakti' will involve almost the entire assets of the IAF including its fighter squadrons and the main objective of the day and night drill will be to check war waging capability of the force.

The first phase of the exercise will focus on northern borders and second phase will be carried out to check preparedness in case of a war-like situation along the western borders.

The officials said the exercise from April 8-22 will be one of the biggest in recent decades, adding Pakistan has already been informed about it as per laid down protocol.

"The aim of this exercise is real time coordination, deployment and employment of air power in a short and intense battle scenario," the IAF said in a statement.

It said the IAF will utilise the exercise to validate new strategies and tactics with a focus on recently inducted or upgraded assets and equipment.

"This exercise will hone the war fighting skills of the air warriors in a real time scenario thus affirming the IAF's role as the cutting edge of our nation's military capability," the IAF said.

It said concepts of accelerated operations, network centric operations, long range missions with concentrated weapon releases across all air to ground ranges in India and inter valley troop transfer have been planned as part of the exercise.

It will also focus on flexible use of airspace, joint maritime air operations with the Indian Navy, joint operations with the Indian Army, simulated combat search and rescue for effective extraction of downed aircrew behind enemy lines, mass casualty evacuation from highway among others.

-- PTI

21:37 26/11 mastermind Saeed mocks US ban on MML

Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed today mocked the US decision to designate JuD's political front Milli Muslim League as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, saying the move has proved the party's "credibility.

In a setback to Saeed's political ambition, the US on Tuesday designated the MML as a terrorist organisation, making it difficult for it to get registered with Pakistan's election commission.

Pakistan is set to hold general elections this year.

Well, a party's that is banned by the US is the one that actually holds some credibility, Saeed, who is the chief of the JuD, said at a rally.

The Americans, he added, understand that this is the political party they cannot be an ally with.

Saeed also asked Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to dedicate the rest of his day in office for the cause of Kashmir.

The US will exclude your name from among its loyalists, but that will be a matter of honour, he said.

-- PTI

Fight for granting special status to Andhra Pradesh continued as Members of Parliament of Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party on Friday sat on an indefinite hunger strike in New Delhi.

The MPs, staged a protest near Andhra Pradesh Bhawan, submitted their resignations to Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan earlier today.

Earlier in the day, the MPs from Telugu Desam Party staged a 'dharna' (sit in protest) at the Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan's chamber at Parliament, who wasn't present in her office.

Also, in Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada city today, Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena and Left Parties organised a padyatra (foot-march) for the same.

Following the resignation of YSR Congress Party MPs from Lok Sabha, party president Jagan Mohan Reddy challenged Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu to make his MPs resign.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be touring in Bengaluru division for two days from

tomorrow for campaigning ahead of the May 12 assembly polls in Karnataka.

Gandhi will tour in Kolar, Chikkaballapura and Bengaluru as part of his sixth leg of poll campaign in the state, party sources said.

The Congress president will begin his tour by visiting Kudumalai Ganesha temple at Mulabagilu and will later take part in a road show.

He is also scheduled to address corner meeting and public meeting at Kolar and Chikkaballapura respectively.

On April 8, Gandhi is scheduled to take part in an interaction with Safai Karmacharis and industrialists in Bengaluru, following which he will address a public meeting

to mark the conclusion of 'Janashirvada Yatra'.

The Congress President had earlier toured in northern and coastal districts, also in old Mysuru and central Karnataka districts.

Visits to temples, mutts, church and dargha were part of Gandhi's successive trips to the poll bound state.

-- PTI

20:31 Poisoned ex-spy improving rapidly: UK hospital

Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal is responding well to treatment, improving rapidly and no longer in a critical condition, hospital officials said today.

Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, have been in hospital since they were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury on March 4 after a deadly nerve agent attack.

"He is responding well to treatment, improving rapidly and is no longer in a critical condition," said Dr Christine Blanshard, medical director at the Salisbury District Hospital.

Yesterday, Yulia issued a statement from the hospital to say her "strength is growing daily".

About Yulia's condition, the doctor said, "Last Thursday, I informed you that Yulia Skripal's condition had improved to stable. As Yulia herself says, her strength is growing daily and she can look forward to the day when she is well enough to leave the hospital."

"Any speculation on when that date will be just that speculation. In the meantime, Yulia has asked for privacy while she continues to get better - something I'd like to urge the media to respect," she said.

Meanwhile, the UK government has confirmed that two guinea pigs were found dead at the home of Skripal.

The UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs also said that a cat found in a distressed state at the house in Salisbury was put down by a vet.

The confirmation came yesterday amid concerns raised by Russia over the welfare of Sergei Skripal's pets as Moscow continued to deny any involvement in the attack.

-- PTI

US President Donald Trump, who often accuses the media of spreading fake news, will skip the annual White House Correspondents Dinner, second year in a row.

White House Correspondents' Association president Margaret Talev confirmed that the president does not plan to participate in the dinner on April 28.

This is for the second consecutive year that Trump has declined to attend the annual mega event of the journalists who cover the White House.

Held every year, mostly on the last Saturday of April, the White House Correspondents Dinner is considered as a signature event in the nation's capital and has been addressed by the presidents in the past.

However, unlike last year, senior administration officials, including White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, would be attending the dinner.

"The White House has informed us that the president does not plan to participate in this year's dinner but that he will actively encourage members of the executive branch to attend and join us as we celebrate the First Amendment," Talev said.

-- PTI

Government websites, including those of defence and home ministries, have not come under any cyber attack, but suffered a hardware-related glitch, National Cyber Security Coordinator Gulshan Rai said today.

Explaining the outage, he said the websites have been down since afternoon after it was noticed that there was a "storage area networking system" failure.

"The same is being addressed. It is only a hardware failure," Rai, who has been working in the field of cyber security since 1998, said.

"There is no hacking or cyber attack," Rai, who heads the cyber security unit, said.

Rai, who was earlier heading the computer emergency response team, said that nearly a dozen government websites hosted by National Infomatics Centre, including defence, home, department of law and labour, were affected due to the outage.

"The hardware is being replaced and they will be up very soon," Rai said.

-- PTI

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has been admitted to AIIMS and will be operated tomorrow, said sources.

On Thursday, it was reported that the finance minister was suffering from a kidney ailment and may have to undergo a possible transplant.

Jaitley has skipped office since Monday and even cancelled his scheduled visit to London to attend the 10th India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue.

A source at AIIMS said that the minister is likely to undergo kidney transplant and it is learnt that formalities for a donor kidney have been completed.

The minister did not elaborate on the ailment, but said he is currently working from controlled environment at home. The future course of my treatment would be determined by the doctors treating me.

Sources said Jaitley's present condition may be a fallout of the bariatric surgery he had undergone soon after the Bharatiya Janata Party government came to power at the Centre in 2014.

Bharatiya Janata Party MP from West Delhi Parvesh Verma has written a letter seeking to change the date for Children's Day from November 14 to December 26, which is the martyrdom day of 'Sahibzaade', the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh.

"60 BJP MPs have signed the letter, I will also talk to Congress MPs," Verma said.

"At the time, the Congress government imposed on us to celebrate Children's Day on the birth anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. We refer to Pandit Nehru as 'Chacha' (uncle) so why don't we celebrate that day as Chacha Diwas. Since Children's day is centered around children, I couldn't find anyone better than the four children of Guru Gobind Singh the 'Char Sahibzaade' who martyred themselves, so why don't we celebrate their martyrdom day as Children's Day?" he explained.

Children's Day is celebrated across the country on November 14, the birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India and former Congress president.

The Trump administration is unleashing additional sanctions against seven Russian oligarchs with ties to President Vladimir Putin along with 12 companies they own or control.

The measures announced by the Treasury Department on Friday were also aimed at 17 senior Russian government officials and the state-owned Russian weapons trading company, Rosoboronexport, which has long-standing ties to Syria and its subsidiary, Russian Financial Corporation Bank.

"Russian oligarchs and elites who profit from this corrupt system will no longer be insulated from the consequences of their government's destabilizing activities," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement, citing Russia's occupation in Crimea and its ongoing efforts to supply the Assad regime in Syria with materials and weapons.

The action targets Russian oligarchs including Kirill Shamalov, who married Putin's daughter and has amassed a fortune since they tied the knot in February 2013; Oleg Deripaska, a senior Russian official who has been investigated for money laundering; and Suleiman Kerimov, who allegedly brought millions of euros into France in suitcases, according to the Treasury Department.

18:11 India to procure 110 fighter aircraft

India will procure 110 fighter aircraft, said the ministry of defence on Friday.

Request for Information for procurement of fighter aircraft for Indian Air Force for 110 fighter aircraft has been released by the ministry of defence.

"Procurement should have a maximum of 15 percent aircraft in flyway condition and 85 percent will be manufactured in India under 'Make in India'," said the ministry of defence.

It added that 25 per cent fighter aircraft will be twin seat and 75 per cent single seat.

-- ANI

Trinamool Congress has hit out at Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah for his remark, saying that the language used was sickening.

In a tweet, the Mamata Banerjee-led party wrote, "Sickening language used. Of course we are political rivals, can we expect such language from the national president of the party in power? Basic courtesy? Too much to ask for."

The tweet comes after the BJP president made stinging comments against the Opposition parties, which are making efforts to form a coalition to take on the BJP in next year's Lok Sabha polls, by equating them to 'snakes', 'mongoose', 'dogs' and 'cats'.

During a flood, all the rats, dogs, cheetah, mongoose and cats climb on board a floating log to save themselves from the flood. However they will not be safe from the Modi flood which will sweep them away," Shah said at a mega rally in Mumbai.

The BJP chief was in the city along with senior BJP ministers Nitin Gadkari and Piyush Goyal and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the occassion of BJP's 38th Foundation Day celebrations.

The CBI today questioned a former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank, H R Khan, in connection with alleged bank fraud cases involving diamond traders Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi and relaxation of gold import policy by the erstwhile UPA government, sources said today.

The officials said he was questioned about the UPA government's 20:80 gold import scheme, which was cleared by then Finance Minister Chidambaram on May 13, 2014, barely three days before the counting of votes of the general election.

The central investigation agency, which is probing the alleged Rs 13,000-crore PNB fraud involving billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, had yesterday questioned three Chief General Managers and one General Manager of the Reserve Bank of India, officials said.

-- PTI

The official website of the India's ministry of defence appears to have been hacked. "The website encountered an unexpected error. Please try again later" message is being flashed on the home page.

More details are awaited.

Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam leader T T V Dinakaran today appealed to cricket lovers to shun IPL matches scheduled to be held in Chennai to "strengthen the voice of farmers" seeking setting up of the Cauvery Management Board.

"I appeal to cricket lovers to boycott the IPL matches to strengthen the voice of farmers in the protest to retrieve rights on Cauvery (river water)," Dinakaran said in a tweet.

Seven IPL matches are scheduled to be held here between April 10 and May 20.

He said the IPL matches were to be held at a time when people were holding protests every day to partake in the grief of farmers.

The entire state has risen against the alleged "injustice perpetrated on us by the state and central governments on the Cauvery (issue), the lifeline of Tamil Nadu," he said in his Twitter handle.

He is set to embark on a series of protests covering the Cauvery basin regions of Tamil Nadu beginning tomorrow over the river water issue, to "condemn the state and central governments" for not setting up the Cauvery Management Board.

On April 7, the protest will be held in Dharmapuri district and on April 10 in Salem.

-- PTI

Simi Garewal, TV hostess and yesteryear actress has set off a storm with her tweet about actor Salman Khan's conviction in the blackbuck killing case.

'Of one thing I am dead sure..@BeingSalmanKhan would NEVER EVER harm any animal. He loves them too much. The real culprit should be exposed. 20 years is too long to bear someone else's cross,' she posted on Twitter, drawing a torrent of comments, many of them supportive.

But what does Salman Khan himself have to say about this?

In an interview to Koel Puri Rinchet in 2008, when she tells Salman that she doesn't think he would have shot the blackbucks if he had known they were an endangered species, the actor pauses for around 15 seconds, sighs, and says, "It's a long story there."

And against pauses for a while, looking at Koel meaningfully, before saying slowly, "And I wasn't the one who shot the blackbucks."

When Koel probes, "So you took the rapt for it?' Salman replies, "No, no," and pauses, but doesn't say anything beyond that.

When she persists with, But you didn't point fingers at anyone else, he says, "There's no point," after which the interview meanders off to other aspects of his imprisonment.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said there was a "crisis of credibility" for politicians in the country due to the perception that there was a vast difference in their "words and deeds".

Delivering awards to young women entrepreneurs at a function organised by business chamber FICCI, Singh also said there was a general perception that politicians cannot be successful without telling lies.

"I work in political arena. I know that there is a crisis of credibility for politicians. There is a general perception that there is a vast difference in the words and deeds of politicians," he said.

The home minister said he represents Lucknow constituency in the Lok Sabha but during campaigning he never promised and only assured the electorate that he would "try" to do the work needed by them.

"Whatever may be the circumstances, knowingly, I will not tell any lie. I just tell people that if you bless me, I would try to do the work (they need)," he said.

Referring to the achievements of women in different fields, Singh said they have been successful in all walks of life and the government has been giving them encouragement.

"When I was the BJP president, I took a decision that women must have 33 per cent representations from national to village level in the party. The BJP was the first political party to amend its Constitution to this effect," he said.

Singh said that as the home minister, he advised the state governments to increase the representation of women in police forces to 33 per cent and has directed the paramilitary forces to do the same.

"Women in paramilitary forces are performing exceedingly well," he said. -- PTI

15:39 Rahul wishes Jaitley speedy recovery

Congress president Rahul Gandhi today wished speedy recovery to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who is suffering from a kidney ailment.

"I'm truly sorry to hear this @arunjaitley ji. I pray for your speedy recovery," Gandhi tweeted.

Jaitley, 65, who had skipped office since Monday and even oath of office after being re-elected to the Rajya Sabha, spoke about his illness in a tweet yesterday.

"I am being treated for kidney related problems & certain infections that I have contracted. I am therefore currently working from controlled environment at home. The future course of my treatment would be determined by the doctors treating me," he had said on the micro-blogging site Twitter. -- PTI

Several trains arrived late in Mumbai after Bharatiya Janata Party workers, being ferried in special services for the party's 38th Foundation Day rally at BKC, insisted on unscheduled halts enroute, Western Railway officials on condition of anonymity said today.

The BJP, in order to bring in as many workers as possible for its rally, had chartered 28 trains, with 11 of them terminating on WR and 17 on CR, said officials.

However, BJP workers alleged that their special trains were late by two to five hours as the Railways did not run them on priority.

Rail activist Subhash Gupta, who was tasked with the railway arrangement by the BJP, confirmed that trains came in late but refused to blame the railways.

"It is true that all the trains arrived late on Central and Western Railways. But we should not blame the railways as special trains are run for a specific purpose and they are operated in a certain manner so that the schedules of regular trains are not hit or compromised," Gupta said.

Gupta, a former member of the National Railway Users Consultative Committee, praised the Railways for ensuring that regular trains were not delayed because of the special services.

Gupta informed that a train, scheduled to arrive in Bandra station at 8am, arrived at 1pm.

Railway officials attributed this delay to passengers demanding an unscheduled and longer halt at Nandurbar station.

Motorists had a tough time during morning rush hour, especially on the arterial Western Express Highway between Andheri and Bandra, as party workers coming in for the rally by road contributed to massive traffic snarls.

The Traffic Police had earlier issued an advisory asking people to avoid, as far as possible, some arterial roads like Santa Cruz Chembur Link Road (SCLR), Surve junction on LBS Road, Sion Junction, Dharavi T Junction, Hansbhugra Marg, CST Road, Nehru Road till Ambedkar Junction and Sharadadevi Road. -- PTI

Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah today said that his party is committed to not to allow removal of reservation against SC/STs.

Speaking in Mumbai on party's 38th Foundation Day rally, Shah said that it was under the Narendra Modi government, our solders carried out surgical strikes.

"After Uri attack, under Narendra Modi government, within 10 days, our solders carried out surgical strikes. Rahul baba you won't understand, the surgical strikes changed the way world sees us," he said.

"Rahul Gandhi is asking us about farmer issues, what they did for farmers during their tenure?" he added.

Taking on the opposition over impasse in Parliament, Shah said, "PM Narendra Modi ensured that the Parliament functions smoothly but the opposition did not let that happen. Today, Parliament was adjourned sine die."

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has expressed his concern at the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, his spokesperson said as he reiterated that the UN chief's "good offices" to help resolve disputes between nations are available only if requested for by both sides.

"The secretary-general has expressed and will continue to express his concern at the situation. I think we spoke about it earlier in the week, reminding all parties of the need to protect civilians," Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at United Nations yesterday.

Dujarric was responding to a question on the situation in Kashmir and whether the secretary-general had spoken with Indian authorities.

He said as a "matter of principle", in any issue where there are differences to be bridged between member states, "the good offices of the United Nations are available, but they only work if both parties require, ask for it and are open to it".

Dujarric stressed that the reference for good offices is not particularly for the situation in Kashmir.

"And that's, I'm not talking about Kashmir. I'm just talking about a question of principle of the UN and how its good offices work," he said, adding that the situation in Kashmir is one that the UN continues to follow "very closely". -- PTI

The Central Bureau of Investigation questioned Rajiv Kochhar, ICICI Bank MD and CEO Chanda Kochhar's brother-in-law, for the second day today in connection with the bank's Rs 3,250 crore loan to Videocon Group in 2012, officials here said.

Rajiv Kochhar, who was asked to appear at the CBI office in Mumbai, was examined about the loan and his links with Venugopal Dhoot, the promoter of the Videocon Group, and Videocon, they said.

He was detained at the Mumbai airport yesterday, as he was trying to board a flight for a South East Asian country, on the basis of a look out circular issued by the CBI, they said.

He was questioned by the CBI yesterday as well after his detention at the airport.

The agency has registered a preliminary probe naming Videocon Group promoter Venugopal Dhoot, Deepak Kochhar and unidentified others in connection with the loan, they said.

A preliminary inquiry is the first step by the CBI to gather information about the allegations.

If the agency is convinced there exists prima facie material in the matter, it may register a regular case against the accused.

The deal recently made news after reports questioned the loan and linked it to a possible quid pro quo that Dhoot allegedly had with NuPower Renewables, a company founded by Deepak Kochchar, Chanda Kochar's husband and Rajiv Kochar's brother.

Last week, the ICICI Bank board came out in support of Chanda Kochhar, saying it had full faith and confidence in her.

It described reports against her regarding credit disbursement to Videocon Group as "malicious and unfounded rumours".

The board also reviewed the bank's internal processes for credit approval and found them robust, the private sector lender had said in a statement.

With regard to loans to Videocon Group, it said the bank's current exposure was part of a syndicated consortium arrangement.

"ICICI Bank was not the lead bank for this consortium and the bank only sanctioned its share of facilities aggregating approximately Rs 3,250 crore which was less than 10 per cent of the total consortium facility in April 2012," it added.

The bank had clarified that none of the investors of NuPower Renewables were borrowers of ICICI Bank. -- PTI

Disruptions led to loss of more than 127 hours of the budget session in the Lok Sabha with just about 0.58 per cent of starred questions answered during 29 sittings before the House adjourned sine die today.

Protests by members from various parties on diverse issues marred proceedings almost every day during the two-phase budget session. The second leg of the session, that started on March 5, had 22 sittings that were mostly disrupted.

In her summary report, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said the House functioned for a total of 34 hours and 5 minutes during the 29 sittings.

A total of 127 hours and 45 minutes were affected due to "interruptions and forced adjournments". Around 9 hours and 47 minutes went in to transact urgent government business, Mahajan said.

According to her, out of the 580 starred questions, answers were given to 17 of them in the floor of the House and this translates to "0.58" questions being answered on an average every day.

Written replies for remaining starred questions and 6,670 unstarred questions were tabled in the House.

Just five bills were passed and five were introduced during the budget session in the Lok Sabha.

'The Finance Bill 2018', 'The Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017' and 'The Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill, 2017' were among those bills that were passed.

Discussions on Presidential address took place for 10 hours and 43 minutes while that on budget went on for 12 hours and 13 minutes.

"This House is a sacred platform for members to raise issues related to public interest and public welfare," Mahajan said even as she emphasised that they need to keep in mind the larger interest of the country.

"I have always tried that members who have given notices raise their issues in the House...," she said. -- PTI

The Delhi high court today sought the Enforcement Directorate's response on a plea by diamantaire Mehul Choksi's firm Gitanjali Gems in a money laundering case in connection with the over Rs 11,000 crore Punjab National Bank fraud case.

Justices S Muralidhar and I S Mehta issued notice to the ED, which was represented through advocate Amit Mahajan, on the plea challenging the alleged illegal seizure of documents and articles by the probe agency.

The court said it will hear the matter along with a similar pending plea of billionaire Nirav Modi's firm Firestar Diamond on April 11.

Advocate Sanjay Abott, appearing for Gitanjali Gems, sought direction to quash the ED's move of seizing the firm's moveable properties.

Nirav, his uncle Choksi and others are being investigated by multiple probe agencies after the scam came to light in January following a complaint by the PNB that they had allegedly cheated the nationalised bank to the tune of Rs 11,400 crore, with the purported involvement of a few employees of the bank.

The ED has registered the money laundering case against Nirav Modi, his firms and others on the basis of a CBI FIR.

The CBI and the ED have registered the cases and intensified the crackdown on Nirav Modi and Choksi with the ED seizing jewellery and assets worth thousands of crores of rupees, the I-T department attaching various properties, and the CBI grilling several senior executives of his company. -- PTI

With an aim to safeguard investors' interest, leading stock exchanges -- Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange -- have advised their members to take extra caution while trading in as many as 194 illiquid stocks.

Illiquid stocks are the ones which cannot be sold easily because they see limited trading.

These stocks pose higher risks to investors because it is difficult to find buyers for them as compared to frequently traded shares.

In similar-worded circulars, both the exchanges advised their trading members "to exercise additional due diligence while trading in these securities either on own account or on behalf of their clients."

BSE and NSE have listed out 186 and 8 illiquid stocks, respectively, where additional due diligence is required.

Illiquid scrips listed by both the exchanges, include Bilpower, Creative Eye, Euro Multivision, GI Engineering Solutions, Jaihind Projects, Usha Martin Education & Solutions, Quintegra Solutions and Radaan Mediaworks India Ltd.

These scrips will be traded in periodic call auction mechanism from April 9, the exchanges noted.

In December 2014, Sebi had relaxed the norms for trading in illiquid stocks. The move was aimed at shifting various illiquid scrips to normal trading session from the periodic call auction, the window where these stocks are currently traded. -- PTI

Even as the Parliament has adjourned sine die, Telugu Desam Party MPs are staging a dharna in Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan's chambers.

However, Mahajan is not present in the chamber, news agency ANI has reported.

The TDP MPs have created ruckus in the Parliament demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.

TDP MPs yesterday protested in Rajya Sabha chamber and refused to leave even after the house was adjourned for the day at around 2.30pm.

The members were in the night around 8.15 pm marshalled out along with the party's Lok Sabha MPs who held protests in the Central Hall in solidarity.

The TDP parted ways with the NDA last month alleging failure in fulfilling the promises made in the State Reorganisation Act.

Earlier in the morning, TDP president Chandrababu Naidu asked the party's MPs to intensify their protest for special category status for Andhra Pradesh.

This morning in Amaravati, the Andhra Pradesh chief minister led a cycle rally of his ministers and TDP legislators protesting the Centre's attitude towards the state, vis-a-vis the implementation of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.

13:08 Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die

The second half of the Parliament's budget session ended in a complete washout today.

Both the Houses adjourned without transacting any legislative business.

The session, which began on March 5, has seen no legislative business transacted except for the Finance Bill by the Lok Sabha.

12:50 5 YSRCP MPs resign from Lok Sabha

Five MPs of the YSR Congress Party have submitted their resignations to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to protest the "failure" of the National Democratic Alliance government to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

12:16

India's Deepak Lather wins bronze medal in weightlifting in men's 69kg category.

As many as nine women farm workers were killed today after their tractor-trolley fell into a canal in Nalgonda district this morning, police said.

The accident occurred when the tractor-trolley's driver allegedly lost control over the vehicle while talking on his mobile-phone, they said.

The vehicle fell into the Alimineti Madhava Reddy Canal in the district.

Nalgonda superintendent of police A V Ranganath said about 30 people were in the tractor-trolley.

They were going from Padamati Tanda hamlet to Pulicherla for agricultural work, he said.

"As per the preliminary inquiry, it came to our notice that the driver of the vehicle was talking over mobile phone when the accident occurred. We will verify that. Apparently the driver lost control of the vehicle and it fell into the canal," Ranganath told PTI.

"With the help of locals, we have rescued about 20 people from the canal. Post-mortem of the deceased is being conducted," he added.

He said a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, has been registered against the driver, who is at large.

Power Minister G Jagadish Reddy, who hails from Nalgonda district, expressed shock over the incident. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today accused the opposition of divisive politics and announced that Bharatiya Janata Party MPs will observe a fast on April 12 to protest the impasse in Parliament, for which he blamed the Congress.

The prime minister said at a BJP parliamentary party meeting that the ruling party was doing an inclusive politics while the opposition was doing divisive and negative politics due to the saffron party's rising strength, Union Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters.

With opposition parties targeting the government over Dalit protests, Modi said BJP MPs and other leaders will spend a night between April 14 and May 5 in over 20,844 villages with over 50 per cent population of scheduled castes and tribes to inform the masses about the Centre's various measures aimed at their welfare.

The party will also take out 'sabka saath sabka vikas yatra', Kumar said.

On a day the BJP is celebrating its 38th foundation day, Modi said it has become the largest party due to people's blessings and tireless efforts of its workers and also paid tributes to many of its late leaders and workers.

The foundation day is dedicated to those who sacrificed their lives for the party's growth, the prime minister said. -- PTI

11:39 Nepal PM arrives in India on three-day visit

Nepal's Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli arrived in Indai today on a three-day visit during which he will hold talks with the Indian leadership to boost ties between the two countries.

Oli was received at the airport by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

He will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the evening and will hold delegation-level talks tomorrow.

The visiting leader will be accorded a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan tomorrow.

On the third day of his visit, the Nepalese premier will visit the G B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar, Uttarakhand.

He will visit the Breeder Seed Production Centre and an integrated farming project there.

Oli will also be conferred with a Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science at the university.

While congratulating Oli over phone on his appointment to the top executive post in February, Prime Minister Modi had extended an invitation to him for a visit to India.

In February, Oli took charge as Nepal's prime minister for the second time. -- PTI

Bollywood actor Salman Khan will spend one more night in the jail as a Jodhpur court will hear his bail in the blackbuck poaching case tomorrow.

The court will hear Salman's bail plea tomorrow at 10.30 am.

On Thursday, Salman was sentenced to five years in prison for killing two blackbucks by a court.

The court in Jodhpur acquitted other actors Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre and a local, Dushyant Singh, giving them the 'benefit of doubt' for the incident in October 1998.

11:08 Sage Vishvamitra in Parliament

Telugu Desam Party MP Naramalli Sivaprasad dresses up as Sage Vishvamitra to protest over the demand of special status for Andhra Pradesh.

See: Many avatars of TDP MP Naramalli Sivaprasad

11:05 Friends call on Salman Khan's family in Mumbai

Following actor Salman Khan's conviction in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case by a Jodhpur court on Thursday, a host of industry friends dropped in at the superstar's residence to meet his family.

Family members including brother Sohail and Arbaaz, brother in law Aayush Sharma were at Salman's Galaxy Apartment in Mumbai's tony suburb of Bandra to meet with the guests.

Soon after the judgment was announced, Congress leader and former legislator from the area Baba Siddiqui rushed to the actor's house. Arbaaz's ex-wife Malaika and her sister Amrita Arora, Race 3 producer Ramesh Taurani, Sonakshi Sinha, along with her parents Shatrughan and Poonam Sinha, Sneha Ullal and Daisy Shah were seen visiting his residence.

Sonakshi, Sneha and Daisy were launched in Bollywood as actors by Salman.

Filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala, who is a close friend of the the 52-year-old actor, cancelled the success party of his latest release, Baaghi 2, and left for Jodhpur.

After the verdict, fans gathered outside the Sultan actor's house, leading to enhanced police presence outside the building.

Actor Varun Dhawan, who was in Delhi to promote his upcoming film October, tweeted, "I know for a fact that Salmanbhai and his family have the utmost respect and faith in our judiciary system. Salman Khan is one of the strongest and most genuine people I know and I'm sure he will come out of this stronger."

Five MPs of the YSR Congress Party have announced that they will resign from the Lok Sabha today to protest the "failure" of the National Democratic Alliance government to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, the MPs had also said they are outraged as their notices for no confidence motion against the NDA government could not be taken up for discussion in the House due to continuous disruptions.

The YSR Congress MPs had given notices for no confidence motion against the government for its failure to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

The MPs said they would be submitting their resignation letters to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan tomorrow, the last day of the Budget session.

YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy had announced in February that the party's five MPs would resign if its demand for Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh was not fulfilled by the Centre.

The YSRCP and the TDP, which walked out of the BJP-led NDA, had given notices for no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha.

The Bihar government has allotted over Rs 2 lakh for the repair and restoration of Gudri mosque and Jiaul-Ulum madrassa situated in Samastipur, both of which were damaged in the recent communal violence in the state.

The home department, headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has allotted Rs 2,13,700 for the repair work.

Reportedly, the government has also released Rs 25 lakh as compensation 'for those whose shops were burnt in arson during a Ram Navami procession' in Aurangabad.

A similar provision of Rs 8.5 lakh has been made for compensating six affected people in Nawada district as well.

Recently, communal clashes, which broke out between two groups in Bhagalpur and Aurangabad on the occasion of Ram Navami, spilt over to other parts of the state after miscreants vandalised a Hanuman idol in Nawada.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday greeted Bharatiya Janata Party workers on the occasion of party's foundation day (Sthapana Diwas) and asserted the BJP will continue to make relentless efforts in transforming India.

The prime minister also expressed gratitude towards fellow countrymen for electing the BJP.

The prime minister in a tweet said: "I thank my sisters and brothers of India for their unwavering faith in @BJP4India. It is our commitment that we will continue to devote ourselves towards India's transformation."

Further crediting workers for their contribution in building the party, the prime minister underlined that for the BJP, its party workers are everything.

"I bow all @BJP4India karyakartas on the special occasion of the Party's Sthapana Diwas. We remember, with great pride, the heroic service and sacrifice of all karyakartas who built the BJP and committed themselves towards creating a stronger and better India," he said.

"For @BJP4India, the karyakartas are everything. They are the heart and soul of the party, whose sweat has taken the party to new heights. It is due to their efforts that we have the honour to serve people all over India and fulfil their aspirations," he added.

The prime minister further termed the BJP as the party of New India and said those associated with it were privileged to receive the blessings of people of all age groups across all sections of society.

"We are a party that believes in India's diversity, our unique culture and above all the strengths of 125 crore Indians," he said.

Residents of Mumbai will have to brace for massive traffic jams ahead of the Bharatiya Janata Party's foundation day celebrations today at the MMRDA grounds in Bandra Kurla Complex.

BJP chief Amit Shah, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and other senior party leaders will address party workers at the event.

The event will be a show of strength for the party.

The BJP has booked 28 trains from across the state, as also 50,000 private buses and vehicles for transportation.

Shah arrived in the city on Thursday evening and was welcomed by BJP cadres who organised a bike rally bringing traffic to a standstill on the arterial Western Express Highway, a road that connects the Mumbai's western suburbs to the city.

Superstar Amitabh Bachchan was among those who was in traffic on Thursday evening.

" A 30 min drive .. takes 5 hours .. ! thats the Phantom movie camera moving at 500 frames per second .. Film City to JVPD Scheme, Juhu .. normal camera moves at 24 frames," he tweeted.

Image: BJP workers took out a bike rally to welcome party president Amit Shah on Thursday. Photograph: Kind Courtesy @AmitShah/Twitter

10:15 PM Modi attends BJP parliamentary meeting

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Krishna Advani at the parliamentary party meet in New Delhi.

The benchmark BSE Sensex lost over 93 points to 33,503.25 in early trade today on profit-booking by participants, ignoring a firm trend at other Asian bourses.

The 30-share index fell 93.55 points, or 0.27 per cent, to 33,503.25 with sectoral indices, including metal, capital goods, IT, auto and teck, trading in the negative territory with losses up to 1.06 per cent.

Domestic equities opened lower after Thursday's rally with benchmark Sensex rising up 577 points yesterday after the RBI kept the policy rate unchanged but said growth will rebound this fiscal amid softening inflation.

The 50-share NSE Nifty also shed 19.50 points, or 0.18 per cent, to 10,305.65.

Brokers said, selling by participants, mostly of a profit-booking nature, attributed the fall in select counters but a firm trend at other Asian markets, kept the fall limited.

The laggards were Tata Motors, Infosys, L&T, Axis Bank, SBI, Tata Steel, Hindustan Unilever, TCS, M&M, Wipro, Kotak Bank, Hero MotoCorp and Maruti Suzuki, falling up to 1.07 per cent.

Among other Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei rose 0.13 per cent while Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 1.03 per cent in early trade today.

The US Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 0.99 per cent higher in yesterday's trade. -- PTI

10:05 Mumbai police issues travel advisory

The Mumbai Police have issued advisories for those travelling in areas around the Western Express Highway.

United States President Donald Trump on Thursday said that he was unaware of the payments worth $130,000 made by his personal attorney general Michael Cohen to American adult star Stormy Daniels in exchange for remaining silent on the alleged sexual encounter.

Earlier while addressing media, Cohen said that he himself made the payment to Daniels ahead of the United States Presidential elections in 2014.

He also added that neither the Republican Party nor Trump's campaigners are involved in the transaction.

Daniels has publicly claimed that in 2006 she had a sexual encounter with Trump.

However, the US President had repeatedly denied any relations with the porn star.

She recently appeared on CBS' "60 Minutes" and claimed Cohen orchestrated a payment to keep her quiet during the election. -- ANI

09:08 Salman Khan's bail plea to be heard today

After spending the night in the Jodhpur jail, Bollywood actor Salman Khan's bail hearing comes up on Friday morning.

The actor's bail plea is slated to be heard at 10:30 am on Friday morning in a Jodhpur local court.

Salman Khan was sentenced to five years in prison for killing two blackbucks, capping a 20-year-old case that began with a late night safari outside Jodhpur on the sidelines of a film shoot.

The court in Jodhpur acquitted other actors Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre and a local, Dushyant Singh, giving them the 'benefit of doubt' for the incident in October 1998.

The ministry of external affairs on Thursday said that China's Belt and Road Initiative violated the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Responding to a query on media reports regarding possible cooperation with China on the BRI, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a statement, "We have seen some media reports alluding to our possible cooperation with China in One Belt One Road/Belt and Road Initiative."

"Our position on OBOR/BRI is clear and there is no change. The so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor violates India's sovereignty and territorial integrity. No country can accept a project that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity," he continued.

"We are of firm belief that connectivity initiatives must be based on universally recognized international norms, good governance, rule of law, openness, transparency and equality, and must be pursued in a manner that respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity," Kumar added.

According to media reports, Beijing has pushed for New Delhi's inclusion in the BRI project in the last few years for greater cooperation. China asserts that the massive economic project would benefit the country's economies in the long-run.

The BRI aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes of Silk Road. It will bring opportunities in multiple fields including trade, connectivity, physical infrastructure development, tourism and investment.

The CPEC project, which is a part of this initiative has been criticised by India since it passes through disputed Pakistan- occupied Kashmir (PoK) region. On the other hand, China has said that it had respected all territorial laws and that the issue was an "internal matter" between New Delhi and Islamabad. -- ANI

00:54 PM to visit Sweden, UK from April 16

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a five-day visit to Sweden and the United Kingdom beginning April 16 with the aim of boosting bilateral cooperation in several key areas, including trade and investment.

In the UK, the prime minister will also attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), besides exploring ways to further deepen ties between the two countries, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

In Sweden, Modi will attend the India-Nordic Summit. The summit is being co-hosted by India and Sweden. Prime Ministers of all the Nordic countries -- Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden will also attend the summit.

Modi will first travel to Sweden on a two-day visit from April 16-17.

The prime minister will arrive in Stockholm on the evening of April 16 and will have a number of meetings on April 17, including an audience with King Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden.

He will also hold talks with Prime Minister Lofven.

Modi will also address a gathering of select Swedish business leaders and will also meet the Indian community in Sweden, the MEA said.

Sweden is India's valued partner in trade, technology and investment.

Over 170 Swedish companies have invested $1.4 billion since 2000. Around 70 Indian companies have invested in Sweden.

India-Sweden annual bilateral trade stands at around $1.8 billion.

The MEA said India's trade with the Nordic countries totalled around $5.3 billion in 2016-17, with cumulative Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to India estimated at $2.5 billion.

On the sidelines of the India-Nordic Summit, Modi will have also separate bilateral meetings with Prime Ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway, the MEA said.

Modi will visit the United Kingdom from 17-20 April for a bilateral visit as well as to attend the CHOGM.

"The forthcoming visit of the Prime Minister to the UK will focus on enhancing India-UK tech partnership. The visit will see a number of deliverables in the area of skill development, healthcare, cyber security, innovation, traditional medicine, and education," the MEA said.

It said the UK will formally convey their readiness to join the International Solar Alliance during the PM's visit. The UK is among India's major trading partners.

The merchandise trade between the two countries in 2017 reached $13 billion, and trade in services is around $7.2 billion, the MEA said.

It said Modi will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London from April 19-20.

The meetings of the Commonwealth Heads of Government usually takes place every two years and serves to shape the organisation's agenda for the next two years. -- PTI

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