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Thu, 19 April 2018
Vice President Naidu blames foreign rule for lack of respect for women

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23:57   Chhattisgarh CM compares Rahul Gandhi to scared schoolboy
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Thursday took a jibe at Congress president by comparing his condition to a schoolboy ahead of exams.

He mocked Rahul in reference to his visits to temples ahead of Karnataka polls.

"God recognises all those people, all those faces who visit temples at the time of exams. When children do not study and are scared before the exams they do not stop at only one temple but visit all the temples, same is the situation with Rahul Gandhi," said Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh after returning from Karnataka.

During the past one month, Congress chief has made a number of visits to temples along with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

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

-- ANI
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23:22   Vice President Naidu blames foreign rule for lack of respect for women
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu blamed foreign rule for the lack of respect towards women which was leading to crimes against them.

He said women form about 50 per cent of the population and must be respected.

Indians called their country 'Bharat Mata', he said. "Most of our rivers like Godavari, Ganga, Yamuna are named after females. Saraswati mata is for knowledge, Durga mata for defence and Laxmi mata for finance," he said.

Holding colonial and foreign rule responsible, he condemned the manner in which society now saw women despite these traditions. 

"It is shameful and needs to be condemned," Naidu said.

He, however, did not mention the Kathua rape and murder case or the controversy over a rape in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh.
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22:50   Gujarat HC likely to pronounce Naroda-Patiya riot case verdict
The Gujarat high court is likely to pronounce its verdict on appeals in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case tomorrow.

A division bench of justices Harsha Devani and A S Supehiya had reserved the order last August after the hearing concluded.

In August 2012, a special court for SIT cases had sentenced 32 people, including former BJP minister Maya Kodnani, to life imprisonment.

Kodnani was sentenced to 28 years of imprisonment. Another high-profile accused, former Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi, was given life imprisonment till death.

Seven accused were given enhanced life imprisonment of 21 years, which they will serve after undergoing 10 years' imprisonment under IPC section 326 (causing grievous hurt).

Remaining accused were given simple life imprisonment (14 years).

The trial court also acquitted 29 other accused for want of evidence.

While the convicts challenged the lower court's order in the high court, the Special Investigation Team appealed against the acquittal of 29 people.

During the course of hearing, the high court judges had visited the site of the incident in Naroda Patiya area here -- where 97 people from the Muslim community had been killed -- to understand its topography.

Naroda Patiya riot is one of the worst incidents which followed the Godhra train burning incident of February 27, 2002, in which 59 kar sevaks were killed.

Kodnani is currently out on bail. The trial court had held that she was the mastermind of the violence in Naroda area.

A number of high court judges including justices Akil Kureshi, M R Shah, K S Jhaveri, G B Shah, Sonia Gokani and R H Shukla recused themselves from the case during the hearing on appeals. 

-- PTI
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22:20   Opposition parties likely to meet tomorrow
Opposition parties are likely to meet tomorrow in Parliament to discuss the current political situation.

The leaders of opposition parties will meet tomorrow in Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad's chamber in Parliament and are likely to discuss the issue of the Supreme Court verdict rejecting multiple pleas for an independent probe into the death of special CBI judge B H Loya, sources said.

The issue of moving an impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra is also likely to be discussed tomorrow, in the wake of the Loya case judgement.
The Opposition has been working on bringing various parties on board for a larger consensus on bringing the impeachment motion against the CJI.

While the Left parties, the NCP and the Congress are on board for moving the impeachment motion, some parties that have already signed the petition have backed out.

During the meeting convened by Azad, the sources say, the opposition parties will also discuss the idea of having a broader consensus on how to defeat the BJP in the upcoming assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

-- PTI
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21:53   Rahul Gandhi responds to BJP attacks after verdict in Judge Loya case
Rahul Gandhi, the target of the ruling BJP's sharp attacks after the Supreme Court ruled that there was no need to probe Judge BH Loya death, delivered a stinging comeback on Thursday that signalled the Congress president's disagreement with the court's findings. 

The Supreme Court had earlier in the day rejected demands for an independent probe into the judge's death, calling the petitions that asked for the probe "scandalous".

Soon after the verdict, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad demanded an apology from the Congress president for, what he called, was an effort to settle political scores through the court.

The petitioners had "acted as a front of the Congress or in association with the Congress", Prasad said. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra had gone a step ahead, insisting Rahul Gandhi's "invisible hand" was behind this petition.

"Now what do you have to say," the law minister had asked Gandhi, demanding an apology and reaction to the court verdict.

Gandhi tweeted his response, suggesting that people instinctively knew the truth about the case irrespective of the court's conclusion.

"Indians are deeply intelligent. Most Indians, including those in the BJP, instinctively understand the truth about Mr Amit Shah. The truth has its own way of catching up with people like him," tweeted Gandhi.
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21:21   PM Modi need to pay more attention to women: Lagarde
Describing the latest incident of outrageous rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in India as "revolting", IMF chief Christine Lagarde today hoped that the Indian authorities starting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi would pay more attention to it.

Her sharp remarks come in the backdrop of a nationwide outrage over the rape cases in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua and Uttar Pradesh's Unnao.

"What has happened (in India) is just revolting. I would hope that the Indian authorities, starting with Prime Minister Modi pay more attention because it is needed for the women of India," Lagarde said.

"When I was last in Davos after Prime Minister Modi's speech, I did tell him that he had not mentioned the women of India enough. And it's not just a question of talking about them," the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund said.

She quickly clarified that this was her personal position and not that of the IMF.  "By the way this is not an IMF official position. It is my position," she said. 

-- PTI
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20:44   Bengal BJP to rope in Swami Aseemanand for campaign during panchayat polls
Bengal BJP is all set to rope in Swami Aseemanandwho was recently acquitted in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast casefor campaign during the panchayat polls and later to spread party base in the state. Swami Assemanand alias Nabakumar Sarkar originally hails from Hooghly district of Bengal where his family presently resides.

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh, who is a former RSS Pracharak, stated that he already had a talk with Aseemanand who has agreed to play a role in spreading party base in the state.

On Monday, a special NIA court acquitted all the five accused including Aseemanand in the Mecca Masjid blast case at Hyderabad.

I know him for a long time. I have spoken to him earlier and told him that the situation in Bengal is bad and we need him to work here. He has agreed. Now that he is acquitted, he will work with us in the state. He will speak during the campaign period of panchayat polls. We are yet to work out the details, said Ghosh speaking to Indian Express.

According to party sources, Aseemanand will shortly visit Bengal after legal formalities. State BJP unit wants him to tour different rural areas of Bengal during the campaign phase and spread partys ideology. BJP has already sought his travel plans in Bengal.
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20:10   19 crore Indian adults don't have bank account: World Bank
India has 19 crore adults without a bank account despite the success of the ambitious Jan Dhan Yojana, making it the world's second largest unbanked population after that of China, the World Bank said today.

Besides, almost half of the bank accounts remained inactive in the past year, the multilateral financial institution said in a report, even as it lauded the Indian government's financial inclusion scheme, the Jan Dhan Yojana, for bringing in additional 31 crore Indians into formal banking system by March 2018.

It also said the country's adult population with a bank account has more than doubled to 80 per cent since 2011. The Jan Dhan Yojana was launched by the Modi government in 2014.

According to the latest Global Findex Database released by the World Bank on the sidelines of the annual Spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, 11 per cent of the world's unbanked adults are in India. 

Globally, 69 per cent of adults 3.8 billion people now have an account at a bank or mobile money provider, a crucial step in escaping poverty.

This is up from 62 per cent in 2014 and just 51 per cent in 2011. From 2014 to 2017, 515 million adults obtained an account, and 1.2 billion have done so since 2011, according to the Global Findex database.

The bank said China and India, despite having relatively high account ownership, claim large shares of the global unbanked population because of their sheer size.

-- PTI
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19:32   Geeta, who returned from Pakistan, gets 20 marriage proposals
Twenty men, including a priest and a `writer', have responded to a Facebook advert seeking a match for Geeta, a deaf-and-mute girl who returned from Pakistan after accidentally landing in that country when she was a child.

A social activist, who is involved in the search for Geeta's long-lost parents, put up a post on Facebook nine days ago, seeking marriage proposals for her.

Gyanendra Purohit, the activist, today said 20 men have shown interest in marrying her and sent bia-data. Of them, 12 persons are disabled, while the rest do not have any
disability, he said.

One of them is a temple priest while another claims to be a writer, he said.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj -- who was instrumental in bringing Geeta back to India -- had asked him to look for a match for the girl, Purohit had claimed earlier.

He put up a post on the Facebook page `Reunite Geeta, a deaf girl, with her family', which was originally created to search for Geeta's parents, on April 10.

The advert said they were looking for a "good and smart deaf boy", age above 25 years, for "India's daughter Geeta".

It also made it clear that it is Geeta who would decide on the proposals, and the Union government would take further steps.

Geeta is staying in a facility run by Muk-Badhir Sangathan, an NGO. The MP Social Justice Department is her caretaker.

Geeta was found alone aboard the Samjhauta Express at Lahore when she was seven or eight years old. It is surmised that she accidentally boarded the train somewhere in India.

Karachi-based Edhi Foundation took care of her while she lived in Pakistan. She returned to India in 2015.

-- PTI
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19:10   BJP may rope in Swami Aseemanand to work in West Bengal
The Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal is planning to rope in Hindutva preacher Swami Aseemanand, who was acquitted in the Mecca Masjid blast case earlier this week, to strengthen its base in the state, a senior party official said today.

"I have personally known Swami Aseemanand for a long time. I will talk to him and try to bring him to West Bengal so that he can work here. For a long time, he has worked among the tribals in Bengal. He can help us in a lot of ways," BJP state president Dilip Ghosh told PTI.

A special anti-terror court on Monday had acquitted the 66-year-old self-confessed monk and four others in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case, holding that the prosecution failed to prove 'even a single allegation' against them.

Aseemanand's younger brother, Sushanta Sarkar, is presently the secretary of the BJP's Hooghly unit.

Sarkar said he would be happy if his brother returned to the state for work.

"Our entire family is dedicated towards the Sangh Parivar. If my brother comes to Bengal and wants to work here, we will be very happy," Sarkar told PTI.

Aseemanand, who was born as Naba Kumar Sarkar at Kamaarpukar in West Bengal's Hooghly district, completed hisgraduation in science in 1971.

The self-confessed monk is known for his fiery speech and anti-minority stance.

He became involved with rightwing groups from school, going on to work full time with the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram in Purulia and Bankura districts in the state.

It was at the Ashram that Naba Kumar Sarkar was christened Swami Aseemanand in 1981.  -- PTI

Photograph: PTI Photo
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18:57   SC website down amidst fears of hacking
The official website of the Supreme Court was suspected to have been hacked on Thursday, but the court officials did not confirm it.

The top court officials confirmed that the website had become 'non-functional' from 11.35 am and said all efforts were being made to restore normalcy.

One of the screen shots of the top court web page circulating on some social media sites showed signs left by some Brazilian hackers who may have targeted it.

An image of cannabis leaves, with a message saying 'hackeado por HighTech Brazil HacTeam', could be seen.

Later in the day, when attempts to reach the website at supremecourtofindia.nic.in was made, the result read: 'site under maintenance'.

The officials, who requested anonymity, were non-committal on confirming whether the website has been hacked and said that the top court's information technology department was in touch with the National Informatics Centre and the site would be restored soon, preferably by the evening.

When repeatedly asked about the hacking, they said they were not authorised to speak on the issue.

They maintained they could only state that the website was under process of restoration but cannot confirm it has been hacked without any confirmation.  -- PTI
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18:37   House panel wants Centre to get FB's word against poll manipulation
A parliamentary panel today directed IT ministry officials to get a 'written commitment' from Facebook and other social networking sites that their platforms would not be used to manipulate Indian elections, a member present at the meeting said.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on IT, headed by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Anurag Thakur, also told officials of the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) to furnish all written communication and queries sent to Facebook and its response, a member of the panel told PTI on condition of anonymity.

"The chairman told the ministry officials to get a written commitment from Facebook and other social media platforms with an influential market share in the country that their platforms would not be used to manipulate Indian elections," he said.

Supporting the chairman, members of the panel said the government should also get in writing the details of steps Facebook and other social networking platforms have taken or will take to avoid their misuse.

After the meeting, Thakur posted a tweet inviting questions and queries from the general public on online security and privacy.

Panel members at the meeting also said that India is still playing catch up on the issue of a robust IT data protection policy.

It is learnt that they expressed shock at the inadequate data available with MeitY regarding India's digital economy, revenue and profitability of tech giants operating in the country. India may be left out of the IT regulatory framework unless it gets its act together, the members said.

Committee members also said MeitY should take a long term view of issues and put systems and a regulatory framework to protect the privacy of Indian citizens, they are believed to have suggested.

Last month, the Indian government issued a notice to social networking giant Facebook, seeking its response over user data breach and details of the measures it has put in place to ensure the safety and prevention of misuse of personal data.   -- PTI
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17:45   Jio leapfrogs Mukesh Ambani in World's Greatest Leaders list
Richest Indian Mukesh Ambani and human rights lawyer Indira Jaising have been named by Fortune magazine as the World's Greatest Leaders of 2018. The Fortune's 2018 ranking of the 50 Greatest Leaders released today also has architect Balkrishna Doshi in the list which includes Apple CEO Tim Cook, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and football coach Nick Saban.


Ambani, who turned 61 today, has "in less than two years, brought mobile data to the masses -- and completely upended the country's telecom market", Fortune said ranking him No.24 behind likes of South Korean President Mon Jae-in, Chinese vice premier Liu He and French President Emmanuel Macron.

On Jaising, founder, Lawyers Collective, Fortune said: "When the poorest in India need a voice, they find one in Jaising, a lawyer who has dedicated her life to battling injustice." Ranked No.20, she has fought on behalf of victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster, helped Syrian Christian women in India win property rights equal to their male counterparts', and helped draft India's first domestic violence law, it said. Her work has recently led her to Myanmar, where she was appointed by the UN to lead an investigation into the persecution of Rohingya Muslims, it said. The World's Greatest Leaders list started only in 2015.


The past lists featured global notables like Xi Jinping, Pope Francis, Jeff Bezos, Angela Merkel, Aung San Suu Kyi, Paul Ryan, Jack Ma, Milinda Gates, Gen HR McMaster, Sen John McCain, Janel Yellen, and Justin Trudeau.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi featured in the 2015 list while Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was on the 2016 Greatest Leaders ranking. The then SBI Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya was on the 2017 list.  -- PTI
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17:32   Miscreants snatch rifle of ATM guard in Kashmir's Shopian
Miscreants today snatched a rifle from a bank ATM guard in south Kashmir's Shopian district, police said. A group of unarmed men, whose identity was not immediately known, snatched a 12 bore rifle from the ATM guard in the Pinjoora area of Shopian, a police official said. He said the ATM belonged to the Jammu and Kashmir Bank. Police have taken cognisance of the incident, the official said. PTI
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17:29   SC grants Sahara time till May 15 to sell its property inside Aamby Valley
The Supreme Court today allowed the Sahara Group to choose any parcel of its property in the Aamby Valley city project in Maharashtra and sell them by May 15 and deposit the proceeds with the SEBI-Sahara refund account.


A special bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra made it clear that if the Sahara Group fails to sell its property by May 15, the Bombay High Court's official liquidator will proceed with the proposed auctioning process to sell the property. It took note of the reports filed by the official liquidator and the court receiver appointed to maintain the Aamby Valley properties, and said the Sahara Group will start doing maintenance.


The bench, which also comprised Justices Ranjan Gogoi and A K Sikri, asked the court receiver to collect money on the account of maintenance and pay them to the group if it resumes the maintenance work. The official liquidator, in its report, said it has commenced the procedures for auctioning the Aamby Valley property for which bids will be invited from May 21 to 31 and the auction begin from June 2. PTI
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17:26   Queen Elizabeth's last royal corgi dead
Queen Elizabeth's last remaining corgi Willow, who famously appeared in a film with Daniel Craig's James Bond during the 2012 London Olympics' opening ceremony, has died, British media reported today.


Willow, who was almost 15, was put down after suffering from cancer, making it the first time the 91-year-old monarch has not owned a corgi since the end of the World War II.


Willow was the 14th generation descended from Susan, a corgi gifted to the then Princess Elizabeth on her 18th birthday in 1944. The Queen has owned more than 30 dogs of the breed during her reign, the Guardian reported.


It was reported in 2015 that the Queen had stopped breeding corgis because she did not want to leave any behind after she died. She still has two dogs, Vulcan and Candy, which are informally known as "dorgis" - a cross-breed between a dachshund and a corgi introduced to the royal household when Princess Margaret's dachshund Pipkin mated with one of the Queen's dogs.


Willow was the last surviving corgi to have appeared alongside the Queen and the actor Daniel Craig in the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony James Bond sketch. -- PTI
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17:23   PM Modi arrives at Buckingham Palace to attend CHOGM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived at the Buckingham Palace to attend 25th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The Prime Minister was received by British counterpart Theresa May and Commonwealth Secretary General Baroness Patricia Scotland.


The Commonwealth Summit will be formally opened by Queen Elizabeth at 10 am (local time) followed by an official welcome of the leaders of 53 Commonwealth nations by May and Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland.


The first one-hour Executive Session will be held at the Lancaster House at 12:15 pm (Local time) followed by the second executive session at 2:30 pm (local time).


On the sidelines of the Executive sessions, various bilateral meetings will also be held among the Commonwealth leaders. -- ANI
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17:00   Punjab CM asks Rajnath to get ready for re-emergence of extremism
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today urged Home Minister Rajnath Singh to prepare a comprehensive strategy to deal with the "re-emergence of extremism" in the state, amid reports that Sikh youths were being trained at ISI facilities in Pakistan, officials said.


During the 30-minute meeting, the chief minister apprised the home minister of the law and order situation in Punjab, including issues related to attempts to create disturbance in the state through targeted killings.


"Amarinder Singh stressed the need for preparing an all-encompassing strategy to counter the emerging extremism," a home ministry official said.


The chief minister suggested strengthening of the intelligence apparatus, besides action against foreign handlers based in Canada, the UK, the US, Italy, Germany, who are actively engaged in revival of terrorism in Punjab.


The home minister assured the chief minister all possible central assistance as requested by the state government, an official spokesperson said.


The Punjab chief minister said a number of targeted killings have taken place over the last one and half years and expressed concern over such incidents.


The chief minister also underlined the need to counter "activities on social media" aimed at disturbing peace and stability in the state. The Home Ministry had recently told a parliamentary panel that Sikh youths were being trained at ISI facilities in Pakistan to carry out terror activities in India.  -- PTI
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16:40   Togadia ends fast, says will revive 'Hindutva politics'
Former Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Pravin Togadia ended his 'indefinite fast' today, three days after he began the strike in Ahmedabad to press his demands, including the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, and said he would now embark on a nationwide tour to revive 'Hindutva politics'.

Togadia, 62, said he was ending his fast on the advice of doctors.

The surgeon-turned-firebrand leader accepted fruit juice from religious leaders to end the fast.

Led by Akhileshwar Das Maharaj, the religious leaders had urged him to end his fast. Togadia quit the Vishwa Hindu Parishad last week after his nominee lost a key organisational election.

He had sat on fast on Tuesday to press his demands such as construction of Ram temple, deportation of illegal Bangladeshis, resettlement of Hindus in Kashmir, and abolition of Article 370 of the Constitution.

Speaking to reporters, Togadia took a swipe at the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying they have proved to be 'as bad as their predecessors' and failed to fulfil their promises.

He said he would undertake a nationwide tour to take up the issues of '100 crore Hindus' and seek to revive 'Hindutva politics' as the BJP government has failed to solve the problems facing the country.

"People are now asking whom they should vote for, as those who gained power in 2014 proved to be as bad as those who were ousted. So I will try to establish Hindutva politics in 2019 to realise people's aspirations," Togadia said.

"I will continue raising the voice of 100 crore Hindus by embarking on a pan-India tour from tomorrow. I will also take up the issues of farmers, labourers and the youth. I am sure that the Hindus, along with workers of the RSS, BJP and VHP, are still with me in my endeavour," he said.

"Narendra bhai, you need to answer why promises were not fulfilled. If you don't answer, then 100 crore Hindus along with farmers and youths will seek answer from you in 2019. Instead of roaming around the world, try to solve the problems of the people of this county," he said.

Togadia quit the VHP after his nominee Raghav Reddy was defeated by former Himachal Pradesh governor V S Kokje in an election for the post of VHP's international president.  -- PTI
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16:13   Pak rejects Modi's remarks on surgical strikes
Pakistan today rejected as "false and baseless" Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on the 'surgical strikes' across the Line of Control in 2016 , saying "repeating a lie doesn't turn it into the truth."
Speaking at the 'Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath' programme in London yesterday, Modi had said India waited to inform Pakistan about the operation before disclosing it to the media and the people.
"I said before India gets to know, we should call Pakistan and tell them. We were calling them since 11 AM but they were scared to come on phone, at 12 we spoke to them and then told the Indian media," Modi had said.
Reacting to Prime Minister Modi's remarks, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said today India's claims about the "surgical strike were false and baseless".
"Repeating a lie doesn't turn it into the truth," the spokesperson was quoted as saying by Dawn.
In response to Modi's comments on Pakistan exporting terrorism, Faisal claimed that it was the other way around and accused India of backing terrorists in Pakistan. 
"Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav is proof of Indian state-sponsored terrorism," he alleged.
Jadhav, 47, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism. 
India moved the International Court of Justice  in May last year against the verdict. The ICJ halted his execution on India's appeal pending the final verdict by it.
Pakistan claims its security forces arrested Jadhav from restive Balochistan province on March 3, 2016 after he reportedly entered from Iran.
However, India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Navy. Jadhav's sentencing had evoked a sharp reaction in India. -- PTI
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15:37   When Nitish wished Jaitley
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley thanked Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for wishing him a speedy recovery. Jaitley has resumed work and is attending office in the afternoon.


Jaitley had been hospitalised at AIIMS Delhi for a kidney ailment and was expected to get a kidney transplant. The BJP leader has not been attending office since early this month.


Many insiders know that it was Arun Jaitley who had worked very hard to bring Nitish Kumar into the NDA fold.


The overnight drama of the JDU quitting the mahagathbandhan of the Congress and RJD and BJP supporting Nitish were all scripted in New Delhi between the trio of Amit Shah-Modi-Jaitley.


A little wonder then that Jaitley has special consideration for Bihar and affection for Nitish Kumar.


The Union Ministry of Finance is also expected to up allocations and grants for Bihar by early May according to a North Block source.
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15:19   Centre plans mega celebrations for Modi's 5th year
The Prime Minister's Office is already looking beyond the Karnataka Assembly polls,  results of which are expected on May 15. The PMO wants massive celebrations for the 5th year of the Modi government.

Union ministries have been told to organise mega functions and release their completion reports of various schemes and projects undertaken by the Modi government. The Prime Minister's London interaction will chart the way ahead with its multiple videos highlighting the government's achievements.

Modi personally wants media units in each ministry to produce six to 10 videos of one minute each to be circulated in social media. More on the plans soon.
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14:51   'Printing presses operating 24x7, generating Rs 500, 200 notes'
The government has ramped up printing of currency notes and is operating all the four presses 24x7, an official said today amid ATMs running dry in many parts of the country. Since this week, the presses are minting out Rs 500 and Rs 200 notes without a break to meet an estimated Rs 70,000 crore of currency shortfall in the country, he said.


On an average, the four presses of Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited operate for 18-19 hours daily with a 3-4 hour break. But since the time ATMs ran dry due to "unusual spurt in demand" for cash, the presses are operating 24X7, an official told PTI.


Normally a currency printing cycle is of 15 days, meaning thereby the increased number of currencies which are being printed beginning this week would be available only towards the end of this month.


The official said that the printing of currency 24x7 was last done post demonetisation when the printing of new Rs 2,000 notes was fast tracked to meet the liquidity shortage in the market.


The Reserve Bank of India had on Tuesday stated that there is sufficient cash in its vaults and currency chests.


"Nevertheless, printing of the notes has been ramped up in all the 4 note presses." The shortage may be felt in some pockets largely due to logistical issues of replenishing ATMs frequently and the recalibration of ATMs being still underway to dispensing smaller sized 200 rupee notes, the RBI had said.


The Finance Ministry earlier this week said there is an unusual spurt in demand in some parts of the country like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, MP and Bihar. In the first 13 days of the current month, the currency demand went up by Rs 45,000 crore. PTI
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14:20   Mecca verdict: Owaisi terms NIA blind, deaf
AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi has sought a re-trial in the Mecca Masjid blast case or an appeal against the verdict which set free all the five accused.


Addressing a public meeting last evening, the Hyderabad MP said he would meet Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana E S L Narasimhan and place before him the facts of the case.


"Re-investigation can be taken up under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC)," he said, adding, "we have also told Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and Deputy Chief Minister that they should take up the matter with the Centre seeking a re-trial or to file an appeal in the Supreme Court against this verdict."


A special NIA court last Monday acquitted all the five accused who stood trial, holding that the prosecution failed to prove "even a single" allegation against them.


The five, including right-wing activist Swami Aseemanand, were acquitted for want of evidence.


"When the trial started in the case, National Investigation Agency changed the advocate and an advocate who did not fight a single murder case was handed over this case," Owaisi alleged.


Owaisi said in such terror cases, an advocate of at least 10 years' experience should be fielded by the government, but here a an "inexperienced" lawyer was appointed the prosecutor.


"People say NIA is a caged parrot, but I will say it is not only a parrot in the cage but this parrot is also blind and deaf," Owaisi said.


Referring to the 2013 Dilsukhnagar blast, in which five people were sentenced to death, Owaisi said an IPS officer used to be present at every hearing.


However, during the Mecca Masjid trial, only officers of inspector rank used to be present. Owaisi said, "It is the first government which is not with the victims of terror attack but is standing with the accused...this is the governance of the BJP."


"Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he will crush terrorism. What kind of dual policy your government has? Not a single central minister has reacted to the verdict and (spoken about government's) policy (the way forward) on the Mecca Masjid blast case verdict," he said. "Terrorism has no religion...World knows that terrorism in itself has become a new religion," Owaisi said.


A massive blast had ripped through the over four centuries-old Mecca Masjid on May 8, 2007, during Friday prayers, killing nine people and wounding 58. -- PTI
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13:57   Feel disgusted to even talk about it: Bachchan on Kathua
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan is the latest celebrity from Bollywood to condemn the Kathua rape incident, saying he feels "disgusted" by it. When asked about his reaction, the 75-year-old star, who has been the face of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' campaign, said it was painful to even talk about it.


"Mujhe uss vishay par charcha karne mein ghin aati hai. So uss vishay ko uchhalo mat. It's terrible to even talk about it. "(I feel disgusted even talking about it. So, don't rake up this issue. It is terrible to even talk about it," Bachchan told reporters.


The actor was speaking at the song launch of his upcoming film "102 Not Out", in which he stars along with Rishi Kapoor. Several Bollywood celebrities have reacted angrily over the incidents and have demanded justice for the victims of the Kathua, Unnao and Surat rape cases that have generated a massive outrage against the perpetrators. -- PTI
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13:48   Cash shortage problem to be resolved by tomorrow: SBI Chief
The problem of cash crunch being faced by some states will be resolved by tomorrow as currency is being transported to areas which are facing the shortage, SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar said today. Kumar said there are certain areas where there is a problem with running of ATMs and availability of cash of particular denomination.


"It is not a uniform cash crunch problem. It is there in geographies like Telangana and Bihar. We are hoping that the problem will be resolved by tomorrow because cash is in transition and it is reaching these states by today evening," Kumar said.


The finance ministry said earlier this week that there is an unusual spurt in demand in some parts of the country like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, MP and Bihar. In the first 13 days of the current month, the currency demand went up by Rs 45,000 crore.


Holding accountable those who are hoarding cash, Kumar said the money should be recycled, meaning that if people withdraw money from the bank and the money needs to be deposited back as well. "If we (people) hold everything, then whatever supply we (banks) do, it will be insufficient for the country. So it is important that the currency is also recycled," he said.


Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg had earlier this week said that the government suspects that Rs 2,000 notes are being hoarded as they are not coming back into the circulation fast enough. To deal with currency shortage, the printing of Rs 500 notes have been increased 5 times. PTI
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13:33   Rahul 'invisible hand' behind plea to probe Loya's death: BJP
The BJP today mounted an attack on the opposition Congress after the Supreme Court rejected pleas to probe the death of Judge B H Loya, alleging that the "invisible" hand behind the petitions was that of Rahul Gandhi who tried to use the judiciary for "character assassination" of Amit Shah.


The Supreme Court today ruled that Judge Loya died of natural causes and that the petitions were a serious attempts to scandalise and obstruct the course of justice.


Addressing a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra described the public interest litigations seeking the probe into the death of Judge Loya as "political interest litigation", and charged that Gandhi and his party were behind it.


Noting that the Congress had held press conferences and Gandhi had led a delegation of opposition parties to the President for seeking a probe, Patra said he should "apologise" and be "ashamed" for his conspiracy to target Amit Shah, and Indian judiciary and democracy.


The Congress engages in all sorts of conspiracies after its ruling family loses power, he alleged and added the attempt to use judiciary for political purposes was a "new low" in Indian politics.


The "invisible hand" behind these petitions in the apex court belonged to Gandhi and the Congress, Patra alleged. He alleged that they were filed to settle political scores as the opposition party is incapable of taking on Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the electoral field.


The issue of Loya's death had come under the spotlight in November last year after media reports quoting his sister had fuelled suspicion about circumstances surrounding it and its link to the Sohrabuddin case, which he was hearing before he died.


Shah was an accused in the case but was later discharged. Several activists and opposition parties had alleged a foul play in his death. While dismissing the plea for an independent probe, the top court today said that with these petitions it becomes clear that a real attempt and a frontal attack was made on the independence of the judiciary. The apex court said frivolous and motivated litigation has been filed to settle political rivalry. -- PTI
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12:58   SC website hacked
Supreme Court of India website hacked. The HighTech Brazil HackTeam, which compromised hundreds of websites including some Indian websites in 2013, apparently involved in Web attack. Supreme Court website is now taken off for maintenance.
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12:29   Kathua case in SC
Just in: The Jammu High Court Bar Association tells the Supreme Court that it did not support the lawyers' protest in connection with the Kathua gangrape-murder case.


The Bar Council of India tells the SC that it has set up a team, headed by a former HC judge to examine the matter. J-K opposes in SC the tagging of plea by victim's father with that of the matter related to lawyers' protest in Kathua. Kathua District Bar Association informs SC that it has already withdrawn the strike on April 12.
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12:13   Mecca Masjid blast verdict judge asked to attend court
Just in: The resignation of NIA special court judge Ravinder Reddy, who delivered verdict in the Mecca Masjid Blast case, has been rejected by High Court of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. He has been asked to attend to his duties immediately: Sources
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12:10   Loya verdict will raise more questions: Congress
Congress responds to the Judge Loya death and hearing verdict:


The Congress said today that the Supreme Court judgment dismissing a batch of pleas seeking an independent probe into the alleged mysterious death of special CBI judge B H Loya will raise more questions and leave many of them unanswered unless logical reasons were found in it.


"Dispassionate analysis of Loya judgement must await its full reasoning. But unless logical reasons found in it, it will raise more questions and leave many unanswered," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said on Twitter.


In his first response to the verdict, Singhvi said the apex court can remove suspicions only by dealing with them directly. "Am prepared to accept a) heavy emphasis in SC Loya regarding veracity of accompanying judges b) anguish regarding scandalous arguments (c) initiation of contempt if it arises (d) provided it is accompanied by solid reasons rebutting the 7/8 suspicious circumstances raised. Absent that, above lamentations not enough (sic)," he tweeted.


Judge Loya allegedly died of cardiac arrest in Nagpur on December 1, 2014, when he had gone to attend the wedding of a colleague's daughter. He was hearing the high-profile Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case.


Judge Loya's death had come under the spotlight in November last year after media reports quoting his sister had fuelled suspicion about circumstances surrounding it and its link to the Sohrabuddin case. But his son on January 14 said in Mumbai that his father died of natural causes.
-- PTI
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11:42  
Jammu High Court Bar Association tells SC that it did not support lawyers protest in connection with Kathua gangrape-murder case.
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11:41   Pathankot: Security beefed up following suspected terrorists' movement
Security has been beefed up and search operations are being carried out around the border belt of Punjab particularly in Pathankot district, following reports of terrorist movement in the vicinity.


Acting on the tip off early Thursday morning, security forces immediately spread out in large numbers and searched various locations in the region.


The ITI building, where the suspects were reportedly spotted, was also thoroughly checked.


Suspicious men stopped a Maruti Alto car belonging to a Maskin Ali late on Sunday night asking for a lift. However, Ali who was with his relatives, suspected that the hitchhikers could be terrorists; hence he left the car and ran away.


Ali later on informed the Punjab Police about the same after which the search operation was launched on Monday morning.


"Some men claiming to be a part of Army asked me for a lift. I let them in but soon realised they weren't army men. As we tried to escape they attacked us, during our tussle they fled with my car. We informed police about this at night (on Sunday) itself," Ali said.


Talking to ANI, Inspector General Border Zone SPS Parmar said, "There were such inputs since past three to four days that some suspicious movement has been spotted. We reacted accordingly but till now nothing substantial has been found. We are collaborating with other agencies too and the search is on."The security has been beefed up and check posts have been alerted. 
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11:24   Frivolous, motivated litigation filed to settle political rivalry: SC
Update on the Justice Loya verdict:


The top court said that with these petitions it becomes clear that a real attempt and a frontal attack was made on the independence of the judiciary. The apex court said frivolous and motivated litigation has been filed to settle political rivalry.


The issue of Loya's death had come under the spotlight in November last year after media reports quoting his sister had fuelled suspicion about circumstances surrounding it and its link to the Sohrabuddin case.


But Loya's son had on January 14 said in Mumbai that his father had died of natural causes.


In the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, BJP President Amit Shah along with Rajasthan Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria, Rajasthan-based businessman Vimal Patni, former Gujarat police chief P C Pande, Additional Director General of Police Geeta Johri and Gujarat police officers Abhay Chudasama and N K Amin have already been discharged.


Several accused, including police personnel, are currently facing trial for their involvement in the alleged fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi and their associate Tulsiram Prajapati in Gujarat in November 2005.


The case was later transferred to the CBI and the trial shifted to Mumbai. A batch of pleas, including those filed by Congress leader Tehseen Poonawala and Maharashtra-based B S Lone, was filed in the top court seeking an independent probe into Loya's death in 2014.


Four senior-most apex court judges -- Justices J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, M B Lokur and Kurian Joseph -- at their January 12 press conference had questioned the manner in which sensitive cases were being allocated and Loya's case was one of them.
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11:17   PILs scandalous, amounted to criminal contempt: SC
Update on the Justice Loya judgment.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice AM Khanwilkar, was pronouncing the verdict in the string of writ petitions seeking an independent probe into the death of CBI special judge BH Loya.

The court said there was no no reason to disbelieve the sequence of events leading to the death as narrated by the four judicial officers namely Shrikant Kulkarni, Shriram Modak, R Rathi and Vijay Kumar Barde and the assertions of Bombay High Court Justices Bhushan Gawai and Sunil Shukre.

The SC said the PILs were scandalous and amounted to criminal contempt. The petitioners attempted to malign the judiciary, the court said. The PIL misuse is a matter of concern, the court said.


The Bench also observed that Senior Counsel Dushyant Dave has transversed to the extent of insinuating even judges not associated to the present petitions, and that the petitioners sought to tarnish the institution of judiciary under the garb of an investigation. 
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11:02   No independent probe into Justice Loya's death: SC
The Supreme Court rejects the plead for an independent probe into the death of CBI Justice BH Loya. A three-judge bench headed by CJI Dipak Misra is hearing the plea.

The bench said that the four judges were with Justice Loya constantly and there is no reason to doubt their statement. The court said that doubting the judges' statement is doubting their integrity.

The court said there is no merit in the petitions and there is no reason to doubt the statements of sitting Judges. The attempt of the petitioners was to malign the judiciary, said the SC while dismissing the petitions seeking for a SIT probe into Judge Loya's death.

The apex court had earlier asked the Maharashtra Government to submit the postmortem report of the CBI judge, who had died in alleged suspicious circumstances in 2014, citing that the "matter was very serious."

As per the official records, Justice Loya died of cardiac arrest in Nagpur in 2014, a day after he attended the wedding and reception of his colleague's daughter.

As per reports, Maharashtra-based journalist BS Lone and activist Tehseen Poonavala had filed independent pleas seeking a fair probe into the death of Justice Loya, who was hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, involving various police officers and Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah. 
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10:40   I aspire to carry forward my grandparents' legacy: Shweta Bachchan
Ahead of the release of her debut novel Paradise Towers, Shweta Bachchan Nanda speaks to Subhash K Jha on her parents, sibling and life in general.


"Knowing the family the way I do, I always saw Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan's daughter Shweta as  the  true inheritor of her grandparents' legacy.


Shweta's paternal grandfather was the legendary writer-poet Harivanshrai Bachchan, while their maternal grandfather was the renowned journalist Taroon Kumar Bhaduri.


When I tell Shweta that she is carrying  her grandfathers' legacy ahead she replies, "I  aspire to. My novel is called Paradise  Towers and will be out in October." The publisher is HarperCollins India.


In an earlier interview to me Shweta had said that most of the decisions in her life have been emotional. "I've always been devoted to family and friends. There has never been a career plan, nor did I plan to walk the ramp or do a TV stint. Everything has happened spontaneously in my life, I've never planned anything," she had said. 


Amitabh Bachchan had told me, "Shweta is the most intelligent and balanced Bachchan. She's very objective in assessment of situations. Whenever we reach a dead-end during a family discussion we call up Shweta and put her on conference call. We always keep going back to her for her opinion. Her intelligence comes through on her show. Shweta is a voracious reader."


Shweta was never interested in being an actress, Bachchan had said. In fact she was never interested in accompanying him to shootings and film events as a child. Abhishek, On the other hand, would always accompany his father everywhere. "I think Shweta was a little shy and scared of events," Bachchan said.


But she has always watched her father's films. Her favourite? "It's the comic, light-hearted films from the 1970s like Naseeb and Amar Akbar Anthony." she said.


On her  mother Jaya'a decision to quit her career at  its peak, Shweta says, "It isn't for me to comment on what she did. Everyone makes their own decisions. I'm sure she was a 100 per cent convinced about what she was doing," she says.


On brother Abhishek, Shweta said she was always proud of him even when he was struggling. "He had to wait for his career to come together, and it wasn't easy. He handled himself with dignity," she said. 
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09:52   Faced difficulties in collecting evidence, says cop in Kathua SIT probe
The Kathua rape case Special Investigation Team faced lots of difficulties in collecting evidence, said a member of the SIT on Wednesday. Deputy Superintendent of Police Shwetambari Sharma said, "The SIT faced lots of difficulties in the course of collecting evidence in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl. Agitations were on and collecting evidence and taking statements was not easy."


Reacting to the remarks made by Jammu-based defence lawyer Ankur Sharma, who allegedy questioned her intelligence because she was a woman, she said, "It hurts when you are targeted and your intelligence is doubted just because you are a woman. Why should I comment on such a chauvinist remark, the whole nation is there to comment on it."


She added that initially she was upset, but not any more. The police officer said she hoped the judiciary would provide justice to the victim.


"Our judiciary is capable enough to bring justice, don't doubt it," Sharma said.


Shwetambri Sharma is the lone woman officer in the SIT of the Crime Branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Police that investigated the rape and murder of the eight-year-old.


The trial in the Kathua rape and murder case against the eight accused men, who allegedly drugged, tortured and gang-raped an 8-year-old girl for a week in January this year, has begun.


In connection with the case, two FIRs have been filed, one against eight people for allegedly being involved in the crime, another has been filed against a group of lawyers which had allegedly stopped the police from filing charge sheet against the eight accused.


The details of the rape-murder revealed by the charge sheet have triggered public and political outrage in various parts of the country, as many are calling for speedy justice in the case. -- ANI


Also read what the girl's family has to say in the aftermath of the horrific rape and murder.
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09:43   Indian cities 149% more congested than Asian counterparts: Report
Indian cites are 149 percent more congested than other Asian cities, said an Uber commissioned BCG report on Wednesday.


According to the Boston Consulting Group survey, up to 89 percent of people plan to buy a new car in the next five years. "However, over 79 percent would refrain from buying a car if ridesharing matches car ownership for affordability and convenience," said the report.


The 40-page report titled 'Unlocking Cities: The impact of ridesharing across India' was commissioned to better understand the benefits and potential of ridesharing in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bangalore.


The report was launched in the presence of Barney Harford, Uber's Global COO; Amit Jain, President, Uber India and South Asia; Suresh Subudhi, Partner, BCG & Ann Lavin, Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations, Uber APAC.


The study found that rideshare vehicle deliver on average 1.4-3.3 times more passenger-kilometres compared to private vehicles. -- ANI
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09:34   India using 'right policies' to lower high debt level: IMF
Music to the markets.


The International Monetary Fund has said that India has "quite a high" debt to GDP ratio, but New Delhi is trying to lower it using "the right policies".


India's general government debt remained relatively high, at 70 per cent of the GDP in 2017, Abdel Senhadji, Deputy Director, IMF Fiscal Affairs Department, told reporters at a news conference in Washington.


"The debt level is relatively high (in India), but the authorities are planning to bring it down over the medium term with the right policies," Senhadji said.


India is planning to continue with the consolidation in the current fiscal year and over the medium term, the top IMF official said.


"They are, in fact, targeting their federal deficit of three percent over the medium term, and they are targeting also a debt ratio of 40 per cent over the medium term at the federal level, which corresponds to about 60 per cent at the general government level. And we believe that those targets are appropriate," the IMF official said. -- PTI
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09:11   Independent probe into Judge Loya's death? SC to decide today
The Supreme Court is likely to pronounce its verdict today on a batch of pleas seeking an independent probe into the alleged mysterious death of special Central Bureau of Investigation judge B H Loya, who was hearing the high-profile Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.

Loya had allegedly died of cardiac arrest in Nagpur on December 1, 2014 when he had gone to attend the wedding of a colleagues daughter.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud had on March 16 reserved the judgment on the pleas.

The Maharashtra government had argued in the apex court that all pleas seeking an independent probe into Loyas death were motivated and aimed at targeting one individual in the guise of upholding the rule of law.

It had come down heavily on alleged accusations, bullying and browbeating of judges in the top court by some activist lawyers in the Loya case and said that the judiciary and judicial officers need to be saved from such averments.

Meanwhile, those seeking an independent probe into the matter had referred to the sequence of events to highlight that a fair investigation was needed to rule out any foul play in the death.

The issue of Loyas death had come under spotlight in November last year after media reports quoting his sister had fuelled suspicion about the circumstances surrounding it and its link to the Sohrabuddin case. 

But Loyas son had on January 14 said in Mumbai that his father had died of natural causes. -- PTI
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08:49   Will sanction Russia 'as soon as they very much deserve it': Trump
United States President Donald Trump said that nobody had been tougher on Russia than him and that he'd slap new sanctions on Moscow "as soon as they very much deserve it".
The mainstream media had failed to take notice of his actions against Russia, he said.
"Yes. We'll do sanctions as soon as they very much deserve it. There's been nobody tougher on Russia than President Donald Trump," Trump told reporters at a joint Mar-a-Lago news conference with the visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
"There has been nobody tougher than me. With the media, no matter what I did, its never tough enough because that's their narrative. But Russia will tell you there has been nobody tougher than Donald Trump," he said.
Trump was responding to a question on the remarks by the US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, that US will impose sanctions on Russia on Monday. The White House later denied the claim.
However, Trump said building a good relationship with Russia is a "good, not bad" thing.
"I leave it with this, with all of that said, if we can get along with China and if we can get along with Russia and if we can get along with Japan and other nations that's a good thing, not a bad thing," the US president said. -- PTI 
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08:17   Will walk out if meeting with Kim doesn't go well: Trump
United States President Donald Trump has expressed optimism about his planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, but said he'd be willing to walk out if the meeting fails to meet his expectation.
Trump said he will be meeting with Kim Jong-un in the coming weeks to discuss the de-nuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.
"If we don't think it's going to be successful.. we won't have it. We won't have it. If I think it's a meeting that is not going to be fruitful, we are not going to go," Trump told reporters during a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. 
"If the meeting, when I'm there is not fruitful, I will respectfully leave the meeting and will continue what we are doing or whatever it is that we'll continue, but something will happen," Trump said a day after he told reporters that he is likely to meet Kim Jong-un in June or before that.
Officials from the two countries are looking at five different venues for the meeting. None of them are in the US.
"Hopefully, that meeting will be a great success and we're looking forward to it," Trump said, adding that it would be tremendous for the world if the meeting went well.
Trump expressed hope that the Korean Peninsula could live together "in safety, prosperity, and peace" following a series of meetings between North Korea and South Korea.
"This is the destiny of the Korean people, who deserve and have gone through so much over the years. We hope it all works it and we'll be trying very hard," he added.
Trump said the release of three American prisoners in North Korea would be among the topics of his discussion with Kim.
The US president pat himself on the back over North Korea and said his administration had achieved what his predecessors couldn't.
"..for many years they have been talking to North Korea and nothing has happened. This should have been taken care of by past administrations when they were not nearly so far along. But we put unbelievably powerful sanctions on, and many other things," said Trump.
He praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for co-operating with him on North Korea. -- PTI
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00:37   Turkey's President Erdogan calls snap election in June
Turkey will hold snap presidential and parliamentary elections on June 24, brought forward by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from November 2019.

He has run Turkey since 2002 and will seek five more years with beefed up powers approved in a referendum last year.

The idea of an early poll was initially proposed by nationalist allies.

Erdogan said in a televised speech the country needed the new election to rid it of "the diseases of the old system".

"Developments in Syria and elsewhere have made it urgent to switch to the new executive system in order to take steps for our country's future in a stronger way," the president said in a live broadcast.

Erdogan said he had made the decision after speaking to the head of the nationalist MHP party, Devlet Bahceli, who is expected to form an alliance with Erdogan's ruling AK Party in the parliamentary polls.
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00:08   Remember our country and not Modi: PM @ London event
Speaking at the Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath' programme at the iconic Central Hall Westminster in London, Prime Minister Narendra Modi when asked about how he wanted to be remembered said, "I was not born with an aim to be in history books. I request you all- remember our country and not Modi. I am just like you all, a common citizen of India."

Earlier when asked about criticism, the PM said, "My problem is not against criticism. To criticise, one has to research and find proper facts. Sadly, it does not happen now. What happens instead is allegations."

"I want this government to be criticised. Criticism makes democracy strong."

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