Army chief General Bipin Rawat reviewed the security situation along the Line of Control and in the hinterland in Kashmir during his day-long visit to the valley today.

   

The army chief visited Kashmir Valley to review the prevailing security situation along the Line of Control and also in the hinterland, a Srinagar-based defence spokesman said.

 

He said, accompanied by Northern Army Commander Lt. Gen Ranbir Singh and Chinar Corps Commander Lt. Gen A K Bhatt, the Army chief visited forward posts along the LoC in the frontier districts of Kupwara and Baramulla where he was briefed on all aspects of operational and logistical preparedness.

 

The army chief was appreciative of the measures and standard operating procedures instituted by the units and formations to meet the challenges posed by "inimical elements", the spokesman said.

 

He said commending the performance of the troops in the recent successful operations, the Army chief stressed the need to maintain extra vigil to defeat the evil designs of hostile forces and assured his full support to further strengthen the security posture.

 

Later in the day, the army chief called on Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra at the Raj Bhavan in Srinagar and discussed the overall security situation in the valley, a Raj Bhavan spokesman said.

 

He said during their extended discussions, the governor and the army chief discussed issues relating to the external security environment, challenges of counter-terrorist operations in the hinterland and the arrangements which have been put on the ground for the safe conduct of forthcoming Amarnath Yatra.

 

The governor and the army chief also discussed the varied steps required to be taken for assuring a stable and bright future for the youth of the state, the spokesman said. -- PTI 

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi said that there is no dignity of life present in the atmosphere created by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The AIMIM chief was speaking on the recent acts of lynching in Uttra Pradesh's Hapur, where two people were allegedly killed by cow vigilantes.

He said, "There is no respect or dignity of life in the present ecosystem that the BJP has created."

"Rwanda is coming ? Bloody shameful I hope the "Political Maulanas" of "Secular Political" parties wake up & stop preaching about ideas which are finished .This is (New) INDIA HasbunAllah Wa Namal Wakeel ,Indian Muslims this is the Time to fight back and SAVE INDIA," he tweeted.

He also blamed the Uttar Pradesh police for aiding the situation in the state, he said, "The UP Police is not only complicit but also aiding the scary atmosphere."

He also spoke on BJP leader Lal Singh's threat to journalists, asking them to "draw a line", Owaisi said, "We should be thankful that we are in Hyderabad. There are no threats to journalists."

"MLA Lal Singh knows who killed Bukhari, he should be questioned," claimed Owaisi.

The AIMIM Chief said that it is time to "fight back" in a democratic way. He claimed that the Muslims and Dalits have united to overthrow the "Fascist forces". -- ANI

A 26-year-old woman gave birth to a baby girl on the road after a government hospital in the Budhana town in Muzaffarnagar district refused to admit her giving no reasons, her husband alleged today.

 

Yusuf said he took her wife Farzana to the government primary health centre after she experienced labour pain yesterday, but the hospital denied her admission.

 

"As we were taking her to another hospital, she delivered the baby on the road," he said.

Meanwhile, the hospital denied the allegation that they refused to admit the woman. Doctors at the facility said they had referred the women to the district hospital as her condition was serious.

Yusuf said the police arrived after somebody made a call to the UP100, the official name of the Uttar Pradesh Police Emergency Management System. The police took the woman to the same government health care centre, which again referred her to the district hospital, police said.

Irate family members protested over alleged negligence of hospital in dealing with the case.

Muzaffarnagar Chief Medical Office Dr PS Mishra said he has ordered an inquiry into the incident and assured of strict action against those found guilty. -- PTI  

A Class 10 student was held under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act in connection with the killing of a junior student in a school in Vadodara, an official said today.

 

The body of the 14-year-old boy, a Class 9 student, was found dead with multiple stab wounds in the washroom of the school yesterday.

The victim had 10 stab wounds on his body, Deputy Police Commissioner (DCP) R S Bhagora had said yesterday.

The 17-year-old accused, a student of the same school located in Baranpora area, was held in Valsad town in South Gujarat late last night, Vadodara police Commissioner Manoj Sashidhar told PTI.

A police team from here has been sent to Valsad to bring the teenager to the city, he said.

He will be questioned to learn the reason behind the brutal killing of the Class 9 student, police said.

The accused student came under the lens after he was spotted in CCTV footage entering the washroom along with the victim, they said.

The victim had joined the school only a week ago and was staying with his maternal uncle here, while his parents live in Gujarat's Anand town, the police had said.

The killing was a grim reminder of the murder of a seven-year-old student in Gurgaon last year. The victim was found in a pool of blood, with his throat slit, in his school's washroom on September 8 last year.

Meanwhile, Jagruti Pandya, chairperson of the Gujarat State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, said the mental condition of the detained student will be examined to know what prompted him to allegedly kill his junior.

Pandya said she has sought a report on the incident from the district administration.

She also held meetings with officials of the district education department, the city police commissioner and others over the incident. -- PTI  

Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah today said that the BJP cannot be part of government that discriminates against Jammu and Ladakh.

Addressing a rally in Jammu, just a few days after his party withdrew support from the PDP-led government in Jammu and Kashmir, Shah said,"There's no point for the BJP to stay in power if goal of equal development in Jammu and Kashmir isn't achieved. The Modi government made several efforts but partiality towards Jammu and Ladakh continued. That's when we decided that we should rather protest in opposition." 

Shah said that the BJP is a patriotic party and it doesn't care about power.

"Last year when I came to Jamuu and Kashmir, we were in a coalition government. Today, President's rule is imposed here since we took back our support. Political parties regret when their government falls but the BJP is the only party which raised slogans of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'. It shows BJP's patriotism," Shah said.

The BJP chief also slammed Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad over his "muscular policy" remark. 

"I cannot even repeat what Ghulam Nabi Azad has said. But Lashkar-e-Tayiba has extended support to his comment," he said.

Azad has stirred controversy when he said that muscular policy of the government worked mostly against civilians as it killed 20 civilians for every four terrorists. 

After Azad's remarks, the Lashkar-e-Tayiba outfit issued a statement saying "we have been of the same opinion as the ones expressed by Ghulam Nabi Azad and others".

Shah demanded that the Congress leader should apologise to the country. 

In a fresh attack on the central government, the Shiv Sena today said the nation is reeling under "financial anarchy".

   

The BJP's carping ally said many banking frauds have come to light during the four-year-old tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought to know what action has been taken by his government against those who "looted" banks.

"The economy of the country has been destroyed under the Modi government. Modi wanted to show that he, and not (his predecessor) Manmohan Singh, was the real economist by bringing the rupee at par with the US dollar," the Sena said in an editorial in its party mouthpiece Saamana.

 

"However, the Indian currency has plummeted to its lowest levels," it said.

 

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party said banks and financial institutions are engaging in undisciplined behaviour and those who "looted" banks ran away from the country under Modi's nose.

 

"What happened to the promises of not tolerating corruption and sending those engaging in it to jail?" the Sena publication sought to know.

 

Citing the recent criminal case registered against Pune-based developer D S Kulkarni for allegedly cheating a public sector lender, the Sena said many banking frauds have come to fore during the Modi regime.

 

Allegations of wrongdoing have also been levelled against ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar and businessmen Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya, said the Sena publication.

"Big industrialists have drowned loans worth nearly Rs 1.25 lakh crore. This includes big names and nationalised banks. How many chairmen of banks have gone to jail for giving loans illegally? What strong step has Finance Minister Piyush Goyal taken against those who looted banks?" it asked.

 

The Sena said demonetisation caused panic in the country and adversely affected its economy.

 

"The country is reeling under financial anarchy (due to note-ban) and it is only increasing," the party claimed.

 

"The demonetisation caused a lot of harm to the unorganised sector and unemployment increased. Also, claims that demonetisation would end terrorism in Kashmir proved to be hollow," the party said.

 

The Sena demanded registration of a case against the RBI governor over the demonetisation exercise, which led to scrapping of high-value notes. -- PTI

Nearly two dozen Air India flights were delayed across its network including at IGI Airport in New Delhi today after a technical glitch in the check-in software hampered operations, an airline spokesperson said.

   

The departure timings of as many as 23 flights were affected and the delays owing to the software malfunction stretched from 15-30 minutes, the spokesperson said.

 

"The software-related glitch affected operations from 1 PM to 2.30 PM during which period, check-in and other services were handled manually," the spokesperson said.

 

Air India's software solution is managed by SITA, a global airlines IT services solution major, which provides its check-in, boarding and baggage tracking technology. -- PTI 

India today summoned Pakistan's deputy high commissioner here and lodged a strong protest over the denial of access to its envoy in Islamabad and consular officials to visit Gurdwara Panja Sahib and meet visiting Indian pilgrims.

 

A strong protest was also registered by the Indian high commission in Islamabad over the incident, the ministry of external affairs said in a statement.

Deputy high commissioner Syed Haider Shah was summoned and a strong protest was lodged at the denial of access to Indian high commissioner Ajay Bisaria and consular officials to visit Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Pakistan's Punjab province and meet the Indian pilgrims despite a travel permission having been granted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, it said. -- PTI  

Celebrity chef and food critic Anthony Bourdain had no narcotics in his system at the time of his death, his toxicology report has revealed. 

   

Bourdain was found dead of suicide in his hotel room in Kaysersberg, France on June 8 while in the country filming an upcoming episode of "Parts Unknown" with his close friend French-born chef Eric Ripert. 

He was 61.

 

There was only a "trace of a non-narcotic medicine in a therapeutic dose" in his system, Christian de Rocquigny, the local prosecutor in charge of the investigation told New York Times.

  

In the 1980s Bourdain bounced from job to job at restaurants in New York City while struggling with a serious drug addiction. He entered rehab and eventually got clean in the early '90s, but continued to drink both on and off screen.

 

Bourdain was cremated in France and his remains and travel belongings were sent to his younger brother and only sibling, Christopher. The family will likely have a small, private ceremony of some kind, said Gladys Bourdain, his mother.

"He would want as little fuss as possible," she said.

 

She also revealed that she is planning to get "Tony" tattooed in small letters on the inside of her wrist next week as a personal memorial to her son. -- PTI  

At least 11 persons were killed and three others injured in road accidents in different districts of the state, police said today.

A woman and a girl were killed and another person was injured around 8.00 am today when their motorcycle was hit by a container vehicle in Hathras on the Hathras-Aligarh road.

The victims have been identified as Sudha (21) and Sangita (16) motorcyclist Manoj has been admitted to a district hospital for treatment, Additional Superintendent of Police Siddhartha Verma said. 

In Lakhimpur Kheri, four members of a family, including a minor, were killed when a speedy truck overturned on their roadside eatery at the Sisaiya crossing early this morning, police said.

The deceased were identified as Badalu (70), who ran the eatery on the Sisaiya-Bahraich road, his daughter Nazima (35) and granddaughters Mahek (3) and Ruby (18), they said. 

The speeding truck overturned on their eatery, killing all four on the spot, police said, adding that the negligence of the truck driver is said to be the cause of the accident.

 

In another incident, five persons, including two minors, were killed and two others seriously injured when a sand-laden truck overturned on their car, police said.

The car was on its way to Bangarmau last night when the truck driver, coming from the opposite direction, lost control over the vehicle following which it overturned, killing four members of a family and one other on the spot, they said.

The deceased were identified as Hiralal (40), his wife Nirmala (35), daughter Vaishnavi (11), son Suraj (9) and Sarvan (45), police said.

The injured were admitted to a district hospital, they said. -- PTI  

Nepal can serve as a bridge between India and China, Prime Minister K P Oli has said, insisting that his country will maintain close ties with the two neighbours while pursuing independent foreign policy. 

Oli, who is in China on a five-day visit, held talks with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, following which a memorandum of understanding was signed to build a railway link connecting Tibet with Kathmandu, along with 14 cooperative documents. 

In an interview to China's state-run Global Times, Oli said since the formation of his government, Nepal has intensified engagements with both neighbours.  

"We have made it clear that we pursue an independent foreign policy and a balanced outlook in the conduct of international relations," he said.

"In foreign policy conduct, our two neighbours naturally receive top priority and with both of them, our relations are broad, comprehensive and multi-faceted," Oli said.

Asked whether Nepal will be the "land of the competition" or "bridge of cooperation" between China and India, Oli said Nepal has remained a sovereign and independent nation throughout history. 

"We are firmly committed to not allowing our territory to be used against the sovereign interests of our neighbours. We have the resolve to maintain this and we naturally expect similar assurance from our neighbours," he said. 

Given this policy percept, "I see a good prospect of cooperation among our three countries," he said.  

Oli said Nepal's developmental needs were immense and needed meaningful and mutually beneficial economic partnership with both its neighbours.

"Fortunately for us, both our neighbours are rising in global stature and making tremendous progress in every area of development. They are in a position to support Nepal in its developmental journey," he said. 

"We believe that Nepal can serve as a bridge between our two neighbours. In fact, we want to move from the state of a land-locked to a land-linked country through the development of adequate cross border connectivity. Our friendship with both neighbours places us in an advantageous position to realise this goal," he said. 

On the Tibet-Kathmandu railway link, he said "cross-border connectivity is our top priority. Both sides have discussed developing a multidimensional trans-Himalayan connectivity network. This will enhance overall connectivity between our two countries."

"Our two countries are working seriously to establish cross-border railway connectivity. Kerung-Rasuwagadhi-Kathmandu-Pokhara-Lumbini railway project has received priority in our partnership," he said. -- PTI

In a veiled attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said it was spreading "lies, confusion and pessimism", whereas his government was working for the welfare of people.

   

Addressing a public meeting after launching the Mohanpura Irrigation Project in Rajgarh district of Madhya Pradesh, Modi said, "People trust the BJP and its government. Those spreading lies, confusion and pessimism are cut off from the ground reality."

 

The prime minister paid tributes to Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee and said it was his vision to strengthen education, health, finance, and security.

 

"His vision was to impart skills to the youth and give them opportunity so that they become capable of serving the country. Programmes like Startup, Make in India are a reflection of his ideas," he said.

 

"It was unfortunate that to glorify one family, deliberate attempts were made to belittle the contributions of other towering personalities in the country," he said.

 

Targeting the Congress, Modi said the party which ruled the country for maximum years never trusted the people and their hard work.

 

"They did not trust the strength of the country. In the last four years, we never spoke of frustration and dismay. We are the ones who are marching ahead with confidence," he said.

 

Modi said in the last four years at the Centre and 13 years in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP had worked for the uplift and empowerment of poor, farmers and deprived sections of society.

 

He said when the Congress ruled the state, Madhya Pradesh was called a BIMARU state.

 

"The Congress never saw this as an insult to the people of the state. The BJP had worked hard to remove this tag," he added. -- PTI 

Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah today arrived in Jammu to address a rally to mark "historic martyrdom anniversary" of Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee, days after his party's decision to withdraw support from the People'd Democratic Party-led government in Jammu and Kashmir.

 

Shah, who is on a day-long trip to the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir, was accorded a rousing reception with party's youth wing taking out a bike rally from the airport to the state guest house.

 

His public address will be significant as he is expected to touch on evolving political situation in the state following the party's withdrawal of support from the Mehbooba Mufti government on Tuesday.

The state is now under governor's rule. 

Shah was accompanied by state party president Ravinder Raina and other senior leaders. 

Shah would chair the party's election committee meeting to discuss the issues for the next election. He will also hold meetings with digital media and social media volunteers, and participate in other organisational events.

The strategy of the party for the next year's Lok Sabha elections is part of the discussions as the party is prepared to face the elections, a BJP leader said. -- PTI 

Mobile Internet services were restored today in Srinagar, a day after they were suspended as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order, a police official said.

 

He said the decision to restore the services was taken in view of the improving situation.

The authorities had yesterday barred mobile Internet services in Srinagar, Anantnag and Pulwama districts of the Valley.

The services were suspended as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order following an encounter in Anantnag district in which four militants, reportedly belonging to the Islamic State Jammu and Kashmir, were killed. One of the slain militants was from Srinagar.

The official said the services continue to remain suspended in Anantnag and Pulwama, and a decision on restoring the facility would be taken after assessing the situation. -- PTI 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Madhya Pradesh where he will launch several development projects.

 

Modi will dedicate the Mohanpura Irrigation Project in Rajgarh district to the people of the state and also inaugurate several other projects, including an urban transport scheme named 'Sutra Seva" in Indore, a government public relations officer said.

 

"The prime minister will dedicate the Mohanpura irrigation project worth Rs 3,866 crore to the people of the state. This project, which includes a dam and a canal system, will benefit 727 villages in Madhya Pradesh," he said.

 

Thereafter, Modi will head to Indore to dedicate the development works worth Rs 4,713.75 crore at a programme.

 

He will also felicitate the winners of cleanliness survey -- Swachh Survekshan 2018. He will give away awards to the representatives of Indore, Bhopal and Chandigarh, the cities that secured top three positions in the survey, the official said.

 

Modi will also inaugurate the state government's urban transport scheme named 'Sutra Seva' at Indore's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

 

This economical bus service -- 'Sutra Seva: MP Ki Apni Bus' -- is being introduced in 20 selected cities of the state.

 

The Urban Development and Housing Department will make the bus service available inside and outside the cities under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme through private partnership.

 

In the first phase of 'Sutra Seva', 127 buses will start plying in four municipal corporation cities -- Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Chhindwara -- and in two municipal council towns -- Guna and Bhind, the official said.

 

The 'griha pravesh' (house warming ceremony) of all 1,00,219 beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana will be performed simultaneously across the state.

 

The prime minister will also dedicate 23 development projects undertaken at a cost of Rs 278.26 crore in Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Gwalior and Ujjain under the Smart City Mission, the official said.

 

During the programme, Modi will also inaugurate drinking water schemes for 14 urban areas. These places are: Dharampuri Municipal Council (Dhar distric), Raisen Municipal Council, Begumganj, Obaidullaganj, Berasia (Bhopal), Athner (Betul), Badhvad (Ratlam), Dindori, Lakhnadon (Seoni), Narsinghpur, Sabalgarh, Bamor, Poursa (Morena) and Bamouri (Shahdol), he said.

Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh are scheduled to be held by the end of this year. -- PTI 

Former Jammu and Kashmir minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Choudhary Lal Singh on Friday warned journalists to 'mend their ways' over their reporting on the Kathua rape and murder case, with an apparent reference to the assassination of journalist Shujaat Bukhari.

The forest minister in the previous PDP-BJP government, Singh was asked to resign from the cabinet after he participated in a rally in support of the accused in the rape and murder of an 8-year-old Muslim tribal girl in Kathua.

In a reference to Kathua case, Singh told a press conference that Kashmiri journalists had created a "wrong atmosphere" there.

"Now I will tell Kashmiri journalists to draw a line on the journalism you do and how you have to live. Do you have to live like what happened to Basharat, so that such a situation emerges?," Singh said in an apparent reference to Rising Kashmir editor Shujaat Bukhari who was killed by gunmen outside his office on June 14.

"So mend your ways and draw a line, so that this brotherhood remains intact and there is progress, Singh said.

Reacting to Singh's comment, former J&K chief minister and National Congress leader Omar Abdullah tweeted, "Dear journalists, your colleagues in Kashmir just got threatened by a @BJP4India MLA. It seems Shujaats death is now a tool for goons to use to threaten other journalists," Omar tweeted.

Photograph: PTI Photo

Normalisation of 'plus-size' body shapes lead to an increasing number of people underestimating their weight -- undermining efforts to tackle the problem of obesity.

 

While attempts to reduce stigmatisation of larger body sizes -- for example with the launch of plus-size clothing ranges -- help promote body positivity, the study highlights an unintentional negative consequence that may prevent recognition of the health risks of being overweight.

The study by Raya Muttarak, from the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria, examined the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics associated with underestimation of weight status to reveal social inequalities in patterns of weight misperception.

Analysis of data from almost 23,460 people who are overweight or obese revealed that weight misperception has increased in England.

Men and individuals with lower levels of education and income are more likely to underestimate their weight status and consequently less likely to try to lose weight.

Members of minority ethnic groups are also more likely to underestimate their weight than the white population, however they are more likely to try to lose weight. Overall, those underestimating their weight are 85 per cent less likely to try to lose weight compared with people who accurately identified their weight status.

The results, published in the journal Obesity, show that the number of overweight individuals who are misperceiving their weight has increased over time, from 48.4 to 57.9 per cent in men and 24.5 to 30.6 per cent in women between 1997 and 2015.

Similarly, among individuals classified as obese, the proportion of men misperceiving their weight in 2015 was almost double that of 1997 (12 vs 6.6 per cent).

 

"Seeing the huge potential of the fuller-sized fashion market, retailers may have contributed to the normalisation of being overweight and obese," said Muttarak.

"While this type of body positive movement helps reduce stigmatisation of larger-sized bodies, it can potentially undermine the recognition of being overweight and its health consequences," she said.

The study used data from the annual Health Survey for England, which contains a question on weight perception.

Focusing on respondents with a BMI of 25 or over, about two-thirds were classified as being overweight and one-third as obese. In order to assess trends in self-perception of weight status, the analysis was based on pooled data from five years - 1997, 1998, 2002, 2014, 2015 - of the survey.

The proportion underestimating their weight status was higher among overweight individuals compared with those with obesity (40.8 per cent vs 8.4 per cent).

Correspondingly, only about half of overweight individuals were trying to lose weight compared with more than two-thirds of people with obesity.  -- PTI  

National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah today said the National Democratic Alliance government's claim that more militants were killed in Kashmir during its rule than in the United Progressive Alliance dispensation actually tells how it allowed militancy and violence to re-emerge in the Valley.

 

"Actually minister sahib this tells the story of how your government allowed militancy & violence to re-emerge in J&K forcing the security forces to kill more terrorists," Omar wrote on Twitter.

The former J&K chief minister was reacting to Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad's tweet and statement that more militants were killed under the NDA government than in the UPA rule.

Prasad said security forces had killed 72 and 67 militants in 2012 and 2013 under the UPA and the figure rose to 110 in 2014 when the BJP-led NDA came to power at the Centre.

He said the forces killed 108 militants in 2015, 150 in 2016, 217 in 2017 and 75 till May this year.

Omar said the increase in the number of militants killed was not an achievement.

"You should be embarrassed by these statistics not be claiming them as some achievement," the NC vice president wrote. -- PTI 

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz will be contesting from the National Assembly-127 in Lahore and from Punjab assembly constituency PP-173 respectively in the upcoming general elections in the country on July 25.

The PML-N's parliamentary board has also approved Maryam's candidacy from the NA-127 constituency, Geo TV reported.

Maryam had earlier submitted her nomination papers to contest in NA-125 and NA-127 seats in Lahore and from Punjab assembly seat PP-173.

The returning officers approved Maryam's candidacies. However, she would be now contesting the polls from NA-127 and PP-173 seats.

Earlier, Maryam announced that she would contest elections from NA-120, which is considered as the bastion of the Sharif family and was represented by Nawaz himself, and later by his wife, Kulsoom Nawaz. --ANI

For the first time offenders, the fine will be Rs 5,000. For second time offenders, the fine will be Rs 10,000. Those who violate it for the third time will face a fine of Rs 25,000, along with imprisonment of three months.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told PTI that the plastic ban can succeed only if all the stake-holders support the move.

"We want to promote responsible use of plastic. Therefore, we have banned the kind of plastic that cannot be collected, regulated and recycled," he said.

The chief minister said that the ban puts the onus on the polluters, but at the same time some exceptions have been made so that businesses are not hampered till alternatives have a strong presence in the market.

"The ban will succeed only with the participation of all the stake-holders and that the government has made a committee to ensure trouble-shooting and smooth adaptation. 

"We do not want to promote police raj and we are also trying to address the concerns of traders and small vendors," Fadnavis said.

On March 23, the state government had imposed a ban on manufacturing, use, sale, distribution and storage of plastic materials such as one-time-use bags, spoons, plates, PET and PETE bottles and thermocol items.

The government had given three months time for the disposal of the existing stocks. 

All kinds of plastic bags, irrespective of their thickness, tea cups, glasses, thermocol glasses, thermocol used for decoration, plastic used in hotels to parcel food like boxes, spoons have been banned from today, state Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam said. 

"The first time offenders will have to pay a fine of Rs 5,000; Rs 10,000 if caught for the second time and Rs 25,000 along with a jail term of three months for third time offence," he said.

Claiming that 80 per cent of the plastic is manufactured in Gujarat, the minister said the government has made strict provision of three-month jail if plastic is found being brought into Maharashtra from any other state.

Kadam said plastic and thermocol used by manufacturing companies, materials used in hospitals like saline bottles, and boxes used to store medicines, plastic pens, milk pouches that are above 50 microns in thickness have been exempted from the ban.

"Plastic and thermocol used for packaging television sets, fridges, computers as well as raincoats, plastic used for storing food grains and that used in nurseries for plants and also plastic in which biscuits, chips, are packaged, etc has been exempted from the ban," he said.

Hailing the ban, Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray said although people will have to face some difficulty initially, they will get used to it over the time.

"This decision will change the destiny of our future generations. I am sure this decision taken by the government will serve as an example for the entire world," he said.

Thackeray said work towards the ban on plastic was initiated in August last year, when it was found that plastic had led to major water-logging in Mumbai following continuous downpour.

"A lot of plastic and thermocol was found stuck in gutters which rendered our pumping stations useless and caused flooding in the city. We have since been working on banning use of plastic," he said.  -- PTI

Reacting to Mamata's decision, the Chinese Consulate Kolkata said they were still trying to arrange the meetings.

'It (China) was working hard to prepare for the chief minister's trip to China, including on the relevant arrangements during the visit. At the time the announcement was made, the Chinese side was still working on the arrangements and remained in contact with the Indian Embassy in China,' the Consulate said in a statement.

It further asserted that China gives great importance to its relationship with India and will continue its efforts in enhancing friendly exchanges.

On Friday, Mamata called off her official maiden visit to China, hours before boarding the flight for Beijing.

The Trinamool Congress chief was scheduled to visit China as part of the Exchange Programme of the Government of India with the International Department of the Communist Party of China.

Taking to her Twitter handle, the West Bengal Chief Minister said that she was 'compelled to cancel the visit' since the Chinese side could not confirm the political meetings at an appropriate level.

'Till yesterday, everything was going on well, but unfortunately, the Chinese side could not confirm the political meetings at an appropriate level as informed by our Ambassador in China,' Mamata tweeted.

'It has now been intimated by our Ambassador in China that the political meetings at the appropriate level under the Exchange Programme could not be confirmed. Therefore, the purpose of my visit with a delegation to China under the Exchange Programme is of no use,' she added.

Mamata also revealed that Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj had requested her to consider leading a delegation to the Asian giant, which she had accepted on April 2.  -- ANI

Harris also demanded immediate reunification of separated families, raising concern over their detention in a 'typical prison setting', after her visit to the Otay Mesa Detention Facility near San Diego in California yesterday. 

"The mothers I spoke with today who have had their children taken, they think that they're alone. We need to remind them and everyone else that they are not alone and that we all stand with them," she said. 

"This is outrageous. This is clearly a crime against humanity that is being committed by the United States government and we have to stop it," a visibly upset Harris told a crowd of several hundreds outside the detention centre. 

The Democratic Senator said separating children from their parents was unacceptable and charged that these women, who have fled violence in their countries, were being treated by the US government as if they posed the same threat as a member of a transnational gang. 

"These women do not know for certain where their children are, do not know if and when they will be reunited and some have not been able to even speak with them by phone," she said.

Harris alleged that she was allowed to bring phones or cameras inside.

"During my visit, I spoke with mothers who have been separated from their children, some as young as five years old," she said, adding that inside the detention centre she spoke with three women from El Salvador and Honduras, who were separated from their children at their border.

"They're in complete and utter despair," she said in her remarks. 

She said the detainees were being held in a typical prison setting.

"This is a prison,' she said.   -- PTI

The announcement has been made in accordance with the US President Donald Trump's decision to stop its joint military exercises with South Korea.

Trump's decision, after a historic summit with Kim Jong-un in Singapore on June 12, was hailed by North Korea.

Yesterday, Mattis met with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joe Dunford, and Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Ambassador John Bolton to discuss efforts to implement the results of the Singapore Summit between Trump and Kim. 

"To support implementing the outcomes of the Singapore Summit, and in coordination with our Republic of Korea ally, Secretary Mattis has indefinitely suspended select exercises," Pentagon's chief Spokesperson Dana White said. 

This includes suspending 'Freedom Guardian' along with two Korean marine exchange programme training exercises scheduled to take place in the next three months.

In support of upcoming diplomatic negotiations led by Pompeo, additional decisions will depend upon North Korea continuing to have productive negotiations in good faith, White said.  -- PTI

United States President Donald Trump extended the national emergency against North Korea by another year, asserting that the reclusive nation continued to pose an "unusual and extraordinary" threat to the US' national security, foreign policy and economy.

Trump's remarks come less than a fortnight after he had a historic meeting in Singapore with Kim Jong-un during which the North Korean leader agreed to denuclearisation.

Trump has said time till the denuclearisation is completed, he would continue with his maximum pressure campaign and would not lift any of the sanctions against North Korea.

"The existence and risk of proliferation of weapons-usable fissile material on the Korean Peninsula and the actions and policies of the Government of North Korea continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States," Trump said in a notice issued by the White House.

National emergency against North Korea was first imposed on June 26, 2008. Since then, every president has extended the national emergency by one year.

Trump, who held a landmark meeting with Kim on June 12, said he was extending it by another year.

After nearly five hours of unprecedented talks between Trump and Kim, the two leaders signed a document in which Kim "reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula" and the US agreed to "provide security guarantees.