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Wed, 23 May 2018
Virat Kohli challenges PM Modi, wife Anushka

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23:32   Virat Kohli challenges PM Modi, wife Anushka
Taking Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore's #HumFitTohIndiaFit campaign forward, Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday gave a fitness challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, star cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and his wife and actress Anushka Sharma.

In a self-made video posted on Twitter, Rathore on Wednesday urged Indians to shoot a video of their "fitness mantra" and share it. He then did 10 push-ups and also praised Prime Minister Modi by calling him his source of inspiration for staying fit.

Rathore then challenged Virat Kohli, Hrithik Roshan, and Saina Nehwal to join in and take the #FitnessChallenge forward.

Accepting Rathore's challenge, Kohli took to the micro-blogging site and posted a video of him doing planks.

"I have accepted the #FitnessChallenge by Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore sir. Now I would like to challenge my wife @AnushkaSharma , our PM @narendramodi ji and @msdhoni bhai for the same. #HumFitTohIndiaFit #ComeOutAndPlay," Virat tweeted.

Besides them, Rathore's challenge was also accepted by Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju and Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal, who also took to Twitter to share their fitness mantras.
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23:19   German firm apologises for 'racist' post linked to Meghan Markle
A German company has apologised after posting an image of a chocolate-covered marshmallow sweet in a bridal dress on the day of the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Super Dickmann's post of a Schokokuss (chocolate kiss) included the caption: "What are you looking at? Wouldn't you also want to be Meghan today?"

Some social media users said the now-deleted image was "racist".

A spokesperson for the company called the post "stupid and embarrassing".

After users denounced the post on the company's Facebook page, Super Dickmann's wrote: "A big pardon! The world of Super Dickmann's is colourful and diverse and far from racist thoughts."

The image of the Schokokuss, a well-known German sweet, appeared inside a cathedral with the words "a foam in white", a reference to its creamy interior, a pun on the phrase "a vision in white".

Spokesman Bernd Roessler said the firm had not put enough thought into the post.

German public broadcaster ZDF has also come in for criticism for its coverage of the royal wedding, with people on social media saying some of the comments during its programming were "racist".

The controversial remarks included describing Markle as "exotic" several times, saying that the Queen was "turning a blind eye to Meghan" and that the gospel singers of the Kingdom Choir "sang beautifully black".
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22:38   Was Mamata miffed with traffic arrangements in Bengaluru?
While the oath-taking ceremony of Janata Dal-Secular's HD Kumaraswamy was a display of the Opposition's unity, sources suggest that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was not entirely happy with the traffic arrangements made for the big day.

As per sources, Mamata was forced to walk a short distance to reach the Vidhana Soudha for the swearing-in, as a number of vehicles blocked the route to the venue.

Due to this, Mamata lodged a complaint with the Karnataka Director General of Police, Neelamani Raju.

In a video captured of her entering the venue of the swearing-in, a perturbed Mamata was seen gesturing her dismay to the Karnataka DGP and later was seen explaining her situation to former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar, who were also present at the venue.

While proceeding towards the seating area, Mamata was seen once again in conversation with other leaders present there, in a disturbed manner, but went on to greet the dignitaries at the dais and the audience at the venue, after apparently being pacified by Deve Gowda and other leaders.

-- ANI
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22:07   Muscular policy on Kashmir is brainless policy: Yashwant Sinha
In an apparent swipe at the Centre, former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha today said a muscular policy on Kashmir is a brainless one as muscles do not have brain.

Speaking at an event to launch a book, written jointly by former chiefs of intelligence agencies of India and Pakistan - A S Dulat and Asad Durrani respectively besides author Aditya Sinha, he suggested India must talk to Pakistan in order to resolve the Kashmir issue.

Referring to recent media reports, Sinha said Indian media says Pakistani Rangers are pleading for mercy now. 

And the next day the Rangers started bombarding and shelling and all. And so much damage had been done to that entire area. What is this 'moonhtod Jawab' (befitting reply)? And with all due respect, a muscular policy is bound to be a brainless policy because muscles don't have brain, he said.

The Border Security Force on Sunday said that the Pakistan Rangers had "pleaded" with them to stop firing along the International Border (IB) after being pounded with heavy artillery that also left a trooper dead across the border.

Sinha said Pakistan has to be brought in (to resolve Kashmir issue). 

There are voices coming from deep state, now not only in media but I am aware they are also one on one, which I would say are quiet friendly and they create a hope. Now we should respond to those overtures from the deep state in Pakistan in a positive way so that if we can find a way through minefield we should discover that way, he said.

Sinha, who has been actively involved in resolving issue of militancy and stone pelting among others in Kashmir, said dialogue should begin at two levels. 

-- PTI
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21:15   Karna assembly convened on May 25 for floor test
The Karnataka Legislative Assembly is scheduled to meet on May 25 for the floor test of the newlyformed Congress-JD(S) coalition government headed by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.

The adjourned meeting of the first session of the newly constituted 15th assembly has been convened to meet at 12.15 pm., an intimation sent to the MLAs read.

Official sources said the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speake besides the floor test is scheduled to take place the same day. 

Kumaraswamy and Deputy CM G Parameshwara of the Congress were sworn in today in a star-studded affair with a galaxy of opposition leaders displaying unity for building a possibleanti-BJP bloc for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

-- PTI
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20:37   Major Gogoi detained with girl at Srinagar hotel, probe ordered
Indian Army Major Leetul Gogoi, who became front-page news for tying a civilian to the bonnet of his vehicle in Badgam district last year, was today detained by Jammu and Kashmir Police from a hotel with a local girl. The major was later taken to the police station from where he was handed over to his unit.

Police said that they got a call from the hotel around 11 am about an altercation at the hotel. The altercation took place after the hotel management allegedly refused to let the major and the girl stay at the hotel.

Police said that another man identified as Sameer was accompanying Gogoi and the girl. The trio was taken to the police station and questioned.

"Major Gogoi along with a local Kashmiri boy and a girl from Budgam district, where the major is also posted, reached the hotel. They had an altercation with the hotel staff at the reception as the staff didn't allow them to stay together," said a police official.

A probe has now been ordered by the police in the case. "A probe by SP North City (Srinagar) has been ordered in the case," said SP Pani, a senior officer of the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

Pani added that the major's unit was informed about the incident immediately after.

In April 2017, Major Leetul Gogoi had tied a civilian Farooq Ahmad Dar of Chill-Brass village in Budgam to the bonnet of his jeep on the day of Srinagar Parliamentary elections.
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20:17   Pak Dy HC summoned over killing of 7-month- old in cross border firing
Pakistan's Deputy High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah was today summoned and a strong protest was lodged over the killing of a seven-month-old infant in unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Bhimber sector.
 
The MEA said it was conveyed to Shah that the "deliberate targeting" of innocent civilians by Pakistani forces using small arms and high caliber weapons is "highly deplorable and condemned in the strongest terms".
"Shah was summoned today and strong protest was lodged at the loss of life of a seven-month-old infant in unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistan forces on May 21," the MEA said.

It said Pakistani authorities were called upon to investigate such heinous acts of killing innocent civilians and instruct its forces to desist from such acts immediately.
"Targeting of innocent civilians including young children is against all established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct," the MEA said.
It said the Pakistani side was also asked to end the support being given to cross border infiltration of terrorists, including through covering fire.

"Our strong concerns were also shared at continued unprovoked firing and ceasefire violations across the Line of Control and the International boundary," it said.
The MEA said more than 1,088 such violations have been carried out by Pakistan forces at the LoC and IB so far during 2018 which have led to loss of 36 lives and injuries to 127 people.
"In 2018, Indian security forces have thwarted attempts by 53 terrorists to infiltrate and have neutralised five terrorists at the time of crossing the LoC," it said.

-- PTI
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19:48   Back on track? Trump-Kim meet set to take place on June 12
The historic meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong un is set to take place on June 12, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told lawmakers today.

Testifying before a powerful Congressional committee, Pompeo identified de-nuclearisation of North Korea as one of the top national security priority of the Trump Administration.

"The maximum pressure campaign of diplomatic and economic sanctions is bearing fruit with the historic meeting set to take place on June 12," Pompeo said in his testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

This campaign, he said, has been undertaken in concert with an unprecedented number of allies and partners.

"Our posture will not change until we see credible steps taken toward the complete, verifiable, and irreversible de-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula. We are clear-eyed about the regime's history," Pompeo said.

"It's time to solve this once and for all. A bad deal is not an option. The American people are counting on us to get this right. If the right deal is not on the table, we will respectfully walk away," the top American diplomat said.

Pompeo's remarks came a day after US President Trump yesterday suggested that his historic summit with Kim "may not work out" even as he asserted that the North Korean leader was "serious" about denuclearisation.

-- PTI
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19:11   PM congratulates Kumaraswamy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi  today congratulated H D Kumaraswamy on taking oath as the Karnataka chief minister and extended his best wishes on his new assignment.
  
"I congratulate Shri @hd_kumaraswamy Ji and @DrParameshwara ji on taking oath as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka. My best wishes for their tenure ahead," he tweeted.

Kumaraswamy was sworn-in as the Karnataka chief minister at the head of a JD-S-Congress coalition government.

The show of strength by a galaxy of national leaders and regional satraps at the ceremony is being seen as a strong signal to the BJP about the possibility of formation of a broad-based front to take on the NDA in the Lok Sabha polls next year.
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19:01   Nipah Virus: Central team asks neighbouring districts to be on high alert
Neighbouring districts of Kozhikode and Mallappuram in Kerala have been put on "high alert" by a central health ministry team sent to the state in the wake of the outbreak of Nipah virus, which has already led to at least 11 deaths.
  
In an advisory, the central team has also asked for setting up of screening facilities of suspected cases at the exit and entry points of these districts.
According to the ministry, out of the 11 deaths so far due to the virus, eight persons have died in Kozhikode district and three in Mallappuram. Besides, nine persons were undergoing treatment and isolation wards have been opened in several hospitals in Kozhikode.
The advisory has also asked the administration to ensure availability of isolation and emergency management facilities before referral. The local administration, with the help of central team, has set up a task force with a designated control room while a nodal officer has been appointed to collect data and monitor the activities to ensure preventive measures.
Nipah virus (NiV) infection is a newly emerging zoonosis that causes severe disease in both animals and humans. The natural host of the virus are fruit bats of the Pteropodidae Family, Pteropus genus.
The central team has collected samples of rabbits and pigeons in the area to ascertain if they are alternate source of infections.
"The central team has asked the neighbouring districts of Kozhikode and Malappuram in to be on  high alert and ensure screening of those who have symptoms of fever, nausea, respiratory distress, at the exit and entry points.
"It has also asked them to ensure availability of isolation and emergency management facilities before referral," a senior health ministry official said.

-- PTI
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18:33   'Cong-JD-S coalition will run better than any one party govt'
Janata Dal-Secular leader HD Kumaraswamy took oath as Karnataka chief minister on Wednesday, a week after the state election threw up a hung assembly and resulted in BJPs BS Yeddyurappa serving as chief minister for a little over two days.

The ceremony was attended by a host of opposition leaders and chief ministers, a development that could plant a seed for a broad-based anti-BJP front before the Lok Sabha election next year.

Following the swearing-in ceremony, the new CM said, "This coalition government (Congress-JD-S) will run better than any one party government and we will concentrate on working for the public. We have decided to work together for the betterment of the state."
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18:01   Search for Flight MH370 to end on May 29
The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 will end next week, the country's transport minister said Wednesday, more than four years after the plane disappeared in one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries. 

The Malaysia Airlines jet vanished in March 2014 with 239 people -- mostly from China -- on board, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

No sign of the plane was found in a 120,000 square kilometre sea search zone and the Australian-led hunt, the largest in aviation history, was suspended in January last year.

After pressure from family members, the former Malaysian government struck a deal with US exploration firm Ocean Infinity to restart the search on the condition it would only be paid if the jet or its black boxes were found.

The firm, which deployed hi-tech underwater drones in its hunt, stood to make up to $70 million if successful.
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17:35   This is what a united Opposition taking on the BJP looks like
As the JD-S made a grand comeback in Karnataka politics after over a decade of political isolation with HD Kumaraswamy taking oath as the state's 24th chief minister at the Vidhana Soudha, on Wednesday evening, the focus was as much on him as the line-up of Opposition leaders on the dais with him.


Even if it was just a photo-op on a Kumaraswamy's big day, the possibility of a united opposition to take on the BJP wasn't far from anyone's mind. Who will be the leader? How will they stitch up their differences? Will it survive the push and pull of coalition politics?


Answers will have to wait. For now, the cheering crowds before the Vidhana Soudha, braving surprise showers looked at dais on the steps of the magnificent State Assembly and whistled and clapped as heads of Opposition parties held hands, embraced, laughed and posed ahead and after Kumaraswamy's swearing-in. For the first time ever, SP's Akhilesh Yadav and BSP's Mayawati shared the stage, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee shook hands with arch political rival CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury, moments that will define the occasion.


This was 58-year-old Kumarawamy's second term as the chief minister of Karnataka since 2007, when he last held the post for 20 months.
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17:11   The who's who at Kumaraswamy's swearing-in
The non-BJP leaders who lent heft to Kumaraswamy's big day today:
CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury, NCP president Sharad Pawar, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and son of former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad, Tejaswi Yadav, Rashtriya Lok Dal'S Ajit Singh (also an ex-Union Minister), actor-turned-politician and founder of Makkal Needhi Maiam, Kamal Haasan.
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17:03   Naidu, Mamata willing to work with Kumaraswamy
Earlier today, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee expressed their willingness to work together with HD Kumaraswamy.


"We've come here to witness the swearing-in of HD Kumaraswamy and express our solidarity to him. In the future, we'll work together to protect and promote national interest. We're here to strengthen all regional parties," they said.
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16:47  
CPM's D Raja gives Congress Party's DK Shivakumar a hug.
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16:45  
Almost the entire Opposition is on stage waving to the crowds. Quite a line-up. Raising their arms up in unison, probably the only leader missing is the Odisha's Naveen Patnaik. Mamata and Mayawati being led to the front of the stage; the leaders have their hands around each other. Is this what 2019 looks like?

And wait, we just saw Sitaram Yechury and Mamata Banerjee, shake hands. 
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16:39  
All the bitterness of the past week is buried as Kumaraswamy presents a bouquet of flowers to Governor Vajubhai Vala after taking oath as Chief Minister of Karnataka at Vidhana Soudha.
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16:37   Kumaraswamy sworn-in as Karnataka CM
Kumaraswamy sworn-in as Karnataka CM.  Karnataka Congress president G Parameshwara has also been sworn-in as the deputy chief minister.

Congresss Ramesh Kumar, a former minister, will be the next Assembly speaker, while the deputy speakers post will go to the JD-S, Venugopal told PTI.

The Congress would have 22 ministers and JD(S) 12, he said, adding they would be sworn-in after the floor test slated for Friday. Officials had earlier said Kumaraswamy will seek a confidence vote on Thursday. The decision to defer the trust vote by a day ostensibly stems from rules that require the election of the Speaker before the exercise.
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16:33  
If that's the warmth Sonia, Rahul and Mayawati share, a 3rd front can be ra reality.
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16:29  
WB CM Mamata Banerjee talks to HD Deve Gowda
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16:28   Kumaraswamy set to take oath shortly
HD Kumaraswamy arrives on the dais for his swearing-in ceremony.
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16:23  
The lady in the yellow sari is HD Deve Gowda's wife Chennamma 
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16:22  
Akhilesh gets a hug from Deve Gowda.
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16:19   Maya, Akhilesh share dais for the 1st time ever
Less than 15 minutes to go for the swearing-in ceremony of HD Kumaraswamy.

BSP's Mayawati and SP's Akhilesh Yadav wave to the crowds. This is a historic photograph, since they have never shared the dais.

The swearing-in ceremony of Karnataka Chief Minister-designate H.D. Kumaraswamy will be used as a "show of strength" of the opposition parties ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, in a possible line up against the BJP.

HD Devegowda appears on the dais to loud cheers from the crowds, who are there in their thousands.

Kumaraswamy arrives too.
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15:59  
Prep at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru for HD Kumaraswamy's swearing-in ceremony which should take place in 30 minutes.
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15:32   1 dead in fresh violence in Tuticorin
Just in: Sterlite protests: One person dead, 3 injured in fresh violence at Anna Nagar in Thoothukudi.
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15:31   United Opposition arrives for Kumaraswamy's swearing-in
The Opposition converges in Bengaluru for the oath taking ceremony of HD Kumaraswamy as the next CM of Karnataka.


So far, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his mother UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury, NCP's Sharad Pawar have arrived in the garden city.


Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony which is to take place at 4:30 pm on the steps of the magnificent Vidhan Soudha, Yechury, Naidu, Kejriwal and Trinamool Congress finance minister Amit Mitra had an informal meeting.


A JD-S-Congress coalition government headed by Kumaraswamy could plant a seed for a broad-based anti-BJP platform before the Lok Sabha polls next year.


Karnataka Congress president G Parameshwara will be sworn-in as the deputy chief minister, AICC general secretary in-charge of the state K C Venugopal said. Congresss Ramesh Kumar, a former minister, will be the next Assembly speaker, while the deputy speakers post will go to the JD-S, Venugopal told PTI.


The Congress would have 22 ministers and JD(S) 12, he said, adding they would be sworn-in after the floor test slated for Friday. Officials had earlier said Kumaraswamy will seek a confidence vote on Thursday. The decision to defer the trust vote by a day ostensibly stems from rules that require the election of the Speaker before the exercise. 
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14:47   Sterlite protestors killed for objecting RSS ideologies: Rahul
In the wake of the anti-Sterlite protests which took place on Tuesday in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi claimed that the protestors were killed for rejecting Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's ideologies.


"Tamilians have been massacred because they refused to accept Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideologies. The RSS and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been opposed by Tamil Nadu. Also, people of Tamil Nadu cannot be suppressed," he tweeted in Tamil.


The Congress President also extended support to the people of Tamil Nadu."Dear Tamil brothers and sisters, we are with you," he said. -- ANI
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14:41   Rohingya fighters killed Hindus in Myanmar: Amnesty
 Amnesty International has said that it has evidence that Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) killed around 99 Hindu civilians in August 2017.


Masked ARSA fighters killed scores of Hindus near a remote village named Kha Maung Seik, after launching the coordinated attacks on 30 security posts and an army base in northern Rakhine state in the early hours of August 25, claimed Amnesty International on Tuesday.


Amnesty International came up with witnesses' statements, including eight Hindu women, who alleged they were abducted by the ARSA fighters and forcefully converted to Islam.


As per Dhaka Tribune, Amnesty International also said it had documented killing of six Hindus by these insurgents from Rohingya Muslim armed group near the town of Maungdaw on August 26. -- ANI
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14:39  
Six civilians were injured in a grenade attack in Anantnag's Bijbehara. The area is cordoned off.
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14:38   Heavy rains lash Odisha, hit road traffic, train services
Heavy rains coupled with thunderstorm today affected road traffic as well as train services in Odisha, officials said. The regional meteorological centre said a cloud mass that had formed near the Odisha-West Bengal border was moving southwards, triggering heavy rains in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and neighbouring areas.
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14:13  
And here's NCP chief Sharad Pawar.


HD Kumaraswamy will be the second Chief Minister to take oath in Karnataka within a week, after BS Yeddyurappa stepped down without facing the floor test on May 19 in the face of an imminent defeat.
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14:13  
CPI-M chief Sitaram Yechury also in Bengaluru as Kumaraswamy set to take oath as Karnataka CM at 4:30 pm today.
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14:05  
Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav arrives in Bengaluru.
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14:00   Mamata, Naidu arrive in Bengaluru for Kumaraswamy's swearing-in
Countdown begins for HD Kumaraswamy's swearing-in. Andhra CM N Chandrababu Naidu and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee have reached Bengaluru. Speaking to ANI, Naidu says, "We've come here to witness the swearing-in ceremony of HD Kumaraswamy and express our solidarity with him. In future we'll work together to protect and promote national interest. We're here to strengthen all regional parties."


Kumaraswamy, the third son of JD-S supremo and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, will be administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Vajubhai Vala at 4:30 pm in front of the Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the government in Bengaluru.


A huge stage has been erected in front of the majestic stone building for the ceremony, where a host of national and regional leaders are expected to be present to send a message across to the BJP over the shape of things to come in 2019.


Government officials and sources in the JD-S said Congress president Rahul Gandhi, his mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, are likely to be present.


Newbie politicians Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan will also be there.
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13:48   IAF chopper crashes, all safe
A Cheetah helicopter of the Indian Air Force carrying two passengers and two aircrews crash-landed during a routine sortie from Jammu to Natha Top at 9:50 am today. All aircrew and passengers safe. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.
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13:35   'It's a message for all protestors: If you join, you are dead'
"They should have spoken to the Sterlite protestors when they were sitting in the villages. They should not have waited for them to come to Tuticorin." What started off as a lone village grumbling about ground water pollution on Tuesday turned into a battlefield. reports A Ganesh Nadar.
Full report here.
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13:26   Sterlite deaths: Human Rights Commission puts TN govt on notice
National Human Rights Commission issues a notice to the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary and Director general of police over the police firing during the anti-Sterlite protest in Thoothukudi that claimed 11 lives, seeks report within two weeks.


The Tamil Nadu government today appointed a one-person Commission of Inquiry headed by a retired judge of the Madras High Court to probe the violence at Tuticorin in which 10 people were killed. The toll has gone up to 10, (eight men, two women).


The inquiry will cover the "law and order incidents following the siege of the District Collectorate by thousands of persons violating prohibitory orders," an official release said.


Appointing retired Judge Aruna Jagadeesan for the task, the government said she would submit her report to the government. However, the time-frame for submitting the report has not been specified.


Congress president Rahul Gandhi termed the deaths a brutal example of state-sponsored terrorism. He said people were murdered in Tuticorin for protesting against injustice.

The gunning down by the police of 9 people in the Sterlite protest in Tamil Nadu is a brutal example of state sponsored terrorism. These citizens were murdered for protesting against injustice. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of these martyrs and the injured, Gandhi said on Twitter.

Hurling stones and setting government vehicles and public property on fire, the agitators went on the rampage in the town, about 600 km from Tamil Nadu capital Chennai. PTI
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13:00   Tuticorin factory currently non-operational: Sterlite Copper
Sterlite Copper today said its factory in Tuticorin district is currently non-functional and the company is awaiting approval from the authorities to resume operations at the site.


At least 9 people were killed, according to PTI (news agency ANI puts the figure at 11, while TV channels puts the number between 10 and 12) in police firing in Tuticorin yesterday after protests for the closure of the plant over pollution concerns turned violent. Sterlite said the facility has been shut since March 27 when the company took up annual scheduled maintenance.


The firm's application to renew its licence to operate the copper smelter facility was rejected by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board. Expressing sorrow at the loss of lives, Sterlite in a statement said it has appealed to the government to ensure safety of employees, facilities and the surrounding communities.


"The Sterlite Copper plant is currently non-operational as we await approval for the consent to operate," it said.


The three month-long protest by locals demanding closure of Sterlite Copper unit of Vedanta Group turned violent yesterday with agitators pelting stones and toppling police vehicles after they were prevented from marching towards the plant. -- PTI


Must read:How Sterlite copper plant polluted Tuticorin
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12:52   Govt can reduce petrol price up to Rs 25 but won't: Chidambaram
Amid rising criticism over steep hike in fuel prices, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram today claimed it was possible to cut up to Rs 25 per litre in petrol prices but the government will not do so.


In a series of tweets, the former finance minister said the bonanza to central government is Rs 25 on every litre of petrol and this money rightfully belongs to the average consumer.


"The Central government saves Rs 15 on every litre of petrol due to fall in crude oil prices. Central government puts additional tax of Rs 10 on every litre of petrol. "It is possible to cut up to Rs 25 per litre, but the government will not. They will cheat the people by cutting price by Rs 1 or 2 per litre of petrol," he said on Twitter.


More than a week after state-owned oil firms ended a 19-day pre-Karnataka poll hiatus on revising fuel prices, petrol and diesel rates have touched record highs.


Petrol costs Rs 76.87 per litre in Delhi and diesel costs Rs 68.08 a litre. In the last nine days, petrol price has risen by Rs 2.24 a litre and diesel by Rs 2.15. Rates vary from state to state depending on the incidence of local sales tax or VAT. The prices in Delhi are the cheapest among all metros and most state capitals. -- PTI
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12:41  
Retired Judge Aruna Jagadeesan appointed by the Tamil Nadu government to probe the police firing during the anti-Sterlite protests in Thoothukudi that claimed 11 lives.
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12:29   Vedanta shares drop 6% after protests in Tamil Nadu
Shares of Vedanta fell 6 per cent today on reports that nine people were killed in police firing after protests against the closure of Vedanta group's Sterlite Copper plant turned violent in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin.


After opening the day on a weak note, the stock further lost 5.80 per cent to Rs 253.85 on BSE. On NSE, shares of the company dropped 6 per cent to Rs 253.75.


Eleven people were killed in police firing after protests against the closure of Vedanta group's Sterlite Copper plant over pollution concerns turned violent in Tuticorin, with the police action drawing opposition criticism.


The protests have been going on in Tuticorin for over three months now, but violence erupted yesterday with agitators fighting pitched battles with police, prompting an open fire. -- PTI
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11:58   Sterlite violence: Kamal Haasan asked to leave hospital
DMK calls for an all-party protest on May 25 over the deaths of 11 people killed in police firing during protests against Sterlite industries yesterday in Tamil Nadu. At the General Hospital in Thoothukudi, relatives of patients injured in the violence at the Sterlite protests ask Kamal Haasan to leave. They say his visit is causing disruptions.
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11:47   Sterlite violence: HM seeks report on deaths, court stays construction
Update on the Sterlite agitation: The Home Ministry has sought a report from the Tamil Nadu government over the Thoothukudi incident where 11 people were killed yesterday in police firing during protests against Sterlite industries.

The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has stayed construction of a new copper smelter by Sterlite industries in Thoothukudi.

The victims were killed in police firing after protests for the closure of Vedanta group's Sterlite Copper plant over pollution concerns turned violent in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin, with the police action drawing opposition criticism.

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami confirmed reports about the death of nine people in 'police action', while reports claimed many, including policemen, were injured in clashes. Governor Banwarilal Purohit condoled the deaths.


Anbumani Ramadoss of the Pattali Makkal Katchi  said what happened in Tuticorin is a cold-blooded murder by the police. "They should be booked for murder & SP, Collector, DGP & Chief Secretary should be suspended. Taking moral responsibility, CM Edappadi K Palaniswami should resign," he said. 


Dr A Edwin Joe, Director of Medical Education, Tamil Nadu, said at least 42 people have hospitalised  till now, with a few transferred to Tirunelveli medical college to reduce congestion. Ten bodies are in the mortuary in the hospital, while 17 surgeries have been done.


Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan has arrived at the General Hospital in Kozhikode.

Chief Opposition party in Tamil Nadu, the DMK has compared the deaths to the Jallianwallah Bagh Massacre.

Police said nearly 5000 protesters gathered near a local church and insisted on taking a out a rally to the district collectorate after they were denied permission to march to the copper smelter plant.

Initial pushing and shoving soon led to violent clashes, after agitated locals began hurling stones at police and overturned a vehicle.

Security personnel used batons and burst teargas shells to break up the protest. Many were injured in stone-pelting by the agitators, who also set some vehicles on fire.

Windscreens of some government cars were smashed and bank premises were attacked by the rampaging mobs. As the violence spiralled, police opened fire, killing nine people.


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11:21   UP govt introduces NCERT textbooks in madrasas
The Uttar Pradesh cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday approved the introduction of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks in the Madrasa Board.


NCERT books in Urdu, Hindi and English languages will be introduced to give students a better training and enhanced skill set in madrasas.


According to some sources, madrasas have been asked to follow the NCERT curriculum and introduce subjects like Science, Mathematics and Social Science.


Earlier also Adityanath stressed the importance of introducing modern education in madrasas. -- ANI
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11:16   Govt job, Rs 20 lakh for kin of nurse who died treating Nipah Virus patients
The Kerala cabinet is set to offer a government job to the husband of the nurse who died treating Nipah Virus patients.


Lini Puthussery's two sons will get a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each. The Kerala government has also announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakhs to the kin of the other victims.

Nipah has so far claimed 10 people.

Lini, a nursing assistant with the Perambra Taluk Hospital in Kozhikode, Lini was exposed to the virus while treating affected patients. Her husband works in Bahrain.


Lini left a brief note in Malayalam for her husband Sajeesh minutes before she died on Monday. Read it here
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11:13   UP school warden turns ghost to molest girls?
A bizarre story if there is one. Students of Kasturba Gandhi school on Tuesday accused their warden of dressing up as a ghost and molesting them at night.


The girls also alleged that the warden walks around the premises mysteriously and touches them inappropriately. They have written a complaint to the District Magistrate against the warden.


However, the accused warden Poonam Bharti has denied the charges and demanded an investigation in the matter.


"I've demanded investigation in this matter and have also told the authorities to check the CCTV footage. The truth will automatically be out," Bharti said. -- ANI


Image: The students of the Kasturba Gandhi school.
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10:56   'In India, journalists face slut-shaming and rape threats'
"For the past few years, like several female journalists critical of the Hindu nationalist politics and government, I have been targeted by an apparently coordinated social media campaign that slut-shames, deploys manipulated images with sexually explicit language, and threatens rape. Mr. Modi and several of his ministers embolden the virtual mob by following them on social media.Yet nothing had prepared me for what was thrown at me in the past month. On April 22, I was alarmed to find a quotation supporting child rapists falsely attributed to me and going viral on Twitter. A parody account of Republic TV, India's leading right-wing television network, had posted the quotation."

Read journalist Rana Ayyub's column here
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10:47   Every day a battlefield for civilians at LoC, toll 6
Pakistani troops violated ceasefire in the RS Pura sector in Jammu and Kashmir today damaging houses and cars. No casualties have been reported. However, 2 civilians were killed and 3 injured in heavy shelling and firing by Pakistani Rangers on civilians areas along the IB in Kathua-Jammu sectors.


Earlier today, one civilian was injured in a ceasefire violation by  Pakistan in the Arnia Sector. Earlier on May 18, Pakistan violated ceasefire along the Line of Control in RS Pura and Arnia sectors, killing a total of five people including one Border Security Force jawan and four civilians.


Following the heavy shelling, the district administration had sent a bulletproof vehicle to border village Bobiya and evacuated the people to safe place.


Pakistan has been violating the ceasefire agreement and resorting to heavy shelling in Hiranagar, Samba, Ramgarh, Arnia and Suchetgarh sectors in the state over the last few weeks.  -- ANI
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10:14   President Kovind, the grandpa
A warm, personal, tweet from the President. @rashtrapatibhvn tweeted this picture yesterday writing, "Took my grandchildren to a bookshop in Shimla; bought them books for their summer holiday reading. Happy to experience the spreading digital payments culture in our country #PresidentKovind."
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10:07   Akhilesh will ride his cycle in MP: SP to contest all 230 seats
Undeterred by the failure in its electoral ventures in Gujarat and Karnataka, the Samajwadi Party is all geared up to contest all 230 seats in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls scheduled later this year.


"Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav was on a three-day visit from May 18 to MP during which he made it clear that the party will be contesting polls on all 230 seats. This time 'cycle' (SP symbol) will run in MP also," SP chief spokesman Rajendra Chowdhury told PTI.


Akhilesh toured extensively in the areas bordering UP from Bundelkhand to Vindhya region.


He addressed the public in Sidhi and Satna districts of Vindhya region, besides Khajuraho in Chhattarpur district of Bundelkhand.


"The SP will help people of MP get rid of 15 years misrule of BJP. We will try to save people of MP from BJP's conspiracy and fight for them," Akhilesh said in one of his meetings in MP.  -- PTI
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09:55   Lalu admitted to hospital in Mumbai
Rashtriya Janata Dal chief and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav is in Mumbai today. He was admitted to to the Asian Heart Hospital for treatment of heart and kidney related ailments.


The RJD chief was accompanied by son Tej Pratap, daughter Misa Bharti, and daughter-in-law Aishwarya.

Lalu has been convicted in three fodder scam cases by a special CBI court in Ranchi since December last year and was undergoing treatment at Rajendra Institute Medical Sciences earlier. He was admitted to RIMS on March 16 after he complained of discomfort at Birsa Munda Jail, and was later moved to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.


The suggestion came after the medical board at the RIMS reviewed the condition of Lalu Prasad and found that his sugar level was high and increasing. They also said that he had developed some renal problems.He also reportedly suffers from high blood pressure and diabetes. -- ANI
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09:45   2 lakh Rohingyas at risk when the rains arrive in B'desh
About 150,000-200,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar are at risk from flooding and landslides during the monsoon season, the UN has said. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said yesterday that more than 7,000 Rohingya refugees were affected by storms or landslides earlier this month, at the start of the monsoon season.


"The monsoons typically deposit 2.5 meters of rain on Cox's Bazar, resulting in significant flooding. As a result, 150,000-200,000 refugees and 883 community facilities are at risk from flooding and landslides during the monsoon season, including 25,000 refugees at critical risk," he said. Dujarric said UN Agencies have ramped up preparedness activities to mitigate the effects of the rains on refugees.


While Bangladesh has been dealing with monsoons annually and has developed some experience in these matters, the situation present in the refugee camps is unique in scope and volume, and the international humanitarian community is working to support and protect the refugee communities most at risk, he said.


"The lack of sufficient safe space for at-risk refugees and of safe shelters, limits the UN's risk mitigation possibilities," Dujarric said. -- PTI


Image: Rohingya siblings flee violence as they hold one another as they cross the Naf River along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Palong Khali, near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh in November 2017. This is a Pulitzer Prize winning picture by Reuter's Adnan Abidi.
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09:39   Pak ceasefire violations continue, 1 dead
One dead, two injured after heavy shelling from Pakistan in Kathua's Hiranagar sector.


Yesterday, an eight-month old baby died after he was hit by a bullet in Akhnoor. The baby died instantly.


ANI reported that the baby was struck by the bullet during cross-LoC firing by Pakistani troopers in the Keri Battal area of Akhnoor.


While Indian forces have been retaliating with heavy counter fire, civilians have been moved to safer locations.


Pakistani forces have been firing without provocation in several sectors in J&K despite the Indian government declaring a unilateral ceasefire in view of the holy month of Ramzan.


Both sides have suffered loses with BSF losing two jawans in firing from across LoC last week.


Reinforced bunkers have been built in several locations to ensure civilians had proper cover from fire and mortar shelling, but there appears to be no end to the shelling from Pakistani forces. 
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09:25   Novelist Philip Roth dead
Novelist Philip Roth, a dominant force in American literature throughout the latter half of the 20th century, has died, US media said late Tuesday. He was 85 years old. The New Yorker magazine first reported the death of Roth, who won the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for fiction for his acclaimed novel "American Pastoral." The New York Times confirmed the death of the late writer who lived in New York and Connecticut, citing a close friend.
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08:55   BJP MP Bandaru Dattatreya's 21-year-old son dies of heart attack
Former union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Bandaru Dattatreya's 21-year-old son died of a massive heart attack last night.

Bandaru Vaishnav was a third year medical student. 

According to NDTV, Vaishnav was reportedly having dinner with his family at their Ramnagar residence in Hyderabad, when he suddenly collapsed. 

Dattatreya took him to a hospital in Musheerabad where he breathed his last at 1.30 am.
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08:44   US committed to achieving denuclearisation of Korean Peninsula: Pompeo
The United States is committed to achieving denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and creating conditions such that the North Korean regime no longer threatens the world, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said.
Pompeo made the comments after attending a White House meeting between President Donald Trump and the visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
"We are committed to achieving denuclearisation and creating conditions such that the North Korean regime no longer threatens the world," Pompeo told reporters  
The State Department and the White House, he said, were continuing to prepare for the meeting between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, so that in the event that the summit takes place on scheduled date, the administration is fully prepared.
Trump and Kim are scheduled to meet in Singapore on June 12. However, North Korea has threatened to cancel the meeting over a joint US-South Korea military exercise. The US has said it is going ahead with the preparation.
Pompeo said the mission statement had not changed at all.
"Will do what it takes to make sure that this is a successful meeting, whether that's meeting with the North Koreans in some third country or whatever it may take. We are prepared," Pompeo said in response to a question.
"The President will ask us to ensure that we've done all we can to make sure that we have the real opportunity to have this historic successful outcome," he said.
Exuding confidence that the meeting would indeed take place, Pompeo, who is the only US leader to have met Kim twice in the last one month, said the US was continuing to do its work and lay the foundation for a successful meeting.
"With respect to Chairman Kim, I haven't spoken publicly about the conversations we've had; they were between he and I," Pompeo said.
"But I do have a real sense that he would find American investment, American technology, American know-how of real value to his people, and it's something that he and I had a chance to speak about generally," he said. -- PTI
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08:32   Kumaraswamy to take oath today as Oppn set to show strength
A Janat Dal-Secular-Congress coalition government headed by H D Kumaraswamy will be sworn-in today in Karnataka at a ceremony attended by a galaxy of opposition leaders and chief ministers, a development that could plant a seed for a broad-based anti-Bharatiya Janata Party platform before the Lok Sabha polls next year.
Karnataka Congress president G Parameshwara will be sworn in as the deputy CM, AICC general secretary in-charge of the state K C Venugopal said. 
Congress's Ramesh Kumar, a former minister, will be the next speaker, while the deputy speaker's post will go to the JD-S, Venugopal said.
The Congress would have 22 ministers and the JD-S 12, he said, adding they would be sworn in after the floor test slated for Thursday.
Kumaraswamy will be the second chief minister to take oath in Karnataka within a week, after BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa stepped down without facing the floor test on May 19 in the face of imminent defeat.
Government officials and sources in the JD-S said Congress president Rahul Gandhi, his mother and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan are among those likely to be present for the ceremony. -- PTI
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00:41   Fate of Trump-Kim meet hangs in balance
The fate of the much-awaited June 12 Singapore summit between Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un loomed large as the United States President met his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in at the White House on Tuesday.

As he welcomed Moon in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters that it will be great if his meeting with Kim takes place as scheduled, but if did not, that took was fine.

"We're moving along. We'll see what happens," Trump said in response to a question.

Trump and Kim are scheduled to meet in Singapore on June 12.

However, North Korea has threatened to cancel the meeting over a joint US-South Korea military exercise. The US has said it was going ahead with the preparation.

"If it doesn't happen, maybe it will happen later...You never know about deals...I've made a lot of deals. You never really know," Trump said.

At one point he said that it may not work out for June 12.

"You will know soon," Trump told reporters about the summit.

He declined to say whether he had spoken to Kim.

"They're hardworking, great people," he said of North Koreans.

"He will be extremely happy. He will be very happy" he said of Kim and if the deal works out.  -- PTI

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