LIVE! India follows UN sanctions, not US sanctions on Iran, says Swaraj

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Mon, 28 May 2018

India follows UN sanctions, not US sanctions on Iran, says Swaraj

Timeline Refresh

23:27 Terrorists attack police picket guarding residential house in Anantnag

Terrorists tonight attacked a police picket guarding a residential house in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, but the attack was repulsed by the alert sentry.

"Residential guard was attacked by terrorists at Thajiwara in Anantnag. The alert sentry retaliated the fire," a police spokesperson said.

He said further details of the incident were awaited.

India abides by sanctions imposed by the United Nations and not those imposed by any other country, such as ones announced by the United States against Iran, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said on Monday. The ministers remarks at her annual press conference came hours before a meeting with visiting Iran foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Iran is the third largest source of Indias oil imports. New Delhi is making strategic investments in the Chabahar port in Iran that connects Afghanistan to Central Asia bypassing Pakistan.

Swaraj said Indias decision on ties with Iran or its position on sanctions is independent of any other country.

India follows only UN sanctions, and not unilateral sanctions by any country, Swaraj said, after being asked about Indias response to the US decision to impose sanctions against Iran.

US President Donald Trump this month exited from the Iran nuclear deal and sought the reimposition of economic sanctions against Tehran that were suspended under a 2015 agreement.

The external affairs minister conveyed that all parties to the agreement should engage constructively for peaceful resolution of the issues that have arisen with respect to the agreement, a statement from the ministry said after Swaraj met Zarif.

Vedanta Ltd today termed as "unfortunate" the Tamil Nadu government's order to close down the Sterlite copper plant at Tuticorin and said it would decide the future course of action after studying the development.

This follows Tamil Nadu government today ordering the state Pollution Control Board to seal and "permanently" close the Vedanta group's copper plant in Tuticorin following last week's violent protests over pollution concerns during which 13 people were killed in police firing.

"Closure of Sterlite Copper plant is an unfortunate development, especially since, we have operated the plant for over 22 years in most transparent and sustainable way, contributing to the Tuticorin and state's socio-economic development. We will study the development and decide on the future course of action," Vedanta Ltd said in a statement.

The government's decision came a day ahead of the start of the state assembly session where it is likely to come under intense Opposition fire over the Tuticorin incidents.

22:07 DMK dubs Sterlite closure, "eyewash," "drama"

DMK working president M K Stalin today described as "drama" the Tamil Nadu government's order to permanently close the Sterlite plant at Tuticorin.

"It is an eyewash, a drama," Stalin, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly, said.

If this decision had been taken without the "killing" of 13 lives, the government's good intention could have been appreciated, he told reporters here after chairing a meet of party MLAs ahead of the start of the assembly session tomorrow.

As this decision comes "after killing 13 people," and injuring many, it clearly showed an "ulterior motive," for it.

"This government order is not a cabinet decision. You should know this is a GO of the Pollution Control Board," Stalin said.

He said the plant's closure under similar circumstances in 2013 was also an "eyewash."

It was reopened later following a report of the Pollution Control Board that the unit was safe, he said.

If the government had no motive behind its order, by now action must have been taken against police officials including the DGP for the firing incidents which led to the loss of 13 lives, he said.

"So far no action has been taken. We will raise these issues in the assembly tomorrow," he said adding if action was not taken, his party would approach the court.

-- PTI

21:26

Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya underwent a surgery for the removal of a lesion in the brain at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi. The surgery was successful. He is stable & recovering well.

21:11 Pakistan's ex-ISI chief on no-fly list over book revelations

Pakistan's powerful spy agency ISI's former chief Lt Gen Asad Durrani (retd) has been banned from leaving the country and will face a Court of Inquiry over a controversial book he recently co-authored with India's former intelligence head.

Durrani, who headed the Inter-Services Intelligence agency from August 1990 till March 1992, along with former RAW chief A S Dulat has recently published the book titled 'The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace' in India.

He was summoned to the General Headquarters today to explain his position on the book 'Spy Chronicles', said a statement issued today by the Inter-Services Public Relations - the Pakistan military's media wing.

"A formal Court of Inquiry headed by a serving Lieutenant General has been ordered to probe the matter in detail," the statement said.

It also said that "competent authority has been approached to place the name of Lt Gen Durrani (retd) on Exit Control List.

Those persons on the ECL are prohibited from leaving Pakistan.

Durrani has expressed dismay at his "own people" after facing severe backlash over his recent book that landed him in controversy. He was also targeted by some retired senior army officers on different TV talk shows.

Lt Gen retired Abdul Qayyum and Maj Gen retired Ijaz Awan questioned the motive behind releasing the book on internet.

Durrani was apparently summoned after ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif demanded an urgent meeting of the high-powered National Security Committee to discuss a recent book co-authored by a former spy chiefs of Pakistan and India.

Disinvestment of Air India and rise in prices of petrol and diesel are likely to feature in an important coordination meeting of the RSS, BJP and the government scheduled for tomorrow.

BJP president Amit Shah, Finance and Railways Minister Piyush Goyal, and Commerce and Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu are among those likely to attend the meeting. It will be chaired by RSS joint general secretary Krishan Gopal.

The sangh's economic group, comprising Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh, Bhartiya Kisan Sangh, Laghu Udyog Bharti and Swadeshi Jagran Manch, will present their reports and feedback on various economic policies of the government.

Sources said that the issues of Air India disinvestment and rise in prices of petrol and diesel would feature in the meeting.

Earlier, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had categorically said that Air India should not be sold to a foreign buyer.

Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh and Swadeshi Jagran Manch have also opposed its disinvestment in the current form.

According to the SJM, Air India has operating profits, but is running into losses due to its debts. It suggested that government should monetise the assets of the national carrier to repay its debt.

The Centre has invited 'expression of interest' to sell 76 per cent stake and management control in the airline.

The Indian government owns 100 per cent equity of Air India. The government has injected more than Rs 23,000 crore since 2012 to bail out the airline.

-- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make a brief stopover in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday on his way back from Indonesia during which he will meet his newly elected Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohammad.

Modi will leave for a two-nation tour of Indonesia and Singapore tomorrow with an aim to boost ties in several key sectors, including defence and trade.

His first destination will be Indonesia from where he will travel to Singapore on Thursday.

"He will also make a brief stopover in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on May 31 to meet the newly elected Prime Minister of Malaysia Dr Mahathir Mohammad," the external affairs ministry said.

Ninety-two-year-old Mahathir was sworn in as Malaysia's prime minister on May 10 after leading the opposition alliance to a stunning election victory over the Barisan Nasional coalition, which had ruled Malaysia since 1957.

During their meeting, Modi and Mahathir are expected to deliberate on ways to deepen bilateral relationship in a range of areas, including trade and investment.

The state-run Goa Medical College and Hospital has kept under observation a 20-year-old Kerala resident who was found having symptoms of the Nipah virus.

State health minister Vishwajit Rane said the man was under observation at GMCH, located in North Goa district, and it was not yet confirmed if he was infected with the deadly virus.

The blood samples of the patient were sent for testing to the National Institute of Virology in Pune, Rane said, adding that there was no need to panic.

The patient's identity was not disclosed by GMCH.

Dehradun will be the venue for this year's national programme on the International Yoga Day on June 21 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending it.

Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh was informed about it through a letter by Ayush Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha.

Dehradun will be the venue for this year's national programme on the International Yoga Day, an official release here said.

Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had told reporters on the sidelines of a programme that the prime minister will attend the International Yoga Day celebrations here on June 21.

"The prime minister has special feelings for Uttarakhand and he is coming to Dehradun on the International Yoga Day," Rawat had said, adding that the venue for the programme would be close to the Forest Research Institute.

-- PTI

South Korean officials have said President Moon Jae-in could attend a possible summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un.

Any attendance by Moon would be dependent on the progress of pre-summit talks between the US and North Korean leaders, said the Blue House.

The historic meeting is scheduled to take place on 12 June in Singapore.

It has been thrown into uncertainty, after Trump said he would no longer be attending.

But both sides have since been working to get it back on track.

It would be the first ever meeting between a North Korean leader and a sitting US president.

18:27

Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi.

18:23 Ivanka Trump's photo sparks backlash over border separations

Online backlash greeted Ivanka Trump, after the US presidents daughter tweeted a picture of herself cuddling her two-year-old son, Theodore, at the same time widespread news reports detailed children being taken from their mothers by US border agents.

Trumps tweet was captioned My <3! #SundayMorning.

The comedian Patton Oswalt was one of thousands to draw a connection between the tweet and the separation of families at the border under policies pursued by the Trump administration.

Isnt it the just the best to snuggle your little one knowing exactly where they are, safe in your arms? Oswalt wrote. Its the best. The BEST. Right, Ivanka? Right?

Outraged reaction to Trumps tweet included responses by many mothers who asked the first daughter to contemplate being forcibly separated from her child.

Youre a mother of 3, wrote a user with the Twitter handle @litbrit. So am I. Imagine someone in an ICE uniform takes away your precious baby, and you never get to see him or her ever again. This is whats going on, thanks to your Dads policy. DO SOMETHING.

Previously, families suspected of crossing the border illegally were allowed to stay together until their cases were resolved. In early May, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a zero tolerance policy on illegal immigration.

A Department of Homeland Security official told Reuters: Those apprehended will be sent directly to federal court under the custody of the US Marshals Service, and their children will be transferred to the custody of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement.

"I have no desire to live ... all I pray for is death," Sunanda Pushkar wrote in an e-mail to her husband Shashi Tharoor nine days before she was found dead in a luxury hotel room in New Delhi, police has told a city court.

The police also told the court that Sunanda's death was due to poisoning and 27 tablets of Alprax were found in her room but it was not clear how many pills she had consumed.

Sunanda's mail and messages on social media have been taken as a "dying declaration", Delhi Police told additional chief metropolitan magistrate Samar Vishal, who today reserved for June 5 its order on whether to summon Tharoor as an accused in the case.

The Delhi Police had on May 14 accused the Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram, of abetting Pushkar's suicide and urged the court that he should be summoned as an accused in the four-and-half year-old case, claiming there was sufficient evidence against him.

In a nearly 3,000-page chargesheet, the police has named Tharoor as the only accused while also alleging that he had subjected his wife to cruelty.

The couple's domestic servant, Narayan Singh, has been named one of the key witnesses in the case.

Pushkar was found dead in the suite of a luxury hotel in south Delhi on the night of January 17, 2014.

The Congress leader has been charged under sections 498 A (husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code.

Under section 498A, the maximum punishment is up to three years of imprisonment, while jail term up to 10 years is prescribed under section 306.

17:36 When PM Modi gave stern message to Theresa May

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a strong retort to his British counterpart Theresa May on Vijay Mallya's extradition case, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj informed on Monday.

"Prime Minister Modi told British Prime Minister that UK courts asking about the condition of Indian jails is not right, as these are the same prisons where they had jailed our leaders like Gandhi and Nehru," Swaraj said while addressing the media on the completion of 4 years of the National Democratic Alliance government.

Prime Minister Modi's stern message to the British PM was conveyed when the two leaders met in London in April, during the meeting of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and discussed Mallya's extradition, wherein he had complained to the UK courts about the conditions of Indian jails.

Liquor baron Vijay Mallya is absconding and currently living in the United Kingdom.

-- ANI

JD-S supremo H D Deve Gowda said on Monday he had offered to support a Congress-led government in Karnataka after the fractured verdict in the assembly polls but the latter insisted on H D Kumaraswamy becoming the chief minister.

Gowda said during his hour-long discussion with senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ashok Gehlot, he was told that the decision to back his son Kumaraswamy for the post of the chief minister was taken by the Congress high-command.

"There was discussion between me, Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ashok Gehlot. I told them, you form (the government), I have no problem. They insisted that Kumaraswamy become the chief minister and that it was their high-command'sdecision," the former prime minister told a press conference.

Amid reports of continued differences in the newly-formed JD-S-Congress coalition over portfolio allocation and farm loan waiver, which has delayed the expansion of the Kumaraswamy ministry, Gowda indicated it would be difficult to keep the promise of relief to farmers.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has invited former president and veteran Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee to address newly recruited RSS workers on June 7 in Nagpur.

Mukherjee has given his consent to participate in the programme, RSS' Akhil Bhartiya Prachar Pramukh Arun Kumar said.

Mukherjee will be the chief guest at the valedictory session of the Tritiya Varsh Varg' or the Third Year Course organised by the RSS in June this year.

The Sangh leadership invites eminent people for the annual event held at its headquarters at Reshim Bagh in Nagpur.

We have invited the former President of India and it is his greatness that he has given his consent for participating in the programme, Kumar said.

Earlier this year, Mukherjee had also invited top Sangh leaders at the launch of the Pranab Mukherjee Foundation here.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had also called on Mukherjee during the last days of his tenure as President.

Mukherjee had also invited RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for lunch at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

-- PTI

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam today asserted that the government will take resolute steps for the permanent closure of Vedanta group's copper plant in Tuticorin.

"Today, the main demand of the people is that the copper plant should be permanently closed. In keeping with their demand, it is shut now. I would like to make it clear that Sterlite plant will be permanently shut," Panneerselvam said.

The "Amma's government," will do all things necessary to ensure the plant's closure, he told reporters after visiting those injured in the violence and police firing on May 22, at a state-run hospital.

"The government will do its duty for permanently closing down the plant," he said.

The deputy CM said even if there were legal challenges in the closure of the plant, it will be faced and the government will take resolute steps to permanently close down the Vedanta group's copper unit in Tuticorin.

Describing the deaths of 13 people in the police firing as an "incident of grief which melted the hearts of everyone," Panneerselvam expressed his condolences to the kin of the dead and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

Recalling the steps taken by the government for closing down the plant, he said way back in 2013, the copper plant was shut by late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

However, Sterlite approached the National Green Tribunal and got orders for resuming operations and the government petition opposing this was still pending in the Supreme Court.

Also, the State pollution control board did not renew its consent due to which the plant could not operate, he said.

Panneerselvam said he met 47 injured persons and consoled them, and received representations from them which will be fulfilled. He said compensation has already been provided to all the injured he met.

The visit of the deputy chief minister, who is also the top leader of the ruling AIADMK, comes at a time when the city has just got back on its feet.

Large-scale violence on May 22 against the Sterlite copper plant here and police firing led to the death of 12 persons and the next day saw one more youth succumbing to injuries sustained in police firing. -- PTI

The Election Commission today termed as "exaggerated projection of reality" reports of 'large scale' failure of EVMs during Lok Sabha and assembly bypolls in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Amid reports of faulty EVMs from various polling stations, the commission came out with a statement to deny that the failure of the voting machines was unusual.

"... the commission allocates sufficient reserve of EVMs and VVPATs for every general and by election to the Lok Sabha or state assembly. It is pertinent to mention that during commissioning of EVMs and VVPATs, apart from EVMs and VVPATs required for deployment at every polling station, adequate number of reserve EVMs and VVPATs (around 20-25 per cent) are prepared to replace any defective machine on poll day at the polling station," it said.

It said the reserve EVMs/VVPATs are kept with sector officers, who replace the defective EVMs/VVPATs. Since each sector officer is entrusted with only 10-12 polling stations, the time taken to replace any EVM/VVPAT is normally less than 30 minutes.

"The replacement of defective EVMs/VVPATs during actual polls is a normal process and does not vitiate the integrity or credibility of the poll process in any way whatsoever," the statement read.

The poll panel also rejected reports that polling was cancelled in 35 booths in Bhandara-Gondiya LS constituency in Maharashtra.

"Also, the reports emerging in some quarters about EVMs/VVPATs failing in 25 per cent polling booths in the same constituency are also incorrect. It is clarified that voting has not been cancelled in any polling station in Bhandara-Gondiya constituency and voting is continuing smoothly after necessary replacements," it said.

As and when a report from poll officials regarding long interruption of polling is received, the commission takes a decision on those matters on case to case basis, it said.

"The commission undertakes a comprehensive examination and root-cause analysis of all defects observed in the machines through the Technical Experts Committee of the Commission and necessary remedial actions are being taken for smooth conduct of poll process," the statement added. -- PTI

15:54 Southwest Monsoon hits Kerala, says Skymet

The Southwest Monsoon hit Kerala today, marking the arrival of the rainy season in the country, private weather forecasting agency Skymet said.

However, the India Meteorological Department, the country' official weather forecaster, in its 8.15-am bulletin, said Monsoon would hit Kerala in the next 24 hours.

"There are Monsoon-like conditions over Kerala and we can say that the annual rainfall season has arrived," Skymet CEO Jatin Singh told PTI.

The Skymet, in its forecast, said that Monsoon would hit the Kerala coast on May 28, while the IMD has made a prediction for its arrival on May 29.

According to the IMD, if after May 10, 60 per cent of the available 14 stations --Minicoy, Amini, Thiruvananthapuram, Punalur, Kollam, Allapuzha, Kottayam, Kochi, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Thalassery, Kannur, Kudulu and Mangalore -- report rainfall of 2.5 mm or more for two consecutive days, the onset of Monsoon over Kerala can be declared on the 2nd day. This is one of the main parameters for the declaring the arrival of monsoon.

Besides this, the other parameters for the arrival of Monsoon should be that the westerly winds must be up to 15,000 feet above main sea level and outgoing long-wave radiation should be less than 200 wm-2 (watt per square metre).

"The long-wave radiation is 140 wm-2. Rain for consecutive two days have been recorded in almost all weather stations and even the wind criteria has matched to safely say that the Monsoon has hit Kerela," said Mahesh Palwat, Vice-President (Meteorology and Climate Change) of Skymet.

Conditions are favourable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon into some parts of South Arabian Sea, remaining parts of Comorin Maldives area, some parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, some more parts of South Bay of Bengal, remaining parts of Andaman Sea and Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the next 24 hours, the IMD said in its forecast.

"The Monsoon is expected to hit Kerala in the next 24 hours," Mritunjay Mohapatra, Additional Director General, IMD said. -- PTI

The Delhi high court today accepted the apology tendered by dissident Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas for levelling allegations against Union Minister Arun Jaitley.

Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw noted that Vishwas, in a letter submitted in the court today, has without any reservation, unequivocally withdrawn all the allegations levelled against the BJP leader.

The court disposed of the suit in which Vishwas was the only one against whom the defamation suit remained after Kejriwal and four other AAP leaders -- Raghav Chadha, Sanjay Singh, Ashutosh and Deepak Bajpai -- had tendered unequivocal apology to Jaitley in the Rs 10 crore defamation suit filed against them by the union minister.

Vishwas, through his advocate Amit Yadav, tendered sincere apology to Jaitley and his family members for causing any harm to them.

Senior advocate Rajiv Nayar and advocate Manik Dogra, who appeared for Jaitley, said they have accepted Vishwas's apology.

The court said, "apology has been accepted by the plaintiff and this court and decree is passed in favour of Arun Jaitley and against Kumar Vishwas in terms of letter handed over today..."

Vishwas had earlier told the court that before making any statement or apology to Jaitley, he wanted to know if Kejriwal lied when he said his allegations against the union minister were based on documents.

The dissident AAP leader had told the court that he needed more time to decide what statement he will make so that the suit can be disposed of as he was personally not interested in taking the matter forward.

Jaitley had lodged the Rs 10 crore defamation suit in December 2015 against Kejriwal and the five AAP leaders after they had alleged financial irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association when the union minister was its president. The BJP leader had denied all the allegations. -- PTI

15:32 EVM snag due to heat wave: EC officials

As complaints about malfunctioning electronic voting machines flowed in from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh during the by-elections today, the Election Commission said the "severe heat conditions" were interfering with the machines.

According to media reports, EVMs are malfunctioning due to heat wave.

The commission said it is taking steps to correct the malfunction.

"There is a standard operating procedure to deal with faulty EVMs and VVPATs... The engineers are looking into the issues and taking action accordingly, like replacing the EVMs," NDTV reported quoting EC officials.

Voting in the Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha bypolls in Maharashtra and Kairana Lok Sabha and Noorpur assembly bypolls in Uttar Pradesh was on Monday marred by reported malfunctioning of electronic voting machines in some booths.

In Maharashtra, Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh leader and former MP Prakash Ambedkar said around 450 EVMs malfunctioned.

In Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal have raised allegations of rigging in the Kairana Lok Sabha and the Noorpur assembly bye-elections after EVM malfunction was reported in several booths.

15:25 CBSE class 10 results to be announced tomorrow

he Central Board of Secondary Education today announced that the results of Class 10 examinations will be declared tomorrow.

"The results will be declared on May 29 at 4 pm," an official from the CBSE said.

The board exams were marred by controversy this year with question paper leaks being reported from Delhi-NCR, Haryana and Jharkhand of Class 10 mathematics paper, but the HRD ministry had decided against conducting a re-examination in the "interest of students".

This was the first batch to appear for the Class 10 board examinations after the CBSE decided to junk the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation

and reintroduce the board exams.

Over 16 lakh students appeared for Class 10 exams this year. -- PTI

Pakistan's former chief justice Nasirul Mulk was today named as the country's caretaker prime minister for an interim two-month period, ending the political wrangling between ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the opposition ahead of the general elections on July 25.

The announcement was made by Leader of the Opposition Khursheed Shah at a press conference here following his meeting with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

Shah expressed hope that Mulk, 67, will successfully conduct free, fair and impartial elections in Pakistan on July 25, 2018.

The job of the caretaker prime minister is to keep the country running between the dissolution of parliament and the new government being sworn in.

The announcement came after weeks of deadlock between the PML-N and the opposition over the name of the caretaker prime minister. -- PTI

'Journalists are living in a constant nightmare in the Pakistani capital following cases of abductions and beatings; on some occasions reporters have been targeted just because of their journalistic work. As a result, there are also reports of journalists fleeing Islamabad,' writes Muhammad Akbar Notezai in thediplomat.com.

Notezai, who works for Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, should know. The daily ran an interview with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in which he questioned the wisdom of allowing non-state actors carrying out the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008, and had to pay a heavy price for it.

'The future of free and independent press in Pakistan is at stake. Electronic media is already controlled, and now print media is being brought to heel -- precisely because it provides space to dissent, critical thinking, and independent reporting,' writes Notezai, who ties the current crackdown on the media to the Pashtun protest movement sweeping Pakistan and the government's intent to force a media blackout on its coverage.

You can read the article here.

14:16 What are the top 10 books on cricket?

The Guardian newspaper, UK, asked historian David Kynaston to choose his top 10 books on cricket.

An Indian author ranks in Kynaston's list -- Ramachandra Guha with his Corner of a Paddy Field. To find out who the other 9 are, click here.

China is aggressively developing its next generation of nuclear weapons, conducting an average of five tests a month to simulate nuclear blasts, according to a major Chinese weapons research institute, reports Stephen Chen in South China Morning Post.

'Between September 2014 and last December, China carried out around 200 laboratory experiments to simulate the extreme physics of a nuclear blast, the China Academy of Engineering Physics reported in a document released by the government earlier this year and reviewed by the South China Morning Post this month,' Chen reports, here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make a brief stopover in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday on his way back from Indonesia during which he will meet his newly elected Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohammad.

Modi will leave for a two-nation tour of Indonesia and Singapore tomorrow with an aim to boost ties in several key sectors, including defence and trade.

His first destination will be Indonesia from where he will travel to Singapore on Thursday.

"He will also make a brief stopover in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on May 31 to meet the newly elected Prime Minister of Malaysia Dr Mahathir Mohammad," the External Affairs Ministry said.

During their meeting, Modi and Mahathir are expected to deliberate on ways to deepen bilateral relationship in a range of areas, including trade and investment.

The prime minister's official engagements in Jakarta and Singapore include bilateral meetings with the leadership of the two countries, delegation level talks, and meetings with the business and Indian communities.

In Singapore, Modi will deliver the key-note address at the 17th Shangri-la Dialogue. -- PTI

Former Uttar Pradesh chief ministers Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav today moved the Supreme Court seeking "appropriate time" for vacating their official residences allocated by the Uttar Pradesh government.

The plea has been filed in the backdrop of the May 7 apex court judgement that had struck down an amendment in a state legislation allowing former chief ministers to retain government accommodation even after demitting office.

The father-son duo had earlier moved the UP government seeking two years' time to vacate their official residences and shifting to their private accommodations in Lucknow.

The former chief ministers, in their plea filed through advocate Garima Bajaj, have sought appropriate time to vacate their official bungalows.

The top court had on May 7 held that former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh cannot retain government accommodation after demitting office and had said that a chief minister was at par with a common man once his or her term ends.

Observing that a chief minister cannot continue to occupy public property like government bungalows which belong to people of the country, a bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi had struck down the provision saying it had the effect of creating a separate class of citizens for conferment of benefits by way of distribution of public property on the basis of the previous public office held by them.

The top court had passed the order on a petition filed by an NGO Lok Prahari challenging the amendments made by the erstwhile Akhilesh Yadav government to the 'UP Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1981'.

The court, in its 29-page order, had said once such persons demit public office held by them, there is nothing to distinguish them from the common man. -- PTI

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today expressed concern over the rising fuel prices across the country.

"Fuel prices are increasing again and again. All are being badly affected: agriculture, transport and common people are being forced to bear burden," she said in a tweet.

The CM also urged the Centre to take measures to control the surge.

"In spite of the grim situation, why isn't the Central Govt taking any serious steps to find a solution? They need to act," Banerjee, who is also supremo of the ruling Trinamool Congress, added.

The youth wing of the ruling party had last week taken out rallies in several districts of the state to protest against the sharp rise in fuel prices across the country. -- PTI

13:05 Over 21 per cent polling till 11 am in Kairana

Over 21 per cent polling was recorded till 11 am in Kairana parliamentary constituency while 22 per cent votes were polled in Noorpur assembly constituency where bypolls are underway today.

The opposition has complained of EVMs malfunctioning in several places.

13:03 Baijayant Jay Panda quits BJD

Baijayant Jay Panda today announced that he was quitting Odisha's ruling Biju Janta Dal.

"It's with deep anguish, hurt and sorrow that I have decided to quit the politics into which our BJD has descended," Jay Panda wrote in a letter to BJD chief and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, adding that he would convey his decision to the Lok Sabha Speaker.

Panda has been a parliamentarian of the BJD since 2000 and among the most prominent leaders from Odisha.

He was suspended by the party in January on "disciplinary grounds."

Congress president Rahul Gandhi is believed to have begun allotting Lok Sabha seats for the 2019 elections.

This is evident from the fact that E M Sudarsana Nachiappan has begun touring the Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency, identified with former Union minister P Chidambaram.

The two-time Rajya Sabha MP and one time Lok Sabha MP's intense tour of Sivaganga with the consent of the party high command sends out a clear political message.

With Chidambaram Sr having entered the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra, the Congress leadership does not want to allot the seat to his son Karti, embroiled as he is in CBI and ED cases.

Thus, Nachiappan, who Rahul Gandhi is said to be quite fond of, became a natural choice for the seat.

Trivia fans please note, Nachiappan had defeated Chidambaram from Sivaganga in 1999, when the latter had contested on the breakaway Tamil Maanila Congress ticket.

12:21 BJP bandh in Karnataka evokes dull response

The opposition BJP's appeal to farmers and the public to "voluntarily observe a bandh" across Karnataka today to protest the alleged failure of chief minister H D Kumaraswamy to keep up his farm loan waiver promise, got off to a dull start.

Reports from across the state said normal life has not been affected, with schools and colleges, as also public transport services functioning normally.

Most of the farmers' and pro-Kannada organisations have not supported the bandh call, citing politics behind it.

BJP activists held demonstrations in different parts of the state; during one such event Mysuru Member of Parliament Pratap Simha along with some party workers were detained by the police.

In a fierce attack on the coalition government headed by Kumaraswamy, BJP state chief B S Yeddyurappa during the trust vote on May 25 had termed it "unholy" and announced a state-wide bandh for today, if farm loans worth Rs 53,000 crore were not waived immediately as promised.

However, on May 26 Yeddyurappa, who is also the leader of the opposition in the assembly, had said that BJP had not called for a bandh, but was only supporting a call given by farmers.

BJP state General Secretary N Ravi Kumar in a statement released yesterday hit out at the chief minister for not keeping up his promise and had called on farmers and the public to observe a bandh "voluntarily" today. -- PTI

The Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal have raised allegations of rigging in the Kairana Lok Sabha and the Noorpur assembly bye-elections after EVM malfunction was reported in several booths.

The RLD's candidate in Kairana Tabassum Hasan has written to the Chief Election Commissioner complaining about malfunctioning EVM and VVPATs in the constituency.

Despite raising the flag, the administration is not dealing with the issue and voters were being deprived of their right, she wrote, urging the EC to urgently send engineers and technicians to repair the machines.

As per her complaint, EVM related issues have been reported in booths in each of the five Assembly segments in Kairana. Shamli: 47 booths, Kairana 13, Gangoh 48, Nakud 38, and Thana Bhawan 9.

"'Machines are being tampered everywhere. Faulty machines haven't been replaced in Muslim and Dalit dominated areas. They (BJP) think they can win polls like this. That won't happen," Tabassum said while speaking to mediapersons.

Over 10 per cent polling was recorded till 9 am.

"There are reports that in Noorpur 140 EVMs are faulty, which is because they've been tampered. There are similar reports from Kairana. They (BJP) want to avenge defeat in Phulpur & Gorakhpur, which is why they want to defeat us at any cost," Samajwadi Party leader Rajendra Chaudhary said.

Tabassum is pitted against Mriganka Singh, daughter of Hukum Singh whose death made the election necessary.

Tabassum is supported by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and also claims the support of the Bahujan Samaj Party.

In Noorpur, the BJP announced the name of Avani Singh, wife of late MLA Lokendra Chauhan, as its candidate. The SP has fielded Naeemul Hasan as its candidate.

Owing to a neurological problem, Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya is currently admitted to the New Delhi's All India Institutes of Medical Sciences.

"Uttar Pradesh deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya admitted to All India Institutes of Medical Sciences in Delhi," said AIIMS spokesperson, Dr Aarti Vij.

According to reports he has been admitted in the private ward of the Cardio-Neuro Centre in AIIMS.

More details are awaited.

Voting is underway at four Lok Sabha seats, including the politically-crucial Kairana in Uttar Pradesh, and 11 assembly constituencies spread across 11 states today.

Besides Kairana in western Uttar Pradesh, by-election will be held in Bhandara-Gondiya and Palghar parliamentary constituencies in Maharashtra, and Nagaland Lok Sabha seat.

The Kairana bypoll will see a joint opposition taking on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

The constituency fell vacant after the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh, whose daughter Mriganka Singh is now the party's candidate for the bypoll. She is fighting Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hasan, who is supported by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.

The opposition hopes that by consolidating anti-BJP votes, they will repeat the success of the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha by-elections, where the ruling party suffered an unexpected defeat.

The ruling BJP, on the other hand, is making extra efforts to retain the seat to try and send a strong message to voters, party cadres as well as the opposition parties -- that the drubbing in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur bye-elections was an aberration, and that it was still strong in western UP.

All four major parties in Maharashtra -- the Congress, the BJP, the Shiv Sena and the NCP -- have pulled out all stops for the Lok Sabha bypolls as the outcome is likely to have a bearing on their future course.

The Shiv Sena has fielded late BJP MP Chintaman Wanaga's son Shriniwas Wanaga in Palghar, much to the dislike of the BJP which has in-turn nominated Congress deserter Rajendra Gavit.

The bypoll in Palghar was necessitated due to the death of sitting BJP MP Chintaman Wanaga in January this year.

In Bhandra-Gondia, Nana Patole quit as the BJP MP and resigned from the ruling party to return to the Congress earlier this year, necessitating the by-election.

The BJP is confident of retaining the two seats while the opposition feels setbacks to the ruling party in the bypoll would boost the vigour of the 'anti-BJP camp' and lead to new alignments in state politics.

The ruling party has locked horns with the NCP for retaining the Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seat while in Palghar, it is in a direct fight with the ally Shiv Sena even though the contest is multi-cornered.

In Nagaland capital Kohima, Chief Electoral Officer Abhijit Sinha said that all arrangements had been made for the peaceful conduct of the bypoll to the lone Lok Sabha seat in the northeastern state.

The by-poll is a straight contest between ruling Peoples Democratic Alliance (PDA) candidate Tokheho Yepthomi and opposition NPF nominee C Apok Jamir.

The Lok Sabha bypoll was necessitated following the resignation of Neiphiu Rio from the Lok Sabha to contest the Nagaland assembly election in February. Rio is presently the chief minister of the state.

The assembly bypolls will take place in Maharashtra (Palus Kadegaon constituency), RR Nagar (Karnataka), Uttar Pradesh (Noorpur), Bihar (Jokihat), Jharkhand (Gomia and Silli), Kerala (Chengannur), Meghalaya (Ampati), Punjab (Shahkot), Uttarakhand (Tharali) and West Bengal (Maheshtala).

The counting of votes will take place on May 31. -- PTI

Image: Women show their inked fingers after casting their vote in Palghar, Maharashtra. Photograph: ANI

Actor Arjun Rampal and former supermodel Mehr Jesia have announced their separation after 20 years of marriage in a joint statement.

The former couple said they may be embarking on separate journeys from now on but will always stand together as a family for their daughters Mahikaa (16) and Myra (13).

The announcement comes after weeks of speculation that they would be parting ways.

"After a 20 year long beautiful journey filled with love and beautiful memories, we would like to share, that all journeys have different paths and we feel that it is time for us to move on to different destinations hence forth.

"We have always been solid when it has come to us, we will continue to be solid for each other and our loved ones, as we embark upon a new journey. Both of us being extremely private people feel strange to be making this statement, but such are the circumstances of our lives. Where the truth can get distorted and lost," Rampal, 45, and Jesia said in a joint statement.

They added, "We are a family, our love for each other is forever intact and we shall always be there for one another and most importantly for our children Mahikaa and Myra."

Rampal and Jesia, 47, requested privacy through this time and they would not be commenting on the development any further.

The duo own a production company Chasing Ganesha, through which they produced the film "I See You" (2006), which also starred Rampal. -- PTI

10:24 Sensex reclaims 35K-mark, rises over 200 pts

The benchmark BSE Sensex reclaimed the 35,000-mark by surging over 200 points in early trade today on easing geopolitical concerns and a sharp correction in global crude prices.

An appreciating rupee, encouraging earnings by some more companies and easing concerns over US-North Korea summit too boosted investor sentiment.

The 30-share index, which had gained 579.96 points in the previous two sessions, added 210.78 points, or 0.44 per cent, at 35,135.65.

The rupee strengthened by 39 paise to 67.39 against the dollar at the interbank forex market in early trade today.

Counters such as oil and gas, PSU, healthcare, realty, infrastructure, metal and banking were trading in the positive territory.

The NSE Nifty too edged up by 70.20 points, to 10,675.35.

Allocation of portfolios in the newly sworn-in JD(S)-Congress government in Karnataka will be finalised in a day or two, senior Congress leader K C Venugopal said.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi's overseas travel plan will not come in the way in finalising the portfolios, he added.

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, accompanied by her son and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, left for abroad on Sunday for a medical check-up.

"First, we have to finalise the portfolios. Discussion is going on. Most probably it will be finalised in a day or two," Venugopal, who is in charge of party affairs in Karnataka, told PTI.

The final list will be discussed with state leaders before getting it approved from the Congress chief.

"Rahul's absence will not delay. He is available over phone 24x7," he said.

The discussion on portfolios will continue tomorrow as well, he added.

On differences over certain portfolios with the JD-S, Venugopal said, "In a coalition, there will be certain issues. We are discussing with each other. It will be sorted out immediately."

The Congress and the JD-S are at loggerheads over the allocation of key portfolios such as finance, home, public works department and power, irrigation and urban development.

The Congress is waiting for the JD-S to come out with its list of portfolios. -- PTI

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said on Sunday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a "campaign PM who has failed to deliver on promises" and the BJP would "definitely" not remain in power after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Naidu said the Congress too won't be able to form the next government on its own and stressed that regional parties had "able and capable leaders" who would play important roles after the polls.

His remarks came a few days after he shared the stage with leaders of several regional parties at the swearing-in of H D Kumaraswamy as chief minister of the Congress-JDS alliance in Karnataka after a bitterly fought election that threw up a hung verdict.

Inaugurating 'Mahanadu', the Telugu Desam Party's annual conclave in Vijayawada, the party chief said his party had played important roles in forming governments in the past and had the power to change the narrative in the country, hinting that it could tie-up with like-minded parties to stop the BJP's juggernaut.

Naidu said the TDP was a key player in the formation of the United Front government in 1996.

"The TDP has in the past played a key role in forming governments. It has the power to change the political narrative in the country. We won't step back," Naidu said.

He said Modi was a "campaign prime minister, who gives slogans only but has failed to deliver on promises".

"The BJP will definitely not come to power in 2019. The BJP forming government again is a distant dream," Naidu said.

On allegations of EVM manipulation during elections, he said thorough discussions should be held on the use of "electronic voting machines to ensure fair elections".

Naidu said the TDP withdrew support from the NDA government as the Centre had reneged on its promise to grant the special category status to Andhra Pradesh and failed to implement the AP Reorganisation Act.

He alleged that the saffron party was resorting to "revenge politics" and using institutions such as the CBI and the ED to pressure those who do not follow its line.

The BJP was trying to enter southern India through the back door. It wanted to grab power and was least concerned about development, Naidu alleged. -- PTI

Former Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Pravin Togadia has said that he would launch a new party on June 24.

Speaking to reporters in Vadodara, Togadia flayed the Narendra Modi government and accused it of going back on its promises and failing to meet people's aspirations.

He rated the Modi government's performance as "minus 25 per cent" and called the PM's foreign policy as "poor".

Togadia said that "selling big dreams was not enough", adding that nation-building was based on "truth of work that has to be seen on the ground".

He said that a huge number of people, associated with the RSS and the BJP, are "baffled" and "upset" as the Modi government is not seen doing anything in "ideological, socio-political and economic issues and was also making U-turns in some instances".

"It had hurt those people who are following the Hindutva ideology," Togadia claimed.

He demanded that the government pass a law in the Parliament to pave the way for the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

He also demanded a ban on cow slaughter, repeal of Article 370 that conferred special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and implementation of a Uniform Civil Code. -- PTI

Former Union minister and newly-elected Karnataka Congress MLA Siddu Nyamagouda died in a road accident in Bagalkote district early today, a senior police official said.

Nyamagouda was on the way to his constituency Jamkhandi from Goa when the car he was travelling in tried to avoid a lorry and hit a road side parapet wall, district superintendent of policeVamshikumar told PTI.

The 70-year-old lawmaker was in New Delhi and had returned to Goa by flight before he proceeded to his constituency by car, he said.

Nyamagouda had suffered severe injuries and died instantly, he said.

He is survived by wife, two sons and three daughters.

Nyamagouda was the Union minister in the P V Narasimha Rao ministry in 1990-91. -- PTI

09:39 J&K: 3 army men injured in IED blast

Three army personnel have been injured in an IED blast in Kashmir in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, news agency ANI reported.

A Casper vehicle of the 44 Rashtriya Rifles was damaged in the IED blast triggered by terrorists in Zainapora area of Shopian district, an army official said.

He said further details of the incident were awaited.

Twenty-one public sector banks have incurred losses totalling Rs 25,775 crore due to banking frauds in the financial year 2017-18, a right to information reply has stated.

The Punjab National Bank had incurred the highest loss of Rs 6461.13 crore due to different cases of fraud during the fiscal that ended on March 31 this year, Chandrasekhar Gaud, who had filed the RTI with the Reserve Bank of India, told PTI.

He added that the reply, which was sent to him on May 15, did not specify details of any particular case of banking fraud.

One of the biggest banking frauds, allegedly involving diamond merchants Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi and PNB officials, is being currently investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The investigating agency has filed two charge sheets in the special CBI court in Mumbai in connection with the Rs 12,636 crore PNB scam.

The RTI reply stated that the State Bank of India had, during this period, incurred losses of Rs 2390.75 crore due to various cases of banking fraud.

In the given period, the Bank of India had incurred a loss of Rs 2,224.86 crore, Bank of Baroda's losses stood at Rs 1,928.25 crore, Allahabad Bank at Rs 1,520.37 crore, Andhra Bank at Rs 1,303.30 crore and Uco Bank at Rs 1,224.64 crore.

The RTI reply informed that the IDBI Bank incurred losses of Rs 1,116.53 crore, Union Bank of India had losses of Rs 1,095.84 crore, Central Bank of India of Rs 1,084.50 crore, Bank of Maharashtra of Rs 1,029.23 crore and Indian Overseas Bank had incurred a loss of Rs 1,015.79 crore.

The RBI has clarified in the RTI that only those cases of fraud, involving a sum of over Rs 1 lakh, were included in the list.

It, however, did not disclose the numbers of cases or the nature of fraud.

Other banks, as per the RTI, that faced losses due to fraud during this period were Corporation Bank with a loss of Rs 970.89 crore, United Bank of India with Rs 880.53 crore, Oriental Bank of Commerce with Rs 650.28 crore and Syndicate Bank with Rs 455.05 crore.

Canara Bank at Rs 190.77 crore, Punjab and Sind Bank at Rs 90.01 crore, Dena Bank at Rs 89.25 crore, Vijaya Bank at Rs 28.58 crore and Indian Bank at Rs 24.23-crore made up the rest of the list provided by RBI as part of its RTI reply. -- PTI

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday said he was at the 'mercy' of the Congress and not the 6.5 crore people of Karnataka as his government had not received the full mandate which his party had sought in the assembly elections.

Ahead of his Delhi visit to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other union ministers, he reiterated that farm loan waiver was his priority as he had promised and he would resign if he failed to fulfill it.

However, he reminded people that Janata Dal-Secular did not get an absolute majority, which meant he and his party were rejected by the electorate.

"The people of the state rejected me and our party. I had sought an absolute majority. I have heard the statements of farm leaders too and how much they supported me," he said

"Mine is not an independent government. I had requested the people to give me a mandate that prevents me from succumbing to any pressure other than you. But today I am at the mercy of the Congress. I am not under the pressure of the 6.5 crore people of the state," Kumaraswamy said.

The chief minister said he has certain compulsions as a politician. However, he has absolutely clarity on the issue of farm loan waivers, he said.

Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party and other farmers' leaders, he said there was no need for any farmers' association to pressurise him (on farm loan waiver).

"I am one step ahead of you to work for the farmers. You need not have to ask me for my resignation over farm loan waiver.

"If I fail to do that then I myself will resign from the post. Farm loan waiver is my priority. Can't you wait for a week? Even the cabinet has not been formed yet," he added.

Kumaraswamy urged farmers not to take the extreme step of committing suicide and to wait for a week as he was in the process of finding a way out to waive loans, not just of cooperative societies,but also nationalised banks.

His remarks came in the wake of BJP's call for a state-wide bandh today, demanding immediate waiver of farm loans, as promised by the JD-S in their manifesto.

BJP state president had on May 25 announced a state-wide bandh on May 28 if farm loans worth Rs 53,000 crore were not waived by then. -- PTI

An army jawan and a civilian were killed last night when terrorists attacked an army camp in insurgency-infested Pulwama district of South Kashmir, police said.

This is the first terror strike by terrorists after the Centre announced cessation of operations during the holy month of Ramzan.

Police said the terrorists attacked the camp of 50 Rashtriya Rifles at Kakapora in Pulwama district leaving a jawan seriously injured.

A civilian identified as Bilal Ahmed was also caught in the crossfire leaving him seriously injured.

Both were rushed to a hospital where the duo succumbed to their injuries.

Authorities have clamped prohibitory orders in parts of Pulwama district.

They said the fire was retaliated by the army personnel. -- PTI

A United States delegation is in North Korea to make arrangements for the Singapore summit on June 12, President Donald Trump said, adding hope for his meeting with the reclusive nation's leader Kim Jong Un.

Trump also said he sees "brilliant potential" in Pyongyang.

"Our United States team has arrived in North Korea to make arrangements for the Summit between Kim Jong Un and myself," Trump said in a tweet.

Trump is scheduled to have a summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim in Singapore on June 12. Last week, he had suddenly cancelled the meeting after North Korean statements in which they threatened not to attend the summit.

Soon thereafter, the North Korean leaders said they were ready to meet anytime and anywhere. Kim had an unscheduled meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in wherein they discussed ways to revive the summit.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said a pre-advance team is headed to Singapore to prepare for the summit.

"I truly believe North Korea has brilliant potential and will be a great economic and financial Nation one day. Kim Jong Un agrees with me on this. It will happen!" Trump said in the same tweet.

According to The Washington Post, Sung Kim, a former US ambassador to South Korea and former nuclear negotiator with the North, has been called in from his post as envoy to the Philippines to lead the preparations. Sung Kim met with North Korea's vice-foreign minister Choe Son Hui, who said last week that Pyongyang was "reconsidering" the talks, the daily said.

The two officials know each other well -- both were part of their respective delegations that negotiated the 2005 denuclearisation agreement through the six-party framework.

The talks are expected to continue on Monday and Tuesday at Tongilgak, or "Unification House," the building in the northern part of the demilitarised zone where Kim Jong Un met Moon on Saturday, The Post reported. -- PTI

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