Boeing has sent instructions to airlines using its 737 Max jet about how pilots should react to erroneous readings from sensors, an issue investigators believe was a key factor in the Lion Air crash in Indonesia, in which all 189 people on board were killed.

Aviation experts said the initial findings indicate that the aircrafts flight crew did not know at what speed they were flying, which is similar to the problem experienced by Air France flight 447, which plunged into the Atlantic sea in 2009.

Boeing said it had issued an operations manual bulletin, advising pilots how to deal with erroneous input from an angle of attack sensor.

The AOA sensor sends out information about the angle at which the aircraft is flying, which indicates to the captain and first officer whether the plane is at risk of stalling.

An AOA giving out erroneous data can lead to incorrect speed readings, potentially causing confusion among the flight crew.

Aviation safety expert David Gleave said this might lead to the captain and first officer seeing different speed readings.

Lion Jets Boeing 737 Max8 crashed into the Java Sea just 13 minutes after take-off, indicating pilots would have limited time to identify the issue and react correctly.

Pakistan government has sacked the Managing Director of the PTV after the state-run news channel ran "Begging" dateline instead of "Beijing" on screen during the live broadcast of Prime Minister Imran Khan's speech at the Central Party School of the ruling Communist Party of China in Beijing early this week.

During Khan's speech on Sunday, PTV had written "Begging" instead of "Beijing" in the top left corner of the screen. The word remained on screen for 20 seconds and was then changed.

The gaffe became particularly ironic since Khan was in China to secure a package from Beijing to try and stall the impending economic crisis Pakistan is facing.

PTV later regretted the mistake and apologised.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry ordered an inquiry into the matter.

A notification issued by the ministry said, "the charge of Colonel (retd) Hassan Immad Mohammdi as PTV MD was withdrawn with immediate effect and till further orders."  

Russian President Vladimir Putin will speak "briefly" with his US counterpart Donald Trump when they meet in Paris this weekend for World War I centenary events, Putin's advisor Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday.

  

"It has been agreed that the leaders of the US and Russia will talk only briefly in Paris, it will be a standing meeting," foreign policy advisor Ushakov said, Russian news agencies reported. 

China on Wednesday once again declined to quantify the financial assistance it is willing to provide to Pakistan after the just concluded visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to Beijing even as it termed his talks with top Chinese leaders "very successful".

Khan visited China from November 2 to 5 during which he held talks with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang for China's help to tide over the serious economic crisis faced by cash-strapped Pakistan which included balance of payments.

During Khan's visit to Saudi Arabia last month, the Gulf Kingdom agreed to provide Pakistan $3 billion in balance of payment support and additionally give oil worth $3 billion on deferred payment.

Earlier reports from Pakistan said Beijing has committed a similar amount during Khan's visit but Chinese officials declined to confirm it.

Pakistan's Finance Minister Asad Umar who accompanied Khan said on Tuesday that China had promised at the highest level to help through an assistance package to tide over the crisis but did not reveal the amount.

Asked for her reaction to Umar's comments and how much China has offered to Pakistan, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Beijing would provide assistance to the best of its capacity but did not specify the amount.

"Pakistan is China's all weather partner. We enjoy very good relationship that has been operating at a very high level," she said.

"We have been offering our assistance to Pakistan within the best of our capacity. In the future, in the light of Pakistan's need and as per our mutual agreement, we will continue to offer help economically and for betterment of people's livelihoods," she said.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has rejected a request to appear before an international parliamentary committee delving into the questions around fake news.

  

The rebuff came after Damian Collins, the head of the UK parliament's media committee, joined forces with his Canadian counterpart in hopes of pressuring Zuckerberg to testify, as he did before the US Congress.

Facebook rejected the invitation to appear before the so-called "international grand committee" session November 27, arguing it wasn't possible for Zuckerberg to appear before all parliaments.

Collins says pressure is building, with counterparts in Australia, Argentina and Ireland having joined the grand committee in the time since Zuckerberg was invited.

He says "five parliaments are now calling on you to do the right thing by the 170 million users in the countries they represent."

Virat Kohli has found himself embroiled in a controversy over his "I don't think you should live in India" response to an enthusiast who called the skipper overrated while expressing his admiration for English and Australian batsmen.

 

In a video that has gone viral for all the wrong reasons and available on his newly released app, Kohli was reading tweets and Instagram messages before coming across an user, who said the Indian mainstay has nothing special in his batting.

"Over-rated batsman and personally I see nothing special in his batting. I enjoy watching English and Australian batsmen more than these Indians," Kohli read out the cricket enthusiast's tweet.

Far from being pleased with the fan's observation, Kohli responded, "Okay, I don't think you should live in India then you should go and live somewhere else, no? Why are you living in our country and loving other countries? I don't mind you not liking me but I don't think you should live in our country and like other things. Get your priorities right."

Kohli launched his mobile app on his 30th birthday on November 5.

His remarks did not go down well with the Twitterati who trolled him for making what they felt were unsavoury comments.

A batsman par excellence with a plethora of records to his name, Kohli spent his birthday with wife Anushka Sharma in Haridwar.

Actor-politician Kamal Haasan, on his 64th birthday today, said his Makkal Needhi Maiam party is ready to contest by-elections on 20 assembly seats in Tamil Nadu, whenever they are held.

"Nobody knows whether the by-elections will be held. But we are ready to contest whenever they take place," Kamal Haasan told reporters in Chennai.

"I am not the one who believes in making promises. I am seeking suggestions from people," he added.

Last month, the Madras high court upheld the disqualification of 18 AIADMK legislators, loyal to AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran, and cleared the decks for by-elections. Apart from these 18, the Tiruvarur seat represented by DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi and Tiruparankundram seat, represented by AIADMK's AK Bose, have been vacant since their deaths earlier this year.

The by-elections - the schedule for which is yet to be announced by the Election Commission - are seen as an test for the E Palaniswami-led AIADMK government. The outcome will have a bearing on its survival.

Kamal Haasan had launched Makkal Needhi Maiam -- which translates to "People's Justice Centre" -- in February. The actor-politician has been sharply critical of the AIADMK government for some time, has had frequent run-ins with state ministers on the issue of corruption and came out strongly against the government for its handling of the anti-Sterlite protests.

The widespread burning of firecrackers in neighbouring states of Delhi is also adding to the pollution woes of the national capital apart from stubble burning, according to a report by a government-run agency.

 

The air quality in Delhi-NCR Wednesday oscillated between poor and very poor categories. While the Central Pollution Control Board recorded the overall air quality index in the national capital at 281, which falls in poor category, the Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research recorded it at 319, which falls in very poor category.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

"The fire counts are seen to be very high but it is a combination of stubble burning and widespread firecrackers in that region and need not be confused with stubble only fire," the SAFAR said in a report.

The report of the widespread burning of firecrackers comes even as the Supreme Court has fixed a two-hour time period from 8 pm to 10 pm for bursting of crackers on Diwali and other festivals.

West Bengal government decided to observe 'Rosogolla Day' on November 14, to commemorate the first anniversary of the state's famous sweet getting Geographical Indication tag as 'Bengal's Rosogolla', an official said Wednesday.

Different varieties of rosogollas would be showcased in the stalls of the 'Mishti Hub' (Sweetmeat Hub), set up in one part of the Eco Park in New Town area here, HIDCO Chairman Debasish Sen said.

The Eco Park is managed by the West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation, a state PSU.

"We are celebrating the first anniversary of Bengal's Rosogolla getting the GI tag at the 'Mishti hub' in association with sweetmeatmaker associations," said Sen, an additional chief secretary level officer.

The 'Mishti hub', opened on July 5 this year, is the only of its kind in state where renowned sweetmeatmakers,

including some of the traditional ones, shared roof.

Sen said there will also be discussion on the history of Rosogolla, a ball-shaped cottage cheese dipped in light

syrup of sugar.

On November 14 last year, West Bengal had received the GI tag for Bengal's Rosogolla. The GI tag is a sign that identifies a product as originating from a particular place.

Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday took stock of the situation arising out of  clashes between army and Arunachal Pradesh Police personnel here.

  

Some soldiers had allegedly vandalised the Bomdila police station and assaulted police personnel and civilians last week.

"The Defence Minister (Sitharaman) and I looked into the ongoing conflict between the army and state police personnel. I appeal everyone not to treat it as army versus police and civil administration issue," said Rijiju, the Union minister of state for home.

Rijiju, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, said the unfortunate incident that happened at Bomdila on November 2 should be settled amicably through proper understanding.

"Both the army and the police are serving the nation with utmost dedication. An incident can't be allowed to tarnish the image of the great institutions," he said.

Both Sitharaman and Rijiju also met members of the civil society as part of confidence building measures.

The incident happened when a group of soldiers allegedly misbehaved with civilians and police personnel at the Buddha Mahotsav celebrations in Bomdila, officials said.

Following this, the local station house officer went to the spot and two soldiers were brought to police station.

After that some soldiers allegedly vandalised the Bomdila police station, assaulted police personnel and civilians, they said. 

New Delhi and Beijing will consider linking up military headquarters and regional commands with hotlines during the Defence Secretary level dialogue next Tuesday in an attempt to prevent any adventurism along the 3,488 kilometre Line of Actual Control between the two countries, people familiar with the matter said. 

The issue could be discussed in the two-day dialogue Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra is to hold with Lt General Shao Yuanming, the deputy chief of Joint Staff department, central military commission of Peoples Liberation Army on November 13 and 14.

Specifically, in addition to the hotline between the two countries military headquarters, diplomates based in New Delhi and Beijing added, there is the possibility of a hotline between PLA Commander of Western Theatre Command covering Tibet Autonomous Region and Xinjiang, and a designated Indian Army Commander.

The two hotlines will address the requirements of both countries: New Delhi wanted direct contact between the heads of military operations at the headquarters and Beijing, dedicated communication between heads of regional commands as there is no centralized military operations at the PLA headquarters. 

A veterinary services association has questioned the absence of a veterinary doctor during an operation in which "man-eater" tigress Avni was killed in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district.

 

The Pashu Chikitsak Mahasangh, in a letter to the state's chief wildlife warden, alleged that the order to tranquilise and capture the tigress was a "serious breach" of Section 30(b) of the Indian Veterinary Council Act 1984 as the task was entrusted to a private hunter, who is not a registered veterinarian.

It said Section 30(b) of the Act indicates that only veterinary practitioners registered either with the Veterinary Council of India or the Maharashtra State Veterinary Council are allowed to practice veterinary medicine.

The Pashu Chikitsak Mahasangh is a Haryana-based apex organisation of state veterinary associations.

The tigress, officially known as T1, was believed to be responsible for the death of 13 people in the last two years.

She was killed on November 2 by Asgar Ali, son of famous sharp-shooter Nawab Shafat Ali, at compartment no 149 of Borati forest in Yavatmal as part of an operation.

The big cat is survived by two cubs, which are 10 months' old.

"Even though the order mentions that there are two veterinarians in his team, reports from the field indicate that neither of them was present during this operation, and allowing Ali to operate in this manner is a wilful breach of the law," the veterinary association alleged in the letter written on Tuesday.

The incident is claimed to have taken place from a distance of 8-10 metres from the tigress. No veterinarian was present on the spot and it seems very unlikely that the

shooter may have had time to wait for the drug to work, it said.

"The whole exercise, as reported, seems to be extremely unscientific and illegally conducted," the body alleged.

Amid a political slugfest over the Rafale fighter jet deal, state-run HAL's Chairman and Managing Director R Madhavan Wednesday said the aircraft manufacturing company is contending not to be an offset partner of any original equipment manufacturer.

  

But it would like to be a "total technology transfer partner" for production of aircraft, he said.

Madhavan's reply came when he was asked to clarify on one among many charges that defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited had been deprived of an offset contract from the Rafale deal.

"We are not contending to be an offset partner to any OEM, rather HAL would like to be a total technology transfer partner for production of aircraft," he said.

He also said HAL's basic focus was on manufacturing of aircraft, helicopters, associated accessories and their repair and overhaul, and not in garnering offset business.

Production of aircraft from transfer of technology is totally different from offsets, according to him.

Some portion of the offset business from various other programmes were being administered at the HAL, but it does not form a major business, Madhavan said.

"HAL will continue to get these offset business," he added.

The Congress recently accused the government of forcing Dassault Aviation to make Reliance Defence its offset partner for the Rs 58,000 crore deal to purchase 36 Rafale jets.

It alleged that the government was helping the Anil Ambani group get a contract worth Rs 30,000 crore from the deal.

Amid a political slugfest over the Rafale fighter jet deal, state-run HAL's Chairman and Managing Director R Madhavan Wednesday said the aircraft manufacturing company is contending not to be an offset partner of any original equipment manufacturer.

  

But it would like to be a "total technology transfer partner" for production of aircraft, he said.

Madhavan's reply came when he was asked to clarify on one among many charges that defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited had been deprived of an offset contract from the Rafale deal.

"We are not contending to be an offset partner to any OEM, rather HAL would like to be a total technology transfer partner for production of aircraft," he said.

He also said HAL's basic focus was on manufacturing of aircraft, helicopters, associated accessories and their repair and overhaul, and not in garnering offset business.

Production of aircraft from transfer of technology is totally different from offsets, according to him.

Some portion of the offset business from various other programmes were being administered at the HAL, but it does not form a major business, Madhavan said.

"HAL will continue to get these offset business," he added.

The Congress recently accused the government of forcing Dassault Aviation to make Reliance Defence its offset partner for the Rs 58,000 crore deal to purchase 36 Rafale jets.

It alleged that the government was helping the Anil Ambani group get a contract worth Rs 30,000 crore from the deal.

The Collins dictionary has adopted an environmentally conscious approach to its "Word of the Year" award, bestowing 2018's accolade on the term "single-use."

As the world becomes increasingly aware of the damage caused by plastic waste, more and more people are turning their backs on disposable packaging, bringing the term single-use -- or made to be used once only -- into common parlance.

While single-use may have once epitomised a carefree and convenient lifestyle, it has now come to represent society's worst excesses.

Images of plastic adrift in the ocean, causing the suffering and death of marine animals, have led to a global campaign to reduce its use.

Lexicographers for Collins create an annual list of new and notable words that reflect ever-changing culture and the preoccupations of those who experience it.

Their research has found that "single-use" is now four times as common as it was in 2013, with news stories and images such as those seen in the BBC's Blue Planet II heightening public awareness of the issue.

The Indian government intends to keep pressing demands for the country's central bank to relax lending curbs and hand over surplus reserves even if it risks provoking a resignation by the bank's governor, three sources familiar with the government's thinking told Reuters.

While there appeared to be a partial truce last week when the government said it respected the autonomy of the Reserve Bank of India, the sources said the government will turn up the heat at the bank's central board of directors meeting on November 19.

And RBI Governor Urjit Patel will be a key focus of the pressure from a group of directors who support the government's position, according to the New Delhi-based sources, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

The United Nations Postal Administration issued a special event sheet on October 19 to commemorate the festival of Diwali.

The United States Postal Service had in October 2016 launched a commemorative stamp in honour of the festival of Diwali. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings to the nation on the occasion of Diwali. In a message on Twitter, the PM said, Happy Diwali! May this festival bring happiness, good health and prosperity in everyones lives. May the power of good and brightness always prevail!

Netanyahu posted a tweet in Hindi wishing his dear friend PM Modi on Diwali, to which the prime minister also replied in Hebrew.

Modi on Wednesday arrived in Kedarnath on the occasion of Diwali where he offered prayers at the Himalayan shrine and reviewed the Kedarpuri reconstruction projects. Kedarnath witnessed the biggest Diwali celebrations ever with over 5,000 diyas lit to decorate the Himalayan shrine on Tuesday night.

In 2014, Modi had spent Diwali at Siachen with Army jawans and next year, he had visited the Punjab border. His visit had also coincided with 50 years of the 1965 Indo-Pak war.

In 2016, Modi was in Himachal Pradesh, where he spent time with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel at a border outpost. His fourth Diwali as prime minister was spent with soldiers at Gurez in Jammu and Kashmir.

Delhiites woke up to a hazy Diwali morning as the air quality oscillated between 'poor' and 'very poor' categories due to reduced wind speed and increase in pollutants from stubble burning, authorities said Wednesday.

 

The overall air quality index was recorded at 268 which falls in 'poor' category, according to data by the Central Pollution Control Board.

Twenty-eight areas in Delhi recorded 'poor' air quality, six recorded 'very poor' air quality, while two areas recorded 'moderate' air quality, according to the CPCB data.

The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology said the winds coming from north-westerly direction is bringing influence of biomass burning pollutants in Delhi-NCR which may continue up to Thursday morning.

After Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced the renaming of Faizabad district as Ayodhya, the Gujarat government said it was keen on rechristening Ahmedabad as Karnavati, if there were no legal hurdles.

 

Speaking to reporters in Gandhinagar, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said the Bharatiya Janata Party government was willing to change Ahmedabad's name if it gets past the legal hurdles and receives required support.

"People are still having a feeling that Ahmedabad should be renamed as Karnavati. If we get required support to overcome the legal hurdles, we are always ready to change the name of the city," Patel told reporters when asked if the state government had a plan to rename India's only city having the 'World Heritage' tag.

Historically, the area around Ahmedabad has been inhabited since the 11th century, when it was known as Ashaval. 

Chaulukya ruler Karna of Anhilwara (modern Patan) had waged a successful war against the Bhil king of Ashaval and established a city called Karnavati on the banks of the Sabarmati river.

Sultan Ahmed Shah in 1411 AD had laid the foundation of a new walled city near Karnavati and named it Ahmedabad after the four saints in the area by the name Ahmed.

"We can think of changing the name at an appropriate time," Patel added.

Central Bureau of Investigation director Alok Verma, in his response to the Central Vigilance Commission, has dismissed the charge that he sought or accepted a bribe of Rs 2 crore from Hyderabad-based businessman Sana Satish Babu to shield him in the case against controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi, as alleged by CBI special director Rakesh Asthana.

Babu was a witness in the case, not an accused as claimed by Asthana, Verma told CVC, according to officials familiar with the development.

Babu is one of the main players in the fight between Verma and Asthana which split the agency down the middle, and, eventually, resulted in the government stepping in and divesting them both of their responsibilities.

Asthanas bribery allegation was countered by a first information report filed by CBI against him, citing a complaint by Babu about a Rs 5 crore deal with middlemen acting on behalf of Asthana.

In an August 24 representation to cabinet secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha, Asthana alleged that Babu was an accused in the case against Qureshi and in order to save himself from CBI action, had paid bribe of Rs 2 crore to the agency chief. The representation was forwarded to CVC for further verification by the cabinet secretary on August 30.

On the basis of the representation, the CVC issued three notices to CBI seeking clarifications on September 11; the central vigilance body claimed that director Verma didnt cooperate with the inquiry, as it said in its order dated October 23 relieving him of his responsibilities. Asthana too was divested of his responsibilities as special director of the agency. The government on the same day nominated a joint director of the CBI, M Nageshwar Rao, as acting director of the agency. CBI filed its FIR against Asthana on October 15.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his prayers at Kedarnath temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. 

The PM will also review the progress of reconstruction projects at Kedarpuri.

After reaching Harsil near Kedarnath, he extended Diwali greetings to soldiers posted on the India-China border.

Kedarpuri, the township situated close to the Himalayan shrine, had bore the brunt of the catastrophic floods of 2013 which killed thousands of people.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Harsil near the India-China border in Uttarakhand to celebrate Diwali with army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel on Wednesday.

   

Greeting the jawans on the occasion, the prime minister said their devotion to duty in the remote icy heights, is enabling the strength of the nation, and securing the future and the dreams of 125 crore Indians, a statement from his office said.

 

He said that Diwali is the festival of lights, it spreads the light of goodness and dispels fear. He said that the jawans, through their commitment and discipline, are also helping to spread the sense of security and fearlessness among the people.

 

The prime minister recalled that he has been visiting soldiers on Diwali ever since he was the chief minister of Gujarat. He also spoke of his interactions with the jawans of the ITBP, years ago when he was part of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. 

 

The prime minister said India is taking great strides forward in the defence sector. He spoke of various measures being taken for the welfare of ex-servicemen, including implementation of 'one rank, one pension'.

 

Modi said that the Indian Armed Forces draw admiration and appreciation across the world, in UN peacekeeping operations.

 

The prime minister offered sweets to the jawans. He also interacted with people from nearby areas who had gathered to greet him on Diwali.

 

Harshil is a cantonment area situated at a height of 7,860 feet close to the India-China border in Uttarkashi district. -- PTI

Pakistani authorities have said that bank accounts of thousands of individuals have been compromised and money stolen as a result of a massive hack last month.

 

Officials of cybercrime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency said they launched a probe after complaints by several individuals.

 

The cyber-attacks were launched on October 27 and 28 and reportedly data of 8,000 customers from about a dozen banks was stolen.

 

FIA officials said that Bank Islami reported that Rs 2.6 million was stolen through international payment cards on October 27 after which it stopped such transactions.

 

In another case, a former chief scientist of Khan Research Laboratories on Monday approached the Supreme Court with a complaint that Rs 3 million was stolen from his account.

 

FIA Cybercrimes Director Mohammad Shoaib told media that data of "most Pakistani banks was stolen".

A bank official said it was still early to say how many account holders lost their money due to data hacking.

 

"Banks are trying to cover up as it will erode their credibility. The account holders are not coming up to complain as they are being compensated by the banks. So we do not know how many people exactly have been affected," he said.   

Meanwhile, State Bank of Pakistan ordered the affected banks to stop making international transactions on credit cards and debit cards. -- PTI 

- Republican Senator Ted Cruz retains his Senate seat from Texas, defeating Democrat Beto O'Rourke

- Colorado Democrat Jared Polis elected first openly gay US governor

- Mitt Romney wins the election to the Senate from Utah, defeating Democrat Jenny Wilson. 

- Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar -- first two Muslim women elected to US Congress. 

Democrats picked up at least 10 Republican-held seats as they moved closer to winning control of the United States House of Representatives, but faced an uphill climb to wrest a majority from President Donald Trump's party in the US Senate.

Fox News projected that Democrats would win control of the House, although it did not predict the margin of victory or elaborate on how it made the call.

CNN has announced that the Republicans will continue to control the US Senate. 

The majority or halfway mark needed for the Republicans is 50 as vice president Mike Pence has the tiebreak vote. 

For the Democrats, they would need to secure 51 seats in the House which seems unlikely.

Final results are awaited.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today arrived in Kedarnath to celebrate Diwali.

Sources in the government had on Monday said the prime minister would offer prayers at the Kedarnath shrine.

'Happy Diwali! May this festival bring happiness, good health and prosperity in everyones lives. May the power of good and brightness always prevail,' Modi said on Twitter.

On Tuesday, Modi said he would celebrate Diwali with army jawans and share pictures of his experience.

After becoming the prime minister in 2014, Modi had spent Diwali at Siachen with Army jawans.

See | PHOTOS: PM Modi's many Diwali celebrations

The United States has exempted India from imposition of certain sanctions for the development of the strategically-located Chabahar port in Iran, along with the construction of the railway line connecting it with Afghanistan.

The decision by the Trump administration, which a day earlier imposed the toughest ever sanctions on Iran and is very restrictive in giving exemptions, is a seen as a recognition by Washington of India's role in development of the port on the Gulf of Oman, which is of immense strategic importance for the development of war-torn Afghanistan.

"After extensive consideration, the Secretary (of State) has provided for an exception from imposition of certain sanctions under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act of 2012, with respect to the development of Chabahar port, construction of an associated railway and for shipment of non-sanctionable goods through the port for Afghanistan's use, as well as the country's continued imports of Iranian petroleum products," a State Department spokesperson said.

The US on Monday imposed "the toughest ever" sanctions on a defiant Iran aimed at altering the Iranian regime's "behaviour". The sanctions cover Iran's banking and energy sectors and reinstate penalties for countries and companies in Europe, Asia and elsewhere that do not halt Iranian oil imports.

However, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that eight countries -- India, China, Italy, Greece, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey -- were temporarily allowed to continue buying Iranian oil as they showed "significant reduction" in oil purchase from the Persian Gulf country.

To a question on the fate of Chabahar port after the US reimposed all its sanctions on Iran, the spokesperson said, "This exception relates to reconstruction assistance and economic development for Afghanistan. These activities are vital for the ongoing support of Afghanistan's growth and humanitarian relief."

In May 2016, India, Iran and Afghanistan had inked a pact which entailed establishment of Transit and Transport Corridor among the three countries using Chabahar Port as one of the regional hubs for sea transportation in Iran, besides multi-modal transport of goods and passengers across the three nations.

Pompeo's decision to give India exemption from imposition of certain sanctions for the development of the port is driven by the South Asian strategy, which was announced by President Donald Trump in August. It states that India has a major role in bringing peace and development in Afghanistan.

"The president's South Asia strategy underscores our ongoing support of Afghanistan's economic growth and development as well as our close partnership with India," the state department spokesperson said.

"We seek to build on our close relationships with both the countries as we execute a policy of maximum pressure to change the Iranian regime's destabilising policies in the region and beyond," the spokesperson added. -- PTI

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said he would celebrate Diwali Wednesday with Army jawans and share pictures of his experience.

Responding to Diwali greetings from Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Modi said, "Every year, I visit our border areas and surprise our troops. This year too, will spend Diwali with our brave troops. Spending time with them is special."

He said he would share the photos of the same on Wednesday evening.

Modi also thanked Bibi, as Netanyahu is called, for the Diwali wishes.

Sources in the government had on Monday said the prime minister would offer prayers at the Kedarnath shrine Wednesday.

"On behalf of the people of Israel, I would like to wish my dear friend @narendramodi and the people of India a joyous Diwali. May this luminous festival of lights bring you happiness and prosperity. Reply to this tweet with the name of the city where you're celebrating!," the Israel premier had tweeted.

After becoming the prime minister in 2014, Modi had spent Diwali at Siachen with Army jawans.

In 2015, he had visited the Punjab border on Diwali.

His visit had coincided with 50 years of the 1965 Indo-Pak war.

The next year, Modi was in Himachal Pradesh, where he spent time with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel at a border outpost.

He had spent his fourth Diwali as prime minister with soldiers at Gurez in Jammu and Kashmir last year.  -- PTI