Enforcement Directorate arrests two persons from Chennai in a money laundering case involving sand mining baron J Shekhar Reddy.

ANI reports: United Naga Council says "will intensify stir against creation of seven new districts."

Nasscom, telecom operators, and NITI Aayog have come together in creating a dedicated helpline -- 14444 -- for addressing all queries on digital payments, as government takes strides to push for more digital transactions post demonetisation.

After the fourth meeting of the Committee of chief ministers on digital payments, Convenor and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said, plans are afoot to import one million PoS machines to enable cashless payments across India.

NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya said IT industry body Nasscom, telephone operators and the government think-tank are creating the helpline to address all queries of public regarding digital payments.

The helpline number would be made operational soon. -- PTI

CNN News 18 now quotes Abhay Singh Chautala as saying that he has not declined an offer from the Indian Olympic Association to be the sports body's Life President.

Earlier, it was reported that he has followed Suresh Kalmadi in declining the post to which objections were raised from the Union sports ministry.

After Suresh Kalmadi, Abhay Singh Chautala has also declined the post of Life Presidents of Indian Olympic Association, CNN News 18 reported.

However, earlier, Chautala defended himself and attacked Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel for opposing his elevation to the post.

"I was surprised by the reaction of Sports Minister Vijay Goel. He was claiming that there are criminal and corruption cases against me. The case against me is not a criminal case, it is a political case," a livid Chautala had said.

JUST IN: Five day ED remand to Kotak Mahindra Bank manager of KG marg branch by Delhi's Saket Court. -- ANI

Power-starved Pakistan today received a major boost as a China-backed 340 MW nuclear power plant in its Punjab province was inaugurated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who termed it as an 'important milestone' in the government's efforts to end the menace of load shedding.

The fourth nuclear plant Chashma-3 is located about 250 kilometres southwest of capital Islamabad at Chashma in Mianwali district where another plant Chashma-IV is also being built.

Sharif described the completion of C-3 as 'another important milestone in the journey to eliminate the menace of load shedding from the country', Radio Pakistan reported.-- PTI

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Yadav on Wednesday launched 'Modi hatao, desh bachao (Oust Modi, save the country)' campaign against demonetisation and urged people to join it.

Thousands of RJD workers staged mahadharna (grand sit-in) against demonetisation at all district headquarters across the state.

"Mahadharna against demonetisation has started. The RJD will hold a big rally in Patna. I will disclose the date of rally soon," Yadav said.

He said people across the country have been facing problems after demonetisation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cheated the country.

"Desh ki arthvayvastha ko notebandi ne chaupat kar diya hai (Note ban has ruined the country's economy)," he said.

Yadav said the Bharatiya Janata Party and Modi will taste a Bihar-like defeat in Uttar Pradesh assembly polls because people are angry and unhappy over 'notebandi'.

He said demonetisation is anti poor and anti-farmer. "The Modi led government is against the poor, the labourers and the farmers," he said.

Yadav said large number of migrant workers from Bihar have been returning after factories closed down following demonetisation. Joblessness has increased in the country.

"More than anyone, the poor have been badly hit by demonetisation," he said. M I Khan from Patna; Photograph: PTI Photo

President Mukherjee accepts resignation of Najeeb Jung as Delhi Lieutenant Governor. Anil Baijal's name has been proposed for the post now.

Air chief marshal Arup Raha with CAS designate Air Marshal BS Dhanoa after the press conference at New Delhi today. 

Just in: Anil Baijal replaces Najeeb Jung as the next Delhi Lt Governor. Jung resigned from his post last week. Baijal will be the 21st Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Jung's nearly three-and-a-half-year tenure was marked by frequent run-ins with the AAP government. Baijal served as Home Secretary in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government. He was earlier in the executive council of the think-tank Vivekananda International Foundation, several of whose former members have been appointed to senior positions by the Narendra Modi government.

Just in: Suresh Kalmadi declines IOA post, says the lawyer of the CWG scam accused. "The time is not appropriate to take up the post," says Kalmadi's lawyer. "Kalmadi doesn't want to accept any IOA post till his name is cleared from all cases," Kalmadi's lawyer said.

The Indian Olympic Association on Tuesday had named Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Singh Chautala as its lifetime presidents in its Annual General Meeting, a move that prompted objections from many quarters. The sports ministry has also issued a show cause notice to the IOA and said there will be no ties with the body until Kalmadi, Chauthala are removed.



Sports Minister Vijay Goel was unhappy at the development and promised to look into the matter.


Kalmadi served as IOA president from 1996 to 2011 and was jailed for 10 months for his involvement in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games corruption scandal but later released on bail.


A defiant IOA sought to brazen it out even as the clamour for a rollback grew louder after the scam-tainted duo were elevated to life Presidents of the sporting body on Tuesday.

SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav rules out alliance with any party for upcoming UP Assembly polls. At a just-concluded press conference, Mulayam said the party will go it alone for the UP polls. He also refused to name the party's chief ministerial candidate. "We will not project a CM candidate. MLAs elect their own leader," he said. 

He also said that the people would give a reply to the BJP over demonetisation.  "Notebandi ka jawab jaldi milega aur vo hum nahi denge, janta degi," he said.


On Monday UP Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav sent out a parallel list of 403 candidates, comprising largely his loyalists for the Assembly elections in 2017. 

Ruckus ensued outside AIADMK's office in Chennai on Wednesday after rebel MP Sasikala Pushpa's lawyer was attacked by party cadres at a meeting called to decide the successor for late former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa. The ruckus turned violent after which the police had to use force to disperse the mob. Her husband Lingesvara Thilagan has also been attacked by AIADMK party men in front of party head office.


CR Saraswati, AIADMK Member, said that Sasikala Pushpa is no more in the party, she has no right to come the AIADMK headquarters.  "She has made vulgar comments about Amma when she was alive. She has no right to be at the AIADMK HQ. She is no longer with the party. Who is Sasikala Pushpa? 99 per cent of the party want Chinamma (Sasikala Natarajan) to lead the party."


Pushpa was at the AIADMK HQ to file a nomination for the post of party general secretary.


The expelled Rajya Sabha MP had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court asking for judicial inquiry into Jayalalithaa's death. She has also hit out at Sasikala Natarajan, Jayalalithaa's closest aide. This comes within days of it becoming clear that Natarajan will take over the reins of the AIADMK.


File pic.

Just in: SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav announces candidates for 325 seats in the upcoming UP polls, remaining 78 seats to be announced later.

For each of us who loved Hazel and Fiver and the world they allowed us a peek into.,, Richard Adams, the author of Watership Down, has died aged 96.


A statement on the book's official website said: "Richard's much-loved family announce with sadness that their dear father, grandfather, and great-grandfather passed away peacefully at 10pm on Christmas Eve.'The novel, first published in 1972, became one of the bestselling children's books of all time, selling tens of millions of copies.


Adams did not begin writing until 1966, when he was 46 and working for the civil service. While on a car trip with his daughters, he began telling them a story about a group of young rabbits escaping from their doomed warren.

Next time you are on Facebook and you realise you need to recharge your phone instead of opening a separate page for it, you can chat with an HDFC Bank bot and complete your transaction.


The bank explains that this is their foray into the space with the help of social media; these chatbots (the term for a computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users, especially over the internet) can help you with transactions such as recharge, bill payment, booking a cab, etc.


"This will open conversational commerce and also help us in personalising a digital experience which otherwise is fairly impersonal. We did our research where we realised that not even the younger generation but even the older population is more comfortable with chatting instead of calling. Therefore, we thought chatbots would be important,' said Nitin Chugh, head, digital banking, HDFC Bank.


-- Nupur Anand/Business Standard

To facilitate greater adoption of digital payments, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday allowed banks to issue prepaid instruments to any institution that can be given to their employees.


Earlier, this facility was available only for listed companies. The central bank modified a clause in its circular for prepaid instruments, allowing employers such as "unlisted corporates, partnership firms, sole proprietorship, public organisations like municipal corporations, urban local bodies, etc, to issue prepaid instruments for their employees.


However, the institutions receiving the prepaid instruments should have accounts with the issuing banks and should not avail such instruments from any other bank, RBI said. The employer would be responsible for the verification of the identity of the employees, contract workers, etc.

-- Anup Roy/Business Standard

So, who's Viral V Acharya, RBI's new deputy governor?

Acharya is a professor of Economics in the Department of Finance at the New York University. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet cleared the appointment for three years. He is taking over at a time when the central bank is facing criticism for repeated changes in the rules related to deposit and withdrawal of money, post-demonetisation.

Acharya is known for his research in theoretical and empirical analysis of systemic risks of the financial sector, its regulation and genesis in government-induced distortions, according to the profile on the NYU website.

The research areas also span across credit and liquidity risks, agency-theoretic foundations as well as their general equilibrium consequences, it says.

Acharya is is the C V Starr Professor of Economics in the Department of Finance at the New York University Stern School of Business (NYU-Stern). An alumnus of IIT, Mumbai, with a degree of Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering in 1995 and PhD in Finance from NYU-Stern in 2001, Acharya was with London Business School (2001-08) and served as the Academic Director of the Coller Institute of Private Equity at LBS (2007-09) and a Senior Houblon-Normal Research Fellow at the Bank of England (Summer 2008).

Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, on Wednesday asserted that One Rank, One Pension (OROP) scheme of the government is reasonably good and said that one should accept it.


"The OROP by the government is reasonably good. We should accept it. The anomalies are being resolved by one-judge committee. Some of the anomalies and the discrepancies which cropped up from the transition from the sixth to seventh pay commission have been resolved... others will also be resolved," he added.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday accused the Congress Party of betraying the jawans by not fulfilling the long-pending OROP demand in the last 40 years.


Addressing a parivartan rally in Dehradun, Prime Minister Modi said, "My Army jawans were demanding OROP for the last 40 years, the party that ruled the country then never thought of their demands."


"In reality, the budget for OROP is over Rs. 10,000 crore. Why did they (Congress) betray the Jawans by allocating 500 crore for this," he added.


He said the Centre was always clear that from day one that the Jawans must get their due and therefore, his government always stated that OROP will be a reality.

Afghan MP Fakuri Behishti wounded and bodyguard killed in an IED blast in Kabul city: TOLO News

Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, on Wednesday said the Pathankot terror attack earlier in January this year was the first setback, adding that they are now better prepared having learnt lessons from the same.


"Pathankot was the first setback. We have learnt lessons and are better prepared now. The second setback was the missing of the AN-32. Even after efforts, we could not trace the aircraft. We are helping their families. It is one of the worst memories in my career. AN-32s don't have Underwater Locater Beacons. We have taken up the case with the government," the Air Chief said.


The Air Chief said on operational preparedness, they are dwindling with the fighters.


"We paid attention to latest acquisitions and upgrades of the aircraft we have. On Rafael, we have invited LCA. Three are flying and we will accept 123 in next 10 years. The second squadron of C130 will come soon. It will be based at the Arjangadh base. Large numbers of radars which are indigenous have been inducted. The Air Force is well on its way to have network centric capabilities. We have done reasonably well in looking after the sub-conventional threat like terrorism and other conventional threat," he added.


He asserted that the revenue cases languishing since long have been signed due the proactiveness of the government and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.


"The average flying we did was more than the average flying of last 10 years. We have flown in the fighter fleet 40,000 hrs, more than last 10 years due to better serviceability. We have done an average night flying of 27 percent which was less earlier. There has been a large improvement in the professional capabilities. We have been involved deeply in the operations against Naxalism, logistics support, flying by night," he added.


The Air Chief also said that they have upgraded the Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) in northeast.


"The government has given approval of 27 flights of Garuns, with each having 45 Grains. 23 more Garun Flights will be raised later. (Garun is the special force under the Indian Air Force). We have been able to sign various cases in the last two and a half years including Rafale which will be in India. It will be operational within next three years to five and a half years," he added.

The Centre has approved an ordinance that imposes penalties for possessing old notes beyond a certain limit and indulging in transactions with junked notes of Rs 500 and 1,000.

Local English daily Kashmir Reader hit the stands today after it was banned by the Jammu and Kashmir government for nearly three months on the charges that its publication was a threat to peace in the valley.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi lists out demands for PM Modi as the 50-day period of demonetisation nears. Addressing a meet on Congress foundation day, Rahul Gandhi said the party will stand with people and defeat the ideology of Narendra Modi and RSS that spreads "anger" and "hate".
His demands include...


-- He said the government should come out with a list of those who deposited
more than Rs 25 lakh in their accounts before demonetisation.

-- All restrictions on withdrawal of money should be lifted
immediately.

-- A sum of Rs 25,000 should be deposited in the account of every woman of a BPL family that has suffered post demonetisation.

-- Rahul demands doubling of MNREGA wages and Income Tax and
Sales Tax rebate for small businessmen and shopkeepers.

-- PM should compensate people who died during note ban.

The ED has arrested the manager of a Kotak Bank branch here in connection with its money laundering probe in a case of detection of nine alleged fake accounts with deposits worth Rs 34 crore post demonetisation. Officials said the agency arrested the Manager of the bank's branch in the K G Marg area here, identified as Ashish Kumar, late last night after questioning.


"The Manager has been arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and will be produced before the court for further custody," they said. The bank in its statement said it has already "suspended the services" of Kumar. "With reference to the ongoing investigation of the said accounts, Kotak Mahindra Bank had proactively informed Financial Intelligence Unit and the bank has already suspended the services of its employee Ashish Kumar. "The bank has zero tolerance towards employees not adhering to its Code of Conduct, and takes strict measures against them," Kotak Mahindra spokesperson Rohit Rao said.

A distinguished Ugandan social scientist of Indian origin,whom I happened to meet earlier this month at an academic conference, told me that Narendra Modi's demonetization reminded him of the fiat in 1972 of the Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin, that all Asians should quit Uganda within a period of three months. His analogy, of course, would be considered inapposite for an obvious reason: expelling people from their places of domicile, as Amin did, is certainly a more inhumane act than snatching away people's purchasing power as has happened in India; and this remains true, even when the victims in the former case are relatively more affluent compared to those in the latter case, and number only a few thousand, compared to crores in the latter case. But his analogy is apt in another sense: both fiats are instances of extreme unreason. Read more

"Star Wars" icon Carrie Fisher was known for her wit and even after her tragic demise the actress has managed to bring a smile on her fan's face as they mourn her loss.


In 2008's "Wishful Drinking," one of the three memoirs she wrote, there was a sort of auto-obituary, reported Deadline. In the piece, she wrote about her "Star Wars" director's reasoning for her Princess Leia wearing that flowing white dress, and not much else, in the movie.


"George (Lucas) comes up to me the first day of filming, and he takes one look at the dress and says, 'You can't wear a bra under that dress...because there is no underwear in space.'"


She said Lucas eventually explained the full reasoning, which she revealed, writing, "What happens is you go to space and you become weightless. So far so good, right? But then your body expands??? But your bra doesn't. So you get strangled by your own bra."


"Now I think that this would make for a fantastic obit, so I tell my younger friends that no matter how I go, I want it reported that I drowned in moonlight, strangled by my own bra," Fisher wrote.


However, it was not the only time she discussed death, using humour, in an interview with Rolling Stone just last month, she was asked if she fears death. "No. I fear dying. Anything with pain associated with it, I don't like. I've been there for a couple of people when they were dying; it didn't look like fun. But if I was gonna do it, I'd want someone like me around. And I will be there!" she had said. Fisher passed away on Tuesday after she suffered a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles.

Veteran BJP leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Sunderlal Patwa passed away here today after a brief illness. He was 92.

28 December 1885: First Session of the Indian National Congress, Bombay.The picture was tweeted by @indianhistorypics

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today once again lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for causing inconvenience to people through the demonetisation scheme.


"On December 8, the Prime Minister said he is performing a yagna against corruption and black money. In this yagna, common man was sacrificed," Rahul Gandhi said. Gandhi said the yagna was performed to benefit the 1 per cent super-rich population of the country.  


Addressing party workers at the Congress' foundation day in New Delhi, Gandhi asked them to work "without fear".


He said his party values "difference in opinion" and has a history of "ideology and agitation". "What is the Congress?. It means listening to you and understanding others. It made us understand the meaning of freedom," the Congress leader said.

Addressing party workers at the Congress' foundation day in New Delhi, Gandhi asked them to work "without fear". He said his party values "difference in opinion" and has a history of "ideology and agitation". "What is the Congress?. It means listening to you and understanding others. It made us understand the meaning of freedom," the Congress leader said.
 

The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leadership has announced that Asif Ali Zardari and his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would contest the election and take part in parliamentary politics together.Addressing a large number of party workers who had gathered to mark the ninth death anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said that he would contest elections from his sister's constituency in Nawabshah, whereas his son Bilawal would contest from his constituency in Larkana.


"We have rendered so much sacrifices for democracy. We will not spare this Mughal emperor [Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif]," he said."We have fought the country's dictators but never raised a voice against the army. I am not coming to parliament to topple your government. My intention is to teach the government a few lessons and to talk to the prime minister on national issues," the Daily Times quoted Zardari, as saying.


He also called for the Supreme Court decision on Panamagate be brought to the floor of parliament and be vetted by all political parties.


Bilawal Bhutto urged PPP supporters to get ready for a possible long march against the Nawaz Sharif government

In 1990, George Michael expressed unease about the trappings of fame. This is what Frank Sinatra wrote in an open letter to him.  Read


And if you haven't yet, do read Raja Sen's tribute to George Michael, right here.

BJP MP from Delhi and a prominent Dalit face Udit Raj has triggered a controversy by saying former cricketer Vinod Kambli's Dalit background was the reason for his not-so-illustrious career.


Raj tweeted, "Vinod Kambli you should not be shy of accepting that you are a Dalit and that was the reason of your exclusion from cricket".


Kambli, who has always called a spade a spade, hit back, saying his caste had nothing to do with his career. Kambli tweeted, "Mr Raj i don't support any of your statements. Hence i request you to refrain from using my name !!!"


Twitter, of course, took potshots at the MP with people advising him to undergo mental treatment. Some people even tagged the Prime Minister's office to complain about the provocative comment. Another Twitter user raised the issue with the BCCI and PM Modi.


The BJP MP has sought reservation in cricket for dalits, a demand that the BCCI rubbished. Raj had alleged that there is discrimination in the selection process in BCCI. 

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu today said he is personally monitoring the situation following the derailment of the Ajmer-Sealdah Express in Kanpur.


"We are making alternate arrangements for passengers to continue with their onward journey," he said in a series of tweets. The railway minister said all assistance is being provided to those injured.


"Personally monitoring the situation in wake of unfortunate derailment of Sealdah-Ajmer Express near Kanpur," Prabhu tweeted. The Railway minister said ex-gratia will be paid to the injured passengers. All passengers are being provided with necessary assistance to ensure least inconvenience, "doing our best", Prabhu said.


Two persons were killed and 26 others injured when 15 coaches of the Ajmer-Sealdah Express derailed this morning near Rura railway station in Kanpur rural district.

Fourteen coaches of the Ajmer-Sealdah Express derailed near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh this morning. Around 40 people have been injured. 

Govt plans ordinance that insulates it from note ban litigations