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Tue, 19 January 2016
Securitymen-militants gunbattle breaks out in J&K village

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23:35  
JUST IN: Intelligence Bureau arrests a suspect from Manglaur district in Haridwar in connection with Pathankot attack, DIG (Ardh Kumbh) G S Martolia was quoted as saying by ANI.
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23:11   Nitish govt announces 35 per cent reservation for women
Bihar government today announced 35 per cent reservation to women in government jobs in the state at all levels.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet presided over by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Briefing about the cabinet decisions, principal secretary Cabinet Coordination department Brajesh Mehrotra told reporters the cabinet accepted a proposal of General Administration Department to extend 35 per cent reservation to women in all categories of government jobs for which direct recruitment is made.

The state government which had provided 35 per cent reservation to women in police job extended it in all other jobs by today decision.   Providing reservation to women was one of the important poll promises made by Nitish Kumar in the recently concluded Bihar elections.

Women had voted overwhelmingly to Nitish Kumar and his coalition in the poll.
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22:31   AAP 'strongly thinks' to deploy party volunteers in Kejri's security
The Aam Aadmi Party today said it was 'seriously thinking' of deploying more party volunteers to protect Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and not just 'rely' on Delhi Police, in the wake of the ink attack on him.

Top AAP leaders said after the attack, the party has decided not to 'rely' on Delhi Police for security of Kejriwal, who is the party's national convenor.

"We are seriously thinking of deploying more party volunteers for Arvind's security... The party does not want to rely on Delhi Police for the security of party's national convenor," said an AAP functionary.

The move came three days after a young woman threw ink at the Delhi chief minister while he was addressing a public event to thank Delhiites for making the odd-even scheme a 'success'.

After the attack, the AAP came down heavily on Delhi police, accusing the force of lapses in the security of the chief minister.

Party sources said it also has an option to deploy party volunteers in form of civil defence personnel to guard Kejriwal.
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21:51   Securitymen-militants gunbattle breaks out in J&K village
A gun battle broke out tonight between security forces and militants holed up in a village in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, a police official said.

Mukhtar Ahmed/ Rediff.com reports that the troops of 53 Rashtriya Rifles and police cordoned off Naina Batapora village this evening following information about the presence of the militants in the area.
 

As the security forces were busy searching the area, hiding militants opened fire at the security forces triggering an encounter, a RR official said.

The security forces returned the fire, triggering the encounter which was going on till last reports came in, the official said adding there were no reports of any casualties on either side so far.
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21:42   Number of complaints in Cologne attacks continues to grow
German prosecutors say more than 800 complaints have now been filed in connection with assaults and robberies in Cologne on New Year's Eve that investigators have linked largely to foreigners.
About 521 complaints allege some kind of sexual assault, including three rapes. The overall number of complaints has grown from 766 on Monday to 809 on today. 

The attacks have stoked a fierce debate in Germany about how to integrate the almost 1.1 million asylum-seekers who arrived last year.
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20:35   Eiffel Tower sees fewer visitors after Paris attacks
The Eiffel Tower, one of the world's top tourist draws, saw visitor numbers drop after the devastating terror attack on the French capital in November, figures showed today.
The Iron Lady of Paris received 6.91 million visitors in 2015 compared with 7.1 million in 2014, according to the company that runs the 126-year-old monument. 

"Before the tragic events hit the capital in November, visits were up one per cent," the company SETE said in a statement.
Gunmen and suicide bombers acting in the name of the Islamic State group attacked cafes, restaurants, a concert hall and the national stadium on November 13, leaving 130 dead.
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20:34   'Israel to destroy home of teen accused of killing woman'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that the home of a Palestinian teen accused of stabbing a Jewish woman to death in the occupied West Bank would be demolished as a deterrent.

"We are going to destroy the terrorist's house," Netanyahu said as he visited the Otniel settlement in the West Bank, where Sunday's fatal stabbing occurred, according to his office.
Israeli forces have arrested a Palestinian teenager for the killing, which led to outrage among Israelis. His uncle told AFP he was 15, while Israeli media reported his age as 16.
Israel regularly demolishes the homes of alleged attackers in what it describes as a deterrent. Rights groups say it amounts to collective punishment, with families forced to suffer for the acts of relatives.
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19:45   Donald Trump branded a 'buffoon' by British MPs
US presidential hopeful Donald Trump has been branded a "buffoon" during a parliamentary debate on whether to ban him from entering Britain.

The Republican frontrunner was the subject of a House of Commons debate last evening after a petition against his anti-Muslim remarks received over half a million signatures. 

Any petition that attracts more than 100,000 signatories is considered by British MPs for a debate.

Most of the 50 MPs present in Parliament attacked Trump for his views on Muslims, women, disabled people, global warming and other issues in the three-hour discussion but the majority of parliamentarians from both left and right dismissed the idea of banning the millionaire.
Alex Chalk, a Conservative MP, said: "This is about bufoonery. And buffoonery must not be met with the blunt instrument of a ban. It must be met with the classic British response of ridicule"
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19:41   Pak mulls banning Hafiz Saeed's charity
Pakistan is considering a ban on Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation, a charity run by JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, according to a media report.

"Officials said the government is likely to ban FIF. The Ministry of Interior, these officials said, had started serious consultations with all the stakeholders before banning FIF and a final decision would be taken in next few days," The Nation reported.

The charity is operated by Saeed who also runs Jamaat-ud-Dawa and is the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attack.

The paper also said that Pakistan had told the US it is not playing any double game with India regarding investigations into the Pathankot airbase attack.
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19:34   Auschwitz crimes suspect, 95, faces trial
A 95 year-old German man will go on trial next month for crimes allegedly committed during his time as a medical attendant at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland, a district court in Germany said in a statement.

The man, identified as Hubert Z., is accused of being an accessory to at least 3,681 murders over a one month period in 1944.

Anne Frank and her family arrived at the notorious Nazi camp during this time, the statement said.

Read more HERE.
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19:16   Pathankot attack: Lie detector test for Gurdaspur SP ends
Gurdaspur SP Salwinder Singh leaves from NIA office in Delhi. Singh underwent a lie-detector test at the National Investigation Agency headquarters in the national capital. NIA had given the CFSL a list of questions that could be asked to Salwinder.

According to NIA DG, Salwinder is being questioned as he is a suspect in the case. He has also said that the NIA is collecting evidence as demanded by Pakistan.

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19:09   IAF officer death: Bail pleas of two accused rejected
The bail pleas of Sonu and Johnny, two accused in the hit-and-run case which claimed the life of a young Air Force officer in Kolkata, were rejected today by a city court which sent them to police custody till January 30.

Dismissing their bail petition, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Bankshal Court, Sanjay Ranjan Pal remanded them to police custody for 12 days.

The police remand of prime accused Sambia Sohrab, who was allegedly at the wheels of the brand new white Audi that mowed down Corporal Abhimanyu Goud on January 13, is also till the same date. Sonu alias Shanawaz Khan was arrested yesterday by Kolkata Police with support from Delhi Police from his maternal uncle's house in Delhi's Ajmeri Gate area. He was brought to the city on transit remand last night.

Johnny, who was not traceable since the incident, was arrested this morning from a house in Ekbalpore area by city police sleuths. Sambia, a son of former RJD MLA Mohammed Sohrab, has been booked under IPC sections 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 212 (harbouring offender) and 427 (mischief causing damage).

He was produced at the court on January 17. 21-year-old Gaud was mowed down by the car which broke through gaurd rails on Red Road in the morning of January 13 during rehearsals of the Republic Day parade.
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18:26   ISIS slashes salaries of its fighters
Cost cutting in ISIS as well.

The dreaded Islamic State (IS) terror group has decided to cut the salaries of its fighters by half blaming the "exceptional circumstances', a sign of worsening financial situation of the outfit.

The group's Bayt al-Mal, the Treasury Ministry, has decided to cut the salaries of its fighters in half due to the "exceptional circumstances' the IS has been witnessing, The Jerusalem Post said, citing new documents released last month.

The terror group reportedly did not explain exactly what those "exceptional circumstances' were.Airstrike destroyed "millions'However, the IS decision came amid reports of a U.S.-led coalition airstrike this month that destroyed a cash storage facility of the group in Iraq's Mosul city where it had stored "millions' to pay its operatives and for ongoing operations. Millions of dollars were burned in the strike. "ISIS' financial situation today is even worse than it was in December when the document came out,' the paper said.


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18:09   Acid attack survivor Laxmi launches apparel brand
Viva N Diva, an apparel brand that specialises in ethnic Indian wear, has roped in Laxmi, an acid-attack survivor, to front their brand.

This move is part of the brand's campaign, #FaceofCourage, that aims to create more opportunities for acid attack survivors in the fashion industry, reports India Today.

The brand also took to their Facebook page to post a video of the campaign starring a delighted Laxmi, modelling for the brand.

Disfigured in a terrible acid attack, Laxmi, 26, who goes by a single name became a mother of baby girl, who she and her partner, named Pihu. Read that lovely story here.


Pic: Laxmi modelling for the brand Viva N Diva.
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17:40   After Sahitya award, Ashok Vajpeyi returns D.Lit to protest Dalit student's suicide
JUST IN: Noted writer Ashok Vajpeyi decides to return D.Lit given to him by Hyderabad University protesting Rohith Vemula's death.He said he was protesting the university's 'anti-Dalit attitude'.

In October, the poet had also returned the prestigious Sahitya Akademi award and targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence on incidents of violence growing out of intolerance.

"It is high time that writers take a stand," Vajpeyi, a former chairperson of the Lalit Kala Akademi, had said.

The 74-year-old Hindi poet, essayist and literary-cultural critic had returned the Sahitya Akademi award saying he disapproved of the statements of politicians that he said "belittled the 'multi-cultural and multi-religious' fabric of the country".

"There are the comments made by the culture minister about renaming Aurangzeb Road to APJ Abdul Kalam road. He (Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma) says Kalam was a great nationalist despite being a Muslim. These kinds of statements belittle the multi-cultural and multi-religious fabric of the country....What can writers do but protest," he had said, while returning the Sahitya award.        

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17:19   Godrej Properties adds 15-acre new project in Thane
Godrej Properties Ltd today said it has tied up with Vihang group for development of a housing project on a 15-acre land in Thane, Mumbai. Godrej Properties, the real estate development arm of the Godrej Group, informed the BSE that the company has added a new project to its portfolio located off Ghodbunder Road in Thane. The company has "entered into a development agreement with Mr Pratap Sarnaiks's Vihang Group for a land parcel measuring approximately 15 acres". Godrej Properties would be developing a housing project with a development potential in excess of 1 million sq ft.
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16:58  
Just in: One dead, four injured in explosion in Diphu, Assam.
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16:44   Why Sunny Leone owns the internet today
"I'm wondering," CNN IBN senior journalist Bhupendra Chaubey tells Sunny Leone, "whether I'm being morally corrupted because I'm speaking to you."

Then comes, "Do you believe that your body will ultimately take you everywhere?"

Or, "If I was to turn the clock back, would you still do what you did?"

And the supercilious, "Pardon me if I'm being offensive here - how many people would dream of growing up to be a porn star."

Bollywood actress and former porn star Sunny Leone Leone, is in the eye of the storm for her interview to CNN-IBN's Bhupendra Chaubey, on The Hot Seat on January 17.

Sunny, who made inroads into Indian showbiz with reality show "Bigg Boss" and then landed a role in Bollywood with "Jism 2", is busy these days promoting her new film "Mastizaade", which is why the interview to CNN IBN.

Leone had to deal with condescension camouflaged as innocuous questions, in the journalist's attempt (and what a failed attempt it was) to verbally undress the actress and point out that she was in fact nothing but a port star.

That Leone has never hidden her past or apologised for it, seems to have been ignored by Chaubey.

At one point Chaubey actually asks Sunny, "Do you not sometimes get affected by the fact that your past your past that you were this porn queen will continue to haunt you? Or maybe continue to pull you back? When maybe you could've gone far higher."

To this Sunny replies, "You're the only person. It's the press and the media that says holding back or haunt. I've never said haunt. I've never said held back. I am not held back. Maybe I don't know yet. Maybe one day I get to work with somebody who is this huge star. At this moment, I don't know any better so it doesn't affect my life."

Following the interview, Leone has seen enormous support and congratulatory tweets for being dignified, while Chaubey has been vilified. Rishi Kapoor @chintskap tweeted "Very unfair& rude interview with Sunny Leone on CNN IBN.She is taking it on her chin sportingly,obviously in the interest of her coming film."


Actor Sushant Singh  Rajput  @itsSSR tweeted, "How beautifully u held your own in that stupid interview @SunnyLeone .Some1 should have taught him how to respect a woman when he was a kid."

Aalia Bhatt tweeted her support, "That was literally NOT an interview.. Just hyper-opinionated statements with a question mark at the end!!! No Grace? Chivalry? Ridiculous!"

While, Anushka Sharma said, "This downright distasteful interview shows d journalists intellect & lack of basic human respect & nothing else.kudos @SunnyLeone."


The sun is indeed out for Leone. 

Also read: The Remarkable Sunny Leone!
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15:55   Daughter dies drinking poisoned tea meant for father
A four-year-old girl has died and her 12-year-old sister has been hospitalised after taking tea their mother had allegedly laced with poison apparently to kill her husband, a police officer today said.

The incident occurred at Govinda Sardar Para, about 25 km from Agartala yesterday, the officer said.

Sita Rani Debbarma (29) offered tea laced with poison to her second husband Goutam Debbarma, apparently to kill him, but he didn't take it, Uttam Bhowmik SP (Police Control), said.

Their two daughters, Shriya Debbarma (4) and Merry Debbarma (12), sipped the tea and fell sick, Bhowmik said. Shriya died on the way to hospital and Merry is now struggling for her life at the GB hospital in Agartala.  Police have registered a case and arrested Sita.
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15:42  
Government to declassify another tranche of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose files later this week.
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15:40   Rahul demands 'minister in Delhi's' head over Dalit student's suicide
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday interacted with the protesting students of the University of Hyderabad, where a Dalit scholar committed suicide.  "RG has reached Hyderabad & is interacting with students seeking justice for Rohith Vemula," the Indian National Congress (INC)'s tweeted.

Rahul said the students' voice has been crushed and there is no merit for the vice-chancellor to remain. He said there is no question of politicising the issue.

Just before Rahul Gandhi addressed the massive sit-in at Hyderabad, a student urged him, "Don't politicize this as Congress vs BJP. We are fighting only for justice for Rohith Vemula ."

A few seconds later, he said the Vice Chancellor of the Hyderabad Central University and "the Minister in Delhi" must be held accountable for the suicide of Vemula.

"My doors are always open for you," Rahul Gandhi tells students at Hyderabad university campus. He also asked for a compensation to be paid to Rohith Vemula's family.

Rahul also interacted with parents of Rohith Vemula, who hanged himself to death on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the students of the University continued their protest in the varsity premises demanding action against Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao, Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya and ABVP leader Susheel Kumar.

The students of the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) also began a one-day hunger strike here on Tuesday to express solidarity with their colleagues of the Hyderabad University.

Vemula, along with four other Dalit students, were allegedly expelled from hostel following a tussle with students affiliated with the student wing of the BJP, Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

Vemula, who belonged to Guntur district of Amravati, was doing his PhD in science technology and society studies for the past two years, before the scholar allegedly got involved in a tiff between two student groups in August last year.

The students demanded the revoking of the suspension of the five Dalit research scholars.

They also demanded Dattatreya's apology for interfering in University matters and branding the students of University of Hyderabad as casteists, anti-nationals and extremists
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15:20   Migrant spouses who fail English test may have to leave UK, says Cameron
Migrants who fail language tests after two and a half years in the UK may be forced to leave, David Cameron has said, as he announced plans to encourage greater integration of Muslim women. Read more
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15:05   RSS demands apology from Portugual PM on his visit to Goa
The RSS today said if Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa visits Goa then he should apologise to the people of the state for 450 years long oppressive rule of Portugal.

"We are not supporting his felicitation on the soil of Goa. We don't want him to be honoured here. But BJP government wants, and if he arrives to accept the felicitation, he will have to apologise to the people of Goa for 450 years long Portuguese oppressive rule," RSS Goa unit Chief Subhash Velingkar told PTI today.

The demand from RSS comes close on the heels of statement by BJP's ally Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) minister Ramakrishna Dhavalikar who had said the Prime Minister should apologise to Goa.
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14:11   SP Balasubramaniam sings for Swachh Bharat campaign
Our sources tell us that Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi was surprised to hear from the renowned playback singer SP Balsubramanian, who called him to talk about the renditions of the Swachh Bharat songs.

SP or Balu as the Padma Bhushan awardee is better known, is one of the many nominations as Swachh Bharat ambassador. But the singer took the nomination seriously and instead of a photo-op with a broom, sang a song in Telugu promoting the Clean India campaign and offered to record it in other Indian languages.

The song will now be recorded in eight languages in two months and will then be telecast on all TV channels.

The PM announced this at a felicitation ceremony for SP where union minister M Venakaiah Naidu was also present. (See picture alongside).

This was in recognintion of SP's service to the nation by singing 50,000 for over 50 years.
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13:48   Modi's date with IIT-Guwahati on his 1st visit to state as PM
Attacking the Congress at a rally in Assam, where elections will be held in a few months, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said those who "could not do anything for the past 15 years expect me to do everything in 15 months." Later in the day, he is expected to address about 6000 students and others at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Guwahati. Stay with us for the updates.
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13:44   Rahul's 'photo finish' of anti-Cong journalists
Rahul Gandhi is on a mission to weed out journalists who are anti-Congress, say our sources. The Congress vice-president today had a meeting with news bureau heads of vernacular newspapers from the southern states.
But before extending an invitation to the press, his office asked media persons to email either their ID with the Press Information Buereau or with their newspapers. This is because Rahul does not want to give an audience to journalists who speak against his party or him.
Sources say that that the vetting process by Rahul Gandhi's office is unique as he recognises the faces of media persons who are pro BJP and against Congress.
This "photo-submission business" was the talk of the capital on Monday among both SPG men and mediapersons. Rahul is upset over the allegations of his British  citizenship though he has been crying hoarse telling whoever is willing to listen that he is an Indian citizen.  
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13:33   Nadal crashes out of Australia Open
Just in: Worlds fifth seed Rafael Nadal crashes out of the Australian Open in the first round against compatriot Fernando Verdasco. Nadal went down in five sets - 6-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7, 2-6.

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13:24   No disciplinary action against IAS officer in Kerala who defended Modi, says SC
The Supreme Court stays disciplinary proceedings against Kerala IAS officer Dr B Ashok. The 1988 cadre IAS officer who had praised PM Narendra Modi while writing an article in a newspaper in 2013. The Congress-led UDF govt in Kerala had then initiated disciplinary proceedings against Ashok.

The article titled, 'What If Modi Visits Sivagiri' in a newspaper on his April 24, 2013 visit on to the Sivagiri Mutt at Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram district to inaugurate a spiritual-cultural conclave.

Ashok, in his article, had said that while it is true that the Gujarat Government may not have been effective in preventing the killings in 2002, such genocidal riots had followed the assassination of Indira Gandhi as well.

He had also criticised Rahul Gandhi for not accepting the invitation to speak at the function at the Mutt.

The Supreme Court has issued a notice seeking the Kerala government's response on the IAS officer's petition challenging the Kerala government's action against him.

The UDF Govt initiated disciplinary proceedings against Dr Ashok who was Vice Chancellor of Kerala Veterinary University and the government had in 2011 decided to sack Ashok as vice-chancellor for alleged violation of service rules. But the Kerala High Court had through an order reinstated him.

However the court declined to stay the disciplinary proceedings against him. Dr Ashok therefore appealed to the top court saying as VC he didn't violate any service rules. Today the SC has stayed the proceedings against him.
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13:11   Modi kicks off Assam campaign with 1st rally in state since he became PM
PM Modi addressing a public rally in Kokrajhar, Assam, where he is expected to announce several central schemes for the state. Highlights:

-- I have come to help you realise your dreams.
-- I have come at a time when there is atmosphere of unity and harmony.
-- The people who are joining us, I respect and welcome them.
-- I want to assure you that you have made a place in my heart.
-- I've come here today to work with you shoulder-to-shoulder to bring development to people.
-- Aapke sapno ko sanjone ke liye, mai apne aapko jodne aya hun. I have come to help you realise your dreams.
-- Today I am among you at a time when there is an environment of unity here.
--  Political goodwill is working for the betterment of the people here. I congratulate the leadership.
-- For 12-15 years the promises that were made to you haven't been fulfilled. And doing that over and over again is what has led to your anger.
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12:53   Is India in for hard times this year?
"The most important issue for Indians, the only way in which to get them quickly out of poverty, is sustained high growth. 'If we are not doing that despite a strong government and a leader with clarity of vision and purpose, we are facing big trouble," says Aakar Patel. Read
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12:45   Modi confidante Jha tipped to head Delhi's police force
Ahmedabad police commissioner Shivanand Jha, known to be a close confidante of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is tipped to be the next Delhi police commissioner, sources in the Union home ministry said today.

The present Delhi police chief, BS Bassi, is retiring next month-end.

Jha, a 1983 batch Gujarat cadre IPS officer, was part of the Supreme Court-appointed special investigation team (SIT) that probed the 2002 Gujarat riots when Modi was chief minister. Jha was later removed from the SIT on the orders of the apex court.
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12:44   Ramdev tea, honey, biscuits finds their way to BJP office
The BJP national headquarters at 11, Ashoka Road in New Delhi is flooded with products from Baba Ramdev's stable. There's honey, biscuits, noodles and even 'Baba Tea, all sold at concessional rates to BJP volunteers who visit the party office. Two trucks packed with Ramdev's products are stationed outside the BJP office. An aggressive publicity and sales team have also been peddling samples to visitors. With the BJP's focus on Make in India and a soft corner for Ramdev, it is little wonder that his products have found their way to the party office. 
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12:18   J Dey murder case: CBI gets nod to interrogate Chhota Rajan for 10 days
A Mumbai court grants permission to the CBI to interrogate gangster Chhota Rajan for 10 days in connection with the J Dey murder case.

Rajan was produced before special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court last week via video conferencing.

Judge A L Pansare asked Rajan to spell out his name and he said, My name is Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje. Then the Judge explained the entire J Dey case to him in Marathi and that he was being taken into judicial custody and that the charges against him will be framed on January 19. Rajan told the court he needed time to appoint a lawyer to appear for him in the court.

The judge reprimanded the Mumbai Police for not serving the copy of the chargesheet to Rajan and passed an order directing them to do so. The 54-year-old gangster is facing 71 cases in Maharashtra.

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12:09   Pilot spots 'paragliders', Juhu airport on high alert
A pilot's warning about spotting paragliders in the airspace around the Juhu airport has resulted in a security scare.

Mid Day reports that the pilot, who was taxiing towards the main runway from the hangar with 11 passengers and a co-pilot on January 13, said he saw "six paragliders at an altitude of 1,000 to 1,500 feet above sea level".

He aborted takeoff to his offshore location and alerted Air Traffic Control (ATC), saying the gliders were in the airspace roughly above the JW Marriott.

The ATC called pilots who had taken off just before the Pawan Hans, but they all said they had seen no suspicious objects. The local police and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) were also alerted.

Airport Authorities of India officials said they have sought additional deployment at several gates and hangars and along the airport periphery.

"Officials concerned were immediately informed," said an airport official. "Helicopters that took off before the VT PWB were contacted and were asked whether they noticed any such flying objects nearby. But all of them denied noticing anything of this sort." Read more
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12:07   A tale of two economists
Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian publicly differed with RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan and took a bet on accelerating growth. He is clearly losing. Read more
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12:01  
Suicide bomber kills five in northwestern Pakistan.
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11:53   Tata invests undisclosed amount in online coupons venture
Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata has invested an undisclosed amount in online cash-back and coupons venture CashKaro.com, his third investment in 2016.

The investment comes about two months after CashKaro.com raised Rs 25 crore from Kalaari Capital. Tata had joined the Vani Kola-founded VC firm in February last year, in an advisory capacity, with a view to provide guidance to its portfolio companies.

CashKaro will use the proceeds to further build its technology, enter international markets, as well as towards brand awareness and to hire senior-level talent for the company.
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11:50   Uma Bharati objects to nod for dams on Ganga tributaries
Despite written objections from  Union water resources and Ganga rejuvenation minister Uma Bharati, the Union environment ministry has done a volte face and conditionally allowed five new dams on tributaries of the Ganga in the Uttarakhand hills.

In doing so, the environment ministry cited a 1916 agreement between the then British rulers, six kings, members of the Hindu Sabha and Madan Mohan Malviya, and an expert body report, which is still under consideration of an inter-ministerial group of power, water resources and environment ministries.

The environment ministry has also taken a policy decision on how much minimum water should be enough to flow in the Ganga basin, which Bharati has opposed saying it is against the common position that was arrived at within the government. Read more
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11:36   Journalist, scholar, writer, Aroon Tikekar, passes away at 72
Journalist, scholar, writer Aroon Tikekar passes away. Tikekar who has written over 20 books passed away today due to breathing-related complications. He was 72.

After a stint as a college teacher for some years, he held a number of unusual positions, which include Language and Literature Expert and Acquisitions Specialist at the US Library of Congress Office, New Delhi; the Reference Chief, the Times of India; and Senior Assistant Editor, Maharashtra Times.

He was the Editor of Loksatta, an influential Marathi newspaper of the Indian Express Group Newspaper for over a decade (1992-2002). He was also a Group Editor of Lokmat and Editor Director of Sakal.

He has authored over 20 books in Marathi as well as in English. He is the recipient of several literary and journalism awards. Presently he is Adjunct Professor in the Department of Journalism and Communications, University of Pune.
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11:28   Dalit student death: Protests continue, Rahul to visit varsity
Fresh protests erupted on the University of Hyderabad campus today over the alleged suicide by a dalit scholar even as members of a social outfit tried to hold a demonstration outside the residence of Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, who has been accused in the suicide case.

Students gathered in the administrative block of the university and shouted slogans, seeking 'justice' for the dalit student. Police said the situation was peaceful.

"Just a small group of students gathered and shouted slogans. Situation is peaceful," Gachibowli police inspector J Ramesh Kumar said.

Some activists belonging to Telangana Jagruthi, a social and cultural outfit led by TRS MP K Kavitha, tried to hold a protest outside the residence of Dattatreya here this morning, demanding his resignation.

However, police prevented their bid and took them into custody, a police official said. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, is expected to visit the university today.
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11:26   Woman dies of monkey fever in Goa, first in state this year
A 60-year-old woman died of Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), commonly known as monkey fever, the first death reported from the ailment in Goa this year, a senior health official said today.
The victim, Janaki Desai, who was being treated for the fever at Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) near Panaji, died on Sunday, state epidemiologist Dr Utkarsh Betodkar said.
The fever has gripped Mauxi, Zarmen, Copordem, Budruk, Karmali and Saleli villages in Sattari taluka located in the north eastern part adjoining Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in the state.
Desai, who lived in Mauxi, was admitted to the Primary Health Centre at Valpoi on January 11 with complaint of the fever.
Later, she was shifted to GMCH on January 13, he said. Betodkar said that 24 patients from Sattari have so far tested positive for the disease and are being treated.
The monkey fever was first detected in the state last year at Pale village in Bicholim taluka when it claimed four lives.
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11:10   Punjab cop Salwinder Singh reaches NIA office for lie test
The National Investigation Agency will subject senior Punjab police officer Salwinder Singh to a lie-detector test today in connection with its probe into Pathankot terror strike.

After the special NIA court allowed it to conduct the polygraph (lie- detector) test on Singh, the officials of the central terror investigation agency briefed CFSL experts CFSL about the possible questions that he can be asked.

Singh, currently posted as Assistant Commandant of 75th Punjab Armed Police, had claimed he was kidnapped by suspected JeM terrorists hours before they attacked the Pathankot Indian Airforce Station in the wee hours of January 2. He was travelling with his jeweller friend Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal when the alleged abduction took place.

The terrorists had slit Verma's throat, almost killing him, and set Singh and Gopal free before fleeing in the police officer's vehicle towards the IAF base.

Some alleged inconsistencies in Singh's statements has prompted the agency to subject him to polygraph test.

Meanwhile, the NIA has failed to have a clear view of the faces of the six terrorists involved in the attack.
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10:37   Kejriwal on Dalit scholar's death: It's murder; Modi should sack ministers & apologise
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday termed the death of Dalit PhD student Rohith Vemula a 'murder of democracy' for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise.

"Modi government is constitutionally duty-bound to uplift Dalits. Instead, Modiji's ministers got five Dalit students ostracised and suspended," Kejriwal tweeted this morning.

In another tweet, Kejriwal said: "It's not suicide. It's murder. It's murder of democracy, social justice and equality. Modiji should sack ministers and apologize to the nation."

Rohith was found dead at Hyderabad Central University on Sunday morning. The issue took a political turn with allegations that the extreme action was a result of discrimination against Dalit students at the behest of Union Labour Miniser Bandaru Dattatreya, who had written a letter to HRD Minister Smriti Irani, seeking action against their "anti-national acts".

Image: Police use water cannons to disperse students during a protest against the Human Resource Development Ministry in New Delhi on Monday over the suicide of Dalit PhD scholar Rohith Vemula at University of Hyderabad
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10:29  
Dalit scholar suicide case: FTII Pune students start a one day hunger strike in protest
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10:28  
Talks between Nepal's Madheshi Morcha and the Nepal government break down: ANI
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10:10   India deploys submarine hunters to stem Chinese moves in Andaman
India has started to deploy long-range naval patrol aircraft Poseidon-8I and spy drones at the forward military base in Andaman and Nicobar Islands as part of its strategy to counter China's move to regularly send its nuclear and conventional submarines to the Indian Ocean Region.

The Times of India quoted defence ministry sources as saying that two Poseidon-8I aircraft have been patrolling the maritime area in the strategically-located Andaman and Nicobar Islands for about two weeks now.

Navy and Air Force's Israeli Searcher-II unmanned aerial vehicles have also been deployed in the archipelago on a temporary basis.

The P-8I aircraft are especially designed to gather intelligence and detect threats.

The aircraft are armed with Harpoon Block-II missiles, MK-54 lightweight torpedoes, rockets and depth charges, the daily reported.
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09:22  
Johnny, third accused in the Kolkata hit-and-run case, arrested by Kolkata police, reports ANI
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09:11   HCL Tech Q2 net up 11% to Rs 1920 crore
HCL Technologies second quarter profit beat analysts' expectations on Tuesday while revenue and operational numbers matched estimates. 

Profit surged 11.2 percent quarter-on-quarter to Rs 1,920 crore and revenue increased 2.4 percent to Rs 10,341 crore during the quarter. 

Dollar revenue rose 1.39 percent sequentially to $1,566 million compared to $1,544.5 million in preceding quarter and 2.1 percent in constant currency. 

"HCL has always been at the forefront of changing market dynamics. As a company with good corporate governance practices and robust financial performance we continue to create exceptional value, both for businesses as well as communities in which we operate," said Shiv Nadar, chairman & chief strategy officer, HCL Technologies.
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09:08   PM to lay foundation of IIIT Guwahati today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today lay the foundation stone of the campus of Indian Institute of Information Technology Guwahati during his visit to Assam.

Modi will also address students of IIT, IIITG and students of all central technical institutions in the North-East region, IIITG Mentor Director Gautam Barua said.

His address will be transmitted to other institutions though the National Knowledge Network, he said. 

Modi will also address a BJP youth programme in Guwahati and a public rally at Kokrajhar today. 
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09:06   Delhi to start dismantling BRT corridor today
Dismantling of the Bus Rapid Transit corridor, a 5.8-km long stretch from Moolchand to Ambedkar Nagar, will start today with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia initiating the process.

The BRT corridor, which was built in 2008 by the previous Sheila Dikshit dispensation at a cost of around Rs 180 crore, will be completely dismantled by February. The deconstruction will cost around Rs 12 crore.

A senior government official said the dismantling work will be carried out only in nights to ensure smooth movement of traffic. 

"The deputy chief minister will start the process of dismantling the BRT corridor, a pet project of former chief minister Sheila Dikshit, at 2 pm near DDA Flats in Madangir area today. PWD Minister Satyendar Jain and five local MLAs, who have been demanding its scrapping for long, will also take part in the process," the official said.

Transport Minister Gopal Rai said the AAP government was not against the concept of BRT, but the existing corridor was built on a "wrong" stretch of road. 
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08:54   Eagles guitarist Glenn Frey dies at 67
Eagles guitarist and founding member Glenn Frey, an American rocker whose band dominated charts throughout the 1970s with hits such as Hotel California, died Monday, the group said.

"It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of our comrade, Eagles founder, Glenn Frey, in New York City on Monday," the band wrote on its website.

Frey died of complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia, The Eagles said.

"We are all in a state of shock, disbelief and profound sorrow," fellow Eagle Don Henley was quoted as saying in an email message announcing Frey's death.

"He was the spark plug, the man with the plan. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and a work ethic that wouldn't quit."

The Eagles, fronted by drummer-vocalist Henley and Frey, dominated the American rock charts throughout the 1970s with hits including Take It EasyOne of These Nights and Hotel California -- songs that endure as cover-band classics to this day.
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08:48   Bihar MLA helps 'husband' flee from police station
Times of India reports: Bihar MLA from the ruling JD-U allegedly helped her husband escape from police custody in Purnia district.

Bima Bharti, JD-U's Rupauli MLA, along with JD-U Purnia MP Santosh Kushwaha helped her husband Awadhesh Mandal escape from the police station within hours of his arrest on Sunday. Bharti is a former minister.

Mandal has nearly 100 criminal cases lodged against him.

Police sources said that Mandal was arrested after he reportedly threatened the widow and two children of Chanchal Paswan over deposing against him in court. Mandal is accused of murdering Chanchal in 2005.

Read more HERE

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08:42  
China's annual growth slows to 6.9% in 2015, weakest for 25 years, according to government data: AFP
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08:40   MPs miffed with home secy for not staying through parliamentary panel meet
A meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs witnessed stormy scenes after Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi did not stay for its entire duration. 

While the Trinamool Congress, which wanted to raise the issue of Delhi Police vs Arvind Kejriwal government and the Kerala House beef raids, staged a walkout in protest, MPs from the Congress, CPM, CPI and Samajwadi Party also protested against Mehrishi's rushed attendance. 

The agenda for the day's meeting included Chennai floods, along with any other issues that members wanted discussed. 

At the meeting, Mehrishi gave a presentation on the floods, followed by one from the Tamil Nadu government. 

Mehrishi, however, did not take any questions.

Read more HERE
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08:38  
Rahul Gandhi heads to Hyderabad to meet mother of student who committed suicide days after being thrown out of university hostel
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04:17   Hillary, Trump face dead heat in Iowa Caucus
Former United States secretary of state Hillary Clinton and real estate tycoon Donald Trump are leading their respective Democratic and Republican parties' presidential races but are locked in a dead heat with their rivals in the key Iowa Caucus, an opinion poll said today.

In Iowa, which would kick off the primary presidential race some two weeks from now, Clinton and her Democratic rival Bernie Sanders are tied at 45 per cent each, as per a CNN/ORG poll.

This is not considered good news for the former secretary of state given her early start to the campaign, a well-oiled campaign machinery and her national recognition.

Nationally Clinton at 54 per cent leads Sanders at 36 per cent by 18 per cent, CNN said.   In a previous poll about a month ago, Clinton (56 per cent) had an advantage of a 25 per cent over Sanders (31 per cent), it said.

A similar story repeats for the Republican party ahead of the Iowa Caucus where Ted Cruz, the Senator from Texas (27 per cent) is in a dead heat with Trump (25 per cent).

Only two other candidates -- Marco Rubio at 14 per cent and Ben Carson at 10 per cent get more than 10 per cent of the votes, while rest of the other candidate are less than five per cent.

However, Trump at 34 per cent leads Cruz at 20 per cent by 14 per cent nationally.

Again only Rubio (12 per cent) and Carson (10 per cent) get more than 10 per cent, while rest of the Republican aspirants do not cross four per cent.
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02:42   German man with Hitler moustache attacks refugees
A man wearing a swastika-emblazoned helmet and 'Hitler moustache' has attacked two refugees on a ski slope in Germany.

Police in Dresden said the friends from Afghanistan were sledging in the snowy Ore Mountains in Altenberg on Monday when the stranger approached.

"A young man approached them on the slope, wearing a steel helmet emblazoned with a swastika," a spokesperson was quoted as saying by The Independent.

Read HERE
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02:09   British lawmakers call Trump 'fool' but refrain from banning him
While most British lawmakers are not impressed with United States presidential hopeful Donald Trump, most of them showed little interest to close Britain's doors to him during a debate on calls to ban the Republican nominee from the country.

During a three-hour debate on Monday, legislators from Britain's main parties stood to call Trump an attention-seeker, a demagogue and a fool. Many, though, argued that he should not be stifled or banned.

"While I think this man is crazy, while I think this man has no valid points to make, I will not be the one to silence his voice," said Conservative lawmaker Tom Tugendhat.

Labour Party legislator Paul Flynn, who opened the session, said Trump had already received 'far too much attention'.

"The great danger by attacking this one man is that we can fix on him a halo of victimhood and boost his popularity among supporters," Flynn said.

But another Labour lawmaker, Tulip Siddiq, supported a ban.

"This is a man who is extremely high-profile ... a man who is interviewing for the most important job in the world. His words are not comical, his words are not funny. His words are poisonous." she said.
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01:57   BJP braces for state polls: Nadda in-charge for Kerala, Javadekar for Tamil Nadu
Union ministers J P Nadda and Prakash Javadekar were today appointed Bharatiya Janata Party's election in-charge for the poll-bound states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu respectively.

Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Piyush Goyal, also Union ministers, will be the co-incharge in the two states respectively, a party statement said about the appointments made by BJP chief Amit Shah.

Kerala and Tamil Nadu besides Assam, West Bengal and Puducherry are going to polls in a few months as the terms of their assemblies end by May-June.
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01:29   Pak teen cuts off own hand for 'blasphemy'
A Pakistani teenager cut off his hand after a Muslim cleric wrongly accused him of blasphemy, a local police chief said.

Mohammad Anwar, a 15-year-old from Hujra Shah Muqeem, a village in Punjab province about 120 kilometers southwest of Lahore, was being hailed as a hero by locals for his actions, station house officer Nausher Ali, the local police chief, was quoted as saying by CNN.

Read HERE
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01:18   Jailed Maldivian ex-Prez leaves for UK for treatment
Jailed Maldivian opposition leader and former president Mohamed Nasheed left the country today for urgent medical treatment in Britain after a delay caused by a legal dispute with the government, his party said.

Nasheed was originally due to leave on Sunday in line with a deal brokered by diplomats from neighbouring India and Sri Lanka as well as former colonial power Britain.

But the former leader refused a government request to leave a relative behind to act as a guarantor liable to prosecution if he failed to return to serve the rest of his 13-year sentence, leading to a tense back and forth over conditions.

One of his international lawyers, Jared Genser, said Nasheed had spoken with the United States Secretary of State by telephone at Male international airport shortly before he boarded a Sri Lankan airlines flight to Colombo before transiting to Britain.
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00:10   Dalit student suicide: Hyderabad varsity says it was 'lenient' on suspended scholars
Defending its action, the Executive Council of Hyderabad Central University had taken a 'lenient view' by not imposing 'complete suspension' of the five research scholars, including the Dalit PhD student who committed suicide on Sunday, as recommended by Proctorial Board, so that the students' academics are not affected.

The suicide has triggered protests from students even as Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and the vice chancellor were named in a first information report in this regard.

In a statement issued a day after the Dalit PhD scholar Rohit Vemula was found hanging in a hostel room on the campus, the varsity mentioned the sequence of events since August last year.

'The Executive Council determined not to affect the students' academics and taking a lenient view, decided to only suspend the students from their hostels and curb their involvement in public gatherings unlike complete suspension as suggested in the Proctorial Board report,' the statement added.

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