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Tue, 08 March 2016
Don't want to lose my job by speaking on beef ban: Chief Economic Advisor
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23:57 Don't want to lose my job by speaking on beef ban: Chief Economic Advisor
Days after he warned of social divisions hurting development, Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian today refused to answer a question on beef ban saying he did not want "to lose his job".
"You know that if I answer this question I will lose my job. But thank you nevertheless for asking the question," he said while interacting with students of the Mumbai University.
He had been asked if the beef ban will have any adverse impact on the farmers' incomes or the rural economy, and his matter-of-fact reply was met with a round of applause.
The remark by Subramanian, who is on leave from the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington since October 2014, comes days after he spoke about the adverse impact of social tensions on development.
"The way you react to social cleavages has a critical impact on economic development. India is a wonderful example. What have reservations done, what have they not done, what has religion done, what has it not done, illustrate the general principle that these things have a huge impact," he had said during a lecture in Bengaluru.
23:54 Post-marriage work only condition to wed Saif, says Kareena
Actress Kareena Kapoor Khan says her sole condition for marrying actor Saif Ali Khan was that she would work all her life and he would support her.
In her upcoming film, "Ki and Ka" Kareena will be seen as a career-oriented woman, while Arjun Kapoor will play the role of a supportive house husband doing household chores, including cooking. The film is directed by R Balki.
"Today is Women's Day and you equate women with mother earth, mother Mary...they have the power. They have extra power and so they can multi-task," Kareena told reporters here at a promotional event of "Ki and Ka".
"Today I am a wife and all my life I will work and earn money and my husband will support. That is the only condition (on which) I married Saif," said the 35-year-old star who tied the knot in 2012.
23:38 Terror alert still in place in Gujarat
Though the Maha Shivratri festival passed off without any incident yesterday amid the reports that terrorists may strike in Gujarat, the police and the National Security Guard (NSG) commandos are still on their toes.
DGP (IB&CID) Pramod Kumar said the high alert sounded three days ago was still in place.
"We have to see several aspects before saying that everything is OK. So the high alert is still in place. Police are still actively involved in finding out any suspicious person or activity," said Kumar.
A top official of the state Anti-Terrorist Squad said four teams of NSG were still in the state.
NSG teams landed in Gujarat two days ago following an alert based on IB's input that some terrorists may have entered the state.
23:37 Pakistan 'breaches obligations' on nuclear arms, UN court told
Pakistan is violating its "obligations" to the international community by failing to reduce its nuclear arsenal, the Marshall Islands told the UN's highest court today.
The small Pacific Island nation is this week launching three unusual cases against India, Pakistan and Britain before the International Court of Justice.
Majuro wants to put a new spotlight on the global nuclear threat, its lawyers said yesterday, by using its own experience with massive US-led nuclear tests in the 1940s and 1950s.
"Pakistan is in breach of its obligations owed to the international community as a whole," when it comes to reducing its nuclear stockpile, said Nicholas Grief, one of the island nation's lawyers.
Islamabad and its nuclear-armed neighbour India "continue to engage in a quantitative build-up and a qualitative improvement" of their atomic stockpiles, added Tony deBrum, a Marshallese government minister.
DeBrum warned that even a "limited nuclear war" involving the two countries would "threaten the existence" of his island nation people.
22:12 JK Rowling releases new web series of books
Harry Potter creator JK Rowling today released the first installment of a four-part online short-story series titled 'History of Magic in North America'.
The latest writing from the 50-year-old celebrated author tells the magical history of America and is available to read on her 'Pottermore' website.
The first piece is titled 'Fourteenth Century Seventeenth Century' and uncovers the world of Native American witches and wizards, revealing the truth behind the "legendary skin walkers".
While these shape-shifters were rumoured to have acquired their power through killing a family member, Rowling reveals that they were actually Animagi wizards and witches who have developed the ability to transform into an animal at will a term used in the Harry Potter books as well.
22:10 Trump calls comparisons to Nazi gesture 'ridiculous'
Republican front-runner Donald Trump today defended a gesture he made with his right hand at a recent rally, saying he was pretending to take the oath of office.
He called any suggestion that he was trying to mimic a Nazi salute "ridiculous."
The accusations have occurred largely in anonymous social media posts. Speaking to NBC, Trump said his supporters had merely wanted him to pretend that he was taking the oath of office. Trump, in response, called on supporters to take an oath that they would vote for him, prompting the crowd to raise their hands.
"I didn't know it was a problem," Trump said. "Sometimes we'll do it for fun ... Sometimes they'll scream at me, 'Do the swear-in, do the swear-in'."
At the rally in Florida last week, Trump raised his hand, with his elbow bent, and led the crowd in the oath.
21:51 Tunisia hunts jihadists after deadly border raid
Tunisian security forces pressed a search for jihadists near the Libyan border today after a deadly raid the authorities described as an unprecedented assault by the Islamic State group.
Analysts said Monday's attacks show that jihadists are keen to spread their influence from Libya to Tunisia and to set up a new stronghold in the country.
Prime Minister Habib Essid said about 50 extremists were believed to have taken part in the coordinated dawn attacks on an army barracks and police and National Guard posts in the border town of Ben Guerdane.
21:47 Pakistani tax official celebrates DiCaprio Oscar win
A Pakistani civil servant who never let go of hope Leonardo DiCaprio might win an Oscar became a social media star after his memo ordering a tea break for staff celebrating the actor's long-awaited victory went
viral.
Rizwan Ahmed, Assistant Commissioner of the Inland Revenue department in Pakistani-held Kashmir, told AFP today he was "inspired" by the Titanic star "because he'd been nominated four times and he never lost faith despite losing".
Though one of the world's biggest and most bankable stars, the 41-year-old DiCaprio had never taken home the golden statuette, sparking a years-long meme-fuelled Internet campaign.
20:55 UK appoints new high commissioner to India
The UK today appointed veteran career diplomat Sir Dominic Asquith as its new High Commissioner to India.
The 59-year-old Asquith will take over from Sir James Bevan, who joined the UK's Environment Agency (EA) as chief executive last November, soon after Narendra Modi's first visit to the UK as Prime Minister.
"The Honourable Sir Dominic Asquith KCMG (Knight Commander) has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of India in succession to Sir James Bevan KCMG, who has transferred to a non-governmental public body. The Honourable Sir Dominic will take up his appointment during March 2016," a UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office statement said.
20:39 Is ISIS going broke?
Its retreat from al Hawl is one small example of a growing problem for the "caliphate." Its revenues are declining as its control over populations and resources shrink.
In 2015, ISIS lost about 40% of the area it held in Iraq, as well as parts of northeastern Syria that have both good farmland and oil. Airstrikes on the oil infrastructure it controlled have further diminished the balance sheet. Some of its senior financial officials have been killed. Trading through Turkey has become much more difficult. Its cash depots have been bombed.
ISIS isn't about to file for bankruptcy -- but its balance sheet is hurting.
Read more HERE.
20:31 ABVP rebels burn "Manusmriti" despite varsity denying nod
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad rebels who left the RSS' student outfit citing differences over its handling of the JNU row, today burnt a
copy of the ancient legal text Manusmriti despite the varsity administration denying permission for the same.
Weeks after the controversial event against Afzal Guru's hanging was held on campus, five ABVP rebels joined by left-backed All India Students Association and Congress-affiliated National Students Union of India burnt the text at Sabarmati Dhaba, which was also the venue of the earlier event.
While three of the organisers were former ABVP office-bearers, two of them are still with the party but differ with their stand on Manusmriti.
20:19 MH370 mishap: New report disappoints families
The first part of the new report by MH370 investigators revealed nothing substantial on the baffling mystery surrounding the Boeing 777's disappearance two years ago.
The International Air Accident Investigation Team provided a very brief overview of its work in its three-page statement.
The statement said a final report would be released following the location of the wreckage of the aircraft or when the search for the wreckage is terminated, whichever is earlier.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nazak said Malaysia remained hopeful that MH370 would be found in the 120,000 square kilometre area under investigation.
"If it is not, then Malaysia, Australia and China will hold a tripartite meeting to determine the way forward. We remain committed to doing everything within our means to solving what is an agonising mystery for the loved ones of those who were lost," he was quoted as saying.
Yesterday marked two-years since MH370 disappeared while flying en-route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board.
19:45 Shahbaz Taseer, son of murdered Pak governor, found after 5 years in captivity
Shahbaz Taseer, son of Pakistani politician Salman Taseer, has been found by security forces five years after he was kidnapped. Shahbaz, 32, was on his way to work in Lahore in 2011 when he was kidnapped at gunpoint.
Reports suggest security forces found him during a raid in Quetta.
Shahbaz's father Salman Taseer, a senior leader of the Pakistan People's Party, was shot dead just months before the kidnapping, by a policeman in his security detail. He was the governor of Punjab.
19:07
JUST IN: Chhagan Bhujbal called for questioning by Enforcement Directorate on March 14 in money laundering case related to Maharashtra Sadan scam.
18:51 Kanhaiya's granddad files case against 2 offering reward to kill JNUSU leader
A case has been filed against two leaders in Bihar's Begusarai court for offering a reward to kill or cut out the tongue of Jawaharlal Nehru University president Kanhaiya Kumar. Kanhaiya's grandfather Bal Krishna Singh filed the case in the CJM court in Begusarai district against Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader Kuldeep Varshney and Poorvanchal sena president Adarsh Sharma.
The court will hear the case on Wednesday.
"By calling Kanhaiya an anti-national, they haven't just personally hurt me, but also also insulted me," petitioner Singh said.
Singh said that he has approached the court to seek justice in connection with terming his grand son as anti-national and action against two of them who have threatened his life and offered reward.
Kuldeep Varshney,president of BJYM ,Badaun in Uttar Pradesh, last week announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh to anyone cutting off Kanhaiya's tongue and Sharma announced a reward of RS 11 lakh for killing Kanhaiya.
After this, Varshney was suspended from the BJP 's primary membership for six years and Sharma was arrested in Delhi.
-- M I Khan from Patna
18:42 Intolerable that women still exposed to barbaric brutality, violence: President
President Pranab Mukherjee said it is intolerable that in this day and age, women are still being exposed to barbaric brutality and violence because they are women.
"We must remind ourselves most emphatically and as often as we can, that every member of our society male or female has, equally, the right to live in security, peace and dignity. Violence or fear of violence reduces the freedom and development of everyone, particularly our women and children," said President Mukherjee, who presented 'Nari Shakti Puruskars' for the year 2015 at a function held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on the occasion of International Women's Day.
The President said that thing diminishes the society when it allows such inhuman treatment of its women rather than guarantee their safety, security and equal rights.
"On this day, let us all, Government, civil society and public at large, pledge to work together for developing relevant legal, administrative and other measures to ensure the safety and security of our mothers and sisters," he added.
The President also said that the women mind should be empowered.
"The mind sets of our people must evolve. They must realise that it is in society's own interest to create the conditions for their women to freely exercise choices at home and in the workplace without restrictions or fear. Gender equality is a key driver for inclusive economic growth and social progression," said President Mukherjee.
18:15 Barkha Dutt claims she has been receiving threat calls
Journalist Barkha Dutt on Tuesday claimed that she has been receiving threat calls for her reportage on the Jawaharlal Nehru University row over which she has lodged a police complaint and appeared before a metropolitan magistrate court to get her statement recorded.
"The court has now taken cognisance of fact that since 4th of March, I have received anonymous abusive death threats for my reportage on JNU.
"Many of you asked-Yes Post FIR I appeared today at Metropolitan Magistrate Court to give a statement against stalking, death threat & abuse," she tweeted today.
"An FIR under relevant sections of IPC was registered in connection with the matter on Thursday on the basis of a complaint we received. Investigation is underway," a police official said.
17:54 'Art of Living to build biodiversity park on Yamuna floodplain'
Under fire for organising a massive event on the Yamuna floodplain, Art of Living guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said that his organisation will build a "biodiversity park" in that area and rubbished allegations of ecological harm.
Ravi Shankar told reporters that not a single tree has been cut in the run up to the World Cultural Festival to be held between March 11-13 and that four trees have only been trimmed in the riverine area.
"Villagers said that their buffaloes never went near the water in the past. Now I have been informed by the them that those buffaloes have entered the water. The villagers are very happy.
"We will leave the place after making a biodiversity park there. In the past, our volunteers have brought out 512 tonne of garbage from Yamuna. We have not cut any trees, have just trimmed four. We want a clean Yamuna and we care about the environment," Ravi Shankar said.
17:41 No hesitation to reveal names of the black money holders, says Jaitley
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today in the Rajya Sabha said that there is no hesitation in giving names of those who have black money abroad.
Attacking the UPA government over inflation, Jaitley said, "The UPA government has left us double digit inflation as a legacy. When you make comments on steps we are taking on black money, please honestly compare your track record."
Jaitley said that the schemes by the earlier governments to bring back black money has failed.
17:21 AMU VC to meet HRD minister on March 10
Amid the controversy over its minority status, Aligarh Muslim University Vice Chancellor Lt Gen (Retd) Zameer Uddin Shah will meet Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani in New Delhi on March 10.
"Thursday's meeting between the two could well mark a watershed moment in AMU's present uneasy relationship with the HRD ministry," an AMU spokesman said.
Shah had yesterday said the preservation of minority character of the university is a very emotive and sensitive issue for the Muslims of the country.
17:16 Has shared intel with India on terror attacks, says Pakistan
Pakistan today confirmed that it had shared intelligence with India on possible terror strikes in Gujarat ahead of Mahashivratri festival.
"Sharing of intelligence among various nations of the world is a routine practice and this happens around the world. However, this time it was somehow leaked to media. But this showed Pakistan's commitment to fight terrorism," Pakistan Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said.
Pakistan had provided intelligence inputs of a possible 26/11-style fidayeen attack on religious sites and processions in Gujarat during Mahashivratri celebrations yesterday and today prompted authorities to order a massive mobilisation of state police personnel and the National Security Guard.
17:10 Porsche suspends its sponsorship with Maria Sharapova
After Nike and Swiss watch maker TAGHeuer , now Porsche has suspended its sponsorship with Maria Sharapova.
Sharapova, a five-time major winner, on Monday said that she failed a test at the Australian Open in January for the banned substance meldonium, a heart medication commonly sold in Eastern Europe.
17:03 PCB security team gives green signal to Indo-Pak T20 at Dharamsala
The high profile clash of the ICC World T20 between India and Pakistan will likely to take place in Dharamsala, according to media reports.
Pakistan Cricket Board's security team inspected the venue and gave a clean chit to the security arrangements.
Pakistan are scheduled to play against India on March 19.
16:37 Missing you, Editor!
Hard to believe that it's been one year since Vinod Mehta, veteran editor who founded Outlook magazine, and edited many other publications before that with panache and passion, passed into the ages.
But memories don't die all that easily, so it was heart-warming to find an 'In Memoriam' advertisement taken out by his group of fans, friends and family.
16:27 Don't make Kashmir a precondition, British FS says in Pak
Settling the Kashmir issue should not be a pre-condition for holding talks between India and Pakistan, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said today as he asked the two nations not to allow non-state actors and other pressure groups to derail the peace process.
He also asked Pakistan to speed up the investigation into the January 2 Pathankot attack which India has blamed on Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militant group.
"Settling the Kashmir issue should not be a precondition for starting the dialogue process," Hammond, who is in Islamabad on a day-long visit, said during a joint press conference with Pakistan Premier's advisor on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz.
"I urge both Pakistan and India not to allow non-State actors and other pressure groups to derail the peace process," he said. "I welcome Pakistan's commitment to vigorously pursue the Pathankot attack investigations and we hope that the country will make progress in the investigation," he said.
16:24 US Air Force to keep flying over South China Sea
A top US general on Tuesday said that the US Air Force will continue to fly daily missions over the South China Sea despite a buildup of Chinese surface-to-air missiles and fighter jets in the contested region, with both nations' militaries in discussions to avoid any miscalculations, AP reported.
Gen Lori Robinson, the commander of the Pacific Air Forces, also urged other nations to exercise their freedom to fly and sail in international airspace and waters claimed by China in the South China Sea "or risk losing it throughout the region."
15:55 NGT hearing on Sri Sri event will continue tomorrow
JUST IN: The NGT hearing on Sri Sri event has just ended and will continue tomorrow.
15:55 Have you considered impact of event on environment: NGT to AoL, Delhi govt
The NGT has observed that Art of Living has exceeded the permission granted by DDA to organise the foundation's 35th anniversary on Yamuna bank.
The Delhi government too submitted before the NGT that organisers haven't taken permission from Delhi and the fire department for the festival.
The Delhi government too submitted before the NGT that organisers haven't taken permission from Delhi and the fire department for the festival.
NGT then put up a question for the DDA, the Delhi and the UP governments, the Environment Ministry, and the Art of Living Foundation: Have you considered impact of event on enviroment, biodiversity &pollution it could generate?If somebody has to alter the floodplains, don't you think it requires your clearance?
15:55 Azad seeks security for Kanhaiya; govt says will be done
Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad in Rajya Sabha today sought security for JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar in view of two "rewards" announced by two persons on his life and for chopping off his tongue, after which the government said adequate protection will be provided to him.
Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, the senior Congress leader said one Adarsh Sharma of Purvanchal Sena had put up posters announcing reward of Rs 11 lakh for anyone who kills Kanhiaya Kumar.
Azad also said Kuldeep Varshnay, a BJP Yuva Morcha leader, had also announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for cutting off Kumar's tongue. "Provide security to Kanhaiya Kumar. His life is in danger," he said.
He said first fake videos were circulated against the student leader and then he was booked under charges of sedation. "When he is out on bail, there is conspiracy to kill him," the Congress leader said. He also sought strict action against those who made fake videos related to Kanhaiya Kumar.
15:39 After President, Modi too unlikely to attend Sri Sri event?
It is now being said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also unlikely to attend Art of Living Foundation's three-day World Culture Festival cultural extravaganza.
On Monday, President Pranab Mukherjee had decided not to give the valedictory address at the event.
No reason was given for his withdrawal but the President was clearly expressing his reservations at the controversy over the organisers using a large swathe of the Yamuna river's floodplains to hold the festival.
15:13 Iran conducts fresh ballistic missile tests
Iran has test-fired several ballistic missiles from silos across the country on Tuesday, the official website of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said.
The test was intended "to show Iran's deterrent power and also the Islamic Republic's ability to confront any threat against the (Islamic) Revolution, the state and the sovereignty of the country", the website said.
15:07 Swiss watch brand TAG Heuer won't renew contract with Sharapova
Swiss watch brand TAG Heuer is dropping its sponsorship of Maria Sharapova, it said on Tuesday after the Russian tennis star said she had failed a drug test.
Read this story HERE
14:42
Speaking about the World Culture Festival venue controversy, Art of Living guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has said that they leave it (the venue) as a beautiful bio-diversity park.
"We want the Yamuna to be clean. We will not pollute the environment. We haven't cut a single tree. As per my knowledge, not even a single tree has been cut down, we've only trimmed four trees," he said.
14:41 What exactly is happening in Chhattisgarh?
'Starting from December 2015, the police has rounded up hundreds of people, detaining them in security camps for days. Some were beaten up before being released, others were arrested, a few are still missing.
'The mass detentions were followed by "mass surrenders": the police claimed that Maoists and their supporters had surrendered voluntarily, but villagers' accounts suggest many of the surrendered Maoists were ordinary villagers. Curiously, even senior police officials in the state capital have questioned the authenticity of the surrenders.'
The crackdown on journalists and activists in Bastar is taking place against the backdrop of large-scale police atrocities in the villages, says Supriya Sharma, in Scroll.in, here.
14:11 AP announces toll-free helpline for women in distress
On the occasion of International Women's Day, Andhra Pradesh government today announced a number of schemes aimed at their empowerment, including opening an exclusive toll-free helpline '181' for women in distress.
Making a special statement in the Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said, "non-combat training for girls would be made compulsory while 'Kanya Sakthi' teams would be set up in all junior and degree colleges in the state."
A mobile application 'Abhayam' would be launched soon, and a police officer of Inspector General rank would be appointed exclusively for women's security, Naidu said.
"We will expand and strengthen SHE teams to prevent eve-teasing and harassment of women. My government will aim at ending discrimination and violence against women and girls and ensure equal participation and opportunities in all spheres of life," he said.
14:09
Meanwhile, Activist Trupti Desai has been released by the police .She was detained today in early morning hours while on her way to Trimbakeshwar temple.
"We will meet Maharashtra CM this week and urge him to take a decision on this, " she said while being taken back to Pune.
14:08 My pressure did work: Rahul on withdrawal of tax on EPF
"My pressure did work," says Rahul Gandhi in Parliament on withdrawal of tax on EPF."Whenever somebody is being oppressed wrongly or victimised, I tend to try and help those people," he adds.
In the face of all round attack, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Today completely rolled back the controversial proposal to tax the employees' provident fund at the time of withdrawal.
Taking the first opportunity available, he made a suo motu statement in the Lok Sabha in which he also announced withdrawal of imposing monetary limit for contribution of employers to provident and superannuation fund of Rs 150,000 for taking tax benefit.
13:54
Om Malik pays a brief tribute to Ray Tomlinson, the 'computer scientist who figured out how to use the @ symbol as part of a simple email naming convention,' and who passed into the ages over the weekend.
Saying that Romlinson was more than that, Om points out that he 'helped write the first implementations of TCP. He contributed to the internet, operating systems and other communication and computing applications.'
Om concludes by saying that 'it is a shame that the same media that takes less than 30 seconds to write about unicorns took a whole 36 hours to pay tribute to the man whose work influences everything we do on the internet,' here.
And Abhimanyu Ghoshal writes in thenextweb.com that '45 years ago, while working at R&D firm Bolt Beranek and Newman in Boston, Tomlinson developed a system to transmit images between computers using the ARPANET protocol. It was then that he chose to use the @ symbol to separate a user's name from their host -- cementing its place in internet history,' here.
13:34 RSS activists attack police personnel in Kerala, damage vehicles
Five police personnel were injured and three police vehicles damaged in an attack by RSS workers, who surrounded the police station here, demanding release of an arrested activist, police said today. The workers, who encircled the Kottarakara police station late last night, were chased away by police.
They threw stones damaging three police jeeps, police said. The police personnel-- a Circle Inspector, Sub Inspector and three policemen, who were on patrol duty, were allegedly attacked by the workers and have been hospitalised.
Earlier, RSS worker Binesh, who was arrested in connection with a case, was brought to the station around 11.30 PM. Angered over this, some RSS workers encircled the police station and forcibly entered it demanding his release. Two cases have been registered in this connection against 35 persons, police said.
13:06 82 incidents of tiger attacking human in last 3 years
As many as 82 incidents of tiger attacks on humans have been reported in different parts of the country in the last three years, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said today.
Among these incidents, 28 have been reported in 2014-15, 33 in 2013-14 and 21 in 2012-13, he said in Lok Sabha during Question Hour. Javadekar said the National Tiger Conservation Authority has a multi-pronged strategy to deal with human-wildlife conflict including habitat interventions, restricting habitat interventions, material and logistical support besides others.
Based on the carrying capacity of tigers in a reserve forest, habitat interventions are restricted through an overarching Tiger Conservation Plan, he said. In case tiger numbers are at carrying capacity levels, it is advised that habitat interventions should be limited so that there is no excessive spillover of wildlife, including tigers, thereby minimising man-animal conflict.
12:47
Mukhtar Ahmad reports from Srinagar: Two civilians were injured in alleged firing by security forces during a cordon and search operation in south Kashmir Ashmuqam village in Anantnag district this morning.
A senior police officer said the injured were evacuated to hospital for treatment and condition of one is stated to be serious.Troops of the Rashtriya Rifles and the police jointly surrounded the village this morning for searches.
As the house to house searches were on, protests erupted in Ashmuqam, 70 kms from capital Srinagar on the Srinagar Pahalgam road.Senior army and police officers have rushed there.
12:30 SC directs Centre to make cigarette packets 'unattractive', transparent
The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to make cigarette packets 'unattractive' and transparent, and to display only pictorial and statutory warnings.
Earlier this year, a parliamentary panel reviewing whether to put larger health warnings on cigarette packets has asked the health ministry for evidence to show that such a move would cut tobacco consumption, according to documents reviewed by Reuters.
The panel, which has been criticised before by tobacco control activists for apparent conflict of interest as one of its members owns a tobacco business, sent a list of 32 questions to the health ministry in October.
12:24 Karisma, husband asked to appear before SC in divorce case
The divorce of actress Karisma Kapoor with businessman husband Sunjay Kapur is getting murkier day-by-day. The latest update to this case is that the celebrity couple has been asked to appear before the Supreme Court to resolve their matrimonial dispute amicably.
The apex court earlier this month, after the 41-year-old actress filed an FIR alleging harassment from her in-laws, asked both parties to settle their differences amicably and appear today for personal hearing.
Karisma was spotted outside the Supreme Court, but her estranged husband was missing.Sunjay Kapur had filed a plea in Supreme Court, seeking transfer of his case from Mumbai to Delhi. He alleged that gangster Ravi Pujari had warned him against entering Mumbai.
12:19 LIVE! Jailtley rolls back tax on EPF withdrawals, retains tax on NPS
Clarifying his stand on EPF in Lok Sabha, Jaitley said that employees should have choice of where to invest, the idea is to make people join the pension scheme.
12:13
A panicked government started issuing contradictory clarifications, but by the weekend, nothing was clear.
On Sunday, a leading newspaper speculated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the FM to hold back this Budget proposal.Citizens are used to governments bumbling on issues and events that unfold very quickly.
12:11
Last week, Jaitley had announced "measures for moving towards a pensioned society."
Towards this goal, he had proposed that 60 per cent of the corpus created by new contributions to recognised provident funds would be taxed, if it is not re-invested in an annuity product.
This created a tremendous backlash from the target group of some seven million employee provident fund members in the private sector.
12:10 EPF tax proposal withdrawn
JUST IN: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has rolled back the EPF tax proposal in the Rajya Sabha.
11:49 1-day parole granted to Rajiv Gandhi assassination convict Nalini
The Madras HC has granted a 24-hour parole to Nalini in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, starting from 4 pm today to 4 pm tomorrow to attend her father's 16th day rituals.
The Tamil Nadu government has last week sought the opinion of Ministry of Home Affairs seeking its opinion on releasing all the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, after which Nalini had moved the court seeking three days parole to attend post funeral rituals of her father Sankaranayanan.
Nalini, on February 24, got a 12-hour emergency leave to attend her father's funeral rites in Chennai. Now she says she wants to take part in the 16th day ceremony for her father.
11:39
Congress Leader Anand Sharma has resigned from Rajya Sabha, to file nomination from Himachal Pradesh,will likely be re-elected on March 21.
11:02 Madurai court summons Rajinikanth in Lingaa script case
The Additional District Munsif Court, Madurai, has issued notice to actor Rajini and seven others, for suo moto hearing that has been advanced in connection with the Lingaa script case filed in 2015, on March 8.
Issuing the notice to the superstar and also director K. R. Ravirathinam (plaintiff) who alleged that Rajnis multi-lingual Lingaas storyline is the same as that of his story of his film: Mullai Vanam 999 (based on the story of a dam construction, reflecting the Mullaiperiyar reservoir construction) the judge said as per the direction of the Madurai bench of the Madras high court, the suit has to be disposed on or before this April end.
Hence both sides counsels are required to appear on March 8 with their parties without fail, the judge said.
10:53
JUST IN: The SC has agreed to hear plea of PSU banks, including SBI, tomorrow on the Mallya case.
10:52 SBI, other banks move SC seeking to stop Mallya from leaving India
JUST IN: SBI, other banks have moved the Supreme Court, seeking to stop Liquor baron Vijay Mallya from leaving India.
Yesterday, the ED has pressed charges under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Mallya and others named in the CBI complaint
Recently, SBI petitioned the Debt Recovery Tribunal in Bengaluru, seeking Mallya's arrest, impounding of his passport and full disclosure of his family's assets. Mallya and Kingfisher Airlines owe about Rs 7,800 crore to the lenders.
On Friday, Minister of State for Finance, Jayant Sinha, said that steps were being taken to ensure that banks are able to recover the loans.
10:42 Sports broadcaster Erin Andrews granted $74m in hotel stalking case
After a seven-long-hour of deliberation, sports journalist Erin Andrews was awarded with $73.7 million as compensation to the 'nude peephole' video, a serial stalker filmed at the Nashville Marriott in 2008.
The 37-year-old sportscaster, who sued for $100 million sat rigid with anticipation as lawyers and the jury filed back into the courtroom late March 7 afternoon, reports News.com.au.Michael David Barrett, the guilty, captured a four and a half minute nude video of the journo through a peephole that he doctored at the Nashville hotel.
After proving his guilt, Barret was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment.Andrews sued the owner and operator of the Nashville Marriott for $75 million, claiming the hotel was negligent in allowing the stalker to request a room next door to hers.
10:30 IAF to get first woman fighter pilot on June 18
JUST IN: The Indian Air Force will get its first woman fighter pilot, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha has said.
"I must thank the defence ministry for having approved IAF's proposal to induct women as fighter pilots, he added.
The IAF currently has women in seven areas of administration, logistics, meteorology, navigation, education, aeronautical engineering -- mechanical and electrical -- and accounts.
Some of them have even flown sorties of AN-32 aircraft to Daulat Beg Oldi in Ladakh, the world's highest advanced landing ground at 16,500-feet, as well as IL-76 heavy-lift aircraft to Leh.
09:57 Modi calls to empower 'Nari Shakti' on Int'l Women's Day
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday saluted the accomplishments of all women on International Women's Day and said that the ruling dispensation at the Centre is committed to empower 'Nari Shakti'.
"Saluting the accomplishments of all women on International Women's Day & gratitude for their indispensable role in our society," Prime Minister Modi tweeted.He said that from 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' to better health and education facilities, the efforts of the government towards women-led development are unwavering.
"Our financial inclusion efforts, skill development initiatives and MUDRA Bank will empower our Nari Shakti to contribute to India's growth," he added.
09:52
And this is an initiative taken up by India's first stylish Italian designer innerwear brand for men ZOIRO to Show your respect for women like never before on March 8, International Women's Day.
09:43
Three persons have died and three more injured after a crude bomb exploded in the Bharatpur area of Murshidabad district in West Bengal in early morning hours on Tuesday.
More details are awaited.
09:28 Sri Lanka fires cricket selectors ahead of World T20
Sri Lanka Cricket has sacked the national cricket selection committee ahead of ICC World T20 which begins with the qualifiers today in India.
The sacking comes in the wake of the national team's poor performances in the just-concluded Asia Cup in Bangladesh and the preceding bilateral series in India.
In January, Sri Lanka had also lost its no 1 ICC Twenty20 ranking after they lost to New Zealand. Former batsman Aravinda de Silva will lead the new panel.
He has been joined by the recently retired Kumar Sangakkara, his 1996 World Cup winning teammate Romesh Kaluwitharana and Lalith Kaluperuma, a former chairman of selectors who had played in Sri Lanka's inaugural Test match in 1982. Ranjith Madurasinghe, who was also a Test player in the mid 1980s, is the fifth member of the panel.
They will replace the Kapila Wijegunawardena headed committee appointed in April 2015.
09:01 Rajiv assassination convict Nalini's parole plea to be heard today
Rajiv Gandhi assassination convict Nalini Sriharan's parole plea will today be heard at 10:30 a.m. in the Madras high court.
The Tamil Nadu government has last week sought the opinion of Ministry of Home Affairs seeking its opinion on releasing all the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, after which one of the convicts, Nalini, had moved the court seeking three days parole to attend post funeral rituals of her father Sankaranayanan.
Nalini, on February 24, got a 12-hour emergency leave to attend her father's funeral rites in Chennai. Now she says she wants to take part in the 16th day ceremony for her father.
08:51
JUST IN: AFP is now reporting that Nike is suspending ties with Maria Sharapova, the highest-paid woman in sports, who said on Monday that she failed a drug test at the Australian Open due to a substance she has been taking for 10 years for health issues.
Sharapova, 28, a five-time Grand Slam champion, will be provisionally suspended starting March 12, the International Tennis Federation said.
She is the seventh athlete in a month to test positive for meldonium, which is used to treat diabetes and low magnesium, and was only banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency as of January 1.
08:39 MHA calls high-level meeting for Dharamsala T20 security issue
The Ministry of Home Affairs today will call a high-level meeting to discuss the security issue of the much anticipated India-Pakistan World T20 match scheduled to be played at Dharamsala on March 19.
According to sources, officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and visiting members of the Pakistani security team would participate in the meeting.A two-member delegation from Islamabad arrived yesterday in India crossing the Wagah Border on Monday to review security arrangements for the Pakistan cricket team ahead of the T20 World Cup 2016 which commences on March 8.
The security team led by Usman Anwar, director in the Federal Investigation Agency, have one representative each from the PCB and Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
08:27 US store clerk Bhumika Patel fights off gun-toting robber with hammer
CCTV released by Burke County sheriff's office shows cashier Bhumika Patel fighting with an armed robber at a convenience store in Georgia, US on Tuesday morning.
As the thief makes a grab for the cash, Patel pushes his gun away and smashes him on the head with the cash drawer. She chases him with a hammer when he runs off. Officers are still looking for the suspect following the incident.
Watch the video HERE
08:14 TDP MLA Balakrishna booked for passing vulgar comments
A police complaint was lodged against noted Telugu actor and MLA N Balakrishna by a section of lawyers for allegedly passing 'vulgar' comments against women at a movie function, police said.
In his speech on Friday, Balayya had said his fans won't accept him running around heroines, they want him to kiss them and get them pregnant.
08:07 Activist Trupti Desai detained again
Activist Trupti Desai who was on her way to Trimbakeshwar temple, detained again by police in Nandur Shingote.
"Why are we being stopped from proceeding to Trimbakeshwar temple? Whatever police is doing is wrong," said an angry Desai.
Desai and other Bhumata Brigade activists were also detained yesterday while heading to the Trimbakeshwar temple, but were later released.
04:42 Google doodles Women's Day with '#One day I will' campaign
Internet search giant Google is celebrating the International Women's Day (March 8) on Tuesday with an enduring doodle.
Unlike the previous years, for this year's International Women's Day, Google is commemorating the event in a different approach.
Google spoke to 337 women and girls in 13 countries with their cameras, and asked them to complete the sentence, "One day I will..."
Tuesday's doodle features a beautiful video where women and girls from across the world share about their dreams and ambitions.
Their aspirations were as varied as the women and girls who shared them, from 'swimming with pigs in the Bahamas' to the very global 'giving a voice to those who can't speak' and everything in between.
"From toddlers to grandmothers, the women in San Francisco, Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, Lagos, Moscow, Cairo, Berlin, London, Paris, Jakarta, Bangkok, New Delhi and Tokyo all sparkled with personality," said Google in a blog post.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and activist Muzoon Almellehan were also featured in the doodle for Internation Women's Day where they said, "One day we will see every girl in school."
02:41 Apple Mac ransomware downloaded about 6,500 times
Reuters reports: The first known ransomware targeted at Apple Inc's Mac computers was only downloaded about 6,500 times, according to a representative for the Transmission project, whose software was used to launch the attack.
Transmission representative John Clay told Reuters via email that the ransomware was added to disk-image of its software after the project's server was compromised in a cyber attack.
"We're not commenting on the avenue of attack, other than to say that it was our main server that was compromised," he said. "The normal disk image (was) replaced by the compromised one."
He added that "security on the server has since been increased" and that the group was in "frequent contact" with Apple as well as Palo Alto Networks Inc, which discovered the ransomware.
02:40 India to test top secret K-4 ballistic missile this week
India's Defense Research & Development Organization will test-launch the indigenously-developed, nuclear capable K-4 ballistic missile from a submerged platform in the Bay of Bengal this week.
The K-4, an intermediate-range nuclear-capable submarine-launched ballistic missile with a purported range of up to 3,500 kilometers (2,174 miles), will be launched from a submerged pontoon, a replica of a submarine, from water 9 meters (around 30 feet) deep, according to DRDO sources.
The DRDO scientists' purported aim this week is to test the full operational range of the missile. During a previous test in March 2014, where the weapon was ejected from the submerged pontoon by a powerful gas generator, the K-4 was only tested to a range of 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles).
Technical details on the top-secret K-4 remain scarce. It purportedly is 12 meters (39 feet) long, weighs around 17 tons, can carry a nuclear capable warhead of up to 2 tons, and is powered by solid rocket propellants.
DRDO scientists claim that the missile is highly accurate with a near zero circular error probability. According to publicly available information, the K-4 uses a Ringer Laser Gyro Inertial navigation system.
Representative image used
02:02 Maria Sharapova: I admit failing the drugs test at Australian Open
Maria Sharapova announces that the ITF notified her she failed a drug test at the Australian Open, tested positive for Meldonium.
'I was first given this substance in 2006. I had several health issues going on at the time. I was getting sick very often. I had a deficiency in magnesium. And I had a family history of diabetes. So this was among the several other medications I had received. It made me healthy; that's why I continued to take it.'
'For the past 10 years, I have been legally taking Meldronat, which has a banned substance called Meldonium. For 10 years, this medicine was not on the banned list.'
'But on Jan 10, the rules had changed. The medicine I was taking was in the banned list. I was given this medicine by my doctor.'
'I made a huge mistake. And I let my fans down, this sport down. I have been playing since the age of four. This is a sport that I have loved so deeply. I know with this (revelation), there is going to be consequences, and I don't want to end my career this way. I really hope I will be given another chance to play this game. '
01:38 India, Saudi Arabia to hold talks today
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will hold extensive talks with her Saudi Arabian counterpart Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir today during which they will discuss entire gamut of bilateral ties besides regional and global issues of mutual interests.
Al-Jubeir's visit comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, one of the most powerful Arab nations, from April 2.
Saudi Arabia is India's largest crude oil supplier accounting for about one-fifth of the country's total imports.
The Gulf nation is India's fourth largest trading partner with bilateral trade reaching USD 40 billion in 2014-15.
Indians are the largest expatriate community in Saudi Arabia whose contribution in the progress and development of the country is well recognised. There are over 2.96 million Indians currently working in Saudi Arabia.
"During the visit, the two ministers will discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest," the External Affairs Ministry said.
01:37 87 freed Indians to return today from Pakistan
The 87 Indians, mostly fishermen who were freed by Pakistan yesterday, will return home today after the issuance of travel documents by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
Earlier, a Pakistan Rangers official told reporters that it has handed over the 87 Indian nationals who were released from a Karachi jail after over two years of detention.
However, Indian officials in New Delhi said the intimation about their release was given at a very short notice and though it was a case of "verified nationality" they need to be given documents to cross over to India.
The Indian nationals were freed from the Landhi Jail in Karachi on Sunday. They arrived in Lahore by a train on Monday morning.
"After releasing 87 Indians, we now have a total of 457 more (Indians) in the prison, and most of them are fishermen arrested for territorial violation," Jail's deputy superintendent Shakir Shah said.
01:35 Top headlines at this hour:
My face today is the face of Bastar's fight: Soni Sori
Trupti Desai, women activists detained during march to Nashik temple
Man who offered Rs 11 lakh for killing Kanhaiya arrested
These photos of William, Kate and family will just melt your hearts
Delhi government to file cases against 3 TV channels for airing 'doctored' JNU tapes
After environment row, President Pranab pulls out of Sri Sri's mega event
Blast kills 17 in Pak as Taliban avenge Islamist's execution
Trupti Desai, women activists detained during march to Nashik temple
Man who offered Rs 11 lakh for killing Kanhaiya arrested
These photos of William, Kate and family will just melt your hearts
Delhi government to file cases against 3 TV channels for airing 'doctored' JNU tapes
After environment row, President Pranab pulls out of Sri Sri's mega event
Blast kills 17 in Pak as Taliban avenge Islamist's execution
To read Monday's commentary click HERE
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