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Fri, 19 April 2019
Notre Dame artworks to be moved to the Louvre
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21:47 Notre Dame artworks to be moved to the Louvre
The artworks evacuated from Notre-Dame Cathedral during the blaze on Monday will be transferred to the Louvre Museum, the French Culture Minister Franck Riester told reporters.
Staff from the fire department, the culture ministry and the city townhall rushed to the Cathedral when the fire started to protect the main artworks that were inside, the minister had said earlier.
The artworks, which include relics such as the Christs crown of thorns and French king Saint-Louiss 13th century tunic, were first moved to the city town hall and will now be transferred to the nearby Louvre Museum, the minister said.
20:36 SpiceJet hires over 100 Jet pilots, cabin crew
With thousands of Jet employees out of work as Jet Airways temporarily halted its operations, its rival SpiceJet today said that it is hiring pilots, cabin crew, technical and airport staff.
SpiceJet is giving jobs to pilots, cabin crew, technical and airport staff who recently lost their jobs due to closure of Jet Airways, news agency ANI tweeted citing SpiceJet. SpiceJet has already provided jobs to more than 100 pilots, more than 200 cabin crew and more than 200 technical and airport staff, ANI's tweet added.
SpiceJet has been consistently increasing its fleet and on Thursday it announced introduction of 24 new flights on its domestic network.
"We will do more. We will also induct a large number of planes in our fleet soon. SpiceJet is making all possible efforts to minimise passenger inconvenience and serve Indian customers who are finding it difficult to get seats in this busy season," ANI tweeted citing Jet Airways.
Debt-laden Jet Airways had to halt all-its operations temporarily on Wednesday as it failed to get emergency funding from a consortium of banks led by the State Bank of India.
20:25 EC reprieve for Kushwaha, he will remain RLSP chief till LS polls conclude
In a reprieve to Upendra Kushwaha, the Election Commission on Friday ruled that he will continue to be the president of RLSP and the symbol of 'Ceiling Fan' will continue to be reserved for the party till the conclusion of Lok Sabha elections.
The commission is hearing a dispute between two factions of RSLP over who is the leader of the party.
Lalan Paswan, who leads one the two factions, has told the poll panel that Kushwaha, without the consent of party members left the National Democratic Alliance, hence he was removed from the party.
In an interim order, the EC said, for the Lok Sabha elections, the faction led by Paswan will be granted interim recognition as a state party.
His faction has been asked to indicate the symbol of its choice (giving a choice of at least three symbols) from among the available free symbols which can be allotted to it.
The name it wants for the party should be intimated to EC immediately, the poll panel said.
Paswan is supporting NDA, while Kushwaha is part of the grand alliance in Bihar.
The commission will deliver its final order later.
-- PTI
19:48 BJP will get a rosogolla in the polls: Mamata
"You thought the bitter fight for controlling the levers of power in New Delhi just got sweetened a bit on Friday when TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee said the BJP will get a 'big rosogolla' in West Bengal.
But make no mistake about it. What the TMC boss, known for breathing fire and brimstone, was talking about was not the syrupy dessert her state is famous for but 'zero' seats in West Bengal in the Lok Sabha polls.
"Dilli ka laddoo jo khaya woh pachhtaya (whoever ate the laddoo of Delhi has regretted it). In 2014, they got two seats, they will get a big rosogolla this time. They will get a big zero," She told election rallies in Balurghat andGangarampur.
She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will never be able to keep his promise of offering 'laddoos' (another ball-shaped sweet delicacy) to the voters of Bengal in both their hands.
Before the 2016 assembly elections in West Bengal, Modi had said at public meetings that if BJP was voted to power, people would have laddoos in both their hands in the form of the NDA government and the Centre and a BJP dispensation in the state.
-- PTI
19:43 Smriti in Wayanad on Saturday
Central Textiles Minister Smriti Irani will be in Wayanad for a roadshow April 20.
Irani, who is squaring off against Congress president Rahul Gandhi from Amethi, will be campaigning for the NDA candidate Thushar Velapally.
Rahul has decided to contest elections from Wayanad along with his family bastion of Amethi, a decision that the BJP has mocked, saying the Congress chief is scared of his chances of winning from Amethi.
19:15 Chaturvedi's resignation reflection on my leadership: Surjewala
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Friday said the resignation of Priyanka Chaturvedi, who was the party's national spokesperson and convenor of its media cell, was a reflection on his leadership.
Chaturvedi was miffed at the reinstatement of some party workers, who had misbehaved with her, and she resigned from the party and joined the Shiv Sena on Friday.
Addressing a press conference, Surjewala said, "Every time a party member leaves, it's a matter of pain for us. People look for career progression. We wish all of them well, including Priyanka Chaturvedi. I must frankly and on record concede, yes, it's a reflection on my leadership."
After quitting all posts in the party, Chaturvedi had sent her resignation to Congress president Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders.
"In the last few weeks certain things have convinced me that my services are not valued in the organisation and that I have reached the end of the road. At the same time I also feel that more time that I spend in the organisation will be at the cost of my own self respect and dignity,"Chaturvedi said in her resignation letter.
Chaturvedi had lashed out at the party in public on Thursday and accused it of giving preference to "lumpen goons" over those who had given their "sweat and blood" to the Congress.
-- PTI
18:48
Election Commission bars Himachal Pradesh BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti from election campaigning for 48 hours starting from 10 am tomorrow for violating the Model Code of Conduct.
18:45 Karkare a martyr: BJP on Sadhvi Pragya comment
The BJP on Friday distanced itself from Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur's controversial comment that IPS officer Hemant Karkare died in 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as she had cursed him, saying it was her personal view which she might have made "due to years of physical and mental torture".
"The BJP believes that Karkare died while bravely fighting terrorists. The BJP has always considered him a martyr, " the party said in a statement here in a damage-control exercise.
The party, which has fielded Malegaon blast accused Thakur from Bhopal in the Lok Sabha election, claimed she had suffered "physical and mental torture" for years in police custody that might have caused her to make such a statement.
The comment is her "personal view", it added.
Karkare, who headed the Mumbai anti-terror squad, had died in the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008.
Addressing BJP workers in Bhopal, Thakur claimed Karkare died as she "cursed" him for "torturing" her in custody.
-- PTI
18:20 Bank unions write to Modi, want govt to take over Jet Airways
Bank unions Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take over grounded Jet Airways to
secure the future of the 22,000-odd employees of the carrier.
In a letter to Modi, the All-India Bank Employees Association also said government must ensure that banks are not forced to lend to the crippled airline.
After flying for 25 years, Jet Airways on Wednesday announced grounding of operations after its lenders declined an interim funding of Rs 400-crore.
"We learn that banks have invited bids to possible investors to take over the airline. If it does not happen, we urge you to take over the airline so that the jobs of these 22,000 employees are safe," the association said.
At the same time the unions opposed any move to force banks to lend more money to the airline.
-- PTI
17:55 ND Tiwari's son, murdered, mostly with pillow: Cops
Rohit Shekhar Tiwari, the son of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Congress stalwart ND Tiwari, did not die a natural death and was most probably killed by being smothered with a pillow, sources in the Delhi Police have said, after a post-mortem was conducted.
The post-mortem report reveals "unnatural death". Rohit Tiwari, 40, was said to have died on Wednesday due to a cardiac arrest.
The investigation has been transferred to the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police which has registered a case of murder.
Crime Branch officials visited Rohit Tiwari's house today and questioned his family members and domestic helps. His wife Apoorva is currently not in Delhi. A forensics team too visited the house.
Police sources say there are seven CCTV cameras - of which two don't work - in Rohit Shekhar Tiwari's house in Defence Colony, a posh residential area in south Delhi. They say Rohit Tiwari had gone to Uttarakhand to vote on April 12 and returned on the night of April 15. He could be seen on CCTV taking support of the wall while walking in an inebriated state, police sources added.
The next day, Rohit's mother Ujjwala Tiwari was in Max Hospital for her treatment when she received a call from home that he was unwell and bleeding from his nose. She then took an ambulance that brought Rohit to the hospital.
At that time of the phone call, Rohit Tiwari's wife Apoorva, his cousin Siddharth and domestic helps were at home, police sources said.
A senior police official had on Wednesday said Rohit Shekhar Tiwari was declared brought dead at Max Hospital, adding no external injuries were seen on his body.
Rohit Shekhar Tiwari had fought a six-year-long battle in court to prove that he was ND Tiwari's son.
17:30 In Amethi, Priyanka welcomes new entrants
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi held detailed parleys with senior party leaders on Friday to finalise the campaign strategy of her brother and party chief, Rahul Gandhi, who is seeking reelection from the constituency.
A senior Congress leader, who was present at the closed-door meeting, said she gave new directives and finalised the strategy of the party in the constituency and took feedback on the preparations for the election on May 6.
During a five-hour meeting, she told local leaders a 20-member team from Delhi is here to review the progress in the responsibilities given to party functionaries.
Priyanka Gandhi arrived in Amethi from New Delhi this morning and held the meeting with party office-bearers at the Congress office in Gauriganj area.
She consulted senior party leaders and exchanged notes.
In a development the party is viewing as a good sign, Bhalchandra Yadav, former Samajwadi Party MP from Sant Kabir Nagar, Vijay Pasi, who had contested Vidhan Sabha election on SP ticket last time, and Swaminath Yadav who has contested Vidhan Sabha election thrice joined Congress in presence of Priyanka Gandhi.
Welcoming the new entrants in the party, she asked them and other Congress leaders to move out in the constituency and ensure the victory of Rahul Gandhi with a big margin.
-- PTI
17:00 IPS officers slam Sadhvi Pragya's insulting remark on Karkare
The contentious remarks of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s Bhopal candidate Pragya Singh Thakurs against late Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare seems to have snowballed into a major controversy with the association of IPS officers condemning the statement.
Thakur, while claiming that Karkare had inflicted the worst kind of abuses and torture on her during custody in connection with the Malegaon blasts, had said that the latter had died in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack due to her curse.
In the tweet, the IPS Association said, Ashok Chakra awardee late Sri Hemant Karkare, IPS made the supreme sacrifice fighting terrorists. Those of us in uniform condemn the insulting statement made by a candidate and demand that sacrifices of all our martyrs be respected.
16:29 Ban on Yogi Adityanath to campaign ends
As the 72-hour campaigning ban imposed on him by the Election Commission came to an end, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Friday said that respect for constitutional bodies was part of the BJP's ideology.
Adityanath also reiterated his Hindu identity as he defended his visits to temples during the ban. He tweeted that the visits should not be linked to politics as he was practising his right to faith enshrined in the Indian constitution.
"The experience attained through darshan of Ram Lalla and Bajrang Bali at Hanuman Garhi and Sarayu Mata temples is difficult to express," he said.
The chief minister said that in the last 72 hours, he had given full respect to the order of the Election Commission.
"Giving full respect to constitutional institutions and democratic values is an important part of the BJP's ideology," he tweeted.
Congratulating the people on the occasion Hanuman Jayanti, he said he had immense faith in Bajrang Bali.
The ban on canvassing had come into force from 6 pm on Tuesday.
On Thursday, BSP supremo Mayawati had accused Yogi Adityanath of violating ban on canvassing by visiting temples. She had also lashed out at the Election Commission for allegedly turning a blind eye to the "violations".
-- PTI
16:15 'Nyay' will revive economy, create jobs, says Rahul
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday said his party's `Nyay' scheme will help in
revival of the economy and create jobs in the country which has been badly affected by demonetisation and GST decisions of the Narendra Modi government.
Addressing a poll rally, Gandhi repeated his "chowkidar chor hai" (the watchman if thief) jibe to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi and alleged he has given Rs 30,000 crore to businessman Anil Ambaniin the Rafale fighter jet deal.
"We have promised to give Rs 72,000 crore (a year) to poor people under the Nyay scheme which will change the economic condition of the poor in the country," he said.
Gandhi said the scheme, Nyuntam Aay Yojana - a key feature of the Congress manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls - was devised after consultations within the party.
"I had called all the economists of the Congress party and asked them what is the amount that we can give to the poor people of the country.
"They came up with the figure of Rs 72,000," he said, adding Modi had in 2014 made a false promise of giving Rs 15 lakh to people, but the Congress will definitely give Rs 3.60 lakh (estimated cost of `Nyay').
The Congress chief attacked the Modi government over its 2016 note-ban exercise.
-- PTI
16:04
Delhi Police: Postmortem report of late ND Tiwari's son Rohit Shekhar Tiwari reveals 'unnatural death'. Case registered under section 302 of the IPC (murder case) against unknown persons.
15:41 SP-BSP joint rally proof of storm in Modi's support: BJP
The BJP on Friday took a dig at the SP-BSP grand alliance in the UP, saying a "storm" in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the general election has forced opposition leaders to come together.
The jibe from BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain came as BSP supremo Mayawati and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav shared stage after many years of bitter rivalry.
Though the SP and the BSP had come together last year and the former's president Akhilesh Yadav has often been seen together with Mayawati, this is the first time that Mulayam Singh Yadav joined them.
"This is a proof of storm in Modi's support. Both SP and BSP have been rendered powerless by it and have come together to survive. People in Uttar Pradesh and country are with Modi," Hussain told reporters.
In a swipe at Mayawati, he said she came to respect those whom she blamed for her life's biggest insult.
At the press conference, Hussain also took aim at the Congress after its spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi joined Shiv Sena, saying the opposition party has become a "sinking ship".
Opposition parties are in such a poor shape than nobody know which leader is supporting whom, said the BJP leader after Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha, who is its candidate in Patna Sahib seat, campaigned for his wife and Samajwadi Party nominee in Lucknow Poonam Sinha.
-- PTI
15:18 Deshbhakti guided PM after Pulwama attack
Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again slammed those questioning the Balakot airstrikes as well the cross-LoC 2016 surgical strike that took place after the Uri terror attack.
He also hit out at those accusing him of politicising the armed forces for electoral gains.
Speaking to the national daily, The Times of India, PM Narendra Modi said people would not have him spared if no action was taken after the Uri and Pulwama attacks.
"Even the so-called neutral people of this country, who stayed silent after 26/11, would not have spared Modi if no action was taken after Uri and Pulwama," he said.
Prime Minister Modi said his 'deshbhakti' (patriotism) had guided him to take actions after terror attacks in Pulwama and Uri. However, he clarified that the decisions to conduct strikes against Pakistan in the wake of the attacks were not taken in the spur of the moment but were deliberated over by experts.
"It would have been rather difficult for me if I hadn't taken this decision (to attack). But let me tell you that these decisions are not taken in the heat of the moment. These decisions are taken after consulting experts, after deliberating on the various pros and cons. When there are no personal or political considerations, when only national interests are supreme and when only 'deshbhakti' guides you, no decision is difficult," PM Modi said.
14:58 Rajinikanth announces he'll contest next assembly elections
Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth on Friday announced he will fight the next assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, saying he doesnt want to disappoint his followers.
The actor, who joined politics in 2017, had stayed away from the ongoing general elections, leading to questions about his political future at a time when fellow actor Kamal Haasans Makkal Needhi Maiam fielded candidates for the 18 assembly bypolls in Tamil Nadu.
Whenever the state assembly elections happen, I'm ready to face them. I dont want to disappoint my followers; no change in my stand, the actor-politician said.
He, however, ducked a question on whether Narendra Modi will return as PM, saying, We will get to know on May 23.
Rajinikanth is yet to formally announce his political party, with his fan club Rajini Makkal Mandram acting as a pre-cursor to the party. The club has already applied for a trademark for a television channel, a staple for major political parties in Tamil Nadu.
14:27 Voter turnout in Tamil Nadu in 2nd phase 71.87%
Tamil Nadu recorded an average voter turnout of a little over 71 per cent in the elections
held to 38 Lok Sabha seats on Thursday, the EC said on Friday.
Dharmapuri Parliamentary constituency recorded the highest turnout of 80.49 per cent, Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo said.
"The average voter turnout during the general elections to the 38 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu yesterday is 71.87 per cent," he said.
He indicated the number may see minor change as the observers were in the process of tallying EVMs and VVPATs.
South Chennai Lok Sabha segment recorded the lowest turnout at 56.41 per cent, he added.
Regarding the bypolls to the 18 assembly seats, Sahoo said the turnout stood at 75.57 percent.
On allegations of irregularities at a polling booth in Dharmapuri, Sahoo said a "special report" has been sought from the District Electoral Officer.
-- PTI
14:11 Kejriwal hits out at Pragya Thakur over 26/11 comments
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal hit out at Bhopal's BJP candidate Pragya Thakur for her "disgraceful" comments on 26/11 martyr Hemant Karkare, saying it showed the party's true colours.
According to media reports, Thakur said former Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad chief Hemant Karkare, who died in action during the Mumbai terror attacks, had falsely implicated her in the Malegaon blast case and hence, died because "of his karma."
"Disgraceful comments by BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Thakur on 26/11 martyr Hemant Karkare ji need to be condemned in strongest terms. BJP is showing its true colours & it must be shown it's place now, he said in a tweet.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also said the BJP is questioning the martyrdom of Karkare, who gave life to the protection of Bharat Mata in the Mumbai terror attack.
"Any bhakt will not get angry on this ... This is the patriotism of BJP," he said in a tweet.
-- PTI
13:32 Mulayam, Mayawati share stage after 2 decades
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati was flanked by Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav today at a joint rally in Uttar Pradesh's Mainpuri, in a first-in-decades reunion loaded with political messaging in the middle of the national election, in which opposition parties are trying to stop the BJP from retaining power.
With more than two decades of animosity behind them, Mulayam Singh and Mayawati were all smiles.
Mulayam Singh was seen introducing her to workers and asking them to touch her feet.
The spectacle of the bitter enemies sharing the stage is really the essence of the opposition gathbandhan (alliance) in Uttar Pradesh to take on the BJP in the national election.
Mulayam Singh, the father of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, is contesting the election from Mainpuri, a family stronghold. It is a safe seat for the Samajwadi patriarch, so getting Mayawati to address a rally here is high on optics.
The effort from both parties is to showcase their friendship and ensure the smooth transfer of votes wherever the gathbandhan has fielded joint candidates.
12:55 Priyanka Chaturvedi to join Shiv Sena
Congress national spokesperson and convenor of party's media cell Priyanka Chaturvedi, who was miffed at the reinstatement of some party workers who had misbehaved with her, resigned from the party, sources said Friday.
After quitting all posts in the party, Chaturvedi sent her resignation to the party's top brass.
She has also changed her introduction in her Twitter account where she had made a clear mention earlier about posts she held in the party.
She was miffed at the reinstatement of some party workers in Uttar Pradesh who had "misbehaved" and "threatened" her during her press conference in Mathura a few days ago.
Chaturvedi had lashed out at the party in public on Thursday and accused it of giving preference to "lumpen goons" over those who had given their "sweat and blood" to the Congress.
She said it was unfortunate and saddening that those who threatened her have got away without even "a rap on their knuckles".
Shortly after resigning, Shiv Sena senior leader Sanjay Raut announced that Priyanka would be joining the Sena this evening.
12:30 Lalit Modi says will sue Rahul for "thieves have Modi as name" dig
Former IPL chief and tainted cricket administrator Lalit Modi has said he will sue Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for his "all thieves have Modi in their surnames" remarks at an election rally recently.
"The #papu @rahulgandhi says "All MODI's are CHOR's". Well he will be taken to court in the UK by Me. But reality is that the world knows 5 decades of daylight #looting of #India was and is done by none other than the #Gandhi #family," Lalit Modi tweeted, tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"I have a question. Why do all the thieves have Modi in their names whether be it Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi and Narendra Modi? We don't know how many more such Modis will come out," Gandhi had said recently at a rally in Maharashtra, as he accused PM Modi of corruption.
PM Modi hit back at Gandhi, saying that such a language does not suit the Congress president but using derogatory words have become synonymous with the "naamdar (dynast)".
PM Modi, speaking at a rally in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, said, "Should such language be used? We have to throw out such people. Abusive language has become the norm. The Sahu community here would have been called Modi in Gujarat. Are they all thieves?"
12:10 Hardik Patel slapped at a Gujarat rally
Congress leader Hardik Patel was slapped at a public meeting in Gujarat on Friday morning. Patel was slapped in Gujarats Surendernagar district during a Jan Aakrosh Sabha.
Television visuals showed Patel was slapped when he was addressing the gathering. A man could be seen walking on the stage and slap Patel from his right side. Soon, others present at the venue climbed the stage and caught hold of the man.
The man was later detained, reports said.
The incident came a day after a farmer refused to let Patels chopper land on his field. This led to the delay in Congress leaders visit to Lunawada in Gujarats Mahisagar district at the last moment.
12:00 Karkare treated me badly, died of his karma: Sadhvi Pragya on 26/11 hero
Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, prime accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, on Friday said that former Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad chief Hemant Karkare, who died in action during the Mumbai terror attacks, had treated her "very badly". She also said that Hemant Karkare died because of his karma.
"Hemant Karkare falsely implicated me [in Malegaon blasts] and treated me very badly. I told him your entire dynasty will be erased. He died of his karma," Sadhvi Pragya said.
Six people were killed and over 100 injured in a bomb blast at Malegaon on September 29, 2008. Hemant Karkare, who was probing the Malegaon blasts, tracked down the owner of the motorcycle which was used in the attacks. The motorcycle belonged to Sadhvi Pragya Thakur.
Sadhvi Pragya, who is out on bail, has been fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal. She has been pitted against Congress leader Digvijaya Singh. Sadhvi Pragya Thakur will file her nomination from the seat on April 23.
11:32 Cong's Priyanka Chaturvedi quits party
Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi quit the party last night, a day after publicly expressing her resentment in tweets.
She was upset with her party bosses for taking back workers who had been thrown out for misbehaving with her. "Lumpen goons" get preference in the Congress over those who had "given their sweat and blood", she wrote in her tweet.
"Deeply saddened that lumpen goons get preference in @incindia over those who have given their sweat and blood. Having faced brickbats and abuse across board for the party but yet those who threatened me within the party getting away with not even a rap on their knuckles is unfortunate," she tweeted on Wednesday.
In September, local Congress leaders had allegedly misbehaved with Priyanka Chaturvedi while she was attending a press conference on the Rafale deal at Mathura. The Congress had initially removed them but recently, because of the elections and the need for local support, they were reportedly taken back. One of the workers was reportedly even named as a candidate.
The spokesperson retweeted a journalist who commented on an Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee letter declaring that the workers were being taken back with senior leader Jyotiraditya Scindia's go-ahead. Jyotiraditya Scindia is the Congress general secretary in charge of UP, along with Priyanka Gandhi.
"It is expected that you don't do anything to tarnish the party's image," said the letter signed by Fazle Masood of the disciplinary committee of the UP Congress.
Priyanka Chaturvedi expressed her dismay to senior leaders.
One of the Congress's most vocal and known faces, Priyanka Chaturvedi, caused a sensation on social media recently with her parody of a popular TV serial starring actor-turned-politician Smriti Irani, a Union Minister who is the BJP's candidate against Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi.
11:12 China gears up for next summit with India
China on Friday said it was ready to hold a Wuhan-style summit meeting with India this year, notwithstanding India's reported decision to boycott its 2nd Belt and Road Forum to be held here next week to protest over its sovereignty concerns over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Addressing a media conference in Beijing ahead of the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) being held from April 25-27 to showcase China's trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made an impassioned appeal to India to shed its opposition to the $60 billion CPEC as it no way undermined basic position on the Kashmir dispute.
Wang said so far 37 heads of state and governments had confirmed their participation in the BRF. Representatives from over 150 countries and 90 international organisations' close to 5000 participants have confirmed their participation.
Leaders of Pakistan and Nepal are among the countries from the neighbourhood who would take part in the BRF meeting being held here from April 25-27.
India has already signalled to boycott the BRF like it did in 2017 to highlight its objections over the CPEC.
The CPEC which has been officially designated as a flagship project of the BRI, has become a stumbling block for India to take part in it as the controversial project is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
India has already protested to China over the CPEC violating its sovereignty and boycotted the first BRF held in 2017.
Answering a question whether India's reported decision to boycott the BRF would undermine the new momentum generated by last year's informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Wang said the two leaders had a very successful meeting at Wuhan.
"Particularly they have established mutual trust between the leadership and they jointly planned for the future of improvement and strengthening of China-India relations.
"After the Wuhan summit, we see all areas or progress between the two countries and we have bright prospect for this relationship. We are now preparing for the next summit of our leaders," he said without specifying any time line.
Xi plans to visit India for the 2nd such summit after the general elections, currently underway, are over.
Wang said China and India were two major countries, besides being neighbours.
"It is natural for us to have differences. This is only natural. I remember Prime Minister Modi mentioning many times that we cannot escalate our differences into disputes. Indian side wants to put our difference at proper level and it would not for it to interfere in the development of our relations," he said.
"I believe this is in the fundamental interest of the people of the two countries and that is what China is happy to see," he said.
"One of our differences is how to look at the BRI. The Indian side has their concerns. We understand that and that is why we have stated clearly on many occasions that the BRI including the CPEC is only an economic initiative and it does not target any third country and has nothing to do with the sovereign and territorial disputes left from history between any two countries," he said.
The BRI is a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes.
"India has its basic position on these disputes. Our cooperation will not undermine any party's position on those issues," Wang said, apparently suggesting that it would not alter even Pakistan's position on the disputed status of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
China for its part has been maintaining that Kashmir dispute is left over from history and it should be resolved between India and Pakistan.
"Now we are trying to achieve common prosperity through the cooperation under the BRI. Those issues left over from history must be separated from our efforts in this area.
"I think such cooperation will not undermine your basic position on sovereignty and territorial integrity and at the same time provide you with more opportunities of development and help India in your modernisation endeavour. I believe this is a good option and good choice for India," Wang said. -- PTI
Addressing a media conference in Beijing ahead of the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) being held from April 25-27 to showcase China's trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made an impassioned appeal to India to shed its opposition to the $60 billion CPEC as it no way undermined basic position on the Kashmir dispute.
Wang said so far 37 heads of state and governments had confirmed their participation in the BRF. Representatives from over 150 countries and 90 international organisations' close to 5000 participants have confirmed their participation.
Leaders of Pakistan and Nepal are among the countries from the neighbourhood who would take part in the BRF meeting being held here from April 25-27.
India has already signalled to boycott the BRF like it did in 2017 to highlight its objections over the CPEC.
The CPEC which has been officially designated as a flagship project of the BRI, has become a stumbling block for India to take part in it as the controversial project is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
India has already protested to China over the CPEC violating its sovereignty and boycotted the first BRF held in 2017.
Answering a question whether India's reported decision to boycott the BRF would undermine the new momentum generated by last year's informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Wang said the two leaders had a very successful meeting at Wuhan.
"Particularly they have established mutual trust between the leadership and they jointly planned for the future of improvement and strengthening of China-India relations.
"After the Wuhan summit, we see all areas or progress between the two countries and we have bright prospect for this relationship. We are now preparing for the next summit of our leaders," he said without specifying any time line.
Xi plans to visit India for the 2nd such summit after the general elections, currently underway, are over.
Wang said China and India were two major countries, besides being neighbours.
"It is natural for us to have differences. This is only natural. I remember Prime Minister Modi mentioning many times that we cannot escalate our differences into disputes. Indian side wants to put our difference at proper level and it would not for it to interfere in the development of our relations," he said.
"I believe this is in the fundamental interest of the people of the two countries and that is what China is happy to see," he said.
"One of our differences is how to look at the BRI. The Indian side has their concerns. We understand that and that is why we have stated clearly on many occasions that the BRI including the CPEC is only an economic initiative and it does not target any third country and has nothing to do with the sovereign and territorial disputes left from history between any two countries," he said.
The BRI is a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes.
"India has its basic position on these disputes. Our cooperation will not undermine any party's position on those issues," Wang said, apparently suggesting that it would not alter even Pakistan's position on the disputed status of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
China for its part has been maintaining that Kashmir dispute is left over from history and it should be resolved between India and Pakistan.
"Now we are trying to achieve common prosperity through the cooperation under the BRI. Those issues left over from history must be separated from our efforts in this area.
"I think such cooperation will not undermine your basic position on sovereignty and territorial integrity and at the same time provide you with more opportunities of development and help India in your modernisation endeavour. I believe this is a good option and good choice for India," Wang said. -- PTI
11:06 Mosquito nets as wedding gifts
A joint Sun Pharma-Madhya Pradesh government initiative has helped bring down the incidence of malaria in Mandla, MP, by 90 per cent, Business Standard reports.
Interestingly, the mosquito nets that were distributed among locals have taken pride of place among dowry gifts in many homes.
When local coordinators of the programme visited families to assess the progress, they found that some families had neatly tucked away unopened packets of mosquito nets to give them as gifts to the groom's family when they marry off their daughters.
Mosquito nets were also found in villages that were not targeted under the programme. When asked, locals told officials that they got them as wedding gifts.
Interestingly, the mosquito nets that were distributed among locals have taken pride of place among dowry gifts in many homes.
When local coordinators of the programme visited families to assess the progress, they found that some families had neatly tucked away unopened packets of mosquito nets to give them as gifts to the groom's family when they marry off their daughters.
Mosquito nets were also found in villages that were not targeted under the programme. When asked, locals told officials that they got them as wedding gifts.
11:05 Booth loses VVIP status
Stella Maris College, located on RK Salai, at the heart of Chennai, has been the cynosure of all eyes in most past elections.
The late All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo J Jayalalithaa lived behind the college; the late Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo M Karunanidhi lived right opposite to this college.
For decades they had cast their votes at the RK Salai booth.
With the two dead, Business Standard reports, the polling station seems to have lost its sheen this election.
While actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth and Karunanidhi's son M K Stalin went to the college to cast their votes, the security personnel there appeared relaxed and even found time to shake hands and take selfies with Rajinikanth.
09:50 Did Sundar Pichai cast his vote?
A media house was caught on the wrong foot when it tweeted pictures of Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai surrounded by people stating that he had 'marked his vote in this election'.
The picture went viral, with many retweeting the news.
Some Twitter users from the state -- Pichai hails from Tamil Nadu -- also pointed out how a recent movie, Vijay-starrer Sarkar, had a character, Sundar Ramasamy, CEO of a multinational, who had returned to the country to cast his vote during an election.
Sarkar's Ramasamy went to the extent of conducting a fresh election and forming a government on his own after finding that somebody had cast his vote.
But as it turned out, Business Standard reveals, the Pichai video was from a tweet in 2017, when he visited his alma mater IIT Kharagpur.
In any case, being a US citizen, the Google CEO cannot cast his vote in an Indian election.
09:18 EC seeks report on Mamata biopic
The Election Commission has sought a report from the West Bengal chief electoral officer on an alleged biopic on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The biopic titled 'Baghini' is slated to release on May 3.
The Bharatiya Janata Party had approached the poll panel seeking a ban on the release of the movie till the election process is over.
The BJP has also asked the poll body to review the alleged biopic on the Trinamool Congress supremo.
The last of the seven phases of the Lok Sabha election will be held on May 19 and counting will be done on May 23. -- PTI
08:34 TN Board Class 12 results today
The results for Tamil Nadu Higher Secondary Certificate examination will be declared today.
The results can be seen HERE
08:17 Is PM lying? Mallya takes a swipe at banks
A day after a United Kingdom judge refused to dismiss an order freezing nearly 260,000 pounds ($337,730) in one of his London bank accounts, embattled liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya on Thursday questioned the State Bank of India-led consortium of public sector banks pursuing him through the courts to recover dues they claim are owed to them.
In his latest Twitter intervention, the 63-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss made another reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interview last month in which he had claimed that the government has recovered assets worth Rs 14,000 crores related to the now-defunct airline's loan defaults.
Mallya is wanted in India on charges of fraud and money laundering amounting to an alleged Rs 9,000 crores.
'None other than the Prime Minister of India specifically says in an interview that his government has recovered more money than I allegedly owe PSU Banks and the same banks claim otherwise in English courts,' reads Mallya's Tweet.
'Who does one believe? One or the other is lying,' he said.
His statement came hours after Master David Cook, a judge in the Queen's Bench Division of the Royal Courts of Justice in London, ruled on Wednesday that an interim debt order in favour of SBI and other banks seeking access to funds in Mallya's ICICI UK bank account 'should remain in force'.
However, the application to make it final has been adjourned until after the hearing of Mallya's pending bankruptcy petition, expected by the end of this year.
The funds held in the account -- 258,559.79 pounds -- will meanwhile remain frozen as part of the worldwide freezing order in favour of the Indian banks last year. -- PTI
00:29 Cong: Chances of tie-up with AAP almost finished
Amid the continuing flip-flop over the tie-up for the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress on Thursday said the prospects of its alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party are almost finished.
The AAP has 'refused' to form an alliance with the Congress in Delhi alone, said P C Chacko, the All India Congress Committee in-charge of Delhi.
Sources, however, said that the party would wait for any fresh move by the AAP till the announcement of the list of its Lok Sabha candidates in Delhi.
"They (AAP) had agreed for an alliance with us in Delhi alone on Wednesday night. On Thursday morning, they raised the full statehood issue. I told them we are ready, full statehood was in our manifesto for 2015 (Assembly) election.
"But, later I received Sanjay Singh's message that Kejriwal had said the alliance was not possible unless it covers Haryana also," Chacko said.
Singh, the AAP's Rajya Sabha MP, was authorised by AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal to take the alliance talks with the Congress forward.
After Singh's message, Chacko met Congress president Rahul Gandhi and apprised him of the development.
"I told him about the flip-flop of the AAP leaders. Now, we will give a final touch to the list of our candidates in Delhi. It could be announced on Friday," he said.
In the evening, Chacko met Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit and other leaders to take a final call on the list of party candidates.
The Congress had proposed a 4-3 formula for an alliance in Delhi, offering four seats to the AAP.
It had opted for the Chandni Chowk, North West Delhi and the New Delhi seats for itself.
The AAP, however, said that if the alliance was limited only to Delhi, the Congress would have to contest in just two seats. -- PTI
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