LIVE! Trump vows no surrender on 32nd day of government shutdown

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Tue, 22 January 2019

Trump vows no surrender on 32nd day of government shutdown

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23:19 Trump vows no surrender on 32nd day of government shutdown

US President Donald Trump had a message on Tuesday for Democrats counting on him to relent in the Washington arm wrestle blocking funds to swaths of the government for a record 32 days: "No Cave!"

Trump's defiant tweet again blamed congressional Democrats for the chaos, insisting he will not lift his shutdown on federal government funding unless they approve his $5.7 billion plan for more walls along the US-Mexican border.

"Without a Wall our Country can never have Border or National Security...The Dems know this but want to play political games. Must finally be done correctly," Trump tweeted.

Trump triggered a partial government shutdown on December 22 -- refusing to sign off on funding everything from FBI salaries to national park services -- as a way of pressuring the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives to back the wall project.

But with Democrats refusing to give in and Trump sticking to his hardball tactics, political paralysis in Washington has morphed into growing day-to-day pain across the country as some 800,000 federal employees adjust to life without salaries.

Trump's main opponent, Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi, was adamant on Tuesday that the president is to blame. "#EndTheShutdown now," she tweeted.

After a gap of 11 years, Central Industrial Security Force will be presenting its tableau at Rajpath on the occasion of Republic Day. The tableau aims at showcasing the multidimensional functioning of the force.

As per a statement released by the CISF on Tuesday, "The tableau is a reflection of the aspirations, commitment, and dedication of CISF towards its mandate and showcases various domains of its professional conduct."

"The front portion of the tableau depicts the CISF security cover to the Samadhi of the father of the nation, the middle portion shows CISF providing security to various government installations like petrochemical plant, nuclear power plant. It has also shown CISF personnel doing checking and frisking. The portion after this shows CISF security to Kishanganga hydroelectric project in the hilly terrain of Jammu and Kashmir, Red Fort, space installation and Indian airports," read the statement.

Elaborating about the details, the CISF said, "The presence of a female soldier with outstretched hands highlights the fact that CISF has the largest percentage of women personnel among all the Central Armed Police Forces of India."

-- ANI

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who will complete ten years of a successful heart surgery on January 24, is an unexpected latest entrant on the trending social media rage the "10YearChallenge".

Noted cardiovascular thoracic surgeon Dr Ramakanta Panda said on Tuesday that the then PM Singh was 76 years old when he was operated upon by a team of doctors led by him, for a redo cardiac bypass surgery on January 24, 2009.

Five bypass surgeries were performed on Singh, who had already undergone a bypass surgery in 1990 and a stenting procedure in 2004, stated Dr Panda, the vice chairman of the Mumbai-based Asian Heart Institute.

Recalling the day Singh was operated, Dr Panda, who had performed over 24000 heart surgeries, said Singh appeared extremely calm before the procedure began. "Singh told me that he has full faith in me as a surgeon," Dr Panda said.

Dr Panda said the former PM was one of his most ideal patients.

"In the last 10 years, Singh has strictly pursued his health regimen and cardiac follow-ups. He is a very good patient," he added.

On the 10-year challenge and how he feels about Singh completing a decade of having a healthy heart, Dr Panda said, "I feel happy and assured as his treating doctor".

-- PTI

The nominations for 91st Academy Awards had its fair share of snubs and surprises, with Bradley Cooper being the most shocking absence from the Best Director category for "A Star Is Born".

Cooper's film managed to bag eight nods overall, including best picture, best actress for Lady Gaga and best supporting actor for Sam Elliott.

The actor was himself generating quite for buzz for his direction, which has been universally lauded by the critics, but it seems the Academy does not find him worthy for a nomination in the best director category. He will have to suffice with the best actor as well as best adapted screenplay nominations.

"Crazy Rich Asians", the critically acclaimed hit featuring all-Asian cast, is another film which missed out on Oscar nominations. The Jon M. Chu-directed romantic comedy failed to get a nod in the best picture category, while actors Constance Wu and Michelle Yeoh also missed out for best actress and best supporting actress trophy, respectively.

The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday threatened to file a criminal defamation case against BJP President Amit Shah if he did not withdraw his comments suggesting that TMC leaders collected "syndicate tax".

During the 'Gantantra Bachao Yatra' in West Bengal, Shah said if the BJP came to power, it would ensure that the people of the state do not have to pay "syndicate tax".

"Remove the TMC government from Bengal and we will stop cow smuggling and infiltration in Bengal. If lotus blooms in Bengal, then you won't have to pay syndicate tax to TMC leaders," he said.

Reacting to this, TMC's chief spokesperson Derek O'Brien, in a statement posted on Twitter, said: Mr Amit Shah, Bengal is not UP where you are spreading hate and disharmony. There is peace and harmony here. And, if you do not withdraw your wild allegations on 'syndicate tax', we shall charge you with criminal defamation.

The TMC leader said the speeches of BJP leaders were low on facts and were "in poor taste".

He also alleged that the BJP had failed to understand the ethos of Bengal and were headed for a big "zero" in the general elections in the state.

During his visit to the state last year, Shah had set a target of winning more than 22 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal.

-- PTI

India on Tuesday shared with Pakistan the coordinates of the crossing point of the proposed Kartarpur corridor which will link Baba Nanak village in Punjab to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Narowal in Pakistan.

The ministry of external affairs said India has also proposed to Islamabad two set of dates, February 26 and March 7, for the visit of a Pakistani delegation to Delhi to discuss and finalise the modalities of the corridor.

Pakistan on Monday said it shared a draft agreement on the Kartarpur Corridor with India and invited New Delhi to urgently send a delegation to Islamabad to negotiate and finalise the proposal.

Both sides are yet to finalise the modalities of travel of the Indian pilgrims to the Gurudwara.

The MEA said it has proposed two sets of dates for the visit by the Pakistani delegation here so that the Indian pilgrims can visit the holy Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib using the corridor at the "earliest".

"Pursuant to the decision taken by the government of India on November 22, 2018 to expeditiously realise the long pending proposal to establish Kartarpur corridor, India has today shared the coordinates of the zero point (crossing point) of the corridor along the International Border with Pakistan," the MEA said.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on November 26 last year laid the foundation stone of the Kartarpur corridor in Gurdaspur district.

Two days later on November 28, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan laid the foundation stone of the corridor at Narowal, 125 km from Lahore.

-- PTI

A 39-year-old woman who dared to visit the Ayyappa shrine at Kerala's Sabarimala in defiance of religous customs earlier this month was not allowed into her in-laws' house on Tuesday.

The incident occurred nearly a week after Kanaka Durga's mother-in-law allegedly assaulted her, following which she had to be admitted to the Kozhikode Medical College.

Kanaka Durga filed a complaint with the District Violence Protection Officer after her in-laws locked her out of the house. "The complaint has been forwarded to the court, and an order is awaited," a source close to her told NDTV.

The source said that when police initially took Kanaka Durga back home, they found that her husband had locked the door and left the place with his mother and two children. She is now living under police protection in a government shelter.

Kanaka Durga and another woman, 40-year-old Bindu Ammini, were the first ones of menstrual age to enter the famous hilltop shrine in decades. After their achievement, both were forced to stay in an undisclosed location on the outskirts of Kochi under state protection for fear of reprisals from right-wing activists.

However, when Kanaka Durga returned home on the morning of January 15, her mother-in-law allegedly came at her with a stick and beat her until she could barely stand. "She began abusing me, saying that I had slept with many people and was a blot on the family's reputation," the government employee had told the police then.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Monday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging that his favourite 'Beti bachao, beti padhao' campaign is nothing but an advertisement spree to save himself.

"Modi Bachao, Advertisement Chalao," he said on Twitter, sharing the link of a media report on the scheme.

The news report cited official data to claim that Modi launched 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' on January 22, 2015 with two related aims but four years later, figures show that its main aim has been publicity as over 56 per cent of the funds allocated under the scheme were spent on "media-related activities".

-- PTI

19:29 The Oscar nominations: Full List

Actress in a Leading Role

>> Yalitza Aparicio, Roma

>> Glenn Close, The Wife

>> Olivia Colman, The Favourite

>> Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born

>> Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Actor in a Leading Role

>> Christian Bale, Vice

>> Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born

>> Willem Dafoe, At Eternitys Gate

>> Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody

>> Viggo Mortensen, Green Book

Directing

>> BlacKkKlansman

Spike Lee

>> Cold War

Paweł Pawlikowski

>> The Favourite

Yorgos Lanthimos

>> Roma

Alfonso Cuarn

>> Vice

Adam McKay

Actor in a Supporting Role

>> Mahershala Ali, Green Book

>> Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman

>> Sam Elliott, A Star Is Born

>> Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

>> Sam Rockwell, Vice

Actress in a Supporting Role

>> Amy Adams, Vice

>> Marina de Tavira, Roma

>> Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk

>> Emma Stone, The Favourite

>> Rachel Weisz, The Favourite

Animated Feature Film

>> Incredibles 2

>> Isle Of Dogs

>> Mirai

>> Ralph Breaks the Internet

>> Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

The 91st Oscar nominations were announced in a presentation by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, with Tracee Ellis Ross and Kumail Nanjiani revealing nominations in 24 categories for the years best in movies.

The (so far host-free) Oscars this year are on Sunday, February 24, live from the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland.

'Roma' and 'The Favourite' lead Oscar nominations with 10 each .

The nominations for the 91st Academy Awards:

Best picture

Roma

A Star Is Born

Bohemian Rhapsody

Black Panther

Green Book

The Favourite

BlacKkKlansman

Vice

The self-proclaimed Indian cyber expert, who alleged that the 2014 general election was 'rigged', was not an employee of the Electronic Corporation of India Ltd as claimed by him, the public sector undertaking said Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference in London via Skype, the man, identified as Syed Shuja, had on Monday claimed that the 2014 general election was rigged through the Electronic Voting Machines.

The EVMs are designed and developed by the ECIL. The Election Commission has already rejected the charges and asked the Delhi Police to lodge an FIR against the self-proclaimed cyber expert.

Shuja had also claimed he was part of a team at the ECIL.

In a letter to Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain, the ECIL said that Syed Shuja has neither been in the rolls of the ECIL as a regular employee nor was he in any way associated in the design and development of EVMs between 2009 to 2014.

"The records of this company have been verified and it is found that Mr Syed Shuja has neither been in the rolls of ECIL as a regular employee nor was he in any way associated in the design and development of EVMs in ECIL produced between 2009 to 2014," the letter by ECIL chairman and managing director Rear Admiral Sanjay Chaudey (retd) said.

-- PTI

The funeral of Dr Shivakumara Swami, head seer of the Sree Siddaganga Mutt in Karnataka's Tumakuru, was conducted with state honours on the temple premises this evening. Thousands attended the funeral, including central and state ministers. He died after a prolonged illness at the age of 111 on Monday.

Dr Shivakumara Swami -- popularly known as the "Walking God" -- was revered by many in the state, and several politicians cutting across party lines arrived at the mutt to pay their respects after his death.

While Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy announced three-day mourning across the state in solidarity with the seer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was a living example of somebody who lived for the poor and downtrodden in the society.

"His holiness Dr Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu lived for the people, especially the poor and vulnerable. He devoted himself towards alleviating ills like poverty, hunger and social injustice. Prayers and solidarity with his countless devotees spread all across the world," PM Modi tweeted yesterday.

The Prime Minister also said that Dr Shivakumara Swami used to "treat him like a son" every time he visited his mutt. Although PM Modi was not able to attend the funeral, Union Ministers DV Sadananda Gowda and Nirmala Sitharaman represented him at the funeral.

The seer, considered one of the most respected religious and social practitioners of the Lingayat-Veerashaiva faith, had been on ventilator support for 15 days before he finally breathed his last. Doctors were treating him for a lung infection he developed after a surgical procedure in December.

A plea challenging the Centre's decision to grant 10 per cent quota to economically weaker people of general category in jobs and education was filed in the Supreme Court on Monday.

The plea, challenging the Constitution (103 Amendment) Act, 2019 which paved the way for grant of reservation to poor general category candidates, has been filed by businessman Tehseen Poonawalla and is likely to come up for hearing during the week.

It has sought the quashing of the bill saying that backwardness for the purpose of reservation cannot be defined by "economic status alone".

"The Constitutional amendment formally violated the law laid down by the Supreme Court's 1992 ruling in Indira Sawhney case...and the principle that backwardness for the purposes of reservation cannot be defined on economic status alone but must be rooted in social exclusion," it said.

It referred to the 1992 nine-judge bench verdict, also known as Mandal case, and said it was laid down that the overall reservation cannot exceed 50 per cent but the recent Bill has breached that, taking the limit to almost 60 per cent.

The plea further sought a stay in implementing newly inserted Articles 15(6) and 16(6) in the Constitution of India which empowered the government to grant quota to the poor of the general category candidates.

The quota will be over and above the existing 50 per cent reservation to SCs, STs and Other Backward Classes.

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha cleared the Bill on January 8 and 9 respectively and it has also been signed by President Ram Nath Kovind.

-- PTI

The Election Commission of India (ECI) wrote to the Delhi Police on Tuesday requesting it to lodge an FIR and investigate properly the statement made by Syed Shuja in London on the possibility that EVMs used by the poll body can be tampered with.

"Through media reports, it has come to the notice of the commission that allegedly one Mr Syed Shuja claimed (at the event in London) that he was part of the EVM design team & he can hack the EVMs used in elections in India," the EC said in its letter.

Shuja, who is reportedly a cybersecurity expert, had claimed on Monday that he could demonstrate how electronic voting machines used in elections could be tampered.

The EC, however, clarified that the EVMs cannot be tampered with, asserting that the machines are manufactured following "rigorous standard operating procedures".

Meanwhile, Congress leader Kapil Sibal whose presence at the hackathon event in London has embarrassed the party, clarified that the Indian Journalists Association London President Ashish Ray had told him that he had sent invitations to all political parties including the BJP and also the Election Commission. "He (Ashish Ray) sent me a personal e-mail also. I told him that I will be in London for some personal work and he insisted that I should come as they are going to make an important revelation. So I went."

17:35 Rahul on two-day Amethi visit from tomorrow

Congress president Rahul Gandhi will arrive in Amethi Wednesday on a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency, a party leader said. During his stay, Gandhi is scheduled to meet representatives of gram panchayats at Fursatganj. He will also take part in the swearing-in of newly elected Bar members in Gauriganj, his representative Chandrakant Dubey said.

Gandhi will address a 'nukkad sabha' at Haliyapur and stay the night at Bhueymau guest house, where he will meet party workers on the second day of his visit before leaving for Delhi, Dubey said.

Gandhi was scheduled to visit Amethi on January 4 but it was cancelled due to the Winter session of Parliament. His visit would have clashed with Union Minister Smriti Irani's Amethi trip, which was also scheduled for the same day and was being seen as the first major political face-off ahead of the general elections.

Meanwhile, the proposed visit of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to her Lok Sabha constituency Rae Bareli has been cancelled, her representative KL Sharma said, citing "unavoidable reasons". Amethi and Rae Bareli are the two Lok Sabha seats left out for the Congress by the BSP-SP alliance in the state. -- PTI

17:29 102 one-horned rhinos killed since 2008: RTI

As many as 102 one-horned rhinoceros have been poached and killed in the country since 2008 and 209 poachers arrested for the crime, according to data obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The maximum killings of 84 one-horned rhinoceros have been reported from Assam, according to data provided by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, under the Ministry of Environment and Forests. West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh are the only two states which have reported such killings, with 17 and one deaths, respectively, during the period, according to data.

Noida-based lawyer Ranjan Tomar had sought state-wise data on the number of one-horned rhinos killed by poachers in the last 10 years and offenders arrest from the WCCB, a statutory body formed to combat organised wildlife crime in the country.

"As per data available in the records of the bureau based on the information from the state forest and police departments, 102 one-horned rhinos have been killed and 209 poachers have been arrested in the last 10 years in India," the WCCB said in a written reply.

Tomar had also sought to know the estimated monetary value of body parts of the rhinos killed by poachers during the period, to which the bureau said it does not maintain such data.

An year-wise analysis of the data shows that the maximum such killings took place in 2013 and 2014 (22 each year), followed by 11 in 2010, eight in 2015 and 2009, seven in 2011, 2012 and 2018, five in 2016, three in 2008 and two in 2017.

The Indian rhino or the Greater one-horned rhino, are found in the Indo-Nepal terai and northern West Bengal and Assam, according to the NGO World Wildlife Fund (WWF), India. The total population of the one-horned rhino, the fourth largest land animal, is 3,500 in India and Nepal combined, the WWF states on its website. -- PTI

The Election Commission on Tuesday asked the Delhi Police to lodge an FIR against a self-proclaimed cyber expert for his claims that the 2014 Lok Sabha polls were rigged and the EVMs can be hacked.

In its letter, the EC said Syed Shuja has allegedly violated section 505 (1) of the IPC pertaining to spreading rumours which creates panic.

The EC asked the police to "investigate promptly" the statement made by Shuja yesterday at an event in London that the Electronic Voting Machines can be tempered with and that the 2014 Lok Sabha elections were rigged.

Two police officials say US singer Chris Brown and two other people are in custody in Paris after a woman filed a rape complaint.

One police official said the complaint was filed with police in the 17th arrondissement of northwest Paris. The official said one of the others detained is Brown's bodyguard.

The BJP on Tuesday dubbed allegations of rigging in the 2014 polls, made at a London press conference, a "Congress-sponsored conspiracy" designed to "defame" Indian democracy and its Election Commission.

A day after a self-proclaimed cyber expert alleged at the press event that the BJP had won election by hacking into Electronic Voting Machines, the ruling party launched a stinging attack on the Congress and said it has already started looking for an "alibi" for its certain loss in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters that the Indian Journalists' Association, which had organised the conference, is headed by Ashis Ray who, he claimed, is a "committed Congressman" and has been singing paeans in support of Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

He contributes to National Herald, a Congress mouthpiece, "campaigns" for the Congress on social media and has often attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prasad claimed, adding that he had also organised Gandhi's public event in London.

There has been no reaction from Ray to the BJP's comments so far.

Targeting the Congress, Prasad questioned the presence of its leader Kapil Sibal at the event.

"What was Sibal doing there? In what capacity was he present? My charge is that he was there to monitor the event for the Congress. It was a Congress-sponsored conspiracy designed to defame Indian democracy and its Election Commission," Prasad said, also calling it a Congress-scripted exercise.

The BJP leader also dismissed Sibal's claim that he was present in his personal capacity, saying he was intelligent enough to know implications of his being there. He claimed that Sibal went there by deliberate design.

He said the invite for the event had claimed that the hacking of EVMs will be shown but the "gentleman" appeared in the US wearing a mask.

Ridiculing the London event as a circus and political stunt, the BJP leader said he had never heard of Syed Shuja, who claimed to be a cyber expert and made the outlandish and explosive allegations at the press conference, even though he, as Union IT minister, keeps in touch with experts and developments in the field.

Prasad alleged it was a Congress-sponsored conspiracy and asked if opposition parties wanted to revert to the use of ballot papers in elections, alleging that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress had used them to rig local polls in the state last year as the government did not use EVMs.

-- PTI

More on Amit Shah's Malda rally. Kick-starting the BJP's campaign in West Bengal, party chief Shah Tuesday said all Bengali refugees will be granted citizenship with the passage of the Citizenship Bill.

Speaking at a rally in Malda, Shah took on the ruling Trinamool Congress and said the upcoming Lok Sabha elections will be for restoring democracy in the state.

"I want to assure that all the Bengali refugees will be given citizenship under the Citizenship Bill. The TMC government has done nothing for the refugees but we will give them citizenship," he said.

Taking a jibe at the rally of opposition parties in Kolkata, he said the anti-BJP parties did not utter 'Bharat Mata ki jai or 'Vande Mataram' even once during the public meeting, but kept chanting 'Modi Modi'. He alleged that the 'mahagathbandhan' of opposition parties was meant for "gaining power and serving personal interests".

"Mahagathbandhan is all about greed and lust. They want to remove Modi, while we want to remove poverty and corruption," he said. Describing the Trinamool Congress dispensation as a "government that facilitates murders", he said the party will be ousted in the general elections. -- PTI

16:01 Mayawati demands ballot papers for LS polls

BSP supremo Mayawati Tuesday demanded that the upcoming Lok Sabha polls be held using ballot papers instead of Electronic Voting Machines. The demand comes after a self-proclaimed US-based Indian cyber expert Monday made a sensational claim that the 2014 Lok Sabha elections were "rigged" through the EVMs, which, he said, can be hacked.

"The latest revelations have made the doubts on the EVMs more serious. It is better under such conditions that the future elections, especially the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, be conducted using ballot papers which can be verified at three levels unlike the EVMs," she said in a statement.

Urging the Election Commission to take strong note of the issue, Mayawati said the latest "revelations" are most sensational and expose the "conspiracy" of the BJP. "This has directly put the BJP in the dock but the central government is unlikely to take any positive step to address the issue because of its egoistical and stubborn attitude," she alleged.

15:57 Nawaz Sharif shifted to hospital from jail

Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is serving a seven-year imprisonment in a Lahore jail, was rushed to a hospital on Tuesday after he complained of heart related complications. Sharif, 69, was taken to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology Lahore from Kot Lakhpat Jail in high security.

Wearing an off-white shalwar qameez and blue waistcoat, Sharif chose not to respond the media queries on his arrival at the hospital. Doctors conducted his various tests including TROP-I, Echocardiography and Stress Thallium Scan. "My father is not well. I wanted to go to the PIC but my father stopped me to come because of security issues," Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz said. -- PTI

15:46

Beating a path to heaven's gate: Omar Abdullah's winter holiday in Gulmarg.

15:45

We wish we were in Gulmarg too! That's a picture Omar Abdullah tweeted from the hillstation in Kashmir.

15:43

And another one from Omar Abdullah's Gulmarg album

15:41 There's this beautiful Kashmir, too!

Omar Abdullah is the best tourism proponent Jammu and Kashmir can hope to get. The former chief minister, if you have been following his handle for a while, always heads to Gulmarg in winter and this year is no different. Here are the stunning pictures he tweeted from the winter wonderland, saying, "Great to see so much snow in Gulmarg. If you aren't doing anything this weekend hope on to a flight & make your way up. There's something for everyone whether it's adventure or relaxation you are looking for. Photos courtesy @highlands_park and @khyberhimalayan."

BJP President Amit Shah in Malda: The election of 2019 will not only determine the future of India but is also very important for West Bengal. The election of 2019 will determine whether this govt of TMC which is killing democracy, will remain in Bengal or will be uprooted. I am assuring you, bring BJP and we will not let any infiltrators enter Bengal. But these people love infiltrators, that is why they go against us when we talk about NRC.

BJP President Amit Shah in Malda: Bomb and weapon making industries are prevalent in Bengal. Where Rabindra Sangeet used to play, bomb blasts fill the air. The BJP shall bring the glory back to Bengal. This is what a real speech from a leader sounds like.

14:50 Watchman in the sky at Amit Shah's rally

As BJP President Amit Shah addresses a rally in Malda, drones keep watch.

14:50 Watchman in the sky at Amit Shah's rally

As BJP President Amit Shah addresses a rally in Malda, drones keep watch.

BJP President Amit Shah arrives in Malda. He will address a rally in West Bengal today.

The BJP will kick-start its campaign in Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections with a rally by Shah in Malda this afternoon. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had alleged that buses were being obstructed and people were being stopped from attending the BJP President's rally.

This comes a day after a row between the BJP and the state government over a landing spot for Shah's helicopter. The public meeting is being held three days after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's mega rally featured several Opposition leaders from across the country.

Shah will address two other rallies on Wednesday at Jhargram and Suri in Birbhum district. Shah has accused WB CM Mamata Banerjee of "ruining' the state with "politics of appeasement' and asserted his party is committed to restoring its pride.

The series of rallies were postponed from Sunday after Shah was admitted to AIIMS in Delhi due to swine flu.

File pic of Amit Shah addressing a rally in West Bengal in August last year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the sense of duty among people before India's Independence has now turned into a sense of entitlement. Addressing a gathering at Sanosara village in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district through video conference, Modi urged citizens as well as social and political leaders to draw inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi and take up the cause of cleanliness as a mass movement.

"Mahatma Gandhi always stressed on duty. However, after Independence, this sense of duty turned into a sense of entitlement. For the development of our country, we need both of them today," the prime minister said.

Mahatma Gandhi created a mass movement, which was instrumental in getting independence, he noted. "Our cleanliness drive became successful due to the people's participation. The government alone could not have done that," he said. It is important that each citizen understands the power of mass movement and people's participation. He urged all citizens and leaders of all the political parties to take up the cause of cleanliness.

The prime minister was addressing a gathering at the concluding ceremony of a 150-km march organised by Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya as part of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi this year after his speech at the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas in Varanasi. PTI

Lieutenant Bhavana Kasturi will be the first-every woman officer to lead an all male contingent in the Republic Day parade on January 26 in New Delhi. 144 jawans will march under her command on Rajpath in front of the entire nation. "When I give the command in front of the supreme commander of the armed forces and he takes my salute, that is the moment I have been dreaming of," says the young officer from Hyderabad who joined the Indian Army two-and-a-half years ago.

"I am excited about the crowds that come to watch the parade. A lot of girls will be very happy to see me," she tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih.

Read it here

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme on January 22, 2015 with two related aims. The quantitative aim was to address the declining Child Sex Ratio in India and the qualitative aim was to "change mindsets regarding the girl child".

The approach, conceptualised by the government, involved "multi-sectoral action" through three ministries: Women and Child Development, Health and Family Welfare and Human Resource Development.

Four years later, data released by the government shows that its main aim has been publicity. Over 56 percent of the funds allocated under the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' scheme from 2014-15 to 2018-19, were spent on "media related activities". In contrast to this, less than 25 percent of the funds were disbursed to districts and states. Over 19 percent of the funds weren't released by the government in the first place. Read the report here.

13:48 Eight killed in road accident

In Odisha, eight people were killed and more than 25 critically injured after a truck overturned at Poiguda ghat near Baliguda in Kandhamal district, today. Rescue operation underway. Injured have been shifted to hospitals in Berhampur and Brahmanigan. Pic: ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas convention in his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi today.

For the first time, the three-day-long convention is being organised from January 21 to 23 instead of January 9 to allow participants to visit the Kumbh mela in Prayagraj and attend the Republic Day parade in New Delhi.

The theme of this year's convention is 'role of Indian diaspora in building new India', a statement from the prime minister's office said.

The Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth will be the chief guest of the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas convention, while Himanshu Gulati, member of Parliament of Norway, will be the special guest. Excerpts from the PM's speech:

-- I want to express my condolences over the passing of the Dr Shri Shri Shivkumar Swamiji at the Siddhagaga Monastery of Tumkur. I had the opportunity to meet him and receive his blessings," the Prime Minister said.

-- I am happy to be in my beloved Kashi today for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. This is an excellent forum to engage with the Indian diaspora, which is distinguishing itself all over the world.

-- The campaign to communicate with all Indians around the worldwide was started by the revered Atal Bihari Vajpayee and this is the first convention after him.

-- Varanasi has been the centre of knowledge, religion and so I want to declare it as India's Brand ambassador. Earlier people said India cannot change. But, we have changed this thinking. we have shown change. The world these days looks at our advice with seriousness. As a result we bagged the environment award and Seoul prize.

-- IN the past 4.5 years, our government has given around Rs. 5.78 lakh crore directly to people through different schemes. We have transferred it to their bank accounts.

-- All of you who have settled in whichever country, have shown in the role of leadership in almost every area of the society. Mauritius PM has been promoting it. Countries like Portugal, Trinidad-Tobago and Ireland have also gained the leadership of competent people whose roots are in India.

A Delhi court Tuesday issued a production warrant for January 28 against former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. District Judge Poonam A Bamba issued production warrant against Kumar after Tihar Jail authorities, where he is lodged after conviction in another case related to the riots, could not produce him today.

In the case before the trial court, three persons -- Kumar, Brahmanand Gupta and Ved Prakash -- are facing trial on charges of murder and rioting pertaining to the killing of Surjit Singh in Sultanpuri. The riots broke out after the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984. -- PTI

MJ Akbar's defamation case against journalist Priya Ramani: Delhi's Patiala House Court reserves the order on whether to summon Priya Ramani as an accused. The order will be passed on 29th January.

12:08 Landslide in Udhampur

Udhampur, J-K: Ramnagar-Udhampur road blocked at Kaghote due to the falling of a boulder, following a landslide triggered due to heavy rainfall.

12:00 Brewing a change

A senior tax official's experience at a tea shop at Bhopal's Raja Bhoj Airport will have an unintended, yet welcome, consequence for travellers to follow -- more affordable cups of their favourite beverages. Recently, when the chief income tax (I-T) commissioner of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, R K Paliwal, went to buy a cup of tea at the shop, he was shocked to learn that a cup of tea was for Rs 143 and a cup of coffee was for Rs 171.

The 1986-batch Indian Revenue Service officer, who is known for his simplicity, found the rates unacceptably high. He is said to have asked the shop owner to stop "looting the public as many lower- and middle-class people use flights these days'. Concerned officials of the airport have now decided to install eight vending machines to make tea and coffee more affordable for travellers. -- Business Standard

Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav has said that despite his "immense respect" for Congress President Rahul Gandhi, the grand old party was kept out of the SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh to correct "poll arithmetic" in order to defeat the BJP.

Without ruling out the possibility of working with the Congress after polls, Akhilesh said he has good relations with the party and would be "happy" if the next prime minister was from his home state. Asked if the SP was open to working with Congress after the polls, Akhilesh said, "We can't answer it right now. We will answer it after the elections. But I can say this much that the country wants a new prime minister and it will have one after polls".

Akhilesh was speaking exclusively to PTI during his visit to Kolkata for the January 19 united opposition rally. "If you take out the number of seats in Uttar Pradesh, you will notice that the BJP government doesn't have the majority. BJP keeps talking about social engineering. So, I also decided to correct my poll arithmetic and did it through this alliance," Akhilesh said.

He said that despite carrying out a lot of developmental works during his tenure as Uttar Pradesh chief minister, he lost the 2017 assembly elections as his poll arithmetic was not right. "So, I decided to correct the arithmetic by taking along Bahujan Samaj Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal and left two seats for the Congress," he said. The Samajwadi Party and the Congress had joined hands in the 2017 assembly poll in UP but lost to the BJP.

"In order to correct the arithmetic of UP and defeat BJP it (SP-BSP alliance) has been done. Should we lose seats (to BJP) just to pacify others," he questioned.

Left out of the SP-BSP pre-poll tie-up in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress has announced that it would go it alone in all the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state for the upcoming general election. Congress' decision to contest in all the 80 seats came in the backdrop of SP and BSP announcing their alliance in Uttar Pradesh, sharing 38 seats each, and leaving two seats for the smaller parties, besides leaving Rae Bareli and Amethi to United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, respectively.

When asked whether keeping Congress out of the opposition alliance would dampen the prospects of opposition in the politically crucial state, Akhilesh said, "With this seat adjustment, we have further strengthened the opposition unity. We have kept two seats for Congress. Our relationship with Congress has always been good. The issue of relationship is different. The main issue is how to defeat BJP and I have worked towards that arithmetic".

Akhilesh had earlier said that the Samajwadi Party's alliance with BSP and the RLD was "final" and there would be no issues as regards seat-sharing in the Lok Sabha polls, while ruling out any understanding with the Congress. "We have left two seats for them. Now, they (Congress) have decided to fight in 78 other seats. If they want to fight it is up to them. We have nothing to say about it," he said.

11:30 Breaking a rule

Rashtrapati Bhavan sources did not say whether it was the subject matter of the film or the presence of senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader LK Advani that made President Ram Nath Kovind break one of the rules -- that have come to mark his presidential tenure at Rashtrapati Bhavan -- late last week. That rule is not spending more than an hour at film screenings and film award functions.

In March 2018, this rule had caused controversy when artistes had protested against the President distributing National Film Awards only to a handful of the winners, and not everyone.

On January 18, the Rashtrapati Bhavan held a screening of upcoming period drama Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, with Kovind, his wife, the entire crew of the film, including actor Kangana Ranaut, watching it. Ashok Malik, press secretary to the President, confirmed that Kovind "was there for the entire length of the film". Advani, a self-confessed movie buff, also watched the film. -- PTI

11:17

Delhi: Streets waterlogged in parts of the national capital following rainfall this morning. Visuals from Chhatarpur area.

11:06 New calendars

In a departure from the trend, the Government of India calendar for 2019 highlights the government's flagship schemes and the corresponding dates when they were launched instead of highlighting festivals and gazetted holidays. Government calendars usually mark holidays, festivals, among others.

Some of the schemes featuring on the calendar are Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, Startup India and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. These calendars are usually distributed in ministries and to government officials. -

- Business Standard

As Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is recovering from a pancreatic ailment, state's Opposition leader and Congress MLA Chandrakant Kavlekar said that ailing Parrikar's mind is sharp but physically he needs to take rest.

Speaking to ANI, Kavlekar on Monday said: "Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's mind is sharp but he needs to take rest. Physically he is not well."

Kavlekar also pointed out that last time Opposition party had supported the government over the issue of former defence minister Parrikar's ill-health by agreeing to bring down the last budget session from 22 days to four days.

For long, the Congress has been demanding that it should be allowed to form the government in the state, claiming that Parrikar's prolonged illness and inability to attend office was taking a toll on administration and governance.

Parrikar is suffering from a pancreatic ailment and has been in and out of hospitals in Goa, Mumbai, Delhi and New York since February 2018. -- ANI

10:52 Rain in parts of Rajasthan

Western disturbance triggered rain in parts of Rajasthan where Alwar received maximum rains at 14.1 mm, the weather office said Tuesday. Chittorgarh, Jaisalmer, Sawai Madhopur and Jaipur received 10, 8.2, 5 and 3.8 mm rains while few other places recorded below 3 mm rains, according to the Met department.

Barmer was hit by hailstorm on Monday night. Night temperatures also dropped by a few notches as compared to the previous night. Sikar was the coldest place in the state on Monday night, recording a minimum temperature of 7 degrees Celsius. -- PTI

Heavy rains lashed parts of the national capital Tuesday morning as the minimum temperature settled at five notches above normal. Parts of the city reported water-logging and bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Fifteen trains were delayed with an average delay of two to three hours.

These include Howrah-New Delhi Poorva Express, Malda-Delhi Junction Farakka Express, Mumbai Amritsar Express and others. The Puri-New Delhi Purushottam Express was late by six hours, Northern Railways said. According to a MeT official, the Safdarjung observatory recorded 14.8 mm rainfall, Palam observatory 22.8 mm rainfall, Lodhi road observatory 15 mm rainfall and Aya Nagar observatory recorded 26.1 mm rainfall.

"The minimum temperature was recorded at 12.5 degrees Celsius, five notches above normal, while the maximum temperature settled at 22.6 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal," the official said.

The humidity level was recorded at 100 per cent at 8.30 am. The weatherman has predicted rainfall throughout the day with the mercury settling at 19 degrees Celsius. -- PTI

Heavy rains in Delhi lead to traffic congestion in parts of the city today.

Rain lashed Delhi this morning with a hailstorm in several places.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted a cloudy sky with light rain and gusty winds through the day.

The minimum and maximum temperature are likely to be around 9 and 21 degrees Celsius respectively.

The capital and its neighbouring areas have been witnessing a sudden spell of rains accompanied by thundershowers post-Monday afternoon.

The showers continued during evening and night leading to a drop in temperature."

10:14 Encounter breaks out at Shopian in J-K

An encounter broke out Tuesday between security forces and militants in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. The security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in Heff area of Shopian district following information about presence of militants in the area, they said.

A police official said the search operation turned into a gun battle after militants opened fire on the security forces. No casualties have been reported so far, he added.

10:11 Naxals kill three people in Gadchiroli

Maharashtra: Naxals in Gadchiroli's Bhamragarh kill three people on suspicion of being police informers.

Heavy rain lashed Delhi on Tuesday morning with several areas receiving hailstorm.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted cloudy sky with light rain or drizzle, with gusty winds through the day.

The minimum and maximum temperature likely to be around 9 and 21 degrees Celsius respectively.

The capital and its neighbouring areas have been witnessing a sudden spell of rains accompanied by thundershowers post-Monday afternoon.

The showers continued during evening and night leading to a drop in temperature.

"Another Western Disturbance would affect Northwest India from January 24 onwards," warned the IMD.

Delhi received the wet spell on Monday due to western disturbances, said the IMD.

On Monday, the national capital received rains, a day after recording the warmest January day since 2012 on Sunday. -- ANI

The benchmark BSE Sensex fell over 100 points Tuesday after a five-session winning spree as investors cashed profits in IT, metal, banking, consumer durables, power and auto shares amid sustained foreign fund outflows. Cues from other Asian markets were weak too.

The BSE 30-share barometer dropped 134.05 points, or 0.37 per cent, to 36,444.91 in early trade as index major Reliance Industries, Tata Steel, Tata Motors, ICICI Bank and Maruti Suzuki declined. The gauge had rallied over 725 points in the previous five sessions.

The NSE Nifty index too slipped by 45.90 points, or 0.42 per cent, to 10,915.95. Brokers said investors turned cautious and preferred to log profits in recent gainers, dragging down key indices. -- PTI

Mobile messaging platform WhatsApp has announced it was restricting how many times any given message can be forwarded in an effort to boost privacy and security.

In July, WhatsApp rolled out safeguards in India that included limiting the number of users to whom a message can be forwarded.

It also ran newspaper ads to raise awareness about fake news.

WhatsApp said its latest move to extend the restrictions to all users came after a six-month review of user feedback.

'The forward limit significantly reduced forwarded messages around the world,' read a company statement on Monday.

'Starting today, all users on the latest versions of WhatsApp can now forward to only five chats at once, which will help keep WhatsApp focused on private messaging with close contacts.'

Previously, users could forward any given message up to 20 times on the app.

'We'll continue to listen to user feedback about their experience, and over time, look for new ways of addressing viral content,' the WhatsApp statement read. -- Agencies

Andhra Pradesh cabinet has decided to cater 5 per cent reservation each for Kapu community and the economically backward classes (EBCs) among the forward castes.

The cabinet approved the decision of doubling the welfare pensions given under the NTR Bharosa Scheme.

Pensions of Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500 are doubled to Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 respectively. It is believed that 54.61 lakh pensioners will be benefited with this decision.

The cabinet cleared a proposal to release one instalment of DA to the government employees as against two pending DAs, and to empower the RDOs to verify the issues related to the settlement of dotted lands.

The government will discuss with employee unions for payment of dues in instalments.

The cabinet decided to give exemption of life tax for autos and quarterly tax for tractors.

It has also approved the proposal of motor vehicle tax arrears. In total 9.79 lakh vehicle owners will be benefited to the extent of Rs 66.50 crores

The cabinet has decided to provide aid for 1,26,097 houses built without approval since June 2014. Beneficiaries will be given Rs 60,000 each, including Rs 15,000 for building a toilet at their home.

This will cost Rs 756 crores to the exchequer.

The cabinet further approved the proposal of providing Rs 10,000 to houses constructed during 1996-2004 in urban areas.

Andhra Pradesh Housing Board (APHB) will be given Rs 20 crores for 20,000 units as one time grant.Medical insurance scheme for handloom labour will be reintroduced with Rs 10 crores budget.

Each family will be provided insurance worth Rs 20,000. Insurance companies will be called through e-tenders.

Five sugar factories are given tax exemption to the tune of Rs 47.54 crores.

The cabinet decided to allot Rs 50 crores for construction of Samata Sphoorti Vanam as announced in Babu Jagjivan Ram birth anniversary celebrations. -- ANI

The French data protection watchdog CNIL has fined Google a record 50 million (Rs 404 crore) for failing to provide users with transparent and understandable information on its data use policies.

For the first time, the company was fined using new terms laid out in the pan-European general data protection regulation. The maximum fine for large companies under the new law is 4 per cent of annual turnover, meaning the theoretical maximum fine for Google is almost 4 billion.

The fine was levied, CNIL said, because Google made it too difficult for users to find essential information, such as the data-processing purposes, the data storage periods or the categories of personal data used for the ads personalisation, by splitting them across multiple documents, help pages and settings screens.

That lack of clarity meant that users were effectively unable to exercise their right to opt out of data-processing for personalisation of ads.

In a statement, Google said: People expect high standards of transparency and control from us. Were deeply committed to meeting those expectations and the consent requirements of the GDPR. Were studying the decision to determine our next steps.

The fine came about following complaints in May from two European pressure groups, None Of Your Business and La Quadrature du Net. Both groups accused Google, as well as a number of other large internet companies including Facebook, of not having a valid legal basis to process the personal data of users of its services, particularly for ads personalisation purposes.

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