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Wed, 23 January 2019
7 months after Ghatkopar plane crash, aviation firm booked

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23:45   7 months after Ghatkopar plane crash, aviation firm booked
A case was registered on Wednesday against senior officials of UY Aviation in connection with the plane crash in suburban Ghatkopar in Mumbai in which five people were killed in June last year, police said.

The case was registered by the Ghatkopar police against senior officials of UY Aviation, including Deepak Kochri, Anil Chauhan Vinod Sai and other concerned parties, they said.

They were booked under sections 304 (2) (culpable homicide), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and other relevant section of the Indian Penal Code.

The FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by Prabhat Kathuria, the husband of co-pilot Marya Zuberi, who lost her life in the mishap, along with four others. In the complaint, Prabhat Kathuria, a resident of suburban Mira Road, alleged that his wife was unaware that the ill-fated aircraft didn't have necessary permission to fly.

Hence, he feels Marya Zuberi was 'cheated' by the aircraft company, according to the complaint.

The complainant further said following the accident on June 28, 2018 a standing committee on labour began inquiry into the matter.

"As per their report, we understood that in 2014 the Uttar Pradesh Government, which owned the plane initially, had put it up for sale as scrap, following an accident.

"It was eventually bought by UY Aviation before the plane was repaired," he said.

"I have a feeling they flouted all the safety norms for test flight. The repair of the plain was done by untrained technicians," he added in the complaint.

No arrest have been made until now and further investigation into the matter was underway, the police said.

Five persons were killed when the aircraft, while on a test flight, crashed in the crowded Jagruti Nagar area of Ghatkopar.

Those killed included two pilots and as many flight engineers on board and a pedestrian, police had said.

The ill-fated King Air C90 12-seater aircraft had taken off from the Juhu airstrip.   -- PTI
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23:40   Rohingya women, children in jail despite being granted bail
The children and women among the 31 Rohingya Muslims, who were stranded on the India-Bangladesh border for four days, were granted bail by a Tripura court, but had to go to jail as no one appeared to submit the bail bonds for them.

West Tripura District and Sessions Judge S L Tripura granted bail to the seven women and 17 children on Tuesday and sent the remaining seven male Rohingyas to judicial custody for 14 days, their counsel Prasenjit Debnath said.

The 31 Rohingyas, who had apparently come from Jammu and Kashmir, were stuck in a no-man's land beyond the barbed wire fence along the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura since January 18.

The Border Security Force, after consulting with the Home Ministry, handed them over to the Amtoli police station in West Tripura district on Tuesday. They were later produced before the court.

Debnath, who appeared in court on behalf of the Rohingyas, sought their bail on the ground that they could not be treated as illegal immigrants because India was a signatory to the resolutions of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

He also pleaded before the court that there would be no one to look after the innocent children in the absence of their mothers.

The court granted bail to the women and children, but as no one appeared to furnish the bail bonds, they were sent to the Bishalgarh Central Jail, Pranab Sengupta, officer-in-charge, Amtoli police station, said.

The jailor of the Bishalgarh Central Jail, Banikanta Debbarma, said, "Like the other inmates, the Rohingyas are also given three meals a day, according to the diet prescribed by the government. Their diet includes pulses, rice, milk, biscuits."

The 17 Rohingya children were staying with their mothers in a separate cell provided by the authorities, he said, adding that the seven men were put up in a separate cell in the section for men.

The situation of the 31 Rohingyas had led to a blame game between the BSF and its counterpart in Bangladesh -- the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) -- with the two sides accusing each other of pushing them into their territories.

The decision to hand over the Rohingyas to the Tripura Police was taken after the BSF and the BGB failed to reach a decision during several rounds of talks on the issue.

Twelve and 62 Rohingyas were apprehended in Tripura in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

In October 2017, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had ordered all the state governments to identify and monitor Rohingya refugees.

It had said the Centre viewed the infiltration of Rohingyas from Rakhine state of Myanmar into Indian territory as a burden on the country's resources, aggravating the security challenges to the country.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims, described by the UN as the most persecuted minority in the world, fled their homes in 2017 to escape an alleged crackdown by the Myanmarese military.

Many of them reached India via Bangladesh.  -- PTI
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22:57   Jaitley undergoes surgery, advised two-week rest
Union Minister Arun Jaitley has undergone surgery at a hospital in New York on Tuesday, sources said.

He has been advised at least two weeks rest by the doctors, they added.

Jaitley, 66, travelled to the United States on January 13.

He underwent tests for soft tissue cancer this week, sources said.

On Wednesday, Railways and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal was given the additional charge of Finance Ministry during Jaitley's absence. -- PTI
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22:46   Swami Agnivesh writes to Pope against transfer of 4 Kerala nuns
Social activist Swami Agnivesh has written to Pope Francis against the transfer of four nuns who had taken part in a protest in Kochi, demanding the arrest of rape-accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal.

He said it was with much expectation and confidence in the Pope's 'robust sense of justice' that he was addressing the letter on the harassment which the sisters of Missionaries of Jesus order in Kerala were being subjected to for the stand they took in solidarity with a fellow nun, who went through harrowing experiences at the hands of bishop Franco Mulakkal.

A copy of the letter was released to PTI in Thiruvananthapuram.

'The people of India respect these nuns for the bold stand they took in serving as a voice in the wilderness,crying for justice for the oppressed victim.

'I am sure you will agree that it is basic to theirdevotion to Jesus Christ, who came to uphold Gods justice on earth,' he said.

Agnivesh said it was shocking that the diocese and its religious orders concerned have gone easy on the alleged rapist and was targeting those who stood and struggled for justice for the victim.

The fact that the Roman Catholic Church in India did  not respond pro-actively in the matter of the sexual exploitation of a nun has already caused extensive damage to the church's image in India, he said and urged the Pope to intervene in thematter and defend the nuns from being harassed.

Keralites, irrespective of their religious identities,rallied round these nuns and stood in solidarity with them throughout their struggle for justice.   

There is widespread anger at the injustice being done to them, swami Agnivesh said.

The swami said he would be in Kerala later this month and hoped to visit the nuns in person to express solidarity with them.

The four nuns had also written to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan,seeking his intervention to ensure that their transfer orders were not effected till the trial of the case was over.

Meanwhile, another Nun, Lucy Kalapura, who had also taken part in the protest against Franco, Wednesday was served a second notice by the Franciscan Clarist Congregation seeking her explanation by February 6.  -- PTI
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22:16   Meghalaya: Miner's disintegrated body slips to bottom of mine shaft
The body of one of the 15 trapped miners, which was spotted last week, has disintegrated and slipped to bottom of the main shaft in course of the Navy's efforts to pull it out of the flooded mine, officials said on Wednesday.

The Navy personnel are trying their best to locate the remains with their unmanned Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), an official said.

Navy divers detected the body using an ROV at a depth of around 160 feet inside the main shaft on Wednesday last.

They resumed efforts to pull out the body on Tuesday on the advice of the district administration.

The remains of the miner slipped away from the jaw of the ROV while attempting to pull it out of the bottom of the main shaft of the coal mine last evening, operations spokesperson R Susngi told PTI.

It happened due to presence of pipes, cables and debris in the main shaft, he said.

The Indian Navy resumed the search on Wednesday and its efforts to locate the remains have not been successful so far, he added.

The operation to rescue the miners entered the 42nd day on Wednesday.

In the past 24 hours, teams of pump operators from Coal India Ltd, Odhisa Fire Service and Kirloskar Brothers Ltd have discharged over 81 lakh litres of water from the nearby abandoned mines.

Family members of the trapped miners have been waiting anxiously for news of their loved ones and are visiting the site regularly and they are regularly updated on the progress, Susngi said.

The 15 miners disappeared inside the mine on December 13 last year.

According to five miners who had a narrow escape, one of the workers could have accidentally punctured the walls of possibly another nearby abandoned and flooded mine.

The state government has announced Rs 1 lakh interim relief for families of all the trapped miners and the Supreme Court is monitoring the case on a weekly basis.

The next hearing is scheduled for Monday.  -- PTI
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21:13   Piyush Goyal given temporary charge of finance ministry
Piyush Goyal has been given additional charge of the Finance Ministry, says Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson.

A Rashtrapati Bhavan press communique said that 'The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, hereby directed that during the period of indisposition of Shri Arun Jaitley, Minister; the portfolios of Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs held by him, be temporarily assigned to Shri Piyush Goyal, in addition to his existing portfolios'.

'Further, as advised by the Prime Minister, Shri Arun Jaitley be designated as Minister without portfolio during the period of his indisposition or till such time he is able to resume his work as Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs,' it said.

This is the second time that Goyal has been given the temporary charge of the finance ministry.
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20:37   Rafale not 2G or Bofors, JPC not needed: Sitharaman
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday rejected the demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee to look into the Rafale deal,saying it was unlike the 2G Spectrum or Bofors issues where aspects like the money trail surfaced.

"It is not needed," she told reporters in Chennai in reply to a question on the matter.

Unlike the 2G issue, no institution like the Comptroller and Auditor General said anything against the Rafale deal, she said.

The matter even reached the Supreme Court which expressed its satisfaction, be it process involved or theprice, she told reporters Chennai.

Later, the issue was debated in Parliament as well whenmembers of Opposition did not even bother to listen when thegovernment answered them point by point, she said.

JPC for issues like the 2G Spectrum or Bofors were setup in the past following aspects like money trail and related bank account in Switzerland published extensively by themedia, she said.

"However, it was not the case with Rafale where thereare  no middle men like Quattarocchi or the money trail," she said.

"You know the extent of media coverage (on Bofors)during that period (1988-89). Why it halted abruptly? who tried to muzzle?" she asked.    

She alleged the Congress party asked media outlets to not publish anything on Bofors during the late 1980s.

Taking potshots at sections of media, she said following the Congress' diktat, 'no one opened their mouth', and 'such people' were now indulging in 'false propaganda' against the government on Rafale deal.

No one had then made a hue and cry over freedom of expression vis-a-vis Bofors and that the Congress party was 'gagging them'.

However, they were now crying hoarse that freedom of expression was 'infringed' under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rule, she said.  -- PTI
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20:06   Indian couple who died after falling off cliff in US was 'intoxicated': Autopsy
A travel-obsessed Indian couple, who  plunged 800 ft to their deaths after taking a selfie at a scenic cliff in California's popular Yosemite National Park, was 'intoxicated' at the time of the incident, according to autopsy results.

Vishnu Viswanath, 29, and his wife, Meenakshi Moorthy, 30, both engineers, were 'intoxicated with ethyl alcohol' prior to falling 800 feet from Taft Point on October 25, but no drugs were present in their bodies, US media quoted the autopsy report as saying.

Ethyl alcohol is found in alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine and hard liquor.

Due to the condition of the bodies after the extreme fall, investigators were unable to accurately discern a specific level of intoxication, Andrea Stewart, Assistant Mariposa County Coroner said.

"All we can conclude is that they had been drinking and that they had alcohol in their systems. We don't know how much," Stewart was quoted as saying by Mercury News of San Jose.

The couple from Kerala died 'of multiple injuries to the head, neck, chest and abdomen, sustained by a fall from a mountain,' the autopsy report said.

The couple had been married since 2014. Both graduated in 2010 from the College of Engineering, Chengannur, Kerala.

Viswanath was a software engineer with Cisco India at the company's headquarters in Silicon Valley.

Moorthy and Viswanath -- who showcased their adventure-seeking travels on Instagram -- had set up a tripod at Taft Point before they fell down the side of a steep cliff.

The tripod was later discovered on the edge of the overlook. Viswanath's brother, Jishnu Viswanath said it appeared the couple died trying to take a photo.

Viswanath and his wife Moorthy, travelled the world documenting their trips to locales like the Grand Canyon, Paris, New York City, Niagara Falls, London, Big Sur and other scenic destinations.

Just months before her tragic death, Moorthy had warned in an Instagram post the dangers of taking photographs on the edge of cliffs and atop skyscrapers.

She posted a picture of herself at the Grand Canyon, saying in the caption that 'A lot of us including yours truly is a fan of daredevilry attempts of standing at the edge of cliffs. But did you know that wind gusts can be fatal? Is our life worth one photo?'

In an eerie coincidence, Moorthy appears in the selfie of another tourist couple at Taft Point, just minutes before she plummeted to her death. -- PTI
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19:03   For them family is party, for us party is family: Modi on Priyanka
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said democracy runs in the Bharatiya Janata Party's veins while in many other cases, family comprises the party.

His comments came hours after Gandhi family scion Priyanka Gandhi Vadra formally entered politics.

Interacting with BJP booth workers from Baramati, Gadchiroli, Hingoli, Nanded and Nandurbar in Maharashtra, Modi said unlike 'many cases' where family is the party, for the BJP the party is family.

In an apparent reference to Priyanka Gandhi, who has been appointed a Congress general secretary and made in-charge of Uttar Pradesh East, Modi said in the BJP, decisions are not taken on the wishes of a person or family.

"In our party, decisions are taken on the basis of what party workers want," he said. Modi also said the BJP is driven by democratic principles.

"Democracy runs in the veins of BJP which is why people of the country feel closer to the party."  -- PTI
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18:09   Her persona merited a bigger role: Prasad on Priyanka
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday raised doubts over the formal entry of Priyanka Gandhi in active politics, saying why she was not given a bigger role with greater responsibility to commensurate with her persona.

While addressing the media here after Priyanka's appointment as General Secretary, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "Priyanka Ji has become the general secretary, my good-luck to her. Since the party is a family concern, these kinds of postings are nothing unusual, except to say with a caveat, why has she been given a limited role of only Eastern UP? Perhaps her persona merited a wider role for her."

Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal too hit out at the Rahul Gandhi led Congress alleging that the move is a confirmation that the party has failed and no political party is willing to join hands with them in any state.She told ANI, "It is a stamp by Congress and Rahul Gandhi on their utter failure. No 'gathbandhan' wants to shake hands with Congress in any state. They were becoming irrelevant; they had to play this Eastern UP card to ensure Rahul and Sonia Ji's seats."

Accusing the party of being involved in dynasty politics, Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal said, "In the Congress party there is reservation only for one family, nobody gets anything beyond them."   -- ANI
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17:58   Three terrorists killed in encounter in J-K's Baramulla
Three terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces on Wednesday in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district, police said.

The security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Binner area of the district following information about presence of terrorists in the area, a police official said.

He said the search operation turned into a gun battle after the terrorists opened fire on the security forces.

Three terrorists were killed in the operation, the official said, adding that weapons and other incriminating material were recovered from the spot.

The identity and group affiliation of the slain ultras was being ascertained, he said.  -- PTI

Image only for representation.
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17:40   Trinamool does not want Rahul Gandhi to be PM: Gaurav Gogoi
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi has criticised the Trinamool Congress for trying to undermine the leadership of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and said Mamata Banerjee's party does not want him as the next prime minister of the country.

His comments came just days after the mega opposition rally convened by TMC in Kolkata, which was attended by senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, apart from top leaders of various other parties.

United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Rahul had deputed Kharge and Singhvi and had wished the opposition rally a success.

"Congress president Rahul Gandhi will be the prime minister of the country after 2019 Lok Sabha polls," Gogoi asserted at a rally in Rampurhat in West Bengal's Birbhum district on Tuesday.

"Recently, TMC organised an opposition rally. But they have a problem with Rahul Gandhi. They don't want him as next prime minister of the country. But I want to say it loud and clear that Rahul Gandhi will be the next prime minister of the country.

"The next government at the Centre will be formed under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi," Gogoi, the party's in-charge for West Bengal, said.

He had in December last year questioned TMC's silence in congratulating Rahul Gandhi after Congress' win in the three Hindi heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhatisgarh.

He had said the TMC leaders were having 'sleepless nights' fearing their dream of Mamata Banerjee becoming the prime minister may not be fulfilled.

Reacting to Gogoi's comments, TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said it mattered little as senior Congress leaders attended the opposition rally.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Congress president Somen Mitra ruled out any alliance with the TMC for the Lok Sabha polls.

"We are willing to fight in all the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state. If secular and democratic forces want to fight against TMC and BJP, we will also talk with them," Mitra said.  -- PTI
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17:16   Chowkidar ne Anil Ambani ko Rs 30,000 cr diye: Rahul in Amethi
Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who is on a two-day tour of his parliamentary constituency Amethi attacked PM Narendra Modi over the Rafale deal. "Modiji kehte the ki mujhe PM mat banao chowkidaar banao, chowkidaar ne Hindustan ki Air Force se Rs 30,000 crore lekar Anil Ambani ko de diye," he said. 


He also addressed his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's entry into politics with her appointment as the party's general secretary for eastern UP. "Aaj maine Priyanka ko General Seceratary bana diya hai UP ka, matlab ab yahan pe Congress apna CM bithane ka kaam karegi. Dilli mein Congress party ke gathbandhan ki sarkar or UP mein poore dum se Congress party ladegi." 


Earlier, Rahul said he was "very happy" that Priyanka will assist him in the Lok Sabha polls and asserted that he was ready to cooperate with BSP-SP to defeat the BJP.  He also said that Jyotiraditya Scindia is a dynamic youth leader. Rahul's comments came hours after Priyanka became AICC general secretary and was made in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, and Scindia was given the charge of western Uttar Pradesh. 


"I have not sent them here for two months but given a mission to take ahead the true ideology of the Congress to take the poor and deprived sections of society along," he said. 


"The Congress is fighting for its ideology... Priyanka and Jyotiraditya are young and strong leaders and with their help we want to change the politics of Uttar Pradesh," Rahul said, adding he had complete faith that both of them will work and give what is required to Uttar Pradesh and its youth.


To a question whether Priyanka will contest the Lok Sabha election, he said it is up to her but his point is that the party will not play on the backfoot anywhere.
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17:01   SC refuses bail to Unitech promoters
The Supreme Court Wednesday refused bail to Unitech promoters Sanjay Chandra and Ajay Chandra in a case relating to alleged siphoning off the home-buyers' money. 


A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Hemant Gupta said they have not complied with its October 30, 2017 order which asked them to deposit Rs 750 crore with the apex court registry. 


Lodged in Tihar jail for over one and half years, the two have sought bail on the ground that they are complying with the apex court order and have deposited over 400 crore. 


The apex court had on October 30, 2017 ordered that the Unitech Limited Managing Director Sanjay Chandra will be granted bail only after the real estate group deposits Rs 750 crore with the registry.
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16:27  
Indigo is the worst airline according to flyers. 
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16:14   Armed with Priyanka, Cong hopes to strike back in UP
The Congress in Uttar Pradesh said Priyanka Gandhi's entry into formal politics will enthuse party workers to regain lost ground in the state in the Lok Sabha polls. 


"This is an opportunity for the Congress to strike back in the most crucial state of the country where the organisation had all through been wanting her to plunge into active politics," Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Rajiv Bakshi told PTI. 


"We welcome both Priyankaji and Jyotiraditya Scindia to lead all of us, and look forward for a 40 plus tally for the party in the coming Lok Sabha polls," Bakshi said. 


His reaction came after the appointment of Priyanka Gandhi as Congress general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh East. Jyotiraditya Scindia is the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary for UP East. 


The party's state unit was not immediately clear on the division of the 80 parliamentary seats between the two new in-charges. But some leaders believed it could be 40 each. Amethi and Rae Bareli, the two Gandhi family bastions, fall in eastern Uttar Pradesh. 


Bakshi said Priyanka Gandhi belongs to Uttar Pradesh and the party needed her. In the months ahead of the elections, she has been tasked to match the charisma of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, two star campaigners for the BJP who also have strong presence in the region. 


While Modi represents Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, Adityanath Nath's turf is Gorakhpur. "Our organisation has also been active, especially for the past one year, with the front units playing an important role," Bakshi said. 


UPCC general secretary Dwijendra Tripathi said making two general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh showed the seriousness Congress president Rahul Gandhi attaches to state. "Both are young and popular,' he said. "They have a certain hold over the public and have leadership qualities and a rapport with the common man." Congress leaders said Priyanka Gandhi's into active party politics will galvanise the workers, helping them take on the dual challenge posed in the state by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance. -- PTI


Image: A poster at the Congress office in Lucknow after Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was appointed the party's General Secretary for Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Priyanka has been compared with her grandmother, former PM Indira Gandhi and the goddess Durga. Pic: ANI
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15:55   EVM hacking claim: Delhi Police files FIR
The Delhi Police has registered a case based on a complaint filed by the Election Commission regarding allegations of hacking of EVMs and rigging of polls levelled by self-proclaimed cyber expert Syed Shuja, officials said Wednesday.


"Based on a complaint received from the Election Commission, an FIR has been registered under Section 505 of the Indian Penal Code (intent to cause fear or public mischief) at Parliament Street police station. Action will be taken as per the law," a senior police officer said. 


On Tuesday, the poll panel had filed a complaint with the Delhi Police, asking it to register an FIR against Syed Shuja, who during a press conference in London on Monday, claimed that EVMs can be hacked, and the 2014 Lok Sabha elections were rigged. 


In its complaint, the poll panel had asked police to investigate the matter "promptly" for violation of certain IPC sections dealing with spreading rumour to "create fear" in the minds of people. -- PTI
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15:51   'Priyanka lao, desh bachao'
Congress supporters celebrate Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's plunge into politics with fireworks at the family burough in Rae Bareli, UP. 
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15:43   Over 50% funds parties received in 2017-18 came from unknown' sources: ADR
More than 50 per cent of the funds national parties received during the financial year 2017-18 came from "unknown" sources that included donations through electoral bonds and voluntary contributions, according to election watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). 


The ADR Wednesday released the findings of an analysis of six national parties' IT returns and donation statements filed with the Election Commission. 


According to it, the total income of BJP, Congress, CPI, BSP, TMC, and NCP in 2017-18 was Rs 1293.05 crore. The income of these parties from "unknown" sources was Rs 689.44 crore, which is 53 per cent of their total income. The BJP alone declared Rs 553.38 crore as its income from unknown sources, which is 80 per cent of the total income of the national parties from such sources. 


Out of the Rs 689.44 crore, the share from electoral bonds was Rs 215 crore or 31 per cent, the report said. The parties received Rs 354.22 crore or more than 51 per cent of the fund from unknown sources through voluntary contributions (below Rs 20,000), it said, adding the total income from other miscellaneous unknown sources was Rs 4.5 crore.


Thirty-six per cent of their income or Rs 467.13 crore from "known" donors, whose details were available from contribution reports submitted to the Election Commission. They got Rs 136.48 crore from other known sources, such as from the sale of assets and publications, membership fees, bank interest, and party levy, the report said. 


According to donation reports (containing details of donations above Rs 20,000), only Rs 16.80 lakh was given in cash to the national parties. The CPI(M), which is also a national party, was not included in the analysis as its "schedules or annexures were unavailable for the financial year 2017-18". 


At present, political parties are not required to declare the names of individuals and organisations giving less than Rs. 20,000 nor of those who donate via electoral bonds. While the national parties were brought under the Right to Information Act by the CIC ruling in June 2013, they have still not complied with the decision. -- PTI
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15:26   Most awaited entry in politics: Prashant Kishor on Priyanka
JD(U) vice president Prashant Kishor Wednesday described the appointment of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as Congress' general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East as "one of the most awaited entries in Indian politics". 


Ending years of speculation, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra formally entered politics Wednesday with the Congress appointing her general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East in a move reflecting the party's intent to go full throttle in the state ahead of the general elections. 


"One of the most awaited entries in Indian politics is finally here! While people may debate the timing, exact role and position, to me, the real news is that she finally decided to take the plunge! Congratulations and best wishes to Priyanka Gandhi," Kishor said in a tweet.


He had worked with the Congress in Uttar Pradesh as a poll strategist before joining the Janata Dal (United). The appointment is being seen as a masterstroke which will boost the morale of party workers in a state where Congress influence has been waning over the years and where the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party have announced a tie-up. 


Priyanka Gandhi, who turned 47 on January 12, will assist her brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhi in the Hindi heartland state, which has 80 Lok Sabha seats, the largest of any state in the country. -- PTI
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14:58   We will play on the front foot: Rahul on Priyanka in politics
Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who is on a two-day tour of his parliamentary constituency Amethi from today, responded to a question on Priyanka's appointment as the party's general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East.  


Rahul said he was very happy that his sister Priyanka will assist him in UP in the Lok Sabha polls. "She is very capable. We will play on the frontfoot, not backfoot," he said, and added, "Priyanka Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia are powerful leaders. We wanted the young leaders to change Uttar Pradesh politics.  Jyotiraditya Scindia bhi bahut dynamic leader hain. BJP wale ghabraaye hue hain. The BJP is scared." 


On the BSP-SP alliance in the UP, Rahul added, "We have no enmity with Mayawatiji and Akhileshji. In fact, I respect them a lot. We are ready to cooperate with them wherever possible. Ultimately the aim of all three of us is to defeat BJP, but yes, our fight is to save the Congress ideology.


The BJP said Priyanka Gandhi's formal entry into the the Congress is an admission by the party that Rahul Gandhi has "failed" in providing leadership, the BJP said Wednesday,  slamming the "family alliance". BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said Congress president has opted for a "family alliance" after facing "rejection" from various parties of the proposed grand alliance.
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14:24   Priyanka's appointment Cong's admission of Rahul's failure: BJP
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's formal entry into the the Congress is an admission by the party that Rahul Gandhi has "failed" in providing leadership, the BJP said Wednesday, slamming the "family alliance". 


BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said Congress president has opted for a "family alliance" after facing "rejection" from various parties of the proposed grand alliance. 


"The Congress has basically publicly announced that Rahul Gandhi has failed and needs crutches from within the family. Because of his rejection by grand alliance parties, he has opted for a family alliance," he said.


He came out with the BJP's response soon after the Congress announced that Vadra will be its general secretary for Uttar Pradesh, East, marking her formal entry into the party. Taking a dig at the opposition party, Patra said it was natural that it had to "coronate" somebody from within the family and added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has projected the Lok Sabha elections as a battle between "naamdar" (dynasts) and "kaamdar" (those who have worked).


The new India is asking the question, the BJP leader said, that who will be the next leader in the Congress as he referred to its succession line from Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi followed by Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. "All appointments are from one family. And this is the fundamental difference between the Congress and the BJP. In the Congress, the family is party. In the BJP, the party is family," Patra said.
-- PTI
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13:54   Congratulations P... give it your best: Robert Vadra to Priyanka
It will be open season for the BJP  with the Congress announcing Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's entry into politics. The namdar vs kamdar chant is expected to ring out in Uttar Pradesh, apart from the fact that her husband Robert Vadra has charges of corruption against him. Priyanka's appointment means the BJP will re-launch a full frontal attack against Vadra. 


Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was today appointed AICC general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East by her brother and party chief Rahul Gandhi, the party said.


Vadra was quick to post a congratulatory message for his wife on Facebook. It read: "Congratulations P... always by your side in every phase of your life.  Give it your best." He ended the message with a smiley and a thumbs up emoji. 


BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra reacted saying the appointment confirmed that the Congress was a family-run party. 


Just recently, the BJP alleged that the previous Congress-led government had cancelled the Rafale fighter jet deal with France as a company linked to Robert Vadra was not accepted as "middleman".


The Congress also appointed Jyotiraditya Scindia as the AICC general secretary for UP West. The party replaced Ashok Gehlot as AICC general secretary Organisation with K C Venugopal. Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad was appointed AICC general secretary in charge of Haryana, the party said. Priyanka Gandhi will take over as AICC general secretary for UP East in the first week of February, the party said. 


Priyanka's official entry into politics, and is expected to boost morale of the party workers in the state which sends 80 MPs to Lok Sabha. There has been demands within the Congress for a prominent role for 47-year-old Priyanka to revive the Congress in Uttar Pradesh which was a Congress bastion till the mid 1980s.
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13:13   BJP gets permission to touchdown in Jhargram
West Bengal Police: Permission has been granted to Bharatiya Janata Party  for helipad in Jhargram.
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13:11   Motilal Vohra: Responsibility given to Priyanka very important
Senior Congress leader Motilal Vohra on Priyanka Gandhi Vadra appointed Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh East: The responsibility given to Priyankaji is very important. This will not only have an effect on eastern Uttar Pradesh but also other regions.
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12:58   Priyanka Gandhi joins politics, appointed gen secy for UP
And finally, it's done. The Congress party has appointed Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh East. 


Jyotiraditya Scindia has been appointed Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh West, while KC Venugopal has been appointed Congress General Secretary (Organisation).


Priyanka has officially joined the party, a demand by party workers and senior leaders. Priyanka has so far only campaigned in the two family boroughs of Rae Bareli and Amethi, where she has been able to tap into the mood of the votes and is extremely popular on the campaign trail. 


Clearly, the Congress is pulling out all stops ahead of the 2019 poll battle. 
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12:40   Naroda Patiya riots: SC grants bail to 4 convicts
The Supreme Court has granted bail to four convicts -- Umeshbhai Bharwad, Rajkumar, Harshad and Prakashbhai Rathod -- in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riots case.

A bench of Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice Ajay Rastogi granted them bail on Tuesday.At least 97 Muslims were reportedly killed in Ahmedabad's Naroda Patiya area on February 28, 2002, during communal riots. The Gujarat High Court had convicted the four individuals on account of arson and rioting. They were serving a 10-year jail term. 
-- ANI
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12:34   Kanakadurga forced to stay at shelter home after finding house locked
Facing stiff opposition from relatives for offering prayers at the Sabarimala temple, Kanakadurga was forced to take shelter at a One Stop centre in Perinthalmanna after she found that her house was locked and her family members had shifted to another building, police said. 


A police official said the 44-year-old also filed a petition in a court in Perinthalmanna under the Domestic Violence Act, stating she had the right to stay at her husband's home. 


Police sources said Kanakadurga went to her husband's house when she was discharged from the Kozhikode medical college, where she was treated after allegedly being assaulted by her mother-in-law for entering the temple. When she reached there, she found the house locked, the sources said. 


Her husband and other relatives had shifted to a rented building, the police said, adding Kanakadurga then took refugee at the One Stop Centre in Perinthalmanna.


Kanakdurga, an employee of the Civil Supplies Department, had scripted history along with Bindu, a college lecturer and CPI(M) ML activist, on January 2 by offering prayers at the Ayyappa shrine, where traditionally women in the 10-50 age group were barred from entering. 


The Supreme Court had in a historic verdict last year lifted the centuries old ban and allowed women of all age groups to offer prayers at the temple. 


The two were the first women of menstrual age to offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa shrine after the SC verdict. 


Perinthalamanna Circle Inspector T S Binu said she was being provided round-the-clock security as directed by the apex court. At least 10 police personnel have been posted for her security. CCTV surveillance has also been provided at the shelter home. 


One Stop Centres (OSC), launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, are intended to support women affected by violence, in private and public spaces, within the family, community and at the workplace. 


Women facing physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and economic abuse, irrespective of age, class, caste, education status, marital status, race and culture are facilitated with support and redressal at such centres. PTI
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12:32   Kanakadurga forced to stay at refuge centre after finding house locked
Facing stiff opposition from relatives for offering prayers at the Sabarimala temple, Kanakadurga was forced to take shelter at a One Stop centre in Perinthalmanna after she found that her house was locked and her family members had shifted to another building, police said. 


A police official said the 44-year-old also filed a petition in a court in Perinthalmanna under the Domestic Violence Act, stating she had the right to stay at her husband's home. 


Police sources said Kanakadurga went to her husband's house when she was discharged from the Kozhikode medical college, where she was treated after allegedly being assaulted by her mother-in-law for entering the temple. When she reached there, she found the house locked, the sources said. 


Her husband and other relatives had shifted to a rented building, the police said, adding Kanakadurga then took refugee at the One Stop Centre in Perinthalmanna.


Kanakdurga, an employee of the Civil Supplies Department, had scripted history along with Bindu, a college lecturer and CPI(M) ML activist, on January 2 by offering prayers at the Ayyappa shrine, where traditionally women in the 10-50 age group were barred from entering. 


The Supreme Court had in a historic verdict last year lifted the centuries old ban and allowed women of all age groups to offer prayers at the temple. 


The two were the first women of menstrual age to offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa shrine after the SC verdict. 


Perinthalamanna Circle Inspector T S Binu said she was being provided round-the-clock security as directed by the apex court. At least 10 police personnel have been posted for her security. CCTV surveillance has also been provided at the shelter home. 


One Stop Centres (OSC), launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, are intended to support women affected by violence, in private and public spaces, within the family, community and at the workplace. 


Women facing physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and economic abuse, irrespective of age, class, caste, education status, marital status, race and culture are facilitated with support and redressal at such centres. PTI
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12:00   Nine held in Maharashtra for links with ISIS
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad has arrested nine people from Thane and Aurangabad for their alleged links with banned terror outfit ISIS, police said Wednesday. The nine terror suspects, all part of a group, were nabbed by ATS teams over the last two days, an ATS official said. 


The ATS, acting on specific inputs, kept a watch on the nine men for several weeks and gathered relevant information about them, he said. They were arrested when it came to light that they were likely to "swing into action", the official said. 


The arrests followed searches in Amrut Nagar, Kausa, Moti Baug and Almas Colony areas in Thane's Mumbra township and in Aurangabad's Kaisar Colony, Rahat Colony and Damdi Mahal areas on Monday late night and Tuesday early morning. 


During the searches, the ATS sleuths seized certain chemicals, acid bottles, sharp knives, mobile phones, hard disks and some SIM cards from the group, the official said. The accused have been booked under Indian Penal Code's Section 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) and relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Bombay Police Act, the official said. -- PTI


Representational image. 
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11:38   Bovine rhapsody
Stray cows and bulls have become quite a menace in large parts of northern India, particularly Uttar Pradesh. Varanasi, the venue of this year's Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, has always had its share of stray cows. 


In the run up to the event, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had instructed the local administration to prevent stray cows from sauntering inside the sprawling venue. 


However, a cow entered the makeshift venue on Tuesday afternoon when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was inside the auditorium for the opening ceremony of the event. Fortunately, the cops could chase the docile animal away without much effort. -- Business Standard
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11:36   Election season is open, folks
As the gathering of non-resident Indians, persons of Indian origin and foreign nationals at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Varanasi waited for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to arrive, the emcee of the event welcomed the foreign delegates and urged them to be seated. In one of her announcements, she also urged visitors to download the NaMo app -- a mobile application handled by the Bharatiya Janata Party. The app, she said, could be downloaded from special digital booths at the venue, which in turn stood beside a photobooth to click selfies with a virtual cutout of the prime minister. Election season seems to be officially open.  
-- Business Standard
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11:28  
Nine men arrested from Maharashtra for alleged links with terror outfit ISIS. 
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11:27   Himachal snowed under amid power outage, road blocks
Fresh snowfall was reported in the major tourist towns in Himachal Pradesh, the Meteorological Department said. MeT Shimla director Manmohan Singh said Shimla received 44.5 cm snowfall, Manali 30 cm, Kalpa 39.6 cm and Seobagh 1 cm. 


These areas received snow from 5.30 pm on Tuesday to 8.30 am Wednesday. Dalhousie recorded 60 cm snow, Kufri 55 cm, Keylong 33 cm and Kalpa received 39.6 cm snowfall during the period. Several places in the state recorded rainfall from 2 mm in Chamba to 53.2 mm in Dharamshala, he added. 


The minimum temperatures in Dalhousie, Kufri, Manali and Chail were minus 2.9 degrees Celsius, minus 2.7 degrees, minus 1.6 degrees and minus 0.7 degrees Celsius respectively Wednesday, he added. Tribal district Lahaul and Spiti's administrative centre Keylong continued to be the coldest place in the state, recording low of minus 11 degrees Celsius, the director said, adding the minimum temperatures in Kalpa was minus 2.8 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature in Shimla was zero degree Celsius, he said adding that it was minus 1 degree Celsius in Mandi and Seobagh each. 


In Kinnaur, power supply has been disrupted since Tuesday evening due to failure of 220 KV and 66 KV grids, a district official said. Kinnaur was witnessing heavy snowfall since Tuesday due to which all link roads were blocked, the official said, adding even the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses were going only to Tapri. PTI
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11:13   Remembering Bal Thackeray on his 93rd birthday
Aditya Thackeray shares this throwback picture with his grandfather Bal Thackeray, the Shiv Sena founder and the man, who will forever be synonymous with the word 'supremo'. Aditya is the president of the party's Yuva Sena. Bal Thackeray would have been 93 today. 
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10:42   Why Narendra Modi needs to be on Ranveer Singhs Instagram feed
Almost every Indian is interested in at least one of these three things: cinema, sports and politics.Very few are interested in all three. A cursory look at Google Trends India will tell you that on most days, between political news and sports updates, the online Indian is more interested in the latter.


Very few people closely follow what their chief minister or prime minister is up to. A surprisingly large number of people don't know who their Member of Legislative Assembly or Member of Parliament is. Try asking around.


Political junkies think everybody else is a political junkie, just as Bollywood fans presume everyone has watched the latest blockbuster, and cricket fans assume everybody has followed that latest cricket series. Cinema, sports and politics may be very large bubbles but they are bubbles nevertheless. 


When Narendra Modi gets selfies taken with Bollywood stars, he is making use of a bubble outside the one that TV news watchers fall in. He is entering another world, exposing himself to a vast audience that doesn't necessarily know the Bharatiya Janata Party's vote-share in Chhattisgarh. 


Read Shivam Vij's column here. 
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10:32   Rupee spurts 29 paise against US dollar in early trade
The rupee rose 29 paise to 71.15 against the US dollar in early session Wednesday on increased selling of the American currency by exporters and banks amid a positive opening of the domestic equity markets. 


At the Interbank forex market, the rupee opened higher at 71.19 and advanced further to quote 29 paise higher at 71.15 against the dollar. Besides, the dollar falling against other currencies overseas on lingering worries about a global slowdown and continuing US-China trade tensions, supported the Indian rupee, forex dealers said. However, sustained foreign fund outflows capped the gains, they added. -- PTI
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10:24   Another rainy day in Delhi, trains running late
It was a cold Wednesday morning in the national capital with rains in the past 24 hours bringing down the minimum temperature to 8 degrees Celsius, a MeT department official said. 


The city received 27.8 mm rains till 8.30 am. The minimum temperature was 12.5 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. Relative humidity was 100 percent this morning, he said. Partly cloudy skies with possibility of very light rains and thundershowers are forecast for later part of the the day. Maximum temperature is likely to be around 19 degrees Celsius.  Twenty-one north bound trains including Mahabodhi Express, Lichchvi Express, Brahmputra Mail, Rewa Express, Shiv Ganga Express and Vikramshila Express were running late due to bad weather conditions, Northern Railways said. - PTI
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10:24   Another rainy day in Delhi, trains running late
It was a cold Wednesday morning in the national capital with rains in the past 24 hours bringing down the minimum temperature to 8 degrees Celsius, a MeT department official said. 


The city received 27.8 mm rains till 8.30 am. The minimum temperature was 12.5 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. Relative humidity was 100 percent this morning, he said. Partly cloudy skies with possibility of very light rains and thundershowers are forecast for later part of the the day. Maximum temperature is likely to be around 19 degrees Celsius.  Twenty-one north bound trains including Mahabodhi Express, Lichchvi Express, Brahmputra Mail, Rewa Express, Shiv Ganga Express and Vikramshila Express were running late due to bad weather conditions, Northern Railways said. - PTI
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10:20   Union Cabinet meet at 11 am today
The Union Cabinet is meeting at 11 am today. Reports say, key political decisions are likely to be taken. 
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10:07   Pulitzer prize winner Russell Baker dead
Pulitzer Prize-winning author and humorist Russell Baker dead at 93; wrote for New York Times, hosted 'Masterpiece Theatre'.
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10:05   Serena Williams crashes out of Australian Open
Serena Williams knocked out of the Australian Open after losing 4-6, 6-4, 5-7 to Karolina Pliskova in the quarterfinals. Pliskova advances to meet Naomi Osaka for a place in the final.
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09:58   Rahul to begin 2-day Amethi visit today
Congress president Rahul Gandhi will arrive on a two-day visit at his parliamentary constituency Amethi today. His visit comes in the aftermath of the Congress party wresting Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan from the BJP.


Rahul Gandhi will land at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow at 10 am and then travel to Fursatganj in Amethi chair a meeting with the pradhans of the villages that fall under Amethi district. He will also address a 'nukkad sabha' at Haliyapur. 


Rahul Gandhi will stay at the Bhuemau guest house where he will meet the district party leaders and workers. On Friday (January 25) morning, he will meet Congress workers and people belonging to his constituency. 


He will also take part in the swearing-in of newly elected Bar members in Gauriganj, his representative Chandrakant Dubey said.


Rahul 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 2019 Lok Sabha polls.


His mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was also scheduled to come along with him for a visit to her parliamentary constituency Raebareli, but she has cancelled her visit. 
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09:43   Accused hangs himself after raping, killing 7-yr-old girl
A seven-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered in Pimpri-Chinchwad city in Maharashtra. DCP Pimpri-Chinchwad, Smartana Patil told ANI,: "We received a call that a body has been brought to the hospital on Tuesday. The girl was declared dead and there was suspicion of rape."


She further said that the accused allegedly committed suicide when police tried to track him. "During the investigation, it was found that a man had threatened the mother of the victim a day before the incident. When we tried to track the accused, we found him hanging in a forest, he allegedly committed suicide," the DCP said. Investigation in the matter is underway. -- ANI
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09:24   Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sanjita Chanu's ban lifted
The International Weightlifting Federation on Wednesday revoked the ban imposed on India's Commonwealth Games gold medallist Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu.
   
The sport's apex body informed the India Weightlifting Federation and Sanjita of the development.
 
"On the basis of the information at its disposal the IWF has decided that the provisional suspension of the athlete (Khumukcham Sanjita) shall be lifted as of today (22 January 2019)," the IWF legal Counsel Eva Nyirfa said in a letter.
 
"The IWF Hearing Panel will render its decision on the athlete's case in due course," it added.
 
Sanjita, who had won a gold in the women's 53kg category at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, had tested positive for anabolic steroid testosterone as her urine sample was taken prior to the World Championships in November 17.
 
The 25-year-old Indian lifter was then put under provisional suspension in May last year.
 
In Gold Coast, Sanjita had set a new Commonwealth Games record with a lift of 84 kg in snatch and 108 kg in clean and jerk, to finish with a total of 192 kg. -- PTI 
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09:10   Trump going ahead with plans to deliver State of the Union Address: Report
United States President Donald Trump is going ahead with his plans to deliver the State of the Union Address -- either before a joint session of the US Congress or somewhere else in the country -- a media report said Wednesday.
 
Citing the ongoing partial government shutdown, US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has cancelled his scheduled State of the Address on January 29. 
 
The White House has not officially responded to Pelosi's letter to Trump seeking rescheduling of the State of the Union Address.
 
"President Trump is preparing two versions of the speech one that could be delivered in Washington and another that would be held somewhere else in the country, depending on the circumstance, according to a senior White House official," The Washington Post reported.
 
While the Trump administration is trying to conduct advance preparation for an address in the House Chambers, according to The Washington Post, Pelosi has the power to determine whether the US President can do so.
 
"Nancy Pelosi does not dictate to the president when he will or will not have a conversation with the American people," White House Deputy Press Secretary, Hogan Gidley, told Fox News in an interview. 
 
"The President has an incredible story to tell about how far we've come in this country economically, in a national security capacity," he said, as he accused Pelosi of trying to play politics with the Congressional venue for the State of the Union Address, which is done before a joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
 
"It's unclear what options for venues the White House is exploring aside from the House chamber, where State of the Union addresses have been delivered since President Woodrow Wilson's speech in 1913," The Washington Post said. -- PTI  
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08:47   After UP, Congress hopes not to meet same fate in Bihar
The Congress Tuesday expressed hope that it would get a "respectable" share of seats in Bihar in the Lok Sabha polls from its allies and would not meet the same fate it did in Uttar Pradesh where it was dumped by the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.
 
Conceding that the Rashtriya Janata Dal is the "big brother" in the state, Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee's campaign panel's chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh said that Congress president Rahul Gandhi, however, was "the face of anti-NDA forces" in the country.
"There is no problem. Discussions are taking place and things will be sorted out amicably," Singh, a Rajya Sabha member, said.
The NDA has been claiming that the 'grand alliance', which comprises nearly half a dozen parties, was not coming out with its seat-sharing formula as the constituents of loosely-knit formation were unable to reach a consensus on the issue.
The constituents of the grand alliance included RJD, Congress, Hindustani Awam Morcha, RLSP, Sharad Yadav's Loktantrik Janata Dal and Left parties.
"We will get respectable share in Bihar. What happened in UP will not be repeated here. We respect the RJD as the big brother of the grand alliance in Bihar. Nobody, however, denies that Congress president Rahul Gandhi is the face of anti-NDA forces at the national level," Singh said.
Once-arch rivals, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party on January 12 announced their tie-up in Uttar Pradesh for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, sharing 38 seats each and keeping the Congress out of the alliance.
Singh was in Lakhisarai to attend a "Mahagathbandhan Milan" programme organized by local RJD leader Vijay Samrat. -- PTI
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08:27   Shami becomes fastest Indian to reach 100 ODI wickets
Seamer Mohammed Shami became the fastest Indian to claim 100 wickets in One-day Internationals, reaching the mark in the opening match against New Zealand here.
   
This was his 56th game in the 50-over format.
 
Shami' wicket number 100 was New Zealand opener Martin Guptill, who played onto his stumps a delivery that moved in after pitching on a good length.
 
With his brilliant opening burst at McLean Park, the 28-year-old Shami continued his good showing in the limited overs format, having impressed in Australia prior to this five-match ODI series.
 
Before Shami, Irfan Pathan reached the 100-wicket mark in 59 ODIs, while Zaheer Khan (65 matches), Ajit Agarkar (67) and Javagal Srinath (68) are the other Indian bowlers to complete a century of wickets in the quickest time. -- PTI 
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00:02   US top court allows Trump's transgender military ban to go into effect
The United States Supreme Court allowed US President Donald Trump's transgender military ban to go into effect on Tuesday, dealing a blow to LGBT activists who call the ban cruel and irrational.

The US Justices did not rule on the merits of the case, but will allow the ban to go forward while the lower courts work through it.

The four liberal justices on the Court objected to allowing the administration's policy banning most transgender people from serving in the military to go into effect.

The policy, first announced by the US president in July 2017 via Twitter, and later officially released by then-Secretary of Defense James Mattis in 2018, blocks individuals who have been diagnosed with a condition known as gender dysphoria from serving with limited exceptions. It also specifies that individuals without the condition can serve, but only if they do so according to the sex they were assigned at birth.

In a statement released after the SCOTUS decision to allow the ban to go forward, the Pentagon sought to clarify that its policy is not a ban on all transgender persons from the military.

"As always, we treat all transgender persons with respect and dignity. (The Department of Defense's) proposed policy is NOT a ban on service by transgender persons. It is critical that DoD be permitted to implement personnel policies that it determines are necessary to ensure the most lethal and combat effective fighting force in the world. DoD's proposed policy is based on professional military judgment and will ensure that the U.S. Armed Forces remain the most lethal and combat effective fighting force in the world," Lt Col Carla Gleason, a Pentagon spokesperson, told CNN.

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