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Tue, 05 September 2017

Attacks on freedom of press won't be tolerated: Press Club of India

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23:55 Attacks on freedom of press won't be tolerated: Press Club of India

The Press Club of India today strongly condemned the killing of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru.

"A fearless and independent journalist who gave voice to many causes and always stood up for justice has been shot dead in the most brutal manner in order to silence her voice," the PCI said in a statement.

Karnataka police chief R K Dutta said Lankesh was shot dead by unidentified assailants at the entrance of her residence in Raj Rajeshwari Nagar.

Lankesh, in her 50s, was an outspoken critic of Hindutva politics, and edited a Kannada tabloid 'Gauri Lankesh Patrike' besides owning some other publications.

"The fact that she was shot dead at her Rajarajeshwari Nagar at a busy hour on Tuesday evening only indicates how fragile law and order situation has become in Bengaluru and miscreants and criminals are having a free run in the Capital city of Karnataka," the Press Club of India said.

It demanded that her attackers be identified and brought to book in a swift manner.

"Reports have pointed to the involvement of some men in her killing, who shot her from close range at her residence.

"Whatever differences she had with anyone, it was certainly not the way to attack an outspoken journalist who was defenceless and had nothing to offer by way of resistance. Such attacks on the freedom of press will not be tolerated," the Club said.

The PCI, along with Press Association and Indian Women Press Corps (IWPC), will hold a protest meet tomorrow at 3 pm, against the killing of Lankesh.

Image: A candlelight vigil was organised in Karnataka's Gulbarga for journalist Gauri Lankesh. Photograph: ANI

In a veiled dig at the government, former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan today said it is always better to under-promise and over-achieve than to face awkward questions when it comes to growth comparisons with China.

Rajan, the only central bank governor in two decades who did not get a second term, also seemed to defend his controversial remark of India being a 'one-eyed king in the land of blind', saying GDP expansion slipped in every quarter since that remark in April of last year.

Breaking his silence after completion of the unwritten one-year moratorium for not commenting on India-specific issues since his exit from RBI on September 4, 2016, Rajan said India has a lot of potential and is capable of doing significantly more but should not get complacent.

"This notion that, we at every corner, we have to say we are the best and there is no body else like us. Well that is not true, first. There is lot of potential in India, we are capable of doing significantly more over the years to come.

"Let us be confident, we can do it. Let us do it. But let us boast only after we have achieved it. Let us not be overly complacent before that," he said at an event here to launch his book.

Rajan said he faced awkward questions in Beijing recently on India lagging behind China in terms of GDP growth rate for the second quarter in a row.

"I was in Beijing and reporters there were asking me... India was doing so well...of course we had a certain tiff with them recently which keeps them a little antagonist, but they all (said) India was doing so well (but tell us) which is the fastest growing country in the world (now)," he said.

India's GDP growth slowed to 5.7 per cent in April-June quarter, down from 6.1 per cent in the preceding three-month period. China clocked 6.5 per cent growth rate in both the quarters.

Replying to a question on demonetisation, Rajan said "the jury in terms of data is still out".

"We still have to wait for the full evolution of data to understand what exactly the cost and benefits have been. It may be that we never know because we do not measure some of the areas where demonetisation had impact because those were part of informal economy," said Rajan, currently professor of finance at the University of Chicago.

He, however, said the cost of demonetisation has been quite substantial.

Protests are being held outside senior journalist Gauri Lankesh's residence in Bengaluru's Rajarajeshwari Nagar after she was shot dead this evening.

Several protests are also being planned in Delhi and Bengaluru tomorrow.

Karnataka police chief R K Dutta said Lankesh was shot dead by unidentified assailants at the entrance of her residence.

Her brother Indrajit demanded that the case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation, India Today reported.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah condemned her murder and described it as an assassination of democracy. Absolutely shocked to learn about the murder of renowned journalist Gauri Lankesh," Siddaramaiah tweeted.

"I have no words to condemn this heinous crime. In her passing, Karnataka has lost a strong progressive voice, and I have lost a friend," the chief minister said.

Lankesh was the daughter of journalist and writer P Lankesh.

In November 2016, Lankesh was convicted in two separate defamation cases for her article from January 2008 criticising leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party. She was out on bail in the case.

22:45

Mamata Banerjee

Saddened at the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru. Most unfortunate. Very alarming. We want justice

22:41 Trump scraps Obama-era amnesty prog; 7,000 Indians to be hit

United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday scrapped an Obama-era amnesty programme that granted work permits to immigrants who arrived in the country illegally as children, a move likely to impact 800,000 undocumented workers including more than 7,000 Indian-Americans.

"I am here today to announce that the programme known as DACA (Deferred Action for Children Arrival) that was effectuated under the Obama Administration is being rescinded," US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said.

The announcement, which was anticipated for the past few days, was greeted with protests from across the country.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the White House demonstrating against Trump.

"The Department of Justice has advised the President and the Department of Homeland Security that DHS should begin an orderly, lawful wind down, including the cancellation of the memo that authorised this programme," Sessions told reporters.

Defending the move, he said that to have a lawful system of immigration that serves the national interest, one cannot admit everyone who would like to come here.

"That is an open border policy and the American people have rightly rejected it. Therefore, the nation must set and enforce a limit on how many immigrants we admit each year and that means all cannot be accepted," he said.

"This does not mean they are bad people or that our nation disrespects or demeans them in any way. It means we are properly enforcing our laws as Congress has passed them."

Sessions said that collective wisdom is that the policy is vulnerable to the same legal and constitutional challenges that the courts recognised with respect to the DAPA programme, which was enjoined on a nationwide basis in a decision affirmed by the Fifth Circuit.

One of the few women editors in language press was convicted on charges of defamation for writing a story against BJP workers. She says the case has more to do with her politics than the story her magazine published.

Read Lankesh's interview to Newslaundry.

Reactions pouring in over the killing of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh. The media fraternity has expressed shock and sadness over the incident.

Shocked, horrified that colleague & friend #GauriLankesh shot dead. She was a staunch voice for civil liberties and liberal values.

-- Sagarika Ghose‏

As a friend, colleague & admirer for decades shocked & shattered to hear of the murder of Gauri Lankesh,one of India's gutsiest journalists

-- Vir Sanghvi

Pansare, Kalburgi, Dabholkar, Lankesh, who is next? What is going on? Why haven't the guilty been caught in previous cases? #GauriLankesh

-- Rajdeep Sardesai

#GauriLankesh's pen was mightier than the sword. So they got a gun to silence the pen.

-- T S Sudhir‏

In a major clampdown against black money, the government today directed freezing bank accounts of more than 2.09 lakh companies whose names have been struck off from the records and said action would be taken against more such firms.

Banks have also been asked to step up their vigil against those companies that are non-compliant with various regulations and not carrying out business activities for long, a senior finance ministry official said as authorities

continue their crackdown against shell entities.

The official said banks have been directed to freeze the bank accounts of these deregistered companies.

While warning that action would be taken against erring firms, the official said the efforts would help in enhancing corporate governance standards as well as clean up the system that otherwise is prone to be misused.

The names of over 2.09 lakh firms have been struck off from register of companies for failing to comply with regulatory requirements.

"The names of 2,09,032 companies have been struck off from the register of companies under Section 248 (5) of the Act. The existing directors and authorised signatories of such struck-off companies will now become ex-directors or ex- authorised signatories," an official release said.

Section 248 of the Companies Act -- which is implemented by the corporate affairs ministry -- provides powers to strike off names of companies from the register on various grounds including for being inactive for long.

According to the official, since these companies had ceased to be legal entities, there was no reason having active bank accounts which could be prone to misuse.

Once these companies become compliant, banks would activate their accounts, the official added.

"Furthering our war against #BlackMoney, banks have been advised to immediately restrict bank accounts of struck-off companies," Minister of State for Corporate Affairs P P Chaudhary said in a tweet.

Senior journalist Gauri Lankesh has been shot dead at her residence in Bengaluru's Rajarajeshwari Nagar.

According to media reports, around 6:30 pm three assailants came to her residence and killed her.

She was the editor of Gauri Lankesh Patrike.

More details are awaited.

The resident doctors of the AIIMS in New Delhi today demanded removal of Anant Kumar Hegde, who was inducted in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet, saying he has a history of physical violence against the medical practitioners.

President of the Resident Doctors' Association of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Dr Harjit Bhatti said that the prime minister's move to induct Hegde as the Minister of State for Skill Development has developed a sense of insecurity among the doctors.

Bhatti, in his letter to Modi, said that doctors had gained confidence after the prime minister had raised the issue of violence against the medical practitioners from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15 and urged people to follow Mahatma Gandhi's path and stop violence against the doctors.

"But you have shattered the feeling of security. We doctors again feel insecure when you inducted a tainted minister into your cabinet who has a history of physical violence against doctors," he said in the letter.

The doctors, sought expedition of the process of enquiry and fair trial against Hedge, alleging he had assaulted doctors and staff in January at Sirsi hospital over an alleged delay in treatment.

The assault was captured by CCTV cameras and a case was registered against Hegde.

"We were expecting a fair enquiry and conviction, but he was rewarded and made a minister. This step is definitely against the medical fraternity as it portrays that you reward an assaulter of doctors," Bhatti said while urging the PM to review his decision in the best interest of doctors and the public.

Amid international uproar over North Korea's latest and biggest nuclear weapons test, one of its top diplomats said that it was ready to send "more gift packages" to the United States.

Han Tae Song, ambassador of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the United Nations in Geneva, was addressing the UN-sponsored Conference on Disarmament two days after his country detonated its sixth and largest nuclear test.

"I am proud of saying that just two days ago on the 3rd of September, DPRK successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test for intercontinental ballistic rocket under its plan for building a strategic nuclear force," Han said.

"The recent self-defence measures by my country, DPRK, are a gift package addressed to none other than the US," he said.

"The US will receive more gift packages from my country as long as it relies on reckless provocations and futile attempts to put pressure on the DPRK," he added without elaborating.

On Sunday, North Korea said it detonated a hydrogen bomb designed for a long-range missile and called its sixth and most powerful nuclear test a perfect success, sparking world condemnation and promises of tougher sanctions.

Attorney General K K Venugopal has advised ministries and central government departments against seeking legal opinion directly from him saying they should approach his office through the law ministry, a senior government functionary has said.

The AG's office has written to some secretaries whose ministries had approached him directly seeking his legal opinion on various issues.

Venugopal's office has also said that a brief summary of the case should be mentioned while seeking opinion, the functionary said.

His predecessor Mukul Rohatgi, on the contrary, was of the view that departments should be allowed to approach him directly for legal opinions as routing requests through the law ministry takes time.

Earlier this year, Rohatgi had written to Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad saying departments and even ministers have declined to route their requests for his legal opinion through the law ministry due to urgency of the matter.

Rule 8(e) of the Law Officers (Condition of Services) Rules, 1972 provides that unless a reference is received from the Law Ministry, no advice will be given to any ministry or department.

Rohatgi was of the view that the rule runs contrary to Article 76 of the Constitution which states that it shall be the duty of the Attorney General to give advice to the Government of India upon such legal matters, and to perform such other duties of a legal character, as may from time to time be referred or assigned to him by the president.

Rohingyas are illegal immigrants and stand to be deported, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju today said, asserting that nobody should preach India on the issue as the country has absorbed the maximum number of refugees in

the world.

"I want to tell the international organisations whether the Rohingyas are registered under the United Nations Human Rights Commission or not. They are illegal immigrants in India," Rijiju told reporters in New Delhi.

The minister of state for home said that since they are not legal immigrants, "they stand to be deported".

"As per law, they stand to be deported because they are illegal immigrants. We are a nation with great democratic tradition

"India has absorbed maximum number of refugees in the world so nobody should give India any lessons on how to deal with refugees," he added.

Taking a strong position on the reported criticism of the government's stand on the issue, Rijiju said, "We are following the legal path then why have we been accused of being inhuman."

He said that the Centre has instructed all state governments to start the process of their deportation.

Meanwhile, two Rohingya immigrants have approached the the Supreme Court urging it to direct the central government to not deport them to Myanmmar.

The Rohingya Muslims fled to India after violence in the western Rakhine State of Myanmar.

Around 14,000 Rohingyas living in the country are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, while about 40,000 are said to be staying illegally.

Under mounting international pressure to act against the terror groups, Pakistan today rejected a declaration by the BRICS nations, including China, saying there was no "safe haven" for terrorists on its soil.

Leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations at the BRICS Summit in China's Xiamen yesterday and expressed concern over threat posed by terror groups, including those based in Pakistan.

The 43-page declaration, adopted at the end of the BRICS plenary, expressed "concern" over the security situation in the region and the violence caused by the Taliban, ISIS, al-Qaeda and its affiliates including Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiyba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and Hizb ut-Tahrir.

"We reject the declaration (released by member countries) at the BRICS Summit," Pakistan's Defence Minister Khurram Dastgir said during a meeting of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Defence.

Dastgir claimed that Pakistan has no "safe haven" for terrorists on its soil.

"Pakistan has taken action against all groups on its soil and only the remnants of some are left," he was quoted as saying by the Geo TV.

"Forty per cent of Afghanistan is a safe haven for terrorists," he said, later while talking to the media.

Citing a report by the US Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction, Dastagir said of the 407 Afghan districts, only 57 per cent are under their control.

"The foreign minister will consult regional partners and then proceed to the US," he said when asked about Pakistan's plan following US President Donald Trump's recent comments.

Trump, in his first prime-time televised address to announce his Afghanistan and South Asia policy, hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists.

An advance light helicopter (AHL) of the army today crashed in eastern Ladakh sector in Jammu and Kashmir, an officer said.

All crew members are safe, the army officer told PTI.

The Dhruv helicopter flying in eastern Ladakh sector crashed this afternoon, he said, adding that further details are awaited.

Reality show participant and actor Bobby Darling, who married a Bhopal-based businessman last year, has filed a complaint of domestic violence against her husband and in-laws.

"We received the complaint on Saturday through registered post. She has accused her husband and in-laws of harassment, physical torture and domestic violence," Bhopal Superintendent of Police Bhupendra Singh said.

Her husband, Ramneek Sharma, 30, denied the allegations.

According to the police, the complaint was sent from Delhi on August 28.

"We had called her husband for questioning. Action would be taken after investigation," CSP Singh added.

No first information report has been registered in the case yet.

Bobby Darling, 47, born transsexual, underwent sex change surgery in Bangkok in 2015 to become a woman. She had come into limelight as a participant in the first season of reality TV show Big Boss in 2006.

She married Ramneek Sharma in February last year and changed her name to Pakhi Sharma.

Speaking to reporters, her husband denied all allegations.

"She doesn't have any work for the past five years. She wanted to hog the limelight to get work in the Bollywood....All her allegations are baseless," Sharma said.

"I have told the police my side of the story and given my statement. I have also provided supporting documents," he said.

17:43

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Myanmar President Htin Kyaw in Nay Pyi Taw.

17:13 We are in majority, claims unified AIADMK

111 MLAs of the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in Tamil Nadu today attended a legislators' meet convened by Chief Minister E Palaniswami, amid calls for a floor test in the Assembly by the opposition parties.

State Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar on Tuesday asserted the unified AIADMK is in majority, claiming that all its MLAs are extending support to Palanisamy.

"111 MLAs attended the meet. One is not well, but has extended support, three from our alliance also support us. One of them is the speaker. Nine MLAs from other group were contacted on phone and they extended support, so we are in majority," Jayakumar said.

After its 21 legislators switched to rebel camp headed by "ousted" leader TTV Dinakaran after withdrawing support to the chief minister, the unified AIADMK had convened a crucial meeting of the legislators.

Though the AIADMK had also invited the rebel MLAs to the meeting, they denied the proposal.Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao is yet take a decision on the letter given by 19 rebel MLAs seeking to remove Palanisamy.The AIADMK has 134 MLAs in the 234-member state Assembly.

The Sri Lankan Navy allegedly attacked a group of fishermen from Tamil Nadu today and damaged their boats and fishing equipment, while they were fishing off the Katchatheevu island.

According to information reaching the police in Ramanathapuram, the navy personnel of the island nation subsequently chased away the fishermen after warning them of severe consequences.

Twenty boats were damaged and more than 10 fishermen sustained injuries in the attack, the police said, adding that the injured were admitted to a private hospital and discharged subsequently.

Over 2,500 fishermen from Rameswaram, who had put out to sea last night, were forced to return to the shore this morning.

The incident comes a day after 80 fishermen from the state, who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy in separate incidents early this year, returned to the Karaikal port from the island nation.

The released fishermen belonged to Ramanathapuram, Pudukottai, Karaikal, Nagapattinam, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Madurai and Puducherry districts, a government official said.

The Sri Lankan government had agreed to release the 80 fishermen last week.

Time and tide -- and Mumbai suburban trains -- wait for none, but today was an exception.

An alert motorman of a 'local' train (as suburban trains are known in Mumbai) did stop a train to save a dog which was about to get run over. The incident happened at the crowded Churchgate station of the Western Railway in Mumbai this afternoon.

A local train had barely pulled into the station when the motorman saw a dog on the tracks.

He stopped the train and blew the horn but the canine did not budge and stood its ground.

The incessant blowing of the horn attracted commuters, including a PTI correspondent, from other platforms but did not seem to have an effect on the dog who stood on the tracks, facing the train.

It was left to a good samaritan, who was waiting for this train, to get down on to the tracks and lift the dog to safety amid the applause of the onlookers.

There was a rush to laud the rescuer and also the motorman for saving the dog's life.

The motorman, R P Meena, told PTI that it was all in a day's work for him.

Told that he had done a wonderful thing, the railway employee merely shrugged, saying, "It is nothing."

Relieved that the drama had ended on a happy note for the canine, the passengers jumped into the train, the 1.43 pm Churchgate-Virar fast local.

Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph by Pravin Talan for Mumbai Railway Police Calendar 2017.

16:20 Bomb hoax delays Kolkata-Mumbai Gitanjali Exp

A hoax call claiming that a bomb had been kept on the Howrah-CST Mumbai 12860 Up Gitanjali Express delayed the train for over half an hour today as it was thoroughly checked before and restarting its journey.

"A telephone call was received at Mumbai Central police control room claiming that there was a bomb in Gitanjali Express," South Eastern Railway (SER) spokesman Sanjoy Ghosh said.

"The information was passed on to SER and the train, which had departed from Howrah station at 1.50 pm, was stopped at Santragachi station at 2.13 PM," Ghosh told PTI in Kolkata.

Santragachi is about 10 km away from Howrah station.

Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel, aided by sniffer dogs searched all compartments of the train thoroughly, before they declared that nothing suspicious was found, he said.

The train was declared safe for travel and restarted its journey towards CST Mumbai after a delay of 35 minutes, Ghosh said.

16:17 Government launches 2 new free contraceptives

The government has launched two new free contraceptives, an injectable drug and a pill, expanding the basket of choices for the country's population to meet their family planning needs.

The contraceptives, which are available for free in medical colleges and district hospitals at present, have so far been launched in 10 states -- Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Haryana, West Bengal, Odisha, Delhi and Goa.

"The contraceptives are safe and highly effective, the 'Antara' injectable being effective for three months and the 'Chayya' pill for one week, and will help meet the changing needs of couples and help women plan and space their pregnancies," said an official statement.

The contraceptives are being launched under the government's Mission Parivar Vikas, a central family planning initiative.

The Haryana Police went looking for Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's close aide Honeypreet Insaan in Kheri as she was suspected to have left for Nepal through the porous border.

Additional Superintendent of Police Ghanshyam Chaurasiya confirmed the arrival of two Haryana police personnel at Gaurifanta border in Kheri.

Chaurasiya said that the Haryana Police had shared some information with the Gaurifanta Police and inquired about her suspected movement towards the neighbouring country through the porous India-Nepal border.

"However, when no clue about Honeypreet's departure for Nepal could be gathered, the Haryana Police returned," the ASP said.

He said an unclaimed vehicle bearing the registration number of Punjab was seized from the border and an investigation is being done to ascertain its ownership and its connection with Honeypreet.

Honeypreet is the adopted "daughter" of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh whose conviction in a rape case triggered mob violence that killed 36 people across Haryana.

She had accompanied the Dera head when he was brought to the special CBI court in Panchkula for the pronouncement of the verdict in a 15-year-old rape case. She also travelled along with him in a special chopper which ferried them to Rohtak from Panchkula after the conviction.

The police had issued a lookout notice against Honeypreet who has emerged as the Dera head's likely successor to head the controversial sect.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh today alleged that a state-owned auditorium in Kolkata where its chief Mohan Bhagwat was scheduled to attend a programme on October 3 has cancelled the booking for the event.

The move to cancel the booking was condemned by the RSS but the auditorium authorities said renovation and repair work would be undertaken around that time and therefore the facility cannot be provided due to "safety and security reasons."

"This is not the first time that such a move was taken. Earlier also the state(West Bengal) government had done it. We condemn this move," Jishnu Basu, RSS spokesperson in the state, alleged.

A spokesman of the Sister Nivedita 150th birth anniversary celebrations committee, which had booked Mahajati Sadan for the programme, claimed that the auditorium authorities had accepted the booking in June.

15:40 Come back soon, Ganesha

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis immerses a Ganesha idol in an artificial pond at his residence.

A four-storey dilapidated building in the Posta area of central Kolkata collapsed today, killing one member of a family and grievously injuring two others, police officials said. The three were trapped inside a room when the building collapsed, they said.

They were taken to the Calcutta Medical College Hospital where doctors declared one person as "brought dead". The injured, who are in a critical condition, were admitted to the hospital. It was not immediately known how they were related, and if there were others in the building.

The police said people were living there even after it had been declared a "dangerous structure" by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The area was cordoned off and the building evacuated, they said.

15:31 Tharoor accuses Winston Churchill of genocide

Shashi Tharoor's emphatic critique of British rule in India resonated during a discussion in which global thinkers and authors debated the moral status of the west and responses to racial, gender and economic inequality in the era of Donald Trump. For all Tharoor fans.

London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal wants to qualify for the Dubai World Superseries Finals after resuming her partnership with long-time mentor and chief coach Pullela Gopichand.

Three years after parting ways, Saina yesterday announced her reunioun with Gopichand and said she is looking forward to training at his academy beginning on Thursday.

"I feel when we spoke things went very smoothly and there was no discussion of past. For now, we have buried our past differences. We are now only looking forward to the training," Saina, who won a bronze at World Championship, told PTI. "I would like to start training first, the fire to win is there and I would definitely try my best. I'm keen to qualify for year-end Dubai Superseries Finals." After spliting with Gopichand following a loss at the Copenhagen World Championship in 2014, Saina had said that her off-court planning was not fructifying as she was losing to top players such as China's Li Xuerui. Saina said she has started playing in Hyderabad from yesterday, but because she has some pain in her leg, she will start full training from September 7. "I am playing in hyderabad, but because I have some pain in my leg, I will start full training from September seven," said Saina, who is suffering from a slight thigh strain. Asked if she was feeling homesick while training in Bengaluru with Vimal Kumar, Saina said, "It is not like that, but things will be much easier in Hyderabad for me." Saina credited coach Vimal for being there when she needed him the most. "Definitely, his hardwork has paid off in the last three years that Vimal sir has worked on me," she said. Saina had moved to Prakash Padukone Academy here three years ago after 2014 World Championships. Under the eyes of Vimal, she achieved the World No. 1 ranking in April 2015 and won a silver at the 2015 World Championship before suffering a knee injury ahead of Rio Olympics last year. It was only the second time that an Indian had achieved the top ranking after Prakash Padukone achieved the feat in 1980.

Time and Tide - and the Mumbai suburban trains -- wait for none, but today was an exception. An alert motorman of a 'local' train (as suburban trains are known in Mumbai) did stop a train to save a dog which was about to get run over.

The incident happened at the crowded Churchgate station of the Western Railway here this afternoon. A local train had barely pulled into the station when the motorman saw a dog on the tracks. He stopped the train and blew the horn but the dog did not budge.

The incessant blowing of the horn attracted commuters, including a PTI correspondent, from other platforms but did not seem to have an effect on the dog who stood on the tracks, facing the train. It was left to a good Samaritan, who was waiting for this train, to get down on to the tracks and lift the dog to safety amid the applause of the onlookers.

There was a rush to laud the rescuer and also the motorman for saving the dog's life. The motorman, P C Meena, told PTI that it was all in a day's work for him. Told that he had done a wonderful thing, the railway employee merely shrugged, saying "it is nothing."

Relieved that the drama had ended on a happy note for the dog, the passengers jumped into the train, the 1.43 pm Churchgate-Virar fast local.

Cricketer Gautam Gambhir has said that he will support the education of Zohra, the daughter of slain Jammu and Kashmir police officer, for a lifetime.

The heartbreaking images of Zohra weeping inconsolably at her father, assistant sub-inspector of police Abdul Rasheed's funeral, went viral, prompting Gambhir to make the gesture.

Rasheed was martyred in an attack by terrorists in Anantnag.

Gambhir tweeted, "Zohra, I can't put u 2 sleep wid a lullaby but I'll help u 2 wake up 2 live ur dreams. Will support ur education 4 lifetime #daughterofIndia"

The Jammu and Kashmir Police had also reached out to the grieving daughter with a heart-felt message on the Facebook page of the DIG of South Kashmir.

"My Dear Zohra,

Your tears have shaken many hearts.The sacrifice made by your father will always be remembered. You are too young to understand as to why this happened.

People responsible for such violence who attack the lawful symbol of the state and society are indeed insane and enemy of humanity.Your father like all of us represented Jammu Kashmir police force- a hallmark of valour and sacrifice.

Many of our police families have suffered and undergone irreparable trauma defending the common good for the society.All those faces and stories indeed create a rich history making us proud. We cannot forget our heroes,our dear ones with whom we lived and worked all these years.All these families are part of a great journey that JKP has undertaken serving the society.

Remember we all are one family at this critical phase. Every drop of your tear sears our heart.May almighty give us the strength to go ahead with our mission of rendering services for the betterment of the society.The vow that we have taken when we donned the uniform stands supreme. Let our sprit and commitment become the harbinger for change,let it be the message of peace and harmony for the fellow citizens.We will always cherish the memory of ASI Abdul Rashid as a true policeman who sacrificed his life in the line of the duty.
RIP

With loads of blessings
All ranks and officers of JKP."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today left for Nay Pyi Taw for his first bilateral visit to Myanmar with an aim of charting a roadmap for closer cooperation between the two countries in areas like security and counter- terrorism. The Prime Minister left for Nay Pyi Taw, the capital city of Myanmar, from this southeastern Chinese city where he attended the annual BRICS summit and held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders. Modi is scheduled to call on Myanmar President Htin Kyaw who is also hosting a banquet for him later today. The Prime Minister will hold wide-ranging talks with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi tomorrow.

Soldiers and civilians in Burma are attempting to cover up the massacre of the country's Rohingya Muslim population by gathering their bodies and burning them, an advocate for the minority group has said.Chris Lewa, director of the Arakan Project, which monitors violence in Burma's Rakhine state, said her organisation had documented the killing of at least 130 people in one settlement in the Rathedaung region. Read more

The 14-year-old 71.3-kilometer-long Sarli-Huri Road in Kurung Kumey district, a defence road, leading to the China border, has been completed by Project Arunank of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

The project was taken up by 85 RCC/756 BRTF of Project Arunank in May 2006. Since then, relentless efforts have been made braving inhospitable terrain to achieve the goal of linking Pipa, Damin, Huri and other remote villages.

12:44

The Enforcement Directorate attaches the Delhi farmhouse in connection with the money laundering probe against RJD MP Misa Bharti and her husband.

12:38

PM Narendra Modi leaves from Xiamen, China, for Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.

12:04 India@BRICS: PM-Xi meeting forward looking

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar on the Modi-Xi meet. Highlights of the press conference.

-- The discussions were constructive.

-- It was agreed at Astana that we will not let differences become disputes, that was reaffirmed.

-- Both agreed that concrete steps should be taken to resolve recent issues.

-- Detailed and constructive talks were held on BRICS future and relations, differences won't become disputes.

-- The meeting lasted little more than an hour. It was mainly on BRICS related issues.

-- Important point made during meeting was peace and tranquility in the border area is prerequisite for further development of relationship.

-- Counter terrorism issues were taken up during the course of BRICS, they were not discussed in this meeting.

-- India foreign secretary says both sides' defence forces must maintain cooperation and ensure recent situation does not recur.

-- Both of us know what happened this was not backward looking conversation it was forward looking.

11:40

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar addresses the media in Xiamen, China.

11:39 Defense experts label BRICS summit as 'diplomatic victory'

Defense experts have deemed the BRICS Summit 2017 as a diplomatic victory for the country after a joint declaration condemned terrorism and included Pakistan based terrorist organizations in it.

While speaking to ANI on the same, defense expert PK Sehgal said, "It is a diplomatic victory for India. China has been forced to condemn terrorist based organizations. Should China actually walk the talk, it will signal a change of China's stance towards Pakistan and terrorism.

''He conceded that China was forced to incline towards India's stance on terrorism because of the pressure they faced."China is playing a double game and was caught on the back foot. Because of Doklam and other issues, everyone was supporting China and they had to agree to the joint communique to make sure that the BRICS summit didn't fail," he said. -- ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today pitched for coordinated action on counter terrorism, cyber security and disaster management, as he suggested 10 'noble commitments' through which BRICS leadership in global transformation can be achieved.

Modi, while speaking at the 'BRICS Emerging Markets and Developing Countries Dialogue' organised by China on sidelines of the 9th BRICS Summit as an outreach exercise, said India has a long tradition of partnerships with fellow developing countries, while pursuing its own aspirations for growth.

"Whatever we do, will impact the world substantially. So, it is our solemn duty to make a better world -- brick by brick, or, through BRICS....," Modi said.

"I had spoken about the BRICS driving the global transformation in the next ten years for it to be a Golden Decade. I suggest that this can be brought about with our proactive approach, policies, and action," Modi said while putting forward ten noble commitments through which BRICS leadership in global transformation can be achieved.

11:21 131 years on, patron Mother for Calcutta

The Archdiocese of Calcutta will declare Mother Teresa as its second patron after St Francis Xavier in the first such decision in 131 years. St Francis Xavier was declared the first patron when the Archdiocese of Calcutta was established in 1886. Every archdiocese has a patron who is a saint. The holy person selected as the patron intercedes for the people with God when they pray to Him, an official of the archdiocese told The Telegraph. Read more

India used quiet diplomacy to convince China, Russia, Brazil and South Africa today to join it in collectively censuring Pakistan-based terrorist groups for the first time, a year after public bombast from Prime Minister Narendra Modi had failed to yield the same result. The Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (Brics) grouping named the Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Haqqani Network as common concerns in a declaration after a series of meetings between the leaders of the five countries in the eastern China city of Xiamen. Read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in Xiamen on the sidelines of BRICS 2017. "I congratulate you for the successful execution of BRICS Summit," the PM said at the bilateral meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Jinping tells the PM that China is prepared to work with India to seek guidance from the five principles of Panchsheel. The Chinese delegation comprised President Xi Jinping, Chief Spokesperson Lu Kang, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and State Councilor Yang Jiechi. "India and China are each other's major neighbors, we are also two of the world's largest & emerging countries," Xi Jinping said.

This is PM Modi's first meet with Xi Jinping after the Doklam standoff.

Two Dera Sacha Sauda followers, who were arrested by the Sangrur district police of Punjab on Sunday for spreading violence following the verdict of rape-convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, have reportedly admitted that they had been directed to target public buildings in the Malwa region if the Panchkula court did not rule in their chief's favour. Read more

A Kochi-bound Air India flight with 102 passengers on board veered off the taxiway in the early hours of Tuesday at the Kochi airport.

The incident took place at around 2:40 a.m. when the Air India express IX452, the Abu Dhabi to Kochi flight, was approaching to the parking bay.

All the passengers are reportedly safe and have been evacuated.

Days after the United States lambasted the Pakistan government for giving safe havens to terror outfits, the second in command of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Abdul Rehman Makki, has pledged to intensify jihad against India in Jammu and Kashmir.

Makki was speaking at the "Shohda-e-Kashmir" conference at Al-Daawa Model School in Lahore. The event was to observe the "martyrdom" of terrorist Abu Waleed Mohammad, who was killed in Bandipora by the Indian security forces.

While revisiting JuD's commitment to continue with cross-border terrorism, Makki praised the spirit of Abu Waleed Mohammad and recalled the "sacrifices" made by other JuD terrorists in Kashmir.

Only recently had US President Donald Trump warned Pakistan for providing safe havens to agents of chaos and terror.

Makki has condemned the Wests moves to label JuD cadres as terrorists and declaring the organization as dangerous for peace in the region.

He further said that JuD's basic aim was consolidation of Pakistan and freeing Kashmiris from the Hindu forces.

Coming down heavily on Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government over the deaths of more than 100 children in state government-run hospitals, the Shiv Sena, in an editorial in the party's mouthpiece ' Saamna', on Tuesday criticised termed the incidents as case of 'a spree of children's homicide'.

Citing the fact that these kids who died at Gorakhpur's Baba Raghav Das Medical College and Farrukhabad district hospital belonged to the poor families, the Shiv Sena said instead of acting as a 'God' to the poor', these government hospitals are proving to be a 'God of death' for them.

"The government-run hospitals are one and only shelter for the poor in the midst of an alarming health crisis. If these hospitals show such negligence, how the needy will survive?" the article read.

Holding the UP government responsible for the recent deaths, due to oxygen shortage, the Shiv Sena averred that this clearly states the government is unconcerned about the facilities in the hospital.

Following the Gorakhpur incident that took lives of more than 70 children at Baba Raghav Das Medical College, at least 49 children died in Farrukhabad in last one month.

The Supreme Court has sought to know the stand of the government on a petition challenging its decision to deport illegal Rohingya Muslim immigrants back to Myanmar.

The matter came up before a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud which asked Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to take instruction from the Centre about its response to the petition which has challenged the decision on various grounds including that it violated international human right conventions.

Violent attacks allegedly by Myanmarese armymen have led to an exodus of Rohingya tribals from the western Rakhine state in that country to India and Bangladesh. Many of them, who had fled to India after the earlier spate of violence, have settled in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.

The plea, filed by two Rohingya immigrants, Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, who are registered refugees under the United Nations High Commission of Refugees, claimed they had taken refuge in India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination, violence and bloodshed against the community there.

"Proposed deportation is contrary to the constitutional protections of Article 14 (Right to Equality), Article 21 (Right to Life and Personal Liberty) and Article 51(c) of the Constitution of India, which provides equal rights and liberty to every person.

"This act would also be in contradiction with the principle of 'Non-Refoulement', which has been widely recognised as a principle of Customary International Law," the plea said, while seeking a direction to the government not to deport them and other members of Rohingya community.

PLEASE READ: Why the Rohingyas feel safe in India

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who took over his first portfolio since the party came to power in Delhi two years ago, will take a 10-day meditation break starting Sunday.

His destination is Igatpuri - a picturesque hill station in Maharashtra's Nashik -- where he plans to pursue another course in Vipassana, an ancient Buddhist meditation technique which mandates complete silence.

The 47-year-old leader has been learning Vipassana for a while. He says meditation provides him with the strength to deal with stressful situations.

His last meditation course was in 2016, at Dharamkot in Himachal Pradesh, ahead of a round of assembly elections in five states.

Three years ago, Kejriwal had gone for another Vipassana session following the intensive campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections. A year later, the Aam Aadmi Party won Delhi with a sweeping mandate in February 2015.

Kejriwal took over the water ministry, which had been handed over to Rajendra Pal Gautam after rebel minister Kapil Mishra was removed. Sources said he was "unhappy" with the performance of Gautam.

On the first day in his new office as tourism minister, bureaucrat-turned-politician Alphons Kannanthanam touched upon the controversial issue of beef, saying it would continue to be consumed in Kerala.

The 1979 Kerala cadre officer said that the BJP had never said that beef cannot be eaten.

"As Goa chief minister, Manohar Parrikar has said that beef will be consumed in the state. Similarly, it will be consumed in Kerala," he said.

"The BJP does not mandate that beef cannot be eaten. We don't dictate food habits in any place. It is for the people to decide," he said.

Kannanthanam said if a BJP-ruled state like Goa was eating beef, there should be no problem in Kerala.

Image: Dr Mahesh Sharma greeting the new Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism, Alphons Kannanthanam, in New Delhi on Monday.

Mumbai is all set to bid adieu to Lord Ganesha and the police is making sure that citizens don't face any hassles in the city.

Some 40,000 police personnel will fan out across Mumbai to secure the city under the watchful eyes of over 5,000 CCTV cameras on Ganesh Visarjan today.

Drone cameras will also fly over tens of thousands of people who will come out on the streets to participate in the Ganesh idol immersion event.

In addition to 40,000 police personnel, the state will deploy 1,200 State Reserve Police Force personnel and 120 Rapid Action Force personnel, apart from bomb disposal and quick reaction teams.

Over 7,600 Ganesh idols installed at public places and over one lakh idols in homes will be immersed today. The event will start in the afternoon with smaller idols and continue well into Wednesday morning with the immersion of big idols like Lalbaugcha Raja, which will reach Girgaum Chowpatty at 6 in the morning.

Fifty-three roads in the city will be closed for traffic, while 54 others routes will be converted into one-way roads. Apart from this, parking will be a hassle, even more so than usual as the traffic police has declared 99 spots across the city as no parking zones.

Roads that will be closed

Colaba: Nathalal Pareekh Marg from Badhwar Park to Indu Clinic

Mazgaon: Jinabhai Mulji Rathod Marg up to P DMello Road

Kalbadevi: Jagannath Shankar Seth Road up to Princess Street, Portuguese Church, VP Road, BJ Road and CP Tank Road

Byculla: Dr BA Road from Bharatmata Junction to Bawla Compound near Vicky Bar, and Dr SS Rao road from Kshirsagar Hotel to Lalbaugh Police Chowky

Chinchpokli: Chinchpokli bridge to Shravan Yeshwant Chowk

Parel and Dadar: Sane Guruji Marg, Dr E Borges Road, Jerabai Wadia Marg, Ranade Marg

Chembur: Hemu Kalani Marg from Umarshi Bappa junction to Basant Park and Gidwani Marg from Golf club to Jhama chowk

Ghatkopar: Lal Bahadur Shashtri Marg from Kurla Depot Junction to Ghatkopar Link Road Junction

Mulund: Bhattipada Marg, Jangal Mangal Marg, Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay Marg

On the Western Suburbs roads such as Linking Road from Santacruz police station to Khar Telephone Exchange

Aarey colony: From Unit 3 and Unit 16 to Aarey Talao

Kandivali: SV Road, MG Road from Bobby Shopping Centre up to Datta Mandir Road

Andheri: JP Road, Caesar Road and Paanch Marg

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is headed to the United States where he is likely to meet the pioneers of research on Artificial Intelligence -- the science of making machines that think like humans.

Gandhi, who recently returned from Norway, is gearing up for another offshore visit, this time to the Silicon Valley in the US to "expand his thoughts about artificial intelligence", party sources here said.

The sources said Gandhi wants India to lead in the niche area which comes after software development, in which India has already won global recognition.

While AI is still a nascent subject to most in India, many countries including China have begun investments in the area to strengthen research in it.

Facilitating Gandhi's US visit is the chairman of Overseas Congress, Sam Pitroda, a technology innovator who was brought back to India by Rajiv Gandhi and was among those behind the telecom revolution in the country.

Gandhi will also address a conference on 'India At 70: Reflections On The Path Forward' at the University of California, Berkeley, on September 11.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a bilateral meeting at 10 am today on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.

The meeting comes days after India and China called off their troops after a 73-day stand-off at Doklam.

On Monday morning, the two leaders had greeted each other with a warm handshake and broad smiles before the day's programmes started.

The leaders of BRICS have strongly condemned and named in a declaration, for the first time, Pakistan-based terror groups like Lashkar-e-Tayiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Haqqani network.

PM Modi and President Xi had met informally at the G20 summit in Germany in July, but their last bilateral talks were held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, in June during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

harpening its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress has said demonetisation was "Modi Made Disaster" and asked him to introspect whether he has moral right to continue after causing harm to India's

economy and decimating it by over Rs 3 lakh crore.

Congress incharge of communication Randeep Surjewala also asked the prime minister to apologise to the nation and hold an immediate inquiry into the alleged demonetisation "scam".

He said the entire purpose of demonetisation stood defeated after the decision failed to achieve its objectives of curbing black money, fake currency, terror funding and digitisation of financial transactions.

"If morality has any basis in our polity, it is time for the Prime Minister to introspect and to think whether he has a moral right to continue in his office even for a day after decimating India's economy by over Rs 3 lakh crore and causing damage to it," he told reporters.

Surjewala also said, "He must apologise to the Nation. He must also order an immediate enquiry into the demonetisation scam."

He said one thing is clear that the "disaster of demonetisation was nothing but 'MMD' 'Modi Made Disaster'".

He asked who is responsible for this 'disaster' in which India's economy lost over Rs 3 lakh crore in which housewives lost their lives' earnings, in which 15 lakh people lost their jobs, medium and small enterprises were forced to shut down and credibility of financial Institutions including Reserve Bank was put under question.

The Congress leader said that is why when former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan showed the mirror of truth to the Prime Minister and the BJP government, "it is time for the Prime Minister to introspect".

Surjewala accused the Prime Minister to have "misled" this country and "lied" to the nation and asked him to introspect and think if he should remain in office.

He said 99 per cent of the money returned to the banks after demonetisation and of the remaining Rs 16,000 crore, one has to still count money deposited with Royal Bank of Nepal and the money deposited in court cases as also with NRIs.

Twenty four more children died in the BRD Medical College hospital in Gorakhpur during the past 48 hours, officials said.

Newly-appointed principal of the college Dr PK Singh said that nine children died on Sunday while 15 others died in the various wards of the hospital on Monday.

With this the toll in the BRD college hospital has gone up to 1,341 so far this year, he said.

Singh said that all out efforts were being made to improve the medical facilities in the BRD Medical College, which has been in the news over the scores of deaths of children last month.

As many as 24 new warmers, which are used for the benefit of new borns, have been provided by the government taking their number in the hospital to 40, he said.

These warmers have been installed at various places in the hospital, he said.

Similarly, the hospital has got 18 new paediatricians who are working to provide better medical care round the clock, the principal said.

These new doctors are on call from other medical colleges as well as from the PMS, he said, adding that these include 10 junior residents, seven medical officers and one professor.

Attacks on freedom of press won't be tolerated: Press Club of India

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