Stolen mobile phone of Dattatreya recovered, one arrested

The Hyderabad Police today arrested a person and recovered from him the stolen mobile phone of Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya. The accused G Raj Kumar (52), was arrested and the cell phone worth Rs 13,000 was recovered from him, S Raman, Detective Sub-Inspector (DSI), attached to Musheerabad Police Station said. Dattatreya is the Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment. The cell phone was stolen on May 15 when it was kept on charging in the visitor's room of the Dattatreya's house at Ram Nagar here after which a complaint was lodged and police registered a case under section 380 (theft in dwelling house) of the IPC. During investigation, police after analysing the CCTV footage of the minister's residence, identified the accused, who had come to the house seeking recommendation letter for visiting a temple and committed the theft, the DSI said. Kumar was planning to dispose of the cell phone, police said.

Govt doctors' retirement age extended to 65 years

Government today approved extending retirement age of doctors of Central Health Services to 65 years with effect from today. This will enable the government to retain experienced doctors for a longer period and to provide better services in its public health facilities. Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made an announcement to increase the retirement age from 62 to 65 years at a rally in Saharanpur. Health Minister J P Nadda has said that this step will empower the government to strengthen the healthcare sector in the country. He said, it will help in providing additional doctors in the health pool of the country.

Family planning not for Muslims, says Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today that family planning and contraception were not for Muslim families, in his latest comments promoting population growth that have angered women's activists. Erdogan said it was the responsibility of mothers to ensure the continued growth of Turkey's population, which has expanded at a rate of around 1.3 per cent in the last few years. "I will say it clearly... We need to increase the number of our descendants," he said in a speech in Istanbul. "People talk about birth control, about family planning. No Muslim family can understand and accept that! Erdogan and his wife Emine have two sons and two daughters. Earlier this month, the president attended the high-profile marriage of his younger daughter Sumeyye to defence industrialist Selcuk Bayraktar. His elder daughter Esra, who is married to the up-and-coming Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, has three children. Erdogan has often annoyed feminists and women's activists with his comments on sex and family planning. In a speech marking International Women's Day this year, he said he believed that "a woman is above all else a mother". In 2014, he described birth control as a "treason" which risked causing a whole generation to "dry up".

Oil tankers call off indefinite strike

Oil tanker operators in Telangana today called off their indefinite strike just hours after launch of the stir following the state government's assurance to recall imposition of 14.5 per cent VAT on transportation of the fuel. Around 3,000 trucks carrying petroleum products were kept off roads since Sunday midnight after strike call by the truckers' association, Telangana State Petroleum Tank Trucks Owners Association claimed. The president of the association, K Rajashekhar Reddy, said the state government has assured them that the VAT will be rolled back. "All 3,000 tankers and trucks participated in the strike today. We had discussions with the government officials. They assured us that the VAT will be rolled back and hence, we are calling off the strike," Reddy told PTI. Earlier in the morning, many petrol bunks in Hyderabad witnessed panic buying from consumers due to fear of shortage of petrol and diesel following the strike. Reddy said that no state in the country has imposed such tax on petroleum goods transportation.

Iraq forces push into streets of Fallujah

Iraqi forces thrust into the city of Fallujah from three directions today marking a new and perilous urban phase in the week-old operation to retake the jihadist bastion. The drive to recapture the first city to be lost from government control in 2014 came as fighting also raged in neighbouring Syria, leaving huge numbers of civilians exposed. Led by the elite counter-terrorism service (CTS), Iraq's best trained and most seasoned fighting unit, the forces pushed into Fallujah before dawn, commanders said. "Iraqi forces entered Fallujah under air cover from the international coalition, the Iraqi air force and army aviation, and supported by artillery and tanks," said Lieutenant General Abdelwahab al-Saadi, the commander of the operation. "There is resistance from Daesh," he added, using an Arabic acronym for IS. The forces have not yet ventured into the city centre but they recaptured some areas in a southern suburb after crossing a bridge, and took up positions on the eastern and northern fringes. The involvement of the elite CTS marks the start of a phase of urban combat in a city where in 2004 US forces fought some of their toughest battles since the Vietnam War. The week-old operation had previously focused on retaking rural areas around Fallujah, which lies just 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad. It had been led by the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force, which is dominated by Tehran-backed Shiite militias. They were still in action Monday, attempting to clear an area northwest of Fallujah called Saqlawiya, officers said. Only a few hundred families have managed to slip out of the Fallujah area ahead of the assault on the city, with an estimated 50,000 civilians still trapped inside, sparking fears the jihadists could try to use them as human shields. The only families who were able to flee so far lived in outlying areas, with the biggest wave of displaced reaching camps on Saturday night. "Our resources in the camps are now very strained and with many more expected to flee we might not be able to provide enough drinking water for everyone," said Nasr Muflahi, the Norwegian Refugee Council's Iraq director. "We expect bigger waves of displacement the fiercer the fighting gets." In Amriyat al-Fallujah, a government-controlled town to the south of the jihadist stronghold, civilians trickled in, starving and exhausted after walking through the countryside for hours at night, dodging IS surveillance.

Salma Agha to get Overseas Citizen of India card

Pakistan-born Bollywood singer and actress Salma Agha will get an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card that will offer her multiple entry, multi-purpose life long visa to visit India and exemption from reporting to police. "We have decided to grant Salma Agha the OCI card after following the due procedure," a senior Home Ministry official said today. As the Home Ministry took the decision to grant her OCI card, Agha met Home Minister Rajnath Singh, apparently to express her gratitude for the gesture. Agha had applied for the OCI card a few days ago and her application was approved after taking into consideration various aspects, officials said. The 59-year-old artiste is a citizen of UK. She had given her voice to few Bollywood films and acted in some of them including "Nikaah". Agha had won Filmfare best female playback award in 1982 for her rendition 'Dil Ke armaan aansuon me beh gaye' in "Nikaah". Agha has applied for the card that gives multiple entry, multi-purpose life long visa to visit India and exemption from reporting to police authorities for any length of stay in the country. The OCI card gives parity to an individual with NRIs in financial, economic and educational fields except in the acquisition of agricultural or plantation properties. As per rules, a foreign national who is a child, grandchild or a great grandchild of Indian citizen is eligible for registration as OCI card holder. There are few other conditions to get OCI card. However, no person, who or either of whose parents, grandparents or great grandparents is or had been a citizen of Pakistan and Bangladesh shall be eligible for registration as an OCI card holder. In her application, Agha is said to have referred to her Indian roots in her maternal grandfather Jugal Kishore Mehra. Mehra was a noted actor and his wife and Salma's grandmother, Anwari Begum, was a star singer in the 1930s and 1940s. Agha's mother Nasreen was cast opposite K L Saigal in "Shahjehan" (1946). Agha, in her request, had also claimed that though she was born in Pakistan, she is a British citizen and hence, her request should be looked into. Pakistani singer Adnan Sami was in January given Indian citizenship. Among others who have been staying in India and working on employment visa are Katrina Kaif (UK citizen), Deepti Naval (US citizen) and Yana Gupta (Czech citizen).

MIM to support TRS candidates in Rajya Sabha polls

French Open: Sania Mirza crashes out in women’s doubles; Bopanna, Paes enter QFs

Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza made a shock exit from the women's doubles competition while compatriots Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna entered the men's doubles quarterfinals along with their respective partners in the French Open in Paris. Sania and Martina Hingis of Switzerland, seeded number one in the women's doubles, lost to unseeded Czech Republic duo of Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova 3-6 2-6 in a third round match. Earlier in Men's Doubles, the sixth seeded Indo-Romanian pair of Bopanna and Florin Mergea defeated Marcus Daniell and Brian Baker 6-2, 6-7, 6-1. The 16th seeded Paes and Marcin Matkowski stunned fourth seeded combination of Bruno Soares and Jamie Murray 7-6 , 7-6. In Men's Singles, defending champion Stan Wawrinka beat Viktor Troicki in four sets 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the last eight of the tournament. Britain's Andy Murray defeated American John Isner in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals.

Iran says to miss hajj, Saudi 'blocking path to Allah'

Iran said today its pilgrims will miss the pilgrimage this year because Saudi Arabia, custodian of Islam's holiest sites, was raising obstacles and "blocking the path to Allah" for its faithful. The Iranian Hajj Organisation said: "Saudi Arabia is opposing the absolute right of Iranians to go on the hajj and is blocking the path leading to Allah." The Saudi side had failed to respond to Iranian demands over "the security and respect" of its pilgrims to Mecca, of whom 60,000 took part in last year's hajj, the organisation said. In the latest dispute between regional rivals Tehran and Riyadh, "after two series of negotiations without any results because of obstacles raised by the Saudis, Iranian pilgrims will unfortunately not be able to take part in the hajj" in September, Iran's Culture Minister Ali Jannati said. Saudi officials have said an Iranian delegation wrapped up a visit to the kingdom on Friday without reaching a final agreement on arrangements for pilgrims from the Islamic republic. The Saudi hajj ministry said it had offered "many solutions" to meet a string of demands made by the Iranians in two days of talks. Agreement had been reached in some areas, including to use electronic visas which could be printed out by Iranian pilgrims, as Saudi diplomatic missions remain shut in Iran, it said. It would be the first hajj in almost 30 years to take place without the participation of pilgrims from Iran. Riyadh-Tehran ties were severed for four years after more than 400 people were killed in Mecca during clashes between Iranian pilgrims and Saudi security forces in 1987. In January, relations were severed again after Iranian demonstrators torched Saudi Arabia's embassy and a consulate following the kingdom's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric. Shiite Iran and predominantly Sunni Saudi Arabia are at odds over a raft of regional issues, notably the conflicts in Syria and Yemen in which they support opposing sides. Earlier this month, Iran had accused its regional rival of seeking to "sabotage" the hajj, a pillar of Islam that devout Muslims must perform at least once during their lifetime if they are able. Tehran said Riyadh had insisted that visas for Iranians be issued in a third country and would not allow pilgrims to be flown aboard Iranian aircraft. But the Saudi hajj ministry said on Friday that Riyadh had agreed to allow Iranians to obtain visas through the Swiss embassy in Tehran, which has looked after Saudi interests since ties were severed in January.

Family alleges dowry death after Hyd woman dies in Australia

Family members of a 28-year-old woman from the city who died under suspicious circumstances in Australia today alleged that she was killed by her husband and the in-laws for failing to bring additional dowry. The body of Ramyakrishna P, the woman, was brought here last night. Ramyakrishna's brother Krishna said that her husband Mahanth N, who flew here with her body, returned to Australia from the airport, without even attending the last rites. Ramyakrishna married Mahanth, a businessman hailing from Warangal district of Telangana, four years ago. "She was harassed for additional dowry by her husband and in-laws. Despite giving them property worth Rs 1 crore, one kg of gold and Rs 40 lakh in cash during the marriage, they harassed her," said her brother. "She was under depression. We were told (by the husband's family) that she hanged herself at her house in Melbourne (last week)," Krishna said. A complaint in this regard has been lodged with KPHB police here. Meanwhile, speaking to local newschannel over phone, Mahanth and his family members denied the allegations.

'Me and Warner think on similar lines, it will be tough game', says Kohli

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli is expecting an intensely-fought IPL final against Sunrisers Hyderabad since he and rival skipper David Warner are fierce competitors on the field. "I think we think on similar lines. We try to do things ourselves first which we are expecting from our team-mates. There is similarity between me and Warner, in terms of approaching the game," he told reporters here on the eve of the summit clash. Warner has led a team which has a mix of youngsters and seniors like Yuvaraj Singh and Ashish Nehra besides having the likes of Mustafizur Rahman, Kohli said. He said it was a good thing to have a two-day gap before the final as the two practice sessions gave the team opportunity to chalk out a strategy for the big game. "We had a long run before the last game we played. So, in that regard two days off was a good thing. It was an opportunity to come together and draft plans for the finals. The opportunity came through two practise sessions. I felt it was good time to prepare to build a good momentum to storm into the finals," Kohli said. Asked to comment on playing a final before the home crowd, Kohli said it could play a massive role in making the opponents nervous and boosting the confidence of the home team. "The support has been wonderful in Bangalore even if we have not done really well. The energy the people bring in the stadium it plays a massive role for the team. The support of home crowd can make other team nervous which we saw that happening, making AB De Villiers go for the victory against Gujarat Lions in Qualifier 1," he said. Asked to share his thoughts on whether the final would be a battle between RCB's batting and Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling prowess, Kohli said no team can storm into the finals without having balance in batting and bowling departments. "They (SRH) are one of the most balanced teams before the tournament started. We are aware of it. They are into the final, and it cannot been done without their batting. Same with us too, we could not have been in the final without our bowlers blazing guns," he argued. Replying to a query, Kohli said tomorrow's final will be very competitive as both the teams have come into the match hard way. Both sides had almost lost their play-off games, but for AB de Villiers and David Warner's knocks. Replying to yet another query, Kohli said the youngsters, including Yuzuvendra Chahal should take tomorrow's match as any other game and enjoy in the middle as they did in the last six games. Asked about Daniel Vettori, Kohli said the New Zealander has come a long way in understanding the team. "Vettori has shown a lot of composure as a coach and he has come a long way in understanding the team and handling the guys pretty well, and also he has been good the youngsters," he said.

Teenager from Odisha arrested for hacking

A teenager from Odisha was arrested by the Cyberabad police today on the charge of hacking a toll-free number of a company and causing it a loss of Rs 60 lakh. Himalaya Mohanty (19), a resident of Balasore district of Odisha who studies at an ITI, allegedly learnt computer hacking on a website and managed to get the code of an EPABX of toll-free number of the customer care centre of Lloyd Electricals and Engineering Ltd. He put the code online by creating his own website. "Thousands of net surfers made free calls by using the code and the company received a hefty bill of about Rs 60 lakh," a police press release said. Though he used proxy servers, police zeroed in on his location and arrested him at his village in Balasore district. "In spite of his poor English, he got himself registered in various forums/websites of hacking and participating in chatting by using translator software....he did not gain monetarily in this case," the police release said, adding that he told the officers that he did it only for fun.

French Open; Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis reach 3rd round

Top seeds Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis defeated Japanese pair of Nao Hibino and Eri Hozumi in straight sets to reach the third round of the women's doubles event at French Open Tennis in Paris last night. The Indo-Swiss pair got the better of the Japanese pair 6-2, 6-0 in a lop-sided match in the second round. Sania and Hingis will next take on Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova of Czech Republic.

Modi extends best wishes to Sharif for his heart surgery

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today extended best wishes to his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif for his open-heart surgey to be held in UK next Tuesday. "My best wishes to PM Nawaz Sharif Sahab for his open heart surgery on Tuesday. And for his speedy recovery & good health," Modi tweeted. Sharif will undergo an open-heart surgery on Tuesday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had said yesterday. Asif, also a confidante of 66-year-old Sharif, had said doctors have advised the prime minister to undergo an open-heart surgery, following which he will be staying in the hospital for a week. "The prime minister will travel after one week, on doctor's permission," he added. Sharif's daughter, Maryam Nawaz had confirmed on twitter that her father will undergo an open-heart surgery on Tuesday.

Trump reaches 1,237 delegates to clinch presidential nominee

Donald Trump today reached the magic number of 1,237 delegates, making the real estate mogul the sole claimant to be the Republican party's presidential nominee for the November polls. RealClearPolitics.Com, which keeps an unofficial count of State wise delegates, today said Trump now has the support of 1,238 delegates, one more than the half way mark of 1237 to become nominee of the Republican party for the November general elections. Trump, 69, who joined politics less than a year ago, is the sole Republican left in the race to the White House which was crowded with as many as 17 candidates at the start of the year. The billionaire would be officially anointed as the GOP presidential nominee at its four yearly convention at Cleveland in July. Trump in his controversial speeches that dominated media headlines called Mexicans "rapists," vowed to construct a wall between the US and Mexico and impose a temporary ban on Muslim immigrants. Trump and his potential Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, the former Secretary of State, are currently in a virtual tie according to most of the latest national polls. Clinton has yet to clinch the nomination. She is facing a tough opposition from Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party today announced to launch a "Stop Trump Fund" to prevent him from becoming the President of the United States.

UK launches Sharia law review

The UK today launched a review of Sharia law in the country to establish if the Islamic religious law discriminates against women. UK home secretary Theresa May told British MPs in a written statement that the review, to be completed by next year, will look at whether the Islamic religious law is compatible with UK laws and in case it is being "misused". "A number of women have reportedly been victims of what appear to be discriminatory decisions taken by Sharia councils and that is a significant concern. There is only one rule of law in our country, which provides rights and security for every citizen," May said. The review will be led by Professor Mona Siddiqui, an expert in Islamic and inter-religious studies from the University of Edinburgh. "It's a privilege to be asked to chair such an important piece of work. At a time when there is so much focus on Muslims in the UK, this will be a wide-ranging, timely and thorough review as to what actually happens in sharia councils," she said. The review panel, led by the Pakistani-British academic, will also include family law barrister Sam Momtaz, retired High Court judge Sir Mark Hedley and specialist family law lawyer Anne Marie Hutchinson. They will be advised by two religious and theological experts - Imam Sayed Ali Abbas Razawi and Imam Qari Asim. The UK Home Office said that it would not be a review of the "totality" of Sharia law, which is a source of guidance for many Muslims in Britain. It would examine the role of particular groups and Islamic authorities, and the role of Sharia councils and Muslim arbitration tribunals. The panel would also look at divorce, domestic violence and custody cases.

Telangana household survey enters Limca book of records

An intensive household survey conducted by the Telangana government in August 2014 has entered into the Limca Book of Records. The massive exercise had involved as many as 4 lakh government employees who covered over 1.09 crore households in a single day, between 7 AM and 8 PM, an official release stated today. The survey, to gather information on households, educational qualifications of their members, their post office savings, bank account details, mobile phone numbers, Aadhaar card numbers and gas connection details, was ordered immediately after K Chandrasekhar Rao took charge of the youngest state in 2014. The CM had earlier said the data collected in the survey would be used to identify the real beneficiaries of the government welfare schemes. Ahead of the survey, allegations were raised in some quarters that the exercise has been planned with a view to identifying Seemandhra natives, which were rubbished by the CM.

PM to lay foundation of NTPC power plant in Telangana soon

Prime Minister Narendra Modi would soon visit Telangana for the foundation laying ceremony of a National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) power plant, Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said here today. The NDA government has provided power to the state, which was facing severe shortage of electricity and also allocated funds to the tune of thousands of crores, the Union Minister of State (independent charge) for Labour, said. He was speaking at a BJP meeting organised here on the occasion of the NDA government completing two years in office. Dattatreya, who dwelt on the development and welfare initiatives of the NDA government, said the Prime Minister is also keen on the Hyderabad Metro rail project and its timely completion. Noting that BJP should emerge as the alternative to ruling TRS in Telangana for the 2019 Legislative Assembly elections, he said party chief Amit Shah would guide the partymen during his visit to Hyderabad on May 29. Stressing that employment generation is a top priority area for the NDA government, the Union Labour Minister said one crore jobs will be created over the next two years. He said the Narendra Modi government has become synonymous with corruption-free governance and development, adding that it has demonstrated 'sab ka sath-sab ka vikas' in action. There have been no communal clashes and the minorities have increasingly become a part of national mainstream, he claimed. Telangana BJP president and MLC K Laxman, BJP MLA NVSS Prabhakar and party MLC N Ramachandra Rao and several other party leaders attended the meeting.

Acche din came for RSS, not for people' Asad Owaisi on Modi Government's two years

Man held for killing software employee

A man was today arrested for allegedly murdering a 26-year-old software professional here with whom he had befriended recently, police said. V Hashmi, who had joined his duty with an IT giant at Nanakramguda area here few days ago was found murdered near a railway under-bridge late last night and during course of investigation, Gachibowli Police nabbed one Naresh Reddy, who during interrogation confessed of killing Hashmi, Inspector J Ramesh said. Hashmi, a native of Mahabubnagar district in Telangana, had been staying in a rented accommodation in Balkampet here and Naresh Reddy, an electrician, too, was staying in a adjoining room and both had become friends around 20 days ago, police said. "Yesterday, Reddy and Hashmi went towards Hitech city where the accused asked the victim to give some money. Both had an argument over the matter and Hashmi fell down on the ground when Reddy allegedly hit him with a boulder resulting in his death. Later, he fled from the spot after taking away Hashmi's wallet, gold chain and bike ," the Inspector said based on preliminary investigation. Reddy was arrested after questioning and a case under section 302 (murder) of IPC was registered, police said, adding investigations are underway.

Amit Shah to visit Hyderabad on May 29

BJP president Amit Shah would address a convention of party functionaries here in Telangana on May 29. He would address the functionaries from mandal (revenue unit) level as part of the BJP's outreach programme on the occasion of the NDA government completing two years in office, BJP stated in a release here.

Sania, Martina labour into second round of French Open

Top seeds Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis were tested by Russian girls Daria Kasatkina and Alexandra Panova before getting through to second round of the women doubles event in French Open, here today. Sania and Martina -- the reigning Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open champions -- prevailed 7-6(4) 6-2 in the opening round of the clay court Major, which they need to win to complete their non-calendar Slam. Sania and Martina lost their serve thrice in the match as they battled 12 breakpoints in the contest. They next face the winners of the match between the pairs of Karin Knapp/Mandy Minella and Nao Hibino/Eri Hozumi. After trading a few breaks, the two pairs were level 5-5 in the opening set. The top seeds had a set point in the 12th game but their fighting rivals stretched it to the tie breaker, which was again a tight affair but Sania and Martina prevailed. The world number one team broke Kasatkina and Panova in the very first game of the second set but only to be broken back in the next. However, they broke them one more time and held their own for a 4-2 lead. Another break set them up for serving out the match which they did with ease, at love. Later in the day, Rohan Bopanna and Leander Paes also open their men's doubles campaigns. Bopanna and his Romanian partner Florin Mergea are seeded sixth and they face French team of Stephane Robert and Alexandre Sidorenko. Paes and his Polish teammate Marcin Matkowski have been seeded 16th and they clash with Belarus' Aliaksandr Bury and Denis Istomin from Uzbekistan. Another Indian in the fray is Purav Raja, who has teamed up with big-serving Croat Iva Karlovic. They are up against ninth seeds Lukas Kubot and Alexander Peya. In the mixed doubles, Sania has paired with Ivan Dodig and Bopanna will play with Russia's Alla Kudryavtseva. Paes will play with Hingis, with whom he won three Grand Slams in the 2015 season. They had skipped French Open.

FIR against Bajrand Dal activists

An FIR has been registered against 50 Bajrang Dal activists for allegedly breaching peace and communal harmony after the saffron outfit organised a camp where volunteers purportedly brandished rifles, swords and sticks. The FIR was registered in Ayodhya Kotwali Police Station last night. Taking cognisance of unlawful activities being carried out by Bajrang Dal in Ayodhya on May 10, the Faizabad police has lodged an FIR against 50 activists and office bearers of the saffron outfit for disturbing peace, law and order and communal harmony, Faizabad SSP Mohit Gupta said. The right-wing outfit had organised a 'self defence' camp in Ayodhya to impart training in weapons to saffron cadres. Photographs of the saffron cadres brandishing rifles, swords and even lathis in the camps in some Bajrang Dal-managed schools had gone viral on social media and news channels. The radical group is of the view that martial art and weapon training was needed as it could not rely on the police and politicians to protect the Hindu community from the alleged threat that they face. The annual 'self defence' camp of the right-wing outfit, which was organised in Ayodhya, is now scheduled to be held in Sultanpur, Gorakhpur, Pilibhit, Noida and Fatehpur, sources in Bajrang Dal, which is the youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), said. Bajrang Dal has faced allegations of rioting and violence against religious minorities. The outfit has also been accused of running vigilante cow-protection programmes. Bajrang Dal has defended its action and said that the training was imparted to generate nationalistic feeling among the youth. "In Bajrang Dal, these all are done to build character and generate nationalistic feeling among the youth. There are different programmes, some are for the physical well-being whereas others are for mental well-being. "We train men to protect and help women. Other communities are welcome to do this," Ravi Anant, a VHP leader, said.

Indian worker tells OZ court his pro-ISIS post was 'sarcastic'

An Indian-origin aviation worker in Australia who was sacked last year for posting pro-Islamic State messages on Facebook has told a court that his comments were "sarcastic". Nirmal Singh was facing the 'Fair Work Commission' to argue that his dismissal was 'unfair' by his previous employer Aerocare and was seeking USD 7,000 in lost wages. The Commission heard Singh had written "We All Support ISIS" above a shared post from HT (Hizb ut-Tahrir) Australia about the shooting of police account Curtis Cheng by Islamic youth Farhad Khalil Mohammad Jabar in Sydney. There were five posts in total that concerned Aerocare, two of which included pictures of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Under cross-examination by solicitor Stephen Hughes for Aerocare, Singh said he made the posts on Facebook under a different name and believed he was conversing with a "secret group". However, two Aerocare employees who were Facebook friends with Singh, independently raised concerns about the posts with a manager. Australian Federal Police, Perth Airport and the "client airline" of Aerocare were also made aware of the posts, and the airline requested Singh no longer be allowed to work around its planes. After three meetings held over four days last October, Singh was told that Aerocare was terminating his employment for breach of their social media policy, and demanded he return his airside security pass to Perth Airport for cancellation. At the Fair Work Commission hearing, Singh argued the posts were "sarcastic" in nature and he did not support Islamic State. He said he deleted the posts and his Facebook "alias" profile after meeting with his manager. "There were concerns I understood and I addressed those concerns by offering to delete the posts and the profile but how they breached the social media policy, I don't understand," Singh told the Brisbane hearing, from a video link in Perth. Hughes asked if Singh was aware Australia was on high alert for a terrorist attack which was currently rated "probable". "Absolutely and I support that," Singh replied. Commissioner Jennifer Hunt wanted to review transcripts and receive some further written submissions before making her decision in writing. Singh maintained he did nothing wrong by posting "We All Support ISIS" on Facebook and said he was in fact a member of a secret group against religious extremism.

Ensure NEET is not forced on TN even in future: Jaya to Modi

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has asked the Centre to ensure that the common entrance exam NEET for MBBS and dental courses is "not forced" on it even in the future as its implementation would "nullify" certain policy initiatives and socio-economic objective of the state. While thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "speedy promulgation" of an ordinance yesterday, providing exemption from NEET this academic year, she said, "For the time being, it put at rest the mental agony, stress and anxiety of lakhs of students and their parents aspiring for medical admission for the current year in the state quota." In a letter to Modi yesterday, which was released today, Jayalalithaa said although the ordinance would temporarily address the issue for the current year, Tamil Nadu's "situation is distinct and different from other states." She recalled that her government had taken a number of steps since 2005 for systematising admission process to medical seats, even abolishing entrance exams by way of a legislation which she said was even upheld by the Court. "This measure was taken keeping in view the interests of students, particularly from the weaker sections and rural areas, to ensure that a level playing field is created." "Introduction of NEET would be a direct infringement on the rights of the State and would cause grave injustice to the students of Tamil Nadu who have already been covered by a fair and transparent admission policy laid down by the Government of Tamil Nadu, which has been working well," she said. Jayalalithaa urged Modi that necessary measures be taken to ensure that Tamil Nadu was permitted to "continue (with) its existing fair and transparent system of admission to medical colleges and dental colleges in the state and not forced to implement the NEET even in the future." Rural students and those from poorer socio-economic backgrounds will be unable to compete with urban elite students in such Common Entrance Examinations, which were designed to favour the urban elite, she said. .

NIA approaches ATS of states to identify youths in ISIS video

The NIA has contacted anti-terror squads of various states including Delhi, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh to help identify the Indian youths who featured in the ISIS video in which they threatened to launch terror strikes in the country. NIA is also likely to question Abdul Wahid Siddibapa, one of the founders of banned terror group Indian Mujahideen who was arrested at the airport on Friday after he landed from a gulf country, soon about IM cadres who joined the Islamic State, official sources said. Wahid, a resident of Bhatkal in North Karnatka and a close relative of IM chief Riyaz Ahmad Shahbandri alias Riyaz Bhatkal, is alleged to be the financier of the banned terror group. Sources in the NIA said he would be able to throw more light on the IM cadres who got disenchanted and shifted allegiance to the IS. Several IM cadres are believed to have joined ISIS since 2014 after they rejected the leadership of its Karnataka-born Riyaz Bhatkal. Sources said it was not immediately clear how old the 22-minute video was as one of the persons shown in it was Mohammad 'Bada' Sajid, who was said to have been killed while fighting the allied forces in Syria last year. Sajid, who hails from Sanjarpur in UP, had been named by the NIA as one of the perpetrators of the IM bombings of 2008 that killed over 100 people and injured many more in New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Jaipur. While the process to identify others was on, family members of the youths from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh featuring in the video have been contacted to help the investigating agency in establishing their identity. The video, which is mainly in Arabic, says 'Jihadis' from 'Hind' wal 'Sindh' (India and Pakistan) "will soon take revenge" for the demolition of Babri Mosque and atrocities on Muslims in Kashmir and during Muzaffarnagar riots.

Youth drowns in old city swimming pool, management booked

A 19-year-old youth drowned in a swimming pool here following which an offence has been registered against its management, police said today. Mohd Rizwan Khan, who worked in a provisions store, went to swim in the pool in Yakatpura area here along with his four friends yesterday. When his friends could not find Khan they searched for him and later found him at the bottom of the pool. They took him to the hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead, Reinbazar Police Station Inspector G Ramesh said. As per preliminary investigation, the youth is suspected to have died after suffering a head injury in the six-and-a-half feet deep pool, Ramesh said. Asked about reports that the youth along with his friends had placed a bet on who will dive deep from the platform, the inspector denied the same. The youth's father, who was informed about the incident, later lodged a complaint with police seeking an inquiry into the death of his son. Following the complaint, a case under IPC section 304A (causing death by negligence) has been registered against the management of the swimming pool, the police officer said. "We are verifying if there is any fault of the coach...further investigations are on," he said.

317 die of heatwave in Telangana this summer

As many as 317 heatwave-related deaths have been reported in Telangana since the onset of the summer season till date, state disaster management department said today. "These (317) deaths were confirmed by the three-member committee (set up to assess cases of heat-related deaths). Nalgonda District tops the chart with 91 deaths followed by Mahabubnagar with 44," an official in the disaster management department's control room said. Heatwave conditions are likely to prevail at isolated places in Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Medak, Nalgonda, Warangal and Khammam of Telangana state during next 72 hours, a weather bulletin from India Meteorological Department said. "No large change in maximum temperatures over Telangana. They were appreciably above normal at one or two places over Telangana. The highest maximum temperature of 45 degrees Celsius was recorded at Ramagundam," the IMD said. Heatwave conditions prevailed in Karimnagar of Telangana today even as dry weather prevailed at all other places in the state, it added. The state government had earlier issued heatwave alerts to all the districts, asking them to take precautionary measures. The government had also announced Rs 50,000 ex-gratia to kin of each of the deceased.

HCU orders removal of temporary structures from campus

The Joint Action Committee for Social Justice which is heading the agitation over suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula today protested against an order by Hyderbad University to remove the structures put up by protesting students in the campus. "The University has put out an order by Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao Podile stating that the students are 'advised' to remove the 'unauthorised' tents and structures from the shopping complex (on the campus) within 48 hours. "This order by the VC is basically a threat to the students to remove Velivada and Rohit stupa that are the reminders of the murder committed by this University," JAC said in a release. The Joint Action Committee, therefore, organised a gathering where copies of the order were burnt, it said. Following their suspension last year, Rohith and four other students had put up a small makeshift shed which they named `Velivada' (Dalit ghetto) near the shopping area of the University and from where they staged their protest. After Rohith's suicide on January 17, students set up tents there alongwith a 'Rohith Smaraka Stupa'. The JAC today also alleged that the students were being evicted from hostels without any justification, and the graffiti and posters put up by them were being removed in the name of maintenance and renovation. Even those students who needed to stay at the hostel for preparations for UPSC and other competitive exams were being forcibly evicted, and SC/St students were being targeted in this, JAC alleged. "They want to erase from the minds of the students and from the University any memory of Rohith, his ideas and this struggle for justice," the release added.

82% decline in riots and communal incidents in last 2 years: Naqvi

Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today said there has been 82 percent decline in riots and communal incidents in last two years. Briefing media in New Delhi, Mr. Naqvi reiterated NDA government's commitment to peace and harmony in the country saying it has created a strong atmosphere of development and trust among minority communities. He said the BJP led government has kept aside what he called political hypocrisy, which had been going in the name of secularism and implemented several schemes for over-all empowerment of minorities. He said the budgetary allocation of his Ministry has been increased to Rs 38,000 crore this year and several other ministries have also worked a lot for minority dominated areas under Prime Minister’s new 15-Point Programme. The Minister said under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, 7667 primary schools and additional class rooms have been constructed in 2015 in minority concentrated areas. Mr. Naqvi also said that about Rs 19,000 crore have been released for various states under Multi-Sectoral Development Programme to address the deficits in basic amenities in Minorities concentration areas of the country.

Prez signs NEET ordinance

President Pranab Mukherjee today signed the ordinance to keep state boards out of the common entrance test (NEET) for MBBS and dental courses for this year. Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi was at the President's Secretariat early this morning along with top Health Ministry officials to respond to clarifications sought by the President on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). Union Health Minister J P Nadda had also met the President yesterday to explain the rationale behind taking the ordinance route. The ordinance on NEET is aimed at partially overturning a Supreme Court order that had taken into account the multiple medical entrance tests by states and private colleges as well as allegations of corruption.

NIA analysing IS video featuring Indian fighters

The NIA is analysing the video released by the ISIS in which purported Indian fighters in the terror troup have threatened to target India to avenge the Babri Masjid demolition, alleged atrocities on Muslims in Kashmir and during the Muzaffarnagar riots. The NIA is in the process of identifying all the six people who were part of the 22-minute video aired on Friday last and later taken off. Some of them are from Maharashtra and one or two are part of the Azamgarh module, official sources said, adding help of an arrested Islamic State operative Areeb Majid was being taken to identify them. One of the men in the video has claimed that he was at Batla House when police had raided the premises and fled afterwards. However, it was not clear whether he was there inside the same house where two alleged Indian Mujahideen militants were killed in an encounter in September 2008, the sources said. Engineering student Fahad Tanvir Sheikh, a resident of Thane, who travelled to Syria in 2014 along with three other men from the city, has been identified "conclusively" in the video. He has been charge-sheeted by the NIA in absentia under various sections of IPC and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). As the process of identifying those in the video was underway, the sources said there was a suspicion that some of them were part of banned Indian Mujahideen before they joined ISIS after snapping ties with their Pakistan-based leadership. Several IM cadres are believed to have joined ISIS since 2014 after they rejected the leadership of its Karnataka-born chief Riyaz Ahmad Shahbandri, also known as Riyaz Bhatkal. The men include a former Mumbai hospital employee Abu Rashid, Shahnawaz Ahmad, a Unani doctor and the son of a local Samajwadi Party politician in Uttar Pradesh s Azamgarh, and students Mohammad Bada Sajid and Mirza Shadab Beig. Karnataka's Muhammad Shafi Armar, one of the Indian Mujahideen fugitives, has been named by the NIA as a key online recruiter of Indian youths for the Islamic State. The 22-minute video, which is mainly in Arabic, says 'Jihadis' from 'Hind' wal 'Sindh' (India and Pakistan) "will soon take revenge".

Heat wave causes over 300 deaths in Telangana

As many as 315 heat wave-related deaths have been reported in Telangana since the beginning of the summer season till May 21, according to officials of the state Disaster Management department. "315 (heat wave-related) deaths were confirmed by the three-member committee. Nalgonda district recorded the highest death toll of 91," an official in the Disaster Management department Control Room said. "There has been appreciable rise in maximum temperatures at one or two places over Telangana. The temperatures have been appreciably above normal at one or two places," India Meteorological Department (MET) said in a bulletin. The highest maximum temperature of 46 degree Celsius was recorded at Ramagundam, the weatherman said. "Heat wave conditions are very likely to prevail at isolated places in Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Medak, Nalgonda, Warangal and Khammam districts of the state during next 72 hours (May 23-25)," it added.

KCR asks collectors to update land records

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today ordered District Collectors to set right all land records by settling disputes, if any. According to an official release, the CM, who held Collectors' conference, instructed the officials to take back assigned lands any if they are encroached up on or not with the assigned owners. "All land records are to be updated. Unregistered land deals are to be verified, and get them registered if found in order. These registrations should be completed by June 10," the release quoted Rao as saying. He also took serious view of the reports that some officials are seeking bribes when people approach them for the mutation of land records. "Corrupt officials will be dealt with seriously," Rao said. According to the statement, the state government has 25 lakh acres of assigned land.

Salma Agha seeks Overseas Citizen of India card

Pakistan-born Bollywood singer and actress Salma Agha has applied for Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card and her request is being examined by Home Ministry. Agha has applied for the card that gives multiple entry, multi-purpose life long visa to visit India and exemption from reporting to police authorities for any length of stay in the country, official sources said today. The Pakistan born artist is UK citizen. She had given her voice to few Bollywood films and acted in some of them. Agha had won Filmfare best female playback award in 1982 for her rendition "Dil Ke armaan aansuon me beh gaye" in movie 'Nikaah'. "The Home Ministry is examining her request. A decision will be taken soon," a source said. The OCI card gives parity to an individual with Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in financial, economic and educational fields except in the acquisition of agricultural or plantation properties. As per rules, a foreign national who is a child, grandchild or a great grandchild of Indian citizen is eligible for registration as OCI card holder. There are few other conditions to get OCI card. However, no person, who or either of whose parents, grandparents or great grandparents is or had been a citizen of Pakistan and Bangladesh shall be eligible for registration as an Overseas Citizen of India card holder. Pakistani singer Adnan Sami was in January this year given Indian citizenship. Among others who have been staying in India and working on employment visa are Katrina Kaif (UK citizen), Deepti Naval (US citizen) and Yana Gupta (Czech citizen).

Jamia Azhar imam to meet Pope tomorrow

The deputy of Al-Azhar's grand imam in Egypt said today the top Muslim cleric will bear a message of tolerance when he meets Pope Francis in Rome. Tomorrow's meeting will be the first between the leader of the world's Catholics and one of Islam's most important clerics. Abbas Shuman, deputy to grand imam Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, told AFP today that Francis's gestures towards Muslims encouraged Tayeb to meet the pope after falling out with his predecessor Benedict XVI. "If it were not for these good positions (by Pope Francis) the meeting would not be happening," Shuman said. Ties between the Vatican and Al-Azhar, one of Islam's most prestigious centres of learning, soured in 2006 when Benedict delivered a speech interpreted as linking the Muslim Prophet Mohammed to violence. Relations have steadily improved since Francis became pope in 2013 with inter-faith dialogue near the top of his agenda. He underlined this improvement in ties with a personal message to the Muslim world to mark the end of the first month of Ramadan during his pontificate. Shuman said Tayeb will have a message for both the West and Muslims. Tayeb's visit aims at setting straight the image of "true Islam and to correct misunderstandings created by extremist terrorist groups" in Western countries, he said. "He encourages countries not to deal with their Muslim citizens as groups that present a threat," Shuman said. "And he encourages Muslims in Western society to meld with their societies... it is a message for both sides." Pope Francis made headlines in April when he returned from a trip to the migrant crisis island of Lesbos with three Syrian Muslim families who are now being put up by the Vatican as they apply for asylum in Italy. Church officials say the choice of families was random, but the gesture was nevertheless highlighted by media throughout the Islamic world

Heat wave warning in Telangana for next 3 days

Most parts of Telangana is likely to witness heat wave conditions for next three days from tomorrow and the mercury is likely to touch 45 degrees Celsius mark, Meteorological Department said today. The department issued a heat wave warning for next three days from tomorrow in most parts of Telangana. It said two places in Karimnagar district is likely to record the highest maximum temperature of 45 degree Celsius in the state. "Heat wave conditions are very likely to prevail at isolated places in districts of Adilabad, Nizamabad, Warangal, Karimnagar, Khammam, Medak and Nalgonda over the next 72 hours (May 23 to May 25)," the weather bulletin said. According to forecast, "Light to moderate rain/ thundershowers are very likely to occur at isolated places over Telangana. Most places in the state are very likely to record maximum temperatures between 40 to 45 degree Celsius". "Heat wave conditions prevailed today in Adilabad and Karimnagar districts. There was marked rise in maximum temperatures at one or two places over Telangana. They were appreciably above normal at one or two places over Telangana," it said. The highest maximum temperature of 45 degree Celsius was recorded at Adilabad and Ramagundam (in Karimnagar) today. As many as 309 heat-related deaths have been reported in Telangana till May 18 since the beginning of summer this year, State Disaster Management Department had said.

Man jumps into lion enclosure at zoo, rescued unhurt

A 35-year-old "drunken" man jumped into a lion enclosure at Nehru Zoological Park here today reportedly "to shake hand with a lion" but was rescued unhurt by the alert animal keeper. Mukesh, a native of Sikar district in Rajasthan, crossed the barricade of the African lion enclosure despite warningsby the security staff, Nehru Zoological Park Curator Shivani Dogra said. "The lioness (Radhika) was inside the enclosure but the person was rescued unhurt by its keeper R Papaiah," the zoo officials said, adding the big cat had moved close to Mukesh but Papaiah diverted the lioness from him. "After preliminary enquiry it was found that Mukesh was in an inebriated state and had jumped inside the enclosure to go near the lion. He has been handed over to Bahadurpura Police," Dogra said. Mukesh works as a labourer with L&T Metro Rail here. When contacted, Bahadurpura Police Station Inspector Harish Kaushik said Mukesh jumped into the lion enclosure in an intoxicated condition and he will be booked on the charge of trespass under IPC. "This kind of incident is creating fear among public, even after Nehru Zoological Park administration is trying its level best to make the zoo park a safe and secure place to visit," Dogra said.

Afghan Taliban sources confirm death of Mullah Akhtar Mansour in US drone strike.

ISIS is laughing at America: Trump

The Islamic State is laughing at America as the political leaders in the country have no effective strategy against the terror group, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said today. "We can't afford to be so nice and so foolish anymore. Our country is in trouble, ISIS is laughing at us," Trump told Fox News in an interview. Trump lashed out political leaders, in particular Hillary Clinton, his potential Democratic rival in the November general elections, for not having an effective policy against ISIS. "I'm so tired of watching these politicians get up and say exactly what they're going to do with ISIS. And in the meantime, ISIS sits back, and they laugh and they go out and they prepare for it. You've got to hit people with a little surprise. There has to be some unpredictability," he said. Trump said Clinton's allegation that his proposal to ban Muslims is promoting terrorists is the "dumbest" thing he ever heard. "I just think it's absolutely dumb. In fact, if anything, it's just the opposite, because they're going to have to learn we can't take this anymore. And they're going to have to turn in the people that are bombing the planes. And they know who the people are," he said. "And we're not going to find the people by just continuing to be so nice and so soft. And I have many Muslim friends and they agree. They have a tremendous problem with the radical Islamic terrorism, tremendous problem. And what she said is so dumb," Trump said. Trump also attacked Clinton, in a series of tweets today. "Crooked Hillary has zero imagination and even less stamina. ISIS, China, Russia and all would love for her to be president. 4 more years!" he tweeted. "Look where the world is today, a total mess and ISIS is still running around wild. I can fix it fast, Hillary has no chance!" he said in another tweet. "Crooked Hillary Clinton looks presidential? I don't think so! Four more years of Obama and our country will never come back. ISIS LAUGHS!," the billionaire said on the social media. Trump's tweets were noted by the mainstream media. "Why are you tweeting early, Donald," he was asked by MSNBC in an interview. "Because I like tweeting. Because I like getting the word out. I think I have gotten the word out. You know, Hillary said some things and I said some things and now I go and I go back to work and I have a lot of fun," Trump said. Trump denied that he is attacking Britain or its Prime Minister David Cameroon. "I'm not attacking Great Britain. Where am I attacking Great Britain? I'm not attacking them at all. They asked me about the EU. I said, frankly, it's none of my business. And I don't even like asking it -- answering it, but, frankly, if I were Great Britain, I'd get out of the EU. I see what happened with the great migration destroying Europe and EU had a lot to do with that. Personally, I would get out but I said I don't want that to influence the people of Great Britain," he said. "I don't go after (Cameroon). You show me where? He came after me a little bit. And by the way, he would like me now to visit 10 Downing Street. They put out that invitation about two days ago. So I will do just fine with David Cameron. I think he's a nice guy. I will do just fine. But they have asked me to visit 10 Downing Street -- and I might do it," Trump said in response to a question.

Should have moved to Amaravati earlier: Chandrababu Naidu

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today said he "repented" not having shifted his base to the state's new capital region Amaravati immediately after taking charge in June 2014. For a year since assuming office, Naidu operated from Hyderabad, the joint capital of AP and Telangana, and moved base to Vijayawada last June after a temporary office building was constructed there. Amaravati was chosen as the new capital in September 2014. "I should have shifted to Vijayawada straightaway and started working from under the trees or tents. Had I moved here then itself, everyone would have followed. I am repenting now," Naidu said. His remark came to a question at a press conference on the shifting of government departments from Hyderabad to Amaravati by mid-June. "It is bound to happen ... may be in the third or fourth week (of June). But, there is a suggestion that we move all departments and other offices in one grand (move), not in a phased manner as planned. We are looking into it," he said. "My main concern is about the academic year. We can't afford losing one more year if employees don't shift from Hyderabad in June. I am discussing this with all concerned and will take a call," the Chief Minister added. Referring to the apprehensions raised by employees over lack of proper facilities at Velagapudi where the state government transitional headquarters is coming up, he said some problems were bound to be there initially.

Telangana TDP president hospitalised

Telangana Telugu Desam Party president L Ramana was taken ill while addressing a gathering in neighbouring Rangareddy district today. Ramana was speaking at 'Mini Mahanadu', the annual conclave of the party, when he fell ill and was taken to a private hospital in Malakpet area, a TDP spokesperson said. Doctors said the leader collapsed as his sugar level had gone down. "He is stable now and will be kept under observation today," a doctor said.

KTR to visit US to attract investors

Telangana IT Minister KT Rama Rao and some senior officials will be on a two-week tour of the US from Monday to woo investors. Arvind Kumar, Principal Secretary, Industries, Commerce and Power, and Jayesh Ranjan, Secretary, IT Department, are among the senior officials who will be travelling with the Minister, an official release said. "The Minister will meet and interact with top functionaries of leading pharmaceutical, electronics and information technology firms," it said. KT Rama Rao is also expected to meet some political leaders, including Mike Pence, Governor, Indianapolis; Terry Branstad, Governor of Iowa and Joe Hogsett, Mayor of Indianapolis City.

Govt schools perform better than pvt schools in CBSE XII exams

Government schools have fared better than private schools in the CBSE class XII examinations, the results of which were declared today. The central government-run Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) school students have scored a pass percentage of 95.43 per cent, much above the national average of 83.05 while the pupils of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNV), which are established in rural areas, have done even better with with a pass percentage of 96.73. The pass percentage of over 1,000 KVS schools is 95.43 per cent, an improvement over the previous year's figure of 94.72 per cent. Meanwhile, the pass percentage of the JNV students in the examinations is 96.69 per cent, a marginal decline from its 96.82 per cent figure last year. Other government schools scored a pass percentge of 83.85 while government-aided schools showed a 85.75 pass percentage. Independent private schools showed a pass percentage of 82.40 which is better than their score last year of 81.08, but still behind many government schools. According to data released by the CBSE, the performance of students in 120 foreign schools was also better than the national average, with a pass percentage of 94.43.

Centre taking all steps needed to protect country: Rajnath Singh on IS threat

Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said, the Centre is taking all steps needed to protect the country. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of International Buddha Poornima Diwas celebration in New Delhi today, Mr. Singh asserted that the people of all religions and castes will fight the terror forces with all their might. He was replying to a media query about terror group Islamic State (IS) reportedly threatening in a video to take revenge over Kashmir and demolition of Babri mosque. Earlier, during his speech at the event, Mr Singh said conflicts among persons, within societies and religions are on the rise these days and the solution of these problems can be found in Buddha's message. He said, no religion contradicts another, but they complement each other. Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, who also attended the function, asserted that such type of propaganda videos by terror outfits will not be able to influence the people of the country. He said, the people have decided that they will not allow these kinds of activities to take root in India.

Absence of educated players a reason for Pak poor performance' says PCB Chief

The PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan says absence of educated players in the national team was one of the reasons for its recent poor performance. Talking to the media in Quetta, Khan said that presently only Misbah-ul-Haq was a proper graduate in the team. "There is no graduate player in the team right now except for Misbah and the absence of educated players in the team is a primary reason for its recent downfall," he said. "In future we will do our best to induct and encourage educated players into the team and also groom the existing lot of talent," he said. The PCB chief also admitted that the Board had decided to make no compromises now on disciplinary issues. "Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal have not been selected because of disciplinary issues and we want to make it clear in future we are not going to compromise on discipline or fitness," he said. "That is why we have had fresh fitness tests and now the boot camp under supervision of military trainers in Kakul before the team leaves for England," he said. The PCB chief also admitted that Pakistan need to pay more attention to its under-19 cricket and recently there were debatable selections in the squad for the World Youth Cup in Bangladesh. "It has come to our notice that some deserving players were left out to bring in less deserving ones and we are going to take strict action against those responsible for this. In future selection will be strictly merit and performance based." He said this was one reason why the PCB was bringing in former test player Mudassar Nazar into the National cricket Academy in Lahore. "There is no more qualified coach than Mudassar to supervise our grassroot cricket and he has made a big sacrifice by agreeing to resign from a lucrative coaching assignment in the ICC in Dubai and join us." Khan also spoke about inviting the Afghanistan team to Quetta, the capital city of Baluchistan province. "The security situation has improved in Baluchistan and Quetta and we are planning to set up a full fledged regional cricket academy in Quetta to tap the raw cricket talent in the province," he stated.

Heavy rain over coastal AP, Odisha & WB under influence of cyclonic strom ROANU

The cyclonic storm ‘ROANU’ over westcentral Bay of Bengal moved northeastwards and lay centred at about 160 km south-southwest of Visakhapatnam and 70 km east-southeast of Kakinada. The system is likely to move northeastwards along and off Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by this morning. Moving northeastwards, the system is likely to cross south Bangladesh coast between Khepupara and Cox’s Bazar tomorrow or early morning of Sunday as a cyclonic storm. The Met Department has issued heavy to very heavy rainfall warning to coastal Andhra Pradesh, coastal Odisha and coastal Gangetic West Bengal under the influence of the cyclonic storm coupled with gusty winds speeds reaching 90-100 kmph. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into sea as the condition along and off Andhra Pradesh, South Odisha and West Bengal coasts are very likely to be high to very high. In Andhra Pradesh the district administrations have been asked to see that people staying in low-lying areas are shifted to safer places. NDRF and SDRF teams have been kept in readiness and essential items like food, water, medicines and other material has been kept ready to meet any eventuality. The State experienced heavy to extremely heavy rain and thundershowers along with squally winds over several parts along the coast and Rayalaseema region yesterday. Coastal Andhra has been experiencing heavy rainfall since Thursday morning due to heavy gales followed by moderate rain, normal life was disrupted at several places. Local Warning Signals were kept hoisted in all major ports along the coast of Andhra Pradesh.

Hashimpura case: Subramanian Swamy asks HC for a re-trial

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy today asked the Delhi High Court for a re-trial of the 1987 Hashimpura massacre, which claimed 42 lives, alleging that presence of then Minister of State for Home P Chidambaram at the place right after incident was not examined. He also alleged before the court that there were "gaps in the probe including destruction of evidence" and said that he would show that international laws would apply to the case. A bench of justices G S Sistani and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal, however, said that "what was left out cannot be added, unless we go for a re-trial" and asked Swamy, the State of Uttar Pradesh and other parties in the case "to take a call whether you want a re-trial or an appeal". The court, thereafter, listed Swamy's plea, seeking further probe to ascertain the alleged role of Chidambaram in the incident, for hearing on August 4 along with the petitions moved by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and kin of the victims challenging acquittal of the 16 former Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel who were accused in the case. On NHRC's application for enforcement of the trial court order awarding compensation to kin of some of the victims of the massacre, the bench today sought response of Uttar Pradesh legal services authority after DSLSA said that crime occurred in that state. Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) also said that the victims belonged to the state and the accused were police officers of UP and added that its funds were "limited" and "meant for people of Delhi". The court asked advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for NHRC, to give by June 1 a rough computation of the total compensation payable, saying this amount would be put to the UP authority to be paid. "Let them pay it under protest," the bench said. The NHRC, in its application, has sought enforcement of the trial court's order to pay compensation to kin of some of the victims under section 357A of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) which provides for payment of compensation to the victims even on acquittal of the accused. On March 21 last year, a trial court gave the benefit of doubt and acquitted 16 former Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel accused of killing 42 people in Meerut in 1987, saying lack of evidence has failed to establish their identification. In its main petition, NHRC has sought further probe into the massacre in Hashimpura locality of Meerut. Prior to NHRC, UP government as well as survivors and kin of the victims had moved the court challenging the acquittal of these policemen. In his plea, Swamy has also challenged the trial court's March 8, 2013 decision dismissing his plea against Chidambaram who was the Minister between 1986 and 1989. Swamy has sought further probe saying, "It was admitted on the floor of Parliament by the then Minister of State for Home Affairs P Chidambaram that the situation was calm on May 19 to May 22, 1987. "Yet the trial judge states it was violent strife. Hence, even at this late stage, an investigation into this issue is essential for complete justice."

AIADMK secures simple majority in Tamil Nadu.

Indian journalist elected Deputy Mayor in UK

An Indian journalist has been elected the Deputy Mayor of Loughton town in the UK. The announcement made today said that Councillor Philip Abraham from Kerala has been unanimously elected to the post. Councillor Carol Davis, the newly-elected mayor presented the Deputy Mayor's Badge to Philip Abraham. He had in 2012 won the election to the Loughton Town Council. Loughton is a vibrant town in the Epping forest district of Essex. The deputy mayor normally goes on to become the mayor for the following year.

I was shocked to see a headline in an Urdu news paper which claimed that the movie 'Azhar has unearthed the conspiracy against the former captain. Nothing can be more foolish to judge the facts on the basis of a Bollywood movie.

TRS poised to big win in Palair Assembly constituency

TMC seems to retain power in WB, AIADMK in TN, Cong wins 1st seat in Pondy, BJP leads in Assam and LDF in Kerala

The trends available in the Assembly polls in five states show that TMC seems to retain power in West Bengal and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. BJP allies seem to wrest power from Congress in Assam and LDF in Kerala. In Puducherry, Congress and DMK are well ahead of AINRC. The trends indicate that TMC is leading in 189 constituencies in West Bengal, Left Front and Congress in 79 and BJP in 2. Others are leading in 3. Trends also show that the opposition is doing well in North Bengal districts while Trinamool Congress is far ahead of opposition in South Bengal districts. in Kolkata too Trinamool Congress candidates including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee are forging ahead against their rivals. In Kerala, LDF is leading in 79 constituencies, UDF in 49 and BJP allies in 2. Others are leading in one. Of the prominent candidates leading are Oommen Chandy, Achuthanandan, Pinari Vijayan and Ramesh Chennithala. Cricketer Sreesanh and P.V.Jagdish Kumar are trailing. In Assam, BJP and its allies are leading in 73 constituencies, Congress in 25 and AIUDF in 16. BJP Chief Ministerial candidate Sarbananda Sonowal is leading in Majuli, whereas Asom Gana Parishad President Atul Bora is leading in Bokakhat. AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal is trailing behind Congress' Wazed Ali Choudhary in Salmara South. In Tamil Nadu, AIADMK is leading in 124 constituencies and DMK allies in 82. In Puducherry, Congress allies are leading in 7 constituencies and NRC in 8.

Tollywood actor Tanish's father falls from sixth floor, dies

In a tragic accident, Tollywood actor Tanish's father Vardhan lost his life after he slipped from the sixth floor of a building on Tuesday night. The incident took place at Western Plaza apartments in OU Colony, Hyderabad where the actor's family has been residing. According to the other residents at the apartment, Tanish and his parents stay in separate flats on the 6th floor. However, Tanish was not at home at the time and reached immediately after getting to know about his father who is said to have been in an inebriated condition when the mishap occurred. While a profusely bleeding Vardhan was immediately shifted to Apollo Hospitals, he succumbed to the injuries while undergoing treatment in the wee hours of Wednesday.

Telangana ministers meet Governor' invites him for formation day celebration

Stage set for counting for Assembly elections tomorrow

Counting of votes for the high stakes Assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry will be held tomorrow morning with trends expected to be available by 11 AM. By 12 noon, a final picture could emerge on who would be the major players in the five states. Election Commission officials said counting of votes, to commence at 8 AM, will be over by 3 PM. According to Election Commission guidelines, half-an-hour after the postal ballots are counted, the process of counting votes from the EVMs begins. The 'ballot unit' is switched on in the presence of senior poll officials and counting agents of candidates and the result command keyed in to get results per machine. Where a paper trail audit or 'voter-verified paper audit trail' (VVPAT) has been used, the counting agent can call for a count of the paper slips in the drop box attached to the voting machine, but a final count is taken by the returning officer. Once the results are declared, the names of the winning candidates will find mention in the gazette. The gazette notification will initiate the process to form the next legislative assemblies in the states. According to various exit polls shown on TV channels on May 16, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have voted for change giving BJP its first government in the northeastern state dislodging Congress which also lost Kerala while DMK was set to regain power trouncing AIADMK. Only West Bengal has bucked the trend by re-electing Trinamool Congress led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who managed to hold on to power by defeating the Left-Congress alliance convincingly for a second consecutive term, the polls showed. The Congress could take solace from its projected victory in the tiny Union Territory of Puducherry where it is likely to get power in alliance with the DMK. The Exit poll results were released at the end of the polling in Tamil Nadu and Kerala on Monday, marking the closure of voting in five states.

For women safety a panic button in every cell phone

Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi has said for women safety there will be a panic button in every cell phone from 1st of January next year. In an exclusive interview to AIR, Ms. Gandhi said there are 20 to 30 crore cell phone users in the country and of them 37 per cent are in rural areas. She said if a woman is being chased or is hurt she can just put her finger on that button keep pressing and the police will then react. On Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme, the Minister said that the scheme was successful in improving child sex ratio in the targeted areas particularly in Haryana. She said, sex ratio for girl has risen from 830 to 907 per thousand male child in the state. Ms. Gandhi said in the last two years Women and Child Development ministry has done many things for women’s nourishment, their safety and advancement. She said her ministry has started a programme called Step to give money to train 200 women at a time and to get them jobs, whether at home or outside. Ms. Gandhi said first time the government has started ë-Mahila site where women can sell their products online.

Former minister injured; wife, driver killed in road mishap

Former minister and Andhra Pradesh State Cooperative Bank (APCOB) Chairman Pinnamaneni Venkateswara Rao escaped with minor injuries while his wife and driver died when the car they were travelling in turned turtle near Tukkuguda here, police said today. The incident occurred on the Outer Ring Road at around midnight yesterday. Rao along with his wife Satyavani were on their way to Hyderabad from Vijayawada, Pahadisharif Police Station Sub-Inspector Sudhakar said. The rear left wheel of the vehicle came off and the driver Tenali Das lost control after which the SUV hit the railing before turning turtle. Satyavani and Das (both aged 52) were killed on the spot, Sudhakar said. According to the police, Rao suffered minor injuries as he was wearing the seat belt and remained inside the car while his wife and the driver, who were not wearing the seat belts, were thrown out following overturning of the SUV. Rao, a native of Krishna district, has been undergoing treatment at a private hospital here.

1.99 kg cocaine seized from woman passenger at Hyd airport

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) today seized 1.99 kg of cocaine, estimated to be worth around Rs 10 crore, from a woman passenger at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) at Shamshabad here. Based on specific intelligence, officers of the DRI (Hyderabad Zonal Unit) intercepted one woman passenger, who arrived from Dubai by Emirates flight at RGIA this morning, Additional Director General M K Singh said. "The officers recovered substance in the form of white lumpy powder, which tested positive for cocaine by the field drug test kit. The drug was deftly concealed inside the covers of five books lined with aluminium foils being carried by her in the hand baggage," he said. The cocaine, valued at about Rs 10 crore, has been seized under NDPS Act 1985. "The woman has been detained and her statement is being recorded," Singh said. Further investigation in the case are underway, he added.

National Policy for Women to focus on cyber crime, surrogacy

Union Minister Maneka Gandhi today released the draft of National Policy for Women, 2016 which seeks to address emerging challenges confronting women, including protection against cyber crime, security to surrogate mothers and bringing gender sensitivity in family planning policies. The policy provides a roadmap for dealing with women's issues for next 15-20 years and will replace the earlier policy of 2001. It will be finalized after consultation with all stakeholders including NGOs, civil society among others, the minister said. The priority areas laid down by the policy include health, food security and nutrition, education, economy, governance and decision making, violence against women and climate change. "This policy is coming after 15 years. In these years, many things have changed and the most important of them is women's attitude towards challenges. The most important part of the policy is that it shifted from 'just welfare' to 'welfare with heavy dose of rights' in it which is reflective of change in women's attitude," Gandhi said. The policy is expected to focus on increasing trends of crime against women, including rape, trafficking and dowry, along with the expansion of new work opportunities for career women. "The draft has been made in consultation with a lot of women, lawyers, journalists, bureaucrats and non-working women to see what we can do in terms of defining government action in the next 15-20 years," the minister said.

Chandrababu meets Modi in Delhi over special status and other issues

Islamic State militant group loses control over Iraq & Syria: US

US says, the Islamic State militant group is losing control over territory across Iraq and Syria. Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook yesterday said in Washington that about 45 percent of the territory once held by IS group in Iraq has been recovered. He said, about 16 to 20 percent area held by the militant group in Syria has also been recovered. Since August 2014, the United States has led an international coalition fighting back against the IS group, using a combination of air strikes and training and equipping local partners.

Polavaram project to be completed by 2018

Andhra Pradesh Irrigation Minister D Umamaheswara Rao has said that the multi-purpose Polavaram irrigation project conferring benefits to upland areas of Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari and Krishna districts, is expected to be completed by 2018. He also assured that all works on the right bank canal of the project will be finished by June 2017. "The state government is taking all necessary steps to complete the Polavaram project by 2018. Works on the right bank canal of Polavaram project will be completed by June next year providing drinking as well as irrigation water to East Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts of the state," Rao told reporters yesterday at the 'Anam Kala Kendra' in Kakinada. He said the wastage which was overflowing into the sea, after usage of water for two crops in East Godavari district will be diverted to Krishna delta through Pattiseema project. Works of Handri-Galeru and Nagari projects in Rayalaseema too are in full swing to supply water to irrigation sources to drought-prone Rayalseema region, he added. Tenders have been completed for Vamsadhar first and second phase works, Rao said adding that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to spend Rs 300 crore towards land acquisition for various projects. Naidu is also scheduled to hold a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Water Resources minister Uma Bharati and urge them to release funds for completion of the projects at the earliest. State Deputy Chief Minister N Chinnarajappa said during the last two years Rs 14,000 crore have been spent for projects and protection of water resources in the state.

Obama criticises Trump's policies on Muslims

President Barack Obama has taken a swipe at presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's plans to ban Muslims from entering America and build walls between the US and other nations, saying the biggest challenges cannot be solved in isolation. Though he did not name Trump, Obama made it clear what he thinks about the 69-year-old real estate tycoon's campaign and policy proposals in a highly political commencement speech at Rutgers University yesterday. "The world is more interconnected than ever before, and it's becoming more connected every day. Building walls won't change that," Obama said apparently referring to Trump's proposals to build a wall at the US-Mexico border. The President also told the graduates to stand up to those who say that America was better in the past. He also asked graduates to tout their knowledge and not brag about their ignorance. "Just as America is better, the world is better than when I graduated. Since I graduated, an Iron Curtain fell, apartheid ended. There's more democracy. We virtually eliminated certain diseases like polio. We've cut extreme poverty drastically. We've cut infant mortality by an enormous amount," he said. "Now, I say all these things not to make you complacent. We've got a bunch of big problems to solve." "Look, as President, my first responsibility is always the security and prosperity of the United States. And as citizens, we all rightly put our country first. But if the past two decades have taught us anything, it's that the biggest challenges we face cannot be solved in isolation," he said amidst applause. "When overseas states start falling apart, they become breeding grounds for terrorists and ideologies of nihilism and despair that ultimately can reach our shores. When developing countries don't have functioning health systems, epidemics like Zika or Ebola can spread and threaten Americans, too. And a wall won't stop that," Obama said. "If we want to close loopholes that allow large corporations and wealthy individuals to avoid paying their fair share of taxes, we ve got to have the cooperation of other countries in a global financial system to help enforce financial laws," he said. Obama said building a wall is neither going to create jobs nor accelerate economy. He also challenged the notion that Muslims should be banned from the United States, something Trump proposed in December. "Isolating or disparaging Muslims, suggesting that they should be treated differently when it comes to entering this country, that is not just a betrayal of our values. That's not just a betrayal of who we are -- it would alienate the very communities at home and abroad who are our most important partners in the fight against extremism," said the outgoing American president. .

Polling underway for Palair assembly constituency

Voting is being held today for the bypoll to Palair Assembly constituency in Khammam district of Telangana amid tight security arrangements. The polling began at 7 a.m and will continue till 6 p.m. Thirteen candidates including nine Independents are in the contest which is being held after Congress MLA from the constituency Ramreddy Venkat Reddy passed away in March. The contest is expected to be a triangular one between ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Congress and CPI(M). TRS has fielded State Roads and Buildings Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao while the opposition Congress has named Venkat Reddy's wife Sucharita Reddy as its candidate. TDP and YSR Congress, which are not contesting the polls, are supporting the deceased MLA's wife. BJP is not contesting either. The ruling TRS has tried to woo voters on the "developmental work" it plans to undertake in the constituency if elected, while Congress has tried to "encash" the sympathy wave due to the sudden death of Venkat Reddy. CPI(M) has fielded P Sudarshan Rao for the seat. "The district administration has made all necessary arrangements for smooth conduct of the bypolls," Khammam district Collector Dana Kishore said. As many as 41 flying squads are monitoring activities to ensure enforcement of the model code of conduct, according to officials. Apart from central paramilitary forces, police personnel from the state have been deployed as part of the security arrangements, they said. There are 243 polling stations in the constituency, and 1,90,351 eligible voters. The results would be declared on May 19.

Dattatreya's mobile 'stolen' from his house

A cell phone handset of Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya was 'stolen' today from his house at Ramnagar here, police said. According to a complaint lodged by the additional PA of Dattatreya, the cell phone was kept on charging in the visitor's room at his house at 8 AM. A large number of visitors were in the room to meet the minister and someone "stole" the mobile during that time, they said. "Following the complaint, we have registered a case under section 380 (theft in dwelling house) of IPC and investigations are underway," Musheerabad Police Station Inpsector B Mohan Kumar told PTI. It was a personal mobile phone of Dattatreya, one of his aide said.

Police officer held for threatening apartment society member

A senior officer posted with the CID of Telangana Police was arrested today for allegedly threatening a member of an apartment association over payment of maintenance charges in Chikkadpally area here, police said. Deputy Superintendent of Police, Vasant Kumar, who was supposed to pay maintenance of the flat (situated in the apartment complex) in which he is staying "barged into the flat of a member of the association" and allegedly threatened him yesterday. The members of the association lodged a complaint following which a case was registered against the officer under sections 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 352 (assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation) and other relevant sections of IPC and he was arrested, said Chikkadpally police station inspector B Sudharshan. Further probe is on.

11 foreigners staying 'illegally' in Hyderabad

Hyderabad Police during surprise checking on illegal staying of foreign nationals in the city have found that at least 11 foreigners were staying despite expiry of their passports. West and North Zone Task Force teams conducted surprise checking on illegal staying of foreign nationals in the limits of Asif Nagar, Langer House, Humayun Nagar and Goclonda police stations yesterday and documents of a total of 150 foreigners were checked, a release from Hyderabad Police said today. It was that found 11 foreigners were staying in Hyderabad 'illegally' even after expiry of their passports, it said. One US National, two Yemen nationals, five Sudanese, one Somalian and two Djibouti nationals, who had came to the country on visit and student Visa, were among those who were found staying illegally, the release added. The foreigners were handed over to FRRO for further action of deportation, police said.

VRO, 3 others booked for gang raping 'mentally unsound' woman

A Village Revenue Officer (VRO) and three others were tonight booked on the charge of gangraping a 21-year-old "mentally unsound" woman in Shamshabad here, police said today. According to the complaint lodged by the woman, who belongs to SC community, one Chandramohan, a VRO dragged her into his house on March 5 when she was going to a shop and allegedly sexually assaulted her along with three others who were already in the house, Shamshabad Police Station Sub- Inspector N Bhaskar said. The woman further claimed that she was threatened of dire consequences by the four if she informed the matter to someone resulting in delay in lodging the complaint, the SI said. Following the complaint, a case under section 376(g)(gang rape) of IPC and relevant provisions of SC and the ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015, was registered against the VRO and three others, Bhaskar said. A probe was on to verify the allegations in the complaint as during preliminary investigation the residents of Shamshabad have denied such allegations, the officer said, adding the woman will be sent for medical examination tomorrow.

Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis win Rome Masters Tennis Title

Sania Mirza and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis have won the Rome Masters Women's Doubles Title. In Rome today, they defeated 7th seeded Russians Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in the final 6-1, 6-7, 10-3.

Sadiq Khan's temple pictures go viral

Pictures of London's first Muslim mayor Sadiq Khan's visit to one of the city's most famous temples where he performed rituals ahead of his election have gone viral on social media. Pictures from the temple visit emerged on social media this week as Khan described the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in north London's Neasden as one of his favourites. "Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden is one of my favourite places in London," the 45-year-old had said on his Facebook post dated May 3, days before his runaway victory in the mayoral elections. "As Mayor, I will stand up for London's Indian community, and strengthen London's friendship with India. I look forward to leading a trade delegation to India at the earliest opportunity," Khan said. In one of the pictures, Khan, who is son of a Pakistani migrant bus driver, is seen performing "Jalabhishek" or water ritual on a golden idol of Shri Swaminarayan. The visit was a clear attempt on his part to stress his message of wanting to be a mayor for "all Londoners". "Let me be very clear, I'm not a Muslim leader or Muslims' spokesperson, I'm the mayor of London. I speak for all Londoners," the Labour party politician had told reporters soon after his victory. The British capital's first Muslim mayor, elected by an overwhelming mandate, has criticised British Prime Minister David Cameron's government and his Conservative party mayoral campaign rival Zac Goldsmith for their divisive election campaign. "David Cameron and Zac Goldsmith chose to set out to divide London's communities in an attempt to win votes in some areas and suppress voters in other parts of the city," Khan had written in The Observer, in his first article a day after being sworn in as the new mayor on May 9. "They used fear and innuendo to try to turn different ethnic and religious groups against each other something straight out of the Donald Trump playbook. Londoners deserved better and I hope it's something the Conservative party will never try to repeat," he said. Goldsmith's camp has been criticised for using unpleasant tactics in the campaign, including trying to cash in on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity among Indian-origin Londoners by issuing leaflets with the message -- "Standing up for the British-Indian community". Khan is reportedly planning a visit to India soon, in an attempt to counter this negative messaging and present his secular credentials. Khan beat Goldsmith with 57 per cent votes -- the largest mandate of any British politician in history -- marking the return of Labour rule to the UK capital after eight years. He was officially sworn-in as the new mayor of London at a multi-faith ceremony in Southwark Cathedral here on May 7.

Stage set for Palair bypoll tomorrow

All arrangements are in place for the bypoll to Palair Assembly constituency of Khammam district in Telangana to be held tomorrow, authorities said. Thirteen candidates, including nine Independents, are contesting for the seat after Congress MLA from the constituency Ramreddy Venkat Reddy passed away in March this year. The contest is expected to be a triangular one between ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Congress and CPI(M). TRS has fielded state Roads and Buildings Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao while the opposition Congress has named Venkat Reddy's wife Sucharita Reddy as its candidate. TDP and YSR Congress, who are not contesting the polls, are supporting the deceased MLA' wife. BJP is not contesting either. CPI(M) has fielded P Sudarshan Rao for the seat. The campaign to the by-election got over yesterday. "The district administration has made all necessary arrangements for smooth conduct of the bypolls," Khammam district Collector Dana Kishore told PTI today. As many as 41 flying squads are monitoring activities to ensure enforcement of the model code of conduct, he said. Apart from central paramilitary forces, police personnel from the state have been deployed as part of the security arrangements, he said. There are 243 polling stations in the constituency, and 1,90,351 eligible voters would cast their ballot. The elections would be held from 7 AM to 6 PM and the results would be declared on May 9.

Pak woman gets Indian citizenship after 13 years

After a long wait of 13 years, a Pakistani woman was granted Indian citizenship. Deputy Commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal handed over the certificate of Indian citizenship to Tahira Hazoor last evening, officials said here today. Tahira had got married to Maqbool Ahmad, a resident of Qadian, Gurdaspur, in 2003. 33-year-old Tahira, who hails from Faisalabad in Pakistan had applied for Indian citizenship in March 2011 after completing the mandatory 7 years of stay in India. Even the Punjab government had recommended her case to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs but she was neither granted Indian citizenship nor a temporary visa for Pakistan. In the absence of citizenship, for last 13 years she was not allowed to move out of Qadian, she said. She has two daughters and a son from her marriage, all of them have Indian citizenship and are free to move to any place, Tahira said. Elated over getting Indian citizenship, Tahira said she will first go to Pakistan to see her mother who has been unwell for last the five years. She said she will also apply for Indian passport soon. Her husband Maqbool and her daughter Sumayala are currently in the UK to attend the wedding of a relative. She could not accompany them because she did not have Indian citizenship and passport.

Hyd Sunrisers beat Kings XI by 7 wickets

Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Kings XI Punjab by seven wickets in an Indian Premier League match, here today. Brief Scores: Kings XI Punjab: 179 for four in 20 overs (Hashim Amla 96; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2/32). Sunrisers Hyderabad: 183 for thee in 19.4 overs (David Warner 52, Yuvraj Singh 42 not out; Axar Patel 1/26).

Sania-Hingis pair enters finals of Rome Masters

India's ace tennis player Sania Mirza along with her Swiss partner Martin Hingis have entered the finals of Rome Masters. In the women's doubles segment top seeded Indo-Swiss pair elimnated Romaninan duo of Irina-Camelia Begu and Monica Niculescu 6-3, 6-4 in semi finals last night. While it was end of Indo-Romanian pair Rohan Bopanna and Florin Mergea in the competetion as they bowed out last night in the semi finals. In men's single section, World number one Novak Djkovic overcame Japan's Kei Nishikori to reach the final 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 last night. Bidding for his third consecutive Rome title and fifth overall Djokovic will meet battle rival Brit Andy Murray in the finals today.

Indian short film ‘Beti’ at Seattle International Film Festival

"Beti", a four minute documentary film on girl child education, has been invited for special screening at the 42nd Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), Washington DC.Young student filmmakers of Chandigarh has made the film.Beti is the only short film from India to be featured amongst 421 films representing 85 countries and will be screened on May 30, which is Seattle Memorial Day at the SIFF. The movie is directed by Shivain Arora. The short film promotes girl child by narrating the real life story of three girls from a government school and their dream for the future.

15 persons of a family killed in road mishap near Bhainsa

Fifteen persons of a family from Maharashtra, including five women and seven children, were killed in a road mishap involving a tipper and an auto in Adilabad district of Telangana, police said today. The incident occurred on the outskirts of Bhainsa town of the district at around midnight yesterday when a speeding gravel-laden tipper collided head on with the auto carrying 18 persons, Adilabad District Superintendent of Police Tarun Joshi told PTI over phone. Fourteen persons died on the spot and another died on way to a hospital after the tipper fell on the auto and its occupants were crushed to death, the police officer said, adding, three others who were injured in the incident were shifted to a hospital in neighbouring Nizamabad district. The deceased were on their way to a temple and had hired the auto, the SP said. "The deceased include five women, four boys and three girls," Bhainsa Rural police station Circle Inspector Vinod Reddy said. The family belong to Bhokar mandal in Nanded district of Maharashtra and they had been working in brick kilns in Nizamabad, he said.

Onset of monsoon over Kerala likely to be delayed by six days, says IMD.

Monsoon onset over Kerala is likely to be slightly delayed this year. The India Meteorological Department has said, the southwest monsoon is likely to set over Kerala on 7th June. The normal monsoon onset date is June 1 when it reaches the state. The southwest monsoon advances over the Andaman Sea normally around 20th May with a standard deviation of about one week. Conditions are becoming favorable for the onset of southwest monsoon over Nicobar Islands , south Andaman Sea and parts of south Bay of Bengal around 17th May and advancement over the entire Andaman sea close to its normal date. The Met department have made a forecast of above normal monsoon this year.

Heat wave likely to prevail in next 48 hrs

Heat wave is likely to prevail at isolated places of Telanagana during the next 48 hours, a Meteorological Department report said today. "Heat wave conditions are very likely to prevail at isolated places in Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Medak and Khammam districts of Telangana during the next 48 hours (May 14-15)," it said. Thunderstorm accompanied with squall is very likely to occur at isolated places during the next 48 hours in all districts, the report stated. As per the State Disaster Management Department data issued on May 9, as many as 260 people lost their lives in the state due to heat with the highest number of 80 deaths reported from Nalgonda district. Hyderabad and several parts of Telangana received sporadic rains in the last several days, which brought down the soaring temperatures considerably.

TDP corporator booked for 'misbehaving' with woman in flight

A TDP corporator from Vijayawada, was booked for allegedly misbehaving with a woman passenger on board an Air-India flight while travelling from Delhi to Hyderabad, police said today. According to a complaint by the 35-year-old woman, she had boarded the flight yesterday from Delhi in which the corporator Ummadi Venkateswara Rao was sitting beside her. He allegedly misbehaved with her and tried to touch her, RGI Police Station Inspector T Sudhakar said. "The woman brought the matter to the notice of the flight crew and they changed the corporator's seat. After the aeroplane landed at RGI Airport here, she complained to AI officials and security personnel and later lodged a complaint with police," Sudhakar said. A case under section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of IPC has been registered against the corporator, the police officer said. By the time the complaint was lodged, the flight which was scheduled for Gannavaram (Vijayawada) via Hyderabad had departed and Rao left in that, he said adding, investigation is underway.

Head constable dies as service gun goes off accidentally

A Head Constable, who was posted on escort duty of a MLA in Adilabad district of Telangana, died today after his service weapon went off "accidentally", police said. The victim was identified as B Gangadhar and the incident took place near the house of Chennur MLA and Telangana Government Whip Nallala Odelu in Mandamarri in Adilabad district. "Gangadhar, a head constable in Telangana Armed Reserve, who was on escort duty of Chennur MLA and Government Whip Nallala Odelu, suffered injuries in his stomach after the SLR misfired. He died on way to a hospital," Superintendent of Police (Bellampalli Sub-Division) Ramana Reddy told PTI. Further investigation is on.

ABVP seeks CBI probe into 'murky affairs' of HCU JAC

ABVP today demanded a CBI inquiry into the affairs of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) for Social Justice at Hyderabad Central University, which is spearheading the agitation over the suicide of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula. The demand comes in the wake of allegations made by former SFI leader and general secretary of HCU Students' Union, Raju Kumar Sahu, that the agitation was massively funded by Congress, Left and opportunist forces of the country. Sahu, who had been an active participant in the protests following Vemula's death, had quit the SFI on May 11, in protest against the "opportunistic politics of SFI". Addressing a press conference here, a group of ABVP leaders of HCU, also condemned the "divisive agitation by JAC, wherein several outsiders with vested interests were brought to fuel the movement". "Now that the cat is out of bag and the fake agitation of JAC/ SFI/ ASA (Ambedkar Students' Association) is exposed, ABVP demands a thorough enquiry into the agitation of JAC and its supporters," ABVP leaders K Palsaniya, Kumar Nayak, N Susheel Kumar and others said. "The accounts of JAC as well as the bank accounts of its leaders and the faculty associated with them need to be examined to ensure the sources of funding for the (ongoing) agitation," they said. A CBI enquiry also needs to be constituted into the conduct of leaders of ASA just before the death of Rohith Vemula. ABVP is of the opinion that the suicide was due to instigation and provocation by persons near and dear to him, they alleged. According to the ABVP leaders, the ASA members held protests against the hanging of Mumbai-blasts convict Yakub Memon on August 3, 2015 at the HCU campus, and the next day they manhandled its member Susheel Kumar. "Only a CBI inquiry into the murky affairs of JAC would reveal the truth. We dare JAC to agree for the enquiry into the affairs of ASA/SFI/JAC from August 4, 2015 till date," they added. On the expose by Sahu, ABVP would like to declare that there is no need to induce any person. The truth is bound to come out on its own, the ABVP leaders asserted.