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Good start against higher-ranked teams matter a lot, feels Rani

27 minutes ago  
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Impressive performance against higher-ranked New Zealand and Great Britain in upcoming matches will be good preparation in an Olympic year, Indian women's hockey team captain Rani said on Wednesday. Rani spoke just before the team's departure for Auckland for its first tour of the season. The team will take on New Zealand in four matches and then play against Great Britain's national squad during a 10-day tour that ends on February 5. "We look forward to playing against higher ranked teams like New Zealand (world number six) and Great Britain (world number five). We want to do well as it will give us a good boost in our Olympic preparation. A good start against tough teams will matter a lot," stated Rani. India will play New Zealand Development squad on January 25, followed by two matches against New Zealand's national team on January 27 and 29. They will then play Great Britain on February 4 followed by another match against hosts New Zealand. "While we have done well in the past .....
                 

Netflix subscriber forecast misses estimate as streaming war heats up

30 minutes ago  
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Delhi elections: Here's the full list of AAP candidates, constituency-wise

33 minutes ago  
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Owaisi's unusual jibe at 'halwa ceremony', says name of dish is Arabic word

37 minutes ago  
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Hyderabad lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday questioned the customary 'halwa ceremony' of the Finance Ministry before printing of Union Budget documents, citing the Arabic origin of the sweet delicacy's name."BJP says they will change the name. Ahead of the budget, finance ministry officials were asked to be inside the building until the budget is not prepared. During the process, they prepare halwa. I ask BJP, where did the word halwa come from?" Owaisi said while speaking at a gathering in Karimnagar."Halwa is an Arabic word and not a word of either Hindi or Urdu. Now you have become Arab. They should shun halwa word as it is an Arabic word. You have seen the Finance Minister saying hello to halwa. There is nothing wrong with this. But they say they will change names," he said."If God wants, people of the country will change them. From where did halwa come? Remember, I am not halwa but red chili," the AIMIM chief added.Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of State ....
                 

Delhi polls 2020: Here's the full list of Congress candidates for 70 seats

an hour ago  
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Can everybody be an artist? Sudarshan Shetty says, Yes'

an hour ago  
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The art community has long been accused of being closed but curator Sudarshan Shetty decided to broaden the canvas and opened the doors for those on the margins -- of the art world and also society -- to bring them into the mainstream. Ask the contemporary Indian artist if everybody can be an artist and he says, "Yes". His claim is vindicated in his recent show, "Look Outside this House", where he curates 27 artworks created by people who might not be referred to as artists in the conventional sense and includes not just installations but also songs and even a magazine. Shetty's artists are the likes of farmers, sex workers, Dalits, transgenders, women and people from similar communities, which have long existed on the margins. And their artworks are essentially innovations born out of their circumstances. The show, which featured at the Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa last month and a part of which will be exhibited at the Indian Art Fair here later this month, includes a 360 degree..
                 

No stay on CAA, Supreme Court grants Centre 4 weeks to reply on pleas

an hour ago  
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The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted the Central government four weeks' time to file a reply on the petitions regarding the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and indicated setting up a Constitution Bench to hear the pleas.The top court did not put a stay on the newly enacted law, as demanded by some petitions.A Bench of Chief Justice of India, S A Bobde, Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna passed the order while hearing more than 140 petitions challenging or supporting the newly amended citizenship law.The law fast-tracks the process of granting citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who fled religious persecution in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and took refuge in India on or before December 31, 2014.During the course of hearing, Chief Justice Bobde said, "We may ask the government to issue some temporary permits for the time being."Attorney General K K Venugopal asked the apex court to freeze filing of further petitions, as over 140 petitions ...
                 

Navjot Singh Sidhu, Manmohan Singh among Cong star campaigners for Delhi Assembly polls

an hour ago  
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The Congress has released its list of star campaigners for the Delhi Assembly polls and named 40 leaders including party chief Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu.Interestingly, Sidhu, who has made it to the list and is known to be an outspoken leader, has been away from the limelight, since his resignation as a minister in the Captain Amarinder Singh-led cabinet in Punjab in July last year.Sidhu had grabbed headlines for his hug with Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa during Prime Minister Imran Khan's swearing-in ceremony in Pakistan in August 2018.He also addressed several rallies in the past attacking the BJP-led central government on a host of issues.Apart from Sidhu and the Gandhi family, the list includes Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states including Captain Amarinder Singh (Punjab), Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan), Bhupesh Baghel (Chhattisgarh), Kamal Nath (Madhya Pradesh) and V Narayanasamy .....
                 

Cabinet nod to protests to SC hearing: The story of Citizenship Act so far

an hour ago  
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CAA will change demography of Assam: Lawyer Vikas Singh

an hour ago  
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As the Supreme Court began hearing petitions related to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), senior advocate Vikas Singh said the new law will change the demography of Assam as it will grant citizenship to "Hindu infiltrators".Appearing for Assam Advocate Association, who has challenged CAA, Vikas Singh said he is hoping that the Apex Court would stay the Act, which triggered protests in several parts of the country including northeastern states."Nobody can stop the state from passing any resolution and even some states have said they are not going to implement CAA. Then the only option left with the Centre will be to dismiss the state government saying that it is breaking down the constitutional machinery," he told ANI."But how many state governments they will dismiss as Opposition is in power in many states comparatively to BJP-ruled states. Such a situation will compel the Central government to rethink the issue," Singh said.The advocate said that there was a "hidden agenda" behind..
                 

CAA petitions: SC says no stay without hearing Centre, may refer pleas to larger Constitution bench

an hour ago  
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The Supreme Court on Wednesday made it clear that it will not grant any stay on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) without hearing the Centre and said it may refer pleas challenging the validity of the Act to a larger Constitution bench. A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde is hearing a batch of 143 pleas challenging the validity of CAA, including those filed by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, told the bench that the government has been given copies of around 60 pleas out of the 143 petitions. He said it wanted time to respond to pleas which have not been served on it. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal urged the bench to put on hold operation of CAA and postpone exercise of the National Population Register (NPR) for the time being. The court said it will not grant any stay on CAA without hearing the Centre on the matter. The CAA seeks to grant citizenship to migrants belonging to Hindu, ...
                 

Netaji birthday again declared public holiday in Jharkhand

an hour ago  
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The Jharkhand government has declared January 23 as a public holiday to mark the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, five years after it was dropped from the list of holidays in the state. The day was removed from the list of holidays between 2015 and 2019, though 'Netaji Jayanti' had been a holiday till 2014, an official release said here. Chief Minister Hemant Soren, during a review meeting on Tuesday, ordered that January 23 be declared a public holiday, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a press release. "Jharkhand had been the 'karma bhoomi' (work place) of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, whose contribution in the freedom movement can never be forgotten. We all should take inspiration from his life," the release said, quoting Soren. The chief minister also called upon the youth to follow the footsteps of Netaji and serve the state and the nation, it added. Soren is leading a JMM-Congress-RJD coalition government in Jharkhand since December last year,..
                 

Polycab India share price up 4% as December quarter profit rises 14%

an hour ago  
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SC begins hearing on petitions on Citizenship Act

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BJP MLA protests with school students against suspension of principal in MP's Ratlam

2 hours ago  
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BJP MLA Dilip Makwana on Tuesday joined school students in protest against the suspension of a school principal after an NGO distributed notebooks with photos of Veer Savarkar to school students.The students had skipped their examination on Tuesday and sat on a hunger strike along with the MLA. Later, the hunger strike was called off and the students agreed to appear for their exams on Wednesday.Speaking to media, Makwana said, "I sat on a dharna with the children. If an NGO has distributed the copies then what is the mistake of the principal RN Kerawat. There is no mistake by the principal. The copies were also distributed in the past but no action was taken then. But he was suspended this time."When asked about whether he had spoken to the administration, he said, "I have discussed with the administration and told them that action should be taken soon. Kerawat should be reinstated within seven days."" If he is not reinstated then we will meet the Collector along with the students. ....
                 

Asian Paints slips 1% ahead of Q3 nos; here's what brokerages expect

2 hours ago  
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IndiaMART InterMESH zooms 13%, hits new high on strong Q3 results

2 hours ago  
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Want to make film on Chandragupta Maurya: Kangana Ranaut

2 hours ago  
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Actor Kangana Ranaut has expressed her desire to make a movie on Chandragupta, the shepherd- turned-emperor who founded the Maurya dynasty, noting that the film industry has "not done enough justice to our history". The national award winner was here to take part in a programme organised by the publishers of a leading Hindi daily where she performed a jig to the tunes of Bhojpuri songs along with actor-turned-politician Ravi Kishan before the duo participated in a question and answer session. Replying to the questions posed by Kishan, who is also the BJP MP from Gorakhpur, Ranaut on Tuesday said it was her second trip to Bihar. "The last time, I was here as a child though I have not yet got a chance to explore the state with which I feel a connect as my Yoga teacher has his roots here," she said. Ranaut, who won acclaim for portraying Rani Laxmibai -- the valiant queen of Jhansi who took on the British during the revolt of 1857 -- in 'Manikarnika', when asked if she .....
                 

Bharti Airtel hits highest level since October 2007 on 100% FDI nod

3 hours ago  
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Bihar's rugby sensation Sweety Kumari meets Nitish

3 hours ago  
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Sweety Kumari, the young rugby sensation from Bihar who recently won international acclaim, has met Chief Minister Nitish Kumar here. The 19-year-old, who hails from Barh sub-division of rural Patna, met the chief minister at the Secretariat on Tuesday in the presence of top officials. Kumari, who was accompanied by her father Dilip Kumar Chaudhary, received accolades for her accomplishments and best wishes for a bright future. Born to an Anganwadi worker, Kumari started training as an athlete, emulating her elder brother, but was spotted by an official of the state rugby association who got impressed with her speed and encouraged her to take up the sport, which is not very well-known in Bihar. Kumari played for the under-17 women's rugby team till she made it to the senior national side last year. She came into limelight after being named "continent's fastest player" by Asia Rugby, the game's governing body for the region, and "International Young Player of the Year" by..
                 

At 2%, South Korea sees slowest annual GDP growth since financial crisis

3 hours ago  
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Five flights diverted due to bad weather in Delhi

4 hours ago  
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Dense fog engulfs Delhi-NCR

4 hours ago  
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The national capital woke up to dense fog this morning with the temperature here recorded a minimum of seven degrees Celsius.A dense layer of fog was witnessed on Barapullah flyover in Delhi and in parts of the NCR region.22 trains have been running late due to low visibility in the Northern Railway region.The IMD in a tweet said, "Delhi reported very dense fog (visibility-25 meter) at 5:30 am on Wednesday and which likely to continue till 10 am to 11 am and improve thereafter.""Dense to very dense fog very likely to affect flight operations and transportation due to poor visibility," the IMD said in a tweet.The IMD also said that dense to very dense fog was also observed over Punjab, north Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi, East Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the early morning on Wednesday.The IMD on Wednesday forecast dense fog very likely in isolated parts over Bihar, Odisha, Assam and Meghalaya and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura and cold day conditions in isolated parts over West ....
                 

MARKET LIVE: Sensex, Nifty likely to open higher; Airtel, ZEEL in focus

4 hours ago  
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Crisis-hit Lebanon forms govt led by Hassan Diab with Hezbollah's support

5 hours ago  
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Technical calls from HDFC Securities: Buy Ashok Leyland, Tata Elxsi

5 hours ago  
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L&T Q3 preview: Analysts see a cut in order inflow guidance for FY20

5 hours ago  
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Reading of Preamble to become mandatory in all schools from Jan 26: Maharashtra govt

5 hours ago  
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Maharashtra government has made reading of Preamble of the Constitution after prayer mandatory in all primary and secondary schools, starting from January 26.The statement issued by School Education Minister and senior Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad on Tuesday, read, "From January 26, a programme called Sovereignty of Constitution, the public interest of all will be started, wherein every school Preamble of the Constitution will be read by all in a group before the classes begin.""It is being done so that everyone comes to know and understand the basic principles of the inclusiveness, justice, equality, liberty and brotherhood," the statement read.A similar order was passed by the School Education and Sports Department on February 4, 2013, but it is observed that this order of 2013 is not being complied, according to the statement...
                 

PM Modi to chair 32nd PRAGATI meeting today

6 hours ago  
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Wednesday chair the 32nd interaction through PRAGATI - the ICT-based, multi-modal platform for pro-active governance and timely implementation.According to a release issued by Narendra Modi website, in the previous 31 interactions of PRAGATI, projects worth over Rs 12 lakh crores have been reviewed by the Prime Minister.In the last PRAGATI meeting of the year 2019, nine projects worth over Rs. 61,000 crore related to 16 states and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir were taken up for discussion. There were also discussions on various topics like grievances of Indian citizens working abroad, National Agriculture Market, Aspirational District Programme and infrastructure development programmes and initiatives.The Prime Minister had launched the multi-purpose and multi-modal governance platform PRAGATI on March 25, 2015. PRAGATI - is an integrating and interactive platform, aimed at addressing the common man's grievances.PRAGATI also helps in .....
                 

Rethink power of Speaker in deciding disqualification petitions: SC to Parliament

6 hours ago  
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The Supreme Court on Tuesday in an important ruling asked the Parliament to rethink on the power of the Speaker in deciding disqualification petitions, as the member continued to belong to a particular political party.A bench headed by Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman said Parliament may "seriously consider" amending the Constitution to substitute the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies as an arbiter of disputes concerning disqualification and suggested a permanent Tribunal headed by a retired Supreme Court Judge or a retired Chief Justice of a High Court.The judgment of the apex court while deciding the plea relating to the disqualification case of Forest and Environment Minister Th Shyamkumar of Manipur.The apex court has asked the Speaker of Legislative Assembly of Manipur to take a decision on Shyamkumar's disqualification within four weeks."It is time for the Parliament to rethink on whether disqualification petitions ought to be entrusted to a Speaker as a .....
                 

BJP top brass attends strategic meeting over Delhi polls

8 hours ago  
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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday held a strategic meeting attended by party national president JP Nadda and its former chief Amit Shah in view of the ensuing Delhi assembly elections.According to BJP sources, discussions were held on the issues with which the party will approach the voters during campaigns for Delhi polls. The meeting concluded on Tuesday late night.The party has come up with the slogan - 'Free pani nahi, saaf pani chahiye' (Need clean water, not free of cost water), said sources.Another slogan which has been devised by the BJP is - 'Desh badla hai, dilli badlenge' (Have changed the nation, will change Delhi too).Sources said the party will also propagate that the central government has made the reduced the cost of LED bulbs. If Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) opposes the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), BJP will raise the issues ranging from abrogation of Article 370 to CAA, they said.AAP had won a landslide victory in the last polls winning 67 of 70 seats.The .....
                 

SAD delegation asks MP govt to provide compensation, rehabilitation package to displaced Sikhs

9 hours ago  
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A two-member high-level team of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday asked the Madhya Pradesh government to provide a compensation and rehabilitation package to displaced farmers of Karahal in Sheopur district besides taking strict action against officials who had destroyed their standing crop and houses.The two-member delegation comprising MP Balwinder Singh Bhundur and senior party leader Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra visited Karahal and also interacted with the Sikh population of the area besides interacting with residents at the gurdwara there.They also interacted with members of the district administration separately."It was shocking to learn that no effort was made to provide alternate land to the Sikh families before their land was taken over by the State government. The Sikh families have also not been paid any compensation despite being uprooted from their land and demolition of their houses in a most unlawful manner. Neither has any concrete action been taken against the ....
                 

BBMP officials have not demolished houses in Bengaluru's Kariyammana Agrahara area: Mayor

9 hours ago  
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Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Mayor, M Goutham Kumar on Tuesday claimed that BBMP officials have not demolished the houses in Kariyammana Agrahara area in Bengaluru but an assistant executive engineer of BBMP had given the order.Around 200 'kutcha houses' were demolished here in the Kariyammana Agrahara area on January 18, claiming that the settlement belongs to illegal Bangladeshis."BBMP officials haven't demolished the houses but an assistant executive engineer of BBMP had given the order. We don't know who had taken up the task. An inquiry is being held at the commissioner level," said Kumar.Electricity and water supply have been allegedly cut off in the locality.Locals, however, said that they are not Bangladeshis and they were not given the notice of demolition by the state government. However, the district administration said that they have no idea about the demolition and an investigation is underway to find out the whole matter."I am a resident of Tripura. We were ...
                 

CRPF team carry pregnant woman on cot for 6 km through jungles to reach hospital

9 hours ago  
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A team of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Tuesday carried an ailing pregnant woman on a cot for at least 6 km through the jungles of Padeda village in Bijapur district to help her reach the hospital.The CRPF was patrolling in the deep jungles of Padeda village as a regular exercise to enquire about the well being of villagers when they were informed about the pregnant woman, who was not feeling well.The villagers who have confidence in the troops on account of their regular visits told the Coy Commander Avinash Rai about the poor health condition of the pregnant woman.Wasting no time, the company commander along with his team consisting of first aid experts reached the house of the woman named Boodi. After reaching there, the team learned that the woman was about to deliver a baby and required immediate medical attention.There was no medical health center in the vicinity as the village is located in a remote region. To add to the difficulty, no vehicle could reach the area due ...
                 

India needs to imbibe best practices, policies from Israel to accelerate innovation: NASSCOM

10 hours ago  
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India needs to imbibe best practices and policies from countries like Israel in order to accelerate innovation, a high-level delegation of India's apex software industry lobby NASSCOM has said. The delegation which was on a three-day "Innovation Discovery" tour to Israel from January 19-21 on Tuesday said that India and Israel can collaborate in several vital areas such as agriculture and mobility. "Innovation and Israel are synonymous. During the three days, we have met with key stakeholders across Israel and believe there are numerous opportunities for collaboration between India and Israel such as cyber security, health, agriculture and mobility among others," Debjani Ghosh, the president of National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), told PTI. Ghosh said NASSCOM will continue to build innovation partnerships between companies in both markets. Keshav Murugesh, the Chairman of NASSCOM Group & CEO, WNS Global Services, said that he is impressed by the right..
                 

Jinnah was secular leader; India got divided because of communal leaders of Congress regime: CK Bose

10 hours ago  
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West Bengal BJP vice-president Chandra Kumar Bose on Tuesday said that Mohammed Ali Jinnah was a "secular" leader as he never wanted partition rather India got divided because of communal leaders of the Congress regime.Bose participated in a march over the demand of declaring January 23 as the 'Patriotic Day'. The march started from Hajra till Netaji Bhawan in Central Kolkata."Jinnah was a secular leader and he never wanted partition. He was compelled and alienated by the Congress. He realised that he cannot share power in India that's why only, in 1940 in the Lahore conference he raised the Pakistan issue. But prior to that, he was not in favour of Pakistan," Bose, who is a grand nephew of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, told ANI."India got divided because of the communal leaders of the Congress regime. Sardar Patel, Pandit (Jawaharlal) Nehru and even Mahatma Gandhi who accepted the partition reluctantly. Till 1955 Pakistan was a secular state. Unfortunately, Jinnah passed away and .....
                 

Trump trial opens with clash over witnesses

10 hours ago  
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Saffronart to auction Nirav Modi's seized assets again on February 27

11 hours ago  
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McConnell abruptly eases impeachment limits McConnell abruptly eases impeachment limits

11 hours ago  
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell abruptly changed his proposed rules for President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, backing off the condensed two-day schedule to add a third for opening arguments after protests from senators, including Republicans. The trial quickly burst into a partisan fight at the Capitol as the president's lawyers opened arguments Tuesday in support of McConnell's plan. Democrats objected loudly to McConnell's initially proposed rules, and some Republicans made their concerns known in private. Without comment, the Republican leader quietly submitted an amended proposal for the record, after meeting behind closed doors with senators as the trial opened. He added the extra day and allowed House evidence to be included in the record. "It's time to start with this trial," said White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, the president's lead lawyer as the proceedings opened in public. "It's a fair process," he said. "There is absolutely no case." Chief Justice John .....
                 

Canada PM denies talking to queen about Harry, Meghan security

11 hours ago  
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday denied having spoken "directly" with Queen Elizabeth II about the costs of providing security for Prince Harry, his wife Meghan and their son. The British press has reported that Trudeau promised the queen that Canada would assume the costs of protecting the Sussexes, who are currently residing near the city of Vancouver. "I have not spoken to her Majesty directly. Discussions continue to be ongoing and I have no updates at this moment," Trudeau told a news conference. Canadian media have estimated the cost of protecting the couple and their eight-month-old son Archie at about 1.7 million Canadian dollars (USD 1.3 million) a year. Other estimates run higher. Harry, 35, returned to Canada late Monday to begin a new life away from the British monarchy with his American wife and their son in a mansion on Vancouver Island on Canada's Pacific coast. Meghan Markle, 38, had gone back to Canada to be with Archie shortly after the couple .....
                 

Democrats decry McConnell's impeachment rules as 'cover-up'

12 hours ago  
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President Donald Trump's impeachment trial quickly burst into a partisan fight on Tuesday at the Capitol as Democrats objected strongly to rules proposed by the Republican leader for compressed arguments and a speedy trial. Chief Justice John Roberts g aveled open the session, senators having taken an oath last week to do "impartial justice" as jurors. Democrats warned that the rules package from Trump's ally, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, could force midnight sessions that would keep most Americans in the dark and create a sham proceeding. "This is not a process for a fair trial, this is the process for a rigged trial" Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Ca., the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee leading the prosecution, told reporters. He called it a "cover-up". McConnell opened the chamber promising a "fair, even handed" process and warned that the Senate would stay in session until his proposed rules package was adopted. "The president's lawyers will finally receive a level ...
                 

Iran acknowledges Russian-made missiles targeted Ukraine jet

12 hours ago  
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Iran acknowledged on Tuesday that its armed forces fired two Russian anti-aircraft missiles at a Ukrainian jetliner that crashed after taking off from Tehran's main airport earlier this month, killing all 176 people on board. The new preliminary report by Iran's Civil Aviation Organization however stopped short of blaming the TOR-M1 for the crash of the Boeing 737-800, flown by Ukraine International Airways. For days after the Jan. 8 shootdown, Iran denied that it fired missiles at the plane, initially blaming a technical malfunction and engine fire for the crash. However, after the US and Canada blamed missile fire for the crash, Iran's armed forces said anti-aircraft fire from the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard had downed the flight. The new report identified the missiles fired at the aircraft as coming from the TOR-M1. In 2017, Iran received the delivery of 29 TOR-M1 units from Russia under a contract worth an estimated USD 700 million. However, the report said, "The .....
                 

Revival lessons from 2008 stimulus

12 hours ago  
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Pamela Anderson weds for fifth time to Hollywood mogul

12 hours ago  
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Former "Baywatch" star Pamela Anderson has tied the knot for a fifth time, to "Batman" producer Jon Peters, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The actress-turned-animal rights campaigner reportedly wed Peters at a private Malibu ceremony on Monday, more than three decades after the pair first met. "There are beautiful girls everywhere. I could have my pick, but -- for 35 years -- I've only wanted Pamela," Peters, 74, told THR. Canadian-born Anderson, 52, has previously been married to rockers Tommy Lee and Kid Rock. More recently she dated French soccer star Adil Rami. Peters, a former hair stylist, rose to Hollywood prominence after a high-profile romance with Barbra Streisand, going on to produce her 1976 version of "A Star Is Born." He subsequently oversaw the Tim Burton "Batman" films in the 1980s and 1990s, and brought another DC comic books icon back to the screen in 2006's "Superman Returns." Peters reportedly first met Anderson at the Playboy Mansion in the 1980s, and .....
                 

Secretary of Ramalya Trust presents 'first' model of Ram temple

12 hours ago  
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The disciple of Jyotish Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati and Secretary of Ramalya Trust Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati on Tuesday presented a model of a Ram temple proposed to be built in Ayodhya. He said the people of the country want a unique Ram temple built in Ayodhya not only conforming to the principles of the 'Vastu Shastra' but also to the 21st century construction standards. The Ram temple must be built keeping in mind the requirements of the large number of devotees who will visit it in future, Saraswati added. Ramalya Trust is committed to building a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya, the secretary said. "The first model submitted to us is by Aditya Gupta which is now being presented before the public," he said. Saraswati said other such models will also be presented before the public in the future and the best one will be chosen for construction. Sharing the details of the model, he said it proposes 10,008 feet high structure which will be the tallest temple..
                 

Senate kicks off debate in Trump impeachment trial

12 hours ago  
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Why PM not accepting my suggestion of debating CAA with 5 critics, asks Chidambaram

12 hours ago  
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Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi as to why he or his government did not accept his suggestion of the PM holding an open debate with five critics of the amended Citizenship Act and let people draw their own conclusion. "I had suggested that the PM should select five of the most articulate critics and hold a Q&A session with them. Why doesn't the PM/Government accept the suggestion? "Let five critics of CAA-NPR debate the PM. Let the event be televised live. And let the people draw their own conclusions," he said on Twitter. In another tweet, he said, "HM (home minister) has dared the Opposition to debate CAA. Is that not what the Opposition, jurists, academics, writers, artists, students and youth have been doing since Dec 12?" Accusing the opposition of "misleading" people on the amended citizenship law, Amit Shah threw a challenge for the debate to Rahul Gandhi (Congress), Mamata Banerjee(Trinamool Congress), Akhilesh .....
                 

Debt-ridden farmer commits suicide in Nagpur district

12 hours ago  
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A debt-ridden elderly farmer allegedly committed suicide at a village near here in Maharashtra on Tuesday, police said. Arun Khushal Kanhonkar (65), a resident of Wakodi village under Saoner tehsil of Nagpur district, hanged himself from a ceiling hook with a rope at his residence, they said. Kanhonkar, who was owner of seven acres of agriculture land, had borrowed a loan of Rs 1.70 lakh from a nationalised bank in Saoner tehsil in 2016-17, the police said. Due to heavy losses in farming, he was unable to pay installments of the loan, they said. He had even mortgaged the family's jewellery with a local moneylender to pay loan installments, but his financial woes had not ended, the police said. The farmer was under depression since a week as he was unable to get back the ornaments from the lender, they said. He committed suicide in the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday when his family members were asleep, the police said. The Saoner police have registered a case of .....
                 

Kejriwal's total assets worth Rs 3.4 crore, an increase of Rs 1.3 crore from 2015

13 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has assets worth Rs 3.4 crore, an increase of Rs 1.3 crore from 2015, according to his election affidavit. Kejriwal's total assets were worth Rs 2.1 crore in 2015. The cash and fixed deposits of Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal increased from Rs 15 lakh in 2015 to Rs 57 lakh in 2020. A party functionary said Rs 32 lakh worth cash and fixed deposits have been received by Sunita Kejriwal as voluntary retirement benefits while the rest are savings. The cash and fixed deposits of the chief minister increased from Rs 2.26 lakh in 2015 to Rs 9.65 lakh in 2020. There was no change in the value of immovable assets of his wife while Kejriwal's immovable assets' worth increased from Rs 92 lakh to Rs 177 lakh. The party functionaries saidincrease in Kejriwal's immovable assets' worth is due to the increased valuation of the same asset as in 2015...
                 

UP cabinet nod to 2020-21 excise policy

13 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday gave its nod to the state's 2020-21 excise policy, under which the licence fee for country-made liquor has been increased by 10 per cent, for beer by 15 per cent and for foreign liquor by 20 per cent. "The government has made a simple and transparent excise policy. Renewal of licences will be done through e-lottery. Under the new policy, one person will be allowed to have only two shops in the state," Principal Secretary, Excise, Sanjay Bhoosreddy said while briefing reporters at a press conference here after the Cabinet meeting. "The beer shops will now be able to sell wines. Licence fee will be charged to serve liquor in luxury trains and cruises within the state boundary, which was free earlier. Licences will be given to airport lounges and hotels located outside the airport where flight passengers stay," he said. Bar codes will be put on all liquor bottles so that consumers can check whether liquor is real or not, he said. Bhoosreddy also said..
                 

No deliberate delay on part of election machinery during Kejriwal's nomination: Delhi poll body

13 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Delhi CEO Office on Tuesday rejected allegations that the nomination process of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was being "deliberately delayed", saying a set procedure has been followed. The Returning Officer took such a long time due to the rush of candidates on the last day of filing nomination papers, they said. The response from the Delhi CEO Office, in the form of a statement, came in the evening, hours after a number of AAP leaders alleged that around 35 candidates with incomplete set of papers were insisting that they would not allow the chief minister to file his nomination unless their nominations were filed. According to the statement, the CEO Office has received some information through social media that nomination process of the chief minister for New Delhi constituency was "being deliberately delayed" by the Returning Officer and was taking 30-35 minutes to check the nomination of one candidate "just to delay" the process and make the chief minister wait .....
                 

Maharashtra govt to make Marathi mandatory in all schools

13 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Maharashtra government will enact a law during the next Assembly session, making it mandatory to teach Marathi language in all schools in the state irrespective of mediums of instructions, said Industries Minister Subhash Desai on Tuesday. Desai, a Shiv Sena leader who is also the Marathi Language Minister, said the draftbill in this connection is being prepared. He made the comment during an interaction organised by the 'Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh'. The next session of the Assembly will be held in February. "The government will frame a law in next month's Assembly session, making it mandatory to teach Marathi language from Class 1 to Class 10 in all schools irrespective of media of all instructions," a statement quoted Desai as saying during the interaction. He said there are 25,000 English medium schools in the state and their number is increasing. "Marathi is not taught at these schools or is kept as an optional subject. Teaching Marathi will be made mandatory..
                 

Sodomised Maha boy hangs self, 14 hostel mates arrested

13 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Fourteen students from a hostel in Maharashtra's Chandrapur were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly sodomising a Class 12 boy, who later committed suicide on January 18, police said. The boy used to stay in the same hostel as the accused and his 18-page suicide note has detailed the sexual assaults perpetrated on him, a Chandrapur police station official said. "He hanged himself in his Seva Dal hostel room on January 18. The 18-page suicide note was found on Monday. He has given explicit details of the sexual assaults after which we arrested the 14 boys staying in the same hostel as well as its watchman," he said. They have been charged with abetment to suicide, unnatural sexual offences under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the official said...
                 

3 Bangladeshis living illegally in India held in Bengaluru: Police

13 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

Karnataka CM Yediyurappa attends US President's address at WEF

13 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa here on Tuesday attended US President Donald Trump's address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2020."Yediyurappa is the first chief minister of Karnataka to participate in WEF meet with a full contingent of officials including chief secretary T M Vijaybhasker and Industries minister Jagadish Shettar," an official release said.Along with Yediyurappa, union minister for commerce and industry Piyush Goyal and Union Minister of State for Shipping Mansukh L Mandaviya also attended the meet addressed by Trump."Though Trump's speech was in the right direction, he concentrated more on his country's economy. It is natural for any country head to speak about his country and its economy. Trump was very much appreciative of the WEF which has turned into a platform for the global traders and investors to boost their business activities," the Chief Minister said after attending Trump's address.He added, "It is also a platform for the political leaders to .....
                 

January 23 declared as public holiday in Jharkhand to mark Netaji's birthday

13 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday announced that January 23 will be a public holiday in the state to mark the 123rd birth anniversary of late freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose."Chief Minister Hemant Soren has ordered to declare a public holiday on January 23 to mark the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose," read a tweet in Hindi from Jharkhand Chief Minister's Office (CMO).Soren said that Jharkhand has been the 'karambhoomi' of Bose and his contribution to the freedom struggle will never be forgotten."Jharkhand has also been the 'karambhoomi' of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. His contribution to ensuring independence to India can never be forgotten. We all should take inspiration from his life. The youth should contribute to the state and country service by following the footsteps of Netaji," Soren said in a follow-up tweet...
                 

Seven Indian airports to scan passengers coming from China after deadly virus outbreak

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Tuesday directed seven airports across the country - Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Cochin - to make arrangements for screening of passengers arriving from China in the wake of outbreak of an infection caused by a new strain of virus there.The Ministry, through an advisory, ramped up measures to block the spread of mystery virus in the country as the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in China climbed to six today.Airlines flying in from any airport in China including Hong Kong have been asked to make in-flight announcements requesting passengers with a history of fever and cough and travel to Wuhan city in the past 14 days to self-declare at the port of arrival in order to facilitate early isolation, according to the advisory.This is in continuation of the travel advisory issued by the Union Health Ministry regarding the threat of novel coronavirus in Wuhan in Hubei province of China in which it had asked citizens ....
                 

Export logjam: In race against China, power equipment makers seek govt help

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ Today's Paper  
                 

Sebi reaffirms earlier ruling in Sahara India Commercial Corporation case

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ Top Stories  
                 

HC directs Centre, Hockey India to allow Odisha teams to

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Orissa High Court on Tuesday directed the Centre and Hockey India to allow Hockey Odisha to participate in the upcoming senior national championships for men and women. While the men's championship will be held in Jhansi from January 25, the women's event will be held in Kollam from January 30, Hockey Odisha general secretary Pratap Satapathy said here. Hockey India, the apex body of the game, last week had debarred as many as 10 states, including Odisha, from participating in the national championships on the ground that they had not updated the details of the team members online a month before the beginning of the events. Hockey Odisha had sought some more time from Hockey India to furnish the details, Satapathy said. But when the apex body did not pay heed to the request, Hockey Odisha approached the high court, stating that it was practically not possible to select the team before one month of the championships. Justice K R Mohapatra in an interim direction asked..
                 

Goa to showcase its tableau 'seashore' at R-Day parade

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Goa will showcase its tableau 'Seashore' at the Republic Day parade on January 26."The Goa tableau under the theme 'Seashore' will depict the seashore of Goa along with biodiversity and livelihoods. The state government has selected Vinayak Decorators as the agency for conceptualization designing, fabrication and presentation of float," a release said.Adding that the state had presented its tableau on Gandhi connect last year, the release read, "After the selection of design forwarded by the state government to the Defence Ministry, a total of seven rounds of meetings were held in New Delhi before the design of Goa is selected by the Expert Committee under Defence Ministry."The work of fabrication of Goa's Tableau commenced on January 3 at Rashtriya Rangashala Camp in New Delhi where the floats of other participating states and Union government Ministries selected by the Defence Ministry are being fabricated."A team of 69 skilled manpower are working round the clock to ensure that the..
                 

Harsh Bhagwan wins Daman and Diu's first medal at Khelo India Youth Games

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Pugilist Harsh Bhagwan finally opened tiny Daman and Diu's medal account at the Khelo India Youth Games, claiming a silver medal here on Tuesday. Harsh won competing in the boys Under-17, 50-52kg category became the Union Territory's first medal-winner in this edition of the Games. The 17-year-old broke into tears after winning his silver. "I started boxing because of my parents, who were firm that I take up an individual sport. They felt that it would make me more responsible, even not allow me hide from my failures," he said. His coach at the Daman & Diu Boxing Federation Academy in Daman, Vijay Pahal, was disappointed at missing out on the gold but clearly was proud of his ward. "If someone wins, someone has to lose too. But I think he will learn from the loss. We will sit and analyse it," Pahal said. "However, if a boxer puts his heart into his performance, gives it his all, I am not one to complain," he said Pahal, a former national-level boxer from Haryana, took up the job ....
                 

Array Networks eyes USD 1 mn biz with 'Make in India' testing product

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Array Networks, Inc, on Tuesday unveiled its first 'Make in India' product 'Amplifier' that can help enterprises test load capacity for advanced web applications against modern browsers. The company aims to rake in USD 1 million (about Rs 7 crore) business from the product in the Asia Pacific region (APAC), Array Networks Vice President (International Sales) Shibu Paul said. The product was designed and developed in Array Center for Technology Innovation (ACTI) in Bengaluru, he added. "Amplifier is a new and futuristic load generating system that conducts performance tests and enables testing of networking devices in terms of stress, scalability and throughput, transactions, and many other system attributes," he said. With 40 per cent year-on-year growth and a CAGR of 37 per cent over the last five years, Array's operation in India is one of the top contributors to the company's overall global growth, the company said. A large percentage of this growth came from the government, BFSI ....
                 

No plan to raise overall import duties on foreign alcohol, says govt

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ Today's Paper  
                 

Dhawan out of NZ tour, Samson and Prithvi replace him in T20s and ODIs

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
India on Tuesday suffered major injury blows just before the start of their New Zealand tour as opener Shikhar Dhawan has been ruled out of the entire limited-overs leg while pacer Ishant Sharma is set to miss the Test series. Dhawan had dislocated his left shoulder while fielding in the third ODI against Australia in Bengaluru. Ishant, on the other hand, was declared unfit for the Tests starting February 21 owing to a tear in his right ankle, he suffered during a Ranji Trophy game on Monday. Wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson replaced Dhawan in the T20 Internationals while comeback-man Prithvi Shaw got his maiden selection call-up in the ODI squad in place of the senior opener. Dhawan had just started to get back to form, scoring 52 against Sri Lanak in the Pune T20 and hitting impact knocks of 74 and 96 against Australia in the just-concluded ODI series. "An MRI of his (Dhawan's) shoulder was conducted, and the results have confirmed a grade II injury of his acromio-clavicular .....
                 

Mamata meets locals in Darjeeling, says don't be scared of

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

Budget 2020 wishlist: Here are the key challenges for agriculture sector

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ Today's Paper  
                 

Cong leader Udit Raj claims govt took away security, endangered life

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

UP Cabinet nod to scheme to give financial help to kin of farmers who die working in fields

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday gave its nod to a scheme for providing financial assistance to family of farmers who die or become handicapped while working in fields. Under the 'Mukhyamantri Krishak Durghatna Kalyan Yojana', if a farmer or any member of his family dies while working in a field then they will be given Rs 5 lakh, UP Cabinet ministers Shrikant Sharma and Siddhartha Nath Singh told reporters here. If they become 60 per cent handicapped or more, then Rs 2 two lakh will be given. The scheme will cover famers and his family members in the age group of 18-70 years, and will be implemented from September 14, 2019, the ministers said. The number of beneficiaries of this scheme is expected to be around 2.38 crore. The scheme will also be applicable for the farmers who work in the field of other persons, and share the crop after it is harvested. The Cabinet meeting, presided by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, also approved the new excise policy for 2020-21 .....
                 

Unfit Hardik Pandya not considered for New Zealand Tour

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Flamboyant India all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who had recently failed a fitness test, has not been considered for India's tour of New Zealand. It is understood that Pandya is not ready for international cricket and will now have to play at least one domestic game for Baroda before being considered for a national comeback. India's next assignment after the New Zealand series will be three ODIs against South Africa at home in March. Pandya recently flunked the bowling workload monitoring test, which is one of the mandatory requirements after coming back from a back surgery. The 26-year-old colour Baroda cricketer had recently claimed that he would be fit for the second half of the New Zealand series but sources in the BCCI claim that it was the cricketer's individual assessment. "He must have felt that he will be fit. But as we know he has failed the fitness test contrary to what his trainer S Rajnikant claims. It was never about Yo-Yo Test but about bowling fitness. He failed the .....
                 

Govt, automobile industry prepared to roll out BS-VI fuel, complaint vehicles, EPCA told

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The government and the automobile industry are fully prepared to roll out BS-VI fuel and complaint vehicles from April 1, officials have told a Supreme Court-mandated anti-pollution panel. The Bharat Stage Emission Standards are regulations to keep a check on emissions from motor vehicles. BS VI or Bharat Stage VI is the new emission standard that all vehicles in the country will have to adhere. During a meeting to review the preparedness for the roll out of BS-VI fuel and complaint vehicles, officials from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas told EPCA that BS-VI fuel will be made available from April 1. "The automobile industry has also told the EPCA they have made huge efforts to be able to meet the deadline. Models have already been rolled out, some will be launched soon," Sunita Narain, member, EPCA, said. "April 1 is now the final deadline when the registration for BS IV-fuel and complaint vehicles will stop," she said. The petroleum ministry told the panel that they will ....
                 

Budget 2020: All eyes on tax receipts as mop-up dips by Rs 1.91 trillion

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ Today's Paper  
                 

Credit risks to remain high in India's financial sector in 2020, says S&P

15 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ Top Stories  
                 

Indo-Bangla relationship 'model' for neighbourhood ties: Envoy

15 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Describing the Indo-Bangla relationship as a "model" for neighbourhood ties, Dhaka's newly-appointed envoy to India Muhammad Imran on Tuesday vowed to enhance regional collaboration focusing on security, connectivity and economic cooperation on a win-win basis. Imran, who succeeds late ambassador Syed Muazzem Ali whose five-year tenure as Bangladesh high commissioner to India expired last month, made the remarks while presenting his credentials to President Ram Nath Kovind here. The Bangladeshi envoy assumes office at a delicate time with three ministerial visits from Dhaka cancelled in the wake of protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and apprehensions over the National Register for Citizens (NRC). Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday had termed the CAA and NRC as "internal matters" of India, but at the same time said the act was "not necessary". Welcoming the new envoy, Kovind said India wants to see Bangladesh become more vibrant in social and economic .....
                 

Odisha govt to set up cancer hospital in Bargah district,

15 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said on Tuesday that the state government was planning to set up a cancer hospital in the Bargarh district. Making the announcement during a public meeting in Tukurla, the chief minister said that Bargarh was chosen for the hospital as the district reports a large number of cancer cases every year. The people of the district have been demanding a cancer hospital for long. During his one-day visit to the western Odisha districts of Sambalpur and Bargarh, Patnaik inaugurated seven projects, developed at an estimated of Rs 70.64 crore. This include a hospital in Tukurla and the Bargarh Science Centre. He also laid foundation stones for 22 projects, to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 59.44 crore. Patnaik told reporters that steps will be taken for the development of Samaleswari Temple and other amenities for devotees. He also stressed on development of tourism in Hirakud reservoir area...
                 

BJP candidate Sunil Yadav files nomination from New Delhi against Kejriwal

15 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Contesting against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, BJP candidate Sunil Yadav on Tuesday filed his nomination papers from the New Delhi Assembly constituency.Earlier this evening, both Yadav and Kejriwal, who are in the fray from New Delhi constituency, filed their nomination papers at the office of Returning Officer.Yadav was cheered by his party workers, who raised slogans to boost his confidence.Before filing his nomination, Yadav alleged that Kejriwal has not addressed the local problems of people in his constituency."People need a local MLA, not a Chief Minister, who addresses their problems. They want their representative to stay with them. Arvind Kejriwal left this area and bought a house in Civil lines. He doesn't spend time with people here," said Yadav, while speaking to ANI."People have to make an appointment to meet and tell their problems. This election will be local versus others," he said.The ruling AAP has declared names of all 70 candidates for Delhi assembly .....