Asian Games 2026: India face Afghanistan in quarterfinal on Sep 28; Pakistan clash with Hong Kong

Myanmar training camp case: US national, 6 Ukrainians allowed to meet their families abroad

Bigg Boss 20: Salman Khan schools Rhiti Tiwari over Qazi Touqeer clash, compares her to Dolly Bindra

Mushtaq Khan dies at 56: When Welcome actor opened up about his salary for iconic role Ballu

LPU students go on rampage, vandalise campus amid widespread protest: What's happening

'FIRST LOOK from inside Noah’s Ark': Researchers share video from inside mysterious mound in Turkey

‘Attack on Mecca a red line for Pakistan’: Shehbaz Sharif warns Houthis at UN

Pakistan deploys over 20,000 security personnel as PTI vows march for Imran Khan's release

OpenAI AI Agents hacked 4 websites before Hugging Face, researchers reveal

'A terrorist country is asking me that question?': Jaishankar hits back at Pakistani journalist at UN; flags attacks on commercial shipping

Trump-Xi summit wrap: Big pageantry, Iran talks, few major developments and more meetings planned

Did Hitler kill his niece Geli Raubal? Newly found records reopen a 95-year-old mystery

Hawaii braces for Hurricane Nolo: NOAA warns of flash flooding and mudslides 

'What kind of confession is this?': Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif’s 'terrorists would be roaming New York' remark goes viral, raises alarm online. Watch

US-Iran war: Trump rejects Iran's Hormuz proposal, reports suggest talks expected next week

Bollywood x K-pop crossover! LE SSERAFIM’s Kazuha charms fans with Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Chammak Challo’ steps

Gaza's war turned environmental damage into second crisis

‘Serial practitioner of terrorism’: Jaishankar calls out Pakistan’s ‘state-sponsored’ terror at UNGA

‘It is all possible’: Putin weighs next steps on Ukraine talks, rules out Europe conflict

Prince Harry offers rare glimpse into Archie and Lilibet’s life after UK move

Nigeria Navy moves to boost oil security, tackle crude theft and infrastructure threats

Donald Trump shares image of Xi's arrival in Washington, carries signs of AI

Pentagon quietly adds 37 wounded troops to Iran war tally without explaining when or how

US court backs Pentagon's decision to exclude Anthropic over Claude AI restrictions

US Supreme Court backs Trump administration's use of SAVE database to check voter citizenship

‘Could kill billions...’: Bill Gates backs calls to slow AI development amid fears of catastrophe

'Countries far from conflict are penalised': Jaishankar calls for Gulf peace, seafarer safety at UN

WATCH | As Shehbaz Sharif claims Pakistan’s ‘victory’ during 2025 conflict, Indian diplomat R Srinivas laughs at UN

Outrage erupts after 3-year-old is married to 60-year-old man in Pakistan, link to her sister's murder being probed

New Friday OTT releases (September 25, 2026): Don’t Be Shy, Hunkkaar: The Roar, Mango Pachcha- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more

Global community 'absent' in Gulf crisis: Saudi at UN calls for freedom of navigation, pre war status for Hormuz

Farhan, who went viral for AK47 celebration vs India in Asia Cup, hopes to lead Pakistan beyond Asian Games

‘I rejected it’: Trump confirms turning down Iran’s proposal to reopen Hormuz, claims Tehran is losing ‘badly’

Russia will achieve Ukraine war aims; Europe doing everything to block peace talks: Lavrov at UN

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Decoding Congress's manifesto

The BJP said Tuesday that some of the ideas in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/what-exactly-does-the-congress-manifesto-promise-207487">Congress manifesto</a> were "positively dangerous".&nbsp;

The pushback — the Congress manifesto had been released earlier on Tuesday — was launched by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who said the ideas were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India".&nbsp;

Jaitley was by and large referring to what the Congress manifesto has said about Kashmir.&nbsp;

The five big promises made by the Congress on Kashmir are:&nbsp;

1. There will be no change to Kashmir's constitutional status &nbsp;— which means there will be no tinkering with Article 370 and Article 35A&nbsp;

2. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) will be reviewed

3. That fewer soldiers, and more policemen instead, will be stationed in Kashmir&nbsp;

4. That talks in Jammu and Kashmir will be held without preconditions

5. And finally, that three interlocutors will be assigned to hold talks in Kashmir&nbsp;

Jaitley said Tuesday that some of the points in the Congress manifesto seem like they had been drafted by the Congress president's (Rahul Gandhi) "friends in the tukde-tukde gang".&nbsp;

"They're against the unity of India," Jaitley said.&nbsp;

Jaitley added that the Congress had failed to mention the plight of Kashmiri pandits in its manifesto. And that the Congress "does not deserve even a single vote for promises like doing away with the sedition law". &nbsp;

The Congress's 55-page manifesto — it is called "Hum Nibhayenge" or "We Will Deliver" — focuses on addressing the issues of joblessness, farm distress, the&nbsp;safety of women and the boosting of the rural economy, with a stress on building a narrative around the "real issues" faced by the people.

The manifesto was released by party president Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and senior leader P Chidambaram among others.

For farmers, Congress promised to put them on the path from "Karz Maafi" (loan waiver), to "Karz Mukti" (freedom from loans).

This the party said would be done through remunerative pricing, lower input costs, and assured access to institutional credit, the party said, adding it will present a separate "Kisan Budget" every year, if voted to power.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iGr_HCnZ1UA" width="560"></iframe>

(Watch: WION's Political Editor Kartikeya Sharma breaks down the Congress's election&nbsp;manifesto.)

Speaking on the occasion at Congress headquarters here, Gandhi said the Congress will allocate six per cent of GDP to education, strengthen government hospitals and give high-quality healthcare access to poor if voted to power.

The party also promised to enact the Right to Healthcare Act and guarantee every citizen free diagnostics, out-patient care, free medicines and hospitalisation, through a network of public hospitals and enlisted private hospitals.&nbsp;

The Congress's Nyay scheme meanwhile envisages the giving of Rs 72,000 a year to five crore EWS families each. And it said Tuesday that, if it came to power, it would bring in one single (moderate) GST rate.

&nbsp;Jaitley said the ideas were "unimplementable".&nbsp;

The Congress's P Chidambaram — he and Jairam Ramesh began their press conference even as Jaitley was still speaking — was quick to reply that "every word here (in the manifesto), we heard from the people of India".&nbsp;

"This is what the people want," Chidambaram said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

The BJP said Tuesday that some of the ideas in the Congress manifesto were "positively dangerous". The pushback — the Congress manifesto had been released earlier on Tuesday — was launched by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who said the ideas were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India".

The BJP said Tuesday that some of the ideas in the Congress manifesto were "positively dangerous". The pushback — the Congress manifesto had been released earlier on Tuesday — was launched by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who said the ideas were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India". Jaitley was by and large referring to what the Congress manifesto has said about Kashmir. The five big promises made by the Congress on Kashmir are: 1. There will be no change to Kashmir's constitutional status — which means there will be no tinkering with Article 370 and Article 35A 2. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) will be reviewed 3. That fewer soldiers, and more policemen instead, will be stationed in Kashmir 4. That talks in Jammu and Kashmir will be held without preconditions 5. And finally, that three interlocutors will be assigned to hold talks in Kashmir Jaitley said Tuesday that some of the points in the Congress manifesto seem like they had been drafted by the Congress president's (Rahul Gandhi) "friends in the tukde-tukde gang". "They're against the unity of India," Jaitley said. Jaitley added that the Congress had failed to mention the plight of Kashmiri pandits in its manifesto. And that the Congress "does not deserve even a single vote for promises like doing away with the sedition law". The Congress's 55-page manifesto — it is called "Hum Nibhayenge" or "We Will Deliver" — focuses on addressing the issues of joblessness, farm distress, the safety of women and the boosting of the rural economy, with a stress on building a narrative around the "real issues" faced by the people. The manifesto was released by party president Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and senior leader P Chidambaram among others. For farmers, Congress promised to put them on the path from "Karz Maafi" (loan waiver), to "Karz Mukti" (freedom from loans). This the party said would be done through remunerative pricing, lower input costs, and assured access to institutional credit, the party said, adding it will present a separate "Kisan Budget" every year, if voted to power. (Watch: WION's Political Editor Kartikeya Sharma breaks down the Congress's election manifesto.) Speaking on the occasion at Congress headquarters here, Gandhi said the Congress will allocate six per cent of GDP to education, strengthen government hospitals and give high-quality healthcare access to poor if voted to power. The party also promised to enact the Right to Healthcare Act and guarantee every citizen free diagnostics, out-patient care, free medicines and hospitalisation, through a network of public hospitals and enlisted private hospitals. The Congress's Nyay scheme meanwhile envisages the giving of Rs 72,000 a year to five crore EWS families each. And it said Tuesday that, if it came to power, it would bring in one single (moderate) GST rate. Jaitley said the ideas were "unimplementable". The Congress's P Chidambaram — he and Jairam Ramesh began their press conference even as Jaitley was still speaking — was quick to reply that "every word here (in the manifesto), we heard from the people of India". "This is what the people want," Chidambaram said. (With inputs from PTI)

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Congress releases manifesto, BJP says some of its ideas 'positively dangerous'

The Congress released its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, and the BJP was quick to say some of the ideas in it were "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-manifesto-some-ideas-positively-dangerous-says-bjp-207472">positively dangerous</a>".&nbsp;

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley went so far as to say some of the ideas in the manifesto were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India" and that they looked like the had been written by Congress president Rahul Gandhi's "friends in the tukde-tukde gang".&nbsp;

Jaitley was by and larger referring to what the Congress manifesto says about &nbsp;Kashmir — that there will be no tinkering with its constitutional status, that AFSPA will be reviewed, and that there will be fewer soldiers — and more policemen instead — deployed in the Valley.&nbsp;

This was expected. The BJP has been focusing tremendous amounts of attention on national security ever since the Pulwama suicide attack that left 40 CRPF personnel dead and the consequent Indian Air Force air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan's Balakote.&nbsp;

But what else does the 55-page long Congress manifesto called "Hum Nibhayenge" or "We Will Deliver" say?&nbsp;

Here are the salient points:&nbsp;

The big Congress scheme of course is NYAY which envisages the giving of Rs 72,000 a year to 20% or 5 crore of India's poorest families.&nbsp;

On Tuesday the Congress said it would also present a separate budget for farmers. The Congress would like to keep the focus on rural distress and joblessness. It therefore announced Tuesday that it would fill up 22 lakh government vacancies.&nbsp;

The Congress Tuesday promised to put farmers on the path from "karz maafi" (loan waiver) to "karz mukti" (freedom from loans).

This the party said would be done through remunerative pricing, lower input costs, and assured access to institutional credit.&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iGr_HCnZ1UA" width="560"></iframe>

(Watch: WION's Political Editor Kartikeya Sharma breaks down the Congress's election&nbsp;manifesto.)

Rahul Gandhi, speaking at the release of the manifesto at Congress headquarters in Delhi, said his party would allocate 6 per cent of GDP to education, strengthening government hospitals and providing high-quality healthcare access to the poor if voted to power.

The party also promised to enact the Right to Healthcare Act and guarantee every citizen free diagnostics, out-patient care, free medicines and hospitalisation, through a network of public hospitals and enlisted private hospitals.&nbsp;

To the youth of India, the Congress pledged to make jobs its top priority, saying it would ensure 34 lakh jobs in the public sector by filling all 4 lakh central government vacancies before March 2020, persuading state governments to fill 20 lakh vacancies and creating an estimated 10 lakh new Seva Mitra positions in every gram panchayat and urban local bodies.

The party said it will also provide a fillip to the private sector by incentivising businesses for jobs creation and employing more women.

The Congress added Tuesday that would radically simplify the GST regime with a single moderate rate of tax, zero rating of exports, and an exemption for all essential goods and services.&nbsp;

It also promised panchayats and municipalities a share of GST revenues.

The Congress added that it would reverse the trend of declining defence spending under the NDA government, and increase it to meet the requirements of the armed forces.&nbsp;

On education, the Congress promised that school education from Class I to Class XII in all public schools would be compulsory and free.&nbsp;

And finally, the party promised to pass in the first session of the 17th Lok Sabha the Women's Reservation Bill reserving 33 percent of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies.&nbsp;

"Congress will also reserve 33 percent of all posts/vacancies in the Central government for women," the party's manifesto added.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

 
&nbsp;

The Congress released its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, and the BJP was quick to say some of the ideas in it were "positively dangerous".

The Congress released its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, and the BJP was quick to say some of the ideas in it were "positively dangerous". Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley went so far as to say some of the ideas in the manifesto were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India" and that they looked like the had been written by Congress president Rahul Gandhi's "friends in the tukde-tukde gang". Jaitley was by and larger referring to what the Congress manifesto says about Kashmir — that there will be no tinkering with its constitutional status, that AFSPA will be reviewed, and that there will be fewer soldiers — and more policemen instead — deployed in the Valley. This was expected. The BJP has been focusing tremendous amounts of attention on national security ever since the Pulwama suicide attack that left 40 CRPF personnel dead and the consequent Indian Air Force air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan's Balakote. But what else does the 55-page long Congress manifesto called "Hum Nibhayenge" or "We Will Deliver" say? Here are the salient points: The big Congress scheme of course is NYAY which envisages the giving of Rs 72,000 a year to 20% or 5 crore of India's poorest families. On Tuesday the Congress said it would also present a separate budget for farmers. The Congress would like to keep the focus on rural distress and joblessness. It therefore announced Tuesday that it would fill up 22 lakh government vacancies. The Congress Tuesday promised to put farmers on the path from "karz maafi" (loan waiver) to "karz mukti" (freedom from loans). This the party said would be done through remunerative pricing, lower input costs, and assured access to institutional credit. (Watch: WION's Political Editor Kartikeya Sharma breaks down the Congress's election manifesto.) Rahul Gandhi, speaking at the release of the manifesto at Congress headquarters in Delhi, said his party would allocate 6 per cent of GDP to education, strengthening government hospitals and providing high-quality healthcare access to the poor if voted to power. The party also promised to enact the Right to Healthcare Act and guarantee every citizen free diagnostics, out-patient care, free medicines and hospitalisation, through a network of public hospitals and enlisted private hospitals. To the youth of India, the Congress pledged to make jobs its top priority, saying it would ensure 34 lakh jobs in the public sector by filling all 4 lakh central government vacancies before March 2020, persuading state governments to fill 20 lakh vacancies and creating an estimated 10 lakh new Seva Mitra positions in every gram panchayat and urban local bodies. The party said it will also provide a fillip to the private sector by incentivising businesses for jobs creation and employing more women. The Congress added Tuesday that would radically simplify the GST regime with a single moderate rate of tax, zero rating of exports, and an exemption for all essential goods and services. It also promised panchayats and municipalities a share of GST revenues. The Congress added that it would reverse the trend of declining defence spending under the NDA government, and increase it to meet the requirements of the armed forces. On education, the Congress promised that school education from Class I to Class XII in all public schools would be compulsory and free. And finally, the party promised to pass in the first session of the 17th Lok Sabha the Women's Reservation Bill reserving 33 percent of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies. "Congress will also reserve 33 percent of all posts/vacancies in the Central government for women," the party's manifesto added. (With inputs from PTI)

What exactly does the Congress manifesto say? 

Johnson &amp; Johnson's baby shampoo samples failed quality tests conducted by the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan, according to a public notice from the state`s drugs watchdog, findings that were rejected by the US drugmaker.

This comes just a few months after Indian authorities launched an investigation into J&amp;J's Baby Powder to see if it contains cancer-causing asbestos. J&amp;J said in late February it had resumed production of baby talc after government tests found no asbestos in the product.

The Rajasthan Drugs Control Organisation's notice dated March 5 said that the samples of J&amp;J's baby shampoo taken from two batches had failed the quality test as they contained "harmful ingredients". It did not elaborate.

A J&amp;J spokeswoman said that the results it received from the watchdog indicated that formaldehyde had been discovered in the samples.&nbsp;

Formaldehyde, used in making building materials, is a known carcinogen.

"We do not accept the interim results given to us, which mentioned samples to 'contain harmful ingredients- identification positive for formaldehyde'," she told Reuters.&nbsp;

"We unequivocally maintain that our products are safe and our assurance process is amongst the most rigorous in the world," the J&amp;J spokeswoman said, adding that the company has contested the interim test results of the government analysis that were based on "unknown and unspecified methods".

The two batches of the baby shampoo tested are due to expire in September 2021 and were manufactured at the company`s plant in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, according to the watchdog`s notice.

"We have confirmed to the Indian authorities that we do not add formaldehyde as an ingredient in our shampoo nor does Johnson`s baby shampoo contain any ingredient that can release formaldehyde over time," the company spokeswoman said.&nbsp;

The Rajasthan Drugs Control Organisation and India's Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) were not immediately available to comment.

The federal regulator and its counterparts in Indian states launched an investigation into J&amp;J`s Baby Powder following a Reuters report in December that the firm knew for decades that cancer-causing asbestos could be found in the product.

J&amp;J has described the Reuters article as "one-sided, false and inflammatory".

J&amp;J's Baby Powder is one of the most recognised foreign brands in the country. The company leads sales in the Indian baby and child toiletries market, according to market research provider Euromonitor. 
 
&nbsp;

Johnson & Johnson's baby shampoo samples failed quality tests conducted by the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan, according to a public notice from the state`s drugs watchdog, findings that were rejected by the US drugmaker.

Johnson & Johnson's baby shampoo samples failed quality tests conducted by the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan, according to a public notice from the state`s drugs watchdog, findings that were rejected by the US drugmaker. This comes just a few months after Indian authorities launched an investigation into J&J's Baby Powder to see if it contains cancer-causing asbestos. J&J said in late February it had resumed production of baby talc after government tests found no asbestos in the product. The Rajasthan Drugs Control Organisation's notice dated March 5 said that the samples of J&J's baby shampoo taken from two batches had failed the quality test as they contained "harmful ingredients". It did not elaborate. A J&J spokeswoman said that the results it received from the watchdog indicated that formaldehyde had been discovered in the samples. Formaldehyde, used in making building materials, is a known carcinogen. "We do not accept the interim results given to us, which mentioned samples to 'contain harmful ingredients- identification positive for formaldehyde'," she told Reuters. "We unequivocally maintain that our products are safe and our assurance process is amongst the most rigorous in the world," the J&J spokeswoman said, adding that the company has contested the interim test results of the government analysis that were based on "unknown and unspecified methods". The two batches of the baby shampoo tested are due to expire in September 2021 and were manufactured at the company`s plant in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, according to the watchdog`s notice. "We have confirmed to the Indian authorities that we do not add formaldehyde as an ingredient in our shampoo nor does Johnson`s baby shampoo contain any ingredient that can release formaldehyde over time," the company spokeswoman said. The Rajasthan Drugs Control Organisation and India's Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) were not immediately available to comment. The federal regulator and its counterparts in Indian states launched an investigation into J&J`s Baby Powder following a Reuters report in December that the firm knew for decades that cancer-causing asbestos could be found in the product. J&J has described the Reuters article as "one-sided, false and inflammatory". J&J's Baby Powder is one of the most recognised foreign brands in the country. The company leads sales in the Indian baby and child toiletries market, according to market research provider Euromonitor.

Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo samples fail quality test; company rejects findings

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-parliament-remains-divided-on-brexit-options-207308">British Parliament remains divided on Brexit options</a>

All four alternative Brexit proposals considered Monday by the UK House of Commons went down to defeat, albeit by narrower margins than in last week's initial vote.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/asat-satellite-destruction-led-to-400-pieces-of-debris-endangering-iss-nasa-207311">ASAT satellite destruction led to 400 pieces of debris, endangering International Space Station: NASA</a>

The head of NASA on Monday branded India's destruction of one of its satellites a "terrible thing" that had created 400 pieces of orbital debris and led to new dangers for astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imran-khans-promise-of-naya-pakistan-a-distant-dream-as-pakistan-economy-struggles-207337">Imran Khan's promise of 'Naya Pakistan' a distant dream as economy struggles&nbsp;</a>

Imran Khan's promise of 'Naya Pakistan' seems to be a distant dream' with the country's economy in shambles

According to the latest numbers released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, inflation in Pakistan is at an all-time high at 9.41 per cent, up from the previous 8.21 per cent.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/second-woman-says-former-us-vice-president-biden-touched-her-inappropriately-207340">Second</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/second-woman-says-former-us-vice-president-biden-touched-her-inappropriately-207340"> woman says former US vice president Joe Biden touched her inappropriately</a>

A Connecticut woman said former US Vice President Joe Biden touched her inappropriately and rubbed noses with her at a 2009 political fundraiser, becoming the second person in three days to accuse the former vice president of unwanted physical contact as he considers a White House run.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/top-venezuela-court-calls-to-strip-guaidos-immunity-207309">Top Venezuela court calls to strip opposition leader Guaido's immunity</a>

Venezuela's top court called on the ruling Constituent Assembly Monday to strip opposition leader Juan Guaido of parliamentary immunity.

The decision by the Supreme Court of Justice could open the way for President Nicolas Maduro's rival Guaido, recognized as interim president by more than 50 countries, to be prosecuted.

British Parliament remains divided on Brexit options All four alternative Brexit proposals considered Monday by the UK House of Commons went down to defeat, albeit by narrower margins than in last week's initial vote.

British Parliament remains divided on Brexit options All four alternative Brexit proposals considered Monday by the UK House of Commons went down to defeat, albeit by narrower margins than in last week's initial vote. ASAT satellite destruction led to 400 pieces of debris, endangering International Space Station: NASA The head of NASA on Monday branded India's destruction of one of its satellites a "terrible thing" that had created 400 pieces of orbital debris and led to new dangers for astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Imran Khan's promise of 'Naya Pakistan' a distant dream as economy struggles Imran Khan's promise of 'Naya Pakistan' seems to be a distant dream' with the country's economy in shambles According to the latest numbers released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, inflation in Pakistan is at an all-time high at 9.41 per cent, up from the previous 8.21 per cent. Second woman says former US vice president Joe Biden touched her inappropriately A Connecticut woman said former US Vice President Joe Biden touched her inappropriately and rubbed noses with her at a 2009 political fundraiser, becoming the second person in three days to accuse the former vice president of unwanted physical contact as he considers a White House run. Top Venezuela court calls to strip opposition leader Guaido's immunity Venezuela's top court called on the ruling Constituent Assembly Monday to strip opposition leader Juan Guaido of parliamentary immunity. The decision by the Supreme Court of Justice could open the way for President Nicolas Maduro's rival Guaido, recognized as interim president by more than 50 countries, to be prosecuted.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, undergoing extradition proceedings in the UK, intends to appeal for bail in the UK High Court after a second bail application was rejected by a lower court in London last week in the USD 1-billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case. 
Advertising

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which represents the Indian authorities through the extradition process in the UK courts, said the 48-year-old intends to appeal against Judge Emma Arbuthnot’s decision to turn down his bail plea at the end of a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court last Friday on the grounds that there was a “substantial risk he would fail to surrender”.

“Mr Modi intends to appeal his bail decision, but he has not yet submitted the appeal,” a CPS spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday.

The diamond merchant, who has been behind bars at HMP Wandsworth in south-west London ever since his first bail application was rejected on March 20, can apply for a High Court bail appeal at any time until his next remand hearing on April 26.

However, his legal team must give the CPS 48 hours’ notice and the bail hearing must be listed within 48 hours of the appeal being lodged in the higher court.

“We are not making any comment at this time,” Modi’s solicitor Anand Doobay said, in reference to plans for a bail appeal application.

It remains to be seen how Modi’s legal team is able to further bolster the bail application after Chief Magistrate Arbuthnot ruled that 1 million pounds offered as security for bail as well as the offer to meet stringent electronic tag restrictions on their client’s movements, “akin to house arrest”, were not sufficient to convince her that he did not pose a flight risk.

“This is a case of substantial fraud, with a loss to a bank in India of between USD 1-2 billion. I am not persuaded that the conditional bail sought will meet the concerns of the government of India in this case,” the judge noted.

The court was told that Modi’s son, who had been at a school in London, had now left for higher studies in the US, which led the judge to conclude that Modi not only had a “lack of community ties” in the UK but also large resources at his disposal to try and flee the country.

Modi’s attempt to acquire the citizenship of Vanuatu in late 2017 also went against him as the judge said it seemed like he was trying to “move away from India at an important time”.

Clare Montgomery, Modi’s barrister, had made a series of offers to try and convince the judge to grant bail, even bringing up his pet dog.

“He did have a son at Charterhouse (school in London) who has now gone to a university in the States and as a sign of ageing parents, led Mr Modi to get a dog instead. None of these actions is emblematic of someone setting out to flee the country,” Montgomery had claimed.

“It is nonsense to say that he is a flight risk. He does not have a safe haven open to him and he has not travelled or applied for citizenship elsewhere…he only qualifies for leave to remain in this country,” she said.

CPS barrister Toby Cadman told the judge that there was a “substantial risk” that the prime accused in the PNB fraud case, “of an amount between USD 1 and 2 billion”, would flee and attempt to interfere with witnesses and evidence.

Judge Arbuthnot accepted the Indian government’s arguments, noting the “very unusual” evidence she had seen at this early stage in the case of interference with witnesses and destruction of evidence in the form of mobile phones and a server.

The court was told that Modi was the “principal beneficiary” of the fraudulent issuance of letters of undertaking (LoUs) as part of a conspiracy to defraud PNB and then laundering the proceeds of crime.

Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, undergoing extradition proceedings in the UK, intends to appeal for bail in the UK High Court after a second bail application was rejected by a lower court in London last week in the USD 1-billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case.

Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, undergoing extradition proceedings in the UK, intends to appeal for bail in the UK High Court after a second bail application was rejected by a lower court in London last week in the USD 1-billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case. Advertising The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which represents the Indian authorities through the extradition process in the UK courts, said the 48-year-old intends to appeal against Judge Emma Arbuthnot’s decision to turn down his bail plea at the end of a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court last Friday on the grounds that there was a “substantial risk he would fail to surrender”. “Mr Modi intends to appeal his bail decision, but he has not yet submitted the appeal,” a CPS spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday. The diamond merchant, who has been behind bars at HMP Wandsworth in south-west London ever since his first bail application was rejected on March 20, can apply for a High Court bail appeal at any time until his next remand hearing on April 26. However, his legal team must give the CPS 48 hours’ notice and the bail hearing must be listed within 48 hours of the appeal being lodged in the higher court. “We are not making any comment at this time,” Modi’s solicitor Anand Doobay said, in reference to plans for a bail appeal application. It remains to be seen how Modi’s legal team is able to further bolster the bail application after Chief Magistrate Arbuthnot ruled that 1 million pounds offered as security for bail as well as the offer to meet stringent electronic tag restrictions on their client’s movements, “akin to house arrest”, were not sufficient to convince her that he did not pose a flight risk. “This is a case of substantial fraud, with a loss to a bank in India of between USD 1-2 billion. I am not persuaded that the conditional bail sought will meet the concerns of the government of India in this case,” the judge noted. The court was told that Modi’s son, who had been at a school in London, had now left for higher studies in the US, which led the judge to conclude that Modi not only had a “lack of community ties” in the UK but also large resources at his disposal to try and flee the country. Modi’s attempt to acquire the citizenship of Vanuatu in late 2017 also went against him as the judge said it seemed like he was trying to “move away from India at an important time”. Clare Montgomery, Modi’s barrister, had made a series of offers to try and convince the judge to grant bail, even bringing up his pet dog. “He did have a son at Charterhouse (school in London) who has now gone to a university in the States and as a sign of ageing parents, led Mr Modi to get a dog instead. None of these actions is emblematic of someone setting out to flee the country,” Montgomery had claimed. “It is nonsense to say that he is a flight risk. He does not have a safe haven open to him and he has not travelled or applied for citizenship elsewhere…he only qualifies for leave to remain in this country,” she said. CPS barrister Toby Cadman told the judge that there was a “substantial risk” that the prime accused in the PNB fraud case, “of an amount between USD 1 and 2 billion”, would flee and attempt to interfere with witnesses and evidence. Judge Arbuthnot accepted the Indian government’s arguments, noting the “very unusual” evidence she had seen at this early stage in the case of interference with witnesses and destruction of evidence in the form of mobile phones and a server. The court was told that Modi was the “principal beneficiary” of the fraudulent issuance of letters of undertaking (LoUs) as part of a conspiracy to defraud PNB and then laundering the proceeds of crime.

Nirav Modi intends to appeal for bail in UK High Court

The Bombay High Court Monday refused to grant any relief to diamantaire Nirav Modi's company Camelot Enterprises which had challenged last week's auction by the Income Tax Department of some paintings and artwork belonging to the firm.

The petitioner, Camelot Enterprises, a shell company in which Nirav Modi holds over 99 per cent shares, had approached the high court last week challenging the tax assessment report of the I-T Department, and the department's subsequent notice proposing the recovery proceedings through the said auction.

A bench of Justices Akil Kureshi and Sarang Kotwal, however, rejected the petitioner's prayers for relief, noting among other things, that on the issue of the assessment order, Camelot had directly approached high court instead of filing an appeal before the concerned Appellate Tribunal.

The bench also noted that by not interfering with the auction that was held on March 26 this year, it was not putting the petitioner through an "irreversible situation".

"The petitioner does not claim any particular attachment to any painting or artwork. It hasn't challenged their valuation," the bench said.

"Incase the petitioner succeeds before the Appellate Authority, the amount recovered by the department through the auction can be returned to it with interest," it said.

The petitioner had also argued that the department had "failed" to serve, in a proper manner, notices, both for the assessment of dues and the auction.

It said the department had served notices to two of its directors, Ramesh Assar and Hemant Bhatt.

While Assar had resigned from the company when the notices were received in September last year, Bhatt was in judicial custody at the time.

Instead, Bhatt's son received the notice and told the department that he was incapable of replying to the same.

Therefore, the service of such notices must be held invalid by the court, the petitioner argued.

It further said of the 68 paintings put up for auction by the department, only 19 belonged to the company.

Therefore, the department should not have sold what did not belong to Camelot or to Nirav Modi.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, who appeared for the I-T Department, however, argued that Camelot had merely made a statement denying ownership of all the paintings and artwork put up for auction.

It had not provided any legal evidence to prove that it did not own all of the paintings and artwork, Singh said.

Instead, "searches and inquiries conducted by the department" had led to the recovery of a total of 173 paintings and artwork belonging to the company.

Such artwork had been stored in a warehouse in Wadala, and the department had initiated the auction of 68 of such paintings and artwork to recover its tax dues, following valid notice and procedure, Singh said.

The ASG further argued that though the auction had been advertised and notified on its website and in newspapers, no one had come forward to claim ownership of such paintings and artwork which Camelot claimed did not belong to the company.

Therefore, it proved that all paintings and artwork were owned by Camelot, Singh said.

Besides, Singh argued, if Camelot indeed did not own the remaining paintings, then, it had no legal right or locus standi to challenge their sale.

On the issue of service of a notice, the ASG argued that in consonance with the law, the department had sent notices of the tax assessment and the recovery proceedings to the petitioner company and its known directors, Assar and Bhatt, through speed post and emails.

He also said Assar was shown by the petitioner to have resigned from the company a day after the notice for recovery proceedings had been dispatched.

There was also no evidence to prove that Assar had indeed resigned on the said date, he said.

The bench agreed that the petitioner had failed to provide any evidence to prove that it owned only 19 paintings.

"There is no explanation for why the petitioner, who claims to own only 19 paintings, had stored the remaining paintings at the same place at the warehouse, at its own cost. Also, no one has come forward to claim ownership of the remaining paintings. Therefore, the petition can't take shelter under this ground," the bench said.

Last month, a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court had allowed the I-T Department to auction selective artwork -- 68 of the 173 items recovered by the department and the Enforcement Directorate in a search -- allegedly belonging to Nirav Modi, to recover tax arrears.

The ED had provisionally attached the artwork, as part of the investigation into the Rs 13,500-crore Punjab National Bank fraud.

The I-T Department sold 55 of the 68 items and raised around Rs 55 crore through such auction.

The Bombay High Court Monday refused to grant any relief to diamantaire Nirav Modi's company Camelot Enterprises which had challenged last week's auction by the Income Tax Department of some paintings and artwork belonging to the firm.

The Bombay High Court Monday refused to grant any relief to diamantaire Nirav Modi's company Camelot Enterprises which had challenged last week's auction by the Income Tax Department of some paintings and artwork belonging to the firm. The petitioner, Camelot Enterprises, a shell company in which Nirav Modi holds over 99 per cent shares, had approached the high court last week challenging the tax assessment report of the I-T Department, and the department's subsequent notice proposing the recovery proceedings through the said auction. A bench of Justices Akil Kureshi and Sarang Kotwal, however, rejected the petitioner's prayers for relief, noting among other things, that on the issue of the assessment order, Camelot had directly approached high court instead of filing an appeal before the concerned Appellate Tribunal. The bench also noted that by not interfering with the auction that was held on March 26 this year, it was not putting the petitioner through an "irreversible situation". "The petitioner does not claim any particular attachment to any painting or artwork. It hasn't challenged their valuation," the bench said. "Incase the petitioner succeeds before the Appellate Authority, the amount recovered by the department through the auction can be returned to it with interest," it said. The petitioner had also argued that the department had "failed" to serve, in a proper manner, notices, both for the assessment of dues and the auction. It said the department had served notices to two of its directors, Ramesh Assar and Hemant Bhatt. While Assar had resigned from the company when the notices were received in September last year, Bhatt was in judicial custody at the time. Instead, Bhatt's son received the notice and told the department that he was incapable of replying to the same. Therefore, the service of such notices must be held invalid by the court, the petitioner argued. It further said of the 68 paintings put up for auction by the department, only 19 belonged to the company. Therefore, the department should not have sold what did not belong to Camelot or to Nirav Modi. Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, who appeared for the I-T Department, however, argued that Camelot had merely made a statement denying ownership of all the paintings and artwork put up for auction. It had not provided any legal evidence to prove that it did not own all of the paintings and artwork, Singh said. Instead, "searches and inquiries conducted by the department" had led to the recovery of a total of 173 paintings and artwork belonging to the company. Such artwork had been stored in a warehouse in Wadala, and the department had initiated the auction of 68 of such paintings and artwork to recover its tax dues, following valid notice and procedure, Singh said. The ASG further argued that though the auction had been advertised and notified on its website and in newspapers, no one had come forward to claim ownership of such paintings and artwork which Camelot claimed did not belong to the company. Therefore, it proved that all paintings and artwork were owned by Camelot, Singh said. Besides, Singh argued, if Camelot indeed did not own the remaining paintings, then, it had no legal right or locus standi to challenge their sale. On the issue of service of a notice, the ASG argued that in consonance with the law, the department had sent notices of the tax assessment and the recovery proceedings to the petitioner company and its known directors, Assar and Bhatt, through speed post and emails. He also said Assar was shown by the petitioner to have resigned from the company a day after the notice for recovery proceedings had been dispatched. There was also no evidence to prove that Assar had indeed resigned on the said date, he said. The bench agreed that the petitioner had failed to provide any evidence to prove that it owned only 19 paintings. "There is no explanation for why the petitioner, who claims to own only 19 paintings, had stored the remaining paintings at the same place at the warehouse, at its own cost. Also, no one has come forward to claim ownership of the remaining paintings. Therefore, the petition can't take shelter under this ground," the bench said. Last month, a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court had allowed the I-T Department to auction selective artwork -- 68 of the 173 items recovered by the department and the Enforcement Directorate in a search -- allegedly belonging to Nirav Modi, to recover tax arrears. The ED had provisionally attached the artwork, as part of the investigation into the Rs 13,500-crore Punjab National Bank fraud. The I-T Department sold 55 of the 68 items and raised around Rs 55 crore through such auction.

Mumbai: No High Court relief for Nirav Modi firm in I-T Dept's painting auction

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah told former cricketer Gautam Gambhir Tuesday to "stick to stuff you know".&nbsp;

"Gautam, I never played much cricket because I knew I wasn’t very good at it. You don’t know very much about J&amp;K, it’s history or the role of @jknc_ (Jammu and Kashmir National Conference) in shaping that history yet you insist on displaying that ignorance for all to see," Omar tweeted. &nbsp;

"Stick to stuff you know about, tweet about the IPL," he added.&nbsp;

Omar had been replying to a tweet by Gambhir in which the former cricketer had said, "@OmarAbdullah wants a separate PM for J&amp;K &amp; I want to walk on oceans! @OmarAbdullah wants a separate PM for J&amp;K &amp; I want pigs to fly!"&nbsp;

"More than a separate PM @OmarAbdullah needs some sleep followed by a strong coffee! If he still doesn’t understand then a green Pakistani passport," Gambhir, who recently joined the BJP, added. &nbsp;

Abdullah had reportedly made the comment — about a separate PM for Jammu and Kashmir — in a speech in J&amp;K's Bandipore, where he had been campaigning for a National Conference candidate. The news agency PTI reported that Abdullah had said that J&amp;K had had a separate prime minister years ago and then wondered aloud whether that needed to be reinstituted to protect the state's identity.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Gautam,I never played much cricket because I knew I wasn’t very good at it. You don’t know very much about J&amp;K,it’s history or the role of <a href="https://twitter.com/JKNC_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jknc_</a> in shaping that history yet you insist on displaying that ignorance for all to see. Stick to stuff you know about, tweet about the IPL <a href="https://t.co/2ZSHJclWkt">https://t.co/2ZSHJclWkt</a>
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) <a href="https://twitter.com/OmarAbdullah/status/1113001838662410240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Omar's reported comment had been picked up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp;

"National Conference wants 2 PMs, 1 in Kashmir &amp; 1 for rest of India," Modi tweeted.&nbsp;

"Shame on the Opposition. Till Modi is there, no one can divide India!" he added. &nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
National Conference wants 2 PMs, 1 in Kashmir &amp; 1 for rest of India. 
 
Does Mamata Didi agree? 
Does U-Turn Babu agree? 
Does Pawar Sahab agree? 
Does former PM Deve Gowda Ji agree? 
 
Shame on the Opposition! 
 
Till Modi is there, no one can divide India! <a href="https://t.co/hKVS0vgu2d">pic.twitter.com/hKVS0vgu2d</a>
— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1112735116982259712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
My party has always stood for the restoration of the terms of accession which Maharaja Hari Singh negotiated for J&amp;K in 1947 &amp; we have done so unashamedly.
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) <a href="https://twitter.com/OmarAbdullah/status/1112714618487619584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"My party has always stood for the restoration of the terms of accession which Maharaja Hari Singh negotiated for J&amp;K in 1947 &amp; we have done so unashamedly," Omar replied.&nbsp;

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah told former cricketer Gautam Gambhir Tuesday to "stick to stuff you know". "Gautam, I never played much cricket because I knew I wasn’t very good at it.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah told former cricketer Gautam Gambhir Tuesday to "stick to stuff you know". "Gautam, I never played much cricket because I knew I wasn’t very good at it. You don’t know very much about J&K, it’s history or the role of @jknc_ (Jammu and Kashmir National Conference) in shaping that history yet you insist on displaying that ignorance for all to see," Omar tweeted. "Stick to stuff you know about, tweet about the IPL," he added. Omar had been replying to a tweet by Gambhir in which the former cricketer had said, "@OmarAbdullah wants a separate PM for J&K & I want to walk on oceans! @OmarAbdullah wants a separate PM for J&K & I want pigs to fly!" "More than a separate PM @OmarAbdullah needs some sleep followed by a strong coffee! If he still doesn’t understand then a green Pakistani passport," Gambhir, who recently joined the BJP, added. Abdullah had reportedly made the comment — about a separate PM for Jammu and Kashmir — in a speech in J&K's Bandipore, where he had been campaigning for a National Conference candidate. The news agency PTI reported that Abdullah had said that J&K had had a separate prime minister years ago and then wondered aloud whether that needed to be reinstituted to protect the state's identity. Gautam,I never played much cricket because I knew I wasn’t very good at it. You don’t know very much about J&K,it’s history or the role of @jknc_ in shaping that history yet you insist on displaying that ignorance for all to see. Stick to stuff you know about, tweet about the IPL https://t.co/2ZSHJclWkt — Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 2, 2019 × Omar's reported comment had been picked up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "National Conference wants 2 PMs, 1 in Kashmir & 1 for rest of India," Modi tweeted. "Shame on the Opposition. Till Modi is there, no one can divide India!" he added. National Conference wants 2 PMs, 1 in Kashmir & 1 for rest of India. Does Mamata Didi agree? Does U-Turn Babu agree? Does Pawar Sahab agree? Does former PM Deve Gowda Ji agree? Shame on the Opposition! Till Modi is there, no one can divide India! pic.twitter.com/hKVS0vgu2d — Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 1, 2019 × My party has always stood for the restoration of the terms of accession which Maharaja Hari Singh negotiated for J&K in 1947 & we have done so unashamedly. — Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 1, 2019 × "My party has always stood for the restoration of the terms of accession which Maharaja Hari Singh negotiated for J&K in 1947 & we have done so unashamedly," Omar replied.

'Stick to stuff you know,' Omar Abdullah tells Gautam Gambhir

The Indian Air Force on Monday scrambled two Sukhoi-30 fighter jets after sighting a Pakistani drone along the Indo-Pak border in the Khemkaran sector in Punjab, official sources said.

Two Pakistani F-16 fighter aircraft were also seen close to the border after the incident.

The sources said the Sukhoi-30 MKI jets were deployed soon after the Pakistani unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was seen hovering over the border.

The drone soon retreated to the Pakistani side after the jets were scrambled. The incident took place around 3:10 PM.

There have been a series of incidents of Pakistani drones coming close to the Indo-Pak border in various areas in the last four weeks following the Balakot air strikes.

Last month, a UAV which intruded into Rajasthan's Ganganagar was shot down by the Army. Also last month, a Sukhoi-30 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force shot down a

Pakistani military drone in Bikaner sector of the Indo-Pak border using an air-to-air missile.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after Indian Air Force fighter jets bombed terror group JeM's training camp near Balakot in Pakistan on February 26.

Pakistan retaliated by attempting to target Indian military installations the next day. However, the IAF thwarted their plans.

The Indian strike on the JeM camp came 12 days after the terror outfit claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama in which 40 soldiers were killed.&nbsp;

The Indian Air Force on Monday scrambled two Sukhoi-30 fighter jets after sighting a Pakistani drone along the Indo-Pak border in the Khemkaran sector in Punjab, official sources said.

The Indian Air Force on Monday scrambled two Sukhoi-30 fighter jets after sighting a Pakistani drone along the Indo-Pak border in the Khemkaran sector in Punjab, official sources said. Two Pakistani F-16 fighter aircraft were also seen close to the border after the incident. The sources said the Sukhoi-30 MKI jets were deployed soon after the Pakistani unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was seen hovering over the border. The drone soon retreated to the Pakistani side after the jets were scrambled. The incident took place around 3:10 PM. There have been a series of incidents of Pakistani drones coming close to the Indo-Pak border in various areas in the last four weeks following the Balakot air strikes. Last month, a UAV which intruded into Rajasthan's Ganganagar was shot down by the Army. Also last month, a Sukhoi-30 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force shot down a Pakistani military drone in Bikaner sector of the Indo-Pak border using an air-to-air missile. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after Indian Air Force fighter jets bombed terror group JeM's training camp near Balakot in Pakistan on February 26. Pakistan retaliated by attempting to target Indian military installations the next day. However, the IAF thwarted their plans. The Indian strike on the JeM camp came 12 days after the terror outfit claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama in which 40 soldiers were killed.

Indian Air Force scrambles Sukhoi-30 jets after sighting Pakistani drone

An Indian national Tuesday was sentenced to eight years and nine months in prison for his involvement in an India-based call centre scam, the US Department of Justice said.

Nishitkumar Patel, 31, who had pleaded guilty to the charges on January 9, has also been asked by a Florida court to pay $2,00,000, forfeit cash and a 2015 Land Rover that was seized in October 2018.

According to court documents, Patel connived with the US-based co-conspirators and the India-based call centres to extort money from American residents by impersonating Internal Revenue Service (IRS) officers between 2014 and 2016.

The IRS is the revenue service of the United States federal government.&nbsp;

During this period, they mislead the victims in believing that they owed money to the IRS and would be arrested and fined if they did not pay their alleged taxes back immediately, as per the documents.&nbsp;

The conspirators collected the fraud proceeds by withdrawing cash from prepaid cards purchased and funded by victims; hiring other conspirators (runners) to retrieve money wired by the victims to those runners; and/or hiring runners to open bank accounts into which victims deposited fraud proceeds, revealed the documents.

The defendants collected the proceeds by providing the runners with the victims' names, locations, and amounts paid.

The runners were directed to retrieve the fraud proceeds in cash and turn the funds over to the defendants, often less payment to the runner for opening the account or conducting the transaction, according to the documents.

Four others have already pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme.

On March 25, Alejandro Juarez was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison. Hemalkumar Shah, Sharvil Patel and Brenda Dozier are currently awaiting sentencing.&nbsp;

"We here at IRS CI recognise the heartache and concern these crooks cause innocent people. This is why we are eager to team up with our law enforcement partners to track down these impersonators in whatever corner of the globe they may be hiding in," said special agent-in-charge Mary Hammond of IRS Criminal Investigations, Tampa Field Office.

J Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, said, "Over the last several years, American taxpayers have been subjected to unprecedented attempts to fraudulently obtain money by individuals impersonating Internal Revenue Service employees."

"Victimising taxpayers by impersonating IRS employees is a serious crime," he said.&nbsp;

An Indian national Tuesday was sentenced to eight years and nine months in prison for his involvement in an India-based call centre scam, the US Department of Justice said.

An Indian national Tuesday was sentenced to eight years and nine months in prison for his involvement in an India-based call centre scam, the US Department of Justice said. Nishitkumar Patel, 31, who had pleaded guilty to the charges on January 9, has also been asked by a Florida court to pay $2,00,000, forfeit cash and a 2015 Land Rover that was seized in October 2018. According to court documents, Patel connived with the US-based co-conspirators and the India-based call centres to extort money from American residents by impersonating Internal Revenue Service (IRS) officers between 2014 and 2016. The IRS is the revenue service of the United States federal government. During this period, they mislead the victims in believing that they owed money to the IRS and would be arrested and fined if they did not pay their alleged taxes back immediately, as per the documents. The conspirators collected the fraud proceeds by withdrawing cash from prepaid cards purchased and funded by victims; hiring other conspirators (runners) to retrieve money wired by the victims to those runners; and/or hiring runners to open bank accounts into which victims deposited fraud proceeds, revealed the documents. The defendants collected the proceeds by providing the runners with the victims' names, locations, and amounts paid. The runners were directed to retrieve the fraud proceeds in cash and turn the funds over to the defendants, often less payment to the runner for opening the account or conducting the transaction, according to the documents. Four others have already pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme. On March 25, Alejandro Juarez was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison. Hemalkumar Shah, Sharvil Patel and Brenda Dozier are currently awaiting sentencing. "We here at IRS CI recognise the heartache and concern these crooks cause innocent people. This is why we are eager to team up with our law enforcement partners to track down these impersonators in whatever corner of the globe they may be hiding in," said special agent-in-charge Mary Hammond of IRS Criminal Investigations, Tampa Field Office. J Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, said, "Over the last several years, American taxpayers have been subjected to unprecedented attempts to fraudulently obtain money by individuals impersonating Internal Revenue Service employees." "Victimising taxpayers by impersonating IRS employees is a serious crime," he said.

US: Indian sentenced to eight years in jail in call centre scam

Industry body CII Tuesday said the proposed national e-commerce policy should provide greater clarity on data sharing as forced disclosure may raise concerns on privacy.

In its comments on the draft policy floated by the department for the promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT), it also said the regulations should not aim at "micromanaging" players in the e-commerce sector but should act as an enabler to promote innovations.

In February, the DPIIT floated the draft policy proposing setting up a legal and technological framework for restrictions on cross-border data flow and also laid out conditions for businesses regarding the collection or processing of sensitive data locally and storing it abroad.

In its suggestions, the CII said the role of an e-commerce platform is that of an intermediary and hence the responsibility of preventing IP infringements while limited, is a joint one with the larger role around liability and gatekeeping on the seller/ manufacturer.

"Forced disclosures and data sharing can infringe privacy concerns and hence greater clarity and calibration are required on the context, procedure, and expectations around the government's right to mandate the forced transfer of proprietary information," CII said.&nbsp;

The draft says that a business entity that collects or processes any sensitive data in India and stores it abroad, shall be required to adhere to certain conditions.&nbsp;

The conditions state that all such data stored abroad shall not be made available to other business entities outside India, for any purpose, even with the customer's consent.&nbsp;

Further, the data shall also not be made available to a third party for any purpose and it would also not be shared with a foreign government, without the prior permission of Indian authorities, the draft said.

CII further suggested that the e-commerce policy should not aim for a one size fits all approach but take into account the diversity of organizations and industries it affects.&nbsp; 
"Hence, the policy should determine its scope of work and aim to limit its overreach accordingly," it said.

Also, the regulation should not aim to micromanage or overpower innovation but to become an enabler of innovation and opportunities. 
Ritesh Agarwal, Chairman, CII National Committee on e-commerce said in the last decade, e-commerce has touched every aspect of lives and is growing at an impressive pace.&nbsp;

"Through this committee's representation to the DPIIT, we will explore ways to increase economic opportunities and empower businesses," he said. 
Anjan Das, Executive Director of CII said any legal framework impacting the e-commerce ecosystem is of critical importance for both consumers as well as service providers.&nbsp;

CII said it has held stakeholder consultation and invited them to provide detailed comments, issues and proposed solutions that have been compiled to form a comprehensive list of responses to the draft policy.

Industry body CII Tuesday said the proposed national e-commerce policy should provide greater clarity on data sharing as forced disclosure may raise concerns on privacy.

Industry body CII Tuesday said the proposed national e-commerce policy should provide greater clarity on data sharing as forced disclosure may raise concerns on privacy. In its comments on the draft policy floated by the department for the promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT), it also said the regulations should not aim at "micromanaging" players in the e-commerce sector but should act as an enabler to promote innovations. In February, the DPIIT floated the draft policy proposing setting up a legal and technological framework for restrictions on cross-border data flow and also laid out conditions for businesses regarding the collection or processing of sensitive data locally and storing it abroad. In its suggestions, the CII said the role of an e-commerce platform is that of an intermediary and hence the responsibility of preventing IP infringements while limited, is a joint one with the larger role around liability and gatekeeping on the seller/ manufacturer. "Forced disclosures and data sharing can infringe privacy concerns and hence greater clarity and calibration are required on the context, procedure, and expectations around the government's right to mandate the forced transfer of proprietary information," CII said. The draft says that a business entity that collects or processes any sensitive data in India and stores it abroad, shall be required to adhere to certain conditions. The conditions state that all such data stored abroad shall not be made available to other business entities outside India, for any purpose, even with the customer's consent. Further, the data shall also not be made available to a third party for any purpose and it would also not be shared with a foreign government, without the prior permission of Indian authorities, the draft said. CII further suggested that the e-commerce policy should not aim for a one size fits all approach but take into account the diversity of organizations and industries it affects. "Hence, the policy should determine its scope of work and aim to limit its overreach accordingly," it said. Also, the regulation should not aim to micromanage or overpower innovation but to become an enabler of innovation and opportunities. Ritesh Agarwal, Chairman, CII National Committee on e-commerce said in the last decade, e-commerce has touched every aspect of lives and is growing at an impressive pace. "Through this committee's representation to the DPIIT, we will explore ways to increase economic opportunities and empower businesses," he said. Anjan Das, Executive Director of CII said any legal framework impacting the e-commerce ecosystem is of critical importance for both consumers as well as service providers. CII said it has held stakeholder consultation and invited them to provide detailed comments, issues and proposed solutions that have been compiled to form a comprehensive list of responses to the draft policy.

Greater clarity required on data sharing, CII on draft e-commerce policy

Facebook Inc on Monday took down 15 pages and accounts that engaged in coordinated inauthentic behaviour in India and were linked to individuals associated with an Indian IT firm, Silver Touch.

Facebook's head of cybersecurity policy Nathaniel Gleicher was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying that the social media giant was only aware that 'Silver Touch'&nbsp;was an Indian IT firm which worked for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and is associated with Narendra Modi`s mobile application, the 'NaMo App'&nbsp;.

After BJP's IT head Amit Malviya told Reuters that both the party and the app had "nothing to do with Silver Touch," the wire agency quoted an updated statement by Facebook late on Monday that stated that the social media giant had "seen no evidence to date of Silver Touch being associated with the NaMo App on our platform."

"We won't be speculating about off-platform connections of the actors we took down today," a spokeswoman was quoted by the newswire.

"The only link Facebook saw was that the company was associated with a mobile application promoted by Modi," Gleicher was quoted as saying earlier.

Facebook had also on Monday announced that it<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-official-pages-taken-down-says-congress-after-facebook-removed-687-pages-linked-to-party-207247"> removed 687 pages and accounts linked to the Congress party</a> for "coordinated inauthentic behaviour".

"We removed 687 Facebook Pages and accounts -- the majority of which had already been detected and suspended by our automated systems -- that engaged in coordinated inauthentic behaviour in India and were linked to individuals associated with an IT Cell of the Indian National Congress (INC)," Gleicher said in a statement.

Gleicher also stated that the social media giant has taken the step of removing the accounts on the basis of their behaviour and not their content.

The US-based social media platform added that its investigation found individuals using fake accounts to spread content, criticising Prime Minister Modi and the BJP.

"While the people behind this activity attempted to conceal their identities, our review found that it was connected to individuals associated with an INC IT Cell," the statement noted.

The Congress party, however, denied the allegations."We don't react to the news reports which may just be coming in, whether there are any Facebook pages which are linked to us. We will have to check and get back to you. We will have to check the veracity of the report. I don't think any news organisation can claim that what they print is gospel, we have the right to check what has been published," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters in New Delhi on Monday.

In recent times, Facebook has taken firm steps to regulate political advertisements in order to ensure that the platform is not used for spreading misinformation at a time when general elections in the world's largest democracy are around the corner.&nbsp;

Facebook Inc on Monday took down 15 pages and accounts that engaged in coordinated inauthentic behaviour in India and were linked to individuals associated with an Indian IT firm, Silver Touch.

Facebook Inc on Monday took down 15 pages and accounts that engaged in coordinated inauthentic behaviour in India and were linked to individuals associated with an Indian IT firm, Silver Touch. Facebook's head of cybersecurity policy Nathaniel Gleicher was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying that the social media giant was only aware that 'Silver Touch' was an Indian IT firm which worked for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and is associated with Narendra Modi`s mobile application, the 'NaMo App' . After BJP's IT head Amit Malviya told Reuters that both the party and the app had "nothing to do with Silver Touch," the wire agency quoted an updated statement by Facebook late on Monday that stated that the social media giant had "seen no evidence to date of Silver Touch being associated with the NaMo App on our platform." "We won't be speculating about off-platform connections of the actors we took down today," a spokeswoman was quoted by the newswire. "The only link Facebook saw was that the company was associated with a mobile application promoted by Modi," Gleicher was quoted as saying earlier. Facebook had also on Monday announced that it removed 687 pages and accounts linked to the Congress party for "coordinated inauthentic behaviour". "We removed 687 Facebook Pages and accounts -- the majority of which had already been detected and suspended by our automated systems -- that engaged in coordinated inauthentic behaviour in India and were linked to individuals associated with an IT Cell of the Indian National Congress (INC)," Gleicher said in a statement. Gleicher also stated that the social media giant has taken the step of removing the accounts on the basis of their behaviour and not their content. The US-based social media platform added that its investigation found individuals using fake accounts to spread content, criticising Prime Minister Modi and the BJP. "While the people behind this activity attempted to conceal their identities, our review found that it was connected to individuals associated with an INC IT Cell," the statement noted. The Congress party, however, denied the allegations."We don't react to the news reports which may just be coming in, whether there are any Facebook pages which are linked to us. We will have to check and get back to you. We will have to check the veracity of the report. I don't think any news organisation can claim that what they print is gospel, we have the right to check what has been published," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters in New Delhi on Monday. In recent times, Facebook has taken firm steps to regulate political advertisements in order to ensure that the platform is not used for spreading misinformation at a time when general elections in the world's largest democracy are around the corner.

Facebook says no evidence of 'Silver Touch' associated with NaMo App

From scrapping AFSPA, sedition law to farmer Budget: Key Takeaways from Congress manifesto

Days before April 18 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu, Election Commission (EC) sources in New Delhi on Monday said Income Tax (I-T) officials had seized Rs 11.53 crore cash from a cement godown in Tamil Nadu, during the intervening night of 29-30 March.&nbsp;

News agency PTI quoting I-T sources reported a huge cache of money stuffed in cartons and gunny bags was seized from a cement godown in Vellore, Tamil Nadu.

The development comes days after tax officials conducted raids at Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) treasurer Duraimurugan's premises in Vellore and seized Rs 10.50 lakh.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPDATE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UPDATE</a> IT Sources: Income Tax officials seized Rs 11.53 crore cash during the raid at the cement godown in Vellore, during the intervening night of 29-30 March. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TamilNadu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TamilNadu</a> <a href="https://t.co/BjGTALV77M">https://t.co/BjGTALV77M</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1112768417830981632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

During the searches at Duraimurugan's residence on Saturday, printouts containing details of certain wards were seized, which were dismissed as junk by the assessee, a PTI report said.

The cash seized from the godown was suspected to have been shifted during the intervening night of March 29 and 30 from a college, which was searched on March 30, the sources said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

Days before April 18 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu, Election Commission (EC) sources in New Delhi on Monday said Income Tax (I-T) officials had seized Rs 11.53 crore cash from a cement godown in Tamil Nadu, during the intervening night of 29-30 March.

Days before April 18 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu, Election Commission (EC) sources in New Delhi on Monday said Income Tax (I-T) officials had seized Rs 11.53 crore cash from a cement godown in Tamil Nadu, during the intervening night of 29-30 March. News agency PTI quoting I-T sources reported a huge cache of money stuffed in cartons and gunny bags was seized from a cement godown in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. The development comes days after tax officials conducted raids at Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) treasurer Duraimurugan's premises in Vellore and seized Rs 10.50 lakh. #UPDATE IT Sources: Income Tax officials seized Rs 11.53 crore cash during the raid at the cement godown in Vellore, during the intervening night of 29-30 March. #TamilNadu https://t.co/BjGTALV77M — ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2019 × During the searches at Duraimurugan's residence on Saturday, printouts containing details of certain wards were seized, which were dismissed as junk by the assessee, a PTI report said. The cash seized from the godown was suspected to have been shifted during the intervening night of March 29 and 30 from a college, which was searched on March 30, the sources said. (With inputs from PTI)

Tax officials seize Rs 11.53 crore cash from Tamil Nadu warehouse ahead of polls

Twenty medium intensity earthquakes hit the Andaman and Nicobar islands in a span of 11 hours on Monday, according to the National Centre for Seismology.

All the tremors were of magnitude between 4.5 and 5.5, the NCS said.&nbsp;

The first quake with a magnitude of 4.9 occurred at 5.14 AM, followed by another with a magnitude of 5, a couple of minutes later.

The last jolt was recorded at 3.44 PM with a magnitude of 4.8, it said.

The Andaman and the Nicobar archipelago is prone to earthquakes.

It is also not unusual for the islands to witness more than two-three quakes a day.&nbsp;

Twenty medium intensity earthquakes hit the Andaman and Nicobar islands in a span of 11 hours on Monday, according to the National Centre for Seismology. All the tremors were of magnitude between 4.

Twenty medium intensity earthquakes hit the Andaman and Nicobar islands in a span of 11 hours on Monday, according to the National Centre for Seismology. All the tremors were of magnitude between 4.5 and 5.5, the NCS said. The first quake with a magnitude of 4.9 occurred at 5.14 AM, followed by another with a magnitude of 5, a couple of minutes later. The last jolt was recorded at 3.44 PM with a magnitude of 4.8, it said. The Andaman and the Nicobar archipelago is prone to earthquakes. It is also not unusual for the islands to witness more than two-three quakes a day.

20 tremors hit Andaman and Nicobar islands in a span of 11 hours

Terror emanating from Pakistan, India's bid for UNSC and NSG Membership and working with SAARC are foreign policy focus areas in the manifesto released by Indian National Congress for the 2019 General Election on Tuesday.

On terror emanating from Pakistan, the Congress manifesto said, "Congress will take determined steps to persuade other countries to compel Pakistan to verifiably end its support to the terrorist groups that it shelters."

It is important to note that the 2014 manifesto of Congress focused on dialogue with Islamabad depending on its action on terror infrastructure. The 2014 manifesto said Congress will "calibrate the dialogue consistent with delivery on accountability for 26/11 as well as dismantling of the infrastructure of terrorism" when it comes to ties with Pakistan.

On efforts to combat the scourge, the grand old party in the 2019 manifesto said it "will persuade the United Nations to constantly review the list of terrorists and to expand the scope of sanctions."

It has also proposed to establish "effective mechanisms" with Sri Lanka and Pakistan to resolve the problems faced by fishermen.

503 Indian fishermen are in Pakistan’s custody. The Modi Government has been able to secure the release of 1725 fishermen along with 57 boats from Pakistan’s custody since 2014.

While announcing "re-doubling" of efforts for India's United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and Nuclear Suppliers Group membership, the Congress manifesto said, it "will work with SAARC &amp; ASEAN".

SAARC is on a standstill after India along with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives boycotted the 19th SAARC summit in Islamabad in the aftermath of the 2016 Uri terror attack perpetrated by Pakistan based United Nations listed terror organisation — Jaish-e-Mohammed.

The Congress has also announced that it will establish a national council on foreign policy consisting of members of the cabinet committee on security, scholars, diplomats to advise the govt.&nbsp;

Other than this the party in the manifesto said that it will increase the size of Indian foreign service, "induct domain experts" and open more missions abroad.

There wasn't any direct mention of China in the foreign policy section of the manifesto but under the border security section, the party said, if voted to power it will accelerate the construction of border roads "especially, the India-China border."

Congress president Rahul Gandhi had a few weeks ago met 30 envoys of foreign countries which included G20 countries and neighbourhood (barring Pakistan) and discussed regional and global issues.

Terror emanating from Pakistan, India's bid for UNSC and NSG Membership and working with SAARC are foreign policy focus areas in the manifesto released by Indian National Congress for the 2019 General Election on Tuesday.

Terror emanating from Pakistan, India's bid for UNSC and NSG Membership and working with SAARC are foreign policy focus areas in the manifesto released by Indian National Congress for the 2019 General Election on Tuesday. On terror emanating from Pakistan, the Congress manifesto said, "Congress will take determined steps to persuade other countries to compel Pakistan to verifiably end its support to the terrorist groups that it shelters." It is important to note that the 2014 manifesto of Congress focused on dialogue with Islamabad depending on its action on terror infrastructure. The 2014 manifesto said Congress will "calibrate the dialogue consistent with delivery on accountability for 26/11 as well as dismantling of the infrastructure of terrorism" when it comes to ties with Pakistan. On efforts to combat the scourge, the grand old party in the 2019 manifesto said it "will persuade the United Nations to constantly review the list of terrorists and to expand the scope of sanctions." It has also proposed to establish "effective mechanisms" with Sri Lanka and Pakistan to resolve the problems faced by fishermen. 503 Indian fishermen are in Pakistan’s custody. The Modi Government has been able to secure the release of 1725 fishermen along with 57 boats from Pakistan’s custody since 2014. While announcing "re-doubling" of efforts for India's United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and Nuclear Suppliers Group membership, the Congress manifesto said, it "will work with SAARC & ASEAN". SAARC is on a standstill after India along with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives boycotted the 19th SAARC summit in Islamabad in the aftermath of the 2016 Uri terror attack perpetrated by Pakistan based United Nations listed terror organisation — Jaish-e-Mohammed. The Congress has also announced that it will establish a national council on foreign policy consisting of members of the cabinet committee on security, scholars, diplomats to advise the govt. Other than this the party in the manifesto said that it will increase the size of Indian foreign service, "induct domain experts" and open more missions abroad. There wasn't any direct mention of China in the foreign policy section of the manifesto but under the border security section, the party said, if voted to power it will accelerate the construction of border roads "especially, the India-China border." Congress president Rahul Gandhi had a few weeks ago met 30 envoys of foreign countries which included G20 countries and neighbourhood (barring Pakistan) and discussed regional and global issues.

Foreign policy in Congress manifesto focuses on terror emanating from Pakistan, working with SAARC

Market Updates: Sensex above 39,000 levels

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-manifesto-some-ideas-positively-dangerous-says-bjp-207472">Lok Sabha polls 2019: Congress releases manifesto, BJP says some of its ideas 'positively dangerous'</a>

The BJP said Tuesday that some of the ideas in the Congress manifesto were "positively dangerous".&nbsp;

The pushback — the Congress manifesto had been released earlier on Tuesday — was launched by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who said the ideas were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India".&nbsp;

Jaitley was by and large referring to what the Congress manifesto has said about Kashmir.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/avoiding-temptation-rbi-likely-to-cut-key-rate-by-just-25-basis-points-207455">Reserve Bank of India likely to cut interest rate by 0.25%: Analysts</a>

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to cut its policy interest rate by 25 basis points on Thursday, despite some analysts believing the country's weakening economic growth and subdued inflation outlook warrant a larger reduction.

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/what-exactly-does-the-congress-manifesto-promise-207487">What exactly does the Congress manifesto say?&nbsp;</a>

The Congress released its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, and the BJP was quick to say some of the ideas in it were "positively dangerous".&nbsp;

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley went so far as to say some of the ideas in the manifesto were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India". But what else does the 55-page long Congress manifesto called "Hum Nibhayenge" or "We Will Deliver" say?&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-chief-antonio-guterres-warns-against-rising-anti-muslim-hatred-207514">UN chief Antonio Guterres warns against rising anti-Muslim hatred</a>

UN chief Antonio Guterres warned Tuesday against growing hatred of Muslims, less than a month after a deadly attack on mosques in New Zealand killed at least 50 people.

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-lawmakers-to-try-to-force-pm-may-to-seek-further-brexit-delay-207516">British MPs to try to force PM May to ask for another Brexit delay</a>

A group of British lawmakers said on Tuesday they would try to pass a law which would force Prime Minister Theresa May to seek a delay to Britain's departure from the European Union and thus prevent a chaotic no-deal Brexit on April 12.

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Congress releases manifesto, BJP says some of its ideas 'positively dangerous' The BJP said Tuesday that some of the ideas in the Congress manifesto were "positively dangerous".

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Congress releases manifesto, BJP says some of its ideas 'positively dangerous' The BJP said Tuesday that some of the ideas in the Congress manifesto were "positively dangerous". The pushback — the Congress manifesto had been released earlier on Tuesday — was launched by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who said the ideas were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India". Jaitley was by and large referring to what the Congress manifesto has said about Kashmir. Reserve Bank of India likely to cut interest rate by 0.25%: Analysts The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to cut its policy interest rate by 25 basis points on Thursday, despite some analysts believing the country's weakening economic growth and subdued inflation outlook warrant a larger reduction. What exactly does the Congress manifesto say? The Congress released its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, and the BJP was quick to say some of the ideas in it were "positively dangerous". Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley went so far as to say some of the ideas in the manifesto were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India". But what else does the 55-page long Congress manifesto called "Hum Nibhayenge" or "We Will Deliver" say? UN chief Antonio Guterres warns against rising anti-Muslim hatred UN chief Antonio Guterres warned Tuesday against growing hatred of Muslims, less than a month after a deadly attack on mosques in New Zealand killed at least 50 people. British MPs to try to force PM May to ask for another Brexit delay A group of British lawmakers said on Tuesday they would try to pass a law which would force Prime Minister Theresa May to seek a delay to Britain's departure from the European Union and thus prevent a chaotic no-deal Brexit on April 12.

India’s probity watchdog CVC has decided to train anti-corruption officials in Europe to check graft in the country, officials said Tuesday. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is organizing a customized vigilance related training programme at the International Anti Corruption Academy (IACA), Vienna, Austria from June 3 to 14, they said citing an official order.

The training will be for eligible Chief Vigilance Officers (CVOs) – who act as a distant arm of the Commission to check corruption in an organization – and others engaged in vigilance related works, the officials said. The body has sought details from CVOs in order to update its database as well as nominate officers for the upcoming international/domestic training to be conducted by the Commission and for proposed customized training in Austria, they said.

The training plan of the Commission states that “the officers (CVOs) should not have undergone any foreign training in the last two years as on April 1 of the year in which training is being organized”, in order to be eligible for the upcoming international training, the officials said. The IACA is an international organization based in Laxenburg, Austria dedicated to overcoming current shortcomings in knowledge and practice in the field of anti-corruption and seeking to empower professionals for future challenges.

Over Rs, 240 crore has been allocated to the Personnel Ministry for domestic and foreign training of bureaucrats and augmenting necessary infrastructure during this fiscal in the interim budget presented by the Union government in February. The Personnel Ministry acts as a nodal department for the CVC.

In its annual report for 2017 tabled in Parliament last year, the CVC said it had received a total of 23,609 complaints of corruption. Of these, 12,089 were against railway employees and over 8,000 against various bank officials.

India’s probity watchdog CVC has decided to train anti-corruption officials in Europe to check graft in the country, officials said Tuesday. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is organizing a customized vigilance related training programme at the International Anti Corruption Academy (IACA), Vienna, Austria from June 3 to 14, they said citing an official order.

India’s probity watchdog CVC has decided to train anti-corruption officials in Europe to check graft in the country, officials said Tuesday. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is organizing a customized vigilance related training programme at the International Anti Corruption Academy (IACA), Vienna, Austria from June 3 to 14, they said citing an official order. The training will be for eligible Chief Vigilance Officers (CVOs) – who act as a distant arm of the Commission to check corruption in an organization – and others engaged in vigilance related works, the officials said. The body has sought details from CVOs in order to update its database as well as nominate officers for the upcoming international/domestic training to be conducted by the Commission and for proposed customized training in Austria, they said. The training plan of the Commission states that “the officers (CVOs) should not have undergone any foreign training in the last two years as on April 1 of the year in which training is being organized”, in order to be eligible for the upcoming international training, the officials said. The IACA is an international organization based in Laxenburg, Austria dedicated to overcoming current shortcomings in knowledge and practice in the field of anti-corruption and seeking to empower professionals for future challenges. Over Rs, 240 crore has been allocated to the Personnel Ministry for domestic and foreign training of bureaucrats and augmenting necessary infrastructure during this fiscal in the interim budget presented by the Union government in February. The Personnel Ministry acts as a nodal department for the CVC. In its annual report for 2017 tabled in Parliament last year, the CVC said it had received a total of 23,609 complaints of corruption. Of these, 12,089 were against railway employees and over 8,000 against various bank officials.

To check corruption in India, CVC to train officials in Europe

In a move to check misuse of money during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Goa Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has issued directions to all banks to keep a tab on transactions above Rs 1 lakh. He has also asked banks to keep a watch on any suspicious transaction and report it to a local election officer or police, a senior poll official said on Tuesday.

Transactions made through e-commerce platforms would be also under the scrutiny of the CEO, he said. During a meeting last week with political parties in the state, the CEO informed them about measures initiated for monitoring expenditures made by candidates and their outfits. The current expenditure limit for the Lok Sabha polls is Rs 54 lakh and for the Assembly elections is Rs 20 lakh.

“Banks have been asked to keep a watch on suspicious transactions. All bank transactions above Rs 1 lakh will be under strict vigil,” according to the minutes of the meeting. The CEO has also asked banks to report to the Income Tax department about any account transaction above Rs 10 lakh. The limit for carrying cash is Rs 50,000.

Any person carrying more amount than that will have to explain its source, the poll official said. The CEO has also advised the public to abstain from carrying a large amount of cash while travelling during the poll code period, he said.

Polling for the two Lok Sabha seats in Goa and by-elections in three Assembly seats – Mandrem, Shiroda, and Mapusa – will be held on April 23 and results will be declared on May 23. The model code of conduct for the polls came into the force on March 10.

In a move to check misuse of money during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Goa Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has issued directions to all banks to keep a tab on transactions above Rs 1 lakh.

In a move to check misuse of money during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Goa Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has issued directions to all banks to keep a tab on transactions above Rs 1 lakh. He has also asked banks to keep a watch on any suspicious transaction and report it to a local election officer or police, a senior poll official said on Tuesday. Transactions made through e-commerce platforms would be also under the scrutiny of the CEO, he said. During a meeting last week with political parties in the state, the CEO informed them about measures initiated for monitoring expenditures made by candidates and their outfits. The current expenditure limit for the Lok Sabha polls is Rs 54 lakh and for the Assembly elections is Rs 20 lakh. “Banks have been asked to keep a watch on suspicious transactions. All bank transactions above Rs 1 lakh will be under strict vigil,” according to the minutes of the meeting. The CEO has also asked banks to report to the Income Tax department about any account transaction above Rs 10 lakh. The limit for carrying cash is Rs 50,000. Any person carrying more amount than that will have to explain its source, the poll official said. The CEO has also advised the public to abstain from carrying a large amount of cash while travelling during the poll code period, he said. Polling for the two Lok Sabha seats in Goa and by-elections in three Assembly seats – Mandrem, Shiroda, and Mapusa – will be held on April 23 and results will be declared on May 23. The model code of conduct for the polls came into the force on March 10.

In Goa, officials keeping watch on all bank transactions above Rs 1 lakh

Call PM Modi's bluff by distancing from my 'separate PM' for J&K remark: Omar Abdullah

Indian Army retaliates to ceasefire violations by Pakistan

Redmi Note 7 Pro Review: The phone with a 48 MP camera

Realme 3 Review: Should you buy it?

Samsung Galaxy M10 Review: Is it a good affordable phone?

Watch GT to Band 3 Pro:  How are Huawei's new wearables?

india-news

India, News on India, stories on India, articles on India, India stories at Wion, India news, India latest news

india news

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Decoding Congress's manifesto

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Congress releases manifesto, BJP says some of its ideas 'positively dangerous'

What exactly does the Congress manifesto say?

Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo samples fail quality test; company rejects findings

News brief: Big stories of the day

Nirav Modi intends to appeal for bail in UK High Court

Mumbai: No High Court relief for Nirav Modi firm in I-T Dept's painting auction

'Stick to stuff you know,' Omar Abdullah tells Gautam Gambhir

Indian Air Force scrambles Sukhoi-30 jets after sighting Pakistani drone

US: Indian sentenced to eight years in jail in call centre scam

Greater clarity required on data sharing, CII on draft e-commerce policy

Facebook says no evidence of 'Silver Touch' associated with NaMo App

From scrapping AFSPA, sedition law to farmer Budget: Key Takeaways from Congress manifesto

Tax officials seize Rs 11.53 crore cash from Tamil Nadu warehouse ahead of polls

20 tremors hit Andaman and Nicobar islands in a span of 11 hours

Foreign policy in Congress manifesto focuses on terror emanating from Pakistan, working with SAARC

Market Updates: Sensex above 39,000 levels

News brief: Big stories of the day

To check corruption in India, CVC to train officials in Europe

In Goa, officials keeping watch on all bank transactions above Rs 1 lakh

Call PM Modi's bluff by distancing from my 'separate PM' for J&K remark: Omar Abdullah

Indian Army retaliates to ceasefire violations by Pakistan

Redmi Note 7 Pro Review: The phone with a 48 MP camera

Realme 3 Review: Should you buy it?

Samsung Galaxy M10 Review: Is it a good affordable phone?

Watch GT to Band 3 Pro: How are Huawei's new wearables?