The DMK Friday announced the names of constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry where the party and its allies will field their candidates for the second phase of the general elections to be held on April 18.

There are 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and one in neighbouring Puducherry, voting for all of which will be held in a single phase.

DMK president M K Stalin released the list of constituencies allotted to the allies in presence of coalition leaders, including Tamil Nadu Congress chief K S Alagiri and MDMK's Vaiko, at the party headquarters here.

Stalin also named his party-led coalition the "Secular Progressive Alliance."

Addressing a press conference, Stalin said the DMK's 20 seats include Chennai (North), Chennai (South), Chennai (Central), Tuticorin and Pollachi.

Hoping to extend its 2016 electoral success to the parliamentary polls also, the main opposition party in Tamil Nadu opted to field its candidates in 20 seats across the state including the three in Chennai where it has a sizeable number of MLAs.

Pollachi, a relatively quiet town near Coimbatore, is in the news following a sexual harassment case which has created an outrage across the state.

The DMK's other seats are: Sriperumbudur, Kancheepuram (SC), Arakkonam,&nbsp;Vellore, Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi, Salem, Nilgiris (SC), Dindigul, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Thanjavur, Thenkasi (SC) and Tirunelveli.

The Congress, which has been allotted the lion's share of seats (10) among the allies, will contest from nine constituencies in Tamil Nadu, and the lone seat in Puducherry.

It will also field its nominees in Tiruvallore (SC), Krishnagiri, Karur, Theni, Virudunagar and Kanniyakumari, Sivaganga, Tiruchirappalli and Arani seats, Stalin said.

The CPI(M) has been allotted Coimbatore and Madurai seats, while the CPI will fight from Tirupur and Nagapattinam, a reserved constituency.

The pro-Dalit VCK has been given Villupuram and Chidambaram, both reserved segments. The Vaiko-led MDMK has been allotted the Erode constituency.

Recalling the seat-sharing agreement with Vaiko, the DMK chief said the MDMK will also be given a Rajya Sabha seat at an appropriate time.

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi (KMDK) will field their nominees from Ramanathapuram and Namakkal, respectively, while the India Jananayaga Katchi (IJK) has been allotted Perambalur seats, he said.

Stalin said in the last couple of years, the coalition constituents had been taking forward various protests and struggles against the "follies" of the BJP-led government at the Centre and the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu.

That friendship has now transformed into an alliance, he said, adding the coalition partners came together on ideology and the partnership was not based on any 'bargain.'

He claimed that the NDA in the state, headed by his party's archrival the AIADMK, will lose the polls and that coalition led by his party will secure a "grand victory."

To a question, he said the DMK's candidate list will be announced soon.

The DMK Friday announced the names of constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry where the party and its allies will field their candidates for the second phase of the general elections to be held on April 18.

The DMK Friday announced the names of constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry where the party and its allies will field their candidates for the second phase of the general elections to be held on April 18. There are 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and one in neighbouring Puducherry, voting for all of which will be held in a single phase. DMK president M K Stalin released the list of constituencies allotted to the allies in presence of coalition leaders, including Tamil Nadu Congress chief K S Alagiri and MDMK's Vaiko, at the party headquarters here. Stalin also named his party-led coalition the "Secular Progressive Alliance." Addressing a press conference, Stalin said the DMK's 20 seats include Chennai (North), Chennai (South), Chennai (Central), Tuticorin and Pollachi. Hoping to extend its 2016 electoral success to the parliamentary polls also, the main opposition party in Tamil Nadu opted to field its candidates in 20 seats across the state including the three in Chennai where it has a sizeable number of MLAs. Pollachi, a relatively quiet town near Coimbatore, is in the news following a sexual harassment case which has created an outrage across the state. The DMK's other seats are: Sriperumbudur, Kancheepuram (SC), Arakkonam, Vellore, Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi, Salem, Nilgiris (SC), Dindigul, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Thanjavur, Thenkasi (SC) and Tirunelveli. The Congress, which has been allotted the lion's share of seats (10) among the allies, will contest from nine constituencies in Tamil Nadu, and the lone seat in Puducherry. It will also field its nominees in Tiruvallore (SC), Krishnagiri, Karur, Theni, Virudunagar and Kanniyakumari, Sivaganga, Tiruchirappalli and Arani seats, Stalin said. The CPI(M) has been allotted Coimbatore and Madurai seats, while the CPI will fight from Tirupur and Nagapattinam, a reserved constituency. The pro-Dalit VCK has been given Villupuram and Chidambaram, both reserved segments. The Vaiko-led MDMK has been allotted the Erode constituency. Recalling the seat-sharing agreement with Vaiko, the DMK chief said the MDMK will also be given a Rajya Sabha seat at an appropriate time. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi (KMDK) will field their nominees from Ramanathapuram and Namakkal, respectively, while the India Jananayaga Katchi (IJK) has been allotted Perambalur seats, he said. Stalin said in the last couple of years, the coalition constituents had been taking forward various protests and struggles against the "follies" of the BJP-led government at the Centre and the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. That friendship has now transformed into an alliance, he said, adding the coalition partners came together on ideology and the partnership was not based on any 'bargain.' He claimed that the NDA in the state, headed by his party's archrival the AIADMK, will lose the polls and that coalition led by his party will secure a "grand victory." To a question, he said the DMK's candidate list will be announced soon.

Lok Sabha polls: DMK announces list of constituencies allotted to self, allies

All <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-military-not-involved-in-withdrawing-diplomats-from-venezuela-202985">US diplomats </a>remaining in Venezuela left the country on Thursday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, amid a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/venezuela-calls-public-sector-back-to-work-as-blackout-recedes-203321">political crisis</a> over the legitimacy of President Nicolas Maduro's 2018 re-election.

"US diplomats will now continue that mission from other locations where they will continue to help manage the flow of humanitarian assistance to the Venezuelan people and support the democratic actors bravely resisting tyranny," Pompeo said in a statement.

A US official said the diplomats were flown out in a civilian charter aircraft.

The State Department had already announced that it would withdraw its remaining diplomatic staff from Venezuela this week.

Washington has taken the lead in recognizing Juan Guaido, the 35-year-old Congress chief who declared himself interim president in January, calling Maduro’s 2018 re-election a fraud. Most countries in Europe and Latin America have followed suit.

All US diplomats remaining in Venezuela left the country on Thursday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, amid a political crisis over the legitimacy of President Nicolas Maduro's 2018 re-election.

All US diplomats remaining in Venezuela left the country on Thursday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, amid a political crisis over the legitimacy of President Nicolas Maduro's 2018 re-election. "US diplomats will now continue that mission from other locations where they will continue to help manage the flow of humanitarian assistance to the Venezuelan people and support the democratic actors bravely resisting tyranny," Pompeo said in a statement. A US official said the diplomats were flown out in a civilian charter aircraft. The State Department had already announced that it would withdraw its remaining diplomatic staff from Venezuela this week. Washington has taken the lead in recognizing Juan Guaido, the 35-year-old Congress chief who declared himself interim president in January, calling Maduro’s 2018 re-election a fraud. Most countries in Europe and Latin America have followed suit.

All US diplomats have left Venezuela: Pompeo

At least six people were killed and over 30 injured after a portion of a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/footbridge-that-collapsed-at-mumbais-cst-railway-station-was-called-kasab-bridge-203394">(CSMT) railway station in Mumbai </a>collapsed on Thursday evening.

A big slab of the bridge came crashing down at around 7.20 pm due to which several pedestrians were injured.

Teams from the NDRF, Mumbai Police, Fire Brigade and other rescue agencies reached the spot and immediately evacuated those buried under the rubble and shifted them to hospitals.

The injured were admitted to three nearby hospitals -- St George Hospital, G T Hospital and Bombay Hospital.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sVuoMMR253o" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Six of the injured who succumbed to their injuries have been identified as &nbsp;Apoorva Prabhu (35), Ranjana Tambe (40), Zahid Shiraj Khan (32), Bhakti Shinde (40), Sarika Kulkarni (35) and Tapendra Singh (35). &nbsp;

Two women who were killed in the tragedy were staff of GT Hospital, police said.

According to reports, 66-year-old Dilip Parekh remains in a critical condition at Bombay Hospital.

An FIR has been registered against officials concerned of the Central Railway and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) under section 304A (Causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code at the Azaad Maidan Police Station.

The Maharashtra Government has announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 Lakh each for the next of kin of those who were killed in the tragic incident.

"Ex-gratia of Rs 5 Lakh each will be given to the families of those who died in the incident and compensation of Rs 50,000 each will be given to the injured, the state government will provide for their treatment," Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.

Fadnavis said he has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident.

"A structural audit of the bridge had earlier been done and it was found to be fit. Even after that if such an incident happened, it raises a question on the audit. The inquiry will be done. Strictest action will be taken", the chief minister added.

The Chief Minister also said that he has spoken to BMC Commissioner and Mumbai Police officials and instructed to ensure speedy relief efforts in coordination with the Rail Ministry.

Thursday's incident is the second major bridge collapse in Mumbai within a span of nine months.

Two people were killed and five others injured when Gokhale Bridge over Andheri railway station in suburban Mumbai collapsed on July 3, 2018.

Minutes after the collapse on Thursday, Mumbai Police had tweeted about the incident stating the foot overbridge connecting CST platform 1 north end with B T Lane had collapsed.

"Foot overbridge connecting CST platform 1 north end with B T Lane near Times of India building has collapsed. Injured persons are being shifted to hospitals. Traffic affected. Commuters to use alternate routes. Senior officers are on spot"Maharashtra Minister Vinod Tawde said a joint inquiry by Railways and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will be conducted."

A slab of the bridge has fallen which led to the death and injuries of pedestrians. Railway and BMC will conduct a joint enquiry of the incident. There were minor damages in the bridge and the maintenance was going on, why the bridge was not closed during this period will be part of the enquiry," Tawde said.

Soon after the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the tragedy and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

"Deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to the foot overbridge accident in Mumbai. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. Wishing that the injured recover at the earliest. The Maharashtra Government is providing all possible assistance to those affected," he tweeted.

The Railway Ministry said the bridge belonged to the BMC but the Ministry is extending all support to the victims."Railway doctors and personnel are cooperating with BMC in relief and rescue operations," informed Railways.

This bridge, a portion of which has collapsed today <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/footbridge-that-collapsed-at-mumbais-cst-railway-station-was-called-kasab-bridge-203394">was also called as 'Kasab Bridge</a>'&nbsp;because terrorist Ajmal Kasab apparently used this bridge to exit from the CSMT station after the horrific 26/11 attack terror attack in Mumbai. He was pictured near this same bridge while running towards Cama Albless Hospital lane where he killed senior ATS officials.

At least six people were killed and over 30 injured after a portion of a (CSMT) railway station in Mumbai collapsed on Thursday evening. A big slab of the bridge came crashing down at around 7.

At least six people were killed and over 30 injured after a portion of a (CSMT) railway station in Mumbai collapsed on Thursday evening. A big slab of the bridge came crashing down at around 7.20 pm due to which several pedestrians were injured. Teams from the NDRF, Mumbai Police, Fire Brigade and other rescue agencies reached the spot and immediately evacuated those buried under the rubble and shifted them to hospitals. The injured were admitted to three nearby hospitals -- St George Hospital, G T Hospital and Bombay Hospital. Six of the injured who succumbed to their injuries have been identified as Apoorva Prabhu (35), Ranjana Tambe (40), Zahid Shiraj Khan (32), Bhakti Shinde (40), Sarika Kulkarni (35) and Tapendra Singh (35). Two women who were killed in the tragedy were staff of GT Hospital, police said. According to reports, 66-year-old Dilip Parekh remains in a critical condition at Bombay Hospital. An FIR has been registered against officials concerned of the Central Railway and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) under section 304A (Causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code at the Azaad Maidan Police Station. The Maharashtra Government has announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 Lakh each for the next of kin of those who were killed in the tragic incident. "Ex-gratia of Rs 5 Lakh each will be given to the families of those who died in the incident and compensation of Rs 50,000 each will be given to the injured, the state government will provide for their treatment," Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said. Fadnavis said he has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident. "A structural audit of the bridge had earlier been done and it was found to be fit. Even after that if such an incident happened, it raises a question on the audit. The inquiry will be done. Strictest action will be taken", the chief minister added. The Chief Minister also said that he has spoken to BMC Commissioner and Mumbai Police officials and instructed to ensure speedy relief efforts in coordination with the Rail Ministry. Thursday's incident is the second major bridge collapse in Mumbai within a span of nine months. Two people were killed and five others injured when Gokhale Bridge over Andheri railway station in suburban Mumbai collapsed on July 3, 2018. Minutes after the collapse on Thursday, Mumbai Police had tweeted about the incident stating the foot overbridge connecting CST platform 1 north end with B T Lane had collapsed. "Foot overbridge connecting CST platform 1 north end with B T Lane near Times of India building has collapsed. Injured persons are being shifted to hospitals. Traffic affected. Commuters to use alternate routes. Senior officers are on spot"Maharashtra Minister Vinod Tawde said a joint inquiry by Railways and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will be conducted." A slab of the bridge has fallen which led to the death and injuries of pedestrians. Railway and BMC will conduct a joint enquiry of the incident. There were minor damages in the bridge and the maintenance was going on, why the bridge was not closed during this period will be part of the enquiry," Tawde said. Soon after the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the tragedy and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. "Deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to the foot overbridge accident in Mumbai. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. Wishing that the injured recover at the earliest. The Maharashtra Government is providing all possible assistance to those affected," he tweeted. The Railway Ministry said the bridge belonged to the BMC but the Ministry is extending all support to the victims."Railway doctors and personnel are cooperating with BMC in relief and rescue operations," informed Railways. This bridge, a portion of which has collapsed today was also called as 'Kasab Bridge' because terrorist Ajmal Kasab apparently used this bridge to exit from the CSMT station after the horrific 26/11 attack terror attack in Mumbai. He was pictured near this same bridge while running towards Cama Albless Hospital lane where he killed senior ATS officials.

Mumbai foot overbridge collapse: Death toll rises to six, CM Fadnavis calls for high-level inquiry

The BJP is likely to release its first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls on Saturday, when its central election committee is scheduled to meet.

The list will have the names of most of the candidates for the first phase of polling, which will be held on April 11 in 91 seats.

The election for 543 parliamentary seats will be held in seven phases till May 19 and the counting of votes will be taken up on May 23.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president Amit Shah and other top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders will attend the central election committee meeting.

All 42 seats in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will go to the polls in the first phase with a fraction of constituencies in many other states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha and Assam, also to witness polling on April 11.

The Assembly polls in Telangana and Odisha will be held simultaneously with the general election.

With Modi known for dropping a number of incumbents in order to beat the anti-incumbency factor, the saffron party has been abuzz with speculation over the fate of its sitting MPs.

It has sought feedback from a number of sources, including the public, and has also asked its MPs to furnish details of the works they have carried out as it finalises its candidates for the upcoming polls.&nbsp;

The BJP is likely to release its first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls on Saturday, when its central election committee is scheduled to meet. The list will have the names of most of the candidates for the first phase of polling, which will be held on April 11 in 91 seats.

The BJP is likely to release its first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls on Saturday, when its central election committee is scheduled to meet. The list will have the names of most of the candidates for the first phase of polling, which will be held on April 11 in 91 seats. The election for 543 parliamentary seats will be held in seven phases till May 19 and the counting of votes will be taken up on May 23. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president Amit Shah and other top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders will attend the central election committee meeting. All 42 seats in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will go to the polls in the first phase with a fraction of constituencies in many other states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha and Assam, also to witness polling on April 11. The Assembly polls in Telangana and Odisha will be held simultaneously with the general election. With Modi known for dropping a number of incumbents in order to beat the anti-incumbency factor, the saffron party has been abuzz with speculation over the fate of its sitting MPs. It has sought feedback from a number of sources, including the public, and has also asked its MPs to furnish details of the works they have carried out as it finalises its candidates for the upcoming polls.

Lok Sabha polls: BJP likely to release first list of candidates on Saturday

Maharashtra Chief Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/fadnavis-confident-of-bjps-pre-poll-alliance-with-shiv-sena-195168">Devendra Fadnavis</a> Friday said the alliance between the BJP and the Shiv Sena was very strong and impenetrable. 
 
Fadnavis was addressing a rally in here ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, where Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and other leaders of both the parties were present. 
 
'The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance is joining of hands of the Hindutva parties, which share a common ideology. It has stood the ground so far and will do so in future as well. Yeh Fevicol ka majboot jod hai! (It is a strong bond like that of Fevicol),'&nbsp;he said at the launch of the poll campaign. 
 
The alliance is impenetrable...Some people tried to separate us as they wanted to be in power, but once the alliance was announced, they started retreating,'&nbsp;he said. 
 
Overcoming their strained ties, the BJP and Shiv Sena had last month announced a seat-sharing pact for the ensuing Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Maharashtra. The BJP will contest 25 seats and Shiv Sena 23 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. 
 
Thackeray said he never allowed his party's differences with the BJP harm the interests of the state. 
 
'BJP-Sena alliance has grown into a tall tree. In no case should we allow pests to eat into it? I don't believe in (poll) surveys. I trust more my self-confidence, which tells me that so overwhelming will be the victory that even 48 seats (in the state) would fall short.' 
 
In a lighter vein, Thackeray asked Fadanvis not to entertain Sharad Pawar if he wished to join BJP. 
 
'The situation in the state is such that whenever BJP-Sena leaders criticize the opposition leaders, the next day they join the BJP-Sena. This makes me think if I should criticize or not? If I criticize Pawar today, he may join BJP tomorrow. But don't give him any room in the party,'&nbsp;Thackeray said. 
 
'We need to keep some people outside, else there would be no one left out for us to talk about,'&nbsp;he added jokingly.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Friday said the alliance between the BJP and the Shiv Sena was very strong and impenetrable. Fadnavis was addressing a rally in here ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, where Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and other leaders of both the parties were present.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Friday said the alliance between the BJP and the Shiv Sena was very strong and impenetrable. Fadnavis was addressing a rally in here ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, where Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and other leaders of both the parties were present. 'The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance is joining of hands of the Hindutva parties, which share a common ideology. It has stood the ground so far and will do so in future as well. Yeh Fevicol ka majboot jod hai! (It is a strong bond like that of Fevicol),' he said at the launch of the poll campaign. The alliance is impenetrable...Some people tried to separate us as they wanted to be in power, but once the alliance was announced, they started retreating,' he said. Overcoming their strained ties, the BJP and Shiv Sena had last month announced a seat-sharing pact for the ensuing Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Maharashtra. The BJP will contest 25 seats and Shiv Sena 23 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. Thackeray said he never allowed his party's differences with the BJP harm the interests of the state. 'BJP-Sena alliance has grown into a tall tree. In no case should we allow pests to eat into it? I don't believe in (poll) surveys. I trust more my self-confidence, which tells me that so overwhelming will be the victory that even 48 seats (in the state) would fall short.' In a lighter vein, Thackeray asked Fadanvis not to entertain Sharad Pawar if he wished to join BJP. 'The situation in the state is such that whenever BJP-Sena leaders criticize the opposition leaders, the next day they join the BJP-Sena. This makes me think if I should criticize or not? If I criticize Pawar today, he may join BJP tomorrow. But don't give him any room in the party,' Thackeray said. 'We need to keep some people outside, else there would be no one left out for us to talk about,' he added jokingly.

BJP-Shiv Sena alliance strong, impenetrable: Devendra Fadnavis

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said the BJP and its ideologue RSS cannot tolerate their criticism and have no regard for the democratic system.&nbsp; 
 
Mahatma Gandhi had said that opposition's views should be respected in a democracy, but neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor former chief minister Vasundhara Raje can tolerate their criticism, the senior Congress leader said.&nbsp; 
 
'People in the BJP and RSS are not able to tolerate their criticism. 
 
Mahatma Gandhi had said views of opposition should be respected in democracy, but neither Prime Minister (Modi) nor former state chief minister (Raje) can tolerate their criticism as they do not believe in the&nbsp;democratic systems, 'Gehlot said at a public meeting in Sri Dungargarh.&nbsp; 
 
He said the saffron brigade was doing politics with the 'mask of democracy'.&nbsp; 
 
The chief minister alleged that the BJP recalled the issue of Ram Temple when elections were near.&nbsp; 
 
Targeting the central government over its 2014 election promises, the senior Congress leader said Modi failed to bring back black money, deposit Rs 15 lakh in bank accounts of people and provide 2 crore employment every year. 
 
Gehlot added that there was 'no guarantee'&nbsp;of future elections if Modi was voted back to power. 
&nbsp; 
'...There is no guarantee that there will be elections in the future if Modi is elected again,'&nbsp;he said.&nbsp;

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said the BJP and its ideologue RSS cannot tolerate their criticism and have no regard for the democratic system. Mahatma Gandhi had said that opposition's views should be respected in a democracy, but neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor former chief minister Vasundhara Raje can tolerate their criticism, the senior Congress leader said.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said the BJP and its ideologue RSS cannot tolerate their criticism and have no regard for the democratic system. Mahatma Gandhi had said that opposition's views should be respected in a democracy, but neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor former chief minister Vasundhara Raje can tolerate their criticism, the senior Congress leader said. 'People in the BJP and RSS are not able to tolerate their criticism. Mahatma Gandhi had said views of opposition should be respected in democracy, but neither Prime Minister (Modi) nor former state chief minister (Raje) can tolerate their criticism as they do not believe in the democratic systems, 'Gehlot said at a public meeting in Sri Dungargarh. He said the saffron brigade was doing politics with the 'mask of democracy'. The chief minister alleged that the BJP recalled the issue of Ram Temple when elections were near. Targeting the central government over its 2014 election promises, the senior Congress leader said Modi failed to bring back black money, deposit Rs 15 lakh in bank accounts of people and provide 2 crore employment every year. Gehlot added that there was 'no guarantee' of future elections if Modi was voted back to power. '...There is no guarantee that there will be elections in the future if Modi is elected again,' he said.

BJP-RSS cannot tolerate criticism, no regard for democracy: Ashok Gehlot

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-mosque-shootings-kill-49-in-what-pm-calls-terrorist-attack-203560">New Zealand mosque shootings kill 49 in what PM calls 'terrorist attack'</a>

At least one gunman killed 49 people and wounded more than 40 during Friday prayers at two New Zealand mosques in the country's worst ever mass shooting, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern condemned as terrorism.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/islamic-world-reacts-with-disgust-at-new-zealand-mosque-attacks-203532">Islamic world reacts with disgust at New Zealand mosque attacks</a>

Political and Islamic leaders expressed their disgust at the deadly shooting at two mosques in New Zealand on Friday, with some citing rising "Islamophobia" as being responsible.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/france-freezes-jem-chief-masood-azhars-assets-will-also-take-up-his-listing-with-eu-203478">France freezes JeM chief Masood Azhar's assets, will also take up his listing with EU</a>

France has decided to freeze the assets of Masood Azhar, chief of the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed which claimed the responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack that killed more than 40 CRPF personnel on February 14.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/social-media-platforms-say-they-are-taking-measures-to-remove-nz-shooting-content-203539">Social media platforms say they are removing New Zealand shooting content</a>

Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter said on Friday they are taking measures to take down content involving mass shootings at two New Zealand mosques that killed at least 49 people and wounded more than 20 others.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-had-global-support-says-sushma-swaraj-on-masood-azhar-listing-203563">India had global support, says Sushma Swaraj on Masood Azhar listing&nbsp;</a>

A day after China blocked the listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar under United Nations terror list and opposition Congress lashed out at Centre, India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday in series of tweets claimed India got support from the global community for the move.

New Zealand mosque shootings kill 49 in what PM calls 'terrorist attack' At least one gunman killed 49 people and wounded more than 40 during Friday prayers at two New Zealand mosques in the country's worst ever mass shooting, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern condemned as terrorism.

New Zealand mosque shootings kill 49 in what PM calls 'terrorist attack' At least one gunman killed 49 people and wounded more than 40 during Friday prayers at two New Zealand mosques in the country's worst ever mass shooting, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern condemned as terrorism. Islamic world reacts with disgust at New Zealand mosque attacks Political and Islamic leaders expressed their disgust at the deadly shooting at two mosques in New Zealand on Friday, with some citing rising "Islamophobia" as being responsible. France freezes JeM chief Masood Azhar's assets, will also take up his listing with EU France has decided to freeze the assets of Masood Azhar, chief of the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed which claimed the responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack that killed more than 40 CRPF personnel on February 14. Social media platforms say they are removing New Zealand shooting content Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter said on Friday they are taking measures to take down content involving mass shootings at two New Zealand mosques that killed at least 49 people and wounded more than 20 others. India had global support, says Sushma Swaraj on Masood Azhar listing A day after China blocked the listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar under United Nations terror list and opposition Congress lashed out at Centre, India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday in series of tweets claimed India got support from the global community for the move.

News brief: Big stories of the day

'One failed. The other won't take-off', <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/country-safe-under-pm-narendra-modis-leadership-says-finance-minister-arun-jaitley-202993">Finance Minister Arun Jaitley</a> said as he took a jibe on the entry of Priyanka Gandhi into politics. 
 
Generation after generation, the Congress Party's leadership berth is reserved for a member of the preferred family, he said as he traced the post-independence history of the party from Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi to Sanjay Gandhi to Rajiv Gandhi. 
 
Continuing the series of his blogs on 'Agenda 2019', he said the Congress tried to remove itself from the shackles of the dynasty for a brief period after the unfortunate assassination of Rajiv Gandhi but could not get out of its clutches for long.&nbsp; 
 
'Smt. Sonia Gandhi then took over as the longest serving President of the Indian National Congress and thereafter passed on the leadership baton of the Party to her son Rahul Gandhi.&nbsp; 
 
'Thus, generation after generation, the Congress Party's leadership berth is reserved for a member of the preferred family. When the Party is now in doldrums, another member of the family has entered the scene,'&nbsp;said the senior BJP leader who is in charge of the party's publicity committee.&nbsp; 
 
Jaitley was referring to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/lok-sabha-polls-analysing-the-battle-of-east-up-and-the-priyanka-factor-202815">Priyanka Gandhi Vadra</a>, who has been recently appointed as Congress general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh. 
 
The Finance Minister further said: "The key question is - will the dynastic parties learn from their 2014 drubbing and a possible defeat in 2019?&nbsp; 
 
'Possibly not. It is here that the people of India will have to bring about a change. India is not a monarchy. Neither is it a kingdom or dynastic democracy. Dynasts disapprove persons of talent and merit.&nbsp; 
 
'The real strength of democracy will be realized when the myth of dynasties is finally buried and these parties are taken over by men of competence and merit. That will provide Indians with a better choice, he said.&nbsp; 
 
Another curious feature, he said, is that most families where a single dynasty created the party, have moved into the next generation.&nbsp; 
 
'In the next generation, there may be more than one heir. Both the heirs become aspirational and, therefore, the parent dynast distributes the largesse. But recent history has proved otherwise,'&nbsp;Jaitley said.&nbsp; 
 
He added that Chinese philosopher Confucius had rightly said that just as there can be only one sun in the sky, there can be only one emperor on the Earth.&nbsp; 
 
'Where power-sharing between successor dynasts takes place, who is the ultimate emperor?, 'he wondered as he highlighted instances of family-based political parties in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh. 
 
In Karnataka, he said there is an experiment of sons sharing the state and the grandsons sharing the Centre, and in Maharashtra, the initial ripples have started. 
&nbsp; 
'The Congress has undertaken the same experiment. It believes that the two owners are better than one. Will Confucius be proved right and historical record that one eventually prevailed over the other or will it be otherwise. One failed. The other won't take-off,'&nbsp;Jaitley said.&nbsp; 
 
On the other hand, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi grew from an extremely humble background.&nbsp; 
 
He worked in the party organization till he was inducted into the leadership and he had to work and struggle for the positions that he got.&nbsp; 
 
'He earned them," Jaitley said and exuded confidence that Modi and aspirational India would together demolish the concept of families.&nbsp; 
 
'The real strength of democracy will be realized when the myth of dynasties is finally buried and these parties are taken over by men of competence and merit. That will provide Indians with a choice'&nbsp;the minister remarked. 
 
India will start voting to elect next Lok Sabha from April 11. The results would be announced on May 23.&nbsp;

'One failed. The other won't take-off', Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said as he took a jibe on the entry of Priyanka Gandhi into politics. Generation after generation, the Congress Party's leadership berth is reserved for a member of the preferred family, he said as he traced the post-independence history of the party from Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi to Sanjay Gandhi to Rajiv Gandhi.

'One failed. The other won't take-off', Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said as he took a jibe on the entry of Priyanka Gandhi into politics. Generation after generation, the Congress Party's leadership berth is reserved for a member of the preferred family, he said as he traced the post-independence history of the party from Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi to Sanjay Gandhi to Rajiv Gandhi. Continuing the series of his blogs on 'Agenda 2019', he said the Congress tried to remove itself from the shackles of the dynasty for a brief period after the unfortunate assassination of Rajiv Gandhi but could not get out of its clutches for long. 'Smt. Sonia Gandhi then took over as the longest serving President of the Indian National Congress and thereafter passed on the leadership baton of the Party to her son Rahul Gandhi. 'Thus, generation after generation, the Congress Party's leadership berth is reserved for a member of the preferred family. When the Party is now in doldrums, another member of the family has entered the scene,' said the senior BJP leader who is in charge of the party's publicity committee. Jaitley was referring to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who has been recently appointed as Congress general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh. The Finance Minister further said: "The key question is - will the dynastic parties learn from their 2014 drubbing and a possible defeat in 2019? 'Possibly not. It is here that the people of India will have to bring about a change. India is not a monarchy. Neither is it a kingdom or dynastic democracy. Dynasts disapprove persons of talent and merit. 'The real strength of democracy will be realized when the myth of dynasties is finally buried and these parties are taken over by men of competence and merit. That will provide Indians with a better choice, he said. Another curious feature, he said, is that most families where a single dynasty created the party, have moved into the next generation. 'In the next generation, there may be more than one heir. Both the heirs become aspirational and, therefore, the parent dynast distributes the largesse. But recent history has proved otherwise,' Jaitley said. He added that Chinese philosopher Confucius had rightly said that just as there can be only one sun in the sky, there can be only one emperor on the Earth. 'Where power-sharing between successor dynasts takes place, who is the ultimate emperor?, 'he wondered as he highlighted instances of family-based political parties in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh. In Karnataka, he said there is an experiment of sons sharing the state and the grandsons sharing the Centre, and in Maharashtra, the initial ripples have started. 'The Congress has undertaken the same experiment. It believes that the two owners are better than one. Will Confucius be proved right and historical record that one eventually prevailed over the other or will it be otherwise. One failed. The other won't take-off,' Jaitley said. On the other hand, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi grew from an extremely humble background. He worked in the party organization till he was inducted into the leadership and he had to work and struggle for the positions that he got. 'He earned them," Jaitley said and exuded confidence that Modi and aspirational India would together demolish the concept of families. 'The real strength of democracy will be realized when the myth of dynasties is finally buried and these parties are taken over by men of competence and merit. That will provide Indians with a choice' the minister remarked. India will start voting to elect next Lok Sabha from April 11. The results would be announced on May 23.

One failed, the other won't take-off, Arun Jaitley's jibe on Congress

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/foot-overbridge-collapses-at-mumbais-chhatrapati-shivaji-maharaj-terminus-203376">Five persons were killed and 36 injured</a> after a major portion of a foot overbridge near a train station in south Mumbai collapsed Thursday evening, officials said.

The bridge which connected the area near the Times of India building with the iconic CST station was commonly known as 'Kasab bridge' as the 26/11 Mumbai attack terrorist passed through it during the terror strike.

All the injured have been rushed to nearby hospitals, a disaster management cell official said.

An eywitness said when the bridge collapsed, there was a red light at the nearby signal, and that is why the death toll was not more.

Another eyewitness said the overbridge was being used despite repairs being carried out this morning.

The incident took place around 7.30 pm when a major portion of the bridge caved in, the official said.

Some motorists who were passing beneath the bridge when it came down, were among those injured, he added.

"Fire brigade personnel reached the spot immediately and rescue work is in full swing. We have appealed the motorists to avoid the D N road to JJ flyover section," he said.

"Foot over bridge connecting CST platform 1 north end with B T Lane near Times of India building has collapsed. Injured persons are being shifted to hospitals. Traffic affected. Commuters to use alternate routes. Senior officers are on spot, Mumbai police tweeted.&nbsp;

Five persons were killed and 36 injured after a major portion of a foot overbridge near a train station in south Mumbai collapsed Thursday evening, officials said.

Five persons were killed and 36 injured after a major portion of a foot overbridge near a train station in south Mumbai collapsed Thursday evening, officials said. The bridge which connected the area near the Times of India building with the iconic CST station was commonly known as 'Kasab bridge' as the 26/11 Mumbai attack terrorist passed through it during the terror strike. All the injured have been rushed to nearby hospitals, a disaster management cell official said. An eywitness said when the bridge collapsed, there was a red light at the nearby signal, and that is why the death toll was not more. Another eyewitness said the overbridge was being used despite repairs being carried out this morning. The incident took place around 7.30 pm when a major portion of the bridge caved in, the official said. Some motorists who were passing beneath the bridge when it came down, were among those injured, he added. "Fire brigade personnel reached the spot immediately and rescue work is in full swing. We have appealed the motorists to avoid the D N road to JJ flyover section," he said. "Foot over bridge connecting CST platform 1 north end with B T Lane near Times of India building has collapsed. Injured persons are being shifted to hospitals. Traffic affected. Commuters to use alternate routes. Senior officers are on spot, Mumbai police tweeted.

Footbridge that collapsed at Mumbai's CST railway station was called 'Kasab bridge'

At a time when tensions with Pakistan are heightened, the Defence Ministry is likely to consider a proposal to buy 10 lakh multi-mode hand grenades for the Indian Army under the 'Make in India' project in the military sector.

''A proposal for buying 10 lakh hand grenades from an Indian firm would be considered by the Defence Ministry at a high-level meeting to be chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman this week,'' government sources told ANI.

The more than Rs 500 crore proposal is critical as the government has already taken care of the main personal weapon requirements of the Army soldiers by signing two contracts for modern rifles.

In the first case, a contract worth over Rs 700 crore for around 75,000 Sig Sauer assault rifles from an American firm has been signed while a joint venture has been formed with Russia to manufacture 7.5 lakh modern AK-203 assault rifles.

The project for acquiring new hand grenades is required for the replacement of the existing HE-36 grenades manufactured by the Ordnance Factory Board.&nbsp;

The multi-mode grenades have been developed by the DRDO and a production agency has been selected to manufacture them in large numbers.&nbsp;

Hand grenades are among the few critical weapons that soldiers need in the time of war as they can be used to cause heavy&nbsp; 
damage to enemy positions or bunkers apart from taking out their soldiers.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have been heightened after the Pulwama attack on February 14 in which 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives.

India avenged the attack by striking the Balakot terrorist training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.

At a time when tensions with Pakistan are heightened, the Defence Ministry is likely to consider a proposal to buy 10 lakh multi-mode hand grenades for the Indian Army under the 'Make in India' project in the military sector.

At a time when tensions with Pakistan are heightened, the Defence Ministry is likely to consider a proposal to buy 10 lakh multi-mode hand grenades for the Indian Army under the 'Make in India' project in the military sector. ''A proposal for buying 10 lakh hand grenades from an Indian firm would be considered by the Defence Ministry at a high-level meeting to be chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman this week,'' government sources told ANI. The more than Rs 500 crore proposal is critical as the government has already taken care of the main personal weapon requirements of the Army soldiers by signing two contracts for modern rifles. In the first case, a contract worth over Rs 700 crore for around 75,000 Sig Sauer assault rifles from an American firm has been signed while a joint venture has been formed with Russia to manufacture 7.5 lakh modern AK-203 assault rifles. The project for acquiring new hand grenades is required for the replacement of the existing HE-36 grenades manufactured by the Ordnance Factory Board. The multi-mode grenades have been developed by the DRDO and a production agency has been selected to manufacture them in large numbers. Hand grenades are among the few critical weapons that soldiers need in the time of war as they can be used to cause heavy damage to enemy positions or bunkers apart from taking out their soldiers. Tensions between India and Pakistan have been heightened after the Pulwama attack on February 14 in which 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives. India avenged the attack by striking the Balakot terrorist training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.

Defence Ministry plans to buy 10 lakh hand grenades for combat troops

A day after China blocked the listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar under United Nations terror list and opposition Congress lashed out at Centre, India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday in series of tweets claimed India got support from the global community for the move.

Sushma Swaraj highlighted how from 2009 to 2019 a growing number of countries backed India for the listing of Masood Azhar under the United Nations' security council's (UNSC) 1267 committee.

In 2009, India was the lone proposer while in 2016 India's proposal was co-sponsored by the UK, US and France and in 2017 US, UK and France moved the proposal. By 2019 proposal was moved the US, UK, France and co-sponsored by Australia, Bangladesh, Italy and Japan and supported by 14 out 15 members of the UNSC, she said.

"In 2019, the proposal was moved by USA, France and UK and supported by 14 of the 15 UN Security Council Members and also co-sponsored by Australia, Bangladesh, Italy and Japan - non-members of the Security Council, " she said in a tweet. 
&nbsp; 
All four times China blocked the proposal but from 2009 to 2019 a growing number of countries agreed with New Delhi on the issue of terror and on the listing of Masood Azhar.

This development comes in the backdrop of Congress President Rahul Gandhi slamming the central government for not able to list Azhar despite PM Modi's claims of good ties with China which includes an informal Wuhan summit which saw PM Modi travelling to China to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Sushma Swaraj in a tweet said, "leaders who describe this as our diplomatic failure may see for themselves that in 2009, India was alone. In 2019, India had worldwide support."

Meanwhile, France has announced it will freeze the assets of Masood Azhar and will ask the European Union to include Azhar in the list of persons involved in terror attacks. 
&nbsp;

A day after China blocked the listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar under United Nations terror list and opposition Congress lashed out at Centre, India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday in series of tweets claimed India got support from the global community for the move.

A day after China blocked the listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar under United Nations terror list and opposition Congress lashed out at Centre, India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday in series of tweets claimed India got support from the global community for the move. Sushma Swaraj highlighted how from 2009 to 2019 a growing number of countries backed India for the listing of Masood Azhar under the United Nations' security council's (UNSC) 1267 committee. In 2009, India was the lone proposer while in 2016 India's proposal was co-sponsored by the UK, US and France and in 2017 US, UK and France moved the proposal. By 2019 proposal was moved the US, UK, France and co-sponsored by Australia, Bangladesh, Italy and Japan and supported by 14 out 15 members of the UNSC, she said. "In 2019, the proposal was moved by USA, France and UK and supported by 14 of the 15 UN Security Council Members and also co-sponsored by Australia, Bangladesh, Italy and Japan - non-members of the Security Council, " she said in a tweet. All four times China blocked the proposal but from 2009 to 2019 a growing number of countries agreed with New Delhi on the issue of terror and on the listing of Masood Azhar. This development comes in the backdrop of Congress President Rahul Gandhi slamming the central government for not able to list Azhar despite PM Modi's claims of good ties with China which includes an informal Wuhan summit which saw PM Modi travelling to China to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. Sushma Swaraj in a tweet said, "leaders who describe this as our diplomatic failure may see for themselves that in 2009, India was alone. In 2019, India had worldwide support." Meanwhile, France has announced it will freeze the assets of Masood Azhar and will ask the European Union to include Azhar in the list of persons involved in terror attacks.

India had global support, says Sushma Swaraj on Masood Azhar listing 

Indian President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bajrang-punia-sharath-kamal-harika-dronavalli-conferred-with-padma-shri-by-president-ram-nath-kovind-202562">Ram Nath Kovind</a> Friday said there was a need to draw upon the power of innovation to find solutions to concerns facing the country. 
 
President Kovind said India has to make efforts to promote an innovation culture and become an innovation society. 
 
'As we seek to meet important developmental goals and build a caring, inclusive and happy society, we have to draw upon the power of innovation to find solutions to our concerns in diverse domains such as health, education, food security, energy access, environmental protection, and national security,'&nbsp;Kovind said. 
 
He was speaking at the inauguration function of the Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FINE). 
 
During the function organized by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the National Innovation Foundation (NIF), he also presented national grassroots innovations awards. 
 
'We have to make all efforts to promote an innovation culture and become an innovation society. In the wider sense, an innovation culture can be a catalyst to help us reach our goals as a society and as a nation,'&nbsp;the President said. 
 
'To usher in such a culture calls for revitalizing every link in the innovation value chain. We need schools where children tinker rather than only memorise. We need work cultures where young talent looks up and questions rather than looks down and nods,'&nbsp;he said. 
 
'Of course, the government will continue to provide a facilitative environment. However, an innovative idea in itself is not enough. It is important to ensure that a creative idea gets the support it needs for it's maturing, diffusion and delivery on the ground,'&nbsp;he added. 
 
'Innovation itself is only the first of two key drivers to ensure that it becomes actionable. The second key driver is entrepreneurship, which needs to supplement innovation so as to deliver benefits to our fellow citizens,'&nbsp;Kovind said. 
 
'We need to build an ecosystem for converting innovations into enterprises. This necessarily requires support for start-ups and for incubating young innovators. It is critical to connect all the links of incubating innovations into enterprises by providing financial, mentoring and policy support,'&nbsp;he said. 
 
'To be sure, NIF has done just this in many specific cases. But, my suggestion, for the consideration of all present here is to see if we can scale up the impact of our innovations to national and perhaps even global levels,'&nbsp;he said. 
 
Praising the NIF, he said it had made a big contribution to strengthen grassroots technological innovations and outstanding traditional knowledge since being established in 2000. 
 
The president appreciated the efforts of grassroots innovators who were given awards at the function.

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind Friday said there was a need to draw upon the power of innovation to find solutions to concerns facing the country. President Kovind said India has to make efforts to promote an innovation culture and become an innovation society.

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind Friday said there was a need to draw upon the power of innovation to find solutions to concerns facing the country. President Kovind said India has to make efforts to promote an innovation culture and become an innovation society. 'As we seek to meet important developmental goals and build a caring, inclusive and happy society, we have to draw upon the power of innovation to find solutions to our concerns in diverse domains such as health, education, food security, energy access, environmental protection, and national security,' Kovind said. He was speaking at the inauguration function of the Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FINE). During the function organized by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the National Innovation Foundation (NIF), he also presented national grassroots innovations awards. 'We have to make all efforts to promote an innovation culture and become an innovation society. In the wider sense, an innovation culture can be a catalyst to help us reach our goals as a society and as a nation,' the President said. 'To usher in such a culture calls for revitalizing every link in the innovation value chain. We need schools where children tinker rather than only memorise. We need work cultures where young talent looks up and questions rather than looks down and nods,' he said. 'Of course, the government will continue to provide a facilitative environment. However, an innovative idea in itself is not enough. It is important to ensure that a creative idea gets the support it needs for it's maturing, diffusion and delivery on the ground,' he added. 'Innovation itself is only the first of two key drivers to ensure that it becomes actionable. The second key driver is entrepreneurship, which needs to supplement innovation so as to deliver benefits to our fellow citizens,' Kovind said. 'We need to build an ecosystem for converting innovations into enterprises. This necessarily requires support for start-ups and for incubating young innovators. It is critical to connect all the links of incubating innovations into enterprises by providing financial, mentoring and policy support,' he said. 'To be sure, NIF has done just this in many specific cases. But, my suggestion, for the consideration of all present here is to see if we can scale up the impact of our innovations to national and perhaps even global levels,' he said. Praising the NIF, he said it had made a big contribution to strengthen grassroots technological innovations and outstanding traditional knowledge since being established in 2000. The president appreciated the efforts of grassroots innovators who were given awards at the function.

Use power of innovation to find solutions for India: President Ram Nath Kovind

Indian subsidiaries of US multinational corporations have a cause for cheer with the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) providing compliance relief for those whose parents are in countries which do not have an agreement with India.

The board has extended the due date for filing of country-by-country (CbC) reports by certain MNCs till March 31. So such Indian subsidiaries now have two more weeks to furnish their reports.

"The CBDT as a one-time measure in exercise of powers conferred under section 119 of the Act has extended the period for furnishing of the CbC report (local filing) in respect of reporting accounting years ending on or before February 28, 2018 up to March 31, 2019," said an official statement issued on Friday.

The concept of CbC reports, which gets electronically transmitted between competent authorities, was introduced to assist tax administration in having a complete understanding of the way in which MNCs structure their operations, by annually providing them with key information on the global allocation of incomes and taxes paid.

The absence of an agreement between India and the United States till now entailed a possibility of local filing of CbC reports in India.

However, a bilateral competent authority arrangement, along with an underlying inter-governmental agreement, for exchange of CbC reports between India and the United States has now been finalised and will be signed on or before March 31.

"This will enable both the countries to exchange CbC reports filed by the ultimate parent entities of international groups in the respective jurisdictions, pertaining to the financial years commencing on or after January 1, 2016," said the statement.

As a result, Indian constituent entities of international groups headquartered in the United States, who have already filed CbC reports in the United States, will not be required to do local filing of the CbC reports of their international groups in India, it said.

The objective of mandating CbC is to ensure that all relevant tax authorities have access to the same information about an MNC’s value chain and the resulting tax consequences.

Indian subsidiaries of US multinational corporations have a cause for cheer with the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) providing compliance relief for those whose parents are in countries which do not have an agreement with India.

Indian subsidiaries of US multinational corporations have a cause for cheer with the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) providing compliance relief for those whose parents are in countries which do not have an agreement with India. The board has extended the due date for filing of country-by-country (CbC) reports by certain MNCs till March 31. So such Indian subsidiaries now have two more weeks to furnish their reports. "The CBDT as a one-time measure in exercise of powers conferred under section 119 of the Act has extended the period for furnishing of the CbC report (local filing) in respect of reporting accounting years ending on or before February 28, 2018 up to March 31, 2019," said an official statement issued on Friday. The concept of CbC reports, which gets electronically transmitted between competent authorities, was introduced to assist tax administration in having a complete understanding of the way in which MNCs structure their operations, by annually providing them with key information on the global allocation of incomes and taxes paid. The absence of an agreement between India and the United States till now entailed a possibility of local filing of CbC reports in India. However, a bilateral competent authority arrangement, along with an underlying inter-governmental agreement, for exchange of CbC reports between India and the United States has now been finalised and will be signed on or before March 31. "This will enable both the countries to exchange CbC reports filed by the ultimate parent entities of international groups in the respective jurisdictions, pertaining to the financial years commencing on or after January 1, 2016," said the statement. As a result, Indian constituent entities of international groups headquartered in the United States, who have already filed CbC reports in the United States, will not be required to do local filing of the CbC reports of their international groups in India, it said. The objective of mandating CbC is to ensure that all relevant tax authorities have access to the same information about an MNC’s value chain and the resulting tax consequences.

India, US to sign pact for exchange of 'Country-by-Country' reports by March-end

A Delhi court Friday summoned Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and others in a defamation case filed by BJP leader Rajeev Babbar.&nbsp;

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal directed Kejriwal and other accused to appear on April 30.&nbsp;

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Delhi's Patiala House Court issues summons to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, AAP leader Atishi Marlena, AAP MP Sushil Gupta and MLA Manoj Kumar in a defamation case filed by BJP leader Rajiv babbar, asking them to appear before the Court on April 30.
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Babbar has sought proceeding against Kejriwal, Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Gupta, MLA Manoj Kumar and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Atishi Malena for harming the reputation of BJP by blaming it for the deletion of the names of "voters" from the electoral rolls in Delhi.

The court had earlier taken cognisance of the defamation complaint filed against Kejriwal and others by Babbar.

"All the accused made accusations against BJP in a calculated manner with the sole intention to portray a negative image of BJP in relation to the voters belonging to certain sections of society viz. Bania, Poorvanchalis, Muslims etc. The reputation of the complainant has been damaged beyond repair," Babbar had said.

A Delhi court Friday summoned Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and others in a defamation case filed by BJP leader Rajeev Babbar. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal directed Kejriwal and other accused to appear on April 30.

A Delhi court Friday summoned Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and others in a defamation case filed by BJP leader Rajeev Babbar. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal directed Kejriwal and other accused to appear on April 30. Delhi's Patiala House Court issues summons to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, AAP leader Atishi Marlena, AAP MP Sushil Gupta and MLA Manoj Kumar in a defamation case filed by BJP leader Rajiv babbar, asking them to appear before the Court on April 30. — ANI (@ANI) March 15, 2019 × Babbar has sought proceeding against Kejriwal, Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Gupta, MLA Manoj Kumar and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Atishi Malena for harming the reputation of BJP by blaming it for the deletion of the names of "voters" from the electoral rolls in Delhi. The court had earlier taken cognisance of the defamation complaint filed against Kejriwal and others by Babbar. "All the accused made accusations against BJP in a calculated manner with the sole intention to portray a negative image of BJP in relation to the voters belonging to certain sections of society viz. Bania, Poorvanchalis, Muslims etc. The reputation of the complainant has been damaged beyond repair," Babbar had said.

Delhi court summons Arvind Kejriwal, others in defamation case filed by BJP's Rajeev Babbar

India has secured unprecedented support from the international community for listing Pakistan-based terror outfit <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/after-china-bars-azhars-listing-pak-foreign-minister-qureshi-to-visit-china-this-sunday-203493">Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) chief Masood Azhar</a> under the UN Sanctions Committee, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj stated on Friday.

Swaraj also gave a strong rebuttal to those who labelled Azhar's listing under the UN Sanctions Committee as a "diplomatic failure".

"I have shared...facts with you so that leaders who describe this as our diplomatic failure may see for themselves that in 2009, India was alone. In 2019, India has worldwide support," she tweeted.

"In 2009, India under the UPA Government was the lone proposer. In 2016, India's proposal was co-sponsored by USA, France and UK. In 2017, USA, UK and France moved the proposal," Swaraj tweeted.

She outlined that the latest proposal to designate Azhar as a global terrorist enjoyed the support of 14 of the 15 UN Security Council members.

"In 2019, the proposal was moved by USA, France and UK and supported by 14 of the 15 UN Security Council members and also co-sponsored by Australia, Bangladesh, Italy and Japan - non-members of the Security Council. Thus, we have secured unprecedented support from the international community for listing of Masood Azhar under the UN Sanctions Committee," she said.

In a move which has been largely condemned, China, for the fourth time, blocked Azhar's listing as a global terrorist at the UN Security Council on March 13. The proposal, by countries like the USA, UK and France, was moved in the UNSC following the widely condemned February 14 Pulwama terror attack, the responsibility of which has been claimed by Azhar's UN-proscribed terror outfit JeM.

India expressed disappointment over the development but vowed to pursue "all available avenues to ensure that terrorist leaders who are involved in heinous attacks on our citizens" are brought to justice.

China, however, defended its technical hold to the UN resolution, saying it needed "more time" as it is "conducting a comprehensive and in-depth review" on the listing request put forth by the countries, a stance that has been widely criticised.

Swaraj's statement comes on the same day that France sanctioned Azhar at a national level and froze his assets while showing its complete support to India following the Pulwama terror attack where India lost over 40 CRPF personnel.

Furthermore, France will also be raising the issue with its European partners in a bid to include Azhar on the European Union list of persons, groups and entities involved in terrorist acts.

India has secured unprecedented support from the international community for listing Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) chief Masood Azhar under the UN Sanctions Committee, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj stated on Friday.

India has secured unprecedented support from the international community for listing Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) chief Masood Azhar under the UN Sanctions Committee, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj stated on Friday. Swaraj also gave a strong rebuttal to those who labelled Azhar's listing under the UN Sanctions Committee as a "diplomatic failure". "I have shared...facts with you so that leaders who describe this as our diplomatic failure may see for themselves that in 2009, India was alone. In 2019, India has worldwide support," she tweeted. "In 2009, India under the UPA Government was the lone proposer. In 2016, India's proposal was co-sponsored by USA, France and UK. In 2017, USA, UK and France moved the proposal," Swaraj tweeted. She outlined that the latest proposal to designate Azhar as a global terrorist enjoyed the support of 14 of the 15 UN Security Council members. "In 2019, the proposal was moved by USA, France and UK and supported by 14 of the 15 UN Security Council members and also co-sponsored by Australia, Bangladesh, Italy and Japan - non-members of the Security Council. Thus, we have secured unprecedented support from the international community for listing of Masood Azhar under the UN Sanctions Committee," she said. In a move which has been largely condemned, China, for the fourth time, blocked Azhar's listing as a global terrorist at the UN Security Council on March 13. The proposal, by countries like the USA, UK and France, was moved in the UNSC following the widely condemned February 14 Pulwama terror attack, the responsibility of which has been claimed by Azhar's UN-proscribed terror outfit JeM. India expressed disappointment over the development but vowed to pursue "all available avenues to ensure that terrorist leaders who are involved in heinous attacks on our citizens" are brought to justice. China, however, defended its technical hold to the UN resolution, saying it needed "more time" as it is "conducting a comprehensive and in-depth review" on the listing request put forth by the countries, a stance that has been widely criticised. Swaraj's statement comes on the same day that France sanctioned Azhar at a national level and froze his assets while showing its complete support to India following the Pulwama terror attack where India lost over 40 CRPF personnel. Furthermore, France will also be raising the issue with its European partners in a bid to include Azhar on the European Union list of persons, groups and entities involved in terrorist acts.

India has unprecedented global support to list Masood Azhar under UN Sanctions Committee: Sushma Swaraj

YSR Congress Party leader and former Andhra Pradesh Minister YS Vivekananda Reddy died on Friday following a cardiac arrest, his family said.

He was 68. Reddy, also a former Lok Sabha member, suffered a cardiac arrest at his residence in Pulivendula town of Kadapa district in the wee hours of Friday.

He was the younger brother of late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy and uncle of YSR Congress Party president YS Jaganmohan Reddy.

He is survived by his wife and a daughter.

Reddy was elected as an MLA from Pulivendula constituency in 1989 and 1994.

He became a Member of Parliament from Kadapa Lok Sabha seat in 1999 and 2004.

In 2009, he was elected as MLC. He also served as Agriculture Minister of Andhra Pradesh and later resigned from Congress party and joined YSRCP.

YSR Congress Party leader and former Andhra Pradesh Minister YS Vivekananda Reddy died on Friday following a cardiac arrest, his family said. He was 68. Reddy, also a former Lok Sabha member, suffered a cardiac arrest at his residence in Pulivendula town of Kadapa district in the wee hours of Friday.

YSR Congress Party leader and former Andhra Pradesh Minister YS Vivekananda Reddy died on Friday following a cardiac arrest, his family said. He was 68. Reddy, also a former Lok Sabha member, suffered a cardiac arrest at his residence in Pulivendula town of Kadapa district in the wee hours of Friday. He was the younger brother of late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy and uncle of YSR Congress Party president YS Jaganmohan Reddy. He is survived by his wife and a daughter. Reddy was elected as an MLA from Pulivendula constituency in 1989 and 1994. He became a Member of Parliament from Kadapa Lok Sabha seat in 1999 and 2004. In 2009, he was elected as MLC. He also served as Agriculture Minister of Andhra Pradesh and later resigned from Congress party and joined YSRCP.

YSR Congress leader YS Vivekananda Reddy passes away

The CBI Friday told the Supreme Court that former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar's plea challenging the life term awarded to him by the Delhi High Court in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case should be dismissed.

The probe agency in its reply on Sajjan Kumar's plea seeking bail said he has a "large political clout" and is capable of "influencing or terrorising" witnesses in the case pending against him.

It told the apex court said that fair trial in the pending case would not be possible if Kumar is granted bail.

The CBI said that Kumar's "political clout clouded fair and speedy investigation and derailed justice for the victims" of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

A bench of Justice S A Bobde and Justice S A Nazeer posted the matter for further hearing on March 25.

The case in which Kumar was convicted and sentenced relates to the killing of five Sikhs in Delhi Cantonment's Raj Nagar Part-I area of southwest Delhi on November 1 and 2, 1984, and burning down of a Gurudwara in Raj Nagar Part-II.

Anti-Sikh riots had broken out after the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, by her two Sikh bodyguards.&nbsp;

The top court had earlier admitted the appeal of Kumar for hearing and had also issued a notice to the CBI on his bail plea seeking its response within four weeks.

It had also allowed the former Congress leader to file a "lengthy list of dates" and "additional facts and grounds" in favour of his appeal.

The 73-year-old Kumar had surrendered before a trial court here on December 31, 2018, to serve the sentence in pursuance of the high court's December 17 judgment awarding him life imprisonment for the "remainder of his natural life".

After his conviction in the case, Kumar had resigned from the Congress party.

The high court had convicted and sentenced Kumar to spend the remainder of his life in jail for the offences of criminal conspiracy and abetment in the commission of crimes of murder, promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of communal harmony and defiling and destruction of a Gurdwara.

It had also upheld the conviction and varying sentences awarded by a trial court to five others - former Congress councillor Balwan Khokhar, retired naval officer Captain Bhagmal, Girdhari Lal and ex-MLAs Mahender Yadav and Kishan Khokhar.

In its judgment, the high court had noted that over 2,700 Sikhs were killed in the national capital during the 1984 riots which was indeed a "carnage of unbelievable proportions".

It had said the riots were a "crime against humanity" perpetrated by those who enjoyed "political patronage" and aided by an "indifferent" law enforcement agency.

The high court had set aside the trial court's 2010 verdict which had acquitted Kumar in the case.&nbsp;

The CBI Friday told the Supreme Court that former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar's plea challenging the life term awarded to him by the Delhi High Court in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case should be dismissed.

The CBI Friday told the Supreme Court that former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar's plea challenging the life term awarded to him by the Delhi High Court in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case should be dismissed. The probe agency in its reply on Sajjan Kumar's plea seeking bail said he has a "large political clout" and is capable of "influencing or terrorising" witnesses in the case pending against him. It told the apex court said that fair trial in the pending case would not be possible if Kumar is granted bail. The CBI said that Kumar's "political clout clouded fair and speedy investigation and derailed justice for the victims" of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. A bench of Justice S A Bobde and Justice S A Nazeer posted the matter for further hearing on March 25. The case in which Kumar was convicted and sentenced relates to the killing of five Sikhs in Delhi Cantonment's Raj Nagar Part-I area of southwest Delhi on November 1 and 2, 1984, and burning down of a Gurudwara in Raj Nagar Part-II. Anti-Sikh riots had broken out after the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, by her two Sikh bodyguards. The top court had earlier admitted the appeal of Kumar for hearing and had also issued a notice to the CBI on his bail plea seeking its response within four weeks. It had also allowed the former Congress leader to file a "lengthy list of dates" and "additional facts and grounds" in favour of his appeal. The 73-year-old Kumar had surrendered before a trial court here on December 31, 2018, to serve the sentence in pursuance of the high court's December 17 judgment awarding him life imprisonment for the "remainder of his natural life". After his conviction in the case, Kumar had resigned from the Congress party. The high court had convicted and sentenced Kumar to spend the remainder of his life in jail for the offences of criminal conspiracy and abetment in the commission of crimes of murder, promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of communal harmony and defiling and destruction of a Gurdwara. It had also upheld the conviction and varying sentences awarded by a trial court to five others - former Congress councillor Balwan Khokhar, retired naval officer Captain Bhagmal, Girdhari Lal and ex-MLAs Mahender Yadav and Kishan Khokhar. In its judgment, the high court had noted that over 2,700 Sikhs were killed in the national capital during the 1984 riots which was indeed a "carnage of unbelievable proportions". It had said the riots were a "crime against humanity" perpetrated by those who enjoyed "political patronage" and aided by an "indifferent" law enforcement agency. The high court had set aside the trial court's 2010 verdict which had acquitted Kumar in the case.

1984 anti-Sikh riots case: CBI seeks dismissal of Sajjan Kumar's plea in Supreme Court 

Continuing with her penchant for bringing in silver screen personalities to politics, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has fielded five film stars, including two greenhorns, for the coming Lok Sabha elections. In the 2014 general elections, Banerjee had fielded the same number of cinestars and all the five had won.&nbsp;

It was Banerjee who had in 2009 started the practice of fielding people from the glamour world in West Bengal elections, which was considered to be the forte of southern states. Of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal, the TMC had won 19 seats in 2009 and 34 in 2014.

The party also adds a dash of colour to major public meetings, where celebrities from the film and television world assemble. Fielding of Mimi Chakraborty, a popular actress in Bengali cinema and a political greenhorn, from the prestigious Jadavpur constituency for the 2019 elections has come as a surprise to many. It was from this constituency in the city that Mamata Banerjee had burst into electoral politics in 1984 as a young Congress candidate, by handing a stunning defeat to the incumbent and towering Somnath Chatterjee of the CPI(M).

Sugata Bose, a professor of Oceanic History and Affairs at the Harvard University held the seat as a TMC MP in the outgoing 16th Lok Sabha. Reportedly, he has not been given permission by the university to contest the elections this time. Another political greenhorn and Bengali film actor Nusrat Jahan has been fielded from Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district, a seat now held by TMC’s Idris Ali. Banerjee has said Ali will contest in an Assembly by-election. Apart from these two, actors and sitting MPs Deepak Adhikari, popularly known as Dev, Satabdi Roy and Munmum Sen will also contest.

While Dev and Roy would seek re-election from Ghatal and Birbhum seats respectively, Sen has been shifted from Bankura to Asansol, which was won by singer-turned-politician Babul Supriyo of the BJP. The TMC has dropped sitting MPs Tapas Pal and Sandhya Roy, well-known film stars of yesteryears. Pal had been arrested by the CBI in December 2016 in connection with the Rose Valley chitfund scam and is at present out on bail. Pal and Satabdi Roy are two-time MPs of the TMC, both having earlier won in the 2009 elections. The TMC supremo had also made Bollywood star Mithun Chakraborty a Rajya Sabha MP. But he had resigned in December 2016 citing ill health.

The trend of cine stars joining electoral politics has been a regular affair in the southern states, with former Tamil Nadu chief minister M G Ramachandran as the pioneer and Rajnikanth and Kamal Haasan being the latest entrants. Andhra Pradesh is another state where film stars enjoy cult status and have made serious forays into politics, with N T Rama Rao having become chief minister of the state. In other parts of the country, film stars like Raj Babbar, Hema Malini, Vinod Khanna have been in politics and even mega star Amitabh Bachchan had a short tryst with it. Film stars have, however, generally stayed away from electoral politics in West Bengal, where it has traditionally been viewed as a forte of those who grow from the ranks, barring one or two exceptions.

The so-called glass ceiling was broken in 2009 when Satabdi Roy and Tapas Pal, both of whom were doing films regularly then, were fielded by the TMC chief and won. The BJP has also brought in film personalities and those associated with it in West Bengal politics. Babul Supriyo, a playback singer who also dabbled in film acting, was one of the two BJP candidates who won in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from West Bengal. He was also made a minister of state. Actor Roopa Ganguly, who achieved national fame for her portrayal of the role of Draupadi in mega teleserial Mahabharat, is a Rajya Sabha MP of the BJP.

Continuing with her penchant for bringing in silver screen personalities to politics, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has fielded five film stars, including two greenhorns, for the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Continuing with her penchant for bringing in silver screen personalities to politics, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has fielded five film stars, including two greenhorns, for the coming Lok Sabha elections. In the 2014 general elections, Banerjee had fielded the same number of cinestars and all the five had won. It was Banerjee who had in 2009 started the practice of fielding people from the glamour world in West Bengal elections, which was considered to be the forte of southern states. Of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal, the TMC had won 19 seats in 2009 and 34 in 2014. The party also adds a dash of colour to major public meetings, where celebrities from the film and television world assemble. Fielding of Mimi Chakraborty, a popular actress in Bengali cinema and a political greenhorn, from the prestigious Jadavpur constituency for the 2019 elections has come as a surprise to many. It was from this constituency in the city that Mamata Banerjee had burst into electoral politics in 1984 as a young Congress candidate, by handing a stunning defeat to the incumbent and towering Somnath Chatterjee of the CPI(M). Sugata Bose, a professor of Oceanic History and Affairs at the Harvard University held the seat as a TMC MP in the outgoing 16th Lok Sabha. Reportedly, he has not been given permission by the university to contest the elections this time. Another political greenhorn and Bengali film actor Nusrat Jahan has been fielded from Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district, a seat now held by TMC’s Idris Ali. Banerjee has said Ali will contest in an Assembly by-election. Apart from these two, actors and sitting MPs Deepak Adhikari, popularly known as Dev, Satabdi Roy and Munmum Sen will also contest. While Dev and Roy would seek re-election from Ghatal and Birbhum seats respectively, Sen has been shifted from Bankura to Asansol, which was won by singer-turned-politician Babul Supriyo of the BJP. The TMC has dropped sitting MPs Tapas Pal and Sandhya Roy, well-known film stars of yesteryears. Pal had been arrested by the CBI in December 2016 in connection with the Rose Valley chitfund scam and is at present out on bail. Pal and Satabdi Roy are two-time MPs of the TMC, both having earlier won in the 2009 elections. The TMC supremo had also made Bollywood star Mithun Chakraborty a Rajya Sabha MP. But he had resigned in December 2016 citing ill health. The trend of cine stars joining electoral politics has been a regular affair in the southern states, with former Tamil Nadu chief minister M G Ramachandran as the pioneer and Rajnikanth and Kamal Haasan being the latest entrants. Andhra Pradesh is another state where film stars enjoy cult status and have made serious forays into politics, with N T Rama Rao having become chief minister of the state. In other parts of the country, film stars like Raj Babbar, Hema Malini, Vinod Khanna have been in politics and even mega star Amitabh Bachchan had a short tryst with it. Film stars have, however, generally stayed away from electoral politics in West Bengal, where it has traditionally been viewed as a forte of those who grow from the ranks, barring one or two exceptions. The so-called glass ceiling was broken in 2009 when Satabdi Roy and Tapas Pal, both of whom were doing films regularly then, were fielded by the TMC chief and won. The BJP has also brought in film personalities and those associated with it in West Bengal politics. Babul Supriyo, a playback singer who also dabbled in film acting, was one of the two BJP candidates who won in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from West Bengal. He was also made a minister of state. Actor Roopa Ganguly, who achieved national fame for her portrayal of the role of Draupadi in mega teleserial Mahabharat, is a Rajya Sabha MP of the BJP.

Five film stars in TMC’s list as Mamata Banerjee reposes faith in tested poll mantra

IT czar <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/mukesh-ambani-jumps-6-ranks-is-13th-richest-in-world-forbes-201483">Azim Premji</a> has earmarked economic benefits of about 34 per cent of his shares in Wipro, worth Rs 52,750 crore, for his foundation involved in philanthropy, according to a statement.

With this, the total value of the endowment corpus, which supports Azim Premji Foundation's philanthropic activities, contributed by Premji has swelled to a staggering Rs 1.45 lakh crore, which includes 67 per cent of economic ownership of Wipro Ltd, it said.

Wipro Chairman Premji, who is also the chairman of Azim Premji Foundation, announced on Wednesday that he has increased his commitment to philanthropy, by irrevocably renouncing more of his personal assets and earmarking them to the endowment corpus.

"He has done this (contribution) by additionally earmarking all economic benefits for philanthropic purposes, in approximately 34 per cent of the shares in Wipro Limited (current market value Rs 52,750 crore), held by certain entities controlled by him," according to the statement by the Azim Premji Foundation.

This is in addition to his earlier donations to philanthropy, which included Wipro's shares, as well as other assets owned by him.

The promoter holding in Bengaluru-based IT services giant Wipro Ltd stood at 74.3 per cent as on December 2018.

The Azim Premji Foundation works in education in the country and supports other not-for-profit organisations working in some specific areas through multi-year financial grants.

"The Foundation's extensive fieldwork in education has been in some of the most disadvantaged parts of India, to help contribute to the improvement of quality and equity of the public (government) schooling system," it added.

The Foundation works closely with various state governments. It currently works in Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Puducherry, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and the northeast region.

Its field strategy focuses on creating and scaling up a network of institutions at district and state levels, to help in overall improvement in the school education system on a continued and sustained basis.

The Azim Premji Foundation has also established the Azim Premji University in Bengaluru.

Over the next few years, the activities of the Foundation are expected to ramp up significantly, the statement said adding that a university in the northern part of India may be set up by the Foundation at some point.

IT czar Azim Premji has earmarked economic benefits of about 34 per cent of his shares in Wipro, worth Rs 52,750 crore, for his foundation involved in philanthropy, according to a statement.

IT czar Azim Premji has earmarked economic benefits of about 34 per cent of his shares in Wipro, worth Rs 52,750 crore, for his foundation involved in philanthropy, according to a statement. With this, the total value of the endowment corpus, which supports Azim Premji Foundation's philanthropic activities, contributed by Premji has swelled to a staggering Rs 1.45 lakh crore, which includes 67 per cent of economic ownership of Wipro Ltd, it said. Wipro Chairman Premji, who is also the chairman of Azim Premji Foundation, announced on Wednesday that he has increased his commitment to philanthropy, by irrevocably renouncing more of his personal assets and earmarking them to the endowment corpus. "He has done this (contribution) by additionally earmarking all economic benefits for philanthropic purposes, in approximately 34 per cent of the shares in Wipro Limited (current market value Rs 52,750 crore), held by certain entities controlled by him," according to the statement by the Azim Premji Foundation. This is in addition to his earlier donations to philanthropy, which included Wipro's shares, as well as other assets owned by him. The promoter holding in Bengaluru-based IT services giant Wipro Ltd stood at 74.3 per cent as on December 2018. The Azim Premji Foundation works in education in the country and supports other not-for-profit organisations working in some specific areas through multi-year financial grants. "The Foundation's extensive fieldwork in education has been in some of the most disadvantaged parts of India, to help contribute to the improvement of quality and equity of the public (government) schooling system," it added. The Foundation works closely with various state governments. It currently works in Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Puducherry, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and the northeast region. Its field strategy focuses on creating and scaling up a network of institutions at district and state levels, to help in overall improvement in the school education system on a continued and sustained basis. The Azim Premji Foundation has also established the Azim Premji University in Bengaluru. Over the next few years, the activities of the Foundation are expected to ramp up significantly, the statement said adding that a university in the northern part of India may be set up by the Foundation at some point.

Azim Premji commits Wipro shares worth Rs 52,750 crore for philanthropy

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/masood-azhars-unsc-listing-china-hints-it-may-block-move-to-declare-him-a-global-terrorist-203145">China has again blocked India's bid</a> to have Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar designated a global terrorist.&nbsp;A diplomat at the UN told PTI that China had put a "technical hold" on the bid.&nbsp;

The proposal to designate Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council was moved by France, the UK and the US on February 27, days after a suicide bomber of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) killed 44 CRPF soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, leading to a flare-up in tensions between India and Pakistan.

The Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee members had 10 working days to raise any objections to the proposal. The no-objection period deadline was scheduled to end at 3 PM local time (New York) Wednesday, (12:30 AM IST Thursday).

Just before the close of the deadline, China put a hold on the proposal.

The diplomat said China asked for "more time to examine" the proposal.

The proposal was the fourth such bid at the UN in the last 10 years to list Azhar as a global terrorist.

The Committee makes its decisions by consensus of its members.

All eyes were on China, which has in the past blocked India's bids to get Azhar listed as a UN-designated global terrorist thrice.

According to the listing rules of the Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee, if no objection is received by the end of the no-objection period, the decision will be deemed adopted.

As it has done in the past, Beijing put a technical hold on the proposal just as the deadline was about to end.

An inkling of China's stand on the issue came during Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang's press conferences on Monday and Wednesday in Beijing when he was asked about the proposal to list Azhar as a global terrorist by the UNSC.

"The UN Security Council and its subsidiary bodies are run on strict rules?. We already stressed China's position on the listing of terrorist organisations and individuals in the UN Security Council 1267 Committee on many occasions," Lu said on Monday.

"China will continue to adopt responsible attitude and participate in the deliberations in the UNSC 1267 Committee," Lu said on Wednesday.

On the issue of listing Azhar, he said, "I want to say that China always adopts a responsible attitude, engage in consultations with various parties and properly deal with this issue."

"The discussions, I want to say must follow the rules and procedures of the relevant bodies and only the solution that is acceptable to all sides is conducive for resolving the issue," he said, indicating that Beijing may again block the move to list Azhar as a global terrorist.

According to sources, the statement of the case of the latest proposal by France mentioned that JeM had taken responsibility for the Pulwama suicide attack on February 14 in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed.

The statement also noted that Azhar is a former leader of the terrorist group Harakat al-Mujahadin and he had given a call to volunteers to join the fight in Afghanistan against Western forces.

In 2009, India moved a proposal by itself to designate Azhar. In 2016 again India moved the proposal with the P3 - the United States, the United Kingdom and France in the UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee to ban Azhar, also the mastermind of the attack on the air base in Pathankot in January, 2016.

In 2017, the P3 nations moved a similar proposal again. However, on all occasions China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, blocked India's proposal from being adopted by the Sanctions Committee.

An assets freeze under the Sanctions Committee requires that all states freeze without delay the funds and other financial assets or economic resources of designated individuals and entities. 
The travel ban entails preventing the entry into or transit by all states through their territories by designated individuals. Under the arms embargo, all states are required to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale and transfer from their territories or by their nationals outside their territories to the designated individuals and entities.

Hectic diplomatic and political parleys had preceded the closely-watched March 13 deadline as New Delhi reached out to the UNSC member countries.

In the wake of the Pulwama terror attack, India launched a major diplomatic offensive against Pakistan, holding briefing for envoys of 25 countries, including those from the five permanent UNSC members -- the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom and France -- to highlight Islamabad's role in using terrorism as an instrument of state policy.

India also handed over to Pakistan a dossier on "specific details" of involvement of the JeM in the Pulwama terror attack.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

China has again blocked India's bid to have Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar designated a global terrorist. A diplomat at the UN told PTI that China had put a "technical hold" on the bid.

China has again blocked India's bid to have Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar designated a global terrorist. A diplomat at the UN told PTI that China had put a "technical hold" on the bid. The proposal to designate Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council was moved by France, the UK and the US on February 27, days after a suicide bomber of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) killed 44 CRPF soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, leading to a flare-up in tensions between India and Pakistan. The Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee members had 10 working days to raise any objections to the proposal. The no-objection period deadline was scheduled to end at 3 PM local time (New York) Wednesday, (12:30 AM IST Thursday). Just before the close of the deadline, China put a hold on the proposal. The diplomat said China asked for "more time to examine" the proposal. The proposal was the fourth such bid at the UN in the last 10 years to list Azhar as a global terrorist. The Committee makes its decisions by consensus of its members. All eyes were on China, which has in the past blocked India's bids to get Azhar listed as a UN-designated global terrorist thrice. According to the listing rules of the Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee, if no objection is received by the end of the no-objection period, the decision will be deemed adopted. As it has done in the past, Beijing put a technical hold on the proposal just as the deadline was about to end. An inkling of China's stand on the issue came during Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang's press conferences on Monday and Wednesday in Beijing when he was asked about the proposal to list Azhar as a global terrorist by the UNSC. "The UN Security Council and its subsidiary bodies are run on strict rules?. We already stressed China's position on the listing of terrorist organisations and individuals in the UN Security Council 1267 Committee on many occasions," Lu said on Monday. "China will continue to adopt responsible attitude and participate in the deliberations in the UNSC 1267 Committee," Lu said on Wednesday. On the issue of listing Azhar, he said, "I want to say that China always adopts a responsible attitude, engage in consultations with various parties and properly deal with this issue." "The discussions, I want to say must follow the rules and procedures of the relevant bodies and only the solution that is acceptable to all sides is conducive for resolving the issue," he said, indicating that Beijing may again block the move to list Azhar as a global terrorist. According to sources, the statement of the case of the latest proposal by France mentioned that JeM had taken responsibility for the Pulwama suicide attack on February 14 in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed. The statement also noted that Azhar is a former leader of the terrorist group Harakat al-Mujahadin and he had given a call to volunteers to join the fight in Afghanistan against Western forces. In 2009, India moved a proposal by itself to designate Azhar. In 2016 again India moved the proposal with the P3 - the United States, the United Kingdom and France in the UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee to ban Azhar, also the mastermind of the attack on the air base in Pathankot in January, 2016. In 2017, the P3 nations moved a similar proposal again. However, on all occasions China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, blocked India's proposal from being adopted by the Sanctions Committee. An assets freeze under the Sanctions Committee requires that all states freeze without delay the funds and other financial assets or economic resources of designated individuals and entities. The travel ban entails preventing the entry into or transit by all states through their territories by designated individuals. Under the arms embargo, all states are required to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale and transfer from their territories or by their nationals outside their territories to the designated individuals and entities. Hectic diplomatic and political parleys had preceded the closely-watched March 13 deadline as New Delhi reached out to the UNSC member countries. In the wake of the Pulwama terror attack, India launched a major diplomatic offensive against Pakistan, holding briefing for envoys of 25 countries, including those from the five permanent UNSC members -- the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom and France -- to highlight Islamabad's role in using terrorism as an instrument of state policy. India also handed over to Pakistan a dossier on "specific details" of involvement of the JeM in the Pulwama terror attack.

China again blocks India's bid to have Masood Azhar designated a global terrorist 

India has successfully carried out the trial of the Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MP-ATGM) being developed for infantry troops of the Indian Army.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) carried out the trial of the missile with two-three km strike range on Wednesday night in Rajasthan desert.

This was the fourth overall development trial of the MP-ATGM which is being developed for the infantry troops against the enemy tank regiments.

“Both the missiles hit their target with complete precision and all the desired mission objectives were met successfully,” DRDO officials said.&nbsp;

The missile has been tested at all ranges including maximum strike range which is around two-three kms.

The missile is critical for the Indian Army as it has a requirement for more than 50,000 of these anti-tank missiles. This comes after India on Tuesday successfully carried out the third trial of Pinaka guided missile at Pokharan range.

Two trials of Pinaka guided extended range rockets were conducted on Monday. Both the rockets hit their targets at 90-km range.

Pinaka is a multi-barrel rocket launching system developed by the DRDO, for the Indian Army with a range of around 40 km. To meet the emergency requirement of the Army, the Defence Ministry had recently cleared the acquisition of 5,000 Milan 2T ATGMs for the Force.&nbsp;

India has successfully carried out the trial of the Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MP-ATGM) being developed for infantry troops of the Indian Army. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) carried out the trial of the missile with two-three km strike range on Wednesday night in Rajasthan desert.

India has successfully carried out the trial of the Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MP-ATGM) being developed for infantry troops of the Indian Army. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) carried out the trial of the missile with two-three km strike range on Wednesday night in Rajasthan desert. This was the fourth overall development trial of the MP-ATGM which is being developed for the infantry troops against the enemy tank regiments. “Both the missiles hit their target with complete precision and all the desired mission objectives were met successfully,” DRDO officials said. The missile has been tested at all ranges including maximum strike range which is around two-three kms. The missile is critical for the Indian Army as it has a requirement for more than 50,000 of these anti-tank missiles. This comes after India on Tuesday successfully carried out the third trial of Pinaka guided missile at Pokharan range. Two trials of Pinaka guided extended range rockets were conducted on Monday. Both the rockets hit their targets at 90-km range. Pinaka is a multi-barrel rocket launching system developed by the DRDO, for the Indian Army with a range of around 40 km. To meet the emergency requirement of the Army, the Defence Ministry had recently cleared the acquisition of 5,000 Milan 2T ATGMs for the Force.

India successfully test fires Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile

Terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), in its mouthpiece Al Qalam, mentioned&nbsp;Zee News programme DNA&nbsp;while writing a piece on the Indian media.

In the editorial piece, Al Qalam said, "India's famous channel Zee-DNA's anchor Sudhir Chaudhary said that India was behind the breakdown of Bangladesh. The Indian government should intensify its action in Pakistan so that Pakistan should get fragmented. Not only this, but in the prime time program, it has been emphasising that Pakistan should be attacked and war is the only way."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/decoding-xi-jinpings-new-era-and-chinas-objection-to-un-ban-on-jem-chief-masood-azhar-203227">Masood Azhar-led JeM</a>, which has openly spread its anti-India hate campaign through its media outlet accused the Indian media of being a "black spot" in the name of journalism. Clearly, the fact that post-Pulwama, the Indian media openly castigated the terror outfit hasn't gone down well with Masood Azhar.

In fact, Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary&nbsp;in his programme on March 6 had said that "when India gets angry, Pakistan is blown to smithereens."

"This happened in 1971 when Pakistan was divided into two, but now they are beginning to forget the biggest loss in their history. Pakistan is under immense pressure, and one of its regions - Balochistan - is fighting to be free from its rule. The people of Balochistan are fed up of the torture meted out by Pakistan army and want independence," Sudhir Chaudhary said in his programme.

The JeM mouthpiece was caught off-guard as the programme aired on Zee exposed the real feeling prevailing inside Pakistan.

"Balochistan constitutes 44 per cent of Pakistan's total land area. If the region gets independence, Pakistan will lose its identity as a country. If Pakistan doesn't give up their Kashmir dream and focus on fulfilling the wishes on Balochistan, it will lose out 44 per cent of its territory," Zee Network's anchor and editor-in-chief said.

"Balochistan is now a conflict zone where no reporting is allowed because it is controlled by the Pakistani Army. It is a tough job to present the truth of Balochistan to the world. It is heavily guarded by Pakistani military, so the true picture of the torture is never revealed," Sudhir Chaudhary said.

"The only way to understand the real situation is through some videos posted on social media by the residents. People making these videos have to travel hundreds of kilometres to areas where internet is available. They then upload the video for the world to see," the programme revealed.

Terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), in its mouthpiece Al Qalam, mentioned Zee News programme DNA while writing a piece on the Indian media. In the editorial piece, Al Qalam said, "India's famous channel Zee-DNA's anchor Sudhir Chaudhary said that India was behind the breakdown of Bangladesh.

Terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), in its mouthpiece Al Qalam, mentioned Zee News programme DNA while writing a piece on the Indian media. In the editorial piece, Al Qalam said, "India's famous channel Zee-DNA's anchor Sudhir Chaudhary said that India was behind the breakdown of Bangladesh. The Indian government should intensify its action in Pakistan so that Pakistan should get fragmented. Not only this, but in the prime time program, it has been emphasising that Pakistan should be attacked and war is the only way." Masood Azhar-led JeM, which has openly spread its anti-India hate campaign through its media outlet accused the Indian media of being a "black spot" in the name of journalism. Clearly, the fact that post-Pulwama, the Indian media openly castigated the terror outfit hasn't gone down well with Masood Azhar. In fact, Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary in his programme on March 6 had said that "when India gets angry, Pakistan is blown to smithereens." "This happened in 1971 when Pakistan was divided into two, but now they are beginning to forget the biggest loss in their history. Pakistan is under immense pressure, and one of its regions - Balochistan - is fighting to be free from its rule. The people of Balochistan are fed up of the torture meted out by Pakistan army and want independence," Sudhir Chaudhary said in his programme. The JeM mouthpiece was caught off-guard as the programme aired on Zee exposed the real feeling prevailing inside Pakistan. "Balochistan constitutes 44 per cent of Pakistan's total land area. If the region gets independence, Pakistan will lose its identity as a country. If Pakistan doesn't give up their Kashmir dream and focus on fulfilling the wishes on Balochistan, it will lose out 44 per cent of its territory," Zee Network's anchor and editor-in-chief said. "Balochistan is now a conflict zone where no reporting is allowed because it is controlled by the Pakistani Army. It is a tough job to present the truth of Balochistan to the world. It is heavily guarded by Pakistani military, so the true picture of the torture is never revealed," Sudhir Chaudhary said. "The only way to understand the real situation is through some videos posted on social media by the residents. People making these videos have to travel hundreds of kilometres to areas where internet is available. They then upload the video for the world to see," the programme revealed.

JeM mentions Sudhir Chaudhary's DNA programme in its mouthpiece

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale on Wednesday met senior officials of the Donald Trump administration in Washington&nbsp;and raised the issue of Pakistan supported terrorism and also exchange views on major foreign policy and security-related issues.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-nsa-bolton-asks-pakistan-to-take-steps-against-jem-202755">American NSA John Bolton</a> met Vijay Gokhale on Wednesday.

“Met with Indian FS Gokhale to advance progress on the US-India strategic partnership &amp; our shared vision for the Indo-Pacific, as well as reiterate that the US stands shoulder-to-shoulder with India in the fight against terrorism,” Bolton said in a tweet.

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Met with Indian FS Gokhale to advance progress on the U.S.-India strategic partnership &amp; our shared vision for the Indo-Pacific, as well as reiterate that the U.S. stands shoulder-to-shoulder with India in the fight against terrorism. Official White House Photo by Keegan Barber. <a href="https://t.co/27MPOFniuK">pic.twitter.com/27MPOFniuK</a>
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBolton/status/1105982383583563776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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However, the US support came on a day China for the fourth time blocked a bid to get Jaish chief Masood Azhar designated a global terrorist by the UN Security Council.

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China put a technical hold on the move by the US, the UK and France, seeking “more time to examine” the proposal, a diplomat at the United Nations has said.

Post the Pulwama attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad, Bolton and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have emerged as strong supporters of the India-US relationship.

“Both underlined the importance of Pakistan taking tangible and irreversible action against terrorist groups based in territories under its control and denial of a safe haven for these groups to launch cross -border attacks,” the Indian Embassy said in a readout of the meeting.

Gokhale's US trip was scheduled much before the February 14 Pulwama terrorist attack, Mr Gokhale's meetings with Mr Pompeo and his counterparts are being considered significant.

(With inputs from PTI)

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale on Wednesday met senior officials of the Donald Trump administration in Washington and raised the issue of Pakistan supported terrorism and also exchange views on major foreign policy and security-related issues.

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale on Wednesday met senior officials of the Donald Trump administration in Washington and raised the issue of Pakistan supported terrorism and also exchange views on major foreign policy and security-related issues. American NSA John Bolton met Vijay Gokhale on Wednesday. “Met with Indian FS Gokhale to advance progress on the US-India strategic partnership & our shared vision for the Indo-Pacific, as well as reiterate that the US stands shoulder-to-shoulder with India in the fight against terrorism,” Bolton said in a tweet. Met with Indian FS Gokhale to advance progress on the U.S.-India strategic partnership & our shared vision for the Indo-Pacific, as well as reiterate that the U.S. stands shoulder-to-shoulder with India in the fight against terrorism. Official White House Photo by Keegan Barber. pic.twitter.com/27MPOFniuK — John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) March 14, 2019 × However, the US support came on a day China for the fourth time blocked a bid to get Jaish chief Masood Azhar designated a global terrorist by the UN Security Council. × China put a technical hold on the move by the US, the UK and France, seeking “more time to examine” the proposal, a diplomat at the United Nations has said. Post the Pulwama attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad, Bolton and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have emerged as strong supporters of the India-US relationship. “Both underlined the importance of Pakistan taking tangible and irreversible action against terrorist groups based in territories under its control and denial of a safe haven for these groups to launch cross -border attacks,” the Indian Embassy said in a readout of the meeting. Gokhale's US trip was scheduled much before the February 14 Pulwama terrorist attack, Mr Gokhale's meetings with Mr Pompeo and his counterparts are being considered significant. (With inputs from PTI)

US stands shoulder-to-shoulder with India in the fight against terrorism: American NSA John Bolton

The Election Commission Thursday informed the Madras High Court it was not possible to postpone the Lok Sabha elections, scheduled for April 18 in Tamil Nadu, in southern districts of the state, as requested through a PIL.

The petition said the polling date clashed with a famous festival in the state&nbsp;that draws lakhs of people and hence would affect polling percentage.

When the Public Interest Litigation came up for hearing before the Madurai bench of the high court, the counsel appearing for the State Chief Electoral Officer told Justices N Kirubakaran and S S Sundar the poll duration could be extended by two hours but postponement was not possible.

The bench said it was not convinced by the EC stand and directed the CEO to file a counter affidavit Friday.

The petitioner, advocate Parthasarathy, sought change of polling date in five southern districts, including Madurai, citing the two-week long "Chithirai festival" of the ancient Goddess Meenakshi Amman temple, which runs from April 8 to April 22 with two key events slated for April 17 and 18.

He said lakhs of people from five southern districts would converge in this temple town for the festival and it would affect the polling percentage in the region.

Earlier, the bench asked the counsel for the CEO whether it would be possible to hold the elections on April 18 when the festival was on.

The counsel submitted the poll duration could be extended by two hours but it was not possible to postpone the election either in the entire state or these southern districts as April 19 was a public holiday.

The Madurai District Collector had Wednesday stated that lakhs of people would visit the city for the key events of the festival here from April 17 to 19.

On April 18, when the car festival will be held, the event would be witnessed by an influx and exit of around two lakh people, he had said.

The Police Commissioner also said three lakh devotees from all over the state would visit the temple city during the three days.

He has also said 59 polling booths were located in the Chitrai Street, through which the Meenakshi Amman temple car would traverse. 
The petitioner said he had sent a representation to the EC through the district collector.&nbsp;

The Election Commission Thursday informed the Madras High Court it was not possible to postpone the Lok Sabha elections, scheduled for April 18 in Tamil Nadu, in southern districts of the state, as requested through a PIL.

The Election Commission Thursday informed the Madras High Court it was not possible to postpone the Lok Sabha elections, scheduled for April 18 in Tamil Nadu, in southern districts of the state, as requested through a PIL. The petition said the polling date clashed with a famous festival in the state that draws lakhs of people and hence would affect polling percentage. When the Public Interest Litigation came up for hearing before the Madurai bench of the high court, the counsel appearing for the State Chief Electoral Officer told Justices N Kirubakaran and S S Sundar the poll duration could be extended by two hours but postponement was not possible. The bench said it was not convinced by the EC stand and directed the CEO to file a counter affidavit Friday. The petitioner, advocate Parthasarathy, sought change of polling date in five southern districts, including Madurai, citing the two-week long "Chithirai festival" of the ancient Goddess Meenakshi Amman temple, which runs from April 8 to April 22 with two key events slated for April 17 and 18. He said lakhs of people from five southern districts would converge in this temple town for the festival and it would affect the polling percentage in the region. Earlier, the bench asked the counsel for the CEO whether it would be possible to hold the elections on April 18 when the festival was on. The counsel submitted the poll duration could be extended by two hours but it was not possible to postpone the election either in the entire state or these southern districts as April 19 was a public holiday. The Madurai District Collector had Wednesday stated that lakhs of people would visit the city for the key events of the festival here from April 17 to 19. On April 18, when the car festival will be held, the event would be witnessed by an influx and exit of around two lakh people, he had said. The Police Commissioner also said three lakh devotees from all over the state would visit the temple city during the three days. He has also said 59 polling booths were located in the Chitrai Street, through which the Meenakshi Amman temple car would traverse. The petitioner said he had sent a representation to the EC through the district collector.

Not possible to change polling date in southern TN: EC to high court

Pakistan and India found themselves disagreeing on a number of issues when they sat down at the Attari border on Thursday <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/kartarpur-corridor-construction-in-full-swing-will-open-in-november-201710#india-to-hold-first-meeting-with-pakistan-201697">to discuss the Kartarpur corridor</a>. Islamabad said it wanted to allow in only 700 pilgrims a day. They also wanted the pilgrims to be allowed in only on designated days and to pay for their visit.

The Indian delegation was led by SCL Das, Joint Secretary (Internal Security) in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Deepak Mittal, Joint Secretary (PAI — Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran) in the Ministry of External Affairs. Mittal had proposed that the corridor should be open to all Indian citizens as well as to people of Indian origin to which the Pakistani side, led by Dr Mohammad Faisal, spokesperson of Pakistan's&nbsp;Ministry of Foreign Affairs and DG, South Asia and SAARC, saying that the corridor would be open only to Indian citizens.

Initially, Islamabad had been agreeable to letting only Sikh pilgrims visit the Kartarpur gurudwara —&nbsp;a proposal New Delhi dismissed saying it was a secular country and that therefore, all its citizens should be allowed to visit. Pakistan relented, accepting the Indian proposal.

Islamabad dragged its feet on the number of pilgrims. India has proposed that 5,000 pilgrims be allowed to visit every day; 10,000 to 15,000 pilgrims be allowed to visit on special days such as Guru Purab and Baisakhi; and&nbsp;that the corridor be open all seven days. Islamabad replied that only 700 people would be allowed to visit&nbsp;and that too on designated visiting days.

While both parties agreed the corridor would be visa-free, the Pakistani side said Indian pilgrims would require a special permit and should pay for their visit.&nbsp;

Pakistan rejected Indian proposal that anyone can go individually or in a group with Islamabad saying they will allow only groups of 15. New Delhi had strongly taken travelling on foot which is an essential element of pilgrimage to which Islamabad was not keen.

Wion has learnt that area around the Karatrpur Gurudwara has been encroached by private people. Indian side asked for Pakistan to remove these encroachments immediately.

Pakistan and India found themselves disagreeing on a number of issues when they sat down at the Attari border on Thursday to discuss the Kartarpur corridor. Islamabad said it wanted to allow in only 700 pilgrims a day.

Pakistan and India found themselves disagreeing on a number of issues when they sat down at the Attari border on Thursday to discuss the Kartarpur corridor. Islamabad said it wanted to allow in only 700 pilgrims a day. They also wanted the pilgrims to be allowed in only on designated days and to pay for their visit. The Indian delegation was led by SCL Das, Joint Secretary (Internal Security) in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Deepak Mittal, Joint Secretary (PAI — Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran) in the Ministry of External Affairs. Mittal had proposed that the corridor should be open to all Indian citizens as well as to people of Indian origin to which the Pakistani side, led by Dr Mohammad Faisal, spokesperson of Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and DG, South Asia and SAARC, saying that the corridor would be open only to Indian citizens. Initially, Islamabad had been agreeable to letting only Sikh pilgrims visit the Kartarpur gurudwara — a proposal New Delhi dismissed saying it was a secular country and that therefore, all its citizens should be allowed to visit. Pakistan relented, accepting the Indian proposal. Islamabad dragged its feet on the number of pilgrims. India has proposed that 5,000 pilgrims be allowed to visit every day; 10,000 to 15,000 pilgrims be allowed to visit on special days such as Guru Purab and Baisakhi; and that the corridor be open all seven days. Islamabad replied that only 700 people would be allowed to visit and that too on designated visiting days. While both parties agreed the corridor would be visa-free, the Pakistani side said Indian pilgrims would require a special permit and should pay for their visit. Pakistan rejected Indian proposal that anyone can go individually or in a group with Islamabad saying they will allow only groups of 15. New Delhi had strongly taken travelling on foot which is an essential element of pilgrimage to which Islamabad was not keen. Wion has learnt that area around the Karatrpur Gurudwara has been encroached by private people. Indian side asked for Pakistan to remove these encroachments immediately.

Kartarpur Corridor talks: Pakistan, India disagree on number of pilgrims to be allowed to visit

The 11th year celebration at Chennai’s KM Music Conservatory, run by Oscar winner AR Rahman, couldn’t have gotten better, as one of institute’s student 12-year-old pianist, Lydian Nadhaswaram brought home glory by winning the inaugural edition of the CBS ‘World’s Best Show’.&nbsp;

Lydian has been training at the Conservatory in Chennai for the last five years under a scholarship programme. It was here that he mastered the Russian Piano style under the tutelage of Dr Surojeet Chatterjee.&nbsp;

Lydian is a familiar name across the music circles in Chennai, but he shot to fame and became a YouTube sensation after appearing in the Ellen DeGeneres show.&nbsp;

His latest feat at the World’s Best Show involved competing with solo and group artists from over 190 countries, who were much more senior in terms of their age and experience.&nbsp;

But the ‘Little Maestro’ ended up winning hearts and eventually the coveted trophy along with a million dollars, thanks to his unparalleled ability. &nbsp;His six performances included playing two pianos simultaneously, playing the piano blindfolded, playing the piano at breathtaking speeds of 325 beats per minute.

Lydian’s association with music begins right from his very name. His musician father Varshan Sathish derived his first name from the Lydian Mode which is a seven-tone musical scale and the latter half from the Nadhaswaram, which is a traditional, auspicious South Indian wind-musical instrument.&nbsp;

Speaking to WION, Lydian’s father Sathish said, “Lydian started playing the drums as a two-year-old and since then there has been no looking back.”&nbsp;

Save for his brief stint at UKG, Lydian does not have a formal education, as his father did not believe in the concept of making little children wake up early and leave for classes. Instead, he believed in nurturing their natural talent. Lydian’s sister too is a flautist and vocalist. His father plans to home-school Lydian under the National Institute of Open Schooling, after he turns 15.&nbsp;

Speaking at the anniversary event, Lydian reminisced the time of his enrollment at KM Music Conservatory as an 8-year-old, with the aim of learning to play tabla. But eventually, he also ended up getting better at playing the drums, piano and bass guitar.&nbsp;

I joined KM for tabla. Responding to questions about his performance at the global stage, he said, ''I wasn't nervous at all and I was happy to be there and perform. It was a great experience to compete with performers who held several Guinness World records. I also had the opportunities to meet and interact with several talented people and veteran International judges.''

Hailing the achievement, Principal and Founder of KM Music Conservatory AR Rahman said, “Lydian success is India's success and he should become a Music Ambassador for India. This achievement brings the special cultural, artistic value of people of Chennai to the whole world.''

Recalling his first meeting with Lydian, he said, ''I met him several years ago at a music release function where I was the Chief Guest and he was playing the drums there, he came across as a phenomenal musician.'' Rahman also emphasized that Lydian is only at the start of his journey and that he should perform on global stages.&nbsp;

At a time when praises are being heaped on his son, Sathish speaks on what went into the making of such talent. ''Lydian practices for over six hours a day in order to master his abilities, develop new ones. Not having a TV at home ensures he remains focused on his goals.'' A major part of support and encouragement in this journey came from Michael Novogratz, a well-wisher from New York who had gifted Lydian a Steinway and Sons Piano, which is considered as the world’s best piano and costs over a crore, he added.

A few months before he turns 13, Lydian has a World’s Best trophy that he can call his and is also to be certified the Youngest Steinway Piano Player. But Lydian remains focused on his ambition of being an independent musician and a composer for animation films. &nbsp;

The 11th year celebration at Chennai’s KM Music Conservatory, run by Oscar winner AR Rahman, couldn’t have gotten better, as one of institute’s student 12-year-old pianist, Lydian Nadhaswaram brought home glory by winning the inaugural edition of the CBS ‘World’s Best Show’.

The 11th year celebration at Chennai’s KM Music Conservatory, run by Oscar winner AR Rahman, couldn’t have gotten better, as one of institute’s student 12-year-old pianist, Lydian Nadhaswaram brought home glory by winning the inaugural edition of the CBS ‘World’s Best Show’. Lydian has been training at the Conservatory in Chennai for the last five years under a scholarship programme. It was here that he mastered the Russian Piano style under the tutelage of Dr Surojeet Chatterjee. Lydian is a familiar name across the music circles in Chennai, but he shot to fame and became a YouTube sensation after appearing in the Ellen DeGeneres show. His latest feat at the World’s Best Show involved competing with solo and group artists from over 190 countries, who were much more senior in terms of their age and experience. But the ‘Little Maestro’ ended up winning hearts and eventually the coveted trophy along with a million dollars, thanks to his unparalleled ability. His six performances included playing two pianos simultaneously, playing the piano blindfolded, playing the piano at breathtaking speeds of 325 beats per minute. Lydian’s association with music begins right from his very name. His musician father Varshan Sathish derived his first name from the Lydian Mode which is a seven-tone musical scale and the latter half from the Nadhaswaram, which is a traditional, auspicious South Indian wind-musical instrument. Speaking to WION, Lydian’s father Sathish said, “Lydian started playing the drums as a two-year-old and since then there has been no looking back.” Save for his brief stint at UKG, Lydian does not have a formal education, as his father did not believe in the concept of making little children wake up early and leave for classes. Instead, he believed in nurturing their natural talent. Lydian’s sister too is a flautist and vocalist. His father plans to home-school Lydian under the National Institute of Open Schooling, after he turns 15. Speaking at the anniversary event, Lydian reminisced the time of his enrollment at KM Music Conservatory as an 8-year-old, with the aim of learning to play tabla. But eventually, he also ended up getting better at playing the drums, piano and bass guitar. I joined KM for tabla. Responding to questions about his performance at the global stage, he said, ''I wasn't nervous at all and I was happy to be there and perform. It was a great experience to compete with performers who held several Guinness World records. I also had the opportunities to meet and interact with several talented people and veteran International judges.'' Hailing the achievement, Principal and Founder of KM Music Conservatory AR Rahman said, “Lydian success is India's success and he should become a Music Ambassador for India. This achievement brings the special cultural, artistic value of people of Chennai to the whole world.'' Recalling his first meeting with Lydian, he said, ''I met him several years ago at a music release function where I was the Chief Guest and he was playing the drums there, he came across as a phenomenal musician.'' Rahman also emphasized that Lydian is only at the start of his journey and that he should perform on global stages. At a time when praises are being heaped on his son, Sathish speaks on what went into the making of such talent. ''Lydian practices for over six hours a day in order to master his abilities, develop new ones. Not having a TV at home ensures he remains focused on his goals.'' A major part of support and encouragement in this journey came from Michael Novogratz, a well-wisher from New York who had gifted Lydian a Steinway and Sons Piano, which is considered as the world’s best piano and costs over a crore, he added. A few months before he turns 13, Lydian has a World’s Best trophy that he can call his and is also to be certified the Youngest Steinway Piano Player. But Lydian remains focused on his ambition of being an independent musician and a composer for animation films.

Indian child prodigy Lydian Nadhaswaram wins CBS's 'The World's Best' show

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