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Shiv Sena chief whip Chandrakant Khaire said Friday that his party MPs had not been ordered to vote one way or the other. Khaire said that "final decision" will be made by Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.&nbsp;

"There was no whip issued to vote one way or another. Notice has been given to be present in Parliament. Party chief Uddhav Thackeray will take the final decision," ANI quoted Khaire as saying.&nbsp;

His statement was corroborated by the Sena's Sanjay Raut.&nbsp;

"Discussions will start at 11 am today.&nbsp;Nation is concerned about the stand of Shiv Sena. Our party will make the right decision. Between 10.30 -11&nbsp;am, party chief will himself tell the party about his decision," said Raut.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/stage-set-for-debate-on-no-confidence-motion-against-modi-govt-in-lok-sabha-153049">BJP confident of </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/stage-set-for-debate-on-no-confidence-motion-against-modi-govt-in-lok-sabha-153049">win</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/stage-set-for-debate-on-no-confidence-motion-against-modi-govt-in-lok-sabha-153049">, Congress says issue not only of numbers</a>

Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant had earlier said the same thing. "Shiv Sena will work on directions of Uddhav Thackeray ji. No-confidence motion hasn't been moved by Shiv Sena, we will see what we have to do tomorrow. We have only been asked to be present in the Lok Sabha tomorrow."

Shiv Sena MP Anandrao Adsul had also said that Thackeray's decision would be the last word.

The party had issued a whip to its MPs telling them to be present in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

News reports Thursday had said BJP President Amit Shah had called Thackeray, and the Sena had agreed to vote against the motion. However, Sena has often behaved like a BJP foe rather than an ally in the past. The Sena's content, in turn,has been that the BJP, in power,&nbsp;has behaved like it needs no allies.&nbsp;

That said, the BJP-led government is expected to&nbsp;win the trust vote whichever way the Sena votes. The BJP has a clear majority on its own. The opposition knows that but it would like to prove a point — that the BJP is losing allies. It would also like to press home the point that the economy is stalling and that the farm sector is in distress. And it would like to highlight the rising incidents of lynching.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)

'There was no whip issued to vote one way or another. Notice has been given to be present in Parliament. Party chief Uddhav Thackeray will take the final decision,' Shiv Sena chief whip Chandrakant Khaire said. The Sena had earlier been expected to vote against the motion

Shiv Sena chief whip Chandrakant Khaire said Friday that his party MPs had not been ordered to vote one way or the other. Khaire said that "final decision" will be made by Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. "There was no whip issued to vote one way or another. Notice has been given to be present in Parliament. Party chief Uddhav Thackeray will take the final decision," ANI quoted Khaire as saying. His statement was corroborated by the Sena's Sanjay Raut. "Discussions will start at 11 am today. Nation is concerned about the stand of Shiv Sena. Our party will make the right decision. Between 10.30 -11 am, party chief will himself tell the party about his decision," said Raut. Also read: BJP confident of win, Congress says issue not only of numbers Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant had earlier said the same thing. "Shiv Sena will work on directions of Uddhav Thackeray ji. No-confidence motion hasn't been moved by Shiv Sena, we will see what we have to do tomorrow. We have only been asked to be present in the Lok Sabha tomorrow." Shiv Sena MP Anandrao Adsul had also said that Thackeray's decision would be the last word. The party had issued a whip to its MPs telling them to be present in the Lok Sabha on Friday. News reports Thursday had said BJP President Amit Shah had called Thackeray, and the Sena had agreed to vote against the motion. However, Sena has often behaved like a BJP foe rather than an ally in the past. The Sena's content, in turn,has been that the BJP, in power, has behaved like it needs no allies. That said, the BJP-led government is expected to win the trust vote whichever way the Sena votes. The BJP has a clear majority on its own. The opposition knows that but it would like to prove a point — that the BJP is losing allies. It would also like to press home the point that the economy is stalling and that the farm sector is in distress. And it would like to highlight the rising incidents of lynching. (With inputs from ANI)

Final call on no-confidence vote to be taken by Uddhav Thackeray: Shiv Sena

Hours before facing the <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/stage-set-for-debate-on-no-confidence-motion-against-modi-govt-in-lok-sabha-153049">no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha,</a> Prime Minister Modi tweeted on Friday saying it was an important day for the Parliamentary democracy.

"Today is an important day in our Parliamentary democracy. I am sure my fellow MP colleagues will rise to the occasion and ensure a constructive, comprehensive & disruption free debate. We owe this to the people & the makers of our Constitution. India will be watching us closely", PM Modi's tweet read.

The ruling National Democratic Alliance and the Opposition would debate the no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi-led government in the Lok Sabha today.

The motion was moved by the former BJP alliance Telegu Desam Party (TDP) on the first day of the Monsoon session in the Parliament and was accepted by&nbsp;Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

To defeat the no-confidence motion, the BJP needs to gain a mark of 268 votes. The NDA at present counts 312 members in the 535-member Lok Sabha, including 274 of the BJP.

Calling for a productive utilisation of the monsoon session, PM Modi had earlier said that the Centre was ready to discuss all the issues that opposition parties would raise in the Parliament.

He had said, "I hope the Monsoon Session is a productive one and the time is properly utilised to discuss important matters. May the productivity of the forthcoming session and the rich levels of debate also become a source of inspiration for the various state assemblies. Any member, any party can raise any issue, we are all ready for proper discussions".

(With inputs from ANI)

'Today is an important day in our Parliamentary democracy. I am sure my fellow MP colleagues will rise to the occasion and ensure a constructive, comprehensive & disruption free debate. We owe this to the people & the makers of our Constitution. India will be watching us closely', PM Modi's tweet read.

Hours before facing the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Modi tweeted on Friday saying it was an important day for the Parliamentary democracy. "Today is an important day in our Parliamentary democracy. I am sure my fellow MP colleagues will rise to the occasion and ensure a constructive, comprehensive & disruption free debate. We owe this to the people & the makers of our Constitution. India will be watching us closely", PM Modi's tweet read. The ruling National Democratic Alliance and the Opposition would debate the no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi-led government in the Lok Sabha today. The motion was moved by the former BJP alliance Telegu Desam Party (TDP) on the first day of the Monsoon session in the Parliament and was accepted by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. To defeat the no-confidence motion, the BJP needs to gain a mark of 268 votes. The NDA at present counts 312 members in the 535-member Lok Sabha, including 274 of the BJP. Calling for a productive utilisation of the monsoon session, PM Modi had earlier said that the Centre was ready to discuss all the issues that opposition parties would raise in the Parliament. He had said, "I hope the Monsoon Session is a productive one and the time is properly utilised to discuss important matters. May the productivity of the forthcoming session and the rich levels of debate also become a source of inspiration for the various state assemblies. Any member, any party can raise any issue, we are all ready for proper discussions". (With inputs from ANI)

'India will be watching us closely,' PM Modi tweets before no-confidence motion

The ATM operations industry on Friday said the introduction of a new Rs 100 note creates many challenges and an investment of Rs 100 crore will be required to recalibrate the country's 2.4 lakh machines.

The introduction, which comes even as the industry is just about finishing the recalibration to dispense the newly introduced Rs 200 denomination notes, may only aggravate the pain, they said.

"We need to recalibrate ATMs for the new Rs 100 note. In India, therefore around 2.4 lakh ATMs will need to be recalibrated," V Balasubramanian, the president of FSS who also serves as the director of industry lobby Catmi, said.

He added that the co-existence of both the new and the older versions of Rs 100 notes poses a challenge.

"The continuity of old notes, introduction of new notes through the ATM channel and their availability will determine whether to recalibrate or not," he added.

Radha Rama Dorai, the managing director for ATM and allied services for FIS, said there is a likelihood of an imbalance between the supply of the new notes and the withdrawal of the old notes, especially in the hinterland.

"If the supply of the new currency is unable to fill the gap created by the withdrawal of the old currency, the dispensation of Rs 100 currency notes through the ATMs will get affected till such time the imbalance exists," she said.

Hitachi Payment Services' managing director Loney Antony said the exercise of recalibration of the new Rs 100 note could take over Rs 100 crore and 12 months of time to completely recalibrate 2.4 lakh ATMs in the country.

"As the new Rs 200 note recalibration for all ATMs is still not completed, the recalibration of the new Rs 100 note could take longer, unless it is planned properly," he added.

"The ATM industry is just about finishing the calibrating the ATMS for Rs 200 denomination. This recalibration would again require investment in terms of cost and efforts," Dorai said.

Euronet Services' managing director Himanshu Pujara said while the introduction of the indigenous note is a proud moment, "the change in dimensions will make dissemination difficult as it will not be available through the ATM channel."

All the ATMs will need to be calibrated, which is time-consuming and a very big cost on an already struggling industry, he warned.

The RBI had yesterday announced that it will soon issue a new Rs 100 note in lavender colour having motif of Rani ki vav', a stepwell located on the banks of Saraswati river in Gujarat's Patan.

"All Rs 100 banknotes issued earlier will also continue to be legal tender," the central bank said.

The note has other designs, geometric patterns aligning with the overall colour scheme, both at the obverse and reverse.

Dimension of the banknote will be 66 mm x 142 mm, making it smaller than the current Rs 100 notes as against the current note's dimension of 157 mm x 73 mm.&nbsp;

The introduction, which comes even as the industry is just about finishing the recalibration to dispense the newly introduced Rs 200 denomination notes, may only aggravate the pain, they said.

The ATM operations industry on Friday said the introduction of a new Rs 100 note creates many challenges and an investment of Rs 100 crore will be required to recalibrate the country's 2.4 lakh machines. The introduction, which comes even as the industry is just about finishing the recalibration to dispense the newly introduced Rs 200 denomination notes, may only aggravate the pain, they said. "We need to recalibrate ATMs for the new Rs 100 note. In India, therefore around 2.4 lakh ATMs will need to be recalibrated," V Balasubramanian, the president of FSS who also serves as the director of industry lobby Catmi, said. He added that the co-existence of both the new and the older versions of Rs 100 notes poses a challenge. "The continuity of old notes, introduction of new notes through the ATM channel and their availability will determine whether to recalibrate or not," he added. Radha Rama Dorai, the managing director for ATM and allied services for FIS, said there is a likelihood of an imbalance between the supply of the new notes and the withdrawal of the old notes, especially in the hinterland. "If the supply of the new currency is unable to fill the gap created by the withdrawal of the old currency, the dispensation of Rs 100 currency notes through the ATMs will get affected till such time the imbalance exists," she said. Hitachi Payment Services' managing director Loney Antony said the exercise of recalibration of the new Rs 100 note could take over Rs 100 crore and 12 months of time to completely recalibrate 2.4 lakh ATMs in the country. "As the new Rs 200 note recalibration for all ATMs is still not completed, the recalibration of the new Rs 100 note could take longer, unless it is planned properly," he added. "The ATM industry is just about finishing the calibrating the ATMS for Rs 200 denomination. This recalibration would again require investment in terms of cost and efforts," Dorai said. Euronet Services' managing director Himanshu Pujara said while the introduction of the indigenous note is a proud moment, "the change in dimensions will make dissemination difficult as it will not be available through the ATM channel." All the ATMs will need to be calibrated, which is time-consuming and a very big cost on an already struggling industry, he warned. The RBI had yesterday announced that it will soon issue a new Rs 100 note in lavender colour having motif of Rani ki vav', a stepwell located on the banks of Saraswati river in Gujarat's Patan. "All Rs 100 banknotes issued earlier will also continue to be legal tender," the central bank said. The note has other designs, geometric patterns aligning with the overall colour scheme, both at the obverse and reverse. Dimension of the banknote will be 66 mm x 142 mm, making it smaller than the current Rs 100 notes as against the current note's dimension of 157 mm x 73 mm.

Rs 100 crore needed to recalibrate ATMs for new Rs 100 notes: Report

<a href="http://wionews.com/world/despite-uproar-in-us-over-helsinki-meet-trump-invites-putin-to-washington-153053">Despite </a><a href="http://wionews.com/world/despite-uproar-in-us-over-helsinki-meet-trump-invites-putin-to-washington-153053">uproar</a><a href="http://wionews.com/world/despite-uproar-in-us-over-helsinki-meet-trump-invites-putin-to-washington-153053"> in </a><a href="http://wionews.com/world/despite-uproar-in-us-over-helsinki-meet-trump-invites-putin-to-washington-153053">US</a><a href="http://wionews.com/world/despite-uproar-in-us-over-helsinki-meet-trump-invites-putin-to-washington-153053"> over Helsinki meet, Trump invites Putin to Washington</a>

President Donald Trump has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to Washington this autumn, the White House said on Thursday, a daring rebuttal to the torrent of criticism in the United States over Trump`s failure to publicly confront Putin at their first summit for Moscow`s meddling in the 2016 election.

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/stage-set-for-debate-on-no-confidence-motion-against-modi-govt-in-lok-sabha-153049">No-confidence</a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/stage-set-for-debate-on-no-confidence-motion-against-modi-govt-in-lok-sabha-153049"> motion today: BJP confident of </a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/stage-set-for-debate-on-no-confidence-motion-against-modi-govt-in-lok-sabha-153049">win</a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/stage-set-for-debate-on-no-confidence-motion-against-modi-govt-in-lok-sabha-153049">, Congress says issue not only of numbers</a>

The Modi government is expected to have a smooth sailing when it faces the first no-confidence motion in four years in the Lok Sabha today with all eyes on fence sitters like the AIADMK and the BJD and the day-long debate that is likely to set the agenda for the 2019 general elections.

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/final-call-on-no-confidence-motion-to-be-taken-by-thackeray-shiv-sena-153052">Final</a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/final-call-on-no-confidence-motion-to-be-taken-by-thackeray-shiv-sena-153052"> call on </a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/final-call-on-no-confidence-motion-to-be-taken-by-thackeray-shiv-sena-153052">no-confidence</a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/final-call-on-no-confidence-motion-to-be-taken-by-thackeray-shiv-sena-153052"> vote to be taken by Uddhav Thackeray: Shiv Sena</a>

Ahead of the no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha, Shiv Sena chief whip Chandrakant Khaire on Friday said that there was no whip issued to vote one way or another.

<a href="http://wionews.com/world/us-intelligence-chief-i-dont-know-what-trump-putin-talked-about--153054">US intelligence chief: 'I don't know' what Trump, Putin talked about</a>

The top US intelligence official said Thursday that, three days after President Donald Trump met privately with Russian leader Vladimir Putin for more than two hours, he does not know what the two men discussed or agreed.

<a href="http://wionews.com/south-asia/civilians-killed-in-afghanistan-air-strike-officials-153057">Civilians killed in Afghanistan air strike: Officials</a>

As many as 14 people, including women and children, were killed in an air strike carried out during an operation by Afghan security forces near the northern city of Kunduz on Thursday, officials said.

Despite uproar in US over Helsinki meet, Trump invites Putin to Washington President Donald Trump has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to Washington this autumn, the White House said on Thursday, a daring rebuttal to the torrent of criticism in the United States over Trump`s failure to publicly confront Putin at their first summit for Moscow`s meddling in the 2016 election. No-confidence motion today: BJP confident of win, Congress says issue not only of numbers The Modi government is expected to have a smooth sailing when it faces the first no-confidence motion in four years in the Lok Sabha today with all eyes on fence sitters like the AIADMK and the BJD and the day-long debate that is likely to set the agenda for the 2019 general elections. Final call on no-confidence vote to be taken by Uddhav Thackeray: Shiv Sena Ahead of the no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha, Shiv Sena chief whip Chandrakant Khaire on Friday said that there was no whip issued to vote one way or another. US intelligence chief: 'I don't know' what Trump, Putin talked about The top US intelligence official said Thursday that, three days after President Donald Trump met privately with Russian leader Vladimir Putin for more than two hours, he does not know what the two men discussed or agreed. Civilians killed in Afghanistan air strike: Officials As many as 14 people, including women and children, were killed in an air strike carried out during an operation by Afghan security forces near the northern city of Kunduz on Thursday, officials said.

News brief: Big stories of the day

The Modi government is expected to have a smooth sailing when it faces the first no-confidence motion in four years in the Lok Sabha today with all eyes on fence sitters like the AIADMK and the BJD and the day-long debate that is likely to set the agenda for the 2019 general elections.

Though the numbers are heavily stacked against the opposition, the Congress and other parties indicated on Thursday that they are keen to utilise the debate to attack the government on a range of issues including farm distress, slow economic growth and rising incidents of lynching.

The BJP, on the other hand, is seeking to expand the guaranteed support of 313 members after estranged ally Shiv Sena said it will back the government and look for support from regional parties like the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(AIADMK) and the Biju Janata Dal(BJD). It would try to weaken the anti-BJP front by eroding the support for the no-trust motion and deplete the opposition numbers.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/final-call-on-no-confidence-motion-to-be-taken-by-thackeray-shiv-sena-153052">Final call on </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/final-call-on-no-confidence-motion-to-be-taken-by-thackeray-shiv-sena-153052">no-confidence</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/final-call-on-no-confidence-motion-to-be-taken-by-thackeray-shiv-sena-153052"> vote to be taken by Uddhav Thackeray, says Shiv Sena</a>

In a House of 534 MPs, the National Democratic Alliance(NDA) has 313 members including 274 (including the Speaker)of BJP, 18 of Shiv Sena, six of Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP and four from Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD).

The majority mark in the House is 268. There are 11 vacancies.

As the opposition and the government geared up for the no-trust motion — the first in 15 years — Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami hinted his party AIADMK might not back the motion. The AIADMK has 37 MPs and its abstention during voting is also not being ruled out. The previous no-trust motion that was moved by the Congress against the Vajpayee government in 2003 was defeated.

The ruling BJD in Odisha said it will reveal its stand on the motion on the floor of the House on Friday. The BJD has 19 MPs.

All the key parties including the BJP and the Congress have issued whips to ensure the presence of all its members in the House. The debate is scheduled to start at 11 am.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had said&nbsp;that a discussion on the no-confidence motion moved by BJP's former ally TDP and others will be held for the full day followed by voting on it.

The BJP claimed it will comfortably sail through the no-confidence motion and that it is hopeful of getting support from several non-NDA parties.

"Government has the strength in the House to defeat the motion if one calculates by Indian mathematics...And I do not know which country's mathematics she is using to calculate the numbers," BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said on the sidelines of an event, reacting to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's claim&nbsp;that the Opposition had the numbers.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar also took a dig at the Congress leader, saying, "Sonia Gandhi's maths is weak."

"We will get new support. It will be from the South, East and all other directions,"

"The numbers are very clear. The BJP by itself has a majority in the lower house. We have nearly 314 members within the NDA and there are many other parties which are likely to oppose this no-confidence motion," BJP national spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said.

The Congress, however, said it is not only a question of numbers.

"It is not only a question of numbers. The opposition will raise various issues concerning the people of the country. Our campaign is to expose the government and tell the truth to the people," senior Spokesperson of the Congress Anand Sharma told reporters.

He said the Congress and other opposition parties will use the occasion to highlight the failures of the government and show them the mirror. "This is the launch of a campaign which will send them packing in 2019 Lok Sabha polls."

The Congress had a strategy meeting of its Lok Sabha MPs presided by Sonia Gandhi during which it was decided to attack the government on farm distress among other issues during the debate.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi will lead the charge for the Congress, according to the party.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech is likely to paint Congress and other opposition parties as an "opportunistic alliance" with the sole aim of dislodging him from power.

Ahead of Assembly polls in four states due later this year and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP leaders see the debate as an opportunity to reach out to the masses with various "successes" of the government and also to attack the "opportunist alliance" of opposition parties.

The Opposition parties have brought the motion against the government on several issues like special status to Andhra Pradesh, cow vigilantism, lynchings, atrocities against women and dalits and alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act.

According to projections by the BJP's floor managers, the government is also likely to get support from small parties outside the NDA such as Anbumani Ramadoss's PMK and Raju Shetty-led Swabhimani Paksha. Abstention by some opposition parties is also not being ruled out.

The stated strength of the Opposition is 220, including 63 of the Congress-led UPA, 37 of AIADMK, 34 of Trinamool Congress(TMC), 19 of BJD, 16 of TDP and 11 of Telangana Rashtra Samithi(TRS).

The Lok Sabha Speaker's decision to accept the motion moved by Telugu Desam Party(TDP) and others came on the very first day of the Winter session of Parliament on Wednesday, a move that caught the opposition by surprise.&nbsp;

This will be the first no-trust motion in 15 years. The BJP-led government is expected to win but the Congress and other parties would like to utilise the debate to attack the government on a range of issues including farm distress, slow economic growth, and rising incidents of lynching

The Modi government is expected to have a smooth sailing when it faces the first no-confidence motion in four years in the Lok Sabha today with all eyes on fence sitters like the AIADMK and the BJD and the day-long debate that is likely to set the agenda for the 2019 general elections. Though the numbers are heavily stacked against the opposition, the Congress and other parties indicated on Thursday that they are keen to utilise the debate to attack the government on a range of issues including farm distress, slow economic growth and rising incidents of lynching. The BJP, on the other hand, is seeking to expand the guaranteed support of 313 members after estranged ally Shiv Sena said it will back the government and look for support from regional parties like the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(AIADMK) and the Biju Janata Dal(BJD). It would try to weaken the anti-BJP front by eroding the support for the no-trust motion and deplete the opposition numbers. Also read: Final call on no-confidence vote to be taken by Uddhav Thackeray, says Shiv Sena In a House of 534 MPs, the National Democratic Alliance(NDA) has 313 members including 274 (including the Speaker)of BJP, 18 of Shiv Sena, six of Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP and four from Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD). The majority mark in the House is 268. There are 11 vacancies. As the opposition and the government geared up for the no-trust motion — the first in 15 years — Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami hinted his party AIADMK might not back the motion. The AIADMK has 37 MPs and its abstention during voting is also not being ruled out. The previous no-trust motion that was moved by the Congress against the Vajpayee government in 2003 was defeated. The ruling BJD in Odisha said it will reveal its stand on the motion on the floor of the House on Friday. The BJD has 19 MPs. All the key parties including the BJP and the Congress have issued whips to ensure the presence of all its members in the House. The debate is scheduled to start at 11 am. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had said that a discussion on the no-confidence motion moved by BJP's former ally TDP and others will be held for the full day followed by voting on it. The BJP claimed it will comfortably sail through the no-confidence motion and that it is hopeful of getting support from several non-NDA parties. "Government has the strength in the House to defeat the motion if one calculates by Indian mathematics...And I do not know which country's mathematics she is using to calculate the numbers," BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said on the sidelines of an event, reacting to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's claim that the Opposition had the numbers. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar also took a dig at the Congress leader, saying, "Sonia Gandhi's maths is weak." "We will get new support. It will be from the South, East and all other directions," "The numbers are very clear. The BJP by itself has a majority in the lower house. We have nearly 314 members within the NDA and there are many other parties which are likely to oppose this no-confidence motion," BJP national spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said. The Congress, however, said it is not only a question of numbers. "It is not only a question of numbers. The opposition will raise various issues concerning the people of the country. Our campaign is to expose the government and tell the truth to the people," senior Spokesperson of the Congress Anand Sharma told reporters. He said the Congress and other opposition parties will use the occasion to highlight the failures of the government and show them the mirror. "This is the launch of a campaign which will send them packing in 2019 Lok Sabha polls." The Congress had a strategy meeting of its Lok Sabha MPs presided by Sonia Gandhi during which it was decided to attack the government on farm distress among other issues during the debate. Congress President Rahul Gandhi will lead the charge for the Congress, according to the party. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech is likely to paint Congress and other opposition parties as an "opportunistic alliance" with the sole aim of dislodging him from power. Ahead of Assembly polls in four states due later this year and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP leaders see the debate as an opportunity to reach out to the masses with various "successes" of the government and also to attack the "opportunist alliance" of opposition parties. The Opposition parties have brought the motion against the government on several issues like special status to Andhra Pradesh, cow vigilantism, lynchings, atrocities against women and dalits and alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act. According to projections by the BJP's floor managers, the government is also likely to get support from small parties outside the NDA such as Anbumani Ramadoss's PMK and Raju Shetty-led Swabhimani Paksha. Abstention by some opposition parties is also not being ruled out. The stated strength of the Opposition is 220, including 63 of the Congress-led UPA, 37 of AIADMK, 34 of Trinamool Congress(TMC), 19 of BJD, 16 of TDP and 11 of Telangana Rashtra Samithi(TRS). The Lok Sabha Speaker's decision to accept the motion moved by Telugu Desam Party(TDP) and others came on the very first day of the Winter session of Parliament on Wednesday, a move that caught the opposition by surprise.

No-confidence motion today: BJP confident of win, Congress says issue not only of numbers

By Prasad Bhosekar

Babies are born small but have you heard of any baby just the size of a palm weighing 375 grams at the time of birth? For the first time in India a baby of this size and weight has managed to survive after a premature birth at 25 weeks gestation (nearly four months earlier than the expected date ).&nbsp;

Nicknamed Baby Cherry, this petite girl gave anxious moments not only to her parents but also to the doctors. &nbsp;&nbsp;

To know more about Baby Cherry and her amazing story of survival we need to go back to February this year when her mother, 26-year-old Nitika Ajwani, was in her fifth month of pregnancy. This was also the fifth pregnancy for Nitika, who had four abortions earlier. Nitika and her 31-year-old businessman husband Sourabh Ajmani, who belong to Rajnandgaon in Chattisgarh state, were told by the local doctors not to have any hope of their baby's survival as the blood flow from mother to baby was severely compromised and the ultrasound showed that there was very less amniotic fluid around the baby. No one gave any hopes of her survival.

"We were told by a friend to go to Hyderabad and try our luck there,'' tells Sourabh, recalling the pain and agony his family underwent, especially his wife Nitika. Accordingly, the couple came to Hyderabad's Rainbow Children's hospital. Having a history of dealing with premature deliveries with the smallest baby delivery of 449 grams, the doctors in Hyderabad gave him a ray of hope.

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On February 27, 2018, the doctors decided to get the baby delivered after carefully examining all the pros and cons. "I was told to keep a positive frame of mind right from the time I came to the hospital, but given my past experiences, I was scared and worried. I &nbsp;told doctors to save my baby at any cost,'' recollects an emotional Nitika.

The doctors at the Rainbow hospital had multiple challenges to face.

They were dealing with very high-risk factors of "immature lungs, risk of bleeding brain, infections, the problem of nutrition given the condition, complex surgical processes,'' explains Dr. Dinesh Kumar Chirla, director, intensive care services, Rainbow Hospitals, adding that entire team was monitoring the baby very minutely round the clock.

Baby Cherry was on the ventilator for 105 days during her 128-day stay at the hospital. It took 38 days for the baby to reach 500 grams. At the time of discharge, Baby Cherry, who's now officially named Ridhima, weighed 1.980 kgs.

Neither Nitika and her husband Sourabh nor their family members are now able to take their eyes off the baby girl.&nbsp;

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When asked what would be their wish for Ridhima when she grows up, Sourabh promptly says, "I wish she becomes Neonatalogist because she may perhaps understand how she came into being today,'' while quickly adding that neither he nor his wife would force her to do anything which she wouldn't feel like.

Ridhima will be under close observation for the next two years wherein doctors will continually evaluate her growth in all aspects.&nbsp;

For now, the cute Cherry is spreading happiness around and is absolutely like any other child of her age. On July 27, cherry will complete five months of coming into this world.

Baby Cherry came four months earlier than expected. Not to worry, she is now five months old and doing well

By Prasad Bhosekar Babies are born small but have you heard of any baby just the size of a palm weighing 375 grams at the time of birth? For the first time in India a baby of this size and weight has managed to survive after a premature birth at 25 weeks gestation (nearly four months earlier than the expected date ). Nicknamed Baby Cherry, this petite girl gave anxious moments not only to her parents but also to the doctors. To know more about Baby Cherry and her amazing story of survival we need to go back to February this year when her mother, 26-year-old Nitika Ajwani, was in her fifth month of pregnancy. This was also the fifth pregnancy for Nitika, who had four abortions earlier. Nitika and her 31-year-old businessman husband Sourabh Ajmani, who belong to Rajnandgaon in Chattisgarh state, were told by the local doctors not to have any hope of their baby's survival as the blood flow from mother to baby was severely compromised and the ultrasound showed that there was very less amniotic fluid around the baby. No one gave any hopes of her survival. "We were told by a friend to go to Hyderabad and try our luck there,'' tells Sourabh, recalling the pain and agony his family underwent, especially his wife Nitika. Accordingly, the couple came to Hyderabad's Rainbow Children's hospital. Having a history of dealing with premature deliveries with the smallest baby delivery of 449 grams, the doctors in Hyderabad gave him a ray of hope. On February 27, 2018, the doctors decided to get the baby delivered after carefully examining all the pros and cons. "I was told to keep a positive frame of mind right from the time I came to the hospital, but given my past experiences, I was scared and worried. I told doctors to save my baby at any cost,'' recollects an emotional Nitika. The doctors at the Rainbow hospital had multiple challenges to face. They were dealing with very high-risk factors of "immature lungs, risk of bleeding brain, infections, the problem of nutrition given the condition, complex surgical processes,'' explains Dr. Dinesh Kumar Chirla, director, intensive care services, Rainbow Hospitals, adding that entire team was monitoring the baby very minutely round the clock. Baby Cherry was on the ventilator for 105 days during her 128-day stay at the hospital. It took 38 days for the baby to reach 500 grams. At the time of discharge, Baby Cherry, who's now officially named Ridhima, weighed 1.980 kgs. Neither Nitika and her husband Sourabh nor their family members are now able to take their eyes off the baby girl. When asked what would be their wish for Ridhima when she grows up, Sourabh promptly says, "I wish she becomes Neonatalogist because she may perhaps understand how she came into being today,'' while quickly adding that neither he nor his wife would force her to do anything which she wouldn't feel like. Ridhima will be under close observation for the next two years wherein doctors will continually evaluate her growth in all aspects. For now, the cute Cherry is spreading happiness around and is absolutely like any other child of her age. On July 27, cherry will complete five months of coming into this world.

India's smallest baby, weighing only 375 grams, is born

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav today attacked the Nitish Kumar government for its "failure" to check crimes against women and expressed concern over sexual exploitation of inmates of a shelter home for them, news agency PTI reported.

Speaking outside the state assembly on the inaugural day of the monsoon session, Yadav expressed concern over reports that medical tests have "confirmed" that 29 girls lodged at a state-funded shelter home in Muzaffarpur district had "suffered sexual exploitation" and demanded stern action against those found guilty.

"All the incidents of rape and other types of crimes against women and small girls have been taking place right under the nose of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who also holds the Home portfolio. His inability to effectively check such incidents, which seem to have become a daily affair, make us wonder about his priorities," Yadav, who is also the Leader of Opposition told reporters.

He said our party has always been raising such issues inside as well as outside the House.

"We will continue to do so in future. We were the first to raise alarm over reports of sexual exploitation of girls at the Muzaffarpur home and now even medical tests have confirmed what we said," Yadav claimed.

The Leader of Opposition alleged that the state government chose to look the other way and acted only when the outcry became too loud to ignore.

"In Muzaffarpur, we suspect that the government had a soft corner for those running the NGO which controlled the shelter home. One of the NGOs bosses was a part of Kumars campaign team during the last assembly polls," the RJD heir apparent alleged.

More than 10 people including all staff members of the shelter home and also some government officials were arrested last month after an FIR was lodged by the state Social Welfare department when the report of social audit conducted by a Mumbai-based institute came up with allegations of sexual exploitation of the inmates.

The shelter home has also been sealed while the NGO entrusted with running the same has been blacklisted. All the girls have been sent to shelter homes in other parts of the state.

Authorities at the Patna Medical College Hospital, where the girls were made to undergo medical examinations, were, however, tight-lipped on the matter and they said the report was "confidential and sent to the authorities concerned who are likely to place the same before a court of law."

Meanwhile, an MLC of the BJP which is a part of the ruling coalition lashed out at the administration over the rise in crimes against women.

"It seems the entire administrative machinery has devoted itself to cracking down on illegal liquor trade and the sand mining mafia. Perhaps they are making some money in the process too. While the people guilty of these crimes must be punished, exemplary punishment must be meted out to those officials whose dereliction of duty may have led to any such heinous offence," BJP MLC Nawal Kishore Yadav said.&nbsp

The Leader of Opposition alleged that the state government chose to look the other way and acted only when the outcry became too loud to ignore.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav today attacked the Nitish Kumar government for its "failure" to check crimes against women and expressed concern over sexual exploitation of inmates of a shelter home for them, news agency PTI reported. Speaking outside the state assembly on the inaugural day of the monsoon session, Yadav expressed concern over reports that medical tests have "confirmed" that 29 girls lodged at a state-funded shelter home in Muzaffarpur district had "suffered sexual exploitation" and demanded stern action against those found guilty. "All the incidents of rape and other types of crimes against women and small girls have been taking place right under the nose of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who also holds the Home portfolio. His inability to effectively check such incidents, which seem to have become a daily affair, make us wonder about his priorities," Yadav, who is also the Leader of Opposition told reporters. He said our party has always been raising such issues inside as well as outside the House. "We will continue to do so in future. We were the first to raise alarm over reports of sexual exploitation of girls at the Muzaffarpur home and now even medical tests have confirmed what we said," Yadav claimed. The Leader of Opposition alleged that the state government chose to look the other way and acted only when the outcry became too loud to ignore. "In Muzaffarpur, we suspect that the government had a soft corner for those running the NGO which controlled the shelter home. One of the NGOs bosses was a part of Kumars campaign team during the last assembly polls," the RJD heir apparent alleged. More than 10 people including all staff members of the shelter home and also some government officials were arrested last month after an FIR was lodged by the state Social Welfare department when the report of social audit conducted by a Mumbai-based institute came up with allegations of sexual exploitation of the inmates. The shelter home has also been sealed while the NGO entrusted with running the same has been blacklisted. All the girls have been sent to shelter homes in other parts of the state. Authorities at the Patna Medical College Hospital, where the girls were made to undergo medical examinations, were, however, tight-lipped on the matter and they said the report was "confidential and sent to the authorities concerned who are likely to place the same before a court of law." Meanwhile, an MLC of the BJP which is a part of the ruling coalition lashed out at the administration over the rise in crimes against women. "It seems the entire administrative machinery has devoted itself to cracking down on illegal liquor trade and the sand mining mafia. Perhaps they are making some money in the process too. While the people guilty of these crimes must be punished, exemplary punishment must be meted out to those officials whose dereliction of duty may have led to any such heinous offence," BJP MLC Nawal Kishore Yadav said.

Tejashwi attacks Nitish Kumar govt over crimes against women

Contradicting<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-attacks-government-in-lok-sabha-raises-rafale-deal-153179"> Rahul Gandhi's statement</a> in the parliament on Friday that there was no ''secrecy pact'' with France that stopped the centre from coming clean on Rafale jet deal, France today said there was a 2008 security pact between the two countries to protect classified information.

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According to news agecny ANI, France in a statement said that France and India concluded in 2008 a Security agreement, which legally binds the two States to protect the classified information provided by the partner that could impact security and operational capabilities of the defence equipment of India or France. &nbsp;&nbsp;

''We have noted the statement of Mr Rahul Gandhi before the Indian Parliament. France and India concluded in 2008 a Security agreement, which legally binds the two States to protect the classified information provided by the partner that could impact security and operational capabilities of the defence equipment of India or France.''&nbsp;

These provisions naturally apply to the IGA concluded on 23 September 2016 on the acquisition of 36 Rafale aircraft and their weapons, the statement added.

The unusual statement was a response to Mr Gandhi's allegation during the no-trust vote that hinted the government had cooked up excuses to hide the information.

Gandhi had told parliament during the debate on the no-trust motion that he had asked visiting French President Emmanuel Macron if his government didn't want the pricing details to be out.

Gandhi has called the deal a scam and challenged the government to come clean on how much was paid for the aircraft. The Congress claims that the price of the fighter jets was higher than what was finalised by the United Progressive Alliance government which had negotiated a deal for 126 aircraft.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who had initially agreed to give the details, later backtracked, pointing that the deal was "classified information" and protected from disclosure under a 2008 pact signed between the two countries.

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&nbsp;

France and India concluded in 2008 a Security agreement, which legally binds the two States to protect the classified information provided by the partner that could impact security and operational capabilities of the defence equipment of India or France

Contradicting Rahul Gandhi's statement in the parliament on Friday that there was no ''secrecy pact'' with France that stopped the centre from coming clean on Rafale jet deal, France today said there was a 2008 security pact between the two countries to protect classified information. According to news agecny ANI, France in a statement said that France and India concluded in 2008 a Security agreement, which legally binds the two States to protect the classified information provided by the partner that could impact security and operational capabilities of the defence equipment of India or France. ''We have noted the statement of Mr Rahul Gandhi before the Indian Parliament. France and India concluded in 2008 a Security agreement, which legally binds the two States to protect the classified information provided by the partner that could impact security and operational capabilities of the defence equipment of India or France.'' These provisions naturally apply to the IGA concluded on 23 September 2016 on the acquisition of 36 Rafale aircraft and their weapons, the statement added. The unusual statement was a response to Mr Gandhi's allegation during the no-trust vote that hinted the government had cooked up excuses to hide the information. Gandhi had told parliament during the debate on the no-trust motion that he had asked visiting French President Emmanuel Macron if his government didn't want the pricing details to be out. Gandhi has called the deal a scam and challenged the government to come clean on how much was paid for the aircraft. The Congress claims that the price of the fighter jets was higher than what was finalised by the United Progressive Alliance government which had negotiated a deal for 126 aircraft. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who had initially agreed to give the details, later backtracked, pointing that the deal was "classified information" and protected from disclosure under a 2008 pact signed between the two countries. ×

No-confidence vote: France rebuts Rahul's claim on Rafale pact

<a href="wionews.com/india-news/france-rebuts-rahuls-claim-on-rafale-deal-says-agreement-legally-binds-two-states-to-protect-classified-info---153257">France rebuts Rahul's claim on Rafale deal, says agreement legally binds two States to protect classified info</a>

Contradicting Rahul Gandhi's statement in the parliament on Friday that there was no ''secrecy pact'' with France that stopped the centre from coming clean on Rafale jet deal, France today said there was a 2008 security pact between the two countries to protect classified information.

<a href="wionews.com/india-news/bjp-to-move-privilege-motion-against-rahul-gandhi-over-speech-153208">BJP to move </a><a href="wionews.com/india-news/bjp-to-move-privilege-motion-against-rahul-gandhi-over-speech-153208">privilege</a><a href="wionews.com/india-news/bjp-to-move-privilege-motion-against-rahul-gandhi-over-speech-153208"> motion against Rahul Gandhi over speech</a>

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government on several fronts including demonetisation, Goods and Services Tax (GST), unemployment, women safety and Rafale deal during a debate on the No-Confidence Motion in Lok Sabha on Friday.

<a href="wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-collegium-reiterates-name-of-justice-km-joseph-for-elevation-as-apex-court-judge-153221">SC Collegium reiterates Justice KM Joseph for elevation</a>

The Supreme Court Collegium reiterated on Friday to elevate Justice KM Joseph's as an apex court judge.

<a href="wionews.com/world/macron-fires-bodyguard-filmed-beating-protester-opponents-say-too-late-153256">Macron fires bodyguard filmed beating protester opponents say too late</a>

President Emmanuel Macron fired the head of his personal security detail on Friday but faced criticism for failing to act sooner, after the video was released showing the bodyguard posing as a police officer and beating a protester while off duty in May.

<a href="wionews.com/world/ready-to-hit-chinese-goods-with-500-billion-tariffs-trump-153217">Ready to hit Chinese goods with $500 billion tariffs: Trump</a>

US President Donald Trump said in an interview released Friday he is willing to hit all Chinese goods imported to the United States with tariffs if necessary.

&nbsp

France rebuts Rahul's claim on Rafale deal, says agreement legally binds two States to protect classified info Contradicting Rahul Gandhi's statement in the parliament on Friday that there was no ''secrecy pact'' with France that stopped the centre from coming clean on Rafale jet deal, France today said there was a 2008 security pact between the two countries to protect classified information. BJP to move privilege motion against Rahul Gandhi over speech Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government on several fronts including demonetisation, Goods and Services Tax (GST), unemployment, women safety and Rafale deal during a debate on the No-Confidence Motion in Lok Sabha on Friday. SC Collegium reiterates Justice KM Joseph for elevation The Supreme Court Collegium reiterated on Friday to elevate Justice KM Joseph's as an apex court judge. Macron fires bodyguard filmed beating protester opponents say too late President Emmanuel Macron fired the head of his personal security detail on Friday but faced criticism for failing to act sooner, after the video was released showing the bodyguard posing as a police officer and beating a protester while off duty in May. Ready to hit Chinese goods with $500 billion tariffs: Trump US President Donald Trump said in an interview released Friday he is willing to hit all Chinese goods imported to the United States with tariffs if necessary.

Gandhi's unexpected gesture, which quickly became a favoured video clip for television channels, came during a debate on no-confidence motion moved by the TDP against the Modi government.

Rahul Gandhi hugs PM Modi after sharp attack

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh sought the cooperation of his counterparts in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan to end the drug menace in Punjab.

The Chief Minister also sought the assistance of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, to whom Delhi Police reports, to control the cultivation and smuggling of narcotics and to ensure that no safe havens are allowed to drug peddlers and smugglers in the state.

Earlier, Singh had announced free treatment for poor drug addicts at all state-run de-addiction centres.

Following a meeting with civil surgeons, medical superintendents and principals of the government medical colleges, the Chief Minister had ordered the police not to harass addicts or their families in any way, read a statement.

He had even directed to ensure that necessary funds for free treatment are immediately placed at the disposal of the concerned deputy commissioners.

Amarinder Singh had said that he would sanction funds from the chief minister`s relief fund if needed.

He even directed the state health department to explore the possibility of seeking financial aid from reputed national and international health organisations, besides engaging with the NGOs already working to fight drug abuse.&nbsp

The Chief Minister also sought the assistance of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, to whom Delhi Police reports, to control the cultivation and smuggling of narcotics and to ensure that no safe havens are allowed to drug peddlers and smugglers in the state

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh sought the cooperation of his counterparts in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan to end the drug menace in Punjab. The Chief Minister also sought the assistance of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, to whom Delhi Police reports, to control the cultivation and smuggling of narcotics and to ensure that no safe havens are allowed to drug peddlers and smugglers in the state. Earlier, Singh had announced free treatment for poor drug addicts at all state-run de-addiction centres. Following a meeting with civil surgeons, medical superintendents and principals of the government medical colleges, the Chief Minister had ordered the police not to harass addicts or their families in any way, read a statement. He had even directed to ensure that necessary funds for free treatment are immediately placed at the disposal of the concerned deputy commissioners. Amarinder Singh had said that he would sanction funds from the chief minister`s relief fund if needed. He even directed the state health department to explore the possibility of seeking financial aid from reputed national and international health organisations, besides engaging with the NGOs already working to fight drug abuse.

Punjab CM seeks cooperation of counterparts in controlling drug menace

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday issued a whip, directing its MPs to vote against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in no-nonfidence motion in parliament on Friday.

AAP issued the whip to its MPs after a&nbsp;delegation of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders sought support from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to the no-confidence motion against the Modi government tabled by them in the Lok Sabha.

A delegation of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders on Thursday sought support from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to the no-confidence motion against the Modi government tabled by them in the Lok Sabha.

Led by TDP Parliamentary Party leader Y.S. Chowdary, state Ministers T.G. Venkatesh, K. Narayana and Narsimha Rao met Kejriwal to seek the Aam Aadmi Party`s (AAP) support in both houses of Parliament against the Modi government.&nbsp;

The team handed over a letter from Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to Kejriwal along with a booklet which centres around the denial of special category status to Andhra Pradesh by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Chowdary told the media that Kejriwal agreed with the TDP`s views and termed their problems as genuine.&nbsp;

The Shiv Sena will vote against the no-confidence motion. The party has issued a whip for its MPs, directing them to support the Central Government. As per the sources, BJP president Amit Shah spoke to Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray over phone over the no-confidence motion.

Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami hinted that the AIADMK is unlikely to support the no-confidence motion.

The Andhra Pradesh TDP government on Wednesday moved the no-confidence motion over special category status issue to the state. On the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament on Wednesday, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan accepted TDP`s no-confidence motion and scheduled it for discussion on Friday.

The BJP today made light of the Congress's claim that the Opposition had the numbers to back its no-confidence motion against the government.

Asked about Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's claim that the Opposition had numbers, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar took a dig at her, saying, "Sonia Gandhi's maths is weak."

Kumar also recalled that Gandhi, as the then Congress chief in 1999, had claimed to have the support of 272 MPs, the majority mark in the Lok Sabha, after the fall of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government.

Echoing similar sentiments, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said the government had the strength in the House to defeat the motion if one went by Indian mathematics and wondered if Sonia Gandhi knew some other mathematics.

According to sources in the ruling party, it is confident of getting the support of as many as 314 MPs in the Lok Sabha, when the opposition-backed no-confidence motion is put to vote tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has issued a whip, directing its MPs to vote in favour of No Confidence Motion

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday issued a whip, directing its MPs to vote against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in no-nonfidence motion in parliament on Friday. AAP issued the whip to its MPs after a delegation of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders sought support from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to the no-confidence motion against the Modi government tabled by them in the Lok Sabha. A delegation of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders on Thursday sought support from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to the no-confidence motion against the Modi government tabled by them in the Lok Sabha. Led by TDP Parliamentary Party leader Y.S. Chowdary, state Ministers T.G. Venkatesh, K. Narayana and Narsimha Rao met Kejriwal to seek the Aam Aadmi Party`s (AAP) support in both houses of Parliament against the Modi government. The team handed over a letter from Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to Kejriwal along with a booklet which centres around the denial of special category status to Andhra Pradesh by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Chowdary told the media that Kejriwal agreed with the TDP`s views and termed their problems as genuine. The Shiv Sena will vote against the no-confidence motion. The party has issued a whip for its MPs, directing them to support the Central Government. As per the sources, BJP president Amit Shah spoke to Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray over phone over the no-confidence motion. Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami hinted that the AIADMK is unlikely to support the no-confidence motion. The Andhra Pradesh TDP government on Wednesday moved the no-confidence motion over special category status issue to the state. On the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament on Wednesday, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan accepted TDP`s no-confidence motion and scheduled it for discussion on Friday. The BJP today made light of the Congress's claim that the Opposition had the numbers to back its no-confidence motion against the government. Asked about Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's claim that the Opposition had numbers, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar took a dig at her, saying, "Sonia Gandhi's maths is weak." Kumar also recalled that Gandhi, as the then Congress chief in 1999, had claimed to have the support of 272 MPs, the majority mark in the Lok Sabha, after the fall of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government. Echoing similar sentiments, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said the government had the strength in the House to defeat the motion if one went by Indian mathematics and wondered if Sonia Gandhi knew some other mathematics. According to sources in the ruling party, it is confident of getting the support of as many as 314 MPs in the Lok Sabha, when the opposition-backed no-confidence motion is put to vote tomorrow.

AAP issues whip, directs its MPs to vote against Modi government in no-confidence motion

Delhi high court on Friday described Jawaharlal Nehru University's order against Kanhaiya Kumar illegal, irrational and irregular.&nbsp

Setting aside the JNU's move to penalise Kanhaiya Kumar for breach of discipline, the court asked JNU to decide the matter after a proper hearing.

Former JNU students’ union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya had moved the Delhi High Court against the fine imposed on him by a high-level panel of the university in connection with a 2016 incident during which anti-India slogans were allegedly raised at an event to protest Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru’s hanging.

The JNU's high-level inquiry committee recently upheld a fine of Rs 10,000 imposed on Kanhaiya Kumar in connection with the February 9, 2016 incident.

The JNU panel had in 2016 recommended a fine of Rs 10,000 on Kumar, the then students' union president, in connection with the campus event against Afzal Guru's hanging during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

The five-member panel had also imposed a financial penalty on 13 other students for violation of disciplinary norms.

The students had then moved the Delhi High Court, which had directed the university to place the matter before an appellate authority to review the panel’s decision. On July 5, the university had revealed that the panel upheld its decision against Khalid and Kumar and in some cases the penalty was reduced.

Kumar, Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested in February 2016 on charges of sedition in connection with the controversial event. All three are out on bail.

Setting aside the JNU's move to penalise Kanhaiya Kumar for breach of discipline, the court asked JNU to decide the matter after a proper hearing.

Delhi high court on Friday described Jawaharlal Nehru University's order against Kanhaiya Kumar illegal, irrational and irregular. Setting aside the JNU's move to penalise Kanhaiya Kumar for breach of discipline, the court asked JNU to decide the matter after a proper hearing. Former JNU students’ union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya had moved the Delhi High Court against the fine imposed on him by a high-level panel of the university in connection with a 2016 incident during which anti-India slogans were allegedly raised at an event to protest Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru’s hanging. The JNU's high-level inquiry committee recently upheld a fine of Rs 10,000 imposed on Kanhaiya Kumar in connection with the February 9, 2016 incident. The JNU panel had in 2016 recommended a fine of Rs 10,000 on Kumar, the then students' union president, in connection with the campus event against Afzal Guru's hanging during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised. The five-member panel had also imposed a financial penalty on 13 other students for violation of disciplinary norms. The students had then moved the Delhi High Court, which had directed the university to place the matter before an appellate authority to review the panel’s decision. On July 5, the university had revealed that the panel upheld its decision against Khalid and Kumar and in some cases the penalty was reduced. Kumar, Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested in February 2016 on charges of sedition in connection with the controversial event. All three are out on bail.

JNU's order against Kanhaiya Kumar illegal, irrational and irregular: Delhi HC

Hours after Congress president hugged Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said that Rahul showed to the world how a "Jadu ki Jhappi can stop the winds of hatred".

"Nischhal prem ki jadoo ki ek jhappi nafrat ki aandhi ko kaise rok sakti hai yeh RahulGandhi ji ne dikhaya. Akhir Rahul ji ne Congress ke mohabbat ka aina Modi ji ko dikha hi diya: (Today Rahul Gandhi showed to the world how a magical and loving hug can stop the winds of hatred. Rahul Gandhi has shown us. Rahul Gandhi has shown the loving face of Congress to Narendra Modi)," Surjewala told.

Rahul earlier today hugged Prime Minister Modi after he concluded his speech in Lok Sabha during Parliament monsoon session.

Earlier, Surjewala took to Twitter and praised Rahul for giving hug to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha after his speech and said they will always spread love in exchange of hatred.

Surjewala also targetted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that Rahul's revelations in the Lok Sabha on various issues has jolted the party.

He added that theBJP MP's were not even able to answer the issues, raised by the Congress chief.

Rahul, during his nearly 15-minute stormy speech, today attacked Prime Minister Modi-led NDA government on several fronts including demonetisation, Goods and Services Tax (GST), unemployment, Rafale deal.

Rahul earlier today hugged Prime Minister Modi after he concluded his speech in Lok Sabha during Parliament monsoon session.

Hours after Congress president hugged Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said that Rahul showed to the world how a "Jadu ki Jhappi can stop the winds of hatred". "Nischhal prem ki jadoo ki ek jhappi nafrat ki aandhi ko kaise rok sakti hai yeh RahulGandhi ji ne dikhaya. Akhir Rahul ji ne Congress ke mohabbat ka aina Modi ji ko dikha hi diya: (Today Rahul Gandhi showed to the world how a magical and loving hug can stop the winds of hatred. Rahul Gandhi has shown us. Rahul Gandhi has shown the loving face of Congress to Narendra Modi)," Surjewala told. Rahul earlier today hugged Prime Minister Modi after he concluded his speech in Lok Sabha during Parliament monsoon session. Earlier, Surjewala took to Twitter and praised Rahul for giving hug to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha after his speech and said they will always spread love in exchange of hatred. Surjewala also targetted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that Rahul's revelations in the Lok Sabha on various issues has jolted the party. He added that theBJP MP's were not even able to answer the issues, raised by the Congress chief. Rahul, during his nearly 15-minute stormy speech, today attacked Prime Minister Modi-led NDA government on several fronts including demonetisation, Goods and Services Tax (GST), unemployment, Rafale deal.

Congress lauds Rahul's 'Jadu ki Jhappi'

The Supreme Court Collegium reiterated on Friday to elevate&nbsp;Justice KM Joseph's&nbsp;as an apex court judge.

The five-member Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, said that there was "nothing adverse" regarding the suitability of Justice Joseph as has been pointed out in the letters of the Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

The resolution of the Collegium meeting held on July 16 and uploaded today said that the two letters written by the Prasad to the CJI while returning the recommendation of Joseph were "carefully considered".

The resolution said, "We have carefully considered the observations made by the Law Minister in his letters dated April 26, 2018, and April 30, 2018, addressed to the Chief Justice of India referring back, for reconsideration, the recommendation made by us on 10th January 2018 for appointment of Mr&nbsp;Justice K M Joseph, Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court, as Judge of the Supreme Court."&nbsp;

"The Collegium, on due consideration of all the aspects mentioned in the aforesaid two letters, resolves to reiterate the aforementioned recommendation, especially since nothing adverse regarding the suitability of Justice K M Joseph has been pointed out in the aforesaid letters," it resolution said.&nbsp;

Besides the CJI, other members of the Collegium are justices Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur, Kurian Joseph and A K Sikri.&nbsp;

Justice Joseph's name was recommended by the collegium in January along with senior advocate of the top court and top court judge Justice Indu Malhotra.

The Centre cleared Justice Malhotra's file, but sent Justice Joseph's file back to the collegium and asked it to reconsider its recommendation.

KM Joseph is currently serving as the chief justice of Uttarakhand high court. Before his appointment to Uttarakhand, he has served as judge of Kerala High Court form more than nine years.

Meanwhile, the Opposition has argued that Justice Joseph is being "punished" because gave an unfavourable verdict against BJP in 2016 while&nbsp;hearing the challenge to governor's rule in Uttarakhand, imposed by central government.

With today's recommendation, it binds the centre to accept it and clear ways to elevate Joseph to the top court.

(With inputs from news agencies) 
 
 
&nbsp;

KM Joseph is currently serving as the chief justice of Uttarakhand high court. Before his appointment to Uttarakhand, he has served as judge of Kerala High Court form more than nine years.

The Supreme Court Collegium reiterated on Friday to elevate Justice KM Joseph's as an apex court judge. The five-member Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, said that there was "nothing adverse" regarding the suitability of Justice Joseph as has been pointed out in the letters of the Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The resolution of the Collegium meeting held on July 16 and uploaded today said that the two letters written by the Prasad to the CJI while returning the recommendation of Joseph were "carefully considered". The resolution said, "We have carefully considered the observations made by the Law Minister in his letters dated April 26, 2018, and April 30, 2018, addressed to the Chief Justice of India referring back, for reconsideration, the recommendation made by us on 10th January 2018 for appointment of Mr Justice K M Joseph, Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court, as Judge of the Supreme Court." "The Collegium, on due consideration of all the aspects mentioned in the aforesaid two letters, resolves to reiterate the aforementioned recommendation, especially since nothing adverse regarding the suitability of Justice K M Joseph has been pointed out in the aforesaid letters," it resolution said. Besides the CJI, other members of the Collegium are justices Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur, Kurian Joseph and A K Sikri. Justice Joseph's name was recommended by the collegium in January along with senior advocate of the top court and top court judge Justice Indu Malhotra. The Centre cleared Justice Malhotra's file, but sent Justice Joseph's file back to the collegium and asked it to reconsider its recommendation. KM Joseph is currently serving as the chief justice of Uttarakhand high court. Before his appointment to Uttarakhand, he has served as judge of Kerala High Court form more than nine years. Meanwhile, the Opposition has argued that Justice Joseph is being "punished" because gave an unfavourable verdict against BJP in 2016 while hearing the challenge to governor's rule in Uttarakhand, imposed by central government. With today's recommendation, it binds the centre to accept it and clear ways to elevate Joseph to the top court. (With inputs from news agencies)

SC Collegium reiterates Justice KM Joseph for elevation

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government on several fronts including demonetisation, Goods and Services Tax (GST), unemployment, women safety and Rafale deal during a debate on the No-Confidence Motion in Lok Sabha on Friday.

Following the attack, Bharatiya Janata Party will move a privilege motion against Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha over his allegations that BJP has termed "false allegations."

A privilege motion is a notice by any member of either House of a state legislature or Parliament, against anyone who is accused of breach of privilege that parliament MPs enjoy.

The privilege motion&nbsp;can be moved against an individual, any in-house committee or even the entire house.&nbsp;

During Rahul Gandhi's nearly 15 minutes of a stormy speech that was interrupted several times by BJP members, Gandhi focused his attack on issues where he felt the NDA government had failed since 2014.&nbsp;

However, after his scathing attack on Prime Minister Modi, <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhis-gandhigiri-a-hug-wink-and-pappu-talk-153181">Gandhi walked up to him, hugged </a>and shook hands.

Speaking during the No-Confidence Motion, Gandhi charged the government of causing hardships to the common man through its policies.&nbsp;

"Youth in India trusted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In his every speech, he (PM) said he will give jobs to two crore youth but only four lakh people have got jobs, rest are still unemployed," Gandhi said.&nbsp;

He compared the status of employment with China which gives jobs to 50,000 people in 24 hours.

Criticising the government for demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax (GST), Gandhi said that the government policies have impacted several businesses.&nbsp;

Reacting to Rahul Gandhi's attack on BJP, Union minister of Punjab, Harsimrat Kaur Badal said, "I asked Rahul Gandhi what you have done today? because he (Rahul Gandhi) had earlier called Punjabis 'nashedis'."

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal says,"I asked Rahul Gandhi aaj kaunsa karke aaye hai? Because he had earlier called Punjabis 'nashedis'. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoConfidenceMotion?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NoConfidenceMotion</a> <a href="https://t.co/HiCsCVnCVb">pic.twitter.com/HiCsCVnCVb</a>
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Senior Bollywood actress and BJP MP Kirron Kher said,"Rahul Gandhi should be ashamed, he can't target our ministers without any proof. He was doing drama in the house and hugging Modi ji. I think his next step will be Bollywood. We will have to send him there".

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Rahul Gandhi should be ashamed, he can't target our ministers without any proof. He was doing drama in the house and hugging Modi ji. I think his next step will be Bollywood. We will have to send him there: Kirron Kher, BJP MP<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoCofidenceMotion?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NoCofidenceMotion</a> <a href="https://t.co/nKN1ghaB0m">pic.twitter.com/nKN1ghaB0m</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1020247079241756673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, Narendra Modi will speak on No-Confidence Motion after 6:30 pm new agency ANI reported.

A privilege motion is a notice by any member of either House of a state legislature or Parliament, against anyone who is accused of breach of privilege that parliament MPs enjoy.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government on several fronts including demonetisation, Goods and Services Tax (GST), unemployment, women safety and Rafale deal during a debate on the No-Confidence Motion in Lok Sabha on Friday. Following the attack, Bharatiya Janata Party will move a privilege motion against Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha over his allegations that BJP has termed "false allegations." A privilege motion is a notice by any member of either House of a state legislature or Parliament, against anyone who is accused of breach of privilege that parliament MPs enjoy. The privilege motion can be moved against an individual, any in-house committee or even the entire house. During Rahul Gandhi's nearly 15 minutes of a stormy speech that was interrupted several times by BJP members, Gandhi focused his attack on issues where he felt the NDA government had failed since 2014. However, after his scathing attack on Prime Minister Modi, Gandhi walked up to him, hugged and shook hands. Speaking during the No-Confidence Motion, Gandhi charged the government of causing hardships to the common man through its policies. "Youth in India trusted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In his every speech, he (PM) said he will give jobs to two crore youth but only four lakh people have got jobs, rest are still unemployed," Gandhi said. He compared the status of employment with China which gives jobs to 50,000 people in 24 hours. Criticising the government for demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax (GST), Gandhi said that the government policies have impacted several businesses. Reacting to Rahul Gandhi's attack on BJP, Union minister of Punjab, Harsimrat Kaur Badal said, "I asked Rahul Gandhi what you have done today? because he (Rahul Gandhi) had earlier called Punjabis 'nashedis'." #WATCH: Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal says,"I asked Rahul Gandhi aaj kaunsa karke aaye hai? Because he had earlier called Punjabis 'nashedis'. #NoConfidenceMotion pic.twitter.com/HiCsCVnCVb — ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2018 × Senior Bollywood actress and BJP MP Kirron Kher said,"Rahul Gandhi should be ashamed, he can't target our ministers without any proof. He was doing drama in the house and hugging Modi ji. I think his next step will be Bollywood. We will have to send him there". Rahul Gandhi should be ashamed, he can't target our ministers without any proof. He was doing drama in the house and hugging Modi ji. I think his next step will be Bollywood. We will have to send him there: Kirron Kher, BJP MP#NoCofidenceMotion pic.twitter.com/nKN1ghaB0m — ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2018 × Meanwhile, Narendra Modi will speak on No-Confidence Motion after 6:30 pm new agency ANI reported.

BJP to move privilege motion against Rahul Gandhi over speech

The Supreme Court on Friday said that auto companies cannot sell four-wheelers and two-wheelers from September 1 in the country without a mandatory third party insurance for a period of two years and five years respectively.

Amicus Curiae (AC) Gaurav Agarwal said that the third party insurance is provided when bikes or cars are brought for the first time. But they are not carried over the following year.&nbsp;

There are some 66 per cent vehicles which don't have third party insurance.

Insurance companies contended that it was not possible to take third party insurance sum for 20 years at one go. Later a committee referred that third-party car insurance can be extended for three years and five years for two-wheelers or motorcycles.

The Central government, on the other hand, contended that people are usually not keen to take third-party insurance because it pushes up the insurance premium of their vehicles

There are some 66 per cent vehicles which don't have third party insurance.

The Supreme Court on Friday said that auto companies cannot sell four-wheelers and two-wheelers from September 1 in the country without a mandatory third party insurance for a period of two years and five years respectively. Amicus Curiae (AC) Gaurav Agarwal said that the third party insurance is provided when bikes or cars are brought for the first time. But they are not carried over the following year. There are some 66 per cent vehicles which don't have third party insurance. Insurance companies contended that it was not possible to take third party insurance sum for 20 years at one go. Later a committee referred that third-party car insurance can be extended for three years and five years for two-wheelers or motorcycles. The Central government, on the other hand, contended that people are usually not keen to take third-party insurance because it pushes up the insurance premium of their vehicles

Can't sell 4-wheelers from September without mandatory insurance for two years: SC

Congress President Rahul Gandhi launched into a full-throated attack of Prime Minister Modi on Friday in the Lok Sabha during the debate on the no-confidence motion against the government.&nbsp

To start with, Rahul reminded Modi of his pre-poll promise — the creation of 2 crore jobs.&nbsp

As Rahul has done earlier, he compared India's job creation figures with China's, telling Modi that China creates 50,000 jobs for its youth (notice the emphasis on the youth, they are expected to form a large chunk of the voting population in 2019) every 24 hours while India creates only 400.&nbsp

Jobs, new jobs, are India's single-most pressing need of the hour. And India needs a million jobs a month — that's how many people join the work force every 30-odd days.&nbsp

So how many jobs is India creating at the moment? Nobody really knows.&nbsp

The Modi government recently told its ministries and departments to start adding up the numbers (the elections are around the corner). The official figure that emerged was 3 million jobs in the last six months but independent agencies say the figure is lower. So what we've got so far has been debate.&nbsp

Expect it to continue till the elections.&nbsp

Rahul also attacked Modi on demonetisation, saying jobs are created by small and medium industry but Modi did untold damage to exactly those sections of the economy by removing 86% of the cash in circulation at the time from the economy.&nbsp

And he reminded Modi of his promise accruing from demonetisation — that Modi would deposit Rs 15 lakh in every Jan Dhan account.&nbsp

Rahul also attacked Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the Rafale deal. Rahul said the defence minister had said India had a secrecy pact with France on the Rafale deal. But that he had personally met the French president who told him no such pact existed.&nbsp

"The Defence Minister has clearly spoken an untruth," Rahul said.&nbsp

Expect much more of the same in Rahul's run up to the 2019 election campaign.&nbsp 
&nbsp

Rahul also attacked Modi on demonetisation and the Rafale deal. His speech today is expected to be a preview of his 2019 election campaign

Congress President Rahul Gandhi launched into a full-throated attack of Prime Minister Modi on Friday in the Lok Sabha during the debate on the no-confidence motion against the government. To start with, Rahul reminded Modi of his pre-poll promise — the creation of 2 crore jobs. As Rahul has done earlier, he compared India's job creation figures with China's, telling Modi that China creates 50,000 jobs for its youth (notice the emphasis on the youth, they are expected to form a large chunk of the voting population in 2019) every 24 hours while India creates only 400. Jobs, new jobs, are India's single-most pressing need of the hour. And India needs a million jobs a month — that's how many people join the work force every 30-odd days. So how many jobs is India creating at the moment? Nobody really knows. The Modi government recently told its ministries and departments to start adding up the numbers (the elections are around the corner). The official figure that emerged was 3 million jobs in the last six months but independent agencies say the figure is lower. So what we've got so far has been debate. Expect it to continue till the elections. Rahul also attacked Modi on demonetisation, saying jobs are created by small and medium industry but Modi did untold damage to exactly those sections of the economy by removing 86% of the cash in circulation at the time from the economy. And he reminded Modi of his promise accruing from demonetisation — that Modi would deposit Rs 15 lakh in every Jan Dhan account. Rahul also attacked Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the Rafale deal. Rahul said the defence minister had said India had a secrecy pact with France on the Rafale deal. But that he had personally met the French president who told him no such pact existed. "The Defence Minister has clearly spoken an untruth," Rahul said. Expect much more of the same in Rahul's run up to the 2019 election campaign.

No-confidence motion: Rahul reminds Modi of jobs promise, again compares India's job creation to China's 

Congress president <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-monsoon-session-of-parliament-begins-modi-says-govt-open-to-discussion-on-all-issues-152543">Rahul Gandhi,48, stole everyone's heart on the floor </a>of the house when he went ahead and hugged PM Modi after his speech on the no-confidence vote.&nbsp;

It was Rahul's speech in the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-confidence-motion-shiv-sena-boycotts-parliamentary-work-153139"> middle when he said PM </a>"can't look into my eyes" which attracted everyone's attention, literally meaning in Hindi, the Congress president said: "Pradhanmantri apni aankh meri aankh mein nahi daal sakte”, which in literal English means: PM Modi can't see into my eyes.

The PM naturally couldn't hide his laughter.

Just after hugging the Prime Minister, Rahul winked which was gleefully caught by Lok Sabha cameras.&nbsp;

"I can see that because the Prime Minister has not been truthful," Rahul said even as the PM smiled.

The normally candid Congress president who is known to fire at will whenever he is addressing issues related to the BJP, said in a light-hearted manner that "Aap logon ke andar mere liye nafrat hai. Aap mujhe Pappu aur bohot gaaliyan dekar bula sakte hain. Lekin mere andar aapke liye nafrat nahi hai,"&nbsp;meaning " you have hatred for me, you can call me Pappu and abuse me but I don't have any hatred for you.

The unrelenting Congress president took direct shots at Modi saying a lot of money goes into "marketing of the Prime Minister of India"

As Rahul Gandhi spoke social media went berserk with the "hug" getting the most reactions. Rahul's moment of Gandhigiri wasn't lost on anyone as he sought to keep his aggression at bay after attacking the BJP-led government on various issues including women's rights, rights of Dalit and Adivasis.

The defiant Congress president led the charge on the no-confidence vote as the debate started in earnest taking on the issue of farmers, accusing the government of 'jumla strike' on Minimum Support Price(MSP). The Congress president attacked BJP president Amit Shah as well accusing him of living in "fear of losing power".

The unrelenting Congress president took direct shots at Modi saying a lot of money goes into "marketing of the Prime Minister of India"

Congress president Rahul Gandhi,48, stole everyone's heart on the floor of the house when he went ahead and hugged PM Modi after his speech on the no-confidence vote. It was Rahul's speech in the middle when he said PM "can't look into my eyes" which attracted everyone's attention, literally meaning in Hindi, the Congress president said: "Pradhanmantri apni aankh meri aankh mein nahi daal sakte”, which in literal English means: PM Modi can't see into my eyes. The PM naturally couldn't hide his laughter. Just after hugging the Prime Minister, Rahul winked which was gleefully caught by Lok Sabha cameras. "I can see that because the Prime Minister has not been truthful," Rahul said even as the PM smiled. The normally candid Congress president who is known to fire at will whenever he is addressing issues related to the BJP, said in a light-hearted manner that "Aap logon ke andar mere liye nafrat hai. Aap mujhe Pappu aur bohot gaaliyan dekar bula sakte hain. Lekin mere andar aapke liye nafrat nahi hai," meaning " you have hatred for me, you can call me Pappu and abuse me but I don't have any hatred for you. The unrelenting Congress president took direct shots at Modi saying a lot of money goes into "marketing of the Prime Minister of India" As Rahul Gandhi spoke social media went berserk with the "hug" getting the most reactions. Rahul's moment of Gandhigiri wasn't lost on anyone as he sought to keep his aggression at bay after attacking the BJP-led government on various issues including women's rights, rights of Dalit and Adivasis. The defiant Congress president led the charge on the no-confidence vote as the debate started in earnest taking on the issue of farmers, accusing the government of 'jumla strike' on Minimum Support Price(MSP). The Congress president attacked BJP president Amit Shah as well accusing him of living in "fear of losing power".

Rahul Gandhi's 'Gandhigiri': A hug, wink and 'Pappu' talk

Congress president Rahul Gandhi took the Treasury benches in the Lok Sabha by surprise when he hugged Prime Minister Modi during a debate on the no-confidence motion.

Forty-eight-year-old Rahul was leading the opposition charge attacking the government on various issues when he took a jibe at PM Modi and the BJP for their 'pappu' comment and walked across the Lok Sabha hall to hug the Prime Minister.

"You can abuse me, you can call me Pappu, but I don't have an iota of hatred against you," Rahul said in a sharp attack on the government.

PM Modi was initially shocked, but was later seen smiling and shaking hands with Rahul.

The PM and his party often use the 'pappu' jibe calling the Congress president politically immature. Today, the Congress president hit back at PM Modi for his "jumla strike".

Rahul Gandhi's gesture has left Twitter in splits. Sample this:

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Rahul Gandhi Says "Main Pyaar ki bhavna nikalunga"- leader of opposition or Love Charger MSG baba? 
 
Then he undermines decorum of Parliament & Parliamentary protocol & rules of debate ! 
 
Immature & childish behaviour! Has no sense of seriousness! Is <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoConfidenceMotion?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NoConfidenceMotion</a> a joke?
— Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) <a href="https://twitter.com/Shehzad_Ind/status/1020227210765045760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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RT if you think Rahul Gandhi is the best thing to have happened to BJP.
— Rishi Bagree ?? (@rishibagree) <a href="https://twitter.com/rishibagree/status/1020226485892919296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Can u believe it...The government with a "majority" disrupted Rahul Gandhi's speech. If this is not a moral victory for the Congress ..What is !! The house had to be adjourned as the ..Read it correctly MAJORITY PARTY was disrupting the house !!
— Tehseen Poonawalla (@tehseenp) <a href="https://twitter.com/tehseenp/status/1020219173325164545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The last few times Rahul Gandhi spoke in Parliament, it was ‘memorable’... Today will be another day! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BhookampAaneWalaHai?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BhookampAaneWalaHai</a> <a href="https://t.co/9we6iEB4Sf">pic.twitter.com/9we6iEB4Sf</a>
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The Lok Sabha is holding a debate on no-confidence motion which was accepted by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Thursday.

The motion was been moved by BJP's former ally TDP on Wednesday.

&nbsp;

Forty-four-year-old Rahul was leading the opposition charge attacking the government on various issues when he took a jibe at PM Modi and the BJP for their 'pappu' comment and walked across the Lok Sabha hall to hug the Prime Minister

Congress president Rahul Gandhi took the Treasury benches in the Lok Sabha by surprise when he hugged Prime Minister Modi during a debate on the no-confidence motion. Forty-eight-year-old Rahul was leading the opposition charge attacking the government on various issues when he took a jibe at PM Modi and the BJP for their 'pappu' comment and walked across the Lok Sabha hall to hug the Prime Minister. "You can abuse me, you can call me Pappu, but I don't have an iota of hatred against you," Rahul said in a sharp attack on the government. PM Modi was initially shocked, but was later seen smiling and shaking hands with Rahul. The PM and his party often use the 'pappu' jibe calling the Congress president politically immature. Today, the Congress president hit back at PM Modi for his "jumla strike". Rahul Gandhi's gesture has left Twitter in splits. Sample this: Rahul Gandhi Says "Main Pyaar ki bhavna nikalunga"- leader of opposition or Love Charger MSG baba? Then he undermines decorum of Parliament & Parliamentary protocol & rules of debate ! Immature & childish behaviour! Has no sense of seriousness! Is #NoConfidenceMotion a joke? — Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) July 20, 2018 × RT if you think Rahul Gandhi is the best thing to have happened to BJP. — Rishi Bagree ?? (@rishibagree) July 20, 2018 × Can u believe it...The government with a "majority" disrupted Rahul Gandhi's speech. If this is not a moral victory for the Congress ..What is !! The house had to be adjourned as the ..Read it correctly MAJORITY PARTY was disrupting the house !! — Tehseen Poonawalla (@tehseenp) July 20, 2018 × The last few times Rahul Gandhi spoke in Parliament, it was ‘memorable’... Today will be another day! #BhookampAaneWalaHai pic.twitter.com/9we6iEB4Sf — Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 20, 2018 × The Lok Sabha is holding a debate on no-confidence motion which was accepted by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Thursday. The motion was been moved by BJP's former ally TDP on Wednesday.

No-confidence motion: Rahul Gandhi's 'jaadu ki jhappi' for PM Modi leaves Twitter in splits

Congress President Rahul Gandhi today launched a frontal attack on the NDA government in Lok Sabha over unfulfilled promises and questioned the Rafale deal demanding answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on why he allegedly favoured a particular businessman in the contract.

Participating in the debate on the 'No Confidence Motion' against the government, Gandhi also accused Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman of speaking "untruth" in the deal.

"The Defence Minister has spoken 'untruth'....The French prime minister has personally told me that there is no secret pact between the Indian and the French governments," he said demanding that the Prime Minister must answer why this contract was given to a particular businessman after taking it away from the Hindustan Aeronautical Ltd.

"Everybody understands the relationship the prime minister has with certain people. Everybody understands the amount of money that goes into the marketing of the prime minister and everybody knows who have funded that. One of those people was given the Rafale contract.. The gentleman benefitted to the tune of Rs 45,000 crore," he alleged.

Rising in support of the motion, he said the TDP like many others was "a victim of BJP's political weapon called 'jumla (gimmick) strike'." The TDP had moved the motion against the NDA government.

"You are a victim of the 21st-century political weapon. The political weapon is the 'Jumla strike'. There are many many more victims like you," he said, adding that the farmers, the youth, the Dalits, tribals and women are also the victims of this weapon of the government.

The Congress chief referred to the amount of Rs 15 lakh that was promised to every Indian by the BJP before coming to power after bringing in all black money stashed abroad, and termed it as "Jumla strike number one'.

Raising the issue of joblessness which he termed as 'jumla strike 2', Gandhi said against the promise of providing two crore jobs every year, only 4 lakh jobs have been created. He also alleged that unemployment was at its peak in last four years under Modi.

He said loans of corporates worth over Rs 2.5 lakh crore were waived by the Modi government, which did not agree to loan waivers for farmers.

He also raised the issue of prime minister's foreign tours and accused him of not raising the Doikalam issue during his 'without-agenda' China visit.

When some members of the treasury benches tried to intervene and accuse him of speaking "unsubstantiated facts", he retorted saying "daro mat, daro mat...Sach se daro mat" (Don't be afraid of the truth).

Congress President Rahul Gandhi today launched a frontal attack on the NDA government in Lok Sabha over unfulfilled promises and questioned the Rafale deal demanding answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on why he allegedly favoured a particular businessman in the contract

Congress President Rahul Gandhi today launched a frontal attack on the NDA government in Lok Sabha over unfulfilled promises and questioned the Rafale deal demanding answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on why he allegedly favoured a particular businessman in the contract. Participating in the debate on the 'No Confidence Motion' against the government, Gandhi also accused Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman of speaking "untruth" in the deal. "The Defence Minister has spoken 'untruth'....The French prime minister has personally told me that there is no secret pact between the Indian and the French governments," he said demanding that the Prime Minister must answer why this contract was given to a particular businessman after taking it away from the Hindustan Aeronautical Ltd. "Everybody understands the relationship the prime minister has with certain people. Everybody understands the amount of money that goes into the marketing of the prime minister and everybody knows who have funded that. One of those people was given the Rafale contract.. The gentleman benefitted to the tune of Rs 45,000 crore," he alleged. Rising in support of the motion, he said the TDP like many others was "a victim of BJP's political weapon called 'jumla (gimmick) strike'." The TDP had moved the motion against the NDA government. "You are a victim of the 21st-century political weapon. The political weapon is the 'Jumla strike'. There are many many more victims like you," he said, adding that the farmers, the youth, the Dalits, tribals and women are also the victims of this weapon of the government. The Congress chief referred to the amount of Rs 15 lakh that was promised to every Indian by the BJP before coming to power after bringing in all black money stashed abroad, and termed it as "Jumla strike number one'. Raising the issue of joblessness which he termed as 'jumla strike 2', Gandhi said against the promise of providing two crore jobs every year, only 4 lakh jobs have been created. He also alleged that unemployment was at its peak in last four years under Modi. He said loans of corporates worth over Rs 2.5 lakh crore were waived by the Modi government, which did not agree to loan waivers for farmers. He also raised the issue of prime minister's foreign tours and accused him of not raising the Doikalam issue during his 'without-agenda' China visit. When some members of the treasury benches tried to intervene and accuse him of speaking "unsubstantiated facts", he retorted saying "daro mat, daro mat...Sach se daro mat" (Don't be afraid of the truth).

Rahul attacks government in Lok Sabha, raises Rafale deal

Over 50 Indian nationals detained in a US prison after they illegally entered into the country are not being handcuffed, a legal advocacy group volunteer who has been meeting the detainees on a regular basis said today.

Media reports had claimed that the Indian immigrants, seeking asylum in the US fearing religious and political persecution back home, are being treated like criminals in a federal prison in Oregon where they have been detained for the past several weeks now.

"It was not my statement that immigrants detained at (a federal prison in) Sheridan (Oregon) have been kept in handcuffs and chains since their arrival or that they are in handcuffs and chains 24/7 now. My statement has been misconstrued by the media," Navneet Kaur, a community college professor, said in a statement.

Kaur who has been volunteering with the Portland-based Innovation Law Lab in providing legal aid to more than 50 Indian prisoners in Sheridan jail said her account is based on her visit to the prison and meetings with these detainees.

Her main role is to provide translation to the detainees, a majority of whom are from Punjab and speak only Punjabi.

"On July 14, 2018, during the 105th year celebration held in commemoration of the Ghadar Party in Astoria, Oregon, I spoke against the grave violations of human rights experienced by immigrants detained by ICE in America. My statement was based on the accounts I have heard during my visits to the federal detention center in Sheridan, Oregon.

"I gave a few examples of such violations including not giving them access to legal representation, keeping them in prison cells 22 hours a day, keeping them handcuffed and chained for a 24-hour period upon the arrival etc," Kaur said.

It is her understanding that "conditions" at the federal detention center in Sheridan have improved since the immigrants' initial arrival in late May 2018, she said

"This was only made possible by coming together of all faith communities and efforts made by Innovation Law Lab attorneys and Public Defenders office," she said.

"Nonetheless, the practice of detaining immigrants is inhumane. Though the men may not be in physical handcuffs and chains now, they are still confined to a prison," Kaur said.

In a separate statement, APANO's South Asian Sheridan Support Committee alleged that over 100 migrants are being detained in this prison as a direct result of the Trump administration's unjust, no exceptions immigration policy.

"Imagine crossing the globe and presenting yourself at the US/Mexico border seeking asylum. And then ending up incarcerated in a federal jail in Sheridan, Oregon. No one speaks your language. You can't wear a turban, an article of clothing central to your religious practice," the non-profit organisation said in a statement.

"For more than 50 men from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, China and other countries, this is their reality. Fleeing political unrest and gang violence in their home countries, they came to the US seeking safety and protection. And they ended up in a medium security prison," AAPNO and the South Asian Sheridan Support Committee said.

According to AAPNO all of these men have been offered legal support by lawyers at the Innovation Law Lab and will begin the first step of their asylum hearing, known as the 'fear assessment', this week.

"The bad news is all 121 men currently have deportation orders because of the Trump administration's violent commitment to detain and deport, these detainees will likely be held at Sheridan even after they pass their fear assessment," it said.

Meanwhile, an official from the Indian Consulate in San Francisco visited the Sheridan prison to have a first-hand assessment of the condition of Indians detained in the prison.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in an email to North American Punjabi Association has said that it is processing all detainees in accordance with US immigration law.

"ICE has met with all detainees to advise them of their rights to speak with their consular representatives. Detainees have access to legal representation," Melissa Nitsch, Community Relations Officer told NAPA.

"Any asylum claims are forwarded promptly to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) asylum office in San Francisco. Interviews are underway by USCIS, and determinations of credible fear are at the discretion of USCIS (not ICE)," Nitsch said.

The Indian Embassy here did not respond to questions on how many Indian detainees opted for consular access.&nbsp;

Media reports had claimed that the Indian immigrants, seeking asylum in the US fearing religious and political persecution back home, are being treated like criminals in a federal prison in Oregon where they have been detained for the past several weeks now

Over 50 Indian nationals detained in a US prison after they illegally entered into the country are not being handcuffed, a legal advocacy group volunteer who has been meeting the detainees on a regular basis said today. Media reports had claimed that the Indian immigrants, seeking asylum in the US fearing religious and political persecution back home, are being treated like criminals in a federal prison in Oregon where they have been detained for the past several weeks now. "It was not my statement that immigrants detained at (a federal prison in) Sheridan (Oregon) have been kept in handcuffs and chains since their arrival or that they are in handcuffs and chains 24/7 now. My statement has been misconstrued by the media," Navneet Kaur, a community college professor, said in a statement. Kaur who has been volunteering with the Portland-based Innovation Law Lab in providing legal aid to more than 50 Indian prisoners in Sheridan jail said her account is based on her visit to the prison and meetings with these detainees. Her main role is to provide translation to the detainees, a majority of whom are from Punjab and speak only Punjabi. "On July 14, 2018, during the 105th year celebration held in commemoration of the Ghadar Party in Astoria, Oregon, I spoke against the grave violations of human rights experienced by immigrants detained by ICE in America. My statement was based on the accounts I have heard during my visits to the federal detention center in Sheridan, Oregon. "I gave a few examples of such violations including not giving them access to legal representation, keeping them in prison cells 22 hours a day, keeping them handcuffed and chained for a 24-hour period upon the arrival etc," Kaur said. It is her understanding that "conditions" at the federal detention center in Sheridan have improved since the immigrants' initial arrival in late May 2018, she said "This was only made possible by coming together of all faith communities and efforts made by Innovation Law Lab attorneys and Public Defenders office," she said. "Nonetheless, the practice of detaining immigrants is inhumane. Though the men may not be in physical handcuffs and chains now, they are still confined to a prison," Kaur said. In a separate statement, APANO's South Asian Sheridan Support Committee alleged that over 100 migrants are being detained in this prison as a direct result of the Trump administration's unjust, no exceptions immigration policy. "Imagine crossing the globe and presenting yourself at the US/Mexico border seeking asylum. And then ending up incarcerated in a federal jail in Sheridan, Oregon. No one speaks your language. You can't wear a turban, an article of clothing central to your religious practice," the non-profit organisation said in a statement. "For more than 50 men from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, China and other countries, this is their reality. Fleeing political unrest and gang violence in their home countries, they came to the US seeking safety and protection. And they ended up in a medium security prison," AAPNO and the South Asian Sheridan Support Committee said. According to AAPNO all of these men have been offered legal support by lawyers at the Innovation Law Lab and will begin the first step of their asylum hearing, known as the 'fear assessment', this week. "The bad news is all 121 men currently have deportation orders because of the Trump administration's violent commitment to detain and deport, these detainees will likely be held at Sheridan even after they pass their fear assessment," it said. Meanwhile, an official from the Indian Consulate in San Francisco visited the Sheridan prison to have a first-hand assessment of the condition of Indians detained in the prison. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in an email to North American Punjabi Association has said that it is processing all detainees in accordance with US immigration law. "ICE has met with all detainees to advise them of their rights to speak with their consular representatives. Detainees have access to legal representation," Melissa Nitsch, Community Relations Officer told NAPA. "Any asylum claims are forwarded promptly to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) asylum office in San Francisco. Interviews are underway by USCIS, and determinations of credible fear are at the discretion of USCIS (not ICE)," Nitsch said. The Indian Embassy here did not respond to questions on how many Indian detainees opted for consular access.

Indian detainees in US not handcuffed, says volunteer

BJP alliance partner Shiv Sena has decided to boycott the Parliament which was holding the discussion on the&nbsp;no-confidence motion.

The decision was&nbsp;announced&nbsp;just hours before the proceedings of the session began.

Shiv Sena MP Anandrao Adsul confirmed that the party will not take part in Parliament work today. "We are boycotting parliamentary work today and we have not even signed our attendance," he said.

A day before, it was reported that the Shiv Sena would vote against the no-confidence motion and that the party had issued whip to its MPs directing them to support the central government.

However, it was later clarified&nbsp;that no whip was issued to vote one way or another and the final decision was left on Party chief Uddhav Thackeray.

The Parliament is holding a discussion othe n no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

The motion was moved by BJP's former ally TDP on the first day of the monsoon session.

BJP alliance partner Shiv Sena has decided to boycott the Parliament which was holding the discussion on the no-confidence motion

BJP alliance partner Shiv Sena has decided to boycott the Parliament which was holding the discussion on the no-confidence motion. The decision was announced just hours before the proceedings of the session began. Shiv Sena MP Anandrao Adsul confirmed that the party will not take part in Parliament work today. "We are boycotting parliamentary work today and we have not even signed our attendance," he said. A day before, it was reported that the Shiv Sena would vote against the no-confidence motion and that the party had issued whip to its MPs directing them to support the central government. However, it was later clarified that no whip was issued to vote one way or another and the final decision was left on Party chief Uddhav Thackeray. The Parliament is holding a discussion othe n no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. The motion was moved by BJP's former ally TDP on the first day of the monsoon session.

No-confidence motion: Shiv Sena boycotts Parliament for the day

India saw a major reduction in the number of new HIV infections, AIDS-related deaths and people living with HIV from 2010 to 2017 on the back of sustained and focused efforts, according to a UN report which warned that the epidemic was growing in Pakistan.

The Joint UN Agency on AIDS (UNAIDS) report titled 'Miles to go-closing gaps, breaking barriers, righting injustices' said Asia and the Pacific regions have made strong inroads with its HIV response.

Sustained and focused efforts to reach key populations have led to major reductions in HIV infections in Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam between 2010 and 2017.&nbsp;

The report, however, warned that the global new HIV infections were not declining fast enough. It also noted that the epidemics were expanding in Pakistan and the Philippines.

In India, new HIV infections dropped from 120,000 in 2010 to 88,000 in 2017, AIDS-related deaths from 160,000 to 69,000 and people living with HIV from 2,300,000 to 2,100,000 in the same time period, the report said.

India has an approved social protection strategy, policy or framework that is being implemented, it said.

Successive surveys in Cambodia, India, Thailand and Vietnam also indicate that attitudes towards people living with HIV have improved creating safer working conditions for sex workers and engaging them closely in the design and implementation of programmes make a huge difference, it said.

The report underscored the public health benefits of decriminalising sex work.

It found that countries that had decriminalised at least some aspects of sex work have fewer sex workers living with HIV than countries that criminalise all aspects of sex work.&nbsp;

Modelling based on data from Canada, India and Kenya indicates that the decriminalisation of sex work could avert 33?46 per cent of HIV infections over the course of a decade.

The report cited the example of Karnataka, where advocacy work with senior police officials, sensitisation workshops and the inclusion of HIV and human rights topics in pre-service curricula led to significant decreases in the arrest of female sex workers, especially during police raids.

Before the interventions, half (50 per cent) of the 4,110 surveyed female sex workers said they had been arrested or detained at some point during police raids, that proportion shrank to 20 per cent after the interventions, the report said.

Referring to the initiative sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to reduce the spread of HIV in India, the report said the Avahan programme in Karnataka and other States remained a "sterling example" of the impact of combining condom programming with community empowerment and structural improvements that tackle stigma, violence and unsafe working environments.

UNAIDS, however, issued a stark wake-up call for nations, warning that the global response to HIV is at a precarious point.

At the halfway point to the 2020 targets, the report warned that the pace of progress was not matching global ambition.

"We are sounding the alarm", said Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of UNAIDS.

"Entire regions are falling behind, the huge gains we made for children are not being sustained, women are still most affected, resources are still not matching political commitments and key populations continue to be ignored. All these elements are halting progress and urgently need to be addressed head-on," Sidibe said.

Global new HIV infections have declined by just 18 per cent in the past seven years, from 2.2 million in 2010 to 1.8 million in 2017, the report noted.

Although this is nearly half the number of new infections compared to the peak in 1996 (3.4 million), the decline is not quick enough to reach the target of fewer than 500,000 by 2020.

In 2017, an estimated 36.9 million people globally were living with HIV and 21.7 million people were accessing treatment, it said.

The report also shows that key populations are not being considered enough in HIV programming.

Key populations and their sexual partners account for 47 per cent of the new HIV infections worldwide and 97 per cent of new HIV infections in eastern Europe and central Asia, where one third of new HIV infections are among people who inject drugs.

"The right to health for all is non-negotiable," said Sidibe.

"Sex workers, gay men and other men who have sex with men, prisoners, migrants, refugees and transgender people are more affected by HIV but are still being left out from HIV programmes. More investments are needed in reaching these key populations," Sidibe added.&nbsp;

The report, however, warned that the global new HIV infections were not declining fast enough. It also noted that the epidemics were expanding in Pakistan and the Philippines

India saw a major reduction in the number of new HIV infections, AIDS-related deaths and people living with HIV from 2010 to 2017 on the back of sustained and focused efforts, according to a UN report which warned that the epidemic was growing in Pakistan. The Joint UN Agency on AIDS (UNAIDS) report titled 'Miles to go-closing gaps, breaking barriers, righting injustices' said Asia and the Pacific regions have made strong inroads with its HIV response. Sustained and focused efforts to reach key populations have led to major reductions in HIV infections in Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam between 2010 and 2017. The report, however, warned that the global new HIV infections were not declining fast enough. It also noted that the epidemics were expanding in Pakistan and the Philippines. In India, new HIV infections dropped from 120,000 in 2010 to 88,000 in 2017, AIDS-related deaths from 160,000 to 69,000 and people living with HIV from 2,300,000 to 2,100,000 in the same time period, the report said. India has an approved social protection strategy, policy or framework that is being implemented, it said. Successive surveys in Cambodia, India, Thailand and Vietnam also indicate that attitudes towards people living with HIV have improved creating safer working conditions for sex workers and engaging them closely in the design and implementation of programmes make a huge difference, it said. The report underscored the public health benefits of decriminalising sex work. It found that countries that had decriminalised at least some aspects of sex work have fewer sex workers living with HIV than countries that criminalise all aspects of sex work. Modelling based on data from Canada, India and Kenya indicates that the decriminalisation of sex work could avert 33?46 per cent of HIV infections over the course of a decade. The report cited the example of Karnataka, where advocacy work with senior police officials, sensitisation workshops and the inclusion of HIV and human rights topics in pre-service curricula led to significant decreases in the arrest of female sex workers, especially during police raids. Before the interventions, half (50 per cent) of the 4,110 surveyed female sex workers said they had been arrested or detained at some point during police raids, that proportion shrank to 20 per cent after the interventions, the report said. Referring to the initiative sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to reduce the spread of HIV in India, the report said the Avahan programme in Karnataka and other States remained a "sterling example" of the impact of combining condom programming with community empowerment and structural improvements that tackle stigma, violence and unsafe working environments. UNAIDS, however, issued a stark wake-up call for nations, warning that the global response to HIV is at a precarious point. At the halfway point to the 2020 targets, the report warned that the pace of progress was not matching global ambition. "We are sounding the alarm", said Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of UNAIDS. "Entire regions are falling behind, the huge gains we made for children are not being sustained, women are still most affected, resources are still not matching political commitments and key populations continue to be ignored. All these elements are halting progress and urgently need to be addressed head-on," Sidibe said. Global new HIV infections have declined by just 18 per cent in the past seven years, from 2.2 million in 2010 to 1.8 million in 2017, the report noted. Although this is nearly half the number of new infections compared to the peak in 1996 (3.4 million), the decline is not quick enough to reach the target of fewer than 500,000 by 2020. In 2017, an estimated 36.9 million people globally were living with HIV and 21.7 million people were accessing treatment, it said. The report also shows that key populations are not being considered enough in HIV programming. Key populations and their sexual partners account for 47 per cent of the new HIV infections worldwide and 97 per cent of new HIV infections in eastern Europe and central Asia, where one third of new HIV infections are among people who inject drugs. "The right to health for all is non-negotiable," said Sidibe. "Sex workers, gay men and other men who have sex with men, prisoners, migrants, refugees and transgender people are more affected by HIV but are still being left out from HIV programmes. More investments are needed in reaching these key populations," Sidibe added.

India sees major reduction in HIV infections: UN report

Amidst rainfall, rescuers today continued to remove the debris of the two <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/greater-noida-building-collapse-ex-gratia-announced-for-deceaseds-kin-152753">buildings that collapsed in Greater Noida</a> killing at least nine people, including women and a toddler.

They have deployed heavy machines to clear the rubble but were moving cautiously to avoid harming anyone trapped under the debris. They, however, said most of the debris has been cleared and the possibility of anyone being trapped there appeared remote.

A six-floor <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/greater-noida-building-collapse-death-toll-goes-up-to-9-152754">under-construction building</a> had crashed on a five-storey building next to it in Shahberi village under Bisrakh police station area on Tuesday night.

Since then, the rescue operation has continued. Sniffer dogs were deployed to detect signs of life under the debris.

"We have cleared most of the debris and checked the remaining for any signs of life. There hardly appears any indication of anyone being trapped but we are still taking all caution," NDRF Deputy Commandant Rajkamal Malik told PTI.

The National Disaster Response Force is leading the operation. Paramedics, police officials and fire department personnel were also present at the site.

Five NDRF teams - between 200 to 250 personnel - were pressed into service on late Tuesday night, Malik said.

A body was retrieved from the rubble yesterday morning, while the other eight were pulled out Wednesday night.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Awneesh Kumar was at the site and supervising the rescue operation.

Akhilesh Tripathi, station house officer of Bisrakh police station, said five people have been arrested in connection with the case and raids were being conducted to nab other accused.

Altogether, 24 people have been named in the FIR. Charges include culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

An officer on Special Duty in Greater Noida Development Authority, Vibha Chahal, has been removed from her post.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered the suspension of two other officials, project manager V P Singh and assistant project manager Akhtar Abbas Zaidi, for dereliction of duty.

Gautam Budh Nagar District Magistrate Brajesh Narayan Singh has ordered an investigation, to be completed within 15 days.

A six-storey building under construction had crashed into an adjacent five-storey building. Both buildings fell. Officials had earlier said rescue operations would be completed by Thursday

Amidst rainfall, rescuers today continued to remove the debris of the two buildings that collapsed in Greater Noida killing at least nine people, including women and a toddler. They have deployed heavy machines to clear the rubble but were moving cautiously to avoid harming anyone trapped under the debris. They, however, said most of the debris has been cleared and the possibility of anyone being trapped there appeared remote. A six-floor under-construction building had crashed on a five-storey building next to it in Shahberi village under Bisrakh police station area on Tuesday night. Since then, the rescue operation has continued. Sniffer dogs were deployed to detect signs of life under the debris. "We have cleared most of the debris and checked the remaining for any signs of life. There hardly appears any indication of anyone being trapped but we are still taking all caution," NDRF Deputy Commandant Rajkamal Malik told PTI. The National Disaster Response Force is leading the operation. Paramedics, police officials and fire department personnel were also present at the site. Five NDRF teams - between 200 to 250 personnel - were pressed into service on late Tuesday night, Malik said. A body was retrieved from the rubble yesterday morning, while the other eight were pulled out Wednesday night. Deputy Superintendent of Police Awneesh Kumar was at the site and supervising the rescue operation. Akhilesh Tripathi, station house officer of Bisrakh police station, said five people have been arrested in connection with the case and raids were being conducted to nab other accused. Altogether, 24 people have been named in the FIR. Charges include culpable homicide not amounting to murder. An officer on Special Duty in Greater Noida Development Authority, Vibha Chahal, has been removed from her post. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered the suspension of two other officials, project manager V P Singh and assistant project manager Akhtar Abbas Zaidi, for dereliction of duty. Gautam Budh Nagar District Magistrate Brajesh Narayan Singh has ordered an investigation, to be completed within 15 days.

Greater Noida buildings collapse: Amidst rain, rescue operations enter day 3

Paresh Rawal, the actor-turned-politician, took another cheap shot at Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday.&nbsp;

Rawal said that if Rahul spoke today at the debate on the no-confidence motion without reading, and without fumbling, then the earth would shake.&nbsp;

For good measure, he added a few more criteria.&nbsp;

He said that if Rahul did not fumble, and made no mistakes while speaking for 15 minutes, then not only would the earth shake, but it would also dance.&nbsp;

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Agar aaj Rahul ji bina padhe, bina fumble kare, bina ghalti kare 15 minute bolenge toh dharti zaroor hilegi, hilegi bhi kya, naachegi: Paresh Rawal,BJP MP <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoConfidenceMotion?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NoConfidenceMotion</a> <a href="https://t.co/EwGCtOlxRe">pic.twitter.com/EwGCtOlxRe</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1020195193344045056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The comment may have been an allusion to one of Rajiv Gandhi's most well-known remarks. Rahul's father Rajiv had, after Indira Gandhi's death, said that "when a giant tree falls, the Earth shakes".&nbsp;

Delhi's anti-Sikh riots had taken place soon after that.&nbsp;

Rawal, who is MP from Ahmedabad East, has also attacked Rahul in the past. He has also retweeted a fake tweet attributed to Rahul Gandhi

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<a href="https://t.co/wsziXbZmdK">pic.twitter.com/wsziXbZmdK</a>
— Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) <a href="https://twitter.com/SirPareshRawal/status/999702621924614144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The tweet later turned out to have been tampered with.&nbsp;

Rawal added that if Rahul did not fumble, and made no mistakes while speaking for 15 minutes, then not only would the earth shake, but it would also dance.

Paresh Rawal, the actor-turned-politician, took another cheap shot at Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday. Rawal said that if Rahul spoke today at the debate on the no-confidence motion without reading, and without fumbling, then the earth would shake. For good measure, he added a few more criteria. He said that if Rahul did not fumble, and made no mistakes while speaking for 15 minutes, then not only would the earth shake, but it would also dance. Agar aaj Rahul ji bina padhe, bina fumble kare, bina ghalti kare 15 minute bolenge toh dharti zaroor hilegi, hilegi bhi kya, naachegi: Paresh Rawal,BJP MP #NoConfidenceMotion pic.twitter.com/EwGCtOlxRe — ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2018 × The comment may have been an allusion to one of Rajiv Gandhi's most well-known remarks. Rahul's father Rajiv had, after Indira Gandhi's death, said that "when a giant tree falls, the Earth shakes". Delhi's anti-Sikh riots had taken place soon after that. Rawal, who is MP from Ahmedabad East, has also attacked Rahul in the past. He has also retweeted a fake tweet attributed to Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/wsziXbZmdK — Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) May 24, 2018 × The tweet later turned out to have been tampered with.

No-confidence motion: Paresh Rawal says if Rahul speaks without notes, Earth will shake

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No-confidence motion: Paresh Rawal says if Rahul speaks without notes, Earth will shake