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India will not abandon the purchase of the S-400 air defence missile systems from Russia despite US pressure as New Delhi is committed to all its military-technical cooperation with Moscow, India's Ambassador Pankaj Saran said on Friday.

India has concluded price negotiations with Russia for a nearly Rs 40,000 crore deal to procure S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems for the Indian Air Force, officials in New Delhi said last month.

In an interview with the state-run TASS news agency, India's Ambassador to Russia Saran, who has recently been appointed the Deputy National Security Advisor, said that India will not back out of buying S-400s.

Military-Technical cooperation between India and Russia was discussed during the informal meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi last month, he said.

It was the first informal Summit in the history of India-Russia relations.

The envoy said the date for the annual bilateral summit between Prime Minister Modi and President Putin has not been announced but he expects it to take place sometime in October in New Delhi.

"We are committed to all our agreements in this sphere, including purchase of S-400. India has a long history of military-technical cooperation with Russia based on trust and mutual benefit. There is no change in the approach of India to our partnership in this field," Saran said.

Asked if Russia could expect signing of an agreement on supply of S-400 by the end of this year, the Indian envoy said he would not like to fix any time-frame.

"I can only say that we have achieved significant progress in the negotiations," Saran said.

Officials in New Delhi have said that India and Russia are now trying to find a way out to evade the provisions of a US law that seeks to punish countries and entities engaged in transactions with the defence or intelligence establishment of Russia.

Both sides are now looking at ways to insulate the deal from the sanctions announced by the US against Russia under its Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

The US had announced sanctions against Russia under the stringent law for its alleged meddling in the American presidential election in 2016.

CAATSA, which came into effect in January, mandates the Trump administration to punish entities engaging in significant transaction with the defence or intelligence establishment of Russia.

Asked about the reason for organising the informal summit between Prime Minister Modi and President Putin, Saran said that the summit was characterised by a special personal chemistry between the two leaders.

"The reason for this unscheduled meeting was that both sides wanted to exchange opinions on key global and regional issues including development of situation in Afghanistan, Syria and Iran as well as to discuss matters of bilateral interest.

"Today relations between India and Russia are important not only for our two countries but also for the region and the whole world. And we would like to build a multi-polar world where India and Russia will contribute to global stability," the ambassador added.&nbsp

Military-Technical cooperation between India and Russia was discussed during the informal meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi last month, India's Ambassador Pankaj Saran said.

India will not abandon the purchase of the S-400 air defence missile systems from Russia despite US pressure as New Delhi is committed to all its military-technical cooperation with Moscow, India's Ambassador Pankaj Saran said on Friday. India has concluded price negotiations with Russia for a nearly Rs 40,000 crore deal to procure S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems for the Indian Air Force, officials in New Delhi said last month. In an interview with the state-run TASS news agency, India's Ambassador to Russia Saran, who has recently been appointed the Deputy National Security Advisor, said that India will not back out of buying S-400s. Military-Technical cooperation between India and Russia was discussed during the informal meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi last month, he said. It was the first informal Summit in the history of India-Russia relations. The envoy said the date for the annual bilateral summit between Prime Minister Modi and President Putin has not been announced but he expects it to take place sometime in October in New Delhi. "We are committed to all our agreements in this sphere, including purchase of S-400. India has a long history of military-technical cooperation with Russia based on trust and mutual benefit. There is no change in the approach of India to our partnership in this field," Saran said. Asked if Russia could expect signing of an agreement on supply of S-400 by the end of this year, the Indian envoy said he would not like to fix any time-frame. "I can only say that we have achieved significant progress in the negotiations," Saran said. Officials in New Delhi have said that India and Russia are now trying to find a way out to evade the provisions of a US law that seeks to punish countries and entities engaged in transactions with the defence or intelligence establishment of Russia. Both sides are now looking at ways to insulate the deal from the sanctions announced by the US against Russia under its Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). The US had announced sanctions against Russia under the stringent law for its alleged meddling in the American presidential election in 2016. CAATSA, which came into effect in January, mandates the Trump administration to punish entities engaging in significant transaction with the defence or intelligence establishment of Russia. Asked about the reason for organising the informal summit between Prime Minister Modi and President Putin, Saran said that the summit was characterised by a special personal chemistry between the two leaders. "The reason for this unscheduled meeting was that both sides wanted to exchange opinions on key global and regional issues including development of situation in Afghanistan, Syria and Iran as well as to discuss matters of bilateral interest. "Today relations between India and Russia are important not only for our two countries but also for the region and the whole world. And we would like to build a multi-polar world where India and Russia will contribute to global stability," the ambassador added.

India won't back out of buying S-400s from Russia despite US pressure: India's envoy

Arjun Kapoor has been shooting in London for Vipul Shah's 'Namastey England' for a while now. The actor on Thursday took out to time to spend time with cousins Sonam and Rhea Kapoor and his 'Ki and Ka' co-star Kareena Kapoor.&nbsp; 
 
Arjun took to Instagram to share photos of their meet and captioned it as, "In great company !!! #londonsummer with the Veere s & @samyuktanair of course… #bebokillingit and the #kapoorsisters killing it…(sic)" 
Arjun also shared photos on his Insta stories. In one of the photos, the actor wrote, "I get to celebrate the success of Veere in London with the veere’s.(Sic)"

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjupQuugRHN/" style=" color:#000 font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px text-decoration:none word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">In great company !!! #londonsummer with the Veere s & @samyuktanair of course... #bebokillingit and the #kapoorsisters killing it... @rheakapoor @sonamkapoor</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px margin-bottom:0 margin-top:8px overflow:hidden padding:8px 0 7px text-align:center text-overflow:ellipsis white-space:nowrap">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/arjunkapoor/" style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px" target="_blank"> Arjun Kapoor</a> (@arjunkapoor) on <time datetime="2018-06-07T15:40:39+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px">Jun 7, 2018 at 8:40am PDT</time>
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'Veere Di Wedding' has earned Rs 50 crores in a week's time and the cast and crew have been celebrating ever since. Co-producer Rhea Kapoor also shared a video on Instagram of the group's London meet.&nbsp;

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It appears that Kareena Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor are in London for vacation. Sonam has another release coming up in this month- Rajkumar Hirani's 'Sanju'.&nbsp;

Arjun, meanwhile, is filming with Parineeti Chopra for Vipul Shah's film in London.

Arjun claimed he was celebrating the success of 'Veere Di Wedding' with the two actresses.

Arjun Kapoor has been shooting in London for Vipul Shah's 'Namastey England' for a while now. The actor on Thursday took out to time to spend time with cousins Sonam and Rhea Kapoor and his 'Ki and Ka' co-star Kareena Kapoor. Arjun took to Instagram to share photos of their meet and captioned it as, "In great company !!! #londonsummer with the Veere s & @samyuktanair of course… #bebokillingit and the #kapoorsisters killing it…(sic)" Arjun also shared photos on his Insta stories. In one of the photos, the actor wrote, "I get to celebrate the success of Veere in London with the veere’s.(Sic)" In great company !!! #londonsummer with the Veere s & @samyuktanair of course... #bebokillingit and the #kapoorsisters killing it... @rheakapoor @sonamkapoor A post shared by Arjun Kapoor (@arjunkapoor) on Jun 7, 2018 at 8:40am PDT × 'Veere Di Wedding' has earned Rs 50 crores in a week's time and the cast and crew have been celebrating ever since. Co-producer Rhea Kapoor also shared a video on Instagram of the group's London meet. ??? . . . . #bebo #saifeena #taimuralikhan #swarabhaskar #london #katrinakaif #rheakapoor #indianwedding #wedding #bollywood #punjabi #srk #salmankhan #aamirkhan #anushkasharma #parineetichopra #kareenakapoor #england #deepikapadukone #veerediwedding #namasteengland #aliabhatt #sonamkapoor #tareefain #sonamkishaadi #ranbirkapoor #arjunkapoor #kareenakapoorkhan #saifalikhan A post shared by Bollywood ♥️ Lollywood (@bollyland) on Jun 7, 2018 at 9:10am PDT × It appears that Kareena Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor are in London for vacation. Sonam has another release coming up in this month- Rajkumar Hirani's 'Sanju'. Arjun, meanwhile, is filming with Parineeti Chopra for Vipul Shah's film in London.

Arjun Kapoor spends time with 'Veeres' Sonam Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in London; see pics

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/as-rajnath-singh-visits-jk-terrorists-attack-army-patrol-in-kupwara-twice-in-24-hours-142979">As Rajnath Singh visits J&K, terrorists attack Army patrol in Kupwara twice in 24 hours</a>

A day after home minister arrived in&nbsp;Jammu and Kashmir(J&K)&nbsp;terrorists&nbsp;attacked an army patrol in Haril area of Kupwara district. On Thursday, terrorists had ambushed the Army's patrol party in the Keran sector in Kupwara. Two soldiers were injured in the attack.

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-rajinikanths-kaala-releases-in-select-theaters-across-karnataka--142982">Rajinikanth's 'Kaala' releases in select </a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-rajinikanths-kaala-releases-in-select-theaters-across-karnataka--142982">theaters</a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-rajinikanths-kaala-releases-in-select-theaters-across-karnataka--142982"> across Karnataka</a>

Rajinikanth's Kaala did release in Karnataka on Thursday but only in select theatres and amid heavy security. Fear of vandalism overtook a high court order and most theaters preferred not to screen the film across the state.

<a href="http://wionews.com/world/might-invite-kim-to-us-if-talks-go-well-trump-142969">Might invite Kim to </a><a href="http://wionews.com/world/might-invite-kim-to-us-if-talks-go-well-trump-142969">US</a><a href="http://wionews.com/world/might-invite-kim-to-us-if-talks-go-well-trump-142969"> if talks go well: Trump</a>

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he may invite North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to the White House if the Singapore summit goes well.

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/india-must-improve-performance-of-public-sector-banks-imf-142991">India must improve </a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/india-must-improve-performance-of-public-sector-banks-imf-142991">performance</a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/india-must-improve-performance-of-public-sector-banks-imf-142991"> of public sector banks: IMF</a>

The International Monetary Fund said today that&nbsp;India should look at the performance&nbsp;of the public sector banks as it seeks to reform and grow.

<a href="http://wionews.com/world/japan-willing-to-talk-to-north-korea-and-normalise-ties-pm-shinzo-abe-142971">Japan willing to talk to North Korea and normalise ties: PM Shinzo Abe</a>

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe said today that Japan strongly for peace in the Korean Peninsula while asserting that his country was willing to talk to North Korea to normalise ties.

As Rajnath Singh visits J&K, terrorists attack Army patrol in Kupwara twice in 24 hours A day after home minister arrived in Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) terrorists attacked an army patrol in Haril area of Kupwara district. On Thursday, terrorists had ambushed the Army's patrol party in the Keran sector in Kupwara. Two soldiers were injured in the attack. Rajinikanth's 'Kaala' releases in select theaters across Karnataka Rajinikanth's Kaala did release in Karnataka on Thursday but only in select theatres and amid heavy security. Fear of vandalism overtook a high court order and most theaters preferred not to screen the film across the state. Might invite Kim to US if talks go well: Trump US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he may invite North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to the White House if the Singapore summit goes well. India must improve performance of public sector banks: IMF The International Monetary Fund said today that India should look at the performance of the public sector banks as it seeks to reform and grow. Japan willing to talk to North Korea and normalise ties: PM Shinzo Abe Japanese PM Shinzo Abe said today that Japan strongly for peace in the Korean Peninsula while asserting that his country was willing to talk to North Korea to normalise ties.

News brief: Big stories of the day

The Indian Navy ships of the Eastern Fleet on Thursday arrived at Guam to participate in the 22nd edition of Exercise Malabar to be held off the coast of Guam in the Philippine Sea from June 7 to June 16.

The three ships - Sahyadri, Shakti, and Kamorta - of the Eastern Fleet are under the command of Rear Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet and are currently on an overseas deployment to South East Asia and the Western Pacific region.

The scope of the Malabar-18 includes professional interactions during the Harbour Phase in Guam from June 7 to June 10.

The Sea Phase will be held from June 11 to June 16, which includes a diverse range of activities at sea including Aircraft Carrier operations, Air Defence, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Surface Warfare, Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS), joint manoeuvres and tactical procedures.

Exercise Malabar, which started as a bilateral exercise between the United States Navy and the Indian Navy in 1992, has evolved over the years with the participation of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) from 2007.

Over the last 26 years, this Maritime Exercise has grown in scope and complexity and aims at increasing the level of mutual understanding, interoperability and sharing of the best practices between the three navies.

The Indian Navy will be represented by the two indigenously designed and built ships, the multi-purpose stealth frigate INS Sahyadri and Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette, INS Kamorta as also by Fleet Tanker INS Shakti and Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft P8I.

The United States Navy forces will include the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan with its air wing two Ticonderoga class cruisers, USS Antietam and USS Chancellorsville two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, USS Benfold and USS Mustin a Los Angeles-class attack submarine and one Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft P8A.

The JMSDF would be represented by a Hyuga class helicopter carrier JS Ise with integral helicopters Takanami class destroyer JS Suzunami Akizuki class destroyer JS Fuyuzuki, Japanese Maritime Patrol Aircraft, P1, and a submarine.

Exercise Malabar 2017 was held in July last year on the Eastern Sea Board of India, off Chennai and Visakhapatnam. It is for the first time that the exercise is being conducted off Guam, a major United States Naval Base in the Western Pacific.

Exercise Malabar 2017 was held in July last year on the Eastern Sea Board of India, off Chennai and Visakhapatnam. It is for the first time that the exercise is being conducted off Guam, a major United States Naval Base in the Western Pacific

The Indian Navy ships of the Eastern Fleet on Thursday arrived at Guam to participate in the 22nd edition of Exercise Malabar to be held off the coast of Guam in the Philippine Sea from June 7 to June 16. The three ships - Sahyadri, Shakti, and Kamorta - of the Eastern Fleet are under the command of Rear Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet and are currently on an overseas deployment to South East Asia and the Western Pacific region. The scope of the Malabar-18 includes professional interactions during the Harbour Phase in Guam from June 7 to June 10. The Sea Phase will be held from June 11 to June 16, which includes a diverse range of activities at sea including Aircraft Carrier operations, Air Defence, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Surface Warfare, Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS), joint manoeuvres and tactical procedures. Exercise Malabar, which started as a bilateral exercise between the United States Navy and the Indian Navy in 1992, has evolved over the years with the participation of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) from 2007. Over the last 26 years, this Maritime Exercise has grown in scope and complexity and aims at increasing the level of mutual understanding, interoperability and sharing of the best practices between the three navies. The Indian Navy will be represented by the two indigenously designed and built ships, the multi-purpose stealth frigate INS Sahyadri and Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette, INS Kamorta as also by Fleet Tanker INS Shakti and Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft P8I. The United States Navy forces will include the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan with its air wing two Ticonderoga class cruisers, USS Antietam and USS Chancellorsville two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, USS Benfold and USS Mustin a Los Angeles-class attack submarine and one Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft P8A. The JMSDF would be represented by a Hyuga class helicopter carrier JS Ise with integral helicopters Takanami class destroyer JS Suzunami Akizuki class destroyer JS Fuyuzuki, Japanese Maritime Patrol Aircraft, P1, and a submarine. Exercise Malabar 2017 was held in July last year on the Eastern Sea Board of India, off Chennai and Visakhapatnam. It is for the first time that the exercise is being conducted off Guam, a major United States Naval Base in the Western Pacific.

Indian Navy ships arrive in Guam for Malabar 2018

The International Monetary Fund said today that <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/pnb-scam-ed-files-first-chargesheet-against-nirav-modi-associates-139476">India should look at the performance </a>of the public sector banks as it seeks to reform and grow.

India's bank has come under renewed pressure <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/pnb-to-honour-lous-worth-rs-6500-crore-due-to-lenders-126873">after a massive scam was unearthed </a>in Punjab Nationa Bank(PNB) engineered by diamond baron Nirav Modi. The scam worth $ 2 billion led to scrutiny of other banks even as bad debts of public sector banks increased.

PNB recently posted the largest-ever quarterly loss of Rs 13,416.91 crore for January-March period due to bad loans.

"Addressing the banking sector balance sheet issues and improving the performance of particular public sector banks is a very important issue for India to support investment and its inclusive growth agenda," IMF Spokesman Gerry Rice said.

A report recently said IDBI Bank had the highest bad-loan ratio among India's banks. The banks in India have around $210 billion in non-performing assets(NPAs), according to a report.

The IMF said India had made progress to address NPAs and was taking further measures to deal with the flow problem. 
&nbsp&nbsp 
"These steps include the recognition of these non-performing assets, the resolution framework under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. It's in an early stage, but we think that's an encouraging development," Rice said.&nbsp

Rice recommended India should improve the risk management system in public sector banks, adding that "further governance" was needed in the key area.

"But we welcome the authority's intention to make public sector bank recapitalisation contingent on measures to strengthen governance and operations and encourage the accelerating implementation of the ongoing reforms," Rice added.&nbsp

PNB recently posted the largest-ever quarterly loss of Rs 13,416.91 crore for January-March period due to bad loans.

The International Monetary Fund said today that India should look at the performance of the public sector banks as it seeks to reform and grow. India's bank has come under renewed pressure after a massive scam was unearthed in Punjab Nationa Bank(PNB) engineered by diamond baron Nirav Modi. The scam worth $ 2 billion led to scrutiny of other banks even as bad debts of public sector banks increased. PNB recently posted the largest-ever quarterly loss of Rs 13,416.91 crore for January-March period due to bad loans. "Addressing the banking sector balance sheet issues and improving the performance of particular public sector banks is a very important issue for India to support investment and its inclusive growth agenda," IMF Spokesman Gerry Rice said. A report recently said IDBI Bank had the highest bad-loan ratio among India's banks. The banks in India have around $210 billion in non-performing assets(NPAs), according to a report. The IMF said India had made progress to address NPAs and was taking further measures to deal with the flow problem. "These steps include the recognition of these non-performing assets, the resolution framework under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. It's in an early stage, but we think that's an encouraging development," Rice said. Rice recommended India should improve the risk management system in public sector banks, adding that "further governance" was needed in the key area. "But we welcome the authority's intention to make public sector bank recapitalisation contingent on measures to strengthen governance and operations and encourage the accelerating implementation of the ongoing reforms," Rice added.

India must improve performance of public sector banks: IMF

&nbspAir India has invited bids for Rs 1,000-crore Short Term Loan (STL) from financial institutions and banks to meet its "urgent working capital requirements."

The national carrier, which recently failed to get even a single bidder for its disinvestment plan, has called for financial bids by June 13 for the tenure of one year.

"Air India is inviting bids for Government Guaranteed INR STL totalling to Rs 1,000 crore to meet its urgent working capital requirements," the airline said in a statement.

"The tenure of the loan will be for one year (renewable) from the date of availing the STL. The amount of Rs 1,000 crore will be drawn in June'18 in one or more tranches.

"The government of India guarantee is presently valid for one year," it added.

On May 31, the government had said no initial bids were received for the strategic disinvestment for the loss-making carrier.

The national carrier, which recently failed to get even a single bidder for its disinvestment plan, has called for financial bids by June 13 for the tenure of one year

&nbspAir India has invited bids for Rs 1,000-crore Short Term Loan (STL) from financial institutions and banks to meet its "urgent working capital requirements." The national carrier, which recently failed to get even a single bidder for its disinvestment plan, has called for financial bids by June 13 for the tenure of one year. "Air India is inviting bids for Government Guaranteed INR STL totalling to Rs 1,000 crore to meet its urgent working capital requirements," the airline said in a statement. "The tenure of the loan will be for one year (renewable) from the date of availing the STL. The amount of Rs 1,000 crore will be drawn in June'18 in one or more tranches. "The government of India guarantee is presently valid for one year," it added. On May 31, the government had said no initial bids were received for the strategic disinvestment for the loss-making carrier.

Air India seeks Rs 1,000 crore short-term loan

Maharashtra Swabhimani Paksha chief Narayan Rane on Thursday targeted the Shiv Sena and dared the Uddhav Thackeray-headed party to walk out of the BJP-led NDA government in the state as it announced its decision to contest elections on its own.

"You talk about fighting polls without an alliance (with the BJP). Then why do you not let go of power? You criticise your ally while being part of the government. Contesting elections separately does not befit the Sena," Rane said, addressing his party workers in suburban Bandra.&nbsp

Rane, a Rajya Sabha member, said there were various challenges plaguing the state but no political party seemed interested in tackling them, hence, he had to form his own political party.

The former Chief Minister of Maharashtra further questioned if the Sena was formed for the welfare of Marathi-speaking individuals, why did the percentage of such people decrease in Mumbai.

"Marathi people gave everything to the Sena but what did the party give back to them?" he questioned.

"If the entire responsibility of governance is on the BJP, are you just there to sit and eat? he asked.&nbsp

Slamming the Congress, Rane said the party did not fulfil the promises it had made to the people.

In an apparent dig at former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who was earlier a Union minister, Rane said the reins of the state were given to a person who knew nothing about the state.

"I left the Congress because they kept making promises to me. After I quit the party, I had offers from parties including the Sena. However, I realised I had to form my own party if I wanted to give justice to my (party) workers," Rane said as he exhorted his workers to start preparations for the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Maharashtra Swabhimani Paksha chief Narayan Rane on Thursday targeted the Shiv Sena and dared the Uddhav Thackeray-headed party to walk out of the BJP-led NDA government in the state as it announced its decision to contest elections on its own

Maharashtra Swabhimani Paksha chief Narayan Rane on Thursday targeted the Shiv Sena and dared the Uddhav Thackeray-headed party to walk out of the BJP-led NDA government in the state as it announced its decision to contest elections on its own. "You talk about fighting polls without an alliance (with the BJP). Then why do you not let go of power? You criticise your ally while being part of the government. Contesting elections separately does not befit the Sena," Rane said, addressing his party workers in suburban Bandra. Rane, a Rajya Sabha member, said there were various challenges plaguing the state but no political party seemed interested in tackling them, hence, he had to form his own political party. The former Chief Minister of Maharashtra further questioned if the Sena was formed for the welfare of Marathi-speaking individuals, why did the percentage of such people decrease in Mumbai. "Marathi people gave everything to the Sena but what did the party give back to them?" he questioned. "If the entire responsibility of governance is on the BJP, are you just there to sit and eat? he asked. Slamming the Congress, Rane said the party did not fulfil the promises it had made to the people. In an apparent dig at former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who was earlier a Union minister, Rane said the reins of the state were given to a person who knew nothing about the state. "I left the Congress because they kept making promises to me. After I quit the party, I had offers from parties including the Sena. However, I realised I had to form my own party if I wanted to give justice to my (party) workers," Rane said as he exhorted his workers to start preparations for the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Maharashtra Swabhimani Paksha chief Narayan Rane dares Shiv Sena to quit BJP-led govt

Rajinikanth latest screen venture 'Kaala'&nbsp;garnered lukewarm response in terms of initial bookings, unlike the actor's previous films but trade analysts are hopeful that the film will do good business over the weekend. 
As early reviews poured in, critics too seemed unimpressed with the Pa Ranjith's much-awaited film, whose screen counts is less than their previous collaboration, 'Kabali'. 
 
City-based trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai expects a good opening for the film which, according to him, will milk the age-old adage of "any publicity is good publicity". He, however, predicted that the numbers will be no match to 2016's ' Kabali'. 
 
"I think it will open good in Tamil Nadu because of the controversies surrounding the film. But I can't pinpoint numbers at the moment. Although the advance booking was not very good, the state government's special permission to conduct morning shows have helped. It is expected to do well since it is a Rajinikanth movie but it will not take a massive opening," Pillai told PTI.&nbsp; 
 
Till noon, some of the online portals showed availability of tickets, an anomaly for a Thalaivar's film as they are usually sold-out for the first two weeks in advance. 
 
The actor, who has announced his plan to enter active politics, has found himself in a tough spot with his comments on Cauvery water, leading to a demand for a ban of the film in the state by pro-Karnataka bodies and the state's film federation.&nbsp; 
 
Chennai-based trade expert Kaushik LM said 'Kaala'&nbsp;will outshine 'Kabali'&nbsp;over time.&nbsp; 
 
"Currently, the tracking suggests that the film may slightly fall behind the opening record of Vijay's 'Mersal' here since 'Kaala' has released on a non-festival day. But in the long run, I'm expecting 'Kaala' to beat this film's numbers in Tamil Nadu.&nbsp; 
 
"Salman Khan-fronted 'Race 3' will not have a big impact in the state next week, and 'Kaala' is expected to hold a good number of screens until next week for sure," he told PTI. 
 
Kaushik says breaching the Rs 100 crore-mark in Tamil Nadu will be a challenging feat but the state's distributors feel secure as major areas have scored a decent advance booking. 
 
"The Tamil Nadu rights for the film are valued at around Rs 62 crores... Except for a few territories which are distributed on MG (Minimum-Guarantee) basis, all the other areas in Tamil Nadu have been sold an advance commission basis, which is a safe bet for exhibitors. 
 
According to Deepak, a trade analyst who tracks box office in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the future of 'Kaala' appears dark as the story, which centres around the Tamil revolution in the slums of Dharavi, is bound to have a jarring effect on the Telugu-speaking audiences. 
 
"The audience response in the Telugu states is quite average, and the box-office opening is very dull. The makers are releasing the film through producer NV Prasad on a commission basis, which means they will recover whatever they receive from exhibitors. "The film's rights were not sold to anyone even when the makers received an offer for Rs 33 crores here. The low-key promos are one of the reasons for the flat response here. The plot of the movie revolves around the uprising of Tamils, and there is a definite disconnect among Telugu audiences," he said. 
 
The film, however, is nothing less than an event for Rajinikanth's devoted fan following, who were in theatres whether they agree with their star's politics or not. 
 
In another feat for the film, 'Kaala'&nbsp; became the first Indian film to release in Saudi Arabia, after the country lifted the ban on cinema viewing in public.

Distributor Home Screen Entertainment took to Twitter to confirm the news. 
 
"Proud to share that we at HomeScreenEntertainment and @GCinama, in association with @voxcinemas, have just made history! We've released the FIRST ever Indian film in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - None other than our very own Thalaivar's #Kaala @LycaProductions @wunderbarfilms," the tweet from their account read.&nbsp;

Trade analysts are hopeful that Rajinikanth's star power will bring people to the theaters.

Rajinikanth latest screen venture 'Kaala' garnered lukewarm response in terms of initial bookings, unlike the actor's previous films but trade analysts are hopeful that the film will do good business over the weekend. As early reviews poured in, critics too seemed unimpressed with the Pa Ranjith's much-awaited film, whose screen counts is less than their previous collaboration, 'Kabali'. City-based trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai expects a good opening for the film which, according to him, will milk the age-old adage of "any publicity is good publicity". He, however, predicted that the numbers will be no match to 2016's ' Kabali'. "I think it will open good in Tamil Nadu because of the controversies surrounding the film. But I can't pinpoint numbers at the moment. Although the advance booking was not very good, the state government's special permission to conduct morning shows have helped. It is expected to do well since it is a Rajinikanth movie but it will not take a massive opening," Pillai told PTI. Till noon, some of the online portals showed availability of tickets, an anomaly for a Thalaivar's film as they are usually sold-out for the first two weeks in advance. The actor, who has announced his plan to enter active politics, has found himself in a tough spot with his comments on Cauvery water, leading to a demand for a ban of the film in the state by pro-Karnataka bodies and the state's film federation. Chennai-based trade expert Kaushik LM said 'Kaala' will outshine 'Kabali' over time. "Currently, the tracking suggests that the film may slightly fall behind the opening record of Vijay's 'Mersal' here since 'Kaala' has released on a non-festival day. But in the long run, I'm expecting 'Kaala' to beat this film's numbers in Tamil Nadu. "Salman Khan-fronted 'Race 3' will not have a big impact in the state next week, and 'Kaala' is expected to hold a good number of screens until next week for sure," he told PTI. Kaushik says breaching the Rs 100 crore-mark in Tamil Nadu will be a challenging feat but the state's distributors feel secure as major areas have scored a decent advance booking. "The Tamil Nadu rights for the film are valued at around Rs 62 crores... Except for a few territories which are distributed on MG (Minimum-Guarantee) basis, all the other areas in Tamil Nadu have been sold an advance commission basis, which is a safe bet for exhibitors. According to Deepak, a trade analyst who tracks box office in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the future of 'Kaala' appears dark as the story, which centres around the Tamil revolution in the slums of Dharavi, is bound to have a jarring effect on the Telugu-speaking audiences. "The audience response in the Telugu states is quite average, and the box-office opening is very dull. The makers are releasing the film through producer NV Prasad on a commission basis, which means they will recover whatever they receive from exhibitors. "The film's rights were not sold to anyone even when the makers received an offer for Rs 33 crores here. The low-key promos are one of the reasons for the flat response here. The plot of the movie revolves around the uprising of Tamils, and there is a definite disconnect among Telugu audiences," he said. The film, however, is nothing less than an event for Rajinikanth's devoted fan following, who were in theatres whether they agree with their star's politics or not. In another feat for the film, 'Kaala' became the first Indian film to release in Saudi Arabia, after the country lifted the ban on cinema viewing in public. Distributor Home Screen Entertainment took to Twitter to confirm the news. "Proud to share that we at HomeScreenEntertainment and @GCinama, in association with @voxcinemas, have just made history! We've released the FIRST ever Indian film in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - None other than our very own Thalaivar's #Kaala @LycaProductions @wunderbarfilms," the tweet from their account read.

Kaala: Despite lukewarm opening, trade analysts hopeful about Rajini magic

&nbsp;The RSS today blamed "divisive political forces" for first trying to make former President Pranab Mukherjee "refrain" from attending its event and then for posting a morphed photograph showing him in a prayer position identified with the organisation, reported news agency PTI.

"Some divisive political forces have posted a morphed photo of former President Dr Pranab Mukherjee standing in a prayer position with a folded hand during recitation of Sangha 'prarthana' (prayer) at yesterday's RSS function at Nagpur," the Hindutva organisation's joint general secretary Manmohan Vaidya said in a statement.

"These forces initially tried to create an opposition to make Mukherjee refrain from attending this function and now these frustrated forces are indulging in all such dirty tricks to defame the RSS. We denounce and strongly condemn the lowly act of these divisive political forces who are deliberately trying to defame the RSS," he said.

Mukherjee's daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee, a Congress leader who had opposed his visit to the RSS event, had highlighted the photograph and said, "See, this is exactly what I was fearing & warned my father about. Not even few hours have passed, but BJP/RSS dirty tricks dept is at work in full swing!".&nbsp;

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"See, this is exactly what I was fearing & warned my father about. Not even few hours have passed, but BJP/RSS dirty tricks dept is at work in full swing!" Mukherjee's daughter said

The RSS today blamed "divisive political forces" for first trying to make former President Pranab Mukherjee "refrain" from attending its event and then for posting a morphed photograph showing him in a prayer position identified with the organisation, reported news agency PTI. "Some divisive political forces have posted a morphed photo of former President Dr Pranab Mukherjee standing in a prayer position with a folded hand during recitation of Sangha 'prarthana' (prayer) at yesterday's RSS function at Nagpur," the Hindutva organisation's joint general secretary Manmohan Vaidya said in a statement. "These forces initially tried to create an opposition to make Mukherjee refrain from attending this function and now these frustrated forces are indulging in all such dirty tricks to defame the RSS. We denounce and strongly condemn the lowly act of these divisive political forces who are deliberately trying to defame the RSS," he said. Mukherjee's daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee, a Congress leader who had opposed his visit to the RSS event, had highlighted the photograph and said, "See, this is exactly what I was fearing & warned my father about. Not even few hours have passed, but BJP/RSS dirty tricks dept is at work in full swing!". The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh strongly condemned divisive political forces on deliberately defaming the party over a morphed photo of former president Pranab Mukherjee wearing a black coloured Sangh cap and giving an RSS-style salute Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/WZ9579c9Pk pic.twitter.com/ycdmg2vp12 — ANI Digital (@ani_digital) June 8, 2018 ×

RSS blames divisive political forces for  Pranab Mukherjee's morphed photo

Rajinikanth's Kaala did release in Karnataka on Thursday but only in select theaters and amid heavy security. Fear of vandalism overtook a high court order and most theaters preferred not to screen the film across the state. 
 
About 6,000 police personnel were posted on security duty at theatres in Bengaluru, media reports stated. Despite the security, no one scheduled a morning show of the film, leaving hundreds of fans disappointed and angry. 
 
Inox, in Bengaluru, screened the first show of the film in the afternoon. Inox staffers revealed that the shows “ran to a full house” and the audience “enjoyed the film”.&nbsp; 
 
But fear of vandalism and unnecessary hassle kept a lot of moviegoers away from the film.&nbsp; 
 
"It is disappointing that there were no morning shows, but theatres began screening the film in the afternoon. By end of day, we had about 50 screens and we are confident of another 125 screens showing it from tomorrow (Friday) morning," a film distributor was quoted as saying. 
 
Single screen exhibitors did not screen the film even in the evening show fearing vandalism inside the theaters.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) continued to claim that it had not ordered “a ban on the film”.

Hundreds of fans of the superstar were left disappointed as they gathered outside cinema halls after the High Court order to catch 'Kaala' only to be told that the shows had been cancelled.&nbsp;

Pro-Kannada groups had demanded a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-rajini-starrer-kaala-makers-move-karnataka-high-court--142280">ban on the film's release </a>in the state last week after Rajinikanth made a comment on their Cauvery issue.

Unlike&nbsp;other Rajini films, 'Kaala' opened to an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-kaala-records-lowest-ever-opening-for-rajinikanth-film-142848">underwhelming response in India.&nbsp;</a>

The film was only screened in certain cinema halls across the state.

Rajinikanth's Kaala did release in Karnataka on Thursday but only in select theaters and amid heavy security. Fear of vandalism overtook a high court order and most theaters preferred not to screen the film across the state. About 6,000 police personnel were posted on security duty at theatres in Bengaluru, media reports stated. Despite the security, no one scheduled a morning show of the film, leaving hundreds of fans disappointed and angry. Inox, in Bengaluru, screened the first show of the film in the afternoon. Inox staffers revealed that the shows “ran to a full house” and the audience “enjoyed the film”. But fear of vandalism and unnecessary hassle kept a lot of moviegoers away from the film. "It is disappointing that there were no morning shows, but theatres began screening the film in the afternoon. By end of day, we had about 50 screens and we are confident of another 125 screens showing it from tomorrow (Friday) morning," a film distributor was quoted as saying. Single screen exhibitors did not screen the film even in the evening show fearing vandalism inside the theaters. Meanwhile, the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) continued to claim that it had not ordered “a ban on the film”. Hundreds of fans of the superstar were left disappointed as they gathered outside cinema halls after the High Court order to catch 'Kaala' only to be told that the shows had been cancelled. Pro-Kannada groups had demanded a ban on the film's release in the state last week after Rajinikanth made a comment on their Cauvery issue. Unlike other Rajini films, 'Kaala' opened to an underwhelming response in India.

Rajinikanth's 'Kaala' releases in select theaters across Karnataka

A day after home minister arrived in<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/as-rajnath-singh-lands-in-jk-terrorists-ambush-army-patrol-in-kupwara-142769"> Jammu and Kashmir(J&K)&nbsp;terrorists</a> attacked an army patrol in Haril area of Kupwara district.

On Thursday, terrorists had ambushed the Army's patrol party in the Keran sector in Kupwara. Two soldiers were injured in the attack.

Home minister Rajnath Singh is in J&K to review the security situation in the state and meet people in the border area.

During a function in Sher-e-Kashmir Indoor Stadium in J&K, India's home minister said the Centre had decided to withdraw cases against stone-pelters.

"We believe that children anywhere are the same. We understand that some youth were misled into stone pelting."

"Children can make mistakes... That is why we decided to withdraw the cases against those children who were involved in stone pelting," he said.

Rajnath appealed to the youth in J&K to take the "path of development and not destruction." The home minister asserted that the state's sports infrastructure would be improved which he said "will change the face and destiny of the state."

Sing also facilitated several sportsperson from the state, including Parvez Rasool, Mehrajuddin, Rajinder Singh, Manzoor Dar and Tajjammul Islam.

<iframe allow="autoplay encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wNL4YFarQJ0" width="560"></iframe>

Home minister Rajnath Singh is in J&K to review the security situation in the state and meet people in the border area.

A day after home minister arrived in Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) terrorists attacked an army patrol in Haril area of Kupwara district. On Thursday, terrorists had ambushed the Army's patrol party in the Keran sector in Kupwara. Two soldiers were injured in the attack. Home minister Rajnath Singh is in J&K to review the security situation in the state and meet people in the border area. During a function in Sher-e-Kashmir Indoor Stadium in J&K, India's home minister said the Centre had decided to withdraw cases against stone-pelters. "We believe that children anywhere are the same. We understand that some youth were misled into stone pelting." "Children can make mistakes... That is why we decided to withdraw the cases against those children who were involved in stone pelting," he said. Rajnath appealed to the youth in J&K to take the "path of development and not destruction." The home minister asserted that the state's sports infrastructure would be improved which he said "will change the face and destiny of the state." Sing also facilitated several sportsperson from the state, including Parvez Rasool, Mehrajuddin, Rajinder Singh, Manzoor Dar and Tajjammul Islam.

As Rajnath Singh visits J&K, terrorists attack Army patrol in Kupwara twice in 24 hours

Five elderly patients died in the ICU of a state-run hospital here during the last two days, with their attendants alleging that AC plant failure was the reason for their deaths, a charge denied by hospital authorities.

The incident brought back memories of the Gorakhpur hospital deaths last year allegedly due to shortage of oxygen.

While the attendants of patients alleged that the AC plant in the ICU of Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital was not working for the past several days leading to their deaths, the principal of the Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Medical College, under which the hospital functions, said the patients died due to serious illness and not because of any AC failure.

"There were problems in the AC plant yesterday. The problems were fixed, but they again cropped up," Principal Navneet Kumar admitted but emphatically denied the charge that the patients died due to air conditioning problem.

"The ICU has serious patients but none died due to AC failure," he told reporters here.

He said technicians have been asked to rectify the problem in the AC plant at the earliest and a probe has been instituted into the matter.

The deceased patients were identified as Indrapal (75) of Nurwal, Ganga Prasad Yadav (75) of Budhi-Khera Unnao, Rasool Baksh (62) of Sandeela Hardoi, Murari Lal (65) of Azamgarh and another person whose identity could not be established immediately.

Accepting that there were certain air conditioning problems, ICU in-charge Saurav Agarwal said the AC plant of the medicine department's ICU had shut down just two days back.

"Superintending in-charge of LLR Hospital, chief medical superintendent, power department officials and the agency concerned were informed and the problem was rectified. But the compressor again got burnt yesterday," Agrawal said.

"Although it was hot inside, life-saving machines like ventilators and monitors were not affected and were working properly. Only the AC became defective," he said.

An attendant of a patient said that the LLR Hospital staff tried to provide relief to patients by opening windows and doors of the ICU, but it could not be of much help due to the blazing summer.

He said attendants had to use hand fans to bring some respite to restless patients.

On getting the news about the deaths, senior officials including district magistrate and additional district magistrate (ADM) rushed to the hospital for making on-the-spot assessment.

Last year several deaths took place in a state-run hospital in Gorakhpur allegedly due to shortage of oxygen.

More than 60 children, mostly infants, had died at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College there within the span of a week in August 2017, triggering a massive outrage.

There were allegations that the deaths occurred due to disruption in oxygen supply over unpaid bills to the vendor, a charge denied by the state government.&nbsp

The incident brought back memories of the Gorakhpur hospital deaths last year allegedly due to shortage of oxygen

Five elderly patients died in the ICU of a state-run hospital here during the last two days, with their attendants alleging that AC plant failure was the reason for their deaths, a charge denied by hospital authorities. The incident brought back memories of the Gorakhpur hospital deaths last year allegedly due to shortage of oxygen. While the attendants of patients alleged that the AC plant in the ICU of Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital was not working for the past several days leading to their deaths, the principal of the Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Medical College, under which the hospital functions, said the patients died due to serious illness and not because of any AC failure. "There were problems in the AC plant yesterday. The problems were fixed, but they again cropped up," Principal Navneet Kumar admitted but emphatically denied the charge that the patients died due to air conditioning problem. "The ICU has serious patients but none died due to AC failure," he told reporters here. He said technicians have been asked to rectify the problem in the AC plant at the earliest and a probe has been instituted into the matter. The deceased patients were identified as Indrapal (75) of Nurwal, Ganga Prasad Yadav (75) of Budhi-Khera Unnao, Rasool Baksh (62) of Sandeela Hardoi, Murari Lal (65) of Azamgarh and another person whose identity could not be established immediately. Accepting that there were certain air conditioning problems, ICU in-charge Saurav Agarwal said the AC plant of the medicine department's ICU had shut down just two days back. "Superintending in-charge of LLR Hospital, chief medical superintendent, power department officials and the agency concerned were informed and the problem was rectified. But the compressor again got burnt yesterday," Agrawal said. "Although it was hot inside, life-saving machines like ventilators and monitors were not affected and were working properly. Only the AC became defective," he said. An attendant of a patient said that the LLR Hospital staff tried to provide relief to patients by opening windows and doors of the ICU, but it could not be of much help due to the blazing summer. He said attendants had to use hand fans to bring some respite to restless patients. On getting the news about the deaths, senior officials including district magistrate and additional district magistrate (ADM) rushed to the hospital for making on-the-spot assessment. Last year several deaths took place in a state-run hospital in Gorakhpur allegedly due to shortage of oxygen. More than 60 children, mostly infants, had died at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College there within the span of a week in August 2017, triggering a massive outrage. There were allegations that the deaths occurred due to disruption in oxygen supply over unpaid bills to the vendor, a charge denied by the state government.

5 die in Kanpur hospital ICU; kin allege AC failure, hospital denies

India does not view its relations with China through the prism of China-Pakistan ties, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday, but ruled out the possibility of New Delhi reviewing its stand on CPEC project, a major irritant in Sino-Indian relationship.

She also said New Delhi is alert to the economic assistance provided by China to India's neighbours and ramifications it could have for the country.

"One thing I want to assure here...We do not view our relations with China through the prism of China-Pakistan relations," the minister told an event to mark the 10th anniversary of 'Chennai Centre for China Studies' here.

Sitharaman brought up the issue of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and made it clear that India will not "entertain any thought" of reviewing its stand on it, as it concerned its sovereignty.

"It is an issue of sovereignty, and we shall not entertain any thought (other than the stated Indian position) on that matter," she said.

The CPEC comprises a bunch of projects aimed at upgrading infrastructure in Pakistan and strengthening the economic ties between the two countries. The corridor will link Gwadar in south-western Pakistan to China's Xinjiang province, and would pass through Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, a territory India claims as its own.

"The kind of economic assistance being extended to many of our neighbours are all very clearly impacting the economies there, probably helping to bond a relationship with those countries.

"As a result, even a strategic presence could be enabled. I see a linkage. This is something which I think all of us, you (Chennai Centre for China Studies) as a think tank, and we as a government, constantly be alert to and understand its ramifications," she said.

Sitharaman said Pakistani military was becoming increasingly dependent on the Chinese for arms and equipment.

"The focus of the reforms is therefore evidently moving towards the PLA (People's Liberation Army) Navy, PLA Airforce and PLA Rocket Forces as opposed to erstwhile emphasis on just the PLA," she said.

Noting that a "fundamental reorientation" of the China-Pakistan relations was not likely, the minister said last month's informal summit meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping was not just a "one-off" thing and that the two nations will "immensely benefit" from it.

"No doubt, in the long term, the relationship between India and China will immensely benefit from this engagement," she said.

Sitharaman said she was in China in April this year with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's (SCO) foreign and defence ministers' meet where India made a pitch for a greater interactive forum. "And for that we should have definitely a hotline between India and China," she said.

The hotline, she said, would reduce the time consumed in reaching the empowered decision makers in times of confrontation at the ground level.

"We have certainly underlined the fact that the border personnel meet, flag officer meet can all happen. But we need to have a better hotline that would easily help us in being ready for a (conflict) resolution in a short time," she said.

India does not view its relations with China through the prism of China-Pakistan ties, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday

India does not view its relations with China through the prism of China-Pakistan ties, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday, but ruled out the possibility of New Delhi reviewing its stand on CPEC project, a major irritant in Sino-Indian relationship. She also said New Delhi is alert to the economic assistance provided by China to India's neighbours and ramifications it could have for the country. "One thing I want to assure here...We do not view our relations with China through the prism of China-Pakistan relations," the minister told an event to mark the 10th anniversary of 'Chennai Centre for China Studies' here. Sitharaman brought up the issue of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and made it clear that India will not "entertain any thought" of reviewing its stand on it, as it concerned its sovereignty. "It is an issue of sovereignty, and we shall not entertain any thought (other than the stated Indian position) on that matter," she said. The CPEC comprises a bunch of projects aimed at upgrading infrastructure in Pakistan and strengthening the economic ties between the two countries. The corridor will link Gwadar in south-western Pakistan to China's Xinjiang province, and would pass through Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, a territory India claims as its own. "The kind of economic assistance being extended to many of our neighbours are all very clearly impacting the economies there, probably helping to bond a relationship with those countries. "As a result, even a strategic presence could be enabled. I see a linkage. This is something which I think all of us, you (Chennai Centre for China Studies) as a think tank, and we as a government, constantly be alert to and understand its ramifications," she said. Sitharaman said Pakistani military was becoming increasingly dependent on the Chinese for arms and equipment. "The focus of the reforms is therefore evidently moving towards the PLA (People's Liberation Army) Navy, PLA Airforce and PLA Rocket Forces as opposed to erstwhile emphasis on just the PLA," she said. Noting that a "fundamental reorientation" of the China-Pakistan relations was not likely, the minister said last month's informal summit meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping was not just a "one-off" thing and that the two nations will "immensely benefit" from it. "No doubt, in the long term, the relationship between India and China will immensely benefit from this engagement," she said. Sitharaman said she was in China in April this year with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's (SCO) foreign and defence ministers' meet where India made a pitch for a greater interactive forum. "And for that we should have definitely a hotline between India and China," she said. The hotline, she said, would reduce the time consumed in reaching the empowered decision makers in times of confrontation at the ground level. "We have certainly underlined the fact that the border personnel meet, flag officer meet can all happen. But we need to have a better hotline that would easily help us in being ready for a (conflict) resolution in a short time," she said.

No review of India's stand on China-Pak Corridor: Nirmala Sitharaman

Taking serious note of alleged exploitation of devotees by 'sevaks' at the Puri Jagannath temple in Odisha, the Supreme Court on Friday passed a slew of directions to prevent any such malpractices and mismanagement, just ahead of the annual Rath Yatra next month.

The top court said it is of prime importance that all devotees have hassle-free visits and the offerings made by them are not misused.&nbsp&nbsp &nbsp

It directed the Odisha government to study the management schemes of other important shrines such as Vaishno Devi in Jammu and Kashmir, Somnath temple in Gujarat, Golden Temple in Punjab, Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh and Dharamsthala temple in Karnataka.

A vacation bench of justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and Ashok Bhushan, which passed several directions, said proper management of pilgrimage centres in a country of great importance is a matter of public interest.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by Mrinalini Padhi that highlighted difficulties faced by devotees at the Jagannath Temple at Puri and their harassment or exploitation by the sevaks (staff) of the temple.

The petition also pointed out that the environment of the temple was not hygienic as it ought to be, and there are encroachments at its premises.

It alleged that there are deficiencies in the management of the shrine and rituals are being commercialised.

The bench sought response from the Centre, the Odisha government and the temple's management committee and said the issue raised in the petition involves enforcement of fundamental rights under Article 25 and directive principles of the Constitution.

"There is no doubt that proper management of pilgrimage centres of great importance, is a matter of public interest.&nbsp

"These centres are of undoubted religious, social historical and architectural importance, representing cultural heritage of our country," the bench said.

Millions of people visit these centres not only for tourism, but also for seeking inspiration for righteous values and their well being, and make huge offerings and donations for advancement of such values, it said.

"It is of prime importance that all the visitors have hassle-free visits and the offerings made are utilised for righteous objects and not misappropriated in any manner by the staff/sevaks," the bench said.

It directed that the staff or 'sevaks' ought to be duly compensated by the legitimate remuneration as may be determined by the authority concerned.&nbsp

"The issue of hygiene and encroachment also need to be considered. Exploitative practices have to be timely stopped," the bench directed.

Referring to an apex court verdict of 1997, it said under the Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1954, there was a requirement of placing of 'hundis' for receiving offerings of devotees visiting the temple.

It directed that district judge of Puri to file an interim report by June 30 on the factual aspects such as difficulties faced by the devotees, exploitative practices and deficiencies in the management, if any.

"The collector/administrator may provide necessary funds, facilities and information, as may be necessary. He (the district judge) may consider any earlier study/report on the subject," the top court said.

The bench directed the administrator of the temple to review the arrangement of CCTV cameras that have been already installed and said video footage should be viewed by an independent committee.

It said the independent committee, which will view the CCTV footage at regular interval, should submit its report to the district judge every month so that necessary directions can be issued.

The top court asked the administrator to ensure that no direct collection of offerings is made by any 'sevak' and all the offerings are made either in the 'hundi' or are deposited and accounted for and properly utilised.

"There should not be any individual pockets (of offerings) made by the sevaks/attendants who may be given their due remuneration as per rules.&nbsp

"To ensure this, the help of CCTV cameras and its footage or other steps may be explored," the bench said.

It directed the Odisha government to constitute, forthwith, a committee which may study the management schemes in the other important shrines and suggest such changes as may be considered necessary.

The bench directed the committee constituted by the state to submit its interim report by June 30.

It asked the Centre to also constitute a committee to collect information with regard to major shrines so that the management practices can be reviewed for the benefit of all visitors, wherever necessary.

The bench appointed senior advocate Gopal Subramanium as amicus curiae to assist the court in the matter and directed him to collate all the reports of various committees and give his suggestions, if any.&nbsp

Taking serious note of alleged exploitation of devotees by 'sevaks' at the Puri Jagannath temple in Odisha, the Supreme Court on Friday passed a slew of directions to prevent any such malpractices

Taking serious note of alleged exploitation of devotees by 'sevaks' at the Puri Jagannath temple in Odisha, the Supreme Court on Friday passed a slew of directions to prevent any such malpractices and mismanagement, just ahead of the annual Rath Yatra next month. The top court said it is of prime importance that all devotees have hassle-free visits and the offerings made by them are not misused. It directed the Odisha government to study the management schemes of other important shrines such as Vaishno Devi in Jammu and Kashmir, Somnath temple in Gujarat, Golden Temple in Punjab, Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh and Dharamsthala temple in Karnataka. A vacation bench of justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and Ashok Bhushan, which passed several directions, said proper management of pilgrimage centres in a country of great importance is a matter of public interest. The bench was hearing a petition filed by Mrinalini Padhi that highlighted difficulties faced by devotees at the Jagannath Temple at Puri and their harassment or exploitation by the sevaks (staff) of the temple. The petition also pointed out that the environment of the temple was not hygienic as it ought to be, and there are encroachments at its premises. It alleged that there are deficiencies in the management of the shrine and rituals are being commercialised. The bench sought response from the Centre, the Odisha government and the temple's management committee and said the issue raised in the petition involves enforcement of fundamental rights under Article 25 and directive principles of the Constitution. "There is no doubt that proper management of pilgrimage centres of great importance, is a matter of public interest. "These centres are of undoubted religious, social historical and architectural importance, representing cultural heritage of our country," the bench said. Millions of people visit these centres not only for tourism, but also for seeking inspiration for righteous values and their well being, and make huge offerings and donations for advancement of such values, it said. "It is of prime importance that all the visitors have hassle-free visits and the offerings made are utilised for righteous objects and not misappropriated in any manner by the staff/sevaks," the bench said. It directed that the staff or 'sevaks' ought to be duly compensated by the legitimate remuneration as may be determined by the authority concerned. "The issue of hygiene and encroachment also need to be considered. Exploitative practices have to be timely stopped," the bench directed. Referring to an apex court verdict of 1997, it said under the Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1954, there was a requirement of placing of 'hundis' for receiving offerings of devotees visiting the temple. It directed that district judge of Puri to file an interim report by June 30 on the factual aspects such as difficulties faced by the devotees, exploitative practices and deficiencies in the management, if any. "The collector/administrator may provide necessary funds, facilities and information, as may be necessary. He (the district judge) may consider any earlier study/report on the subject," the top court said. The bench directed the administrator of the temple to review the arrangement of CCTV cameras that have been already installed and said video footage should be viewed by an independent committee. It said the independent committee, which will view the CCTV footage at regular interval, should submit its report to the district judge every month so that necessary directions can be issued. The top court asked the administrator to ensure that no direct collection of offerings is made by any 'sevak' and all the offerings are made either in the 'hundi' or are deposited and accounted for and properly utilised. "There should not be any individual pockets (of offerings) made by the sevaks/attendants who may be given their due remuneration as per rules. "To ensure this, the help of CCTV cameras and its footage or other steps may be explored," the bench said. It directed the Odisha government to constitute, forthwith, a committee which may study the management schemes in the other important shrines and suggest such changes as may be considered necessary. The bench directed the committee constituted by the state to submit its interim report by June 30. It asked the Centre to also constitute a committee to collect information with regard to major shrines so that the management practices can be reviewed for the benefit of all visitors, wherever necessary. The bench appointed senior advocate Gopal Subramanium as amicus curiae to assist the court in the matter and directed him to collate all the reports of various committees and give his suggestions, if any.

Devotees exploitation at Puri Jagannath temple under SC scanner

Nepal Army Chief General Rajendra Chhetri on Thursday called on Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and discussed ways to deepen defence and security cooperation between the two countries.

Official sources said issues related to bilateral defence cooperation figured prominently during the meeting.

The Nepal Army Chief's visit comes nearly a month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to that country during which both countries had decided to bolster defence and security cooperation.

The Indo-Nepal border is open, porous and thickly populated.

The movement of people across the border is governed by Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship, 1950, which provides for free movement of citizens of both the countries across the border.&nbsp

The Nepal Army Chief's visit comes nearly a month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to that country during which both countries had decided to bolster defence and security cooperation

Nepal Army Chief General Rajendra Chhetri on Thursday called on Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and discussed ways to deepen defence and security cooperation between the two countries. Official sources said issues related to bilateral defence cooperation figured prominently during the meeting. The Nepal Army Chief's visit comes nearly a month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to that country during which both countries had decided to bolster defence and security cooperation. The Indo-Nepal border is open, porous and thickly populated. The movement of people across the border is governed by Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship, 1950, which provides for free movement of citizens of both the countries across the border.

Nepal Army Chief meets Sitharaman, discusses defence ties

We had reported that how Nick Jonas could not stop gushing over Priyanka Chopra's smile on Instagram just a few days back. Now, Priyanka can't seem to decide who is cuter- Nick Jonas or a Koala Bear who features in Jonas' latest Instagram post.&nbsp; 
 
The actress commented on Jonas selfie with the bear recently which just sort of confirms&nbsp;everyone's hunch about their new relationship.&nbsp; 
 
Priyanka Chopra wrote, 'Who is cuter? Lol" to a Jona' selfie video which he had captioned as 'Hi'.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bjq2LYgF7PM/" style=" color:#000 font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px text-decoration:none word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">Hi! ??</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px margin-bottom:0 margin-top:8px overflow:hidden padding:8px 0 7px text-align:center text-overflow:ellipsis white-space:nowrap">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nickjonas/" style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px" target="_blank"> Nick Jonas</a> (@nickjonas) on <time datetime="2018-06-06T04:16:58+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px">Jun 5, 2018 at 9:16pm PDT</time>
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<img alt="priyanka jonas.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/priyanka%20jonas.jpg" width="770" />

Earlier Jonas had commented on Chopra's smile in one of her Instagram posts.

<img alt="pc1_0.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/pc1_0.jpg" width="770" />

In fact,<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-priyanka-chopra-and-nick-jonass-pda-on-social-media-add-fuel-to-link-up-rumours-142160"> Jonas and Chopra's social media flirting kept the internet busy over the weekend.&nbsp;</a> 
 
The couple <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-is-priyanka-chopra-dating-this-american-pop-singer-see-pics-inside-140816">sparked off dating rumours after a photo of them, vacationing with friends on a yacht went viral.&nbsp;</a> 
 
The two added further fuel to speculation when they were spotted on a date in LA and at a basketball match later.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjfhvnBgIFh/" style=" color:#000 font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px text-decoration:none word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">priyanka and nick yesterday in la :-) #priyankachopra #nickjonas</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px margin-bottom:0 margin-top:8px overflow:hidden padding:8px 0 7px text-align:center text-overflow:ellipsis white-space:nowrap">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pcourheartbeat/" style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px" target="_blank"> Priyanka Chopra Fan Page ??</a> (@pcourheartbeat) on <time datetime="2018-06-01T18:46:21+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px">Jun 1, 2018 at 11:46am PDT</time>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/priyankachopra?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@priyankachopra</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/nickjonas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nickjonas</a> at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dodgers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dodgers</a> game today. ? <a href="https://t.co/3J91P9phzq">pic.twitter.com/3J91P9phzq</a>
— PC Style File (@fashionistapc) <a href="https://twitter.com/fashionistapc/status/1000624626911752192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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On the work front, Priyanka's show 'Quantico' is soon wrapping up. The actress will next be seen in 'A Kid Like Jake'. She will also start shooting for Salman Khan's 'Bharat' in the coming months.

We had reported that how Nick Jonas could not stop gushing over Priyanka Chopra's smile on Instagram just a few days back. Now, Priyanka can't seem to decide who is cuter- Nick Jonas or a Koala Bear who features in Jonas' latest Instagram post. The actress commented on Jonas selfie with the bear recently which just sort of confirms everyone's hunch about their new relationship. Priyanka Chopra wrote, 'Who is cuter? Lol" to a Jona' selfie video which he had captioned as 'Hi'. Hi! ?? A post shared by Nick Jonas (@nickjonas) on Jun 5, 2018 at 9:16pm PDT × Earlier Jonas had commented on Chopra's smile in one of her Instagram posts. In fact, Jonas and Chopra's social media flirting kept the internet busy over the weekend. The couple sparked off dating rumours after a photo of them, vacationing with friends on a yacht went viral. The two added further fuel to speculation when they were spotted on a date in LA and at a basketball match later. priyanka and nick yesterday in la :-) #priyankachopra #nickjonas A post shared by Priyanka Chopra Fan Page ?? (@pcourheartbeat) on Jun 1, 2018 at 11:46am PDT × @priyankachopra and @nickjonas at the #Dodgers game today. ? pic.twitter.com/3J91P9phzq — PC Style File (@fashionistapc) May 27, 2018 × On the work front, Priyanka's show 'Quantico' is soon wrapping up. The actress will next be seen in 'A Kid Like Jake'. She will also start shooting for Salman Khan's 'Bharat' in the coming months.

Priyanka Chopra's comment on Nick Jonas' latest post adds more fuel to dating rumours

The government has left no stone unturned in convincing a UK court that fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya must be extradited to India, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Thursday.

"Extradition hearings have been going on. I understand that the closing submissions in the case have already been made. We now wait for the verdict. I can only assure you that we have left no stone unturned in our efforts to convince the courts that the extradition of Vijay Mallya to India should take place," Kumar told reporters in response to a question.

In February 2017, India made a formal request to the UK for extradition of Mallya, who faces charges of financial misconduct amounting to nearly Rs 9,000 crore in debt owed to Indian banks by his defunct Kingfisher Airlines.

When asked about the location of fugitive businessmen Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, who allegedly duped Punjab National Bank to the tune of thousands of crores of rupees, he said the MEA will not be able to provide their location details as it comes into picture only when the agencies concerned inform it about their whereabouts.

Responding to a question on whether the issue of the extradition of Islamic preacher Zakir Naik from Malaysia came up for discussion during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad, Kumar said the interaction between the two leaders was very short.

The meeting happened on May 31 during Modi's visit enroute Singapore and the talks covered a broad overview about the relationship between the two countries.

Modi made a brief stopover in Malaysia to meet the nonagenarian leader, who won polls after trumping Najib Razak, the then Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Kumar added India had sent a request to Malaysia to extradite Naik and it was waiting for a response.

On the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un scheduled for June 12 in Singapore, Kumar said, " India welcomes the proposed meeting and supports the peaceful resolution to the Korean Peninsula problem."

'Extradition hearings have been going on. I understand that the closing submissions in the case have already been made. We now wait for the verdict. I can only assure you that we have left no stone unturned in our efforts to convince the courts that the extradition of Vijay Mallya to India should take place'

The government has left no stone unturned in convincing a UK court that fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya must be extradited to India, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Thursday. "Extradition hearings have been going on. I understand that the closing submissions in the case have already been made. We now wait for the verdict. I can only assure you that we have left no stone unturned in our efforts to convince the courts that the extradition of Vijay Mallya to India should take place," Kumar told reporters in response to a question. In February 2017, India made a formal request to the UK for extradition of Mallya, who faces charges of financial misconduct amounting to nearly Rs 9,000 crore in debt owed to Indian banks by his defunct Kingfisher Airlines. When asked about the location of fugitive businessmen Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, who allegedly duped Punjab National Bank to the tune of thousands of crores of rupees, he said the MEA will not be able to provide their location details as it comes into picture only when the agencies concerned inform it about their whereabouts. Responding to a question on whether the issue of the extradition of Islamic preacher Zakir Naik from Malaysia came up for discussion during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad, Kumar said the interaction between the two leaders was very short. The meeting happened on May 31 during Modi's visit enroute Singapore and the talks covered a broad overview about the relationship between the two countries. Modi made a brief stopover in Malaysia to meet the nonagenarian leader, who won polls after trumping Najib Razak, the then Prime Minister of Malaysia. Kumar added India had sent a request to Malaysia to extradite Naik and it was waiting for a response. On the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un scheduled for June 12 in Singapore, Kumar said, " India welcomes the proposed meeting and supports the peaceful resolution to the Korean Peninsula problem."

Govt has left no stone unturned in convincing UK court that Mallya should be extradited: MEA

The Disney-owned network, ABC, apologised for a controversial scene that invited<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-priyanka-chopras-quantico-gets-slammed-on-twitter-for-showing-indians-as-terrorists--142423"> criticism</a> for their star actor Priyanka Chopra as she was accused to be a party to a show that showed Indian nationalists as terrorists.&nbsp;

In a recent episode of the show titled The Blood of Romeo, Priyanka who plays a CIA operative in the show -- is seen calling out a Hindu terrorist who pretended to be a Pakistani national who plots a nuclear attack in New York. The man is shown as a disgruntled MIT professor who plans this attack.&nbsp;

Apologising for the episode, the network said in a statement: “ABC Studios and the executive producers of Quantico would like to extend an apology to our audience who were offended by the most recent episode, The Blood of Romeo. The episode has stirred a lot of emotion, much of which is unfairly aimed at Priyanka Chopra, who didn’t create the show, nor does she write or direct it. She has no involvement in the casting of the show or the storylines depicted in the series.Quantico is a work of fiction. The show has featured antagonists of many different ethnicities and backgrounds, but in this case, we inadvertently and regrettably stepped into a complex political issue. It was certainly not our intention to offend anyone.”

The episode resulted in Priyanka being slammed for the show as she foils the man’s plot by spotting a ‘rudraksha’ - prayer beads on the perpetrator, identifying him as a Hindu. The episode goes on to touch topic of violence in Kashmir which was the central issue of the summit the episode runs on.&nbsp;

Quantico was recently cancelled due to low ratings. The show will conclude its run after a shorter third season.&nbsp;

In another news, Priyanka will now be<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-priyanka-chopra-to-start-shooting-for-bharat-with-salman-khan-from-july-139625"> seen in Salman Khan’s Bharat</a>, coming back to Hindi cinema after a gap of two years.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-priyanka-chopra-and-nick-jonass-pda-on-social-media-add-fuel-to-link-up-rumours-142160">Also read:&nbsp;Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas's PDA on social media add fuel to link-up rumours</a>

Priyanka was recently in news, rather is still a hot topic as rumours of her <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-is-priyanka-chopra-dating-this-american-pop-singer-see-pics-inside-140816">dating American singer Nick Jonas</a> came to fore. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-priyanka-chopras-comment-on-nick-jonas-latest-post-adds-more-fuel-to-dating-rumours-142976">Also read:&nbsp;Priyanka Chopra's comment on Nick Jonas' latest post adds more fuel to dating rumours</a>

Priyanka was criticised on social media for being a part of the show

The Disney-owned network, ABC, apologised for a controversial scene that invited criticism for their star actor Priyanka Chopra as she was accused to be a party to a show that showed Indian nationalists as terrorists. In a recent episode of the show titled The Blood of Romeo, Priyanka who plays a CIA operative in the show -- is seen calling out a Hindu terrorist who pretended to be a Pakistani national who plots a nuclear attack in New York. The man is shown as a disgruntled MIT professor who plans this attack. Apologising for the episode, the network said in a statement: “ABC Studios and the executive producers of Quantico would like to extend an apology to our audience who were offended by the most recent episode, The Blood of Romeo. The episode has stirred a lot of emotion, much of which is unfairly aimed at Priyanka Chopra, who didn’t create the show, nor does she write or direct it. She has no involvement in the casting of the show or the storylines depicted in the series.Quantico is a work of fiction. The show has featured antagonists of many different ethnicities and backgrounds, but in this case, we inadvertently and regrettably stepped into a complex political issue. It was certainly not our intention to offend anyone.” The episode resulted in Priyanka being slammed for the show as she foils the man’s plot by spotting a ‘rudraksha’ - prayer beads on the perpetrator, identifying him as a Hindu. The episode goes on to touch topic of violence in Kashmir which was the central issue of the summit the episode runs on. Quantico was recently cancelled due to low ratings. The show will conclude its run after a shorter third season. In another news, Priyanka will now be seen in Salman Khan’s Bharat, coming back to Hindi cinema after a gap of two years. Also read: Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas's PDA on social media add fuel to link-up rumours Priyanka was recently in news, rather is still a hot topic as rumours of her dating American singer Nick Jonas came to fore. Also read: Priyanka Chopra's comment on Nick Jonas' latest post adds more fuel to dating rumours

Priyanka Chopra’s 'Quantico' network apologises for showing Indian nationalists as terrorists

'Veeres'&nbsp;of Veere Di Wedding have more reason to cheer as their film continues to rule the box office. After crossing Rs 50 crore on Wednesday, the film now sits at Rs 56.96 crore in the first week of its release.&nbsp;

The Shashanka Ghosh directorial brought together the likes of Sonam Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Swara Bhasker and Shikha Talsania in a new-age girl gang kind of romance and friendship tale. The film has now recorded the fifth highest week 1 box office figures in 2018 considering it competes with films like Padmaavat, Baaghi, Raid and PadMan that had massive expectations from them since the start.&nbsp;

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Top 5 opening day... Top 5 opening weekend... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VeereDiWedding?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VeereDiWedding</a> now cruises into Top 5 Week 1 of 2018... Fri 10.70 cr, Sat 12.25 cr, Sun 13.57 cr, Mon 6.04 cr, Tue 5.47 cr, Wed 4.87 cr, Thu 4.06 cr. Total: ₹ 56.96 cr. India biz.
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) <a href="https://twitter.com/taran_adarsh/status/1004952111736500229?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The film co-produced by Ekta Kapoor, Rhea Kapoor and Nikhil Dwivedi, has been getting praises for its unabashed portrayal of the modern Indian woman and the problems faced by them in the contemporary world.

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TOP 5 - 2018 
Week 1 biz... 
1. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padmavaat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padmavaat</a> ₹ 166.50 cr [9 days; select previews on Wed, released on Thu]... Hindi + Tamil + Telugu. 
2. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Baaghi2?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Baaghi2</a> ₹ 112.85 cr 
3. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Raid?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Raid</a> ₹ 63.05 cr 
4. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PadMan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PadMan</a> ₹ 62.87 cr 
5. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VeereDiWedding?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VeereDiWedding</a> ₹ 56.96 cr 
India biz. 
[Hollywood films not included]
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) <a href="https://twitter.com/taran_adarsh/status/1004952314648539141?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The 'veeres'&nbsp;are now in London to celebrate the success of their film.<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-arjun-kapoor-spends-time-with-veeres-sonam-kapoor-and-kareena-kapoor-in-london-see-pics-142994"> See their photos here.</a>&nbsp;

The film has been getting praises for its unabashed portrayal of the modern Indian woman and the problems faced by them in the contemporary world.

'Veeres' of Veere Di Wedding have more reason to cheer as their film continues to rule the box office. After crossing Rs 50 crore on Wednesday, the film now sits at Rs 56.96 crore in the first week of its release. The Shashanka Ghosh directorial brought together the likes of Sonam Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Swara Bhasker and Shikha Talsania in a new-age girl gang kind of romance and friendship tale. The film has now recorded the fifth highest week 1 box office figures in 2018 considering it competes with films like Padmaavat, Baaghi, Raid and PadMan that had massive expectations from them since the start. Top 5 opening day... Top 5 opening weekend... #VeereDiWedding now cruises into Top 5 Week 1 of 2018... Fri 10.70 cr, Sat 12.25 cr, Sun 13.57 cr, Mon 6.04 cr, Tue 5.47 cr, Wed 4.87 cr, Thu 4.06 cr. Total: ₹ 56.96 cr. India biz. — taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) June 8, 2018 × The film co-produced by Ekta Kapoor, Rhea Kapoor and Nikhil Dwivedi, has been getting praises for its unabashed portrayal of the modern Indian woman and the problems faced by them in the contemporary world. TOP 5 - 2018 Week 1 biz... 1. #Padmavaat ₹ 166.50 cr [9 days; select previews on Wed, released on Thu]... Hindi + Tamil + Telugu. 2. #Baaghi2 ₹ 112.85 cr 3. #Raid ₹ 63.05 cr 4. #PadMan ₹ 62.87 cr 5. #VeereDiWedding ₹ 56.96 cr India biz. [Hollywood films not included] — taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) June 8, 2018 × The 'veeres' are now in London to celebrate the success of their film. See their photos here.

'Veere Di Wedding' box office collections: Film mints Rs 56 crore in the first week of release

<a href="http://wionews.com/world/trump-says-looking-forward-to-resolving-trade-disputes-at-g7-143162">Trump says 'looking forward' to resolving trade disputes at G7</a>

President Donald Trump said Friday he wants to use the G7 summit to resolve what he called unfair trade deals with US allies.

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/maoist-letter-reveals-rajiv-gandhi-type-assassination-bid-on-pm-modi--143143">Maoist</a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/maoist-letter-reveals-rajiv-gandhi-type-assassination-bid-on-pm-modi--143143"> letter reveals 'Rajiv Gandhi-type' assassination bid on PM Modi</a>

Pune police have chanced upon a letter from the residence of one of the five persons they had arrested in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence. The letter discusses 'Rajiv Gandhi-type' assassination bid on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp

<a href="http://wionews.com/world/south-koreas-president-moon-to-visit-russia-meet-putin-on-june-23-25-143090">South Korea's President Moon to visit Russia, meet Putin, on June 23-25</a>

South Korea's President Moon Jae -in will visit Russia at the invitation of Russia's President Vladimir Putin from June 23 to 25, South Korea's presidential Blue House said on Friday.

<a href="http://wionews.com/world/celebrity-chef-anthony-bourdain-found-dead-in-france-hotel-room--143149">Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain found dead in France hotel room</a>

Noted celebrity chef and television host Anthony Bourdain was found dead in his hotel roomStrasbourg, France on Friday. The police is suspecting a case of suicide.

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/economic-growth-may-cross-8-in-next-2-years-suresh-prabhu-143118">Economic growth may cross 8% in next 2 years: Suresh Prabhu</a>

India's GDP growth is likely to cross 8 per cent in the next two years and the government is taking a number of steps including formulation of a new industrial policy to double the economy's size to USD 5 trillion in 7-8 years, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu said on Friday.

&nbsp

&nbsp

Trump says 'looking forward' to resolving trade disputes at G7 President Donald Trump said Friday he wants to use the G7 summit to resolve what he called unfair trade deals with US allies. Maoist letter reveals 'Rajiv Gandhi-type' assassination bid on PM Modi Pune police have chanced upon a letter from the residence of one of the five persons they had arrested in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence. The letter discusses 'Rajiv Gandhi-type' assassination bid on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. South Korea's President Moon to visit Russia, meet Putin, on June 23-25 South Korea's President Moon Jae -in will visit Russia at the invitation of Russia's President Vladimir Putin from June 23 to 25, South Korea's presidential Blue House said on Friday. Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain found dead in France hotel room Noted celebrity chef and television host Anthony Bourdain was found dead in his hotel roomStrasbourg, France on Friday. The police is suspecting a case of suicide. Economic growth may cross 8% in next 2 years: Suresh Prabhu India's GDP growth is likely to cross 8 per cent in the next two years and the government is taking a number of steps including formulation of a new industrial policy to double the economy's size to USD 5 trillion in 7-8 years, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu said on Friday.

The interim finance minister, Piyush Goyal held his first press meet as a finance minister on Friday after meeting the heads of public sector banks.

During the meet, he said, that the government was committed to support all state-run banks and strengthen their operations after several lenders reported a jump in net losses earlier this month.

"The government stands committed to support all 21 Public sector banks," Piyush Goyal told reporters after a meeting with bank chiefs.

Indian banks, already burdened by a near-record 9.5 trillion rupees ($141 billion) of soured loans as of last year, reported a further rise in bad loans in the March quarter after the Reserve Bank of India withdrew half a dozen loan-restructuring schemes and tightened some rules in February.

Goyal further informed media that they discussed credit flow and other issues&nbspwith PSU bank heads.

He further informed that bankers are looking to put up a mechanism to resolve stressed accounts in transparent and speedy manner and the banks will soon&nbspcreate a mechanism for managing stressed accounts.

"A presentation was made by SBI based on several years of experience and I am given to understand that all the bankers are now wishing to set up such a mechanism which will enable faster resolution of stressed accounts in a very transparent manner," news agency ANI reported.&nbsp

Piyush Goyal is a minister of railways and coal but currently, he has given an additional charge of a finance minister as Arun Jaitley is undergoing a treatment.

(With inputs from news agencies)

The interim finance minister, Piyush Goyal held his first press meet as a finance minister on Friday after meeting the heads of public sector banks

The interim finance minister, Piyush Goyal held his first press meet as a finance minister on Friday after meeting the heads of public sector banks. During the meet, he said, that the government was committed to support all state-run banks and strengthen their operations after several lenders reported a jump in net losses earlier this month. "The government stands committed to support all 21 Public sector banks," Piyush Goyal told reporters after a meeting with bank chiefs. Indian banks, already burdened by a near-record 9.5 trillion rupees ($141 billion) of soured loans as of last year, reported a further rise in bad loans in the March quarter after the Reserve Bank of India withdrew half a dozen loan-restructuring schemes and tightened some rules in February. Goyal further informed media that they discussed credit flow and other issues&nbspwith PSU bank heads. He further informed that bankers are looking to put up a mechanism to resolve stressed accounts in transparent and speedy manner and the banks will soon&nbspcreate a mechanism for managing stressed accounts. "A presentation was made by SBI based on several years of experience and I am given to understand that all the bankers are now wishing to set up such a mechanism which will enable faster resolution of stressed accounts in a very transparent manner," news agency ANI reported. Piyush Goyal is a minister of railways and coal but currently, he has given an additional charge of a finance minister as Arun Jaitley is undergoing a treatment. (With inputs from news agencies)

Government committed to support all state-run banks says, Piyush Goyal

In an unprecedented move, the Haryana government has directed sportspersons employed with it to deposit one-third of their earnings from commercial and professional commitments to the state sports council, drawing sharp criticism from the athletes.&nbsp

"One-third of the income earned by the sportsperson from professional sports or commercial endorsements will be deposited with the Haryana State Sports Council. The money shall be used for the development of sports in the State," said the notification issued by Principal Secretary (Sports and Youth Department), Ashok Khemka.

Khemka had hit the headlines during his stint as head of land registration department by alleging irregularities in land deals involving Robert Vadra a few years ago.&nbsp

"In case the sportsperson is treated on duty with the prior approval of the competent authority while taking part in professional sports or commercial endorsements, the full income earned by the sportsperson on this account will be deposited with the Haryana State Sports Council," said the notification, which is not yet up on the government website.

Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Anil Vij defended the move and clarified that it is not aimed at income generated from amateur sports

"... Here we are talking about income from professional sports," he said.&nbsp

"It is government's old rule/service rule, Rule 56, as per which if any government employee generates commercial income or professional income, then he shall have to deposit one-third of such earnings," he added.&nbsp

The athletes employed with the state government include star boxers Vijender Singh and Akhil Kumar, both of whom are DSPs in state police, hockey captain Sardar Singh and wrestlers Geeta and Babita Phogat. Sardar, Geeta and Babita are also employed with the Haryana Police.

Of them, Babita, who won a silver at the Gold Coast CWG, was the only one to react to the move, calling it disheartening.

"This notification will hamper an athletes preparation. How can the government give such an order? We pay taxes over whatever we earn and now this notification to pay one-third," Phogat told PTI.

"Can the government understand how much sacrifice an athlete and his or families have to make to earn a medal for the country? The Haryana government should immediately take this order back and review it," he added.

Some other Haryana athletes, not employed with the state government, also reacted with shock.&nbsp

"I have not yet seen the notification, I am only coming to know of it through media reports. I can only say that the athletes who compete in Olympic sports are already from very poor families," said double-Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, who is with the Railways Sports Promotion Board.&nbsp

"The government should make policies which encourage athletes. I haven't heard of such a policy anywhere else in the world. The athlete should be competing with a free mind, not with stress like this," he added.&nbsp

Fellow wrestler and Olympic bronze-medallist Yogeshwar Dutt, also a Railways employee, was harsher in his criticism of the move.&nbsp

"God save us from such officials, who are taking senseless decisions like this. Their contribution to development of sports in Haryana has been zero but I am sure, they will play a big role in the decline of sports in the state," he tweeted.

"Now, athletes will move to other states and these officials will be responsible for this," he added.&nbsp

Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar said the move will demoralise the players,&nbsp

Congress' Rohtak MP Deepinder Singh Hooda said the present government has made a mockery of the state's athlete-friendly policy.

Commenting on the issue, Khemka told reporters here that no government allows professional sports or commercial advertisements by its employees.

"...Here we are not talking about income generated from amateur sports, but they will have to deposit one-third income from professional sports, towards Sports Development Fund, which is for development for sports and sportspersons in the state," Khemka said.

The Haryana government had earlier courted controversy when it had decided to reduce the prize money for those Commonwealth Games medal winners from the state who were employed with other departments or states.&nbsp

The felicitation function planned for the prize money distribution on April 26 had to be eventually cancelled indefinitely when the athletes threatened to boycott it.

Some other Haryana athletes, not employed with the state government, also reacted with shock.

In an unprecedented move, the Haryana government has directed sportspersons employed with it to deposit one-third of their earnings from commercial and professional commitments to the state sports council, drawing sharp criticism from the athletes. "One-third of the income earned by the sportsperson from professional sports or commercial endorsements will be deposited with the Haryana State Sports Council. The money shall be used for the development of sports in the State," said the notification issued by Principal Secretary (Sports and Youth Department), Ashok Khemka. Khemka had hit the headlines during his stint as head of land registration department by alleging irregularities in land deals involving Robert Vadra a few years ago. "In case the sportsperson is treated on duty with the prior approval of the competent authority while taking part in professional sports or commercial endorsements, the full income earned by the sportsperson on this account will be deposited with the Haryana State Sports Council," said the notification, which is not yet up on the government website. Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Anil Vij defended the move and clarified that it is not aimed at income generated from amateur sports "... Here we are talking about income from professional sports," he said. "It is government's old rule/service rule, Rule 56, as per which if any government employee generates commercial income or professional income, then he shall have to deposit one-third of such earnings," he added. The athletes employed with the state government include star boxers Vijender Singh and Akhil Kumar, both of whom are DSPs in state police, hockey captain Sardar Singh and wrestlers Geeta and Babita Phogat. Sardar, Geeta and Babita are also employed with the Haryana Police. Of them, Babita, who won a silver at the Gold Coast CWG, was the only one to react to the move, calling it disheartening. "This notification will hamper an athletes preparation. How can the government give such an order? We pay taxes over whatever we earn and now this notification to pay one-third," Phogat told PTI. "Can the government understand how much sacrifice an athlete and his or families have to make to earn a medal for the country? The Haryana government should immediately take this order back and review it," he added. Some other Haryana athletes, not employed with the state government, also reacted with shock. "I have not yet seen the notification, I am only coming to know of it through media reports. I can only say that the athletes who compete in Olympic sports are already from very poor families," said double-Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, who is with the Railways Sports Promotion Board. "The government should make policies which encourage athletes. I haven't heard of such a policy anywhere else in the world. The athlete should be competing with a free mind, not with stress like this," he added. Fellow wrestler and Olympic bronze-medallist Yogeshwar Dutt, also a Railways employee, was harsher in his criticism of the move. "God save us from such officials, who are taking senseless decisions like this. Their contribution to development of sports in Haryana has been zero but I am sure, they will play a big role in the decline of sports in the state," he tweeted. "Now, athletes will move to other states and these officials will be responsible for this," he added. Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar said the move will demoralise the players, Congress' Rohtak MP Deepinder Singh Hooda said the present government has made a mockery of the state's athlete-friendly policy. Commenting on the issue, Khemka told reporters here that no government allows professional sports or commercial advertisements by its employees. "...Here we are not talking about income generated from amateur sports, but they will have to deposit one-third income from professional sports, towards Sports Development Fund, which is for development for sports and sportspersons in the state," Khemka said. The Haryana government had earlier courted controversy when it had decided to reduce the prize money for those Commonwealth Games medal winners from the state who were employed with other departments or states. The felicitation function planned for the prize money distribution on April 26 had to be eventually cancelled indefinitely when the athletes threatened to boycott it.

Haryana government seeks share of athletes' earnings, draws flak

Employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation on Friday went on strike at several of the state-run undertaking's depots demanding an immediate pay hike.

Bus services were affected due to the strike and thousands of commuters bore the brunt of it.

An MSRTC official said that the strike had affected operations at its depots in Parel, Mumbai Central, Uran, Panvel and Kurla and bus services to cities like Pune and Nashik were affected.

The strike comes two days after the MSRTC announced an 18 per cent fare hike for customers on the back of higher fuel and wage bills.

A senior MSRTC official today said that a section of the staff did not report to work, affecting bus operations.

"This move (of nor reporting to duty) is unacceptable and a resolution has been passed to take stern action against the erring employees. We have not received a notice from any union regarding the strike," he said.

He said that, in the absence of a strike notice, the administration was in the dark about those who had called the strike as well as their demands.

Rajan Yevle, former divisional secretary of the Maharashtra State Transport Kamgar Sanghatana, however, justified the employees' actions and claimed that their "minuscule" salaries was making it "impossible for them to survive".

"Can you believe that our ST drivers get only Rs 10-11 thousand in monthly wages? Moreover, they have to stay out of their homes for at least 15 days of the month as part of their work," Yevle said.

He said that a demand for a wage hike was being made for the past two years but the administration had been ignoring it.

Over 1.02 lakh MSRTC staffers had struck work in October last year, a few days ahead of Diwali, demanding salaries in line with the 7th Pay Commission recommendations.

The transport undertaking has around 17,500 buses in its fleet and makes 56,756 trips every day.

While it has an annual turnover of around Rs 7,000 crore, it also incurs losses to the tune of Rs 2 crore every day.&nbsp;

Bus services were affected due to the strike and thousands of commuters bore the brunt of it

Employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation on Friday went on strike at several of the state-run undertaking's depots demanding an immediate pay hike. Bus services were affected due to the strike and thousands of commuters bore the brunt of it. An MSRTC official said that the strike had affected operations at its depots in Parel, Mumbai Central, Uran, Panvel and Kurla and bus services to cities like Pune and Nashik were affected. The strike comes two days after the MSRTC announced an 18 per cent fare hike for customers on the back of higher fuel and wage bills. A senior MSRTC official today said that a section of the staff did not report to work, affecting bus operations. "This move (of nor reporting to duty) is unacceptable and a resolution has been passed to take stern action against the erring employees. We have not received a notice from any union regarding the strike," he said. He said that, in the absence of a strike notice, the administration was in the dark about those who had called the strike as well as their demands. Rajan Yevle, former divisional secretary of the Maharashtra State Transport Kamgar Sanghatana, however, justified the employees' actions and claimed that their "minuscule" salaries was making it "impossible for them to survive". "Can you believe that our ST drivers get only Rs 10-11 thousand in monthly wages? Moreover, they have to stay out of their homes for at least 15 days of the month as part of their work," Yevle said. He said that a demand for a wage hike was being made for the past two years but the administration had been ignoring it. Over 1.02 lakh MSRTC staffers had struck work in October last year, a few days ahead of Diwali, demanding salaries in line with the 7th Pay Commission recommendations. The transport undertaking has around 17,500 buses in its fleet and makes 56,756 trips every day. While it has an annual turnover of around Rs 7,000 crore, it also incurs losses to the tune of Rs 2 crore every day.

Section of MSRTC staffers go on strike demanding pay hike

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said two battalions will be assigned specifically for the areas falling between the range of 0-10 km from the border, news agency ANI reported.

He further announced that five Indian Reserve (IR) Battalions will be raised under which more than 5000 people will be selected and 60 per cent of the vacancies for these IR battalions will be reserved for the people living within 0-10 km of border areas, the report further said.

Talking to the media after meeting public delegations, Singh said, "Delegations have told us about their demands, along with the developments that can further be made in the areas."

Singh, along with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Minister of State Prime Minister's Office, Jitendra Singh, met representatives of the 'Gurjar' community in Kupwara, where ceasefire violation from across the border and other terrorist activities has forced some locals to shift their base over the past few weeks.

They also met the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

After Kupwara, the delegation will proceed to J&K's winter capital, Jammu.

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MHA has revisited scheme of giving Rs 5 lakhs for persons killed during Cross Border Firing & Ceasefire Violations. Now this amount of Rs 5 Lakhs will be directly credited to the account of Next of Kin and all conditions relating to fixed deposit have been removed: Rajnath Singh <a href="https://t.co/f9hbFdEgWX">pic.twitter.com/f9hbFdEgWX</a>
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Singh is on a two-day visit to the state to review the security situation along the Indo-Pak border.

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The MHA has sanctioned two new women battalions for J&K police. One battalion will be for Kashmir division and one battalion for Jammu division. This will provide direct employment to nearly 2000 women of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JammuAndKashmir?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JammuAndKashmir</a>: Home Minister Rajnath Singh in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jammu?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jammu</a> <a href="https://t.co/QbfnIfT177">pic.twitter.com/QbfnIfT177</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1005052214388277248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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While addressing a press conference on Thursday, he had stated that the Centre won't allow any obstacle to come in the way of its mission to ensure lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir.&nbsp

(With ANI inputs)

Singh, along with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Minister of State Prime Minister's Office, Jitendra Singh, met representatives of the 'Gurjar' community in Kupwara

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said two battalions will be assigned specifically for the areas falling between the range of 0-10 km from the border, news agency ANI reported. He further announced that five Indian Reserve (IR) Battalions will be raised under which more than 5000 people will be selected and 60 per cent of the vacancies for these IR battalions will be reserved for the people living within 0-10 km of border areas, the report further said. Talking to the media after meeting public delegations, Singh said, "Delegations have told us about their demands, along with the developments that can further be made in the areas." Singh, along with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Minister of State Prime Minister's Office, Jitendra Singh, met representatives of the 'Gurjar' community in Kupwara, where ceasefire violation from across the border and other terrorist activities has forced some locals to shift their base over the past few weeks. They also met the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Jammu and Kashmir Police. After Kupwara, the delegation will proceed to J&K's winter capital, Jammu. MHA has revisited scheme of giving Rs 5 lakhs for persons killed during Cross Border Firing & Ceasefire Violations. Now this amount of Rs 5 Lakhs will be directly credited to the account of Next of Kin and all conditions relating to fixed deposit have been removed: Rajnath Singh pic.twitter.com/f9hbFdEgWX — ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2018 × Singh is on a two-day visit to the state to review the security situation along the Indo-Pak border. The MHA has sanctioned two new women battalions for J&K police. One battalion will be for Kashmir division and one battalion for Jammu division. This will provide direct employment to nearly 2000 women of #JammuAndKashmir: Home Minister Rajnath Singh in #Jammu pic.twitter.com/QbfnIfT177 — ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2018 × While addressing a press conference on Thursday, he had stated that the Centre won't allow any obstacle to come in the way of its mission to ensure lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir. (With ANI inputs)

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Pune police have chanced upon a letter from the residence of one of the five persons they had arrested in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence. The letter discusses 'Rajiv Gandhi-type' assassination bid on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp;

"Modi-led Hindu fascism is bulldozing its way into the lives of indigenous Adivasis. In spite of big defeats like Bihar and West Bengal, Modi has successfully established BJP government in more than 15 states. If this pace continues, then it would mean immense trouble for the party on all fronts. Greater suppression of dissent and more brutal form of Misson 2016 (OGH)," the letter read.

"Com. Kisan and few other senior comrades have proposed concrete steps to end Modi-raj. We are thinking along the lines of another Rajiv Gandhi type incident. It sounds suicidal and there is a good chance that we might fail, but we feel that the party PB/CC must deliberate over our proposal. Targeting his road-shows could be an effective strategy. We collectively believe that survival of the party is supreme to all sacrifices," it added. 
In the letter, it was also written that for Maoists, "defeating Hindu fascism has been our core agenda and a major concern for the party".

Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorists.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Home Ministry Sources said it has received two letters from Maoist organisations, threatening Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his family members. Both letters mentioned the recent Gadchiroli encounters where several Maoists were gunned down.&nbsp;

Police are investigating the matter.

However, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam said the strategy might be "planted".

"I am not saying this is completely untrue, but it has been Prime Minister Modi's old tactic since he was Chief Minister of Gujarat. Whenever his popularity declines, news of an assassination plot is planted. So, it should be probed how much truth is in it this time," he was quoted as saying told news agency ANI.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury downplayed the question and said the court should decide on the matter.

"There are security forces in the country. Also, courts are there. They will look into this. The security forces have been taking care of the politicians in India. I don't know (if it's real or not). Let the court decide that," he said.

(With inputs from ANI)

However, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam said the strategy might be "planted".

Pune police have chanced upon a letter from the residence of one of the five persons they had arrested in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence. The letter discusses 'Rajiv Gandhi-type' assassination bid on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Modi-led Hindu fascism is bulldozing its way into the lives of indigenous Adivasis. In spite of big defeats like Bihar and West Bengal, Modi has successfully established BJP government in more than 15 states. If this pace continues, then it would mean immense trouble for the party on all fronts. Greater suppression of dissent and more brutal form of Misson 2016 (OGH)," the letter read. "Com. Kisan and few other senior comrades have proposed concrete steps to end Modi-raj. We are thinking along the lines of another Rajiv Gandhi type incident. It sounds suicidal and there is a good chance that we might fail, but we feel that the party PB/CC must deliberate over our proposal. Targeting his road-shows could be an effective strategy. We collectively believe that survival of the party is supreme to all sacrifices," it added. In the letter, it was also written that for Maoists, "defeating Hindu fascism has been our core agenda and a major concern for the party". Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorists. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Home Ministry Sources said it has received two letters from Maoist organisations, threatening Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his family members. Both letters mentioned the recent Gadchiroli encounters where several Maoists were gunned down. Police are investigating the matter. However, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam said the strategy might be "planted". "I am not saying this is completely untrue, but it has been Prime Minister Modi's old tactic since he was Chief Minister of Gujarat. Whenever his popularity declines, news of an assassination plot is planted. So, it should be probed how much truth is in it this time," he was quoted as saying told news agency ANI. Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury downplayed the question and said the court should decide on the matter. "There are security forces in the country. Also, courts are there. They will look into this. The security forces have been taking care of the politicians in India. I don't know (if it's real or not). Let the court decide that," he said. (With inputs from ANI)

Maoist letter reveals 'Rajiv Gandhi-type' assassination bid on PM Modi

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