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In an endeavour to curb the menace of&nbsp;illegal sand mining&nbsp;in the state, the&nbsp;Andhra Pradesh&nbsp;Government will be introducing GPS tracking system by July end this year.

State minister&nbsp;R Sujayakrishna Ranga Rao&nbsp;while addressing a press conference, said, "Andhra Pradesh&nbsp;government is about to bring GPS tracking system by the end of July 2018 to prevent illegal transport of sand in the state. The government is taking stern actions to avoid interstate illegal transport of sand. After the Government of&nbsp;Andhra Pradesh&nbsp;has implemented free sand policy, reports of the sand mafia are on rife."

The minister said that there are 150 notified sand reaches in the state and that 54 check posts have been established to prevent illegal transport of sand.

Ranga Rao further said that geo referral policy is being brought for all major minerals in the state and the permissions for mining activities are being given through auction in an e-permit model.

In an endeavour to curb the menace of illegal sand mining in the state, the Andhra Pradesh Government will be introducing GPS tracking system by July end this year

In an endeavour to curb the menace of illegal sand mining in the state, the Andhra Pradesh Government will be introducing GPS tracking system by July end this year. State minister R Sujayakrishna Ranga Rao while addressing a press conference, said, "Andhra Pradesh government is about to bring GPS tracking system by the end of July 2018 to prevent illegal transport of sand in the state. The government is taking stern actions to avoid interstate illegal transport of sand. After the Government of Andhra Pradesh has implemented free sand policy, reports of the sand mafia are on rife." The minister said that there are 150 notified sand reaches in the state and that 54 check posts have been established to prevent illegal transport of sand. Ranga Rao further said that geo referral policy is being brought for all major minerals in the state and the permissions for mining activities are being given through auction in an e-permit model.

Illegal sand mining: Andhra Pradesh to use GPS to curb menace

Following the marginal one paisa cut in the fuel prices, former Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister&nbsp;M&nbsp;Veerappa Moily&nbsp;called the Centre, 'cruel'.

Talking to media, the former Union Minister said, "Reducing one paisa on petrol is meaningless. This shows that he is mocking the people. These people are putting a lot of excise duty which we have not done during our regime. This is totally burdensome. People are suffering. When in entire Asia the price is so much down, the price in India is very much high. So, it is a very cruel way of dealing with it."

Yesterday, the&nbsp;Indian Oil Corporation&nbsp;(IOCL), in a statement, said that the petrol prices in&nbsp;Delhi&nbsp;have gone down by one paisa.

On Wednesday, in&nbsp;Delhi,&nbsp;Kolkata,&nbsp;Mumbai&nbsp;and&nbsp;Chennai, petrol retailed at Rs 78.42, Rs 81.05, Rs 86.23 and Rs 81.42 per litre respectively while diesel sold at Rs 69.50, Rs 71.85, Rs 73.78 and Rs 73.17 per litre in&nbsp;Delhi,&nbsp;Kolkata,&nbsp;Mumbai&nbsp;and&nbsp;Chennai respectively.

On a related note, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has announced that the state government will reduce the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs1 in the state.

Prices vary from state to state depending on local sales tax or VAT.&nbsp;Delhi&nbsp;has the cheapest price among all metros and most state capitals.

Earlier, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on May 28 attributed the rise in fuel price to the increase in the cost of crude oil in the international market and the rupee-dollar exchange rate.

Prices vary from state to state depending on local sales tax or VAT. Delhi has the cheapest price among all metros and most state capitals

Following the marginal one paisa cut in the fuel prices, former Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister M Veerappa Moily called the Centre, 'cruel'. Talking to media, the former Union Minister said, "Reducing one paisa on petrol is meaningless. This shows that he is mocking the people. These people are putting a lot of excise duty which we have not done during our regime. This is totally burdensome. People are suffering. When in entire Asia the price is so much down, the price in India is very much high. So, it is a very cruel way of dealing with it." Yesterday, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL), in a statement, said that the petrol prices in Delhi have gone down by one paisa. On Wednesday, in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai, petrol retailed at Rs 78.42, Rs 81.05, Rs 86.23 and Rs 81.42 per litre respectively while diesel sold at Rs 69.50, Rs 71.85, Rs 73.78 and Rs 73.17 per litre in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai respectively. On a related note, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has announced that the state government will reduce the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs1 in the state. Prices vary from state to state depending on local sales tax or VAT. Delhi has the cheapest price among all metros and most state capitals. Earlier, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on May 28 attributed the rise in fuel price to the increase in the cost of crude oil in the international market and the rupee-dollar exchange rate.

One paisa fuel cut is meaningless: Veerappa Moily

Undeniably, India would love to have SpaceX CEO Elon Musk set up a Tesla factory here but from his recent tweet, it doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon.&nbsp;

Musk on May 26, shared a 'Global map of Tesla Superchargers, including those coming soon'. A user commented on Musk's tweet asking if he plans to bring &nbsp;Tesla to India to which Musk replied saying that, "some challenging government regulations," are "unfortunately" keeping Tesla away from India.

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Global map of Tesla Superchargers, including those coming soon <a href="https://t.co/Ld5FQgCSs1">https://t.co/Ld5FQgCSs1</a>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1000204113953439744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"Would love to be in India," Musk noted adding that the company's Chief Finance Officer, Deepak Ahuja, hails from India. Musk also added that the fate of Tesla's arrival in India would depend on Ahuja, "Tesla will be there as soon as he believes we should," read his tweet.&nbsp;

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Would love to be in India. Some challenging government regulations, unfortunately. Deepak Ahuja, our CFO, is from India. Tesla will be there as soon as he believes we should.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1001707195799621632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Last year, Musk had announced to be in discussions with the Indian government in relation to Tesla. According to reports, Musk had sought a temporary relief on import penalties and other restrictions until a local factory is set up.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that India plans to roll-out electric cars on by 2019. PM Modi-led government aims to infuse the country with 30% battery vehicles by the year 2030.

Last year, Musk had announced to be in discussions with the Indian government in relation to Tesla

Undeniably, India would love to have SpaceX CEO Elon Musk set up a Tesla factory here but from his recent tweet, it doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon. Musk on May 26, shared a 'Global map of Tesla Superchargers, including those coming soon'. A user commented on Musk's tweet asking if he plans to bring Tesla to India to which Musk replied saying that, "some challenging government regulations," are "unfortunately" keeping Tesla away from India. Global map of Tesla Superchargers, including those coming soon https://t.co/Ld5FQgCSs1 — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 26, 2018 × "Would love to be in India," Musk noted adding that the company's Chief Finance Officer, Deepak Ahuja, hails from India. Musk also added that the fate of Tesla's arrival in India would depend on Ahuja, "Tesla will be there as soon as he believes we should," read his tweet. Would love to be in India. Some challenging government regulations, unfortunately. Deepak Ahuja, our CFO, is from India. Tesla will be there as soon as he believes we should. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 30, 2018 × Last year, Musk had announced to be in discussions with the Indian government in relation to Tesla. According to reports, Musk had sought a temporary relief on import penalties and other restrictions until a local factory is set up. Meanwhile, reports suggest that India plans to roll-out electric cars on by 2019. PM Modi-led government aims to infuse the country with 30% battery vehicles by the year 2030.

'Would love to be in India', says Musk; but something is keeping Tesla away

The deadly Nipah virus has claimed one more life in Kerala taking the death toll to 15 today. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a soldier in Kolkata died due to suspected Nipah virus infection, reports said.&nbsp;

As per reports, the soldier was from Kerala and was posted at Fort William. He was admitted to the hospital on April 20.&nbsp;

The brain-damaging infection first broke out in Kerala. The state government has also issued an advisory, asking travellers to avoid visiting the four districts of Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad, and Kannur.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kerala?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kerala</a>: Death toll due to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NipahVirus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NipahVirus</a> rises to 15.
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1002005729912475648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
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No confirmed cases of the virus have been found outside the state. However, Goa, Maharashtra, Himachal, Chhatisgarh and many other states have issued a health advisory.&nbsp;

The virus scare has wreaked havoc for fruit sellers in the state. Fruit sellers in Kerala have faced the brunt of the deadly Nipah virus. They say their incomes have been reduced as customers fear that fruits might be infected with the virus.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has banned imports of fresh vegetables and fruits from Kerala where the Gulf state said on Tuesday.

The UAE's Ministry of Climate Change and Environment also notified other local authorities, including the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and the municipalities of its emirates, to prevent the entry of any fresh produce from Kerala, it said in a statement.

No confirmed cases of the virus have been found outside the state

The deadly Nipah virus has claimed one more life in Kerala taking the death toll to 15 today. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a soldier in Kolkata died due to suspected Nipah virus infection, reports said. As per reports, the soldier was from Kerala and was posted at Fort William. He was admitted to the hospital on April 20. The brain-damaging infection first broke out in Kerala. The state government has also issued an advisory, asking travellers to avoid visiting the four districts of Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad, and Kannur. #Kerala: Death toll due to #NipahVirus rises to 15. — ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2018 × No confirmed cases of the virus have been found outside the state. However, Goa, Maharashtra, Himachal, Chhatisgarh and many other states have issued a health advisory. The virus scare has wreaked havoc for fruit sellers in the state. Fruit sellers in Kerala have faced the brunt of the deadly Nipah virus. They say their incomes have been reduced as customers fear that fruits might be infected with the virus. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has banned imports of fresh vegetables and fruits from Kerala where the Gulf state said on Tuesday. The UAE's Ministry of Climate Change and Environment also notified other local authorities, including the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and the municipalities of its emirates, to prevent the entry of any fresh produce from Kerala, it said in a statement.

Nipah virus scare: One more dead, death toll mounts to 15 in Kerala

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/live-lok-sabha-bypolls-counting-begins-in-4-seats-bjps-big-test-in-kairana-palghar-and-bhandara-gondiya-141130">Lok Sabha </a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/live-lok-sabha-bypolls-counting-begins-in-4-seats-bjps-big-test-in-kairana-palghar-and-bhandara-gondiya-141130">bypolls</a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/live-lok-sabha-bypolls-counting-begins-in-4-seats-bjps-big-test-in-kairana-palghar-and-bhandara-gondiya-141130">: Counting begins in 4 seats BJP's big test in Kairana, Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya</a>

Counting of votes in 4 Lok Sabha bypoll seats began on Thursday morning. The bypolls were held on Monday in Kairana in Uttar Pradesh, Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya in Maharashtra and in a single seat in Nagaland.

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/live-10-assembly-bypolls-results-d-day-for-bjp-trinamool-battles-left-bjp-in-west-bengal-141132">Assembly </a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/live-10-assembly-bypolls-results-d-day-for-bjp-trinamool-battles-left-bjp-in-west-bengal-141132">bypoll</a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/live-10-assembly-bypolls-results-d-day-for-bjp-trinamool-battles-left-bjp-in-west-bengal-141132"> results: Congress clinches Maharashtra's Palus Kadegaon</a>

Counting of votes for 10 Assembly bypolls began on Thursday morning. Congress' Vishwajeet Patangrao Kadam was "elected unopposed" from Maharashtra's Palus Kadegaon Assembly constituency.

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/nipah-virus-scare-one-more-dead-death-toll-mounts-to-15-in-kerala-141133">Nipah virus scare: One more dead, death toll mounts to 15 in Kerala</a>

The deadly Nipah virus has claimed one more life in Kerala taking the death toll to 15 today. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a soldier in Kolkata died due to suspected Nipah virus infection, reports said.&nbsp

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/fuel-prices-drop-further-petrol-by-7-paisa-and-diesel-by-5-141124">Fuel prices drop further, petrol by 7 </a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/fuel-prices-drop-further-petrol-by-7-paisa-and-diesel-by-5-141124">paisa</a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/fuel-prices-drop-further-petrol-by-7-paisa-and-diesel-by-5-141124"> and diesel by 5</a>

After a mere 1 paisa cut in fuel prices on Wednesday, petrol and diesel costs saw a further drop on Thursday morning. Fuel prices dropped by 7 paisa in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, settling at Rs 78.35, Rs 86.16, Rs 80.98 and Rs 81.35 per litre respectively.&nbsp

<a href="http://wionews.com/world/trumps-india-initiative-us-pacific-command-renamed-us-indo-pacific-command-141123">Trump's India initiative: US Pacific Command renamed US Indo-Pacific Command</a>

In a move to boost India and United States defence cooperation, the US today renamed the Pacific Command as US Indo-Pacific Command.

&nbsp

Lok Sabha bypolls: Counting begins in 4 seats BJP's big test in Kairana, Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya Counting of votes in 4 Lok Sabha bypoll seats began on Thursday morning. The bypolls were held on Monday in Kairana in Uttar Pradesh, Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya in Maharashtra and in a single seat in Nagaland. Assembly bypoll results: Congress clinches Maharashtra's Palus Kadegaon Counting of votes for 10 Assembly bypolls began on Thursday morning. Congress' Vishwajeet Patangrao Kadam was "elected unopposed" from Maharashtra's Palus Kadegaon Assembly constituency. Nipah virus scare: One more dead, death toll mounts to 15 in Kerala The deadly Nipah virus has claimed one more life in Kerala taking the death toll to 15 today. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a soldier in Kolkata died due to suspected Nipah virus infection, reports said. Fuel prices drop further, petrol by 7 paisa and diesel by 5 After a mere 1 paisa cut in fuel prices on Wednesday, petrol and diesel costs saw a further drop on Thursday morning. Fuel prices dropped by 7 paisa in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, settling at Rs 78.35, Rs 86.16, Rs 80.98 and Rs 81.35 per litre respectively. Trump's India initiative: US Pacific Command renamed US Indo-Pacific Command In a move to boost India and United States defence cooperation, the US today renamed the Pacific Command as US Indo-Pacific Command.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Dealing a body blow to the ruling BJP, opposition parties on Thursday emerged victorious in 9 out of 10 Assembly seats even as the BJP asserted that the PM -- which it described as 'P' for performance and&nbsp; 'M' for Mehnat (hard work) -- would decide the Lok Sabha polls next year.

Figures for the 10 assembly bypolls came as a big setback for the ruling party which could win just one (in Uttarakhand). The Congress bagged three (in Meghalaya, Karnataka and Punjab) and others got six -- JMM two in Jharkhand CPI (M), SP, RJD and Trinamool one each in Kerala, UP, Bihar and West Bengal, respectively.

The Congress also won one assembly seat in Maharashtra without contest after all other parties withdrew their candidates.

The party, which retained RR Nagar assembly in Karnataka and another in Meghalaya, termed the bypoll results as the people's mandate against four years of the Modi rule and the beginning of the end of the BJP empire.

"The writing on the wall is clear. The BJP's exit and success of the Congress and its allies are guaranteed," Congress leader Pramod Tiwari told reporters.

The BJP and its allies failed to retain Noorpur in UP and Shahkot in Punjab, while Congress, CPI (M), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Trinamool retained their respective seats.

The BJP retained Tharali in Uttarakhand, but lost Noorpur in UP. SP's Naeemul Hasan trounced BJP's Avni Singh in Noorpur.

In Bihar, RJD won minority-dominated Jokihat by defeating BJP ally JD(U) by a huge margin.&nbsp;

A buoyed Tejashwi Yadav of RJD said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who dumped the RJD and Congress last year to join hands with the BJP to form a new coalition government in the state, should resign if he has some conscience left.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi congratulating all the winners said valuable lessions to be learnt from the victories and defeats for all the parties.

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Congratulations to all the winners in the by polls, across India. Valuable lessons to be learnt from the victories & defeats for all parties. I want to thank all the workers & leaders of the Congress party for their hard work & dedication in these elections. God bless you all.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1002206574918688768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said one has to take two steps backward before a big leap and the BJP is "going to take a massive leap."

BJP's Subramanian Swamy, however, had a word of caution for the party and said the "this huge setback in by polls is due to Hubris".

"But the trend is easily reversible if party stops rewarding sycophancy and has more participatory decision-making ethos amongst those leaders whom the public find credible. BJP has the infrastructure to bounce back but needs a new ethos," he said.

AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the results reflect the anger against the Modi government.

Former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav called the results "a defeat of divisive politics" and congratulated all opposition parties for the results.&nbsp;

RLD's Jayant Chaudhary said the opposition unity will continue and the results showed that "Jinnah hara, Ganna jeeta" -- referring to the recent controversy over the Pakistan founder's portrait and the problems being faced by sugarcane farmers.

CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechuri said BJP's loss at its "laboratory of communal and hate politics", Kairana, clearly showed that people did not accept the ruling party's politics but warned that the loss could push the RSS-BJP to spread communal tensions to consolidate the "Hindutva vote bank".

In Punjab, Congress' Hardev Singh Ladi wrested Shahkot from the Shiromani Akali Dal.&nbsp;

Trinamool's Dulal Das won Maheshtala bypoll in West Bengal, defeating BJP's Sujit Kumar Ghosh. The Left came third.

In Kerala, Left's Saji Cheriyan won Chengannur bypoll. The Congress came second and the BJP third.

JMM retained Silli and Gomia seats in Jharkhand. In Gomia, JMM's Babita Devi defeated AJSU nominee Lambodar Mahto, while BJP came third. In Silli, JMM's Seema Mahto defeated AJSU chief Sudesh Mahto.&nbsp;

(With PTI inputs)

The Congress also won one assembly seat in Maharashtra without contest after all other parties withdrew their candidates.

Dealing a body blow to the ruling BJP, opposition parties on Thursday emerged victorious in 9 out of 10 Assembly seats even as the BJP asserted that the PM -- which it described as 'P' for performance and 'M' for Mehnat (hard work) -- would decide the Lok Sabha polls next year. Figures for the 10 assembly bypolls came as a big setback for the ruling party which could win just one (in Uttarakhand). The Congress bagged three (in Meghalaya, Karnataka and Punjab) and others got six -- JMM two in Jharkhand CPI (M), SP, RJD and Trinamool one each in Kerala, UP, Bihar and West Bengal, respectively. The Congress also won one assembly seat in Maharashtra without contest after all other parties withdrew their candidates. The party, which retained RR Nagar assembly in Karnataka and another in Meghalaya, termed the bypoll results as the people's mandate against four years of the Modi rule and the beginning of the end of the BJP empire. "The writing on the wall is clear. The BJP's exit and success of the Congress and its allies are guaranteed," Congress leader Pramod Tiwari told reporters. The BJP and its allies failed to retain Noorpur in UP and Shahkot in Punjab, while Congress, CPI (M), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Trinamool retained their respective seats. The BJP retained Tharali in Uttarakhand, but lost Noorpur in UP. SP's Naeemul Hasan trounced BJP's Avni Singh in Noorpur. In Bihar, RJD won minority-dominated Jokihat by defeating BJP ally JD(U) by a huge margin. A buoyed Tejashwi Yadav of RJD said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who dumped the RJD and Congress last year to join hands with the BJP to form a new coalition government in the state, should resign if he has some conscience left. Congress president Rahul Gandhi congratulating all the winners said valuable lessions to be learnt from the victories and defeats for all the parties. Congratulations to all the winners in the by polls, across India. Valuable lessons to be learnt from the victories & defeats for all parties. I want to thank all the workers & leaders of the Congress party for their hard work & dedication in these elections. God bless you all. — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 31, 2018 × Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said one has to take two steps backward before a big leap and the BJP is "going to take a massive leap." BJP's Subramanian Swamy, however, had a word of caution for the party and said the "this huge setback in by polls is due to Hubris". "But the trend is easily reversible if party stops rewarding sycophancy and has more participatory decision-making ethos amongst those leaders whom the public find credible. BJP has the infrastructure to bounce back but needs a new ethos," he said. AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the results reflect the anger against the Modi government. Former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav called the results "a defeat of divisive politics" and congratulated all opposition parties for the results. RLD's Jayant Chaudhary said the opposition unity will continue and the results showed that "Jinnah hara, Ganna jeeta" -- referring to the recent controversy over the Pakistan founder's portrait and the problems being faced by sugarcane farmers. CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechuri said BJP's loss at its "laboratory of communal and hate politics", Kairana, clearly showed that people did not accept the ruling party's politics but warned that the loss could push the RSS-BJP to spread communal tensions to consolidate the "Hindutva vote bank". In Punjab, Congress' Hardev Singh Ladi wrested Shahkot from the Shiromani Akali Dal. Trinamool's Dulal Das won Maheshtala bypoll in West Bengal, defeating BJP's Sujit Kumar Ghosh. The Left came third. In Kerala, Left's Saji Cheriyan won Chengannur bypoll. The Congress came second and the BJP third. JMM retained Silli and Gomia seats in Jharkhand. In Gomia, JMM's Babita Devi defeated AJSU nominee Lambodar Mahto, while BJP came third. In Silli, JMM's Seema Mahto defeated AJSU chief Sudesh Mahto. (With PTI inputs)

Assembly bypoll results: Opposition scoops 9 leaving one seat to BJP

Unlike their contemporaries who constantly deny relationships, if any, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt bring a fresh change to Bollywood relationships as the two confirm dating each other in as many words as possible.&nbsp;

In an interview with a fashion magazine, Ranbir went on record to confirm dating his Brahmastra co-star Alia Bhatt. The Sanju actor who has been in news for his uncanny resemblance to Sanjay Dutt in the biopic and his effortless portrayal of Sanjay came clean on dating rumours and said, “It’s really new right now, and I don’t want to overspeak. It needs time to breathe and it needs space. As an actor, as a person, Alia is — what’s the right word — flowing right now. When I see her work, when I see her act, even in life, what she gives is something that I’m aspiring to for myself.”

This puts to rest all rumour mills that were buzzing ever since Alia and Ranbir made quite an appearance at Sonam Kapoor’s wedding reception in Mumbai. The two turned eyes as they posed as a couple for the photographers.&nbsp;

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In the interview, Ranbir also spoke about enjoying the phase and said, “It always comes with a lot of excitement. It’s a new person, it comes with new beats. Old tricks become new tricks again – you know, being charming and romantic, all of that. I think I’m more balanced today. I value relationships more. I can appreciate hurt and what it does to a person much more than I could a couple years back.”

This marks the first time Alia and Ranbir have accepted their relationship. Earlier, they had said they have a crush on each other with Ranbir calling it a “boy crush on her,” as Alia called “Ranbir Kapoor”, her biggest crush of all time. &nbsp;

This is the first time Alia and Ranbir have accepted their relationship

Unlike their contemporaries who constantly deny relationships, if any, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt bring a fresh change to Bollywood relationships as the two confirm dating each other in as many words as possible. In an interview with a fashion magazine, Ranbir went on record to confirm dating his Brahmastra co-star Alia Bhatt. The Sanju actor who has been in news for his uncanny resemblance to Sanjay Dutt in the biopic and his effortless portrayal of Sanjay came clean on dating rumours and said, “It’s really new right now, and I don’t want to overspeak. It needs time to breathe and it needs space. As an actor, as a person, Alia is — what’s the right word — flowing right now. When I see her work, when I see her act, even in life, what she gives is something that I’m aspiring to for myself.” This puts to rest all rumour mills that were buzzing ever since Alia and Ranbir made quite an appearance at Sonam Kapoor’s wedding reception in Mumbai. The two turned eyes as they posed as a couple for the photographers. In the interview, Ranbir also spoke about enjoying the phase and said, “It always comes with a lot of excitement. It’s a new person, it comes with new beats. Old tricks become new tricks again – you know, being charming and romantic, all of that. I think I’m more balanced today. I value relationships more. I can appreciate hurt and what it does to a person much more than I could a couple years back.” This marks the first time Alia and Ranbir have accepted their relationship. Earlier, they had said they have a crush on each other with Ranbir calling it a “boy crush on her,” as Alia called “Ranbir Kapoor”, her biggest crush of all time.

Finally, Ranbir Kapoor confirms he is dating Alia Bhatt: 'It’s really new'

With just a few hours left for the release of one of the biggest films of this season-'Veere Di Wedding'- actresses Kareena Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhasker and Shikha Talsania seem to be at ease and quite assured with their film.&nbsp; 
 
While many would have liked to term the female-buddy film as a chick flick, the lead actresses want to steer clear of such labels.&nbsp; 
 
During a press interaction in New Delhi, both Sonam and Swara stated how the term itself is a “derogatory term for a woman”. 
 
"The film explores the friendship between four people who happen to be women. The film shows that how women support each other and are confidantes of each other. I just want to ask that whenever a movie is made with women characters in the centre, why it is called a ‘woman empowerment film’?" pointed out Sonam, whose sister Rhea Kapoor is a co-producer of the film. 
 
Swara Bhaskar also echoed friend Sonam's thoughts and said, "Basically a 'chick flick' is a strange category to put films in. Have we ever said that this film is a male-centric film or it is a ‘dude flick’? ' asked Bhasker who is known to be vocal about pertinent issues.&nbsp; 
 
“A film is a comedy, romance, action. There is no separate genre for girls only”, said Swara and added, “Such categories are misleading also because our story is about friendship not about a single section of the society." 
 
“I think boys can be friends and share the same vibe, a woman can only share the same vibe and this what we have shown in the film. Instead of labelling it, we should focus more on story, originality and on those parameters our film qualifies.” 
 
The women felt that the society unnecessarily puts labels on women. " Why is the idea of drinking and abusing limited to guys only? Why we can’t we look ahead of the fact that when four women meet, they can also talk in the similar language," said Swara. 
 
“We don’t want to be labelled, It is a film for women and men both," added Sonam. The film's being promoted on social media platforms as #IAmNotChickFlick

“We are just shying away from a label and we just don’t want to put the movie in a box," added Sonam.

Sonam does not mind if the film is called a wedding film. "Call it a wedding film, or anything but I think we should not term this film as a woman empowerment story just because it has four female friends. Or because the trailers show them cursing freely"&nbsp;

'Veere Di Wedding', directed by Shashanka Ghosh, releases in theatres on June 1. The film is Kareena Kapoor's first film post maternity break. She was last seen in 'Ki and Ka' in 2015.&nbsp;

The cast wants to steer clear of all labels.

With just a few hours left for the release of one of the biggest films of this season-'Veere Di Wedding'- actresses Kareena Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhasker and Shikha Talsania seem to be at ease and quite assured with their film. While many would have liked to term the female-buddy film as a chick flick, the lead actresses want to steer clear of such labels. During a press interaction in New Delhi, both Sonam and Swara stated how the term itself is a “derogatory term for a woman”. "The film explores the friendship between four people who happen to be women. The film shows that how women support each other and are confidantes of each other. I just want to ask that whenever a movie is made with women characters in the centre, why it is called a ‘woman empowerment film’?" pointed out Sonam, whose sister Rhea Kapoor is a co-producer of the film. Swara Bhaskar also echoed friend Sonam's thoughts and said, "Basically a 'chick flick' is a strange category to put films in. Have we ever said that this film is a male-centric film or it is a ‘dude flick’? ' asked Bhasker who is known to be vocal about pertinent issues. “A film is a comedy, romance, action. There is no separate genre for girls only”, said Swara and added, “Such categories are misleading also because our story is about friendship not about a single section of the society." “I think boys can be friends and share the same vibe, a woman can only share the same vibe and this what we have shown in the film. Instead of labelling it, we should focus more on story, originality and on those parameters our film qualifies.” The women felt that the society unnecessarily puts labels on women. " Why is the idea of drinking and abusing limited to guys only? Why we can’t we look ahead of the fact that when four women meet, they can also talk in the similar language," said Swara. “We don’t want to be labelled, It is a film for women and men both," added Sonam. The film's being promoted on social media platforms as #IAmNotChickFlick “We are just shying away from a label and we just don’t want to put the movie in a box," added Sonam. Sonam does not mind if the film is called a wedding film. "Call it a wedding film, or anything but I think we should not term this film as a woman empowerment story just because it has four female friends. Or because the trailers show them cursing freely" 'Veere Di Wedding', directed by Shashanka Ghosh, releases in theatres on June 1. The film is Kareena Kapoor's first film post maternity break. She was last seen in 'Ki and Ka' in 2015.

Why 'Veere Di Wedding' stars don't want their film to be called a 'chick flick'

In a big setback to the ruling BJP, opposition parties on Thursday won two out of four Lok Sabha seats strengthening non-BJP unity in the run-up to the 2019 general elections. BJP retained one seat and its ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) won the Nagaland Lok Sabha bypoll.

With prestige at stake in every single bypoll, the BJP was seen losing the high-profile Kairana Lok Sabha seat in politically important Uttar Pradesh to a united Opposition after a communally-charged election campaign, while similar appeared the result for Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra, as per the trends and results announced by the Election Commission.

United opposition&nbsp;candidate Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hasan, who was supported by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party,&nbsp;won the Kairana seat by a margin of 44,618 votes

However, the BJP retained another Lok Sabha seat from Maharashtra, Palghar, where it had faced a challenge from its own ally Shiv Sena but the Opposition could not pose a united fight. BJP's Rajendra Gavit won the seat, defeating Shiv Sena's Shrinivas Wanaga by 29574 votes.

The fourth Lok Sabha seat, Nagaland, for which bypoll was held earlier this week appeared to be going in favour of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), a BJP allly in the northeastern state.

The results appeared more slanted against the BJP after taking into account the parties that had won these seats before bypolls were necessitated. While the BJP alliance was seen retaining two Lok Sabha seats -- one in Maharashtra and another in Nagaland -- it failed to retain two others -- UP's Kairana and Maharashtra's Palghar.

Commenting on the results, senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said one has to take two steps backward before a big leap.

Asked about the BJP's performance in these by-elections ahead of next year's general polls, Singh said, "For a massive leap, one always has to go two steps backward."

"We are going to take a massive leap," he added.

AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal latched onto the bypoll results to attack the BJP and said it reflects the anger against the Modi government.

The trends from UP showed the biggest electoral upset for the BJP with the joint opposition candidate, RLD's Tabassum Hasan, leading by a big margin in Kairana Lok Sabha constituency.

&nbsp;The seat fell vacant following the death of the BJP candidate Mriganka Singh's father, Hukum Singh.

Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hasan, supported by the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, established an early lead over Mriganka Singh right from the beginning to establish an almost invincible lead by noon.

In Maharashtra, the BJP retained Palghar but was staring at defeat in the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha constituency, which the BJP had won in the 2014 elections. The NCP's Madhukar Kukade was leading over the BJP's Hemant Patel, as per latest trends.&nbsp;

The announcement of results was not without controversies. While repolling was held in few polling booths due to EVMs failures, on the counting, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said that said that there were some discrepancies in counting and appealed to the Election Commission to announce the results after those discrepancies are sorted out. However, Election Commission rejected the request and issued the victory certificate to the BJP candidate, Rajendra Gavit.&nbsp;

(With PTI inputs)&nbsp;

The BJP retained another Lok Sabha seat from Maharashtra, Palghar, where it had faced a challenge from its own ally Shiv Sena

In a big setback to the ruling BJP, opposition parties on Thursday won two out of four Lok Sabha seats strengthening non-BJP unity in the run-up to the 2019 general elections. BJP retained one seat and its ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) won the Nagaland Lok Sabha bypoll. With prestige at stake in every single bypoll, the BJP was seen losing the high-profile Kairana Lok Sabha seat in politically important Uttar Pradesh to a united Opposition after a communally-charged election campaign, while similar appeared the result for Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra, as per the trends and results announced by the Election Commission. United opposition candidate Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hasan, who was supported by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, won the Kairana seat by a margin of 44,618 votes However, the BJP retained another Lok Sabha seat from Maharashtra, Palghar, where it had faced a challenge from its own ally Shiv Sena but the Opposition could not pose a united fight. BJP's Rajendra Gavit won the seat, defeating Shiv Sena's Shrinivas Wanaga by 29574 votes. The fourth Lok Sabha seat, Nagaland, for which bypoll was held earlier this week appeared to be going in favour of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), a BJP allly in the northeastern state. The results appeared more slanted against the BJP after taking into account the parties that had won these seats before bypolls were necessitated. While the BJP alliance was seen retaining two Lok Sabha seats -- one in Maharashtra and another in Nagaland -- it failed to retain two others -- UP's Kairana and Maharashtra's Palghar. Commenting on the results, senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said one has to take two steps backward before a big leap. Asked about the BJP's performance in these by-elections ahead of next year's general polls, Singh said, "For a massive leap, one always has to go two steps backward." "We are going to take a massive leap," he added. AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal latched onto the bypoll results to attack the BJP and said it reflects the anger against the Modi government. The trends from UP showed the biggest electoral upset for the BJP with the joint opposition candidate, RLD's Tabassum Hasan, leading by a big margin in Kairana Lok Sabha constituency. The seat fell vacant following the death of the BJP candidate Mriganka Singh's father, Hukum Singh. Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hasan, supported by the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, established an early lead over Mriganka Singh right from the beginning to establish an almost invincible lead by noon. In Maharashtra, the BJP retained Palghar but was staring at defeat in the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha constituency, which the BJP had won in the 2014 elections. The NCP's Madhukar Kukade was leading over the BJP's Hemant Patel, as per latest trends. The announcement of results was not without controversies. While repolling was held in few polling booths due to EVMs failures, on the counting, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said that said that there were some discrepancies in counting and appealed to the Election Commission to announce the results after those discrepancies are sorted out. However, Election Commission rejected the request and issued the victory certificate to the BJP candidate, Rajendra Gavit. (With PTI inputs)

Lok Sabha bypoll results: Opposition snatches Kairana from BJP, NCP wins Bhandara-Gondiya

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met his Malaysian counterpart <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pm-modi-meets-malaysian-pm-mahathir-mohamad--deputy-pm-leaves-for-singapore-141253">Mahathir Mohammad</a>. Modi had dropped the second leg of the Indonesia tour to ensure that meeting between him and the newly elected 92-year-old leader takes place.

The two leaders exchanged views on strengthening relationship between both the countries. They also discussed economic relationship and cultural connect between India and Malaysia. Modi met Mahathir at his office in Perdana Putra Complex in Putrajaya.

"Glad to have met Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. I thank him for the warm welcome. We had productive discussions on further cementing India-Malaysia ties," Modi tweeted. 
&nbsp; 
What made this meeting important is that Modi is among the first world leaders to meet Mahathir Mohamad, who became the world's oldest elected leader when his opposition alliance registered a stunning victory over the Barisan Nasional Coalition which has ruled the country since 1950s. He was sworn in as the country's 10th Prime minister on May 10. Modi last visited Malaysia in November 2015. India and Malaysia have close ties in infrastructure development, defence, tourism and education. The trade between India and Malaysia stands at $15.44 billion.

During his brief stopover, Modi also met with Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her husband Anwar Ibrahim. "Good discussion took place to take our relationship to newer heights," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. "Malaysia is a strategic partner and a priority country in our Act East Policy," Raveesh Kumar said.

Modi had announced before starting his three-nation tour that he will make a brief halt in Malaysia to meet Mahathir and congratulate the new Malaysian leadership.

After concluding his <a href="www.wionews.com/india-news/many-shades-of-pm-modis-diplomacy-141249">whirlwind trip</a>, the Indian Prime Minister arrived in Singapore where he will deliver a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual security meet, on Friday. After his arrival Modi met young entrepreneurs in the city. Two of them were from his state Gujarat who are part of the Atal Tinkering Lab policy initiative of the government. Technologies related to artificial intelligence, data analytics, machine learning and cyber security were demonstrated to the Prime Minister.

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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-pm-modi-arrives-in-singapore-for-three-day-visit--141323">In Singapore</a>, Prime Minister Modi launched RuPay, Bhim App and UPI enable remittance app by the State Bank of India. He also addressed the Indian business community saying that Indian diaspora in Singapore represents diversity of India.

"When India opened up to the world and turned to the east, Singapore became a partner and a bridge between India and Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)," Modi said while addressing a business and community event.

"Political relations between India and Singapore are among the warmest and closest," he said.

"India's manufacturing sector is rebounding, showing a sharp rise in FDI. The Indian startup sector is flourishing too and is now the third largest in the world," Modi said.

Singapore is both a leading investment source and destination for India and is the first country with which we signed a comprehensive agreement, he added.

His Singapore stopover is the third and final leg of his five-day tour of Southeast Asia.

The BJP's strength is 274 as two nominated members also belong to it.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohammad. Modi had dropped the second leg of the Indonesia tour to ensure that meeting between him and the newly elected 92-year-old leader takes place. The two leaders exchanged views on strengthening relationship between both the countries. They also discussed economic relationship and cultural connect between India and Malaysia. Modi met Mahathir at his office in Perdana Putra Complex in Putrajaya. "Glad to have met Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. I thank him for the warm welcome. We had productive discussions on further cementing India-Malaysia ties," Modi tweeted. What made this meeting important is that Modi is among the first world leaders to meet Mahathir Mohamad, who became the world's oldest elected leader when his opposition alliance registered a stunning victory over the Barisan Nasional Coalition which has ruled the country since 1950s. He was sworn in as the country's 10th Prime minister on May 10. Modi last visited Malaysia in November 2015. India and Malaysia have close ties in infrastructure development, defence, tourism and education. The trade between India and Malaysia stands at $15.44 billion. During his brief stopover, Modi also met with Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her husband Anwar Ibrahim. "Good discussion took place to take our relationship to newer heights," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. "Malaysia is a strategic partner and a priority country in our Act East Policy," Raveesh Kumar said. Modi had announced before starting his three-nation tour that he will make a brief halt in Malaysia to meet Mahathir and congratulate the new Malaysian leadership. After concluding his whirlwind trip, the Indian Prime Minister arrived in Singapore where he will deliver a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual security meet, on Friday. After his arrival Modi met young entrepreneurs in the city. Two of them were from his state Gujarat who are part of the Atal Tinkering Lab policy initiative of the government. Technologies related to artificial intelligence, data analytics, machine learning and cyber security were demonstrated to the Prime Minister. × In Singapore, Prime Minister Modi launched RuPay, Bhim App and UPI enable remittance app by the State Bank of India. He also addressed the Indian business community saying that Indian diaspora in Singapore represents diversity of India. "When India opened up to the world and turned to the east, Singapore became a partner and a bridge between India and Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)," Modi said while addressing a business and community event. "Political relations between India and Singapore are among the warmest and closest," he said. "India's manufacturing sector is rebounding, showing a sharp rise in FDI. The Indian startup sector is flourishing too and is now the third largest in the world," Modi said. Singapore is both a leading investment source and destination for India and is the first country with which we signed a comprehensive agreement, he added. His Singapore stopover is the third and final leg of his five-day tour of Southeast Asia.

Modi's whirlwind diplomacy: After Malaysia, wooing investors in Singapore

On Thursday John Abraham took to Twitter to quash rumours about his alleged rift with actor Akshay Kumar.&nbsp; 
 
There were reports that John Abraham and Akshay Kumar had a fallout over their film 'Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran' which released last week.&nbsp; 
 
"Heard that my brother @akshaykumar and I are fighting..he would beat me up :) Sorry to disappoint but NO truth to this. The only explosions happening currently are on screen in Parmanu :)" John wrote on Twitter.

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Heard that my brother <a href="https://twitter.com/akshaykumar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@akshaykumar</a> and I are fighting..he would beat me up :) Sorry to disappoint but NO truth to this. The only explosions happening currently are on screen in Parmanu :)
— John Abraham (@TheJohnAbraham) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheJohnAbraham/status/1001842824453730304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Soon after Akshay Kumar responded with a tweet congratulating the actor on his performance in 'Parmanu'.&nbsp; 
 
"Absolutely So proud of you brother @TheJohnAbraham, heard you've done a swell job in Parmanu...gonna catch it real soon. Hugs :)(sic)"

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Absolutely ?? So proud of you brother <a href="https://twitter.com/TheJohnAbraham?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheJohnAbraham</a>, heard you've done a swell job in Parmanu...gonna catch it real soon. Hugs :) <a href="https://t.co/iunrJ3TYdl">https://t.co/iunrJ3TYdl</a>
— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) <a href="https://twitter.com/akshaykumar/status/1001851389075709953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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John was embroiled in a bitter legal battle with Prerna Arora of KriArj Entertainment weeks before the release of 'Parmanu'. Media reports suggested that the actor had a fallout with Akshay Kumar at the same time as Kumar was the one who introduced John to KriArj. 
 
But those rumours can now be put to rest as both actors, who have worked together in 'Garam Masala' together, have refuted them.&nbsp; 
 
The film, meanwhile, is racing its way to the Rs 50-crore club at the box office in India.

On Thursday John Abraham took to Twitter to quash rumours about his alleged rift with actor Akshay Kumar. There were reports that John Abraham and Akshay Kumar had a fallout over their film 'Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran' which released last week. "Heard that my brother @akshaykumar and I are fighting..he would beat me up :) Sorry to disappoint but NO truth to this. The only explosions happening currently are on screen in Parmanu :)" John wrote on Twitter. Heard that my brother @akshaykumar and I are fighting..he would beat me up :) Sorry to disappoint but NO truth to this. The only explosions happening currently are on screen in Parmanu :) — John Abraham (@TheJohnAbraham) May 30, 2018 × Soon after Akshay Kumar responded with a tweet congratulating the actor on his performance in 'Parmanu'. "Absolutely So proud of you brother @TheJohnAbraham, heard you've done a swell job in Parmanu...gonna catch it real soon. Hugs :)(sic)" Absolutely ?? So proud of you brother @TheJohnAbraham, heard you've done a swell job in Parmanu...gonna catch it real soon. Hugs :) https://t.co/iunrJ3TYdl — Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) May 30, 2018 × John was embroiled in a bitter legal battle with Prerna Arora of KriArj Entertainment weeks before the release of 'Parmanu'. Media reports suggested that the actor had a fallout with Akshay Kumar at the same time as Kumar was the one who introduced John to KriArj. But those rumours can now be put to rest as both actors, who have worked together in 'Garam Masala' together, have refuted them. The film, meanwhile, is racing its way to the Rs 50-crore club at the box office in India.

'No truth to this': John Abraham refutes rumours of a rift with Akshay Kumar

The counting of votes for by-elections to four Lok Sabha seats and 10 assembly constituencies will be held today.

Lok Sabha bypoll

The Lok Sabha seats which went for polls were: Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya in Maharashtra the politically-crucial Kairana Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh, and Nagaland parliamentary constituency.

It will be a litmus test for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a positive outcome is necessary for the saffron party to maintain its majority in the Lok Sabha.

The results will also test the mettle of a united opposition with that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Though, after losing from Gorakhpur and Phulpur, the BJP had profusely campaigned to win the Kairana seat.

Similarly, in Maharashtra's Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya, all four major parties -- the BJP, Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress left no stone unturned to woo the electorates in their favour.

Elections were necessitated in Kairana after the seat fell vacant in February following the death of BJP leader Hukum Singh. The BJP has fielded Mriganka Singh, daughter of Singh, from this seat.

In Maharashtra, Palghar is a reserved seat, which was previously held by the BJP. The seat fell vacant after sitting BJP MP Chintaman Wanga died in January.

Chintaman Wanga had thrice won the constituency as a BJP member, however, after his death, his family had joined hands with the Shiv Sena.

In Bhandara-Gondiya the bye-election was necessitated when BJP's sitting MP Nana Patole quit the party to join the Congress in December last year.

Meanwhile, in Nagaland Neiphiu Rio of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party was the representative of the lone Lok Sabha constituency in Nagaland. Rio, who represented this constituency, quit in February to contest in the assembly election.

Rio is the chief minister of Nagaland.

Assembly by-election

The by-elections were held in Legislative Assemblies of Shahkot (Punjab), Tharali (Uttarakhand), Ampati (Meghalaya), Chengannur (Kerala), Jokihat (Bihar), Gomia (Jharkhand), Silli (Jharkhand), Maheshtala (West Bengal), Noorpur (Uttar Pradesh), Palus Kadegaon (Maharashtra).

The by-poll in Gomia Assembly was necessitated after the sitting MLA Yogendra Prasad Mahto of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) was expelled from the assembly after he was convicted in a coal theft case.

In Jharkhand's Silli the sitting MLA, Amit Mahto, of the JMM was convicted in a criminal assault case in March following which the seat fell vacant.

The seat of Noorpur in Uttar Pradesh fell vacant after the death of sitting BJP MLA Lokendra Singh Chouhan. Chouhan was a two-time MLA from here.

The Maheshtala seat was held by Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Kasturi Das until his death in February. He too had represented this constituency twice.

Former Meghalaya Chief Minister and Congress MLA Mukul Sangma resigned from Ampati seat in March, as he had also won from Songsak. Sangma was the MLA from this seat since 1993.

Tharali seat in Uttarakhand is reserved for the member of scheduled castes. The by-poll was necessitated after the death of the BJP MLA Magan Lal Shah in February.

Chengannur seat fell vacant after the death of Communist Party of India (Marxist) sitting MLA KK&nbspRamachandran Nair in January.

Sarfaraz Alam had won the Jokihat assembly seat on Janata Dal (United) (JD-U) ticket. He later contested from RJD ticket and resigned in April from the post of MLA after his victory in the Araria Lok Sabha by-poll.

The Shiromani Akali Dal representative of the Shahkot seat, Ajit Singh Kohar the sitting MLA, died in February, which necessitated by-poll in the assembly. Kohar had won from the constituency in 2012 and 2017.

The by-poll in Palus-Kadegaon Assembly constituency was necessitated due to the death of Congress's Patangrao Kadam, who had won the constituency twice. The EC has declared Kadam's son elected unopposed as the BJP had withdrawn its candidate.

These bye-elections were also marred with the complaints of EVM malfunctioning and in the view of which the election commission had to replace the faulty machines at certain places after which repolling was held on several booths on Wednesday.&nbsp

The results will test the mettle of a united opposition with that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi

The counting of votes for by-elections to four Lok Sabha seats and 10 assembly constituencies will be held today. Lok Sabha bypoll The Lok Sabha seats which went for polls were: Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya in Maharashtra the politically-crucial Kairana Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh, and Nagaland parliamentary constituency. It will be a litmus test for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a positive outcome is necessary for the saffron party to maintain its majority in the Lok Sabha. The results will also test the mettle of a united opposition with that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Though, after losing from Gorakhpur and Phulpur, the BJP had profusely campaigned to win the Kairana seat. Similarly, in Maharashtra's Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya, all four major parties -- the BJP, Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress left no stone unturned to woo the electorates in their favour. Elections were necessitated in Kairana after the seat fell vacant in February following the death of BJP leader Hukum Singh. The BJP has fielded Mriganka Singh, daughter of Singh, from this seat. In Maharashtra, Palghar is a reserved seat, which was previously held by the BJP. The seat fell vacant after sitting BJP MP Chintaman Wanga died in January. Chintaman Wanga had thrice won the constituency as a BJP member, however, after his death, his family had joined hands with the Shiv Sena. In Bhandara-Gondiya the bye-election was necessitated when BJP's sitting MP Nana Patole quit the party to join the Congress in December last year. Meanwhile, in Nagaland Neiphiu Rio of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party was the representative of the lone Lok Sabha constituency in Nagaland. Rio, who represented this constituency, quit in February to contest in the assembly election. Rio is the chief minister of Nagaland. Assembly by-election The by-elections were held in Legislative Assemblies of Shahkot (Punjab), Tharali (Uttarakhand), Ampati (Meghalaya), Chengannur (Kerala), Jokihat (Bihar), Gomia (Jharkhand), Silli (Jharkhand), Maheshtala (West Bengal), Noorpur (Uttar Pradesh), Palus Kadegaon (Maharashtra). The by-poll in Gomia Assembly was necessitated after the sitting MLA Yogendra Prasad Mahto of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) was expelled from the assembly after he was convicted in a coal theft case. In Jharkhand's Silli the sitting MLA, Amit Mahto, of the JMM was convicted in a criminal assault case in March following which the seat fell vacant. The seat of Noorpur in Uttar Pradesh fell vacant after the death of sitting BJP MLA Lokendra Singh Chouhan. Chouhan was a two-time MLA from here. The Maheshtala seat was held by Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Kasturi Das until his death in February. He too had represented this constituency twice. Former Meghalaya Chief Minister and Congress MLA Mukul Sangma resigned from Ampati seat in March, as he had also won from Songsak. Sangma was the MLA from this seat since 1993. Tharali seat in Uttarakhand is reserved for the member of scheduled castes. The by-poll was necessitated after the death of the BJP MLA Magan Lal Shah in February. Chengannur seat fell vacant after the death of Communist Party of India (Marxist) sitting MLA KK&nbspRamachandran Nair in January. Sarfaraz Alam had won the Jokihat assembly seat on Janata Dal (United) (JD-U) ticket. He later contested from RJD ticket and resigned in April from the post of MLA after his victory in the Araria Lok Sabha by-poll. The Shiromani Akali Dal representative of the Shahkot seat, Ajit Singh Kohar the sitting MLA, died in February, which necessitated by-poll in the assembly. Kohar had won from the constituency in 2012 and 2017. The by-poll in Palus-Kadegaon Assembly constituency was necessitated due to the death of Congress's Patangrao Kadam, who had won the constituency twice. The EC has declared Kadam's son elected unopposed as the BJP had withdrawn its candidate. These bye-elections were also marred with the complaints of EVM malfunctioning and in the view of which the election commission had to replace the faulty machines at certain places after which repolling was held on several booths on Wednesday.

Lok Sabha, assembly seats bypoll results today: All you need to know

Nipah virus has claimed one more life raising the death toll to a total of 16 after one more passed away due to the infection in Calicut on Thursday.&nbsp;

This comes the same day after another victim was pronounced dead this morning in Kerala with a 28-year-old man succumbing to the deadly virus, a health department official said today.&nbsp;

Akhil, a native of Karassery, who was undergoing treatment at the Kozhikode Medical college hospital (KMCH) since May 29, died last night, the official said.&nbsp;

Two more persons confirmed of having contracted the virus are being treated at KMCH, he said.&nbsp;

Besides, 1,353 people who had been in contact with the affected persons before the confirmation of the disease, are under observation, the official said.&nbsp;

Yesterday, Madhusudhanan (55) of Nellikode in the district, who was undergoing treatment in a private hospital here also breathed his last.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, <a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/preview/article/140956">a soldier died in Kolkata</a> due to the deadly virus.&nbsp;

The outbreak of the Nipah virus infection, a newly emerging zoonosis that causes severe disease in both animals and humans, is suspected to be from an unused well in Perambra which was infested with bats.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

This comes the same day after another victim was pronounced dead this morning in Kerala with a 28-year-old man succumbing to the deadly virus here, a health department official said today

Nipah virus has claimed one more life raising the death toll to a total of 16 after one more passed away due to the infection in Calicut on Thursday. This comes the same day after another victim was pronounced dead this morning in Kerala with a 28-year-old man succumbing to the deadly virus, a health department official said today. Akhil, a native of Karassery, who was undergoing treatment at the Kozhikode Medical college hospital (KMCH) since May 29, died last night, the official said. Two more persons confirmed of having contracted the virus are being treated at KMCH, he said. Besides, 1,353 people who had been in contact with the affected persons before the confirmation of the disease, are under observation, the official said. Yesterday, Madhusudhanan (55) of Nellikode in the district, who was undergoing treatment in a private hospital here also breathed his last. On Wednesday, a soldier died in Kolkata due to the deadly virus. The outbreak of the Nipah virus infection, a newly emerging zoonosis that causes severe disease in both animals and humans, is suspected to be from an unused well in Perambra which was infested with bats.

Nipah virus: Death toll mounts to 16 as one more dies in Calicut

Finally, Ranbir Kapoor confirms he is dating Alia Bhatt

Make way for Bollywood's new couple- Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt

The Indian government said it did not receive any expressions of interest in its planned Air India stake sale. The deadline for submission of expression of interest ended today.

"As informed by the Transaction Adviser, no response has been received for the Expression of Interest floated for the strategic disinvestment of Air India," the Civil Aviation Ministry said in a tweet.

"Further course of action will be decided appropriately," it added.

Ernst & Young is the transaction advisor for the process.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, keen to sell the loss-making, debt-ridden airline, finalised plans in late March to divest a 76 per cent stake and offload about $5.1 billion (3.8 billion pounds) of its debt.

Air India, known for its Maharaja mascot, has some of India's most lucrative international and domestic landing and parking slots that are key for airlines.

While a buyer would have got management control and gained access to more than 2,500 international slots and over 3,700 domestic slots, it would also have been required to take on Air India's 27,000 employees, 40 per cent of whom are permanent staff.

The terms had also stipulated that the government would have continued to hold a 24 per cent stake, with the need for the bidder to abide by conditions, not yet detailed, designed to safeguard employee interests.

The government had also restricted merging the airline with the buyer's existing businesses, but later relaxed the rule to allow some integration for business efficiency.

Jet Airways and rival IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe Aviation, have already opted out of the race.

(With inputs from agencies)

The government is planning to divest a 76 per cent stake in the loss-making state-owned carrier.

The Indian government said it did not receive any expressions of interest in its planned Air India stake sale. The deadline for submission of expression of interest ended today. "As informed by the Transaction Adviser, no response has been received for the Expression of Interest floated for the strategic disinvestment of Air India," the Civil Aviation Ministry said in a tweet. "Further course of action will be decided appropriately," it added. Ernst & Young is the transaction advisor for the process. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, keen to sell the loss-making, debt-ridden airline, finalised plans in late March to divest a 76 per cent stake and offload about $5.1 billion (3.8 billion pounds) of its debt. Air India, known for its Maharaja mascot, has some of India's most lucrative international and domestic landing and parking slots that are key for airlines. While a buyer would have got management control and gained access to more than 2,500 international slots and over 3,700 domestic slots, it would also have been required to take on Air India's 27,000 employees, 40 per cent of whom are permanent staff. The terms had also stipulated that the government would have continued to hold a 24 per cent stake, with the need for the bidder to abide by conditions, not yet detailed, designed to safeguard employee interests. The government had also restricted merging the airline with the buyer's existing businesses, but later relaxed the rule to allow some integration for business efficiency. Jet Airways and rival IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe Aviation, have already opted out of the race. (With inputs from agencies)

No bids received for Air India stake sale, says government

DMK and several other political parties in Tamil Nadu today hit out at superstar Rajinikanth for his comments that too many protests would turn the state into a 'graveyard'.

However, the ruling AIADMK welcomed his remarks, made in the backdrop of the anti-Sterlite protests, blaming anti-social elements for the recent violence in Tuticorin that resulted in 13 deaths in police firing.

After visiting the injured in Tuticorin, Rajinikanth had yesterday warned that Tamil Nadu will become a 'graveyard' if there were too many agitations.

The actor, who has announced he will float a political party, also said anti-social elements had infiltrated the protest by locals demanding closure of Sterlite's copper smelter unit in the southern town.

DMK Working President MK Stalin, MDMK founder Vaiko, AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran and VCK's Thol Thirumavalavan hit out at the aspiring politician for his comments.

Speaking to reporters in neighbouring Puducherry, Stalin said he wondered if Rajinikanth was indeed making his own viewpoint.

"There is a doubt if this is his voice as BJP has also been making such remarks. Whatever it is, he is a Superstar and himself has said anti-social elements had infiltrated the protesters. It would be good for the country if he could identify such persons," he said.

Further, nothing can be resolved without a struggle, Stalin, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, added.

"Whether the anti-Hindi agitation (of the 1960s) or the freedom struggle or the pro-jallikattu protests, all of them (the goal) had been achieved through agitations. I hope he is aware of it," he said.

Dhinakaran said the anti-Sterlite agitation was a people's protest.

"Are the dead or those injured anti-social elements?" he questioned.

MDMK founder Vaiko said Rajinikanth's comments have "hurt crores of Tamils."

Thirumavalavan said while the actor supported protests in his films, "it is surprising" he was now speaking out against them.

"We are agitating to ensure Tamil Nadu is not turned into a graveyard," Thirumavalavan, whose party is among those involved in various protests including against NEET, said, hitting back at Rajinikanth's 'graveyard' remarks.

Meanwhile, the AIADMK, critical of the actor on many issues, lauded him for speaking "with conscience."

A write-up in the party mouthpiece "Namathu Puratchi Thalaivi Amma" also pointed out his praising of the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for dealing with anti-social elements with an "iron fist."

"Superstar Rajinikanth has spoken frankly with conscience... he has endorsed Chief Minister K Palaniswami's statement that anti-social elements had infiltrated the protestors," it said.

The actor's remarks were "welcome," it added.&nbsp

However, the ruling AIADMK welcomed his remarks, made in the backdrop of the anti-Sterlite protests, blaming anti-social elements for the recent violence in Tuticorin that resulted in 13 deaths in police firing

DMK and several other political parties in Tamil Nadu today hit out at superstar Rajinikanth for his comments that too many protests would turn the state into a 'graveyard'. However, the ruling AIADMK welcomed his remarks, made in the backdrop of the anti-Sterlite protests, blaming anti-social elements for the recent violence in Tuticorin that resulted in 13 deaths in police firing. After visiting the injured in Tuticorin, Rajinikanth had yesterday warned that Tamil Nadu will become a 'graveyard' if there were too many agitations. The actor, who has announced he will float a political party, also said anti-social elements had infiltrated the protest by locals demanding closure of Sterlite's copper smelter unit in the southern town. DMK Working President MK Stalin, MDMK founder Vaiko, AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran and VCK's Thol Thirumavalavan hit out at the aspiring politician for his comments. Speaking to reporters in neighbouring Puducherry, Stalin said he wondered if Rajinikanth was indeed making his own viewpoint. "There is a doubt if this is his voice as BJP has also been making such remarks. Whatever it is, he is a Superstar and himself has said anti-social elements had infiltrated the protesters. It would be good for the country if he could identify such persons," he said. Further, nothing can be resolved without a struggle, Stalin, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, added. "Whether the anti-Hindi agitation (of the 1960s) or the freedom struggle or the pro-jallikattu protests, all of them (the goal) had been achieved through agitations. I hope he is aware of it," he said. Dhinakaran said the anti-Sterlite agitation was a people's protest. "Are the dead or those injured anti-social elements?" he questioned. MDMK founder Vaiko said Rajinikanth's comments have "hurt crores of Tamils." Thirumavalavan said while the actor supported protests in his films, "it is surprising" he was now speaking out against them. "We are agitating to ensure Tamil Nadu is not turned into a graveyard," Thirumavalavan, whose party is among those involved in various protests including against NEET, said, hitting back at Rajinikanth's 'graveyard' remarks. Meanwhile, the AIADMK, critical of the actor on many issues, lauded him for speaking "with conscience." A write-up in the party mouthpiece "Namathu Puratchi Thalaivi Amma" also pointed out his praising of the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for dealing with anti-social elements with an "iron fist." "Superstar Rajinikanth has spoken frankly with conscience... he has endorsed Chief Minister K Palaniswami's statement that anti-social elements had infiltrated the protestors," it said. The actor's remarks were "welcome," it added.

DMK, political parties flay Rajini's comments on protests

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav today vacated their official residences (government bungalows) in compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court.

The father-son duo - both former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh - had moved Supreme Court seeking "appropriate time" for vacating their official residences allocated by the Uttar Pradesh government.

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Former Chief Ministers Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav vacate their official residences in compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court. <a href="https://t.co/krbv3nTseM">pic.twitter.com/krbv3nTseM</a>
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&nbsp

Their plea was filed in the backdrop of the May 7 judgement of the Supreme Court that had struck down an amendment in a state legislation allowing former chief ministers to retain government accommodation even after demitting office.

The two leaders had sought two years' time from UP government to vacate their official residences and shifting to their private accommodations in Lucknow.

The top court had on May 7 held that former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh cannot retain government accommodation after demitting office and had said that a chief minister was at par with a common man once his or her term ends.

The court, in its 29-page order, had said once such persons demit public office held by them, there is nothing to distinguish them from the common man.

The two leaders had sought two years' time from UP government to vacate their official residences and shifting to their private accommodations in Lucknow.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav today vacated their official residences (government bungalows) in compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court. The father-son duo - both former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh - had moved Supreme Court seeking "appropriate time" for vacating their official residences allocated by the Uttar Pradesh government. Former Chief Ministers Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav vacate their official residences in compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court. pic.twitter.com/krbv3nTseM — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 31, 2018 × Their plea was filed in the backdrop of the May 7 judgement of the Supreme Court that had struck down an amendment in a state legislation allowing former chief ministers to retain government accommodation even after demitting office. The two leaders had sought two years' time from UP government to vacate their official residences and shifting to their private accommodations in Lucknow. The top court had on May 7 held that former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh cannot retain government accommodation after demitting office and had said that a chief minister was at par with a common man once his or her term ends. The court, in its 29-page order, had said once such persons demit public office held by them, there is nothing to distinguish them from the common man.

Akhilesh, Mulayam Singh Yadav comply with Supreme Court order, vacate government bungalows

Hours after bypolls results were declared, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav launched a scathing attack on BJP saying people have given a befitting reply to the saffron party.&nbsp;

The SP president congratulated all the people who voted for his party and said&nbsp;victory of the combined opposition candidates in the Kairana Lok Sabha and Noorpur Assembly bypolls&nbsp;is a "befitting" reply to the BJP and those who sought to divide the country.

''This is a defeat for those who do not believe in the democracy,'' he added.

''I want to congratulate all the people who voted for us. This is a defeat for those who do not believe in the democracy. People have given a befitting reply to the BJP,'' the SP leader further said.&nbsp;

He said that people of the state have taught the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a lesson for "betraying" on all the poll promises.&nbsp; 
 
"People of the state have taught them a lesson for betraying them," Yadav said, adding, "UP government has repeatedly fooled the people. Farmers were told that their loans were waived but instead they lost their lives."&nbsp; 
 
The SP leader congratulated the voters in Noorpur and Kairana. "This is a victory for the farmers, the neglected, the poor and the Dalits." 
 
He thanked the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) Chief Ajit Singh, RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary for holding the fort against the BJP in Kairana and recalled the legacy of former Prime Minister Charan Singh. 
 
The SP leader also thanked the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Mahan Party, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Nishad Party, Peace Party, Left parties and the COngress for supporting the opposition candidates in the by-polls.

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कैराना और नूरपुर की जनता, कार्यकर्ताओं, उम्मीदवारों व सभी एकजुट दलों को जीत की हार्दिक बधाई! कैराना में सत्ताधारियों की हार उनकी अपनी ही प्रयोगशाला में, देश को बाँटने वाली उनकी राजनीति की हार है. ये एकता-अमन में विश्वास करने वाली जनता की जीत व अहंकारी सत्ता के अंत की शुरूआत है.
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) <a href="https://twitter.com/yadavakhilesh/status/1002119253091373056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
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I want to congratulate all the people who voted for us. This is a defeat for those who do not believe in the democracy. People have given a befitting reply to the BJP: Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party President <a href="https://t.co/RrBM0JCXqX">pic.twitter.com/RrBM0JCXqX</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1002126074334003200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

''I want to congratulate all the people who voted for us. This is a defeat for those who do not believe in the democracy. People have given a befitting reply to the BJP,'' the SP leader said.

Hours after bypolls results were declared, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav launched a scathing attack on BJP saying people have given a befitting reply to the saffron party. The SP president congratulated all the people who voted for his party and said victory of the combined opposition candidates in the Kairana Lok Sabha and Noorpur Assembly bypolls is a "befitting" reply to the BJP and those who sought to divide the country. ''This is a defeat for those who do not believe in the democracy,'' he added. ''I want to congratulate all the people who voted for us. This is a defeat for those who do not believe in the democracy. People have given a befitting reply to the BJP,'' the SP leader further said. He said that people of the state have taught the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a lesson for "betraying" on all the poll promises. "People of the state have taught them a lesson for betraying them," Yadav said, adding, "UP government has repeatedly fooled the people. Farmers were told that their loans were waived but instead they lost their lives." The SP leader congratulated the voters in Noorpur and Kairana. "This is a victory for the farmers, the neglected, the poor and the Dalits." He thanked the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) Chief Ajit Singh, RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary for holding the fort against the BJP in Kairana and recalled the legacy of former Prime Minister Charan Singh. The SP leader also thanked the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Mahan Party, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Nishad Party, Peace Party, Left parties and the COngress for supporting the opposition candidates in the by-polls. कैराना और नूरपुर की जनता, कार्यकर्ताओं, उम्मीदवारों व सभी एकजुट दलों को जीत की हार्दिक बधाई! कैराना में सत्ताधारियों की हार उनकी अपनी ही प्रयोगशाला में, देश को बाँटने वाली उनकी राजनीति की हार है. ये एकता-अमन में विश्वास करने वाली जनता की जीत व अहंकारी सत्ता के अंत की शुरूआत है. — Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) May 31, 2018 × I want to congratulate all the people who voted for us. This is a defeat for those who do not believe in the democracy. People have given a befitting reply to the BJP: Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party President pic.twitter.com/RrBM0JCXqX — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 31, 2018 ×

Bypoll results defeat for those who do not believe in 'democracy': Akhilesh Yadav

The star-studded film Kalank has a new addition in its cast. Actress Kriti Sanon will be seen in a special song along with Aditya Roy Kapur and her Dilwale co-star Varun Dhawan.&nbsp; 
 
Dhawan took to Twitter to announce Kriti's entry into the film with a special video that featured Karan Johar- the producer of the film- Kriti Sanon and Aditya Roy Kapur. The trio have already started rehearsing for the song.&nbsp; 
 
The period film is being directed by Abhishek Verman, who had earlier made 2 States. The film has an impressive star cast which includes Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Dutt, Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Aditya Roy Kapur and Sonakshi Sinha.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdityaRoyKapur?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AdityaRoyKapur</a> will begin shooting for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kalank?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kalank</a> today. <a href="https://twitter.com/karanjohar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@karanjohar</a> came to check on his rehearsals and revealed a beautiful surprise. <a href="https://twitter.com/kritisanon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kritisanon</a> also joins <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kalank?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kalank</a>. Good Friday just got bigger 2019 <a href="https://t.co/QPciZrtshl">pic.twitter.com/QPciZrtshl</a>
— Varun Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) <a href="https://twitter.com/Varun_dvn/status/1002148162470072320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
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A source close to the film says, "The song will be shot over the next three days. A lavish set has been erected at Mumbai’s Film City by designer Amrita Mahal and Remo D’souza will be choreographing the song that has been composed by Pritam. Manish Malhotra is styling Kriti’s look. The duo has had extensive discussions around the costume to ensure that the actress looks smoking hot in the Karan Johar, Sajid Nadiadwala and Fox Star Studios production.” 
 
The film teams up Madhuri Dixit and Sanjay Dutt after decades. The two were a popular pair back in the 1990s and were even rumoured to be dating.&nbsp;

Dhawan took to Twitter to announce Kriti's entry into the film with a special video

The star-studded film Kalank has a new addition in its cast. Actress Kriti Sanon will be seen in a special song along with Aditya Roy Kapur and her Dilwale co-star Varun Dhawan. Dhawan took to Twitter to announce Kriti's entry into the film with a special video that featured Karan Johar- the producer of the film- Kriti Sanon and Aditya Roy Kapur. The trio have already started rehearsing for the song. The period film is being directed by Abhishek Verman, who had earlier made 2 States. The film has an impressive star cast which includes Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Dutt, Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Aditya Roy Kapur and Sonakshi Sinha. #AdityaRoyKapur will begin shooting for #kalank today. @karanjohar came to check on his rehearsals and revealed a beautiful surprise. @kritisanon also joins #Kalank. Good Friday just got bigger 2019 pic.twitter.com/QPciZrtshl — Varun Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) May 31, 2018 × A source close to the film says, "The song will be shot over the next three days. A lavish set has been erected at Mumbai’s Film City by designer Amrita Mahal and Remo D’souza will be choreographing the song that has been composed by Pritam. Manish Malhotra is styling Kriti’s look. The duo has had extensive discussions around the costume to ensure that the actress looks smoking hot in the Karan Johar, Sajid Nadiadwala and Fox Star Studios production.” The film teams up Madhuri Dixit and Sanjay Dutt after decades. The two were a popular pair back in the 1990s and were even rumoured to be dating.

Kriti Sanon to groove with Varun Dhawan and Aditya Roy Kapur in a special song for 'Kalank'

Former footballer Bhaichung Bhutia today launched his new political outfit, Hamro Sikkim Party (HSP), in his native state Sikkim.

The launch took place at a public meeting at Daramdin in West Sikkim, located 104 km away from the state capital Gangtok.

The ace footballer was accompanied by senior colleague and former minister RB Subba as he unfurled the party's flag before addressing the audience.

Launching a scathing attack on Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling, Bhaichung said corruption is rampant in the state and there has been no development of Sikkim over the past four decades.

"Chamling is a dictator and his party, Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), is a dictatorial party," he said.

Bhaichung said that the people of the state are scared to question the ruling party's development claims as well as the "prevalence of rampant corruption" due to fear of retribution.

Questioning Chamling's claim that he has provided fruits of development to all corners of the state, the former India captain alleged that essential services like roads, water and electricity were not available to the people, particularly those living in rural areas.

"There are 30-32 hydel power projects operational in Sikkim even as the chief minister claims that the state sells electricity to foreign countries like Bangladesh. Unfortunately, the Sikkimese people do not get uninterrupted power supply," the Hamro Sikkim Party leader said.

"Power supply trips for hours during rains or circulation of windy air," he alleged.

Bhaichung said that his party will provide 24x7 electricity if elected to power in the next year's Assembly polls.

He also alleged that corruption ran into thousands of crores of rupees in hydel power projects that has even been mentioned by national auditor CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) of India) in its report, but the state government swept the issue under the carpet.

Bhaichung lashed out at Chamling for preventing the CBI from taking up corruption cases in the state. He blamed Chamling for communalising Sikkim's society by dividing the people on caste lines for votes.

Bhaichung also blamed Chamling for failing the aspirations of the tribal communities - Limboo and Tamang - by failing to get reservation of seats in the legislative Assembly despite having made the promise in 2004 elections.

"The Chief Minister has let down Limboos and Tamangs, but we will ensure that the two tribal communities get their dues once our party comes to power," he said.

The Hamro Sikkim Party leader also took exception to the SDF government's "arbitrary decision" to declare Sikkim an organic state and banning supply of non-organic vegetables from outside without making arrangements to meet the shortfall.

"We are all in favour of organic mission, but we also know that only 10-12 per cent of land is available for farming and in this background, it is not possible to meet local demand for vegetables without allowing supply from outside," he said.

Bhaichung was previously associated with the Trinamool Congress.

The 41-year-old Bhaichung, however, has decided to lie low in the party brass by remaining a mere vice-president along with eight other leaders.

Bhaichung was previously associated with the Trinamool Congress

Former footballer Bhaichung Bhutia today launched his new political outfit, Hamro Sikkim Party (HSP), in his native state Sikkim. The launch took place at a public meeting at Daramdin in West Sikkim, located 104 km away from the state capital Gangtok. The ace footballer was accompanied by senior colleague and former minister RB Subba as he unfurled the party's flag before addressing the audience. Launching a scathing attack on Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling, Bhaichung said corruption is rampant in the state and there has been no development of Sikkim over the past four decades. "Chamling is a dictator and his party, Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), is a dictatorial party," he said. Bhaichung said that the people of the state are scared to question the ruling party's development claims as well as the "prevalence of rampant corruption" due to fear of retribution. Questioning Chamling's claim that he has provided fruits of development to all corners of the state, the former India captain alleged that essential services like roads, water and electricity were not available to the people, particularly those living in rural areas. "There are 30-32 hydel power projects operational in Sikkim even as the chief minister claims that the state sells electricity to foreign countries like Bangladesh. Unfortunately, the Sikkimese people do not get uninterrupted power supply," the Hamro Sikkim Party leader said. "Power supply trips for hours during rains or circulation of windy air," he alleged. Bhaichung said that his party will provide 24x7 electricity if elected to power in the next year's Assembly polls. He also alleged that corruption ran into thousands of crores of rupees in hydel power projects that has even been mentioned by national auditor CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) of India) in its report, but the state government swept the issue under the carpet. Bhaichung lashed out at Chamling for preventing the CBI from taking up corruption cases in the state. He blamed Chamling for communalising Sikkim's society by dividing the people on caste lines for votes. Bhaichung also blamed Chamling for failing the aspirations of the tribal communities - Limboo and Tamang - by failing to get reservation of seats in the legislative Assembly despite having made the promise in 2004 elections. "The Chief Minister has let down Limboos and Tamangs, but we will ensure that the two tribal communities get their dues once our party comes to power," he said. The Hamro Sikkim Party leader also took exception to the SDF government's "arbitrary decision" to declare Sikkim an organic state and banning supply of non-organic vegetables from outside without making arrangements to meet the shortfall. "We are all in favour of organic mission, but we also know that only 10-12 per cent of land is available for farming and in this background, it is not possible to meet local demand for vegetables without allowing supply from outside," he said. Bhaichung was previously associated with the Trinamool Congress. The 41-year-old Bhaichung, however, has decided to lie low in the party brass by remaining a mere vice-president along with eight other leaders.

India's former footballer Bhaichung Bhutia formally launches political party

By Shreya Bhardwaj

The brave men of India's Border Security Force achieved another feat last week when their two teams scaled Mount Everest. One of the teams was led by Assistant Commandant Loveraj Singh Dharamshaktu which scaled the Everest first with seven members and the other by young Himachali Deputy Commandant Avinash Negi which followed the first team and climbed the world's tallest peak (8848 metres) from Southwest face.

Loveraj conquered the highest peak for a record seventh time and he says, it's the love for the mountains that takes him to the Everest. Deputy Commandant Avinash Negi said "the best view comes after hardest climb".

The BSF expedition was flagged-off by Union minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on March 20 the teams successfully scaled the peak on May 20 and 21.

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From being the desert scorpions to conquering the intimidating, snowy peaks, there's nothing a BSF Jawaan can't do. 
 
Having conquered 36 peaks in 19 expeditions, they're now off to conquer Mt. Everest. Thrilled to have flagged off this exciting expedition. May Everest be yours! <a href="https://t.co/1Sk5VbnCYO">pic.twitter.com/1Sk5VbnCYO</a>
— Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ra_THORe/status/976110316068196352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp; 
The team took an initiative to clean the mountains under PM Modi's Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission. Before Everest, the team climbed the Lobuche peak (6200 metres) in Nepal to collect non-bio degradable waste from higher camps and collected more than 700 kg of trash. The leftover trash by trekkers and mountaineers on glaciers is one of the major reasons for rapid melting of glaciers. Prime Minister Modi applauded BSF team climbers in "Mann Ki Baat" for their effort to clean the mountains. Apart from this, the team set up the world's highest medical camp for the poor and needy Sherpas, an ethnic group in the mountainous regions of Nepal and expert climbers.

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This calls for double congratulations...for a successful climb and furthering the message of cleanliness! Very proud. <a href="https://t.co/HMfrmsB0sJ">https://t.co/HMfrmsB0sJ</a>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/998178261044736001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The members of the two teams came from Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, and were accompanied by 10 support members and one doctor. Already having reached the base camp in Nepal, the BSF team is expected to reach India by first week of June.

It took almost 45 days for the teams to climb the Everest. The conditions were extreme, the velocity of winds were high up to 50 miles per hour and the temperature was oscillating between minus 45 and 50 degrees. But the sense of accomplishment kept the team motivated and strong. After scaling Mount Everest Deputy Commandant Avinash Negi took to social media and wrote a few lines on Facebook. "If you get tears in your eyes, it will freeze on your cheeks before it rolls down and as you reach close to the peak you feel very tiny in front of the nature, one mistake and that will take you to another world.

<img alt="BSF-team-everest-weather.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/BSF-team-everest-weather.jpg" width="770" />

The BSF team braving the harsh weather while on their way to Mount Everest.

The teams spent more than 32 hours above 26.K&nbsp;feet with very less oxygen and harsh weather condition. As they descend the peak after paying reverence to the goddess of the mountain, the nations looks upon them with great pride.

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&nbsp;

It took almost 45 days for the teams to climb the Everest.

By Shreya Bhardwaj The brave men of India's Border Security Force achieved another feat last week when their two teams scaled Mount Everest. One of the teams was led by Assistant Commandant Loveraj Singh Dharamshaktu which scaled the Everest first with seven members and the other by young Himachali Deputy Commandant Avinash Negi which followed the first team and climbed the world's tallest peak (8848 metres) from Southwest face. Loveraj conquered the highest peak for a record seventh time and he says, it's the love for the mountains that takes him to the Everest. Deputy Commandant Avinash Negi said "the best view comes after hardest climb". The BSF expedition was flagged-off by Union minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on March 20 the teams successfully scaled the peak on May 20 and 21. From being the desert scorpions to conquering the intimidating, snowy peaks, there's nothing a BSF Jawaan can't do. Having conquered 36 peaks in 19 expeditions, they're now off to conquer Mt. Everest. Thrilled to have flagged off this exciting expedition. May Everest be yours! pic.twitter.com/1Sk5VbnCYO — Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) March 20, 2018 × The team took an initiative to clean the mountains under PM Modi's Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission. Before Everest, the team climbed the Lobuche peak (6200 metres) in Nepal to collect non-bio degradable waste from higher camps and collected more than 700 kg of trash. The leftover trash by trekkers and mountaineers on glaciers is one of the major reasons for rapid melting of glaciers. Prime Minister Modi applauded BSF team climbers in "Mann Ki Baat" for their effort to clean the mountains. Apart from this, the team set up the world's highest medical camp for the poor and needy Sherpas, an ethnic group in the mountainous regions of Nepal and expert climbers. This calls for double congratulations...for a successful climb and furthering the message of cleanliness! Very proud. https://t.co/HMfrmsB0sJ — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 20, 2018 × The members of the two teams came from Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, and were accompanied by 10 support members and one doctor. Already having reached the base camp in Nepal, the BSF team is expected to reach India by first week of June. It took almost 45 days for the teams to climb the Everest. The conditions were extreme, the velocity of winds were high up to 50 miles per hour and the temperature was oscillating between minus 45 and 50 degrees. But the sense of accomplishment kept the team motivated and strong. After scaling Mount Everest Deputy Commandant Avinash Negi took to social media and wrote a few lines on Facebook. "If you get tears in your eyes, it will freeze on your cheeks before it rolls down and as you reach close to the peak you feel very tiny in front of the nature, one mistake and that will take you to another world. The BSF team braving the harsh weather while on their way to Mount Everest. The teams spent more than 32 hours above 26.K feet with very less oxygen and harsh weather condition. As they descend the peak after paying reverence to the goddess of the mountain, the nations looks upon them with great pride. ×

'Your tears will freeze': BSF team recalls scaling the Everest for record seventh time

Shiv Sena's demand to not to announce the results of Palghar bypoll&nbsp;has been rejected by Election Commission, according to news agency ANI. The winning certificate has been given to the BJP candidate, Rajendra Gavit by Palghar collector, the report added.&nbsp;

After they lost the&nbsp;Palghar bypoll&nbsp;to BJP,&nbsp;Uddhav Thackeray of&nbsp;Shiv Sena demanded&nbsp;recounting of votes and alleged discrepancy in the voting pattern.

Addressing a press conference, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said that said that there were some discrepancies in counting and appealed to the Election Commission to announce the results after those discrepancies are sorted out.&nbsp;

As the results of Palghar bypoll was in favour of BJP, Thackeray said if needed they will go to court.

''If needed, we will go to court. But, whatever I have said about our democracy, election process and the threat to it, was very serious,'' he added.&nbsp;

He also alleged corruption in election commission and said that EC should not be appointed but elected.

''Seeing the corruption in Election Commission, I would suggest that even election commissioners should not be appointed, but elected,'' Thackeray said.&nbsp;

He also attacked Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and said he is losing in his own state and he is coming to campaign here (Maharashtra).&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

As the results of Palghar bypoll was in favour of BJP, Thackeray said if needed they will go to court

Shiv Sena's demand to not to announce the results of Palghar bypoll has been rejected by Election Commission, according to news agency ANI. The winning certificate has been given to the BJP candidate, Rajendra Gavit by Palghar collector, the report added. After they lost the Palghar bypoll to BJP, Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena demanded recounting of votes and alleged discrepancy in the voting pattern. Addressing a press conference, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said that said that there were some discrepancies in counting and appealed to the Election Commission to announce the results after those discrepancies are sorted out. As the results of Palghar bypoll was in favour of BJP, Thackeray said if needed they will go to court. ''If needed, we will go to court. But, whatever I have said about our democracy, election process and the threat to it, was very serious,'' he added. He also alleged corruption in election commission and said that EC should not be appointed but elected. ''Seeing the corruption in Election Commission, I would suggest that even election commissioners should not be appointed, but elected,'' Thackeray said. He also attacked Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and said he is losing in his own state and he is coming to campaign here (Maharashtra).

Palghar bypolls: Shiv Sena's demand for recount rejected, winning certificate issued to BJP candidate

'Bhavesh Joshi Superhero' is an upcoming Indian vigilante film, which will release on June 1.

Will 'Bhavesh Joshi Superhero' create an impact on the box office?

RJD&nbsp;candidate Shahnawaz Alam defeated JD(U) candidate Murshid Alam by a huge margin of over 41,225 votes to bag the Jokihat assembly seat in bypoll. The results were declared on Thursday.

Shahnawaz Alam is the son of former RJD heavyweight Mohammad Taslimuddin and brother of Sarfaraj Alam.

It's the third victory for RJD under the leadership of Tejaswi Yadav, who took over the party after his father Lalu Yadav was convicted in fodder scam.&nbsp;

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Nation has rejected the poisonous politics of polarisation,vendetta, hatred & fascism in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BypollsVerdict?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BypollsVerdict</a> 
 
Special thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RahulGandhi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MamataOfficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MamataOfficial</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/yadavakhilesh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@yadavakhilesh</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MayawatiUp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MayawatiUp</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jayantrld?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jayantrld</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SitaramYechury?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SitaramYechury</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/HemantSorenJMM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HemantSorenJMM</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/RaoKavitha?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RaoKavitha</a> for their magnanimous politics & vision!
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) <a href="https://twitter.com/yadavtejashwi/status/1002142966172053505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The party had earlier won Jehanabad and Aaria.

He also praised his father by saying that he showed the path to fragmented opposition to unite in their common role to dislodge ''fascist forces''.&nbsp;

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Sh <a href="https://twitter.com/laluprasadrjd?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@laluprasadrjd</a> ji showed the path to fragmented opposition to unite in their common goal to dislodge fascist forces. 
 
Better late than never, opposition saw merit in his vision of consolidation and result is their to be seen against 45 parties alliance of BJP. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bypoll?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bypoll</a>
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) <a href="https://twitter.com/yadavtejashwi/status/1002131694298828801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Shahnawaz Alam is the son of former RJD heavyweight Mohammad Taslimuddin and brother of Sarfaraj Alam

RJD candidate Shahnawaz Alam defeated JD(U) candidate Murshid Alam by a huge margin of over 41,225 votes to bag the Jokihat assembly seat in bypoll. The results were declared on Thursday. Shahnawaz Alam is the son of former RJD heavyweight Mohammad Taslimuddin and brother of Sarfaraj Alam. It's the third victory for RJD under the leadership of Tejaswi Yadav, who took over the party after his father Lalu Yadav was convicted in fodder scam. Nation has rejected the poisonous politics of polarisation,vendetta, hatred & fascism in #BypollsVerdict Special thanks to @RahulGandhi @MamataOfficial @yadavakhilesh @MayawatiUp @jayantrld @SitaramYechury @HemantSorenJMM & @RaoKavitha for their magnanimous politics & vision! — Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) May 31, 2018 × The party had earlier won Jehanabad and Aaria. He also praised his father by saying that he showed the path to fragmented opposition to unite in their common role to dislodge ''fascist forces''. Sh @laluprasadrjd ji showed the path to fragmented opposition to unite in their common goal to dislodge fascist forces. Better late than never, opposition saw merit in his vision of consolidation and result is their to be seen against 45 parties alliance of BJP. #bypoll — Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) May 31, 2018 ×

Bihar: Setback for Nitish Kumar as RJD win Jokihat assembly by huge margin

Benchmark Sensex slipped over 43 points in volatile trade to end at 34,906.11 today with no let-up in selling by investors ahead of May derivatives expiry amid weak global cues.

The cut in India's 2018 GDP growth forecast by Moody's also affected sentiment, brokers said.

The 30-share Sensex opened on a bearish note at 34,876.13 and slipped further to hit a low of 34,735.11 largely on sustained foreign fund outflows amid a global sell-off on political uncertainty in Italy and concerns of a possible China-US trade war.

However, short-covering by speculators ahead of May derivatives expiry tomorrow and recovery in the rupee reversed the early losses, with the gauge scaling a high 35,017.45. It finally ended at 34,906.11, down 43.13 points, or 0.12 per cent.

The Sensex swung over 280 points intra-day.

The barometer had lost 216.24 points in the previous session.

The 50-share NSE Nifty too settled 18.95 points, or 0.18 per cent, lower at 10,614.35. During the session, it moved between 10,648.70 and 10,558.45.

Moody's Investors Service today cut India's 2018 growth forecast to 7.3 per cent from the previous estimate of 7.5 per cent, saying the economy is in cyclical recovery but higher oil prices and tighter financial conditions will weigh on the pace of acceleration.

Brokers said the market sentiment was subdued due to lacklustre performance across the Asian markets and overnight losses at the Wall Street, rattled by renewed concerns of a possible China-US trade war and political uncertainty in Italy.

Meanwhile, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth a net of Rs 407.33 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth Rs 578.38 crore yesterday, provisional data showed.&nbsp;

The 30-share Sensex opened on a bearish note at 34,876.13 and slipped further to hit a low of 34,735.11 largely on sustained foreign fund outflows amid a global sell-off on political uncertainty in Italy and concerns of a possible China-US trade war

Benchmark Sensex slipped over 43 points in volatile trade to end at 34,906.11 today with no let-up in selling by investors ahead of May derivatives expiry amid weak global cues. The cut in India's 2018 GDP growth forecast by Moody's also affected sentiment, brokers said. The 30-share Sensex opened on a bearish note at 34,876.13 and slipped further to hit a low of 34,735.11 largely on sustained foreign fund outflows amid a global sell-off on political uncertainty in Italy and concerns of a possible China-US trade war. However, short-covering by speculators ahead of May derivatives expiry tomorrow and recovery in the rupee reversed the early losses, with the gauge scaling a high 35,017.45. It finally ended at 34,906.11, down 43.13 points, or 0.12 per cent. The Sensex swung over 280 points intra-day. The barometer had lost 216.24 points in the previous session. The 50-share NSE Nifty too settled 18.95 points, or 0.18 per cent, lower at 10,614.35. During the session, it moved between 10,648.70 and 10,558.45. Moody's Investors Service today cut India's 2018 growth forecast to 7.3 per cent from the previous estimate of 7.5 per cent, saying the economy is in cyclical recovery but higher oil prices and tighter financial conditions will weigh on the pace of acceleration. Brokers said the market sentiment was subdued due to lacklustre performance across the Asian markets and overnight losses at the Wall Street, rattled by renewed concerns of a possible China-US trade war and political uncertainty in Italy. Meanwhile, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth a net of Rs 407.33 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth Rs 578.38 crore yesterday, provisional data showed.

Markets end in red for 2nd day, Sensex sheds 43 points

The US&nbsp;military on Wednesday renamed its&nbsp;PacificCommand&nbsp;the US&nbsp;Indo-Pacific&nbsp;Command, in a largely&nbsp;symbolic&nbsp;move underscoring the growing importance of&nbsp;India&nbsp;to the Pentagon, US&nbsp;officials said.

US&nbsp;Pacific&nbsp;Command, which is responsible for all US&nbsp;military activity in the greater&nbsp;Pacific region, has about 375,000 civilian and military personnel assigned to its area of responsibility, which includes&nbsp;India.

"Relationships with our&nbsp;Pacific&nbsp;and&nbsp;Indian Ocean allies and partners have proven critical to maintaining regional stability," US&nbsp;Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in prepared remarks.

"In recognition of the increasing connectivity between the&nbsp;Indian and&nbsp;Pacific&nbsp;Oceans, today we rename&nbsp;the US&nbsp;Pacific&nbsp;Command&nbsp;to US&nbsp;Indo-Pacific&nbsp;Command," Mattis said.

He was speaking during a change of&nbsp;command&nbsp;ceremony. Admiral Philip Davidson was assuming leadership of the&nbsp;command&nbsp;from Admiral Harry Harris, who is President Donald Trump's nominee to be ambassador to South Korea.

The renaming does not mean additional assets will be sent to the region at this time but rather recognizes&nbsp;India's increasing military relevance for the United States.

In 2016, the United States and&nbsp;India&nbsp;signed an agreement governing the&nbsp;use of each other's land, air and naval bases for repair and resupply, a step toward building defense ties as they seek to counter the growing maritime assertiveness of China.

Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said they had noted the name&nbsp;change.

"We will continue to pay attention to developments," he told a regular monthly news briefing.

The United States is also keen to tap into&nbsp;India's large defense market. It has emerged as&nbsp;India's No. 2 weapons supplier, closing $15 billion worth of deals over the last decade.

Mattis has been pushing for a waiver for countries like&nbsp;India after Trump signed a law last year which said that any country trading with Russia's defense and intelligence sectors would face sanctions.

"I think&nbsp;India&nbsp;and the relationship with the United States is the potentially most historic opportunity we have in the 21st-century and I intend to pursue that quite rigorously," Davidson, the incoming head of the&nbsp;command, said last month.

However, experts said the&nbsp;name&nbsp;change would mean little unless it was tied to a broader strategy.

"Renaming PACOM is ultimately a&nbsp;symbolic&nbsp;act ... (it) will have a very limited impact unless the US&nbsp;follows through with a significant array of initiatives and investments that reflect a wider aperture," said Abraham Denmark, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia under President Barack Obama.

US Pacific Command has about 375,000 civilian and military personnel assigned to its area of responsibility, which includes India

The US military on Wednesday renamed its PacificCommand the US Indo-Pacific Command, in a largely symbolic move underscoring the growing importance of India to the Pentagon, US officials said. US Pacific Command, which is responsible for all US military activity in the greater Pacific region, has about 375,000 civilian and military personnel assigned to its area of responsibility, which includes India. "Relationships with our Pacific and Indian Ocean allies and partners have proven critical to maintaining regional stability," US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in prepared remarks. "In recognition of the increasing connectivity between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, today we rename the US Pacific Command to US Indo-Pacific Command," Mattis said. He was speaking during a change of command ceremony. Admiral Philip Davidson was assuming leadership of the command from Admiral Harry Harris, who is President Donald Trump's nominee to be ambassador to South Korea. The renaming does not mean additional assets will be sent to the region at this time but rather recognizes India's increasing military relevance for the United States. In 2016, the United States and India signed an agreement governing the use of each other's land, air and naval bases for repair and resupply, a step toward building defense ties as they seek to counter the growing maritime assertiveness of China. Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said they had noted the name change. "We will continue to pay attention to developments," he told a regular monthly news briefing. The United States is also keen to tap into India's large defense market. It has emerged as India's No. 2 weapons supplier, closing $15 billion worth of deals over the last decade. Mattis has been pushing for a waiver for countries like India after Trump signed a law last year which said that any country trading with Russia's defense and intelligence sectors would face sanctions. "I think India and the relationship with the United States is the potentially most historic opportunity we have in the 21st-century and I intend to pursue that quite rigorously," Davidson, the incoming head of the command, said last month. However, experts said the name change would mean little unless it was tied to a broader strategy. "Renaming PACOM is ultimately a symbolic act ... (it) will have a very limited impact unless the US follows through with a significant array of initiatives and investments that reflect a wider aperture," said Abraham Denmark, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia under President Barack Obama.

US Pacific Command changes name underscoring growing importance of India to Pentagon

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