Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah will contest from two seats, Chamundeshwari in Mysuru district and Badami in Bagalkot district (north Karnataka), in the assembly elections on 12 May.

Siddaramaiah has filed the nomination from both the constituency Badami and Chamundeshwari.

The decision on the seats for Siddaramaiah, whose political career has mostly been in the southern part of the state, comes at a time when Karnataka is witnessing one of its most fiercely contested elections in recent times.

On April 20, he had filed his nomination papers from Chamundeshwari constituency.

The&nbsp;elections in the state will be held on May 12 and result will be out on May 15.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, files nomination from Badami constituency.

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah will contest from two seats, Chamundeshwari in Mysuru district and Badami in Bagalkot district (north Karnataka), in the assembly elections on 12 May. Siddaramaiah has filed the nomination from both the constituency Badami and Chamundeshwari. The decision on the seats for Siddaramaiah, whose political career has mostly been in the southern part of the state, comes at a time when Karnataka is witnessing one of its most fiercely contested elections in recent times. On April 20, he had filed his nomination papers from Chamundeshwari constituency. The elections in the state will be held on May 12 and result will be out on May 15.

Karnataka elections 2018: Siddaramaiah to contest from Chamundeshwari, Badami

A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a voter registration centre in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday, killing at least 57 people and injuring more than 100, in the most serious attack yet on preparations for elections scheduled for October.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on a project of key importance to the credibility of President Ashraf Ghani's government, which has been under international pressure to ensure long-delayed parliamentary polls take place this year.

Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danesh said a bomber on foot approached the centre where officials were issuing identity cards as part of the registration process for around 10 million voters across Afghanistan. Registration began this month.

President Ghani issued a statement condemning the attack and said it "cannot divert us from our aims or weaken this national democratic process".

A spokesman for the ministry of public health said at least 57 people were confirmed dead and 119 wounded, but the total could still rise.

The explosion destroyed cars and shattered windows in nearby buildings, leaving rubble strewn across the blood-stained street.

It was the deadliest blast in Kabul since about 100 people were killed in January by a bomb concealed in an ambulance and it came after repeated warnings that militants could try to disrupt the election process.

Tadamichi Yamamoto, the senior United Nations official in Afghanistan issued a statement condemning the attack.

"Compounding the callous disregard for the lives of civilians, the killing appears to be part of a wholly unacceptable effort by extremists to deter Afghan citizens from carrying out their constitutional right to take part in elections," he said.

After weeks of relative calm, the blast took place in Dasht-e Barchi, an area of western Kabul inhabited by many members of the mainly Shi'ite Hazara minority, which has been repeatedly hit by attacks claimed by Islamic State.

"There were women, children. Everyone had come to get their identity cards," said Bashir Ahmad who had been near the blast, which occurred despite heightened security after the January attack.

According to UN&nbsp;figures, more than 750 people have been killed or maimed in suicide attacks and bombings by militant groups during the three months to March ahead of an expected start of the Taliban's usual spring offensive.

Bitter reaction

Afghanistan's international partners have insisted that the elections should be held this year before a presidential vote due in 2019, although there has been widespread scepticism that they will go ahead.

More than 7,000 voter registration centres have been set up across Afghanistan to handle about 10 million registrations in a process that has been repeatedly disrupted by technical and organisational problems.

Officials had pledged tight security to ensure the process proceeded safely. But those caught by Sunday's attack voiced frustration at what many Kabul residents see as government shortcomings in securing the capital.

"They should be keeping the country safe, if they can't, someone else should be in their place," said Sajeda, who was wounded in the blast along with three other members of her family as they lined up for their cards.

The voter registration process, designed to reduce the electoral fraud that has marred past ballots, began this month but there have already been several security incidents.

On Sunday, a roadside bomb near a registration centre in the northern city of Pul-i Khumri killed six members of a family and wounded three, although there was no indication that the incident was directly linked to the Kabul attack.

Last week, two police officers in the eastern city of Jalalabad were killed outside a voter registration centre, while a voter centre in the central province of Ghor was burned down last week and electoral officials briefly abducted.

The vote could be postponed to next year if registration of voters, many of whom do not have national identity cards, is not completed before winter sets.

Parliament is still sitting three years after its term officially expired and further delays would seriously weaken already fragile confidence in the political system.

There was an additional scare on Sunday when a NATO military convoy in Kabul accidentally hit and injured a child and triggered a protest that police dispersed by firing into the air. A NATO spokesman said the child had been taken to hospital and was in a stable condition.

The blast took place in an area of Shia Hazara minority, which has been repeatedly hit by attacks claimed by Islamic State.

A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a voter registration centre in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday, killing at least 57 people and injuring more than 100, in the most serious attack yet on preparations for elections scheduled for October. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on a project of key importance to the credibility of President Ashraf Ghani's government, which has been under international pressure to ensure long-delayed parliamentary polls take place this year. Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danesh said a bomber on foot approached the centre where officials were issuing identity cards as part of the registration process for around 10 million voters across Afghanistan. Registration began this month. President Ghani issued a statement condemning the attack and said it "cannot divert us from our aims or weaken this national democratic process". A spokesman for the ministry of public health said at least 57 people were confirmed dead and 119 wounded, but the total could still rise. The explosion destroyed cars and shattered windows in nearby buildings, leaving rubble strewn across the blood-stained street. It was the deadliest blast in Kabul since about 100 people were killed in January by a bomb concealed in an ambulance and it came after repeated warnings that militants could try to disrupt the election process. Tadamichi Yamamoto, the senior United Nations official in Afghanistan issued a statement condemning the attack. "Compounding the callous disregard for the lives of civilians, the killing appears to be part of a wholly unacceptable effort by extremists to deter Afghan citizens from carrying out their constitutional right to take part in elections," he said. After weeks of relative calm, the blast took place in Dasht-e Barchi, an area of western Kabul inhabited by many members of the mainly Shi'ite Hazara minority, which has been repeatedly hit by attacks claimed by Islamic State. "There were women, children. Everyone had come to get their identity cards," said Bashir Ahmad who had been near the blast, which occurred despite heightened security after the January attack. According to UN figures, more than 750 people have been killed or maimed in suicide attacks and bombings by militant groups during the three months to March ahead of an expected start of the Taliban's usual spring offensive. Bitter reaction Afghanistan's international partners have insisted that the elections should be held this year before a presidential vote due in 2019, although there has been widespread scepticism that they will go ahead. More than 7,000 voter registration centres have been set up across Afghanistan to handle about 10 million registrations in a process that has been repeatedly disrupted by technical and organisational problems. Officials had pledged tight security to ensure the process proceeded safely. But those caught by Sunday's attack voiced frustration at what many Kabul residents see as government shortcomings in securing the capital. "They should be keeping the country safe, if they can't, someone else should be in their place," said Sajeda, who was wounded in the blast along with three other members of her family as they lined up for their cards. The voter registration process, designed to reduce the electoral fraud that has marred past ballots, began this month but there have already been several security incidents. On Sunday, a roadside bomb near a registration centre in the northern city of Pul-i Khumri killed six members of a family and wounded three, although there was no indication that the incident was directly linked to the Kabul attack. Last week, two police officers in the eastern city of Jalalabad were killed outside a voter registration centre, while a voter centre in the central province of Ghor was burned down last week and electoral officials briefly abducted. The vote could be postponed to next year if registration of voters, many of whom do not have national identity cards, is not completed before winter sets. Parliament is still sitting three years after its term officially expired and further delays would seriously weaken already fragile confidence in the political system. There was an additional scare on Sunday when a NATO military convoy in Kabul accidentally hit and injured a child and triggered a protest that police dispersed by firing into the air. A NATO spokesman said the child had been taken to hospital and was in a stable condition.

Kabul suicide blast: Death toll reaches 57

Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Akha Teej, is a festival celebrated by the Hindus and Jains. According to the Hindu calendar, this auspicious festival falls on the third day of the Hindu month of Vaisakha.&nbsp

This festival is also celebrated as the birthday of Lord Parasurama, the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. One might also find it interesting that on this day, Ved Vyas commenced writing the Mahabharata.

This year it is being observed on April 18.

Hindus believe that the day of Akshaya Tritiya is an auspicious one for buying gold and jewellery. One anticipates good fortune and success in financial areas while shopping or investing in gold during this time.

While Pandavas were in their exile, it was on this holy day that Lord Krishna blessed them with the Akshaya Patra or the vessel that never goes empty. Several notable personalities including Basaveshwara, Ramanujacharya, Adi Shankaracharya and Swami Chinmayananda were all born on Akshaya Tritiya.

Once Sudhama, the childhood friend of Krishna wished to meet Krishna later in his life after having fathered several children and suffering in poverty. Sudhama knew that Krishna always liked beaten rice (poha). Therefore he bundled some of it in a cloth and hung it on his back during a long and tedious journey to Krishna’s abode. Krishna gave his friend a royal welcome and had three mouthfuls of the poha that Sudhama got for him.

Sudhama did not ask for any favour during that time and thus returned home. To his utter surprise, the entire household was found transformed like a heaven overflowing with all wealth and prosperity that would suffice for more than a lifetime. Thus, it was on Akshaya Tritiya that Krishna blessed his poor devotee with such an incomparable wealth.

The auspicious timings for purchasing gold are as follows:

Morning 5.57 am to 9.09 am 
Morning 10.45 am to 12.21 pm 
Afternoon 3.33 pm to 06.45 pm 
Evening 8.08 pm to 12.20 am

Hindus believe that the day of Akshaya Tritiya is an auspicious one for buying gold and jewellery.

Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Akha Teej, is a festival celebrated by the Hindus and Jains. According to the Hindu calendar, this auspicious festival falls on the third day of the Hindu month of Vaisakha. This festival is also celebrated as the birthday of Lord Parasurama, the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. One might also find it interesting that on this day, Ved Vyas commenced writing the Mahabharata. This year it is being observed on April 18. Hindus believe that the day of Akshaya Tritiya is an auspicious one for buying gold and jewellery. One anticipates good fortune and success in financial areas while shopping or investing in gold during this time. While Pandavas were in their exile, it was on this holy day that Lord Krishna blessed them with the Akshaya Patra or the vessel that never goes empty. Several notable personalities including Basaveshwara, Ramanujacharya, Adi Shankaracharya and Swami Chinmayananda were all born on Akshaya Tritiya. Once Sudhama, the childhood friend of Krishna wished to meet Krishna later in his life after having fathered several children and suffering in poverty. Sudhama knew that Krishna always liked beaten rice (poha). Therefore he bundled some of it in a cloth and hung it on his back during a long and tedious journey to Krishna’s abode. Krishna gave his friend a royal welcome and had three mouthfuls of the poha that Sudhama got for him. Sudhama did not ask for any favour during that time and thus returned home. To his utter surprise, the entire household was found transformed like a heaven overflowing with all wealth and prosperity that would suffice for more than a lifetime. Thus, it was on Akshaya Tritiya that Krishna blessed his poor devotee with such an incomparable wealth. The auspicious timings for purchasing gold are as follows: Morning 5.57 am to 9.09 am Morning 10.45 am to 12.21 pm Afternoon 3.33 pm to 06.45 pm Evening 8.08 pm to 12.20 am

Akshaya Tritiya 2018: Significance, importance and timing

Indian boxer MC Mary Kom defeated Northern Ireland's Kristina O'Hara 5-0 to win the coveted gold in the 45-48kg category at the ongoing Commonwealth Games.

This medal took India's tally to 43, with Mary clinching boxing's first gold in this edition.

Kristina O'Hara was beaten on a unanimous points decision by the legendary Mary Kom.&nbsp;

This is the Indian boxer's first medal at Commonwealth Games and probably the last as she is expected to retire after this tournament.&nbsp;

Mary is a five-time World Champion, an Olympic bronze medalist and has also won the Asian Championship five times. She is the only Indian boxer to medal at this edition of the Games after Pinki Rani, L Sarita Devi and Lovlina Borgohain failed to reach the medal rounds.

President Ram Nath Kovind congratulated Mary Kom for winning the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

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Congratulations Mary Kom, icon of Manipur and of India, for winning the gold medal in women's 45-48 kg boxing event at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GC2018</a>. You make us prouder with every punch! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PresidentKovind?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PresidentKovind</a>
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) <a href="https://twitter.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/984980315012710400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

This is the Indian boxer's first medal at Commonwealth Games and probably the last as she is expected to retire after this tournament.

Indian boxer MC Mary Kom defeated Northern Ireland's Kristina O'Hara 5-0 to win the coveted gold in the 45-48kg category at the ongoing Commonwealth Games. This medal took India's tally to 43, with Mary clinching boxing's first gold in this edition. Kristina O'Hara was beaten on a unanimous points decision by the legendary Mary Kom. This is the Indian boxer's first medal at Commonwealth Games and probably the last as she is expected to retire after this tournament. Mary is a five-time World Champion, an Olympic bronze medalist and has also won the Asian Championship five times. She is the only Indian boxer to medal at this edition of the Games after Pinki Rani, L Sarita Devi and Lovlina Borgohain failed to reach the medal rounds. President Ram Nath Kovind congratulated Mary Kom for winning the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Congratulations Mary Kom, icon of Manipur and of India, for winning the gold medal in women's 45-48 kg boxing event at #GC2018. You make us prouder with every punch! #PresidentKovind — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) April 14, 2018 ×

Commonwealth Games 2018: Mary Kom wins boxing gold

For decades, Tibetans living in exile across the globe fought what they thought was a “freedom struggle”. Sixty years down the line, it is a “karmic design” which they seem to be banking upon to get back to their homeland.

With China asserting itself like never before, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama talking about Tibetans “not seeking separation” from China but only “<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tibetans-only-seeking-certain-rights-mentioned-in-chinese-constitution-dalai-lama-to-wion-127543">certain rights</a>” to enable Tibetans to preserve their culture, language and rich Buddhist tradition, Tibetans who have grown up on ideas of a "free Tibet" now find themselves in a quandary.

The Tibetans' belief that since two of the three dreams seen by His Holiness the Dalai Lama came true, the third one will true too, is what appears to be lending more hope to the exiled community than the idea of a “freedom struggle”.

In the first dream, the Dalai Lama saw bloodshed. The Tibetans believe that this dream became a reality after 81,000 Tibetans were killed between March and September 1959 and a million Tibetans died during the Chinese invasion and occupation.

In the second dream, His Holiness saw that he was meeting with people wearing white clothing. After arriving in India, the Dalai Lama met with the likes of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and first President Rajendra Prasad — both of whom used to wear white kurtas. So the Tibetans believe that the second dream came true as well.

But it is the third dream which gives the Tibetans the most hope. In that, the Dalai Lama saw himself in a room “filled with light” in the Potala Palace in Lhasa and being reunited with Tibetans inside Tibet.

“Because the first two dreams came true, by karmic design, the third dream will also come true,” Dr Lobsang Sangay, President of the Central Tibetan Administration, told a massive gathering of Tibetans in the picturesque hill township of McLeodganj last week.

“Let us reunite Dalai Lama with Tibetans inside Tibet,” Sangay, the Dalai Lama's political successor, said, asking the Tibetans to rededicate themselves and their efforts to making the dream of the Dalai Lama's return to the Potala Palace a reality.

The fact that the Tibetan cause has got watered down from a freedom struggle to autonomy over the years has not gone unnoticed.

Tibetans living in exile across the globe are observing 2018 as “Thank You India” year. This, they say, is an expression of their gratitude towards a country which not only gave them shelter but also helped keep their “freedom struggle”, their “movement” alive for six decades.

McLeodganj — the seat of the Tibetan Government-In-Exile — in Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh is not called “Little Lhasa” for nothing. This town has been not only a home away from home for the Tibetans-in-exile. It has also been a launchpad to hopefully return the exiled Tibetans to their homeland some day.

So when His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama says that at a “practical level”, the Tibetans are “not seeking separation” from China and that their “elected political leadership” is committed to this stance, don't the Tibetans have reason to feel let down? Even if they do, the Tibetans do well to hide it. Given the stature His Holiness enjoys, it is difficult to find a Tibetan voice dissenting with the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama says that while remaining within the People's Republic of China, Tibetans should have certain rights enshrined in the Chinese Constitution so that Tibetans can preserve their language, culture, and traditions. It's anybody's guess how generations of Tibetans who were brought up on dreams of a Free Tibet would feel about this.

In “practical” terms, the spiritual leader probably realises that this is the best bargain he can secure from an increasingly-assertive China.

But the tone and tenor adopted by the political leadership of the Tibetan movement could make one believe that the idea of complete freedom has not been given up. Yet.

At the main event to commence the year-long “Thank You India” celebrations, Dr Lobsang Sangay minced no words in detailing “60 years of China's illegal invasion and occupation of Tibet”, “60 years of destruction of Tibetan civilisation, culture and identity”, “60 years of killing, arbitrary arrests and tortures”, “60 years of China's mass exploitation of our precious natural resources... our forests, our water and our glaciers”, and “60 years of tragedy, 60 years of suffering, 60 years of sadness and 60 years of pain”.

Sangay also lent a completely new dimension to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's “Make In India” programme by saying that the “original Make In India is the Tibetan movement”.

“Tibetans were born and brought up in India. They were educated in India. Our democracy replicates Indian democracy. Our philosophy of ahimsa comes from Indian philosophy. And the Tibetan cause is being rebuilt in India for the last 60 years,” Sangay said. “The original Made in India will also succeed. Your success will be our success, our success will be your success,” the Tibetan leader said addressing India's Culture Minister Mahesh Sharrma and senior BJP leader Ram Madhav.

No separation from China? &nbsp;And the Dalai Lama's return to the Potala Palace, even as it continues to be under Chinese occupation? Will the 1.28 lakh Tibetans-in-exile ever amenably settle for that? That is the question that needs immediate answering.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The Dalai Lama says Tibet no longer seeks freedom from China, only autonomy. His people disagree with him

For decades, Tibetans living in exile across the globe fought what they thought was a “freedom struggle”. Sixty years down the line, it is a “karmic design” which they seem to be banking upon to get back to their homeland. With China asserting itself like never before, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama talking about Tibetans “not seeking separation” from China but only “certain rights” to enable Tibetans to preserve their culture, language and rich Buddhist tradition, Tibetans who have grown up on ideas of a "free Tibet" now find themselves in a quandary. The Tibetans' belief that since two of the three dreams seen by His Holiness the Dalai Lama came true, the third one will true too, is what appears to be lending more hope to the exiled community than the idea of a “freedom struggle”. In the first dream, the Dalai Lama saw bloodshed. The Tibetans believe that this dream became a reality after 81,000 Tibetans were killed between March and September 1959 and a million Tibetans died during the Chinese invasion and occupation. In the second dream, His Holiness saw that he was meeting with people wearing white clothing. After arriving in India, the Dalai Lama met with the likes of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and first President Rajendra Prasad — both of whom used to wear white kurtas. So the Tibetans believe that the second dream came true as well. But it is the third dream which gives the Tibetans the most hope. In that, the Dalai Lama saw himself in a room “filled with light” in the Potala Palace in Lhasa and being reunited with Tibetans inside Tibet. “Because the first two dreams came true, by karmic design, the third dream will also come true,” Dr Lobsang Sangay, President of the Central Tibetan Administration, told a massive gathering of Tibetans in the picturesque hill township of McLeodganj last week. “Let us reunite Dalai Lama with Tibetans inside Tibet,” Sangay, the Dalai Lama's political successor, said, asking the Tibetans to rededicate themselves and their efforts to making the dream of the Dalai Lama's return to the Potala Palace a reality. The fact that the Tibetan cause has got watered down from a freedom struggle to autonomy over the years has not gone unnoticed. Tibetans living in exile across the globe are observing 2018 as “Thank You India” year. This, they say, is an expression of their gratitude towards a country which not only gave them shelter but also helped keep their “freedom struggle”, their “movement” alive for six decades. McLeodganj — the seat of the Tibetan Government-In-Exile — in Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh is not called “Little Lhasa” for nothing. This town has been not only a home away from home for the Tibetans-in-exile. It has also been a launchpad to hopefully return the exiled Tibetans to their homeland some day. So when His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama says that at a “practical level”, the Tibetans are “not seeking separation” from China and that their “elected political leadership” is committed to this stance, don't the Tibetans have reason to feel let down? Even if they do, the Tibetans do well to hide it. Given the stature His Holiness enjoys, it is difficult to find a Tibetan voice dissenting with the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama says that while remaining within the People's Republic of China, Tibetans should have certain rights enshrined in the Chinese Constitution so that Tibetans can preserve their language, culture, and traditions. It's anybody's guess how generations of Tibetans who were brought up on dreams of a Free Tibet would feel about this. In “practical” terms, the spiritual leader probably realises that this is the best bargain he can secure from an increasingly-assertive China. But the tone and tenor adopted by the political leadership of the Tibetan movement could make one believe that the idea of complete freedom has not been given up. Yet. At the main event to commence the year-long “Thank You India” celebrations, Dr Lobsang Sangay minced no words in detailing “60 years of China's illegal invasion and occupation of Tibet”, “60 years of destruction of Tibetan civilisation, culture and identity”, “60 years of killing, arbitrary arrests and tortures”, “60 years of China's mass exploitation of our precious natural resources... our forests, our water and our glaciers”, and “60 years of tragedy, 60 years of suffering, 60 years of sadness and 60 years of pain”. Sangay also lent a completely new dimension to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's “Make In India” programme by saying that the “original Make In India is the Tibetan movement”. “Tibetans were born and brought up in India. They were educated in India. Our democracy replicates Indian democracy. Our philosophy of ahimsa comes from Indian philosophy. And the Tibetan cause is being rebuilt in India for the last 60 years,” Sangay said. “The original Made in India will also succeed. Your success will be our success, our success will be your success,” the Tibetan leader said addressing India's Culture Minister Mahesh Sharrma and senior BJP leader Ram Madhav. No separation from China? And the Dalai Lama's return to the Potala Palace, even as it continues to be under Chinese occupation? Will the 1.28 lakh Tibetans-in-exile ever amenably settle for that? That is the question that needs immediate answering. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Is the Dalai Lama letting down the Tibetan people? 

Former Australia captain Steve Smith and batsman Cameron Bancroft on Wednesday refused to challenge the sanctions imposed on them by Cricket Australia (CA) for their role in last month's ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.

Smith and former vice-captain David Warner were handed 12-month bans, while Bancroft was suspended for nine months after the latter was caught using a piece of sandpaper on the ball.

"I would give anything to have this behind me and be back representing my country," Smith said on his verified Twitter account.&nbsp

"But I meant what I said about taking full responsibility as Captain of the team.

"I won`t be challenging the sanctions. They`ve been imposed by CA to send a strong message and I have accepted them."

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I would give anything to have this behind me and be back representing my country. But I meant what I said about taking full responsibility as Captain of the team. I won’t be challenging the sanctions. They’ve been imposed by CA to send a strong message and I have accepted them.
— Steve Smith (@stevesmith49) <a href="https://twitter.com/stevesmith49/status/981407491752853504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Bancroft followed suit and accepted his punishment.

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Today I lodged the paperwork with Cricket Australia and will be accepting the sanction handed down. I would love to put this behind me and will do whatever it takes to earn back the trust of the Australian public. Thank you to all those who have sent messages of support
— Cameron Bancroft (@cbancroft4) <a href="https://twitter.com/cbancroft4/status/981441426230792193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Now, Warner is the only player left to announce his decision.

Smith and Warner were stripped of their leadership positions for their role in the March 24 incident.&nbsp 
&nbsp

Now, Warner is the only player left to announce his decision.

Former Australia captain Steve Smith and batsman Cameron Bancroft on Wednesday refused to challenge the sanctions imposed on them by Cricket Australia (CA) for their role in last month's ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. Smith and former vice-captain David Warner were handed 12-month bans, while Bancroft was suspended for nine months after the latter was caught using a piece of sandpaper on the ball. "I would give anything to have this behind me and be back representing my country," Smith said on his verified Twitter account. "But I meant what I said about taking full responsibility as Captain of the team. "I won`t be challenging the sanctions. They`ve been imposed by CA to send a strong message and I have accepted them." I would give anything to have this behind me and be back representing my country. But I meant what I said about taking full responsibility as Captain of the team. I won’t be challenging the sanctions. They’ve been imposed by CA to send a strong message and I have accepted them. — Steve Smith (@stevesmith49) April 4, 2018 × Bancroft followed suit and accepted his punishment. Today I lodged the paperwork with Cricket Australia and will be accepting the sanction handed down. I would love to put this behind me and will do whatever it takes to earn back the trust of the Australian public. Thank you to all those who have sent messages of support — Cameron Bancroft (@cbancroft4) April 4, 2018 × Now, Warner is the only player left to announce his decision. Smith and Warner were stripped of their leadership positions for their role in the March 24 incident.

Smith, Bancroft not to challenge ball-tampering ban

Few days ahead of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, two-time Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar's name is surprisingly missing from the list of entry released by the tournament organisers on the official website.

The official list of entries for the men's freestyle 74kg wrestling category, uploaded on the CWG 2018 website does not mention the name of Sushil among other 15 wrestlers participating in the event.

Reflecting on the same, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Secretary General Rajeev Mehta told that it is a fault of the organising committee and that they are rectifying the error.

When quizzed if Sushil has pulled out his name from the tournament, Mehta denied the same before clarifying that the IOA and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) are not at all at fault.

After spending two years away from the mat, Sushil returned to compete at the National Championship last year in Indore, only to see himself mired in controversy for winning the gold in the tournament after his three opponents conceded a walkover.

The 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games is slated to be held from April 4 to 15.

Reflecting on the same, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Secretary General Rajeev Mehta told that it is a fault of the organising committee and that they are rectifying the error

Few days ahead of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, two-time Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar's name is surprisingly missing from the list of entry released by the tournament organisers on the official website. The official list of entries for the men's freestyle 74kg wrestling category, uploaded on the CWG 2018 website does not mention the name of Sushil among other 15 wrestlers participating in the event. Reflecting on the same, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Secretary General Rajeev Mehta told that it is a fault of the organising committee and that they are rectifying the error. When quizzed if Sushil has pulled out his name from the tournament, Mehta denied the same before clarifying that the IOA and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) are not at all at fault. After spending two years away from the mat, Sushil returned to compete at the National Championship last year in Indore, only to see himself mired in controversy for winning the gold in the tournament after his three opponents conceded a walkover. The 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games is slated to be held from April 4 to 15.

Wrestler Sushil Kumar's name missing from Common Wealth Games 2018 entry list

World Cup-bound England had the wind taken out of their sails as Italy's Lorenzo Insigne scored an 86th-minute penalty, awarded by VAR, to cancel out Jamie Vardy's opener and secure a 1-1 draw in a friendly at Wembley on Tuesday.

The Video Assistant Referee will be used at this year's finals in Russia and as an example of things to come it rescued Italy as they gained some crumbs of comfort after a woeful run of form that cost them a place at the tournament.

It was tough on England who, apart from a sloppy opening spell, had looked reasonably assured in what was a high-profile audition for those players still hoping to grab a place in Gareth Southgate's final squad.

Vardy did his chances no harm at all when he thumped home after a quickly-taken free kick by Jesse Lingard in the 26th minute for his seventh England goal.

Burnley's James Tarkowski, handed a debut in a back three, also did little wrong although it was his tackle on substitute Federico Chiesa that allowed Italy a first goal in four games and ended England's run of five clean sheets.

Two of those shutouts were against Germany and Brazil while they also beat the Netherlands 1-0 in Amsterdam on Friday and, although they could not take the scalp of four-times world champions Italy, the England boss was upbeat.

"I feel that we have made positive progression," Southgate, who will name his provisional 33-man squad on May 14, said.

"In terms of the last four games we have played four of the biggest football countries in the world and we have been competitive in every game and our patterns of play have become a lot clearer to everybody."

What is not yet clear is the impact of VAR.

Chiesa's theatrical fall did not initially impress German referee Deniz Aytekin but after the intervention of VAR he pointed to the spot and, with boos ringing around the stadium, Insigne beat Jack Butland with a perfect spot kick.

It was a marginal call as Chiesa appeared to be already off balance when Tarkowski inadvertently trod on his foot.

STEADY PROGRESS

Italy arrived at Wembley in the doldrums after becoming the biggest casualties of the qualifying campaign.

England, on the other hand, are attracting quiet optimism after steady progress under Southgate's thoughtful stewardship.

There are still questions to answer, however, and John Stones did his best to undermine the growing confidence in England's defence with a sloppy opening in which he twice almost allowed Ciro Immobile to score.

First he played Immobile onside but the striker failed to react quickly enough and then Stones dallied on the ball in his own area and had his pocket picked by Immobile who again lacked the required sharpness to punish the Manchester City man.

Immobile wasted another chance when he headed over the bar after being left unmarked in the area.

Raheem Sterling was England's best attacking option with his driving runs causing panic at the heart of Italy's defence.

He had already carved out a chance for Vardy when he burst forward again only to be bundled over on the edge of the area.

Jesse Lingard took the free kick instantaneously and rolled the ball to Vardy who smashed his shot past Italy's teenage keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The goal settled England down and they began to assert some control with Ashley Young, given a first start under Southgate, rolling a cross-shot just wide after another Sterling burst.

England were comfortable after the break as Italy lacked any goal threat but the usual raft of substitutions from both sides disrupted what little rhythm the match had.

The Mexican waves were well underway when Italy finished with a late flourish.

Insigne went close with a volley after some slick passing and then Chiesa fell theatrically under the challenge of Burnley defender Tarkowski to change the mood in the stadium and send the small Italian contingent in the 82,000 crowd home happy.

The two sides drew 1-1. (Italy, remember, is not going to the World Cup)

World Cup-bound England had the wind taken out of their sails as Italy's Lorenzo Insigne scored an 86th-minute penalty, awarded by VAR, to cancel out Jamie Vardy's opener and secure a 1-1 draw in a friendly at Wembley on Tuesday. The Video Assistant Referee will be used at this year's finals in Russia and as an example of things to come it rescued Italy as they gained some crumbs of comfort after a woeful run of form that cost them a place at the tournament. It was tough on England who, apart from a sloppy opening spell, had looked reasonably assured in what was a high-profile audition for those players still hoping to grab a place in Gareth Southgate's final squad. Vardy did his chances no harm at all when he thumped home after a quickly-taken free kick by Jesse Lingard in the 26th minute for his seventh England goal. Burnley's James Tarkowski, handed a debut in a back three, also did little wrong although it was his tackle on substitute Federico Chiesa that allowed Italy a first goal in four games and ended England's run of five clean sheets. Two of those shutouts were against Germany and Brazil while they also beat the Netherlands 1-0 in Amsterdam on Friday and, although they could not take the scalp of four-times world champions Italy, the England boss was upbeat. "I feel that we have made positive progression," Southgate, who will name his provisional 33-man squad on May 14, said. "In terms of the last four games we have played four of the biggest football countries in the world and we have been competitive in every game and our patterns of play have become a lot clearer to everybody." What is not yet clear is the impact of VAR. Chiesa's theatrical fall did not initially impress German referee Deniz Aytekin but after the intervention of VAR he pointed to the spot and, with boos ringing around the stadium, Insigne beat Jack Butland with a perfect spot kick. It was a marginal call as Chiesa appeared to be already off balance when Tarkowski inadvertently trod on his foot. STEADY PROGRESS Italy arrived at Wembley in the doldrums after becoming the biggest casualties of the qualifying campaign. England, on the other hand, are attracting quiet optimism after steady progress under Southgate's thoughtful stewardship. There are still questions to answer, however, and John Stones did his best to undermine the growing confidence in England's defence with a sloppy opening in which he twice almost allowed Ciro Immobile to score. First he played Immobile onside but the striker failed to react quickly enough and then Stones dallied on the ball in his own area and had his pocket picked by Immobile who again lacked the required sharpness to punish the Manchester City man. Immobile wasted another chance when he headed over the bar after being left unmarked in the area. Raheem Sterling was England's best attacking option with his driving runs causing panic at the heart of Italy's defence. He had already carved out a chance for Vardy when he burst forward again only to be bundled over on the edge of the area. Jesse Lingard took the free kick instantaneously and rolled the ball to Vardy who smashed his shot past Italy's teenage keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The goal settled England down and they began to assert some control with Ashley Young, given a first start under Southgate, rolling a cross-shot just wide after another Sterling burst. England were comfortable after the break as Italy lacked any goal threat but the usual raft of substitutions from both sides disrupted what little rhythm the match had. The Mexican waves were well underway when Italy finished with a late flourish. Insigne went close with a volley after some slick passing and then Chiesa fell theatrically under the challenge of Burnley defender Tarkowski to change the mood in the stadium and send the small Italian contingent in the 82,000 crowd home happy.

World Cup friendlies: Late Italy penalty takes wind out of England's sails

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/gun-violence-in-united-states-student-led-protests-draw-huge-crowds-36966" target="_blank">Over 1 million Americans pour out onto streets, demand tighter gun control</a>

More than a million Americans flooded the streets of cities nationwide for emotional protests demanding tighter gun control on Saturday, protests spearheaded by teenagers from a Florida high school where 17 people were shot dead last month.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/90-rajya-sabha-mps-are-crorepatis-adr-report-36972" target="_blank">90% Rajya Sabha MPs are crorepatis: Report</a>

Nearly 90 per cent of the Rajya Sabha MPs are crorepatis while the average of total assets Upper House parliamentarians is Rs 55 crore, says a report.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/granddaughter-of-martin-luther-king-jr-energizes-march-for-our-lives-crowd-36969" target="_blank">US protests: Martin Luther King&#39;s granddaughter leads crowd calling for gun reform</a>

The granddaughter of the late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. energised the crowd in Washington on Saturday (March 24) during the March For Our Lives Rally demanding tighter gun laws, led by survivors of last month&#39;s Florida school massacre which reignited public anger over mass shootings.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-takes-full-control-of-syrias-afrin-military-source-36971" target="_blank">Turkey takes full control of Syria&#39;s Afrin: Military source</a>

Turkey&rsquo;s military and its Syrian rebel allies have taken full control of northwest Syria&rsquo;s Afrin region, a Turkish army source said on Saturday, as aid workers distributed food to people in the area.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australia-captain-smith-fights-for-job-as-ca-announce-ball-tamper-probe-36980" target="_blank">Australia captain Steve Smith fights for job</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australia-captain-smith-fights-for-job-as-ca-announce-ball-tamper-probe-36980" target="_blank"> as CA announce </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australia-captain-smith-fights-for-job-as-ca-announce-ball-tamper-probe-36980" target="_blank">ball-tampering</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australia-captain-smith-fights-for-job-as-ca-announce-ball-tamper-probe-36980" target="_blank"> probe</a>

Australia captain Steve Smith was fighting to save his job and reputation on Sunday after admitting he was the chief plotter in the ball-tampering scandal which has plunged the game into crisis and sparked a Cricket Australia probe.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Over 1 million Americans pour out onto streets, demand tighter gun control More than a million Americans flooded the streets of cities nationwide for emotional protests demanding tighter gun control on Saturday, protests spearheaded by teenagers from a Florida high school where 17 people were shot dead last month. 90% Rajya Sabha MPs are crorepatis: Report Nearly 90 per cent of the Rajya Sabha MPs are crorepatis while the average of total assets Upper House parliamentarians is Rs 55 crore, says a report. US protests: Martin Luther King's granddaughter leads crowd calling for gun reform The granddaughter of the late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. energised the crowd in Washington on Saturday (March 24) during the March For Our Lives Rally demanding tighter gun laws, led by survivors of last month's Florida school massacre which reignited public anger over mass shootings. Turkey takes full control of Syria's Afrin: Military source Turkey’s military and its Syrian rebel allies have taken full control of northwest Syria’s Afrin region, a Turkish army source said on Saturday, as aid workers distributed food to people in the area. Australia captain Steve Smith fights for job as CA announce ball-tampering probe Australia captain Steve Smith was fighting to save his job and reputation on Sunday after admitting he was the chief plotter in the ball-tampering scandal which has plunged the game into crisis and sparked a Cricket Australia probe.

WION Morning News Brief, March 25, 2018

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/zuckerberg-says-facebook-made-mistakes-on-user-data-vows-curbs-36672" target="_blank">Data breach: Zuckerberg says Facebook made mistakes on user data, vows curbs</a>

Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Wednesday that his company made mistakes in how it handled data belonging to 50 million of its users and promised tougher steps to restrict developers&#39; access to such information.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-to-announce-trade-sanctions-against-china-on-thursday-36677" target="_blank">Trump to announce trade sanctions against China on Thursday</a>

President Donald Trump is poised to unveil sanctions against China Thursday for the &quot;theft&quot; of US intellectual property, a White House official said, teeing up a second potential confrontation in as many months.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/court-orders-fir-against-cricketer-hardik-pandya-for-tweet-on-ambedkar-36680" target="_blank">Court orders FIR against cricketer Hardik Pandya for </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/court-orders-fir-against-cricketer-hardik-pandya-for-tweet-on-ambedkar-36680" target="_blank">tweet</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/court-orders-fir-against-cricketer-hardik-pandya-for-tweet-on-ambedkar-36680" target="_blank"> on Ambedkar</a>

A special SC/ST court in Jodhpur, Rajasthan has directed police to file an FIR against cricketer Hardik Pandya for an alleged tweet about Ambedkar.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/dravidian-language-family-is-4500-years-old-study-36676" target="_blank">Dravidian</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/dravidian-language-family-is-4500-years-old-study-36676" target="_blank"> language family is 4,500 years old: Study</a>

The Dravidian language family, consisting of 80 varieties spoken by nearly 220 million people across southern and central India, originated about 4,500 years ago, a study has found.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/texas-bomb-suspect-blows-himself-up-leaves-confession-36685" target="_blank">Texas bomb suspect blows himself up, leaves confession</a>

A man suspected of carrying out a series of bombings in the Texas capital Austin blew himself up Wednesday, leaving behind a recorded video &quot;confession&quot; that police said portrayed &quot;challenges in his personal life.&quot;

Data breach: Zuckerberg says Facebook made mistakes on user data, vows curbs Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Wednesday that his company made mistakes in how it handled data belonging to 50 million of its users and promised tougher steps to restrict developers' access to such information. Trump to announce trade sanctions against China on Thursday President Donald Trump is poised to unveil sanctions against China Thursday for the "theft" of US intellectual property, a White House official said, teeing up a second potential confrontation in as many months. Court orders FIR against cricketer Hardik Pandya for tweet on Ambedkar A special SC/ST court in Jodhpur, Rajasthan has directed police to file an FIR against cricketer Hardik Pandya for an alleged tweet about Ambedkar. Dravidian language family is 4,500 years old: Study The Dravidian language family, consisting of 80 varieties spoken by nearly 220 million people across southern and central India, originated about 4,500 years ago, a study has found. Texas bomb suspect blows himself up, leaves confession A man suspected of carrying out a series of bombings in the Texas capital Austin blew himself up Wednesday, leaving behind a recorded video "confession" that police said portrayed "challenges in his personal life."

WION Morning News Brief, March 22, 2018

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/cambridge-analytica-ceo-claims-influence-on-us-election-facebook-questioned-36557" target="_blank">Suspended Cambridge Analytica CEO claims influence on US election, Facebook questioned</a>

The suspended chief executive of Cambridge Analytica said in a secretly recorded video broadcast on Tuesday that his UK-based political consultancy&rsquo;s online campaign played a decisive role in US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s 2016 election victory.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/team-rahul-gandhi-set-to-take-charge-of-congress-top-leaders-resign-36565" target="_blank">Top leaders resign as Team Rahul gets set to take charge of Congress</a>

Resignations in the Congress have begun ahead of party President Rahul Gandhi&#39;s announcement of his new team.&nbsp;

Actor-politician Raj Babbar has quit as chief of the party&#39;s UP unit.&nbsp;

News reports added that Gujarat Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki is also believed to have tendered his resignation to the party&#39;s central leadership. The reports added that a number of further resignations are expected.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/former-playboy-model-karen-mcdougal-sues-to-break-silence-on-alleged-trump-affair-36563" target="_blank">Now, ex-Playboy model wants to talk about </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/former-playboy-model-karen-mcdougal-sues-to-break-silence-on-alleged-trump-affair-36563" target="_blank">affair</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/former-playboy-model-karen-mcdougal-sues-to-break-silence-on-alleged-trump-affair-36563" target="_blank"> with Trump</a>

A former Playboy model who said she had an affair with President Donald Trump filed suit in California on Tuesday to release her from a legal agreement requiring her to stay silent, becoming the second woman this month to contest an arrangement to keep quiet about an alleged extramarital relationship with Trump.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-renews-pervez-musharrafs-passport-fearing-he-may-not-return-36558" target="_blank">Pakistan renews Pervez Musharraf&#39;s passport fearing he may not return</a>

Pakistan&#39;s former dictator General (retd) Pervez Musharraf&#39;s diplomatic passport was renewed two months before its expiry as the government feared that he might not return to face the high treason case, the country&#39;s Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/nobody-is-better-than-me-on-pitch-cristiano-ronaldo-36564" target="_blank">Nobody better than me on the pitch: Cristiano Ronaldo</a>

Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed the secret of his success ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

In a recent media interaction, he said, &quot;We should always believe we are the best.&quot;

&quot;You need to think big. I always believe that nobody is better than me, out on the pitch at least,&quot; he said.

Suspended Cambridge Analytica CEO claims influence on US election, Facebook questioned The suspended chief executive of Cambridge Analytica said in a secretly recorded video broadcast on Tuesday that his UK-based political consultancy’s online campaign played a decisive role in US President Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory. Top leaders resign as Team Rahul gets set to take charge of Congress Resignations in the Congress have begun ahead of party President Rahul Gandhi's announcement of his new team. Actor-politician Raj Babbar has quit as chief of the party's UP unit. News reports added that Gujarat Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki is also believed to have tendered his resignation to the party's central leadership. The reports added that a number of further resignations are expected. Now, ex-Playboy model wants to talk about affair with Trump A former Playboy model who said she had an affair with President Donald Trump filed suit in California on Tuesday to release her from a legal agreement requiring her to stay silent, becoming the second woman this month to contest an arrangement to keep quiet about an alleged extramarital relationship with Trump. Pakistan renews Pervez Musharraf's passport fearing he may not return Pakistan's former dictator General (retd) Pervez Musharraf's diplomatic passport was renewed two months before its expiry as the government feared that he might not return to face the high treason case, the country's Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said. Nobody better than me on the pitch: Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed the secret of his success ahead of the FIFA World Cup. In a recent media interaction, he said, "We should always believe we are the best." "You need to think big. I always believe that nobody is better than me, out on the pitch at least," he said.

WION Morning News Brief, March 21, 2018

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/let-bygones-be-bygones-says-akhilesh-on-past-rivalry-with-bsp-speculation-grows-if-they-will-join-hands-for-2019-35928">Let bygones be bygones, says SP&#39;s Akhilesh on past rivalry with BSP. Speculation grows if they will join forces for 2019</a>

Enthused by his party&#39;s strong showing in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur bypolls, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav indicated today that his party was keen on burying its bitter rivalry with Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party saying sometimes &quot;past incidents have to be forgotten&quot;.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cbse-says-paper-not-leaked-have-approached-police-about-fake-news-35918">CBSE says paper not leaked, has approached police about &#39;fake&#39; news</a>

The CBSE today denied allegations of paper leak of its Class 12 Accountancy examination, asserting that all seals were found intact in the examination centres.The board also said that it has approached the police against those spreading &quot;false&quot; news.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/routine-not-recall-mea-on-pak-high-commissioner-to-india-being-called-back-35936">Routine, not recall: MEA on Pak High Commissioner to India being called back</a>

It is pretty normal for any High Commissioner to go back for consultation and &#39;&#39;We have no comments to offer on why he has gone back,&#39;&#39; said Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson for Ministry of External Affairs on Pakistan High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hillary-clinton-a-series-of-unfortunate-events-in-india-35938">Hillary Clinton: A series of unfortunate events in India</a>

Hillary&#39;s India tour is becoming a series of unfortunate events for her due to one after another injury.In Madhya Pradesh, she had fallen on the steps of a mosque on Monday and after that, She fractured her wrist after she slipped in the bathtub of Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur, Rajasthan on Tuesday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/araria-will-become-hub-for-terrorism-due-to-rjd-win-giriraj-singh-35947">Araria will become </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/araria-will-become-hub-for-terrorism-due-to-rjd-win-giriraj-singh-35947">hub</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/araria-will-become-hub-for-terrorism-due-to-rjd-win-giriraj-singh-35947"> of terrorism: Giriraj Singh&nbsp;</a>

Union minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday claimed that the victory of RJD&#39;s Sarfaraz Alam from Araria Lok Sabha seat would make the place a hub of terrorism, which would be a danger to not only Bihar but also the country.

Let bygones be bygones, says SP's Akhilesh on past rivalry with BSP. Speculation grows if they will join forces for 2019 Enthused by his party's strong showing in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur bypolls, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav indicated today that his party was keen on burying its bitter rivalry with Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party saying sometimes "past incidents have to be forgotten". CBSE says paper not leaked, has approached police about 'fake' news The CBSE today denied allegations of paper leak of its Class 12 Accountancy examination, asserting that all seals were found intact in the examination centres.The board also said that it has approached the police against those spreading "false" news. Routine, not recall: MEA on Pak High Commissioner to India being called back It is pretty normal for any High Commissioner to go back for consultation and ''We have no comments to offer on why he has gone back,'' said Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson for Ministry of External Affairs on Pakistan High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood. Hillary Clinton: A series of unfortunate events in India Hillary's India tour is becoming a series of unfortunate events for her due to one after another injury.In Madhya Pradesh, she had fallen on the steps of a mosque on Monday and after that, She fractured her wrist after she slipped in the bathtub of Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur, Rajasthan on Tuesday. Araria will become hub of terrorism: Giriraj Singh Union minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday claimed that the victory of RJD's Sarfaraz Alam from Araria Lok Sabha seat would make the place a hub of terrorism, which would be a danger to not only Bihar but also the country.

WION Evening News Brief, March 15, 2018

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/uttar-pradesh-bypolls-up-shocker-sp-wins-both-yogi-bastion-of-gorakhpur-and-phulpur-seat-35824" target="_blank">Uttar Pradesh </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/uttar-pradesh-bypolls-up-shocker-sp-wins-both-yogi-bastion-of-gorakhpur-and-phulpur-seat-35824" target="_blank">bypolls</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/uttar-pradesh-bypolls-up-shocker-sp-wins-both-yogi-bastion-of-gorakhpur-and-phulpur-seat-35824" target="_blank">: UP shocker; SP wins both Yogi bastion of Gorakhpur and Phulpur seat</a>

The Samajwadi Party&#39;s Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel won the Phulpur Lok Sabha bypoll by 59,613 votes Wednesday evening. The BJP came in second.&nbsp;

In the Gorakhpur bypoll meanwhile, the SP&#39;s Praveen Kumar Nishad won by 21,881 votes

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/we-accept-the-verdict-of-the-people-yogi-after-deafeat-in-bypolls-35825" target="_blank">Watch: We accept people&#39;s verdict, says Yogi Adityanath after BJP&#39;s defeat in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/we-accept-the-verdict-of-the-people-yogi-after-deafeat-in-bypolls-35825" target="_blank">bypolls</a>

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has reacted after the shocking defeat of BJP on his home-turf Gorakhpur, and Phulpur &ndash; both seats previously represented by him and his deputy in Uttar Pradesh government Keshav Prasad Maurya respective

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bihar-bypolls-rjd-wins-araria-lok-sabha-seat-jehanabad-assembly-seat-and-bjp-retains-bhabua-35816" target="_blank">Bihar </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bihar-bypolls-rjd-wins-araria-lok-sabha-seat-jehanabad-assembly-seat-and-bjp-retains-bhabua-35816" target="_blank">bypolls</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bihar-bypolls-rjd-wins-araria-lok-sabha-seat-jehanabad-assembly-seat-and-bjp-retains-bhabua-35816" target="_blank">: RJD wins Araria Lok Sabha seat and Jehanabad assembly seat while BJP retains Bhabua</a>

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on &nbsp;Wednesday won the Jehanabad assembly seat bypoll.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, BJP&#39;s Rinky Rani Pandey has won the Bhabhua Assembly seat in Bihar.&nbsp;

The result of the Araria Lok Sabha constituency is also out, RJD&#39;s Sarfaraz Alam has won the Araria Lok Sabha seat.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-rejects-all-interim-pleas-to-intervene-in-ayodhya-dispute-35810" target="_blank">Supreme Court rejects all interim pleas to intervene in Ayodhya dispute</a>

The Supreme Court today rejected all interim pleas seeking to intervene as parties in the sensitive Babri masjid- Ram temple land dispute case.

The court, however, ordered revival of Swamy&#39;s disposed of writ petition in which he had sought enforcement of his fundamental right to worship at Ram temple on the disputed site in Ayodhya.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-former-wonder-woman-lynda-carter-says-she-was-sexually-harassed-35823" target="_blank">I was sexually harassed too, says Wonder Woman</a>

Former &quot;Wonder Woman&quot; superhero Lynda Carter who played the iconic character in the 1970s TV series revealed that she was sexually harassed during her career.&nbsp;

Uttar Pradesh bypolls: UP shocker; SP wins both Yogi bastion of Gorakhpur and Phulpur seat The Samajwadi Party's Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel won the Phulpur Lok Sabha bypoll by 59,613 votes Wednesday evening. The BJP came in second. In the Gorakhpur bypoll meanwhile, the SP's Praveen Kumar Nishad won by 21,881 votes Watch: We accept people's verdict, says Yogi Adityanath after BJP's defeat in bypolls Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has reacted after the shocking defeat of BJP on his home-turf Gorakhpur, and Phulpur – both seats previously represented by him and his deputy in Uttar Pradesh government Keshav Prasad Maurya respective Bihar bypolls: RJD wins Araria Lok Sabha seat and Jehanabad assembly seat while BJP retains Bhabua The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Wednesday won the Jehanabad assembly seat bypoll. Meanwhile, BJP's Rinky Rani Pandey has won the Bhabhua Assembly seat in Bihar. The result of the Araria Lok Sabha constituency is also out, RJD's Sarfaraz Alam has won the Araria Lok Sabha seat. Supreme Court rejects all interim pleas to intervene in Ayodhya dispute The Supreme Court today rejected all interim pleas seeking to intervene as parties in the sensitive Babri masjid- Ram temple land dispute case. The court, however, ordered revival of Swamy's disposed of writ petition in which he had sought enforcement of his fundamental right to worship at Ram temple on the disputed site in Ayodhya. I was sexually harassed too, says Wonder Woman Former "Wonder Woman" superhero Lynda Carter who played the iconic character in the 1970s TV series revealed that she was sexually harassed during her career.

WION Evening News Brief, March 14, 2018

The Oscars telecasted on the 4th of March this year and hit an all-time low viewer rating.

The politically charged 90th annual Academy Awards drew an all-time low of 26.5 million viewers this year, a 20 per cent drop from last year.&nbsp;

Major feud happened when US President Donald Trump took to Twitter to publicise the news saying, &quot;Lowest rated Oscars in HISTORY. Problem is, we don&rsquo;t have Stars anymore - except your President (just kidding, of course)!&quot;

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Lowest rated Oscars in HISTORY. Problem is, we don&rsquo;t have Stars anymore - except your President (just kidding, of course)!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/971013841395027968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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In no time, Jimmy Kimmel, talk show host who also hosted this years Oscars retaliated in rage and also took to Twitter to shun&nbsp;down Trump and said: &quot;Thanks, lowest rated President in HISTORY.&quot;&nbsp;

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Thanks, lowest rated President in HISTORY. <a href="https://t.co/E01UgDaZ3T">https://t.co/E01UgDaZ3T</a>
&mdash; Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) <a href="https://twitter.com/jimmykimmel/status/971073765567156224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Kimmel focused on Hollywood&#39;s own diversity issues during his opening monologue at the ceremony, though he did manage to throw some shade on Trump, including his assumed dislike for immigrant actress Lupita Nyong&rsquo;o and his probable misunderstanding of the racially based horror-comedy Get Out.

Moreover, critics are now speculating if ABC will have an awakening and take control of the telecast away from the notoriously arrogant Academy, reports said.

ABC executives have long been rumoured to vent privately about the arrogance of the Academy, but the Oscars are still the second biggest night on television after the Super Bowl, so the Academy continues to celebrate Hollywood&#39;s elite exactly how it wants to.&nbsp;

As per reports, viewers have mostly complained about how the Oscars tend to give more regards to self-serving tributes to the yearly tradition of leaving fan favorites out of the &ldquo;In Memoriam&rdquo; segment. This year, for example, Adam West and Glen Campbell were posthumously ignored. Others feel the telecast ends too late, takes too long, is too politically correct and doesn&rsquo;t feature TV stars in an era when television produces household names at the same rate as films.

But, these are not the primary reasons that keep viewers from watching the star-studded event. The two issues that are most commonly mentioned as a turn off for viewers are divisive politics and the lack of well-known movies. While the Academy has a lot of power over the content of the program as its producer, ABC is also responsible for much of the blame, reports suggested.

This is not a one-year trend either. Oscars viewership in 2018 fell by 39 per cent from its ratings just four years earlier, in 2014, when Ellen DeGeneres hosted for ABC. The previous low of 31.8 million viewers came in 2008 when Jon Stewart hosted not long after a lengthy writers&#39; strike ended.

The politically charged 90th annual Academy Awards drew an all-time low 26.5 million viewers this year, a 19 per cent drop from last year

The Oscars telecasted on the 4th of March this year and hit an all-time low viewer rating. The politically charged 90th annual Academy Awards drew an all-time low of 26.5 million viewers this year, a 20 per cent drop from last year. Major feud happened when US President Donald Trump took to Twitter to publicise the news saying, "Lowest rated Oscars in HISTORY. Problem is, we don’t have Stars anymore - except your President (just kidding, of course)!" Lowest rated Oscars in HISTORY. Problem is, we don’t have Stars anymore - except your President (just kidding, of course)! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 6, 2018 × In no time, Jimmy Kimmel, talk show host who also hosted this years Oscars retaliated in rage and also took to Twitter to shun down Trump and said: "Thanks, lowest rated President in HISTORY." Thanks, lowest rated President in HISTORY. https://t.co/E01UgDaZ3T — Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) March 6, 2018 × Kimmel focused on Hollywood's own diversity issues during his opening monologue at the ceremony, though he did manage to throw some shade on Trump, including his assumed dislike for immigrant actress Lupita Nyong’o and his probable misunderstanding of the racially based horror-comedy Get Out. Moreover, critics are now speculating if ABC will have an awakening and take control of the telecast away from the notoriously arrogant Academy, reports said. ABC executives have long been rumoured to vent privately about the arrogance of the Academy, but the Oscars are still the second biggest night on television after the Super Bowl, so the Academy continues to celebrate Hollywood's elite exactly how it wants to. As per reports, viewers have mostly complained about how the Oscars tend to give more regards to self-serving tributes to the yearly tradition of leaving fan favorites out of the “In Memoriam” segment. This year, for example, Adam West and Glen Campbell were posthumously ignored. Others feel the telecast ends too late, takes too long, is too politically correct and doesn’t feature TV stars in an era when television produces household names at the same rate as films. But, these are not the primary reasons that keep viewers from watching the star-studded event. The two issues that are most commonly mentioned as a turn off for viewers are divisive politics and the lack of well-known movies. While the Academy has a lot of power over the content of the program as its producer, ABC is also responsible for much of the blame, reports suggested. This is not a one-year trend either. Oscars viewership in 2018 fell by 39 per cent from its ratings just four years earlier, in 2014, when Ellen DeGeneres hosted for ABC. The previous low of 31.8 million viewers came in 2008 when Jon Stewart hosted not long after a lengthy writers' strike ended.

Trump, Kimmel face-off over low Oscar TV ratings

Britain threatened on Tuesday to pull out of the soccer World Cup in Russia if Moscow was shown to be behind the mysterious illness that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ex-russian-spy-sergei-skripal-daughter-ill-after-exposure-to-unidentified-substance-in-britain-34897" target="_blank">struck down</a> a Russian former double agent convicted of betraying dozens of spies to British intelligence.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson named Sergei Skripal, once a colonel in Russia&#39;s GRU military intelligence service, and his daughter, Yulia, as the two people who were found unconscious on Sunday on a bench outside a shopping centre in southern England.

Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter were exposed to what police said was an unknown substance in the English city of Salisbury. Both are still critically ill in intensive care.

&quot;We don&#39;t know exactly what has taken place in Salisbury, but if it&#39;s as bad as it looks, it is another crime in the litany of crimes that we can lay at Russia&#39;s door,&quot; Johnson told the British parliament.

&quot;It is clear that Russia, I&#39;m afraid, is now in many respects a malign and disruptive force, and the UK is in the lead across the world in trying to counteract that activity.&quot;

If Moscow was shown to be behind Skripal&#39;s illness, Johnson said, it would be difficult to see how Britain could attend the World Cup in Russia in June and July.

England is the only British national team to have qualified for the tournament, which is held every four years.

A previous British inquiry said President Vladimir Putin probably approved the 2006 murder of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko with radioactive polonium-210 in London. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any involvement in Litvinenko&#39;s killing.

Litvinenko, 43, an outspoken critic of Putin who fled Russia for Britain six years before he was poisoned, died after drinking green tea laced with the rare and very potent radioactive isotope at London&rsquo;s Millennium Hotel.

It took some time for British doctors to discern the cause of Litvinenko&#39;s illness.

His murder sent Britain&#39;s relations with Russia to what was then a post-Cold War low. Relations suffered further from Russia&#39;s annexation of Crimea and military backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against rebels trying to topple him.

&nbsp;

RUSSIAN DOUBLE AGENT

While the British authorities said there was no known risk to the public from the unidentified substance, they sealed off the area where Skripal was found, a pizza restaurant called Zizzi and the Bishop&#39;s Mill pub in the centre of Salisbury.

Some investigators at one point wore yellow chemical suits, though most police at the scene did not.

Skripal, who passed the identity of dozens of spies to the MI6 foreign intelligence agency, was given refuge in Britain after he was exchanged in 2010 for Russian spies caught in the West as part of a Cold War-style spy swap at Vienna airport.

The Kremlin said it was ready to cooperate if Britain asked it for help investigating the incident with Skripal.

Calling it a &quot;tragic situation,&quot; Putin&#39;s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin had no information about the incident.

Asked to respond to British media speculation that Russia had poisoned Skripal, Peskov said: &quot;It didn&#39;t take them long.&quot;

Russia&#39;s embassy in London said the incident was being used to demonise Russia and that it was seriously concerned by British media reporting of the Skripal incident.

Russia&rsquo;s foreign spy service, known as the SVR, said it had no comment to make. Russia&rsquo;s foreign ministry, and the Russian counter-intelligence service, the FSB, did not immediately respond to questions submitted by Reuters about the case.

&nbsp;

FROM MOSCOW TO SALISBURY

Skripal was arrested in 2004 by Russia&#39;s Federal Security Service (FSB) on suspicion of betraying dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006 after a secret trial.

Skripal, who was shown wearing a track suit in a cage in court during the sentencing, had admitted betraying agents to MI6 in return for money, some of it paid into a Spanish bank account, Russian media said at the time.

But he was pardoned in 2010 by then-President Dmitry Medvedev as part of a swap to bring 10 Russian agents held in the United States back to Moscow.

The swap, one of the biggest since the Cold War ended in 1991, took place on the tarmac of Vienna airport where a Russian and a U.S. jet parked side by side before the agents were exchanged.

One of the Russian spies exchanged for Skripal was Anna Chapman. She was one of 10 who tried to blend into American society in an apparent bid to get close to power brokers and learn secrets. They were arrested by the FBI in 2010.

The returning spies were greeted as heroes in Moscow. Putin, himself a former KGB officer, sang patriotic songs with them.

Skripal, though, was cast as a traitor by Moscow. He is thought to have done serious damage to Russian spy networks in Britain and Europe.

The GRU spy service, created in 1918 under revolutionary leader Leon Trotsky, is controlled by the military general staff and reports directly to the president. It has spies spread across the world.

Since emerging from the John le Carre world of high espionage and betrayal, Skripal lived modestly in Salisbury and kept out of the spotlight until he was found unconscious on Sunday at 1615 GMT.

Wiltshire police said a small number of emergency services personnel were examined immediately after the incident and all but one had been released from hospital.

Skripal&#39;s wife died shortly after her arrival in Britain from &quot;disseminated endometrial carcinoma,&quot; the Guardian newspaper reported. His son died on a recent visit to Russia.

A white and yellow police forensics tent covered the bench where Skripal was taken ill.

The World Cup this year is being held in Russia

Britain threatened on Tuesday to pull out of the soccer World Cup in Russia if Moscow was shown to be behind the mysterious illness that struck down a Russian former double agent convicted of betraying dozens of spies to British intelligence. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson named Sergei Skripal, once a colonel in Russia's GRU military intelligence service, and his daughter, Yulia, as the two people who were found unconscious on Sunday on a bench outside a shopping centre in southern England. Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter were exposed to what police said was an unknown substance in the English city of Salisbury. Both are still critically ill in intensive care. "We don't know exactly what has taken place in Salisbury, but if it's as bad as it looks, it is another crime in the litany of crimes that we can lay at Russia's door," Johnson told the British parliament. "It is clear that Russia, I'm afraid, is now in many respects a malign and disruptive force, and the UK is in the lead across the world in trying to counteract that activity." If Moscow was shown to be behind Skripal's illness, Johnson said, it would be difficult to see how Britain could attend the World Cup in Russia in June and July. England is the only British national team to have qualified for the tournament, which is held every four years. A previous British inquiry said President Vladimir Putin probably approved the 2006 murder of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko with radioactive polonium-210 in London. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any involvement in Litvinenko's killing. Litvinenko, 43, an outspoken critic of Putin who fled Russia for Britain six years before he was poisoned, died after drinking green tea laced with the rare and very potent radioactive isotope at London’s Millennium Hotel. It took some time for British doctors to discern the cause of Litvinenko's illness. His murder sent Britain's relations with Russia to what was then a post-Cold War low. Relations suffered further from Russia's annexation of Crimea and military backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against rebels trying to topple him. RUSSIAN DOUBLE AGENT While the British authorities said there was no known risk to the public from the unidentified substance, they sealed off the area where Skripal was found, a pizza restaurant called Zizzi and the Bishop's Mill pub in the centre of Salisbury. Some investigators at one point wore yellow chemical suits, though most police at the scene did not. Skripal, who passed the identity of dozens of spies to the MI6 foreign intelligence agency, was given refuge in Britain after he was exchanged in 2010 for Russian spies caught in the West as part of a Cold War-style spy swap at Vienna airport. The Kremlin said it was ready to cooperate if Britain asked it for help investigating the incident with Skripal. Calling it a "tragic situation," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin had no information about the incident. Asked to respond to British media speculation that Russia had poisoned Skripal, Peskov said: "It didn't take them long." Russia's embassy in London said the incident was being used to demonise Russia and that it was seriously concerned by British media reporting of the Skripal incident. Russia’s foreign spy service, known as the SVR, said it had no comment to make. Russia’s foreign ministry, and the Russian counter-intelligence service, the FSB, did not immediately respond to questions submitted by Reuters about the case. FROM MOSCOW TO SALISBURY Skripal was arrested in 2004 by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) on suspicion of betraying dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006 after a secret trial. Skripal, who was shown wearing a track suit in a cage in court during the sentencing, had admitted betraying agents to MI6 in return for money, some of it paid into a Spanish bank account, Russian media said at the time. But he was pardoned in 2010 by then-President Dmitry Medvedev as part of a swap to bring 10 Russian agents held in the United States back to Moscow. The swap, one of the biggest since the Cold War ended in 1991, took place on the tarmac of Vienna airport where a Russian and a U.S. jet parked side by side before the agents were exchanged. One of the Russian spies exchanged for Skripal was Anna Chapman. She was one of 10 who tried to blend into American society in an apparent bid to get close to power brokers and learn secrets. They were arrested by the FBI in 2010. The returning spies were greeted as heroes in Moscow. Putin, himself a former KGB officer, sang patriotic songs with them. Skripal, though, was cast as a traitor by Moscow. He is thought to have done serious damage to Russian spy networks in Britain and Europe. The GRU spy service, created in 1918 under revolutionary leader Leon Trotsky, is controlled by the military general staff and reports directly to the president. It has spies spread across the world. Since emerging from the John le Carre world of high espionage and betrayal, Skripal lived modestly in Salisbury and kept out of the spotlight until he was found unconscious on Sunday at 1615 GMT. Wiltshire police said a small number of emergency services personnel were examined immediately after the incident and all but one had been released from hospital. Skripal's wife died shortly after her arrival in Britain from "disseminated endometrial carcinoma," the Guardian newspaper reported. His son died on a recent visit to Russia. A white and yellow police forensics tent covered the bench where Skripal was taken ill.

England threatens to pull out of Football World Cup if Russia behind spy's mysterious illness

China plans to give a boost to its military budget by increasing its defence spending by 8.1 percent this year.

The outlay was presented to the National People&#39;s Congress with a seven percent increase last year and 7.6 percent in 2016 which marked the first time in six years that spending growth had not risen into double figures.

China has been consistently raising its defence spending in a bid to make up for past deficiencies.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is eyeing to beef up the country&#39;s nuclear prowess&nbsp;to counter the growing strength of China and Russia.&nbsp;

The Trump administration has proposed a military budget that is the largest since 2011.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

The outlay was presented to the National People's Congress

China plans to give a boost to its military budget by increasing its defence spending by 8.1 percent this year. The outlay was presented to the National People's Congress with a seven percent increase last year and 7.6 percent in 2016 which marked the first time in six years that spending growth had not risen into double figures. China has been consistently raising its defence spending in a bid to make up for past deficiencies. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is eyeing to beef up the country's nuclear prowess to counter the growing strength of China and Russia. The Trump administration has proposed a military budget that is the largest since 2011.

China to hike defence budget by 8.1% in 2018

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sridevi-indian-cinemas-first-woman-superstar-to-be-cremated-today-34273">Sridevi, Indian cinema&#39;s first woman superstar, to be cremated today</a>

The body of Bollywood icon Sridevi, whose sudden death triggered a frenzy of grief, disbelief and searching questions, was flown back to Mumbai Tuesday after Dubai authorities determined that she had accidentally drowned in her hotel bathtub.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bihar-hit-and-run-case-suspended-bihar-mla-manoj-baitha-surrenders-34280">Bihar hit-and-run case: Suspended Bihar MLA Manoj Baitha surrenders</a>

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manoj Baitha, whose vehicle was reportedly involved in an accident that killed nine school children on Saturday in Muzaffarpur district, surrendered before the Bihar Police on Wednesday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/exit-polls-predict-bjp-win-in-tripura-party-to-consolidate-position-in-meghalaya-nagaland-34274">Exit polls predict BJP win in Tripura, party to consolidate position in Meghalaya, Nagaland</a>

Two exit polls today predicted that the BJP will dethrone the Left front from power in Tripura. According to the exit polls, the BJP will also consolidate its position in two other northeastern states of Meghalaya and Nagaland.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-providing-materials-to-syria-chemical-weapons-factories-un-experts-34279">North Korea &#39;providing materials to Syria chemical weapons factories&#39;: UN experts</a>

North Korea has been sending equipment to Syria that could be used in chemical weapons manufacturing, US media report, citing findings by UN experts. The materials include acid-resistant tiles, valves and pipes, reports say.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-supreme-court-rules-immigrants-can-be-held-indefinitely-34277">US Supreme Court rules immigrants can be held indefinitely</a>

The US Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that immigrants can be detained indefinitely without bond hearings, in a setback for immigrant rights.

 
&nbsp;

Sridevi, Indian cinema's first woman superstar, to be cremated today The body of Bollywood icon Sridevi, whose sudden death triggered a frenzy of grief, disbelief and searching questions, was flown back to Mumbai Tuesday after Dubai authorities determined that she had accidentally drowned in her hotel bathtub. Bihar hit-and-run case: Suspended Bihar MLA Manoj Baitha surrenders Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manoj Baitha, whose vehicle was reportedly involved in an accident that killed nine school children on Saturday in Muzaffarpur district, surrendered before the Bihar Police on Wednesday. Exit polls predict BJP win in Tripura, party to consolidate position in Meghalaya, Nagaland Two exit polls today predicted that the BJP will dethrone the Left front from power in Tripura. According to the exit polls, the BJP will also consolidate its position in two other northeastern states of Meghalaya and Nagaland. North Korea 'providing materials to Syria chemical weapons factories': UN experts North Korea has been sending equipment to Syria that could be used in chemical weapons manufacturing, US media report, citing findings by UN experts. The materials include acid-resistant tiles, valves and pipes, reports say. US Supreme Court rules immigrants can be held indefinitely The US Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that immigrants can be detained indefinitely without bond hearings, in a setback for immigrant rights.

WION Morning News Brief, February 28, 2018

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the &#39;Uttar Pradesh Investors&#39; Summit 2018 on Wednesday and hailed the Uttar Pradesh government&#39;s effort of &#39;One district One product&#39; scheme.&nbsp;

Modi, while addressing the crowd of 5,000 people in Lucknow &quot;Potential + Policy + Planning+ Performance leads to Progress. Now UP too is ready to give Super-Hit Performance.&quot;

&quot;The Uttar Pradesh government is making different policies for different sectors, for example, it is combining the industrial investment with, job opportunities. One district one product scheme is a game changer,&quot; he added.

During the summit, 25 MOUs worth Rs&nbsp;55,000 crores were also signed.&nbsp;

He also announced a defence industrial corridor in the Bundelkhand region to bring development in one of the most backward regions of Uttar Pradesh.

&quot;One of the two defence industrial corridors mentioned in the budget, one is proposed in the Bundelkhand region of the state which will bring an investment of Rs 20,000 crore and generate employment avenues for 2.5 lakh people,&quot; the Prime Minister said.

Modi also said that his government will ensure that the benefits of the ongoing structural and policy changes reach to those at the lowest rung of the society.

&quot;The Yogi government is fulfilling promises made to the farmers, the women of the state and youth,&quot; the Prime Minister said.

A total of 30 sessions have been planned for the two-day summit, to be attended by many central ministers. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been personally overseeing the preparations for the investors&#39; summit.

The two-day &#39;Uttar Pradesh Investors&#39; Summit 2018,&#39; aims at showcasing business and investment potential of the state.

The event, claimed to be the first of its kind in Uttar Pradesh, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday along with industry leaders from India and abroad, chief ministers, union ministers, policy makers&nbsp;and academics.

Modi, while addressing the crowd of 5,000 people in Lucknow "Potential + Policy + Planning+ Performance leads to Progress. Now UP too is ready to give Super-Hit Performance."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 'Uttar Pradesh Investors' Summit 2018 on Wednesday and hailed the Uttar Pradesh government's effort of 'One district One product' scheme. Modi, while addressing the crowd of 5,000 people in Lucknow "Potential + Policy + Planning+ Performance leads to Progress. Now UP too is ready to give Super-Hit Performance." "The Uttar Pradesh government is making different policies for different sectors, for example, it is combining the industrial investment with, job opportunities. One district one product scheme is a game changer," he added. During the summit, 25 MOUs worth Rs 55,000 crores were also signed. He also announced a defence industrial corridor in the Bundelkhand region to bring development in one of the most backward regions of Uttar Pradesh. "One of the two defence industrial corridors mentioned in the budget, one is proposed in the Bundelkhand region of the state which will bring an investment of Rs 20,000 crore and generate employment avenues for 2.5 lakh people," the Prime Minister said. Modi also said that his government will ensure that the benefits of the ongoing structural and policy changes reach to those at the lowest rung of the society. "The Yogi government is fulfilling promises made to the farmers, the women of the state and youth," the Prime Minister said. A total of 30 sessions have been planned for the two-day summit, to be attended by many central ministers. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been personally overseeing the preparations for the investors' summit. The two-day 'Uttar Pradesh Investors' Summit 2018,' aims at showcasing business and investment potential of the state. The event, claimed to be the first of its kind in Uttar Pradesh, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday along with industry leaders from India and abroad, chief ministers, union ministers, policy makers and academics.

PM Modi addresses the 'Uttar Pradesh Investors' Summit

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said Tuesday that the next general elections and the elections to the Maharashtra state assembly could be held in December 2018.&nbsp;

Thackeray was speaking at a national executive meet of his party. The Sena also announced Tuesday that it would contest the elections <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-not-align-with-bjp-in-2019-lok-sabha-assembly-elections-shiv-sena-30469" target="_blank">on its own</a>, not in alliance with the BJP.&nbsp;

Addressing the meet, Thackeray said that &quot;we should bring down this self-advertising government&quot;.&nbsp;

And that &quot;we will come to power in Maharashtra on our own&quot;.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Shiv Sena&#39;s Uddhav Thackeray speaking at Party&#39;s national executive meeting in Mumbai <a href="https://t.co/0sqKAuSckG">https://t.co/0sqKAuSckG</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/955701707429703680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Sena has so far been a difficult BJP ally, taking the ruling BJP to task both in Maharashtra and at the Centre.&nbsp;

The last general and Maharashtra assembly elections were held in 2014. Which means they should be going to the polls again in 2019.&nbsp;

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is currently in Davos, reacted to the announcements saying &quot;let&#39;s wait, they have been saying many things&quot;.&nbsp;&nbsp;

He added that his government would &quot;complete its term&quot;.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> &#39;Lets wait, they have been saying many things, as of now we are in alliance in the Govt and this Govt will complete its term&#39; says Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Davos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Davos</a> on Shiv Sena going alone in 2019 <a href="https://t.co/JEPm6Wcy5g">pic.twitter.com/JEPm6Wcy5g</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/955719332553568256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The Shiv Sena announced Tuesday that it would contest the elections on its own, not in alliance with the BJP.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said Tuesday that the next general elections and the elections to the Maharashtra state assembly could be held in December 2018. Thackeray was speaking at a national executive meet of his party. The Sena also announced Tuesday that it would contest the elections on its own, not in alliance with the BJP. Addressing the meet, Thackeray said that "we should bring down this self-advertising government". And that "we will come to power in Maharashtra on our own". #WATCH Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray speaking at Party's national executive meeting in Mumbai https://t.co/0sqKAuSckG — ANI (@ANI) January 23, 2018 × The Sena has so far been a difficult BJP ally, taking the ruling BJP to task both in Maharashtra and at the Centre. The last general and Maharashtra assembly elections were held in 2014. Which means they should be going to the polls again in 2019. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is currently in Davos, reacted to the announcements saying "let's wait, they have been saying many things". He added that his government would "complete its term". #WATCH 'Lets wait, they have been saying many things, as of now we are in alliance in the Govt and this Govt will complete its term' says Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis in #Davos on Shiv Sena going alone in 2019 pic.twitter.com/JEPm6Wcy5g — ANI (@ANI) January 23, 2018 ×

Uddhav Thackeray: Lok Sabha, Maharashtra elections could be held in 2018

With over two lakh new cases of leprosy reported each year on an average globally, WHO has lauded the launch of a global partnership to stop leprosy, saying stronger force with a common vision was needed for speeding up efforts to end the disease.

The Global Partnership to Stop Leprosy was launched by a host of organisations with the support of the global health body.

The new partnership launched ahead of World Leprosy Day, 2018, brings together leading agencies and organisations working towards achieving zero leprosy in various parts of the world.

Advocating for enhancing efforts against leprosy, World Leprosy Day is observed every year on the last Sunday of January. This year, the day focuses on the critical target of zero leprosy-related disabilities in children by 2020.

&quot;A collaborative approach by leading partners to address the remaining challenges with innovative solutions, is expected to provide renewed energy and impetus to accelerate efforts against leprosy,&quot; said Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, who also WHO&#39;s Global Leprosy Programme.

&quot;This is a turning point, we must harness this energy to free the world of leprosy forever,&quot; she said.

The partnership aims at supporting roll-out of global policy options, scale up interventions and mainstream leprosy under the aegis of universal health coverage.

The Global Partnership to Stop Leprosy is also expected to enhance implementation of WHO&#39;s Global Leprosy Strategy 2016-2020 &quot;accelerating towards a leprosy-free world&quot;, which focuses on stronger political ownership, enhanced disease control and eliminating stigma and discrimination.

Globally, elimination of leprosy as a public health problem was achieved in the year 2000 with its prevalence reduced to less than one case per 10,000 population, each year on an average, more than 2,00,000 new cases are reported.

&quot;Though there is progress, it is very slow,&quot; WHO said.

In 2017, as many as 18,472 new leprosy cases among children worldwide were reported to the World Health Organisation.

&quot;Disabilities inhibit development, limit life-long productivity and result in stigma and discrimination.

&quot;Given the presence of deformities and disabilities among new cases of leprosy, including in girls and boys, decisive action must be taken to detect and treat cases earlier,&quot; Dr Singh said.

Reaching zero leprosy-related disabilities among children means tackling stigma and discrimination head-on, she said, adding that fear of social exclusion continues to be a major cause of delay in diagnosis and treatment.

&quot;It is, therefore, a major cause of deformity and disability,&quot; she said.

&quot;On World Leprosy Day this year we must reflect on and renew our focus on ending leprosy-related disabilities in girls and boys. We must renew our commitment to achieving a world where no child is left behind,&quot; Dr Singh said.

Over two lakh new cases of leprosy reported each year on an average globally

With over two lakh new cases of leprosy reported each year on an average globally, WHO has lauded the launch of a global partnership to stop leprosy, saying stronger force with a common vision was needed for speeding up efforts to end the disease. The Global Partnership to Stop Leprosy was launched by a host of organisations with the support of the global health body. The new partnership launched ahead of World Leprosy Day, 2018, brings together leading agencies and organisations working towards achieving zero leprosy in various parts of the world. Advocating for enhancing efforts against leprosy, World Leprosy Day is observed every year on the last Sunday of January. This year, the day focuses on the critical target of zero leprosy-related disabilities in children by 2020. "A collaborative approach by leading partners to address the remaining challenges with innovative solutions, is expected to provide renewed energy and impetus to accelerate efforts against leprosy," said Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, who also WHO's Global Leprosy Programme. "This is a turning point, we must harness this energy to free the world of leprosy forever," she said. The partnership aims at supporting roll-out of global policy options, scale up interventions and mainstream leprosy under the aegis of universal health coverage. The Global Partnership to Stop Leprosy is also expected to enhance implementation of WHO's Global Leprosy Strategy 2016-2020 "accelerating towards a leprosy-free world", which focuses on stronger political ownership, enhanced disease control and eliminating stigma and discrimination. Globally, elimination of leprosy as a public health problem was achieved in the year 2000 with its prevalence reduced to less than one case per 10,000 population, each year on an average, more than 2,00,000 new cases are reported. "Though there is progress, it is very slow," WHO said. In 2017, as many as 18,472 new leprosy cases among children worldwide were reported to the World Health Organisation. "Disabilities inhibit development, limit life-long productivity and result in stigma and discrimination. "Given the presence of deformities and disabilities among new cases of leprosy, including in girls and boys, decisive action must be taken to detect and treat cases earlier," Dr Singh said. Reaching zero leprosy-related disabilities among children means tackling stigma and discrimination head-on, she said, adding that fear of social exclusion continues to be a major cause of delay in diagnosis and treatment. "It is, therefore, a major cause of deformity and disability," she said. "On World Leprosy Day this year we must reflect on and renew our focus on ending leprosy-related disabilities in girls and boys. We must renew our commitment to achieving a world where no child is left behind," Dr Singh said.

WHO lauds launch of global partnership to tackle leprosy

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro looked sure to stand for re-election in a presidential vote due by the end of April where the ruling Socialists hope to trump a squabbling opposition despite an economic crisis and foreign sanctions.

The unpopular leader, whom foes decry as a dictator who has wrecked the OPEC member&#39;s economy, said he would run if the ruling Socialist Party asked him, even as Venezuelans reel from empty shelves and the world`s fastest inflation.

&quot;I&#39;m ready to be a candidate,&quot; he told reporters during a rally on Tuesday of cheering red-shirted supporters.

The 55-year-old former bus driver and union leader, who succeeded Hugo Chavez in 2013, benefits from a formidable political machinery, a compliant national election board, and a core of support from poor Venezuelans reliant on food handouts.

Critics from opposition politicians to Western powers doubt authorities will allow a free and fair vote, given the barring of some opposition figures from running plus abuse of state resources in campaigning.

Some fear outright fraud.

&quot;These are not elections, it&#39;s a military occupation with a fraudulent election board,&quot; said hardline opposition activist Maria Corina Machado, referring to the armed forces&#39;&nbsp;major role in government and the board`s past pro-Maduro stance.

Announcing the presidential poll would be held by the end of April, the pro-government Constituent Assembly super body legislature said another election in Venezuela was further evidence of its democratic credentials despite a recent raft of international sanctions.

The United States, Canada, and the European Union have all taken measures against Venezuela&#39;s government over rights and corruption allegations, hurting the government`s image and spooking banks from working with Caracas.

Maduro blasted the European Union for imposing &quot;grotesque&quot; sanctions this week on seven senior Venezuelan officials, including a travel ban and an asset freeze, and took aim at Spain`s conservative prime minister.

&quot;Mariano Rajoy, get on all fours, my friend because the people are going to slap you,&quot; Maduro said, flanked by cabinet members and wife Cilia Flores, whom he refers to as the &quot;First Combatant.&quot;

Should the presidential vote be perceived as fraudulent, further foreign sanctions could come, including from US&nbsp;President Donald Trump who has made opposition to Maduro a prominent feature of his foreign policy?

US&nbsp;State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on Tuesday she did not think it would be a good idea for Maduro to run for re-election. And a 14-member regional group that includes Canada, Mexico and Peru said an election held under the present conditions would lack legitimacy.

&quot;We demand that presidential elections be held with adequate lead time,&quot; the so-called Lima Group said in a joint statement, adding that all political actors and independent international observers must be allowed to take part.

Mexico pulled out of mediating government-opposition talks in the Dominican Republic, saying the sudden announcement of a presidential poll without guarantees was incompatible with the negotiations.

Who will take on Maduro?&nbsp;

It is unclear whom the Democratic Unity opposition coalition would attempt to field. The opposition plans to hold primaries to choose a candidate, but the hasty presidential vote may make that tricky.

Its most popular leaders are almost all sidelined from politics - jailed, in exile, or barred from holding office. Months of protests last year failed to dislodge Maduro but resulted in at least 125 deaths.

&quot;The majority of Venezuelans loathe his government and his circle. If our people are allowed to decide, they are out!&quot; one opposition leader, Henrique Capriles, said.

Capriles, a two-time presidential candidate, is prohibited from holding office over allegations of &quot;administrative irregularities&quot;. Former mayor Leopoldo Lopez is under house arrest for leading protests against Maduro, while his young protege Freddy Guevara has taken refuge in the Chilean embassy to avoid charges of plotting against Maduro.

The opposition could succumb to in-fighting about what conditions to accept in the vote.

During the governors&#39;&nbsp;election of last October, opposition candidates for the first time gave convincing evidence that elections authorities had altered results in one state, though Maduro scoffed at that and said the system was the cleanest in the world.

With cynicism towards all politicians running high among Venezuelans, many are clamouring for a nontraditional, outside candidate. The name of Lorenzo Mendoza, the billionaire head of private food company Polar, is on many people&#39;s lips, but he has given no indication of wanting to stand.

Critics from opposition politicians to Western powers doubt authorities will allow a free and fair vote

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro looked sure to stand for re-election in a presidential vote due by the end of April where the ruling Socialists hope to trump a squabbling opposition despite an economic crisis and foreign sanctions. The unpopular leader, whom foes decry as a dictator who has wrecked the OPEC member's economy, said he would run if the ruling Socialist Party asked him, even as Venezuelans reel from empty shelves and the world`s fastest inflation. "I'm ready to be a candidate," he told reporters during a rally on Tuesday of cheering red-shirted supporters. The 55-year-old former bus driver and union leader, who succeeded Hugo Chavez in 2013, benefits from a formidable political machinery, a compliant national election board, and a core of support from poor Venezuelans reliant on food handouts. Critics from opposition politicians to Western powers doubt authorities will allow a free and fair vote, given the barring of some opposition figures from running plus abuse of state resources in campaigning. Some fear outright fraud. "These are not elections, it's a military occupation with a fraudulent election board," said hardline opposition activist Maria Corina Machado, referring to the armed forces' major role in government and the board`s past pro-Maduro stance. Announcing the presidential poll would be held by the end of April, the pro-government Constituent Assembly super body legislature said another election in Venezuela was further evidence of its democratic credentials despite a recent raft of international sanctions. The United States, Canada, and the European Union have all taken measures against Venezuela's government over rights and corruption allegations, hurting the government`s image and spooking banks from working with Caracas. Maduro blasted the European Union for imposing "grotesque" sanctions this week on seven senior Venezuelan officials, including a travel ban and an asset freeze, and took aim at Spain`s conservative prime minister. "Mariano Rajoy, get on all fours, my friend because the people are going to slap you," Maduro said, flanked by cabinet members and wife Cilia Flores, whom he refers to as the "First Combatant." Should the presidential vote be perceived as fraudulent, further foreign sanctions could come, including from US President Donald Trump who has made opposition to Maduro a prominent feature of his foreign policy? US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on Tuesday she did not think it would be a good idea for Maduro to run for re-election. And a 14-member regional group that includes Canada, Mexico and Peru said an election held under the present conditions would lack legitimacy. "We demand that presidential elections be held with adequate lead time," the so-called Lima Group said in a joint statement, adding that all political actors and independent international observers must be allowed to take part. Mexico pulled out of mediating government-opposition talks in the Dominican Republic, saying the sudden announcement of a presidential poll without guarantees was incompatible with the negotiations. Who will take on Maduro? It is unclear whom the Democratic Unity opposition coalition would attempt to field. The opposition plans to hold primaries to choose a candidate, but the hasty presidential vote may make that tricky. Its most popular leaders are almost all sidelined from politics - jailed, in exile, or barred from holding office. Months of protests last year failed to dislodge Maduro but resulted in at least 125 deaths. "The majority of Venezuelans loathe his government and his circle. If our people are allowed to decide, they are out!" one opposition leader, Henrique Capriles, said. Capriles, a two-time presidential candidate, is prohibited from holding office over allegations of "administrative irregularities". Former mayor Leopoldo Lopez is under house arrest for leading protests against Maduro, while his young protege Freddy Guevara has taken refuge in the Chilean embassy to avoid charges of plotting against Maduro. The opposition could succumb to in-fighting about what conditions to accept in the vote. During the governors' election of last October, opposition candidates for the first time gave convincing evidence that elections authorities had altered results in one state, though Maduro scoffed at that and said the system was the cleanest in the world. With cynicism towards all politicians running high among Venezuelans, many are clamouring for a nontraditional, outside candidate. The name of Lorenzo Mendoza, the billionaire head of private food company Polar, is on many people's lips, but he has given no indication of wanting to stand.

Venezuelan President Maduro set to run for re-election in 2018 vote

Two goals from Eden Hazard helped Chelsea cruise to a 4-0 victory at Brighton &amp; Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday for their first league win of 2018.

Chelsea&#39;s midweek penalty shootout success over Norwich City in the FA Cup meant they had drawn their last five games in regulation time in all competitions but Hazard and Willian struck inside six minutes to set them on their way on Saturday.

Brighton tried to get back into the match but were denied by the bar, some fine saves by Willy Caballero -- making his first league start for Chelsea in place of injured Thibaut Courtois -- while having two penalty appeals waved away by the referee.

With Brighton pushing forward, Hazard brilliantly netted a third 13 minutes from time before Victor Moses made it four late on. The win took Chelsea above Liverpool -- who play on Monday -- into third . One win in 13 league games leaves Brighton 16th.

Chelsea's midweek penalty shootout success over Norwich City in the FA Cup meant they had drawn their last five games in regulation time in all competitions

Two goals from Eden Hazard helped Chelsea cruise to a 4-0 victory at Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday for their first league win of 2018. Chelsea's midweek penalty shootout success over Norwich City in the FA Cup meant they had drawn their last five games in regulation time in all competitions but Hazard and Willian struck inside six minutes to set them on their way on Saturday. Brighton tried to get back into the match but were denied by the bar, some fine saves by Willy Caballero -- making his first league start for Chelsea in place of injured Thibaut Courtois -- while having two penalty appeals waved away by the referee. With Brighton pushing forward, Hazard brilliantly netted a third 13 minutes from time before Victor Moses made it four late on. The win took Chelsea above Liverpool -- who play on Monday -- into third . One win in 13 league games leaves Brighton 16th.

Hazard nets double as Chelsea ease to victory at Brighton

India is among the most trusted nations globally when it comes to government, business, NGOs and media but has recorded &quot;extreme trust losses&quot; compared to last year, a survey said today.

Coming ahead of the World Economic Forum annual summit the 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer said, globally, people&#39;s trust in these four areas remained largely unchanged from last year. Of 28 countries surveyed, 20 lie in &#39;distruster territory&#39;, one more than in 2017.

China topped the Trust Index among both the informed public and the general population segments, with scores of 83 and 74 respectively.

India was at the third place in both the categories with scores of 77 in case of informed public and 68 in general population.Indonesia was at the second place.

The findings are based on an online survey of more than 33,000 respondents in 28 countries. The fieldwork for the survey was conducted between October 28 and November 20, 2017.

&quot;China&#39;s trust scores are nearly matched by India, the UAE, Indonesia and Singapore, while the Western democracies languish mostly in distruster territory, challenging the traditional geopolitical vision of satisfaction with systems,&quot; the report said.

As per the survey, India was among the six countries with extreme trust losses over the past year which was topped by the US.

The 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals that trust in the US&nbsp;has suffered the largest-ever-recorded drop in the survey&#39;s history among the general population.

&quot;The collapse of trust in the US is driven by a staggering lack of faith in government,&quot; the survey said, adding that the remaining institutions of business, media and NGOs also experienced declines.

The United States saw a 37-point aggregate drop in trust across all institutions, followed by Italy (down 21), Brazil (-17), South Africa (-17), India (-13) and Columbia (-13).

The survey further noted that for the first time media is the least trusted institution globally. In 22 of the 28 countries surveyed it is now distrusted.

&quot;The demise of confidence in the Fourth Estate is driven primarily by a significant drop in trust in platforms, notably search engines and social media,&quot; it added.

The survey further noted that companies headquartered in Canada, Switzerland, Sweden and Australia are most trusted.

&quot;The least trusted country brands are Mexico (32 per cent), India (32 per cent), Brazil (34 per cent) and China (36 per cent),&quot; the survey said, adding that trust in brand US (50 per cent) dropped five points -- the biggest decline of the countries surveyed.

OECD&rsquo;s Government at a Glance report presents an index of countries that trust their governments the most. It determines government&rsquo;s trust levels by&nbsp;whether or not people consider their government stable and reliable, if it&rsquo;s able to protect its citizens from risk and whether it can effectively&nbsp;deliver public services.

Coming ahead of the World Economic Forum annual summit the 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer said, globally, people's trust in these four areas remained largely unchanged from last year. Of 28 countries surveyed, 20 lie in 'distruster territory', one more than in 2017

India is among the most trusted nations globally when it comes to government, business, NGOs and media but has recorded "extreme trust losses" compared to last year, a survey said today. Coming ahead of the World Economic Forum annual summit the 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer said, globally, people's trust in these four areas remained largely unchanged from last year. Of 28 countries surveyed, 20 lie in 'distruster territory', one more than in 2017. China topped the Trust Index among both the informed public and the general population segments, with scores of 83 and 74 respectively. India was at the third place in both the categories with scores of 77 in case of informed public and 68 in general population.Indonesia was at the second place. The findings are based on an online survey of more than 33,000 respondents in 28 countries. The fieldwork for the survey was conducted between October 28 and November 20, 2017. "China's trust scores are nearly matched by India, the UAE, Indonesia and Singapore, while the Western democracies languish mostly in distruster territory, challenging the traditional geopolitical vision of satisfaction with systems," the report said. As per the survey, India was among the six countries with extreme trust losses over the past year which was topped by the US. The 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals that trust in the US has suffered the largest-ever-recorded drop in the survey's history among the general population. "The collapse of trust in the US is driven by a staggering lack of faith in government," the survey said, adding that the remaining institutions of business, media and NGOs also experienced declines. The United States saw a 37-point aggregate drop in trust across all institutions, followed by Italy (down 21), Brazil (-17), South Africa (-17), India (-13) and Columbia (-13). The survey further noted that for the first time media is the least trusted institution globally. In 22 of the 28 countries surveyed it is now distrusted. "The demise of confidence in the Fourth Estate is driven primarily by a significant drop in trust in platforms, notably search engines and social media," it added. The survey further noted that companies headquartered in Canada, Switzerland, Sweden and Australia are most trusted. "The least trusted country brands are Mexico (32 per cent), India (32 per cent), Brazil (34 per cent) and China (36 per cent)," the survey said, adding that trust in brand US (50 per cent) dropped five points -- the biggest decline of the countries surveyed. OECD’s Government at a Glance report presents an index of countries that trust their governments the most. It determines government’s trust levels by whether or not people consider their government stable and reliable, if it’s able to protect its citizens from risk and whether it can effectively deliver public services.

Ahead of World Economic Forum India ranked third among most trusted nations

The US State Department on Friday said that they have no plans to meet North Korean officials in the upcoming PyeongChang Olympics.&nbsp;

&quot;There are no plans to meet with North Korean officials,&quot; Katina Adams, a spokeswoman for the State Department&#39;s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said on Friday.

The spokesperson also stated that the US did not have an objection with North Koreas participation and that their participation is not a shocker - she said in response to South Korea breaching international sanctions on the North over their invitation in the games.&nbsp;

&quot;The United States does not determine which countries may or may not participate in Olympic Games. The modern Olympic Games were born out of an ideal for peaceful sporting competition amongst nations. In that spirit, the United States looks forward to participating in the Winter Olympics in South Korea next month,&quot; she added.

She further iterated that North Koreas participation in the games is completely separate from politics.&nbsp;

Earlier, North and South Korea agreed to field a joint women&#39;s ice hockey team and march together under a unified Korea flag at the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

The two Koreas also agreed to hold a joint cultural event at Mount Kumgang on the North Korean east coast before the Winter Games.

The Winter Olympics is scheduled to take place at South Korea&#39;s Pyeongchang from February 9-25.

The development between the two countries has brought some ease into their strained relations.

The two sides have also agreed to hold military talks on solving border tensions.

The spokesperson also stated that the US did not have an objection with North Koreas participation and that their participation is not a shocker - she said in response to South Korea breaching international sanctions on the North over their invitation in the games

The US State Department on Friday said that they have no plans to meet North Korean officials in the upcoming PyeongChang Olympics. "There are no plans to meet with North Korean officials," Katina Adams, a spokeswoman for the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said on Friday. The spokesperson also stated that the US did not have an objection with North Koreas participation and that their participation is not a shocker - she said in response to South Korea breaching international sanctions on the North over their invitation in the games. "The United States does not determine which countries may or may not participate in Olympic Games. The modern Olympic Games were born out of an ideal for peaceful sporting competition amongst nations. In that spirit, the United States looks forward to participating in the Winter Olympics in South Korea next month," she added. She further iterated that North Koreas participation in the games is completely separate from politics. Earlier, North and South Korea agreed to field a joint women's ice hockey team and march together under a unified Korea flag at the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. The two Koreas also agreed to hold a joint cultural event at Mount Kumgang on the North Korean east coast before the Winter Games. The Winter Olympics is scheduled to take place at South Korea's Pyeongchang from February 9-25. The development between the two countries has brought some ease into their strained relations. The two sides have also agreed to hold military talks on solving border tensions.

US has no plans of meeting North Korea officials in PyeongChang Olympics

Things couldn&#39;t get worse for figure skater Yura Min at the Winter Olympics after she suffered a wardrobe malfunction just seconds into her routine.&nbsp;

Min, an American citizen who trains at Novi Ice Arena, had a wardrobe malfunction on Sunday while competing in the figure skating team event for South Korea.

Dancing to the 2017-smash hit Luis Fonsi-Daddy Yankee song &#39;Despasito&#39;, the routine got off to a clean start, but things soon took a turn for the worse.

The 22-year-old wore a low-cut red top when she took to the ice earlier today. A clasp on her dress slipped just seconds into her pairs figure skating routine on Sunday.

Her&nbsp;red dress came off her shoulder as she started her routine with the world watching. She tried to laugh it off and tweeted about the incident: &quot;Despite the wardrobe malfunction, I had an amazing time competing in my home country! I promise to sew myself in for the individual event. ???? I would like to thank the audience for keeping us going until the end. Couldn&#39;t have done it without you guys ❤ #grateful&quot;

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Despite the wardrobe malfunction, I had an amazing time competing in my home country! I promise to sew myself in for the individual event. ???? I would like to thank the audience for keeping us going until the end. Couldn&#39;t have done it without you guys ❤ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/grateful?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#grateful</a> <a href="https://t.co/B8UuRNgRMu">pic.twitter.com/B8UuRNgRMu</a>
&mdash; Yura Min (민유라) (@Yuraxmin) <a href="https://twitter.com/Yuraxmin/status/962586629306122240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Oopsie ???? <a href="https://t.co/KP2QlTisCW">pic.twitter.com/KP2QlTisCW</a>
&mdash; Yura Min (민유라) (@Yuraxmin) <a href="https://twitter.com/Yuraxmin/status/962600082120962049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Yura was spun around by her partner Alexander Gamelin as they competed in the figure skating team event, although she was seen constantly trying to adjust her top.

It was the first Olympic event and the duo ended up with a score of&nbsp;51.97 points and finished in ninth place. She and Gamelin will compete together again in the individual pairs later this month.

The 22-year-old wore a low-cut red top when she took to the ice earlier today. A clasp on her dress slipped just seconds into her pairs figure skating routine on Sunday

Things couldn't get worse for figure skater Yura Min at the Winter Olympics after she suffered a wardrobe malfunction just seconds into her routine. Min, an American citizen who trains at Novi Ice Arena, had a wardrobe malfunction on Sunday while competing in the figure skating team event for South Korea. Dancing to the 2017-smash hit Luis Fonsi-Daddy Yankee song 'Despasito', the routine got off to a clean start, but things soon took a turn for the worse. The 22-year-old wore a low-cut red top when she took to the ice earlier today. A clasp on her dress slipped just seconds into her pairs figure skating routine on Sunday. Her red dress came off her shoulder as she started her routine with the world watching. She tried to laugh it off and tweeted about the incident: "Despite the wardrobe malfunction, I had an amazing time competing in my home country! I promise to sew myself in for the individual event. ???? I would like to thank the audience for keeping us going until the end. Couldn't have done it without you guys ❤ #grateful" Despite the wardrobe malfunction, I had an amazing time competing in my home country! I promise to sew myself in for the individual event. ???? I would like to thank the audience for keeping us going until the end. Couldn't have done it without you guys ❤ #grateful pic.twitter.com/B8UuRNgRMu — Yura Min (민유라) (@Yuraxmin) February 11, 2018 × Oopsie ???? pic.twitter.com/KP2QlTisCW — Yura Min (민유라) (@Yuraxmin) February 11, 2018 × Yura was spun around by her partner Alexander Gamelin as they competed in the figure skating team event, although she was seen constantly trying to adjust her top. It was the first Olympic event and the duo ended up with a score of 51.97 points and finished in ninth place. She and Gamelin will compete together again in the individual pairs later this month.

Pyeongchang 2018: South Korean figure skater suffers wardrobe malfunction on Olympic debut

The new Maruti Suzuki E-Survivor was unveiled on the first day of the Auto Expo 2018 on Wednesday. The company is has dubbed this as a tribute to its proud four-wheel-drive heritage.&nbsp;

The E-survivor is a design study model for a compact SUV and aims to develop the entire lifecycle of electronic vehicles in India including local manufacturers of the components, charging infrastructure and recycling batteries.&nbsp;

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Maruti Suzuki E-Survivor (Others)
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&nbsp;

The e-survivor idea first came up at the Toyota motor show in October 2017 which gained a lot of attention with its futuristic look. The e-survivor has a lightweight body of the SUV with a ladder frame and a high ground clearance for durability and easy of drive in rough areas. Suzuki has even equipped the e-survivor with autonomous driving abilities, which can easily be switched to manual.

The SUV is a two-seater which has transparent doors and comes with a touchscreen dashboard used for navigation. The steering wheel has a spherical display which helps the driver keep track of the vehicles and road condition.&nbsp;

Although, this design is not final and is expected to undergo some changes externally and internally when it will ultimately be launched in 2020.&nbsp;

The E-survivor is a design study model for a compact SUV and aims to develop the entire lifecycle of electronic vehicles in India including local manufacturers of the components, charging infrastructure and recycling batteries

The new Maruti Suzuki E-Survivor was unveiled on the first day of the Auto Expo 2018 on Wednesday. The company is has dubbed this as a tribute to its proud four-wheel-drive heritage. The E-survivor is a design study model for a compact SUV and aims to develop the entire lifecycle of electronic vehicles in India including local manufacturers of the components, charging infrastructure and recycling batteries. Maruti Suzuki E-Survivor (Others) × The e-survivor idea first came up at the Toyota motor show in October 2017 which gained a lot of attention with its futuristic look. The e-survivor has a lightweight body of the SUV with a ladder frame and a high ground clearance for durability and easy of drive in rough areas. Suzuki has even equipped the e-survivor with autonomous driving abilities, which can easily be switched to manual. The SUV is a two-seater which has transparent doors and comes with a touchscreen dashboard used for navigation. The steering wheel has a spherical display which helps the driver keep track of the vehicles and road condition. Although, this design is not final and is expected to undergo some changes externally and internally when it will ultimately be launched in 2020.

Auto Expo 2018: Maruti Suzuki unveils the new E-Survivor

The Modi government has decided to allocate each of country&#39;s milk-producing cows a unique identity card&nbsp;or UID just like the 12-digit Aadhaar number for individuals.&nbsp;

The Union Budget 2018 set a target of Rs 50 crore for the completion of the project and cover about 40 million cows.&nbsp;

A dairy department official said the agriculture ministry, has already acquired the UID technology that comes with a cheap, tamper-proof polyurethane tag containing the cow&rsquo;s biological details such as breed, age, sex, height and special body marks. Each card will cost between Rs 8 and Rs 10.

The UID scheme will be called Pashu Sanjivini which is said to be a part of a larger programme for the dairy and fisheries sectors.

In a budget speech seen as pro-poor, finance minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday announced a Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund and an Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund worth Rs10,000 crore. About Rs200 crore has been set aside for an artificial insemination drive to improve cattle breeds, with an aim to &ldquo;upgrade&rdquo; the nation&rsquo;s entire cattle population.

In 2015, a government committee had recommended UID for cows to prevent trafficking following a Supreme Court direction that heard a plea to stop cattle smuggling.

According to the 2015 expert committee&rsquo;s recommendations, owners of cattle will be responsible for registration. &ldquo;Registration proof must be maintained by the owner of the cattle which may be transferred to the next owner in case a legitimate sale/transfer takes place,&rdquo; it had stated.

The Union Budget 2018 set a target of Rs 50 crore for the completion of the project and cover about 40 million cows

The Modi government has decided to allocate each of country's milk-producing cows a unique identity card or UID just like the 12-digit Aadhaar number for individuals. The Union Budget 2018 set a target of Rs 50 crore for the completion of the project and cover about 40 million cows. A dairy department official said the agriculture ministry, has already acquired the UID technology that comes with a cheap, tamper-proof polyurethane tag containing the cow’s biological details such as breed, age, sex, height and special body marks. Each card will cost between Rs 8 and Rs 10. The UID scheme will be called Pashu Sanjivini which is said to be a part of a larger programme for the dairy and fisheries sectors. In a budget speech seen as pro-poor, finance minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday announced a Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund and an Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund worth Rs10,000 crore. About Rs200 crore has been set aside for an artificial insemination drive to improve cattle breeds, with an aim to “upgrade” the nation’s entire cattle population. In 2015, a government committee had recommended UID for cows to prevent trafficking following a Supreme Court direction that heard a plea to stop cattle smuggling. According to the 2015 expert committee’s recommendations, owners of cattle will be responsible for registration. “Registration proof must be maintained by the owner of the cattle which may be transferred to the next owner in case a legitimate sale/transfer takes place,” it had stated.

Government to assign UID to 40 million cows

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-firing-one-trump-on-collision-course-with-new-fbi-director-31533" target="_blank">After firing one, Trump on collision course with new FBI director</a>

FBI Director Christopher Wray was hand-picked by Donald Trump to head a law enforcement agency the US president believed was biased against him.

Now, just six months into his tenure, the 50-year-old Wray finds himself on a collision course with a president who has already fired one FBI director.

CNN reported Thursday that Wray could quit if Trump goes ahead and approves the release of a secret memo at the center of a political firestorm in Washington.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/fidel-castros-eldest-son-commits-suicide-cuban-media-31534" target="_blank">Fidel Castro&#39;s eldest son commits suicide: Cuban media</a>

The son of late Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart, committed suicide on Thursday after being treated for months for depression, Cuban state-run media reported.

&quot;Diaz-Balart, who had been attended by a group of doctors for several months due to a state of profound depression, committed suicide this morning,&quot; Cubadebate website said.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/apple-says-it-sold-fewer-iphones-but-made-record-profit-31535" target="_blank">Apple says it sold fewer iPhones but made record profit</a>

Apple on Thursday said its earnings in the final three months of last year set new records, with sales of its flagship iPhone X topping its expectations.

The California-based technology giant reported that profit climbed to $20 billion on revenue that increased 13 percent to $88.3 billion during the period.

&quot;We&#39;re thrilled to report the biggest quarter in Apple&#39;s history, with broad-based growth that included the highest revenue ever from a new iPhone lineup,&quot; said Apple chief executive Tim Cook.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-russia-roles-in-americas-alarming-says-rex-tillerson-31537" target="_blank">China, Russia roles in Americas &#39;alarming&#39;, says Rex Tillerson</a>

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned that China and Russia are assuming &quot;alarming&quot; roles in Latin America and urged regional powers to work with the United States instead.

&quot;Latin America doesn&#39;t need new imperial powers that seek only to benefit their own people,&quot; Tillerson said, in a major policy address yesterday before his first tour of South American capitals.

&quot;China&#39;s state-led model of development is reminiscent of the past. It doesn&#39;t have to be the hemisphere&#39;s future,&quot; he said, warning that &quot;unfair trading practices&quot; would cost local jobs.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-turns-down-un-security-council-visit-31539" target="_blank">Myanmar turns down UN Security Council visit</a>

Myanmar&#39;s government has told the Security Council that this month was &quot;not the right time&quot; for a visit by the top UN body to see first-hand the Rohingya refugee crisis, the council president said on Thursday.

Kuwait&#39;s Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi said Myanmar authorities were not opposed to such a visit, which could take place in March or April.

&quot;They just think that this is not the right time for a visit,&quot; Otaibi, who holds the council presidency for February, told reporters at UN headquarters.

After firing one, Trump on collision course with new FBI director FBI Director Christopher Wray was hand-picked by Donald Trump to head a law enforcement agency the US president believed was biased against him. Now, just six months into his tenure, the 50-year-old Wray finds himself on a collision course with a president who has already fired one FBI director. CNN reported Thursday that Wray could quit if Trump goes ahead and approves the release of a secret memo at the center of a political firestorm in Washington. Fidel Castro's eldest son commits suicide: Cuban media The son of late Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart, committed suicide on Thursday after being treated for months for depression, Cuban state-run media reported. "Diaz-Balart, who had been attended by a group of doctors for several months due to a state of profound depression, committed suicide this morning," Cubadebate website said. Apple says it sold fewer iPhones but made record profit Apple on Thursday said its earnings in the final three months of last year set new records, with sales of its flagship iPhone X topping its expectations. The California-based technology giant reported that profit climbed to $20 billion on revenue that increased 13 percent to $88.3 billion during the period. "We're thrilled to report the biggest quarter in Apple's history, with broad-based growth that included the highest revenue ever from a new iPhone lineup," said Apple chief executive Tim Cook. China, Russia roles in Americas 'alarming', says Rex Tillerson Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned that China and Russia are assuming "alarming" roles in Latin America and urged regional powers to work with the United States instead. "Latin America doesn't need new imperial powers that seek only to benefit their own people," Tillerson said, in a major policy address yesterday before his first tour of South American capitals. "China's state-led model of development is reminiscent of the past. It doesn't have to be the hemisphere's future," he said, warning that "unfair trading practices" would cost local jobs. Myanmar turns down UN Security Council visit Myanmar's government has told the Security Council that this month was "not the right time" for a visit by the top UN body to see first-hand the Rohingya refugee crisis, the council president said on Thursday. Kuwait's Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi said Myanmar authorities were not opposed to such a visit, which could take place in March or April. "They just think that this is not the right time for a visit," Otaibi, who holds the council presidency for February, told reporters at UN headquarters.

WION Morning News Brief, February 2, 2018

The world will see risks related to the environment, economy and international relations intensify this year with a majority of stakeholders expecting political or economic confrontations between major powers to worsen, a new survey showed today.

Referring to contentious issues between various nations, the World Economic Forum (WEF) said in its annual Global Risks Report that China&#39;s determination to press territorial and maritime claims and its extension of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) have triggered responses among neighbouring powers, with Japan and India exploring more structured forms of strategic cooperation in both economic and military affairs.

&quot;This initiative could become more significant if additional partners -- such as Australia, the US, or even European states -- were to take part. However, most of these countries are currently cautious and would be wary of allowing such a hedging policy to cause tensions with China,&quot; it said.

However, the biggest risks in South Asia overall would be in areas like employment, governance and infrastructure, as per the survey that would be discussed in detail next week at Geneva-based WEF&#39;s annual summit, to be attended by 70 heads of states/governments including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump.

Globally, the environment-related risks top the charts, as per the survey of around 1,000 global leaders described by the WEF as members of its &quot;multi-stakeholder communities&quot;.

The WEF, which describes itself as an international organisation for public-private cooperation and hosts over 3,000 world leaders from politics, business and civil society every year in Swiss ski resort town Davos for an annual talkfest, said structural and interconnected nature of risks in 2018 threaten the very system on which societies, economies and international relations are based.

The report, which found environmental risks to be dominating the Global Risk Perception Survey for the second year running, said a deteriorating geopolitical landscape is partly to blame for the pessimistic outlook in 2018.

As per the survey, 93 per cent of respondents said they expect political or economic confrontations between major powers to worsen, while nearly 80 per cent expect an increase in risks associated with war involving major powers.

Overall, 59 per cent of the respondents pointed to increased level of risks this year, the WEF said while hoping that a positive economic outlook would give leaders the opportunity to tackle systemic fragility affecting societies, economies, international relations and the environment. Only 7 per cent saw the risks declining in 2018.

The report further said that amid geopolitical flux, national identity becomes a growing source of tension around contested borders, while clashes related to identity and community continue to drive political dislocations in many countries and are increasingly fuelling cross-border tensions.

Talking about &#39;major power tensions&#39;, WEF said relations between the world&#39;s major powers are changing, &quot;mostly for worse&quot;, while shifting relations between global and regional powers is creating increased uncertainty for smaller states.

Listing examples, it referred to Bhutan last year finding itself &quot;at the centre of a stand-off between India and China&quot;.

It also talked about some countries planning to extend and deepen networks of economic corridors and spurring huge infrastructure investments, while naming China&#39;s BRI as the most ambitious one.

Besides, it referred to China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC); Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM-EC); International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which links India, Iran and Russia; and Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC), a joint initiative by India and Japan.

The report further said one potential trigger for disruption related to economic corridors might be push-back from a country that feels its sovereignty is being undermined and gave the example of the economic corridors crossing contested territory including of the CPEC running through Gilgit-Baltistan.

The study highlighted numerous areas where systems are being pushed to the brink -- from extinction-level rates of biodiversity loss to mounting concerns about the possibility of new wars.

The top ten risks in terms of likelihood include extreme weather events, natural disasters, cyber attacks, data fraud or theft, climate change, involuntary migration, man-made environmental disasters, terrorist attacks, illicit trade and asset bubbles in major economies.

The biggest risks in terms of impact would be weapons of mass destruction, extreme weather events, natural disasters, climate change, water crises, cyber attacks, food crises, biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse, involuntary migration and spread of infectious diseases.

&quot;A widening economic recovery presents us with an opportunity that we cannot afford to squander, to tackle the fractures that we have allowed to weaken the world&#39;s institutions, societies and environment. We must take seriously the risk of a global systems breakdown,&quot; WEF Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab said.

Economic risks feature less prominently this year but there are worries that the improvement in global GDP growth rates may lead to complacency about persistent structural risks in the global economic and financial systems.

Inequality continues to be ranked high among the underlying risk drivers.

The biggest risks in South Asia would be in areas like employment, governance and infrastructure, as per the survey

The world will see risks related to the environment, economy and international relations intensify this year with a majority of stakeholders expecting political or economic confrontations between major powers to worsen, a new survey showed today. Referring to contentious issues between various nations, the World Economic Forum (WEF) said in its annual Global Risks Report that China's determination to press territorial and maritime claims and its extension of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) have triggered responses among neighbouring powers, with Japan and India exploring more structured forms of strategic cooperation in both economic and military affairs. "This initiative could become more significant if additional partners -- such as Australia, the US, or even European states -- were to take part. However, most of these countries are currently cautious and would be wary of allowing such a hedging policy to cause tensions with China," it said. However, the biggest risks in South Asia overall would be in areas like employment, governance and infrastructure, as per the survey that would be discussed in detail next week at Geneva-based WEF's annual summit, to be attended by 70 heads of states/governments including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. Globally, the environment-related risks top the charts, as per the survey of around 1,000 global leaders described by the WEF as members of its "multi-stakeholder communities". The WEF, which describes itself as an international organisation for public-private cooperation and hosts over 3,000 world leaders from politics, business and civil society every year in Swiss ski resort town Davos for an annual talkfest, said structural and interconnected nature of risks in 2018 threaten the very system on which societies, economies and international relations are based. The report, which found environmental risks to be dominating the Global Risk Perception Survey for the second year running, said a deteriorating geopolitical landscape is partly to blame for the pessimistic outlook in 2018. As per the survey, 93 per cent of respondents said they expect political or economic confrontations between major powers to worsen, while nearly 80 per cent expect an increase in risks associated with war involving major powers. Overall, 59 per cent of the respondents pointed to increased level of risks this year, the WEF said while hoping that a positive economic outlook would give leaders the opportunity to tackle systemic fragility affecting societies, economies, international relations and the environment. Only 7 per cent saw the risks declining in 2018. The report further said that amid geopolitical flux, national identity becomes a growing source of tension around contested borders, while clashes related to identity and community continue to drive political dislocations in many countries and are increasingly fuelling cross-border tensions. Talking about 'major power tensions', WEF said relations between the world's major powers are changing, "mostly for worse", while shifting relations between global and regional powers is creating increased uncertainty for smaller states. Listing examples, it referred to Bhutan last year finding itself "at the centre of a stand-off between India and China". It also talked about some countries planning to extend and deepen networks of economic corridors and spurring huge infrastructure investments, while naming China's BRI as the most ambitious one. Besides, it referred to China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC); Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM-EC); International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which links India, Iran and Russia; and Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC), a joint initiative by India and Japan. The report further said one potential trigger for disruption related to economic corridors might be push-back from a country that feels its sovereignty is being undermined and gave the example of the economic corridors crossing contested territory including of the CPEC running through Gilgit-Baltistan. The study highlighted numerous areas where systems are being pushed to the brink -- from extinction-level rates of biodiversity loss to mounting concerns about the possibility of new wars. The top ten risks in terms of likelihood include extreme weather events, natural disasters, cyber attacks, data fraud or theft, climate change, involuntary migration, man-made environmental disasters, terrorist attacks, illicit trade and asset bubbles in major economies. The biggest risks in terms of impact would be weapons of mass destruction, extreme weather events, natural disasters, climate change, water crises, cyber attacks, food crises, biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse, involuntary migration and spread of infectious diseases. "A widening economic recovery presents us with an opportunity that we cannot afford to squander, to tackle the fractures that we have allowed to weaken the world's institutions, societies and environment. We must take seriously the risk of a global systems breakdown," WEF Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab said. Economic risks feature less prominently this year but there are worries that the improvement in global GDP growth rates may lead to complacency about persistent structural risks in the global economic and financial systems. Inequality continues to be ranked high among the underlying risk drivers.

World to be riskier place in 2018: World Economic Forum

In 2018, the Odisha police have decided to work for the betterment of Maoist belt.

The police have formulated two-pronged approaches to work for the advancement in the belt.&nbsp;

It is planning the strategic deployment of forces to counter the growing Maoist in the area.

Besides this, it will also facilitate economic development in the restive area.&nbsp;

The Director-General of Police (DGP) RP Sharma has said that the completion of Gurupriya bridge in Maoist affected Malkangiri district will add to the economic development.

The police have planned to institute measures for controlling the crime against women and children.&nbsp;

Stating Cybercrime check as one of the main priorities of the state, the police are&nbsp;planning to launch awareness campaigns to educate people about safe uses of the internet.

The police will also devise ways for people to freely interact with them.&nbsp;

The Odisha police have decided to work for the betterment of Maoist belt

In 2018, the Odisha police have decided to work for the betterment of Maoist belt. The police have formulated two-pronged approaches to work for the advancement in the belt. It is planning the strategic deployment of forces to counter the growing Maoist in the area. Besides this, it will also facilitate economic development in the restive area. The Director-General of Police (DGP) RP Sharma has said that the completion of Gurupriya bridge in Maoist affected Malkangiri district will add to the economic development. The police have planned to institute measures for controlling the crime against women and children. Stating Cybercrime check as one of the main priorities of the state, the police are planning to launch awareness campaigns to educate people about safe uses of the internet. The police will also devise ways for people to freely interact with them.

Odisha police to counter growing Maoist in 2018

Many of us will start out the New Year by making a list of resolutions &ndash; changes we want to make to be happier such as eating better, volunteering more often, being a more attentive spouse and so on. But, as we know, we will often fail. After a few failures we will typically give up and go back to our old habits.

Why is it so hard to stick to resolutions that require us to make effective or lasting changes?

I would argue the problem isn&rsquo;t that we try and we fail &ndash; the problem is how we treat ourselves when we fail. I study self-compassion, and my research and that of others show that how we relate to personal failure &ndash; with kindness or harsh self-judgment &ndash; is incredibly important for building resilience.

From early childhood, we are taught that we must succeed at all costs. What most of us aren&rsquo;t taught is how to fail successfully so we can change and grow.

One of the best ways to deal with failure is to have self-compassion.

What exactly is self-compassion?

I define self-compassion as having three main components: self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness. Self-kindness refers to the tendency to be caring, understanding and supportive toward ourselves when we fail or make mistakes rather than being harshly critical or judgmental.

Common humanity involves recognizing that all humans are imperfect, and connecting our own flawed condition to the shared human condition so we can have greater perspective on our shortcomings.

Mindfulness involves being aware of the pain associated with failure in a clear and balanced manner so that we neither ignore nor obsess about our faults. The three together combine to create a self-compassionate frame of mind.

<figure class="align-center "><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/151498/original/image-20161231-29246-rwrrhx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" />
<figcaption>
Mindfulness is one component of self-compassion. <a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jackzen/368160371/in/photolist-ywVfB-e28yzn-c5c6FW-ccsu83-5crMK-5j9BJT-dp2q7o-9jZzuY-AYegr-kpAtjV-5j9BzH-dp8MNZ-dp2gm6-druSnN-5jdWAS-5jdSuN-uDUDEk-AMef5-d9vwC1-5j9AMX-5j9PGB-evfNpt-umcD4S-ae9yhR-aoMcTM-efD9wC-5jdTZJ-5je1gm-5j9EJF-5jdScE-e1nXu2-9f6zd3-5j9Kg4-dtEhGo-dGwYY1-akmT2t-5j9GG2-5jdZyf-ssugWe-5j9yfR-5je4As-5j9E6P-umcY21-k4iqVR-5jdYtL-5jdTss-5jdWpu-5jdZQN-uAtex5-ccgppG">Jack Ricchiuto</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a>

&nbsp;
</figcaption>
</figure>

&nbsp;

<a href="http://self-compassion.org/the-research/#areaofstudy">A large body of research</a> shows that self-compassion results in greater emotional well-being. One of the most consistent findings in this research is that greater self-compassion is linked to less depression, anxiety and stress.

In addition to reducing such negative mind states, self-compassion appears to enhance positive mind states such as optimism, gratitude and curiosity. By meeting one&rsquo;s suffering with the warm embrace of self-compassion, positive feelings such as happiness are generated at the same time that negative emotions are alleviated.

Self-compassion has been found to be an important source of coping and resilience in the face of various life stressors such as divorce, chronic health conditions or military combat. It also reduces body dissatisfaction and even leads to healthier eating behavior (relevant to many New Year&rsquo;s resolutions!).

Misgivings about self-compassion

If self-compassion is so good for us, why aren&rsquo;t we kinder to ourselves?

Perhaps the biggest block to self-compassion is the belief that it will undermine our motivation. In parenting circles we no longer hold to the adage &ldquo;spare the rod spoil the child.&rdquo; When it comes to our own selves, however, many of us think that sparing the rod of harsh self-criticism will turn us into lazy, self-indulgent ne&#39;er-do-wells. This theme constantly comes up in the workshops I teach.

Of course, the dynamics that go into motivating our children and motivating ourselves are quite similar. Let&rsquo;s say your teenage son were to come home with a failing English grade. You have two ways to motivate him to try harder and do better next time.

You could admonish him and tell him how stupid he is and that you are ashamed of him. The other option is, knowing how upset he is, you could give him a hug and gently ask him how you could support him in doing better next time. This type of caring, encouraging response would help your son maintain his self-confidence and feel emotionally supported. The same goes for how we respond to ourselves when we fail.

How does self-compassion increase motivation?

A growing body of research indicates that self-compassion is linked to greater motivation. Self-compassion has been associated with increased personal initiative &ndash; the desire to reach one&rsquo;s full potential.

Self-compassionate people are also more likely to adopt &ldquo;mastery goals,&rdquo; which focus on learning and mastering material to increase competence, and less likely to adopt &ldquo;performance goals,&rdquo; which are primarily concerned with succeeding to make a favorable impression on others.

While self-compassionate people have performance standards that are as high as those who are harshly self-critical, <a href="http://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Mehr_Adams_2016.pdf">they don&rsquo;t get as upset</a> when they don&rsquo;t reach their goals. As a result, self-compassionate people have less performance anxiety and engage in fewer self-defeating behaviors such as procrastination.

Not only are self-compassionate people less likely to fear failure, but when they do fail they&rsquo;re more likely to pick themselves up and try again.

A series of experiments by psychologists Juliana Breines and Serena Chen from the University of California at Berkeley examined whether helping undergraduate students to be more self-compassionate <a href="http://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/publications/selfimp.motivation.pdf">would impact their motivation</a> to change.

In one study, participants were asked to recall a recent action they felt guilty about &ndash; cheating on an exam, lying to a romantic partner, saying something harmful, etc. &ndash; something that still made them feel bad when they thought about it.

Next, they were randomly assigned to one of three conditions. In the self-compassion condition, participants were instructed to write to themselves for three minutes from the perspective of a compassionate and understanding friend.

The second condition had people write about all their positive qualities, and the third about a hobby they enjoyed. These two control conditions helped to differentiate self-compassion from positive self-talk and positive mood in general.

The researchers found that participants who were helped to be self-compassionate about their recent transgressions reported being more motivated to apologize for the harm done and more committed to not repeating the behavior than those in the control conditions.

Sustaining motivation through kindness

Another study in this <a href="http://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/publications/selfimp.motivation.pdf">same series of experiments</a> explored whether self-compassion would directly translate into greater efforts to learn after failure. Students were given a difficult vocabulary test they all did poorly on.

<figure class="align-center "><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/151500/original/image-20161231-29222-1f39j3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" />
<figcaption>This new year, try being kind to yourself. <a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/gexydaf/7957516168/in/photolist-d8bmjC-2SpxD-4bmY73-6KbWKj-5JQUTq-3Vv5tu-AXAuq-4C6fqB-3ynia1-9mN6o6-dS8gu-3bk6WX-oLdZ6j-5nt9W6-2UrNxF-8wSCsW-7UenJQ-24x9KC-6yttRj-2s5Wk9-2TnzKs-aLUWJ2-7ApEBu-2XQdq6-5W2aH8-81vo46-661oUQ-fUEemf-3jciFw-5frhem-kEZd-52z3Ah-dbs6oG-niRHkb-nxwooC-6j3ABx-iuH931-6j3AdM-5S8ek1-6mA1Sc-dw4VWL-en9K8V-pF6ZQT-7Fjbo5-5tqkPU-82yuVg-iuH9YE-ss17g2-5BHM3b-axvxST">Gexydaf</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></figcaption>
</figure>

&nbsp;

One group of students was given an instruction to be self-compassionate about their failure. The instruction said,

<blockquote>
&ldquo;If you had difficulty with the test you just took, you&rsquo;re not alone. It&rsquo;s common for students to have difficulty with tests like this. If you feel bad about how you did, try not to be too hard on yourself.&rdquo;
</blockquote>

Another group was given a self-esteem boost, which said,

<blockquote>
&ldquo;If you had difficulty with the test you just took, try not to feel bad about yourself &ndash; you must be intelligent if you got into Berkeley!&rdquo;
</blockquote>

A third group of participants was given no additional instructions.

The students were next told that they would receive a second vocabulary test, and were given a list of words and definitions they could study for as long as they wanted before taking it. Study time was used as a measure of improvement motivation.

The students who were told to be self-compassionate after failing the first test spent more time studying than those in the other two conditions. Study time was linked to how well participants actually performed on the test. These findings suggest that being kind to yourself when you fail or make mistakes gives you the emotional support needed to try your best, and to keep trying even when discouraged.

<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/70698/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />Kindness is the engine that drives us to keep trying even after we fall flat on our face. So this New Year, when you make and inevitably break your resolutions, instead of beating yourself up and then giving up, try being kind to yourself. In the long run you&rsquo;ll be more likely to succeed.

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The </a>Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/cant-keep-your-new-years-resolutions-try-being-kind-to-yourself-70698">original</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/cant-keep-your-new-years-resolutions-try-being-kind-to-yourself-70698">article</a>.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

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So this New Year, when you make and inevitably break your resolutions, instead of beating yourself up and then giving up, try being kind to yourself.

Many of us will start out the New Year by making a list of resolutions – changes we want to make to be happier such as eating better, volunteering more often, being a more attentive spouse and so on. But, as we know, we will often fail. After a few failures we will typically give up and go back to our old habits. Why is it so hard to stick to resolutions that require us to make effective or lasting changes? I would argue the problem isn’t that we try and we fail – the problem is how we treat ourselves when we fail. I study self-compassion, and my research and that of others show that how we relate to personal failure – with kindness or harsh self-judgment – is incredibly important for building resilience. From early childhood, we are taught that we must succeed at all costs. What most of us aren’t taught is how to fail successfully so we can change and grow. One of the best ways to deal with failure is to have self-compassion. What exactly is self-compassion? I define self-compassion as having three main components: self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness. Self-kindness refers to the tendency to be caring, understanding and supportive toward ourselves when we fail or make mistakes rather than being harshly critical or judgmental. Common humanity involves recognizing that all humans are imperfect, and connecting our own flawed condition to the shared human condition so we can have greater perspective on our shortcomings. Mindfulness involves being aware of the pain associated with failure in a clear and balanced manner so that we neither ignore nor obsess about our faults. The three together combine to create a self-compassionate frame of mind. Mindfulness is one component of self-compassion. Jack Ricchiuto, CC BY A large body of research shows that self-compassion results in greater emotional well-being. One of the most consistent findings in this research is that greater self-compassion is linked to less depression, anxiety and stress. In addition to reducing such negative mind states, self-compassion appears to enhance positive mind states such as optimism, gratitude and curiosity. By meeting one’s suffering with the warm embrace of self-compassion, positive feelings such as happiness are generated at the same time that negative emotions are alleviated. Self-compassion has been found to be an important source of coping and resilience in the face of various life stressors such as divorce, chronic health conditions or military combat. It also reduces body dissatisfaction and even leads to healthier eating behavior (relevant to many New Year’s resolutions!). Misgivings about self-compassion If self-compassion is so good for us, why aren’t we kinder to ourselves? Perhaps the biggest block to self-compassion is the belief that it will undermine our motivation. In parenting circles we no longer hold to the adage “spare the rod spoil the child.” When it comes to our own selves, however, many of us think that sparing the rod of harsh self-criticism will turn us into lazy, self-indulgent ne'er-do-wells. This theme constantly comes up in the workshops I teach. Of course, the dynamics that go into motivating our children and motivating ourselves are quite similar. Let’s say your teenage son were to come home with a failing English grade. You have two ways to motivate him to try harder and do better next time. You could admonish him and tell him how stupid he is and that you are ashamed of him. The other option is, knowing how upset he is, you could give him a hug and gently ask him how you could support him in doing better next time. This type of caring, encouraging response would help your son maintain his self-confidence and feel emotionally supported. The same goes for how we respond to ourselves when we fail. How does self-compassion increase motivation? A growing body of research indicates that self-compassion is linked to greater motivation. Self-compassion has been associated with increased personal initiative – the desire to reach one’s full potential. Self-compassionate people are also more likely to adopt “mastery goals,” which focus on learning and mastering material to increase competence, and less likely to adopt “performance goals,” which are primarily concerned with succeeding to make a favorable impression on others. While self-compassionate people have performance standards that are as high as those who are harshly self-critical, they don’t get as upset when they don’t reach their goals. As a result, self-compassionate people have less performance anxiety and engage in fewer self-defeating behaviors such as procrastination. Not only are self-compassionate people less likely to fear failure, but when they do fail they’re more likely to pick themselves up and try again. A series of experiments by psychologists Juliana Breines and Serena Chen from the University of California at Berkeley examined whether helping undergraduate students to be more self-compassionate would impact their motivation to change. In one study, participants were asked to recall a recent action they felt guilty about – cheating on an exam, lying to a romantic partner, saying something harmful, etc. – something that still made them feel bad when they thought about it. Next, they were randomly assigned to one of three conditions. In the self-compassion condition, participants were instructed to write to themselves for three minutes from the perspective of a compassionate and understanding friend. The second condition had people write about all their positive qualities, and the third about a hobby they enjoyed. These two control conditions helped to differentiate self-compassion from positive self-talk and positive mood in general. The researchers found that participants who were helped to be self-compassionate about their recent transgressions reported being more motivated to apologize for the harm done and more committed to not repeating the behavior than those in the control conditions. Sustaining motivation through kindness Another study in this same series of experiments explored whether self-compassion would directly translate into greater efforts to learn after failure. Students were given a difficult vocabulary test they all did poorly on. This new year, try being kind to yourself. Gexydaf, CC BY-NC One group of students was given an instruction to be self-compassionate about their failure. The instruction said, “If you had difficulty with the test you just took, you’re not alone. It’s common for students to have difficulty with tests like this. If you feel bad about how you did, try not to be too hard on yourself.” Another group was given a self-esteem boost, which said, “If you had difficulty with the test you just took, try not to feel bad about yourself – you must be intelligent if you got into Berkeley!” A third group of participants was given no additional instructions. The students were next told that they would receive a second vocabulary test, and were given a list of words and definitions they could study for as long as they wanted before taking it. Study time was used as a measure of improvement motivation. The students who were told to be self-compassionate after failing the first test spent more time studying than those in the other two conditions. Study time was linked to how well participants actually performed on the test. These findings suggest that being kind to yourself when you fail or make mistakes gives you the emotional support needed to try your best, and to keep trying even when discouraged. Kindness is the engine that drives us to keep trying even after we fall flat on our face. So this New Year, when you make and inevitably break your resolutions, instead of beating yourself up and then giving up, try being kind to yourself. In the long run you’ll be more likely to succeed. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Can't keep your New Year's resolutions? Try being kind to yourself

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