<p>Scouting for funds, Air India is in advanced discussions with public sector lender SBI for sale of at least two residential properties that could net nearly Rs 50 crore, airline and banking sources said.</p>

<p>While the government moves ahead with the process for strategic stake sale, the loss-making airline continues to work on the strategy to divest non-core assets.</p>

<p>Saddled with more than Rs 50,000 crore debt, Air India recently sought loans worth over Rs 1,500 crore to meet working capital requirements.</p>

<p>Against the backdrop of the severe financial crunch, the airlines talks with the State Bank of India (SBI) assumes significance in terms of raising additional monetary resources.</p>

<p>The discussions between Air India and SBI are at an advanced stage with respect to sale of two residential properties in South Mumbai, sources told PTI.</p>

<p>While the final contours of the deal are being worked out, an airline source said the sale is expected to fetch around Rs 46 crore.</p>

<p>Despite trying to dispose of such assets, so far Air India has managed to sell only four of its flats in Mumbai to SBI for Rs 90 crore.</p>

<p>These properties are located at upmarket Peddar Road in South Mumbai.</p>

<p>The carrier has been in possession of some properties which are lying vacant and unused for a long time. These include parcels of land as well as residential and commercial estate in India and abroad.</p>

<p>Among others, the carrier has leased out almost the entire space at its previous headquarters at Nariman Point to various government agencies.</p>

<p>As per the turnaround/financial restructuring plan approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) back in 2012, Air India is required to monetise its assets and generate Rs 5,000 crore by way of sale, leasing or developing an asset as a joint venture.</p>

<p>Under the plan, the carrier is to get financial assistance to the tune of Rs 30,000 crore over a 10-year period.</p>


Air India is in advanced discussions with public sector lender SBI for sale of at least two residential properties that could net nearly Rs 50 crore.

Scouting for funds, Air India is in advanced discussions with public sector lender SBI for sale of at least two residential properties that could net nearly Rs 50 crore, airline and banking sources said. While the government moves ahead with the process for strategic stake sale, the loss-making airline continues to work on the strategy to divest non-core assets. Saddled with more than Rs 50,000 crore debt, Air India recently sought loans worth over Rs 1,500 crore to meet working capital requirements. Against the backdrop of the severe financial crunch, the airlines talks with the State Bank of India (SBI) assumes significance in terms of raising additional monetary resources. The discussions between Air India and SBI are at an advanced stage with respect to sale of two residential properties in South Mumbai, sources told PTI. While the final contours of the deal are being worked out, an airline source said the sale is expected to fetch around Rs 46 crore. Despite trying to dispose of such assets, so far Air India has managed to sell only four of its flats in Mumbai to SBI for Rs 90 crore. These properties are located at upmarket Peddar Road in South Mumbai. The carrier has been in possession of some properties which are lying vacant and unused for a long time. These include parcels of land as well as residential and commercial estate in India and abroad. Among others, the carrier has leased out almost the entire space at its previous headquarters at Nariman Point to various government agencies. As per the turnaround/financial restructuring plan approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) back in 2012, Air India is required to monetise its assets and generate Rs 5,000 crore by way of sale, leasing or developing an asset as a joint venture. Under the plan, the carrier is to get financial assistance to the tune of Rs 30,000 crore over a 10-year period.

Air India to sell 2 properties to SBI, may fetch Rs 50 crore

<p>Mumbai will soon see rooftop restaurants in hotels and shopping malls.&nbsp;The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)&nbsp;has given permission to&nbsp;open&nbsp;rooftop restaurants in India&#39;s financial capital.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The hotels and restaurants from now onwards will be able to utilise the rooftop space.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The BMC had previously banned such rooftop hotels calling them &quot;illegal&quot;.&nbsp;It changed its decision after the intervention of the state government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After the legal permission, several rooftop restaurants will be ready to&nbsp;open in shopping malls and hotels.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The hotels in Mumbai welcomed the&nbsp;decision by calling it a &quot;new experience for the Mumbaikars&quot;. They&nbsp;also claimed that this will&nbsp;reduce the problem of severe space shortage in Mumbai and will also increase tourism in the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They further added&nbsp;that it will&nbsp;increase the earnings of BMC and the state government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With the permission of BMC, the city will be able to experiment with the concept of sky bar and sky cafe.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, the BMC has put many conditions before permitting rooftop restaurants.</p>

<p>The municipal corporation has said restaurants will have to build about 1.5 metres boundary around the rooftop restaurant.</p>

<p>The &quot;sky top&quot;&nbsp;should not have any residential building within ten metres. It has&nbsp;permitted only microwave and electric cooking.</p>

<p>Also, the hotels and restaurants need to adhere to the rules and regulations of the BMC fire department.</p>

<p>Before starting a business in Mumbai, people need to take permission from the&nbsp;BMC.</p>

<p>However, the BMC has decided to remove&nbsp;such restrictions after being prodded by the BJP-led state government. This has been done to improve the industrial sector in Mumbai and to improve its rankings.</p>


The BMC had previously banned such rooftop hotels calling them illegal

Mumbai will soon see rooftop restaurants in hotels and shopping malls. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has given permission to open rooftop restaurants in India's financial capital. The hotels and restaurants from now onwards will be able to utilise the rooftop space. The BMC had previously banned such rooftop hotels calling them "illegal". It changed its decision after the intervention of the state government. After the legal permission, several rooftop restaurants will be ready to open in shopping malls and hotels. The hotels in Mumbai welcomed the decision by calling it a "new experience for the Mumbaikars". They also claimed that this will reduce the problem of severe space shortage in Mumbai and will also increase tourism in the state. They further added that it will increase the earnings of BMC and the state government. With the permission of BMC, the city will be able to experiment with the concept of sky bar and sky cafe. However, the BMC has put many conditions before permitting rooftop restaurants. The municipal corporation has said restaurants will have to build about 1.5 metres boundary around the rooftop restaurant. The "sky top" should not have any residential building within ten metres. It has permitted only microwave and electric cooking. Also, the hotels and restaurants need to adhere to the rules and regulations of the BMC fire department. Before starting a business in Mumbai, people need to take permission from the BMC. However, the BMC has decided to remove such restrictions after being prodded by the BJP-led state government. This has been done to improve the industrial sector in Mumbai and to improve its rankings.

BMC permits 'rooftop restaurants' in Mumbai

<p>Badshah of Bollywood returned <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/shah-rukh-khans-birthday-bash-at-alibaug-has-deepika-katrina-alia-in-attendance-23346">from Alibaug on Thursday afternoon after celebrating his 52nd birthday</a> with a huge crowd waiting at his house for the superstar to show up and he did not disappoint.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Shah Rukh along with&nbsp;AbRam&nbsp;showed up outside &quot;Mannat&quot;&nbsp;- Khan&#39;s residence at Bandra -&nbsp; to greet fans which is almost a yearly ritual.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Later, India&#39;s biggest romantic hero tweeted: &#39;A ray of sunshine..a sea of love. Thank you all for the&nbsp;happiness you bring each year.&#39;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">A ray of sunshine... A sea of love...<br />
Thank you all for the happiness you bring every year! <a href="https://t.co/teTr4FRGC7">pic.twitter.com/teTr4FRGC7</a></p>
&mdash; Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamsrk/status/926071948358111232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Celebs Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Sidharth Malhotra, Karan Johar, Malaika Arora, Sussanne Khan, Farah Khan, Sanjay Kapoor, Suhana&#39;s friends Shanaya Kapoor and Ananya Pandey and others had joined Shah Rukh Khan&#39;s mid-night birthday bash at his Alibaug farmhouse.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ba83s3FAwFL/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Eve of the birthday! @iamsrk #alibaugdiaries</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar) on <time datetime="2017-11-01T11:33:39+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Nov 1, 2017 at 4:33am PDT</time></p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


There was a huge crowd gathered outside his residence - Mannat, in Mumbai, with Shah Rukh Khan's fans waiting for him to come outside just get a peak and wish him.?

Badshah of Bollywood returned from Alibaug on Thursday afternoon after celebrating his 52nd birthday with a huge crowd waiting at his house for the superstar to show up and he did not disappoint. Shah Rukh along with AbRam showed up outside "Mannat" - Khan's residence at Bandra - to greet fans which is almost a yearly ritual. Later, India's biggest romantic hero tweeted: 'A ray of sunshine..a sea of love. Thank you all for the happiness you bring each year.' A ray of sunshine... A sea of love... Thank you all for the happiness you bring every year! pic.twitter.com/teTr4FRGC7 — Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) November 2, 2017 × Celebs Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Sidharth Malhotra, Karan Johar, Malaika Arora, Sussanne Khan, Farah Khan, Sanjay Kapoor, Suhana's friends Shanaya Kapoor and Ananya Pandey and others had joined Shah Rukh Khan's mid-night birthday bash at his Alibaug farmhouse. Eve of the birthday! @iamsrk #alibaugdiaries A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar) on Nov 1, 2017 at 4:33am PDT ×

Finally, Shah Rukh Khan greets fans at 'Mannat'

<p>The metropolis of Mumbai is not only the financial capital of India it is also a reflection of India&rsquo;s progress in the last 70 years of Independence. With a population of 18.41 million, the megalopolis ranks among the top 20 cities on the basis of GDP; annual gross domestic product of Mumbai exceeds $400 billion.</p>

<p>However, the flip side of the shimmering success is creaking infrastructure, overpopulation, unplanned growth, spreading urban sprawl and a general decay of quality of life.</p>

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<h5>Mumbai is a prime example of a very 21st-century dilemma &ndash; how to keep the engine of development chugging along without hurting the environment in which it is functioning.</h5>
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<p>This weakness is aggravated during the monsoons, especially on days when there is an unusually heavy downpour. We all remember the floods of 2005 that took its toll on the people as well as the economy. Estimates suggest approximately 1000 people died and the city lost $100 million in business in just two days.</p>

<p>Since then Mumbai residents have witnessed flooding, waterlogging and building collapsing during the monsoons. The severity is nowhere near 2005 levels, still, it&rsquo;s bad.</p>

<p>Mumbai is a prime example of a very 21st-century dilemma &ndash; how to keep the engine of development chugging along without hurting the environment in which it is functioning.</p>

<p>Surprisingly, the city&rsquo;s geographical location and its eco-system provide a unique opportunity to create a model sustainable city that can act as a template for other large port cities to follow.</p>

<p>The narrow strip on which the megalopolis rests has 149 km of coastline and seven interconnected islands. It also boasts of 16 kilometers of beaches and four rivers Oshiwara, Mithi, Dahisar and Poisar which together have a length of more than 41 kilometres.</p>

<p>Incidentally, Mumbai is one of the few fortunate cities globally that has over 70 sq. km of creeks and mangroves. However, this rich ecosystem is besieged by unplanned development, very high rates of migration in the last 3 decades, rampant dumping of waste in the rivers and encroachment of beeches and coastline by real estate developers.</p>

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<h5>State of infrastructure will make Mumbai increasingly vulnerable to disasters induced by extreme weather conditions that will increase in ferocity and regularity due to intensifying climate change.</h5>
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<p>This has led to choking of rivers, their tributaries and other water channels. The building of residential and commercial properties in the catchment areas of the river and wetlands has further eroded the natural capacity of the terrain to deal with large flows of water.</p>

<p>During monsoons when water flows increases there is no natural or man-made capacity to provide it with an outlet or accommodate it. This results in water logging and flooding.</p>

<p>This state of infrastructure will make Mumbai increasingly vulnerable to disasters induced by extreme weather conditions that will increase in ferocity and regularity due to intensifying climate change.</p>

<p>The vulnerability will be more acute&nbsp;as the city has persisted with ineffective land use planning and insufficient investment in infrastructure. The spread of informal settlements with poor quality housing and lack of disaster preparedness has gone on for long.</p>

<p>The good news is that there is enough resilience left in Mumbai&rsquo;s geography, ecology and people to script a turnaround. This spirit was visible recently in the case of lawyer Afroz Shah who started cleaning the Versova beach and then was joined by various citizen groups.</p>

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<h5>Town planners in the state government and Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) need to look at the sustainable development paradigm as the way forward.&nbsp;</h5>
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<p>He is not alone, residents of Bandra Band Stand forced Maharashtra Maritime Board to complete Bandra Bandstand Promenade repair work.</p>

<p>Yet these encouraging citizen interventions are not enough to turn a city&rsquo;s fortunes. It needs an institutional push from the top which means sustained action by the government. Town planners in the state government and Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) need to look at the sustainable development paradigm as the way forward.</p>

<p>It should be built on the 17 parameters of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as envisaged by the United Nations. Among the goals, number 3 (good health &amp; well being), 10 (reduced inequalities), 12 (responsible consumption &amp; production), 14 (protecting life below water) and 15 (protecting life on land) can act as the basis for immediate action.</p>

<p>October 31st is designated as World Cities Day by the United Nations. In the 21st century, the importance of this day can&rsquo;t be overemphasised. The opinion builders, policymakers and the city administrators can together take a pledge today to stop the city from expanding towards the sea through encroachment on its coasts and beeches.</p>

<p>It should also save its mangrove forests and revive them where they have been degraded. It should also start working to decongest the sever lines and internal drainage channels, especially the four rivers, to save itself from drowning during rains.</p>

<p>Rehabilitation and reconstruction of informal settlements need to be pursued on a mission mode for the long-term health and resilience of the city. Honest and sustained initiatives in these core areas would be the best way to commemorate the World Cities Day.</p>

<p>It is a long and difficult road but worth taking as the cost of not acting now will be far greater than the benefits of tough decisions taken today.</p>


On World Cities Day, opinion builders, policymakers and the city administrators need to focus on rehabilitation and reconstruction of informal settlements.

The metropolis of Mumbai is not only the financial capital of India it is also a reflection of India’s progress in the last 70 years of Independence. With a population of 18.41 million, the megalopolis ranks among the top 20 cities on the basis of GDP; annual gross domestic product of Mumbai exceeds $400 billion. However, the flip side of the shimmering success is creaking infrastructure, overpopulation, unplanned growth, spreading urban sprawl and a general decay of quality of life. Mumbai is a prime example of a very 21st-century dilemma – how to keep the engine of development chugging along without hurting the environment in which it is functioning. × This weakness is aggravated during the monsoons, especially on days when there is an unusually heavy downpour. We all remember the floods of 2005 that took its toll on the people as well as the economy. Estimates suggest approximately 1000 people died and the city lost $100 million in business in just two days. Since then Mumbai residents have witnessed flooding, waterlogging and building collapsing during the monsoons. The severity is nowhere near 2005 levels, still, it’s bad. Mumbai is a prime example of a very 21st-century dilemma – how to keep the engine of development chugging along without hurting the environment in which it is functioning. Surprisingly, the city’s geographical location and its eco-system provide a unique opportunity to create a model sustainable city that can act as a template for other large port cities to follow. The narrow strip on which the megalopolis rests has 149 km of coastline and seven interconnected islands. It also boasts of 16 kilometers of beaches and four rivers Oshiwara, Mithi, Dahisar and Poisar which together have a length of more than 41 kilometres. Incidentally, Mumbai is one of the few fortunate cities globally that has over 70 sq. km of creeks and mangroves. However, this rich ecosystem is besieged by unplanned development, very high rates of migration in the last 3 decades, rampant dumping of waste in the rivers and encroachment of beeches and coastline by real estate developers. State of infrastructure will make Mumbai increasingly vulnerable to disasters induced by extreme weather conditions that will increase in ferocity and regularity due to intensifying climate change. × This has led to choking of rivers, their tributaries and other water channels. The building of residential and commercial properties in the catchment areas of the river and wetlands has further eroded the natural capacity of the terrain to deal with large flows of water. During monsoons when water flows increases there is no natural or man-made capacity to provide it with an outlet or accommodate it. This results in water logging and flooding. This state of infrastructure will make Mumbai increasingly vulnerable to disasters induced by extreme weather conditions that will increase in ferocity and regularity due to intensifying climate change. The vulnerability will be more acute as the city has persisted with ineffective land use planning and insufficient investment in infrastructure. The spread of informal settlements with poor quality housing and lack of disaster preparedness has gone on for long. The good news is that there is enough resilience left in Mumbai’s geography, ecology and people to script a turnaround. This spirit was visible recently in the case of lawyer Afroz Shah who started cleaning the Versova beach and then was joined by various citizen groups. Town planners in the state government and Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) need to look at the sustainable development paradigm as the way forward. × He is not alone, residents of Bandra Band Stand forced Maharashtra Maritime Board to complete Bandra Bandstand Promenade repair work. Yet these encouraging citizen interventions are not enough to turn a city’s fortunes. It needs an institutional push from the top which means sustained action by the government. Town planners in the state government and Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) need to look at the sustainable development paradigm as the way forward. It should be built on the 17 parameters of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as envisaged by the United Nations. Among the goals, number 3 (good health & well being), 10 (reduced inequalities), 12 (responsible consumption & production), 14 (protecting life below water) and 15 (protecting life on land) can act as the basis for immediate action. October 31st is designated as World Cities Day by the United Nations. In the 21st century, the importance of this day can’t be overemphasised. The opinion builders, policymakers and the city administrators can together take a pledge today to stop the city from expanding towards the sea through encroachment on its coasts and beeches. It should also save its mangrove forests and revive them where they have been degraded. It should also start working to decongest the sever lines and internal drainage channels, especially the four rivers, to save itself from drowning during rains. Rehabilitation and reconstruction of informal settlements need to be pursued on a mission mode for the long-term health and resilience of the city. Honest and sustained initiatives in these core areas would be the best way to commemorate the World Cities Day. It is a long and difficult road but worth taking as the cost of not acting now will be far greater than the benefits of tough decisions taken today.

Mumbai needs to stop growing towards the sea

<p>A major fire broke out at Behrampada adjacent to suburban Bandra station during a demolition drive carried out by the municipal corporation in the area&nbsp;this afternoon, forcing the railway authorities to halt train services on the harbour line, a senior railway official said.<br />
<br />
No casualties have been reported so far, a fire brigade official said.<br />
<br />
The fire broke out near the east side of Bandra local station during a demolition drive carried out by the municipal corporation, the official said.<br />
<br />
&quot;Our control room got a call at 4:24 pm and fire brigade personnel along with 16 fire engines and 10 water tankers have been pressed into service,&quot; the official said.<br />
<br />
The chief PRO of the Central Railway said, &quot;We have stopped Harbour line up and down services from 4.25 pm as a precautionary measure owing to fire near the Bandra station on the east side.</p>

<p>The massive fire was later brought&nbsp;under control.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mumbai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mumbai</a>: Massive fire that broke out in Behrampada near <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bandra?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bandra</a> station now under control, cooling process underway. <a href="https://t.co/l37xZbtowk">pic.twitter.com/l37xZbtowk</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/923561677496266752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


No casualties have been reported so far, a fire brigade official said.

A major fire broke out at Behrampada adjacent to suburban Bandra station during a demolition drive carried out by the municipal corporation in the area this afternoon, forcing the railway authorities to halt train services on the harbour line, a senior railway official said. No casualties have been reported so far, a fire brigade official said. The fire broke out near the east side of Bandra local station during a demolition drive carried out by the municipal corporation, the official said. "Our control room got a call at 4:24 pm and fire brigade personnel along with 16 fire engines and 10 water tankers have been pressed into service," the official said. The chief PRO of the Central Railway said, "We have stopped Harbour line up and down services from 4.25 pm as a precautionary measure owing to fire near the Bandra station on the east side. The massive fire was later brought under control. #Mumbai: Massive fire that broke out in Behrampada near #Bandra station now under control, cooling process underway. pic.twitter.com/l37xZbtowk — ANI (@ANI) October 26, 2017 ×

Fire outside Mumbai's Bandra station brought under control

<p>The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) called off its five-day strike on Saturday, ANI reported, after a meeting of their core committee.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Maharashtra: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MSRTCstrike?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MSRTCstrike</a> called off late last night, bus operations have resumed; visuals from Mumbai&#39;s Parel station depot. <a href="https://t.co/sS7vbschu2">pic.twitter.com/sS7vbschu2</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/921565245868425216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>MSRTC employees had gone on indefinite strike on October 17 demanding implementation of the 7th pay commission.</p>

<p>The Bombay High Court had on Friday called the strike illegal.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The court had also observed that the state government was taking no concrete steps to end the strike.&nbsp;</p>

<p>ANI reported that after that, the state government submitted an undertaking before the court that it was ready to constitute a high-powered committee to look into the issue. And that the committee would submit its&nbsp;report within three weeks.</p>

<p>More than 17,000 MSRTC buses ply in Maharashtra, and about one lakh of its employees had gone on strike.</p>


Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation employees had gone on indefinite strike on October 17 demanding implementation of the 7th pay commission

The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) called off its five-day strike on Saturday, ANI reported, after a meeting of their core committee. Maharashtra: #MSRTCstrike called off late last night, bus operations have resumed; visuals from Mumbai's Parel station depot. pic.twitter.com/sS7vbschu2 — ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2017 × MSRTC employees had gone on indefinite strike on October 17 demanding implementation of the 7th pay commission. The Bombay High Court had on Friday called the strike illegal. The court had also observed that the state government was taking no concrete steps to end the strike. ANI reported that after that, the state government submitted an undertaking before the court that it was ready to constitute a high-powered committee to look into the issue. And that the committee would submit its report within three weeks. More than 17,000 MSRTC buses ply in Maharashtra, and about one lakh of its employees had gone on strike.

After high court says it is 'illegal', MSRTC calls off five-day strike

<p>A charity football match has turned into one of the most talked about event on the Internet. The reason -Mahendra Singh Dhoni&rsquo;s David Beckham-style goal at the event.</p>

<p>The match was held between Virat Kohli-led All Hearts side and Abhishek Bachchan&#39;s All Stars team. Kohli&rsquo;s side won 7-3 but Dhoni&rsquo;s football skills left the sizeable crowd gathered at the Andheri Sports Complex ecstatic. It was a free kick to which the filmstars&#39; goalkeeper Mark Robinson had no answer.</p>

<p>Watch the goal that has made Internet go crazy:</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BaRpVSrgmh9/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Bend It Like Mahi ?? Whatta Goal ! #Mahi #Msd #CelebrityElclassico</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by nolifewithoutcricket (@nlwc_) on <time datetime="2017-10-15T16:42:51+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Oct 15, 2017 at 9:42am PDT</time></p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here are some of the reactions from Dhoni&rsquo;s fans on Twitter:</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">MS Dhoni was very calm after scoring the goal! Football pitch or Cricket Pitch man is a legend <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CelebrityClasico?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CelebrityClasico</a></p>
&mdash; ??i???r?! (@BeingKushSharma) <a href="https://twitter.com/BeingKushSharma/status/919567086677925888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Legend Dhoni scored 2nd goal of the match. This goal was as good as like a professional footballer <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CelebrityClasico2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CelebrityClasico2017</a></p>
&mdash; &szlig;???? Gu? ?????? (@BeingFlicked) <a href="https://twitter.com/BeingFlicked/status/919566870646177792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dhoni?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dhoni</a> can KEEP<br />
can lead<br />
can finish<br />
can bat<br />
can bowl<br />
<br />
Can GOAL!!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CelebrityClasico?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CelebrityClasico</a> <a href="https://t.co/Dmnpq02r3D">pic.twitter.com/Dmnpq02r3D</a></p>
&mdash; Msd&#39;s Pradip(2ndMsd) (@PradipMsd7) <a href="https://twitter.com/PradipMsd7/status/919586573791854593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dhoni later scored another goal and was fittingly awarded &#39;Man of the match&#39; while playing for the All Hearts team.</p>

<p>Kohli&#39;s fans were also not disappointed as he sprinted down the right flank to score once and then did an impromptu bhangra jig.</p>

<p>Former India hockey captain PR Sreejesh and French Open mixed doubles champion Rohan Bopanna also played for Kohli&#39;s team.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from news agency PTI)</em></p>


A charity football match has turned into one of the most talked about event on the Internet. The reason - Mahendra Singh Dhoni?s David Beckham style goal.

A charity football match has turned into one of the most talked about event on the Internet. The reason -Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s David Beckham-style goal at the event. The match was held between Virat Kohli-led All Hearts side and Abhishek Bachchan's All Stars team. Kohli’s side won 7-3 but Dhoni’s football skills left the sizeable crowd gathered at the Andheri Sports Complex ecstatic. It was a free kick to which the filmstars' goalkeeper Mark Robinson had no answer. Watch the goal that has made Internet go crazy: Bend It Like Mahi ?? Whatta Goal ! #Mahi #Msd #CelebrityElclassico A post shared by nolifewithoutcricket (@nlwc_) on Oct 15, 2017 at 9:42am PDT × Here are some of the reactions from Dhoni’s fans on Twitter: MS Dhoni was very calm after scoring the goal! Football pitch or Cricket Pitch man is a legend #CelebrityClasico — ??i???r?! (@BeingKushSharma) October 15, 2017 × Legend Dhoni scored 2nd goal of the match. This goal was as good as like a professional footballer #CelebrityClasico2017 — ß???? Gu? ?????? (@BeingFlicked) October 15, 2017 × #Dhoni can KEEP can lead can finish can bat can bowl Can GOAL!!#CelebrityClasico pic.twitter.com/Dmnpq02r3D — Msd's Pradip(2ndMsd) (@PradipMsd7) October 15, 2017 × Dhoni later scored another goal and was fittingly awarded 'Man of the match' while playing for the All Hearts team. Kohli's fans were also not disappointed as he sprinted down the right flank to score once and then did an impromptu bhangra jig. Former India hockey captain PR Sreejesh and French Open mixed doubles champion Rohan Bopanna also played for Kohli's team. (With inputs from news agency PTI)

MS Dhoni scores stunning goal, sets Internet on fire

<p>Indian shares&nbsp;hit&nbsp;record&nbsp;closing&nbsp;highs&nbsp;on Monday as investors were encouraged by recent economic data which showed the country&#39;s merchandise exports surged in September, pushing the trade deficit to a seven-month low.</p>

<p>The broader NSE&nbsp;Nifty&nbsp;ended 0.62 per cent higher at 10,230.85, after rising to a&nbsp;record&nbsp;high earlier in the session.</p>

<p>The benchmark BSE&nbsp;Sensex&nbsp;closed up 0.62 per cent at 32,633.64, after&nbsp;hitting an all-time high early in the day.</p>

<p>Federal Bank Ltd gained about 7 percent after posting an upbeat second-quarter profit.</p>


The broader NSE?Nifty?ended 0.62 per cent higher at 10,230.85, after rising to a?record?high earlier in the session

Indian shares hit record closing highs on Monday as investors were encouraged by recent economic data which showed the country's merchandise exports surged in September, pushing the trade deficit to a seven-month low. The broader NSE Nifty ended 0.62 per cent higher at 10,230.85, after rising to a record high earlier in the session. The benchmark BSE Sensex closed up 0.62 per cent at 32,633.64, after hitting an all-time high early in the day. Federal Bank Ltd gained about 7 percent after posting an upbeat second-quarter profit.

Sensex, Nifty close at record high

<p>The former senior Congress leader Narayan Rane has announced that he will be forming a new party.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;I have decided to form a new party, it will be called Maharashtra Swabhimaan Paksh,&quot; Rane said on Sunday.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I have decided to form a new party, it will be called Maharashtra Swabhimaan Paksh: Narayan Rane, former senior congress leader <a href="https://t.co/GP1VwqfTwp">pic.twitter.com/GP1VwqfTwp</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/914399475417755648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Rane&#39;s new party is expected to support Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis&#39; government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>News reports said the arrangement was reportedly finalised after Rane&#39;s recent meeting with BJP President Amit Shah.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The reports added that the BJP has plumped for the indirect support route after the Shiv Sena threatened to walk out of the coalition should Rane be allowed into the BJP.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rane was thrown out of the Sena in 2005 after he accused the then Sena chief Bal Thackeray of having &quot;blind love for his son&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rane was talking about Uddhav Thackeray, who now heads the Sena.&nbsp;</p>


'I have decided to form a new party, it will be called Maharashtra Swabhimaan Paksh,' Rane said on Sunday

The former senior Congress leader Narayan Rane has announced that he will be forming a new party. "I have decided to form a new party, it will be called Maharashtra Swabhimaan Paksh," Rane said on Sunday. I have decided to form a new party, it will be called Maharashtra Swabhimaan Paksh: Narayan Rane, former senior congress leader pic.twitter.com/GP1VwqfTwp — ANI (@ANI) October 1, 2017 × Rane's new party is expected to support Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis' government. News reports said the arrangement was reportedly finalised after Rane's recent meeting with BJP President Amit Shah. The reports added that the BJP has plumped for the indirect support route after the Shiv Sena threatened to walk out of the coalition should Rane be allowed into the BJP. Rane was thrown out of the Sena in 2005 after he accused the then Sena chief Bal Thackeray of having "blind love for his son". Rane was talking about Uddhav Thackeray, who now heads the Sena.

Maharashtra: Ex-Congressman Narayan Rane floats new party, expected to support BJP govt

<p>Rattled by the recent spate of train derailments in the country, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday, assured the people about the ambitious project and said that that the bullet train has not seen a single accident in Japan.</p>

<p>&quot;It has been a zero-accident train in Japan and I am sure the track record will remain the same in India,&quot; Piyush Goyal said.</p>

<p>Ahead of Bhoomi Pujan ceremony of the bullet train project, Goyal said that the country`s rail network will be transformed and revolutionised with the initiative.</p>

<p>&quot;Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given directions for a holistic development of the Indian Railways,&quot; Goyal said, adding, India`s transport sector is all set to change and &quot;it is indeed a matter of celebration.&quot; Goyal further said that the new initiative will help boost the employment in the country. &quot;The coming of bullet trains to India will not only boost employment , but also will help India to export it,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe will also be visiting India to attend the `Bhoomi Poojan` and foundation stone laying ceremony of the Rs. 97,636-crore Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail link, using Japanese bullet-train technology. During the visit, Prime Minister Abe will also hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Modi and is expected to serve as the &quot;top salesman&quot; for the adoption of the Shinkansen technology by other Indian railway systems, with China also aiming to win orders for the projects, the<em> Japan Times</em> had reported, earlier in August.</p>

<p>The 500-km railway will link Mumbai and Ahmedabad in western India, with services planned to commence in 2023. This train is based on Japanese high-speed technology called Shinkansen, known for its safety and comfort. India has pledged to build high-speed railways, focused on the four major cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.</p>

<p>When Prime Minister Modi went to Japan last November, he travelled by Shinkansen with his Japanese counterpart from Tokyo to Kobe to visit a bullet-train plant of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., a maker of Shinkansen cars.</p>


'It has been a zero-accident train in Japan and I am sure the track record will remain the same in India,' the new railway miniser said

Rattled by the recent spate of train derailments in the country, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday, assured the people about the ambitious project and said that that the bullet train has not seen a single accident in Japan. "It has been a zero-accident train in Japan and I am sure the track record will remain the same in India," Piyush Goyal said. Ahead of Bhoomi Pujan ceremony of the bullet train project, Goyal said that the country`s rail network will be transformed and revolutionised with the initiative. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given directions for a holistic development of the Indian Railways," Goyal said, adding, India`s transport sector is all set to change and "it is indeed a matter of celebration." Goyal further said that the new initiative will help boost the employment in the country. "The coming of bullet trains to India will not only boost employment , but also will help India to export it," he said. Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe will also be visiting India to attend the `Bhoomi Poojan` and foundation stone laying ceremony of the Rs. 97,636-crore Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail link, using Japanese bullet-train technology. During the visit, Prime Minister Abe will also hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Modi and is expected to serve as the "top salesman" for the adoption of the Shinkansen technology by other Indian railway systems, with China also aiming to win orders for the projects, the Japan Times had reported, earlier in August. The 500-km railway will link Mumbai and Ahmedabad in western India, with services planned to commence in 2023. This train is based on Japanese high-speed technology called Shinkansen, known for its safety and comfort. India has pledged to build high-speed railways, focused on the four major cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. When Prime Minister Modi went to Japan last November, he travelled by Shinkansen with his Japanese counterpart from Tokyo to Kobe to visit a bullet-train plant of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., a maker of Shinkansen cars.

Piyush Goyal assures people Indian bullet train will be safe

<p>Mumbai&nbsp;faced&nbsp;its worst rain crisis since 2005 on Tuesday as the city was&nbsp;lashed by nine times the usual rain.</p>

<p>Three hours of shower (85 mm) was equivalent to an entire day&#39;s rain, submerging most of India&#39;s financial capital by noon.</p>

<p>The torrential rain disrupted road, rail and flight services,&nbsp;uprooted&nbsp;trees, swamped&nbsp;homes and brought&nbsp;life in the megapolis and its satellite towns to a grinding halt.</p>

<p>A &#39;Red&#39; warning has been issued for the next 24 hours for the city and adjoining areas, indicating the possibility of&nbsp;very heavy rainfall, a top official of&nbsp;the&nbsp;India Meteorological Department said.&nbsp;He added that&nbsp;the city and surrounding areas would continue to receive heavy rainfall over the next 2-3 days.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Train services on all three suburban railway lines-- Central, Western and Harbour lines-- have been paralysed.</p>

<p>Suburban rail services, the lifeline of the metropolis, were thrown out of gear.&nbsp;Several trains are stuck in the station premises. Eleven&nbsp;trains have been rescheduled and seven&nbsp;trains cancelled till 7 pm today.</p>

<p>&nbsp;Fidgety passengers could be&nbsp;seen jumping off stationary trains and walking along the tracks to their destinations.</p>

<p>Thousands of vehicles were stranded on arterial roads in Lower Parel, Dadar, Kurla, Andheri, Khar West, Ghatkopar, Sion and Hindmata areas that were under knee to waist deep water for several hours, many having broken down.</p>

<p>Commuters were seen standing under knee deep water on the steps of buses in low lying areas like Parel.</p>

<p>Traffic crawled at snail&#39;s pace on important roads, including the Eastern and Western Express Highway, Sion-Panvel highway and LBS Marg.</p>

<p>Poor visibility caused delays in flights.&nbsp;While the main runway of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Aiport (CSIA) is operational, the nearby aerodrome at Juhu has been shut as it is very close to the Arabian Sea, sources said.</p>

<p>Aircraft&nbsp;stopped landing at the city airport after 4 pm but were taking off, officials said.</p>

<p>Flight operations at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport saw delay and disruptions since morning.</p>

<p>Till evening, the airport saw six flight cancellations, 10 go-arounds and 10 diversions, airport sources said.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Heart broken. Had to abandon the car. Water flooding. <a href="https://twitter.com/RidlrMUM">@RidlrMUM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MumbaiRains?src=hash">#MumbaiRains</a> ???? Tears flowed as much as the rain, as I left <a href="https://t.co/1Kb0ETsQCC">pic.twitter.com/1Kb0ETsQCC</a></p>
&mdash; sharon (@sharonpicardo) <a href="https://twitter.com/sharonpicardo/status/902508145083342848">August 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The weather office forecasts predict that the downpour could continue for as long as 48 hours.</p>

<p>The authorities have advised residents to stay in or go home early &quot;unless urgent&quot;.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">CM <a href="https://twitter.com/Dev_Fadnavis">@Dev_Fadnavis</a> advised citizens of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mumbai?src=hash">#Mumbai</a> to stay indoors, avoid travel unless urgent and keep watch on Police &amp; BMC advisories.</p>
&mdash; CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMOMaharashtra/status/902477697791741954">August 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">If you are still at work, don&#39;t panic and leave. A little delay &amp; planned travel may help you better <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CheckRoutes?src=hash">#CheckRoutes</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MumbaiRains?src=hash">#MumbaiRains</a></p>
&mdash; Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/MumbaiPolice/status/902468953259302912">August 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi also called Maharashtra&nbsp;chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and&nbsp;assured all possible help.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Centre assures all possible support to the Government of Maharashtra in mitigating the situation due to heavy rains in parts of the state.</p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/902508147784376320">August 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>With high tide putting pressure on the worn-out drainage system,&nbsp;preventing the drainage of water into the sea,&nbsp;experts foresee that the&nbsp;situation will&nbsp;worsen.</p>

<p>The National Disaster Response Force has been alerted to handle the ongoing crisis.</p>

<p>Five flood rescue teams and two diving teams are also ready to render assistance at different locations across Mumbai, a spokesperson for the navy said.</p>

<p>Naval helicopters have been kept on standby to meet any eventuality and flood rescue teams and divers are also ready for deployment.<br />
<br />
Schools and colleges have been ordered shut following forecast of heavy rainfall, Education Minister Vinod Tawde said.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MumbaiRains?src=hash">#MumbaiRains</a> Five(05)Flood Rescue teams+Two(02)Diving teams ready 2render assistance at different locations across Mumbai <a href="https://twitter.com/SpokespersonMoD">@SpokespersonMoD</a> <a href="https://t.co/mpVwjeUdUt">pic.twitter.com/mpVwjeUdUt</a></p>
&mdash; SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) <a href="https://twitter.com/indiannavy/status/902497694618337282">August 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) helpline number for emergencies is 1916.</p>

<p>In an official announcement,&nbsp;the Maharashtra government instructed&nbsp;offices to allow employees to leave early.</p>

<p>Locals have turned to social media to explain the intensity of the situation.<br />
<br />
People spread&nbsp;the word about the critically affected areas that must be avoided.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Current scenario of LBS Marg towards Phoenix Market City from Kurla Bus. depot. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MumbaiRains?src=hash">#MumbaiRains</a> Avoid if possible. RT to spread. <a href="https://twitter.com/RidlrMUM">@RidlrMUM</a> <a href="https://t.co/V4dYJODNUu">pic.twitter.com/V4dYJODNUu</a></p>
&mdash; Shreyas Deshmukh? (@shreyshtyle) <a href="https://twitter.com/shreyshtyle/status/902404871512567808">August 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">BMC helpline 1916. Police Helpline 100..Home is the safest.. for most. Find shelter and give shelter.<br />
Be_Safe_Mumbaikars<br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MumbaiRains?src=hash">#MumbaiRains</a> <a href="https://t.co/44EqoL2DPZ">pic.twitter.com/44EqoL2DPZ</a></p>
&mdash; Armaan Shaikh (@ArmaanS_H) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArmaanS_H/status/902515734793691138">August 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>People have been asked to stay away from beach areas. The rain will act as a hindrance in completing the immersion ritual of Ganesha idols, the closing ceremony of the famous 10-day-long Ganesha festival.</p>

<p>The sea-link between western suburbs and south Mumbai has been flooded. As the major bridge gets blocked commuters will have to wait to travel to the other side of the city.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mumbai, south Gujarat, Konkan, Goa and west Vidarbha will get extremely heavy rainfall in the next 24 to 48 hours, the head of a climate monitoring centre warned.</p>

<p>&quot;It is a serious situation. We have issued necessary warnings to the departments concerned, including airports,&quot; A K Srivastav, head of climate monitoring and analysis at IMD Pune, told PTI.</p>

<p>&quot;The status of the weather system, which has brought heavy showers over the Mumbai region, has been upgraded from &#39;well marked low pressure&#39; to &#39;depression&#39;. It means it is set to bring more rains. Hence, we have predicted an extremely heavy rainfall,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>More than 500 deaths were caused as a result of the floods in 2005, with the major number of deaths in slums-- home to the majority of Mumbai&#39;s population.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:</strong></p>

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<p>Indian meteorological department predicts more rain in Mumbai in the next 48 hours. (WION)</p>
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Three hours of the downpour equivalent to an entire day's rain, submerged most of India's financial capital by noon

Mumbai faced its worst rain crisis since 2005 on Tuesday as the city was lashed by nine times the usual rain. Three hours of shower (85 mm) was equivalent to an entire day's rain, submerging most of India's financial capital by noon. The torrential rain disrupted road, rail and flight services, uprooted trees, swamped homes and brought life in the megapolis and its satellite towns to a grinding halt. A 'Red' warning has been issued for the next 24 hours for the city and adjoining areas, indicating the possibility of very heavy rainfall, a top official of the India Meteorological Department said. He added that the city and surrounding areas would continue to receive heavy rainfall over the next 2-3 days. Train services on all three suburban railway lines-- Central, Western and Harbour lines-- have been paralysed. Suburban rail services, the lifeline of the metropolis, were thrown out of gear. Several trains are stuck in the station premises. Eleven trains have been rescheduled and seven trains cancelled till 7 pm today. Fidgety passengers could be seen jumping off stationary trains and walking along the tracks to their destinations. Thousands of vehicles were stranded on arterial roads in Lower Parel, Dadar, Kurla, Andheri, Khar West, Ghatkopar, Sion and Hindmata areas that were under knee to waist deep water for several hours, many having broken down. Commuters were seen standing under knee deep water on the steps of buses in low lying areas like Parel. Traffic crawled at snail's pace on important roads, including the Eastern and Western Express Highway, Sion-Panvel highway and LBS Marg. Poor visibility caused delays in flights. While the main runway of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Aiport (CSIA) is operational, the nearby aerodrome at Juhu has been shut as it is very close to the Arabian Sea, sources said. Aircraft stopped landing at the city airport after 4 pm but were taking off, officials said. Flight operations at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport saw delay and disruptions since morning. Till evening, the airport saw six flight cancellations, 10 go-arounds and 10 diversions, airport sources said. Heart broken. Had to abandon the car. Water flooding. @RidlrMUM #MumbaiRains ???? Tears flowed as much as the rain, as I left pic.twitter.com/1Kb0ETsQCC — sharon (@sharonpicardo) August 29, 2017 × The weather office forecasts predict that the downpour could continue for as long as 48 hours. The authorities have advised residents to stay in or go home early "unless urgent". CM @Dev_Fadnavis advised citizens of #Mumbai to stay indoors, avoid travel unless urgent and keep watch on Police & BMC advisories. — CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) August 29, 2017 × If you are still at work, don't panic and leave. A little delay & planned travel may help you better #CheckRoutes #MumbaiRains — Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) August 29, 2017 × Prime Minister Narendra Modi also called Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and assured all possible help. Centre assures all possible support to the Government of Maharashtra in mitigating the situation due to heavy rains in parts of the state. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 29, 2017 × With high tide putting pressure on the worn-out drainage system, preventing the drainage of water into the sea, experts foresee that the situation will worsen. The National Disaster Response Force has been alerted to handle the ongoing crisis. Five flood rescue teams and two diving teams are also ready to render assistance at different locations across Mumbai, a spokesperson for the navy said. Naval helicopters have been kept on standby to meet any eventuality and flood rescue teams and divers are also ready for deployment. Schools and colleges have been ordered shut following forecast of heavy rainfall, Education Minister Vinod Tawde said. #MumbaiRains Five(05)Flood Rescue teams+Two(02)Diving teams ready 2render assistance at different locations across Mumbai @SpokespersonMoD pic.twitter.com/mpVwjeUdUt — SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) August 29, 2017 × The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) helpline number for emergencies is 1916. In an official announcement, the Maharashtra government instructed offices to allow employees to leave early. Locals have turned to social media to explain the intensity of the situation. People spread the word about the critically affected areas that must be avoided. Current scenario of LBS Marg towards Phoenix Market City from Kurla Bus. depot. #MumbaiRains Avoid if possible. RT to spread. @RidlrMUM pic.twitter.com/V4dYJODNUu — Shreyas Deshmukh? (@shreyshtyle) August 29, 2017 × BMC helpline 1916. Police Helpline 100..Home is the safest.. for most. Find shelter and give shelter. Be_Safe_Mumbaikars #MumbaiRains pic.twitter.com/44EqoL2DPZ — Armaan Shaikh (@ArmaanS_H) August 29, 2017 × People have been asked to stay away from beach areas. The rain will act as a hindrance in completing the immersion ritual of Ganesha idols, the closing ceremony of the famous 10-day-long Ganesha festival. The sea-link between western suburbs and south Mumbai has been flooded. As the major bridge gets blocked commuters will have to wait to travel to the other side of the city. Mumbai, south Gujarat, Konkan, Goa and west Vidarbha will get extremely heavy rainfall in the next 24 to 48 hours, the head of a climate monitoring centre warned. "It is a serious situation. We have issued necessary warnings to the departments concerned, including airports," A K Srivastav, head of climate monitoring and analysis at IMD Pune, told PTI. "The status of the weather system, which has brought heavy showers over the Mumbai region, has been upgraded from 'well marked low pressure' to 'depression'. It means it is set to bring more rains. Hence, we have predicted an extremely heavy rainfall," he said. More than 500 deaths were caused as a result of the floods in 2005, with the major number of deaths in slums-- home to the majority of Mumbai's population. Watch: Indian meteorological department predicts more rain in Mumbai in the next 48 hours. (WION) ×

Maximum City: Mumbai submerged as it battles worst rain crisis since 2005

<p>Around 20 young girls and women have gathered by a well at 11 a.m., just outside the entrance to Killabandar. &ldquo;The well has only a little water [in the summer] in one corner. It takes us half-an-hour to fill one kalshi [metal pot],&rdquo; says Neelam Manbhat, a resident of the village. Killabandar is a coastal village of fish workers, bordering Vasai Fort, north of Mumbai city.</p>

<p>For the women and girls at the well, some as little as four, spending several hours collecting water is a daily reality. The well on public land is the only source of drinking water close to the village. The municipal water supply here is erratic and inadequate, the women say. Since numerous families in Killabandar depend on the well, that water is inadequate too, especially in the summer. The women and girls have to literally scrape the bottom of the well.</p>

<p>Vasai taluka in Palghar district is spread over 600 square kilometers, and the township&rsquo;s population is around 13 lakhs (Census 2011). The Vasai Virar City &nbsp;Municipal Corporation should ideally provide adequate water for the area&rsquo;s two towns, and over a hundred villages and hamlets. It doesn&rsquo;t.</p>

<p>Killabandar residents resent the fact that while they still depend on wells and tankers, water from Palghar district is diverted to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. &ldquo;She doesn&rsquo;t have to do it,&rdquo; Priya Ghtya tells another woman at the well, pointing to me. Then she turns to me and says, &ldquo;You must have a machine [to wash clothes]. You don&rsquo;t have to do this. We don&rsquo;t get water, you do.&rdquo;</p>

<p>There are more than 75 wells in and around the 109-acre Vasai Fort. &ldquo;Most of them are out of commission,&rdquo; says Kailas Shinde, the Archaeological Survey of India conservation assistant in charge of the fort. &ldquo;Only 5-6 wells are functional.&rdquo;</p>

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<p>Women washing a big load of clothes beside the well. (Others)</p>
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<p>Shilpa Alibag (left) and Josephine Mastan (right) wash clothes at a well inside the Bale Killa portion of Vasai Fort. They come with a big load of clothes, detergent, and plastic cans with their tops cut off and tied to a rope to draw water from the well. &ldquo;We come here every day after we are done with other chores&hellip; Yes, every day. We don&rsquo;t get any holidays!&rdquo; Shilpa says, laughing.</p>

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<p>Women waiting for their turn to fetch water out of the well. (Others)</p>
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<p>At another well nearby, women and young girls also use improvised plastic cans to draw out water and then pour it into stainless steel or copper kalshis. This is one of the wells that was built at the same time as the 16th-century fort.</p>

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<p>People who use this &#39;well&#39; also pay for its maintenance. (Others)</p>
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<p>&ldquo;The well is 400 years old. We pool in money for repairs when needed,&rdquo; says Regina Jungli, sitting on her fish basket and waiting at a bus stop near the well. &ldquo;There are taps at various places in the village, but they are of little use. The [municipal] water only comes for around one-and-a-half hours on alternate days. And they don&rsquo;t bother to even check if the tanks in the village fill up,&rdquo; adds Neelam Manbhat.</p>

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<p>Even old women have no other way but to carry heavy water pots on their head. (Others)</p>
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<p>So it can take hours to fill the daily requirement of water for the family. Some women gather at the wells in the dark of the night to ensure their share &ndash; and then walk back home with the heavy pots on their heads. The pots and containers of varying sizes can hold between 5 to 15 litres of water each; large jerry cans contain even up to 50 litres.</p>

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<p>Waking up at 2 AM in the morning to fetch water. (Others)</p>
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<p>&ldquo;We get up and fill water at two in the morning. There are fewer people then. What can we do? We need the water,&rdquo; says Sunita Moses Itur (left). &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll get water; I won&rsquo;t. Some will; some won&rsquo;t. The municipal water is uncertain. We have the connections for years but there is no water yet.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Sisters-in-law Avita and Priscilla Pakya are lucky to have functional piped water in their houses. &ldquo;We need water [from the well] only for drinking,&rdquo; Priscilla says. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t drink the municipal water.&rdquo; To collect even just this water takes a lot of effort at the well. &ldquo;The water is so less, it takes an hour [to fill] two handis,&rdquo; she says, holding out her hands to indicate the size of the vessels.</p>

<p>Since water is drawn from the well round-the-clock, the groundwater has little time to replenish. Often, the little water that is drawn is muddy and has small pebbles. The girls then sieve the water when they transfer it into handis&nbsp;to take home (right).</p>

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<p>Girl child washing clothes. (Others)</p>
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<p>At another well nearby, some women are washing clothes. During the intense summer this year, the well was drying up fast. Young girls help their mothers not only to fetch water but also in other household tasks. &ldquo;She was washing clothes since she was two-and-a half,&rdquo; says a proud Priya Ghtya about her daughter Nerissa. &ldquo;See how she washes all her own clothes. She will turn four in July.&rdquo;</p>

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<p>Young girls too have to carry heavy loads of water containers. (Others)</p>
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<p>Nerissa is not the only child at work here. The need for water pushes even the youngest members &ndash; almost always girls &ndash; of many families into this daily labor. &nbsp;</p>

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<p>Young girls have to cook and fetch water for the family, while their parents are gone for work. (Others)</p>
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<p>Vanessa, a Class 4 student, &nbsp;and her friend Saniya, walk to the well at Killabandar every morning. &ldquo;I wake up at 7,&rdquo; Saniya Bhimawaghri, 11 years old, says. &ldquo;I collect water until 10-10.30, then I go to school at noon.&rdquo; Saniya lives with her parents, an older sister and three younger brothers. While her parents are out working &ndash; her mother sells clothes, her father is a fish worker &ndash; her sister, a little over a year older, cooks for the family and Saniya fetches the water. She has to make multiple trips from the well to her home deep inside Killabandar village. But can only take two pots at a time &ndash; adding to the number of trips. The handcarts in the photograph above are hired by some families to ferry their water; Saniya&rsquo;s family isn&rsquo;t one of those. &nbsp;&nbsp;Saniya, walk to the well at Killabandar every morning. &ldquo;I wake up at 7,&rdquo; Saniya Bhimawaghri, 11 years old, says. &ldquo;I collect water until 10-10.30, then I go to school at noon.&rdquo; Saniya lives with her parents, an older sister and three younger brothers. While her parents are out working &ndash; her mother sells clothes, her father is a fish worker &ndash; her sister, a little over a year older, cooks for the family and Saniya fetches the water. She has to make multiple trips from the well to her home deep inside Killabandar village. But can only take two pots at a time &ndash; adding to the number of trips. The handcarts in the photograph above are hired by some families to ferry their water; Saniya&rsquo;s family isn&rsquo;t one of those. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Autorickshaws are used to transport water cans. (Others)</p>
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<p>Some families draw more than a day&rsquo;s supply. They store it in large, blue jerry cans. The initials of the owner-family are painted on each set of cans. These cans wait at the well until they are transported in autorickshaws.</p>

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<p>This young girl&#39;s daily chores. (Others)</p>
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<p>&ldquo;We are hungry now. So we are going home to eat. We&rsquo;ll come back later,&rdquo; Vanessa tells me, and scurries off into a narrow lane that leads to her home. I follow Saniya to hers. She lives on the first floor and practically runs up the stairs with her heavy steel pots without spilling a drop.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Photo courtesy:&nbsp;<i>Samyukta Shastri</i></p>

<p>This&nbsp;<a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/articles/we-dont-get-water-you-do/">article</a>&nbsp;was originally published on 06/ 07/ 2017 on the&nbsp;<a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/">People&#39;s Archive of Rural India.</a></p>


Women spend hours to fetch water and sometimes have to wake up at 2 A.M. in the morning to avoid the uncertainty of not getting water.

Around 20 young girls and women have gathered by a well at 11 a.m., just outside the entrance to Killabandar. “The well has only a little water [in the summer] in one corner. It takes us half-an-hour to fill one kalshi [metal pot],” says Neelam Manbhat, a resident of the village. Killabandar is a coastal village of fish workers, bordering Vasai Fort, north of Mumbai city. For the women and girls at the well, some as little as four, spending several hours collecting water is a daily reality. The well on public land is the only source of drinking water close to the village. The municipal water supply here is erratic and inadequate, the women say. Since numerous families in Killabandar depend on the well, that water is inadequate too, especially in the summer. The women and girls have to literally scrape the bottom of the well. Vasai taluka in Palghar district is spread over 600 square kilometers, and the township’s population is around 13 lakhs (Census 2011). The Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation should ideally provide adequate water for the area’s two towns, and over a hundred villages and hamlets. It doesn’t. Killabandar residents resent the fact that while they still depend on wells and tankers, water from Palghar district is diverted to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. “She doesn’t have to do it,” Priya Ghtya tells another woman at the well, pointing to me. Then she turns to me and says, “You must have a machine [to wash clothes]. You don’t have to do this. We don’t get water, you do.” There are more than 75 wells in and around the 109-acre Vasai Fort. “Most of them are out of commission,” says Kailas Shinde, the Archaeological Survey of India conservation assistant in charge of the fort. “Only 5-6 wells are functional.” Women washing a big load of clothes beside the well. (Others) × Shilpa Alibag (left) and Josephine Mastan (right) wash clothes at a well inside the Bale Killa portion of Vasai Fort. They come with a big load of clothes, detergent, and plastic cans with their tops cut off and tied to a rope to draw water from the well. “We come here every day after we are done with other chores… Yes, every day. We don’t get any holidays!” Shilpa says, laughing. Women waiting for their turn to fetch water out of the well. (Others) × At another well nearby, women and young girls also use improvised plastic cans to draw out water and then pour it into stainless steel or copper kalshis. This is one of the wells that was built at the same time as the 16th-century fort. People who use this 'well' also pay for its maintenance. (Others) × “The well is 400 years old. We pool in money for repairs when needed,” says Regina Jungli, sitting on her fish basket and waiting at a bus stop near the well. “There are taps at various places in the village, but they are of little use. The [municipal] water only comes for around one-and-a-half hours on alternate days. And they don’t bother to even check if the tanks in the village fill up,” adds Neelam Manbhat. Even old women have no other way but to carry heavy water pots on their head. (Others) × So it can take hours to fill the daily requirement of water for the family. Some women gather at the wells in the dark of the night to ensure their share – and then walk back home with the heavy pots on their heads. The pots and containers of varying sizes can hold between 5 to 15 litres of water each; large jerry cans contain even up to 50 litres. Waking up at 2 AM in the morning to fetch water. (Others) × “We get up and fill water at two in the morning. There are fewer people then. What can we do? We need the water,” says Sunita Moses Itur (left). “You’ll get water; I won’t. Some will; some won’t. The municipal water is uncertain. We have the connections for years but there is no water yet.” Sisters-in-law Avita and Priscilla Pakya are lucky to have functional piped water in their houses. “We need water [from the well] only for drinking,” Priscilla says. “We don’t drink the municipal water.” To collect even just this water takes a lot of effort at the well. “The water is so less, it takes an hour [to fill] two handis,” she says, holding out her hands to indicate the size of the vessels. Since water is drawn from the well round-the-clock, the groundwater has little time to replenish. Often, the little water that is drawn is muddy and has small pebbles. The girls then sieve the water when they transfer it into handis to take home (right). Girl child washing clothes. (Others) × At another well nearby, some women are washing clothes. During the intense summer this year, the well was drying up fast. Young girls help their mothers not only to fetch water but also in other household tasks. “She was washing clothes since she was two-and-a half,” says a proud Priya Ghtya about her daughter Nerissa. “See how she washes all her own clothes. She will turn four in July.” Young girls too have to carry heavy loads of water containers. (Others) × Nerissa is not the only child at work here. The need for water pushes even the youngest members – almost always girls – of many families into this daily labor. Young girls have to cook and fetch water for the family, while their parents are gone for work. (Others) × Vanessa, a Class 4 student, and her friend Saniya, walk to the well at Killabandar every morning. “I wake up at 7,” Saniya Bhimawaghri, 11 years old, says. “I collect water until 10-10.30, then I go to school at noon.” Saniya lives with her parents, an older sister and three younger brothers. While her parents are out working – her mother sells clothes, her father is a fish worker – her sister, a little over a year older, cooks for the family and Saniya fetches the water. She has to make multiple trips from the well to her home deep inside Killabandar village. But can only take two pots at a time – adding to the number of trips. The handcarts in the photograph above are hired by some families to ferry their water; Saniya’s family isn’t one of those. Saniya, walk to the well at Killabandar every morning. “I wake up at 7,” Saniya Bhimawaghri, 11 years old, says. “I collect water until 10-10.30, then I go to school at noon.” Saniya lives with her parents, an older sister and three younger brothers. While her parents are out working – her mother sells clothes, her father is a fish worker – her sister, a little over a year older, cooks for the family and Saniya fetches the water. She has to make multiple trips from the well to her home deep inside Killabandar village. But can only take two pots at a time – adding to the number of trips. The handcarts in the photograph above are hired by some families to ferry their water; Saniya’s family isn’t one of those. Autorickshaws are used to transport water cans. (Others) × Some families draw more than a day’s supply. They store it in large, blue jerry cans. The initials of the owner-family are painted on each set of cans. These cans wait at the well until they are transported in autorickshaws. This young girl's daily chores. (Others) × “We are hungry now. So we are going home to eat. We’ll come back later,” Vanessa tells me, and scurries off into a narrow lane that leads to her home. I follow Saniya to hers. She lives on the first floor and practically runs up the stairs with her heavy steel pots without spilling a drop. Photo courtesy: Samyukta Shastri This article was originally published on 06/ 07/ 2017 on the People's Archive of Rural India.

?We don?t get water, you do?

<p>A picturesque view for any car lover or a Beemer fan for that matter. The National Sports Club in Mumbai was all prepped up for the launch of the all-new BMW 5 series. Living up to its name of doing everything grand, the launch was not a standard one with monotonous presentations to begin with and finally an official unveiling the car. The 5 series launch was rather an interesting one, with a remarkable dance performance by a famous dance troupe&nbsp;from Mumbai and of course audience had their eyes fixed on the most awaited guest, the legend himself, Mr&nbsp;Sachin Tendulkar.</p>

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<p>Dance performance at the all-new BMW 5 series launch in Mumbai (WION)</p>
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<h5>I&#39;ve come across many drivers, who consider themselves as good drivers but when it comes to parking, they find some challenges there. So for them, this car does a good job. You can just come out of the car and park it with the help of a remote control.- <strong>Sachin Tendulkar</strong></h5>
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<p>After a brief introduction to the car by the President of BMW Group India, Mr&nbsp;Vikram Pahwa, the much-loved cricketing legend and self claimed car lover Mr. Sachin Tendulkar launched the car with his simple yet mesmerising entry by driving the car through the stadium.</p>

<p>As the new 5 series is called the Business Athlete, being an athlete himself, Tendulkar, seemed pretty impressed with the car and explained the one feature which won his heart. &quot;I&#39;ve come across many drivers, who consider themselves as good drivers but when it comes to parking, they find some challenges there. So for them, this car does a good job. You can just come out of the car and park it with the help of a remote control,&quot; said the cricketer.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The all-new 5 series looked as luxurious and grand as expected. The new sedan takes design cue from its elder sibling, the 7-series, and is larger in dimensions as well. Available in three levels--Sports line, Luxury and M-sport--the new 5-series is being offered with a choice of three engines-one Petrol and two diesels with the former belting around 254 BHP and the diesel one churning 186 BHP. All the engines come mated with an 8 speed automatic transmission.</p>

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<p>BMW 520d Sport Line Specifications (WION)</p>
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<p>When it comes to technology the new 5 series definitely doesn&#39;t disappoint as it&#39;s more technologically advanced than its predecessor. Adaptive LED headlamps, four-zone climate control, iDrive system with 10.25 inch display are a few of the various equipment&nbsp;on offer.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>The all-new BMW 5 Series (WION)</p>
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<p>The all-new 5 series will compete with the likes of Volvo S90, jaguar XF and Audi A6 to name a few. When asked about the competition Mr&nbsp;Vikram Pahwa, President BMW &nbsp;group India, sounded quite confident. &quot;We always welcome competition and the game here is to grow the market and and we strongly believe that the new 5-series is actually going to grow the market.&quot;</p>

<p>After a much-awaited launch and with a price tag of Rs 49.90 lakh, Rs 53.60 lakh and Rs 61.30 lakh for Sport line, Luxury line and M sport respectively, the &quot;Business Athlete&quot;&nbsp;is ready to take on its rivals and is all set to hit the Indian soil.<br />
<br />
Check out the all-new BMW 5 Series in the video below</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWIONews%2Fvideos%2F680861428791162%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="560"></iframe></p>


7th Gen of BMW?s executive premium sedan crosses swords with the likes of Volvo S90, Mercedes E Class, Jaguar XF and Audi A6

A picturesque view for any car lover or a Beemer fan for that matter. The National Sports Club in Mumbai was all prepped up for the launch of the all-new BMW 5 series. Living up to its name of doing everything grand, the launch was not a standard one with monotonous presentations to begin with and finally an official unveiling the car. The 5 series launch was rather an interesting one, with a remarkable dance performance by a famous dance troupe from Mumbai and of course audience had their eyes fixed on the most awaited guest, the legend himself, Mr Sachin Tendulkar. Dance performance at the all-new BMW 5 series launch in Mumbai (WION) × I've come across many drivers, who consider themselves as good drivers but when it comes to parking, they find some challenges there. So for them, this car does a good job. You can just come out of the car and park it with the help of a remote control.- Sachin Tendulkar × After a brief introduction to the car by the President of BMW Group India, Mr Vikram Pahwa, the much-loved cricketing legend and self claimed car lover Mr. Sachin Tendulkar launched the car with his simple yet mesmerising entry by driving the car through the stadium. As the new 5 series is called the Business Athlete, being an athlete himself, Tendulkar, seemed pretty impressed with the car and explained the one feature which won his heart. "I've come across many drivers, who consider themselves as good drivers but when it comes to parking, they find some challenges there. So for them, this car does a good job. You can just come out of the car and park it with the help of a remote control," said the cricketer. The all-new 5 series looked as luxurious and grand as expected. The new sedan takes design cue from its elder sibling, the 7-series, and is larger in dimensions as well. Available in three levels--Sports line, Luxury and M-sport--the new 5-series is being offered with a choice of three engines-one Petrol and two diesels with the former belting around 254 BHP and the diesel one churning 186 BHP. All the engines come mated with an 8 speed automatic transmission. BMW 520d Sport Line Specifications (WION) × When it comes to technology the new 5 series definitely doesn't disappoint as it's more technologically advanced than its predecessor. Adaptive LED headlamps, four-zone climate control, iDrive system with 10.25 inch display are a few of the various equipment on offer. The all-new BMW 5 Series (WION) × The all-new 5 series will compete with the likes of Volvo S90, jaguar XF and Audi A6 to name a few. When asked about the competition Mr Vikram Pahwa, President BMW group India, sounded quite confident. "We always welcome competition and the game here is to grow the market and and we strongly believe that the new 5-series is actually going to grow the market." After a much-awaited launch and with a price tag of Rs 49.90 lakh, Rs 53.60 lakh and Rs 61.30 lakh for Sport line, Luxury line and M sport respectively, the "Business Athlete" is ready to take on its rivals and is all set to hit the Indian soil. Check out the all-new BMW 5 Series in the video below

BMW 5 Series launched in India

<p>The Not in My Name protests will be held today in at least 13 cities both inside and outside the country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The protests are against the spate of lynchings of Muslim men in recent times.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As many as 15 Muslim men have been killed since September 2015.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The protests today will be held in most major Indian cities and in the&nbsp;UK.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Cow has a message for all Cow Terrorists . <a href="https://twitter.com/Shehla_Rashid">@Shehla_Rashid</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotInMyName?src=hash">#NotInMyName</a> <a href="https://t.co/5jdcKQUqc9">pic.twitter.com/5jdcKQUqc9</a></p>
&mdash; Md Asif Khan (@imMAK02) <a href="https://twitter.com/imMAK02/status/879750795557650432">June 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">An appeal to the citizens of India to change their profile pictures as protest mob lynching. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotInMyName?src=hash">#NotInMyName</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ProfileAgainstMobLynching?src=hash">#ProfileAgainstMobLynching</a> <a href="https://t.co/OY4zb8wuq7">pic.twitter.com/OY4zb8wuq7</a></p>
&mdash; Kawalpreet Kaur (@kawalpreetdu) <a href="https://twitter.com/kawalpreetdu/status/879703722393182208">June 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>A few will be held tomorrow -- in other Indian cities, and the US and Pakistan -- and on July 1.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Delhi protest will be held this evening at Jantar Mantar between 6 to 8 pm.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Not in My Name Facebook page says: &quot;These attacks on Muslims are part of a pattern of other incidents that involve Dalits, Adivasis, and other disadvantaged and minority groups across the country.&nbsp;As citizens let&#39;s get together and through music and poetry assert that the killings and the hatred being unleashed - Is Not In Our Name.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Attendees are expected to wear black armbands.&nbsp;</p>


The protests are against the spate of lynchings of Muslim men in recent times

The Not in My Name protests will be held today in at least 13 cities both inside and outside the country. The protests are against the spate of lynchings of Muslim men in recent times. As many as 15 Muslim men have been killed since September 2015. The protests today will be held in most major Indian cities and in the UK. Cow has a message for all Cow Terrorists . @Shehla_Rashid #NotInMyName pic.twitter.com/5jdcKQUqc9 — Md Asif Khan (@imMAK02) June 27, 2017 × An appeal to the citizens of India to change their profile pictures as protest mob lynching. #NotInMyName#ProfileAgainstMobLynching pic.twitter.com/OY4zb8wuq7 — Kawalpreet Kaur (@kawalpreetdu) June 27, 2017 × A few will be held tomorrow -- in other Indian cities, and the US and Pakistan -- and on July 1. The Delhi protest will be held this evening at Jantar Mantar between 6 to 8 pm. The Not in My Name Facebook page says: "These attacks on Muslims are part of a pattern of other incidents that involve Dalits, Adivasis, and other disadvantaged and minority groups across the country. As citizens let's get together and through music and poetry assert that the killings and the hatred being unleashed - Is Not In Our Name." Attendees are expected to wear black armbands.

Not in My Name: Protests today in 13 cities inside & outside India

<p>A 17-year-old girl was swept away into the sea from Mumbai&#39;s Marine Drive during high tide yesterday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The girl, Preeti Shrikrishna Pise, ANI reported, had been trying to touch the waves splashing under Marine Drive.</p>

<p>ANI reported that Mumbai Police had denied the reports that Pise had been trying to take a&nbsp;selfie when she was swept away.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It added that police had warned visitors to Marine Drive about the dangers of high tide.</p>

<p>But added that Mumbaikars had flocked to Marine Drive yesterday, to see waves that were as high as 4.81 mts.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The 17-year-old had been trying to touch the waves splashing under Marine Drive

A 17-year-old girl was swept away into the sea from Mumbai's Marine Drive during high tide yesterday. The girl, Preeti Shrikrishna Pise, ANI reported, had been trying to touch the waves splashing under Marine Drive. ANI reported that Mumbai Police had denied the reports that Pise had been trying to take a selfie when she was swept away. It added that police had warned visitors to Marine Drive about the dangers of high tide. But added that Mumbaikars had flocked to Marine Drive yesterday, to see waves that were as high as 4.81 mts.

Mumbai high tide: Girl swept away to sea from Marine Drive

<p>Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis&#39; helicopter crash-landed in Latur on Thursday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Our helicopter did meet with an accident in Latur but me and my team is absolutely safe and ok. Nothing to worry,&quot; Fadnavis tweeted after the crash.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a>: Dramatic visuals of crash-landing of Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis&#39;s chopper in Latur, CM and team escaped unhurt. <a href="https://t.co/xTikKyvkhg">pic.twitter.com/xTikKyvkhg</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/867648955856723968">May 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Our helicopter did meet with an accident in Latur but me and my team is absolutely safe and ok.<br />
Nothing to worry.</p>
&mdash; Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dev_Fadnavis/status/867631821156233216">May 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Media reports said the chopper crash-landed shortly after take-off.</p>

<p>And that it had developed some sort of technical&nbsp;glitch.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There had been four people in the chopper.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Initial reports said one person in the chopper had been hurt, though not grievously, and that he too was okay now.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


The helicopter came down shortly after take-off

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis' helicopter crash-landed in Latur on Thursday. "Our helicopter did meet with an accident in Latur but me and my team is absolutely safe and ok. Nothing to worry," Fadnavis tweeted after the crash. #WATCH: Dramatic visuals of crash-landing of Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis's chopper in Latur, CM and team escaped unhurt. pic.twitter.com/xTikKyvkhg — ANI (@ANI_news) May 25, 2017 × Our helicopter did meet with an accident in Latur but me and my team is absolutely safe and ok. Nothing to worry. — Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) May 25, 2017 × Media reports said the chopper crash-landed shortly after take-off. And that it had developed some sort of technical glitch. There had been four people in the chopper. Initial reports said one person in the chopper had been hurt, though not grievously, and that he too was okay now. (WION)

Watch: Maha CM Fadnavis' chopper crash-lands in Latur

<p>Tamil actor and superstar Rajinikanth has received a legal notice from Sundar Shaekhar, who claims to be the son of underworld don Haji Mastan Mirza.</p>

<p>In the legal notice, Sundar has asked Rajinikanth not to depict Haji Mastan as a &quot;smuggler and underworld don&quot;.</p>

<p>There are speculations that Rajinikanth will play the role of the don, who lived between 1926 and 1994, in his next film with Pa Ranjith.</p>

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<h5>I further state that you are depicting my God Father and a well-known national political leader as a `Smuggler and Underworld Don`, which are highly unacceptable and I strongly oppose such misrepresentation of my God Father</h5>
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<p>&quot;I further state that you are depicting my God Father and a well-known national political leader as a `Smuggler and Underworld Don`, which are highly unacceptable and I strongly oppose such misrepresentation of my God Father,&quot; the notice reads.</p>

<p>He added, &quot;There is a huge political party behind him and all party workers are in a state of anger on such misrepresentation of him as a smuggler or underworld don and if any such attempt is made by you to produce any such film, then I shall be constrained to adopt legal proceedings and it is needless to say that the same shall be entirely at your risks as to costs and consequences, which please note.&quot;</p>

<p>However, Sundar also wrote, &quot;If you are really interested in making films on the lifestyle of Late Shri Haji Mastan, even I am interested in making a Biopic on my God Father as I am a Producer and a represented lifetime member of Indian Motion Picture Producer`s Association.&quot;</p>

<p>(ANI)&nbsp;</p>


Sundar Shaekhar, who claims to be underworld don Haji Mastan's son, sent a legal notice to Tamil superstar Rajnikanth

Tamil actor and superstar Rajinikanth has received a legal notice from Sundar Shaekhar, who claims to be the son of underworld don Haji Mastan Mirza. In the legal notice, Sundar has asked Rajinikanth not to depict Haji Mastan as a "smuggler and underworld don". There are speculations that Rajinikanth will play the role of the don, who lived between 1926 and 1994, in his next film with Pa Ranjith. I further state that you are depicting my God Father and a well-known national political leader as a `Smuggler and Underworld Don`, which are highly unacceptable and I strongly oppose such misrepresentation of my God Father × "I further state that you are depicting my God Father and a well-known national political leader as a `Smuggler and Underworld Don`, which are highly unacceptable and I strongly oppose such misrepresentation of my God Father," the notice reads. He added, "There is a huge political party behind him and all party workers are in a state of anger on such misrepresentation of him as a smuggler or underworld don and if any such attempt is made by you to produce any such film, then I shall be constrained to adopt legal proceedings and it is needless to say that the same shall be entirely at your risks as to costs and consequences, which please note." However, Sundar also wrote, "If you are really interested in making films on the lifestyle of Late Shri Haji Mastan, even I am interested in making a Biopic on my God Father as I am a Producer and a represented lifetime member of Indian Motion Picture Producer`s Association." (ANI)

Underworld don Haji Mastan's son threatens Rajnikanth

<p>Polling for the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and 9 other civic bodies across the Indian state of&nbsp;Maharashtra took place on Tuesday with estranged allies BJP and Shiv Sena at the forefront of this battle of might.</p>

<p>Mumbai recorded the&nbsp;&nbsp;highest voter turnout in 25 years for BMC polls, 55 per cent people cast their vote.</p>

<p>Apart from the 10 civic bodies, the second phase of polling for 11 Zilla Parishads (ZPs) and 118 panchayat samitis was also conducted.</p>

<p>Stakes are high for Fadnavis and Thackeray, who have led their respective parties from the front and were involved in a high decibel and no holds barred campaign.</p>

<p>The big poll focus is on Brihanmumbai Municipal Cooperation (BMC) &mdash; one of the world&#39;s largest city bodies, boasting of an annual budget of over Rs 37,000 crore &mdash; retaining control of which is vital for Shiv Sena as the city has remained its prime political space ever since the party&#39;s formation in 1966.</p>

<p>Fadnavis exuded confidence that people will support the party on basis of the work it has done.</p>

<p>Fadnavis, along with his wife Amruta and mother, voted in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation election at a booth near their residence in Dharampeth in Nagpur.</p>

<p>In Mumbai, NCP chief Sharad Pawar was among those who voted early as polling began at a brisk pace this morning.</p>

<p>Pawar voted at a polling booth in Ward 214 here which incidentally doesn&#39;t have an NCP candidate.</p>

<p>Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, wife Rashmi and sons Aditya and Tejas voted at a booth near their residence in suburban Bandra.</p>

<p>Other leaders who were among early voters in Mumbai were former CM Manohar Joshi, MNS chief Raj Thackeray, BJP MP Poonam Mahajan and Shaina NC.</p>

<p>Several eminent personalities and celebs including former Mumbai Police Commissioner Julio Ribeiro, Joint Police Commissioner (law and order) Deven Bharti, Election Commissioner KS Saharia, BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta, actress Anushka Sharma, Rekha; filmmakers Zoya Akhtar and Gulzar besides former cricketer Sandeep Patil also exercised their voting rights.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>(This report first appeared in DNA)</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Brihanmumbai Municipal Cooperation (BMC) is one of the world's largest city bodies boasting of an annual budget of over Rs 37,000 crore

Polling for the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and 9 other civic bodies across the Indian state of Maharashtra took place on Tuesday with estranged allies BJP and Shiv Sena at the forefront of this battle of might. Mumbai recorded the highest voter turnout in 25 years for BMC polls, 55 per cent people cast their vote. Apart from the 10 civic bodies, the second phase of polling for 11 Zilla Parishads (ZPs) and 118 panchayat samitis was also conducted. Stakes are high for Fadnavis and Thackeray, who have led their respective parties from the front and were involved in a high decibel and no holds barred campaign. The big poll focus is on Brihanmumbai Municipal Cooperation (BMC) — one of the world's largest city bodies, boasting of an annual budget of over Rs 37,000 crore — retaining control of which is vital for Shiv Sena as the city has remained its prime political space ever since the party's formation in 1966. Fadnavis exuded confidence that people will support the party on basis of the work it has done. Fadnavis, along with his wife Amruta and mother, voted in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation election at a booth near their residence in Dharampeth in Nagpur. In Mumbai, NCP chief Sharad Pawar was among those who voted early as polling began at a brisk pace this morning. Pawar voted at a polling booth in Ward 214 here which incidentally doesn't have an NCP candidate. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, wife Rashmi and sons Aditya and Tejas voted at a booth near their residence in suburban Bandra. Other leaders who were among early voters in Mumbai were former CM Manohar Joshi, MNS chief Raj Thackeray, BJP MP Poonam Mahajan and Shaina NC. Several eminent personalities and celebs including former Mumbai Police Commissioner Julio Ribeiro, Joint Police Commissioner (law and order) Deven Bharti, Election Commissioner KS Saharia, BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta, actress Anushka Sharma, Rekha; filmmakers Zoya Akhtar and Gulzar besides former cricketer Sandeep Patil also exercised their voting rights. (This report first appeared in DNA)

India: Mumbai records highest voter turnout in 25 years for BMC polls, 55 per cent people cast their vote

<p>After a cancellation in Bengaluru and&nbsp;a rescheduling in Mumbai, now reports suggest that the concert in Delhi featuring French DJ David Guetta may be cancelled.</p>

<p>According to <b><i>News18.com</i></b> on Saturday, Delhi police will explain the reasons behind the cancellation of the concert &mdash; scheduled for Sunday, January 15 &mdash; to the festival organisers.</p>

<p>ANI reported that the cancellation was due to lack of requisite clearance because of which the Delhi police rejected permission for the Sunburn Festival in the capital city.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;<em>News18</em>&nbsp;report also said that the lack of security personnel was because of the Republic Day parade preparations. Intelligence agencies have reportedly instructed the Delhi police to not let big congregations take place before January 26.</p>

<p>In a tweet posted on Friday, Sunburn Festival had said that the Grammy-winning star would perform in Mumbai and Delhi on the same day.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Alert?src=hash">#Alert</a> - Tag your friends &amp; let them know! <a href="https://t.co/uUbMDvfJc5">pic.twitter.com/uUbMDvfJc5</a></p>
&mdash; Sunburn Festival (@SunburnFestival) <a href="https://twitter.com/SunburnFestival/status/819975823176433665">January 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>His Mumbai show is to be held on Sunday afternoon, while his event in the capital was scheduled for the same evening.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We&#39;re issuing permission for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DavidGuetta?src=hash">#DavidGuetta</a>&#39;s concert in Mumbai,rescheduled for Jan 15,at Jio Gardens, Bandra Kurla Complex: Mumbai Police PRO</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/820197861681807360">January 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We&#39;re issuing permission for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DavidGuetta?src=hash">#DavidGuetta</a>&#39;s concert in Mumbai,rescheduled for Jan 15,at Jio Gardens, Bandra Kurla Complex: Mumbai Police PRO</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/820197861681807360">January 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Mumbai concert was earlier supposed to take place at Mahalaxmi Racecourse but the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) denied permission. It was then shifted to Reliance Jio Garden but failed to get clearance from the Mumbai Police.</p>

<p>&quot;We regret the cancellation of the Sunburn Arena with David Guetta this evening. We are happy to add that we have succeeded in rescheduling the event for Sunday, January 15 between 11 AM to 4 PM at the same venue - Jio Gardens, BKC,&quot; Harindra Singh, Managing Director &amp; Chairman, Percept Limited said.</p>

<p>&quot;We are complying with all the regulatory requirements as prescribed by the authorities. The current tickets will be valid for the rescheduled show on Sunday,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The Hyderabad show &quot;went really well&quot;, Harindra Singh said, ANI reported.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Events to take place tomorrow in Delhi and Mumbai, went really well in Hyderabad today: Harindra Singh, Sunburn organiser <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DavidGuetta?src=hash">#DavidGuetta</a> <a href="https://t.co/xZHlf8OZat">pic.twitter.com/xZHlf8OZat</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/820317721480957953">January 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>In Bengaluru, Guetta was scheduled to headline a special gig on Thursday, kickstarting his four-city tour to Mumbai, Hyderabad, and New Delhi. However, it was cancelled, with organisers and authorities citing conflicting reasons.</p>

<p>(This report first appeared in DNA)</p>
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The star DJ's Mumbai show is to be held on Sunday afternoon, while his event in the Indian capital was scheduled for the same evening

After a cancellation in Bengaluru and a rescheduling in Mumbai, now reports suggest that the concert in Delhi featuring French DJ David Guetta may be cancelled. According to News18.com on Saturday, Delhi police will explain the reasons behind the cancellation of the concert — scheduled for Sunday, January 15 — to the festival organisers. ANI reported that the cancellation was due to lack of requisite clearance because of which the Delhi police rejected permission for the Sunburn Festival in the capital city. The News18 report also said that the lack of security personnel was because of the Republic Day parade preparations. Intelligence agencies have reportedly instructed the Delhi police to not let big congregations take place before January 26. In a tweet posted on Friday, Sunburn Festival had said that the Grammy-winning star would perform in Mumbai and Delhi on the same day. #Alert - Tag your friends & let them know! pic.twitter.com/uUbMDvfJc5 — Sunburn Festival (@SunburnFestival) January 13, 2017 × His Mumbai show is to be held on Sunday afternoon, while his event in the capital was scheduled for the same evening. We're issuing permission for #DavidGuetta's concert in Mumbai,rescheduled for Jan 15,at Jio Gardens, Bandra Kurla Complex: Mumbai Police PRO — ANI (@ANI_news) January 14, 2017 × We're issuing permission for #DavidGuetta's concert in Mumbai,rescheduled for Jan 15,at Jio Gardens, Bandra Kurla Complex: Mumbai Police PRO — ANI (@ANI_news) January 14, 2017 × The Mumbai concert was earlier supposed to take place at Mahalaxmi Racecourse but the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) denied permission. It was then shifted to Reliance Jio Garden but failed to get clearance from the Mumbai Police. "We regret the cancellation of the Sunburn Arena with David Guetta this evening. We are happy to add that we have succeeded in rescheduling the event for Sunday, January 15 between 11 AM to 4 PM at the same venue - Jio Gardens, BKC," Harindra Singh, Managing Director & Chairman, Percept Limited said. "We are complying with all the regulatory requirements as prescribed by the authorities. The current tickets will be valid for the rescheduled show on Sunday," he said. The Hyderabad show "went really well", Harindra Singh said, ANI reported. Events to take place tomorrow in Delhi and Mumbai, went really well in Hyderabad today: Harindra Singh, Sunburn organiser #DavidGuetta pic.twitter.com/xZHlf8OZat — ANI (@ANI_news) January 14, 2017 × In Bengaluru, Guetta was scheduled to headline a special gig on Thursday, kickstarting his four-city tour to Mumbai, Hyderabad, and New Delhi. However, it was cancelled, with organisers and authorities citing conflicting reasons. (This report first appeared in DNA)

David Guetta's Delhi concert might be cancelled over security concerns

<p>At least five coaches of the Kurla-Ambernath local train derailed between Kalyan-Vitthalwadi at around 5:53 a.m. today.</p>

<p>No injuries have been reported so far.</p>

<p>The services on Kalyan-Karjat route have been temporarily suspended.</p>

<p>The Central Railways has requested local Municipal Corporation to run extra buses between Kalyan and Ambernath to reduce the inconvenience caused to the daily passengers.</p>

<p>Several trains have been diverted and cancelled in the wake of the accident.22105 CST-Pune Indrayani Express has been diverted through Diva-Panvel-Karjat, while CST-Pune Deccan Queen and CST-Pune Intercity Express have been cancelled.</p>

<p>This comes a day after coaches of the 12987 Sealdah-Ajmer Express went off track when the train was crossing a bridge over a dry canal, nearly 70 km from Kanpur.</p>

<p>Two coaches toppled off the bridge and fell into the canal bed.</p>

<p>(ANI)&nbsp;</p>


This is the fourth derailment in recent months

At least five coaches of the Kurla-Ambernath local train derailed between Kalyan-Vitthalwadi at around 5:53 a.m. today. No injuries have been reported so far. The services on Kalyan-Karjat route have been temporarily suspended. The Central Railways has requested local Municipal Corporation to run extra buses between Kalyan and Ambernath to reduce the inconvenience caused to the daily passengers. Several trains have been diverted and cancelled in the wake of the accident.22105 CST-Pune Indrayani Express has been diverted through Diva-Panvel-Karjat, while CST-Pune Deccan Queen and CST-Pune Intercity Express have been cancelled. This comes a day after coaches of the 12987 Sealdah-Ajmer Express went off track when the train was crossing a bridge over a dry canal, nearly 70 km from Kanpur. Two coaches toppled off the bridge and fell into the canal bed. (ANI)

Mumbai: Five coaches of local train derail, no injuries reported

<p>A 10-month-old girl was allegedly beaten up and kicked at a creche in India&#39;s Navi Mumbai by a caretaker.</p>

<p>The day-care centre owner and the caretaker have both been arrested, police said.</p>

<p>The incident came to light when the 10-month-old&#39;s parents went to fetch their child from the centre and found a wound on the child&#39;s forehead.</p>

<p>When asked, the creche owner did not respond well, the parents said. A doctor later told them that it could be case of child abuse.</p>

<p>The parents then lodged a police complaint with the Kharghar police station. The police inspected the CCTV footage&nbsp;of Purva Play School and Creche and subsequently arrested Afsana Sheikh and owner Priyanka Nikam (34). Nikam was later released on surety bail while Sheikh has been remanded in police custody.</p>

<p>The CCTV footage showed Sheikh beating and slapping children at the day-care centre. Sheikh is also seen hitting, throwing and kicking the child.</p>

<p>The police have registered an offence against Sheikh and Nikam under section 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) of IPC and section 23 of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act-2000.</p>

<p>The child is currently being treated at a private hospital.</p>

<p>Maharashtra&#39;s women and child development minister Pankaja Munde announced the compulsory installation&nbsp;of CCTVs at such centres.</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from PTI)</p>


The video of the alleged incident has gone viral on social media, prompting authorities to announce installation?of CCTVs at such centres

A 10-month-old girl was allegedly beaten up and kicked at a creche in India's Navi Mumbai by a caretaker. The day-care centre owner and the caretaker have both been arrested, police said. The incident came to light when the 10-month-old's parents went to fetch their child from the centre and found a wound on the child's forehead. When asked, the creche owner did not respond well, the parents said. A doctor later told them that it could be case of child abuse. The parents then lodged a police complaint with the Kharghar police station. The police inspected the CCTV footage of Purva Play School and Creche and subsequently arrested Afsana Sheikh and owner Priyanka Nikam (34). Nikam was later released on surety bail while Sheikh has been remanded in police custody. The CCTV footage showed Sheikh beating and slapping children at the day-care centre. Sheikh is also seen hitting, throwing and kicking the child. The police have registered an offence against Sheikh and Nikam under section 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) of IPC and section 23 of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act-2000. The child is currently being treated at a private hospital. Maharashtra's women and child development minister Pankaja Munde announced the compulsory installation of CCTVs at such centres. (WION with inputs from PTI)

India: 10-month-old beaten up in Mumbai creche

<p>Women will be allowed into the sanctum sanctorum of the Haji Ali dargah (shrine) in Mumbai, the shrine&#39;s trust told the Supreme Court today&nbsp;and sought four weeks to make the necessary infrastructural changes.</p>

<p>Women were allowed into the shrine&#39;s sanctum sanctorum uptil March 2011.&nbsp;Then the shrine&#39;s board of trustees imposed the ban on them, saying their entering the sanctum sanctorum was a &quot;grievious sin&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Noorjehan Fiaz and Zakia Soman, founders of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), had approached the Bombay high court&nbsp;against the ban, calling it unconstitutional.&nbsp;On July 10, 2015, a bench headed by Justice VM Kanade&nbsp;decided to hear the public interest litigation.</p>

<p>On August 26, the Bombay high court&nbsp;held that the ban imposed by the trust contravened Articles 14, 15 and 25 of the Constitution, and said women should be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum just as men do.</p>

<p>The high court held that the trust had no power to alter or modify the mode or manner of religious practices of any individual or group. The high court, in a 56-page judgement,&nbsp;had also noted that the &quot;right to manage the trust cannot override the right to practise religion itself&quot;.</p>

<p>The shrine&#39;s trust challenged the high court order.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On October 7, the Supreme Court extended&nbsp;the stay on the entry of women into the shrine&#39;s&nbsp;sanctum sanctorum&nbsp;till October 17 after the shrine&#39;s&nbsp;management said it would come up with a progressive stand in two weeks.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(This report first appeared in DNA)</p>


The shrine's board of trustees banned women in 2011, calling their entry a 'grievious sin'

Women will be allowed into the sanctum sanctorum of the Haji Ali dargah (shrine) in Mumbai, the shrine's trust told the Supreme Court today and sought four weeks to make the necessary infrastructural changes. Women were allowed into the shrine's sanctum sanctorum uptil March 2011. Then the shrine's board of trustees imposed the ban on them, saying their entering the sanctum sanctorum was a "grievious sin". Noorjehan Fiaz and Zakia Soman, founders of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), had approached the Bombay high court against the ban, calling it unconstitutional. On July 10, 2015, a bench headed by Justice VM Kanade decided to hear the public interest litigation. On August 26, the Bombay high court held that the ban imposed by the trust contravened Articles 14, 15 and 25 of the Constitution, and said women should be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum just as men do. The high court held that the trust had no power to alter or modify the mode or manner of religious practices of any individual or group. The high court, in a 56-page judgement, had also noted that the "right to manage the trust cannot override the right to practise religion itself". The shrine's trust challenged the high court order. On October 7, the Supreme Court extended the stay on the entry of women into the shrine's sanctum sanctorum till October 17 after the shrine's management said it would come up with a progressive stand in two weeks. (This report first appeared in DNA)

India: Women to be allowed into Haji Ali sanctum sanctorum, again

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>At least two people are dead and 11 injured after a fire broke out in a high-rise building in India&#39;s western city of Mumbai on Tuesday morning.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The two people were immediately taken to the hospital but were declared dead on arrival.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The fire took place on the 20th floor of Maker Tower at Cuffe Parade in South Mumbai. The flat belongs to prominent businessman Shekhar Bajaj, who is the managing director of Bajaj Electricals, ANI reported.</p>

<p>Chief fire officer P.S&nbsp;Rahangdale said &quot;We have rescued around 11 people, while the fire stretched to the servant quarter and two of them have been brutally scorched. The situation is under control now and are investigating the reason for fire,&quot; ANI reported.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">In the Bajaj family flat, some family members &amp; domestic help were stuck. All have been rescued without injury: Mumbai Fire Brigade <a href="https://t.co/7jH7nk7yHo">pic.twitter.com/7jH7nk7yHo</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/788225274567536640">October 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Eight fire engines, water tankers, and police personnel were rushed to the spot to douse the flames.</p>

<p>The fire had spread from the 20th floor to the 21st floor, PTI quoted fire officials saying.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Noted columnist Shobha De, a resident of the building, said &quot;The fire personnel did a fantastic job. They handled it very efficiently and contained it quickly... It could have been much much worse.</p>

<p>&quot;Two lives were lost ...This is a great wake-up call for everybody. Anybody who lives in a high-rise in Mumbai needs to be aware of hazards,&quot; she added.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
(WION with inputs from agencies)</p>


The flat that caught fire belongs to a senior executive of one of India's largest electrical equipment manufacturing company

At least two people are dead and 11 injured after a fire broke out in a high-rise building in India's western city of Mumbai on Tuesday morning. The two people were immediately taken to the hospital but were declared dead on arrival. The fire took place on the 20th floor of Maker Tower at Cuffe Parade in South Mumbai. The flat belongs to prominent businessman Shekhar Bajaj, who is the managing director of Bajaj Electricals, ANI reported. Chief fire officer P.S Rahangdale said "We have rescued around 11 people, while the fire stretched to the servant quarter and two of them have been brutally scorched. The situation is under control now and are investigating the reason for fire," ANI reported. In the Bajaj family flat, some family members & domestic help were stuck. All have been rescued without injury: Mumbai Fire Brigade pic.twitter.com/7jH7nk7yHo — ANI (@ANI_news) October 18, 2016 × Eight fire engines, water tankers, and police personnel were rushed to the spot to douse the flames. The fire had spread from the 20th floor to the 21st floor, PTI quoted fire officials saying. Noted columnist Shobha De, a resident of the building, said "The fire personnel did a fantastic job. They handled it very efficiently and contained it quickly... It could have been much much worse. "Two lives were lost ...This is a great wake-up call for everybody. Anybody who lives in a high-rise in Mumbai needs to be aware of hazards," she added. (WION with inputs from agencies)

India: Two killed, 11 injured in South Mumbai blaze

India&#39;s Supreme Court today, while hearing the Mumbai dance bars case, allowed dance bars having a valid licence to continue business even without CCTV cameras.<br />
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The court observed that installing CCTV cameras would mean violation of privacy of patrons visiting these bars.<br />
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Bar owners in the coastal city of India had challenged the strict laws imposed by the state government&nbsp;on the functioning of bars.<br />
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The Maharashtra government had imposed these rules in a bid to ensure safety of the women working in the dance bars.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
On August 30, the apex court had asked the state government to make a new law for grant of a dance bar license and had asked the government to reply within six months.<br />
<br />
The Dance Bar Regulation Bill forbids serving alcohol in an area where a performance takes place and heavy penalties are imposed on violation of rules. It also mandates that such establishments must be closed by 11:30 pm.<br />
<br />
Dance bar owners felt that the restrictions imposed are unreasonable, some of which include: maintaining a distance of 1 km from religious or educational buildings and closing bars before 11:30 pm.<br />
<br />
They say maintaining the distance is impossible in a big city, where space is a constraint and closing the bar early is discriminatory as commercial bars are not forced to do the same.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The government&#39;s counsel,&nbsp;Shekhar Nafade,&nbsp;defended the restrictions stating that the government had the right to make laws which protect its citizens.<br />
<br />
(WION with inputs from ANI)

Bar owners in Mumbai had challenged the strict laws imposed by the state government?on the functioning of bars

India's Supreme Court today, while hearing the Mumbai dance bars case, allowed dance bars having a valid licence to continue business even without CCTV cameras. The court observed that installing CCTV cameras would mean violation of privacy of patrons visiting these bars. Bar owners in the coastal city of India had challenged the strict laws imposed by the state government on the functioning of bars. The Maharashtra government had imposed these rules in a bid to ensure safety of the women working in the dance bars. On August 30, the apex court had asked the state government to make a new law for grant of a dance bar license and had asked the government to reply within six months. The Dance Bar Regulation Bill forbids serving alcohol in an area where a performance takes place and heavy penalties are imposed on violation of rules. It also mandates that such establishments must be closed by 11:30 pm. Dance bar owners felt that the restrictions imposed are unreasonable, some of which include: maintaining a distance of 1 km from religious or educational buildings and closing bars before 11:30 pm. They say maintaining the distance is impossible in a big city, where space is a constraint and closing the bar early is discriminatory as commercial bars are not forced to do the same. The government's counsel, Shekhar Nafade, defended the restrictions stating that the government had the right to make laws which protect its citizens. (WION with inputs from ANI)

India's Supreme Court allows dance bars to function without CCTV cameras

Indian police said today they have arrested the head of an upmarket hospital in Mumbai and four doctors on suspicion of organ trafficking.<br />
<br />
Police reportedly stopped a kidney transplant procedure at the L H Hiranandani hospital after finding that documents showing the donor was married to the intended recipient were forged. They said the woman giving up her kidney was being paid, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.<br />
<br />
Organs can only be donated by close relatives or by non-relatives approved by a special committee in India, and buying and selling them is illegal.<br />
<br />
&quot;We have arrested the chief executive of L H Hiranandani hospital, Sujit Chatterjee, and four doctors,&quot; said Mumbai police spokesman Ashok Dudhe.<br />
<br />
They have been remanded in custody until Saturday, he added. It is not the first such case&nbsp;?&nbsp;in June Indian police said they had uncovered an illegal organ donation racket run out of a top New Delhi hospital. That case also involved forged documents showing that the donors and the recipients were related.<br />
<br />
Staff at the Apollo hospital were arrested, although its management denied any role and said it was the &quot;victim of a well-orchestrated operation to cheat patients and the hospital&quot;.<br />
<br />
Millions of Indians suffer from kidney disease, mostly because of high rates of diabetes. But a chronic shortage of organs available for transplant has fuelled a black market.<br />
<br />
(AFP)

Police reportedly stopped a kidney transplant at LH Hiranandani hospital after finding that the donor documents were forged

Indian police said today they have arrested the head of an upmarket hospital in Mumbai and four doctors on suspicion of organ trafficking. Police reportedly stopped a kidney transplant procedure at the L H Hiranandani hospital after finding that documents showing the donor was married to the intended recipient were forged. They said the woman giving up her kidney was being paid, according to the Press Trust of India news agency. Organs can only be donated by close relatives or by non-relatives approved by a special committee in India, and buying and selling them is illegal. "We have arrested the chief executive of L H Hiranandani hospital, Sujit Chatterjee, and four doctors," said Mumbai police spokesman Ashok Dudhe. They have been remanded in custody until Saturday, he added. It is not the first such case ? in June Indian police said they had uncovered an illegal organ donation racket run out of a top New Delhi hospital. That case also involved forged documents showing that the donors and the recipients were related. Staff at the Apollo hospital were arrested, although its management denied any role and said it was the "victim of a well-orchestrated operation to cheat patients and the hospital". Millions of Indians suffer from kidney disease, mostly because of high rates of diabetes. But a chronic shortage of organs available for transplant has fuelled a black market. (AFP)

Head of upmarket Mumbai hospital, 4 doctors arrested on suspicion of organ trafficking

Two people died and a family of six feared trapped after a two-storey building collapsed today morning in the western Indian state of Maharashtra.<br />
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The building that had earlier been declared dangerous by local officials, crumbled overnight in the Hanuman Tekri area of Bhiwandi city, about 40 kilometres from the state capital Mumbai,&nbsp;following days of monsoon rain.<br />
<br />
Two people were pulled alive from the debris but rescuers also recovered two bodies, said DM Katke, a senior police inspector in the Bhiwandi&nbsp;residential area where the collapse occurred.<br />
<br />
&quot;Luckily two of them were fine but the other two couldn&#39;t survive the collapse,&quot; Katke told AFP.<br />
<br />
&quot;Locals have told us that there&nbsp;is another family, which includes three children, under the rubble. The chances of them having survived the collapse are very bleak,&quot; he said, adding that the family numbered&nbsp;six members.<br />
<br />
Emergency workers were using mechanical diggers and other equipment to remove slabs of concrete and mud, but police said there was little hope of finding the family&nbsp;including three children alive.<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Visuals of the spot where a two-storey building collapsed this morning, many feared buried under debris <a href="https://t.co/QwCXI3MFJk">pic.twitter.com/QwCXI3MFJk</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/762116070610182144">August 7, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<p><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">This is the second time a building has collapsed in Bhiwandi.&nbsp;</span></p>
Eight people had died when a three-storey building collapsed in the JB Nagar area of the city on July 31.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
A dilapidated building killed 12 people when it&nbsp;collapsed outside Mumbai last August. Nine people died the same month when another old three-storey building collapsed in monsoon rain in the Mumbai suburb of Thakurli.<br />
<br />
And only a few days ago a bridge on the Mumbai-Goa highway had collapsed, killing at least 24 people.<br />
<br />
Building collapses are common in India, especially during the annual monsoon season.<br />
<br />
Millions are forced to live in dilapidated properties because of rising real estate prices and a lack of housing for the poor. A booming economy has also led&nbsp;to increased demand for apartments, with unauthorised multi-storey structures mushrooming on the outskirts of cities and towns.<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />
(Agencies)<br />
&nbsp;

Authorities had declared the two-storey building unfit for occupation but families continued to live in it. Rescue operations are ongoing

Two people died and a family of six feared trapped after a two-storey building collapsed today morning in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. The building that had earlier been declared dangerous by local officials, crumbled overnight in the Hanuman Tekri area of Bhiwandi city, about 40 kilometres from the state capital Mumbai, following days of monsoon rain. Two people were pulled alive from the debris but rescuers also recovered two bodies, said DM Katke, a senior police inspector in the Bhiwandi residential area where the collapse occurred. "Luckily two of them were fine but the other two couldn't survive the collapse," Katke told AFP. "Locals have told us that there is another family, which includes three children, under the rubble. The chances of them having survived the collapse are very bleak," he said, adding that the family numbered six members. Emergency workers were using mechanical diggers and other equipment to remove slabs of concrete and mud, but police said there was little hope of finding the family including three children alive. Visuals of the spot where a two-storey building collapsed this morning, many feared buried under debris pic.twitter.com/QwCXI3MFJk — ANI (@ANI_news) August 7, 2016 This is the second time a building has collapsed in Bhiwandi. Eight people had died when a three-storey building collapsed in the JB Nagar area of the city on July 31. A dilapidated building killed 12 people when it collapsed outside Mumbai last August. Nine people died the same month when another old three-storey building collapsed in monsoon rain in the Mumbai suburb of Thakurli. And only a few days ago a bridge on the Mumbai-Goa highway had collapsed, killing at least 24 people. Building collapses are common in India, especially during the annual monsoon season. Millions are forced to live in dilapidated properties because of rising real estate prices and a lack of housing for the poor. A booming economy has also led to increased demand for apartments, with unauthorised multi-storey structures mushrooming on the outskirts of cities and towns. (Agencies)

For second time this week building collapses in Indian state of Maharastra; 8 dead, several feared trapped

At least two persons drowned and 20 others went missing as two buses were swept away in the swollen Savitri River after a British-era bridge collapsed on the Mumbai-Goa Highway near Mahad in westeren Indian state Maharashtra&#39;s Raigad district late last night.<br />
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Rescuers fished out the bodies of two men from the river, and an intense search is on to trace those missing, Raigad district collector Sheetal Ugale said at the mishap spot, 170 kilometres from Mumbai.&nbsp;<br />
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Teams of disaster management forces have joined the coast guard and other agencies engaged in rescue and relief operations.<br />
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Two state transport buses with 18 passengers and four crew members had gone missing in the Mahad tragedy, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said in a tweet.<br />
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<strong>&#39;Flooding triggered collapse&#39;</strong><br />
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Fadnavis, who is monitoring the situation, said, &quot;There were two parallel bridges; one is a new bridge and one constructed during the British era. The old one collapsed.&quot;<br />
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&quot;The primary reason seems to be the high pressure caused due to flooding of river Savitri due to heavy rains in catchment of Mahabaleshwar,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;Spoke to Raigad SP and Collector about bridge collapse on Mumbai-Goa Highway. Administration has rushed to spot for rescue and immediate measures,&quot; Fadnavis said.<br />
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&quot;Traffic on highway is stopped. Administration is ascertaining strength and stability of new bridge,&quot; he tweeted.<br />
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Fadnavis and was briefed about the bridge collapse. &quot;The PM offered all help in rescue and relief operations,&quot; Fadnavis said.<br />
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National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are already activated, he tweeted.&nbsp;The Coast Guard has deployed a Chetak helicopter to carry out search for people who were swept away from the bridge.&nbsp;Soon after the incident, Raigad superintendent of police (SP) Suvez Haque and Collector visited the spot where the bridge once stood.&nbsp;Darkness had hampered operations, which resumed this morning.<br />
<br />
According to a defence spokesperson, the coast guard deployed a Chetak helicopter at about 8:15 am to carry out a search for people, while a&nbsp;Seaking 42B helicopter on another mission was also diverted to help search the area. In addition, the navy launched a&nbsp;Seaking 42C all-weather aircraft with a diving team.<br />
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<strong>Govenor expresses concern&nbsp;</strong><br />
<br />
Maharashtra governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao has expressed grief over the loss of life caused by the bridge collapse.&nbsp;The governor expressed concern over the fate of the missing persons, who boarded the state transport buses and other vehicles that have gone missing in the flood.<br />
<br />
&quot;My heart goes out to the persons who were on board the two buses and other vehicles that have gone missing in the Savitri river in Mahad. I offer my condolences to the kin of those who lost their lives and pray for the safe rescue of those who are missing,&quot; he said in a message. &nbsp;<br />
<br />
(PTI)&nbsp;

Two buses on the Mumbai-Goa Highway bridge were swept away in the Savitri River. Rescue teams frantically search for survivors

At least two persons drowned and 20 others went missing as two buses were swept away in the swollen Savitri River after a British-era bridge collapsed on the Mumbai-Goa Highway near Mahad in westeren Indian state Maharashtra's Raigad district late last night. Rescuers fished out the bodies of two men from the river, and an intense search is on to trace those missing, Raigad district collector Sheetal Ugale said at the mishap spot, 170 kilometres from Mumbai. Teams of disaster management forces have joined the coast guard and other agencies engaged in rescue and relief operations. Two state transport buses with 18 passengers and four crew members had gone missing in the Mahad tragedy, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said in a tweet. 'Flooding triggered collapse' Fadnavis, who is monitoring the situation, said, "There were two parallel bridges; one is a new bridge and one constructed during the British era. The old one collapsed." "The primary reason seems to be the high pressure caused due to flooding of river Savitri due to heavy rains in catchment of Mahabaleshwar," he said. "Spoke to Raigad SP and Collector about bridge collapse on Mumbai-Goa Highway. Administration has rushed to spot for rescue and immediate measures," Fadnavis said. "Traffic on highway is stopped. Administration is ascertaining strength and stability of new bridge," he tweeted. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Fadnavis and was briefed about the bridge collapse. "The PM offered all help in rescue and relief operations," Fadnavis said. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are already activated, he tweeted. The Coast Guard has deployed a Chetak helicopter to carry out search for people who were swept away from the bridge. Soon after the incident, Raigad superintendent of police (SP) Suvez Haque and Collector visited the spot where the bridge once stood. Darkness had hampered operations, which resumed this morning. According to a defence spokesperson, the coast guard deployed a Chetak helicopter at about 8:15 am to carry out a search for people, while a Seaking 42B helicopter on another mission was also diverted to help search the area. In addition, the navy launched a Seaking 42C all-weather aircraft with a diving team. Govenor expresses concern Maharashtra governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao has expressed grief over the loss of life caused by the bridge collapse. The governor expressed concern over the fate of the missing persons, who boarded the state transport buses and other vehicles that have gone missing in the flood. "My heart goes out to the persons who were on board the two buses and other vehicles that have gone missing in the Savitri river in Mahad. I offer my condolences to the kin of those who lost their lives and pray for the safe rescue of those who are missing," he said in a message. (PTI)

Two drown, 20 missing as British-era bridge on Indian highway collapses?

<span style="font-size:14px;">A joint team of Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad and Kerala Police arrested a youth in India yesterday allegedly associated with controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik&#39;s foundation in connection with a case registered in Kochi in India&#39;s southern Kerala state.<br />
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A senior police official said Arshid Qureshi, who was associated with Naik&#39;s IRF Foundation, was nabbed from Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra in western India.<br />
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Qureshi was held after the police raided a flat in Seawoods, reported The Times of India.<br />
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According to the report, Ebin Jacob (25), the brother of Merin alias Mariam, who is missing along with her husband, Bestin Vincent alias Yahia, from Kerala, had told police that there was an attempt to forcibly convert him to Islam and make him join the Islamic State. Ebin had told Kochi police that Bestin and Qureshi were behind the attempted conversion.<br />
<br />
A case under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 153 A (promoting enmity between groups) as well as under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act was registered in Kochi. He was produced before the Belapur court in Navi Mumbai which granted Kerala Police his transit remand till July 25.<br />
<br />
Kerala Police will now produce him in a court in Kochi.<br />
<br />
At least 21 youth from Kerala have gone missing in the past one month and their families suspect they may have joined the Islamic State. The families of the youths, including a couple, have not heard from them for the past one month and fear that they have been radicalised after having gone to West Asia for religious studies.<br />
<br />
(WION)&nbsp;</span>

Arshid Qureshi was nabbed from a Mumbai suburb after the brother of a missing Kerala man reported a forced conversion attempt to the police

A joint team of Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad and Kerala Police arrested a youth in India yesterday allegedly associated with controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's foundation in connection with a case registered in Kochi in India's southern Kerala state. A senior police official said Arshid Qureshi, who was associated with Naik's IRF Foundation, was nabbed from Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra in western India. Qureshi was held after the police raided a flat in Seawoods, reported The Times of India. According to the report, Ebin Jacob (25), the brother of Merin alias Mariam, who is missing along with her husband, Bestin Vincent alias Yahia, from Kerala, had told police that there was an attempt to forcibly convert him to Islam and make him join the Islamic State. Ebin had told Kochi police that Bestin and Qureshi were behind the attempted conversion. A case under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 153 A (promoting enmity between groups) as well as under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act was registered in Kochi. He was produced before the Belapur court in Navi Mumbai which granted Kerala Police his transit remand till July 25. Kerala Police will now produce him in a court in Kochi. At least 21 youth from Kerala have gone missing in the past one month and their families suspect they may have joined the Islamic State. The families of the youths, including a couple, have not heard from them for the past one month and fear that they have been radicalised after having gone to West Asia for religious studies. (WION)

Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's aide arrested for allegedly recruiting youth for IS

One of India&#39;s most high-profile Hindu temples said today it now accepts shares of listed companies as donations in a novel departure from the usual gifts of cash and gold.<br />
<br />
Mumbai&#39;s Siddhivinayak temple, which Apple chief executive Tim Cook visited in May, allows generous devotees to transfer their stocks electronically to an account run by the religious site&#39;s trust.<br />
<br />
&quot;We have opened up a &#39;share and securities&#39; option for devotees globally,&quot; trust chairman Narendra Murari Rane said, adding that the stocks would be converted into cash.<br />
<br />
&quot;The stocks cannot be used for trading purposes,&quot; Rane explained.<br />
<br />
Hundreds of thousands of worshippers pray at Siddhivinayak temple, dedicated to the elephant-headed deity Ganesh, every day, including Indian cricketers, politicians and Bollywood film stars.<br />
<br />
Situated in the south of India&#39;s financial capital, it is one of the wealthiest temples in India, receiving donations of around 750 million Rupees ($11.19 million) a year in cash, silver and gold.<br />
<br />
As well as donations, Hindus also seek the blessings of their favoured gods by making religious offerings at shrines, such as fruit, incense sticks and flowers.&nbsp;Rane hopes Indians who like to invest on the Bombay Stock Exchange will be inclined to give some of their shares to Siddhivinayak in the hope that it will boost their fortunes.<br />
<br />
&quot;Many devotees who enter the Indian stock market want an auspicious start. Hence, they might seek blessings by promising to donate shares to the temple,&quot; he said.<br />
<br />
The temple trust decided to pursue the scheme after another temple in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh last year became the first to accept stocks as donations, Rane added.&nbsp;The trust uses donations to finance charitable hospitals and schools for the underprivileged societies across India&#39;s western Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital.<br />
<br />
(AFP)

Temple trust chairman Narendra Murari Rane said the stocks will be converted into cash, and will not be used for trading purposes

One of India's most high-profile Hindu temples said today it now accepts shares of listed companies as donations in a novel departure from the usual gifts of cash and gold. Mumbai's Siddhivinayak temple, which Apple chief executive Tim Cook visited in May, allows generous devotees to transfer their stocks electronically to an account run by the religious site's trust. "We have opened up a 'share and securities' option for devotees globally," trust chairman Narendra Murari Rane said, adding that the stocks would be converted into cash. "The stocks cannot be used for trading purposes," Rane explained. Hundreds of thousands of worshippers pray at Siddhivinayak temple, dedicated to the elephant-headed deity Ganesh, every day, including Indian cricketers, politicians and Bollywood film stars. Situated in the south of India's financial capital, it is one of the wealthiest temples in India, receiving donations of around 750 million Rupees ($11.19 million) a year in cash, silver and gold. As well as donations, Hindus also seek the blessings of their favoured gods by making religious offerings at shrines, such as fruit, incense sticks and flowers. Rane hopes Indians who like to invest on the Bombay Stock Exchange will be inclined to give some of their shares to Siddhivinayak in the hope that it will boost their fortunes. "Many devotees who enter the Indian stock market want an auspicious start. Hence, they might seek blessings by promising to donate shares to the temple," he said. The temple trust decided to pursue the scheme after another temple in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh last year became the first to accept stocks as donations, Rane added. The trust uses donations to finance charitable hospitals and schools for the underprivileged societies across India's western Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital. (AFP)

India's Siddhivinayak temple now accepts stocks as donations

India marked the 29th International Day against drug abuse on Sunday by holding marathons, walkathons and cyclothons in various cities to create awareness about the spreading menace.<br />
<br />
Hundreds of people ran on the streets of Mumbai and northern India hill town of Shimla to spread the word about the ill effects of drugs.<br />
<br />
&quot;This activity is to run three kilometers and just to give a message to all the citizens that we have to stop drug abuse - neither will we practice it, nor will we let anyone else do it,&quot; said a participant in Mumbai.<br />
<br />
The International Day of Anti-Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is observed annually on June 26, since the year 1988. This year&#39;s theme is &#39;Listen First&#39;.<br />
<br />
The paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) held a cycle rally in eastern Siliguri city to mark the day. Hundreds of students and athletes participated in the event and pledged support to the anti-drugs campaign.<br />
<br />
&quot;We are trying to create awareness about youngsters&#39; addiction to drugs that reach our country illegally. One should not take drugs as life gets ruined once you get addicted to it. This is why we have never taken drugs and even tasted it,&quot; said a BSF official.<br />
<br />
Similarly, a large number of people carried banners denouncing the use of drugs in a walkathon in New Delhi that was flagged off by Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Thawar Chand Gehlot.<br />
<br />
With nearly 18 per cent of the world&#39;s population in the age group of 15 to 64, India is a prime market for illicit opiates originating in both South East Asia and South West Asia, according to the World Drug Report 2014.<br />
<br />
(Reuters)

Hundreds of people ran on the streets of Mumbai and northern India hill town of Shimla to spread the word about the ill effects of drugs

India marked the 29th International Day against drug abuse on Sunday by holding marathons, walkathons and cyclothons in various cities to create awareness about the spreading menace. Hundreds of people ran on the streets of Mumbai and northern India hill town of Shimla to spread the word about the ill effects of drugs. "This activity is to run three kilometers and just to give a message to all the citizens that we have to stop drug abuse - neither will we practice it, nor will we let anyone else do it," said a participant in Mumbai. The International Day of Anti-Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is observed annually on June 26, since the year 1988. This year's theme is 'Listen First'. The paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) held a cycle rally in eastern Siliguri city to mark the day. Hundreds of students and athletes participated in the event and pledged support to the anti-drugs campaign. "We are trying to create awareness about youngsters' addiction to drugs that reach our country illegally. One should not take drugs as life gets ruined once you get addicted to it. This is why we have never taken drugs and even tasted it," said a BSF official. Similarly, a large number of people carried banners denouncing the use of drugs in a walkathon in New Delhi that was flagged off by Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Thawar Chand Gehlot. With nearly 18 per cent of the world's population in the age group of 15 to 64, India is a prime market for illicit opiates originating in both South East Asia and South West Asia, according to the World Drug Report 2014. (Reuters)

India marks International Day against drug abuse

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