Spain's parliament on Friday ousted Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in a no-confidence vote sparked by fury over his party's corruption woes, with his Socialist arch-rival Pedro Sanchez automatically taking over.&nbsp;

An absolute majority of 180 lawmakers voted for the motion to loud applause and shouts of "Yes we can," converting Rajoy into the first prime minister to be ousted by such a vote since Spain transitioned to democracy in 1977.

The bespectacled 63-year-old leader got up and shook hands with Sanchez before leaving the lower house without a word.

Rajoy had already admitted defeat minutes before the vote, knowing that an absolute majority of lawmakers as diverse as Catalan separatists and Basque nationalists had pledged their support for the no-confidence motion.

"It's been an honour -- there is none bigger -- to have been Spain's prime minister," he told parliament, with lawmakers from his conservative Popular Party (PP) giving him a standing ovation.

Sanchez, Spain's 46-year-old opposition leader, had instigated the no-confidence motion last week after a court revealed details of a vast system of bribes given to former PP officials in exchange for lucrative public contracts between 1999-2005.

After years of anger over the scandals tainting the PP, corruption finally got the better of the party and sealed Rajoy's downfall.

"Today we are signing a new page in the history of democracy in our country," Sanchez told parliament prior to the vote.

But PP lawmaker Rafael Hernando told him he would be entering the prime minister's office "through the back door" after failing to win 2015 and 2016 general elections.

"For the first time we may get a prime minister who didn't win elections," he retorted.&nbsp;

Tough ride for Sanchez 
In order to push through the no-confidence motion, the Socialists, who hold just 84 of the parliament's 350 seats, had to cosy up to parties they had previously clashed with, like Catalan separatists and the anti-establishment Podemos.

As such, even if he has pledged to govern long enough to restore "institutional stability" before calling early elections, Sanchez's new government will likely be highly unstable.

Podemos has already asked to be part of his new government.

Aitor Esteban of the Basque PNV nationalist party, whose support proved decisive for the motion's success, on Thursday warned that such a minority government would be "weak and difficult, complicated."

"This is going to be a constant bing, bang, boom."

A scandal too far 
Although Rajoy survived a similar no-confidence vote last year, Friday's ballot draws a line under his rollercoaster time in office which began in 2011 and saw him implementing drastic spending cuts before winning re-election in 2015 and 2016.&nbsp;

Despite winning the last two votes, he lacked the absolute majority of his first term.

He put Spain back onto the path of growth after a devastating economic crisis although unemployment remains sky-high, jobs precarious and many complain inequalities have risen.

But his term in office was also marred by a series of corruption scandals involving former PP members.

Last week the National Court, which deals with major criminal cases, sentenced 29 people with links to the PP, including a former treasurer, to a total of 351 years in jail.&nbsp;

It also ordered the party to pay back 245,000 euros ($290,000) received from the scheme to help finance election campaigns.

'What moral authority'? 
Rajoy became Spain's first sitting prime minister to give evidence at trial when he was called as a witness last year.

In its ruling, the court said the credibility of Rajoy's testimony "should be questioned".

During Thursday's pre-vote debate, Rajoy said the corruption case "does not concern members of the government" and repeated the party's argument that only a tiny number of its politicians have been tainted by corruption.

He also hit back by listing the many graft cases involving the Socialists over the years.

"Are you Mother Teresa of Calcutta? With what moral authority do you speak?" he told Sanchez.

The no-confidence vote launched by Rajoy's rival Socialist party chief Pedro Sanchez proved the nail in the coffin of a man variously described as an uncharismatic and rigid do-nothing or a stellar strategist with strong political acumen

Spain's parliament on Friday ousted Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in a no-confidence vote sparked by fury over his party's corruption woes, with his Socialist arch-rival Pedro Sanchez automatically taking over. An absolute majority of 180 lawmakers voted for the motion to loud applause and shouts of "Yes we can," converting Rajoy into the first prime minister to be ousted by such a vote since Spain transitioned to democracy in 1977. The bespectacled 63-year-old leader got up and shook hands with Sanchez before leaving the lower house without a word. Rajoy had already admitted defeat minutes before the vote, knowing that an absolute majority of lawmakers as diverse as Catalan separatists and Basque nationalists had pledged their support for the no-confidence motion. "It's been an honour -- there is none bigger -- to have been Spain's prime minister," he told parliament, with lawmakers from his conservative Popular Party (PP) giving him a standing ovation. Sanchez, Spain's 46-year-old opposition leader, had instigated the no-confidence motion last week after a court revealed details of a vast system of bribes given to former PP officials in exchange for lucrative public contracts between 1999-2005. After years of anger over the scandals tainting the PP, corruption finally got the better of the party and sealed Rajoy's downfall. "Today we are signing a new page in the history of democracy in our country," Sanchez told parliament prior to the vote. But PP lawmaker Rafael Hernando told him he would be entering the prime minister's office "through the back door" after failing to win 2015 and 2016 general elections. "For the first time we may get a prime minister who didn't win elections," he retorted. Tough ride for Sanchez In order to push through the no-confidence motion, the Socialists, who hold just 84 of the parliament's 350 seats, had to cosy up to parties they had previously clashed with, like Catalan separatists and the anti-establishment Podemos. As such, even if he has pledged to govern long enough to restore "institutional stability" before calling early elections, Sanchez's new government will likely be highly unstable. Podemos has already asked to be part of his new government. Aitor Esteban of the Basque PNV nationalist party, whose support proved decisive for the motion's success, on Thursday warned that such a minority government would be "weak and difficult, complicated." "This is going to be a constant bing, bang, boom." A scandal too far Although Rajoy survived a similar no-confidence vote last year, Friday's ballot draws a line under his rollercoaster time in office which began in 2011 and saw him implementing drastic spending cuts before winning re-election in 2015 and 2016. Despite winning the last two votes, he lacked the absolute majority of his first term. He put Spain back onto the path of growth after a devastating economic crisis although unemployment remains sky-high, jobs precarious and many complain inequalities have risen. But his term in office was also marred by a series of corruption scandals involving former PP members. Last week the National Court, which deals with major criminal cases, sentenced 29 people with links to the PP, including a former treasurer, to a total of 351 years in jail. It also ordered the party to pay back 245,000 euros ($290,000) received from the scheme to help finance election campaigns. 'What moral authority'? Rajoy became Spain's first sitting prime minister to give evidence at trial when he was called as a witness last year. In its ruling, the court said the credibility of Rajoy's testimony "should be questioned". During Thursday's pre-vote debate, Rajoy said the corruption case "does not concern members of the government" and repeated the party's argument that only a tiny number of its politicians have been tainted by corruption. He also hit back by listing the many graft cases involving the Socialists over the years. "Are you Mother Teresa of Calcutta? With what moral authority do you speak?" he told Sanchez.

Parliament ousts Spain PM, replaced by Socialist leader

Pakistan's&nbsp;Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has summoned a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) on Tuesday to discuss security and border issues.

The top&nbsp;civilian&nbsp;and&nbsp;military&nbsp;leadership, apart from discussing aforementioned issues, will review the implementation of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) reforms, regional situation and matters pertaining to the eastern and&nbsp;western border of the&nbsp;country, Geo TV, reported citing sources, as saying.

The report, also quotes the sources, as saying that the NSC is likely to discuss the issue of the book 'Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace' co-authored by former chief of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General (retired)&nbsp;Asad Durrani.

Durrani, whose, name was placed on the&nbsp;country's Exit Control List (ECL)&nbsp;on Monday&nbsp;met with the senior officers of the Pakistan Army at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi to give an explanation for co-authoring a book with former Indian external intelligence chief A S Dulat.

His placement in the ECL comes hours after he was after the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the former spy chief would be probed by a Court of Inquiry for views attributed to him in the book 'Spy Chronicles.'

Durrani and Dulat co-authored a book named 'Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace' which has recently been published.

In the book, Lt. Gen. Durrani made certain observations, including a claim that then prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani was aware of the US Navy Seals operation against Osama Bin Ladin in Abbottabad and that a special deal was struck between the US and Pakistani governments in this regard.

Post the book release, Lt. Gen. (retd.) Durrani was asked to clarify his position in the context of the&nbsp;military&nbsp;code of conduct that bars any serving or retired&nbsp;military&nbsp;official from making remarks that compromise the&nbsp;country's national security.

The Spy Chronicles which has been a maiden effort by two former chiefs of rival agencies had been all over the news even before the book was published.

Earlier, Lt. Gen. Durrani defended himself saying the literary collaboration was simply a case of two people with experience in Indo-Pak affairs joining hands to discuss their respective perspectives.

The top civilian and military leadership, apart from discussing aforementioned issues, will review the implementation of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) reforms

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has summoned a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) on Tuesday to discuss security and border issues. The top civilian and military leadership, apart from discussing aforementioned issues, will review the implementation of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) reforms, regional situation and matters pertaining to the eastern and western border of the country, Geo TV, reported citing sources, as saying. The report, also quotes the sources, as saying that the NSC is likely to discuss the issue of the book 'Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace' co-authored by former chief of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General (retired) Asad Durrani. Durrani, whose, name was placed on the country's Exit Control List (ECL) on Monday met with the senior officers of the Pakistan Army at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi to give an explanation for co-authoring a book with former Indian external intelligence chief A S Dulat. His placement in the ECL comes hours after he was after the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the former spy chief would be probed by a Court of Inquiry for views attributed to him in the book 'Spy Chronicles.' Durrani and Dulat co-authored a book named 'Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace' which has recently been published. In the book, Lt. Gen. Durrani made certain observations, including a claim that then prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani was aware of the US Navy Seals operation against Osama Bin Ladin in Abbottabad and that a special deal was struck between the US and Pakistani governments in this regard. Post the book release, Lt. Gen. (retd.) Durrani was asked to clarify his position in the context of the military code of conduct that bars any serving or retired military official from making remarks that compromise the country's national security. The Spy Chronicles which has been a maiden effort by two former chiefs of rival agencies had been all over the news even before the book was published. Earlier, Lt. Gen. Durrani defended himself saying the literary collaboration was simply a case of two people with experience in Indo-Pak affairs joining hands to discuss their respective perspectives.

Pakistan: PM Abbasi summons NSC meeting to discuss security

As part of government's scheme of funding the unfunded, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said banks and financial institutions have given Rs 6 lakh crore to 12 crore beneficiaries.

"Out of the 12 crore beneficiaries, 28 per cent or 3.25 crore are first-time entrepreneurs," he said in his interaction with beneficiaries of this scheme.

He also said 74 per cent or 9 crore, borrowers are women and 55 per cent belong to the SC/ST and OBC category.

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) was launched by the Prime Minister on April 8, 2015, for providing loans of up to Rs 10 lakh to the non-corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises.&nbsp;

Prime Minister said 74 per cent or 9 crore, borrowers are women and 55 per cent belong to the SC/ST and OBC category

As part of government's scheme of funding the unfunded, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said banks and financial institutions have given Rs 6 lakh crore to 12 crore beneficiaries. "Out of the 12 crore beneficiaries, 28 per cent or 3.25 crore are first-time entrepreneurs," he said in his interaction with beneficiaries of this scheme. He also said 74 per cent or 9 crore, borrowers are women and 55 per cent belong to the SC/ST and OBC category. Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) was launched by the Prime Minister on April 8, 2015, for providing loans of up to Rs 10 lakh to the non-corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises.

Banks have given Rs 6 lakh crore Mudra loans to 12 crore beneficiaries: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached&nbsp;Indonesia's Jakarta on Tuesday evening.This is PM Modi's first visit to Indonesia.

The Prime Minister is on&nbsp;a five-day visit to three countries - Indonesia, Malaysia & Singapore.

The Prime Minister is looking forward to enhance India’s relations and engagements with all these three countries, which forms Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

On the first leg of his visit, Prime Minister is scheduled to hold detailed discussions with Indonesia President Joko Widodo in Jakarta.

He will also interact with Chief Executive Officers and the Indian community in Indonesia.

He is also scheduled to address the Indian gathering in Jakarta tomorrow at 4 pm local time.

It will be followed by a brief stopover at Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur, where Prime Minister will congratulate the newly elected Prime Minister of Malaysia Dr&nbsp;Mahathir Mohammad.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indonesia?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indonesia</a>'s Jakarta. He is on a 5-day visit to Indonesia, Malaysia & Singapore. <a href="https://t.co/SCxPSpKLUV">pic.twitter.com/SCxPSpKLUV</a>
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The Prime Minister is on a five-day visit to three countries - Indonesia, Malaysia & Singapore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Indonesia's Jakarta on Tuesday evening.This is PM Modi's first visit to Indonesia. The Prime Minister is on a five-day visit to three countries - Indonesia, Malaysia & Singapore. The Prime Minister is looking forward to enhance India’s relations and engagements with all these three countries, which forms Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). On the first leg of his visit, Prime Minister is scheduled to hold detailed discussions with Indonesia President Joko Widodo in Jakarta. He will also interact with Chief Executive Officers and the Indian community in Indonesia. He is also scheduled to address the Indian gathering in Jakarta tomorrow at 4 pm local time. It will be followed by a brief stopover at Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur, where Prime Minister will congratulate the newly elected Prime Minister of Malaysia Dr Mahathir Mohammad. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in #Indonesia's Jakarta. He is on a 5-day visit to Indonesia, Malaysia & Singapore. pic.twitter.com/SCxPSpKLUV — ANI (@ANI) May 29, 2018 ×

PM Narendra Modi reaches Jakarta in Indonesia on first leg of 3-nation tour

After serving as the chief minister of Gujarat for over a decade, Narendra Modi assumed office as the Prime Minister of the country on 26 May, 2014.

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The BJP fought the 2014 Lok Sabha elections under his leadership and came to power with a huge mandate. The “Modi wave” that prevailed during the elections helped BJP to emerge as the first party to have achieved the majority mark singlehandedly since 1984. Several media reports showed that the BJP was able to garner mass support in 2014 only because of Narendra Modi.

Earlier, Modi served as the chief minister of Gujarat from October 7, 2001 to May 22, 2014. 
&nbsp; 
He took over the reigns of the state in 2001, when the then chief minister Keshubhai Patel’s health was deteriorating. Modi was handed over the responsibility of the state at a time when the BJP government in Gujarat was experiencing allegations of abuse of power, corruption and poor administration. The chief minister was also criticised for his handling of the 2001 earthquake. 
&nbsp; 
Modi’s appointment however did not go down well with the party’s veteran leader LK Advani who thought he was not experienced enough for the post.&nbsp;

Modi, on the other hand, refused to accept any other post other than the Chief Minister. He declined the proposal of becoming the Deputy chief minister of Gujarat and demanded that he would either be “fully responsible for the state or not at all”. 
&nbsp; 
He finally replaced chief minister Keshubhai Patel and took over the command of the state on October 7, 2001 and continued till the end of the term. 
&nbsp; 
He was again appointed as the chief minister of the state after winning over the assembly polls next year in 2002. 
&nbsp; 
The party under his leadership continued to win every single assembly election that followed in the state after this. 
&nbsp; 
He served as the chief Minister of the state for four terms, from October 7, 2001 before resigning on May 22, 2014 to take up the charge of the country as the Prime Minister. 
&nbsp; 
The Bhartiya Janata party fielded him as the prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.&nbsp;

His nomination was again subject to a lot of criticism by some senior leaders of the party, however the party did not take back his name keeping in mind the growing prominence that was developing for him in and outside the country. 
&nbsp; 
Modi fought the 2014 general elections from two constituencies, Varanasi and Vadodra. He registered victory in both the constituencies. While he retained the Varanasi constituency where he had won against the AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, Modi vacated the Vadodra seat where he beat Madhusudan Mistry of the Congress. 
&nbsp; 
Modi had always shown great leadership and mastery at political developments.

He had joined the RSS as a young boy. During his long stint in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, he played an important role in the 1974 Navnirman anti-corruption agitation. He also fought during the years of emergency when he had to go underground for a brief period of time. 
&nbsp; 
Modi joined the BJP in 1987 and within a year he was promoted to the level of General Secretary of the Gujarat unit. While working in the party he had coordinated two important events - Somnath to Ayodhya Rath Yatra and a march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.

A person who believes the ‘Gujarat Model’ of development can be applied to the whole country, PM Modi is eyeing another general election victory like 2014 to stamp his mark on India & Bharat.

After serving as the chief minister of Gujarat for over a decade, Narendra Modi assumed office as the Prime Minister of the country on 26 May, 2014

After serving as the chief minister of Gujarat for over a decade, Narendra Modi assumed office as the Prime Minister of the country on 26 May, 2014. × The BJP fought the 2014 Lok Sabha elections under his leadership and came to power with a huge mandate. The “Modi wave” that prevailed during the elections helped BJP to emerge as the first party to have achieved the majority mark singlehandedly since 1984. Several media reports showed that the BJP was able to garner mass support in 2014 only because of Narendra Modi. Earlier, Modi served as the chief minister of Gujarat from October 7, 2001 to May 22, 2014. He took over the reigns of the state in 2001, when the then chief minister Keshubhai Patel’s health was deteriorating. Modi was handed over the responsibility of the state at a time when the BJP government in Gujarat was experiencing allegations of abuse of power, corruption and poor administration. The chief minister was also criticised for his handling of the 2001 earthquake. Modi’s appointment however did not go down well with the party’s veteran leader LK Advani who thought he was not experienced enough for the post. Modi, on the other hand, refused to accept any other post other than the Chief Minister. He declined the proposal of becoming the Deputy chief minister of Gujarat and demanded that he would either be “fully responsible for the state or not at all”. He finally replaced chief minister Keshubhai Patel and took over the command of the state on October 7, 2001 and continued till the end of the term. He was again appointed as the chief minister of the state after winning over the assembly polls next year in 2002. The party under his leadership continued to win every single assembly election that followed in the state after this. He served as the chief Minister of the state for four terms, from October 7, 2001 before resigning on May 22, 2014 to take up the charge of the country as the Prime Minister. The Bhartiya Janata party fielded him as the prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. His nomination was again subject to a lot of criticism by some senior leaders of the party, however the party did not take back his name keeping in mind the growing prominence that was developing for him in and outside the country. Modi fought the 2014 general elections from two constituencies, Varanasi and Vadodra. He registered victory in both the constituencies. While he retained the Varanasi constituency where he had won against the AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, Modi vacated the Vadodra seat where he beat Madhusudan Mistry of the Congress. Modi had always shown great leadership and mastery at political developments. He had joined the RSS as a young boy. During his long stint in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, he played an important role in the 1974 Navnirman anti-corruption agitation. He also fought during the years of emergency when he had to go underground for a brief period of time. Modi joined the BJP in 1987 and within a year he was promoted to the level of General Secretary of the Gujarat unit. While working in the party he had coordinated two important events - Somnath to Ayodhya Rath Yatra and a march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. A person who believes the ‘Gujarat Model’ of development can be applied to the whole country, PM Modi is eyeing another general election victory like 2014 to stamp his mark on India & Bharat.

Narendra Modi: Journey from CM to PM

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Saturday emphasized that the establishment of new provinces could only be done through national consensus.

Dialogue should be held over many issues, including the establishment of new provinces, Abbasi was quoted by the Express Tribune, as saying.

Abbasi made this remark while inaugurating the Multan-Shuja'abad section of the Sukkur-Multan Motorway (M-5).

He was accompanied by the Governor of Punjab province, Muhammad Rafiq Rajwana, and the Minister for Water Resources, Javed Ali Shah.

Referring to the forthcoming general elections in Pakistan, he said that, "Only a representative government, elected by the people, will be capable of overcoming challenges confronting the nation."

The Sukkur-Multan Motorway is part of Karachi-Lahore Motorway project and is being constructed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). It is 394 kilometers long and will cost around Rs294 billion.

Abbasi made this remark while inaugurating the Multan-Shuja'abad section of the Sukkur-Multan Motorway (M-5)

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Saturday emphasized that the establishment of new provinces could only be done through national consensus. Dialogue should be held over many issues, including the establishment of new provinces, Abbasi was quoted by the Express Tribune, as saying. Abbasi made this remark while inaugurating the Multan-Shuja'abad section of the Sukkur-Multan Motorway (M-5). He was accompanied by the Governor of Punjab province, Muhammad Rafiq Rajwana, and the Minister for Water Resources, Javed Ali Shah. Referring to the forthcoming general elections in Pakistan, he said that, "Only a representative government, elected by the people, will be capable of overcoming challenges confronting the nation." The Sukkur-Multan Motorway is part of Karachi-Lahore Motorway project and is being constructed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). It is 394 kilometers long and will cost around Rs294 billion.

National consensus required for new provinces: Pakistan Prime Minister

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's good governance saying that his unbiased development has benefitted the citizens of the country.

Speaking to ANI, on the completion of four years of Modi government, Adityanath said, "I congratulate the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) his entire cabinet for successful four years in the central government. The policies of development have reached the poor, disadvantaged, women and farmers without any discrimination and casteism."

Adityanath further said that he had faith that under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, India will soon be a superpower.

He added that the people have a belief that the BJP government would continue to serve the people for providing all-round development.

Adityanath took a dig at the Congress saying that the party has been discarded by the people of the country in the 2014 general elections and said it would be defeated again in the next year's general elections.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed good governance as an all-round development for the country.

In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister underscored that development has become a mass movement for citizens of the country in the last four years.

The BJP came to power on this day with a brute majority in 2014.

Prior to the 2014 general elections, Prime Minister Modi in his campaign speeches had made a slew of promises for spurring India's development and appealed to voters to end the 10-year rule of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

Under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, India will soon be a superpower.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's good governance saying that his unbiased development has benefitted the citizens of the country. Speaking to ANI, on the completion of four years of Modi government, Adityanath said, "I congratulate the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) his entire cabinet for successful four years in the central government. The policies of development have reached the poor, disadvantaged, women and farmers without any discrimination and casteism." Adityanath further said that he had faith that under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, India will soon be a superpower. He added that the people have a belief that the BJP government would continue to serve the people for providing all-round development. Adityanath took a dig at the Congress saying that the party has been discarded by the people of the country in the 2014 general elections and said it would be defeated again in the next year's general elections. Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed good governance as an all-round development for the country. In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister underscored that development has become a mass movement for citizens of the country in the last four years. The BJP came to power on this day with a brute majority in 2014. Prior to the 2014 general elections, Prime Minister Modi in his campaign speeches had made a slew of promises for spurring India's development and appealed to voters to end the 10-year rule of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

Adityanath lauds PM Modi's development vision on completion of 4 yrs

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandra Babu Naidu on Thursday said that he has no ambition to become the prime minister of the country.

This came after Telegu Desam Party supporters raised slogans at the Mahanadu meeting in Hyderabad saying that Chandrababu Naidu should become the Prime Minister.

TDP Mahanadu started on Thursday afternoon in Nampally exhibition grounds in Hyderabad. The event started with L. Ramana Rao paying tributes to late NT Rama Rao. Devender Goud, senior leader of TDP, R.

Krishnayya and many other leaders were present in the event. Chandra Babu Naidu was the main chief guest for this event.CM Naidu said, "Although we are not in power for 14 years, now I have confidence that we can carry this flag on our shoulders by witnessing your support for me. You people were support for the party. You were growing for four years and now I am feeling that no one stop you people. No one can do anything in the coming elections in 2019."

In his speech, he said Telugu Desam Party government was the one who met Bill Gates several times and brought Microsoft to the city. Taking a jibe at PM Modi he said, "Money for bullet train is being given to Mumbai, Delhi but not Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. I supported demonetisation but today we are not able to find money in ATM`s and not able to spend our own money."

Slamming the BJP at the Centre, he said, "I was the only person to raise my voice in parliament in the matter of triple talaq. We waited for four years and waited but we didn`t get any support from them, that is the reason I came out from NDA and passed no-confidence motion for the first."Evoking the BJP`s defeat in the Karnataka polls, he said, "

The same what had happened in Karnataka elections will be repeated even here in Telangana."He further said that all the state parties are bonding together for the development of the country."We will even take care of the state public along. We all will work together" he said.

His comments came after Telegu Desam Party supporters raised slogans at the Mahanadu meeting in Hyderabad saying that Chandrababu Naidu should become the Prime Minister

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandra Babu Naidu on Thursday said that he has no ambition to become the prime minister of the country. This came after Telegu Desam Party supporters raised slogans at the Mahanadu meeting in Hyderabad saying that Chandrababu Naidu should become the Prime Minister. TDP Mahanadu started on Thursday afternoon in Nampally exhibition grounds in Hyderabad. The event started with L. Ramana Rao paying tributes to late NT Rama Rao. Devender Goud, senior leader of TDP, R. Krishnayya and many other leaders were present in the event. Chandra Babu Naidu was the main chief guest for this event.CM Naidu said, "Although we are not in power for 14 years, now I have confidence that we can carry this flag on our shoulders by witnessing your support for me. You people were support for the party. You were growing for four years and now I am feeling that no one stop you people. No one can do anything in the coming elections in 2019." In his speech, he said Telugu Desam Party government was the one who met Bill Gates several times and brought Microsoft to the city. Taking a jibe at PM Modi he said, "Money for bullet train is being given to Mumbai, Delhi but not Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. I supported demonetisation but today we are not able to find money in ATM`s and not able to spend our own money." Slamming the BJP at the Centre, he said, "I was the only person to raise my voice in parliament in the matter of triple talaq. We waited for four years and waited but we didn`t get any support from them, that is the reason I came out from NDA and passed no-confidence motion for the first."Evoking the BJP`s defeat in the Karnataka polls, he said, " The same what had happened in Karnataka elections will be repeated even here in Telangana."He further said that all the state parties are bonding together for the development of the country."We will even take care of the state public along. We all will work together" he said.

No ambition of becoming Prime Minister: Chandra Babu Naidu

Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Netherlands Mark Rutte arrived in India on Thursday for a two-day official visit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Rutte and met him at Hyderabad House in Delhi a short while ago.

Rutte is expected to meet a business delegation at Hotel Taj Diplomatic and then participate in the Clean Ganga Event at Hotel ITC Maurya. He will also attend a CEO roundtable conference at Hyderabad House.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi met PM of Netherlands Mark Rutte at Hyderabad House in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a>. <a href="https://t.co/177piWyzjm">pic.twitter.com/177piWyzjm</a>
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Rutte will then sign press statements at the venue at about 02:30 pm and address a public event organised by Carnegie India at Hotel Taj Diplomatic.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a>: Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte arrives in India. He is on a two-day visit to the nation. <a href="https://t.co/Iu8brTQ10E">pic.twitter.com/Iu8brTQ10E</a>
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Lastly, he will participate in an agro event, before proceeding to Bengaluru. Rutte is scheduled to meet Governor of Karnataka, Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala.

He is also scheduled to visit Shell Technology Centre and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Bengaluru. Around 10 in the night on May 25, he will leave for the Netherlands.&nbsp;

Rutte is expected to meet a business delegation at Hotel Taj Diplomatic and then participate in the Clean Ganga Event at Hotel ITC Maurya

Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Netherlands Mark Rutte arrived in India on Thursday for a two-day official visit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Rutte and met him at Hyderabad House in Delhi a short while ago. Rutte is expected to meet a business delegation at Hotel Taj Diplomatic and then participate in the Clean Ganga Event at Hotel ITC Maurya. He will also attend a CEO roundtable conference at Hyderabad House. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met PM of Netherlands Mark Rutte at Hyderabad House in #Delhi. pic.twitter.com/177piWyzjm — ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2018 × Rutte will then sign press statements at the venue at about 02:30 pm and address a public event organised by Carnegie India at Hotel Taj Diplomatic. #Delhi: Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte arrives in India. He is on a two-day visit to the nation. pic.twitter.com/Iu8brTQ10E — ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2018 × Lastly, he will participate in an agro event, before proceeding to Bengaluru. Rutte is scheduled to meet Governor of Karnataka, Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala. He is also scheduled to visit Shell Technology Centre and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Bengaluru. Around 10 in the night on May 25, he will leave for the Netherlands.

Dutch PM Mark Rutte meets Modi at Hyderabad House

Pakistan will raise the issue of India’s alleged violation of the Indus Waters Treaty with the World Bank, a media report said today, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 330 MW Kishanganga hydroelectric project in Jammu and Kashmir.&nbsp

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry told media that a four-member delegation led by Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Ashtar Ausaf Ali is in Washington to hold talks with the president of World Bank, Radio Pakistan reported. He said that the issue of construction of the Kishanganga Dam will be discussed in the meeting.

Prime Minister Modi yesterday inaugurated the Kishanganga hydroelectric power plant, amid protests from Pakistan which claims that the project on a river flowing into Pakistan will disrupt water supplies.&nbsp

Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Friday voiced concern over the inauguration of the hydroelectric project, saying inauguration without resolution of the dispute between the two countries will tantamount to violation of the Indus Waters 1960 that regulates the use of waters in the shared rivers.

Islamabad had been raising objections over the design of the hydel project, saying it is not in line with the criteria laid down under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) between the two countries. But, India says the project design was well within parameters of the treaty.&nbsp

The project, located at Bandipore in North Kashmir, envisages diversion of water of Kishan Ganga river to underground powerhouse through a 23.25-km-long headrace tunnel to generate 1713 million units per annum.

The Kishanganga project was started in 2007 but on May 17, 2010, Pakistan moved for international arbitration against India under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty.&nbsp

The Hague-based International Court of Arbitration allowed India in 2013 to go ahead with construction of the project in North Kashmir and upheld India’s right under the bilateral Indus Waters Treaty to divert waters from the Kishanganga for power generation in Jammu and Kashmir.

The international court, however, decided that India shall release a minimum flow of nine cubic metres per second into the Kishanganga river (known as Neelam in Pakistan) at all times to maintain environmental flows. Pakistan is building a 969 MW Neelum-Jhelum hydroelectric project downstream.

Prime Minister Modi yesterday inaugurated the Kishanganga hydroelectric power plant, amid protests from Pakistan which claims that the project on a river flowing into Pakistan will disrupt water supplies.

Pakistan will raise the issue of India’s alleged violation of the Indus Waters Treaty with the World Bank, a media report said today, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 330 MW Kishanganga hydroelectric project in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry told media that a four-member delegation led by Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Ashtar Ausaf Ali is in Washington to hold talks with the president of World Bank, Radio Pakistan reported. He said that the issue of construction of the Kishanganga Dam will be discussed in the meeting. Prime Minister Modi yesterday inaugurated the Kishanganga hydroelectric power plant, amid protests from Pakistan which claims that the project on a river flowing into Pakistan will disrupt water supplies. Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Friday voiced concern over the inauguration of the hydroelectric project, saying inauguration without resolution of the dispute between the two countries will tantamount to violation of the Indus Waters 1960 that regulates the use of waters in the shared rivers. Islamabad had been raising objections over the design of the hydel project, saying it is not in line with the criteria laid down under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) between the two countries. But, India says the project design was well within parameters of the treaty. The project, located at Bandipore in North Kashmir, envisages diversion of water of Kishan Ganga river to underground powerhouse through a 23.25-km-long headrace tunnel to generate 1713 million units per annum. The Kishanganga project was started in 2007 but on May 17, 2010, Pakistan moved for international arbitration against India under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty. The Hague-based International Court of Arbitration allowed India in 2013 to go ahead with construction of the project in North Kashmir and upheld India’s right under the bilateral Indus Waters Treaty to divert waters from the Kishanganga for power generation in Jammu and Kashmir. The international court, however, decided that India shall release a minimum flow of nine cubic metres per second into the Kishanganga river (known as Neelam in Pakistan) at all times to maintain environmental flows. Pakistan is building a 969 MW Neelum-Jhelum hydroelectric project downstream.

Indus Waters Treaty: Pakistan delegation in US to raise ‘violation’ issue with World Bank

Anupam Kher, who plays the role of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in "The Accidental Prime Minister", says it is the most difficult film of his career as he has to get every little nuance right.

 
The film is based on the book of the same name, written by Sanjay Baru, who served as the media advisor of Manmohan Singh from 2004 to 2008.

 
"I am approaching this part of Dr. Manmohan Singh completely from an actor's point of view. There are a book and screenplay for reference. I have worked on it for six months. It is the most difficult film as he is the most visible person and so it is not easy to portray him.

 
"Also, the world knows him. His language, his movement... So it is more difficult. I need to internalize the character and be that person," Kher told PTI. 
The actor says the fact that he has to make audiences believe that the person they are seeing on-screen is Dr. Singh, makes the film even tougher.&nbsp;

 
"Lot of mimics can do a better job than me. But I think for two hours for an audience to believe that this can be Dr. Manmohan Singh is most important.

 
"It is too early to talk about it in detail. The first look has made me both happy and nervous. It is a two-hour film and it is being made on huge canvas," Kher says.&nbsp;

 
To bring more honesty to his performance, the actor is watching, a lot of material that is available on Internet, besides following the script.

 
The film is being made in English and Hindi by debutant Vijay Ratnakar Gutte and it produced by Bohra Brothers.

 
Kher, who has been vocal about various issues on the social media, believes that it is sad that when somebody gives "opinion on social causes or on the country", people say he should "join politics".

 
"My comment as an individual is sufficient to make a difference to even five percent of people. Whenever I talk about the country, people say I should join politics, if ever that happens, I think never say never about anything.

 
"But in the coming years, it is not happening. If that ever happens I will scream from rooftops as I would need people. Currently, the idea is no (to join politics)," he adds.&nbsp;

The film is based on the book of the same name, written by Sanjay Baru

Anupam Kher, who plays the role of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in "The Accidental Prime Minister", says it is the most difficult film of his career as he has to get every little nuance right. The film is based on the book of the same name, written by Sanjay Baru, who served as the media advisor of Manmohan Singh from 2004 to 2008. "I am approaching this part of Dr. Manmohan Singh completely from an actor's point of view. There are a book and screenplay for reference. I have worked on it for six months. It is the most difficult film as he is the most visible person and so it is not easy to portray him. "Also, the world knows him. His language, his movement... So it is more difficult. I need to internalize the character and be that person," Kher told PTI. The actor says the fact that he has to make audiences believe that the person they are seeing on-screen is Dr. Singh, makes the film even tougher. "Lot of mimics can do a better job than me. But I think for two hours for an audience to believe that this can be Dr. Manmohan Singh is most important. "It is too early to talk about it in detail. The first look has made me both happy and nervous. It is a two-hour film and it is being made on huge canvas," Kher says. To bring more honesty to his performance, the actor is watching, a lot of material that is available on Internet, besides following the script. The film is being made in English and Hindi by debutant Vijay Ratnakar Gutte and it produced by Bohra Brothers. Kher, who has been vocal about various issues on the social media, believes that it is sad that when somebody gives "opinion on social causes or on the country", people say he should "join politics". "My comment as an individual is sufficient to make a difference to even five percent of people. Whenever I talk about the country, people say I should join politics, if ever that happens, I think never say never about anything. "But in the coming years, it is not happening. If that ever happens I will scream from rooftops as I would need people. Currently, the idea is no (to join politics)," he adds.

The Accidental Prime Minister' most difficult film for me: Anupam Kher

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday appealed to those Kashmiri youth who have joined violence to return to their homes and live a life of dignity and peace.

The Prime Minister, who is on his first visit to the state after announcing the suspension of anti-militancy operations during holy month of Ramzan, said there are foreign powers at play in the state which do not want development of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Every stone, every weapon, raised by misguided youths destabilises their own Jammu and Kashmir. The state will have to come out of this atmosphere of instability," he said.

Modi said the youths need to join the mainstream development of India and of Kashmir for their future and that of coming generation.

He said the central and the state government have policy, intent and capability to take decisions to solve development issues of the state.

"I would urge everyone to channelise their energies in the development of the state. The solution to every problem is only development, development, development," he said.

The prime minister dedicated to the nation the 330-MW Kishenganga Power Project constructed in the Gurez area of Kashmir.

Modi also laid the foundation stone for the Srinagar Ring Road at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) Srinagar.

The 42.1-Km, four-lane Srinagar Ring Road will link Galandar in West Srinagar to Sumbal in Badnipora district.

The Ring Road in Srinagar is aimed at reducing traffic congestion in these cities and making road travel safer, faster, more convenient and more environment-friendly.

"Not a single year has passed since I took over as the prime minister when I did not visit the state," he said.

The Prime Minister said this month is to remember Prophet Mohammad's teaching and message.

"The lessons of equality and brotherhood from his life can take country and the world forward in true sense," he said.

The Prime Minister said it was a happy coincidence that the ceremony for handing over the project is taking place in the month of Ramzan.

"The project will not only provide free but also sufficient power to the state. A large portion of power requirements of the state are supplied from other parts of the country. This 330 MW project will solve the shortage of power issue to a considerable extent," he said.

The Prime Minister said the government is trying to provide power to every house in the state under the Saubhagya scheme.

He said an important part of Jammu and Kashmir's development is tourism but it cannot run on old methods.

"The tourists now want facilities. They do not want to be stuck in narrow lanes for hours. They want continuous power supply, they want hygiene. Better air connectivity," he said, adding that the government was working for a modern ecosystem that is required for the development of tourism.

"There will be an increase in tourists in J and K with stronger ecosystem. The youths of the state will get new employment opportunity with it," he said.

(With inputs from PTI)

The Prime Minister said there are foreign powers at play in the state which do not want development of Jammu and Kashmir.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday appealed to those Kashmiri youth who have joined violence to return to their homes and live a life of dignity and peace. The Prime Minister, who is on his first visit to the state after announcing the suspension of anti-militancy operations during holy month of Ramzan, said there are foreign powers at play in the state which do not want development of Jammu and Kashmir. "Every stone, every weapon, raised by misguided youths destabilises their own Jammu and Kashmir. The state will have to come out of this atmosphere of instability," he said. Modi said the youths need to join the mainstream development of India and of Kashmir for their future and that of coming generation. He said the central and the state government have policy, intent and capability to take decisions to solve development issues of the state. "I would urge everyone to channelise their energies in the development of the state. The solution to every problem is only development, development, development," he said. The prime minister dedicated to the nation the 330-MW Kishenganga Power Project constructed in the Gurez area of Kashmir. Modi also laid the foundation stone for the Srinagar Ring Road at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) Srinagar. The 42.1-Km, four-lane Srinagar Ring Road will link Galandar in West Srinagar to Sumbal in Badnipora district. The Ring Road in Srinagar is aimed at reducing traffic congestion in these cities and making road travel safer, faster, more convenient and more environment-friendly. "Not a single year has passed since I took over as the prime minister when I did not visit the state," he said. The Prime Minister said this month is to remember Prophet Mohammad's teaching and message. "The lessons of equality and brotherhood from his life can take country and the world forward in true sense," he said. The Prime Minister said it was a happy coincidence that the ceremony for handing over the project is taking place in the month of Ramzan. "The project will not only provide free but also sufficient power to the state. A large portion of power requirements of the state are supplied from other parts of the country. This 330 MW project will solve the shortage of power issue to a considerable extent," he said. The Prime Minister said the government is trying to provide power to every house in the state under the Saubhagya scheme. He said an important part of Jammu and Kashmir's development is tourism but it cannot run on old methods. "The tourists now want facilities. They do not want to be stuck in narrow lanes for hours. They want continuous power supply, they want hygiene. Better air connectivity," he said, adding that the government was working for a modern ecosystem that is required for the development of tourism. "There will be an increase in tourists in J and K with stronger ecosystem. The youths of the state will get new employment opportunity with it," he said. (With inputs from PTI)

Every stone, weapon raised by misguided youths destabilises Kashmir: PM Modi

Malaysia’s former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, jailed for sodomy four years ago, has walked free from prison after receiving a royal pardon.

Anwar’s release is the first big success of the newly elected governing coalition, Pakatan Harapan, led by 92-year-old Mahathir Mohamad, which was swept from opposition to power after a shock election victory last week.&nbsp

The question for Malaysia now is how Anwar will get along with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, his ally-turned-foe-turned-ally, and what role he will play in government.

Anwar, 70, smiled and waved to supporters as he walked out of the hospital, dressed in a black suit and tie and his hair neatly swept back. He was surrounded by his family, lawyers and prison guards before driving to the palace for an audience with King Sultan Muhammad V.

Supporters chanted "Reformasi" (Reform), the movement he launched two decades ago to challenge diverse Malaysia`s race- and patronage-based politics.

Anwar has served three years of a five-year term for sodomy, a charge he says was trumped up by the government of ousted Prime Minister Najb Razak.

Mahathir, with whom Anwar joined forces to win last Wednesday`s election, was at the palace to greet him.

"The king, with the advice of the pardons board of the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya, has allowed a full pardon and given an immediate release for ... Anwar bin Ibrahim," the palace said in a statement.

Anwar had been recovering from a shoulder injury in hospital under police guard. He was Mahathir`s deputy in the 1990s but fell out with his mentor during the Asian financial crisis.

He was sacked from the ruling party and founded the Reformasi movement, challenging Mahathir`s government. He was later arrested and jailed on charges of sodomy and corruption.

Images at the time of a goateed, bespectacled Anwar in court with a black eye and bruises brought the condemnation of Mahathir from around the world.

Anwar`s trial became a spectacle, with prosecutors at one stage bringing out what they said was a semen-stained mattress allegedly used when he had sex with two male aides.

After being freed, Anwar was jailed a second time for sodomy in 2015. Both times, he and his supporters have said the charges were politically motivated.

"Many have asked me how it is that our reform movement has now joined forces with the very same former dictator, Mahathir Mohamad, who sacked my father in 1998 and saw him arrested, brutalised and incarcerated," Anwar`s daughter Nurul Izzah, wrote in an article for the Guardian newspaper on Tuesday.

"My answer is simply that we must all firmly resolve to never let our nation sink to the depths it did again and prime minister Mohamad now has a rare second chance to put things right."

The pardon, granted on the grounds that there was a miscarriage of justice, allows Anwar to re-enter politics immediately.

FIGHT NOT OVER

Under a pre-election pact, Mahathir, 92, had vowed to enable Anwar`s release and eventually step aside for him to become prime minister.

On Tuesday, Mahathir said he expected to be prime minister for one or two more years, setting off talk of differences between the two. 
But Anwar`s wife and deputy prime minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail told reporters later that Anwar was in no hurry to become prime minister.

"Seeing him walk free makes me emotional, but the fight is not over," said Ridzuan Ismail, an Anwar supporter at the hospital. "Now we need to see him become prime minister.”

Jack Seng, another supporter wearing a shirt with an image of Anwar behind bars, said he thought Mahathir and Anwar would resolve any tension between them.

"I think we need to let Mahathir do his work to save Malaysia and to get back its system of government."

Differences have already appeared between supporters of Mahathir and Anwar over cabinet positions and Anwar's role.

Mahathir is the leader of the ruling alliance and Anwar`s People`s Justice Party (PKR) won the majority of parliamentary seats in the group.

"The base case is that Mahathir passes the baton to Anwar. But Mahathir may be reluctant to hand over to his former nemesis, and if he drags his feet other scenarios could come into play," said Peter Mumford of the Eurasia Group in a research note.

Mahathir is also racing ahead with an investigation into graft at 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state fund founded by the ousted Najib that is sunk in a multi-billion-dollar graft scandal.

Mahathir has replaced the attorney-general and officials at the anti-graft agency, in what appears to be a purge of people seen as close to the former premier.

Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, have been barred from leaving the country. Najib denies wrongdoing.

"It looks very likely that Najib will face the full force of the law," said Adib Zalkapli, a Kuala Lumpur-based analyst with risk consultancy Vriens & Partners.

"Just last week nobody would have thought that this posh boarding school boy would be rear-ended by his old political headmaster," he said.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Anwar has served three years of a five-year term for sodomy, a charge he says was trumped up by the government of ousted Prime Minister Najb Razak.

Malaysia’s former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, jailed for sodomy four years ago, has walked free from prison after receiving a royal pardon. Anwar’s release is the first big success of the newly elected governing coalition, Pakatan Harapan, led by 92-year-old Mahathir Mohamad, which was swept from opposition to power after a shock election victory last week. The question for Malaysia now is how Anwar will get along with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, his ally-turned-foe-turned-ally, and what role he will play in government. Anwar, 70, smiled and waved to supporters as he walked out of the hospital, dressed in a black suit and tie and his hair neatly swept back. He was surrounded by his family, lawyers and prison guards before driving to the palace for an audience with King Sultan Muhammad V. Supporters chanted "Reformasi" (Reform), the movement he launched two decades ago to challenge diverse Malaysia`s race- and patronage-based politics. Anwar has served three years of a five-year term for sodomy, a charge he says was trumped up by the government of ousted Prime Minister Najb Razak. Mahathir, with whom Anwar joined forces to win last Wednesday`s election, was at the palace to greet him. "The king, with the advice of the pardons board of the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya, has allowed a full pardon and given an immediate release for ... Anwar bin Ibrahim," the palace said in a statement. Anwar had been recovering from a shoulder injury in hospital under police guard. He was Mahathir`s deputy in the 1990s but fell out with his mentor during the Asian financial crisis. He was sacked from the ruling party and founded the Reformasi movement, challenging Mahathir`s government. He was later arrested and jailed on charges of sodomy and corruption. Images at the time of a goateed, bespectacled Anwar in court with a black eye and bruises brought the condemnation of Mahathir from around the world. Anwar`s trial became a spectacle, with prosecutors at one stage bringing out what they said was a semen-stained mattress allegedly used when he had sex with two male aides. After being freed, Anwar was jailed a second time for sodomy in 2015. Both times, he and his supporters have said the charges were politically motivated. "Many have asked me how it is that our reform movement has now joined forces with the very same former dictator, Mahathir Mohamad, who sacked my father in 1998 and saw him arrested, brutalised and incarcerated," Anwar`s daughter Nurul Izzah, wrote in an article for the Guardian newspaper on Tuesday. "My answer is simply that we must all firmly resolve to never let our nation sink to the depths it did again and prime minister Mohamad now has a rare second chance to put things right." The pardon, granted on the grounds that there was a miscarriage of justice, allows Anwar to re-enter politics immediately. FIGHT NOT OVER Under a pre-election pact, Mahathir, 92, had vowed to enable Anwar`s release and eventually step aside for him to become prime minister. On Tuesday, Mahathir said he expected to be prime minister for one or two more years, setting off talk of differences between the two. But Anwar`s wife and deputy prime minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail told reporters later that Anwar was in no hurry to become prime minister. "Seeing him walk free makes me emotional, but the fight is not over," said Ridzuan Ismail, an Anwar supporter at the hospital. "Now we need to see him become prime minister.” Jack Seng, another supporter wearing a shirt with an image of Anwar behind bars, said he thought Mahathir and Anwar would resolve any tension between them. "I think we need to let Mahathir do his work to save Malaysia and to get back its system of government." Differences have already appeared between supporters of Mahathir and Anwar over cabinet positions and Anwar's role. Mahathir is the leader of the ruling alliance and Anwar`s People`s Justice Party (PKR) won the majority of parliamentary seats in the group. "The base case is that Mahathir passes the baton to Anwar. But Mahathir may be reluctant to hand over to his former nemesis, and if he drags his feet other scenarios could come into play," said Peter Mumford of the Eurasia Group in a research note. Mahathir is also racing ahead with an investigation into graft at 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state fund founded by the ousted Najib that is sunk in a multi-billion-dollar graft scandal. Mahathir has replaced the attorney-general and officials at the anti-graft agency, in what appears to be a purge of people seen as close to the former premier. Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, have been barred from leaving the country. Najib denies wrongdoing. "It looks very likely that Najib will face the full force of the law," said Adib Zalkapli, a Kuala Lumpur-based analyst with risk consultancy Vriens & Partners. "Just last week nobody would have thought that this posh boarding school boy would be rear-ended by his old political headmaster," he said. (With inputs from Reuters)

Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim freed from jail after Mahathir election win

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh has written to President Ram Nath Koving asking him to caution the Prime Minister against using threatening language.&nbsp;

ANI reported that Manmohan had said Prime Minister Modi should not use "unwarranted, threatening and intimidating language" against leaders of the Congress party or any other party.&nbsp;

ANI added Manmohan as saying in his letter that such language does not behove the position of the prime minister.&nbsp;

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Former PM & senior Congress leader Manmohan Singh writes to President of India asking him to caution the PM from using unwarranted , threatening & intimidating language against the leaders of the Congress Party or any other party of person as it does not behove position of the PM <a href="https://t.co/4FHM5MPeB1">pic.twitter.com/4FHM5MPeB1</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/995945745684430848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Such language does not behove the position of the prime minister, former prime minister Manmohan Singh wrote in his letter to President Kovind

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh has written to President Ram Nath Koving asking him to caution the Prime Minister against using threatening language. ANI reported that Manmohan had said Prime Minister Modi should not use "unwarranted, threatening and intimidating language" against leaders of the Congress party or any other party. ANI added Manmohan as saying in his letter that such language does not behove the position of the prime minister. Former PM & senior Congress leader Manmohan Singh writes to President of India asking him to caution the PM from using unwarranted , threatening & intimidating language against the leaders of the Congress Party or any other party of person as it does not behove position of the PM pic.twitter.com/4FHM5MPeB1 — ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2018 ×

Caution PM against using unwarranted, threatening language, Manmohan writes to President

British Prime Minister Theresa May insisted Sunday she could be trusted to deliver a good Brexit deal as she tried to mend government rifts over the best way forward.

May's Conservative administration is divided on what sort of customs agreement Britain should have with the European Union after it leaves the bloc.

The splits were laid bare last week when Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson dismissed as "crazy" one of May's proposals for future EU customs arrangements.

But the prime minister insisted: "You can trust me to deliver", as she attempted to ease the tensions.

"The path I am setting out is the path to deliver the Brexit people voted for," she wrote in The Sunday Times newspaper.

"Of course, the details are incredibly complex and, as in any negotiation, there will have to be compromises.&nbsp

"I will need your help and support to get there. And in return, my pledge to you is simple: I will not let you down."

May said she had proposed different options for a new customs arrangement with the EU and the government would continue to work on them during the negotiations.

She said her mission in the talks was to build a new, close trading relationship with the EU, put Britain in full control over its immigration policy and taxpayer spending and build closer ties with the world's emerging economies.

She said any deal must protect the United Kingdom's constitutional and economic integrity and honour the Northern Irish peace accords.

"This means there can be no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, or between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK," May wrote.

"Any agreements must create as little friction as possible for trade," she said, adding: "We must not constrain our ability to negotiate trade agreements with other countries around the world by being bound into a customs union."

Final decision looming 
Last year, London put forward two options to ease cross-border trade with the EU but, with Brexit looming, has still yet to make a final decision on which to pursue.

May's preferred option, the customs partnership, was reportedly rejected at a meeting of her senior ministers last week, while Brussels has also condemned it as "magical thinking".

The model would involve Britain collecting EU tariffs on goods heading into the bloc but charging its own on UK-destined products.

A second option, "maximum facilitation", would involve using technology to minimise customs checks, but the EU has also cast doubt on its viability.

A decision is not expected for at least another week, but the clock is ticking ahead of a crucial EU summit in June.

The Sunday Times said May's article was "an appeal for unity as she enters another perilous phase of her premiership".

The main opposition Labour Party called Sunday for parliament to be given the chance to vote on a customs union.

British Prime Minister Theresa May insisted Sunday she could be trusted to deliver a good Brexit deal as she tried to mend government rifts over the best way forward

British Prime Minister Theresa May insisted Sunday she could be trusted to deliver a good Brexit deal as she tried to mend government rifts over the best way forward. May's Conservative administration is divided on what sort of customs agreement Britain should have with the European Union after it leaves the bloc. The splits were laid bare last week when Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson dismissed as "crazy" one of May's proposals for future EU customs arrangements. But the prime minister insisted: "You can trust me to deliver", as she attempted to ease the tensions. "The path I am setting out is the path to deliver the Brexit people voted for," she wrote in The Sunday Times newspaper. "Of course, the details are incredibly complex and, as in any negotiation, there will have to be compromises. "I will need your help and support to get there. And in return, my pledge to you is simple: I will not let you down." May said she had proposed different options for a new customs arrangement with the EU and the government would continue to work on them during the negotiations. She said her mission in the talks was to build a new, close trading relationship with the EU, put Britain in full control over its immigration policy and taxpayer spending and build closer ties with the world's emerging economies. She said any deal must protect the United Kingdom's constitutional and economic integrity and honour the Northern Irish peace accords. "This means there can be no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, or between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK," May wrote. "Any agreements must create as little friction as possible for trade," she said, adding: "We must not constrain our ability to negotiate trade agreements with other countries around the world by being bound into a customs union." Final decision looming Last year, London put forward two options to ease cross-border trade with the EU but, with Brexit looming, has still yet to make a final decision on which to pursue. May's preferred option, the customs partnership, was reportedly rejected at a meeting of her senior ministers last week, while Brussels has also condemned it as "magical thinking". The model would involve Britain collecting EU tariffs on goods heading into the bloc but charging its own on UK-destined products. A second option, "maximum facilitation", would involve using technology to minimise customs checks, but the EU has also cast doubt on its viability. A decision is not expected for at least another week, but the clock is ticking ahead of a crucial EU summit in June. The Sunday Times said May's article was "an appeal for unity as she enters another perilous phase of her premiership". The main opposition Labour Party called Sunday for parliament to be given the chance to vote on a customs union.

British PM Theresa May says 'trust me' on Brexit

Several posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi were taken down in Delhi Thursday night.&nbsp

The posters — showing Modi smiling and with his hands folded — were headlined "The Lie Lama".&nbsp

News reports said Friday the posters were taken down around 10.15 pm after a number of BJP leaders and members complained.&nbsp

The posters were found yesterday pasted on walls in &nbspMandir Marg's J-Block area, NDMC area, Central Delhi's Patel Nagar and Shanker Road areas.

The reports quoted police as saying there was no mention on the posters of where they might have been printed or by whom.&nbsp

The reports added that a case was registered against unidentified persons under the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property (DPDP) Act.

Police added that locals would be questioned to try and ascertain who put have put up the posters. The reports added that police were likely to scan any available CCTV footage.

A case was registered against unidentified persons under the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property (DPDP) Act

Several posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi were taken down in Delhi Thursday night. The posters — showing Modi smiling and with his hands folded — were headlined "The Lie Lama". News reports said Friday the posters were taken down around 10.15 pm after a number of BJP leaders and members complained. The posters were found yesterday pasted on walls in &nbspMandir Marg's J-Block area, NDMC area, Central Delhi's Patel Nagar and Shanker Road areas. The reports quoted police as saying there was no mention on the posters of where they might have been printed or by whom. The reports added that a case was registered against unidentified persons under the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property (DPDP) Act. Police added that locals would be questioned to try and ascertain who put have put up the posters. The reports added that police were likely to scan any available CCTV footage.

Delhi: Posters calling PM Modi 'The Lie Lama' removed, case registered

Pakistan Supreme Court today ordered Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and heads of all Pakistani airlines to appear for the next hearing of a case pertaining to fake degrees of pilots.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar asked Abbasi to appear as former CEO of an airline along with other heads of all Pakistani airlines.

"Isn't it a matter of clash of interests?" asked the chief justice when told that the prime minister is also the head of Airblue airlines. "Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will have to appear in the capacity of a chief executive officer and not a premier."

The chief justice, who was heading a three-member bench, said that he was issuing notices to heads of all Pakistani airlines as the matter has been pending for the last four months and reports in this regard have not been submitted as yet.&nbsp

Those who have been summoned include the heads of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Airblue Limited, Serene Air and Shaheen Air International.

The chief executive officers of the airlines were directed to appear in person at the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Karachi Registry on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Authority Director Nasir Ali Shah told the court that degrees of 1,972 people working with airlines were verified while 24 pilots were found to be holding fake degrees.

During the hearing, Civil Aviation Authority Director Nasir Ali Shah told the court that the authority has received the reports on pilots' degrees from Shaheen International Airline and Serene Air today in Karachi, while the report of Airblue was received yesterday.&nbsp

Pakistan PM Abbasi has been asked to appear as a former CEO of an airline along with other heads of all Pakistani airlines

Pakistan Supreme Court today ordered Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and heads of all Pakistani airlines to appear for the next hearing of a case pertaining to fake degrees of pilots. Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar asked Abbasi to appear as former CEO of an airline along with other heads of all Pakistani airlines. "Isn't it a matter of clash of interests?" asked the chief justice when told that the prime minister is also the head of Airblue airlines. "Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will have to appear in the capacity of a chief executive officer and not a premier." The chief justice, who was heading a three-member bench, said that he was issuing notices to heads of all Pakistani airlines as the matter has been pending for the last four months and reports in this regard have not been submitted as yet. Those who have been summoned include the heads of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Airblue Limited, Serene Air and Shaheen Air International. The chief executive officers of the airlines were directed to appear in person at the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Karachi Registry on Saturday. Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Authority Director Nasir Ali Shah told the court that degrees of 1,972 people working with airlines were verified while 24 pilots were found to be holding fake degrees. During the hearing, Civil Aviation Authority Director Nasir Ali Shah told the court that the authority has received the reports on pilots' degrees from Shaheen International Airline and Serene Air today in Karachi, while the report of Airblue was received yesterday.

Pakistan Supreme Court summons PM in case of pilots' fake degrees

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has won a historc victory making him the olderst as well as the longest serving Prime Minister in Malaysia.&nbsp;

Mahathir, 92, defeated the Barisan Nasional coalition, which has been in power 60 years.With all 222 seats in the country's Parliament accounted for, Mahathir's coalition had officially won 121 seats -- enough to form a simple majority and take control of the House. Barisan Nasional, in contrast, only had 79 seats -- a far cry from the 133 it won in the 2013 election.

Mahathir led the Southeast Asian nation for 22 years and his unexpected return to the prime ministership ends the previously unbroken rule of Barisan Nasional (BN), the coalition that had governed Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957.

"We are not seeking revenge ... what we want is to restore the rule of law," Mahathir said of Najib's scandal-plagued rule.&nbsp;

The swearing-in ceremoney will be held on Thursday which has been marked as a public holiday in Malaysia, the government announced.

Najib is also expected to address the media at 9.45 a.m. local time (0145 GMT). He has not spoken publicly since the results were declared but a member of his Cabinet said they would accept the will of the people.

Najib had been under massive pressure in the run up to the elections, chiefly due to long-running allegations of corruption and misappropriation of money from a state fund, known as the 1Malaysia Development Berhad, but also because of deeply unpopular moves such as the introduction of a goods and services tax (GST), which many Malaysians feel has caused the cost of living to spike sharply.

The stunning election outcome was expected to ruffle financial markets that were expecting a comfortable win for Najib and the BN.

In the previous election, in 2013, the opposition made unprecedented gains, winning the popular vote, but it failed to win enough seats to form a government.

CREDIT WARNING

Mahathir's alliance, which counts on urban votes and support from the minority ethnic Chinese and Indian communities, had hoped the veteran Malay leader would win over voters usually loyal to BN. That strategy appeared to have paid off.

Official results showed that Mahathir's Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) won 113 of parliament's 222 seats, clinching the simple majority required to rule. Najib's BN coalition only managed 79 seats.

Mahathir has promised to reverse a goods and services tax (GST) introduced by Najib during his first 100 days in power and review foreign investments.

Global ratings agency Moody's said some of his campaign promises, including the GST and a reintroduction of fuel subsidies, could be credit negative for Malaysia's sovereign debt rating.

Mahathir was once Najib's mentor but they clashed after differences over the 1MDB graft scandal, in which billions of dollars were allegedly siphoned off to foreign countries.

The scandal is being investigated by at least six countries, although Malaysia's attorney general cleared Najib of any wrongdoing.

Mahathir vowed to investigate the scandal if elected and to bring the funds back to Malaysia.

Asked on Thursday if Najib would be prosecuted, Mahathir said: "If anybody breaks the law, and that includes a journalist, they will be brought before the court."

Mahathir must now manage a fractious alliance of four parties and make way for jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to become the next prime minister, another former protege with whom he split acrimoniously before reuniting to topple Najib.

"I have to manage presidents of four different parties. It's going to be a headache," Mahathir told reporters.

Mahathir, 92, defeated the Barisan Nasional coalition, which has been in power 60 years

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has won a historc victory making him the olderst as well as the longest serving Prime Minister in Malaysia. Mahathir, 92, defeated the Barisan Nasional coalition, which has been in power 60 years.With all 222 seats in the country's Parliament accounted for, Mahathir's coalition had officially won 121 seats -- enough to form a simple majority and take control of the House. Barisan Nasional, in contrast, only had 79 seats -- a far cry from the 133 it won in the 2013 election. Mahathir led the Southeast Asian nation for 22 years and his unexpected return to the prime ministership ends the previously unbroken rule of Barisan Nasional (BN), the coalition that had governed Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957. "We are not seeking revenge ... what we want is to restore the rule of law," Mahathir said of Najib's scandal-plagued rule. The swearing-in ceremoney will be held on Thursday which has been marked as a public holiday in Malaysia, the government announced. Najib is also expected to address the media at 9.45 a.m. local time (0145 GMT). He has not spoken publicly since the results were declared but a member of his Cabinet said they would accept the will of the people. Najib had been under massive pressure in the run up to the elections, chiefly due to long-running allegations of corruption and misappropriation of money from a state fund, known as the 1Malaysia Development Berhad, but also because of deeply unpopular moves such as the introduction of a goods and services tax (GST), which many Malaysians feel has caused the cost of living to spike sharply. The stunning election outcome was expected to ruffle financial markets that were expecting a comfortable win for Najib and the BN. In the previous election, in 2013, the opposition made unprecedented gains, winning the popular vote, but it failed to win enough seats to form a government. CREDIT WARNING Mahathir's alliance, which counts on urban votes and support from the minority ethnic Chinese and Indian communities, had hoped the veteran Malay leader would win over voters usually loyal to BN. That strategy appeared to have paid off. Official results showed that Mahathir's Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) won 113 of parliament's 222 seats, clinching the simple majority required to rule. Najib's BN coalition only managed 79 seats. Mahathir has promised to reverse a goods and services tax (GST) introduced by Najib during his first 100 days in power and review foreign investments. Global ratings agency Moody's said some of his campaign promises, including the GST and a reintroduction of fuel subsidies, could be credit negative for Malaysia's sovereign debt rating. Mahathir was once Najib's mentor but they clashed after differences over the 1MDB graft scandal, in which billions of dollars were allegedly siphoned off to foreign countries. The scandal is being investigated by at least six countries, although Malaysia's attorney general cleared Najib of any wrongdoing. Mahathir vowed to investigate the scandal if elected and to bring the funds back to Malaysia. Asked on Thursday if Najib would be prosecuted, Mahathir said: "If anybody breaks the law, and that includes a journalist, they will be brought before the court." Mahathir must now manage a fractious alliance of four parties and make way for jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to become the next prime minister, another former protege with whom he split acrimoniously before reuniting to topple Najib. "I have to manage presidents of four different parties. It's going to be a headache," Mahathir told reporters.

Malaysia's Mahathir Mohamad to be sworn-in as PM after historic poll win

Supreme Court on Thursday expressed reservation over the delay in the inauguration of Eastern Corridor.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The apex court said that they were told that Eastern Corridor has been completed and will be inaugurated by the end of April by the prime minister. However, the court said, news reports say PM won't be available tomorrow or the day&nbsp;after to inaugurate.

Accusing the government of merely passing the buck to the PMO, the&nbsp;court asked the authorities why wait for the PM when the government can ask the ASG appearing in this case to inaugurate?

Meghalaya&nbsp;high court has been working for 5 years&nbsp;without formal inauguration, why not same for the eastern corridor?&nbsp;the court&nbsp;asked.&nbsp;

On April 18, SC was informed that Eastern Corridor is ready and will be inaugurated by end of April. The court asked the authorities to&nbsp;inaugurate it by May 31.&nbsp;

If not inaugurated by May 31, Eastern Corridor to be thrown open to the public, the court said then and had added that&nbsp;delays will not be in the interest of the people of Delhi.

Meghalaya high court has been working for 5 years without formal inauguration, why not same for the eastern corridor? the court asked.

Supreme Court on Thursday expressed reservation over the delay in the inauguration of Eastern Corridor. The apex court said that they were told that Eastern Corridor has been completed and will be inaugurated by the end of April by the prime minister. However, the court said, news reports say PM won't be available tomorrow or the day after to inaugurate. Accusing the government of merely passing the buck to the PMO, the court asked the authorities why wait for the PM when the government can ask the ASG appearing in this case to inaugurate? Meghalaya high court has been working for 5 years without formal inauguration, why not same for the eastern corridor? the court asked. On April 18, SC was informed that Eastern Corridor is ready and will be inaugurated by end of April. The court asked the authorities to inaugurate it by May 31. If not inaugurated by May 31, Eastern Corridor to be thrown open to the public, the court said then and had added that delays will not be in the interest of the people of Delhi.

Why wait for PM Modi to inaugurate the Eastern Corridor, asks Supreme Court

In further trouble to Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan's top anti-corruption body today ordered a probe against the embattled former prime minister and others for allegedly laundering USD 4.9 billion to India, media reports said.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in a press release said its Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal took notice of reports making rounds on news channels claiming that Sharif allegedly laundered USD 4.9 billion to India, the Express Tribune reported.

According to the media report, this incident is mentioned in the World Bank's Migration and Remittance Book 2016, the release said.

However, details of the media report in question have not been mentioned in the brief statement issued in Urdu, Geo Tv reported.

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The statement claims that the amount was laundered to the Indian finance ministry after which Indian foreign exchange reserves witnessed an increase and Pakistan suffered as a result.

Sharif is facing three corruption cases at the accountability court following the Supreme Court's verdict in the Panama Papers case. A NAB inquiry is also under way against him for alleged illegal expansion of a road leading to his estate in Lahore's Jati Umra locality.&nbsp;

Once formulated, this will be the fifth case against the ousted premier by the NAB.

Earlier today, the accountability court sought more time from the top court to end the trial on references filed by the NAB against members of the Sharif family.

Accountability court judge Muhammad Bashir, who presides over the hearings, has written a letter to the top court requesting for a second extension in the trial.&nbsp;

Earlier in March, the Supreme Court had granted a two-month extension to the accountability court to wrap the proceedings.

However, as the two-month deadline expires, the case is nowhere near its end, with the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investments still untouched, the country's top anti-graft body is running out of time.&nbsp;

The Supreme Court of Pakistan had disqualified Sharif last year, forcing the three-time prime minister to resign. Sharif has dismissed the corruption charges as politically motivated.

The political future of Sharif, who leads the country's most powerful political family and his party, has been hanging in the balance since then. If convicted, he can be jailed. PTI&nbsp;

The inquiry has reportedly been ordered by the National Accountability Bureau which took cognizance of media reports saying Sharif had laundered the money

In further trouble to Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan's top anti-corruption body today ordered a probe against the embattled former prime minister and others for allegedly laundering USD 4.9 billion to India, media reports said. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in a press release said its Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal took notice of reports making rounds on news channels claiming that Sharif allegedly laundered USD 4.9 billion to India, the Express Tribune reported. According to the media report, this incident is mentioned in the World Bank's Migration and Remittance Book 2016, the release said. However, details of the media report in question have not been mentioned in the brief statement issued in Urdu, Geo Tv reported. The NAB statement claims the money was laundered to the Indian finance ministry after which Indian foreign exchange reserves witnessed an increase and Pakistan suffered as a result × The statement claims that the amount was laundered to the Indian finance ministry after which Indian foreign exchange reserves witnessed an increase and Pakistan suffered as a result. Sharif is facing three corruption cases at the accountability court following the Supreme Court's verdict in the Panama Papers case. A NAB inquiry is also under way against him for alleged illegal expansion of a road leading to his estate in Lahore's Jati Umra locality. Once formulated, this will be the fifth case against the ousted premier by the NAB. Earlier today, the accountability court sought more time from the top court to end the trial on references filed by the NAB against members of the Sharif family. Accountability court judge Muhammad Bashir, who presides over the hearings, has written a letter to the top court requesting for a second extension in the trial. Earlier in March, the Supreme Court had granted a two-month extension to the accountability court to wrap the proceedings. However, as the two-month deadline expires, the case is nowhere near its end, with the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investments still untouched, the country's top anti-graft body is running out of time. The Supreme Court of Pakistan had disqualified Sharif last year, forcing the three-time prime minister to resign. Sharif has dismissed the corruption charges as politically motivated. The political future of Sharif, who leads the country's most powerful political family and his party, has been hanging in the balance since then. If convicted, he can be jailed. PTI

Probe ordered against ex-Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif for allegedly laundering $4.9 bn to India: Pak media

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday put forward Dmitry Medvedev for the post of prime minister, the Kremlin said in a statement on its website.

Medvedev, who had been prime minister since 2012, resigned earlier on Monday along with the rest of the government in line with procedure. Putin was on Monday sworn in for a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/vladimir-putin-to-take-oath-as-russia-president-for-4th-term-135148">fourth term</a>.

Medvedev's candidacy still has to be approved by the State Duma, or the lower house of parliament.

Medvedev, who had been prime minister since 2012, resigned earlier on Monday along with the rest of the government in line with procedure

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday put forward Dmitry Medvedev for the post of prime minister, the Kremlin said in a statement on its website. Medvedev, who had been prime minister since 2012, resigned earlier on Monday along with the rest of the government in line with procedure. Putin was on Monday sworn in for a fourth term. Medvedev's candidacy still has to be approved by the State Duma, or the lower house of parliament.

Russia's Putin taps Dmitry Medvedev for prime minister

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing his second rally of the day in Karnataka, once again went on the offensive against the Congress.&nbsp;

"We are talking about enhancing 'ease of doing business' in the country, but Congress believes in 'ease of doing murder'," he said.&nbsp;

"This is the culture they have developed," he added.&nbsp;

"Violence cannot exist in a democracy. It is shameful how BJP karyakartas were murdered in Karnataka. The Congress must answer on increasing crimes," Modi said.&nbsp;

Modi was speaking at Udupi. He had earlier in the day addressed a rally at Mysuru. He will after his address another rally in Chikkodi.

Modi's campaign blitzkrieg will include 12 more rallies in Karnataka until May 8.

The state goes to the polls on May 12, with the results out on May 15.&nbsp;

In Udupi, Modi promised the people of Karnataka&nbsp;"development" in return for their "love".&nbsp;

"Your enthusiasm is proof that you've made up your mind to punish the Congress party," he said.&nbsp;

"Your love is such that language cannot act as a barrier between us. I will not let your hard work go in vain. I will return this love in the form of development," he added.&nbsp;

Siddaramaiah: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/siddaramaiah-janata-parivar-veteran-and-congresss-best-bet-in-karnataka-polls-133957">Janata Parivar veteran and Congress's best bet in Karnataka polls</a>

BS Yeddyurappa: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/b-s-yeddyurappa-karnatakas-lingayat-strongman-bjp-is-pinning-its-hope-on-133936">Karnataka's Lingayat strongman BJP is pinning its hope on</a>

The Congress, Modi said, promotes violence and intolerance. "There can be nothing worse than the&nbsp;attack on the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/karnataka-lokayukta-justice-vishwanath-shetty-stabbed-attacker-arrested-34982">Lokayukta</a>," he said.&nbsp;

Modi accused Karnataka's Congress government of shielding the sand mafia. "Those who loot cannot be allowed to remain in power. They must go," he said.&nbsp;

Adding that "atkana, latkana and bhatkana&nbsp;has become the habit of the Congress".&nbsp;

"Government opened bank accounts for the poor. Over 31 crores accounts have been opened under Jan Dhan Yojana. If Congress had ensured their bank accounts, the poor would have contributed so much to the economy," Modi said.&nbsp;

Hitting a softer note, he said: "There might be political differences between parties but civility and respect should be maintained. Whenever former PM Deve Gowda Ji visits me in Delhi I always welcome him with respect and always give him time."&nbsp;&nbsp;

Before going on the offensive again and saying, "The way Rahul Gandhi talked about him recently is shameful."&nbsp;&nbsp;

Modi had attacked Rahul in the morning too, in his address in Mysuru.&nbsp;

"Can <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/can-rahul-gandhi-speak-for-15-minutes-pm-modi-at-karnataka-rally-133953">Rahul speak for 15 minutes</a> without the help of a paper?"&nbsp;Modi had asked then. The comment was a riposte to the Congress President challenging Modi to a 15-minute debate.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

'Violence cannot exist in a democracy. It is shameful how BJP karyakartas were murdered in Karnataka. The Congress must answer on increasing crimes,' Modi said

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing his second rally of the day in Karnataka, once again went on the offensive against the Congress. "We are talking about enhancing 'ease of doing business' in the country, but Congress believes in 'ease of doing murder'," he said. "This is the culture they have developed," he added. "Violence cannot exist in a democracy. It is shameful how BJP karyakartas were murdered in Karnataka. The Congress must answer on increasing crimes," Modi said. Modi was speaking at Udupi. He had earlier in the day addressed a rally at Mysuru. He will after his address another rally in Chikkodi. Modi's campaign blitzkrieg will include 12 more rallies in Karnataka until May 8. The state goes to the polls on May 12, with the results out on May 15. In Udupi, Modi promised the people of Karnataka "development" in return for their "love". "Your enthusiasm is proof that you've made up your mind to punish the Congress party," he said. "Your love is such that language cannot act as a barrier between us. I will not let your hard work go in vain. I will return this love in the form of development," he added. Siddaramaiah: Janata Parivar veteran and Congress's best bet in Karnataka polls BS Yeddyurappa: Karnataka's Lingayat strongman BJP is pinning its hope on The Congress, Modi said, promotes violence and intolerance. "There can be nothing worse than the attack on the Lokayukta," he said. Modi accused Karnataka's Congress government of shielding the sand mafia. "Those who loot cannot be allowed to remain in power. They must go," he said. Adding that "atkana, latkana and bhatkana has become the habit of the Congress". "Government opened bank accounts for the poor. Over 31 crores accounts have been opened under Jan Dhan Yojana. If Congress had ensured their bank accounts, the poor would have contributed so much to the economy," Modi said. Hitting a softer note, he said: "There might be political differences between parties but civility and respect should be maintained. Whenever former PM Deve Gowda Ji visits me in Delhi I always welcome him with respect and always give him time." Before going on the offensive again and saying, "The way Rahul Gandhi talked about him recently is shameful." Modi had attacked Rahul in the morning too, in his address in Mysuru. "Can Rahul speak for 15 minutes without the help of a paper?" Modi had asked then. The comment was a riposte to the Congress President challenging Modi to a 15-minute debate.

Govt talks of 'ease of doing business', Congress believes in 'ease of doing murder': Modi in Karnataka's Udupi

Armenian opposition leader Nikol Pashiyan told his supporters to stage protests on Tuesday in a bid to pressurize the parliament to elect him as Prime Minister and further warned of a "political tsunami" if top echelons of RPA and former presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan clings to power.&nbsp

While addressing the people at the National Assembly on Monday, Pashiyan said that &nbspSerzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan had been threatening all the Armenian MP's and preventing them to vote for people's candidate, claiming that the duo plan to return to power.&nbsp

Pashinyan led days of protests that forced veteran leader Serzh Sarksyan to step down as prime minister last week and is the sole nominee to take over the role. But he needs approval from a parliament dominated by Sarksyan supporters.

As tens of thousands of people gathered in central Yerevan, Pashinyan told lawmakers before a vote on his candidacy that Sarksyan's backers in the ruling Republican Party should not snub the Armenian people's demands for change.

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"You would think that in the situation that has unfolded conclusions would have been drawn, but the Republican Party has started to play cat-and-mouse with the people," said Pashinyan, who had swapped his usual camouflage T-shirt for a suit and tie.

Addressing Republican Party officials, he said: "Your behaviour, treating the tolerance of the people as a weakness, could become the cause of a tsunami."

"I turn to the nation of the Republic of Armenia and every citizen of the Republic of Armenia," Pashinyan said in a speech broadcast live on two big screens to the crowd in the capital's central Republic Square.

"Don't stay at home, and right now, go out into the streets if you have not done it yet ... Flood out onto the streets and the squares of the capital and other towns in the republic."

People gathered at the venue waved the Armenian flag, blew horns and shouted "Nikol - prime minister!"

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The deadline for parliamentary factions to nominate their candidates ran out at 18:00 on Monday.

According to the Article 149 of the Armenia's Constitution, "In case the Prime Minister submits a resignation or in other cases of the office of the Prime Minister becoming vacant, the factions of the National Assembly shall be entitled to nominate candidates for Prime Minister within a period of seven days after accepting the resignation of the Government. The National Assembly shall elect the Prime Minister by majority of votes of the total number of Deputies."

National Assembly (NA) of Armenia will convene a special session on May 1, and the topic of the agenda will be the election of a new Prime Minister.

Pashiyan stated that taking the current delicate situation into consideration “we have created all conditions for Serzh Sargsyan and RPA’s top echelons to leave in a dignified manner”.

Pashinyan led days of protests that forced veteran leader Serzh Sarksyan to step down as prime minister last week and is the sole nominee to take over the role

Armenian opposition leader Nikol Pashiyan told his supporters to stage protests on Tuesday in a bid to pressurize the parliament to elect him as Prime Minister and further warned of a "political tsunami" if top echelons of RPA and former presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan clings to power. While addressing the people at the National Assembly on Monday, Pashiyan said that &nbspSerzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan had been threatening all the Armenian MP's and preventing them to vote for people's candidate, claiming that the duo plan to return to power. Pashinyan led days of protests that forced veteran leader Serzh Sarksyan to step down as prime minister last week and is the sole nominee to take over the role. But he needs approval from a parliament dominated by Sarksyan supporters. As tens of thousands of people gathered in central Yerevan, Pashinyan told lawmakers before a vote on his candidacy that Sarksyan's backers in the ruling Republican Party should not snub the Armenian people's demands for change. "You would think that in the situation that has unfolded conclusions would have been drawn, but the Republican Party has started to play cat-and-mouse with the people," said Pashinyan, who had swapped his usual camouflage T-shirt for a suit and tie. Addressing Republican Party officials, he said: "Your behaviour, treating the tolerance of the people as a weakness, could become the cause of a tsunami." "I turn to the nation of the Republic of Armenia and every citizen of the Republic of Armenia," Pashinyan said in a speech broadcast live on two big screens to the crowd in the capital's central Republic Square. "Don't stay at home, and right now, go out into the streets if you have not done it yet ... Flood out onto the streets and the squares of the capital and other towns in the republic." People gathered at the venue waved the Armenian flag, blew horns and shouted "Nikol - prime minister!" The deadline for parliamentary factions to nominate their candidates ran out at 18:00 on Monday. According to the Article 149 of the Armenia's Constitution, "In case the Prime Minister submits a resignation or in other cases of the office of the Prime Minister becoming vacant, the factions of the National Assembly shall be entitled to nominate candidates for Prime Minister within a period of seven days after accepting the resignation of the Government. The National Assembly shall elect the Prime Minister by majority of votes of the total number of Deputies." National Assembly (NA) of Armenia will convene a special session on May 1, and the topic of the agenda will be the election of a new Prime Minister. Pashiyan stated that taking the current delicate situation into consideration “we have created all conditions for Serzh Sargsyan and RPA’s top echelons to leave in a dignified manner”.

Armenian leader warns of 'political turmoil' if not elected Prime Minister

After a series of bizarre remarks, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has been called to New Delhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Deb, who took charge of Tripura last month, will meet PM Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on May 2.&nbsp

In last two weeks, Deb made a string of random remarks which left his party colleagues workers redfaced.

Today, while addressing a gathering, CM Deb advised the Tripura youth to not to waste their crucial time by running after the government jobs and instead, milk cows or open paan shops for livelihood.

"There should be a cow in every house. Why run after netas for government jobs? Milk is being sold at Rs 50 per litre. Graduates should get cows and milk it to earn Rs 10 lakh in 10 years. Instead of running after political parties," the Chief Minister said.

Earlier, he had stated that the Internet and satellite communication existed during the Mahabharata era.&nbsp

He even questioned the crowning of Diana Hayden as Miss World in 1997.

While addressing another rally in Tripura, the chief minister also stated that mechanical engineers should not opt for civil services, but civil engineers should.&nbsp

According to Deb, any unemployed youth with a minimum amount of Rs 75,000 borrowed from the bank and with a little self-effort, can easily earn at least Rs 25,000 every month, but the hurdle in this is the culture that has grown in the state during the last 25 years.

After a series of bizarre remarks, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has been called to New Delhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Deb, who took charge of Tripura last month, will meet PM Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on May 2. In last two weeks, Deb made a string of random remarks which left his party colleagues workers redfaced. Today, while addressing a gathering, CM Deb advised the Tripura youth to not to waste their crucial time by running after the government jobs and instead, milk cows or open paan shops for livelihood. "There should be a cow in every house. Why run after netas for government jobs? Milk is being sold at Rs 50 per litre. Graduates should get cows and milk it to earn Rs 10 lakh in 10 years. Instead of running after political parties," the Chief Minister said. Earlier, he had stated that the Internet and satellite communication existed during the Mahabharata era. He even questioned the crowning of Diana Hayden as Miss World in 1997. While addressing another rally in Tripura, the chief minister also stated that mechanical engineers should not opt for civil services, but civil engineers should. According to Deb, any unemployed youth with a minimum amount of Rs 75,000 borrowed from the bank and with a little self-effort, can easily earn at least Rs 25,000 every month, but the hurdle in this is the culture that has grown in the state during the last 25 years.

After a string of bizarre remarks, PM Modi calls Tripura CM to New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have decided to issue "strategic guidance" to their militaries to strengthen communications and to build trust and understanding, the top Indian diplomat said on Saturday, a move aimed at avoiding a Doklam-like situation in the future.

Modi said his talks with President Xi focussed on diverse areas of India-China cooperation. "We discussed ways to give impetus to our economic ties as well as people-to-people relations. Other areas we spoke about include agriculture, technology, energy and tourism," he said.

Briefing reporters at the end of the two-day informal summit between the two leaders in the central Chinese city Saturday, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said the two leaders underscored the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in all areas of the India-China border region.

"To this end, they issued strategic guidance to their respective militaries to strengthen communication in order to build trust and mutual understanding and enhance predictability and effectiveness in the management of border affairs," Gokhale said.&nbsp;

He said the two leaders further directed their militaries to earnestly implement various confidence-building measures agreed upon between the two sides, including the principle of mutual and equal security, and strengthen existing institutional arrangements and information sharing mechanisms to prevent incidents in border regions.

They also endorsed the work of the special representatives to find a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement on the boundary issue.

The two countries have so far held 20 rounds of talks to resolve the boundary dispute and worked out different mechanisms to keep peace along the 3,488-km long Line of Actual Control.

His remarks assumes significance as the 'heart-to-heart' summit between Modi and Xi is being seen as an effort by India and China to rebuild trust and improve ties that were hit by the 73-day-long Doklam standoff last year.

"The two leaders were of the view that the two countries have the maturity and wisdom to handle all our differences through peaceful discussions within the context of the overall relationships and bearing in mind, we would respect each other's sensitivities, concerns and aspirations," Gokhale said.

Modi and Xi underlined that as two major countries India and China have wider and overlapping regional and global interests. They agreed on the need to strengthen strategic communication through greater consultation on all matters of common interest. "They believe that such strategic communication will have a positive influence on enhancing mutual understanding and will contribute to regional and global stability," Gokhale said.

The two leaders recognised the common threat posed by terrorism and committed to cooperate further on counter-terrorism, he said.

When asked whether the issue of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar was raised, he said the two leaders "did not go into specifics". China has repeatedly blocked India's bid to designate Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN.&nbsp;

The two leaders agreed that India and China are major powers, with strategic and decisional autonomy and they will pursue peaceful, stable and balanced relations and such a relationship will be a positive factor for stability amidst the current global uncertainties, he said, amidst increasing protectionist moves by countries like the US.

"The developments were reviewed from the strategic and long-term perspective. They agreed to significantly enhance efforts to build on the convergences through the established mechanisms in order to create the broadest possible platform for the future relationship," Gokhale said.

The two leaders underlined that trade should be balanced, it should be sustainable, and that the two sides should take advantage of the complementarities between the two economies.

Modi also mentioned the importance of balancing the trade, and the scope of the possibilities of agricultural exports and pharmaceutical exports to China.&nbsp;

The two sides also discussed climate change, sustainable development and food security.&nbsp;

Xi shared his experience in terms of the preservation of the Yangtze - China's longest river - and Modi shared his own experience on the question of the cleaning of the Ganga - India's longest river.

They also discussed how to promote sports between the two countries and how to strengthen tourism on the Buddhist circuit.

"They reiterated the importance of building an open, multi-polar, pluralist and participatory global economic order which will enable all countries to pursue their development and contribute to the elimination of poverty and inequality in all regions of the world. They spoke of their respective efforts to contribute to the regional and global economic development," Gokhale said.

They also underscored the importance of reform of multilateral financial and political institutions to make them representative and responsive to the needs of developing countries.

The forward-looking dialogue helped them in forging a common understanding of the future direction of India-China relations built upon mutual respect for each other's developmental aspirations and prudent management of differences with mutual sensitivity," he added.

Modi said his talks with President Xi focussed on diverse areas of India-China cooperation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have decided to issue "strategic guidance" to their militaries to strengthen communications and to build trust and understanding, the top Indian diplomat said on Saturday, a move aimed at avoiding a Doklam-like situation in the future. Modi said his talks with President Xi focussed on diverse areas of India-China cooperation. "We discussed ways to give impetus to our economic ties as well as people-to-people relations. Other areas we spoke about include agriculture, technology, energy and tourism," he said. Briefing reporters at the end of the two-day informal summit between the two leaders in the central Chinese city Saturday, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said the two leaders underscored the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in all areas of the India-China border region. "To this end, they issued strategic guidance to their respective militaries to strengthen communication in order to build trust and mutual understanding and enhance predictability and effectiveness in the management of border affairs," Gokhale said. He said the two leaders further directed their militaries to earnestly implement various confidence-building measures agreed upon between the two sides, including the principle of mutual and equal security, and strengthen existing institutional arrangements and information sharing mechanisms to prevent incidents in border regions. They also endorsed the work of the special representatives to find a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement on the boundary issue. The two countries have so far held 20 rounds of talks to resolve the boundary dispute and worked out different mechanisms to keep peace along the 3,488-km long Line of Actual Control. His remarks assumes significance as the 'heart-to-heart' summit between Modi and Xi is being seen as an effort by India and China to rebuild trust and improve ties that were hit by the 73-day-long Doklam standoff last year. "The two leaders were of the view that the two countries have the maturity and wisdom to handle all our differences through peaceful discussions within the context of the overall relationships and bearing in mind, we would respect each other's sensitivities, concerns and aspirations," Gokhale said. Modi and Xi underlined that as two major countries India and China have wider and overlapping regional and global interests. They agreed on the need to strengthen strategic communication through greater consultation on all matters of common interest. "They believe that such strategic communication will have a positive influence on enhancing mutual understanding and will contribute to regional and global stability," Gokhale said. The two leaders recognised the common threat posed by terrorism and committed to cooperate further on counter-terrorism, he said. When asked whether the issue of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar was raised, he said the two leaders "did not go into specifics". China has repeatedly blocked India's bid to designate Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN. The two leaders agreed that India and China are major powers, with strategic and decisional autonomy and they will pursue peaceful, stable and balanced relations and such a relationship will be a positive factor for stability amidst the current global uncertainties, he said, amidst increasing protectionist moves by countries like the US. "The developments were reviewed from the strategic and long-term perspective. They agreed to significantly enhance efforts to build on the convergences through the established mechanisms in order to create the broadest possible platform for the future relationship," Gokhale said. The two leaders underlined that trade should be balanced, it should be sustainable, and that the two sides should take advantage of the complementarities between the two economies. Modi also mentioned the importance of balancing the trade, and the scope of the possibilities of agricultural exports and pharmaceutical exports to China. The two sides also discussed climate change, sustainable development and food security. Xi shared his experience in terms of the preservation of the Yangtze - China's longest river - and Modi shared his own experience on the question of the cleaning of the Ganga - India's longest river. They also discussed how to promote sports between the two countries and how to strengthen tourism on the Buddhist circuit. "They reiterated the importance of building an open, multi-polar, pluralist and participatory global economic order which will enable all countries to pursue their development and contribute to the elimination of poverty and inequality in all regions of the world. They spoke of their respective efforts to contribute to the regional and global economic development," Gokhale said. They also underscored the importance of reform of multilateral financial and political institutions to make them representative and responsive to the needs of developing countries. The forward-looking dialogue helped them in forging a common understanding of the future direction of India-China relations built upon mutual respect for each other's developmental aspirations and prudent management of differences with mutual sensitivity," he added.

To avoid Doklam like situation, Modi, Xi agree to issue 'strategic guidance' to their militaries to build trust

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou said on Saturday China does not think it is important whether India accepts China's Belt and Road infrastructure project and China won't force it to.

Kong, speaking to reporters in the central Chinese city of Wuhan after an informal summit between the leaders of China and India, also said China does not think the Indian government has changed its official position that Tibet is a part of China.

China and India have concrete differences but the summit was not aimed at addressing these specific issues, Kong told reporters in the central Chinese city of Wuhan where the meeting took place.&nbsp;

The just-concluded informal summit between the leaders of China and India was a milestone in relations, Kong said.&nbsp;

Chinese President Xi Jinping said the problems between China and India are of a limited, temporary nature, Kong said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)

The just-concluded informal summit between the leaders of China and India was a milestone in relations, Kong said.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou said on Saturday China does not think it is important whether India accepts China's Belt and Road infrastructure project and China won't force it to. Kong, speaking to reporters in the central Chinese city of Wuhan after an informal summit between the leaders of China and India, also said China does not think the Indian government has changed its official position that Tibet is a part of China. China and India have concrete differences but the summit was not aimed at addressing these specific issues, Kong told reporters in the central Chinese city of Wuhan where the meeting took place. The just-concluded informal summit between the leaders of China and India was a milestone in relations, Kong said. Chinese President Xi Jinping said the problems between China and India are of a limited, temporary nature, Kong said. (With inputs from Reuters)

China won't force India to accept Belt and Road project, says Chinese vice foreign minister

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that it is shameful to play politics over the issues related to rapes and sexual assaults in the country.

Prime Minister Modi's remarks come in the backdrop of a nationwide outrage over the rape cases in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua and Uttar Pradesh's Unnao.

Addressing a gathering at the event 'Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath' in London, Prime Minister Modi said, "A rape is a rape. How can we tolerate this exploitation of our daughters?"

"When a child is raped, do we compare metrics versus earlier governments? That is shameful. We cannot say there were this many rapes in our government and that many of yours. There cannot be a worse way to deal with this issue," the prime minister added.

He further said that there is nothing worse than a child is raped, while raising a question to the audience that why do the parents get worried when their girl child comes late to home but never asks the boy child about his whereabouts.

The person who is "committing the sin" is somebody's son Prime Minister Modi said while calling the rape incidents as a cause of concern for the entire nation.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/live-pm-modi-set-to-speak-at-central-hall-westminster-131249">Read the full text of Modi's address at Central Hall Westminster</a>

In the Kathua case, an eight-year-old girl was allegedly drugged, tortured and gang-raped continuously for a week by eight people in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua in January.

In the Unnao case, the victim has alleged that she was raped by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar at his residence on June 4, 2017, where she had gone with a relative seeking a job.

Modi said making India a secured nation for women is one of his utmost priority. "When I addressed the nation for the first time from the ramparts of Red Fort, I expressed anguish over the hardship faced by our women. Why they have to fear for their safety each evening after it gets dark?"

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Live from London: Prime Minister Narendra Modi at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BharatKiBaatSabkeSaath?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BharatKiBaatSabkeSaath</a> event at Central Hall Westminster. <a href="https://t.co/fqYzelOaHy">https://t.co/fqYzelOaHy</a>
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Earlier, Modi had on Friday referred to the Kathua rape incident during his address on Dr BR Ambedkar's birth anniversary, saying, "Our daughters will get justice". His detractors, however, called the response inadequate, demanding a formal statement to be issued by the Prime Minister's Office.

'Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath' event took place in the Westminster's Central Hall in London and was moderated by noted Indian lyricist Prasoon Joshi.

Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to attend a dinner hosted by United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May for the leaders of the Commonwealth Nations.

Later on Thursday (local time), he will take part in the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting along with the other Commonwealth leaders.

(With inputs from ANI)

The prime minister did not specify if he was talking about a particular instance of rape but it was clear that his comments were in the context of the Kathua and Unnao gangrape cases.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that it is shameful to play politics over the issues related to rapes and sexual assaults in the country. Prime Minister Modi's remarks come in the backdrop of a nationwide outrage over the rape cases in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua and Uttar Pradesh's Unnao. Addressing a gathering at the event 'Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath' in London, Prime Minister Modi said, "A rape is a rape. How can we tolerate this exploitation of our daughters?" "When a child is raped, do we compare metrics versus earlier governments? That is shameful. We cannot say there were this many rapes in our government and that many of yours. There cannot be a worse way to deal with this issue," the prime minister added. He further said that there is nothing worse than a child is raped, while raising a question to the audience that why do the parents get worried when their girl child comes late to home but never asks the boy child about his whereabouts. The person who is "committing the sin" is somebody's son Prime Minister Modi said while calling the rape incidents as a cause of concern for the entire nation. Read the full text of Modi's address at Central Hall Westminster In the Kathua case, an eight-year-old girl was allegedly drugged, tortured and gang-raped continuously for a week by eight people in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua in January. In the Unnao case, the victim has alleged that she was raped by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar at his residence on June 4, 2017, where she had gone with a relative seeking a job. Modi said making India a secured nation for women is one of his utmost priority. "When I addressed the nation for the first time from the ramparts of Red Fort, I expressed anguish over the hardship faced by our women. Why they have to fear for their safety each evening after it gets dark?" #WATCH Live from London: Prime Minister Narendra Modi at #BharatKiBaatSabkeSaath event at Central Hall Westminster. https://t.co/fqYzelOaHy — ANI (@ANI) April 18, 2018 × Earlier, Modi had on Friday referred to the Kathua rape incident during his address on Dr BR Ambedkar's birth anniversary, saying, "Our daughters will get justice". His detractors, however, called the response inadequate, demanding a formal statement to be issued by the Prime Minister's Office. 'Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath' event took place in the Westminster's Central Hall in London and was moderated by noted Indian lyricist Prasoon Joshi. Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to attend a dinner hosted by United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May for the leaders of the Commonwealth Nations. Later on Thursday (local time), he will take part in the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting along with the other Commonwealth leaders. (With inputs from ANI)

Rape is rape, don't politicise such issues: PM Narendra Modi at London event

United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday hosted a black-tie dinner for the leaders of 53 Commonwealth Nations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi after attending the Westminster's Central Hall's event "Bharat Ki Baat Sabke Saath" departed for the dinner.

Prime Minister Modi is on a three-day visit to the United Kingdom as part of which he will attend the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting scheduled to take place on April 19.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister had a bilateral talk with PM Theresa May in which they discussed economic offenders including Vijay Mallya and the much-talked attacked ex Russian spy Sergei Skripal.

He was earlier honoured in a private audience with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace, an event which has been organised previously for only three nations.

Earlier,&nbsp;'Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath' event took place in the Westminster's Central Hall in London and was moderated by noted Indian lyricist Prasoon Joshi.

(With inputs from ANI)

Prime Minister Modi is on a three-day visit to the United Kingdom

United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday hosted a black-tie dinner for the leaders of 53 Commonwealth Nations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi after attending the Westminster's Central Hall's event "Bharat Ki Baat Sabke Saath" departed for the dinner. Prime Minister Modi is on a three-day visit to the United Kingdom as part of which he will attend the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting scheduled to take place on April 19. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister had a bilateral talk with PM Theresa May in which they discussed economic offenders including Vijay Mallya and the much-talked attacked ex Russian spy Sergei Skripal. He was earlier honoured in a private audience with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace, an event which has been organised previously for only three nations. Earlier, 'Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath' event took place in the Westminster's Central Hall in London and was moderated by noted Indian lyricist Prasoon Joshi. (With inputs from ANI)

PM Modi attends dinner hosted by Theresa May for Commonwealth leaders

Forty-nine former bureaucrats have written a scathing open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Kathua and Unnao gang rapes.&nbsp;

"In post-independence India, this is our darkest hour and we find the response of our government, the leaders of our political parties inadequate and feeble," the bureaucrats write in their letter.&nbsp;

"At this juncture, we see no light at the end of the tunnel and we hang our heads in shame," the letter says, before going on to add, "Our sense of shame is all the more acute because our younger colleagues who are still in service, especially those working in the districts and are required by law to care for and protect the weak and the vulnerable, also seem to have failed in their duty."&nbsp;

The letter blames the Kathua (Jammu and Kashmir) and Unnao (UP) attacks on the BJP, which is in power in both states.&nbsp;

"This is a moment of existential crisis, a turning point – the way the government responds now will determine whether we as a nation and as a republic have the capacity to overcome the crisis of constitutional values, of governance and the ethical order within which we function," it says, before going on to suggest a to-do list for Prime Minister Modi to make amends.&nbsp;

The full text of the letter is reproduced below:&nbsp;

&nbsp;

We are a group of retired civil servants who came together last year to express our concern at the decline in the secular, democratic, and liberal values enshrined in our constitution. We did so to join other voices of protest against the frightening climate of hate, fear and viciousness that the ruling establishment had insidiously induced. We spoke then as we do now: as citizens who have no affiliations with any political party nor adherence to any political ideology other than the values enshrined in our Constitution.

We had hoped that as someone sworn to upholding the Constitution, the government that you head and the party to which you belong would wake up to this alarming decline, take the lead in stemming the rot and reassure everyone, especially the minorities and vulnerable sections of society, that they need not fear for their life and liberty. This hope has been destroyed.

Instead, the unspeakable horror of the Kathua and the Unnao incidents shows that the government has failed in performing the most basic of the responsibilities given to it by the people. We, in turn, have failed as a nation which took pride in its ethical, spiritual and cultural heritage and as a society which treasured its civilisational values of tolerance, compassion and fellow feeling. By giving sustenance to the brutality of one human being against another in the name of Hindus we have failed as human beings.

The bestiality and the barbarity involved in the rape and murder of an eight year old child shows the depths of depravity that we have sunk into. In post-independence India, this is our darkest hour and we find the response of our government, the leaders of our political parties inadequate and feeble. At this juncture, we see no light at the end of the tunnel and we hang our heads in shame. Our sense of shame is all the more acute because our younger colleagues who are still in service, especially those working in the districts and are required by law to care for and protect the weak and the vulnerable, also seem to have failed in their duty.

Prime Minister, we write to you not just to express our collective sense of shame and not just to give voice to our anguish or lament and mourn the death of our civilisational values – but to express our rage. Rage over the agenda of division and hate your party and its innumerable, often untraceable offshoots that spring up from time to time, have insidiously introduced into the grammar of our politics, our social and cultural life and even our daily discourse. It is that which provides the social sanction and legitimacy for the incidents in Kathua and Unnao.&nbsp;

In Kathua in Jammu, it is the culture of majoritarian belligerence and aggression promoted by the Sangh parivar which emboldened rabid communal elements to pursue their perverse agenda. They knew that their behaviour would be endorsed by the politically powerful and those who have made their careers by polarising Hindus and Muslims across a sectarian divide.

In Unnao in UP, it is the reliance on the worst kinds of patriarchal feudal mafia dons to capture votes and political power that gives such persons the freedom to rape and murder and extort as a way of asserting their own personal power. But even more reprehensible than such abuse of power, it is the response of the state government in hounding the victim of rape and her family instead of the alleged perpetrator that shows how perverted governance practices have become. That the government of UP finally acted only when it was compelled to do so by the high court shows the hypocrisy and half-heartedness of its intent.

In both cases, Prime Minister, it is your party which is in power. Given your supremacy within the party and the centralised control you and your party president exercise, you, more than anyone else, have to be held responsible for this terrifying state of affairs. Instead of owning up and making reparations, however, you had until yesterday chosen to remain silent, breaking your silence only when public outrage both in India and internationally reached a point when you could no longer ignore it.

And even then, while you have condemned the act and expressed a sense of shame, you have not condemned the communal pathology behind the act nor shown the resolve to change the social, political and administrative conditions under which such communal hate is bred. We have had enough of these belated remonstrations and promises to bring justice when the communal cauldron is forever kept boiling by forces nested within the Sangh Parivar.

Prime Minister, these two incidents are not just ordinary crimes where, with the passage of time, the wounds inflicted on our social fabric, on our body politic and the moral fibre of our society will heal and it will soon be business as usual. This is a moment of existential crisis, a turning point – the way the government responds now will determine whether we as a nation and as a republic have the capacity to overcome the crisis of constitutional values, of governance and the ethical order within which we function.

And to this end we call upon you to do the following:

● Reach out to the families of the victims in Unnao and Kathua and seek their forgiveness on behalf of all of us.

● Fast-track the prosecution of the perpetrators in the Kathua case and request for a court directed SIT in the Unnao case, without further ado.

● In the memory of these innocent children and all other victims of hate crime, renew a pledge to offer special protection to Muslims, to Dalits, to members of other minority communities, to women and children so that they need not fear for their life and liberty and any threat to these will be extinguished with the full force of State authority.

● Take steps to remove from government anyone who has been associated with hate crimes and 
hate speeches.

● Call for an all party meeting to deliberate on ways in which the phenomenon of hate crime can be tackled socially, politically and administratively.

It is possible that even this may be too little too late but it will restore some sense of order and give hope that the free fall into anarchy can be arrested. We live in hope.

Signed: 
1. SP Ambrose, IAS (Retd). Former Additional Secretary, Ministry of Shipping and Transport, GoI 
2. Vappala Balachandran, IPS (Retd). Former Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, GoI 
3. Chandrashekhar Balakrishnan. IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, Ministry of Coal, GoI 
4. Pradip Bhattacharya, IAS (Retd). Former Additional Chief Secretary, Development & Planning and Administrative Training Institute, Govt. of West Bengal 
5. Meeran C Borwankar, IPS (Retd). Former DGP, Bureau of Police Research and Development, GoI 
6. Sundar Burra, IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra 
7. Javid Chowdhury, IAS (Retd). Former Health Secretary, GoI 
8. Anna Dani, IAS (Retd). Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra 
9. Surjit K. Das. IAS (Retd). Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Uttarakhand 
10. Vibha Puri Das. IAS (Retd) Former Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, GoI 
11. Nareshwar Dayal. IFS (Retd). Former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom 
12. Keshav Desiraju, IAS (Retd). Former Health Secretary, GoI 
13. M.G. Devasahayam, IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, Govt. of Haryana 
14. Sushil Dubey, IFS (Retd). Former Ambassador to Sweden 
15. K.P. Fabian, IFS (Retd). Former Ambassador to Italy 
16. Meena Gupta, IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forests, GoI 
17. Ravi Vira Gupta, IAS (Retd). Former Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India 
18. Wajahat Habibullah, IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, GoI and Chief Information Commissioner 
19. Sajjad Hassan, IAS (Retd). Former Commissioner (Planning), Govt. of Manipur 
20. M.A. Ibrahimi, IAS (Retd). Former Chief Secretary (rank) Bihar 
21. Ajai Kumar, Indian Forest Service (Retd). Former Director, Ministry of Agriculture, GoI 
22. Arun Kumar, IAS (Retd). Former Chairman, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, GoI 
23. Harsh Mander, IAS (Retd). Govt. of Madhya Pradesh 
24. Aditi Mehta, IAS (Retd). Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of Rajasthan 
25. Sunil Mitra, IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, Ministry of Finance, GoI 
26. Sobha Nambisan, IAS (Retd). Former Principal Secretary (Planning), Govt. of Karnataka 
27. Amitabha Pande, IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, Inter-State Council, GoI 
28. Niranjan Pant,IA&AS (Retd). Former Deputy Comptroller & Auditor General of India 
29. P. R. Parthasarathy, IPS (Retd). Former Director, Anti-Corruption Bureau, Govt. of Maharashtra 
30. Alok Perti, IAS (Retd) Former Secretary, Ministry of Coal, GoI 
31. N.K. Raghupathy, IAS (Retd). Former Chairman, Staff Selection Commission, GoI 
32. M.Y. Rao, IAS (Retd). 
33. Sujatha Rao, IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, Ministry of Health, GoI 
34. Julio Ribeiro, IPS (Retd). Former Adviser to Governor of Punjab & Ambassador to Romania 
35. Aruna Roy, IAS (Resigned) 
36. Manabendra N. Roy, IAS (Retd). Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal 
37. Umrao Salodia, IAS (Retd). Former Chairman, Rajasthan Road Transport Corporation, Govt. of Rajasthan 
38. Deepak Sanan, IAS (Retd). Former Principal Adviser (AR) to Chief Minister, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh 
39. E. A.S. Sarma, IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, GoI 
40. N.C. Saxena, IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, Planning Commission, GoI 
41. Ardhendu Sen, IAS (Retd). Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal 
42. Abhijit Sengupta, IAS (Retd). Secretary, Ministry of Culture, GoI 
43. Aftab Seth, IFS (Retd). Former Ambassador to Japan 
44. Navrekha Sharma, IFS (Retd). Former Ambassador to Indonesia 
45. Har Mander Singh, IAS (Retd). Former Director General, ESI Corporation, GoI 
46. Jawhar Sircar, IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, Ministry of Culture, GoI, & CEO, Prasar Bharati 
47. K.S. Subramanian, IPS (Retd). Former Director General, State Institute of Public Administration & Rural Development, Govt. of Tripura 
48. Geetha Thoopal, IRAS (Retd). Former General Manager, Metro Railway, Kolkata 
49. Ramani Venkatesan, IAS (Retd). Former Director General, YASHADA, Govt. Of Maharashtra

'This is a moment of existential crisis, a turning point — the way the government responds now will determine whether we as a nation and as a republic have the capacity to overcome the crisis of constitutional values, of governance and the ethical order within which we function,' the bureaucrats write in their letter

Forty-nine former bureaucrats have written a scathing open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Kathua and Unnao gang rapes. "In post-independence India, this is our darkest hour and we find the response of our government, the leaders of our political parties inadequate and feeble," the bureaucrats write in their letter. "At this juncture, we see no light at the end of the tunnel and we hang our heads in shame," the letter says, before going on to add, "Our sense of shame is all the more acute because our younger colleagues who are still in service, especially those working in the districts and are required by law to care for and protect the weak and the vulnerable, also seem to have failed in their duty." The letter blames the Kathua (Jammu and Kashmir) and Unnao (UP) attacks on the BJP, which is in power in both states. "This is a moment of existential crisis, a turning point – the way the government responds now will determine whether we as a nation and as a republic have the capacity to overcome the crisis of constitutional values, of governance and the ethical order within which we function," it says, before going on to suggest a to-do list for Prime Minister Modi to make amends. The full text of the letter is reproduced below: We are a group of retired civil servants who came together last year to express our concern at the decline in the secular, democratic, and liberal values enshrined in our constitution. We did so to join other voices of protest against the frightening climate of hate, fear and viciousness that the ruling establishment had insidiously induced. We spoke then as we do now: as citizens who have no affiliations with any political party nor adherence to any political ideology other than the values enshrined in our Constitution. We had hoped that as someone sworn to upholding the Constitution, the government that you head and the party to which you belong would wake up to this alarming decline, take the lead in stemming the rot and reassure everyone, especially the minorities and vulnerable sections of society, that they need not fear for their life and liberty. This hope has been destroyed. Instead, the unspeakable horror of the Kathua and the Unnao incidents shows that the government has failed in performing the most basic of the responsibilities given to it by the people. We, in turn, have failed as a nation which took pride in its ethical, spiritual and cultural heritage and as a society which treasured its civilisational values of tolerance, compassion and fellow feeling. By giving sustenance to the brutality of one human being against another in the name of Hindus we have failed as human beings. The bestiality and the barbarity involved in the rape and murder of an eight year old child shows the depths of depravity that we have sunk into. In post-independence India, this is our darkest hour and we find the response of our government, the leaders of our political parties inadequate and feeble. At this juncture, we see no light at the end of the tunnel and we hang our heads in shame. Our sense of shame is all the more acute because our younger colleagues who are still in service, especially those working in the districts and are required by law to care for and protect the weak and the vulnerable, also seem to have failed in their duty. Prime Minister, we write to you not just to express our collective sense of shame and not just to give voice to our anguish or lament and mourn the death of our civilisational values – but to express our rage. Rage over the agenda of division and hate your party and its innumerable, often untraceable offshoots that spring up from time to time, have insidiously introduced into the grammar of our politics, our social and cultural life and even our daily discourse. It is that which provides the social sanction and legitimacy for the incidents in Kathua and Unnao. In Kathua in Jammu, it is the culture of majoritarian belligerence and aggression promoted by the Sangh parivar which emboldened rabid communal elements to pursue their perverse agenda. They knew that their behaviour would be endorsed by the politically powerful and those who have made their careers by polarising Hindus and Muslims across a sectarian divide. In Unnao in UP, it is the reliance on the worst kinds of patriarchal feudal mafia dons to capture votes and political power that gives such persons the freedom to rape and murder and extort as a way of asserting their own personal power. But even more reprehensible than such abuse of power, it is the response of the state government in hounding the victim of rape and her family instead of the alleged perpetrator that shows how perverted governance practices have become. That the government of UP finally acted only when it was compelled to do so by the high court shows the hypocrisy and half-heartedness of its intent. In both cases, Prime Minister, it is your party which is in power. Given your supremacy within the party and the centralised control you and your party president exercise, you, more than anyone else, have to be held responsible for this terrifying state of affairs. Instead of owning up and making reparations, however, you had until yesterday chosen to remain silent, breaking your silence only when public outrage both in India and internationally reached a point when you could no longer ignore it. And even then, while you have condemned the act and expressed a sense of shame, you have not condemned the communal pathology behind the act nor shown the resolve to change the social, political and administrative conditions under which such communal hate is bred. We have had enough of these belated remonstrations and promises to bring justice when the communal cauldron is forever kept boiling by forces nested within the Sangh Parivar. Prime Minister, these two incidents are not just ordinary crimes where, with the passage of time, the wounds inflicted on our social fabric, on our body politic and the moral fibre of our society will heal and it will soon be business as usual. This is a moment of existential crisis, a turning point – the way the government responds now will determine whether we as a nation and as a republic have the capacity to overcome the crisis of constitutional values, of governance and the ethical order within which we function. And to this end we call upon you to do the following: ● Reach out to the families of the victims in Unnao and Kathua and seek their forgiveness on behalf of all of us. ● Fast-track the prosecution of the perpetrators in the Kathua case and request for a court directed SIT in the Unnao case, without further ado. ● In the memory of these innocent children and all other victims of hate crime, renew a pledge to offer special protection to Muslims, to Dalits, to members of other minority communities, to women and children so that they need not fear for their life and liberty and any threat to these will be extinguished with the full force of State authority. ● Take steps to remove from government anyone who has been associated with hate crimes and hate speeches. ● Call for an all party meeting to deliberate on ways in which the phenomenon of hate crime can be tackled socially, politically and administratively. It is possible that even this may be too little too late but it will restore some sense of order and give hope that the free fall into anarchy can be arrested. We live in hope. Signed: 1. SP Ambrose, IAS (Retd). Former Additional Secretary, Ministry of Shipping and Transport, GoI 2. Vappala Balachandran, IPS (Retd). Former Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, GoI 3. Chandrashekhar Balakrishnan. IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, Ministry of Coal, GoI 4. Pradip Bhattacharya, IAS (Retd). Former Additional Chief Secretary, Development & Planning and Administrative Training Institute, Govt. of West Bengal 5. Meeran C Borwankar, IPS (Retd). Former DGP, Bureau of Police Research and Development, GoI 6. Sundar Burra, IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra 7. Javid Chowdhury, IAS (Retd). Former Health Secretary, GoI 8. Anna Dani, IAS (Retd). Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra 9. Surjit K. Das. IAS (Retd). Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Uttarakhand 10. Vibha Puri Das. IAS (Retd) Former Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, GoI 11. Nareshwar Dayal. IFS (Retd). Former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom 12. Keshav Desiraju, IAS (Retd). Former Health Secretary, GoI 13. M.G. Devasahayam, IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, Govt. of Haryana 14. Sushil Dubey, IFS (Retd). Former Ambassador to Sweden 15. K.P. Fabian, IFS (Retd). Former Ambassador to Italy 16. Meena Gupta, IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forests, GoI 17. Ravi Vira Gupta, IAS (Retd). Former Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India 18. Wajahat Habibullah, IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, GoI and Chief Information Commissioner 19. Sajjad Hassan, IAS (Retd). Former Commissioner (Planning), Govt. of Manipur 20. M.A. Ibrahimi, IAS (Retd). Former Chief Secretary (rank) Bihar 21. Ajai Kumar, Indian Forest Service (Retd). Former Director, Ministry of Agriculture, GoI 22. Arun Kumar, IAS (Retd). Former Chairman, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, GoI 23. Harsh Mander, IAS (Retd). Govt. of Madhya Pradesh 24. Aditi Mehta, IAS (Retd). Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of Rajasthan 25. Sunil Mitra, IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, Ministry of Finance, GoI 26. Sobha Nambisan, IAS (Retd). Former Principal Secretary (Planning), Govt. of Karnataka 27. Amitabha Pande, IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, Inter-State Council, GoI 28. Niranjan Pant,IA&AS (Retd). Former Deputy Comptroller & Auditor General of India 29. P. R. Parthasarathy, IPS (Retd). Former Director, Anti-Corruption Bureau, Govt. of Maharashtra 30. Alok Perti, IAS (Retd) Former Secretary, Ministry of Coal, GoI 31. N.K. Raghupathy, IAS (Retd). Former Chairman, Staff Selection Commission, GoI 32. M.Y. Rao, IAS (Retd). 33. Sujatha Rao, IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, Ministry of Health, GoI 34. Julio Ribeiro, IPS (Retd). Former Adviser to Governor of Punjab & Ambassador to Romania 35. Aruna Roy, IAS (Resigned) 36. Manabendra N. Roy, IAS (Retd). Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal 37. Umrao Salodia, IAS (Retd). Former Chairman, Rajasthan Road Transport Corporation, Govt. of Rajasthan 38. Deepak Sanan, IAS (Retd). Former Principal Adviser (AR) to Chief Minister, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh 39. E. A.S. Sarma, IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, GoI 40. N.C. Saxena, IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, Planning Commission, GoI 41. Ardhendu Sen, IAS (Retd). Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal 42. Abhijit Sengupta, IAS (Retd). Secretary, Ministry of Culture, GoI 43. Aftab Seth, IFS (Retd). Former Ambassador to Japan 44. Navrekha Sharma, IFS (Retd). Former Ambassador to Indonesia 45. Har Mander Singh, IAS (Retd). Former Director General, ESI Corporation, GoI 46. Jawhar Sircar, IAS (Retd). Former Secretary, Ministry of Culture, GoI, & CEO, Prasar Bharati 47. K.S. Subramanian, IPS (Retd). Former Director General, State Institute of Public Administration & Rural Development, Govt. of Tripura 48. Geetha Thoopal, IRAS (Retd). Former General Manager, Metro Railway, Kolkata 49. Ramani Venkatesan, IAS (Retd). Former Director General, YASHADA, Govt. Of Maharashtra

'Our darkest hour,' 49 former bureaucrats write to PM Modi after Kathua, Unnao gang rapes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today flagged off a new bi-weekly&nbsptrain Humsafar Express. The train connects Katihar, Bihar to New Delhi. PM Modi was at the commemoration of the 'Satyagraha se Swachhagraha'&nbspcampaign.&nbsp

The fully-airconditioned Humsafar Express is equipped with all the latest facilities like mobile charging points, reading lights, among others. The train was first launched in the year 2016 to operate between Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh and Anand Vihar, Delhi.

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चंपारण सत्याग्रह के सौ वर्ष के अवसर पर मुझे एक नई ट्रेन का शुभारंभ करने का भी अवसर मिला है। ये ट्रेन कटिहार से पुरानी दिल्ली तक चला करेगी। इसका नाम विशेष रूप से चंपारण हमसफर एक्सप्रेस रखा है। आधुनिक सुविधाओं से लैस ये ट्रेन, दिल्ली आने-जाने में आपके लिए बहुत मददगार साबित होगी: PM
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/983610234965917701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Humsafar Express comes studded with other facilities like baby nappy changing pads, LED display screens, a heating chamber, among other facilities.&nbsp

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The hon'ble PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> flagged off a new bi-weekly train called Champaran Humsafar Express, at the commemoration of the Satyagraha se Swachhagraha campaign. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChaloChamparan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChaloChamparan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8B_%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A3?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#चलो_चंपारण</a> <a href="https://t.co/C5bYfn6Jxz">pic.twitter.com/C5bYfn6Jxz</a>
— Swachh Bharat (@swachhbharat) <a href="https://twitter.com/swachhbharat/status/983593572892008450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The train was launched commemorating the 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's Champaran Satyagarh.

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PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> gifts the people of Bihar Champaran Hamsafar Express. This modern AC train for common man will connect Katihar and Delhi with only 15 stops on the way. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChaloChamparan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChaloChamparan</a> <a href="https://t.co/zBuI5tGRrE">pic.twitter.com/zBuI5tGRrE</a>
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) <a href="https://twitter.com/rsprasad/status/983595383493406720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Besides this, the Prime Minister also launched the electrification work of Motihari-Muzaffarpur rail line and inaugurated <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/all-you-need-to-know-about-12000-horsepower-locomotive-launched-by-pm-modi-today-129536">India's first high-powered electric locomotive</a>.&nbsp

Besides this, the Prime Minister also launched the electrification work of Motihari-Muzaffarpur rail line and inaugurated India's first high-powered electric locomotive

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today flagged off a new bi-weekly&nbsptrain Humsafar Express. The train connects Katihar, Bihar to New Delhi. PM Modi was at the commemoration of the 'Satyagraha se Swachhagraha' campaign. The fully-airconditioned Humsafar Express is equipped with all the latest facilities like mobile charging points, reading lights, among others. The train was first launched in the year 2016 to operate between Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh and Anand Vihar, Delhi. चंपारण सत्याग्रह के सौ वर्ष के अवसर पर मुझे एक नई ट्रेन का शुभारंभ करने का भी अवसर मिला है। ये ट्रेन कटिहार से पुरानी दिल्ली तक चला करेगी। इसका नाम विशेष रूप से चंपारण हमसफर एक्सप्रेस रखा है। आधुनिक सुविधाओं से लैस ये ट्रेन, दिल्ली आने-जाने में आपके लिए बहुत मददगार साबित होगी: PM — PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 10, 2018 × The Humsafar Express comes studded with other facilities like baby nappy changing pads, LED display screens, a heating chamber, among other facilities. The hon'ble PM @narendramodi flagged off a new bi-weekly train called Champaran Humsafar Express, at the commemoration of the Satyagraha se Swachhagraha campaign. #ChaloChamparan #चलो_चंपारण pic.twitter.com/C5bYfn6Jxz — Swachh Bharat (@swachhbharat) April 10, 2018 × The train was launched commemorating the 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's Champaran Satyagarh. PM @narendramodi gifts the people of Bihar Champaran Hamsafar Express. This modern AC train for common man will connect Katihar and Delhi with only 15 stops on the way. #ChaloChamparan pic.twitter.com/zBuI5tGRrE — Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) April 10, 2018 × Besides this, the Prime Minister also launched the electrification work of Motihari-Muzaffarpur rail line and inaugurated India's first high-powered electric locomotive.

Prime Minister Modi flags off New Katihar-Delhi Humsafar Express

Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli is arriving New Delhi on Friday on a 3-day visit to India. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation.

Khagda Prasad Sharma Oli, who became the Prime Minister of Nepal for the second time in February this year after the Left Alliance swept the elections in November-December 2017, will make his first visit to India.

During the visit, Oli will call on President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu and hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and other ministers will also call on Nepalese Prime Minister.

Various issues including agriculture, energy, connectivity, trade and investment and reconstruction are likely to be discussed during the visit.

He will also interact with Indian businessmen, industrialists, intellectuals and meet people from Nepali community.

The 66-year-old leader is not known to be India-friendly now and experts on South Asian politics believe that New Delhi has a test on its hand now to tackle Nepal, an age-old friend which has shown a strong tendency to lean in favour of China of late.

The visit comes after three years of deep acrimony between India and Oli and about six months of an intense effort by the two to patch up.

Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli is arriving New Delhi on Friday on a 3-day visit to India. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation. Khagda Prasad Sharma Oli, who became the Prime Minister of Nepal for the second time in February this year after the Left Alliance swept the elections in November-December 2017, will make his first visit to India. During the visit, Oli will call on President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu and hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and other ministers will also call on Nepalese Prime Minister. Various issues including agriculture, energy, connectivity, trade and investment and reconstruction are likely to be discussed during the visit. He will also interact with Indian businessmen, industrialists, intellectuals and meet people from Nepali community. The 66-year-old leader is not known to be India-friendly now and experts on South Asian politics believe that New Delhi has a test on its hand now to tackle Nepal, an age-old friend which has shown a strong tendency to lean in favour of China of late.

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to visit India today

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