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Around 17 minutes after lift-off, PSLV placed Emisat in an orbit in a 753.6km altitude. In the course of the next 1.5 hours, the launch vehicle’s fourth and final stage -- PS4 --- will be restarted and shut down twice, as the rocket manoeuvres to a 504km orbit. The PS4 will place in orbit 28 foreign satellites belonging to US, Lithuania, Spain & Switzerland.

Live: Isro's PSLV-C45 mission continues

The countdown has begun for the launch of India's EMISAT satellite along with 28 nano satellites of global customers from Sriharikota today, a mission which would witness the Isro placing payloads in three orbits and conducting space experiments for the first time. Stay with TOI for all live updates

Buyer can't wait indefinitely for flat: SC

The Supreme Court has upheld orders of a state consumer commission and the national commission to refund payment with interest to a homebuyer for over seven years' delay in handing over possession of the flat he had booked with a Kolkata-based builder. The court said a buyer cannot be required to wait indefinitely for possession of his house.

Indian students enrolling in Australia surged 25% in 2018

More than one lakh students from India enrolled in Australian educational institutions during 2018, constituting 12.4 per cent of the overall international enrolments. This was a rise of 24.5 per cent over the previous calendar year. China continued to lead with 2.56 lakh students (or 29 per cent of the total).

Working with a 74-plus seat target in UP, says Yogi

In a free-flowing interview, UP CM Yogi Adityanath talks about the SP-BSP gathbandhan and its plan to kick off its campaign from Deoband. He also takes on Congress which is trying to make a spirited comeback in UP as he lays down his development agenda, including the grand Kumbh Mela he had organised.

Banihal attacker had suicide note, but 'abandoned' car

The terrorist behind Friday's car blast on the Banihal stretch of Jammu-Srinagar highway identified himself as Owais Amin of Hizbul Mujhaideen in a 'suicide note' he left behind owning up to the attack, even though he seems to have subsequently changed his mind and abandoned the explosives-laden car moments before the blast.

'We proved an honest central govt can run India'

Rahul makes a 'southern outreach' via Wayanad

Congress formally announced on Sunday that Rahul Gandhi would contest from Wayanad in Kerala besides his traditional stronghold of Amethi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, a move the party said was intended to strike a chord with south India but one which attracted a hostile reaction from the Left.

Pak in a fix after Balakot air strikes: PM Modi

PM Narendra Modi on Sunday said he decided upon the air strikes on Balakot in Pakistan as he believed the "game" should be played from where terrorism was being remote-controlled. Addressing a 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' event, he said Pakistan was in a fix because if it acknowledged the strikes, it would have to accept that there was a terror camp there.

IPL: Dhoni scripts CSK's third win on the trot

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's well-calculated half-century in challenging conditions turned out to be game-changer as Chennai Super Kings won their third match of the season with an eight-run defeat of Rajasthan Royals on Sunday.

UK's multi-million tax fraud funded terror networks in Pakistan: Report

At 16, IPL debutant managing RCB & CBSE tests

Managing class 12th CBSE exams and becoming the youngest IPL debutant at the same time can be a difficult task, but Royal Challengers Bangalore leg-spinner Prayas Ray Barman just did that.

PM Narendra Modi said that he took the decision for the IAF to conduct Balakot air strikes as he thought that "the game" should be played from where terrorism is being remote-controlled. "Now they have to hide it. They are not allowing anybody to go there. We've been told the Balakot area is being reconstructed to show that a school is being run there," he said.

Nation wants 'chowkidar', not kings: PM Modi

Addressing the people who have pledged their support to the 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' campaign, PM Narendra Modi said that country does not need 'rajas' and 'maharajas', rather, it needs a 'chowkidar' who can effectively serve them. Elaborating on the word "chowkidar", he said that it is not about a uniform, it is about spirit.

CSK vs RR Live: Super Kings lose openers early

Check CSK vs RR live score updates, IPL scorecard, Ball by ball commentary, IPL live streaming, CSK vs RR highlights and more on Times of India

Lalu advised me to join Congress: Shatrughan

Shatrughan said leaders such as Mamata, Akhilesh and Kejriwal, among others, wanted him to join their respective parties, but he had made it clear that whatever be the situation, the constituency he would be contesting in the Lok Sabha polls would be Patna Sahib.

Major Gogoi may face reduction of seniority

SRH vs RCB Live: Sunrisers off to a good start

Check SRH vs RCB live score updates, IPL scorecard, Ball by ball commentary, IPL live streaming, SRH vs RCB highlights and more on Times of India

India Open Final Live: Srikanth vs Axelsen

Kidambi Srikanth to face Viktor Axelsen in India Open Badminton final 2019. Stay updated with Times of India for all the live updates

Minority vote bank to farm economy: Factors that lured Rahul to Wayanad

Wayanad on the northern Kerala that shares border with Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is the most sought-after seat in the state in the Congress camp. The constituency was carved out during the delimitation ahead of 2009 seats. In the first election, Congress leader M I Shanavas won from Wayanad with a margin of over 1.53 lakh.

Rahul fighting against Left not BJP: Kerala CM

There was no need to attach any special importance to the Congress president contesting from the state and Gandhi was just one among the 20 candidates of the opposition UDF, who are trying their luck from Kerala, he said. "If Gandhi's fight is against the BJP, he should have contested against the saffron party. In Kerala, the fight is between LDF and UDF in the elections," Vijayan told a meet-the-press programme at the Press Club here.

Worried Rahul fled Amethi: Amit Shah

Rahul fighting against Left not BJP: Kerala CM

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday said, Congress president Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wayanad constituency in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections was a challenge to the Left and not a battle against the BJP. The chief minister also vowed that the CPM will defeat Rahul.

IAF's MiG 27 aircraft crashes near Jodhpur

A MiG-27 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed near Jodhpur in Rajasthan on Sunday, according to officials. The pilot of the MiG-27 aircraft has ejected safely. The aircraft was on a routine mission in Jodhpur when it crashed.

Now, police use apps to catch a criminal

Lok Sabha polls: Rahul to contest second seat from Wayanad in Kerala

Congress president Rahul Gandhi will also contest the Lok Sabha election from Wayanad in Kerala, apart from Amethi in UP. Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Congress leader A K Antony announced that Rahul Gandhi has given his consent to contest Lok Sabha election from two seats.

Live: 'Rahul contesting against Left not good sign'

Leaders criss-crossing the country for election rallies, fiery speeches, switching loyalties, alliances broken and forged... its all happening as campaigning for the 17th general elections hits a crescendo. Stay with TOI for all updates.

Rs 1 crore: Vote-linked bonus for TN party cadre

Tamil Nadu has a rich tradition of election-time freebies - from television sets to blenders to sarees - but this time, leaders are extending the largesse to the humble party worker to begin with. Party cadres who ensure winning votes for candidates stand to win anything from gold chains and rings to refrigerators, motorbikes and even paid foreign trips.

'Saudis hacked Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' phone'

The investigator hired to look into the release of intimate images of Jeff Bezos said Sunday he has concluded that Saudi Arabian authorities hacked the Amazon chief's phone to access his personal data.

I hope we get an individual gold in Tokyo: Bindra

From being an International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Athletes Committee member to managing the foundation, former shooter and India's only individual Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra is donning many hats.

Holiday Inn linked to money laundering, attached

The ED has attached Holiday Inn hotel, valued at Rs 120 crore, in the capital's Aerocity in a money laundering case against corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar. Tracking of the alleged proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 272 crore could lead to questioning of some top bureaucrats and ministers who managed affairs in the civil aviation ministry during the UPA regime in 2008-09.

Rs 1 crore: Vote-linked bonus for TN party cadre

Red herring? Pakistan wants details of Pulwama bomber's guns

In what is being read by India as lack of any serious intent in probing the Pakistan link to the Pulwama attack, Islamabad has set out a list of, as sources in Delhi put it, trivial demands that include seeking the gun type, manufacturer and "identification numbers" of the weapon brandished by suicide bomber Adil Dar in his confession video.

Karnataka techie murdered in Germany

A software engineer from Kundapur in Udupi was stabbed to death and his wife injured after they were attacked by a Guinean near the German city of Munich on Friday. Prashant Basarur, 49, died of multiple stab wounds while his wife Smita, 43, is critical. Indian authorities said preliminary investigations did not seem to suggest that it was a case of hate crime.

Jet Airways to pay pilots December salary

Jet Airways on Saturday told pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers (AME) that the remaining 87.5 per cent of December salary is being paid, while it awaits lenders to infuse the promised emergency funding to clear the remaining dues of January, February and March. Jet has, until now, paid 12.5 per cent of December salary to pilots, AMEs and senior management.

Allies attest to Shah's stature as no. 2 in coalition

Do seats 'belong' to the party or families, asks PM

DC beat KKR in Super Over after Shaw heroics

The match went into the Super Over after Delhi Capitals finished at 185/6. Much to the home team's joy, Kagiso Rabada speared in perfect yorkers to defend 10 runs in the Super Over.

Stark message to China, Pak: India's A-Sat changes strategic calculus

BJP slams P C Chacko's 'first family' remark

Pet dog, £1 million security: Nirav's team pulled out all stops to win bail

Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi on Friday failed in his second attempt to get bail in his extradition case at Westminster Magistrates' Court here despite his defence team vehemently trying to establish his close ties to the UK, including having to care for a pet dog.

DC vs KKR: Russell, Karthik revive Knight Riders

Check DC vs KKR live score updates, IPL scorecard, Ball by ball commentary, IPL live streaming, DC vs KKR highlights and more on Times of India

Jet promises to pay December salary to pilots

Iran looks to remote India-operated port to beat US sanctions

No ties with J&K if Art 370 revoked: Mufti to govt

Now, watch spectacular rocket launches from Isro's viewing gallery

The new stadium set up on the island can accommodate 5,000 spectators. But as a precautionary measure, only 1,000 people will be allowed for Monday's launch. As the launch is at 9.30am, the entry at the stadium will only be till 8am to avoid last-minute hassles. The gallery is located 2-3km from the launchpad and will give a clear and better view of PSLV and GSLV launches.

KXIP vs MI Live: Shami strikes to dismiss De Kock

Check KXIP vs MI live score updates, IPL scorecard, Ball by ball commentary, IPL live streaming, KXIP vs MI highlights and more on Times of India.

All issues resolved: Uddhav on Sena, BJP ties

Tharoor's 'squeamish' tweet triggers controversy

The former Union minister, who is trying to score a hat-trick from the prestigious Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency, had visited a fish market in the state capital recently and spoken to the women selling fish there and had also posted some pictures of his visit.

Life term for Saravana owner: Final closure for a crime of passion

When Jeevajothi ‘escaped’ from the custody of Rajagopal’s men and lodged a kidnap complaint on January 31, 2001, she would not have dreamt that it would turn out to be one of such a sensational case. Love, deceit, black magic, crime and punishment – the Santhakumar murder case, which has ruined the lives of many people, has everything in full measure.

Amit Shah files nomination from Gandhinagar

BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday filed his nomination papers from Gandhinagar constituency for the Lok Sabha elections. Before filing the nomination, Shah addressed an election rally, followed by a roadshow. Expressing deep gratitude to the BJP, Shah said that he will be left with a 'zero' if association with the party is taken away from his life.

IPL 2019: MI look to revel in KXIP's court

After a mixed start to their IPL season, Kings XI Punjab will aim to get their act together when they kick off their home campaign against slow starters Mumbai Indians at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium on Saturday. Coming to the home team’s batting, the onus will be on veteran West Indies opener Chris Gayle to give the side a rollicking start.

Blast in car near CRPF convoy in Jammu

A civil car exploded near a CRPF convoy in Banihal town of Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district on Saturday, officials said, adding that there were no casualties among the security personnel. "No injuries were caused to the CRPF personnel and the incident is being investigated in respect to all possible angles," a senior official said.

India has 3 times more schools than China, but lags in education

Indian national stabbed to death in Munich

Indian couple Prashant and Smita Basarur were stabbed by an immigrant near Munich. Unfortunately, Prashant has expired. Smita is stable. We are facilitating the travel of Prashant's brother to Germany, tweeted external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj. She said she has asked Indian mission in Munich to take care of the couple's two children.

US tracking Indian ASAT test debris: Pentagon

US Strategic Command's Joint Force Space Component Command said 250 pieces of debris associated with an Indian ASAT launch that occurred on Wednesday are being tracked. The JFSCC said it will continue to actively track debris associated with the event and issue close approach notifications as required until the debris enters the earth's atmosphere..

Why this 71-year-old has never felt pain in life

Scientists believe they understand why 71-year-old Jo Cameron enevr felt any pain. In a paper published on Thursday, researchers attributed Cameron’s virtually painfree life to a mutation in a previously unidentified gene. The hope, they say, is that the finding could eventually contribute to the development of a novel pain treatment.

Live: Amit Shah speaks at Ahmedabad rally

Why BJP is eyeing a breach in Didi’s Bengal turf

Although the BJP has made significant gains in bengal, it is yet to gain the mass base and organisational muscle to take on the TMC in many seats. It has eroded Left and Congress vote banks but is yet to make a dent in the Trinamool's ascending vote share, except in pockets. Bengal will vote in all seven phases.

Nirav Modi was trying for Vanuatu citizenship: UK judge

At the bail hearing of fugitive Nirav Modi, his lawyer Clare Montgomery QC had put forward a bail security offer of up to £1 million. However, the UK judge refused to accept and said, "He was attempting to become a citizen of Vanuatu and that is some way away for someone trying to run businesses, which may indicate he has interest to move away from India at this important time".

India, US seek verifiable action from Pak on terror

India and US on Friday underlined the need for Pakistan to take meaningful, irreversible and verifiable action against terrorists and terror groups operating from its soil. A joint statement said the two sides discussed counterterrorism cooperation between them and resolved to continue close coordination on this important element of bilateral relationship.

Congress first family won't be back in power: Modi

Expressing confidence that BJP will improve on its 2014 Lok Sabha performance, PM Narendra Modi said on Friday that the "first family" of Congress will never return to power even as he accused the party of rampant corruption and non-performance when it held office for decades.

Oxfam flags gender pay gap in India

Lack of quality jobs and increasing wage disparity are key markers of inequality in the Indian labour market, Oxfam India's latest report, 'Mind The Gap - State of Employment in India', has said. Pointing to a decline in rural jobs, the report also says regressive social norms continue to hamper women's participation in the workforce.

UK court agrees Nirav is flight risk, rejects bail

A UK judge refused fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi's second application for bail in a London court on Friday after hearing the Indian government's arguments that he had threatened to kill a witness, had destroyed evidence and even tried to buy citizenship in the remote south Pacific island chain of Vanuatu, near Fiji - though his application was declined.

Unpaid, Jet pilots to go on strike from April 1

Counting 50% of paper trail will delay results: EC

The Election Commission told the Supreme Court on Friday that counting VVPAT slips of 50 per cent EVMs, as demanded by 21 non-NDA political parties, could delay declaration of results of the general elections by six days with no gain to the existing 99.99 per cent voter confidence in the voting machines.

Rahul hints he may fight from two Lok Sabha seats

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi indicated he is open to contesting a second seat, possibly Wayanad in Kerala, and said a decision is to be taken soon. He said there is nothing unusual about contesting two seats and cited PM Narendra Modi running from Varanasi and Vadodara in 2014.

May share cell with Mallya, says UK judge in lighter vein at Nirav hearing

The 48-year-old diamond merchant is wanted in India for alleged "high value and sophisticated" fraud and money laundering amounting to $2 billion. At the very start of the hearing, Westminster Magistrates Court Chief Magistrate Arbuthnot said she was getting a sense of "deja vu", in reference to her having ordered the extradition of Mallya in December last year

PM Modi's address didn't violate poll code: EC

PM Narendra Modi's address to the nation on the successful test-firing of an anti-satellite missile did not violate the model code of conduct, the Election Commission said . The EC took the decision based on the report of a committee of officers which found that the Prime Minister did not violate the provision of 'party in power' in the poll code.

Cong will scrap Niti Aayog if voted to power: Rahul

PNB scam: Nirav Modi to remain in jail as UK court rejects bail plea

Can Chinese Muslims help India corner Azhar?

Nirav made death threats to witnesses, court told

SRH vs RR: Ajinkya Rahane falls after quick fifty

Check SRH vs RR live score updates, IPL scorecard, Ball by ball commentary, IPL live streaming, SRH vs RR highlights and more on Times of India

Live: Nirav Modi threatened to kill witness, says UK prosecutor

Stay here for the latest updates from around the world that you cannot miss

Priyanka to take call on fighting LS polls: Rahul

Rahul Gandhi has not ruled out contesting the LS election from a constituency other than Amethi, saying many party leaders have fought elections from more than one seat in the past. Referring to demands from party leaders that his sister Priyanka Gandhi should contest, Gandhi said that she will have to take a call on whether to fight the polls or not.

Blow to Hardik: HC rejects plea to stay conviction

Srikanth, Kashyap enter semifinals at India Open

Kidambi Srikanth and Parupalli Kashyap raised hopes of an Indian win after progressing to the men's singles semifinals at $350,000 India Open on Friday.

Call for no-ball technology as Virat Kohli slams 'ridiculous' IPL error

Cricketing greats backed Virat Kohli after he slammed a "ridiculous" no-ball error which condemned his RCB side to defeat against the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Hosts Bangalore needed seven to win Thursday's match off the final delivery when Mumbai's Lasith Malinga bowled a dot ball - but replays suggested the paceman had overstepped the line.

China's OBOR poses security threat, says US

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said China's One Belt One Road initiative gives "non-economic offer.. knowing that (they) can foreclose on nation shortly, so predatory lending practices, that's not straight and we are working diligently to make sure everyone in the world understands that threat," he said. India too advised caution, specially the neighbouring countries.

Mumbai: Another poll, another Bollywood figure

Bollywood actor Urmila Matondkar, who joined the Congress this week, is the latest Bollywood figure fielded by the party from the Mumbai North Lok Sabha constituency, a BJP stronghold. Matondkar is pitted against BJP MP Gopal Shetty, who defeated former Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam in the 2014 Lok Sabha poll.

'Turbanator' recalls match that changed his life

Offie Harbhajan Singh talks about his career changing 15-wicket haul at Chepauk against Australia that gave India one of their most memorable Test series wins ever.

Motorists get relief again, 3rd party insurance cover won’t be hiked

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India has this year chosen not to make any revisions to TP motor insurance. The regulator fixes rates only for third party motor cover and allows insurers to set their own rates for owned-damage and personal accident.

ASAT: Where do India, China stand on space race

Pak still counting bodies: PM takes jibe at oppn

Chowkidar? India’s got quite a few of them

To be or not to be a chowkidar has never been such a politically loaded question as it is now in India’s poll season with the opposition pushing for a change of guard and the PM and his Cabinet prefixing ‘chowkidar’ to their handles on social media, triggering the rise of a legion of ‘chowkidars’ on twitter.

LS polls: Key to Delhi could lie in eastern UP

For Akhilesh, who is contesting from Azamgarh, it's a maiden foray into the region, which accounts for 35 Lok Sabha seats. BJP dominated the region in both the 2014 Lok Sabha election and the 2017 assembly polls. In 2014, it won 32 of the 35 Lok Sabha seats here.

Govt took steps to set up 'chowkidar' in space: PM

PM said the NDA government wouldn't have been able to do any development work in the country without the support of the people. Referring to Mission Shakti, he said the government has taken measures to set up a 'chowkidar' (watchman) in space.

Not club cricket, says Kohli after umpiring error

An angry Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli came down heavily on ICC Elite Panel Umpire S Ravi after the final delivery of the match bowled by Mumbai Indians' Lasith Malinga turned out to be a 'no-ball', which was not awarded to the losing team.

Lok Sabha elections: How BJP beats Congress in turning votes into seats

Priyanka poser: Should I fight from Varanasi?

It was a stock query for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, but one that elicited an unexpected answer. "Varanasi se lad lun (should I contest from Varanasi?)" - Priyanka's response to a party worker's query at a meeting in Rae Bareli on Thursday immediately set off fevered political speculation.

'Serial offender': India slams Pak on terror support

"Terrorists are going to be more creative in finding ways to violate the rule book, also the unfortunate reality is the states which are apologists will continue to provide alibis to justify their actions and inactions as was done by a serial offender earlier today," India's permanent representative at the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin said.

Mumbai lad gets Rs1.2cr job at Google UK office

Abdullah Khan (21) may have failed to crack the entrance for IITs, but he has bagged an offer that many IITians would envy. Early this week, Khan landed a job at Google's London office, for a package of Rs 1.2 crore. Khan, who is doing his final year BE (computer science), will join Google's site reliability engineering team in September.

'Amrapali diverted Rs 3k cr of homebuyers' money'

Seven months after the Supreme Court ordered a forensic audit of Amrapali group to track misuse of homebuyers' money, the final report said illegal diversion of over Rs 3,000 crore led to the financial collapse of the group, leaving thousands of investors stranded.

Jet sending expensive expat pilots on furloughs

Expat pilots cost nearly twice as much as their Indian counterparts as they have to be given accommodation and flight tickets to their home country every few weeks. Since Jet is now operating 35 of its once-upon-a-time fleet of 124 planes, the lender-led management has begun cutting this extra cost.

Azhar ban: US, China in bitter showdown at UN

The US and China are engaged in a bitter showdown at the UN over Jaish-e-Muhammed chief Masood Azhar, with Beijing accusing Washington of "forcefully moving" a resolution in the Security Council which is intended to compel China to make public its reasons for stalling efforts to tag him as a "global terrorist".

No terror camp in India-cited areas: Pak on dossier

Expressing disappointment at Pakistan effectively rejecting India's dossier on Jaish-e-Muhammed's complicity in the Pulwama terror attack, the government on Thursday said Islamabad regrettably continued to be in denial as it even refused to acknowledge Pulwama as a terror attack.

We had courage to do surgical strikes: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the opposition by saying that 'if Congress is removed, poverty will disappear.' He also referred to the success of 'Mission Shakti', saying, "It is this chowkidar's government that had the courage to conduct surgical strikes on land, in air as well as in space."

IPL 2019: Mumbai Indians beat RCB by six runs

An umpiring howler off the last deliver cost Royal Challengers Bangalore dearly as Mumbai Indians pipped the hosts by six runs largely due to Jasprit Bumrah's brilliant spell at the death in an IPL encounter on Thursday.

'Same script': India disappointed with Pak's response to Pulwama dossier

India on Thursday expressed disappointment at Pakistan’s response to the detailed dossier on the Jaish-e-Mohammed’s complicity in the cross-border terror attack in Pulwama and the presence of Jaish terror camps and its leadership in Pakistan. Regrettably, Pakistan continues to be in denial and even refuses to acknowledge Pulwama as a terror attack, it added.

Kohli second batsman to score 5000 runs in IPL

Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli became the second batsman to complete 5000 runs in the history of the Indian Premier League. Kohli got to the milestone in the match seven of the IPL 2019 against Mumbai Indians.

Masood Azhar ban: How latest US move may put China in a tight corner

The US on Thursday moved a draft resolution in the UN Security Council to blacklist the Pakistan-based terror group's chief Masood Azhar. The US move, supported by France and the UK, may put China in a tight spot. The move by the US could mean China having to explain its block in public, instead of silently using its veto power.

Movie Review: Junglee

Watch Junglee for its spellbinding action, cute elephants and gorgeous jungles.

Rahul promises to abolish angel tax for start-ups

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said new ventures will not require any regulatory permissions for three years and will get easy access to bank credit if his party is voted to power. He also promised to remove the existing 'angel tax' imposed on start-ups. Angel tax is levied on investment in start-ups. Currently, angel tax is charged at a maximum rate of 30 per cent.

Bihar: Oppn alliance heading towards crisis; Congress bitter over raw deal

The opposition Grand Alliance in Bihar on Thursday appeared to be heading towards a crisis, with a number of Congress leaders claiming the party was "not getting a fair deal" in seat-sharing arrangement and urged the high command to step in. Former test cricketer Kirti Azad said he would request the party leadership to take "decisive" measures.

Congress blinded by anti-Modi sentiment:PM

The Congress is blinded by its "anti Modi approach" and has stopped thinking in the nation's interest, PM Modi said on Thursday, raising issues of national security and questioning the party's statements following the Balakot strike. Addressing a rally in Akhnoor, Modi claimed the speeches of Congress leaders receive applause in Pakistan.

Tej Pratap quits as RJD's youth wing chief

In a surprise move, RJD chief Lalu Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav on Thursday resigned as the chief of the party's student wing. "I am resigning as chief of the RJD's student wing. Immature are those who think I am immature," tweeted Tej Pratap Yadav, a former Bihar minister.

Rescue yourselves from 'sarab': PM's jibe at oppn

'Sarab' comes from 'sa' of the SP, 'ra' of Rashtriya Lok Dal and 'b' of the BSP, explained the PM coining the acronym. Congress called the comparison inappropriate, abusive and against political ethics. Congress said equating three political outfits with alcohol is not only abusive but also violates the moral code of conduct in force.

US undermining UN by 'forcefully moving' resolution on Azhar: China

The US, supported by France and the UK, has moved a draft resolution in UN Security Council to blacklist the JeM chief, two weeks after China put a hold on a proposal to list Masood Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Council. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman told a media briefing that Washington move only complicates the issue.

We will 'remonetise' what Modi 'demonetised': Rahul

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the 'Nyay' scheme will remonetise what Prime Minister Narendra Modi demonetised and asserted that his party's anti-poverty programme has thrown the BJP into total disarray.

'North Korea hand in Pune's bank cyber heist'

Have shown courage for surgical strike in land, sky and space: PM

The contest is between a "a decisive government and an indecisive past", Modi said in his address to a rally in this western Uttar Pradesh town a day after announcing that India had demonstrated anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite.

In 3 minutes, India joins space 'super league'

On March 27 at around 11am, India launched an interceptor missile from the Balasore range in Odisha. Three minutes later, the missile hit and killed Microsat-R, a live satellite in a low earth orbit

Pak: No terror camps on locations India shared

India handed over a dossier to the acting high commissioner of Pakistan in New Delhi on February 27 with specific details of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)'s complicity in the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel on February 14.

School quietly buries 12-yr-old killed by seniors

Ban on JeM chief: US sets up UN clash with China

China earlier this month put on hold a request to put Masood Azhar on the UN sanctions list, over his alleged ties to al-Qaida. The US draft resolution condemns the suicide bombing and decides that Masood Azhar will be added to the UN sanctions blacklist.

School quietly buries 12-yr-old killed by seniors

There was also delay in taking the boy to the hospital after his seniors, both class XII students of the same school, beat him in a class room, allegedly tortured him and then pored cold water on him because they blamed him for stealing a packet of biscuit while the students were on an outing, leading to the school administration cancelling permission of all students to leave the campus.

Times Top10: Is it too easy to contest elections?

India shoots into star wars club, becomes 4th nation to test A-Sat

India test-fired the three-stage interceptor missile from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast at 11.10am. A little over an hour later, PM Narendra Modi announced the success of ‘Mission Shakti’ in a televised address to the nation. The 18-tonne missile, with two solid rocket boosters, tore into space to hit the 740-kg satellite, flying in a low earth orbit (LEO), bang in the middle barely three minutes after its launch over the Bay of Bengal.

‘Air train’ plan to connect IGI set to take off

The train will have four stations, including one at the cargo terminal, which are also expected to provide seamless connectivity with Metro lines. Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd is currently working on financing the “automated people mover” (APM) project, expected to cost Rs 2,000-2,500 crore.

Test sparks off fresh fireworks between govt, oppn

As with the Balakot air strikes and the surgical strikes before, the opposition chose to restrict its praise to scientists and defence forces while accusing the government of playing politics. CPM and Trinamool complained to the Election Commission that Modi’s address was a violation of the electoral code of conduct.

May ready to quit if Brexit deal is passed

May told a meeting of Conservative lawmakers she would stand down if her divorce plan finally got through a bitterly-divided parliament, to ensure a smooth path for a new leader to begin the next step of negotiating the future relationship with the European Union.

PM keeps nation on tenterhooks for an hour

From the moment Modi tweeted that he would take to the airwaves in around 15 minutes to the time when he actually spoke, the one hour saw the nation virtually come to a grinding halt. After all, his last address to the nation was late evening on November 8, 2016, which led to demonetisation and the ensuing drama.

KKR v KXIP, IPL: Mayank Agarwal falls, KKR on top

Check KKR vs KXIP live score updates, IPL scorecard, Ball by ball commentary, IPL live streaming, KKR vs KXIP highlights and more on Times of India

'Just a kid': Mamata scoffs at Rahul's allegations

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday dismissed Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's allegations against her government, saying "he is just a kid". "He (Gandhi) has said whatever he felt like. I won't like to make any comment on it. He is just a kid. What will I say about it?" Banerjee said.

'Retrograde, against transparency': EC opposes electoral bonds in SC

EC forms panel to examine PM Modi's address

The Election Commission on Wednesday said it has directed a Committee of Officers to examine the matter related to address of the Prime Minister to the Nation on electronic media in the light of the Model Code of Conduct.

India shows off technology to 'kill' satellites

Experts: Anti-satellite tech will act as deterrent in event of space war

Will return if there is an opportunity: Rajan

Rajan, a former chief economist at the IMF who was denied a second term as Reserve Bank governor by the BJP-led government, said he is "very happy" where he is, but is open to opportunities. Rajan is currently the Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of finance at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business in the US.

'Mission Shakti': ASAT missiles are rare, high-tech and risky to test

India tested an anti-satellite weapon on Wednesday, saying the indigenously produced interceptor was used to destroy an object in orbit. India, whose space programme has developed launchers, satellites and probes to the moon and Mars, created the interceptor used in Wednesday's test domestically, PM Modi said in a broadcast on television.

Jitters to relief: Netizens react to PM's address

While the nation waited for PM Modi's address to the nation, anxiously counting the minutes before his "important message", speculation spiralled - would it be about Emergency, bringing back Dawood Ibrahim or killing Masood Azhar? The address finally started at 12.25 pm, and social media users bombarded Twitter with their theories while they waited.

Mission Shakti: How China and Pakistan reacted

Live: ASAT will compel other nations to maintain peace, Jaitley says

Finance minister Arun Jaitley speaks to media after successful ASAT test. Stay with TOI for all the latest.

Mission Shakti, a long-desired capability tested

India’s success comes a good 12 years after China tested a similar technology, and India has become only the fourth country to have such a technology. While Wednesday’s test is pegged as a major success, India has been working on this technology for at least a decade, with the Defence Research and Development Organisation seriously pursuing it from 2012.

ASAT missile test: All you need to know

Rahul wishes PM Modi 'happy World Theatre Day'

India on Wednesday became a "space superpower" by becoming the 4th country to acquire anti-satellite capability". Well done DRDO, extremely proud of your work. I would also like to wish the PM a very happy World Theatre Day," Rahul Gandhi tweeted after PM said that India had demonstrated anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite.

India creates history, shoots down satellite in space: PM Modi

"A while ago our scientists shot down a live satellite at a low-earth orbit," PM Modi said in a televised address to the nation. "This is a proud moment for India," he added.

'Mission Shakti': India's first anti-satellite missile system that destroyed a LEO satellite

Low earth orbits or LEO satellites are used for telecommunication that orbit till a distance of around 2,000 kilometers above the earth's surface. These satellites are also used for data communication for instance e-mail, video conferencing, etc. These satellites move at extremely high speeds and are not fixed in space in relation to the earth.

India's A-SAT destroyed out of service satellite

Government sources revealed to ANI that the A-SAT weapon was launched around 11:16AM on Wednesday and targeted an Indian satellite which had been decommissioned and was orbiting on a 'Low Earth Orbit' at a height of 300 KM from the earth's surface. The entire test, with confirmation of target elimination, took 3 minutes.

Why Indian students in US find it hard to fit in

I’m ambassador of Modi’s new India: Surya

Live: Chidambaram explains economics of NYAY

It's a season of hectic political activities, with alliances falling apart, new ones forged, switching of loyalties and a lot more, as we head into the 17th general elections. Stay updated with the latest on Times of India.

Ashwin right, but I'd prefer a warning: Dravid

"It's within the laws of the game and that's pretty clear. So I don't have a problem with someone deciding to do it. Ashwin was well within his rights to do what he did. However, personally I would prefer it if somebody warns someone first. That would be my personal choice," Rahul Dravid told TOI.

QR codes, live tracking: How CBSE plugged paper leaks this year

The system of multiple sets of question papers was reintroduced after two years and the sets were not only reordered but some had up to 30% new questions. Some papers even had more than three sets. Question papers also came with QR codes to trace the origin of a leak and stop its spread. The board tracked exam centre superintendents carrying papers to the centres.

Another Hindu girl abducted in Pakistan

There have been seven incidents of abduction and forced conversion of Hindu girls in a little over a month till now in Sindh. Two Hindus were also killed in the same period. The latest incident involves 16-year-old Mala Kumari Meghwar, who was allegedly kidnapped from her home in Badin district of Sindh on Monday night.

War shadow still hangs over India, Pak: Imran

Khan was quoted by media as saying that India is in the grip of “war hysteria” following last month’s tensions that had brought the two nuclear-armed neighbours to the brink of a major confrontation. “I’m still apprehensive, before the elections I feel that something could happen,” Khan told Financial Times in an interview in his office in Islamabad.

BJP walks the no-dynasty talk, denies tickets to retirees’ kin

The BJP leadership has been of a firm view that family succession should be an exception and not a norm. The party has so far denied tickets to the kin of several senior leaders, who were in anticipation of handing over the baton to a family member.

'Share list of tainted officers since 2010'

The CIC order comes on an RTI petition filed by activist Nutan Thakur in May 2017, where she sought copies of department of personnel and training’s files and letters and notes exchanged between DoPT and various officers regarding criminal cases registered against them from 2010 to 2017.

How CBSE plugged paper leaks this year

A string of leaks had marred the 2018 CBSE boards. Besides the Class XII economics paper, which had to be held again, the Class X maths paper was leaked. Images of solved question papers of some other subjects also went viral. For starters, the system of multiple sets of question papers was reintroduced after two years. This seemed like an easy fix and wouldn’t have stopped leakage during handling.

BJP names 43 more nominees for Lok Sabha polls

Not budging in the face of Joshi’s stiff resistance to being asked to step aside, BJP announced Satyadev Pachauri, a minister in the UP cabinet, as the replacement for the octogenarian leader. The list of 30 candidates for UP, however, accommodated women and child welfare minister Maneka Gandhi and her son Varun Gandhi, who were allowed to swap their Pilibhit and Sultanpur seats.

SC warns RBI of contempt, sets 7-day RTI deadline

Senior advocate Joydeep Gupta, appearing for RBI, contended that the reports contain confidential information on banking operations and it was not feasible to make the entire report public. He said the apex court verdict did not direct to disclose the entire report and that the judgement should be re-examined. He said fresh policy has been framed by RBI after the SC verdict.

Nirav Modi's art collection fetches Rs 54 crore

A rare oil painting by the 19th century artist Raja Ravi Varma—now a non-exportable national treasure—illustrating the welcoming party for the third Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, Richard Temple- Grenville, on his official visit to Trivandrum in 1880 fetched the second highest hammer price of Rs 14 crore.

Very serious facts: SC on CBI's Saradha report

“There is something which is very, very serious. But we cannot act on the basis of the status report. There is also a prayer made by the CBI in the sealed-cover status report,” the bench said after perusing the contents of a status report submitted to it.

M S Dhoni moves SC against Amrapali over Rs 40 crore dues

Dhoni entered into various agreements with the Amrapali group in 2009 to promote the company as its brand ambassador and granted exclusive rights to the builder to use his endorsement in marketing and public relations activities. He remained associated with the group for around six years but parted ways in 2016 after duped homebuyers launched a social media campaign against the cricketer for promoting the company.

Income plan: Economists consulted, says Rahul; uphill task, feel experts

DC v CSK, IPL: Bravo double-strike jolts Delhi

Check DC vs CSK live score updates, IPL scorecard, Ball by ball commentary, IPL live streaming, DC vs CSK highlights and more on Times of India

Maneka, Varun, Jaya Prada in BJP's list for UP

Veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi was Tuesday dropped as a BJP candidate for the Lok Sabha elections, while Union minister Maneka Gandhi and her MP son Varun Gandhi swapped their seats as the party announced its 29 more nominees from Uttar Pradesh. Actor-politician Jaya Prada was fielded from Rampur hours after she joined the party Tuesday.

LS polls: Parties struggle to crack code in UP’s 'bitter' sugarcane belt

The accumulated dues of cane growers in the sugarcane belt of western UP — which has 11 Lok Sabha seats, some of which go to polls in the first phase on April 11 — is more than Rs 9,600 crore. In the 2014 Lok Sabha and 2017 assembly elections, BJP swept the region because of the consolidation of farmers across caste line. But this time, that polarisation looks unlikely

BCCI divided over Ashwin's 'Mankading' of Buttler

The 'Mankading' controversy, which erupted on Monday during the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab, has also left the BCCI divided with their officials coming up with different opinions. Punjab skipper R Ashwin ran out the Rajasthan opener Jos Buttler, who was at the non-striker's end, on his delivery stride on Monday.

Bomb threat: F-16s escort Mum-Singapore flight

A Singapore Airlines flight from Mumbai to Singapore with 263 passengers on board on Tuesday received a bomb threat, prompting Singapore Air Force to send two F-16s to escort the aircraft. The flight landed safely at Singapore's Changi International Airport on Tuesday around 8am (local time), the airline added.

Saradha case: 'Very very serious' revelations in CBI report, says SC

'Ashwin should have maintained decorum'

Kings XI Punjab skipper R. Ashwin might have called his decision to 'Mankad' Rajasthan Royals batsman Jos Buttler in Jaipur on Monday as instinctive but the Royals weren't impressed, with skipper Ajinkya Rahane, head coach Paddy Upton and brand ambassador Shane Warne making their displeasure known.

Will BJP repeat 2014 feat, sweep 26 seats in Guj?

Like in the past, the BJP will rely heavily on PM Modi’s charisma during campaigning. The party said that a narrative will be built around development and the air strikes India carried out after the Pulwama terror attack with the tagline – "Gujarati Modi for PM again" or simply put "NaMo Again".

From travel agent to Czar of aviation: The highs & lows of Goyal's journey

Now, another twist in fate has taken him out of Jet 28 years after launching the airline, and whether he or his family can make a comeback remains to be seen. In 1967, Goyal joined a travel agency run by his mother’s uncle in Connaught Place where he earned about Rs 300 a month.

Clear our salary dues: Jet pilots to SBI chief

The airline’s pilots, along with aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs) and senior management have salary dues of almost four months now. The National Aviators Guild (NAG), union of pilots, had threatened the old management that it would stop flying from April 1. But now with a new interim system in place, they see hope that Jet will avoid a Kingfisher-like fate.

It's match referee's call: Rahane on mankading

Rajasthan Royals captain Ajinkya Rahane refused to comment on India teammate Ravichandran Ashwin's 'Mankading' of Jos Buttler in an IPL clash here, leaving it on the match referee to take a call on the issue.

Rare 6th century finds in MP's temple

The 1,300-year-old piece has puzzled researchers which depicts a mysterious ‘foreign face’ engraved on a brick in a 6th-century temple in MP’s Singrauli. The find has caused excitement among archaeologists. The engraving — of a bearded man in ‘foreign attire’ and a skull cap — was found in an early Kalachuri Dynasty temple at an ASI dig site in Nagwa area.

His dad signed Rajiv, Sonia's poll papers. He will now fight Rahul

Citing lack of development and progress in Amethi as reasons for his disenchantment with Congress, a Congress loyalist for generations, Haji Mohammad Haroon Rashid, whose father was among the proposers when Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia filed their nominations from the Amethi constituency, shocked the party by announcing that he would contest against Rahul Gandhi.

Live: Jaya Prada speaks to media in Delhi

Alliances falling apart, new ones forged, switching of loyalties, dissent over nominations... its all happening as the dates near for the general elections. Stay updated with latest Lok Sabha election news on Times of India.

Told not to contest LS polls: Murli Manohar Joshi

Joshi's office confirmed the development. It said Joshi has issued a brief statement for voters in Kanpur, from where the 85-year-old leader had won in 2014. Joshi had vacated Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, which he had won in 2009, for PM Narendra Modi in 2014. BJP has decided to not field many of its veterans, including its founding member LK Advani, in the polls.

BJP announces 28-yr-old for B'luru South seat

In a late-night development, the BJP on Monday decided to field L S Tejasvi Surya, nephew of Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya, from Bengaluru South constituency.

Take my money, save Jet Airways: Vijay Mallya

In a series of tweets posted in the early hours, Mallya said, "Happy to see that PSU Banks have bailed out Jet Airways saving jobs, connectivity and enterprise. Only wish the same was done for Kingfisher." Goyal along with his wife Anita stepped down on Monday following which lenders agreed to pump in Rs 1,500 crore to bail out the financially troubled airline.

IPL: Row erupts as Ashwin 'Mankads' Rajasthan Royals' Jos Buttler

Kings XI Punjab survived a scare before pulling off a 14-run win over Rajasthan Royals in their IPL opener at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here on Monday. What could have been an easy victory for Royals turned out be a big disappointment.

It’s official: Shotgun to join Congress this week

There had been rumours for the past couple of weeks that Shatrughan may join Congress. Annoyed with Shatrughan for his constant criticism of PM Modi and his government, BJP denied him a ticket and, instead, fielded Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad from Patna Sahib. Both Ravi Shankar and Shatrughan Sinha are from the Kayastha caste.

Terrorism, jobs among Indians’ concerns ahead of elections: Survey

Roughly two-thirds (65%) say the financial situation of the average Indian is better today than it was 20 years ago. Only 15% say things are worse. But there are signs of public dissatisfaction — 66 per cent believe their children would be better off than them; down a full 10 per cent since 2017. Even the number of people who are satisfied about the trajectory of the country (55%) is down 15 per cent from 2017.

Congress offers mega sop: Rs 6000 a month to 20% of India’s poorest

The move comes on the heels of the perceived success of farm loan waivers offered by Congress during elections to Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, which the party won in December. It is also seen as a response to the government’s decision to offer an annual income support of Rs 6,000 to farmers with less than five acres, with the Congress proposal being much more ambitious.

Jaitley: Bluff announcement & not practical

In a press conference later, Jaitley questioned the maths of the Congress plan amid the claim of the opposition party that it would have no additional impact on fiscal deficit. He said Congress’s farm loan waivers since 2008 had been poorly delivered and often went to wrong hands and populist promises were merely intended to sway voters.

Gadkari’s annual income jumped 140% in five yrs

This represents an increase of 140% from about Rs 2.7 lakh shown in his last affidavit five years ago (in 2013-14). The big jump took place in 2014-15 when his income rose to Rs 6 lakh, and it's been largely stagnant in the years since. Income disclosed by his wife Kanchan, however, shows a nearly ten-fold increase from Rs 4.6 lakh in 2013-14 to nearly Rs 40 lakh in 2017-18.

Jet gets a lifeline as Goyal quits as chairman

Lenders agreed to pump in funds as this was the only way to keep the airline operational and give them a chance to recover their dues of over Rs 8,000 crore. The government was also keen that the carrier continue to operate as closure would cause large-scale job losses, severely reduce airline capacity in the country and wipe out any chance of creditors recovering their money.

‘Capt Rohan’ takes teacher on a flight to US

So when Satyan heard “Captain Rohan Bhasin” again after so many years on the Chicago flight on Sunday, she requested the airhostess to meet the pilot. Once the flight got airborne and everyone was settled, the young captain came to meet her. And he did turn out to be the same person who had prefixed his name with Captain while appearing for a play school interview.

Can more VVPAT slips be matched with EVMs, SC asks EC

Deputy election commissioner Sudip Jain, who looks after EVMs, said the present system of matching EVM vote count with VVPAT slips was more than sufficient and asserted that so far, the EC had counted VVPAT slips in 1,500 constituencies and no discrepancy was found in even one EVM. The bench said, “It is not a case of sufficiency but satisfaction.”

Income plan: Bid to 'cheat' poor, says BJP; shameful reaction, retorts Cong

Congress president Rahul Gandhi's election promise of giving Rs 72,000 per year to the poorest families triggered a bitter spat on Monday between the ruling BJP and the opposition party. Calling Rahul's announcement a "bluff", finance minister Arun Jaitely said that the Congress has a history of cheating the poor.

Mine-protected vehicles for convoys in J&K: CRPF

The CRPF will procure a new fleet of mine-protected vehicles (MPVs) and small 30-seater buses to ensure safety of its troop convoys in the Kashmir Valley. The CRPF has also decided to enhance the number of its bomb detection and disposal squads for its about 65 battalions based in the Kashmir Valley for anti-terror and law and order duties.

Time has come to pass on the baton, Naresh Goyal tells Jet employees

Jet was seen as India’s finest airline after the government nationalized the Tata group-founded Air India. While AI was shaping up as one of the world’s best airline under J R D Tata, in 1953 the Centre decided to privatize it. Decades of mismanagement left AI in a terrible condition. So when Jet was founded in 1993, it soon emerged as the finest premium airline the country had seen in a long time.

Bluff announcement: Jaitley on Cong income plan

Union minister Arun Jailtey on Monday called the Congress promise of providing Rs 72,000 per annum to the poorest 20 per cent families under the minimum basic income guarantee scheme a bluff and suggested that the Modi government was already giving the poor much more than what the opposition party had promised.

RR vs KXIP Live: Gayle leads Punjab run charge

Check RR vs KXIP live score updates, IPL scorecard, Ball by ball commentary, IPL live streaming, RR vs KXIP highlights and more on Times of India

Milind Deora appointed Mumbai Congress chief

Trump claims total exoneration in Mueller probe

An exultant President Donald Trump on Sunday claimed “total exoneration” at the conclusion of an FBI special counsel investigation into whether his campaign colluded with Russia to manipulate the 2016 election in his favor. The assertion came after attorney general, in a four-page summary, said that it provided no grounds to indict or charge the president.

Live: Rahul's minimum income promise a bluff, says Jaitley

It's the last day of filing nominations for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 11. Stay with TOI for all updates.

Jet founder Naresh Goyal, wife Anita quit board

“Naresh Goyal and Anita Goyal and one nominee of Etihad Airways (which has 24% stake in Jet) to step down from the Board. Additionally, Naresh Goyal to also cease to be the chairman of the company,” Jet Airways said in a regulatory filing with the BSE after a board meeting in Mumbai. Naresh Goyal did not attend the meeting and was in London.

TOI is most trusted English news brand: Report

Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal, wife Anita step down from board

Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal and his wife Anita on Monday stepped down from board of the airline. Saddled with more than $1 billion of debt, Jet is struggling to stay afloat. It has delayed payments to banks, suppliers, pilots and lessors - some of which have forced the airline to ground as many as 40 planes.

Rahul promises Rs 72,000/year basic income

Rahul Gandhi said that his party will deliver justice to the economically backward people by ensuring them a basic minimum income of Rs 12,000 per month. "It will be world's largest minimum income scheme," the Congress president said. The scheme will cover 5 crore families and as many as 25 crore people are expected to benefit from the scheme, he said.

A sex scandal that broke Pollachi's innocence

Killing of professor for co-ed event brings focus on Pak blasphemy laws

The recent murder of a University professor by a student over “blasphemy” in Pakistan’s Punjab province has once again highlighted the country’s controversial blasphemy law, which stipulates death sentence for a person accused of insulting Islam or Prophet Muhammad.

India eyes sale of Tejas to Malaysia

The defence attache at the Indian high commission in Kuala Lumpur, Aniruddh Chauhan said, “Tejas has been shortlisted by Malaysia amongst other aircrafts like the China-Pakistan built JF-17, and South Korea’s F/A-50 , but is perched comfortably as the favourite.” India is showcasing the Tejas at Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA), in Malaysia.

Rishabh Pant can be the next big thing: Yuvraj

After smashing a match-winning, unbeaten 78 off just 27 balls for the Delhi Capitals against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday night, Rishabh Pant won praise from India's 2011 World Cup hero, Yuvraj Singh. "It is important that we groom him well and hopefully he is the next big thing for us," Singh added.

Avenging NZ mosque attack? Qaida, IS may attack Jewish places in India

Intelligence agencies have alerted police in Delhi, Mumbai and Goa about twin threats from Islamic State and al-Qaida, sources said. The two inputs, which warn of avenging the New Zealand incident and possible strike on Jewish establishments, have come in a span of four days.

Jet Airways emergency loans get green signal

Normally in the case of default, lenders are hesitant to throw good money after bad. But often, like in most bankruptcy cases, there is a need for additional finance to keep the business going. This is why lenders have a provision for priority finance, where the lenders are given top priority at the time of settlement.

Rahane deserved better from selectors: Gavaskar

Ajinkya Rahane who deserved better from the Indian selectors will also get an opportunity to show he can be fluent in this format too. The same applies to Ashwin as he tries to resurrect his limited overs career.

No Russian role in Donald Trump’s 2016 poll drive: US probe report

In a four-page letter to Congress, Attorney General William Barr said Mueller's report "does not exonerate" the president on obstruction and instead "sets out evidence on both sides of the question." Barr released his four-page summary of Mueller's report Sunday afternoon.

Ban poll jibes on mental health: Psychiatry body

“The words used by politicians and persons with social responsibility are discriminatory, inhuman and degrading over the rights of persons suffering from mental disorders,” said chairperson Dr B N Raveesh and co-chairperson Dr Suresh Bada Math in a letter to the ECI. The IPS said it had observed many politicians and persons with political affiliations using the terms ‘mental instability’, ‘mad’, ‘manasik asvastya’, ‘mental hospital ko bejna hai,’ etc.

Pak Hindu girls seek protection, approach court

The two girls, Raveena (13) and Reena (15), were allegedly kidnapped by a group of "influential" men from their home in Ghotki district in Sindh on the eve of Holi. Soon after the kidnapping, a video went viral in which a cleric was purportedly shown soleminising the Nikah (marriage) of the two girls, triggering a nationwide outrage. Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan had also ordered a probe into the issue.

DRDO sat that will sniff out enemy radars to be launched on April 1

Former DRDO scientist Ravi Gupta told TOI the “military satellites like EMISAT have three key characteristics: help monitor the activities of enemy radars and sensors deployed along the border; to know the exact topography of enemy areas; and communication intelligence to find out how many communication devices are active in an area”. The 436-kg DRDO satellite, which will be placed in the 763-km orbit, will help intelligence agencies keep an eagle’s eye on hostile countries like Pakistan.

TOI report triggers spat between Sushma, Pak min

Mumbai’s car density 5 times that of Delhi

Pune is the next most-dense city with 359 cars per km, ahead of 319 per km in Kolkata, 297 in Chennai and 149 in Bangalore, show statistics from the respective state transport departments. Mumbai’s high car density is mainly because of lack of road space. While Mumbai’s private car population is less than a third of Delhi’s, the city has just 2,000km of roads as compared with 28,000km in the national capital.

60% chance of El Nino during monsoon: US

A weak El Nino was finally declared to have set in over the Pacific Ocean in February by several weather agencies. Since then, these conditions have strengthened and most international weather agencies now predict that El Nino would persist for the next few months. However, there is yet uncertainty over how the El Nino would last.

As 'caliphate' falls, ISIS jihadists emerge from tunnels to surrender

Dozens of Islamic State group jihadists emerged from tunnels to surrender to US-backed forces in eastern Syria on Sunday, a day after their "caliphate" was declared defeated. World leaders were quick to hail Saturday's announcement by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces that the last shred of land controlled by IS in Syria had been conquered.

MI vs DC Live: Yuvraj keeps Mumbai in the hunt

Check MI vs DC live score updates, IPL scorecard, Ball by ball commentary, IPL live streaming, MI vs DC highlights and more on Times of India

737 MAX: A jet born of Boeing's frantic race to outdo a rival

Mulayam in SP's 'revised' star campaigners' list

Virtual SIMs used in Pulwama terror attack; India to approach US for help

A request would be sent to the US to seek details from a service provider of "virtual SIMs", which were used by the JeM suicide bomber behind the Pulwama attack and his Pakistan and Kashmir-based handlers, officials said. It was a fairly new modus operandi where terrorists were using a "virtual SIM", generated by a service provider in the US.

Fire breaks out at AIIMS Trauma Center

Hindu girls' abduction: War of words between Sushma, Pakistan minister

‘Concierge’ for super rich appears at Nirav's hearing

Live updates: Amit Shah addresses rally in Agra

It's a flurry of activities in the political circles, with search for last-minute alliances and finalising candidates, as the Lok Sabha polls near. Stay with TOI for all updates.

Hindu girls' abduction: Imran orders probe into conversion, marriages

Pakistan PM Imran Khan has ordered a probe into reports of abduction, forced conversion and underage marriages of two teenage Hindu girls in Sindh province and to take immediate steps for their recovery. The girls were kidnapped by a group of "influential" men from their home in Sindh on the eve of Holi. Soon after the kidnapping, they were forcefully married.

IPL 2019 Live: KKR opt to field against SRH

Check KKR vs SRH live score updates, IPL scorecard, Ball by ball commentary, IPL live streaming, KKR vs SRH highlights and more on Times of India.

In Uttar Pradesh, it is Yogi’s Hindutva vs caste math of alliance

Analysts call it “Part-II of the Mandal versus Kamandal” battle that changed the politics in UP three decades ago in the wake of the backwards’ upsurge and the Ram Temple movement. In this milieu, Congress is trying to find its own space, banking heavily on Priyanka Gandhi’s charisma. BJP has managed to revive its fortunes by mixing caste arithmetic with hardline Hindutva.

Akhilesh Yadav to contest from Azamgarh

Kanhaiya Kumar to contest from Begusarai

Kanhaiya Kumar will contest from Bihar's Begusarai on CPI ticket. In Begusarai, Kumar will be facing BJP leader Giriraj who was earlier shifted from Nawada as the seat went to Lok Janshakti Party under the seat-sharing formula. Belonging to the same caste as Singh, Kumar is likely to pose a tough challenge as Begusarai has been a stronghold of the CPI.

Army personnel martyred in LoC firing by Pak

Jets grounding, yet flyers pay heavily for cancelling tickets

While the government has allowed Jet to cancel any number of flights with impunity, if a passenger decides to cancel a ticket given Jet’s unpredictability, the airline will charge them a steep cancellation fee that can go up to Rs 4,600 for an economy-class ticket. Last month, Jet hiked its cancellation fee. At present, Jet Airways operates about 120 daily flights, which is about one-sixth the number of flights it operated at its peak, say industry sources.

Will it be Shivraj vs Digvijaya on Bhopal seat?

With Congress deciding to field former chief minister Digvijaya Singh from Bhopal, BJP has been forced to rework its Lok Sabha poll strategy to retain the constituency that is a BJP stronghold for three decades.

Rajat: Prosecutor put politics over truth

To boost chances in Uttar Pradesh, BJP may drop over 1/3rd of MPs

Party sources maintain that senior leaders have discussed at length about every single seat and candidates are being finalised after scrutiny of several rounds based on the feedback the party has received through different channels, including surveys and also the feedback it has received through the Namo App.

Filmfare Awards 2019: Complete winners' list

Members from all quarters of Bollywood got together to honour the best of Hindi cinema in 2018 at Jio Garden, Mumbai on 23rd March 2019 for the 64th Vimal Elaichi Filmfare Awards 2019.

Modicare may soon provide best cancer care

The National Health Authority is in talks to partner with the National Cancer Grid which runs a “virtual tumour board” from Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Hospital. The board that works through the grid, a digital network linking hospitals, deals with complex cancer cases and can make the best treatment options available to Ayushman beneficiaries.

Rahul likely to contest from Wayanad in Kerala

The Wayanad seat has a strong presence of Muslim and Christian voters and the decision to field Rahul comes after party units in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka also sought his candidature. The move, said Congress leaders, should boost the party’s advantage in the state and display a commitment to minorities.

Italy becomes first G7 nation to sign China’s One Belt One Road plan

With the memorandum, Italy becomes the first member of the Group of Seven major economies, which includes the United States, to join Belt and Road, following Portugal’s embrace of the initiative in December. Italy’s move appears to be driven partly by hopes that Chinese investment in Italy's ports might help revive the country’s traditional role as a key link in trade between the East and West.

IPL: Chennai Super Kings beat RCB by 7 wickets in season opener

Harbhajan Singh rolled back years to show the relevance of a finger spinner in shorter format as defending champions Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 7 wickets in the opening encounter of Indian Premier League.

In Bengal, Rahul trains guns on PM Modi, Mamata

Launching his party's Lok Sabha poll campaign in West Bengal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday trained his guns on both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Mamata Banerjee, charging them with failing to fulfil their promises.

2019 LS polls: BJP releases list of 102 candidates

The BJP on Saturday announced the names of its 102 more candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, including the party's senior leader Ravi Shankar Prasad from Patna in Bihar and Sambit Patra from Puri in Odisha. The party fielded Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Jayant Sinha, Shripad Naik from Morena (MP), Hazaribagh (Jharkhand), North Goa seats respectively.

Filmfare Awards 2019: As it happened

The wait for the 64th Vimal Elaichi Filmfare Awards 2019 is finally over. The award function will witness the biggest names of Hindi cinema. And everyone is waiting to know who takes home the black lady. The complete live coverage of the 64th Vimal Elaichi Filmfare Awards 2019. Stay tuned for Live Updates, Photos and News from the 64th Vimal Elaichi Filmfare Awards 2019 at Times of India.

'Haven't made public announcement': Chavan on 'resignation' audio clip

An audio tape surfaced on Saturday where Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan is purportedly heard saying that he wanted to resign as his views on candidate selection were not being heeded by the leadership. However, when specifically asked about him wanting to resign, heard in the purported clip, Chavan said "I have not made any public announcement."

IPL Live: Spinners help CSK bundle out RCB for 70

Check CSK vs RCB live score updates, IPL scorecard, Ball by ball commentary, IPL live streaming, CSK vs RCB highlights and more on Times of India

'She neither talks nor takes suggestions': Rahul attacks Mamata

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of running the entire state according to her whims. "Does Bengal not have any voice? Is it not important for Bengal to have its own voice? Should one person be allowed to run an entire state?" he asked.

Gowda to contest from Tumkur; Cong MP objects

Hours after Janta Dal (Secular) announced that former Prime Miniser H D Deve Gowda will be the alliance's candidate from Tumkur Lok Sabha seat, the sitting Congress MP raised strong objection to the move.

Kerala: BJP to make things tough for UDF and LDF in some seats

A thrilling triangular contest can be expected in six to eight seats in Kerala in the Lok Sabha elections. In constituencies like Alappuzha and Kottayam, where BJP couldn’t win decent share of votes in 2014, they have deputed candidates who are powerful enough to canvas votes even from the LDF and UDF camps.

Rahul may also contest from Wayanad, Kerala

Top Congress leaders in Kerala have urged Rahul Gandhi to contest from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, which is being seen as a safe seat for the party. The move is aimed at boosting the Congress in south India but also comes amid reports that the race in Amethi for the party president could be tighter this time.

'Considering to quit': Ashok Chavan in 'viral audio'

2019 LS polls: Digvijaya to contest from Bhopal

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath on Saturday announced that former chief minister Digvijaya Singh will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from the Bhopal constituency on Congress ticket.

NDA Bihar list: Ravi Shankar Prasad replaces Shatrughan on Patna Sahib

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Saturday announced the names of 40 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections in Bihar, with BJP and JD(U) contesting on 17 seats each. Ram Vilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) has got six seats.

LS polls: Will Modi wave hit coastal India in 2019?

'Offered huge sum to give away Mindtree to L&T'

In a letter to employees, Mindtree’s founder and former CEO, Subroto Bagchi said: “KK, Rostow, Partha and I were offered huge bags of money to give Mindtree away. We have respectfully said 'no' to their overtures. "Our polite refusal has been interpreted as foolish idealism of a bunch of lower middle-class folks,"he said.

Jet suspends services to 13 int'l routes till April 30

Jet Airways has suspended operations on 13 more international routes till end-April and grounded seven more planes due to non-payment of rentals, taking the number of such aircraft to 54. The airline has also reduced frequencies on seven other overseas routes, mostly from Delhi and Mumbai. From 600 daily flights operations reduced to one-fourth.

Virat Kohli looks to raid the Super Kings den

"Every team that comes to Chennai has to be considered underdogs because CSK have done so well at home. MS knows exactly what he wants from his team in these conditions," Virat Kohli said on Friday.

Lalu’s RJD to fight lowest-ever number of seats, gives half to allies

The anti-BJP alliance in Bihar announced its seat-sharing deal on Friday with its lead player, Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), conceding a generous share of seats to junior partners. The RJD has kept 20 of the 40 seats for itself, while leaving nine for Congress.

India boycotts Pakistan Day event

In a significant departure from practice and what is being seen as a major diplomatic snub, the Indian government officially boycotted the Pakistan national day reception in New Delhi on Friday evening over an invitation to Kashmiri separatist group Hurriyat.

Government bans Yasin Malik's JKLF

The government on Friday banned the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) led by Yasin Malik as an unlawful association for its extremist orientation and violence against the Hindu minority in the Valley. The ban under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is on the grounds that JKLF had spearheaded separatist ideology in Kashmir and triggered the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits by murdering members of the minority community in the late eighties.

'NIA won’t challenge Aseemanand’s acquittal'

When asked whether the prosecutor will appeal against the verdict, he said, “No. Why should the government file an appeal? It makes no sense.” He also ruled out any fresh investigation into the Samjhauta blast. “NIA had probed the matter. Only after that they filed a chargesheet. Now that the court judgment is out, one has to rely on that.”

If I think like people from outside, I would be sitting at home: Kohli

Virat Kohli on Friday said he would be "sitting at home if he thinks like people from outside", responding, in his trademark combative style, to Gautam Gambhir's recent jibe at him, but without taking the former opener's name.

India to finally induct desi Bofors next week

New security doctrine: 'India won't play on back foot against terror'

Jaitley said the fight against terror cannot be won by playing on the backfoot and India's security doctrine had evolved to a point where it does not just defend itself, but can also go to the origin of terror and make a pre-emptive strike.

Yasin Malik-led JKLF banned under anti-terror law

RJD-Congress announce Bihar seat-sharing deal

Former JD(U) president and NDA convener Sharad Yadav will be contesting on an RJD symbol and merge his party Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) with it after the Lok Sabha polls, RJD national spokesman Manoj Jha and RJD state president Ram Chandra Purve told newsmen.

Hypothetical question: Prasada adds to suspense

8.96 lakh jobs created in January: EPFO data

The addition in January was 131 per cent higher as compared with 3.87 lakh EPFO subscribers added in the year-ago month. In September 2017, a net of 2,75,609 jobs were created.

JD(S) wants to adopt Cong leaders in 3 LS seats

In a first-of-its-kind arrangement, former PM HD Deve Gowda's party is seeking to 'adopt' Congress leaders in three Lok Sabha seats to field them as JD(S) candidates. Lack of candidates or organizational base in Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, Uttara Kannada and Bengaluru North has pushed the party to embark on a new experiment. JD(S) has secured eight out of 28 seats.

'Shame': PM Modi slams Cong's Sam Pitroda for questioning armed forces

PM's reaction came in response to Congress' Sam Pitroda and senior SP leader Ram Gopal's statements on Feb 14 Pulwama attack PM Modi said that the "Loyal courtier of Congress’ royal dynasty" admitted what people already knew—"Congress was unwilling to respond to forces of terror" PM said that "in a New India- we will answer terrorists in a language they understand and with interest!"

Former cricketer Gautam Gambhir joins BJP

Ahead of Lok Sabha elections 2019 former international cricketer Gautam Gambhir on Friday joined the BJP and is expected to be fielded by the party in the upcoming polls from one of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi. Gambhir played a key role in India's triumph in the 2011 World Cup and the 2007 T20 World Cup. He was recently conferred upon the Padma Shri award.

India boycotts Pakistan National Day event

The government Friday decided to boycott the Pakistan National Day event to be held at its high commission here as Kashmiri separatist leaders were also invited, an official said.

Live: PM slams Sam Pitroda for insulting forces

Its a flurry of activities in the political circles, with search for last-minute alliances and finalising candidates, as the Lok Sabha polls near. Stay with TOI for all updates.

Will Jacks cracks 25-ball ton, 6 sixes in an over

An unstoppable Will Jacks stole the limelight on Thursday after he slammed a 25-ball ton during a pre-season T10 match against Lancashire in Dubai. Playing for Surrey, Will scored 105 runs off 30 balls that included 8 boundaries and 11 sixes as he took the Lancashire bowlers to the cleaners.

Is Graham Reid set to become new hockey coach?

The Indian team has been without a regular chief coach after Harendra Singh was sacked following the World Cup at home last year. A report in hockey.nl late on Thursday suggested that it could be Reid heading to India after he was "dismissed" by AH&BC, more popularly known as Amsterdam, from his position of the team's coach.

Amazon to take on FB, Google with mobile ads

Amazon has hit on a new way to grab a chunk of the $129 billion digital advertising market now dominated by Google and Facebook: sell video spots on the e-commerce giant’s smartphone shopping app.

End of poll road for Advani as Shah gets Gandhinagar ticket

The BJP on Thursday replaced L K Advani with party chief Amit Shah as its candidate for Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat, formally bringing curtains down on the career of the 91-year-old stalwart who played a crucial role in the transformation of the saffron outfit from a marginal player to a major political influence.

Denied bail, Nirav Modi spends Holi in jail

Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, arrested here on fraud and money laundering charges, spent Holi on Thursday behind bars in one of England’s most overcrowded jails.

BJP releases 1st list for LS polls: 5 takeaways

BJP's first list: PM to contest from Varanasi, Shah from Gandhinagar

PM Narendra Modi will seek re-election from Varanasi and BJP president Amit Shah will contest from Gandhinagar, the BJP announced as it released its first list of 184 candidates for the coming LS polls. Gandhinagar was till now the political bastion of veteran BJP leader LK Advani. Nitin Gadkari and Rajnath Singh will contest from Nagpur and Lucknow, respectively.

Full list: BJP names 184 candidates for LS polls

Live: Will win with better margin, says Gadkari

The BJP has fielded Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi constituency and its president Amit Shah from Gandhinagar in place of L K Advani as it announced its first list of 184 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. Stay with TOI for live updates

Smriti Irani vs Rahul Gandhi again in Amethi

Live: PM Modi to contest from Varanasi, Shah from Gandhinagar

As the days draw near for the Lok Sabha elections to begin, it's still an evolving story of partners and alliances for the parties, as they go into the final phases of campaigning. Stay with TOI for live updates.

How Mukesh may gain from Anil's telecom woes

LS polls: Satta bazaar in MP bets on BJP getting 246 seats, Cong 76-78

'Most difficult phase': MSD on IPL fixing scandal

"2013 was the most difficult phase in my life, I was never depressed as much as I was then," Dhoni said. The two-time World Cup winning captain broke his silence in a docudrama, which focuses on the scandal that rocked Indian cricket and the ensuing comeback by Chennai Super Kings following a two-year suspension for its management's role in spot-fixing.

Unpaid Jet pilots write to PM Modi amid crisis

Nirav Modi had it all planned: Plastic surgery to Vanuatu citizenship

Since Nirav Modi fled the country last year, Indian agencies were tracking his movements, including his frequent travels to Europe, UAE, his financial transactions and meetings, officials told TOI. Seeking citizenship in another cpuntry to changing appearance, he contemplated everything to evade arrest.

US warns Pak on another terror attack in India

"We need to see Pakistan taking concrete and sustained action to reign in the terrorist groups, mainly the Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Lashkar-e-Taiba in order to ensure that we don't have re-escalation (of tension) in the region," a senior Trump administration official said.

Why Nirav Modi’s extradition case may move much faster than Mallya’s

CBI and Enforcement Directorate officials expect the process of Nirav Modi’s extradition to be a “much faster” affair than the exercise to bring back Vijay Mallya and feel it should not take more than six months

300% jump in desis ‘buying’ green card

The number of Indians getting investment linked EB-5 visas in the US, also known as “cash for green card”, has risen nearly four-fold in the past two years.

'Content violating code to be removed in 3 hrs'

Social media firms, including Facebook, Google and Twitter, have committed to a three-hour time limit to comply with legal requests and orders of the Election Commission for taking down content in violation of 48-hour ‘silence period’ during the upcoming Lok Sabha election

Share your Holi greetings

Nirav Modi arrested while trying to open bank a/c

A London court on Wednesday rejected the bail application of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi and termed him a flight risk after he was arrested a day earlier from a bank here.

Asia's worst to best: Rupee's 5-week turnaround

Pilot who hitched a ride saved Lion Air jet day before deadly crash

How bank clerk's alert led to Nirav Modi's arrest

Samjhauta case: Aseemanand, 3 others acquitted

A Panchkula court on Wednesday acquitted all the four accused, including Aseemanand, in the Samjhauta blast case. The other three accused, Lokesh Sharma, Kamal Chauhan and Rajinder Chaudhary, were also acquitted by the court. The court also dismissed an application filed by a Pakistani woman for examining eyewitnesses from her country.

EU fines Google €1.49bn for blocking ad rivals

"Google has cemented its dominance in online search adverts and shielded itself from competitive pressure by imposing anti-competitive contractual restrictions on third-party websites," European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said.

EU fines Google €1.49bn for blocking ad rivals

What’s new on TOI: Modi Meter, Poll Shots & more

PNB scam: Fugitive businessman Nirav Modi arrested in London

The United Kingdom had responded to a Red Corner Notice issued by the agency against Nirav Modi last year, they added. The RCN was issued in June 2018 on a request from the agency to the Interpol.

India to boycott China's 2nd Belt & Road Forum

India's ambassador to China Vikram Misri told the state-run Global Times, "No country can participate in an initiative that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity," replying to a question about India's concerns over the BRI and whether India would take part in the second BRF meet.

LS 2019: A matter of existence for Left in Bengal

Caution for Cong: SP-BSP pact for all Maha seats

Muslim votes in the state may get split and spell trouble for the Congress-NCP's alliance as the Samajwadi Party (SP) and AIMIM have aligned with Dalit groups, turning the contest three-cornered in many seats.

Mindtree acquisition: We are not corporate raiders, says L&T CEO

“It shouldn’t be seen as a hostile takeover,” L&T chief executive and managing director S N Subrahmanyan told TOI in an interview. “We didn’t go looking for Mindtree. Its largest shareholder, V G Siddhartha, approached us with a deal after he tried engaging with the founders regarding his exit. Being a founder-investor, he was emotional about to whom he would sell the stake,” he said.

UP ready for mandal vs kamandal part 2

Live: Floor test under way in the Goa assembly

Stay here for the latest updates from around the world that you cannot miss

How Congress lost the Goa game, again

Congress’ numerical edge in terms of number of MLAs in the Goa assembly was blunted as only 3 of its MLAs appeared before Goa governor while BJP presented all 21 MLAs supporting its claim, Nitin Gadkari has said. BJP zeroed in on Goa speaker Pramod Sawant after briefly considering Sripad Naik, junior minister for Ayurveda at the Centre.

No '220 club' in BJP hoping to replace PM Modi, says Nitin Gadkari

There is no “220 club” in BJP which hopes a reduced tally for the party in the Lok Sabha elections could see the emergence of an alternative to PM Narendra Modi and this was mere speculation in media circles, minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari said.

Mindtree refutes L&T's offer of ‘dil & pyaar’

For the first time since news emerged about L&T’s unsolicited acquisition of the $900-million Bengaluru-based IT services company, Mindtree’s founders came together before the media to describe the move as a grave threat to a “unique” organisation and value-destructive for all shareholders.

Germany backs move to ban Masood Azhar

Lower GST for realty from April

Jr Davis, Fed cups moved out of India

Former SC judge P C Ghose appointed India's first Lokpal

Virat Kohli not a shrewd captain, says Gambhir

Virat Kohli is not a "shrewd captain" who could be compared to his national team deputy Rohit Sharma or former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who have won three IPL titles each, feels former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir.

How Shah, Gadkari worked behind the scenes to avert crisis in Goa

Jet pilots threaten to stop flying from April 1

Jet operating only 41 planes, there may be further attrition: DGCA

DGCA has asked the airline to comply with all relevant rules on timely communication (about flight delays or cancellations), compensation, refunds and providing alternate flights wherever applicable. The data is being monitored by DGCA on regular basis.

L&T says Mindtree bid triggered by Siddhartha

Engineering major L&T on Tuesday said the deal got triggered after largest sharehlder VG Siddhartha approached them three months ago, and exuded confidence in winning over the unhappy promoters. L&T's SN Subrahmanyan invoked parallels with bollywood dramas, saying with 'dil and pyaar' (heart and love) it will be able to win over everybody.

IPL 2019: Full group stage schedule and timings

The schedule is balanced in terms of afternoon matches/weekend matches and travel. The board has factored the 2019 Lok Sabha elections dates/phases in the respective states and cities and clearance thereof. Defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will take on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Chennai in the IPL opener, which will begin on March 23.

Live: 1 dead after building collapses in Karnataka

As many as 90 people are feared trapped after an under-construction building collapsed in Dharwad district on Tuesday. Stay with us for all the live updates:

The other mandir in poll maths: Will Sabari give BJP LS seat in Kerala?

Some leaders from Sangh Parivar outfits in Kerala mooted the idea of fielding candidates under the banner of Sabarimala Karma Samithy in at least 3 or 4 constituencies for Lok Sabha polls. They wanted to replicate the 1987 experiment when candidates fielded by BJP-led Hindu Munnani finished 2nd in 3 assembly constituencies & gave a tough fight to LDF & UDF.

Dalai Lama warns China, says 'my successor may come from India'

The Dalai Lama said on Monday it was possible that once he dies his incarnation could be found in India, where he has lived for 60 years, and warned that any other successor named by China would not be respected. "China considers Dalai Lama's reincarnation as something very important. They have more concern about the next Dalai Lama than me," he said.

How Lok Sabha has changed over 70 years

A lot has changed since the first Lok Sabha was elected in 1952. The average age of MPs has gone up — the last one was the oldest, while this one is the second oldest

Unique ethos: When 10 IT pros came together in 1999 to start Mindtree

Those in Mindtree think of their culture as a mix of empathy, integrity, and purpose. Empathy was visible at inception in 1999, when the company unveiled a logo created by an alumnus of the Spastic Society of Karnataka, Chetan. Since then, the company has had a special emphasis on the differently-abled.

Flight safety is at risk: Jet's engineers union

In a letter written to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, JAMEWA stated: "It has been arduous for us to meet financial requirements, result of which has adversely affected the psychological condition of Aircraft engineers at work and therefore the safety of public transport airplanes being flown by Jet Airways across India and the world is at risk."

Mindtree promoters vow to oppose bid by L&T

The attempted hostile takeover bid of Mindtree by Larsen & Toubro is a "grave threat" and "value destructive" to the organisation collectively built over 20 years, the promoters said pledging to "unconditionally oppose" the move. The promoters also outlined its potential "negative consequences to corporate culture, client relationships, employee retention".

BJP passes mantle over to GenNext in Goa, rewards loyalty

With 46-year old Pramod Sawant succeeding Manohar Parrikar as the state’s chief minister, the BJP has effectively passed the mantle to its GenNext leadership. And with Sawant being the only BJP MLA from the RSS cadre, the transition has been truly complete.

Goa speaker Pramod Sawant succeeds Manohar Parrikar as CM

Mukesh Ambani saves brother Anil from jail

Jet turbulence: Etihad refuses to play ball

Pramod Sawant sworn in as Goa chief minister

Cornered in UK, Nirav Modi’s arrest imminent

NDA to gain 13 seats after Balakot: Poll

Mukesh saves day for Anil as RCom makes Rs 550cr payment to Ericsson

UK court issues arrest warrant against Nirav Modi

A London court has issued an arrest warrant against fugitive Nirav Modi, the main accused in the $2 billion PNB scam case, in response to an ED request for his extradition in a money laundering case, officials said Monday.

NDA to win 283 seats: Times Now-VMR survey

The NDA is all set to return to power winning 283 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, according to projections by Times Now-VMR opinion survey.

L&T makes Rs 5k cr offer for 31% Mindtree stake

Don't foresee threat to Indo-Pak WC match: ICC CEO

International Cricket Council CEO Dave Richardson on Monday said he doesn't foresee any threat to the high-profile India-Pakistan World Cup match, insisting that the two teams are bound by an ICC agreement to show up.

Anil Ambani's RCom pays Rs 458.77 crore to Ericsson: Sources

Manohar Parrikar cremated with state honours

LS polls live: Times Now-VMR opinion survey

Elections for the 17th Lok Sabha will be held in seven phases beginning April 11. Stay with TOI for all the latest updates on the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.

'Don't spread confusion': SP, BSP snub Cong move

BSP chief Mayawati on Monday advised the Congress to refrain from spreading confusion by leaving seven Lok Sabha seats for the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh. In a series of tweets, she said the Congress is free to field its candidates in all the 80 parliamentary constituencies of the state.

'Multiple wounded' in Dutch tram shooting: Police

'Federal Front' can get 120 MPs: Telangana CM

"There is a need to get rid of BJP and Congress and wipe them out," he said. "Do you want me to play a bigger role in national politics?" he asked the crowd asking them to lift their hands if they favoured it. KCR had earlier met a few leaders from other states including WB CM Mamata Banerjee and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik as part of his efforts to form a Federal Front.

Yogi's poll campaign from temple near Deoband

Days after the SP-BSP combine announced that Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav would launch their Lok Sabha election campaigns from Deoband, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said he would kick off his own from the historic Shakumbari Devi temple in Saharanpur, just 40km away.

Jet cancels all flights to Abu Dhabi from Monday

Jet Airways will from Monday suspend all its flights to and from Abu Dhabi, the base of Etihad which has 24 per cent stake in it and from whom fund infusion is awaited for Jet to survive. In a notice Etihad Airport Services warned passengers of "minor disruption" due to the "short notice of flight cancellation".

Indian IT’s 1st hostile bid: L&T to make open offer for Mindtree

Diversified conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T) is set to launch a hostile bid to acquire mid-tier IT services company Mindtree, possibly as early as Monday evening. It will buy out Coffee Day founder and Mindtree's largest shareholder, V G Siddhartha, and proceed with an open offer to public shareholders, spending as much as Rs 7,000 crore (or $1 billion), for a controlling interest, people directly aware of the matter have told TOI .

Live updates: Full military honours for Parrikar

Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar, who was suffering from pancreatic ailment, has passed away at the age of 63. Parrikar will be accorded state funeral with full military honours. Stay with TOI for all the latest updates:

Raj satta bazaar bets on BJP crossing 250

Bookies were predicting about 280 seats for NDA prior to the airstrike, with BJP winning over 200 seats. But the mood has changed after Balakot airstrike. The bazaar believes that the airstrike after Pulwama attack has swung voters' sentiment in favour of BJP. Consequently, it has lowered the number of seats for Congress to 72-74 from 100 predicted earlier.

TOI Top10: India has too many political parties?

Manohar Parrikar, 4-time Goa CM and ex-defence minister, no more

Parrikar was ideologically wedded to the Sangh but was sufficiently accommodating — and uncompromising — to maintain the middle ground in Goa politics. He refused to allow some saffron leaders known for inflammatory speeches entry into Goa and enforced the law with sensitivity. He was particularly concerned about the impact of the Supreme Court ban on mining on livelihoods.

Parrikar could smile in the face of the inevitable

I had profound respect for Parrikar, not because he was a former defence minister or the serving chief minister of Goa, but because he was an honest, hardworking, “peoples’ politician”. It is very rare to find such upright leaders. He had an excellent academic background of IIT. Everyone in Goa loved him and I was inundated with calls and to the dismay of many, no information was divulged. We got the confirmation and started the treatment for a pancreatic ailment. He responded well and tolerated treatment

Pay your tributes to Manohar Parrikar

Who will be next Goa CM? Search set to begin

With the demise of chief minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday, the BJP-led coalition in Goa has to search for a new leader to replace him. Parrikar (63) died of a pancreatic ailment on Sunday at his private residence near Panaji, government officials said. He was heading a coalition government comprising the BJP, Goa Forward Party, MGP and Independents.

PM Modi remembers Manohar Parrikar

Condoling the death of Manohar Parrikar, PM Narendra Modi described him as an unparalleled leader, who was a true patriot and an exceptional administrator, admired by all. "His impeccable service to the nation will be remembered by generations. Deeply saddened by his demise. Condolences to his family and supporters," PM Modi said .

Live updates: Manohar Parrikar, Goa chief minister, passes away at 63

Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar, who was suffering from pancreatic ailment, has passed away at the age of 63. Stay with TOI for all the latest updates:

Parrikar — The man who changed Goan politics

Pay your tributes to Manohar Parrikar

Life and times of Manohar Parrikar

Studious minister: Nobody dared dismiss his word

War game to battle-ready: Navy's quick transition amid Pak tensions

NZ gunman's family 'shattered' by his deeds

Congress leaves seven seats in UP for SP-BSP-RLD heavyweights

Ex-SC judge tipped to be India's first Lokpal

Government announced that the former SC judge Pinaki Chandra Ghose will be India's first Lokpal. Justice Ghose, who retired from the Supreme Court in May 2017, is presently a member of the NRC. He has practised in civil, commercial, arbitration, constitutional and company matters both in the original side and appellate side at Calcutta HC.

Ex-Goa CM Kamat leaves for Delhi amid rumours of joining BJP

No cap on IPL games for WC-bound players: Kohli

"You cannot put a cap on anything," said India captain Virat Kohli, insisting that no instructions have been issued to Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises with regards to workload management of World Cup-bound players.

Matter will be resolved, says Chinese envoy on Masood Azhar listing at UN

China's Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui on Sunday expressed optimism that the issue relating to India's push for designating Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed's chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN would be resolved.

KCR’s plan in place, no matter who takes Centre

The battle lines for the 2019 general elections are more or less clear: It is BJP versus the rest. TRS supremo and Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao as well as his son and party working president KT Rama Rao maintain that they are for strengthening the federal structure and will champion the formation of a non-BJP, non-Congress government at the Centre.

Election 2019: 8 trends to watch out for

In a forthcoming book, veteran psephologists Prannoy Roy and Dorab R Sopariwala the highlight the key factors that will shape the upcoming elections. Excerpts ...

'Chowkidar Modi': PM changes name on Twitter

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday renamed his Twitter handle to "Chowkidar Narendra Modi" in a bid to amplify the BJP's campaign ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Soon after this, BJP leaders, including Piyush Goyal, JP Nadda, Meenakashi Lekhi named their Twitter handle as "chowkidar".

India, Pakistan threatened to unleash missiles at each other: Sources

The sparring between India and Pakistan last month threatened to spiral out of control and only interventions by US officials, headed off a bigger conflict, sources said. At one stage, India threatened to fire 6 missiles at Pakistan, and Islamabad said it would respond with its own missile strikes "3 times over", according to diplomats & government sources.

In a first, IIM-A students get MBA degree

Country’s premier management institution awarded its first masters degree after the IIM Act-2017 became a law in December 2017. IIM Bangalore and Calcutta also conferred MBA degrees in their last convocation. Sources said previous students too wanted a similar degree with retrospective effect, but the institute said the move is not possible.

Pakistan airspace shut, Mumbai sees near-miss

Two international flights got dangerously close to each other in Mumbai’s mega crowded skies on Friday. They were seconds apart from each other when the collision avoidance system kicked in & pulled them apart. An air traffic controller has been grounded. Both flights were passing through this route due to the closure of Pakistan airspace since February 27.

Parrikar's health ‘dips’, BJP looks for a new CM

As news of Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar’s health condition having worsened was doing the rounds, BJP swung into action on Saturday to protect its government after Congress wrote to the governor staking claim once again. Three MLAs of the alliance partner Goa Forward Party and three independent MLAs reached Parrikar's private residence in the evening “to show solidarity”.

India won't lose patience with China over Azhar

Sources said India would give China space to "resolve" certain issues with Pakistan on terror originating form the country. India and China have held quiet talks at senior levels in the past weeks. China, sources said, was equally concerned about terrorism emanating from Pakistan and has no illusions about its closest ally.

7 from India killed in New Zealand mosque massacre, say families

Four Indians — one from Hyderabad, a woman from Kerala and two from Gujarat—were among those killed in the Christchurch terror attack in New Zealand on Saturday, their families confirmed to TOI on Saturday. Three others who are confirmed dead were of Indian origin, from Gujarat and Telangana.

‘Chowkidar’ key to BJP’s campaign

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a campaign “Main bhi chowkidar hoon” with a tweet, “Your Chowkidar is standing firm & serving the nation”. The hashtag #MainBhiChowkidar trended through the day with a large number of BJP supporters associating with the campaign.

Rahul's speeches only full of fake issues: Jaitley

“Fake issues raised in Rafale, Balakot, Judge Loya’s death, bank loan waiver, JNU issues, EVM, GST, demonetisation or Nirav Modi and Mallya, or be it special status for Andhra Pradesh, or the issues of economy, every time fakery & manufactured issues of opposition fell apart,” Jaitley wrote in a blog.

Badami Bagh Cantt land grab: 2 ex-CEOs booked

The CBI has registered a case against two former CEOs of Badami Bagh Cantonment, Srinagar and some private persons for grabbing defence land - in the form of two hotels and a mill - worth several crores. Two hotels with leases long expired, and a mill found operating illegally on grabbed land.

Pakistan showed narrow view during Kartarpur corridor talks: Sources

Indian techie killed in NZ mosque shootings

Chowkidar vs chor: BJP, Cong battle on Twitter

The tweet was accompanied with a 3.45-minute video, which starts with the PM addressing a rally and saying that their “chowkidar is absolutely alert.” The song then shows a montage of people across the country singing Main Bhi chowkidar hoon, and the visuals make references to a number of government schemes, including Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Digital India, Ujjawal Bharat, among others. It finally ends with an appeal to join Modi for a programme “Main Bhi Chowkidar” on March 31

'Hello, brother', then gunfire began: NZ attack was designed to horrify

Congress stakes claim to form government in Goa

New Zealand struggles to answer 'why' in wake of massacre

This South Pacific nation, hailed by Muslim immigrants as a "heaven on earth", ranks second only to Iceland on the Global Peace Index. In a country where police routinely patrol unarmed, parents strained to explain to their kids what happened, even as they struggled to understand it themselves.

Hand over Dawood, Salahudeen: India to Pak

If Pakistan really wants to send a message that it was serious about addressing India's concerns over terrorism, then it should hand over Dawood, Salahudeen and other terrorists who are Indians, sources said. Referring to actions by Pakistan such as holding certain terrorists in preventive custody, the sources said India considered them to be cosmetic.

Woman SPO shot dead in J&K's Shopian

India in touch with NZ over 7 missing Indians

Steps taken by Pak against terror groups cosmetic in nature: Sources

"India continues to work with the UNSC's sanction committee on listing of JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist," official sources said. India believes "terrorism is a major issue for China. They know a number of terror groups are based in Pakistan", sources added. On China blocking Azhar's listing, sources said India will show patience as long as it takes.

PM launches '#MainBhiChowkidar' campaign

The 'Main bhi chowkidar' program is a similar strategy as 2014 where BJP took on Manishankar Aiyar’s Chaiwalla jibe into a mass campaign. According to BJP, their surveys show that Rahul Gandhi's '#Chowkidar Chor Hai' campaign is not resonating with people. BJP's surveys suggest that it is actually angering people.

NZ shooting suspect given custody till April 5

Australian-born 28-year-old Brenton Tarrant has been identified as the right-wing extremist who filmed himself rampaging through two mosques in New Zealand killing 49. He appeared in court on Saturday. The former fitness instructor and self-professed fascist did not request bail and was taken into custody until his next court appearance scheduled for April 5.

Fight polls from K'taka: Siddaramaiah to Rahul

According to Congress sources, the idea to invite Rahul or sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest from Karnataka had been discussed long ago keeping in mind the attention the late PM Indira Gandhi and Rahul's mother Sonia Gandhi got when they contested from Chikkamagaluru (1978) and Ballari (1999) Lok Sabha seats, respectively.

If Kohli has a good WC, India will win: Ponting

Australian great Ricky Ponting, now Delhi Capitals coach, analyses Australian cricket's recent breakdown and possible resurrection, discusses the secret of Virat Kohli's success and proposes a salary cap for young IPL stars in an exclusive interview with TOI.

Bloodshed in AP: Jagan’s uncle found murdered

Less than a month before crucial Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, former minister and YSR Congress Party leader YS Vivekananda Reddy was allegedly murdered at his native Pulivendula village in Kadapa district late on Thursday night. The deceased is the uncle of YSR Congress chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy.

NZ shooting: '9 Indians missing, 2 injured’

Ahmed Iqbal Jahangir of Hyderabad and Mehboob Khokhar of Ahmedabad are said to have been injured. The Indian high commission in New Zealand has set up 24x7 helpline numbers to offer assistance and information, official sources said. Families of those affected are being assisted in getting visas to New Zealand.

Oppn VVPAT petition: SC seeks EC's response

The SC has sought the EC’s response to a joint petition by some opposition parties pleading for counting of VVPAT paper slips in at least 50% of EVMs in each assembly segment in the Lok Sabha elections. Some opposition parties claim that EVMs have not been reliable and can be manipulated. The EC has repeatedly asserted that EVMs do not have a wireless link and cannot be hacked .

J&K administration, MHA pitch for assembly elections in June

In view of the volatile security situation in the Kashmir valley, it has been suggested that the state polls be conducted over seven phases. The task of providing security to assembly candidates along with Lok Sabha contenders was seen to be too demanding with current cross-LoC tensions further complicating matters.

WB: Left to contest 25 seats, leave 17 for Cong

The CPI(M)-led Left Front announced its first list of candidates for 25 seats in West Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls on Friday, leaving 17 constituencies for the Congress. For the first time, the Left Front has opted for a seat-sharing deal with its once arch rival- the Congress- for the Lok Sabha polls in the state.

US cites Pak's $10bn debt to slam China's 'predatory economics'

Pakistan owes China at least $10 billion debt for the construction of Gwadar port & other projects, General Joseph Dunford, chairman of US Joint Chiefs of Staff said, as he underlined Beijing's "predatory economics". He warned that if China's predatory debt tactics are left unaddressed, they will have serious implications on the US's military.

Isro set for first three-orbit mission on April 1

New Zealand mosque shooter a white nationalist seeking revenge

The gunman behind at least one of the mosque shootings in New Zealand that left 49 people dead on Friday tried to make a few things clear in the manifesto he left behind: He is a 28-year-old Australian white nationalist who hates immigrants. He was set off by attacks in Europe that were perpetrated by Muslims. He wanted revenge, and he wanted to create fear.

'Pak govt usurped Kartarpur gurdwara land'

India-Myanmar border: Insurgent camps smashed

New Zealand mosque attacker's plan began and ended online

Online accounts linked to gun attacks that killed 49 people and wounded at least 20 at two New Zealand mosques on Friday had in recent days circulated white supremacist imagery and extreme right-wing messages celebrating violence against Muslims and minorities on social media and message boards.

Lok Sabha elections: Wish list of first-time voters

Young and restless, anxious and ambitious, first time voters in urban India are going into this election with a clear vision for country's future and say they expect political leaders to focus on "real issues" such as jobs, women's safety and farmer distress. According to the EC, 1.5 crore "young voters" in the 18-19 age group will vote for the first time.

'Firing went on and on': 49 dead in 2 mosque shootings in New Zealand

A gunman broadcast live footage on Facebook of the attack on one mosque in the city of Christchurch, mirroring the carnage played out in video games, after publishing a "manifesto" in which he denounced immigrants, calling them "invaders".

Poll: Is BMC to blame for Mum bridge collapse?

'Blood everywhere': 49 dead, 20 hurt in New Zealand mosque shootings

New Zealand was placed on its highest security threat level, PM Jacinda Ardern said, adding that four people in police custody, three men and one woman, held extremist views but had not been on any police watchlists.

How Pakistan became a hotbed for terrorists

For decades, it’s been no secret that Pakistan uses terrorists as proxies to aid the insurgency in J&K and mount attacks against India. A CIA report going back to 1996 found that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency was funding Masood Azhar with as much as $60,000 a month.

France freezes assets of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar

A joint statement issued by the French interior ministry, finance ministry and foreign ministry added that France would discuss putting Masood Azhar on a European Union list of people suspected of being involved in terrorism.

New Zealand shootings: Gunman an Australian

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed that the attacker in New Zealand mass shooting at two mosques is an Australian national. "We stand here and condemn, absolutely the attack that occurred today by an extremist, right-wing, violent terrorist," said Morrison. Further details about the Australian gunman are awaited.

Immigration row: US court junks suit against Infy

Infosys had entered into a $50,000 contract with Apple to provide the latter's online store's engineering organisation with 16 live training sessions in California.

Stout Azhar failed to complete terror training

JeM chief Masood Azhar had entered India on Jan 29, 1994, on a forged Portuguese passport in the name of Vali Adam Issa with a valid Indian visa from Dhaka. When immigration officers noted he did not look like a Portuguese, he got off by telling them he was of Gujarati origin. These disclosures were made by Azhar following his arrest in Anantnag on Feb 11, 1994.

Many dead in 2 mosque shootings in New Zealand, 1 arrested

Several people were reported dead when a gunman opened fire at a crowded mosque in the New Zealand city of Christchurch, during afternoon prayers on Friday.

Live: Don't visit any mosque, NZ police say

Armed police in New Zealand swarmed central Christchurch amid a shooting at a mosque in the South Island city. Stay with TOI for latest updates

Bangladesh cricket team escapes NZ shooting

Bangladesh's "entire" cricket team was saved from a shooting in central Christchurch, one of their players said on Friday. Another senior player of the team also confirmed the team's safety in a tweet.

Mumbai bridge collapse: BMC, rly officials booked

Nirav Modi entered UK on investor’s ‘golden visa’

Sources told TOI that Nirav Modi flew in from New York towards the end of February — after the Rs 13,000 crore PNB scam had blown up and he was spotted at a luxury hotel in New York. Modi’s passport was revoked in February, but the golden visa was, apparently, issued a few years ago. Revocation of passport does not affect the validity of visa.

Oppn wants 50% VVPAT count, SC hearing today

The petition has challenged EC’s guidelines which make it mandatory for counting of VVPATs from only one random polling station per assembly constituency. A bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi will hear the petition on Friday. The petitioners claimed their parties together represented 75% of India’s population.

Revealing Rafale price will violate deal: Govt

The Centre told the SC on Thursday that an important reason for keeping the price of Rafale jets a secret was to prevent other countries, which have also bought the jets, from questioning France why the planes were sold cheaper to India. Documents attached with the review petition compromised national security and could be inimical to friendly ties with foreign countries, the govt said.

China draws ire of other UNSC members for saving Masood Azhar

US indicated that members of the UN Security Council may need to consider “other actions” if Beijing continued to prevent the sanctions committee from designating Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar a global terrorist. The matter may be bumped up to the Security Council itself, where an isolated China could be called on to explain itself before the world.

Mumbai: 6 dead, 32 injured in footbridge collapse

Four persons were killed and 34 persons injured after a major portion of a foot overbridge near a train station in south Mumbai collapsed Thursday evening, officials said.

Cooling down process of Abhinandan concludes

The IAF pilot's medical treatment has also concluded and he will go on sick leave for at least three weeks before resuming duty. A medical board to be constituted by the IAF will review medical fitness of Varthaman to help the IAF top brass decide whether he can return to fighter cockpit as desired by him, officials said.

A red traffic signal that proved lucky for many

A red signal at a traffic junction near a foot overbridge, a part of which caved in Mumbai Thursday, proved lucky for a number of motorists who were waiting for it to turn green.Without the red signal, the motorists would have passed under the bridge near the CSMT railway station, a global heritage site, when a part of it came crashing at around 7.30 pm.

Mumbai bridge collapse: What we know so far

The bridge which connected the area near the Times of India building with the iconic CSMT station was commonly known as 'Kasab bridge' after the 26/11 Mumbai attack terrorist passed through it during the terror attacks.

Live: Foot overbridge collapses in Mumbai; 4 dead, many hurt

At least four people are dead and several have been injured after a foot overbridge outside the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station in Mumbai collapsed on Thursday evening. Stay with TOI for latest updates.

Mumbai bridge collapse: What we know so far

Pak fails to secure $3.2bn UAE oil facility: Report

The oil facility was part of the $6.2 billion that the United Arab Emirates announced to give to Pakistan in December to help the country overcome the serious economic woes. The development could again bring under stress Pakistan's foreign currency reserves that have so far been maintained with help of friendly countries, a media report said.

India seeks visa-free access for pilgrims to Kartarpur shrine

India on Thursday sought visa-free access from Pakistan for 5,000 pilgrims per day to the historic Sikh shrine in Kartarpur. India emphasised that the corridor should be absolutely visa-free. “There should not be any additional encumbrances in the form of any documentation or procedure,” officials added.

Rahul: Cong does not impose anything on people

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Thursday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said unlike him and his party, the BJP, the Congress listens to everyone and does not impose anything upon the people.

BCCI case: Supreme Court says 'game must go on'

"The game must go on", the Supreme Court said on Thursday and appointed senior advocate PS Narasimha as mediator for resolving pending disputes related to cricket administration at the BCCI. "PS Narasimha, the amicus curiae, is appointed to act as mediator in relation to any dispute raised in the applications before us," the bench said.

Maha political dynasties stumped as scions refuse to wait for big prize

GenNext's clamour for power and unwillingness to wait for it have resulted in some of Maharashtra's key political families resembling precarious houses of cards as the decks are cleared for Lok Sabha polls. The done thing in dynastic politics has always been for youngsters to spend some time learning the ropes, often in the shadow of the patriarchs.

Chargesheet filed against cricketer Mohd Shami

The cricketer has been charged under IPC section 498A (Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) and 354A (outraging the modesty of a woman) by the police based on charges labelled against him by his estranged wife Hasin Jahan.

'Nehru original sinner, favoured China for UNSC'

Finance minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday said first PM Jawaharlal Nehru was the "original sinner" who favoured China over India for permanent membership into the UNSC. "The original mistake, both on Kashmir and China, was committed by the same person," said Jaitley while quoting a letter written by Nehru to chief ministers on August 2, 1955.

Govt claims privilege over Rafale papers in SC

The Centre on Thursday claimed privilege over documents pertaining to Rafale jet deal and told the Supreme Court that no one can produce them in the court without the permission of the department concerned. Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, referred to section 123 of the Evidence Act and provisions of RTI Act to buttress his claim.

Till now Tom Vadakkan 'abused' PM Modi: Cong

In a huge embarrassment to the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Vadakkan, once a key aide of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, joined the BJP and attacked his former party for its stand on the Balakot air strikes.

China defends blocking Azhar terror listing at UN

China on Thursday sought to defend its fourth technical hold at the UN Security Council to block the designation of Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, saying it would help the parties concerned to engage in more talks to find a "lasting solution" acceptable to all.

Onus on players to manage IPL workload: Kohli

The Indian players will have to smartly manage their workload during the upcoming IPL since it will be their responsibility to stay fit and fresh for the ICC World Cup, says skipper Virat Kohli.

'Bomb cyclone': 1,339 flights cancelled in US

Colorado governor Jared Polis declared a state of emergency due to the storm and said he had activated the state National Guard to assist in search and rescue operations.

How Didi is planning to checkmate BJP in Bengal

Three numbers throw light on Mamata's strategy. First, about 1 of every 3 party MPs in the outgoing LS has not made it to the list. Secondly, more than 2/5th of its nominees have either never entered Parliament or are contesting from a new seat. And, third, over 40% of its poll tickets have gone to women, indicating the constituency the party is keen to woo.

'We may be forced to pursue other actions': UN diplomat on Masood Azhar

"If China continues to block this designation, responsible member-states may be forced to pursue other actions at the Security Council. It shouldn't have to come to that," a Security Council diplomat told PTI in an unusual tough warning to China.

'Weak' Modi 'scared' of Xi: Rahul on Masood Azhar

Taking a dig at the Prime Minister, Rahul said that Narendra Modi has failed to take a firm stand against China. On Wednesday, China kept chief Masood Azhar under its protective wings, vetoing a fourth attempt to declare him a global terrorist. "Weak Modi is scared of Xi. Not a word comes out of his mouth when China acts against India," he tweeted.

Facebook, Instagram suffer global outage

Azim Premji commits Rs 53,000 cr more to charity

Wipro chairman Azim Premji on Wednesday announced an increase in his philanthropic commitment by Rs 52,750 crore ($7.5 billion), taking his overall commitment to his endowment to Rs 145,000 crore ($21 billion). This makes it one of the biggest foundations in the world. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has investment assets of about $40 billion, and the Ford Foundation about $12 billion.

AGP back into NDA fold, 2 months after splitting

As per the new deal, AGP will be given at least three of the 14 Lok Sabha seats and one of the two Rajya Sabha slots for which polls are due in June, top sources said. Besides, BJP has assured AGP of modifications to the Citizenship Bill when it is re-introduced in Parliament.

China again blocks bid at UN to list Masood Azhar as global terrorist

The proposal to designate Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council was moved by France, UK and US on February 27. The Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee members had 10 working days to raise any objections to the proposal. Just before the deadline was to expire, China put a "technical hold" on the proposal.

Trump announces grounding of B737 MAXs

Australia bag series with 35-run win over India