High time India, Pakistan set aside hostilities, says Nawaz Sharif............

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said it is "high time" India and Pakistan set aside their hostilities even as he expressed confidence that the spirit of goodwill generated by his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi's visit to Lahore will persist.

"The Indian Prime Minister came to Lahore and gave us his few hours. It is high time the countries put aside their hostilities," Sharif said. "Goodwill gestures are the solution to many an ill," he told reporters at Zhob airport in Balochistan. Sharif also thanked Modi for visiting Lahore last week.

Modi had sprung a surprise when he visited Lahore on the occasion of Sharif's 66th birthday and his granddaughter's wedding on December 25. "It has been agreed that we will re-start the dialogue between Pakistan and India," Sharif said, adding that "progress is being made in bilateral negotiations with India".

The Pakistan premier's comments came a day after his Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan will meet in Islamabad on January 14-15 to prepare a schedule of meeting for the comprehensive dialogue covering Jammu and Kashmir and other issues. Sharif also expressed optimism that India-Pakistan ties would improve in the days ahead and the "spirit of goodwill generated with Modi's visit will continue to prevail".

Mohammad Amir issue: PCB rejects angry captain's resignation,.............

Pakistan has rejected one-day captain Azhar Ali's offer to resign over tainted team mate Mohammad Amir's presence at a Lahore training camp, the country's cricket board said on Tuesday.

Amir's return to the selection mix after serving a five-year ban for spot-fixing in the 2010 Lord's test has polarised Pakistan cricket with several of his team mates resenting his reintegration.

Azhar, along with former captain Mohammad Hafeez, initially refused to join the camp ahead of next month's limited-over matches in New Zealand but Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the ODI skipper would stay on. "Azhar Ali met the chairman PCB (Shahryar Khan). He tendered his resignation," PCB said in a statement. "The chairman didn't accept his resignation, Azhar Ali agreed and he will continue as captain."

Amir, fellow fast bowler Mohammad Asif and former test captain Salman Butt served jail sentences in Britain after being found guilty in 2011 of various offences of corrupt behaviour. Former captain Imran Khan has backed Amir's return to international cricket but test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq feared the bowler's comeback would prove a big distraction for the team.

According to local media reports, former captain Shoaib Malik has been assigned to guide Amir on his comeback. 

Roch Marc Kabore sworn in as Burkina Faso presiden............

Burkina Faso's constitutional court swore in Roch Marc Kabore as president on Tuesday, making the former prime minister the country's first new leader in decades following his election last month.

The ceremony conducted at a stadium in the capital marks a pivotal moment in a democratic transition in the West African country after veteran leader Blaise Compaore was overthrown in a popular uprising in October 2014. 

We want to make job-creators, not job-seekers: PM Modi...........

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the country is looking at creating job-creators and not job seekers.

He was speaking after inaugurating the National Conference of Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes entrepreneurs in New Delhi organised by Dalit Indian chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) on the 125th birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar. 

"We all know Baba Saheb as the man behind our constitution, but not many know him as a master economist," he said.

Modi added that "Ambedkar was right in saying that industrialisation will give maximum benefit to our dalit sisters and brothers."

While speaking at the conference he said, financial inclusion and making the bottom of the pyramid stronger is the ultimate aim. 

He said, so far, 80 lakh people have received loans from banks under the Prime Minister Mudra Yojna, without the guarantee of a single rupee. Most of these are dalits, OBCs and STs. 

While speaking at the Dalit commerce chamber, Modi also said, "Our government is your government; we're working for your empowerment."

The programme, which is being conducted to seek the support from the Centre in promoting entrepreneurship among Dalits, is being attended by more than 1200 Dalit entrepreneurs.

Prime Minister Modi has initiated several measures to boost entrepreneurship among youth, and especially among Dalits.

Rs 50,000-crore loans disbursed to small entrepreneurs under MUDRA: PM Modi.............

Underlining that financial inclusion is the government's core focus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said banks have given loans worth Rs 50,000 crore to small entrepreneurs under the MUDRA Yojana.

Addressing Dalit entrepreneurs, he said, "80,000 borrowers have benefited from the scheme under which more than Rs 50,000 crore worth of loans have been given primarily to SC, ST, OBCs and women entrepreneurs who are engaged in small business and provide jobs to about 14 crore persons."

Speaking at the National Conference of SC/ST Entrepreneurs on B R Ambedkar's ideas and thoughts on industrialisation and entrepreneurship, Modi said it was quite difficult earlier for SC/ST entrepreneurs to get loans from banks.

Under Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY), loans between Rs 50,000 and Rs 10 lakh are provided to small entrepreneurs as an initiative to fund the unfunded.

"Financial inclusion is at the core of the government's focus, which is to create job-creators, not job-seekers," he said, adding that the strength of a pyramid depends on its base and the people at the base need to be empowered so that they can strengthen the Indian economy.

Modi hailed Babasaheb Ambedkar's contributions, saying that he was not only the architect of the Indian Constitution, but also an accomplished economist.

"Babasaheb rightly said that industrialisation will give maximum benefit to our Dalit sisters and brothers," he said, adding that people participating in the function pay crore of taxes and employ lakhs of youth.

To support businesses of SC/ST, the government has created Rs 200 crore venture capital fund with IFCI as the nodal agency. It has so far given loan worth Rs 144 crore to 28 businesses belonging to the SC/ST community. "Our Government is your Government. We are working for your empowerment," he said. 

The Prime Minister assured the Dalit entrepreneurs that the government is working for their benefit.

The successes of members at the gathering on Tuesday could inspire anyone who faces adversity, he said.

He expressed hope that Dalit entrepreneurs will be able to double in next two years what has been achieved in the last 10 years.

"This is possible because this is your government at the Centre," he said.

Modi recalled one of his "Mann Ki Baat" programmes, where he had exhorted people to talk not just about their rights, but also about their duties.

He said that this gathering of Dalit entrepreneurs is one which has not just talked about their duties, but has successfully fulfilled them.The Prime Minister presented five business excellence awards to Dalit entrepreneurs.

Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) founder Milind Kamble said that the body is working for the growth of Dalit entrepreneurs.It is also working with other chambers on affirmative action, he said.

Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot said that last year about 1.5 lakh person belonging to SC/ST were trained.

He said the ministry has identified about 7,500 persons engaged in manual scavenging and they have been given a grant of Rs 40,000 to look for small business opportunities.

Drone gets too close to US President Obama's motorcade in Hawaii..............

A recreational drone on Monday got a little too close to US President Barack Obama's motorcade in Hawaii, according to reports.

The drone was spotted flying alongside Obama's motorcade right after he had finished his golf outing and was heading back to his vacation home in Hawaii. Obama is currently in Hawaii with his family, wife Michelle Obama and their two teenage daughters, Sasha and Malia for vacation.

The Secret Service quickly jumped to action and found out that the pilot of the small drone had no idea that Obama's motorcade would be passing by in the area on Oahu, NBC News reported.

The statement said that the man, "immediately complied with law enforcement requests to cease and desist." No charges were filed regarding the incident. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin dissolves federal space agency, transfers control to government............

Russian President Vladimir Putin has dissolved the Federal Space Agency Roscosmos, instead transferring its responsibilities to the Roscosmos state corporation, according to reports in international media.

The Russian government will "ensure the continuity of transfer of the powers and functions of the abolished federal space agency to the state corporation for space activities," the Kremlin said, in a statement released Monday, adding that the new entity will take charge on January 1, 2016.

The decision to liquidate the federal space agency and turn it into a state corporation was taken in January 2015, says IB Times. Igor Komarov, the CEO of United Rocket and Space Corporation, was at the time appointed as the head of Roscosmos."The Federal Law aims to improve the management system in the space sector and maintain and develop the space and rocket industry’s scientific and production potential in the interests of strengthening Russia’s defense and ensuring national security," the Kremlin had said in July.

The Russian space programme, pre-eminent during the Cold War and frequently a step ahead of the United States, declined after the fall of the USSR. In recent years, the programme is trying to recover from a series of major setbacks.Earlier this month, Russia said it lost one of its defense satellites after it failed to separate from the upper stage of a three-stage Soyuz rocket. Prior to that, a Proton rocket, carrying a Mexican communications satellite, developed a malfunction just eight minutes into the flight in May. The Soyuz rocket had already suffered a breakdown in the third stage of its launch in April.

Roscosmos was founded in 1992 after the breakup of the Soviet Union into its constituent republics and the establishment of the Russian Federation.

Asia stocks subdued as oil resumes fall............

Asian stocks were subdued on Tuesday, with Japanese and South Korean equities slipping, after crude oil prices resumed their slide and cooled investor sentiment.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan were effectively unchanged, and looked set for a loss of around 12% for the year.

Japan's Nikkei lost 0.3% and South Korea's KOSPI fell 0.4%. Australian stocks bucked the trend and rose 0.4%.

On Monday, prices of both Brent and US crude dropped more than 3% , reversing a brief rebound and dragging US energy shares down 1.8% as the worst performing of the major S&P sectors.

Brent was at $36.60 a barrel, near an 11-year low of $35.98 struck last week.

The Dow dipped 0.1% and the S&P 500 lost 0.2% overnight after trading resumed following the Christmas break, but activity is expected to remain thin until after the long New Year holiday weekend.

In currencies, the dollar edged down 0.1% to 120.33 yen, within striking distance of a two-month low of 120.05 struck late last week.

The greenback has been sapped by profit taking after the Federal Reserve this month hiked interest rates for the first time in nine years. The currency market will wait for the Fed to send fresh signals about when the second rate hike could take place in 2016 for potential dollar support.

The euro nudged up 0.1% to $1.0977.

The dollar fared better against its Canadian counterpart, which was weighed down as crude oil prices weakened again.

The Canadian dollar stood little changed at C$1.3894 to the greenback after losing 0.7% overnight. The loonie fell to an 11-year low of C$1.4003 against the dollar earlier this month.

"We are looking for USD/CAD to break 1.40 and head towards 1.45 in the first half of 2016. The oil industry is experiencing its biggest downturn since the 1990s and prices could fall another $10 a barrel before bottoming," wrote Kathy Lien, managing director at BK Asset Management.

The Australian dollar gained 0.2% to $0.7262 while the New Zealand dollar rose 0.2% to $0.6859. Both currencies were confined to a narrow range ahead of the year's end. 

Shiv Sena warns Narendra Modi, calls Pakistan cursed land By Dna Correspondent.............

Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "political masterstroke" of paying a surprise visit to Lahore, the Shiv Sena warned that Indian politicians had their careers cut short after reaching out to Pakistan.

An editorial on Monday in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna — which has party president Uddhav Thackeray as the editor and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut as the executive editor — said that "there is a superstition about politicians who hobnobbed with Pakistan being unable to continue for long in politics."

It pointed out to the rough pockets in the political careers of senior BJP leaders like former deputy prime minister LK Advani and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee after the visit to Muhammed Ali Jinnah's tomb in Karachi and meeting with the then Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf at Agra, respectively.

"The land of Pakistan is cursed. Hobnobbing with that cursed land is costly as the blood of lakhs of innocents has seeped into that land," the editorial claimed, adding that Modi had been "surprisingly brave" in his outreach to that country.

The Shiv Sena questioned if the BJP would have welcomed a similar initiative like that taken by Modi in case it had been launched by a Congress prime minister.

14-year-old girl allegedly gang-raped by armymen on Howrah-Amritsar Express..............

A minor girl alleged that two Army jawans raped her on Monday inside a compartment of the Howrah-Amritsar Express, after being compelled to consume alcohol by a third jawan, an RPF official said here.

The 14-year-old girl, in her statement to the RPF, said that she had boarded the train from Howrah Junction.

In the train compartment, she alleged that she was first forced to drink alcohol by a jawan and then raped by two others, according to RPF sub-inspector P Jani.

He said, they got a message from RPF Howrah, which received a complaint from the girl's father that his daughter has allegedly 'fled' and travelling by the train.

After receiving message, RPF raided the train when it reached Madhupur railway station.

It was searched thoroughly and the girl was found from the compartment, the official said, adding that a jawan, who had forced her to drink liquor, was arrested.

The other two accused were absconding, he said.

The girl had been sent to a hospital for a medical test.

Hyderabad becomes first airport to offer e-boarding facility to domestic fliers................

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) at Hyderabad became the first airport in India to go live on e-boarding for all domestic passengers. On Monday, Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju inaugurated seamless E-boarding facility, built in-house by GMR Hyderabad Airport Limited (GHIAL).
 
After getting the approval from Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) under the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) in August 2015, GHIAL implemented the E-boarding process for all domestic passengers at RGIA. With this, the airport has embarked on providing a whole new experience to the domestic passengers. The innovative end-to-end E-boarding process has triggered a paradigm shift in air passenger handling process in the country. 
 
E-boarding solution at RGIA fully eliminates the need to manual stamping of boarding cards even for physical boarding cards issued by CUSS (Common Use Self Service) machines or the check-in counters.  Further, it covers end-to-end all the key passenger processes at the airport viz. starting from entry to terminal and including check-in, security check, boarding gate and finally the boarding bridge check before entering the aircraft.
 
With the implementation of E-boarding at RGIA, now a domestic passenger flying from the airport will need only a mobile E-boarding card and his Aadhaar Card Number to gain entry into the airport. However, the system is equally compatible with other conventional modes as well and one can use the boarding card issued by CUSS machine or check-in counters also. Further, fliers would have flexibility to follow the traditional process of showing a photo-ID to gain entry into the airport in case the Aadhaar number is not available.
 
The process leads to ‘Enhanced Security’ where in passenger details are checked online with Airline DCS (Departure Control System) at Main Entry and Security Hold area for Authenticity thereby avoiding fake entries. Availability of High Definition CCTV cameras at strategic locations ensures a high level of security.  This automated facility promises a better environment as it is paperless and requires lesser manual interface. 
 
From entry into the terminal, to boarding the aircraft, a passenger needs to only use E-boarding card. Movement through this channels ensures that the passenger’s movements are tracked electronically (with timestamp) and through dedicated HD CCTV cameras at each of these checkpoints. This enhances the security at the airport by adding an extra layer of technologically advanced tracking to the existing security apparatus.
 
The process of E-boarding is seamless and integrated with the passengers’ name list from the airline. This also makes it very easy to check whether the passenger is actually at the airport or not. Timings of the entry to the airport and the other touch points are recorded, which help RGIA to continuously enhance its operational efficiency. Since the entry through E-boarding is time bound and guided as per regulations, the E-Boarding Reader machine does not allow the passengers inside the terminal before the stipulated time, thus reducing congestion inside the airport.

Ronaldo's agent reveals the club where the he will retire........

Cristiano Ronaldo will call curtains on his illustrious career at Real Madrid, according to the Portuguese international's agent.

The 30-year-old, who has won prestigious Ballon d'Or three times, has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain or former club Manchester United in recent times.

"I am sure that he (Ronaldo) will play the next four, five, six or seven years at Real Madrid. He will end his career there," Jorge Mendes was quoted as saying by Goal.com.

"He's happy with Los Blancos. He'll hang up his boots when he's 40," the agent insisted while describing Ronaldo as the best player of all time.

Ronaldo's contract with Madrid expires in June 2018. 

Zuckerberg makes renewed pitch for Free Basics service..............

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg today made renewed pitch for its controversial Free Basics Internet service in yet another marketing blitz saying it protects net neutrality.

Facebook's proposed Free Basics plan allows customers to avail of services like education, healthcare and employment listings through apps specially designed for this platform on their phones without a data plan but does not allow access to many services such as YouTube, Gmail, Google or Twitter.

Zuckerberg appeared on a video to personally promote Free Basics and also wrote a personal appeal in one of the leading newspapers.

While Free Basics allows users to access a small number of Web services without charge, it has been criticised by some for alleged violation of the principle of net neutrality, a concept that all Internet traffic should be treated equally.

"We believe that connectivity is a human right and that getting connectivity for the world is one of the fundamental challenges of our generation. When people are connected, we can accomplish some pretty amazing things.

We can get closer to the people that we care about, we can get access to new jobs and opportunities and ideas. We can receive education and health care and communication and access to new services," he said in the video post.

He said connectivity can't just be a privilege for some of the rich and powerful and needs to be something that everyone shares and an opportunity for everyone. "I hope you will join us in doing this."

Keen to tap the world's largest offline population, Zuckerberg in an opinion piece in the daily compared Free Basics to a library which houses only a selection of books as well as to public healthcare and education.

"Everyone also deserves access to the tools and information that can help them to achieve all those other public services, and all their fundamental social and economic rights. That's why everyone also deserves access to free basic Internet services," he wrote.

Critics, however, said Free Basics violates the principle of net neutrality by offering some services for free, giving them an advantage over competitors. Also, Facebook acts as a gatekeeper for Free Basics, permitting some services, while rejecting others.

Telecom regulator TRAI has already asked Reliance Communications, Facebook's Free Basics partner in India, to suspend the services temporarily.

It has also sought comments by December 30 on a consultation paper on allowing service providers to charge different pricing for data usage on websites, applications and platforms.

Mumbai Congress journal editor sacked after saying Sonia Gandhi's father had fascist links...........

In perhaps an inevitable fallout to the massive embarrassment Congress party faced when party mouthpiece said Sonia Gandhi's father has fascist links, now the editor has been sacked.

Content editor Sudhir Joshi has faced the boot and Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam has apologised for the article.

An article published by the party's Mumbai unit earlier caused stir for blaming Jawaharlal Nehru for the state of affairs in Kashmir, China and Tibet.  

The article in the December issue of 'Congress Darshan' said that Sonia Gandhi's father was a member of the fascist forces in Italy, adding that Sonia Gandhi registered as a primary member of the Congress in 1997 and became the party’s president in 62 days.

The article, which does not bear the name of the writer, had been published in the Hindi edition as a tribute piece to mark Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's death anniversary on December 15.

According to a report published in a leading tabloid, the article stated that Nehru should have listened to freedom fighter and former home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s views on international affairs.

After the controversy broke, Congress readily disassociated itself from the views of the article. Now content editor has faced the axed.

The article also stated that, despite Patel getting the post of deputy prime minister and home minister, the relations between the two leaders remained strained, and both had threatened to resign time and again. If Nehru had embraced Patel's foresight, many problems in international affairs would not have arisen, it adds.

The article also cited a letter that Patel reportedly wrote in 1950 to caution Nehru against China's policy towards Tibet where "Patel described China as unfaithful, and a future enemy of India."

“Had Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel been heard then (by Nehru), the problems of Kashmir, China, Tibet and Nepal wouldn’t have existed now. Patel opposed Nehru’s move of taking the Kashmir issue to the UNO,” stated the article, adding, “Nehru did not agree with Patel’s views on Nepal.”

Congress Mumbai chief Sanjay Nirupam on Monday apologised for criticism and said that action would be taken against the people responsible in the editorial team.

"Some words that have been used in some articles of 'Congress Darshan' are certainly objectionable. I accept the mistake. Action will be taken against people in editorial team who are responsible for this mistake," Nirpuam said.

Kabul suicide attack: One killed, 18 children among 33 injured............

A Taliban suicide bomber killed at least one person and wounded 33 on Monday in an attack on a road near a school close to Kabul airport, officials in the Afghan capital said, two weeks after a major insurgent assault in the city.

The ministry of public health said 18 children, many of whom had been studying in a nearby madrassa, or religious school, were among the injured. Many were apparently hurt by flying glass as the blast shattered windows.

Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi said the attack had taken place in an overwhelmingly civilian area with no military targets nearby.

"Enemies of humanity detonated a suicide car bomb in front of a madrassa where children were learning the Koran and Islamic studies," he said. "It shows that they are enemies of mosques, God and the Koran."

The windows of nearby shops were smashed and debris was strewn across the street. The attack, the latest in a series of suicide bombings, came a day after the powerful head of Pakistan's army, General Raheel Sharif, visited Kabul for talks intended to lay the groundwork for a resumption of peace talks with the Taliban.

The Taliban said in a statement the suicide attack had targeted a minibus it said was used to transport Americans and Europeans from a military base to the airport, killing 10 foreigners and three of their Afghan associates. The Taliban often exaggerate casualty tolls in attacks on Afghan and foreign forces.

A spokesman for NATO's Resolute Support mission in Kabul said no member of the mission had been involved in the incident.

Taliban insurgents have claimed a number of attacks this month, including an assault on a Spanish embassy guesthouse in the capital that began on Dec. 11 and a suicide bombing near Bagram air base that killed six American troops last week.

They have also been involved in heavy fighting in their historic heartland in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, where they have been battling government forces for weeks for control of Sangin district.

Govt decides to limit LPG subsidy for tax payers earning over Rs 10 lakh............

Govt decides to limit LPG subsidy for tax payers earning over Rs 10 lakh

Tax payers with annual income of more than Rs 10 lakh will not get subsidised cooking gas (LPG) from next month as the government on Monday decided to limit supply of under-priced fuel to cut subsidies.

At present, all households are entitled to get 12 cylinders of 14.2-kg each at subsidised rate of Rs 419.26, while the market price is Rs 608.

Earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had appealed to the public at large to those who can afford LPG to voluntarily give up using subsidised LPG and instead buy cooking fuel at market price so that the subsidies can be passed on to those in dire need. 

While many consumers have given up subsidy voluntarily, it is felt that consumers in the higher income bracket should get LPG cylinders at the market price," the Petroleum ministry said while addressing various media organisations. 

The government, it said, "has decided that the benefit of the LPG subsidy will not be available for LPG consumers if the consumer or his/her spouse had taxable income of more than Rs 10 lakh during the previous financial year.

"The government has decided that the benefit of the LPG subsidy will not be available for consumers if the consumer or his/her spouse had taxable income of more than Rs 10,00,000/- during the previous financial year computed as per the Income Tax Act, 1961,” the Petroleum ministry said while addressing to various media organisations.

So far, over 57.5 lakh LPG consumers, out of nearly 15 crore customers, have given up subsidies.

This would, however, be done initially on a "self-declaration basis while booking cylinders from January 2016 onwards."

To cut the subsidy bill and reduce fiscal deficit, the previous UPA government had restricted the number of subsidised domestic cylinders per household to six every year in September 2012, revising it to nine the following January.

The cap was revised in January 2014 to 12 cylinders a year, starting April 1. The subsidy for 12 cylinders in a year is transferred directly to the bank account of consumers which they use to buy LPG at market rate.

The subsidy payout on LPG in 2014-15 was Rs 40,551 crore, which this fiscal will be less than half as oil prices have slumped to a six-year low. During April-September, the subsidy outgo was Rs 8,814 crore.

Currently, there are no estimates of how many LPG customers may have a taxable income of Rs 10 lakh or more.

This year, in April, PM Narendra Modi's LPG subsidy campaign-- 'give it up'- to exhort the better off sections of society to forego their LPG subsidy that can be utilised in providing subsidised LPG connections to the poor.

Urging the well-off to give up their LPG subsidy, he said "gas cylinders surrendered by them would be transferred to the poor who use wood for cooking. If one crore people give up their LPG subsidy, one crore poor people will benefit as they will be given new LPG cylinders instead.

Madhesi leader, 15 others injured in Nepal clashes.............

A top Madhesi leader was among 16 people injured in clashes near Indo-Nepal border between Nepalese police and agitators opposing the new Constitution.

Rajendra Mahato, the chairman of Sadhbhawana Party, was injured in police action in Biratnagar on Saturday. Clashes erupted as police intervened when the Madhesi cadres tried to blockade the Rani Customs point in Jogbani-Biratnagar area near Indo-Nepal border.

Mahato sustained injuries to his head and chest as the police baton charged and fired teargas shells at demonstrators. Two other cadres were also injured in the incident. Sadbhawana Party is one of the four Madhesi parties which have been agitating in southern Nepal districts under the banner of United Democratic Madhesi Front for the last four months.

Madhesis, largely of Indian-origin, are agitating over the new Constitution demanding more representation. They are also protesting division of their ancestral homeland under the seven-province structure and have led an ongoing blockade of key border trade points with India.

Later, protests erupted in various places of Rajbiraj and Janakpur over police action against Mahato. The agitating Madhesi cadres staged demonstrations and chanted slogans against government in front of the District Police Office at Rajbiraj.

Twelve protesters and one policeman were injured during clashes that erupted between the security personnel and the agitating Madhesi cadres in Ramchowk of Janakpur. The Madhesi groups have been demanding action against the security personnel involved in the incident. Meanwhile, the agitating Madhesi cadres on Sunday torched vehicle of Kantipur National Daily in Parwanipur Chok of Bara district in southern Nepal. 

DDCA row: BJP asks Kejriwal to apologise after inquiry report makes no mention of Jaitley.............

The BJP on Sunday demanded "public apology" from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for levelling allegations against Arun Jaitley on the DDCA issue, saying a report of the city government has found no evidence against the Finance Minister.

Party spokesperson M J Akbar said the DDCA file which Kejriwal made his basis to attack Jaitley over the CBI raid and affairs of the cricket body does not name Jaitley. "The truth is out. The report does not name Jaitley.
There is no allegation against him, there is no indication (of wrong doing). The Delhi Chief Minister, we believe, should apologise to Jaitley for his allegations...he should publicly apologise. He should also admit his fault in the court (where Jaitley has filed a civil defamation suit against the CM and other AAP members)," he told a press conference here.

He claimed that after a "conspiracy" by the then Congress government, the Serious Frauds Investigation Office (SFIO) had made an enquiry and found nothing against Jaitley, a former DDCA chief, "though it was a Congress government." He said in his press conference Kejriwal had attacked Jaitley alleging that the CBI raid was carried out for the DDCA file. "Now the CM himself is trapped...his own team has found no allegation against Jaitley," Akbar said.

The BJP spokesperson said after the November 15 report became public, AAP is trying to wriggle out of the situation, saying the investigation was not meant to name any person. "But there are names in the report...you don't run government with tamasha (drama)," he said. 

Chicago police kill three, say one shot 'accidentally'................

Police in Chicago have shot and killed three people, including a mother of five who they said was shot "accidentally" when officers responded to a domestic disturbance.

A police statement said that on arriving in response early on Saturday to the disturbance, "officers were confronted by a combative subject resulting in the discharging of the officer's weapon, fatally wounding two individuals." The killings are the first in the city since protests last month over a video showing a white police officer in Chicago shooting 16 times at a fleeing black teen, who died at the scene.

The shooting, which took place in 2014, has triggered a federal civil rights probe into the police. Local media identified the two African-American fatalities as Bettie Jones, a mother of five, and 19-year-old engineering student Quintonio LeGrier.

Updating the statement later, police said: "the 55-year-old female victim was accidentally struck and tragically killed. The department extends its deepest condolences to the victim's family and friends." There was no information on the identity of the police officers.

LeGrier struggled with mental health issues and was threatening his father with a baseball bat, relatives told the Chicago Tribune. Police were summoned and the father asked Jones, a neighbour, to look out for the officers.

"His father was scared because that's not his character," LeGrier's mother Janet Cooksey, who was not present, told the Tribune. Separately, Chicago police responded elsewhere to an "assault in progress," faced an armed man and shot him. The man was rushed to the hospital but died.

Police referred all questions to the Independent Police Review Authority, the agency that investigates possible police misconduct. Police tactics and racism have been the subject of a national debate since protests erupted in Ferguson, Missouri, in mid-2014 over the shooting death of black teenager, 18-year-old Michael Brown.

Chicago's Laquan McDonald, 17, was gunned down just a few months later but the case was ignored until a court in November ordered the release of a police dashcam video that captured the shooting.
Today, interim IPRA chief Sharon Fairley told reporters that her investigators "went promptly" to the crime scenes to interview witnesses and collect evidence. "Our objectives are to conduct thorough and timely investigations of each incident," Fairley said. She gave no further information. 

Formulate common population policy, redefine minority: Union Minister Giriraj Singh..............

Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh on Sunday called for curbing "uncontrolled growth" of population through a uniform policy for all Indians and said time has come to redefine the meaning of "minority".

"The aim of four-sided development can be achieved only when the population of our country is in control. If America, Japan, China could achieve the desired pace of growth, it was only because they put total control on growth rate of their population," he said. There should be a common population policy, strictly applicable to all citizens, to maintain social harmony and achieve all-around growth, the Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises said.

Singh was here to review the progress of projects undertaken by his Ministry. Speaking to select mediapersons, he said, "Time has come when meaning of minority ought to be redefined, keeping in mind their population in respective localities." "It has been over 68 years since India got freedom, and now time has come when we should clearly lay down parameters to call a particular community minority," he said. "There are several villages, blocks, tehsils, districts, where over 70 per cent the population belongs to a particular community, but they enjoy minority status. This should be done away with," said Minister.

"We may launch mammoth infrastructure projects, but by the time these are executed, population explosion would nullify their objectives," the Lok Sabha MP from Bihar said. "I want to emphasise very categorically that till we chalk out and execute plans for controlled growth of population, no real development can take place," he said.

Asked whether he would be put forth population policy issue at the party forum or BJP MPs would bring a private Bill, he said, "I am a Minister, so I cannot bring a private Bill. But in my personal capacity, I want to start a debate nationwide on this burning issue as it (population explosion) is an impediment in maintaining social amity and development." The BJP leader slammed Congress for its conduct during the just-concluded Winter Session of Parliament and said its "most unfortunate" that we have an Opposition party like it.

The party (Congress) held Parliament "hostage" and tried to block the Narendra Modi's efforts to put the country on the fast track of development, he said. 

How a 'social network' analysis for cancer offers hope for patients...............

A team of scientists has developed a computer model that applies techniques used to analyse social networks to identify new ways of treating cancer. The model analyses the unique behaviours of cancer-causing proteins, spotting what makes them different from normal proteins and mapping out molecular targets for new potential drugs that could be developed to treat cancer.

Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, compared proteins inside cells to members of an enormous social network, mapping the ways they interact. This allowed them to predict which proteins will be most effectively targeted with drugs.

The researchers have made this map publicly available. It could provide drug discovery scientists with a shortcut to finding new drugs for many different types of cancer.

The team found that there are many molecular pathways that interact to affect the development of cancer. Cancer-causing proteins, which have already been successfully targeted with drugs, tended to have particular 'social' characteristics that differ from non-cancer proteins, suggesting that previously unexplored cancer proteins with similar characteristics could also make good drug targets.

'Hub-like' proteins which 'communicate' with lots of other proteins - like a super-Facebook user with thousands of friends - were more likely to cause cancer.

Study leader Bissan Al-Lazikani said that this map will help researchers design better new drugs, more quickly, saving time and money. It also sheds light on how resistance to treatments may occur, and in just a few years could help doctors choose the best drug combinations to suit individual patients. The study is published in PLOS Computational Biology. 

Hrithik Roshan rings in Christmas by skiing with his boys!...........

It seems like Hrithik Roshan's way of celebrating Christmas is bit different from others as marked it by ice skating.

The 41-year-old actor, who flied to Switzerland with kids to celebrate Christmas, took to his Instagram and Twitter pages to share a video, wherein he is seen enjoying snowboarding with his kids.

The Bang Bang actor tweeted, D"ashing thru d snow...With 3 hearts open so...left n right is joy n pride, together is how v go! Merry Christmas!"

Dashing thru d snow...With 3 hearts open so...left n right is joy n pride, together is how v go! Merry Christmas!pic.twitter.com/aYZhvbUtTx

— Hrithik Roshan (@iHrithik) December 25, 2015

Hrithik, who received acclaim for his work as a paraplegic in the dramaGuzaarish, will be soon seen in upcoming epic-adventure film Mohenjo Daro that also stars debutante Pooja Hegde and is slated to release on 12th August 2016.

Iraqi troops close in on last ISIS foothold in Ramadi.................

Iraqi troops have pushed deeper into the heart of the last remaining district held by Islamic State in the city of Ramadi, an army spokesman said on Saturday.

Recapturing Ramadi, which fell to the militants in May, would be one of the most important victories achieved by Iraq's armed forces since Islamic State swept across a third of the country in 2014.

Soldiers advanced overnight in the Hoz neighborhood that houses the provincial government compound, the target of an attack that started on Tuesday, joint operations command spokesman Brigadier Yahya Rasool said.

"The counter-terrorism forces are within 800 meters (0.5 mile) from the government complex," advancing by about 1 km in the past day, Rasool said. "Air strikes helped detonate explosive devices and booby-trapped houses, facilitating our advance," he added.

Information about the situation on the ground is hard to verify. There was no confirmation of a claim by Islamic State on Friday that it had shot down an army helicopter. Ramadi is a provincial capital in the fertile Euphrates River valley, just two hours drive west of Baghdad. Most remaining civilians in the IS-held central district have taken shelter in the city's hospital, knowing that the army will not target it, Rasool said.

He declined to give a time frame for the final onslaught to dislodge the militants. "The campaign's priority is to avoid casualties among civilians and the troops, no matter how long it takes," he said.

Military officials had said on Wednesday the offensive to retake the central district should take several days. The Iraqi government forces are backed by air support from an international coalition led by the United States. Shi'ite militia units backed by Iran, which have played a major part in other government offensives, have been kept away from the battlefield in Ramadi to avoid angering Sunni Muslim residents.

The city is the capital of mainly Sunni Muslim Anbar province. The government said it would be handed over to the local police and to a Sunni tribal force once it was secured.Ramadi was Islamic State's biggest prize of 2015, abandoned by government forces in May in a major setback for Baghdad and for the Iraqi troops that have been trained by the United States since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

After Ramadi, the army plans to move to retake the northern city of Mosul, the biggest population centre under Islamic State control in Iraq and Syria. Dislodging the militants from Mosul, which had a pre-war population close to 2 million, would effectively abolish their state structure in Iraq and deprive them of a major source of funding, which comes partly from oil and partly from fees and taxes on residents.

"The liberation of dear Mosul will be achieved with the cooperation and unity of all Iraqis after the victory in Ramadi," Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Friday.

Amateur Indian cricketer creates Guinness world record for longest net session...........

Virag Mare, an amateur cricketer from Latur, has broken the Guinness world record of the longest net session on Thursday, say media reports.

Batting for three days and two nights at a stretch, the 24-year-old Pune-based amateur cricketer broke the Guinness record of the longest individual net session.

Mare batted for 50 hours beginning December 22. Playing at the Mahalaxmi Lawns in Karve Nagar, he faced 2,447 overs i.e. 14,682 balls, in exactly 50 hours, 5 minutes and 51 seconds.

The previous record of 48 hours was set by English duo, Dave Newman and Richard Wells, and none other than British PM David Cameron had cheered them on.

But Mare had no such luck. He batted against both an actual bowler and a bowling machine.  He first batted 5 hours at a stretch before taking a 25-minute break. By Wednesday, exhaustion meant he had to take a break every hour or so.

Around the halfway mark to the record, Mare thought of giving up. But his father had traveled from his village to watch him break the record, which Mare says egged him on.

"I don't have words to express my emotions. The reason why I am able to talk merely 2-3 hours after I broke the record because I love this game. I had worked really hard to fulfill this dream," Mare told Indian Express.

"We had thought of crossing the 15,000 balls mark. But he was already very tired. It would’ve been wrong to stretch him beyond his limit," said Ramdas Potale, his friend and organiser of the event.

Mare had actually joined Sachin Tendulkar's coach Ramakant Achrekar's academy at the age of 16, but had to drop out due to his inability to pay the fees. He then shifted to Pune and began to run a vada pav stall. 

But he never lost his passion for cricket, and has now created a world record that will be very difficult to break.

Robert Vadra slams AAP government over VIP exemption from odd-even car policy............

Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, on Saturday took a swipe at the Delhi Government for exempting the vehicles of VIPs from the odd-even formula.

"If a law is implemented in the interest of the people, we all must adhere, and not be VIPs. Creating parallel lists of exemption, is complete hypocrisy," Vadra wrote in a Facebook post.

Vadra, had earlier taken a swipe at Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju's comments on special privileges for "VIPs" at airports, calling it "hypocrisy of the highest limits."

The Delhi Government has exempted 20 categories of vehicles including the two-wheelers, women drivers, hybrid cars, VVIPs except Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The exemption list includes the President, Vice President, the Prime Minister, governors, the Chief Justice of India, the Lok Sabha Speaker, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman, Union Ministers, Leaders of Opposition in Parliament, all chief ministers except for Delhi's, Supreme Court judges, the Deputy Speaker and emergency vehicles.

Two-wheelers, vehicles with defence ministry number plates, pilot cars, those protected by the elite Special Protection Group and embassy cars with CD number plates will also be kept out of the ban. The rule will also not apply to public transport.

Pak opposition parties welcome Modi's visit, say constant engagement only way to resolve all issues............

Pakistan's major political parties on Saturday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's surprise visit to Lahore, saying it was a "new beginning of relations" and will help improve ties between the two countries. Modi stayed for over two hours in Lahore on his way back home from Afghanistan yesterday during which he held talks with his counterpart Nawaz Sharif at his Raiwind house.

Opposition leader in the parliament Syed Khurshid Shah said his Pakistan People's Party (PPP) supports Modi's visit. PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had tweeted "Welcome to Pakistan @narendramodi. Constant engagement is the only way to resolve all outstanding issues."

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party chief Imran Khan also welcomed Modi's trip and said it will help improve ties between the two countries.

Welcome to Pakistan @narendramodi . Constant engagement is the only way to resolve all outstanding issues.

— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) December 25, 2015

Welcoming Modi's visit, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that it would be helpful for peace and stability in the region. He said such contacts should continue for resolving all the issues, including the longstanding Kashmir dispute. Asif said Pakistan wanted good ties with its neighbours.

Radio Pakistan reported that former PPP Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said Modi's trip would help in holding composite dialogue between the two countries. 

Awami National Party leader Zahid Khan said Modi's visit was a "new beginning of relations between Pakistan and India".

Renowned human rights activist Asma Jehangir said the Indian Prime Minister should play his role in stopping alleged human rights violation in Kashmir as well as reducing visa restrictions between the two countries.

Defence expert Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Shahid Latif said the meeting between the two leaders was a positive move and it would pave the way for resolving core issues between the two nuclear powers. Despite broad welcome, there were isolated voices opposing Modi's trip.

Sirajul Haq, chief of right wing Jamaat-i-Islami, said it was unfortunate that Modi was welcomed in Pakistan. 

France: Muslim prayer hall damaged on Christmas day by Corsican mob...............

A crowd vandalised a Muslim prayer room in Corsica a day after an ambush left firefighters injured on the French island. The region's top police official was on the tense scene at a housing project last evening.

The violence began Thursday night, when firefighters responding to an emergency call were ambushed in Ajaccio, according to the local France 3television. Yesterday a gathering that started as a show of support for the injured emergency officials turned violent, and some in the crowd vandalised a prayer room. France 3 reported new police reinforcements at other prayer rooms.

This is how PM Modi arranged his surprise visit to Pakistan.............

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arranged his landmark visit to Pakistan, - the first by an Indian leader in a decade, at the last minute on Friday, a Pakistani official said.

PM Modi phoned Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif while on a visit to neighbouring Afghanistan and asked if he could make a stop in Pakistan on his way home, Pakistani foreign secretary Aizaz Chaudhry told media after Modi departed.

"And the Pak PM said to him, 'Please come, you are our guest, please come and have tea with me'," he said.

The two leaders met at Nawaz Sharif's residence for over an hour.