Amber Heard and Elon Musk vacationing in Chile page no. 02
Starc back, Steve Smith absent for Australia before 5th Ashes test
03/01/2018, wednesday Edition: Ahmedabad
RNI NO.: GUJENG/2014/59629
page no. 03
ENGLISH DAILY MORNING REPUTED NEWS PAPER, AHMEDABAD Editor : Kapilkumar M. Hirpara
Short News Haryana: ‘Mentally unstable’ ex-Armyman ‘kills’ 6 with iron rod in 2 hrs
Palwal: A retired Army official, believed to be mentally unstable, allegedly bludgeoned six persons to death with a rod and also attacked policemen in the early hours in Haryana’s Palwal on Tuesday, police said. The accused, identified as Naresh Dhankhad (45), went on a rampage between 2 to 4 am in a 2 km stretch between Agra Chowk and Camp Colony. A resident of Macchgar near Ballabhgarh, Dhankad, after retiring from the Army on voluntary grounds, was working with the Agriculture Department as a CDO, a police spokesperson said. His first victim was a woman named Anjum who was sleeping outside a private hospital in Palwal and her killing was recorded on a CCTV camera in the area. He then went to Agra Road intersection where he killed three more people.
BJP
IMA doctors call off strike after govt sends NMC bill to Parliamentary committee
New Delhi : Hours after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar sent the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill to a standing committee, the Indian Medical Association called of the 12-hour strike on Tuesday. The committee has been asked to give its report before the Budget session. The late development, though, could not prevent healthcare facilities at multiple hospitals across the country coming to a standstill. Thousands of doctors abstained from joining their duties on Tuesday and most outpatient departments in private hospitals were closed in support of the strike. ‘Outstanding contribution’:
China to Pak’s rescue after Trump’s snub
Beijing: China defended on Tuesday Pakistan saying the world community should acknowledge its all-weather ally’s “outstanding contribution” to counter terrorism, a day after US President Donald Trump lashed out at Islamabad for providing safe havens to terrorists. In a scathing attack on Pakistan, Trump had accused it of “lies and deceit” and of fooling US leaders while sheltering terrorists. “The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. IMA withdraws medical services across India for 12 hours: Why are the doctors protesting
New Delhi : The Indian Medical Association called for a nationwide 12-hour shutdown on Tuesday, affecting OPD services across the country. With 2.77 lakh members, IMA is the largest medical body in India. While the shutdown didn’t affect government hospitals, patients at private hospitals suffered the brunt of the shutdown. Member hospitals and health institutions of IMA withdrew OPD and elective surgery services between 6 am and 6 pm on Tuesday. The protest stems from a string of issues that the medical community at large in India has been raising and new legislative developments triggered the nation-wide shutdown. IMA president Ravi Wankhede said, “The IMA strongly opposes this Bill and has no option but to take the issues to our patients and the people.
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The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill is likely to be tabled in the Upper House on Wednesday, a week after Lok Sabha passed it by voice vote.
Govt urges Congress to not press for amendments to triple talaq bill in Rajya Sabha gns News | New Delhi : The government on Tuesday appealed to the Opposition Congress to not insist upon amendments to the Triple Talaq Bill, which seeks to criminalise the practice of instant talaq, in the Rajya Sabha. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill is likely to be tabled in the Upper House on Wednesday, a week after Lok Sabha passed it by voice vote. The Bill was tabled in Lok Sabha during the winter session and was passed without much opposition as the government enjoys a comfortable majority. The Congress had moved amendments to certain provisions of the bill in the Lok Sabha but did not push for a vote. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar urged the Congress to maintain the stand it took in the Lok Sabha by not pressing for amendments. “We are having continuous talks with the opposition parties including Congress.
Security heightened in Mumbai after Dalit-Maratha protests erupt in city Mumbai: Dalits took to streets in parts of Mumbai on Tuesday to protest against the violence which ignited in Pune on Monday. Soon after the protests escalated in Mumbai and suburbs, police swept into action to avoid any untoward incidents. Police personnel donned riot gear and patrolled the protests hit areas where incidents of stone pelting were reported. Traffic was hit on the Eastern Express Highway near Mumbai and local train services were also disrupted. A protester who was trying to
immolate himself was saved just in time. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has warned people not to spread rumours on social media. More than 100 people have been detained over different locations, news agency reported the Mumbai Police PRO as saying. Reports quoting eyewitnesses said the commotion commenced at Chembur naka. The police reached the spot and brought the situation under control. Unconfirmed reports also suggest that a bus was stoned at during the protests.
Coal scam: Relief for ex-J’khand CM Madhu Koda as Delhi HC stays sentence New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed a trial court order awarding three-year jail term to former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda in a coal scam case till January 22, by when it has also sought response of the CBI on his appeal challenging the conviction and sentence. Justice Anu Malhotra also stayed the order imposing a fine of Rs 25 lakh on Koda, who was present in the court, and granted him interim bail till the next date of hearing this month with a direction
Trump’s tweet comes in the wake of the UN-designated terrorist, Hafiz Saeed, looking to contest the 2018 polls in Pakistan.
Our stand on terror vindicated: India on US’ decision to end aid to Pak
New Delhi: Union Minister of State (MoS) Jitendra Singh on Monday said United States President Donald Trump’s decision to end aid to Pakistan has “vindicated India’s stand on terrorism”. “The Trump administration’s decision today has abundantly vindicated India’s stand as far as terror is concerned and as far as Pakistan’s role in perpetrating terror is concerned,” the Union Minister said. He added that those countries, who were earlier denying the role of
Pakistan as the perpetrator of terrorism on the Indian soil, are also supporting India’s viewpoint on terrorism. “They are also understanding Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s reiteration that the war against terrorism has to be fought collectively. There can’t be good terror or bad terror,
there can’t be a distinction in terrorism happening, terrorism is terrorism,” Singh asserted. Earlier on Monday, Trump, in a strongly-worded tweet, said America had been ‘foolishly’ providing military aid to Pakistan for 15 years, but in return, it has only received ‘lies and deceit.’ Meanwhile, Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said he would respond to the US President’s tweet shortly after the latter blamed the country for providing safe havens to terrorists.
Arun Jaitley announces contours of electoral bonds for political funding
gns News | New Delhi : In a bid to clean up election funding, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday came out with contours of new ‘electoral bonds’ that can be bought from specified branches of SBI and used to donate money to political parties. The bearer instrument will not carry the name of the payee and can be bought for any value, in multiples of Rs 1,000, Rs 10,000, Rs 1 lakh, Rs 10 lakh or Rs 1 crore, he said in a statement in the Lok Sabha. Although called a bond, they will be interest-free debt instruments that resemble promissory notes where the
SBI will be the custodian of the donor’s funds until the political parties are paid. The electoral bonds with a life of only 15 days, during which it can be used for making donation only to
registered political parties, can be encashed only through a designated bank account of the receiver. The bonds will be available for purchase for 10 days each in the months of January, April, July and October. The window would be for 30 days in the year of general election. Jaitley said the purchaser, whose name will not appear on the bonds, would have to make KYC disclosures to the SBI. “A citizen of India or a body incorporated in India will be eligible to purchase the bond,” he said.
that he will not leave the country. The order came on Koda’s plea seeking suspension of sentence and regular bail till pendency of his appeal before the high court. Koda, who was held guilty of corruption and conspiracy in allocation of a Jharkhand-based coal block to Kolkatabased company Vini Iron and Steel Udyog Ltd (VISUL), also challenged the December 13 and 16, 2017 orders of conviction and sentence respectively, which was admitted by the high court.
ED summons Karti Chidambaram on Jan 11 in money laundering case gns News | New Delhi : The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday issued summons to Karti Chidambaram, son of former finance minister P Chidambaram, in the ongoing money laundering probe in the INX media case, PTI reported. He is scheduled to appear before the investigating officer (IO) of the case on January 11 to record his statement. The law enforcement agency had registered a case under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Karti and others in May this year. It had lodged an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against the accused named in the CBI complaint which included Karti Chidambaram, INX media and its directors, Peter and Indrani Mukerjea, and others. Karti is facing a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when P Chidambaram was the finance minister Earlier, on November 20, the Supreme Court had allowed Karti Chidambaram to travel to UK from December 1 to 10 as he had sought permission to visit Cambridge to admit his daughter in the university and attend a seminar, and visit London to attend the meeting of a tennis body of which he was an office-bearer.
The proposal, being circulated in internal memos in the DHS department, aims to impose new restrictions to prevent abuse and misuse of H-1B visas.
Donald Trump’s ‘no extension to H-1B visa’ proposal may affect thousands of Indian professionals The bill has been passed by the House Judiciary Committee and is now headed for the US senate.
gns News | New Delhi: The proposed US Bill -- Protect and Grow American Jobs -- is riddled with “onerous conditions” and places “unprecedented obligations” on both Indian IT companies and clients using H-1B visas, software body Nasscom has cautioned. Nasscom said it has flagged its concerns around visa related issues in the US with the senators, Congressmen and the administration, and will engage further in a dialogue over the next few weeks over the proposed legislation. The bill proposes new restrictions to prevent abuse and misuse of H-1B visas. It tightens the
definition of visa dependent companies, and imposes fresh restrictions in terms of minimum salary and movement of talent. Apart from prescribing higher minimum wages, the bill places the onus on clients that they will certify that the visa holder is not displacing an existing employee for a tenure of 5-6 years. “That formulation has conditions which are extremely onerous and makes it very difficult for people to not just get the visa but also on how they can be used,” R Chandrashekhar, President, National Association for Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) said.
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wednesday, 03 january, 2018
Congress’s prospects seem better than before
If seen through the usual lens which is used to analyse electoral patterns and trends to anticipate electoral outcomes, Congress’ electoral prospects in 2018 seem to be better as compared to the recent past. The Congress can hope to gain from the anti-incumbency mood, which may be prevailing against the BJP government in three states i.e. Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. A small swing of votes in favour of the Congress in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh can give victory to the Congress, though in Rajasthan it would need a much bigger swing to tilt the electoral balance in its favour. The Congress would be at the receiving end only in Karnataka but even there, the BJP might need a big swing in its favour to be able to dislodge Congress from power. A reasonably good performance of the Congress in recently held Assembly elections in Gujarat has enthused the party and it hopes to capitalise on this mood. It also hopes to gain electorally from rural unrest (farmers’ crisis), which is visible in the states going to polls this year more so because these states are largely rural. By these parameters, it is reasonable for the Congress to hope for a better 2018, compared electorally to the recent past. The electoral prospects may look promising for the Congress, but only by these narratives and factors. When elections are held in mid and late 2018, the Congress may find it difficult to defeat the BJP in its stronghold of MP, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. In fact, holding on to power in Karnataka may prove to be a tedious task for the Congress. A careful analysis of electoral outcome in recent years suggests that the BJP holds better chances of winning elections in these states. The Congress might hope to gain from 15 years of anti-incumbency, which the BJP government may face in MP and Chhattisgarh and of five years in Rajasthan, while it would be at the receiving end in Karnataka. But the way BJP has contested the Assembly elections in different states post 2014 Lok Sabha elections shows that the standard narrative of anti-incumbency does not work. The BJP contested Assembly elections in Gujarat against so many odds but it still managed to win for the sixth time in a row, negating the theory of anti-incumbency. If a party can overcome 22 years of anti-incumbency in Gujarat, it may be possible for the same election machinery to overcome 15 years of anti-incumbency in MP and Chhattisgarh. Going by the way votes are distributed between the Congress and the BJP, the former can manage to win election in Chhattisgarh by a small 2 per cent swing of votes and by 5-6 per cent swing of votes in MP in its favour. But in the absence of a formidable state leadership, the Congress may even find this difficult. The Congress needs a much bigger swing — may be more than 8 per cent votes — to win the elections in Rajasthan. The same holds true for the BJP which would need more than 10 per cent swing of votes in its favour to win in Karnataka. While the Congress might suffer from the handicap of leadership in Rajasthan, the BJP has no such disadvantage. In Karnataka, the Congress might be on a receiving end by way of facing some anti-incumbency.
- Kapilkumar M. Hirpara
Editor
www.sunvillasamachar.com
Hollywood Special
The film has grossed over 272 crore rupees approximately, is already the highest Bollywood grosser of 2017.
Katrina Kaif had a disastrous beginning to 2017, with her highly anticipated ‘Jagga Jasoos’ co-starring ex-beau Ranbir Kapoor bombing horribly at the box-office. However, the actor has more than made up for it, with the phenomenal success of Ali Abbas Zafar’s ‘Tiger Zinda Hai,’ which is proving to be Salman Khan’s biggest success. However, Katrina has managed to hold her own in the film, despite the towering presence of Salman. A sequel to Kabir Khan’s ‘Ek Tha Tiger,’ the film released during Christmas, 2017. Kattrina herself is quite happy with the response she’s been getting. “It’s extremely important, and that’s why it feels nice. Portraying the role of a powerful female character or projecting women in strong light don’t necessarily mean that one has to play the protagonist, or the solo lead,” she told news agancy.
Amber Heard and Elon Musk vacationing in Chile
Ranveer Singh, who will soon commence shooting for ‘Gully Boy’ with Alia Bhatt, spoke about his upcoming films.
Aquaman actress Amber Heard and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk were spotted dining in Chile on Friday night, just a week after claiming that they are not dating after being spotted kissing in Los Angeles. Despite the kiss, an insider told E! News, “They are not dating.” EOnline.com had reported that the exes were in the background of a photo, which was posted by the official account of the restaurant El Taringa in Santiago, Chile. In the photo, they can be spotted sitting with Elon’s brother, South African restauranteur Kimbal Musk. Amber, who had filed for divorce from Johnny Depp in 2016, did share photos from her vacation on Instagram. However, Elon wasn’t in any of the photos. Back in August, the couple split due to their busy schedules.
Shraddha Kapoor to play female lead in Shahid Kapoor’s Batti Gul Meter Chalu?
I rate Alia Bhatt very high as an actor, says Ranveer Singh
Shahid Kapoor will next be seen in ‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’ director Shree Narayan’s satirical courtroom drama, ‘Batti Gul Meter Chalu’. While the makers haven’t finalised the female lead as yet, several names have been doing the rounds. Earlier, there were reports of Katrina Kaif taking up the role. However, the ‘Fitoor’ actress denied these rumours, recently. If reports in news agancy are to be believed Shraddha Kapoor might going to see opposite Shahid Kapoor in the film. “The makers recently got in touch with Shraddha. She has been briefed about the role. The producers were looking for an A-list heroine to be cast opposite Shahid, who plays a lawyer in the film. However, it will require some prep. Katrina couldn’t sign the film because she didn’t have the time to do so,” a source revealed. The upcoming film is mainly a legal drama, where Shahid will be seen fighting the electricity board and other governmental systems in order to resolve major corruption issues. The actress opposite Shahid will be playing a character of a fierce lawyer and his love interest. ‘Batti Gul Meter Chalu’ is slated to release on August 31, 2018.
Ranveer Singh has started prepping up for his next, Zoya Akhtar’s ‘Gully Boy’, where he will be seen paired with Alia Bhatt. Ranveer, who is going to play a rapper in the movie, has already gotten into the skin of his character. He is seen rapping with some real-life rappers. The actor praised his co-star Alia Bhatt by stating, “Also, it’s my first collaboration on a full-length feature film with Alia [Bhatt], who I rate very high as an actor. She is certainly among the best actors in today’s day-and-age. I believe she is on her way towards greatness.” ‘Gully Boy’ is expected to go on floors in this month. Besides ‘Gully Boy’, Ranveer is waiting for the release Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s much delayed ‘Padmavati’, Rohit Shetty’s ‘Simmba’ and Kabir Khan’s ‘‘83’ which is a biopic based on cricketer Kapil Dev. When asked if he feels a bit of pressure due to the exceeding expectations from his movies, Ranveer revealed, “I would not term it as ‘pressure’ as it has a negative connotation. I look at it as responsibility. And my first responsibility is towards people whose lives are directly connected with mine - my family, friends, team and fans, who contribute to my life in a direct way. I am answerable to them as well.
Tiger Shroff and Disha Patani rang in 2018 together in Sri Lanka. The Baaghi 2 co-stars’ beach vacation is giving their fans goals. Check out the latest photos from their Lankan holidays.
Tiger Shroff and Disha Patani flaunt their beach bodies and give holiday goals this New Year Tiger Shroff and Disha Patani might not have officially accepted of dating each other, but that doesn’t stop them from taking regular vacation breaks. The Baaghi 2 co-stars entered the new year together while spending time on the white beaches of Sri Lanka. While Disha’s bikini clad pictures from her Lankan holiday are setting the internet on fire, Tiger’s shirtless click is adding spice and hotness of their vacation. This rumoured couple surely knows how to make headlines. Tiger’s chiseled body and sculpted muscles certainly make him one of the hottest actors in the B-town. Disha also shared a video where she is seen all happy and bubbly, wishing everyone on the new year. Tiger and Disha are both well-versed to set the temperatures soaring be it with their looks or grooves.
Hollywood biggies Reese Witherspoon, Prabhas recalls travelling Shonda Rhimes form anti-harassment group to college in buses, and how people reacted to it
Prabhas might have become a household name following the record-breaking run of the ‘Baahubali’ franchise, but success has surely not gone to his head. The Tollywood star is still for known for his humble persona, as is revealed by several of his co-stars and experienced by media persons. The actor revealed another side of this trait, even before he made it big in the film industry, in a recent interview. Prabhas comes from a film family, with his father Uppalapati Surya Narayana Raju a popular film producer. The actor reveals that his father faced financial crisis regularly, like “like most producers do.”
Reese Witherspoon, Shonda Rhimes and Jennifer Aniston are among hundreds of Hollywood women who have formed an anti-harassment coalition called Time’s Up.The initiative (www.timesupnow. com ) was launched Monday with an open letter vowing support for women in the entertainment business and beyond, from janitors to health care workers. Time’s Up will include a legal defense
fund and will advocate for legislation combatting workplace harassment. Time’s Up also is backing the movement for women to wear black, in solidarity with those who have been sexually harassed, at Sunday’s Golden Globes ceremony. Donators to Time’s Up defense fund range from Meryl Streep and Taylor Swift to J.J. Abrams and Viola Davis. Dozens of men have faced harassment
and assault allegations in recent months, including Harvey Weinstein, Charlie Rose and Kevin Spacey. As reported by The New York Times, the initiative includes a legal defense fund to help less privileged women like janitors and nurses to protect themselves from any manner of harassment and fallout from reporting it, legalisation to penalise organisations that tolerate sexual misconduct.
Jessica Alba gives birth to a baby boy, names him Hayes Actor Jessica Alba has welcomed her third child with husband Cash Warren. The Sin City: A Dame To Kill For star shared the news on Instagram, posting the first photo of her baby boy, Hayes. “Hayes Alba Warren. Best gift to ring in the New Year!!,” wrote the actor. “Cash and I feel so blessed. Haven and Honor are already obsessed with their new baby bro,” she added. Jessica also has two daughters, nine-year-old Honor and six-year-old Haven, with her husband. Warren also posted a photo with his newborn son on Instagram and wrote, “Hayes Alba Warren: You sure know how to ring in the new year! You showed up a few days early but we couldn’t be any happier.
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Sports Special
Caroline Wozniacki
races to victory in Auckland Classic opener
Abu Dhabi: Caroline Wozniacki capped 2017 with the biggest win of her career when she claimed a maiden WTA Finals triumph in October and the Dane has carried that momentum into the new season with a ruthless display to kick off her Auckland Classic campaign. The top seed has a chance to usurp world number one Simona Halep with a victory in New Zealand and the 27-year-old needed just 58 minutes to race past American Madison Brengle with a 6-3 6-0 triumph in their first round encounter on Tuesday. The world number three is still searching for her first grand slam triumph but after emerging victorious in the elite eight-woman event in Singapore, her raised levels of play could see her make that breakthrough in Melbourne later this month. Wozniacki is also searching for a first triumph in Auckland after reaching the final in 2015 and despite being tested by Brengle early the contest, the Dane pulled away once she found her rhythm and claimed the last seven games to seal victory. “I thought I played pretty well, especially considering it’s the first match back of the year,” Wozniacki told reporters.
Brisbane International: Hip injury forces Andy Murray to pull out of tournament gns News | Brisbane: Former world number one Andy Murray has withdrawn from the seasonopening Brisbane International in a major setback to his Australian Open preparations. He suffered a right hip injury in 2017 and has not played on the ATP tour since losing a tough five-setter to American Sam Querrey in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon. Murray said on Sunday he felt in great shape and that he was confident he would play in Brisbane.But the 30-year-old Scot issued a statement Tuesday announcing his withdrawal from the tournament, and did not say whether he would be able to play the year’s first Grand Slam. Murray said he would stay in Brisbane as he “works towards returning to the tennis circuit”. “I’m very disappointed to be withdrawing from the Brisbane International,” he added.
Five-time Grand Slam champion overcame overcame her opponent 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Shenzhen Open: Maria Sharapova enters quarter-finals after win over Alison Riske
Andy Murray pulls out of Brisbane International with hip injury Shenzhen: Five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova came back from a set down to defeat American Alison Riske at the Shenzhen Open on Tuesday and book a spot in the quarter-finals. Riske, who had been hoping for her first win against the former world number
one, proved to be a tough opponent early in the match before the Russian finally overcame her 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in just under two and a half hours. “I’m glad I got this kind of match. Although I would’ve wanted a quick and easy victory, these are the kind of
Jose Mourinho lashes out at Paul Scholes over Pogba criticism Liverpool: Jose Mourinho has lambasted former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes after he criticised the manager and key players in his role as a TV pundit. Scholes singled out Paul Pogba, the club’s record signing, after his anonymous performance in the weekend draw with Southampton. But the French international was far more impressive in the 2-0 victory at Everton on New Year’s Day, which ended a run of three consecutive United draws and put the Red Devils 12 points behind runaway leaders Manchester City. The victory allowed Mourinho to launch a remarkable verbal attack on Scholes, one of the storied “Class of 92” who was a key part of some of the greatest successes in United’s history.
Sydney : Injured fast bowler Mitchell Starc worked out in the nets but captain Steve Smith didn’t train
on Tuesday because of a sore back as Australia prepared for the fifth Ashes test against England. Starc missed the drawn fourth test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground because of a bruised right heel but is hoping to
PNB expects resolution of 4-5 large NPA accounts bilaterally
already provided Rs 75 crore till September. The remaining Rs 725 crore would be provided in this quarter,” he told news agancy.As per RBI guidelines, banks will have to make a provision of 50 per cent on the cases referred to National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) by March 2018. “I take a worst case scenario that nothing will be resolved. All will go to NCLT, then my additional provisioning is Rs 725 crore which I can very well take care of,” he said. Asked if he is hopeful of resolving some cases out of NCLT, Mehta said: “Yes, few of the cases we may be able to settle down bilaterally. So the number will be very few...
matches that you need, especially with such a short preparation going into the Australian Open in terms of matchplay,” Sharapova said afterwards. “I’m just glad that I came back. She played a really great match and as I said to her at the net, I thought it was a great quality
match. In the end, I won it so I have another opportunity to keep going.” Despite Riske’s early lead, Sharapova hit 34 winners, nearly three times Riske’s total. The world number 59 was helped by 11 aces, and managed to save seven out of 10 break points.
Abu Dhabi: Former world number one Andy Murray withdrew from the Brisbane International with a hip problem on Tuesday, further putting in doubt the Briton’s prospects of being fit in time for the Australian Open later this month. Murray has not played a competitive match since a Wimbledon quarterfinal loss last July due to the complaint and despite coming through a one-set exhibition in Abu Dhabi last week, he was unable to train on Tuesday and announced his withdrawal. The world number 16 and second seed had been due to play his first tournament match of the season on Thursday with a second-round encounter against American Ryan Harrison at Pat Rafter Arena.
Mitchell Starc back, Steve Smith absent for Australia before 5th Ashes test
Out of 28 identified cases, Punjab National Bank has exposure in 20 accounts.
gns News | New Delhi: Punjab National Bank (PNB) Managing Director Sunil Mehta has said about 5 large stressed asset accounts are likely to be resolved bilaterally while the remaining two dozen cases out of 28 identified by RBI in the second list will have to go through the NCLT process. RBI’s deadline to resolve these identified cases with a total loan exposure of about Rs 4 lakh crore by banks ended two days ago. “In the second list there were 28 cases of which our bank is participating in 20. For these, the exposure is Rs 6,500 crore and incremental provisioning requirement is Rs 800 crore. Of this, the bank has
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may be 4-5.” Out of 28 identified cases, PNB has exposure in 20 accounts, he said without naming any account. He also clarified that PNB is not a lead banker in any of the cases. When asked about how much haircut the bank is ready to take, Mehta said, “it will happen as per the process. Whatsoever decision comes everybody has to go with it. So for a right estimate, it would be very difficult because every case is unique. But by and large general assessment is that in first 12 cases we are representing in 9 with exposure of Rs 11,000 crore.” Out of this, Rs 9,000 crore is locked up in 5 steel companies, he said.
Crisil launches index to track FPI investments in fixed markets
Mumbai: Rating agency Crisil on Tuesday launched an index to measure the performance of investments of foreign portfolio investors (FPI) in the fixed-income market. The Crisil FPI index would serve as benchmark for performance of FPI investments in government securities, and ‘AAA’ as well as ‘AA’ rated corporate bonds with residual maturity greater than three years. “The indices have significance because of rising FPI investments in fixedincome securities and progressive hikes in the limits prescribed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its medium-term framework introduced in October 2015,” Crisil Research senior director Jiju Vidyadharan said in a statement. “Since 2011, the investment limit has shot up from Rs 436 billion to Rs 2,893 billon for G-secs, and from 1,865 billion to Rs 2,273 billion for corporate bonds,” Vidyadharan added.
return for the Sydney Cricket Ground finale beginning Thursday. Australia regained the Ashes with victories in the first three tests of the five-match series. Leftarmer Starc took part in fielding drills then spent more than half an hour bowling off his full run-up. Smith hoped to train on Wednesday. Starc was replaced in Melbourne by Jackson Bird, who failed to take a wicket in a pace combination with Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. “I haven’t spoken to him but he looked like he was bowling quick, running around and not limping,” Cummins said of Starc’s return.
Dominic Thiem battles past Evgeny Donskoy in season-opener at Doha gns News | Abu Dhabi: Austrian top seed Dominic Thiem started his season with a hard-fought 7-6(3) 6-3 victory over Russian Evgeny Donskoy in the first round of the Qatar Open in Doha on Monday. The world number 5 won a staggering 92 percent of his first serve points to hold off a battling Donskoy, who pushed the 24-year-old to the brink in the opening set, and regained control in the second set to charge to victory. “It was a good victory because (of a) tough opponent… after a pretty long period without any matches,” Thiem said. “After a good start, it got pretty close in the first set… at the end I’m satisfied with most parts of my game.” Thiem will play either Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene or Tunisian wildcard Malek Jaziri in the second round.
business No single rate for all items under GST: Arun Jaitley
gns News | New Delhi: The government on Tuesday ruled out having a single rate for all commodities under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) saying items like food products have been placed at minimum taxation levels while luxury goods were in the higher categories. During the Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said there were countries which had applied a uniform tax rate on all commodities but these were nations where the entire population was above the poverty line. In India, food items have been placed in zero or the minimum slab while luxury items get taxed more, he said. While the question of a single
slab in India does not arise, the process of rationalisation would continue, he said. Many items which were earlier in the 28 per cent bracket were brought into the 18 per cent bracket and this process of rationalisation would continue, the minister said. He also said the GST council had formed a committee under the convenorship A B Pandey, chairman GSTN, to look into issues relating to the filing of returns and suggest a simpler mechanism to mitigate the compliance requirements for tax payers. “The committee shall recommend changes to be made in the process of filing of returns in GST, including the threshold, if any, for quarterly filing,” he said.
4 / Dt. 03-01-2018, wednesday, Ahmedabad
Burglars target four houses in 48 hours
gns News | Vadodara: Burglars targeted four houses in different areas of the city in two days and decamped with cash, ornaments and other valuables worth Rs 3.82 lakh. Complaints were registered by the victims at Sayajigunj, Panigate and Jawaharnagar police stations on Sunday and Monday. Vihang Mehta, a resident of Kunj Society in Alkapuri, told the police in his complaint that thieves broke into his house sometime between December 24 and Sunday and stole cash amounting to Rs 1.3 lakh and ornaments worth Rs 25,000. Mehta and his family were out of the city when the burglary took place. Two other incidents of burglaries took place on Sunday under the jurisdiction of Panigate police stations. Police said that thieves stole gold and silver jewellery worth Rs 1.22 lakh and Rs 3,000 cash from the house of Rangeshkumar Parikh on Dabhoi-Waghodiya Ring Road on Sunday afternoon. A similar incident took place nearby on Waghodiya Road in the wee hours of Sunday. Thieves broke the safe in the house of Vijay Patel, who lives in Vaikunth Society on Waghodiya Road, and stole cash and a silver idol worth Rs 52,000. At Gujarat Refinery township, burglars stole a laptop, three watches and other valuables all amounting to Rs 50,000 belonging to Subhanshu Paarik, who works in the refinery, in the wee hours of Monday.
Tiger zinda hai in Gujarat
AHMEDABAD: Scat analysis carried out in November 2, 2016, had indicated the presence of tigers in Gujarat; reiterative evidence came in the form of fresh pug marks — spotted in the last week of December — about 50km from Gujarat’s border with Maharashtra. Amit Khare, the honorary wildlife warden of the Government of Maharashtra, told TOI: “The discovery of pug marks establishes what I have been saying for the past seven years. Tigers have been present in Gujarat over that period, but we are not making the location public because these areas lack a conversation drive, and poachers are a threat.” Khare went on to say: “I have written to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) continually about the presence of tigers in Gujarat.” Khare said that he had sent 15 scat-analysis reports suggesting the presence of tigers in Gujarat to the NTCA and WII to substantiate his claims. He said he had even submitted hair samples. “I am sure tigers are present in Gujarat in Dang; moreover, their movement has been noted in villages along the Maharashtra border,” he said. Khare said that the movement of tigers into Gujarat has been recorded along Nashik, Dhuliya, Nandurbar and Dang areas. He said the big cats have not harmed humans in their vicinity.
BJP leaders held two meetings at the party headquarter in Gandhinagar to formulate the strategy for the upcoming polls.The leaders also discussed distribution of work for various election-related tasks.
BJP Starts Preparations For Gujarat Local Bodies Polls
AHMEDABAD: After winning the sixth term in recently-concluded Gujarat assembly polls, the BJP has now set its eyes on local and panchayat bodies which are expected to go to polls next month. BJP leaders on Monday held two meetings at the party headquarter in Gandhinagar to formulate the strategy for the upcoming polls,
a release said. The leaders also discussed distribution of work for various election-related tasks. The five-year term of 75 municipalities, two district panchayats, 17 taluka panchayats and around 1,400-gram panchayats across the state is ending in March this year, which would necessitate polls in February, said a party
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leader. However, the schedule of the polls is yet to be announced officially. Earlier in the day, state BJP president Jitu Vaghani, along with Joint General Secretary (Organisation) V. Satish, held a meeting with party leaders to finalise various programmes to be launched by the party in view of the elections, according to the release.
Over 8 lakh cataract surgeries conducted in Gujarat in 2016-17
VADODARA: Anita (name changed), a 51-year-old teacher was struggling with blurred vision even after wearing glasses since a last few years. When she visited an eye hospital in Gujarat she was diagnosed with early stage cataract . She soon underwent cataract surgery, replacing the natural lenses of her eyes with lenses that provided
extended range of vision. “She was able to resume her normal life the same day post-surgery. Today, months after implants, Anita is able to see clearly, without straining her eyes and most importantly without spectacles,” said Dr Nitin Patel, an ophthalmologist at Aashirwad Eye and Laser Centre Hospital at Navsari. With over 62% of blindness in the country caused by cataract,
it is leading cause of blindness in India. “Various government and private initiatives over the years have made considerable progress in fighting the ailment nationwide and in Gujarat. Only last year, as per the National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) report,8,17,308 cataract surgeries have been conducted in Gujarat against the targeted 3,99,632 surgeries for the year 2016-2017m” said Patel. “Eye care in the country has witnessed a transition from finding solutions for blindness to improving quality of vision post-surgery,” he said, adding that people are opting for advanced intraocular lenses for better vision. “In this new era of digitalization and internet access made easy to population, patients expect youthful vision and want to live their life fully, which is now possible with advancements in eye care technology using intraocular lenses (IOLs) such as toric, multifocal, and extended range of vision lenses,” he said.
Surat textile industry still under subdued capacity utilisation gns News | Surat : While it may have played a crucial role in helping the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win the recently concluded Assembly elections in Gujarat, the Surat-based textile industry is still reeling under the goods and services tax (GST) impact. According to industry sources, especially in weaving and trading, capacity utilisation at most of the power looms and trading units is still down by 50 per cent or lesser. While spinning units are finding takers in the knitting industry — which is currently doing better due to the winter season — the other verticals in the textile chain, such as weaving and trading, are still finding business unsustainable, especially among smaller players. Against 40 million metres per day of production in the Rs 500-billion synthetic textile hub of Surat, the current production is down to 2.5 million metres per day. Similarly in the weaving sector, against
a Rs 600-million daily turnover in the preGST era, the same is still down by 50 per cent, said Ashish Gujarati, president of Pandesara Weavers’ Association. Moreover, power looms continue to shut shops, with roughly 250-300 looms being discarded as scrap daily, albeit at a slower pace than in October. Further, there are still several traders and weavers who are yet to register and come under the tax net. “Smaller traders are still
In recent years, China has stepped up naval expeditions to the Indian Ocean to fight the pirates in Gulf of Aden.
China develops underwater surveillance network in Indian Ocean to boost its subs
Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. The project, led by the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), is part of an unprecedented military expansion fuelled by Beijing’s desire to challenge the US in
AHMEDABAD: Gujarat, which has been witnessing a shortage of specialist doctors, especially in rural areas, has come up with a unique concept — ‘Bal doctors (kid doctors)’ will now look after children’s wellness under the state’s school health programme. Health department officials said a ‘bal doctor’ named Kajal Bhupatbhai Khant (11), a class 6 student at a government school in Navagam village of Arvalli district, has been nominated for the pilot project aimed at primary schools. The ‘bal doctors’ will be equipped with stethoscopes as well as ayurvedic medicines to be given to their classmates. They will be given a stock of ayurvedic medicines to deal with any health-related issue, said officials. An order of the health department to primary schools reads: “One ‘bal doctor’ will be appointed in each primary school for which the state education department and the health department will function jointly.””These bal doctors will administer ayurvedic treatment in cases of minor diseases. They will encourage other students to wash their hands before the midday meal. They will also monitor the Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) Programme (of the National Health Mission), held every Wednesday.
As against a 40 mn metres per day of production in the Rs 500 bn synthetic textile hub of Surat, the current production is down to 2.5 mn metres per day
international Beijing: China has developed a new underwater surveillance network to help its submarines get a stronger lock on targets while protecting the nation’s interests along the maritime Silk Road, which included the Indian Ocean, a media report said on Monday. The system, which has already been launched, works by gathering information about the underwater environment, particularly water temperature and salinity, which the navy can then use to more accurately track target vessels as well as improve navigation and positioning, the Hong
Short of physicians, Gujarat to let schoolkids act as docs
the world’s oceans, the Post said. After years of construction and testing, the new surveillance system was now in the hands of the navy, which reported “good results”, the oceanology institute said in its latest briefing in November, according to the report. But China still has some
way to go before it can compete with the world’s only true superpower, it said. The Chinese system is based on a network of platforms -- buoys, surface vessels, satellites and underwater gliders -that gather data from the South China Sea, and the Western Pacific and Indian oceans, the paper quoted the report by Oceanology Institute. That information is then streamed to three intelligence centres -- in the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, the southern province of Guangdong, and a joint facility in South Asia -- where it is processed and analysed, it said.
Pak bans Mumbai attack plotter Hafiz Saeed’s organisations from collecting funds Lahore: Pakistan on Monday banned Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud Dawa and Falahi-Insaniat Foundation from collecting donations, on a day when President Donald Trump accused Islamabad of giving nothing to the US but “lies and deceit” and providing “safe haven” to terrorists. The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) issued a notification prohibiting the collection of donations by the JuD, the front organisation of banned outfit Lashkar-eTaiba, as well as several other such organisations named in a list of banned outfits by the UN Security Council. “The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan hereby prohibits all companies from donating cash to the entities and individuals listed under the UNSC sanctions committee’s consolidated list,” according to the notification. In addition to JuD, the list also includes LeT itself, the Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF).
hit. The matter is not just about the 5 per cent GST the traders have to pay, it is about the additional costs of hiring accountants and investing in technology that is hitting the smaller traders’ pockets. This has led to a 50 per cent decline in business,” said Hitesh Sanklecha, one of the traders leading the demands on changes in GST in the Surat textile trading industry. In normal circumstances, there are 650,000 power looms, 150-200 wholesale textile markets, 20,000 manufacturers — including 10,000 weavers, 75,000 traders, 450 processing units — and 50,000-60,000 embroidery machines in the Rs 500-billion synthetic textile hub of Surat. According to Sanklecha, at least three different industry associations, including silk weavers and textile processors, have made representations to the Centre for relief from the impact of the GST on businesses.
Pak court orders police to provide special protection to Hindu rape victim Islamabad: A Pakistani court in the southern Sindh province has ordered the police to provide protection to a Hindu woman who was allegedly raped last month by a man belonging to an influential family, a media report said on Tuesday. Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M Shaikh of the Sindh High Court (SHC) issued the order on Monday after taking a suo motu notice of the alleged rape which took place in Kunri area of the Umerkot district. The Chief Justice directed the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Mirpurkhas and the Umerkot Superintendent of Police (SP) to provide security to the victim and her family, the Dawn reported. He ordered the police to take action against the culprit belonging to an influential family, it said. Umerkot SP Usman Ijaz Bajwa submitted a report before the court on Monday, stating that the DIG Mirpurkhas had constituted a committee under his supervision.
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