Overwhelming, satisfying: Katrina on Tiger Zinda Hai success page no. 02
This one and a half year will define this Indian team: Virat Kohli
29/12/2017, friday Edition: Ahmedabad
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ENGLISH DAILY MORNING REPUTED NEWS PAPER, AHMEDABAD Editor : Kapilkumar M. Hirpara
Short News India successfully test-fires supersonic interceptor missile in Odisha Balasore (Odisha): India on Thursday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed Advanced Air Defence (AAD) supersonic interceptor missile, capable of destroying any incoming ballistic missile in low altitude, from a test range in Odisha. This was the third supersonic interceptor test carried out this year in which an incoming ballistic missile target was successfully intercepted, within 30 km altitude of the earth’s atmosphere by an interceptor. “It was a direct hit and grand success,” defence sources said after the test launch. The earlier two tests were conducted on March 1 and February 11, 2017, as part of efforts to have a full-fledged multi-layer Ballistic Missile Defence system.
BJP
2 UP cops suspended for taking PM’s convoy on wrong route on Dec 25 Noida: Two policemen, who were in-charge of piloting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cavalcade during his visit to the city on December 25, have been suspended for taking the convoy on a wrong route and causing a security breach. SSP Love Kumar has suspended the two policemen for the security lapse. The suspended policemen are Sub Inspector Dilip Singh and police driver Jaipal. They were in the vehicle ahead to lead the Prime Minister’s motorcade, PRO in the SSP’s office Manish Saxena said. The two policemen took a wrong turn as a result of which the Prime Minister’s cavalcade was caught in traffic for two minutes near Mahamaya Flyover.
Day after chaos in Parliament, Hegde says Constitution is supreme
New Delhi: A day after Lok Sabha witnessed several adjournments on Wednesday following the uproar in the House by Opposition, Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde on Thursday extended his apology and said “Constitution is supreme to me.” Speaking at the Lok Sabha at the start of the session on Thursday, Ananth Kumar Hegde said, “I deeply respect the Constitution, the Parliament and Baba Saheb Ambedkar. The Constitution is supreme to me, there can be no question about it, as a citizen I can never go against it.
IS suicide blasts in Kabul targeting Shiites kills 40, dozen injured
Kabul: Around 40 people were killed and dozens wounded in a suicide blast targeting Shiites in Kabul Thursday, officials said, with chaotic scenes at the city’s hospitals as anguished families sought loved ones. The Islamic State group (IS) claimed responsibility for the gruesome assault, which happened in the same building as the Afghan Voice Agency, a media outlet which earlier reports had suggested could have been the target. Deputy interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said the attack -- the deadliest since a Shiite mosque bombing in October that killed more than 50 worshippers -- was aimed at the Tabayan cultural centre in the west of the city. “The suicide attacker detonated himself during a gathering at Tabayan cultural centre causing a lot of casualties,” Rahimi said.
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December 29, 2017, friday
Condemning shameful behaviour Sushma said, ‘Will expose Pakistan’s utterly disgusting behaviour.’
Kulbhushan asked about ‘baba’, seeing mother without mangalsutra: Sushma Job well done: Pak thanks journalists for harassing Jadhav’s wife, mother In another shock for India, journalists of Pakistan media were thanked by the Foreign Office (FO) for heckling and humiliating the mother and wife of Indian citizen Kulbhushan Jadhav when they met him on Monday in Islamabad. Pakistan Foreign Office seemed pleased with the media’s performance and thanked them saying “Job well done”.
Jadhav tutored, denied to speak in Marathi with kin
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday said “Both Kubhushan Jadhav’s mother and wife were presented as widows in front of him. The manner in which the meeting was organised was appalling... their clothes, shoes, bangles, and even their mangalsutras were taken away.” Giving a detailed statement in the Rajya Sabha about Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav’s wife and mother visiting him in Pakistan and the way they were treated there, Sushma said,
“When I spoke to her (Jadhav’s mother), she told me that as soon as she reached, Kulbhushan asked her ‘Baba kaise hain?’ (How is papa) because he saw no mangalsutra on his mother. Jadhav thought some mishap might have taken place in his absence.” Sushma said the Jadhav’s mother was not allowed to speak in Marathi. She said two Pakistani officials were present in the meeting and kept stopping her repeatedly but when she continued, the intercom was switched off.
As Kulbhushan Jadhav met his wife and mother for the first time since his arrest and death sentence in Pakistan, the former navy official “parroted Pakistani propaganda” and kept saying he was a spy, according to Indian officials. According to a report in Times of India, mother of Kulbhushan on Monday interrupted him saying “But why are you saying all this?
Mo : 98250 98053
The SC had ruled that the practice of divorce through triple talaq among Muslims is ‘void, illegal and unconstitutional’.
Triple talaq bill shouldn’t be linked to religion, politics: Ravi Shankar in LS
New Delhi: Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday exhorted the Lok Sabha to not link triple talaq bill with religion, politics or vote bank. Prasad made this statement while participating in the debate on The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, which he tabled in the lower House on Thursday morning. “The Triple Talaq Bill should not be seen through the prism of politics and neither should be linked with any religious motive or vote-bank politics. This bill is for the rights of the women of our country,” Prasad said.
We are making history today: Law Minister tables triple talaq bill in LS
A bill to make instant triple talaq illegal and void and awarding a jail term of three years for the husband, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, calling it a “historic day” amid opposition to its introduction by members of different parties, including RJD, AIMIM, BJD and All India Muslim League. The law is about justice and respect for women and is not about any religion or community.
Pakistan violates ceasefire in Poonch, IndianArmy retaliates Jammu : In continued incidents of ceasefire violation, Pakistani troops on Thursday evening resorted to unprovoked firing on forward Indian positions along the Line of Control in Jammu & Kashmir’s Khari Karmara area of Poonch district. Pointing out that firing from across the border started around 3.45 pm, sources said that they were firing mortars, automatics and small arms.
However, there was no damage on the Indian side, sources said, adding that the Indian army was retaliating. Though mortar shells were falling ahead of the barbed wire fence, people in Khari Karmara villages were staying indoors for safety, locals said. Significantly, Khari Karmara falls opposite Rawalakote where Indian army commandos had in a cross LoC raid
on Monday evening killed three Pakistani troopers. The raid had come in retaliation to the killing of four Indian soldiers including a Major by Pakistani troops in Keri sector of adjoining Rajouri district on Saturday. The Northern Command had described the killing of its soldiers as “dastardly” and vowed that it shall retaliate at a time and choice of its choosing. The latest
ceasefire violation by Pakistan has come a day after Northern Army Commander Lt General Devraj Anbu visited forward areas of Rajouri district on Wednesday and reviewed the security situation and army’s operational preparedness there. During interaction with officers and jawans, he lauded all ranks for their steadfastness and high morale.
In RS, Jaitley defended PM saying he didn’t mean to question Manmohan Singh or Hamid Ansari’s commitment to the nation.
Hyderabad boards ‘Mr Jaitlie’ thanks for telling PM never metro rail, Ivanka means his words: Rahul Gandhi Trump’s visit hogs limelight New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday took a swipe at the government’s statement in Rajya Sabha that Narendra Modi has never questioned Manmohan Singh’s integrity, saying thanks for reminding India that the Prime Minister “never means what he says or says what he means”. Gandhi’s dig came hours after the Leader of the House Arun Jaitley made a short statement in Rajya Sabha to end the impasse over Modi’s remarks against his predecessor made during the Gujarat polls campaign. “Dear Mr Jaitlie (sic) -- thank you for reminding India that our PM never means what he
says or says what he means,” Gandhi tweeted, using a hashtag “BJPLies”. The Congress president also attached with his tweet a video of the Prime Minister’s speech at a poll rally in which he made the “conspiracy with Pakistan” remarks against Singh, along with Jaitley’s
statement made in the House. In Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Jaitley said Modi in his statements and speeches, “did not question nor did he mean to question the commitment to this nation either by Dr Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister, or Hamid Ansari, the former vice president.” “Any such perception is completely erroneous. We hold these leaders in high esteem, as also their commitment to this nation,” Jaitley said. The statement came after the opposition and the ruling party leaders worked out a way to resolve the impasse in Parliament, after a series of meetings.
India successfully test-fires supersonic interceptor missile
India today successfully test-fired its indigenously developed Advanced Air Defence (AAD) supersonic interceptor missile, capable of destroying any incoming ballistic missile in low altitude, from a test range in Odisha. This was the third supersonic interceptor test carried out this year in which an incoming ballistic missile target was successfully intercepted, within 30 km altitude of the earth’s
atmosphere by an interceptor. “It was a direct hit and grand success,” Defence sources said after the test launch. The earlier two tests were conducted on March 1 and February 11, 2017, as part of efforts to have a fullfledged multi-layer Ballistic Missile Defence system. “Today’s test was conducted to validate various parameters of the interceptor in flight mode and it was all success,” the sources said. The target
missile– a Prithvi missile– was launched from launch complex 3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near here. After getting signals by tracking radars, the interceptor AAD missile, positioned at Abdul Kalam Island –previously known as Wheeler Island — in the Bay of Bengal, roared through its trajectory to destroy the hostile target missile in mid-air in an endo-atmospheric altitude, defence sources said.
The interceptor is a 7.5-meter long single stage solid rocket propelled guided missile equipped with a navigation system, a hi-tech computer and an electro-mechanical activator, the sources said. The state-of-the-art interceptor missile has its own mobile launcher, secure data link for interception, independent tracking and homing capabilities and sophisticated radars.
Hyderabad : Hyderabad boarded the metro rail map of India in 2017, during which the Telangana capital also grabbed headlines by hosting a highprofile summit where US President Donald Trump’s daughter and adviser Ivanka hogged the limelight. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 30-km stretch of the metro rail project on November 28 between Miyapur and Nagole, which was a huge relief to the city’s residents facing traffic woes. Covering a total distance of around 72 km across three corridors, it is the world’s largest public private partnership project in the metro sector, according to the L&T Metro Rail, Hyderabad, the concessionaire for the metro rail project. On the same day, Modi also inaugurated the 8th edition of Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), jointly hosted by NITI Ayog and the US government. The summit, hosted for the first time in South Asia, was addressed by Modi and Ivanka, who led the US delegation. The event was held on the theme ‘Women First, Prosperity for All’ to celebrate entrepreneurial spirit. At the GES, the Telangana government announced a move to set up an exclusive innovation hub called WE-Hub to encourage women entrepreneurs.
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friday, 29 December, 2017
Those opposing law on triple talaq must look closer at Muslim countries
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), which strongly opposed the abolition of triple talaq (talaq e biddat) in the Supreme Court earlier this year, recently passed a resolution to oppose the tabling in Parliament of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017. The Bill seeks to reinforce the SC’s ruling which struck down triple talaq by a majority (3:2). The minority judgment too condemned triple talaq but thought it best for Parliament to legislate on the subject. The 2017 Bill makes triple talaq a penal offence punishable with a three-year term. The Bill also affords victims of triple talaq subsistence allowance and protects their custody rights over children. The AIMPLB contends that the Bill is contrary to Shariah and an attempt by the government “to snatch the right of divorce from men”. There are others who oppose the Bill, including women’s groups who campaigned against triple talaq. They argue that a practice which concerns Muslim marriage, treated in law as a civil contract, cannot be criminalised. There is abundant precedent from the Muslim world, to show that illegal divorce can be criminalised. In Pakistan and Bangladesh, with whom we share a common history, marriage and divorce are governed by the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, clause 7 of which reads: “(1) Any man who wishes to divorce his wife shall, as soon as may be after the pronouncement of Talaq in any form whatsoever, give the Chairman a notice in writing of his having done so, and shall supply a copy thereof to the wife. (2) Whoever contravenes the provision of sub-section (1) shall be punishable with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees, or with both. [Bangladesh: 10,000 taka]”. Not only is triple talaq invalid in these countries but a man who divorces his wife without notice to the Arbitration Council is punishable with imprisonment. A man who resorts to triple talaq would be liable to punishment. The contention that illegal divorce cannot be penalised or that it is contrary to the Shariah appears to be without basis. Several other countries, including the vast majority of Arab states, have outlawed triple talaq. In Egypt, for example, where triple talaq is impermissible, a man who divorces his wife in violation of the prescribed procedure (which requires registration), is punishable with imprisonment. In Tunisia, a man who marries another woman before an earlier marriage has not been lawfully dissolved is liable to imprisonment.
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Hollywood - Bollywood Been through hiccups personally, professionally: Rani Mukerji “What is life without a few hiccups” — the tagline of the upcoming film Hichki resonates with the ideology of the film’s lead actress Rani Mukerji. Hichki, meaning a hiccup, is about Naina who suffers from a speech difficulty. It is about turning disadvantages into opportunities and staring down at challenges and ultimately winning over them. Asked if she has faced any hiccups in her two-decade career, Rani said, “Yes, of course. I think hiccup is a normal process for any actor, for any person in their life. Sometimes you have a hiccup in your personal life and sometimes in your professional life. “The beauty of a hiccup is that you can get over it as well. It’s not like that you have a hiccup and you keep hiccuping all your life… There have been times professionally and personally I have been through hiccups.”
I Feel insecure every day: Rowan Blanchard
American actress Rowan Blanchard, best known for her role as Riley Matthews on the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World admits that she feels pressure to look a certain way, just like millions of other girls out there. JustJared. com reports that when asked what advice she would give to other girls who feel pressured by society, Rowan said, “I feel pressure to look a certain way too, so I don’t feel totally exempt from this or feel like I have this figured out.” “We were told we have to look a certain way, so it’s only natural that we feel like we have to. I grew up with a lot of magazines that were marketed towards teens that had headlines about how you can lose weight, how you can look ‘fit,’ or how you can get a ‘bikini body’. Those types of headlines inherently breed that sort of self-loathing young women already have,” she added. Rowan said she was finding it hard to deal with her insecurities.
Rihanna’s cousin was shot dead in Barbados, just hours after they spent Christmas Day together. The 29-year-old singer posted a series of photos of her and Tavon Kaiseen Alleyne together and called for an end to gun crime as she mourned his death. According to DailyMail.co.uk, Alleyne, 21, was walking through the St Michael’s area of the holiday island around 7 pm on Tuesday night when he was approached by a man and shot several times. “RIP cousin... can’t believe it was just last night that I held you in my arms!” The Wild Thoughts singer wrote to her 59 million Instagram followers. She added, “Never thought that would be the last time I felt the warmth in your body!!! Love you always man!” The Grammy award winner added the hashtag, ‘#endgunviolence,’ at the end of the post. Alleyne’s unidentified killer reportedly shot several times before fleeing the scene. The 21-year-old was rushed to a nearby hospital in a private vehicle but eventually succumbed to his injuries.
Tiger Zinda Hai stars Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif. The Ali Abbas Zafar directorial has earned a total of Rs 190.62 crore in six days.
Overwhelming, satisfying: Katrina on Tiger Zinda Hai success
Katrina Kaif is on cloud nine over the recordbreaking run of her latest release Tiger Zinda Hai, calling it an “overwhelming and extremely satisfying” feeling. The 34-yearold actor, who reprised her role as superspy Zoya opposite Salman Khan’s Tiger in the Ali Abbas Zafar-directed film, said she is glad the audiences loved the film. “It feels incredible. When we set out to make Tiger Zinda Hai, we knew that we had a very good script in hand and Ali has done an outstanding job in translating the script to a mind-blowing film that is entertaining audiences of every age-group and across the nation. “As an actor, I always want to be part of movies that audiences thoroughly enjoy and the feedback that I’m getting from audiences is overwhelming and extremely satisfying,” Katrina said in a statement.
- Kapilkumar M. Hirpara
Editor
Kriti Sanon on 2017: I think through Bareilly Ki Barfi and Raabta, I have grown as an actor
One held after actress Parvathy cyber bullied 2017 saw the rise of many films that did not boast of the so-called A-listers and were highly successful. These were the films that relied on their strong ensemble cast, their engaging stories and clicked with the audience. Kriti Sanon, who gained much appreciation for her role as Bitti in Bareilly Ki Barfi, did two films in 2017 that were diametrically different from each other. With Raabta, we saw her playing the conventional Bollywood heroine but her impression as Bitti is something that will last longer with the audience. Indianexpress.com spoke to the star of Bareilly Ki Barfi where she discussed the year that had gone by. Kriti reflects back saying, “I always see it as a whole experience rather than just seeing the individual Fridays.
Singer Rihanna’s cousin shot dead
A man was today arrested following a police complaint by award-winning actress Parvathy, who alleged that she was abused and viciously trolled on social media for terming as ‘misogynistic’ some dialogues in a film starring top actor Mammootty. The 23-year-old man, identified as Printo from Wadakkancherry in Thrissur district, was charged under IPC sections 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication) and 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), the police said. He was also charged under various provisons of the Information Technology Act including section 67 (punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form), they said. Printo was produced before a magistrate court which remanded him to 14 days judicial custody. Police said more arrests would be made in the case.
Mouni Roy’s idea of the perfect woman will leave you impressed
Naagin fame actor Mouni Roy, who is making her big Bollywood debut with “Gold”, says a perfect woman can be defined as one who enjoys the freedom to be herself. Mouni was present at the Bright Perfect Achievers Awards here on Tuesday when she was asked to define a perfect woman. She said, “A perfect woman to me is to be yourself… To be however she wants to be in terms of freedom of speech and her behaviour. “I don’t think God has made any of us to be ugly, too skinny, too fat, too intelligent or too dumb. I feel we all are perfect in our ways and I don’t think we need to seek acceptance from anybody. If you accept yourself, if you are happy with the person you are, then you are perfect.” On Gold, in which she features with Akshay Kumar, Mouni said, “I have finished shooting for ‘Gold’ and it has been an amazing experience. I am looking forward to August 15, 2018.” The movie is a biopic based on the life of hockey player Balbir Singh Sr, who was on the team that won the first Olympic medal for India as a free nation in 1948. Gold also features Kunal Kapoor, Amit Sadh, Vineet Kumar Singh, Nikita Dutta and Sunny Kaushal in key roles. Directed by Reema Kagti, it is produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akthar’s Excel Entertainment.
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No motivation for youngsters to take up doubles in badminton: Ashwini Ponnappa
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Sports Special Roger Federer defeated Rafael Nadal in an epic final to win his fifth Australian Open crown in January 2017.
New Delhi: Unhappy with the step-motherly treatment meted out to doubles in the country, ace shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa on Wednesday said there is no motivation for the youngsters to choose a career in the format. “India is a country which does not focus on doubles. Singles players are doing really well in our country but in doubles it’s different, the encouragement is different,” said Ponnappa, who had won a bronze at 2011 World championship alongwith Jwala Gutta in women’s doubles. “You are working against the system where even if you do really well your performance is not highlighted, you don’t get as many sponsors as a singles player and if that’s the case whats the motivation for youngsters to pick up doubles?” Ponnappa said. Ponnappa, along with some other doubles players had earlier criticised the Badminton Association Of India for rewarding the Junior Nationals singles title winners with cars while neglecting the doubles winners. “In the Junior Nationals, the singles title winner gets a car while the doubles title winner gets nothing. If you were a player would you want to take up singles or doubles?” Ponnappa said on the sidelines of a Premier Badminton League (PBL) event. “In India singles is where the limelight is, where everything is and doubles is like another event, your last resort -- if things don’t work out in singles you move to doubles.
Zimbabwe to reconsider focus after crushing Test defeat
Roger Federer plans to keep expectations in check for 2018 Port Elizabeth : Roger Federer did not know what to expect when he touched down in Australia in 2017. The then 17-times grand slam champion was 35 and coming back from a first surgeryenforced absence to the sport he dominated for more than a decade from his maiden Wimbledon title in 2003. The six months off, however, appeared to be positively cathartic as he provided
arguably the major talking point of the tennis circuit by reviving a career that pundits thought could be over with the injury. He beat Rafa Nadal in an epic final to win his fifth Australian Open crown and then clinched his eighth on the grass courts of southwest London to finish the year with seven titles and the world number two ranking. However, Federer, who begins his 2018 campaign at
the combined teams Hopman Cup tournament in Perth, recognises that while expectations this year might be a little higher, he was trying to ensure they did not get out of control. “Expectations are higher but at the same time I try to remind myself just don’t think its normal and realistic to aim for the same things I did this year in 2017,” he told reporters after he arrived in Australia.
This one and a half year will define this Indian team: Virat Kohli New Delhi: : Indian cricket team is set to leave for South Africa for a challenging away tour. The Virat Kohli-led unit will play three Tests, six ODIs and three T20Is. Ahead of the team’s departure, India captain Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri addressed the media and talked about the challenge of playing abroad, the conditions they will get in South Africa, mindset of the team and more. Bowling has come a long way, batting has come long way. We try to do well than the last time. It’s a opportunity for us to go back again. Try to the same thing in much better way You need to take up the challenges while traveling to places like South Africa, England and Australia because you go there once and then you won’t travel there for a long time because of the way scheduling is done. It’s an opportunity for us. I was away for thing which is important. Switching back to cricket is not difficult at all. I have been training, somewhere in the head South Africa was in my mind.
India Inc sews deals worth USD 60 billion in 2017 with big M&As
Port Elizabeth : Zimbabwe might concentrate on the limited overs formats to be more competitive in the wake of a devastating defeat by South Africa in their one-off Test at St George’s Park on Wednesday. The bottom-ranked Test nation were beaten by an innings and 120 runs inside two days in the inaugural four-day Test against their neighbours. Coach Heath Streak afterwards said Zimbabwe’s infrequent Test schedule made it near impossible to compete against top countries like South Africa. “Maybe there is an argument for us to focus a lot more of our resources and time into short-format cricket to give us ourselves more of a realistic chance of competing at a higher level rather than hanging around near the bottom of the table,” he told reporters. Streak said if Zimbabwe were to play more Tests, they might have to settle for games against the likes of newcomers Afghanistan and Ireland. “I think if you get a bit of context to the Test rankings, with an incentive to get to the next level, with maybe a promotion-relegation type of thing, it’s worth looking at,” he said.
Kieron Pollard pulls out of West Indies squad for T20 series against New Zealand Wellington: The West Indies have suffered a further setback on their New Zealand tour Thursday with team officials confirming premier all-rounder Kieron Pollard had pulled out of the Twenty20 matches for “personal reasons”. It is the second change for the tourists, who have already had to replace the injured Ronsford Beaton. The West Indies have yet to win a
match in New Zealand, having lost both Tests inside four days and been comprehensively outplayed in the three one-day internationals. “Left-handed batsman
Shimron Hetmyer will replace all-rounder Kieron Pollard, who is unavailable due to personal reasons,” Cricket West Indies said in a statement.
business
Govt to push ahead with banking reforms Axis Bank dives 2 per cent after Sebi order in New Year to probe data leak
New Delhi: India Inc is looking at a huge M&A tally of over USD 60 billion (about Rs 4 lakh crore) for 2017, helped by some marquee domestic deals and rich valuations for various private equity investments. The need to consolidate in the wake of financial stress, as also for cashing out from valuable businesses to meet debt obligations, will continue to give a further boost to the deal-making activities, experts feel. Experts believe the New Year also looks promising in terms of deals as political stability is in place, economic reforms are on a fast track and broader macro factors are also looking positive, though some pressure may come from stretched valuations and high capital market benchmarks. According to global consultancy giant Grant Thornton, the overall deal activity -- including both M&As
(mergers and acquisitions) and PE (private equity) -- has been about USD 59 billion in the January-November period of 2017, a 9 per cent rise from the last year. The final tally for the year may cross USD 60 billion. “Valuations expectations, lack of understanding of regulatory process resulted in decline of the deal volumes and values in 2017,” according to deal-tracking firm Mergermarket India. It, however, noted that M&As may see a slower pace in 2018, with 2019 being the election year and the growth still looking tepid on the economic front. According to Amit Khandelwal, Managing Partner, Transactions Advisory Services at EY, the domestic deal activity is expected to dominate the overall M&A landscape going forward, on account of the ongoing consolidation wave across sectors and the resolution of insolvency cases.
New Delhi: The government is likely to push ahead with banking sector reforms alongside infusion of fresh capital in state-owned lenders in the New Year as it looks to lift banks out of NPA crisis and revive lending growth from a 25-year low. The government in October announced infusion of an unprecedented Rs 2.11 lakh crore capital over two years in public sector banks that are reeling under high non-performing assets (NPAs). Their NPAs have increased more than two-and-a- half times to Rs 7.33 lakh crore as of June 2017, from Rs 2.75 lakh crore in March 2015. Of the Rs 2.11 lakh crore package, Rs 1.35 lakh crore would be infused through recapitalisation bonds. The Finance Ministry would soon announce contours of the recapitalisation bonds and the amount to be front loaded during the current fiscal. The capital infusion in banks is not going to be an easy affair as it has to be backed by string of reforms including strengthening of bank boards, resolution of non-performing assets and HR issues so that they do responsive and responsible banking in future. “Reform agenda is the highest priority which has to be implemented along with capitalisation.
New Delhi: Shares of Axis Bank on Thursday tanked nearly 2 per cent after market regulator Sebi ordered the lender to conduct a probe into the alleged data leak. In its first order in the WhatsApp leak case, regulator Sebi last night ordered Axis Bank to strengthen its systems and conduct an internal probe to fix responsibility as the initial investigation showed that the leakage was due to “inadequacy” of processes at the bank. The stock slumped to a low of Rs 544.35, down 1.83 per cent from its previous close on the BSE. On the NSE, it opened at Rs 546.15, lost ground and hit Rs 544, down 1.91 per cent. Axis Bank late
last night had said it would work with Sebi on the issue of ‘leakage’ of unpublished price sensitive information and take appropriate action. Axis Bank has to complete the inquiry within three months and file a report to Sebi within seven days thereafter, the regulator said, after it found that the company’s results for the June quarter were “either identical or matched closely with the figures” in circulation on WhatsApp prior to an official announcement. “The bank will work with Sebi and the best experts in the field to investigate the matter and will take action as appropriate,” Axis Bank Executive Director Rajesh Dahiya had said on Wednesday.
4 / Dt. 29-12-2017, friday, Ahmedabad Madhu Bhagla Sarkar, a resident of Alipurduar district, was found dead outside the quarters on the ground floor for labourers working at Ashapura Saw Mill in Sarangpur village.
Bengal labourer found dead in Gujarat: Family claims murder, police register accidental death case
Surat : Days after a 22-year-old labourer from West Bengal was found dead under mysterious circumstances on the morning of December 25 at a village in Ankleshwar, police on Wednesday said that injury marks on his back were not related to his death. Madhu Bhagla Sarkar, a resident of Alipurduar district, was found dead outside the quarters on the ground floor for labourers working at Ashapura Saw Mill in Sarangpur
village. Police did not specify reason for the death, but said injury marks on his back were probably because he fell to the ground in an inebriated state. Ankleshwar police station has registered a case of “accidental death”. However, the family of the labourer alleged that he was beaten to death. Sarkar’s sister Susmita, said: “He was beaten with bamboo sticks… We want strict punishment for those who killed him.
A lone happy story: Jeera provides some cheer to Gujarat farmers
Rajkot : RAM PATEL is rather upbeat these days. The reason: prices of jeera (cumin seed) hitting record Rs 21,000 per quintal levels at Gujarat’s Unjha market. For this farmer from Dudhva village in Tharad taluka of Banaskantha district, there’s no better time than now to sell the five quintals he still has from the crop harvested earlier in the year. Those five quintals are worth Rs 1 lakh or so at today’s rates — and whose value may fall if he were to hold back this produce any longer. In a year marked by low realisations for most agricultural commodities — be it cotton, groundnut, potato or tobacco — and also seen to have cost rural votes for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the recent Gujarat assembly elections, jeera has been an exception. Its prices at Unjha — the APMC (agriculture produce market committee) mandi in Mehsana district, which sets the benchmark for this seed spice in other wholesale markets both within and outside Gujarat — crossed the Rs 20,000 per quintal barrier on November 24.
www.sunvillasamachar.com The 10-day programme, according to the state health commissioner, will help “clear out negative energies”.
High Court upholds Gujarat law to regulate fees of private schools
Gujarat health department suggests 10-day Vipassana training for staff
Ahmedabad : In a relief to parents of schoolchildren, the Gujarat High Court on Wednesday upheld the law enacted by the previous Assembly to regulate the fees of self-financed schools in the state, calling it “constitutional and legally valid”. The Gujarat Self Financed Schools (Regulation of Fees) Act, which was introduced by the BJP government in March this year and was passed by the outgoing Assembly, prescribed a ceiling for primary, secondary and higher secondary schools at Rs 15,000, Rs 25,000 and Rs 27,000 per year, respectively. The law was, however, challenged by various schools affiliated to the CBSE, ICSE and the state education board. The Division Bench of Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice Vipul M Pancholi said that the rules framed under the Act were “reasonable restrictions, within the meaning of the Article 19 (6) of the Constitution”, and ruled out the schools’ contention that the law was repugnant to the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act of 2009.
DRI SEIZES RS 300 CRORE WORTH OF GOODS
Ahmedabad : The trader had not fulfilled export obligations mandatory under the export promotion policy The Ahmedabad Zonal Unit of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Wednesday booked a case of duty evasion worth Rs 59.49 crore against a Kutch trader, who is in the business of importing capital goods. As part of the action taken against the accused, the DRI seized capital goods worth Rs 300 crore from the trader. The Gandhidham Regional Unit of DRI Ahmedabad, on the basis of specific intelligence, initiated an inquiry against the trader for nonfulfilment of export obligation in respect to EPCG licenses. According to the terms of the licenses, the trader, whose name has not been revealed, had to fulfil the export obligation by exporting a specified amount of goods within 8 years, ending in 2015. During investigation, the trader admitted not having fulfilled this obligation and not obtained the Export Obligation Discharge Certificate from DGFT well after the lapse of the obligation period. The DRI concluded that the trader had thus misused the export promotion scheme, failed to observe conditions of the license, contravened the Customs Notification and Foreign Trade Policy 2004-09 and evaded payment of applicable customs duty.
Ahmedabad : The Gujarat health department in a circular has appealed to its employees to undertake a 10day Vipassana or meditation training, during which they will have “no contact with the outside world” and won’t even be allowed to read or write. The 10-day programme, according to the state health
Builder makes false promises, then delays refund
commissioner, will help “clear out negative energies”. As per the December 19 circular, sent to various offices under the department, the employees undertaking the course will be considered on duty for the 10-day training period. They will also be asked to suspend their religious practices. The department has tied up with
five Vipassana centres in the state. “It will help increase productivity of work. It will also help clear out negative energies. In the medical profession, there is a lot of stress and we are encouraging all our department employees for the 10-day course,” said Jayanti Ravi, Commissioner of Health.
Ahmedabad : In good faith a consumer purchases three plots in the project of a realty firm. He is promised that the plots will be well developed and handed over to him within a year. But this does not happen. Tired of waiting, he asks for a refund. But the builder delays giving him back his own money till CERS intervenes. Mohanlal Puran Chand came to know about a project by Vaibhav Realty Ahmedabad from a broker. He visited the site and also met Mr. Harvinder J. Saluja, the proprietor of the firm. Since he was promised many amenities at a low price he decided to purchase three plots of 120 square yards each in the project – Pariej Lake City Phase No. 1. He paid the instalments amounting to Rs. 77,700 for the three plots between June 2012 and March 2013 and was given receipts. Mohanlal was given a welcome letter and membership certificate as well as membership numbers for all three plots.
Chain snatchers unleash terror in Vadodara VADODARA: The city police was left red-faced on Wednesday as chain snatchers had a field day by targeting six women within just one-and-half hours that too in broad daylight. Police said that the same gang could involved in all the six incidents that happened between 10.30 am and 12 pm. The first incident occurred at Waghodia Road when the accused targeted Kashmira Shah, a resident of Jalabapanagar Society. One of the accused first did a recce when Shah was standing with her friend on the road after visiting a temple. The accused then came with his accomplice on a motorbike and snatched Shah’s gold chain worth Rs 60,000 before fleeing from the spot. Twenty five minutes later, another
international Bhutto was killed in a gun-and-bomb attack during an election campaign rally on December 27, 2007.
woman Suvarna Chandatrey was targeted by the same bikers near Poonam Complex on Waghodia Road. She lost her gold chain worth Rs 1.20 lakh. The bikers then reached Warasia Ring Road at about 11.15 am. They stopped by the house of Ansoya Patel, who was standing outside and asked her for an address. Before she could react, they snatched her gold chain worth Rs 34,000 and fled from the spot. Later, the accused looted gold chain of Preeti Kahar from Karelibaug area when she was walking towards her home. Reva Chauhan, who was walking towards Jalaram Temple in Karelibaug was next on their target. They snatched her gold chain at about 11.30 am. Ashwini Shah, a resident
of Karelibaug, was the last one to be looted by these bikers. Shah was travelling in an auto from Sama-Savli Road at about 12 pm when the bikers stopped her. They asked for an address to divert her attention and then the pillion-rider snatched her gold chain worth Rs 30,000. “We have got CCTV footage of the bikers and it seems that the same persons are involved in most of the chain-snatchings. We will try to track them down as early as possible,” said DCP (zone 3), R S Bhagora. In Akota area, a 67-year-old woman was duped by two persons who identified themselves as cops. One of them approached Snehlata Gupta who was passing from Madhavbaug Society with her husband Harsh Kumar.
Punished for wearing short skirt: Uber driver rapes, kills UK woman in Beirut
Bin Laden moved to Afghanistan to kill Benazir Bhutto, Musharraf: report Karachi: Al-Qaeda’s slain chief Osama bin Laden had shifted to Afghanistan to supervise a plot to assassinate Pakistan’s former premier Benazir Bhutto and then military dictator Pervez Musharraf, a media report said on Wednesday. Citing intelligence gathered by the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), the News reported that the explosives to execute this plot were provided by the courier of bin Laden. Bhutto was killed in a gunand-bomb attack during an election campaign rally on December 27, 2007
outside the Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi. The revelation comes exactly on the 10th anniversary of Bhutto’s assassination. This information was provided to the Interior Ministry in December 2007 by the Army and the ISI in three reports and the letters
obtained from the bin Laden’s residence. In these secret intelligence reports, the ministry was warned that bin Laden had issued orders to kill then President Musharraf, Pakistan People’s Party’s chief Bhutto and Jamiat Ulemae-Islam-Fazl chief Fazlur
Rehman, the paper said. The most important letter by the ISI to the Interior Ministry was written on December 19, 2007; the letter was directed to the Interior Ministry’s thendirector coordination of the Crisis Management Cell Colonel Muhammad Imran Yaqub, the paper said, citing the documents. The letter, titled ‘President Musharraf, Benazir Bhutto and Fazlur Rehman’s murder plan’, signed by Lt Col (retd) Zaigham Islam Butt for DG Intelligence said bin Laden has issued the order to kill Musharraf, Bhutto and Rehman.
Beirut: 30-yearold Rebecca Dykes was working at the British Embassy in the Lebanese capital, pursuing her passion for travel and engaging in humanitarian work, oblivious to the brutal death she was soon to be faced with. The prime suspect in the case, Tarek
Hawchieh – an Uber driver – told police that he raped and strangled Dykes to death because “she was wearing a short skirt”. Dykes stepped into her Uber after a night out with her friends, soon to be left at the mercy of her driver, Hawchieh. “He said he found her
pretty, wearing a short skirt…and so he decided to rape her as it would be easy as she was a foreigner,” a Lebanese police officer told Daily Mail. He dumped Dykes’ body at the side of the road. Upon finding her body, police used the tracking information from Hwachieh’s car to locate him.
Dykes’ family thanked authorities for the spontaneous and thorough actions taken, saying that “they are grateful that the investigation is moving at pace.” “She always wanted to make the world a better place her humanitarian work in Beirut was testament to that,” Dykes’ family said.
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