New Delhi: Forty-nine constituencies which went to polls in the first phase of crucial Bihar assembly elections today recorded a “historic” turnout of 57 per cent. The Election Commission said the turnout is likely to go up by “one or two per cent” as the final reports were yet to come in from the field.

Barring a “few incidents”, the polling in the constituencies located in 10 districts which are affected by Left-wing extremism went off peacefully, Deputy Election Commissioner in-charge of Bihar Umesh Sinha told a press conference here.

Terming the turnout as both “historic” and “encouraging”, he pointed out that 50.85 per cent voters had turned out in the 2010 assembly polls to cast their vote in the areas which went to polls today. The turnout in the 2009 and 2014 Lok Sabha elections was recorded at 44.08 per cent and 55 per cent respectively in the same area. This time, women outnumbered men by turning out in larger numbers. 59.5 per cent of women voters exercised their franchise.

Giving out district-wide detail of poll percentage, Sinha said Samastipur recorded 60 per cent turnout which was 54.2 per cent in the last assembly elections. In Begusarai, the turnout was 59 per cent (55.85 in last assembly polls). In Khagaria, the turnout was 61 per cent, which was 57.02 per cent in 2010. In Bhagalpur, the turnout was 56 per cent, which was 50.09 in 2010.

In Banka, the turnout was 58 per cent against 59.34 per cent in 2010 polls. In Munger, 55 per cent of electorate came out to vote as compared to 48.35 per cent in 2010. In Munger, Lakhisarai, Shekhpura, Navada and Jamui, the turnout was recorded as 55 per cent, 54 per cent, 55 per cent, 53 per cent and 57 per cent respectively.

While there were no plans of a repoll as yet, in nine areas, people boycotted elections mainly over developmental issues.

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Beijing: China will eradicate poverty completely by 2020 as it plans to lift nearly 70.17 million people living in the countryside above the poverty line, officials of the ruling Communist party said today.

Leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) will gather from October 26 to 29 in Beijing for a key meeting to finalise the country’s development plan for the next five years.

The fifth plenary session of the CPC Central Committee was scheduled at a meeting of its top officials, the Political Bureau, presided over by the CPC Central Committee’s General ecretary and President of the country Xi Jinping.

The Plenum will deliberate on 13th five-year plan (2016-2020) for economic and social development.

Poverty alleviation will be a major task in China’s development plan, an official said ahead of the 23rd International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on Saturday, which also marked China’s second National Poverty Relief Day.

“In the past 15 years, China has lifted more than 600 million people out of poverty, accounting for about 70 per cent of those brought out of poverty worldwide,” said Hong Tianyun, deputy director of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development of China.

Despite this, China still has 70.17 million people in the countryside living below the country’s poverty line of 2,300 yuan (USD 376) in annual income at the end of last year.

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New Delhi: The Centre has countered Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s allegation of rise in meat exports during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regime, saying beef export is banned and also there are no approved slaughter houses in Gujarat.

“@NitishKumar Wish to state your observation on beef export is wrong. Allegation on @narendramodi baseless,” said Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in a tweet.

She said Kumar has alleged that beef export has gone up 15.4 per cent in Narendra Modi’s first year as Prime Minister.

“Knowingly/unknowingly the Hon. CM is misleading people. Beef (meat of cow, oxen and calf) export is banned in India,” the tweet said.

Seeking to turn the tables on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his attack on RJD chief Lalu Prasad over the beef issue, Kumar last week accused him of “doublespeak”, saying beef exports had gone up in the last year during his rule.

“Modiji’s doublespeak at its best beef exports went up by 15.4 per cent in his 1st year as PM, yet he tries to make beef an issue in Bihar elections,” Kumar had stated in a tweet.

Sitharaman also termed Kumar’s allegation that meat exports increased when Modi was Chief Minister of Gujarat as “baseless”.

She said: “Wish to inform the Hon. CM of Bihar that there are only 10 states that have APEDA approved abattoirs/slaughter houses. Only these states can provide meat (other than beef) for export.

“They are: UP, Delhi, Maharashtra, Telengana, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Kerala. Gujarat is not one of them!”.

Giving details on meat export procedures, the Union Minister said quantity of meat exports is measured through exports happening from ports located in a state.

A port can receive meat (other than beef) from several states and thereon export them. So all exports from a port/s in a state are not sourced exclusively from that state alone.

Sitharaman further said sourcing of meat (not beef) for export can happen only from abattoirs/slaughter houses authorised by the APEDA.

“Gujarat has no abattoirs/slaughter houses authorised by APEDA. Not now, and not earlier either! So meat (other than beef) exports from ports in Gujarat happen of meat (other than beef) that originates from authorised abattoirs/slaugher houses in other states,” she said.

India allows export of only non-cow meat and that too boneless.

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Mumbai: Filmmaker Karan Johar, who is shooting his forthcoming film “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil” in Vienna, says he is “loving the cold” in the picturesque location.

“Loving the cold….shoot in beautiful Vienna! #AeDilHaiMushkil,” Karan wrote on his Twitter account.

Loving the cold….shoot in beautiful Vienna!!! #AeDilHaiMushkil pic.twitter.com/uf4tSTzNxB

— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) October 11, 2015

The film is directed by Karan.

Produced by Fox Star India and Dharma Productions, “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil” will feature Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma in key roles.

To be shot across the globe, including locations like Delhi, New York, London and Paris, the love story dealing with relationships and heart breaks, will hit the screens on June 3, 2016.

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Khandwa, MP: Veteran actor Dilip Kumar and filmmaker Sai Paranjpe will get Madhya Pradesh Government’s prestigious National Kishore Kumar Award for acting and direction for the year 2013-14 and 2014-15 respectively.

The award will be presented tomorrow on the occasion of Kishor Kumar’s death anniversary, Additional Collector, SS Baghel said.

While the “Chashme Buddoor” director will personally receive the award here, Dilip Kumar will be given this award at his Mumbai residence.

The award carries a cash prize of Rs two lakh, a shawl and a citation.

Kumar’s son Amit will be present at the ceremony to be held in Khandwa, the birth place of the versatile singer, he said.

Madhya Pradesh Culture Minister, Surendra Patwa, Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister, Vijay Shah and the State BJP President and Khandwa MP, Nandkumar Singh Chouhan will also be present on the occasion, he added.

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Chandigarh: A French delegation led by Ambassador Francois Richier today called on Haryana and Punjab Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki and expressed their willingness to contribute in making Chandigarh a ‘Smart City’.

Besides French officials, the delegation on Urban Infrastructure Development and Renewable Energy included a number of representatives of various companies, who sought for opportunities of their contribution in making Chandigarh a Smart City, an official release said here.

The meeting comes as part of the two billion Euro assistance from the French government to develop Puducherry, Chandigarh and Nagpur as Smart cities.

Welcoming the delegation, Solanki hoped the interaction between Chandigarh administration and French delegation will give a new direction to the relationship between Union Territory and France.

He said that Chandigarh and France share special relationship from the time of building of the city. Now it is planning to take the next leap in the development by its endeavour to become a ‘Smart City’.

The French envoy had on Friday last announced that the Smart City project for sustainable development, with two billion Euro assistance from the French government, has begun in Puducherry and Nagpur and Chandigarh were next in the line.

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Beijing: Scandal-hit German carmaker Volkswagen today said it will recall 1,950 diesel vehicles in China to rectify engine software that cheats on emissions tests, following warnings from China’s top quality watchdog.

The company is working on developing a remedy for customers and will submit solutions to Chinese authorities soon, the world’s largest automaker said, citing a report submitted by Volkswagen to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).

The announcement follows warnings from China’s top quality watchdog about 1,946 imported Tiguan and four imported Passat powered by EA189 diesel engines, which are affected in the emissions scandal.

Volkswagen should recall the affected vehicles as soon as possible and keep Chinese authorities updated to protect Chinese customers’ interests, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. On September 18, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Notice of Violation (NOA) of the Clean Air Act to Volkswagen (Volkswagen AG, Audi AG, and Volkswagen Group of America) accusing the company of installing software that circumvented emission control tests in about half million diesel cars sold in the US since 2008.

The software, which the EPA called a “defeat device”, only runs the full emission controls when the car is being tested.

During normal driving, however, the car will emit nitrogen oxide of up to 40 times the standard.

The automaker, which offered its “sincerest apologies” to Chinese customers, has accepted installing software designed to cheat emissions tests.

The company said 11 million vehicles were affected worldwide and has already appointed a new chief executive and chairman after the emissions tests in the US.

It has launched a thorough investigation into the scandal, but new chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch said last week that answers would take “some time”.

The automaker recalled 384,000 vehicles in China two years ago to fix gearboxes after state television publicised complaints about them.

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Its known that Piracy is the biggest threat to the film industry, the huge budget movies are the most affected ones. Rudramadevi is one such huge budget movie which is now hit with piracy troubles.

Today Cyberabad Police team burst out a piracy racket in Hyderabad which was selling hundreds of piracy CDs of Rudramadevi. Three accused were arrested in the with these CDs and a laptop.

Gunasekhar who pinned all hopes on the movie is said to have suffered a shock with piracy killing the movie’s run. That’s great to see police curbing the problem at the start itself.

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Mumbai: Unfazed by the Shiv Sena protest and blackening of the face of Sudheendra Kulkarni, the organisers went ahead with the launch of former Pakistan Foreign Minister Ahmed Kasuri’s book ‘Neither a Hawk, Nor a Dove’ at a function here.

The event was held amidst tight security for the visiting dignitary in the wake of Shiv Sena’ threat to disrupt the function despite appeals to it to give up its protest. Kasuri himself echoed the sentiments after the morning’s event outside the house of Kulkarni, Chairman of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), the think-tank and organiser of the book launch show, had left a bad taste when Shiv Sena activists smeared black paint on his face.

“I would like to thank Chief Minister Mr Devendra Fadnavis for providing excellent protection (provided to him) ever since I landed in Mumbai airport (last evening),” he said at the book launch.

Taking a jibe at Shiv Sena, Kulkarni welcomed the former Pakistan Minister to the megapolis of Mumbai in Marathi.

“I also express my deepest gratitude to all of you who have come to attend the function notwithstanding the extra ordinary circumstances in which it is being held. “This shows your resolve, our resolve and common resolve, the resolve of millions of Mumbaikars to defend the values of tolerance and diversity,” Kulkarni said while making opening remarks at the event held at Nehru Centre in Mumbai.

It was attended among others by noted lawyer and historian A G Noorani, journalist Dileep Padgaonkar and film actor Naseeruddin Shah, who were panelists at the launch. Without naming Shiv Sena, Kulkarni evoked President Pranab Mukherjee’s recent remarks that “tolerance and diversity and core values of Indian civilisation and these must be defended”, he said adding “we shall defend them”.

Terming Mumbai as a “tolerant, inclusive, liberal, democratic and multi-faith city”, Kulkarni said the mega polis celebrates diversity of every kind including “diversity of thoughts and opinions”.

“Mumbai cherishes the right to dissent. Mala maay Marathi baddal, Marathi Mumbai baddal apaar abhiman aahe. Mumbai Maharashtriy aahe, parantu tyachyadhi Mumbai rashtriy aahe, aantarrashtriy aahe (I am immensely proud of Marathi, Mumbai. Mumbai is Maharashtrian, but before that it is national and international city),” he added.

He said Mumbai has a very special place in India’s freedom Movement with Mahatma Gandhi and Muhammed Ali Jinnah spending “maximum years” substantial part of their lives in the city, which served as “karma bhumi” of the both the leaders and attributed the book launch function as “an effort to undo the mistakes of the past” between the two nations.

He referred to a line from the book “na banduk se na goli se, baat banegi boli se” insisting dialogue between the two countries must go on irrespective of circumstances. On his part, Kasuri said his purpose behind writing the book was to “correct perceptions” amongst people of the neighbouring nations.

Kulkarni also thanked the “principled stand” taken by Fadnavis over the issue and providing security for the event.

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New Delhi: Theatre artist Maya Krishna Rao on Monday returned her Sangeet Natak Akademy award in protest against the Dadri lynching case and the rising intolerance in the country.

In a letter addressed to Helen Acharya, the secretary of the Sangeet Natak Akademy, Rao expressed her disappointment.

“The present government has in spite of reminders from society, done little to stand up for the right of people to express their thoughts and ideas and love the way they would choose to in a free country,” she said.

“Rationalists, creative artists, thinkers, dissenters, activists have faced threats and even been murdered. On a carefully orchestrated malicious rumour in Dadri a village ironsmith was lynched and killed,” she added in the letter.

Rao has expressed her disappointment over the government’s failure to speak up for the rights of the citizens.

“It is yet to empathise and reassure the country that the basic values of independent thinking and way of life of people will be safeguarded at any cost,” she said.

“In all conscience, I cannot retain the Sangeet Natak Akademy Award in these circumstances, and hereby return it,” she added.

Two eminent writers GN Devy and Aman Sethi on Sunday announced that they were returning their Sahitya Akademi awards, joining the growing protest by litterateurs over “rising intolerance” and “communal” atmosphere, and the “silence” of the Sahitya Akademi over the killing of Kannada scholar M. M. Kalburgi.

Writer returned their awards after noted Kannada author Aravind Malagatti resigned from the Sahitya Akademi’s Common Council.

On August 30, two unidentified assailants allegedly shot dead Kalburgi (77) at his residence at Dharwad in north Karnataka.

On Friday, acclaimed writer Shashi Deshpande had resigned from the Sahitya Akademy, while other six writers returned their Arulu Sahitya awards to the Kannada Sahitya Academy on October 3 over the delay in the arrest of the accused in the murder of eminent Kannada writer, scholar, rationalist and academic, Kalburgi.

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Stamford, CT: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today celebrates the one year anniversary of SPG Pro, its award-winning loyalty program for meeting and travel professionals. SPG Pro has revolutionized the B2B loyalty space as the first program of its kind to reward members across all segments for all business booked at Starwood, and provides customers with the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of SPG membership.

“SPG Pro allows us to reward our customers like nobody else, offering one holistic program that recognizes the personal and professional bookings with us. Just one year in, SPG Pro has generated significant revenue, grown our member base in 189 countries, and rewarded enough points to book more than 150,000 room nights.” said Alison Taylor, Senior Vice President, Starwood Sales Organization. “As we look to be the easiest and most rewarding company to do business with, we will continue to grow and evolve this platform for our global customers.”

The Power of Loyalty

SPG Pro offers meeting and travel professionals the ability to earn SPG elite status, upgrades and Starpoints for B2B business booked at any of Starwood’s 1,250 properties around the world. Plus, any SPG member who books an eligible event, whether that’s a corporate business meeting, holiday party, wedding, family reunion or social event– regardless of if they are a professional meeting planner or not – will earn Starpoints and status for the business they influence.

“Just as SPG changed the hotel loyalty space over a decade ago, SPG Pro is transforming the B2B loyalty space,” said Chris Holdren, Senior Vice President, Digital, Loyalty and Partnerships. “A year after launching SPG Pro, we have built true and lasting connections with our customers to ensure they are rewarded for the business they book with us.”

Earn Rewards Twice as Fast

To celebrate this exciting milestone and the success of SPG Pro, Starwood launched the richest meetings and events promotion in SPG history: SPG Pro Double Double. SPG Pro Double Double offers members the opportunity to earn double Starpoints and double eligible nights toward elite status on meetings and events booked through December 31, 2015, for arrival by December 31, 2016. SPG Pro Double Double provides members with the opportunity to earn event rewards twice as fast at all 1,200+ hotels and resorts worldwide, across all 10 Starwood brands.

SPG Pro Double Double will roll out with a USD$2 million global media campaign designed to recognize and excite existing members as well as attract new members.

During the SPG Pro Double Double promotional period, registered members can:

• Earn two Starpoints for every $3 of eligible revenue spent on qualifying meetings or events

• Reach elite status faster by earning two eligible nights for every 20 consumed group room nights

Register and learn more at spg.com/double. Through SPG Pro, Starwood has the ability to reward customers through a comprehensive loyalty program for all their business, provide exciting bonus opportunities – like SPG Pro Double Double, better understand the businesses they influence, and deliver more personalized member experiences. To enroll in SPG Pro visit spg.com/pro.

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Tehran: Iranian state television broadcast unprecedented footage today of a deep underground tunnel packed with missiles and launcher units, which officials said could be used if “enemies make a mistake”. The pictures were released just three days after Iran tested a new long-range missile that the United States said may have breached a UN Security Council resolution.

The footage also came a day after Iran’s parliament approved the country’s July 14 nuclear deal with six world powers. Iranian officials have said the nuclear agreement will not affect its military forces, particularly its ballistic missile programme.

The missile launch and underground footage followed pressure from lawmakers to prove the military had not been weakened by the deal.

The tunnel, hundreds of metres (yards) long and about 10 metres high, was filled with missiles and hardware. Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Islamic Republic’s Revolutionary Guards’ aerospace division, said numerous such tunnels exist across the country at a depth of 500 metres.

“The Islamic republic’s long-range missile bases are stationed and ready under the high mountains in all the country’s provinces and cities,” he said, according to the Guards’ website. The commander said the missiles were ready to be launched from all over Iran, on the order of “the supreme commander-in-chief”, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“This is a sample of our massive missile bases,” he said, adding that “a new and advanced generation of long range liquid and solid fuel missiles” would start to replace the current weapons next year.

The commander seemed to suggest the show of strength was in response to Western powers, especially the US, which despite the nuclear deal, have said options against Iran, including the military one, remain on the table.

“Those who pin hope on options on the table, should only have a look at the Islamic republic’s army options under the table.” Hajizadeh said Iran would not start any war but “if enemies make a mistake, missile bases will erupt like a volcano from the depth of earth”.

The US on Tuesday said Tehran may have breached a Security Council resolution during Sunday’s test of the new Imad missile.

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United Nations: The UN Security Council has favoured doubling the number of women in peacekeeping operations over the next five years as it emphasised the need for peacekeeping missions to take into account gender considerations and the rights of women.

The 15-nation Council adopted a revamped version of a 15- year-old resolution yesterday by which it decided to integrate women, peace and security concerns across all country-specific situations on its agenda, within relevant contexts.

The resolution called on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to initiate a revised strategy, within existing resources, to double the numbers of women in peacekeeping operations over the next five years.

“Fifteen years ago, Security Council resolution 1325 underscored the pivotal link between gender and international peace and security,” Ban said in his remarks to the Council.

“Since then, this Council has adopted several resolutions on women, peace and security – each of them a call to action for the international community,” he added.

In the new resolution, the body expressed its intention to dedicate periodic Council consultations on country situations, as necessary, to the topic of women, peace and security implementation, as well as the intention to ensure that Security Council missions take into account gender considerations and the rights of women.

The Council urged the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Political Affairs to ensure that gender analysis and technical gender expertise were included throughout all stages of mission planning, mandate development, implementation, review and mission drawdown.

Ban said implementation of the resolution “must be aligned with the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals”.

He added that particular attention should be given to women who are the most vulnerable, particularly indigenous.

“We must also do much more to combat the growing spread of violent extremism,” he continued.

“Groups such as Da’esh (also known as the Islamic State) and Boko Haram have mercilessly targeted women and girls,” said the Secretary-General, noting, for example, the systematic killings, torture, rape and sexual slavery by ISIS against the Yazidi community may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

“We must ensure accountability,” he said.

The Secretary-General also spoke of the restructuring of the gender architecture of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) in headquarters and field missions, as well as the work of the Department of Political Affairs (DPA) to bolster the capacity of its gender team in Headquarters and to keep the engagement and participation of women in peacemaking.

The Department of Field Support (DFS), he continued, was working to implement strengthened measures to address sexual exploitation and abuse, and to increase the representation of women in peacekeeping, especially at the senior management level.

He also indicated his personal commitment to reach the target of 15 per cent of peacebuilding funds devoted to projects that address gender equality and the empowerment of women, and the expansion of this target in emerging areas of peace and security threats, particularly with regard to violent extremism.

Addressing the meeting, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said “the voices of women leaders and frontline activists for peace are rare in this forum… but they are the most important voices you will hear today”.

She added that vibrant women’s movements work tirelessly to realise justice and reconciliation.

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Experts from across the technology industry will share their tips and insights on how startups can secure their applications at the Federal Trade Commission’s Start with Security conference taking place Nov. 5 in Austin, Texas.

FTC Commissioner Terrell McSweeny will give opening remarks at the event, which is designed to provide the latest information and best practices about security to the large technology community in and around Austin.

The day will feature speakers who have helped build and run security programs at large-scale enterprises and rapid-growth startups in Austin, like Dell, RetailMeNot, Honest Dollar, and National Instruments, along with top security experts.

Panels will address how startups can: build a culture of security, including how they can effectively model threats, train their developers, and ensure secure coding practices; scale security testing when they are growing rapidly and continuously iterating their products; work with third-party code and bug reports, and effectively address vulnerabilities; and move past bug hunting to embrace key security features.

In addition to the panel discussions, Venu Shamapant, co-founder of venture capital firm LiveOak Venture Partners, will take part in a “fireside chat” with Commissioner McSweeny on security issues facing today’s startups.

The event will take place at the University of Texas, Austin, AT&T Conference Center, and will begin at 9:30 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m. A full schedule and panelist biographies, along with details on the conference can be found on the event’s webpage. The event is free and open to the public, and participants are invited to pre-register for the event.

The University of Texas Robert S. Strauss Center and the Center for Identity are co-sponsors of the event with the FTC. Similar events are planned for other cities in the months ahead.

As part of its longstanding efforts to promote good data security practices, the FTC has undertaken extensive efforts to educate businesses and recently, released Start with Security: A Guide for Business, which draws on the lessons learned from the FTC’s data security enforcement actions.

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New Delhi: The secret files related to Subhas Chandra Bose will be declassified by the central government beginning January 23 next year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced as he met Netaji’s family members and declared “there is no need to strangle history”.

He said he will also urge foreign governments to declassify files on Netaji available with them by writing to them and personally taking up with foreign leaders, beginning with Russia in December.

His announcement regarding an issue that has been hanging fire for seven decades came when he received 35 family members of Bose at his official residence here and interacted with them for an hour. “Process of declassification of files relating to Netaji will begin on 23rd January 2016, Subhas Babu’s birth anniversary,” Modi tweeted later.

“Will also request foreign governments to declassify files on Netaji available with them. Shall begin this with Russia in December,” he said in another tweet. Declaring that “there is no need to strangle history”, he said “nNations that forget their history lack the power to create it.”

There have been demands by Netaji’s family and several others for declassification of secret files as they hope that it will help answer questions regarding his mysterious disappearance in 1945. The Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal had recently declassified 64 files which were in its possession.

“I told Subhas Babu’s family members – please consider me a part of your family. They shared their valuable suggestions with me,” the Prime Minister said, while remarking that “it was a privilege to welcome” them to 7, Race Course Road, his official residence.

“We had a remarkable & extensive interaction,” Modi said. During the interaction where External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Home Minister Rajnath Singh were also present, the family members requested for declassification of the files available with the government of India.

They suggested that the government of India initiate the process to get the files on Netaji available with foreign governments to also be declassified, a PMO statement said. The Prime Minister said he finds the suggestions of the family members of Netaji to be similar to his own thinking and the view of the union government, it said.

He agreed with the suggestion to request foreign governments to declassify files on Netaji available with them. Modi said he would not only write to them but also take up the matter during his meetings with foreign leaders, beginning with Russia in December, the statement said.

He also shared with the family members some instances of how he had recalled Netaji during his term as Chief Minister of Gujarat. Amid growing demands for declassification of the files, the Prime Minister had disclosed in his monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio programme on September 20 that he would be receiving Netaji’s family members at his residence in October.

He had noted that it would perhaps be the first time that the family members of Netaji would be together visiting the Prime Minister’s residence.

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New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi moved the Delhi High court seeking the transfer of hearing in the national herald case to the judge who had earlier heard the arguments in the matter at length.

In their applications, Sonia, Rahul and five others said that Justice Sunil Gaur has heard the matter on several dates, so this case be remanded back to him. The case was marked to Justice P S Teji for hearing after the roaster was changed earlier this month.

The court had asked them to advance the arguments and fixed the matter for October 15. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Sonia, on October 10 had told Justice Teji that it would be better if the case is sent back to the previous bench.

The court, however, was not inclined to entertain Sibal’s oral request and had said that as the matter has been marked to him now he will hear the matter further.

The contention was made during hearing of a bunch of pleas, filed by the Gandhis and five others, challenging the summons issued against them on a complaint by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy alleging cheating and breach of trust in the acquisition of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) by Young Indian Pvt Ltd (YIL), in which the accused party leaders are shareholders.

The trial court had on June 26 last year summoned Sonia, Rahul, Congress treasurer Moti Lal Vora, General Secretary Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda to appear before it on August 7, 2014 on the complaint by Swamy.

The Congress leaders had, thereafter, on July 30, 2014 moved the high court which had stayed the summons on August 6 last year. On December 15, 2014, the court had stayed the summons till the final disposal of the petitions.

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Noida: 83 people have been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force(UPSTF) in Noida on Wednesday related to fraud. After a three week hunt the STF sleuths raided three call centers revealing a fraud of rupees 15 crore. The centers have been sealed.

“The ways of duping money from victims ranged from arranging job interview’s, mobile tower set up to insurance policy premiums.This was a vast network of making money by illegal means. More raid will follow in Delhi and Gurgaon, more data is being scanned” Triveni Singh Additional superintendent and nodal officer of UPSTF’s cyber wing told Express.

According to the police the group used to run a full-fledged call centre fraudulently, were operating for around five months and in some days did fraud worth Rs 30 lakhs.Sources say a nexus between bank officials and the group.

“So far Rs 15 crore worth transactions have been detected and more data is being scanned.The sealed call centres were located in Sector 6 of Noida.They made calls to 1.36 lakh persons from various parts of the country.Transaction valuing more than Rs 5 crore have been detected in the six bank accounts operated by fraudsters” Singh said further.

Working on an FIR registered at Gosainganj police station in the state capital Lucknow last month, STF sleuths had been tracking down the gang for past three weeks.

The main accused have been identified as Mohit Kumar Beniwal (master mind), Sonu Sharma, Ramesh Mishra, Khalid,Aamir Gaurav Tomar,Mohit and Nakul Gupta police said, adding that they belonged to Rohtak, Karviong Assam, Tarafganj Gonda,Aligarh, Delhi and Ghaziabad respectively.All of the prime suspects aged between 25-30 have degrees in MBA the police informed.

The culprits formed five companies, namely Return Services, Net Value Services,RBS value card, Asord Services and Pinacle services the police said.

It is the sixth such operation by UP STF this year in which call centre running fraudulents have been under the scanner. The employees hired by the masterminds used to make phone calls to people. The gang bought database from job portals and targeted unemployed youths.

The gang members also duped insurance policy holders by offering them hefty premiums in return of fee. Taking money to set up mobile tower and arranging surveys, was the third method the gang used to dupe victims. Further probes were on.

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Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday sought to convey how close he was to India and its leadership, calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “friend”, whom he was in regular touch with.

“I talk to my friend Modi often. When we met the last time, he told me ‘I see a paragon of paternity between our two nations’,” Netanyahu said while addressing the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, soon after President Pranab Mukherjee finished his 15-minute address.

“India needs Israel,” Netanyahu said, referring to what Modi had told him as India was seeking revolutions in areas such as dairy, agriculture, renewable energy and water. These four colours, he added, represented the four colours of the Indian flag, respectively — white, green, saffron and blue.

The Indian president is here on the last leg of his six-day, three-nation, visit that took him to Jordan and Palestine earlier. He leaves for New Delhi on Thursday.

As regards Prime Minister Modi, he had met with Netanyahu during his visit to Israel in 2006. Again in September this year, the two leaders met on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly, in what was the first engagement between Indian and Israeli premiers in over a decade.

On President Mukherjee’s visit, the Israeli premier said: “This is historic — the first by an Indian head of state. We welcome you to the only democracy in the Middle East. Our two countries have stayed as examples for democracies for seven decades.”

Netanyahu also said he was truly amazed by the changes in India, which were removing millions of its people out of poverty and said the sky was the limit for cooperation between the two countries.

“On our part, we would be delighted to provide our technologies to India.”

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Reacting to the alleged involvement of one of its employees in the forex scam, HDFC Bank in a statement said the matter was being examined internally on a top priority basis.

“The bank is extending its full cooperation and support to the authorities as they conduct their investigations. The bank has a zero-tolerance policy for any misconduct on the part of its staff and any deviation from its clearly defined processes is viewed very seriously,” the statement said.

“Swift action is taken both at an organisational and employee level, and as per process the employee in question has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation,” the statement added.

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Mumbai: Singer Rani Hazarika & Actor Aakarsha Sinha ,Music composer Jaan Nissar lone were proud to unveil their music recording studio AR Music Studio- Sound for the soul at – A.R. Music Studio, 203, 2nd floor, Maple Morya Classic, Above Pop Tates,Near Infinity mall, New Link Road, Andheri (West).

AR Music’s brand new studio opened its doors from 14th October 2015. The opening ceremony saw the presence of legendary Bollywood actor Mr.Neil nitin Mukesh as chief guest; the evening also witnessed stars like Harmeet, Dilip Sen, Lalit Pandit, Sugandha Mishra, Rahul Seth , actor Kavitta Verma, Anjjan, Shweta Khanduri, Muzamil Ibrahim etc and the esteemed Mr. Ajay Nawandar (Maheshwari) & many more from the Bollywood world.

Singer Rani Hazarika says “They say that music affects the way we live. Our thoughts, our joys and sorrows, the way we think and the way we dance; all of it moving to the unending melodies and patterns of the soundtrack of our lives. This is one of the reason behind why we decided to open a recording studio”

Actor Aakarsha Sinha says “We want to bring a comfortable and stress-free recording environment through AR Music Studio- Sound for the Soul. AR Music Studio- Sound for the Soul offers top-notch gear and convertible spaces capable of accommodating any number of players. We have gone the extra mile to bring a premium facility with the unveiling of AR Music Studio- Sound for the Soul. We believe there is a need and ultimately we want to be an active part of the growth in India’s music industry”

The CEO and music composer of AR music Mr Jaan Nissar Lone when asked about his strategy and approach for the future quoted that “The tagline of AR Music- Sounds from the soul says it all, that is how Rehman ji does it and that is the approach that has brought AR Music to life”.

The studio is the vision of co-owners Singer Rani Hazarika & actor Aakarsha Sinha where ‘A’ stands for Aakarsha Sinha and ‘R’ for Rani Hazarika. It is not a coincidence that two dynamic divas like Aakarsha and Rani with their entrepreneurial spirits have come together to bring to life the most cutting edge recording studio in music history.

With the studio spanning over 3000 sq feet of space at a prime location in Mumbai, the founders quoted that it is a pleasant coincidence of their initials A&R coincide with the name of academy award winning Indian music composer Mr. A.R. Rehman. But they have vowed to justify every bit the name AR

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