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15:18  Parrikar undergoes ‘routine check-up’ at Goa hospital:  

Ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar underwent a “routine check-up” at a state-run hospital near Panaji on Sunday, an official in the chief minister’s office said.

   

Parrikar, 62, has been recuperating at his private residence near Panaji since October 14 upon his return from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, where he underwent treatment for a pancreatic ailment.

 

He was taken to the Goa Medical College and Hospital on Sunday morning for a “routine check-up”, Parrikar’s personal secretary Rupesh Kamat said in a statement.

 

A source said the chief minister was at the hospital for over an hour during which he underwent some tests.

 

The source, however, did not give any details of the check-ups done, saying they were “confidential”.

“It was more like a routine check-up,” he added.

Before being admitted to AIIMS, Parrikar had undergone treatment at a US hospital between March and August.

After his return to Goa, the chief minister had held a series of meetings with government officials and his Cabinet colleagues.

He had also chaired meetings of the state Cabinet and the State Investment Promotion Board.

 

All three Bharatiya Janata Party Members of Parliament from Goa — Vinay Tendulkar (Rajya Sabha), Shripad Naik (North Goa), who is also a Union minister and Narendra Sawaikar (South Goa)– had met Parrikar on Saturday at his residence to enquire about his health. — PTI 

Photograph: ANI

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15:05  What is govt’s ‘tearing hurry’ to ‘fix’ RBI capital framework, asks Chidambaram:  

Former Union finance minister P Chidambaram Sunday asked the Centre what was its “tearing hurry” to “fix” the capital framework of Reserve Bank of India when the ruling dispensation had just four months to complete the term.

In a series of tweets, the senior Congress leader slammed the government for allegedly seeking funds from the RBI despite claiming that its (Centre) fiscal math was correct.

“The NDA government has competed 4 years and 6 months of its term. It has effectively 4 months left. What is the tearing hurry to ‘fix’ the capital framework of RBI?” he said.

Chidambaram said if the government did not need any more money this financial year, why was it “mounting pressure” on the central bank in the last four months of its tenure. 

“Why did it keep silent for 4 years and 6 months?” he said.

The Congress leader said the government had claimed that its “fiscal math is correct” and “boasts” that it had given up Rs 70,000 crore of borrowing for 2018-19.

“If so, why does it need money from the reserves of RBI this year?” he said.  

The central government had on Friday said it was discussing an “appropriate” size of capital reserves that the central bank must maintain, but denied seeking a massive capital transfer from the RBI.

The RBI has a massive Rs 9.59 lakh crore reserves and the government, if reports are to be believed, wants the central bank to part with a third of that fund — an issue which along with easing of norms for weak banks and raising liquidity has brought the two at loggerheads in recent weeks.

Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg took to Twitter on Friday to clarify that the government was not in any dire need of funds and that there was no proposal to ask the RBI to transfer Rs 3.6 lakh crore.

“There is no proposal to ask RBI to transfer (Rs) 3.6 or (Rs) 1 lakh crore, as speculated,” he tweeted. 

“Government’s FD (fiscal deficit) in FY 2013-14 was 5.1%. From 2014-15 onwards, Government has succeeded in bringing it down substantially. We will end the FY 2018-19 with FD of 3.3%. Government has actually foregone (Rs) 70,000 crore of budgeted market borrowing this year,” Garg said.  

The official said the only proposal under discussion was to “fix appropriate economic capital framework of RBI”.

Economic capital framework refers to the risk capital required by the central bank while taking into account different risks. — PTI


13:36  Border Security Force sub-inspector Mahendra Singh, who was seriously injured in IED blast in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district, succumbed to injuries.

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13:31  Mining baron Janardhana Reddy arrested :  

Former Karnataka minister and mining baron G Janardhana Reddy has been arrested in connection with Ambident Group alleged bribery case, news agency ANI reported.

Reddy, who the police said had been absconding, on Saturday appeared before the police in connection with an alleged ponzi scam,

He claimed that there was a political conspiracy and added that he had faith in the police.

The Central Crime Branch police had launched a hunt for him since Wednesday in connection with a money transaction worth crores of rupees, allegedly linked to a ponzi scheme.

The CCB was also on the lookout for Reddy’s close aide, Ali Khan, who had allegedly struck a Rs 20-crore deal with Syed Ahmed Fareed of Ambidant Marketing Pvt Ltd — a company accused of involvement in the ponzi scheme — to bail him out from the Enforcement Directorate investigation.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar had said on Wednesday that Reddy was absconding and the police were looking for him to question him in the case.


13:22  PM pays tributes to Indian soldiers who fought in World War I:  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday paid tributes to Indian soldiers who fought in World War I and said the country reiterates its commitment towards world peace so that the trail of death and destruction caused by wars does not occur.

   

“Today, as we mark one hundred years since the end of the horrific First World War, we reiterate our commitment towards world peace and pledge to work to further an atmosphere of harmony and brotherhood so that the trail of death and destruction caused by wars does not occur,” he said in a series of tweets.

He said, India remembers its brave soldiers who fought in WW I. 

“This was a war in which India was not directly involved yet our soldiers fought world over, just for the cause of peace,” the prime minister said.

Modi recalled that he had the honour of paying tributes at the Neuve-Chapelle Memorial in France and at the memorial in Israel’s Haifa, places associated with India’s role in World War I.

“When (Israel) PM Benjamin Netanyahu came to India, we paid tributes at the Teen Murti-Haifa Chowk”, the Prime Minister said. — PTI 

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13:07  Posting too may selfies increases narcissism: Study:  

Posting too many selfies on social media may make you more narcissistic, a study has found.

 

Published in The Open Psychology Journal, the study looked at personality changes of 74 individuals aged 18 to 34 over a four-month period.

Researchers from Swansea University in the UK and Milan University in Italy also assessed the participants’ usage of social media – including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat – during that same period.

Narcissism is a personality characteristic that can involve grandiose exhibitionism, beliefs relating to entitlement, and exploiting others.

Those who used social media excessively, through visual postings, displayed an average 25 per cent increase in such narcissistic traits over the four months of the study.

This increase took many of these participants above the clinical cut-off for Narcissistic Personality Disorder, according to the measurement scale used.

The study also found that those who primarily used social media for verbal postings, such as Twitter, did not show these effects.

However, for this group of people, their initial levels of narcissism predicted a growth in this form of social media usage over time. The more narcissistic they were to begin with, the more verbal postings they made later.

All but one of the people in the study used social media, and their average use was about three hours a day, excluding usage for work, but some reported using social media for as much as eight hours a day for non-work related purposes.

Facebook was used by 60 per cent of the sample, 25 per cent used Instagram, and 13 per cent used Twitter and Snapchat each. Over two thirds of the participants primarily used social media for posting images.

“There have been suggestions of links between narcissism and the use of visual postings on social media, such as Facebook, but, until this study, it was not known if narcissists use this form of social media more, or whether using such platforms is associated with the subsequent growth in narcissism,” said Phil Reed from Swansea University, who led the study.

“The results of this study suggest that both occur, but show that posting selfies can increase narcissism,” said Reed.

“Taking our sample as representative of the population, which there is no reason to doubt, this means that about 20 per cent of people may be at risk of developing such narcissistic traits associated with their excessive visual social media use,” he said. — PTI


13:05  Candidates failing to make public criminal records could face contempt of court action: EC:  

Candidates failing to put out advertisements listing their criminal records during electioneering could face contempt of court proceedings and those publishing wrong info about their rivals’ criminal antecedents could end up paying penalty for indulging in corrupt practices, the Election Commission has said.

   

Following a Supreme Court direction, the poll panel had on October 10 made it compulsory for candidates contesting polls to advertise their criminal antecedents in TV channels and newspapers at least three times during electioneering.

 

The directive comes into force in the assembly elections in five states — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana — in November-December.

According to the directive, political parties too will have to publicise criminal records of their candidates.

In a set of ‘frequently asked questions’ issued for the five poll-bound states, the commission has made it clear that candidates who do not have criminal record or ongoing cases, need not issue advertisement.

 

It said the candidates and their parties would have to bear the cost of advertisements and it would form part of their election expenditure.

To the question “what happens if such candidates or such political parties do not publicise in the manner prescribed”, the commission said, “Such failure may be a ground for post-election action like election petition or contempt of Hon’ble Supreme Court.”

 

Any candidate or voter of a constituency can file an election petition in the high court of that state challenging the election of the winning candidate.

 

On the issue of “someone publishing false information about criminal cases of another candidate”, the EC said there are already provisions to deal with any case of publication of false statement in relation to a candidate, including Section 171G of the Indian Penal Code which deals with corrupt electoral practices and prescribes a fine for such offences. — PTI  

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12:12  Delhi’s air quality remains ‘severe’:  

Delhi’s air quality remained in the “severe” category on Sunday owing to unfavourable weather conditions and a significant increase in contribution from stubble burning, authorities said.

 

The overall air quality index was recorded at 423, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board.

The city’s air quality was recorded in the “very poor” category on Saturday morning, but it again slipped to the severe level in the evening.

On Sunday, the PM2.5 (particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) level was recorded at 299, while the PM10 (particles in the air with a diameter of less than 10 micrometres) level was recorded at 477, according to data from the CPCB.

Twenty-eight areas in Delhi recorded air quality in the “severe” category, while seven areas recorded “very poor” air quality, according to the CPCB.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”. 

According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, the increase in PM2.5 concentration is due to stable meteorological conditions trapping of the pollutants in Delhi (very less dispersion) and significant increase in contribution from stubble burning.

Stubble burning in neighbouring states of Delhi on Thursday was the “largest-ever recorded” this year,  the IITM  had said Friday, adding that it could lead to a further deterioration in the already “severe” air quality of the national capital.

It said about 2,100 fire counts were observed on Thursday over north western region of India.

Delhi’s air quality has remained in the “severe” category for the past two days with the highest pollution level of the year recorded a day after Diwali on Thursday at an AQI of 642. — PTI

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11:57  India witnesses over 4.36 lakh cyberattacks from Russia, US, others in Jan-Jun: Report:  

Russia, the United States, China and the Netherlands were the top countries from where cybercriminals attacked users in India, with over 6.95 lakh such incidents between January-June 2018, according to cyber-security firm F-Secure.

 

Interestingly, the top 5 countries that cyberattackers from India targeted were Austria, the Netherlands, the UK, Japan and Ukraine, with the number cumulatively tallying up to 35,563 in the said period, as per the report.

F-Secure, in its report, said the insights are based on data from “honeypots”.

The company said it has deployed more than 41 such “honeypots” across the globe that “serve as sitting ducks for cybercriminals” and enables collection of the latest malware samples/shell scripts and new hacking techniques.

These “honeypots” are basically decoy servers that emulate the IT environment of a business. To the attackers, these look like actual servers of real companies with weaknesses and vulnerabilities.

This method, according to F-Secure, helps gain critical insights on attack types, popular targets, sources, volume, and TTPs (Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures).

“Such insights are collected by deliberately allowing potential attackers to gain unauthorised access to the emulated services of a server, and then studying the attack path to the point that the attacker realises it is a honeypot,” it added.

The report said the top five source countries that targeted India included Russia (2,55,589 attacks), followed by the US (1,03,458), China (42,544), the Netherlands (19,169) and Germany (15,330) – totalling 4,36,090 attacks.

On the other hand, Indian cyberattackers targeted a total of 12,540 attacks toward Austrian organisations, the Netherlands (9,267), the UK (6,347), Japan (4,701), and Ukraine (3,708), the report said.

The report said India ranks 21st in the global tally with 6,95,396 attacks hackers across various countries. However, India took the 13th spot in terms of hackers initiating attacks with 73,482 such incidents.

Globally, the UK was the biggest source country with a total of 97,680,746 attacks this year, while the US was the top destination country with 1,10,10,212 attacks, it said. — PTI


11:08  Bijapur: Naxal gunned down in encounter with STF ahead of polls:  

A Maoist was gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Chhattigsarh’s Bijapur district on Sunday morning, a day ahead of polling in the region for the state assembly polls.

The exchange of fire took place at a forest in Bedre area when a team of the Special Task Force was out on an anti-Naxal operation, a senior police official told PTI.

As per the ground report, a body of a Naxal clad in ‘uniform’ and a rifle were recovered from the spot, located around 450 km from here, he said.

Further details are awaited as the search operation was still underway, he added.

Security has been heightened in seven districts of Bastar division and Rajnandgaon district which go to polls in the first phase on Monday.  — PTI

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10:43  Maoists trigger 6 IED blasts in poll-bound Chhattisgarh; ASI injured:  

JUST IN: An assistant sub-inspector of Border Security Force was injured in an improvised explosive device blast in Kanker’s Koyali beda in Chhattisgarh.

A set of 6 IEDs were planted in a series and were set off in one go between village Gome and Gattakal in Koyali beda.

The state is set to go to polls tomorrow.

More details awaited.  — ANI

Image used only for representation.

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10:08  Trump cancels visit to WW1 military cemetery because of poor weather:  

United States President Donald Trump on the last minute canceled plans to attend the commemoration ceremony of the soldiers killed in World War 1.

Quoting sources, Washington Post reported that the incessant rain in the French capital made it difficult to arrange transport for the US President.

Meanwhile, the last minute cancellation of the plan by the Trumps, especially amid the presence of other dignitaries at the memorial site, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, prompted different speculations and criticisms from some foreign policy analysts that the US President might not be up for it.

The US President was scheduled to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in Belleau, located about 85 kilometers (50 miles) east of Paris, with his wife Melania, Washington Post reported.

The cemetery has a total number of 2,288 gravesites honouring those who died in the WW1, including many Americans soldiers and mariners.

The names of 1,060 more Americans who went missing and whose bodies were not recovered are also engraved on the walls of the cemetery.

Earlier on Saturday, after arriving at Paris, Trump held a bilateral meeting with French President Macron.

Both the leaders discussed the Iran Nuclear Deal; while the French President was in favor of maintaining the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action treaty, the US President was ‘sticking to his guns’.

Trump wanted a 100 per cent secure plan that could ensure the termination of nuclear projects in Iran, CNN reported. — ANI

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09:29  23 dead so far in ‘the most destructive wildfire in California’s history’:  

Rescue workers recovered the bodies of 14 people on Saturday who were killed by ‘the most destructive wildfire’ in California’s history, bringing the total death toll to 23, the local sheriff said.

“Today 14 additional bodies were located, which brings our total number to 23,” the sheriff told journalists.  — Agencies

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08:57  BJP should bring ordinance for Ram Temple: Amar Singh:  

Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh said on Saturday that the Bharatiya Janata Party has enough numbers in Parliament and it should bring an ordinance to facilitate the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

The BJP has a majority and the government should bring an ordinance for the construction of Ram Temple if the court does not deliver a verdict in time, he told reporters at a programme in Udaipur.

Singh also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not respond to allegations and statements made by Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

He praised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, saying the organisation has worked for the betterment of the mankind.  — PTI

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08:35  No RSS ‘shakhas’ in govt buildings if Cong comes to power in MP: Manifesto:  

Congress in its manifesto in Madhya Pradesh has said if the party comes to power then Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ‘shakhas‘ would not be allowed in government buildings and premises.

Also, an earlier order to allow government employees to attend RSS ‘shakhas‘ will be revoked.  — ANI

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08:24  Anti-BJP parties to hold mega meet on Nov 22:  

All the non-National Democratic Alliance parties are likely to meet on November 22 to decide on future course of action under a slogan of save democracy and save the nation.

As part of the anti-Bharatiya Janata Party campaign, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday met Congress party national general secretary and former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot at his residence and discussed the future course of action.

Naidu said that efforts are on to bring together all non-BJP parties and that he had met Congress president Rahul Gandhi to discuss measures on protecting democracy.

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Naidu said that the former is responsible for the present state of affairs in Central Bureau of Investigation and the Reserve Bank of India.

“The country’s economy is in doldrums with the interfering of the central government on regulating authorities like CBI and RBI. RBI is a regulating authority and independently regulate the economy,” he said while adding that the BJP government has been resorting to I-T raids on opposition leaders for political gains.

Referring to demonetisation, Naidu said that even after two years there is no result.

The BJP government claimed that demonetisation would help to bring the black money back but it turned as a futile exercise, he added.

“Country’s economy is in the doldrums. There was a fall in rupee value, increase in prices of essential commodities, unemployment increased, intolerance among SC, STs and minorities, secular fabric damaged and unrest prevailed in the country.

“The central government is resorting to conduct raids on those questioning including media, politicians to frighten them,” the chief minister said.

Speaking on the occasion, Ashok Gehlot said that Naidu met Rahul Gandhi and discussed how to save democracy. He underlined that no one is happy with the Modi-led government including farmers, youth, women, poor and petty traders.

Gehlot said that the BJP government claimed to utilise demonetisation to end terrorism but failed.

“The Centre has been destroying Judiciary, CBI, Election Commission, I-T for the first time after independence.

“The present situation is an undeclared emergency in the country,” Gehlot said.

“It is a time for an important role to play. We will gather all together on November 22 to finalise the future course of action. We will move forward with Rahul Gandhi’s agenda,” he added.

To establish anti-BJP platform, Naidu till date has met Congress party president Rahul Gandhi, National Congress chief Farooq Abdullah, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, veteran leader Sharad Yadav, former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, Samjadwati party leaders Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh Yadav.

The chief minister said that it is time to take a decision on the country’s future.

“I have no personal interest. We have to protect the country, democracy’, constitutional rights should be protected. We are strong in technology, Youths are more.

“Narendra Modi’s negative attitude and unilateral decisions along with Amit Shah leading to problems in the country. The Modi-Shah duo is destroying the systems in the country and giving priority to their own man,” he said.  — ANI

Source: Rediff