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LIVE! Tamil Nadu theatre owners call off strike over 30% local body tax

16:58  Tamil Nadu theatre owners call off strike over 30% local body tax:  

Theatre owners in Tamil Nadu have called off their indefinite strike over a 30 per cent municipal tax on movie tickets introduced after the Goods and Services Tax  was launched at midnight last Friday. Movie shows will resume this evening.

The strike has been called off as he Tamil Nadu government would form a committee to study the issue.

More than a 1,000 cinemas in the state have been shut since Monday to protest against the hike in taxes – they say that the state tax of 30 per cent on tickets on top of the new national tax GST of 28 percent will deter cinema-goers and encourage piracy.

Tamil film industry representatives say the taxes could affect the livelihoods of nearly one million people.

Superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan have already extended their support to the strike.

Rajinikanth, who is currently in the US for a health checkup, had yesterday requested the government to consider the film industry’s plea.

“Keeping in mind the livelihood of lakhs of people in the Tamil film industry, I sincerely request the Tamil Nadu government to seriously consider our plea,” he said in a tweet.

16:42  A murder most foul:  Lauren Smiley delves into the lives shattered when Adam Purinton pumped bullets into Srinivas Kuchibhotla in February 2017. A must-read article in the Wire, here.
16:34  Modi to meet leaders of Canada, Japan, UK at G20: MEA:  

India said today that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold meetings with leaders of countries like Canada, Japan, and the UK on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg but ruled out any scheduled bilateral meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“The PM is visiting Hamburg from July 6-8 for G-20 Summit. His pre-planned bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Summit are with Argentina, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, the UK and Vietnam,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said when

asked about Prime Minister Modi’s schedule in Hamburg.

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16:08  Sunanda Pushkar case: Swamy files PIL seeking court-monitored probe:  

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy today filed a PIL in the Delhi high court in the Sunanda Pushkar case, seeking a court monitored probe and re-investigation by the Delhi Police.

The petition filed by Swamy asserts that the Sunanda Pushkar’s case is “extreme example of the slow-motion of the criminal justice process and the extent to which it can be subverted by the rich and influential”.

The PIL in the case has sought setting up of a Central Bureau of Investigation headed Special Investigation Team to probe in a time bound manner under a court monitored mechanism under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, 1950, the murder case of the former in which inordinate delays have been caused.

Pushkar, 51, was found dead at a suite in a five-star hotel in South Delhi on the night of January 17, 2014, a day after her spat with Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar on Twitter over her alleged affair with Tharoor.

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15:38   Netanyahu gives a demo of a mobile seawater desalination unit to PM Modi at Dor beach in Haifa.

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15:24  When Indian bravehearts were commemorated at Haifa for the first time:  As Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Indian cemetery in the Israeli city of Haifa today to pay homage to Indian soldiers who laid down their lives during the World War 1 while protecting the city from the powerful forces of the Ottoman Empire, here’s a must-read Rediff article from September 2010, the first time a ceremony was being held to honour the Indian heroes of this battle.   

In it, Vaihayasi Pande Daniel writes about the commemoration ceremony to honour these ‘Indian bravehearts’ on Haifa Day, 92 years after the campaign, that was attended by a handful of dignitaries — representatives from the Haifa City Council, Israel’s ministry of defence, the Haifa Historical Society, the Commonwealth Graves Commission as well as defence attaches from several countries, and India’s Ambassador to Israel Navtej Sarna.   

You can read the moving article here.
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15:11  Russia ‘could have’ interfered with 2016 US election: Trump :  

United States President Donald Trump for the first time has admitted that Russia could have interfered in the US election. 

Speaking at a joint press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Trump said he thinks Russia and possibly other countries could have meddled with the election he won in November.

Possible Russia interference in the election is currently the subject of a US investigation, however, the Kremlin has strongly denied all allegations.

“It could very well have been Russia but I think it could have been other countries and I wont be specific but I think a lot of people interfere,” he said.

“Its been happening for a long time. Its been happening for many, many years,” he added.

In the conference, he said that former president, Barack Obama, learnt of the hacking allegations in August but took no action until after the Republican was elected.

“He was told in early August, presumably by the CIA, that Russia was trying to get involved, meddling, pretty strongly with the election,” he said.

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14:51  PM Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu at Dor beach to visit desalination plants in Haifa, Israel. 

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14:38  Decoded: What makes online trolls so mean:  

Why does the Internet bring out the worst traits in mankind?   

Researchers at the School of Health Science and Psychology at Federation University in Mount Helen in Australia set out to discover what traits in “normal’ people (social media users above age 18 who did not appear to be trolls) that might make them susceptible to trolling behaviour, writes Cassie Werber in qz.com.

Some 415 men and women were tested for a range of personality traits, as well as for online behavior that indicated a propensity to troll — such as agreeing with the statement, ‘Although some people think my posts/comments are offensive, I think they are funny.’   

And the “trolls’ in the study scored higher than average on two traits: psychopathy and cognitive empathy, she writes.   

The study is forthcoming in the journal Personality and Individual Differences. It doesn’t offer advice on how to stop trolling behavior, but adds a wrinkle to our knowledge of why people act out online, says Cassie Werber, here.
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14:22  Tamil Nadu theatres remain shut for 4th day over double taxation:  

The indefinite strike by theatre owners and distributors in Tamil Nadu demanding withdrawal of 30 per cent local body tax on movie tickets entered the fourth day today.

Since new films are traditionally released on Friday, considered auspicious in the film fraternity, industry sources are hoping the situation gets resolved after talks with government scheduled later in the day.

Nearly 1,000 cinema halls in the state have been shut since July 3 to protest the imposition of 30 per cent local body tax in addition to GST on movie tickets.

Besides the local body tax, a GST of 18 per cent has been fixed for tickets priced below Rs 100 and 28 per cent for those above Rs 100.

Members of the Tamil Film Producers Council, the South Indian Artistes Association, along with the theatre owners and distributors, had met Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Monday.      But they decided to continue the protest as the meeting did not yield any positive result.

The issue also echoed in the ongoing assembly session with opposition parties DMK and Congress raising it.

Municipal Administration Minister S P Velumani informed the members that the government would give due consideration to the problems of all sections of people.       

The government, he said, was committed to solving the problem.

Superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan have already extended their support to the strike.

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13:52  Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu lays wreath at cemetery for Indian soldiers of WWI in Haifa.

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13:50  Update: ‘Atmosphere not right’ for Xi-Modi meet at G20: China:  

Amidst a border standoff, China today said that the “atmosphere” was “not right” for a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg.

“The atmosphere is not right for a bilateral meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry official said ahead of the G20 Summit in the German city of Hamburg from tomorrow.

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for past 19 days after a Chinese Army’s construction party attempted to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

There were reports that Modi and Xi may meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit to resolve the standoff.

China’s state-run media yesterday had quoted Chinese analysts as saying that Beijing would be forced to use a “military way” to end the standoff in the Sikkim sector if India refuses to listen to the “historical lessons” being

offered by it.

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13:48  PM Modi pays tribute to Indian WW I heroes at Haifa :  

Prime Minister Modi paid homage to Indian soldiers who laid down their lives during the World War in 1918 while protecting Haifa from the powerful forces of the Ottoman Empire.

The Battle of Haifa was fought on September 23, 1918 and every year on this date the Indian Army celebrates Haifa Day to pay respect to the martyred Indian soldiers. 

Battle of Haifa is considered to be one of the most bravely-contested battles of World War I.

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13:07  IAF’s MiG 23 aircraft crashes in Jodhpur’s Balesar:  

A MiG-23 trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force today crashed in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur district, with both the pilots ejecting safely.

The incident occurred in Balesar area, SP (Jodhpur Rural) Dr Ravi said.

It was a MiG-23 UB trainer plane and both the pilot and co-pilot are safe, defence source said.

A Court of Inquiry has been ordered.

Further details are awaited.

This is second crash within a week as on June 4, an Indian Air Force helicopter went missing. 

Later, its debris was spotted in a deep ravine yesterday.

12:55  For Netanyahu, both India and China ties are a marriage made in heaven:  Socio-political activist and columnist Sudheendra Kulkarni tweets: #Netanyahu to #XiJinping on 20.3.17: “This is a marriage made in heaven” #Netanyahu to #Modi on 5.7.17: “This is a marriage made in heaven”   

The Hindu‘s Suhasini Haider had made the same point yesterday when she tweeted: ‘PM Netanyahu: India Israel ties are a marriage made in heaven, practiced on earth. Same line he said for China in March this year.’

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12:20  Hope you didn’t fall for this fake photograph:  The photo alongside, of a street artist, has been making the rounds since Prime Minister landed in Israel for his three-day visit, but don’t fall for it, warns the Quint, because, the website points out, the image is a photoshopped version of a photo from 2005.   

The actual image was taken at the Centre of Pompidou in Paris. And the street artist was captured reproducing Vermeer’s Het Meisje Met de Parel, the website says, here.
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12:14  Coming up today: Mallya’s extradition case in London:  The Westminster magistrates’ court in London will hear today the extradition case of fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya. Britain’s crown prosecution service will argue in the extradition case on behalf of India.  

A joint team of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate went to London last month with relevant documents to bolster the Crown’s case.  

Mallya, a liquor baron, owes as much as Rs 9,000 crore to Indian banks. He has been accused of “dual criminality” — of cheating and money laundering.  

The liquor tycoon is currently out on bail after being arrested by Scotland Yard in April 18 after India made a formal extradition request for him on February 8. 

The 61-year-old chief of the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines fled India on March 2 last year, and has been living in Britain, mostly, since then.

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12:02  Achal Kumar Joti takes charge as CEC:  

Achal Kumar Joti today took the charge as the Chief Election Commissioner of India.

Joti, 64, was the chief secretary of Gujarat when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief minister.

Joti, a 1975-batch Indian Administrative Service officer, had joined the three-member poll panel as an election commissioner on May 8, 2015 and would be in office till January 17 next year.

He retired as the Gujarat chief secretary in January 2013.

A CEC or an EC can have a tenure of six years or hold office till the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

11:50  Woman gang raped in front of children; 4 arrested :  A 35-year-old woman was allegedly raped by two men in front of her three children at her house in Visakhapatnam, police said.

The police yesterday nabbed the two accused and their accomplices and are interrogating them. 

In her complaint lodged with the Gajuwaka Police Station on Tuesday night, the woman stated that the incident occurred on Monday evening when her husband was away for work.

According to the complainant, the gang of four men, including a minor, barged into her house.

“Two members of the gang raped the woman in front of her children. They also threatened her with dire consequences if she disclosed the matter to anyone,” Gajuwaka police station inspector T Immanuel Raju said.

Police have registered a case under IPC section 376, for punishment for rape, against the accused. “We have nabbed all the four members of the gang and further investigation is on,” Raju said.

11:35  Saudi Arabia funding Islamic terrorism in UK, says report:  Saudi Arabia is the chief foreign promoter of Islamist extremism in the UK, a new report has claimed, reports the BBC, here.   

‘The Henry Jackson Society said there was a “clear and growing link” between Islamist organisations in receipt of overseas funds, hate preachers and Jihadist groups promoting violence, and the foreign affairs think tank called for a public inquiry into the role of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations,’ BBC reported.   

The full report can be accessed here.
11:30  The toxic path Pakistan still treads:  ‘If Pakistan does not rid itself of its networks of extremism, terrorism and militancy, domestic or regional circumstances will invariably create an excuse for the next big wave of violence. Seventy years into its existence, this country must no longer be held back by forces four decades old,’ Dawn notes in its strongly-worded editorial, here.
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11:26  Jawan goes missing in Kashmir with AK-47, suspected to have joined terrorists:  

An Army jawan has gone missing along with his service rifle from a camp in Baramulla district of north Kashmir, officials said today.

Zahoor Ahmad Thoker, a resident of Pulwama district in South Kashmir, was reported absconding since last night by the army unit located in Gantmulla area of Baramulla, the officials said.

They said Thoker’s service rifle and three magazines were also missing.

An alert has been sounded and security forces have been directed to remain vigilant as the jawan could have joined militant ranks, the officials said.

11:19  SC strikes down jobs, admissions based on fake caste certificate:  Just In: Supreme Court holds that jobs and admissions secured on fake caste certificate in reserved category can’t be sustained.  Apex court does not agree with Bombay HC ruling that a person can be allowed to continue in job if caste certificate is found fake after a long period.
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10:55  Why US Senator John McCain talked tough in Pakistan:  ‘US Senator John McCain’s warning that if Pakistan does not stop supporting the Haqqani network, the United States should change its ‘behaviour’ towards the Pakistani nation reflects the changing mood in Washington towards a country once considered a close ally,’ reports Anwar Iqbal in Dawn.   

But it’s not just the United States which talks about forcing Pakistan to change its Afghan policy, he writes. In a recent statement, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg issued a sterner warning. ‘It is absolutely unacceptable that a country provides sanctuary to terrorist groups which are responsible for terrorist attacks inside another country.’   

‘A recent Pentagon report — which describes Pakistan as “the most influential external actor’ in Afghanistan — explains that this new emphasis on Pakistan stems from a realisation that there can neither be peace nor stability in Afghanistan if Islamabad does not support the efforts to do so,’ reports Anwar Iqbal, and this report, which blames Pakistan for lack of success in Afghanistan, in fact was presented to McCain before he flew to the Af-Pak region this week.   

You can read Anwar Iqbal’s report here.
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10:41  Withdraw troops before talks: China to India over border standoff:  

Amidst the ongoing tension between India and China over the Sikkim border issue, the political counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in India, Li Ya, has suggested India to withdraw its troops from Doklam before peace talks between the two sides.

“As far as solution is concerned, the Indian troops must pull back to Indian side of the boundary unconditionally and immediately. This is the precondition for any meaningful dialogue between China and India,” said Li, in a video issued by the Chinese Embassy, over the border standoff between the two sides.

He claimed there was no support to India’s claim that the Doklam area belong to Bhutan, adding that China has strong evidence to prove that Doklam belongs to them.

“We have strong evidence to prove that Doklam belongs to China. Doklam has always been the traditional pasture for Chinese border inhabitants. Archives of Xi Zang Autonomous Region still retain some receipts of the grass tax paid by Bhutanese herdsmen. Today, the Chinese border troops still patrol there and the herdsmen graze their livestock there, and production and living facilities have been built there,” he explained.

“As to changing status quo, since Doklam is part of Chinese territory, activities conducted by China in Doklam are within China’s sovereignty,” he added.

Li alleged that it was the Indian side that had trespassed into Chinese territory on June 18 and changed the status quo, triggering a close range face-off.

09:55  Birmingham cancels permission for Burhan Wani rally:   The Birmingham City Council has been forced to withdraw permission granted to the organisers of ‘Burhan Wani day’ to mark the first death anniversary of Hizbul- Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani after India lodged a strong protest over the same. 

Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with Indian security forces in the Tral region of Jammu and Kashmir on July 8, 2016. 

— ANI

09:54  Lankan Navy arrests 8 Tamil Nadu fishermen:  Eight Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of fishing in the island nation’s territorial waters. 

The navy personnel also seized two boats of the fishermen belonging to Kottaipattinam in Pudukottai district late last night, Fisheries Department Assistant Director Chandrasekhar said.

All the fishermen were taken to Kagesanthurai, he said. 

In another incident, a boat sunk off Neduntheevu coast and the four fishermen in it were rescued by fishermen in another boat and brought to the shore Rameswaram early today, he said.

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09:42  MP denies nod for rally at Mandsaur but farmers adamant:  Farmers’ plan to launch a vehicle rally today from the site of last month’s police firing in Mandsaur has hit a roadblock with the local administration vowing not to give permission for the stir.   

The ryots want to start the nationwide-rally on tractors and four-wheelers from Pipalia Mandi — the place where five farmers were killed in police firing during an agitation on June 6.   

On the other hand, the district administration is not giving permission to the farmers’ outfits to start the rally from the town, around 17 km from the district headquarters, saying tension still prevails in the area.   

“We won’t allow farmers to hold a condolence meeting at (nearby) Bahi-Phanta area (to mourn the death of the five farmers) and then take out the rally from Pipalia Mandi,” collector O P Shrivastava told PTI over phone.   

“Tension still prevails in Pipalia Mandi. Besides, Bahi-Phanta is a place from where a four-lane road passes. Traffic on that road will come to a halt if farmers arrive for the condolence meeting on their tractors,” he added.   

The collector said the farmers are adamant on assembling at Bahi-Phanta and then coming to Pipalia Mandi for a public meeting to start the rally.   However, shops were burnt during the farmer stir at Pipalia Mandi and the area is “still tense”, he said.   

“Farmers are free to start their rally from any other place in the district. We don’t want to curtail the democratic rights of any person or group,” Shrivastava contended.   

“We have made some preventive arrests,” he said, but did not elaborate.   

Ujjain division range Inspector General of Police Madhu Kumar said adequate security arrangements are being made to maintain law and order.   

“Nothing (untoward) will happen. We will handle the situation,” he said.   Notwithstanding the administration’s tough stance, a farmer leader said there will be no change in the venue.   

“We are going to take out the rally from Pipalia Mandi,” Madhya Pradesh Kisan Sabha president Jaswinder Singh, who has already reached Mandsaur, said.   

“Farmer leaders from different parts of the country are coming to Pipalia Mandi. They will demand that a memorial be built for the farmers killed in police firing,” he added.   

“More than 150 farmer organisations are going to take part in the rally,” he said.   

The vehicle rally has been organised by farmer outfits to demand remunerative prices for agriculture produce and waiver of farm loans, among other things, he said.   

Singh said the rally will pass through Maharashtra, Gujarat and reach New Delhi on July 18 where farmers are planning to hold a demonstration in front of Parliament.   

The vehicular procession will continue from the national capital and culminate at Champaran in Bihar on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Singh added.

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09:15  VHP brings in more stones in Ayodhya for construction of Ram Mandir:  

At least three trucks of red stones were brought for building the controversial Ram temple in Ayodhya, under the supervision of the Vishswa Hindu Parishad.

“These red stones are for Ram Janam Bhoomi mandir’s construction. The stones were brought here previously also and now again it’s coming,” said Ram Janam Bhoomi VHP representative Prakash Kumar Gupta.

“The former government (Akhilesh Yadav’s Government) in Uttar Pradesh imposed restrictions verbally but the present government (Yogi Adityanath Government) has not done something like that,” VHP’s media advisor Sharad Sharma Prantiya said.

The stones were unloaded at Ayodhya’s Ramsevak Puram, the storehouse for Ram Mandir construction set up by the VHP.

The carving of stones for the temple is being done under the supervision of an organisation of VHP, ‘Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas’ and saints.

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08:44  Maharashtra extends waiver to farmers who took loans post 2008:  

The Maharashtra government has expanded the ambit of its loan waiver scheme to include even those farmers who had taken loans after 2008, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Wednesday.

Earlier, the loan waiver scheme, titled the ‘Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Sanman Yojana’, covered only those farmers who have the loan outstanding between April 1, 2012 and June 30, 2016.

Fadnavis made this announcement during his fortnightly programme ‘Mi Mukhyamantri Boltoy’.

BJP legislators Anil Bonde, Ashish Deshmukh, Sanjay Kute and Prashant Bamb called on the chief minister earlier in the day and demanded that farmers who have taken agriculture loans after March 1, 2008 and before May 31, 2012 be given benefit of the loan waiver scheme announced last month.

The erstwhile Congress-led UPA government under Manmohan Singh had announced an agriculture loan waiver and a debt relief scheme of Rs 71,000 crore for the country in 2008.

That scheme covered cultivators who had an overdue of agriculture loans up to February 29, 2008.

“Fadnavis agreed to the demand raised by the BJP legislators and announced to include those farmers in his loan waiver scheme,” stated a release issued by the Chief Minister’s Office.

The CM also extended the date to repay overdue of loans taken by farmers in the year 2016-17 and who are regular payees from earlier June 30, 2017 to July 31, 2017, the statement said.

In the One Time Settlement scheme, farmers can repay outstanding loan in four instalments. Once they repay three instalments, the government will give the fourth instalment of Rs 1.5 lakh as the loan waiver, he said.

08:41  18 Naxals killed in op between June 23-25: Chhattisgarh Police:  

The Chhattisgarh police on Wednesday claimed that 18 Naxals were killed during a joint counter-insurgency operation by security forces in Tondamarka area of Sukma district last month.

The operation, named ‘Prahaar’, was conducted by the Central Reserve Police Force, its elit unit, the CoBRA and the state police’s Special Task Force and District Reserve Guard between June 23 and 25, police said.

The area, situated deep inside forests under Chhintagufa police station limits, is considered a “Naxal den”.

While the body of only one Naxal was recovered, Sukma Superintendent of Police Abhishek Meena said the police had confirmed reports of death of 18 Naxals.

Body of Uika Lakhu, a hardcore “military cadre”, was recovered, Meena told PTI.

Several other rebels were either killed or injured but their colleagues managed to drag their bodies away, he said.

Three DRG jawans were also killed and six other security personnel injured in the operation, the SP said.

“We have received confirmed reports that 14 Maoists were gunned down in exchange of fire with security forces during that operation, while another four injured cadres succumbed later,” Meena said.

As per the local intelligence sources, six of these slain Naxals were identified as Sodhi Budhra, Podiyam Suresh, Muchaki Jogi, Madvi Hidma, Veti Joga and Sodhi Lakhe, all belonging to People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army squad of Maoists, he added.

On April 24 this year, 25 CRPF personnel who were providing security for a road construction work were killed in a Naxal attack in Burkapal area of Sukma. 

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08:21  Chinese soldiers should leave Bhutanese territory to reduce tension: India:  

The border standoff between armies of India and China at the Sikkim sector can be resolved diplomatically and Chinese soldiers should leave the Bhutanese territory to reduce tension in the area, Minister of State for

Defence Subhash Bhamre said.

“I think the issue can be resolved at the diplomatic level. The Chinese troops should stay where they were earlier. China is approaching towards Bhutanese territory. We want them not to come forward.

“This is our security concern and this is our stand. Bhutan’s King had given a statement that Chinese (troops) are entering into its territory. This tension can be resolved at the diplomatic level. Across the table we can solve all the problems,” Bhamre said.

Bhamre’s comments came on a day China accused India of “trampling” on the principles of the Panchsheel pact and demanded that India “correct its mistakes” by pulling back its troops immediately.

Chinese envoy to India Luo Zhaohui had said China had ruled out a compromise in the military standoff with India and put the onus on New Delhi to resolve the “grave” situation.

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan trijunction for the past 19 days after a Chinese army’s construction party came to build a road.

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00:23  Fans of Trump Taj Mahal can take a piece of the casino home:  

Fans of the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort can take home a piece of the former casino before it’s gutted to make way for the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

Furniture, poker tables, grand pianos, art and even its famous chandeliers will be among the merchandise up for grabs at a liquidation sale that starts at 10 am tomorrow.

National Content Liquidators says the sale will continue until everything’s gone.

US President Donald Trump opened the Taj Mahal in 1990, proclaiming it to be “the eighth wonder of the world.”

But within a year it had filed for bankruptcy, crippled by choking debt. Trump cut most of his ties with Atlantic City in 2009, having lost control of the casino company he once owned in a bankruptcy.

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn shut the Taj Mahal down in October after a bitter strike with the casino’s main union, and he sold it to Hard Rock International in March for $50 million.

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00:06  Indians in Israel who have served in the army to receive OCI cards:  Continuing his address to the Indian Diaspora, the PM to the chants of ‘Modi, Modi’ speaks:

>> We have developed a holistic approach to promote ease of doing business in India

>> For the first time in India, we are linking tax incentives with job creation

>> Make in India has become a brand now, taking everyone by surprise

>> India and Israel can walk together shoulder to shoulder in the field of technology

>> The skills you are learning here will be useful to India in the times to come

He also brings some good news for the Indians living in Israel. 

>> Those who have served in Israel’s army under the conscription rule will receive an OCI card

>> In order to deepen cultural ties with Israel, soon Indian government will open an Indian Cultural Centre in Israel, which will help you connect to your history

>> A Delhi-Mumbai-Tel Aviv airplane route will also soon begin

Source: Rediff