No Survivors Among 224 On Board in Russian Airliner Crash in Egypt

None of the passengers or crew members survived the crash, media reports quoted Egyptian officials as saying.

CAIRO:  A Russian airliner carrying 217 passengers and seven crew members crashed in Egypt's Sinai peninsula today, the Egyptian government has confirmed. None of the passengers survived the crash, a report of the Russian embassy has said.

The search and rescue teams have so far found more than 100 bodies, including those of five children, in the wreckage of the aircraft, an official at the site told Reuters.

"The plane split into two, a small part on the tail end that burned and a larger part that crashed into a rock. We have extracted at least 100 bodies and the rest are still inside," the officer said.

An official among the Egyptian search and rescue teams had earlier said that voices could be heard in a section of the plane. But media reports quoting Egyptian officials have now confirmed that there were no survivors in the crash.

"There is another section of the plane with passengers inside that the rescue team is still trying to enter and we hope to find survivors especially after hearing pained voices of people inside."  he said.

Egyptian Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Hossam Kemal said it was "too soon to determine the cause" of a Russian passenger plane crash in the country's Sinai peninsula, a cabinet statement quoted him as saying.

The prime minister went to the scene of the crash alongside the tourism and health ministers and offered his condolences to the Russian ambassador, the statement said.

The Metrojet (formerly Kolavia Airlines) flight had 217 passengers and seven crew members on board. A senior aviation official said it was a charter flight operated by a Russian company.


The Kolavia/Metrojet aircraft lost contact with air traffic control over Sinai in Egypt

According to reports, Flight 7K9268 flying to Russia from Sharm al-Sheikh in Egypt went off radar 23 minutes after taking off.

Sergei Lzvolsky, an official with the Russian aviation agency Rosaviatsia told Interfax news agency that the plane had departed Egypt's Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh at 5:51 am local time (03:51 GMT).

He said the aircraft did not make contact as expected with air traffic controllers in Cyprus.

Earlier, there was confusion on the fate of the plane, while some reports said it had crashed in Sinai, others said the aircraft had made contact with air traffic control.

Most passengers on the flight are believed to be Russian tourists.

Lacha prantha

Akshay Kumar turns stylist for Amy Jackson

TAGS: STYLIST, SINGH IS BLIING, PERSONAL, FOCUS, CO-STAR, AMY JACKSON, AKSHAY KUMARAKSHAY KUMAR UPCOMING FILM SINGH IS BLIING.NEWS IS THAT OF PAIRING AMY JACKSON.HE BECAME A PERSONAL STYLIST TO AMY JACKSON.ACCORDING TO SOURCES AKSHAY KUMAR IS PERSONALLY FOCUSING ON CO-STAR AMY JACKSON'S STYLING.

Gunmen Kill 13 Passengers in Afghanistan: Officials

Gunmen Kill 13 Passengers in Afghanistan: OfficialsMAZAR-I-SHARIF:  Unknown gunmen today killed 13 passengers travelling in two vehicles in the usually tranquil northern Afghan province of Balkh, as President Ashraf Ghani convened an international donor conference in Kabul.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the killings of ethnic Hazara minorities, which come as Taliban insurgents ramp up attacks amid a bitter leadership transition.

"The gunmen stopped two vehicles, lined up all the male passengers and shot them dead," said Jafar Haidari, the governor of Zari district, where the incident occurred.

"They spared the life of one women who was in one of the vehicles. All the victims were ethnic Hazara minorities."

Abdul Razaq Qaderi, the deputy police chief of Balkh, confirmed the fatalities, adding that officials were investigating the incident.

The killings came as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani implored international donors for their continued support, saying the "wounded country" faced a host of security and economic challenges.

"Rebuilding Afghanistan is going to be a long-term endeavour," Ghani said at a conference of donors in Kabul attended by Western delegates and non-governmental organisations.

"Afghanistan is a wounded country. Widespread unemployment, a violent insurgency, and the advance of extremism across the region are increasing the likelihood that (our) economic reform agenda will be undone by political unrest."

Taliban insurgents are stepping up their summer offensive launched in late April amid a simmering leadership succession dispute after the confirmation of longtime chief Mullah Omar's death.

Mullah Akhtar Mansour, a trusted deputy of Omar, was named as the insurgents' new chief in late July, but the power transition has been acrimonious.

Afghan security forces, stretched on multiple fronts, are facing their first fighting season without the full support of US-led NATO forces.

NATO ended its combat mission in Afghanistan last December and pulled out the bulk of its troops although a 13,000-strong residual force remains for training and counter-terrorism operations.

Alia Bhatt Priyanka Chopra, Sonakshi Sinha Sonam Kapoor to become the most followed celebrity on Instagram!

Looks like divas is ruling this app in Bollywood. guys, watch out!
 But the queen of this game happens to be Alia Bhatt who has beaten her good friend Varun Dhawan to become the most followed celeb on Instagram in India! Here’s taking a closer look at her Insta account along with other most followed stars on the app.
#1: Alia Bhatt, Priyanka Chopra

Alia and PC have tied at number one, as the most followed actresses on Instagram


Celebrity: Alia

Number of followers: – 2.9m

Celebrity: Priyanka Chopra

Number of followers: 2.9m

#3 Celebrity: Sonam Kapoor

Number of followers- 2.4 m

#4 Celebrity: Jacqueline Fernandez

Number of followers: 2.3m

#5 Celebrity: Sonakshi Sinha

1.6 Million followers!
#6 Celebrity: Anushka Sharma

Number of followers for the two: 1.2m

Number of followers of all three- 1.8m
#brothers #salmankhan #priyankachopra #bollywood#bollywoodactress #bollywoodnews #udtapunjab#shahidkapoor #shaandaar #varundhawan#shraddhakapoor #aliabhatt #deepikapadukone#aamirkhan #jacquelinefernandez #ranveersingh#akshaykumar #shahrukhkhan #tigershroff#kareenakapoor #anushkasharma #bollywoodmania#arjunkapoor #sidharthmalhotra #sonakshisinha#welcomeback #jazbaa #hero #singhisbling

Guess who's getting ready for a massive shootout! Are you excited to see #PriyankaChopra hit the television screen with #Quantico?

Hubble Survey Unlocks Clues to Star Birth in Neighbouring M31 

After analysing images of 2,753 young, blue star clusters in the neighbouring Andromeda galaxy (M31), astronomers with the help from "citizen scientists" have found that M31 and our own Milky Way have a similar percentage of new-born stars based on mass.

By nailing down what percentage of stars have a particular mass within a cluster called Initial Mass Function (IMF), scientists can better interpret the light from distant galaxies and understand the formation history of stars in our universe.

The intensive survey, assembled from 414 mosaic photographs of M31 taken by Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope, was a unique collaboration between astronomers and "citizen scientists," volunteers who provided invaluable help in analyzing the mountain of data from Hubble.

"Given the sheer volume of Hubble images, our study would not have been possible without the help of citizen scientists," said Daniel Weisz from University of Washington in Seattle.

This evidence also implies that the early universe did not have as many heavy elements for making planets, because there would be fewer supernovae from massive stars to manufacture heavy elements for planet building.

It is critical to know the star-formation rate in the early universe - about 10 billion years ago - because that was the time when most of the universe's stars formed.

Stars are born when a giant cloud of molecular hydrogen, dust and trace elements collapses.

The cloud fragments into small knots of material that each precipitate hundreds of stars.

Hubble's bird's-eye view of M31 allowed astronomers to compare the IMF among a larger-than-ever sampling of star clusters that are all at approximately the same distance from Earth, 2.5 million light-years.

To the researchers' surprise, the IMF was very similar among all the clusters surveyed.

Nature apparently cooks up stars like batches of cookies, with a consistent distribution from massive blue supergiant stars to small red dwarf stars.

"It is hard to imagine that the IMF is so uniform across our neighbouring galaxy given the complex physics of star formation," Weisz noted.

The Andromeda Project is one of the many citizen science efforts hosted by the Zooniverse organization.

"The efforts of these citizen scientists opens the door to a variety of new and interesting scientific investigations, including this new measurement of the IMF," Weisz pointed out in a paper that appeared in the Astrophysical Journal.

Facebook Trains Self-Help Groups in Telangana

Facebook on Friday launched a training programme for rural self-help groups (SHGs) in Telangana 

to equip them with technological knowledge to promote their products in the digital space.

The first batch of 10 SHG representatives were trained in basics of Facebook, and the various features of the platform, at Facebook's office here and given an overview of how to use Facebook to promote their products online.

The SHG representatives were given a step-by-step walk through of Facebook Page creation and also some tips on posting engaging content, said a statement.

"This programme is part of our continued investment in businesses, developers and the 132 million people who use Facebook in India. These events, which we are rolling out nationwide, will help entrepreneurs in rural India reach new customers and ultimately grow," said Ritesh Mehta, head of Economic Growth Initiatives for Facebook India.

Telangana's IT Secretary Jayesh Ranjan said that the SHGs would immensely benefit as they would now be able to market their products globally, with assistance from Facebook.

Elsewhere, in New York, a small team of Facebook engineers has been working together with a group of local educators on a project that's going to reshape learning through technology.

The Facebook team has chipped in to help create a classroom experience that is centred around students' ambitions at Summit Public Schools, Facebook Chief Product Officer Chris Cox wrote in a blog post recently. These schools have taken a very different approach to learning, with online classrooms and complete personalisation.

Tax Filing Tips for Start-Ups and Work From Home People

With the increasing growth of the internet and diverse opportunities in the economy, the number of self-employed people has increased over the past decade. Every business has the potential to become big but everyone begins small by working from home, by freelancing or by setting up a start-up.

Apart from the work, one aspect of being independent which scares or bothers people is the tax aspect. How does one deal with tax when running a start-up or working from home on a freelance basis? What tax filing tips should be kept in mind? And how does one make this process efficient?

Here are some pointers.

Understand the applicability of taxes

It is necessary to understand the different dynamics of taxes. At a personal level, an individual needs to pay income tax for the income earned. If one renders a service and the income earned is higher than Rs. 10 lakh a year, then service tax needs to be paid at a rate of 14 per cent. This is applicable to all tax assessees, including individuals. If the receipts are higher than Rs. 25 lakh a year, then the assessee should get a tax audit done. Advance tax needs to be paid by the assessee. In case the start-up is registered as a partnership, the firm needs to file returns separately and the partners need to then file their individual returns.

Tax deducted at source (TDS) needs to be considered and accounted for

A customer who pays a professional in excess of Rs. 30,000 in a year as professional fees or technical fees is required to deduct tax at source and remit the remaining amount to the professional. While drawing up the accounts, the professional needs to account for this TDS and file the returns accordingly.

If you are a work from home professional and your tax liability is lower than the minimum threshold, you can claim the deducted TDS as a tax refund. TDS is applicable for assessees other than individuals also, including sole proprietorships, partnership firms, and companies. Tax is applicable on any income on which tax has not been deducted at source.

Tax filing forms vary with different cases

The income tax returns forms are different for different assessees. Therefore, one has to use the correct form while filing the returns. For example, in the Assessment Year 2015-16, one must use ITR 3 for filing returns as a partner in a partnership firm, ITR 4S in case of income from presumptive business, and ITR 5 for partnership firms. This may change from one year to another. Refer the income tax notifications or take the help of a qualified chartered accountant before filing returns in order to avoid complications.

Business expenses can be used to reduce tax liability

One of the biggest advantages of being an independent professional is that expenses directly related to running the business are allowed as a deduction from income while computing the tax liability. Start-up expenses prior to commencement of the business can be claimed as preliminary expenses. On commencement of the business, one can claim all business expenses as a deduction from taxable income. These include rent, postage, vehicle expenses, and telephone and internet expenses. Depreciation on car can be claimed at standard rates. Partners can be paid salary, which can also be shown as a deduction, provided this is specifically provided for in the partnership agreement. It must be remembered that partner salary will be taxed as income in the individual returns of the partners, whereas partners' share in the firm's profits is exempt in their hands.

Keeping record of transactions is important

While running a start-up or working from home on an independent basis, one cannot hold a third party responsible for mistakes in tax calculations and returns filing. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the assessee to keep safely all documentation that need to be produced any time they are required by the authorities. As per the law, records need to be preserved for at least 6 years from the end of the relevant assessment year. This is all the more critical if you are claiming expenses as a deduction from the taxable income.

Handling taxes for a start-up or work-from-home professional may not be easy. However, with discipline and order, it is not as complicated as it sounds. Alternatively, one can seek the help of a qualified chartered accountant to make the process easy.

Man Arrested for Threatening to Bomb Patna Railway Station

MOTIHARI:  A youth was today arrested in East Champaran district here in connection with an SMS that had threatened to blow off Patna railway station two days ago.

Acting on a tip-off, the railway police arrested the youth from Raxual railway station this morning, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Rail) Rajendra Ram said.

The youth has been identified as Niranjan Kumar, a resident of Narkatiaganj under Sikarpur police station of West Champaran district.

An SMS had come to Patna Railway junction from the mobile of Niranjan Kumar with a threat to trigger a blast at the junction day before yesterday, the DSP said.

The Patna rail police with the help of Raxual rail police arrested the youth from Platform number one of Raxual railway station, the DSP said, adding, he has been taken to Patna for questioning.

Chaina Hails India's Presence at World War II Commemoration Events

Minister of State for External Affairs General (Retd.) VK Singh with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing (Press Trust of India)

BEIJING:  China today lauded India's presence at the 70th anniversary events held to commemorate its victory over Japan in World War II, saying it sent a "clear signal" to the global community that the two countries stand together.

"Chinese people's fight against foreign aggression is part of historical fight of all nations rising against foreign aggression and for national independence," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Minister of State for External Affair General VK Singh when the two leaders met here for talks to review bilateral ties.

"So it (the anniversary day) belonged to the people of world. On such a momentous day we cannot allow not to have the presence of Indian friends and your support," Mr Wang said.

"So your coming has sent a clear signal to the international community that China and India have and will continue to be together," he said.

Mr Singh visited Beijing as a special envoy of the Indian government to attend the reception and a grand parade hosted by China to commemorate the 70th anniversary of its victory over Japan in World War II.

Apart from a special reception hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping, a massive military parade was held yesterday to commemorate the event.

Recalling the help rendered by Dr Dwarakanath Kotnis, the Indian doctor who took part in the international medical mission to treat the Chinese forces during the World War II,

Mr Wang said he was a household name in China and his name was mentioned during yesterday's parade as a mark of gratitude and respect of the entire Chinese nation.

"We will cherish his memory," he said.

Singh, who is here on a third visit to China after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government took office, said last year's visit of the Chinese President to India and Premier Modi's trip here in May have created an atmosphere of "great friendship and created mutual understanding of each other".

He said the forthcoming visit Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao was expected to result in substantive outcomes. Officials said Mr Li's visit was expected to take place later this year.

Considering the political sensitivities involved in yesterday's parade with anti-Japan overtones, India had a low key presence.

The Indian government deputed Singh to attend the function while refraining from sending troops to take part in the parade. Troops of 17 countries, including Russia and Pakistan, took part in the event.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and dignitaries of 28 other countries were present on the occasion.

Standed for Days, Over 1,000 Migrants Leave Budapest Train Station on Foot for Austria

Standed for Days, Over 1,000 Migrants Leave Budapest Train Station on Foot for AustriaBUDAPEST:  More than 1,000 migrants stranded for days at Budapest's main train station left the building on Friday, intent on walking to the Austrian border, according to an AFP journalist on the scene.

The huge crowd included people in wheelchairs and on crutches, as well as parents carrying children on their shoulders, all prepared to march 175 kilometres (110 miles) to the border.

Some flashed victory signs while others waved images of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who recently announced that Berlin was easing asylum restrictions for Syrians.

"We are very happy that something is happening at last. The next stop is Austria. The children are very tired, Hungary is very bad, we have to go somehow," 23-year-old Osama from Syria told AFP.

The migrants were part of an estimated 2,000 people stuck in makeshift refugee camps at Keleti station, after railway authorities had blocked them from boarding trains to Austria and Germany because they lacked EU visas.

Police watched the silent migrants walk through the Hungarian capital but did not intervene, the AFP correspondent said.

The march was causing traffic jams on the main route into the city from the western Buda area.

It came as Hungarian lawmakers debated tough new anti-immigration measures, including criminalising illegal border crossing and vandalism to the new anti-immigrant razor-wire fence erected along the border with Serbia.

Hungary has in recent months joined Italy and Greece as a "frontline" state in Europe's migrant crisis, with 50,000 people trekking up the western Balkans and entering the country in August alone.

A record 3,300 migrants crossed into Hungary on Thursday, according to the latest figures from the UN refugee agency.

The right-wing government headed by Prime Minister Viktor Orban has responded to the influx by erecting a controversial razor-wire barrier along its 175-kilometre (110-mile) border with Serbia.

On Thursday, Orban defended his handling of the crisis, blaming Germany's lifting of asylum rules for the thousands of migrants travelling through his nation.

"Nobody wants to stay in Hungary, neither in Slovakia, nor Poland, nor Estonia. All want to go to Germany. Our job is just to register them," he said while in Brussels for talks on the crisis with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker and EU president Donald Tusk

Confirmed MH370 Wing Part Won't Change Search: Australia

Australia is leading the difficult search in the southern Indian Ocean for the Malaysia Airlines plane which mysteriously diverted off course on March 8 last year and disappeared with 239 people on board.

SYDNEY:  Confirmation that a plane part that washed up on a remote island was from missing jet MH370 was useful but would not alter the search for the plane, Australian investigators said today.

Martin Dolan, chief commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, welcomed this week's news from France that the flaperon found on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion was part of the missing Boeing 777.

"We have been working on the assumption that the flaperon was associated with MH370," Dolan told AFP.

"It's useful to have formal confirmation of this, so it's good for us. But it hasn't actually made a significant difference to our search."

Australia is leading the difficult search in the southern Indian Ocean for the Malaysia Airlines plane which mysteriously diverted off course on March 8 last year and disappeared with 239 people on board.

Based on satellite analysis of the plane's likely trajectory, searchers are scouring the seabed off Australia's west coast, so far covering some 60,000 square kilometres (24,000 square miles) without result.

Dolan said Australia was considering bringing in new vessels and equipment to take advantage of the upcoming southern hemisphere summer when the weather in the harsh and remote place will improve.

"We are currently reviewing the options available to us to see whether we will acquire other vessels and equipment for the summer period," he said. "We haven't made any decisions on that yet."

Dolan said finding the flaperon, a two-metre (almost seven foot) wing part on Reunion, a French overseas territory, in late July was consistent with drift modelling based on the plane crashing in the search area.

"It hasn't changed our thinking about the search area," he said, adding that the flaperon also had not yielded any clues on what caused the plane to disappear en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

"All we know is that the flaperon at some point became detached from the aircraft and there are a range of possible scenarios from that," he said.

"We will watch developments obviously but at this stage we haven't seen anything that actually assists in refining or changing the search area."

Dolan said he had hoped the flaperon would reveal more but had known from the start that, although interesting for the broader investigation, it was unlikely to assist in refining the search area.

Islamic State Militants Blow Up Palmyra's Ancient Tower Tombs: Syria's Antiquities Chief

Maamoun Abdulkarim told Reuters that sources in Palmyra had confirmed the destruction of three tombs including that of Elahbel, built in 103 AD.

DAMASCUS:  Islamic State has blown up three ancient tower tombs in Palmyra built between the years 44 and 103 AD, Syria's antiquities chief said today, having also destroyed two ancient temples at the site in central Syria in the last few weeks.

Maamoun Abdulkarim told Reuters that sources in Palmyra had confirmed the destruction of three tombs including that of Elahbel, built in 103 AD, which he said was four storeys high and had an underground floor.

Islamic State militants blew up two temples at the Roman-era, UNESCO World Heritage site, which it has controlled since capturing Palmyra from Syrian government control in May. The group considers the buildings sacriligeous.

Toddler's Drowning Sparks Surge of Donations Across Europe

The child, identified as three-year-old Aylan Kurdi, is believed to be one of 12 Syrians who died when their boats sank trying to reach Greece. (AFP Photo))

THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS:  Charities helping refugees saw a surge in donations Friday across Europe as people shocked by the heart-rending images of a drowned Syrian boy on a Turkish beach dug deep to help out.

As the International Olympic Committee launched an emergency two-million-euro ($2.2 million) fund, money flooded into the coffers of organisations working to help refugees fleeing Iraq and Syria and groups cancelled weekend events to donate the cash instead.

The photos of the lifeless body of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi, lying on a beach in Bodrum, Turkey, have triggered a wave of emotion across the continent, despite deep divisions among European governments on how to deal with the crisis.

"There is an enormous response from the public, the tide of indifference is shifting," Christian Peregrin, spokesman for the Malta-based Migrant Offshore Aid Station, told AFP.

The group, working to help migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean from Libya, had by Friday received a record 600,000 euros since Aylan's photo went viral.

"Before that, 10,000 euros in a day would have been a good day," he said.

In the Netherlands, which has so far remained largely indifferent to the crisis, little Aylan's tragic fate has "served as a massive catalyst" to mobilise donations, a worker at the Dutch Refugee Council told AFP.

Aylan, his brother four-year-old Ghaleb and their mother Rihana drowned off the Turkish coast on Wednesday while trying to reach Europe across the Aegean Sea.

Since Aylan's pictures were published "there's been a whole change in attitude. Before there was quite a bit of fear over the arrival of refugees," the worker said, asking not to be named.

"Now people are realising that we have to do more."

Jan-Willem Anholts, spokesman for the Dutch government's Central Asylum Seekers' Organ (COA), told AFP that its switchboard was so flooded with calls on Thursday they had to bring in six extra workers.

"We have all been touched by the terrible news and the heartbreaking stories in the past few days," the International Olympic President Thomas Bach said, as the IOC launched its fund.

"Our thoughts are with the many refugees risking their lives and the lives of their families to escape danger."

The UN refugee agency UNHCR said that since Thursday it has "received a hundred thousand dollars of unsolicited funding on our global donate page, which we are sure was largely due to the photo of the Syrian toddler," said spokeswoman Melissa Fleming.

She added that in the past weeks there has been a surge in donations, even though the UNHCR and its partners say they remain hugely underfunded as they grapple with the growing crisis.

Forex Reserves Fall Sharply by $3.433 Billion to $351.92 Billion

Mumbai: After rising for two consecutive weeks, country's foreign exchange reserves declined sharply by $3.433 billion to $351.920 billion in the week to August 28, due to fall in foreign currency assets.

In the previous reporting week, the reserves had increased by $920.6 million to $355.353 billion, close to an all-time high of $355.46 billion, touched in the week to June 19.


Foreign currency assets (FCAs), a major component of overall reserves, were down by $3.424 billion to $328.306 billion in the reporting week, according to the latest Reserve Bank data.


FCAs, expressed in dollar terms, include the effect of appreciation and depreciation of non-US currencies such as the euro, pound and the yen, held in the reserves.


The gold reserves stood unchanged at $18.250 billion.


India's special drawing rights with the International Monetary Fund fell by $7.1 million to touch $4.067 billion in the week under review, while the nation's reserve position with the Fund declined by $2.3 million to $1.295 billion, the apex bank said.

PM Narendra Modi to Inaugurate Airport at Mohali on 11 September

CHANDIGARH:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the international airport at Mohali on September 11, officials said today.

Besides, the PM will hand over key to the beneficiaries of affordable housing scheme in sector 63 of Chandigarh and also address a convocation of PGIMER on the same day.

Mr Modi is also expected to address a public rally in the city on September 11, BJP sources said.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today held a series of meetings here with the senior leaders of the SAD-BJP including Cabinet Ministers, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries, MLAs besides the officers of the state government to finalise the arrangements, the spokesman said.

Mr Badal exhorted the leaders of SAD-BJP and the top brass of the government to ensure huge participation of the people from different walks of life on this historic event.

He said that with the opening of International airport at Mohali, Punjab has scripted a new chapter of its unending success story.

     

Mr Badal said that the International Air connectivity from Mohali was all the more important because it would connect the entire Northern region comprising Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu-Kashmir, Uttrakhand and even the Western part of Uttar Pradesh with the rest of the world.

The Chief Minister said that earlier, a large number of passengers from the Northern states were left with no other option but to travel Delhi for boarding the international flights, which not only caused undue harassment to them but also resulted in wastage of time, money and energy.

But the inauguration of this airport would facilitate the people of region especially from Punjab.

Mr Badal envisioned the airport as a catalyst to propel industrialisation in the state besides showcasing Punjab as the most preferred investment destination.

"This is really a momentous occasion for the Punjabis as Modi and other dignitaries would participate in this function, thus all of us should strive hard to make it a gala event," he added.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister deputed the Education Minister and Secretary Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Daljit Singh Cheema and his advisor Tikshan Sud to supervise the arrangements and logistics for organising this mega event.

Baba Ramdev Launches His Own Brand of Instant Noodles: Atta Noodles

Baba Ramdev Launches His Own Brand of Instant Noodles: Atta NoodlesAt a time when the instant noodles controversy was at its peak, Ramdev announced that he'd be launching his own brand of noodles pretty soon. He also said that these won't be made with maida but with a healthier alternative. He also said that the noodles won't be harmful to a person and won't be addictive.

The time has come when claims become reality. On Thursday, baba Ramdev launched 'Atta Noodles' his new brand of noodles that are made with wheat. At the launch of the noodles in this Hindu holy city in Uttarakhand, Ramdev said the noodles "will not have any maida (flour) and they will provide a healthy alternative to Maggi for children." The yoga guru said the noodles were completely safe and healthy for consumption, and he was promoting swadeshi products because they were natural and caused no harm.

The Patanjali group owned by Ramdev produces and markets various ayurvedic products. It had a turnover of Rs.1200 crores in 2014 and a projected turnover of Rs.2000 crores in 2015. Another product Patanjali plans to introduce sometime soon is Powervita, a health drink for children that will compete with brands like Complan, Horlicks and Bournvita.

Besides Baba Ramdev, the Punjab government has also deiced to manufacture instant noodles and proposed to launch them by September-end. This will make them the first state government to do so. These will be available in two vegetarian flavours and will be manufactured Asia’s largest marketing cooperative Markfed as Sohana Noodles. It is believed that the price of these noodles will be lower than the other brands in the market.

India is the world's 5th largest instant noodles market and worth approximately Rs.3000 crore. Of this huge chunk, Maggi Noodles sat on almost 60-65 per cent of it, and it's been the case for a little over three decades. While Nestle India is struggling to get them back on shelves by the end of the year after the product was banned due to high levels of lead, this huge market share might be up for grabs and gives other brands an opportunity to take over.

But the question that arises here is how healthy instant noodles are even when you swap ingredients? Since these are made to bear a longer shelf life, they are highly processed. They are low on nutritive content and with processed food there is always a danger of artificial colors, preservatives, additives and flavourings. The biggest problem that we face with such convenience foods is that people have started replacing wholesome meals with them as they are easy to cook and take less time.

India Trying to Get 129 Votes to Get Hindi as UN Language: Sushma Swaraj

NEW DELHI:  India needs 129 votes in the UN to get Hindi included as one of the official languages in the world body, and the financial burden was not a problem, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Monday.

Addressing a press conference ahead of the Hindi World Conference being held next month in Bhopal, Sushma said: "The way India's global stature is growing... for the International Day of Yoga, we got 177 votes, our morale has gone up.

"And we are now trying for permanent membership in the UN Security Council. We feel after we get permanent membership, the work (of getting Hindi included in the UN) will become easier," she said.

"We are busy trying to get the 129 votes, the financial burden is not a question," she said.

The minister said India was willing to bear the financial burden if it works out.

Hindi is spoken by over half a billion people in the world.

Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh told the Rajya Sabha in May: "India is taking necessary measures for popularising the use of Hindi and its acceptance as an international language.

"A World Hindi Secretariat has been set up in Mauritius to promote Hindi as an international language. The 10th World Hindi Conference is being organised in Bhopal on September 10-12. The prime minister addressed the 69th UN General Assembly in Hindi, on September 27, 2014. Necessary arrangements were made for simultaneous interpretation of his statement into English."

He said the government's "sustained efforts have also ensured that the UN offers programmes on the UN Radio website in Hindi".

The government has continued its efforts towards securing due recognition to Hindi in the UN, and inclusion of Hindi as one of its official languages, he said.

In July 2014, he had told the Rajya Sabha that the total cost provisioned by the UN on providing services in all its six official languages was approximately $492 million for two years -- and services in one language cost $41 million per annum.

"This cost is for provision of overall services including documentation, translation, interpretation, verbatim reporting, printing etc. in all the four UN offices -- New York, Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi.

"In case of including Hindi as an official language, there would be additional cost for providing infrastructure/equipment and space for additional interpreters.

"Expenditure incurred towards introduction of a new official language is borne by member states based on the scale of assessment," he said.

ITC to Enter Dairy Market with Ghee

   

The company's ambitious dairy business will rollout in the next few years, other products following ghee will include packaged milk, butter, cheese and chocolates to take on category leaders such as Amul, Nestle, PepsiCo, Hindustan Unilever and Dabur.

"Work on this plan is at various stages and when we are ready, we will launch products based on how the market evolves," Puri said, adding that ITC has identified areas across the country where they would expand dairy production over a period of time.

While Mr Puri did not ascertain the exact investment that has gone into setting up the dairy business as it is "an ongoing process", he said a "significant portion" of the targeted investment of Rs 25,000 crore for ITC over the next few years would be in foods.

The company has set up a milk processing unit in Munger, in Bihar, and there are plans to set up similar processing facilities in other parts of the country as well.

The Kolkata-headquartered business group also entered the non-aerated juice market last fiscal and launched seven variants under the B-Natural brand in January, which Mr Puri said saw robust double-digit growth in both the South and East where they began marketing.
   
ITC's stated vision is to see its revenue go up to Rs 1,00,000 crore by 2030 from the new FMCG businesses. It saw a revenue of Rs 6,411 crore in 2014-15.

Jennifer Aniston Lands $5 Million Deal With Airline

"JENNIFER ANISTON HAS SHOT A HIGH-PROFILE CAMPAIGN FOR EMIRATES, FOR WHICH SHE IS BEING PAID AROUND $5 MILLION. SHE WILL APPEAR ACROSS TV AND PRINT ADS WORLDWIDE," A SOURCE SAID
Actress Jennifer Aniston has reportedly struck a $5 million deal with airline company Emirates to endorse it.

The deal came after Emirates' rival, Etihad Airways, roped in actress Nicole Kidman to feature in their advertisements.

"Jennifer Aniston has shot a high-profile campaign for Emirates, for which she is being paid around $5 million. She will appear across TV and print ads worldwide," a source told NYPost's PageSix.

Jennifer is currently enjoying quality time with her new husband Justin Theroux in Bora Bora islands.

The couple jetted off for a romantic honeymoon after getting married in front of family and friends at their Bel Air mansion in a surprise ceremony earlier this month.

Deepika Padukone: What Shah Rukh and I Share is Very Special

"I DON'T THINK ANY OF THESE ARTICLES WILL COME IN THE WAY OF MY EQUATION WITH SHAH RUKH. I THINK WHAT HE AND I SHARE IS KNOWN TO US, IT'S VERY SPECIAL," DEEPIKA SAID WHEN ASKED TO COMMENT ABOUT REPORTS THAT SRK WAS UPSET WITH HER
Actress Deepika Padukone says there are no issues between her and superstar Shah Rukh Khan and says he was the first to congratulate her for setting up her foundation.

When asked about the recent reports that SRK was upset with her, Deepika said, "Ironically, while all of you were probably reading that article, he was messaging me and congratulating me for my foundation as I launched the logo of my foundation. He was actually one of the first people I spoke to, when I was thinking of setting it up. And he's always been very encouraging and supportive."

The Live Love Laugh Foundation is dedicated to addressing the issue of mental health in India.

Deepika had tweeted an image of her forthcoming film Bajirao Mastani with the hashtag a#challengeaccepted' which reportedly referred to the box office clash between the film and Shah Rukh's Dilwale.

Both the films are scheduled for release on December 18. The grapevine suggested that SRK was miffed with Deepika because of the tweet, which the actress subsequently deleted.

"First of all, I find it really amazing how some picture of my film that I've put with a certain hashtag is connected with some other film and blown out of proportion. Having said that, I don't think any of these articles will come in the way of my equation with Shah Rukh. I think what he and I share is known to us, it's very special," added Deepika, who attended the launch of a special collection of an eyewear brand.

Deepika made her film debut with Shah Rukh in Om Shanti Om and went on to act with the superstar in films like Chennai Express and Happy New Year.

Deepika, Ranbir Create Tamasha at Party, Break Down on Last Day of Shoot

Deepika and Ranbir photographed at the wrap-party of their film Tamasha in Mumbai on August 8
EXPLAINING HIS BREAKDOWN, RANBIR SAID, "I DON'T THINK WE GOT EMOTIONAL THE WAY IT WAS WRITTEN. I THINK WE ALL WERE VERY HAPPY. FOR ME, IT WAS MY SECOND FILM WITH IMTIAZ, MY SECOND FILM WITH SAJID BHAI AND MY THIRD FILM WITH DEEPIKA. SO, I WAS VERY OVERWHELMED BECAUSE THIS FILM FINISHED VERY FAST"
Bollywood actors, former flames Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone attended the wrap party of their upcoming film Tamasha in Mumbai on August 8.

Deepika, effortlessly trendy in a black off-shoulder Zara top and ripped jeans, was photographed having a great time with Ranbir; Tamasha director Imtiaz Ali, who reportedly hosted the get-together; and the film's producer Sajid Nadiadwala.

Sajid's wife Wardha and UTV's Sidharth Roy Kapur were also spotted at the do.

Earlier, the grapevine was abuzz with the rumour of an emotional Deepika and Ranbir breaking down on the sets of the film on the last day of the shoot. A report in DNA quoted a source as saying, "It was the last day of our shoot and the final days do tend to get emotional for the whole unit. But this was something else altogether. Both Ranbir and Deepika broke down. We were all taken aback, since these two are not known to be demonstrative of their emotions."

Ranbir, however, told news agency IANS on Sunday that his emotional breakdown on the sets of the film had been blown out of proportion. The actor clarified, "I don't think we got emotional the way it was written. I think we all were very happy. For me, it was my second film with Imtiaz, my second film with Sajid bhai and my third film with Deepika. So, I was very overwhelmed because this film finished very fast. We never felt the duration of this film," he said.

A large part of Tamasha, which releases next year, is believed to have been shot in the French island destination of Corsica. Tamasha, is Deepika and Ranbir's second film together after the 2013 hit Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani. It is also Deepika's second project with Imtiaz Ali after 2009's Love Aaj Kal.

Meanwhile, Ranbir and Imtiaz, who are known to be close, last collaborated on Rockstar (2011).

UK Woman Loses Vision After Mosquito Bites

LONDON:  In a rare medical case, a 69-year-old woman in the UK has permanently lost some of the vision in her right eye after she caught chikungunya fever while vacationing in the Caribbean, doctors including one of Indian-origin say.

A new report of the woman's case suggests that vision problems may be an underreported effect of the mosquito-transmitted virus.

"Sight-threatening visual loss can be a late complication of infection with chikungunya," said Dr Abhijit Mohite, who treated the woman and co-authored the report of her case.

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It is important that people with vision problems get treatment early, to prevent lasting vision loss, said Mohite, an ophthalmologist at the West Midlands Postgraduate Deanery and Queen's Hospital in the UK.

The woman had visited the Caribbean island of Grenada in July 2014. During her stay, she was bitten by mosquitoes, and developed a flu-like illness, fever, rash and joint pain.

Although the illness of the woman, who returned home to the UK that August, appeared to go away, she began having trouble seeing with her right eye.

"Her main symptom was that she felt she could not see the lower half of her vision in the right eye," Mohite told 'Live Science'.

"This had come about only a day before she came to see us, and about three weeks after she returned from Grenada," said Mohite.

Two days after her initial visit, a blood test showed the woman had chikungunya. But the doctors still had to rule out other possible causes of her vision loss, Mohite said.

During the six days that it took for the doctors to run all the tests and prescribe the steroids, about half of the nerve cells in woman's optic nerve died, he said.

The steroids decreased the inflammation, but couldn't undo all of the damage.

"The steroids, unfortunately, were not started soon enough in our patient," Mohite said. The vision loss was permanent, researchers said.

This is the first known case of a woman in the UK developing this problem, Mohite added.

Indo-Canadian Police Officer Found Guilty of Punching Cyclist

OTTAWA:  A Canadian court has found an Indo-Canadian police officer guilty of punching a cyclist while arresting him two years ago, a media report said.

The Vancouver provincial court on Friday found Ismail Bhabha, who migrated from England some years ago after marrying a Canadian woman, guilty of the single charge of assault in September 2013 while attempting to handcuff a cyclist for breaking traffic rules, Canada-based South Asian Link Newspaper reported.

The Police Complaints Commission had ordered the West Vancouver police to investigate the officer after a YouTube video surfaced of the officer striking a man.

Bhabha said he was trying to arrest the cyclist because he blew through a red light in Yaletown and was not wearing a helmet.

Police also described the cyclist's behaviour as "confrontational" before his arrest.

Vancouver police chief Adam Palmer described Bhabha as "a good police officer", adding that "just recently, he saved somebody's life".

A police spokesperson said Bhabha would remain in his current position in patrol until the court proceedings were completed.

A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for November.

Virat Kohli Congratulates Michael Clarke for 'Magnificent Cricket Journey'

Michael Clarke will bid adieu to international cricket after the fifth and final Ashes Test against England from August 20 -- a decision which was prompted by his team's 1-3 loss in the marquee series.
Colombo: Lauding Michael Clarke's leadership, Indian Test captain Virat Kohli on Saturday congratulated the retiring Australian skipper for his "magnificent cricket journey" which would end with the fifth and final Ashes Test against England.
"Congratulations @MClarke23 on a magnificent cricket journey; a fine captain with numbers backing his records! Good Luck Mate," Kohli tweeted as he praised Clarke.
Clarke will bid adieu to international cricket after the fifth and final Ashes Test against England from August 20 -- a decision which was prompted by his team's 1-3 loss in the marquee series.
The 34-year-old, whose prolific career has been marred by injuries, announced his decision at the end of the fourth Test yesterday in Nottingham.
Clarke responded to Kohli's tweet by thanking the Indian, who is gearing up to lead the team in the Test series against Sri Lanka starting August 12.
"Thanks buddy. I wish you and the Indian team all the best for the future," tweeted the affable Australian.
Clarke was also congratulated for his fine career by senior Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
"Congratulations to @MClarke23 on his wonderful career,u will go down as one of the finest leaders the game has seen.Good luck going forward," he tweeted.
Clarke's 114 Test appearances so far have yielded 8,628 runs at an impressive average of 49.30. He scored 7,981 runs in 245 ODIs at an average of 44.58.
Clarke retired from ODIs after leading Australia to a fifth World Cup title this year. Never too keen on the Twenty20s, Clarke quit the format back in 2010 after playing just 34 matches.

The Ashes: James Anderson Returns to Engand Squad for Oval Test

James Anderson missed the fourth Ashes Test due to a side strain. England lead the series 3-1 and following Saturday's victory over Australia have regained the Ashes.
Fast bowler James Anderson returned to the 14-man squad for the fifth and final Ashes Test beginning August 20 at the Kia Oval. Anderson, who missed the fourth Test through injury, is continuing his recovery from a side strain and will be monitored closely in the build up to the final Test in the series. (Root Climbs to No.1 Spot in Test Rankings)
National selector James Whitaker said: "James Anderson is continuing to improve and with ten days to go before the Test may be able to play a part at the Oval although with the series won we will not be taking any chances given the cricket we have in the coming months. I have no doubt the players will want a strong finish to the series and we can look forward to another entertaining Test match." (Michael Clarke to Retire | 'Brave and Daring' Leader)
England lead the series 3-1 and following Saturday's victory over Australia have regained the Ashes with one Test remaining in the series.
"On behalf of the selectors I would like to congratulate Alastair Cook, Trevor Bayliss and all involved in the last month. Regaining the Ashes is a superb achievement and is down to 18 months of hard work from the players and coaches and support from a lot of people since the last series in Australia. The contributions of so many different players at key times throughout the series so far is hugely encouraging," Whitaker added. (Australia's Ashes Jinx After Successful World Cups - Mere Numbers or Australia's Poor Skills?)
England squad for 5th Test: Alastair Cook (Captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler (wk), Steven Finn, Adam Lyth, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Mark Wood

India Warns TV Stations Over Criticism of Hanging

NEW DELHI:  India's government on Friday accused three television networks of violating broadcasting regulations by showing interviews that criticized the execution of Yakub Memon, hanged last month for bombings that killed 257 people in Mumbai in 1993.

In formal notices to the three networks, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the interviews were improper because they "cast aspersions on the integrity" of India's judicial system. The notices require the three networks - NDTV, ABP News and Aaj Tak - to explain why they should not face a possible broadcast suspension.

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The move drew immediate protest from India's Broadcast Editors' Association, which said the notices were a "questionable pretext" for a larger government campaign to control news coverage. The association, representing top television news editors, cited several other "selective" actions by federal and state governments, including threats of defamation lawsuits and a new rule that limits news coverage of antiterrorism operations to "periodic briefings" by government press officers. "Media coverage cannot be restricted to official briefings," the association said in a statement on Saturday.

The notices come one week after the government abruptly ordered Internet service providers to block 857 pornography websites. Officials were forced to rescind the ban in the face of a furious backlash, but the episode fueled a growing perception that the government is quietly seeking greater control over what its citizens read or watch. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which is overseen by Arun Jaitley, one of the most powerful and influential members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Cabinet, did not respond on Saturday to phone and email messages seeking comment.

In interviews, television news executives said they were stunned by the government's crackdown, especially since all three networks gave significant airtime to government officials who defended Memon's execution. Until now, they said, government officials have usually been content to take their complaints over coverage to the News Broadcasting Standards Authority, an independent body set up by TV networks to police unfair or unethical news coverage.

"We don't think we have violated any regulation at all," said Sonia Singh, the editorial director of NDTV. "We feel our coverage was extremely fair and balanced. However, we are looking at the notice and will respond to the ministry."

The ministry cited ABP News and Aaj Tak, two popular Hindi-language networks, for their telephone interviews with a man known as Chhota Shakeel, a Mumbai underworld figure whom authorities have accused of helping plan the 1993 Mumbai bombings.

Shakeel, who has avoided arrest, called numerous Indian news organizations to angrily denounce Memon's execution. He told The Times of India it was "a legal murder." He told ABP News that Memon was hanged for the crimes of his brother, Tiger Memon, the alleged bombing mastermind who remains at large. "This is not justice; this is vengeance," he told Aaj Tak.

In the case of NDTV, the ministry's notice took issue with a 20-minute program the network broadcast on Aug. 1 called "Truth vs. Hype: The Riddle of Yakub Memon."

The program, hosted by Sreenivasan Jain, one of India's most respected broadcasters, carefully sifted through a controversy that erupted days before Memon's execution - whether India's intelligence and law enforcement agencies betrayed him by reneging on a promise to spare him the death penalty in exchange for his cooperation in describing how the bombings were planned, financed and executed.

Jain presented both sides of the dispute, interviewing those who said Memon was betrayed and scapegoated, as well as a former senior police official who said the only promise made to Memon was that he would receive "the great justice of India."

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting took issue with comments made at the end of the program by Majeed Memon, one of Memon's former lawyers. (The two men are not related.) The lawyer pointed to a defendant who he said was pardoned despite playing "10 times more" of a role in the bombings than Memon.

"If you show this pardon to any person outside India - U.K. authorities or U.S. authorities or the best brains in the world as far as criminal law is concerned - they will laugh at you," Majeed Memon said. "They will laugh at you. They'll say, 'Is this justice?'"

He went on to emphasize that he was not criticizing India's Supreme Court, which rejected Memon's final appeal only hours before his hanging at dawn on July 30. "I salute the Supreme Court for having at least afforded to him even the last opportunity at 3 a.m.," he said.

According to the ministry's notice, this interview "not only questioned the judicial system of India, but tended to denigrate the very institution by hinting that it was not at par with the judicial systems existing in the U.K. and U.S."

Naga Rebels Impose 7-Fold Tax on Traders, 27 per cent on Government Employees

DIMAPUR:  "The demand letters come by March, April and we need to pay up within a month," Akali, (name changed) a Dimapur-based entrepreneur said. Two more slips demanding payments - euphemistically called tax - issued by NSCN (IM) and other by Naga National Council (Accordist) lay on her table.

The total demand levied on her business by two groups was Rs 2.5 lakh. "Taxation has gone beyond our reach, there are 9 factions of the underground and each of them claims they have a right to collect tax," she said. "No one wants to die for nothing," she said when asked whether anyone had approached the police.

Every shop big or small, business, enterprise in Nagaland pays militants groups like NSCN(IM), NSCN (Unification), NSCN (Khaplang) and other groups. The militant groups call it tax to run their "revolutionary government".

So how it all work? Simple, truck entering Nagaland is taxed as are merchandise it is carrying. Subsequently, when goods reach the warehouse, a fresh levy - the Godown tax - is imposed. Militant groups also tax the wholesaler and retailer separately.

"Each item is taxed at least 7 times," says Mr Khekiye K Sema, a retired IAS officer and few people who are campaigning against illegal taxes levied by the militant groups. He says, "If the government raises 50 crore as tax, the Indian underground raises at least 5 to 10 times more tax than that."

Just as the business community is getting together to oppose these illegal levies by forming groups like Association Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT), villagers, too, have joined in. This February, women of the Old Showuba armed with just sticks drove away at least 20 militants of various groups who gathered each day at crucial junction to extort money from tax. "They (the militants) used this location for long. It was unacceptable and unbearable, so we decided to get rid of them," Ajika, a member of Women Action Committee, told NDTV. For 60 days women took turns to sit for vigil till the time the militants stopped coming.

What is ironic is that government employees also pay 24 per cent of their earnings as tax to the underground. "There is no option, the disbursing officer deducts 24 per cent when releasing salary and then pays the underground," said Mr Sema. He added, "People don't mind paying to support the Naga movement, but multiple taxation by multiple groups was harming the economy and killing entrepreneurship in Nagaland."

When contacted, the NSCN(IM) said that groups like ACAUT had vested interests. The NSCN (Unification) said while it agreed that business and enterprise had point, a revolutionary government also could collect taxes.

Despite a fresh peace agreement at hand, on the ground it is still not clear whether or not multiple and oppressive system of illegal levies will end and most importantly whether cadre will agree to give up its weapons.

Army Foils Infiltration Bid Along Line of Control in Kashmir

SRINAGAR:  The Army today foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector of north Kashmir's Kupwara district.

The troops noticed a group of terrorists trying to sneak into this side from across the LoC at Jumagund Nar in Keran sector, an Army officer said.

He said the troops challenged the terrorists who indulged in indiscriminate firing.

The troops returned the fire triggering an encounter, the officer said. He said the operation was going on and further details were awaited.

This is the second encounter between terrorists and army near the LoC in the district in the last 24 hours.

A soldier was killed and two others were injured in an overnight gunbattle in Tangdhar sector of Kupwara.