Senior citizens to get 8 per cent interest on 10-yr deposits up to Rs 7.5 lakh

In order to protect senior citizens from any decline in interest rates, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said they will get a fixed 8 per cent return on 10-year bank deposits of up to Rs 7.5 lakh.

Senior citizens (60 years and above) will get monthly interest under this scheme, Modi said in his address to the nation on the eve of New Year. “We are initiating a scheme for senior citizens. Banks often reduce their deposit rates when they receive a large volume of money. This should not adversely impact senior citizens. “Under the scheme, senior citizens will receive a fixed interest rate of 8 per cent for a period of 10 years, on deposits up to Rs 7.5 lakh. The interest will be paid monthly,” Modi said.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley termed it “great news” for senior citizens. “Great news for senior citizens – assured return on fixed deposits,” Jaitley tweeted. Currently, banks give senior citizens an additional interest of 0.50 per cent over the regular rates on fixed deposits. Country’s largest lender SBI offers 7 per cent interest rate to senior citizens on fixed deposits of 5 to 10 years tenure.

నాన్నకు ప్రేమతో.. అఖిలేశ్‌ ఉద్వేగ ప్రసంగం!

లక్నో:
తండ్రి ములాయం సింగ్‌ యాదవ్‌ తనను ఆరేళ్లపాటు సమాజ్‌వాదీ పార్టీ నుంచి బహిష్కరించిన నేపథ్యంలో యూపీ సీఎం అఖిలేశ్‌ యాదవ్‌ భావోద్వేగంగా స్పందించారు. తాను ఇప్పటికీ నాన్నతోనే ఉన్నానని ఆయన అన్నారు. ఎస్పీలో ముసలం తారాస్థాయికి చేరుకున్న నేపథ్యంలో ఆయన శనివారం తన నివాసంలో మంత్రులు, ఎమ్మెల్యేలు, ఎమ్మెల్సీలతో భేటీ అయ్యారు.

ఈ సందర్భంగా ఒకింత ఉద్వేగంగా మాట్లాడిన ఆయన.. తాను బహిష్కరణకు గురయింది పార్టీ నుంచే కానీ, కుటుంబం నుంచి కాదని ఆయన అన్నారు. రానున్న అసెంబ్లీ ఎన్నికల్లో పార్టీని గెలిపించి.. దానిని నాన్న ములాయంకు బహుమతిగా ఇద్దామని అఖిలేశ్‌ పేర్కొన్నారు. ఈ భేటీ అనంతరం తనకు అండగా నిలిచిన ఎమ్మెల్యేల జాబితాతో తండ్రి ములాయం ఆశీర్వాదం తీసుకునేందుకు ఆయన ఇంటికి అఖిలేశ్‌ బయలుదేరారు. ఎస్పీని చీల్చి సొంతంగా పార్టీ పెట్టే దిశగా అఖిలేశ్‌ సాగుతున్నట్టు తెలుస్తోంది. ఆయన ఎస్పీ నుంచే కాకుండా జాతీయ నేతల మద్దతు కూడా లభిస్తుండటం గమనార్హం. ఇప్పటికే బెంగాల్‌ సీఎం మమతాబెనర్జీ అఖిలేశ్‌ ఫోన్‌ చేసి మాట్లాడగా.. కాంగ్రెస్‌ పార్టీ ఆయనతో పొత్తుకు సై అని సంకేతాలు ఇచ్చింది.

Modi launches mobile payment app BHIM

Modi launches mobile payment app
BHIM App Launched, PM Narendra Modi Says World Will Google For It:
New Delhi:
 In keeping with his push to steer India towards a digital economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched a new e-wallet app, BHIM, named after founding father Dr BR Ambedkar, to make it easier to transact online. The Aadhaar-based mobile payment application will allow people to make digital payments directly from their bank accounts. The PM also reiterated that digital transactions will be rewarded with raffle-like cash prizes from the government.

Rs 4,172 Crore Undisclosed Income Detected, Rs 105 Crore New Notes Seized: Report

New Delhi:
Over Rs 4,172 crore of undisclosed income has been detected while new notes worth Rs 105 crore have been seized by the Income Tax Department as part of its countrywide operations against black money hoarders after the demonetisation of two high value currencies by the government.

Official sources said the taxman carried out a total of 983 search, survey and enquiry operations under the provisions of the Income Tax Act since the note ban was declared on November 8, even as the department has issued 5,027 notices to various entities on charges of tax evasion and hawala-like dealings.

The department, they said, has seized cash and jewellery worth over Rs 549 crore during the same period even as the new currency seized (majority of them Rs 2000 notes) is valued at about Rs 105 crore.

The total cash seizure, out of the total cash and jewellery, is Rs 458 crore, they added.

"The total undisclosed income admitted or detected as part of this action, till December 28, is more than Rs 4,172 crore," they said.

The agency has also referred a total of 477 cases to other agencies like the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to probe other financial crimes like money laundering, disproportionate assets and corruption as part of their legal mandate.

NASA's Curiosity rover discovers purple rocks on Mars

NASA's Mars Curiosity rover has captured an up-close image of the red planet's mountainous landscape, with purple-coloured rocks littered across the foreground. The image captured from the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on Curiosity Mars rover shows purple-hued rocks near the rover's late-2016 location on lower Mount Sharp.

The scene's middle distance includes higher layers that are future destinations for the mission. Variations in colour of the rocks hint at the diversity of their composition on lower Mount Sharp, NASA said. The purple tone of the foreground rocks has been seen in other rocks where Curiosity's Chemical and Mineralogy (CheMin) instrument has detected hematite, it said.

Winds and windblown sand in this part of Curiosity's traverse and in this season tend to keep rocks relatively free of dust, which otherwise can cloak rocks' colour. The three frames combined into a mosaic were acquired by the Mastcam's right-eye camera on November 10, during the 1,516th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's work on Mars.

The scene is presented with a colour adjustment that approximates white balancing, to resemble how the rocks and sand would appear under daytime lighting conditions on Earth. Sunlight on Mars is tinged by the dusty atmosphere and this adjustment helps geologists recognise colour patterns they are familiar with on Earth. The view spans about 15 compass degrees, with the left edge towards southeast. The rover's planned direction of travel from its location when the scene was recorded is generally southeastward.

The orange-looking rocks above the purplish foreground ones are in the upper portion of the Murray formation, which is the basal section of Mount Sharp, extending up to a ridge-forming layer called the Hematite Unit.

RBI seeks details of old note deposits from banks today

'The old-high denomination notes cannot form part of banks cash balances from the close of business as on Dec. 31, 2016'.

The Reserve Bank of India BI has asked banks to report details of deposits of old Rs 500/1,000 notes to it after the close of banking hours on Friday, which is the last date to accept the invalid currency.

“With the closure of the facility of exchange of SBNs (defunct notes) as at the close of business on December 30, 2016, all banks should report information on collection of SBNs on December 30, 2016, itself at e-mail,” the central bank said in a notification.

World's Highest Bridge Opens In China, Cost $144 Million

Beijing:
The world's highest bridge has opened to traffic in China, connecting two provinces in the mountainous southwest and reducing travel times by as much as three-quarters, local authorities said on Friday.

The Beipanjiang Bridge soars 565 metres (1,854 feet) above a river and connects the two mountainous provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou, the Guizhou provincial transport department said in a statement on its official website.

The bridge cut travel times between Xuanwei in Yunnan to Shuicheng in Guizhou from more than four hours to around one, a truck driver surnamed Duan was quoted by the official news agency Xinhua as saying after the bridge opened Thursday.

It was "very convenient for people who want to travel between these two places", he added.

The 1,341-metre span cost over 1 billion yuan ($144 million) to build, according to local newspaper Guizhou Daily.
It overtook the Si Du River Bridge in the central province of Hubei to become the world's highest bridge, a separate statement by the provincial transport department said earlier.

Several of the world's highest bridges are in China, although the world's tallest bridge -- measured in terms of the height of its own structure, rather than the distance to the ground -- remains France's Millau viaduct at 343 metres.

Should Jayalalithaa's body be exhumed to know truth behind her death: HC

A vacation Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday expressed deep concern at the "mystery" behind the death of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, and observed that "the State government has failed to clear the doubts even after her death. Should her body be exhumed to know the truth?"

The Bench of Justices S. Vaidyanathan and V. Parthiban made the strong observations while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition seeking to appoint a commission comprising three retired Supreme Court judges to probe into the “mysterious” death of Jayalalithaa.

Ordering notice to the Centre, including the Prime minister's Office, and the Tamil Nadu government, the Bench censured particularly the Union government for not revealing any information on the ''mystery'' surrounding her death.

Rohit Tandon, Delhi Lawyer Who Had Crores In His Office, Arrested

New Delhi:
Rohit Tandon, a Delhi lawyer investigated for money laundering after a massive stash of crores was found during raids in his office, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate.

Mr Tandon is accused of laundering nearly 70 crores of black or untaxed money since the notes ban last month. In October, he had reportedly declared an unaccounted income of 125 crores to taxmen after raids at his home and office.
After a tip-off, officials searched his office again on December 10 and found nearly 14 crores in cash, including over two crores in brand new 2,000-rupee notes. Mr Tandon was not in at the time; he reportedly saw and tracked the raid on CCTV camera on his phone.

It took two machines to count the money, which was packed into nearly six suitcases and four steel trunks and taken away in three cars.

Mr Tandon, during questioning, claimed he can account for the money and some of it belongs to clients.

The lawyer is a key link in a money-laundering network that has surfaced with a series of arrests over the past few days. He allegedly has close links with Parasmal Lodha, a Kolkata-based businessman arrested earlier for money-laundering. Mr Lodha, a realtor, allegedly helped the lawyer convert Rs. 2.62 crore in banned notes. Both are connected to a third arrested businessman, Chennai-based J Sekhar Reddy.

A manager of the Kotak Mahindra Bank was also arrested yesterday for allegedly helping both Mr Tandon and Mr Reddy convert over 25 crores in old notes.

Since 500 and 1,000 rupee notes were suddenly banned on November 8 in a move to check tax evasion, there have been multiple cash hauls during raids in the past few weeks. New notes, which have been in limited supply at banks and ATMs, were found in large amounts during these raids.

Hyderabad Businessman Arrested For 98 Crores 'Black Money' Deposits In Banks

Hyderabad:
A city-based businessman was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly cheating and generating 'fake and fictitious' advance payment receipts to deposit "black money" to the tune of Rs 98 crore in banks following the ban of 500 and 1000-rupee notes last month.

Besides Kailash Chand Gupta (65), his kin and others have also been booked by the police under various sections of Indian Penal Code for their alleged role in the "conspiracy".
Central Crime Station, a wing of Hyderabad Police, arrested Mr Gupta for his alleged involvement in cheating and manipulation of records for illegal gain post currency ban.

Another businessman Naredi Narender Kumar (59), MD of a private firm and brother-in-law of Mr Gupta, was also arrested for abetment and hiding Mr Gupta from police.

Mr Gupta runs three jewellery and bullion firms with his two sons, a daughter-in-law and another woman as directors.

After currency ban, Mr Gupta, along with his sons Nitin and Nikhil, daughter-in-law Neha and others, conspired and hatched a plan to convert their black money by depositing it with banks by generating fake and fabricated receipts for wrongful gains which caused loss to Government of India, stated a release from Hyderabad Police.

Accordingly, the accused persons generated fake and fictitious advance payment receipts, purported to be acquired from about 3100 customers, for an amount of Rs 57.85 crore in name of their firm Musaddilal Gems and Jewelers Private Ltd.

They also allegedly produced fictitious advance payment receipts for Rs 40 crore in name of another firm, Vaishnavi Bullion Private Ltd, claimed to be acquired from about 2,100 customers, and issued computerised receipts for the same, police said.

Indian Start-Up Develops 'Smart' Shoes With Artificial Intelligence To Boost Fitness

Washington, United States:
An Indian start-up has developed a range of fitness wearables, such as 'smart' shoes and bands, integrated with an artificial intelligence (AI) coach which can provide you a personalised dynamic feedback, based on your real-time performance and training.

While a variety of fitness trackers and apps are available, most generate data that users are not able to appropriately interpret.

"Consumers usually are not experts in nutrition, fitness activity, sports and wellness and hence deciphering the data most wearables track becomes a challenge," a company official told PTI.

"There are dietitians and fitness coach subscriptions available with a lot of fitness devices, but that is human as well as time-bound and means additional investment from the consumer," it said.

Demonetisation: Rs 69 lakh seized from Mumbai airport, four arrested Three of the accused

Demonetisation:
 Rs 69 lakh seized from Mumbai airport, four arrested
Three of the accused said that they brought the foreign currency from Saudi Arabia during their visit last week but did not declare the money before the Customs.

Mumbai Customs sleuths today seized cash totalling around Rs 69 lakh in two separate cases here, which included recovery of Rs 25 lakh in 2,000 rupee notes. The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Customs made these seizures at the international airport here in the wee hours and four persons were arrested in this connection. In the first case, foreign currency worth over Rs 43 lakh was recovered from three passengers — Shaikh Waheed Ali, Mohammed Sohail and Shaikh Pasha — who arrived here from Hyderabad.

Viral Acharya appointed as deputy governor of RBI

Viral Acharya, like former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan, comes from an academic background.

Viral Acharya was appointed by the Government on Wednesday as the deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India. He will be joining the ranks of Vishwanathan, S S Mundra, R Gandhi as one of four deputy governors serving under RBI Governor Urjit Patel. Mundra and Gandhi had served under former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan, while Vishwanathan was appointed during Patel’s tenure.
Acharya, like Rajan, comes from an academic background. Before his appointment to the RBI, he has been serving as CV Starr professor of economics at the New York University Stern School of Business since 2008. According to his profile on the NYU site, Acharya’s research interests lie in ” the regulation of banks and financial institutions, corporate finance, credit risk and valuation of corporate debt, and asset pricing with a focus on the effects of liquidity risk.” His papers have been published in renowned finance journals. He was the recipient of numerous awards, the latest was the ‘Rising Star in Finance Award’.

Queen Elizabeth To Miss Christmas Church Service Due To 'Heavy Cold'

LONDON:

 Britain's Queen Elizabeth, 90, will miss a traditional Christmas church service on Sunday for the first time in nearly 30 years due to a heavy cold, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said.

Queen Elizabeth, the world's longest-reigning living monarch, and her husband Prince Philip, 95, suffered what the Palace described as heavy colds this week that delayed by a day their journey to their Sandringham country residence in eastern England.

They travelled instead by helicopter on Thursday. Queen Elizabeth has attended the Christmas service at the parish church of St Mary Magdalene in Sandringham every year since 1988.

"Her Majesty The Queen will not attend Church at Sandringham this morning. The Queen continues to recover from a heavy cold and will stay indoors to assist with her recovery," a Palace spokesman said.


"Her Majesty will participate in the Royal Family Christmas celebrations during the day," the Palace said.

After more than six decades on the throne, the Queen has cut back on international tours but still regularly performs official duties around Britain, although she said on Tuesday she would reduce the number of her patronages.

Dangal Box Office Collection Day 2: Aamir's film is doing good business abroad too

Christmas is surely Aamir Khan's lucky charm as the actor's latest film Dangal collected Rs 64 crores in two days in India alone. Aamir's film opened in theatres on December 23 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu and on the second day of its release Dangal collected Rs 34. 82 Crores.

 Trade analyst Taran Adarsh said that after Taare Zameen Par, Ghajini, 3 Idiots, Dhoom: 3 and PK, with Dangal "Aamir Khan's success ratio during Christmas remains per cent." Dangal is a biopic on wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat critics, fans and the industrywallahs unanimously said that Nitesh Tiwari-directed Dangal is Aamir Khan's best film till date.

Haryana connects 100 villages with Wi-Fi services

Heading towards a digital era, Haryana government on Sunday connected 100 villages with Wi-Fi services and decided to rename all common service centres (CSCs) opened in urban and rural areas as well as E-disha centres as “Atal Seva Kendras” at district headquarters.

This was announced by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar while launching 53 new IT services pertaining to six departments on “Good Governance Day”.
He also conducted a draw of the digital transaction award scheme meant to promote cashless transactions in the state. Under the scheme, 65 winners were awarded five prizes of Rs 10,000 each, 10 prizes of Rs 5,000 each and 50 prizes of Rs 1,000 each for proactively transacting cashless.

With the introduction of new IT facilities, citizens would get 170 e-services through “Atal Seva Kendras” in the state. Apart from this, facilities available at CSCs would also be provided at E-disha centres.

The chief minister has earlier said that CSCs functional in rural areas would be shifted to Gram Sachivalyas so that people could get all facilities under one roof.

Khattar said students passing Class X and XII from Haryana School Education Board would get certificates through digital locker.

He also launched “Knowledge Warehouse” set up in Gurgaon to promote start-ups through video-conference. A single platform will be provided to 40 start-ups at this warehouse which has been set up with the joint efforts of HARTRON and NASSCOM. The number of seats would be increased from 40 to 80.

బాంబు పేలుతోంది.. ఊరు ఖాళీ చేయండి!

ఫ్రాంక్‌ఫర్ట్ :
దక్షిణ జర్మనీలోని ఆగ్స్‌బర్గ్ ప్రాంతానికి చెందిన దాదాపు 54 వేల మంది క్రిస్మస్ పండగ కూడా చేసుకోడానికి లేకుండా పొద్దున్నే తమ ఇళ్లు ఖాళీ చేసి వెళ్లాల్సి వచ్చింది. రెండో ప్రపంచ యుద్ధం నాటి 1.8 టన్నుల బరువున్న ఓ పెద్ద బాంబును నిర్వీర్యం చేయడానికి అధికారులు సిద్ధం కావడమే అందుకు కారణం. నగరంలో ఉన్న మధ్యయుగం ఆనటి కెథడ్రల్, సిటీ హాల్‌లను కూడా ఖాళీ చేయించేశారు. ఉదయం 8 గంటల నుంచే ఖాళీ చేయించడం మొదలుపెట్టి, 10 గంటల కల్లా మొత్తం ఊరిని నిర్మానుష్యం చేసేశారు.

బాంబును పూర్తిగా నిర్వీర్యం చేయడానికి ఎంత సమయం పడుతుందో చెప్పలేమని పోలీసులు అన్నారు. తమ స్నేహితులు లేదా బంధువుల ఇళ్లకు వెళ్లలేనివారి కోసం దూర ప్రాంతాల్లో స్కూళ్లను తెరిచి ఉంచారు. తమతో పాటు పెంపుడు జంతువులను కూడా తీసుకెళ్లిపోవాలని సూచించారు. ఇందుకోసం ఎవరు ఎక్కడికి వెళ్లాలన్నా పైసా చార్జీ కూడా తీసుకోలేదు. జర్మనీలో ప్రపంచ యుద్ధం నాటి బాంబులు బయటపడటం ఇది మొదటిసారి ఏమీ కాదు. ఇంతకుముందు 2011 సంవత్సరంలో కోబ్లెంజ్ నగరంలో ఇలాగే ఒక బాంబు కనపడటంతో అప్పుడు 45 వేల మంది ప్రజలను అక్కడి నుంచి తరలించారు.

Restrictions On Cash Withdrawals May Continue Beyond Dec 30

New Delhi:

Restrictions on withdrawal of cash from banks and ATMs are likely to continue beyond December 30 as currency printing presses and RBI have not been able to keep pace with the demand of new currency notes.

As the 50-day deadline for completion of demonetisation process draws near, there is a growing consensus among bankers that the restrictions on withdrawal would have to continue even in the New Year so as to maintain orderly working at the banks.

Banks at many places are not in a position to disburse even the current limit of Rs 24,000 per week due to cash crunch and are rationing the valid currency depending on cash availability.
Restrictions On Cash Withdrawals May Continue Beyond Dec 30
New Delhi: Restrictions on withdrawal of cash from banks and ATMs are likely to continue beyond December 30 as currency printing presses and RBI have not been able to keep pace with the demand of new currency notes.

As the 50-day deadline for completion of demonetisation process draws near, there is a growing consensus among bankers that the restrictions on withdrawal would have to continue even in the New Year so as to maintain orderly working at the banks.

Banks at many places are not in a position to disburse even the current limit of Rs 24,000 per week due to cash crunch and are rationing the valid currency depending on cash availability.

Millions Are Watching This Bride Dancing. Pura Facebook Thumakda. But Why?

The whole point of weddings is the dancing, right? Apart from the actual nuptials, of course - the fun that is to be had is what makes shaadi season so exciting. So It's not uncommon to see brides dancing with abandon during their big fat weddings but this particular bride, doing the hippy hippy shake in her lehenga, has become a blockbuster hit on Facebook. Two videos posted on December 20 have gone crazy viral with over 11 million views in total.

The two videos have been shared by Delhi-based Sagar Arora, who mentions that you may have seen several brides making grand entrances but none like this one. Each video, about 30 seconds long, shows the bride, not named, dancing as she makes her way to the mandap. Her bridesmaids, also her cheer squad, can be seen dancing with her.
In one video, the bride, dressed in red, dances to Kangana Ranaut's Queen track London Thumakda. In the other, she dances to Katrina Kaif and Siddharth Malhotra's Kala Chashma from Baar Baar Dekho.

The videos have received major love on Facebook, with the post amassing over 1.4 lakh shares and more than 18,000 reactions.

"What an entry," says one commenter. "Superb entry," says another. Several others are tagging their friends suggesting they do something similar at their weddings.

Gold extends losses, down Rs 50 on lacklustre demand

NEW DELHI :  
Continuing to spiral downwards, gold prices today fell by another Rs 50 to Rs 27,800 per 10 grams at the bullion market owing to slackened demand from jewellers.

Silver, however, edged up by Rs 10 to Rs 38,810 per kg on scattered enquiries from industrial units.

Bullion traders said muted demand from jewellers and retailers at the domestic spot market kept pressure on gold prices but a firm trend in the global market capped the fall.

Globally, the precious metal’s price rose 0.35 per cent to USD 1,132.20 an ounce in New York in yesterday’s trade.

Trading volume remained thin in view of the prevailing cash crunch following demonetisation of high—value notes last month, they said.

In the national capital, gold of 99.9 per cent and 99.5 per cent purity fell by Rs 50 each to Rs 27,800 and Rs 27,650 per 10 grams, respectively. The precious metal had lost Rs 100 in last two days.

Sovereign, however, remained stable at Rs 24,000 per piece of eight grams.

On the other hand, silver ready edged up by Rs 10 to Rs 38,810 per kg, while weekly—based delivery held steady at Rs 38,925 per kg.

Silver coins, however, continued to be asked at previous level of Rs 70,000 for buying and Rs 71,000 for selling of 100 pieces.

Facebook report shows increase in data requests from India

The Indian government requested Facebook for data 6,324 times in the first half of 2016, according to the social network’s latest Global Government Requests Report. This number was up from 5,561 in the quarter before. Interestingly, Facebook’s was able to produce “some data” in 53.59% of the cases, up from just over 50 per cent in the last quarter.

Chris Sonderby, Facebook’s Deputy General Counsel said “government requests for account data increased by 27 per cent globally compared to the last half of 2015, increasing from 46,710 to 59,229 requests.” About 56 per cent of the requests from law enforcement in the United States, contained a non-disclosure order that prohibited the social network from notifying the user, he said.
“As for content restriction requests, the number of items restricted for violating local law decreased by 83 per cent from 55,827 to 9,663,” he said, attributing the spike in the half before to the French content restrictions of a single image from the November 13, 2015 terrorist attacks.
For the first time, Facebook has added government requests to preserve data pending receipt of formal legal process. When such a request is received a temporary snapshot of the relevant account information in preserved. “We do not disclose any of the preserved records unless and until we receive formal and valid legal process. During this reporting period, we received 38,675 preservation requests for 67,129 accounts.” There were 609 such request from India concerning 850 accounts.
In India, Facebook restricted access to 2,034 pieces of content “in response to legal requests from law enforcement agencies and the India Computer Emergency Response Team within the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology”. The post said a majority of such content was alleged to violate local laws against anti-religious speech and hate speech.

On board hovercraft, PM Modi lays foundation for Shivaji memorial worth Rs 3,600 cr in Mumbai

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday laid the foundation stone of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s memorial on board a hovercraft in the Arabia Sea situated off the Mumbai coast. The memorial, which includes a proposed 192-meter (630-foot) -tall statue of Shivaji, a 16th century ruler from western India, will be built off the coast of Mumbai on land reclaimed from the Arabian Sea. Along with the prime minister, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thakeray, who is also BJP’s ally, were also present on board the hovercraft.

“Even in the midst of struggle, Shivaji Maharaj remained a torchbearer of good governance,” said Modi. The PM performed the ‘jalpujan’ at the designated spot, symbolically marking the start of construction of the magnificent memorial in the Arabian Sea, which, according to the state government, is going to be the tallest such structure in the world. Shivaji’s descendants Udayanraje Bhosale and Sambhaji Raje (both Parliamentarians) were also on board the
hovercraft. When the hovercraft reached the memorial site, Modi immersed the ‘kalash’ in the sea. The PM also inspected a float depicting Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation.
The project is expected to be completed by 2019. The Maharashtra government is expected to spend about 36 billion rupees ($530 million) on the statue.

బంగారంగా మారిన నగదెంతో తెలుసా?

న్యూఢిల్లీ :
 పెద్ద నోట్లు రద్దు చేస్తున్నట్టు ప్రధాని ప్రకటించిన అనంతరం నల్లధనాన్ని తెల్లగా మార్చడం కోసం బ్లాక్ మనీ హోల్డర్స్ ఒక్కసారిగా బంగారం దుకాణాలకు పరిగెత్తిన సంగతి తెలిసిందే. ఇదే అవకాశంగా తీసుకుని బంగారం వర్తకులు మనీ లాండిరింగ్ కార్యకలాపాలు నిర్వహించారు. ఈ విషయాన్ని సీరియస్ గా తీసుకున్న ఇన్ కమ్ ట్యాక్స్ డిపార్ట్ మెంట్ బంగారం వర్తకులపై కొరడా ఝళిపించడం ప్రారంభించింది. దేశరాజధాని పరిధిలోని బంగారం వర్తకులపై ఐటీ డిపార్ట్ మెంట్ తాజాగా జరిపిన దాడుల్లో లెక్కల్లో తేలని రూ.250 కోట్ల బంగారం విక్రయాలు వెలుగులోకి వచ్చాయి.

అంతేకాక పెద్ద నోట్లు రద్దయినప్పటి నుంచి ఐటీ, ఎన్ ఫోర్స్ మెంట్ డైరెకరేట్, డైరెక్టరేట్ ఆఫ్ రెవెన్యూ ఇంటిలిజెన్స్ జరిపిన దాడుల్లో దేశరాజధానిలో రూ.400 కోట్లకు పైగా విలువైన లెక్కల్లో తేలని బులియన్ విక్రయాలు జరిగినట్టు వెల్లడైంది. కరోల్ బాగ్, చాందినీ చౌక్ ప్రాంతాల్లోని నలుగురు బులియన్ డీలర్స్ ను శుక్రవారం ఐటీ డిపార్ట్ మెంట్ విచారించింది. ఈ విచారణలో గత కొన్ని వారాల్లో రూ.250 కోట్లకు పైగా రద్దయిన నగదును మార్చిపెట్టినట్టు తెలిసింది. ఈ వర్తకులకు సంబంధించిన 12 దుకాణాలు, 8 నివాస ప్రాంతాల్లో ఐటీ డిపార్ట్ మెంట్ ఇంకా దాడులు నిర్వహిస్తోంది. మొదటగా రూ.250 కోట్ల రద్దయిన నోట్లను వివిధ బ్యాంకు అకౌంట్ల ద్వారా బంగారంలోకి మార్చినట్టు గుర్తించామని ఓ సీనియర్ ఐటీ అధికారి పేర్కొన్నారు.

ఈ నలుగురి ట్రేడర్ల దుకాణాలు పాత ఢిల్లీ పరిధిలోని కుచ మహాజని ప్రాంతంలో ఉన్నాయని, మరికొన్ని దుకాణాలు కరోల్ బాగ్ లో ఉన్నట్టు అధికారులు తెలిపారు. వీరి బ్యాంకు అకౌంట్లను సైతం అధికారులు విచారిస్తున్నారు. నవంబర్ 8న పెద్ద నోట్లు రద్దయిన అనంతరం మనీ లాండరింగ్ కార్యకలాపాలకు పాల్పడుతున్నారనే వార్తలతో కుచ మహాజని బులియన్ డీలర్స్ పై
మొదటి రైడ్ నిర్వహించామని, ఆ దాడుల్లో రూ.100 కోట్లకు పైగా గోల్డ్ బార్స్ ను వీరు విక్రయించినట్టు తెలిసిందని అధికారులు పేర్కొన్నారు. అప్పుడే మనీ లాండరింగ్ రాకెట్ వెలుగులోకి వచ్చిందన్నారు. ఈ విషయంలో ఈడీ ఇప్పటికే ఇద్దరు బ్యాంకు మేనేజర్లను, ఇద్దరు మధ్యవర్తులను అరెస్టు చేసింది.

FBI Warns Of Possible ISIS-Inspired Attacks In US: Report

WASHINGTON:

US federal authorities cautioned local law enforcement on Friday to be aware that supporters of ISIS have been calling for their sympathizers to attack holiday gatherings in the United States, including churches, CNN reported.

The warning, issued in a bulletin to local law enforcement, said there were no known specific, credible threats, CNN said.

The notice from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security was issued out of an abundance of caution after a publicly available list of US churches was published on pro-ISIS websites, CNN said.

The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

ISIS sympathizers "continue aspirational calls for attacks on holiday gatherings, including targeting churches," CNN quoted the bulletin as saying. The notice describes different signs of suspicious activity for which police should be alert, it said.

Reliance Jio Subscriber Base May Touch 100 Million by March 2017, Say Analysts

Jio currently has 52-55 million subscribers

Jio will start charging from April 1, may reduce subscriber base
Jio extended free services till March 31 2017
Riding on the free voice and data offers, Reliance Jio Infocomm's subscriber base may touch 100 million by March 2017 end said Nitin Soni, Director at Fitch Ratings. However, it may even shrink once the telecom operator starts charging its customers, he added.

"We think that Jio is adopting a very sound strategy of offering free voice and text services and free data till the end of March to bolster its subscriber base.

They currently have 52-55 million subscribers and it could well increase to 100 million by end of March, but we will need to remember that these are free services," Soni told BTVi in an interview.

"So as long as it is free, even a customer who is a customer of Airtel or Idea will still take a free Jio SIM to enjoy free services for the next three months. But I think there will be some churn when Jio will start charging from April 1 and that churn may well reduce the subscriber base by 5-10 percent," he added.

Launched in September, Jio was offering its customers free voice and data till December 31 2016, which it has now extended till March 31 2017.

Libyan Plane Hijackers Surrender, All Passengers And Crew Released

VALLETTA:

Hijackers claiming to have a grenade took over a Libyan plane Friday and diverted it to Malta before releasing everyone onboard and surrendering to authorities, officials said. "Final crew members leaving aircraft with hijackers," Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Twitter. Minutes later he added: "Hijackers surrendered, searched and taken in custody".

Libyan Foreign Minister Taher Siala said the two hijackers were supporters of slain dictator Moamer Kadhafi and had requested political asylum in Malta.

Siala, from Libya's internationally backed Government of National Accord, said the hijackers have also said they want to set up a pro-Kadhafi political party.

The plane landed at 11:32 am (1032 GMT) in Malta.

After more than an hour on the tarmac, the door of the Airbus A320 opened and a first group of women and children were seen descending a mobile staircase.
Dozens more passengers were released minutes later following negotiations that Maltese government sources said were led by the head of Malta's military.

In all there were 111 passengers, including 28 women and a baby, on board, as well as seven crew members.

Maltese government sources had earlier said only a single hijacker was believed to be on the plane.

The aircraft had been on a domestic Libyan route operated by Afriqiyah Airways from Sabha in southern Libya to the capital Tripoli but was re-routed.

"The Afriqiyah flight from Sabha to Tripoli has been diverted and has landed in Malta. Security services coordinating operations," Muscat tweeted earlier.

Libyan airlines banned in Europe

Muscat later spoke to Libya's prime minister-designate Fayez al-Sarraj, the head of the north African country's fledgling unity government, the Maltese prime minister's office said.

The plane could be seen on the tarmac of a secondary runway surrounded by military vehicles.

All flights in and out of the airport were initially either delayed or diverted to destinations in Italy, though some later took off and landed.

Malta International Airport said there had been "an unlawful interference" but operations had now resumed.

An Afriqiyah Airways source said the two hijackers had threatened the pilots with an explosive device, probably a grenade, forcing them to continue to Malta instead of landing at Tripoli's Mitiga airport.

క్యాబ్‌ డ్రైవర్‌ ఖాతాలో రూ.7కోట్లు

హైదరాబాద్‌:

పెద్దనోట్ల రద్దు తర్వాత పెద్దమొత్తంలో లావాదేవీలు జరుగుతున్న ఖాతాలపై ఆదాయ పన్నుశాఖాధికారులు డేగకన్ను వేసిన సంగతి తెలిసిందే. ఈ నేపథ్యంలో ఓ అకౌంట్‌ వివరాలు చూసిన అధికారులకు దిమ్మ తిరిగి పోయింది. హైదరాబాద్‌కు చెందిన ఓ క్యాబ్‌ డ్రైవర్‌ ఖాతాలో అక్షరాలా రూ.7కోట్లు జమ అయినట్లు వారు గుర్తించారు. నవంబర్‌ రెండో వారంలో ఎస్‌బీహెచ్‌ బ్రాంచ్‌లోని అతని ఖాతాలో రూ.7కోట్లు రద్దైన పాత నోట్లను జమ చేశారు. అంతకుముందు వరకూ ఆ ఖాతా నిద్రాణంగా ఉండేదని ఐటీ అధికారి ఒకరు చెప్పారు. సదరు మొత్తాన్ని ఓ బంగారం వ్యాపారి ఖాతాలోకి ఆర్‌టీజీఎస్‌ పద్ధతిలో ట్రాన్స్‌ఫర్‌ చేశారు. అయితే దీనిపై క్యాబ్‌ డ్రైవర్‌ను విచారించగా ఆ నగదు ఎక్కడ్నుంచి వచ్చింది చెప్పలేదని అధికారులు వెల్లడించారు.

ఈ అనుమానాస్పద లావాదేవీకి సంబంధించి అధికారులు బ్యాంకులోని సీసీటీవీ దృశ్యాలను పరిశీలించగా, డ్రైవర్‌ సహచరులైన ఇద్దరు నగదు డిపాజిట్‌ చేసినట్లు తేలిందని విచారణాధికారి ఒకరు తెలిపారు. వారిద్దరినీ విచారించామని వారి వాంగ్మూలాన్ని నమోదు చేశామని అధికారులు చెప్పారు.

DMK chief Karunanidhi discharged from hospital

DMK president Karunanidhi was discharged from Kauvery Hospital in Chennai where he was admitted again on December 15 for breathing difficulty owing to throat and lung infection.
In a press release, the hospital's Executive Director, Dr. S. Aravindan, said Mr. Karunanidhi had recovered fully and the antibiotic course for the breathing difficulty was over.

The doctors have advised Mr. Karunanidhi complete rest and restriction on visitors. The release also said he needs the tracheostomy tube for few more weeks, and medical and nursing care would be provided by the hospital.

Earlier, Mr. Karunanidhi was admitted to the hospital on December 1 for optimisation of nutrition and hydration and he returned home on December 7. During this time, doctors performed tracheostomy on him.

Nusli Wadia files criminal defamation suit against Tata, Tata Sons

Wadia has stated that while Tata Sons is the principal offender, who has committed defamation along with Mr Subedar.

Nusli Wadia, who has been removed as an independent director from Tata Steel and Tata Motors, has filed a criminal defamation case against Ratan Tata, Tata Sons and its board of directors. Mr Wadia has earlier filed a defamation suit claiming Rs..3,000 crore from Mr Tata and Tata Sons.

“By making false and baseless innuendos and allegations against the Complainant, the Accused have caused distress, hurt and humiliation, as well as pecuniary loss, social disadvantages, injury to feelings, mental pain and suffering to the Complainant,” states the latest petition.

Apart from the directors of Tata Sons, Mr Wadia has named F.N. Subedar, chief operating officer and company secretary of Tata Sons, as one of the accused entities. “The Special Notices have been sent on the letter head of TATA Sons and have been signed by F.N.Subedar,” states the petition.

Mr Wadia, who is the chairman of Wadia Group of companies, is referring to the special notice calling for extraordinary general meetings (EGMs) in the case of Tata Steel, Tata Chemicals and Tata Motors for his removal as an independent director.

“All the accused individually and collectively have committed the offence of defamation the Complainant by printing, publishing and circulating per se false, frivolous, baseless, incorrect, libellous and defamatory material concerning the Complainant which has been so printed and published with the sole intention of lowering, tainting, tarnishing the reputation and self-esteem of the Complainant in the eyes of right thinking persons,” says the petition.

Interestingly, Mr Wadia has listed well-known names as his witness, including A M Naik, group executive chairman, L&T; Subhodh Bhargava, chairman, Tata Communications and independent director, Tata Motors & Tata Steel; Vinesh Jairath, non-executive independent director, Tata Motors and Tanya Godrej Dubash, executive director and chief brand officer, Godrej Group among others.

In his petition, Mr Wadia has stated that while Tata Sons is the principal offender, who has committed defamation along with Mr Subedar, the board members of Tata Sons (excluding Cyrus Mistry and Farida Khambatta) have abetted by actively participating in the offence.

The complaint has been filed under Section 500 of Indian Penal Code (defamation), and Section 500 read with Section 109 of IPC (abetment), and/or Section 500 read with Section 34 of the IPC (criminal act with common intention) that are punishable with simple imprisonment for a term extending up to two years or with fine or both.

మంత్రులకు తప్పిన ముప్పు

కామవరపుకోట:
పశ్చిమగోదావరి జిల్లా కామవరపుకోట సమీపంలో ఆంధ్రప్రదేశ్‌ మంత్రులకు తృటిలో ప్రమాదం తప్పింది. శుక్రవారం మంత్రులు ప్రయాణిస్తున్న వాహనాలు పరస్పరం ఢీకొనడంతో నలుగురు సెక్యూరిటీ సిబ్బందికి గాయాలయ్యాయి.

జిల్లాలో పర్యటిస్తున్న మంత్రులు పీతల సుజాత, పరిటాల సునీత ప్రయాణిస్తున్న వాహనాలు ఒకదానితో మరొకటి ఢీకొన్నాయి. ఈ ఘటనలో మంత్రులకు ఎలాంటి ప్రమాదం జరగకపోవడంతో అందరూ ఊపిరి పీల్చుకున్నారు. కామవరపుకోట వద్ద మంత్రుల కాన్వాయ్‌ కు గొర్రెల మంద అడ్డురావడంతో ఈ ప్రమాదం జరిగినట్లు తెలుస్తోంది.

Roopa Ganguly hospitalised with blood clots

Doctors attending to Ms. Ganguly have advised her to take rest and currently she is kept under observation.

BJP MP Roopa Ganguly has been admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata with “blood clots” in the brain tissues on Friday.

“She was admitted to the AMRI hospital in Salt Lake at around 4 pm on Friday, after complaining of severe headache and partial loss of vision,” State BJP vice president Joyprakash Majumdar told The Hindu.

He also said that doctors attending to Ms. Ganguly have advised her to take rest and currently she is kept under observation.

“Her condition is stable now,” he said adding that the date of her release is yet to be decided.

Ms. Ganguly who joined BJP in January last year is known for her role as Draupadi in B.R.Chopra’s Mahabharat in the 1980’s. She was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in October following the resignation of cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Ms. Ganguly is also the president of BJP's women's wing in the State

India Should Accept 'Olive Branch': Chinese Media On Top Pakistani General's Offer

Beijing:
India should accept "olive branch" extended by a top Pakistani army general to join the USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, China's state-run Global Times said in an article today.

"Surprise aside, New Delhi should consider accepting the olive branch Pakistan has extended in a bid to participate in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor," said the article.

Reiterating China's support for its all-weather ally, the article added that Beijing will strongly oppose any attempt to label Pakistan as "supporting terrorism".

Najeeb Jung Quits As Delhi Lieutenant Governor; Arvind Kejriwal Tweets 'It's A Surprise'

New Delhi:
Najeeb Jung resigned as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi today with 18 months left in his tenure, saying he wants to return to his "first love, academics". Mr Jung's three years in office were dogged by his constant power tussle with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.

"Sh Jung's resignation is a surprise to me, my best wishes in all his future endeavours. (sic)" Mr Kejriwal tweeted.

Mr Jung's adviser Ajai Chaudhari said he was shocked too. "He resigned since he had personal reasons. He said he has worked for 45 years, now he wants to spend time with family and his grandchildren," Mr Chaudhari told.

Robot provides rare glimpse of world under Antarctic sea ice

Pink algae, dandelion-like worms and spidery starfish flourish in freezing waters

An underwater robot has captured a rare glimpse beneath the Antarctic sea ice, revealing a colourful world filled with coconut-shaped sponges, dandelion-like worms, pink algae and spidery starfish.

The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) took footage on a camera attached to a Remotely Operated Vehicle sent down by scientists through a small hole drilled in the ice as they recorded the acidity, oxygen, salinity and temperature of the seawater. “When you think of the Antarctic coastal marine environment, the iconic species such as penguins, seals and whales usually steal the show,” AAD biologist Glenn Johnstone said on Wednesday.

“This footage reveals a habitat that is productive, colourful, dynamic and full of a wide variety of biodiversity, including sponges, sea spiders, urchins, sea cucumbers and sea stars.”

These species, recorded near Australia’s Casey research station, live in water that is -1.5 degrees Celsius year round and covered in 1.5 metres of sea ice for 10 months of the year.

“Occasionally an iceberg may move around and wipe out an unlucky community, but mostly the sea ice provides protection from the storms that rage above, making it a relatively stable environment in which biodiversity can flourish,” he said.

Scientists in Antarctica are working on better understanding of the impact of acidification on Southern Ocean sea-floor communities under increasing carbon dioxide emissions.

Project leader Johnny Stark said a quarter of the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere was absorbed by the ocean, which increases its acidity.

“Carbon dioxide is more soluble in cold water and polar waters are acidifying at twice the rate of tropical or temperate regions. These ecosystems are expected to be among the first impacted from ocean acidification,” he said. — AFP

India's Future Main Battle Tank Will Come Without Life-Saving 'Active Protection System'

New Delhi:

India's future main battle tank, the T-90MS 'Tagil', which will be license manufactured in Avadi in Chennai, will not be equipped with new-generation active protection systems that destroy incoming missiles and shells before they can hit the tank. Active protection systems have saved the lives of dozens of tank crew deployed in Israeli combat operations in Gaza and have now been deployed by the Russian Army in operations in Syria.

For decades, tanks have depended on their armour to protect their crew from enemy shells and anti-tank guided missiles. However, the singular vulnerability of modern tanks to the latest anti-tank guided missiles in the ongoing Iraq and Syria conflicts have raised serious question marks on the ability of armour alone to prevent casualties among tank crews.

Active protection systems are meant to counter this threat. Radars fitted on tanks detect the launch of hostile missiles and tank shells, predict their incoming trajectory and launch guided ammunition that can destroy or deflect hostile projectiles upto 50 metres away from the tank. The ensuing blast destroys the enemy missile, rocket propelled grenade or shell before it can pierce the armour of the tank.

Over 200 Crores Seized In Kerala And Other Raids

New Delhi:

 Multiple raids were conducted today in a nationwide crackdown on black money with crores - including in Rs 2,000 notes - being seized in the searches. The Enforcement Directorate arrested Kolkata-based businessman Paras Mal Lodha in Delhi for allegedly converting over Rs 25 crore in banned currency into new notes. Mr Lodha, a real estate developer, was arrested last night for allegedly helping Tamil Nadu businessman J Sekhar Reddy and Delhi-based lawyer Rohit Tandon in converting more than Rs 25 crore of banned notes to new currency notes.

Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan’s first official photo with baby Taimur

Kareena Kapoor has been discharged from the hospital and the new mommy and daddy Saif Ali Khan showed off their new baby to the world. Taimur Ali Khan is every bit a munchkin, see his first pics here.

After hoaxes and more hoaxes, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan have themselves introduced us to baby Taimur Ali Khan moments after Kareena was discharged from Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital. While Saif has the baby ensconced in his arms, Kareena was seen happily waving to the media. We would not be surprised if this cool mommy is back to shooting in a few days!

Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan welcomed their first child together on December 20 morning. The couple has been blessed with a baby boy and named him Taimur Ali Khan Pataudi. Both the mother and the baby are doing fine and are back home now. Before Kareena and Saif walked out of the hospital, various fake images said to be that of Kareena and Taimur were going viral.Though Kareena-Saif fans seem to be overwhelmed with the news and the updates and thus a number of photos of mommy Kareena and baby Taimur are just going viral. Be it WhatsApp sharing or by the social media fan pages, the pics of Kareena, husband Saif, and newborn Taimur is taking rounds.

Sekhar Reddy, the miner-contractor and the crores I-T seized

The day income-tax authorities searched the homes and official chamber of Tamil Nadu chief secretary Rama Mohan Rao, the CBI arrested a contractor-sand miner who has been at the centre of the I-T crackdown so far. Sekhar Reddy, 49, has seen 14 of his premises raided since December 8. I-T officials claimed they have seized Rs 132 crore in currency notes including Rs 34 crore in Rs 2,000s, as well as 177 kg gold including 80 kg seized from a suite in a Chennai five-star hotel. “They had booked two such rooms for a long period. The bills, mostly in tranches of Rs 10 lakh, were paid by a firm owned by Reddy,” said an I-T officer.

It was to probe the sources of the currency that the CBI had stepped in, arresting Reddy and two of his associates Wednesday.  Reddy’s high connections were in public focus even before the raids began, with vernacular media widely reporting his alleged wealth havens and transactions. Around the time the late J Jayalalithaa was released from Bangalore prison, a photo that went viral showed Reddy with present Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who had also stood in for Jayalalithaa during that period. Side by side, Reddy and OPS stood in front of the Tirupati temple. Reddy, part of the managing body Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, has since been removed. Reddy’s possible links to the chief secretary too are being probed.

Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza sells 83,000 units, bags 'Car of the Year' award

NEW DELHI:
Maruti Suzuki on Wednesday said its SUV Vitara Brezza sold nearly 83,000 units since its launch in March this year and won the "Indian Car of the Year 2017" award.
"Vitara Brezza has sold nearly 83,000 units since its launch in March 2016, making it one of India's top 10 selling models and propelling Maruti Suzuki to the leadership position in the utility vehicle space as well," the company said in a statement.

A consortium of 15 auto journalists declared Vitara Brezza the "Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) 2017" among all the cars  launched in 2016. It battled it out against the Hyundai Tucson and Toyota Innova Crysta.
"Designed and developed by a team of Maruti Suzuki engineers, using Suzuki core technology, engine and platform, Vitara Brezza is heralded as an example of 'Create in India'," Kenichi Ayukawa, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Maruti Suzuki, was quoted as saying in the statement.

One Big Resolution: World's Fattest Man Aims To Reduce Weight By Half

Zapopan, Mexico :

 A Mexican man believed to be the world's most obese plans to undergo gastric bypass in the new year and reduce his 590 kilos (1,300 pounds) by half, his doctor said Wednesday.

The man known as Juan Pedro has diabetes, high blood pressure and chronic lung obstruction, and needs to reduce his weight dramatically to reduce his health risks, doctor Jose Castaneda Cruz said.

He said the man, who does not give his family names to media, would actually undergo a couple procedures along the way.

"It's surgery that is going to be done in two parts. That is because of the high risk of complications he faces. So it's going to be done in two parts, six months apart," Castaneda told reporters.

In the first procedure, surgeons will remove more than three-quarters of the patient's stomach.

And in the second procedure, his remaining stomach will be partially blocked, helping to give a feeling of fullness. Juan Pedro would also undergo intestinal surgery, his doctor said.

Castaneda wants him to lose 59 kilos in the first six months, which alone reduces his risk of obesity-related cancer by 52 percent.

Juan Pedro, 32, has a good chance of losing half his body weight by about six months after his first surgery, according to his medical team.

"Slowly but surely, I'll get there," Juan Pedro told reporters.

స్మార్ట్‌ఫోన్ల వాడకంలో మహిళలే టాప్‌!

న్యూఢిల్లీ:
భారత్‌లో పురుషుల కంటే మహిళలే ఎక్కువగా స్మార్ట్‌ఫోన్లను వినియోగిస్తున్నారని తాజా సర్వేలో తేలింది. భారత్‌లోని మొబైల్‌ వినియోగదారులు స్మార్ట్‌ఫోన్లు, ఫీచర్‌ఫోన్లను ఏ మేరకు వినియోగిస్తున్నారో తెలుసుకునేందుకు మొబైల్‌ మార్కెటింగ్‌ అసోసియేషన్‌ (ఎమ్‌ఎమ్‌ఏ), పరిశోధన సంస్థ ఐఎమ్‌ఆర్‌బీ సంయుక్తంగా ఈ సర్వేను నిర్వహించి నివేదికను బుధవారం విడుదల చేశాయి.

స్మార్ట్‌ఫోన్‌లో యూట్యూబ్‌ వీడియోలు, ఆటల కోసం పురుషుల కంటే రెండు రెట్లు అధికంగా మహిళలు ఎక్కువ సమయాన్ని కేటాయిస్తారని వెల్లడైంది. అంతేకాకుండా పురుషుల కంటే స్త్రీలు 80 శాతం ఎక్కువగా ఫేస్‌బుక్‌లో సమయాన్ని వెచ్చిస్తారని తెలిపాయి. ప్రతిరోజు టీవీలు, ఇతర మాధ్యమాల కంటే అధికంగా దాదాపు మూడు గంటలపాటు సగటున ప్రతి ఒక్కరూ స్మార్ట్‌ఫోన్‌ను వినియోగిస్తున్నట్లు వెల్లడైంది.

29 killed, 70 injured in Mexico fireworks market blaze

A massive fire gutted Mexico's biggest fireworks market on Tuesday, killing at least 29 people and injuring 70, the authorities said.

The massive blaze in the Mexico City suburb of Tultepec, set off a quick-fire series of multicolored blasts and a sent a vast cloud of smoke billowing over the capital city.

The market was packed with customers buying pyrotechnics for traditional end-of-year festivities. Christmas and New Year's parties in many Latin American countries often wrap up with clattering firework blasts.

From a few kilometres away, the multiple explosions that started at 2:50 p.m. (2050 GMT) almost looked festive, alight in blue, red and white.

“We recovered 26 bodies at the scene of the incident. And three more have died in the hospital, for a total of 29 dead,” Mexico state's Governor Eruviel Avila said.

The federal police said on Twitter that 70 people were hurt and transported to emergency rooms.