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ISIS operative Yasmin Zahid gets 7-year jail term:Missing Keralites case

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National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Kochi on Saturday sentenced woman ISIS recruiter, Yasmin Mohammed Zahid, to seven years rigorous imprisonment in Kerala’s ISIS case of missing persons who travelled to Afghanistan.

Zahid was arrested from the New Delhi International Airport on July 30, 2016 when she was trying to leave for Kabul along with her minor child.

According to NIA, she was planning to join her co-conspirator and the first accused Abdul Rashid in the territory under the control of ISIS in Afghanistan.

In a major revelation in 2016, Yasmin had informed that 22 Keralites, including six women and three children had left India and had reached the bastion of ISIS terror operations in Afghanistan.

Yasmin told interrogators that she had got married to one Abdul Rashid (30) in May in a nikah-ceremony solemnised over phone in which co-accused Shihas acted as the ‘wali’ (guardian) of the bride, while other co-accused Ashfak and Yahya acted as witnesses.

She also claimed that Rashid had radicalised nearly 40 youths from Kerala.

Last year, the NIA had told an Ernakulam court that Zahid had participated in religious classes conducted by Abdul Rashid and his wife Ayisha in which the main topic was ‘Hijra’, ‘Jihad’ and ISIS.

First accused Abdul Rashid used to send money to the account of Zahid and she used to collect the money using the ATM card. Using that fund Zahid arranged visa and air tickets for Kabul.

Hailing from Saudi Arabia, Yasmin came to Kerala five years ago with her husband Syed Ahmad. She took a job at Peace International School in Malappuram.

Rahul sir said it’s all about mental preparation now: Shubman Gill

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His U-19 World Cup heroics still fresh in memory, top-order batsman Shubman Gill is now looking to walk Rahul Dravid’s talk and be mentally strong as he gets ready to play against the “big boys” in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Kolkata Knight Riders.

“We all talked to him. He had a word with all of us before we dispersed after the tournament. He had a one-on-one chat with everyone. He told us that from here on, there will be more mental preparation.

“When you go to the higher level, there is a difference and it is more in the mind. You have to prepare yourself mentally,” Gill told IANS in an interview at KKR’s team hotel here.

“It’s more of a mental game now. Dravid sir told us that everybody has skills, but it’s how you prepare yourself mentally to execute at the stage and at that particular time,” the 18-year old Punjab right-hander added.

Under Dravid’s tutelage, Gill and his teammates claimed a record fourth U-19 World Cup, beating Australia in the final by eight wickets.

All through the tournament, India were not only unbeaten but utterly dominant, winning three matches by 100 or more runs and two by 10 wickets.

“It was a great experience for all of us in the U-19 World Cup in New Zealand,” Gill reminisced.

“Our bowlers did a great job, both the medium pacers and the spinners. We got great exposure and because of that opportunities have opened up for all of us. People have started recognising us. We get motivated by that and our chances to doing well are enhanced,” he said.

Soft-spoken and very articulate for his age, Gill finished the World Cup as the “Player of the Series” after scoring 372 runs in five matches at a whopping average of 124 and a strike rate of 112.38.

Asked about his stellar show at the showpiece event, Gill again credited Dravid.

“We were fortunate that we worked with him (Dravid) and that helped not only me but all of us play the way we did. He shared all his experiences of going to New Zealand with us before the World Cup, during our preparations. He is such a legend,” he said.

At KKR, there is a shortage of top-order batsmen and Gill could come in handy with his penchant for big runs. Gill, who had a base price of Rs 20 lakh in the IPL auctions, was roped in for Rs 1.8 crore by KKR.

“It’s a great opportunity for all of us to… play at such a high level. I am really looking forward to it. Our preparations are going well and we will try to deliver our best,” said Gill, who is more about textbook shots than big bat swings.

Against arch-rivals Pakistan, Gill underlined his potential with a classy 94-ball 102. Comparisons with India skipper Virat Kohli have already started doing the rounds but Gill, whose favourite cricketer is Kohli, wants to take it easy.

“I look up to Virat Kohli. But at the moment, my only goal is to make my team win every time. Our chances of taking the next step will only be enhanced if we win the IPL. I always think of how I can help the team and how I can contribute.

“If I do well for KKR, I will automatically do well for myself,” said Gill, who made his first-class debut before the World Cup for Punjab in the Ranji Trophy in late 2017 with a half-century in the game and 129 in the next match.

Not wanting to think too much about breaking into the senior team, Gill signed off by saying he admires each and every member of Kohli’s side and it is their fielding and fitness that attracts him the most.

“This Indian team has changed the trend in terms of their fielding and fitness standards,” Gill said.

“Now the Indian team is one of the best fielding sides in the world. The way they carry themselves, their attitude on and off the field, all the guys, I really admire them.”

(IANS)

Kovind, Modi urge stakeholders to help eliminate TB by 2025

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On World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged all stakeholders to help eliminate the disease by 2025.

“On World Tuberculosis Day, I call upon all stakeholders to come together to fight tuberculosis. TB continues to be one of the biggest public health challenges in our country. The time has come for all of us to join hands to eliminate TB from India by 2025,” the President tweeted.

“In the spirit of this year’s World TB Day theme of ‘Wanted: Leaders for a TB-free world’, I urge citizens and organisations to take the lead in the movement to end TB. A TB-free world is a wonderful service to humanity,” Modi tweeted.

He also said that the government was working to make India TB free.

“While the world has set a target of 2030 for TB elimination, we in India want to become TB-free by 2025! At the recent Delhi End TB Summit, I spoke more about the subject,” he said in another tweet attaching a news report of about his speech on TB on March 13.

The World TB Day is observed to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of tuberculosis and to step up efforts to end the global epidemic.

The date marks the day in 1882 when Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease.

(IANS)

Good show in Ranji, Irani has helped me mature as T20 player: Wankhade

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In-form Vidarbha middle-order batsman Apoorv Vijay Wankhade feels that his good showing in the Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup has helped him mature as a Twenty20 cricketer and that will hold him in good stead when he turns out for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) this season.

“I have always had a knack for T20. I enjoy the format and I can express myself. This season, I have done well in red-ball cricket. The Ranji Trophy season went well and I was among runs. I think my Ranji and Irani form has helped me mature as a T20 cricketer,” Wankhade told IANS in an interview here.

Wankhade not only helped Vidarbha clinch their maiden Ranji Trophy title this season, but also contributed with the bat scoring 296 useful runs in 10 innings. That included a timely century against Kerala to help them qualify for their maiden Ranji Trophy semi-final.

More recently in the Irani Cup, the 26-year old notched up a career-best unbeaten 157.

“Everyday before going to bed, I have it planned in my head what I want to do the next day. I think of the areas I need to work on, my fitness. I break down my training and want to improve after every session,” said Wankhade on his secret to keeping good form of late.

Wankhade was rewarded for his consistency in domestic cricket as KKR picked him in the IPL auction for his base price of Rs 20 lakh.

“I have been hitting the ball in the last three years. In the IPL, I won’t change my game. Like I play for my state, I will do the same for KKR as well,” a confident Wankhade said.

Wankhade scored 197 runs in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at an average of 49.25 in 2015-16 and remained unbeaten in 5 innings. In 2016-17, he finished three out of five matches.

Interestingly, his strike rate last year was 151.61 as compared to 122.36 in 2015-16. This year also he emerged the highest run scorer for Vidarbha in Raipur’s testing conditions.

Wankhade said he is looking forward to meeting big names like Mitchell Starc and Chris Lynn in the KKR squad and would aim to learn how they approach the game and handle pressure.

He added that skipper Dinesh Karthik’s recent pyrotechnics (29 off 8 balls) for India in the final of the Nidahas trophy T20 tri-series against Bangladesh has inspired the finisher in him.

“I am looking forward to meeting all of them. I have just watched them on television. I want to learn how they approach the game and handle pressure. I want to see their mindset and learn from it,” Wankhade said.

“Like DK, the way he finished the game for India against Bangladesh in the final, I want to get inside his head and know how he thinks during those final overs,” the M. S. Dhoni fan added.

Wankhade wants to keep working hard for a India call up.

“I am working hard and that’s why I got picked to play in the IPL from my state. Things will fall into place if I continue working hard and not think too much about the result,” he signed off.

(IANS)

Afghanistan: Deadly car bombing near Helmand stadium

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Car bomb explosion near stadium hosting wrestling match kills at least 14 and wounds 40, health official says.

At least 14 people have been killed and dozens wounded in a car bomb explosion near a sports facility in southern Afghanistan, a health official has said.

Omar Zwak, spokesperson for the governor of Helmand province, said Friday’s blast in the city of Lashkar Gah took place close to the Ghazi Muhammad Ayoub Khan stadium, where a wrestling match was taking place.

Aminuallah Abed, chief of the provincial public health department, said that 40 people who were wounded were receiving treatment at a local hospital.

The death toll is expected to rise, with hospital sources telling Al Jazeera that a number of wounded people were in serious condition.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The Italian NGO Emergency said that they had heard the sound of the explosion from their surgical centre.

“35 wounded already taken to our hospital, another four were dead on arrival,” the NGO said in a Twitter post.

Al Jazeera’s Abdullah Shahood, reporting from the capital, Kabul, said a “suicide car bomber detonated his explosives just outside the stadium’s entrance.”

“A number of security officials who were possibly watching the match were among the casualties,” he added.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack, saying in a statement that “the enemies of Afghanistan cannot prevent the celebration of traditional, religious and cultural events in the country.”

The explosion comes just two days after a suicide bomber detonated himself near Kabul University in the Afghan capital, killing 29 people and wounding 52 others.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) claimed responsibility for that attack.

(Aljazeera)

Lalu sentenced to 7 years each on two counts in Fodder Scan

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A special CBI court in Ranchi today sentenced RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav to 7 years in prison in Dumka treasury case. The case is related to fraudulent withdrawals of Rs 3.13 crore from December 1995 to January 1996 from the Dumka treasury, was completed on March 5.

Lalu Prasad Yadav has been serving a jail term in Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Central Jail since December last year after his conviction in two other fodder scam cases. He was shifted to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences
(RIMS)on Wednesday after he complained of chest pain.

Earlier in the week, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s wife Rabri Devi, said,” We will follow Court’s order & won’t leave Bihar & go anywhere else however we are also going to appeal in the Court.”

Lalu Yadav was first convicted in a fodder scam case in 2013 and was awarded five years’ imprisonment while the conviction in the second case came in December last year.

BJP tally in Rajya Sabha goes to 69, Cong tally goes down to 50 from the present 54

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The BJP has made a significant gain of 11 additional seats while the Congress made an overall loss of four in the biennial elections to 58 Rajya Sabha seats, consolidating the saffron party’s position in the House and leaving its main rival far behind.

Its 28 candidates emerged victorious in the polls held yesterday against 17 retiring members, while the Congress won only 10 seats while 14 of its members will retire next week.

A calculation of tallies shows that the BJP’s strength in the 245-member House will go from the existing 58 to 69 and that of the Congress will fall from 54 to 50 when the new MPs take oath next week.

However, a majority in the Council of States will continue to elude the BJP-led NDA.

It recently suffered a setback when the Telugu Desam Party, its ally of four years, decided to break ties. The TDP has six members in the House.

However, NDA managers are upbeat following the loss in numbers of most vocal opposition parties like the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, which won only one seat while its six members are retiring.

BJP sources said treasury benches will now be more comfortably placed in the House as regional parties like the AIADMK, TRS, which has gained three more seats, YSR Congress and the BJD, all of whom are outside the NDA, have been more open to supporting the government’s legislative agenda.

The Modi government’s bills have often been stalled in the House, where it has lacked a majority, by a united opposition after it managed to pass them in the Lok Sabha, where it enjoys a strong majority.

BJP’s winning spree in state Assembly polls has resulted in a steady rise in its numbers in the House, whose members are elected by assemblies, while the loss of power of the Congress in many states has led to a fall in its numerical strength.

Vidwath assault case: HC issues notice to Cubbon Park Police

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The Cubbon Park Police were issued a notice by the Karnataka High Court on Friday regarding the bail plea by Abhishek, one of the accused in the bar assault case at Farzi cafe on February 17.

Justice Sreenivas Harish Kumar who was hearing the petition to issued headings to Special Public Prosecutor Shyam Sundar to document his objections on behalf of the respondent.


Abhishek, a businessperson, has moved the high court looking for bail. Abhishek with Mohammed Nalapad and six others are in legal custody for assaulting Vidwath.

The six accused in the case are Arun Babu (a juice shop owner), Mohammed Afraz Ashraf (unemployed), Balakrishna (driver), Manjunath (driver and bouncer) and Nafi Mohammed Nasir (runs a juice shop in Indiranagar). Another accused Balakrishna is still absconding.

The high court on March 14 had rejected a plea- challenging the denial of his bail plea by the sessions court- filed by Mohammed.

’37 burned alive’: Syria forces hit shelter in East Ghouta

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Hundreds of opposition fighters and their families were evacuated on Thursday from the town of Harasta in Eastern Ghouta (Anadolu)

by Al Jazeera

At least 37 people, mostly women and children, have been killed and 80 others injured after regime forces bombed an underground shelter in Eastern Ghouta, according to rescuers and activists on the ground.

Sources on the ground and rescuers from the Syrian Civil Defence, a volunteer rescue group also known as the White Helmets, said on Friday that the victims were burned to death after air strikes carrying napalm gas hit the shelter in the town of Arbeen.

“An airstrike targeted one of the underground cellars in Arbeen last night where between 117 to 125 people, mostly women and children, were hiding,” Izzet Muslimani, an activist in Eastern Ghouta, told Al Jazeera.

“Those who were injured are still being treated for first and second degree burns. With the lack of emergency services, we are expecting the death toll to rise,” added Muslimani.

Zaher Hassoun, another activist in the rebel enclave, confirmed reports that the Syrian government had hit the shelter with napalm gas, a flammable liquid that is used in warfare as it sticks to skin and causes severe burns.

Earlier this month, the Syrian Civil Defence said the Syrian government hit Arbeen with chlorine gas, phosphorous and napalm. The news followed reports of several alleged chemical attacks in a matter of days.

Eastern Ghouta has been under control of armed opposition groups since 2013 – two years into a popular uprising in Syria calling for the removal of President Bashar al-Assad.

More than 1,500 civilians have died in the enclave, east of the capital, Damascus, since the regime forces backed by the Russian warplanes launched a fierce assault on February 18.

Evacuation ongoing
The attack reportedly came just hours before a ceasefire went into effect after midnight which saw hundreds of opposition fighters and their families evacuated on Thursday from the town of Harasta in the eastern part of Eastern Ghouta, according to Syrian state media.

Sana, the official Syrian news agency, said at least six buses carrying the evacuees were headed to Idlib province in Syria’s north, which is an area under opposition control.

The evacuation comes as part of a deal brokered on Wednesday by the Syrian government’s principal ally, Russia, between fighters in Harasta and a Syrian government delegation.

The operation was facilitated by a United Nations delegation as well as the Syrian Red Crescent.

Until recently, Eastern Ghouta was one of the last remaining rebel strongholds. In a renewed offensive by the government since February 18, the opposition lost large parts of it, with the Syrian army claiming it has now recaptured 80 percent of the suburb.

CBI books Deccan Chronicle Holdings in Rs 30cr fraud

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The CBI has filed a case against Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd (DCHL)and its Chairman T. Venkatram Reddy for allegedly causing a wrongful loss of Rs 30.54 crore to United India Insurance Co Ltd (UIIC), an official said on Friday.

The FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday also named Mumbai-based private firms CARE Rating Ltd and Infrastructure Development Finance Co Ltd and two former officials of UIIC.

The UIIC officials — Deputy General Manager A. Balasubramanian and Chief Manager K.L. Kunjilwar — made suspicious investments in the “privately placed short term unsecured redeemable non-convertible debentures issued by DCHL in 2011 in violation of the regulations”.

Balasubramanian and Kunjilwar entered into a criminal conspiracy at Chennai and other places to cheat UIIC and abused their official position as public servants by making the investments which was not repaid by DCHL, causing loss of Rs 30,54,25,350, said the CBI FIR.

“It is revealed that UIIC was investing the premium collected from the policy holders during the ordinary course of business in the form of shares, debentures, commercial papers, term loan etc in the public and private sector companies as per the investment policy guidelines based on the rules of Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDA),” the FIR said.

These investments are based on the rating made by Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) approved rating agency CARE Rating Ltd, it said.

The FIR said the overall borrowing powers of DCHL was increased from Rs 700 crore to Rs 1,000 crore on the Board of Directors’ annual general meeting held on September 29, 2007 and from Rs 1,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore in a similar meeting on February 28, 2013.

“As on the date of issue of debentures, DCHL’s total borrowings was Rs 3,755.70 crore.”

According to the FIR, in the pursuance of the criminal conspiracy between July to October 2011, three office notes were put up by Kunjilwar for investment of Rs 10 crore each in 11.25 per cent unsecured non convertible debentures issued by DCHL for purchase of short term unsecured debentures with 364 days maturity without analyzing the proposal in detail and the same was approved by Balasubramanian.

“The investments were made in three different occasions deliberately in order to by-pass the investment committee of UIIC. Thus UIIC invested Rs 30 crore in DCHL. UIIC relied on the rating awarded by CARE Ratings Ltd.

“At the time of investment in 2011, the rating awarded by CARE Rating Ltd was PR1+ and at the time of redemption in 2012, the rating was drastically downgraded to D within a short span of one year.

“On the date of maturity in 2012, the principal amount with interest was not repaid by DCHL. DCHL had issued three cheques of Rs 10 crore each but when presented through encashment, they were dishonoured. Regarding which UIIC lodged a complaint against DCHL which is peding before court,” the FIR said.

(IANS)

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