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In view of some reports of students and other residents of Jammu and Kashmir experiencing threats and intimidation in the wake of terrorist attack in Pulwama, the Ministry of Home Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday issued an advisory to all states and union territories to take necessary measures to ensure their safety and security .
The advisory directs all Chief Secretaries and Director General of Police of all states to strictly maintain law and order situation.
The people are in deep anguish and agitated over the gruesome attack on the CRPF convoy, which led to death of 40 personnel on Thursday .
Incidents of intimidation of Kashmiris living outside J&K were reported in some parts of the country in past 48 hours. Therefore, the Home Ministry has asked to states to ensure the safety and security of the people, a senior Government functionary said.

US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has introduced a bill on Saturday that would prevent Washington from spending taxpayer money on weapons that violate the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

“The risk of nuclear catastrophe is greater than ever before, and Trump’s decision to pull out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty heightens the danger of a nuclear holocaust”, she said during a press conference on Friday.

She warned that it will spark a new nuclear arms race, undermine US national security and divert precious resources away from the domestic programs to serve people and communities.

She said that this INF Treaty Compliance Act (H.R. 1249) will ensure our country remains compliant with the INF Treaty and prevent a single taxpayer dollar from being used for weapons that would breach the treaty.

She noted that this is one step Congress can and must take now toward national security and peace.

An international forum on promoting global environmental co-operation and ecological civilization will be held in China’s Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) late March, the SAR government’s Information Bureau said here on Saturday.
2019 Macao International Environmental Cooperation Forum and Exhibition (MIECF) is themed of promoting ecological civilization and green development. It is scheduled from March 28-30, the bureau said.
The forum, aiming at serving as an platform for promoting global environmental technology transfer and sustainable development, includes a series of activities such as seminar, exhibition and public day.
The forum will set up a “Greenovation Zone” to offer displays and networking activities related to innovative green technologies and promote the application and exchange of innovative environmentally-friendly technologies.
The MIECF was first launched in 2008 and this year will be its 12th edition. Last year’s forum witnessed the signing of 35 agreements and 349 on-site business matching sessions.

Terming the attachment of his office as ‘a complete misuse of assertion of power, a complete vindictive & vicious witch hunt’, industrial;ist and brother in law of Congress president Rahul gandhi, Robert vadra on Saturday said he will stay determined for justice.

In a Facebook post, Mr Vadra said,’Relentless harassment !! I have had nothing to hide and I am surely not above the law. I have deposed for almost 6 days; ranging from 8 to 12 hours per day with a 40 minute lunch break, and have been escorted to the washroom. I have completely cooperated and adhered to the rules whenever I was called in any part of the country.’

‘Attachment of my work place- my office and areas that are subjudiced, shows a complete misuse of assertion of power, a complete vindictive & vicious witch hunt. When truth sustains n prevails, I suppose an apology is all that will suffice. Will stay determined for justice for me,’ he said.

Mr Vadra on February 6 appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case for allegedly possessing of illegal foreign assets.

Mr Vadra was directed by a Delhi court on February 2 to cooperate with the investigation being carried out by the ED, after he knocked at its door seeking anticipatory bail in the money laundering case.

The case relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property located at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million pounds, which is allegedly owned by Vadra.

Vadra has been granted interim bail by a Delhi court till February 16. The court had asked him to join probe in person and cooperate with the investigation agency.

Strongly condemning the ‘dastadly terror act in Pulwama on February 14’, in which 40 CRPF jawans lost their lives, an all-party meeting here on Saturday said the country stands united in solidarity with the security forces in fighting terror and defending the unity and integrity of India.

A unanimous resolution passed at the meeting in Parliament, chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, also condemned the support given to acts of terrorism from across the border.

‘We strongly condemn the dastardly terror act of February 14, 2019 at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir in which lives of 40 jawans of CRPF were lost.

‘We, along with our countrymen, stand with their families in this hour of grief. We condemn terrorism in all its forms and the support given to it from across the border.’’

‘Today, we stand united in solidarity with our security forces in fighting terrorism and defending the unity and integrity of India,’’ the resolution said.

Sony SAB is all set to premiere ‘Baavle Utaavle- #Gufu Ki Visfotak Love Isstory’ from February 18.

Attraction is the beginning of every love story and Sony SAB’s latest offering ‘Baavle Utaavle’ is one such story of two young hearts Guddu and Funty, whose quest to satiate their physical desires is wrapped by the need to get married.

Set against the rustic backdrop of a Madhya Pradesh landscape, ‘Baavle Utaavle’ captures the quirks of society in small town in India where there is subtle acknowledgement that marriage fulfills the desire for physical intimacy and love follows later.

In the show, the central characters are that of Guddu and Funty, two young adults played by Paras Arora and Shivani Badoni, who are obsessed with the idea of a romantic relationship and meeting their soulmates.

While Guddu desperately wants to be with a girl, he is aware of his responsibilities towards his family and believes in being a ‘one-woman-man’.

On the other hand, Funty believes that a girl’s life begins only after she gets married and therefore has been praying for the arrival of her knight in shining armor.

Guddu and Funty’s desires start seeing the light of day when Guddu’s older brother, Brajesh Dhimole (Vaibhav Singh) gets married to Funty’s cousin, Sonarika (Mohita Srivastava). Their curiosity and a slight blunder takes them under the suhaag-raat bed of the newlywed couple.

Though caught in an embarrassing situation, their life too changes as they fall in love with each other at first sight and decide to set off on a journey. However, little did they know that falling in love is just the beginning.

Guddu and Funty who are ignorant from the intricacies of marriage will encounter many speed breakers coming their way. Will they survive these hurdles on their way to lifelong companionship and become the ideal husband and wife for each other?

Produced by Rajan Shahi production house Director’s Kut, ‘Baavle Utaavle’ gives a harmless yet humorous twist to topics like physical intimacy and coming of age that are often not acknowledged in Indian society.

Neeraj Vyas, Business Head, Sony SAB, PAL said, ‘At Sony SAB, we are committed to fun and happiness and this is evident in our programming strategy. As part of our promise to bring fresh and unique content, we are set to launch Baavle Utaavle – a show that revolves around the coming of age of youngsters. It is the reflection of the lifestyle and mindset of young adults living in small towns; narrated through the journey of our lead couple.’

Producer Rajan Shahi, Director’s Kut said, ‘Baavle Utaavle deals with topics which the young adults in the country can relate to. It highlights some important aspects in their lives like curiosity towards marriage, desperation to meet their soulmate and the need for companionship. All of these aspects are beautifully communicated through the life of our two leads – Guddu and Funty, without being preachy.’

With a unique concept and strong storyline, this show is poised to catapult the prime-time television viewing experience for Sony SAB viewers.

The show will premiere from February 18 onwards, Monday to Friday at 2200 hrs on Sony SAB.

More than 60 people are believed to have died in two mining shafts after a nearby dam burst in Zimbabwe’s Mashonaland West Province, authorities said on Friday.

The number of illegal miners who could have been trapped was estimated at between 60 and 70, said Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister July Moyo.

In a statement on Friday, Moyo said hopes of finding survivors are fading following heavy rains that pounded the area during the night.

Rescuers successfully pumped out water from two interlinked tunnels, and work to retrieve the bodies is expected to start Saturday, Moyo said.

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared the incident a State of Disaster on Friday.

Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs Minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka said the tragedy was a big wake-up call for mining authorities and the miners on the need to adhere to safety standards.

To help better understand and fight childhood cancer, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has joined the recently formed World Health Organization (WHO) Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer.
The Global Initiative seeks to reduce inequalities in access to diagnosis and in quality of treatment, and thus improve treatment outcomes for all children, especially those living in countries with limited resources.
IARC estimates that each year about 2,15,000 children younger than 15 years and about 85 000 children aged 15–19 years are diagnosed with cancer. In low-resource settings, childhood cancer survival rates are only about one quarter those in high-resource settings.
High-quality data on childhood cancer incidence and survival are critical to better understand and combat the disease. However, many low-income countries lack high-quality cancer registries, and thus data describing the burden of childhood cancer are scarce.(UNI)

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has provided an assurance vis-a-vis speedy action after comprehending the disturbance caused during study time – by the blaring of disc jockeys (DJs) – to an eighth-standard pupil in Madrani village.
In a recent letter to Mr Nath, Himanshu Soni stated that reining in the DJs would prove beneficial even to animals and birds.

Official sources quoted the Chief Minister as pointing out that directives are already in place regarding maximum decibel levels. The same are being reissued so that compliance is firmly ensured after expiration of the time limit.

The biggest UN humanitarian convoy yet to operate inside Syria has successfully distributed aid to 40,000 desperate people in a hard-to-access desert camp near the country’s southern border with Jordan, the Organization announced on Friday.
Jens Laerke from the Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), highlighted that Thursday’s delivery to Rukban was only the second time the UN has been able to reach the remote site from within Syria, where at least eight children had recently died, and some women have had to resort to “survival sex” just to stay alive.
“It was a complex, large-scale aid operation, it’s the biggest ever carried out by the United Nations in Syria,” he said, adding that it was carried out with UN partner the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC).
“The mission lasted nine days, it consisted of 133 trucks in total, 118 loaded with relief supplies and 15 carrying logistics support,” he said. “With more than 300 staff, volunteers and commercial suppliers that took part. It took more than two months of advocacy and negotiations with all parties to ensure safe access.”
Rukban is around 300 kilometres from the capital Damascus and one of the last remaining remote and hard to reach locations, in dire need of regular aid from the UN and partners.
Supply routes are often blocked and the majority of people at the site are displaced women and children who have been living there for years in harsh conditions, according to the World Food Programme (WFP).
Spokesperson Hervé Verhoosel said in a statement that amid significant poverty and a lack of basic goods, many families lack firewood and “end up collecting garbage and plastic to make a fire to cook and keep warm”.
Prices of the limited food and non-food items “are exponentially high”, the UN food agency added, and commodities have to be smuggled into the market – a drastic situation underlined by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), which described children “walking around barefoot through puddles and mud, in cold and the rain. The winter months has obviously been hard on these people and there also fatalities among the youngest”.
Spokesperson Andrej Mahecic added that in order to survive, early marriages were also “common” for girls.
“Some women are subjected to serial marriages and some told us they had turned to survival sex as a last resort,”   Mahecic explained, noting also that many women were “essentially terrified to leave their mud huts or tents and to be outside, as there are serious risks of sexual violence, sexual abuse and harassment”.

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also highlighted the deadly cost of a lack of basic medical care in Rukban.
“There are no certified doctors and only a few poorly supplied clinics,” said spokesperson Christophe Boulierac. “Since December last year, at least eight children – most of them newborns – died in the camp because of freezing temperatures and lack of medical care.”
According to UNICEF, 30 of the convoy’s 118 trucks were loaded with the agency’s life-saving supplies for children.
This included health and nutrition supplies for around 20,000 children and mothers, hygiene kits for more than 40,000 people, recreational kits, school books, stationery and school bags for more than 8,000 children.
After almost eight years of war in Syria, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and millions have been displaced inside and outside the country.
UN will play post-war role in reconstruction, says UN Envoy
Basic infrastructure has also been destroyed and will need to be rebuilt before Syrians can go home – an issue that the United Nations would “definitely contribute to”, depending “of course on the donor community to be able to move forward”, UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, told journalists in Geneva.
“Obviously for Syria to come out of the crisis we need a comprehensive approach,” he said. “And obviously that approach should lead to the IDPs (internally displaced people) being able to return to their homes, the refugees being able to return to their homes, but of course there are certain requirements for that to happen and the voluntary return of refugees, will be important for the future of Syria. And hopefully then we can have a political process that will enable this to happen.”
Asked about the likelihood of a meeting of the Constitutional Committee in the Swiss city, in line with UN Security Council resolution 2254 and its call for a genuine, credible and inclusive process to end the conflict,  . Pedersen said that his hope that it would meet “as soon as possible”.
Once finalized, the Constitutional Committee will comprise three groups: the Government of Syria, a broad opposition delegation; and one comprising Syrian experts, civil society, independents, tribal leaders and women.
Pedersen added: “We have had good discussions with the relevant parties, I think we had identified the challenges and we have agreed on how we should move forward and that I see as a very positive sign.”(UNI)

UN Secretary-General António Guterres wants Israel and Palestine to jointly share Jerusalem as their capital.
In his address to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, which was established by the UN General Assembly in 1975, he said that “based on relevant UN resolutions, long-held principles, previous agreements and international law, Jerusalem should be the capital of both States.”
While offering a peaceful and just solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict he reiterated on Friday that it can “only be achieved” through two States “living side-by-side in peace and security.”
“Unfortunately, over this past year, the situation has not moved in that direction”, he continued, pointing to protests that began along the border fence with Gaza last year that left hundreds dead and thousands wounded by Israeli security forces.
He also cited “security incidents and provocations by Hamas and other militants in Gaza”, including the launching of rockets and incendiary kites that dangerously escalated the situation.
“Thanks to UN and Egyptian mediation efforts, a major escalation was avoided”, he continued, appealing to Hamas authorities in Gaza to “prevent provocations”. The UN chief said that under International Humanitarian Law, “Israel, too, has a responsibility to exercise maximum restraint”, except as a last resort.
Mr. Guterres underscored that the UN firmly supports Palestinian reconciliation and “the return of the legitimate Palestinian Government to Gaza”, as “an integral part of a future Palestinian State”.
Spelling out that the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza must be “immediately addressed”, he detailed that some two million Palestinians “remain mired in increasing poverty and unemployment, with limited access to adequate health, education, water and electricity”, leaving young people with “little prospect of a better future”.
“I urge Israel to lift restrictions on the movement of people and goods, which also hamper the efforts of the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies, without naturally jeopardizing legitimate security concerns,” the Secretary-General stated.
Lauding the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) for its “critical work” in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and across the region, he called on the international community to “significantly” increase efforts to revitalize Gaza’s economy.
Turning to the “risk of further unrest in the West Bank”, the UN chief flagged that Israeli construction and settlement plans have expanded, including in East Jerusalem.
“Settlements are illegal under international law” he asserted. “They deepen the sense of mistrust and undermine the two-State solution”.
Mr. Guterres said he regretted Israel’s decision not to renew the mandate of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron, saying: “I hope an agreement can be found by the parties to preserve this long-standing and valuable arrangement.”
“Palestinians have endured more than a half-century of occupation and denial of their legitimate right to self-determination” with both sides continuously suffering from “deadly cycles of violence”, said the Secretary-General.
He indicated that leaders bore the responsibility to “reverse this negative trajectory and pave the way toward peace, stability and reconciliation” and praised the Committee for keeping the focus on the ultimate objective of a “peaceful solution with two States coexisting in peace and security” as the only way to achieve the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.
“As I have said repeatedly, there is no Plan B”, concluded Mr. Guterres. (UNI)

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Friday that US President Donald Trump is put by his advisors into a dead end regarding the situation in Venezuela.
Trump has been put into an “alley without exit” by his advisors on Venezuela, he said.
Maduro made the remarks when marking the bicentennial of Venezuela’s definitive republican constitution amid a political crisis that broke out on January 23 when opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president and was recognized by the United States and several other countries.
Maduro said there are no alternatives to “dialogue, understanding, and respect” in solving the crisis.
Maduro said he is “waiting for the call to a national dialogue,” as urged by the Montevideo Mechanism, a four-step plan proposed on February 6 by Uruguay and Mexico advocating a negotiated solution.
However, he warned that Washington may order opposition members not to enter into dialogue “and that is a mistake.”
He reiterated that the humanitarian aid Washington is trying to offer is a “trap.”
Maduro, who won the 2018 presidential elections in the South American country, was inaugurated for a second term on January 10.

With more than 745,000 Rohingya having fled violence in Myanmar to settle in Bangladesh, joining roughly 200,000 others already sheltering there, United Nations aid agencies and partners have launched an appeal to help meet their “dire needs”.
The 2019 Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis seeks to raise $920 million to assist more than 900,000 refugees from Myanmar and the more than 330,000 vulnerable Bangladeshis hosting them.
“Our humanitarian imperative today is to stabilize the situation of stateless Rohingya refugees and their Bangladesh hosts”, said Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). “We are hoping for timely, predictable and flexible contributions in order to meet the goals of this year’s appeal”.
Critical aid and services, such as food, water, sanitation and shelter, represent more than half of this year’s funding needs, which include health, education, child protection and addressing sexual and gender-based violence.
“The solidarity shown by the Government of Bangladesh and the commitment of humanitarian partners ensured the successful implementation of the first Joint Response Plan in 2018”, said António Vitorino, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). “Moving forward, we reiterate our commitment to meeting the dire needs of this population and urge the international community to support these efforts”.
The new plan brings together 132 partners – UN agencies, international and national non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and government bodies – to protect refugee women, men, girls and boys, provide life-saving assistance and foster social cohesion.
“But while we tackle these immediate humanitarian needs we must not lose sight of solutions”, Mr. Grandi stressed, repeating his call that Myanmar “take urgent action to address the root causes of this crisis which have persisted for decades, so that people are no longer forced to flee and can eventually return home in safety and dignity”.
The third joint humanitarian appeal builds on achievements made to further stabilize the situation of Rohingya refugees.
Over the past year, the 2018 plan has supported aid agencies in improving conditions across refugee settlements by providing basic assistance, upgrading living conditions and carrying out disaster risk mitigation measures for monsoon and cyclone seasons.
Despite these and other achievements, the Rohingya remain in an extremely precarious situation.
UNHCR underscored that until the root causes of displacement in Myanmar are addressed and refugees can voluntarily return in safety, Bangladesh must be supported to meet the needs of refugees and the host communities.
As an example, the entire refugee population received basic emergency shelter kits to cope with the 2018 rainy season, but they now require safer and more robust shelters.
Similarly, while some 860,000 refugees regularly receive food assistance, only 240,000 manage to diversify their diet beyond the minimum package of rice, lentils and oil, which must be expanded to ensure better nutrition.
Moreover, continued investments into safe water and sanitation, health and protection services are vital.
“We encourage countries in this region and beyond to show solidarity with Bangladesh and to support Myanmar to start creating conditions for voluntary, safe and dignified return of Rohingya refugees” concluded the UNHCR chief.
The 2018 plan was funded at 69 per cent, or $655 million received against $950 million requested.(UNI)

On the backdrop of government vowing to give a ‘befitting reply’ on terror attack in Pulwama and efforts being made to isolate Pakistan, an all party meeting has been convened in the capital on Saturday.

The meeting has been convened by Home Minister Rajnath Singh wherein he is expected to brief the leaders of various parties about the Pulwama terror attack and the emergent security situation in the militancy hit region of Kashmir Valley.

During his visit to Srinagar on Friday, Home Minister Singh held a high-level meeting with the top officials of the Army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police.

An explosive-laden vehicle rammed one of the buses of 78 vehicle convoy carrying the CRPF jawans on Thursday and reduced it to a heap of mangled iron.

The government on Friday reached out to at least 25 nations including the P5- the US, the UK, France, Russia and China and South Asian nations and tried to impress upon them on the need to build up pressure on Pakistan.

At the end of Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale’s marathon round of meeting with the envoys, an informed source said – “All the Heads of Missions were left in no doubt about the role played by Pakistan and that it had supported Jaish-e-Mohammed in the terrorist attack”.

The decision to convene the all-party meeting was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitely said the all-party meeting would be convened by Home Minister to brief political parties on the incident and steps government would take so that the nation speaks in one voice on the issue.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has said that his party will stand firm with the security forces and the government. Other parties have also extended their support to the security forces and the government on the issue.(UNI)

Vande Bharat Express, while returning back to New Delhi via Allahabad, Kanpur broke down near Tundla railway station in the wee hours of Saturday. According to Official spokesperson of the Railways, ‘ this appears to be a disruption due to possible cattle run over in the early hours while the Vande Bharat Express was returning from Varanasi towards New Delhi.’

The semi-high speed train was returning from Varanasi after it was flagged-off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at New Delhi railway station on Friday.

India on Friday late night asserted that Pakistan’s demand for an investigation into Pulwama attack is ‘preposterous’ when there is already a video of the suicide bomber declaring himself a member of the JeM.
“There are also other audio-visual and print material linking JeM to the terrorist attack,” official spokesman in the MEA Raveesh Kumar said in reply to a question on Pakistan Foreign Secretary’s briefing rejecting Pakistan’s involvement in the Pulwama attack.
“JeM has claimed responsibility for the attack. The organization and its leadership are located in Pakistan. LeT and other terror groups have welcomed the news of the attack. These groups are also based in Pakistan. Pakistan cannot claim that it is unaware of their presence and their activities,” he said.
He further maintained that Pakistan authorities “have not taken any action” against these groups despite international demands, especially against groups and individuals proscribed by the UN and other countries.
“The links to Pakistan are clear and evident for all to see. Its own Ministers have shared the same podium with UN proscribed terrorists,” he said.
The spokesman further said India has “not seen” any constructive approach from Pakistan on relations with India.
“What we have noticed however, are claims to offer dialogue on the one hand, while sponsoring and sheltering terrorists and terrorist organizations such as JeM on the other,” Mr Kumar said adding “We demand Pakistan take immediate and verifiable action against terrorists and terror groups operating from territories under its control to create a conducive atmosphere in the region free of terror”.
Earlier, Pak Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua has strongly rejected Indian allegations on Pulwama attack.
In a tweet, Foreign Office Spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal said that while briefing the ambassadors of P-5 at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she noted a familiar Indian pattern of ‘immediate and reflexive assignment of blame’ on Pakistan without investigations.
Tehmina said Pakistan has pursued a constructive approach towards India. She also said that Pakistan’s offer of dialogue and Kartarpur initiative is a clear evidence of this.(UNI)

New Delhi, Feb 16 (UNI) On the backdrop of government vowing to give a ‘befitting reply’ on terror attack in Pulwama and efforts being made to isolate Pakistan, an all party meeting has been convened in the capital on Saturday.

The meeting has been convened by Home Minister Rajnath Singh wherein he is expected to brief the leaders of various parties about the Pulwama terror attack and the emergent security situation in the militancy hit region of Kashmir Valley.

During his visit to Srinagar on Friday, Home Minister Singh held a high-level meeting with the top officials of the Army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police.

An explosive-laden vehicle rammed one of the buses of 78 vehicle convoy carrying the CRPF jawans on Thursday and reduced it to a heap of mangled iron.

The government on Friday reached out to at least 25 nations including the P5- the US, the UK, France, Russia and China and South Asian nations and tried to impress upon them on the need to build up pressure on Pakistan.

At the end of Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale’s marathon round of meeting with the envoys, an informed source said – “All the Heads of Missions were left in no doubt about the role played by Pakistan and that it had supported Jaish-e-Mohammed in the terrorist attack”.

The decision to convene the all-party meeting was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitely said the all-party meeting would be convened by Home Minister to brief political parties on the incident and steps government would take so that the nation speaks in one voice on the issue.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has said that his party will stand firm with the security forces and the government. Other parties have also extended their support to the security forces and the government on the issue.

Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa directed the state electoral machinery in Odisha to gear up with logistic arrangements and address the concern of political parties.

The commission is committed to ensuring conducive environment for free and fair election in Odisha,Mr.Lavasa told newsmen here after reviewing the poll preparation for the 2019 general election with the representatives of various political and Police and other officials.

He said the officers were asked to make comprehensive action plans to enable voters to exercise their franchise without fear, pressure or allurement.

The officers were directed to use IT APPs – Samadhan Suvidha, e Vigil Apps to resolve the complaints promptly and in a transparent manner.

The Electon Commissioner said e- Vigilance App has been developed to enable the citizens to file complaints regarding the violation of the Model Code of Conduct and action will be taken within 100 minutes of receiving the complainant.

The App, he said, would be activated in Odisha after the date for the election was announced.

The App has successfully been operated in five state Assembly elections held recently. Out of 20,000 complaints received through the App 75 per cent allegations were found to be true and action taken in time,Mr.Lavasa said.

The SAMADHAN App helps to resolve complaints filed on line and citizens need not depend on officials for accepting their written complaint.

The new SUVIDHA App is a single window service on first come first serve basis to streamline candidate’s nominations, permission, counting and results display.

This apart, the Voter help line, PWD App and Observers App would also be used in the coming election to make the election free and fair,the Election Commissioner said.

Ashwani Lohani on Friday assumed duties as Chief Managing Director of the state-owned Air India.
He took over from Pradeep Singh Kharola, who was made Civil Aviation Ministry Secretary recently.

This is the second tenure of Mr Lohani — a retired Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineering (IRSME) officer — as Air India chief. He was given the charge of the carrier for one year.
On February 13, the Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved the appointment of Mr Ashwani Lohani to the post of the CMD, Air India, as per the usual terms and conditions applicable to re-employed Central Government officers in the rank and status of Secretary to the Government of India for a period of one year or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Mr Lohani had retired from the post of Chairman of the Railway Board on December 31, last year. Prior to being appointed the Railways board chairman, he was Chairman and Managing Director of Air India.

Day after a major terror attack in South Kashmir’s Awantipora area, a suicide bomber targeted a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy, killing at least 37 CRPF personnel and wounding others, the cricket fraternity on Friday condemned the deadly attack and wished for speedy recovery of the injured jawans.

Cricketers including Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir, VVS Laxman, Rohit Sharma ,Virender Sehwag, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina and Mohammed Kaif took to Twitter to condemn the attack and to send their condolences to the families of the martyrs.

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir, who likes to play with a straight bat even off the field also condemned the painful terror attack.

“Yes, let’s talk with the separatists. Yes, let’s talk with Pakistan. But this time conversation can’t be on the table, it has to be in a battle ground. Enough is enough. 18 CRPF personnel killed in IED blast on Srinagar-Jammu highway,” Gambhir tweeted on Thursday.

Indian Cricket team Captain Virat Kohli also reacted and expressed his feeling on Twitter. “I’m shocked after hearing about the attack in Pulwama, heartfelt condolences to the martyred soldiers & prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured jawaans,” Virat Kohli tweeted.

Expressing his feeling and condemning the attack, former opener Virender Sehwag also tweeted, “Really pained by the cowardly attack on our CRPF in J&K in which our brave men have been martyred . No words are enough to describe the pain. I wish a speedy recovery to those injured. #SudharJaaoWarnaSudhaarDenge,”

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condemned the attack and promised that the sacrifices of the martyrs will not go in vain.

Terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad has claimed the responsibility for the deadly attack.(UNI)