Stand-up comedian Vir Das made his debut appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien to promote his Netflix show Abroad Understanding.

During his five-minute routine on the popular American talk show, Das took a jibe at Donald Trump, explaining how he is like an arranged marriage.

“We didn't vote for this guy, now we got to live with him… To you Americans, that's your president, to most Indians, that's a marriage,” he said.

Taking to Twitter, the 37-year-old star shared his excitement with fans and posted a picture of him along with O'Brien.

“A short man meets an incredibly tall one! I'm on @TeamCoco tonight on TBS! Tune in at 11/10c! #CONAN,” Das captioned the photo.

O'Brien was not the only one Das had a chat with, as the multi-talented performer also met American voice actor and comedian Hank Azaria, who is best known for “The Simpsons”.

“So I met apu and chief wiggum and as we know, they are both one of the funniest men out there! @HankAzaria @TeamCoco,” he wrote alongside his photo with the actor.

The central government on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the air regional connectivity scheme — UDAN — on April 27, Thursday, in Shimla.

"Simultaneously, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also flag off the inaugural UDAN flights on Kadapa-Hyderabad and Nanded-Hyderabad sectors," the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement.

According to the ministry, it is committed to providing air connectivity to currently underserved and unserved airports through the UDAN air connectivity scheme. 

An under-served airport is defined as an airport which has no more than seven scheduled commercial flight departures per week, whereas an un-served airport or airstrip is the one which has not even received a single scheduled commercial service during the last two flight schedules.
 

Andy Bird, chairman of Walt Disney International, said the company is not abandoning local content production in India, despite its decision last year to close Bollywood film production.

Bird said India is often overshadowed by the growth of China, but prospects for the country are very bright, reported Variety.

“I've never been more excited about India. That comes after a decade of frustration,” said Bird, speaking at the Asia Pacific Video Operators Summit (APOS) convention in Indonesia on Wednesday.

He said the decision to close down Disney's Indian film production operations last year has been misunderstood by the industry.

“It was misinterpreted that we were giving up on local production,” said Bird, adding, the company has a slate of 12 products in development.

He explained that the changing possibilities offered by expanding bandwidth and mobile access mean that Disney is more able to experiment with new business models.

“In India we've had content which debuted on Facebook, then went to YouTube and then to traditional TV in third place. The economics of the Indian cinema industry are just not catching up,” said Bird.

Another factor behind the decision was the growing popularity of Hollywood movies in India.

Bird said that Disney has up to 24 businesses able to use the corporation's intellectual property.

Bird said Asia continues to represent some of the fastest growth rates in the world for Disney, while also being at the cutting edge of the analog to digital transformation.

“(In two to three years) we expect to be a digitally focused, mobile first, multi-faceted company,” said Bird.

Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Gautam Bambawale on Wednesday met Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua in Islamabad and handed over a petition addressed to the Pakistan Government from Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother seeking the release of the former Indian Navy officer, who has been awarded death sentence by a military court in Pakistan.

 ‘’Also handed over was an appeal by the mother to the Court of  Appeal, on behalf of Jadhav, who continues to be in detention in Pakistan on concocted charges,’’ government sources here said.

Jadhav’s mother has requested the intervention of the Pakistan Government and expressed the desire to meet her son. Pakistan was also requested to facilitate visas for the mother and father of Jadhav, who has been charged with carrying out espionage activities.

 Jadhav’s parents wish to travel to Pakistan to meet him and also to personally file the petition and the appeal. They have applied for necessary visas with the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, the sources added.

 Bambawale also made a request for the 16th time for consular access to Jadhav. ‘’Appeal in Kulbhushan Jadhav case, filed by High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale with Pak Foreign Secretary in Islamabad today,’’ the Indian High Commissioner tweeted.

 This came a day after Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar had met Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and made similar points.

Actor Suniel Shetty says he was so inspired by the physique of former West Indian cricketer Vivian Richards that he himself started working on his fitness.

“My fitness journey began when I met Sir Vivian Richards. He said he got fit so that he could hit the ball harder. I was an obsessive cricketer and I wanted to play for the country. So, I started building my body. Unfortunately, I was not talented enough to play for the country,” Suniel told.

The actor will be hosting upcoming reality show India's Asli Champion..Hai Dum! and is currently in Goa for its shooting.

The show will be a test of physical and mental endurance where contestants from different walks of life will come together and compete for the title of 'India's Asli Champion'.

The actor says he was keen on hosting a show that centres around fitness.

“A lot of shows came to me but it required me to be a judge. I believe I am not a master to be able to judge, give an opinion or criticise anyone just because I have to. So, I have stayed away from it. I was always open about doing a show that revolves around health, fitness and travel.”

The 55-year-old actor says the makers thought of roping him for the show primarily due to his deep knowledge about fitness.

“I am not just a gym guy but I understand nutritional value. Also, I am a people's person. My job is to encourage the contestants.”

He insists his upcoming show is not on the lines of another show called Fear Factor.

“It's not about overcoming fear (referring to the format of Fear Factor) but pushing your own limits. We are not trying to scare people, we are trying to get the best out of them,” says Suniel.

To be aired on & TV channel, India's Asli Champion..Hai Dum! is likely to air from next month.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday announced the launch of the Electricity Bill Surcharge Waiver Scheme 2017 in the state.

Under this scheme, consumers whose electricity bills are outstanding and who have not been able to avail the benefit of the earlier Surcharge Waiver Scheme, can pay their outstanding electricity bill without surcharge, either lump-sum or in six equal bi-monthly installments along with current bills.

Surcharge Waiver Scheme-2017 has been made applicable with immediate effect and it will remain in force till May 31, 2017. The scheme will be applicable to domestic and non-domestic consumers.

Under it, after payment of six bills in the first year, 40 per cent of the surcharge amount will be waived off, with the payment of another six bills in the second year, 30 per cent of the surcharge amount will be waived off and after payment of the bills in the third year, the remaining surcharge amount will also be waived off.

In the year 2016, the state government had come out with the Electricity Bill Surcharge Waiver Scheme to bring the defaulting consumers to the mainstream and the results had been encouraging.

However, because of the demonetization, large number of consumers were not able to join the scheme. It is on the demand of such consumers that the Surcharge Waiver Scheme has been launched again.

A wanted gangster involved in the sensational Nabha jailbreak in November 2016 has been arrested, a senior Punjab Police official said on Wednesday.

Gangster Sukhchain Singh was arrested after the Organised Crime Intelligence Unit (OCIU) intercepted a car on the Nabha-Sangrur road following intelligence inputs, Assistant Inspector General of Police Gurmeet Singh Chauhan said. 

A countrymade pistol and a licensed .32 bore revolver were seized from him, apart from 630 gm intoxicant powder, Chauhan said.

The Hyundai Verna car in which the gangster was travelling bore a fake registration number of Haryana, he said.

The gangster has nearly a dozen cases of robbery, snatching, dacoity and attempt to murder registered against him.

Sukhchain Singh is an accomplice of Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, the mastermind of the Nabha jailbreak, the AIGP said.

Of the six gangsters who escaped from the high-security Nabha Jail on November 27 last year, Harminder Singh, Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, Kulpreet Singh Neeta and Aman Dhotia have been arrested.

According to the police, a dozen people, including Sukhchain, were involved in the daring jailbreak to get certain prison inmates freed.

As many as 22 persons have been arrested so far in the jailbreak case.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday congratulated the BJP for its victory in the civic polls and assured his party's support for Delhi's betterment.

"I congratulate (the) BJP on their victory in all three MCDs (municipal corporations of Delhi). My government looks forward to working with the MCDs for the betterment of Delhi," Kejriwal tweeted.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was set to sweep all three – east, south and north Delhi – civic corporations. It had so far won 143 seats and was leading in 31 seats.

The Aam Aadmi Party was a distant second having won 35 seats and leading in 16, while the Congress had won only 22 seats and was leading in 4. 

Ban on beef and closure of slaughter houses in states have been causing not only concern to non-vegetarians but also brutal violence in certain parts of India. While debates and controversies over it persist, it may be wise to remain cautious and restran from consuming red meat for wellness sake.

Several studies have warned that excess intake of red meat such as bacon, sausage, beef or pork may increase the risk of kidney failure. Data also shows increasing number of people developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD), which treatment requires dialysis or a kidney transplant.

However, consuming green sources of protein may significantly lessen the risk of kidney failure, researchers said. And, substituting red meat with other protein sources like eggs, fish and dairy products reduces the risk of ESRD.

Hence, while the voices for and against meat ban may continue to rise, if you are a non vegetarian and love red meat, quietly resort to a new diet and protect your kidney. Replace red meat on your diet with protein rich vegetables, eggs, legumes, fish and dairy products. Keep your kidney healthy, and stay wealthy and happy.

Indian Grand Master Harika Dronavalli eked out a hard-fought draw against higher-rated Mustafa Yilmaz of Turkey in round eight of the Rejkjavik Open chess tournament here.

Harika, who had a glorious opportunity to break into the top five in the points table could not breach the Turkish Grand Master's defence and with time running out both the players decided to call it a day and share the spoils.

“It was a very complicated game from the beginning. Even though I got into good positions, I took a lot more time than Mustafa and was down on time from the early stages,” Harika said.

“I had managed to get into position with my pawn up at the end but left my king a little open. I offered a draw even though I was in a better position and my opponent agreed. I have no regrets as I played an interesting game,” she added.

At the end of day's play, the World No. 11 Indian has now five wins, two draws and a loss to her credit.

With a total of six points from a possible eight points, she is now sitting on 15th on the leaderboard and is just half point adrift from the table topper.

She will now take on the Dutch Grand Master Erwin L'Ami in her next round encounter.

Digital disruption and global forces have changed the way corporates operate following which India Inc has prioritised building the 'organisation of future' as its top priority, says a survey.

According to Deloitte's Human Capital Trends Report 2017, 96 per cent of HR and business leaders rated building the organisation of the future as their highest priority.

Moreover, 57 per cent of the respondents indicated that they are either designing or already implementing their organisation of the future.

“Global trends are making an impact in India with the rise of digital disruptions mandating a change in the way organisations operate-with a shift to stronger focus on leveraging networks, collaborative working, and agile business delivery,” Gaurav Lahiri, Partner, Deloitte India said.

The trends in this year's report show signs of jobs themselves being reinvented. Organisations are recognising the need to approach external talent, robotics, cognitive tools, and AI systems as the 'new, augmented workforce'.

“This year, 54 per cent of Indian organisations are adopting technology and automation and 86 per cent understand its implication on talent,” Deloitte said.

The report said that 53 per cent of companies are redesigning their HR programmes to leverage digital and mobile tools, and 22 per cent are already using some form of artificial intelligence (AI) applications to deliver HR solutions.
Meanwhile, leaders are adapting to new organisation models.

“As the job market in India gets more heterogeneous with greater representation across diverse groups, leadership programmes need to move from a 'one size fits all' model to one that focuses on specific, individual development needs,” the report added.

Actress Kajol, who starred in Karan Johar's directorial debut Kuch Kuch Hota hai, shared a picture on Instagram, remembering her good old days.

In the throwback picture, the 42-year-old actress can be seen in a gloomy mood as her character from the film Anjali. 

The image is from the scene in the movie where Anjali decided to marry Aman Verma (Salman Khan), an NRI from London, after her best friend Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan) left her heartbroken. 

The captions read: "I look so sad but I really like this picture for some reason?" 

Kajol will next be seen in Tamil film Velaiilla Pattadhari 2.

Actor Suniel Shetty, who has been away from the limelight for over three years now, says his preoccupation with attending to his ailing father Veerappa Shetty made him take a sabbatical from showbiz.

It was only after Shetty senior's death earlier this year that "I realised that he always wanted me to work", Suniel told  on the set of his upcoming TV show India's Asli Champion… Hai Dum which he has taken up along with several film projects.

Suniel says he cut himself from showbiz as he wanted to spend most of his time with his father with whom he was emotionally attached. 

"It's quite funny, but I took a three-and-half-year sabbatical without actually planning it. I just started hating my work and was not liking whatever I was doing," Suniel told. 

"I didn't even realise that so much time has gone. I have done over 120 films. A lot of them were very emotionally-driven. I had lived my life already. 

"So, I started hating my work and didn't want to face the camera again. During this time, I said no to 20-25 films. But when my father passed away, then I realised that he always wanted me to work. For three-and-half years he was bedridden. During this time, I spent most of my time with him," he added. 

However, Suniel said that after his father's death, his liking for showbiz got renewed and he no longer felt dejected by acting. 

"When he died, then I thought it was actually because of him that I was not ready to step out. The day he died, all the thoughts came in my mind and I thought now he wants me to go back to work. Now I don't even get time to sleep for long hours because of the work coming to me," said the 55-year-old, who was last seen onscreen in films like Koyelaanchal and Desi Kattey in 2014. 

"Everybody goes through such times in life and then you really must go ahead. Hatred for work made me take a sabbatical. I think that was my frustration. I have lived with my parents since childhood," he added. 

Suniel believes that the relationship he shared with his father is not the same that he shares with his daughter Athiya and son Ahan. 

"This is the beauty of this relationship that we have with our parents. This we get to see more in smaller cities. This thing is not the same with children of metro cities or big towns. Athiya and Ahaan lived with their grandparents, while my wife and I live in a different house. I am not that close to them," he said. 

Talking about India's Asli Champion… Hai Dum, which will be aired on &TV starting from May 6, Suniel said: "Before this also I was offered a few shows, but they wanted me as a judge. I can only be a very bad judge as I am not an extraordinary dancer or an extraordinary actor. 

"Here I am motivating the contestants and make them realise their strengths and weaknesses. This show is for the common man. It will make them champions."

The show will feature common people who will test their mental and physical fitness by performing various tasks. 
 

Surrey all-rounder Zafar Ansari unexpectedly announced his retirement from cricket at the age of 25 on Wednesday, just six months after making his England debut.

Ansari, who had been with Surrey since the age of eight, said he wanted to pursue other opportunities and was contemplating a career in law.

“After seven years as a professional cricketer and almost two decades in total playing the game, I have decided to bring my cricket career to an end,” he said in a statement released by Surrey.

“This has been a very difficult decision to make and I have not made it lightly. It is… with great sadness that I say goodbye.

“Nevertheless, I have always been clear that when the time was right for me to move on I would, and that time has now come.

“While the timing may come as a surprise, I have always maintained that cricket was just one part of my life and that I have other ambitions that I want to fulfil.

“With that in mind, I am now exploring another career, potentially in law, and to achieve this I have to begin the process now.”

Ansari was first capped by Surrey in 2014 and made his one-day debut for England the following year.

His Test debut was delayed by a freak hand injury sustained while fielding at Old Trafford in late 2015.

He eventually won his first Test cap against Bangladesh last October.

Ansari has combined his cricket career with academic studies.

He secured a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Sociology from Cambridge University in 2013 and was awarded a Master's degree in History by Royal Holloway, University of London last year.

Alec Stewart, director of cricket at Surrey, said: “Zafar's exceptionally tough but considered decision is one that we should all respect and understand.

“We wish Zafar the very best in whatever the future holds for him and he will always be welcomed back to the Kia Oval with open arms.”

The Railway Ministry has sanctioned Rs.218 crore for electrifying the Villupuram-Thanjavur railway line.

A press release from the Southern Railway, Tiruchirapalli division, said that as announced in the 2017-18 Union Budget the electrification work of Villupuram-Cuddalore Port – Mayiladuturai- Thanjavur line and Mayiladuturai-Thiruvarur line has been entrusted to Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) for execution at an estimated cost of Rs.218.41 crore.
Electrification of the section would provide an alternate route to Chennai-Tiruchchirappalli section via Villupuram-Mayiladuturai-Thanjavur.

In addition, the line would connect Cuddalore and Karaikal ports on electric traction, states the release.

On completion of the project, energy-efficient, eco-friendly Mainline Electric Multiple Units (MEMU trains) can be operated in these sections, paving the way for reduction in commuting time for rail users of delta regions.

Scores of students commuting to educational institutions on this section would be benefitted, it said.

In addition, pilgrims visiting religious centres in and around Chidambaram, Mayiladuthurai, Kumbakonam and Thanjavur can take advantage of the improved connectivity, the release added.

Ending uncertainty over the National Eligibility Test (NET), the University Grants Commission has decided that the CBSE will conduct the exam in July.

An official notification in this regard is likely to be released soon.

The NET is held twice a year–July and December–for the grant of junior research fellowship and eligibility for assistant professorship in universities and colleges.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had last year approached the HRD Ministry expressing its inability to conduct the exam due to capacity crunch as it was overburdened with other tests such as the JEE-MAIN and NEET for under- graduate engineering and medical courses.

While the Ministry had not issued any guidelines in this regard, the CBSE has not yet issued a notification for the exam scheduled in July, which is usually out by April first week every year.

Scores of students had protested outside the UGC last week demanding that the uncertainty over the exam be cleared and a notification be issued.

“The CBSE had approached the HRD Ministry expressing their inability. We recently had a meeting with HRD officials over the issue and it was decided that the board will conduct the exam in July without causing any delay,” a senior UGC official said on the condition of anonymity.

“The arrangement is likely to continue till the proposed National Testing Service (NTS) for conduct of all exams is set up by the government,” he said.

The NET was conducted by the UGC till 2014 following which it was handed over to the CBSE.

Contrary to popular belief, consuming less sodium may not lead to lower blood pressure in the long term, show results of a new study that followed more than 2,600 men and women for 16 years.

"We saw no evidence that a diet lower in sodium had any long-term beneficial effects on blood pressure," said Lynn Moore, Associate Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine in the US.

The new findings, presented at the Experimental Biology 2017 meeting, being held in Chicago from April 22-26, call into question the sodium limits recommended by the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

"Our findings add to growing evidence that current recommendations for sodium intake may be misguided," Moore added.

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams a day for healthy people. 

For the study, the researchers followed 2,632 men and women ages 30 to 64 years old who were part of the Framingham Offspring Study. 

The participants had normal blood pressure at the start of the study. 

However, over the next 16 years, the researchers found that the study participants who consumed less than 2,500 milligrams of sodium a day had higher blood pressure than participants who consumed higher amounts of sodium.

The researchers also found that people in the study who had higher intakes of potassium, calcium and magnesium exhibited lower blood pressure over the long term. 

Moore said that there is likely a subset of people sensitive to salt who would benefit from lowering sodium intake, but more research is needed to develop easier methods to screen for salt sensitivity and to determine appropriate guidelines for intakes of sodium and potassium in this salt-sensitive group of people.