Television actor Parth Samthaan has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, a senior police official said on Monday.

The actor, known for his roles in television shows Kaisi Yeh Yaariyan and Best Friends Forever?, was earlier booked under IPC section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) based on a complaint filed by a model.

POCSO charges were added on Sunday after the complainant claimed that she was molested by the actor four years ago when she was 16-years-old, he said.

Meanwhile, the actor has moved an anticipatory bail application to evade arrest, the official said.

The 20-year-old model had accused Samthaan of molestation and filed an FIR against him at the Bangur Nagar police station on March 26.

Trump makes special call to US astronaut Peggy Whitson (Lead)

US President Donald Trump made a special Earth-to-space call to congratulate NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson for her record-breaking stay aboard the International Space Station.

"Today, Commander Whitson, you have broken the record for the most total time spent in space by an American astronaut, 534 days and counting," Xinhua news agency quoted Trump as saying on Monday.

"That's an incredible record to break and on behalf of our nation, I'd like to congratulate you," he said, describing Monday "as a very special day in the glorious history of American space flight".

In response, Whitson said it was "a huge honor to break a record like this" and that she was "so proud of" the team that made this spaceflight possible.

Whitson has held several records over the course of her NASA career. In 2008, Whitson became the first woman to command the space station, and on April 9 became the first woman to command it twice. In March, she seized the record for most spacewalks by a female. And at 57, she is also the oldest female astronaut in space.

During the phone call, Trump asked several questions, including the timing for sending humans to Mars, despite the fact he signed a bill last month that set a goal for NASA to do that by 2033.

"Well, I think as your bill directed, it will be approximately in the 2030s," Whitson said, explaining that "space flight takes a lot of time and money, so getting there will require some international cooperation".

Actor Akshay Kumar on Moday urged those criticising his National Award win to "take it back" if they felt he did not deserve it.

He won his first National Award this year in the best actor category for his role in Rustom. The decision, however, was met with criticism with many arguing that it was not fair.

When asked about it, Akshay told reporters, "I've been hearing it for past 25 years, whenever someone wins there is some discussion around it. This is not new. Someone or the other always creates a controversy. 'He shouldn't have won, the other person should have.'

"It's okay. I've won this after 26 years, 'agar woh bhi aapka mann kare toh le lo' (take it back if you feel like it)."

The 49-year-old actor was speaking at an event of Movie Stunt Artist's Association on Monday.

Asian Heart Institute and Akshay have partnered to give insurance cover to 370 stuntmen under the health and accident insurance scheme for the year 2017-18.

Asked if he would be considered for the Padma Bhushan for his philanthropic work in the future, Akshay said, "You have to do major work to earn such an award. Only then people can feel you deserve the award. We keep doing these things for our stuntmen, whatever we can in our capacity."

The Airlift star said it was good that some award functions in Bollywood were recognising the efforts of stuntmen but hoped more people acknowledged their hard work.

The Congress on Monday slammed both the Centre and the PDP-BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir, and said their handling of the situation in Kashmir is detrimental to the national unity and security.

Asserting that the central government lacks a policy on how to handle the situation in Kashmir, the Congress asked it to "articulate its policy towards the Kashmir situation in clear-cut terms".

"The manner in which the BJP-led government at the Centre and the state's coalition government of the BJP and PDP have handled the Kashmir situation is completely detrimental to both national security and integration," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said.

"One can see the manifestations of this fallacious policy play itself out in other parts of India too," he added.

"Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti met Prime Minister Narendra Modi today (Monday). After the meeting, we heard from her but nothing from either Modi or the PMO."

Tewari said that there could not be more damning statement than her 'we are where Vajpayee (then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee) left us' about a complete lack of policy of the Prime Minister and his government on the situation in the state.

"Nothing proves this more than the extremely poor turnout in the Srinagar-Budgam Lok Sabha seat bypoll and postponement of voting in Anantnag, continuing tension on India-Pakistan border, the fragile internal security in the valley, and ever-increasing and deepening contradictions between the Bharatiya Janata Party and Peoples Democratic Party," the Congress leader said.

Quoting figures, Tewari said even after the worst phase of militancy during 1989-1996, the poll percentage in Jamu and Kashmir assembly elections was 53.92 per cent.

"In 2002, polling percentage was 43.7 per cent, and in 2008 it was 61.16 per cent. In 2014 it was even better," said Tewari.

"The Prime Minister should ask himself what has gone wrong between 2014 and 2017 that a mere seven per cent people turned out to vote," he added.

The Congress leader said barring a few months in 2010, internal security situation in Jammu and Kashmir was relatively normal during the United Progressive Alliance's rule. 

The Odisha government on Monday ordered the closure of schools till June 18 in view of the prevailing heat wave in the state.

All government and private schools in the state will close from Tuesday and reopen on June 18.

"All the schools in the state have been asked to suspend the classes from tomorrow till June 18. Extra classes would be taken after the summer vacation to compensate the loss," said School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra.

The decision of the government came after normal life continued to remain affected in several parts of the state following the intense heat wave.

The mercury hovered over 40 degrees Celsius at 14 places in the state on Monday.

While Titilagarh town registered the highest day temperature at 45.5 degrees, Angul 44.1, Hirakud 43.8, Talcher and Balangir 43.6, Bhawanipatna 43.5, Jharsuguda 42.6, Sambalpur 42.2, Malkangiri 42, Sonepur 41.6, Keonjhar 41.5, Phulabani 40.6 and Dhenkanal 40.4 degrees Celsius.

The rising heat has led to increasing number of deaths due to sunstroke.

The office of Special Relief Commissioner has received 19 reports of deaths allegedly due to sunstroke till date but has only confirmed the death of two persons due to heatwave so far.
 

Animal rights organisation PETA India on Monday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take meat off the menu from all government events, taking a cue from the German Environment Minister's initiative to ban all meat products from public meetings.

"I hope you will agree that India should also set a good example where environmental conservation is concerned by eliminating animal-derived foods from the menus of all government or government-sponsored meetings and functions," said Nikunj Sharma, Lead – Public Policy at PETA India in the letter.

PETA said that after going veg, public functions could go vegan.

"PETA is calling on Prime Minister Modi to set a global example by ensuring that exclusively healthy, humane, and environmentally friendly vegan meals are served at all government functions."

Stating, "animals are not ours to eat", PETA claimed that meat production causes climate change due to which people around the nation suffer through severe droughts, heatwaves, and more.

"According to the United Nations, a global shift towards a vegan lifestyle is vital in order to save the world from hunger, fuel poverty, and the worst effects of climate change," the letter added.
 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will review the performance of seven infrastructure sectors including roads, transport and railways at a meeting on Tuesday with the officials of the ministries concerned.

Other areas to be reviewed are Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), ports, airport and coal.

Officials of government's think-tank Niti Aayog will also attend the meeting, sources said.

They said Modi will review the performance of sectors such as energy, housing, petroleum, power and renewables at another meeting to be held on May 8.

Tuesday's review is expected to focus on identifying the problems and clearing the bottlenecks that have been hampering development of the infrastructure sector.

Infrastructure sector is a major focus area for the NDA government, a senior official said, adding that "in 2016-17, many of the infrastructure sectors have performed well but there are areas that need to be addressed".

Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday denied as incorrect the perception that the Centre is imposing Hindi language on others, maintaining that the government has only notified the recommendations of a parliamentary panel.

"I was pained to read in a section of the media today (Monday) that DMK leader M K Stalin has alleged imposition of Hindi by the central government," the Information and Broadcasting Minister said in a statement here.

"The government of India has no intention to impose any language on anyone," he stressed.

"I would like to clarify that the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language headed by the then Home Minister P. Chidambaram made a recommendation (about use of Hindi by Ministers, MPs etc.) and the same was forwarded to the President of India on June 2, 2011," Naidu said.

"This committee suggested that all those occupying high political offices and who can speak and read Hindi language may be requested to give their speeches/statements in Hindi. The President and all Ministers come in this category."

Naidu said the present Bharatiya Janata Party-led government notified this recommendation on March 31. 

He said the committee's suggestion was only recommendatory and not mandatory. 

"It is totally false and mischievous to allege that an ordinance was passed in this regard," Naidu said.

DMK leader M.K. Stalin on Saturday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was "attempting to decimate the unity of the nation" ever since he came to power at the Centre.

He also alleged that the BJP government was "betraying the non-Hindi speaking citizens". 

Naidu, however, pointed out that the DMK was a member of the Union government in 2011 when this recommendation was made and forwarded by the parliamentary committee to the President.
 

 A Cairo court on Monday upheld 20 death sentences against suspected Islamists over the killings of 12 policemen in an attack on a police station near Giza in August 2013, reports said.

The Cairo criminal court will issue it final verdict against the suspects on June 2 following a ruling from the country's Grand Mufti, the country's highest Islamic authority, the daily Al-Ahram reported on its website.

The defendants are alleged to have attacked a police station in Kerdasa, close to the pyramids at Giza, in the aftermath of the army's overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi . 

The 12 police officers were among 15 people killed in the attack, during which the suspects allegedly mutilated the policemen's bodies as well as those of two civilians, tried to kill 10 other policemen and wrecked the police station, Al-Ahram said.

A criminal court in February 2015 issued a death sentence against 183 people found guilty of 
involvement in the attack, 34 of whom were tried in absentia.

A total of 149 defendants appealed the death sentence and are currently undergoing retrials.
 

In a huge setback to the Pinarayi Vijayan government, the Supreme Court on Monday directed Kerala to reinstate T P Senkumar as the state police chief.

Senkumar was removed as Director General of Police on the day that Vijayan assumed office on May 25, 2016.

Reinstating Senkumar, the bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta in their judgment said that the Senkumar was dealt with "unfairly and arbitrarily" and it was post the Puttingal Temple tragedy and the Jisha murder and not the two tragedies themselves that led to it.

Speaking for the bench, Justice Lokur said, "We are also a little disturbed with the view expressed … (by the Kerala government) … that the appointment of the appellant (Senkumar) was irregular if not illegal. If that is so and the State Government of Kerala is bent upon making irregular or illegal appointments to sensitive posts, then no one can help God's own country."

The court said that it also a "little disturbed" by resurrection of both cases as soon as the present government in Kerala assumed office. 

"Suddenly, these issues resurfaced as soon as the present government assumed office. This might perhaps be a coincidence but it might also be politically motivated, as suggested by …. appellant."

Brushing aside the state government's submission that its subjective satisfaction in removing Senkumar could not be gone into, the court said: "The subjective satisfaction of the state government must be based on some credible material, which this Court might not analyze but which can certainly be looked into.

"Having looked into the record placed before us we find that there is no material adverse to the interests of the appellant except an expression of opinion and views formed, as far as he is concerned, as late as on 26th May, 2016."

"This make-believe prima facie satisfaction by itself cannot take out judicial review of administrative action in the garb of subjective satisfaction of the State Government," it added.

The DGP has won a moral victory as he is set to retire on June 30 and now it has to be seen if the Vijayan government reinstates him quickly or delays it.

In removing Senkumar, the Left government had said this was because he did not do a clean job in the Puttingal Temple cracker blast and in the Jisha murder cases.

Not one to be put down easily, Senkumar approached the Kerala High Court, but failed to get a favourable verdict.

He then approached the apex court.

Expressing his happiness, Senkumar, presently the Director of the state-owned Institute of Management in Government, told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that justice has prevailed and this is a huge boost for people who do their job with utmost commitment.

"I take this opportunity to thank my advocates, the media and all those who stood by me in the pursuit of my fight for justice. This verdict will now become good for others also," said a beaming Senkumar.

Incidentally in the floor of the assembly, Vijayan had come down heavily on Senkumar and informed the house that he is not an officer who merits to head the state police force, when the Congress-led-opposition had raised the issue in the assembly in 2016.

"Now I will wait for the state government to make the next move and also I am waiting for the papers from the Supreme Court," said Senkumar as he was asked when he would take over as the state police chief.

Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy under whom Senkumar served told reporters that this was a huge morale booster for the officer and the verdict now proves that the cases that he probed were investigated in the best possible manner.

Vijayan's office told the media a decision will be taken on what needs to be done after all the papers are received from the Supreme Court.

A Pakistani court on Monday allowed Hindus to worship at a Shiva temple in Abbottabad district which had been off limits to them for 20 years.

A bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) headed by Justice Ateeq Hussain Shah permitted Hindus to worship at the Shiv Jee temple of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under section 20 of the Constitution.

The temple had been closed for any religious activity over property dispute.

In 2013, a Hindu Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) filed a petition with the PHC Abbottabad bench that they had purchased the property through lease by a legal owner.

The petitioner pleaded that after partition of sub- continent the NGO has been looking after the temple.

Warning that most terrorism "across the world have some footprint" in Pakistan, Indian Finance and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said Monday that the international community has to take action.

While India's relations with its neighbours have improved, "our problem comes from our western neighbour" because of terrorism, he said at the Council on Foreign Relations here.

Every initiative by India to improve ties with Pakistan have met with hostile reactions, the latest being the "unprovoked gesture of a military court sentencing an Indian to death through a kangaroo court process" in the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav.

"I think that doesn't help the cause of peace in the region at all," he said.

Pakistan has alleged that Jadhav was a spy for India and following his capture under controversial circumstances in area near the border with Iran, a military court handed him a death sentence.

"If you've seen all our efforts over the last few years to normalize the relationship (with Pakistan), we've seen a reaction," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi "went there, and it was immediately followed up by an attack in Pathankot air base in India, then an attack on our Uri military camp".

Answering audience questions about the state of India's relations with neighbours, Jaitley said economic relationship was an area of strength with China and has picked up significantly, but border problems persisted despite an initiative by then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to resolve them.

"We had a mechanism set up in order to resolve the (issue) and define the border itself," he said. But over the last 14 years, "the mechanism has not been able to come out with an answer".

"We believe that it's important the border get settled, because that's in the interests of regional peace," he added. "And obviously, you'll have occasionally some issues arising because of that unsettled situation."

China is now India's biggest commercial partner accounting for about $70 billion in annual bi-lateral trade.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Alka Lamba on Monday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to lure away her party's MLAs.

According to her, she got a call from a "BJP person" and was offered to join his party.

"A BJP person called me this evening and offered me to join BJP and tried to lure me that he would help me get a good post in the party," Lamba said.

"I flatly denied," Lamba said.

"The caller gave me the example of former AAP leader Shazia Ilmi and said she (Ilmi) is earning Rs.5 lakh per month after getting a government post. You should also think," Lamba tweeted.

The AAP MLA said she had apprised the party of the matter.

"I have given the call recording and the name of the caller to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. The party will take further action in this connection," Lamba said.

The Supreme Court on Monday asked real estate major Unitech to deposit interest on the money paid by flat buyers at its project at Gurugram by May 8, cautioning it that failure to deposit the interest may invite attachment of its property.

Refusing more time to the realtor, the bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice A M Khanwilkar said: "Let these matters be listed for May 8 by which time amount as directed on earlier occasions shall be deposited failing which this court may think of attaching the property of the appellant company."

The top court by its February 20 order had directed Unitech to pay interest at the rate of 14 per cent to 39 flat buyers at its Vistas project but who later chose to withdraw and sought both payment of their principal amount and interest thereon. These flat buyers had paid Rs.16.55 crore to the builder and had sought both the principal amount and the interest thereon after builder did not handover the possession of the flats as promised by 2012.

"Let the money come", the bench said as counsel for the real estate major sought more time to deposit the interest amount as directed by the court by its February 20 order.

The court had said that interest would be calculated from January 1, 2010 till Unitech deposited the principal amount with the top court registry. The court had on February 20 said that 90 per cent of the interest amount that would be deposited with its registry would be disbursed to the 39 buyers who have opted out. 

The court while directing the builder to deposit the interest has kept the question of rate of interest and compensation to be paid open.

Former Spanish footballer Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo 'Monchi' arrived on Monday in Italian capital Rome, to sign a contract with AS Roma as the club's new director of football in the coming hours.

The Italian capital club reported on its Twitter account that Monchi had arrived at Fiumicino airport. Several Roma officials received Monchi at the club's sports center of Trigoria on the outskirts of the capital, and it is believed that he will be attending Roma's Serie A match against Pescara at the Stadio Adriatico, reports Efe.

Monchi is a one-club man, who spent his whole career as a Sevilla player, and then took up administrative roles to develop the club's youth system, as well as stepping up its competitiveness, but eventually he terminated his contract with the Andalusian side on March 30.

Roma's new director of football met with officials from the Italian club in London in February, and he is expected to sign a three-year contract.

Monchi is in for a bumpy ride in Rome, with many issues awaiting him, such as the future of head coach Luciano Spalletti, and what becomes of Roma's long-serving captain Francesco Totti, whose contract will expire in June.
 

A tourist from Argentina was detained for entering the Jagannath Temple in Puri, said police on Monday.

Police said temple servitors spotted Dario Salvador Visciglia, clad in a dhoti and T-shirt, near the Goddess Laxmi temple while he was roaming inside the 12th-century shrine.

Later, he was handed over to police as non-Hindus are not allowed to enter the temple.

However, the foreigner was allowed to go after verification of the travel documents as a non-Hindu's entry into the temple is not a punishable offence under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Police said Visciglia and his wife, who are devotees of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon), had been staying in an ashram in Puri since last couple of days with valid travel documents.

The couple hail from Buenos Aires.

Pakistan on Monday rejected India's assertion that it is violating a bilateral pact by not giving access to retired Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a military court there.

India has made 15 requests for consular access to 46- year-old Jadhav, who has been convicted of "espionage and sabotage" by a Pakistan army court.

Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit said in an interview that as per the bilateral pact on consular access, cases pertaining to political and security issues, will be decided on merit, indicating that consular access cannot be taken for granted.

Categorically dismissing the charge that Jadhav was a spy, India has maintained that he was kidnapped by Pakistani authorities from Iran where he had legitimate business interest.

Rejecting India's stand that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran, Basit said he was caught in Balochistan and tried for "espionage and sabotage".

He also alleged that the Indian national had been travelling to Pakistan for several years and was carrying two Indian passports, including one with a fake name.

On India's position that the whole trial against was "farcical and done in a hush-hush manner", the Pakistani envoy asserted he was tried in a military court because it was not possible to try him in a civilian court.

On repeated requests for consular access to Jadhav by India, which has also accused Pakistan of violating the bilateral pact on the issue, Basit said, "We have a bilateral agreement under which it is clearly said that in matters relating to political and security issues, those cases should be decided on merit.

"So, we have so far taken a decision strictly in accordance with the law of the land and as per the bilateral agreement of 2008 (with India). We have not breached anything.

We are proceeding as per our laws as well as bilateral obligation and commitment."

The high commissioner also referred to the appeal process in Pakistan, saying Jadhav can always go to an appellate court and if the verdict is upheld then he can file a mercy petition to the Pakistan army chief and the Pakistan president.

On whether his family can meet him, Basit said it was "too premature" to comment on how the case is going to proceed.

Asked about media reports of retired Pakistani Lt Col Mohammad Habib being abducted by Indian authorities near Indo-Nepal border, the Pakistan envoy said his government is in touch with the Nepalese government on whereabouts of the missing Pakistani national.