The police is cracking down on late night parties and musical events which continue beyond the stipulated time of 10 pm with a heavy hand, Director General of Police Muktesh Chander said on Friday.

The police have been instructed by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to strictly curb these illegalities, the top cop said while speaking to reporters here.

"He has already given instructions to curb all these illegal activities with a very heavy hand. There are already Supreme Court directions that no loud music can be played in an open area after 10 p.m. in the night," Chander added.

Goa is one of the top beach and nightlife tourism destinations in the country, known for its drug-laced rave parties and late night musical events. The state attracts more than four million tourists every year.

Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti on Friday asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will form the government in West Bengal "with a clear majority" in the next assembly polls.

"BJP will form the government in Bengal with a clear majority, just as we saw in Assam and in Haryana where, once upon a time, only one or two of our MLAs used to be elected. In the forthcoming assembly polls in the state, the BJP will win with a clear majority," Bharti said on arrival at the Howrah railway station.

Bharti's comments come in the wake of her party finishing second in the by-poll to Kanthi Dakshin assembly constituency in Purba Medinipur district.

State Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress retained the seat with the BJP pushing the Left Front candidate to the third position.

Banerjee, has, however, accused opposition parties in Bengal of transferring votes to one another and said she was least bothered about who emerged as her party's principal opposition.

The Bengal assembly polls are scheduled to be held in 2019.
 

Since it's a day game and the wicket is expected to remain dry, Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman is hopeful his off-cutters will come good when defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in an Indian Premier League (IPL) tie here on Saturday.

"Cutters depend on wicket. If the strip is dry and it's a day match, like it is tomorrow, yes there is a chance you will get to see them," Mustafizur, who is also called "The Fizz", told reporters on the eve of the match.

"I always try to give my best when I am playing. If I play, I will definitely try and give my best," the 21-year-old, who made heads turn with his superlative effort against India in 2015, said.

After not featuring in the first two matches due to international commitments as Bangladesh were playing Sri Lanka, Mustafizur returned to action for SRH whom he had joined last year. But the left-arm pacer had a bad day in office, conceding 34 runs off 2.4 overs without taking a wicket.

"In the first match, what I wanted did not happen. There was a bit of length problem and I could not bowl in the areas I would have liked to," the off-cutter specialist said.

Asked if pace-heavy SRH will have an advantage on the Eden turf which assists the quicks, Mutafizur said: "If the wicket is good, definitely we will do well. We have a strong pace bowling unit. Batting is also good."

On a different note, Mustafizur said Mashrafe Mortaza will be missed in the shortest version of the game as he retired recently.

"Not only for me, we all will miss him. when bhai (Mortaza) is around. He is of great support to us. Now he has retired from T20s. One dayers he will play till the time he can."
 

German football champions Bayern Munich face a serious discussion about the quality of their squad after their 1-2 defeat against Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.

In the clash with the reigning champions, it was obvious that Bayern could not afford to replace key players like Robert Lewandowski who was sidelined with a shoulder injury. And the failure to have strengthened the squad could now turn out to be a mistake as Bayern may well be eliminated after the second leg in the Spanish capital, reports Xinhua news agency.

A few weeks ago, Lewandowski praised the German side for not adding more top quality players. The Pole assumed that 18 to 19 players would be ideal as they all were close being included in the starting eleven and would not have to fear being left out.

Last summer and in the winter break, Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti expressed satisfaction with the size of the squad and decided together with club leaders Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeness to rely on the current squad.

But against Real's world class side, Lewandowski's replacement Thomas Mueller was unable to match the Pole's performances. Mueller was ineffective despite the team using its usual 4-2-3-1 system. He was unable to keep the ball long enough for his teammates to move forward.

Disappointment could not be greater as the wingers Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben were below their best and substitutes Douglas Costa and Kingsley Coman are still a long way off becoming top class.

Problems are increasing as it is still uncertain if the injured central defender Mats Hummels and Lewandowski will return until next Tuesday. Javi Martinez was additionally sent off after seeing two yellow cards within the space of three minutes. The Spaniard will be banned for the second leg. Should Hummels be unable to return, Ancelotti will be forced to consider further chances such as moving left back David Alaba or youngster Joshua Kimmich into central defence.

Defender Jerome Boateng was far from being in top form against Real after a long injury break undergoing a shoulder operation in winter.

Ancelotti tried to ease the team's worries by saying, "we still have some days to get the missing players ready." The legendary Italian coach, who in 2014 coached Real to the Champions League win, said his side is still alive. Losing to Real was the first defeat for Bayern after 16 consecutive victories in Champions League home games.

After putting Bayern 1-0 up with a header, Arturo Vidal missed a penalty shortly before half time to double Bayern's lead. Captain Philipp Lahm called it game changer when Martinez was sent off. Bayern lost confidence and stability and was lucky as keeper Manuel Neuer was in top form to keep them in with a chance of progressing.

Former Bayern keeper Oliver Kahn blamed the team for the performance, and was especially disappointed by the way Bayern defended. Even with only 10 players, a team of Bayern's quality must do better, but they weren't working in unison which gave Real far too much space when counter attacking. "Bayern never got hold of Madrid's strikers in the second half," Kahn complained.

Despite their disappointment, neither Ancelotti nor his players felt they were out of it. Keeper Neuer is convinced that Bayern can still change things around as "we hold the key in our hands".

Striker Mueller was sure that Bayern does not need "a football miracle, but a top performance". Tuesday's game will be like a final, Mueller said.

While Bayern are on the way to winning the German league title and is in the semi-finals of the German Cup, elimination in the Champions League would be a major disappointment and would influence the future of the head coach Ancelotti.

This season's Champions League is regarded as the last chance for Bayern's golden generation to win a major title. Players such as Lahm, Xabi Alonso, Ribery, Robben are beyond their 30s and the team might need a substantial update next summer.

Should Bayern be eliminated, it would be the fourth consecutive time for the 2013 Champions League winner to be knocked out by Spanish clubs such as Barcelona, Real and Atletico Madrid.

For veteran playback singer KJ Yesudas, music goes beyond religion and it was his devotion towards his parents that fetched him the accolades, including the Padma Vibhushan, that he earned during his illustroius career.

According to the singer, who has been entertaining audience with Indian classical music, besides devotional and film songs for decades now, said one life was “just not enough to learn music”.

“I belong to a Christian family, but my father always taught me to go beyond religion. Such is the power of music. It transcends the concept of religion. Music is like an ocean to me and I believe in one life you can not finish learning it,” Yesudas said, during the felicitation of this year's Padma awardees here yesterday.

Fondly addressed as Gana Gandharvan (The Celestial Singer), the artiste said his parents and gurus had played a major role in his journey as a singer.

“In our days children did not question parents and simply listened to them. I think my devotion to my father got me the Padma Vibhushan. All my masters who made me learn and listen to a variety of classical music have a big contribution in my life,” he said.

Recalling his younger days, Yesudas, who has previously been awarded the Padma Shri (1975) and Padma Bhushan (2002), said it was important to surrender to God to achieve even a little in life.

The Carnatic musician, who debuted with Jaathi Bhedam Matha Dwesham in a studio in Madras in 1961, also talked about the challenges he faced in the initial stages of his career.

“I caught typhoid before recording in Madras. The music director then thought that if he will give the song to me it won't work. They chose me to sing just four spiritual lines by guru Narayanswamy. Those lines had a profound impact on my career. I believe it is important to surrender to God completely to achieve even a little,” he said.

The event organised at Ashoka Hotel here, was attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan along with P J Kurien, the Deputy Speaker of Rajya Sabha.

Mahajan, who remembered singing Yesudas' Hindi compositions in the 1970s, said his versatility has made him popular across the country.

“He is not only popular in South but his Hindi songs have been popular in other parts of India as well. I may not understand Malayalam, but I can interpret the feelings he expresses through his songs. That is the magic of music, it goes beyond language

“In the 60s and 70s, I remember we used to sing Yesudas' songs all the time. Jab deep jale aana has been one of the most famous melodies that we sang,” she said.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday laid the foundation-stone for the Rs.100 crore Dr B R Ambedkar Smriti Vanam (memorial park) at Inavolu village here, marking the 125th birth anniversary of the architect of Indian Constitution.

He also laid the foundation-stone for a 126-ft statue of Ambedkar that will come up in the park, spread over a 20-acre site.

The Smriti Vanam will have a multi-purpose Convention Hall with a seating capacity of 3,000 persons.

A Buddhist Dhyana Kendram (Meditation Hall), Dr B R Ambedkar Memorial Library with his collected works and thoughts, Memorial Park with aesthetic and landscaped gardens and an Open Air Theatre with a seating capacity of 2,000 people with facilities for conducting multi-media shows are some of the other features of the Smriti Vanam.

The state government has allotted Rs.97.64 crore for the project that is expected to be completed in 24 months.

This includes Rs.25 crore for the 126-ft statue.

Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, Social Welfare Minister Nakka Anand Babu and others attended the function.

La Liga leaders Real Madrid will go into their away game against Sporting Gijon in a far more positive frame of mind than Barcelona will approach their match at home against Real Sociedad in what could be another decisive week in the battle for the Spanish football league title and also to avoid relegation.

Saturday kicks off with Deportivo la Coruna desperate for a win at home against a Malaga side that has climbed away from the relegation zone, thanks to consecutive wins, reports Xinhua news agency.

Real Madrid are next in action with a trip to play Sporting Gijon, whose hopes of avoiding relegation have suffered a huge setback with two consecutive defeats that have left them five points away from safety.

Madrid travel north on the back of their 2-1 win away over Bayern Munich in the Champions League and with their morale sky high. Head coach Zinedine Zidane will possibly rest some of his key players for the return leg of their European tie, but won't have that luxury in defence where Sergio Ramos and Nacho Fernandez are his only two fit central defenders.

Atletico are next up and aim to cement their place in third at home facing bottom of the table Osasuna, who nevertheless travel to the capital following consecutive wins, which will probably do little to help their campaign to avoid the drop.

With only a slender lead over Leicester City in their Champions League tie, Atletico coach Diego Simeone will also be tempted to make changes and will hope striker Kevin Gameiro is available to play.

There is a different mood in Barcelona, after their 0-3 thrashing away by Juventus and the post-match criticism head coach Luis Enrique directed at his players. Barcelona entertain fifth-placed Real Sociedad, who have their sights set on a place in Europe. And with Asier Illaramendi and David Zurutuza both fit for the visitors, Barcelona will have to improve on their midweek showing in order to avoid an upset which would definitively end their title hopes.

Leganes suffered a body blow to their chances of avoiding relegation when they lost to Osasuna last week, but they still have a five-point cushion over Sporting Gijon, which they can add to win their home game against Espanyol, who maintain an outside chance of a top-six finish.

All eyes will be on Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli as his side visits Valencia after stories that he will meet with members of the Argentina Football Association about taking over as national team coach against the wishes of his club, which needs a win in order to stay in the contest for third place with Atletico Madrid.

Betis coach Victor Sanchez has possibly one last chance to save his job as his side entertain Eibar. The Basques are in the seventh place in the table and are possibly the last team a chaotic Betis need to face at the moment.

Tony Adams makes his debut as Granada coach at home against Celta, who could also make squad rotations due to their European commitments. The round of matches ends on Monday when Alaves look to end a three-game losing streak at home to Villarreal.

The 126th birth anniversary of Dalit icon Dr B R Ambedkar was celebrated on Friday with traditional fervour across Maharashtra.

In Nagpur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Ambedkar at Deekshabhoomi, where the architect of the Constitution embraced Buddhism in 1956 with a large number of followers.

In Mumbai, state Education Minister Vinod Tawde visited Chaitya Bhoomi, the memorial of Ambedkar, and offered floral tributes on the occasion.

Memorial speeches were delivered at special functions and tributes offered in various parts of the state.

A new translation of “Meghadutam” brings to life Kalidasa's celebrated poem in vivid detail.

“The Cloud Message” is translated from the original Sanskrit work by translator-musician Srinivas Reddy and published by Penguin Books.

According to Reddy, “Meghadutam” to this day is not viewed as a poem to be savoured in translation; rather, it remains a text to be parsed, deconstructed and analysed.

“Filled with lush imagery – from the magnificence of the bountiful earth to the glory of the celestial gods, from the hypnotic lilt of birdsong to the passionate lovemaking of courtesans 'The Cloud Message' is as moving and resonant today as it was centuries ago,” the publishers say.

As punishment for failing in his duty, an unnamed yaksha is cursed by the god Kubera to endure a hard year in exile.
Thus separated from his beloved wife, he longs to send her word of his undying love and the pain he suffers over their parting. Unable to do so himself, the lovelorn yaksha implores a passing cloud to act as his messenger.

And so entrusted with this impassioned message, the cloud must travel a vast distance to the city of Alaka in the Himalayas, where the yaksha's wife waits, consumed by thoughts of her beloved.

“The cloud is the one who truly lives the long journey from Ramagiri in the south to Alaka in the Himalayas, all along imbibing the beauty and wonder of the landscape, the people, the flora and the fauna.

“The cloud drinks it all in and imbues the yaksha's message with his own deep emotions and experiences,” Reddy says.

Kalidasa, perhaps the most extraordinary of India's classical poets, composed seven major works: three plays, two epic poems and two lyric poems.

According to legend, he lived at the end of the fourth century, and was one the 'nine jewels' in the court of the Gupta king Chandragupta II.

Good Friday, the anniversary of crucifixion of Jesus, was on Friday observed in Christian-dominated Mizoram with religious fervour and solemnity.

Catholic church members took out procession in different parts of the state and held high mass in churches.

Special prayers and worship services were held in various churches of the state. Ceremonies were also performed in Presbyterian Church, the Baptist Church, the Pentecostal Church and the Salvation Army.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said a Commission will be formed here for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.

"Delhi government will form an SC/ST Commission for the welfare of the community," Kejriwal said.

The Aam Aadmi Party convener made the announcement while paying tributes to the main architect of the Indian Constitution Bharat Ratna Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar on his 126th birth anniversary in the Delhi Assembly premises.

Kejriwal paid floral tributes to Babasaheb at his life-size statue installed in the premises.

The chief minister's announcement came before the upcoming Delhi civic polls scheduled to be held on April 23. A good number of people from these communities reside in the national capital.

On the occasion, he also said that Ambedkar was the champion of the millions of downtrodden and deprived.

He also played an important role in drafting India's Constitution, which is a masterpiece and best among all the constitutions in the world, Kejriwal said.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has re-accredited Brazil's drug-testing authority ABCD, four months after banning the body for non-compliance.

ABCD was struck off the list of WADA approved countries and regions in November after failing to implement an independent national anti-doping tribunal, reports Xinhua news agency.

In a statement on Wednesday, WADA said its foundation board voted to reinstate ABCD after reviewing recent changes made in the South American country.

"The Brazilian authorities have successfully adopted procedural rules in line with the (world anti-doping code) in order to regulate the activity of its newly established disciplinary tribunal," the Montreal-based agency said.

Goa's Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar on Friday blamed tourists for binge-drinking and causing chaos in the coastal state and destroying the region's culture.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a government event in Panaji, Ajgaonkar said that liquor and music was a part of Goan culture.

"The outsiders who come here, create chaos after they drink. They ruin our culture, our Goenkarponn (Goanness). That should not happen. This should be controlled," he said.

The minister also said liquor and music were rooted to the former Portuguese-ruled state's culture and tradition.

"Liquor, music is part of our culture. It has been going on in a traditional way. It cannot be stopped just like that. Liquor is also a part of our tradition, our Goenkarponn," he said.

"In Goa, if there is stomach pain, people still warm up alcohol and drink it… But Goans when they drink alcohol, they do not lose control. Even if a Goan drinks alcohol, the next person will not know he has consumed liquor. He will not show it," Ajgaonkar said.

Goa is a major beach tourism destination in the country and attracts over four million tourists every year.

The BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) has planned to issue bonds twice this year, one denominated in Chinese Yuan and the other in Indian Rupee, bank's President KV Kamath said on Friday.

The bank sold its first three billion Yuan worth ($437 million) Yuan-denominated bonds in China in July 2016 to fund clean energy projects in member states.

Kamath told Xinhua news agency that following last year's issuance, the preparation for second batch of Yuan-denominated bonds, possibly in the second half of this year, is expected to be more smooth. The size will be around three billion Yuan, similar to the last one.

He said the issuance will come after the bank is rated by international rating agencies.

Between $300 million to $500 million of rupee-denominated Masala Bonds will be issued after July, Kamath added. Masala Bonds are rupee-denominated bonds issued outside India.

Kamath said the NDB plans to lend $2.5-3 billion to fund 15 projects in member-states this year, up from $1.5 billion for seven projects in 2016. Most projects last year were connected to clean energy and transportation.

Kamath said the loans will go to more sectors this year. 

In India, for example, the bank will prioritise rural drinking water networks and infrastructure projects.

The BRICS bank was set up with an initial authorised capital of $100 billion after leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa signed the treaty for its establishment during its sixth summit in Fortaleza, Brazil, in 2014. 

The bank officially opened in Shanghai in 2015.

With air quality deteriorating and levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) increasing, the pollution crisis in Kathmandu is on the verge of becoming the new capital punishment for the valley's inhabitants, a media report said.

A group of 15 college students wrapped themselves in plastic sheets, wound ropes around their neck and stood at Tinkune, one of the busiest thoroughfares of the Nepali capital, on Thursday offering quite a bizarre sight to passers-by and commuters alike. 

They had but one aim: drawing the attention of the authorities to the pollution crisis, the Kathmandu Post daily reported on Friday.

There has been widespread criticism from different quarters of the government's apathy towards addressing the crisis, while many have come out on the streets to raise awareness about the rising pollution levels and demand immediate measures to tackle the problem.

"All of us in the capital are facing a hard time breathing these days. But we can do nothing. So we are huddled here wrapped in plastic sheets and ropes wound around our necks, in an indication how we are choked and our lungs are constricted by the air we breathe," said Tanka Chaulagain, who choreographed the act.

The students are from Kantipur Film Academy.

According to public group Drishti Kathmandu, which has placed air quality monitoring devices at 17 different locations in the Valley, the level of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air on Wednesday stood at 125 microgram per cubic metres.

The World Health Organisation's upper safe limit of daily PM2.5 concentration in the air is 25 microgram per cubic metres while the standard set by the Nepal government is 40 µg/m3. PM2.5 includes pollutants that penetrate deep into the lungs and into the cardiovascular system, posing the greatest risks to human health.

"Pollution has emerged as one of the most serious problems in the Capital. The ongoing road-widening drive and pipe-laying work for Melamchi Water Supply Project have only added to the woes," said Chaulagain.

"Our aim is to raise awareness and protest the government's lack of interest in working to mitigate pollution. We, as film academy students, wanted to do it differently."

The students said they are planning more pollution-related performance art in the future, if the issue remains unresolved.
 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that every Indian should have a house by 2022, on the 75th anniversary of the country's Independence, and the government was working in this direction.

The Prime Minister, who inaugurated various development works here to mark the birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar, said the people of the country should strive to fulfil the dreams of freedom fighters. 

He said each and every Indian should have a house in the next five years. 

"We have a dream for 2022. The poorest of poor should have a house of his own. And that house must be equipped with electricity, water and other facilities. There should be hospitals and schools in the neighbourhood," Modi said.

Referring to Ambedkar, Modi said he did not have a trace of bitterness or revenge in him despite facing struggles in his life. 

Earlier, Modi paid homage to the architect of the Indian Constitution, Bharat Ratna Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar on the occasion of his 126th birth anniversary here on Friday.

Arriving here on a daylong visit for various engagements, Modi started his day with a visit to the historic monument, Deekshabhoomi, where Babasaheb Ambedkar and over 600,000 followers had embraced Buddhism on October 14, 1956.

This 'Dharmantar' is considered the biggest mass religious conversion at a single location in history that took place 61 years ago.

Modi, accompanied by Union Minister Ramdas Athawale and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, went around the Deekshabhoomi and later garlanded a large bust of Babasaheb Ambedkar installed there.

A series of functions has been organised to mark the Ambedkar Jayanti on Friday across Maharashtra, including at Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur and Chaityabhoomi in Mumbai, where Babasaheb Ambedkar was cremated following his death on December 6, 1956.

Born on April 14, 1891, Babasaheb Ambedkar was the first Law Minister of the Independent India, the principal architect of the Indian Constitution who dedicated his life for the uplift of Dalits, women and labourers, and was posthumously conferred the country's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 1990.

A Congress activist of Dalit community was injured in a clash with BJP workers here following a dispute on who will garland the statue of Dr B R Ambedkar on his birth anniversary.

Before city Mayor Bharat Dangar could reach the spot, Congress worker Mitesh Parmar tried to garland the statue saying he is a Dalit and it is his right to do so.

The BJP workers tried to stop him saying that as per the protocol, the mayor will garland the statue first.

This led to an argument and later a clash broke out between the workers of both the parties.

The police detained Parmar and took him to Gotri police station where he complained of chest pain and injuries on his body.

Police took him to a nearby hospital for treatment. He was later shifted to the city's SSG hospital.

In his complaint lodged with the Gotri police, Parmar said he was "heavily beaten up by BJP workers" in the presence of Mayor Dangar, MP Ranjanben Bhatt and other corporators.

He demanded that action should be taken against those involved in the incident.

City Congress unit president Prashant Patel and leader of opposition in Vadodara Municipal Corpration Chandrakant Bhatthu rushed to the spot after the incident.

They staged a dharna alleging that their party worker Parmar was wrongly detained by the police and demanded his immediate release.

Meanwhile, Mayor Dangar, BJP MP Bhatt and other party leaders from the city garlanded the statue of Ambedkar and paid rich tributes to him.

The local BJP leaders refused to comment on the incident.