Pakistani troops resorted to mortar shelling and firing by automatic weapons along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district on Tuesday.

"There was unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan Army in Rajouri on Tuesday, using 82 mm mortars, automatic weapons," a defence spokesman was quoted as saying by a news agency.

"Indian Army personnel took positions and responded befittingly to the Pakistani firing," the spokesman said, adding that intermittent firing was going on.

Earlier on Monday Pakistan opened fire at the Indian troops in Digwar sector of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir. Indian security forces have also retaliated.

The ceasefire violation from the Pakistan side comes after India had on March 9 summoned the Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan and expressed deep concern over continued ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir.

A federal appeals court said it will hear arguments next month on the legality of US President Donald Trump's revised travel ban executive order, the media reported.

On Monday, the San Francisco-based 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said that an appeal of a Hawaii-based judge's order blocking key aspects of Trump's directive will go before a three-judge panel of the appeals court in May, Politico news reported.

On March 6, Trump signed the revised version of his executive order on immigration that places a 90-day ban on people from six predominantly Muslim nations.

The new order, excluding Iraq from the original list of seven countries, bars citizens from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

Meanwhile, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, is still deciding how to handle an appeal of a Maryland-based judge's narrower ruling blocking a single part of the revised Trump order: a ban on issuance of visas to citizens of six Muslim-majority countries. 

The court earlier announced that a three-judge panel would hear arguments May 8.

However, the appeals court is also considering skipping that step. 

No decision on that has been announced, reports Politico news.

The Trump administration would need both the Maryland and Hawaii orders cleared in order to fully implement the revised executive order.

Trump and his aides have argued that the directives are needed to prevent terrorist attacks against the US but critics said they cannot be justified on national security grounds and amount to a thinly-veiled versions of the "Muslim ban" Trump promised during the presidential campaign.

Summer has just begun. But the mercury is soaring. and the heat wave is blowing strong across many places in India. While you are trying different hairdos to beat the heat, here are some weird and funky hairstyles you can try and bring out the crazy in you. Take the plunge. Go wild. Indulge in your fascination. Express your crazy self and colour up your life with the things you always wanted to do but dare not.

Bare and dare:  Bring out the artist in you and go for a unique clean cut with designs on the head. Go all bald or clean shave parts of the head areas to create your favourite images and patterns. Creating patterns on the head is becoming a big craze. 

Tie and dye: Short or long, use different dyes on different parts of the hair. Use different colour dyes and hang them loose or spike it up. Tie them down or up, whichever way you like.

Twist and turn: This is easy and fun if you have long hair. Twist and turn the hair around and tie or pin them up whichever way you like.

Plait and roll: If you have long hair, go for thin multiple plaits or a small single long plait on one side of the head. Hang it down or roll it up to create a flower like small plaited buns.

Bun it funny: Dare to go real funny-bunny. Create a single or multiple tall or pointed buns.

Curl and perm: This is for both short and long hair. Curl or perm them half way down and leave the rest straight and good or perm one side of the hair or curl the hair in just the middle of the head and leave the rest as it is.

Rib and thread: Rib the hair apart and thread feathers or ribbons in colours all around it. Use bright ribbons or silve rand gold threads and flaunt them in style.

The styles are many. There is no limit to it. It all depends on how imaginative and wild you can get. Well, you can look up different style sites for a little help. Meanwhile, try these crazy ideas to start with and have real fun this summer.

Let go of yourself. Get the wildest haircut and style. Go punky and funky, and stun the world!  

Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus stepped up his recovery from injury to return to the training field for the first time since February, according to a statement on the club website.

The Brazilian made a superb start to life at Manchester after his move from Palmeiras was ratified in January, scoring three goals in his first four games, including a match-winning double against Swansea at the Etihad Stadium. He had even displaced the club’s talisman, Sergio Aguero, in the starting XI, such was the impression he had on manager Pep Guardiola.

However, he suffered a fractured metatarsal after just 14 minutes of the next game away at Bournemouth, with the early prognosis suggesting his season was over prematurely.

He recently began working in the gym in a bid to keep his fitness levels high – and on Monday afternoon, on his 20th birthday, he returned to the training field just seven weeks after his initial setback.

While he didn't take part in full training, focusing instead on some light ball work, it’s a sight most City fans will nonetheless have been pleased to see. His teammates were visibly happy to see him and spoke warmly to the Brazilian before continuing with their own training session. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s men travel to London on Wednesday night for a crunch Premier League clash with leaders Chelsea and will seek revenge for the 1-3 loss they suffered at the Etihad in December.  

Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus stepped up his recovery from injury to return to the training field for the first time since February, according to a statement on the club website.

The Brazilian made a superb start to life at Manchester after his move from Palmeiras was ratified in January, scoring three goals in his first four games, including a match-winning double against Swansea at the Etihad Stadium. He had even displaced the club’s talisman, Sergio Aguero, in the starting XI, such was the impression he had on manager Pep Guardiola.

However, he suffered a fractured metatarsal after just 14 minutes of the next game away at Bournemouth, with the early prognosis suggesting his season was over prematurely.

He recently began working in the gym in a bid to keep his fitness levels high – and on Monday afternoon, on his 20th birthday, he returned to the training field just seven weeks after his initial setback.

While he didn't take part in full training, focusing instead on some light ball work, it’s a sight most City fans will nonetheless have been pleased to see. His teammates were visibly happy to see him and spoke warmly to the Brazilian before continuing with their own training session. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s men travel to London on Wednesday night for a crunch Premier League clash with leaders Chelsea and will seek revenge for the 1-3 loss they suffered at the Etihad in December.  

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday said he had granted approval to the Aircel-Maxis deal “in the normal course of business.”

“In the Aircel-Maxis case, taking into account the face value of the foreign investment, the FIPB (Foreign Investment Promotion Board) submitted the case to the Finance Minister and sought approval.

“As FM, I granted approval in the normal course of business,” he said in a statement.

Chidambaram's remarks comes a day after the Supreme Court asked the CBI to file status report on the probe being carried out on various aspects of the Aircel-Maxis deal.

During the brief hearing on Monday, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had told the bench that he has received a reply from CBI stating that it was probing “all angles”, including the FIPB clearance given to the deal by the then Finance Minister Chidambaram in 2006.
Swamy had said CBI should be asked to file a status report in the case.

In his application, Swamy has alleged that Chidambaram had illegally granted FIPB clearance to the deal in 2006.

He claimed that the former finance minister had given FIPB clearance to a deal that should have been referred to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), headed by the Prime Minister, as it alone was empowered to clear foreign investments of over Rs 600 crore.
“The money transaction involved in the process was around Rs 3,500 crore. FIPB clearance was given by the then finance minister, who should have sent it to the CCEA as the investment was way over Rs 600 crore,” he had said.

In his statement today, Chidambaram said FIPB consists of five Secretaries and that they examine the cases and recommend approval or rejection.

They “apply the rules/guidelines” and submit each case to the CCEA or the Finance Minister depending upon the value of the investment, he added.

“CBI has recorded the statements from every official who dealt with the case. Everyone, including the then Secretary and Additional Secretary, has affirmed that the case was rightly submitted to the Finance Minister who was the competent authority to grant approval and that the approval was granted in the normal course of business,” Chidambaram added.

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday said he had granted approval to the Aircel-Maxis deal “in the normal course of business.”

“In the Aircel-Maxis case, taking into account the face value of the foreign investment, the FIPB (Foreign Investment Promotion Board) submitted the case to the Finance Minister and sought approval.

“As FM, I granted approval in the normal course of business,” he said in a statement.

Chidambaram's remarks comes a day after the Supreme Court asked the CBI to file status report on the probe being carried out on various aspects of the Aircel-Maxis deal.

During the brief hearing on Monday, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had told the bench that he has received a reply from CBI stating that it was probing “all angles”, including the FIPB clearance given to the deal by the then Finance Minister Chidambaram in 2006.
Swamy had said CBI should be asked to file a status report in the case.

In his application, Swamy has alleged that Chidambaram had illegally granted FIPB clearance to the deal in 2006.

He claimed that the former finance minister had given FIPB clearance to a deal that should have been referred to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), headed by the Prime Minister, as it alone was empowered to clear foreign investments of over Rs 600 crore.
“The money transaction involved in the process was around Rs 3,500 crore. FIPB clearance was given by the then finance minister, who should have sent it to the CCEA as the investment was way over Rs 600 crore,” he had said.

In his statement today, Chidambaram said FIPB consists of five Secretaries and that they examine the cases and recommend approval or rejection.

They “apply the rules/guidelines” and submit each case to the CCEA or the Finance Minister depending upon the value of the investment, he added.

“CBI has recorded the statements from every official who dealt with the case. Everyone, including the then Secretary and Additional Secretary, has affirmed that the case was rightly submitted to the Finance Minister who was the competent authority to grant approval and that the approval was granted in the normal course of business,” Chidambaram added.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday offered condolences on the deaths of people in blasts in a metro train in Russia's St. Petersburg city.

"Saddened about the loss of lives due to the explosion… My condolences to the bereaved families," she tweeted.

At least 10 persons were killed and dozens injured in the twin explosions on Monday.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday offered condolences on the deaths of people in blasts in a metro train in Russia's St. Petersburg city.

"Saddened about the loss of lives due to the explosion… My condolences to the bereaved families," she tweeted.

At least 10 persons were killed and dozens injured in the twin explosions on Monday.

The US has withdrawn funding for the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), an agency that promotes family planning in over 150 countries, a media report said.

The Department of State on Monday referred to the presidential directive from January and a provision called the Kemp-Kasten Amendment — enacted for the first time in 1985 as part of a US appropriations law prohibiting foreign aid to any organisation that the administration determines is involved in coercive abortion or involuntary sterilisation, the BBC reported.

"This determination was made based on the fact that China's family planning policies still involve the use of coercive abortion and involuntary sterilisation, and UNFPA partners on family planning activities with the Chinese government agency responsible for these coercive policies," it said.

This is the first of the promised cuts to US financial contributions to the UN by President Donald Trump's administration.

In response, the UNFPA said it "regrets the decision" and called the claims "erroneous" and that all of its work promotes the rights of individuals and couples to make their own decisions, free of coercion or discrimination.

In total $32.5 million in funds is being withdrawn for the 2017 financial year, the BBC reported.

With the support of the US, last year UNFPA said it was able to save the lives of thousands of women from dying during pregnancy and childbirth, prevent unintended pregnancies, and unsafe abortions.

The money that had been allocated to the UNFPA for the fiscal year 2017 will be "transferred and reprogrammed to the Global Health Programmes account," the State Department said.

The account will be used by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to support family planning, maternal and reproductive health activities in developing countries, it added.

The US has withdrawn funding for the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), an agency that promotes family planning in over 150 countries, a media report said.

The Department of State on Monday referred to the presidential directive from January and a provision called the Kemp-Kasten Amendment — enacted for the first time in 1985 as part of a US appropriations law prohibiting foreign aid to any organisation that the administration determines is involved in coercive abortion or involuntary sterilisation, the BBC reported.

"This determination was made based on the fact that China's family planning policies still involve the use of coercive abortion and involuntary sterilisation, and UNFPA partners on family planning activities with the Chinese government agency responsible for these coercive policies," it said.

This is the first of the promised cuts to US financial contributions to the UN by President Donald Trump's administration.

In response, the UNFPA said it "regrets the decision" and called the claims "erroneous" and that all of its work promotes the rights of individuals and couples to make their own decisions, free of coercion or discrimination.

In total $32.5 million in funds is being withdrawn for the 2017 financial year, the BBC reported.

With the support of the US, last year UNFPA said it was able to save the lives of thousands of women from dying during pregnancy and childbirth, prevent unintended pregnancies, and unsafe abortions.

The money that had been allocated to the UNFPA for the fiscal year 2017 will be "transferred and reprogrammed to the Global Health Programmes account," the State Department said.

The account will be used by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to support family planning, maternal and reproductive health activities in developing countries, it added.

After wrapping up the shoot of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming flick Padmavati, Deepika Padukone was seen attending a Ganga aarti in Rishikesh, Uttarankhand on Monday.

She was seen donning a white kurta with a gray shawl as she accompanied the priests during the aarti.

Deepika interacted with the locals around and appealed to them to keep the environment green and river Ganga clean to maintain its piousness. She has been enjoying a little holiday in Uttarakhand after a busy schedule for her upcoming film Padmavati. The film has been in news before its release because of many reasons including the vandalisation of its sets and attack on the film’s director Bhansali.

Padmavati also stars Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh.

Hyundai’s Xcent has been one of the bestsellers in the sub-4 metre sedan space, running second only to Maruti Suzuki’s Swift DZire. Now, to give the Xcent a sales boost, Hyundai will launch the facelifted Xcent this month, ahead of the launch of the new DZire. A lot of what the Xcent will offer will be based on the revisions offered on the recently updated Grand i10.

On the outside the big change will be at the rear, as the Xcent looked a bit awkward from this angle. Several changes, including new Audi-esque tail lamps, aim to make the Xcent a lot more appealing even from this angle. At the front the Xcent will carry over the revised hexagonal grille and LED DRLs. You can expect new alloys to be offered as well.

Obviously, the new 1.2-litre diesel engine that powers the Grand i10 diesel will also find its way into the Xcent. This engine is a marked improvement over the previous 1.1-litre unit in terms of drivability and refinement. In the Grand, the diesel offers 75PS of power and 190Nm of torque. While we don’t expect any significant change in these numbers, the engine is said to have been tweaked further to suit the compact sedan. You can expect the 1.2-litre petrol engine to be carried over unchanged. This engine offers 82PS of power and 114Nm of torque. There will be manual and automatic gearboxes on offer.

Hyundai will offer a tweaked suspension setup which should tackle bumps and potholes better as well. That aside, you can expect the Xcent to carry over the 7” touchscreen infotainment system from the Grand i10 as well. Tata’s new Tigor has already raised expectations in the segment and Maruti Suzuki’s all new Swift DZire is also expected to make its way to showrooms shortly.

Source: CarDekho

The Army jawan who was arrested on Monday for carrying two grenades in his luggage at Srinagar airport got released on bail on Tuesday.

Soldier Bhopal Mukhia of 17 J-K Rifles alleged that a senior officer had asked him to carry the grenades and hand them to a person in Delhi.

Mukhia was posted near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri.

Army sources said that the jawan belongs to Darjeeling and has accepted that he was carrying grenades, saying it was for causing blast in rivers to catch fish.

The soldier was to board a flight to Delhi. He was lodged at the local police station for questioning.

The English Premier League returns with midweek fixtures that promise to enthral and frustrate in equal measure as results are sure to go haywire.

For Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers, however, the uncertainty can induce a headache as you scramble to pick the best players for your team.

Be at ease, for The Statesman is there to sort through the chaff with a comprehensive article on who to buy for the coming gameweek.

The indicators are:

Teams in BOLD are top 4 contenders.

Prices marked with a (+) indicate an increase in Base Price.
Prices marked with a (-) indicate a decrease in Base Price.

Goalkeepers

Ben Foster
Team: West Bromwich Albion
Fixtures: Watford (A), Southampton (H), Liverpool (H), and Leicester (H)
Price: 4.7 (+)
Score: 97
Ownership: 14.5%

Why yes: Back to back clean sheets? With Tony Pulis in the dugout and Forster between the sticks, anything is possible. Watford may have beaten Sunderland in their last game, but the Baggies are flying high after their 0-0 draw at Old Trafford. 

Why no: West Brom don't play in Gameweek 34 and games after Southampton look quite tough.

Defenders

Ben Mee
Team: Burnley
Fixtures: Stoke (H), Middlesbrough (A), Everton (A), Man Utd (A) and Crystal Palace (A)
Price: 4.7 (+)
Score: 80
Ownership: 3.6%

Why yes: Stoke aren't in great form and at home, Burnley aren't easy to breach. Mee may play as a centre back, but is a goal threat from set-pieces and is a good option in this price range. 

Why no: Fixtures after Middlesbrough don't look easy. Should you already have Tom Heaton as your FPL goalkeeper, Mee can be given a miss.

Andrew Robertson
Team: Hull City
Fixtures: Middlesbrough (H), Man City (A), Stoke (A), Watford (H) and Southampton (A)
Price: 4.4 (-)
Score: 56
Ownership: 2.0%

Why yes: Under Marco Silva, Hull play like a stingy side and as a bonus, Robertson can chip in with the odd goal. Middlesbrough arent a free-scoring side by any stretch of the imagination, so a low-scoring game is anticipated.

Why no: His defensive teammates are worthy options and are all much cheaper. Hull travel to Man City next week and that is a game where it is extremely unlikely any visiting side keeps a clean sheet.

Midfielders
Heung-Min Son
Team: Tottenham Hotspur
Fixtures: Swansea (A), Watford (H), Bournemouth (H), Crystal Palace (A) and Arsenal (H)
Price: 7.0 (-)
Score: 108
Ownership: 6.1%

Why yes: In Harry Kane’s absence, the Korean can really thrive and he proved his worth with a goal coming off the bench against Burnley. A start beckons as manager Mauricio Pochettino is sure to rest some Spurs players. His teammates (Dele Alli and Chrstian Eriksen) are considerably more expensive than him.

Why no: Those aforementioned players do start week in week out, however and from an FPL perspective, are much more effective than the Son. Also, if you already have either of them, picking Son would not be a wise move.

Alex Iwobi
Team: Arsenal
Fixtures: West Ham (H), Crystal Palace (A), Middlesbrough (A), Leicester (H) and Spurs (A)
Price: 5.6 (-)
Score: 87
Ownership: 1.7%

Why yes: He looked bright in the draw with Man City and after some much-needed rest, should slot back in to the starting XI against an dreadfully poor West Ham team. The draw against City could be something the Gunners build on as the season nears its end and Iwobi (Most cost-effective Arsenal midfielder there is) will definitely benefit.

Why no: His starting spot is still not guaranteed and if you should already have Alexis Sanchez or Theo Walcott, buying Iwobi is not advised. 

Forwards

Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Team: Manchester United
Fixtures: Everton (H), Sunderland (A), Chelsea (H), Burnley (A)-Man City (A) and Swansea (H)
Price: 11.4 (-)
Score: 144
Ownership: 26.8%

Why yes: The big man is back and how his side have needed him. Everton are low on morale after their damaging loss to Liverpool and Ibrahimovic should have no problem picking up where he left off. United have a double fixture in Gameweek 34.

Why no: Is mightily expensive and if recent reports are believed, United manager Jose Mourinho may start to prioritise the Europa League over the Premier League. Which means Zlatan may get rested before continental ties.

Christian Benteke
Team: Crystal Palace
Fixtures: Southampton (A), Arsenal (H), Leicester (H), Liverpool (A)–Spurs (H) and Burnley (H)
Price: 7.0 (-)
Score: 97
Ownership: 5.0%

Why yes: Palace are in brilliant form and Benteke was impressive against Chelsea (Then again, who wasn't from the Eagles side?). With Wilfried Zaha blitzing defence week in week out, the Belgian will directly/indirectly reap the benefits from the winger’s displays. 

Why no: Palace will be pushed to the limit after Southampton and in those games Benteke may just be starved of quality service. Zaha is a good pick for midfield and should you already have him, Benteke should be skipped.

PS: The Gameweek deadline is 6.45 pm GMT/12.15 am IST.

State Bank of India on Monday ruled out a spike in bad loans following the mega merger that has catapulted the country's largest lender into the top 50 globally with close to $500 billion balancesheet.

"Increase in NPAs is not necessary (post-merger) as associate banks had a number of accounts which were standard, but those were already NPAs with us. So, to that extent, those things have been put on the same platform," Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya told reporters here on Monday.

Effective April 1, the five associate banks — State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Travancore — as well as Bharatiya Mahila Bank have been merged with SBI, creating a global banking behemoth.

She said the bank has undertaken an asset quality review (AQR) on its own, apart from the one mandated by the Reserve Bank in December 2015, in respect of all the common accounts as part of the merger process.

"All the stressed assets to the extent possible, where we had common exposures, are aligned now. We had taken more than INR 8,600 crore of additional provisions," she added.

"We believe that even though numbers look bigger, we now have much better ability to resolve them as the day we resolve our NPAs, those will also get resolved. So, there will be much more control on resolution going forward." 

It can be noted that while SBI contained its bad loans in the December quarter most of the five associates saw the same soaring. While gross NPA of SBI rose to 7.23 per cent in the December quarter from 5.10 per cent a year ago, its net NPA firmed up to 4.24 per cent from 2.89 per cent.

But State Bank of Mysore saw its gross NPA soaring to 14.46 per cent and net NPA to 9.22 per cent while SBBJ's gross NPA rose to 11.19 per cent and net NPA to 8.26 per cent. As for SBT, its gross NPA jumped to 12.22 per cent and net NPA to 8.03 per cent. SBH's net NPA more than trebled to 8.03 per cent from 2.46 per cent a year earlier.

Bhattacharya said SBI has created a CBS database of about 500 tera byte, which is likely to be the biggest Oracle database in the world.

"We've accomplished it in the past 48 hours. I don't think anybody in the world would have attempted and completed such a mass mission, a six-way merger of such a magnitude," she said.

Post-merger, SBI will join the league of top 50 banks globally in terms of assets worth Rs.37 trillion and customer base of 370 million.

She said the focus in the first quarter will be more on consolidation, which is expected to be over by May 27, and the branch rationalisation will start from the second quarter onwards. "Once audits are completed, from April 24 onwards, every weekend, data of one bank to be merged will be taken and will be merged with SBI," she said.

"So, within May 27, the entire granular level data merger will be completed," she said further, adding that in the case of Bharatiya Mahila Bank and the treasury, the granular data merger has already been completed.

Talking about the voluntary retirement scheme introduced for employees of five associate banks, Bhattacharya said that out of the 12,500 eligible staffers, 2,800 have already opted for the scheme that closes on April 5.

She claimed that the merger will benefit associate banks' customers in terms of lower interest rates and an additional bouquet of products and services. "As a result of merger, borrowers can expect lower interest rates at renewal or at time of origination of the loan," the chairman said.

Managing Director for national banking group, Rajnish Kumar said there is also a rationalisation at the level of DGMs and regional manager offices, "which will bring in a lot of efficiency at administrative level and on the cost front".

The bank has identified nearly 1,800 branches in close proximity that will be relocated depending on the business potential, he said.

According to Bhattacharya, after merger, the number of branches has gone up to 24,013 and the headcount to 2,70,011, which includes 69,191 from the associates and BMB.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement has sought the US' intervention against alleged “genocide” extra-judicial killings, human rights violations and ban on its leader's freedom of speech in Pakistan.
Members of the MQM held a peaceful demonstration against Pakistan in front of the White House on Sunday. Holding placards, the protesters demanded the arrest of those involved in the extra-judicial killings of MQM workers.
Carrying MQM flags and portraits of “missing” and deceased workers, they demanded that their “missing” loved ones be recovered forthwith from “illegal detention” of law-enforcement agencies and presented in courts.
Addressing the demonstration, the MQM US central organiser Mateen Yousuf condemned human rights violations by security forces in Karachi.
“Despite all sorts of brutalities being perpetrated by the government, supporters and activists of the party are determined and have faith in the party and its chief Altaf Hussain,” Yousuf said.
In his remarks, he urged the United Nations, the US administration and human rights organisations to take notice of the state atrocities in Karachi.
He demanded stern action against those security personals who are involved in extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances of MQM workers.