Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has said that the values of the Spanish capital club are based on humility and respect.

Perez on Thursday delivered his remarks during the presentation of the sponsorship agreement between Real Madrid and Spanish telecommunication company Telefonica, reports Efe.

Perez's statements came two days after Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said that he does not like Real Madrid's values.

"Our team is admired for what the players have achieved throughout its history, which has been full of challenges," he said, according to the Real Madrid official website.

He pointed out that the Los Blancos are also respected for their principles and values, upon which the legacy of the Spanish club is based.

Perez emphasised that the Santiago Bernabeu stadium is a place "where emotions and feelings come to life".

"Here, what matters is the ball, passion and dedication," he declared.

Perez added that the coming weeks will be a spectacular end to the season, as Real Madrid are looking forward to more achievements after winning the UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup in 2016.

Srijit Mukherjee's  directorial Begum Jaan starring Vidya Balan has been the talk of the town ever since the trailer of the film was released and what makes it even more intriguing is its uncanny resemblance with the Bengali film Rajkahini starring Rituparna Sen Gupta.

Interestingly, ‘Rajkahini’ was also directed by Srijit Mukherji and it was released in 2015. The film became one of the most critically acclaimed films of that year.

Set at the backdrop of the India-Pakistan war, Rajkahini was based on a brothel that is situated between the two nations.

Although, the plot and the screenplay of the movie are same, the lead characters Rituparna Sen Gupta and Vidya Balan are different in their own way.

According to the director, Vidya’s character is more feminine than Rituparna’s portrayal of Begum Jaan.

“While the plot points and turn of events are the same, characterisation is different because I have added few sequences and layers to Begum Jaan's character which is less masculine. We have shown the softer side of Begum Jaan which is not there in Rajkahini. These two are different Begum Jaans, so it is difficult to compare. There are romantic and maternal aspects that have come out more in the Hindi version. In Bengali version it was much drier, sturdier and more masculine whereas Vidya’s character is more feminine and slightly more attractive," Srijit Mukherji was quoted as saying.

So, is Srijit's justifications right or is it just a case of  creative Deja vu?
 

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday urged his NATO counterparts to boost their defense budgets and do more to combat extremists in Syria and Iraq.

Meeting with NATO foreign ministers in Brussels for the first time, Tillerson said it's important to ensure the US-led military alliance "has all of the resources, financial and otherwise, that are necessary for NATO to fulfill its mission."

After advancing the talks a week to suit Tillerson's schedule, ministers from Europe and Canada wanted to hear exactly what more Washington expects NATO to do against the Islamic State group.

"We want to discuss how we can build on NATO's already important involvement in the fight to defeat ISIS and other counter-terrorism actions that NATO can provide, and ultimately bring stability to the Middle East," Tilllerson told reporters.

NATO has fought insurgents in Afghanistan, and is training Iraqi officers so that local forces can make a strong stand against extremists. There is no appetite to deploy troops in counter-terrorism operations. Allies believe that the international coalition against the Islamic State group should be leading combat operations, not NATO.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the lesson learned from operations in Afghanistan, but also Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina, is that "in the long run it is much better to fight terrorism and project stability by training local forces, building local security institutions, instead of NATO deploying a large number of combat troops."

France's foreign minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, insisted that only a political solution can bring peace to Syria and cut extremism off at its roots.

"If we want to defeat terrorism in Syria we don't just need to defeat Daesh, we also must fight its causes," he told reporters.

He said the international community must focus on "national rebuilding, the reconciliation of the country, the return of refugees, and it goes through this political process as planned in the UN resolution negotiation framework. And on this I am also expecting clarification from the US". 

Former wicketkeeper Brad Haddin feels feisty India captain Virat Kohli needs to take a break from cricket to reflect on his batting and leadership style after the bitterly-fought Test series against Australia.

With Kohli's participation in doubt for the start of the upcoming Indian Premier League, starting April 5, Haddin said the he needs a short break to introspect on what transpired during the intense series which India won 2-1.

"By all accounts Virat Kohli is going to miss the early games of the IPL with his shoulder problem. Based on the sour note with which he ended a tremendous Test series victory for India over a fighting Australia, that may well be a good thing," Haddin wrote in his column for ESPNcricinfo.com.

"At the end of this long and successful home season, I get the distinct impression that Kohli needs some time to think about how he goes about things as a batsman and a captain.

"Time away from playing might help Kohli to reach a fairer viewpoint on what has transpired over the past six weeks: a terrific battle in which the Australians genuinely challenged India, and gave Kohli the toughest time of his international career to date," he said.

India defeated Australia 2-1 at home in one of the most intense but bitterly-fought series in recent years.

The series was marked by one controversy after another with the two captains – Kohli and Steve Smith – in the eye of storm.

"Kohli saying that he no longer had any friends among the Australian team after the conclusion of the series took a lot of gloss off the contest, and once again suggested that the touring side had got as close as they did to India by underhanded means. This is not an assertion backed up by evidence and sets a poor example to all those watching the game, not only in India but around the world."

Haddin was also impressed by the calm and composed demeanour of stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane, who led India in the series-deciding fourth and final Test in Dharamsala after Kohli missed the game due to a shoulder injury.

"Ajinkya Rahane, the stand-in captain, is as different from Kohli in his demeanour on the field as it is possible to be. He does not give the impression of looking for a fight so much as looking for groceries in the supermarket, but his second-innings batting against Pat Cummins showed that a bold heart beats beneath the quieter exterior," he wrote.

"Similarly, the way he was able to work with the Indian fast bowlers, particularly Umesh Yadav, showed good sense and strong character."

"It was a passage that said a lot about Umesh as a fast bowler, but also about Rahane as a leader: he showed toughness of mind to recognise the key moment and seize it," Haddin wrote.

Three paramedical students drowned in the Saryu river in Colonelganj area here on Friday.

Around 30 students of a local paramedical college had gone to Colonelganj Community Health Centre for training and were taking a stroll at the Saryu ghat when one of them slipped in the river, Colonelganj SDM Harishankar Lal Shukla said.

Two others, including a girl, jumped into the river to save their friend but all of them drowned, he said.

The deceased were identified as Sushma (22), Salman (21) and Arvind (23). Their bodies have been fished out and sent for postmortem, the SDM said.

The fiscal liabilities of Himachal Pradesh increased to Rs.41,197 crore in 2015-16 with the growth of eight per cent over the previous year, according to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report.

Tabled in the state assembly by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Friday, the CAG report (for the financial year ending on 31 March) presents a grim picture of the state's financial health.

The report stated that the liabilities stood at 37 per cent of the state Gross Domestic Product (GSDP) and 176 per cent of the revenue receipts.

“The maturity profile of the state debt indicates that 8 per cent (Rs.2,268 crore) (Rs.2,268 crore) of the public debt is payable in the next year. Thirty-eight per cent (Rs.10,567 crore) is payable in the next 1-5 years' time while the remaining 54 per cent (Rs.15,075 crore) loans are required to be paid in more than five years' time, which would put a strain on the government budget during that period,” it stated.

The state is required to pay 62 per cent debt within seven years, which is not a very comfortable position and could lead towards ‘debt trap’, it added.

The report by the auditor said the state's per capita debt had shown increasing trend from Rs.40,904 in 2011-12 to Rs.57,642 during 2015-16, an increase of 41 percent in five years.

According to it, the per capita debt showed an increasing trend from Rs.40,904 in 2011-12 to Rs.57,642 during 2015-16 (an increase of 41 per cent in five years time).

It increased by Rs.3,729 (seven percent) in 2015-16 (Rs.57,642) over the previous year (Rs.53,913). (The per capita income of the state stood at Rs.130,067 in 2015-16).

The CAG report pointed to the delay in furnishing 2,944 utilisation certificates with respect to loans and grants amounting to amounting to Rs.2,225.40 crore as on March 31, 2016.

"The state has given less priority to the capital expenditure as the as the percentage ratio of capital expenditure to aggregate expenditure is 10.88 in 2014-15 and 11.17 in 2015-16, which is lower than the average ratio of special category states 15.27 in 2014-15 and 13.95 in 2015-16," it said.

Referring to the rush of expenditure, the report said contrary to the state financial rules, in 33 sub-heads, the expenditure exceeding Rs.10 crore (constituting more than 50 per cent of the total expenditure for the year 2015-16) was incurred in the month of March, 2016.

China is planning to create a preserve for the giant panda that will be three times the size of Yellowstone National Park in the western US.

The Xinhua News Agency says the panda preserve will incorporate parts of three western provinces to provide an unbroken range for the endangered animals in which they can meet and mate in the interests of enriching their gene pool.

Xinhua said about 170,000 people will have to be moved elsewhere to make way for the 27,134-square kilometer (10,476-square mile) preserve.

Giant pandas are China's unofficial national mascot and live mainly in the mountains of Sichuan, with some in neighboring Gansu and Shaanxi provinces.

An estimated 1,864 live in the wild, where they are threatened chiefly with habitat loss, and another 200 in captivity. 

China is planning to create a preserve for the giant panda that will be three times the size of Yellowstone National Park in the western US.

The Xinhua News Agency says the panda preserve will incorporate parts of three western provinces to provide an unbroken range for the endangered animals in which they can meet and mate in the interests of enriching their gene pool.

Xinhua said about 170,000 people will have to be moved elsewhere to make way for the 27,134-square kilometer (10,476-square mile) preserve.

Giant pandas are China's unofficial national mascot and live mainly in the mountains of Sichuan, with some in neighboring Gansu and Shaanxi provinces.

An estimated 1,864 live in the wild, where they are threatened chiefly with habitat loss, and another 200 in captivity. 

Actor Anupam Kher, whose latest Bollywood release Naam Shabana features a woman as the protagonist, says he has always considered women superior to men.

"I always feel that women are superior to men. Anybody who can give birth to life has to be superior," Anupam said here on Thursday.

"My mother is a great lady and there are strong women in the society. It is important in each country, including India, to give equal opportunities to women. It should be a very natural process and we should not work hard, very hard for it. Being a known face, it is very important for me to talk about such issues," he said.

Anupam spoke on the sidelines of a special screening of Poorna — another movie highlighting the grit and determination of a girl.

Rahul Bose directed Poorna is a biopic on the life of Poorna Malavath, a young tribal girl from Telangana who became the youngest girl in history to climb the Mount Everest.

Praising Rahul for making such a film, Anupam said: "Rahul is a socially aware person. He is always associated with a film which presents some important causes and issues. He is also associated with numerous causes. Every film is about storytelling and how engaging you could make it.

"I am happy for him that his film is creating buzz among the people."

Actor Anupam Kher, whose latest Bollywood release Naam Shabana features a woman as the protagonist, says he has always considered women superior to men.

"I always feel that women are superior to men. Anybody who can give birth to life has to be superior," Anupam said here on Thursday.

"My mother is a great lady and there are strong women in the society. It is important in each country, including India, to give equal opportunities to women. It should be a very natural process and we should not work hard, very hard for it. Being a known face, it is very important for me to talk about such issues," he said.

Anupam spoke on the sidelines of a special screening of Poorna — another movie highlighting the grit and determination of a girl.

Rahul Bose directed Poorna is a biopic on the life of Poorna Malavath, a young tribal girl from Telangana who became the youngest girl in history to climb the Mount Everest.

Praising Rahul for making such a film, Anupam said: "Rahul is a socially aware person. He is always associated with a film which presents some important causes and issues. He is also associated with numerous causes. Every film is about storytelling and how engaging you could make it.

"I am happy for him that his film is creating buzz among the people."

With 240 tip-offs received in two days since the Punjab Police reactivated and advertised its 181 helpline for drugs, the number of arrests in drugs cases has gone up to nearly 500.

Talking to mediapersons, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said that the anti-drugs campaign kick started by his government was yielding results and would get a further boost with STF Chief Harpreet Sidhu taking charge on Friday.

Hailing the successful reactivation of the 24X7 helpline, which had become defunct during the Badal rule, Captain Amarinder said he had directed the police and intelligence departments involved in the crackdown on drugs to reach out to the people even more aggressively in the coming days to take their support in realising his government’s goal of wiping out the drugs menace from the state in four weeks. The government has assured that the identity of anyone reporting any drugs related crime on the helpline would be protected, which has led instilled confidence among the members of the public, who are coming out with information without fear.

The tip-offs received so far were being verified and stern action would be initiated in cases where the information is verified, he added. The majority of the tip-offs received related to information about sale points and people involved in drugs trade. The CM reiterated that no drugs user would be harassed by the police or other agencies involved in the drugs crackdown.

To a question on the issue of VIP security, the Chief Minister reiterated his commitment to pruning such security, asserting that the police was meant for policing and was not intended to be used as a status symbol by political leaders.

Providing an update on the drugs campaign, an official spokesperson from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) later disclosed that till from March 16 to March 29, 497 drugs traders and peddlers had been booked, with 449 cases registered under the NDPS Act.

Giving break-up of the drugs seizures made during this period, the spokesperson said 4.034 kgs of heroin and 0.605 kgs of smack were recovered from those arrested. Other seizures included 2.22 kgs of charas, 24.46 kgs of opium, 715.31 kgs of poppy husk, bhang 1.879 kgs of bhang. The police have also recovered 12.519 kgs of intoxicant powder, 1576 injections, 111893 pills/capsules, 72.78 kgs of ganja and 133 syrup bottles.

A multi-state agency operation is under way in the state to deal with the drugs menace. SHO level teams, backed by CIA and Anti-Narcotics Cell units, have been formed in every district to implement the government’s campaign to wipe out drugs from the state in four weeks. State Special Operations (SSOP) cells has also joined the drive, and the civil administration is also extending its full support to the anti-drugs campaign by the various police and intelligence agencies.

CM has directed the state agencies to coordinate with central agencies such as the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and the Customs Department to check the supply and smuggling of drugs into the state from other parts of India and abroad, said the spokesperson.

With 240 tip-offs received in two days since the Punjab Police reactivated and advertised its 181 helpline for drugs, the number of arrests in drugs cases has gone up to nearly 500.

Talking to mediapersons, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said that the anti-drugs campaign kick started by his government was yielding results and would get a further boost with STF Chief Harpreet Sidhu taking charge on Friday.

Hailing the successful reactivation of the 24X7 helpline, which had become defunct during the Badal rule, Captain Amarinder said he had directed the police and intelligence departments involved in the crackdown on drugs to reach out to the people even more aggressively in the coming days to take their support in realising his government’s goal of wiping out the drugs menace from the state in four weeks. The government has assured that the identity of anyone reporting any drugs related crime on the helpline would be protected, which has led instilled confidence among the members of the public, who are coming out with information without fear.

The tip-offs received so far were being verified and stern action would be initiated in cases where the information is verified, he added. The majority of the tip-offs received related to information about sale points and people involved in drugs trade. The CM reiterated that no drugs user would be harassed by the police or other agencies involved in the drugs crackdown.

To a question on the issue of VIP security, the Chief Minister reiterated his commitment to pruning such security, asserting that the police was meant for policing and was not intended to be used as a status symbol by political leaders.

Providing an update on the drugs campaign, an official spokesperson from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) later disclosed that till from March 16 to March 29, 497 drugs traders and peddlers had been booked, with 449 cases registered under the NDPS Act.

Giving break-up of the drugs seizures made during this period, the spokesperson said 4.034 kgs of heroin and 0.605 kgs of smack were recovered from those arrested. Other seizures included 2.22 kgs of charas, 24.46 kgs of opium, 715.31 kgs of poppy husk, bhang 1.879 kgs of bhang. The police have also recovered 12.519 kgs of intoxicant powder, 1576 injections, 111893 pills/capsules, 72.78 kgs of ganja and 133 syrup bottles.

A multi-state agency operation is under way in the state to deal with the drugs menace. SHO level teams, backed by CIA and Anti-Narcotics Cell units, have been formed in every district to implement the government’s campaign to wipe out drugs from the state in four weeks. State Special Operations (SSOP) cells has also joined the drive, and the civil administration is also extending its full support to the anti-drugs campaign by the various police and intelligence agencies.

CM has directed the state agencies to coordinate with central agencies such as the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and the Customs Department to check the supply and smuggling of drugs into the state from other parts of India and abroad, said the spokesperson.

Norway's prime minister on Friday said she will travel to China next week to meet President Xi Jinping, as part of repairing ties more than six years after Beijing froze Oslo out over the Nobel Peace Prize award to an imprisoned Chinese dissident.

Erna Solberg says she is "happy that we now normalise our diplomatic and political relations with China." 

"Direct contact with the Chinese leadership is important for a solid and predictable relationship characterised by mutual interests, trust and understanding," Solberg said of the April 7-10 visit.

In 2010, Norway's Nobel committee awarded Liu Xiaobo the peace prize, infuriating China. Liu is still imprisoned in northern China. Although Norway's government has no say over the Nobel panel's choices, China suspended a bilateral trade deal and restricted imports of Norwegian salmon.

Liu was convicted of subversion in 2009 and sentenced to 11 years in prison after he wrote and disseminated Charter '08, a document calling for democracy.

Beijing had always demanded that Norway recognise the error of awarding the prize to Liu, but was not specific about what it wanted. China had characterised prize award as "gross interference" in its affairs.

In December, the countries said normal relations have resumed. The Chinese Foreign Ministry then said that Norway "made important and explicit statements on issues concerning China's sovereignty and territorial integrity." 

Solberg noted it would be the first visit to by a Norwegian prime minister in a decade. She will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Borge Brende and a trade delegation.

"China is our largest trading partner in Asia. The normalisation will create significant opportunities for Norwegian industry and workplaces. We want to resume negotiations on a free trade agreement with China," she said.

Solberg's visit to Beijing comes after Xi plans to meet US President Donald Trump in Florida April 6-7. 

Norway's prime minister on Friday said she will travel to China next week to meet President Xi Jinping, as part of repairing ties more than six years after Beijing froze Oslo out over the Nobel Peace Prize award to an imprisoned Chinese dissident.

Erna Solberg says she is "happy that we now normalise our diplomatic and political relations with China." 

"Direct contact with the Chinese leadership is important for a solid and predictable relationship characterised by mutual interests, trust and understanding," Solberg said of the April 7-10 visit.

In 2010, Norway's Nobel committee awarded Liu Xiaobo the peace prize, infuriating China. Liu is still imprisoned in northern China. Although Norway's government has no say over the Nobel panel's choices, China suspended a bilateral trade deal and restricted imports of Norwegian salmon.

Liu was convicted of subversion in 2009 and sentenced to 11 years in prison after he wrote and disseminated Charter '08, a document calling for democracy.

Beijing had always demanded that Norway recognise the error of awarding the prize to Liu, but was not specific about what it wanted. China had characterised prize award as "gross interference" in its affairs.

In December, the countries said normal relations have resumed. The Chinese Foreign Ministry then said that Norway "made important and explicit statements on issues concerning China's sovereignty and territorial integrity." 

Solberg noted it would be the first visit to by a Norwegian prime minister in a decade. She will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Borge Brende and a trade delegation.

"China is our largest trading partner in Asia. The normalisation will create significant opportunities for Norwegian industry and workplaces. We want to resume negotiations on a free trade agreement with China," she said.

Solberg's visit to Beijing comes after Xi plans to meet US President Donald Trump in Florida April 6-7. 

Judicial work was paralysed at the Allahabad High Court on Friday as advocates here joined a nation-wide strike in protest against proposed amendments in the Advocates Act.

A meeting was held on Friday morning in front of the main gate of the sprawling court premises where High Court Bar Association president Anil Tiwari told lawyers "the Advocates (Amendment) Bill brought by Law Commission of India Chairman Justice B S Chauhan is draconian".

He said as per the proposed amendments "a judge or a judicial officer will be empowered to cancel the license of a legal practitioner whom he holds guilty of indiscipline, without giving any opportunity for hearing to the advocate".

"The proposed amendments also recommend sweeping changes in the functioning of the Bar Council of India.According to the Bill, more than half of the BCI members shall be nominated by a committee comprising a judge of the Supreme Court and the Central Vigilance Commissioner", Tiwari said.

"Similarly, for Bar Councils of states it has been recommended that more than half of their members be nominated by the respective High Courts and the members shall include those involved in professions other than law practice", the HCBA president alleged.

"In protest against these draconian, anti-lawyer, unconstitutional moves, the Bar Council of India has called for a nation-wide strike today.We must rise to the occasion and offer full support to the agitation", he added.

Meanwhile, the strike also affected work in other judicial bodies like the Central Administrative Tribunal's bench here.

There have been no reports of any untoward incident so far from any part of the city, where advocates' agitations have been known to turn violent and get out of hand.

Judicial work was paralysed at the Allahabad High Court on Friday as advocates here joined a nation-wide strike in protest against proposed amendments in the Advocates Act.

A meeting was held on Friday morning in front of the main gate of the sprawling court premises where High Court Bar Association president Anil Tiwari told lawyers "the Advocates (Amendment) Bill brought by Law Commission of India Chairman Justice B S Chauhan is draconian".

He said as per the proposed amendments "a judge or a judicial officer will be empowered to cancel the license of a legal practitioner whom he holds guilty of indiscipline, without giving any opportunity for hearing to the advocate".

"The proposed amendments also recommend sweeping changes in the functioning of the Bar Council of India.According to the Bill, more than half of the BCI members shall be nominated by a committee comprising a judge of the Supreme Court and the Central Vigilance Commissioner", Tiwari said.

"Similarly, for Bar Councils of states it has been recommended that more than half of their members be nominated by the respective High Courts and the members shall include those involved in professions other than law practice", the HCBA president alleged.

"In protest against these draconian, anti-lawyer, unconstitutional moves, the Bar Council of India has called for a nation-wide strike today.We must rise to the occasion and offer full support to the agitation", he added.

Meanwhile, the strike also affected work in other judicial bodies like the Central Administrative Tribunal's bench here.

There have been no reports of any untoward incident so far from any part of the city, where advocates' agitations have been known to turn violent and get out of hand.

The National Green Tribunal on Friday came down heavily on Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments for the delay in introduction of CNG as the main fuel for vehicles and threatened to ban their transportation in NCR.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the senior most official from Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) to be present before it on April 20, the next date of hearing.

"What are you doing about CNG? Don't tell your stories to us, we are not interested. We will make you cry if you don't follow our orders.

"We will prohibit entire transportation in NCR (National Capital Region). Why have you not complied with our order till date? If there was a problem, then you should have come before us," the bench said.

The observations came after Haryana and Uttar Pradesh told the green panel that they have already submitted requisite data to PNGRB and are awaiting its response.

The NGT had earlier directed UP, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi to file affidavit giving details about cities which are connected with the supply of CNG and the areas proposed to be connected.

It had asked them to explain which functions are to be performed by the states and PNGRB and submit a comprehensive plan for laying CNG pipeline for distribution.

The NGT in September last year had asked Uttar Pradesh and Haryana government to mull over the possibility of installing CNG stations in NCR while refusing to grant permission to over 10-year-old diesel vehicles to ply in these areas.