Imagine winning all there is to win in your respective sport before your 23rd birthday. And by all, we mean all. That is the curious case of Carolina Marin, the World No.4 as per the latest badminton rankings and of course, as most Indians associate her, the 2016 Rio Olympic Games champion.

In conversation with The Statesman, Marin revealed that she hasn't lost her will to win despite a somewhat rocky start to the year. “What do you mean by not the ideal start to 2017?” exclaimed the spunky Spaniard.

“It is impossible to keep winning for an extended period of time in a sport that is so competitive. All the players are training day and night to beat you, so it is natural that you lose a few games here and there,” she added.

Her quest for a second All England title came to a premature end at the hands of Malaysia’s Ratchanok Intanon in the quarters and a walkover in the German Open final rankled the Spaniard, who is renowned for giving her all on the court.

“I was struggling with injuries post-Rio because my preparations for the Olympics were really intense and it is only natural that I tapered my schedule to allow my body to recover,” Marin said.

And, suggestions of complacency are smashed away with a curt “Yes, I have an All England Championship title (She beat Saina Nehwal in the 2015 final) and an Olympic gold, but so what? I’m not one to rest on my laurels and am always preparing for the next tournament.”

So, is the 23-year-old Huelva native looking forward to reclaiming her No.1 ranking?

“Yes, of course! I feel recharged and ready to get my groove back. Crazy for the sport I am and my competitive fire hasn't dimmed one bit. I know it'll be burning bright for the next couple of years at the very least,” Marin added.

Putting a final lid on the Planning era, the Niti Aayog is gearing up to launch the three-year action plan from April 1 after the end of 12th Five Year Plan on March 31.

Under the new system, sources said states will be encouraged to meet the targets of various schemes or face the prospects of drying up of the fund flows.

"The 12th five years plan is coming to an end on March 31. The three-year action plan to be unveiled this month will come in force from April 1, which will also end the prevailing system of the centre patiently waiting (for) the state governments to implement the schemes.

"Now, you either meet the target or you will face the prospects of the fund flow drying up," a senior NITI Aayog official said.

The official said, "We have patiently waited for the state governments to adopt a number of reform oriented legislative bills. But our experiences have largely been negative…

therefore, the reform agenda arrived at after consensus will need to be adopted by them, and the states doing so will get incentives".

NITI Aayog has also been entrusted the work on the 15-year Vision Document and a seven year strategy, which would guide the government's development works till 2030.

 Actress Sarah Paulson felt the urge to hum singer Rihanna's songs on the set of the film Ocean's Eight.

The 42-year-old actress appears with Rihanna in the new Gary Ross-directed movie. Paulson spent much of the time on set trying to stop herself from singing some of Rihanna's hits, reports etonline.com.

"A lot of us spent a lot of time not singing Rihanna songs. We all sort of covertly were like, 'Are you doing it, too?'," Paulson said.

Paulson said her co-stars Sandra Bullock, Mindy Kaling and Anne Hathaway, would feel an especially strong urge to hum Rihanna's tunes whenever she would turn around and look at them.

"Everyone would be like, 'Stop'. It was a lot of collective winking," she said.

"You don't want to be a supreme doofus-magoofus in front of Rihanna. You wanna keep a little bit of a cool quotient, which I, as you can tell, I'm not super successful at," Paulson added.

India has said its decision to stay away from a UN conference on negotiations for a total ban on nuclear weapons “has not been easy” but it feels the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament (CD) is the “right place” for pursuing such agenda.

“CD is the right place for pursuing nuclear disarmament in all its essential elements. It has the mandate, the membership and the rules for embarking on the path to nuclear disarmament. Accordingly, India is not participating in the work of the conference on the prohibition of nuclear weapons that has started this week in New York,” Permanent Representative of India to the Conference on Disarmament Ambassador Amandeep Singh Gill said in Geneva on Tuesday.

India is not participating in the United Nations conference aimed at a total ban on nuclear weapons, as other major world powers US, China, United Kingdom and Russia also boycotted the talks. The conference, that began on March 27, will run through March 31.
Gill said the decision to stay away from the conference “has not been easy for India”.

“We appreciate the sincere effort behind the initiative and remain willing to work with the sponsors to reduce the role and military utility of nuclear weapons, to prohibit their use under any circumstances and to eliminate them globally,” Gill said.

He added that nuclear disarmament requires a universal commitment and an agreed multilateral framework and will have to rest on the three pillars of a universal prohibition, complete elimination and international verification.

“India is ready to begin work on these essential elements through the establishment of a subsidiary body of the CD with an agreed mandate as part of a comprehensive and balanced programme of work,” he said.

More than 120 nations had in October last year voted on a UN General Assembly resolution to convene the conference to negotiate a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination. India had abstained from voting on that resolution.
UN Security Council permanent members the US, UK, China, Russia and France are not participating in the conference. In all, over 40 nations are protesting the UN talks.

Actress Akshara Haasan, who has started living on her own in Mumbai, believes that staying independently lets an individual take better decisions in life and prepares him or her to fend for themselves.

On the sidelines of the IIFA Utsavam 2017 here on Tuesday, Akshara told IANS that living on her own has made her more responsible.

"Boarding school somewhat prepared me for staying on my own. It taught me to fend for myself and has made me more responsible. When you stay independently, you're a lot clearer in the head. It helps you take better decisions," Akshara said.

Having made her acting debut with R. Balki's 2015 film Shamitabh, she is currently looking forward to the release of her maiden Tamil film Vivegam.

Talking about "Vivegam", she says the experience of working with Tamil superstar Ajith Kumar, was "different" and "wonderful".

While remaining tight-lipped about her role, she didn't confirm whether she plays a character with negative shades.

Asked if being part of projects of such magnitude makes her feel overwhelmed, she said: "By working alongside big stars and being part of their projects, there's a drive to do better."

She also said she likes to challenge herself with interesting characters.

"Challenging roles give me different kind of joy. While I search for such roles, sometimes they just come to me. Anything challenging lets you push boundaries," she said.

Akshara also awaits the release of her second Hindi film Laali Ki Shaadi Mein Laaddoo Deewana, a story about a woman who gets pregnant before marriage.

She said she had no apprehensions playing the role.

IIFA Utsavam is special for the 25-year-old because it marks her first stage performance.

"I'm very excited because this is the first time I'll be performing on stage," she said.
 

Czech second-seed Karolina Pliskova will face Caroline Wozniacki in the semi-finals of the Miami Open after the pair triumphed on Tuesday at Key Biscayne.

A confident Pliskova ended the hopes of Croat veteran Mirjana Lucic-Baroni with a 6-3, 6-4 win while Wozniacki made sure there would be no all-Czech semi by dispatching Lucie Safarova 6-4. 6-3.

Lucic-Baroni has been enjoying a late career upturn in fortunes at the age of 35 and in January reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open – 18 years after her previous appearance in the last four of a Slam, in 1999 at Wimbledon.

In Miami she put out fifth-seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the previous round but the confident and in-form Pliskova proved to be a test too far.The win was sweet revenge for Pliskova who had lost to the Croat in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in January.

"I think I played much better here than in Australia.

Also the conditions are different. I think she was also playing better tennis there because it was faster and the conditions a little bit warmer, balls were different," Pliskova said.

"I think she had some chances in the second set and then the third set you never know what can happen, but I definitely felt more confident with this match today," she added.

"I had a game plan, little bit different the one that I had in Australia, and it worked. I was just trying to play a little bit more aggressive than I was playing there and going for my shots," Pliskova said.

The Czech has won twice this season, in Brisbane and Doha, and now has the best win-loss record of the year (23-3).

The 25-year-old's victory in the Doha final came against Thursday's opponent Wozniacki.

"She beat last time and she has been playing well and is in good shape but I am looking forward to getting a another try out there and see if I can beat her this time," Wozniacki said.

The Dane is in upbeat mood and says she has been in a groove since her run to the semi-finals at the US Open.

"I am playing well and I think I have been for quite a while, I think the US Open kind of started off this run and I am just going with it," she said.

"I think the main thing is that I have been healthy for about six months now, I hope I can keep that going," she said.

Wednesday's quarter-finals see third-seed Simona Halep of Romania take on Britain's Johanna Konta while world number one Angelique Kerber faces local favorite and seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams. 

The Central government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that the Lokpal amendment bill, which recognises the leader of the single largest opposition party in Lok Sabha as the Leader of Opposition and will pave the way for operationalising the institution, may be taken up for consideration during the monsoon session of Parliament.

Telling the bench that government was not dragging its feet on taking up the Lokpal and Lokayuktas and Other Related Law (Amendment) Bill, 2014, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Navin Sinha that the current session of Parliament is devoted to budget and "may be it (amendment bill) will be considered in the monsoon session".

He told the court tha tthe selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker, the Leader of Opposition and the Chief Justice of India can't nominate the fifth member – the eminent jurist – without the Leader of Opposition being there.

As the government said that it was seized of the issue and opposed any intervention by the court, the court reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions including one by society Common Cause seeking mandamus to the government to take steps for enforcing the law enacted i n 2013.

Citing the separation of powers under the Constitution, Rohatgi told the court that "there can't be a mandamus to bring an Act into force because as parliament can't ask how courts are functioning or a particular case be decided in a particular time frame" and similarly, courts can't venture into the law-making province of legislature.

"Whether they pass, how they pass, how they do, whether they can pass in two minutes, is within the province of the parliament," he stressed.

Rohatgi said that the amendment to treat the leader of the largest opposition party as Leader of Opposition for the purposes of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, was just one of the many amendments that are being sought to be made in the statute.

Earlier appearing for Common Cause, senior counsel Shanti Bhushan referred to different laws where leader of the largest opposition party is treated as Leader of Opposition for the purposes of the appointment of the Central Bureau of Investigation's Director or even the Chief Vigilance Commissioner.

He pressed for a direction that in the absences of the Leader of the Opposition, the remaining three members – the Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker and the Chief Justice of India should nominate the fifth member – the eminent jurist – so that the process for the appointment of Lokpal could start.

Buttressing the point advanced by Bhushan, another counsel Gopal Shankarnarayan drew the attention of the court to the passing of the amendment to Section 44 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, dealing with the declaration of assets by the public servants.

He said that in the case of the amendment, the government had the clear intention and it went ahead with it and asked how piecemeal amendment can be given effect to while the other amendments which, according to the government, are essential for operationalising the law are not being pushed by it.
 

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order rolling back Obama-era rules aimed at tackling global warming.

The order seeks to suspend, rescind or flag for review more than a half-dozen measures in an effort to boost domestic energy production in the form of fossil fuels. 

As part of the roll-back, Trump will initiate a review of the Clean Power Plan, which restricts greenhouse gas emissions at coal-fired power plants. The regulation, which was the former president's signature effort to curb carbon emissions, has been the subject of long-running legal challenges by Republican-led states and those who profit from burning oil, coal and gas. 

The President signed the order at the headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency, saying that this is "the start of a new era" in energy production. He also said that his administration was going to "end the war on coal".

Trump has previously called global warming a "hoax", and has repeatedly criticised ex-President Barack Obama's efforts as an attack on American workers and the struggling US coal industry.

Environmental advocates were not surprised by the order – given such remarks – but said Trump has not considered the public health and economic implications of not fighting climate change or how the order negatively affects US standing in the world.

Laurence Tubbiana, formerly the top French diplomat on climate change and now the CEO of the European Climate Foundation, said in a statement that the order "will propel the economy backwards".

Anne Kelly a Senior Director at Ceres, a coalition of investors and business that promote sustainability, told the Independent that the Clean Power Plan was the "crown jewel of the Obama administration's climate plan".

Trump gave his statement after an off-camera signing ceremony, flanked by coal miners from West Virginia. 

He said the order would "start a new era…[in] making America wealthy again". 

Given that private sector investment in the renewable energy industry hit $350 billion in 2016 globally, outpacing new investment in the oil and gas sector for the first time, Kelly said she expects the "marketplace is going to go forward regardless of what the White House does". 

Several of the country's largest pension funds, accounting for tens of billions in investment, have already begun divesting money from oil and gas companies in order to ensure a more profitable future for their investors. 

However, they do require the EPA to do its part in the regulatory realm. 

In 2007, under Republican George W. Bush's administration, the Supreme Court ruled that carbon emissions were essentially a pollutant, Ms Kelly explained. 

The ruling made it the EPA's responsibility to regulate carbon pollution as a matter of public health after a series of "endangerment hearings." Kelly said states were given quite a bit of flexibility in how to reach the goal of reducing carbon emissions as well. 

Trump also said during his speech that safety, clean water, and clean air are still priorities, but that his latest order will eliminate the "crushing attack" on economic freedoms, jobs in coal mining, and American manufacturing by the "bad" regulations.

Argentina and Messi were left digesting another stumble in their progress towards Russia as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat in La Paz on Tuesday.

Argentina had been rocked just hours before kick-off after confirmation Messi had been hit with a four-match ban following a ruling from disciplinary chiefs at world governing body FIFA in Zurich.

The Barcelona superstar was stunned after being suspended for four of Argentina's five remaining World Cup qualification matches for swearing at an official in a game against Chile last week.

Messi's suspension left Argentina coach Edgardo Bauza forced to make a hasty reshuffle to his starting line-up, bringing in Atletico Madrid's Angel Correa in attack while leaving Manchester City's Sergio Aguero on the bench.

But Argentina, clearly struggling in the thin air of La Paz, which is 3,600 metres (11,800 feet) above sea level, were well beaten at the Estadio Hernando Siles.

Bolivia, desperate for three points, tore into Argentina from the opening whistle, spending long periods camped around their opponents area.

Juan Carlos Arce opened the scoring for Bolivia on 31 minutes, heading in Pablo Escobar's inviting cross before Marcelo Martins doubled the home side's lead early the second half.

The defeat leaves Argentina languishing just outside the automatic qualifying places following results elsewhere Tuesday.

Chile moved up to fourth place with a 3-1 win over Venezuela in Santiago, Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez opening the scoring with a stunning early free-kick. Esteban Paredes scored twice for Chile to give the host a 3-1 lead before Salomon Rondon pulled a goal back for Venezuela.

In Quito, Real Madrid star James Rodriguez scored one goal and set up another for Juan Cuadrado as Colombia beat Ecuador 2-0. 

You have a huge empty space around the house. Should you make it lie empty or filled it with flowering plants and fruit giving trees and vegetables? But, why would you take up gardening when you are running against time everyday? Where and how do you create a garden when you are faced with space crunch? And, how would gardening help you?

Well, there is an answer to each of the question on your mind.

All you need is a little time, just a little time, While you have plenty of other things to do, gardening may require just few minutes of your entire day. Quickly till the soil, water the plants in the morning or in the evening or even at night if you are coming home late. 

If you are endowed with a huge space for a garden, deem yourself truly blessed. Make the best of it. Make seasonal flower beds, or grow seasonal vegetables. You can have organic food throughout the year. 

A big space, however, may not be what you need. A small space, just a little corner in the house may be all you need. You can keep few potted plants if you have a small balcony. Make a small potted kitchen garden or flower garden. Basil, tomatoes and chillies are easy to plant and grow well with good amount of watering and sun. You can keep potted plants indoor too. Place them in shade or a sunny place as required.

Now, the most important thing about gardening is its healing power. It is good for the body, mind and soul.

The body movement while gardening can be a good exercise and stress buster. Sweating while working around the garden can help you lose weight and control blood pressure and other heart-related ailments. It is also good for the bones and joints and muscles. 

Potted plants inside the house works as air purifier and can help control indoor pollution. Cactus or green plants are easy to grow and good for indoor use.

Green plants in the room is also said to give you a good night sleep. Those who are suffering from sleeplessness can try keeping small green plants. A big room with space can have bigger plants in the corners.

Having a garden can give you the much needed green environment.Waking up to a green environment is good for the eyes and refreshes the mind. You also contribute to the world environment. Plant a tree and save the world.

Best of all, gardening gives you sweet, priceless pleasure and joy. Nurturing a plant activates the brain and mind. To watch even a single plant grow from seedling to small and big with more leaves each day and find them flowering and giving fruits can give you happiness untold. And, happiness is healing. It heals the mind and body. Such is the thrilling and healing power of gardening.  

Actor Rajinikanth on Wednesday thanked Sri Lankan Tamils for their love and affection, days after he cancelled his visit to the island nation following opposition from pro-Tamil outfits.

"I came to know your love for me through the media. I have no words to thank you. Let us think good and only good things will happen," he said in a statement.

Originally on April 9, Rajinikanth was scheduled to hand over 150 new houses built in Jaffna for Tamils by Gnanam Foundation of Lyca Group, a Tamil film production house.

The actor, however, cancelled his visit after various pro-Tamil outfits including the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) objected to it.

Following the cancellation of the actor's visit, the Tamils in Jaffna had taken out a rally in his support.

Expressing optimism, Rajinikanth said he will meet them (Sri Lankan Tamils) when the time is right.

"We will meet at an appropriate time. I pray to god for your well-being," he said.

The VCK yesterday said they were not averse to the actor's visit to meet Tamils after the situation for the minorities improves there.

The outfit's chief Thol Thirumavalavan said an 'all-is-well carnival atmosphere,' being sought to be projected by the pro-government organisers, was inappropriate now when Tamils were struggling for their rights.

He said that Rajinikanth can meet the Tamils any day in Sri Lanka but only after the situation of its various regions affected by the 2009 war improves.

Top seed Stan Wawrinka crashed out of the Miami Open, falling 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 to German young gun Alexander Zverev.

Zverev's win earned him his first place in a Masters 1000 quarter-final and he will face the winner of Tuesday's late game between Australian Nick Kyrgios and Belgian David Goffin.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Kei Nishikori advanced to the quarter-finals on cue.

Swiss Wawrinka, beaten by Federer in the final of Indian Wells earlier in March, looked weary as he struggled through the third set of his match.

"I had one bad game to start the second set and then it was tough for me," Wawrinka, the reigning US Open champion, said. "I don't know. I completely went down physically and mentally, and also my tennis was completely out. I had no more gas."

"For sure it's a disappointing match. I think the level was quite up and down. We were both fighting a little bit in the first set to find good level. It was really humid, not easy to play some great tennis," he added.

Federer had to work hard for his victory against 14th seed Roberto Bautista Agut, emerging with a 7-6 (7/5) 7-6(7/4) win setting up a last eight meeting with Czech Tomas Berdych, the 10th seed, a 6-3, 7-5 winner over France's Adrian Mannarino.

"It was a different kind of match," said Federer, who is in an excellent run of form having won the Australian Open and Indian Wells already in an amazing 2017.

"It wasn't the big-serving match where you're only going to see so many looks, you know, so when you miss chances you always feel a bit frustrated sometimes.

"That's where you got to keep a positive mindset and make the right plays," he added.

The first set was a close and entertaining battle.

Bautista broke to go 5-4 up but Federer then won every point in the next two games. The tie-break saw some fantastic tennis from both players but the Swiss delivered at the close.

"I thought Roberto did a good job of making shots, staying offensive when he could, fending off a lot of good shots that I hit," Federer said. "Then it was tough. The sun was coming from the side in the beginning so it's hard to chase the lines.

"At the end I'm very happy and pleased that I got it done in straight sets," he said.

Nadal beat France's Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) in a tightly fought contest and will face American Jack Sock who comfortably beat his compatriot Jared Donaldson 6-2, 6-1.

The Spaniard, who has never won the Miami title, got the only break of the match to go 5-4 up in the first set and said he expected a strong challenge from Sock.

"He's a very aggressive player, very powerful player, big serve, big forehand, and a good backhand too. He plays quick with his backhand.

"So I need to play aggressive. That's the only way. If I let him play in a comfortable position going to be impossible for me. So I need focus with my serve, but at the same time I need to be aggressive," said Nadal.

Sock is bubbling with confidence however.

"I'll definitely give myself a lot more chance to win this time around than maybe I did a few years ago. I'm 24 years old now and been on tour for a while. I'm playing these matches and hoping I can win and going in believing I can win for sure," said the American.

Second-seed Nishikori, of Japan, survived a second set scare against Argentine Federico del Bonis en route to a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Nishikori, who lost to Novak Djokovic in last year's Miami final, will face Italian Fabio Fognini who defeated American Donald Young 6-0 6-4.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) opened on a higher note during the morning session of the trade on Wednesday.

The Sensex of the BSE after opening at 29,463.01 points, touched a high of 29,494.44 and a low of 29,461.18 points.

On Tuesday, the Sensex closed at 29,409.52 points.

The Sensex is trading at 29,481.07 points up by 71.55 points or 0.24 per cent.

On the other hand, the broader 51-scrip Nifty at National Stock Exchange (NSE) opened at 9,128.70 points after closing at 9,100.80 points.

The Nifty is trading at 9,127.45 points in the morning.

Militants have ransacked a senior police officer's house in Kulgam district in a third such incident in the last seven days in the Kashmir Valley.

According to police, four militants on Tuesday night ransacked the house of a senior police officer in Khudwani village.

They threatened the inmates before leaving the house.

A day earlier, militants had ransacked an assistant sub-inspector's house in Dairoo village of Shopian district.

Earlier, they looted the house and torched the car of a Jammu and Kashmir Prisons Department officer in Budgam district.

During all these incidents, the police officers were not present in their homes.

Police have been targets of the militants who threaten officers to give up their jobs or face dire consequences.

The British government will have to look at all options if political parties in Northern Ireland fail to reach an agreement to work together, MPs in the House of Commons were told on Tuesday.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire said he did not want to see direct rule from Westminster being re-introduced, Xinhua reported.

It led to a former Secretary of State calling on Prime Minister Theresa May to take control as one of the leading newspapers in Belfast described the situation as a crisis.

Brokenshire was speaking less than 24 hours after a Monday deadline passed for the parties in Northern Ireland to agree to form a power-sharing executive.

He said he had been engaged in intensive talks with the two main political parties the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein, as well as the other parties and the Irish government, in line with a well-established three-stranded approach.

"From all my extensive engagement across Northern Ireland with business, civil society and members of the public, I am in no doubt inclusive devolved government is what the overwhelming majority of the people want to see," he said.

"Yet following the passing of yesterday's legal deadline, Northern Ireland has no devolved administration. This also means that other elements of the Belfast Agreement, including the North-South Bodies, cannot operate properly. The consequences of all of this are potentially extremely serious," added Brokenshire in his statement to MPs.

Brokenshire said he was encouraged that there remains a strong willingness to continue engaging in dialogue with a view to resolving outstanding issues and forming an executive and that must absolutely remain a priority.

He added: "Should the talks fail in their objectives the (British) government will have to consider all options.

Brokenshire said if talks collapse he will quickly bring forward legislation after the Easter recess to allow an executive to be formed, avoiding a second Assembly election.

That proposal drew an immediate response from Sinn Fein leader Michelle O'Neill who insisted the only option under the current law was to order another snap election.

O'Neill said: She added: "There is no legal basis for any other course of action. And while parties may, or may not, want an election the fact is if the British secretary of state brings in new legislation to restore direct rule that will be an act of bad faith and a clear breach of an agreement between the Irish and British governments in 2006."

Under an agreed peace formula that brought an end to three decades of trouble, a power sharing agreement was reached. This requires the two main parties, the DUP and Sinn Fein to fill the top two jobs as leader and deputy in the devolved parliament at Stormont.

The Belfast Telegraph newspaper described the situation at Stormont as a crisis.

Brazil’s excellent qualifying run continued on Tuesday as they beat Paraguay 3-0 at the Arena Corinthians to extend their lead at the top of the South American Zone to 11 points with a brilliant all-round performance.
Fresh from thrashing Uruguay 4-1 in Uruguay, the Seleção picked up where they left off, dazzling their home fans with goals flowing in from all quarters.

First, Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho opened the scoring in the 34th minute, coming in from the right and playing a quick wall-pass with Paulinho (the hattrick hero in the Uruguay game) before unleashing an left-footed drive which arrowed into the bottom corner.

The home side had been utterly dominant, but with some stubborn Paraguayan defending on display, were finding it difficult to breach Anthony Silva’s goal.

Tite’s side, trotting out in a 4-1-4-1 formation with Coutinho’s club mate Roberto Firmino playing as the lone striker with talisman Neymar in support, continued to press for a second but half-time approached with the hosts holding a slender lead.

They had the perfect chance to double it minutes into the second half, but Neymar missed his penalty in the 51st minute to hand the visitors a reprieve. 

It proved to be a false dawn for Paraguay, however, as Neymar made amends for his miss with a barnstorming display of speed and trickery to score his first and his side’s second. Beating two Paraguayan players on the wing inside his own half, the Barcelona forward accelerated towards the opposing team’s half with an intent to score. And despite having multiple teammates around him, he cut in and took a quick shot which took a deflection from a backtracking defender to seal the result in Brazil’s favour in the 64th minute.

Flying full-back Marcelo added gloss to the scoreline four minutes from time, finishing off a brilliant team move which scythed through the Paraguayan’s with deft chip over Silva.

With the result, Brazil have 33 points from 14 matches and are virtually assured of a place in the showpiece 2018 FIFA World Cup to be held in Russia, since second-ranked Uruguay are someway back with 24 points. Paraguay, however, are in seventh place and have some work to do if they wish to catch up to 5th placed Argentina, who are four points ahead of them with the same number of games played.

Barcelona star Lionel Messi was suspended for four Argentina matches by FIFA on Tuesday for swearing at an assistant referee.

Messi was found guilty of "having directed insulting words at an assistant referee" in the World Cup qualifier against Chile last Thursday which Argentina won 1-0 thanks to a penalty from the Barcelona hitman.

Messi will miss Argentina's next South American qualifying game against Bolivia, scheduled for later Tuesday, with the remainder of the suspension served over his country's subsequent World Cup qualifiers.

He was also fined €9,350($10,170), FIFA saying: "This decision is in line with the FIFA Disciplinary Committee's previous rulings in similar cases." 

Argentina's victory over Chile left them in third place overall in the 10-team South American qualifying competition for the World Cup with 22 points from 13 games.

The top four finishers qualify automatically for next year's finals in Russia.