Comedian-actor Kapil Sharma on Monday refuted reports of any fight with his co-actor Sunil Grover.

Kapil said that for the first time in five years he has shouted at Sunil , adding that he loves, respects and treats him as "an elder brother". 

It was reported that during a flight from Australia to Mumbai, Kapil had physically assaulted Sunil, known for essaying the role of Mashoor Gulati, a doctor, in The Kapil Sharma Show. 

The comedian on Monday took to Facebook to deny all rumours. 

"Was celebrating my best time and suddenly I heard a news about me and Sunil paji fighting," Kapil said in a post. 

"First of all see where it is coming from. What are the intentions behind this? If I fought with him in the flight then who saw it and informed you. Is he trustworthy? Some people enjoy these kind of stuff," Kapil posted on his Facebook page. 

The funnyman said that he and Sunil eat and travel together. 

"I meet my brother once in a year and spending almost everyday with my team, especially Sunil. I love him. I respect him," he added. 

Kapil said that he had an argument with Sunil. "But are we not normal people? I shouted at him first time in five years. Itna to chalta hai bhai (this much is okay)," he added. 

Kapil said that they would sit and talk and sort out the matter. 

"I love him as an artist as a human being..He is like my elder brother.. why so much negativity all the time? " he said. 

He added that there are other serious issues in the country that need focus than his and Sunil's problems. 

"We spend a lot of time together rather than (with) our families… and sometime it (fight) happens in family… its our family matter.. we will sort this out," he added. 
 

Comedian-actor Kapil Sharma on Monday refuted reports of any fight with his co-actor Sunil Grover.

Kapil said that for the first time in five years he has shouted at Sunil , adding that he loves, respects and treats him as "an elder brother". 

It was reported that during a flight from Australia to Mumbai, Kapil had physically assaulted Sunil, known for essaying the role of Mashoor Gulati, a doctor, in The Kapil Sharma Show. 

The comedian on Monday took to Facebook to deny all rumours. 

"Was celebrating my best time and suddenly I heard a news about me and Sunil paji fighting," Kapil said in a post. 

"First of all see where it is coming from. What are the intentions behind this? If I fought with him in the flight then who saw it and informed you. Is he trustworthy? Some people enjoy these kind of stuff," Kapil posted on his Facebook page. 

The funnyman said that he and Sunil eat and travel together. 

"I meet my brother once in a year and spending almost everyday with my team, especially Sunil. I love him. I respect him," he added. 

Kapil said that he had an argument with Sunil. "But are we not normal people? I shouted at him first time in five years. Itna to chalta hai bhai (this much is okay)," he added. 

Kapil said that they would sit and talk and sort out the matter. 

"I love him as an artist as a human being..He is like my elder brother.. why so much negativity all the time? " he said. 

He added that there are other serious issues in the country that need focus than his and Sunil's problems. 

"We spend a lot of time together rather than (with) our families… and sometime it (fight) happens in family… its our family matter.. we will sort this out," he added. 
 

The Chinese government on Monday reported several companies and local administrations that have breached environmental protection measures within the country.

After a four-day inspection, a total of 202 irregularities were found, such as the unauthorised restart of production despite a government ban or failure to comply with emission reducing measures, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

The irregularities were discovered by 18 inspection teams sent to 16 cities, including Tianjin and Beijing, where a blue alert was issued on Saturday due to air pollution, Efe news reported.

Inspection teams urged local governments and companies to investigate and rectify the situation as soon as possible.

Earlier this month, the Chinese government presented a plan dedicated to improving air quality with a 3 per cent reduction of emissions of the main pollutants sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide.

Reduced mining and consumption of coal, cutting down excess generation of electricity through coal and a decline in steel production were among the measures announced.

The Pakistan government has decided to delay voting on a crucial bill seeking revival of military courts, a media report said.

The step was taken following fears in the government that it may not be able to ensure the presence of a maximum number of legislators on Monday evening, when the National Assembly (NA) is set to resume its session after a two-day recess, Dawn news reported.

A meeting of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) parliamentary party scheduled for Monday has also been postponed and will now be held on Tuesday.

The sources said NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq called the parliamentary leaders of several political parties on Sunday and informed them on the change of plans, which was originally taken on March 16.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar announced that the constitutional amendment bill and the amendment to the Pakistan Army Act (PAA) would be put to vote on Tuesday (tomorrow).

"The house will discuss the consensus bills on Monday and the same will be put to vote on Tuesday, as discussed by the National Assembly speaker with parliamentary leaders," the minister said. 

The government and the opposition last week agreed to extend the tenure of military courts.

The proposed 28th Constitution Amendment Bill is similar to the 21st amendment, which was enforced in 2015 to establish military courts for a period of two years.

US President Donald Trump slammed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for "acting very, very badly", following Pyongyangs missile activities, a media report said.

North Korea claimed it tested a new high-thrust rocket engine on Saturday, the latest in a string of missile tests over the past few months, The Hill magazine said in the report.

"He's acting very very badly," the President on Sunday said of Kim Jong-un, according to the White House.

Trump, who travelled to his Mar-a-Lago resort, Florida, said he discussed North Korea's missile launches during meetings over the weekend.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also denounced North Korea's missile launches last week, indicating that the Trump administration is open to taking pre-emptive action if Pyongyang continues to "elevate the threat of their weapons programme".
 

Led by its Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi, the DMK on Monday staged a protest march in the national capital seeking early passage of the Womens Reservation Bill.

The Bill proposes 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and all state legislative assemblies. 

"It remains a puzzle as to why the Women's Reservation Bill has not been passed. It has been 20 years, why it has not become a law?" Kanimozhi told media persons here. 

"We want to bring the focus back on the Bill because nobody is talking about it, not even the media," she said. 

"We call on all like-minded parties who support the Bill, to join our efforts," she said explaining the march she was leading from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar.

Earlier on March 17, DMK Working President M.K. Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging his intervention for the passage of the Bill. 
 

The British Parliament could be burdened with scrutinising up to 15 new bills for Britain's exit from the European Union (EU), a new report has warned.

UK-based think tank, the Institute for Government (IFG) in its report, "Legislating Brexit" issued on Sunday, said legislation will be needed to establish new policies on areas such as customs and immigration, the BBC reported.

The extra measures will place "a huge burden" on the Parliament and government departments, the think tank said.

In the report, the IFG said that with the average Queen's Speech announcing only 20 new bills, the introduction of 15 Brexit bills before the UK even exits the EU "will leave very little space for non-Brexit related legislation".

The report comes as Prime Minister Theresa May travels to Swansea on Monday with Brexit Secretary David Davis, where she will talk about the "precious union" of the UK.

May will meet First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones, as well as local businesses, as she tries to show she is including all areas of Britain in negotiations with the EU.

The report anticipates the new bills will be in addition to the Great Repeal Bill, which will scrap the 1972 European Communities Act that paved the way for the UK to enter the then-European Economic Community, ending the legal authority of EU law.

"The legislation required for Brexit will leave little parliamentary time for anything else — and making a success of it will require a large volume of bills and secondary legislation to be passed by Parliament against a hard deadline," the BBC quoted Hannah White, IFG's director of research, as saying.

"It will be a challenge for both the government and Parliament to do all this while still ensuring full scrutiny and leaving room for the government's domestic policy agenda."

The Queen gave Royal Assent to the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill last week, clearing the way for Prime Minister May to start talks to leave the EU.

The Bill allows the premier to notify Brussels that the UK is leaving the EU, with a two-year process of exit negotiations to follow.

May says she will trigger the process by the end of the month.

Justice Navniti Prasad Singh on Monday was sworn-in as the new Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court.

Singh, earlier, served as a judge at the Bihar High Court.

Justice Singh was administered the oath of office by Kerala Governor P.Sathasivam at Raj Bhavan here. 

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his cabinet members and top officials were present at the ceremony.

Uber President Jeff Jones is quitting after six months on the job. The ride-sharing company has confirmed Jones' departure in a statement to CNNMoney.

"We want to thank Jeff for his six months at the company and wish him all the best," the statement released late Sunday read.

Jones was named Uber's President at the end of August. He previously ran marketing for Target.

Jones headed Uber's ride-hailing operations, marketing and customer support, and was second in command to CEO Travis Kalanick.

The company, valued at $68 billion, has had a rocky few months, the CNN report said. 

In a letter to employees on Sunday, Kalanick said that Jones made the decision after the company said it would hire a chief operating officer. 

Kalanick is looking for a new second in command who could help him steer the company's trajectory.

"Jeff came to the tough decision that he doesn't see his future at Uber," Kalanick wrote.

Jones did not immediately respond to a request for comment, CNN said.

Uber has already lost several big executives since February. Uber's head of growth and product, Ed Baker, resigned from the company in March.

Amit Singhal, its head of engineering, resigned in late February after it was reported that he had left a previous job at Google because of sexual harassment claims.
 

Australian scientists have discovered a "key molecule", which can kill microbes that infect the human liver, which experts believe, could be a breakhrough in malaria aid research and take the fight against the disease a step closer.  

Researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) announced the breakthrough after they tracked cells and discovered a molecule which kills microbes that infect the liver – such as malaria, a news agency reported.

Malaria kills around half a million people every year in warm climates such as in Africa and Asia, but lead researcher Hayley McNamara from the ANU said the findings helped answer questions about the mystery of "T-cells" – immune cells which hunt down infections in the body.

"We know T-cells can protect against most infections, what we still don't fully understand is how these T-cells find the rare cells infected with viruses or parasites like malaria – a needle in a haystack problem if you like," McNamara said on Monday.

"We've found that without a key molecule called LFA-1, that cells don't work – they can't move quickly and can't kill malaria parasites effectively."

Associate professor Ian Cockburn from the ANU said that because the T-cells were able to effectively hunt down malaria parasites, they could one day become a major component of future malaria vaccines.

"What we want to do is understand how to make a vaccine that induces these types of immune cells. There are vaccines in clinical trials that work by inducing antibodies, adding a T-cell component would create stronger immunity by arming different parts of the immune system," he said. 

Indian equity markets were trading on a marginally lower note amid weak global cues and profit booking.

At 10.40 am on Monday, the Nifty at the NSE was trading 40 points down at 9,120 while the Sensex at the BSE was trading 142 points lower at 29,507.

In the broader markets, BSE Midcap index slipped 0.1 per cent but Smallcap index rose 0.1 per cent.

Among the BSE sectoral indices, Consumer Durables index registered the biggest gain with a jump of 1 per cent while Telecom index became the top loser with a dip of 1.9 per cent.

On Friday, the Nifty50 had closed at an all-time high at 9,160, up six points. The BSE Sensex had closed 63 points up at 29,649.

Top gainers in the Sensex-30 pack: Lupin (up 0.8 per cent), Adani Ports (up 0.8 per cent), Cipla (up 0.7 per cent), HDFC Bank (up 0.6 per cent) and HDFC (up 0.5 per cent).

Top losers in the Sensex-30 pack: ICICI Bank (down 2 per cent), Infosys (down 1.8 per cent), TCS (down 1.5 per cent), Axis Bank (down 1.5 per cent) and Tata Steel (down 1.4 per cent).

In the global markets, Singapore’s Straits Times Index plunged 0.6 per cent, Korea’s KOSPI slipped 0.5 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index lost 0.4 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index gained 0.6 per cent and China’s Shanghai Composite Index increased by 0.1 per cent.

Back home, the Rupee was trading nine paise higher at 65.48 against the US Dollar.

Late singer George Michael knew his days were numbered and was ready to get his affairs in order, claims Simeon Niel-Asher, a physician who worked with him for over 30 years.

Niel-Asher treated Michael, 53, at his Highgate mansion in north London just three weeks before his death. Michael was found dead on Christmas Day last year.

The physician and close friend said he believed the singer had accepted his mortality, reports mirror.co.uk. 

Niel-Asher said: "When I last saw him he was in good spirits. It was a beautiful last session. We had a really weird conversation, it was interesting and it was strange.

"Sometimes people know they are going to die and they get everything in order. I wonder if there was a bit of that going on, like he somehow knew. It was strange to think he might have known he was going to die or had some kind of inkling. That happens. Some people know they are going to die and I've seen it before.

"In many ways, I thought he was waking up and I saw him coming alive again, maybe the last flash of the candle."

Despite the intense session, the osteopath says they laughed and Michael didn't mind being teased about his ballooning weight.

Singer Zayn Malik says he now has no problem with anxiety and was mainly dealing with it when he was in One Direction.

Although the 24-year-old singer had to cancel some solo performances due to his anxiety last year, he now insists that it was only an issue when he was in One Direction and he has it under control, reported New York Daily News.

"I now have no problem with anxiety. It was something I was dealing with in the band," Malik says in an interview to Sunday Times Style magazine.

And he believes opening up about his issues with food helped.

"People saw strength in that, and they didn't seem to expect it from a guy, but they expect it from a female, which to me is crazy. We're all human. People are often afraid to admit difficulties, but I don't believe that there should be a struggle with anything that's the truth."

The Indian Rupee strengthened by 9 paise to trade at 65.37 against the Dollar in opening trade on Monday on fresh selling of the US currency by exporters and banks.

A weak Dollar in overseas markets and selling of the US currency by exporters and banks supported the Rupee in opening trade, forex dealers said.

Further, a higher opening in the domestic equity market and strong FII inflows influenced the Rupee uptrend, they added.

On Friday, the Rupee had lost 5 paise to end at 65.46 against the US currency on Dollar demand from importers and suspected RBI intervention, ending its four-day dream run.

Meanwhile, the benchmark BSE Sensex rose by 50.49 points, or 0.17 per cent, at 29,699.48 in opening trade.

The two Sufi clerics have returned from Pakistan on Monday and will meet External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj along with their family members.

Swaraj had on Sunday said in a series of tweets that she spoke to one of the two clerics, who were later found after going missing in Pakistan.

"I just spoke to Syed Nazim Ali Nizami in Karachi. He told me that they are safe and will be back in Delhi on Monday," she had said in a tweet.

Pakistan had on Saturday also conveyed to India that the two missing clerics had been traced and that they had reached Karachi.

Syed Asif Nizami, the head priest (Sajjadanashin) of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah and his nephew Nazim Nizami had gone to Pakistan on March 8 as part of annual exchanges between Hazrat Nizamuddin and Garib Nawaz, who is venerated at the Data Darbar Sufi shrine in Lahore.

 Barcelona closed to within two points of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga as Lionel Messi scored twice in a thrilling 4-2 win over 10-man Valencia at Camp Nou.

Earlier, Antoine Griezmann scored a stunning free-kick as Atletico Madrid compounded a week to forget for Sevilla with a 3-1 win at the Vicente Calderon on Sunday.

Barca needed to come from behind to keep the pressure on Madrid as Eliaquim Mangala headed Valencia in front.

But the on-loan Manchester City defender was sent-off for pulling down Luis Suarez after the Uruguayan had levelled and Messi smashed home the resulting penalty.

Munir El Haddadi briefly levelled for the 10 men before half-time, but Messi and finally Andre Gomes with his first Barca goal sealed the three points.

Madrid still also have a game in hand over their title rivals.

Outgoing Barca coach Luis Enrique named the same side that beat Paris Saint-Germain 6-1 10 days ago to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals in stunning fashion.

And whilst not matching that drama, there was no shortage of action as Valencia showed up the defensive flaws in Enrique's new 3-4-3 system.

Messi had already had an effort cleared off the line, whilst Marc-Andre ter Stegen made a stunning save from Carlos Soler at the other end before an action packed final 15 minutes of the first-half saw four goals and a red card.

Barca's weakness from set-pieces was exposed again a week on from conceding twice from corners in a 2-1 defeat at Deportivo la Coruna when Mangala powered home Dani Parejo's corner to open the scoring.

The lead lasted just six minutes as Suarez raced onto Neymar's throw-in to slot into the far corner.

Mangala went from hero to villain as he then pulled down Suarez inside the area to concede a penalty and get sent-off.

Messi beat penalty specialist Diego Alves from the spot.

However, straight from kick-off Barca were caught cold as Jose Gaya teed up Munir El Haddadi to score against his parent club for the second time this season.

The champions still had 45 minutes to make their man advantage count, though, and they did so despite missing a host of chances after the break.

Messi drilled home at Alves's near post seven minutes into the second period for his 41st goal of the season.

Suarez somehow slotted wide with the goal gaping after Alves had denied Messi his hat-trick, whilst Neymar hit the bar.

But Barca finally put the game to bed a minute from time when Neymar crossed for Gomes to tap home against his old side.

At the Calderon, Griezmann shone for Atletico once more as he teed up Diego Godin's opener and then struck a stunning free-kick for his 22nd goal of the season.

Koke added Atletico's third before Joaquin Correa registered a consolation for Sevilla.

Sevilla were dumped out of the Champions League by Atletico's quarter-final opponents Leicester City on Wednesday and have seen their lead over Atletico in third place in La Liga now whittled down to two points.

A third straight league win moves Diego Simeone's men seven points clear of Real Sociedad and Villarreal in the battle for fourth.

"Sevilla have had a magnificent season and have been lauded by the press. That highlights even more how well Atletico played," said Atletico coach Diego Simeone.

And the Atletico fans also celebrated the return of Fernando Torres for the first time since he was knocked unconscious in a sickening head clash at Deportivo la Coruna on March 2.

Defeat realistically ends Sevilla's already fading shot at the title as they fall eight points behind Real Madrid.

And coach Jorge Sampaoli claimed he has to rediscover the "real Sevilla" during the international break after four games without a win.

"Logically the league is now a long way off. Now we have to look at the possibility of automatically qualifying for the Champions League," said the Argentine.

"It is normal when you don't achieve what you want, which is to win, there is frustration and bitterness.

"We have come from a very hard blow to take and now we have to find solutions and the real Sevilla."

US President Donald Trump slammed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for "acting very, very badly", following Pyongyangs missile activities, a media report said.

North Korea claimed it tested a new high-thrust rocket engine on Saturday, the latest in a string of missile tests over the past few months, The Hill magazine said in the report.

"He's acting very very badly," the President on Sunday said of Kim Jong-un, according to the White House.

Trump, who travelled to his Mar-a-Lago resort, Florida, said he discussed North Korea's missile launches during meetings over the weekend.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also denounced North Korea's missile launches last week, indicating that the Trump administration is open to taking pre-emptive action if Pyongyang continues to "elevate the threat of their weapons programme".