There appears to be some truth in the assertion that the “Bodo tangle” continues even after their political and economic aspirations have been met. Since 2005 the Bodos have been enjoying autonomy under the Sixth Schedule, which is exclusively for hill tribes but was amended to accommodate the Bodos, who are a plains tribe. The person who clinched this is Hagrama Mohilary, who commanded the militant group, Bodo Liberation Tigers. The then BJP Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani persuaded him to lay down arms (apparently to shore up the party’s image in the region as a peace-maker) and join the mainstream. At the time of taking over the leadership of the autonomous council, Mohilary made it clear that his main objective was to secure a separate state. Little wonder, because finance for development of autonomous councils is routed through Dispur.

Reports speak of 2,000 Bodos in Kokrajhar observing a hunger strike to demand a separate state. They have also threatened to blockade vital rail and road links that pass through their area and which serve the region’s hill states. The separate state demand, however, is not new. The now-defunct Plains Tribal Council first espoused the cause of a separate state of Udaychal in the 1960s for plains tribes.

Later the All Bodo Students’ Union assumed leadership. In 2003, it signed an accord with then chief minister of Assam, Hiteswar Saikia, but it floundered within a few years over the issue of demarcation of borders. The trouble with the Bodos is that there are too many organisations and they are yet to realise that unless they sink their differences and make common cause, they cannot go ahead with any peace process.

THE “breaker’s yard” is the ultimate destination of most ships, so it will be no disgrace if Viraat follows Vikrant into being sold as scrap metal ~ though many a naval heart may be broken if history repeats itself. What would be tragic, disgraceful, or any other adjective an “old salt” might prefer to use, would be if the second carrier of the Indian Navy is subjected to as prolonged and agonising a fate as its predecessor: Vikrant had been abandoned and neglected for so long that even her scrap value had deteriorated before she was towed away to be broken: after occupying precious berthing space in the naval dockyard in Mumbai long enough for the “hero” of the war for the liberation of Bangladesh to be dubbed a “rust bucket”. Apprehensions of a re-run have been raised in respect of Viraat too ~ after de commissioning warships “lose” their ‘INS’ prefix ~ and unless an early decision is taken on their re-use or dismantling there is the risk of them losing their reputation too. Sadly, no plan for Viraat had been firmed up before her Colours were run down her mast. The initial proposal to convert her into a maritime museum by the Andhra Pradesh government ~ after the central government had washed its hands off any project of that nature ~ have been scuttled for the same reason as a similar suggestion for Vikrant, a lack of finances. According to one estimate it would require an outlay of Rs 1,000 crore. Now there is talk of a floating hotel, or a diving platform. Not too different from Vikrant having been mentioned as a heliport, casino etc. The Viraat has been afloat since 1944 and there is no need for “talking in the air”. An early decision by the central government is necessary, which must not be delayed because of the change of guard in the MoD. There are limits to emotion and sentiment coming in the way of cold reason.

There would be a school of thought that would not be enthused by the campaign to “Save Viraat”. True that was home to a host of naval aviators, but she was not the first carrier. And unlike Vikrant she had not fought battles under the Indian ensign. Maybe it would now be best to await the de-commissioning of an Indian-built “capital ship” to revive maritime museum dreams.

THE outcome of the Dutch parliamentary elections comes at a critical juncture for Europe, amidst the increasingly distressing tendency to blend populism with nationalism. One can almost hear a collective sigh of relief across the Continent after the Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte’s triumph against the challenge of the anti-Islam, anti-EU, populist Geert Wilders. There is little doubt that the high turnout has yielded a decidedly pro-European result, signifying what the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has called “a good day for democracy”, verily a victory for Europe’s libertarian values. The defeat of the far Right is no less a victory against furious extremism that has roiled the Continent and different parts of the world in recent years. The result can be contextualised with nationalist trends across the Atlantic since last November. Mr Rutte has emitted a signal to the likes of Donald Trump that the Netherlands bears witness to a vote for “free and tolerant societies”. The Dutch voter has betrayed a remarkable degree of responsibility and maturity in a crucial moment for Europe as a whole. Small wonder that the parliamentary result in a relatively small country has been greeted with overwhelming applause… as a robust expression of serious politics, responsible leadership, and a stout rejection of populism.  The election will be documented for its pragmatism, and not for playing to a reckless gallery. The result conveys a signal too to France where the Right is straining every nerve for the electoral stakes this summer.

Beyond borders, the implications of the election are profound. Which alone explains why an influential swathe of the world was riveted to the vote. After Britain’s referendum to leave the EU ~ now fairly confirmed by both the Lords and the Commons ~ and President Trump’s intensely nationalist agenda, a victory for Geert Wilders, who had pledged to “de-Islamicise” the Netherlands and take the country out of the EU if he won, would have sent shockwaves across Europe in a potentially critical year. The French far-right leader, Marine Le Pen, who has pledged a referendum on EU membership if she is the next resident of Elysee Palace, is expected to make the runoff round in the presidential elections. Germany’s Eurosceptic Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) is said to be on course to win its first federal parliament seats later in the year. It is early days to speculate on a possible psephological swing across the Continent; but it shall be a great day in the contemporary history of Europe if this week’s Dutch vote can tilt the pattern generally. There may be hope yet for democracy, tolerance, religious denominations, and nationalities within one country. The world must keep its fingers crossed. Let Europe show the way to America.

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, a doting father to three, says he is planning to quit smoking and drinking and adopt a healthier lifestyle to enable himself spend more time with his children.

The 50-year-old Bollywood star's remark came during a conclave session held by a media house here.

Asked if being an old parent he feared not getting enough time to spend with AbRam, his four-year-old son, he says, "Yes, that's an issue, that thought comes in my head, it came last night. One way to look at it is to keep yourself healthy.

"The presence of a little child at the age of 50, it is a good thing. It makes me come alive, it makes me see innocence and love in a different way," he said.

The "My Name is Khan" star says he wants to spend the next 20-25 years of his life with his kids and so he has been maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

"Having said that, will I be there to do the same thing that I did with my older kids? Yes, that is a worry. So that keeps you smoking less, drinking less, exercising more. I am planning to give up all (smoking, drinking, etc) and try to be healthier and happier," he said.

Shah Rukh was 15 years old when his parents passed away and he says he holds that against them.

"I don't want my children to hold that against me that I was not there," he says.

On a lighter note, the "Dilwale" star says he wants to embarrass his kids and be around hounding them for a long time.

"I want to be there to give them advice completely out of context and irrelevant. I want to find out about their personal lives when they are hating me for doing so. I want to be cumbersome and troublesome to my children. So I should work towards it and get healthy," he says.

"I am working with younger girls just to keep up with my children. I am not doing it out of any mid-life crisis. I am only doing it to make myself feel younger and get in touch with the younger me," he adds.

Priest-turned politician Yogi Adityanath, the controversial mascot of hardline Hindutva, was on Saturday named as next Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, in a move by the BJP that took many by surprise.

Ending the suspense exactly a week after BJP won a three- fourths majority in the key Hindi heartland state and stormed back to power after 15 years, the 44-year-old five-term MP from Gorakhpur was unanimously elected the BJP legislature party leader at a meeting of the newly elected MLAs.

Adityanath will be sworn in tomorrow at a ceremony at Kanshiram Smriti Upvan here at 2.15 PM where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah will be present.

State BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya, who was himself in contention for the top job besides union minister Manoj Sinha, first announced Adityanath's election amid speculation that the RSS pushed for Yogi's candidature

Maurya, the MP from Phulpur in Allahabad, will be the deputy chief minister apart from senior BJP leader and Lucknow Mayor Dinesh Sharma.

Adityanath, who lacks administrative experience, will be the 21st chief minister of UP and the fourth from the saffron party.

After his election, Adityanath met Governor Ram Naik and said he was invited to form the government in UP.

He said he would follow Prime Minister Modi's slogan "sab ka saath, sab ka vikas" and ensure all round development of the the country's most populous state.

"I am confident that the state will march on the path of development," he said in his first brief media interaction at the Raj Bhawan.

The Yogi said his efforts would be to provide "good governance" in the state.

Adityanath has several criminal cases against him. He has been charged in the past with rioting, attempt to murder, armed with deadly weapon, endangering life or personal safety of others, unlawful assembly, trespassing on burial places and criminal intimidation.

A murder case is going on in the court of CJM, Maharajganj, according to his 2014 election affidavit.

He is not known to enjoy good rapport with the BJP leadership and his elevation has left many puzzled, with political circles abuzz with talk of RSS having prevailed over the party in deciding the new chief minister.

Often caught in controversy because of his speeches, Adityanath allegedly led a "purification" drive for conversion of Christians to Hinduism in 2005.

In 2015, he reportedly said those who oppose yoga can leave India and that they should all be drowned.

He was arrested for allegedly inciting Gorakhpur riots in 2007.

Adityanath, considered a divisive political figure, enjoys considerable popularity in the state and is known to make provocative statements, be it about Islam or Pakistan.

A strong votary of construction of the Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, Adityanath drove BJP's Hindutva campaign in the eastern UP in the just concluded Assembly polls

Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, who along with BJP general secretary Bhupendra Yadav was present at the meeting as central observer for the election, told a press conference that Adityanath's name was proposed by Suresh Khanna, an 8- term MLA, and seconded by 10 others

Naidu said even after the proposal was made, he asked the 312 newly elected MLAs if they wanted to propose anybody else for the post, but they all backed Adityanath unanimously

Naidu said that the Yogi then said he needed two deputy CMs to assist him in the gigantic task, following which it was decided that Maurya and Sharma would hold the posts.

As the meeting was about to begin, an element of surprise gripped the venue when Adityanath reached Lok Bhawan opposite the imposing Assembly complex.

Midway through the meeting, Sharma was asked to attend the deliberations. Interestingly, none of the three is a legislator in UP.

As soon as it was decided that the saffron-robed Gorakhpur MP will hold the reins of the state that raised eyebrows, party leaders and MLAs rushed to the dais with sweets and garlands.

The National Health Policy 2017 that aims to raise public health expenditure to 2.5 per cent of the gross domestic product, targets universal access to good quality healthcare services at affordable costs with a proposal to provide free drugs, free diagnostics and free emergency care services in all public hospitals is a welcome step, according to medical fraternity.

“With shift to wellness and prevention from sick care, and the increase in public health expenditure to 2.5% of the GDP, the National Health policy 2017 has its heart in the right place” said Dr Naresh Trehan, chairman, CII National Healthcare Council and chairman, Medanta Group. “CII welcomes the National Health Policy, it shows the commitment of the government to put health of its citizens first,” he added.

The Apollo Hospitals Group called it a "visionary step" towards assuring quality of life and quality of health services to every citizen. “Not only will it lead to strengthening of the primary health institutions, it will also help reduce the burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases while reducing out-of-pocket expenditure on health services," said Prathap C Reddy, founder chairman of the group.

Voluntary Health Association of India and its 4500 Member Organisations, working in health throughout the country, welcomed the move by the government for bringing the National Health Policy 2017 that seeks to reach everyone in a comprehensive integrated way to move towards wellness.

“The policy though has come after a gap of 15 years to address the current and emerging challenges necessitated by the changing socio-economic, technological and epidemiological landscape, it is extremely timely and appropriate for being patient centric and quality driven. It emphasises reorienting and strengthening public health institutions across the country, so as to provide universal access to free drugs, diagnostics and other essential healthcare, said Alok Mukhopadhyay, chairman, VHAI.

“The government, however needs to be careful in their enthusiasm to create favourable climate to engage with the private sector, so that we do not put health in the market place. Leaving health sector at the mercy of market mechanism might compromise the intrinsic values of health care,” said Mukhopadhyay.

“With a focus on preventive approach rather than on the curative one, on NCDs, the new Health Policy will be an improvement programme to reach and support citizens with chronic diseases in varied settings. Lack of prevention of chronic diseases has a particular impact on the quality of life, on escalating health care costs, and on the overall economy,” said Dr Kenneth E Thorpe, chairman, Partnership to Fight Chronic Diseases (PFCD).

“The policy’s shift from a strong bias towards curative care to preventive care to improve awareness about risk factors, screening, early diagnosis and counselling are critical to tackle a steady rise in NCDs and in bringing down the prohibitive cost of lifelong treatment,” said Aman Gupta of PFCD.

As the name of Yogi Adityanath was announced as Uttar Pradesh chief minister, celebration began at his native village Panchur in district Pauri. Local people rushed to the home of Adityanath and played traditional drum in celebration of the news.

Yogi was earlier known as Ajay Mohan Bisht and he did his masters in Maths from HNB Garhwal University. The news has thrilled local people.  As a friend of the Bisht family, Chander Prakash Lakhera says, it is great news and we are overjoyed with the development.” 

Yogi’s father Anand Singh Bisht is flying tomorrow to Lucknow for attending the swearing in ceremony of the new Uttar Pradesh CM. Adityanath is the head priest of the Gorakhnath Mut.  He left his native village in 1992 and was declared heir of Mahant Avaidyanath in 1994. 

A thrilled Shantanu Badola said, "Even in the recently concluded Uttarakhand Assembly elections, BJP used Yogi Adityanath for campaigning in his home district and other parts of Uttarakhand." 

At least five Naxals, including a senior woman cadre, and two police jawans were killed in a gun-battle between security personnel and the ultras in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Dantewada district today.

Three security personnel, including two sub-inspectors (SIs), were also injured in the encounter.

An injured Naxal was arrested from the spot.

"The skirmish took place at around 2 PM between a team of state police's District Reserve Group (DRG) and the ultras in the jungles of Burgum village under Aranpur police station limits," Inspector General of Police (in-charge) Bastar Range Sundarraj P told PTI.

"While the bodies of five rebels, including two women, belonging to Malangir Area Committee of Maoists, were recovered from the spot, two security personnel also lost their lives in the incident," the IG said.

DRG commandos had launched an anti-Maoist operation in the core areas of Aranpur based on specific inputs, the IG said.

When security forces were cordoning off jungles of Dorepara in Burgum village, they came across a group of Naxals leading to the gun-battle.

The intermittent firing lasted for more than an hour following which rebels escaped from the place, he added.

During search, five bodies of ultras and a few weapons, including one AK 47 rifle and one Insas rife, were recovered, he said, adding one injured Naxal was arrested.

However, DRG constable Nirmal Netam and a Gopniya Sainik (secret troop recruited as auxiliary personnel) Sukram Gavde also killed in the exchange of fire, he added.

Moreover, two SI-rank officials — Sangram Singh and Dogendra Parte — and constable Mukesh Tatti, all belonging to DRG, were injured in the encounter, the IG said.

"The injured personnel were shifted to a local hospital and they were said to be out of danger," he added.

The injured Naxal was also being provided treatment.

Of the women ultras killed in the encounter, one was identified as Palle, who was active as secretary of Malangir Area Committee and member of Darbha Divisional Committee of Maoists and another as Vijje, a member of the same area committee, he said.

Palle was carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh on her head while Vijje was carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh, police said.

The identity of three other Naxals was being ascertained, he added.

Shortly after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj spoke to Pakistan Foreign Policy Advisor Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan on Saturday conveyed to India that the two missing Indian clerics of Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah have been traced. 

“Pakistan Foreign Office has confirmed that the two Indian clerics have been found and are on way to their relatives in Karachi,’’ sources here said. 

The two missing clerics ~ Syed Asif Nizami, the head priest of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah, and his nephew Nazim Nizami ~ had been in “interior Sindh where there was no communication network” and, therefore, they could not tell their relatives about their whereabouts, Pakistani media said. They will leave for India on 20 March. 

Late this evening, Swaraj tweeted that she had spoken to Aziz, currently in London, regarding the two missing clerics. Aziz assured her of all possible assistance in locating the clerics. 

The Maharashtra Government today proposed to raise tax on liquor and lottery while earmarking Rs 8,233 crore for irrigation projects in its budget for 2017-18 with an estimated revenue deficit of Rs 4,511 crore.

Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar presented his third straight budget, which he described as "agriculture-centric," in the assembly amid vociferous demand by the Opposition for a farm loan waiver.

He said the BJP-led government has taken a major decision to merge plan and non-plan expenditure from 2017-18.

"The focus will now be on capital expenditure. This change will allow each department to use the entire fund allocated to it effectively instead of only the plan component which is 25 per cent of the total budget size," he said.

After the merger, the concept of plan outlay will cease to exist, said the finance minister and added: "A sum of Rs 77,184 crore has been earmarked for various schemes." 

He said in FY18, the revenue receipt is estimated at Rs 2,43,737 crore and revenue expenditure at Rs 2,48,242 crore.

Consequently, there will be a revenue deficit worth Rs 4,511-crore.

Mungantiwar said the government will try to reduce the deficit by cutting down avoidable expenditure and ensuring effective revenue recoveries.

He proposed to increase the value-added tax (VAT) from 23.08 per cent to 25.93 per cent on the maximum retail price of the foreign liquor, the IMFL and the country liquor.

Mungantiwar also proposed to raise tax on weekly lottery from Rs 75,000 to Rs 1 lakh. The tax proposals are expected to result in additional gain of Rs 396 crore.

Describing the budget as "agriculture-centric," the minister said a provision of Rs 8,233-crore has been made for various irrigation projects.

He earmarked Rs 100 crore for micro-irrigation projects in Yavatmal and Wardha districts which will be completed using Israeli technology.

Mungantiwar said the government proposes to double the farm income by 2021. To achieve this, it has decided to focus on irrigation, electricity, farm ponds, food processing, technology, marketing, group farming and agriculture credit.

The farm loan waiver issue, which has been dominating the proceedings ever since the budget session began last week, again hogged the limelight.

Opposition members, including Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil (Congress), former finance ministers Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil (both NCP), were on their feet seeking relief for cultivators in form of a debt waiver.

The members displayed banners, played cymbals and made loud noises as the minister read out his speech.

The Maharashtra Government today proposed to raise tax on liquor and lottery while earmarking Rs 8,233 crore for irrigation projects in its budget for 2017-18 with an estimated revenue deficit of Rs 4,511 crore.

Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar presented his third straight budget, which he described as "agriculture-centric," in the assembly amid vociferous demand by the Opposition for a farm loan waiver.

He said the BJP-led government has taken a major decision to merge plan and non-plan expenditure from 2017-18.

"The focus will now be on capital expenditure. This change will allow each department to use the entire fund allocated to it effectively instead of only the plan component which is 25 per cent of the total budget size," he said.

After the merger, the concept of plan outlay will cease to exist, said the finance minister and added: "A sum of Rs 77,184 crore has been earmarked for various schemes." 

He said in FY18, the revenue receipt is estimated at Rs 2,43,737 crore and revenue expenditure at Rs 2,48,242 crore.

Consequently, there will be a revenue deficit worth Rs 4,511-crore.

Mungantiwar said the government will try to reduce the deficit by cutting down avoidable expenditure and ensuring effective revenue recoveries.

He proposed to increase the value-added tax (VAT) from 23.08 per cent to 25.93 per cent on the maximum retail price of the foreign liquor, the IMFL and the country liquor.

Mungantiwar also proposed to raise tax on weekly lottery from Rs 75,000 to Rs 1 lakh. The tax proposals are expected to result in additional gain of Rs 396 crore.

Describing the budget as "agriculture-centric," the minister said a provision of Rs 8,233-crore has been made for various irrigation projects.

He earmarked Rs 100 crore for micro-irrigation projects in Yavatmal and Wardha districts which will be completed using Israeli technology.

Mungantiwar said the government proposes to double the farm income by 2021. To achieve this, it has decided to focus on irrigation, electricity, farm ponds, food processing, technology, marketing, group farming and agriculture credit.

The farm loan waiver issue, which has been dominating the proceedings ever since the budget session began last week, again hogged the limelight.

Opposition members, including Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil (Congress), former finance ministers Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil (both NCP), were on their feet seeking relief for cultivators in form of a debt waiver.

The members displayed banners, played cymbals and made loud noises as the minister read out his speech.

The University Grants Commission on Saturday clarified that it has not sent any letter to JNU notifying the closure of the Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy at School of Social Sciences. A forged letter was allegedly forwarded by the JNU administration to the chairperson of the Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy at the School of Social Sciences in JNU.

The alleged forged letter informed JNU that financial support to the CSDE would be discontinued after the end of the XIIth Plan and that the decision to discontinue the financial support had been taken at the level of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, by an order. The notice according to a press statement ends with the proclamation: “No communication whatsoever will be entertained or solicited by the UGC.”

A press statement from UGC said some news reports had appeared on the basis of the forged letter allegedly sent to the JNU administration by UGC. “It would have been proper if the press would have confirmed with University Grants Commission before publishing the news item,” said the statement.

 It has been stated that the UGC has established  Centres for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy in various universities in the Xth Plan on plan-to-plan basis  provided these centres record satisfactory progress in the areas of their focus.  Keeping in view the same procedure, the UGC would be extending these centres from 1 April 2017 onwards. 

 In another letter of UGC dated 20 January 2011, Jawaharlal Nehru University was informed that the centres will continue as earlier and the work done by them would be monitored by the Commission. In letters dated 22 September 2015, and 23 December 2015, UGC informed JNU that the Centre being on plan-to-plan basis will continue on the same basis.

Apple Inc.s Chief Executive Tim Cook defended globalisation in a rare public speech in China, as his company faces political pressure in the US to bring back factories.

Cook also said data privacy was one of the company's values, although he stopped short on Saturday of criticising decryption demands from governments as Apple has previously in the US, reported the Wall Street Journal. 

It was his first time speaking at the China Development Forum, an annual conference sponsored by the Chinese government. 

During his speech, Cook said globalisation "in general is great for the world," but noted socio-economic gains may not be evenly distributed within or between countries. Despite globalisation's shortcomings, countries should not shy away from such development, he said.

"I think the worst thing would be to, because it didn't help everyone, is to say it's bad and do less of that," Cook said. "I think the reality is you can see that countries in the world…that isolate themselves, it's not good for their people."

The subject is a contentious one for Apple, a US company that farms out a bulk of its manufacturing operations to China. 

President Donald Trump recently called for Apple to bring iPhone production to America, a move that would stimulate the domestic economy. Trump has asked the same of many US multinationals in attempts to repatriate overseas jobs, said the report. 

Cook also touched on cybersecurity and user privacy, both highly sensitive subjects in China. 

Parroting past statements on the matter, Cook said Apple employs end-to-end encryption to protect its customers from nefarious actors. 

He fell short of taking a stand against Chinese cybersecurity policy that requires companies to furnish authorities with technical assistance in investigations and data gathering operations, reported the Journal.

Cook tiptoed around the subject of data privacy, saying, "We think that an individual should own their data and should be able to control their data." 

He is in China to bolster relations with the country's central government. Apple's top executive is slated to speak with Xu Lin, director of the Cyberspace Administration of China, in a private meeting on Monday. 

Cook also said that Apple Inc will be setting up two more research and development (R&D) centres in Shanghai and Suzhou, following Beijing and Shenzhen.

Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's father Krishnaraj Rai passed away today at a suburban hospital here due to health issues.

He was hospitalised a few weeks ago and was later shifted to the ICU.

"Aishwarya's father Krishnaraj Rai passed away at the Lilavati Hospital in suburban Bandra," the publicist of the actress told PTI.

Krishnaraj Rai is survived by wife Vrinda, son Aditya and daughter Aishwarya.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday accused Germany of owing "vast sums of money" to NATO and the US, one day after his meeting at the White House with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

He said on Twitter that Germany owed NATO and the US for the "powerful, and very expensive defence it provides to Germany!"

Trump also tweeted that he had a "great" meeting with Merkel, despite the "fake news" that, in his opinion, have been published in US media outlets. 

During his press conference with Merkel on Friday, he again raised complained that many European members of NATO, which he has described as "obsolete", were not pulling their weight within the Atlantic Alliance. 

"Many nations owe vast sums of money from past years and it is very unfair to the US. These nations must pay what they owe," he said, apparently referring to the failure of some member-states to comply with the NATO guideline calling for devoting at least two per cent of gross domestic product to the military, CNN reported.

Merkel said Germany had committed to increasing its military spending to the previously agreed level of two per cent of GDP for NATO's European members.

The US President also lashed out at the news media on Saturday. 

"Despite what you have heard from the FAKE NEWS," he tweeted, "I had a GREAT meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel."

The Trump administration wants to build a 30-foot-high border wall that looks good from the north side and is difficult to climb or cut through, according to a pair of contract notices posted to a government website further detailing President Donald Trump's promise to build a "big, beautiful wall" at the Mexican border.

The notices were made public last night by Customs and Border Protection, the Homeland Security Department agency that will oversee the project and eventually patrol and maintain the wall. The proposals are due to the government by March 29.

One of the CBP contract requests calls for a solid concrete wall, while the other asks for proposals for a see-through structure. Both require the wall to sunk at least six feet into the ground and include 25- and 50-foot automated gates for pedestrians and vehicles. The proposed wall must also be built in a such a way that it would take at least an hour to cut through it with a "sledgehammer, car jack, pick axe, chisel, battery operated impact tools, battery operated cutting tools, Oxy/acetylene torch or other similar hand-held tools." 

The government will award a contract based on 30-foot-wide sample walls that are to be built in San Diego.

This is the second time the Trump administration has asked for private companies to bid on building the wall. Last month CPB put out a call for "concept papers" to design and build prototypes by March 10.

Trump has bragged in recent days that the wall is ahead of schedule, though it's unclear from the latest contract notices if any firms have submitted wall proposals or if any such submissions have been rejected.

The race for the Champions League spots is heating up in the English Premier League and when third-placed Manchester City host Liverpool on Sunday, a lot will be on the line at the Etihad Stadium with the spotlight in particular on City manager Pep Guardiola.

The hawks are circling after the cash-rich club were dumped out of Europe in midweek, losing to a fired-up Monaco side and nothing but three points will do against the Reds.

It won’t be easy, however, for Liverpool are a side that deliver big performances in the big games and while goals will be guaranteed considering neither team has a half-decent defence, a result seems too close to call at this point.

Manchester City
City is on the verge of a crisis and it wouldn't be unfair to suggest that if Liverpool win, fans could start turning on their vaunted manager.

He spoke about the challenge of managing City this week, hinting that coaching the likes of Bayern Munich and Barcelona was easier since they were established clubs, but for Premier League standards, the Sky Blues are better off than most.

They have a great squad overall, with some obvious weak points but no team in modern football is perfect.

So Guardiola will have to coax the best out of Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne, two big names who on several occasions have gone missing when their side needs them most.

His shambolic defence isn't going to be fixed overnight, but City will need their stars to justify their high wages and take a cue from young wingers Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane, who have arguably been the team’s bright spots this season.

City have no fresh injury concerns, with Ilkay Gundogan and Gabriel Jesus on the long-term casualty list.

Liverpool
Ignominious cup exits coupled with a failure to sustain a proper title challenge have brought down the mood at Anfield and while recent results have been encouraging, Liverpool are under pressure to win this game as well.

Arsenal and Manchester United aren't too far behind in the league table and while the Reds have plenty of quality in their squad, a lack of an out and out goalscorer is perhaps the chief reason for their inconsistent displays.

Brilliant against their main rivals but poor against teams that shut up shop, Klopp’s team seems to have no Plan B.

Against City, however, Liverpool will happily cede the possession battle and hit the hosts on the counter with searing speed thanks to the superlative talents such as Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho.

While Mane and Coutinho keep scoring the odd goal, Firmino has been quite ineffective in the final third and that will have to change if the Reds are to win and against a City side whose poor defence rivals Liverpools!

Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino are racing to get fit in time for the trip to the Etihad and while skipper Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge are out, Dejan Lovren is fit for selection .

Super Stat: The first-ever meeting between Manchester City and Liverpool took place in 1901, a game which Liverpool won 3-2!