In a major development to the Narada sting operation case, the CBI team arrived on Saturday at SBI bank in Kolkata to collect evidence.

Reports suggested that the Calcutta High Court had on Friday ordered the CBI to conduct a preliminary probe into the Narada sting operation.

A Division Bench of acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre and Justice T Chakraborty had asked the CBI to complete its preliminary inquiry in 72 hours.

Meanwhile, reacting to the Calcutta High Court order, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday had said that her government will challenge the order in the Supreme Court.

"Will challenge before the Supreme Court against Calcutta HC order directing preliminary inquiry by the CBI on Narada sting operation," the chief minister had said.

Poachers have killed yet another one-horned rhino in Orang National Park in Assam, officials said on Saturday.

Authorities said that they recovered a carcass of a male rhino near Pichola anti-poaching camp in the park on Friday. The horn of the rhino was missing, indicating it to be a case of poaching.

"It was a full grown male rhino and there were bullet injury marks," the park officials said.

The poaching took place days after police in Assam's Baihata Chariali recovered a blood stained rhino horn from three victims of a fatal road accident on Tuesday.

Assam's forest minister Pramila Rani Brahma said that the three victims killed the rhino somewhere near Kaziranga national park and were trying to decamp while the accident took place.

Sanya Malhotra, the girl in Dangal, is on a celebration mood for a secret something!

The actress, who made her acting debut in Bollywood with Dangal, is gaining a lot of praise for her star performance.

After her brilliant performance, she made Aamir dance to her beat, sources close to her revealed.

"The fact that I love to dance and love everything associated with it has never been a secret.When Advait asked me to choreograph a sequence for Aamir sir in Secret Superstar, I was ecstatic," Sanya said.

The actress choreographed a song for Aamir's next Secret Superstar.

"Not in my wildest dreams could I have imagined doing something so wonderful," Sanya gushed.

The steps Sanya taught Aamir were difficult, but he nailed it in the end.

Actor Jake Gyllenhaal, for whom Bollywood is mostly about musical numbers, says his upcoming movie "Life" has been an experiment in enjoying himself and having fun during work, rather than investing a lot of energy into it.

Jake, 36, plays the role of David Jordan in the upcoming science fiction horror film which releases in India on March 24.

In an interview with IANS here, the Oscar-nominated actor said: "To me, 'Life' was an experiment and about enjoying myself and having fun."

He said director Daniel Espinosa's flick — a thriller about scientists trapped in space with a vicious alien — is a "big scary movie". 

"And most of the roles I play and the movies I have been in, have sort of challenged me and taken a sort of energy from me. One of the decisions I had made out of this ('Life') was to enjoy myself and make a big fun scary movie," Jake told IANS.

Asked if the actor — best known for films like "Brokeback Mountain" and "Nightcrawler" — wanted to work beyond Hollywood in international cinema, particularly Bollywood, he said his choice of films always depends on the story line and the filmmaker.

"I know there always are many musical numbers in most Bollywood movies, which is probably a little intimidating for most of Hollywood, because Hollywood makes different type of films.

"There has been a discussion about that (Hollywood actors working in Bollywood). It is a very very interesting idea," he said, without divulging more.

Jake, who looked dapper, said many people ask him questions about what type of projects or films he wants to do.

"My response always is that it just depends on the story and the filmmaker and the mind behind it. So to me, moving into international cinema is actually where I would like to go and where I am moving towards," he added.

The movie "Life" also features Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds and Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada.

The long-awaited "Heritage Line" of Delhi Metro inched closer to being pressed into service, as the DMRC submitted papers to the safety department on Friday for approval — the last step before the metro becomes available to commuters.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) submitted papers for the line connecting ITO and Kashmere Gate (5.17 km) to the Commissioner for Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) and also to the Independent Safety Assessor (ISA) for certification, after which the line will be opened to the general public. 

"The documents will be scrutinised by CMRS office and thereafter a CMRS inspection will be planned. The line will be opened for public after safety certification of signalling system by the ISA," a statement issued by the transporter read. 

A part of the Violet Line (ITO-Escorts Mujesar), the stretch was originally scheduled to be completed by December 2015 but missed several deadlines before its first trial-runs could be conducted in August last year. 

"This was a challenging line from the very beginning. We had to execise extra caution during the construction because of the stretch being dotted with structures of historical value all along it. It also took us longer than usual time in getting clearance and securing landspace this time," a DMRC official told IANS. 

Given the recurring delays, he could not bring himself to commit to any time-frame and say when the metro would become commuter-ready.

"I cannot commit any time. Earlier, there have been instances when we were given permission in a day. Not sure about now, it may take month or even more," he said. 

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise to double farmers’ income by 2022, Union Finance Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday assured that farmers’ income would be doubled within the prescribed time period.

“Farmers' income will double by 2022,” Rajnath said.

On Febraury 27, Modi in his campaign rally in Mau (Uttar Pradesh) had said that the Union government is working on measures to double farmers’ income.

“We are undertaking measures for welfare of our farmer brothers and sisters,” Modi had said, adding “We want their incomes to double by 2022”.

The Pakistani government is preparing a bill for the protection and welfare of journalists in the country, a top minister announced.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb made the remarks on Friday while addressing a delegation from the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists and Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists here.

"Democracy and media freedom go hand-in-hand and the independent media not only performs the functions of informing public but also empowers all members of the society by enhancing and nurturing democratic values," Dawn news quoted the minister as saying.

She added it is a "top priority of the democratic government", adding that a draft of the bill, titled Journalist Welfare and Protection Bill-2017, has been sent to various press clubs and media outlets seeking recommendations for improvement.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an independent organisation working to promote press freedom worldwide, in its special report launched in December 2016, had stated that no journalist was murdered in Pakistan "in retaliation for their work" in 2016 – a first since 2001.

The organisation classifies murder as "the targeted killing of a journalist, whether premeditated or spontaneous, in direct relation to the journalist's work."

However, many Pakistani journalists have resorted to self-censorship or have abandoned the profession altogether to avoid "grave risks", CPJ added.

Three people have been arrested from Satara district in western Maharashtra in connection with the Rs.1.5 crore ATM cash van loot in Dharavi here, police said on Saturday.

The trio–Sureshkumar Pandurangam, Arumugam Subramanyam Sherve and Kamala Nagraj Devendra– who were trying to flee, was nabbed from a private travels bus last night after Dharavi police, on a tip off, intensified searches near Aanewadi Toll Plaza under Bhuinj Police Station jurisdiction in Satara with the help of local crime branch.

Also, Rs 15.42 lakh cash was recovered from their baggage, police said.

Subsequent interrogation of the trio over the source of cash revealed their involvement in the Dharavi loot. The accused have also given the names of nine other accomplices who were involved in the crime, a police official said.

While arrested accused Pandurangam and Sherve hail from Tiruchirapalli in Tamilnadu, Devendra is a resident of Antop Hill in Mumbai, the official said adding that further investigation in the case to trace the remaining culprits as well as the looted money is underway.

On March 16, a group of unidentified men had looted Rs 1.5 crore from an ATM cash-van of State Bank of India.

The incident had occurred near the ONGC building on Sion-Bandra Link Road when the van had stopped in front of an ATM for refilling cash.

The robbers had then decamped with the amount in the cash box.

Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has announced a budgetary increase of up to $764 million for rebuilding the country after floods this week left 62 people dead, 170 injured, 11 missing and around 72,000 displaced in several regions.

Kuczynski, along with Finance Minister Alfredo Thorne, on Friday announced emergency decrees, which allow for budget increases for the reconstruction of infrastructure, and declared the Central Highway, which has constantly being affected by an overflowing Rimac river and landslides, in a state of emergency, Efe news reported.

The President said the government is in a better financial condition than 20 years ago to bear the cost of rebuilding and that even if the costs were to go up, there were funds to cover them.

"The government will have 2.5 billion soles ($764 million) available from Saturday, for reconstruction in all the affected districts," he said.

He added that 1.5 billion soles have been added to the budget to meet the emergency declared due to the natural disaster, adding to the existing amount of one billion soles.

The flood-response spending will come in addition to the $1.68 billion nationwide infrastructure plan he announced last week as an economic stimulus measure, the president said.

The Central Highway, the only paved road connecting Lima to central Peru, was operational on Friday, thereby preventing a shortage of necessities in the capital, but the force of the river carried away a stretch of the railway line running parallel to the highway.

The rising Rimac river also flooded several parts of San Juan de Lurigancho, the most populated district of Lima with 1.8 million inhabitants, while the Chillon river knocked down a bridge running through the capital, leading to a deployment of 8,000 police officers for rescue operations.

The worst affected is the North Pan-American Highway, that connects Lima with Ecuador, and along which three bridges have been destroyed, preventing aid from reaching the northern regions of Tumbes, Piura and Lambayeque, the worst affected by the disaster, by land.

The first batch of aid to these areas arrived via airlifts launched by the Peruvian Air Force with military aircrafts to carry aid and transport victims between Lima and the northern cities of Piura, Chiclayo and Trujillo.

One of the provinces with the most damage is Huarmey, in the Ancash region, about 280 km north of Lima, where some places are under half a meter of water and the hospital is flooded almost to the ceiling, according to Health Minister Patricia Garcia, who inspected the area.

In the south, the collapse of a dam holding 1.3 million cubic metres of water devastated the crops of at least 3,000 families.
 

The Income Tax department today released a list of 29 entities owing Rs 448.02 crore in taxes as part of its strategy to name and shame large defaulters.

In advertisements issued in leading national dailies, the department brought out the list of defaulters of income tax and corporate tax even as it advised them to pay their "tax arrears immediately".

The department has carried out this exercise earlier too and had named at least 67 such entities which have huge tax liabilities on them but have either gone non-traceable or have shown no assets for recovery.

A senior official said the public list, with details of the individual or entity like their PAN card number, last known address and assessment range and defaulted amount of tax, is also aimed to make aware the people at large so that they inform the department in case of information against them.

"The entries in the list are specific to the tax arrears and assessment year mentioned. The tax defaulter's address, business, shareholding and management may have changed," the notice said.

The total taxes due by these 29 defaulters is Rs 448.02 crore, the official said.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the policy-making body of the I-T department, had few years back adopted the strategy of bringing out the names of chronic defaulters in public domain and had also begun posting these names on its official website.
 

Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha is "almost" certain to be the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, even as BJP state President Keshav Prasad Maurya was still in the race, informed sources said on Saturday.

A senior BJP leader, who declined to be named as the party was still keeping suspense over the post alive, told IANS that Sinha has emerged as the top choice to head the Uttar Pradesh government after strong backing from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party President Amit Shah.

"It is almost decided. The announcement is likely to be made after the (newly-elected) BJP MLAs meet in Lucknow" on Saturday evening, the BJP leader said.

Former UN diplomat and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has rejected an online petition campaign projecting him as UPA's Prime Ministerial candidate in the run-up to general elections 2019.

In his face book post, Tharoor, MP from Thiruvananthapuram constituency, wanted the people behind the campaign to withdraw the same.

"I was both surprised and touched by the Change.org petition that has been circulating over the last few days suggesting a greater role for me in the Congress party and in national politics in the 2019 elections, and by the response this has received.

I do, however, feel it is time to make it clear that I neither support nor endorse such a campaign," Tharoor said.

Tharoor said he ignored the petition initially, but obliged to respond as it has gained attention in the media.

The MP thanked the creator of the petition and everyone who has signed it so far.

"I have, however, discouraged those of my followers who have asked me about this from doing so, since I do not support such a campaign," Tharoor said in the post.

"I am a member of Parliament for the Congress Party, nothing more and nothing less.

The party has a settled leadership, which is not up for debate," he said adding "When changes occur they do so through an established procedure." 

He further said, "I will continue, to the best of my abilities, with my work in Parliament, in Thiruvananthapuram, and in articulating my hopes for India and the ideas that make India — on those party platforms that are available to me, as well as on the national and international stage and through my writings." 

Tharoor thanked everyone for their support and requested that the petition be withdrawn.

With few hours left to announce the new face of Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said that the names in the media reports are pure speculative and the new name will be announced after meeting party MLA this evening.

"Names in the media reports are pure speculative, on Saturday evening we will be meeting the MLAs and then we will decide," the Union minister was quoted as saying by a news portal.

Reports suggest that the Union minister arrived in Lucknow to hold meeting with BJP MLAs later on Saturday.

The oath-taking ceremony of the new chief minister and the state cabinet is to be a grand affair with everyone's eye on who will be the state's new chief minister.

An estimated one lakh people are expected to attend the ceremony at the Kashiram Smriti Upvan on Sunday evening, sources said, adding that chief ministers of BJP-ruled states are also likely to attend.

While no clear indication about the next chief minister has not yet been made officially, reports claim that Union Minister Manoj Sinha and Home Minister Rajnath Singh are front runners for the coveted post.

The BJP is returning to power in the country's most populous state after a gap of almost 15 years. It won 325 seats along with its allies in the 403-member Assembly.

UPTET results 2016: Candidates waiting to get their Uttar Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test 2016-2017 dont need to wait anymore. As per the latest news updates, UPTET results 2017 has been declared on the official website upbasiceduboard.gov.in and uptet.co.in.

Candidates trying to get their UPTET results 2016 have to visit the official website and fill the blank space with the required information including roll number, registration number, date of birth and other required information in] the blank space to get their results.

As per the UPTET officials, this year about 2,54,0680 candidates have applied for the examination and 2,21,654 candidates entered the examination hall.

Due to the huge number of candidates visiting the official website, people may face technical issues in getting their results. So the candidates are advised to stay calm and refresh the UPTET results website in a short interval of time.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli returned to the pitch amidst loud cheers from the Ranchi Test on the third day of the third Test of the India vs Australia series on Saturday.

Kohli had injured his shoulder while diving in the field on the first day and had spent the rest of the day in the dressing room with his shoulder heavily strapped. Fans had been worried that he might have done some serious damage, but a BCCI statement later in the day confirmed it was only a strain and nothing serious.

While the second day saw the strap come off and witnessed Kohli partake in some warm-up routines, doctors had advised him to rest his shoulder for a day at least. He remained in his India training jersey and while he looked cheerful, didn't take to the field as Australia posted a first-innings total of 451.

On Saturday morning, Kohli had been seen practicing in the nets to spark rumours of a possible return to the crease, but no official confirmation was made.

And after Murali Vijay was dismissed on 83 by Stephen O’Keefe in what was the last ball before Lunch on Saturday, Kohli emerged from the dressing room post the break as the new batsman to accompany Cheteshwar Pujara (40*).

India are trailing Australia by 258 runs with 8 wickets in hand and Kohli’s return will be a big boost to the Indian side, who could do with a big innings from their captain.

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and the Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar on March 17 inaugurated a newly-built enclosure for penguins at the civic-run Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan (popularly known as Byculla Zoo) here.

It would be open for public viewing from Saturday.

Thackeray termed the penguin enclosure as "a pride of not only the people of Mumbai, but of the entire country".

The penguins, kept in quarantine area of the Zoo since July last year, were moved to the public exhibit area on March 6 after requisite tests.

Eight penguins — three males and five females — were procured from Coex Aquarium in Seoul, South Korea, in July last year.

However, one of the birds died in October due to bacterial infection.

The newly-built enclosure is spread over 1,800 sq ft and consists of a water pool, accommodation area, air handling units and a cooling system.

Shiv Sena youth wing leader Aaditya Thackeray tweeted that the penguin enclosure would be a "massive attraction".

"I'm extremely proud that we are the first and only city in India to have these beautiful penguins at our zoo," he said.

Former national racing champion Ashwin Sundar and his wife Niveditha died in a mishap at MRC Nagar here on Saturday.

According to police sources, the car in which the two were traveling caught fire after it hit a roadside tree.

Sundar and his wife were charred to death inside the vehicle, the police sources said.

The burning of the car was streamed live on Facebook which instantly went viral on social media.

Police officials claimed that the racer's over speeding was the reason behind the crash.

Fire and rescue services personnel from Mylapore also rushed to spot but it took around half-an-hour to put out the fire.

FMSCI chief Akbar Ebrahim and former Indian F1 driver Karun Chadhok wrote condolence messages on Facebook.

Sundar had won the national title in car racing and two-wheeler events on several occasions. His wife Niveditha was a doctor in a private hospital in Chennai.