The nearly 300-km long Srinagar Jammu National Highway (NH) was again closed on Monday with fresh landslides occurring at a few places along the road, a day after it was reopened for traffic.

The only all-weather road connecting the Valley to the rest of India, the highway was opened yesterday for one-way traffic after remaining closed for four days.

"The National Highway was once again closed for traffic as fresh landslides occurred at few places along the highway," a Traffic Department official said here.

A portion of the road in Panthyal was damaged because of landslide, he said.

No traffic was allowed to ply from either side of the highway this morning, the official said.

The road was closed on Wednesday after heavy rains triggered landslides at many places in Banihal and Ramban sectors.

The official said efforts were being made to make the National Highway two-way traffic worthy as soon as possible.

In a major development in the state after the Assembly election results were declared on Saturday, Manipur Governor Najma Heptullah has on Monday asked the state's Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh to resign so that the process of formation of the next government can be started.
 
The Manipur Raj Bhavan, however, denied reports of calling any party to form the government.
 
The BJP is confident of claiming its stake to form a government in Manipur, after the National People's Party (NPP) and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) extended their support, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav had said on Sunday.
 
Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister and Congress leader Okram Ibobi Singh on Sunday met Governor Najma Heptulla to stake a claim to form the next state government.
 
Earlier in the day, Ibobi was re-elected as the Congress Legislature Party leader in the meeting for the fourth time.
 
BJP submitted a list of 32 MLAs to Governor Najma Heptullah on Sunday and furnished letters of support from regional parties.
 
BJP claimed the support of National People's Party (4 MLAs), Naga People's Front (4), LJP (1) and two others.
 
In the final results after counting votes on Saturday, the Congress was leading with 28 seats against BJP's 21, an impressive performance by all accounts.

All limits on savings bank cash withdrawals post-demonetisation ended on Monday, as had been announced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) last month.

In a two-stage process, the weekly withdrawal limit per account had been raised to Rs.50,000, from Rs.24,000, with effect from February 20, and all limits on ATM withdrawals were slated to cease from March 13.

The announcement had been made by RBI Deputy Governor R. Gandhi following the fiscal's last monetary policy review announcement by the central bank in February, when it kept its key interest rate unchanged at 6.25 per cent, saying it awaited data on the full impact of the government's demonetisation drive.

On January 30, the RBI had ended all curbs on withdrawals from Current Accounts, Cash Credit Accounts and Overdraft Accounts.

The limits were placed following the November 8 demonetisation of Rs.1,000 and Rs.500 notes. The upper limit at ATMs was just Rs.2,500 initially and was later raised to Rs.4,500.

In January, the RBI had hiked the daily ATM withdrawal limit to Rs.10,000 and doubled the weekly Current Account withdrawal limit to Rs.1 lakh.

The upper limit for weekly withdrawal from bank accounts had been raised to Rs.24,000 from Rs.20,000 in November.

While lifting of ATM withdrawal limits represents coming full circle for these machines in respect of demonetisation, the return to normalcy in terms of cash available in them is still awaited, indicating the slow pace of remonetisation.

The saffron tsunami which swept Uttar Pradesh also blew away almost three-fourths of ministers in the Akhilesh Yadav government who had entered electoral fray.

Veteran Samajwadi Party leader and Assembly Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey also failed to hold ground in his traditional Itwa seat, losing the seat to the BJP and slipping to the third spot.

Notable cabinet colleagues of outgoing Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav who lost at the hustings included his close confidants Arvind Singh Gope and Abhishek Misra from Ramnagar and Lucknow North respectively.

Akhilesh's decision to stay put with his tainted minister Gayatri Prajapati and re-nominate him from Amethi also failed to find favour with the electorate.

Prajapati, considered close to SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav, warmed his way into the Akhilesh camp in the midst of family feud and got the ticket despite the new equation denying tickets to most of those who were close to the earlier order in the party.

Despite rape charges against him and the Supreme Court intervening in the case, the party stuck with Prajapati from Amethi but the electorate which did not show any liking for him.

Prajapati, who went underground a few days after polling, was attacked by BJP leaders all through the campaigning especially by BJP chief Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Supreme Court also ordered a CBI probe into illegal mining in the mines department headed by Prajapati.

Among others who could not cut ice with the electorate are cabinet ministers Ravidas Mehrotra (Lucknow central), Shivakant Ojha (Raniganj), Ziyauddin Rizvi (Sikanderpur), Awdhesh Prasad (Milkipur), Vinod Kumar alias Pandit Singh (Tarabganj), Rammurti Verma (Akbarpur), Shankhlal Majhi (Jalalpur), Ramkaran Arya (Mahadeva), Brahmhashanker Tripathi (Kushinagar), Kamal Akhtar (Hasanpur), Riyaz Ahmed (Pilibhit) and Shahid Manzoor (Kithore). 

Non-life insurance companies posted over 33 percent increase in their gross premium income (direct premium income underwritten) to Rs.10,287.7 crore in February as compared to Rs.7,710.81 crore in the year-ago month.

According to data compiled by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA), private sector general insurers' gross direct premium income underwritten in February stood at Rs.4,425.51 crore, up by 31 percent from Rs.3,391.03 crore.

The same for four public general insurers in the last month was at Rs.4,398.87 crore, registering a 25 percent growth, from Rs.3,523.45 crore.

Standalone private health insurers' gross direct premium income underwritten was at Rs.573.13 crore in February from Rs 398.64 crore in the year-ago month.

As many as 29 non-life insurers, in the first 11 months (April-February) of the current fiscal, reported 31.69 percent increase in their gross direct premium income underwritten to Rs.1,13,942.28 crore as compared to Rs.86,526.19 crore in the corresponding period last year.

In fact, public non-life insurers gross premium income during April-February stood at Rs.61,096.32 crore, up by about 30 percent from Rs.47,124.95 crore in the corresponding period last year.

Similarly, private players' premium income in the period (April-February) was at Rs.52,845.96 crore, registering a 34 percent growth over Rs.39,401.23 crore in the same period last year.

Public general insurers have the market share of 53.62 percent while private players have 46.38 percent.

The JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi is set to host its first ever Test match, third of the four-match Test series between India and Australia, starting Thursday.

Virat Kohli-led Indians won the second match by 75 runs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore to level series by 1-1. Therefore, the Ranchi Test would be a crucial Test of the thrilling series.

Ahead of Ranchi’s first ever Test match, SB Singh, the chief curator of Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) assured it would be a complete five-day contest, unlike previous two Tests that resulted in three and four days respectively.

The nature of the Ranchi turf assists spinners the most and offers them tremendous grip and turn with the ball. Indian tweaker Ravindra Jadeja, while playing for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), has taken advantage of the conditions with his left-arm spin.

In the 2014 edition of the IPL, Jadeja claimed eight wickets in four matches, highest numbers at the venue. Watching this, Jadeja will look to shine for the National side as well and come out in bright colours at the JSCA International Stadium Complex.

Captain Kohli, who hasn’t posted a mark with his willow yet, has led the blue battalion well, especially the bowling unit.

The spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Jadeja has been undefeatable so far as they claimed 15 and 12 respectively in past two Test matches.

Delhi-born off-spinner Jayant Yadav, who claimed two big wickets in the first Test at Pune, may make his cut in the playing eleven at Ranchi to support the formidable pair of Ashwin-Jadeja.

For Australia, the pair of Steve O'Keefe and Nathan Lyon has impacted the same as Ashwin-Jadeja, in fact, more intensively at times. O’Keefe and Lyon took 15 and 13 wickets respectively in past two matches that were closely contested.

In the batting department, Australia’s top-order consisting Matt Renshaw, David Warner and captain Steve Smith have been stronger so far. The three batsmen scored 164, 98 and 172 runs in previous two Tests.

For India, opener KL Rahul has been the lone warrior with the willow as he scored 215 runs. However, the 92-run knock by Cheteshwar Pujara in the second innings of the Bangalore Test promised a return of good form.

Amidst all preparations, Australia recently suffered a jolt as two of their star campaigners Mitchell March and Mitchell Starc suffered injuries and were ruled out of the series.

Spearhead Pat Cummins will fill Starc’s shoes, while top-order batsman Usman Khawaja, replacing Marsh, is expected to feature in the eleven for the Ranchi Test.

India Probable XI: Virat Kohli (C), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Ishant Sharma, Murali Vijay, Jayant Yadav, Umesh Yadav

Australia Probable XI: David Warner, Matt Renshaw, Steve Smith (C), Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Usman Khawaja, Matthew Wade (WK), Pat Cummins, Steve O'Keefe, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
 

Singer Gwen Stefani says she was nervous about working with her beau Blake Shelton in the singing reality show "The Voice".

"I feel like when we were coming back this season, I was a little nervous. I was like, 'This is going to be weird!' But, you know, the show is so real. All it is, is us just being there and being us. So, it's been really fun," Stefani told etonline.

She added: "Obviously, any time I can be around Blake is a blessing."

The "Rich girl" singer previously said that she stopped asking Shelton for advice on her contestants because he is "the enemy".

She said: "I was nervous at first. I was like, 'Wait, is this going to be awkward? How am I going to act? 'It's just natural. Sometimes it is a little bit (weird). We're driving home and I'm like, 'Do you think I should put them together?' And then I'm like, 'Wait a minute! 

"I'm not going to talk to you about this! I don't know if you are the enemy. This is confusing.' We actually do help each other, and I've learned a lot about country music – just in (the) last year – through him."

However, she largely feels "comfortable" working on the talent show as the coaches, which this year also include Adam Levine and Alicia Keys, have such a great bond, she added.

Former Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson has called India captain Virat Kohli "frustrated" at not being able to score big runs in the ongoing Test series.

"He's obviously quite passionate, but I just think he's frustrated because he hasn't scored a run and he's letting his emotions get the better of him," Johnson wrote in his blog on foxsports.com.au.

During the second Test in Bengaluru, Kohli and his Australian counterpart Steve Smith clashed on the controversial DRS call with the Indian alleging that Smith repeatedly sought DRS inputs from the dressing room.

A day after Kohli lambasted the Australian team and just about stopped short of calling Smith a 'cheat', the Cricket Boards of India and Australia waded into the controversy by coming out with statements backing their respective captains.

Johnson further said, "You could sense the vibe change halfway through the match and it coincided with India getting ahead in the game.

"Obviously whenever there's a wicket the cameras go straight to Kohli to see his reaction — they know they're going to get those kind of reactions from him.

"And they did! He was giving a send-off to just about every player, which you've got to be very careful with. It can happen sometimes, when you're pumped up and you get a bit too fired up."

Johnson recalled the verbal duels he had with Kohli in the past.

"I felt completely at home watching the action as Australia and India went toe-to-toe in the second Test because of one man: Virat Kohli. Virat was in the thick of everything.

"He was pumping up the crowd, giving every Australian player a send-off and generally being fired up. It reminded me very much of my playing days because, well, I had a few run-ins with Virat."

The fast bowler spoke about a specific incident involving Kohli and himself in the Boxing Day Test in 2014.

"To be honest, I think it was every time we played. He hasn't had any time for me since the Boxing Day Test in 2014, when he finished the day saying he had no respect for me.

"The moment that changed everything was when he blocked a ball back to me and I threw it back at the stumps, seeing Virat was out of his crease and thinking it was a chance of a run out. The only problem was that Virat was in the way.

"He got hit in the back and I apologised straight away because it was a complete accident, but that message didn't seem to get through. There were plenty of verbals after that and he hasn't really stopped since.

The golden rays of the setting sun partially clothed the elegant buildings on the far end of the street with an unrealistic hue mostly seen in pictures with added filters.

Then, to top that, there was this gentle breeze from the sea blowing against our tired faces after a day’s exploring through the city’s Gothic Quarters. It was all worth it.

Welcome to Barcelona! Spain’s second city and the capital of the region of Catalunya, Barcelona is often considered as one of the most vibrant and cosmopolitan places in the country.

The city, which received Christopher Columbus after his first trip to America, where giants like Picasso, Salvador Dali, and Gaudi, lived and worked at the same time.

We start exploring the city from PlacaCatalunya. Pedestrian paths leading to the Gothic Quarters, the Ramblas, the Columbus monument and other popular landmarks all start from PlacaCatalunya, which is the city’s main square.

PlacaCatalunya is often full of locals enjoying the sun or catching up with friends; you see kid’s playing all over the square and tourists taking photographs of the decorative fountains and the many statues of famous Catalans. It is a lively people scene all throughout the day, good for taking a quick break and for some people watching.

The Ramblas is Barcelona’s famed boulevard for leisurely strolls and instinctive shopping, enjoyed by both tourists and locals alike. It is a broad passageway for pedestrians lined on both sides by shady trees, and full of life and colour. You will see jugglers, magicians, dress-up statue artists, hawkers selling exotic items, small book and souvenir shops and of course restaurants.

At the end of the Ramblas stands the 60m tall Columbus monument that was constructed to honour Columbus’ maiden voyage to the Americas.

The Gothic Quarters, just north of the Ramblas, is the old centre of the city with beautiful squares, narrow lanes, and a maze of shops and galleries. It was in one of these lanes that Farhan Akhtar and Abhay Deol spent an afternoon looking for a gallery in the Bollywood movie Zindagi Na MilegiDobara.

The Gothic Centre is a delight to explore with churches and cathedrals from the Roman era at every corner, exquisite statues and street musicians vying for your attention, and among other things a must-visit for many – the Picasso museum. Perhaps the most popular landmark of Barcelona would be the Sagrada Familia, the yet unfinished Catholic Church designed by Gaudi.

The Nativity facade on the East of Sagrada Familia is dedicated to the birth of Jesus and bears most of Gaudi’s work. While the Passion facade on the West was constructed after Gaudi’s death, much of the work on Sagrada Familia still remains unfinished. Gaudi’s work on the building is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For architecture and design aficionados Barcelona will leave you wanting for more. Casa Mila, Case Battlo, and Park Guell are best known privately-commissioned works of Gaudi and in spite of the entry fees, you’d definitely want in. Barcelona’s Eixample district is where, back in the day, the wealthy residents of the city built their modernista-styled houses with a distinct and colourful fairytalelike design.

The sophisticated design with elaborate carvings and abundance of art nouveau frills everywhere will be enough to keep you gawking for an entire afternoon! Back into the city centre, you might want to browse through the streets and pick your favourites from the countless tapas bars, taste the local draft beer, or spend an evening or two appreciating flamenco performances, which are popular all over the country.

Locals usually head to bars with live music where they have flamenco performances every week. And while you are still in Barcelona, don’t miss a lazy day at the beach, the view of the entire city at sunrise from the Bunkers of Carmel, and (especially for the supporters of FC Barcelona) the Camp Nou experience.

Airlines are likely to close the outgoing financial year with 22-23 per cent traffic growth, making it one of the best for the sector, even though the pressure on their bottom line is increasing as oil prices are on a northward-ho, says a report.

"Airlines are maintaining healthy load factors backed by low fares. But since oil prices are on an uptrend, impact on profitability in Q4 is inevitable as average ATF price during the quarter are 37.9 per cent higher YoY, while the yields continue to remain under pressure," says an Icra report.

The fuel cost per ASKM increased to Rs 1.16 in January from a low of Rs 0.82 a year ago, and the same is expected to increase further in February and March, according to Icra.

Backed by competitive pricing, the industry reported stellar passenger load factor of 84.4 per cent during the first 10 months of the year, which is also one of the best amongst the key markets in the world. The PLF stood at 88.3 per cent in January.

The aviation industry has reported YoY passenger traffic growth of 23.2 per cent during the first 10 months of the current financial year and is heading towards completing one of the best years in terms of passenger traffic growth, says the report.

The domestic passenger growth for last five years stood at 12.9 per cent, 5.3 per cent, 4.6 per cent, 15.5 per cent and 22.1 per cent, and the industry is likely to surpass the last year growth rate, making the domestic market the fastest growing in the world.

In January, traffic growth rose to healthy at 25.3 per cent, while the international traffic growth was moderate at 8.8 per cent. For the full year till January however this is the highest in world with 17.8 per cent growth in traffic.

The industry capacity, measured in available seat kilometres or ASKMs, reported 20.6 per cent YoY growth during the first 10 months of the year. Except Air Costa and Air Pegasus (which halted operations since August 2016), all the airlines reported capacity growth during the year.

Indigo continued to enjoy the leadership position with a market share of 40.1 per cent in the first 10 month fiscal 2017. This is the fifth year of market leadership for the airline as well as the first airline to achieve 40 per cent market share in the past eight years.

While Jet Airways and Air India continue to concede market shares, the new players Vistara and AirAsia, have reported gradual expansion in their market shares to 2.7 per cent and 2.5 per cent respectively, during the first 10 months of the year.

Certain words used on social media platforms like Flickr can warn us about extreme weather events before they happen — such as hurricanes, storms and floods, suggests new research.

Photographs and key words posted online can signal weather risks developing in specific locations and times — for example, posts about water levels rising can alert the authorities to a potential flood, said the study published in the journal PLOS One.

"Our analysis demonstrates that metadata in social media image postings enables them to be used as 'social sensors', which can serve as a valuable supplement to instrument-based systems for predicting and monitoring floods, and other kinds of natural hazards," said one of the researchers, Nataliya Tkachenko, from Warwick Institute for the Science of Cities, University of Warwick in Britain.

The researchers found that tracking certain words used in social media posts around the time of an extreme weather event — such as water and river when there is a flood risk — allows information to be collated to accurately predict which areas will be affected, and how big the impact will be to the infrastructure and human life.

"The opportunities represented by these new data sources are truly exciting as they can help to protect homes, save lives and design more resilient cities," Tkachenko said.

The researchers tracked photos and videos with tags such as river, water and landscape on the social media platform Flickr between 2004 and 2014.

Whilst these words can be used to generally describe natural scenery, the researchers found that in certain time periods before the peak of extreme weather events — and in the locations where they occurred — these words took on a distinct meaning of forecast and warning, showing the weather worsening.

These risk-signalling words can act as 'social sensors', which when used alongside physical meteorological sensors can help to improve the prediction and monitoring of the behaviour and severity of an evolving weather event in multiple areas.

Malaysia says it will give relatives of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half brother two to three weeks to claim his body before deciding what to do with it.

Malaysia says Kim Jong Nam died after two women smeared his face with a banned nerve agent at Kuala Lumpur's airport last month.

North Korea rejects the findings and has demanded the body back. Pyongyang also has refused to acknowledge that Kim Jong Nam was the victim and has referred to him as Kim Chol, the name on the passport Kim was carrying when he was attacked.

On Friday, Malaysian police confirmed that Kim Chol and Kim Jong Nam was the same person.

Health Minister Subramaniam Sathasivam said Monday that Malaysia now hopes Kim's family members will claim the body.

Israel-based cyber security firm Check Point has detected a malware that is not downloaded due to users' use but is already present in Android device.

According to a company blog post last week, the pre-installed malware was detected in 38 Android devices, belonging to a large telecommunications company and a multinational technology company. 

"The malicious apps were not part of the official ROM supplied by the vendor, and were added somewhere along the supply chain," the company said.

The malware added to the devices' ROM could not be removed by the users, therefore, the devices had to be re-flashed.

The research team at Check Point found that one of the pre-installed malwares was Slocker, a mobile ransomware, that uses the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption algorithm to encrypt all files on the device and demand ransom in return for their decryption key.

"The most notable rough adnet which targeted the devices is the Loki Malware. This complex malware operates by using several different components; each has its own functionality and role in achieving the malware's malicious goal," the cyber security firm said.

Pre-installed malwares steal data from the devices and are installed to system, taking full control of the device.

The cyber security firm suggested users to protect themselves from regular and pre-installed malware by implementing advanced security measures capable of identifying and blocking any abnormality in the device's behaviour.

An archaeological treasure trove on the site of a planned metro station in central Algiers is set to become a museum, opening a window on 2,000 years of history.

The site, close to the Algerian capital's UNESCO-listed casbah, has yielded remains from the city's Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and French periods.

"It was spectacular," said archaeologist Kamel Stiti, co-director of the excavations. "In one look, you could see two millennia of Algiers' history." 

The remains, on the location of a Roman port town called Icosium, were discovered in 2009 when the ministry of culture ordered surveys along the planned metro line.

Archaeologists have since discovered coins, weapons, a public building paved with 5th century mosaics and a large 7th century Byzantine necropolis containing several dozen graves.

They also found parts of the Ottoman-era Es Sayida mosque, which French authorities flattened in 1831, shortly after their conquest of the North African country.

The colonial government put a public square in its place and called it King's Square and later, Government Square. It was re-named Martyrs Square after the country's hard-won independence in 1962.

Experts had believed that few pre-colonial artefacts remained on the site, but many of the ruins turned out to be surprisingly well-preserved, Stiti said.

The 3,000-square-metre (32,300-square-foot) site was deemed so important that the municipality adapted its plans for the metro station, a move Stiti said was a first in Algeria.

The site will now become a museum incorporated into the station, which, in turn, will take up less than half its planned 8,000 square metres.

The tunnel will go as deep as 35 metres (115 feet) in order to work around the remains.

The Martyrs Square station is set to open in November, part of an extension to the main metro line inaugurated in October 2011.

The museum will open shortly afterwards, covering 1,200 square metres and organised chronologically. 

With Goa Governor Mridula Sinha clearing the decks for Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to form government in the state, the Union minister has on Monday resigned from his position as MoD ahead of the swearing-in ceremony on March 14 at 5 pm.

“I have tendered my resignation as Defence Minister and have sent it to the PMO,” Parrikar was quopted as saying to a news agency.

Parrikar was appointed as the chief minister of Goa by state Governor Mridula Sinha after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staked claim to form government despite being a runner-up behind the Congress in the Goa Assembly elections 2017.

The Governor has asked Parrikar to prove majority within 15 days of administration of oath of office and secrecy. Parrikar was also asked to submit evidence of support of 21 MLAs before the Governor.

Late on Sunday, the BJP declared Manohar Parrikar as the chief minister of Goa and sealed its candidature by garnering support from Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and Goa Forward Party (GFP).

In the 40-member Goa Assembly, the Congress has 17 MLAs, followed by the BJP with 13, MGP (3), GFP (3), NCP (1) and Independents (3). A party needed support of 21 legislators to form the government.

Earlier on March 12, Union Minister for Roads, Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari had said that Parrikar will resign as Defence Minister before he takes oath of office as Goa chief minister.

Five-time former champion Novak Djokovic dug deep against Kyle Edmund on Sunday to advance to a mouthwatering  third-round clash against Juan Martin del Potro at the ongoing Indian Wells Open.

Edmund was serving for the second set at 5-3, but could not close it out as Djokovic fought back with a break in the ninth game and sealed a 6-4, 7-6(5) victory in the ensuing tie-break after one hour and 51 minutes.

The 22-year-old Edmund has come to taken a set off Djokovic in three meetings with the World No. 2, but came mighty close on Sunday. The 29-year-old Djokovic improved to a 48-6 mark at Indian Wells where he has lifted the trophy the past three years.

It will be the pair’s 17th contest, and on the rarest of occasions are they straightforward. Djokovic leads their ATP head-to-head 12-4, but their past two matches saw del Potro thwart Djokovic in two tie-breaks at the Rio Olympics, before the Serbian prevailed in three sets just last week in Acapulco.

Djokovic is looking for a return to top form, after a surprise defeat to Denis Istomin in the Australian Open second round preceded by a quarter-final exit against Nick Kyrgios in Acapulco. Should he find a way past del Potro, Djokovic could earn a shot at revenge against Kyrgios in the fourth-round before a potential quarter-final showdown with Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal.

In an all-Argentine clash earlier, del Potro recorded a 7-6(5), 6-3 victory over Federico Delbonis.

After hitting an improbable tweener-lob winner early on, del Potro fended off set point at 30/40 in the 10th game before sealing the opener in the ensuing tie-break.

The Tandil native claimed the only break of the match in the fourth game of the second set to prevail in one hour and 51 minutes. 
The 28-year-old del Potro is playing just his third tournament of the season after taking time at the start of the year to work more on his fitness.

The 31st seed has found Indian Wells to be a happy hunting ground in recent years, reaching the final in 2013 and the semifinals in 2011 (losing to Nadal on both occasions). 

Bollywood actors, including Amitabh Bachchan, Anushka Sharma and Sonakshi Sinha on Monday sent Holi wishes to their fans, urging them to enjoy a safe and happy festival of colours.

Some celebrities even urged their fans to avoid throwing Holi colours on animals. They took to Twitter to reach out to their loved ones. Here's what they had to say:

Amitabh Bachchan: The quieter you become the more you can hear… Happy Holi.

Anupam Kher: Happy Holi to All. Even the Los Angeles sky is celebrating Holi.

Priyanka Chopra: Do me a favour let's play Holi! Here is wishing everyone a safe beautiful wonder filled Holi.

Salim Khan: Nothing succeeds like success. There can be numerous reasons for a faliure but there cant be any excuse. Happy Holi to everyone.

Ajay Devgn: Wishing you all a colourful Happy Holi

Manoj Bajpayee: Happy holi to all of you.

Anushka Sharma: Shashi was there jab ispe rang daala gaya. Jaanwaron ko rang pasand nahi.Insaan sirf insaano ke saath Holi khelein please! (Shashi was there when colour was put on this animal. Animals don't like colours. Please only play Holi with human beings) Happy and safe Holi. 

Juhi Chawla: Wishing all of you a very Happy Holi. 247 years old painting of Lord Krishna celebrating Holi festival with Radha. 

Madhuri Dixit-Nene: Happy Holi from Japan!

Sunny Leone: Happy Holi everyone!!! Be safe and don't hurt the animals!!

Tahir Raj Bhasin: Celebrate in high spirit, have an unforgettable Holi…Happy Holi.

Vikram Bhatt: Found this and loved it. Wishing everyone a very Happy and colourful Holi! Play safe.

Sudhir Mishra: India will b what its people want it to be , meanwhile Happy Holi !

Madhur Bhandarkar: May God paint the canvas of our life with the colours of joy, 
love, happiness, prosperity, good health and success. Wishing you all…Happy Holi.

Esha Gupta: Wishing all of you a very colourful and a safe Holi! Happy Holi.

Preity Zinta: Happy Holi everyone. May the festival of colours bring all the happiness, light and colour into ur lives and take away the darkness. Ting…Holi

Riteish Deshmukh: Happiness comes in various colours…Happy Holi … Have a great one, safe one and most importantly a responsible one.

Raghu Ram: Happy Holi, everyone! Hope you have lots of fun!

Ranvir Shorey: Happy Holi!

Divya Dutta: A very happy holi.

Disha Patani: Yeyyy happy Holi everyone.

Kim Sharma: Happy Holi! Play safe.

Karishma Tanna: Wishing You and your family happy Holi.