The Supreme Court on Monday indicated that top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including LK Advani, may face trial in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

The apex court’s order on March 22 will examine conspiracy charges against Advani and other BJP leaders such as Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti.

The decision was taken after a bench of justices RS Nariman and PC Ghosh heard a petition filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) challenging the Allahabad High Court’s acquittal order on charges of criminal conspiracies in the 1992 demolition of the 16th Century mosque–Babri Masjid in Ayodha.

A new television series Believer With Reza Aslan has sparked off a controversy and many have taken to social networking sites to express their anger.

The first trailer of the Believer… shows Varanasi, the city of light, in a different light. This has drawn flak from people worldwide.

While the TV channel maintains that the show is a spiritual adventure series, which follows renowned author Reja Aslan, the trailer suggests Varanasi has become a giant crematorium. This has set Twitter abuzz with a lot of reactions.

Extremely vexed by it, a Hindu organisation in the United States, American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD), issued a statement, accusing the television channel of promoting xenophobia and, especially, Hinduphobia.

Among them, prominent Indian writer, Amish Tripathi tweeted, “We Indians do not call Kashi the City of the Dead. It's the City of Light. Perhaps you guys should do some actual research.”

Also, calling the series ‘Hinduphobic’ Indian-American writer and Hindu activist, Rajiv Malhotra wrote, “Our new serial (Believer..) is heavily Hinduphobic. Ashes are immersed, not ‘dumped’.”

Interestingly, according to Rejan Aslan, who takes the audience through the trailer said that, ‘Believer With Reza Aslan’ is the first television series whose TV crew was allowed to film from inside the burning ghats of Varanasi.

The author even took to social media to hit back at the critics. alleging the series was “Hinduphobic”. “Unlike you Hindu-American Foundation actually watched the episode and disagrees that it is "Hinduphobic" but go on,” he wrote.

Actor Imran Khan, who was last seen in Nikhil Advani's Katti Batti, is all set to turn a director. If sources are to be believed, the 34-year-old actor is currently penning a script with Ayesha DeVitre, who had earlier written for films like Kapoor & Sons and Imran's own film, Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu.

While Imran is heard to be excited about his directorial debut, he is apparently not planning to act in the film as he wants to concentrate on one thing at a time. The actor, however, has not given any official confirmation on the same.

The O Panneerselvam faction on Monday met Greater Chennai Police Commissioner S George for the second time, seeking permission to observe a one-day fast here, part of their March 8 state-wide stir in district capitals, seeking an independent probe into the demise of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.

"Since only two more days are left, we came here to remind him again", former AIADMK Minister K P Munuswamy told reporters after presenting a memorandum to the Commissioner.

On February 28, the Panneerselvam's faction, led by AIADMK Party Presidium Chairman E Madhusudhanan, said it would observe a one day fast in all district capitals across Tamil Nadu on March 8, seeking an independent probe into the demise of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa.

"The silence maintained by the Tamil Nadu government on the issue has caused worry to the people of the state and to the true loyalists of Amma (J Jayalalithaa)," he had said.

Madhusudhanan had also met the Commissioner, seeking permission to conduct the agitation in a peaceful manner.

Misbah-ul-Haq will lead Pakistan in next month's Test tour of West Indies, ending speculation about his immediate future as captain of the side.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that the 42-year-old Misbah will continue to lead Pakistan in the three-match Test series scheduled from April 22.

The Tests will be preceded by a limited-overs series of four Twenty20s and three one-dayers.

The PCB said in a statement that Misbah has conveyed his availability for the tour to Board Chairman Shaharyar Khan.

"Accordingly the Chairman has approved his appointment as captain of the Pakistan test team for the upcoming Test series in West Indies," the statement said.

"The Chairman has also approved the appointment of Sarfaraz Ahmad as vice-captain of the Pakistan Test side," it added.

Sarfaraz is already the captain of the ODI and T20 national sides after Azhar Ali stepped down as captain of the one-day team at the start of the Pakistan Super League in February.

The announcement brings to an end a debate which has been raging since February on whether Misbah would continue as captain or batsman for the tour of West Indies.

Misbah had earlier said he wanted to carry on playing as batsman and do well for his team but it was up to the board to appoint him as captain or not.

The senior batsman has led Pakistan in 53 of his 72 Tests since late 2010 and is Pakistan's most successful captain in the five-day format.

Soy products such as tofu are safe for women diagnosed with breast cancer, and may even prolong their survival, a new study has found.

Soy foods are considered among the healthiest for human consumption, but their oestrogen-like properties have raised concerns of a potential increased risk of breast cancer.

This is because in hormone receptor-positive cancer, the most common form of the disease, there are some concerns that high oestrogen levels help cancer cells grow and spread, though this remains controversial.

"Isoflavones – the component of soy that has oestrogen-like properties – have been shown to slow the growth of breast cancer cells in laboratory studies," said Fang Fang Zhang, from the Tufts University in the US.

"Epidemiological analyses in East Asian women with breast cancer found links between higher isoflavone intake and reduced mortality," said Zhang.

"Other research has suggested that the oestrogen-like effects of isoflavones may reduce the effectiveness of hormone therapies used to treat breast cancer," she said.

"Because of this disparity, it remains unknown whether isoflavone consumption should be encouraged or avoided for breast cancer patients," she added.

To provide some clarity, researchers looked at the relationship between dietary intake of isoflavones and death from any cause in 6235 American and Canadian women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Over a median follow-up of nine years, women with breast cancer who consumed high amounts of isoflavones had a 21 per cent lower risk of dying than women who consumed low amounts.

This decrease was largely confined to women with hormone receptor-negative tumours and women who were not treated with anti-oestrogen therapy such as tamoxifen (which blocks the effects of oestrogen).

In contrast to some previous research, high levels of isoflavone intake were not associated with greater mortality among women receiving hormonal therapy.

"Based on our results, we do not see a detrimental effect of soy food intake among women who were treated with endocrine therapy," said Zhang.

"For women with hormone receptor-negative breast cancer, soy food products may potentially have a protective effect," she said.

"Women who did not receive endocrine therapy as a treatment for their breast cancer had a weaker, but still statistically significant, association," she added.

More than 20 per cent of all new breast cancer cases with known oestrogen and progesterone receptor status are receptor-negative, and they have poorer survival rates than hormone receptor-positive cases.

"Whether lifestyle factors can improve survival after diagnosis is an important question for women diagnosed with this more aggressive type of breast cancer," said Zhang.

"Our findings suggest that survival may be better in patients with a higher consumption of isoflavones," she said.

Soy products such as tofu are safe for women diagnosed with breast cancer, and may even prolong their survival, a new study has found.

Soy foods are considered among the healthiest for human consumption, but their oestrogen-like properties have raised concerns of a potential increased risk of breast cancer.

This is because in hormone receptor-positive cancer, the most common form of the disease, there are some concerns that high oestrogen levels help cancer cells grow and spread, though this remains controversial.

"Isoflavones – the component of soy that has oestrogen-like properties – have been shown to slow the growth of breast cancer cells in laboratory studies," said Fang Fang Zhang, from the Tufts University in the US.

"Epidemiological analyses in East Asian women with breast cancer found links between higher isoflavone intake and reduced mortality," said Zhang.

"Other research has suggested that the oestrogen-like effects of isoflavones may reduce the effectiveness of hormone therapies used to treat breast cancer," she said.

"Because of this disparity, it remains unknown whether isoflavone consumption should be encouraged or avoided for breast cancer patients," she added.

To provide some clarity, researchers looked at the relationship between dietary intake of isoflavones and death from any cause in 6235 American and Canadian women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Over a median follow-up of nine years, women with breast cancer who consumed high amounts of isoflavones had a 21 per cent lower risk of dying than women who consumed low amounts.

This decrease was largely confined to women with hormone receptor-negative tumours and women who were not treated with anti-oestrogen therapy such as tamoxifen (which blocks the effects of oestrogen).

In contrast to some previous research, high levels of isoflavone intake were not associated with greater mortality among women receiving hormonal therapy.

"Based on our results, we do not see a detrimental effect of soy food intake among women who were treated with endocrine therapy," said Zhang.

"For women with hormone receptor-negative breast cancer, soy food products may potentially have a protective effect," she said.

"Women who did not receive endocrine therapy as a treatment for their breast cancer had a weaker, but still statistically significant, association," she added.

More than 20 per cent of all new breast cancer cases with known oestrogen and progesterone receptor status are receptor-negative, and they have poorer survival rates than hormone receptor-positive cases.

"Whether lifestyle factors can improve survival after diagnosis is an important question for women diagnosed with this more aggressive type of breast cancer," said Zhang.

"Our findings suggest that survival may be better in patients with a higher consumption of isoflavones," she said.

A court here on Monday directed the Delhi Police to file an action taken report in a criminal complaint seeking lodging of an FIR in the Ramjas College incident in which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

Metropolitan Magistrate Abhilash Malhotra asked the SHO of Maurice Nagar police station in north Delhi to file the report and listed the matter for further hearing on March 30.

"Notice be issued to the SHO concerned to file Action Taken Report before the court on March 30," the court said.

During the hearing, complainant and advocate Vivek Garg submitted that the leaders/students from All India Students Association (AISA)/ Students Federation of India (SFI) allegedly raised anti-national slogans in Ramjas College on February 21 when a seminar was organised there.

The court was hearing the complaint after it was transferred before it by Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Satish Kumar Arora.

A court here on Monday directed the Delhi Police to file an action taken report in a criminal complaint seeking lodging of an FIR in the Ramjas College incident in which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

Metropolitan Magistrate Abhilash Malhotra asked the SHO of Maurice Nagar police station in north Delhi to file the report and listed the matter for further hearing on March 30.

"Notice be issued to the SHO concerned to file Action Taken Report before the court on March 30," the court said.

During the hearing, complainant and advocate Vivek Garg submitted that the leaders/students from All India Students Association (AISA)/ Students Federation of India (SFI) allegedly raised anti-national slogans in Ramjas College on February 21 when a seminar was organised there.

The court was hearing the complaint after it was transferred before it by Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Satish Kumar Arora.

Reclaiming the 29,000 mark, key benchmark indices closed Monday’s trading session on a positive note amid fresh buying by investors and mixed Asian cues.

The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) ended 216 points higher at 29,048 and the Nifty at the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed 66 points up at 8,963.

In the broader markets, BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices rose 0.6 per cent and 0.4 per cent respectively.

All the BSE sectoral indices, except the IT index, closed in the positive zone with Oil & Gas index leading the gains, up 1.3 per cent. IT index slipped 0.1 per cent.

On Friday, the Sensex had closed seven points down at 28,832 and the Nifty had closed two points lower at 8,898.

Top gainers in the Sensex-30 pack: Reliance Industries (up 3.7 per cent), Adani Ports (up 2.5 per cent), Tata Motors (up 2.3 per cent), Bharti Airtel (up 1.8 per cent) and SBI (up 1.8 per cent).

Top losers in the Sensex-30 pack: TCS (down 0.9 per cent), HUL (down 0.7 per cent), Dr Reddy’s Labs (down 0.6 per cent), HDFC (down 0.4 per cent), and Tata Steel (down 0.4 per cent).

Asian markets were trading with mixed moves. China’s Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.5 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index slipped 0.5 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng increased 0.2 per cent and Singapore’s Straits Times Index fell 0.1 per cent.

Meanwhile, the Rupee was trading 11 paise higher at 66.70 against the US Dollar.

Reclaiming the 29,000 mark, key benchmark indices closed Monday’s trading session on a positive note amid fresh buying by investors and mixed Asian cues.

The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) ended 216 points higher at 29,048 and the Nifty at the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed 66 points up at 8,963.

In the broader markets, BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices rose 0.6 per cent and 0.4 per cent respectively.

All the BSE sectoral indices, except the IT index, closed in the positive zone with Oil & Gas index leading the gains, up 1.3 per cent. IT index slipped 0.1 per cent.

On Friday, the Sensex had closed seven points down at 28,832 and the Nifty had closed two points lower at 8,898.

Top gainers in the Sensex-30 pack: Reliance Industries (up 3.7 per cent), Adani Ports (up 2.5 per cent), Tata Motors (up 2.3 per cent), Bharti Airtel (up 1.8 per cent) and SBI (up 1.8 per cent).

Top losers in the Sensex-30 pack: TCS (down 0.9 per cent), HUL (down 0.7 per cent), Dr Reddy’s Labs (down 0.6 per cent), HDFC (down 0.4 per cent), and Tata Steel (down 0.4 per cent).

Asian markets were trading with mixed moves. China’s Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.5 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index slipped 0.5 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng increased 0.2 per cent and Singapore’s Straits Times Index fell 0.1 per cent.

Meanwhile, the Rupee was trading 11 paise higher at 66.70 against the US Dollar.

China has hiked its military spending by seven per cent to $152 billion, about three times higher than that of India, as Beijing braced for countering America's push into the disputed South China Sea.
After skipping the customary mention of the figures of defence spending in the work report submitted by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to lawmakers on March 5, state-run Xinhua news agency on March 6 announced that the military budget for this year stands at 1.04 trillion yuan ($152 billion).

China's defence budget for 2017 will grow seven per cent from the actual figure in 2016, Xinhua quoted an official with Ministry of Finance as saying on March 6.

"The country's military spending this year will stand at 1.04 trillion yuan (about $152 billion) with 1.02 trillion yuan from the central budget," the Xinhua report said.

This is the first time that China's military spending crossed a trillion yuan.

Last year China's military spending was 954.35 billion yuan, a 7.6 per cent increase from 2015.

China's defence budget is about three times higher than India's USD 53.5 billion.

China has hiked its military spending by seven per cent to $152 billion, about three times higher than that of India, as Beijing braced for countering America's push into the disputed South China Sea.
After skipping the customary mention of the figures of defence spending in the work report submitted by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to lawmakers on March 5, state-run Xinhua news agency on March 6 announced that the military budget for this year stands at 1.04 trillion yuan ($152 billion).

China's defence budget for 2017 will grow seven per cent from the actual figure in 2016, Xinhua quoted an official with Ministry of Finance as saying on March 6.

"The country's military spending this year will stand at 1.04 trillion yuan (about $152 billion) with 1.02 trillion yuan from the central budget," the Xinhua report said.

This is the first time that China's military spending crossed a trillion yuan.

Last year China's military spending was 954.35 billion yuan, a 7.6 per cent increase from 2015.

China's defence budget is about three times higher than India's USD 53.5 billion.

Parleys between India and Pakistan on various aspects of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) will be held in Lahore on March 20 and March 21.

The meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) will take place nearly six months after New Delhi decided to suspend talks on the pact in the wake of the Uri terror attack by Pakistan-based outfits.

The meeting is being held "as the IWT, 1960 makes it mandatory" to hold parleys under the accord at least once in a fiscal.

India's Indus water commissioner and MEA officials will be part of the Indian delegation for the annual meeting.

The last meeting of the PIC was held in May 2015 here.

India had on Friday downplayed its participation in the upcoming meeting in Pakistan to discuss various aspects relating to sharing of Indus river water, saying it does not amount to resumption of government-level Indo-Pak talks.

The dialogue was stalled following the terror strikes by Pakistan-based terror groups.

Declaring that "blood and water cannot flow together", Prime Minister Narendra Modi had held a meeting in September to review the treaty in the backdrop of the terror strikes, including the Uri attack.

After the meeting, officials had announced that the government has decided to suspend further talks and increase the utilisation of rivers flowing through Jammu and Kashmir to fully exercise India's rights under the pact.

The commission, which has officials from both the countries as its members, was set up under the treaty to discuss and resolve issues relating to its implementation.

It is mandated to meet alternately in India and Pakistan.

Parleys between India and Pakistan on various aspects of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) will be held in Lahore on March 20 and March 21.

The meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) will take place nearly six months after New Delhi decided to suspend talks on the pact in the wake of the Uri terror attack by Pakistan-based outfits.

The meeting is being held "as the IWT, 1960 makes it mandatory" to hold parleys under the accord at least once in a fiscal.

India's Indus water commissioner and MEA officials will be part of the Indian delegation for the annual meeting.

The last meeting of the PIC was held in May 2015 here.

India had on Friday downplayed its participation in the upcoming meeting in Pakistan to discuss various aspects relating to sharing of Indus river water, saying it does not amount to resumption of government-level Indo-Pak talks.

The dialogue was stalled following the terror strikes by Pakistan-based terror groups.

Declaring that "blood and water cannot flow together", Prime Minister Narendra Modi had held a meeting in September to review the treaty in the backdrop of the terror strikes, including the Uri attack.

After the meeting, officials had announced that the government has decided to suspend further talks and increase the utilisation of rivers flowing through Jammu and Kashmir to fully exercise India's rights under the pact.

The commission, which has officials from both the countries as its members, was set up under the treaty to discuss and resolve issues relating to its implementation.

It is mandated to meet alternately in India and Pakistan.

Protestors clashed with security forces on Monday in Shopian district of south Kashmir where the law enforcing personnel were carrying out a cordon and search operation.

Dozens of people started pelting stones at security forces during the operation in Pinjoora area of Shopian district this morning, a police official said.

He said police used tear gas shells and batons to chase away the protestors.

The security forces had launched the operation after receiving information about presence of militants in the area but the searches were called off as no suspicious person was found there, the official said.

There were no reports of anyone getting hurt during the brief clashes, he added.

Protestors clashed with security forces on Monday in Shopian district of south Kashmir where the law enforcing personnel were carrying out a cordon and search operation.

Dozens of people started pelting stones at security forces during the operation in Pinjoora area of Shopian district this morning, a police official said.

He said police used tear gas shells and batons to chase away the protestors.

The security forces had launched the operation after receiving information about presence of militants in the area but the searches were called off as no suspicious person was found there, the official said.

There were no reports of anyone getting hurt during the brief clashes, he added.