West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday expressed grief over the killing of Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla, who was shot dead in an apparent hate crime in the US.

The Trinamool Congress chief said she does not support the "politics of hate."

"Saddened and shocked at the incident of Indian engineer in Kansas USA, who was an unfortunate victim. We don't support the politics of hate," she said on Twitter.

She said: "The world is one big family. People from different countries live in different nations. We must all understand this."

Kuchibhotla, 32, was killed and Alok Madasani was injured when Adam W. Purinton, a white who earlier served in the US Navy, shot them at the Austins Bar & Grill in Olathe, Kansas state, on Wednesday night.

Purinton reportedly got into an argument with the victims and hurled racial slurs. He yelled "get out of my country", "terrorist" before shooting them.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday expressed grief over the killing of Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla, who was shot dead in an apparent hate crime in the US.

The Trinamool Congress chief said she does not support the "politics of hate."

"Saddened and shocked at the incident of Indian engineer in Kansas USA, who was an unfortunate victim. We don't support the politics of hate," she said on Twitter.

She said: "The world is one big family. People from different countries live in different nations. We must all understand this."

Kuchibhotla, 32, was killed and Alok Madasani was injured when Adam W. Purinton, a white who earlier served in the US Navy, shot them at the Austins Bar & Grill in Olathe, Kansas state, on Wednesday night.

Purinton reportedly got into an argument with the victims and hurled racial slurs. He yelled "get out of my country", "terrorist" before shooting them.

China will lift 10 million people out of poverty in 2017, and the country will strictly review the spending of poverty relief funds to ensure transparent and efficient use of the money, the authorities said.

The goal was set after the country successfully accomplished its 2016 mission to bring 10 million people above the poverty line, Ou Qingping, deputy head of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, said at a press conference on Friday.

In order to achieve the goal that Ou described as "very challenging", as the current poor population is scattered in regions with especially backward conditions, China will optimise investment, as well as ensure better use of funds and punish embezzlement, the People's Daily reported.

China's top auditor said in November 2016 that 63.7 million yuan ($9.2 million) of fiscal funds earmarked for poverty relief projects had not achieved their expected objective. 

The audit also found that in 11 cases, violators gained profits of a total amount of 9.57 million yuan from various poverty relief projects.

Poverty relief is high on China's 2016-20 agenda, and the country has vowed to eliminate overall poverty by 2020. 

Despite China's steady economic growth in recent decades, 45 million people still live below the national poverty line of 2,800 yuan ($408) per year as annual income.

China will lift 10 million people out of poverty in 2017, and the country will strictly review the spending of poverty relief funds to ensure transparent and efficient use of the money, the authorities said.

The goal was set after the country successfully accomplished its 2016 mission to bring 10 million people above the poverty line, Ou Qingping, deputy head of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, said at a press conference on Friday.

In order to achieve the goal that Ou described as "very challenging", as the current poor population is scattered in regions with especially backward conditions, China will optimise investment, as well as ensure better use of funds and punish embezzlement, the People's Daily reported.

China's top auditor said in November 2016 that 63.7 million yuan ($9.2 million) of fiscal funds earmarked for poverty relief projects had not achieved their expected objective. 

The audit also found that in 11 cases, violators gained profits of a total amount of 9.57 million yuan from various poverty relief projects.

Poverty relief is high on China's 2016-20 agenda, and the country has vowed to eliminate overall poverty by 2020. 

Despite China's steady economic growth in recent decades, 45 million people still live below the national poverty line of 2,800 yuan ($408) per year as annual income.

The ruling AIADMK on Saturday took strong exception to certain remarks made against late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa by DMK leader M K Stalin and sought an "open apology" from him.

Claiming that Stalin had used certain words against Jayalalithaa on Friday, AIADMK Deputy General Secretary TTV Dinakaran said they were completely "false" and showed DMK leader's "uncultured side".

Stalin, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, had objected to government schemes being named after Jayalalithaa and "taxpayers' money being used in her 69th birthday celebrations".

Jayalalithaa was loved by Tamils world over and they addressed her affectionately as 'Amma' (Mother) even as she was known for her compassion, Dinakaran, who is VK Sasikala's nephew, said.

"When scores of her supporters are in grief following her demise (in December 2016), making such slander and false remarks shows Stalin's uncultured side," he said in a statement.

Recalling Jayalalithaa's efforts to uphold Tamil Nadu's rights, Dinakaran said she had done these in issues like the Cauvery water dispute, besides earning the love of people with a series of welfare measures, including the popular free 20 KG rice scheme.

"Because of these, she lives in the hearts of crores of people. Therefore, there is no need to uphold her memory by just naming schemes after her," Dinakaran said in an apparent reference to Stalin taking exception to some government schemes named after her.

The DMK leader had also wanted such schemes to be renamed.

"Stalin should withdraw the brazen slander used against Puratchi Thalaivi Amma and issue a public apology," Dinakaran demanded.

Referring to certain gaffe made by Stalin on Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and the Cauvery Management Board, the AIADMK leader ridiculed him and asked the DMK working president to stop making public comments without verifying accompanying notes.

German car giant Volkswagen on Saturday said it was capping its chief executive's pay package at 10 million euros as it moved to rein in top brass salaries in the wake of the "dieselgate" scandal that has cost the company billions.

Other members of the board will see their annual remuneration capped at 5.5 million euros.

"This reduces the maximum remuneration theoretically possible by up to 40 per cent compared with the previous system," the group said in a statement after a meeting of the supervisory board at its Wolfsburg headquarters.

VW's generous pay and bonus system has come under increasing scrutiny since the group admitted in September 2015 to having installed software in 11 million diesel engines worldwide to cheat emissions tests.

The resulting fallout has already cost VW more than $22 billion (20 billion euros) in fines and compensation to drivers, dealers and authorities in the United States alone.

With the company still facing a string of legal claims around the world, experts say the final bill could be far higher.

VW's pay packages have also threatened to become a political hot potato as Germany heads for a tight general election in September.

The German state of Lower Saxony, where VW is based, is a major shareholder and holds two seats on the group's supervisory board.

The state is led by the centre-left Social Democrats, who have made clamping down on executive pay a key plank of their campaign.

VW has long vowed to come up with a new pay system but the issue was given fresh urgency last month when compliance chief Christine Hohmann-Dennhardt left the company with a 12- million-euro golden parachute after just a year in the job.

Before that, former chief executive Martin Winterkorn, who quit over the dieselgate scandal and remains under investigation over his role, regularly came under fire for his high payouts.

He controversially pocketed 17 million euros in 2011, a record for a chief executive running a firm listed on the Dax index of leading German shares.

In its statement, VW said the new pay system included a higher fixed salary while the variable part would be more closely linked to the group's financial performance.

VW stressed that under the new rules, the maximum payouts "can only be achieved if the group performs exceptionally well". 

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday alleged that the Congress was trying to topple the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Shiv-Sena alliance government in Maharashtra by extending outside support to Sena.

“Congress wants to topple the government. It is ready to support the Shiv Sena from outside and remain absent from the assembly,” Gadkari said.

“They (Congress) think that once the government is toppled, fresh elections will take place, which they will win and form a new government in the state,” he added.

The BJP-SS has an alliance in Maharashtra with BJP winning 122 of the total 288 seats in the 2014 Assembly polls and the Shiv Sena bagging 63 seats.

In the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, the BJP improved its 2012 performance by winning 82 seats, just two less than Shiv Sena. Both the parties are short of the of 114 needed to control the civic body.

Reports suggested that Sena had on Friday started back-channel talks with the Congress, which won 31 seats to form an alliance and take control over the BMC. However, the proposal was turned down by the Congress.

But Gadkari rubbished the reports and instead hinted that the BJP and Sena might come together to rule the civic body.

Alegeria midfielder Nabil Bentaleb has signed a permanent deal to stay at German football club Schalke until 2021. Tottenham Hotspur and Schalke have agreed to make Bentaleb's contract permanent after the end of the loan deal this summer.

Hence, the 22-year-old midfielder on Friday penned a four-year deal, which will keep him with the "Royal Blues" until June 2021, reports Xinhua news agency.

"When I joined Schalke in the summer it was my goal to play as often as possible and to convince the club to make my deal permanent," Bentaleb told the club's official homepage.

The Algerian international, with 24 international caps, provided three assists and four goals in 20 appearances since his arrival in August 2016.

"I am very delighted that Nabil will stay with us," Schalke head coach Markus Weinzierl said." He has developed very well over the past few months, and his creativity is an asset for our team," he added.

Schalke sit currently on the 10th place of the standings. They encounter Hoffenheim at the closer of the 22nd round of Bundesliga on Sunday.

Two separate quakes of varying magnitude hit India's Northeastern region and Bangladesh on Saturday. There was no report of any major damage, officials said.

The first tremor of magnitude 3.5 on the Richter scale with its epicentre at Dibang Valley in north Arunachal Pradesh was recorded at 5.30 am.

While, the second quake of magnitude 4.0 with its epicentre in northern Tripura was recorded at 12.32 pm.

"The two quakes hit most states of the Northeastern region," Tripura Disaster Management Control Centre in-charge Sarat Das said.

He said that the depth of the first quake was measured at 10 km while the depth of the subsequent one was measured at 33 km.

Experts consider India's mountainous Northeast the sixth major quake-prone belt in the world.

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan's look from his upcoming film Thugs of Hindostan, which is doing rounds on social media, is not from the movie, but a special collaboration of the actor, his spokesperson said.

The turbaned look, showcasing Aamir as a sardar, is his look from another venture. 

"The sardar look that has been doing the rounds is a look from a very special collaboration of Aamir and not from Thugs of Hindostan'," Aamir's spokesperson said. 

Aamir will start shooting for Thugs Of Hindostan in May. He has been training hard for the film and his look will be lean, not as muscular as look he sported for his last film Dangal.

Thugs of Hindostan is slated to release on Diwali 2018.

UN chief Antonio Guterres strongly denounces xenophobia and Islamophobia, his spokesperson said in the wake of the alleged racially motivated shooting of an Indian engineer in the US.

"The Secretary-General, if you have listened to what he said in the last a few months, has spoken out forcefully against xenophobia, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. We are seeing, throughout the world, an increase in these crimes, and I think he has denounced them clearly," Secretary-General's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said during the daily press briefing here on Friday.

Dujarric was responding to a question whether Guterres had any comment on rising hate crimes in the US against people from South Asia including the incident in Kansas City in which the 51-year-old US navy veteran shot two Indian engineers, killing one and injuring the other.

Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, was killed and another Indian man and an American were injured after the man yelling "get out of my country" and "terrorist" opened fire on them in an apparent racially-motivated hate crime.

Kuchibhotla, working at GPS-maker Garmin headquarters in Olathe, died of bullet injuries in a hospital.

His Indian colleague Alok Madasani was critically injured when the man went on a shooting spree after hurling racial slurs following an altercation on Wednesday night.

The American, Ian Grillot, 24, who tried to intervene also received injuries in the firing.

The incident sent shock waves across the Indian community and prompted civil rights groups to urge people from the sub-continent, particularly Sikhs, to be cautious and extra vigilant.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Saturday hardly minced words in criticising his team's shambolic show in the 333-run loss to Australia, saying it was easily the side's worst batting display in the last two years.

India on Saturday slumped to a humiliating loss inside three days in the first match against Australia here to trail the four-Test series 0-1.

"We got outplayed in this game. We got to take it on the chin, accept that they outplayed us. It was our worst batting display in the last two years. We were not good enough on any of the three days. It was the case of us not applying ourselves too well. We need to see what we did wrong," said Kohli at the post match presentation.

The Indian captain also agreed that the visitors exploited the conditions better.

"They exploited it better than us. They put us under pressure throughout and deserved to win this game. Credit to them that they played better than us.

"We've had two really bad sessions and to pull it back against a quality side is very difficult. But there are no excuses. Sometimes, you have to take your hat off and tell the opposition well done," he said.

The 28-year-old expressed confidence that his team will bounce back strongly.

"I am sure we are going to bounce back strongly. It has been a good run for us (19-match unbeaten streak before this game). Good to see the crowd still supporting us," said Kohli.

Australia captain Steven Smith was all praise for man-of-the-match Steve O'Keefe, terming his match-haul of 12 for 70 ajn "incredible" performance.

"I'm proud of the way the guys played. O'Keefe bowled beautifully and was outstanding. We've got some good players of spin and good spinners. When he pulled his length back slightly (O'Keefe), it felt he'd get a wicket every ball. He's going to be a key player in the rest of the series," he said.

Smith said winning the toss proved to be an advantage on a track like this.

"Thought it was going to be hardwork (after looking at the wicket at the start of the Test match). Winning the toss was a bonus. We had good plans in place. It's been 4502 days since Australia won a Test in India, I know it to the day. A massive lead in this wicket helped."

Demanding an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remark over poverty in Odisha, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress members on Saturday created a ruckus in the state assembly.

Following the pandemonium, Speaker Niranjan Pujari adjourned the house several times.

As soon as the house assembled for the day, Congress chief Tara Prasad Bahinipati along with other party members rushed to the well shouting slogans against the Prime Minister's remarks and alleged Modi's statement was an insult to the people of Odisha.

"The remark of the prime minister has insulted Odisha. He should beg apology to the people of the state," said Bahinipati.

JD members staged a dharna near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the assembly premises protesting the remark. They also created commotion in the House over the issue.

Panchayati Raj minister Arun Sahu said the Prime Minister should beg apology for insulting the people of Odisha.

However, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member Pradip Purohit said Modi has said nothing wrong.

"Modi has said nothing wrong on Odisha. It is obvious that if a party ruling for more than 17 years is told about its incompetence, it will hit back," Purohit told the media here.

While addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh, Modi on Friday said: "There is so much poverty in Odisha that if you search for the poorest districts in the country, you will find them in this state. I am sure if the poor people of Odisha have stepped forward in support of the BJP, nothing will remain for other parties in the coming days."

Just like real doctors and nurses, online health tools with good but controlled communication skills can promote healthier lifestyles, a team of Indian-origin researchers has said.

However, if their tone is conversational, these tools may lull users into a false sense of comfort, they added. 

People who experienced a back-and-forth interaction with an online health risk assessment website were more likely to follow the health behaviours suggested by the tool.

"This shows that delivering information on health risks through dialogue can help users get engaged with the tool and may positively affect their health. In general, it speaks to the design of interactive delivery of health information that it is not only engaging, but also inspiring," said S Shyam Sundar, Distinguished Professor of Communications from Pennsylvania State University. 

The findings showed that when the online tools used short phrases such as "Mm-hmm" and "Go on" to promote casual and friendly tone, users felt less susceptible to their health risks.

"The conversational tone may make the users warm and fuzzy. However, if the goal of the interaction is to promote a sense of comfort among individuals, the same conversational tone strategy could work well with the online tool acting like a virtual coach and providing reassurance," explained Saraswathi Bellur, assistant professor of communication from University of Connecticut.

The researchers, who presented their findings in the journal Human Communication Research, suggested that the display of interconnected questions and answers promotes a feeling of contingency and that leads to better engagement with the site.

"We are seeing a growth in e-medicine," Sundar said. "People are trying to compensate for this lack of face-to-face time with doctors by using online tools, which are becoming increasingly conversational."

The design of these e-health tools need not be highly sophisticated, according to the researchers.

"A simple instant-message-like feature that enables a dialogue between the user and the system is sufficient to evoke rich perceptions of interactivity, which, in turn, could favorably influence health behaviours and attitudes," said Bellur. "Therein lies the power of interactive health tools."

The researchers recruited 172 undergraduate students to take part in the study. Participants were assigned to one of six versions of a health risk assessment website. The sites were designed to have either low, medium, or high interactivity with either conversational or no conversational tone.

Grappled by the wave of state assembly elections? Here’s all you need to know about the Manipur Assembly elections 2017 and a little bit more:

With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress fighting the main battle in the state, elections to the 60-seat assembly are set to be held in two phases–on March 4 and March 8 and results will be declared on March 11.

The term of current Legislative Assembly ends on 18 March 2017.

While, the BJP is set to contest from all the 60 seats, the Congress will contest from 59 seats. National People’s Party (NPP), the Naga People’s Front (NPF) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) are contesting from 21, 15 and 11 seats respectively.

Called the 'Jewel of India’ by Jawaharlal Nehru, the state became a part of India on September 21, 1949.

Core agenda of the state assembly will revolve around the implementation of Inner Line Permit System in the state – to save the indigenous people’s rights and to check the influx of non-locals.

The big question is –– Will the Congress party that has been holding the rein for many years retain power?

The Congress has been in power for 15 consecutive years.

In the 2012 assembly polls, the party won 42 of the 60 seats and the party had won both seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls as well.

The state has 18,07,843 voters.

Opposition BJP and some other parties have assured of a "blockade-free Manipur" if voted to power. The state has been badly hit by economic blockade imposed by the United Naga Council (UNC) since November 1, 2016 in protest against the creation of seven new districts.

Addressing a public rally in Imphal ahead of the assembly elections on February 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that opposition parties were spreading lies against the Centre.

“I promise you that nothing in the Naga accord has anything that is detrimental to the people of Manipur. Opposition is lying. There’s not a single word against the interests of Manipuri people,” he said.

The Centre had signed a framework agreement with NSCN-IM in August 2015.

Modi further said that if the BJP came to power in the state, there will be no more economic blockades.

“In the 15 years on Congress rule, Manipur has been ruined as Congress did no development. What Congress did not do in the last 15 years, I assure we will do it in 15 months. There won’t be any economic blockades when BJP comes to power, I assure you this,” Modi added.

The first phase will have 168 candidates in the fray in 38 assembly constituencies.

Of the 60, 38 hill and 22 valley constituencies will go to polls on March 4 in the state.

Eleven independent candidates will contest in the first phase.

Taking the challenge to fight against Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, Iron Lady' Irom Sharmila filed her nomination papers to contest from Thoubal constituency on February 16. Sharmila announced her party — People's Resurgence and Justice Alliance — in October 2016.

The state will go to polls in the second phase on March 8 for 22 constituencies.

The Delhi cabinet on Saturday approved the recommendation of a committee to revise minimum wages in the national capital, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said.

A special committee constituted by the Delhi labour department, with approval from the Lt Governor, submitted its report to the department, Kejriwal said in a press conference.

The minimum wages for unskilled labour in Delhi currently stands at Rs.9,724 per month, which has been increased to Rs.13,350, he said.

For semi-skilled and skilled persons, the minimum wage would be increased from Rs.10,764 to Rs.14,698 and from Rs.11,830 to 16,182 respectively.

It works out to roughly 36-37 per cent increase in minimum wages, Kejriwal said, adding the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government made a historic decision to raise minimum wages for labourers.

Kejriwal said this is the second attempt by the AAP government within months to revise minimum wages after former Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung turned down the previous decision to revises wages on procedural grounds.

Kejriwal said the cabinet decision would be put before Lt. Governor Anil Baijal on Monday for clearance.

Delhi assembly's budget session would be from March 6-10, Kejriwal added.

Pakistan has returned 252 Afghan nationals to their home country in a goodwill gesture even as it kept the border entry points with Afghanistan shut for the ninth day for security reasons in the wake of a series of bombings.

The Afghan nationals, who were returned on Friday, spent a week under the open sky as the Torkham border crossing point between two nations remained closed for nearly 10 days, Geo Tv reported.

Trade between Islamabad and Kabul has come to a halt as Pakistani authorities closed the Torkham and Chaman crossing points with Afghanistan due to security concerns in the wake of series of terror attacks across the country.

People with valid travel documents are allowed to cross the border on foot, a Pakistani official said.

However, Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Omar Zakhilwal said the border crossings will partially be opened on Saturday.

He said elderly persons, patients and children would be allowed to travel and those in Pakistan would be able to return to Afghanistan on Saturday.

The border crossings were closed following a terror attack at the Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in Sehwan town of Sindh province which left 88 persons dead earlier this month.

Pakistan has blamed militants operating in Afghanistan for the attacks. The Islamic State affiliated Jamaat-ul-Ahrar group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Pakistan Army last week pounded militant hideouts across the border in Afghanistan and killed militants belonging to the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar.