It was a sunny Thursday morning in the national capital with the minimum temperature recorded at 11 degrees Celsius, normal for the season's average.

The sky is likely to remain clear through out the day. 

The maximum temperature is likely to hover around 27 degrees Celsius.

"Sky on Thursday will be clear," said an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Humidity at 8.30 am was 76 per cent.

Wednesday was sunny with the maximum temperature recorded 27.5 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season's average while the minimum temperature settled at 12 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season's average.

The White House announced that it was delaying the release of a revised executive order on travel and refugees until next week, an official said.

The official did not provide any explanation for the delay, The Hill magazine reported.

On Tuesday, White House policy adviser Stephen Miller told Fox News that the new order will largely resemble the old one, but that the changes will be "mostly minor technical differences".

On Wednesday, Miller stressed that the revisions, though minor, will help the policy pass legal muster. 

He did not provide further details about what the changes will entail, but said they would result in "a new and different executive order".

"The executive order will be fully responsive to the courts – though any changes are of course very technical and legal in nature, the significance of the changes will be quite substantial," he said in an email to The Hill.

"Again: any judges reviewing the order will find it wholly and completely responsive."

The original order issued on January 27 banned refugees and immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US. It also halted refugee resettlement for 120 days and banned Syrian refugees indefinitely.

The order sparked mass protests and confusion at airports, and US courts have temporarily blocked the ban. 

The White House announced that it was delaying the release of a revised executive order on travel and refugees until next week, an official said.

The official did not provide any explanation for the delay, The Hill magazine reported.

On Tuesday, White House policy adviser Stephen Miller told Fox News that the new order will largely resemble the old one, but that the changes will be "mostly minor technical differences".

On Wednesday, Miller stressed that the revisions, though minor, will help the policy pass legal muster. 

He did not provide further details about what the changes will entail, but said they would result in "a new and different executive order".

"The executive order will be fully responsive to the courts – though any changes are of course very technical and legal in nature, the significance of the changes will be quite substantial," he said in an email to The Hill.

"Again: any judges reviewing the order will find it wholly and completely responsive."

The original order issued on January 27 banned refugees and immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US. It also halted refugee resettlement for 120 days and banned Syrian refugees indefinitely.

The order sparked mass protests and confusion at airports, and US courts have temporarily blocked the ban. 

 It is high time that everyone not just think but also act on judicial reforms, President Pranab Mukherjee said.

In his address at a book release function on Wednesday, Mukherjee said the country's judicial system, which was raised more than six decades ago, requires major reform.

"Reform, I mean. Change is a continuous process. It cannot be stop and go. Every system with course of time develop certain clogs within itself. There is need for constant change," he said.

He was speaking after receiving the first copy of the book 'Judicial Reforms Recent Global Trends' at Rashtrapati Bhavan from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who formally released it.

The book, written by Dalveer Bhandari, a judge at the International Court of Justice, talks about the need of judicial reforms.

"The simple point which I am trying to drive at is that it is high time for all of us to collectively not only think but also to act how to address these issues. Without Bench, without adequate infrastructure, we cannot have any sort of reforms worthwhile," Mukherjee said.

He said in his tenure as President, the Allahabad High Court, which is the largest in the country, saw less than 50 per cent of its sanctioned posts of 180 judges being filled.

"If this situation of the higher judiciary is so bad, one can imagine the conditions of the lower judiciary. State and Union governments should work hand in hand to address the shortage of basic infrastructure such as courtrooms and essential facilities for judges.

"There is no dearth of talent in the country but there must be a system in place to address such issues," he said.

Dignitaries present on the occasion included Chief Justice of India J S Khehar; Union ministers Arun Jaitley and Ravi Shankar Prasad, and Justice Vikramajit Sen, Vice President, India International Law Foundation, a non-profit organisation.

Telecom operator Bharti Airtel will acquire the business of Telenor India for an undisclosed sum in all seven circles where it holds spectrum.

Airtel on Thursday said it has "entered into a definitive agreement with Telenor South Asia Investments to acquire Telenor (India) Communications." 

In a separate statement, Telenor said that the transaction will not trigger any impairment. As of fourth quarter 2016, the remaining value of tangible and intangible assets in Telenor India amounted to NOK 0.3 billion. The transaction is expected to close within 12 months," Telenor said.

Airtel is India's largest wireless operator with over 269 million subscribers and a revenue market share of over 33 per cent. As the new owner, Airtel will take over Telenor India's spectrum, licenses and operations, including its employees and customer base of 44 million.

As part of the agreement, Airtel will acquire Telenor India's running operations in seven circles – Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, UP (East), UP (West) and Assam.

"The proposed acquisition will include transfer of all of Telenor India's assets and customers, further augmenting Airtel's overall customer base and network. It will also enable Airtel to further bolster its strong spectrum footprint in these seven circles, with the addition of 43.4 MHz spectrum in the 1,800 MHz band," Airtel said.

Telenor India's operations and services will continue as normal until the completion of the transaction.

"On completion, the proposed acquisition will undergo seamless integration, both on the customer as well as the network side, and further strengthen our market position in several key circles. The customers of Telenor India will now be able to enjoy …a range of Airtel's world-class products and services," Gopal Vittal, Managing Director and CEO (India and South Asia), Bharti Airtel, said.

The acquisition of additional spectrum through this transaction, which made an attractive business proposition, has further enhanced Airtel's spectrum portfolio, Vitthal said.

"Finding a long term solution to our India business has been a priority for us, and we are pleased with our agreement with Airtel. The decision to exit India has not been taken lightly. After thorough consideration, it is our view that the significant investments needed to secure Telenor India's future business on a standalone basis will not give an acceptable level of return," Sigve Brekke, Chief Executive Officer of Telenor Group, said.

With effect from the first quarter of 2017, Telenor India will be treated as an asset held for sale and discontinued operations in Telenor Group's financial reporting.

Telenor announced its entry into India in 2008. In 2016, Telenor India's revenues were NOK 6.0 billion and the operating cash flow was NOK -0.4 billion.

The son of a Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate was shot and seriously injured in Uttar Pradesh's Mahoba district on Thursday morning, police said.

The attack was made on SP candidate Siddha Gopal Sahu's son. He has been rushed to Kanpur for treatment.

The victim's family has accused Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate Aridarman Singh's son of carrying out the attack. 
 

Lionel Messi could not be happier than at Barcelona, and can crown his status as an all time great by winning the World Cup with Argentina, national coach Edgardo Bauza said.

"I can see just how happy he is at Barcelona with his family around him," said Bauza, who has been at the helm of the Argentine national team since August 2016.

"Of course when Leo is happy that helps him give his best performance, morale is crucial for form," said the 59-year-old former defender on Wednesday.

"A footballer is happy when he is playing and winning, otherwise he is rarely happy," said Bauza.

Messi's Barcelona were beaten 4-0 at Paris Saint-Germain last week in their first-leg last-16 Champions League tie and with his contract running out in 2018 there is speculation he may leave.

The coach refused to be drawn on Messi's future.

"At Barcelona, Manchester City or wherever, that's his decision to take. I just want him to play and that's all." 

"He's the type of player who always wants to be on the pitch, never wants a rest." 

The coach went on to say Messi's international record, with the trophy cabinet with Argentina bare, was no stain on his achievements.

"Some say the fact he's won nothing with Argentina means he's not the best in the world, not the most dangerous, not worth as mush as some others," said Bauza.

"But we are going to try and win this next World Cup, which will make him one of the greatest of all time." 

Argentina are currently fifth in the qualifiers for the South American 2018 World Cup qualifying group with four games to go.

Border districts of Haryana and Punjab are on high alert on Thursday with the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) launching its 'Water War'.

The principal opposition party in Haryana was expected to start digging of the controversial Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal to get water for the state.

Following a Presidential Reference, the Supreme Court in November 2016, held the passing of the Punjab Termination of Water Agreements Bill, 2004, by the Punjab assembly as "unconstitutional".

The Punjab legislation terminates all water-sharing agreements between the state and its neighbouring states, thereby jeopardising the construction of the SYL canal.

Thousands of police personnel of both the states along with central para-military forces were stationed along the Ambala and Patiala district borders since Wednesday to prevent the activists and leaders from entering Punjab.

The entire border belt of both the districts were sealed by security forces with senior officers monitoring the situation. The Haryana Police would also use helicopter surveillance.

A section of the busy National Highway (NH-1), which links Delhi with Amritsar, was also sealed off by the security forces on the Ambala-Rajpura section in the wake of the INLD move. Traffic was diverted to other roads.

INLD Secretary General Abhay Singh Chautala announced that the party would go ahead with its threat to dig the canal even if the authorities called in the army to stop them.

The INLD activists and leaders started gathering at the Subzi Mandi ground in Ambala city, 10 km from the Haryana-Punjab border at Shambhu barrier.

INLD leaders claimed that up to 100,000 activists would march towards Punjab for the canal digging.

Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) K.P. Singh said that the state police was prepared.

The INLD move was being seen by Haryana's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress as a "gimmick", given the fact that the Supreme Court has already favoured the state on the canal and water sharing issue with Punjab.

Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh earlier demanded army deployment on the the state border and immediate arrest of Chautala.

Chautala, Leader of Opposition in the Haryana assembly, has blamed Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar of not doing anything on the issue.

The Banaras Hindu University is set to host the International French Language Symposium on the theme of "Travel in French and Francophone literature".

The event, to be held from February 23 to February 25, will be supported by the French Embassy and Institut Francais India.

"French Embassy gives prime importance to strengthening cultural relations between India and France through the promotion of French culture and French language here," according to a statement released by Institut Francais on Wednesday.

"The link between travel and literature is as old as history and literature, but the two are far from being of the same nature. Although this relationship between travel and literature exists since the origins of literature, it gained even more significance during the 20th Century," it said.

The event will address various questions like: "What could this passion be attributed to? What does one look for in these initiatory peregrinations and in these ritualised shifts?" 

It will address problematics like discovery in oneself and the representations of the "other" that emerges out of it.

The conference will also touch on the clarity that travel stories bring out regarding the questions of alterity and cultural identity with the rise of globalisation and pluralism.

Interest, practice and improvement are the three universal rules that work in every sport, irrespective of the nature of its play. Amateur golf is one such format of the luxurious game that is in sync and amateur golfers keep the spirit alive, believes Indian golfer Rishi Narain.

“Such amateur competitions drive golfers to play regularly, trying to improve their game and equipment. These golfers are the life and the pulse of the game,” the 1982 Asian Games gold medalist and former National coach Rishi Narain said in an interview to The Statesman.
Narain, speaking at the sidelines of the Day 2 of the ongoing 17th edition Mercedes Trophy golf tournament, shed light on the current state of golf in India and future aspirations, and feels the need for more players.

“To sustain the sports, you need a lot of people playing the game. People who are interested, who play, practice and want to improve,” he said.

Narain laid the foundation of the lavish sport back in 1982, winning the gold medal for India in the inaugural edition on the Asian Games golf event. Since then, India hasn’t seen much success in the game of golf, be it Asian Games or Olympics for that matter. However, the veteran believes the transition has been positive.

“A lot has changed in the past 30-40 years. We can see a lot more world class golf courses now in India, which weren’t there when we used to play. Courses here and courses overseas were very different and thus it was difficult for us to prepare for international tournaments. Now, we also have latest contemporary equipment easily available in India, which wasn’t possible back in that era.”

Talking about the coaching of amateurs, Narain called it a “tremendous” change that has happened in India.

“There wasn’t qualified coaches that time, who knew about coaching professionally. Things have changed positively over the past decades. We are way behind the rest of the world in terms of infrastructure and a lot of things are to be done to attract people to play the game,” he said.

Narain urged institutional bodies to come together for the betterment of the sport in India.

“Indian Golf Union (IGU) besides Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), Women’s Golf Association of India (WGAI), Golf Industry Association etc. are the institutional bodies that can initiate the development of the sport in India. National Golf Academy of India (NGAI) is also there to help with the coaching. All of these bodies require to come together to work on the grassroots development of the game,” he said.

On a never-ending debate over golf being the luxury sport and out of reach for the poor and middle-class, Narain said, “Fortunately, in a few cities like Delhi, there are expensive courses but there are inexpensive ones as well. Like DDA has built courses in Qutub region, Bhalaswa (North Delhi) and another course is under construction in Dwarka. For approximately Rs.700-800, you can play a five hours of game, which is not very expensive. Common level golf equipment is about Rs.25-30000 a set. That’s a lot of money but that golf set will last you for at least 10 years, comparatively more than any cricket bat or something.”

Narain hailed the DLF Golf and Country Club, Gurugram as well, which is hosting the tenth leg of the 12-city tournament, “This is an absolutely fantastic golf course with world class facilities. It’s great to be able to do any kind of golf tournament here.”

The selected golfers from across 12 cities in India will compete in the National Finals on March 14. Three Winners from the National Finals will further progress to the Mercedes Trophy World Finals, to be held in Stuttgart, Germany in September, to compete against winners from all over the world. One winner will travel to Scotland to witness the British Open at Royal Birkdale in July.

When asked if the Indian talent is ready to take on World’s best golfers, Narain said, “With amateur golfers, the most important thing is how you play on a specific day, because in golf, your form fluctuates from day to day. In World Finals, you will have to see who will have a good day.”

Flooding in the California city of San Jose forced authorities to order the evacuation of 14,000 people due to the rising waters of Coyote Creek, media reports said.

According to information provided on the San Jose City Hall Web site, the evacuation was ordered late Tuesday evening and is still in effect on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The National Weather Service said on Wednesday that the water level in Coyote Creek will continue to rise on Wednesday morning, but it is expected to begin subsiding in the afternoon.

In remarks to the daily Los Angeles Times, NWS meteorologist Roger Gass emphasized the magnitude of the flooding by saying that estimates are that such an event occurs only once every century.

Local media showed images of emergency services personnel using boats to rescue local residents endangered by flooding along streets in the area.

After years of serious drought, California is experiencing a very wet winter with exceptionally heavy and continuous rainfall all over the state.

Last Friday, a powerful storm lashed the state causing at least five deaths, authorities said.

In addition, the historic rains caused damage to spillways at the Oroville Dam, located some 250 kmnortheast of San Francisco, leading authorities on February 12 to order the evacuation of some 200,000 people from the zone below the dam given the risk that it might overflow.

Jimmy Kimmel, who has been hosting late-night talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" for 14 years, is considering retiring from it.

When his contract expires in the fall of 2019, Kimmel has thought about retiring from it.

"I know I will do the show for another three years," Kimmel told variety.com.

"It's possible that will be it. My wife's pregnant. At a certain point, I'd like to have a little more free time. I have very little free time as it is," said Kimmel, who rewrites his own monologues and extensively researches guests. 

As the executive producer and "control freak" of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", Kimmel arrives in his Hollywood studios at 9 a.m., shoots at around 5 p.m., and returns to his computer after dinner. 

"I think this job is a grind, and best-cast scenario, a marathon," Kimmel said. 

"I want to go out on my own terms. If I ever feel like we're repeating ourselves, I think it's a good indication that it's time."

He added: "I will miss it when I go. Television is changing quickly. I get a lot of offers to do a lot of different things."

The 49-year-old said that when he leaves the show, it won't be for another late night one, variety.com said.

"If there's something that excites me creatively, it doesn't necessarily mean something in show business. I like to draw. I like to make sculptures. I'd like to write a book at some point. Doing the show every day doesn't leave a lot of time for that."

Continuing their bullish trend for sixth-straight day, Indian equity markets started Thursday’s trading session on a higher note. At 9.50 am, the Sensex at the BSE was trading 59 points up at 28,924 and the Nifty at the NSE was trading 18 points higher at 8,945.

In the broader markets, BSE Midcap index rose 0.4 per cent while Smallcap index increased 0.3 per cent.

Among the BSE sectoral indices, Telecom index jumped the most, up 3.9 per cent, while Power index became the top loser, down 0.5 per cent.

On Wednesday, the Sensex had closed 103 points up at 28,865 and the Nifty had closed 19 points higher at 8,927.

Top gainers in the Sensex-30 pack: Bharti Airtel (up 5.2 per cent), TCS (up 1.9 per cent), Gail (up 1 per cent), Infosys (up 0.9 per cent) and Wipro (up 0.8 per cent).

Top losers in the Sensex-30 pack: NTPC (down 1 per cent), Axis Bank (down 0.9 per cent), Tata Steel (down 0.9 per cent), ICICI Bank (down 0.9 per cent), and Power Grid (down 0.7 per cent)

Meanwhile, the Rupee was trading six paise higher at 66.91 against the US Dollar.

An Indian-American has been felicitated by the Indian Consulate here for his contribution towards the community and starting a mission that provides education to millions in tribal India.

A native of Gabat village in Gujarat, Ramesh Shah was also awarded the 'Pravasi Bharatiya Samman' last month in Bangalore for his over 40 years of contribution in spreading awareness about the country around the world and working for the welfare of the Indian community ever since he moved to the US in 1970.

He also established the Gujarati Samaj of Houston in 1978.

Shah was also a part of the team that organised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's grand Madison Square Garden reception in September 2014.

He worked to bring the community together, raised money and recruited volunteers for the event.

Shah has travelled across India, Europe and the US to create awareness about the remote parts of India, including the tribal belts.

With an aim to provide education in tribal areas in India, Shah founded the 'Ekal Vidyalaya' chain for those who have little access to education.

He is now the global coordinator of the school chain and travels worldwide to advocate the 'Ekal mission'.

Consul General Anupam Ray in his address said that Shah has "personified the Indian ideal of service".

The crowd gave a standing ovation to Shah and also applauded his wife Kokilaben for standing "shoulder to shoulder" with him in his journey.

Shah shared his honour with the Indian-American community and said they have supported him in all his endeavours.

He said that he is deeply influenced by Swami Vivekananda's writings and asked for the people's blessings to continue working till his last breath.

The Indian-American has been a community resource in times of emergencies, helping its members in immigration, accidents, and family crisis.

He has block-walked for political campaigns around the US and in India. In 2010, Shah drafted a petition to the Ministry of External Affairs of India and led a silent hunger strike to protest the unfairness of the renunciation certificate roll out.

Australian skipper Steven Smith won the toss and elected to bat against India in the opening match of their four-match Test cricket series here on Friday.

Virat Kohli-led hosts made one change to their team. Medium pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar was replaced by spinning all-rounder Jayant Yadav while Australia were playing two pacers and two spinners on a slow and low track.

Teams:

Australia: David Warner, Matt Renshaw, Shaun Marsh, Steven Smith(captain), Peter Handscomb, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Wade (wicketkeeper), Mitchell Starc, Steve O'Keefe, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

India : Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma.