It was a sunny Thursday morning in the national capital with the minimum temperature recorded 13 degrees Celsius, normal for the season's average.

Met has forecast a partly cloudy day ahead.

The maximum temperature is likely to hover around 28 degrees Celsius.

"It was a sunny Thursday morning. The skies will be partly cloudy," said an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD). 

Humidity at 8.30 am was 85 per cent.

Wednesday's maximum temperature was recorded 27.4 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season's average while the minimum temperature settled at 9.8 degrees Celsius, a notch below the season's average.

Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao has called a meeting at 11.30 am on Thursday with Edappadi Palanisamy who was picked by AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala for the post of chief minister.

Vidyasagar Rao is expected to decide by this afternoon who will take oath as Tamil Nadu's next chief minister, media reports stated.

Palaniswamy and four other AIADMK MLAs will meet the Governor, the reports added.

Meanwhile, Sasikala, convicted for corruption, on Wednesday surrendered before a trial court set up in the prison complex in Bengaluru.

Sasikala gave herself up at the Central Jail on the city's southern outskirts with her relatives Elavarasi and VN Sudhakaran after reaching from Chennai by road.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday, while holding Sasikala and two others guilty of amassing disproportionate assets, had directed Sasikala to surrender to the trial court to undergo her remaining sentence.

Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez enjoys doing action on-screen and is keen to do more movies in the same genre.

Jacqueline tried her hand in action for the first time during A Flying Jatt and now in her two upcoming films, Reload and Drive, she will be seen doing a lot more of it.

"Its an amazing genre and I feel very comfortable about it. If I could be the action icon in Bollywood it would be great. The roles in action genre for females are less as compared to actors.

"If there is something in action I take it up. I am dying to train and work in roles that gives me the opportunity to do action," Jacqueline told.

The Kick actress feels Bollywood filmmakers can take inspiration from Hollywood when it comes to heroines doing action oriented films.

"When it comes to action for females then we can take a little bit of cue from what they (Hollywood) are doing.

"But if you look at actors like Tiger Shroff there is a lot a that West can learn from us. He is phenomenal as an action hero and he does his own stunts and he is so good at it."

More than 3,000 exhibitors, including 900 permanent marts from all over the country, will be showcasing products in 14 different categories at the 43rd edition of world's largest handicrafts and gifts fair that opens here on Thursday.

Recognised by the Limca Book of World Records as "the world's largest congregation of handicrafts exhibitors under one roof," Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (IHGF)- Delhi Fair Spring 2017 will be held at at India Expo Centre and Mart, Greater Noida Expressway. 

Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) is the organiser of the fair and a nodal agency for promotion and development of handicraft exports from the country. 

The fair will be held from February 16 – 20, spread over an area of 1,97,000 sq. metres, informed Executive Director, EPCH, Rakesh Kumar. 

"The IHGF- Delhi fair has made significant contribution to the handicrafts trade from India. It has not only enabled Indian exporters to participate in the show in large numbers and secure orders but has also enabled foreign buyers to source their requirements from India at one place, one time and under one roof," said Kumar. 

Over 6,500 foreign buyers from more than 80 countries, buying agents based in India and domestic retail volume buyers are expected to visit the mega fair to source their requirements. 

Dinesh Kumar, Chairman, EPCH said that despite the fact that USA and Europe have been major buyers of India, the focus of EPCH is now on new emerging markets in hitherto unexplored and under-explored regions like Latin America, Central Asia (CIS), Africa and South East Asia. 

One of the main highlights of the show will be a thematic display of products from North Eastern Region and Jodhpur Mega cluster. 

A theme pavilion on wooden handicrafts items produced from legally procured wood and certified under Vriksh (an indigenous Indian Timber Legality assessment and Verification scheme) will also be setup to showcase the best of wooden handicrafts items.

Jamaat-ud Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed has asked the Pakistan Government to immediately remove his name from a list that bars him from leaving the country, claiming he was neither a security risk nor his outfit ever engaged in terrorist activities.

In a letter to Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the mastermind of 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack, in which 166 people died, said: "A memorandum issued on January 30, 2017 placing 38 individuals should be withdrawn forthwith."

The government last month put Saeed and 37 other leaders of JuD and his Falah-e-Insaniyat charity on Exit Control List.

It also put Saeed and four other leaders of the organisations under "house arrest" for 90 days for engaging in activities "prejudicial" to peace and security.

Additionally, the interior ministry put JuD and FIF on a "watch-list" for six months.

But Saeed contended the government decisons saying: "The JuD has never been involved in any terrorist activity in Pakistan and no incident of any terrorism or destruction of property was ever alleged against the organisation."

He argued that no material has ever been produced by federal or provincial governments against him in a court of law.

He cited an observation of a full-bench of the Lahore High Court in a 2009 case against him. The court had said: "In the present case the government is not in possession of any evidence that the petitioners are risk to the security of Pakistan and merely on the basis of the UN Resolution their liberty cannot be curtailed."

The Rupee depreciated seven paise to 66.97 against the US Dollar in early trade on Thursday on fresh demand for the American currency from importers and banks.

Dealers attributed the rupee's fall to fresh demand for the US currency from importers, but a higher opening in the domestic equity markets and Dollar's weakness against some currencies overseas capped the losses.

On Wednesday, the Rupee had extended gains for the second straight day by moving up another 3 paise to close at 66.90 per dollar on sustained selling of the US currency by banks and exporters.

Meanwhile, the benchmark BSE Sensex recovered by 109.11 points, or 0.38 per cent, to 28,264.67 in the opening trade on Thursday.

Mel Gibson, Jonathan Levine and Ruben Fleischer are among the directors being considered for Suicide Squad 2.

Warner Bros is courting the actor-director and no official offer has been made nor has any commitment, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Sources say that Gibson, 61, is familiarising himself with the material. But the studio has not taken a call yet and is also looking at other directors, including Daniel Espinosa.

David Ayer wrote and helmed the first film, which featured an all-star cast that included Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Jared Leto.

The movie faced some initial hurdles during production and was met with the somewhat polarising response, but grossed USD 745 million worldwide.

Suicide Squad revolved around villains such as Deadshot, Harley Quinn, the Joker, Captain Boomerang and Killer Croc, who are forced into the service of the government in exchange for lighter sentences.
 

Headers used by professional footballers may be prone to develop dementia later in life, a new study warned on Wednesday.

The research by University College London (UCL) and Cardiff University follows anecdotal reports that players who head balls may be more prone to developing dementia later in life.

The researchers examined the brains of five people who had been professional footballers and one who had been a committed amateur throughout his life.

They had played football for an average of 26 years and all six went on to develop dementia in their 60s.

While performing post-mortem examinations, scientists found signs of brain injury called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in four cases.

CTE has been linked to memory loss, depression and dementia and has been seen in other contact sports.

"When we examined their brains at autopsy we saw the sorts of changes that are seen in ex-boxers, the changes that are often associated with repeated brain injury which are known as CTE," UCL's Prof Huw Morris, co-lead researcher on the study was quoted as saying by the BBC.

"So really for the first time in a series of players we have shown that there is evidence that head injury has occurred earlier in their life which presumably has some impact on them developing dementia," he said.

However, the researchers add that the risk is extremely low from playing recreational football.

In the study, published in the journal 'Acta Neuropathologica', the report acknowledges the research cannot definitively prove a link between football and dementia and are calling for larger studies to look at footballers' long-term brain health.

Actress Kangana Ranaut says her Rangoon co-stars Shahid Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan are incredible actors and she is fortunate to share screen space with them.

Rangoon a love story set against the backdrop of World War II and brings together the three actors on-screen for the first time.

"They are incredible actors. They are amazing with Vishal Bhardwaj sir (director) and he has given them wonderful characters in the films that he did with them. They are both very special, very natural and spontaneous.

"I feel fortunate to be working with great actors like them. I liked Saif as Langda Tyagi in Omkara and Shahid was incredible in Haider. They (Bhardwaj and Saif and Vishal and Shahid) have great tuning and they had the same energy for this film (Rangoon)," Kangana told.

Praising Bhardwaj the 29-year-old actress says that the filmmaker has the courage to deal with subjects which no one will ever think of bringing on-screen.

"He has the courage to take on subjects which are different like Rangoon is a love story in the backdrop of world war II. It is a very courageous move and not many filmmakers will present a love story in the rugged and rustic backdrop of war." 

Governor of US state North Dakota issued an evacuation order for a protest camp where Dakota Access Pipeline opponents have spent months expressing their disdain, the media reported.

Governor Doug Burgum on Wednesday signed the order "out of concern for the safety of people who are residing on US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) land in southern Morton county and to avoid an ecological disaster to the Missouri River," an official statement said.

Decreasing temperatures were cited as the impetus in speeding up the Oceti Sakowin camp's clean-up, ABC News reported.

"Warm temperatures have accelerated snowmelt in the area of the protest camp, and the National Weather Service reports that the Cannonball River should be on the watch for rising water levels and an increased risk of ice jams later this week," the statement said.

"Due to these conditions, the governor's emergency order addresses safety concerns to human life as anyone in the floodplain is at risk for possible injury or death. The order also addresses the need to protect the Missouri River from the waste that will flow into the Cannonball River and Lake Oahe if the camp is not cleared and the cleanup expedited."

The US Army Corps of Engineers ordered on February 3 those camping on federal property to vacate to prevent injuries and significant environmental damage in the likely event of flooding in the area.

The Oceti Sakowin camp needs to be evacuated no later than February 22 in order to allow private contractors to accelerate the removal of waste from the camp, the governor's office added.

The pipeline project has ignited a debate among many groups whether the benefit brought can outweigh its risks.

The environmental conservation community has largely refuted the pipeline, saying soil and water contamination and air pollution may damage the environment and wildlife along the pipeline route, a concern shared by many farmers in the region.

The fact that the Lake Oahe is located in Indian reserve land also prompted the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe to object, saying the project threatens the tribe's "way of life, water, people and land".

The controversial project is an approximately 1,900 km pipeline that connects the Bakken and Three Forks oil production areas in North Dakota and Patoka Illinois, the $3.78 billion project was planned to function by January 1, nearly 90 per cent is reported to have been completed.

The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad will host the opening tie as well as the final of this year's Indian Premier League (IPL), it was announced on Wednesday.

Defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will take on runners-up Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL opener on April 5 while the final is scheduled to take place on May 21.

"The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday announced the fixtures of the upcoming Indian Premier League 2017 season with the opening match scheduled to be held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad on April 5," a BCCI statement read.

"The tournament will be spread over 47 days across 10 venues. The schedule has been designed with each team playing 14 matches — seven of them at home venues," it added.

The season will also witness IPL returning to Indore for the first time since 2011. 

Star opener David Warner asserted on Wednesday that the Australian bowlers will have to be at the top of their game if the visitors are to emerge triumphant during their upcoming Test series against India.

With the wickets in the sub-continent known to favour spinners, Warner felt that the Australian tweakers will have to take on most of the load.

"With the ball, we need to take early wickets upfront. Wickets are going to turn. Spinners will have to put their hands up, bowl long spells and take wickets. Ashwin and Jadeja are doing there for a long time in India.

"To take 20 wickets is going to be very challenging but we are up for that task. We have to prepare for that and we are definitely preparing for that," Warner told a news channel.

Australia are scheduled to play four Test matches India from February 23 to March 29 and Warner is expecting a tough time for the visitors.

The Indians are currently on a 19-match unbeaten streak and have won their last six Test series. 

Observing that the Indians had dominated the recent Test series against England at home, the 30-year-old left-hander opined that the Australians will have to be at their best in order to upstage the hosts.

"We do know that India are playing very good cricket and in their own backyard they are exceptional.They crush teams. You look at the England series. England scored 400 to 500 runs. India always seems to have an answer. For us as an Australian cricket team, we have to respond better than that," Warner was quoted as saying by India Today.

"We have to have a plan in place and if they are not in place you are crushed. We are here to play our best brand of cricket and to beat India."

Warner also praised India captain Virat Kohli who is enjoying exceptional form this season with four double hundreds over the past four series.

"I am not going to say he is in the form of his life because it seems like he is in the form of the last decades, the way he is playing. You know, he is a fantastic player, a great sport. He is an exceptional player," he said.

"Kohli is in the form of the decade. He is taking the entire country on a journey. He wants the country to ride with him."

The AIADMK camp led by acting Chief Minister O Panneerselvam is hoping to receive a sizeable number of legislators on Thursday, said a senior leader.

He also said Governor C Vidyasagar Rao may not invite Public Works Minister Edapadi K Palanisamy to form the government in the state till everything seems to be clear.

"There is no patch up moves between the two groups — one led by Panneerselvam and the other led by AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala, who is now in a Bengaluru jail.

"We expect around 30 legislators to our sides from the rival camp," a senior AIADMK leader said.

"With Deepa Jayakumar joining hands with Panneerselvam, the strength of our camp has increased manifold and there is no patch up moves," he added.

Deepa Jayakumar, the niece of former Chief Minister late J Jayalalithaa was opposed to Sasikala.

Soon after the death of Jayalalithaa, thousands of AIADMK cadres rallied behind Jayakumar and wanted her to enter politics.

According to the AIADMK leader, the political impasse in the state may end in a couple of day's time.

"Yesterday (Wednesday) when we met the Governor, we reiterated the point that majority of AIADMK legislators are held in captivity at the beach resort and if they are freed then support for our leader would swell," he said.

"At the Governor's meeting there was no indication that he would soon invite Palanisamy to form the government," he added.

On Wednesday evening, AIADMK's leader of the legislature party Palanisamy and Panneerselvam met Rao separately.

After the meeting AIADMK Presidium Chairman KA Sengottaiyan expressed confidence that the Governor would soon invite Palanisamy to form the government.

Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar too echoed similar views post Rao's meeting.

According to AIAMDK leader in the Panneerselvam camp, the appointment of TTV Dinakaran as the party's Deputy General Secretary by Sasikala is void.

"As per party byelaw only a person who is a party member for five continuous years can hold any party post. Dinakaran was not a member of the party for the past several years. He was dismissed from the party by Jayalalithaa," he added.

Even the election of Sasikala as the General Secretary in 2016, was being questioned on this ground and a complaint has been filed with the Election Commission.

"I do not know where the party is going. The General Secretary is in jail for corruption and the Deputy General Secretary faces case under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act," KC Palaniswamy, former AIADMK MP said.

He said Dinakaran's appointment as Deputy General Secretary goes against the party laws.

"The Election Commission is expected to decide on my petition challenging the election of Sasikala as General Secretary by the general council. A General Secretary can be elected only by party members in an election," Palaniswamy said.

"I expect status quo would continue in the state till the Election Commission decides on my complaint so that there will be stability in the ruling party," Palaniswamy added.

Holders Real Madrid recovered from an early deficit to beat Napoli 3-1 in their Champions League round-of-16 clash at the Santiago Bernabeu with a Casemiro thunderbolt from range the highlight on an action-packed Wednesday night.

Zinedine Zidane picked Benzema over Alvaro Morata and started James Rodriguez too, as Los Blancos trotted out in their tried-and-tested 4-3-3 formation.

Napoli, who have been in impressive form in the Serie A, matched the hosts’ formation with Lorenzo Insigne, Dries Mertens and ex-Real Madrid man Jose Maria Callejon making for an extremely potent attacking trio.

Madrid started the game on the front foot, coming close to scoring but Pepe Reina was equal to Benzema’s shot from inside the box after Cristiano Ronaldo had set him up.

It was the visiting side who would score the opening goal of the night, as Marek Hamsik’s through ball from inside his own half released the pacy Insigne. The 25-year-old saw Keylor Navas was off his line and let loose a curling shot close to 40 yards out with his first touch to silence the Bernabeu in the 11th minute. Navas desperately scrambled to somehow get to the ball, but his poor positioning had left him with little chance.

Madrid didn't take long to respond, Benzema rising high to head in a delightful outside-of-the-boot cross from Dani Carvajal just seven minutes later. He repaid his manager’s faith in him with a classic striker’s goal to calm the home side’s nerves and with Gareth Bale on the verge of making a comeback, gave Zidane a welcome dilemma as we near the business end of the footballing season.

The stage was set for Ronaldo to then put Madrid in the lead after Luka Modric had slipped him in, but the Portuguese superstar skied his shot, much to Napoli’s relief. 
Ronaldo then almost created the perfect assist for Benzema, sending in an early low cross for the French forward but the finish was just wide.

Hamsik had gone close to adding a second for Napoli in what was an extremely open 45 minutes but the teams went to the dressing rooms with the scores at 1-1.

Ronaldo was not to be denied his assist, however, as he brilliantly beat his man near the byline before cutting it back for Toni Kroos, who arrived at the edge of the box like clockwork to caress the ball into the net in the 49th minute.

Madrid scored their final goal of the night just five minutes later and it came from an unlikely source, defensive midfielder Casemiro. A Napoli defender had tackled James Rodriguez near the edge of box and the ball had gone high in the air and came straight to Casemiro, who let loose with a viciously dipping volley which left Reina with no chance.

Napoli had a chance to score what could have been a decisive second away goal, but Mertens fluffed his lines spectacularly to ensure Madrid hold a definitive advantage after the first leg.

The second leg at Napoli is scheduled for the 7th of March and while Los Blancos are clearly ahead, Napoli’s home advantage cannot be underestimated.

Holders Real Madrid recovered from an early deficit to beat Napoli 3-1 in their Champions League round-of-16 clash at the Santiago Bernabeu with a Casemiro thunderbolt from range the highlight on an action-packed Wednesday night.

Zinedine Zidane picked Benzema over Alvaro Morata and started James Rodriguez too, as Los Blancos trotted out in their tried-and-tested 4-3-3 formation.

Napoli, who have been in impressive form in the Serie A, matched the hosts’ formation with Lorenzo Insigne, Dries Mertens and ex-Real Madrid man Jose Maria Callejon making for an extremely potent attacking trio.

Madrid started the game on the front foot, coming close to scoring but Pepe Reina was equal to Benzema’s shot from inside the box after Cristiano Ronaldo had set him up.

It was the visiting side who would score the opening goal of the night, as Marek Hamsik’s through ball from inside his own half released the pacy Insigne. The 25-year-old saw Keylor Navas was off his line and let loose a curling shot close to 40 yards out with his first touch to silence the Bernabeu in the 11th minute. Navas desperately scrambled to somehow get to the ball, but his poor positioning had left him with little chance.

Madrid didn't take long to respond, Benzema rising high to head in a delightful outside-of-the-boot cross from Dani Carvajal just seven minutes later. He repaid his manager’s faith in him with a classic striker’s goal to calm the home side’s nerves and with Gareth Bale on the verge of making a comeback, gave Zidane a welcome dilemma as we near the business end of the footballing season.

The stage was set for Ronaldo to then put Madrid in the lead after Luka Modric had slipped him in, but the Portuguese superstar skied his shot, much to Napoli’s relief. 
Ronaldo then almost created the perfect assist for Benzema, sending in an early low cross for the French forward but the finish was just wide.

Hamsik had gone close to adding a second for Napoli in what was an extremely open 45 minutes but the teams went to the dressing rooms with the scores at 1-1.

Ronaldo was not to be denied his assist, however, as he brilliantly beat his man near the byline before cutting it back for Toni Kroos, who arrived at the edge of the box like clockwork to caress the ball into the net in the 49th minute.

Madrid scored their final goal of the night just five minutes later and it came from an unlikely source, defensive midfielder Casemiro. A Napoli defender had tackled James Rodriguez near the edge of box and the ball had gone high in the air and came straight to Casemiro, who let loose with a viciously dipping volley which left Reina with no chance.

Napoli had a chance to score what could have been a decisive second away goal, but Mertens fluffed his lines spectacularly to ensure Madrid hold a definitive advantage after the first leg.

The second leg at Napoli is scheduled for the 7th of March and while Los Blancos are clearly ahead, Napoli’s home advantage cannot be underestimated.

Snapping two-days losing streak, domestic equity markets started Thursday’s trading session with marginal gains. At 9.50 am, the Sensex at the BSE was trading 30 points higher at 28,186 and the Nifty at the NSE was trading five points up at 8,730.

In the broader markets, BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices increased around 0.1 per cent each.

Among the BSE sectoral indices, IT index was trading with the biggest gain, up 1.3 per cent, while FMCG index became the top loser, down 0.5 per cent.

On Wednesday, the Sensex had closed 184 points down at 28,156 and the Nifty had closed 68 points lower at 8,725.

Top gainers in the Sensex-30 pack: Sun Pharma (up 1.8 per cent), TCS (up 0.9 per cent), SBI (up 0.8 per cent), Infosys (up 0.7 per cent) and Gail (up 0.7 per cent).

Top losers in the Sensex-30 pack: ICICI Bank (down 2 per cent), Dr Reddy’s Labs (down 1.7 per cent), Adani Ports (down 1.4 per cent), ITC (down 1.1 per cent), and Coal India (down 0.9 per cent)

However, the Rupee was trading four paisa down at 66.94 against the US Dollar.