Two US Senators have asked the Department of Defense to address why US President Donald Trump was using his unsecured Android phone for official communications, media reports said.

According to a report in Engadget on Monday, Senators Tom Carper and Claire McCaskill wrote a letter to Secretary of Defense James Mattis asking for four things.

"First, confirmation on if Trump received a secured, encrypted smartphone for personal use on or before inauguration, and, if not, what kind of phone the President has been using since taking office," the report noted.

The Senators also wanted to know the policies and protections the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has in place for the personal phone's use.

"The senators want to know if the DISA, Secret Service an National Security Agency were consulted and coordinated with regarding the president's use of a personal cellphone," the report added.

It is deeply troubling for US Senators and other security agencies that Trump still uses his unsecured smartphone.

Trump is being urged by his aides and the Secret Service to give up his "unsecure smartphone and stick to the secure one that was issued to him".

"The absolutely minimum Trump could do to protect our nation is to use a secure device to protect him from foreign spies and other threats," New York Times quoted Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon on the Intelligence Committee, as saying.

It was not clear if Trump's device and its functions like texting are encrypted to thwart hacking. The device could be vulnerable to hacking if used on unsecured Wi-Fi and cellular networks.

Facebook is testing out a new feature that pushes posts at the bottom edge of the web browser, akin to chat windows, when you receive a notification on a post.

Users can comment or react on these pop-up posts. There is also an option to hide or minimise the post.

"We've heard from people that they would like an easier way to participate in conversations on a post while they are still in News Feed so we are testing a new option that opens up a window when someone comments on your post, replies to your comment or tags you in a comment," CNET quoted a Facebook spokeswoman as saying.

Though it is not clear how many users can avail this feature as of now, Facebook said it's a "small test". 

"For Facebook, the more eyeballs on a post, the more the social network can woo advertisers. So, anytime Facebook can get you to spend more time reading, liking or scrolling around, it's a win for the social network," the report noted.

Facebook is testing out a new feature that pushes posts at the bottom edge of the web browser, akin to chat windows, when you receive a notification on a post.

Users can comment or react on these pop-up posts. There is also an option to hide or minimise the post.

"We've heard from people that they would like an easier way to participate in conversations on a post while they are still in News Feed so we are testing a new option that opens up a window when someone comments on your post, replies to your comment or tags you in a comment," CNET quoted a Facebook spokeswoman as saying.

Though it is not clear how many users can avail this feature as of now, Facebook said it's a "small test". 

"For Facebook, the more eyeballs on a post, the more the social network can woo advertisers. So, anytime Facebook can get you to spend more time reading, liking or scrolling around, it's a win for the social network," the report noted.

Jammu and Kashmir government shifted 60 top police officers and bureaucrats in a major reshuffle on Tuesday.

Among the changes, SD Singh Jamwal has been posted as Inspector General (IG) Jammu zone while Muneer Ahmad Khan has been posted as Director Vigilance in the state's anti-graft organisation.

Jagjit Kumar takes over as IG Traffic while JP Singh has been posted as IG personnel at the police headquarters.

Mubarak Ganai is the new IG Armed police Kashmir while Muhammad Sulaiman Salaria had been posted as Director of Sher-e-Kashmir Police Academy (Udhampur).

Alok Puri has been posted as the IG crime while Sunil Kumar goes as IG Police Telecommunications.

Imtiyaz Ismail Parray is the new Superintendents of Police (SSP) Srinagar while Shabir Ahmad would be the new SSP of Doda district and Fayaz Ahmad Lone the new SSP of Ganderbal district.

In the civil administration, Bipul Pathak, Principal Secretary goes as Commissioner Enquiries.

Vineeta Gupta goes as Director General at Institute of Management and Public Administration.

Sanjeev Varma is the new Commissioner of Tribal Affairs while Saurbah Bhagat is the new Secretary Public Health Engineering, Irrigation and Flood Control.

Jammu and Kashmir government shifted 60 top police officers and bureaucrats in a major reshuffle on Tuesday.

Among the changes, SD Singh Jamwal has been posted as Inspector General (IG) Jammu zone while Muneer Ahmad Khan has been posted as Director Vigilance in the state's anti-graft organisation.

Jagjit Kumar takes over as IG Traffic while JP Singh has been posted as IG personnel at the police headquarters.

Mubarak Ganai is the new IG Armed police Kashmir while Muhammad Sulaiman Salaria had been posted as Director of Sher-e-Kashmir Police Academy (Udhampur).

Alok Puri has been posted as the IG crime while Sunil Kumar goes as IG Police Telecommunications.

Imtiyaz Ismail Parray is the new Superintendents of Police (SSP) Srinagar while Shabir Ahmad would be the new SSP of Doda district and Fayaz Ahmad Lone the new SSP of Ganderbal district.

In the civil administration, Bipul Pathak, Principal Secretary goes as Commissioner Enquiries.

Vineeta Gupta goes as Director General at Institute of Management and Public Administration.

Sanjeev Varma is the new Commissioner of Tribal Affairs while Saurbah Bhagat is the new Secretary Public Health Engineering, Irrigation and Flood Control.

Stocks turned sideways on Tuesday as investors digested a 4-session advance and traders hesitated from extending long positions in a market consolidating near 4-month highs. Overseas cues were weak to absent.

Here are the major trading events of the day:

* The Nifty snaps its 4-day winning streak and trades below 8,800 levels. The index is down 14 points to 8,791 points.

* BPCL, Hero Motor Co, Ambuja Cement, Ultra Tech Cement and Coal India dropped 1.4-2 per cent and were among 33 stocks that lost ground on the Nifty.

* Reliance Industries, ONGC, GAIL, Adani Ports and Grasim dropped 1.1-1.7 per cent and were among 17 stocks that gained on the Nifty.

* Yes Bank hit a fresh high on very heavy volumes and was the top traded stock by value on the NSE with Rs 223 crore worth of shares changing hands. Sun TV surged 2.8 per cent to 733 rupees with Rs 190 crore worth of shares being traded. Investors ramped up Sun TV after Tamil Nadu's Chief Ministerial aspirant Sasikala was jailed for 4 years by the Supreme Court in a disproportionate assets case. The politically active Maran family, which runs Sun TV, is Sasikala's rival in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

* DLF, Bank of Baroda and Hindalco were among the most active shares by volume.

* Broader markets were quiet to weak with the Nifty 100, 200 and 500 indices dipping about 0.3 per cent each.

* Bulls took a day off from Dalal Street on Tuesday as the entire sectoral space was bathed in a mild shade of red. The metals index was the top loser, down 1.4 per cent.

* The Bears were in command of sentiment with 972 shares falling compared to 604 that fell.

* The Sensex was down 33 points to 28,319 points on the Bombay Stock Exchange. Reliance Industries was the top gainer while Hero Motors lost the most. Infosys was the top traded stock by volume on the Sensex.

Micro-blogging site Twitter has launched special Valentine's Day #LoveHappens stickers that represent various symbols of love for people to express their emotions in a fun way.

Last year, people tweeted the word "love" more than 2.5 billion times globally. And now, a special emoji for Valentine's Day, which falls on February 14, has been developed that appears when #LoveHappens and Valentine's Day related hashtags are used while composing a tweet, read a statement from Twitter.

Here's a list of most "hearted" tweets related to love in 2016:

* Cricketer Virat Kohli supports actress Anushka Sharma: Virat Kohli's (@imVkohli) tweet in support of actress Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma) was also the most hearted tweet, in addition to being the 'golden tweet' of 2016 in India. He encouraged his fans and critics, who attributed his outstanding performance in the ICC World T20 to their break-up, to be compassionate. 

* Superstar Salman Khan's complicated bromance with "Dangal" star Aamir Khan: Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) compared Aamir Khan's (@aamir_khan) "Dangal" to his own blockbuster "Sultan" after his family saw "Dangal" and thought it was better. Salman admitted that although he loves Aamir personally, he hates him professionally.

* Superstar Rajinikanth congratulates PM Narendra Modi for demonetisation move: Rajinikanth (@superstarrajini) showed his love for his country when he declared the birth of a new India after Modi's demonetisation measure to curb black money and terrorism in the country.

* Actor Akshay Kumar tweets in support of the Indian soldiers: Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) spoke his mind with his video message expressing pride and support for the Indian soldiers. He emphasised on the importance of making Indian soldiers feel safe and valued, as we are safe, due to their sacrifice and duty towards our nation.

* Actor Vijay's opinion on Jallikattu: Tamil star Vijay (@actorvijay) expressed his love for his culture when he shared a heartfelt message with his fans on Jallikattu being the pride of Tamil Nadu, using the hashtag #JusticeforJalikattu.

Three soldiers and a militant were killed on Tuesday and eight others injured in a gunfight between the security forces and militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district.

The incident took place when security forces launched a search operation in Parraypora village after receiving information about holed-up militants.

Eight people, including seven security men and one civilian, were injured during the gunfight in the village located in Hajin area.

The gunfight has ended, police said.

The slain militants identity is being established.

The three soldiers killed in the gunfight belonged to the counter insurgence 13 Rashtriya Rifles.

The injured security men, including a Commanding Officer of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), six other security personnel and a civilian have been shifted to a hospital for treatment.

Country’s Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation jumped to 5.25 per cent in January 2017 despite negative inflation in food articles, government data showed on Tuesday.

The WPI inflation had broken 3-month declining trend in December 2016 and had jumped to 3.39 per cent. It was 3.15 per cent in November 2016.

Fuel and Power index jumped by 18.14 per cent in January while manufactured products index rose 3.99 per cent. Food articles index declined by 0.56 per cent year-on year. 

Meanwhile, Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation has eased further to 3.17 per cent in January 2017 compared to 3.41 per cent in December 2016. The CPI number were released by the government on Monday.

The Union government, in its Economic Survey for 2016-17 on February 1, has projected retail inflation to be well below Reserve Bank of India's target of five per cent.

Tracking the news, the Sensex was trading 44 points down at 28,308 while the Nifty was trading 16 points down at , 8789 at 12.22 pm on Tuesday.

Actor Hrithik Roshan has launched the trailer of Kunal Kapoor's upcoming film Veeram on online platforms like Facebook and Twitter on Tuesday.

Kunal on Tuesday morning took to Twitter, where he announced that Hrithik will be unveiling the trailer of "Veeram", a trilingual period drama.

"Launching today on Facebook at 10 by Hrithik Roshan Veeram Kunal tweeted on Tuesday morning. 

Hrithik shared the link to the trailer on his official Facebook and Twitter page and called it "incredible". 

Kunal re-tweeted the Kaabil star's post and thanked him. 

Veeram is an adaptation of legendary poet Shakespeare's classic Macbeth. Set in 13th century Kerala, Veeram resuscitates the real life character made famous through folklore literature and songs.

Sharing broad similarities with the rise and fall of Macbeth, the film spans the journey of Chandu (played by Kunal), a Kalaripayattu warrior who meets a tragic end as an outcome of betrayal.

Produced by Chandrakala Arts, Veeram has been shot in three different languages — Hindi, English and Malayalam.

The film is directed by Jayaraj. Veeram— Jayaraj's fifth in his Navarasa series after Karunam, Shantham, Bheebhatsa and Adbutham — has been shot in the scenic locales of the Ellora caves in Aurangabad, Fatehpur Sikri in Agra and in a few areas in Kerala.
 

It is a 'missed call' campaign to ensure the party does not go amiss in UP. Samajwadi Party has devised a novel way to connect with the electorate with a "one-minute manifesto" campaign, highlighting key points to people in 60 seconds by returning their missed calls.

Banking on its "kaam bolta hai" (work speaks for itself) punchline, the party, which is claiming to have made a clean sweep in the first phase of polling with Congress by its side, is leaving no stone unturned to turn the tide in its favour.

The party is targeting prospective voters by wooing them with development schemes. Whoever gets a return call listens to the manifesto for 60 seconds.

Elaborating on his brainchild – the one-minute manifesto – Anshuman Sharma, a member of the SP 'war room', says this will make up for those places where party workers cannot go to drum up support for the ruling party.

"Mostly, party workers are moving from door-to-door in selected areas chosen by the campaign team…But, they cannot go everywhere. The 60-second script is for those who might not have heard about the manifesto," Anshuman explains.

He said committed party workers talk to people and tell them about SP's manifesto and hand them postcards highlighting key points in the manifesto.

"We urge them that if they like the promises made in the manifesto and want to extend support to SP, they should give a missed call to a particular number. Once the person gives a missed call they get a return call from us," he said.

The call back script is designed in such a way that it does not take a long time and ends within 60 seconds and has 16 key points from the detailed version of the manifesto, he said.

"At the end of the call, users are asked to press a key if they like the manifesto," he said.

Anshuman, who heads the research, coordination and mobile messaging unit in the SP war room, is a Fulbright scholar from Harvard University and has been working with Akhilesh Yadav since 2015.

Till date the party has made over 1.5 lakh calls to prospective voters.

About the response, Anshuman said it was started in Noida and Ghaziabad and then Bareily and it is currently going on in Lucknow and Kanpur.

"The response is tremendous," he claimed.

"It will be extended to all phases of polling. Whoever gets a return call is listening to the manifesto for 60 seconds," he said.

He is also involved in constituency-wise mapping for SP to know where its candidates are winning or losing.

"Our team gives pre and post rally feedback to Akhileshji. We get to know local issues for each rally and text inputs to CM so that he can establish a local connect when he addresses rallies," he said.

"Post rally feedback about what people liked in that rally is also collected. We monitor each candidate and constituency and provide them village-level feedback about where they might be losing and need to work hard.

"It is done by calling 1.5 lakh SP party volunteers and workers throughout the state who are assigned particular polling booths," he said.

SP leaders feel the missed call campaign is actively engaging undecided voters.

If you missed on planning a getaway prior to Valentine’s Day, then like they say sudden plans are the best plans and surprise dates are the best dates, you can still plan something special for your beloved.

If going out of station is not an option then making the day special is still possible.

After a long hectic work day, you can still save your Valentine’s Day.

Here are five places to visit in Delhi to fall in love a little more with your beloved and with this beautiful city.

Hauz Khas Village

The old fort with a calm lake makes it a perfect getaway from the hustle bustle of this megacity. Away from the world, you can walk hand in hand and let the love blend in with the cool pleasant breeze. Watch the sun set as your love bloom on Valentine’s Day.

Lotus Temple

If you manage to get off early from work, then lotus temple can be a good option. If you are not a PDA (Public Display of Affection) kind of couple then this silent paradise is the best place to feel the love and its eternity.

Connaught Place

The vibe of this place is unmatchable and on V-day it is a different experience all together. With red roses and heart shaped balloons it looks like a perfect setting for Valentine’s Day. With food outlets giving a variety of options, it is a perfect and pocket friendly place to take your valentine out for a date.

Nehru Planetarium

Let the nerd in you be a little romantic and take your date to Nehru Planetarium. As the lights dim and the darkness of virtual night takes over, let the stars on the screen above your head express your love and make it an evening to remember forever.

Rooftop cafes- Paharganj

A bunch of rooftop cafes in Paharganj in the spring season is just ‘love is in the air’ place. The cool breeze, delicious food and flashy lights all around will give you an escape from the rest of the world as you spend an evening in the city.

So pick a place or two out of these and get dressed to take your date out on this Valentine’s Day and make it a memory to be cherished forever.

Actress Shruti Haasan has been signed on to play the leading lady in upcoming mega budget Tamil period drama Sanghamitra, which will star Jayam Ravi and Arya in the lead and will roll from April.

"Shruti had recently finished the paperwork and she is quite excited to be part of the project. The makers had several options but they eventually chose Shruti because they wanted someone who is popular but at the same time can perform," a source from the film's unit told.

The source further added that Shruti, who is basking in the success of Tamil actioner SI3, will commence shooting for Sanghamitra from May onwards. The film is made on a budget of Rs. 150 crore 

"It will be the biggest project of her career thus far. She's very excited because her role will give her an opportunity to attempt something she hasn't done so far," the source added.

To be helmed by Sundar C and produced by Sri Thenandal Films, the film will also be released in Telugu and Hindi.

"It will be simultaneously made in Telugu. In Hindi, however, it will be made with an entirely different cast and the process will take time," he said.

The film will have music by A.R Rahman.
 

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed the Directorate Of Education's nursery admissions notification forcing 298 private schools to adopt only neighbourhood criteria, while terming it as "unreasonable".

The January 7 notification was "arbitrary and discriminatory", said Justice Manmohan while he ordered to put a stay on the guidelines for nursery admissions in the national capital for the 2017-18 academic session.

The notifications by the Department of Education have made "distance" the primary criterion for admission of tiny tots. 

The court remarked that "primary cause of nursery admissions chaos is lack of good schools in Delhi".

The court's judgement came on petitions filed by two school bodies and a couple of parents to challenge the guidelines.

A federal judge has refused to block the government's  $100 million lawsuit against Lance Armstrong, putting the former cyclist on course for trial in a 2010 case stemming from his performance-enhancing drug use.

The lawsuit was filed by Armstrong's former US Postal Service teammate Floyd Landis. The federal government joined in 2013 after Armstrong publicly admitted he cheated to win the Tour de France seven times from 1999-2005. Armstrong was stripped of those titles and banned from competition.

Armstrong has also taken huge hits financially, losing all his major sponsors and being forced to pay more than $10 million in damages and settlements in a series of lawsuits.

The Landis lawsuit would be the biggest by far and the ruling from US District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington yesterday was a major setback for Armstrong with a trial most likely later in 2017.

Armstrong's legal team didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

Landis, himself a former doping cheat who was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title, sued Armstrong under the federal False Claims Act, alleging Armstrong and his team committed fraud against the government when they cheated while riding under the Postal Service banner. According to court records, the contract paid the team, which was operated by Tailwind Sports Corp., about  $32 million from 2000 to 2004.

Armstrong got nearly  $3.5 million.

The law allows Landis and the government to sue to get that money back and for "treble" damages, or triple the amount, and Armstrong could be forced to pay all of it. Landis stands to receive up to 25 per cent of any damages awarded.

Armstrong claims he and the team don't owe the Postal Service anything because the agency made far more off the sponsorship than it paid. Armstrong's lawyers have introduced internal studies for the agency that calculated benefits in media exposure topping  $100 million.

The government has countered that the negative fallout from the doping scandal tainted the agency because of its association with Armstrong.

Cooper's ruling said Armstrong makes a "persuasive case," but that any decision on damages should be left to a jury.

"Giving Armstrong 'credit' for the benefits he delivered while using (performance-enhancing drugs) could be viewed as an unjust reward for having successfully concealed his doping for so long," Cooper wrote. "(But) disregarding any benefits USPS received from the sponsorship could bestow the government with an undeserved windfall. The same could be said of Landis, whose role in this entire affair some would view as less than pure." 

Landis attorney Paul D Scott said he was delighted" to see the case move toward trial. "The finish line for Mr.

Armstrong … is fast approaching," Scott said.

His personal story of recovering from testicular cancer that had spread to his brain, while forcefully denying persistent rumours of doping, had built his Lance Armstrong Foundation cancer charity into a $500 million global brand and turned him into a celebrity.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe believes that US President Donald Trump is a "good listener", as well as "friendly and open", the media reported.

"President Trump is surprisingly a good listener though it may seem that he isn't. He's also very frank and open. But he's very committed to his campaign pledges," Abe told public broadcaster NHK in an interview on Monday.

During the interview, Abe spoke of his meetings in the US over the weekend with Trump, in which they discussed security issues such as Washington's stance over the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, a point of conflict and contention between Tokyo and Beijing.

Trump had previously suggested that Japan should pay more to maintain a US military presence in Japan.

But Abe said the US President did not mention the issue during their meeting.

"Defence Secretary Mattis visited Japan and said the Japanese and American cost-sharing model is an example for other nations to follow. I think that settled the issue. We were wondering whether President Trump would mention the matter, but he didn't. Rather, he thanked Japan for the warm hospitality extended to the US Marine Corps," the Prime Minister said.

He also discussed the North Korea's latest missile test on Sunday, while he was still with President Trump at his resort in Florida.

"President (Barack) Obama was very cautious about using military force against North Korea, calling his stance 'strategic patience'. I believe the Trump Administration is aiming to review the stance and seek a diplomatic solution, putting all options on the table," Abe said.

The premier also believes that the Trump administration will renew its stance towards China and Russia.

"I think the US government is in the process of establishing its foreign policy against China. Right before our summit, President Trump talked for one hour over the phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The timing was very good for me. President Trump and I were able to discuss how to deal with China, taking into consideration what the leaders of the US and China talked about and various other factors."

"I have also insisted that dialogue between the US and Russia is essential for resolving the issues of Syria, the Middle East, Iran and Ukraine."  

President Trump plans to hold a close dialogue with Russia," Abe concluded.

Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday said Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao will ensure an “able and stable” government in the state after AIADMK General Secretary, who was aspiring to be the next CM was convicted by the Supreme Court in a corruption case. 

“SC verdict out today. Need of the hour is to enable an able and stable government in Tamil Nadu as per the wishes of the people of State. I am sure Governor Shri Rao will be at it now,” Naidu tweeted.

The announcement comes shortly after Sasikala was convicted by the SC in a case of disproportionate assets, thus crushing her dream of becoming the next chief minister of Tamil Nadu.

Sasikala will now have to surrender after which she will be taken into custody and serve her remaining jail time.

The apex court’s verdict came on an appeal by the Karnataka government in the disproportionate assets case involving former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister late J Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and others.