There should be no Govt interference, media should self-regulate: Modi to Press Council of India

New Delhi::  Prime Minister Narendra Modi said there should be no government interference in the functioning of media but advised self-regulation by making appropriate changes with times, asserting that things will not change from external control. He also expressed concern over recent murders of journalists, saying it was very “painful” and a “most dangerous” way of suppressing truth. His remarks came against the backdrop of murder of two journalists in Bihar.

Speaking at the golden jubilee celebrations of Press Council of India (PCI), Modi also quoted Mahatma Gandhi to support his assertions seeking self-regulation by the media. “Mahatma Gandhi had said uncontrolled writing can create huge problems but he had also said that external interference would wreak havoc. Controlling it (media) externally cannot be imagined,” he asserted. “Government should not do any interference. It is true that self-introspection is not easy… It is the responsibility of the PCI and those associated with the press to see to it that what appropriate changes you can make with time. Things do not change from external control,” he said.

Though the Prime Minister did not refer to any specific changes, he said unlike journalists in past when they had ample time to make corrections, now because of the fast-paced nature of electronic and digital media there is no such opportunity now. Referring to the Kandahar hijack in 1999, he said new channels’ round-the-clock reportage of angry reactions of the families of passengers in the Indian Airlines flight made terrorists emboldened as they thought they can get anything from the Indian government with this kind of public pressure. The episode set off introspection in the media which later came with norms for the coverage of such incidents, Modi said.

As he spoke about self-regulation, Modi gave the analogy of a mother telling her child to eat a little less or not to eat. The child would listen to his mother but not to an outsider, he said.Speaking about media, he said it should also be regulated from within and things should be resolved within the  family in the interests of the society.



Governments should not even venture close to having an intention of interfering, he added. The Prime Minister suggested that issues relating to self-regulation should be seen through the medium of organisations like the Press Council and drawing from the experience of senior people and in the interests of the society. He added that self-regulation is not an easy task. The Prime Minister said that after the Kandahar attack, the media organisations introspected and and dissected their own errors.

“After 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai, another moment of introspection came yet the matter is still incomplete,” he said, adding, “I believe mistakes are committed by us and by you….the media should not be assessed by its mistakes.” “Till the time there is a section of responsible people, who want to remove the weaknesses and make it better, I believe it is a positive effort in this sector and it should continue,” he said.

Modi said that when Emergency was declared in 1975 , the Press Council was shut and it was reborn when the Morarji Desai government came to power in 1977.

He said that people in Press Council should also think of how to improve things. He said even the government can be told how to improve its communication.

“Unfortunately even the government sometimes indulges in selective leaking to favoured journalists,” he said, adding if there are some discussions in Press Council regarding this they should be put forward to the government.

Modi said there should be communication to improve the institutions for which the people should benefit. The Prime Minister also said that media should encourage healthy competition like ranking states on their performance in the area of ‘swacchta’ or cleanliness

FIR against Congress leader for ‘defacing’ PM’s picture

New Delhi: A BJP leader here has lodged an FIR against local Congress leader and his supporters for allegedly defacing the picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, police said.

On the complaint of BJP district chief Rajesh Singhal, an FIR under sections 147 (rioting) and 295 (hurting religious sentiments) of the IPC has been lodged against Congress city unit president Tauqeer Ahmed and his 10 supporters for defacing the picture of the Prime Minister in a hoarding set up at Chandausi crossing, ASP Ram Murat Yadav said.

Investigations are underway, the ASP added.

Singhal said Ahmed and his supporters painted black the picture of the PM in a Finance Department hoarding, set up to inform people about black money.



Opposition parties are frustrated over the popularity of the PM and his demonetisation move and are venting their ire in this manner, Singhal alleged, adding general public, however, was very happy about the decision.

Anyone providing information of Najeeb to be paid Rs 5 lakh

New Delhi:: Delhi Police has raised the reward from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for anyone providing information that could help locate JNU student Najeed Ahmed, who has been missing from the university for over a month now. The force had initially announced that it will give Rs 50,000 to anyone providing information about Najeeb and had later increased the amount to Rs 1 lakh and then to Rs 2 lakh.

A senior police officer said the amount has been increased to Rs 5 lakh. The case was last week transferred from South District to the Crime Branch to have a “fresh look” into it. The team probing it has started from scratch and is re-looking at all clues and evidence.

Najeeb went missing on October 15 following an on-campus scuffle allegedly with the members of ABVP the night before. Last month, an SIT was formed to trace the missing student following an instruction from the Union Home Minister to the Delhi Police chief.

The SIT, headed by Additional DCP-II (South) Manishi Chandra, however, failed to gain any actionable clues in the matter. The SIT was focusing on psychiatric angle in the probe after it was learnt that Najeeb was suffering from OCD with depression. The team was also mulling seeking help from psychiatrists from AIIMS or RML to chalk out a plan for probe in the case.



The Crime Branch is probing all angles, sources said.

Ranveer Singh is ‘befikre’ about demonetisation move

“I am befikre (carefree); I don’t have knowledge about it so I am not qualified to comment on all that is going on,” was Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh’s reaction to the government’s move to scrap old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to withdraw Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes has earned the government bouquets as well as brickbats.

When asked if he is ‘Befikre’ (title of his upcoming film) or worried about this decision, Ranveer said, “I am befikre. I don’t understand mathematics or economics. I don’t have knowledge about it so I am not qualified to comment on all that is going on.”

His co-star Vaani Kapoor too avoided comment. “I am a beggar. I don’t have that much money,” she said on a lighter note.



Ranveer and Vaani were talking on the sidelines of a song – ‘You and Me’ – launch event of ‘Befikre’. The Aditya Chopra directed romantic comedy is slated to release on December 9.

TV actor Mukesh Rawal found dead on railway tracks

Mumbai- Veteran actor Mukesh Rawal, known for his role of ‘Vibhishan’ in serial ‘Ramayana’, was found dead on railway tracks in suburban Kandivali here, railway police said today.

66-year-old Rawal was run-over by a train while crossing railway tracks, they said.

His body was found yesterday at 9.33 AM, but the actor’s kin identified him this morning, Commissioner of Railway Police Niket Kaushik told PTI.

The body was found on the tracks between Borivali and Kandivali railway stations, Kaushik said.



“Initially, we could not find anything on the body to identify. Railway Police had issued his photographs at all police stations.

“His son-in-law came at the Kandivali railway station in search of Rawal, who had gone missing. The officials sent him to a hospital where he identified the body,” the Commissioner of Police said.

After autopsy, the body was handed over to his family members, Kaushik said.

Apart from ‘Ramayana’, Rawal had also acted in Gujarati films and TV serials.

Currently he was doing the Gujarati TV serial “Nass Nass Mei Khunnas”.

Army jawan found dead in his office in MP

A 34-year-old Military Police (MP) jawan was today found dead with gunshot wound on his head, at the guard room in his office in Cantonment area here, police said.

The jawan, U R Gopal, who hailed from Andhra Pradesh, died of a bullet injury in the head, Sagar Superintendent of Police (SP) Sachin Atulkar told PTI.

“Prima facie, it appears that he committed suicide by shooting himself on his head with his INSAS rifle, which was found near him,” he said.

“We got the information about the jawan around 7.30 AM and reached the spot,” he said adding the body was sent for post-mortem.



Gopal used to live with his family in Cantonment here, the SP said.

A case has been registered with Padmakar police station and investigations are underway, Atulkar said.

Depressed man kills sons in Delhi

New Delhi: A depressed 43-year-old man strangled his two sons on Wednesday over a domestic problem here in Mahendra Park, police said.

Police said the incident took place around 6 a.m. when Mukesh strangled both Ayush, 15, and Aryan, 8, with a rope and confessed to the police.

The accused Mukesh was in depression since the death of his wife one and a half years ago, police said.

“He was unemployed and was living with his two sons in a house located in Sanjay Nagar of Mahendra Park,” Deputy Commissioner of Police, Vijay Singh told IANS.



Mukesh, who had done some construction in his house a month earlier, was also worried that a team from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) would come to demolish a portion of the house on Thursday after a complaint from his neighbours, police said.

Police arrested him from his house, Singh said.

Ayush was a student of Class 10, while Aryan studied in Class 8 in the nearby Little Angel Public School, he added.

Money exchange stress leaves two dead in UP

Bareilly-  Two persons died in separate incidents in Ballia and Bareilly districts of Uttar Pradesh following distress over not being able to exchange old currency notes after demonetisation.

In Ballia, a 40-year-old man died here after suffering a heart attack as he could not exchange old currency notes for the “tilak” ceremony of his daughter, his family members claimed today.

The “tilak” ceremony of Suman, daughter of Suresh Sonar, a resident of Sahatwar Nagar panchayat Ballia, was scheduled for today.

But he was short of cash due to “abrupt” demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, they said.



A dejected Suresh returned home yesterday evening after standing in a queue for hours at the State Bank of India branch here. He suffered a massive heart attack last night and died, family members claimed.

SP Ballia Vaibav Krishna said, “The matter was being in looked into.”

In Bareilly, 56-year-old Khaleef Hasan fell unconscious while standing in queue to withdraw money at Punjab National Bank branch in Eit Pajaya locality in Baradari area, an official release issued by DGP office said.

After falling unconscious, he died on the spot, it said, adding the exact cause of death could not be ascertained.

The family members of the victim said he was in distress due to demonetisation causing his death.

HIGH BP NOW MAJOR PROBLEM IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: STUDY

The number of people across the globe suffering from high blood pressure has almost doubled over the past four decades, with the biggest rise in south Asia and Africa, researchers said Wednesday. "High blood pressure is the leading risk factor for stroke and heart disease, and kills around 7.5 million people worldwide every year," said lead author Professor Majid Ezzati from Imperial College in London.

"Taken globally, high blood pressure is no longer a problem of the Western world or wealthy countries.

It is a problem of the world's poorest countries and people." Between 1975 and 2015, the tally of adults with high blood pressure rose from 594 million to over 1.1 billion, according to the overview, published in The Lancet medical journal.

At the same time, high income countries such as Australia, Canada, Germany and Japan have made "impressive reductions" in the prevalence of high blood pressure, the study found. The biggest increase in cases was registered in low- and middle-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and some Pacific island nations, researchers found.

In 2015, more than half of all adults with high blood pressure -- some 590 million people -- were living in east, southeast and south Asia.

Of that number, 226 million were in China and 199 million in India. Around a third of woman living in most West African countries also suffer from high blood pressure.

Hypertension also remains a "serious health problem" in several countries in central and eastern Europe, where more than a third of men are living with the condition, the paper said. People with high blood pressure -- which is also known as hypertension -- have a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and dementia.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), blood pressure is considered as high when it rises to 140/90 and over. Ezzati said that without introducing "effective policies" to allow the poorest to improve their diet, particularly by reducing salt intake and making fruit and vegetables affordable, the WHO's 2025 target of reducing high blood pressure cases by 25 percent was "unlikely to be achieved". At the other end of the scale, Canada, Australia, Britain and the United States, Peru, South Korea and Singapore had the lowest proportion of adults living with high blood pressure in 2015, with around or fewer than one in eight women and one in five men affected. The data used in the study came from 19.1 million people aged 18 or older, living in 200 countries.

3 HELD FOR ATTEMPTING TO EXCHANGE BANNED TURKISH CURRENCY

Gopalpuram police arrested three persons including an assistant film director and a businesswomen for attempting to exchange banned Turkish currency with people and cheat them.Police seized the currency with face value of Rs 5 crore from the trio, while hunt is on to nab another accused.According to police, the prime accused Naveen Kumar, who is currently absconding, had procured 100 notes of banned Turkey currency and gave them to his friend S Naresh Kumar.

Lured by Naveen that the currency was worth Rs 10 crore and Naresh thought of giving him `84 lakh after the exchange.

However, soon he found that the notes were banned and sought help of his friend Kiran to exchange the cash.

Kiran, who works as an assistant film director, took Naresh to a businesswoman Ch Ratna Prabha.Being a realtor, Ratna Prabha accepted to exchange the Turkish currency and sought commission.

Subsequently, they went to Secunderabad railway station on Monday and were waiting to exchange the notes.

On a tip-off, police swung into action and apprehended the trio.A total of 100 notes of Turkey currency, three mobile phones, one car and a bike were seized from the accused.

BJP SLAMS OPPN, SAYS INDIA STANDS BY MODI'S NOTE BAN

Rajya Sabha on Monday witnessed a fierce debate on the recent note ban imposed by the Modi govt. Congress leader Anand Sharma led the Opposition's charge, asking Centre why 'were all Indians being criminalised' by the move. "86% of the currency in the markets was 500/1000 notes, was scrapped by just one announcement.

Was it all black?," Sharma asked the House. BJP hit back at Congress for criticising demonetisation and said despite facing hardships the common man in India was lauding the government's 'surgical strike' against black money. Lok Sabha on the other hand was adjourned till Thursday after members maintained a two-minute silence for former members who passed away.Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier addressed the media from Parliament premises, making a last minute appeal to the Opposition for their co-operation to achieve a 'fruitful' session. “In the winter session, a very positive discussion will happen and on all issues with contribution of all parties.  In last session an important bill like GST was passed, it was a big step.

I had thanked all parties then,” Modi said.The government is willing to discuss all issues and answer the questions raised by the opposition, Modi said, hoping for a fruitful session as he recalled the passage of the GST Bill in the last session with the cooperation of all parties. Modi on Tuesday had met opposition leaders and sought their cooperation in the fight against black money and corruption for which, he said, the demonetisation exercise was undertaken.

DELEGATION OF THE US MEETS KTR

A delegation from six states of the US called on IT minister KT Rama Rao on Tuesday and discussed about the investment opportunities in Telangana.

The delegation was headed by Delaware Governor Jack Alan Markell.

  Rama Rao explained the new industrial policy of the state and informed the team that TS had received the first rank in Ease of Doing Business (EODB).

 Rama Rao told them that Telangana had chosen 14 sectors as priority sectors for investments in the state.The IT minister told them that the top four software companies in the world have decided to set shops in Telangana and once those projects get completed, the state would create a direct employment for 60,000 people.

Markell told Rama Rao that Delaware too would have a tie up with Germany for starting a programme for T-Bridge.

TS started T-Bridge in the US recently to have a tie up with the start-ups, an official release said.

Currency ink, threads supplier same for India,Pak: AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi

AIMIM  chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday claimed that the supplier of ink and silver threads used in currency notes is the same for India and Pakistan, and sought to know what was government's strategy to deal with it. The ink and silver thread supplier is supplying the same thing to Pakistan as well.

So, what is the government going to do about it to end counterfeit menace," the Hyderabad Lok Sabha member asked, while talking to PTI here.Maintaining that the demonetisation move had caused "immense problems to everyone," Owaisi said the government should give ample time -- at least a couple of months -- for people to exchange old notes.He said if anyone deposited huge amount of money, it can certainly be tracked.

He said ample time was given to the people when there such a move (demonetisation) in the Philippines, as also in Europe when Euro was introduced.

"This (giving ample time for people) has been the norm in various countries." Owaisi said he would give a notice for adjournment motion in Lok Sabha, where winter session commences on Wednesday, to discuss the demonetisation move which, he said, has put farmers, rural and urban economies in distress.People are finding huge difficulty in usage of newly introduced Rs 2,000 note because "no one has change," he pointed.

"86 per cent of our currencies are in the form of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

You (government) have not planned for it, you have not prepared for it.

Re-calibration (of ATM machines) would take more than 100 days.

The worst part is: my money is in the bank but I cannot take it out," he said.

BUT BLACK MONEY HAS ALSO HELPED INDIA, SAYS AKHILESH YADAV

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged people to bear with the inconvenience caused by his sudden ban on Rs.

500 and Rs.

1,000 notes - a move to combat black money and corruption - Akhilesh Yadav, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh has professed a slightly different view of the world."I am very clear on this...

black money should not be generated.

Economic experts say the magnitude of the global economic crisis at times is not felt in India because of the strong (parallel) economy of black money," he said in Lucknow today, according to news agency Press Trust of India.Mr Yadav, who, just days ago launched his campaign for a second term as Chief Minister, reiterated, "I am opposed to black money.

I do not want it".The sudden demonetization or removal of Rs.

500 and Rs.

1,000 notes from circulation is seen as a radical and big move in combating tax evasion, but it has also sent most of India rushing to banks in endless lines for the new notes of Rs.

500 and Rs.

2,000.

Opposition parties have alleged that it is the poor, who work and live in a cash economy, who have been trammeled by a reform meant to strike at the corrupt rich.Mr Yadav, 43, said that when the poor are troubled, they respond by spurning the government that inflicted hardship upon them."This government has caused immense pain to commoners," he said, suggesting that the currency reboot will cost the BJP heavily in the Uttar Pradesh election

MEDITERRANEAN RESCUERS SAVE 550 MIGRANTS AT SEA, RECOVER FIVE BODIES

ROME:  About 550 migrants, most of them from West Africa, were pulled to safety from boats in the Mediterranean on Monday in five operations during which rescuers also recovered five dead bodies, Italy's coast guard said.

The bodies were in a rubber dinghy and one other person from the dinghy had drowned, according to aid group SOS Mediterranee, whose Aquarius vessel helped in the rescues off Libya's coast."We recovered five bodies dead inside the rubber boat after the rescue, and one person drowned," an SOS Mediterranee spokeswoman said, quoting two rescue workers who said they saw the person drowning.

They were not able to recover the body.A boy, who was unconscious for two hours, and a woman who had inhaled a lot of fuel, were evacuated by helicopter.An Italian coast guard ship, a naval vessel and a Danish chemical tanker also took part in the rescues, the coast guard said in a statement.The death toll in the Mediterranean has surged this year to 4,271 as of November 14, compared to 3,777 in the whole of 2015, according to the International Organization for Migration.The deadliest route is across the Mediterranean towards Italy from Libya, where smugglers have taken advantage of a breakdown of order to pack people into unseaworthy boats.

'JAYALALITHAA CALLED US TODAY, WE SPOKE TO HER,' SAYS AIADMK LEADER'S SON

A day after issuing a signed statement saying she had a "rebirth", Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa -- who had been hospitalized for more than a month due to an acute lung infection - had telephoned the family of a leader of her party, the AIADMK.N Mathivaanan, the son of AIADMK leader Visalakshi Nedunchezhian, said the chief minister had called to express her condolences on the death of his mother this evening.

Ms Nedunchezhian, 93 , who had been ailing for some time, died today."The Chief Minister conveyed her condolences to me through phone," he told Puthiya Thalaimurai, a Tamil news channel.In a signed statement, Ms Jayalalithaa also said, "Visalakshi's death is an irreparable loss to the party."'Jayalalithaa Called Us Today, We Spoke To Her,' Says AIADMK Leader's SonTamil Nadu | Reported by J Sam Daniel Stalin, Edited by Anindita Sanyal |  by Taboola Sponsored Links SponsoredRemembering Princess Fawzia Fuad of Egypt (Savoir Flair)US Presidents: Poorest to Richest (InsideGov — By Graphiq)EMAILPRINT4COMMENTS'Jayalalithaa Called Us Today, We Spoke To Her,' Says AIADMK Leader's SonMs Jayalalithaa has been hospitalised since September 22, yesterday she issued a signed statement.CHENNAI: HIGHLIGHTSSon of AIADMK leader said Jayalalithaa called to express her condolencesHis mother Visalaksh Nedunchezhian had died this morningMs Jayalalithaa has been in hospital since September 22 A day after issuing a signed statement saying she had a "rebirth", Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa -- who had been hospitalized for more than a month due to an acute lung infection - had telephoned the family of a leader of her party, the AIADMK.N Mathivaanan, the son of AIADMK leader Visalakshi Nedunchezhian, said the chief minister had called to express her condolences on the death of his mother this evening.

Ms Nedunchezhian, 93 , who had been ailing for some time, died today."The Chief Minister conveyed her condolences to me through phone," he told Puthiya Thalaimurai, a Tamil news channel.In a signed statement, Ms Jayalalithaa also said, "Visalakshi's death is an irreparable loss to the party."Ms Jayalalithaa, who had been seriously ill, issued her first statement yesterday in more than a month, saying she had a "rebirth" because of "people's prayers".

The statement, addressed to workers of her party and the people of Tamil Nadu, was signed by the Chief Minister.

In it, Ms Jayalalithaa also said she was "waiting to fully recover and resume work soon".Chennai's Apollo Hospital, where she was under constant watch by a special team of doctors, has said the Chief Minister can leave the hospital "whenever she feels fit".The hospital, said its chairman Dr Prathap C Reddy, has fixed no date to discharge Ms Jayalalithaa.

"Her discharge depends upon her.

She has to reinvigorate herself to go back.

What's required is recuperation.

The team is working towards that," he said.Ms Jayalalithaa had been admitted to the hospital on September 22 - but a prolonged silence from the doctors had triggered rumours about her health.

With many senior leaders, including the state's Governor Vidyasagar Rao, visiting the hospital but not meeting the chief minister, the opposition had demanded that the government release her photograph.

The demand had been turned down by her party.Last month, Governor Rao had handed over the charge of the eight ministries the Chief Minister supervised to Finance Minister O Panneerselvam and authorised him to chair cabinet meetings.

ALI ZAFAR NOT BEING REPLACED IN 'DEAR ZINDAGI': ALIA BHATT

Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt today denied reports that Pakistani actor Ali Zafar has been replaced from her upcoming film "Dear Zindagi".Earlier, reports were doing the rounds that 36-year-old Zafar was replaced by Tahir Raj Bhasin in the movie amid row over banning Pakistani artists from working in IndiaOn being asked, the 23-year-old star said, "Nobody is being replaced.

The film will release in its full form.

There isn't much conversation happening around who's being replaced and who's not.

So, we can leave the edge of that topic for sometime since it has died down."The actress was speaking at the Absolut Elyx Filmfare Glamour and Style cover launch.The "Udta Punjab" star said her character in "Dear Zindagi" is the closest to her."'Dear Zindagi' is closest to my life.

I am not saying I am exactly that character but I relate to it the most.

Getting pissed off with relationships, there is a dialogue in teaser 3, where I say 'I hate couples'.

That happens," Alia said."Not only me, but everyone will be able to see a shade of themselves in my character," she said.The actress "hopes" that the recent demonetisation move of the government will not affect her film.Directed by Gauri Shinde of "English Vinglish"-fame, "Dear Zindagi", which also stars Shah Rukh Khan, Angad Bedi, Kunal Kapoor, is scheduled to release on November 25.

BANK CLERK HELD FOR EXCHANGING OLD CURRENCY WORTH RS.6 LAKH

A bank clerk working for the Syndicate Bank’s Kamala Nagar branch was booked after he exchanged Rs.6 lakh of the demonitised Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 currency notes with the newly issued ones.

Mallesh, the accused, exchanged the currency on Saturday, after which the matter came to the notice of the management.According to an official, Mallesh deposited the amount without showing any ID and following the RBI guidelines.



Narsaiah, manager of the bank, then approached the Saroornagar police, after which a case was registered against Mallesh under Sections 420, 406 and 417 of the IPC.

The employee was suspended for his misdeed, he added.

PAY TRAFFIC CHALLANS IN OLD NOTES

The city police has decided to permit motorists having pending traffic violation challans in Hyderabad city to clear them using Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes at e-Seva,

 Mee Seva centres, bill desk, Andhra Bank, SBI, ICICI Bank, traffic compounding booth and other authorized payment gateways till Monday evening, according to LS Chowhan, DCP Traffic-I, Hyderabad.

JAPAN STREET SWALLOWED BY GIANT HOLE REOPENS AFTER A WEEK

A Japanese city on Tuesday reopened a busy street that collapsed into a giant sinkhole, with the efforts of workers who toiled around the clock for a week drawing praise on social media.

The gigantic sinkhole, measuring around 30 metres (98 feet) wide and 15 metres deep, appeared last Tuesday in a bustling business district in the southwestern city of Fukuoka, swallowing part of a five-lane street.The sinkhole, apparently triggered by subway construction in the area, had exposed the support columns of nearby buildings at a traffic intersection.Japanese workers toiled continuously for a week, dumping huge amounts of wet cement and sand into the gaping hole and fixing electricity, gas and water lines that had stopped following the accident.The street reopened at 5 AM on Tuesday according to a statement by Fukuoka Mayor Soichiro Takashima, exactly a week after the ground began sinking."We're very sorry for causing great trouble," Takashima said, noting that a ban on access to surrounding buildings was lifted.Miraculously, no one was hurt in the accident in Fukuoka, the biggest city on the southernmost main island of Kyushu.Many on social media expressed amazement at the quick recovery."I'm surprised the road reopened in a week!" one Twitter user said."Impressive.

That was fast," another said.

CURRENCY BAN HAS HIT CORE OF TERROR FUNDING: MANOHAR PARRIKAR

The Centre's move to demonetize high-value banknotes has struck the "core of terror funding", Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Sunday."Demonetization has struck the core of terror funding and PM @narendramodi ji in his speech today emphasized on continuing to fight #BlackMoney," Parrikar tweeted hours after sharing the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Goa.Modi laid the foundation stone of various projects including Greenfield airport at Mopa and Electronic City at Tuem, both in north Goa.During his address, Modi launched a scathing attack on detractors of the demonetisation move and announced that more anti-graft measures are on the anvil.In his speech at a function in Pune, Modi said, "Enemies took advantage of the 14 lakh crore of Rs.

500 and Rs.

1,000 notes in circulation."Taking the nation by surprise, the Prime Minister on Tuesday announced demonetisation of Rs.

1,000 and Rs.

500 banknotes with effect from midnight of November 8 in a major assault on black money, fake currency and corruption.

WHY INDIA WIPED OUT 86% OF ITS CASH OVERNIGHT

India is in the middle of an extraordinary economic experiment.On 8 November, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave only four hours' notice that virtually all the cash in the world's seventh-largest economy would be effectively worthless.The Indian government likes to use the technical term "demonetisation" to describe the move, which makes it sound rather dull.

It isn't.

This is the economic equivalent of "shock and awe".India raises withdrawal limit as rupee anger mountsIndia rupee ban: Currency move is 'bad economics'Can India's currency ban really curb the black economy?Do not believe reports that this is primarily about bribery or terror financing, the real target is tax evasion and the policy is very daring indeed.

You can see the effects outside every bank in the country.

I am in Tamil Nadu in the south of India and here, as in every other state in the country, queues of people clutching wads of currency stretch halfway down the street.Mr Modi's "shock and awe" declaration meant that 1,000 and 500 rupee notes would no longer be valid.

These may be the largest denomination Indian notes but they are not high value by international standards - 1,000 rupees is only £12.

But together the two notes represent 86% of the currency in circulation.Think of that, at a stroke 86% of the cash in India now cannot be used.

What is more, India is overwhelmingly a cash economy, with 90% of all transactions taking place that way.And that is the target of Mr Modi's dramatic move.

Because so much business is done in cash, very few people pay tax on the money they earn.According to figures published by the government earlier this year, in 2013 only 1% of the population paid any income tax at all.

As a result huge numbers of Indians have stashes of tax-free cash hidden away - known here as "black money".

Even the very poorest Indians have some cash savings - maybe just a few thousand rupees stored away for a daughter's wedding, the kids' school fees or - heaven forbid - an illness in the family.But lots of Indians have much more than that.

It is not unusual for half the value of a property transaction to be paid in cash, with buyers turning up with suitcases full of 1,000 rupee notes.The size of this shadow economy is reckoned to be as much as 20% of India's entire GDP.Mr Modi's demonetisation is designed to drive black money out of the shadows.At the moment you can exchange up to 4,000 (£48) of the old rupees every day in cash for new 500 (£6) and 2,000 (£24) rupee notes.

There is no limit to the amount that can be deposited in bank accounts until the end of December, but the government has warned that the tax authorities will be investigating any deposits above 250,000 rupees (£2,962).Breach that limit and you will be asked to prove that you have paid tax.

If you cannot, you will be charged the full amount owed, plus a fine of 200% of the tax owed.

For many people that could amount to be pretty much the full value of their hidden cash.This is brave politics.

Some of the hardest hit will be the small business people and traders who are Mr Modi's core constituency.

They voted for him because they believed he was the best bet to grow the economy and improve their lot.

They will not be happy if he destroys their savings.Mr Modi says he is simply delivering on his pre-election promise to tackle corruption and tax evasion.He says he warned that he would squeeze black money out of the system and had already offered amnesties to those who declared their black money holdings.And, so far at least, the policy seems to be popular, in spite of the long queues and the fact that much day-to-day business in India has ground to a juddering halt.Most Indians resent the fact that many of the richest among them have used black money to evade paying their fair share of tax and are happy to suffer a few weeks of what Mr Modi called "temporary hardships" to see them face justice.They also recognise the benefits of drawing more people into the income tax net.

India has very low rates of tax compared to many other countries.

The tax-to-GDP ratio - how much tax is raised as a proportion of the output of the economy - was 17% in 2013.

The average across the economies of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development - a club of mostly rich nations - was over 34%.

Demonetisation is part of a wider project to draw Indians into the formal economy and to get them to start paying the tax they owe.Curbing tax evasion is part of the agenda for the "aadhaar" scheme, a giant digital database designed to give hundreds of millions of Indians a unique ID, and of the new Goods and Services tax.And reducing tax evasion can only be good for India.

The more money it raises in tax, the more it has to spend on useful stuff like roads, hospitals and schools.The more the country spends on public goods like that, the faster the Indian economy is likely to grow - or so the argument goes.So the big question is: will it work?Some economists have questioned the decision to introduce the 2,000 rupee note.

They say if the policy is designed to force people into the banking system why issue a higher denomination note - presumably an even more convenient vehicle for black money transactions?The queues are orderly and the worst you hear are the irritated mutterings of those whose days have been wasted standing in line.

But Mr Modi needs to be careful.

The new notes are in short supply and there are not enough smaller denomination notes to go around, so the banks regularly run out of cash.That cannot go on for long without irritation turning to anger.But some queuing may be excusable, because in one regard the policy has already been a complete success: it came as a surprise to the entire country.Think what that means.

The government managed to plan this audacious policy, printing billions of new notes without anyone letting slip what was happening.Reportedly, even senior members of the cabinet were not told what was being planned, for fear that if word got out the entire policy would be undermined.

The hoarders would have time to empty their mattresses and launder their stashes into gold or other assets.Keeping a secret of this magnitude in India, a country that thrives on rumour and gossip, is nothing short of a triumph and surely a reasonable justification for a few hiccups along the way.

Modi should stop emotionally blackmailing people: Mayawati

Lucknow: After describing the Centre’s move to demonetise high-value currency notes as an “economic emergency”, BSP supremo Mayawati today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should stop the “emotional blackmailing” of the people who were facing hardships due to the decision.

“It is good that Modiji has left his family and village for the country but that does not mean that he would take immature decisions which are against the public interest and stick to them. He should stop emotionally blackmailing the people who are facing hardships due to the move,” she said in a statement issued here.

The BSP leader had earlier described the decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes as an “imposition of an undeclared economic emergency” on the country by the Modi government.

Mayawati alleged that the decision was aimed at “diverting the attention of the voters from the failures of the NDA government ahead of the Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand Assembly polls”.



“Just before the Assembly elections in these states, Modi realised the problem of black money. Ninety per cent of the people is unhappy with this decision,” she claimed.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said the poor and farmers were badly hit by the demonetisation, adding that the decision was not in the interest of the people.

Samajwadi Party’s Uttar Pradesh unit chief Shivpal Yadav also raised his voice against the move citing the problems being faced by the people.

“The common man is facing a lot of problems due to the decision. They have to stand in queues to get their own money. Businesses have come to a standstill and the people are hassled due to the chaos prevailing in the country,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the prime minister had said he had left his village and family for the sake of the country.

Give relief to people, allow old notes for public utility till Dec. 31: Yechury

New Delhi: Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Monday urged the Centre to allow the use of old currency notes of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 for public and state utility till December 31 for convenience to the common man.

“The government should allow old currency notes of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 for public and state utility till December 31 to give some relief to the people,” hetold the media here.




Yechury also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi knows the name of the people who have stashed 90 percent of black money abroad, but is still not making them public.

“No one carries bags to fund terrorism; it is more via online transfers. Nobody is accepting this new currency. So, what is the use of introducing them?” he said.



Earlier on November 8, Prime Minister Modi took a major step and announced demonetisation of Rs. 500 and 1,000 currency notes with effect from midnight, making these notes invalid in a major assault on black money, fake currency and corruption.

In his televised address to the nation, the Prime Minister said people holding notes of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 can deposit the same in their bank and post office accounts from November 10 till December 30.

With the people facing trouble after the Centre’s move, the government later decided to extend the existing exemptions on paying public utility bills till November 14.

BJP Attacks Mamata Banerjee, Calls Her ‘Queen Of Saradha’

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday hit back at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her criticism of the demonetisation move, describing her as “Queen of Saradha”, referring to the multi-crore rupee Saradha chit fund scam.

“The West Bengal Chief Minister is working very hard to rally the opposition against the BJP, but whether the Queen of Saradha would succeed in it or not, only time will tell,” BJP spokesman Sidharth Nath Singh said in New Delhi.

Ms Banerjee has called upon opposition parties to unite against the Narendra Modi government on the demonetisation of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 currency notes “in the greater interest of the nation” and said she has no problem in working with arch rival Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).

Mr Singh said the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo was only a “mirror image” of the Left.



He also accused Ms Banerjee of sheltering terrorists.

“The guns used in the Gulshan bakery attack in Dhaka have been found to be manufactured in Malda, according to a NIA report,” he said.

He said the BJP was not worried as it was “standing with the truth”.

The BJP leader also attacked the Congress and raked up the Commonwealth Games (CWG) scam.

The 2010 Games were held when the Congress was in power in Delhi as well as at the Centre, and Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi was appointed the chairman of the organising committee.

“It has emerged that Suresh Kalmadi was appointed chairman of the organising committee of CWG by flouting rules. The then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appointed Kalmadi through a Group of Ministers, skirting around the rules.

Will masses still back you, Shiv Sena asks Modi

Mumbai: Terming the demonetization as “a betrayal” of the people, the Shiv Sena on Monday asked whether the people would still support Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Comparing the government’s secret mission of November 8 to an “economic civil war”, the Sena – a member of the ruling National Democratic Alliance at the centre and in Maharashtra – said Modi had already dropped one bomb by the demonetization.

Questioning Modi’s claims that the people of the country have “blessed” him for the demonetisaton step, the Sena said it was “sheer betrayal of the masses who blessed and voted him to power in 2014”.

“In order to extract the black money from a handful of industrialists, the Modi government has thrown 125 crore people on the streets. They are crowding outside banks, ATMs to get back their own money, waiting in long queues without food, water and some have even died in the process.”



The Sena added: “At one stroke, the government has sacrificed 125 crores at the altar of black money – are all these people corrupt and black money hoarders? How many were found standing in the queues with bundles of unaccounted Rs.500-1,000 notes?”

The Sena said it fully supported the drive against black money but the manner in which the government has implemented it had resulted in economic anarchy.

“The government claims now the black money will come out – but how? The country’s black money is in the hands of a few and is safely stashed in foreign banks. What about the black money that was rotated and digested during the 2014 elections?” the Sena asked.

Ruing that the Prime Minister is constantly on foreign trips at public expense, it said he had not realized the agony of the masses who queue up to exchange their old notes with new.

“The roads are empty, petrol pumps are drying up, markets are deserted, labourers are jobless. But he’s saluting the helpless, defeated people. This is an insult to the citizens and their patriotism,” the Sena said.

People were in queues for days, fighting amongst themselves or dying, all for getting their own Rs 2,000. “This is terrible, alarming and tantamounts to an ‘economic civil-war’.”

“We are with you in the war against this cancer of black money. But the manner in which the hungry and thristy masses are thrown on the streets for Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, will they still support you?” the editorial asked

Four held with fake currency worth Rs 1 crore in Bihar

New Delhi:Four people were arrested on Sunday evening on charge of possession of fake currency notes with a face value of Rs 1 crore in Bihar, police said.

The four were arrested by the Government Railway Police from a coach of Udhna Express at the Danapur railway station in Patna.

They were on way to deliver the counterfeit notes in Surat in Gujarat, GRP official Raj Kishore said.

The GRP later informed the police, who are questioning the accused.