40 dead in Nepal plane crash (Fourth Lead)

At least 40 people were killed and 23 injured when a US-Bangla Airlines plane crash-landed and exploded into a ball of flame at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) here on Monday, police said.

Nepal Police spokesperson Manoj Neupane said the bodies of 31 passengers were recovered at the site and nine others succumbed to their injuries in hospitals. The plane, with 71 on board, was flying from Dhaka to Kathmandu. 

The 78-seater Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft veered off the runway and caught fire while landing at 2.20 p.m., said TIA spokesperson Prem Nath Thakur. 

All flights in and out of the Tribhuvan International Airport were cancelled. The airport was reopened later.

Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Sanjiv Gautam said the plane lost control when it attempted to land on the runway. 

"The aircraft was permitted to land from the southern side of the runway flying over Koteshwor but it landed from the northern side," said Gautam, adding that the aircraft might have sustained technical glitches. 

"We are yet to ascertain the reason behind the unusual landing," he said.

Photos and videos posted on social media showed smoke rising from the airport runway. Witnesses said the plane crashed when trying to take a sharp turn on the runway, My Republica reported. 

"I saw the plane make a sharp turn over the terminal back towards south and then disappeared towards the runway. Then immediately a large plume of smoke was seen," said Arnico Pandey, adding that the plane was flying very low, just enough to be above the control tower.

A survivor, Nepalese travel agent Basanta Bohora, described from his hospital bed what he experienced.

After a normal take-off from Dhaka, the plane began to behave strangely as it approached Kathmandu, he said.

"All of a sudden the plane shook violently and there was a loud bang," he was quoted as saying by the Kathmandu Post.

"I was seated near the window and was able to break out of the window," Bohora said.

"I have no recollection after I got out of the plane. Someone took me to Sinamangal Hospital and from there my friends brought me to Norvic (Hospital). I have received injuries to my head and legs, but I am fortunate that I survived the ordeal."

Offering his condolences to the bereaved, Nepali Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli said he was "extremely shocked" by news of the crash and promised an immediate government investigation.

At least 33 Nepali passengers were on board the plane, according to officials. The US-Bangla Airlines is a privately-owned Bangladeshi airline headquartered in Dhaka. 

This is the most severe air crash at the Kathmandu airport after a Turkish Airlines flight crash-landed in March 2015. 

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Attacking Periyar's statue was to divert attention: Kamal Haasan

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Friday said the vandalism of Dravidian icon Periyar's statue in Tamil Nadu was to divert attention from pressing issues like Cauvery water sharing dispute with Karnataka.

At the IndiaToday Conclave 2018, Haasan, who launched new party Makkal Needhi Maiam last month, said his idea of joining politics was to challenge and change the "crass" and "mediocre" politics of Tamil Nadu.

He said he was not anti-BJP but anti everything, including extremism, that brings people hardships.

"I am anti everything that goes wrong for the people. As for extremism, Hindu extremism exists, read the Tamil papers," he said.

He said the vandalism of Periyar's statue in Vellore was also an act of extremism and "a diversionary tactic to take people's attention away from more pressing issues such as sharing Cauvery water".

Asked why did he start a new party when he could have strengthened an existing, established outfit with an army of cadres, Haasan replied in his characteristic poetic manner.
"What will I do if I am hungry and what is available is rotten food," he asked, asserting that he had no other option but to launch a new party in Tamil Nadu where mediocrity was standard and "rubbish" acceptable

"I am challenging the status quo. Mediocrity is set as a standard...rubbish becomes acceptable. This has been the state of Tamil politics for nearly half a century."

Asked about his idea of politics, Haasan said: "I am anti-crass, mediocre politics...I am challenging these. Existing parties have become mediocre."

But he did not rule out the possibility of aligning with other political parties in future.

"We will have to see who we can align with. At the moment we are looking, not shopping. Certain ideas, plans have to be similar. We will not shake hands with corrupt politicians."

He said his party will be the "po" of Tamil politics, referring to the term by Maltese philosopher that precedes and signals a provocation, beyond the traditional yes or no.

"Many don't get the idea of centrism... We do not have to be left or right," Haasan said.

He said the decision to join politics was not taken overnight but he had been a politician for nearly 30 years now.

"But I thought electoral politics was not for me. Things have changed now," he said.

He said his political philosophy is based on his learning from Mahatma Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar and Periyar. "Dialogue from Gandhiji and the anger against caste from Ambedkar and Periyar."

Haasan also touched upon his relationship with actor Sridevi, who died last month at the age of 54.

"It's like we came from the same house...we were like siblings. She had a bag of tricks that she picked up from various masters and she used it," he said about her co-star in Tamil and Hindi movies.

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Sridevi's ashes also immersed in Ganga river at Haridwar

A part of the ashes of Bollywood actress Sridevi were immersed in the holy Ganges in Haridwar in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday by her husband and film producer Boney Kapoor.

He was accompanied by family friend and Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh, younger brother Anil Kapoor and other family members.

Boney Kapoor broke down at one point as family priests Shiv Kumar Paliwal and Manish Jaiswal performed religious rituals at the VVIP ghat. Anil Kapoor consoled his elder brother. 

Uttarakhand Agriculture Minister Subodh Uniyal and Haridwar Mayor Manoj Garg were present during the immersion of ashes in the Ganges. 

Earlier, the family carrying the ashes in two urns landed at the Jolly Grant airport in Uttarakhand's capital in the afternoon and then drove in a fleet of cars to Haridwar. 

Fashion designer and family friend Manish Malhotra was also present.

Later, the family paid obeisance at Harihar temple at Kankhal. 

Late in the evening, they drove back to Dehradun where they will spend the night at Nature Villa hotel. 

The 54-year-old actress accidentally drowned last month at a Dubai hotel.

Informed sources close to the family said the late actor had stopped at Haridwar during a film shoot in 1993 and had promised to return. It was to fulfil this wish of Sridevi that the family decided to immerse her ashes in the holy Ganga after performing a similar ritual at Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu.
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Deepika Padukone, Guneet Monga in International Women's Impact Report

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone and film producer Guneet Monga have featured in the Variety's International Women's Impact Report 2018.

Excited about it, Deepika tweeted on International Women's Day on Thursday: "Honoured and humbled joining these amazing achievers! Thank you Variety."

The list honours Deepika for her contribution to cinema and partaking in philanthropic efforts along with emerging through controversies gracefully.

Introducing the actress, variety.com has written: "The star of the recent Bollywood blockbuster 'Padmaavat' faced death threats and verbal abuse from various fringe groups with poise and elan. Padukone, whose father, Prakash, was a star badminton player, used to participate in the sport before becoming a model.

"She is now one of the highest-paid Indian actresses and has made the leap from Bollywood movies such as 'Om Shanti Om' and 'Chennai Express' to Hollywood titles including 'xXx: Return of Xander Cage' last year. She is also philanthropically active, starting her own Live Laugh Love Foundation, which focuses on mental illness."

As for Monga, who heads Sikhya Entertainment and has produced "The Lunchbox" and "The Ashram", variety.com has shared how while female Indian producers are rare, she actually enjoys people saying 'no'.

"There have been several times where I have not been taken seriously and have had to work twice as hard just because I am a young woman, but I have never let that affect my state of mind towards the end goal of putting together the stories we need to tell," Monga said.

The list acknowledges the works of 50 women including names like Miuccia Prada, Daisy Ridley, J.K. Rowling, Sofia Vergara, Emma Watson, Lupita Nyong'o, Helen Mirren, Nicole Kidman, Salma Hayek, Gal Gadot, Judi Dench and Adele, who are leading the way at a time when the entertainment business has become increasingly global and women's rights are in the spotlight.

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Smartphone addiction may signify a 'hyper-social' behaviour

Are you branded as anti-social for being glued to your smartphones? Take heart -- for, according to a study, smartphone addiction could be a hyper-social behaviour that stems from the healthy human desire to socialise.

Researchers have found that besides the desire to watch and monitor others, the longing to be seen and monitored by others, runs deep in our evolutionary past.

Thus, the most addictive smartphone functions shared a common theme of tapping into the human desire to connect with other people.

Humans evolved to be a uniquely social species and require constant input from others to seek a guide for culturally appropriate behaviour that also paved a path for them to find meaning, goals, and a sense of identity.


"In post-industrial environments where foods are abundant and readily available, our cravings for fat and sugar sculpted by distant evolutionary pressures can easily go into insatiable overdrive and lead to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease (...) the pro-social needs and rewards (of smartphone use as a means to connect) can similarly be hijacked to produce a manic theatre of hyper-social monitoring," said Samuel Veissière, Professor at the McGill University in Canada.

While smartphones harness a normal and healthy need for sociality, the pace and scale of hyper-connectivity pushes the brain's reward system to run on overdrive, which can lead to unhealthy addictions, the researchers warned in a paper published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. 

Turning off push notifications and setting up appropriate times to check your phone can go a long way to regain control over smartphone addiction. 

Also, workplace policies "that prohibit evening and weekend emails" may provide good results, the researchers said. 

In the study, the team reviewed current literature on dysfunctional use of smart technology through an evolutionary lens. 

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Key Indian equity indices open in green

Key Indian equity indices opened in the green on Friday on the back of positive global markets and healthy buying in metals, capital goods and auto stocks.

At 9.16 a.m., the wider Nifty50 Of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) rose by 30.30 points or 0.30 per cent to trade at 10,272.95 points.

The barometer 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 33,465.05 points, traded at 33,437.80 points -- up 86.23 points or 0.26 per cent from the previous session's close.

The BSE market breadth was bullish with 711 advances and 485 declines.

On Thursday, value buying by investors, along with positive global markets on the back of easing of trade war fears, propelled the key indices.

The Sensex closed at 33,351.57 points -- up 318.48 points or 0.96 per cent, while the Nifty50 rose by 88.45 points or 0.87 per cent to close at 10,242.65 points.
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Microsoft, Apollo Hospitals to use AI for cardiac diseases

Targetting cardiac diseases, Microsoft has partnered with Apollo Hospitals to expand its healthcare artificial intelligence (AI) offering, the software giant said in a statement on Thursday.

The AI Network for healthcare, previously known as Microsoft Intelligent Network for Eyecare (MINE), is a part of Microsoft Healthcare NExT aimed to accelerate healthcare innovation through artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

Initially aimed at tackling only visions problems, AI Network for healthcare will now collaborate with Apollo to develop and deploy new machine learning models to predict patient risk for heart disease and assists doctors on treatment plans.


"AI Network for healthcare aims to democratise AI by empowering healthcare providers with faster, intuitive and predictable solutions and reducing the disease burden. The systems of intelligence we create can change the lives of patients and the work of medical practitioners enabling accessible healthcare to all," said Peter Lee, Corporate Vice President (AI and Research) at Microsoft.

"Cardiac disease is amongst India's leading causes of mortality and morbidity, which is exacting a toll on the health and well-being of our citizens," said Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals.

"The collaboration with Microsoft's path-breaking technologies like AI and machine learning will help better predict, prevent and manage heart disease in the country," Reddy added.

The partnership was announced at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual conference and exhibition in Las Vegas.

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PNB fraud accused Choksi says impossible to return to India (Lead)

Gitanjail Group promoter Mehul Choksi, accused of involvement in the Rs 12,600 crore fraud against the Punjab National Bank (PNB), has said it was "impossible" for him to return to India, citing health reasons and suspension of his passport.


In a March 7 dated letter emailed to the CBI, one of the lead agencies probing the alleged fraud, Choksi criticised the investigation process, alleging gross abuse law that had caused prejudice against him, his family and businesses.

Choksi was summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation to appear before it on March 7.

He said he was travelling "abroad for my business" and had embarked on the journey before the probe agency filed an FIR against him.

"I wish to bring to your kind attention that your good self and your office is well aware that my passport has been suspended," he wrote in a seven-page letter in response to an emailed notice to the businessman.

He said his passport was suspended because he was considered a "security threat to India".

He had written an e-mail to the Regional Passport Office in Mumbai, requesting them to restore his passport but had not received any reply.

"It is impossible for me to travel back to India. I further wish to point out that the Regional Passport Office Mumbai has not given me any explanation as to why my passport has been suspended and as to how I am a security threat to India."

Choksi said he was also "concerned about my health and well-being" because he feared he would be arrested and denied medical treatment at a hospital of his choice.

"I would not be able to get proper health care and would be provided treatment only in a government hospital. A person accused of an offence who is behind prison is denied a doctor of his own choice."

The absconding businessmen said "my persisting health problem" won't let him travel for another four to six months.

"I had a cardiac procedure which was conducted in the first week of February 2018 and there is still pending work to be done on the same. The entire procedure could not be completed on all veins due to danger to kidney and therefore I am not allowed to travel for at least a period of four to six months."

He said the seizure of his assets, bank accounts and the shutting down of all his offices in India had affected his business and caused prejudice against him.

"There has been a gross abuse of process of law by the investigating agencies. It is in the interest of justice that I be granted an opportunity to have a free and fair trial. However, the investigating agencies are acting with a pre-determined mind which is hampering the process of law and interfering with the course of justice."

He said the media and investigating agencies had roped in his family members "with a view to prejudice me ... harass me.

"The media is conducting a trial by itself and is blowing each and every issue out of proportion and is exaggerating allegations and this has left me completely defenceless.

"Multiple investigating agencies are after my life and the CBI has seized my office servers and I have no record of my business dealings. I am further being deprived of my basic right to communicate and the seizure of my servers have effectively denied me my fundamental right to defend myself against the allegations.

"I wish to bring to your notice and attention that I have been rendered defenceless. All the documents that were lying in my offices have been seized by the investigating agencies.

"My properties, both moveable and immovable, have been seized and/or attached. The investigating agencies have sealed my showrooms and have seized the stock lying in the showrooms and have termed the same as 'proceeds of crime'. Despite these seizures, the CBI has not placed on judicial record the seizure memo as per the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure."

He said he was continuing to work outside India and considering the "difficulties" his business had faced, he requested the CBI to communicate with him on his yahoo email ID or his advocate Sanjay Abbot "in respect of any issues which you consider is needed to be addressed to me concerning the investigation".

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CBI registers fresh Rs 321 crore case against Nirav Modi

The CBI on Thursday said that it has registered a fresh case against diamantaire Nirav Modi for causing a loss of Rs 321 crore to Punjab National Bank (PNB) by availing different credit facilities between 2013 and 2017.

According to a Central Bureau of Investigation official, the case was registered after the bureau received a fresh complaint from the PNB on Sunday.

Former finance president of Nirav Modi' Firestar Diamonds International Ltd. Vipul Ambani, chief finance officer Ravi Gupta, other directors and officials of the company, and unidentified public servants of the bank were also named in the complaint, they said.A

This is the second CBI case in which Nirav Modi has been named by the investigating agency.

In its complaint to the CBI, the bank alleged that during its internal investigation it had spotted circular transactions between the diamantaire promoted partnership firms namely -- Solar Exports, Stellar Diamonds and Diamond R Us -- and Firestar group of companies.

The head office of the bank had declared the accounts of Firestar Diamonds and Firestar International as fraud and reported it to the Reserve Bank of India on Sunday, it said.

Nirav Modi, along with his uncle Mehul Choksi of Gitanjali Group, has been accused of defrauding the PNB of Rs 12,600 crore, with Rs 1,300 crore being added to the fraud kitty on February 26.

The CBI had filed the first FIR in the scam on February 14 against Nirav Modi, his wife Ami, brother Nishal, Choksi and his firms Diamond R US, Solar Exports and Stellar Diamond.

Modi, his family and Choksi had left the country in early January.

The CBI filed a second FIR on February 15 over a Rs 4,886.72-crore fraud against Choksi's Gitanjali Group.

To date, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has carried out searches at over 198 locations across the country and seized properties worth nearly Rs 6,000 crore, while the CBI has arrested at least 19 persons in the case so far.

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Indian equity indices fall sharply as banking stocks tank (Roundup)

Mumbai, March 6 (IANS)  Despite earlier gains, the key Indian equity indices closed in the red on Tuesday as banking stocks tanked substantially and investors also continued to trade with caution.

The barometer 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE closed at 33,317.20 points -- down 429.58 points, or 1.27 per cent, from its previous close of 33,746.78 points.

Similarly, the wider Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) also plummeted by 109.60 points, or 1.06 per cent, to close at 10,249.25 points.

In the intra-day, the S&P BSE Sensex touched a high of 34,060.13 points and a low of 33,209.76 points.

"Early positivity that rode on global markets' pull back proved to be brief, as turmoil in banking sector and persistent selling by FIIs dragged stocks lower," said Anand James, Chief Market Strategist, Geojit Financial Services.

Banking stocks fell as ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar and Axis Bank's Shikha Sharma had been summoned by Serious Fraud Investigation Office in Mumbai in the bank fraud case involving jeweller Nirav Modi and his partner and uncle Mehul Choksi.

"Market gave up gains despite positive trade in global market. Consolidation continues led by broad selling across all sector. Market has broken ye'terday's low while banks continue to struggle due to NPA issue, higher bond yield & cost of funds. Investors are little nervous to start accumulating and are waiting for major triggers to get direction," said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services.

Sector-wise, almost all the sectors ended in red. Major selling pressure was seen in banking, capital goods, auto and realty sectors.

S&P BSE banking index plummeted by 1.44 per cent, capital goods index by 1.31 per cent, auto index by 1.36 per cent and realty index by 2.21 per cent.

Only consumer durables sector remained in the green.

There were only three Sensex gainers on Tuesday: IndusInd Bank, up 1.21 per cent at Rs 1,707.10; Tata Steel, up 0.79 per cent at Rs 660.50 and Hero MotoCorp, up 0.35 per cent at Rs 3,570.

The major Sensex losers were: Sun Pharma, down 2.95 per cent at Rs 531.70; State Bank of India, down 2.77 per cent at Rs 256.50; ICICI Bank, down 2.64 per cent at Rs 295.10 and Mahindra and Mahindra, down 2.52 per cent at Rs 720.35.

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