Skipping breakfast may be bad for your heart, doctors say

Planning meals and snacks in advance and eating breakfast every day may help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, new guidelines from U.S. doctors say.

Eating more calories earlier in the day and consuming less food at night may also reduce the odds of a heart attack, stroke or other cardiac or blood vessel diseases, according to the scientific statement from the American Heart Association.

"When we eat may be important to consider, in addition to what we eat," said Marie-Pierre St-Onge, chair of the group that wrote the guidelines and a nutrition researcher at Columbia University Medical Center in New York.

As many as 30 percent of U.S. adults may routinely skip breakfast, a habit that has become more common in recent years as more people snack throughout the day instead of sitting down for three traditional meals, St-Onge and colleagues note in the journal Circulation.

When people do eat breakfast daily, they're less likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease like high cholesterol and elevated blood pressure. And people who skip this morning meal are more likely to have risk factors like obesity, poor nutrition and diabetes or high blood sugar.

That's because meal timing may affect health by impacting the body's internal clock. We may not process sugars as well at night as we do during the day, and studies of shift workers have linked this schedule with a greater risk of obesity and heart disease than a typical day job, St-Onge said by email.

"We know from population studies that eating breakfast is related to lower weight and healthier diet, along with lower risk of cardiovascular disease," St-Onge said.

"However, interventions to increase breakfast consumption in those who typically skip breakfast do not support a strong causal role of this meal for weight management, in particular," St-Onge cautioned. "Adding breakfast, for some, leads to an additional meal and weight gain."

It's possible that some people who add breakfast aren't eating the right things or cutting back on what they eat later in the day, resulting in more calories but not necessarily good nutrition.

A healthy diet is heavy on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, poultry and fish, according to the guidelines. Eating well also means limiting red meat, salt and foods high in added sugars.

Plotting out what to eat ahead of time, especially for busy people who eat on the go, can help create a diet that's better for heart health, St-Onge said.

"Planning ahead and making healthy, carry-on foods is important," St-Onge suggested. "This could be a homemade smoothie or whole grain muffin or cereal bar for breakfast; packing a sandwich or leftovers for those times when time is tight."

Advance thought can also help people eat the right amount of food throughout the day and eat at the right time, said Samantha Heller, a nutritionist at New York University Langone Medical Center who wasn't involved in the guidelines.

"The 'eating several small meals' during the day advice that we commonly hear is unrealistic for most people because the 'small' meals often turn into meal-sized meals and weight gain is inevitable," Heller said by email.

"Another booby trap for overeating is after dinner," Heller added. "Night time eating is quite common and an easy way to add unnecessary calories and pack on the pounds over time because people snack when in front of TV, computer and tablet screens."

Heller's advice: "Once dinner is finished, the kitchen should be closed. If your schedule is crazy and you cannot get to dinner until later in the evening, then eat light at night."

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Exercise during pregnancy may help obese women avoid dangerous complications

Exercise may be an efficient way for obese pregnant women to lower their risk of diabetes, dangerously high blood pressure and other complications, research suggests.

"The study suggests that a prenatal exercise-based intervention leads to both decreased costs and improved outcomes in obese women," said Leah Savitsky, a medical student at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland who led the study.

As reported at the 37th annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine in San Diego, California, Savitsky and her team analyzed previously published research on the effect of exercise on pregnant women with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 30.

The normal range for BMI - a ratio of weight to height - is 18.5 to 24.9; a BMI of 30 or more indicates obesity. (A BMI calculator is here, on the website of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Based on their analyses of those earlier studies, the researchers estimated the benefit of exercise for women who are obese at the start of their pregnancy.
They calculated that for every one million such women, there would be 38,176 cases of a dangerous pregnancy-related blood pressure problem known as preeclampsia among those who exercised, compared to 113,000 cases among those who didn't exercise.

Exercise would also be linked to a decrease in so-called gestational diabetes, with a rate of 195,520 per million among exercisers compared to 305,500 among non-exercisers, according to their calculations.

Likewise, they estimated, for every million obese pregnant women the preterm birth rate would drop from 105,059 to 90,923 with exercise, the maternal death rate would fall from 90 to 70 and the neonatal death rate would drop from 1,932 to 1,795.

Based on a cost-effectiveness threshold of $100,000 per quality-adjusted life year, an exercise intervention could save money as long as expenses are held to just under $3,000.

The effects of exercise may be even more beneficial than the study suggests, Savitsky said.

"This study did not consider additional downstream benefits on control of weight beyond pregnancy as well as the downstream potential benefits on hypertension and diabetes," she told Reuters Health by email.

Women who are not obese may benefit as well. The researchers applied their model to women with a normal BMI of 18.5 - 24.9 and found similar improvements in outcomes among those who exercise, although the cost-effectiveness thresholds were lower.

One trial that the study drew from looked at 765 women randomized to an exercise group or a control group  "We showed that women who do not exercise are three times more likely to develop (high blood pressure), 1.5 times more likely to gain excessive weight and 2.5 times more likely to give birth to a large infant," said Michelle Mottola of Western University in London, Ontario, Canada, who was involved in the randomized trial.

"With the obesity epidemic looming in our society, perhaps we should be turning our attention to prevention of disease. It does not seem to be too late even for obese pregnant women to engage in lifestyle change that may substantially reduce health care costs," Mottola told Reuters Health by email.

The current study was not designed to develop specific exercise guidelines for obese pregnant women; these women should consult their obstetricians for guidance. In the meantime, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises obese pregnant women to "start with low-intensity, short periods of exercise and gradually increase as able."

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How your body shape may influence your disease risk

Could the shape of your body influence your risk of disease? Many doctors think so, and a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that those with a genetic predisposition toward one particular body type actually had a higher risk of conditions like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

That body type is what physicians call “apple-shaped”— when the circumference of your belly is larger than the circumference of your hips. In other words, those who are apple-shaped tend to carry most of their weight in their middle.

Other body shapes include pear (where most weight is carried in the hips and thighs, but not the middle), hourglass (where weight is carried both up top and in the hips and thighs, with a smaller waist), and tube (where little excess weight is carried, and a person is long and lean).

Of all of these shapes, apple is the most dangerous, according to many doctors and nutritionists, including Dr. Christine Jellis, a cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic, and Lauren Blake, a registered dietician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. That’s because, Blake told Fox News, apple-shaped people carry more visceral fat — which surrounds the organs — as opposed to subcutaneous fat —which lies beneath the skin.

“Excess visceral fat causes excess fatty acids to drain into the liver and into the muscles, which then triggers changes in the body,” Blake said. Those changes include an increased risk of diabetes, heart attack, stroke and other ailments, she added.

The good news is that those who would fit into the apple-shaped category can take some steps to mitigate their disease risk. Fox News talked to Dr. Jellis and Blake about some crucial tips:

1. Focus on eating whole foods
“My message is always go back to the simple things,” Dr. Jellis said, noting that people should maintain a healthy diet and focus on consuming lean meat, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

2. Stay active
Exercise is another key component in a healthy lifestyle. “Part of the reason why people accumulate abdominal fat, especially as they get older, is related to the fact that they aren’t as active as they once were,” Blake said. She recommended choosing an exercise that you enjoy, whether that’s swimming, biking, or even walking, to ensure that you stick with the plan.

3. Don’t try to spot-treat
Focus on overall health, and don’t just try to lose weight in one part of the body, Blake said, as that is often a futile task. Instead, focus on shedding excess pounds overall.

4. Know your risk
“Unfortunately, we can’t change our genetics, so we have to work with what we’ve got,” Dr. Jellis said. Those who are overweight and carrying weight around their middle should be vigilant about diet and exercise, especially if they have a family history of these disease risks.

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Support programs help moms extend breast-feeding time

Support programs for new mothers help them to breast-feed their babies for longer periods and to keep breast milk as the baby's only source of nutrition, according to a new review of existing evidence.

The researchers concluded that breast-feeding support - whether educational or just encouraging - by trained professionals or lay people generally benefited women and their babies.

"Breast-feeding is really important," said lead author Alison McFadden, who directs the Mother and Infant Research Unit at the University of Dundee in the UK. "Good support will help mothers to breastfeed longer and breastfeed exclusively, which of course is good for mothers and babies."

McFadden and her colleagues are part of the international Cochrane network of researchers who analyze evidence on health topics. Their new review was published in the Cochrane Library.

The World Health Organization recommends that babies be breast-fed exclusively for the first six months of life and then given breast milk along with other food until they're two years old.
Babies who are breast-fed are less likely to develop infections, become overweight and develop diabetes, the researchers write.

"For women, it reduces the incidence of breast and ovarian cancer and diabetes," McFadden told Reuters Health.

For the review, the researchers analyzed 73 studies that compared women who received breast-feeding support to women who received no support or a different kind of intervention. Overall, 75,000 women and their babies were included in the analysis. Most were from high- to middle-income countries.

Support can come in many forms, the authors say - including reassurance, praise, information and the opportunities to discuss problems and ask questions.

Women who received support were about 8 percent less likely to stop breast-feeding before six months, compared to women who didn't get the added help.

For every 1,000 women who received the added help, 304 stopped breast-feeding by four to six weeks and 510 stopped breastfeeding by six months, whereas for every 1,000 women who didn't receive support, 353 stopped within four to six weeks and 573 stopped by six months.

Also, 732 of every 1,000 women who received supported were no longer exclusively breast-feeding at six months, while the same was true for 823 of every 1,000 "unsupported" women.

Certain factors may make the support more valuable for mothers and babies, the researchers found.

For example, it didn't matter whether a health care professional or a trained lay person delivered the support. But, McFadden said, "it needs to be offered, proactive and scheduled so mothers know when to expect support."

Additionally, face-to-face contact and support appeared to be better than help delivered over the phone.

"The people we're hoping will take note of this are those providing the breast-feeding support - the health professional and the people making health policy," said McFadden.

The next step for this type of research would be to make these support services available to a large number of women.

For new parents and parents-to-be, McFadden said, it's important to ask their health care providers about breastfeeding support programs.

"If that support is not available, seek it out," she said.

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Walking linked to improved brain function

A moderate-intensity walking regimen may reduce symptoms of mild cognitive impairment that are linked to poor blood vessel health in the brain, a small study suggests.

Participants with vascular cognitive impairment, sometimes called vascular dementia, who walked three hours per week for six months had improved reaction times and other signs of improved brain function, the Canadian team reports in British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Vascular cognitive impairment, or VCI, refers to mildly impaired thinking or more advanced dementia that's due to the same kinds of blood vessel damage seen with heart disease elsewhere in the body. It is the second most common cause of dementia after Alzheimer's disease.
"It is well established that regular aerobic exercise improves cardiovascular health and cerebrovascular health," the study's senior author Teresa Liu-Ambrose told Reuters Health in an email.

"More specifically, it reduces one's risk of developing chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes (type II), and high cholesterol. These chronic conditions have a negative impact on the brain - likely through compromised blood flow to the brain," said Liu-Ambrose, a researcher with the Aging, Mobility, and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

The brain is a highly metabolic organ and to keep it healthy, it requires good blood flow to deliver the necessary nutrients and oxygen to its tissues, she added.

"It is worth noting that in our study, reduced blood pressure (secondary to exercise) was associated with improved cognitive function," Liu-Ambrose said.

Aerobic exercise may also benefit the brain by increasing growth factors, which are substances made by the body that promote cell growth, differentiation and survival, she said.

Liu-Ambrose and colleagues randomly assigned 38 older adults with mild VCI to one of two groups. One group followed an aerobic training program consisting of three one-hour walking classes each week for six months, while the other group continued with their usual care. In addition, both groups were given information about vascular cognitive impairment and tips for eating a healthier diet.

Before the exercise program began and at the end of six months, all the participants also had functional MRI brain scans and other tests that measured neural activity and cognitive ability.
People in the aerobic training group had significant improvements in their reaction times on the cognitive tests, and showed changes in their brain activity that made them resemble healthy brains more. The comparison group showed no changes.

Overall, exercise appears to be a promising strategy for promoting cognitive health in older adults, Liu-Ambrose said.

"While more research is needed to better understand how it brings about its benefits and what factors may impact the degree of benefit observed, there is minimal negative consequence of exercising," she said.

Liu-Ambrose said she doesn't know if exercise can actually prevent VCI because there have been no studies to determine that. "However, population based studies do suggest that physical activity does reduce the risk of developing VCI. Moreover, as mentioned earlier, aerobic exercise is very effective in reducing vascular risk factors associated with VCI, such as high blood pressure."

The study was small, and because participants had to be able to walk for up to an hour, it's possible they were physically healthier than average, the authors note. The socializing involved in the walking classes might have also had some effect, they add.

"Given the small sample size, one needs to be cautious about interpreting the results of this pilot study. However, it is encouraging to see that the six-month aerobic exercise program improved certain aspects of cognition and showed changes on functional brain imaging," said Dr. Joe Verghese, director of the Montefiore Einstein Center for the Aging Brain at Montefiore Medical Center in New York.

"The effect of exercise in this, and other studies seems to be on improving executive functions, which are required for planning, thinking and judgment," Verghese, who wasn't involved in the study, said by email.

"The findings, if confirmed in larger studies, may have implications in advising exercise in older patients with vascular risk factors for brain protection," Verghese said.

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Broccoli compound could help treat type 2 diabetes

Broccoli could hold the key to slowing, and potentially reversing, the disease, according to a new study.

Some people don't like to eat their vegetables , but for obese people with type 2 diabetes , broccoli could hold the key to slowing, and potentially reversing, the disease, according to a new study.

Scientists used both computational and experimental research to zero in on a network of 50 genes that cause symptoms associated with type 2 diabetes. They also located a compound called sulforaphane — which is found naturally in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli , Brussels sprouts and cabbages — that could turn down the expression of those genes, according to the findings, published today (June 14) in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

In the study, the scientists gave sulforaphane to obese patients , in the form of a concentrated broccoli sprout extract. They found that it improved the patients' systems' ability to control their glucose levels and reduced their glucose production — two symptoms of diabetes that can lead to other health problems, including coronary artery disease , nerve damage and blindness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

"It's very exciting and opens up new possibilities for the treatment of type 2 diabetes ," Anders Rosengren, an assistant professor at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, told Live Science.
Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes, affects more than 300 million people globally. For those with the disease who are obese, the excess fat in the liver makes the body less sensitive to the hormone insulin, which can make it difficult for the organ to help regulate blood sugar levels. Normally, insulin, which is produced by the pancreas , stimulates the liver to pull glucose out of the bloodstream and store it for later use.

People with type 2 diabetes are usually advised to change their diet to help control their blood sugar levels. " Lifestyle changes are at the core of type 2 diabetes treatment but often need to be complemented with drugs," Rosengren said.

Currently the main treatment option is the drug metformin . But not every person who needs it can take it. About 15 percent of type 2 diabetes patients have reduced kidney function and taking metformin can increase their risk for lactic acidosis, an unhealthy build-up of lactic acid, which can cause abdominal discomfort, shallow breathing, muscle pain or cramping, and tiredness.

About 30 percent of patients who take metformin develop nausea, bloating and abdominal pain.

Finding an alternative to metformin was one of the team's objectives. But there was also general frustration in the clinical community that research labs were having a difficult time developing new anti-diabetic compounds , Rosengren said.

One challenge is that researcherslooking to develop new drugs have traditionally studied single genes or individual proteins . But diabetes is much more complicated than that. It involves a large network of genes, so the scientists had to find a new, systematic approach that took a holistic view of the disease.

Study leader Annika Axelsson, a doctoral student at Gothenburg, and her colleagues began by analyzing liver tissue from diabetic mice who were raised on a "Western diet" containing 42 percent fat and 0.15 percent cholesterol. After several tests, the scientists identified 1,720 genes associated with hyperglycemia, a condition in which an excessive amount of glucose circulates in the blood.

After further analysis, the researchers narrowed the 1,720 genes to a network of 50 linked genes that together result in high bloodglucose levels . This network became the so-called disease signature for type 2 diabetes.

Next, the researchers used a database of existing drug compounds and employed a mathematical modeling program to rank those compounds for their potential ability to reverse the disease signature — in other words, to turn down those overexpressed genes.

Sulforaphane had the highest ranking. The team ran several experiments to see if it could actually lower glucose levels in living systems. First, they tested the compound in cells growing in lab dishes, and found that it inhibited glucose production. Next, they tested it in rodents, and found that it improved glucose tolerance in animals on a high-fat or high-fructose diet.

Finally, the researchers tested sulforaphane in people. Over the course of 12 weeks, 97 patients with type 2 diabetes took a daily dose of concentrated broccoli sprout extract in powdered form. The dose was about 100 times the amount found naturally in broccoli . For those who were not obese, the sulforaphane did not have any affect.

But for those who were obese, the results were significant, the researchers reported. Typically, for people with type 2 diabetes, glucose levels in the blood stay high, even when they are fasting. But sulforaphane reduced fasting blood glucose in these patients by 10 percent compared to the participants in the study who took a placebo, according to the study. That amount is enough to lower a person's risk of developing health complications. And the compound did not cause gastrointestinal problems that metformin can cause, nor other side effects.

For the next phase of this study, Rosengren said the team would like to investigate the effects of sulforaphane on people with prediabetes to see whether it could improve their glucose control before type 2 diabetes develops.

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Bangladesh: 3 Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh members arrested

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) of Bangladesh arrested three members of  the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh's 'Sarwar-Tamim Group' after conducting raids at the Bakhtabali area in Narayanganj district. RAB claims that they are the members of the JMB's suicide squad.
Kamrul Hasan, RAB-11 Commander Lieutenant Colonel, said that they were nabbed from Lal Miar Char of Boyrakandi area.
The arrested terrorists are Mohammad Waliullah Chishti alias Johnny (27) of Muradnagar area of Comilla, Mohammad Kamrul Hasan alias Hridoy (35) of Debidwar area of the same district and Mohammad Al Amin Sheikh alias Rajib (25) of Mollarhat area of Bagerhat.
Kamrul told, a foreign pistol, revolver, five bullets, 'militancy books', and leaflets were recovered from the spot. "A group of 20-25 people led by a top leader were held in a secret meeting. They were planning an attack'.
They tried to flee on getting the news of RAB's raid. However, three of them were caught. We are on the lookout of the rest.
The arrested Omar and Rajib Sheikh are booked under anti-terrorism law, said an RAB official.

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We believe the foiled plane attack plot was Islamic-inspired terrorism: Australian Federal Police

"Exactly what is behind this is something that we will need to investigate fully," Australian Federal Police commissioner Andrew Colvin said.
Security has been increased at Australian airports after police foiled "Islamic-inspired" plans for a bomb attack on an aircraft during counter-terrorism raids in which four men were arrested on Saturday, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) have confirmed.
"In recent days, law enforcement has become aware of information that suggested some people in Sydney were planning to commit a terrorist act using an improvised device," AFP commissioner Andrew Colvin said during a press conference with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Sunday, adding:
"We do believe it is Islamic-inspired terrorism. Exactly what is behind this is something that we will need to investigate fully."
"At this time we don't have a great deal of information on the specific attack, the location, date or time. However, we are investigating information indicating that the aviation industry was potentially a target..."
Five properties were searched on Saturday across the Sydney suburbs of Surry Hills, Lakemba, Punchbowl and Wiley Park. The commissioner said four of those searches may continue for days.

ARRESTED MEN NOT YET CHARGED
An AFP spokesman told Reuters the men had not been charged as of Sunday morning.
Turnbull said advice from Australian security and intelligence agencies had led to increased security measures at Sydney airport on Thursday, while the country's other domestic and international airports were affected from Saturday.
"Some of the measures will be obvious to the public, some will not be," Turnbull said.
Colvin said travellers could expect an increased police and security agency presence at airports.
"You can expect longer delays to make sure that more screening is being done on baggage, both hold luggage as well as hand luggage," adding that travelers should allow more time to get through security.
Australia, a close ally of the United States, has been on heightened alert for attacks by home-grown militants returning from fighting in the Middle East, or their supporters, since 2014.
Authorities say they have thwarted a number of potential attacks since then but there have been several "lone wolf" assaults, including a cafe siege in Sydney that left two hostages and the gunman dead.
About 100 people have left Australia for Syria to fight alongside organizations such as Islamic State, Australia's immigration minister said last month.

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Actor Ravi Teja appears before SIT in drug racket case

Popular Telugu film actor Ravi Teja on Friday appeared before the Telangana Prohibition and Excise Department’s special investigation team (SIT) in connection with a high-end online drug racket busted by it in Hyderabad on July 2.

Teja is among the 12 personalities, including directors and actors, from the Telugu film industry summoned by the SIT, which is questioning several people as part of cases registered in connection with the racket.

The actor, who is popularly called as ‘Mass Maharaja’ by his fans, has featured in many films, including “Amma Naana O Tamila Ammayi”, “Dubai Seenu”, “Kick” and “Don Seenu”.

His family members had said he does not take drugs.

Teja has acted in several movies directed by Puri Jagannadh, who was the first person from the film industry to be questioned recently.

During the investigation, names of some members of the film industry cropped up, the SIT had said.

Since July 19, the SIT had also questioned cinematographer Shyam K. Naidu, actors P. Subba Raju, Tarun Kumar and P. Navdeep, actresses Charmi Kaur and Mumaith Khan, and art director Dharma Rao alias Chinna.


Two days back, the SIT arrested Dutch national Mike Kamminga (33) in connection with the case and claimed to have seized psychotropic substances from him.

SIT sleuths on Thursday conducted raids in different parts of Hyderabad.

Excise officials have so far arrested 20 people, including U.S. citizen Dundu Anish, a former aerospace engineer who has worked with the NASA, and seven BTech degree-holders employed with multi-national companies in the city.

As a part of the racket, high-end drugs like lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) were supplied. The investigators suspect that film personalities, employees of MNCs, school and college students were among the clients.

The racketeers placed orders through ‘Darknet’ (a restricted online network frequently used in illegal activities) and the drugs were delivered by couriers, including from overseas, officials said.

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North Korea says second ballistic missile test puts much of U.S. in range

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday said the second flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) demonstrated that a wide swath of the United States, including Los Angeles and Chicago, is now in range of North Korean weapons.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that Mr. Kim expressed “great satisfaction” after the Hwasong-14 missile reached a maximum height of 3,725 kilometers (2,314 miles) and traveled 998 kilometers (620 miles) before accurately landing in waters off Japan. The agency said that the test was aimed at confirming the maximum range and other technical aspects of the missile, it says, is capable of delivering a “large-sized, heavy nuclear warhead.”

Analysts had estimated that the North’s first ICBM test on July 4 could reach Alaska, and that the latest missile appeared to extend that range significantly.

Immediately after the launch, U.S. and South Korean forces conducted live fire exercises. South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo called for the deployment of strategic U.S. military assets, which usually means stealth bombers and aircraft carriers as well as additional launchers of an advanced U.S. anti-missile system.

Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said the missile, launched on late Friday night, flew for about 45 minutes, about five minutes longer than the first. The missile was launched on very high trajectory, which limited the distance it travelled, and landed west of Japan’s island of Hokkaido.

The KCNA quoted Mr. Kim as saying that the launch reaffirmed the reliability of the country’s ICBM system and an ability to fire at “random regions and locations at random times” with the “entire” U.S. mainland now within range. The agency said the test confirmed important features of the missile system, such as the proper separation of the warhead and controlling its movement and detonation after atmospheric re-entry.

Mr. Kim said the launch sent a “serious warning” to the U.S., which has been “meaninglessly blowing its trumpet” with threats of war and stronger sanctions, the KCNA said. The North Korean flight data was similar to assessments by the U.S., South Korea and Japan.

David Wright, a physicist and co-director of the global security program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said that if reports of the missile’s maximum altitude and flight time are correct, it would have a theoretical range of at least 10,400 kilometers (about 6,500 miles). That means it could reach Los Angeles, Denver or Chicago, depending on variables such as the size and weight of the warhead that would be carried atop such a missile in an actual attack.

President Donald Trump issued a statement condemning the missile test as a threat to the world, and rejecting North Korea’s claim that nuclear weapons ensure its security. “In reality, they have the opposite effect,” he said. The weapons and tests “further isolate North Korea, weaken its economy, and deprive its people,” he said. Mr. Trump vowed to “take all necessary steps” to ensure the security of the U.S. and its allies.

Washington and its allies have watched with growing concern Pyongyang making significant progress toward its goal of having all of the U.S. within range of its missiles to counter what it labels as U.S. aggression. There are other hurdles, including building nuclear warheads to fit on those missiles and ensuring reliability. But many analysts have been surprised by how quickly leader Kim Jong Un has developed North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs despite several rounds of U.N. Security Council sanctions that have squeezed the impoverished country’s economy.

Mr. Trump has said he would not allow North Korea to obtain an ICBM that can deliver a nuclear warhead. But this week, the Defense Intelligence Agency reportedly concluded that the North will have a reliable ICBM capable of carrying a nuclear weapon as early as next year, in an assessment that trimmed two years from the agency’s earlier estimate.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the launch a “serious and real threat” to the country’s security.

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Who will be Pakistan's next Prime Minister?

With Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif quitting his job after the Supreme Court disqualified him on Friday, questions are swirling over who will succeed him.

The court’s decision to dismiss the thrice-elected Prime Minister followed a petition by the Opposition, which had levelled corruption charges against him and his family members. Mr. Sharif will now face criminal charges.

Legal experts say that under constitutional rules, Mr. Sharif and his Pakistan Muslim League will have to nominate a lawmaker to replace him. That nominee will then have to be elected by the National Assembly, where the party enjoys a comfortable majority.

Here are the prime minister probables:

AHSAN IQBAL, minister for planning and development, is an engineering graduate who has been a member of Mr. Sharif’s party since 1988. He studied business in the United States and is considered a close ally of Mr. Sharif. He was elected from Narowal, a city in Pakistan’s most populous province, Punjab, where 60 per cent of the country’s 200 million people live.

YAZ SADIQ, Parliamentary Speaker, was elected from Lahore, capital of eastern Punjab province. He defeated a close associate of Mr. Sharif’s chief opponent, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, who spearheaded the Opposition petition that triggered the Supreme Court’s ruling. Political analysts say Mr. Sharif could select Mr. Sadiq as his successor just to annoy Mr. Khan.

HURRAM DASTGIR KHAN, commerce minister, is also an engineer. He was elected from the industrial city of Gujranwala, also in eastern Punjab province, a stronghold of the Sharifs.

HAHID KHAQAN ABBASI, petroleum minister, is another close ally of Mr. Sharif. He faced charges along with Mr. Sharif following the 1999 bloodless coup by Gen. (retd.) Pervez Musharraf. Abbasi was elected from the mountain resort area of Murree, also in Punjab.

HWAJA MUHAMMED ASIF, defence minister, has been a harsh critic of Pakistan’s powerful military and its propensity to involve itself in the country’s civilian affairs. He was elected from Sialkot, also in Punjab.

SHAHBAZ SHARIF, who is the Chief Minister of Punjab province and Mr. Nawaz Sharif's brother,would first have to win a by-election for a seat in Parliament if his brother chooses him.

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Now, IIITs can award MTech, PhD degrees

NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha passed a bill on Wednesday to enable Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) to award degrees, including M.Tech and Ph.D, as issued by autonomous universities. It also gives powers to Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing (IIITDM) in Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh) to award degrees to students.Once the law is finally enacted, IIITDM will be the fifth centrally-funded IIIT.
he proposed law includes IIITDM, Kurnool, in the principal law Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIIT) Act, 2014 which confers the status of "Institutions of National Importance" on the IIITs.
The role the central government in appointment of chairman of the board of governors and the director to the 15 IITs has been removed.
The bill was introduced by HRD minister Prakash Javadekar during the Budget session in March. Replying to a debate on the bill, Javade kar stressed that the fees for poor will not increase because of the new measure. He also said that the reservation law will apply to these institutes as elsewhere in the country . He said besides fees, research grants and projects will make up for the expenses.
"There might be a slight increase for those who have the capacity to bear. But for the poor (students), there will be scholarships available," the minister said. Academic session has commenced in 15 such IIITs, including in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana and West Bengal. The first batch of under-graduate students enrolled in 2013-14 will be pass out this year.

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Hyderabad drug case: Dutch techie in drugnet, cops blow lid off conduit

HYDERABAD: In another big catch, excise sleuths have arrested a Dutch software professional, Mike Kamminga, for peddling drugs in the city.The sleuths recovered 2.6 gms of DMT (Dimethyltryptamine), a psychedelic substance, from his possession.
Mike, a solutions architect with US' San Francisco Bay-based company Innominds, was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) sleuths of the excise department from his flat at Nanakramguda, where he has been living with his Indian wife and a child, on Tuesday night.
Police got initial leads about Mike while interrogating some of the drug abusers from the IT industry. "We folowed the leads provided by some of the techies, who have been purchasing drugs from the 19 arrested peddlers and a few of them mentioned about Mike as a supplier," an SIT official said.
After gathering information about Mike's activities in Hyderabad, the SIT sleuths arrested him from Gachibowli area on Tuesday night and seized 2.6 gms of DMT (possession of above 2 gms is considered as commercial quantity, which amounts to peddling), and other narcotics from his possession. When the excise sleuths brought him for interrogation, Mike asked them how difficult a situation he was in.
"He quickly understood that we were thorough in our probe and started enquiring about the gravity of charges that would be brought against him. He wanted to know about the likely punishment," the SIT official said.
Based on the information provided by Mike, the excise sleuths might carry out more raids. Mike Kamminga, who has contacts with drug peddlers in his home country, had been procuring them directly through international couriers and supplying them to known people.
The 33-year-old has visited Hyderabad four times in the recent past and has a valid Indian visa till June 2018. "We have arrested a Holland national, Mike Kamminga, in possession of narcotic substances and he will be produced before court," director enforcement, prohibition and excise, Akun Sabharwal said.
The LinkedIn profile of Mike indicates that since 2007, he has some connection with Hyderabad. As a CTOcum-COO of W3 Offshore De velopment Centre (p) Ltd, Hyderabad, between 2007 and 2013, Mike claimed to have been responsible for incorporation of the company in the city.
Mike's another association with Hyderabad is as a partner-cum-CTO of city-based social media marketing firm, 84ideas India, from 2010 to 2013. Mike mentions that his firm had clients from Tollywood.
The SIT sleuths seized incriminating evidence, including a laptop and a cell phone of Mike Kamminga, after his arrest. Mike would be produced before court and remanded in judicial custody. The Dutch embassy would also be informed about his arrest, the officials said.

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10,000 evacuated over new wildfire in France

MARSEILLE: At least 10,000 people were evacuated overnight after a new wild fire broke out in southern France, which was already battling massive blazes that have consumed swathes of forest, authorities said today.
The new fire came a day after France asked for Europe's help to tackle the flames already raging in the tinder dry south, including near the popular resort of Saint-Tropez.
"The evacuations, at least 10,000, followed the progression of the fire. It's an area that doubles or triples its population in summer," said a fire service official of the blaze near Bormes-les-Mimosas on the Mediterranean coast.
The number of people on France's Cote d'Azur bulges in July and August as holidaymakers head to the beach, though the area is experiencing an exceptionally hot, dry summer that has made it especially vulnerable to fires.
On Tuesday over 4,000 firefighters and troops backed by 19 water bombers had already been mobilised to extinguish the flames, which have left swathes of charred earth in their wake.
At least 12 firefighters have been injured and 15 police officers affected by smoke inhalation since the fires broke out on Monday, according to the authorities.
The blazes on Tuesday had devoured around 4,000 hectares of land along the Mediterranean coast, in the mountainous interior and on the island of Corsica.
With strong winds and dry brush creating a dangerous mix, the government asked its European Union partners to send two extra fire-fighting planes -- a request immediately fulfilled by Italy, according to the EU.
But one union official denounced what he said was a lack of spare parts preventing all the aircraft required from being put into action.
Interior Minister Gerard Collomb announced on Tuesday that France would be adding six more firefighting planes to its fleet during a visit to Corsica.
A fire in La Croix-Valmer near Saint-Tropez, a resort frequented by the rich and famous, had been contained, local fire chief Philippe Gambe de Vergnes said Tuesday.
But the blaze had already consumed 400 hectares of coastal forest in an area dotted with homes, he said. More than 200 people had to be moved from the area.
La Croix-Valmer's deputy mayor Rene Carandante described a desolate landscape of blackened headlands fringed by charred umbrella pines, where green forest had once framed the azure waters of the Mediterranean.
"It's a disaster area. There's nothing left," he said.
Francois Fouchier, of the local coastal conservation group, told AFP that local wildlife, such as the Hermann's tortoises, would be victims of the fires. "We are going to find burnt shells."

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26 Afghan soldiers killed in Taliban attack on Kandahar base: Defence ministry

KANDAHAR: At least 26 Afghan soldiers have been killed and 13 wounded in a Taliban attack on a military base in Kandahar province, the defence ministry said on Wednesday, the latest blow to struggling security forces.
The militants "attacked an army camp in Karzali area of Khakrez district of Kandahar last night," MoD spokesman General Dawlat Waziri said.
Afghan soldiers "bravely resisted", he said, killing more than 80 insurgents.
Residents in the area described an hours-long attack launched by a 30-strong convoy carrying "hundreds" of Taliban who assaulted the base from multiple directions.
Air support was called in, several residents said, though that was not immediately confirmed by officials. The insurgents claimed the attack via their Twitter account.
The resurgent Taliban have been ramping up their campaign against beleaguered government forces, underscoring rising insecurity in the war-torn country throughout the warmer weather fighting season.
Afghan security forces, beset by killings, desertions and non-existent "ghost soldiers" on the payroll, have been struggling to beat back insurgents since US-led NATO troops ended their combat mission in December 2014.
According to US watchdog SIGAR, casualties among Afghan security forces soared by 35 percent in 2016, with 6,800 soldiers and police killed.
The insurgents have carried out more complex attacks against security forces in 2017.
In April more than 140 soldiers are believed to have been killed on a base outside the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, one of the deadliest ever Taliban attacks on a military installation.
While in early March gunmen disguised as doctors stormed the Sardar Daud Khan hospital — the country's largest military hospital — in Kabul, killing dozens.

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US Muslims see friendly neighbors, but a foe in White House

NEW YORK: US Muslims say they have experienced widespread suspicion about their faith in the first months of Donald Trump's presidency, but also have received more support from individual Americans, and remain hopeful they can eventually be fully accepted in American society, a new survey finds.
Nearly three-quarters of US Muslims view Trump as unfriendly to them, according to a Pew Research Center report released on Tuesday.
Sixty-two per cent say Americans do not view Islam as part of the mainstream after a presidential election that saw a surge in hostility toward Muslims and immigrants.
At the same time, nearly half of Muslims said they had received expressions of encouragement from non-Muslims in the past year, an increase over past polls. And Muslims remain optimistic about their future. Seventy per cent believe hard work can bring success in America, a figure largely unchanged for a decade.
"There's a sense among the American Muslim population that others are beginning to understand them and beginning to sympathise with them,'" said Amaney Jamal, a Princeton University political scientist and adviser to Pew researchers.
Prejudice against Muslims has "pushed the average American to say, 'This is really not fair. I'm going to knock on my neighbour's door to see if they're all right," Jamal said.
The Pew survey is its third on American Muslims since 2007, and its first since Trump took office January 20. He promised to fight terrorism through "extreme vetting" of refugees and had a plan to temporarily ban travelers from six Muslim-majority countries.
The latest poll of 1,001 adults was conducted by phone, both landline and cellphones, between January 23 and May 2, in English, Arabic, Farsi and Urdu, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.8 percentage points.
The last several months have seen an uptick in reports of anti-Muslim harassment, including arson and vandalism at mosques and bullying at schools.
In the Pew survey, nearly half of US Muslims say they have faced some discrimination in the last year, such as being treated with distrust, threatened or called an offensive name. That percentage is only a slight increase over previous surveys.
However, the figure is much higher for respondents who said they were more visibly identified as Muslim, for example by a head covering, or hijab, for women. Sixty-four per cent of those with a more distinct Muslim identity said they had recently faced some type of discrimination.
Still, the survey found evidence of a growing sense of Muslim belonging in the United States. Eighty-nine per cent said they were proud be both Muslim and American and nearly two-thirds said there was no conflict between Islam and democracy.

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Qatar says new Saudi bloc blacklist 'disappointing

DOHA: Qatar said on Wednesday that a new blacklist released by Saudi Arabia and its allies came as a "disappointing surprise" in a diplomatic crisis that has split the Gulf.
The four Arab governments named 18 organisations and individuals on Tuesday that they accused of links with Islamist extremism and Qatar.
The move by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain came despite mounting international pressure to compromise in their weeks-old boycott of their fellow US ally.
Qatari government communications director Sheikh Saif bin Ahmed Al-Thani official said the blacklist had no basis in fact and was aimed at stripping the emirate of its sovereignty.
"It comes as a disappointing surprise that the blockading countries are still pursuing this story as part of their smear campaign against Qatar," he said in a statement.
"This latest list provides further evidence that the blockading countries are not committed to the fight against terrorism.
"All individuals with links to terrorism in Qatar have been prosecuted. We encourage the blockading countries to spend less time on drafting these fabricated lists and more time on implementing measures to counter the threat of extremism in their own countries."
The four governments issued a previous blacklist of 59 individuals and 12 groups last month. Sheikh Saif said it had been "widely rejected by the international community".
Saudi Arabia and its allies have been boycotting Qatar since June 5 in the region's worst diplomatic crisis in years.
They sealed the emirate's only land border, ordered its citizens to leave and closed their airspace and waters to Qatari flights and shipping.
They demanded that Qatar break its longstanding ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, blacklisted as a "terror group" by the four governments although not by the international community.
They also demanded that it close broadcasting giant Al-Jazeera and a Turkish military base, and fall in line with Saudi-led policy in the region, particularly towards Iran.
Qatar has dismissed the demands as a violation of its sovereignty and has received significant support from its ally Turkey.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who last week spent four days in the region trying to broker a settlement of the crisis, has voiced satisfaction with Qatar's efforts to address any suspicion of terror funding.
But after talks with European Union diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini on Tuesday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry warned that the four governments would accept no compromise in their dispute with Qatar.
"We cannot compromise with any form of terrorism, we cannot compromise or enter into any form of negotiations," Shoukry told a press conference.

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US attorney general to unveil leak probes soon: Media reports

WASHINGTON: US attorney general Jeff Sessions plans to announce soon several criminal investigations into intelligence leaks, news outlets reported on Wednesday, as the nation's top law enforcement official faced mounting criticism from President Donald Trump.
The announcement has "been in the works for some time and will most likely happen sometime in the next week," Fox News reported, citing an unnamed US official. The Washington Post also reported the planned announcement, citing multiple unnamed officials.
The investigations will look at news stories that publicized sensitive intelligence material, according to the reports.
Officials at the US Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On Tuesday, Trump tweeted that Sessions has not aggressively pursued people who leaked intelligence secrets during his time in office, one of a series of criticisms apparently aimed at pushing the former Republican Alabama senator to step down.
Trump also said again he was frustrated that Sessions had recused himself from federal investigation into possible collusion between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia, but stopped short of saying whether he would fire him.
Top Republican lawmakers have rallied to Sessions' defense as allies of the attorney general said Trump appeared to be trying to pressure him to quit by repeatedly criticizing him on Twitter and in interviews.
The latest apparent leak involved Sessions himself. On Friday, the Washington Post reported that Russia's ambassador to Washington was overheard via surveillance by US spy agencies telling his bosses that he had discussed campaign-related matters, including issues important to Moscow, with Sessions during the 2016 presidential race. The newspaper cited current and former US officials familiar with US
Earlier this month, a report written by Republican members of the Senate's homeland security panel said the Trump administration faced an "alarming" amount of media leaks that posed potential danger to national security and urged law enforcement officials to step up their investigations.
Separately, Trump's new communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, told CNN on Wednesday that he recognized that leaks to the media "would never stop" but that he was determined to end any coming from the White House communications office.
On Tuesday, he told reporters on Air Force One after Trump's trip to Ohio that he would probably restructure the communications operation at the White House and fire staff if leaks did not cease: "If the leaks continue, then I've got to let everybody go."
Leaks of classified intelligence that endanger national security have customarily prompted investigations, including by the administration of President Barack Obama, Trump's predecessor.

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Wildfires prompt 10,000 evacuations on French Riviera

MARSEILLE: Firefighters evacuated thousands of campers and local residents after a wildfire broke out on France's tourist-thronged Riviera coast overnight.
The blaze was the latest of several wind-whipped fires that are ravaging forest and scrubland on the hills and slopes that spill into the Mediterranean sea between the Marseilles and the city of Nice in the southeastern corner of France.
Not far west of the yacht-filled marinas of Saint-Tropez resort, 10,000 people were evacuated - 3,000 of them from campsites - as a fast-encroaching fire ripped through the hills of La Lodes les Manures, the Lavabo and Bromes.
"A fast-spreading fire broke out at 22:50 (2050 GMT), burning up about 800 hectares of land," the local government prefect's office said in a statement.
Hundreds of firefighters fought the blaze with planes and helicopters dropping tonnes of water on the tinder box hills where fires regularly break out in summer time, often as a result of a carelessly discarded cigarette butt.
Thousands of hectares of land have been devastated by flames since the start of the week, although Tuesday night's evacuation was far larger than other more minor ones where dozens of people and horses were moved to safety from fast-encroaching infernos.
High winds risked whipping up more fires, said the prefect's office of the Vary region, where most of the blazes are located.
So far there have been no deaths reported in the summertime wildfires, unlike in other countries such as Portugal where they have killed dozens.

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Donald Trump bans transgenders from serving in US military

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a ban on transgenders serving in the U.S military, opening up another political firefight while for the most part pleasing his conservative, Middle American base.
"After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military," Trump wrote on Twitter in a surprise announcement.
"Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail,'' he added.
The move reversed transgenders' hard-won rights during the Obama administration to serve in the military, among the several Obama-era liberal and progressive advances that Trump has rolled back.
By some accounts there are more than 15,000 transgender personnel in the U.S military. There is now growing apprehension that the issue of sexual orientation could return centerstage as conservatives seek to push back liberal gains of the last several years.
Coming on top of several contentious issues - notably healthcare -- already roiling the country, the strike against transgenders surprised both Trump critics and supporters because he had presented himself during the presidential campaign as a friend of the LGBTQ community and a moderate on the issue.
To applause from the moderate wing of the party at the Republican convention, he promised to protect LGBTQ community "from the violence and oppression of a hateful foreign ideology" in the aftermath of the Orlando nightclub shooting, adding, "As a Republican, I'm so happy to hear you cheering for what I just said."
Turns out that was either posturing or the ultraconservative wing of the party prevailed on him. As it is, conservative media outlets such as Drudge Report and Breitbart News are starting to turn critical because they are disappointed with the President not pressing forward with their conservative agenda.
Even India, with all the social stigma attached to transgenders (called Hijras), has made modest advances, including a transgender rights bill that calls for legal and civil rights despite the concurrent criminalization of homosexuality.
Expectedly, the White House strike against transgenders outraged Democrats and liberals.
"Every patriotic American who is qualified to serve in our military should be able to serve. Full stop," raged former vice-president Joe Biden even as legal challenges were being discussed in some quarters.
Some Republican lawmakers were also taken aback. "No American, no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity, should be prohibited from honor + privilege of serving our nation #LGBT," tweeted Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Florida Republican who has a transgender son.
Also opposed to the Trump strike against transgenders -- Senate Armed Services committee chairman John McCain, who came to the Hill from the hospital bed yesterday to give President a fighting chance to repeal Obamacare. McCain's daughter Megan McCain is a gay rights activist who supports same-sex marriage, gay adoption, and gays and lesbians serving in the military.
Trump opened up the new front even as he continued to harangue his own cabinet colleague, administration appointees, and GOP lawmakers. For the third day running he hounded his Attorney General Jeff Sessions, while admonishing another Republican Senator, Alaska's Lisa Murkowski, for not supporting him on the Obamacare repeal effort

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Hurriyat officials being used as ATMs? Terrorists even threaten Separatists for money, reveal documents

NEW DELHI: Letters written to Hurriyat members on Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba letterheads, recovered by NIA during raids, reveal that terror funding in the Valley could be a two-way phenomenon, with LeT and HM cadres turning to separatists for finances from time to time.
The demands made on Hurriyat separatists by local LeT and Hizbul terrorists, citing dire need of finances on account of illness of fellow cadres and other problems, range from a few thousand rupees to lakhs and include mobile phones as well.
Several Hurriyat members are currently in NIA custody for allegedly funding civil unrest in Kashmir through active financial support from terror groups in Pakistan.
Perhaps the most interesting of these letters, copies of which are in TOI's possession, is the one from one Mohd Amin Bhat, demanding Rs 5 lakh from Ayaz Akbar Khandey, a close aide of Tehreek-e Hurriyat chief Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
The letter, written on 'The Jammu & Kashmir Hizbul Mujahideen' letterhead, says Rs 5 lakh is urgently needed to tide over the immediate financial crunch arising out of demonetisation. It starts as a "request", saying how extinguishing of old high-denomination currency has stopped "payments from outside", but ends on a threatening note, asking Khandey to turn in the money in four days or face consequences that would extend to his family. Khandey is among the seven separatists arrested by NIA on Monday.
The post-demonetisation demand note in Urdu, carrying the signature and stamp of HM, when translated into English, reads: "We are in dire need of money at this time as we are not getting payments from outside due to present (security) situation and demonetisation. Your money will be returned on February 30. Inshallah we will wait for you for four days. If you do anything, then you'll be responsible for yourself and family".
NIA recovered another HM letter, written by area commander Burkan on March 17, 2006, to Shabir Shah's aide Nayeem Khan, who is now in NIA custody. It says: "We are in dire need of Rs 7,000 or Rs 10,000. Also if you can leave a mobile phone with us...".
A third letter written by LeT's J&K unit to Hurriyat members, stated: "...Our friend is unwell and he is in dire need of Rs 5,000. We hope you won't disappoint us...". This letter was recovered from Shahid-ul-Islam, spokesperson of Mirwaiz Umer Farooq-led moderate Hurriyat Conference.
It is written on LeT letterhead, mentions the Muzaffarabad "branch office" apart from a Karachi address, and carries the mobile number and email address of the LeT operative.
NIA raids also found "incriminating" photos of Shahidul-Islam with HM chief Syed Salahuddin and one in which he is wielding an AK-47 assault rifle posing with other armed men.

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Amit Shah to contest Rajya Sabha poll from Gujarat

NEW DELHI: BJP president Amit Shah is set to make his debut in Parliament as he will contest the Rajya Sabha polls from Gujarat on August 8. Shah is a sitting MLA from Naranpura in Ahmedabad.
Health minister J P Nadda made the announcement after the party's parliamentary board meeting on Wednesday.
I&B and textiles minister Smriti Irani will be BJP's other Rajya Sabha nominee from Gujarat. Irani's tenure as an MP of the Upper House ends on August 18.
The parliamentary board, attended by PM Narendra Modi, also named Sampatiya Uikey, a tribal leader from MP, for the Rajya Sabha bypoll necessitated by Anil Madhav Dave's death.
Shah is a five-term MLA but his presence in Parliament was increasingly felt as he has been busy with party activities in the national capital.
Moreover, the party will get a strong voice in the House of Elders. Shah and Irani are likely to file their nominations on Thursday.
Although BJP has only announced it will contest two seats, there is a possibility of a third candidate, which could create hurdles for Congress veteran Ahmed Patel who has filed his nomination.

ongress has 57 MLAs in the 182-member Gujarat assembly and Ahmed Patel will require the support of 45 MLAs to win. However, 11 Congress MLAs had voted for NDA's presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind and BJP has 27 surplus votes.
These include Irani, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien. CPM has not renominated Yechury.

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Nitish Kumar again sworn in Bihar chief minister, BJP's Sushil Modi is deputy CM

NEW DELHI: Fewer than 24 hours after resigning from the post, Nitish Kumar once again became chief minister of Bihar after he was sworn in on Thursday morning to form a government in the state, this time with the support of the BJP and the NDA.
Even as the ceremony was on, RJD workers in Patna set up blockades and protested Nitish forming the government with the BJP.
Also sworn in on Thursday morning, as deputy chief minister of Bihar, was the BJP's Sushil Modi, considered by many to be the man who deflated the not-so-grand 'mahagathbandhan', or 'grand alliance'. Until Wednesday, Modi's post was held by the erstwhile alliance's Tejashwi Yadav, son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad.
Tejashwi was the cause celebre cited by Nitish as the reason for his resigning as Bihar chief minister on Wednesday evening, hours after Lalu Prasad insisted his son wouldn't resign after being named in a CBI corruption case.
Soon after Nitish's resignation was accepted by Bihar governor Keshri Nath Tripathi, Sushil Modi submitted a letter to Tripathi pledging the support of 132 MLAs for Nitish to form the next government. Tripathi then set the time for Thursday's swearing-in ceremony and said Nitish has to prove his majority in the state Assembly within two days of being sworn in.
Tejashwi and RJD leaders also met the governor on Wednesday to protest the governor's decision to invite Nitish to form the government.
"RJD being the single largest party in the state should be given an opportunity to stake claim to form the government," Tejashwi said.
The JD(U), BJP, their allies and supporting independent MLAs together account for 132 seats in the 243-member Bihar Assembly, 10 more than the magic figure of 122.
The RJD has 81 MLAs, and even if the Congress with 27 MLAs and the CPI-ML with 3 decide to back Tejashwi, their number would add up to just 110.

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The Lingerie Shop’s Be Mine brand is disrupting the innerwear space in India

You need sexy lingerie? Shapewear,? Basic wear to work underwear or everyday sleepwear? You don’t know where to go and even if you did, you don’t feel like going there alone? If your answer to all these questions is yes, then The Lingerie Shop is for you.



The Lingerie Shop is changing the cultural attitudes towards shopping for women’s lingerie in India. A one-stop-shop, covering a range of all categories, The Lingerie Shop has you covered with its in-house brands. Here you can find everything you need – from office wear to boudoir, sleepwear to resort wear. Their motto – convenience to the consumer and quality, and a minimum acceptance quality level of 4.0.

In an exclusive conversation with Indiaretailing’s Gurbir Singh Gulati, Founder, The Lingerie Shop, Radhika Goenka, talks about why she decided to venture into the Indian innerwear space and her expansion plans…

How did you hit upon the idea of The Lingerie Shop?



Basically it started off two years ago. I’ve been wanting to do something in the apparel sector for the last five years and this is something that appealed to me and took off. I feel that lingerie is a very important product for the Indian consumer of today and it’s presence in the market is low, it’s not easily available and when it is, there is not much variety. So, this is what I want to focus on and change.

I want to ensure that Indians change the way they look at lingerie. I want the brands to be approachable. I want the brands to be functional, yet with a fun factor to it. Also, quality is very important to us as is the international customer and so we have approached the same manufacturer as Marks & Spencer. What we have created is an honest brand with the sole purpose of delivering style and comfort to every woman.

Tell us about Be Mine.

We launched the Be Mine brand with our first collection. It has around 59 styles at the moment and we are looking at adding another 60 styles by the end of this year. Simultaneously, we have our next sub brand – Hello Sugar – launching in August.

I want Be Mine to be a consumer friendly product and that is why I want to have a lot of stores. There are plenty of stores selling lingerie but consumers are not comfortable buying from these shops. We want to change the way the consumer thinks and break that social taboo in India. We are bringing to the Indian consumer, a product which is premium but keeping Indian sensitivities in mind.

You’re launching Hello Sugar in August. How is this going to be different from Be Mine?



Hello Sugar has got to more with sleepwear. It does includes staples of lingerie – bras and panties – but focuses more on baby dolls and teddies. Be Mine on the other hand is focused more on shape wear. So all our brands cater to a specific category.

The idea is the keep delivering newer experiences to the customers and keep innovating with your products. We have six sub-brands under the The Lingerie Shop and we will be unveiling every collection in due course of time

Is Hello Sugar age specific? 

No, we cater to a wide audience spectrum. We have something for everyone – from 16 years of age to 45 years of age. Since we cater to teens too, the brand is going to have a lot more colour and pop.

What is the price range of your products?

Our products range from Rs 499 to Rs 4999.

Do you plan to open stores for your product or will you focus on only retailing online?

We are looking at opening an offline store in Phoenix Marketcity by next year. We are also going to open stores internationally in Moscow, and Paris.



Though we started off focusing on the metros as our primary markets what we realized is that our product is been appreciated and accepted across markets in India. Since we are an e-commerce portal our market is not defined by demography we deliver where our customers need us.

We are currently retailing on our own website the Lingerieshop.com and have also tied up with Nykaa for retailing.

What’s something innovative that you are doing in the lingerie space in India?

Going forward, we are going to be installing lingerie vending machines in metro cities. We will start with Bombay and then go to Pune and New Delhi. The first one will be launched in September this year. We’ve installed one in our offices at Welspun House for testing, promotions and marketing. All information for buying lingerie – colours, sizes, prices – are available at a touch on the machine and we will also have a salesperson positioned by the machines to help out users.

We are reaching out to a lot of people, our TG and we are also into some fun tie ups. We are a serious brand complete with the three Fs – function, fit and fun.

What are your expansion plans? 

We are off to participate in the Moscow Fair to start with and then we are going to Columbia to showcase the brand. We are trying to show the world what India is capable of and to that effect we are not showcasing just one particular brand. We want to show the world that we are a platform.

We are also starting offline shore shipping to countries like US, UK, Russia, and UAE Dubai. We are aiming for a holistic, global approach.

We’ve already tied up with Nykaa and we are also thinking of organising pop-ups. We are also working on a mobile app. We will also be concentrating a lot on social media because it is really the fastest way to reach today’s consumer.

We’re looking to grow by 80 per cent in the next one year.

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Aryabhata’ was my happiest moment, Rao had told students

“We have always been proud that such an eminent scientist studied in our school. We always tell our students to emulate him,” says Helen V. Salins, Headmistress of Christian High School at Udupi, about their most illustrious alumnus, former ISRO chairman U.R. Rao, who passed away on Monday morning.

She recalls he had last visited their school about 15 years ago. Born in Admaru village of Udupi district, Dr. Rao had his early education at the Board School and Christian High School in Udupi. Later, the family moved to Ballari, Anantapur, and other places.

After retiring from ISRO, Dr. Rao visited Udupi a few times, including as chairman of Karnataka State Science and Technology in Udupi. He participated in the student-scientist interaction at Poornaprajna College here in January 2015.

He told students that creating the satellite, Aryabhata, in the sheds of Peenya for two-and-a-half years, and its successful launch was one of his happiest moments.

“We were all excited about it. If you are not excited about something, you will not achieve anything great,” he had said.

A.P. Bhat, Head of the Department of Physics, Poornaprajna College, Udupi, who interacted with Dr. Rao several times, recalled that students had made a small rocket during the student-scientist interaction.

While the rocket took off, the parachute which was to open did not. “He told the students to not be disheartened and encouraged them to carry on with their dreams,” he said.

Admar Sripati Acharya, CPI(M) leader and convener of Joint Council of Trade Unions, who lives in Udupi, said that the space scientist was against blind beliefs and superstitions.

At Ballari


At Ballari, Dr. Rao was a student of Wardlaw High School in the early 1940s. After a brief gap, he returned to Ballari to join Veerashaiva College in 1947 to study intermediate in physics, chemistry and mathematics.

As a student, he was a frequent visitor at the house of Srinivas Achar, well known as “Meenakshi Seenappa”, an owner of the once famous Meenakshi Bhavan. The family has fond memories of the young Rao. Last year, in September, Dr. Rao wrote to Achar’s son K. Seetharam, an advocate, recalling how Achar helped him pursue studies and become a space scientist. Dr. Rao visited Ballari many times over the years, always making it a point to visit his old jaunts, said Mr. Seetharam.

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Govt. to get tough on unapproved buildings

The government has decided to ban registration of sale deeds for resale of unapproved buildings after December 21.

Any owner who fails to submit an application online for regularisation of unapproved buildings by December 21 will not be able to register the sale deed of such property after the deadline.

Power supply, water supply and sewer connections will be disconnected for such buildings.

Speaking at a public consultation, Housing and Urban Development Minister Udumalai K. Radhakrishnan urged residents to make use of new schemes to regularise unapproved buildings.

“The schemes will help the weaker sections of society who want to own a home,” said Mr. Radhakrishnan.

CMDA Member-Secretary C. Vijayaraj Kumar said approval for buildings would be checked by officials concerned before registration of sale deeds after December 21.

Self-declaration scheme

“Resale of no building will be permitted without proper approvals. This is a voluntary disclosure scheme. We trust the residents. It is also a self-declaration scheme. A large number of those who have a sanctioned plan but have deviated from it are expected to regularise their buildings. Buildings that do not have any sanction will also be regularised,” said Mr. Vijayaraj Kumar.

“For ordinary buildings, we will permit an FSI [Floor Space Index] of 2 under the regularisation scheme. The permissible FSI is 1.5. Minimum road width will not be required for regularisation of ordinary buildings. For special buildings, the minimum road width has to be 7 metre for the regularisation scheme. For continuous building areas such as Mylapore, George Town and Chintadripet, setback is not required for regularisation of unapproved houses. But commercial buildings in continuous building areas will not be regularised if the front setback is less than 1.5 metre,” said Mr. Vijayaraj Kumar.

“At least 90% of the buildings are expected to be covered under the scheme. Almost 50% relaxation in the FSI has been given for multistorey buildings. Relaxation of other planning parameters is expected to benefit many residents. We are also collecting feedback from stakeholders on the regularisation scheme. We will make changes to help the maximum number of residents. Residents need not worry even if their application is rejected. There is a provision for appeal also,” said Mr. Vijayaraj Kumar.

After the applications for regularisation of buildings constructed on or before July 1, 2007 are submitted online at www.tnbuildingreg.in, the officials concerned will screen the documents submitted and issue regularisation order for the buildings.

In the Chennai Metropolitan Area, the CMDA member-secretary will issue the regularisation order for special buildings, group developments and multistorey buildings. The Chennai Corporation Commissioner will issue regularisation order for ordinary buildings in the city. The commissioners of municipalities, executive officers of the town panchayats and the block development officers (BDO) of panchayat unions will issue the regularisation order for ordinary buildings in their jurisdiction. In other parts of the State, application for regularisation of multistorey buildings will be received by the DTCP.

For special buildings and group developments, the member-secretary and the deputy director of the DTCP will receive applications. For ordinary buildings, the BDOs of village panchayats or executive authorities of the urban local bodies will issue the regularisation order.

The number of unapproved buildings in the Chennai Metropolitan Area is estimated at five lakhs.

Unapproved layouts can be regularised online at www.tnlayoutreg.in. The last date for application is November 3, 2017.

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Kushner denies Russia collusion, Trump lashes out

Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, said on Monday he “did not collude” with Russia and had roughly four meetings with Russian officials during the 2016 campaign and presidential transition.

In a written statement released ahead of his scheduled appearance before lawmakers in closed-door sessions, Mr. Kushner said his initial security clearance form had been submitted prematurely in error and had omitted all foreign contacts.

“I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government,” Mr. Kushner said. “I had no improper contacts. I have not relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector.”

Mr. Kushner faces two days of closed-door questioning from Congress as lawmakers try to determine whether the Trump campaign enlisted Russia’s help to win last year’s election.

Dogged by allegations

Mr. Kushner was scheduled to address the Senate Intelligence Committee at 10 a.m. EDT (7.30 p.m. IST) on Monday and the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Tuesday.

Mr. Trump has been dogged by allegations that his campaign aides worked with Russia, which U.S. intelligence agencies have accused of interfering in the election. Moscow has denied any interference, and Mr. Trump says his campaign did not collude with Moscow.

The Republican President has said the Russia probes in Congress and the Justice Department are politically motivated. In a tweet on Monday morning, Mr. Trump lashed out at the ongoing investigations. “So why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations?” he added.

Mr. Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. released e-mails this month that showed Trump Jr. appeared to welcome the prospect of damaging information from Kremlin about Ms. Clinton.

Members of both committees say they are eager to hear about the June 2016 meeting involving Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. Mr. Kushner and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort were also at the meeting.

Mr. Kushner described it as a waste of time. “I actually emailed an assistant from the meeting after I had been there for ten or so minutes and wrote ‘Can u pls call me on my cell? Need excuse to get out of meeting.’”

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Polish president blocks judiciary reforms after days of protests

Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Monday that he would veto two of three bills passed by Parliament in a judicial reform that has triggered nationwide street protests and raised EU and U.S. concerns about a politicisation of the courts.

Mr. Duda is an ally of the ruling right-wing, eurosceptic Law and Justice Party (PiS) and, although he had threatened to water down one of the bills, his veto of a second bill was a surprise. “I have decided that I will send back to the Sejm [lower house of Parliament] — which means I will veto — the bill on the Supreme Court, as well as the one on the National Council of the Judiciary,” Mr. Duda said.

The move quickly found favour with foreign investors, boosting the Polish currency, the zloty, around 0.7% against the euro.

On Saturday, the upper house had given final approval to a bill that would remove all current Supreme Court judges immediately except those hand-picked by the Justice Minister.

Overhauling judiciary


Parliament had earlier passed a bill giving it the right to name most of the members of the National Council of the Judiciary, which would nominate future candidates for the President to appoint to the Supreme Court.

“I’m absolutely a supporter of this reform, but a wise reform,” Mr. Duda said in a brief live statement. “As President, I feel deep inside my soul that this reform in this form will not increase the sense of security and justice.”

The overhaul of the judiciary, coupled with a drive by PiS to expand its powers in other areas, including control of the media, has provoked a crisis in relations with the European Union and sparked one of the biggest political conflicts since Poland overthrew communism in 1989.

For many days, tens of thousands of protesters have been gathering in cities, including Warsaw, Krakow and Poznan, for candle-lit vigils, demanding that Mr. Duda veto the reforms. The Opposition and most legal experts say the changes violate the Polish constitution.

Needed reforms


But the government has rebutted accusations that it is heading towards authoritarian rule. The PiS says the changes are needed to ensure courts serve all Poles, not just the “elites”.

PiS legislator Jacek Sasin said he was surprised by Mr. Duda’s move. “I’m afraid the President’s decision may mean that we will have to wait much longer for the reform, a real reform of the Polish judiciary, unfortunately,” he told the state broadcaster TVP Info.

PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski declined to answer reporters’ questions as he headed into a party leadership meeting that was summoned to discuss the unexpected veto.

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Maldives Opposition says govt. locked down Parliament

The Maldivian Opposition said that the military locked down Parliament on Monday on the orders of the country’s President in a bid to prevent lawmakers from taking part in a vote to impeach the parliamentary Speaker.

The main Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party said that on the orders of President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, the gates of the Parliament were padlocked by members of the armed forces on Monday morning and lawmakers “were forcibly prevented from entering the parliamentary compound”.

In a statement, the Opposition party called Mr. Yameen’s action “desperate, illegal and unconstitutional”. There was no immediate comment from the government. The government spokesmen could not be reached by telephone.

A no-confidence motion against Speaker Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed was scheduled to be taken up on Monday. The Opposition says the motion has gained the support of 45 lawmakers in the 85-member house.

Lawmakers disbarred


However, an uncertainty arose when the election commission announced last week that the four members who supported the motion had lost their seats because they left the ruling party.

The motion was considered a severe blow to Mr. Yameen, whose control over Parliament was threatened by a new understanding between the Maldives’ former strongman and its first democratically elected president, Mohamed Nasheed. The Maldivian Democratic Party routed Mr. Yameen’s party in local council elections earlier this year.

A similar Opposition bid to oust the Speaker was thwarted in March, when the government defeated it by 48 votes, with none opposing. At the time, Opposition lawmakers were either evicted or walked out from the vote, following a dispute over problems with the electronic voting system.

The coalition’s plan to wrest Parliamentary majority was aimed at reforming the judiciary, elections commission and other bodies perceived as being partial toward Mr. Yameen. In March, Mr. Nasheed and former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and two other parties formed an alliance. Mr. Maumoon runs a rival faction within the Progressive Party of Maldives, which is led by the current President, his half-brother.

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20 dead, 30 injured in suicide blast near CM's residence in Lahore

A suicide blast near the residence and office of Pakistan’s Punjab province Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in Lahore on Monday killed at least 20 people, including policemen, and wounded 30.

Lahore police chief Capt (R) Amin Wains said the “target of blast was police.” He also confirmed that it was a suicide blast.

“Police and the Lahore Development Authority officials were busy in removing encroachments outside the Arfa Karim Tower, located near the Chief Minister’s Model Town residence, when a powerful blast took place,” Rescue 1122 official Deeba Shahnaz told PTI.

Rescue teams shifted the injured to hospital and emergency was declared in city hospitals. “The condition of several injured is stated to be critical,” the official said. The Chief Minister, who is also the brother of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was in a meeting at his Model Town office during the blast.

Citing police sources, Geo News reported that a suicide attacker targeted police personnel deployed at the site. The area has been cordoned off by a heavy contingent of security forces and the section of the road sealed. In April this year, six people were killed and 15 injured when a suicide bomber targeted a population census team in Lahore’s Bedian Road.

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Congress levels charges against Venkaiah Naidu

Ahead of the vice-presidential polls, the Congress levelled charges against the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) vice-presidential candidate M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday, accusing him of misusing his position to derive benefits for himself and his family. Mr. Naidu, on his part, sought to refute all the charges through a written statement.

Citing four cases of grave irregularities, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh sought answers, saying, “Prime Minister... Narendra Modi has often used the rhetoric of ‘Zero Tolerance for Corruption and Wrongdoing’.. I think it is incumbent upon Venkaiah Naidu, who is a senior, experienced and articulate leader, to provide satisfactory answers..”

Mr. Naidu, until recently Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Urban Development, on his part, in a written statement said the allegations were “entirely false and politically motivated”: “It is evident that these issues have been referred to a few days before the election to the post of Vice President of India, clearly reflecting on the political motives and the mischievous intentions.”

Most serious charge

The most serious charge is that in July 2014, the Telangana government had placed an order amounting to ₹271 crore for the purchase of vehicles for the police from two companies — Harsha Toyota owned by Mr. Naidu’s son, and Himanshu Motors owned by the Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s son — “in contravention of all rules and without even floating a tender”.

Mr. Naidu does not deny the charge but says, “I have scrupulously kept myself away from the business and other pursuits of my children. . .. Harsha Toyota as a dealer never directly dealt with the State government in the procurement of vehicles referred to and no supply order was placed on Harsha Toyota. The parent company, i.e., Toyota, offered to supply vehicles as desired by the State government at DGS&D rates and the supply order was placed on the parent company, i.e., Toyota Kirloskar, and payment was also made to them.”

Mr. Ramesh’s second charge was that on June 20, 2017, the Telangana government issued a order “that has been kept secret”, exempting the Swarna Bharat Trust, of which Mr. Naidu’s daughter is the Managing Trustee, from paying various charges amounting to more than ₹2 crore to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority.

In his response, Mr. Naidu said the Telangana government had clarified that the Swarna Bharat Trust was not the first and the last to be given such exemption, providing details of several other such organisations, including those granted exemption by previous Congress governments in the State. The Telangana government had also clarified, he said, that there was nothing in law that prevented the State government from giving such an exemption.

Quashed allotment

Mr. Ramesh also pointed out that on 25 September 2004, the Kushabhau Thakre Memorial Trust, of which Mr. Naidu was Chairman, was allotted 20 acres of land in Bhopal, valued at a few hundred crores, but allotted by the BJP government for a one-time premium of ₹25 lakh and an annual rent of ₹1. The land use, he alleges, was changed from ‘residential’ and ‘forestry’ to ‘commercial’. Finally, he pointed out that the Supreme Court had quashed this allotment on April 6, 2011, in a PIL, and “passed stringent structures of ‘political favouritism’ and cancelled the allotment of the land”.

Mr. Naidu again does not deny the facts but explains: “In my capacity as the BJP national president, I was the ex-officio chairman of this trust and had no role in the allotment of land. Isn’t it a fact that several trusts were similarly allotted land by various governments, including the Congress governments?”

Finally, Mr. Ramesh accused Mr. Naidu of grabbing land reserved for the poor, destitute and landless in Andhra Pradesh's Nellore while he was an MLA: he added that the BJP leader was “forced” to return this plot of 4.95 acres of land after public protests and political pressure, while he was the BJP president in 2002.

This issue, Mr. Naidu claimed, was raised by local Congressmen as early as 2002. They even moved the courts, he said, stressing that the charges of land grabbing were dismissed.

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SC ‘no’ to plea for probe into massacre of Kashmiri Pandits

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a petition seeking investigation into the alleged mass murder of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley in 1989-90, during the heights of militancy.

“How can there be a probe into a matter that happened 27 years ago?” a Bench led by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar asked the counsel representing an organisation called the Roots In Kashmir’. The court in its order explained that the instances of alleged crime referred to are of 27 years ago and any evidence regarding them is unlikely to surface at this point of time.

The counsel argued that the events affected 40,000 families and 700 lost their lives. Mr. Khehar then asked why they had to wait for 27 years to seek justice. To this, the counsel replied that the community had banked on the “legitimate expectation” that successive governments would bring them justice. “But theirs was only lip service,” the counsel submitted.

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