Halloween Costume ideas 2015
December 2016
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2:44 PM
New Delhi
In significant push towards a less-cash economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced starting a biometric payment system using Aadhar platform within two weeks even as he exhorted citizens to adopt digital currency from the new year.
After card payments and e-wallets, payments through the new system can be made by just a thumb impression after the bank account is linked with Aadhaar gateway, he said at a DigiDhan Mela, an event organised to celebrate the success of digital currency push.
Modi used wit and humour to take swipes at his political opponents for criticising demonetisation saying the drive was aimed at catching the “mouse” that eats away the nation’s wealth.
Though he did not name anyone, his comments were directed towards Opposition parties which have been criticizing the demonetisation move for yielding minuscule results in unearthing black money.
Scoring a political point, he said a new indigenously developed payment app ‘BHIM’ has been named after the main architect of Indian constitution, Bhim Rao Ambedkar.
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2:37 PM
Los Angeles
Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra will be one of the presenters at the upcoming Golden Globe Awards ceremony.

Priyanka who is earning applause for her work internationally courtesy her American show "Quantico" and will be making her Hollywood debut with "Baywatch" next year - has joined previously announced presenters Anna Kendrick and Steve Carell.

Her name was announced via a post on the official Twitter account of the Golden Globe Awards, which read: "We're also pleased to announce Timothy Olyphant, Justin Theroux, and Priyanka Chopra as presenters for the 74th Golden Globe Awards."

The actress, who presented at this year's Oscar awards and Emmy awards as well, didn't share any information about presenting the award at the upcoming gala, but re-tweeted the post.

Golden Globe Awards recognises excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign. And the 74th edition of the award gala, hosted by Jimmy Fallon, will be held on January 8 next year.

Other presenters include: Drew Barrymore, Matt Damon, Viola Davis, Laura Dern, Goldie Hawn, Nicole Kidman, Diego Luna, Sienna Miller, Mandy Moore, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Timothy Olyphant, Chris Pine, Eddie Redmayne, Sylvester Stallone, Justin Theroux, Milo Ventimiglia, Sofia Vergara and Reese Witherspoon. 
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2:32 PM
Chennai
Sasikala To Formally Take Over As AIADMK Chief TodayV K Sasikaa on Saturday formally assumed charge as the general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the ruling party of Tamil Nadu. Soon after signing the papers at her room at the AIADMK headquarters in the city and having a brief discussion with party seniors including chief minister O Panneerselvam, she delivered an emotional address to party workers, in which she vowed to follow the footsteps of former CM and party supremo J Jayalalithaa, who died earlier this month

She recalled her association with Jayalalithaa and said during the 75-days of her hospitalisaton, she recovered well. ''When we all thought that she will return home soon, suddenly she suffered a cardiac arrest and left us, a void which could never be fulfilled by any one'', she said.

Sasikala said in order to fulfil a wish of Jayalalithaa, the centenary of party founder and former chief minister M G Ramachandran will be celebrated for a year from January 17, 2017. She also urged the central government to release a stamp to mark MGR centenary.

"Amma sacrified her entire life for the people and the party. We will continue our journey in a successful manner," he said. Earlier, when she reached AIADMK headquarters, she was accorded a warm welcome by scores of party workers, who hailed 'Chinnamma vazhga' (long live junior mother).

On Friday evening, a day after the AIADMK general council passed resolution appointing her as general secretary, Sasikala visited the memorials of Jayalalithaa, MGR and C N Annadurai at Marina and paid floral tributes.
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2:27 PM
Watford
Mauricio Pochettino is adamant Tottenham must focus solely on Sunday's trip to Watford rather than the higher-profile meeting with Premier League leaders Chelsea that follows soon after.
Wednesday's London derby showdown with Chelsea at White Hart Lane is one of the most anticipated fixtures of the season for both sets of fans.
Spurs beat Chelsea 5-3 in January 2015 when the latter were on the way to the Premier League title and Tottenham's hopes of lifting the trophy last season were ended by a bad-tempered 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge in May.
But Tottenham boss Pochettino insists victory over Chelsea would not be half as sweet if it followed a points-dropping performance at Vicarage Road.
"The most important game is Watford," he said. "It's important to try to reduce the gap to the top four.
"We need to be focused on Watford because they are the most important now for us.
"Chelsea have a very big gap now to second and 10 points to us but it's not decisive.
"We need to believe, we're fighting to reduce the gap and we have a very good opportunity when we play them.
"Firstly we need to win against Watford, it's a very important three points, and then we'll see what happens. There are a lot of games ahead, it's nearly the half way through season."
Tottenham boasted the meanest defence in the Premier League over the calendar year, with just 33 goals conceded in 2016.
But Pochettino may opt for the three at the back formation he employed for the first time in the corresponding fixture against Chelsea last season, which Tottenham won 2-1 just after Christmas in 2015.
Pochettino has to adjust his back line as central defender Jan Vertonghen and right-back Kyle Walker are suspended for a match each after picking up their fifth bookings of the season in Wednesday's 4-1 win at Southampton.
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2:22 PM
New Delhi
Thaawarchand Gehlot, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment launched the ‘Mobile App and Facebook Page’ of the National Trust at a function to mark the ‘National Trust Foundation Day’  on the theme “Celebrating Inclusion” here . Ministers of State for Social Justice and Empowerment  Krishan Pal Gujjar and Ramdas Athawale, Secretary, DoEPwD N.S. Kang,  Kamlesh Pandey, Chairman National Trust  and Mukesh Jain, CEO of the Trust also graced the occasion. The objective of the function was to create awareness amongst various professionals and stakeholders and also the creation of support network for these persons with disabilities by sensitizing unreached section of society.

Addressing on the occasion, Thawarchand Gehlot said that the National Trust Act for the welfare of persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities was passed in the Parliament on 30th December 1999 and it is working for the welfare of Divyangjans with commitment. 
He said that the National Trust is having 10 schemes for overall development of persons with disabilities which have been revised and launched last year and it has reached more than 74000 PwDs through its schemes. The Government is working on providing “Universal Identity Cards” to all Divyangjans which will be valid in all States for all schemes, he added.

Ramdas Athawale in his address said that the objective of National Trust is to create the support network for the persons with disabilities by sensitizing unreached section of society. 
Krishan Pal Gujjar addressing on the occasion said that the Government is committed to the objectives set for the welfare of persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities. Kamlesh Pandey dwelt upon the various schemes and programmes of the National Trust for the welfare of the Divyangjans.

On this occasion many cultural performances were presented by Divyangjan children, viz. Group performed by Cheshire Homes India Delhi Unit; All religion Prayer by  Manovikas Charitable Society; Dance performance on ‘Maa’Song by Akshaya Pratisthan; Dance performance on  ‘Raghupati Raghav Rajaram’ song by Tamanna; Music performance on “Char Kadam” by Sense International and Anthem of “Vishwaas” by Vishwas.     

The National Trust is a Statutory Body under Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. The National Trust Act for the welfare of persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities was passed in the Parliament on 30th December 1999. Thus-30th December- the Foundation Day of National Trust- is a day on which National Trust re-commits itself to the objectives set before it for the welfare of persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities.

The National Trust has been set up to discharge two basic duties – legal and welfare. Legal duties are discharged through Local Level Committee (LLC) set up at district level under the chairmanship of the District Collector / District Magistrate and providing legal guardianship. Welfare duty is discharged through the schemes and activities. The schemes and activities of the National Trust inter-alia include training, awareness and capacity building programmes and shelter, care giving and empowerment. The National Trust is implementing 10 schemes for overall development of persons with disabilities which have been revised and launched last year. The National Trust has reached more than 74000 Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) through its schemes and activities. Details about the National Trust is available in www.thenationaltrust.gov.in
    
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2:17 PM
New Delhi
Former union home secretary Anil Baijal on Saturday took oath as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi at Raj Niwas.

The oath was administered by Delhi High Court’s Chief Justice G. Rohini. President Pranab Mukherjee earlier on December 28 accepted Najeeb Jung’s resignation and approved Baijal’s name as the next Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory.

Baijal, a 1969 batch India Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Union Territories cadre, was removed as union home secretary when the UPA government assumed power in May 2004.

The former bureaucrat has also been the vice-chairman of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and had headed key public sector companies like Prasar Bharti and Indian Airlines.

Jung had submitted his resignation on December 22, ending a nearly three-and-half-year-long eventful tenure, mostly marked by bitter confrontation with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government.
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2:13 PM

PODGORICA, MONTENEGRO 
Next month, the U.S. Senate could vote on ratification of Montenegro's long-standing bid to become 29th member of NATO.

The Alliance officially endorsed the accession bid at its July conference in Warsaw. So far, 19 of 28 NATO allies have officially approved. The endorsement of United States lawmakers could signal others to give the green light for the expansion through their own legislative action.

In an interview with the VOA's Serbian Service, Montenegro's President Filip Vujanovic said he hopes that his country's membership in NATO will be formalized in the first half of 2017. “For us,” he said, “it is important that the U.S. Senate ratifies the Accession Protocol.”
“The United States were always a truly valuable partner supporting Montenegro's reforms and integration into trans-Atlantic institutions. We are thankful for that partnership, which has been significant for overall development of Montenegro. And I absolutely do not doubt that the U.S. Senate will ratify the protocol on Montenegro's accession with an overwhelming majority," Vujanovic told VOA.
Russia opposes NATO expansion and therefore, Montenegro's accession. Moscow is suspected of involvement in a failed October coup plot to install a pro-Russian government and derail NATO expansion in the Western Balkans. Montenegro's acceptance would be the first since Croatia and Albania were admitted in 2009.

Allegedly, suspects arrested in the failed coup attempt on Montenegro's election day had connections with Russian intelligence elements and some of them fought with Russia backed-separatists in Ukraine. They were, the state prosecutor said, planning to attack the parliament and assassinate the pro-Western prime minister.

Experts on European security are somewhat anxious to see if U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's policy towards Russia will adversely impact Montenegro's NATO bid.

But the President of Montenegro believes that the Trump administration's policy toward the Balkans will likely remain focused on stability, economic development, and European and NATO integration of the region. Vujanovic also hopes Montenegro's relations with Russia will improve once the country officially comes under the NATO flag.

“We are in some ways already in NATO," Vujanovic says. "Russia has voiced its well-known objection to NATO expansion. Montenegro needs to be patient and wait until it officially becomes a full member of NATO. After that, I hope our relations with Russia will improve, because Russia cooperates with, and has good relations with many NATO countries."
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1:40 PM
New Delhi
M. Venkaiah Naidu, Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Urban Development, and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation has said that Note withdrawal is an effective Anti – Scam Vaccine introduced by the Hon’ble Prime Minister to prevent scams taking place through Corruption and Black Money generation. 
The mandate for the Government was for a CLEAN INDIA encompassing all aspects of mind, surroundings, economy, governance and public life. In the past two and a half years the government has taken various initiatives and steps in various sectors in its journey of transformation towards a NEW INDIA. 
Naidu stated this while addressing the Press Conference on Achievements of the Government in the past two and half years and on issues related to demonetization here today at National Media Centre.

Speaking further on the issue of demonetization, Naidu said that the Government would not rest till the last rupee of black money was accounted for and removed from the system. He mentioned that demonetisation was an initiative with many objectives. These included ushering in attitudinal changes on the part of all stakeholders including government employees, businessmen and traders, investors, political class and the common man. He stated that there was a need to change the way we look at and use money and hence the emphasis was on digital transactions. 
He also mentioned that the inconvenience caused by note withdrawal is gradually declining and from next month, situation will further improve rapidly.

 Giving the progress report of the Government, Naidu said that several initiatives ranging from Swachh Bharat in October, 2014 to Swachh Economy in November, 2016 had been taken. 
The Hon’ble Prime Minister himself convinced the people and all other stakeholders of the need to think and act differently to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The SWACHH initiative encompassed changing of minds and attitudes of all stakeholders, transforming institutions and processes of governance thereby creating an enabling environment for increased economic activity through necessary policy initiatives and improving ease of doing business, triggering a collective effort with Team India spirit, efficient resource management, targeting relief to the poor and the needy, ensuring social security networks for the vulnerable sections, focusing on social welfare, strengthening social sector programmes, unleashing individual enterprise through various initiatives, emphasis on farm and manufacturing sector and leveraging India’s strengths to secure due place in the international order etc.

 Highlighting the major achievements of the Government, the Minister said that scandal free governance, effective inflation management, increased Foreign Domestic Investments, enhanced pace of infrastructure creation, stepped up economic growth rate despite adversities, financial inclusion, transparent resource allocation, increased accountability and transparency in governance, positive macro-economic parameters among other have been the major outcomes of the efforts and the Governance in past two and a half years.

Naidu highlighted some of the key outcomes in various sectors post Demonetisation. While giving the details for Tourism Sector, he mentioned that there has been a notable growth in the comparative figures of Foreign Tourists Arrival (FTA) and Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) and online sale of e – tickets after demonetization. 
Comparing the data for the month November 2015 & 2016, he mentioned that FTA & FEE recorded 9.35 % & 14.45 % growth respectively over the same month previous year.

Naidu said that despite apprehensions about demonetization adversely impacting rabi sowing, the overall sowing across the country surpassed 573.42 lakh hectare, which is higher than the average sowing area for the last five years. He further stated that rabi sowing has increased by close to 6.37% so far this year.

Giving the details for Railways, the Minister said that earnings from cashless ticketing has increased 30 percent and the number of people booking reserved tickets online using credit and debit cards or online transactions was at 58 percent in November but now it has reached over 75 percent.

Naidu highlighted major achievements of the Government through various Flagship schemes. He mentioned that more than 26 crore accounts were opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jandhan Yojna as a step towards financial inclusion. 
The Make in India initiative ensured enhanced Partnership between Government and the Industry. The Ease of doing business ranking improved from 142 to 130 in World ranking. He stated that Foreign investment has increased by 46% since the launch of “Make in India.”

About 3.09 crore farmers were covered under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana in 2015-16 and 3.66 crores this year. Highlighting the achievements of the Skill India Initiative, the Minister stated that over 19 lakh youth were trained in useful skills under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana. Under the Stand Up India scheme, Rs. 500 crore has been allocated in 2016-17 budget. Over 2.5 lakh entrepreneurs have benefitted from the scheme so far.  
Naidu mentioned that 1.22 crore LPG connections had been provided to BPL households under the Ujjwala Yojana. Speaing about the soil health card scheme for the farmers of the country, he mentioned that over 2.5 crore health cards were distributed so far.
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1:34 PM
New Delhi
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Radha Mohan Singh held a press conference to brief achievements and initiatives taken by his ministry during the last 30 months here. On this occasion Singh said that there is no adverse effect of demonetization and stated the examples of followings:

1.      MILK SALE
 
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Radha Mohan Singh said that if study the data of sale of milk, we will find that there is no adverse effect of demonetization on this rather, it has increased.
 
(a)    AMUL: Before demonetization the average sale of milk per day was Rs. 64.55 crore. After demonetization it has increased to Rs. 74.25 crore per day in November-December.
(b)   MOTHER DAIRY: Similarly, before demonetization the average sale of Mother Dairy milk was 28.06 lakh litre, the average cost was Rs. 11.42 crore. After demonetization it has increased to 29.61 lakh litre per day. In November-December the average cost is Rs. 12.05 crore per day.
(c)    DELHI MILK SCHEME: Under Delhi Milk Scheme average sale was 2.70 lakh litre per day and average cost was Rs. 1.05 crore per day. After demonetization it has increased to 2.76 lakh litre in November-December, the average cost has become Rs. 1.07 crore per day.
 
2.      SEED
 
Radha Mohan Singh said that if compare the data of 2016 with the data of sale of seed of Rabi 2015, we will find that in most of the states either the data has increased or it is equivalent. For example Madhya Pradesh State Seed Corporation sold 10.42 lakh quintal for sowing of Rabi 2015, it has increased to 11.93 lakh quintal this year. Similarly, Maharashtra State Seed Corporation sold 2.64 lakh quintal seeds during last year, this year it is 2.7 lakh quintal. Karnataka State Seed Corporation sold 1.36 lakh quintal seeds during previous year, this year it is 1.49 lakh quintal.
 
If study the data of National Seed Corporation then we will find that till 23rd December, 2015 5.51 lakh quintal seeds was sold by it. There is a slight decrease, it is 5.20 quintal this year. Similarly, in Telangana State the sale of seed was 1.55 lakh quintal in Rabi 2015 there is a slight decrease in it and it is 1.48 lakh quintal. In Uttarakhand also there is a slight decrease in it. It was 3.8 thousand quintal. In the year 2016 it is 3.7 thousand quintal.
 
3.      NAFED
 
Singh further, said that similarly, it is clear from the study of data of NAFED before demonetization on 8thNovember 2016, the average sale of NAFED was Rs. 2 lakh per day which has increased 1 and half times after demonetization and it has become Rs. 3.70 lakh per day. The main reason of this was the continuation of circulation of old Rs. 500 and 1000 notes on the cooperative shops. In December 2016 this income has stabilized at Rs. 2.31 lakh per day which is more than the data of sale before demonetization.
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1:31 PM
Melbourne 
Australian skipper Steve Smith, who is seemingly disappointed with Nathan Lyon’s performance in the ongoing Melbourne Test against Pakistan, has insisted that the off-spinner is not certain to be included in the Sydney Test.
Lyon, who is the most experience member of the current Test team, has struggled this summer and has taken only nine wickets at 66.66 during five Tests so far.

In the ongoing second Test being played at the MCG, the prolific off-spinner took one wicker for 115 from 23 overs he bowled.


“I’m not sure. That’s up to the selectors,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Smith as saying when asked if Lyon was an automatic selection for the Sydney Test. “He obviously hasn’t bowled at his best in this game. It’s always difficult bowling to lots of right-handers.”

“And they [Pakistan] play spin pretty well. It’s never easy bowling against subcontinent players when the ball isn’t doing a lot off the wicket as well. I guess we’re just looking for Nathan to be a little bit more consistent in the way he bowls,” he added.

What also goes against the 29-year-old off-spinner is the fact that the SCG is Lyon’s worst Test venue in Australia in terms of his bowling average.

In five Tests in Sydney, Lyon has picked up 13 wickets at 54.15. His overall first-class record at the ground does not make for pretty reading either, with a total of 14 wickets at 64.85 from seven games.

Australia, who will be expected name their squad for the Sydney Test on Friday after the Melbourne Test, could include more than one spinner. Left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe can appear as the logical candidate for a recall, with Jon Holland currently being sidelined by an ankle injury.

Meanwhile, rain again played spoilsport on the fourth day of the second Test between the two sides at the MCG.

Though the Australians hold the upper hand in match with a score of 465 for the loss of six wickets, a lead of 22 runs over Pakistan, a tame draw seems to be on the cards.

Australia are currently leading 1-0 in the series following their nail-biting 39-run win over the Misbah-ul-Haq-led side in the opening Test at the Gabba.
ANI
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1:21 PM
Image result for British PM Theresa
London
A spokesperson for the US state department last night expressed surprise after UK Prime Minister Theresa May  distanced the UK from Washington over John Kerry’s condemnation of Israel.
“We are surprised by the UK Prime Minister’s office statement given that Secretary Kerry’s remarks—which covered the full range of threats to a two state solution, including terrorism, violence, incitement and settlements—were in-line with the UK’s own longstanding policy and its vote at the United Nations last week.”
The US State department has voiced surprise after UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesman said that comments made by John Kerry, the US secretary of state, on settlements were ‘inappropriate’
Kerry, the outgoing secretary of state, delivered a robust speech this week that criticised Benjamin Netanyahu’s government as the “most rightwing coalition in Israeli history” and warned that the rapid expansion of settlements in the occupied territories meant that “the status quo is leading toward one state and perpetual occupation”.

May’s spokesman had said she thought it was not appropriate to make such strongly worded attacks on the makeup of a government or to focus solely on the issue of Israeli settlements.
“We do not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically elected government of an ally,” he said. “The government believes that negotiations will only succeed when they are conducted between the two parties, supported by the international community.”
The UK backed the UN resolution passed last week that condemned the continued expansion of settlements. But May’s spokesman said she was concerned about the language Kerry had used.
“We continue to believe that the construction of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is illegal, which is why we supported UN security council resolution last week.
“But we are also clear that the settlements are far from the only problem in this conflict. In particular, the people of Israel deserve to live free from the threat of terrorism, with which they have had to cope for too long.”
The US state department’s statement added: “We are grateful for the strongly supportive statements in response to Secretary Kerry’s speech from across the world, including Germany, France, Canada, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and others.”
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1:14 PM
New York
The deaths of actress and writer Carrie Fisher and her Hollywood legend mother, Debbie Reynolds, on successive days this week lend a special poignancy to an upcoming HBO film about their relationship.
The film, Bright Lights: Starring Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher, is expected to premiere on the pay cable network sometime this spring. HBO representatives did not respond to questions Thursday about whether the stars' deaths would change plans for the premiere, or whether the documentary would be changed to reflect what happened.

Although it hasn't been on television, Bright Lights was shown earlier this year at film festivals in New York and in France at Cannes. The film-making couple Fisher Stevens and Alexis Bloom of New York made it. A representative said they weren't available for interviews.

Fisher died Tuesday at age 60 after being stricken on an airplane flight last week. Her mother was rushed to the hospital and died the next day. “She said, ‘I want to be with Carrie,’” her son, Todd, told The Associated Press. “And then she was gone.”

Film Fisher's idea

In appearances at the festivals, the filmmakers described the project as Fisher's initial idea. Her mother was about to give her final live performances in Las Vegas two years ago at age 82, and Fisher wanted to document them.

Bright Lights became an examination of the lives of two women, once estranged, who were living in their final years next door to each other in a compound in Beverly Hills, California. “Their loving interdependence seems unbreakable,” the Hollywood Reporter wrote in a review.

Fisher was dealing with the mental illness that fueled some of her memorable writing through the years, and both women were dealing with the toll that increased frailty was taking on Reynolds. A key part of the film was about whether Reynolds would be well enough to accept a lifetime achievement award.

“The axis on which the film turned was their relationship and their love, even though show biz warps the best of people and warps the best of relationships and I'm sure to some degree they would agree it's warped their family,” Bloom told The Los Angeles Times this fall. “But at the center of it is love, and that's sort of undiminished.”

Fisher and the filmmakers said it was initially difficult for Reynolds to get used to the idea of a documentary on their lives. She was comfortable with cameras, but expected to have a script.

“The film is as disorderly in its structure as the messy family history it surveys,” the Hollywood Reporter wrote in its review. “Time spent with these wonderful subjects makes that seem sweetly appropriate.”

The affection that the filmmakers have for their subjects “is quite contagious,” the publication said.

Although HBO hasn't made clear when Bright Lights will air, the network said it is repeating its previous film about Fisher's life, Wishful Drinking, Sunday at 9 p.m. ET. The Logo television network said that it will air a Friday night marathon of television episodes that featured Reynolds, including Will & Grace, Roseanne, RuPaul's Drag Race and Golden Girls.
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1:09 PM
New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the Digi Dhan Mela on Friday organised in Talkatora stadium here.
The Prime Minister is also expected to launch Aadhar pay and the re-branded version of UPI (Unified Payment Interface) and USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data).

Prime Minister Modi recently announced two award schemes named ‘Lucky Grahak Yojana’ for retail consumers and ‘Digi Dhan Vapar Yojana’ for small businesses to encourage digital payments during his 27th edition of ‘Mann ki Baat’ address.

The winners will get a minimum of Rs. 1,000 through a lucky draw – while the winners will be chosen on daily and weekly basis under the Lucky Grahak Yojana, merchants who have won under the Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojana will be announced every week.

The first ‘Digi Dhan’ mela (fair) was organised in Gurugram, Haryana, on Monday and was inaugurated by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
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1:06 PM
Lucknow
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has called for a Samajwadi Party core group meeting at his residence on Kalidas Marg here today.

The meet is to be held shortly and is expected to see the participation of both, senior leaders and young leaders.

On Thursday, Akhilesh released a list of 235 candidates out of a total of 403 seats for the upcoming state assembly elections, a day after his father and party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav had released the official list, hinting at a deepening crisis within the party.

Some pro-Akhilesh MLAs had earlier said that an unhappy chief minister was likely to release a parallel list of candidates for the state assembly elections slated.

Intense political activities continued at the Samajwadi Party headquarters and at official residence of the chief minister yesterday.

Akhilesh met Mulayam Singh, but as per sources, the party chief refused to make changes in the list of 325 candidates issued by him on Wednesday.

“We have declared list of 325 candidates for the 2017 assembly polls. 78 seats still remain. Name of candidates for rest of the 78 seats will be announced soon,” Mulayam had said while announcing the list.
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1:03 PM
New Delhi
Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India is responsible for the formulation of national policies and programmes for the tourism sector and for co-ordination of activities of various Central Government Agencies, State Governments/UTs and the Private Sector for the development and promotion of tourism in the country. This Ministry is headed by the Union Minister of State for Tourism (Independent Charge). The administrative head of the Ministry is the Secretary (Tourism) who is also the Director General (DG) Tourism. The Ministry has a field formation of 20 offices within the country and 14 offices abroad and one sub-ordinate office/project i.e. Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering (IISM)/Gulmarg Winter Sports Project. The overseas offices are primarily responsible for tourism promotion and marketing in their respective areas and the field offices in India are responsible for providing information service to tourists and to monitor the progress of field projects. The Ministry of Tourism has under its charge a Public Sector Undertaking, the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) and the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM) and the National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS) ; and the National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT) and the Institutes of Hotel Management and the Indian Culinary Institute at Tirupati.

FOREIGN TOURIST ARRIVALS:  FTAs during the period January-November, 2016 were 78.53 lakh with a growth of 10.4% as compared to the FTAs of 71.14 lakh with a growth of 4.7% in January- November, 2015 over January- November, 2014.

FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS: Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) from tourism in rupee terms during January-November, 2016 were Rs. 1,38,845  crore with a growth of 14.7% as compared to the FEE of Rs.1,21,041 crore with a growth of 9.7% during January-November, 2015 over January-November, 2014.

E-TOURIST VISA:  During January to November 2016, a total of 9,17,446 tourist arrived on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 3,41,683 during January to November 2015, registering a growth of 168.5% .

s2016020876953LAUNCH OF INCREDIBLE INDIA HELPLINE: The Ministry of Tourism has launched the 24x7 Toll Free Multi-Lingual Tourist Helpline in 12 International Languages including Hindi & English on 8.2.2016. This service is available on the toll free number 1800111363 or on a short code 1363 and operational 24x7 (all days) in a year offering a “multi-lingual helpdesk” in the designated languages to provide support service in terms of providing information relating to Travel & Tourism in India to the domestic and International tourists and to assist the callers with advice on action to be taken during times of distress while travelling in India and if need be alert the concerned authorities. The languages handled by the Tourist Helpline include ten International languages besides English and Hindi, namely, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. The calls made by tourists (both international and domestic) while in India will be free of charge.
SWACHH PARYATAN APP: The Ministry of Tourism has launched a Mobile App ‘Swachh Paryatan’. To start with, 25 Adarsh Smarak Monuments protected by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have been identified for inclusion in the app. The application would be scaled up to include more monuments as the campaign expands.  The general public can lodge their complaints about any unclean area/garbage piles, if any, in and around identified ASI monuments by uploading the same along with remarks. The application then sends an SMS to the ASI Nodal Officer concerned with the monument on receipt of which, the Nodal Officer gets the garbage cleared/removed. The Nodal Officer thereafter sends confirmation regarding the redressal of the complaint through an SMS to the complainant.   
ACCOLADES FOR INDIA TOURISM: At ITB 2016 held in Berlin in March, 2016, the Indian Pavilion set up by the Ministry of Tourism won the 3rd place for the Best Tourist Board.
WORLD TRAVEL MARKET (WTM)-2016: Ministry of Tourism, Government of India participated as Official Premier Partner under the theme – ‘India - The Land of Eternal Heritage’ at WTM held in London from 7th to 9th November, 2016. Minister of State for Tourism and Culture (Independent charge) led the Indian delegation comprising of team of officers from Ministry of Tourism led by Secretary (Tourism), Chief Ministers, State Tourism Ministers, representatives from ITDC, IRCTC, Air India, tour operators, resort owners and hoteliers for participation in the WTM, 2016. India participated with 42 co-exhibitors in the India Pavilion comprising State Governments/Union Territory Administrations, tourism stakeholders etc.

SWADESH DARSHAN FOR INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT OF THEME BASED CIRCUITS
In pursuance of the Budget announcements of 2014-15, Swadesh Darshan Scheme was launched for integrated development of tourist destinations/circuits. Thirteen Circuits have been identified for development under the scheme. The Circuits are: - North-East India Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, Himalayan Circuit, Coastal Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Desert Circuit, Tribal Circuit, Eco Circuit, Wildlife Circuit, Rural Circuit, Spiritual Circuit, Ramayana Circuit and Heritage Circuit. In 2016-17 a total of 29 projects were sanctioned for an amount of Rs.2497.29 Crore. With this as on date a total of 49 projects have been sanctioned under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme for an amount of Rs.4162.99 Crore.

NATIONAL MISSION ON PILGRIMAGE REJUVENATION AND SPIRITUAL AUGMENTATION DRIVE (PRASAD): The scheme aims at integrated development of pilgrimage destinations to provide complete religious and spiritual tourism experience. 25 sites have been identified for implementation – Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh), Amritsar (Punjab), Ajmer (Rajasthan), Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh),  Dwarka (Gujarat),  Deoghar (Jharkhand), Belur (West Bengal), Gaya (Bihar) , Guruvayoor (Kerala), Hazratbal (Jammu & Kashmir), Kamakhya (Assam), Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu), Kedarnath (Uttarakhand), Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), Patna (Bihar), Puri (Odisha), Srisailam (Andhra Pradesh), Somnath (Gujarat), Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), Trimbakeshwar (Maharashtra),  Omkareshwar (Madhya Pradesh), Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Vellankani (Tamil Nadu), Katra (Jammu & Kashmir) and Badrinath Uttarakhand). In 2016-17 a total of 3 projects were sanctioned for an amount of Rs.48.31 Crore. With this as on date a total of 14 projects have been sanctioned under the PRASAD Scheme for an amount of Rs.332.82 Crore.

INCREDIBLE INDIA TOURISM INVESTORS SUMMIT (IITIS)-2016: Ministry of Tourism organized 3- day long “Incredible India Tourism Investor’s Summit (IITIS)-2016” in association with Tourism Finance Corporation of India (TFCI) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) from 21st to 23rd September, 2016 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The main objective of the Summit was to help promotion of investment in tourism sector in order to boost tourism in India at international level. Over 1800 delegates from - Private sector Project Owners; Banks and Financial Institutions; Business Developers; Cruise Liners; Domestic Investors; Entertainment Companies; Indian States/UTs; Global Investors; Helicopter Services; Hoteliers; Infrastructure Developers; International Associations; Restaurateur; Spa and Yaga Centres; Tour and Travel Operators; Urban Developers and Venture Capitalists participated in the Summit. States like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, and Chhattisgarh exchanged 86 MoUs during the session and many more are in the pipeline, aggregating close to Rs 15,000 Crores investment in tourism sector.


5TH INTERNATIONAL BUDDHIST CONCLAVE - 2016: Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, in collaboration with the State Government of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar organized the 05th International Buddhist Conclave – 2016 in Delhi, Varanasi, Sarnath and Bodhgaya from 02nd to 06th October, 2016. The overall theme for the 05th International Buddhist Conclave was ‘India, the Land of Buddha’. More than 250 delegates from around 39 countries, consisting of Tour Operators, Travel Agents, Journalists, Travel Writers, Bloggers, Buddhist Scholars, Monks and Opinion Makers attended the Conclave. The State Govt’s of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana offered Post Conclave familiarization tours to showcase and promote their Buddhist sights to the International delegates attending the Conclave.

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5TH INTERNATIONAL TOURISM MART-2016: The Ministry of Tourism organized the “5th International Tourism Mart-2016” at Imphal, Manipur from 23rd to 25th November, 2016 in association with the North Eastern States and West Bengal. Buyer and Media delegates from around the world and from different regions of the country participated in the Mart and engaged in one-to-one meetings with sellers from the North East Region. The Mart provided the opportunity to the tourism product suppliers from the region to reach out to international and domestic buyers, with the objective of promoting tourism in the region.

CELEBRATION OF BHARAT PARV:

·                     The Ministry of Tourism organized the “Bharat Parv” event at the Red Fort, Delhi from 26th to 31stJanuary, 2016, as part of the Republic Day Celebrations. The event included a display of Republic Day Parade tableaux, performances by the Armed Forces Bands (static and moving), Food Festival, Crafts Mela and Cultural Performances from different regions of the country. The Cultural Performances included choreographed Folk/Tribal Dances and Music arranged by the Ministry of Culture through its Zonal Cultural Centres as well as performances by cultural troupes from the different States of the country. At the Food Festival, stalls were set up by the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) showcasing street food from different States/UTs as well as by State Governments and the Institutes of Hotel Management. The Crafts Mela showcased the handicrafts and handlooms of the country, arranged by the Ministry of Textiles through the Offices of the Development Commissioners of Handlooms and Handicrafts as well as State Governments.

A (31)·                     Ministry of Tourism organized a week-long “Bharat Parv” festival at Rajpath Lawns, India Gate, New Delhi as part of the Independence Day-2016. The event was held from 12th to 18th August, 2016 with free entry for general public. The event showcased diverse culture, cuisines and handicrafts of the nation.


NATIONAL TOURISM AWARDS 2014-2015: Ministry of Tourism organized a function at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 30th July, 2016 for awarding the National Tourism Awards to winners for the year 2014-15. Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, Hon’ble Speaker, Lok Sabha graced the occasion as Chief Guest and gave away a total of 74 awards to various segments of travel tourism & hospitality sectors, leading hoteliers and the representatives from the State Governments/UT Administrations.
MOUs/AGREEMENTS SIGNED IN THE FIELD OF TOURISM COOPERATION:

·                     The Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Maldives signed a MoU for strengthening cooperation in the field of tourism on 10th April, 2016 during the visit of Hon’ble President of Maldives to India. 

·                     The Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the State of Qatar signed a MoU for strengthening cooperation in the field of tourism on 5th June, 2016 during the visit of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India to Qatar.

·                     The Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of South Africa signed a MoU for strengthening cooperation in the field of tourism on 8th July, 2016 in Pretoria, South Africa 2016 during the visit of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India visit to South Africa.

·                     The Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic signed a MoU for strengthening cooperation in the field of tourism on 20th December, 2016 in New Delhi during the Hon’ble President of the Kyrgyz Republic visit to India.

JOINT WORKING GROUP MEETINGS:

·                     The 1st India – Cambodia Joint Working Group Meeting on Tourism Cooperation was held in New Delhi on 28th April 2016. Both sides exchanged views for establishing a mechanism to encourage exchange of information and data related to tourism resources and tourist arrivals to understand the dynamics of the tourism sector in each other’s country, as well as the requirements and expectations of overseas travellers from both countries.   

·                     The 2nd India – Sri Lanka Joint Working Group Meeting took place in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 23rd June 2016. Both sides exchanged views on possibilities of technical and professional cooperation which could be further explored for exchange of experience in the areas of promotion, marketing, Human Resource Development in the tourism field and also discussed promotion of Ramayana Trail and Buddhist Circuit for strengthening tourism in both countries.

·                     The Ministry of Tourism participated in the 1st India-Japan Joint working Group/India-Japan Tourism Working on 25th October, 2016 at New Delhi.

INDIAN CULINARY INSTITUTE: The Indian Culinary Institute (ICI), Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, set up by the Ministry of Tourism has commenced academic session with the 3-Year Regular B.Sc. (Culinary Arts) programme from August, in academic collaboration with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). The ICI is a one-of-its-kind institute, unique in character and poised to give culinary education in India a quantum leap into the future, while providing a bedrock for preservation and promotion of ancient culinary traditions of India, which continues to draw increasing international attention.

HRD/ SKILL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES:

·                     Hunar Se Rozgar Tak, a flagship Programme of the Ministry of Tourism to impart employable skills to youth in the age group of 18 to 28 years, and over 12968 persons were trained in the first eight months of the year. With this, the total number of persons trained under the Programme since its inception in the year 2009 stood at about 263918.

·                     In order to expand the HSRT outreach, it was opened up to implementation by private organizations with domain specific credentials/competence in terms of two verticals titled Badhate Kadam I and Badhate Kadam II. While Badhate Kadam I covers four hospitality trades namely Food Production, Food & Beverages Services, Bakery and Patisserie and Housekeeping Utility, Badhate Kadam II provides training courses to bring up Event Facilitators, Tour Assistants, Transfer Assistants and Office Assistants, Tourism Security Guards, Skin Care & Spa Therapists.

·                     Under the National Skill Testing & Certification, a total of about 8916 existing service providers were oriented and certified upto 30th November, 2016. This number is inclusive of street food vendors sponsored by NASVI and certified during the period under Swachh Bharat – Swachh Pakwan (Hunar Zaika).

SETTING UP OF TASK FORCE ON ADVENTURE TOURISM:

The Ministry of Tourism set up a task force on Adventure Tourism in October, 2016 under the Chairmanship of Secretary (Tourism) for resolving issues related to development and promotion of adventure tourism in the country. Various stakeholders including Adventure Tour Operators, Government Ministries and Central Agencies as well as State Governments are members of the task force. The first meeting of the Task Force took place on 21st December, 2016.

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