IPL 2018: Kolkata beat RCB by 6 wickets; Chirs Lynn scores match-winning 68

In 29th match of Vivo IPL 2018 Kolkata Knight Riders won it by 6 wickets against Royal Challengers Banglore. Chris Lynn made match-winning 62

In the 29th match of Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL 2018) Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 6 wickets at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. KKR pulled up a great show with the bat and chased the target of 176 runs on the last over. RCB bowlers could not get an early breakthrough and dropping Chris Lynn on 7 runs cost RCB the match as he went on for a match-winning knock. There was a little contest in the last few overs as wickets fell, but overall it looked like a one-sided match as RCB bowlers and fielders failed to perform. After winning today's match Kolkata Knight Riders consolidated their position in Vivo IPL points table with 8 points.

Kolkata Knight Riders innings update: Over by over

Over 1: Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine to open for KKR. Tim Southee to start off for RCB. Single to Lynn. Chance, Kohli just couldn't reach it. KKR: 5-0

Over 2: Umesh Yadav is into the attack. SIX, FOUR. what an over. KKR: 18-0

Over 3: Southee continues, two fours. Brilliant stuff. In the air, safe again. KKR 29-0

Over 4: Yuzvendra Chahal is into the attack. Swept for four by Lynn. Lynn hits it in the air, M Ashwin puts it down. KKR: 36-0

Over 5: Umesh is back, four to Lynn. Dot ball. And another one. SIX, down the ground. Cracking shot, stopped. Just one. Dot ball. KKR: 47-0

Over 6: Chahal continues, almost took the off stump. Missed again. Lynn gives himself room and wacks it four. Missed again, almost hit the wicket. KKR: 51-0

Over 7: Siraj is into the attack, bouncer, wide. Single to Sunil. Single again. Dot ball. Cracking shot for four. Lynn is on fire. KKR: 59-0

Over 8: Murugab Ashwin is into the attack. Sunil Narine hits it to the long-off and he is gone. Brilliant start for Ashwin. Uthappa is the new man in, one run. Swept for one. In the air, almost gone, but goes for six. What turn. KKR: 67-1

Over 9: Siraj is back, bouncer, given wide. One run to Lynn. Dot ball. Single to Lynn. Flicked off the pads for four. Single, that was risky. Dot to finish. KKR: 74-1

Over 10: Ashwin continues, Four, brilliant timing. Reverse swept for four. Single. Swept for four now. Single taken. 14 came from it. KKR: 88-1

Over 11: Chahal continues, just one. Uthappa, wacks it for six. Easy singles. Runs coming very easily. Dot ball. Single taken. KKR 98-1

Over 12: Umesh is back. Dot to start off with. Cut for one. Bouncer. Flicked for four. KKR: 106-1

Over 13: Aswhin back in the attack, Uthappa hits it in the air, taken on the ropes. He goes for 36. Chirs Lynn trying to hit it hard. Six runs from the over. KKR 112-2

Xiaomi Redmi S2 leak shows Redmi Note 5 Pro-inspired design: Details here

The India-bound budget-centric smartphone is reported to sport dual rear cameras and feature face-unlock mechanism. Here are all the details you need to have for the upcoming Xiaomi smartphone

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi is closely working on a new Redmi device that is also expected to make its way to India. Touted as the Xiaomi Redmi S2, the budget-centric smartphone is reported to sport dual rear cameras and feature the face-unlock mechanism, according to a report by online technology-based forum XDA-developers.

Now, the phone's purported image renders, shared by a Czech-based online publication SvetAndroida, show Redmi S2's front and back views. Based on renders, the phone would sport a tall 18:9 aspect ratio screen on the front and dual cameras on the back, along with a fingerprint scanner. The phone’s back seems identical to the Redmi Note 5 Pro, which was launched in India on February 14. However, the dual antenna lines on top and bottom have a different design and, therefore, the phone seems to bring some design element changes too.

terms of specifications and features, the report in XDA hinted that the Xiaomi Redmi S2 would sport an 18:9 aspect ratio screen of HD+ (1440×720) resolution. It would be powered by a Qualcomm MSM 8953 system-on-chip (SoC), which is a Snapdragon 625 processor. In terms of storage, the phone would have a 16GB variant, though other storage models are also likely, and there would be a microSD card slot for storage extension. As for memory, the phone would likely come in 2GB and 3GB RAM variants.

Talking of imaging, the phone would have a dual-camera set-up on the back, which will either have the 12-megapixel primary sensor of Sony IMX486 or OmniVision OV12A10, and the 5MP Samsung S5K5E8 as the secondary sensor. On the front, there would be a 5MP Samsung S5K5E8 sensor.

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 would have a 3,080mAh battery and boot Android Oreo 8.1 out-of-the-box.

Based on most of the specifications and features, the Xiaomi Redmi S2 seems like a mixture of the Redmi 5 and Redmi Note 5 (Redmi 5 Plus) with added dual cameras on the back. While most of the specifications, such as HD+ screen and storage and RAM variants put it in line with the Redmi 5, the Snapdragon 625 processor would give the Redmi S2 a huge boost in terms of processing power.

Comparison with Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

The Redmi Note 5 Pro made a global debut with its India launch on February 14. The smartphone offers a modern design, powerful processor, iPhone X-inspired dual camera set-up, mammoth battery and price tags of Rs 13,999 and Rs 16,999 for the 64GB/4GB and 64G/6GB variants, respectively.

The Note 5 Pro does bring substantial upgrades to the predecessor, the Note 4.

IPL 2018: Dhoni does it with trademark 6, CSK back on top of points table

Ambati Rayudu and MS Dhoni led the chase of 206 and made sure CSK cross the line in the end. CSK beat RCB by 5 wickets. CSK are now on the top of VIVO IPL points table

Chasing a huge total of 206, Chennai Super Kings' captain Mahendra Singh Dhoniand Ambati Rayudu held their nerves after wickets fell in the initial overs. Rayudu made a brilliant 82 runs to make the chase possible. CSK beat Royal Challengers Banglore by 5 wickets with two balls to spare. Dwayne Bravo hit some good shots in the last over to make it easy for MSD to hit the winning shot. With this win, CSK goes on the top of VIVO IPL points table. RCB could not bowl well in the final overs, despite having built pressure on CSK by reducing them to 74-4. The partnership between Ambati Rayudu and Dhoni turned it around for CSK. Siraj gave a few extras in the penultimate over. Prior to that, Negi bowled a costly over that brought down the required run rate.

Earlier, Quick wickets and a few runouts helped CSK restrict RCB to 205 when they could have crossed 220 easily. Some brilliant bowling at the death helped CSK's cause. However, Washington Sundar hit it well and helped RCB touch 200 mark. CSK will now need 206 to win.

Earlier, After a brilliant start given by AB De Villers and Quinton De Kock, RCB seemed to lose their way as wickets fell in packs. ABD, De Kock, Cory Anderson fell in back to back overs. Imran Tahir scalped ABD and Cory.

Chennai Super Kings innings update: Over by over

Over 1: Ambati Rayudu and Shane Watson open the batting for CSK. Pawan Negi starts off the bowling. Six, what a shot by Watson. He is gone. Caught at mid-off

Over 2: Brilliant bowling by Umesh Yadav. Just two from it.

Over 3: Washington Sundar into the attack, Ambati Rayudu hits for a huge six, and here is one more. CSK: 24-1

Over 5: Siraj is in the attack. Good batting. CSK: 50-1

Over 6: Umesh continues, leading edge of Raina's bat, gone. Sam Billings is the new man in. Huge appeal for LBW, turned down. Flicked for four. Oh, that was a ripper, bisected Billings into half. CSK: 55-2

Over 7: Yuzvendra Chahal is into the attack, Swept by Billings for four. Billings steps out and misses, stumped. Ravindra Jadeja is new man in. CSK: 61-3

Over 8: Umesh is back, very good line. Dealing in singles. CSK: 66-3

Over 9: Chahal continues, Rayudu sweeps and misses. SIX. WIDE. Jadeja is bowled. CSK: 74-4

Over 10: Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the new man. Wacks a huge six.

Over 11: Chahal continues. Double. Single to Dhoni. NO BALL, FREE HIT. CSK: 90-4

Over 12: Corey Anderson is the new bowler. Huge appeal for LBW, reviewed. Turned down. SIX. Single to end the over. CSK: 101-4

Over 13: Chahal continues, single to Dhoni. Dot ball. Boundaries are not coming easily. CSK: 107-4

Over 14: Negi continues, bowls a half volley, goes for six, and again. Dot ball. One run. Now Rayudu hits for a six, brings up his 50. CSK: 126:4

Over 15: Mohammad Siraj is back. Rayudu wacks for a six. Single. Another dot. CSK 135-4

Over 16: Corey continues, Rayudu hits high in the air, dropped by Yadav. WIDE. Flat six by Rayudu. Six again. CSK: 151-4.

Asaram verdict: Even if Brahma says he's rapist, won't believe say devotees

The Jodhpur SC/ST court had held the self-styled godman Asaram, besides two other co-accused, guilty of assaulting and outraging the modesty of a 16-year-old woman

Self-styled godman Asaram Bapu was on Wednesday convicted by a Jodhpur court for raping a minor girl at his ashram here in Rajasthan in 2013 and sentenced to a life term. Two other co-accused in the case, also convicted today, were given 20 years each in jail. The judgment was pronounced by Special Judge for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe cases, Madhu Sudan Sharma, inside the Jodhpur Central Jail, where Asaram Bapu is lodged.

Earlier in the day, while pronouncing the verdict inside the Jodhpur central jail amid tight security, the court had held Asaram guilty of assaulting and outraging the modesty of a 16-year-old woman, who, at the time of the incident, was a student at one of Asaram's ashrams in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh. The incident allegedly took place on the night of August 15, 2013, at another Asaram ashram in Manai area near Jodhpur.

Special judge Madhusudan Sharma lamented, in his 453-page judgement, that by his heinous act the godman has not merely shattered the faith of his devotees in him but has also harmed the reputation of saints among common people.

ALSO READ: Asaram spoiled saints' image by his heinous act: Court

Accused Asaram is called a saint. He has lakhs of devotees not merely in India but abroad too. He has over 400 ashrams running after his name, said the judge adding that as per my modest opinion, the accused, by committing the despicable and heinous crime, has not merely shattered the faith of his devotees in him but has also harmed the reputation of saints among the common people.

Referring to the faith of the victim's father and her family in Asaram, Additional Sessions Judge Sharma noted that the father was a "disciple of Asaram and played a crucial role in building an ashram at his home town Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh.

Here are the top 10 developments and things to know in the Asaram rape case verdict delivered in Jodhpur today:

1) Asaram spoiled saints' image, says court: Special judge Madhusudan Sharma lamented, in his 453-page judgement, that by his heinous act the godman has not merely shattered the faith of his devotees in him but has also harmed the reputation of saints among common people. Accused Asaram is called a saint. He has lakhs of devotees not merely in India but abroad too. He has over 400 ashrams running after his name, said the judge adding that as per my modest opinion, the accused, by committing the despicable and heinous crime, has not merely shattered the faith of his devotees in him but has also harmed the reputation of saints among the common people.

H-1B visaholders' spouses may not get to work in US: Top 10 developments

Trump administration's move to end work authorisation for H4 visaholders will have a devastating impact on tens of thousands of Indians

Soon, the spouses of H-1B visa holders might not be allowed to work legally in the US. A top federal agency official has told lawmakers that the Trump administration is planning to put an end to the Obama-era rule. The move would have a devastating impact on tens of thousands of Indians – the US has issued employment authorisation documents to more than 71,000 H-1B visaholders' spouses, over 90 per cent of whom are Indians. "Our plans include proposing regulatory changes to remove H-4 dependent spouses from the class of aliens eligible for employment authorisation," said the official. H-4 visas are issued to spouses of H-1B visa holders.

The move comes at a time when, according to a top Silicon Valley newspaper, Indian IT companies that were major beneficiaries of the H-1B programme, have dramatically reduced their H-1B visa filings. San Francisco Chronicle's editorial board has said applicants for the H-1B visa programme are anticipating the hardest process in many years.

In 2015, the Obama administration issued a rule allowing work permits for H-1B visaholders' spouses, who otherwise could not be employed while H-1B visaholders sought permanent resident status – a process that could take a decade or longer. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Francis Cissna has said that the Trump administration will be "reversing the 2015 final rule that granted such an eligibility".

Here are the top 10 developments around Trump administration's move to end work authorisation for spouses of H-1B visaholders:

1) H-1B visaholders' spouses to lose work authorisation: The USCIS director has told lawmakers that the Trump administration is planning to end allowing spouses of H-1B visa holders from working legally in the US. The move to end the Obama-era rule would have an impact on more than 70,000 H-4 visas holders with work permits.

2) When will the work authorisation for H-1B visaholders' spouses be done away with? No concrete date is available as of now. However, the USCIS director's letter provides an estimate. A formal communication is expected to be made later this summer, according to USCIS Director Cissna’s letter to Senator Chuck Grassley.

ALSO READ: Trump admin plans to end work permits for H-1B visa spouses

3) Work authorisation rule being removed from June this year? There is some information indicating the work authorisation rule will be removed in June or after. In March this year, the Trump administration had delayed its decision on the termination of work authorisation for spouses of H-1B visaholders, in what was a big relief to a significantly large number of Indian workers and their families.

At that time, in a court submission, the Department of Homeland Security had said that it would not take a decision on terminating the work authorisation of H4 visa users, spouses of H-1B visaholders, until June, as it needed time to review the economic impact of such a decision.

4) What Obama-era rule is Trump trying to undo? The previous Obama administration had started issuing employment authorisation, or work permits, to the spouses of H-1B visa holders in 2015. The spouses or dependents of H-1B visaholders come to the US on H-4 visas. Before 2015, they were not authorised to work in the US. Indian-Americans were a major beneficiary of this provision.

5) Indians will be the worst hit: Trump's move to end work authorisation for spouses of H-1B visaholders will hit India workers in the US the most. The US has issued employment authorisation documents to spouses of more than 71,000 of H-1B visaholders, over 90 per cent of whom are Indians, a report has said.

Jessica Lal murder convict Manu Sharma 'showing signs of reform': 10 points

Sent to prison for murdering Jessica Lal, Manu Sharma could soon be set free and the victim's sister says she has already forgiven him

Almost 20 years after model Jessica Lal was gunned down at a restaurant in New Delhi, her sister Sabrina Lal, who fought a lengthy legal battle for justice, has said that she has moved on and has no objection to the convict, Siddharth Vashishtha (better known as Manu Sharma) being released from jail. Vashishtha is serving a life term in Delhi’s Tihar Jail for the 1999 murder. Manu Sharma has been shifted to open prison, where he is allowed to leave at 8 am and return by 6 pm every day. This has also paved the way for his final release after 15 years in prison. Manu Sharma's name would be sent to the Sentence Review Board later this month.

Lal said she had received a letter from the jail authorities regarding a victim compensation fund and Sharma's release last month, adding that she had replied to the letter and said she had "no objection to his release".

"I replied to that letter and said I had no objection to his release. It's not so much about forgiveness but it's about letting go of a burden, something from which I have moved on. For me, it's about taking a load off me," she told news agency PTI.

Here are the top 10 updates around Jessica Lal murder convict Manu Sharma's release:
1) Jessica Lal's sister says she has no objection to Manu Sharma's release after 15 years in jail: In her reply to the letter sent by jail authorities, Lal pointed out that Sharma had been helping inmates during the 15 years he had spent in prison. "I would like to state that I have no objection to his release, owing to the fact that he has spent 15 years in jail," she wrote.

2) Sabrina Lal says Manu Sharma showing signs of reform: Lal pointed out that he had also worked for charity. "I am told that in this period he has been doing good work for charity and helping inmates in jail which I feel is a reflection of reform," her letter said.

3) 'Forgave Jessica Lal's murderer as Christianity teaches': Sabrina, according to reports, is forgiving Manu Sharma as she "believes in the Christian philosophy of forgiveness, just like her mother".

ALSO READ: No objection if Jessica killer released from jail; have moved on: Sister
4) L-G to decide Manu Sharma's fate, not Jessica's sister, says Tihar official: A month after murdered model Jessica Lal's sister Sabrina Lal wrote to Tihar jail authorities that she had "forgiven" Manu Sharma, officials said the convict's fate would be decided by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal after the jail's Sentence Review Board (SRB) submits a report. Sabrina Lal had written to Prison Welfare Officer that her family wanted to lead a normal life and had no objection if Manu Sharma, sentenced to undergo life imprisonment for murder, is released from the Tihar Central Jail.

A jail officer said only the L-G can decide Manu Sharma's release, not Jessica's sister. "It is up to the SRB meeting of seven to eight high-rank officials, chaired by Minister Satyendar Jain. The SRB will examine the case of 40-50 prisoners along with Manu Sharma, their police report and social welfare reports to take a final decision. Even if the SRB approves a prisoner's release, a report is sent to the Lieutenant Governor for a final decision. The L-G reserves the right to turn down even the SRB report," the official said.

Punjab Board PSEB exam: Girls outshine boys; check result, toppers' list

The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) on Monday declared the results for Class 12th (Senior Secondary) provisional examination. Girls outshone boys in the Class 12 PSEB exam with overall pass percentage being recorded at 65.97 per cent, marginally up from 62.36 per cent last year. A total of 3,00,417 students had appeared in the PSEB Class 12 examinations this year.

The result is now available on its official website http://pseb.ac.in and third-party result hosting website http://punjab.indiaresults.com.

Pooja Joshi, a student of Teja Singh Suttantar Memorial School in Ludhiana, topped the state by scoring 98 per cent marks, while the second position was bagged by Vivek Rajput of the same school with 97.55 per cent.

Jasnur Kaur, a student of Dashmesh Public Girls Senior Secondary school, stood third in the state with 97.33 per cent.

Muktsar district recorded the highest pass percentage of 79.64, followed by Mansa at 78.59 per cent and Ludhiana at 78.56 per cent, officials said.

Tarn Taran, the border district of Punjab, witnessed lowest pass percentage at 31.60, while Pathankot and Gurdaspur recorded 47.89 and 46.73 pass per cent respectively.

Girls outshone boys with a pass percentage of 78.25 as against boys' 60.46 per cent.

Notably, in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, the overall pass percentage was 81.09 per cent, 76.24 per cent, 76.77 per cent and 62.36 per cent respectively.

The pass percentage in Commerce subject was 84.95 while in Humanities it was 65.11. Pass percentage in science group was 58.79.

The Punjab board had announced this year that it would declare the results within fifteen days of concluding the 12th board exams. The class 12th examinations began from February 28 and concluded on March 24 this year.

How to check PSEB class 12th examination results

The Punjab board students are required to follow these steps mentioned below to check their results:

Important: The official website says the results will be available shortly. Follow these mentioned steps to check your results once they're released.

Step 1: Visit the official website of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) - http://pseb.ac.in/ or you can also check other third-party websites to check your results such as; http://punjab.indiaresults.com and http://www.examresults.net/punjab/.

Step 2: At the top navigation bar of the homepage, click on the ‘Results’ tab. A new webpage will appear.

Step 3: Click on ‘Senior Secondary (10+2) Examination Provisional Result March 2018.

Step 4: Enter your name, roll number, mobile number, and e-mail address and select the stream in the fields provided and then select the ‘Go’ button to find your results.(more)

IPL 2018: Delhi lose at home by 4 runs, KXIP claim top spot on points table

Shreyas Iyer tried his level best to bring it home for Delhi Daredevils, but Kings XI Punjab bowlers were a tad better and made sure they seal the win

In a heartbreaking match, Delhi Daredevils lost the match by four runs, chasing the target for 144 against Kings XI Punjab in the 22nd match of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2018). Shreyas Iyer took the match to the very last ball but could not see his team through. Kings XI Punjab bowler made sure that wickets keep falling at regular intervals and run flow was controlled. Crucial players failed to perform as Delhi lost three wickets in the powerplay. Rishab Pant was a surprise failure this match. DD lost by 4 runs. KXIP now are on the top of the VIVO IPL points table.

IN PICS: How Kings XI Punjab claim top spot on the points table, as Delhi lose by 4 runs

Glenn Maxwell, Gautam Gambhir disappointed once again and left Delhi reeling at 43-3 in 6 overs with their poor performance.

Delhi Daredevils bowlers bowled their hearts out to keep KXIP batsmen from scoring runs. KXIP made 143-8.

Liam Plunkett, making his comeback in the team, was the pick of the bowlers. He scalped three wickets and kept the run flow in check. KXIP batsmen, without Chris Gayle, looked totally out of touch and failed to hit big shorts and rotate strike. It seemed that the home advantage played well in favour of Delhi Daredevils.

Wickets kept falling for Kings XI, as Yuvraj Singh failed to impress once again. He was not in his best form and failed to move his feet much, eventually giving away his wicket. Nair and Miller stabilised the innings and looked to accelerate as only four overs remaining in the innings and the score nowhere close to par. Delhi bowlers kept it really tight despite dropping two sitters.

Kings Xi Punjab were off to a decent start despite losing two wickets in the powerplay against Delhi Daredevils. Runs kept flowing as Mayank and Nair hit boundaries at regular intervals. However, Avesh Khan took Aaron Finch's wicket, who had a bad outing once again.

Delhi Daredevils innings update: Over by over

Over 1: Ankit Rajpoot to Prithvi Shaw, two successive dot ball. 4 of the 3rd ball and single of the 4th. Rajpoot to Gambhir, wide. Dot ball, away-going delivery, didn't miss the edge by much. Dot ball to finish the over. the ball struck the pad. DRS taken ball pitched outside the leg-stump.

Over 2: Barinder Sran to Shaw, French cut went for four. Another 4 as Show cuts ferociously. Triple of the 3rd ball. Gambhir takes a single off the fourth. Edged the 5th ball for four followed by double of last ball (more)

TCS becomes first Indian IT company to cross $100 bn in market-cap

In terms of market capitalisation, TCS has the largest market-cap and is ahead of companies like Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, ITC, Hindustan Unilever

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has become the first Indian $100 billion- dollar company in terms of market capitalisation (market-cap) in the IT pack, after the stock hit a new high on Monday in intra-day trade.

The counter hit a new high of Rs 3,557, up 4.4% in intra-day trade, extending its Friday’s 6.7% surge, as the company reported better-than-expected March quarter earnings in post market hours on Thursday. TCS also announced 1:1 bonus shares i.e. one bonus shares of Rs 1 face value each for every share held in the company to its investors.

Also Read: After 12 quarters, TCS sees double-digit growth in dollar revenue in Q4

The 11% rise in the company’s scrip in past two trading days helped it cross Rs 6.81 trillion ($103 billion) in market-cap at around 10:33 am, the BSE data shows. The rupee was trading at 66.21 against the US dollar.

However, at the end of Monday's trade, the market-cap dipped below $100 billion level (Rs 6.54 trillion) to $ 98.44 billion as the stock erased its entire morning gains to end flat at Rs 3,415. TCS currently accounts for 11% of the total market-cap of the S&P BSE Sensex of Rs 60.81 trillion.

Track the stock price here

In terms of market capitalisation, TCS raks ahead of Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, ITC, Hindustan Unilever, HDFC, Maruti Suzuki and Infosys.

In its recent report, analysts at Nomura, however, have maintained a reduce rating on the stock with a target price of Rs 2,750.

"We retain Reduce as we find valuations expensive at ~20x FY20F and see risk to street expectations of ~double-digit constant currency (CC) revenue growth and flattish margins. Our caution stems from: 1) large segments US/BFSI remaining weak, growing at low- to mid-single digits y-y, with clarity on BFSI still a quarter away amid risks from insourcing at large US Banks," Ashwin Mehta and Rishit Parikh of Nomura said in a recent report.

Man refuses to take Muslim driver's cab ride, Ola says it is secular

Ola issued a strong-worded statement saying that the company is a secular platform

Inciting communal sentiments to unfathomable levels, a man cancelled his Ola cab ride after he realised that the driver was a Muslim. As an act of casteist attitude, a verified Twitter user Abhishek Mishra, who apparently belongs to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal, tweeted saying that he does not give to his money to “jihadi people”. He had attached a screenshot of his Ola cab booking which named the Ola Muslim driver.

His tweet sparked a communal conversation on the micro-blogging site and was condemned by a host of Twitter users including the likes of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and Delhi Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee.

Many said it was an act of encouraging religious discrimination in the country, asking Ola to block such hate-mongering users.

In response to Abhishek Mishra’s anti-Muslim tweet, ride-hailing company Ola issued a strong-worded statement saying that “the company is a secular platform and it does not discriminate its driver partners or customers based on their caste, religion, gender or creed. We urge all our customers and driver partners to treat each other with respect at all times”.

As the criticism he was receiving on the social media and the reactions started to pour in, he again took to Twitter and tweeted the second message and defended his decision on the premise that he has the “right to choose”. He tweeted again asking people to endorse his views by retweeting.

"People starts an attack on me. Can I have no right to choose? If they can run a campaign against Hanuman ji poster on a cab, defamed Hindus and Hindus god in Kathua incident then they must be prepared for a reply," his Twitter post read. With this tweet, he justified his act by saying that Hindus and Hindu Gods were too defamed in the Kathua incident.

Many, who criticised Mishra, also advised him to stop buying fuel as it is imported from the Middle East and urged Ola to ban him from its platform.

Mishra, who claims to be a “Hindutva Thinker” on his Twitter handle, is followed by a score of Union ministers, including Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister of Culture Mahesh Sharma. He has over 14,000 followers on Twitter.

Modi in London: Khalistani elements tear Indian flag; Pak hits out at PM

The Karnataka Assembly polls also flavoured Modi's interaction at 'Bharat Ki Baat' when the prime minister highlighted the contributions of 12th-century Lingayat philosopher Basaveshwara

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today had a series of bilateral meetings including discussions with Seychelles President Danny Faure and his Mauritius counterpart Pravind Kumar Jugnauth on the sidelines of the multilateral Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). "Friend in an extended neighbourhood! PM @narendramodi and President of Seychelles, Danny Faure met on the sidelines of #CHOGM18 and discussed cooperation in areas of trade and investment and other bilateral issues," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. The bilateral talks between Faure and Modi assumes significance after Seychelles ordered an inquiry into the leak of a highly classified agreement signed with India to develop infrastructure on Assumption Island, which lies southwest of the mainland of Mahe.

The opposition in Seychelles has decided not to ratify the pact because of Assumption's relative proximity to Aldabra atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to the world's largest population of giant tortoises. Cementing close friendship with Mauritius, Prime Minister Modi met his Mauritius counterpart Jugnauth and talked about cooperation in trade and investment, maritime cooperation and people-to-people ties, Kumar said. The "pull-aside meetings" with world leaders included an interaction with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Gambian President Adama Barrow, Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, St. Lucia Prime Minister Allen Chastanet and Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Rick Houenipwela.

At the end of the retreat, Modi will head back to India after a brief stop for his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.

Meanwhile, Pakistan on Thursday rejected Modi's remarks on the 'surgical strikes' across the Line of Control in 2016 as fake, saying "repeating a lie doesn't turn it into the truth." Speaking at the 'Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath' programme in London yesterday, Modi had said India waited to inform Pakistan about the operation before disclosing it to the media and the people.

"I said before India gets to know, we should call Pakistan and tell them. We were calling them since 11 AM but they were scared to come on phone, at 12 we spoke to them and then told the Indian media," Modi had said.

Here are the top 10 developments around Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to London, 'Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath' programme, and his itinerary for today: (more)

BCCI, 'a limb of the State', should come under RTI ambit: Law Commission

It states that BCCI ought to be classified as state' within the meaning of Article 12 of the Constitution

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should be brought under the ambit of the RTI Act, the Law Commission said on Wednesday noting that it falls under the definition of a public authority which has received substantial financing from governments.

It also said non-consideration of the role played by the BCCI as "monopolistic" in regulation of the game of cricket has resulted in the board "flying under the radar of public scrutiny, encouraged an environment of opacity and non-accountability".

In July 2016, the Supreme Court had asked the commission to recommend whether the cricket board can be brought under the Right to Information Act.

There have been demands to bring the cash-rich cricket body under RTI to usher in transparency.

The report, submitted to the Law Ministry on Wednesday, states that BCCI ought to be classified as 'state' within the meaning of Article 12 of the Constitution.

"An analysis of the functioning of BCCI also shows that the government does exercise control over its activities and functioning.

"... BCCI, falling in line with the foreign policy of India, did not recognise a player from South Africa due to their practice of apartheid; and that the cricket matches between India and Pakistan in view of tense international relations were made subject to government approval. The foregoing positions BCCI as a limb of the state'," the law panel report said.

It said though the BCCI is continued to be regarded as a "private body", owing to its "monopolistic character coupled with the public nature of its functions, it can still be termed as a 'public authority' and be brought within the purview of the RTI Act.

The report pointed out that BCCI has received "substantial financing" from appropriate governments in the form of tax exemptions and land grants.

The BCCI has enjoyed tax exemptions of "thousands of crores", the report said. "To be precise, between 1997-2007, the total tax exemption amounted to Rs twenty-one billion six hundred eighty-three million two hundred thirty-seven thousand four hundred eighty-nine. It may also be noted here that from 2007-2008 onwards, the registration of BCCI under section 12A of the Income Tax Act, 1961, as a charitable trust, was withdrawn," it noted.

The BCCI, it said, exercises state-like' powers affecting the fundamental rights of the stakeholders, guaranteed (in) the Constitution. It is hereby recommended that the BCCI be viewed as an agency or instrumentality of state, under Article 12 of the Constitution, thereby making it amenable to the writ jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under Article 32," the report said.

Nokia 7 Plus review: An all-rounder with great battery and modern design

The Nokia 7 plus smartphone, with 6.00-inch full HD+ display, lets you have the big screen experience. Discover more about Nokia 7 plus specifications, features and prices in India here in this review

A year ago, Nokia made a comeback in the phone market by launching a wide range of smartphones and feature phones across multiple price points, primarily focusing on value-for-money devices.

This year, HMD Global, the Finnish company behind the Nokia brand, has added three new phones to the list -- Nokia 6 (2018), Nokia 7 Plus and the Nokia 8 Sirocco. The Nokia 6 (2018), being an incremental update of the original Nokia 6, is touted as a budget smartphone. However, the Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 8 Sirocco get serious upgrades over their original iterations and, therefore, have been touted as mid-range and premium flagships, respectively.

Talking about the Nokia 7 Plus, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 system-on-chip (SoC) powered smartphon does not try to surpass its mid-range standing and get in the Nokia 8 Sirocco’s way. Yet, in many ways, the Nokia 7 Plus has a feel of a premium flagship smartphone.

The phone sports an aluminium-glass design with copper-tainted frame, which looks elegant and improves the phone’s overall design language. The ceramic coating on the back looks smooth yet comfortable to hold without hampering the grip.

Unlike the Nokia 8 Sirocco, however, the Nokia 7 Plus features a 3.5mm headphone jack, and you get in-ear headphones in the box too. The dual-SIM smartphone relies on a hybrid SIM tray design, which allows either dual SIM operations or a SIM with microSD card. The phone supports 4G and VoLTE on the primary SIM, while the second SIM is restricted to 3G and 2G networks.

The Nokia 7 Plus sports a modern ultra-wide screen, a first for Nokia smartphones. Though the 6-inch fullHD+ 18:9 aspect ratio panel is of LCD variety, rather than the vivid OLEDs, it is still the brightest and the most colourful.

The screen looks vibrant and colourful, but it faces issue under direct sunlight due to limited maximum brightness levels. Apart from sunlight legibility, there seems to be no other issues with it. The screen has good viewing angles and it stays sharp and vivid throughout.

In terms of imaging, the phone boasts dual ZEISS Optics lens of an ultra-sensitive 12-megapixel wide-angle and a 13MP telephoto, which enables 2x optical zoom capabilities. (more)

Akshaya Tritiya 2018: Offers raining on gold, diamond; all you need to know

It's raining sales on gold and diamond. Here is a list of portals offering tempting discounts to mark Akshaya Tritiya 2018

Today is Akshaya Tritiya 2018, a day believed to bring good luck and success. It is believed that Akshaya Tritiya is good to initiate new beginnings and brings good fortune and luck. Most people start new businesses, buy land or jewellery, and invest in something on this day. All leading online portals – Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal, etc – are enticing consumers with some heavy discounts on gold, platinum and diamond jewellery and giving an opportunity for shopaholics to shop to their heart's content. Moreover, leading jewellers have lined up attractive offers for buyers.

In order to cash in on Akshaya Tritiya, leading jewellers have lined up attractive offers. Tanishq, for example, is offering up to 25 per cent off on making charges of gold and value of diamond jewellery, while Malabar Gold & Diamonds is offering gold coins and gift cards. PC Jeweller claims to be offering the lowest prices on gold coins this Akshaya Tritiya.

Banks like HDFC are offering up to 5 per cent cashback on jewellery purchase. However, while you are excited to grab your diamonds and gold, the government, has in a tweet advised customers to purchase only BIS-Hallmarked Jewellery, which is available in 14, 18 and 22 carats.

It's raining sales on gold and diamond. Business Standard lists portals offering tempting discount to mark Akshaya Tritiya 2018:

1. Akshaya Tritiya 2018 offers from Tanishq: Starting today, the Bengaluru-based jewellery brand will offer up to 25% off on making charges of gold and diamond jewellery. Tanishq tweeted,"Celebrate this Akshaya Tritiya with us, and avail of up to 25% off on making charges of gold jewellery and diamond jewellery value!"

The company is also offering a wide range of designs under its Mangalam jewellery collection starting from Rs 10,000. Customers can opt to upgrade their old jewellery by exchanging and getting 100% value on them.

2. Akshaya Tritiya 2018 offers from Malabar Gold and Diamonds: The company has online 'AKSHAYA TRITIYA' offers, under which customers can get free gold coin on every purchase of jewellery worth Rs 15,000. If the order value is Rs 30,000, or more, you get two gold coins. The company also is offering 5 per cent value of jewellery purchased as e-gift card against a minimum shopping of Rs 15,000. This e-gift card can be redeemed online at the time of next purchase.

ALSO READ: Invest in choker, statement neckpieces for Akshaya Tritiya

This offer is valid until April 25, 2018 on a single transaction done at Malabar Gold & Diamonds website only and not at any of retail showroom.