Shashank to replace Srinivasan as ICC head

Control for Cricket in India president Shashank Manohar will be the new BCCI representative at the International Cricket Council. He will replace former BCCI president N. Srinivasan who was elected the first chairman of the ICC in June 2014.

“By virtue of being the BCCI president at the ICC, Manohar will take over as chairman of the ICC,’’ said Anurag Thakur, secretary, BCCI. “I never aspired for this,’’ said Mr. Manohar who will be in office till June 2016.

Former BCCI and ICC president Sharad Pawar has been named the alternative representative in case Mr. Manohar is unable to attend. The house praised Mr. Srinivasan’s contributions as the ICC chairman.

The BCCI accepted in principle the proposed rules on conflict of interest and other amendments to its constitution. It also appointed retired Justice A.P Shah as the ombudsman, who will look into all conflict of interest disputes. 

Another important decision was that it woud meet every quarter and make professional appointments to strengthen the governance of the BCCI based on the report to be submitted by Deloitte.

2 US govt employees killed in Jordan shooting

WASHINGTON: 

A Jordanian policeman has opened fire at a police training centre outside Amman, killing two Americans, a South African and a Jordanian, officials say.

Two US government employees were killed and another two wounded in a shooting incident on Monday in Jordan's capital Amman, officials said. 

"A full investigation is taking place. We take this very seriously and we'll be working closely with the Jordanians to determine exactly what happened," President Barack Obama said. 

"But at this stage, I want to just let everyone know that this is something we're paying close attention to and at the point where the families have been notified, obviously, our deepest condolences will be going out to them," Obama said in a joint appearance with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

In addition, a South African police trainer was also killed and Jordanian and Lebanese individuals were wounded in the incident at the Jordan International Police Training Centre. 

An investigation is ongoing and it is premature to speculate on motive at this point, the US Embassy in Amman said in a statement. 

The US is working with Jordanian and local security services on a full and comprehensive investigation, it said. 

"We strongly condemn this incident and we deeply appreciate the cooperation and support received from our Jordanian partners," the statement said.

Govt. to impose 0.5% cess on services from 15th Nov.

All services, including Air travel, telephony, Eating outside & banking to become expensive.

After bihar elections, Modi govt. is going to increase your expenses by increasing service tax on the name of "Swacch Bharat Abhiyan". 

Service tax that you are paying for these services till now was 14%. But from the coming 15th nov. it will increase upto 14.50%.

Baba Ramdev attacks Shahrukh Khan, says he must return his awards

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Wednesday lashed out against Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan for his recent remark on the "growing religious intolerance" in the country, and said whatever the actor said is mere rhetoric.

Hitting out at Shahrukh, Ramdev said the actor should give up his Padmashree Award and all the money that came his way following the laurel if he is genuinely concerned over religious intolerance.

"Sab hawabaazi hain (All these are empty talks). If Shahrukh is really concerned, he must give up his Padmashree Award," Ramdev said in Ranchi. "If he is willing to protest, he must also make a draft of all the money he made after winning the award and donate it to the Prime Minister's (relief) fund," the yoga guru added. Baba Ramdev was inaugurating an Anganwaadi center in the state capital and was flanked by state ministers Lois Marandi, CP Singh and Neera Yadav on the dais.

On his 50th birthday two days earlier, the actor had said that there is extreme intolerance in the country. Further explaining his stand, Shahrukh had said not being secular is the worst thing one can do as a patriot. Though the actor did not comment on whether he will return his laurels as a show of protest, Shahrukh made it apparently clear he was supporting the writers, artists and scientists in their act of returning laurels to protest what they see as a growing intolerance in the country.

PM Narendra Modi is ninth most powerful person in Forbes list.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the ninth most powerful man in the world, according to Forbes magazine. Last year, he was ranked 15th in the list.

In the list released for 2015 by Forbes, Russian President Vladimir Putin is ranked one once again, while German chancellor Angela Merkel jumps three spots since last year and is second. US President Barack Obama though has slipped a place and is third while Modi has broken into the top-10 of a list that is mostly dominated by heads of states.

The other political figures in the list are Chinese premier Xi Jinping (5th) and British PM David Cameron (8th). Among others, Pope Francis is the fourth most powerful while Microsoft's Bill Gates is ranked sixth.

BJP leader Vijayvargiya attacks Shah Rukh Khan, says his soul in Pakistan

NEW DELHI: Senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya on Tuesday attacked Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan over his "extreme intolerance" comment, saying his "soul" is in Pakistan though he lives in India and also painted him as an "anti-nationalist".

The comments by Vijayvargiya, a BJP general secretary and a former state minister, came notwithstanding the refrain of top BJP leaders in the recent weeks that insensitive comments should be avoided by partymen. Vijayvargiya is one of the party strategists for the Bihar assembly elections.

"Shah Rukh lives in India, but his soul is in Pakistan. His films make crores here but he still thinks India to be intolerant," he said in a series of tweets amid mounting concerns over the "climate of intolerance" in the country.

"If this is not anti-nationalist, then what is it. India is making a bid to become a permanent member of the United Nations and all the anti-Indian forces including Pakistan are creating a conspiracy," he said.

The BJP leader alleged that the attempt to create an "environment of intolerance" in the country is part of the conspiracy

"Shahrukh's comment about intolerance points that he is matching the tunes with Pakistan and anti-Indian forces," he said.

"Today when the entire world is respecting India, talking about increase in intolerance makes the country weak in front of the world."

The BJP leader also posed a question to Shah Rukh over blasts in Mumbai.

"When hundreds of people died in the 1993 blast in Mumbai, then where was Shah Rukh Khan. When Mumbai was attacked on 26/11, where was Shah Rukh Khan," he added.

Turning 50 on Monday, Shah Rukh came out strongly against what he called "extreme intolerance" in the country, saying intolerance towards creativity and religion will hurt the country.

"There is intolerance, there is extreme intolerance ... there is I think ... there is growing intolerance," he said.

"It is stupid ... It is stupid to be intolerant and this is our biggest issue not just an issue ... Religious intolerance and not being secular in this country is the worst kind of crime that you can do as a patriot," he added.

Nepal police killed one Indian citizen

Nepali police shot and killed an Indian citizen at a border checkpoint on Monday as they tried to clear protesters whose blockade has strangled Nepal's fuel supplies and badly damaged relations between the neighbors.

Nepal has faced an acute fuel crisis for more than a month since protesters in the lowland south, angered that a new constitution fails to reflect their interests, prevented supply trucks from entering from India.

Many in Nepal see India's hand in the protests although it denies any role.

Hundreds of stick-wielding protesters battled with police near the border crossing, known as the "friendship bridge", in Birgunj district, television pictures showed.

Raju Babu Shrestha, district police superintendent, said protesters threw petrol bombs and stones at a police post prompting them to "fire in self defense".

"One protester, an Indian national, who was attacking the police post with the petrol bomb was killed in the firing," Shrestha said, adding that the man was killed a few hundred meters from the border crossing.

More than 20 people including 15 police officers were injured in the clash, he said.

Protests over a new constitution turned violent in August and more than 40 people have been killed as southern plains dwellers objected to seeing their lands divided and included in several federal states dominated by mountain communities.

Earlier on Monday, police cleared protesters staging a sit-in on the bridge but a protest leader said they had re-occupied it and five people had been hurt.

The protesters had gone into Birgunj town where they were burning tires. A protest leader, Purushottam Jha, from a political party that represents minority Madhesis, said police had used teargas in the town and fired into the air.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today strongly took up with his Nepal counterpart KP Oli the killing of an Indian citizen at a border checkpoint when the Nepalese police fired on protesters to clear a blockade that has choked the country's fuel supplies and damaged ties.