J & K: 5 MONTHS ON, PREPAID VOICE CALLING, SMS BACK IN J&KTHE Jammu & Kashmir administration ordered the restoration of pre-paid cellphone service (voice and SMS) on Saturday, over five months after it was suspended.“After a careful review, the competent authority has ordered today that voice and SMS facility shall be restored on all local prepaid SIM cards across the Union Territory of J&K,” said Rohit Kansal, the official spokesperson. “Further, in order to consider provision of mobile internet connectivity on such SIM cards, the telecom service providers shall initiate the process of verification of credentials for these subscribers as per available norms for post-paid subscribers,” he said.Kansal said telecom service providers have also been directed to restore 2G mobile internet connectivity to 153 white-listed sites on post-paid cellphones in all the 10 districts of Jammu and two revenue districts of Kashmir — Kupwara and Bandipora. However, mobile internet connectivity will remain suspended in Srinagar, Budgam, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian districts in the Valley.On Jan 10, Supreme Court asked J&K administration to “review all orders suspending internet services forthwith”. It said “freedom of speech and expression and the freedom to practice any profession or carry on any trade... over the medium of Internet enjoys constitutional protection”.“Telecom service providers are being issued instructions to operationalise the directions immediately after providing all the safeguards detailed in the order issued today by the competent authority,” said Kansal.CONGRESS OF DIVIDING THE COUNTRY ON THE BASIS OF RELIGION: AMIT SHAHMounting a strong defense of the Citizenship Amendment Act, Union Home Minister Amit Shah challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to prove that the new law would take away citizenship from Indian Muslims, as he advised him to read the act completelyHe was addressing a rally in Hubballi, Karnataka.Terming those against CAA as 'anti-Dalits', the BJP national President, accused the Congress of dividing the country on the basis of religion and creating confusion among the minority communityHe attacked the Congress on its opposition to scrapping of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and said both Rahul Gandhi and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan sought evidence on surgical strikes and are opposed to abrogation of Article 370 besides saying CAA should not be implementedHubballi: Mounting a strong defence of the Citizenship Amendment Act, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to prove that the new law would take away citizenship from Indian Muslims, as he advised him to read the act completely.Terming those against CAA as "anti-Dalits", the BJP national President, accused the Congress of dividing the country on the basis of religion and creating confusion among the minority community.He attacked the Congress on its opposition to scrapping of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and said both Rahul Gandhi and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan sought evidence on surgical strikes and are opposed to abrogation of Article 370 besides saying CAA should not be implemented."They (Congress and others) are trying to spread lies..I want to tell Muslim brothers of the country that no one can take away your citizenship, no one wants to take away also. You have the same rights on this country as much we have. Nothing will happen to you," he said, clarifying that there was no clause in the CAA to take away citizenship from any one, rather it provides citizenship.Taking potshots at the Congress, he said: "Rahul baba, what do you think- that you will keep on spreading illusion and BJP workers will keep watching it?"Claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought in the CAA to protect the human rights of those facing religious persecution, he wanted to know what was causing pain for the Congress, Communist party, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, JDS, BSP and SP on the matter. "What is their problem...they are indulging in vote bank politics on CAA. BJP never indulges in vote bank politics," he said.KAPIL SIBAL: STATES CAN’T SAY WON’T IMPLEMENT CAA, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE, UNCONSTITUTIONALAT A time when Congress-ruled state governments are opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, with the Punjab Assembly even passing a resolution demanding its repeal, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said on Saturday that it would be “unconstitutional” for state governments to say they will not implement it.“If the CAA is passed, no state can say ‘I will not implement it’. It is not possible and is unconstitutional. You can oppose it, you can pass a resolution in the Assembly and ask the central government to withdraw it. But, constitutionally, saying that I won’t implement it is going to be problematic and going to create more difficulties,” Sibal said at the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) in Kozhikode,.While the Left government in Kerala has already approached the Supreme Court, saying that the CAA is “violative of the principles of equality, freedom and secularism enshrined in the Constitution”, Congress’s Chief Minister in Punjab, Amarinder Singh, on Friday announced that his government would also approach the apex court on the issue.Asked about his remarks in Kozhikode, Sibal saids: “It is like this. If you say you won’t implement an Act of the Government of India, you can’t say that… It is not possible under the Constitution. But you have said that the Act is unconstitutional, that can you say. That is for the Supreme Court to decide. If the Supreme Court upholds it, how can you say I won’t implement (it).”SAVARKAR’S CRITICS SHOULD SPEND TIME IN ANDAMAN JAIL: RAUTShiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday said those opposing Bharat Ratna award for Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar should be made to spend two days in the Andaman Cellular Jail, the erstwhile colonial prison, where the freedom fighter was lodged during his incarceration.Raut’s statement can potentially put his party, which shares power in Maharashtra with ideologically different Congress and NCP, in a spot.The Congress is against offering the highest civilian honour to Savarkar, who is hailed in high esteem by the right wing parties.Speaking on whether Raut's statement would affect Congress-Sena-NCP alliance, Maharashtra Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday said Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray had immense respect for Indira Gandhi and claimed party leader Sanjay Raut's controversial statements on the former prime minister were taken out of context"Sanjay Raut mentioned the context in which he spoke. Shiv Sena-Congress alliance is strong and we came together for the development of the state. We may have different views on certain issues but this is what democracy is. Instead of history, we need to talk about current issues," said Thackeray.BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR WORDS, TRUMP WARNS KHAMENEIPresident Donald Trump on Friday warned Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to be "very careful with his words". "The so-called 'Supreme Leader' of Iran, who has not been so Supreme lately, had some nasty things to say about the United States and Europe," Trump tweeted of Khamenei's comments earlier Friday in Tehran.According to Trump, Khamenei's blistering speech, in which he attacked the "vicious" United States and described Britain, France and Germany as "America's lackey's," was a mistake."Their economy is crashing, and their people are suffering. He should be very careful with his words!" Trump tweeted. On Friday, Iran's supreme leader threw his support behind the elite Revolutionary Guards in a rare sermon after their belated admission that they had accidentally downed an airliner triggered days of street protests. Khamenei also told worshippers chanting "Death to America" that the elite Guards could take their fight beyond Iran's borders after the U.S. killing of a top Iranian commander.Khamenei's address came amid a deepening crisis for Iran as it grapples with unrest at home and rising pressure from abroad.FACEBOOK APOLOGISES AFTER VULGAR TRANSLATION OF XI JINPING’S NAMEFacebook Inc said on Saturday it was working to find out how Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s name appeared as “Mr Shithole” in posts on its platform when translated into English from Burmese, apologising for any offence caused and saying the problem had been fixed.The error came to light on the second day of a visit by the president to the Southeast Asian country, where Xi and state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi signed dozens of agreements covering massive Beijing-backed infrastructure plans.A statement about the visit published on Suu Kyi’s official Facebook page was littered with references to “Mr Shithole” when translated to English, while a headline in local news journal the Irrawaddy appeared as “Dinner honors president shithole”.It was not clear how long the issue had lasted but Google’s translation function did not show the same error.“We have fixed an issue regarding Burmese to English translations on Facebook and are working to identify the cause to ensure that it doesn’t happen again,” Facebook said in a statement.PRINCE HARRY, MEGHAN MARKEL TO RENOUNCE 'HIGHNESS' TITLES, QUIT ROYAL DUTIESPrince Harry and wife Meghan will no longer use the titles "royal highness" or receive public funds for their work under a deal that lets the couple step aside as working royals, Buckingham Palace announced Saturday.Harry and Meghan will no longer use the titles His Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness but will retain them, leaving the possibility that the couple might change their minds and return sometime in the future.hey will be known as Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Harry will remain a prince and sixth in line to the British throne.The agreement also calls for Meghan and Harry to repay $3.1 million dollars in taxpayers' money spent renovating a house for them near Windsor Castle, Frogmore Cottage. The use of public funds to transform the house's five separate apartments into a spacious single-family home for them had raised ire in the British press. They will continue to use Frogmore Cottage as their base in England.NIA TAKES OVER PROBE INTO DYSP DAVINDER SINGH ARRESTThe National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday formally took charge of investigations into the arrest of J&K Police Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Davinder Singh, who was caught with two Hizbul Mujahideen militants last week.On January 15, J&K Director General of Police Dilbag Singh had said the J&K Police had recommended an NIA probe “as things of wider magnitude may come out”. While Davinder Singh has been suspended, the DGP had said they had recommended his dismissal from service.The DGP had said they were also open to a probe into Davinder Singh’s alleged role in the 2001 Parliament attack. “If that issue also comes up during ongoing investigations, it can also been probed,’’ he said.DELHI POLLS: SISODIA CHALLENGES CONGRESS, BJP ON ISSUE OF PRIVATE SCHOOL FEE HIKEDeputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia Saturday challenged the BJP and the Congress to name “even one state where they can show that excess fee charged by private schools was refunded or they were prevented from increasing fee”.The AAP, whose poll plank for previous two Assembly polls was education, had promised in 2015 that private schools will not be allowed to raise fee without clearance from the government.Recently, both BJP and Congress hit out against AAP, saying it has been presenting a partial picture of Delhi’s schools and many are still working in dilapidated conditions, without adequate infrastructure and teachers.ROW BREAKS OUT OVER SAI BABA’S BIRTHPLACEThe Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust has said the temple dedicated to 19th-century saint Sai Baba in Shirdi, Maharashtra, will remain open despite a call for an indefinite bandh from January 19 by a section of local citizens.The temple town is in the news following objections raised by the local citizens against a reported statement by Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray that Pathri village in Parbhani was Sai Baba’s actual birthplace.“On behalf of the trust, I would like to inform devotees that despite the call for bandh from local citizens, the temple will be open for darshan. Even accommodation and other facilities will remain open,” said chairman of the Saibaba Sansthan Trust Shirdi, Suresh Haware.Earlier this week, the Chief Minister announced a ₹100 crore grant for the development of Pathri to attract pilgrims and tourists.The BJP has hit back at the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government saying the Chief Minister should immediately withdraw the statement made that is not historically substantiated.INTERNET SHUTDOWN IN J&K HAS NO SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON THE ECONOMYSaying that internet was just used to watch “dirty films (gandi filmein)” in Jammu and Kashmir, NITI Aayog member V K Saraswat said on Saturday that suspension of services in the region, following the government’s decision to revoke J&K’s special status under Article 370 on August 5 last year, did not have a “significant” effect on the economy.Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the annual convocation at Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology (DA-IICT), where he was the chief guest, Saraswat said: “Why do politicians want to go to there (Kashmir)? They want to re-create the protests happening on the roads of Delhi in Kashmir. And they use social media to fuel these protests. So what difference does it make if there’s no internet there? What do you watch on internet there? What e-tailing is happening there? Besides watching dirty films, you do nothing there.Asked to clarify, he said: “I am saying that if there is no internet in Kashmir, then it does not have a significant effect on the economy.”Saraswat was responding to a question on why internet services had been suspended in J&K if he thought telecom was key to India’s growth.'HOW DARE SHE'Asha Devi, the mother of the 2012 Delhi gang-rape victim, on Saturday slammed senior lawyer Indira Jaising for her suggestion that she should forgive her daughter's rapistsEarlier on Friday Jaising, through a tweet, had urged Asha Devi to forgive the perpetrators and had used the example of Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi, who had forgiven Nalini, one of the convicts who was given the death penalty for killing Rajiv GandhiThe gangrape victim's father demanded an apology from Jaising for her remark, saying that his family isn't as 'large-hearted' as Congress leader Sonia Gandhi"Who is Indira Jaising to give me such a suggestion? The whole country wants the convicts to be executed. Just because of people like her, justice is not done with rape victims," Asha Devi said."Cannot believe how Indira Jaising even dared to suggest this. I met her many times over the years in Supreme Court, not even once has she asked for my well being and today she is speaking for the convicts. Such people earn their livelihood by supporting rapists, hence rape incidents do not stop," she added. Asha Devi further accused Jaising of using "the garb of human rights" to make a living.'People like her keep earning money under the garb of human rights. I do not need her suggestions... Just because of people who think like her incidents like rape keep happening, she is a disgrace to women," she said.CASE DIARY DISAPPEARS, PHOOLAN VERDICT PUT OFFThe case diary of the Behmai massacre, in which 20 people were killed allegedly by bandit Phoolan Devi’s gang nearly four decades ago, was found missing on Saturday when a special court was to pronounce its verdict, prompting the judge to postpone the matter to January 24.Special judge (UP dacoity-affected area) Sudhir Kumar pulled up the court official for the lapse and asked him to place it before the court on January 24.The court is likely to give its verdict on the role of the four surviving accused — Posha, Bhikha, Vishwanath and Shyambabu.The court had now listed the case on January 24, asking its staff to trace the missing case diary, Porwal said. “The court decided to fix another date for pronouncing the judgment only after the original case diary is located,” he said.SHABANA AZMI INJURED IN CAR ACCIDENTVeteran actor Shabana Azmi and her driver were injured on Saturday in an accident near Khalapur on Pune-Mumbai Expressway. Shabana’s husband and screenwriter-lyricist Javed Akhtar escaped unhurt.While Shabana was initially admitted to MGM Hospital in Panvel, the actor was later shifted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai.Shabani Azmi’s spokesperson said the actor ‘is fine’ and there is ‘nothing to worry about’.Shabana Azmi was last seen in the 2017 historical drama The Black Prince. Her upcoming film is Sheer Qorma, which also stars Swara Bhasker and Divya Dutta in the lead.SAIF ALI KHAN ADMITS TO MISREPRESENTATION OF HISTORY IN TANHAJIIn a recent interaction with a film magazine, Saif Ali Khan says he was aware of the misrepresentation of history in movie TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR. But he also says it is this populist, incorrect historical narrative that has been instrumental in boosting the commercial success of the film.Despite the lopsided politics, the reason why he gave his nod to antagonist Uday Bhan Singh's role was because of its "delicious" appeal.He goes on to say it is unfortunate despite being the "intelligentsia, the cultural voice of the country," a populist approach is being taken by the mainstream film industry. "It's not great, but it is what it is," Saif says in the interview.