NEWS

New Delhi: A US Navy veteran who had killed Indian engineer SrinivasKuchibhotlainin a racially motivated hate crime at a bar in Kansas City in 2017 has been sentenced life imprisonment.In March this year, Adam Purinton, 52, had pleaded guilty to the charges of murdering Kuchibhotla.

He was charged with first-degree murder of Kuchibhotla, 32, and two counts of attempted first-degree murder in the shootings of his friend, AlokMadasani, and a bystander, who chased Purinton after he fled the Austin's Bar and Grill in Olathe city on February 22 last year.

New Delhi:RashtrapatiBhavan is learned to have conveyed its unhappiness to the Prime Minister’s Office over efforts to pass off shortcomings of the information and broadcasting ministry as ‘last-minute’ changes in schedule. The President appears upset by the controversy over 55 winners keeping away from the National Film Awards.

President Ram NathKovind had made it clear when he took office that he would not attend lengthy award ceremonies other than those involving his constitutional duties and this was conveyed to the I&B ministry well before the awards function. 

The plan was discussed when I&B secretary N K Sinha called on President Ram NathKovind on May 1 and this made it quite evident that there was no last-hour change that could have sparked off the protests, the source added. RashtrapatiBhavan is understood to have shared its “assessment” with the PMO even as it pointed out that discussions regarding the ceremony were held over the past 6-8 weeks.

New Delhi:The Supreme Court of India has reserved its verdict on a review plea filed by Nirbhaya's rapists and killers. The convicts asked the Supreme Court to spare them the death sentence.The plea placed before the SC said that the two condemned convicts, Vinay Sharma and Pawan Gupta are young and belong to poor families.

They were seeking a review of the 2017 verdict by which they, along with two others, were awarded death penalty in the sensational December 2012 gangrape cum murder case.The lawyer of the convicts, AP Singh claimed they were "not habitual offenders and have no criminal records, so the court must allow them to be reformed." Singh also said the death penalty has been abolished in many countries. Execution kills criminals and not the crime, he argued. He also claimed his clients were underage when they were arrested.

New Delhi:The Union Finance Minister ArunJaitley-led Goods and Services Tax Council, comprising state finance ministers, will meet through video conferencing. The meeting comes at a time when GST collections achieved its record high by exceeding Rs 1 lakh croremilestone in April.The 27th meeting of the GST Council on Friday will consider the introduction of simplified tax return form, incentives for digital payments and a proposal to convert GST Network into a government company.

A decision on simplification of tax return form is on the agenda with the SushilModi-led group of ministers (GoM) putting the three models of new form for discussions before the council, sources said. The council will also consider converting GSTN into a government-owned company with the equal holding of states and the Centre. Currently, five private financial institutions -- HDFC Ltd, HDFC Bank Ltd, ICICI Bank Ltd, NSE Strategic Investment Co and LIC Housing Finance Ltd -- hold 51 per cent stake in GSTN, which was incorporated on March 28, 2013, in the erstwhile UPA regime.