News in brief (March 2): National, international news updates

Bengaluru, March 2: Muslims safer in India than anywhere else in world says BJP MP Yogi Adityanath.

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10:00 pm: Fresh snowfall in Shimla

9:30 pm: Crops damaged due to heavy rainfall in Punjab

8:00 pm: IS executes four Iraqis from Tikrit

7.30 pm: Samsung unveils its much-awaited Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge smartphones and would begin selling them in India and other markets from April 10 to compete with rival iPhone6.

7.15 pm: Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen delivers the annual presidential address amid protests from opposition MPs demanding the release of the country's former leader Mohammed Nasheed who has been detained on terrorism charges.

7.00 pm: State-run carrier Air India today said it has taken the delivery of its 19th Dreamliner aircraft.

Jagmohan Dalmiya,newly elected BCCI President : It is a victory for the cleansing of cricket pic.twitter.com/yF7994nop6
— ANI (@ANI_news) March 2, 2015

6.45 pm: 22-year-old Inzamanul Khan, an agent of a ponzi scheme found hanging inside his residence at Sapagara in Bankura district of West Bengal.

6.30 pm: CPI supporters protest against Govind Pansare's killing, police detains protesters in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.

6.15 pm: "I will ask police that while enforcing Z+ security, people are not troubled", says Maharastra CM Devendra Fadnavis.

6.00 pm: PDP-BJP are in an alliance, PM must answer if he feels the demand by the PDP MLAs are correct/incorrect.

Kohlapur(Maharashtra) : CPI supporters protest against Govind Pansare's killing, police detains protesters pic.twitter.com/M8ZQdGBsTH
— ANI (@ANI_news) March 2, 2015

5.30 pm: To encourage love jihad,under a conspiracy the Khans have married Hindu women - Maliaka Arora, Gauri, Kiran Rao", says Sadhvi Prachi.

5.15 pm: If PDP continues to speak outside Common Minimum Program, will have to remove Article 370: Subramanian Swamy on PDP's Afzal Guru statement.

5.10 pm: Union Defence Ministry approves proposal for raising of four battalions of Ganga Task Force.

4.30 pm: Ruling PDP in J&K demands from NDA Govt return of mortal remains of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru; 8 MLAs issue statement

4.15 pm: "N Srinivasan is the nominee of the BCCI to the International Cricket Council (ICC)", announces Anirudh Chaudhary, BCCI Treasurer.

4.00 pm: "We promised transparent&corruption-free govt because previous government lacked these traits", says Haryana CM ML Khattar.

3.40 pm: Smooth polls due to J&K people, security, Election Commission, says Centre

3.15 pm: Uddhav Thackeray demands immediate meeting of NDA on land acquisition bill, says Shiv Sena will oppose it.

2.50 pm: Media is making a mountain out of molehill: J&K CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed

What I have said, I have said, will stand by that: J&K CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed pic.twitter.com/S5Hc8kWfTn
— ANI (@ANI_news) March 2, 2015

2.35 pm: Rajveer Singh has been called for questioning for the second time

2.10 pm: PM Narendra Modi had lunch at MPs canteen in Parliament

2.00 pm: Bangladesh arrests chief suspect in US blogger's murder: Reports

1.11 pm: Maharashtra govt to bear cost of treatment of H1N1 patients in private hospitals, says CM Devendra Fadnavis

12.50 pm: AAP members like Yogendra Yadav are being sidelined because they ask questions: BJP leader Shazia Ilmi.

12.36 pm: Opposition walks out of Lok Sabha seeking statement by PM's on Sayeed's remarks.

12.33 pm: Decision of the national executive will be known on 4 March: Sanjay Singh on rift within AAP

Decision of the National executive will be known on 4th March: Sanjay Singh, AAP on rift in AAP pic.twitter.com/Tbh3xJxAiq
— ANI (@ANI_news) March 2, 2015

12.30 pm: Bring a resolution, we will support it; PM should come and clarify: Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress on Mufti's statement.

12.15 pm: "You will know where Rahul is once he returns," says Congress Prez Sonia Gandhi

11.47 am: AAP calls national executive meeting on 4th March, likely to take decision on Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan's role in AAP's PAC

11.34 am: Jagmohan Dalmiya elected unanimously as BCCI president at the Annual General Meeting in Chennai.

11.30 am: AAP leader Yogendra Yadav cancels a scheduled news conference in Chandigarh amid reports of a rift within the party

11.22 am: Former Telecom Min Dayanidhi Maran, brother Kalanithi Maran appear as accused before special 2G court in connection to Aircel-Maxis deal case

11.04 am: Delhi Crime Branch officials also seize coal ministry documents on total production per block during raids.

10.38 am: Meat exporter Moin Akhtar Qureshi granted bail by Delhi court in black money case filed by IT department.

10.25 am: Delhi: TMC protest over black money issue in Parliament premises

Delhi: TMC protest over black money issue in Parliament premises pic.twitter.com/vUPlPOOZ9S
— ANI (@ANI_news) March 2, 2015

10.00 am: PDP-BJP is an unusual alliance, can expect some turbulence: BJP sources (BJP-PDP to have turbulent times)

9.52 am: J&K Legislative Council election underway in Jammu

J&K Legislative Council election underway in Jammu pic.twitter.com/RpGYsZQCRe
— ANI (@ANI_news) March 2, 2015

9.35 am: AAP leader Yogendra Yadav says the reports on rift within AAP make him feel sad and are laughable (Yogendra Yadav denies reports of rift in AAP)

9.22 am: India-Luxembourg Foreign Ministers to meet today. Sushma Swaraj to discuss higher level of investments with Jean Asselborn: MEA

9.04 am: