Stones Thrown At Shivraj Singh Chouhan's Vehicle In Congress Constituency

Police said Shivraj Singh Chouhan was not hurt in the incident but give any more 

information.

Miscreants threw stones on the vehicle carrying Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is touring the state ahead of assembly polls, in Churhat area near Sidhi district, a police official said.

Mr Chouhan was not hurt in the incident, Churhat Police Inspector Ram Babu Choudhari told PTI over phone.

He did not give any more information, saying he was busy discharging his duties at a public meeting of the chief minister in the district.

Stones were hurled at Mr Chouhan's vehicle in Churhat area - which is the assembly constituency of Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh, Madhya Pradesh BJP spokesman Rajnish Agrawal said.

Churhat is about 25 km from the district headquarters

Later addressing a public meeting in the district as part of his Jan Ashirwad Yatra, Mr Chouhan dared Mr Singh to come in the open and fight with him.

"Ajay Singh, if you have strength come in open and fight with me," he said.

"I am physically weak but I won't be bogged down by your deeds. People of the state are with me," he added.

In a press release, Mr Singh said no Congressman was involved in the stone-pelting incident. He said his party does not follow the culture of violence.

"I suspect that it was a well thought and hatched conspiracy aimed at defaming me and people of Churhat," he added.

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Mr Chouhan is touring the state in a bus modified as a chariot..

NASA Plans 45-Day Effort To Get Its Mars Rover 'Opportunity' Back

The rover has been out of contact since early June, when a major dust storm 

deprived the rover of solar power and the storm is fading.

NASA is planning to start its effort to restore communication with the Mars rover Opportunity.

In a recent statement, NASA said it would begin a 45-day campaign of active efforts to restore communications with Opportunity once skies above the rover cleared to a sufficient level, Xinhua reported.

The rover has been out of contact since early June, when a major dust storm deprived the rover of solar power and the storm is fading.

"The dust haze produced by the Martian global dust storm of 2018 is one of the most extensive on record, but all indications are it is finally coming to a close," said Rich Zurek, project scientist for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Mr Zurek said in the statement that there had been no signs of dust storms within 3,000 km of Opportunity "for some time."

John Callas, Opportunity project manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a statement that "assuming that we hear back from Opportunity, we will begin the process of discerning its status and bringing it back online."

However, NASA's plan attracted criticism because it limited the active part of the recovery to 45 days.

Mike Seibert, a former flight director and rover driver for Opportunity said that Jet Propulsion Laboratory under NASA once attempted "active listening" of Spirit, the twin of Opportunity, for 10 months in 2010 and 2011 when that rover stopped transmitting before giving up.

Mr Callas said that if Opportunity did not respond to communications attempts after that 45-day campaign, it likely meant the spacecraft had suffered a mission-ending malfunction.

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"We will keep trying to get our Martian friend back online. We will not give up on #Oppy even after the 45 days of plan we have put in place!" tweeted Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA associate administrator for science.

Get Doorstep Delivery Of Services Through Phone Numbers: Arvind Kejriwal

Arvind Kejriwal said a person can even get an income or caste certificate, driver's license, or pension in the doorstep delivery scheme

From September 10, the people of Delhi won't have to run from office to office to get their work done as the Delhi government will start its "doorstep delivery of services" in the city, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday.

Through doorstep delivery of services, Mr Kejriwal said, a person can even get an income or caste certificate, driver's license, or pension through a "single phone number".

"On September 10, the Delhi government will give you a single phone number on which you can just order the service you want. Just convey the time to suit your convenience, and a Delhi government official will come to your doorstep to get your work done," said Mr Kejriwal.

He was speaking at the inaugural function of the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) office in Dwarka Sector 10, which he said, would help people in the area where they had to travel long distances to get an income or caste certificate.

Mr Kejriwal said the doorstep delivery of services would remove the role of touts, save people's time and cut short long queues in front of offices.

"After just one call, the official will come to your home with all the required machines including biometrics and scanners. You will then just have to upload your documents and your certificate or license will be delivered to you within a week," he said.

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He said this scheme would first consist of only "40 government services" by the Delhi government but will gradually offer 150 services to the people of the national capital.

Imran Khan Brings In Foreign Experts To Rebuild Debt-Ridden Pak Economy

One of the first tests facing Imran Khan's government is whether to seek a

 bailout from the International Monetary Fund or to turn to China with a plea

 for more economic aid.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has roped in some renowned foreign economists in the newly-constituted economic advisory panel to provide the best possible professional advice to his cash-strapped government on prudent economic policies, media reported on Sunday.

The immediate challenge for the Mr Khan-led government is to arrange finances to fill about a USD 10 billion gap that is arising due to higher outflows than estimated inflows.

Pakistan's current account deficit stands at USD 18 billion, while its foreign currency reserves are just over USD 10 billion, enough to cover two months of imports, according to figures released before the cricketer-turned-politician was sworn-in as prime minister.

One of the first tests facing Mr Khan's government is whether to seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund or to turn to China with a plea for more economic aid.

Unlike past practices, the new 18-member Economic Advisory Council (EAC) will be headed by the prime minister himself to ensure that the best possible professional advice is available to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government to inform, optimise and synergise the formulation and implementation of its economic and financial policies.

The first meeting of the council will be convened soon, Dawn newspaper reported.

In the past, EACs were headed by finance ministers with no definite agenda for regular meetings. It was observed that EAC met even once in four months and its advice was not considered seriously. Consequently, EACs have become mere debating forums, the report said.

According to the terms of reference, the ministry of finance will be the nodal government agency for the EAC, which will function in an entirely non-partisan manner and is expected to strengthen existing state institutions in a collaborative and concerted manner.

The ultimate goal of the EAC is to promote analytically sound and evidence-based reforms and initiatives for the progress and development of Pakistan.

Out of the EAC's 18 members, seven belong to government and 11 are from the private sector.

From the private sector, three leading international academics made EAC members are Atif R Mian of Princeton University (Department of Member Economics) and Woodrow Wilson School of Public Policy), Asim ljaz Khawaja, Sumitomo-FASID Professor of Member International Finance and Development at the Harvard Kennedy School, and lmran Rasul, Professor of Economics, Department of Member Economics, University College, London.

The council is expected to play a pivotal role in strengthening the government's capacity to design and introduce sound and effective policies for rapid and continued social and economic advancement, human resource development, improvement of business processes, and strengthening of data services.

The council will also facilitate capacity building of the government in conducting policy analysis and will assist the government in reaching out to the international network of recognised economists to invite them to contribute to Pakistan's development.

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Prime Minister Khan has asked the committee to give its recommendations in two weeks for possible steps to be taken for expedient return of unlawfully acquired assets from abroad.

Kanhaiya Kumar As Joint Opposition Candidate Has Lalu Yadav's Vote

Besides RJD, Kanhaiya Kumar -- who is already a part of CPI's 125-member

 national council -- is also likely to have the support of grand alliance partners 

Congress, NCP and Jitan Ram Manjhi's HAM(S).

Kanhaiya Kumar -- the former student leader from Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru
University -- is set to take the long-awaited political plunge from Begusarai, the Left citadel of Bihar. The 31-year-old is expected to be a candidate of the joint opposition in next year's general elections. The RJD, which is likely to decide on the opposition deployment in the state, is not averse to the idea.

The student leader, who made headlines after anti-India slogans were allegedly raised at an event in JNU linked to Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru's hanging, is likely to be fielded by the CPI.  Though the formal process is yet to be launched, the CPI has made a pitch to veteran leader Lalu Yadav, who has indicated his acceptance.

Besides RJD, Kanhaiya Kumar -- who is already a part of CPI's 125-member national council -- is also likely to have the support of grand alliance partners Congress, NCP and Jitan Ram Manjhi's HAM(S).

Mr Kumar, whose family is also from Begusarai district, told NDTV that he is willing to take the plunge, "but my party and then leaders of alliance has to approve my name". Asked why he has become so active in his hometown, Mr Kumar said, "Look, I'm active across the country, but Bihar and Begusarai  is my birth place. So it gets some more attention."

Mr Kumar's mother is an anganwadi worker and his father is a farmer living in Baruni block of Begusarai.

"Left parties, including the CPI, want him to contest the Lok Sabha election from Begusarai in 2019 and other parties such as Congress and RJD also want him to contest the election," CPI state secretary Satya Narayan Singh was quoted as saying by news agency Press Trust of India. "During our talks held on earlier occasions, Prasad had agreed to leave a seat for him," he added.

The CPI, he added, has decided to contest six Lok Sabha seats in Bihar but a final decision would be taken after seat-sharing talks with like-minded parties.

In February 2016, Kanhaiya Kumar and fellow students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested on charges of sedition in connection with the controversial event and are out on bail. He was fined Rs. 10,000 by the university after an internal investigation.

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But that was set aside by the Delhi High Court, after the students appealed, saying the Delhi police is yet to bring any charge against them despite two years of investigation.