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  • Facebook to buy messaging network WhatsApp

    Deal worth $16bn will give social-networking firm access to 450 million people who use the cross-platform mobile app.

    Facebook, the world’s biggest social-networking company, says it is buying the mobile messaging service WhatsApp in a deal worth $16bn.

    The purchase, announced on Wednesday, will leave WhatsApp with its own independent board.

    WhatsApp is a cross-platform mobile app which allows users to exchange messages without having to pay telecom charges.

    It is Facebook’s biggest acquisition and comes less than two years after Mark Zuckerberg’s firm raised $16bn in the richest technology-sector public stock offering.

    The purchase includes $12bn in Facebook shares and $4bn cash.

    It calls for an additional $3bn in restricted stock units to be granted to WhatsApp founders and employees that will vest over four years.

    “The acquisition supports Facebook and WhatsApp’s shared mission to bring more connectivity and utility to the world by delivering core Internet services efficiently and affordably,” Facebook said in a statement.

    The WhasApp deal translates to roughly nine percent of Facebook’s market value and is bigger than any acquisition made by Google, Apple or Microsoft.

    Google’s biggest deal, Motorola Mobility, stood at $12.5bn, while Microsoft’s largest was Skype – which allows users to make voice and video calls over the internet – at $8.5bn. Apple, meanwhile, has not done a deal above $1bn.

    Separate service

    Facebook, which has more than 1.2 billion members, said it will keep WhatsApp as a separate service, just as it did with Instagram, which it bought for about $715.3m.

    WhatsApp has more than 450 million monthly active users. In comparison, Twitter had 241 million users at the end of 2013.

    “WhatsApp is on a path to connect one billion people. The services that reach that milestone are all incredibly valuable,” Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder and chief executive, said.

    “I’ve known [WhatsApp founder] Jan [Koum] for a long time and I’m excited to partner with him and his team to make the world more open and connected.”

    Koum, who joins Facebook’s board under the deal, said “WhatsApp’s extremely high user engagement and rapid growth are driven by the simple, powerful and instantaneous messaging capabilities we provide.”

    In a blog post, Koum said, “Almost five years ago we started WhatsApp with a simple mission: building a cool product used globally by everybody. Nothing else mattered to us.”

    The tie-up gives WhatsApp “the flexibility to grow and expand, while giving me, [co-founder] Brian [Acton], and the rest of our team more time to focus on building a communications service that’s as fast, affordable and personal as possible,” Koum said.

    Facebook reportedly sought to acquire another messaging firm, Snapchat, for $3bn last year.

  • ‘Militant’s’ killing triggers violent clashes in Chrar-e-Sharief Cop among 4 injured

    Srinagar: Violent clashes broke out at Dalwan area of Charar-e-Sharief in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Wednesday after army claimed to have killed an unidentified militant in an encounter.
    Officials told GNS that an army party was moving towards village Dalwan in Chrar-e-Sharief this afternoon when it came under fire from the militants. In the retaliatory fire one unidentified gunman got killed.
    “From his possession, one SLR, one Pouch, 4 magazines, 13 rounds, one grenade and PAN Card was recovered,” Srinagar based, army spokesman in a statement issued late evening said.
    The spokesman said that the PAN card identifies the slain as Tauseef Ahmad Dar son of Ghulam Hassan of Pulwama. “The police party has taken took the possession of the body and is trying to ascertain the identity of the body,” the spokesman added.
    However, police sources told GNS that the incident took place when two youth on a motorbike (JKO4A- 451) were intercepted by the army team in the village after receiving intelligence inputs suggesting militant movement in the area. While the pillion rider managed to escape, the biker was shot dead by army when he tried to open fire upon the army men.
    “After killing him, the army took the body in their custody,” sources said. The news of the killing of the alleged militant spread like wildfire in the village. Hundreds of people came out on the roads and staged pro-freedom demonstrations. Chanting pro-Independence, pro-militants and anti-India slogans, the protesters tried to march towards the army camp. However, the CRPF troopers and police, who had reached the spot, burst teargas canisters. The forces also opened fire when the agitated protesters refused to budge. At least four people, including a policeman Bashir Ahmed were injured in the clashes. A youth, who received bullet injury in the clashes, has been referred to Srinagar hospital for treatment. He has been identified as Bilal Ahmad Sheikh son of Mohammad Afzal of Pakerpora. The clashes were going on when the last reports came in. (GNS)

  • HDFC Bank cheats a school to the tune of Rs 2 lakh

    SRINAGAR: Srinagar Group of Schools (SGS) Chairman, who runs chain of schools in Srinagar Wednesday, alleged that that HDFC Bank Chanapora Branch cheated them by deducting transaction charges to the tune of Rs 2 lakh in six months, a statement issued to CNS said.

    The chairman SGS said, “Chanapora branch of HDFC Bank approached Srinagar British School, Nowgam to open its school accounts with the promise that the current account will be opened with Zero Balance and parents can deposit tuition fee and transport charges in any branch of HDFC Bank in Srinagar city and there will be no transaction charges,” adding, “The Bank authorities got blank form signed by school authorities and later on they deducted an amount to the tune of Rs 2 lakh.”

    The chairman further said that when the school authorities contacted the branch they assured that the transaction charges will be reversed in case they take an insurance policy of Rs 50,000.

    “On taking insurance policy, the HDFC bank did not reverse the entire amount and when again contacted, they gave another pretext of maintaining minimum balance, where as account was opened with zero balance,” he said. “When the school maintained minimum balance, still bank continued to charge transaction fee,” he said, adding that the Bank cheated the school to the tune of Rs 2 lakh from March to August 2013.

    When contacted, an official of HDFC Bank Chanapora Branch claimed that the said school had taken up the matter with Reserve Bank of India and the Central Bank rejected their claim after, ‘we provided all the evidences against their claim.’

  • Get united; show door to black sheep: Salahudin tells separatists

    SRINAGAR: Militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahudin Wednesday appealed to different separatist groups having same political ideology to get united in the interest of Kashmir ‘freedom struggle against India’.

    In a statement issued to CNS, Hizb spokesperson, Salim Hashmi said that Syed Salahudin while addressing the Hizb Command Council said, “Unity is the need of the hour and all the groups having same political ideology should get united in the interest of those martyrs who laid down their lives to get rid from Indian occupation.”

    Syed Salahudin said that time has come that ‘black sheep’ present in different separatist groups should be exposed and shown door. “People have sacrificed their precious lives for this sacred freedom movement while more than seven lakh Army troopers failed to suppress this movement and quell the sentiments of people,” he said.

    Appealing people of Kashmir to boycott the upcoming Parliament and Assembly elections, he said, “India is using election card to defame the ongoing freedom movement in Kashmir.”

  • Kashmiris descendents of Sarswati Brahamans: Farooq Abdullah

    SRINAGAR: Union Minister and National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah Wednesday said that Kashmiris are the descendents of ‘Sarswati Brahamans’ and this fact was also accepted by one of the former presidents of Pakistan when he said that there is communal harmony between Muslims and Pandits in Kashmir because Kashmiri Muslims are the descendents of Brahamans.

    Farooq was speaking on the occasion of a book release function held at New Delhi that was organized by National Book Trust of India in which at least six Kashmiri books were released, according to Srinagar based news gathering agency, CNS.

    Farooq Abdullah was all praise for those writers and scholars who kept Kashmiri language alive till date but castigated Cultural Academy by saying that it has forgotten its motto and has become prey of politics. “The real job of Cultural Academy is to encourage poor authors and help their writings get published but politics has marred this institution,” he said, adding that Kashmiri language should be propagated at all levels and concrete steps should be taken to make it a part of curriculum in all the government and private schools of Kashmir.

    The books that were released by Dr Farooq Abdullah included ‘wazij Rantus’, authored by Muntazir Ahmed, ‘Deenu say Denanath’, ‘Gawon ka Beta’ translated into Kashmiri by Professor Pyarey Lal Hatash, ‘Humi jan sund khwab’, Ghasun chhuth ponpur’ authored by Ghulam Nabi Atish, ‘Anjam by Javid Matji and Jumuan Kaka by Dr R.L.Shan.

    Those who were present on the occasion were Member Parliament Sharief-u-Din Sharik, Director National Book Trust of India Dr M.A.Sikandar, Farooq Nazki, Muhammad Saleem Beigh and K.K.Raina.

  • New Delhi holds regular talks with Mirwaiz: Home Ministry

    New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry on Wednesday has said that the central government was holding regular talks with Mirwaiz led Hurriyat Conference of Jammu and Kashmir. It also informed that Mirwaiz held meeting with former intelligence officers in the month of November 2013.

    While responding to a question of MP, GN Ratanpuri, RPN Singh, Minister, of State in the ministry of Home affairs said in the Parliament that the union government has been holding regular talks with separatists.

    “Talks have been held regularly with the separatists in Jammu and Kashmir,” RPN Singh said.

    He added that some separatist leaders, including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, held a meeting with former intelligence officers in the month of November 2013. “Chairman APHC (A) had held a meeting with former intelligence officers in the month of November 2013, Singh said.

    However he added, “The government is not aware of the deliberations of the meeting.”

    Explaining a part of the question the Union Home Ministry said that it has no reports that any separatist leader is intending to participate in the coming Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections.

    “The government has no report to suggest that some separatist leaders are inclined to participate in the coming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections,” Singh said.

    GN Ratanpuri had asked the central government whether it intends to initiate talks with separatists in Jammu and Kashmir and whether the meetings between Hurriyat leaders and some eminent personalities including a former intelligence officer in Delhi during November 2013 were prelude to direct talks between central government and the separatists.

  • Unidentified militant killed in Chrar-e-Shareef gunfight

    Srinagar: An unidentified militant was killed in a fierce encounter in Chrar-e-Shareef town of central Kashmir’s Budgam district this afternoon, official sources told GNS.
    Acting on specific inputs about the presence of militants, SOG of police and army’s 53 RR cordoned off Dalwan village, some 12 kilometer from the main town Chrar-e-Shareef around 2:45 pm. When the joint team started combing operations, the militants hiding in the village opened fire upon team.
    “It the retaliatory fire, one militant was killed. His identity is being established,” sources said, adding “The encounter is still going on,”  (GNS)

  • PDP MLA slaps security official thrice inside J&K Assembly

    Srinagar: Scenes of chaos played out in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Wednesday over the molestation charges against former health minister Shabir Khan and other local issues. Opposition PDP legislator Syed Bashir Ahmad slapped an assembly security official at least three times when the latter was trying to evict him out of the legislative house on the Speaker’s direction.
    Ahmad was attempting to storm the well of the House but was stopped by the security officer.
    The Jammu & Kashmir High Court had granted bail to Shabir Khan in the molestation case on Tuesday. The minister is accused of allegedly molesting a lady doctor.
    The court observed that since Khan is complying with police probe, he can be granted bail. Shabir Khan has been accused by a woman doctor of calling her to his office on the pretext of some official work and then molesting her.
  • Indian singer Hans Raj Hans embraces Islam, wants to go Madinah

    Chandigarh: Indian famous singer Hans Raj Hans has confirmed media reports in which it was mentioned that the singer has embraced Islam.
    According to a report published in a newspaper, the singer said his name would be Mohammad Yousuf for now but he cleared that he will maintain his name ‘Hans Raj Hans’ for singing industry.
    He said he has got the Islamic education very closely and started reading of Holy Quran and gradually began to understand the essence of the divine revelation. I listened to the call of my heart and decided to embrace Islam.”
    We should follow the teaching of Islam as it is a Religion of Love and Peace, he added.
    Raj further said that he felt proud to become a Muslim, adding that he wanted to visit Madinah as early as possible.
    He emphasized both India and Pakistan to resolve all the problems with dialogue as it was the wish of both the countries. 
  • J&K Government’s Shield to Shabir Khan,SHO Shaheedganj PS transferred

    Opposition members walk out from state Assembly
    Jammu: Entire opposition today walked out from the State Legislative Assembly during question hour in protest against transfer of SHO Shaheedganj police station who was investigating into the alleged molestation of a lady doctor by former Health Minister Shabir Khan.
    Former MoS Shabir Khan, who had to resign from Omar Abdullah led coalition ministry following registration of an FIR by police in the matter, is on bail at present.
    The government has transferred the official as he was honestly conducting investigations in the matter involving former minister, PDP legislator Abdul Gaffar Sofi said. The government is trying to sheild the former minister, he said as Speaker Mubarak Gul tried to pacify him saying that the matter was sub judice and transfer of an official was a routine matter.
    Sofi was joined by other PDP members who also left their seats and gathered at the entrance of well of the House. The other opposition members including M Y Tarigami of CPI (M) , Hakeem Yaseen of Peoples Democratic Front and Independent MLA Engineer Rashid also stood up criticusibg government in the matter. Later, all of them staged walk out from the House.