Just in: Indians Harish Hande and Nileema Mishra win the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award. Hande was awarded for bringing solar power to rural India. The Ramon Magsaysay Award also known as Asias Nobel Prize is an award designed to honour people who have shown integrity in government, rendered courageous service to the people, and propagated pragmatic idealism within a democratic society. The prize was created in memmory of Ramon Magsaysay, the late president of the Philippines.

Justice Hegde says: I have recommended that all those named in the report including the CM be prosecuted.

However, he stops short of saying the CM should resign, though it obviously follows.

Justice Hegde says, "We have given particulars of companies abroad, which got the ore exported illegally. We want the amounts to be recovered which should be four times the loss."

Hegde names former CM Kumaraswamy, Yeddyurappas's family, the Reddy brothers in the report. "The South East Mining company belonging to the Jindal Group gave donations to the company run by the CM's sons.

"The ban on the export of ore as announced by the CM, has had little effect on the scam.

"I am not sending any report to the Supreme Court. May be some petitioners could take this report and place it before the Supreme Court," said Hegde.

Justice Hegde says there are over a 100 companies and firms involved in this scam. "In the report, you will find the name of the CM, his family, the Reddy brothers... The Reddy brothers have claimed they have no mining interests in Karnataka, but we have enough documents to prove their role in the scam.

"The name of Anil Lad who runs a business in his wife's name has also come up. We have stated that the loss should be assessed and recovered from these firms. There are 787 officials involved in the Rs 16,000 crore scam." 

Hegde lauds his officers, who he says have stepped on the toes of heavyweights and have risked their lives to put out this report. "I not only percieve physical harm, but also harm to their career as there could be professional harrassment.

"I have informed the government about this threat and have sought security cover for them. I hope that the government will act against all those named in the report and recover the loss. I hope you now understand the magnitude of this scam. My hope is that the Supreme Court will take into consideration this report."

Vicky Nanjappa who is at the press conference quoting Justice Hegde says small criminal cases were filed, but the bigger issues were ignored by the government.

Justice Hegde says there was no accountability in the transportation of iron ore. The roads remain damaged and people continue to suffer. In 2010, the Bilikeri port incident came to light where 5 lakh metric tonnes of ore went missing. The government then said they would look into this case, but no action was taken. We have spoken about how ore is transported illegally out of the country and how the government is losing money, said Hegde.

Justice Hegde says the Lokayukta seized iron ore in Karwar port, but it went missing; illegal mining rampant in Tumkur, Chitradurga and Bellary.

The Lokayukta says he went through 4 lakh files and 50 lakh entries which reveal that some companies have paid money to CM's family by cheque. 

The Lokayukta office in Bengaluru has turned into a police-cum-media fortress. Security is at a unprecedented high today. All eyes are on Justice Hegde who will appear before the media in a while. The Lokayukta report allegedly seeks to prosecute the CM.

Meanwhile, JDS has filed a complaint against Yeddyurappa in the Lokayukta Special Court.

On the other big story today -- the Lokayukta report on illegal mining, which is likely to indict Karnataka CM BS Yeddyurappa. Vicky Nanjappa will send us updates as they happen.

For now, Moosa Kunji Nayar Moole, the Lokayukta Registrar has left the Lokayukta office to submit the report on illegal mining to the Chief Secretary of Karnataka, S V Ranganath. The report was signed by Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santhosh Hegde.

Bashir: Whether it's Fai (Ghulam Nabi) or Hurriyat our stance is not anti-India. We have to make a conscious effort to be respectful of each others concerns. We have agreed on a joint plan to fight terror and have reviewed the progress of the 26/11 trial.  

Bashir adds that meeting with Hurriyat should not cast a shadow on today's talks.

Rao: Impulse from the meeting is to clear undergrowth of relationship.

Salman Bashir asked whether there was a need for Hina Rabbani Khar to hold a meeting with the Hurriyat. Reading more into a simple meeting is not warranted.

OK, the Indo-Pak joint press conference with the foreign secretaries have begun. Pak FS Salman Bashir says there are no simple, straight answers to problems that seem to be intractible. Deeper understanding, trust, necessary.

Says there have been good meetings between the two sides.

The Maharashtra government today informed the Legislative Assembly that Centre had sanctioned purchase of 2,000 bullet-proof jackets and 10,000 SLR rifles for the state police. The decision was announced by Home Minister R R Patil today.
The government had come under fire post the July 13 blasts in Mumbai for allegedly not implementing the security measures suggested by the Ram Pradhan Committee, which had been set up after the terror strike in November 26, 2008. 

The previous purchase of bullet-proof jackets has been mired in controversy with allegations of irregularities and jackets being sub-standard.

Here's what was discussed between External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and Pakistani foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar. Read from the MEA website.

Anders Breivik, who went on a killing spree in Oslo last week, asked his lawyer 'how many people were killed' as a result of his firing and the bomb blast.   Breivik's lawyer Geir Lippestad said his client was unaware of the impact of the attack, as he had taken strong drugs before embarking on a rampage, which left at least 86 people dead.  

"He is in a war and he believes that when you are in a war you can do things like that without pleading guilty. He also asked me exactly how many people he had killed during the attacks,' Lippestad said.

As we leave SMK and HRK and their delegations to lunch, in South Korea, torrential rain triggered landslides which killed 22 people, flooded hundreds of homes and turned main roads into rivers of churning, muddy water.

The full joint statement by External Affairs Minister SM Krishna in the aftermath of his meeting with Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar. Read

Khar also said, "It is our desire to make the dialogue process uninterrupted and we would like to open a new chapter of amity and understanding with India."

We're listening.

Khar says: Need to make this dialogue credible and result-oriented.

Both India and Pakistan have said the same thing really -- better ties, more dialogue, counter-terror cooperation, confidence building measures, joint commission on commerce...

The joint press conference has ended, with the delegations headed for lunch.  

Krishna says: We are listening carefully to each other. New measures on LoC travel and tourism. Foreign ministers to meet again in 2012."

Hina Rabbani Khar, the world's youngest foreign minister, takes the stand: Thanks Krishna for his warm hospitality. "I am more confident today having met you, than I was before I came to India. Pakistan and India have a special responsibility to promote peace and prosperity in the region. Pakistan has been and will remain committed to dialogue."

While on extremism, Somalia's Islam fighters have banned samosas after ruling that the popular snacks are too 'Western'. The Al-Shabaab group last week used vehicles mounted with loudspeakers to announce the bizarre ruling across regions of the war-torn country it controls.  

The extremist group has offered no official explanation. The samosa is said to have upset militant Islamists due to a supposed resemblance to the Christian Holy Trinity.

More than two months after the killing of its leader Osama bin Laden, America's counter-terrorism officials believe that al-Qaeda is on the
brink of collapse.
"US counter-terrorism officials are increasingly convinced that the killing of Osama bin Laden and the toll of seven years of CIA drone strikes have pushed Al ­Qaeda to the brink of collapse," The Washington Post reported quoting US
officials.

On Twitter: Vishnu Prakash from the MEA says that the India, Pakistan foreign ministers will make a joint media appearance at 1 pm today at Hyderabad House.

Barkha Dutt: At hyderabad house for lunch hosted by SM Krishna for Hina Rabbani Khar. :) she continues to dominate all delhi chatter.

A few hours more for the Lokayukta mining report to be released. Meanwhile, Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa said he is working for the development of the state "day and night", and had also been praised for fiscal management. 
Asked if it would be amenable to him if the central leadership asks him to name a successor, Yeddyurappa said: "So far that question does not arise at all.Don't presume things". 

The Chief Minister said once the Lokayukta submits the report, he would hold consultations with Cabinet colleagues and legal experts and take appropriate action. Yeddyurappa, who returned from the temple town of Tirupati, said he prayed for the welfare of the state.
Asked if he prayed for his "survival", he said he is "100 per cent hopeful" that God will come to the help of those who work for the welfare of the people.

Toral Varia writes in to say that the medical test results of the Khalapur rave party are out. Of the 10 reports released, seven have tested positive for drug consumption.

Over 300 youngsters were rounded up during a police raid at a rave party at Beyond Logic in Mount View resort at Khalapur near Karjat on June 26 in Mumbai's neighbouring Raigad district. Police said that most of those rounded-up were in the age-group of 20 to 25 and have been taken for medical test. Of the 300, at least 10 were detained. These are the reports of the 10.

Last week, the CBI today opposed the petition filed by Adarsh, saying that the money could be part of "ill-gotten and benami" wealth.        

The society had sought defreezing of its two bank accounts with the State Bank of India to bear legal and day-to-day expenses. The accounts, which have around Rs two crore deposits, were frozen by CBI soon after a case was registered by the agency in January this year.        

A division bench of Justices Ranjana Desai and R V More reserved the petition for orders.

We told you earlier, but here are the details...

Former Telecom Secretary Siddhartha Behura today began his arguments in a Delhi court opposing the framing of charges against him in the 2G spectrum
case. 
Behura's counsel told Special CBI Judge O P Saini that there is no evidence against him in this case. "No iota of evidence is against the accused (Behura)
in this case," senior advocate Aman Lekhi, appearing for Behura, said.
Lekhi said Behura was only a civil servant who had no role to play except implementing the government's policy.

Not really a parallel, but that's exactly what the gestapo said at the Nuremberg Nazi trial -- we followed orders.

Ahead of submission of his report on illegal mining, Karnataka #Lokayukta Justice Santosh #Hegde today said he does not believe the government will act on his findings.
"As I said yesterday, I don't believe the Government will take action", Hegde, a former Supreme Court judge, said. "They (the State government) took the first (interim) report (submitted in December 2008) but did not take action". 

Lokayuukta Registrar Moosa Kunhi Nayar Moole is slated to hand over the report to Chief Secretary S V Ranganath later today. The report has pegged the loss to the state exchequer due to illegal mining between March 2009 and April 2010 at more than Rs 1,800 crore. 

Hegde, a member of Lokpal bill drafting committee, declined to talk about contents of the report, which has indicted Chief Minister B S #Yeddyurappa, four Cabinet Ministers, and former Chief Minister and JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy, among others, and more than 500 officials,
particularly in mineral-rich Bellary district.

TV reports say that the Lokayukta report recommends recommends prosecution of Karnataka CM Yeddyurappa under the prevention of corruption act. The report, which is expected to be released today says that the money be recovered from the Reddy brothers, who are ministers in the Yeddyurappa government. The report also confirms that Yeddyurappa's family took bribes from mining companies.

Good morning. Big day for the BJP and Karnataka CM Yeddyurappa as Justice Hegde prepares to release the Lokayukta report on illegal mining, probably this afternoon. If indicted, the BJP has asked him to resign. The other headlines this morning.

New Delhi, Islamabad finalise set of CBMs (The Hindu)
Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan on Tuesday finalised a set of confidence building measures and resolved to continue with wide-ranging dialogue to set the stage for the ministerial engagement between S.M. Krishna and Hina Rabbani Khar on Wednesday. Read

Pak foreign minister starts India visit by meeting Kashmiri separatists (The Times of India)

Pakistan's 34-year-old foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar landed in Delhi on Tuesday for a crucial meeting with her Indian counterpart S M Krishna expressing hope that ties could move forward but chose to meet Kashmiri separatists ahead of her official talks. Read

Manmohan saw no need for GoM, says Raja (The Hindu)

The former Telecom Minister, A. Raja, who completed arguments on the charges against him, also signalled his intention to summon the former Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram, to court as a witness. Read

If indicted, youll have to go, BJP tells Yeddyurappa. (Indian Express)

The BJP leadership has conveyed to Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa that he will have no option but to resign if Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegdes report on illegal mining indicts him severely. Read

Illegal mining: BJP working on Yeddyurappa honourable exit plan (DNA)
The report on illegal mining submission is expected to seal Yeddyurappas fate as he has been indicted by the report. Read

Ramdevs aide Balakrishna goes missing (DNA)
The CBI, who is in constant touch with the local police, has received information about Balakrishnas mysterious disappearance on Tuesday. Read

Norway killer's pro-Hindutva rant has Sangh squirming (The Times of India)
Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik, in his manifesto, praises Hindu nationalists and urges them to fight with his 'knights' to stop spread of Islam. Read

Fai sent into home-detention, with 24X7 electronic surveillance (Hindustan Times)

A US court on Tuesday ordered Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, the Kashmir lobbyist accused of being an ISI agent, to be released from jail but put him in house detention under round-the-clock electronic surveillance pending trial. Read