Meanwhile, here's another bit of news.

Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa writes that Justice Shivraj Patil who took over as the Lokayukta of Karnataka two months ago has left for the Raj Bhavan and speculation is rife that he may tender his resignation.

Justice Patil who found himself embroiled in a land scam is said to be upset with the allegations.

However, it is also being said that he will first explain his stand to the governor of Karnataka H R Bharadwaj before taking any step.

Sources close to the Lokayukta informed that he would have a discussion with the governor and if the latter convinces him not to step down, they he is likely to reconsider his decision.

Gujarat CM Narendra Modi has broken his three-day 'Sadbhavana' fast at the hands of representatives from every other faith in India, even as top BJP leaders today hailed him as the next prime minister of India.  

BJP leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, addresses the meet at Narendra Modi's 'Sadbhavana' fast. She says, "I congratulate Modi for the support he has received. He has suffered a lot and has now overcome all his obstacles, his setbacks and cleared his agnipariksha."

She is at the fast venue at Ahmedabad along with Venkaiah Naidu, who earlier said Modi was PM material and asked the Congress: We have Modi, who is your candidate?

After lending support to the call for Modi as PM, Raj Thackeray took potshots at his estranged cousin and Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray's penchant for photography.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray today said he should concentrate on clicking the potholes that dot the city. "Instead of shooting animals in other states, it would be better if one (read Uddhav) photographs potholes here. Then they would realise the shoddy state of affairs, all their doing," Raj said.

Sikkim quake update: Landslides and inclement weather today hampered rescue operations as the death toll in the 6.8 magnitude tremblor mounted to 66,
including 39 in the Himalayan state.
West and South districts in Sikkim remained inaccessible to the Army due to landslides and inclement weather and rescuers were facing an uphill task to reach these areas, Major General S L Narasimhan, GOC 17 Mountain Division said. Sikkim accounted for 39 deaths alone.

Here's the reaction from Bollywood film director Madhur Bhandarkar after local court in Mumbai issued summons against him in a case of alleged rape filed by aspiring actress Preeti Jain. Bhandarkar will now have to reply to the process issued against him on October 18.
Reacting to the court order, Bhandarkar said, "We will challenge it in a higher court... I have nothing more to add."
Preeti Jain, who filed the complaint of alleged rape against Bhandarkar, said "it is a landmark order by the Andheri court. I am extremely happy that I have emerged victorious. I have faith in God and judiciary."

Just in: Amar Singh's bail has been extended till September 27. As per his bail conditions, he cannot leave India and will continue to be under observation at AIIMS. His bail was extended on health grounds.

News of the other natural disaster in Pakistan.

The country has launched an appeal for international assistance for the victims of the floods in the country despite the fact that it has not utilised five billion rupees collected for last years flood disaster.  

According to the Dawn, the fund set up for collecting donations last year still has five billion rupees, and despite efforts made by the National Disaster Management Authority the government is reluctant to release the amount for relief and rescue operations. 

Concerned over growing number of attacks on journalists around the world, representatives of UN bodies have adopted an action plan to improve safety of media professionals and combat impunity of crimes against them. 

At Narendra Modi's 'Sadbhavana' fast, BJP MP Smriti Irani was highly critical of the Congress and termed their fast as ridiculous. "I think the Gujarat Congress has already conceded defeat for the Assembly elections next year. Their reaction to Modis fast is nothing but its panic reaction before the 2014 general elections," she said.
. She said the BJP would welcome all the allegations and criticism from the Congress as it would help them perform better.

BJP MP Hema Malini also supported Modi's fast and described him as the image changer of Gujarat. "This is a proof of Modis increasing popularity. This cannot be achieved easily," Malini said.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi nears the end of his three-day fast for promoting communal harmony. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray who met Modi in Ahmedabad today said he supported his bid for becoming Prime Minister.  

Thackeray said, "I will support Narendra Modi for becoming Prime Minister. This country needs good governance and a good leader. The fast of Narendra Modi is entirely different from the reasons being quoted by other people."

Modi began a "harmony fast" on Saturday to soften his image as a hardliner blamed for religious riots that claimed thousands of lives.

Rediff.com's Toral Varia says that the Andheri Metropolitan Magistrate's court has asked the police to file a rape case against Bollywood film director Madhur Bhandarkar summoning him on October 18 to face trial.

In 2004, model-turned-actress Jain accused Bhandarkar of raping her. In her original complaint to the Versova police station, Jain had said Bhandarkar had first raped her in May 1999, then another 16 times over the next five years. Jain alleged he had promised her a lead role in his films,  but did not keep his word.

Terming Patel as the "bribe giver", Jethmalani said, "I am not suggesting that  Patel, on this piece of evidence, should be convicted but if you are influencing MPs of other parties on behalf of your party, then you are the bribe giver."

Earlier on September 12, while arguing for interim bail for Amar Singh, Jethmalani had said that the money produced in Lok Sabha during the cash-for-vote scam was "likely to be from the BJP".

"If the money was waved (in Lok Sabha) by the BJP MPs, then the source of the money is likely to be from the BJP. I am not prejudicing anybody's case.
"There is no allegation that Amar Singh arranged the money," Jethmalani had told the court on that day.

Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh's counsel Ram Jethmalani today made a u-turn and named before a Delhi court Congress leader Ahmed Patel as the source for the money in the 2008 cash-for-vote scam.

Arguing for the bail to former Samajwadi Party leader, the senior advocate named Patel, changing his earlier statement that the money could have come from BJP since L K Advani had said that his party had conducted a sting
operation. Jethmalani told Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal that the bribe was paid at the Le Meridien Hotel here. 

"The place of receipt of the bribe was not Amar Singh's home, but Le Meridien Hotel. The person to pay the bribe was not Mr Amar Singh but obviously Mr Ahmad Patel, an MP and a very influential member of the party whose government was to be saved," said Jethmalani.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has announced Rs 2 lakh as ex-gratia to next of kin of those killed in the earthquake; Rs 1 lakh for those seriously injured.

Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the kin of the deceased, Rs 50,000 for those grievously injured and Rs 25,000 for those with minor injuries.

Just in: Traffic on the Siliguri-Bagdogra highway has been restored. At least 23 people died and over hundred were injured in Sikkim after the powerful earthquake left a trail of devastation in the Himalayan state, making relief work difficult due to landslides and road blockages, officials said. Another eight persons, who were travelling in a bus of Teesta Urja Limited Company in north district, are presumed to be dead after their vehicle got stuck under the debris.

 Deploying 2500 troops and 84 columns, the Army has launched 'Operation Madad' in the state, he said. "Around 44 columns are working in Sikkim, another 15 in the east district of state. We are also sending teams to
Darjeeling and Kalimpong," he said. Two districts, west and south, remain inaccessible for the Army so far and no relief work has reached these areas.

In the other big scam, continuing its raids in connection with the illegal mining scam, the CBI today conducted searches at the residences of two aides of arrested former Karnataka Minister G Janardhana Reddy in Bellary district. 

Janardhana Reddy and his brother-in-law and and MD of Obulapuram Mining Corporation, B V Srinivasa Reddy, arrested by CBI on September 5 in connection with the illegal mining probe, are in the agency's custody till today.

The Supreme Court today decided to hear a CBI plea for more time to complete its proceedings in the trial in the multi-crore Satyam accounting scam,
involving the company's founder B Ramalinga Raju and nine others. 

The court also decided to hear the bail pleas of four of the accused. While taking on board the CBI's plea for hearing, the bench praised it for the speedy proceedings in the case and asked it not to seek any adjournment.

The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan has reportedly claimed responsibility for the suicide car bomb attack in Karachi early on Monday morning, which killed eight people and injured several others. It is being reported that a Toyota Corolla and 300 kilograms of explosives were used in the attack.

As Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's 72-hour fast entered the third and final day today, top BJP leaders are expected to make an appearance at the venue and lend their support to his 'Sadbhavana Mission'.

Among the most prominent BJP leaders, who are expected to arrive at the Gujarat University Convention Centre here, include Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, former BJP president Venkaiah Naidu, party MP and actor Hema Malini, national spokesperson Nirmala Sitaraman and Maharashtra Navnirman Seva (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray. 

Modi is likely to end his fast at around 5.30 pm today. At 10.30 am, Modi and people at the venue observed a minute of silence for the victims of the earthquake that hit Sikkim and several areas in the eastern and northern parts of
the country yesterday.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has told her Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar to take strong action against terrorist groups particularly
Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Haqqani network, which is blamed for the last week's deadly attack on American embassy in Kabul. 

Clinton met Khar for a marathon three-and-half hours in New York, which US officials said started and ended with the Haqqani network and counter-terrorism operations of Pakistan.

In other news, describing Lashkar-e-Taiba as one of the greatest threats to American and Indian interests in South Asia today, an influential think-tank in Washington, DC, has asked the Obama administration to tell Pakistan to dismantle infrastructure of this terrorist group inside the country.

"Washington needs to consider LeT with the same importance as Al-Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban," Sahibzada Amer Latif, a visiting Fellow at Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told US lawmakers at a Congressional hearing on India last week.

Update on the Sikkim quake: Over 5,000 troops and nine helicopters have been dispatched by the army to carry out rescue and relief operations in quake-hit Sikkim. "Around 5,000 troops in 105 columns and four ALH Dhruv and five Cheetah helicopters have been deployed in the relief operations by the army in the state," army officials said. 

Army formations in the state have been engaged in providing food and shelter to people in affected areas. At least 2,000 people have been provided help by the army.

The IAF has already deployed five aircraft -- two C-130Js, two AN-32s and one Avro -- for relief operations.

Days after author Salman Rushdie took to Twitter, he was accosted by users of the micro-blogging website in Pakistan keen on finding out whether he was the real deal or just someone operating a spoof account.  Using the handle "@SalmanRushdie1", the controversial novelist put out his first tweet on Thursday but was unable to get his account verified by administrators of the website. 

But more importantly, Rushdie had a gift for his growing tribe of followers on Twitter - a new short story called "A Globe Of Heaven" - written in just 140 characters. 

Rushdie tweeted that new parts of the story would be posted every day. 

The author also took time to vent his ire at the person who had appropriated the handle "@salmanrushdie". He tweeted: "@salmanrushdie" who are you? why are you pretending to be me? Release this username.  you are a phoney. all followers please note." 

The toll in the Sikkin quake rose to 40 with 19 people being killed in Sikkim, five in West Bengal, seven each in Nepal and Tibet even as rescue and relief operations were today stepped up in the affected areas.
Over a hundred people have been injured in the 6.8 magnitude tremblor which has caused extensive damage to buildings and roads in Sikkim and several other places. 

In Gangtok, power was restored this morning. Residents had spent the night outside their houses fearing aftershocks. At least 20 aftershocks throughout the night had created panic in the city.

Here's the breakup:

The toll in Sikkim till last night was seven.

In West Bengal, the toll rose to five with reports reaching Kolkata saying that two deaths have occurred in Kalimpong area in Darjeeling while one person each was killed in Siliguri and Jalpaiguri areas and one in a tea garden in
Doars.  

At least seven persons have been killed and 22 others injured in Tibet in the quake.

In Nepal, three people were killed at Lainchaur in Kathmandu, two in Sunsari district, and one each in Dhankuta and Sankhuwasabha districts.

And while on the subject of quakes, read this story in the bbc.co.uk.  

Chinese scientists have cloned a pig which was hailed a hero in 2008 after surviving more than a month under earthquake rubble. Six piglets have been produced with DNA identical to Zhu Jiangqiang, or "Strong-Willed Pig".

Read more

The army's foot patrols are out with at least 4,000 personnel in search and rescue operations as well as clearing the roads affected by landslides. Apart from the 18 dead in India, the toll figures in Nepal is five and seven in Tibet.

In Sikkim, heavy rainfall has been hampering rescue operations. At least 2000 people have been sheltered in tents in Gangtok, even as the city and Darjeeling go without electricity on second day.  

The army and the Border Roads Organisation are trying to open the Siliguri-Gangtok road, which has been blocked by landslides.

The only good news from the incident is that no dams have been affected in the area.

While on the Sikkim earthquake, at least seven people have been killed and 22  others injured in Tibet as the earthquake that hit Sikkim and other North Eastern states in India also rocked the Chinese autonomous province leaving trail of destruction. 

The earthquake has caused hundreds of landslides that have disrupted traffic, power and water supplies, as well as telecommunications in Yadong County, Tibet, which is 40 km away from Sikkim, the epicenter of the 6.9-magnitude quake.

In the devastating earthquake in the north east, the Army has lost two jawans in North Sikkim. Army vehicles including a bus that went missing have been found and all personnel are safe.

In all 50 armed columns have been deployed. 7-10 cookhouses have been set up to provide food to the homeless. The Bagdogra airbase has been made the centre of all operations. The toll, for now, stands at 18 dead and over a 100 injured.

India and China square off for battle in the oceans (The Times of India)
Soon after India announced to go ahead with oil exploration in South China Sea, China said it would expand its exploration in Indian Ocean. Read

6.8 scale earthquake hits Sikkim, leaves 18 dead, Kolkata & Delhi rattled  (The Times of India)
A powerful earthquake with a 6.8 magnitude hit Sikkim and several areas in eastern India and neighbouring Nepal, leaving over 100 injured. Read

Landslides block rescue efforts after Sikkim quake (DNA)
Rain and landslides were blocking rescue efforts of hundreds of workers searching for survivors of a 6.8 magnitude earthquake that jolted Sikkim. Read

NIA probing Kerala link to Delhi blast (The Hindu)

Reliable sources told The Hindu on Sunday that some persons arrested in Kashmir for their suspected role in the Delhi blast had given hints to the NIA to investigate the source of funding and connections in Kerala. Read

Last day of Modi's fast: Will he express regret for 2002 riots? (The Hindustan Times)

The Janata Dal (United), a principal ally of the BJP, has not taken too kindly to the campaign to project Narendra Modi as the saffron party's prime ministerial candidate for the next Lok Sabha elections. Read

Bomber targets top Pakistani policeman; 8 killed (Hindustan Times)

Police say a large bomb exploded outside the house of a senior police officer in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, killing at least four people. Read