The Pakistan Air Force today launched an investigation into a Taliban attack on a key airbase that left two security personnel and nine militants dead, officials said. An investigation committee led by Air Marshal Athar Hussain Bukhari had formally started a probe into yesterday's attack on the Kamra airbase in Punjab province, said PAF spokesman Group Captain Tariq Mahmood. 

Curfew was today clamped in an Allahabad locality as a precautionary measure while stray incidents took place in Lucknow during a street protest against the ongoing ethnic strife in Assam. 

Unidentified miscreants on a motorcycle shot dead a shop owner at Bandorsora under Salakati police outpost in the violence-affected Kokrajhar district under Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) in Assam at around 7.20 pm.

Attempting to instill confidence among people and students from the Northeast living around the city, Chennai City Police today set up a new control room here to assist them round the clock.    

 

Holding that the people and students from the North Eastern region residing in and around Chennai were "very safe and feeling at home," a police statement said, though not a single incident has been reported so far in Chennai, Chennai City Police have opened three help lines to instill confidence and support them.

And in Maharashtra, gripped by fear over their safety following sporadic attacks targeting those from the northeast in Pune, several hundred people from the region  are believed to have fled to their respective states over the last few days.

Though there is no official data about the number of people who have left the state in the wake of the Pune incidents, the BJP today claimed over 6000 had headed back to their states.

In Nashik said about 400 people, mostly from Assam, are reported to have boarded Kurla-Guwahati Express at Nashik Road station this morning.

The government has asked social network sites to monitor posts and keep it informed for inflammatory messages and content. The Home Ministry said that sites carrying inflammatory messages or propaganda can be blocked.

The MHA also said that social networking sites will be monitored to find out the origin of the SMSes through which rumours were spread to generate panic in Bangalore. In an advisory, the MHA asked Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh to reach out to the leaders of the Northeast communities to sensitise them about the steps taken by the authorities to provide them full security.

A protest march after the last Friday prayers of Ramadan today turned violent here as a group of people, shouting slogans against alleged atrocities on minorities in Assam and Myanmar, resorted to stone pelting and vandalism.

The protest march which started from near the Tile Wali Masjid created a ruckus on its way forcing business establishments to close down and vandalising parks and vehicles, a senior police official said. When the RAF and PAC tried to stop them they indulged in stone pelting damaging public properties and vehicles.

A Raja, former Telecom Minister and key accused in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case, was today allowed by a Delhi court to visit Tamil Nadu for three days.

Special CBI Judge O P Saini allowed the plea of the DMK MP to visit Tamil Nadu after CBI prosecutor did not object to it. "Accused Raja had filed an application seeking permission to visit Tamil Nadu from today evening to Monday (August 20) night.

Senior PP (of the CBI) has no objection to the prayer. Since the matter has already been listed on August 21, prayer is allowed," the judge said. Raja, along with others, including DMK MP Kanimozhi, has been facing trial in the case for the offences of cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and corruption besides criminal breach of trust that entails a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.

An estimated 1,100 people from the northeast are leaving Bangalore today.  Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) A P Rout said that security measures have been tightened at Guwahati railway station to pre-empt any untoward incident when the two over-loaded trains from Bangalore arrive.

At least 17,000 people have already left Bangalore in the last three days.

The Bangalore police have arrested three men for allegedly attacking people from the northeast. Details awaited. 

Want to smell like MS Dhoni (well, almost)? The cricketing star will soon launch his line of fragrances, joining the likes of other sport stars like Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova to have such similar ventures. Dhoni's line of fragrances is expected to be introduced in India, the UAE and the rest of the world before the end of the year.

Here are the highlights of the CAG report on coal block allocation. Read

Thirty-four people were killed after police opened fire on striking miners at a South African mine on Thursday, the police chief has said.Riah Phiyega said police had been forced to shoot after armed protesters charged them, "firing shots", at the Marikana mine in the north-east. Read more on the BBC. 

Microsoft co-founder turned global philanthropist Bill Gates on Tuesday launched a search for a new toilet better suited to developing countries.The charitable foundation founded by Gates and his wife kicked off a "Reinvent the Toilet Fair" in Seattle and awarded prizes for promising innovations. Read

The CBI has filed a charge sheet  in the alleged siphoning of funds in the CWG event -- the Queen's Baton Relay -- against former Commonwealth Games Organising Committee officials and a London based businessman. The QBR charge sheet has been filed against Ashish Patel, owner of firms -- AM Films and AM Car and Van Hire and three former officials of the Organising Committee of Commonwealth Games. They are T S Darbari, Sanjay Mahendroo and M Jaychandran.

The charge sheet accuses them of forgery and cheating in connection with the award of contracts to Patel's firms at exorbitant rates during the event held in London in 2009. All are out on bail as CBI could not file a charge sheet within stipulated time.

Hindu Right stakes claim to new political territory in aftermath of Assam riots writes Jason Overdorf. Read the blog. 

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said rumour mongering caused the exodus of many students and professionals from Assam and other states in the wake of violence between Bodo tribals and minority immigrants but assured that all steps would be taken for their security.

"I will appeal to those who have not fled to stay put. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and myself are in touch with the chief ministers of Karnataka and Maharashtra," Gogoi said after chairing an all-party meeting in Guwahati.

Thanking the Opposition parties for attending the meeting, he said a team comprising their members will very soon tour the trouble-torn areas. "It is a welcome sight that all the political parties are of the view that peace should return. Enough is enough, Assam has faced lot of crisis but let's go out of it," he said.

Gogoi announced that a four-member team had left for Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka to asses the situation and would be in touch with the respective governments.

"The fear psychosis and sense of insecurity should go and we will give protection to anybody who is feeling insecure," he said. "Relief and rehabilitation measures are in full swing and illegal arms with miscreants will be seized. There are no fresh incidents as of now," he said.

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) A P Rout said that security measures have been tightened at Guwahati railway station to pre-empt any untoward incident when the two over-loaded trains from Bangalore arrive.

NDTV says early reports indicate the presence of a big which contained chemicals. It exploded when the boy tried to open it. But as yet, the precise nature of the blast is not known.  

The explosion occurred at 3.30 pm. Police say it's low-intensity blast, but rules out a terror attack. The bomb squad has reached the spot. The person injured is a boy. The police are still not clear how the blast has occured. 

Just in: CNN IBN says there's been an explosion at Laxmi Tara Complex in Dange Chowk, Pune. Police say this is NOT  a terror attack. At least one person has been injured, but the situation is under control. Details awaited.

Just in: As expected ex-Haryana minister Gopal Goyal Kanda's anticipatory bail plea has been dismissed. Dismissing the bail plea the court said his custodial interrogation was necessary to unearth the conspiracy leading to the suicide of his former employee Geetika Sharma. Kanda has been booked for abetting Geetika's suicide and has been absconding for 11 days now. 

Coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal disses the CAG report on coal allocation tabled before Parliament today and says there cannot be a more transparent system of allocation. Addressing a press conference, Jaiswal said there can be no link with the 2G scam as the allocation process and government policy were perfect.

He said the ministry did not agree with the CAG report on estimation of losses of Rs 1.86 lakh crore. "When blocks are not operative, how can the losses be calculated," he points out. He said whatever decision was taken was okayed by the law ministry. Nobody could have made a better policy for coal block allocation.

Congress MP Shantaram Naik today demanded arrest of the producer and director of Hindi film "Kya Super Cool Hain Hum" for hurting the religious sentiments of Christian community.

Raising the issue Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Naik said in one of the scenes in the film, a Christian priest has been portrayed in bad light and is shown solemnising 'marriage' of two dogs.

Citing specific instances from the film, Naik said there are many dialogues and scenes in the film, which can hurt sentiments of the Christian community.

Expressing solidarity with people of North East, Rajya Sabha today passed a resolution seeking investigation against those creating panic, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying those responsible be brought to book.

"The House expresses its serious concern at the feeling of persecution of our brothers and sisters of the North Eastern states, who are leaving various cities and returning to the North East. "...The mischief mongers and anti-national elements behind the electronic campaign to create panic should be urgently investigated by the authorities," the resolution read out by Chairman Hamid Ansari said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said miscreants spreading rumours that have led to people belonging to North East flee from Bangalore, Pune and other parts of the country, should be brought to book and noted that at stake is not just unity and integrity of the country, but also communal harmony.

The BJP today demanded resignation of the government alleging that scams in the coal, power and airport sectors had exposed the "loot and plunder" of the country.

"Government is badly exposed by the three CAG reports on power, coal and Delhi airport. The magnitude of these scams, according to the CAG report, is between Rs 1.6 and 1.86 lakh crore," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said outside the Parliament.

"It is nothing but loot and plunder of the country. The UPA has no moral right to be in power after (the revelation by) these CAG reports. The CVC has handed over the probe to the CBI and we are following it," he said.

This is what Reliance Power said today on the CAG report that the Anil Ambani-led firm got undue benefit of Rs 29,033 crore when the government allowed use of surplus coal from blocks allotted to Sasan power plant for its other projects.

The company said a top inter-ministerial panel in 2008 had taken the decision to allow the company to use surplus coal from mines allotted for Sasan UMPP and its review has already been implemented.

"The decision of permitting use of Surplus Coal for power generation has been ratified by EGoM on two separate occasions (once in 2008 and again in 2012)," Reliance Power said in a statement.

Based on the Attorney General's opinion, the EGoM on UMPPs has affirmed in April, 2012 that the decision to permit usage of surplus coal from Sasan UMPP is a well considered decision. Thus, CAG's recommendation of reviewing this decision has already been implemented, the statement said.

President Pranab Mukherjee today directed officials to ensure special seating arrangements for Leaders of Opposition in Parliament during functions at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The direction from Mukherjee came after top BJP leaders, who had attended an 'At Home' function on August 15, were reportedly upset over the seating arrangements in Rashtrapati Bhavan.

"The President today directed for special seating arrangements for Leaders of Opposition in Parliament on important functions held at Rashtrapati Bhavan," President's Press Secretary Venu Rajamony said. Mukherjee has yesterday telephoned BJP leaders L K Advani, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj after reports suggested that they were upset about the seating arrangements on the occasion of Independence Day.

The BJP leaders, who were seen at the 'At Home' function after a gap of five years, were in an enclosure along with Cabinet ministers, diplomats and judges besides senior bureaucrats, away from the VVIP enclosure.

The BJP wants the PM's scalp over the CAG report on coal allocation loss of Rs 1.86 lakh crore. Sushma Swaraj says this is a new chapter in corruption and the UPA is breaking all records in corruption. Blaming the PM for the loss (he was the coal minister then) she says he is responsible and cannot blame anyone else.

Arun Jaitley says the PM cannot use A Raja or P Chidambaram as a shield and pass on the blame.

A reader writes to the Pakistani paper, Tribune, on the attack on the Kamra airforce base, asking: Can we now as a nation decide who our real enemy is? Read

Update on the bulk MMS, SMS ban. The Home Ministry has asked the Department of Telecommunications to implement the order through the telecom operators. From today onwards, no one will be able to send more than five SMSes at one go and more than 20 KB of data through mobile phones during the ban period of 15 days.

The ban came into force after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that spread of rumours by miscreants had led to people belonging to the north east to flee from Bangalore, Pune and some other parts of the country.

Noting that the guilty should be brought to book, the Prime Minister said that at stake was not just unity and integrity of the country, but also communal harmony. "Any miscreant fanning rumours should be brought to book," he said.

Karnataka home minister says the exodus by people from the north-east has come down. Two minister from Assam is set to speak to the people today to reassure them that they were safe in the state. 

Her boyfriend has just hung up his Speedos after taking part in his final Olympic games.But it seems Megan Rossee is only too happy to take up the mantle as she went for  a spot of swimming herself today in a striking gold bikini. On the Daily Mail.

MoS PMO V Narayanasamy said CAG is not following its mandate, after the govt auditor presented the three reports in Parliament.

Flaying post-bid concessions to Reliance Power, the CAG today said the Anil Ambani-led firm got undue benefit of Rs 29,033 crore when the government allowed use of surplus coal from blocks allotted to Sasan power plant for its other projects.

CAG in its report tabled in Parliament said subsequent to award of the 4,000 MW Sasan ultra mega power project to RPL, the government granted permission to the company to utilise the surplus coal from three mines attached to the projects for the group's Chitrangi project in Madhya Pradesh.

Parliament's Public Accounts Committee will soon decide on taking up the three CAG reports on coal blocks, Delhi international airport and power projects tabled in Parliament today.

"The time will be decided to take up the reports shortly and future course of action will be decided as per rules," PAC chairman and BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi said here.

He said the committee will seek necessary documents from the various ministries. "...witnesses who need to be called will be summoned," he said. PAC scrutinises the CAG reports and gives its report to Parliament.

While refusing to make any immediate comment on the report on coal blocks, he said, "Reports on scams in sea, air and land were now out".

More on the CAG report on coal. Government auditor CAG today said private firms are likely to gain Rs 1.86 lakh crore from coal blocks that were allocated to them on nomination basis instead of competitive bidding, which amounted to the loss to national exchequer.

The CAG in its report, tabled in Parliament, names 25 companies including Essar Power, Hindalco, Tata Steel, Tata Power and Jindal Steel and Power which have got the blocks in various states. "Delay in introduction of the process of competitive bidding has rendered the existing process beneficial to the private companies. Audit has estimated financial gains to the tune of Rs 1.86 lakh crore likely to accrue to private coal block allottees," CAG said in a report on allocation of coal blocks.

The CAG said it has arrived at the estimates based on the average cost of production and average sale price of opencast mines of Coal India in the year 2010-11. "A part of this financial gain could have accrued to the national exchequer by operationalising the decision taken years earlier to introduce competitive bidding for allocation of coal blocks," CAG said.

The auditing body said it is "of strong opinion that there is a need for strict regulatory and monitoring mechanism to ensure that benefit of cheaper coal is passed on consumers".

The concept of allocation of captive coal blocks through competitive bidding was announced in 2004. However, government is yet to finalise the modus operandi of competitive bidding.

The Home Minister has announced that bulk SMSes and MMSes have been banned for 15 days throughout the country, starting today. This decision comes in the backdrop of the fake MMSes and text messages that were sent to people from the northeast in Karnataka, which prompted the exodus across the state, Tamil Nadu and Mumbai.  

The aviation ministry slams the CAG report saying all the decisions were taken by the EGoM and the Cabinet. CAG points to a Rs 24 crore loss in land allocation. The aviation ministry says tender bid was transparent. The CAG report also says that GMR got undue benefits of Rs 3400 crore via the levy of development fees.

The CAG report on coal says that 44 billion tonnes of coal were sold at throwaway prices by the PM as the then coal minister. The PM ignored coal ministry and law secretary's advice to auction coal blocks. CAG names the chief beneficiaries as Tata, Birla and the Abhijeet group. CAG puts the loss to government as Rs 1.86 lakh crore. 

Here is the report if you want to have a look yourself.

The three CAG reports on power, coal and airports have been tabled in Parliament and as expected there is furor from the Opposition benches. The CAG report pulls up the government for favouritism and says that the bidding process was vitiated by allowing Reliance Power to use excess coal from three blocks allocated to Sasan project. CAG also slams the levy of development fee on passengers at Delhi Airport, saying  it vitiated the sanctity of bidding process. The report says that the aviation ministry caused losses to the exchequer.

BJP's Rajiv Pratap Rudy says the PM should reply to the CAG report.  

Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde speaking in Parliament now on the NE exodus. Shinde says he had spoken to the Karnataka Chief Minister to convince the people they were safe and should not leave. "The state home minister was sent to the station to convince people not to leave Bangalore," he said.

"Have also spoken with different Chief Ministers of different states to ask them to maintain peace."However, messages and runours are still being circulated and we will take action against them. The SMSes and emails that have threatened people from the north east will be traced,' he said and admitted there was no information on source of rumours yet.

The home minister said he appreciated the Karnataka CM for handling the situation well and was investigating the presence of a foreign hand in fuelling the exodus.

A desperate victim of 'locked-in' syndrome broke down in tears yesterday after losing his landmark legal battle for the right to end  his life when he chooses with a doctor's help.Tony Nicklinson had to be comforted by his wife Jane, who said her husband was 'absolutely heartbroken'. Read more 

Workers of Maruti Suzuki India's Gurgaon plant have opposed the decision of the management to sack their 500 colleagues at the company's Manesar facility. Maruti Udyog Kamgar Union, the workers' body at the Gurgaon factory of Maruti Suzuki India, said it will try to rally support of other unions in the Gurgaon-Manesar industrial belt against dismissal of Manesar plant workers.

"We are opposed to the sacking of workers at the Manesar plant. This was not the right thing," MUKU general secretary Kuldeep Jhangu said.

He further said MUKU, along with unions from other firms in the Gurgaon-Manesar industrial belt, is organising a protest rally this afternoon at Gurgaon against the sacking of the Manesar workers, apart from making other demands.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram today said regulator Sebi is expected to announce fresh market reform measures next month, even as he favoured encouraging more people to invest in financial instruments rather than in gold.

Expressing satisfaction over wide-ranging reforms announced by Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) yesterday for mutual funds and other segments, Chidambaram said he has requested Sebi Chairman U K Sinha to look into a number of other suggestions for the benefit of investors.

Most people in UK care about looking good on social networks like Facebook than seeming intelligent, according to a new survey. A survey by an American multinational company looked at social media habits and found that looking as good as possible on Facebook profile pages is the main priority of 56 per cent of Britons, the Daily Mail reported.

More than half Britons admitted they want to be more like their 'social media personas' than their real selves. Women carefully hand-pick flattering pictures of themselves to post, while men craft their personalities around intelligence and courageous behaviour.

On Cricinfo: The final selections by Srikkanth's committee have sent all the wrong signals to the players and fans. Read

Foreign aid doesn't help any poor countries -- it just corrupts their governments. The debate on why Britain should stop aid to India continues. Read 

Up ahead, Chinese authorities will announce the verdict in the murder trial of Gu Kailai, wife of disgraced Communist Party leader Bo Xilai, on Monday.

The Hefei Intermediate People's Court in eastern China, where Gu and former household aide Zhang Xiaojun were tried August 9 for allegedly poisoning a British businessman to death, will make the announcement at 9 am local time said the source, who did not want to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

More

Seema Chishti's column in the Indian Express on the specter of hate politics in Assam and why the state is not peripheral. Read

If you're a Fareed Zakaria fan, this should make you happy. The Time magazine and CNN today lifted the suspension of Fareed Zakaria, the noted Indian-American writer and journalist, who was suspended last week by both outlets for alleged plagiarism.

Following a review of the allegations of plagiarism, for which Zakaria has apologized, CNN and Time in separate statements termed it as a "journalistic lapse" and unintentional error and announced that his popular column and the Sunday talk show would now resume.

"We have completed a thorough review of each of Fareed Zakaria's columns for Time and we are entirely satisfied that the language in question in his recent column was an unintentional error and an isolated incident for which he has apologized," Time's statement read.

"We look forward to having Fareed's thoughtful and important voice back in the magazine with his next column in the issue that comes out on Sept 7," it said. The CNN followed suite.

"CNN has completed its internal review of Fareed Zakaria's work for CNN, including a look back at his Sunday programs, documentaries, and CNN.com blogs. The process was rigorous. "We found nothing that merited continuing the suspension. Zakaria has apologized for a journalistic lapse. CNN and Zakaria will work together to strengthen further the procedures for his show and blog," the news channel said.

He assured the House that he was in touch with chief ministers and home ministers of all the north-eastern states and together, would do his best to ensure the people felt secure.

Union Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde is expected to address the Lok Sabha shortly.

The prime minister added that unity of the country must be preserved at all costs and the guilty would be punished. He said the House shared a collective responsibility to ensure there was a secure environment for the north-east people.
Amid applause he said anyone fanning rumours would be brought to justice.

Sushma Swaraj says a north-east student had asked her how would the government protect them if they could not protect police in Mumbai. Remember, women constables had been molested by the mob at Azad Maidan, while several policemen were injured by the stone-pelting mob.

PM Manmohan Singh rises to speak. He says India belongs to all of us and the House is united on the issue. "It is necessary to end rumours, says Dr Singh and promised that he would speak to the CMs of all states.

Sharad Yadav says SMS, social media to blame for the exodus. The nation is divided among communal lines, he thunders.

BJP's Sushma Swaraj reiterates that Parliament must rise above politics and unite and tackle the exodus issue. She says helplines, police patrolling must be increased, just assurances from the government aren't enough. 

Arunachal MP Ninong Ering says hard steps must be taken against those involved in spreading rumours and fuelling the exodus.

In Parliament which is in session, the north-east exodus has derailed the question hour. The BJP says it is time to stay united, but the government should increase security and ensure confidence is restored among the the north-east people.

PM is to speak in Rajya Sabha on the north-east exodus any time now. BJP's Venkaiah Naidu says the PM should appeal for peace.

Of social media, rumours and fear. Read Monobina Gupta's blog. 

Fearing reprisals over the violence against Muslims in Assam, people from the northeast continued to flee from cities such as Bangalore, Chennai, Pune and Mumbai, even as ethnic clashes between Bodos and Muslims that began in July spread to Baksa, Nalbari and Kamrup districts on Thursday. Read more on the TOI.

On Thursday evening, nearly 3,000 workers and students, mostly from Assam, were seen waiting at Chennai Central, eager to board the two Guwahati-bound trains that were scheduled for departure at 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Friday. A number of them had arrived from Coimbatore and Madurai.

"Nothing has happened till now, but we are very sure something really bad is going to happen. Our Bangalore friends have said we have to leave before August 20," said Bishnu, 21, who hails from Dibrugarh and works as a waiter in a restaurant in Chennai.

More on the Hindu.

A day after close to 15000 people from the North-eastern states fled home from Bangalore, Union Home Secretary R K Singh says that those responsible for exodus will not go scot free. He reassured the people that the situation in Assam was fully under control.

However, despite the appeals and assurances of safety by the Karnataka government, people from the North-East continued to flee the state in hordes for the third consecutive day today, driven by rumours of impending attacks.

The exodus so far confined to Bangalore has now spread to some other parts with people of the North Eastern region living in Mysore, Mangalore and Kodagu arriving here in trains and buses and rushing to railway counters to buy tickets.

More than 15,000 people have fled the city in the past two days following the rumours, official sources said today. The Railways had sold 9,718 tickets for the two special trains that headed to Guwahati last night, Divisional Railway Manager, Bangalore, Anil Kumar Agarwal, said this morning.

Officials estimate the number of people from the northeast, including students, residing in Bangalore in the range of 2.5 lakh and 2.75 lakh. The government continued to reach out to the community urging them to stay on and assured them that it is committed to safeguarding their lives and property in Karnataka.

A video on YouTube may have allowed Salim Allah Rakha Chaulkiya his 15 minutes of fame, but it also led to his arrest yesterday. Read the report on Mid Day.

In spite of assurances by the Centre, a large number of people from the north-eastern states continued to leave Hyderabad and Bangalore, after reports that they were being targeted by members of a minority community.

Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan has accused President Barack Obama of allowing China to treat him like a "doormat" and failing to stop its economic cheating. 

A wave of attacks across Iraq killed at least 53 people amid warnings that insurgents would mount deadly attacks ahead of the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. 

Insurgents today unleashed a wave of attacks that killed 28 people and wounded dozens in central and northern Iraq, the latest in a series of persistent strikes aimed at undermining the government's authority. 

The United States today said it was had no intention of "persecuting" WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and denied charges that it was pressuring Britain to seize him. 

The White House today ruled out dropping Vice President Joe Biden, and told former Republican nominee John McCain that with his track record he was in no position to give advice on running mates. 

The White House today said Mitt Romney's complaint that President Barack Obama was peddling "hate" showed the Republican candidate wanted to change the subject as he was losing the election debate. 

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will appeal to the International Court of Justice if Britain blocks his exit to Ecuador, renowned Spanish rights lawyer Baltasar Garzon said today.