Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj today alleged the Centre's failure in checking price rise has resulted in snatching the common man's meal away.
"On the one hand, the government at the Centre is neck-deep into corruption and on the other, sustained price rise has made the common man's life miserable. How can people run their homes amid a soaring price rise scenario," Swaraj said while addressing a poll rally in Gujarat.
After desperate attempts by the host country Qatar to save the talks, the UN conference on climate change today agreed to extend the life of the Kyoto Protocol, which controls the greenhouse gas emissions of rich countries,through 2020.
As the talks went into an extra day and the President of the Conference of the Parties made a passionate plea to strike some deal before they packed up, nearly 200 participating countries agreed to keep the Kyoto Protocol alive for the next eight years.
The historic pact, which was agreed to by countries in 1997, expires this year-end.
NDA convener Sharad Yadav today said that the alliance was yet to take a decision on its prime ministerial candidate.
"NDA will name its prime ministerial candidate after the BJP takes a decision on it. BJP is a major constituent of the NDA and it is yet to take a decision," Yadav told reporters .
South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela was today admitted to a hospital in Pretoria for medical attention, the government said.
"Former President Nelson Mandela has today, December 8, 2012, been admitted in hospital in Pretoria to undergo tests," President Jacob Zuma's office said in a statement.
The 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader "is doing well and there is no cause for alarm," the statement added.
Former BJP Karnataka strongman B S Yeddyurappa today described as 'vindictive' the party leadership's sacking of his loyalist and Cooperative Minister B J Puttaswamy from the ministry and suspension of Tumkur MP GS Basavaraj.
He dared BJP to dissolve the state assembly and face the people's mandate "if they have faith in democratic values".
Yeddyurappa said the BJP was under the impression that such action against his loyalists could dissuade others from supporting him. He added, "The number of those attending Sunday's Karnataka Janata party rally will increase by at least 50,000".
The Pakistan government today responded to President Hamid Karzai's accusation that a suicide attacker who targeted the Afghan spy chief had come from Pakistan by saying that Kabul should share any information it has to back up the allegation.
"Before levelling charges, the Afghan government would do well if they shared information or evidence with the government of Pakistan that they might have with regard to the cowardly attack on the head of the National Directorate of Security," Foreign Office spokesman Moazzam Khan said in a statement.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has been reinstated as the guardian minister of Pune district.
The NCP leader, who had quit the Congress-led coalition government two months ago following allegations of corruption in the irrigation department which he held from 1999 to 2009, was re-inducted as deputy chief minister on Friday.
A Government Resolution issued on Friday said Minister of State for Industries and Housing Sachin Ahir's appointment as Pune guardian minister has been cancelled to pave the way for Pawar's reinstatement.
In a horrific incident, a physically-challenged youth was allegedly tied to a car by his friend and dragged for nearly one km over some differences with him at Tilwara near Jabalpur on Friday, said the police.
Ajay alias Ajju Thakur, 23, suffered serious injuries in the incident after he was tied to a car by his friend Devendraalias Dippu, 40, and his two associates and was dragged, police said.
According to them, there was a heated argument between the victim and Devendra last night. Following the argument, Devendra threatened Ajay with dire consequences.
Two Zee editors were today remanded back in two-day police custody by a Delhi court -- to enable the investigators to confront them with Zee Group head Subhash Chandra and his son -- for collecting evidence in the alleged Rs 100 crore extortion bid from Congress MP Naveen Jindal's firm.
"Two-day police custody is granted," Metropolitan Magistrate Ankit Singla said. He said that the police cannot be deprived of the opportunity to collect evidence in the alleged extortion bid, for which it was necessary to confront the arrested persons with Chandra and his son Puneet Goenka, MD of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.
"In the present case, the sessions court has directed other two accused (Chandra and Goenka) to join investigations. Evidence cannot be collected if the investigating agency is not given an opportunity to confront the version of all the four accused with each other as there are allegations of criminal conspiracy," the court said.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who was admitted to a private hospital after she complained of fatigue and uneasiness, is currently doing fine.
Dikshit, 74, was admitted to the Fortis Escort Heart Institute on Friday, ten days after she underwent an anangioplasty procedure at the same hospital following blockage in one of her arteries.
The chief minister had rejoined office on Monday and had left for Gujarat next day to release Congress' election manifesto for the assembly polls in the BJP-ruled state.
Qatar, the host country, today launched desperate measures to salvage the failing climate talks by proposing a compromise agreement that was low on ambition but kept the Kyoto Protocol and the prospect of a success or deal alive, as the talks went down to the wire.
The meeting that was supposed to end on Friday stretched well beyond the stipulated time but a common ground was yet to be found till evening.
The developments came after negotiators worked through the night over intrinsic details and language that could be acceptable to all, with discussions continuing till the day.
After extending crucial support to the Centre on the issue of FDI in retail, DMK today sought to cement its ties with UPA with its chief M Karunanidhi saying the nation looks up to to UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to provide a "secular and stable" government.
"As chairperson of UPA, you have been crossing a number of roadblocks tactfully and facing many hurdles successfully. As it is often said, obstacles are stepping stones to greater success," Karunandhi said in a message to Gandhi, who will turn 67 on Sunday.
Indian opener Virender Sehwag today lashed out at the batsmen for showing lack of patience and held them responsible for putting the hosts on the verge of a heavy defeat in the third Test against England.
"If you apply yourself on this wicket, it's not that difficult to score runs. It's Test cricket and you have to show some patience. Yes you can say that (we did not show enough patience). The key was the patience," Sehwag told reporters after the fourth day's play.
The Delhi player believed that things could have been different had India posted a big first-innings total.
"In this series, we have not put runs on the board, especially in the last two Tests. The moment we put 500-plus, it's going to be a different ballgame," he said.
Concerned over the spate of eve-teasing cases in the state, the Maharashtra government is considering a proposal to make it a non-bailable offence.
Minister for Women and Child Welfare Varsha Gaikwad said that she will discuss the issue with Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and set up a committee comprising social workers and women legislators to examine a draft bill called the Maharashtra Prohibition of eve-teasing and Harassment of Women Act, prepared by the Help Mumbai Foundation.
A delegation from the NGO met Gaikwad and submitted a memorandum along with the proposed bill, demanding that it be tabled in the legislature so that a law with sufficient teeth is enacted to protect women from eve teasing and sexual harassment.
Describing as "unfair and highly disadvantageous" to Karnataka the Cauvery Monitoring Committee's directive to release 12 tmcft of water to Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to reject it.
In a letter to Singh, Shettar said, "The recommendations of the CMC should be rejected by you at the earliest to save the standing crops in Karnataka."
He also said the order may be kept in abeyance. The CMC order "is unfair and highly disadvantageous to Karnataka", he said.
Launching an attack on his bete noire and former party colleague Amar Singh, Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan today claimed Singh's political career was over.
"Unka (Amar's) kissa khatam ho chuka hai (his story is finished)," Azam said in response to a question about Singh's appreciation of BSP chief Mayawati during a debate on FDI in Rajya Sabha.
"Those who enter the political arena riding on horses of wealth ultimately meet the same fate as he (Amar) has met,"Azam told reporters.
Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh today asked Maoists to engage in a dialogue, saying the government was ready for it.
"We are ready for talks. Our doors are open. But the Maoists should shun violence. We urge them to sit for talks," Ramesh said at a public meeting at Lalgarh, a Maoist hotbed in the past.
Stating that para-military forces were required to maintain peace, he said, "Violence cannot be the answer to violence."
"I apologise for what happened. I regret I did it," said Ranjit Singh Rana, the former Akali Dal politician arrested for the murder of Punjab police officer Ravinderpal Singh, who had tried to stop him from harassing his daughter.
Rana, who has been sent to five days in police custody, offered the apology from his bed at a government hospital in Tarn Taran area, reports NDTV.
After top central BJP leaders endorsed Narendra Modi as the future prime minister, former Gujarat minister today backed the state chief minister saying he has "all the qualities" required for the top post.
Earlier, Sushma Swaraj and Gopinath Munde, during their visit to Gujarat, had said that Modi was fit and competent tobe the prime minister.
"Whether he should be made PM or not, that the party will only decide. But I can say that Modi has all the qualities in him required to be a prime ministerial candidate," Shah,considered a close aide of Modi, said.
Shah is contesting elections from Naranpura constituency of the city, after being out on bail.
The demolition of the Babri mosque in 1992 was both shameful and sad, but But politicians and others must stop exploiting the date to try and whip up passions, writes Ashok Malik.
The staff of a Bangalore hotel was expelled after the captain of the Pakistan blind T20 team, who is partially visually impaired, accidentally drank
diluted phenyl, which was kept in a plastic bottle on a table where
usually mineral water bottle is kept, reports NDTV.
The player, Zeeshan Abbasi, who is in Bangalore to play for the first World T20
Cricket Tournament for the visually impaired, has been admitted to M S
Ramaiah hospital where he has been treated. "He is was all right now,"
Mahantesh, organising secretary of the Cricket Association for the
Blind, Bangalore, told PTI.
Acclaimed author Anita Desai and her Booker-winning daughter Kiran Desai were spotted at The Times of India Literary Carnival at Bandra's Mehboob Studio. Today was the second day of the fest, which will conclude tomorrow.
Yesterday, they held a session titled 'The Inheritance of Gain' where they discussed love, loneliness and the joy of writing.
South Korean rapper Psy, whose song Gangnam Style became an internet sensation, has apologised for taking part in anti-US protests several years ago. He issued a statement after US media reported he had performed in concerts protesting against the US presence in South Korea and Iraq.
The singer said he would "forever be sorry" for any pain he had caused, reported BBC online.
Psy is due to perform at the annual 'Christmas in Washington' TV special. US President Barack Obama and his family are expected to attend the concert.
Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar expelled Cooperative Minister B J Puttaswamy, a Yeddyurappa loyalist, from the Cabinet for anti-party activities.
The party also suspended another loyalist Tumkur MP G S Basavaraj from the party. A show cause notice has been issued to both Puttaswamy and Basavaraj.
China has slammed the United States for remarks by a US official
blaming China's restrictive policies in Tibet for a rise in
self-immolation protests, reports Voice of America.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei called the remarks
"disgusting" and said the Tibet issue has nothing to do with human
rights, ethnicity or religion.
In a case of honour killing in Kolkata, a a 29-year-old man dragged his sister out on the street and cut off her head with one stroke of the sword in Ayubnagar locality of Nadial, according to a report in The Times of India.
Mehtab Alam reportedly walked into the police station with the head and the sword.
He told police officers that he killed his sister for "running off with a lover and dishonouring the family".
Zee group Chairman Subhash Chandra today appeared before police for questioning in connection with the alleged Rs 100 crore extortion bid by two Zee editors from Congress MP Naveen Jindal's company for not airing news damaging to it.
Chandra, who had secured a interim protection from arrest till December 14 by a Delhi court, came to Crime Branch office in Chanakyapuri along with lawyers where he was questioned.
His questioning came following police sending three notices to him asking him to join investigations in the casein which two of his editors Sudhir Chaudhury and SamirAhluwalia were arrested late last month follow inginvestigations into complaint filed on October 2.
The two Australian DJs, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, behind the hoax call to King Edward VII's Hospital, "mutually decided" to go off the air for an undetermined period Rhys Holleran, CEO of the Southern Cross Austereo media group, said Saturday during a news conference, reports CNN.
Their decision came after an Indian-origin nurse, who was duped into transferring a hoax call that
gave away information on pregnant Kate Middleton's medical condition, was found dead in a suspected
suicide.
Holleran said he was "very confident that we haven't done anything illegal."
"This is a tragic event that could not have been reasonably foreseen and we are deeply saddened by it," he said.
The captain of the Pakistan blind T20 team (the world cup is currently on
in Bangalore) has been hospitalised after drinking a chemical -- he
mistook it for water. He is out of danger and recovering
fast, reports NDTV.
The sources tell NDTV that the house keeping staff was
cleaning the dining room and Zeeshan Abbasi consumed the acid
accidentally. He also immediately spat it out.
The decision on Foreign Direct Investment in retail is supported by farmer organisations, said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today.
"FDI in retail will introduce new technology. I am confident that it will benefit farmers and consumers," he added.
The UPA government managed an easy win in the Rajya Sabha when FDI in multi-brand retail came up for voting yesterday. 123 members voted against the motion while 109 voted in favour after a two-day animated debate during which the Opposition attacked the proposal to allow 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail, while the government strongly justified it saying it was in the best interest of the country.
The death of a nurse who took a hoax call about Britain's Prince William's wife Kate was a "tragedy", the Australian radio station behind it has said.
Rhys Holleran, chief executive of the company that owns Sydney radio station 2Day FM, said DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian were "completely shattered" by the death of Jacintha Saldanha, 46, according to a BBC report.
The pair posed as the Queen and Prince Charles in a call on Tuesday morning.
Commerce Minister Anand Sharma said that Foreign Direct Investment in multi-brand retail is now a reality, the law of the land;
and the government will look to build consensus on the pension and
insurance bills next.
Speaking to CNBC-TV18 executive editor Shereen Bhan, Sharma added that the Opposition was graceless in its defeat.
Even after death of Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse from the King Edward VII Hospital, her voice could still be heard playing over the airwaves of Australia's 2Day FM, which had spent all week capitalising on the hoax which now appears to have driven her to suicide, according to The Age.
While Britain and much of the world was learning details of Saldanha's death, the Sydney-based radio station, seemingly
unmanned, was repeatedly broadcasting the moment she was fooled
into thinking two DJs were the Queen and the Prince of Wales.
The Maldives government formally took charge of the GMR-operated Ibrahim
Nasir International Airport in Male on Thursday midnight and handed it
over to the Maldives Airport Company Limited.
The son of murdered Punjab police officer
Ravinderpal Singh is scared for his family as it fights a legal battle against former
Akali Dal leader Ranjit Singh Rana, who allegedly killed his father.
"We are still scared. We have been told the accused is very dangerous.
The government has provided us security, but I am still worried because
my mother and sister live here," Navpreet, who stays in Australia
and flew down to Amritsar for his father's funeral told NDTV.
The officer was shot dead on Wednesday in full public view in Amritsar's
Chehertha locality after he confronted Rana for allegedly harassing
his 23-year-old daughter.
UN climate talks are heading into the final stretch with a host of issues unresolved, including a standoff over how much money financially stressed rich countries can spare to help the developing world tackle global warming.
That issue has overshadowed the talks since they started last week in Qatar, the first Middle Eastern country to host the slow-moving annual negotiations aimed at crafting a global response to climate change. A draft agreement was presented on Friday night, but there was disagreement on several key issues.
AFP: Two Australian radio presenters who duped a nurse at the hospital which treated Prince William's pregnant wife Catherine will not return "until further notice", their station said today after the woman was found dead.
"Southern Cross Austereo and 2Day FM are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha from King Edward VII's Hospital and we extend our deepest sympathies to her family and all that have been affected by this situation around the world," the station said in a statement on its Facebook page.
It said the presenters, Mel Grieg and Michael Christian, "are both deeply shocked" over news of the nurse's death. "SCA and the hosts have decided that they will not return to their radio show until further notice out of respect for what can only be described as a tragedy."
AFP: Three people were killed and eight wounded in a blast outside a mosque in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, the Kenyan Red Cross and police said today. There were "three fatalities" as well as several wounded, some critical, a Red Cross official said after the "explosion near a mosque in Eastleigh", a largely ethnic Somali district of Nairobi.
"We were told that three people have died of injuries from the incident," Nairobi police chief Moses Nyakwama told AFP, "There are eight others in hospital, among them is a member ofparliament."
The grenade was hurled at worshippers leaving a popular mosque minutes after the end of the evening prayers. A handful of protesters took to the streets soon after the blast but were quickly contained by a heavy police presence.
Egyptian opposition protesters have broken through a barricade erected by security forces to prevent them reaching Cairo's presidential palace. Thousands had marched on the palace in the capital after rejecting a call for dialogue by President Mohammed Morsi.
The opposition said the president had offered no concession on his decision to expand his powers and put a new draft constitution to a referendum. A senior official later said Mr Morsi could postpone the vote.
AFP: Britain will announce plans next week to allow gay marriages in churches and other religious buildings, officials said today, although Prime Minister David Cameron insisted no faith group would be forced to hold them.
Culture Secretary Maria Miller will unveil ministers' responses to a consultation earlier this year, which will propose that religious organisations should be able to 'opt-in' to hold same-sex weddings, according to a government source.
Amid strong opposition from the Church of England and Roman Catholics, however, as well as many members of Cameron's Conservative party, Miller will stress that no religious groups will be forced to conduct gay weddings. Speaking to reporters on a visit to a car factory, Cameron said: "I'm a massive supporter of marriage and I don't want gay people to be excluded from a great institution.'