The glucose level of YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy today decreased as his indefinite fast in protest against the move to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh entered its fifth day today. 

Uttar Pradesh ATS will interrogate Yasin Bhatkal, co-founder of banned terror outfit Indian Mujahideen, in connection with the blast at Sheetlaghat in Varanasi in 2010, officials have said. 

Land Acquisition Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha tonight, may push up cost of acquiring land by up to 3.5 times, making industrial projects unviable and raising overall costs in the economy, India Inc said. 

According to media reports, the Lok Sabha has passed the Land Acquisition Bill on Thursday evening.

Further details are awaited.

Foreignpolicy reports: The United States started out as 13 small and vulnerable colonies clinging to the east coast of North America. Over the next century, those original 13 states expanded all the way across the continent, subjugating or exterminating the native population and wresting Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California from Mexico.

Read the full article here

Watch Pastor Eddie D Smith Sr, known in the United States for using the word 'Namaste as a greeting here.

The Delhi police will seek the custody of Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal for interrogation for his alleged involvement in several cases including the 2011 blasts outside the high court and the 2008 serial bomb blast cases.

"We will seek Bhatkal's custody as he is wanted in several terror cases by us. We also have a non-bailable warrant issued against him in a November, 2011 case in which an illegal factory manufacturing arms and ammunition was unearthed in Nangloi area," said a senior Delhi police official.

Delhi police had also declared a reward of Rs 15 lakh against him in December, 2011. His name had come up in connection with the explosion outside the Delhi high court here on September 7, 2011 in which 12 people were killed.

Voting on amendments to Land Acquisition Bill has begun in Lok Sabha.

Yasin Bhatkal, one of the most wanted terrorists, disclosed his identity himself after his arrest along the Indo-Nepal border. Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami said that two men were apprehended around 3 a.m. today at Raxaul along the Indo-Nepal border on the suspicion that one of them was Bhatkal.        

 

"He was formally arrested by Bihar Police and NIA around 8 am after he himself confirmed during interrogation that he was Yasin Bhatkal," he told reporters here. Goswami congratulated security agencies and Bihar Police for their "outstanding work" in the arrest.

A court at Motihari in Bihar today granted three days  transit remand of two top IM operatives who were arrested from Raxual on Indo-Nepal border this morning.        

 

Chief Judicial Magistrate S C Mishra granted three-day transit remand of the two IM operatives Yasin Bhatkal and his associate Osadulla Akhtar alias Haddi.        

 

The remand was granted after NIA produced the two in the court of CJM. The two were brought to the court amid tight security late in the evening after prolonged interrogation by Bihar police and NIA team.

Amid talk of possible western military intervention in Syria, Pakistan today called for restraint and said the use of force must be avoided at all costs.         The West should wait for the report of the UN team probing the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime before it decides on any action, Foreign Office spokesman Aizaz Chaudhry said.        

 

"Pakistan has called on all sides to exercise restraint and engage in an inclusive political dialogue to facilitate a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Syria," Chaudhry told a weekly news briefing.        

 

He said Pakistan believes Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected. "Use of force must be avoided at all costs as the people of Syria have already suffered enormously," he added.        

 

Pakistan has condemned the alleged use of chemical weapons, Chaudhry said. "In this context, Pakistan notes that a UN team is conducting an investigation. We stress the importance of establishing facts before any precipitate action is taken,' he said.        

 

Speaking in the National Assembly or lower house of parliament' Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said Syria is an independent and sovereign country and Pakistan cannot support any action against it.

Observing that the special status will not be a panacea of all ills gripping Bihar, the BJP today slammed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for begging to the UPA government to grant special status for mutual political benefits in the next general elections.        

 

"The Chief Minister is compromising pride of Bihar and its people by begging to the Centre to grant special status to Bihar so that the measure could benefit mutually the JD(U) and the Congress in the next general elections," the senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters.        

 

Stating that the special status was legitimate right, he said that the people would rather like to slug it out to compel the Centre to concede special status to Bihar rather than to beg for it as their chief minister has been doing.        

 

Stating that the BJP was anguished with the manner in which Kumar has been begging to the Centre to grant special status to Bihar, the former deputy chief minister said that his party will showcase the special status demand as a theme during its 'Hunkar Rally' to be held at Patna on October 27 which will be addressed among others by the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.  

Arrested IM founder Yasin Bhatkal, who was produced in a court in Motihari, has confirmed his identity and also admitted to his role Pune and Mumbai triple blasts.

The President of India is upset. Pranab Mukherjee is believed to have told a union minister who he had dinner with recently that he was distressed at MPs blaming him for the ill economy to his tenure as finance minister. 

Friday is crucial for the UPA in the Lok Sabha as 12 suspended MPs -- eight from the Congress and four from the TDP will be allowed to attend Parliament again. Their suspension period of five days for disrupting proceedings of the Lok Sabha ends Friday.

Parliamentarians expect more of the same disruptions from the 12 MPs, so Parliamentary Affairs minister Kamal Nath will meet Speaker Meira Kumar tomorrow to discuss whether the suspension period can be extended till September 6, as many pending bills are to be passed in the Lok Sabha.

Celebratory mood at North Block, the headquarters of the Home Ministry after news of Yasin Bhatkal's arrest broke.

The normally reticent prime minister is believed to have said, 'kudos to the Intelligence Bureau', after the NIA informed him of the arrest. The Director Intelligence Bureau Asif Ibrahim is set to make a six- minutes video presentation on the 'big catch' to the Cabinet Committee on Security on Friday.

Informed sources also confirm that Director Generals of nine states are  being summoned to New Delhi next Tuesday for a briefing on the Yasin Bhatkal arrest. Subsequently, the DGPs will be given a chance to be personally present when officers from their states interrogate Bhatkal.

The Central Hall of Parliament was a beehive of activity today. Several union ministers wanted to be in the presence of Dr Manmohan Singh in the Lok Sabha when the UPA was introducing the
Land Bill. But the PM had roster duty in the Rajya Sabha, so most MPs had to remain dissatisfied.

Another disappointment for MPs was the absence of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in Parliament today. Gandhi is recuperating after she felt unwell in Parliament two days ago, even as the Food Bill was being put to vote. The Land Bill was tabled and debated in Parliament today. Voting is expected to take place at 8 pm.

The news about the arrest of Ahmed Siddibappa, better known as Indian Mujahideen chief Yasin Bhatkal, has come as a relief to his father Zara Siddibappa. Read Vicky Nanjappa's report.

The Uttar Pradesh government today ordered an inquiry into the case of suspended IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal, a day after she filed her reply to the chargesheet served on her.

The government has asked Principal Secretary (Home), RM Srivastava to conduct an inquiry into all aspects of the case. "I have been verbally asked to conduct an inquiry into the case, though I am still awaiting formal orders in this regard," Srivastava said.

Srivastava would visit Gautam Budh Nagar and go into all the aspects of the matter, and is likely to submit his reply at the earliest.

Pakistani official overturns 33-year-sentence for Dr Shakeel Afridi who helped CIA track Osama bin Laden; orders new trial.
The Peshawar commissioner has also handed over the case of Dr Shakeel Afridi to the political agent of Khyber Agency. He said that Dr Afridi could not be released before the orders of the political agent.

Dr Afridi was accused of running a fake vaccination campaign in which he collected DNA samples, which may have helped the American intelligence agency find Osama Bin Laden in the garrison city of Abbottabad.

There's many a slip between the cup and the lip in the era of fast-breaking news and even well-equipped organisations like CNN and BBC are not immune from howlers in the "supers'.  See

Following the arrest of Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder Yasin Bhatkal from the Indo-Nepal border last night, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said that there is confidence in India that such people, who have continuously harmed the country, would be held from anywhere and brought to justice.

"I believe those people had a lot of place where they could hide. But that has ended now. Now the mentality of people, across the globe, has changed. We have been doing routine advocacy on this and we have put this matter before the world a lot of times.

"There is confidence that such people, who have continuously hurt the country, will be caught. Be it in India or even outside they will be brought to justice,' he said.

If Manish Tewari wants licences for journalists, then why not for politicians? Read

The Karnataka police will seek the custody of Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal, who was arrested from the Indo-Nepal border in north Bihar, for his alleged role in terror attacks in Bangalore.

"We will seek Yasin's custody for interrogating him on his role in several terror attacks in Bangalore. However, it will take time for us to get him here," Karnataka DGP Lalrokhuma Pachau said.

Yasin, who hails from Bhatkal in Karnataka, is wanted in connection with a string of terror attacks in Ahmedabad, Surat, Bangalore, Pune, Delhi and Hyderabad. IB sources have said other states will also seek his custody. 

"I was pregnant in Dubai when India, where I'm from, was transfixed by the horrific gang rape in Delhi. Like the rest of my country, I was outraged by the grotesqueness of the attack. And like most women from my country, I recounted in my head my own experiences of being gawked at and groped." Read

PM's statement on the economic situation in the Rajya Sabha. Read

Failing to crack the serial blasts case at Bodh Gaya even after lapse of one month, NIA chief Sharad Kumar today held a meeting with officials of his agency and Bihar police over the terror incident and directed officials to speed up the inquiry.

The NIA chief's meeting is taking place on a day when co-founder of Indian Mujahideen Yasin Bhatkal and his associate have been nabbed by a team of Bihar police and NIA from Indo-Nepal border in Raxaul in East Champaran district.

During the closed door meeting, it was decided to keep a close eye over role of both Left and Right extremists groups in the 10 explosions that rocked Bodh Gaya on July 7, sources said.

Yasin Bhatkal is India's most wanted terrorist. How has he managed to elude the top sleuths? Read

Rape Capital Delhi is scaring away foreign tourists. Delhi has lost its crown of No. 1 tourist destination in India, thanks to the rising number of gang rapes and sexual assault cases.According to the tourism ministry records, the National Capital has drawn fewer tourists than Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu for the fourth consecutive year. Read

The Home Ministry says IM terrorist Yasin Bhatkal will be handed over to the NIA. Bhatkal was apprehended in Nepal and then handed over to a team along the border. Bhatkal had been followed by central security agencies for the last six months before he was apprehended yesterday.

According to a senior source in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) the arrest of Yasin Bhatkal was a result of a "beautiful, but typical operation." The IB source said that nabbing Bhatkal was the result of IB's ground operation. "We were following him. We got him after pursuing excellent operational tactics," said the source.

Recently, Lashkar-e-Toiba bomb maker and an accused in the 1993 bomb blasts Abdul Karmim Tunda was also 'arrested' from the Indo- Nepal border like Bhatkal. Tunda was lured to India by the RAW, while capturing Bhatkal was entirely an IB operation.

Tunda, reportedly, has blockages in his heart. He was pressurised by Indian sleuths when he was going through a weak and confused state and it is believed that he wanted to die on Indian soil.

IB sources say Tunda may not be singing enough, but Bhatkal's arrest  is very important to plan future strategies.    

Controversial self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, who is accused of sexually assaulting a minor, will face arrest if he fails to appear before the Jodhpur Police on Thursday, a top police officer has said.

Speaking to CNN IBN today, Asaram said he is not supported by any political party and said there were allegations that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul were responsible for the charges against him. 

The 72-year-old Asaram had sought extension in the date of appearance before the investigation officer of the case at Jodpur citing he had various pre-decided religious fixtures lined up till September 19, but his plea had been rejected.

Also read:India's most controversial godmen

Kim Jong-un's ex-girlfriend was among a dozen well-known North Korean performers who were executed by firing squad nine days go, according to South Korean reports. Read

The National Investigating Agency (NIA) on Thursday filed a reply on the discharge applications filed in the Special MCOCA court by the Muslim accused, who were arrested in the 2006 Malegaon mosque blast, leaving it on the court to take a decision. Read more

In a new twist to the Ishrat Jahan encounter probe, a Gujarat police officer arrested in the case has submitted a letter in the Supreme Court purportedly written by the legal attache of the US embassy endorsing the claim that Lashkar-e-Toiba operative David Headley had spoken about Ishrat having been a suicide bomber. Read

Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh today made it clear that he would not contest Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections slated later this year, but could enter the general elections fray if the party permits him.

Stating that he had no plans to contest the state Assembly elections, Singh told reporters that, "However, if the party allows me I will contest next year's Lok Sabha elections."

The Congress leader said though he had always been receiving a lot of flak for criticising RSS, but was always proved correct.

"Whenever I say anything about the RSS I face a lot of criticism, but subsequently I have always been proved right," he asserted.

India's anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare has said that he would be "happy to endorse" Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi if he left the BJP, an American media outlet has reported.

Hazare, who left for India from New York yesterday after a nearly two-week US trip, made the remarks during an interaction with the Indian-American community, academicians and think-tanks at an event organised by the Hindu Temple in Delaware on August 20, the Huffington Post reported.

Also read: The Anna Hazare interview with Rediff.com

Congress MP from south Mumbai, Milind Deora, tweets: Very sad I'm unable to celebrate Dahi Handi in Mumbai due to imp Bills in Parliament. Here's wishing all Govindas a colourful & safe day!

In a world where Bhatkal is just a name -- As the Indian currency keeps sinking against the dollar, some economists say the Reserve Bank of India's incoming governor might have no choice but to raise interest rates sharply, reminiscent of actions taken by U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker in the U.S. in the 1980s. Read

Dabholkar's anti-superstition war demanded a level of introspection of which we are incapable. Read

Earlier today, a Sanatan Sanstha worker was picked up from Goa by the Pune police, as part of its probe into the murder of anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar.

Mumbai could do with better policing and a change in male attitudes, but women can still go about their lives more confidently than elsewhere, writes Jyoti Punwani. Read

In other reads: The currencies of India, Indonesia, Brazil, South Africa and Turkey have fallen quite dramatically against the dollar in the past few months. Whatever their domestic weaknesses, the reasons for this unprecedented decline -- ranging between 13 to 21 per cent -- are primarily global. Read

Yasin, also known as Mohammed Ahmed Siddhibappa, along with three aides Tahaseen Akhtar Wasim Aktar Shaikh (23), Asadulla Akhtar Javed Akhtar (26) and Waqas alias Ahmed (26) were allegedly behind three coordinated bomb explosions at Opera House, Zaveri Zazaar and Dadar West in Mumbai on July 13, 2011, leaving 27 dead and 130 injured.

In February this year, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh each to anyone giving information on Yasin and the three aides.

Except Tahaseen, who planted a bomb in the Dadar blast, the rest three were also involved in the four co-ordinated low-intensity explosions, which struck the busy arterial road in the heart of Pune city on August 1, 2012. Eight accused had been arrested in this connection.

Vicky Nanjappa reports: Yasin Bhatkal was like a brother to IM cadres, but what stood out was the ease with which he coordinated between operatives both in India and the Gulf.

Bhatkal had a unique style of functioning and the reason why he never was on the radar during the planning of terror attacks was because he never used either a mobile phone or email to communicate. The Indian agencies shadowed Yasin with technological intelligence, which made him restrict the use of technology. The Indian agencies had to adopt to human intelligence which again gave him a lot of time to cover his trail.

Earlier, the Indian Mujahideen sent out emails before and after every blasts, but it ensured arrests. When Yasin took over as the IM boss, he ensured that all operations were done quietly.

Yasin's message to his cadres were to carry out as many blasts as possible and not worry about the casualties. The intention was to be in circulation and ensure that the name of the Indian Mujahideen never died down.

In fact, he was the one who ensured that the IM use illegal immigrants from Bangladesh so that there is no trail.

The Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill moved for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha.

Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa reports: At Bhatkal, a small port town in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, nobody knows Yasin, for his name there is Ahmed Siddibapa.

His family resides at the Maqdoom colony in Bhatkal -- a joint family comprising his parents, uncle and aunt and a brother. His brother Sammad was picked up by the Maharashtra ATS a couple of years ago at Mangalore airport. His family members are refusing to speak at the moment and say that they have no information about the arrest.


Pic: The house in Byculla, Mumbai, where Yasin and other IM members planned and executed the 13/7 attack.s

A Sanatan Sanstha worker was picked from Goa by Pune police, as part of its probe into the murder of anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar.

Sandip Shinde (31), a Sanatan 'Sadhak' was taken into custody last night by a team of Pune police which descended at the ashram in Ramnathi village in Ponda, 30 kms away from Panaji.

Goa police had also accompanied their Pune counterparts during a search at the ashram premises which continued for almost an hour.

In other news: The Supreme Court today began in-camera proceedings in the former corporate lobbyist Niira Radia phone tapping case for knowing the Centre's stand and perusing "top secret" documents which formed the basis for interception of her calls.

Bhatkal's key aide Asadullah Akhtar has also been arrested. Bhatkal has been brought to Bettiah in Bihar. He entered Bihar through the Raxaul border.  

Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde speaking to the press very briefly, says Yasin Bhatkal is in the custody of the Bihar police and interrogation is on. 

Intelligence agencies will conduct tests on Yasin Bhatkal to prove beyond doubt that the man arrested is in fact the IM founder. Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde says Bhatkal has been handed over to the Bihar police. The operation was carried out by the Intelligence Bureau with support from the RAW. Bhatkal is being interrogated now. All states will stake claim to interrogate him since he is involved in multiple terror attacks across India. 

Yasin Bhatkal's arrest is the second big breakthrough for Indian agencies after the arrest of Lashkar-e-Taiba bomb expert Abdul Karim Tunda earlier this month. Bhatkal (30) was reportedly caught near Gorakhpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh, after a tip-off from the FBI to the National Investigation Agency.

With several states wanting to question him on terror attacks, Intelligence and law enforcement agencies will now decide where to keep Bhatkal. -- NDTV

NIA has said that Yasin Bhatkal and his Indian Mujahideen has been responsible for every single terror attack in India. 

Vicky Nanjappa reports: Yasin Bhatkal, who was arrested in a joint operation by the Intelligence Bureau and the Delhi police will first be questioned by the Delhi police, followed by the Maharashtra police, the NIA and finally the Bangalore police.

Bhatkal is a major catch for  the agencies because he is believed to be the mastermind behind the Bangalore Chinnaswamy stadium blast, the 13/7 Mumbai train blasts, Hyderabad blasts, Bodhgaya and Delhi blasts. He is the main link between the Gulf and Indian modules.

Apart from being an ideological and operational head of the IM, he was the one responsible for the rebirth of the IM. He has also been credited with the setting up of the Darabhanga module.

Bhatkal's arrest could be considered as third-time lucky for the Indian agencies. He was first picked up by the Kolkata police in a fake currency case in 2009 and was let off. He was later spotted in Byculla after the 13/7 blasts, but managed to escape due to lack of coordination by the police in Maharashtra.

What is in a name? If you live in Bhatkal, a small port town in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka: everything. For the residents of this town, it simply means being linked to the top three terrorists in India -- Riyaz, Iqbal and Yasin Bhatkal. Vicky Nanjappa reports from Bhatkal. Read

Bhatkal was involved in the July 13 Mumbai serial blasts last year. Read

The other arrest that may have helped the police close in in Yasin Bhatkal. Read Vicky Nanjappa's Feb 2012 report. 

Meanwhile, the NIA has informed the Prime Minister of the arrest.

And more on Bhatkal: Naquee Ahmed, one of the 13/7 blasts accused, was in contact with Bhatkal through a popular social networking site since 2008, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad had claimed. Read

So, who IS Yasin Bhatkal? Read Vicky Nanjappa's report on the man. This is the man who regrouped the Indian Mujahideen. Investigators had announced a bounty of Rs 15 lakh on any information on him. 

The home ministry confirms that National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Indian Mujahideen founder Yasin Bhatkal at the Indo-Nepal border. 

Vicky Nanjappa reports: Yasin Bhatkal, one of India's most dreaded terrorists, has been detained at the Indo-Nepal border. 

Mining in Goa could resume by November this year if the Supreme Court lifts the ban imposed on the activity soon, said Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.

After an initial probe, Rajasthan police have found that the allegations of sexual abuse, made against self-proclaimed godman Asaram Bapu by a 16-year-old girl, are correct. 

Cautioning against any hasty action against Syria by the US and allies over the alleged use of chemical weapons, China has called for restraint, saying the world community should wait for the results of the UN inspection team.        

Expressing disappointment over the Russian decision to veto any move towards armed intervention in Syria, the United States has said that there is "no point" in going forward in the UN Security Council.        

US President Barack Obama has said that he has not yet decided whether to attack Syria in the aftermath of the Assad regime allegedly using chemical weapons against its own people on August 21.        

As President Barack Obama considers military action in response to Bashar al-Assad's alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria, a debate over whether he must seek Congress' consent has surfaced. It's a debate with which the president is extremely familiar. 

Egyptian authorities detained more than 60 people associated with the Muslim Brotherhood in less than 24 hours, including relatives of the group's leaders, officials said Wednesday.

Car bomb blasts and other explosions tore through mainly Shiite districts around Baghdad during morning rush hour today in a day of violence that killed at least 80, intensifying worries about Iraq's ability to tame the spiraling mayhem gripping the country. 

A military court today sentenced Nidal Hasan to death for the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, giving the US Army psychiatrist a path to the martyrdom he seemed to want in the attack on unarmed fellow soldiers. 

The five permanent members of the UN Security Council failed to reach an agreement today on a British-proposed resolution that would authorise the use of military force against Syria. 

In his address to thousands who gathered on the Washington Mall on Wednesday to mark the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, President Obama paid tribute to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and to the anonymous millions who stood by King's side during the civil rights fight of the 1960s.

The US is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the March for Jobs and Freedom, the civil rights rally at which Martin Luther King Jr made his "I have a dream" speech.President Barack Obama is to mark the occasion in Washington DC with an address from the same spot.

Car bomb blasts and other explosions tore through Shiite districts around Baghdad during morning rush hour today in a day of violence that killed at least 70, intensifying worries about Iraq's ability to tame the spiralling mayhem gripping the country. 

A 37-year-old Indian death row convict today escaped the noose after he was re-sentenced to life imprisonment by the High Court here following changes to the laws governing sentences for certain categories of murder. 

People in the Syrian capital of Damascus have been mostly insulated from the civil war that has consumed whole cities and left nearly 100,000 people dead. But no longer.