LIVE
Tue, 03 December 2013
HC dismisses plea challenging Bharat Ratna to Tendulkar, Rao

Timeline  Refresh

image
22:58   AP to set up GoM on 'functional independence' of police force
Andhra Pradesh government has decided to constitute a Group of Ministers (GoM) to study all relevant issues for granting "functional independence" to the state police force in tune with orders of the Supreme Court.

The GoM will also make appropriate recommendations for a comprehensive Police Act in accordance with with the modern day challenges and developments.

The state Cabinet, which met this evening, discussed the apex court's orders in Prakash Singh case and the need for a comprehensive Police Act.

In a note released after the Cabinet meet, Principal Secretary (Home) T P Das said the government had already issued executive orders for implementing five out of seven directives of the supreme court, pending requisite legislation.
image
22:50   INS Vikrant to be auctioned
Defence Ministry has initiated the process to auction the decommissioned aircraft carrier INS Vikrant after the Maharashtra government expressed inability to maintain the ship, Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha, chief of Western Naval command, said today.

"I am personally very sad as the ship will be scrapped ...," Sinha said, adding he was probably the last person who steered it.

"The ministry of defence has decided to auction INS Vikrant as the Maharashtra government has informed us they will not be able to maintain the ship," he said. Sinha said if anyone wanted to convert the ship into a museum, the Navy would extend help.
image
22:35   HC dismisses plea challenging Bharat Ratna to Tendulkar, Rao
The Madras high court today dismissed a petition challenging Centre's decision to confer Bharat Ratna on cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and scientist C N R Rao.

The First Bench comprising Chief Justice R K Agrawal and Justice K Ravichandra Babu dismissed the petition concurring with the submissions of Additional Solicitor General of South India P Wilson.

The petitioner Kanakasabai, an advocate, contended that mandatory norms of presidential notification had been violated while deciding to confer the honour to Tendulkar and Rao.

Wilson in the written memo filed before the court contendented that the petitioner had not disclosed the fact that Presidential notification of January 8, 1957 to confer Bharat Ratna to persons who have rendered exceptional service towards advancement of art, literature and science has been amended by another notification of November 10, 2011, providing conferment of the highest civilian award to persons in recognition of their exceptional service or performance in any field of human endeavour.
image
21:32   Tensions ease in Thailand as police remove barriers
Tensions eased in Thailand on Tuesday as police took down barricades in the capital and allowed anti-government demonstrators to enter the compounds of government buildings.

The Thai government said it had negotiated a truce with protesters for the next several days to honor the birthday of the country's deeply revered King. But the leader of the protests said the fight against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her exiled brother would continue.
image
21:14   Obama appoints woman for second top Pentagon post
US President Barack Obama has appointed a woman for the second topmost post in the Department of Defence. Christine Fox has been appointed as the Deputy Secretary of Defence, Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said today.
image
20:36   cid attack survivor gets job in Supreme Court, thanks to Judge
An acid attack survivor, who lost her vision in the incident, will soon join in the Supreme Court as its employee. 

Anu Mukherjee was selected two months ago as a Junior Court Attendant at the initiative taken by Justice Kurian Joseph who is one of the three apex court judges hearing the matter relating to acid attacks.
image
20:11   Prohibitory orders issued to maintain peace on December 6
Prohibitory orders have been issued by the police, in connection with the anniversary of the demolition of the disputed structure (Babri Masjid) at Ayodhya, for three days, beginning from December 5. 

Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma said the police had reliable information that certain groups would try to create disturbances affecting public peace and order in the city in order to incite communal animosity between different communities on December 6.
image
20:05   Kashmir issue should be settled for regional peace: PM Sharif
The Kashmir issue should be settled according to UN resolutions and the aspirations of Kashmiris to ensure peace in the region, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said today. 

He made the remarks while addressing the budget session of the Council of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in Muzaffarabad.
image
19:37   Congress MP Rane arrested for smashing Goa toll booth
Congress minister Narayan Rane's son Nitesh held for assaulting toll booth employees in Goa. Nitesh Rane was trying to impersonate his brother Nilesh Rane who is an MP. MPs and MLAs are given a toll waiver provided they can show their ID card.

Last month, workers of the Indian National Lok Dal or INLD thrashed the manager of a toll plaza at Gurgaon near Delhi. They attacked the manager for refusing to allow the party's buses to pass through without paying the toll charges.

And then there was former Congress leader Vitthal Radadiya whose image -- striding menacingly and brandishing a gun at a hapless toll booth attendant in Gujarat -- will not fade soon from public memory.
image
18:43   'Modi is trying to create national legitimacy on his persona alone'
"It is the first time since Independence that there is a leader who claims to be completely self-made.... Although he is in the BJP, frankly, it is now Modi who is defining the BJP's persona than the BJP defining him as it were."
That's Pratap Bhanu Mehta, arguably India's finest political thinker, speaking to Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt in an eloquent interview. Read
image
18:39   GoM meet on Telangana ends
The Group of Ministers meet on Telangana has ended. Andhra ministers K Pallam Raju, J Seelam and KS Rao are now meeting Sushilkumar Shinde. There will be another GoM on Telangana tomorrow. 
image
18:36   Navy hopeful of reusing sunken INS Sindhurakshak
Expressing hope of reusing the sunken INS Sindhurakshak submarine, the Navy today said its record was "not all that bad" in terms of accidents when compared to other navies in the world.

"These (sinking of INS Vindhyagiri warship and INS Sindhurakshak) are isolated and separate cases. The reasons does not derive their linkage from previous cases. Operational risks are fraught in this business of armed forces.

"I would say that our record is not all that bad. We have had accidents there is no denying but if you compare with other navies...," Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi said in reply to a query related to sinking of two warships in recent times.

The INS Sindhurakshak had sunk on August 14 in the Mumbai naval harbour after an explosion probably in its torpedo section killing all 18 personnel on board. A Board of Inquiry is still on to find out causes behind the accident. 
image
18:25  
This what Virender Sehwag will be doing tomorrow: @virendersehwag: Its Delhi elections tomorrow and I am going to vote with family. Its our responsibility, its our future. Urge ppl to vote. Jai Hind.
image
18:23   This is how the govt plans to secure our coastline
The government is coming up with a coastal security bill to enhance coordination between Centre and the states in the coastal areas to secure the country's maritime zone, Navy Chief Admiral D K Joshi said today.

"We have prepared a draft coastal security bill to further enhance the coordination between the states and the Centre and the coordination between multiple agencies involved in this," he said at a press conference.

The Navy chief said that the draft of the bill has been prepared by the Navy and since, it involves states and local police agencies, the Ministry of Home Affairs has agreed to steer it through.
image
18:19  
Absolutely gorgeous picture of India's last Mughal, Bahadur Shah Zafar, in exile in Rangoon.

The picture was tweeted by Pramod Kapoor. 
image
18:12   Why the Gandhis need to come clean on their wealth
Could this reluctance to come clean on their wealth be tied to the Gandhi family's projection of themselves as the last bastion of the aam-aadmi's interests? Do they fear that a full disclosure of their not-inconsiderable assets would go against their carefully-cultivated pro-poor image, wonders Saisuresh Sivaswamy. Read
image
18:00   Farooq Abdullah does a Mamata, walks out of TV interview
Omar Abdullah: Well I never!!!! BDUTT has got my dad to join the band of storm troopers who have stormed off live on air during an interview :-))

BDUTT: for a second must confess to being flabbergasted! Never happened in the long years ive known him as a journo!

Senior National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah slammed BJP and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi over their remarks on Article 370, granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir. An angry Mr Abdullah said that Article 370 had already been diluted and there's nothing to debate.  He then walked out of the NDTV interview. Watch


And in case you've forgotten: Mamata walks out of show, calls students Maoists. Watch
image
17:48   N Srinivasan's astrologer advised MS Dhoni on match tactics
Super Kings owner N Srinivasan, who's also the BCCI chief, passed his astrologer Dr Venkatesan Karthikeyan's advice on match strategy to captain MS Dhoni during IPL 2013.  Read
image
17:45   India's dangerous 'food bubble'
Grain production is up, but wells are going dry from the unsustainable use of irrigation water in India. Read

image
17:25   India does NOT figure in top 18 most corrupt countries
Transparency International has published its 2013 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt their administrative and political institutions are perceived to be on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) and a 100 (very clean).

Based on a combination of surveys and assessments of "the abuse of entrusted power for private gain," the CPI is the most widely used indicator of corruption worldwide. 

Syria, in the midst of a brutal civil war, dropped eight points in the last year as government officials profit from the food crisis. Libya, in the midst of post-revolutionary turmoil, dropped six points to surpass Iraq in official corruption. Read more
image
17:18  
TV reports says all the seven people killed in the landmine blast by Naxals in Bihar, are security personnel. 
image
17:16   LIVE! Naxals kill 7 people in landmine blast in Aurangabad, Bihar
Just in: Seven people, including two cops have been killed in a landmine blast believed to have been triggered by Naxals in Aurangabad, Bihar.  Details awaited.

So far, a CRPF company has been sent to the spot.

In October, seven people were killed in a landmine blast by suspected Naxals in Obara area Bihar's Aurangabad district.
image
16:54   Court issues production warrants against BSP MP, wife
A Delhi court today issued production warrants against BSP MP Dhananjay Singh and his wife Jagriti Singh, currently lodged in jail under judicial custody in connection with the murder of their maid.

Metropolitan Magistrate Gomati Manocha issued the production warrants for December 5 since they could not be produced before the regular court for extension of their judicial remand. The court was informed that Dhananjay, a MP from Jaunpur
image
16:48   Investigator close to naming people behind Arafat's death
A Palestinian investigator said on Tuesday he would soon name the people he believed were responsible for the death of former leader Yasser Arafat, almost a decade after he started searching for suspects.Arafat, a guerrilla leader who became the first Palestinian president, died in 2004 from a sudden illness contracted while under an Israeli siege at his Ramallah headquarters in the occupied West Bank. More
image
16:42   Delhi votes tomorrow, triangular contest with AAP's debut
All eyes will be on the fledgling Aam Admi Party as Delhiites vote tomorrow in the Assembly elections in which BJP is seeking to stop Congress from clinching a record fourth win.

The entry of Arvind Kejriwal's AAP has changed the dimension of the fight in the polls and it will be interesting to see whether the newbie will just be a "spoiler" or win some seats as predicted by opinion polls, riding on its anti-corruption plank.

The BJP had deployed a battery of top leaders including L K Advani, Narendra Modi, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and Nitin Gadkari who criss-crossed the entire city addressing scores of rallies asking people to "oust" the "corrupt" Congress dispensation.
image
16:29   Indians in Thailand safe, Govt says it supports consultations
India today said all its nationals are safe in Thailand, which is witnessing anti-government protests for nearly a week that claimed at least four lives so far, and supported efforts to address the situation there through consultations to uphold rule of law.

"We are following developments taking place in Thailand and are in constant contact with our Embassy in Bangkok, which is also providing updated information on current situation to Indian travellers and residents, including through its website," Ministry of External Affairs said here, adding all Indian nationals in that country are safe.

It said India was "supportive of all measures and efforts to address the situation through consultations in order to uphold the rule of law, preserve democracy and restore normalcy".
image
16:19   Hungarian bride, Pakistani groom can't understand each other
A sham wedding ceremony was broken up by police after they discovered that the bride and groom were unable to understand what each other were saying.

Sufyan Shahzad, from Pakistan, claimed to have had a whirlwind romance with Hungarian woman Katalin Ottlyk.But when officials noticed that the couple could not communicate properly, they became suspicious and alerted police to the fraud. Read more
image
16:14  
Singer Bob Dylan charged with incitement to racial hatred in France, over comments he made in Rolling Stone magazine. 
image
16:06  
This is what the PIL against Justice AK Ganguly says. Read
image
16:02   Techie's rape: Two resort staff detained for questioning
Police today detained for questioning two employees of a backwater island resort at nearby Pozhiyur in connection with rape of a 40-year-old Bangalore-based IT professional there last month.

According to police sources, both of them were migrant workers from a north eastern state and they were being questioned. Their antecedents were also being verified, the sources said.

The woman, a professional working with an IT company, was allegedly raped by two persons in the star-category resort in the wee hours on November 28.

She had come to the resort with a group of colleagues as part of an official trip. According to her complaint, two unidentified persons entered her room at around 2.30 am.

While one of them restrained her, the other man raped her. The woman suffered injuries and was in a traumatised state after the incident, about which she made a compalint to the police the next evening.

The police registered a case of rape on the basis of the victim's statement. She has left for Bangalore. Since then the resort had been under surveillance and investigation was mostly centred around its employees.
image
15:39   LIVE! AK Ganguly: Undecided on stepping down from Human Rights Body
A raging debate has begun over whether retired Supreme Court Judge AK Ganguly should step down as the head of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission following the sexual harassment charges made by a law intern against him.

Ganguly himself says the time has not come to think about stepping down and said he was undecided about quitting the Commission.

The opinion remains divided on the issue across parties and law experts. After the Trinamool Congress, senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, too, on Monday called for his resignation. "I strongly feel that Justice AK Ganguly should resign as Chairman of WB Human Rights Commission," she had tweeted.
image
15:21   LIVE! Scientist CNR Rao 'plagiarises', PIL challenges Bharat Ratna
Law student Tanaya Thakur and Class XII student Aditya Thakur today filed a PIL in Allahabad High Court, Lucknow Bench challenging Bharat Ratna award to scientist Dr CNR Rao.

The petition says that Bharat Ratna is the highest award of this country and must be given after utmost scrutiny.

There are many scientists like Jagdish Chandra Bose, S N Bose, Meghnad Saha, Dr Homi Bhabha, Vikram Sarabhai etc who made much more lasting and important contribution to science compared to Dr Rao, who comes as occupying posts in government most of the time due to proximity to power.

Secondly, Dr Rao has allegedly published 1400 research papers which is physically impossible, given the fact that one good research takes at least 6 to 8 months. He has been alleged of plagiarism of an article in foreign journal Advance Materials, for which he even apologized. 

Other allegations of plagiarism have been made against him for December 2011 issue of the Journal of Luminescence, January 2006 issue of Advanced Materials and another paper published in 2010 in the Applied Physics Express.

Tanaya and Aditya have said that a scientist with proven cases of plagiarism shall not be presented the highest civilian award and hence the award notification needs to be quashed. 
image
15:14   'Rahul will hoist flag on August 15, 2014 from Red Fort'
Congressman Beni Prasad Verma, known for his controversial comments, has predicted that Rahul Gandhi will hoist the national flag at Delhi's Red Fort on Independence Day next year as Prime Minister. Read
image
15:10   Your brain is wired differently, stupid
Stereotypical differences between the sexes -- such as why men are 'better at map reading' and women 'better at remembering a conversation', explained. Read
image
15:03   Diet low in vitamin D causes damage to brain
A diet low in vitamin D causes damage to the brain, a new study has warned. The study led by University of Kentucky researchers found that in addition to being essential for maintaining bone health, vitamin D serves important roles in other organs and tissue, including the brain.

Researchers found that middle-aged rats that were fed a diet low in vitamin D for several months developed free radical damage to the brain, and many different brain proteins were damaged as identified by redox proteomics.
image
14:50   There are 110 time bombs ticking away somewhere
Investigation agencies say that Indian Mujahideen bought 170 clocks from a shop in Guwahati; 23 were used in Patna to carry out two attacks and some were recovered during a raid in Mangalore. The worry is that 110 clocks are still out there ticking. Vicky Nanajappa reports.
image
14:48   Pak national released from Guwahati Central Jail after 14 yrs
An arrested Pakistani national has been released from the Guwahati Central Jail after 14 years and sent back to his home country after the Gauhati high Court acquitted him of the charges levelled against him.

The 45-year old Pakistani national identified as Fasiullah Hussaini was released from the jail yesterday and sent with police escort to Delhi for being handed over to Pakistan Rangers at the Wagah border with the help of BSF, jail authorities said.
image
14:43   Bolshoi acid attack: Soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko guilty
A Russian court has found Bolshoi ballet soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko guilty of organising an acid attack on the company's artistic director. Two fellow defendants were also convicted of a part in the attack. -- BBC
image
14:24   Not an open letter to Tarun Tejpal: Hartman de Souza
"When I hit out at him, Tejpal stood there with a swagger and a go-fuck-yourself smile on his face. Butter doesn't melt easily in this guy's mouth; he was smug when he said he hadn't run Raman Kirpal's story on the mining scam in Goa (that he himself had commissioned mind you) because it was not good enough for Tehelka." 

Read Hartman de Souza's column on Kafila. 
image
14:19   BJP to raise coal scam, misuse of CBI in Parliament session
BJP raise issues like the coal scam, the alleged misuse of CBI and IB, among others during the winter session of Parliament beginning Thursday, senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said today.

The leader also stressed that there is no dilution or deviation of BJP's stand on Article 370.

"The BJP will raise all important people's issues in the coming session of Parliament. We will take up the coal scam in a big way, the government not acting against the Prime Minister, but acting against the officers who are known to be honest and the harassment meted out to people who are not amenable to their pressure," Naidu said.
image
14:13   North Korea powerbroker uncle 'dismissed'
The powerful uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been removed from his post, two media reports say.

Citing intelligence sources, the South Korean reports said Chang Song-thaek had lost his position as vice-chairman of North Korea's top military body.

Chang had been seen as a key figure in the administration of North Korea's young new leader.

Observers believed he was a major influence on Mr Kim, who assumed the leadership of North Korea in 2011.

Kim Jong-un took over the leadership after his father Kim Jong-il died. Chang, who is married to Kim Jong-il's sister, was seen by some observers as the power behind the throne with considerable influence over the new leader.  -- BBC
image
14:02   Will winter session of Parl be extended?
BJP senior leader Sushma Swaraj says there is unanimity among parties for extending the Winter Parliament session concluding on Dec 20 after a one- week break. Kamal Nath says a decision will be taken after consulting Rajya Sabha MPs and members from the north east and the south.
image
14:00   Alagiri moves out of govt bungalow
DMK leader MK Alagiri has moved out of his Delhi bungalow. He had been staying at a government bungalow at 1, Kamaraj Road in Delhi for four years. Alagiri is not in the mood to contest the 2014 Lok Sabha polls since he has an eye on organizational matters of the DMK.

Three truckloads of his personal belongings were sent to Chennai and some to Madurai.

During the Winter Session of Parliament he may stay with DMK MP K V Ramalingam or at Delhi Hotel.  
image
13:49   LIVE! Cong frowns at Sunanda Pushkar's tweets on Article 370
The Congress leadership is unhappy with Sunanda Pushkar's statement on Article 370 which indirectly supports Narendra Modi.

An AICC functionary called up Shashi Tharoor saying her tweets were in fact, a criticism of Pt Nehru. She is believed to have apologised to Tharoor and said she supports the rights of Kashmiri Pandits.

On a panel discussion on NDTV she had also told Barkha Dutt that she wants a relook at Article 370.

Here are some of her tweets on December 1:

"So if a girl marries a non kashmiri her kid doesn't inherit if a kashmiri guy marries a non kashmiri girl can his kid inherit?

Now that I am told the girls can buy let me see but issue remains why can't my son inherit it?

Omar has told me to reapply for a State Subject as mine had got burned with our house

OMG really? That is totally unfair.Point is who set this all in motion? We can't blame Omar for previous laws

Omar told me that & promised2 help all the women who don't have the state subject.an official in Jammu was ill informed

I wasn't allowed to buy land a few years ago was told I can't as I am married to a non kashmiri

Omar responds to this tweet.
Omar Abdullah: ‏this law changed almost 10 years ago so would appreciate
if you & Shashi could set the record straight.


What is Article 370? Read
image
13:24   Antony, Shinde meet Advani on Telangana
Defence minister AK Antony and home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had an hour-long meeting with LK Advani recently.

Insiders say that this meeting was held to seek the BJP's support for the Telangana Bill.

Seasoned politician that Advani is, his response to these two emissaries was: "Let me discuss with the BJP Parliamentary Board." He also asked the ministers to send the copy of the report of Group of Minsters on Telangana so that the BJP can formulate its strategy. 
image
13:19   China factor must not be allowed to derail Indias relations with Japan
This may not be the age of empire, but an imperial visit is rarely without a political context. The office of Emperor Akihito of Japan has been careful to explain that his visit to India is not intended to "counter' China. Read the editorial on the Hindu. 
image
13:03   Rajpal Yadav arrested on charges of concealing facts
The Delhi High Court Tuesday remanded Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav to 10 days police custody for concealing facts about a Rs 5 crore recovery suit filed against him and his wife by a Delhi-based entrepreneur.

Justice S. Murlidhar also asked Yadav's wife to remain present in the Registrar General's office till the rising of the court.

The judge also issued a contempt of court notice against two lawyers representing the couple. -- IBN Live
image
12:57   Despite strains, India, Sri Lanka deepen naval ties
India and Sri Lanka have agreed to a slew of naval cooperation measures to target pirates and terrorist groups operating in the Indian ocean, highly-placed government sources have told The Hindu.

The measures were discussed at an unpublicised meeting between Sri Lanka's permanent Defence Secretary, Lieutenant-Colonel Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and India's National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon on Thursday.  Read Praveen Swami's column on the Hindu
image
12:54   The Profumo Affair: 'It was decided that Stephen Ward had to die'
As the musical 'Stephen Ward' opens tonight, a new book makes a strong case that the osteopath at the centre of the Profumo Affair was murdered. Read
image
12:51  
Just in: Unregulated private armoury ships can lead to 26/11-type situation: Navy Chief says.
image
12:45   Saeed has ear of Pakistan's ISI, and is 'fanning anti-India sentiment'
An intelligence assessment sent to South Block by the Indian mission in Pakistan, and accessed by Mail Today, says that 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Muhammed Saeed, with the backing of Nawaz Sharif's government, has intensified his anti-India propaganda and operations to influence Islamabad's policy towards its larger neighbour. Read more
image
12:39   Did not violate model code, just made general statement: Jaya
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today denied having violated the model code by announcing new schemes in campaigning for AIADMK for the Yercaud bypoll and said she had only made a general statement that government would provide whatever is required for welfare of people.

"I made a general statement that whatever is required for the uplift of the people in the area would be provided. It would not be correct to link the unrelated general statement with the requirements which were brought to my notice," she said in her reply to Chief Election Commission's notice.

The Election Commission of India had yesterday issued a notice to the Chief Minister seeking her response before 5 pm today, on a complaint alleging that she made announcements for new schemes by the state government, while campaigning for her party candidate on November 28 in Yercaud, where bypolls will be held tomorrow.
image
12:37   LIVE! SC asks states to regulate acid sale by March 31, 2014
The Supreme Court has asked all states to come out with a notification regulating acid sale by March 31, 2014.

The SC also asks states to respond by coming out with a scheme that will fund the treatment of acid attack victims.

The Supreme Court's order to prevent acid attacks by declaring it a non-bailable offence seems to have little impact on administration and authorities.

Available at hardware shops in market by merely producing an identity proof, offenders have no hesitation in using acid to disfigure or even leave someone handicapped for life.

Acid is available as cheap as Rs 15 per litre at many shops. On contacting officials, they said anyone can buy acid if the person produces photo ID.

The court now seeks a response from all state governments for providing free treatment to acid victims including the cost of plastic surgery.
image
12:28   75 of the most popular films of 1980-1995
Here is a list of 75 of the 200 most popular films of 1980-1995 according to IMDB - how many have you seen? Have a go
image
12:18   What can tourists expect when visiting North Korea?
The tour bus bounces along one of North Korea's potholed roads, pop music blasting out over the speakers. It's a catchy tune and even though none of the tourists can understand the lyrics, a few are tapping their feet to the beat.

The hit song, "Without a Break," is by Moranbong, by far North Korea's most popular band. The driver is clearly a fan and plays the DVD several times a day. Read more
image
12:10   Nanny convicted of killing baby is pregnant. Here's what the baby's parents say
Louise Woodward should take parenting classes 'for the sake of her own child', the family of the baby boy she was convicted of killing in America 16 years ago have suggested.

The former nanny, who is seven months pregnant, needs to learn to control her temper before her own child arrives, they say.Woodward was jailed for 15 years in 1997 for killing eight-month-old Matthew Eappen at his home in Boston. Read
image
11:55   How school for poor was nixed to clear MPs IB school
Five government departments, including the chief minister's office, bent over backwards to gift two prime plots of land in Andheri worth over Rs 100 crore for less than Rs 1 lakh to a trust run by Union minister Rajiv Shukla's wife. Read
image
11:51   Pakistans Change of Guard and General Ashfaq Kayanis Legacy
Pakistan has a new, pro-Western army chief, but don't except its military to become less controlling and paranoid, writes Husain Haqqani for the Daily Beast. Read
image
11:48   Internationalising the 1984 riots
The ghosts of the 1984 riots are not going away just yet. Vigorous efforts are under way to resurrect them. Read
image
11:44   Traditional rivals discomfited
As the national capital, Delhi has always attracted interest disproportionate to its size. Even so, there is more than the usual excitement around the Assembly elections this time, because of the entry of a feisty newcomer, the Aam Aadmi Party led by Arvind Kejriwal. Read
image
11:33   Huffington Post removes Sonia Gandhi's name from rich politicians' list
After creating the furore over its report which claimed that Sonia Gandhi is the 12th richest political leader in the world, the Huffington Post World has now removed the Congress president's name from the list of rich world leaders.

The Huffington Post report now carries a footnote at the bottom of the article, stating: "Sonia Gandhi and the former emir of Qatar Hamid bin Khalifa al-Thani have been removed from this list. Gandhi was originally included based on a listing on a third party site which was subsequently called into question. Our editors have been unable to verify the amount, removed the link, and regret any confusion."

The website of Huffington Post World had published a report claiming that Sonia Gandhi has USD 2 billion wealth, and is richer than Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Syria President Bashar al-Assad.

The report did not mention how it arrived at this conclusion. 
image
11:31   LIVE! Anti-Sikh riots: SC rejects Sajjan Kumar's plea to quash charges
The Supreme Court has rejected the bail plea of Sajjan Kumar to quash the charges against him in the anti-Sikh riots in the Sultanpuri area in 1984.Sajjan Kumar and three other accused are facing trial in the case and they have requested the court to drop the names of nine prosecution witnesses, claiming they were "irrelevant".

CBI earlier said though the charge sheet pertains to killing of six people, it was only restricting the charge relating to murder of Surjit Singh and not of other people in respect of whom the trial had already taken place.CBI earlier said though the charge sheet pertains to killing of six people, it was only restricting the charge relating to murder of Surjit Singh and not of other people in respect of whom the trial had already taken place.

The CBI opposed Sajjan Kumar's plea. Senior advocate H.S. Phoolka, appearing for the riot victims, backed the CBI, saying the witnesses are very important in the case and if their names are removed, it will be the miscarriage of justice.
image
11:09   Laffaire Tejpal and reporting norms
Most media outlets did not bother to maintain high standards regarding two critical issues: the norms of reporting sexual violence and balancing the readers' right to know with the individual right of the victim to privacy.

The Hindu's extensive coverage of the issue deserves to be studied in detail for its adherence to journalistic norms and values in covering l'affaire Tejpal.

Read
image
11:05   Theres No Heir There
"The prince was decent; he was hardworking; he was sincere. But he was, as far as the ballot box went, an unmitigated and un-photo-shoppable disaster."

Author Aatish Taseer's essay on Rahul Gandhi for the New York Times. Read
image
11:01  
Just in: The Supreme Court refuses to give an urgent hearing on Tamil Nadu's plea to set up a Cauvery Management Board.
image
11:00   Four-star general as governments top military adviser?
The defence ministry, pushed by the Prime Minister to restructure the armed forces' headquarters, is reluctantly mulling the creation of a permanent post of a four-star general who would be the government's top military adviser. Read
image
10:51   Last lap: AAP upbeat, BJP hopeful, Sheila soldiers on
As the curtains came down on campaigning for bitterly fought Delhi assembly elections on Monday evening, all three main contenders - Congress, BJP and Aam Admi Party (AAP) - claimed to be winning, and yet it was difficult to miss the anxiety on the face of the key players.

The reason: there's a joker in the pack in this election - AAP - whose strong showing has made traditional equations go awry. So much so, that many pollsters are predicting a hung assembly this time. Read
image
10:46   Tarun Tejpal taken to hotel where alleged rape took place
Update on the Tarun Tejpal story: Rape accused and the former editor-in-chief of Tehelka, Tarun Tejpal, was taken by cops last evening to the Grand Hyatt hotel in Goa to reconstruct the scene of the alleged crime.

On NDTV, read: Tehelka case: A Father of Daughters. ReadSonia Singh's column today.
image
10:40   Modi can't repeal Article 370 even if he becomes PM for 10 terms: Farooq
In a raging political war over Article 370 of the Constitution, which grants special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir, union minister Farooq Abdullah had now hit out at Narendra Modi.

"Even if Modi becomes PM for ten times, he will not be able to do away with Article 370. You talk of debate, BJP does not indulge in any debate," Abdullah told reporters in Delhi last night. Read more
image
10:35   Prithvi-II missile successfully test-fired
India test-fires indigenously developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile from a test range in Odisha: Defence sources.
image
10:10   India to be thrid largest energy consumer by 2020: PM
India expected to be third largest energy consumer in the world by 2020, said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today. 
image
10:08   'Brahmaputra Cruises' among world's Top 10 adventurous cruises
'Brahmaputra Cruises' by Assam Bengal Navigation Company has been recognised by CNN International as one of the top 10 Most Adventurous Cruises in the World for 2013.

The 'Brahmaputra Cruises (Jungle Book Tour/India)' has been ranked sixth among the cruises including the Amazon, the Antartica, the North Pole, Australia and Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, Managing Director of Assam Bengal Navigation Company, Ashish Phookan, told PTI.
image
09:58   Sonia declares value of land as Rs 2.19 lakh. Cost above Rs 18 cr
Indian Express reports: An analysis of the countries top politicians including presidents of the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party -- Sonia Gandhi and Rajnath Singh -- shows that most have not declared their real assets or the real value of the assets they have made public.

The reports shows that they have undervalued their immovable property.

Sonia Gandhi's declarations in 2004 and 2009 mention the value of her 3 bighas of land in Dera Mandi (Mehrauli, Delhi) and 12 bighas 15 biswa land in Sultanpur village in the same area as Rs 2.19 lakh.

But far from being the "current market value" as mandated by the EC, this does not even come close to the declared value of land in the same area by Kanwar Singh Tanwar, a BSP candidate in the 2008 Delhi Assembly election. Tanwar has declared his 12 bighas 5 biswa land in Dera to be worth Rs 18.37 crore, the report says.

Read the full report on Indian Express
  
image
09:33   Amazon intent to deliver packages by drones fuels national debate
The United States appeared to have entered into a national debate on the proposal by Amazon CEO to use drones to deliver its packages to homes after a top legislator has raised concerns about privacy protection of American public for such a move.

"Before drones start delivering packages, we need the FAA to deliver privacy protections for the American public," US Senator, Ed Markey, said in a statement.

"Convenience should never trump constitutional protections. Before our skies teem with commercial drones, clear rules must be set that protect the privacy and safety of the public," he added.

The Federal Aviation Administration is scheduled to issue a ruling on the impact of increased use of commercial drones on the US airline industry by 2015.
image
09:30   Yasin Malik thrown out of Delhi hotel with his 18-month-old baby
Separatist group Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front alleged its chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik and his family had to spend several hours on road in Delhi after they were forced to leave the hotel booked by them.

Malik and his family, including his 18-month-old daughter, went to Delhi on Sunday and booked two rooms in a hotel near Nizam-ud-din, the JKLF said in a statement.

However, they were asked to leave around midnight by the hotel management, the group alleged.
image
09:07   Aam Aadmi Party installs spy cameras to check rivals from buying votes
To counter any attempt by its rivals to woo voters through distribution of cash and liquor, the Aam Aadmi Party has installed 2,000 high resolution spy cameras in and around slums of Delhi and said it was their attempt to end the age-old practice of buying votes.

The AAP also claimed that it has already met success with the endeavour as locals and party volunteers in the Badli village assembly constituency caught red-handed some people allegedly distributing liquor bottles at night.
image
08:57   Tehelka fest website removes pics of complainant
Indian Express reports:  Two pictures of the complainant in the Tehelka sexual assault case were pulled out of the official Thinkfest website (thinkworks.in) after they were brought to the notice of the Goa police.

The pictures, part of a slideshow from the November 8-10 festival held at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Bambolim, identified the woman journalist who has now quit the magazine.

She has accused Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal of sexually assaulting her on two occasions during the fest.

Read the full report here
image
08:48   Massive evidence links Bashar al-Assad to Syria war crimes: UN
CNN reports: A United Nations fact-finding team has found "massive evidence" that the highest levels of the Syrian government are responsible for war crimes in the nation's long-running civil war, the United Nation human rights chief said.

Navi Pillay didn't name Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but she said the evidence collected by the UN commission of inquiry on Syria implicates the regime's top man.
image
00:12   Obama shops for books With daughters, buys Jhumpa Lahiri's 'The Lowland'
Reuters reports: President Barack Obama and his daughters, Sasha and Malia, went on what has become an annual book shopping spree on Saturday, stopping at a bookstore to promote an event called Small Business Saturday.

The First Family, in casual dress, stopped traffic in Politics and Prose, a tiny locally-owned store in Northwest Washington.

They took time to mingle with camera-phone wielding shoppers before heading to the checkout.They purchased about two dozen books, including The Lowland, by Jhumpa Lahiri, The Ballad of the Sad Cafe: Other stories by Carson McCullers, Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews, and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
image
00:07   Sushma demands Justice Ganguly's resignation as WBHRC chief
BJP leader Sushma Swaraj tonight demanded the resignation of former Supreme Court judge A K Ganguly, accused of sexually harassing a young woman law intern, as Chairman of West Bengal Human Rights Commission, saying "not only Caesar's wife but Caesar too must be above suspicion".

"I strongly feel that Justice A K Ganguly should resign as Chairperson of West Bengal Human Rights Commission", she said in a post on micro-blogging site Twitter.

"Not only Caesar's wife but Caesar too must be above suspicion", the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha added.

Justice Ganguly has been accused by the law intern of sexually harassing her, a charge denied by him.

TOP STORIES