Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung has called Delhi BJP chief ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan for discussion on Thursday on government formation.

Author Nilanjana S Roy on the Supreme Court's verdict: 

Gay rights advocate Gautam Bhan talks about why taking on the Supreme Court of India is not that daunting after all.

President's Rule appeared imminent in Delhi as both the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party today stuck to their ground of not forming a government and preferring fresh elections instead. 

Taking exception to BJP MLA Ramadhar Singh's remarks -- that those occupying constitutional posts were patronising the Maoists -- Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today drew Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary's attention towards the comments and demanded that a privilege notice be issued.        

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai will arrive in Delhi on Thursday on a four-day visit, during which he is expected to press for the supply of military hardware by India to strengthen the war-torn country's security, ahead of the withdrawal of NATO forces by next year.        

Naz Foundation, a NGO, today said it will file a review petition in the Supreme Court for re-examination of the verdict which declared the penal provision prohibiting gay sex among consenting adults as valid.         

Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal will go to Ralegan Siddhi on Thursday to extend his support to Anna Hazare, who is on indefinite hunger strike to demand the passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill in the Parliament.        

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today claimed that an anti-Congress wave is sweeping the country, but declined to comment on whether her party would be part of a Narendra Modi government if it comes to power after Lok Sabha polls.      

After a historic win in the assembly elections, Raman Singh will be sworn in as the chief minister of Chhattisgarh for the third consecutive time on Thursday, in the presence of several senior politicians.        

The BJP demanded today that the CBI should take action against weekly magazine Tehelka for misleading and fabricating false evidence in the Barak missile case.        

All India Congress Committee General Secretary and in-charge of party affairs for Andhra Pradesh, Digvijaya Singh's visit to Hyderabad on Thursday, was opposed today by Andhra Pradesh state government employees supporting a "united" state.        

The Congress today declined to comment on the controversy surrounding land allotment to Union minister Rajiv Shukla at Juhu in Mumbai, saying the minister was the the best person to react to it.        

Social activist Medha Patkar will reach Ralegan Siddhi to meet and support Anna Hazare on Thursday morning, sources said today.        

Two crucial witnesses in the Mumbai attacks case, a bank manager and a security official, were today cross-examined in a Pakistani anti-terrorism court, which is conducting the trial of seven suspects charged with involvement in the assault five years ago.        

Two of the four death row convicts in the December 16 gang-rape case today contended before the Delhi high court that police had arrested them without following proper procedure.        

Rajasthan's chief minister-designate Vasundara Raje, in her first official discussion with the Centre, has sought the services of five IAS officers from New Delhi -- Rajiv Maharishi, Ashoka Singhvi, Subash Garg, Shankar Agarwal and Mitu Jain. 

India today announced it would be mandatory for all persons 'adults or children' travelling to the country from Pakistan to furnish proof of vaccination against polio from January 30 next year.        

This is the full text of the 97-page SC verdict criminalising homosexuality. Read

A woman who wants to marry in a Church of Scientology chapel has won a battle in the UK's highest court. Read

Meet the man who clicked Sachin Tendulkar when he was 6 months old. Read

BJP today alleged that Congress has exposed its "hidden malicious inclination" to check the stormy march of the party by contemplating to join hands with Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Admi Party, in the wake of BJP's lead in the Delhi Assembly poll results.

BJP's national general secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi alleged this quoting Congress' general secretary Shakeel Ahmad's statement broadcast this morning by All India Radio that all the eight legislators of Congress in Delhi have expressed their willingness to support the proposed government formed by the AAP.

Naqvi also termed the AAP, a "by-product" of Congress.

BJP today favoured abolition of income, sales and excise tax and the party may include it in its vision document to be unveiled ahead of General elections next year.

Former BJP president Nitin Gadkari, who is in-charge of preparing the party's vision document 'India Vision 2025', said that the party was presently deliberating the matter.

"We were talking about tax and although we have not decided as yet but a good presentation came before us. There is a suggestion of complete abolition of Income, Sales and Excise tax," he said, addressing a function on political agenda of political parties.

He said that the total revenue of the country is Rs 14 lakh crore and 1.5 lakh bank branches are operating in the country presently. "If we abolish these taxes and if we apply around 1 or 1.5 per cent of expenditure or transaction tax, then we will get revenue to the tune of around Rs 40,000 lakh crore.

"So those 3.5 lakh people who are using becons of various colours now, they will not be required anymore as no tribunals or commissioners will be required," he said.

Investigative journalism website Cobrapost has lined up another expose tomorrow 3.30 pm at New Delhi's Constitution Club, and naturally there's tremendous buzz among members of Parliament about who the sting operation will target this time.

Cobrapost's last expose blew the lid off the stalking of a woman by the Gujarat police on the orders of the BJP government, which set off ructions in the midst of the recent assembly elections.

So what will tomorrow's expose reveal? Watch this space.

10 FACTS you must know about Pope Francis. Read

With a focus on compassion, the leader of the Catholic Church has become a new voice of conscience. This is why Pope Francis is Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2013. Read

NYT's Lydia Polgreen tweeting from Johannesburt says she has just seen Nelson Mandela for the last time. His unmistakable face, carved from Thembu royalty, serene. He wore a brown shirt.

At least 5000 supporters at the Aam Aadmi Party victory rally at Jantar Mantar today. Addressing the gathering, AAP leader Yogendra Yadav hit out at the BJP, which has emerged as the single largest party in the Delhi polls, saying that despite getting four more seats, the party was scared to form the government.

Referring to the win of AAP in Delhi, Yadav said that they had challenged the politics of muscle power and money, and changed the definition of politics.

He further said that AAP was in support of Anna Hazare, who is sitting on a fast for Jan Lokpal Bill at Ralegan Siddhi.

Yadav pointed that while earlier the government did not take note of Anna's fast for days, this time it had acted within a day as it was frightened because of AAP's victory.

Tehelka's founder editor Tarun Tejpal was today remanded in 12-day judicial custody in the case of alleged sexual assault of a junior woman colleague by a local court which agreed to his plea of a special cell at Sada sub-jail, where he was taken.

Judicial magistrate Kshama Joshi, who remanded Tejpal in judicial custody, allowed his application seeking a special cell in the high security Sada sub-jail in Vasco town.

Advocate Sandip Kapoor representing Tejpal raised security concerns and argued that since he has been an "investigative journalist" during his career, he should not be asked to share the prison with other inmates.

The court allowed the application for Tejpal, who has been moved from the Panaji police lock-up where he spent 10 days after his arrest.

Tejpal was produced before the judicial magistrate by Goa Police crime branch after his remand period expired.

The police had sought two days' of custody for the accused, which was refused by the court.

Benazir Bhutto feared elements of the so-called establishment, including people linked to the intelligence services.

She highly distrusted individuals like Hamid Gul who -- she was convinced -- maintained active ties with jihadists.'

Heraldo Munoz, author of the sensational new book, Getting Away With Murder, tells Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa in an exclusive interview. Read

A man who provided sign language interpretation on stage for Nelson Mandela's memorial service, attended by scores of heads of state, was a "fake," the national director of the Deaf Federation of South Africa said on Tuesday.Asked about the claim by The Associated Press, South Africa's government said it was preparing a statement. Read

Is the BJP within sniffing distance of national power after nearly 10 years out in the cold? The short answer: The prospects of the BJP look much brighter than before, but it's still far from a shoo-in. Read

Sad news coming in. One of the two CRPF jawans injured in a militant attack at Nowgam on the outskirts of Srinagar this afternoon, has succumbed to his injuries, reports Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar.

The jawans were rushed to hospital for treatment.

The area has been surrounded by security forces and searches are going on. Militants fired at the jawan from a close range, injuring him critically, said a senior police officer.  

More inside dope on what happened in Parliament today. Boisterous laughter greeted Rajiv Sukhla at the Central Hall of Parliament when he crossed the hall over the buzz over the selection of Nandan Nilakeni's name as the Congress PM candidate and NOT Rahul Gandhi.

For probably the first time in the history of the Lok Sabha, the secretariat issued a press release explaining the role of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha in handling the reports of the Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Meira Kumar is believed to be extremely upset over the proposed no-confidence motion as she feels it will give negative publicity in her constituency.

Insiders feel the Lok Sabha is likely to be adjourned sine die on Thursday. 

And why has that letter been written now?

Well, Anna Hazare's  indefinite hunger strike to press for the passage of Jan Lokpal Bill entered the second day today. 76-year-old Hazare continues his fast at his village here braving the cold weather in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district. The anti-graft crusader is on hunger strike near the Yadavbaba temple in the village, under the banner of Jantantra Morcha.

Arun Jaitley writes to Anna Hazare on the Lokpal Bill.

"I have received your letter dated 30th November, 2013 in relation to the Lokpal. 

My party and I am fully committed to the highest norms of public accountability and therefore believe that the Lokpal should be brought into force immediately.

I am writing to you to remove any possibility of misunderstanding on this issue which is indicated in your letter."

Read the letter here.

A jawan of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was critically injured in a militant attack at Nowgam on the outskirts of Srinagar on Wednesday afternoon, reports Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar.

The jawan was rushed to a hospital for treatment. The area has been surrounded by security forces and searches are going on. Militants fired at the jawan from a close range, injuring him critically, said a senior police officer.

Right now, the Aam Admi Party is out in full strength at Jantar Mantar to celebrate its phenomenal performance at the Delhi assembly polls. All the top leaders of the party, including Arvind Kejriwal, are at the venue. 

CPM leader Sitaram Yechuri returned to Delhi today. He was in Johannesburg for Nelson Mandela's memorial ceremony yesterday along with President Pranab Mukherjee, Sonia Gandhi and Sushma Swaraj.  They travelled back with the president on board Air India One.

At Parliament today, he was heard telling other MPs that he had a 22 hour flight with a four-hour stopover in Cape Town and he was feeling jet-lagged and sleepy.

Yechury also said that Pranab Mukherjee had told him that he felt like a prisoner in the palacial Rashtrapati Bhavan, to which Yechury told the president that the Congress should not have chosen an active politician as the President of India.

He said he spent over an hour with the President discussing future political formulations and the impact of AAP. 

Sushma Swaraj also spent considerable time with the President on
the flight from Cape Town to New Delhi as did Sonia Gandhi. 

Here's what's being done to end the status quo in Delhi.

1. The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung has despatched a report to the President of India about the Delhi Assembly elections.

2. The Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the Union Cabinet is expected to meet and accept the resignation of Sheela Dikshit and formulate a political map for New Delhi by discussing the ways and means of the fractured mandate.

3. The PAC will authorise the Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde to initiate political action by directing the governor to invite the single largest party to form government.

President Barack Obama's selfie at Nelson Mandela's memorial service has gone viral on social media sites, with many questioning whether the moment of delight was appropriate for the occasion.

Obama posed for a picture with UK PM David Cameron, while Denmark''s PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt held up her smartphone to capture all three of them smiling broadly in their seats at Soweto's World Cup stadium, Channel24 reports.

The grinning selfie was quickly picked up by major international news outlets, the report added.

The US-based social news website, Buzzfeed, reported it with a headline: "Is This The Most Important Selfie Of 2013?"

Jeffry Halverson, historian of religions, tweeted: "There should be a moratorium on ''selfies'' during memorials and funerals, no?"

British PM David Cameron's interview to CNN at the memorial service of Nelson Mandela. He said Mandela was the only person who could get away with calling the Queen, 'Elizabeth'. Read more

The corridors of the capital are abuzz with speculation as to who might be Congress' candidate for Prime Minister -- if a candidate should indeed be named before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, and if Rahul Gandhi decides he doesn't wish to position himself for the job.

Meanings are being read in Sonia Gandhi's statement on Sunday, after the electoral debacle, that a candidate would be named at an "opportune time".

Read more

"Decriminalising homosexuality marks a critical point of departure in the lives of many across the nation; young and old, gay and straight, rich and poor. And while full emancipation may yet be an unfulfilled desire, it is an important first step in a legitimate struggle along that long arc of justice."

Read Milind Deora's 2009 essay on decriminalizing homosexuality.  

A letter to the country that plunges itself back into darkness. Read

Omar Abdullah: Questions of morality or religion are not the issue. How can a lifestyle choice be illegal? SC removes red lights for equality yet not #377

A Taliban suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near a NATO military convoy entering Kabul airport today, killing himself but causing no other casualties.

The blast was heard across the Afghan capital, which has seen a recent drop in insurgent attacks after several high-profile strikes earlier this year.

"We can confirm a suicide car bombing that targeted an ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) convoy coming to Kabul International Airport," a spokeswoman with the NATO force said.

 "The vehicle detonated too early and didn't reach the convoy. There were no ISAF casualties."

Controversial self-styled godman Asaram Bapu's son Narayan Sai has "more or less" accepted the rape allegations levelled against him by a woman, police claimed here today.

"During our intense questioning, Sai has more or less accepted the rape allegations levelled against him by one of the two (Surat-based) sisters," Surat Commissioner of Police Rakesh Asthana told mediapersons. Sai has also revealed to police during interrogation that he had physical relationships with eight of his female disciples, he said.

"It has also come to light that he fathered a child with one of his sevikas (disciple)," Asthana said.

Sai was subjected to joint interrogation by police along with the complainant, the official said, adding intense quizzing was carried out to find out how he evaded arrest for 58 days and who helped him when he was absconding.

Police said that Sai was also interrogated in the presence of his estranged wife.

The infamous search for gold in Unnao cost the ASI Rs 2.78 lakh.

"An expenditure of Rs 2,78,751 was incurred on the trial excavations at the site," Culture Minister Chandresh Kumari Katoch said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha today.

An ASI team had started on October 18 the excavation work at the fort of Raja Rao Ram Bux Singh in Unnao to dig out a suspected gold treasure, which a seer had dreamed of being buried there.

The team worked on two trenches in search of gold but found nothing. A month later, in November, the ASI decided to call off the work after the first trench proved to be a dud and a second trench also failed to reveal anything substantial.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said the government will definitely take into cognisance the verdict of the Supreme Court on criminalising gay sex.

"As far as the government is concerned, if I recall correctly, in 2009 or 2010 when M Veerappa Moily was the Law Minister, he had said that section 377 of IPC should be decriminalised. But since a decision has come, the government will take cognisance of it and let you know," he said.

On Twitter: Baba Ramdev is yet to learn the asana where he takes his foot out of his mouth. 

In other news: Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party, which has impressed mainstream political parties with a dazzling debut in the Delhi election, has also rattled them in equal measure.

After three days of uncertainty over who will form a government in Delhi, which has delivered a hung verdict, a BJP leader has ridiculed the new party as some "Aam-Amrud Party" - a party of fruits - that dreams of besting their prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.  Read more

When Subramanian Swamy and Baba Ramdev agreed on homosexuality.    

Janata Party leader Swamy, said that homosexuality was a malfunction of the human body and should be treated medically.

"I welcome Supreme Court judgment holding homosexuality as illegal,' Subramanian told The Wall Street Journal in an email statement after the Supreme Court judgment.

"It is no accident that men and women are born in equal proportion. Moreover survival of the human race requires one man one woman cohabitation,' he added.

Any behavior which disturbs this natural selection should be regarded as deviant and treated as illegal, Subramanian said.

"The government and corporates must fund research to find a cure for homosexuality at the earliest. It is a malady that should not be celebrated but cured with compassion,' he said.

Ramdev today said that a regular doze of yoga can cure homosexuality and that he upheld the Supreme Court judgment.

Uruguay has approved pioneering legislation legalising marijuana, becoming the first nation in the world to oversee the production and sale of the drug. After a 12-hour debate, 16 leftist senators out of 29 lawmakers voted yesterday in favour of the legislation championed by President Jose Mujica, who must now sign it into law.

"I am a homosexual; a homosexual in the largest democracy in the world. Things should be easier for me with superlatives like that, but they aren't. In fact they have been difficult."

Read Harish Iyer's searing account of his struggle with homosexuality.

The Supreme Court has struck down the  Delhi High Court decision decriminalizing gay sex in what might go down as the most retrograde judgement in India's history.

While the details of the Court's reasoning are still not available, we can perhaps easily imagine what they might be. This is time of civil disobedience. Time for protest.

Assemble at Jantar Mantar at 4.30 pm to announce to the world that 'We Are All Queer'.

To announce that this is not a struggle of just the 'gay-lesbian community' but a struggle for our most fundamental rights and cherished values.
-- Kafila.org

Proceedings in Parliament were paralysed for the third day running over a number of issues, including Telangana and death of 40 children in Muzaffarnagar relief camps, preventing the notices for a no-confidence motion from being taken up today.

The issue of scheduled caste status to 17 backward castes was raised in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha by Samajwadi Party, apparently to counter the Muzaffarnagar issue being repeatedly raised by the BSP, the main detractor of the ruling SP in Uttar Pradesh.

In the Lok Sabha, placard-carrying DMK members were vociferous on the issue of seeking Katchathivu Island back from Sri Lanka and provide safety to Indian fishermen from the Lankan navy, as they shouted slogans in the Well.

Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (RJD) demanded removal of the UPSC Chairman and relaxation of certain norms for civil services examinations, while members from Seemandhra carried posters which said 'Save Andhra Pradesh'.

At one point, YSR Congress leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy was also seen in the aisle, joining the cause. The House could not take up three notices of no-confidence motion, given by R Sambasiva Rao (Cong) and five party MPs from Seemandhra region, M Venugopal Reddy (TDP) and YSR Congress member M Rajamohan Reddy, as part of their attempt to stall division of Andhra Pradesh.

This was because the House witnessed constant din and all attempts by Speaker Meira Kumar to bring it to order failed. She said she was "duty bound" to bring the three notices of the no-confidence motion before the House but could not do so as the House was not in order.

Kumar then adjourned the House for the day. Amid din, papers listed for the day were laid and Finance Minister P Chidambaram presented the Supplementary Demands for Grants (General) for 2013-14.

Supreme Court lawyer Harish Salve tweets: A constitution that guarantees freedom of thought and action that does not hurt anyone, personal life CANNOT be subject of criminal laws. a battle lost is not a war lost. The issue of decriminalisation should be raised over and over again until accepted - it HAS to be accepted.

Mia Farrow tweets: Very dark day for freedom and human rights as Indian Supreme Court rules to criminalize homosexuality. Canceled trip to India. My wife and I would not feel welcome there.

Also read: Mia Farrow's son Ronan has dated both men and women

Now that we are done falling over each other to congratulate the Aam Aadmi Party and showering them with largely-deserved laurels, we can perhaps spend some time to analyse what the AAP phenomenon means for politics in India.  Omar Abdullah on the AAP phenomenon.  Read

India's compromised national security beat.  Read

Six people including the son of Khap council chief have been charge sheeted in connection with the murder of three persons in Bahawdi village during Muzaffarnagar riots, Special Investigation Team sources said.

The incident occurred on September 8 when Dilshad, Hasina Begum and Andirka Begum were allegedly killed by rioters and their houses burnt down in Bahawdi village, sources said.

Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan today exhorted political parties not to postpone passage of key economic bills because it may become challenging to get them approved after the 2014 general elections.

"A stable government post-elections cannot be taken for granted...it would be dangerous for parties to postpone necessary legislations with the idea of passing the legislation post-election. Post-election politics may become even more challenging for whoever assumes power," he said.

Rajan spoke at the Delhi Economic Conclave 2013 on 'The Agenda for the Next Five Years' here.

The legal fight of gay rights activists has witnessed many twist and turns in courts.

When the matter was being adjudicated in the Delhi High Court, Home Ministry and Health Ministry took a contradictory stand on section 377 of the IPC with the former favouring continuation of the penal provision and the latter supporting scrapping of the provision.

The Centre, however, took a uniform stand when the appeal against the Delhi High Court judgement for decriminalising gay sex was heard in the apex court. During the arguments in the case before the apex court, the Centre had supported decriminalisation of gay sex saying the anti-gay law in the country had resulted from British colonialism and the Indian society was much more tolerant towards homosexuality.

The legal fight for gay rights began in the Delhi High Court when Naz Foundation, working for the welfare of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT), filed a PIL for decriminalising gay sex.

The high court had, however, initially twice dismissed the plea and the NGO thereafter moved the Supreme Court which directed the high court to hear the case and decide the issue on merits.

After a marathon hearing, the Delhi High Court had allowed the plea of gay rights activists and had decriminalised gay sex among consenting adults in private.

Thereafter, various social, religious and child rights organisations, including various individuals, had approached the apex court challenging the high court's verdict.

For now, the Supreme Court has thrown the ball back at the Parliament. Union Law minister Kapil Sibal said that it is for the SC to decide constitutionally, but it is the prerogative of the legislature (the Parliament) to decide the law. But he refused to say whether the SC was right in overturning the Delhi HC verdict, thereby criminalising gay sex.

The SC said that it is for the legislature to look into the desirability of deleting the provision from the law.

Journalist Shivam Vij posts: Two judges of the Supreme Court of India have decided that 1.2 billion people can have sex only in the missionary position and if that is to change, the Parliament should decide.

The same judge did not think it was the Parliament's or the executive's prerogative to govern India's telecom policy.

The Supreme Court has suddenly decided to give up judicial activism, and with it, its responsibility of legislative review.

The same Supreme Court has in the recent past decided that undertrial MPs can't keep their jobs, that street food will be banned, that voting machines must have a None of the Above option, that student union elections must be regulated by its policies.

Union law minister Kapil Sibal says if the Parliament runs, the issue of decriminalising gay sex will be taken up.

The apex court observed that there is no constitutional infirmity in section 377 of IPC which makes gay sex an offence and added that it is for the legislature to look into the desirability of deleting the provision from the law.

Activists of the NGO who were present inside the court room were visibly upset, while those outside said, "is judgement se hamara jeene ka adhikaar chhin gaya hai (this verdict has taken away our right to life)".

They also demanded that the 1861 legislation, by which section 377 is a criminal offence, be changed. "Kya yeh crime hai ki ek bachcha lesbian ya gay paida hota hai (is it a crime that a child is born a lesbian or gay)?

Yeh toh natural feeling hota hai (this is a natural feeling). Yeh kisi ka hak nahi hai ki LGBT ya gays pe dosh lagaya jai (no one has the right to blame LGBTs or gays)," the activists commented.

The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, or ILGA, lists the following 78 (plus 4) countries with criminal laws against sexual activity by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex people (LGBTIs). Read

US President Barack Obama's cordial handshake with Cuban leader Raul Castro at Nelson Mandela's memorial service in South Africa was not "pre-planned" and was just an exchange of greetings, the White House has said.

"Nothing was planned in terms of the President's role other than his remarks. So the rest of it, of course, was simply his presence at the ceremony," Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes told reporters aboard Air Force One on the way back to Washington from the service in Johannesburg.

"This wasn't a pre-planned encounter," a White House official said. "Above all else, today is about honouring Nelson Mandela, and that was the president's singular focus at the memorial service. We appreciate that people from all over the world are participating in this ceremony," the official said yesterday.

Obama knew that he was exchanging greetings with Castro, Rhodes said. "Yes, he was aware that that was Raul Castro."

"I think it was just an exchange of greetings as he was making his way through the podium up to speak," he said, adding that Obama's policy towards Cuba remains the same.

"Look, as a general matter, we have taken a different approach in some important respects in relation to Cuba. The President lifted the prohibition on family travel and remittances. He increased licensing for travel and engagement with Cuba," he said.

Lok Sabha adjourned for the day; Rajya Sabha till 2 pm after uproar over various issues.

Sushma Swaraj wants us to know that she's "Back from South Africa . Going to Parliament."

She, Sonia Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury and President Pranab Mukherjee were at Johannesburg for the memorial ceremony of Nelson Mandela yesterday.

Read: Nelson Mandela's literary legacy

"I'm attracted to men. What can I do? Am I abnormal?"

"I'm gay and my parents want me to get married to a woman. Should I?"

"I had unprotected sex with a man. Will I get HIV? Am I gay?"

Sahaay: India gets its first 247 LGBT helpline. Read

The background of the petition filed in the Supreme Court seeking the legalisation of gay sex.

The much awaited ruling on the legality of homosexuality will be delivered by the Supreme Court in the case of Suresh Kumar Koushal & Ors. v. Naz Foundation & Ors.(SLP (c) 15436/2009) today. The verdict will be a breather for India's gay community, human-rights activists and religious groups who are anxiously waiting for the Supreme Court panel's verdict on the issue of decriminalization of gay sex among consenting adults.

Read more

Devdutt Pattanaik: In our country, no room for Shikhandi, no room for Aravan, no room for Yuvanashva. Ok in scriptures. Not OK for constitution. 

The NGO, Naz Foundation, which was the first to file the petition for decriminalising section 377 of IPC, today expressed dissatisfaction over the Supreme Court judgement upholding the constitutional validity of the penal provision making gay sex a punishable offence.

"We are disappointed with the judgement. We think the judgement is not correct in law. We will take appropriate legal recourse," senior advocate Anand Grover, who argued the case for the NGO Naz Foundation, said after the verdict was pronounced.

A bench of justices GS Singhvi and SJ Mukhopadhaya set aside the 2009 Delhi High Court judgement which had decriminalised gay sex.

While setting aside the high court order, the apex court allowed the appeals filed by various social and religious organisations for making gay sex a criminal offence.

The apex court observed that there is no constitutional infirmity in section 377 of IPC which makes gay sex an offence and added that it is for the legislature to look into the desirability of deleting the provision from the law.

The aftermath of the Congress poll debacle is creating a lot of bad blood in the party.

Three AICC general secretaries -- CP Joshi, Madhusudan Mistry and Mohan Prakash -- who were rising stars in the grand old party, are now facing an uncertain future.

Pressure is mounting on Rahul Gandhi to reduce his dependence on Mistry who had earned a nickname of "Mr Fix It" in the Congress. Mistry's influence within the party had virtually eclipsed fellow Gujarati Ahmad Patel who is said to be bouncing back as Sonia's crises manager once again.

Other winds of change may see an exit of BK Hari Prasad, Motilal Vora and Shakeel Ahmad from 24, Akbar Road.

Also read: Tennis star Martina Navratilova and US basketball player Jason Collins said on Tuesday the International Olympic Committee has not done enough to defend the rights of gay athletes ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Additional Solicitor General Indira Jaising on the SC verdict on homosexuality says the historical opportunity to expand constitutional values has been lost. She said it was was surprising that the court which does a judicial review on many issues has put the ball in the court of Parliament to decide on homosexuality.

Time magazine will announce its Person of the Year today -- and the contenders are a mixture of the good, the bad and the holy. Read

Gay rights NGO Naz Foundation says it will seek a review of the SC verdict on homosexuality. 

While the Supreme Court criminalises gay sex, in the UK, 29 March 2014, will see the first same-sex marriages. Read

JUST IN: Tarun Tejpal sent to 12-day judicial custody. A Goa court on Wednesday sent Tehelka founder-editor Tarun Tejpal to judicial custody for 12 days.

Tejpal's police custody expired on Wednesday.

He has been charged under several Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections including 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement), 376 (2) (f) and 376 C of.

A woman journalist employed with Tehelka had accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her twice on November 7 and 8 in a lift in a five star hotel in Goa.

He has already been booked under Sections 354A (outraging the modesty of a woman) and 376 (2)(K) (custodial rape) of IPC.

Dear SC you protect us from misdeeds of Parliament even when not your domain.But today you used procedure to quash liberal values #scrap377, tweets Barkha Dutt. 

Tweets on that SC judgment criminalizing homosexuality:
Rajdeep Sardesai: On his last day as a SC judge, Justice Singhvi got this one badly wrong. Badly.

Sachin Kalbag: Supreme Court confirms India's position as world's most backward thinking nation. Well done!

In other news: Union Minister Kamal Nath says Lok Sabha polls will be held as scheduled in May. The government has the numbers; no-confidence motion will not succeed. 

What is an unnatural offfense under section 377?

It states, "Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with '[imprisonment for life] or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Penetration is sufficient to constitute the carnal intercourse necessary for the offence described in this section.'Section 377 of the IPC is intended to punish carnal intercourse committed against the order of nature by a man with another man, or in the same unnatural manner with a woman, or by a man or a woman in any manner with a beast.

Section 377 considers the acts of sodomy, buggery and bestiality as unnatural sex offences.Requirements for conviction:The accused must have carnal intercourse with a man, or a woman or an animal;The act was against the order of nature;The act was done voluntarily by the accused; and there was proof of penetration.

Under Section 377 consent is wholly irrelevant. The party consenting would be equally liable as an abettor.

According to Justice M F Saldanha, former judge of the Bombay and Karnataka High Court, scrapping the law will not make much of a difference.

People will continue to do what they want and if the parties are consenting then who filed the complaint? One needs to be careful while dealing with this issue.

You cannot bring the entire issue under one. When dealing with a case of sodomy involving a child there was only Section 377 available before me. What happens in such cases when the entire section is scrapped. Hence one needs to reword the entire thing carefully.

-- Vicky Nanjappa

The Supreme Court setting aside the Delhi High Court judgement which had decriminalised gay sex said it has allowed appeals filed by various social and religious organisations for making gay sex a criminal offence.

It said there is no constitutional infirmity in section 377 of IPC which makes gay sex an offence punishable with upto life imprisonment. It is for legislature to look into desirability of deleting section 377 of IPC, it said. 

In a huge blow to the homosexual community, the Supreme Court sets aside the Delhi high court judgment decriminalising gay sex among consenting adults in private.  

US Secretary of State John Kerry has raised doubts over whether Iran is prepared to conclude a final deal with Western powers on dismantling its disputed nuclear programme, but has urged US lawmakers not to impose new sanctions on the country. "I came away from our preliminary negotiations with serious questions about whether or not they're ready and willing to make some of the choices that have to be made," Kerry told the US House of Representatives foreign affairs committee on Tuesday.

 

"Has Iran changed its nuclear calculus? I honestly don't think we can say for sure yet. And we certainly don't take words at face value," Kerry said. 

 

Read more on Al Jazeera

BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi tweeted on Tuesday night, when asked about the possibility of her party supporting AAP to form a government in Delhi, that: :@shashank157 because V can't take support of parties who seek support from the likes of Maulana Tauqeer!  

 

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal had met Maulana Tauqeer in November.

Two French soldiers sent to the Central African Republic as part of an international peacekeeping mission have been killed, the French presidency said Tuesday. The two soldiers, both paratroopers in their early 20s, were killed in combat in the capital, Bangui, on Monday night, a statement from the Elysee Palace said.

 

"They lost their lives to save others," it said. French President Francois Hollande learned of the soldiers' deaths "with great sadness," the statement said. He also "reiterates his full confidence in the French forces deployed alongside African forces to restore security in the Central African Republic, protect civilian populations and ensure access to humanitarian aid."

 

Read more on CNN

President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro's handshake at Nelson Mandela's memorial service was unplanned, the White House has said. White House aide Ben Rhodes told reporters the two exchanged no words more substantive than a greeting. The Cuban government said the gesture may show the "beginning of the end of the US aggressions".

 

The US broke off diplomatic ties with Cuba in 1961 as Fidel Castro aligned with the Soviet Union in the Cold War. And on Tuesday after the handshake, a White House official said the Obama administration still had grave concerns about human rights violations in Cuba, Reuters reported.

 

Read more on BBC

Read on Daily Beast the shocking revelations of the New York City Police Department's report on "lessons learned' from the September terrorist attack in Kenya.

PTI: Actress Katrina Kaif said she is not getting engaged or married to her rumoured beau Ranbir Kapoor, but would love to dance at his wedding.        

 

"I am not getting married or engaged to anyone soon. You can lock it. It's final. I am not getting married to anyone. I don't know if it (marriage) will happen in 10 or 20 years or so," Katrina told reporters in Mumbai today when asked about her relationship with Ranbir.        

 

Asked who Ranbir should get married to if not to her, the glamorous Bollywood star said he should tie the knot with the woman of his choice.

We are ready for re-election, says Kejriwal

Will no-trust motion against UPA govt be a nonstarter?

Sonia, Swaraj share lunch table in Johannesburg

Hazare begins indefinite fast on Jan Lokpal Bill

Mysore royal scion Srikantadatta Wodeyar passes away

PHOTOS: World leaders pay homage to anti-apartheid icon Mandela

Jailed sailor's family meets PM, govt in touch with Togo authorities

Lt Gen Brar's attackers sentenced by British court

People of Rajasthan have cleaned out 'garbage' Congress: Raje

Justice Ganguly rules out resignation from WBHRC

2G, Telangana, price rise issues stall Parliament for 2nd day

'I thank life for gifting us a Nelson Mandela'

Ready to fight election again: BJP

Public has already expressed no-confidence against Centre: Mamata

Poll diary: Rahul-Priyanka as party chief-PM candidate?

DMK chief keeps everyone guessing on UPA alliance

Can Arvind Kejriwal check-mate Narendra Modi?

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