LIVE
Mon, 08 July 2013
Live: Iran says Egypt army intervention 'unacceptable'
Timeline Refresh
23:29 Indefinite curfew on in Mancachar
Indefinite curfew continued in Mancachar and adjoining areas in Assam's Dhubri district along Meghalaya and Bangladesh border following violence there yesterday.
The curfew clamped last night, continued today even though no fresh incident has been reported so far, Hatsingimari sub divisional officer Ramen Malakar told PTI.
23:26 Iran says Egypt army intervention 'unacceptable'
Iran deems "unacceptable" the Egyptian army's toppling of the country's first freely elected president Mohamed Morsi, the foreign ministry said today.
"The intervention of armed forces in political affairs is unacceptable and disturbing," ministry spokesman Abbas Araqchi told the Mehr news agency, when asked about the developments in Egypt.
"It cannot be denied that foreign hands are at work here," Araqchi said, adding: "The polarisation of Egyptian society is dangerous."
23:24 Kerry's wife now in better health, doctors say
Teresa Heinz Kerry, the wife of US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was admitted to a Boston hospital in a critical state, is now said to be in better health with doctors today describing her condition as 'fair'.
"After conducting tests overnight and this morning, doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital have upgraded Mrs Teresa Heinz Kerry's condition from critical to fair," said Glen Johnson, personal spokesman for John Kerry.
23:12 Mandela marks one month in hospital
South African icon Nelson Mandela has now spent one full month in a Pretoria hospital, where the elderly former president is being treated for a recurring lung infection.
Meanwhile, an ugly family feud rages outside the hospital.Mandela will turn 95 in just 10 days, a huge milestone for a man whose life spanned both South Africa's dimmest and brightest days.
As the nation's first black president, he is credited with steering the divided country away from civil war and into an era of peace and democracy.
22:41 Odisha raises Tactical Unit to face urban terror
With terrorists often striking cities and towns, Odisha government today raised a Special Tactical Unit to combat terror activities in urban areas.
"A team comprising 28 Special Operation Group jawans trained by the NSG will respond to any such activities in the urban areas of the state," Director General of Police Prakash Mishra.
22:15 Brazilian government tries to deal with NSA spying
As the rest of the world digests the implications of the data surveillance by the National Security Agency, it emerged that Brazil is also on the list of non-adversarial countries being monitored.
The Brazilian newspaper O Globo broke the story, co-written by Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald and published yesterday (7 July), based on documents leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden.
The article suggests that systematic tapping of the telecoms network has led to the collection of emails and telephone records of millions of Brazilians over the last decade.There are no specific numbers, but the article says that about 2,3 million phone calls and messages in Brazil were monitored in January alone.
21:25 It would be a disaster with Narendra Modi at helm: Buddhadeb
Terming the rise of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at the helm would be a disaster for communal harmony, CPI(M) politburo member Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today alleged that Trinamool Congress was also trying to hitch an alliance once again with the BJP.
"The BJP is trying to bring forward Narendra Modi. It would be a disaster for communal harmony. It would be a disaster if the alternative of Congress' neo liberal policies are BJP's neo liberal policies and Narendra Modi," he said.
20:49 2 army porters injured in blast at LoC in Poonch
NDTV reports:
Two army porters were injured in a blast at the Line of Control
in the Sabjiyan sector of the Poonch sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
There was firing from across the border after the incident, say sources.
There was firing from across the border after the incident, say sources.
20:27 SC stays Nepal-India agreement on immigration, check-posts
Nepal's Supreme Court today stayed implementation of the recently concluded agreement with India to upgrade the immigration system at Tribhuvan International Airport in Khatmandu and to set up immigration check-posts at Lumbini and Pashupatinagar.
A single bench of Justice Tarka Raj Bhatta issued the stay order following a hearing today, court sources said. The writ was filed by advocate Prasad Pandit.
A single bench of Justice Tarka Raj Bhatta issued the stay order following a hearing today, court sources said. The writ was filed by advocate Prasad Pandit.
20:13 Live: IPL betting: One more bookie arrested; total goes up to 18
A bookie, who had been in touch with his associates in Pakistan and Dubai while accepting bets during the recent IPL season, was today arrested here after being picked up from Rajasthan, the police said.
With this, the total number of arrests made in the IPL betting scandal has gone up to 18, a crime branch official said. Acting on a tip-off, a crime branch team picked up Rakeshkumar Gangwal, 50, from his residence in Jaipur yesterday and brought him to Mumbai before placing him under arrest, the official added.
The accused would be produced before a court tomorrow, police said. Gangwal was in touch with five bookies- three Pakistanis and two from Dubai -- through another bookie Ramesh Vyas, who is already behind bars in the same case.
The five foreign associates with whom Gangwal was in constant touch with were Babloo, Master Salman, Javed UBL, 100 and Vickey 26, which are code names of the bookies.
However, among these five, police did not divulge who are from Pakistan and who are from Dubai.
With this, the total number of arrests made in the IPL betting scandal has gone up to 18, a crime branch official said. Acting on a tip-off, a crime branch team picked up Rakeshkumar Gangwal, 50, from his residence in Jaipur yesterday and brought him to Mumbai before placing him under arrest, the official added.
The accused would be produced before a court tomorrow, police said. Gangwal was in touch with five bookies- three Pakistanis and two from Dubai -- through another bookie Ramesh Vyas, who is already behind bars in the same case.
The five foreign associates with whom Gangwal was in constant touch with were Babloo, Master Salman, Javed UBL, 100 and Vickey 26, which are code names of the bookies.
However, among these five, police did not divulge who are from Pakistan and who are from Dubai.
19:08 Live: Pak violates truce, targets jawans during rescue operation
Violating the ceasefire, Pakistani troops today fired at Indian soldiers while they were trying to rescue two porters who were wounded in twin blasts along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.
The blasts occurred when some porters were carrying supplies from one army post to another in Sabzian-Mandi belt along the LoC at around 8 am, an army officer said.
When soldiers rushed to the scene to rescue the injured porters, Pakistani troops fired on them, he said.
"Our troops managed to shift one of the two porters to a nearby hospital while the other one is still lying there," the officer said.
Indian troops also fired back, he said adding the intermittent firing from across the border was still on.
This was the second attack on porters in Poonch sector within a span of two months.
The blasts occurred when some porters were carrying supplies from one army post to another in Sabzian-Mandi belt along the LoC at around 8 am, an army officer said.
When soldiers rushed to the scene to rescue the injured porters, Pakistani troops fired on them, he said.
"Our troops managed to shift one of the two porters to a nearby hospital while the other one is still lying there," the officer said.
Indian troops also fired back, he said adding the intermittent firing from across the border was still on.
This was the second attack on porters in Poonch sector within a span of two months.
18:49 Main accused in bomb planting during Advani's yatra held
One of the main accused wanted in connection with planting of a pipe bomb allegedly targeting senior BJP leader L K Advani in Tamil Nadu in 2011, was today arrested at Batalagundu in Dindigul district, the police said.
Mohammed Haneefa, allegedly involved in the making of the crude pipe bomb, was arrested by a team of crime branch CID police who raided his hideout on a tip-off. One person who was staying with Haneefa managed to escape, they said.
The police said they seized explosive materials, including one kg of detonator powder, which were identical to the stuff used in the pipe bomb, from Haneefa. He was brought to Madurai and produced before a judicial magistrate court which remanded him to judicial custody.
Haneefa is among the three prime accused in the case and two others, including "Police" Fakruddin, were absconding.
18:33
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar tweets: Weather warning ignored in Uttarakhand;Terror warning ignored in Bodhgaya. High time bureaucrats & politicians wake up & take responsibility!
17:49 Melbourne maiden bowls over Wasim Akram
Former Pakistani cricketer Wasim Akram has got engaged to a former public relations consultant from Melbourne after proposing to her on his knees.
The 47-year-old cricketer proposed to Shaniera Thompson, 30, from Brighton, in their lounge room, the Herald Sun reported.
Thompson, who has converted to Islam, will now call Pakistan her home.
She asserted that it was the romantic moment of her life, as it was so genuine; she further explained that the legendary bowler had asked her about her dream proposal and she had told him that she would like it to be at a private place.
Akram, whose first wife Huma died in 2009, said he had never thought about a second marriage but is happy to have found love again after meeting Thompson in 2011.
17:46 As India rebuffs it, Lanka turns to Pak to train its army officers
'Pakistan could well become the training ground for more and more Sri Lankan military personnel as they are finding it increasingly difficult to undergo training in India, thanks to factional politics of Tamil Nadu,' reports Ashok Tuteja in the Tribune newspaper.
Tuteja writes that 'the request was made days after two Lankan military officers were forced to abandon their training at the Defence Service Staff College in Wellington in Tamil Nadu because of the anti-Lanka sentiments in the state, fuelled by both the ruling AIADMK and Opposition parties'.
What does this portend for India? Read Ashok Tuteja's report here to find out.
17:45 Nepal steps up security at all Buddhist shrines
Nepal today stepped up security at all of its Buddhist shrines, including Lumbini, a day after ten low-intensity serial blasts rocked the historic Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya in the neighbouring Indian state of Bihar.
A security alert has been sounded in all major Buddhist stupas and shrines in Nepal, where Lord Buddha was born some 2,600 years ago, according to a top official of Nepal police.
17:42 Indian suffers heart-attack; Pak allows emergency landing
In a humane gesture, Pakistan facilitated the emergency landing of an international airline in Karachi after an Indian passenger on board suffered a heart-attack and needed emergency medical care.
Vasan Bondol, 75, was on-board a Turkish Airline flight from Istanbul, Turkey to Mumbai when he had an heart-attack on July 6.
Following request by the flight captain, Pakistani authorities allowed the flight to land at the Karachi international airport.
17:33 Nitish demands fresh elections in Jharkhand
The JD-U, which has two MLAs in Jharkhand, today disapproved of attempts to cobble up an alliance government of Congress, JMM and RJD in the state, saying holding fresh elections is the only political solution there.
"The atmosphere of instability that exists in Jharkhand requires fresh elections. This (attempt to form a government there) is an useless exercise. The attempt being made to form a government there is not a proper step. Fresh elections should be held to give a political solution to Jharkhand. People should be given a chance," Bihar Chief Minister and senior party leader Nitish Kumar told reporters.
17:29 High court asks Delhi govt for witness protection programme
The Delhi high court today granted four more weeks to the city government to evolve a witness protection policy to ensure that witnesses are not harassed or intimidated by powerful accused in criminal cases.
A division bench of acting Chief Justice B D Ahmed and Justice Vibhu Bakhru asked the Delhi government to expedite the process after its standing counsel Pawan Sharma submitted that "further time is needed to come out with the policy."
Sharma told the court that the process of implementing the policy was underway and a month was required to implement it.
Accepting the counsel's submission, the bench posted the matter for August 8.
17:28 NBA star Bosh to visit Mumbai with Larry O'Brien Trophy
Star hoopster Chris Bosh, who helped Miami Heat to defend the National Basketball Association title successfully this season, will be on a four-day visit to Mumbai later this month to conduct a variety of events to promote the growth of basketball in the country.
During his short tour from July 16 to 19, the eight-time All-Star, who has won the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship trophy in back-to-back seasons, will bring the trophy and give fans a chance to take pictures with it, besides conducting coaching clinics, a media release said today.
"I am excited for the chance to visit India and help build interest in the game I love," said Bosh ahead of his visit. "The NBA is a global game and I hear that basketball is becoming pretty popular over there so I am looking forward to teaching kids that may end up in our league one day," he added.
17:21 China lauds Antony's visit a chance to maintain border peace
China today said Defence Minister A K Antony's visit there has given both countries an opportunity to enhance their "strategic cooperative partnership" and jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas through increased military-to-military coordination.
China paid "high attention" to Antony's visit as he held talks with Premier Li Keqiang, Defence Minister Gen Cheng Wanquang and State Councillor and Special Representative on India-China border talks, Yang Jiechi, Chinese foreign ministry said in Beijing today.
Antony, who is the first Indian Defence Minister to visit China in seven years, concluded his four day visit yesterday.
"The two sides exchanged views on defence issues and reiterated that they will enhance defence exchanges with the purpose of maintaining peace and tranquillity of the border areas and create durable conditions for the China and India strategic cooperative partnership," foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chuying told a media briefing.
16:40 Another Hindu Munnani leader killed in TN in a week
In the second such fatal attack on its leaders, a local functionary of the Hindu Munnani was today found murdered in Rameswaram, the police said.
The 55-year old Nambu alias Kuttainambu, secretary of the Hindu Munnani's Rameswaram unit, was found dead with injuries in the head and chest caused by a boulder, they said.
The murder, coming on the heels of the killing of Hindu Munnani state Secretary Vellaiyan by a gang in Vellore last week, sparked tension amid suspicion that leaders of the religious and cultural organisation, founded in 1982, were being targeted.
Officials said they were investigating the case from all angles.
16:39 Ramdev supports Narendra Modi for PM's post
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Monday said he supported Narendra Modi for the prime minister's post.
"Narendra Modi is a man of vision," he said.
"We want to see him as the prime minister, therefore we are supporting him," he said.
16:17
A link from the New York Times in 1992 talks of how the temple at Bodh Gaya, where Siddhartha became Gautama, has been converted into a Hindu entity, angering Buddhists. Read it here.
16:08
Just In: The CBI files status report on the coalgate probe before the Supreme Court in a sealed envelope. The bureau pleads before the court to modify its order restricting it from sharing probe report with any government agency.
16:07 J&K government employees gherao secretariat
Hundreds of Jammu and Kashmir government employees today made an abortive attempt to 'gherao' the civil secretariat in Srinagar to protest the alleged failure of the government to fulfill their demands including enhancement of retirement age.
Over 100 employees were detained as police used batons and water canons to keep the protesting employees away from the secretariat -- the seat of Jammu and Kashmir government -- officials said.
The employees, who had struck work in response to the call given by the Joint Consultative Committee for the day, assembled at the Exhibition Crossing in the heart of the city and tried to march towards the nearby Secretariat, they said.
15:38 Congress ousts NCP in Sangli civic poll
Ousting the incumbent NCP, the Congress today registered a clear-cut victory in the elections to Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad municipal corporation in western Maharashtra, winning 40 of the 76 seats.
The NCP, which controlled the corporation for the last five years -- in alliance with the BJP for some time -- got only 18 seats.
The Swabhimani Aaghadi, a front which included candidates of the BJP, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghtana and some independents, won eight seats. Independent candidates won in nine wards, while an MNS candidate won in a single ward.
The result is a major setback to the NCP and a boost for Congress, its ruling alliance partner at the state level. The contest was deemed prestigious; top state-level leaders, including Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, had taken part in the campaign.
15:36 Malaysia withdraws controversial bill on religious conversion
Malaysia today withdrew a controversial bill that allows one parent to give consent for the conversion of a child, following an outcry over two minor ethnic Indian Hindu children embracing Islam without their mother's permission.
The controversial Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 was withdrawn from parliament following a motion by minister in the prime minister's department Jamil Khir Baharom.
Baharom moved the motion to withdraw the bill for its second, third and fourth reading and from being debated on. The bill was tabled for the first reading in Parliament on June 26.
15:34 Lance Armstrong announces first race since doping confession
Disgraced cycling star Lance Armstrong has announced he will be racing for the first time since confessing to doping during an Oprah Winfrey interview in January.
Although he is banned for life from competing in cycling competitions, Armstrong will participate in the Des Moines Register newspaper's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa in July.
Race director T J Juskiewicz said they were open to anyone that wants to come and ride in the RAGBRAI.
According to the US Weekly, about his decision to participate, Armstrong said he is realistic about his critics.The cancer survivor added that he has no other intentions but return to the sport that he loves.
Armstrong was stripped of his seven consecutive Tour de France wins by the US Anti-Doping Agency and was dropped by multiple endorsements because of the doping scandal, the report added.
15:33 Srinagar-PoK bus service suspended due to rain
The weekly bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, was today suspended after heavy rains swept away a portion of the highway in Uri sector of north Kashmir, official sources said.
"The bus service, named as Karvan-e-Aman (peace carvan) was suspended after 100-feet portion of the highway near Gawalta was swept away by floods caused by heavy rains and cloudburst," the officials said.
Heavy rains lashed wide parts of Kashmir Valley this morning but there was no other report of any damage or causality.
The cross-LoC bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad was started in April 2005 to facilitate meeting of divided families.
The sources said senior civil officers have rushed to the scene to assess the damage caused to the highway due to cloudburst and heavy rains.
15:32 Congress emerges clear winner in Sangli civic polls
Ousting the incumbent NCP, Congress today registered a clear-cut victory in the elections to Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad Municipal Corporation in western Maharashtra, winning 40 of the 76 seats.
NCP, which controlled the corporation for the last five years -- in alliance with BJP for some time -- got only 18 seats.
Swabhimani Aaghadi, a front which included candidates of BJP, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghtana and some independents, won eight seats. Independent candidates won in 9 wards, while MNS candidate won in a single ward.
The result is a major setback to NCP and a boost for Congress, its ruling alliance partner at the state level.
The contest was deemed prestigious; top state-level leaders, including Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, had taken part in the campaign.
14:54 13 bombs were planted in Mahabodhi temple: Shinde
As many as 13 bombs were planted inside the Mahabodhi temple complex in Bodh Gaya of which ten had exploded injuring two monks, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said on Monday.
"Today, I have the information of 10 blasts. A total of 13 bombs were placed there. I will not go into details where they were kept and all. Two persons have been injured -- 50-year-old Dorji and Bala Sanga (30)," Shinde told media persons.
Shinde was speaking on the sidelines of a function for inauguration of a hospital of Central Reserve Police Force in Talegaon, about 100 kilometers from Pune.
14:41 CCTV footage of Bodh Gaya blasts released
The CCTV footage of the serials blasts at the Mahabodhi temple and adjoining areas was released today.
The CCTV footage, which was released by the District Development Officer Giridhar Dayal, SP (City) Chandan Kushwaha and members of Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee, captured the sound of the second blast which took place in Ratnagiri temple located barely 50 meters away from the Mahabodhi temple.
14:16 Traders in Maharashtra on 2-day strike from July 15
In a bid to mount pressure on the government over imposition of local body tax (LBT), all trade organisations across Maharashtra have decided to observe a two-day statewide bandh from July 15.
A decision in this regard was taken on Sunday in a Federation of Associations of Maharashtra (FAM) meeting at a traders conference here, FAM President Mohan Gurunani said.
The conference was organised by Nashik Metropolitan Traders Confederation and FAM to discuss the vexed LBT issue, said Praful Sancheti, President of Foodgrain Traders association.
The state government has cancelled Octroi and forced LBT on traders, Gurunani said.
"It has opened new doors of corruption to the benefit of government officers, who are exploiting traders," he alleged.
"Instead of LBT, we are ready to pay one per cent more professional tax. The appeal for Maharashtra bandh on July 15-16 is being made for the final fight," Gurunani added.
14:07 Halal Googling site to launch 'haraam' content launched
A Muslim search engine that blocks forbidden content as per Islamic law has been launched.
The press release said that 'Halalgoogling' gives results from leading search engines such as Google and Bing. It added that the search engine has a built-in advanced special filtering system that blocks haram content according to the Law of Islam.
According to the Express Tribune, a special and unique filter system in the search engine excludes forbidden content from its search results such as pornography, nudity, gay, lesbian, bisexual, gambling, anti-Islamic content.
The system has been designed to respect Muslim culture, the report stated.
13:58 Karnataka PWD razes 153-year old structure in Hampi ruins
The ruins at Hampi are a world heritage site, and the Karnataka government is in sync with the plans to preserve the site.
But someone, it seems, forgot to tell the state public works department which blithely ran its bulldozers over the Dadapeer Chatra, built in 1860 to widen a road, reports the Daily Mail, UK.
Read the shocking news here.
13:52 Sushil Kumar Modi on 24-hour fast in Patna
Mounting an all-out attack against the Nitish Kumar government, senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi today began a 24-hour fast in Patna to protest against the police firing in Bagaha and the serial blasts in Bodh Gaya "due to security lapses".
Accompanied by Bihar BJP president Mangal Pandey and other leaders, Modi began his fast outside the Sri Krishna Memorial hall near Gandhi Maidan police station.
13:35 Bodh Gaya shuts down in bandh called by RJD, BJP
Normal life was severely hit in Bihar's Gaya district today as the BJP and RJD gave separate bandh calls to protest against the state government's alleged security lapses that led to the terror attack in the temple town of Bodh Gaya injuring two monks, official sources said.
BJP workers took to the streets from early morning to enforce the dawn-to-dusk bandh, forcing shops and business establishments to close down, the sources said.
The temple town of Bodh Gaya was particularly hit by the bandh as roads wore a deserted look and shops and business establishments remained shut since morning, they said.
Observing a separate 12-hour bandh in the entire Magadh division, RJD workers were seen stopping the movement of vehicles and forcing shopkeepers to shut down shops in Gaya, Jehanabad and adjoining districts, the sources said.
13:27 Ahmedabad's Jagannath Yatra takes to Facebook
The 136th edition of Lord Jagannath's 'rath yatra' will begin from the 400-year-old Jagannath temple in Ahmedabad on July 10 amid tight security, with a Facebook page started on the deity for devotees to worship and follow the yatra through the social networking website.
"The link for the Facebook page is there on the website. On the page, a photograph of Lord Jagannath's temple has been posted allowing devotees to worship online," a local priest said.
13:09 Bollywood producer Sudhakar Bokade is dead
Veteran Bollywood producer Sudhakar Bokade, who made the Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan, Madhuri Dixit starrer Saajan, died of a heart attack at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai last night. He was 57.
Apart from Saajan, Sudhakar Bokade also produced the Dilip Kumar starrer Izzatdaar which also had Govinda and Madhuri Dixit in it. He also produced Prahaar that was directed by Nana Patekar who also acted in it.
Sudhakar Bokade's last rites will be conducted today afternoon. He is survived by two daughters, Divya and Kiran, and one son, Krishna.
12:50 Is Delhi the new home for abandoned wives?
A report by Ananya Sengupta in The Telegraph, Kolkata, quoting the latest annual report of the NRI cell of the National Commission for Women, says that 'Delhi registered 59 such cases in 2012-13. Punjab, which has for years grappled with the problem of young brides abandoned within days or weeks of marriage, registered 30 cases.'
'Over the past four years,' Ananya points out, 'Out of the 984 cases registered with the NRI cell, 177 are from Delhi. Many of the complaints are from educated women.'
Read the eye-opener here.
12:46 30 killed in Nigeria school attack
Twenty-nine students and a teacher have been killed by suspected Islamist insurgents who set on fire a government school building in Nigeria's Yobe state.
Armed men attacked the Government Secondary School in the town of Mamudo at around 3 am local time yesterday. Witnesses said the suspected militants arrived with containers full of fuel and set fire to the school.
Most of the victims were burnt alive by the assailants. Some of the parents had two or more children killed in the incident while the survivors remained in great shock.
12:39 Get admitted in a mental asylum: BJP to Digvijaya
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday hit back at Digvijay Singh for targetting Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi following Sunday's multiple blasts in the temple town of Bodh Gaya, and advised the Congress General Secretary to get admitted in a 'mental asylum'.
"I will advice Congress Party and its leader Digvijay Singh to get admitted in a mental asylum. He has no idea. He has accused all such non-sensing in Batla House incident. People of UP have taught him a lesson. And I have nothing to say about a bankrupt person," said BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan.
Launching a frontal attack on Modi, Digvijay Singh earlier in the day tweeted: "Flip side of this. Amit Shah promises a Grand Temple at Ayodhya. Modi addresses Bihar BJP workers and asks them to teach Nitish a lesson."
"Next day Bomb Blasts at Mahabodhi Temple at Bodhgaya. Is there a connect? I don't know. ALLOW NIA TO COMPLETE INVESTIGATION PLEASE!" he added in his tweet.
12:26 2G scam: Karunanidhi's wife moves SC
Dayalu Ammal, wife of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi and a key prosecution witness in the 2G case, on Monday approached the Supreme Court, seeking its direction to exempt her from deposing before the Special CBI Court on medical grounds.
She filed her plea before the Apex court challenging the trial court's order refusing to exempt her from appearing as a witness in the case.
82-year-old Ammal had earlier approached the Delhi high court but it had on July 4 asked her to move the apex court for relief.
The high court had also asked CBI to ensure that no coercive order is passed by the trial court till lunch time on Monday, July 8, the day when Ammal has been summoned to appear before the trial court as a prosecution witness.
The high court had asked Ammal to move the apex court as the 2G case is being monitored by it.
12:08 Singapore inquest rules American killed himself
A Singaporean judge ruled today that an American engineer who was found dead in his apartment last year killed himself, rejecting suspicions by the man's parents that he was murdered because of research into sensitive technology.
The inquest into Shane Truman Todd's death has been criticized by Todd's parents, who walked out of hearings earlier this year, saying they had lost faith in the process. Todd's body was found in his Singapore apartment by his girlfriend in June 2012.
State counsel presented evidence of links to suicide websites on the 31-year-old's laptop and suicide letters written to family members and loved ones.
Judge Chay Yuen Fatt said today he found no evidence of foul play, ruling that Todd "committed suicide by hanging himself."
Chay recorded the official cause of death as "asphyxia due to hanging" and voiced hopes that Todd's family and loved ones would be able to find closure.
12:05 Asiana says crash pilot was in training
Asiana Airlines said today that the pilot in charge when its Boeing 777 crashed in San Francisco was in training for this type of aircraft.
Pilot Lee Kang-Kuk, 46, had 43 hours of experience in piloting this type of aircraft although he was well skilled with more than 9,000 hours of flight time under his belt, Asiana said.
"It's true that Lee was on transition training for the Boeing 777", an Asiana spokeswoman told AFP.
But he was accompanied by an experienced trainer, who acted as co-pilot.
Asiana said the airliner, purchased in March 2006, had received repairs for oil leaking from an engine early last month.
Asiana CEO Yoon Young-Doo yesterday ruled out the possibility of mechanical failure as the cause of the crash.
US investigators said the aircraft was travelling much slower than recommended and a pilot asked to abort the landing moments before the plane smashed into the ground at San Francisco International Airport Saturday.
11:45 Maj Kamaljeet Singh Kalsis new campaign in US
When Maj Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi, raised in New Jersey, applied to join the American Army, its tradition did not allow him to keep his beard, long hair and turban. A two-year struggle against this rule resulted in the US army granting him special exemption in 2009.
Since then two other American Sikhs have followed him into the army.
Now, says the New York Times, as Major Kalsi, a winner of the Bronze Star in Afghanistan, readies to leave active duty, he is mulling another campaign, this time to have the army's strict rules against his religious symbols revoked.
It is these rules that are coming in the way of more Sikhs joining the US army, Major Kalsi believes.
Read the full article here.
11:39 What really happened in Kunan-Poshpora?
Twenty-two years after the alleged outrage in Kashmir's Kunan-Poshpora, a magistrate has ordered a fresh probe. Though the Army was given a clean chit in the past, key questions remain, says The Hindu newspaper. Read Prashant Jha's report here.
11:35 Chidambaram heads for US for 4-day visit
Finance Minister P Chidambaram will be leaving on a four-day visit to United States today.
Chidambaram, who will arrive in Washington DC on July 9, will deliver the keynote address at the plenary session of US India Business Council 38th Leadership Summit on July 11.
During his visit, Chidambaram is also expected to meet the leading US business leaders, including Brad Smith, Microsoft's General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Legal and Corporate Affairs, Pat Dewar, CEO, Lockheed Martin International, Scott Price, CEO, Asia, Walmart, Henri Croupon, CEO, ILFC and Sheperd W. Hill, President, Boeing International among others.
He is likely to discuss the issue of investment by US companies in India especially in infra sector, various policy measures taken by the Government to boost investment in the country and tax related matters among others.
11:31 CCTV footage could help crack Gaya blasts case
The Bihar police claim to have in their possession 48 hours of CCTV footage related to the serial blasts in Bodh Gaya.
The police are studying the footage and prima facie it appears that there were two persons who came and planted the bombs in the wee hours of Sunday morning.
There are no concrete leads as of now in the case; only one suspect is being questioned.
The police are also verifying the watch that was used as the timer in the blast.
They are trying to find out from where the watches were purchased from, as it could provide vital clues.
The FSL report on the bombs is also being studied at the moment.
11:18 BJP parliamentary board meet today, key announcements likely
Top members of BJP's Parliamentary Board will meet on Monday as the previous meeting of the board held on July 4 ended inconclusively.
The parliamentary board is expected to make key announcements and reveal names of members who will work in the team led by BJP's 2014 election campaign committee chief and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
The 4th July meet of the party's parliamentary board was attended by all top leaders of the party including LK Advani, Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, H Ananth Kumar and Arun Jaitley.
During the meeting, the Parliamentary Board expressed condolence over the loss of life in Uttarakhand and expressed concern over the manner in which relief work is going on under the state Government.
The board also announced aid of Rs 5 lakh from the BJP to the Army and ITBP personnel who lost their lives in the unfortunate copter crash in Uttarakhand.
11:12 40 still missing in deadly Canada rail crash, fire
About 40 people were still missing a day after a runaway train derailed in Quebec, igniting explosions and fires that destroyed a busy downtown district and killed five people.
Police said a higher death toll was inevitable, and authorities feared the number might soar once they're able to reach the hardest-hit areas. Worries remained over the status of two oil-filled train cars.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper compared the area to a war zone and said about 30 buildings were incinerated.
Quebec provincial police Sgt. Benoat Richard said only a small part of the devastated area had been searched yesterday, more
than a day since the accident, because firefighters were making sure all fires were out.
The train's 72 oil-filled tanker cars somehow came loose early Saturday morning, sped downhill nearly seven miles (11 kilometers) into the town, derailed and began exploding one by one. At least five exploded.
10:20 Re breaches 61 level to hit new life-time low
The rupee today fell by a massive 97 paise to breach the 61-mark to 61.19, a new all-time low, against the dollar in early trade at the Interbank Foreign Exchange market, on heavy demand for the American currency amid capital outflows.
Forex dealers said dollar firming up against other currencies in overseas markets, mainly put pressure on the domestic currency to touch an all-time low. The local currency had plunged to 60.76 intraday on June 26.
The rupee had declined by nine paise to 60.22 on Friday and the fresh fall was led by a steep rise in crude oil prices which surged over USD 100 in overseas markets.
10:03 Sensex down 263 points in early trade
The BSE benchmark index Sensex today fell by nearly 263 points in early trade on profit-booking by funds at prevailing higher levels amid a mixed trend in the Asian region.
The 30-share barometer fell by 262.61 points, or 1.35 per cent, to 19,233.21 in the first few minutes of trading. Sensex had gained over 318 points in the previous two session.
Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty declined by 80.90 points, or 1.38 per cent, to 5,787. Brokers said profit-booking by funds at prevailing higher levels amid a mixed trend in Asian region mainly influenced the trading sentiment here.
09:54 Gaya blasts: Investigators relying on CCTV footage
Vicky Nanjappa reports: Investigators looking for clues in the Bodh Gaya serial blasts case are relying on the close circuit camera footage from the spot.
Contrary to reports, the Bihar police have said they have the entire footage and this could help them crack the case.
In addition to this the forensic sciences team has found some Urdu transcripts near one of the bombs.
Without attributing anything, the police are now studying the transcripts and say it could be one of the many leads in the case.
The FSL is yet to give out its final report regarding the composition of the bombs that were used in the serial blasts.
The police have also been told that the bombs were connected to a timer device and there was presence of ammonium nitrate and urea in the bombs apart from shrapnel.
09:48 Air Taxi crashes at Alaska airport; 10 killed
An air taxi has crashed at an Alaska airport, killing all 10 people aboard, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator said.
The accident sent the fixed-wing aircraft up in flames, said Meagan Peters of Alaska State Troopers. The victims have not yet been identified.
NTSB investigator Clint Johnson said the pilot and nine passengers were killed in the crash at the airport late Sunday morning. Initial reports had the accident happening as the plane took off.
NTSB identified the aircraft in a release Sunday as a de Havilland Otter Air Taxi, which the Aviation Safety Foundation says can seat up to 20 passengers.
09:47 6 killed, 11 injured in Hyderabad building collapse
Just In: Six people have been killed and at least 11 injured in a building collapse in Secunderabad: Hyderabad Police Commissioner
09:36 Gaya blasts: RJD, BJP call for bandh today
The Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal have issued a bandh call for Monday in protest against the serial blasts in the town of Bodh Gaya on Sunday.
While the RJD has called a bandh the Magadh division, the opposition party has issued a bandh in Gaya district. Both the parties are protesting against the Nitish Kumar government's "failure" to prevent the terror attack in Bodh Gaya despite prior information from intelligence agencies.
RJD national general secretary Ramkripal Yadav said the bandh call was intended to highlight the state government's "gross negligence" of security arrangements at the Mahabodhi temple and other Buddhist shrines in Bodh Gaya.
The temple town of Bodh Gaya was rocked by nine serial blasts on Sunday morning with four of them taking place inside the Mahabodhi temple premises itself, leaving two monks injured.
09:34 Egyptians throng streets in support of army-backed revolt
Hundreds of thousands rallied across Egypt in support of the popular military overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi as the interim government said it would announce a new prime minister within a day.
Staged two days after Islamist rallies exploded into bloodshed, the protests came as a senior official said a new prime minister would be announced today.
Interim president Adly Mansour was leaning towards appointing centre-left lawyer Ziad Bahaa Eldin as prime minister and Nobel Laureate Mohamed ElBaradei as vice president, the president's media advisor Ahmed al-Muslimani told AFP.
If confirmed, Mansour has tried to find a technocrat without the baggage of ElBaradei, whose candidacy outraged Salafi Islamists in a loose coalition that backed president Mohamed Morsi's overthrow by the military on Wednesday.
The Salafis say ElBaradei, viewed as an ardent secularist and top opponent to Islamist Morsi, would have been a divisive premier.
But the head of the Salafi Al-Nour party also objected to Bahaa Eldin, because the business lawyer used to belong to ElBaradei's National Salvation Front coalition.
09:30 Gaya blasts: Dalai Lama's security beefed up
The security of Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama's official palace and nearby Tsuglagkhang temple in Dharamshala has been beefed up following the serial blasts that rocked Bodh Gaya town in Bihar on Sunday.
The security was tightened after a review by Department of Security of Central Tibetan administration.
"Security of the Dalai Lama's private office here has been stepped up and an advisory has been issued to His Holiness' personal security officials," Ngodup Dorjee, department of security secretary(CTA) said.
"The Tibetan spiritual leader has been provided Z-plus security by the Indian government and we have only beefed up the security of his official palace and Tsuglagkhang temple (close to the palace)," he said.
A meeting of Central Tibetan Administration would be held in Dharamshala on Monday to review security arrangements of Tibetan
monasteries and temples located across India.
"Additional security force has been deployed at the Dalai Lama's palace and the Gyuto Tantric Monastic University, where Karmapa resides, after the Bodh Gaya blasts," Balbir Thakur, Superintendent of Police, Kangra said.
09:28 6.8 earthquake hits Papua New Guinea
A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit Papua New Guinea in the early hours today, according to the US Geological Survey, after a 7.2 quake struck off the country's northeast coast just hours before.
The 6.8 quake occurred near the town of Kandrian, on the island of New Britain, at 06:30 am (0200 IST)
It hit 30 kilometres northeast of the town, at a depth of 62 kilometres.
Two hours before, a 7.2 magnitude quake struck off the coast of the island of New Ireland.
No tsunami warning was issued.
09:25 Bodh Gaya blasts: NIA to grill IM's West Bengal operative
Vicky Nanjappa reports: A team of the National Investigation Agency will question Anwar Hussain Malik, a West Bengal-based suspected Indian Mujahideen operative in connection with the Bodh Gaya serial blasts.
Malik's role will have to ascertained as he has been on our radar since the past two years, an NIA official told rediff.com.
Anwar's name had cropped up for the first time during the German Bakery blasts in Pune. He was alleged to have supplied explosives for the attacks.
He was also accused of running the West Bengal module of the IM.
The police and NIA say that he is being viewed as a suspect for now.
He may also be in the know of the operatives who carried out the blasts on Sunday, the NIA said while indicating clearly that the line of investigation tilted towards the Indian Mujahideen.
09:24 Rain halts relief operations in calamity-hit Uttarakhand
Fresh spell of rains on Sunday halted helicopter operations to ferry rations to remote Uttarakhand districts reeling under shortage of foodgrains even as wet weather put brakes on the task of cremation of bodies in Kedarnath.
The Badrinath highway was also closed for three hours due to incessant rains leaving 500 vehicles, including many carrying relief, stranded. However, the highway was later opened for traffic.
"Chopper operations to drop relief material have been stopped due to rains. Cremation of bodies in Kedarnath also could not be taken up due to rains," IG Ram Meena said.
As the network of major roads in these districts are still damaged making it impossible for the administration to transport trucks carrying relief material to affected villages especially the ones totally cut off, the state government was thinking of deploying weather resistant choppers to ensure food supplies to villages facing foodgrain shortage, an official said.
09:23 Explain on-field spat with Raina: BCCI tells Jadeja
The ugly on-field spat between two Indian cricketers -- Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja -- has prompted the BCCI to take a stern approach towards the incident leading the cricket board to reprimand the latter.
The board has reportedly also asked for a written explanation from Jadeja.
During a match against hosts West Indies in the ongoing tri-series, Jadeja lost his cool apparently after Raina missed two catches off his bowling in the 26th and 32nd over of the Windies innings.
The first chance came in the 26th over when an edge ricocheted off wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik's gloves and went past Raina at slip. The batsman was Kemar Roach.
Later in the 32nd over, Sunil Narine was given a chance off the bowling of Jadeja as both Bhuvneshwar and Raina misjudged a catch at long-on after the southpaw played a lofted shot. Narine followed that with a six.
After the fall of ninth Windies wicket, Jadeja and Raina got involved into a heated argument that forced stand-in captain Virat Kohli to intervene.
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