China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Cuba today won an election to the UN Human Rights Council amid protests by various rights groups that these nations "systematically violate" the human rights of their own citizens and should not be allowed to serve on the body.

The UN General Assembly voted here through a secret ballot to elect 14 new members to the 47-member Geneva-based Council for a three-year term. The other countries that won the election are Algeria, Britain, France, the Maldives, Macedonia, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa and Vietnam.

The US has confirmed the death of Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud and removed his name from the FBI's list of "most wanted terrorists".

Mehsud was killed in a US drone attack on November 1. For days, the US refrained from confirming the killing of Mehsud, one of the most wanted terrorists of the world.

A self-proclaimed emir of the Pakistani Taliban, Mehsud was wanted in connection with his involvement in the murder of seven and injury of six American citizens on December 30, 2009, at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost, Afghanistan.

The explosion occurred after a suicide bomber entered the military base and detonated a device that was hidden under his clothing.

Two officers were killed today and three hospitalised with toxic burns suffered during a chemical spill at Russia's Plesetsk military launch pad, the defence ministry said. 

Nelson Mandela's family is no stranger to the public eye, its successes and trials have been aired for decades in films, books and the news media. Granddaughter Zoleka Mandela's story, perhaps, is the one that no one saw coming. 

Thousands of Africans, mostly Ethiopians, surrendered to Saudi authorities for a second day today as Addis Ababa announced the death of three citizens during clashes in the Gulf kingdom. 

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has sought stakeholders' views vis-a-vis its proposal for bringing in amendments to the Press and Registration of Books and Publications (PRB) Act which specify that publications carrying "paid news" will lose registration. 

Iranian officials say Inspectors from the United Nations could be allowed inside Iran's new heavy water nuclear reaction within weeks.

CNN reports: Typhoon Haiyan has claimed 1,774 lives in Philippines so far and has displaced at least 8,00,000 people, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

As authorities stepped up relief operations, a new tropical low, Zoraida, blew in Tuesday delivering more rain, the Philippine national weather agency PAGASA reported.

Read the full report here 

Notwithstanding demands for a total boycott from political parties in Tamil Nadu, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid leaves tomorrow on a five-day visit to Colombo for representing India in the three-day CHOGM Summit to be held from November 15. 

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda today said he was optimistic of BJP emerging victorious in the assembly elections in all the four states -- Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Munda was talking to newsmen on the sidelines of the premier show of a Santali documentary film here. BJP will win with good margin in these states and improve its tally, he said.

There is a strong wave in favour of BJP across the country as people wanted to see Narendra Modi as the prime minister, he said.

In the wake of varying remarks by Union ministers Sushilkumar Shinde and P Chidambaram on Narendra Modi, BJP today said Congress is going through a phase of depression fearing its days in power are numbered.

"One leader of the Congress (Chidambaram) said Modi is a tough challenge while the other (Shinde) is saying he is not a challenge... Congress is suffering from depression due to the fear of defeat in the Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections. The party needs to visit some good healthcare centre," BJP Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.

Close on the heels of CBI winding up disproportionate asset case against her, the UP Lokayukta has given a clean chit to BSP chief Mayawati in the alleged Noida farmhouse scam, saying the rules that were purported to have been violated were not in "existence".

On August 31, Uttar Pradesh government had ordered a probe by the Lokayukta N K Mehrotra in the farmhouse allotment after receiving complaints of irregularities. The then Noida Authority chairman Rakesh Bahadur had raised suspicion of a scam in his probe.

The Afghan Taliban today condemned the killing of a senior Haqqani network leader but said his death would not have any impact on the militants' campaign of violence.

Unidentified gunmen gunned down Nasiruddin Haqqani, eldest son of the group's founder, as he bought bread on the edge of Islamabad on Sunday evening.

Haqqani was the chief financier of the Haqqani militant network who are affiliated with Afghan Taliban and are the most feared group fighting US-led and Afghan forces in Afghanistan.

The day-long bandh called by pro-Eelam outfits in Tamil Nadu today against India's participation in the Commonwealth Summit hosted by Sri Lanka passed off peacefully without disrupting normal life by and large.

The bandh called by around 20 outfits, including Vaiko-led MDMK, evoked lukewarm response across the state while it was total in the neighbouring Union Territory of Puducherry.

Expressing dismay at the new reserve price of spectrum set by TRAI, BJP on Tuesday said the steep reduction in costs will benefit a few operators and cause a loss to the exchequer and demanded that Prime Minister ask his office to reject the recommendations.

Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha has written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying he is appalled and dismayed at the recommendations of TRAI. He has said that the proposed steep reduction in spectrum reserve price and Spectrum Usage Charges (SUC) will favour few operators at the cost of national exchequer.

Arvind Kejriwal, who is facing a government probe into the source of foreign funds received by his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), says donations to his party have multiplied since the controversy erupted.

"We r grateful to BJP and Congress for raising questions on our funds. Donations have increased 6 times. 1100 people have donated since morning," tweeted Kejriwal, who insists that his funding is transparent and all accounted for.

An AAP official confirmed that donations hit Rs 13 lakh today, compared to the daily average of Rs 8 lakh. Read the full story here.

The Tamil Nadu assembly will convene a three-hour emergency session to adopt a resolution against the Government of India for its presence at the CHOGM summit being held in Colombo.

Indications are that the resolution will have eight paragraphs hitting out at the Centre. It will urge the people of Tamil Nadu to stand united against the alleged genocide perpetuated by Sri Lankan president M Rajapaksa.

Will the Congress MLAs who voted Kanimozhi to the Rajya Sabha be now vote against the Tamil Nadu assembly resolution? What would the stand of Tamil Nadu Congress MLAs? Stay with us for updates. 

The Winter session of Parliament is expected to run without a hitch. DMK MPs say they will boycott External Affairs minister Salman Khurshid whenever he speaks in the Parliament, since he will be attending the Commonwealth meet in Colombo.

But if that happens what will be the fate of the Telangana and Women's Reservation Bills, one wonders. Whether the DMK and the ADMK allow the Parliament business to be conducted, remains to be seen

Over 100 families in Campa Cola housing colony today barricaded themselves and refused to move out of the compound in south Mumbai even as the civic body initiated action to disconnect power, water and gas connections before going in for demolition of illegal floors.

"Three teams of the BMC have entered the building to disconnect water, gas and electricity connections. The residents had given an affidavit that they will evict their flats by November 11," BMC deputy commissioner Kishore Kshirsagar said.

"Our officials will see whether they have vacated their flats and accordingly disconnect the water, gas and electricity connections," he said. "The residents are opposing the demolition. We are trying to handle the situation peacefully and avoid using force," he said.

Cyclone Phailin-affected villagers of Balrampur village in Odisha''s Ganjam District are still waiting in anticipation for compensation and relief measures, as they remain stranded without any means of livelihood. One month has passed since the cyclone had struck the state and around 270 families of this village, who were dependent on cattle and farming for livelihood, are still waiting for relief measures.

In an attempt to put forth their version, the Adarsh Housing Society, which has been embroiled in a scam over alleged irregularities, has launched a website giving out details of the society and how they procured permissions from the Maharashtra government.

The website 'www.adarshsociety.in' throws light on the history of the land in south Mumbai where the plush 31-storey Adarsh building stands, how the society was formed, permissions taken and so on.

A Delhi court today extended till November 26 the police custody of Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and close aide Asadullah Akhtar in connection with a case lodged in 2011 over allegations involving the setting up of an illegal arms factory here.

The accused were produced before court upon expiry of their 15-day custodial interrogation and the Special Cell of Delhi Police sought extended custody for an identical period saying the duo have to be taken to various states to identify the sources of arms and ammunition used in terror activities.

Fifteen countries today issued warnings to their citizens asking them to avoid travelling to areas near the anti-government rallies in Bangkok after the opposition called for a three-day nationwide strike.

England, France, Sweden, Japan, Canada, Australia, Israel, Brazil, Singapore, Belgium, Spain, Netherlands, Norway, Germany and Hungary have issued travel advisories, Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Surapol Sawetseranee said following anti-government protests enveloping parts of Bangkok during the last few days.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today conveyed his condolences to Philippines President Benigno Aquino over the catastrophe caused by typhoon Haiyan and offered India's help in relief and rehabilitation efforts.

"The scale and severity of the death and destruction caused by the typhoon has saddened and shocked us," Singh said in his message to Aquino.

Gunmen who massacred at least 67 people in Kenya's Westgate mall in September were special suicide commandos, Somalia's Shebab insurgents said today, rubbishing reports the men had tried to escape.

Members of a "martyrdom brigade", the gunmen were "brothers who have volunteered to enter into enemy ranks and cause havoc before being killed by the enemy," the Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab said in the latest issue of their online magazine.

Four Italian witnesses are being questioned by the NIA in the killing of the Kerala fishermen. 

Ayesha Bano, who was detained at Mangalore airport on Tuesday morning, allegedly ran a hawala racket to sponsor terror strikes in India. She allegedly ran the racket for her handlers in Pakistan.  Read more

Arvind Kejriwal tweets: We r grateful to BJP and Congress for raising questions on our funds. Donations have increased 6 times. 1100 people have donated since morn.

What India Can Teach The Rest Of The World About Living Well. Read and celebrate. 

Police in India, who have opened a murder investigation in the death of a household maid in her mid-thirties whose bruised and burnt body was found last week at the home of a federal lawmaker, expect an official autopsy report on Tuesday, a Delhi police official said. Read

The verdict in the Aarushi-Hemraj double murder case will be delivered on November 25. Nupur and Rajesh Talwar, accused of murdering their teen daughter Aarushi and their domestic help Hemraj, made their final arguments in their defence today.

The dentist couple is being tried for murder, conspiracy and destruction of evidence and have maintained that the CBI tampered with the evidence in the case to implicate them.

Aarushi, 14, was found dead in her bedroom in the Talwars' apartment in the satellite town of Noida near Delhi in May 2008. Because the family's domestic help Hemraj was missing, he was declared the suspect. But hours later, he was found dead on the roof.

The Supreme Court has appointed a committee consisting of justices R M Lodha, H L Dattu and Ranjana P Desai, which will start work from this evening to look into the allegations of sexual harassment by a law student. 

Chief Justice P Sathasivam says that, "As the head of the institution, I am also concerned about the allegation and anxious whether the statement is true or not. The committee will go into the whole affair and find out
the facts and prepare the report. We are taking steps and in cases of sexual harassment, we cannot take it lightly.

Stella James, a young lawyer, blogged last week that she was sexually assaulted while interning with a retired Supreme Court judge in December 2012.

This was the time of the Delhi gang-rape protests and she wrote, 'In the strange irony of situations that our world is replete with, the protests were the backdrop of my own experience.

"...I dodged police barricades and fatigue to go to the assistance of a highly reputed, recently retired Supreme Court judge whom I was working under during my penultimate semester.

"For my supposed diligence, I was rewarded with sexual assault (not physically injurious, but nevertheless violating) from a man old enough to be my grandfather.' 

Sonia Gandhi addressing a rally in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, now. 

With the two-month deadline to submit the report coming to an end, the one-man inquiry commission into Muzaffarnagar riots that left over 60 people dead has sought six months extension from the Uttar Pradesh government.

Still smoking hot at 40, Julia Roberts poses in men's shirts and little else. See

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today said that the probe into the alleged foreign funding toAam Admi Party (AAP) was not a government initiative but done following a Delhi High Court directive.   

"We have ordered the inquiry after the Delhi High Court took note of the matter and passed instructions," he said, a day after making the announcement about the probe.   

The Delhi High Court had on October 23 asked the Centre to look "afresh" into the accounts of AAP to find out the sources of the money received by the party since its inception.

Just in: The Rajasthan High Court allows Salman Khan to travel abroad.  Salman Khan is being tried in the Rajasthan HC in a case in which two blackbucks had been killed allegedly by him and his co-stars at Kankani in Jodhpur on the intervening night of 1-2 October, 1998 during the shooting of the film 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'. The trial finally began on July 6 this year. 

Why were two tribals framed by the Chhattisgarh police? Why are Soni Sori and Linga Kodopi being systematically silenced? This chilling story of one family reveals more about India's Naxal crisis than any official document can.  The Tehelka story on Soni Sori. Read

Soni Sori, the tribal teacher who was held in New Delhi last October on charges of being a Maoist conduit was granted bail by the Supreme Court on Tuesday, reports said.

Sori was accused of receiving "protection money" on behalf of Maoists from the Essar Group.

But she claims she was falsely implicated in a number of cases linking her to Maoist activities.

The Supreme Court had admitted Sori's bail plea in September and had sought response from Chhattisgarh government.

She had approached the apex court challenging the Chhattisgarh high court order denying them bail on July 8, 2013.

Sori has been lodged at the Raipur Central Jail since October 2011. She was arrested on October 4, 2011 in New Delhi by a Chhattisgarh police team.

She was then taken to Dantewada for interrogation but was not produced before court. Sori has alleged that she was raped and mistreated by the police. The Chhattisgarh police claimed she fell in a bathroom. 

The Supreme Court has constituted a three-judge committee to to inquire into allegations made by a young lawyer that she was sexually assaulted by a SC judge last year.

Stella James, the young lawyer, blogged last week that she was sexually assaulted while interning with a retired Supreme Court judge in December 2012.

This was the time of the Delhi gang-rape protests and she wrote, 'In the strange irony of situations that our world is replete with, the protests were the backdrop of my own experience.

"...I dodged police barricades and fatigue to go to the assistance of a highly reputed, recently retired Supreme Court judge whom I was working under during my penultimate semester.

"For my supposed diligence, I was rewarded with sexual assault (not physically injurious, but nevertheless violating) from a man old enough to be my grandfather.' 

James decided not to take action because she had 'no real ill-will towards the man, and had no desire to put his life's work and reputation in question.' 

Read her blog here.

Also read her interview with Legally India, a Web site that covers legal news.

Several domestic helps working at the Campa Cola compound say they will lose their primary source of income if the houses are demolished. Most of them have worked here between 10 and 20 years, they tell Rediff.com's Abhishek Mande. 

The residents of Campa Cola Complex have parked cars all along the gates to prevent the JCB's from entering the compound. After the stand off this morning, the BMC has decided to back down for now and will not carry out the demolitions today. Of the 96 illegal flats, 10 have already been vacated. The BMC was also supposed to cut electricity and gas to the illegal flats.

Pic: Cars lined up along the gates of the Campa Cola compound to prevent JCB cranes from entering the complex./Abhishek Mande

While everyone knows about Campa Cola complex now, remember Goli Bar in Khar, where legal residents were evicted. Read

Here's the letter Milind Deora had written to Supreme Court lawyer Fali Nariman asking him his opinion the regularisation of the Campa Cola flats.  In fact, Deora approached Fali Nariman at the suggestion of Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan. Read

The standoff at the Campa Cola compound is still on. One gate in the society has been opened. Yesterday, south Mumbai MP Milind Deora tweeted: Led an all party delegation to meet Maharashtra CM on Campa Cola. Using everything in my powers, & bipartisanship too, to save homes.
BJP's Shaina NC has also lent voice to the residents. She was at the gates this morning and said the government should look at the issue on humanitarian grounds. 

Rediff.com's Abhishek Mande reporting from the Campa Cola compound says that BMC officials, who have been stopped from entering one of the gates, will now try the other gate.

There was a point where it seemed like the bulldozer would break down one of the gates even as the residents stood firmly behind them, but the drama that lasted only a minute or two, and the JCB turned off its engines.

Now the officials are trying to negotiate with the residents to let them in.
Some women can be seen at the gates.

Rediff.com's Abhishek Mande reporting from the Campa Cola compound in Worli says the gates remain firmly closed. Right now there is a meeting on between the residents, the BMC officials and the police. Only 10 out of the 96 flats have been vacated.

A few of the residents have been packed off in police vans and detained.

Maya Kodnani has been granted bail for three months. 

Former minister Gujarat Maya Kodnani has been granted bail on medical grounds. Kodnani had moved the Gujarat high court for six months' bail as she has been diagnosed as suffering from intestinal tuberculosis and heart ailment.

Kodnani was given a 28-year jail term for her involvement in the Naroda Patia massacre of 2002 and is believed to be suffering from severe depression.

The BJP today expressed disappointment over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's speech at a CBI conference and alleged that he was trying to pressurise the agency against probing corruption cases on the ground that it should not investigate policy issues.

"The country is disappointed with the speech of the Prime Minister at the CBI conference yesterday. Instead of assuring that there will be transparency in policy and implementation, he is trying to pressurise CBI against investigating corruption under the garb of policy," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

Abhishek Mande reporting from the Campa Cola compound in Worli, Mumbai, says residents are shouting slogans, "We want justice!"

The police have entered the compound that has been closed to public. Heavy police presence including several woman constables.

Employees of Mahanagar Gas that supplies piped gas to the housing society have entered the building now. Uneasy calm. 

Facing eviction notices by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, residents of Campa Cola Housing Society, who are set to lose their flats in demolition, have received no concrete assurance of help from Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.

The residents, who occupy the unauthorised floors of the high-rise society in Worli in south Mumbai, met Chavan, who sources said, only told them that government would seek legal opinion.

Turning down the appeal filed by the residents, Supreme Court on October 1 directed the municipal corporation to proceed with demolition of illegal floors.

"The apex court's decision was against the housing society. The nexus between the builders and the BMC should be looked into," South Mumbai MP and Union Minister Milind Deora said after the meeting.

Mayor and Shiv Sena leader Sunil Prabhu had urged the chief minister to intervene in the matter.

The BMC on Friday issued eviction notices to occupants of the 35 illegal floors at seven buildings in the complex.

Earlier, the BMC had served two notices to residents living in the illegal floors, but the Supreme Court stayed the demolition.

However, on October 1, the Supreme Court ordered the residents to vacate the illegal flats above the fifth floor at all the seven buildings by November 11. As many as 100 families are occupying these illegal floors.

It's Demolition Day for Campa Cola housing colony residents in Mumbai. Only 10 out of 96 unauthorised in the Campa Cola society have been vacated till now. The rest of the residents have refused to move out and BMC officials have been refused entry. The Supreme Court had set November 11 deadline to vacate the flats. 

On October 1, the Supreme Court had ordered the residents of over 90 illegal flats to vacate their houses by November 11. The BMC had issued eviction notices to residents of the illegal floors under Section 488 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act last week warning them not to obstruct the civic staff when they initiate demolition.

The residents of the Campa Cola compound have had a long legal fight since 2005 when they first went to court for water connection and regularization and the court ordered the then municipal commissioner to take time-bound action on the case.

The Monuments Men director, George Clooney, reveals feud with Russel Crowe and disrespect from Leo DiCaprio's associates, while approving Brad Pitt's resilience. Read 

A 4.8 earthquake shakes San Isidro in the typhoon-stricken Philippines, the U.S. Geological Survey reports. -- CNN.

Between votes in Tamil Nadu and foreign policy imperatives, the prime minister has chosen the former. It would perhaps be fairer to the prime minister to say that the Congress made the choice for him. Read

Eight people were killed and over 1,000 students were trapped in floods after rainstorms in several areas in China triggered by Typhoon Haiyan. Two people have died and four remain missing after a boat capsized in a reservoir in central China's Hunan Province early today.

US and British vessels were heading to the Philippines as the UN appealed for aid amid the large-scale devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan.The US has deployed an aircraft carrier and navy ships to the Philippines, while the UK is sending a naval destroyer. Read more

In pictures: Typhoon Haiyan leaves Philippines devastated. 

The official death toll in Philippines, devastated by Typhoon Haiyan is  1,744; final number expected to be much higher.

Over 6,00,000 people have been evacuated in north-eastern Vietnam, where Typhoon Haiyan arrived on Monday, accompanied by powerful winds and strong waves.

MDMK chief Vaiko and around 250 of his party workers were arrested in Madurai this morning for staging a rail roko protest. Pro-Tamil leader Vaiko was demanding a total boycott of the Commonwealth meet in Colombo to be held this week.

The CBI is neither "a caged bird nor the Congress Bureau of Investigation", said Finance Minister P Chidambaram today, rejecting allegations that the country's premier investigating agency is impeded by an interfering government to protect its interests.

"The CBI pretends to be a helpless victim when it pleads for more autonomy," the Finance Minister said.

His comments come just a day after the Prime Minister warned the Central Bureau of Investigation or CBI and other police agencies not to sit in judgement over policy-making, which he described as a complex process.

The PM also said that investigators should not equate poor judgement with criminal misconduct.

The remarks by the PM and the Finance Minister come as the government is enveloped in controversy over the CBI's investigation into alleged corruption in the allocation of coal licenses, a scandal that has been dubbed "Coal-gate." Read the full story here.

Registration of FIR in cognisable offences is mandatory, says the Supreme Court. No preliminary inquiry by police official is permissible as a condition for registering FIR in cognisable offences. Police officials can't avoid registration of FIR and action must be taken against them for not lodging FIR in cognisable offences.

New Delhi was rattled by at least four earthquakes in a span of three hours early on Tuesday. The first quake, measuring 3.1 on the Richter scale occurred at 12.41 a.m., the Indian Meteorological Department said. The IMD said the tremors lasted for three to four seconds. Read more

Just in: Registration of FIR in cognisable offences is mandatory, says the Supreme Court. 

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court described the Central Bureau of Investigation as a 'caged parrot'. Far from setting it free, the Gauhati High Court sought to exterminate it. The court's judgment holding that the CBI is not a legally constituted police force has been stayed by the Supreme Court for now. Read

Nupur and Rajesh Talwar, accused of murdering their teen daughter Aarushi and their domestic help Hemraj, will today make final arguments in their defence. The dentist couple being tried for murder, conspiracy and destruction of evidence maintain that the CBI tampered with the evidence in the case to implicate them. Read more

Mangalayan, India's mission to Mars, is reportedly back on track on Tuesday morning after encountering a glitch on Monday.

The Aam Aadmi Party is open to a probe, its leader Arvind Kejriwal has said, while reacting to the Centre's decision to investigate the AAP's source of funds and whether the party was receiving foreign funding.

British Prime Minister David Cameron will meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday, according to a tweet by the Trinamool Congress.

The Congress today declared 56 of its candidates in the first list for Delhi assembly elections granting the party tickets to 42 sitting MLAs including all its Ministers.

The list carries the stamp of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who will contest from New Delhi seat, and is seeking to stage a comeback for the fourth time in a row.

While Dikshit was strongly in favour of granting party tickets to all sitting MLAs, Delhi Congress chief J P Agarwal had opposed renominating certain legisltors.

The lone sitting MLA, who has not yet been given the ticket, is Daya Nand Chandela from Rajouri Garden who has criminal cases against him.

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