Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that war could result from a bad deal between world powers and Iran over its nuclear program.

Sportspersons committing fraud while competing, including under-performance, can be slapped with a punishment of a maximum of five-year imprisonment, according to the proposed 'Prevention of Sporting Fraud Bill'. 

Security along the Nepal-India border has been stepped up ahead of the crucial November 19 Constituent Assembly polls to avert any disturbances. 

Defending champion Viswanathan Anand and Norwegian challenger Magnus Carlsen played out a fourth successive draw in the World Chess Championship in Chennai on Tuesday after 64 moves. 

Sparking a controversy, Leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly Shankarsinh Vaghela has alleged that RSS and BJP are using Muslims to carry out terror attacks in the country, drawing a sharp response from BJP which accused Congress of making "wild allegations".        

 

"RSS and BJP are using Muslims to make bombs and carry out attacks," Vaghela, who himself had roots in RSS, alleged.        

 

He also alleged that BJP is leaving no stone unturned to ensure disunity between Hindus and Muslims so that they can get maximum votes.        

 

"Muzaffarnagar is the best example of it," he told reporters here last night.         Vaghela also said that the Bodh Gaya and Patna blasts should be investigated throughly as he believes that there is something suspicious about them as some Hindus were found to be accused in the case.        

 

The BJP hit back saying, "Congress which is startled by good response that Gujarat chief minister and BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is getting in the country, has stooped low by making these allegations."

Uttar Pradesh government has informed the Supreme Court that over 41,000 persons, out of 50,955 who had taken shelter in 58 relief camps in riots-hit Muzaffarnagar area, have gone back to their native places.

A fresh status report, filed by Divisional Commissioner of Saharanpur, however, admitted that nearly 10,000 persons are still living in 10 operational camps and the residents of six riots-hit villages of Muzaffarnagar "have not agreed to return to their native villages even after confidence building measures and serious persuasion."

Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal has once again made a statement against BJP's prime ministerial candidate for 2014 General Elections, Narendra Modi, which could ruffle a few feathers.

In an apparent dig at Gujarat Chief Minister, he said today that a person who used to sell tea can never be nationalist.

Hitting back at the SP leader's comment, BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that the secularism syndicate was suffering from the dengue of depression.

Last month too, Aggarwal had used, what was said to be derogatory language against BJP and Modi. He had compared BJP to a 'widow' and said that his thoughts were like a CM and not a PM. -- Zee News.

In view of crowd frenzy and hype surrounding the farewell match of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, Mumbai police has drawn up an extensive security plan which includes ensuring that the master blaster does not move around alone at the Wankhede Stadium tomorrow.

Elaborate security arrangements are being made in and around the stadium as Tendulkar will be playing his 200th and final Test match tomorrow against West Indies.

Here are the numbers: 850 policemen and 200 female security personnel will be deployed along with 18 assistant police commissioners, 35 inspectors and 90 sub-inspectors for the Test match security at the ground. Six platoons of the State Reserve Police Force have also been deployed. Three Deputy Police Commissioners will supervise the security arrangements.

Twelve Quick Response Teams and 16 Marksman vehicles have been stationed.

Police will have 45 door framed metal detectors and over 100 hand-held metal detectors for frisking, police said.

Six teams of the Bomb Disposal and Dog Squad (BDDS) will also be stationed in and around the ground, police said adding that the squads would conduct checks at the stadium before and after match.

The first check will be done three hours before the match begins, the officer added.

The four roads leading to the stadium - D Road, F Road, Maharshi Karve Road and Netaji Subhash Road (Marine Drive) - have been made no-parking zones while vehicle owners living in the area have been provided alternate arrangements.

Amid questions over what happened during the long intrusion by infiltrators from Pakistan in Keran sector, the Union government has refused to accept claims of Army, saying there was no evidence on ground to suggest any infiltration bid. Read more

The Union Cabinet is all set to discuss the report of the Group of Ministers on Telangana and also to consider each clause of the Telangana Bill. A schedule was worked out to meet the dictum by the Congress Working Committee given to the UPA government on the creation of Telangana.

Tomorrow, on Nehru's birthday, the Group of Ministers is scheduled to meet the whole day. 

On the 18th, the GoM will meet the Union Ministers of Railways, Surface Transport, Law, Personnel, Commerce and Agriculture to discuss the Telangana Bill.

On the 19th, which is Indira Gandhi's birthday, the GoM will finalise the Telangana Bill and the following day, will present the Report and Draft Bill to the Prime Minister with a copy to Sonia Gandhi. In all possibility, the draft bill on Telangana is likely to posted on the website of the Union Home Ministry for public reactions.

On November 28, the Union Cabinet will discuss the Telangana Bill and subsequently submit it to the President for processing. The UPA is keen to introduce this Telangana Bill in Parliament by December 15, 2013.

The Group of Ministers on Telangana has summoned Attorney General Goolam Vahanvati, Law Secretary Brahm Avtar Agarwal, Legislative Secretary P K Malhotra, on Thursday, to interpret and analyse the crucial aspects of article 371-D on the special provisions on Andhra Pradesh.

The GoM is likely to cross-question law officers about the requirement of two bills on Telangana -- one is an ordinary bill and the other is the Constitutional amendment.

The GoM on Thursday will also ask Attorney General Goolam Vahanvati about clarity on clause 10 of article 371 D.  Legal experts say that this cannot be done by Parliament under the ordinary lawmaking power of the Parliament since it was a Constitutional Amendment which was ratified by State Legislatures under Article 368.

President Pranab Mukherjee will spend the winter of 2013 at the Rashtrapathi Nilayam in Hyderabad. He will be moving residence to the Nizam's city from December 19 to December 30.

Insiders say that the president will use the time to study various rulings of apex courts on minority governments. For instance PV Narasimha's government in 1991-1996.

A voracious reader, Pranab Mukherjee has already read six books on the constitutional aspects of the formation of union governments. That, in a sense, signals the President's readiness for May 2014. 

Agatha Christie's Belgian detective was a brilliant creation, brought to life by David Suchet's sublime acting. Read

Emma Thompson has made peace with Helena Bonham Carter over her affair with ex-husband Kenneth Branagh -- setting an example to love rivals everywhere. Read

Elephants will no longer be a familiar sight on the streets of Mumbai. In a bid to protect the animal from the dangers of the urban jungle, Maharashtra's Forest Department recently imposed a ban on elephants entering India's commercial capital, which will be implemented later this month. Read

Tons of food from around the world have arrived in the Philippines, but the hundreds of thousands homeless and starving after Typhoon Haiyan decimated part of the country have yet to get a bite of it. Endless landscapes of devastation were still blocking roads leading to the hungriest mouths Wednesday. Read

The details of the PM's review on key infrastructure projects in Maharashatra where he gave the go-ahead for major airport projects at Navi Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. Read

The National Commission for Women today sought an explanation from CBI chief Ranjit Sinha for his controversial rape remark and said it may recommend his resignation to the government after receiving a reply on his "insensitive and irresponsible" statement.

Disapproving Sinha's statement, the NCW issued a show cause notice seeking an explanation from him for his statement within 24 hours.

"He has made a controversial statement. We will not only condemn it, but also protest against it. He holds such a high position and as the protector of law, how can he make such an insensitive and irresponsible statement," said NCW member Nirmala Samant Prabhavalkar.

The Election Commission (EC) hauls up Rahul Gandhi for saying that Pakistan's ISI was in touch with Muzaffarnagar riot victims and charged the Bharatiya Janata Party with indulging in politics of hatred.

The EC expressed displeasure and advised Rahul to be more circumspect in public utterances during poll campaigns. The EC also said that parts of his speech violated the model code of conduct. EC asks Rahul why action should not be taken against him.

Just a little ahead, the EC issued a notice to Narendra Modi for his khooni panja remark. Scroll down for the details. 

On this day, 100 years ago, Rabindranath Tagore got the Nobel Prize for Literature for a selection of poems, Gitanjali.

Tagore, who died in 1941 at the age of eighty, is a towering figure in the millennium-old literature of Bengal.

Here's a quick read on Tagore.

The Election Commission (EC) has slapped a notice on Narendra Modi for his controversial khooni panja (bloodied hand) barb at the Congress during a poll rally in Chhattisgarh. EC asks Modi to file a reply by November 16, 5 pm why action should not be initiated against him.

The Congress party on Saturday moved the Election Commission over the remark seeking "stern action" against the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate.

Read more on what the Congress said

Vinay Sharma's left arm was in a sling, and blood seeped from a bandage wrapped around his head."It happened when I went for lunch,' he told The Independent this week. "Somebody attacked me from behind with a blade... another prisoner. It's very important news for you." Read

The National Stock Exchange and the BSE will close on November 15 on account of Muharram. The bourses had previously declared November 14 a trading holiday.

The PM's meeting on infrastructure projects in Maharashtra clears three new airports for the state -- Navi Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur.

Success of the "dream gold" hunt still remains a "dream" even as excavation for possible 1,000 tonnes of gold at Raja Rao Ram Bux Singh fort in Daundiya Khera village continued on the 27th day.

Excavation of one block at the fort has been completed and after 75 per cent completion of the second block, there is still no sign of the gold treasure dreamed by the seer Shobhan Sarkar.

The excavation work, which was started on October 18, is likely to be stopped after digging of the second block is completed if nothing valuable is found. 

The Supreme Court will take up the Campa Cola case on November 19. The Apex court was supposed to give the details of the stay order of the demolition at 2 pm.

The SC which took suo motu cognizance of media reports on the demolition of the building and passed the stay order said it was badly disturbed by the development that is taking place at Campa Cola premises and apart from legal issues, there is also a human problem in the case.

The Supreme Court also agrees to consider a proposal of constructing a separate building in the premises for those whose apartments are to be demolished. Goolam Vahanvat, the Attorney General, tells the SC that he will come up with a proposal for a permanent solution on Tuesday. 

CBI Director Ranjit Sinha today expressed regret for his comments comparing the legalizing of betting in sports to 'enjoying rape', after a huge public backlash.

"I regret any hurt caused as same was unintended and inadvertent. I reiterate my deep sense of regard and respect for women and commitment to gender issues," Sinha said today, stopping short of an apology in his third clarification since the controversy erupted yesterday.

Here's what happened yesterday.

Why I'm outraged by the CBI director's remarks. Read

Any time now, the Supreme Court will pass a detailed order on the Campa Cola demolition. A bench headed by Justice G S Singhvi took suo motu cognizance of media reports and stayed the demolition process.

Sachin Tendulkar, India's icon, who left other batsmen trailing in his wake and bowlers with enduring nightmares, begins his final Test against West Indies in Mumbai on Thursday. Read

The rupee is in trouble, yet again. The currency has been sliding in the last five trading sessions, to close at Rs 63.71 versus the dollar on Tuesday. A convergence of unfavourable factors appears to be behind the renewed fall in the currency after the relative stability of the last few weeks.

BJP's PM candidate Narendra Modi is likely to contest the 2014 parliamentary polls from a seat in the Hindi heartland, although he may not ditch his home state.

There has been a steady buzz on the likelihood of Modi contesting from a UP Lok Sabha seat like Lucknow that has returned former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and is seen as a prestigious constituency. Other destinations such as Varanasi and Kanpur too are being speculated on.  Read more

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid arrived in Colombo a short while ago to participate in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) on behalf of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Khurshid will attend the first session of the Pre-CHOGM Ministers' meeting later today, which finalises the agenda for the main summit that will start on Friday.

Wednesday's meeting will focus on the special CHOGM theme ''Growth with Equity: Inclusive Development''.

Khurshid on Tuesday asserted that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh''s absence from the Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo does not foreclose India''s legitimate position in multi-lateral fora.

He also said that there is a two-way investment between Sri Lanka and India.

Also read: Now, PM applies 'ad' balm to angry Tamils despite CHOGM miss

The picture in Afghanistan today is bleak: worsening security, ubiquitous Taliban presence, poor coordination between donors and the government, and a slowing economy. Read

The grand old Congress party can survive if it breaks free from the overarching presence of a single clan. Read

The Supreme Court today asked the Centre and CBI to file replies on a plea seeking to direct the government to take action on findings of Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) which found "irregularities" in some business transactions after examining Niira Radia tapes.

A bench of justices G S Singhvi and V Gopala Gowda also asked former Tata chief, Ratan Tata who has filed a plea for not making public tapped conversations of Radia, to file reply within a week.

Immediately after the order was passed and the matter was adjourned for December 2 for hearing of cases arising out of Radia's tapped conversation, senior advocate Rajiv Dhawan, appearing for Open Magazine, strongly objected for deferment of hearing.

Mumbai Congress president Janardan Chandurkar has stirred a row by demanding that the country's highest civilian honours bestowed on those who praise "communal forces" should be withdrawn.

Though he did not name melody queen Lata Mangeshkar, it is apparent that remarks were aimed at her, as the singer had recently said she wanted to see Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi become the Prime Minister.

"All awards and honours bestowed on those who are praising communal forces should be withdrawn," Chandurkar said at a function. However, the Congress leader has clarified that he had not named anyone.

Just in: Justice GS Singhvi recuses himself from hearing Ratan Tata's petition on Niira Radia's tapped conversations. Read more on the judge.

In other news, why rape analogies are a big no no.

CBI director Ranjit Sinha on Tuesday came out in support of legalizing betting in sports, saying, "If there are lotteries in states, if we can have casinos in tourist resorts and if government can declare schemes for voluntary disclosure of black money, what is the harm if we legalize betting?"

But then, in a bizarre analogy, Sinha said, "Above all, do we have the enforcement agencies? If you can't enforce it, it is like you can't prevent rape, enjoy it. It is better to legalize it and earn some revenue rather than throwing up your hands."  Read more

BMC officials booed out of the Campa Cola Complex as cheers break out.  For all that, the residents say they are aware that the Supreme Court has simply given them more time on 'compassionate' grounds but has NOT revoked the demolition order. Seven months later, it will time for the BMC and police to gather at the gates once again.  

Jubilation and cheers from the residents at Campa Cola society as the news of the Supreme Court order spreads. So, from November 11 to May 31, 2014, seven months more of relief.

This morning, Supreme Court lawyer Fali Nariman brought it to the court's notice that the demolition had begun, after which the court passed the order to stay the demolition.  The court passed the order suo moto on the basis of newspaper reports and said the residents were given time to vacate the flats.

What should be remembered is the SC has not revoked its earlier order of demolition, but has simply given the residents seven more months to vacate and relocate the premises.

Breaking news: The Supreme Court directs the BMC NOT to demolish the Campa Cola flats till May 31, 2014. And that, folks, is after the elections.

Huge relief for the residents, for now.

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

Deora says he has been trying to call the chief minister this morning, but his mobile is switched off.

Netas at the Campa Cola compound include Congress MP Milind Deora and BJP MP Shaina NC.

This is what Deora, who has always been extremely active on Twitter, posted yesterday.

"At yesterday's all-party meet with Maharashtra's CM on Campa Cola, all agreed not to provoke residents into coming in the way of the SC order. Shiv Sena felt the Maha Govt should get a legal opinion from India's Attorney General, which, as I'm told by the CM's office, is underway.

"Contrary to their assurances, parties who in fact control the BMC, entrusted with the demolition, did the opposite today. It's unfortunate that Shiv Sena is agitating alongside a builder when builders and BMC created this mess in the first place! Regardless of our differences, can ALL parties at least agree to keep builders away from Campa Cola? It'll only help their cause! Maha's CM must also clearly state his intent & ability (or legal inability) to help. Like residents, I'm growing increasingly wary."

The Maharashtra government says it is simply following the orders of the Supreme Court. Actual demolition may not begin today. What is likely to happen to today is vacate the flats, the water, gas and electricity connections will be cut off and only then will the internal walls of the flats be broken.

Clashes between residents and the police continue. The authorities are in no mood to back down today since they maintain they are only enforcing the Supreme Court order. Residents have maintained that the support of politicians like Congress MP Milind Deora and state housing minister Sachin Ahir have lent them courage to continue their fight.

Ninety-six flats have been marked for demolition after the Supreme Court court, early this year, ruled they had to go because of large scale FSI violations by the builder almost 30 years ago. Just 10 of the 96 flats have been vacated, even though the last day for vacating the flats ended on November 11.

Yesterday, the residents barricaded the gates with cars which proved effective yesterday. But this morning, cops climbed over the cars and broke down the gates. Residents allege that women and children were lathi-charged. 

Police and Campa Cola residents clash at the gates of the complex. The residents allege that the police lathi-charged them. South Mumbai MP, Milind Deora, who has written to Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan and spoken to Sonia Gandhi to have the 96 flats regularised, has asked the residents to cooperate with the police and the BMC since the BMC is acting on the basis of a Supreme Court order

So, it's the end of the road for the residents of the Campa Cola Complex. The BMC officials have broken the main gate and begin eviction. 

The White House said today that world powers are united in their effort to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran and warned the Congress over opposing the diplomatic efforts, noting that American people do not want a march to war.

Asserting that Iran rejected the unified proposal form the six-nation P5 Plus One group on Tehran's nuclear weapons program, the White House on Tuesday said diplomatic option continues to remain even if the military option is not off the table when it comes to Iran.

"The P-5-plus-1 were unified on the proposal that was put forward and that the Iranians did not accept that proposal -- and that's a statement of fact," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters at his daily news conference.

The negotiations between Iran and the P5 plus One, comprising of the US, France, Britain, China, Russia and Germany would resume in Geneva on November 21 and 22

Image: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani

Photograph: Reuters

With betting in IPL tournament estimated to be around Rs 66,000 crore business, CBI Director Ranjit Sinha today said there is no harm in legalising betting as there was no point in a ban which cannot be enforced.

When asked by senior editor Shekhar Gupta on his views about legalising betting, Sinha, who was on the panel of a session "Ethics and integrity in sports--need for a law and role of the CBI", said there was no harm in legalising betting in the country.

"If you cannot enforce the ban on betting, it is likes saying 'if you can't prevent rape, you enjoy it'", Sinha said.

"If we can have lottery in states, if we can have casinos at holiday resorts. If the government can declare schemes of voluntary disclosure for black money, so what's the harm in legalising betting? Besides you'll have enforcement agencies to look into it," he said, adding that its easy to call for ban than to enforce it.   

(Later, CBI spokesperson gave a clarification saying the context in which the statement was made by Sinha was an opinion on legalising betting.

"A voice vote was taken from R M Sawani and cricketer Rahul Dravid and the Director, CBI, made a point if a law cannot be enforced, that does not mean that law should not be there").

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