LIVE! Rajya Sabha passes Food Bill by voice vote

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Mon, 02 September 2013

Rajya Sabha passes Food Bill by voice vote

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23:28 Rajya Sabha passes Food Bill by voice vote

The Rajya Sabha on Monday night passed thye Food Bill by voice vote.

More details are awaited.

22:52 'We Would Never Have Believed Our Own Daughter

Tehelka reports: The father of the girl who alleged sexual assault against Asaram Bapu reveals the story behind the assault and the trauma faced by his famil.

Read the full story here

21:48

The Rajya Sabha is currently debating the amendments to the Food Security Bill. The house has been adjourned till 9.56 pm.

21:37 Ramdev advises sages to maintain distance from women

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev today said that sages and holymen should avoid being alone with women, including their mothers, daughters and mothers-in-law, as that was the prescription laid down in Hindu scriptures.

"One of the principles of ideal behaviour for saints prescribed by the scriptures is to maintain a distance from women, including their mothers, daughters and mothers-in-law," Baba Ramdev said.

In an apparent dig at the Bharatia Janata Party leaders like Narendra Modi for using Twitter to score points, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said they were turning the sweet chirping of birds (dictionary meaning of Twitter) into the jarring sounds of politics.

"The dictionary meaning of Twitter is the chirping of birds which makes a man happy hearing them in the morning," Kumar told reporters emerging from his 'Janata ke darbar mein mukhya mantri' programme.

"But some leaders through excessive tweeting have turned it into a jarring sound," he said.

Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh will embark on a four-day visit to Australia from tomorrow during which the two sides will discuss ways to strengthen bilateral military ties.

"The visit assumes special significance in the light of improving economic and military cooperation between the two countries in consonance with our growing relationship with Australia," an Army statement said.

Seeking a consensus on Narendra Modi's projection as the prime ministerial candidate, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has held confabulations with top Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including L K Advani, who is said to have reservations on the issue.

Senior RSS leader Suresh 'Bhaiyaji' Joshi held talks with Advani on Sunday, amid a strong pitch by some sections of the BJP for early announcement of Modi as the prime ministerial candidate, sources said in New Delhi.

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the government was preparing a note to pass a resolution on Telangana in the Cabinet.

Sources say that the ministry is considering a proposal to convert Hyderabad into a Union Territory; so far, the government has said that it will be a shared capital between the old and new state for 10 years, with it resting with Telangana after that, reports NDTV.

Slammed over a proposal to shut petrol pumps at night to taper fuel demand, Oil Minister M Veerappa Moily today beat a hasty retreat, saying there is no move to limit petrol and diesel sales at retail outlets. Moily, who over the weekend had indicated that austerity measures, including a night curfew at petrol pumps, are being considered, said his ministry is planning to launch a massive conservation drive from September 16 to cut oil imports.

"We have already made it very clear it is not our idea. It is an idea which is coming from public and others. We have not accepted those suggestions. There is no proposal before us to close down petrol pumps from 8 pm in the evening to 8 am," he told reporters in New Delhi.

The supporters of Asaram Babu gathered outside the jail in Jodhpur were lathicharged after they turned violent.

The controversial guru, accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old, was jailed today after the Rajasthan police told a court that their investigation was complete. At least 125 supporters have been detained.

18:59

Over 500 supporters of Asaram gather outside the Jodhpur jail.

18:59 No question of withdrawing BSF camps from Malkangiri: DGP

Odisha Police today rejected the Maoists demand of withdrawing BSF camps from Chitrakonda area, the Naxal hot-bed of Malkangiri district, while the state government stressed on the augmentation of developmental activities in the Southern districts.

Removal of debris at Kedarnath is likely to begin after resumption of prayers at the Himalayan shrine on September 11, officials said today.

Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna is in favour of starting the debris-clearing exercise at the shrine only after the prayers, suspended over two months ago, are resumed, they said.

"Actually, the priority now is to resume prayers at the shrine. Rest of the things can be taken up after that," an official said.

Officials of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple committee, priests and Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati's representatives, who held a meeting with the Chief Minister yesterday, are strongly in favour of early resumption of the ritual worship arguing its prolonged suspension can be inauspicious, he said.

An alarming 142 cases of dengue have been detected in August in Delhi, the highest this year, prompting the municipal bodies to step up preventive measures.

From 11 cases in July, the highest till then, the figure for dengue has jumped to 142, which has been attributed to intermittent rains and stable temperature building conducive mosquitogenic conditions but no death has been reported so far, according to an MCD report released today.

The father of the girl who alleged sexual assault against Asaram Bapu reveals the story behind the assault and the trauma faced by his family. Read

Aruna Chadha, co-accused of former Haryana Minister Gopal Kanda in the air hostess suicide case, was today granted interim bail till November 15 by a Delhi court.

18:13

Prasanto K Roy tweetS: So, India has 74 million people online--just over 6% of its population. And 75% of them are under 35

18:08 Juvenile verdict incorrect, age should be lowered, says Delhi Lt Governor

Two days after a juvenile was found guilty of rape and murder and sentenced to three years at a reform centre in the horrific December 16 gang-rape case, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung has said he was disappointed with the verdict and that rape laws for juveniles need to be revisited. Read

17:47 No skirts, spaghettis, says Delhi University

Delhi University has given a list of instructions to students on a weeklong excursion to the northern state of Punjab, including rules on what they should -- or rather shouldn't -- wear.

"Students are to strictly adhere to the dress code i.e. girls are not to wear skirts, shorts or spaghetti and boys are also not to wear shorts and sleeveless t-shirts," point two on the list of instructions says. Read

17:42

What went wrong with the Indian economy -- a study in charts. See

17:30 Mamata's communal card quashed: Allowance for Imams and Muezzins unconstitutional

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's attempt at minority appeasement has run into rough ground.

The Calcutta High Court today rejected an allowance announced by the West Bengal government for imams and muezzins, ruling it to be unconstitutional and against the public interest.

The court said the allowance violated Articles 14 and 15/1 of the Constitution, which provide that the state shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, or any of them.

In the spring, aspiring Yale journalists will have the opportunity to learn from one of the most famous names in the field, Bob Woodward -- the journalist who along with his colleague Carl Bernstein uncovered the Watergate Scandal when they were at the Washington Post in the 1970s.

Asaram's lawyer have applied for bail, but for now, the self-styled godman is in jail. His lawyers have said Asaram is unwell and the entire case is a conspiracy against him. The bail hearing will come up tomorrow in the Jodhpur court.

16:52 Four-year-old raped in Mumbai

A four-year-old girl was raped in Mumbai's Oshiwara area, police said on Monday. The girl has been admitted to Cooper Hospital, where her condition was reported to be serious.According to police, one person has been arrested in connection with the crime.

Self-styled guru Asaram Bapu has reached the Jodhpur court. His police custody ends today and is now being sent to judicial custody for 14 days.

The police has not sought an extension of custody.

Accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl at his ashram, spent a day in police remand after being grilled by Jodhpur police for about four hours.

Asaram (72), who was flown from Indore where he was arrested after midnight amid high drama, cleared a potency test conducted on him at the SN Medical college in Jodhpur on Sunday.

He was also taken to the Manai ashram, 30 km from Jodhpur, where the incident was recreated to verify the charge against him, Jodhpur DCP Ajay Pal Lamba said.

16:27

Watch: The Asaram Bapu-Narendra Modi camaraderie

16:25 The meaning of Martin Luther King's speech: then and now

The relevance of Martin Luther King's speech in 21st-century Britain. Read

Congress President Sonia Gandhi today left for the US for medical check-up.

Accompanied by her daughter Priyanka, she left this afternoon, official sources said. 66-year-old Gandhi, who had undergone a surgery in the US for an undisclosed ailment on August 5, 2011, had flown there for a check-up in February and again on September two last year.

The Congress President was admitted to AIIMS last Monday after she complained of chest pain and exhaustion in the Lok Sabha during a discussion on Food Security Bill when it was in the last stages of adoption.

She was discharged from the hospital after she spent five hours undergoing various tests. Gandhi, who had cough and headache, had felt uneasy in Parliament after taking medicines.

Hardline Hurriyat Conference Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani today called for a general strike on September 7 to protest against internationally renowned orchestra conductor Zubin Mehta's concert in the Valley.

"I appeal to the people of Kashmir Valley and Chenab, Poonch and Rajouri belts in Jammu region to observe a complete shutdown on Saturday, September 7," Geelani said.

Geelani asked college and university students in the Valley to stage peaceful protests after Friday prayers to oppose the concert. He also called upon Imams (priests) to make the people aware about the "implications of such a show".

The German embassy is holding a cultural programme in the famous Shalimar Gardens on September 7 which will also feature performance by Mehta. Geelani alleged that the concert is aimed at "turning the focus away" from Kashmir issue.

Just in: Former army chief General VK Singh, who has denied that he will be seeking a BJP ticket, will however be sharing the dais with Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on September 15.

General Singh -- who had an uneasy relationship with the UPA government during his tenure as army chief -- has been spoken of as a BJP-supported candidate against a member of the First Family, likely Congress President Sonia Gandhi if she indeed contests the next general election from Rae Bareli.

However, he has denied that he will be joining the BJP or contesting the polls.

15:34 LPG subsidy benefits expands to 269 districts

The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has worked out a detailed proposal for the expansion of the programme for Direct Benefit Transfer of LPG subsidy. The DBT-LPG programme is currently under implementation in 20 districts, but will be expanded to 269 more districts, taking the total number of districts to 289. Higher priority has been given to districts with higher Aadhaar penetration.

15:25

The BJP and other Opposition parties Monday decided to refer the Land Acquisition Bill to the Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha. Earlier, union minister Jairam Ramesh met Arun Jaitley BJP Leader to explain the salient features of the Bill.

15:22 Sena gets it right: Petrol pump curfew will lead to blackmarketing, hoarding

More reactions on the petrol pump curfew.

Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena) said the Petroleum Minister's proposal to shut down petrol pumps at night will create lot of inconvenience to consumers and especially to people in cities like Delhi and Mumbai as these cities never sleep.

He said any such move will encourage blackmarketing and hoarding. He said the government should instead of closing down petrol pumps, focus on alternative means like generation of power through wind and solar energy, improving the road condition, encouraging blending of ethanol and plying vehicles with green fuel.

The PM has struck down the proposal, which the oil ministry says was made on the suggestion from the public.

14:59

For Girls in India, the Pressure to Conform Comes From Family. Read

14:54 Suggestion for shutting petrol pumps in night bizarre: TMC

Trinamool Congress, which severed ties with UPA last year over fuel price hike, today slammed the government for another round of hike in prices of petroleum products and termed as "bizarre" the suggestion to shut petrol pumps during night to taper fuel demand.

"On September 12 last year, we walked out of the government because of petrol and diesel price hike. Our stand has been very very clear...you cannot declare a war on the people of India.

"What is this government doing by raising prices of diesel by 50 paise and more than Rs 2 of petrol," party MP Derek O'Brien told reporters outside Parliament.

14:32 92-year-old on trial for Nazi war crime

A 92-year-old former member of the Nazi Waffen SS is going on trial in Germany today on charges he executed a Dutch resistance fighter in 1944. Dutch-born Siert Bruins, who is now German, goes on trial in the western city of Hagen on the charge of murder after being found medically fit for the proceedings.

14:20

NDTV's Nitin gokhale tweets: Meanwhile even as India inducted C-17 in the IAF China and Pakistan have begun a joint Air exercise in Xinjiang!

Read: C-17 Globemaster III joins Indian Air Force

14:14

And so it goes... Lok Sabha adjourned for the day after uproar over Telangana issue.

14:13 Too many pieces to this puzzle

The Congress's tactical errors on the Telangana announcement and an ill-prepared State government have allowed full play to the multitude of separatist movements in Assam. Read

14:12

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde announces that the Telangana resolution will be brought before Union Cabinet within 20 days.

14:08 Why dialogue is the only option with Pakistan

The best way to weaken anti-India forces in Pakistan is for New Delhi to commit itself clearly and purposefully to a peace process with the democratically elected civilian government there. Read

13:52 Sonia Gandhi May Travel to U.S. for Checkup

Sonia Gandhi, president of India's ruling Congress party, is expected to fly to the US in the next few days for a routine medical checkup, nearly a week after she fell sick in Parliament, according to reports. Read

13:51 India to Curb Use of Gmail by Officials

To prevent vital information from being hacked,India will urge 400,000 of the country's top bureaucrats to route all official email through Indian government servers as part of a new policy to be issued soon, the country's information technology secretary told The Wall Street Journal. Read

13:45 Dialogue is the only option

The best way to weaken anti-India forces in Pakistan is for New Delhi to commit itself clearly and purposefully to a peace process with the democratically elected civilian government there. Read

After his interrogation that lasted five hours, Asaram was taken to court where the judge gave the police another day to question him.

It also rejected Asaram's plea that he be allowed to live at his ashram in the city.

The police then took him to his ashram in Manai, 30 km from the city, where he is said to have sexually assaulted the schoolgirl on August 15.

Some 100-150 of his supporters were waiting there and they tried to block the police convoy.

The police lathicharged the crowd and arrested over 12 of them.Asaram will spend the night in an AC room at the Rajasthan Armed Constabulary's guest house. He refused to sleep on the bed, saying it was "impure', and has been given a mat.

13:18 Hair today, gone tomorrow

Six persons were arrested in Palani, Tamil Nadu, in connection with theft of hair bundles (offering given by devotees) from the Lord Muruga temple worth Rs 70 lakh, police said. They said 1,253 bundles of hair were found missing during auditing of the godown, where hair is sorted according to quality and stored in bundles, following which four temple workers were suspended. Tonsured locks of women are sold for a higher price price.

13:15

All that you wanted to know on the Land Acquisition Bill. Read

13:12 In no state to deliver

Even if the UPA was successful in getting the support of regional parties for the passage of the National Food Security Bill in the Lok Sabha, another round of conflict is coming up when implementation begins in the States. Read

In the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley moves the motion on the Food Security Bill. The National Food Security Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha on August 26, is now being taken up by the Rajya Sabha today, a critical step before the government's ambitious pro-poor scheme can become law ahead of polls due in May.

Read: All you wanted to know about the food security bill

12:45

Sidin Vadukut on why India is never going to be safe for women. Read

12:42 4 TDP, 5 Cong MPs from Andhra suspended for five days in LS

For the second time this session, four TDP and five Congress members from Andhra Pradesh were today suspended from Lok Sabha for the remaining five days for disrupting proceedings on the Telangana issue.

Cracking the whip, Speaker Meira Kumar suspended them for the rest of the Monsoon session which concludes on Friday.

As soon as the House met for the day, TDP members N Kristappa, M Venugopal Reddy, K N Rao and N Sivaprasad walked into the Well to protest against the announcement to form Telangana.

12:17 Sexual Violence Protests Take on New Color

A day after the first verdict in the Delhi gang-rape case was handed down, around two thousand demonstrators gathered in New Delhi. Read

An alleged psychopath wanted in nearly 30 cases of rape and murder in three states escaped from the high-security Central Jail in Bangalore on Saturday night. Read

The five accused, including a juvenile, arrested in the Shakti Mills gang-rape case, have told the police that they regularly watched pornographic movies at illegal video parlours in Madanpura, Byculla and Agripada and also visited red-light areas. Read

Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal's open house discussion with leaders of telecom industry is believed to have been deferred for the second time and is now scheduled for September 11.

The first meeting was earlier scheduled for August 13 but it was deferred to September 4 following the Minister's busy schedule during the ongoing Parliament session.

11:46

In the Rajya Sabha, two TDP members have been suspended for the day for protesting on the Telangana issue; House has been adjourned for 15 minutes.

11:36 Ignore US ire, import Iran oil to save $8.5bn, Veerappa Moily suggests

The Manmohan Singh government will have to tread on a diplomatic tightrope with oil minister M Veerappa Moily suggesting India may save nearly $8.5 billion (around Rs 57,000 crore) by importing cheaper crude from Iran, which faces UN sanctions in the wake of its nuclear programme. Read

PM Dr Manmohan Singh has thankfully rejected the proposal to restrict the timings of petrol pumps. Petroleum minister Veerappa Moily had proposed that petrol pumps be kept open from 8am to 8pm to save fuel as the economy reels under a stagnating GDP of 4.4 per cent.

Finance minister P Chidambaram met the PM in the wake of Moily's proposal. Moily has now clarified that the proposal came from the oil ministry and not the government. The FM says the petrol curfew will send a bad signal to the industry.

11:30 Juvenile Justice in India

The trial of the juvenile, who on Saturday was found to be involved in the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in New Delhi in December, has brought the juvenile justice system in India under the spotlight. The teenager was 17 at the time of his arrest. Here's what the juvenile justice system in India means. Read

11:27 Slumdwellers call for changes in juvenile law

Pinki Kumari, an 11-year-old schoolgirl and part-time rag-picker, is the youngest of 40 slum dwellers to sign a petition demanding harsher penalties for minors who commit crimes in India.

The petition -- addressed to the Indian president -- was drafted on Sunday by a group of sweepers and domestic workers in Noida, a city on the outskirts of New Delhi, a day after a juvenile court sentenced an 18-year-old to three years in a reformatory for gang-raping and murdering a 22-year-old physiotherapy student in the Indian capital in December. Read

11:22

Rajya Sabha adjourned for 15 minutes as TMC disrupts proceedings over petrol, diesel price hike.

11:09 Austerity drive begins: Petrol pumps to open from 8 am fro 8 pm

From the middle of this month, says oil minister M Veerappa Moily, the government plans a massive six-week fuel conservation drive that could include closing all petrol pumps by 8 pm. The BJP has scoffed at the proposal. Read

The one-day police custody of spiritual guru Asaram Bapu, who is facing allegations of sexual assault on a minor, ends on Monday.

Police will present Asaram before the district and sessions judge in Jodhpur today and, if need be, seek more custody.

The self-styled godman was on Sunday brought to Jodhpur town, where he was interrogated and taken to his ashram for recreating the "crime scene", police said.

According to reports, police will file a chargesheet against Asaram soon.

During the interrogation at the Police Lines, near Mandore in Jodhpur, the white-clad, bearded 72-year-old Asaram asserted he was innocent.

Asaram spent the night at the Police Lines, police sources told a news agency.

The police chief said Asaram had undergone a medical examination and the doctors had declared he was fine. Reports also said that Asaram also cleared a potency test.

DNA reports: To resolve the confusion over the age of the first arrested accused in the Shakti Mills gang rape, the Maharashtra home department has decided to conduct a bone test on him.

The first arrested accused, claimed to be a minor, allegedly raped a 23-year-old photojournalist on the Shakti Mills premises along with the other four accused on August 22.

While all the accused have admitted to committing the crime, the family of the accused who was the first to be arrested is claiming that he is a minor. They have even furnished his birth certificate issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. His school leaving certificate, too, is said to show that he is a minor, however, its been scribbled all over.

State home secretary Amitabh Rajan said, All this has created confusion... We want to resolve this and, hence, we are conducting the bone test.

10:14 Sensex rises 132 points in early trade

The BSE benchmark Sensex rose over 132 points in early trade today, extending gains for the fourth day in a row on sustained buying by funds as well as retail investors, largely in tandem with a firming trend on other Asian bourses.

However, the country's slowing economic growth, which slipped to 4.4 per cent, restricted the gains.

The 30-share barometer gained 132.65 points, or 0.71 per cent, to trade at 18,752.37 points in early trade with PSUs, banking, FMCG, metal and consumer durables sector stocks leading the rally. It had rallied by nearly 652 points in the past three sessions.

Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty moved up by 26.35 points, or 0.48 per cent, to 5,498.15.

Brokers said reports of a firming trend on other Asian bourses on the back of strong manufacturing data from China mainly influenced the trading sentiments here but country's slowing economic growth in April-June quarter, restricted gains.

10:13 Rupee down 26 paise Vs dollar in early trade

The Rupee weakened by 26 paise to 65.96 against the dollar in early trade at the Interbank Foreign Exchange market, due to dollar demand from importers and slowing economic growth in the April-June quarter in the country.

Besides increased demand from importers for the US currency, slowing economic growth, which slipped to 4.4 per cent in the April-June quarter, the slowest pace in at least four years and dollar's strength against other currencies, put pressure on the domestic currency, forex dealers said.

They said, however,a higher opening in the domestic equity market, capped the rupee's fall.

It had gained 85 paise to close at 65.70 against the US Dollar on Friday, boosted by the Prime Minister's assurances in Parliament on combating the currency's fall and reviving economic growth.

Pakistan did not play in the inaugural Hockey India League and it is extremely unlikely that they will also feature in the next year's event as Pakistan Hockey Federation is reluctant to sent its players to India because of the current tension prevailing between the two nations.

PHF secretary Asif Bajwa said the way present situation stands the Federation was not keen on sending the players for the second edition of the event to be held across different cities in India from January 23 to February 23 next year.

"We have received a communication from Hockey India to give 'No Objection Certificates' to Pakistani players for next year's hockey league but it is unlikely that we will send our players until and unless the situation between the two countries improves. As of now we will not send our players for next year's league," Bajwa said.

09:29 Crippling blow for Indian Navy

What really happened to India's diesel electric submarine Sindhurakshak on August 14 may take months to discover, if ever.

But the tragedy, which took the lives of 18 submariners when unexplained explosions ripped through the vessel at the Mazagon dockyard in Mumbai, has spotlighted the depletion of the Indian navy's force levels, particularly its submarine arm usually the most potent component of any blue-water navy globally.

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A bill seeking to amend the RTI Act to shield political parties from providing information under the transparency law is scheduled to come up for discussion in Lok Sabha on Monday.

The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill 2013 was introduced on August 12 in the Lower House by Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions V Narayanasamy.

Narayanasamy "to move that the Bill to amend the Right to Information Act, 2005 be taken into consideration. Also to move that the Bill be passed," said the list of business for Lok Sabha on Monday.

The RTI amendment bill could not be discussed on earlier occasions on August 23, 24, 26 and 29.

The Union Cabinet had last month cleared a proposal to amend the RTI Act to give immunity to political parties and negate a Central Information Commission (CIC) order to this effect.

The National Food Security Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha on August 26, is expected to be taken up by the Rajya Sabha on Monday.

The bill aims to provide heavily subsidised food to two-thirds of India's 1.2 billion people.

It would thus benefit about 800 million people who would get rice at Rs 3 per kg, wheat at Rs 2 per kg, and coarse grain at Re 1 per kg.

The bill, a part of the Congress election manifesto of 2009, is widely expected to be a game-changer for the ruling party as it prepares for the 2014 General Elections.

It is a pet welfare legislation of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who was taken ill during the eight-hour-long debate in the Lok Sabha and taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

09:17 Govt proposes to shut petrol pumps at night

The government is considering various proposals including shutting petrol pumps in the night to taper fuel demand as it looks at ways to cut the massive oil import bill, Oil Minister M Veerappa Moily said Sunday, drawing a sharp reaction from BJP.

"There are various options and ideas that have been floated. Shutting petrol pumps during night is one of them. But we have not decided. It is just a proposal," Moily told PTI from Bangalore.

His ministry plans to launch a massive fuel conservation drive from September 16 to cut fuel demand by 3 percent and save an estimated Rs 16,000 crore or USD 2.5 billion in forex outgo.

The oil import bill is being trimmed to bring down current account deficit.

"Shutting petrol pump is an idea that has come to us. We have not adopted it. It is not my view," Moily said.

Reacting sharply, BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said, "Why petrol pump? Government will close the country... Won't the people fill their car fuel tanks in the morning. This is a strange move by Moily".

09:15 US deploys amphibious ship to Mediterranean

The US Navy has deployed an amphibious transport ship to the Mediterranean, where five destroyers are already in place for possible missile strikes on Syria, a defence official said.

The USS San Antonio, with several helicopters and hundreds of Marines on board, is "on station in the Eastern Mediterranean" but "has received no specific tasking," said the defence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Unlike the destroyers deployed to the area, the San Antonio carries no Tomahawk cruise missiles but can ferry up to four helicopters and is designed to bring Marines ashore by chopper or landing craft.

No amphibious landing is in the works, however, as President Barack Obama has ruled out any "boots on the ground" if the US takes military action against the Syrian regime.

There are five destroyers off the coast of Syria, the USS Stout, Mahan, Ramage, Barry and Graveley, that are ready to fire cruise missiles if Obama gives the order.

09:13 Top headlines at this hour

Tests prove Asaram Bapu is NOT impotent

Asaram's supporters go berserk, attack media, cops in Raipur

C-17 Globemaster III joins IAF fleet today

Serial rapist escapes from Bengaluru jail

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