A Maoist was arrested today in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district. District superintendent of police Kamalochan Kashyap told Bhasha/PTI that Kosa, 30, an active member of Malangir area committee of the Maoists, was arrested by a team of CRPF and district police in Kirandul police station limits of the district.

Kosa was involved in Naxal activities for the past ten years, Kashyap said. He was also a member of `Dandakaranya Adiwasi Kisan Mazdoor Sangh' of Maoists, and president of its Tikanpal unit.

Kosa's responsibilities included recruitment, spreading the Naxal propaganda among locals and conducting reccee before attacks.

He was involved, among other violent incidents, in the February 28, 2014 attack in Shyamgiri, in which five security personnel including police station in-charge Vivek Shukla were killed.

Historian Bipan Chandra, a left-leaning expert in economic and political history of India, died here this morning after prolonged illness. He was 86.

"He had not been keeping well since last few months. He passed away at 6 am," his family said. After the death of his wife four years ago, the veteran scholar had not been in the best of his health.

But, he still kept on writing till his last days. Despite his frailing health, he managed to draft his autobiography and a biography of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.

"The drafts of the two books are almost ready and now they may be published posthumously," Aditya Mukherjee, his former student and later a colleague at JNU, said.

A meeting of all fishermen's associations today decided to withdraw their 36 day indefinite strike from Monday and put out to sea in the backdrop of the first joint committee meeting between India and Sri Lanka held in Delhi.

N D Bose and B Sesuraja, secretaries of Tamil Nadu Fishermen's Association, said the decision had been taken in the light of the yesterday's meeting between the two nations.

They urged the Indian government to take steps to get back the 63 boats seized by Sri Lankan naval personnel and demanded that Coast Guard provide them security to enable them fish in the Indian territory without any hassles.

Nambu Sekaran, the Association president said another reason for them to withdraw the strike was poverty and the coming festival season, which would ensure them good returns.

Mukesh Ambani, the world's richest energy billionaire and head of Reliance Industries, has dropped out of a business delegation accompanying Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his visit to Japan. Ambani, who was to be part of a group of industrialists accompanying Modi on his first major bilateral visit, outside the sub-continent, sent regrets, government sources said.

While the sources gave no reasons for the move, an RIL spokesperson said: "Due to prior business commitments that need his presence, Mr Ambani will not be travelling to Japan."

Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani, Sunil Bharti Mittal of Bharti Enterprises, Essar Group head Shashi Ruia, Wipro Chairman Azim Premji and ICICI Bank chief executive Chanda Kochhar were among the industrialists who are to travel to Tokyo to participate in the meeting of India-Japan Business Leaders' Forum on September 1.

Stepping up pressure on embattled Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri set a fresh 24-hour deadline for him to quit as protests around Parliament entered the 17th day today amid efforts by Pakistan army to mediate.

In a late night development, Qadri's camp was visited by a delegation of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf led by Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who convinced the Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief to delay his next move. Following the meeting, the first direct contact between the two groups since they together started the march on August 14, Qadri set a 24-hour deadline for the Premier to step down.

Putting up a brave front, Sharif was dismissive of the protest, describing it as a "tiny storm" that will end soon. "This is just a tiny storm, a tumult, which would be ended in a few days," Sharif said.

Indicating that certain forces were trying to target him, the Pakistan Premier asserted that "conspiracy" against democracy will not be tolerated.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Japan on Saturday presented Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with the following special gifts: a special commemorative edition of 'Swami Vivekananda and Japan- excerpts from the life and works of Swami Vivekanand and 'Vivekananda in Japan' by Swami Medhasananda'  and a copy of the Bhagawada Gita today in Kyoto.

Optimistic of passing the Insurance Bill in the next session of Parliament, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today hoped Congress which mooted the hike in FDI cap to 49 per cent in the sector will not oppose it.

"I am reasonably confident... any political party which have mooted the idea of this Bill in the past, cannot have any serious reservation against it... I do see a positive attitude among some of the principal opposition parties," he told reporters.

The much-delayed Insurance Bill, which seeks to raise the foreign investment cap in the sector from 26 per cent to 49 per cent, has been referred to the Select Committee of Parliament.

The Bill, which comes with a rider that the management control would rest in the hands of Indian promoter, has been pending since 2008 in the Rajya Sabha.

Varanasi, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi represents in the Lok Sabha, will be developed into a 'smart city' by using the experience of Kyoto, the 'smart city' of Japan, under a pact signed in Tokyo today.

A Partner City MoU was signed by Indian Ambassador Deepa Wadhwa and Kyoto Mayor Daisaka Kadokawa at a ceremony witnessed by Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.

The MoU, which was signed soon after Modi's arrival here on a five-day visit, provides for cooperation in heritage conservation, city modernisation and cooperation in the fields of art, culture and academics, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin told reporters.

This will serve as framework for Smart heritage city programme between the two countries, he added. Kyoto, which is a heritage city with Buddhist culture, provides special symbolism to the visit as the prime minister has the vision of "rejuvenating" Indian cities.

A cargo plane with six Ukrainians and one Russian on board crashed in Algeria's far south early on Saturday. An official said the Ukrainian Antonov-12 plane en route to Equatorial Guinea could have crashed for technical reasons.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today reviewed the state of the economy as the Modi government completed its 100 days in power. Speaking about the first 100 days, Jaitley said, "The government created a special mechanism for resolution of tax disputes and also took a firm decision on insurance." He added, "Containing inflation and boosting growth was a priority for our government." The finance minister also added that he was optimistic about the progress the country was making under the Modi rule. "In the 1st quarter of this year a 5.7% growth rate is encouraging, I am sure impact in coming quarters will be much larger." He also announced that the government had come up with an ambitious disinvestment plan, which will roll out in the coming days. In conclusion, Jaitley said, "I am optimistic that as more decisions in this direction come we will be able to help the economy grow faster."

According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has several pet names and many of his party members use different names to address him. President Pranab Mukherjee, it has been learnt, calls him Narendro ji while former Bharatiya Janata Party president Kushabhau Thakre called him 'chhota bhai. Atal Bihari Vajpayee always called the present PM as Narendra bhai. It has also been learnt that several BJP leaders called him 'lion' during his campaign run. Most interestingly, a few south Indian MPs address Modi by calling him 'Singham'.

On his first bilateral visit outside the Indian sub-continent, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the Osaka International Airport. He had left India early morning around 6 am and will tour the country for 5 days. He was received by Japanese PM Shinzo Abe. He will now make his way to Kyoto city. Modi aims to boost cooperation defence and security cooperation. 

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Manoj Tiwari has denied reports that he along with other party leader went to AAP leader Kumar Vishvas's house and offered him to be BJP's chief ministerial candidate. Tiwari said that he used to meet Vishwas even when he wasn't into politics. "A lot of poets including Kumar Vishwas are my friends," he said. The AAP leader made a sensational claim that the BJP, some months ago, asked him to be the party's chief ministerial candidate in Delhi.

To channel her energies into parenting duties and her family's namesake foundation, Chelsea Clinton will be leaving her post as a special correspondent for NBC News. In a statement, the former first daughter said she'd be parting ways with the network after less than three years "to continue focusing on my work at the Clinton Foundation, and as [husband Marc Mezvinsky] and I look forward to welcoming our first child." She announced her pregnancy in April.

At least six people were killed and dozens wounded when a suicide car bomber and Taliban gunmen attacked an office of the Afghan intelligence agency in the eastern city of Jalalabad. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack in an email statement to the media. The early morning attack took place near the offices of the National Directorate of Security, the Afghan spy agency, in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province. An explosives-laden vehicle detonated near the NDS headquarters, then an attacker tried to storm the building. He was shot by security forces.

Director Ram Gopal Varma is back in the news again.On the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi, Varma posted a spate of tweets that started with the director 'innocently' poking fun and saying: 'Does Lord Ganesha eat much more than other Gods? My doubt is becos all the other Gods are either trim or muscular.' Another one read, 'Does Lord Ganesha eat with his hands or his trunk?' He also questioned people's devotion towards Lord Ganesha. After the tweets created a furore, the director later offered his apologies. "All tweets I put on Ganesha were in my usual manner but unintended by me to hurt anyone's sentiments ... but if they did I sincerely apologize," Varma posted.

Prominent Indian historian Bipan Chandra died today in his sleep at the age of 86, family members said. Family said he died around 6 am at his home in Gurgaon.  He had not been keeping well over the last few months. The cremation will take place later in the day in New Delhi. Chandra was considered to be one of foremost scholars on India's independence movement and was an authority on Mahatma Gandhi.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas has added more sensation to the ongoing political drama over the government formation in Delhi by saying that the Bharatiya Janata Party offered him the chief minister's post. He alleged in an interview to Economic Times that the offer was made to him on May 19 this year. BJP has denied any such offer being made to him, but Vishwas stands by his claim, although he has refused to name the leader who made the offer.

A first year Arts student of Visva Bharati University and her father left the prestigious university after three senior students stripped her, took photographs of her and then blackmailed to extort money from her. The victim and her father further allege that the authorities at the institution did not take any action. The father said that the officials treated his daughter in an inhuman manner and questioned her as if she was at fault. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for Japan at 6 this morning for a five-day visit, his first major bilateral trip since taking over in May. Modi will first meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe privately in Kyoto before holding official talks in Tokyo, seeking to boost trade. Before he left, he said Japan was important for the Indian government.