The Supreme Court today made it clear to the Jammu and Kashmir government that it cannot force the Centre to take quick decisions on its demand for Rs 44,000 crore for relief and rehabilitation of flood victims.

"We cannot be forcing them to take a decision tomorrow," a bench comprising Chief Justice H L Dattu and Justice A K Sikri said. "Appropriate decision will be taken by the Finance Ministry and the Planning Commission," the bench said in a brief order. The state government has demanded central grant of Rs 44,000 crore for rehabilitation of flood victims.

The Centre has announced over Rs 1,700 crore assistance to the state to help the flood victims. The apex court asked the state government to apprise it of relief and rehabilitation work undertaken so far by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) in the flood-ravaged state. "You (State) should be in a position to tell us as to what has been done so far," it said.

Making clear her willingness for an alliance of non-BJP parties, Trinamool Congress President Mamata Banerjee today said her party will join such a front for the "greater interest" of the country.

The West Bengal Chief Minister said, "Whoever will work for the peace of this country, I will be with them." She, however, hinted that the onus is on the Congress, the biggest non-BJP party, to make the move for an alliance of 'secular' parties.

"Let them decide... Let them invite," Banerjee told a news channel when asked if she would join such an alliance formed by the Congress. "But I can tell you that from myself there will be no problem. For the greater interest of the country, for the peaceful situation of the country, for the stability of the country... I will be with them," she said.

Senior NCP leader and former Shiv Sainik Chhagan Bhujbal today said Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray's possible reunion will become a force to reckon with in Maharashtra politics if the estranged cousins decide to bury their differences and come together.

"The strength of both the (cousin) brothers will increase many times if they come together after a gap of so many years. Being together, they will not need the support of anybody else to make a strong mark in the state. I also feel Uddhav should take the first step towards rapprochement," Bhujbal said.

He was speaking to a regional news channel after the Thackeray cousins shared the stage together for the first time in last two years while paying tribute to late Bal Thackeray on his second death anniversary at Shivaji Park in Mumbai.

The BJP government in Maharashtraha's resent the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment)Bill 1995, which seeks to ban cow slaughter, for the President's assent.

Mahesh Phatak, secretary, animal husbandry and fisheries department, in a letter dated November 13 has informed the Centre that the new government in the state wanted to followup the Bill and wanted its enactment.

The letter was in response to a communication from deputy secretary, Union Ministry of Home Affairs, seeking to know if the government was interested in pursuing the Bill, passed way back in 1995 by the state legislature.

Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said the Congress-NCP government never responded to the enquires from the President seeking the state's views on the Bill before giving the assent.

He said he regularly followed up the issue in the Assembly, however the erstwhile government said it had set the UPA committee to study the Bill and its report was yet to come.

From the BBC: A China-based supercomputer has leapfrogged rivals to be named the world's most powerful system.Tianhe-2, developed by the government-run National University of Defence Technology, topped the latest list of the fastest 500 supercomputers, by a team of international researchers.

Read the full article here

From Newslocker: The jihadist Islamic State group has executed nearly 1,500 people in Syria in the five months since it declared the establishment of a "caliphate", a monitoring group said Monday.

Please also read: Hope is not a strategy to bring down the ISIS

"The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has documented the execution of 1,429 people since the IS announced its 'caliphate' in June," the group's director, Rami Abdel Rahman, said. The majority of IS's victims in Syria have been civilians, he said.

Read the full story here

A 74-year-old Indian-origin Sikh, known as the 'peach king of California', has been honoured by the state's governor who praised the community's contributions to the nation. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been named as the top decision maker in a list of 100 global thinkers by a leading American foreign policy magazine. 

From CNN: Captured on what appears to be a cellphone video, the scene is believed to be the immediate aftermath of the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in eastern Ukraine four months ago.

In what may be taken as a snub, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has rejected the use of a bulletproof car provided by India for next week's summit of South Asian leaders in Kathmandu. Sharif "will be bringing his own car ... all other vehicles for visiting heads of countries have come from India," said foreign ministry spokesman Khaga Nath Adhikari. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit will see the leaders of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Nepal, India and Pakistan meet in Kathmandu on November 26 and 27.

India and America conducted the third Higher Education Dialogue in New Delhi today. The Dialogue explored various forms of collaboration between the two countries, especially in the fields of development of community colleges, massive open online courses, student and faculty exchange and skill development.

The father of a British medical student-turned-jihadist has said his son should face execution himself if he is proved to be a killer appearing in an Islamic State execution video alongside Jihadi John. Ahmed Muthana, said he fears his son, Nasser Muthana, is one of a gang of camouflaged Islamic State fighters who line up to behead Syrian military captives in a horrific video released over the weekend. Muthana, 57, said: "If that's what he has done to someone then that is what should be done to him."I am like any other father. I am trying not to believe it is my boy, but it looks like him. But I am not going to make excuses for him. He is a grown man and he must face up to what he has done."

Marking the second Ebola death in the United States, Dr Martin Salia died today, according to Nebraska Medicine spokesman Taylor Wilson. A legal permanent resident of the US, Salia was working in West Africa when he contracted the virus. 

The jihadist Islamic State group has executed nearly 1,500 people in Syria in the five months since it declared the establishment of a "caliphate", a monitoring group said.  The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has documented the execution of 1,429 people since the IS announced its 'caliphate' in June. The majority of IS's victims in Syria have been civilians.  Of the total number of people beheaded or shot dead in mass killings by IS, 879 have been civilians, some 700 of them members of the Shaitat tribe.

Lifting the AFSPA can certainly be attempted but the provisions of the AFSPA, as an emergency law that empowers the army -- the nation's instrument of last resort -- must continue to remain on the statute books given the increasingly violent and uncertain times that the subcontinent is likely to face in coming years, says Nitin A Gokhale. Read

Breaking protocol, defence minister Manohar Parrikar today visited the Paryavaran Bhavan (Environment ministry) to meet minister Prakash Javdekar.

Officials gently reminded Parrikar that he was senior to Javdekar in the council of ministers, but the defence minister is believed to have said that Javdekar was in fact senior to him in the party.

"I respect him. Moreover certain clearances for the defence ministry are pending, so it's better to go to him," Parrikar said.

Thrilled at the sudden arrival at his office, Javdekar's office is believed to have called up Marathi news channels.

Parrikar has always been a Modi favourite for his administrative abilities and clean image.

Charge sheet submitted against Sudipto Sen, Debjani Mukherji, Sandhir Agarwal, Sajjan Agarwal and others under Sec120B, 420, 409 IPC & Sec4&6 of the prize chits and money circulation schemes (banning) ACT 1978.

CBI files second chargesheet in the Saradha scam case.

MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin tweets: Beyond normal protocol. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop receives PM @narendramodi at 2230 hours, well beyond protocol hours.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will be headless when its director Ranjit Sinha retires on December 2. Sinha's successor can be chosen only under the new Lokpal Act, which however has to be amended.

According to the Lokpal Act, a panel consisting of the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India and the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha will select the CBI director. However, the government has decided to amend the Delhi special police establishment (DSPE) act that governs the working of the agency, to bring the leader of largest party in opposition in the selection panel in place of leader of opposition.

Highly placed sources in the HRD ministry say that the government will bring an amendment to the Lokpal Act during the Winter session of Parliament to be convened on November 24. The government cannot issue an ordinance as the decision to convene the parliament session has already been made.

Attacking Congress leader Salman Khurshid for questioning the genuineness of the crowd during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trips abroad, Union Minister Arun Jaitley today said his plight was understandable as Modi had a larger audience in Sydney than his leader got in India.

"If UPA leaders during their days in government left the expatriate Indian population underwhelmed, is it to be presumed that this should be true for others?

"I can understand the plight of Salman and his party colleagues particularly when Prime Minister Narendra Modi gets a larger crowd in Sydney than what Salman's leader gets in India," the BJP leader said in a statement soon after Modi addressed a large diaspora gathering in the Australian city.

Khurshid, a former External Affairs Minister, had expressed doubts over the genuineness of the big gathering of the people of Indian origin who had turned up to meet Modi at Myanmar's capital Nay Pyi Taw.

"I have been to Nay Pyi Taw twice. No one is found on the streets there. Then how come 20,000 people came to listen to him (Modi). He must have taken along many with him," Khurshid had told reporters in Farukhabad in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.

The Prime Minister's Office is not keen to have a lunch meeting with the leaders of Parliamentary parties because Modi will be fasting due to Paryushan.

BJP government accords Z Plus security to yoga guru Baba Ramdev  after he received a death threat letter from Dubai recently.  Ramdev had requested the Uttarakhand government to provide him with 'Z-plus' security "considering his vulnerability to attacks from his opponents".

Ramdev had said that he was at risk of being harmed by his adversaries. At present he has been provided with 'Y-level' security, but he said it was insufficient.

Ramdev is considered to be close to the BJP government.

PM Narendra Modi at Canberra airport being received by Julie Bishop, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs. 

Mamta Banerjee, West Bengal CM, spent around 30 minutes with senior BJP leader LK Advani today. The meeting, is is believed, happened at the instance of the Congress leadership.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh today said revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act is a matter for security agencies to decide rather than politicians. Singh, who was replying to a question about the demand for revocation of AFSPA by Congress state chief Saifuddin Soz and others, said "It is not for us to comment. It is a matter of security". "It is not a prerogative of politicians or political parties," he said.

A large part of the UK Parliament in London, was evacuated today after a bomb scare, reports the BBC.

People trying to access offices in Portcullis House, which houses MPs' offices, committee rooms and restaurants, were turned away.

Police said the reason was a "suspect package" but declined to give more information, or say where the package was.

PM Modi arrives in Canberra to hold summit talks with Australian Premier Tony Abbott tomorrow.

For scholars rejoicing at Sonia Gandhi's handing over of Jawaharlal Nehru papers to Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, here is a dampener. Sonia has declined to make available Nehru's personal papers which could provide a glimpse into his relationships with his family members and others.
Read more

The Adani group's proposed plan to build a 7-billion-dollar coal mine was today cleared by Australia's Queensland state which also announced a major investment in rail infrastructure to support the Indian conglomerate's mega project.

The Adani group welcomed the decision of the Queensland government to clear the project in the Galilee basin that will ensure that one of the mega mines proposed by the company and GVK gets a clearance next year.

Bihar Transport Minister Ramai Ram on Monday said that Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD and the state's ruling JD-U should merge as one party to defeat the BJP in the next assembly polls in 2015.

"Instead of a grand alliance of RJD and JD-U, both the parties should merge as one to defeat the BJP," he said.

The minister, who is also senior JD-U leader told newspersons that both the parties have the same ideology of socialism and secularism.

-- MI Khan/Rediff.com

The Supreme Court's disclosure of four names among those investigated by the Justice Mukul Mudgal committee marks another step in the excruciating process of cleaning up Indian cricket. Read

If I hire a contract killer to murder someone then am I also not a culprit? Aditya Sinha, petitioner in the IPL match-fixing case, on N Srinivasan getting clean chit.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis says the government will build a grand memorial for Bal Thackeray in Mumbai and constitute a  committee involving leaders of different parties for it.

Will Bal Thackeray be the ice-breaker for the BJP, Sena? On the Shiv Sena founder's 2nd death anniversary, the BJP-led Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra has given its nod to a memorial for Bal Thackeray. The government has said it will consult Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray over the issue.

The announcement to build the memorial was made during Bal Thackerays first death anniversary on November 17 last year. A committee headed by NCP chief Sharad Pawar had also taken the responsibility to look for space for the memorial. The plan for the memorial at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse did not take off, after the party was refused permission by the previous state government led by Congress-NCP alliance.

A CRPF jawan was shot dead by a fellow officer from the force at a camp located a Hojai in Nagaon district of Assam today. The accused was was arrested by the police immediately. Police informed that the CRPF jawan Ashok Kumar, who is from Madhya Pradesh, was shot dead in a fit of rage by his colleague S Ram. The incident happened inside the CRPF camp.

-- Anurag Kashyap/Rediff.com  

Whatever we have said is in the report, I won't say an extra word, Justice  (Retd) Mukul Mudgal on the IPL scam report.

So, what does did the Mudgal Committee panel say today?

The panel appointed to probe the spot-fixing and betting scandal in the sixth edition of Indian Premier League, has given a clean chit Board of Control for Cricket in India president-in-exile N Srinivasan.

Srinivasan was not involved in match-fixing activity, the committee said in its report to the Supreme Court. He is also not guilty of scuttling the probe.

However, Srinivasan's son-in-law, Gurunath Meiyappan, has been found found guilty of placing illegal bets, it said, but NOT for match fixing.

Raj Kundra, the report says is guilty of placing illegal bets.  

Narendra Modi tweets to say, "Overwhelmed, honoured and humbled. Will never forget this day." That's at the end of his hour-long address at Allphones Arena, Sydney to the Indian diaspora. 

Estranged cousin Uddhav and Raj Thackeray came together, however briefly, to offer tribute to late Bal Thackeray on his second death anniversary today. Raj joined Uddhav on the dais at the Bal Thackeray Smriti Udyan in Shivaji Park.

What is telling is that Raj had skipped a similar event held last year, but choose to attend the event this year.

Thousands of Shiv Sainiks are expected to visit the memorial today. 

Modi asks the 16000-strong audience to say Bharat Mata Ki Jai and ends his 1 hour, 6 minute-long speech. As much of a rock star performance here as it was at MSG, in fact, possibly a better speech here. 

PM Modi: Whenever someone wants to invest in a country the investors need to be given high quality of life.

"In Gujarat, I wanted Japanese investment, but were told if you don't have a golf course, Japanese won't come. So we created a golf course.

"With a lot of courage we opted for 100% FDA in railways in India. Have such a huge market and window for improvement. Railways are stuck, no new kilometres have been added, no increase in speed has been made, no extra space for passengers. What increases is the number of passengers.

"I enjoy finishing laws, we need to let people live peacefully," says Modi. 

Just in: The Mudgal report gives a clean chit to N Srinivasan and his son-in-law Meiyappan in the IPL match-fixing scam. The report however indicts Raj Kundra and finds him guilty of betting.

"In India, we call one who comes to collect garbage as a 'kachrawala'. He is actually the 'safaiwala', points out the PM, indicating .

"Swachhch Bharat will boost tourism. A dirty environment causes illnesses and illness is a big burden on the poor. There is no greater service to the poor than focusing on cleanliness. Whenever someone wants to invest in a country the investors need to be given high quality of life," says the PM.

Modi asks the audience to participate in the Swachh Bharat Andolan by helping the government build toilets to ensure dignity for all.

He now speaks on the dignity of labour that is fundamental to Australia. "It is something that Indians need to learn. Cleaning the streets is not below your dignity. It is a matter of pride that you are cleaning up your country," he says.

The crowd eating out of his hands.

Modi now speaking on the lack of banking facilities, toilets, drinking water... in India. Basically this part of the speech is all about the achievements of the NDA government in the last six months.

Modi on bureaucracy: "Nobody can say no to the PM, but there is a way to say no. The RBI tells me it will take three years to get banking facilities extended for all Indians.  The PMO told me it will take one year. I heard everyone and I announced on Independence Day that banking facilities to all (the Jandhan Yojna) will happen in 150 days.

I got the work done and  6.02 crore bank accounts have been opened in 10 weeks. It's possible to get things done with the same people, the same attitude, the same habits. Rs 5000 crore has been deposited in these accounts.

Believe in your people, guide them in the right direction, and they will run ahead of you," says Modi.

Every single statement of the PM is interspersed with whistles, chants, cheers.

Modi now moves on to the Swachh Bharat Andolan.

Indians abroad don't dirty the streets, but when they return home they do, he says. 

"I believe India has the capability to be at the top of the global league. India is full of young energy, who have dreams in their eyes and the capacity to write on stone.

"Look at the beauty of democracy. Was it not for democracy, I would not be standing in front of you.

"I see no reason why our nation will not develop, it is fated that we will move forward."

Cheers and chants of Modi, Modi, in affirmation.

Modi then names Australians of Indian origin who have made their adopted nation proud.  "In 1964 Olympic games in Tokyo an Indian person represented Australia, thats not a small thing... " he says.

Modi says, "Sydney is a beautiful city. Australia is a beautiful country. We are also bound by the bond of cricket. The rights of Australian Indians are the same as of those of Indians.

"Bharat maa has 250 crore arms, of which 200 crore are less than 35 years. India a young country."

Modi says he is fortunate to be the first PM to be born in Independent India. " I may not have been able to die for the country's freedom struggle, but I can certainly live for it," he says to resounding cheers.

"If you take a flight in the morning, you can reach Australia in the night, but it has taken the PM of a country 28 years to reach this country," he says. "My friends in Australia I assure you...you won't have to wait for 28 years."

Rajiv Gandhi was the last Indian PM to come to Australia.

Modi sure knows how to work the crowd.

"This welcome. This respect. This enthusiasm l dedicate it to the people of India," the PM says.

Acknowledging the cheers, Modi switches to Hindi and says this welcome, these cheers, are not for him, but for 1.25 billion Indians. 

PM Modi begins his address in English by paying his respects to the original inhabitants of Australia -- the aboriginals.

Chants of Modi, Modi interrupt his speech. Somebody from the audience shouts, 'Modi, you are a rockstar'.

Just before he stepped on to the stage, Modi met former umpire Simon Taufel and former fast bowler Brett Lee at the Allphones Arena.

And that's Modi bowing to the 16,000-strong crowd at the Arena.

Modi set to speak now.

Australia national anthem being sung now. Followed by the Indian national athem. PM Modi on the stage. 

Modi, Modi chants in between performances of Bhangra, fusion (Shiamak Davar's troupe).

Brett Lee says a Namaste and greets the adoring audience with 'Aap kaise ho'

Supreme Court rejects plea seeking postponement of Assembly polls in flood-ravaged Jammu and Kashmir. The five-phase Assembly election begins on November 25.

If the performances at the MSG event were a tad tacky, Allphones is a close second. 

In New Delhi, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today said secularism is a compelling necessity for a country as diverse as India. She also said that there can be no India without secularism and it remains more than an ideal.

Addressing an international conference on the 125th birth anniversary of Nehru in Delhi, Gandhi said secularism was an "article of faith" for the first Prime Minister of the country.

"There can be no Indianness, no India without secularism....secularism was and remains more than an ideal. It is a compelling necessity for a country as diverse as India," she said. The Congress President recalled that Nehru had once warned that he would fight to his last breath of his life to protect secularism if it comes under attack.

In an opaque reference to BJP, she said knowledge about Nehru's life and work has weakened in recent years, drowned out by misrepresentation and distortion. 

About 16,000 people at the Allphones arena. Garba folk dance on now. 

Rahul Kanwal of Headlines Today tweets: In terms of production quality & technical finesse The Madison Square Garden heads & shoulders ahead of Sydney's Allphonse Arena.

And Mahatma Gandhi's favourite bhajan, Vaishanv Janato, being sung now -- a seeming must-do at every meet. 

The Ananda Math rendition of the Vande Mataram. Modi will begin his address -- the first public address in Australia. 

On Sunday, the Modi Express', a special train carrying over 220 passengers who will attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first public lecture in Sydney, was flagged off on Sunday by an Australian minister in Melbourne.

Victorian Multicultural Minister Matthew Guy flagged off the train at Southern Cross station - the major railway station and transport hub for Melbourne -- amid huge fanfare of Modi who is the first Indian premier to visit the country in the last 28 years.

For the first time in the history of Melbourne, a train service was organised under the name of a prime minister.

A while ago, New South Wales Premier Mike Baird met the PM (pictured). 

The Indian Express reports that the highlight at the Allphones Arena programme in Sydney is a presentation that will 'reveal' Indians migrated 5,300 years ago to be the Aboriginals. 

Modi greeted by members of the Indian diaspora at the Allphones Arena. Another MSG encore for Modi? 

NaMo mania grips Sydney. Former Australia paceman Brett Lee confirms his presence at Olympic park, expresses his eagerness to meet PM Modi. It's a rush for selfies and autographs at the Allphones arena as the PM arrives at the Allphones Arena.

At  Allphones Arena in Sydney, the evening begins with bhajans and then classical music renditions. PM Modi has left for the Allphones arena.
A bharatnatyam recital at the Allphones Arena on now, performances by Jayalakshmi Kandiah's troupe.

Modi, who is the first prime minister to visit Australia in 28 years after Rajiv Gandhi, arrived in Sydney on Monday on the second leg of his four-city tour of this country.

Australia's aboriginal dancers today gave a traditional welcome to the prime minister.

Modi spent about five minutes at the lobby of Hotel Pullman and watched the four male dancers, who also sang, perform a few dance sequences. Modi, who sat in a chair, also clapped his hands at the end of each sequences. He later shook hands with dancers. He got a boomerang as a gift from the dancers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Sydney on a whirlwind six-hour. This is the second leg of his four-city tour of Australia. Modi, who arrived from Brisbane after attending the G20 Summit, will proceed to Canberra tonight and later to Melbourne. The budget of the Modi's Sydney event tops $600,000, say reports, all of it contributed by individuals.

People gather outside the Allphones Arena ahead of PM Modi's arrival in Sydney. As the G20 summit in Brisbane ended, Modi on Monday flew to Sydney. This is where he will address the Indian diaspora at Allphones Arena at Olympic Park. The buzz is that the do will better the Madison Square Garden event in New York. 

Good Morning....