Officials investigating the San Bernardino, California, attack think that as the shooting was on, the female shooter Tashfeen Malik posted a pledge of allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on Facebook.

CNN quoted a United States official as saying that Malik's post was made on an account with a different name. The officials did not explain how they knew Malik made the post.

A law enforcement official said it appeared that Wednesday's attack -- which left 14 people dead and 21 wounded before the two attackers, Malik and her husband, Syed Rizwan Farook, were killed in a shootout with police -- may have been inspired by the IS.

But none of the officials said that the IS directed or ordered the attack. "This is looking more and more like self-radicalisation," a law enforcement official said.

The top leaders of Indian-origin Madhesi political parties agitating against Nepal's new Constitution will visit India on Sunday to meet top Indian leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party sources said.

Chairman of Federal Socialist Forum Nepal Upendra Yadav, president of Terai Madhes Democratic Party Mahantha Thakur, president of Sadbhawana Party Rajendra Mahato and chairman of Terai Madhes Sadbhawana Party Mahendra Yadav will leave for New Delhi on Sunday, Madhesi parties' sources said.

Terming the Chennai rain fury as a 'natural disaster of unprecedented scale', Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar today said it provides a lesson to improve urban planning and improve city governance.

"Chennai is a natural disaster of unprecedented scale... Chennai gives a lesson and we must learn from this lesson and improve our urban planning and improve the City governance which is very essential," he said.

Asked if he describes it as a phenomenon of climate change or a man-made disaster, he said 'that is a grey area' as experts have a different opinion on whether it is climate change event.

Hours after the Delhi government made an announcement about restricting plying of private vehicles bearing odd and even registration numbers to alternate days, the Delhi police today said that it was not consulted in connection with the proposal.

"Delhi police has not been consulted for the concerned proposal. If the proposal ever comes to us, it shall be examined by the traffic department and further action will be taken only in public-interest," Delhi police commissioner B S Bassi said.

"If the proposal comes to me, only then I shall be able to comment further on the issue. On our part, nothing can be said at this juncture," Bassi added.

In a radical step to curb air pollution that has assumed 'critical' level, the Delhi government today announced that private vehicles bearing odd and even registration numbers will be allowed to ply only on alternate days starting January 1, which drew mixed reactions.

The Aam Aadmi Party's anti-corruption Jan Lokpal Bill was passed in the Delhi assembly today. The bill was cleared by an absolute majority.

Nine months after storming to power, the AAP government introduced the bill in the assembly last month, which provides for an ombudsman with powers to act against any government functionary, including those of the Centre, in the national capital through its own investigation wing.

The Central Bureau of Investigation was today directed to conduct further probe in a 1984-anti Sikh riots case against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler with a Delhi court saying that statement of arms dealer Abhishek Verma discloses an active role played by him in extending a 'helping hand' to a witness against him.

The court noted that statement given by Verma to the CBI in which he has claimed that Tytler had sent the son of Surinder Singh Granthi, a key witness against him, to Canada cannot be a 'sheer coincidence' and the agency should probe if the facts disclosed by Verma were true.

In its order, the court elaborated on 11-points, including whether Verma had obtained a contract of Rs 50 lakh in 1988 from Air India when Tytler was the civil aviation minister, which were required to be further probed by the CBI.

It also asked the agency to conduct a lie-detection test on Verma, if required.

There is a 'very strong' possibility that the Pakistani wife radicalised her Pakistani-American husband before the couple went on a shooting rampage and killed 14 people in California, a media report said today.

27-year-old Tashfeen Malik may have radicalised her husband Syed Farook, 28, Fox News quoted investigators as saying, a day after the heavily-armed couple opened indiscriminate fire during a party at a social service centre for people with disabilities in San Bernardino, California.

Law enforcement sources told the network that there was a 'very strong' possibility that Malik functioned as Farook's terror trainer and may have even put together pipe bombs found by authorities at the various crime scenes.

Investigators also believe that the parents of a 6-month-old daughter, had planned a second attack after the shooting at the social service centre that killed 14 people and injured 21 others

A Paris cafe where five people were killed during the terror attacks last month reopened its doors on Friday - the first of the targets to do so.Three weeks on from the violence, the bullet holes that pockmarked the windows of La Bonne Biere are gone and Parisians have returned to its terrace.

Scotland Yard today said that Islamphobic hate crimes against Muslims in the British capital here have nearly tripled since the deadly Paris attacks last month that killed 130 people. 

The airport in Chennai will start limited operations from Chennai airport from tomorrow. "To clear the stranded aircraft at Chennai Airport, AAI is going to start limited operations from Chennai Airport during the day,"  a statement read. Flooding caused by the heaviest rainfall to lash Chennai in a century is likely to have caused damage worth Rs.15,000 crore, according to industry lobby group Assocham.

The Indian Army team rescues a newborn baby from the first floor of a flooded building in Chennai. 

Principal Secretary to PM, Nripendra Misra, handing over the first set of 33 Netaji files to DG, National Archives of India. 

With heavy rains causing havoc in Chennai, top mortgage lender HDFC has decided to waive off any penalty on its home loan customers impacted by the rains for any delay in EMI payments for last month.


"HDFC has also decided to offer Quick Home Improvement Loans to all people whose properties have been impacted by the rains. There will be no processing fees on all such loans," HDFC Ltd Managing Director Renu Sud Karnad said.


This will be valid only for all loan applications submitted on or before December 31, 2015, subject to HDFC's norms and eligibility criteria.


Torrential downpour has caused havoc and great difficulty to people in Tamil Nadu, especially in Chennai.

Separately, Reliance Life Insurance said it has asked all its agents and sales staff to call all the customers in Chennai and check for their well-being. The company has over 1.5 lakh customers there.

Facing flak for posting a doctored photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi surveying Tamil Nadu floods from a helicopter, PIB today expressed regret saying the incident happened due to an "error of judgment'. In the picture posted by Press Information Bureau (PIB) on its website and Twitter, houses and water were reportedly seen clearly through the chopper's window which the critics pointed out could not be possible during an aerial survey.


The photo was soon removed after questions were raised in social media about its authenticity.


In a clarification,  the PIB said, "Out of the seven pictures released, one picture used the technique of merging two pictures. This is being referred to as 'photoshopping' in sections of media.


"This happened due to error of judgment and the picture was subsequently deleted. PIB regrets the release of the above mentioned picture and inconvenience caused is regretted,' it said in the statement.


The Prime Minister had made an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas of Chennai, its suburbs and Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur districts yesterday. - 

Suspended Maharashtra Deputy Inspector General of Police Sunil Paraskar, accused of molesting and raping a city-based model, was today discharged by a sessions court in Mumbai..


"The court has discharged Paraskar from the (2014) case," said Special Public Prosecutor Pradeep Gharat. Gharat also said that he will file an appeal in the Bombay High Court, challenging the order.


The IPS officer had moved the discharge plea after the Mumbai police filed a 724-page charge sheet against him in May this year. Last year in July 2014, a first information report (FIR) was registered against Paraskar by the suburban Malwani police under sections 376(2) (rape by a police officer), 376 C (intercourse by Superintendent of Jail, remand home, etc) and 354(D) (stalking) of Indian Penal Code.


The complainant, a 25-year-old model, had alleged that Paraskar (57) molested and sexually assaulted her on two occasions in December 2013.
According to her, she had met Paraskar first in 2012, when he was an Additional Commissioner of Police, regarding a case.

Donald Trump is once again alone at the top of the Republican field, according to the latest CNN/ORC Poll, with 36% of registered Republicans and Republican-leaning independents behind him, while his nearest competitor, Ted Cruz, trails by 20 points. 

The CBI was today directed by a Delhi court to conduct further investigation in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler who had earlier got a clean chit from the agency.


Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S P S Laler said that there were some aspects which were required to be probed further in the matter and "the purpose of investigation is to unearth true facts and CBI may do all that is required to achieve that goal".


Referring to a judgement of a superior court, the court also said that as closure reports have been filed in the case several times, so "it would be in the interest of justice if the investigation is monitored by the court on bi-monthly basis (i.e every two months) so that no aspect of the case is left uninvestigated."


"With these directions, CBI is directed to conduct further investigation in the present case. Be listed for further proceedings on February 2, 2016," the judge said.


The order came on a protest petition filed by complainant Lakhvinder Kaur, whose husband Badal Singh was killed in the anti-Sikh riots, challenging the CBI's closure report exonerating Tytler.


The case pertains to riots at Gurudwara Pulbangash in north Delhi where three people were killed on November 1, 1984, a day after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.


CBI had re-investigated the case of killing of Badal Singh, Thakur Singh and Gurcharan Singh near the gurudwara after a court had in December 2007 refused to accept the closure report. Tytler has denied any role in the riots.

The Narendra Modi government today officially handed over the first set of files related to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to the Director General, National Archives of India, setting the stage for their declassification beginning on 23rd January, 2016.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had on 14th October, 2015 met Netaji's family at 7-RCR and had assured the family members that the emotions and aspirations they had expressed were fully shared by him and his government.


The government has announced that declassification and public release of the files would begin on 23rd January, 2016, the birth anniversary of Netaji. The first batch of 33 PMO files have been cleared, and were handed over to the National Archives of India today for further processing, preservation and digitization, in preparation for the final release to the nation of all 58 files in the PMO.


The Minister of State for Home Affairs Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary told Parliament two days ago that the government is examining all the files in its custody for the purpose of declassifying the same.


The Ministry of Home Affairs is in possession of 12 files. Among these 12 files, three files are classified and nine files are unclassified,' the minister said.


He said as per available record, as on date Prime Minister's Office is in possession of 58 files. Among these 58 files, 41 files are classified and 17 files are unclassified, he said.


The minister said there are approximately 90 classified files in the Ministry of External Affairs relating to Netaji. He said all classified records (total 990 files) with the Defence Ministry pertaining to Indian National Army were declassified and transferred to National Archives of India.

In a relief for writer Shobhaa De, the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker has rejected a privilege motion against the author for her remarks against the mandatory screening of Marathi films in mulitplexes that had drawn the ire of the Shiv Sena.


An official from the state Legislature said Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagde found no relevance of De's comments with the proceedings of the House, and thus decided to reject the motion for which Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik had given a notice in April.


Sarnaik, however, said his party will continue to oppose those who insult the sentiments of Marathi-speaking people. De's tweets against the the Maharshtra's government's decisiom to make it mandatory for multiplexes across the state to screen Marathi films during the prime time slot between 6 and 9 pm had sparked a major row.

@VishnuNDTV Can't bear to see my 5 year old on the nebuliser every winter, year after year. Thanks @AamAadmiParty for giving suffering kids some hope.

Authorities across India are shutting down mobile phone and Internet access to millions of people using antiquated riot laws '" quelling free speech and even basic communication in a country that professes openness and digital access for all. Read more

indianhistorypics tweets this picture of a car park at Connaught Place in 1950. The AAP government in Delhi announced today that private vehicles with odd and even registration numbers will be allowed on the roads of the national capital only on alternate days starting next month.

Delhi Chief Secy KK Sharma addresses a press conference on the Delhi government's schemes to curb pollution in the city. Highlights.

-- Vacuum cleaning of Delhi roads from April 1.
-- Dusty patches on sides of roads will be greened.
-- More metro and bus services.
-- Period of alternate day car use being decided but will likely be for 2-3 weeks for starters.
-- Govt to move petition to close the Dadri coal plant.
-- Euro 6 vehicles will be made OBLIGATORY from 2017.


Pic: PM Modi flags of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan last year.

A Pakistani court today dismissed a petition filed by a barrister seeking direction to the government to bring back the famed Koh-i-Noor diamond, which India has been trying to get from the UK for years, terming the plea as non-maintainable.


Barrister Javed Iqbal Jaffry, had filed a plea in the Lahore High Court, naming Queen Elizabeth II and British High Commission in Pakistan respondents, and seeking direction to the federal government to bring the diamond to Pakistan from the British government.


Barrister Jaffry in his petition had said that the Koh-i-Noor, once the largest known diamond in the world, should be returned to Pakistan as it was cultural heritage of Pakistan's Punjab province and its citizens owned it in fact.


He had said that the UK "snatched" the diamond from Daleep Singh, grandson of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, and took it to Britain. "The diamond became part of the crown of incumbent Queen Elizabeth-II at the time of her crowing in 1953. Queen Elizabeth has no right on the Koh-i-Noor diamond, which weighs 105 carats and worth billions of rupees," he had said.


Hearing the plea, the Lahore High Court dismissed it terming it as non-maintainable. The 105-carat Koh-i-Noor is one of the Crown Jewels and is now on display in the Tower of London.

Mumbai's Sessions court discharges suspended Maharashtra DIG Sunil Paraskar, accused of raping a Mumbai model.

German parliament approves military action in Syria against IS.

The Arvind Kejriwal government has announced that private vehicles with odd and even registration numbers will be allowed on the roads of the national capital only on alternate days starting next month, reports NDTV.


This means that from January 1, 2016, if vehicles with number plates ending with an odd number can be driven one day, only those ending with an even number can be brought out the next day. This will not apply to public vehicles. The government says it will also shut down all thermal power plants by mid December. The government will also come out with an app to catch polluters.


The government said it hoped to cut down vehicular pollution in the state by half with the measure, which is likely to be very controversial. It was announced after an emergency meeting called by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday, a day after the Delhi High Court said living in Delhi was like "living in a gas chamber".


The High Court and the National Green Tribunal or NGT have repeatedly sought workable action plans to combat the menace, and the court used strong words on Thursday when it ordered the Delhi government for a "time-bound action plan' by December 21.


Plans submitted by the environment ministry and the Delhi government were "not comprehensive", the judges said, because they did not specify responsibilities and a timeline.


The National Green Tribunal had earlier ripped into the Delhi government for not acting "seriously" on the menace. It has also called for a "stay-at-home" alert for children and older people.

The army has chipped in to provide low-cost sanitary napkins to women in Ladakh in one of the first such initiatives for civilians in the country.


A manufacturing unit has been set up at a state-run women empowerment centre in Leh, Northern Command spokesperson Col. SD Goswami said, adding the napkins made at the facility would be available at a third of the prices of existing brands. General Officer Commanding of the Leh-based 14 Corps, Lt Gen SK Patyal, inaugurated the unit on Wednesday.
Read more

JUST IN: Sensex plummets 248.51 points to end at 25,638.11; Nifty dips below 7,800-mark by falling 82.25 points to 7,781.90.

Odd and even number vehicles to be allowed in Delhi on alternate days from January 1.

One army jawan has been killed in an encounter in the Rajwar forests of Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir. Two terrorists were also killed in the operation which is still on.


An encounter broke out between militants and security forces in north Kashmir's Kupwara district. Security forces launched an anti-militancy operation in Wadder Bala village of Handwara in Kupwara district following information about the presence of two to three heavily armed militants in the area, a police official said.


He said the exchange of fire between the two sides was going on till reports last came in.


File pic of an encounter in Rajouri last month.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today suggested that an alliance with Congress is possible in an arrangement where Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav is the Prime Minister and Rahul Gandhi his Deputy.


Akhilesh made the comments in the course of a conversation at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here in the presence of the Congress vice president. However, Rahul refused to comment when asked to respond.


The UP Chief Minister was replying to a question on whether he was ready to extend his "good" personal relationship with Gandhi to a political level with the Congress.


"You are asking me because I am a Samajwadi (socialist) and you also say that I get rebuked by my father (Mulayam). I also want that Netaji's dreams are fulfilled and that I work for him. He becomes the Prime Minister and he (pointing at Rahul) Deputy Prime Minister. I am in agreement with this and will make an alliance now," if it is found acceptable, Akhilesh said, smiling.

Farhan Akhtar tweets this picture of his next film, Wazir, slated for a January release. "First song from #Wazir.. 'Tere Bin' breaks today .. Watch this space.. Until then, an exclusive pic.. Enjoy!," the actor tweeted.

Wazir stars Amitabh Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar and Aditi Rao Hydari, among others and is produced Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Rajkumar Hirani.

As a relatively dry spell brought relief to the rain-hit residents of Tamil Nadu, the authorities announced that special passenger trains will run from Tirunelveli and Rameswaram to Chennai Beach today.

Special passenger trains from Tirunelveli and Rameswaram  to Chennai Beach will be operated on December 4, an official release said. Tirunelveli-Chennai train will leave Tirunelveli at 20.00 hrs on December 4 and reach Chennai Beach at 11.00 hrs next day.


Rameswaram to Chennai Beach train will leave Rameswaram at 21:00hrs on December 4 and reach the Beach the next day, it said.


Passenger Special from Chennai Beach to Tirunelveli will leave Chennai Beach at 12.30 hrs on December 5 and reach Tirunelveli at 01.30 hrs on December 6.

The Special train from Chennai Beach to Rameswaram will leave Chennai Beach at 12.30 hrs on December 5 and reach Rameswaram at 23.45 hrs on December 6, the release added.

1984 Sikh riots case: Court has today directed further investigation in Jagdish Tytler's case. Court refused to accept CBI's closure report on Tytler.
Details awaited.

The toll in the Cairo nightclub bombing has gone up to 16, says PTI. At least 16 people were killed and several others injured today in a petrol bomb attack at a night club in the Egyptian capital. Three men on a motorcycle threw Molotov cocktails into the club in the Agouza district early this morning and fled, a security official was quoted as saying by state-run MENA news agency. Several people were injured in the attack, the official said. The injured were transferred to a hospital.

Adding its might to the massive relief operations in Chennai, the Indian Navy has rushed to the southern metropolis its amphibious warship INS Airavat stocked with supplies from the Eastern Naval Headquarters.


The warship is suited for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations and is carrying 20 divers and five Gemini boats, in addition to four landing craft and two boats that are part of the ship.


The Navy HADR is being coordinated by Flag Officer Commanding Tamil Nadu, Puducherry Naval Area (TNNA) Rear Admiral Alok Bhatnagar, a spokesperson for the Eastern Naval Command said.


Pic: An Indian Navy Chetak chopper takes off from INS Airavat for a rescue mission in Chennai.

FLASH: Encounter between militants & security forces underway in forest area of Rajwar, Handwara (J&K), more details awaited.

"Baywatch" star Pamela Anderson has landed the cover of Playboy's final nude issue. The actress-model will grace the front of the magazine for a record 13th time since 1989. This also marks her 15th Playboy pictorial to date, reported Variety.


The publication announced in October that it will no longer showcase nude women, ending a 60-plus-year tradition. Playboy featured Marilyn Monroe on its debut cover in 1953.


"I got a call from (Hugh Hefner's) attorney who said, 'We don't want anybody else. There's nobody else, could you do the last cover of Playboy?'" Anderson said.


The 48-year-old mother of two said she was initially hesitant to pose nude again because both of her sons have been teased in the past for her work. But 19-year-old Brandon and 17-year-old Dylan both ended up encouraging her to do the shoot.


"I said, 'Hef just called, he wants me to do the last cover of Playboy,' and he goes, 'Mom you've got to do it,'" recalled Anderson. "'We're older, we're not embarrassed anymore of you. You know, we think you're great.'"


The January/February 2016 edition of Playboy, which includes Anderson's 12-page pictorial and features an interview conducted by James Franco, hits newsstands on December 11.

Just in: A Molotov cocktail hurled at a Cairo restaurant killed 12 people and wounded six on Friday, Egyptian security officials said.


Reuters reports that one of the officials said the attacker was an employee who had been fired from the restaurant in the Agouza area in the centre of the Egyptian capital.


MENA, Egypt's state-run news agency, quoted an unnamed security official as saying three men on a motorcycle threw Molotov cocktails into the club in the Agouza district early Friday and then fled.


It said the fire was quickly extinguished and security authorities are investigating the attack.


Security officials earlier said 18 people died. Islamist militants have claimed a number of bombing and shooting attacks in Egypt, mostly against members of the security forces since the army toppled Mohamed Morsi, the former president, of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013 after mass protests.


File pic of protests in Cairo.

Star shuttler Saina Nehwal will donate Rs 2 lakh for the people affected by heavy rains and flood in Tamil Nadu, her father said on Friday. 

A former French colony known for its systematic town planning, many areas of Puducherry now present a picture of devastation with close to 400 houses damaged by the rains.


Puducherry has been battered by heavy rains since the beginning of November and officials have assessed that such a quantum of downpour had not been seen in the last 100 years. The total rainfall that would be normally be received during the three month period of October, November and December under the influence of North East monsoon has been received in one month (November) alone in Puducherry.


Large areas have been inundated in Puducherry and over 400 houses damaged due to torrential rains, forcing evacuation of thousands of people.


As many as 173 relief centres are operating in Puducherry and Karaikal region and more than 10,000 people have been evacuated to safer places,


Commissioner for Relief and Secretary to Government V Candavelou said. Puducherry Administration has intensified steps to tackle the situation arising out of the torrential rains which was "unprecedented, serious and worst in last 100 years", Chief Secretary Manoj Parida has said.


The Chief Secretary said that an inter-ministerial official team headed by Joint Secretary to Union Agriculture Ministry Prasad had already visited the Union Territory and assessed the damage. Subsequent to the team's visit, Puducherry has been pounded by a fresh bout of rain. Hence a supplementary report is being finalised which would be forwarded to the Centre.

BJP national vice-president BS Yeddyurappa has become the frontrunner for the chief ministerial candidate of Karnataka. The Supreme Court declined to intervene and lift a Karnataka High Court stay on his prosecution in a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The state goes to the polls two years from now. As Yeddy is in control of the BJP, it will provide stiff opposition to the Congress. 

So, who will take over the mantle of deputy leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha from Captain Amrinder Singh?

Sources tell us that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has been considering various names, but noone has been finalised.

Amarinder Singh, a former Punjab CM, is demitting office since he will now become the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief.


MPs Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kamal Nath are in the race, and soucres tell us that Rahul's vote goes to Scindia. But Kamal Nath has a strong base of supporters in the Madhya Pradesh Congress and they will oppose Scindia.

The Congress cannot have KC Venugopal, a Kerala MP either, for two reasons. One is the recent corruption charges against him and second, since he is a south Indian MP, he cannot be chosen. That would make both the Leader of the opposition -- Mallikarjuna Kharge -- and deputy leader from south India, which is not acceptable to the party.

Rahul Gandhi is also looking at a young face. And that is MP Gaurav Gogoi from Assam. He is the son of Assam CM Tarun Gogoi, but is a first-timer in Parliament and is not familiar with the rules and regulations of Lok Sabha proceedings.


With these problems, Rahul wants to postpone the decision to the Budget session.


Pic: Tarun and Gaurav Gogoi vote during the Lok Sabha elections.

Innovative marketing strategy from Baba Ramdev. The yoga guru has been sending cartons of his Patanjali Atta noodles to every single BJP MP in New Delhi and office bearers of the party as well.
The BJP wants to popularise the "desi Maggi" noodles and there is no better way than tasting if first.

The instant noodles brand was in the news immediately after the launch in November because it had not obtained mandatory product approvals from the Food Safety and Regulatory Authority of India. 

Chennai news updates at this hour:

-- One lakh bottles of Rail Neer (bottled water) have been dispatched to Tamil Nadu, says Suresh Prabhu,Railway Minister.

-- Army chief reaches Chennai to personally oversee rescue and relief ops.

-- Met Department says no rain expected in Chennai for the next 3-4 days.

Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh reaches Chennai where he will personally oversee rescue and relief operations. 

Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson has volunteered evidence for a Turkish court case in which a doctor is accused of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoan by comparing him to Gollum. Turkish doctor Bilgin ifti faces a prison sentence of up to two years after sharing a meme with three pictures of Erdoan alongside film stills from Lord of the Rings.  Read more

The two consecutive defeats faced by the ruling BJP in Delhi and Bihar polls have instilled hope in the Congress party, so much so that it'll continue its onslaught against the BJP on the "intolerance" issue and work toward convincing the people that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not fit for the two-term premiership.

In an exclusive interview, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member, Digvijay Singh, shared these thoughts with The Hindu on Wednesday. Read

Supply of fuel in the city has taken a hit due to "logistic problems" faced by oil companies even as availability of essential commodities like milk, water and vegetables remain affected across Tamil Nadu today.


Since most of the places across Chennai and its suburbs have been cut off due to heavy rain, oil tankers were unable to transport fuel, according to Indian Oil Corporation officials.


Absence of tanker drivers has compounded the problem. "There are stocks available for supply of fuel but tanker drivers have not reported for work as their families were affected by the floods. It is the logistics problem we are facing now," an IOCL spokesperson said.


Motorists were seen standing in large queues for several hours at some fuel outlets where there was supply.


The fuel supply maybe restored soon as water level was receding in several areas, the official said. Essential commodities, however, remained in scarce supply. While supply of state-run Aavin-milk packets were totally hit, a packet of one litre milk sold by private suppliers was priced at Rs 90, whereas 1 kg tomato was available at Rs 80/90.

"The good news is Parliament is running," remarked Prime Minister Narendra Modi today as he sent his audience at an event into peals of laughter.


Modi was delivering the inaugural address at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in New Delhi and 35 minutes into his speech inquired from his hosts whether he had some more time.


He began his speech at 1015 am shortly before the scheduled commencement of today's sitting of Parliament Winter session at 11 am.


"I have to go to Parliament. The good news is that Parliament is running," he said, and hastened to add," the credit does not go to Modi but to all the parties".


The audience at the event comprised dignitaries from various walks of life. Modi wound up his speech a few minutes after making a reference to the Parliament sitting.


The prime minister made the reference about the functioning of the Parliament against the backdrop of the virtual washout of its Monsoon session over various issues.


The Winter session, which began last Thursday and due to conclude on December 23, has been relatively running smoothly. Ahead of the session, Modi had hoped that all members will cooperate in the smooth running of the Winter session through debate and discussion

Chennai updates:

-- Six tonnes of veggies have reached Chennai from Bengaluru.

-- US offers assistance for Chennai flood victims

-- INS Airavat reaches Chennai with relief matrerial.

-- 40 army teams involved in rescue effort.

Reports say that 14 ICU patients at the MIOT hospital have died because there was no power in the hospitals and neither were there oxygen cylinders.

The 14 patients were on ventilator when they passed away early in the morning. The bodies have been taken to a government hospital.


The MIOT hospital, which is located near Guindy on the banks of Adyar river, was flooded due to the rains. 


J Radhakrishnan, state health secretary said all of whom who died at the MIOT hospital were "highly critical'.


All the other patients from MIOT have been evacuated. Some 200 were discharged and another 300 moved to various other hospitals.

The dead bodies were taken to Royapettah government hospital in the city.


Chennai city and its suburbs experienced a welcome break from the unpredented rains of the last 100 years, that resulted in a sharp fall in the discharge of waters from Chembarapakkam, Pondi and Puzhal lakes leading to reduction in the water levels of the two rivers that criss-cross the city.


Pic: People wade through a waterlogged road following heavy rains in Chennai on Wednesday.

Another day, another night spent without water, electricity, food.

Rescue work has been hampered in some areas due to live electricity wires from broken poles that have fallen into the water. The state electricity board suspended power as a precautionary measure.


After a day-long dry spell yesterday, some areas in and around the city including Kodambakkam, T Nagar and Tambaram received showers in the night but Friday morning saw some bright skies with people out on the streets.



The good news is that seven flights will be operated today by Air India and some private airlines from the Rajali Naval air station in Arakkonam near Chennai. Chennai airport which is flooded is shut till December 6. As for train services -- they will remain suspended till tomorrow.


Mobile phone services, which had taken a severe beating following the heavy downpour on Tuesday, were partially restored even as other services such as ATMs continued to remain shut.


As many as 100 people are still stranded at the Chennai airport -- down from 700 earlier. The evacuation is expected to be completed by today.


Water levels in the Adyar and Cooum rivers have fallen after water released from Chembarapakkam, Pondi and Puzhal lakes was curtailed.


The Army and the National Disaster Response Force have rescued more than 7,000 people so far.


As for financial aid, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an immediate relief of Rs. 1,000 crore on Thusrday during his visit to Chennai, which is in addition to the Rs 960 crore sanctioned earlier.


Prices of milk, vegetables and food items skyrocketed because of short supply. A one-litre packet of milk is being sold for Rs. 100 in some places. A bottle of mineral water costing Rs. 20 is being sold for Rs. 150. Vegetables like tomato and beans are being sold for Rs. 80 to Rs. 90 a kg.
Safe drinking water continued to remain a luxury for many.

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 11:30 am.

Limited commercial flight operations are expected to begin today from the Rajali naval air station in Arakkonam, about 70 kilometres from Chennai.


The Naval station has been converted into a makeshift airport with the Chennai international airport flooded and closed for operations till Sunday.


There have been no commercial flights to and from Chennai since Tuesday evening; the Navy has approved the operation of seven from its base today. 


Civil Aviation Secretary RN Choubey said carriers Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet had indicated that they would operate flights. Read more

That flood-ravaged Tamil Nadu is a long way from normalcy is obvious to anyone.