In comments aimed at sparking a row, a top leader of a Hindu right-wing outfit today said that India belonged to Hindus and any church built forcibly should be converted into a temple. 

Dozens of Nigerian women who were forced to marry Boko Haram fighters were reportedly slaughtered by their "husbands" before a battle with troops in the northeast town of Bama, multiple witnesses said Thursday.

Canadian singer Justin Bieber's hit song Baby was not only his claim to fame but also helped Pakistan's Justin Bibis rise to fame overnight with the rendition of the song that became bigger than the nation's official World Cup anthem. 

US First lady Michelle Obama, saying it's an "injustice" that 62 million girls around the world are not in school, joined forces with her Japanese counterpart, Akie Abe, saying they would together promote education for girls in developing countries.

The Islamic State group issued a statement claiming responsibility for the deadly attack on Tunisia's national museum that killed 23 people, mostly tourists. The statement described Wednesday's attack in Tunisia as a "blessed invasion of one of the dens of infidels and vice in Muslim Tunisia".

JUST IN: Ruckus in Rajya Sabha: Congress says it won't allow mines bill to pass, government threatens to extend session by a week.

Enforcement Directorate has busted a multi-crore international cricket World Cup betting racket and arrested two bookies from a farmhouse on the outskirts of Vadodara city. 

The next president of the Royal Society will be India-born Nobel-winning Cambridge researcher Prof Sir Venki Ramakrishnan. 

Security forces today recovered a powerful can-bomb from Saranda forest in naxal-affected West Singhbhum district, police said. 

Warplanes have targeted the compound used by Yemen's President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi in the southern port city of Aden, officials and witnesses say.

An employer will be liable to pay a fine of Rs 50,000 for failing to implement the provisions of the law dealing with sexual harassment of women at workplace, Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi told Rajya Sabha today.

Cow urine is effective in curing cancer completely, BJP member Shankarbhai N claimed in Rajya Sabha today while pressing for stopping cow slaughter. 

Nearly 24 hours after a terror attack in Tunisia left 17 foreign tourists and two Tunisians dead in a daylight attack, four people have been arrested.

Earlier in the day, Tunisian authorities named the two gunmen who launched an attack on a museum, saying one of the assailants was known to the intelligence service.

Officials identified the attackers on Thursday as Yassine Laabidi and Hatem Khachnaoui but said no formal links to a particular armed group had been established.

It was not clear which of the two men was known to the intelligence service.

The Bombay High Court today directed Maharashtra government to bear the expenditure that will be incurred for plastic surgery and other medical expenses of an acid attack victim. Aarti Thakur (25), an IT firm employee who was attacked with acid at suburban Goregaon railway station in Mumbai on January 31, 2012, is scheduled to undergo plastic surgery and other operations at the Nova Specialty hospital next week.

The state government had earlier said that Aarti's case cannot be considered for grant of monetary compensation under Manodhairya Scheme launched on October 2, 2013 as the incident was of a prior date.

The High Court had however, said that setting a cut-off date was arbitrary and contrary to a Supreme Court order directing a sum of at least Rs 3 lakh to be paid to rape victims and acid attack victims as after-care and rehabilitation cost.

The court had on the last hearing asked the government to respond by today whether it was ready to bear the medical expenses of Aarti's surgery.

Shah Rukh Khan tweets this picture: A day comes in every macho mans life when he has to wear pink leggings & he hopes at least his daughter approves. 

In what is likely to see more protests in the state and rightly so, the Karnataka government has decided to stick to its decision of not referring the case of mysterious death of an upright IAS officer to the CBI.

The state Home Minister K J George said today, "Whatever decision we have taken on the floor of the House (Assembly), that is the decision and we will stick to it," George told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

There has been a clamour for CBI probe from Opposition parties and the family of the IAS officer D K Ravi, who was found hanging from a ceiling fan at his flat on Monday.

The BJP and JDS have been demanding a CBI probe and blocked the proceedings of the Assembly on the issue for the last three days.

A first lady with a sense of fun always makes news.

So, Michelle Obama suggested a lunch date with Shinzo Abe at his wife's restaurant today, offering the Japanese prime minister a place at her table next time she is in town.

The US first lady gave a ringing endorsement of Akie Abe's "izakaya" -- a traditional Japanese-style pub -- after eating there with her opposite number on the second day of her visit to Tokyo.

"Prime Minister, first of all, your wife is an amazing woman," said Obama, as she met Abe at his office.

"And the restaurant is good, so you have to try it. Maybe the next time I come to visit, you can join us." In a good-natured exchange at Abe's office, he revealed: "Actually I've never been to the restaurant".

Earlier in the day Obama, who is in Japan to launch the "Let Girls Learn" initiative,told an audience there was a global "crisis" that left 62 million girls without the chance of an education. "We often focus on the economic barriers girls face -- school fees or uniforms, or how they live miles from the nearest school and have no safe transportation, or how the school in their community doesn't have bathroom facilities for girls," she said.

No arrests have been made even five days after the gang rape of a 71-year-old nun at a convent school here even as her plea to stay on for some more time in hospital has been accepted.

Amid mounting outrage over the incident and the culprits still roaming free, the West Bengal government had yesterday decided to hand over the case to the CBI.

Police said no arrests have been made as yet though 15 persons have been detained in connection with it.

Ranaghat sub-divisional hospital superintendent A N Mondol said the nun had been declared fit for discharge yesterday.

But she wrote to the hospital authorities last night saying that she wants to stay for "more time", which was accepted by the hospital authorities, he said. Mondol said the hospital authorities had told her that she could stay as long as she wanted and the medical board would continue to treat her.

Accordingly the medical board conducted tests on her and found her to be physically and mentally fit, he said.

With the family in grief.

Bruno, the pet dog of IAS officer DK Ravi, has not eaten since his master's death on Monday.

Ravi, who took on the sand mafia in the Kolar district of Karnataka, was found hanging from the ceiling fan at his official residence in Bengaluru's Koramangla locality. 

As his body lay in a glass casket, Bruno howled in grief as Ravi's wife attempted to comfort him.

This heartbreaking picture tweeted today shows a downcast Bruno at the family's residence.

Protests in Bengaluru demanding a CBI probe over Ravi's death became violent today with activists of the Akhil Baharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of the BJP, clashing with the police.

And another picture of Bruno grieving after seeing DK Ravi's body.

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has pulled a muscle while shooting for his upcoming film "Fan" in Croatia.

The 49-year-old actor, who is shooting the Maneesh Sharma-directed film, tweeted that he was in lot of pain.

"Serious ouch time! Hamstring shaken fortunately not stirred. Injections galore, running like a duck. Not that I don't like ducks but it sucks!," SRK tweeted.

In some photos obtained from social media, the "Happy New Year" star is seen running around the streets of Croatia after being chased by a bike rider during a scene. "Fan" is slated to release later this year.

The New South Wales police has said there have been substantial inroads made in the investigations into the murder of 41-year-old Prabha Ananth Kumar in Sydney.

Speaking to Rediff.com's A Ganesh Nadar, the NSW police said that while the movements of the victim on the night of her murder including CCTV footage, phone records, witness versions had been collected, details could not be revealed.

Police are yet to identify a motive for the murder. The NSW police said, "It is imperative we do not speculate in the investigation, but keep an open mind and conduct a methodical and meticulous probe. There is no information, intelligence or evidence to support this was a racially motivated incident.

"Police are working closely with the Indian community as the investigation continues.

"We can also confirm there is no evidence to suggest a sexual assault took place and at this point in time and we do not believe robbery was a motive."

The post mortem has confirmed that Prabha died as a result of fatal injuries to her neck caused by a sharp bladed instrument.

The police said they were probing Prabha's background in great detail and as of now, there was nothing to indicate the victim was experiencing any trouble prior to her death that may have lead to her attack.

Prabha was stabbed to death at Parramatta Park in Sydney's Westmead suburb when she was returning to her flat.

Footage from close circuit television cameras at the railway station showed her walking towards the park while talking on mobile phone, purportedly with her husband who lives in Bengaluru with their only daughter.

RIL's Vice President (Finance) K V Mohanan is one of the suspects in the documents leak case: CBI tells Delhi Court.

For a while today, India's only Nobel Laureate in literature, Rabindranath Tagore trended  on Twitter.

Why you ask?

As India and Bangladesh played to win social media discussed how the same man -- Tagore - wrote the national anthems of both countries. Jana Gana Mana, the Indian anthem and Amar Sonar Bangla or My Golden Bengal, the Bangladesh anthem.

And FYI, Tagore also wrote the national anthem for Sri Lanka in Bengali, which was later translated into Sinhalese.

Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Jayant Malaiya and his wife Sudha Malaiya were today robbed onboard the Jabalpur-Nizamuddin Express train near Mathura, following which the Railways has ordered an enquiry into the incident.

According to Railway spokesperson Anil Saxena, three RPF personnel who were escorting the train have also been suspended in connection with the issue.

A gold chain, ring and some cash were looted from the couple at dagger point in the AC compartment of the running train.

The couple had boarded the train at Damoh for Delhi.

Narrating her harrowing experience, Sudha Malaiya told PTI outside Parliament, "We were travelling by Jabalpur- Nizamuddin Express train to Delhi and we boarded the train at Damoh. There was a knock at the door of our coupe at about 4 AM and when I opened the door a person carrying dagger entered forcefully followed by four others."

Sudha, who is also a BJP worker said "Then they snatched my purse, chain and ring. They also took away money from my husband's purse. There was another ring on my left hand which was not coming out and they threatened to cut my finger. However, one of the robbers tried to pull that ring but could not succeed."

She said the accused also robbed passengers in the adjoining coupe. Asked about the response of the RPF, she said "because of RPF other passengers were saved. Train was stopped due to chain pulling and when the RPF men came the robbers left."

She further said that they will meet Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu to inform about the incident and the issue was also raised in Parliament by BJP MP Prahalad Patel.

A Christian responds to a Christian who felt "he was a stranger in his own country". Read

Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan led a protest in the Rajya Sabha today about a matter that was entirely apolitical -- mosquitoes inside the house.

Rajya Sabha MPs have been complaining about the foul smell that emanates from a sewarage line adjacent to the Rajya Sabha chambers, which in fact, is a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Najma Heptullah, Anand Sharma and other MPs stood up and joined Bachchan's protest.

The deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha told the secretariat to fumigate the area. 

And another picture of the cheating. 

In the Nitish-Lalu jungle raj in Bihar, large-scale cheating on record as students appear for their Std X board examinations.

Parents scale walls of the examination hall where their wards are appearing for the exam despite police deployment.

In fact, one picture shows an invigilator allowing a student to cheat despite catching her in the act.

Pictures going viral on Twitter show relatives of students (likely parents) hanging on to window ledges passing chits to the students inside the room.

And this is not a first for the state.

In February 2014 over 200 students were expelled after being caught cheating in the Class 12 board exam and over a dozen parents who helped their children cheat were arrested.

Solar Impulse @solarimpulse tweets its departure from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh with this tribute: "The #solarTEAM will soon leave #India, the country of #yoga here's our tribute!"

(Click on the picture for a larger image.)

The world's only 'zero-fuel' aeroplane 'Solar Impulse-2' was caught in red-tape after its departure was delayed from Ahmedabad yesterday for want of Customs and Immigration clearance, even as its pilot held the 'administration' responsible for the delay.

Read more

Mumbai's Samovar cafe is closing down. On March 31, it will serve its final cup of mint tea and its last plate of its famous boti roti roll.

Ironically, Samovar is not winding up because it has fallen prey to rising real-state prices, as is the case with many other establishments, but because the trustees of the Jehangir Art Gallery want it out.

A lengthy legal battle, which began almost three decades ago, finally culminated in an agreement in 2010 allowing the caf five more years in order to reach its golden jubilee. Now that deadline is over.

Read more

"Parents of the deceased are demanding CBI probe, 99% people in state too are saying so," Sadananda Gowda (Union Law Min) on DK Ravi's death.

The elderly nun who was allegedly gang-raped by dacoits in Nadia district on Saturday was declared fit for discharge from Ranghat subdivisional hospital but the convent authorities are yet to take a final decision.

The hospital superintendent A K Mondol said "the hospital authorities are in a position to release her, but the convent authorities have not communicated to us their final decision."

The medical board constituted to examine the Sister Superior has examined her and the nun is taking her food and medicines, the superintendent said.

President of Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) Baselios Cardinal Cleemis had met the septuagenarian nun and prayed with her at the hospital yesterday.

Immediately after arriving at Gangnapur, the Cardinal went to the convent to meet the other nuns to give them moral support and visited the nun at the hospital.

"Justice should be made visible and such act should not continue. We are here to see personally what has happened," he had said.

Massive protests across Karnataka calling for a CBI probe into IAS officer DK Ravi's death.

In Bangalore, the protesters of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad -- the student wing of the BJP -- were lathicharged by the police. In Tumkur too, the mob clashed with the police. The opposition BJP and JDS, which are holding an indefinite protest at the assembly, said they will take their demand to Governor Vajubhai Vala.

The protesting lawmakers have spent two consecutive nights at the Assembly.Massive protests in Tumkur as well over the officer's death.

Meanwhile, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah will hold a cabinet meet shortly. The decision on whether IAS officer DK Ravi's death case be referred to the CBI will be taken at the meeting.

Also in Bengaluru: BJP & JDS protest march from Karnataka Assmebly to governor house demanding a CBI probe into IAS DK Ravi's death.

In Bengaluru: ABVP protest march against state govt on IAS officer DK Ravi's death, protesters demand CBI probe.

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah to hold a cabinet meet shortly. The decision on whether IAS officer DK Ravi's death case be referred to the CBI will be taken.

DK Ravi's family called for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the case.

While denying reports that DK Ravi could have committed suicide, his father-in-law Hanumantharayappa confirmed that he did ask the Chief Minister's Office to transfer him out of Kolar but added that according to him it had nothing to do with the officer's death.

"I am sure that he wouldn't have committed suicide. Wrong information is being spread about his death. The government should order a CBI probe. I had asked the CM for his transfer from Kolar," said Hanumantharayappa.

Karnataka Police sources said that it was a clear case of suicide and any possible tension between family members of the deceased officer is also being probed.

Today, home minister Rajnath Singh spoke to the CM asking him to consider a CBI probe into the IAS officer's death.

With a so far unbeaten India a wimpy 164-3 against Bangladesh, it's open season for speculation.

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Union Minister Nitin Gadkari writes to political leaders, including Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, and Anna Hazare for an open debate on land. Gadkari, who is the minister for road transport and highways said the government is willing to make changes if required, but said that the bill was not anti-farmer. He said the bill would help rural infrastructure.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has expressed her agreement with the concerns of Gandhian Anna Hazare on the National Democratic Alliance governments land bill and vowed to oppose it.

Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday wrote a letter to social activist in reply to his earlier missive and referred to the protest march to President House by the representatives of 14 parties on the issue. Leaders of 14 political parties led by Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday marched from Parliament to Rashtrapati Bhavan against amendments to the land acquisition act.

Read: Why Jairam Ramesh is against the NDA land bill

Pakistan today hanged four death row prisoners, including two brothers, while postponed the execution of a man whose family alleged he was 14 at the time of crime and his confession was extracted through torture. The execution of four death row prisoners took the number of prisoners hanged across the country to 54, after the deadly Taliban attack on an army run school on December 16, 2014.

The execution of Shafqat Hussain has been postponed for 72 hours just a few hours before his hanging was scheduled to take place this morning. Hussain was convicted by an anti-terrorism court for kidnapping and killing a 7-year-old boy.

Rights bodies say that Hussain was just 14 at the time of crime in 2004 and he was tortured to confess the killing, while the jail record showed him as 23.

His family has urged the President to postpone the hanging who in an overnight decision delayed the execution for 72 hours to let the authorities investigate the allegations, an official of interior ministry said.

All municipal schools in Mumbai and its suburbs will teach the Bhagwad Gita to students in order to make them more focused, boost their morale and impart them knowledge about spiritualism, a civic official has said.

"We shall impart the knowledge of 'Bhagwad Gita' to students to make them independent and sharpen their power in decision making," Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai's (MCGM) Deputy Municipal Commissioner Ramdas Bhausaheb said.

He was speaking at a prize distribution function of 'Gita Champions League' contest, organised by International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Mumbai on March 15.

Ramdas said MCGM has 1,200 schools with a total strength of 4,78,000 students where the corporation spends over Rs 3,500 crore every year to impart free education to children in nine regional languages, a press release here said.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said that the world is witnessing an entirely new paradigm of terrorism in the form of the Islamic State (IS) but added that the terror outfit has no influence among the Indian youth.

Delivering the inaugural address at the International Counter-Terrorism Conference in Jaipur, the Home Minister said the appeal of ISIS to young and educated people, in spite of the group's medieval ideology, is a cause of concern for the global community.  

Terror outfits like the ISIS do not believe in a plural society and are extremely intolerant of a liberal and secular democratic order, noted Singh.

Singh said that Indian Muslims are patriots and have not strayed into any extremist ideology and reiterated a statement he made earlier that there is no good terrorist or bad terrorist.

Targeting Pakistan, Singh said it should stop using terrorism as an instrument for its own interest. "If Pakistan and ISI stop supporting terrorist groups, the security situation in South Asia would improve significantly." 

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said today three citizens of Japan were killed when gunmen stormed Tunisia's national museum, with his government dismissing earlier reports of five Japanese deaths "an error".

"At the moment, we know three Japanese nationals are dead and three injured," Abe told reporters. "No matter what the reasons were, terrorism can never be forgiven. We strongly condemn this," he said, adding that Tokyo was still working to collect information. "We will exert the utmost effort in our fight against terrorism by deepening cooperation with the international community."

Attackers opened fire at a major museum in Tunisia's capital on Wednesday, gunning down 17 tourists as dozens more sprinted to safety. At least 22 people in all were killed, including two gunmen, but some attackers may have escaped, authorities said.

Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid had earlier said 21 people were killed: 17 tourists, two gunmen, a Tunisian security officer and a Tunisian cleaning woman. He said the dead tourists came from Italy, Poland, Germany and Spain. Tunisian authorities later raised the death toll to 22 but did not provide the nationality of the latest victim.

The Supreme Court reserves judgment on the anticipatory bail plea by Teesta Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand. The stay on their arrest continues. SC refers Teesta Setalvad's anticipatory bail plea matter to a larger bench.
In other words, the Supreme Court extends the interim protection against the couple's arrest till the larger bench takes up the matter.

A previously unknown species of catfish has been named for the wide-eyed, puckered-mouth "Star Wars" character it resembles.

French lawmakers are weighing a ban on extremely thin models.

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake shook the southern Chilean city of Concepcion today, five years after a quake and subsequent tsunami hit the same area killing more than 500 people. 

When Vladimir Putin reappears, he does it with style -- and an in-your-face attitude.

One person was killed and up to five others hurt in a shooting in Arizona today, while a lone gunman was still on the loose, a report and officials said.