Live! Shooter at Oregon community college injures at least 15

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Thu, 01 October 2015

Timeline Refresh

23:53

External Affairs Minister proposes NSA-level talks with Pak to discuss all terror issues and DGMOs meet to address border situation.

23:49 Shooter at Oregon community college injures at least 15

An active shooter was at an Oregon college on Thursday, according to a tweet from local Douglas County Fire District No. 2.

The tweet stated around 10:45 a.m. that there was an active shooter at "UCC.'According to various tweets, "UCC' was Umpqua Community College.

Read this story HERE

23:16 Indrani Mukerjea's mother passes away

Sheena Bora murder case accused Indrani Mukerjea's mother Durga Rani Bora today passed away due to old age-related ailments.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Dispur) Suprotive Lal Barua said 83-year Bora died in her residence. Bora, who was bed-ridden for long, and her husband were taken care of by their grandson Mikhail Bora at their residence in Sundarpur area of the city.

Indrani is the prime accused in the murder of her daughter Sheena and the case is being investigated by the CBI at present.

A Native American tribe in the US state of South Dakota has said it plans to open what would be the first marijuana resort in the US.The 400-member Santee Sioux tribe already runs a casino, hotel and ranch and hopes the resort will be a new revenue generator.

Marijuana is not legal in South Dakota but the tribe has been permitted to grow and sell pot since June.

Read this stio

21:48

The Election Commission today issued notices to RJD President Lalu Prasad and senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi in connection with the FIRs registered against them for violation of the poll code. The two leaders have been asked in the notices to submit their reply by October 6, Additional Chief Election Officer R Lakshamanan told PTI.

An FIR was lodged against RJD President Lalu Prasad last Tuesday for making allegedly casteist remark, which the Election Commission found to be violative of election laws.

The FIR was registered with the Ganga bridge police station in Vaishali district against Lalu Prasad by Circle Officer Raghopur Neeranjan Kumar in connection with his casteist remark.

Launching his campaign from Raghopur in favour of his younger son Tejaswi Yadav, the RJD supremo had described the Assembly election as a direct fight between "the backward castes and forward castes" and gave a call to Yadavs and other backward castes to rally behind the secular alliance to defeat the BJP-led NDA.

21:23 Syria: Russia launches airstrikes against al-Assad's enemies

Russia carried out new airstrikes inside Syria on Thursday, the country's Defense Ministry said in a statement, a day after it changed the calculus of Mideast politics by entering the Syrian civil war on the side of President Bashar al-Assad.

"Russian Aerospace Forces engaged another four #ISIS facilities in #Syria this night," the Russian ministry of defense announced on Twitter along with gun camera video showing large explosions.

Image for representation only

Read this story HERE

High drama was today witnessed in front of Hazratganj police station in the heart of the city when suspended IPS officer Amitabh Thakur staged a day-long sit-in demonstration in connection with the alleged threat to him by SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Thakur went to Hazratganj police station at 11 AM and sat there for the entire day for a copy of the FIR against the SP supremo, which, Thakur's RTI activist wife Nutan, claimed had been filed after the UP government assured the Allahabad High Court that it would forthwith comply with the order of a local CJM court to register an FIR.

Nutan said in a statement later that City SP Rajeev Mahrotra told her husband that a "secret report" has been sent to the Court. No senior police official was immediately forthcoming on the issue of FIR.

She said even after the FIR its copy was not given to Amitabh and was told that he will get its copy from the Court. Following this, Amitabh went to the DGP office and met acting DGP B P Singh to complain against it.

The UN's human rights body today unanimously recommended a credible probe including foreign judges and lawyers into the alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka in the war against the LTTE, a resolution on which was surprisingly co-sponsored by Colombo.

The 47-member Human Rights Council here approved by consensus a crucial resolution led by the US and the UK, and backed by Sri Lanka itself, in a move hailed by international advocacy groups. Besides asking Sri Lanka to form a credible judicial system for the probe, the resolution - based on a landmark report issued by the UN last month -- also calls on Sri Lanka to allow for punishment of "those most responsible for the full range of crimes".

There was no immediate reaction from Colombo on how the Sri Lankan government received the news on the resolution in view of the fact that Sri Lankan laws do not allow operation of foreign judges and prosecutors on its soil.

19:55 Rijiju defends action against Greenpeace

Defending crackdown on Greenpeace, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju today said those violating rules and conducting themselves in wrong ways would face punitive action.

"Protest is a right of everyone in a democracy. But if anyone violates rules and work in wrong ways, we will take action," he told PTI.

Rijiju accused Greenpeace India of inciting people against industrial projects saying such activities of an NGO violates the rules of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act under which it was registered.

"Any NGO which is registered under the FCRA should follow rules. No one should violate laws, else action will follow," he said. The Union minister of State for Home said the government has not put any restriction on genuine NGOs.

19:30 4 militants killed in encounter in Pakistan

Four militants from the banned Pakistani Taliban and Lashkar-e-Jhanghvi terrorist groups, including the alleged mastermind involved in the assassination of Pakistan's Punjab province Home Minister, were killed today in an encounter.

Punjab home minister Colonel (retd) Shuja Khanzada was assassinated in a suicide attack on his political office in Shadi Khan village on August 16.

The Counter-Terrorism Department conducted an intelligence-based raid on a house in Iqbal Town Division's Sherakot area on the outskirts of Lahore. In a statement issued to media, the CTD said: "It received secret information regarding the presence of some seven to eight terrorists within the limits of Sherakot police station, Lahore. They were planning to launch a big attack on officials of law enforcement agencies in the late morning."

Malaysians, who earlier served as cleaners and guards at the Islamic State camps in Syria, are now being trained to become snipers and suicide bombers in Iraq as the dreaded terror group is trying to regain its hold

over the war-torn country, a senior officer has said.

Malaysians, who fell prey to IS' false promise of "jihad" and began serving as cleaners and guards, are being trained to become snipers and suicide bombers with the specific goal of regaining its grip in Iraq, Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division head Senior Asst Comm Ayub Khan said.

The Islamic State, also known as ISIS and ISIL, now counted on some Malaysians to carry out its special ops missions all over Iraq.

"The presence of the IS in Syria is quite solid but the group is losing control over Iraq as many territories have fallen back to Iraqi government. Our intelligence show that they are relying more on Malaysians now to carry out strike missions against several key structures in Iraq," he told The Star newspaper yesterday.

The new development came to light following the deaths of three Malaysians in Iraq, believed to be on special ops missions, Ayub was quoted as saying by the paper.

The latest deaths bring the number of Malaysians killed in Syria and Iraq to 14.

Amid mounting criticism of right wing outfits over Dadri lynching incident, VHP today hit back and said it has become "fashion" for "some people" to abuse Hindus or else they contract "diarrhoea".

"Several people have levelled allegations against Hindus and those working for awakening of Hindus. My view is clear, some people contract diarrhoea if they don't abuse Hindus.

"Their diarrhoea gets treated when they abuse Hindus. I don't object to such people. But it is fashionable for them to abuse (Hindus). There is no substance in it," VHP general secretary Champat Rai said.

Rai made the statement on the sidelines of an event where a book on senior VHP leader Ashok Singhal's life was released. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh were also present at the event.

Rai said if something against law takes place, court will decide what went wrong and who was guilty.

18:18 1 million US dollar seized in poll-bound Bihar

One million US dollar (Rs 6.63 crore in Indian currency) was seized from two persons here as police intensified vehicle checking in Bihar which is gearing up for Assembly elections, police said today.

Police found one million US dollar and two gold plates during vehicle checking, which has been stepped up in view of the upcoming elections in the state, late last night, Superintendent of Police Kumar Ashish said.

The police also seized three SIM cards, five ATM cards, one PAN card and one motor-cycle from their possession, he said.

Two persons -- Manish Kumar, a resident of Rattan Patti village of Murliganj police station of the district and Nand Kishore Kumar, a resident of Bhangaha village of Purnea district, have been arrested and sent to jail.

The SP said that the group is operating through Nepal borders and the money might have been brought for elections in the state.

The Titanic's last lunch menu, saved by a first-class passenger who climbed aboard a lifeboat whose crew was said to have been bribed to row away instead of rescue more people, sold at auction for $88,000 on Wednesday.

Preauction estimates were that it would fetch $50,000 to $70,000.

The online New York auctioneer Lion Heart Autographs offered the menu and two other previously unknown artifacts from Lifeboat 1.

Abraham Lincoln Salomon was among a handful of first-class passengers who boarded the lifeboat, dubbed the Money Boat or Millionaire's Boat by the press because of unfounded rumors one of them bribed seven crew members to quickly row the boat away from the sinking ocean liner.

The menu, which lists corned beef, dumplings and other savory items, is signed on the back in pencil by another first-class passenger, Isaac Gerald Frauenthal, who escaped on another lifeboat. It's believed the two men lunched together that fateful day in 1912.

18:12 Russia says it targets not just IS in Syria

Reacting to criticism that it is targeting opponents of the Syrian government, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted today that Russia's airstrikes in Syria are targeting not only Islamic State

militants but also other groups.

Russia yesterday carried out its first airstrikes in Syria in what President Vladimir Putin called a pre-emptive strike against the militants. Twenty airstrikes had destroyed a command center of Islamic State militants as well as ammunition depots, the defense ministry said.

Moscow insisted that it was targeting IS militants while US officials and other cast doubt on the claim, saying the Russians appeared to be attacking opposition groups fighting Syrian government forces.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters today that Russia is going after IS militants as well as a "list" of other groups.

"These organizations are well known and the targets are chose in coordination with the armed forces of Syria," he said, without giving specific names.

18:01 BJP MP says Modi a 'saint' like Mahatma Gandhi

BJP MP Vijay Goel today likened Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mahatma Gandhi, a day ahead of the latter's birth anniversary, terming both as "saints of Sabarmati".

Goel put up a hoarding, bearing images and stanzas eulogising Modi along with the Mahatma, in front of his official residence in Ashoka Road, just opposite the BJP headquarters.

"De di duniya me pahchan nai, uncha kiya bhal, Sabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamal (Gave a new identity in the world, increased stature; Sabarmati's saint, you have done wonders)," it said describing Modi, carrying his picture.

The lines are a play on a song from the 1954 movie 'Jagriti'.

"De di hame azadi bina kharag bina dhal, Sabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamal," are the original lines, and they have been used to describe Gandhi in the banner as well.

The move invited political reactions with Congress hitting out at Goel, and JD-U, AAP taking jibes at BJP.

17:48 Trump 'OK' with Russian airstrikes in Syria

Vladimir Putin launching airstrikes inside Syria is no problem for Donald Trump, who said that he believes Russia's military moves in Syria are targeting ISIS and that the United States shouldn't interfere.

"They don't respect our president. They really don't respect us anymore. And that's why they're doing this," Trump told CNN.

"At the same time, if they want to hit ISIS, that's OK with me," he added.

Asha Bhosle will not be able to attend the anniversary of 'Swachh Bharat Mission' in Delhi following the sudden demise of her son Hemant.

The singer, who lost her younger son Hemant three days ago, today expressed her inability in attending the event in a tweet to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"@narendramodi Pranam. Due to sudden tragic loss of my son Hemant, I have to bow out from your 2 Oct Delhi function. My sincere apologies," Asha, 82, posted on Twitter.

To which Modi replied, "Dear @ashabhosle Tai, pained on the unfortunate demise of your son. My thoughts are with you during this hour of grief."

Hemant died in Scotland after losing his battle with cancer. He was 66.

With FTII students sticking to their demand for removal of TV actor Gajendra Chauhan as the institute's chairman, a second round of talks here today between the striking students and I & B Ministry officials failed to break the deadlock but the two sides agreed to meet again in New Delhi on October 6.

During the talks, which lasted for nearly four hours, students held firm to their 'core demand' of dissolving the Pune-based FTII society headed by Chauhan, who is also a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The ministry team was represented by Joint Secretary K Sanjay Murthy, Deputy Secretary Deepak Kumar and Films Division Director Mukesh Sharma.

"The meeting we had today was in continuation of our last meet two days back. We have decided to further continue our talks on Tuesday (October 6) in Delhi with the Secretary of I&B department," spokesperson of FTII Students Association Vikas Urs told reporters after the meeting.

He said students in the meeting stuck to their core demand of 'dissolving' the current FTII society.

Delhi court extends police custody of ex-Delhi law minister Somnath Bharti, arrested in alleged domestic violence and attempt to murder case, by 3 more days.

According to reports, Somnath Bharti told the court that the ACP asked him to remove his kurta during police interrogation.

Bharti who is being tried on charges of domestic abuse under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 498A (cruelty towards wife), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 313 read with 511 (attempt to cause miscarriage without woman's consent), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code had surrendered on Wednesday.

Despite reports to the contrary, Russia's defence ministry is claiming that a new round of air strikes overnight on Thursday did target ISIS and "strictly avoiding populated areas".

News agencies reported that the ministry confirmed that Sukhoi-24M and Sukhoi-25 aircraft flew eight sorties. They hit an ammunition depot near Idlib as well as a three-storey ISIS command centre near Hama.

It said a pinpoint strike had destroyed a facility located in the north of Homs aimed at rigging cars with explosives for suicide attacks, Reuters writes.

The ministry gave no specific locations, but said the targets were installations for Islamic State and the Nusra Front, al-Qaida's affiliate in Syria.

Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma, who kicked a rowwhen he suggested that the Dadri killings were caused by a misunderstanding, is going to visit the victim' family.

"Will go there tomorrow, will meet the victim's family," Sharma said.

AAP today demanded the sacking of Union Minister Mahesh Sharma over his remarks that the Dadri lynching should be seen as an "accident" and alleged that the incident was part of BJP's "communal plot" akin to the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.

AAP leader Ashutosh termed as "sinister" the chain of events leading to the killing of 50-year-old Iqlakh over alleged consumption of beef, and described it as a "conspiracy" by BJP to "break the country".

"Mahesh Sharma should be sacked," he said while condemning the Union minister for terming the incident an "outcome of a misunderstanding".

Claiming that the incident was part of a ploy to polarise society, he further charged that "the run up to the killing clearly shows a design similar to that of the Muzaffarnagar riots (of 2013)".

"Now, BJP is giving it a political colour while the local BJP MLA is justifying it and calling for a panchayat," he claimed while alleging that "BJP and Samajwadi Party play the game together in Uttar Pradesh".

A ceremonial meeting of India and China's border personnel was held today on the occasion of the '67th Chinese national day', at the Chinese border personnel meeting huts at Chushul and at Daulat Beg Oldi in Ladakh.

While the Indian delegations were led by Brigadier RS Raman in Chushul and Colonel BS Uppal in DBO, the Chinese delegations were led by Senior Colonel Fan Jun in Chushul and Colonel Song Zhang Li in DBO.

Both the delegations saluted the Chinese national flag, which was followed by a ceremonial address by both delegation leaders. Then came a cultural programme showcasing Chinese culture, and which was rounded off by a sumptuous lunch.

The continuing interaction between the border troops of both nations has 'created an environment of mutual trust and bonhomie along the Line of Actual Control. It is evident that both the armies are making all efforts to maintain peace and stability in the border areas and this augurs well for the ensuing border talks,' a release from the defence spokesperson S D Goswami said.

School kids under the Midday Meal programme will be entitled to 'Food Security Allowance' if meals are not provided to them, as per the Mid-Day Meal Rules, 2015, which has come into force.

The Rules, notified yesterday under the Food Security Act 2013, also seeks to fix responsibility on persons for non-supply of food for three consecutive school days or five days in a month.

It also seeks to improve efficiency in implementation by plugging loopholes, check irregularities and ensure quality of food served, officials in HRD Ministry said.

The mid-day meal programme covers roughly 10.5 lakh students across the country.

Testing of the meals by accredited labs has been made mandatory under the new rules to ensure nutritional standards.

Hot cooked meal provided to children will be evaluated and certified by the government food research laboratory or any laboratory accredited or recognised by law so as to ensure that the meal meets with the nutritional standards and quality.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati today said that Uttar Pradesh government was "more to blame" for the lynching incident in Dadri, than the "unruly and criminal elements" in BJP and RSS.

The state administration never tried to seriously fulfil its constitutional duty of bringing the guilty to task, she alleged.

"More than the anarchic and criminal elements in BJP-RSS, it is the Akhilesh Yadav government which is to be blamed... not just in Dadri, but at other places too. People are out to spoil the atmosphere yet the government is not taking action against them," Mayawati said.

"The state government is neither taking action on its own nor letting the local police do the same...the main reason for this is they believe that they can survive only in such an atmosphere," she said in a press statement here.

Just In: The Union home ministry has sought a report from the Uttar Pradesh government on the lynching of aman in Dadri for allegedly consuming beef.

The ministry has also asked the Akhilesh Yadav government to ensure that no such incident recurs.

On the eve of completion of one year of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu addressed a press conference in New Delhi.

Here are highlights of what the minister said:

* Swachch Bharat involves motivating people to avoid littering, keeping surroundings clean & deciding against open defecation. Message has reached people; behavioural change has begun to occur

* Despite sanitation being a state subject, Swachch Bharat has been launched by the PM to transform India. Our actions show that PM Modi is a performer, reformer and transformer.

* Estimated cost of Swachch Bharat mission in urban areas: 66,009 crore rupees

* 4,64,651 toilets constructed under Swachch Bharat mission so far; another 11,80,454 in progress

* Mechanical cleaning systems introduced in all 400 major stations, 169 smaller stations.

* Bio-toilets have been installed in 8,368 Indian Railway coaches, another 4,400 to be covered next year.

* Let all Indians participate in this noble mission -- Tan Se, Man Se, Dhan Se -- and strengthen this Jan Andolan.

* A clean India is the most profound statement we can make to the world which is watching us.

* Swachch Bharat Mission is the mother of all missions.

With serious doubts hanging over the proposed bilateral cricket series between India and Pakistan, Pakistan Cricket Board chief Shaharyar Khan today said they are open to "options" ranging from boycotting ties to demanding compensation if the Board of Control for Cricket in India fails to honour the MOU signed between the two boards.

But Shaharyar said he is still hopeful of the series taking place in December and would meet BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur in a week's time to decide on the fate of the rubber that is hanging in limbo in the wake of the current political tensions between the two countries.

"I received a reply from Thakur that we well meet in Dubai and we will probably decide what is to be done. The final decision of course lies with the Government of India," the PCB chairman told reporters after paying his last tribute to Jagmohan Dalmiya who passed away on September 20.

"In spite of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), if the BCCI does not honour its own signature then we'll see what is to be done," Shaharyar said.

"If they don't honour it (MOU) for political reasons we have options open to us. We will suffer financial and other losses.

"Boycott is an extreme option but of course it's an option. I never used the term 'boycott', you people know me and I am not one to give warnings and threats. But it's surely a thing that if you don't accept your signed agreement then definitely I'll demand for compensation," he said, " adding, the series is an agreement but if it does not happen, it's a reasonable thing to demand compensation."

15:04

JUST IN: FTII talks inconclusive; next round to be held in Delhi on October 6.

We had a meeting with I&B officials today and we will meet again on coming Tuesday in Delhi: Vikas Urs, FTII student

15:01 BJP promises jobs, development, political consistency in Bihar vision statement

The Bhartiya Janata Party on Thursday released its vision document for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections.

Releasing the party's vision document, finance minister Arun Jaitley slammed the Nitish-Kumar led 'Grand Alliance', saying it's time to end the "jungle raj" in Bihar.

Terming the Congress-JD(U)-RJD alliance opportunistic, Jaitley said that "political consistency" is not the virtue of any of the participants of this alliance.

Jaitley said all these three parties had failed the people of Bihar.

"We need to rescue Bihar from backwardness. Congress, JD(U )and RJD have ruled Bihar for 68 years but have not done much for it. Our vision document is a charter for development," Jaitley said.

"Youths from Bihar move to other states looking for jobs. We want to bring an end to it," Jaitley said.

Three days after a 50-year-old man was lynched for sacrificing a cow in a Greater Noida village, Uttar Pradesh's Urban Development Minister Azam Khan on Thursday blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party for the incident.

Taking on Narendra Modi, Khan said: "Prime Minister, please rein in your volunteers. Life, politics and posts are not forever but infamy remains forever. You have not been able to wipe out Gujarat taint and until this world lives, it will never be wiped out. Dont make your volunteers do these things. Where are you taking the country to?".

Vice President Hamid Ansari today said that the society and government are ill-equipped to take care of elderly who are fast growing in number and will shoot up to 32.3 crore by 2050.

"We have a large number of growing and vulnerable segment of elderly which the government and the society seem awfully ill-equipped to manage," he said while speaking at 'International Day of Older Persons' organized by HelpAge India.

Though, the well-being of elderly persons has been mandated in the Constitution, the implementation of the Act has been patchy.

"There is a lack of infrastructure to provide specialised attention to growing numbers of elderly. Very few government hospitals in India have specialized geriatrics facility. The off-take from government schemes like the National Programme for Healthcare of the Elderly has also been poor," he said.

Iran on Thursday nearly doubled its death toll from last week's hajj stampede to 464, saying there was no hope of finding pilgrims missing after the tragedy.

"Seven days after this tragic accident... the status of all (pilgrims) injured has been completely cleared and reported," Iran's hajj organisation said in a statement carried by state television.

Around 240 Iranians were previously declared dead after last Thursday's crush near Mecca, with more than 200 classified as missing.

An Iranian red crescent official said on Thursday that those missing were all likely to have died.

14:02 Jaya writes to PM Modi on fishermen issue

Taking exception to the continued arrests of Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy, Tamil Nadu government has told the Centre that Colombo's "dubious actions" has resulted in the situation at sea remaining "precarious."

Referring to the latest instance of arrest of fishermen who set out from Tuticorin district on September 26, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that this was the third such incident within a span of a week.

"In spite of the several steps being taken by my government with an accommodative frame of mind to devise a permanent solution to this sensitive livelihood issue, the situation at sea remains precarious with the dubious actions of the Sri Lankan Government," she said in a letter to Modi.

The letter dated September 30 was released by the state government on Thursday.

This was yet another incident wherein Tamil Nadu fishermen were apprehended and their right to fishing in their "traditional waters has once again been infringed upon by the Sri Lankan Navy," she said.

Economic Times reports: A few years ago, Vinod Joshi, the secretary of the trust that manages a small temple and ashram nestled in a picture-postcard valley called Kainchi near Nainital, got a call from Larry Brilliant, an American physician and former director of Google's philanthropic arm Google.org.

"Larry said some Mark would be coming to the ashram for a day," recalls the short, bubbly man with twinkling eyes, who has spent his life in the service of his spiritual guru Neeb Karori Baba at the ashram.

Joshi doesn't remember exactly when because he had no idea who Mark Zuckerberg was.

Facebook was yet to become a daily habit of about a billion and half people. But he does remember that Zuckerberg flew down to Pantnagar, about 65 km from Nainital, and then drove to the ashram of Neeb Karori (often called Neem Karoli) Baba, who died in 1973 but continues to enchant several highprofile Americans.

Read more HERE

ATF or jet fuel price was today hiked by 5.5 per cent on global trends while rates of non-subsidised cooking gas LPG were cut by Rs 42 per cylinder.

Also, rates of non-subsidised kerosene were increased by Rs 54 paisa to Rs 43.18 per litre.

The hike comes after a steep 11.7 per cent or Rs 5,469.12 per kl cut in rates to Rs 40,938.24 per kl effected from September 1, the third in straight monthly reduction. Prior to that jet fuel rate was cut by 9.4 per cent to Rs 46,407.36 on August 1 and by Rs 2,086.56 per kl to Rs 51,267.36 on July 1.

Rates vary at different airports because of differential local sales tax or value-added tax (VAT).

Jet fuel constitutes over 40 per cent of an airline's operating costs and the price increase will raise the financial burden on cash-strapped carriers.

No immediate comment was available from airlines on the impact of price reduction on passenger fares.

Simultaneously, the oil firms have also cut prices of non-subsidised LPG, which consumers buy after exhausting their quota of subsidised cooking fuel, by Rs 42 per 14.2-kg bottle.

13:04 Bank holiday for 5 consecutive days in October

This is an important alert for all bank customers.

October will see five consecutive bank holidays, and some banks have taken it upon themselves to alert their customers via SMS of the same so no one is stranded for want of cash.

The five holidays are:

October 21: Puja

October 22: Vijayadashami

October 23: Muharram

October 24: 4th Saturday

October 25: Sunday.

Naturally, expect a heavy rush at ATMs for withdrawing cash on these days.

Political circles in New Delhi are eagerly watching two important developments.

One is the National Judicial Appointments Commission, with a five-member Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court set to deliver its judgment in the matter after the Dussera holidays.

On July 15 this year, the Bench had reserved its order on the constitutionality of the NDA's NJAC bill, after hearing a clutch petitions challenging the validity of the NJAC replacing the collegium system of appointments to the higher courts.

The time limit specified for a final order was three months, which would end by the middle of October.

The other keenly watched development is the ongoing election campaign for the Bihar assembly.

With the election results out on November 8, Diwali this year, which falls a few days later, promises to be explosive all right.

The Himachal Pradesh high court today stayed Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's arrest in connection with the disproportionate assets case against him.

The high court also said that the chief minister would not be arrested till the next date of hearing scheduled on November 18.

Singh had moved the high court yesterday, seeking quashing of the FIR registered against him and his wife by the CBI.

He also questioned the raids conducted by the CBI at his residence without seeking consent of the state government.

Union Minister Mahesh Sharma on the brutal killing of 50-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq in Dadri by a mob for 'suspected' storing and consuming beef: "This should be considered as an accident and no communal color should be added."

The latest remark follows the culture minister's remarks on Wednesday that the incident happened due to "misunderstanding" and trashed suggestions that it was done to polarise the village ahead of panchayat polls.

Asked about allegations that the incident was an attempt to polarise the society ahead of panchayat elections in that area, he said,"This incident was like action and reaction and not because of any organised plan. Misunderstanding was the main reason for this... I do not think it was done in a planned way."

"There was some confusion. There were a lot of events (incidents) going on...and not only cow slaughtering but of animal theft and animal slaughtering going on in that area. In that confusion, there was misunderstanding about the animal killing and the event was a result of that," he said.

The local administration in Noida, under whose jurisdiction Dadri falls, has confirmed that the meat stored in Akhlaqs home was simply mutton and not beef as had been claimed by his murderers.

In a dramatic turn of events, Visva Bharati Vice-Chancellor Sushanta Dattagupta emailed his resignation to the President's office Wednesday evening, a few days after the government made damning observations about his conduct as the head of the institution.

Dattagupta was appointed the V-C in 2011 by the UPA-II government and still had a year left in his tenure.

On September 22, the HRD Ministry had sent its final report on the V-C to President Pranab Mukherjee last week, finding him guilty of gross misconduct and dereliction of duty.

The final report had set the stage for what, perhaps, would have been the first-ever sacking of a central university head. Dattagupta, however, resigned before a final decision could be taken. Sources said he quit, claiming he was being victimised by the new government and the enemies he made while serving as the university V-C

Read more HERE

11:08 India's manufacturing activity at 7-month low

Reuters reports: Indian manufacturing activity slowed more than expected to a seven-month low in September due to softening demand and output, a business survey showed on Thursday.

The Nikkei Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index, compiled by Markit, fell to 51.2 in September from 52.3 in August and against predictions of 52.0. A reading above 50 indicates expansion.

"Despite having been supported by sustained increases in new work, growth of Indian manufacturing production in September was weighed down by a difficult economic climate," said Pollyanna De Lima, economist at Markit.

Read more HERE

M I Khan reports from Patna: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will on Thursday release the BJP's 'vision document' for the Bihar Assembly Elections in the presence of party president Amit Shah and other union ministers

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Bhupender Yadav, who is in charge of the party in Bihar, said Jaitley will release the 'vision document' a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Banka.

Yadav said the vision document will focus on women empowerment, education, jobs to youth and infrastructure development.

"The vision document will chart out a plan to develop Bihar in the next five years if the BJP-led NDA wins the polls and forms the next government," he said.

10:30

JUST IN: Special court orders framing of charges against former coal secretary H C Gupta and five others in a coal block allocation scam case.

10:26 Black money disclosure: 638 people declare Rs 3,770 crore

Central Board of Direct Taxes Chairperson Anita Kapur has said that black money to the tune of Rs 3,770 crore has been declared by 638 people, ANI reported.

Those who have declared black money will have until December 31, 2015 for payment of taxes and penalty, she said, adding that the compliance window was over after the e-filing portal to receive declarations was shut at midnight (September 30).

The benchmark BSE Sensex climbed over 266 points and the NSE Nifty regained 8,000-mark in early trade today on buying in IT, pharma and banking stocks amid a firming trend overseas.

The 30-share index surged by 266.02 points, or 1.02 per cent, to 26,420.85 points in early trade.

The gauge had gained 537.99 points in previous two straight sessions after RBI announced bigger-than-expected rate cut of 0.50 per cent to 6.75 per cent and announced other aggressive measures in its monetary policy review on Tuesday.

All the sectoral indices, led by healthcare, FMCG and banking were trading in the positive zone with gains up to 1.11 per cent.

The National Stock Exchange's index Nifty regained the 8,000-mark by surging 54.85 points, or 0.69 per cent to, 8,003.75.

Brokers said sentiments turned bullish after RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan sprang a surprise by announcing a biggest-than-expected interst rate cut of 0.50 per cdent to 6.75, lowest in four-and-half-years to boost country's economic growth.

Internet search giant Google is celebrating the 168th birth anniversary of Annie Besant with a special animated doodle on Thursday.

The doodle that appears on the homepage of Google features a cute Besant sitting in her chair with a copy of 'New India' in her hands.

Born on October 1, 1847, Besant was a prominent British socialist, theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator and supporter of Irish and Indian self-rule.

As part of her theosophy-related work, she travelled to India. In 1898 she helped establish the Central Hindu College. And in 1922, she helped establish the Hyderabad (Sind) National Collegiate Board in Mumbai.

In 1907, she became president of the Theosophical Society, whose international headquarters were in Adyar, Madras, (Chennai).

She became involved in Indian politics by joining the Indian National Congress. During World War I in 1914, she also helped launch the Home Rule League to campaign for democracy in India and dominion status within the Empire. This led to her election as president of the India National Congress in late 1917.

After the war, she continued to campaign for Indian independence and for the causes of theosophy, until her death in 1933.

10:08 Rashtriya Rifles turns 25 today

The Rashtriya Rifles, Army's elite counter-insurgency unit which has neutralised over 16,300 terrorists, will celebrate its silver jubilee on Thursday.

The unit, which operates in militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir, was raised on October 1, 1990 by the then Army chief Gen VN Sharma with Lt Gen PC Monkotia as its first Director General.

Three of the six Rashtriya Rifles battalions initially raised, were deployed in Punjab and three in Jammu and Kashmir.

Impetus was given by Gen BC Joshi under whom major expansion took place, including a Rashtriya Rifles sector being raised in the North East.

Later, all Rashtriya Rifles battalions moved to Jammu and Kashmir and since then, Rashtriya Rifles has been engaged in low-intensity conflict in that state only.

A statement by the Army said the Rashtriya Rifles had neutralised a total of 16,368 terrorists, which included 8,522 killed, 6,737 apprehended and 1,109 surrendered.

Honours and awards won by Rashtriya Rifles Force include six Ashoka Chakras, 34 Kirti Chakras, 221 Shaurya Chakras and 1508 Sena Medals.

Truckers today proceeded on a nationwide indefinite strike this morning on the call of All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) to protest against the present toll system.

Transporters went on indefinite strike after talks between the government and AIMTC delegation failed as the truckers' body said the offer of electronic-toll system by December was not practical.

However, essential commodities like milk, vegetables and medicine have been kept off the purview of the strike.

Another truckers body AITWA has said that it is not joining the strike.

AIMTC is demanding scrapping of toll system terming it a tool of harassment and one-time payment of taxes besides simplification of TDS.

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari yesterday offered electronic-toll system pan-India by December to address their concerns but made it clear that scrapping of toll system is not possible.

However, AIMTC President Bhim Wadhwa said electronic toll system offered by the Highways Minister is no solution as "E-tolling project of the government is a failed concept... even their pilot project has failed. The partnering banks viz. ICICI and Axis Bank too has distanced itself from the project."

The rupee appreciated by 9 paise to 65.49 against the dollar in early trade on sustained selling of the American currency by exporters and banks amid increased foreign fund inflows.

Forex dealers said domestic equity markets opening with gains supported the rupee, but dollar's strength against other currencies overseas capped the gains.

Yesterday, the rupee had surged to its highest level in five weeks to end at 65.58 by gaining 38 paise against the US currency as exporters and banks stepped up dollar sales amid aggressive policy measures from the RBI.

Meanwhile, the benchmark BSE Sensex rose by 266.02 points, or 1.02 per cent, to 26,420.85 in early trade.

09:50 Now, a drought tax in Maharashtra

The Maharashtra government, in a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, decided to impose a 'drought surcharge' on a host of items ranging from fuel and liquor to cigarettes and jewellery to raise Rs 1,600 crore for affected farmers.

The new taxes came into effect from Wednesday midnight.

Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said the new tax system will be in place for the next five months till February-end, after which the government will rationalize it.

Political experts dub it a new trend set by the BJP-led state government and fear it may continue in future too.

Read more HERE

09:45

Gandhi Jayanti is just another long weekend. Chill, says Bachi Karkaria in a Times of India edit piece. Read it HERE

09:12 How Samadhan Sena kept the communal pot boiling

The death of Mohammad Akhlaq in Dadri's Bisara village may have been shocking, but in villages within a 10-kilometre radius of the crime scene, it is hardly surprising.

For four months now, a little-known organisation called the Samadhan Sena has kept the communal pot boiling in villages across Dadri, drumming up issues like Muslim shops in Hindu areas, loudspeakers in mosques and cow slaughter.

The Samadhan Sena, unknown outside Dadri, was set up in June by Govind Chaudhary, a resident of Virpura village.

His house in Virpura was locked on Wednesday as was the Senas office in Jarcha village. The office was shut a few weeks ago, after Chaudhary was arrested for attacking the Jarcha village pradhans son. He was released on bail earlier this week.

Read more HERE

Reuters reports: Hurricane Joaquin has strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale, the US National Hurricane Center said.

Joaquin, the third hurricane of the 2015 Atlantic season, was about 170 miles (275 km) east of the Central Bahamas, with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph), the NHC said.

"A turn toward the northwest and north is forecast Thursday night or Friday" the Miami-based weather forecaster added.

A major hurricane is classified as a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 111 miles per hour (96 knots) or higher, corresponding to a Category 3, 4 or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, according to the NHC website.

IMF chief Christine Lagarde has said that global growth will likely be weaker this year with only a modest acceleration expected in 2016 but India remains a bright spot.

"India remains a bright spot. China is slowing down as it rebalances away from export-led growth. Countries such as Russia and Brazil are facing serious economic difficulties.

Growth in Latin American countries, in general, continues to slow sharply," Lagarde said.

"We are also seeing weaker activity in low-income countries, which will be increasingly affected by the worsening external environment. At the global level, there is still a drag on the economy because financial stability is not yet assured," said she in her address Wednesday.

She noted that despite progress in recent years, financial sector weaknesses remain in many countries, and financial risks are now elevated in emerging markets.

Referring to the release of World Economic Outlook numbers next week, she said global growth will likely be weaker this year with only a modest acceleration expected in 2016.

The online New York auctioneer Lion Heart Autographs offered the menu and two other previously unknown artifacts from Lifeboat 1.

Read more HERE

08:56 Afghan forces 'regain Kunduz control'

Afghan officials say they have regained control of key areas of the northern city of Kunduz from the Taliban.

An operation launched overnight saw forces recapture government landmarks and inflict heavy casualties on the militants, officials said.

There has been no word from the Taliban, but some pictures on social media purport to show government forces around areas of the city.

It is the first time militants captured a city since being ousted in 2001.

Kunduz police chief spokesman Sayed Sarwar Hussaini told BBC Afghan that the military had retaken the governor's office, the police chief's office and the intelligence agency building, adding that "Taliban bodies are lying around".

Read more HERE

08:52 Ban on boxer Sarita Devi ends today

The one-year ban imposed on former world champion L Sarita Devi for a tearful outburst at the Asian Games ends today.

Sarita was handed a one-year ban by the International Boxing Association for refusing to accept her bronze medal at the Asian Games after losing a controversial semifinal bout.

Sarita had cried bitterly on the podium and had even tried to hand her bronze to silver-medallist South Korean Park Ji-Na, to whom she had lost in the semis. The Indian later had to tender unconditional apologies to both the Games organising committee and AIBA for her actions.

She was nonetheless banned retrospectively from October 1, 2014 to October 1, 2015 and fined 1000 swiss francs.

"I think I have become a much better boxer now. I have been boxing for the last 15 years and I think there is still lot of space for improvement. You never stop learning. Now after this one year, I would say, I'm much more cool, a thinking boxer. Overall, both mentally and physically I'm much better than before," Sarita, currently training in Aurangabad under former Asian Games gold-medallist Dingko Singh, told PTI in an interview.

Now procuring water from New Delhi Municipal Council for ceremonies and gatherings will be costlier with the civic body revising its rates for water tankers and trolleys.

The revised rates will come in effect from today.

"The NDMC has revised the rates of water tankers and trolleys for the water supplied for ceremonies with effect from October 1. The rates have also been increased for water supplied to government departments," NDMC spokesperson Jagjivan Bakshi said.

The civic body provides potable water through tankers and trolleys for various private functions like marriages and other social functions. It also provides water free of cost on police's request for public demonstrations and rallies.

According to the revised rates, the water trolley will cost Rs 1000 and the tanker will cost Rs 700 per trip.

Filling of overhead and underground tanks with a capacity of upto 1000 litres will cost Rs 200 per trip and charges for tanks with capacity of 1000-2000 litres, 2000-3000 litres and above 3000 litres will be Rs 400, 500 and 700 respectively.

08:44 New railway time table operational today

The new Railway time table will come into effect from effect from today which will contain information about new stoppages in Duronto train service, details about train reservation, tatkal scheme and refund rules.

Known as "Train at Glance", it has user-friendly features like how to read a table, route map, station index, trains between important stations, station code index, train number index and train name index.

Information about advance reservation period, reservation through internet, Tatkal scheme, Refund rules, disaster management, rail travel concessions and catering services has been retained in the new time table.

Since there were no announcement of new trains, extension and increase in frequency of existing trains in the Railway Budget 2015-16, only six new express trains introduced recently owing to public demand find place in the new time table.

Passengers are advised to refer to the new timings and new starting terminal stations from October 1 before starting the journey, said the release.

The new Trains at a Glance will also be available Railways website (www.indianrailways.gov.in).

Nearly 6.55 lakh trucks will be off roads in Tamil Nadu today in response to the indefinite nationwide strike call given by the All India Motor transport Congress.

Tamil Nadu lorry owners Federation treasurer Chennakesavan said no lorries were plying from 0600 hours today.

Agents had already stopped booking of goods to northern states, he said, adding nearly one crore drivers and cleaners would be affected by the stir.

A Coimbatore report said about 25,000 lorries in the district would keep off the roads, affecting daily business of Rs 100 crore.

This would seriously affect transport of essential commodities, vegetables and goods and also construction materials, Coimbatore District Lorry Owners Association president, Kaliyaperumal, told reporters.

Transporters' body AIMTC, which claims to represent 93 lakh truckers and 50 lakh bus operators, had announced an indefinite nation-wide strike from October 1 against the toll collection system, saying it has become a tool for corruption and harassment.

The AIMTC has maintained that it is ready to pay a higher toll, but that should be collected as indirect tax because of harassment by different agencies.

Congress steered the US government clear of a shutdown hours before a midnight deadline, approving temporary federal spending that does not defund women's health care provider Planned Parenthood as Republicans had hoped.

The Senate and House, both controlled by Republicans, acted pragmatically to fund the government at current levels beyond today's start of the new fiscal year. The legislation heads to President Barack Obama who was expected to sign it before midnight.

The stopgap measure only runs until December 11, setting up a new potential fiscal clash just 10 weeks from now.

But it avoids a repeat of 2013, when bickering lawmakers failed to reach a deal on spending and the government skidded into a damaging 16-day shutdown.

Obama, speaking to Democratic state lawmakers at the White House, hailed yesterday's congressional action.

"It looks like the Republicans will just barely avoid shutting down the government for the second time in two years," he said.

House Republican Charlie Dent noted it would be "utterly reckless" to trigger a spending crisis over Planned Parenthood.

The US State Department has released on 6,300 additional pages of Hillary Rodham Clinton's emails, covering a period when US forces killed Osama bin Laden and the Arab Spring rocked American diplomacy.

The release is the latest in the agency's rolling production of emails chronicling Clinton's tenure as secretary of state and canvasses the major US foreign policy upheavals of 2011.

All of the messages were written by Clinton or sent by others to the private email account she used as America's top diplomat, a months-old revelation that continues to hamper her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Thirty-seven percent of Clinton's 30,000 work-related emails are now public. The State Department plans to release them all by January.

Clinton has faced increasing questions over whether her unusual email setup, which included a homebrew server at her New York home, amounted to a proper form of secrecy protection and records retention.

The emails themselves, many redacted heavily before public release, have provided no shocking disclosures thus far.

The former first lady and New York senator had maintained that nothing was classified in the correspondence, but the intelligence community has identified messages containing "top secret" information.

A Russian air strike killed 36 civilians, including five children, in the central Syrian province of Homs today, the head of Syria's main opposition group said.

"The Russians struck northern Homs today and killed 36 innocent people... who fought against extremism," said Khaled Khoja, head of the National Coalition, in an interview.

The opposition had received the names of all 36 victims, including five children from Homs, and were waiting detailed reports from elsewhere, Khoja said.

Russian warplanes carried out strikes in three Syrian provinces along with regime aircraft today, its first military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of Afghanistan in 1979.

The raids were carried out as Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks to steal US President Barack Obama's thunder by pushing a rival plan to defeat Islamic State militants in Syria.

ABC's Nightline is apologizing for confusing new network star Priyanka Chopra with another Indian actress.

The news magazine aired a feature earlier this week about Chopra, the star of ABC's new drama Quantico. A video shot supposedly showing Chopra in the Miss World pageant was included.

But the video was of Yukta Mookhey, who won the crown in 1999. Chopra was the 2000 Miss World winner.

The error was noted online by viewers, and ABC responded with an apology and posted a corrected version of the Nightline story online.

Chopra, a Bollywood star who plays an FBI recruit in Quantico, responded to the mix-up on Twitter by posting "LOL" and linking to another post that read, "Uh oh, @Nightline!"

03:22 Afghans fee another provincial capital

The test facing the Afghan government now is not just whether it can quickly mount a counterattack and retake Kunduz, the northern city that fell to the Talibanon Monday, but whether it can prevent a nearby provincial capital from falling as well.

Read this story HERE

The US and Nato have expressed concern that the first Russian air strikes in Syria have not targeted the Islamic State group, their stated aim.Russian defence officials said their aircraft had carried out about 20 missions against IS.

Read this story HERE

After an Iranian man forbade his athlete wife from travelling abroad for a sports competition, men in Iran are campaigning on Facebook for women to be freed from legal restrictions that give their husbands the power to make many of their decisions for them.

Read this fascinating story HERE

Seventeen Indian higher education institutions have featured in a list of the world's best universities topped by California Institute of Technology.

While no Indian institution was among the world's top 200 universities, the 12th edition of the annual rankings released by 'Times Higher Education' here today has the Indian Institute of Science in the un-ranked 251-300 category and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in the 351-400 category.

With 17 institution on the list, India is now at par with its BRIC counterpart Brazil.

"It is good news for India that 17 of its institutions feature in this year's list of the world's best universities, but it will have to work harder to compete with other emerging economies such as China, which has 37 institutions featured in this year's rankings, and Russia, which has fewer institutions overall but a higher proportion in the upper echelons of the table," said Phil Baty, the editor of the 'Times Higher Education' World University Rankings.

01:07 Sharif all praise for China at UNGA

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was all praise for China in his address at the UN General Assembly today, particularly appreciating the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which is being objected to by India as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

"We welcome China's vision of 'One Belt, One Road'. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, announced during President Xi Jinping's visit to Pakistan earlier this year will spur regional economic integration and bring prosperity to the entire region and beyond," Sharif said, addressing the UN General Assembly.

He described the $46 billion economic corridor as "an inspiring model" of South-South cooperation that should be emulated. Sharif also voiced appreciation for China's "proactive role" in promoting peace and prosperity in Afghanistan and the region.

Two more persons were booked for allegedly committing fraud by impersonation in the Junior Basic Training test in 2011.

On the basis of a complaint filed by Subhash Dudeja, Principal, Government Senior Secondary School, Dhauj in Faridabad, the duo were booked. Satyendra of Suleja in Jind and Sanjay of Jhajjar in Rohtak have been accused of appearing in the JBT examination impersonating as candidates and forging signatures.

On the basis of the complaint, separate cases were registered against the accused under sections 419 and 420 of IPC. Last week, six persons were booked for allegedly committing fraud by impersonation in the Junior Basic Training test in 2011.

Palestinian Authority PresidentMahmoud Abbas accused Israel of not committing to peace agreements known as the Oslo Accords and declared that Palestinians "cannot continue to be bound by these agreements.

"They leave us no choice but to insist that we will not remain the only ones committed to the implementation of these agreements, while Israel continuously violates them," Abbas said Wednesday in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly.

Read this story HERE

00:27 Top headlines of the last 24 hours

Somnath Bharti breaks down during interrogation
7 Tamil Nadu Fishermen Detained by Sri Lankan navy
Why Salman's blood test was done when he wasn't drunk? His lawyer in HC

No 'beef' consumed in Dadri murder; NSA to be invoked against killers
1995 Jammu blasts: SC awards life term to Hizbul terrorist
'Someone did the 7/11 blasts, someone else has been punished'

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