Live! Iraq officials: car bombs across Iraq kill 36, wound dozens

LIVE

Mon, 05 October 2015

Timeline Refresh

Two mild earthquakes measuring 4.8 and 4.2 on the Richter Scale today jolted Nepal, but no damage was reported.

The first tremor measuring 4.8 magnitude with epicenter located at Dolakha district, situated 120 km east of Kathmandu, was felt at 1.18 pm, according to the National Seismological Centre.

Another 4.2 magnitude tremor was felt at 1.21 pm with epicenter located at Dolakha.

A total of 399 numbers of aftershocks were recorded by the National Seismological Centre after the April 25 great earthquake that killed around 9,000 people.

Tracy Heu sat in the front row of her writing class Thursday, with her future ahead of her: She was on her way to becoming a licensed practical nurse, living a life of service and providing for her three children.

Then the classroom door opened. And her future changed.

"He just came in and shot toward the back of the wall," Heu said of the 26-year-old man who walked into the college classroom firing a single gunshot. "He told everybody to get in the center of the room."

As Heu huddled with her classmates on the ground, Sarena Moore tried to join them. She climbed out of her wheelchair, but the gunman told her to get back in it.

"She tried to climb back on the chair and then he shot her," Heu said.

A series of car bombings across Iraq today killed at least 36 people and wounded dozens as the government continued its efforts to combat extremism across the country.

The largest bombing took place in the Shiite-majority town of al-Khales in Iraq's eastern Diyala province. At least 12 people were killed in the attack and 30 were wounded when the car bomb tore through a commercial street, a police official said.

In Iraq's southern Basra province, a senior security official said a car bomb exploded in the busy commercial district of a suburb near the city killing 10 people. Jabar al-Saadi, head of security for Basra province, said the

bombing happened in the town of al-Zubair today, 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of Basra. At least 25 people were wounded in the attack.

In the capital, Baghdad, police said at least 14 people were killed and 25 wounded when a car bomb exploded in the northeastern neighborhood of Husseiniya.

Hospital officials corroborated the death tolls. The officials spoke anonymously as they are not authorized to brief the media.

23:24 Jindal gains ground in Iowa: Poll

Indian-origin US presidential aspirant Bobby Jindal has gained ground in the key battleground of Iowa, according to a new poll that put him on

the fifth spot in the state among 17 Republicans vying for the party's nomination.

Jindal, the two-time Louisiana governor, has improved his Iowa polling, rising from 4 per cent support in August to 6 per cent support in September, according to a poll released by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal.

The four presidential candidates ahead of Jindal in Iowa are Donald Trump (24 per cent), Ben Carson (19 per cent), Carly Fiorina (eight per cent) and Jeb Bush (seven per cent).

Pundits noted Sunday that the polling data appear to be the best news for 44-year-old Jindal out of the field of candidates because of his steady improvement.

Dozens of runners donned snow goggles and braved icy temperatures to participate in the world's highest marathon in the foothills of Mount Everest today, five months after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake devastated Nepal.

The annual Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon, which kicked off in 2003, is usually held in May to mark the anniversary of the first conquest of Everest by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953.

But organisers postponed this year's race to October after a massive earthquake hit the Himalayan nation in April, killing nearly 8,900 people and triggering an avalanche on Everest base camp that left 18 dead.

"We decided not to cancel the race entirely because we wanted to send a positive message about Nepal to the world and help revive our tourism industry," organiser Shikhar Pandey told AFP.

"Everest represents Nepal. We want to tell the world that Nepal is safe by successfully organising an event like this," he said.

A Cobrapost and Gulail sting operation revealed how the BJP and right-wing organizations like the VHP, RSS and their splinter groups use violence, intimidation, emotional blackmail, duplicity and drugs to split up Hindu'"Muslim married couples giving it the name of 'love jihad.'

Read the full Cobrapost report here

In a new twist in the ongoing probe into former media magnate Indrani Mukerjea's sudden hospitalisation over suspected drug overdose, a senior Maharashtra home department official today said it was also being ascertained whether she was "poisoned" inside the jail.

"Prima facie it seems unlikely that she stored the drugs for several days and then ate all of it at one go. Also, we do not see any motive for a prison official to have helped her to attempt suicide.

"If that is the case, we will not hesitate to issue suspension orders for anybody who tried to help her attempt suicide," the official, who is privy to investigation headed by IG (Prisons) into the suspected drug overdose, told PTI.

"When these logical ways of the drug reaching her seem a very distant possibility, what we are focusing now is if somebody tried to poison her. The investigating officer is recording statements of everybody who comes in contact with Indrani in the jail, including prison officials, other inmates and cooks," the official said on condition of anonymity.

Congress today demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi "break his silence" over the alleged "provocative" statements by BJP leaders in connection with the Dadri lynching, saying that not doing so would suggest that they had his "approval".

The party also condemned Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan for saying he would take up the issue with United Nations.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi maintains a deafening silence qua the inflammatory, provocative and incendiary statements aimed at rabble-rousing by Union ministers and BJP leaders.

"He should clarify and break his silence or else it will be construed that they have your approval," Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said.

Alleging that the ministers, MPs and MLAs of BJP were fanning communal fire by their well-thought-out "seditious agenda", he further claimed that they were "aided and abetted by your co-conspirators of the ilk of Samajwadi Party ministers and the Owaisi brothers".

US forces carried out air strikes on a hospital in Afghanistan's besieged Kunduz city only after Afghan forces requested for air support amid a Taliban attack, a top US and NATO commander based in Kabul said here today.

The attack on Saturday had claimed the lives of 22 people including 12 staffers of Doctors without Borders which also include doctors.

"Afghans asked for air support from a special forces team that we have on the ground providing train advice and assist in conduce. The initial statement that went out was that US forces were under direct fire contact," General John Campbell, Commander of US and NTAO forces in Afghanistan said today.

This is different from initial reports which indicated that US Forces were threatened and that the air strike was called on their behalf, Campbell said, adding that he has ordered a thorough investigation into this tragic incident and the investigation is ongoing.

Cracking whip against illegal sex determination tests being performed in the national capital, Delhi Government today announced a slew of measures including Rs one lakh cash reward to those providing information about the centres conducting such tests.

This decision was taken at the meeting of state Supervisory Board of Pre Conception and Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, chaired by Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

"Delhi government will give a reward of Rs one lakh to those who will provide correct information about illegal ultrasound machines, sex selection and sex selective abortions centres in the national capital," said a senior government official.

The male female sex ratio in the national capital has witnessed improvement over the last two years and Delhi government has decided to take effective steps to deter illegal sex determination tests, he said.

The agitating students of the FTII are not averse to the Ministry Secretary assuming the post of chairman till a transparent mechanism to select the institute's governing body is evolved, sources on the campus have said.

A suggestion to this effect came up during the first round of talks between representatives of FTII Students' Association and the I&B Ministry officials held in Mumbai last week to break the deadlock over the appointment of actor Gajendra Chauhan, a BJP member, as the institute chairman.

A random query on part of the ministry officials as to what would happen if the current governing council (headed by Chauhan who is yet to take charge) was dissolved as demanded by the students is said to have led to this suggestion by the students' delegation.

The prosecution in the 2002 hit-and-run case, in which Bollywood star Salman Khan was convicted, could not establish conclusively that he had tested positive for alcohol and the records in this regard were suspect, his lawyer today told the Bombay high court.

According to the police, Salman, driving in a drunken condition, rammed his car into a bakery in suburban Bandra on September 28, 2002, killing one person and injuring four.

"The seal and vials (of Salman's blood samples) were not preserved and this creates a doubt whether the blood samples were that of Salman or someone else's," said his lawyer Amit Desai, arguing the actor's appeal before Justice A R Joshi. It wasn't clear whether the police constable in fact delivered the samples from JJ Hospital to Bandra police station (to be passed on to the forensice lab); the prosecution also did not examine the constable who brought Salman to the hospital.

"All this puts a heavy burden on the prosecution to prove that Salman had taken drinks," said the lawyer.

19:37

Mukhtar Ahmad reports from Srinagar:

The Jammu and Kashmir government has welcomed the Supreme Court decision to suspend the order of Jammu and Kashmir high court on beef ban. State Education minister, Naeem Akhtar, who is also the state government spokesman, Monday said the order of the apex court, which has suspended the order of Jammu wing of high curt for two months, has come as 'a relief for the government'.

Last month, the Jammu wing of the state high court had ordered the state police to strictly implement the provisions of Ranbir Penal Code which ban the sale and consumption of beef in Jammu and Kashmir, sparking anguish and protests in the state.

19:22

Curfew has been imposed in four areas of Varanasi -- Kotwali, Dashashwamedh, Chowk and Luxa after violent protests over Ganesha idol immersion issue.

19:22 Ganesha immersion row: Curfew imposed in 4 areas of Varanasi after violence

Thousands of sadhus held a protest in Varanasi today against the September 22 police lathi-charge on a procession heading to immerse Lord Ganesha's idol in the Ganga.

The police action led to widespread violence. Hundreds of sadhus turned up for the Anyay Pratikaar Yatra at Town Hall ground, many people joined them to protest against the police action on September 22, reports DNA.

They shouted slogans and marched till Dashashwamedh Ghat. Around 4:30 pm, the scene turned violent as police personnel beat up the protesters mercilessly.
In retaliation, police vehicles were ablaze and stones were pelted. They even burned down a police booth at Godaulia.

The city turned into a violent zone with protesting people and cops locked in street fights, according to the report.

Photograph: ANI

Supreme Court today asked the Centre and Delhi government to positively respond to a plea seeking levy of 'pollution compensatory charges', along with toll tax, on commercial vehicles plying in the national capital, with the Chief Justice and a senior lawyer observing that they and their kin too were victims of the alarming pollution levels.

"My grandson wears mask due to pollution," Chief Justice H L Dattu said when senior advocate Harish Salve submitted that he had to take steroid for the first time a few days ago. "My wife has asthma. My daughter has asthma and I had to take steroid first time two days back," Salve said. "This is a serious issue. We will take up this matter on Thursday. We want positive response," a bench of the CJI and Justices Arun Mishra and Adarsh Kumar Goel said.

Seeking enforcement of principle of environment law that the polluter has to pay, Salve, who is the amicus curiae in a 1985 PIL filed by environmentalist M C Mehta, termed the situation as "alarming" and sought urgent intervention before it worsens further due to onset of winter.

The court, which has usually been critical of reporting of its observations during the proceedings, today said, "This is one case where newspapers should report as to what transpired in the court during the hearing."

Salve, during the hearing, referred to the report of the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority for NCR and said a large number of commercial vehicles opt Delhi and NCR roads, instead of the highways, as it is cheaper to traverse through the capital city.

18:23

Just in: Flipkart CEO gets notice from the Delhi police on deals allegedly involving stolen mobile phones. He has been asked to join probe, reports NDTV.

18:21 Hajj stampede: VK Singh heads to Saudi for helping Ind nationals

Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh is being rushed to Saudi Arabia to coordinate with the authorities there to trace the missing Indians in the Hajj stampede last month.

Singh has been asked by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to leave tonight after the Saudi government informed India that it will be interacting with individual countries regarding their nationals -- both dead or missing. The minister of state will coordinate with the local authorities and strengthen the efforts of Consul General there.

"Haj Stampede -General V K Singh, MOS External affairs is going to Saudi Arabia today to help Indian nationals," Swaraj later tweeted.

Yesterday, Swaraj had tweeted that India has lost 58 nationals in the stampede while 78 were still missing. The minister said the government was making every effort to locate its people.

According to Saudi authorities, 769 Muslim pilgrims were killed in a stampede at the annual Haj near the holy city of Mecca on September 24. As per reports, tallies of the dead from foreign officials and media put the toll at 1,036.

The stampede broke out after two massive lines of pilgrims converged on each other at an intersection close to the five-storey Jamarat Bridge in Mina for symbolic stoning of the devil.

India today sought Germany's support for lifting the ban imposed by the European Union on import of four vegetables, including brinjal and bitter gourd, from the country.

Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh raised the issue during the third inter-governmental consultations with the German delegation held in New Delhi today, an official statement said.

The 28-member European Union had in May last year banned the import of Alphonso mangoes, the king of fruits, and four vegetables from India. However, the ban on Alphonso was lifted early this year. The minister, the release said, told the German delegation to "provide necessary support for lifting the ban on these items for exports to EU".

The minister said EU has banned import of eggplant (brinjal), taro plant, bitter gourd and snake gourd from India due to interception of quarantine pests. He told the delegation that the EU ban on four vegetables continues despite an audit team of EU inspecting the export certification process and verifying the additional steps taken by India to ensure export of pest-free fruits and vegetables, the statement added.

Twitter has named co-founder Jack Dorsey as chief executive officer, betting its co-founder and former leader will be able to revive its fortunes in a second spell at the helm.

The social-media company has failed to impress investors following its 2013 initial public offering, reports The Telegraph.

Photograph: Reuters

Dorsey, 38, will also keep his job as CEO of mobile-payments company Square Inc, the payments and financial services company he co-founded in 2009, Twitter said.The pick may make it easier to restore confidence at Twitter amid management turmoil and slowing growth; Dorsey has already been involved in its operations as interim chief.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah today said the army cannot be withdrawn from the state overnight keeping in mind the current situation, however, its role can be decreased.

"Today, three jawans of army are dead. If in these circumstances you will say that there is no role of the army, then this will be huge injustice. The role of army can be decreased, but it cannot be withdrawn overnight," Omar told reporters.

Omar was referring to Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's assertion that the logistic requirement of the army to deal with internal strife had considerably reduced in view of the perceptible change for the good in the overall situation on the ground. Jawans were today killed in a fierce gunbattle with militants in a forest area in Kupwara in Kashmir Valley, while a militant was shot dead in a separate encounter in the district.

The National Conference's working president also said that Sayeed had not raised the issue during the time when he (Omar) was in power. "I was the chief minister of the state for six years, why did not Mufti sahib raise this issue in those years. When I spoke about revocation of AFSPA, remember (PDP president) Mehbooba Mufti's statement that you cannot defame the army," he added.

The latest circular issued by the cabinet secretariat is a testimony of toughening of rules in central government offices.

Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived from the US last week, he directed the cabinet secretary to issue a circular to all ministries and departments that "inter-ministerial consultations have to be completed within two weeks", reports our correspondent from Delhi.

This is aimed at curtailing delays on issues where more than one ministry and departments are involved. But what followed next has surprised bureaucrats and even ministers and is directed at those delaying decisions and "pushing files".

The circular dated on September 30, said, "The sponsoring ministry/department is required to indicate in the body of the note the date on which comments were sought from the ministries/departments consulted."

The cabinet secretariat directed ministries to provide details of when they had consulted the concerned counterparts and when exactly did they receive the replies. They should mention specific dates in this regard either in the body of the cabinet draft note or in an annexure.

Obviously, the PM is unhappy with those responsible for delaying decision making in the government either at the minister's level or at the level of the bureaucracy and wants them to tighten their belts.

A right-wing group today said it had issued a "diktat" barring entry of Muslims at garba events during the upcoming Navratri festival at Mandvi town in Gujarat's Kutch district to prevent "love jihad".

"We have issued a diktat barring the entry of Muslims at garba events in Mandvi," said president of Hindu Yuva Sangthan, Raghuvirsinh Jadeja, who is also chief of Vishwa Hindu Parishad of the Mandvi tehsil unit.

"Incidents of love jihad where Muslim boys lure and marry our Hindu girls happen at garba. Our only aim is to protect our girls," Jadeja told PTI.

"We are getting a good response from the people and if the people from other regions respond to this movement, then we will spread it to their regions as well," he said.

The organisation will ensure that any person entering the pandal has a tilak on his forehead, and 'Gaumutra'(cow-urine) will be sprayed on him, he said.

If a person does not apply tilak and hesitates to be sprayed with Gaumutra, he will not be allowed to go inside.

Six students of a leading government-aided college in Thrissur have been suspended for allegedly conducting a 'beef festival' inside the campus to protest against the lynching of a man in Uttar Pradesh over rumours of eating beef.

According to the management of Sree Kerala Varma College, the action was taken against the students, all activists of Students Federation of India, for serving beef inside the campus and violating disciplinary rules of the institution.

The activists of SFI, the students' wing of CPI-M, had allegedly distributed beef and bread to students on October 1, as a symbolic protest against the beef ban initiated in some states and the gruesome killing of 50-year-old Iqlak, who was lynched at Dadri over beef eating rumours.

College Principal, C M Latha, said non-vegetarian dishes are not served within the college even during official functions and she had warned SFI activists not to distribute beef as it was against the custom of the institution. "We are not against students' protests. But, in this case, I had warned students not to distribute beef within the campus and advised them to conduct the protest outside the college premises if they are so particular to do so,' she said.

Keeping up his tirade against the Bharatiya Janata Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad claimed that the people of Bihar will not let any outsider rule the state.

"Does anyone know Bihar better than Nitish and Lalu? We will not let the people from Gujarat destroy the state," he tweeted on Monday.

Taking potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he called him Dhritarashtra and said that the PM is afraid.

"The Dhritarashtra sitting in Hastinapur is not just blind but deaf and dumb too. BJP leaders are free to create anarchy in the society. This Dhritrashtra is afraid. He only shouts but when it is needed, he takes a vow of silence," he tweeted.

The Mumbai police today informed the Bombay High Court that no evidence has been found disclosing violation of the Black Magic Act by self-styled godwoman Radhe Maa.

"After recording of statements of the complainants, witnesses and the suspect and searches conducted at the house of Sukhwinder Kaur alias Radhe Maa, it does not disclose evidence of violation of provisions of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act," the police said today.

The police had filed an affidavit before a division bench of justices V M Kanade and Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi in reply to a PIL by advocate Falguni Brahmbhatt seeking FIR against Radhe Maa alleging obscenity, and police inaction on her complaint.

The police in its affidavit said that pursuant to the complaint received by Brahmbhatt, her statement was recorded and also that of Radhe Maa, who claimed she was implicated.

"FIR has been lodged on a complaint received from Dolly Bindra. Brahmbhatt will be a witness in the case. Searches were also conducted at Nandanvan Bhawan (where Radhe Maa lives) but nothing incriminating was found," it said.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2015 has been announced.

The prize was divided, one half jointly to William C Campbell and Satoshi Omura "for thier discoveries concerning a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworm parasites" and the other half to Youyou Tu "for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria".

An official statement said: 'This year's Nobel Laureates have developed therapies that have revolutionized the treatment of some of the most devastating parasitic diseases.'

'William C Campbell and Satoshi Omura discovered a new drug, Avermectin, the derivatives of which have radically lowered the incidence of River Blindness and Lymphatic Filariasis, as well as showing efficacy against an expanding number of other parasitic diseases.'

'Youyou Tu discovered Artemisinin, a drug that has significantly reduced the mortality rates for patients suffering from Malaria. These two discoveries have provided humankind with powerful new means to combat these debilitating diseases that affect hundreds of millions of people annually. The consequences in terms of improved human health and reduced suffering are immeasurable.'

The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Monday withdrews its clarification application on India Cements boss N Srinivasan attending the cricket body's meetings after the Supreme Court declined to entertain it.

Dismissing the application, the Apex court reportedly said: "Won't allow N Srinivasan to take part in any working committee meeting of BCCI. Order passed by us was very clear, there was no doubt in it, don't come to us every time for clarification."

Fugitive Bangladesh cricketer Shahadat Hossain was remanded in jail today, shortly after he surrendered to a court over allegations of beating his 11-year-old maid, his lawyer said.

Hossain, who has played 38 Tests for Bangladesh, went into hiding more than three weeks ago after police sought his arrest for allegedly abusing the girl he employed illegally in his home.

The 29-year-old cricketer, who has also played 51 one-day internationals for Bangladesh, was suspended from all forms of the game on September 13 over the allegations.

"Shahadat surrendered to the court today. We will now take action in accordance to the directives of the court," Inspector Shafiqur Rahman, who was investigating the case against the paceman and his wife, told AFP.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also thanked Chancellor Merkel for returning the 10th century statue of Durga in her Mahishasur Mardini avatar.

According to the PMO, the statue, from Jammu and Kashmir, is a symbol of victory of good over evil.

Following their bilateral summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is giving a joint statement with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Highlights of Prime Minister Modi's statement:

* Chancellor Merkel your leadership is a source of confidence and reassurance at a difficult moment for Europe and the world: Modi

* Model of inter-governmental consultations is unique and the strength of the German delegation represents the seriousness of India-Germany relations: Modi

* We see Germany as a natural partner in achieving India's economic transformation. German strengths & India's priorities are aligned: Modi

* To combat temperature we must also change our temperament: Modi

* I place great value on Germanys assistance of over 1 billion Euros each for India's Green Energy Corridor & for solar projects: Modi

* As we discussed in the G4 Summit, Chancellor & I are committed to pursue reforms of UN, especially the Security Council: Modi

* I welcome Germanys strong support for Indias membership of the international export control regimes: Modi

* 1600 German companies in India and growing will create the next workforce: Modi

* I believe in a world of seamless challenge and opportunities, India and Germany can be strong partner in a sustainable world: Modi

* On behalf of the people of India, I warmly congratulate Germany on the 25th anniversary of German reunification: Modi

Highlights of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's statement:

We made the best possible use of time, we have been able to sign so many agreements: Merkel

We are concerned over security situation in Afghanistan: Merkel

We are greatly enhancing cooperation in science technology and vocational fields: Merkel

India and Germany are both working for peaceful, diplomatic solutions to the world's problems: Merkel

Sustainable development can only be ensured when you are not neglecting your rural areas: Merkel

Energy cooperation is very much in the foreground, particularly in rural areas: Merkel

German-Indian economic relations are dynamic: Merkel

India and Germany are working towards peacefully resolving international conflicts: Merkel.

We will work together in combating terrorism, defence, arms cooperation, on a broad foundation: Merkel

More than 500 German companies already in India and we plan to bring in more: Merkel

New Delhi's political circles are agog with speculation about a two-hour meeting between BJP chief Amit Shah and Captain Amarinder Singh at a former Union minister's residence in South Delhi.

The meeting happened in the middle of August, before Captain left for London, claim sources.

The Congress party is just not bothered about the threat from Captain Amarinder Singh, commented Pratap Singh Bajwa, the present Punjab state unit chief.

Captain Amarinder Singh is all set to launch a state party by December, after he returns from London.

He has deliberated with his close friends about the prospects for a new political outfit in Punjab, and many have welcomed his initiative.

If Captain Amarinder Singh floats something like a Capt Amarinder Singh Congress, it will be a clear snub to Rahul Gandhi.

Once that happens the Congress will be unable to return to power in Punjab and the state will join the long list of places where a Congress revival is impossible -- like in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh etc.

14:19 Jayant Sinha to be in on meetings with Merkel

With Finance Minister Arun Jaitley away in USA for World Bank meetings and Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Turkey, the PMO has picked MoS for finance Jayant Sinha for all the discussions with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Sinha will thus be present along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the crucial deliberations with the German chancellor.

This is how Modi empowers junior ministers, something missing during UPA rule, commented a senior BJP leader at this development.

Samajwadi Party leader and Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan writes to UN Gen Secretary Ban Ki-moon, explaining the condition of Muslims in India and seeking his intervention.

Talking to media persons, Khan said: "We are not against India, but we are officially appealing to the UN gen secy to give us time."

"We have demanded that weak Muslims are being exploited and the language being used is not heard even in savage society."

"When the law is not being followed in our own country, then what will others give us."

"Why only beef? Why not ban goats and chicken? Don't they also feel pain?"

"The government has a responsibility to ensure that justice is done."

"If my complicity is proved in Muzaffarnagar riots then give me capital punishment."

"Money is a small compensation for the life lost."

"If the PM does not like the help given by UP government, then he can telephone us. We will ask for alms, collect money for the victim."

Government collected Rs 4,147 crore during the 90-day black money disclosure compliance window, which is higher than the previously announced amount of Rs 3,770 crore, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said today.

Adhia said while the total number of disclosures is 638 as stated last week, the total illegal foreign assets brought to book stands at Rs 4,147 crore.

The government's total tax receipt from the black money declared during the window will be Rs 2,488.20 crore.

The government had on October 1 declared that a total of Rs 3,770 crore of black money was declared during the compliance window. This, he said, was based on preliminary count of the declarations made.

After taking into account the declarations that came in envelops, the total number comes to Rs 4,147 crore, he said, adding the envelops had been counted but the declarations in them were not reflected in the October 1 figure.

The one-time 90-day compliance window provided to holders of undeclared foreign assets ended September 30. It provided an opportunity to foreign assets holders to declared assets, pay a total of 60 per cent tax and penalty and escape stringent provisions of the new black money law.

The Supreme Court has suspended the Jammu and Kashmir high court order banning beef sale in the state, for 2 months.

The Apex court was hearing a plea by the Jammu and Kashmir government against two 'conflicting' orders of the state high court pertaining to animal slaughter and enforcement of a ban on sale of beef in the state.

While the Jammu bench of the high court had ordered banning the sale of beef in the state, the Srinagar bench entertained a PIL against the ban and sought explanations from the state.

Appearing for the state, senior advocate Amarendra Sharan mentioned the matter before Chief Justice H L Dattu and sought an urgent hearing.

The governments petition said the two conflicting orders have grave ramifications for the law and order situation in J&K, as the orders are being misused and interpreted to disturb peace.

Indrani Mukerjea, prime accused in the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora, is conscious and may be shifted back to jail in couple of days.

Mukerjea regained consciousness yesterday and was "out of danger" as she responded to the treatment.

"Indrani continues to be in a state of consciousness from yesterday. Most probably we may start giving her oral strips for further round of treatment," Dr T P Lahane, Dean of state run J J Hospital, told PTI today.

48-year-old Mukerjea was on Friday rushed to JJ hospital from Byculla jail in an unconscious condition after she allegedly took an overdose of anti-depressant pills.

To a query whether police may quiz Indrani today, Lahane said till now doctors treating her have not permitted her questioning.

She may also be shifted back to jail by tomorrow or Wednesday evening, sources added.

Catholic groups agree to allow 'Agnes of God' performance in Mumbai after talks with Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Earlier, Kaizaad Kotwal's adaptation of John Pielmeier's 'Agnes of God' -- about a nun who gives birth to a child -- had drawn calls for a ban from the Catholic Secular Forum and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India.

The CSF claimed that the play is a "misrepresentation of the religious belief of the Christian community", and the CBCI had written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh against "the wrongful portrayal of the character of lakhs of our clergy, who are committed to a life of celibacy".

But Kotwal refused to step back.

"Once the premiere (at NCPA in Mumbai) is over, I will seek out venues that will allow us to stage the play. The idea isn't to stick a thumb in the nose but make sure our voice isn't stifled. India is a democracy, and until the time it remains so, we will not give in," he said.

The District Magistrate of Dadri on Monday ordered an FIR against 'Hindu Rakshak Dal' for violating Section 144 that is presently imposed in the district.

Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code empowers a magistrate to prohibit an assembly of more than ten people in an area.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had earlier directed the state administration to take stern action against those disturbing communal harmony and inciting hatred by circulating baseless content on the social media especially Facebook, Whatsapp and Twitter.

The state administration has issued a whatsapp number '9454401002' on which the complaint can be made.

The administration has asked the people to lodge the complaint on this number if they come across any such cases on social networking websites and applications. The identity of the informer would be kept secret.

he Jammu and Kashmir assembly on Monday witnessed uproar with leaders of the National Conference and the Congress strongly protesting over issues like the beef ban and the rehabilitation of flood victims.

As soon as the house assembled, National Conference and Congress members started their protest, displaying banners in the well of the House against alleged "politics over flood relief" and tax on Vaishnodevi pilgrims.

The National Conference members raised slogans against the beef ban and what they termed as "interference in religious matters".

The lawmakers raised slogans against the BJP-PDP coalition government and accused it of exploiting the flood victims.

A few of them were stopped by marshals as they charged towards the treasury benches. The National Conference and Congress members were joined by independent MLAs Shiekh Abdul Rashid and Hakim Mohammad Yasin.

"I had a question on 35-A, it was rejected saying it was sub-judice. Just like on beef ban. This speaker is biased, look at his statements. He is preventing functioning of the House, not us," NC leader Omar Abullah said.

"To save his government, CM is disempowering legislature. Speaker doesnt allow the opposition to do its work," he added.

That which is happening in the plantations in Munnar for the past few weeks should make politicians and trade union leaders sit up and think.

Hitherto, workers were at the mercy of trade unions to redress their grievances with the management. Slowly, they realised that the trade union leaders were actually conniving with the management to deny them their rightful entitlements and were pocketing money and other benefits from the management.

Pushed to the wall, the female workers of the plantations have now taken the plunge to lead the agitation by themselves, keeping union leaders and politicians at bay.

Read more HERE

AAP MLA Somnath Bharti's wife Lipika has turned down his offer of mediation.

The Apex court had on Thursday issued her notice to appear in the court today and present her version on Bharti's proposal to settle all the disputes "through mediation for the sake of their children".

The court also denied the AAP leader bail and asked him to approach the trial court for the same. It directed the trial judge to consider any bail application moved by Somnath Bharti within a day & dispose it expeditiously

Stock market benchmark BSE Sensex surged by over 400 points and the NSE Nifty regained the 8,000 mark in early trade today, extending rally for the fourth day on positive cues from other Asian markets.

Inflows from foreign investors and across-the-board buying by the investors also helped the market sentiments.

The 30-share barometer Sensex was up 413 points (at 10:30am) to trade at 26,639.86 in early trade with all the sectoral indices led by auto, capital goods and banking were trading in positive terrain.

The Sensex had gained 604.11 points in the previous three sessions. Stock exchanges were closed on Friday on account of 'Gandhi Jayanti'.

Tata Motors, HDFC Ltd, TCS, ICICI Bank, NTPC, L&T, Axis Bank, Wipro, Tata Steel, HDFC Bank, Hero MotoCorp and M&M were major gainers that supported the rally in the indices.

The NSE Nifty too regained the crucial 8,000-mark by climbing 93.35 points or 1.17 per cent to trade at 8,044.25. Brokers said continued buying by foreign funds and retail investors, tracking a firming trend in other Asian markets -- after US jobs data fuelled speculation that the Federal Reserve will not raise key interest rates any time soon -- buoyed trading sentiments here.

The murder of a Muslim man rumoured to have slaughtered a cow has thrown a spotlight on the hardline, polarising agenda of some followers of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, undermining his promise of development for all.

On a tour of Silicon Valley last month where he was feted by US tech gurus and Indian emigres, Modi won a pledge from Microsoft to provide low-cost Internet for 500,000 villages to back his vision of a globally networked "Digital India".

One such village is Bisara, 50 km (30 miles) from the capital New Delhi, where a crowd of assailants broke into Mohammed Akhlaq's home last Monday night, beat him to death and dragged his body out into the street.

Eating beef is a taboo for many Hindus, who make up 80 percent of India's population of 1.25 billion people, but not for the country's 175 million Muslims.

Read more HERE

10:12 3 army jawans killed in encounter in Kupwara

Mukhtar Ahmad reports: Three army jawans have been killed in an ongoing anti-terror encounter in Hafruda forest area in North Kashmir's Kupwara district.

The anti-terror op began late Sunday night.

More details are awaited.

Seven of the 10 youths named in the FIR into the mob attack on Mohammad Akhlaq's house in Bisara village, leaving him dead and his son Danish seriously injured, belong to the family of district BJP worker Sanjay Rana.

That includes his son Vishal. All residents of Bisara village in Gautam Budh Nagar district, the 10, who are between the ages of 18 and 24, have no criminal background.

A Home Guard constable detained in connection with the lynching, Vinay, is also related to Sanjay Rana.

On Sunday, Vishal and Shivam, who were named by Akhkaq's wife in the FIR, were remanded to judicial custody. Bisara village pradhan Sanjeev Rana said the 10, all from the "Thakur community", lived near each other.

Read more HERE

Rising for the fifth day in a row, the rupee appreciated by 27 paise to trade at 65.24 against the US dollar in early trade today at the Interbank Foreign Exchange on increased selling of American currency by exporters.

A fall in dollar against major world currencies globally, after a weak US jobs data fuelled speculation that the world's largest economy is not ready for an interest rate hike any time soon, also helped the rupee gain strength, dealers said.

Besides, increased selling of dollar by exporters and banks and a higher opening in the domestic equity market supported the rupee, they added.

The rupee had advanced 7 paise to end at 65.51 against dollar on Thursday on selling of dollar by banks and exporters on hopes of more foreign capital inflows into equity market.

Lt Gen (retd) Zameer Uddin Shah, vice-chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, said Muslims lagged behind in the development race because they kept their women enslaved.

"You have not utilised half of your population. Women remained enslaved. They remained inside home. Muslims have no one else to blame. You enslaved women and the result is you are enslaved," Shah said during a felicitation function of AMU Old Boys at Lucknow on Sunday.

"I stayed in Saudi Arabia, the situation remains the same. Women are confined. Except Turkey and Iran, women remained enslaved in all Muslim world. That is the reason they are backward," he added.

Read more HERE

A terrorist has been neutralised in an ongoing encounter with security forces during a joint search operation launched in north Kashmir's Kupwara district.

28 Rashtriya Rifles, 18 RR and the Special Operations Group in Kupwara are combing the area to smoke out the remaining hiding terrorists.

09:05 Business first as Merkel meets Modi today

Angela Merkel, who arrived in New Delhi on Sunday night accompanied by a delegation of several cabinet ministers and top officials, will hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.

The talks between Modi and Merkel are likely to focus on deepening bilateral engagement in defence, security, education, renewable energy, high technology, skill development, science and technology, railways, water and waste management, urban development and agriculture.

Merkel's visit comes around six months after the prime minister's tour of Germany and there have been expectations of 'path-breaking results' from the summit-level Inter-Governmental Consultations between the two leaders, who have been pushing for taking the ties to higher trajectory.

Both the leaders are expected to delve deep on removing bottlenecks for expanding bilateral trade and investments.

A shocking video has surfaced in which Congress workers in Andhra Pradesh's Kovvuru town have done something that should perhaps put humanity to shame.

In order to impress the state Congress Committee president N Raghuveera Reddy, party activists tied live pigeons to firecracker rockets and set them alight.

The rockets went up and the pigeons fell dead, roasted in the intense heat of the cracker fire high above.

In the video, the pigeons were seen being stuffed into paper cones and sealed tight. The intention was to see the cracker burst high in the sky and the pigeons fly free. But the intense heat produced by the cracker burst killed the birds and they fell to the ground.

Watch the video HERE

A week of Nobel prize announcements kicks off Monday with the medicine prize, while the most closely-watched award, the Nobel Peace Prize, is seen possibly honouring work to help refugees to a better life.

Sweden's newspaper of reference, Dagens Nyheter, said Sunday it believed the prize committees would this year be looking to even out the gender gap among laureates, the vast majority of whom have been men over the years.

"This year the Nobel committees in the science disciplines are headed by women. There are also an unusual number of women's names circulating in the speculation," DN wrote.

08:42 Can Pakistan and India ever live in harmony?

Within hours of winning the May 2013 elections, Nawaz Sharif made a point of meeting with Indian journalists who had been covering the campaign. He told them that, as he looked ahead to his third term in power, improving relations with Delhi was one of his top priorities.

A year later, when Narendra Modi stormed to victory in India, he seemed to have similar ideas and immediately invited Nawaz Sharif to Delhi. It was the first time a Pakistani leader had attended an Indian prime minister's inauguration ceremony.

But a year and a half later the two countries' officials can't even agree to meet, never mind move towards a settlement.

Meanwhile the Pakistani and Indian armies are exchanging fire across the line of control in the disputed territory of Kashmir. The optimism has gone.

Read more HERE

Times of India reports: Wary of the threat posed by Islamic State in the sub-continent, intelligence experts are attending back to back meetings in different countries to discuss strategy to deal with the menace.

National Investigation Agency Director General Sharad Kumar recently represented India at a special meet in Holland where issues related to Islamic State's influence here, sharing of intelligence on youngsters joining or planning to join the outfit, de-radicalizing them, preventive measures, role of civil society and NGOs in educating against terrorism and need for a stricter law were discussed.

Sources say that most of the 240 delegates from about 70 countries, affected by the threat of Islamic State, who met in Holland on September 23-24, favoured having a strict law to deter youngsters and curb IS' ability to reach out to them on the internet.

Read more HERE

Meanwhile, back in India, Kaizaad Kotwal's adaptation of John Pielmeier's 'Agnes of God' -- about a nun who gives birth to a child -- which has drawn calls for a ban from the Catholic Secular Forum and the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, will premiere today at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Mumbai.

CSF claims the play is a "misrepresentation of the religious belief of the Christian community", and the CBCI has written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh against "the wrongful portrayal of the character of lakhs of our clergy, who are committed to a life of celibacy".

But Kotwal says he is not stepping back.

"Once the premiere is over, I will seek out venues that will allow us to stage the play. The idea isn't to stick a thumb in the nose but make sure our voice isn't stifled. India is a democracy, and until the time it remains so, we will not give in," he said.

Read more HERE

08:34 ISIS destroys 2,000-year-old arch in Palmyra

Syrian activists say Islamic State militants have destroyed a nearly 2,000-year-old arch in the ancient city of Palmyra, the latest victim in the group's campaign to destroy historic sites across the territory it controls in Iraq and Syria.

The Arch of Triumph was one of the most recognisable sites in Palmyra, which the IS group seized in May. The monumental arch sat atop the famed colonnaded streets of the ancient city, which linked the Roman Empire to Persia.

An opposition activist who uses the name Khaled al-Homsi posted on Twitter late yesterday that the militants destroyed the arch.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the group blew up the arch but left the colonnades in place.

At least 131 people were killed in mudslides that smashed into a village outside Guatemala City, officials said, three days after the disaster struck the Central American nation.

"Unfortunately, a new count shows that there are 131 confirmed dead and recovered," and still about 300 people missing and unaccounted for, said volunteer fire brigade spokesman Julio Sanchez.

He told reporters yesterday that several young children, including newborn babies, were among the dead in Santa Catarina Pinula.

On Thursday night, following heavy rain, waterlogged earth and debris tore through the village of El Cambray II, in the municipality of Santa Catarina Pinula, destroying or damaging 125 homes.

Relatives of the missing checked in at a makeshift morgue set up next to the buried homes.

Municipal authorities had urged the community, about 15 kilometres east of the capital Guatemala City, to relocate several times, most recently in November of last year.

Israel barred Palestinians from Jerusalem's Old City as violence spread after two Israelis were stabbed to death, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of "a fight to the death against Palestinian terror".

Netanyahu convened his top security officials immediately after landing back in Israel yesterday from delivering a speech to the UN General Assembly.

"These steps include, among others, speeded up demolition of terrorists' homes," he said in a video address in Hebrew distributed by his office.

The Old City restrictions announced Sunday by police will be in place for two days, with only Israelis, tourists, residents of the area, business owners and students allowed.

Worship at the sensitive Al-Aqsa mosque compound, which is sacred to both Jews and Muslims, will be limited to men aged 50 and above. There will be no age restrictions on women.

Israeli security forces were already on alert after recent clashes at the compound and surrounding Old City, as well as the murder in the West Bank of a Jewish settler couple in front of their young children on Thursday.

Threatening to stoke the flames higher still, Israeli troops shot dead an 18-year-old Palestinian man during clashes in Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian police and medics said.

US Defence Secretary Ash Carter is promising a full and transparent investigation into whether a US aircraft providing air support for American and Afghan special operations forces in Afghanistan was responsible for the explosions that destroyed a hospital and killed 22 people.

Carter tells reporters traveling with him in Spain that the situation is "confused and complicated" right now.

US officials say American special operations forces advising Afghan commandos in the vicinity of the hospital requested the air support when they came under fire in the northern city of Kunduz.

The officials say the C-130 gunship responded and fired on the area, but it's not certain yet whether that was what destroyed the hospital.

08:31

Good Morning...

Timeline Refresh

TOP STORIES