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Fri, 09 October 2015
1 dead after shooting near campus of Texas Southern University

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23:46   Water may be found on other planets too, says NASA scientist
With a recent NASA study confirming presence of water on Mars, Indian-origin scientist working with the US space agency Amitabh Ghosh today said that a few other planets in our solar system too may have water,
increasing the possibility of finding life there.

Ghosh, who leads 'Science Operations Working Group, Mission Operations, NASA Mars Exploration Rover Mission', said, "Our satellites have sent signals of (suggesting) availability of water at few other planets including Pluto, Saturn and Jupiter which enhances the chances of (finding) life in those places."

However, mere presence of water doesn't guarantee that there would be living organisms, he added.

An alumnus of IIT-Kharagpur, Ghosh was associated with Pathfinder mission in 1997 at the age of 27 and is now leading the project 'Opportunity' on tactical rover operations including rover driving and science experiments. 
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23:36   1 dead after shooting near campus of Texas Southern University
One person has died following a shooting near the campus of Texas Southern University, police confirm.

The shooting happened at the Courtyard Apartments on Blodgett at Canfield around 11:30 a.m.

One person was taken to the hospital in critical condition, and the other person was listed in stable condition.

Police say there was another shooting at the same complex Thursday night.  That shooter remains on the loose and it is not known if the incidents are related.

Read more HERE.

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23:13   Pentagon to provide weapons to select groups in Syria
In a change of its policy in Syria, the US today said it is abandoning the training of moderate rebels and instead focusing on providing equipment packages and weapons to a select group of vetted leaders to fight the Islamic State group.

"(Defence Secretary Ashton) Carter is now directing the Department of Defence to provide equipment packages and weapons to a select group of vetted leaders and their units so that over time they can make a concerted push into territory still controlled by ISIL," the Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said.

Pentagon received authorisation from the Congress last year to train and equip moderate opposition forces in Syria as one of several lines of effort to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which also goes by its other acronym ISIS.

The change, specified today, reflects the failure of USD 500 million project which has produced only a handful of combat ready rebels.

Cook acknowledged that from the program's inception, Pentagon has reviewed its progress, acknowledged challenges, and worked to determine how it can improve the efforts in support of partners on the ground.
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22:32   US to abandon training new Syria rebel groups
The US is to end its efforts to train new Syrian rebel forces and says it will shift to providing equipment and weapons to existing forces.

Its $500m programme was heavily criticised after it emerged that US-trained rebels had handed vehicles and ammunition over to extremists.It emerged last month that only four or five of the fighters were in Syria.

Read this story HERE
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21:17   Indian-origin Daljit Nagra named BBC's first Poet in Residence
Daljit Nagra has been appointed the first Poet in Residence by the BBC, a role through which the Indian-origin poet will curate a weekly programme for the corporation to tell a new story about the 20th century poetry. 

Nagra, the son of Sikh immigrants from India who came to Britain in the late 1950s, curate the weekly programme on BBC Radio 4 Extra. His role will last for two years.

The 49-year-old will also be appearing on various Radio 4 broadcast and social media platforms over the year while writing original work to commission.

"It's an honour and a privilege to be given such a valuable platform as Poet in Residence at Radio 4. This position will, I am sure, inspire me to write new poetry that speaks of our complicated age," Nagra said.

"What excites me most is the chance to give exposure to my beloved art form of poetry; I will take part in discussions about the latest issues concerning poetry but most of all I am thrilled to be given the role of curator for the 90-year-old poetry archive at the BBC."
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21:13   Conspiracy against me, will reveal it tommorrow: Sacked AAP minister
Hours after he was sacked from the Delhi cabinet over corruption charges, a "surprised and shocked" AAP MLA Asim Ahmed Khan today said there was a "big conspiracy" against him which prompted the government's move.

Without elaborating further, Khan promised to "expose the conspiracy" tomorrow. Claiming innocent, Khan, who held the Food and Supplies portfolio, said that the purported audio clip featuring his conversation with a builder may have been around "issues of business".

"There is a big conspiracy against me by the Opposition. I am businessman and the conversation, which I have not heard yet, may have been on issues of trade," he told reporters.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today summarily sacked Khan for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 6 lakh from a builder and recommended a CBI probe into the case.
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20:27   SP calls Mayawati 'jobless'
Ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh today called BSP chief Mayawati 'nithalli' (one who has nothing to do) in response to her attack on the state government over Dadri attack.

The former UP chief minister had slammed the UP government for not taking action against local BJP leaders for their alleged role in the killing of a 52-year-old man in Dadri area of west UP over rumours the he stored and consumed beef.

"Mayawati has nothing to do. She is sitting like 'nithalli' (one who has nothing to do). She comes here (in Lucknow) to issue statements. "Her allegations against SP are laughable as she herself became chief minister of the state twice with the help of BJP," senior SP leader Shivpal Yadav told reporters.

"Mayawati had also gone to Gujarat for campaigning in favour of Narendra Modi. BJP is a facist party and if BSP and BJP tried to vitiate communal atmosphere of the state, they would be dealt strictly," he said.
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20:24  
JUST IN: The BARC's Shekar Basu has appointed as secretary, Department of Atomic Energy and chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission.

He will be replacing Dr R K Sinha.
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20:06   Mumbai filmmaker gets 5 yrs in jail for chemical attack on ex-girlfriend
The sessions court in Mumbai today convicted a city-based film professional for flinging chemical at his former girlfriend and sentenced him to five years' imprisonment.

"The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on Jerrit John, which will be paid to the victim," said Public Prosecutor Kalpana Chavan. John owned a production house named `No Nonsense' and had produced-directed television serials. He was arrested on November 12 (and is in jail ever since) after hurling chemical at Aryanka Hosbetkar, 26, an international cyclist, at her house in Adarsh Colony in Worli area.

The special women's court judge Vrushali Joshi convicted John under sections 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 452 (house-trespass for hurt, assault, etc.,) and 342 (wrongful confinement) of Indian Penal Code. However, he was acquitted of the charge of attempt to murder.
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19:42   No law to take blood test in accident cases: Salman's lawyer
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan'slawyer today argued in the Bombay High Court that in accident cases, there is no legal provision to draw blood from the accused to detect the presence of alcohol unless there is evidence to show that it was required for the purpose.

The argument was advanced by Amit Desai, who represents the actor in his appeal against a five-year jail sentence awarded on May 6 by a sessions court for ramming his car into a shop in suburban Bandra, killing one person and injuring four, who were sleeping outside on pavement on September 28, 2002.

The trial court had also held that the actor was under the influence of liquor when the mishap occurred. Salman has challenged his conviction in the high court, which granted him bail and is currently hearing his appeal.
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19:38   Lalu's beef remark deliberate: Ravi Shankar Prasad
Refusing to accept Lalu Prasad's denial on the beef remark, Union Communications and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today said the RJD supremo had indeed made the controversial remark deliberately to cater to votebank politics.

"Prasad had indeed made the remark that Hindus too eat beef and the same has been corroborated by the video footage available to all, including media... The RJD supremo stands exposed on the issue," Prasad told reporters.

Claiming that the RJD chief stood "thoroughly exposed", he played an audio tape to the mediapersons in which the RJD chief was heard purportedly saying that a 'shaitan' (devil) had come in his mouth and made him say that Hindus too eat beef. "He (Lalu Prasad) made the beef remark deliberately and consciously to address his votebank politics in a shameful and despicable manner," the senior BJP leader said.
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19:33   Sharif made $60 mn through sugar trade with India in 90s:Imran
Pakistan Opposition leader Imran Khan has accused Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of making $60 million through sugar trade with India in 1990s, a charge rejected by the Premier who said that he will drag the former cricketer to court.

 Attacking the prime minister, the Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf chief at a press conference here yesterday said, "The Sharif family is expanding its businesses in China and India on behalf of the Pakistan government, which is unfortunate."

He claimed that the Prime Minister's son Hussain Nawaz was meeting with Indian businessmen to expand his family's business, "thus the Sharif family is weakening Pakistan." The PTI leader alleged that Sharif had earned $60 million through sugar trade with India in 1990s.
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18:41   NDFB-S militant nabbed in Guwahati
A National Democratic Front of Bodoland-Songbijit militant involved in the December 2014 carnage of Adivasis was apprehended by a joint army and police team in Bongaigaon district of Assam today, a defence spokesman

 Based on specific intelligence, the army and the Assam police launched an operation in the district and nabbed the extremist identified as Hirimbo Narzary, a resident of Mainaguri in Kokrajhar district, the spokesman said. 

A 7.65 mm pistol along with some ammunition was recovered from the ultra trained for subversive activities in 2010, he added.
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17:58   HC allows transfer of Baig to Arthur Road Jail from Nagpur
The Bombay high court allowed the transfer of Himayat Baig, the lone convict in the 2010 Pune German Bakery blast case, from Nagpur Central Prison to Arthur Road Jail here pending disposal of the appeal filed by him challenging his death penalty. Baig is at present lodged in Nagpur jail and the caseproceedings are going on through video conferencing. Baig had filed an application seeking his transfer to a prison in Mumbai as he wanted to attend the high court proceedings and interact with his lawyers.
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17:46   Life on Mars: NASA unveils ambitious plan for human colony
Humans will be living and working on Mars in colonies entirely independent of Earth by the 2030s, NASA has said. The US space organisation released its plan for establishing permanent settlements on the red planet, setting out in detail plans to create 'deep-space habitation facilities' which will act as stepping stones to Mars. In a new report entitled 'Journey to Mars' NASA said the mission was 'historic pioneering endeavour' similar to the early settlers in America and Moon landing. 

In the coming decades the space agency will continue to gather information from experiments aboard the International Space Station, so that crews can live in deep space without health problems from radiation and the effects of micro-gravity.
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17:36   Women are universe's biggest mystery, reveals Stephen Hawking
He has grappled with some of the biggest questions about the universe but Professor Stephen Hawking has revealed one mystery still baffles him - women.Making the comments during a Reddit Ask Me Anything session, the eminent physicist said the opposite sex is 'life's most intriguing mystery,' but admitted it is a mystery that should remain unsolved. 

Although the questions were posted back in July, the scientist has only just responded, discussing topics as diverse as artificial intelligence to his favourite song.

Read more HERE
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17:03   Shashi Deshpande resigns from Sahitya Akademi panel in protest
Award-winning author Shashi Deshpande today resigned from the Sahitya Akademi General Council expressing "a sense of strong disappointment" over the literary body's silence on the killing of Kannada writer M M Kalburgi. 

In her letter to Akademi chairperson Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari, the 77-year-old author said, "I do this with regret, and with the hope that the Akademi will go beyond organising programmes, and giving prizes, to being involved with crucial issues that affect Indian writers' freedom to speak and write". 

Deshpande, author of several novels, short stories and essay collections and books for children, won the Sahitya Akademi award for her novel That Long Silence in 1990. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2009. Her action comes in the wake of a parade of litterateurs renouncing their coveted prizes.
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16:51   1 dead, 3 injured as gunman opens fire at US university
One person is dead and three others are wounded following an early morning shooting at Northern Arizona University. School public relations director Cindy Brown says the suspected shooter is in custody. The shooting occurred in a parking lot outside Mountain View Hall dormitory at the northeast side of the Flagstgaff campus.
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16:33   Music composer Ravindra Jain passes away
Veteran music director Ravindra Jain passed away on Friday, ANI reported. He was 71.

Jain had been admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai following ill-health.

The music composer had been suffering from a urinary infection causing a problem in his kidney, sources said.

Jain was shifted from Wockhardt Hospital in Nagpur on Thursday to Mumbai by a chartered air ambulance for treatment at Lilavati Hospital in Bandra. 

He was in Nagpur for a concert on Sunday, but could not participate because of his health and was subsequently airlifted to Mumbai on Thursday.

His family members, including wife Divya and brother Manindra, were by his side.
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16:30   Kejriwal government sacks minister Asim Khan on live TV
In an unprecedented move, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal sacks Food and Civil Supply Minister Asim Khan over corruption charges. During a presser, the Delhi CM said, "There is a complain of corruption against a minister in Delhi government. We won't tolerate corruption no matter who is involved." He added that the government would refer this complaint to the CBI. 

Image: Delhi minister Asim Khan 
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16:28   IIT graduate accused of stealing $65 million and fleeing the US
Former venture capitalist Iftikar Ahmed is believed to be hiding in India after stealing $65 million (or Rs 420 crore) from the US firm where he was employed for many years, according to a report in Wall Street Journal.

The IIT-Delhi and Harvard Business School-educated Mr Ahmed fled from the US some time before May 2015 in violation of a judge's order in the criminal insider trading case, according to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

43-year-old Mr Ahmed, a former general partner at Oak Investment Partners, has been accused of insider trading and of cheating his clients out of tens of millions of dollars.

Read more HERE
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15:33   IIT graduate accused of stealing $65 million and fleeing the US
Former venture capitalist Iftikar Ahmed is believed to be hiding in India after stealing $65 million (or Rs 420 crore) from the US firm where he was employed for many years, according to a report in Wall Street Journal.

The IIT-Delhi and Harvard Business School-educated Mr Ahmed fled from the US some time before May 2015 in violation of a judge's order in the criminal insider trading case, according to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

43-year-old Mr Ahmed, a former general partner at Oak Investment Partners, has been accused of insider trading and of cheating his clients out of tens of millions of dollars.

Read more HERE
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15:22   SC rejects killer tycoon Mohammad Nisham's bail plea
The Supreme Court on Friday rejected the bail plea of Mohammed Nisham in the Chandrabose murder case.

The apex court, while rejecting the bail plea, said that Nisham did not value the life of poor people.

"The accused does not value lives of the destitutes. Arrogance and impudence were observed in him," the bench stated.

SC also observed that Nisham's criminal background and the statements of witnesses are against him.

The top court has also instructed the trial court to pronounce the verdict in three months.

Nisham had allegedly in an inebriated state, assaulted the security guard, Chandrabose, and later rammed him with his Hummer vehicle, following an argument over delay in opening the gate at a posh residential township in Thrissur, on January 29.

On February 16, Chandrabose succumbed to injuries at the hospital, following which Nisham was booked with murder charges.
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15:20  
JUST IN: EC asks all political parties to maintain high standard in Bihar campaign and desist from using derogatory language.
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15:07   When John Lennon was starting over
John Lennon would have turned 75 on Friday.

He was two months past his 40th birthday when he was murdered as he entered his apartment building, the Dakota, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, on Dec. 8, 1980.

Absent from the music business for five years -- most of it spent living the quiet life of a house husband and father in New York -- he had just returned to recording. 

The "Double Fantasy" album he made with his wife, Yoko Ono, had been in stores less than a month. A single from the album, "Just Like Starting Over", pretty much said it all.

Read more HERE
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14:58   Tunisian mediators win 2015 Nobel Peace Prize
The 2015 Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet.

Announcing the award the committee says the Quartet is honoured for its work in helping ensure Tunisia's post-Arab Spring direction was broadly peaceful and democratic. It is directly comparable to the peace conferences mentioned by Alfred Nobel in his will, they add.

Tunisia's National Dialogue, established in October 2013, quickly became an essential institution for resolving differences, without substituting for the work of the elected National Constituent Assembly. 

The Dialogue was developed by a quartet of civil society organizations and was quickly accepted by Tunisia's political parties as a mechanism for exiting the political crisis hitting the country in 2013. 

After realizing major achievements in its first months of work, however, including the ratification of the new constitution, the formation of a caretaker government and the election of an Electoral Commission, is there still a role for the Dialogue in Tunisia's political system?
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14:53   RJD complains to EC against PM's 'shaitan' comment against Lalu
The RJD today moved the Election Commission against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his 'shaitan' remarks, accusing him of using "disparaging and insulting" language against party chief Lalu Prasad and Yadav caste and urged the poll panel not to allow him address further rallies. 

The RJD complaint was submitted to Chief Electoral Officer of the state Ajay Nayak by party national spokesman Manoj Jha and his state counterpart Chitranjan Gagan who drew the poll panel's attention to Modi's remark that "Hamara mukabala Shaitan se (now our political contest is with devil)".

The complaint dated October 9 is addressed to The Chief Election Commissioner of India through Chief Electoral Officer, Bihar. 

It alleged that PM used "disparaging and insulting" remarks against RJD chief in his several political rallies in Bihar yesterday by "deliberately fabricating rumour and baseless" allegation against him.
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14:38   Dadri incident is being politicised: Maneka
Union Minister Maneka Gandhi today decried attempts to "politicise" the Dadri lynching incident and attacked Uttar Pradesh government, saying it was attempting to mislead the people.

Condemning the incident where a Muslim man was lynched by a mob over beef eating rumour, the Woman and Child Development Minister said that communal harmony of the country should not be disturbed over any issue.

"Like the President and the Prime Minister have said, communal harmony of the country should not be disturbed over any issue," said Maneka, who is also an animal rights activist.

Targeting the Uttar Pradesh government, she said that the incident was being politicised and that innocent people were being made to suffer. 

"UP government is manipulating and I know two youths, the names of whom are being dragged into this. They have nothing to do with the issue. The incompetence of the UP police and UP government's attempts to mislead people is highly condemnable.
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14:16   Nitish Katara murder not honour killing, says SC, rejecting death for killers
The Supreme Court today refused to consider a plea seeking the death penalty for Nitish Katara's killers Vikas and Vishal Yadav. 

In February this year, the Delhi High Court had sentenced them to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment for the 2002 murder.

Neelam Katara, Nitish's mother, had moved the court with the plea, arguing that the convicts should be awarded the death penalty because the murder was an honour killing. 

The Supreme Court rejected her plea today, saying it was not a rarest of rare case to award death penalty. "It is just a murder and not heinous. What the accused did is condemnable but does not call for death penalty," it observed.

After the court's order, Katara said "I respect the court's decision. We will come prepared with more facts next time. This fight shall continue."
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14:04   Pune Shocker: Man walks on the streets with wife's severed head
In a shocking incident, a man allegedly beheaded his wife and walked with her head on the streets of Pune on Friday.

Reports say that the 60-year-old Ram Chavan alias Ramu was spotted on the streets with his wife's head and an axe.

It is being believed that Chavan, a security guard by profession, killed his 55-year-old wife as he suspected her of having an extra-marital affair. 

It is also being said that the man killed his wife with the axe.

The police have arrested the person.

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13:39   I spoke about public perception: Karnataka HM George clarifies rape remarks
Karnataka Home Minister K J George on Friday sought to clarify his controversial remarks on rape that triggered a furore on social media.

On being quizzed by the media about the alleged gangrape of a 22-year-old call centre employee by two men at knife point in their moving van after they offered to ferry her home, George had said, "How can you call it a gangrape? A gangrape is when four-five people are involved. We should condemn the people who did such an act."

A day later, George clarified, "What I was referring to was public perception. I am very serious about these type of crimes(rape), these are heinous crimes."

Condemning the Karnataka home minister's earlier statement, National Commission of Women Chairperson Lalita Kumarmangalam said, "Karnataka minister is another example of someone not understanding issue of violence against women yet commenting on the matter thoughtlessly. Leaders in public life, especially those from political parties should think before talking. We will send him a suo moto, let's see how he replies."

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13:36   Netaji's daughter to miss date with PM
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's daughter Anita Bose Pfaff will not attend the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi next week.

"I am not planning to come to join the members of my family in their meeting with the Prime Minister on October 14," Pfaff told PTI from Berlin.

Pfaff said she had requested a meeting with Modi during her planned visit to India this winter season.

"The Indian Embassy in Berlin has informed me that the prime minister would kindly see me then," she said.

A delegation of around 35 Netaji family members and associates would be going to Delhi to meet the prime minister to demand complete declassification of all Netaji files.

Former parliamentarian Krishna Bose, widow of Netaji's nephew Dr Shishir Bose, will also give it a miss. 

Her aide in Kolkata said she and her son Sugato Bose were in London and would return only after October 15.
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13:17   Press the button & punish those who have destroyed Bihar: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing a rally in Sasaram, Bihar.

Here are highlights of his speech:

* You gave this corrupt govt 60 years.Give NDA only 60 months,and we promise to erase this degradation Bihar has fallen into

* Give us two-third majority and ask me for 'hisaab' after 60 months. Dont give mixed verdict, give us a clear mandate

* You have to press the button & punish those who have destroyed Bihar

* This "Maha Swarthbandhan" ruled Bihar for so long. All these three people were once vilifying each other.

* Never did they get together for development of Bihar. They are selfish people who have come together with greed for power.

* Nitish Kumar's arrogance has led to the current state of Bihar.

* The son a Dalit who became the CM of Bihar (Jitan Ram Manjhi) was back-stabbed. He dared to take on the 'Jungle Raj'.

* Lalu wants to run Bihar with a remote control.
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12:57  
JUST IN: SC expresses satisfaction over CBI probe in Vyapam scam cases after lawyer Kapil Sibal alleges no arrests made in any of these cases.
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12:48   Why the winner of the Nobel Prize in literature goes to J-school
Want to win a Nobel Prize in literature? Just go to journalism school. In Minsk. 

Case in point: Svetlana Alexievich, winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in literature. 

The Guardian's Marta Bausells described her as "the Belarusian writer whose oral histories have recorded thousands of individual voices to map the implosion of the Soviet Union.' 

As Alexievich's work becomes more familiar to journalists and other non-fiction writers, it will be interesting to learn more about her research methods, her narrative strategies and her obvious manipulation of the raw material. As happens with many oral histories, such as those made famous in America by Studs Terkel, the author is not just quoting sources in a traditional sense. 

Read more HERE
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12:24   CBI wants its staff in Google, FB to monitor cybersex offences
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday told the Supreme Court that men are to be blamed for the rise in pornography on the web, reports Abraham Thomas in the Pioneer newspaper, its affidavit stating that the increase of porn in Indian cyberspace is on account of the domineering male population's "insatiable lust' and "penchant for salacious material.'    

The Pioneer report said it also agreed with a suggestion by the petitioner to depute a CBI officer of the rank of SP to social networking sites such as Google, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Yahoo, Hike and Bing to ensure speedy detection and prosecution of offenders.

The affidavit, reports Thomas, came in response to a PIL filed by the NGO Prajwala over disturbing sexual violence videos where the perpetrators showed no remorse or fear of the law while filming the rape of innocent girls and women.   

In order to arrest the trend and punish perpetrators of such crimes, which it termed national crimes, for it concerned safety of young women and children, the CBI said that it was high time that a central law enforcement authority was vested with the power to investigate and prosecute all cyber crimes, the report says.   

The affidavit, filed by T Rajah Balaji, superintendent of police, Special Crimes Branch, said: 'The sharp rise in rapes with the ubiquity of internet-enabled pornography, coupled with the forces of rapid urbanisation that lead to disconnected lives of youth have produced a complex social crisis in this country, which can be correlated to the rampant proliferation of such (cyber) crimes.'   

'Rape and gang-rape represent the oldest and longest continuing instances of a criminal man's inhumanity on woman. Committing such abhorrent crimes, recording them and disseminating them across the world through Internet-enabled media serve to titillate and indirectly embolden other males to commit such heinous crimes. These not only add to the misery of existing victims but also endanger and threaten the safety of other innocent women and children,' the affidavit states.   

The CBI would thus like an inter-state, inter-jurisdictional authority, stretching even to international limits, to deal with cyber crimes and ensure deterrence for such offenders, the Pioneer report states.   

Stating that it alone had the expertise to suo motu deal with such complaints, the CBI asked the court to pass such an order in the interest of preserving the dignity of women.
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12:05   SC set to impose environment cess on commercial vehicles entering Delhi
The Supreme Court on Friday indicated that it will impose an environment compensatory charge ranging from Rs 700 to Rs 1,300 on commercial vehicles entering Delhi as a transit route for their onward journey.

The apex court bench of Chief Justice H.L. Dattu, Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, while giving this indication, reserved order to be pronounced on Monday (October 12).

However, if was clarified that commercial vehicles carrying essential commodities, food stuff and passengers and emergency vehicles, including ambulances, would be exempted from the environment cess.

The imposition of ECC would be for four months on an experimental basis and the money collected would go to the Delhi government. 

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11:39   Urdu writer joins protest, to return prize
After writer Nayantara Sahgal and poet Ashok Vajpeyi, Urdu novelist Rahman Abbas announced that he would be returning the Maharashtra State Urdu Sahitya Academy Award, which he won in 2011 for his third novel Khuda Ke Saaye Mein Aankh Micholi

Abbas' action is in protest against the 'growing intolerance of Hindu right-wing groups against minorities.' He said, "Ever since the Dadri lynching, the Urdu writing community has been quite unhappy. I am going to the Academy office on Saturday to return the award and already there are 2-3 Urdu writers who want to join the protest. It is high time we stood up to the injustice surrounding us."
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11:11   BJP never indulges in communal politics: Rajnath Singh
Home Minister Rajnath Singh: "There are limitations to central government; law and order of a state is responsibility of the respective government, we cannot directly interfere."

"BJP never indulges in communal politics. It might be that some people communalise an issue to gain political mileage. But in a healthy democracy, one shouldn't do that. All political parties should try to see that peace is maintained."
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11:01   Ghulam Ali accepts Kejriwal's invite; to perform in Delhi in December
Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali has agreed to perform in Delhi in December this year.

The singer, whose concert in Mumbai was cancelled following protests by the Shiv Sena which warned that no artiste from that country will be allowed to perform in the city till terror emanating from across the border is stopped, was invited by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Kejriwal took to Twitter to announce the December concert: "Ghulam Ali Sahib. Hum apke bahut bade fan hain. Abhi apse baat karke bahut acha laga. (I am a big fan of yours. It was nice meeting you). Thanks for agreeing to do a program in Delhi in Dec."
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10:50   Ghulam Ali a 'dengue artist; from 'terrorist country': Singer Abhijeet
Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya on Friday, in a series of shocking tweets, supported the ban of Pakistani ghazal singer Ghulam Ali from performing in Mumbai, saying that 'nation and patriotism' took priority over music and branded the maestro as a 'dengue artist'.

"These shameless people have no self respect, no work except terrorism. So called Hindu political parties jst shout 4 mileage bt never tk action agnst these Dengu Artists from terrorist country.These qawwals don't come here on their merit but due to paki Dalals #prestitute and @MaheshNBhatt," Abhijeet tweeted.

While the singer's remarks have sent shockwaves, he was fully backed by the Shiv Sena, who said that they 'welcome his statement as he speaks for the nation.'

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10:42   Kannada actress Maria Susairaj arrested for allegedly defrauding 1200 Hajj pilgrims
Kannada actress Maria Susairaj has been arrested for an alleged fraud of Rs.2.11 crore by cheating 1200 Haj pilgrims for whom her Mumbai-based travel firm failed to produce air tickets. 

35-year-old Maria, who was convicted in 2008 Neeraj Grover case, has been arrested by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch based on a complaint filed by Vadodara-based travel agency La-Raib Tours. 

According to Bangalore Mirror report, Maria had allegedly promised the agency air tickets for 1,200 Haj pilgrims through her Mumbai firm. However, she failed to produce the tickets, the complaint stated. 

Read more HERE

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10:23   Modi is the bigger shaitan; he is unfit to be PM: Lalu Yadav
RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav to move Election Commission against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over comments he made in his speech on Thursday.

Speaking to media persons on Friday morning, Lalu said: "Narendra Modi PM banne kay layaka nahin hain. Thu thu kar raha hai saara desh. (Narendra Modi is not fit to be a prime minister. The entire nation is slamming him)."

"Unhone hume apmaanit kiya hai, aur woh (PM) khud hain param pisaach. Aur pisaach ka dawaa hum jaante hain (Modi insulted me. He is the bigger devil and I know the medicine to treat him)."

Addressing a poll rally in Munger, Modi, who has been silent on the lynching of an Indian in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, despite widespread outrage and the debate over the beef ban, latched onto Lalu's remarks on beef and said a 'shaitan (devil) has entered a human body.'

Insisting that Lalu Yadav could not absolve himself of his beef remarks by claiming that it was the shaitan on his tongue which made him say it, Modi said, 'I want to know how the shaitan got the address (of Lalu Yadav)... he recognises that it was the shaitan in a similar manner as people recognise their relatives.'

Ridiculing Lalu Yadav's remarks that it was the 'devil under whose influence' he made the beef remarks, Modi said, 'so far we were fighting human beings. Now a shaitan has entered a human body which is after us.'
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10:11   Dadri Lynching: Meat in Ikhlaq's house was mutton not beef
Mohammad Ikhlaq was lynched by a mob here last week for allegedly keeping beef in his house. However, it has now turned out that the meat was mutton, not beef.

A forensic test has established that it was mutton that had been stored in Ikhlaq's house. And the test results lend support to Ikhlaq family's claim that they had not kept beef in their house.

As per a report in the Times of India, the meat sample was taken from Ikhlaq's house in Bisada on September 28 and sent to a veterinary doctor for preliminary testing. 

While those tests proved that the meat was mutton, the police still sent the sample to a lab in Mathura to double check on facts. The lab report also established that the sample was of mutton and not beef.
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09:55   Pepsi wants out of IPL, sends notice to board saying game in 'disrepute'
The Indian Express reports: Beverage giant PepsiCo has written to the Indian cricket board informing the latter about its intention to withdraw from the Indian Premier League as title sponsor, stating the controversy surrounding the spot fixing case. 

Sources told the newspaper that the company made the decision following issues which have brought the game "disrepute".

The report states that PepsiCo has informed the IPL's chief operating officer Sundar Raman about its intention to withdraw from the title sponsorship for which it had paid Rs 396 crore ($71.77 million) for the period 2013-2017. 

Raman is believed to have informed newly elected BCCI president Shashank Manohar about the development.

The BCCI is expected to discuss PepsiCos notice during its working committee meeting in Mumbai on October 18, the report adds.

Read more HERE
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09:50   'In principle', govt supports having women in fighter jets
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on women fighter pilots: "In principle, we support this except where there are operational or training problems."

"Procedure is on, many difficulties arrive & keeping that in mind we will announce a policy soon."
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09:34   This country needs benevolent dictator to set it right: Om Puri
Indian Express reports: When a person of Om Puri's stature takes centrestage and says something, people are bound to sit up and take notice. 

So, when he says that "the country needs a benevolent dictator to set it right," the statement carries enough weight and reason for its utterance. 

"Dont get me wrong, but I feel India needs to earn its democratic status. Let there be a benevolent dictator, a fair and strong leader who can run this country and then, in 10-15 years, restore democracy," said Puri. 

While his thoughts did perturb those at Press Club who had invited Puri along with writer-producer Santosh Bartiya and city-based actor Amit Sharma of the film Hogaya Dimaag Ka Dahi for a 'Ru Ba Ru', Puri stuck to his stand unapologetically. 

Read more HERE
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09:14   Haj stampede: Death toll of Indians rises to 101
The death toll of Indians in the Haj stampede has risen to 101 even as scores of nationals are still missing after the September's tragedy, worst to hit the annual pilgrimage in 25 years.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted, "Saudi authorities have identified more pilgrims who died in Haj stampede. The toll of Indian pilgrims is now 101. We have 32 missing."

The Haj stampede on September 24 broke out after two massive lines of pilgrims converged on each other from different directions at an intersection close to the five-storey Jamarat Bridge in Mina for symbolic stoning of the devil.

It was the second major accident this year for pilgrims, after a construction crane collapsed on September 11 at Mecca's Grand Mosque, killing over 100 people, including 11 Indians.
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09:08   Did MK Stalin slap a man who wanted to click a selfie?
DMK leader MK Stalin was caught on camera while allegedly slapping an autorickshaw driver who tried to click a selfie with him near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu earlier on Thursday. 

As the video was shared virally on WhatsApp and other social media platforms, Stalin's managers said the politician hit the man accidentally while attempting to clear the crowd that had gathered around him.

What appeared in the video, the burly autorickshaw driver came close and tried to take a selfie with Stalin, who was mingling with the public and receiving petitions from them. 

In the melee, the autoricksaw driver was about to fall on him when Stalin allegedly slapped him. A video of the incident went viral in social media.
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09:03   Assault on Indian maid by Saudi sponsor brutal, unacceptable: Sushma
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday expressed outrage over reports of a Saudi sponsor chopping off an Indian maid's hand.

"We are very much disturbed over brutal manner in which Indian lady has been treated in Saudi Arabia. This is unacceptable. We have taken this up with Saudi authorities. Our embassy is in touch with the victim," Sushma told media persons.

Kashturi Munirathinam, a domestic help, is currently being looked after in a Saudi hospital.
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08:52   US officials conclude Iran deal violates federal law
Fox News reports: Some senior US officials involved in implementation of the Iran nuclear deal have privately concluded that a key sanctions relief provision -- a concession to Iran that will open the doors to tens of billions of dollars in US-backed commerce with the Islamic regime -- conflicts with existing federal statutes and cannot be implemented without violating those laws.

At issue is a passage tucked away in ancillary paperwork attached to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, as the Iran nuclear deal is formally known. 

Specifically, Section 5.1.2 of Annex II provides that in exchange for Iranian compliance with the terms of the deal, the US "shall... license non-US entities that are owned or controlled by a US person to engage in activities with Iran that are consistent with this JCPOA."

In short, this means that foreign subsidiaries of US parent companies will, under certain conditions, be allowed to do business with Iran. The problem is that the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama in August 2012, was explicit in closing the so-called "foreign sub" loophole.

Read more HERE
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08:39   Indian Army's new recruitment mantra: Join us and live a life less ordinary
Indian Army's new recruitment campaign, titled 'Join the Indian Army and Live a Life Less Ordinary' will be launched across the country today. 

The campaign projects Indian Army as a full-fledged working organization that offers exciting career in different sectors for young Indians who otherwise aspire for other careers.

According to Lt Gen RN Nair, Director General Recruiting, "No other organisation in India provides the canvas of engineering, technology, work-life-balance, sustained care and the unique ability of serving the nation, as the Indian Army". 

While careers like technology, media and entertainment have caught the fancy of youth, the reality is that army has over 20 diverse career disciplines offering an all-round lifestyle and it's constantly modernising itself with the cutting edge technology, an Army statement said. 

Thus, the challenge to showcase this relatively lesser known side of the Army in this campaign has been challenging as well as stimulating, it added. 
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05:30   Coral reefs endangered by bleaching in global event, researchers say
For the third time since records have been kept, the world is experiencing a global coral bleaching event.

It's a major environmental incident, predicted by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and now confirmed as underway by teams of scientists and reef mappers across the globe.

Coral bleaching is triggered by stresses on coral reefs. During bleaching, the coral expel the algae that live within them, exposing the coral's white skeleton. The symbiotic algae not only provide coral with its color, they also provide crucial nutrients. Without them, the coral eventually will starve.

Read more HERE.
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05:27   ISIS soldiers told to rape women 'to make them Muslim'
Sitting on a shabby green sofa somewhere in the ISIS-controlled city of Mosul, Iraq, the militants laugh and joke as one of them films their excited chatter.

"Today is the female sex slave market day, which has been ordained," explains a skinny, black-clad Jihadi, gesturing at the camera.

"With Allah's permission, each will get a share," promises another of the fighters.

"Where is my Yazidi girl?" asks the first, a wide grin splitting his straggly-bearded face.

The Yazidis are an ancient people, followers of a unique religion that blends elements of Islam, Judaism and Christianity with even more ancient practices, including sun worship.

They believe in a single god who created the Earth and left it in the care of a peacock angel, Malak Ta'us.

Read more HERE.
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05:24   Netanyahu: 'We're in the midst of a wave of terrorism'
Amid a wave of violence, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday urged Arab and Israeli leaders to stay away from one of the country's holiest sites, in an effort to keep tensions from getting out of hand.

In a televised speech, Netanyahu asked Jewish and Arab political leaders to stay away from the site Jews calls the Temple Mount and Muslims the Noble Sanctuary, for fear it could spark an "explosive" event. Anger has been brewing among Palestinians over Israeli restrictions on access to the site.

The site is sacred to both Judaism and Islam and, as such, has become a focal point of discord.

In other remarks, Netanyahu was far more stern and contentious.

He blamed recent bloodshed on the Palestinian Authority, which controls the West Bank, and Hamas, which controls Gaza, for what he called their "incitement and libels and lies." He castigated those who used Molotov cocktails, knives, rocks as well as live ammunition against Israeli citizens and security forces.

Read more HERE.
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04:22   Daniel Craig: I'd rather 'slash my wrists' than play James Bond again
After playing James Bond in the last four films of the successful franchise, including the forthcoming "Spectre," the British actor told Time Out London he's ready to put the role behind him.

Craig has implied as much in previous interviews. But this time, he left no doubt when asked, "Can you imagine doing another Bond movie?"

"Now? I'd rather break this glass and slash my wrists. No, not at the moment. Not at all. That's fine. I'm over it at the moment. We're done. All I want to do is move on."

It's hard to blame him. It's been nearly 10 years since he took over the role for 2006's "Casino Royale." In much of the interview with journalist Dave Calhoun, Craig addresses his growing fatigue at inhabiting a role he felt became increasingly stale with each installment.

Read more HERE.
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03:03   Train hero Spencer Stone stabbed in Sacramento
Just weeks ago, US Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone was tending to stab wounds after famously helping thwart a gun attack on a European train, feted internationally as a hero.

On Thursday he was in serious condition at a California hospital, having been stabbed again -- this time during a night out with friends in an altercation for which he faces no criminal blame, officials say.

Surveillance video shows 30 seconds of high drama and raw violence in midtown Sacramento before 1 am Thursday.

What starts with a few punches thrown on a dark street corner quickly spills into the street. Five or six men are in the middle of it all pushing, shoving and trading blows.

One man falls to the ground at one point, only to quickly bounce back. Eventually, the two sparring sides go their separate ways.

Stone was one of those who walked away. But he did so with multiple stab wounds, Sacramento Deputy Police Chief Ken Bernard told reporters.

Read more HERE.
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01:30   Avengers sequel to have a budget of one billion dollars
The next two Avengers films, Infinity War Part One and Two, are rumoured to have a combined production budget of one billion dollars.

And of that, the above the line costs, that paid to the screenwriter, director, producers and principal actors will be a cool four hundred million dollars alone.

And of the actor budget, Robert Downey Jr gets half.

Theres no script yet. Not even a plot agreed. But it expected that a number of Avengers characters wont make it out alive. So keep your fingers crossed.

Read more HERE.
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00:06   US officials say Russian missiles heading for Syria landed in Iran
A number of cruise missiles launched from a Russian ship and aimed at targets in Syria have crashed in Iran, two US officials told CNN Thursday.

Monitoring by US military and intelligence assets has concluded that at least four missiles crashed as they flew over Iran. One official said there may be casualties, but another official said this is not yet known.It's unclear where in Iran the missiles landed. 

The Russian ships have been positioned in the south Caspian Sea, meaning the likely flight path for missiles into Syria would cross over both Iran and Iraq.The Russians have been firing a relatively new cruise missile called "Kaliber," using it for the first time in combat. Iran's semi-official FARS news agency, however, said that neither Russian nor Iranian authorities have confirmed the US officials' information at this point. 

The assessment came as Defense Secretary Ashton Carter warned Thursday at NATO headquarters in Brussels that Russia would likely suffer casualties "within the coming days" as it deepens its military involvement in Syria.

Read more HERE.

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