The mobile internet ban was lifted today in Gandhinagar and Vadodara as the situation remained peaceful in Gujarat after yesterday's sporadic violence over the arrest of quota leader Hardik Patel, who said plans are being drawn up for "bigger" rallies in the state.

As the Patel community pushed for inclusion in OBC quota, a prominent OBC leader Alpesh Thakor opposed their demand but suggested that the state government can offer financial package for poor members of Patel and other communities. 

Thakor is Convener of the OBC Ekta Manch. 

Hardik was arrested in Surat last night for defying prohibitory orders clamped ahead of his 'Ekta March' for reservation under OBC quota but was freed on bail by a court soon afterwards.

"The situation is totally under control across the state. No incidents of clashes or violence have been reported today," an official at the state police control room said, adding that mobile internet ban has been lifted in Gandhinagar. 

The ban on mobile internet services was also lifted in Vadodara city. 

"Looking at current situation, I have ordered to lift the ban on mobile internet from today afternoon," Vadodara Police Commissioner E Radhakrishnan said. 

State Director General of Police (DGP) P C Thakur had yesterday banned mobile internet services across Gujarat for indefinite period to stop possible rumours. 

Board of Control for Cricket in India President Jagmohan Dalmiya has passed away. He was 75.

Dalmiya had recently underwent coronary angiography at Kolkata's B M Birla Hospital. 

The veteran cricket administrator had not been keeping well for a while now and was not actively taking part in the day-to-day functioning of the BCCI.

Soon after reports on Dalmiya's demise came in, BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur tweets: "The greatest sports administrator of India has passed away, an era ends. A personal loss to me & Indian cricket." 

Union HRD minister Smriti Irani on Sunday hit back at the Congress Party over the legal notice issued to her for the allegations she had made against Congress and Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Trust on her last Amethi visit, and challenged that if Congress or party vice-president Rahul Gandhi has courage then they can put her behind the bars but then also she will keep on raising the voices of Amethi people. 

Irani, who lost to Rahul in his home turf here in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, said 'some persons get disturbed' by her visits here and asserted that she would not be cowed down by any legal notices. 

"Some persons get disturbed with my Amethi visits," said the HRD Minister, in an apparent reference to the Congress Vice President. 

"If Congress or Rahul Gandhi consider the women of this country 'abla' (weak), they should forget it. I am not the one to get afraid with this and will continue to raise Amethi's voice.

"If Rahul or Congress have the courage then let them put me behind the bars. I will not remain silent. My relationship with Amethi is not that of elections," the BJP leader said, addressing a gathering after distributing saplings at Shivdulari Mahila Mahavidyalaya at Gungvaj village in Amethi.

The Eiffel Tower has been closed to visitors after a terror suspect carrying a large rucksack was reportedly spotted scaling the attraction.

A helicopter could be seen circling the 986-foot structure after officials raised the alarm just before 9am local time, according to The Daily Mail.

According to the newspaper, a police source helping evacuate the tower said: "There's been a report of a man with a rucksack."

Hundreds of people queueing to get into the attraction were reportedly turned away, with a police cordon formed around its base.

The tower has frequently been threatened by terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda and ISIS, with security stepped up since attacks by three radical Islamist gunmen in the city in January.

India and Pakistan will hold a flag meeting at the Brigade Commander level at Chakan De Bagh crossing in the Poonch district on Monday to address the issue of ceasefire violations on the Line of Control in Jammu & Kashmir.

A defence spokesman, in a statement, said: "The ceasefire violations had escalated in last few days and had resulted in large number of civilian causalities and collateral damage to properties."

"The field commanders from both sides will discuss the modalities to defuse the tense situation," the statement added.

This is for the first time the two armies would come together for a flag meeting after a lengthy hiatus to address the issue of cross-LoC ceasefire violations.

The border residents on either side have been victims of the now-frequent violations with each side accusing the other of firing first.

The cross-LoC firing and shelling have triggered panic and tension among the border residents and cost lives on either side and caused damage to property.

Nepal on Sunday adopted its new fully secular and democratic constitution, achieved after seven years of painstaking deliberations, amid violent protests by minority Madhesi groups over a seven province federal structure.

"I announce the presented constitution of Nepal, passed by the constituent assembly and authenticated by the chairman of the constituent assembly, effective from today, September 20, 2015, before the people of Nepal," President Ram Baran Yadav said as he unveiled the statute in parliament.

"I call for unity and cooperation of all at this historic moment," he said at the special ceremony at the constituent assembly hall in Naya Baneshwor to mark the Himalayan nation's transformation into a secular, federal democracy from a Hindu monarchy.

He added: "The constitution is the common document of all of us to protect our freedom, independence, geographic integrity, and sovereignty in people."

With this the interim constitution has been annulled. 

President Yadav said the newly promulgated 'Constitution 2072' has institutionalised republicanism in the nation. He hoped that the constitution would lead Nepal to economic development.

NDA constituent Shiv Sena, which has no significant presence in Bihar, today announced it was jumping in the poll fray in the state on its own, and claimed its "anti-migrant" image was due to "canard" spread by rivals. 

Party's national spokesperson Sanjay Raut told reporters that Sena, which is ruling Maharashtra in alliance with BJP, will contest 150 seats in Bihar, where BJP-led alliance is locked in a stiff contest with the Nitish Kumar-led coalition of JD(U)-RJD-Congress. 

Denying that his party has antipathy for Bihar people, Raut said that on the contrary the people of Maharashtra have strong emotional ties with their counterparts here and respect the Biharis for their patriotism, valour and contributions to freedom struggle. 

Asked about allegations of atrocities against migrants, including those from Bihar, in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra, Raut dismissed them claiming that there was no example of Shiv Sena and its workers targeting migrants. He alleged that some politicians in Bihar were spreading "canard" instead of focusing on development of the state. 

"Some politicians of Bihar are more interested in happenings in Mumbai and making noise about atrocities on migrants than actually doing something for development of the state," the Shiv Sena leader told reporters on the sidelines of his party's state convention here."

Team India for T-20 and ODI series against South Africa was announced on Sunday. 

Renowned novelist Jackie Collins has died of breast cancer at the age of 77, her family said in a statement.

The British-born writer passed away yesterday in Los Angeles after she was diagnosed with stage-four cancer six-and-a-half years ago, her spokeswoman said. 

"It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the death of our beautiful, dynamic and one-of-a-kind mother," the family statement said. 

Her actress sister Joan Collins told media that she was "completely devastated" following the news of sister Jackie Collins.

"She was my best friend," Joan, 82, said. "I admire how she handled this. She was a wonderful, brave and a beautiful person and I love her," Joan added. 

In a career spanning four decades, Collins sold more than 500 million books in 40 countries across the world. 

The family statement said the writer lived "a wonderfully full life and was adored by family, friends and readers. "She was a true inspiration, a trailblazer for women in fiction and a creative force. She will live on through her characters but we already miss her beyond words," it added.

Born Jacqueline Jill Collins in London in 1937, her first novel, "The World is Full of Married Men," was a story of sex and show business set in "Swinging London" in the mid-1960s. It came out in 1968 and became a scandalous best-seller, banned in Australia and condemned by romance writer Barbara Cartland.

By the 1980s, she had moved to Los Angeles and turned out the 1983 novel she is still best known for, "Hollywood Wives," which has sold more than 15 million copies. It came at the same time that her sister hit the height of her own fame on "Dynasty."

If a Robert Langdon, the symbologist in The Da Vinci Code, is yet to leap from the 64 files to crack the Netaji Code, the vacuum is filled by the presence of many a Bernard Woolley, the bureaucrat caught between the politician and the civil service in the Yes Minister series.

The so-called Netaji files, bereft of any explosive information and laden with old newspaper clippings, offer a peek into the woolly world of the intelligence-gathering bureaucracy that has perfected self-preservation into a fine art.

The view can be fascinating for some (those sampling the curated excerpts served up on a platter) and frustrating for others (those who curated the gems after wrestling with 12,744 pages of impermeable prose and those who were supposed to take decisions long ago on the basis of such intelligence inputs.)

A beginners' primer will not be out of place before stepping into the universe of establishments as evocatively christened as "Calcutta Police Security Control Office" or Intelligence Branch, from where "surveys" were conducted on Netaji's descendants.

Sri Lankan fishing community representatives here rejected a request by their Indian counterparts to visit them to discuss their issues, including poaching. 

Vinayagamurthi Sahadevan, a Sri Lankan fishing organisation official in the northern town of Vavuniya, said they rejected the proposal since it will be a futile attempt. 

"When the prime ministers of the two countries could not sort out the problem, how can we fishing community representatives resolve," Sahadevan asked. 

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe visited India last week, his first official visit abroad since winning the parliamentary election in August. 

Sahadevan said for the talks to be meaningful, Sri Lankan fisheries official also need to be included in the talks.

"The two fishing community representatives will not be able to achieve any solution," Shadevan said. 

Sahadevan lamented that details of discussions on this long-standing problem held between the Sri Lnakan and Indian leaders had not been conveyed to local fishing organisations. 

Sri Lanka complaints of regular illegal fishing by Indian fishermen inside its waters. 

The Congress Party is holding a 'Kisan Samman Rally' today at Ramlila Ground in the national capital, to honour farmers and party workers for forcing the NDA government to withdraw its land ordinance. 

Party president Sonia Gandhi and the vice president Rahul Gandhi addressed the rally. 

Here are the highlights:

* This is not 'Make in India', this is Modiji's 'Take in India': Rahul Gandhi

* This is not a fight for farms, not a fight for land but this is a battle for farmers' hearts: Rahul Gandhi 

* A farmer once told me, Rahulji, we have 2 mothers. Our real mother and the land we plant our crops in. Narendra Modi wants to snatch away our 'mother' and give it to someone else: Rahul Gandhi

* Farmers are going through difficult times ever since this Govt came to power,their financial condition is getting worse day by day: Sonia Gandhi

* They (Govt) are neither interested nor have time to address your issues; they have time to listen to issues of industrialists: Sonia Gandhi

* If they won't listen to your voice, then Congress will definitely create hindrance in their path: Sonia Gandhi 

* Modi sarkar gives big speeches and hollow promises: Sonia Gandhi

* Jan Shakti is very important in a democracy.

* My 'Mann Ki Baat' has become your 'Mann Ki Baat' in its true sense

* Lakhs of letters have taught me invaluable lessons. I got to know about the issues in the Government.

* I had urged you all to buy some Khadi and I am happy the sales have increased so much. This is realisation of Jan Shakti.

* Lakhs of families have given up their gas subsidies. This is also a silent revolution.

* I'd once said 'selfie with daughter', people from India and across the world clicked pictures with their daughter and made it a huge campaign. Similar thing happened with 'Incredible India' campaign. Besides this, I'd also urged people to promote Khadi, today we can say there is rise in the sale of Khadi products.

* I thought of a new experiment for Mann ki Baat programme. Asked people to suggest issues. Around 55,000 people gave their suggestions for Mann ki Baat. More than 90% people talked about positive things

* See the power of democracy, a small child ordered me to implement a noble initiative. He has asked me to put dustbins everywhere. Parliament talks about cleanliness now, I am also criticised for it but I do not consider this to be a bad thing.

* A person from Canada called me and asked me to encourage youth to vote. In the past, we used to see Election Commission working as just a regulator, but today they have also become facilitator. They have become voter friendly. I appeal young voters to register themselves. I've often been saying 'first vote then eat'

* During my Varanasi visit, I met lot of people. I saw two students in Varanasi, they were very knowledgeable. I was astonish to see their level of knowledge. I also met Sonam Patel in Varanasi. She has memorised the entire Bhagwat Gita.

* I'd requested the people of this country to voluntaraly give away their subsidy. Today, not only rich people, but common people have come forward to give away their subsidy for a cause.

Nine Kabaddi players were killed and 15 others were injured in a road accident in Sundergarh district of Odisha on Saturday evening.

They incident took place as the mini truck in which they were travelling plunged off a bridge. The injured have been admitted to the Rourkela government hospital.

Police said the Kabaddi team from Sendhapur village of Lahunipara block were returning from Dhudiagaon where they had gone to take part in a tournament. Locals rushed to the spot and started the rescue operation.

According to reports in local state newspapers, the victims have been identified as Abhiram Kalo (50), Dharanidhar Nayak (60), Chandra Sekhar Pradhan (18), Gauri Chandra Kissan (22) and Umesh Kissan (25). A few other deceased were yet to be identified.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh will undertake a three-day visit to forward areas along the borders with Pakistan and China, including Chumar in eastern Ladakh which saw a fortnight-long stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops a year ago.

During his visit to the forward areas of Jammu and Kashmir, he will inaugurate a new officers' mess at the camp of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force in Samba and may also go to posts in the sector which has often witnessed firing from across the border.

Singh will then visit border posts in Chumar in eastern Ladakh where Indian and Chinese troops had eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation in sub-zero temperatures in September 2014.

It will be followed by a visit to the police memorial in Hot Spring and ITBP posts in Thakung and Chushul, official sources said.

The government is considering a proposal to raise FDI limits to 100 per cent in broadcasting carriage and content services, including DTH and cable networks, aimed at attracting overseas investment and improve infrastructure.

An inter-ministerial committee is considering FDI proposals, including hiking foreign direct investment cap in cable networks, direct-to-home (DTH), Mobile TV, HITS (Headend-in-the Sky Broadcasting Service) and Teleports to 100 per cent, from 74 per cent at present, sources said. 

In case of broadcasting content services -- uplinking of news and current affairs TV channels, the proposal under discussion is to raise the limit to 49 per cent from the present 26 per cent, they said.

These proposals were mooted by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in 2013.

It had suggested raising FDI limit for broadcast carriage services up to 100 per cent and for uplinking of news channels up to 49 per cent. 

Increase in FDI limit will help improve the pace of digitisation of broadcasting services across India.

Donald Trump on Saturday said it is not his job to correct supporters' claims about the President, defending his decision not to take issue with a man who disparaged Muslims and said President Barack Obama is not an American.

Trump did not dispute the man's allegations made at a town hall event this week, and added that if someone criticized him to Obama, there would be "no chance" the President would come to his defense.

"Am I morally obligated to defend the president every time somebody says something bad or controversial about him? I don't think so!" he tweeted Saturday morning.

Read more HERE.

The former head of Mexico's federal prisons and the ex-director of the Altiplano penitentiary that drug capo Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman escaped

from are among 13 additional people arrested in the jail break, an official with the federal Prosecutor's Office said today.

A statement from the Prosecutor's Office on Friday said 11 men and 2 women had been arrested, but didn't name them. Celina Oseguera Parra, who oversaw the country's federal prisons, and Valentin Cardenas Lerma, the Altiplano prison director, were among those arrested, said an official with the Prosecutor's Office. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to be quoted by the press.

Oseguera Parra and Cardenas Lerma were both forced to resign after the July 11 escape. The suspects in the latest batch of arrests also included

Leonor Garcia Garcia, head of the prison's legal department and top official on duty the night of the July 11 prison break, the official said. The other 10 suspects also worked in the penal system.

Pope Francis begins a 10-day trip to Cuba and the United States on Saturday, embarking on his first trip to the onetime Cold War foes after helping to nudge forward their historic rapprochement.

He will be offering a show of solidarity with Cubans and making clear that Hispanics in the United States are the bedrock of the American church.

The visit boasts several firsts for history's first Latin American pope: Francis will become the first pope to address the US Congress and he will also proclaim the first saint on US soil by canonizing the controversial (and Hispanic) missionary, Junipero Serra.

Francis will also be following in the footsteps of his predecessors, becoming the third pontiff to visit Cuba in the past 17 years a remarkable record for any country, much less one with such a tiny Catholic community. And he will join them in grabbing the world stage at the United Nations to press his agenda on migration, the environment and religious persecution.

It's largely unknown territory for the 78-year-old Argentine Jesuit, who has never visited either country and confessed that the United States was so foreign to him that he would spend the summer reading up on it. His popularity ratings are high in the U.S., but he also has gained detractors, particularly among conservatives over his critiques of the excesses of capitalism.

That has endeared him to Cuban President Raul Castro, who vowed earlier this year that if Francis kept it up, he would return to the Catholic Church.

But Francis has also been on record criticizing Cuba's socialist and atheist revolution as denying individuals their "transcendent dignity."