A police team investigating the murder of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, has asked the FBI for the exact cause of her death.

Former J-K CM Omar Abdullah reacts to Home Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Islamabad for the SAARC summit. "I've been a strong supporter of Indo-Pak engagement but Pakistan's conduct during @rajnathsingh-ji's visit was childish at best."

The current strain in Indo-Pak relations was apparently evident when Home Minister Rajnath Singh came face-to-face with his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan for the first time on Thursday and the two leaders barely shook hands. The two leaders barely touched their hands, not even a formal handshake, before Singh moved ahead to enter the meeting hall.


Members of the Indian media, which came from New Delhi to report the conference, were not allowed to capture the moment or the conference and was kept at a distance by Pakistani officials, leading to a verbal duel between a senior Indian official and a Pakistani official.

The only broadcaster allowed inside the venue was state-owned Pakistan Television, the reports said.

However, India described the reports of a 'blackout' as "misleading". "With reference to the home ministers meeting in Islamabad earlier, media reports of a 'blackout' of our home minister's statement are misleading. "It is the standard SAARC practice that the opening statement by the host country is public and open to the media while the rest of the proceedings are in camera, which allows for a full and frank discussion of issues," a government source said.

In Islamabad, an interior ministry official also said that there was no such blackout of Rajnath's speech as none of the speeches of participating ministers was shown.

"It is true that his (Rajnath's) speech was not shown live because (the) speech(es) of none of the participating ministers was shown live by the state media."

He said only the inaugural session was shown live when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan made welcome speeches. The official said Singh was not discriminated at all by the state media and he was given full official protocol. The home minister also skipped the lunch being hosted by Khan after the meeting as the host had left the venue. 

Speaking in Hindi at the conference, Singh said there should be "strongest action not only against terrorists or organisations but also against those individuals, organisations and nations who support terrorism." "It also needs to be ensured that terrorism is not glorified and is not patronized by any state," Singh said in a veiled dig at Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Singh's comments came against the backdrop of Sharif's praise of Burhan Wani who was killed in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir on July 8 and his description of Hizbul Mujahideen commander as a martyr, much to India's ire.  

With the High Court ruling against it in the turf battle with Delhi Lt Governor, AAP government today said it will challenge the order in the Supreme Court and questioned why the Constitution was amended to have a legislative assembly if the city was to be run by the LG.


"We respectfully disagree with the High Court verdict," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, adding there was a "big difference" between any other Union Territory and the national capital and alleged that on the "pretext of rules", various decisions aimed at curbing corruption have been stalled. "The High Court says Delhi is merely an Union Territory. If as per Constitution Delhi is only an UT, then why was it amended to make Delhi an UT with legislature.

Punjab, not Amul's Gujarat, is the highest milk producer in India. Take a look at this chart.

The GST Bill, passed in the Rajya Sabha, will be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The BJP and the Congress have issued whips on attendance.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday left the Rajya Sabha in a huff because he is said to be upset with a few Union Mniisters whose performance has not been up to the mark. The PM sat through the proceedings while two union ministers completed their questions and answers.

When the Congress benches created a flutter by putting supplementaries, the treasury bench could not cope up with the din. The Prime Minister suddenly got up and  went to the Lok Sabha. 

Market benchmark Nifty snapped its four-day losing streak to end modestly higher by 6 points at 8,551 after the Rajya Sabha passed the historic GST Bill yesterday. It was a mixed trend on the sectoral front, where late buying in Realty, Metal, Auto and PSU Bank offset the selling pressure witnessed in Media, IT, Banking and FMCG counters. European markets rose after Bank of England cut rates, its first since the global financial crisis.

A Malaysian man who raped a 14-year-old girl avoided being thrown in jail after he married the young victim, sparking calls from angry activists for legal reforms today.

A court in the Malaysian state of Sarawak on Borneo island ruled last week there was "no necessity to proceed further with this case" following evidence that the two were married, the Borneo Post news website reported. The victim, now 15, was allegedly raped twice by Ahmad Syukri Yusuf, in his twenties, last year. Rape in Malaysia carries a penalty of up to 30 years in prison and whipping.

JUST IN: HM Rajnath Singh meets PM Modi after arriving from SAARC Conference in Islamabad and briefs him on the visit.

Reliance Industries' Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani kept his annual salary capped at Rs 15 crore for the eighth year in a row even as the remuneration of all executive directors on firm's board rose.

Ambani, the richest Indian, has kept salary, perquisites and allowances and commission at Rs 15 crore since 2008-09, foregoing almost Rs 24 crore per annum.

"The Chairman and Managing Director's compensation has been set at Rs 15 crore as against Rs 38.75 crore as approved, reflecting his desire to continue to set a personal example for moderation in managerial compensation levels," RIL said in its annual report for 2015-16.

His remuneration for 2015-16 included Rs 4.16 crore as salary and another Rs 60 lakh by way of prequisites and allowances. He got retirement benefits of Rs 71 lakh and Rs 9.53 crore as commission on profit. While the base salary is the same as the previous year, the commission on profit has marginally risen from Rs 9.41 crore in 2014-15.

Ambani voluntarily capped his compensation at Rs 15 crore in October 2009 amid a debate over right-sizing of CEO salaries.

The salary cap continued even as all other executive directors saw their remunerations go up. Ambani's cousins Nikhil R Meswani and Hital R Meswani saw their compensation rise to Rs 14.42 crore and Rs 14.41 crore, respectively. They had in the previous year got Rs 12.03 crore.

In a diplomatic victory for India, Saudi Arabia has agreed to give exit visas to hundreds of jobless Indian workers there and will send them back home at its own expense.

Making a suo motu statement in Rajya Sabha, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said Saudi Arabia has also agreed to provide free medical facility and food to the Indian workers stranded in camps and also allow those eligible to seek re-employment with other companies.

She said her deputy and Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh was camping in Saudi Arabia since Tuesday evening and will return after formalising the arrangements for the Indian workers.

"I am happy to inform that the Saudi ruler has taken note of the plight of Indian workers... Saudi King has instructed the officials to resolve the issue in two days," she said.

Saudi Arabia, Swaraj said, has agreed to the Indian government's request to grant exit visas to the stranded worker.It has also offered to transport the workers to India.

"Government of India will not have to spend a penny on that," she said.The Islamic nation has also permitted workers to take re-employment if other companies find them suitable, she said, adding that before departing, the Indian workers will register their claims of unpaid salaries and other dues with the Labour Office of Saudi Arabia.Indian Embassy in Riyadh will follow up with the Labour Office of Saudi Arabia to get all the dues of workers cleared, she said.

The Minister said the Saudi ruler has also issued orders to provide free medical and food to Indian workers lodged in the camps apart from all civic amenities.

Thanking the Saudi ruler, she said this was possible because of the personal and diplomatic relationship stuck by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to Islamic nation. Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad complimented the Indian and the Saudi governments for reaching a solution on the issue.

I&B minister Venkaiah Naidu reacts to Pakistan blacking out Home Minister Rajnath Singh's speech on terror at the SAARC meeting in Islamabad. "It's the Pakistan model of democracy," says Naidu. "Sadan chal raha hai, sadan mein batayenge. The Parliament is in session, will bring it up there," he said.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singhs speech at SAARC conference was reportedly blacked out, according to ANI. Apparently, no media personnel were allowed to cover Singhs speech. Only Pakistan state PTV was allowed to cover introductory speeches of Pakistan PM and the Interior Minister. Even private Pakistan media was not allowed inside.

Meanwhile, both Rajnath Singh and his counterpart Chaudhary Nisar, who was the host at the SAARC conference lunch, did not attend the lunch. There is however no confirmation on this development.


Image: Home Minister Rajnath Singh with India's high commissioner to Pakistan, Gautam Bambawale. Photo: PIB

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis directs the National Highways Authority of India to immediately undertake repair work on Mumbai-Goa national highway and complete the work before August 25, 2016.

Just in: A Delhi Court sentences film maker Mahmood Farooqui to 7 years imprisonment for raping an American woman. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000. If the fine is not furnished, then a three month-sentence will be added to the seven-year sentence.

A Delhi court on Saturday had convicted the 'Peepli Live' co-director of raping a 30-year-old United States researcher last year.

Farooqui, who was out on bail, was taken into custody immediately after the pronouncement of the judgement.

Additional Sessions Judge Sanjiv Jain held Farooqui guilty of offence under section 376 (punishment of rape) of the IPC.

The court fixed the matter for hearing arguments on sentence on August 2.

The offence of rape entails a minimum of seven years rigorous jail and a maximum of imprisonment for life.

The woman, in her complaint, had alleged that Farooqui was drunk when he raped her at his house where she had gone to get his help for her research work last year.

The police had on June 19, 2015, lodged the FIR against Farooqui on the woman's complaint after which he was arrested.

The police had on July 29 last year filed a charge sheet against Farooqui alleging that he had raped the research scholar from Colombia University at his Sukhdev Vihar house in south Delhi on March 28 last year.

The court had on September 9, 2015, started the trial in the case after framing rape charge against Farooqui.

Maoist chief Prachanda takes oath as Prime Minister of Nepal

At SAARC conference lunch Pakistan Home Minister Chaudhary Nisar who was the host did not attend. Home Minister Rajnath Singh also did not attend the lunch. Earlier in the day, Pakistan did its best to be a terrible host by blacking out Rajnath Singh's speech at the SAARC conference. No media allowed to cover Indian HM's speech.

Rajnath Singh arrived in Islamabad yesterday to attend the SAARC Interior Ministers' conference and was flown to a five star hotel in a helicopter amid security concerns arising out of protests led by Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeeds Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) activists, a front organisation of terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).

The home minister said without naming Burhan Wani that, "There should be no glorification or eulogising of terrorists as martyrs. There are no good terrorists or bad terrorists. Mere condemnation of terrorism and terrorists is not enough. There must be strongest action against nations that support terror."

India media not allowed to cover Rajnath Singh's speech at the SAARC meet in Islamabad.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh speaks on Pak-sponsored terrorism at the SARRC meeting in Islamabad.

Rajnath arrived in Islamabad yesterday to attend the SAARC Interior Ministers' conference and was flown to a five star hotel in a helicopter amid security concerns arising out of protests led by Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeeds Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) activists, a front organisation of terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).

The home minister said without naming Burhan Wani that, "There should be no glorification or eulogising of terrorists as martyrs. There are no good terrorists or bad terrorists. Mere condemnation of terrorism and terrorists is not enough. There must be strongest action against nations that support terror."



Activists of All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Hizbul Mujahideen, United Jihad Council (UJC) and other such group protested to denounce Singh's visit with Saeed leading a rally in Lahore where he attacked Pakistani government for hosting the Indian Home Minister, holding him responsible for the ongoing Kashmir unrest.

"We were not expecting that the Pakistani rulers would welcome Singh who is responsible for the killings of innocent Kashmiris," PTI quoted Saeed.

Bombay HC asks CBI to produce within eight weeks forensic reports sent by it to Scotland Yard in the murder cases of activists Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and M M Kalburgi.

Just in: IAF Hawk trainer jet crashes shortly after take-off from Kalaikunda, West Bengal. Both pilots punch out safely. Details awaited.


On July 22, AN-32, IAF's Port Blair bound transport plane went missing after it took off from the Tambaram air base in Chennai at 8.30 am.

In June, a Russian-made MiG-27 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force crashed near the Jodhpur airbase in Rajasthan during a training flight, underscoring the perils of an ageing aircraft fleet. The fighter jet was the second fighter aircraft to crash this year.

Room no. 102 on the ground floor of Hotel Modern had not been empty. A personal guest of the owner was checked in. But such was the urgency when Sonia Gandhi took ill yesterday during the Varanasi roadshow that it was thrown open for her.

The guest had not been in around 4.30pm when Sonia initially dropped by to use the washroom. But told that she had complained of weakness and needed a room, Surendra Singh, the owner of the budget hotel in Varanasi's Lahurabir area, brought out the master key.

"It is the nearest room from the entrance of the hotel. That was the reason the Special Protection Group asked us to open it. Sonia walked into the hotel by herself. But while leaving, she was helped by her security personnel," a hotel employee told The Telegraph. Read more

The Aam Aadmi Party today released its first list of candidates for 19 constituencies for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.

According to the list (see picture alongside), Himmat Singh Shergill will contest from SAS Nagar, Harjot Singh Bains from Sahnewal, HS Phoolka from Dakha, Santokh Singh Salana from Bassi Pathana and Amarjeet Singh from Rupnagar.

Mohan Singh Phalianwalas name has been shortlisted for the Ferozepur (rural), basketball Olympian Sajjan Singh Cheemas for Sultanpur Lodhi, and Ahbaab Singh Grewals name has been chosen for the Ludhiana West seat.

A day after the Rajya Sabha passed an amendment to the Constitution enabling the passage of GST, the finance ministry has announced an April 2017 deadline for the uniform taxation system.

Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said his target was for the necessary majority of states to ratify the constitutional change in next 30 days, allowing a new GST Council to finalise legislations that will set the rate and other terms of the tax.

Adhia also told a news conference that it would be "premature" to expect the GST's standard rate to be 18 percent, as proposed by the government's own chief economic adviser, saying this would imply significant revenue losses.

Most revenues came from excise duty and value-added tax whose standard rates, taken together, add up to a tax burden of 27 percent for businesses selling goods. -- Reuters

With just two days to go for the 2016 Rio Olympics, CNN-News18 has learnt that tennis player Rohan Bopanna, who is to pair with Leander Paes in the men's doubles event, is forced to train with others because Leander has yet to arrive in Rio de Janeiro.

Paes, according to sources, has informed the Indian Olympic Association that he doesn't wish to share a flat with Bopanna at the Olympic Village.

The two reportedly don't share any camaraderie, especially since Bopanna announced Saketh Myneni as his doubles partner, before the All Indian Tennis Association (AITA) ruled in favour of Leander.

It must be noted that Sania Mirza too ignored Paes, who will play his seventh Olympics, as her mixed doubles partner and picked Bopanna.

Paes aside, the entire Indian contingent arrived in Rio on August 1 to begin their preparations for the Games beginning on Thursday.

When contacted, Leander's father Vece Paes, a former Olympic medal winner himself in hockey, came out in his son's defence. "Leander is en route to Rio and is reaching this evening," he said.

The senior Paes also suggested that Leander is only late by half a day, in line with what was decided by the team during last month's Davis Cup tie in Chandigarh.

Just in: AAP issues first list for 19 candidates for upcoming Punjab elections.

Finance ministry official says government aims to implement goods and services tax GST by April 2017.

When the Dubai bound Thiruvananthapuram Emirates flight crash-landed at the Dubai airport and goint up in flames minutes later, the first thought going on in the minds of the passengers on board was escape and evacuation, but their hand luggage.


Amateur video recordings inside the plane in the immediate aftermath of the crash show passengers trying to pull out their bags from overhead bins despite the emergency. 

An NDTV report says that a passenger can be heard shouting, "Laptop, laptop," while other passengers reach for their luggage, ignoring the pleas from the crew to use the slide and flee. There were nearly 300 people on board, most of them from Kerala since the flight took off from Thiruvananthapuram.

"Chute, chute, chute," a flight attendant shouts. "Jump the slide, jump the slide," she urges asking passengers to forget their bags.

The passengers held up the process of evacuation by taking their bags out of the overhead luggage compartments.

The video shows fire near one of the engines shortly before the aircraft burst into flames.

No passengers died and only 10 were slightly injured, but a firefighter was killed when the flames spread, and he has been hailed a hero for saving countless lives.

The cause of the crash is not known. The plane had apparently aborted the landing and had been about to go-around for another landing when it crashed on the runway, wheels up.

A 30-year-old Indian chef was punched repeatedly in the face and called "ISIS" by an unidentified man in an alleged hate crime incident in the US city of Omaha.


Suthahar Subburaj, who works as a chef at an Indian restaurant in Omaha, was attacked last month while he was taking out trash for work.


A man wearing a black hoodie punched Subburaj multiple times in his forehead, face, mouth and kicked him in the leg, according to a report in 'The Omaha World-Herald' quoting police officials.


Using abusive language, the man shouted at Subburaj, saying, "ISIS, get out of my country" and fled from the scene, the report said. An advocacy organisation for Hindu Americans have voiced concern over growing "xenophobia" towards people of South Asian and Middle Eastern descent. Leaders of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) have condemned the attack, calling it a hate crime.

The High Court in Gujarat today rejected the state government's ordinance providing members of the economically weaker sections from unreserved category 10 per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions.The court was hearing petitions challenging the state government's May 1 ordinance. Read the full story here.

Air services on the Chennai-Dubai sector were yet to be restored as three airlines have cancelled their flights today, following the crash landing of an Emirates flight in Dubai, airport authorities said.

"Two flights, each belonging to Jet Airways and Indigo, in Chennai-Dubai route were cancelled this morning," they said. Similarly, budget air carrier SpiceJet said all its flights have been cancelled in this route.

"Apologies for inconvenience. All flights to and from Dubai stand cancelled for today," the airliner, said in a micro-blogging site. Three hundred people, mostly Indians had a narrow escape, as an Emirates flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Dubai yesterday crash landed and exploded on the run way in Dubai, shutting down one of the world's busiest airports.

The Delhi High Court has dismissed the petition filed by the Aam Aadmi Party challenging the powers of Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung. Kejriwal, who took power last year after winning the Delhi election with a spectacular mandate, accused the Centre of trying to run the capital through Jung. 

In a bid to end street protests, police have launched a massive crackdown against "hooligans and miscreants" in Kashmir and arrested nearly 500 youth from across the Valley.

"In its continuous drive against hooligans and miscreants, 349 accused persons have been arrested in the Valley," a police spokesman said.

The spokesman said 122 persons have been detained under "prohibitory provisions of law".

More than 50 persons have been killed, including two policemen, and nearly 6000 others injured in the ongoing street protests in Kashmir since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani and his two associates in an encounter with security forces on July 8.


Initially, the authorities imposed curfew across the Valley to curb the protests but the strategy failed as more and more people took to the streets.


A senior police official said the security agencies are using video footage and photographs to pinpoint the "trouble mongers and instigators" among the protestors. "We have deployed some personnel in uniform equipped with cameras for recording the incidents of stone pelting and pinpoint those instigating the protests during the analysis of the footage available," the official said.

The ordeal of an abducted Indian girl's family finally came to an end as the Bahrain police arrested the two kidnappers. Five-year-old Sarah united with the family after more than 24 hours of suspense. 

A day after Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel formally resigned from her post, Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah arrived in Ahemdabad today to hold consultation with party MLAs to decide who will be the next chief minister. Amit Shah will hold consultations with BJP MLAs to pick the new chief minister.

A 30-year-old Indian chef was punched repeatedly in the face and called "ISIS" by an unidentified man in an alleged hate crime incident in the US city of Omaha. 

One body was recovered on Thursday morning as search and rescue operations resumed at the Savitri river, more than 36 hours after a bridge collapsed in Maharashtra's Raigad district.

The Bulandshahr incident could have been avoided had police undertaken a comprehensive inquiry into a robbery that allegedly took place at a nearby dhaba on the intervening night of June 30-July 1. 

The Saket court will pronounce the quantum of sentence for 'Peepli Live' director Mahmood Farooqui today in the rape case of an American lady. The prosecution has demanded maximum punishment, saying he has committed a grave offence. 

Instead of shutting the 88-year-old bridge on Mumbai-Goa highway down after receiving a letter from the United Kingdom government, 3 years ago, on its life coming to an end, Public Works Department erected crash barriers. 

A woman has died and up to five people have been injured after a man allegedly 'went on the rampage' with a knife in a possible terror-related attack in London. Police confirmed a man was arrested after he was seen brandishing a knife and injuring people in front of horrified onlookers in Russell Square -- the same area as where one of the 7/7 bombs detonated in 2005.