LIVE! Kashmir issue can't be solved unless India, Pak talk: Farooq Abdullah

LIVE

Wed, 07 December 2016

Kashmir issue can't be solved unless India, Pak talk: Farooq Abdullah

Timeline Refresh

23:55 Assange claims sex was 'consensual' in released testimony

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has told authorities investigating him over a rape allegation that his accuser "made it very clear" she wanted to have sex, according to testimony he released today.

His statements are the first he has made to investigators since taking refuge in Ecuador's embassy in London over four years ago to avoid extradition to Sweden for questioning in the matter.

He has said he fears Sweden would then hand him over to the United States to answer for the leaking of diplomatic cables and other classified documents by his whistleblowing website.

"I want people to know the truth about how abusive this process has been," the 45-year-old Australian said in a statement he released with the testimony.

Swedish prosecutors dropped a sexual assault probe into Assange last year after the five-year statute of limitations expired.

But they are still investigating a 2010 rape allegation, which carries a 10-year statute of limitations.

An Ecuadoran prosecutor grilled him last month over the rape claim with questions supplied by Swedish prosecutors.

Assange told the prosecutor he met the woman who has accused him of rape at a 2010 talk in Stockholm, where he was based after WikiLeaks released 75,000 secret Pentagon documents about the war in Afghanistan.

The woman, known as SW in the documents, "appeared to be sympathetic to my plight and also appeared to be romantically interested in me", adding that she invited him back to her home.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah today stressed on the need for converting Line of Control as a permanent border and initiation of talks with Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue.

"How will you resolve Kashmir issue without talking to Pakistan? The two countries have to talk to each other. Also the Centre needs to initiate talks with the constituents of Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir to find an amicable solution to the issue," the National Conference president said during the 'Agenda Aajtak' event in New Delhi.

He warned that if the Centre continued to ignore Kashmir, it will be up in flames once again. "... Fire is there which can be low on intensity for some time but it can again rise. Till when will we sacrifice the lives of our people and soldiers," he asked.

"I know many people will not like it but there is only one solution to the Kashmir issue which is that this part of Kashmir remains part of India and that part of Kashmir remains part of Pakistan," Abdullah said.

He had last year claimed that even former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had offered Pakistan to make LoC permanent border during his Lahore visit in in 1999.

The former chief minister said that the Centre should take precise steps which can solve the Kashmir issue so that people live there peacefully and prosper. "As of now, there is no progress."

"I would like people to remember when (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee went to Lahore, he said that India regards Pakistan as a nation and look forward to living in peace. People fear to visit Kashmir... Why is this fear, this fear should not have been there."

He said that Kashmir joined India because of its secular credentials where people from different religions have equal rights. "But we are hearing voices today that India is a Hindu state and everyone is Hindu. Does this mean that a Muslim, Sikh or a Christan cannot be an Indian," he asked, adding the government should allay these fears by "crushing" such communal voices.

The government today said that inflows into Jan Dhan accounts have come down significantly after it warned people not to allow their accounts to be misused for converting black money into white.

The deposits in Jan Dhan accounts post demonetisation saw a sudden surge but after the Centre's warning against misusing such accounts, there has been a continuous fall in deposits in last couple of weeks.

Total amounts deposited during November 8-15 were Rs 20,206 crore, while during November 16-22, people deposited Rs 11,347 crore in such accounts. This further decelerated to Rs 4,867 crore during November 23-30.

Total daily deposit in Jan Dhan accounts was Rs 410 crore on December 1 and Rs 389 crore on December 2.

"The average per account deposit in Jan Dhan accounts is Rs 13,113 for this entire period from November 8 to December 2, which is not alarming, given the need to bring all cash to banks," said the Central Board of Direct Taxes

The Income Tax Department has identified the local clusters and bank branches where the inflows of Jan Dhan deposits have been more than normal, in order to investigate money deposits in Jan Dhan accounts which belonged to somebody else, it said.

After setting a cash deposit limit of Rs 50,000 in Jan Dhan accounts, the government had on November 18 cautioned account holders that they will be prosecuted under the I-T Act for allowing misuse of their bank accounts through deposit of black money in Rs 500/1,000 notes during the 50-day window till December 30.

United States President-elect Donald Trump has settled on Gen John F. Kelly, a retired four-star Marine general whose son was killed in combat in Afghanistan, as his choice for secretary of homeland security, placing defense of American territory from terrorism in the hands of a seasoned commander with personal exposure to the costs of war.

General Kelly, 66, who led the United States Southern Command, had a 40-year career in the Marine Corps, and led troops in intense combat in western Iraq. In 2003, he became the first Marine colonel since 1951 to be promoted to brigadier general while in active combat.

21:48 Karunanidhi discharged from hospital

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Chief M Karunanidhi was today discharged from Kauvery hospital in Chennai.

The 93-year-old former Tamil Nadu chief minister was admitted on December 1 for dehydration and allergy related issues.

Government-owned Air India and budget carrier IndiGo today said they have waived all cancellations, rescheduling and other related charges for travel to and from Port Blair due to cyclonic weather conditions in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.

Air India has decided to waive all such charges for travel to the Island between December 6 and December 9, while IndiGo would not impose them for its flights to the region for today and tomorrow.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's radio address 'Mann ki Baat' is not just bringing lakhs of listeners to the All India Radio, but also getting much needed mega bucks for the public broadcaster.

According to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, the gross revenue generated via PM's programme during 2015-16 through advertisements stood over Rs 4.78 crore.

Minister of State for I & B Rajyavardhan Rathore said Prasar Bharati has informed that as far as AIR is concerned, only the radio broadcast of 'Mann ki Baat' is monetised and other platforms like live streaming or app-based service are not.

"Accordingly, the gross revenue generated via this programme during 2015-16 through advertisements is Rs 4,78,22,480," Rathore said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

A global advisory group on malaria today said India has the highest malaria burden in the Asia Pacific region but claimed vigorous action and renewed efforts in all states can make India reach the historic goal of malaria-freedom by 2030.

"India's recent success in eliminating polio shows what can be done when political commitment is strong. With vigorous action in the low-burden states and renewed efforts in all states, India can reach the historic goal of malaria-freedom by 2030," said Sir Richard Feachem who directs the Global Health Group -- The Malaria Elimination Group -- at the University of California, San Francisco.

It said under-reporting of confirmed malaria cases in India makes it "challenging" to accurately estimate its true burden and asserted that actual number of cases could be between 9-50 times higher than what has been reported by the government's vector programme.

The group is meeting this week in Chennai to discuss strategies to shrink the global malaria map and take stock of India's efforts to eliminate the disease. Senior officials of the government, WHO, Ministries of Health of malaria-endemic countries in Asia and Africa and others will take part in it.

The group said that strong political and programmatic leadership, along with increased financial commitment and strengthened regional collaboration, are crucial to eliminating malaria in India by 2030.

With the support of many partners, India has experienced a remarkable decline in malaria cases, Feachem said. According to WHO, the country has nearly halved the number of reported malaria cases between 2000 and 2014, from 2 million to 1.1 million.

About 3.6 crore farmers have taken the crop insurance policy for a sum insured of Rs 1.41 lakh crore so far in 2016-17 crop year, the government said today and expressed confidence that it would meet the target of 30 per cent coverage by end of the rabi (winter) season.

Early this year, the government had launched a new crop insurance scheme called Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, reducing premiums substantially for both kharif and rabi crops.

The agriculture ministry has set a target to increase the coverage under PMFBY to 30 per cent in the first year itself from the existing 23 per cent in the old schemes.

Releasing the latest data, the agriculture ministry said, "PMFBY launched in the country from Kharif 2016 has made impressive progress in the first season itself. As on date, the scheme has provided coverage to 366.64 lakh farmers (26.50 per cent)."

At this rate, it is likely to exceed the target of 30 per cent coverage for both Kharif and Rabi seasons of the ongoing 2016-17 crop year (July-June), an official statement said.

"In terms of total area covered, the achievement has been significant amounting to a total area of 388.62 lakh hectare and sum insured of Rs 1,41,339 crore," it added.

In the 2016 Kharif season, the performance was better despite the fact that there were some initial issues after the launch.

Pakistan Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz today admitted that the government was presented with only "insufficient evidence" on alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav who is under detention.

Addressing a full Senate chamber, Aziz said the dossier on Jadhav contained mere statements.

"It did not have any conclusive evidence," he was quoted as saying by the Geo TV.

"What the dossier contained was not enough. Now it is up to the concerned authorities how long they take to give us more matter on the agent," Aziz said.

Jadhav, who was reportedly arrested in Balochistan after he entered from Iran, has been accused by Pakistan of planning "subversive activities" in the country.

Pakistan Army had also released a "confessional video" of Jadhav, who said he was the serving Indian Navy officer.

India has acknowledged Jadhav as a retired Indian Navy officer, but denied the allegation that he was in any way connected to the government.

20:04 Balochistan expert to be new RAW chief

The Research and Analysis Wing and Intelligence Bureau will get new chiefs soon.

Anil Dhasmana to replace Rajinder Khanna as the RAW chief by this month-end, when Khanna is scheduled to retire. RAW is India's external intelligence agency.

Dhasmana's specialisation is Pakistan, particularly Balochistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.

Rajiv Jain will replace Dineshwar Sharma as the IB chief after Sharma retires shortly. The IB is India's internal intelligence agency. -- From Rajeev Sharma in New Delhi.

19:53

UPDATE: Pakistan military says 21 bodies recovered from scene of Pakistan plane crash.

19:28 Ram Madhav mocks Hurriyat's 'invitation to tourists', says they actually mean 'terrorists'

Taking a dig at Hurriyat's invitation of 'tourists' to Kashmir, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ram Madhav today said the separatists were more interested in welcoming 'terrorists' to the state.

"I consider it a spelling mistake by Hurriyat people. They might have mistakenly said tourists in place of terrorists. They always welcome terrorists (to Kashmir)," he told reporters in Jammu.

The separatist leaders, who have been spearheading the five-month-long unrest in Kashmir, had in a surprise move yesterday invited tourists and pilgrims to visit the Valley to enjoy the traditional hospitality of its people while promising them safety.

The BJP national general secretary said nobody trusted the separatists and if they were so sincere about peace, they should stop issuing calendars (of shutdowns).

"On one side, you (Hurriyat) preach terrorism and on the other, you issue calendars by shutting down shops, business establishments and educational institutions. Then, you do this drama of issuing statements of inviting tourists to Kashmir," he said.

Stating that this was the biggest hypocrisy by the Hurriyat, Madhav said, If they want tourists in the Valley, they should first restore peace in the Valley. But unfortunately, they are the biggest hurdle in restoration of peace and normalcy in Kashmir.

However, the Modi government spoke in a different voice, with Minister of State for Tourism Mahesh Sharma hailing the initiative.

"My big salute goes to all those who support tourism, and yes, we are for it. The vision of our great Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) is to see that the Valley comes back again. We are all prepared to see and ensure that the tourism industry in the Valley flourishes and for that any steps need to be taken, we will come a step forward.

"Tourism will change the shape of the Valley and will bring the glory back...as a Tourism Minister I welcome their initiative and of course other calls will be taken by the Government of India," Sharma told reporters in New Delhi.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju also said that everyone should promote tourism as Jammu and Kashmir has been very, very important for the sector.

United States President-elect Donald Trump is TIME's Person of the Year 2016, winning the race in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also a candidate.

Terming him 'President of the Divided States of America', the magazine wrote, 'For all of Trump's public life, tastemakers and intellectuals have dismissed him as a vulgarian and carnival barker, a showman with big flash and little substance. But what those critics never understood was that their disdain gave him strength. For years, he fed off the disrespect and used it to grab more tabloid headlines, to connect to common people. Now he has upended the leadership of both major political parties and effectively shifted the political direction of the international order.'

TIME's editors shortlisted 11 candidates for the 2016 Person of the Year -- the publication's annual selection of the person who most influenced the news, for better or for worse -- including Trump, Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Read more.

Economic Times newspaper speaks to a cross-section of industry pundits and insiders to get a feel of how demonetisation has turned out, a month after the decision was announced.

The key learning: Government of India needs to inject a massive dose of positive sentiment, led by tax cuts and other demand-boosting measures, it says, here.

The Pakistan International Airlines plane which had gone missing from radar has crashed near Abbottabad, reports the Express Tribune.

The Islamabad-bound flight had PK-661 had 47 people on board.

The aircraft departed from Chitral at 3.30pm and disappeared from the radar soon after take-off, the report said.

Pak militarys media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said the army dispatched troops and helicopters to the crash site for rescue efforts.

Image for representation only.

JUST IN: Pakistan International Airlines plane has gone missing from radar near Abbottabad, Pakistani media has reported.

The flight was on way to Islamabad from Chitral, Dawn News reported.

There are 47 passengers on board, according to media reports.

It is being reported the PIA plane has crashed near Pipplian that is a suburban village of Havelian, Pakistan media says.

-- With ANI inputs

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley speaks on note ban at Petrotech 2016, excerpts:

* India was counted among fragile five just 2.5 years ago with high inflation, current account deficit, fiscal deficit and lack of policy directive.

* Clarity on economic reform roadmap led to India being called bright spot in global economy.

* Driving economy on twin engines of higher public investment and foreign direct investment.

* Most issues regarding goods and services tax sorted out; only one major issue is pending and it is expected to be resolved in near future.

* Demonetisation disrupted 7-decade normal of society looking the other way to corruption/black money.

* Earlier mindset of policymakers was that just be dishing out a few favours to the affluent you can bring changes in the country's economy.

* Economic changes don't happen overnight, but the road map and agenda for them can always be laid.

* Decision of this kind has pain in transition, which is regrettable but had been factored in.

* Most remarkable factor in the last two and a half years is the emergence of an aspirational India.

* More money in banking system, more capacity of banks to support economy, more transactions under taxation post demonetization.

* We are hoping issue of cross-empowerment will be resolved and GST will be implemented from April 1.

* Indian economy in long term is headed for a very major change; culture of decision making has changed.

* India is going to become a society in the long term with a certainly better GDP, a cleaner economy

* The PM had an option of doing what many others have done look the other way. That was an easier option. He chose the harder option.

* I am sure that this harder option will certainly leave footprints behind as far as future is concerned.

16:40 How Chennai boy Karat made Jaya feel better

Prakash Karat recalls his experiences with his 'batch-mate of sorts' Jayalalithaa. Read here.

The Supreme Court has allowed the Board of Control for Cricket in India to disburse Rs 1.33 crore for next two India vs England Test matches and an advance of Rs 25 lakh each for three one-day and three T-20 matches.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India T S Thakur ordered to release the sum for two cricket test matches to be played in Mumbais Wankhede stadium and Chennai.

The BCCI had moved the SC seeking disbursal of the amount for the remaining two Tests.

On October 21, the top court passed an interim order asking the BCCI to 'cease and desist' from disbursing funds to state associations until the association gave a written resolution that it would adopt all the recommendations approved by the court.

Stanley Pignal, The Economist's man in Mumbai (as he describes himself on Twitter), has tweeted that the Reserve Bank of India has barred the magazine from its press briefings on policy meetings.

He tweets: 'Amazing stuff: @theeconomist us no longer invited to RBI policy meeting press conferences. Won't let me in. Sad day for transparency. RBI spokeswoman says decision to exclude me has nothing to do with @TheEconomist (critical) coverage of demonetisation.

'I've been critical of new governor not speaking to press, did not expect RBI to freeze us out of press conference. It's their call obviously.

'Amazing to go from being granted interviews of @RBI governor in June to excluded from press conferences in November, no warning/explanation.'

16:08

Just In: SC permits BCCI to spend Rs 2.83 crore for two remaining tests, three ODIs and three T-20 matches with England.

The SC also ordered the release Rs 25 lakh each for the three ODIs and three T20 matches.

16:04 Astad Deboo brings Bulleh Shah to life

Gallery 463 at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art, devoted to Mughal art, is redolent of the time it harks back to, with carpets lining the walls -- fawn yellow and faded ketchup red -- and artwork and intricately carved weapons jousting for space with fine brocade, abraded coins, cutlery, pots, plates and more, and throwing soft shadows under 100-plus lights on high.

In it a space was created for the premiere of the specially commissioned Eternal Embrace, a performance by Indian contemporary dancer Astad Deboo and Japanese musician Yukio Tsuji, this past September.

The performance, based on Maati by Sufi poet Hazrat Bulleh Shah, has now come to India.

After its Indian premiere at the Natya Ballet Dance Festival in New Delhi on December 3 -- followed by another in the NCR area on December 4 -- Eternal Embrace will now travel to the National Center for Performing Arts in Mumbai (December 9 and 10), the Alliance Franaise theatre in Chennai (December 14), UB City Mall in Bengaluru (December 16) and at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad (December 18).

The fact that it's been a decade since Deboo created a solo, and that he rarely dances to live music, marks this as a notable creation from the Padma Shri awardee.

With Eternal Embrace, Deboo explores 'the tensions between annihilation and infinity, the ephemeral and the material worlds.'

"We (Tsuji and Deboo) worked in a festival in Spoleto, Italy, on Earth and the environment. Though the context was a bit different (from here), it's also talking about the wars, the massacres," Deboo said, explaining how Bulleh Shah came to inspire him.

Rumi, he felt, had "been done to death," so he consulted his think-tank in Delhi.

"When I need to elaborate on a subject in which my knowledge is limited, I say, tell me, what do you suggest. All these people have seen my work through the decades, seen me grow as an individual," he explained.

And one of them sent him poems of Bulleh Shah from which he chose Maati.

Deboo, who has created his own language of movement with a unique blend of classical and contemporary dance forms, said, "I don't do literal translation (of the poem)... My style is very minimal. When you come to see my performance, you really have to concentrate. You're not coming to be entertained by me. I'm going to push the envelope for you. I won't give too much explanation about the work. I might have a line or the title of the work and I say now it's up to you to make your interpretation."

-- P Rajendran

Image courtesy: Ritam Banerjee

16:01

The Allahabad high court dismisses a petition challenging the election of Narendra Modi from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat: PTI

16:01

Home Ministry asks NIA to take over the terror attack case on army camp in Nagrota.

15:44 Rahane ruled out of fourth Test; Manish Pandey to replace him

Harish Kotian/Rediff.com reports: India's injury woes continued as batting mainstay Ajinkya Rahane was ruled out of the fourth Test against England starting in Mumbai on Thursday with injury.

He will be replaced by Karnataka batsman Manish Pandey.

Apparently, Rahane sustained a finger injury during India's training session at the Wankhede stadium on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, there are also doubts over Mohammed Shami playing in the Mumbai Test after captain Virat Kohli had suggested he is struggling with a sore knee.

The selectors have called in Mumbai pacer Shardul Thakur as a back up for Shami.

Earlier in the day, Kohli had confirmed that KL Rahul had recovered from his injury and would start as the opener in the fourth Test.

Digital payments platform Paytm today announced a toll-free number to enable consumers and merchants without an internet connection to pay and receive money instantly and also recharge their mobile phones.

Customers and merchants will need to register with Paytm their mobile number and set a four digit paytm PIN, the company said in a statement.

"They (users) can then enter the recipient's mobile number, amount and their Paytm PIN to successfully transfer the money from their Paytm wallet to another Paytm wallet," it said.

"We are committed to enabling more and more Indians to transact digitally. The launch of our new toll free payment number (180018001234), is another significant step in that direction. This will allow even non-smartphone users across India to go cashless," Nitin Misra, senior vice president, Paytm said.

Currently, over a million offline merchants across India accept Paytm as their preferred payment mode, the company claimed.

RBI chief Urjit Patel says:

* 7th Pay Commission disbursements have not been disruptive to inflation outcomes.

* Incremental cash reserve ratio was purely a temporary measure.

* Inflation outcome in September and October vindicates current stance

* The recent rise in crude oil prices presents an upside risk to its 5 percent inflation target for March 2017

* Demonetisation to result in short-run disruptions in cash-intensive sectors like retail, hotels, restaurants and transportation.

* Govt has pro-actively responded with increasing market stabilisation scheme limit to Rs 6 Lakh crore.

Deputy RBI chief R Gandhi says:

* Demonetisation decision was not taken in haste

* "We are trying to provide adequate cash. We advise people to not panic of hoard cash. They should also consider adopting more digital payments as there are many available options."

* 19 billion notes have been given to public, more than what we have supplied to public in the last 3 years.

* Old notes worth Rs 11.55 lakh crore recovered after demonetisation.

* No decision taken so far to reintroduce Rs 1000 notes

* Printed more currency notes post demonetisation than in the last 3 years; Public need not worry about availability

Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor's house in the posh Lutyens area of New Delhi was burgled and valuables, including an "antique Nataraja idol" have been stolen, police said today.

The burglary took place on the intervening night of November 28 and 29 at Tharoor's Lodhi Estate residence and he was informed about the incident by his servants on November 29, a senior police officer said.

A case has been registered at the Tughlak Road police station on Tharoor's complaint.

In his complaint, the MP told police that thieves climbed the wall of his official residence and took "an antique Nataraja idol, 12 small Ganesha idols, and 10 small Hanuman idols".

Tharoor's office has also been burgled with a dozen pen drives and an Internet dongle being stolen. The award that he had been given for his involvement in the Swachh Bharat campaign by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also stolen, the officer said.

Police have started probing the incident and has lifted fingerprints from his house. Special teams have been formed to identify the accused, who are suspected to be vagabonds roaming in the area.

The RBI has left the Repo rate unchanged at 6.25 percent, reverse Repo Rate U/LAF at 5.75%.

Other announcements made by the RBI:

* Withdrawal of incremental cash reserve ratio imposed recently on Rs 3.24 lakh crore of deposits, from the fortnight starting December 10.

* Retail inflation to be 5 per cent in fourth quarter of current fiscal

* Expected growth -- measured by GVA -- to come in at 7.1 percent in FY17, down from its earlier 7.6 percent forecast.

* Demonetisation can bring down Consumer Price Index

The RBI policy statement further says:

"The decision of the MPC is consistent with an accommodative stance of monetary policy in consonance with the objective of achieving consumer price index inflation at 5 per cent by Q4 of 2016-17 and the medium-term target of 4 per cent within a band of +/- 2 per cent, while supporting growth."

"The outlook for GVA growth for 2016-17 has turned uncertain after the unexpected loss of momentum by 50 basis points in Q2 and the effects of the withdrawal of specified bank notes, which are still playing out."

"Downside risks in the near term could travel through two major channels: (a) short-run disruptions in economic activity in cash-intensive sectors such as retail trade, hotels & restaurants and transportation, and in the unorganised sector; (b) aggregate demand compression associated with adverse wealth effects. The impact of the first channel should, however, ebb with the progressive increase in the circulation of new currency notes and greater usage of non-cash based payment instruments in the economy, while the impact of the second channel is likely to be limited."

Even as millions of AIADMK supporters thronged the Rajaji Hall to pay their last respects to Jayalalithaa, the state authorities had deployed enough forces to ensure that the situation never went out of control.

The police had their work cut out. But with shops shut and eateries closed, there was little the personnel could do to end their hunger.

That's when the Chennai office of The Hindu newspaper stepped up to express its gratitude to the cops who have been working tirelessly to ensure peace and harmony across the city.

In a gesture that touched thousands of hearts, the canteen of the newspaper office provided food and refreshments to the police.

Jarshad Kakkrakandy, an employee of The Hindu, took a photograph and shared it on Facebook. The photo has gone viral since.

14:10

ED registers FEMA case to probe alleged fraudulent transactions of Rs 22 crore involving Air Asia; summons airline officials.

14:08 No crane big enough to lift tilted INS Betwa, foreign help sought

A day after warship INS Betwa toppled at the naval dockyard here, killing two and injuring 22, the Indian Navy has yet to figure out a way to lift the ship and has called in foreign experts.

The Navy does not have a crane that can lift the 3,850-tonne frigate, which is floating in the dry dock since she keeled over on Monday.

The cranes available with the Navy can lift only 100 tons. Mazgaon Dock has a crane with a capacity of 300 tons, but it can't be shifted out of the premises.

The salvage operation, which a time-consuming process, will cost a few crores of rupees , said a naval officer.

Read more HERE

With noisy protests continuing to stall Parliament for the third week, BJP veteran L K Advani today expressed deep distress over the way the Lok Sabha proceedings were being conducted, saying neither the Speaker nor the Parliamentary Affairs Minister was running the House.

A visibly agitated Advani was heard expressing his unhappiness to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar over the continuing protests in the House at a time when some opposition members had even come to the side of Treasury benches raising slogans in the Well.

"Neither the Speaker nor the Parliamentary Affairs Minister is running the House," he was heard remarking just before the House was adjourned 15 minutes ahead of the lunch recess, amid slogan-shouting by Congress and TMC members.

"I am going to tell the Speaker that she is not running the House ... I am going to say it publicly. Both sides are a party to this," he said as Kumar was seen pacifying the senior parliamentarian. He also pointed to the media gallery, apparently suggesting that his comments will be reported.

As the House was adjourned, the 89-year-old leader asked a Lok Sabha official till what time it has been adjourned. When told that it was till 1400 hours, he snapped, "Why not sine die?"

Earlier too, Advani was seen expressing his displeasure over the situation in the House to Kumar.

Budget carrier IndiGo has taken off duty the two pilots of its Kolkata flight, carrying West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, over which a row had erupted following Trinamool Congress' allegations that the aircraft was not accorded priority in landing despite fuel shortage.

Pilots operating flight 6E 342 have been kept off flying duties till investigations and discussions with DGCA are complete, an IndiGo spokesperson said.

The two pilots would not be rostered as long as the investigation by the aviation regulator DGCA is completed, the airline said.

Following the uproar by the TMC members in Parliament, the government had said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had launched its probe into the issue.

The inquiry was conducted by the regulator, supported by IndiGo safety department, the airline said, adding that as an airline it always complies with the DGCA guidelines.

IndiGo captain had followed all SOPs as laid by the regulator and at no stage the captain declared a fuel priority or an emergency, it said.

13:00

Demonetisation: ED conducting enquiry of records in over 50 bank branches across country to check money laundering, hawala dealings

12:05

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2pm after opposition continues to protest against demonetisation

12:04 SC to hear BCCI plea seeking funds for Ind-Eng tests at 3pm

The Supreme Court agreed to hear today the plea of BCCI seeking disbursal of Rs 1.33 crore for holding two test matches between India and England.

A bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur considered the submission of senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the cricket body that funds be released for holding the test matches to be played in Mumbai and Chennai respectively.

Sibal said that earlier also the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was allowed to disburse funds for holding the matches of the ongoing India-England series.

"The quorum of the bench, which has been hearing the BCCI matter is not available at present and same would be made available at 3 PM today," the bench said.

The apex court had on November 8 removed the hurdles created by state cricket associations on the holding of the India-England test series by allowing BCCI to incur the expense of Rs 58.66 lakh for the first match which started on November 9, warning that no part of fund will go to the host Saurashtra Cricket Association.

A new Guinness World Record has been set in the US for most candles on a birthday cake -- where a staggering 72,585 candles were lit on the occasion of late Indian spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy's 85th birth anniversary.

Chinmoy Kumar Ghose, better known as Sri Chinmoy, taught meditation in the West after moving to New York City in 1964.

Taking place at the Sri Chinmoy Centre in New York, a team of 100 people worked together to make the cake, individually place each candle and then light them with 60 blowtorches.

The candles remained burning for about 40 seconds, ensuring that the previous record went up in flames.

The sponge cake was filled with vanilla mousse and created in the shape of a huge rectangle measuring 80.5 feet long and two feet wide.

There were far too many candles for anyone to blow out in the traditional manner, so the candles were put out with carbon dioxide fire extinguishers to ensure that the dessert was still edible afterwards.

The wax was then scraped off and the party tucked into the enormous cake.

Here's what happened in the Rajya Sabha before it was adjourned:

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad says: "It's been a month now and 84 people have died. The government took this decision without planning; who is responsible for so many deaths?

Leader of the House Arun Jaitley responds: "We were ready for debate and still are. Opposition wanted PM to be present in the house so PM has been regularly present. But it seems the opposition just wants to disrupt proceedings for one reason or the other."

Following this, protests from the opposition benches grew louder.

Then, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati intervened.

She said, "Govt promised demonetisation problems will be fixed in 50 days. It's been a month already, but I don't see any resolution. The entire opposition is ready to listen to what PM has to say, he should apologise for demonetisation decision. So many people have died, but the government isn't doing anything"

Even as Mayawati spoke, BJP MPs were already raising 'Himmat hai toh charcha karo' slogans.

As the din continued, Deputy chariman P J Kurien adjourned the House till Noon.

11:26

Rajya Sabha adjourned till Noon over opposition protests on demonetisation

11:26

Govt promised demonetisation problems will be fixed in 50 days. It's been a month already, but I don't see any resolution, says Mayawati

11:06

SC to hear on Friday a plea challenging appointment of Rakesh Asthana as interim CBI director.

10:37 PSLV-C36 carrying Resourcesat-2A launched successfully

India successfully launched its Resourcesat-2A imaging satellite on Wednesday morning via its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C36 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

Wednesday's launch, India's seventh and final of 2016, caps what is already the country's busiest year for space launches.

Including Wednesday's, six of India's launches this year were made by the workhorse PSLV rocket, with the seventh using the larger Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk II.

It is the third year in a row that India has increased the frequency of its satellite launches; making four launches in a year for the first time in 2014, and beating this with five in 2015. All six of India's 2016 launches to date have been successful.

Resourcesat-2A has been built to similar specifications as Resourcesat-2, and carries the same instrumentation as both Resourcesat-2 and Resourcesat-1 before it.

The primary imaging payload is the Linear Imaging Self Scanner 4 (LISS-4), a high-resolution visible and near-infrared camera with a resolution of 5.8 meters (19 feet).

10:24 Dilip Kumar hospitalised with swollen leg

Veteran actor Dilip Kumar has been hospitalised after suffering from swelling in his leg.

Kumar, 93, was rushed to the Lilavati hospital in suburban Bandra in Mumbai, on Tuesday morning.

"He had swelling in his right leg and we wanted to get it investigated properly. So we took him to the hospital. Also, he undergoes routine check up every few months and that is being done as well," the actor's wife Saira Banu said.

"He is doing fine... There is nothing to worry. His blood test was done this morning," she said.

The veteran actor will be turning 94 on December 11 and Saira hopes he is back home by then.

"Doctors are examining him well. I hope and pray that he will be at home on his birthday," she said.

Earlier, Kumar was admitted to Lilavati hospital for a few days in April this year following respiratory problems.

At least two people died and more than 10 were injured as a Guwahati-bound train flew off the rails in north Bengal late on Tuesday, bringing the spotlight back on India's large but poorly maintained rail network.

The railways tweeted that the engine and two coaches of the Patna-Guwahati Capital Express derailed near Samuktala road at around 9.15pm. Two unidentified males have been declared dead while many are injured.

Railway minister Suresh Prabhu ordered an inquiry while the department said the cause of the accident appeared to be due to the driver jumping a red signal.

"Thorough enquiry will be subsequently conducted and action taken against the guilty," the northeast frontier railway said.

This is the second major accident in as many months, after 14 coaches of the Indore-Patna Express went off the rails on November 20, killing 145 people -- the countrys worst train accident in six years. The accident was blamed on a fracture in the tracks.

09:41

The Indian Navy has swung into action to evacuate 800 tourists, who were stranded after torrential downpour at Havelock Island in the Andamans.

The Navy has deployed four small ships to bring back the tourists.

08:58 PM Modi tweets: 'Cho was insightful, frank & brilliant'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to condole the demise of Cho Ramaswamy.

In a series of tweets, PM Modi said:

"Cho Ramaswamy was a multidimensional personality, towering intellectual, great nationalist & fearless voice who was respected and admired."

"Above all, Cho Ramaswamy was a dear friend. I have been to his annual readers meeting which were an unprecedented editor reader interface."

"Cho Ramaswamy was insightful, frank & brilliant. Pained by his demise. Condolences to his family & countless readers of Thuglak."

Modi recollected how at an event, the "feisty Cho Ramaswamy introduces me as the 'Merchant of Death.'

The PM added, 'I returned the favour, but don't think I matched Cho's eloquence.'

PM Modi posted videos of the event on his Twitter account.

08:55 Markets position for a 25-basis point rate cut

Business Standard's Anup Roy reports: Bond market participants expect the 6-member Monetary Policy Committee to deliver a 25-basis point cut in repo rate on Wednesday and have taken positions fully factoring in the same.

Many in the market also expect the quantum of rate cut to be more, but only a few expect a pause.

The MPC, headed by RBI Governor Urjit Patel -- who are meeting for two days, starting Tuesday -- will announce the policy decision at 2.30 pm on Wednesday.

The present yields on the 10-year bond, which closed at 6.20% on Tuesday, have factored in a sure-fire rate cut. The yield is lower than the present repo rate of 6.25%.

The local currency too strengthened past 67 a dollar level, after staying in the 68 zone for a few weeks, as foreign investors likely poured in heavy dollars in the market on Tuesday.

The local currency closed at 67.90 a dollar, from its previous close of 68.22 a dollar.

"There was lot of flow and that strengthened the rupee," said Ashish Vaidya, head of trading, DBS Bank India.

The figure for foreign flow in debt and equity is released with a lag. It is likely that the foreigners were a net buyer in the market on Tuesday.

08:52 What's making news today

* Veteran journalist, former Rajya Sabha member and political commentator Cho Ramaswamy passed away on Wednesday morning in Chennai following illness. He was 82.

* Veteran actor Dilip Kumar was admitted to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital yesterday after he complained of swelling in his right leg & had fever

* The movable assets of Kingfisher Airlines located at Mumbai's international airport will be auctioned online by SBI Cap Trustee today. Assets to be auctioned include forklifts, cranes, towing machines, tractors, tempos, cars, trolleys, ladders and aircraft pullers.

* Delhi fog: 8 international flights delayed and 3 diverted, 5 domestic flights delayed due to poor visibility.

* Delhi fog: 81 trains running late, 21 rescheduled and 3 cancelled due to poor visibility.

* Russian Embassy lodges protest with MEA regarding cash crunch due to demonetisation; Russian envoy urges government to take immediate steps, sources said, adding that the MEA has referred the matter to Department of Economic Affairs and the finance ministry.

* Two dead and six injured in Capital Express train derailment in Alipirduar in West Bengal.

08:48

Mumbai: Commuters on Titwala-Khadawali route were in for a tough time on Wednesday morning when local train services were delayed due to a technical glitch.

Angry commuters blocked the track in protest, following which the services on the route have been suspended.

Phitograph: ANI

08:44 Army, IAF ground 280 Cheetah and Chetak choppers for safety checks

Hindustan Times reports: The army and air force have grounded their ageing fleets of light-utility helicopters, concerned if the machines were fit to fly after three army aviators were killed in a crash in West Bengal a week ago.

More than 280 Cheetah and Chetak helicopters, lifeline of troops in high-altitude areas including Siachen glacier, would fly only after Hindustan Aeronautics Limited would carry out a comprehensive safety check of each of the machines, a defence ministry official told HT.

The design of the helicopters is more than 50 years old and their airworthiness is being questioned after a string of mishaps in recent years.

The unavailability of these choppers could hamper operations in forward areas. "The HAL will clear the choppers in batches. It is not as if the entire fleet will be unavailable for a long time," an IAF officer said.

Read more HERE

Veteran journalist, former Rajya Sabha member and political commentator Cho Ramaswamy passed away on Wednesday morning in Chennai following illness. He was 82.

He had been undergoing treatment for a prolonged time at the Apollo hospital, Greams Roads for breathing difficulties.

A close friend of former Tamil Nadu chief minister, the late J Jayalalithaa, Ramaswamy and used to seek his views. was fearless in criticising the ruling government in the state or at the centre.

Ramaswamy, who founded and edited the political magazine Thuglak, had personal rapport with many politicians in the country.

He has acted in 89 movies alongside famous artists, apart from featuring in 15 plays. He has also directed 5 movies and written the screenplay for another 5 films.

00:09 Angela Merkel calls for ban on Muslim veil

Angela Merkel laid out her case for a fourth term as German chancellor on Tuesday, seeking to energise her conservatives with a call to ban full-face Muslim veils and the promise of a tougher stance on immigration after a record influx of refugees.

Speaking to a party congress of her Christian Democratic Union in Essen, the western rust belt city where she won the party leadership 16 years ago, Merkel sought to present herself as a guarantor of stability in an uncertain world.

The meeting was taking place a month after Donald Trump was elected president of the United States and at a time when Europe is reeling from a surge in populism and Britain's vote to leave the European Union.

Merkel has been described as the last guardian of western democratic values, a suggestion she rejected.

"You must help me," she said in an impassioned appeal to 1,000 CDU delegates. "No one, not even someone with great experience, can change things for the good in Germany, in Europe, in the world more or less on their own -- certainly not a chancellor of Germany."

She was later re-elected head of the party by 89.5 percent of the delegates present, down from 96.7 percent two years ago.

Merkel's decision to allow the migrant influx last year hit her popularity, triggered a damaging fight with her Bavarian allies and led to a surge in support for the anti-immigrant, eurosceptic Alternative for Germany (AfD). The party is expected to win its first seats in the federal parliament next year.

Timeline Refresh

TOP STORIES