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Wed, 02 March 2016
Wanted gangster held in 12-yr-old extortion case
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23:57 Wanted gangster held in 12-yr-old extortion case
Notorious gangster and Brother-in-law of fugitive underworld don Chhota Shakeel, Salim Qureshi alias Salim Fruit, was today arrested in a 12-year-old extortion case, crime branch officials said.
Fruit, against whom a non-bailable warrant was issued in the case, was arrested from Nagpada in south Mumbai by the Anti Extortion Cell (AEC) sleuths of crime branch.
According to police, in 2004, Shakeel's hirelings had threatened a central Mumbai-based doctor and demanded Rs 25 lakh extortion. After negotiations, the amount was settled for Rs 10 lakh.
The crime branch had then arrested two persons when they came to collect the money. Later, two more persons were held in the same case. At that time, Fruit was a fugitive. He was deported to India in 2007 from Dubai and jailed.
22:33 Bangladesh thump Pakistan by 5 wickets
Bangladesh beat Pakistan by five wickets to all but end the latter's hopes of making it to the final of the Asia Cup.
The win albeit ensures the hosts remains very much on course to qualify for the decider against India.
22:28 Strategist Prashant Kishor attends meeting with Rahul Gandhi
Political strategist Prashant Kishor, who played a key role in victories of Narendra Modi-led BJP in general elections and JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance in Bihar, today attended a meeting with Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi to craft the party's strategy for Uttar Pradesh polls. Speaking to reporters, Congress leaders from the state confirmed Kishor's presence during the meet and said the party resolved to defeat "three Ms" of Modi, (SP president) Mulayam (Singh) and (BSP chief) Mayawati in the 2017 elections with "Kishor's expertise".
Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Nirmal Khatri said there was no discussion on the projection of Gandhi's sister Priyanka as party's face for the polls, and added the talks revolved mainly around issues troubling the key cowbelt state.
"Prashant Kishor indeed was present for the meeting. Party will give him a role which it finds appropriate. His expertise will benefit us. He is ready to help us. "Rahul ji appreciated our resolution to form government in Uttar Pradesh. We intend to defeat three Ms: Modi, Mulayam and Mayawati," Khatri said, emerging from the meeting.
22:26 Gun-battle between terrorists and army on in Kashmir
Mukhtar Ahmad reports from Srinagar: A gunfight erupted in south Kashmir Dadsara village after security forces surrounded it this evening following specific information about presence of a group of militants there.
However, as the troops of counter insurgency, Rashtriya Rifles and police jointly surrounded the village, protests erupted there prompting the security forces to use tear smoke and baton charges.
"Firing exchanges are continuing between holed up militants and security forces,' said a senior police officer. More reinforcements have been rushed to the area.
22:26 Gun-battle between terrorists and army on in Kashmir
Mukhtar Ahmad reports from Srinagar: A gunfight erupted in south Kashmir Dadsara village after security forces surrounded it this evening following specific information about presence of a group of militants there.
However, as the troops of counter insurgency, Rashtriya Rifles and police jointly surrounded the village, protests erupted there prompting the security forces to use tear smoke and baton charges.
"Firing exchanges are continuing between holed up militants and security forces,' said a senior police officer. More reinforcements have been rushed to the area.
21:07 2nd affidavit in Ishrat Jahan case fraudulent: Jaitley
In a sharp attack on P Chidambaram, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said the second affidavit filed in the Supreme Court by the UPA government in the Ishrat Jahan case was "fraudulent".
Saying the encounter in which Jahan and her other alleged LeT operatives were killed in Gujarat was "honest", he asked if the Congress believed it was fake why did it then allow those officers involved in the actual shootout to get bail on the 90th day by not filing chargesheets and make them a witness.
In an interview to Times Now, he said the first affidavit by the UPA government mentioning her terror links "was not ambiguous. It was as clear as day light. The second affidavit was fraudulent." Asked if the UPA government played around with the intelligence framework, the Minister said, "Obviously." Chidambaram had on Monday justified the filing of second affidavit as absolutely correct and as Minister owned up the decision. Recalling his 2013 blog on the issue, he said he had raised questions about allowing CBI to investigate the Intelligence Bureau operations and compromising of national security.
"Obviously when the encounter took place, there were some officers who were physically present in the encounter. The CBI arrested all of them. It consciously did not file a chargesheet within 90 days. So those officers were let out on bail," he said.
20:50 MH370: Likely piece of missing plane found off Mozambique coast
CNN reports that a piece of plane wreckage found off Mozambique in southeastern Africa likely belongs to lost plane Malaysia Airlines 370.
Over the weekend, a piece of a Boeing 777 was found washed ashore Mozambique, and it's already on its way to Malaysia for examination.
As CNN points out, aviation experts say this debris likely belongs to MH370, as no record of any other Boeing 777 as reported missing.The debris found was a piece of horizontal stabiliser.
20:26 Kanhaiya's bail good news for us, hope normalcy returns: JNU
JNU administration today welcomed the Delhi high court's decision to grant bail to students union president Kanhaiya Kumar, as a "good news" for the varsity hoping that normalcy will return on campus soon.
"We are delighted to hear the news. Let the law of land prevail. It is a good news for the students as well as for the university. We hope normalcy will return on campus soon," JNU Registrar Bhupinder Zutshi told PTI.
Kanhaiya, was arrested on February 12 in a sedition case in connection with an event on campus against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.
He was today granted interim bail for six months by the Delhi high court which said that he has to cooperate in the ongoing investigation and has to present himself before the investigators as and when required.
The students have been agitating demanding Kanhaiya's release alleging he has been "framed" for raising his voice and being "branded" as a terrorist.
20:11 TN plans to release Rajiv Gandhi's assassins, seeks Centre's views
The Tamil Nadu government has decided to remit sentences of convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and release them and has sought the Centre's views.
19:43 China to start building floating nuclear plant
China will start the construction its first floating nuclear power plant that could sail to specific sites and anchor offshore to produce power by the end of this year, officials said.
The reactor, designed to power offshore oil and gas drilling, island development and remote areas, is scheduled to be put into operation in 2019, said China National Nuclear Corporation's board chairman Sun Qin.
The CNNC holds all the intellectual property rights of the floating nuclear reactor, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Sun, a deputy to the National People's Congress as saying, before the opening of the annual legislative session.
Beijing is at loggerheads with neighbours including Japan and the Philippines over territorial rows in the East and South China Seas, and has alarmed rivals with its massive reclamation and construction of facilities on disputed reefs.
Currently, China has 30 nuclear power generating units in operation and another 24 units are under construction, all on land.
19:15 Former MHA babu says 2nd affidavit was not needed in Ishrat case
The controversy and debate surrounding the Ishrat Jahan encounter case took another twist on Wednesday when a former bureaucrat, who was attached with the Union home ministry, also questioned the need for a second affidavit.
Former joint secretary in the home ministry A K Jain said that there was no reason to doubt the inputs provided by the Gujarat government and the Intelligence Bureau in relation to the case.
In an interview to ANI, Jain who was the joint secretary in-charge of monitoring communal-related matters across the country, said, "I was JS in-charge of the communal situation, and had obtained reports from the IB and the state government. The reports were clear that the outfit to which Ishrat belonged had an association with terror groups."
He further said there was no conflict between the state government and the IB in their reports.
"There was no reason to doubt their inputs," he said.
However, he claimed that there was a considerable amount of distrust between the central government and the Gujarat government at the time.
He revealed that a commission of inquiry was proposed by the central government on the post-Godhra situation.
"References also came from the National Advisory Council to tweak the report of the commission, which I did not support," he alleged.
He reiterated that no questions were raised on the IB reports when he was with the home ministry.
Former joint secretary in the home ministry A K Jain said that there was no reason to doubt the inputs provided by the Gujarat government and the Intelligence Bureau in relation to the case.
In an interview to ANI, Jain who was the joint secretary in-charge of monitoring communal-related matters across the country, said, "I was JS in-charge of the communal situation, and had obtained reports from the IB and the state government. The reports were clear that the outfit to which Ishrat belonged had an association with terror groups."
He further said there was no conflict between the state government and the IB in their reports.
"There was no reason to doubt their inputs," he said.
However, he claimed that there was a considerable amount of distrust between the central government and the Gujarat government at the time.
He revealed that a commission of inquiry was proposed by the central government on the post-Godhra situation.
"References also came from the National Advisory Council to tweak the report of the commission, which I did not support," he alleged.
He reiterated that no questions were raised on the IB reports when he was with the home ministry.
19:00 JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar granted bail by Delhi HC
Jawaharlal Nehru Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar was granted interim bail for 6 months by the Delhi high court on Wednesday.
He was granted bail on a Rs. 10,000 bond.
Kanhaiya was arrested on sedition charges after 'anti-national' slogans were raised during an event on the university campus to protest Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru's hanging.
He was granted bail on a Rs. 10,000 bond.
Kanhaiya was arrested on sedition charges after 'anti-national' slogans were raised during an event on the university campus to protest Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru's hanging.
18:47 Major earthquake strikes Indonesian coast, tsunami warning issued
Indonesia's national meteorological agency has said that it has issued early tsunami warning in west Sumatra, north Sumatra and Aceh regions after a strong 8.2 magnitude underwater earthquake struck southwest of Indonesia.
Further details are awaited.
Further details are awaited.
18:23 IMF projects India's growth to be 7.3% in 2015-16
The International Monetary Fund has projected India's growth to be 7.3 per cent in the fiscal year 2015-16, while FY17 growth has been projected at 7.5 per cent.
The IMF has also announced sale of 200 metric tonnes of gold to the Reserve Bank of India.
The IMF has also announced sale of 200 metric tonnes of gold to the Reserve Bank of India.
18:17 BJP ties up with AGP for Assam polls
The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Asom Gana Parishad have decided to contest the Assam assembly elections together.
"We have to remove Congress for welfare of Assam," said BJP leader Sarbananda Sonowal.
"We have to remove Congress for welfare of Assam," said BJP leader Sarbananda Sonowal.
17:53 Tarun Vijay gets a special Rajya Sabha gift on 60th birthday
On Wednesday, immediately after the acrimonious disruption of the Rajya Sabha, when the House began with question hour, as BJP MP Tarun Vijay rose to ask a question of Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress leader from Goa Shantaram Naik stood up and announced, "Sir, today is Tarun Vijay's birthday.'
It was then spontaneously taken up by the entire House with MPs of all parties responding in unison with a 'Happy birthday, Tarun Vijay', making the Chair, Hamid Ansari, say, 'Yes, yes, I know, happy birthday to Tarun Vijay.'
When it was Rajnath Singh 's turn to answer the question, he began with, "Sir, I know today is his birthday hence I am giving him the answer, Janam din ki hardik badhai." And everybody joined in the laughter that followed.
In a House which had been witnessing acrimonious shouting and disruption of proceedings, it was a refreshing whiff of camaraderie beyond party lines and differences. Tarun Vijay became the focus of everybody's love and affection on his 60th birthday and what's even better, it was all live on TV!
17:48 Modi used 'Fair and Lovely scheme' to make black money white: Rahul
Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his 'tall promises made to the nation', Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that the former used 'Fair and Lovely scheme' to convert black money into white.
"Modi ji had promised that he will put the people with black money behind bars. Now, they have come up with a way to save those people,' Rahul said in the Lok Sabha.
"Prime Minister Modi had promised new jobs, he made a babbar sher (Make in India lion) and it is visible everywhere, but he failed to give a job. They should tell how many jobs have been provided to the youth," he added.
The Congress vice president also used the occasion to criticise Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
"Arun Jaitley came to me and said that there was no better scheme than the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. I asked him why he doesn't convey the same to his boss."
"I know Prime Minister Modi is a very powerful man, but I want you to speak something in front of him," he added.
"Modi ji had promised that he will put the people with black money behind bars. Now, they have come up with a way to save those people,' Rahul said in the Lok Sabha.
"Prime Minister Modi had promised new jobs, he made a babbar sher (Make in India lion) and it is visible everywhere, but he failed to give a job. They should tell how many jobs have been provided to the youth," he added.
The Congress vice president also used the occasion to criticise Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
"Arun Jaitley came to me and said that there was no better scheme than the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. I asked him why he doesn't convey the same to his boss."
"I know Prime Minister Modi is a very powerful man, but I want you to speak something in front of him," he added.
17:29 Rahul's reference to Savarkar angers BJP
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday angered the Bharatiya Janata Party members by his remarks on Veer Savarkar and the ruling party demanded to expunge the reference made to the freedom fighter.
Attacking the Centre over the arrest of JNU students and Rothith Vemula's suicide, Rahul said, "Ek taraf Gandhi hai aur dusri taraf Savarkar (On one side, there is Gandhi and on the other, there is Savarkar)."
The ruling party MPs reacted strongly to this remark and requested the deputy speaker to expunge the remarks.
To this, Rahul said, "I am saying Mahatma Gandhi is ours and Savarkar is yours. Did I say something wrong? Is Savarkar not yours? Have you thrown him away? If yes then you did right."
Criticising the arrest of JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, Rahul said, "I had heard Kanhaiya Kumar's whole speech, not a word in his speech was anti-national. You cannot silence the voice of JNU students or the poor of this country."
He asked the prime minister why he did not condemn the attack on Kanhaiya Kumar by lawyers in court premises.
He said that the prime minister should 'listen to the voice of dissenters'.
"When I went to HCU, when I went to JNU, ABVP workers showed me black flags. I felt proud that I still lived in a country where it's possible to be confronted by people who don't hold the same view as yours."
Attacking the Centre over the arrest of JNU students and Rothith Vemula's suicide, Rahul said, "Ek taraf Gandhi hai aur dusri taraf Savarkar (On one side, there is Gandhi and on the other, there is Savarkar)."
The ruling party MPs reacted strongly to this remark and requested the deputy speaker to expunge the remarks.
To this, Rahul said, "I am saying Mahatma Gandhi is ours and Savarkar is yours. Did I say something wrong? Is Savarkar not yours? Have you thrown him away? If yes then you did right."
Criticising the arrest of JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, Rahul said, "I had heard Kanhaiya Kumar's whole speech, not a word in his speech was anti-national. You cannot silence the voice of JNU students or the poor of this country."
He asked the prime minister why he did not condemn the attack on Kanhaiya Kumar by lawyers in court premises.
He said that the prime minister should 'listen to the voice of dissenters'.
"When I went to HCU, when I went to JNU, ABVP workers showed me black flags. I felt proud that I still lived in a country where it's possible to be confronted by people who don't hold the same view as yours."
17:19
A Chinese pundit associated with the premier think tank on Eurasia under the Academy of Sciences in Beijing -- Institute of East European, Russian and Central Asian Studies -- has made a startling proposal that the 'Kremlin needs to improve cooperation with the world to crack down upon terrorism, drug-trafficking, cross-border crimes and so forth'.
He was specifically underlining the importance of a more activist role by Moscow in regard to the Afghan situation, says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar on Rediff Blogs, here.
17:07 Rahul attacks Centre in Lok Sabha
Speaking in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi government over the issues of price-rise, Rohith Vemula's suicide and JNU row.
"Modiji had promised that he will put people with black money behind bars, now they have come up with way to save those people," Rahul said in Parliament.
"Before elections Modiji said dal is 70 Rs/kg and he promised to bring down prices, but now dal is 200 Rs/kg," he said.
Taking a dig at the ruling party, he said, "You know everything. You never commit a mistake. We commit mistakes and learn from them."
Rahul said that Make in India failed to provide jobs to people which the Prime Minister promised.
Speaking on the suicide of Dalit student Rohith Vemula, Rahul said, "Modiji did not call up Rohith Vemula's mother nor did he even speak on the issue."
Supporting the JNU students, he said that 60 per cent students of the JNU are from Dalit, OBC and minorities communities.l
"Modiji had promised that he will put people with black money behind bars, now they have come up with way to save those people," Rahul said in Parliament.
"Before elections Modiji said dal is 70 Rs/kg and he promised to bring down prices, but now dal is 200 Rs/kg," he said.
Taking a dig at the ruling party, he said, "You know everything. You never commit a mistake. We commit mistakes and learn from them."
Rahul said that Make in India failed to provide jobs to people which the Prime Minister promised.
Speaking on the suicide of Dalit student Rohith Vemula, Rahul said, "Modiji did not call up Rohith Vemula's mother nor did he even speak on the issue."
Supporting the JNU students, he said that 60 per cent students of the JNU are from Dalit, OBC and minorities communities.l
16:21 Sensex closes 464 points up
The Sensex on Wednesday provisionally closed 463.63 points or 1.95 per cent up. The Nifty also closed 146.55 points or 2.03 per cent up at 7,368.85 points.
15:52 Students begin march against JNU row and Rohith case at Mandi House
Students belonging to NSUI have begun their march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar to protest against the JNU row and the Rohith Vemula suicide case. The march comes shortly before the Delhi high court decides on the bail plea in the sedition case.
Earlier too, students along with politicians had carried out a march to Jantar Mantar to demand the release of JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar and had slammed the government for trying to silence the voices of dissent.
15:43 Government declassifies all files related to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
The Government has declassified all the available classified files and transferred these files to National Archives of India for permanent retention.This was told by Minister of State for Home Affairs, Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary in written reply to a question by Trinamool Congress leader Derek O Brien in the Rajya Sabha today
15:16
Just In: All Indians are safe in the Jalalabad mission; one local Afghan staff sustained minor injuries when the Indian mission was attacked and a suicide bomber blew himself up, the ministry of external affairs has said.
15:13 Hamid Karzai to address IIT-Kanpur students tomorrow
Security has been stepped up in the city in view of former Afghan President Hamid Karzai's visit to address students of IIT Kanpur.
"Karzai will address students and take part in the institute's 'Techkriti' festival tomorrow," Kanpur district magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said today.
Karzai will reach Lucknow tomorrow, from where he will travel to the IIT campus by car or helicopter, he said.
Security has been tightened in the city with CRPF personnel called in to supplement the local police force, he said, adding that the route that would be taken by the ex-Afghan president's convoy is being properly inspected.
15:11
Just In: Letters Rogatory sent to Pakistan seeking details about the Pathankot attackers, say official sources.
14:56 Priyanka Chopra's glamourous first look for Baywatch revealed
Can she look any more stunning? The Quantico star was spotted filming her first Hollywood movie, Baywatch, in Boca Raton, Florida, while rocking a very sexy outfit. Priyanka is giving us some serious fashion goals.
In Baywatch, Priyanka will be playing the villain. Baywatch will revolve around the leader of an elite group of lifeguards, including Dwayne Johnson, 43, who is forced to team up with a young, hotshot former Olympian, played by Zac Efron, 28, to save the bay.
14:33
Congress holds protest march against Smriti Irani at Jantar Mantar over Rohith Vemula suicide case in Delhi, police use water cannons.
13:39 Grant licence to dance bars by March 15: SC to Maharashtra government
The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Maharashtra government to grant licences to dance bars by March 15. The apex court also rejected the condition that there should be live CCTV footage of dance performances which should be given to area police.
The SC had on February 24 asked the Maharashtra government to respond to a plea on imposing of "unreasonable" conditions for the grant of licences for dance performances in beer bars and restaurants in the state.
13:32 Twin explosions near Indian consulate in Afghanistan
JUST IN: Two loud explosions and firing in front of Indian Consulate in Jalalabad city of Afghanistan. Two children are injured. The ministry of external affairs tweeted that all consulate staff was safe the suicide explosion.
13:14 Bombay HC grants gangster-turned politician Arun Gawli furlough
The Bombay High Court's Nagpur Bench has granted furlough to underworld Don Arun Gawli, giving liberty to concerned authorities to decide on the duration. Gawli is serving life imprisonment at the Nagpur Central prison for the murder of Shiv Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekhar. Gawli was convicted and sentenced by a sessions court in Mumbai on August 3, 2012 along with 11 others. Special Mcoca Judge Prithviraj Chavan had also imposed a fine of Rs 17 lakh on Gawli, failing which he would have to undergo an additional three-year imprisonment.
12:50 Forensics confirm only 4 Pathankot attackers
Forensic investigators have failed to find human bone or tooth fragments in a charred mass claimed to be the remains of a terrorist killed by the National Security Guard during the Jaish-e-Muhammad strike on the Pathankot airbase, official sources have said.
The absence of this material means that DNA evidence is unlikely to settle the debate over whether four terrorists were involved in the attack on Pathankot, as the National Investigation Agency and Intelligence Bureau believe, or six, as the NSG claimed.
In seven rounds of searches of the airmens billet which concluded last week, an NIA officer said, investigators had failed to find even small fragments of weapons, grenades, or human bones all of which would have supported the NSGs claim to have battled two terrorists, in addition to the four killed some distance away during the first hours of the raid.
12:42 When Sonia met the Lok Sabha Speaker for a one-on-one
Congress president Sonia Gandhi went to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan's chambers to meet her, creating a political flutter.
Since it was a one-on-one meeting, many speculated that it may be about some personal issue, but it was clarified later that the Speaker has organised a meeting of women parliamentarians on SAARC from Thursday, for which a personal invitation had been sent to Sonia.
The Congress chief had met the Speaker to confirm her presence at the meet.
12:37 Amma's blessings for her party MPs' protest in Parliament
AIADMK MPs have been continuing their agitation against P Chidambaram in both Houses of Parliament over The Pioneer's report about his son's alleged financial misdeeds, and they have their supreme leader's permission for it.
Insiders confided that at 7.30 pm yesterday, party general secretary and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha sent a congratulatory message through her personal assistant to deputy speaker Thambidurai for stalling both houses of Parliament and that they should continue the same on Wednesday too.
Accordingly, Thambidurai told his party MPs to continue disrupting both Houses with their slogans. Interestingly, this meeting took place in the AIADMK office and not in its spacious parliamentary party office inside Parliament House.
The AIADMK also clarified to the Congress's Ghulam Nabi Azad that it was not helping the NDA with its protests but merely "obeying Amma's instructions'.
12:16 Gadkari wants PM in Kanyakumari on March 9, will EC allow it?
Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari wants Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Colachel in Kanyakumari, represented in the Lok Sabha by Pon Radhakrishnan of the BJP, on March 9 to lay the foundation stone for a port, but there is a minor hitch.
Since the Election Commission has been meeting regularly to finalise the dates for the five assembly elections due this summer, including in Tamil Nadu, the prime minister's programme might just create an embarrassment if the poll panel announces the dates prior to March 9 as the model code of conduct will kick in immediately once the dates are announced and disallow the PM's visit to a poll-bound state.
Worried about this, insiders in the government have been sounding out the BJP about the possible dates for Tamil Nadu polls so the PM's schedule can be finalised. One way out to avoid any awkwardness is for the poll panel to not announce the election dates till March 9.
Insiders in Election Commission confirm that one of the issues holding up the announcement of poll dates is the logistics of the paramilitary movement within the five states that is still being worked out.
12:12 AAP lawmaker heard abusing Modi government, party questions video
A lawmaker of Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Amanatullah Khan, has been heard on camera using abusive language against the Modi government and inciting a gathering to picket Home Minister Rajnath Singh's home.
In the video dated February 16, Khan, who represents the Okhla constituency, is at a public meeting when he attacks the Centre over the arrest of a cleric, Maulana Mufti Abdus Sami Qasmi, for anti-national activities. He is also heard urging the gathering to surround Rajnath Singh's home in case of future arrests.
AAP has questioned the authenticity of the video. "Why should we ask Amanatullah to explain? What is the proof that his voice is not doctored?" questioned the party's leader Ashutosh.
11:47
JUST IN: Activist Irom Sharmila has been re-arrested, and will be charged with attempt to suicide by fasting.
11:36 Action against terror priority over dialogue: India on talks with Pakistan
For the first time since the Pathankot terror attack, India has said that action against terror takes priority over dialogue with Pakistan.
"In the aftermath of a terror attack, if you ask me what will you give priority to, the terror attack or a dialogue, I think the answer is obvious," Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, whose talks with his Pakistani counterpart have been indefinitely put off, said.
Sources said that the fate of the talks will largely depend on the Pakistani investigation into the terror attack. A five-member Joint Investigation Team, formed by Islamabad last month, is expected to visit India later this month.
India has blamed Pakistani terrorists for the Pathankot attack, submitted evidence to prove that the six men who opened fire at the air base came from across the border, and demanded action against the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed led by Masood Azhar, who plotted the assault.
Till that happens, New Delhi has indicated that it will not reschedule talks between the foreign secretaries of both countries that were derailed after the air base was targeted.
11:20 Chidambaram has explained his stand on Ishrat case: Sonia
A war of words has broken out between the Congress and the BJP with former bureaucrats alleging that the then Home Minister P Chidambaram had put pressure on them to change their affidavits.
Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu also sought an answer from the then home minister P Chidamabram and prime minister Manmohan Singh on why an affidavit on Ishrat Jahan was changed. Responding to the claims, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said, "P Chidambaram has already explained his stand on Ishrat Jahan case. We stand by the explanation. There is nothing new in BJP targeting Congress."
10:59 What's the schedule for Parliament
Following is today's business in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha:
Lok Sabha: Discussion on Motion of Thanks on the President's Address. Discussion on Budget (Railways) for 2016-17.
Rajya Sabha: Motion of Thanks on the President's Address to be moved.
Bills for consideration and passing:
-- The National Waterways Bill, 2015
--The Carriage by Air (Amendment) Bill 2015
--The Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015
--The High Court and the Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2015
10:53 As air worsens, New Delhi turns to masks. The flashier the better
It isn't just sweaters the kindergartners are wearing as they pour out of their classrooms onto the lawns of the American Embassy School in India's capital city. They are also wearing face masks.
It helps that they come in wild prints, made by a San Francisco company, many in fabrics from this year's spring and summer collections of a top Indian fashion designer, Manish Arora. The Tiger's Den, the campus store, has sold 800 this school year alone.
Read more HERE
10:12 After 340 days in space, US astronaut Scott Kelly back on Earth
US Astronaut Scott Kelly is safely back on Earth, and he's already thinking about when he can leave again.
Kelly, who landed on the steppes of Kazakhstan, has spent more consecutive time in space -- 340 days -- than any other American. His most recent stint was aboard the International Space Station, where he's lived since March 27. In all, the astronaut has now spent a total of 520 days in orbit across four missions.
"Thanks for following our #YearInSpace The journey isn't over. Follow me as I rediscover Earth! See you down below!" he tweeted before he began his return. Also leaving the station Tuesday were Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko and Sergey Volkov.
09:48 Delhi writes to wives of SRK and Govinda: Ask your husbands not to promote pan masala
The Delhi government urged the wives of four Bollywood actors to ask them to refrain from endorsing pan masala products as these contain areca nuts, a potential cancer causing agent.The request was made in letters to the wives of actors Ajay Devgn, Shah Rukh Khan, Arbaaz Khan and Govinda as they did not respond to the earlier requests by the Delhi health department.
"It is a humble appeal to you for encouraging Shah Rukh Khan not to participate in advertisements of pan masala in larger public health interest," said a letter written to Gauri, Shah Rukh Khan's wife.Similar letters were written to wives of other three actors also.
09:32
Market surge ahead; Sensex up 331.45 points, currently at 24,103.84. Nifty at 7,320.50.
09:07 Martina Navratilova serves ace on JNU row
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has said her recent tweet on the Jawaharlal Nehru University sedition row that whipped up a storm of protest was to convey her view that violence and bullying solved nothing, and not to pass judgement on India.
The 59-year-old tennis ace said, "Having grown up under a totalitarian regime in what was a communist country (then Czechoslovakia, now democratic Czech Republic), I am pretty well-versed with what its like to live in an authoritarian, unfair system, where one is not at all free to speak ones mind without serious repercussions, she said.
Never did I presume to know the deeper story nor was I trying to tell the Indian people what to do in their own country
I merely suggested that violence and bullying dont solve anything. I also wanted to say that was true anywhere in the world, but couldnt fit that in thanks to the 140-character limit Twitter has."
The 18-time singles Grand Slam champion was trolled on Twitter following a February 22 post linking two New York Times articles critical of the Indian government and talking about the march in the capital by JNU students to protest the arrest of their union leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who has been booked for sedition.
08:58 Pakistan anxiously waiting for Indo-Pak foreign secretary-level talks: Aziz
Pakistan is "anxiously waiting" for the Indo-Pak Foreign Secretary-level talks, a top aide of Pakistan Prime Minister said and asked India not to give the non-state actors "a veto" over bilateral ties.
Sartaj Aziz, the foreign policy advisor to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said that his government's policy direction with regard to fight against terrorism is "clear" but conceded that the "implementation is not very easy". He said a Special Investigative Team is scheduled to visit India to investigate the Pathankot terrorist attack and collect samples and evidences. But the progress on the investigation depends on the co-operation from India, he said
08:56
JUST IN: Congress VP Rahul Gandhi to chair a meeting today in Delhi on 2017 assembly polls in UP. Strategist Prashant Kishor to also attend the meet.
08:33 Jail or bail for Kanhaiya Kumar: Delhi HC to decide today
Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar's fate will be decided today by the Delhi high court, which is likely to pronounce its order on his bail plea in the sedition case.
Judge Pratibha Rani had on Monday reserved the order after three hours of hearing on the bail plea of Kanhaiya, accused of raising anti-India slogans inside JNU campus during an event organised on February 9.
08:09 Al Qaeda hacks into Indian Railways website, leaves message to join jihad
Al Qaeda allegedly hacked a microsite of the Railnet page of the Indian Railway to show its sinister reach for the first time. The hacked page of Bhusawal division of Personnel Department of the Central Railway and part of a large intranet created for the department's administrative needs, was replaced by a message of Maulana Aasim Umar, Al Qaeda chief in south Asia, for all Indian Muslims.
"Why is there no storm in your ocean? A message for Muslims of India from Maulana Aasim Umar (May Allah protect him)," read the message.
An attached 11-page document on the hacked page read: "Will the land of Delhi not give birth to a Shah Muhadith Delhvi who may once again teach the Muslims of India the forgotten lesson of Jihad and inspire them to take to the battlefields of Jihad?"
"Is there no successor left of the group that drenched itself in blood at Balakot, who possesses the spirit of rising in rebellion against a system based on disbelief and offering one's life for Allah?" the message said. In the message, people were encouraged to participate in jihad and help defeat the United State and its allies.
07:50 Super Tuesday: Trump carries 5 states, Clinton sweeps south
Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump have both taken early leads in their respective contests for the US presidential nomination. Clinton has won in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, while Trump has won in Alabama, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Virginia but lost in Texas and Oklahoma.
Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders has won his home state of Vermont. Super Tuesday sees 11 states voting on the biggest single day ahead of the 8 November presidential election.
Confused? Don't know what's Super Tuesday? Here'syour guide to all things Super Tuesday
04:09 Clinton, Trump poised for big Super Tuesday wins
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton could make huge strides toward their party's nominations Tuesday as a dozen states vote in primaries and caucuses on the most consequential day yet in the presidential race.
The Super Tuesday contests are a delegate bonanza for front-runners and a test of survival for others as voters head to the polls across the nation, including in the Deep South, in Colorado and Texas, in ice-bound Alaska and Minnesota and in Bernie Sanders' fortress of Vermont.
Trump is expected to notch a large number of victories that could help him stretch his lead in the GOP White House battle and underscore his growing support across all sectors of the Republican coalition. Those wins could come despite being embroiled in a GOP fight that has rival candidates and party elders, desperate to stop his march to the nomination, branding him unfit for the presidency.
Read more HERE.
03:25 Clinton takes aim at Trump over KKK stumble
Hillary Clinton on Super Tuesday took aim at Donald Trump for not immediately repudiating former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke.
"I'm just speaking out against bigotry and bullying wherever I hear it. And I hear a lot of it from the Republican candidates. They seem to have forgotten completely about issues and they're now running their campaigns based on insults," Clinton said, taking questions from reporters. "It's turned into a kind of one-upmanship on insulting and I don't think that's appropriate in a presidential campaign, and I'm going to speak up on it."
The Democratic front-runner said that while Trump is doing well, she will "wait and see who they nominate."
But she also took aim at Trump for stumbling when asked Sunday by CNN's Jake Tapper to disavow support he has received from Duke, though he has since done so.
"I was very disappointed that he did not disavow what appears to be support from David Duke and the Klan," Clinton said. "That is exactly the kind of statement that should be repudiated upon hearing it."
Read more HERE.
03:07 Gun battles in Jordan raids reportedly targeting militants
Jordanian troops have exchanged fire with armed men during arrest raids in the northern city of Irbid including one group holed up in a building, security officials said.
Jordan's Public Security Directorate referred to those being targeted in the raids as "outlaws" but did not elaborate. The directorate reported there were deaths among the gunmen but did not say how many, and that three members of the security forces were hurt. The statement said clashes
began earlier yesterday and continued in the evening.
The daily al-Ghad said more than 20 suspected militants were arrested in the operation.
Amateur video posted online showed groups of men, apparently onlookers, standing in a street as heavy gunfire could be heard in the distance.
Since last year, Jordan assumed a high-profile role in the US-led military campaign against the extremist Islamic State group which controls large areas of neighbouring Iraq and Syria.
02:21 Astronaut Scott Kelly is coming home
In a few hours, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly is due to be back on Earth.
Kelly has completed a nearly yearlong mission on the International Space Station, the longest any U.S. astronaut has been in space. He's set to come home on Tuesday, riding back to Earth on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. He's scheduled to land in the Kazakhstan desert at 10:27 Wednesday morning.
The prolific social media user posted a photo of the sunrise on Tuesday -- the last one he'll watch from space.
Read more HERE.
01:57 The world's first fully painted film
Back in 2014, Oscar-winning studio Breakthru Films began work on the worlds first fully painted feature-length film and with this beautiful new trailer, they offer a first look at what you can expect from the landmark project.
Loving Vincent not only brings the works of Vincent Van Gogh to life, it also tells the story of the artists life and death through fictional interviews with the characters in his paintings.
The film will use a new oil painting for each shot, with movement added from one frame to the next by a painters brush. So far, around 100 artists have taken part in the project, with more than 56,000 paintings needed to fill the films running time.
Read more HERE.
01:46 A campaign to make Donald 'Drumpf' again
Comedian John Oliver is trying to get voters to call Donald Trump by his ancestral name: Drumpf. How much of the candidate's power lies in his famous last name?
Oliver pointed out the fact that -- according to Gwenda Blair, the author of the book The Trumps: Three Generations That Built an Empire -- the family's surname was originally Drumpf, a decidedly less-regal moniker.
"Stop and take a moment to imagine how you would feel if you just met a guy named Donald Drumpf -- a litigious serial liar with a string of broken business ventures," Oliver continued. "Would you think he would make a good president or is the spell now somewhat broken?"
Read more HERE.
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