LIVE! In posters in Pakistan, Lashkar claims responsibility for Uri attack

LIVE

Tue, 25 October 2016

In posters in Pakistan, Lashkar claims responsibility for Uri attack

Timeline Refresh

16:05 Poor security, mud wall blamed for Pak academy attack

Balochistan government today came under attack over poor security arrangements at the police training academy where more than 60 young cadets were killed by Islamic State militants in a late-night assault.

Senior security officials said the terrorists managed to enter the facility, that has been previously attacked twice, taking advantange of the the inadequate security arrangements.

Despite percieved security threats, the boundary wall of the centre was made up of mud and five-feet high, officials said.

They said security should have been enhanced since the facility was located in one of Quetta's sensitive areas.

On September 6, Inspector General Police Balochistan, Ahsan Mehboob had requested the Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri for construction of a boundary wall for the academy.

Zehri had promised the construction of a wall. The attack, however, took place before the wall could be constructed.

Posters have appeared in Pakistan's Gujranwala town announcing that the Lashkar-e-Tayiba will be holding last rites in absentia for one of the four terrorists who attacked the Indian Armys 12 Brigade at Uri, killing 20 soldiers and sparking off the worst India-Pakistan crisis in years. The posters are the first hard evidence for Indian allegations that the attacks were carried out by a Pakistan-based jihadist group until now been denied by Islamabad.

According to a report by the Indian Express, the posters name one perpetrator as Gujranwala resident Muhammad Anas, who operated under the alias Abu Siraqa. They invite local residents to join namaaz prayers for the Lashkar-e-Taibas lion-hearted holy warrior Abu Siraqa Muhammad Anas, who sent 177 Hindu soldiers to hell at the Uri Brigade camp in occupied Kashmir, and thus drank from the glass of martyrdom.

Bearing images of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the head of the Lashkar-e-Taibas parent organisation, the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the posters say the ghaybana namaaz janaza, or last rites held in the absence of the body of the deceased, will be held at Bada Nullah, near Girjakh, in the Punjab town of Gujranwala.

Read the full story HERE

Actress Deepika Padukone, who is currently awaiting the release of her Hollywood debut xXx: Return of Xander Cage, will present an award at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The 30-year-old star expressed her excitement on social media with fans, saying she cannot wait for the star-studded night. The actress shared a poster of herself, announcing the news by captioning it, "Deepikapadukone. Can't wait. #6thNov #mtvema."

The award ceremony will air in India on November 7 on Vh1.

Bollywood stars Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar have send good wishes to Indian soldiers on the occasion of Diwali. The actors have joined the #Sandesh2Soldiers campaign started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging people to send their special Diwali message to the soldiers.

"This is a wonderful gesture. Our PM absolutely right, the support of 125 crore Indians for our soldiers will fill them with love. Let us all join him in sending our messages. Love a," Aamir, 51, tweeted.

Akshay tweeted a video where he is seen wishing 'Happy Diwali' to the Indian Army.

"The best way to celebrate a festival is with your loved ones and the good luck of spending festivals with our families is because of you (soldiers). Without even knowing us, you

love us and keep us safe.

"I dedicate this Diwali to all the soldiers...We are because of you. This was my message to the soldiers," the actor said in the video.

In his first communication to top executives of Tata group firms since returning as interim chairman on Monday, Ratan Tata today told them that his appointment is for the short-term, and that a new leadership will be in place soon.

"I have assumed the role of interim chairman for stability and continuity so that there is no vacuum."

Tata also called on leaders of group companies to focus on their businesses without being concerned about the change in top leadership.

"Act as leaders in respective markets and focus on enhancing returns to shareholders," Tata has told the top executives of group firms.

A day after the split in the Samajwadi Party came out in the public, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav addressed the media today.

Here's what he said.

>> I've always worked for people's interest and will continue to do so

>> Humara parivaar ek hai, party ek hai, poori taakat ek hai (Our family is one, our party is here, our strength is one)

>> I have full faith in people, they will support us again, give us a mandate and decide who CM will be

What is interesting to see is that while Shivpal Yadav is present at the press meet, his son Akhilesh is absent.

The Defence Ministry has reportedly given the final clearance for the much awaited M777 howitzer guns deal. The deal for the purchase of 145 US Ultra-Light Howitzers from BAE Systems will cost around Rs 5,000 crore subject to clearance from the Finance Ministry and Cabinet Committee on Security.

That the deal is the first for guns after the Bofors only adds weight to how important such an acquisition will be for the Indian Army, which is struggling with insufficient artillery. The M777 Howitzer is a 155mm 39 calibre towed gun.

According to BAE Systems, the manufacturer of the gun, the M777 is a highly portable gun in the defence arsenal of any country. The gun is portable by land, sea and air.

The gun has a maximum unassisted range of 24.7 km and an assisted range of 30 plus km. BAE claims that the gun can be used to fire 5 rounds per minute for up to 2 minutes. It can easily be lifted by helicopters like the Chinook, which India has already ordered from Boeing.

14:26 A letter to my daughter regarding Trump

I am so sorry that the world I've brought you into is one in which not only is Donald Trump possible, but possibly the next President of the United States. I had hoped that by this point in history, we would be better than this. Apparently, we're not.

Read full HERE

Trust Bob Dylan to do what any person supposedly in their right mind wouldn't. It's no secret that Bob Dylan hasn't responded to him being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Yup, the musical great hasn't even acknowledged the prestigious award, set aside the fact that he is the first musician in history to have won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Bob's silence ever since the announcement can only mean that he doesn't care either for the award money, or the acknowledgement.

Under the Nobel rules, however, the winner must give one lecture on literature--or in Dylan's case even a concert--within six months to receive the $900,000 prize money.

Read full story HERE

The Supreme Court, which is hearing a contentious matter relating to electoral malpractices arising out of its 1995 judgment, popularly known as the 'Hindutva' verdict, today said it would not examine the issue of religion at this stage.

"We will not go into the larger debate as to what is Hindutva or what is its meaning. We will not re-consider the 1995 judgment and also not examine Hindutva or religion at this stage," a seven-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur said.

"At this stage, we will confine ourselves to the issue raised before us in the reference. In the reference, there is no mention of the word 'Hindutva'. If anybody will show that there is a reference to the word 'Hindutva', we will hear him. We will not go into Hindutva at this stage," the bench said.

Amid all the frenzy surrounding his ouster as Tata Sons' chairman, Cyrus Mistry today issued a press statement.

The statement reads, "Events of the past 24 hours obviously involve an element of sensitivity if not surprise. They need time for being assessed. As and when a public statement becomes necessary, it would be made."

"Neither the SP Group nor Mr Cyrus Mistry has made any statement yet. While the circumstances are being studied, there is no basis to media speculation about litigation at this stage."

Tata Group, meanwhile, has played safe and filed caveat in multiple law forums to avoid any ex-parte order against the group that may arise from this ouster.

Interestingly, this statement negates earlier reports that Mistry is likely to move the Bombay high court this week challenging his dismissal.

Just In: The Supreme Court has asked Vijay Mallya to give complete details of his assets abroad in four weeks, and to disclose what he did with the USD 40 million he had received from Diageo.

The Indian Express today carried a shocking report, SC asks RBI: 87 owe Rs 85000 crore, why not make their names public, by Utkarsh Anand, which inter alia said the apex court told India's central bank that it should not work in the interest of the banks but in the interest of the country which calls for disclosing the names of the biggest defaulters.

'See this amount'if we had asked for details of those who owe Rs 100 crore, this could be another Rs 1 lakh crore'why should we not put the names of these defaulters in public domain? The RBI publishes a list of wilful defaulters every year. It does not matter whether they are wilful defaulters or not but they certainly owe Rs 500 crore and more to the banks' people may have a right to know,' the Express quoted the Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice of India T S Thakur and also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and L N Rao as saying.

Reacting to the report, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury tweeted: 'The country has a right to know, who has taken loans of lakhs of crores from our banks run on public money.'

You can read the report here.

The Tata Sons move to mandate a selection panel to find a new chairman for the group in the relatively short period of four months, has led to speculation that the $103 billion, Mumbai-based conglomerate may have already decided on the next chairman.

In 2010, in its move to find a successor for then chairman Ratan Tata, who was scheduled to retire in 2012, Tata Sons had formed a selection committee to hunt for the possible successor.

It took the group more than two years to come up with a list that reportedly included Ratan Tata's half-brother Noel Tata and Pepsico chair Indra Nooyi, before Tata Sons, in a surprise announcement named, Cyrus Mistry.

"If it took them more than two years to hunt, then going by precedence, the announcement of a short period of four months, by when Tata Sons says a new chairman would be announced, shows that the group probably already has someone in mind," said a person who has in the past collaborated on strategy decisions.

Speculation is rife in Bombay House that the future head would be an insider, probably from the Tata family or a Ratan Tata loyalist.

The Supreme Court has asked Vijay Mallya to give complete details of his assets abroad in four weeks. The SC also asked the businessman to disclose what he did with $40 million he had received from Diageo.

Who will be the leader of the Samajwadi Party in the Rajya Sabha where it enjoys a healthy 19-MP head count, now what Ram Gopal Yadav has been shown the exit door?

Insiders say that big boss Mulayam Singh Yadav is keen to give a Kurmi leader a chance this time, what with impending state elections, and hence the choice may come down to Beni Prasad Verma or Reoti Raman Singh.

A quick decision is necessary as the Rajya Sabha will convene on November 16, as otherwise the party will be headless, and direction-less, in the Upper House.

And what about Ram Gopal Yadav's own status? If his expulsion letter reaches the chairman of the Rajya Sabha in time he will become an unattached member; but if a compromise is reached before that, he will remain a simple MP. Nothing more, nothing less.

Perhaps Mulayam Singh took the decision to expel his cousin from the party as a knee-jerk reaction, without going into the consequences of removing the leader of his party in the Rajya Sabha. With the result that he is faced with the problem of finding a quick replacement.

US President Barack Obama trolled Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump - known for his prolific use of Twitter to settle scores - making Trump the punch line for jokes on ABC's late-night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

Obama read aloud a series of "mean tweets" culminating in one from Trump: "President Obama will go down as perhaps the worst president in the history of the United States!"

"At least I will go down as a president," Obama said.

Kimmel asked Obama, "Do you ever laugh" when watching Trump on television. "Most of the time," Obama said.

Obama's second and final term ends on January 20. Under the US constitution, presidents are limited to two terms - which is just as well, Obama said.

"If I were able to run for a third term, Michelle would divorce me," he said, noting his wife does not like politics.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said that any donations to the Indian Army Welfare Fund should be voluntary and "there should be no catching of anyone's neck".

His remarks assume significance after a row broke out over the Ae Dil Hai Mushkil row. Earlier on Saturday, the MNS, Karan Johar and the CM met and following the meeting it was announced that Johar would pay a Rs 5 crore donation to the army fund for having Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in his movie.

The move has been severely criticised with many ex army officials saying that the donation amounted to extortion and the army didn't want to play any part in this.

11:40

BREAKING: Explosion reported from Chandni Chowk in Delhi, 1 feared dead

11:35 This isn't a court hearing, Cyrus Mistry was told when he objected

Board meetings of Tata Sons are normally staid, predictable affairs.

But not the meeting on Monday which led to the shock exit of the company's chairman, Cyrus Mistry.

The company removed Mr Mistry, almost four years after he became its first chief from outside the Tata family, and brought back Ratan Tata, 78, who has taken interim charge until a successor is appointed.

"The board in collective wisdom and on recommendations of principle shareholders took a decision to change for long-term of interests of Tata Sons and Tata Group," a Tata Sons spokesperson said.

According to an exclusive report by NDTV, Mistry's exit was not -- perhaps deliberately -- listed on the board agenda. An insider told NDTV that it was brought up as a 'residuary' item, under the 'any other items' category, listed at the end of every board agenda.

When it came up, Mistry is said to have protested, calling it an illegal move.

He is said to have pointed out that according to the Tata rule book, a 15-day notice has to be given before bringing such an item before the Board, a timeframe, he said, in which he could have made a case for himself.

But the Board is said to have told him "we have legal opinion" in support of the decision. Mistry asked to see the opinion; the board reportedly told him "this was not a court hearing".

One of the best regarded names in Indian publishing, VK Karthika, publisher and chief editor of HarperCollins Publishers India , has resigned from her position after a decade-long stint with the company, according to sources.

Karthika's decision to move on comes on the heels of other major changes at HCI over the last several months. In August 2015, PM Sukumar, the Chief Executive Officer, left the company, making way for Ananth Padmanabhan, who, after spending nearly 20 years at Penguin Books India, took over the role in October that year.

11:12

JUST IN: Suspected terrorist holed up in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir Police, CRPF and army jawans cordon off area

11:01 State CIC can transfer info commissioners, rules Bombay HC

The Bombay high court has held that the State Chief Information Commissioner has powers under Right to Information Act to transfer state information commissioners from one region to another for the purpose of ensuring that the Commission functions in a smooth manner.

This significant ruling was delivered by a bench headed by Justice V M Kanade, who recently held that the state Chief Information Commissioner has such powers under section 15(4) of RTI Act to transfer State Information Commissioners from one region to another.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by a Pune-based journalist Vijay Kumbhar challenging the transfer of Ravindra Jadhav, state information commissioner posted at Amravati, to another place.

10:59 Australian PM greets Indians on Deepavali

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull today wished a happy "Deepavali" to the Indian community living in his country, saying the festival is a powerful reminder that our society is greatly enriched by its diversity.

Stating that Diwali is one of the most important events of the Hindu calender, observed since ancient times, Turnbull said the occasion was "deeply embedded in traditional culture, when families and friends gather together to light diyas, share gifts, and celebrate the triumph of light over darkness."

"Today Deepavali is enjoyed by many around the world, regardless of background or faith. In Australia, festivities are held in cities, town and homes across our country," he said. "Such events bring understanding and appreciation to the broader community, and are a powerful reminder that our society is greatly enriched by its diversity. I encourage everyone to be proud of an Australia where people of different backgrounds and beliefs can be part of our national tradition," he said.

In a fresh twist to the entire Yadav feud, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday is set to reinstate his uncle and state president Shivpal Yadav back into the cabinet along with three other ministers who were suspended in a series of revenge sackings during the weekend.

Sources said that a letter in this regard will be sent to Governor Ram Naik from the CM's office and the ministers are also likely to take fresh oath.

The development comes a day after party Supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav made multiple attempts on Sunday to broker a truce between the two warring factions within the party.

Mulayam's efforts to strike a peace deal between his son and brother hit multiple hurdles after Akhilesh and Shivpal indulged in an open spat on the podium at the venue of the party meeting.

Markets have started the session on a flat note with shares of Tata group companies reacting negatively as Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group, said its board of directors had removed Cyrus Pallonji Mistry, as chairman of the conglomerate.

Tata Steel, Tata Motors and TCS are down 1 per cent-3 per cent.

10:25 New government order reduces military status

A circular issued by the defence ministry last week has downgraded officers in the army, navy and the air force in comparison to their civilian counterparts, annoying the military.

Dated October 18, the order on "Equivalence between armed forces officers and AFHQ (armed forces headquarters) civil service officers" takes the military officers down a notch.

A civilian principal director, who was equivalent to a brigadier, has been equated to a two-star general, a director-ranked officer to a brigadier and a joint director to a colonel, triggering widespread resentment in military circles.

Until now, a colonel was equivalent to a director and a lieutenant colonel to a joint director.

By this equation, a captain is equivalent to a civilian Group B section officer. This isnt mischief, but mischief-plus by bureaucrats, said an army officer on condition of anonymity.

The letter has stoked a controversy at a time when the armed forces and the ministry have divergent views on the Seventh Pay Commission report and the OROP.

10:09 US condemns terror attack in Pakistan's Quetta

The US has condemned the terror attack on a police training centre in Quetta in which over 60 cadets have been killed, saying it stands with the people and government of Pakistan and would continue to work with its partners to combat the threat of terrorism.

"We extend our condolences to the victims and their families, including the police cadets who are embarking on careers of public service," State Department Spokesman John Kirby said.

"We stand with the people of Pakistan and government of Pakistan at this difficult hour, and we will continue to work with our partners in Pakistan and across the region to combat the threat of terrorism," he said.

The overnight attack by three terrorists on the Police Training College on Saryab Road in the Balochistan provincial capital Quetta has left over 60 cadets besides three militants dead, with 118 injured, making it one of the deadliest strikes in the country this year.

Recently expelled from the Samajwadi Party, Ram Gopal Yadav on Tuesday supported his chief minister, saying that without Akhilesh Yadav there was no Samajwadi Party.

He said that it was owing to Akhilesh's efforts that the party's narrative had changed from being a party of 'goondas.'

The Akhilesh loyalist also added that usually the father is proud of his son's success, but in the Samajwadi Party it was the reverse.

09:24

JUST IN: Malkangiri Encounter update: Death toll rises to 27 after 3 more dead bodies of Maoists were recovered by Andhra Pradesh and Odisha police.

09:17 Why is Amar Singh so important to Mulayam Singh Yadav?

The businessman with the reputation of being Mulayam's "crisis manager", Amar Singh is, for a change, at the centre of the Samajwadi Party storm.

What, though, makes Amar Singh significant enough for Mulayam to publicly upbraid his son? Mulayam's friendship with Amar Singh goes back to the days when Veer Bahadur Singh was chief minister of the Congress government in UP, in 1985-88. He joined the SP formally in 1996 and went to Rajya Sabha courtesy Mulayam.

Amar raised funds for the SP, served as a bridge between SP and industrialists and brought the Bollywood stars to Saifai's simplistic Samajwadi politics. When Mulayam became defence minister in Third Front government, Amar assumed the role of the second powerful man in SP, getting jobs executed with a single phone-call.

Read more HERE

09:06

All the attacks on military and sensitive installations in Pakistan in the past 10 years.

08:59 If talks with Hurriyat & Naxal, why not MNS? Fadnavis on ADHM release

Under attack for mediating with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena to allow the release of Karan Johars Ae Dil Hai Muskhil, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today defended the governments role and denied that he had brokered any deal.

What is the whole purpose of raising a hue and cry over my meeting Film Producers Guild and MNS to find an amicable solution to end the dispute over the film? Where is the question of my brokering a deal? Or where is the question of compromising on any principle? If talks can be held with the Hurriyat and Naxals, what is wrong in talking with the MNS, he told The Indian Express.

Is is not a good sign that the government has pulled the curtains down on the issue through discussion across the table? Can you overlook the general public mood which is all set to celebrate Diwali? If I had not intervened, wouldnt I have been accused of keeping the tension brewing? he said.

He was trying to counter the widespread criticism of his handling of the controversy after the MNS demanded that the producers and those who had signed on Pakistan artists for their movies pay Rs 5 crore to the Army Welfare Fund as penance.

The New York Times dedicated two full pages of the paper to printing Donald Trump insults in their Monday edition. The two page, entitled All the People, Places and Things Donald Trump Has Insulted On Twitter Since Declaring His Candidacy for President, include specific details on every person or organisation that the Republican presidential candidate has insulted in the two years of his campaign.

The list includes names of 281 people, places, news organisations, and things that he has insulted on Twitter. The NYT had been running the list since January 2016 online and kept updating it, marking the most recent to the oldest insults.

An eyewitness to the Pakistan police academy attack, told reporters that he saw three terrorists directly enter the barracks. "They started firing. We saw them and started screaming. We ran upstairs towards an exit."

He described the terrorists being covered in shawls.

The barracks and hostel blocks are situated deep inside the compound, making it hard to hear any sounds of gunshots from the building.

On Monday night, three terrorists stormed the academy, which was housing around 700 police cadets and recruits in the college hostel, and opened fire, killing 60 cadets.

It was only on Tuesday morning, that the operation ended with the death of the three terrorists.

Senior law enforcement agencies said that assailants had fired at the police training centre from five different points.

Two terrorist reportedly entered the premises after shooting at the guard manning the check post near the front gate, while the third reportedly climbed the rear wall of the police centre.

An official said that initial investigations showed the terrorists were in the hostel, and as it was dark, there was trouble in identifying friend from foe.

At least 44 people were killed and more than a hundred wounded in an overnight raid by terrorists on a police academy in southwest Pakistan, officials said Tuesday, after declaring a military counter-operation was finished.

The attack on the Balochistan Police College, located 20 kilometres east of provincial capital Quetta, began around 11:10 pm on Monday, with gunfire continuing to ring out from the site hours later.

Sarfaraz Bugti, the home minister of Balochistan province, told reporters assembled at the site early Tuesday that the sprawling compound had been attacked by three terrorists equipped with suicide jackets, revising down an earlier estimate of "five to six" assailants.

"They first targeted the watch tower sentry, and after exchanging fire killed him and were able to enter the academy grounds," he said.

He later tweeted that the death toll stood at 44 while 118 had been wounded, making the attack the third deadliest in Pakistan this year.

Major General Sher Afgan, chief of the paramilitary Frontier Corps in Balochistan, which led the counter-operation, said "the attack was over in around three hours after we arrived".

He added that communications intercepts showed the terrorists belonged to the Al-Alimi faction of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi terrorist group -- which is affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban.

00:34 Pak should set its own house in order: India

Describing Pakistan as the "epicentre" of global terrorism, India has asked Pakistan to "set its own house in order" and take action against terror groups instead of "ritually" raking up human rights violations elsewhere.

India, exercising the right of reply after Pakistan raised the Kashmir issue during the general debate at the 135th Assembly Session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, asserted that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so for "eternity".

"We deeply regret the misuse of this august body by Pakistan to make tendentious references about internal matters pertaining to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir," Lok Sabha MP R K Singh said.

"Let me make it very clear to Pakistan that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so for eternity. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have been active participants in the democratic processes at both the central and state levels," he said.

"Pakistan will be well-advised to focus its energies on setting its own house in order and acting against the perpetrators of terrorist attacks on its neighbours instead of ritually raking up alleged human rights violations elsewhere," Singh said.

"Pakistan has raised the issue of UN Security Council resolutions. We would suggest Pakistan to first fulfil its primary obligation under the resolutions to vacate illegal occupation of Pakistan occupied Kashmir," he said.

"We call upon Pakistan to stop inciting and supporting violence and terrorism in any part of India and refrain from meddling in our internal affairs in any matter," Singh said.

Donald Trump on Monday addressed the latest accusations of inappropriate sexual contact made against him, saying of the accuser, an adult film performer, "Oh, I'm sure she's never been grabbed before."

At a news conference Saturday, Jessica Drake accused Trump of grabbing and kissing her without permission and offering her money to go up to his hotel room alone a decade ago.

In an appearance on WGIR radio's "New Hampshire Today," Trump called the accusations against him "total fiction."

"These are stories that are made up, these are total fiction. You'll find out that, in the years to come, these women that stood up, it was all fiction," he said.

"They were made up. I don't know these women, it's not my thing to do what they say. You know I don't do that. I don't grab them, as they say, on the arm."

"One said, 'he grabbed me on the arm.' And she's a porn star. You know, this one that came out recently, 'he grabbed me and he grabbed me on the arm.' Oh, I'm sure she's never been grabbed before," Trump said.

00:32 Top headlines at this hour

Cyrus Mistry sacked! Ratan Tata is interim chairman

Cyrus Mistry's ouster: Ugly legal battle looms

Embraer to pay $205 mn to settle graft charges in India, 3 other countries

'Akhilesh can damage SP but cannot be a great leader on his own'

Unprovoked Pak shelling kills 6-yr-old boy, BSF jawan

Pakistan freezes accounts of 5,100 terror 'suspects', including Masood Azhar's

China irked at US envoy's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, India hits back

BCCI defers media rights tender process indefinitely

Missed Monday's commentary? Click HERE