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Thu, 01 September 2016
Powerful 7.1-magnitude quake jolts New Zealand: USGS
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23:11 Powerful 7.1-magnitude quake jolts New Zealand: USGS
A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake rocked New Zealand today, the United States Geological Survey said.
The tremor was estimated at a depth of around 30 kilometres some 167 kilometres from Gisborne -- off the coast of the country's north island -- according to the agency.
More details are awaited.
The tremor was estimated at a depth of around 30 kilometres some 167 kilometres from Gisborne -- off the coast of the country's north island -- according to the agency.
More details are awaited.
22:52
JUST IN: Powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake jolts New Zealand, says United States Geological Survey.
22:50 No organisation has been more patriotic than RSS: Rijiju
Stating that he has never come across any organisation coming close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh when it comes to nationalism and patriotism, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said the right-wing organisation is the most patriotic establishment ever seen in India and how can somebody accuse the organisation as killer of Mahatma Gandhi.
Commenting on Congress vice president Rahul Gandhis decision that he will face the defamation trial, Rijiju said, First of all, here the government has no position to speak or to take a stand, but in general sense everybody can see through it what is the game being played. They just want to make it a political game or a political ploy.
RSS is the most patriotic organisation ever seen in India. I have seen RSS closely and I have never come across any other organisation coming close to the RSS when it comes to nationalism and patriotism. How somebody can accuse the organisation as killer of Mahatma Gandhi, this is bizarre, he told reporters.
Nobody can think about it, forget saying about it. And, when you make such a kind of a sweeping statement or a kind of remark, in which you are directly accusing an organisation, then you have to stand solidly behind of what you have said and dont runaway, he added.
Commenting on Congress vice president Rahul Gandhis decision that he will face the defamation trial, Rijiju said, First of all, here the government has no position to speak or to take a stand, but in general sense everybody can see through it what is the game being played. They just want to make it a political game or a political ploy.
RSS is the most patriotic organisation ever seen in India. I have seen RSS closely and I have never come across any other organisation coming close to the RSS when it comes to nationalism and patriotism. How somebody can accuse the organisation as killer of Mahatma Gandhi, this is bizarre, he told reporters.
Nobody can think about it, forget saying about it. And, when you make such a kind of a sweeping statement or a kind of remark, in which you are directly accusing an organisation, then you have to stand solidly behind of what you have said and dont runaway, he added.
22:08 Nobel-winning game theorist Reinhard Selten dies at 85
German economist Reinhard Selten, a recipient of the 1994 Nobel Prize in economics, has died. He was 85.
The University of Bonn, where he had taught since 1984, said in a statement today that Selten died on Aug 23 in Poznan, Poland.
The university's rector, Michael Hoch, described Selten as "one of the most significant German scientists with the highest international reputation."
Selten received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences together with Hungarian-American John C Harsanyi and American John F Nash Jr.
They were jointly cited for their "pioneering analysis of equilibria in the theory of non-cooperative games."
22:04 4 MHA officials suspended for renewing licences to Zakir Naik's NGO
JUST IN: 4 officials from the ministry of home affairs have been suspended for irregularities related to the renewal of licences to Zakir Naik's NGO under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act.
Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik is facing multiple probes over his alleged provocative speeches, particularly after one of the slain attackers of the terrorist attack in Dhaka, 22-year-old Rohan Imtiaz quoted Naik in a Facebook post in January this year where he urged "all Muslims to be terrorists".
21:56 Chicago police: 90 homicides in August, 472 shooting victims
Chicago recorded 90 homicides in August, its highest monthly death toll in 20 years, the city's police department said today.
The previous highest monthly homicide tally in Chicago was in August 1996, the Chicago Sun-Times reported citing historic Chicago Police Department data.
It did not provide the number of deaths. There were 384 shooting incidents and 472 shooting victims during August 2016, police said.
Chicago is on pace to have more than 700 homicides by the end of the year, the newspaper reported.
The city hasn't had more than 600 homicides in a year since 2003 and not more than 700 since 1998, according to records.
21:16 Egyptian President Al-Sisi arrives in India on 3-day visit
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi arrived here today on a three-day visit and will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow with an aim to step up engagement in areas of security, counter-terrorism and trade.
Later in the evening, Sisi is expected to meet US Secretary of State John Kerry who has extended his stay here.
Kerry, whose official engagement ended here yesterday and was scheduled to return to Washington, is likely to leave for Hangzhou in China for the G-20 summit beginning Sunday.
Sisi is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers, top officials and business leaders.
He will hold wide-ranging talks with Modi tomorrow and both sides are set to sign a number of MoUs thereafter.
20:44 Candidates list declared for JNUSU polls; Kanhaiya not contesting elections
All India Students Federation, of which sedition accused Kanhaiya Kumar is a member, is not contesting JNU student Union polls this year for which the final list of candidates was declared here today.
Last year, AISF had for the first time independently contested elections and opened its account in the union polls with Kanhaiya, who was elected for the President's post.
During his tenure as JNUSU President, Kanhaiya became centre of a major controversy when he along with two other students was arrested in a sedition case over an event on campus during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.
This year, AISF which is the student wing of the Communist Party of India has decided to offer internal support to the alliance of All India Student Association and Student Federation of India.
This is for the first time that AISA, the student wing of Communist Party of India (MarxistLeninist) and SFI have formed an alliance for JNU polls which has been named as "Left Unity".
20:39 23 Chinese nationals confirmed to have Zika virus in Singapore
Twenty three Chinese nationals working in Singapore are confirmed to have been infected with Zika virus.
Singapore's Ministry of Health today confirmed that foreigners account for 57 of 115 Zika cases in Singapore so far, including 23 from China's mainland and one from Taiwan, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
MOH added that all of the 57 foreigners who tested positive for Zika in Singapore had "mild illness" and most of them have recovered.
Earlier today, Singapore confirmed its first case of a pregnant woman testing positive for the Zika virus infection.
Singapore's first locally-transmitted Zika case was that of a 47-year-old Malaysian woman which came to light late last month.
20:30 Use of sling banned in Gotmar fair, CrPC sec 144 imposed
Authorities today clamped prohibitory orders in the district for the peaceful conduct of the traditional Gotmar fair tomorrow at Pandhurna and also banned use of sling to hurl stones.
"Use of slings has been banned and section 144 of CrPC has been clamped in two villages from where the stones are thrown," Collector J K Jain said.
He said CCTV cameras have been installed to keep a track on the revellers gathering at Pandhurna, around 90 km from the district headquarters.
Besides, 600 personnel have been deployed for peaceful conduct of the annual event, he added.
At the centuries-old event, which is one of the bloodiest fairs in the world, people of two villages hurl stones at each other with slings on the bank of river Jam. In the recent past, 17 persons have been killed and thousands injured in the recent past.
20:26 France condemns submarine secrets leak
"We will use every means at our disposal to learn the truth" in the affair, which came to light last week, Le Drian told reporters.
The leak of secret technical data on French submarines designed for the Indian navy was a "malicious act", Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said today.
"We will use every means at our disposal to learn the truth" in the affair, which came to light last week, Le Drian told reporters.
"Obviously, it was a malicious act," he added.
The Sydney-based newspaper The Australian said last week it had seen the leaked papers detailing the combat capability of the Scorpene-class subs made by French defence contractor DCNS for the Indian navy.
Variants of the submarine are used by Malaysia and Chile, with Brazil due to deploy the vessels from 2018.
Australia has also tapped DCNS, inking a deal in April worth 50 billion dollars (USD 38 billion) for the design and construction of its next generation of submarines.
20:18 Pak military admits ISIS presence in territory
Pakistan today for the first time admitted that the ISIS had a presence in the country but plans by the dreaded group to target important personalities by and attempts to organise itself have been thwarted.
"Daesh tried to make an ingress into Pakistan, but the core of its group have now been apprehended," army spokesperson Lt. Gen. Asim Bajwa told a press conference, using an alternate acronym for the ISIS.
In this connection, 309 arrests have been made including 25 foreigners of Afghan, Syrian and Iraqi nationalities, he said.
They were involved in attacks on media and security personnel, and were planning attacks on government, diplomatic and civilian targets, he added.
20:06 Rahul fires fresh salvo at RSS
Firing a fresh salvo at RSS, Rahul Gandhi today said its followers did not participate in the freedom struggle and that people who want to "divide" the country "are now posing as nationalists".
The remarks by the Congress Vice President came on a day when he told the Supreme Court that he stood by every word he had said about RSS being behind the killing of Mahatma Gandhi.
"The RSS people did not participate in freedom struggle. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians...everyone did. But not the RSS," he said after inaugurating an intermediate school in his Amethi Lok Sabha constituency.
"Those very men who want to divide the country, those who salute their own flag and never hoist the tricolour at their own organisation, are now posing as nationalists. These people are cowards. They turn around and run away when anyone face them (confronts them)," he said.
19:51 Armed 'mentally unstable' man arrested at John Kerry's hotel
A "mentally unstable" man, son of a retired senior Navy officer, was arrested last night for carrying a blade and misbehaving with security personnel at a high-security five-star hotel, where US Secretary of State John Kerry was staying.
53-year-old Uday Ratra, a resident of Gurdaspur in Punjab, was detained when he picked up a fight with the security personnel.
He was booked under IPC sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 386 (extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt) after had a scuffle with the police and the hotel's security staff, who objected to his loitering in the lobby last evening, police said.
"He is mentally unstable. He was roaming around in the lobby of the hotel. The hotel security staff knew him as in the past too he had tried to enter the premises when foreign dignitaries were visiting," a senior police official said.
19:50 Labour union leader Sharad Rao passes away
Senior union leader Sharad Rao passed away in Mumbai on Thursday evening following a prolonged battle with cancer.
Rao was heading several influential unions that represented employees in the Mumbai and other civic bodies in Mumbai metropolitan region as well as the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport that runs public transport buses in Mumbai.
He also headed the Mumbai Autorickshawsmen's Union that represents majority of auto rickshaw drivers in the city and he had handed over the baton to his son Shashank Rao.
His body will be kept for darshan at his residence in Bangur Nagar,
Cremation will take place September 3.
Rao had been under treatment for cancer for the past two years.
19:28 Islamic State joke backfires on YouTube celeb
Hugely popular blogger PewDiePie was back on Twitter today after his account was temporarily suspended when he jokingly claimed he has joined the Islamic State group.
The Swedish internet star, who has more than 47 million subscribers to his humorous YouTube video channel, surprised and horrified some of his fans Tuesday when he tweeted that he and fellow blogger Sean William McLoughlin had joined the terror group.
PewDiePie, whose real name is Felix Kjellberg, had been protesting at the social network's "annoying" verified accounts system which can generate automatic notifications on smartphones.
19:21 SpaceX rocket explodes at Cape Canaveral ahead of launch
JUST IN: According to numerous eyewitness reports, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket just exploded while resting on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral.
The rocket was set to launch on Saturday, on a mission to deliver Facebooks first satellite to orbit.
The status of the payload is unknown at this time.
19:15 Rafale deal one step closer to completion
The multi-billion euro deal for 36 Rafales moved a step closer to a decision as the file on the fighter jets has been sent to the Prime Minister's Office for final review and clearance.
Defence sources said today the final report submitted by a team negotiating the much-anticipated Rafale deal with France has been cleared by the defence ministry.
While officials remained tightlipped about the state of the deal but a high-ranking source when asked if it has been moved for clearance by the Cabinet Committee on Security, said, "I would not say no".
French sources have said they are expecting a positive development this month.
During his visit to France in April last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that India would purchase 36 Rafale jets in a government-to-government contract.
Soon after the announcement, the defence ministry scrapped a separate process that was on to purchase 126 Rafale fighter planes, built by French defence giant Dassault Aviation.
The deal is expected to be worth around 7.89 billion euros for the 36 fighter jets in fly away conditions.
18:52 Modi leaves for tour of Vietnam, China tomorrow
Prime Minister Narendra Modi sets off tomorrow on a bilateral visit to Vietnam and to attend the annual summit of powerful G-20 grouping in China's Hangzhou where India is likely to seek concrete measures to check terror financing and crackdown on tax evasion.
Modi's first destination will be Vietnam from where he will leave for Hangzhou on August 3 to attend the G-20 summit on September 4 and 5.
The PM will return to India on September 5 and will again leave for Laos on a two-day visit to attend the annual India-ASEAN and East Asia Summits.
18:44 Sushma Swaraj admits she's powerless -- over errant husbands
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has gained the reputation of being a problem solver on Twitter with her quick responses to distraught citizens. But on Wednesday, when a distressed Indian came knocking on her Twitter wall for help, Sushma Swaraj admitted that she had no power to help her over her errant husband.
An Indian woman, who according to her Twitter account stays in Kuwait, tweeted Sushma claiming that her husband was cheating on her and wanted to abandon her for a Thai woman.
The woman, who goes by the name Sujatha, claimed that she was in Delhi for the funeral of her mother and she found out that her husband told her son about his plans to leave her while she was heading back to Kuwait.
When I was returning to Kuwait after my mom's funeral, my husband sends a selfie of a woman hugging him closely to my son, said her tweet.
Then he tells my son that he's gonna dump me for her. I returned to Kuwait. Saw the erotic chats and porn videos in his phone with her, said another tweet.
She appealed to Swaraj to help her track the Thai woman, who was also in India and even shared the womans number on the social media platform.
However, Swaraj replied to her saying she could not help her in the matter.
Sujatha - All my sympathies are with you. Unfortunately, I have no power to punish or reform such errant husbands, Swaraj tweeted.
18:25 Everyone should read this guide about what to do if you see Islamophobia
Following the EU referendum anti-Muslim hate monitoring groups have reported a sharp rise --326 per cent -- in Islamophobic attacks. And it's not just the UK. France's increasingly anti-Muslim rhetoric came to a head with the implementation of burkini bans in more than 30 coastal areas.
Twenty-two year old illustrator Marie-Shirine Yener, who goes by the nom de plume "Maeril" lives in Paris. She decided to created a guide to give people advice on how they can help Muslims who are being harassed.
See the full guide HERE
18:05 Majority of Britons favour banning burqa: Poll
Britons favour banning of the Islamic veil or burqa by an overwhelming majority of more than two-to- one, a recent UK poll, commissioned in the aftermath of banning of burkini swimwear on a number of French beaches, has found. The poll by YouGov found that as many as 57 per cent of Britons supported "a law that bans people from wearing the burqa in the UK", whilst just 25 per cent were against outlawing the dress worn by many Muslim women.
17:44 After Centre allows AIR in Balochistan, Pakistan bans Indian TV channels
After the Narendra Modi-led government boosted the signal capacity of All India Radio transmission, which led to AIR programmes being heard in Balochistan, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority has banned Indian TV Channels through DTH services.
Pakistan-based news outlet Geo News quoted PEMRA chairman Absar Alam saying that no Indian channel has landing rights in the country. He is said to have stressed that a complete ban against Indian TV channels is now being enforced and a crackdown is underway with the help of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority , the Federal Investigation Agency and other intelligence agencies.
16:38 PoK would have been ours if we opted for military solution: IAF chief
Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha today rued that air power had not been fully utilised by the Indian government till the 1971 war and indicated that PoK would have been India's had the country gone for a military solution rather than taking a "moral high ground".
In unusually candid remarks, the Air Force chief termed Pakistani-occupied Kashmir as a "thorn in our flesh" and said India did not follow a "pragmatic approach" to security needs. He said India's security environment is vitiated and aerospace power, as part of the military power, would be required to deter a conflict in the region and also ensure peace and tranquillity.
In unusually candid remarks, the Air Force chief termed Pakistani-occupied Kashmir as a "thorn in our flesh" and said India did not follow a "pragmatic approach" to security needs. He said India's security environment is vitiated and aerospace power, as part of the military power, would be required to deter a conflict in the region and also ensure peace and tranquillity.
16:35
Just in: AAP Special Assembly session on September 9 to discuss Delhi affairs.
16:35 After Goa shocker, PM appoints coordination team to keep RSS happy
In a move calculated to keep the RSS happy and the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked his three Union Ministers -- Arun Jaitley, Dharmendra Pradhan and Piyush Goyal -- to brief RSS leaders on the achievements of the BJP government and to liaise with them about on-going socio-economic schemes, special projects and cultural developmental issues.
This is the first time in two-and-a-half years of the Modi regime, that three powerful ministers met RSS leaders at frequent intervals to take up issues which are to be implemented at the central government level.
During former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's period there was no mechanism, but then outfits of the RSS used to speak in different voices on many economic issues.
But PM Moid has effectively stalled any such onslaughts on him from the RSS with this coordination mechanism.
Upset with the removal of Subhash Velingkar as Goa RSS chief, over 300 Sangh workers have annouced that they will quit the organisation and vowed to "defeat" the Bharatiya Janata Party in the assembly polls next year if he is not reinstated.
This is the first time in two-and-a-half years of the Modi regime, that three powerful ministers met RSS leaders at frequent intervals to take up issues which are to be implemented at the central government level.
During former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's period there was no mechanism, but then outfits of the RSS used to speak in different voices on many economic issues.
But PM Moid has effectively stalled any such onslaughts on him from the RSS with this coordination mechanism.
Upset with the removal of Subhash Velingkar as Goa RSS chief, over 300 Sangh workers have annouced that they will quit the organisation and vowed to "defeat" the Bharatiya Janata Party in the assembly polls next year if he is not reinstated.
16:17 Pregnant woman almost set afire after astrologer predicts baby girl
In a shocking incident, a woman attempted to set her pregnant daughter-in-law on fire in Nellore, because an astrologer predicted that she would give birth to another girl child.
The in-laws poured Kerosene on Girija (victim) and fled the house after she raised an alarm.
She was rescued by the local people and was rushed to a hospital. Her condition is stated to be out of danger.
Police have registered an attempt to murder case against the in-laws who are currently absconding.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that her in-laws forced Girija to undergo abortion as they did not want a baby girl again.
"After Girija refused, her mother in-laws attempted to set Girija on fire by pouring kerosene on her stomach while she was sleeping," police source said.
The in-laws poured Kerosene on Girija (victim) and fled the house after she raised an alarm.
She was rescued by the local people and was rushed to a hospital. Her condition is stated to be out of danger.
Police have registered an attempt to murder case against the in-laws who are currently absconding.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that her in-laws forced Girija to undergo abortion as they did not want a baby girl again.
"After Girija refused, her mother in-laws attempted to set Girija on fire by pouring kerosene on her stomach while she was sleeping," police source said.
15:22 RSS' Goa strongman blames Gadkari for ouster
Subhash Velingkar, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh strongman in Goa, who was sacked yesterday, has held Union minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari responsible.
In a first-of-its-kind-revolt in the 91-year-old organisation, 400 RSS office bearers resigned from their posts in protest against this decision, demanding that Velingkar be immediately reinstated.
Speaking to Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com over the phone, Velingkar said he would not term his removal a 'sacking' and said he was only 'relieved' from the RSS. Read the full interview on Rediff.com shortly.
In a first-of-its-kind-revolt in the 91-year-old organisation, 400 RSS office bearers resigned from their posts in protest against this decision, demanding that Velingkar be immediately reinstated.
Speaking to Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com over the phone, Velingkar said he would not term his removal a 'sacking' and said he was only 'relieved' from the RSS. Read the full interview on Rediff.com shortly.
14:56 RSS defamation case: Rahul has to make personal appearance in court, says SC
Seems like Rahul Gandhi will get his wish to stand trial in the defamation case. The Supreme Court refuses to give exemption to the Congress VP from personal appearance before the Bhiwandi court in Maharashtra in the case. Gandhi will face trial in the lower court as he withdrew his plea in the top court for the quashing of the defamation case against him.
14:39 Rahul's double U-turn: Stands by RSS comment, will repeat it
Just in: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi withdraws his plea from the Supreme Court for quashing of the defamation case against him. Says he will face trial in the lower court.
Rahul Gandhi's counsel Kapil Sibal tells the court that Rahul stands by his statement "RSS ke logon ne Gandhiji ko goli mari" and that Rahul will not withdraw his words and will "repeat what he said."
Dismissing suggestions that he had made a U-turn on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's role in killing Mahatma Gandhi, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi last week insisted that he stood by 'every single word' said by him.
'I will never stop fighting the hateful & divisive agenda of the RSS. I stand by every single word I said,' he tweeted.
His tweet came after media reports said that he took a U-turn when he told the Supreme Court that he did not ever blame the RSS for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi but had only said that a 'few individuals in the organisation' were responsible for it.
Before Rahul's tweet, Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said in the morning that wisdom had prevailed upon the Congress vice president.
'Good, Rahul finally admitted before Supreme Court that the RSS is not accused in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
'Wisdom has prevailed. It may be a U-turn but a good turn. The RSS a patriotic organisation. RSS - Ready for Self Service anywhere any time (sic),' Naidu tweeted.
Rahul had tried set the record straight by telling the top court that he had never blamed the RSS as an institution for killing Mahatama Gandhi but persons associated with it were behind the assassination.
He buttressed his stand by citing paragraphs from his affidavit filed in the Bombay high court, while challenging the summons issued to him as an accused for his alleged defamatory statement in a 2015 election rally in Maharashtra.
Senior advocate and Congress leader Kapil Sibal, appearing for Rahul, cited the affidavit filed before the high court saying he had only accused certain people of the RSS and not the organisation as the killer of Mahatma Gandhi.
'I never made the statement that RSS killed Mahatma Gandhi but persons associated with the RSS killed him,' the senior advocate had told the Court.
Rahul Gandhi's counsel Kapil Sibal tells the court that Rahul stands by his statement "RSS ke logon ne Gandhiji ko goli mari" and that Rahul will not withdraw his words and will "repeat what he said."
Dismissing suggestions that he had made a U-turn on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's role in killing Mahatma Gandhi, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi last week insisted that he stood by 'every single word' said by him.
'I will never stop fighting the hateful & divisive agenda of the RSS. I stand by every single word I said,' he tweeted.
His tweet came after media reports said that he took a U-turn when he told the Supreme Court that he did not ever blame the RSS for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi but had only said that a 'few individuals in the organisation' were responsible for it.
Before Rahul's tweet, Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said in the morning that wisdom had prevailed upon the Congress vice president.
'Good, Rahul finally admitted before Supreme Court that the RSS is not accused in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
'Wisdom has prevailed. It may be a U-turn but a good turn. The RSS a patriotic organisation. RSS - Ready for Self Service anywhere any time (sic),' Naidu tweeted.
Rahul had tried set the record straight by telling the top court that he had never blamed the RSS as an institution for killing Mahatama Gandhi but persons associated with it were behind the assassination.
He buttressed his stand by citing paragraphs from his affidavit filed in the Bombay high court, while challenging the summons issued to him as an accused for his alleged defamatory statement in a 2015 election rally in Maharashtra.
Senior advocate and Congress leader Kapil Sibal, appearing for Rahul, cited the affidavit filed before the high court saying he had only accused certain people of the RSS and not the organisation as the killer of Mahatma Gandhi.
'I never made the statement that RSS killed Mahatma Gandhi but persons associated with the RSS killed him,' the senior advocate had told the Court.
14:26 Security go-ahead for Mumbai
Mumbai is all set and secure to welcome Ganpati on Monday. @CPMumbaiPolice tweets this picture: Did a security review of Girgaum Chowpatty with the team. Looks ready to send off Bappa comfortably.
13:55 When Mukesh was trying to earn his spurs in RIL
On the day RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani announces the launch of Jio and introduces his children Isha and Akash as directors of the company, a peek back at the time Mukesh was debuting in RIL.
@IndiaHistorypic shares this 1982 picture of Dhirubhai Ambani with Mukesh and Anil during the commissioning of the Patalganga plant.
@IndiaHistorypic shares this 1982 picture of Dhirubhai Ambani with Mukesh and Anil during the commissioning of the Patalganga plant.
13:28 Sandeep Kumar betrayed us, says Kejriwal on AAP minister's sex romp video
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's video message to the AAP rank and file on the sacking of his minister Sandeep Kumar, who was allegedly in a sex video with two women.
"In a CD received yesterday, Sandeep Kumar was caught doing a wrong thing, we immediately removed him from Cabinet. Party will soon take action against him (who is removed from cabinet), and will hold a meeting.
"We never try to cover up wrongdoings when evidence comes up against our Ministers or party workers, unlike other parties. We can't predict how a person will turn out to be once joining AAP. But if he will do something wrong, then action will be taken. AAP stands for propriety.
"Sandeep Kumar has betrayed AAP," Kejriwal said.
He said the Congress doesn't remove corrupt people like Amarinder Singh, Majithia. Only AAP takes swift action. In the BJP, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Vasundhara Raje Scindia, Raman Singh and Anandiben Patel are involved in corruption but their party keeps defending them," he said.
Sandeep Kumar said he was facing these allegations because he is a Dalit.
"In a CD received yesterday, Sandeep Kumar was caught doing a wrong thing, we immediately removed him from Cabinet. Party will soon take action against him (who is removed from cabinet), and will hold a meeting.
"We never try to cover up wrongdoings when evidence comes up against our Ministers or party workers, unlike other parties. We can't predict how a person will turn out to be once joining AAP. But if he will do something wrong, then action will be taken. AAP stands for propriety.
"Sandeep Kumar has betrayed AAP," Kejriwal said.
He said the Congress doesn't remove corrupt people like Amarinder Singh, Majithia. Only AAP takes swift action. In the BJP, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Vasundhara Raje Scindia, Raman Singh and Anandiben Patel are involved in corruption but their party keeps defending them," he said.
Sandeep Kumar said he was facing these allegations because he is a Dalit.
13:07 Ambani kids -- Isha, Akash -- in the spotlight at Jio's mega launch
As Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani on Thursday announced free voice calling, zero roaming charges and cheaper data tariffs for Jio customers, the spotlight was on the Ambani siblings -- Akash and Isha.
Addressing the Reliance annual general meeting, Chairman Mukesh Ambani briefly spoke about two of his three children who are directors of the new telecom venture.
"Jio is the creation of the young, by the young and of the young. Isha and Akash are directors at Jio. They have been hands on leaders and represent the large contingent of young people at Jio," Ambani said as the camera panned on the siblings sitting next to their grandmother Kokilaben.
Addressing the Reliance annual general meeting, Chairman Mukesh Ambani briefly spoke about two of his three children who are directors of the new telecom venture.
"Jio is the creation of the young, by the young and of the young. Isha and Akash are directors at Jio. They have been hands on leaders and represent the large contingent of young people at Jio," Ambani said as the camera panned on the siblings sitting next to their grandmother Kokilaben.
12:44 Jio impact: Bharti Airtel, Idea slip over 5%, Idea hits 52-week low
Shares of Bharti Airtel and Idea Cellular lost up to 8% on the bourses after Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries at the company's annual general meeting today announced the launch of Reliance Jio 4G services offering free voice calls for Jio customers and zero roaming charges across India from September 5 to December 31, 2016.
Idea Cellular has dipped 8% to Rs 86.10, also its 52-week low on the BSE after the news report. Bharti Airtel slipped 5.5% to Rs 313, as compared to 0.03% rise in the S&P BSE Sensex.
On the other hand, Reliance Industries (RIL) was trading higher by nearly 1% at Rs 1,065, after hitting high of Rs 1,073 on the BSE in intra-day trade. It touched a low of Rs 1,050 in early morning trade. The stock is currently quoting nears to 52-week high of Rs 1,090, touched on January 1, 2016 in intra-day.
12:27 Kanchi shankaracharya discharged from hospital
Head of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham Sri Jayendra Saraswati was discharged from a local hospital this morning after his health condition improved.
A team of doctors, under the supervision of NTR University of Health Sciences Vice-Chancellor T Ravi Raju, attended on the pontiff who was admitted to the hospital in Vijayawada three days ago after he complained of breathlessness.
Jayendra Saraswati's blood sugar and sodium levels dropped significantly, rendering him very weak. A personal physician also came down from Chennai to attend on the seer. He was placed in the Intensive Care Unit and provided treatment. He showed improvement yesterday, Ravi Raju said, adding as the seer looked normal, he was discharged from the hospital.
The Kanchi seer has been camping in Vijayawada for the last few days, conducting the Chaturmasya Vratam, a four-month religious ritual. He is expected to stay in the city till September 16 when the 'Vratam' concludes.
Don't miss reading the Kanchi seer's interview given to Rediff.com!
12:19 Jio a creation of the young, by the young, and for the young: Ambani
Mukesh Ambani on Team Jio:
* Jio a creation of the young, by the young, and for the young.
* I stand before you as a very proud leader of over 60,000 Jio employees across India. Average age at Jio is 30 years.
* Akash and Isha, both 24, our directors at Jio, have been hands on leaders. They represent large contingent of less than 30 year olds at Jio.
Ambani also had a few words for his competitors:
* Incumbent operators have advantages over new entrants, have well-established networks, customers. New entrants require fair access to both.
* Incumbent operators have advantages over new entrants, have well-established networks, customers. New entrants require fair access to both.
* In the last week alone, Jio customers suffered over 5 crore call failures to other networks because of insufficient interconnect capacity.
* Giving the impression to Jio customers that voice is not working, when actually the incumbent operators are deliberately dropping calls.
* This is why telecom operators have legal obligations, as part of license conditions, to provide Points of Interconnect to other operators.
* Likewise, they have an obligation to also not to limit customers' right to migrate to Jio using Mobile Number Portability.
* I appeal to my fellow operators to do their part to create a fair framework of co-opetition that is good for India and Indian customers
12:02 Now every Indian can do 'Data-giri', declares Ambani
More highlights:
* Jio's base data tariff will cost one-tenth of existing rates being charged currently; we will charge Rs 50 per GB, Rs 149 a month for light data users; Students to get 25% more data
* Reliance Jio welcome offer open to everyone from September 5.
* So why are we doing this? Indians have come to appreciate "Gandhigiri", now every Indian can do "Data-giri".
* JIO tariffs are explicitly designed to give you the full freedom and flexibility to use as much data as you want.
* Jio is Indias only all-IP, data-strong, made-for-mobile-video, Only 4G LTE, future-ready network.
* Today, I set a target for team JIO to acquire 100 million customers on JIO network in the shortest possible time & create a new world record.
12:00 Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular shares sink
Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular shares sink over 8% as Mukesh Ambani announces free calls, Rs 50/GB data plan for Jio customers
11:51 Free voices calls, free roaming, cheaper data: Mukesh Ambani rolls out Rel Jio
Highlights of Mukesh Ambani's rollout of the much-anticipated 4G VoLTE service:
* Reliance Jio will move India from data shortage to data abundance.
* Jio's pricing is about solving customers' pain points.
* Customer should pay only for one service - voice or data.
* All voice calls for Jio customers will be absolutely free.
* No Jio customer will ever pay for voice calls to any network in India.
* Roaming charges will also be zero.
* I believe that these are the absolute lowest data rates anywhere in the world
* Jio data plans go even further: 5p/ MB or Rs 50/ GB. More data you use, the lower the rate.
* Jio base rate will be 1/10th of other players on data at Rs 50 per GB
* "Life is going digital... I believe in next 20 years we will collectively achieve much more that before."
* We will become irrelevant if we are not digital in this era. "India and Indians cannot be left behind"
* Data is the oxygen of digital life. Jio is more than just a business. It is a commitment to enrich the life of every Indian.
Ambani announced new Lyf devices with prices starting at Rs 2,999 and going up to Rs 5,999. 4G LTE JioFi router at 1,999. Ensured that entry price for using the network will be low for Indians.
Jio TV will offer access to 300 plus channels. Jio Cinema will have a library of 6000 movies and 1,00,000 episodes of TV shows. Jio music as 10 million songs. Jio Money allows you to go cashless. Apps will be free for all users till December 2017.
11:24 Sacked because I'm Dalit, says sex video tainted AAP minister
AAP's sacked minister Sandeep Kumar plays the Dalit card. "This is a conspiracy and it should be investigated. I am paying the price of being a Dalit. I am not in that video. Investigation must be done about video," he told ANI.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday sacked the social welfare minister after receiving an 'objectionable' CD allegedly carrying details of some 'wrongdoings'. The decision to sack the minister was taken at a high-level meeting attended by top Aam Aadmi Party leaders. 'Received 'objectionable' CD of minister Sandeep Kr. AAP stands for propriety in public life. That can't be compromised. Removing him from Cabinet wid immediate effect (sic),' Kejriwal tweeted announcing the decision.
Kumar said today, "The plot was hatched ever since I installed Dr Ambedkar's statue. It is because I am poor and Dalit. Even ABP says they can't vouch for authenticity of tape. It is media trial. I am from Valmiki community, that's why this plot.
"I was becoming a face of the Dalit Samaj, this is an attempt to pull me down," he said.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday sacked the social welfare minister after receiving an 'objectionable' CD allegedly carrying details of some 'wrongdoings'. The decision to sack the minister was taken at a high-level meeting attended by top Aam Aadmi Party leaders. 'Received 'objectionable' CD of minister Sandeep Kr. AAP stands for propriety in public life. That can't be compromised. Removing him from Cabinet wid immediate effect (sic),' Kejriwal tweeted announcing the decision.
Kumar said today, "The plot was hatched ever since I installed Dr Ambedkar's statue. It is because I am poor and Dalit. Even ABP says they can't vouch for authenticity of tape. It is media trial. I am from Valmiki community, that's why this plot.
"I was becoming a face of the Dalit Samaj, this is an attempt to pull me down," he said.
11:10
Just in: Two terrorists with 2 AK-47 rifles, ammo, grenade launchers & grenades apprehended at Pattan (J&K) in a joint operation.
11:05 Fingers crossed for Paes, Sania, Bopanna as they reach second round of US Open
Indian tennis stars Leander Paes, Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna made a rampaging start to their campaign at US Open as they advanced to the second round of the US Open along with their respective partners after notching up contrasting wins at Flushing Meadows here.
Defending champions in mixed doubles, Paes and Swiss Martina Hingis prevailed over USA's Sachia Vickery and Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-2 in just 51 minutes.
They will take on the winner of the match between Anastasia Rodionova of Australia and Juan Sebastian Cabal of Colombia and seventh seeded American pair of Coco Vandeweghe and Rajeev Ram. In Women's Doubles, seventh seeded Sania and her Czech partner Barbora Strycova defeated American pair of Jada Myii Hart and Ena Shibahara 6-3, 6-2 in an hour and nine minutes first round match.
Defending champions in mixed doubles, Paes and Swiss Martina Hingis prevailed over USA's Sachia Vickery and Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-2 in just 51 minutes.
They will take on the winner of the match between Anastasia Rodionova of Australia and Juan Sebastian Cabal of Colombia and seventh seeded American pair of Coco Vandeweghe and Rajeev Ram. In Women's Doubles, seventh seeded Sania and her Czech partner Barbora Strycova defeated American pair of Jada Myii Hart and Ena Shibahara 6-3, 6-2 in an hour and nine minutes first round match.
10:52 Delhi Cabinet to meet to decide sex-scandal tainted minister's replacement
Just in: Delhi Cabinet to meet over Women and Child Development minister Sandeep Kumar's replacement. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal will also address party cadre via a video message.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday sacked social welfare minister Sandeep Kumar after receiving 'objectionable' CD allegedly carrying details of some 'wrongdoings'.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday sacked social welfare minister Sandeep Kumar after receiving 'objectionable' CD allegedly carrying details of some 'wrongdoings'.
The decision to sack the minister was taken at a high-level meeting attended by top Aam Aadmi Party leaders.
'Received 'objectionable' CD of minister Sandeep Kr. AAP stands for propriety in public life. That can't be compromised. Removing him from Cabinet wid immediate effect (sic),' Kejriwal tweeted announcing the decision.
Sources said the CD contained some wrongdoings by Kumar and Kejriwal did not approve of it.
Kumar represents Sultanpur Majra constituency. He is the second AAP minister to be sacked after Asim Ahmed Khan who was minister for food and supplies.
Sources said the decision to sack Kumar was taken at a hurriedly convened meeting of AAPs Political Affairs Committee at Kejriwals residence.
We will not tolerate any such acts. We have 67 MLAs. If anyone
including the chief minister is found involved in any wrongdoings,
immediate action will be taken as the AAP is different from other
parties, said Sisodia.
10:44 Can ABP News And Kejriwal Please Explain What Exactly Is Sandeep Kumar's Crime?
They called it sex scandal but didn't explain what was so scandalous about a man and a woman having sex. That's what men and women do. Read more
10:26 Trump gets an 'F' for Mexico outreach, says Hillary
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has failed in his first foreign policy test, his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton said as the real estate tycoon returned from Mexico City after meeting the Mexican president.
"Trump just failed his first foreign test. Diplomacy isn't as easy as it looks," said 68-year-old Clinton in a tweet.
Trump, 70, has almost no experience in foreign policy as compared to Clinton who served as the US Secretary of State during the first term of the Obama Administration.
Clinton's critical comment came after a controversy erupted on building a wall along the Mexico border, a major election plank of Trump. The Mexican President tweeted that during the meeting he told Trump that Mexico would not pay for the wall.
However, Trump said that he never discussed this with the Mexican president. The Hillary Campaign slammed Trump for visiting Mexico to meet its president at his invitation. "Donald Trump has made his outlandish policy of forcing Mexico to pay for his giant wall the centerpiece of his campaign. But at the first opportunity to make good on his offensive campaign promises, Trump choked," said John Podesta from Hillary for America Chair.
"What we saw today from a man who claims to be the ultimate 'deal maker' is that he doesn't have the courage to advocate for his campaign promises when he's not in front of a friendly crowd. We know who he is," he said.
"Trump just failed his first foreign test. Diplomacy isn't as easy as it looks," said 68-year-old Clinton in a tweet.
Trump, 70, has almost no experience in foreign policy as compared to Clinton who served as the US Secretary of State during the first term of the Obama Administration.
Clinton's critical comment came after a controversy erupted on building a wall along the Mexico border, a major election plank of Trump. The Mexican President tweeted that during the meeting he told Trump that Mexico would not pay for the wall.
However, Trump said that he never discussed this with the Mexican president. The Hillary Campaign slammed Trump for visiting Mexico to meet its president at his invitation. "Donald Trump has made his outlandish policy of forcing Mexico to pay for his giant wall the centerpiece of his campaign. But at the first opportunity to make good on his offensive campaign promises, Trump choked," said John Podesta from Hillary for America Chair.
"What we saw today from a man who claims to be the ultimate 'deal maker' is that he doesn't have the courage to advocate for his campaign promises when he's not in front of a friendly crowd. We know who he is," he said.
10:22 70% of IIT-B students skip daily bath
Six of 10 residents at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) showered once every two or three days, finding the "task" taxing. A small 10% that took a bath just once a week and just about 30% took a bath every day.
This is one of the findings of the second edition of the senior survey at the institute, conducted by students, which received responses from 332 candidates of the passing-out class, including undergraduates, dual-degree students, MSc and MTech graduates. Read more
This is one of the findings of the second edition of the senior survey at the institute, conducted by students, which received responses from 332 candidates of the passing-out class, including undergraduates, dual-degree students, MSc and MTech graduates. Read more
10:20 Singur verdict: Tears of joy and a killjoy element
Mamata Banerjee today posted on Facebook that she shed "tears of joy" after learning about the Singur verdict that ordered the return of the land.
"The historic verdict of the Hon'ble Supreme Court is a landmark victory of Maa-Mati-Manush, a landslide victory of the people.... Today is a day that brings tears of joy in my eyes," the chief minister said. Mamata could not have chosen a figure of speech with a better mix: in her "landslide" hour of joyous vindication, a tearful question was lurking on the fringes whether it would make the task of bringing industry to Bengal all the more difficult. Read more
"The historic verdict of the Hon'ble Supreme Court is a landmark victory of Maa-Mati-Manush, a landslide victory of the people.... Today is a day that brings tears of joy in my eyes," the chief minister said. Mamata could not have chosen a figure of speech with a better mix: in her "landslide" hour of joyous vindication, a tearful question was lurking on the fringes whether it would make the task of bringing industry to Bengal all the more difficult. Read more
10:11 Sensex up 66 points, Nifty above 8,800 in early trade
The benchmark BSE Sensex spurted over 66 points to 28,518.53 and NSE Nifty reclaimed the 8,800-mark in early trade today on continued buying by foreign funds and retail investors even as economic growth slowed to 7.1 per cent in the April-June quarter.
The 30-share index, which had gained 669.92 points in the previous three sessions, was up by 66.36 points, or 0.23 per cent, to 28,518.53 with the sectoral indices led by auto, FMCG and banking were trading in positive zone.
On similar lines, the NSE Nifty crossed the 8,800-mark by gaining 25.55 points or 0.29 per cent to 8,811.75. Indian economy grew at the slowest pace in last six quarters at 7.1 per cent in the April-June period of current fiscal mainly on subdued performance of mining, construction and farm sectors.
The 30-share index, which had gained 669.92 points in the previous three sessions, was up by 66.36 points, or 0.23 per cent, to 28,518.53 with the sectoral indices led by auto, FMCG and banking were trading in positive zone.
On similar lines, the NSE Nifty crossed the 8,800-mark by gaining 25.55 points or 0.29 per cent to 8,811.75. Indian economy grew at the slowest pace in last six quarters at 7.1 per cent in the April-June period of current fiscal mainly on subdued performance of mining, construction and farm sectors.
09:59 Over 400 RSS members resign over Goa chief's sacking
Over 400 Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh workers, including district shakha heads in Goa, have resigned from the organisation, demanding the reinstatement of the state Goa chief Subhash Velingkar who had taken a public stance against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the state with members of an outfit run by him even showing black flags to party chief Amit Shah recently.
Velingkar, the convener of Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch which is fighting for withdrawal of grants to English medium schools and for the cause of promoting regional languages as Medium of Instruction in the coastal state, has been at loggerheads with the saffron party as well as Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar.
"All office bearers from the district units, sub district units and shakhas along with hundreds of others have decided quit from the RSS, until Velingkar Sir is reinstated," said Ramdas Saraf, south district pramukh of the RSS. "We will not work for RSS until the decision to strip him as Goa Vibhag Sangh Chalak is revoked," Saraf said.
Velingkar courted controversy earlier this week by reportedly saying that BJP may not win the election in Goa since it had "betrayed" people's trust by going back on its promise of making regional languages the medium of instruction in schools.
09:53 Mexicans respond to Trump with jokes, jeers
As word of Donald Trump's surprise trip south of the border spread, many Mexicans took to social media with a common refrain: "Is this a joke?"
But it wasn't long before they started coming up with jokes themselves about the controversial visit. Many also poked fun at Mexican President Enrique Pea Nieto, who has agreed to meet with Trump and whose popularity has been tanking.
"An advanced look of what we'll see tomorrow," one person tweeted Tuesday night, posting an image of the lead characters from the 1990s cartoon "Beavis and Butt-head." Read more
But it wasn't long before they started coming up with jokes themselves about the controversial visit. Many also poked fun at Mexican President Enrique Pea Nieto, who has agreed to meet with Trump and whose popularity has been tanking.
"An advanced look of what we'll see tomorrow," one person tweeted Tuesday night, posting an image of the lead characters from the 1990s cartoon "Beavis and Butt-head." Read more
09:22
Delhi: Road (India Gate to Ashoka Road) in front of Bungalow No 14, Windsor Place caved in due to heavy rains on Wednesday; the area has been cordoned off.
Photograph: ANI
08:57
National Highway 58 (Rishikesh-Badrinath Highway) blocked for 15 hrs due to landslide at Lambagad; Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at spot.
08:45 List of all-party delegation to Kashmir to be announced today
The final list of members of the all-party delegation visiting Kashmir on September 4-5 will be announced today.
As many as 26 MPs belonging to various political parties, barring BJP, have confirmed their participation in the all party delegation.
The Home Ministry has received the names of 26 MPs who will visit the Kashmir Valley to meet a cross section of people in an effort to bring peace there, official sources said.
However, the ruling BJP is yet give its names who will travel to the troubled state, sources said adding the total number of people, including officials, to be part of the team would be around 35.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh will lead the delegation. During its two-day visit, the delegation will interact with a cross section of people, individuals and groups aiming to bring peace in the Valley, which has been reeling under 53 days of continuous unrest following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani.
08:41 RIL's 42th shareholder meeting today; Ambani may give update on Jio
Reliance Industries chief Mukesh Ambani is likely to give an update today on Jio's 4G launch and signal culmination of the $42-billion capex cycle it had earmarked for its other businesses three years ago.
Ambani may devote a large part of his speech at RIL's 42th shareholder meeting in Mumbai today to the update and a road map for the company's telecom venture in terms of network rollout and the customer base during the test launch.
But he may stop short of announcing a date for commercial launch, industry watchers and sources said.
According to the sources, Ambani is likely to provide a status update on the Rs 2 lakh-crore spending on building telecom network as well as growing subscriber numbers, which at the last count stood at 1.5 million test users.
The AGM today comes at a time when the new entrant is locked in a dispute with the existing cellular operators on the points of interconnect.
Reliance Jio has accused incumbent players of not releasing sufficient interconnection ports during its test run of services while the existing operators (under the aegis of COAI) have dubbed its testing of network as an effort to bypass regulations.
08:38 Egyptian Prez arrives today on a three day visit
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi will arrive in New Delhi today on a three-day visit during which he will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step up engagement in areas of security, counter-terrorism and trade.
With both India and Egypt grappling with terrorism, both the leaders are expected to deliberate on ways to deal with the menace effectively.
Sisi will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising of Ministers, top officials and business leaders.
He will hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Modi on Friday. Both sides are set to sign a number of MoUs after the talks.
Sisi will also meet President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari.
India and Egypt have a strong economic relationship. India is the sixth largest trading partner of Egypt -- the second largest export destination. India's imports from Egypt were worth USD 1.74 billion during 2014-15.
04:40 Corbyn set for landslide win in Labour contest: Poll
Jeremy Corbyn is set for a landslide second victory as Labour party leader with higher numbers than before, according to a new opinion poll.
Results of a YouGov survey for The Times showed the67-year-old leading his rival, Owen Smith, by 62 per cent to38 per cent.
The 24-point lead will mark an even bigger victory compared to last year, when he secured a 59 per cent share of the vote.
The Opposition leader, who has remained defiant in the face of a coup from his parliamentary colleagues, has majority support among all three groups that are eligible to vote in the contest -- full members, registered supporters and union affiliates.
The left-wing leader's lead in the poll comes despite Labour's ruling body winning a challenge against a high court decision allowing new party members to vote in the contest.
The decision to overturn the high court judgement was widely expected to have damaged Corbyn's campaign to retain his position at the helm of the party.
According to the party, around 6,40,500 members and supporters are eligible to vote in the contest between Corbyn and Smith.
Voting by postal ballot began last week and the leadership race will come to a conclusion when the result is announced on the eve of Labour's annual conference in Liverpool on September 24.
Amid growing animosity between the left-wing and centristfactions of Labour, 39 per cent of those entitled to vote inthe leadership election believe the party will split.
Results of a YouGov survey for The Times showed the67-year-old leading his rival, Owen Smith, by 62 per cent to38 per cent.
The 24-point lead will mark an even bigger victory compared to last year, when he secured a 59 per cent share of the vote.
The Opposition leader, who has remained defiant in the face of a coup from his parliamentary colleagues, has majority support among all three groups that are eligible to vote in the contest -- full members, registered supporters and union affiliates.
The left-wing leader's lead in the poll comes despite Labour's ruling body winning a challenge against a high court decision allowing new party members to vote in the contest.
The decision to overturn the high court judgement was widely expected to have damaged Corbyn's campaign to retain his position at the helm of the party.
According to the party, around 6,40,500 members and supporters are eligible to vote in the contest between Corbyn and Smith.
Voting by postal ballot began last week and the leadership race will come to a conclusion when the result is announced on the eve of Labour's annual conference in Liverpool on September 24.
Amid growing animosity between the left-wing and centristfactions of Labour, 39 per cent of those entitled to vote inthe leadership election believe the party will split.
03:59 Trump says he discussed building 'border wall' with Mexican Prez
Standing alongside the president of Mexico, a measured Donald Trump defended the right of the United States to build a massive border wall along its southern flank, but he declined to repeat his frequent promise to force Mexico to pay for it.
Trump, the US presidential candidate who is widely despised across Mexico, also sidestepped his repeated criticism of Mexican immigrants following a closed-door meeting on Wednesday at the official residence of the countrys president, Enrique Pena Nieto.
Trump and Pena Nieto, who has compared the New York billionaire to Adolf Hitler, addressed reporters from adjacent podiums flanked by a Mexican flag.
We did discus the wall. We didn't discuss payment of the wall, Trump said.
In his announcement of his presidential candidacy last year, Trump derided Mexico as a source of rapists and criminals coming to the US, and his presence yesterday sparked anger and protests across the capital city.
Trump, the US presidential candidate who is widely despised across Mexico, also sidestepped his repeated criticism of Mexican immigrants following a closed-door meeting on Wednesday at the official residence of the countrys president, Enrique Pena Nieto.
Trump and Pena Nieto, who has compared the New York billionaire to Adolf Hitler, addressed reporters from adjacent podiums flanked by a Mexican flag.
We did discus the wall. We didn't discuss payment of the wall, Trump said.
In his announcement of his presidential candidacy last year, Trump derided Mexico as a source of rapists and criminals coming to the US, and his presence yesterday sparked anger and protests across the capital city.
03:25 US, Russia tussle over who killed IS propaganda chief
Islamic State group spokesman and top strategist Abu Mohamed al-Adnani has been killed in Syria, the group said, with both Washington and Moscow claiming credit.
Adnani was IS's propaganda chief, top recruiter and the reported mastermind of a string of IS-claimed attacks in the West.
In Washington, the Pentagon said US-led coalition forces had targeted Adnani in an air strike in Syria's Aleppo province yesterday but did not immediately confirm his death.
Russia's military said one of its air strikes had killed Adnani in a bombing raid yesterday that left up to 40 IS jihadists dead - a claim dismissed by US officials as a joke.
Regardless of who was responsible, analysts say his death will be a major bow to IS, which has suffered a series of setbacks this year including territorial losses in Syria and Iraq and the killings of other top figures.
Adnani was IS's propaganda chief, top recruiter and the reported mastermind of a string of IS-claimed attacks in the West.
In Washington, the Pentagon said US-led coalition forces had targeted Adnani in an air strike in Syria's Aleppo province yesterday but did not immediately confirm his death.
Russia's military said one of its air strikes had killed Adnani in a bombing raid yesterday that left up to 40 IS jihadists dead - a claim dismissed by US officials as a joke.
Regardless of who was responsible, analysts say his death will be a major bow to IS, which has suffered a series of setbacks this year including territorial losses in Syria and Iraq and the killings of other top figures.
02:24 Michel Temer sworn in as Brazil's new president
Brazil's Michel Temer was sworn in as the country's new president today after leftist Dilma Rousseff was removed in a Senate impeachment trial.
Temer, 75, raised his hand and swore to uphold the constitution, drawing loud applause from his conservative supporters at the swearing-in ceremony in a packed Senate chamber.
Temer, 75, raised his hand and swore to uphold the constitution, drawing loud applause from his conservative supporters at the swearing-in ceremony in a packed Senate chamber.
01:43 Rousseff rejects impeachment as 'parliamentary coup'
Brazil's sacked president Dilma Rousseff branded the vote to remove her from office at an impeachment trial a 'parliamentary coup' and vowed a comeback by her Workers' Party.
"They decided to interrupt the mandate of a president who had committed no crime. They have convicted an innocent person and carried out a parliamentary coup," she said.
She spoke surrounded by supporters after a majority of senators voted to remove her from office on the grounds she broke state accounting laws.
"They decided to interrupt the mandate of a president who had committed no crime. They have convicted an innocent person and carried out a parliamentary coup," she said.
She spoke surrounded by supporters after a majority of senators voted to remove her from office on the grounds she broke state accounting laws.
00:34 Demonstrators set Gabon parliament on fire
Gabon's national assembly was set ablaze on Wednesday by angry protestors who took to the streets after an announcement that President Ali Bongo had been re-elected, witnesses said.
'The whole building is catching fire,' a man at the scene was quoted as saying by the AFP.
'The whole building is catching fire,' a man at the scene was quoted as saying by the AFP.
00:29 Donald Trump reaches Mexico
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump arrives in Mexico to meet Enrique Pena Nieto, AFP quoted an airport official as saying.
President Nieto, who once compared Trump with Hitler, is facing a storm of criticism from Mexicans over his decision to meet the real estate mogul.
Former Mexican first lady Margarita Zavala, wife of ex-president Felipe Calderon and herself a potential presidential candidate, aimed a tweet at Trump, saying: Even though you may have been invited, we want you to know you're not welcome. We Mexicans have dignity, and we reject your hate speech.
Many Mexicans felt the Republican candidate had left Pena Nieto flat-footed by accepting an invitation the Mexican president had made simply for appearances sake.
President Nieto, who once compared Trump with Hitler, is facing a storm of criticism from Mexicans over his decision to meet the real estate mogul.
Former Mexican first lady Margarita Zavala, wife of ex-president Felipe Calderon and herself a potential presidential candidate, aimed a tweet at Trump, saying: Even though you may have been invited, we want you to know you're not welcome. We Mexicans have dignity, and we reject your hate speech.
Many Mexicans felt the Republican candidate had left Pena Nieto flat-footed by accepting an invitation the Mexican president had made simply for appearances sake.
00:19 Sisi arrives in India today on a 3-day visit
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi will arrive in New Delhi today on a three-day visit during which he will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step up engagement in areas of security, counter-terrorism and trade.
With both India and Egypt grappling with terrorism, both the leaders are expected to deliberate on ways to deal with the menace effectively.
Sisi will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising of Ministers, top officials and business leaders.
He will hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Modi on Friday. Both sides are set to sign a number of Memoranda of Understanding after the talks.
Sisi will also meet President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari.
With both India and Egypt grappling with terrorism, both the leaders are expected to deliberate on ways to deal with the menace effectively.
Sisi will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising of Ministers, top officials and business leaders.
He will hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Modi on Friday. Both sides are set to sign a number of Memoranda of Understanding after the talks.
Sisi will also meet President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari.
00:12 Top headlines at this hour
Kejriwal sacks minister over 'objectionable CD'
Petrol price hiked by Rs 3.38/litre, diesel up by Rs 2.67
J Dey case: Charges framed against Rajan; pleads innocence
Mumbai traffic cop attacked by juvenile biker dies in hospital - 23:09 IST
Fresh trouble for Ramya, complaint filed against her for RSS remark
Bihar flood toll rises to 168, 2 killed in Uttar Pradesh
Read yesterday's live commentary HERE
Petrol price hiked by Rs 3.38/litre, diesel up by Rs 2.67
J Dey case: Charges framed against Rajan; pleads innocence
Mumbai traffic cop attacked by juvenile biker dies in hospital - 23:09 IST
Fresh trouble for Ramya, complaint filed against her for RSS remark
Bihar flood toll rises to 168, 2 killed in Uttar Pradesh
Read yesterday's live commentary HERE
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