LIVE
Fri, 16 September 2016
LG asks Sisodia to immediately return to Delhi

Timeline  Refresh

image
23:34   LG asks Sisodia to immediately return to Delhi
Lt Governor Najeeb Jung today asked Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is currently in Finland on a study tour, to return to Delhi immediately in the wake of sudden spurt in dengue and chikungunya cases in the national capital.             

"The deputy CM has been asked to come back to Delhi immediately as the city is witnessing spurt in dengue and chikungunya cases," a top source said.             

Sisodia, who also hold the education portfolio, along with his officers are in Finland to study the education system of that country.
image
23:27   Israel readies for 1,500 rockets a day in next war
Israel's army estimates that thousands of rockets could slam into the Jewish state in any future conflagration, military sources said today ahead of a nationwide civil defence drill.
"Total war on several fronts, destruction of essential equipment and infrastructure and heavy rocket bombardment" all form part of the scenario for the exercise, which runs from Sunday until September 21, the army said.

The drill is based on projections of the army's Home Front Command, which estimates 1,500 rockets crashing into the country each day, military sources said in a briefing to Israeli reporters, local media reported.
The projectiles could be launched simultaneously by Lebanon's Shiite militia Hezbollah across Israel's northern border and to a far lesser extent from Hamas-ruled Gaza in the south.
image
23:10   US declares French jihadist Diaby 'global terrorist'
The United States today designated French jihadist recruiter Omar Diaby a "global terrorist" subject to US economic sanctions, the State
Department said.
The 40-year-old Al-Nusra Front militant, who also uses the name Omar Omsen, became notorious last year for faking his own death in order to leave Syria for surgery. 

According to the designation, Diaby leads a group of 50 French volunteers who traveled to Syria and signed up with the Al-Nusra Front, Al-Qaeda's franchise in the region.

Nusra says it broke with Al-Qaeda in July and has rebranded itself Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. 
image
22:57   Paris police dismantle camp housing 2,100 migrants
Police in Paris today evacuated a tent camp where some 2,100 migrants were living in squalid conditions, the latest operation to dismantle camps sprouting up around the French capital.
Police moved in at dawn to remove the migrants, mainly from Sudan, Eritrea and Afghanistan, who were sleeping in tents and on mattresses in the camp in northern Paris.

Housing Minister Emmanuelle Cosse, who was present at the operation, said 2,083 people were evacuated to around 60 shelters in the Paris area.
The camp was already cleared of some 700 people a month ago.
image
22:48   Man thrashed by suspected cow vigilantes, dies
A 25-year-old man, who was allegedly thrashed by cow vigilantes on September 13, died at a hospital here today, police said.

Mohammad Ayyub Mev was admitted to V S Hospital after he was thrashed by unidentified persons on S G Highway on the night of September 13 after his car met with an accident. 

A calf which he was allegedly carrying in the car died in
the mishap.
   
Ayyub's brother Imran alleged that he was beaten up on the suspicion that he was transporting cows for slaughter.

"Ayyub's car met with an accident on SG Highway on the night of September 13. When some bystanders checked the car, they found a calf and a bullock. Due to the impact, the calf died while the bullock was rescued. To save himself from people's wrath, Ayyub started running," said inspector P B Rana of Anandnagar police station here.
image
21:51   Swami Aseemanand gets bail in Samjhauta Express blast case
Swami Aseemanand, an accused in the 2007 Samjhauta Express blast case, today furnished a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh and two surety bonds of equal amount in a Panchkula NIA court, but he will remain in jail as he is
facing trial in other blast cases.
"Aseemanand's bail orders were earlier issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Today, he submitted bail bonds before the trial court of Special Judge Gulab Singh. The court accepted the bonds," NIA's Special Prosecutor RK Handa said. 

He, however, said Aseemanand, who is at present lodged at Ambala Central Jail in Haryana, will remain in prison as he is facing trial in other blast cases.

"Though he will be released on bail in the Samjhauta case, he will be in custody in connection with the Ajmer blast case," he said.
Aseemanand, a member of right-wing Hindu group 'Abhinav Bharat', has been in jail since December 2010. He was also named as an accused in Hyderabad Mecca Masjid and Ajmer Dargah blast cases of 2007.
image
21:50   Davis Cup: Spain take 2-0 lead vs India
David Ferrer beat Saketh Myneni 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 to give Spain a 2-0 lead on the opening day of the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie in New Delhi on Friday.

Earlier,  Feliciano Lopez beat Ramkumar Ramanathan 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. 
Lopez had replaced Rafael Nadal as the latter had to pull out of the match due to a stomach bug.
image
21:45   Air strikes, clashes test fragile Syria truce deal
Air strikes and clashes tested a fragile ceasefire in Syria today as civilians waited for aid and the UN Security Council was to discuss whether to endorse the US-Russian truce.
The accord has been billed as the "last chance" to end the five-year war but it has been marred by a lack of aid deliveries, sporadic violence and friction between Moscow and Washington.
Russia, a key backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, said it was ready to extend the truce set to expire later today by 72 hours, despite accusing the United States and rebels of not fulfilling the deal.
"We are prepared to extend the cessation of hostilities for a further 72 hours," senior Russian officer Viktor Poznikhir said.
UN Security Council members were to meet at 2130 GMT for closed-door consultations, diplomats said, after Russia's envoy to the United Nations said Moscow wanted a UN resolution to endorse the deal.
image
21:19   Suicide bomber kills 25 at mosque in northwest Pakistan
At least 25 people, including five children, were killed and 30 others injured when a Taliban suicide bomber shouting 'Allahu Akbar' blew himself up inside a mosque packed with worshippers for Friday prayers in Mohmand Agency in Pakistan's restive northwest tribal region,
The attacker blew himself when the prayers were in progress at the mosque in the Anbar tehsil of the agency bordering Afghanistan.
"A suicide bomber was in the mosque. He shouted 'Allahu Akbar' and blew himself up," Assistant Political Agent Naveed Akbar told reporters.
Jamat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter group of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, today claimed responsibility for the attack. 

He said that Friday prayers were being offered around 2 PM when the powerful blast took place.

At least 25 people, including five children, were killed in the attack and 30 others injured, Pakistani media reported, citing officials.
image
20:45   Akhilesh reinstates Shivpal Yadav, Gayatri Prajapati in cabinet
In a sign of thaw between Mulayam Singh Yadavs brother Shivpal Yadav and son Akhilesh Yadav, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Ministers office issued a statement saying that Shivpal will be handed over his three portfolios.

The official communique also said that sacked minister Gayatri Prajapati will also be instated in the Cabinet. The announcement comes a day after Shivpal resigned from all party posts and portfolios held by him.

Speaking to ANI, Shivpal said: Netaji (Mulayam) and Akhilesh didnt accept my resignation. I left it to Netaji and whatever he will decide we will follow.

Shivpal said that he will fulfill any responsibility given to him, be it as a minister or as state party chief.
image
20:40   Belgian police arrest two in anti-terror raids
Belgian authorities today detained two people for questioning following anti-terror raids in the capital Brussels and southeastern Belgium, the federal prosecutor's office said.
Police searched two homes in the Haren and Schaarbeek districts of Brussels and another in the city of Liege in the French-speaking Wallonia region, the office said in a statement.
"Two persons were arrested and will be interrogated by the investigators," it said, adding a judge will decide later whether or not to detain the pair further.

A judge specialising in terrorism cases ordered the raids "in connection with an ongoing federal investigation into the activities of a terrorist group," the statement said without elaborating.
However, the Belgian television station RTBF said the two arrested are a 28-year-old man and his female companion.  
image
20:30   Chinese media slams Dalai Lama's call for talks with IS
The Dalai Lama's call for talks with the Islamic State terror group to end the violence has evoked strong criticism from Chinese media which said the "shocking" suggestion provides a good chance for the monk's supporters in the West to see his "true colours".
"The Dalai Lama's recent terrorist-sympathising remarks have again shocked the world, and provided for those in the West who used to exchange backing him for selfish political gains a chance to see the monk's true colours," a commentary in state-run Xinhua news agency said.
While traveling in France, the Tibetan spiritual leader had mooted talks with Islamic State extremists, saying talks are "the only way" to end bloodshed in Syria and Iraq. 
image
19:59   US designates French recruiter Omar Diaby 'global terrorist'
Just In: US designates French recruiter Omar Diaby 'global terrorist'.

Diaby, who also goes by the name Omar Omsen, is the self-proclaimed emir of a katiba -- or fighting group -- of French jihadists in Syria, many of them hailing from the southeastern French city of Nice. He was presumed dead when, in May this year, he reportedly made contact with France 2 journalist Romain Boutilly. 

Speaking on Skype, Diaby told the reporter: "The emir Omar Omsen is not dead. His death was announced for a very precise reason."

After a stint in a Nice penitentiary, Diaby rose to prominence in 2012 by producing a series of lengthy propaganda videos under the title '19HH', a reference to the World Trade Centre and the 19 terrorists who took part in its destruction on September 11, 2001.

The videos claimed to reveal "the truth" about Islam, Western imperialism and the death of Osama bin Laden. They got tens of thousands of views on YouTube, and have been credited with inspiring the first wave of jihadist fighters to leave France -- before the IS group and its online propaganda machine even existed.

Diaby left for Syria in the summer of 2013, setting up a unit of French fighters linked to the al-Nusra Front, Al Qaeda's Syrian branch, which would later become the IS group's main jihadist rival.

image
19:47   India's rank falls to 112 on World Economic Freedom Index
India has slipped by 10 positions to 112th, out of 159 countries and territories, as it "fared badly" across categories including legal system and regulation, according to the Economic Freedom of the World: 2016 Annual Report.

Although China, Bangladesh and Pakistan lagged behind India at 113th, 121st and 133th ranks respectively, Bhutan (78), Nepal (108) and Sri Lanka (111) were better placed on the World Economic Freedom Index. 

"India has fared badly in all categories i.e. legal system and property rights (86), sound money (130), freedom to trade internationally (144) and regulation (132) except the size of the government (8)," the report said.

India's leading public policy think tank, Centre for Civil Society, has published the report in collaboration with Canada's Fraser Institute. The report is based on data from 2014 and measures the economic freedom by analysing the policies and institutions of all 159 countries and territories.
image
19:44   Davis Cup: India lose opening tie vs Spain
India lost the opening tie of the Davis Cup World Group play-off against Spain after Ramkumar Ramanathan lost to to Spain's Feliciano Lopez 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 on a hot evening in Delhi on Friday.

Ramkumar lost the first two sets in their opening rubber but fought back in the 3rd set to take it 6-3 but fell short again in the Delhi heat losing the 4th set 1-6. 

Lopez had replaced Rafael Nadal as the latter had to pull out of the match due to a stomach bug.

India and Spain will play their second match when Saketh Myneni takes on David Ferer.
image
19:25   Mobile app, website for AIR's Baluchi service launched
Baluchi-speaking people in the Af-Pak region and other parts of the world can now tune into AIR broadcast in the language through computers and mobile phones as India's public broadcaster today launched multimedia webpage and mobile app of the service. 

Prasar Bharati Chairperson A Surya Prakash, who launched the mobile app and the webpage, said the move is part of India's efforts to reach out to the neighbourhood for better people-to-people contact.

The move to launch AIR's digital platforms in Baluchi came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech in which he had brought up the issue of Pakistani atrocities on the people of Balochistan and PoK.

India had also raised the issue of atrocities in Balochistan at the meeting of a UN body earlier this week. 

Prasar Bharati officials said the mobile app and the webpage were just "value addition" as Baluchi service of the AIR has been in existence since 1974. 

"There are several languages in which services are broadcast by the AIR. Baluchi is happening today, it will also happen for other languages," Surya Prakash said.
image
19:23   Why does BJP have a problem with my release: Shahabuddin
Asserting that the Bharatiya Janata Party was squirming in its seats because of his release, former RJD MP Shahabuddin said that he was not perturbed with the Bihar government challenging his bail in the Supreme Court, adding that he would follow the apex courts orders like any other common citizen.

Speaking to reporters, Shahabuddin expressed ease at the development, saying that he does not believe anyone is truly against him.

"I am not different from any other ordinary citizen who has to follow the orders of the court and I will comply with whatever the decision is," he said.

Talking about the controversy of him being spotted with alleged sharpshooter Mohammed Kaif, who is currently embroiled in charges over the murder of journalist Rajdev Rajan, Shahabuddin defended Kaif, saying that he had done nothing wrong and that no charges against him were proven.

"Why can't I have a picture with him (Kaif)? You are calling him a shooter now because of a small disagreement he had in his locality. He works on daily wages and earns 10,000 rupees. He takes care of his entire family on that meagre sum. He does not have the time or the means to go around extorting people," the former parliamentarian stated.

Shahabuddin added that the BJP is clearly troubled with his release.

"BJP has a problem with my release. Why is it so bothered with me? Why will a political party have a problem with my release? Clearly they are worried because they are losing their grip in Bihar," he said.
image
18:57   Government plans to quota for faculty at IIMs
Union HRD Ministry has proposed to introduce reservation in teaching positions at Indian Institutes of Management and will hold talks with the chiefs of these premier B-schools in this regard.

As part of the proposal to introduce quotas in faculty posts at IIMs, chairmen and directors of IIMs will meet at IIM Shillong on September 20 to discuss the matter, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar told media persons today. 

Javadekar said he is also reviewing the existing reservation system for faculty posts in other premier educational institutes like IITs and NITs. "I recently held meetings of Councils of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) in Delhi to discuss this issue," he said.

"I also plan to hold such meetings with National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and central universities. I am conducting a review of all institutes and existing system (for faculty reservation), and government rules pertaining to reservation and related provisions under Constitution." 

Javadekar earlier visited IIM here to interact with faculty members and students. 

Currently, there is no reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs in teaching jobs at IIMs, all set up by the government. All IIMs are registered societies governed by their respective Board of Governors.
image
18:53   Davis Cup: India lose first two sets in opening tie
Ramkumar Ramanathan lost the first two sets 4-6, 4-6 to Spain's Feliciano Lopez in their Davis Cup World Group play-off opening rubber in New Delhi on Friday. 

Lopez had replaced Rafael Nadal as the latter had to pull out of the match due to a stomach bug.
image
18:25   10 Indian cities to rally on Sunday in defence of animal rights
An international rally will be organised in 70 cities across the world, including 50 in India, on Sunday to express solidarity against growing cases of animal cruelty in the country and to put pressure on the government to enact strict laws on the issue.

"An international rally urging the Indian government to enact powerful laws against animal cruelty will take place on September 18 in 70 cities around the world, including 50 in India, 10 in the US and five in Australia.

"Organiser of the rally, India Unites for Animals (IUFA), expects thousands of people in India and abroad to march in solidarity against the growing cases of extreme animal abuse in the country," a Humane Society International-India statement said.

The organisation said the past year has seen some of the most heinous acts of animal cruelty in India -- from physical assault on a police horse, Shaktiman, to stabbing of dogs to death and setting puppies ablaze.

The image alongside refers to this horrific incident in Chennai.
image
18:20   Pakistan scuttles India's NAM proposal for counter-terror group
Just In: Pakistan scuttles India-initiated proposal, at the preliminary stage to set up a counter-terrorism group at the ongoing NAM summit. The proposal was backed by 20 countries.
image
18:15   Pakistan may be building new uranium enrichment site: analysts
Pakistan, estimated to have the world's fastest-growing nuclear stockpile, could be building a new uranium enrichment complex according to commercial satellite imagery analysed by Western defence experts.

The construction of a new site, based in the town of Kahuta some 30 km east of Islamabad, provides fresh evidence of how Pakistan is seeking to boost its atomic arsenal - a goal which is inconsistent with the principles of the Nuclear Suppliers Group the country is seeking to join, said the analysis.

The analysis was conducted by IHS Jane's Intelligence review using satellite images taken by Airbus Defence and Space on 28 September, 2015 and then again on 18 April, 2016.

Pakistan, which conducted its first nuclear tests in 1998 is believed to have around 120 nuclear weapons, more than India, Israel and North Korea.
image
18:15   Diane James new leader of Britain's UKIP
Diane James replaces Nigel Farage as leader of Britain's UKIP

James, a former parliamentary candidate who came close to taking Eastleigh off the Liberal Democrats in 2013, is the strong favourite to win the leadership out of a wide field of relative unknowns.

James will have to contend with a party riven by infighting between various factions, including Farage loyalists, a circle around the former Conservative cabinet minister Neil Hamilton, and others close to Douglas Carswell, the partys only MP.
image
18:14   Maha govt hikes VAT on petrol by Rs 1.50 per litre
Maharashtra government today hiked the value added tax levied on petrol by Rs 1.50 per litre.

The measure is expected to generate additional revenue of Rs 600 crore, a senior official said.

The state has not touched diesel prices, fearing losing revenue to neighbouring states, he added. 

"The decision is taken to garner additional revenue. Instead of going in for ad-valorem where VAT is revised in percentage, the state government preferred to increase VAT in rupees," Deputy Secretary (Finance) Rajendra Bhagat said. 

"There was some correction in petrol prices from June, benefiting customers. The latest increase in VAT would revert prices to June level," he said. 

Uday Lodh, president of Federation of All Maharashtra Petrol Dealers' Association, said, "The decision would affect the business of some of the retailers located in border areas of Maharashtra."
image
18:08   Inside South Kashmir: Weeks after Burhan Wani's death
Down a sullen alley in South Kashmir's Anantnag town, a tyre was in flames. A flimsy metal frame and a row of rocks stretched across the road behind it, doing duty as barricade. A few lanky youth stood guard, while older men sat on nearby pends (shop fronts). One of them was on the phone, chatting about laptops.

This was a protest.

In the capital of Srinagar, there are cars on the street, there are shops that have remained open and people going about their daily business. Clashes may break out in some areas but there is something resembling calm in the surrounding neighbourhoods. Drive south through Pulwama district into Anantnag, and you enter a country of unrest.

Click HERE to read a rare ground report from the region where the stone has become a symbol of resistance and the Hurriyat talks about freedom through Islam.
image
18:05   Ronnie Screwvala: Even if it ain't broke... fix it
"TV has stagnated, very little innovation for the last decade. And it is not anyone's fault but when it's 70% advertising driven there is little choice but to cater to the largest denominator. And the only experimentation that has happened is for a broadcaster to launch a new channel -- so as not to disrupt the "status quo".

"I headlined this blog "Even if it aint broke- fix it" and television content is the anti-thesis of that presently and something has to break. Unfortunately in India, even the digital wave is moving backwards, more aping television, with no bold experimentation, though TVF does push the envelope."

"Movies on the other hand sometimes mirror the pulse of the nation and mostly reflect the mood, culture and grammar of our youth"

Ronnie Screwvala, the founder of UTV, which backed films like Rang De Basanti, Dev D, No One Killed Jessica and Jodhaa Akbar among many others, shares candid and blunt views on some of the questions he framed and asked himself. 

Click HERE to read further...
image
17:24   People calling India land of rapes embarrassing: Bachchan
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan says he feels embarrassed when he goes abroad and people there call India, the land of rapes.

The actor, who is essaying the role of a lawyer in his latest release "Pink," said Indians should work together to make the country a first world nation. 

"It's very embarrassing when we visit abroad and people there say, 'You are from India, the land of rapes'. I want that to go. I don't like it when people call us a third world country or developing country.

"We all must work to make India a first world nation, a developed country," Bachchan said at a press conference of the film.

The "Piku" star said each part of the country should be safe for women.

"We should not say that Mumbai is safer than Delhi or vice versa. We are a country and women should be safe in every part. If an incident occurs in Delhi the whole nation feels bad and gets worried. The issue is about the whole nation or universal."
image
17:23   Bombay HC declines stay on BMC resolution on yoga in civic schools
The Bombay High Court on Friday declined to grant an interim stay on implementation of a resolution making yoga and 'Surya Namaskar' (sun salutation) mandatory in civic schools in the metropolis, saying it is just a form of exercise which is good for the body. 

Masood Ansari, a social worker, had filed a public interest litigation in the HC challenging the August 23 resolution passed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, contending that it violated fundamental rights and is "malafide and bad in law".

According to the petitioner, children attending BMC run schools mainly belong to poorer sections of society and come from all religions, castes and communities. 

A division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice M S Sonak, however, observed that people should not look at it just by the name 'Suryanamaskar'.

"Don't go by the name... it is just a form of exercise which is good for the body," Chief Justice Chellur said. The HC, while posting the petition for further hearing after two weeks, declined to grant an interim stay on implementation of the resolution.
image
17:20   Pak army chief meets Sharif ahead of US visit
Pakistan army chief General Raheel Sharif on Friday called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ahead of the premier's visit to the United States where he will address the UN General Assembly and is expected to rake up the Kashmir issue.

Sharif is likely to deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly session on September 21. Sharif today met Hurriyat leaders from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and assured them that he would "emphatically highlight" the Kashmir issue at the UN General Assembly next week. 

During the meeting with Raheel, the prime minister expressed the resolve to continue the war against terrorism and militancy till the elimination of last terrorist. 

"Vowing to continue the war against militancy and terrorism (till elimination of the last terrorist), the prime minister expressed his satisfaction over the security situation in the country," PM House said in a statement after Raheel called on Sharif.
image
17:17   16 killed in suicide attack in mosque in northwest Pak
At least 16 people were killed and 23 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a packed mosque during Friday prayers in Mohmand Agency in restive northwest Pakistan.

"It was a suicide blast," a local official said. 

The attacker blew himself up inside the mosque packed with worshippers. 

At least 16 people were killed, the Express Tribune reported, citing officials. 

Rescue teams and police rushed to the spot. The bodies and the injured are being shifted to local hospitals for medical treatment. 
image
17:16   Pak among invitees to watch China's manned space flight launch
China has invited scientists from Pakistan, Germany, France, Italy, Russia and the EU to watch the launch of its next month's manned space flight to send two astronauts to join a space lab which has been put into orbit, a media report said today.

The scientists were invited to watch the launch of Shenzhou 11 capsule from Inner Mongolia next month, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. 

The capsule will be propelled by a Long March 2F rocket similar to the one which put the experimental space lab Tiangong-2 into orbit last night without a hitch. 

The Tiangong-2 launch was telecast live on state TV. China has been helping Pakistan's space programme. It launched Pakistan's communication Satellite PAKSAT-1R in 2011.
image
16:47   CBI to probe Narsingh Yadav's case
The president of Wrestling Federation of India met officials of the Prime Minister's Office after arriving from Rio and requested that Wrestler Narsingh Yadavs matter should be forwarded to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Today, Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, member of Parliament and WFI president, has confirmed that the case of Narsingh Yadav has been referred to the CBI.
image
16:14   Congress marks 'Bhagoda Divas' in Delhi
Congress activists today observed 'Bhagoda Divas' in the national capital, protesting against the alleged absence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his ministers from Delhi which is currently reeling under chikungunya and dengue outbreak. 

Leading the protests which were held in all the 70 assembly constituencies of the national capital, Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken attacked Kejriwal and Lt Governor Najeeb Jung for being out of the city instead of helping people at a time of crisis.

"It is extremely unfortunate that while Delhiites are facing an epidemic-like situation, the chief minister was campaigning in Punjab and later went to Bangalore. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is holidaying in Finland and even the lt governor was in the United States. One of the BJP mayors is also on a foreign jaunt," Maken said.
image
16:12  
Just In: BSE Sensex rises 186.14 points to close at 28,599.03; Nifty gains 37.30 points, to 8,779.85.
image
16:11   Court asks Narada News chief to detail sting operation
The Calcutta high court today directed Narada News chief Mathew Samuel to file an affidavit detailing all the events leading to the news portal's sting operation in which persons resembling senior Trinamool Congress leaders are shown to be purportedly taking money. 

Observing that the sting tapes are only the climax of a story, a division bench comprising acting Chief Justice G C Gupta and Justice A Banerjee directed Samuel to submit before the court in affidavit form the full story leading to the tapes showing the persons purportedly taking money.

The bench directed Samuel to submit the affidavit by November 4, when the matter would be taken up for hearing again. The high court had sent the Narada sting tapes to Chandigarh CFSL after its counterpart in Hyderabad had expressed its inability to analyse the genuineness of the recordings. 

Samuel had claimed that the alleged sting operation had been recorded using an iPhone, transferred to a laptop and then to a pen drive, all of which were sent by the high court to CFSL, Chandigarh, for examination of the genuineness of the recordings.

The court had directed the CFSL to analyse the tapes on the basis of a PIL urging the court to find out the genuineness of the sting tapes and a follow up investigation into the matter.
image
16:06   2017 likely to be a watershed year for Modi
2017 is likely to be a turnaround year for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with many firsts lined up. 

For the first time, a hardcore RSS-linked BJP leader may become the President of India, while a diehard RSS person is likely become the vice president/ex-officio leader of the Rajya Sabha.  

Apart from this, there are other major steps being taken from next year. GST will come into force in 2017, which is a major taxation reform. 

The BJP government may not present its railway budget next year onward, and it will be combined with the Union budget. Also, the Modi government will advance the date of presentation of the Union Budget to January, which will reflect in more robust tax collections by October 2017, as the targeted revenue need not be changed due to the vagaries of monsoon. 

The plan and non-plan expenditure will not be reflected in the Union budget from 2017 onward as the five-year Plan has been withdrawn.
image
16:04   Sharif to 'highlight' Kashmir issue in UNGA speech
Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday met Hurriyat leaders from Pakistan occupied Kashmir and assured them that he would 'emphatically highlight' the Kashmir issue at the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly next week.

Sharif met with the leaders of All Parties Hurriyat Conference PoK chapter at Muzaffarabad.

PoK 'President' Sardar Masood Khan and 'Prime Minister' Raja Farooq Haider were also present at the meeting.

"Pakistan will continue to extend moral, diplomatic and political support to Kashmiris," Sharif said, alleging that atrocities in Kashmir had touched extremes.

"Oppression is destined to end, and truth will prevail," he said in reference to the ongoing violence in Kashmir.

He said the Kashmiris' demand for their right to self-determination was just, which had also been acknowledged by international community.

Hurriyat leaders thanked Sharif for taking them into confidence before his visit to UNGA.

Sharif is likely to deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly session on September 21.
 
image
15:57  
JUST IN: Sensex rises 186.14 points to close at 28,599.03; Nifty gains 37.30 points to 8,779.85.
image
15:32   Swedish appeals court upholds Assange's detention order
A Swedish appeals court on Friday upheld an arrest warrant for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange over a 2010 rape accusation, rejecting his request to have it lifted.

The court announced in a statement that Assange 'is still detained in absentia', adding that it 'shares the assessment of the (lower) district court that Julian Assange is still suspected on probable cause of rape... and that there is a risk that he will evade legal proceedings or a penalty'.
image
15:19   Two proposals for heading dispute redressal panels withdrawn
The Modi government has rejected two recommendations sent by the Chief Justice of India for heading dispute redressal panels. 

Sources said one of the names was of a person who, while in office, pointed a pistol at his colleague's spouse. The photo copy of the security and intelligence agency reports mentioning this incident were personally submitted by a senior Union minister, as it was considered so damaging. 

Following this, there was no other option but to withdraw the officer's name, it is learnt.
image
15:17   SC 'grievously erred' in commuting death of Soumya's killer: Katju
Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju on Friday said that the apex court had 'grievously erred by law' in the Soumya rape and murder case in which the death sentence of the accused Govindacahamy was commuted.

In a Facebook post, he said: 'The Supreme Court has grievously erred by law by not holding Govindachamy guilty of murder.'

The Supreme Court had on Thursday quashed Govindachamy's death penalty, but upheld life imprisonment for raping 23-year-old Soumya on February 1, 2011.

The death penalty had been imposed by a fast track court in Thrissur, which was later upheld by the Kerala high court.

The apex court had found that there was no intention on the part of the accused to kill the victim. It held that since it has not been proved that the accused had intention to kill, he cannot be held guilty of murder.

'What the court has overlooked is that Section 300 IPC (Indian Penal Code), which defines murder, has 4 parts and only the first part requires intention to kill,' Katju said.

'If any of the other 3 parts are established, it will be murder even if there was no intention to kill,' the former Press Council chairman stated.

Katju said it was 'regrettable' that the court has not read Section 300 carefully.

'The judgment needs to be reviewed in an open court hearing,' he said.
image
14:54   SC to hear plea challenging Shahabuddin's bail on Sept 19
The Supreme Court will on September 19 hear Siwan native Chandrakeshwar Prasad's plea challenging the Patna high court's order of granting bail to gangster-turned-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin.

Prasad earlier in the day had filed the petition in the apex court.

He said he would also request for a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry if need arises.

"You should either keep such a person out of Bihar or give him capital punishment. We would request the CBI too," said Prasad.

"I did not ask for chanda as Shahabuddin is saying. I am just asking for government help. We are old and are surviving on medicine. We want compensation," he added.

Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan has also filed a petition in the top court for the cancellation of bail granted to Shahabuddin, who walked out of the Bhagalpur jail last week.

Shahabuddin, who had been in jail for more than 10 years in connection with multiple cases, was granted bail by the Patna high court on September 7 in connection with the murder of a the third son of Prasad who witnessed the killing of his two brothers in Siwan.
image
14:50  
JUST IN: Swedish appeals court upholds detention order for Julian Assange.
image
14:32   Enforcement probe makes senior leaders do unusual things
A senior Congress Rajya Sabha member and All India Congress Committee office-bearer recently drove down to a Union minister's official bungalow to plead with him not to proceed further in an ongoing investigation against him launched by an enforcement agency. 

The buzz in Delhi's political circuit is that the Rajya Sabha MP has of late fallen silent  after a section of the media began to serialise a case in which he was unnecessarily dragged into.
image
14:13   Shivpal supporters stage protest in Etawah
Support for Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav spilled onto the streets in Etawah as his supporters sat on a dharna.

Raising slogans like 'Shivpal Singh ko sasamman vapas lo' and 'Mulayam Singh ko CM banao', the veteran leader's supporters set up a tent at the Shastri crossing and have been agitating since last night.

Markets in Jaswantnagar -- the assembly constituency of Shivpal -- also remained closed with a protest against Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav being staged on the roads there.

The demonstration, which obstructed movement of traffic on for hours, was later shifted to the city.

Earlier in the morning morning, Shivpal's supporters gathered at the leader's residence in Lucknow and also raised slogans against party national general secretary Ramgopal Yadav who had yesterday termed Akhilesh Yadav's removal from the post of state unit president as an 'unintentional mistake' of the party.
image
13:59   Modi, Prachanda issue joint statement after talks
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepal's PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' issue a joint statement. Excerpts of PM Modi's address:

- Today is a significant day in history of our friendship.

- Our friendship is time-tested and unique. We share our burden during difficult times, just as we celebrate each others achievements.

- As immediate neighbours and close friendly nations, peace, stability of Nepal is our shared objective.

- Confident that under your (Prachandas) wise leadership, Nepal will successfully implement the through inclusive dialogue.

- India stands ready and prepared to strengthen development partnership with Nepal.

-Our security interests are inter-linked. We agreed that securing our societies is essential for achieving shared objective of development and growth.

- Continued co-operation between our defence and security agencies is important to guard our open borders.

image
13:43   44 out of 45 Cong MLAS, including CM, join People's Party of Arunachal
In a major shock to Arunachal Congress which has recently got a breather after the Supreme Court reinstated its government in the state, all but one of its 45 MLAs, including Chief Minister Pema Khandu, have joined the People's Party of Arunachal.

The one lawmaker who has stayed with the Congress is Nabam Tuki, who was replaced as chief minister with Khandu to quell rebellion within party.

"I have met the assembly speaker and informed him that we are merging the Congress with the People's Party of Arunachal or PPA," Khandu said.

The PPA is a part of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance.

IMAGE: Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
image
12:59   No rift in SP, Akhilesh can't defy me: Mulayam
Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav said on Friday that there are no differences in his family and party after meeting his brother Shivpal Yadav and son Akhilesh, who are at loggerheads.

"There can't be a rift in the party," Mulayam said.

"There is no fight between Shivpal and Akhilesh. Every father and son duo faces issues. There is no rift. But there is fault of our people as well, who spoke to media," Mulayam said.

"Samajwadi Party is a family, there are no differences in the party," the party supreme said.

Mulayam said Akhilesh Yadav will meet Shivpal at his residence. He said the UP CM cannot defy him. "Akhilesh humaari baat taalega? Akhilesh humaari baat nahin taal sakte (Will Akhilesh not listen to me? He can't defy me)," Mulayam said.

Mulayam also defended sacked minister Gayatri Prajapati, indicating that he will be taken back in the Akhilesh cabinet.

Supporters of Shivpal were protesting outside Mulayam's residence despite the latter requesting them to calm down.

Slogans of 'Ram Gopal ko bahar karo (sack Ram Gopal)' were also raised, referring to Mulayam's brother and SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav who said yesterday that it was a 'mistake' to remove Akhilesh from UP party chief's post.

Mulayam said it is election time, 'we should all come together and work. There is no fight between Ramgopal Yadav, Akhilesh and Shivpal'.

image
12:33  
Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Friday.

Dahal was earlier accorded a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
image
12:26   Shahbuddin's bail challenged in SC
A plea seeking cancellation of bail granted to controversial Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Mohammad Shahabuddin has been moved in the Supreme Court.

Chandrakeshwar Prasad of Siwan, whose three sons were allegedly murdered by Shahabuddin's henchmen has challenged the Patna high court's order granting bail to the former RJD MP.

Also read

image
12:09   Curfew reimposed in Srinagar ahead of Friday prayers
Curfew was today reimposed in many parts of Kashmir, including summer capital Srinagar, due to apprehension of violence after Friday prayers, even as normal life in the Valley remained paralysed.

"Curfew has been imposed in Srinagar city and towns of Baramulla, Pattan, Anantnag, Shopian and Pulwama," a police official said.

He said curbs have been imposed to maintain law and order as there have been protests and clashes after Friday prayers in the Valley which has been hit by violence following the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani in July.

The official said restriction on the assembly of people continues to remain in force.
image
12:06   NAM not a conference of PMs, India is participating: Ansari
Downplaying Prime Minister Narendra Modi skipping the NAM Summit, Vice President Hamid Ansari has said there is no shift in India's foreign policy and asserted that it is participation that matters as it is "not a conference of prime ministers".

Ansari is leading the Indian delegation for the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Venezuela's Margarita island in the absence of Prime Minister Modi, who is only the second Indian premier to not go for the conference after Charan Singh in 1979.

Asked what kind of message was India sending with Prime Minister Modi skipping the 17th NAM Summit, Ansari said, "India is participating. NAM is not a conference of prime ministers.

"Prime ministers have been going but there have been occasions when prime ministers for a variety of reasons have not been able to go but India's participation remains," he said.
image
11:55  
JUST IN: Uttar Pradesh Chief Miniter Akhilesh Yadav reaches Mulayam Singh's residence in Lucknow.
image
11:51   Sacked SP minister, assembly speaker meet Shivpal
A number of Samajwadi Party legislators and ministers met Shivpal Yadav on Friday after his resignation.

Gayatri Prajapati, who was sacked as mining minister by Akhilesh just days earlier, went to Shivpal's residence.

Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey also met the leader in an apparent bid to resolve the situation.
image
11:26   Tragedy in Goa as youth shoots dead girl, attempts suicide
A 19-year-old boy allegedly shot a young girl dead before attempting suicide by turning the gun on himself near Ponda town in Goa, the police said today.    

Nikhil Kumar, hailing from Jharkhand and currently living in Loutolim village, shot Sujata Naik (19) dead and then tried to commit suicide by shooting himself in the stomach last evening at the deceased's home in Madkai village, the Ponda police said.   

The boy entered the girl's house where some female family members, including her mother, were present. The girl's fatherwas not in the house at the time of the incident.   Kumar was carrying a revolver owned by his father, who works as a security guard in a private company.   

After shooting the girl twice, once in her chest, the boy then turned the gun on to himself and pulled the trigger, the bullet him in the abdomen, the police said.   

The girl was pursuing a graduate course from agovernment college at Khandola, about 20 km from Ponda town.   

The boy has been admitted to the Goa Medical College and Hospital near Panaji, the police said, adding that they are yet to ascertain the motive behind the killing. 
image
11:25   Mulayam rejects Shivpal's resignation as UP party chief
Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav has rejected his brother Shivpal Yadav's resignation from the post of Uttar Pradesh party chief.

Earlier, Shivpal met Mulayam at the latter's residence in Lucknow.

He told his supporters protesting outside his residence to go to party office and convey their point to Mulayam calmly.
image
10:44   Cauvery row: Kanimozhi, Vaiko detained during protests
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Kanimozhi, who was protesting along with other party workers over Cauvery water dispute row in Chennai, has been detained by police.

The DMK is supporting the state-wide bandh called over the Cauvery issue.

Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Vaiko, who was ptotesting in Tiruchirappalli, has also been detained.

The bandh disrupted normal life on Friday, with shops and schools remaining closed.

TN farmers' association stage 'rail roko' protest at Saidapet railway station.
image
10:42  
JUST IN: Supreme Court refuses to entertain a public interest litigation questioning sacrifice of animals on Bakrid and validity of a provision of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
image
10:22  
WATCH Two IPS officers walk on burning charcoal to create awareness among tribal people
image
10:00   Shivpal asks protesting supporters to wait for Mulayam's decision
Shivpal Yadav addresses his supporters outside his residence in Lucknow.

"We all stand by netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav), Unka sandesh humare liye adesh hai (his wish is my command)," Shivpal told his supporters.

"We've to work towards strengthening the party, Urge you all to go to party office where netaji will be coming," he said.

Lats night, a number of supporters of Shivpal, including MLAs, gathered outside his official residence 7, Kalidas Marg, raising slogans in his favour.

Shivpal came out of his residence at 12.30 am and urged the supporters to go to their houses, promising them that he would meet them today morning.
image
09:38   Prachnada to meet Pranab, Modi today
Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is on a four-day visit to India, will on Friday hold talks with President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He will also be accorded a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday.

The visiting dignitary arrived in New Delhi on Thursday.

The external affairs ministry said that India will take this opportunity to understand the developmental priorities of the new Nepalese Prime Minister.

He will also visit Nathpa Jhakri Hydropower Project in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday.

This is Dahal's first foreign bilateral visit after he assumed office last month.

The visit will provide an opportunity for both the sides to discuss issues of mutual interest and seek ways to strengthen the age-old friendly ties.
image
09:18   Mulayam calls SP parliamentary board meet after Shivpal's resignation
Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav will on Friday chair a parliamentary board meeting of the party in Lucknow to put an end to the fight between his son Akhilesh Yadav and brother Shivpal Singh Yadav.

On Thursday night, newly-appointed SP Uttar Pradesh chief Shivpal resigned from the state cabinet as well as from all the posts of party held by him.

Shivpal tendered his resignation to Akhilesh Yadav after meeting his elder brother and party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav in the state capital.

However, the chief minister did not accept his resignation.

Mulayam summoned Shivpal, who is at loggerheads with Akhilesh, and held closed-door meeting with him to defuse the situation.

Shivpal later met Akhilesh at his official residence, but the meeting lasted only 15 minutes.
image
08:23   Trump now 'believes' Obama was born in US
Donald Trump's campaign has said that the Republican Presidential nominee believes President Barack Obama was born in the United States, a major reversal from a line of attack he launched five years ago.

'In 2011, Mr Trump was finally able to bring this ugly incident to its conclusion by successfully compelling President Obama to release his birth certificate. Mr Trump did a great service to the President and the country by bringing closure to the issue that Hillary Clinton and her team first raised,' Trump spokesman Jason Miller was quoted as saying by CNN.

'Inarguably, Donald J Trump is a closer. Having successfully obtained President Obamas birth certificate when others could not, Mr Trump believes that President Obama was born in the United States,' Miller's statement read.

Earlier in the day, Trump had again refused to say whether he believes Obama was born in the US, despite recent efforts by his top surrogates to downplay the 'birther' controversy.

'I'll answer that question at the right time. I just don't want to answer it yet,' Trump had told The Washington Post.

Trump had for long endorsed the fringe theory about Obama, that he was born in Kenya and might even be a secret Muslim, during the 2012 election cycle, and was its largest driving force.

The White House eventually released President Obama's long-form birth certificate in 2011 -- showing that he was, indeed, born in Honolulu in 1961.
image
04:28   J&K Police arrests human right activist Khurram Parvez
The J&K Police have arrested a well-known Kashmiri human rights defender from his home in Srinagar late this evening. 

This is a day after he was stopped in Delhi by authorities to board a flight to Geneva where he was going to attend the ongoing United Nations Human Rights Commission session.

Khurram Pervez, 39. who is presently Chairperson of Asian Federation Against involuntary Disappearances and Program Coordinator of Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, has been kept in Kothibagh Police Station. Despite repeated attempts, the police officers were not available to comment on the arrest.

This is the first such high profile arrest of a human rights activist in Kashmir in the recent past and is seen as part of governments crackdown on civil society in the valley that is critical of the Mehbooba Mufti led governments use of excessive force to quell the current uprising.
image
04:09   Julian Assange: I'll turn myself in if Chelsea Manning walks
America's most wanted hackers apparently think they've got some leverage over the US government. 

The ACLU last week began petitioning the Obama administration for a full pardon for Edward Snowden and, on Thursday, Julian Assange announced that he would willingly hand himself over to US authorities.

But that's if, and only if, the Feds drop their court-martial conviction of Chelsea Manning.

Chelsea Manning, formerly Private Bradley Manning, was sentenced to 35 years in Ft Leavenworth prison for violating the Espionage Act after she leaked a trove of classified documents to Assange's Wikileaks website. Assange himself faces espionage charges in the US for his role in publishing those illicitly obtained documents.

Read full story HERE.
image
03:05   US formally recalls Samsung Galaxy Note 7
Federal consumer safety regulators on Thursday formally recalled 1 million Galaxy Samsung Note 7 smartphones after dozens of users reported the device caught fire while charging.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission told customers to "immediately stop using and power down" the device.

Samsung said on September 2 that it would stop selling Galaxy Note 7s.

The company has received 92 reports of the batteries overheating in the US, including 26 reports of burns and 55 reports of property damage from fires fires, the CPSC said Thursday.

Read full story HERE.
image
02:28   Dalai Lama hints at EU-like arrangement for Tibet, China
The Dalai Lama has praised the European Union for preserving national cultures while pursuing collective goals, suggesting it could be a model for Tibet within China.
On a tour of Europe, the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader said today: "We are very much impressed by the spirit of the European Union - independent, sort-of sovereign states" in which "the common interest is more important."

It was rare praise for a bloc struggling for unity after Britain's vote to leave.

The Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile are seeking autonomy for Tibet but not independence. 

"We happily join or remain within the People's Republic of China provided they must respect our unique culture including language," he said in Strasbourg at the Council of Europe, the continent's human rights authority. 
RB
image
01:37   Clinton returns to tightening White House race
Hillary Clinton returned today to the campaign fray in a tightening race against Republican Donald Trump, who released new details of his
physical fitness in response to the health scare that sidelined his rival.
Seeking to turn the page after her poorly handled bout with pneumonia, Clinton was headed to North Carolina and then the US capital Washington as she resumed the White House race after a three-day convalescence.
"Welcome back to 'Stronger Together,'" the Democratic nominee quipped cheerily to reporters on board her campaign plane.
Asked how she was feeling, the 68-year-old former secretary of state replied: "I am doing great, thank you so much!"
image
00:30   EU Parliament chief: Trump win could boost 'imitators'
The president of the European Parliament says he fears that a victory in the US presidential election for Donald Trump, whom he labels "apparently irresponsible," could boost what he calls "imitators" in
Europe.

Martin Schulz, a member of Germany's center-left Social Democrats, told German magazine Der Spiegel in comments published today that the Republican nominee is a problem "for the whole world."
Schulz was quoted as saying: "If a man sits in the White House who flirts with having no idea and labels expertise as elitist baloney, a critical point is reached."

He said that would mean "an apparently irresponsible man" being in a position that requires the highest sense of responsibility.
Schulz, who leads the 28-nation European Union's legislative assembly, added: "My concern is that he could also boost imitators in Europe."
image
00:26   Yoga textbook created by Patanjali to be taught in Goa schools
A yoga training textbook prepared by Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Yog Peeth would be taught in the primary schools in Goa, a senior official said today.
"The (yoga training) scheme would be implemented by Goa Educational Development Corporation for a period of six years commencing from the ongoing academic year," Director of Education G P Bhat told reporters.
The government also intends to constitute a state-level 'yoga cell' of yoga experts.

"A healthy approach towards education and life can be developed right from a young age via the most powerful yogic practises. Yoga at primary level will definitely help develop an effective system to create healthy citizens for the nation," Bhat said.

TOP STORIES