Three French pupils on a school trip were among those hurt in today's car ramming attack on Westminster Bridge in London, foreign ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said.

London attack update: The police officer who was stabbed outside the UK Parliament has died.

India condemned the terror strike in Westminster near the UK Parliament, saying there is no place for terrorism in democracies and civilised societies. 

A press officer at Buckingham Palace tells CNN the Buckingham Palace's gates have been closed as a precaution after the incident at Westminster.

Scottish Parliament suspends debate on second independence referendum following attack outside UK Parliament, reports BBC.

London Ambulance Service say they have sent "a number of resources to the scene including ambulance crews, London's Air Ambulance and our Hazardous Area Response Team".

A car on Westminster bridge has reportedly mowed down several people. 

UK Prime Minister Theresa May is safe after parliament attack, says spokesperson.

An assailant was shot outside the British parliament by armed police, Reuters reports quoting the leader of the House of Commons.

British journalist Quentin Letts tweets:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation Asias longest bi-directional road tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on April 2, which will cut down travel time between the two by two hours.

The Rs 2,519-crore all-weather tunnel is equipped with world-class safety features and has been built in a record four years on the hilly terrain of Jammu and Kashmir, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said at a press meet in New Delhi.

"This state-of-the-art 10.89-km tunnel between Udhampur and Ramban in Jammu and Kashmir, an engineering marvel on the most difficult terrain of the Himalayas, was built in a record four years," the minister said.

Gadkari was accompanied by Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh, a parliamentarian from Jammu.

"The project will result in a saving of Rs 27 lakh per day based on traffic estimates and would cut the travel distance between Jammu and Sringar by 41 km," Gadkari said.

He said the tunnel will be equipped with advanced scanners to ward off any security threat. The project forms part of the proposed widening of NH-44 (old NH-1A) from Jammu to Srinagar.

The longest highway tunnel in India also happens to be Asia's longest bi-directional highway tunnel with fully transverse ventilation system, he said. It also comes with fully-integrated tunnel control system with ventilation, communication, power supply, incident detection, SOS call box and fire fighting.

Fitted with intelligent traffic mechanism, the tunnel will have fully automatic smart control and no human intervention will be required for its operations.

The work on the twin-tube tunnel, which is part of a 286-km-long four-lane project on the highway, started on May 23, 2011, in the lower Himalayan mountain range.

The tunnel is located at an elevation of 1,200 metres. Constructed by IL&FS, the tunnel is all set to be handed over to National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) soon after its formal inauguration by the prime minister.

"The formal trial run was successfully completed for peak and off-peak hours between March 9 and March 15," Project Director, IL&FS, J S Rathore said.

Photograph: PTI Photo

JUST IN: After meeting state medical education minister Girish Mahajan, Maharashtra doctors have agreed to resume work by 8 pm.

Former Union minister S M Krishna has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, weeks after he resigned from the Congress.

Krishna was one of the tallest Congress leaders and quit the party after 46 years in January.

While joining the saffron fold in presence of BJP chief Amit Shah, Krishna said India has progressed 'because of the leadership of PM Modi and Amit Shah'.

Krishna had served as chief minister of Karnataka from 1999 to 2004 and as external affairs minister during the tenure of the United Progressive Alliance I.

A day after he quit the Congress, Krishna said the party did not need mass leaders any more.

"I felt for some time that Congress doesn't need me, the party now depends on situation managers. They do not want time-tested leaders and workers," he had said. -- Agencies

So begins the rush to get Aadhar cards. The finance minister announces that Aadhaar number is mandatory for filing of Income Tax returns to curb tax evasion and frauds.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath has sent the list of portfolios for his cabinet. While there are no confirmations, early reports suggest the following: 

Yogi Adityanath has retained home, which was being eyed by deputy CM Keshav Maurya. The home ministry is traditionally kept with chief ministers.

Deputy CM Keshav Maurya gets PWD
Deputy CM Dinesh Sharma gets Secondary and higher education
Chetan Chauhan gets sports
Ashok Tandon (BJP stalwart Lalji Tandon's son) gets primary education.
Surya Pratap Shahi Agriculture.
Swati Singh daughter of Daya Shankar Singh gets Women's Welfare.
Mohsin Razzak, the only Muslim minister in the Cabinet, gets Minority Affairs.
The list has been sent to the governor and these are just early reports.

The Cabinet has 22 ministers and nine ministers of state.

The Uttar Pradesh chief minister met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday during his daylong trip to New Delhi where was expected to discuss the distribution of portfolios for his ministers.

Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister also met finance minister Arun Jaitley.

Adityanath was also expected to discuss with Modi a reshuffle of the state bureaucracy and seek funds for expediting certain development projects. He is also expected to call on President Pranab Mukherjee.

CPM General Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Sitaram Yechuri was in the Central Hall of Parliament today with fellow comrades Tapan Kumar Sen, Ritabrata Banerjee and TK Rangarajan.

The MPs spent 30 minutes expressing their happiness over External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj return to Parliament. She was on leave for a couple of months after a kidney transplant.

They also expressed their gratitude to Swaraj for solving many of their public repsentations like the time a comrade lost his passport in London. Recounting the incident, Ritabrata Banerjee said he spoke to Swaraj at 11:30 pm, around the time the incident occured and the next morning a temporary passport was issued to the person.

Sitaram Yechuri was heard quoting Swaraj's reply to his letter on matters pertaining to the new government in the USA. 

But the buzz goes that Sushma Swaraj is not in the good books of PM Modi and she may be pushed into Rashtrapati Bhavan and the CPM was in fact trying to 'cultivate' her early on. 

So days after Punjab CM Amarinder Singh and his Cabinet was sworn in problems with minister Navjot Singh Sidhu begins.


On January 10, much before Punjab went to the polls, this column on Rediff.com prophesied the problems the Congress in Punjab could have with Sidhu. "Sidhu's reservations about the Captain are understandable because in the event of a Congress victory, it is the Captain who will most probably be the chief minister. Since Sidhu's trek from party to party is motivated by the desire to be Punjab chief minister, he will undoubtedly be miffed if the prize is denied to him." Read more

Punjab CM Amarinder Singh on Navjot Singh Sidhu's refusal to step down from the Kapil Sharma show.

Cricketer-turned-politician Sidhu, who is the Minister of Tourism and Culture and local bodies in the new Congress Government-led by Captain Amarinder Singh, has said that participating as a celebrity-judge on the popular TV show, was not office-of-profit.


Speaking to the media this afternoon on the issue, Amarinder Singh, who has sought legal counsel on the issue, said, "There is an issue of conflict of interest. You cant be tourism minister and work in a show. If it's permissible then we have no issue, otherwise he has Culture Ministry and we may have to change his portfolio."

Sidhu, when asked to comment on the the CM seeking legal recourse, said cryptically, "The boss is always right."

Amarinder Singh also said he was very satisfied with Prashant Kishor and his team of volunteers. "They were on the ground in more than 1500 villages across Punjab," he said.

Sidhu has asserted that he will continue to appear on the popular show 'Comedy Nights with Kapil', and said that people should have no problem with how much hours he contributes in office.


He said his presence in the TV shows will not affect his Cabinet responsibilities.


Hitting out at former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Sidhu added, "Should I run bus service like Sukbir or indulge in any corruption?"


Sidhu, insisting to participate as a celebrity-judge on the popular TV show, yesterday asserted that it was not office-of-profit.


"An office-of-profit is when the government is paying you money, employing you or giving you remuneration. A government office is an office-of-profit. This is not," Sidhu said.


"Sometimes, I work all seven days from early morning till 6 p.m. So, what I do after 6 pm is nobody's business," he added.

The Law Commission has recommended that the death penalty be abolished for all crimes except those related to terrorism, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.


Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir said the Law Commission in its 262nd report has recommended that the death penalty be abolished for all crimes other than terrorism related offences and waging war.


"As Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure are in the concurrent list of the 7th Schedule of the Constitution, the report has been circulated to all state governments and union territories for seeking their views," he said replying a written question.


Image: Ajmal Qasab, the only terrorist caught alive, brought to trial and thereafter hanged for his involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks of November 26. 2008.

Radhakishan Damani, the founder of Avenue Supermarts and a low-profile investor, has made his way into India's richest 20 club with a blockbuster listing of his company that runs D-Mart retail chain.


With the listing at a premium of over 114 per cent, the shares controlled by 61-year-old Damani, including through his family members and investment firms, are now worth a stellar USD 5.1 billion. This makes him richer than several other well-known billionaires, including Anil Ambani, Rahul Bajaj, Ajay Piramal and Kalanithi Maran, to become the 16th richest Indian. Mukesh Ambani remains the richest with an estimated net worth of USD 27.6 billion, as per the real-time data of Forbes, known for its rich lists across the world.

Safety of girls/ladies is the sole intent of the anti Romeo squads. No moral policing, says UP DGP Javeed Ahmed.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday directed all state government officials not to chew paan, paan masala or gutka during duty hours.

Hours earlier, he asked all police officials to prepare an action plan to shut slaughter houses.

Adityanath has also directed the police to implement a complete ban on cow smuggling.

The BJP manifesto for the assembly polls had said that all illegal slaughter houses would be closed and there would be a blanket ban on all mechanised slaughter houses.

Immediately after assuming office, the priest-turned-politician directed all state government officers to declare their income and assets (moveable and immovable) within 15 days. He also told officers to begin preparations for the new government's first budget session between June 15 and July 15 and also the state budget.

A five-time Lok Sabha MP from Gorakhpur was unanimously elected the BJP Legislature Party leader at a meeting of the newly-elected MLAs in Lucknow

Trinamool Congress MP Idris Ali wore a saffron jacket shown in Parliament today and went up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and congratulated him over the BJP's UP win. BJP MPs said they welcomed this change of heart where minority MPs walk up to the PM and greet him. 

Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, who earlier stirred a controversy with his assertion that he will continue to appear on the popular show 'Comedy Nights with Kapil', said that people should have no problem with how much hours he contributes in office.


The cricketer-turned politician said that his presence in the TV shows will not affect his Cabinet responsibilities.


Hitting out at former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Sidhu added, "Should I run bus service like Sukbir or indulge in any corruption?"


Sidhu has been made the Minister of Tourism and Culture and local bodies in the new Congress Government-led by Captain Amarinder Singh.


Sidhu, insisting to participate as a celebrity-judge on the popular TV show, yesterday asserted that it was not office-of-profit.


"An office-of-profit is when the government is paying you money, employing you or giving you remuneration. A government office is an office-of-profit. This is not," Sidhu told ANI.


"Sometimes, I work all seven days from early morning till 6 p.m. So, what I do after 6 pm is nobody's business," he added.


Sidhu, however, did not say much about the Punjab Chief Minister seeking legal counsel over whether the former can continue working in the entertainment industry as an office-holder.


"The boss is always right," Sidhu said

Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh and cabinet minister Manpreet Singh Badal (Surjeet Singh Badal's cousin, who joined the Congress after parting ways with the family) met Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Mother Teresa watches.

Acid attack on a girl at Sangam Vihar, Delhi, at 10.25 am today. The girl was admitted to AIIMS.

Clearly, acid is still easily available despite a SC ban on its sale.

First reactions from the Yogi Adityanath government in the wake of the incident in Hathras, UP, where three meat shops were set ablaze last night.   UP Cabinet Minister Sidharth Singh condemned the incident saying vigilantism of any kind will not be allowed. "No one will be allowed to take law into their own hands; govt machinery will take action against fringe groups," he says.

Three meat shops were set on fire by a mob in Hathras in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday night.

The police said the shops were burnt by "anti-social elements".

There have been protests in the area after the incidents, which took place two days after Yogi Adityanath took charge as Chief Minister at the head of a new BJP government in Uttar Pradesh.

The 44-year-old priest politician has campaigned aggressively against slaughterhouses and the BJP has said that a promised ban will soon come into effect. The party asserts that only illegal slaughterhouses will be shut down, rubbishing speculation that all such establishments face a ban.

On Monday, two slaughterhouses were shut down; the government said they were illegal.

The Uttar Pradesh police has also sent orders to all police stations to take firm action against illegal slaughterhouses and cattle smuggling.

Yogi Adityanath orders blanket ban on smuggling of cows.

Uttarakhand CM TS Rawat calls on PM Narendra Modi.

The US today defended its move to ban large electronic devices like laptops and cameras as cabin baggage on US-bound planes from 10 foreign destinations, mostly in Muslim-majority countries, citing concerns over terrorists' interest in targeting commercial flights.


Passengers travelling to the US from these airports in eight countries cannot carry cameras and laptops as cabin baggage under a new Trump administration order.


Being implemented for an indefinite period of time, the new security measures apply to 10 specific airports -- Queen Alia International Airport (AMM), Cairo International Airport (CAI), Ataturk International Airport (IST), King Abdul-Aziz International Airport (JED), King Khalid International Airport (RUH), Kuwait International Airport (KWI), Mohammed V Airport (CMN), Hamad International Airport (DOH), Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH).


"Remember that these are 10 airports of last point of departure to the US out of 250 that come here. Part of it is to provide appropriate notification to the host country, to the host airlines, and give them opportunity to get those procedures in place," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters at his daily news conference.

2007 Ajmer dargah blast case: Devendra Gupta and Bhavesh Patel sentenced to life imprisonment by Special NIA court.

The National Investigation Agency Special Court in Jaipur sentenced the two convicts in the 2007 Ajmer dargah blast case today.The third convict, Sunil Joshi -- a former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh pracharak -- was murdered in December 2007.

The court had convicted three persons and acquitted seven others, including Swami Aseemanand, in the case on March 8, 2017 and postponed the sentencing.

The explosion in the shrine of Sufi mystic Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti on October 11, 2007, during Ramzan, had left three dead and 17 injured. The dargah was packed to capacity with about 5,000 devotees when the blast occurred at the time of iftaar (breaking of fast).

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar on Wednesday expressed his delight over former Congress veteran S.M. Krishna joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said the saffron party will get strength from his progressive image in Karnataka.

"He is a well-known experienced politician of the country. We will acquire strength from his progressive image in Karnataka. I welcome him in the party whole-heartedly," Kumar told ANI.

"He has shown interest in joining the BJP under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is my friend and a senior colleague," he added.

Krishna, who will join the BJP later in the day, put off his plan last week after the death of his sister.

Though he had reached New Delhi to hold consultations with BJP president Amit Shah, the former Karnataka chief minister had to rush back to Bengaluru after hearing the news of her demise.

84-year-old Krishna had announced his resignation from the Congress on January 29, saying the party was in a "state of confusion" on whether it needed mass leaders or not.

Nineteen Opposition MLAs from the Congress and the NCP were today suspended from the Maharashtra Assembly for nine months for creating ruckus during the Budget presentation in the House last week.

The suspension of nine Congress and 10 NCP members till December 31 came after a resolution to this effect was moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Girish Bapat and it was adopted by the Assembly.

The Opposition members had disrupted the Budget presentation by Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar in the Assembly on March 18 demanding farm loan waiver. Bapat said the Opposition MLAs had conducted themselves in a "disgraceful and unconstitutional manner".

"I didn't want this job. I didn't seek this job."
"My wife told me I'm supposed to do this."

Donald Trump's Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on making America First happen. Read

Ajmer Dargah blast case: NIA special court to pronounce quantum of punishment to 2 convicts Devendra Gupta and Bhavesh Patel.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has claimed that former military ruler General (Retd.) Pervez Musharraf had offered him an "underhanded" deal to form a joint government in 2008.

Speaking at a meeting of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) parliamentary committee on Tuesday, Sharif said: "Musharraf wanted a secret deal with me in 2007," reports the Dawn.

Sharif's government was toppled by General Musharraf, then the Army Chief, through a coup in 1999 following which many members of the Sharif family including the Prime Minister were forced into exile in Saudi Arabia, where they remained until their return to Pakistan in November 2007.

Sharif said that Musharraf was willing to meet him and made several attempts to do so in the past."But I declined," he added.

He said that his family did not want to leave their motherland, but were forced into exile by the military dictator.

The Prime Minister noted that the former president was now facing a similar fate and had left the country in disgrace.

"Now, Musharraf is willing to return to the country, but he cannot," he said.

However, Sharif's assertions were disputed by former Musharraf aide and All-Pakistan Muslim League member Ahmed Raza Kasuri. "I have been working with Gen Musharraf for a long time and I have never heard any such thing," he said.

BMC serves notices to 500 resident doctors on strike, asks them resume work in the wake of the High Court directions as soon as possible else face consequences.

International Kick Boxing Champion Tajamul Islam, who had urged the government for indoor facilities for athletes in J&K in a viral video, meets Sports Minister  Vijay Goel. Goel said, "I had written to Mehbooba Mufti (J-K CM), when I saw Tajamul's post, to provide facilities in order to promote kick boxing." A smiling Tajamul  said she was grateful to the government. "I want all children like me to gain recognition in the field of kickboxing.".

Tajamul Islam scripted history at the World Kickboxing Championship in Italy, where she made India proud by becoming the first player ever from the sub-junior category to clinch a gold medal.

Several meat shops were set on fire by mob in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh last night. This comes two days after a BJP government led by Yogi Adityanath was sworn in as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

The BJP had announced, in its manifesto titled 'Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra', that it would take "stern steps to close down all illegal slaughterhouses besides banning mechanised slaughterhouses" if it comes to power.

In fact, one of the first things Adityanath did was to ask his ministers to read the manifesto carefully.

Moradabad, the district administration has issued a notice to subordinates asking them to be strict against cattle smuggling and operations of illegal slaughter houses. Similar orders have been issued across districts.

Yesterday, a slaughterhouse was sealed by district authorities in the Kamalgadaha locality under Jaitpura police station.

It would be unwise to predict what will happen two full years from now. Governments and heroes have lost their popularity in much, much, lesser time. The numbers, however, look very good for Modi. We could say it is his election to lose, rather than the Opposition's to win, says Aakar Patel.
Do read

So, former sweethearts Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif are back together, in a manner of speaking, with their film, Tiger Zinda Hai.

Salman's impishly tweeted this image, saying, @BeingSalmanKhan  BACK TOGETHER , IN TIGER ZINDA HAI.

Director Ali Abbas Zafar has been shooting Tiger Zinda Hai in the picturesque locales of Tyrol in Austria.

The film is a sequel to their 2012 hit film Ek Tha Tiger, which centered on the life of an Indian spy of RAW (Salman), code-named Tiger, who falls in love with a Pakistani spy from ISI (Katrina) during an investigation and how Tigers ideology and principles change over time.

Just in: Babri Masjid case adjourned for tomorrow. 

The jury is still out on whether comedian Sunil Grover has quit the Kapil Sharma show.

But Grover did not shoot show on Monday after allegedly being assaulted by the TV personality on board a flight, reported India Forum.

India Forum cited sources close to the production in the report, stating that Grover is no longer part of Sharma's show.

Kapil Sharma tweeted an apology on Monday night that Sunil Grover appears to have acknowledged. The Kapil Sharma Show is headlined by comedian and actor Kapil Sharma while Sunil Grover played the role of characters like Dr Mashoor Gulati and Rinku Bhabhi. Earlier, he featured as Gutthi in Kapil Sharma's previous show Comedy Nights With Kapil. The actors are believed to have been involved in a showdown onboard a flight recently.

Mr Sharma allegedly attacked Grover, say eyewitnesses.

On Monday, it was reported that Grover was on the brink of exiting the show. A source told Mid Day that Grover is "numbed" by his co-star's allegedly abusive behaviour.

"Sunil is numbed by the way Kapil assaulted him during a flight from Melbourne, where they did a stage show. He was merely trying to calm down Kapil, who was drunk and hurling abuses at another team member, Chandan (Prabhakar)," mid-day quoted the source as saying.

This is what Grover told Sharma. Read

Veteran journalist and former editor of Maharashtra Times, Govind Shripad Talwalkar passed away in the US yesterday. He was 92.

The author of 25 books, Talwalkar received the Lokmanya Tilak Award from the Government of Maharashtra, India and also the B. D. Goenka Award and Durga Ratan Award for excellence in journalism, and Ramshastri award for social justice.

Condolences come in from Union minister Suresh Prabhu: Saddened by passing away  of #Govind Talwalkar ex editor Maharashtra Times & prolific writer, thinker, in USA at the age of 90. Condolences RIP.

Author, historian Ramachandra Guha tweets: Sorry to hear that Govind Talwalkar has died. He was a distinguished scholar-editor who contributed immensely to our intellectual life.

The benchmark BSE Sensex declined further by about 222 points to 29,263.74 and the NSE Nifty slipped below the 9,100-mark in early trade today due to selling in pharma, auto and oil stocks. The 30-share Sensex fell by 221.71 points, or 0.75 per cent, to 29,263.74 with 25 of its constituents trading the negative zone. The barometer had lost 163.54 points in the previous two sessions.

The warring AIADMK factions led by jailed leader VK Sasikala and former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam are all set to argue their respective cases for wresting control of the party before the Election Commission in New Delhi on Wednesday.


The EC has the task of settling two key disputes. One, whether the appointment of Sasikala as general secretary of the party is in accordance with the AIADMK rules and regulations as amended on February 5, 2007.


Two, which of the two factions get to use the partys popular two leaves symbol in the Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar Assembly constituency, where a byelection is due on April 12.  Read more here.

India should guard against "judging" US President Donald Trump in a "rush" and instead take him seriously, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said on Tuesday.


Addressing an industry event in New Delhi, Jaishankar also pitched for building strong regional connectivity, which he said was of paramount interest and was set to get a boost in the near future. Laying out the rules of engagement with  Trump, Jaishankar said it was important to keep in mind that intentions do not always translate into outcomes as he spoke on a wide range of issues.


"I think what is important is to take him (Mr Trump) seriously but also with a caveat that intentions are not always outcomes and even in our bilateral ties I would suggest that if there is a point to make at this stage, it is that don't rush to judgement," he said.

Uttar Pradesh: Donkeys and their 'brethren' up for sale at Kaushambi's 'Gardhabh Mela', that concludes today. 

In other news, the US Congress has approved a bill that would allow aerial hunting of grizzly bears and killing of bears and wolves near dens on federal lands in Alaska.

The Senate gave final legislative approval to a measure that repeals an Obama-era rule on hunting on Alaska's 16 national wildlife refuges. The Fish and Wildlife Service said last year the rule would promote ethical hunting practices while maintaining sustainable populations of bears, wolves and coyotes.


Alaska's three Republican lawmakers said the rule undermines the state's ability to manage fish and wildlife on refuge lands one-fifth of Alaska's land mass.

On Tuesday, March 21, the Supreme Court said the Ram temple in Ayodhya is a 'sensitive, sentimental issue' and should be sorted outside the court through discussion. SQR Ilyas, joint convener, Babri Masjid Action Committee and a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, tells Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf why he welcomes the decision.
Read more

Big day for senior BJP leaders LK Advani and Murali Manohar Joshi today. The Supreme Court may decide today whether Adavani and Joshi along with other BJP leaders like Uma Bharti will face trial in the decades-old Babri Masjid demolition case.


Today, the court is expected to reveal whether or not conspiracy charges will be revived against Advani, 89, Joshi and Union Minister Uma Bharti. The charge was dropped by lower courts. During the last hearing, the Supreme Court hinted that it won't accept the discharge of BJP leaders on technical grounds.

Vinay Katiyar and Kalyan Singh - the Governor of Rajasthan - were released by a court in Rae Bareli from conspiracy charges in the razing of the 16th century Babri mosque in Ayodhya in December 1992 by Hindu activists who believed it was built on the birthplace of Lord Ram.


The main case against the activists - who called themselves Karsevaks - is pending in the Lucknow trial court. The CBI has challenged the Allahabad High Court order in May 2010 confirming the lower court's decision to drop conspiracy charges against the BJP veterans.

Babri Masjid demolition case: SC likely to examine whether to revive conspiracy charges against LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti & others.

Intelligence obtained in recent weeks found that an al Qaeda affiliate was perfecting techniques for hiding explosives in batteries and battery compartments of electronic devices, which compelled the United States and UK to ban electronics in flights.


"The discovery that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was looking to exploit batteries and their compartments in laptops and other commercial electronic devices led the U.S. and UK to ban devices larger than a cell phone from certain flights, the CNN quoted an U.S. official as saying.


The new security restrictions, announced on Tuesday, require airlines based in the Middle East and North Africa to prevent people flying from eight countries from bringing any device bigger than a smart phone on board their aircraft. Instead, those electronics need to be stored in the cargo hold.


US officials told CNN that intelligence "indicates terrorist groups continue to target commercial aviation" by "smuggling explosive devices in various consumer items."