Tejashwi Yadav, son of Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad, was today grilled for over nine hours for the second time by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering probe in the railway hotels allotment corruption case, official sources said.

They said the statement of the former Bihar deputy chief minister was recorded by the investigating officer of the case at the ED office after he arrived there around 11 am.

Tejashwi Yadav left the ED office around 8:45 pm.

This is the second time Tejashwi was questioned by the central probe agency in this case.

Sources said Tejashwi Yadav was asked about three dozen questions in connection with the case.

He was last questioned by the agency on October 10 and was grilled for over nine hours.

Since then, Tejashwi has skipped four appearances and appeared today on a fresh summon, they said.

The agency has registered a case against Lalu Prasad, his family members and others under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Tejashwi's mother and former Bihar chief minister Rabri has skipped the ED summonses at least six times till now.

In July, the Central Bureau of Investigation had registered a first information report and conducted multiple searches on the properties of Lalu Prasad, who is also a former Bihar chief minister, and others.

The CBI FIR has alleged that Lalu Prasad, during his tenure as the railway minister, handed over the maintenance of two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation hotels to a company in 2004 after receiving a bribe in the form of a prime land in Patna through a benami company owned by Sarla Gupta, wife of Prem Chand Gupta, a former Union minister.

The ED had registered a criminal case against his family members and others under the PMLA, based on the CBI FIR.

The CBI recently recorded the statements of Tejashwi and Lalu Prasad in this case.

The ED is investigating the alleged 'proceeds of crime' generated by the accused, purportedly through shell companies, according to officials.  -- PTI

Spiritual leader Sri Sri RaviShankar today said he was involved as a mediator in the Ram Temple dispute of his own will and would visit Ayodhya on November 16 to meet all the stakeholders.

The Congress had last month dubbed Shankar a 'government agent' who was representing its interests in the Ram Temple dispute in Ayodhya.

Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan had said the Supreme Court made it very clear that a settlement was possible, but he asked as to who had appointed people like the Art of Living Foundation chief to take charge.

The spiritual leader told reporters that he would pay a courtesy visit to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

"It was out of my own will that he was involved as a mediator in Ram Temple issue," he said.

Shankar confirmed that he would be visiting Ayodhya and said, "I do not have an agenda in this issue and will listen to everybody during the visit."

He had offered to mediate in the Ram Temple row for an out-of-court settlement.   -- PTI

Two Assam Rifles jawans were killed and six others injured when a powerful bomb exploded early this morning in Manipur's Chandel district, police said.

The improvised explosive device exploded when an Assam Rifles team was patrolling Maha Mani of Chandel Town in the district, about 64 km from the state capital Imphal.

In a statement emailed to the local media, the banned insurgent outfit Revolutionary Peoples Front (RPF) claimed responsibility for the attack.

One jawan died on the spot, while another succumbed to injuries on the way to hospital, the police said.

The deceased were identified as riflemen Indra Singh and Sohan Lan.

The injured were N Shyam Kumar, S Sarkar, Tirendra Nath Das, Ram Govind Singh, Nirmal Roy and Lalnunpuia, they said.

Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla condemned the incident and appealed to those responsible to lay down their arms and join the mainstream.

The outfit had carried out an IED blast on June 15 this year in Ukhrul district that killed an Assam Rifles jawan and injured three others.  -- PTI

Image for representation only.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Monday that it is 'juvenile politics' to link rationalisation of goods and services tax rates with elections or political demand.

He said this in response to remarks from the opposition parties that GST on a majority of items was reduced from 28 per cent to 18 per cent in view of the Gujarat assembly elections.

Jaitley said there is scope for further rationalisation of GST rates and 'revenue buoyancy' will decide the future course of rationalisation.

He, however, ruled out single tax rate of GST, says those seeking single rate have no understanding of tariff structure.  -- PTI

A Chandigarh court today rejected the bail plea of Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party chief Subhash Barala's son Vikas Barala who was booked on the charges of stalking and attempting to abduct a 29-year-old woman.

It was the fourth time that the bail plea of Vikas Barala was rejected.

"The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge R K Sharma dismissed the bail plea," defence counsel Rabindra Pandit said.

Charges have already been framed against Vikas Barala, and his friend Ashish Kumar, in connection with the stalking case involving the daughter of a senior IAS officer.

The incident had triggered widespread outrage and a spate of protests across the country.

Vikas Barala and his friend Ashish Kumar were arrested in the month of August in connection with the case.

Earlier, the same court had dismissed the bail plea of Vikas Barala.

The court of judicial magistrate first class Barjinder Pal Singh had also rejected the bail plea twice.

The woman, the daughter of a senior IAS officer, had accused Vikas Barala, 23, and his friend Kumar, 27, of stalking and attempting to abduct her.

The two men were arrested on the intervening night of August 4 and 5 following her complaint but were released on bail as they were booked under bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Motor Vehicles Act.

They were arrested again on August 9 after they joined the investigation and were charged with attempted abduction under sections 365 and 511 of the Indian Penal Code.  -- PTI

Several film bodies today came out in support of director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati and questioned the government's silence on threats by Rajput groups against the release of the film.

The Indian Film and Television Directors' Association along with Cine and TV Artists Association, Western India Cinematographers Association, Screenwriters Association, Association of Cine and Television Art Directors and Costume Designers, backed Bhansali at a press conference in Mumbai.

Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra, who was present there, said an attack on Bhansali was an assault on creative freedom.

"Attack on Bhansali is an attack on freedom. This is very stifling. When it comes to the interpretation of history, you can disagree with him, but at least allow the film to release. By asking for a ban, you are creating an atmosphere where nobody will attempt films on Indian history," Mishra said.

Bhansali has been facing trouble since he started shooting for the movie. The set of the movie was vandalised twice -- in Jaipur and Kolhapur -- and the director was roughed up by members of Karni Sena during the Jaipur schedule of the film earlier this year.

Rajput groups and some Bharatiya Janata Party members have accused Bhansali of distorting facts in the movie, starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh.

The film is scheduled to be released on December 1.

At the press conference, actor Sushant Singh, general secretary of CINTAA, said the government should intervene at this point.

"Sanjay Leela Bhansali didn't ask us to hold this conference... We all are frustrated, angry and upset. For how long will our fraternity members keep asking for freedom of expression to make films? Why do we need to fight for such a basic right all the time?," Singh asked.

"My question is for the state and the central government- why are you silent? People from your parties are openly threatening to burn theatres. I have the right to ask for an assurance from the government," he added.

Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit, convenor of IFTDA, said the industry has been pushed to a point where they feel abused.

"We are hurt because we have been abused and accused. We are filmmakers, creative people and we don't deserve this kind of treatment. Every now and then we see our makers being heckled. We work hard, we make films. Bhansali is a symbol and attack on him is like abusing the film fraternity," he said.

Pandit said on November 16 there will be a silent protest outside the Film City gates here to support Bhansali.

"The entire film fraternity will come out at 11 AM. No shoot will be done from 4-4:15 pm as a symbolic support to Bhansali," Pandit added.

He also said that the bodies will write letters to I&B minister Smriti Irani tomorrow and Union home minister Rajnath Singh.

Veteran actor and CINTAA President Vikram Gokhale, who worked with Bhansali in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, said the filmmaker is a responsible man and his vision should be trusted.

"I am against private censorship. I have worked with Bhansali, he is a responsible man. Even if he has made a mistake, you have a pen and media platforms to express your opinion. But vandalising sets, indulging in physical violence is extremely foolish," Gokhale said.

Bhansali has already issued an appeal to clarify that there is no dream sequence between Deepika's Padmavati and Ranveer's Khilji as claimed by Rajput groups.  -- PTI

Two unidentified terrorists were gunned down today by the security forces in a brief encounter in the Handwara area of Kupwara district in north Kashmir, police said.

The terrorists opened firing at a police check post at Sultanpora in the Zachaldara area of Handwara, 100 km from Srinagar, a police official said.

The policemen retaliated, killing two terrorists, he added.

The identity and group affiliation of the slain terrorists is being ascertained, the official said.  -- PTI

Image for representation only.

Terrorists attack a police party in J&K's Handwara. Details awaited. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked Indians to work hard to ensure that the 21st Century belongs to India and said his government was making every effort to transform the country and take it to new heights.


Addressing the Indian diaspora in the Philippines capital, Modi said difficulties might be there but once it's crossed no one can stop India from achieving new heights.


"Our efforts are aimed at transforming India and ensuring everything in our nation matches global standards," Modi said in his nearly 35-minute speech.


Noting that the 21st Century is described as Asia's Century, Modi told the cheering audience that it was duty of every Indian to work hard to make it a century of India. "I say it is possible," Modi asserted.


The Prime Minister said India has always contributed to the world peace and more than 1.25 lakh Indian soldiers sacrificed their lives just for peace during the two world wars.


"Our contingent in the UN Peacekeeping Forces is among the biggest. India is the land of Mahatma Gandhi, peace is integral to our culture," he said, highlighting India's contribution to the world peace.


Modi also lauded his government's initiatives such as 'Swachh Bharat', 'Jan Dhan Yojna' and 'Ujjwala Yojana'. "Which Indian doesn't want cleanliness? We have started from where Mahatma Gandhi left and till now over 2.25 lakh villages in India have become open defecation free," he said.


Stating that getting a LPG connection once used to be a big achievement, Modi said his government has provided free LPG connections to more than 3.5 crore families in over three years. He also attacked the Opposition and said that before 2014 people used to ask how much money has gone to scams but now they ask how much has come.


Modi arrived in Manila yesterday on a three-day visit to attend the ASEAN-India and the East Asia summits.  -- PTI

With the treatment of co-stars at the forefront of Hollywood's mind as actors continue to reveal their experiences of workplace misconduct, interest has piqued in a video of Demi Moore repeatedly kissing a teenage boy.  Read more

The Delhi High Court today sought the Election Commission's (EC) response on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's plea against its order to lodge an FIR against him for his bribery remarks during the Goa assembly polls in January this year.


Justice Indermeet Kaur asked the EC to indicate its stand on Kejriwal's petition which alleged that the poll panel's January 29 order curtailed his right to free speech.


The court listed the matter for further hearing on February 2 next year. The judge, during the hearing, observed that Kejriwal has come to the court very late against the poll panel's decision and asked whether he was "being casual about it".


The poll panel's lawyer orally informed the court that an FIR was lodged on January 30 as per the EC's directions. The EC by its January 29 order had directed the Chief Electoral Officer of Goa to lodge an FIR against Kejriwal for his remarks about bribes made at poll rallies in the state on January 7-8.
-- PTI

The Supreme Court on Monday deferred the hearing of the review petition of one of the convicts in Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case to December 12.


Mukesh, who has been sentenced to death along with three other convicts in the case, had filed the petition.The apex court, in May, upheld the order of Delhi High Court, which had sentenced the four convicts - Akshay, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Mukesh - to death.


On December 16, 2012, six people gang raped a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern in a moving bus.The woman succumbed to her injuries in a Singapore hospital on December 29, 2012.


One of the accused, Ram Singh, had hanged himself in the prison, while another person, who was a juvenile at the time of the crime, was convicted in August last year and will serve the maximum sentence of three years in a reform home. -- ANI

Showcasing economic reform initiatives of his government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today invited the ASEAN countries to ramp up their investment in India and said the task of transforming the country is proceeding at an "unprecedented scale".


Addressing the ASEAN Business Forum, the prime minister said India's 'Act East policy' puts the 10-member bloc at the centre of the country's engagement adding that most sectors of the Indian economy were made open for foreign investment.


"Task of transforming India is proceeding at an unprecedented scale. We are working day and night towards easy, effective and transparent governance," he said.


The prime minister said the focus of his government has been to make India a global manufacturing hub and that efforts are on to make the youngsters job creators.


"Keeping our emphasis on 'Minimum Government, Maximum Governance', about 1,200 outdated laws have been repealed in the last three years. We have simplified processes to start companies and for other clearances," he said.


Talking about the initiatives to introduce technology, Modi said digital transactions have increased significantly and that technology is being used to reach out to people.


He said large sections of India's population did not have access to banking services and added that the Jan Dhan Yojana changed that in a matter of months and transformed the lives of millions. -- PTI

The wife of bus conductor Ashok Kumar, held by the Harayna police for the murder of 7-year-old Pradhyumn Thakur at Ryan International School, demanded justice and proper investigation, while accusing the school administration of hatching a conspiracy against her husband.


"We have been asserting for long that he is innocent. This is a conspiracy hatched by the school administration and the police. My husband was tortured by the police to extract the confession. We want proper investigation and justice," Mamata told ANI.


Last week, the murder case of the seven-year-old Ryan International School student took a new turn after CBI arrested a class 11 student of the same school and gave a clean chit to the bus conductor, who was arrested by the Gurugram Police for the murder and sexual assault of the child.


Varun Thakur, father of Pradhyumn, also accused the school management of meddling with the evidence. "I think the top management of the school is involved. I also believe that the local administration and people with access to government might be involved to save the real killer," he said.


According to CBI sources, the investigation in the murder has revealed illegality and destruction of evidence by the Gurugram Police.


Pradhyumn was found dead inside the school premises, with his throat slit on September 8. In the CCTV footage, the boy was seen crawling out of a toilet, leaving a trail of blood behind.


The CBI, last week, produced the minor accused before the Juvenile Justice Board and demanded his six-day custody.


The accused has confessed to the crime in front of his father, the CBI had told a juvenile court.


The premier investigation agency said the accused had committed the crime in order to postpone the parents-teachers meeting and the exams.


Meanwhile, the accused student has been sent to an observation home in Faridabad, where he will be kept until the next hearing in the case on November 22.  -- ANI

Bob Geldof is to hand back his Freedom of the City of Dublin, saying he does not want to be associated with the award while it is also held by Aung San Suu Kyi.The Live Aid founder and musician blasted the Burmese Nobel peace laureate, who has faced widespread criticism over her country's treatment of its Rohingya Muslim minority.


In a statement he said: "Her association with our city shames us all and we should have no truck with it, even by default. We honoured her, now she appals and shames us.


Geldof said he would hand back the freedom at City Hall in the Irish capital on Monday morning.  Read more here

Police have detained one person in connection with the killing of 35-year-old Umar Khan by alleged cow vigilantes in Rajasthan's Alwar district. Reacting to the incident, Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said today that the state did not have enough manpower everywhere to "control" every situation well in time.


Umar Khan's body was found near railway tracks in Ramgarh on November 11, with his family members and activists alleging that he was shot dead by cow vigilantes when he was ferrying cattle in a vehicle the day before. The incident, which came months after the lynching of dairy farmer Pehlu Khan by suspected cow vigilantes in Alwar, has triggered an outrage. -- PTI

The Supreme Court agrees to hear a fresh plea seeking immediate measures to curb the rising pollution in the Delhi-NCR region. The plea seeks direction to the Centre and states on stubble burning, road dust and effective implementation of odd-even car rationing scheme.

The SC also seeks a response from the Centre, UP, Haryana and Punjab on a plea seeking direction to curb pollution through road dust, stubble burning.

Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today asked his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal what steps he has taken to end stubble burning by farmers in areas near the national capital as air pollution peaked to alarming levels.   


Kejriwal last week had sought a meeting with counterparts from Haryana and Punjab to discuss ways to manage the worsening air pollution in Delhi and the neighbouring states.   


While Khattar said today he was open to meet Kejriwal"anytime anywhere" to find a solution to the issue, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh last week said the situation warranted the Centre's intervention as it has inter-state implications.   


The practice of burning of crop residue by farmers of the two states have been blamed for the toxic smog enveloping the region during the winter season every year.  -- PTI

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday highlighted the state of female literacy rate in Rajasthan amid raging protests against the release of the Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus 'Padmavati'.


The Member of Parliament from Kerala took to Twitter and said education for women in Rajasthan was more important than a "goonghat", as state's female literacy rate was among the lowest in the country.


"Agree totally. The #Padmavati controversy is an opportunity to focus on the conditions of Rajasthani women today & not just of queens six centuries ago. Rajasthan's female literacy among lowest. Education more important than goonghats." Tharoor posted on Twitter.


Tharoor had to put out at a one more tweet later to clarify a confusion after the auto correct feature in his device had autocorrected the word goonghats to 'thang Hoog hats'.


The Rajput Community, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the Bajrang Dal and the Karni Sena held a joint protest against the release of the film in Surat on Sunday.  -- ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump today held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Manila during which they discussed a range of key issues including defence and security.


The meeting in the Philippines capital came a day after officials of India, the US, Japan and Australia held talks to give shape to the much talked about quadrilateral alliance to keep the strategically important Indo-Pacific region free, open and inclusive.


The two leaders are understood to have discussed the security scenario in the region besides several other issues of mutual interests, including ways to further boost bilateral trade.


The move to set up the quadrilateral alliance comes in the backdrop of growing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea. The US has been favouring a larger role for India in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region.


The use of the term "Indo-Pacific" by President Trump has led to speculation that it may have something to do with Washington preparing the ground for a revival of the so called quadrilateral strategic alliance between the US, Japan, Australia and India to counter China's rise.


Trump on Saturday praised India's "astounding" growth after it opened up its economy and also lauded Modi, saying he has been working successfully to bring the vast country and its people together.


Speaking at a gathering of CEOs on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the Vietnamese city of Danang, President Trump had cited India as one of the countries in the Indo-Pacific region making strides. He praised India as a sovereign democracy with a population of over 1 billion as well as the largest democracy in the world.
-- PTI

Strict action will be taken against the culprit, even if he is a Hindu, Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said on Monday, while responding to the recent lynching incident in Alwar.

"The body has been sent for post-mortem and a case has been registered. One suspect has been taken into custody. According to the preliminary report, the involvement of four or five persons is also be possible. We will take strict action against the culprit, be it Hindu or Muslim," Kataria told ANI.

The minister also informed that one person has been arrested, adding five others could also be involved in the incident.

On Sunday, three Muslim youth were allegedly beaten up and one of them was shot dead by suspected cow vigilantes in Rajasthan's Alwar district while they were transporting cows from Haryana's Mewat district to Bharatpur in Rajasthan.

This is second such incident in Alwar in past seven months.

In April, a 55-year-old dairy farmer, Pehlu Khan, from Haryana was beaten to death allegedly by cow vigilantes. -- ANI


Image: A file picture of injured dairy farmer Pehlu Khan after he was lynched. He died as a result of his injuries.

A woman passenger of IndiGo was injured after she fell from a wheelchair while being ferried by the airline staffer at the Lucknow airport, a "mishap" that has triggered a spat between the carrier and the AAI.


The incident took place at 2000 hours on Saturday and IndiGo has claimed that the mishap happened due to crack in the floor at the airport even as the Airports Authority of India has said it all happened because of "gross negligence of IndiGo staff".


The latest incident comes days after IndiGo came under fire and apologised following the surfacing of a video of a passenger being manhandled at the Delhi airport. In a statement shared with PTI today, an IndiGo spokesperson apologised for the mishap involving the passenger, Urvashi Parikh Viren.


"Our IndiGo representative was pushing her wheelchair towards the arrival hall. As he was guiding her wheelchair through a vehicular lane, which was dimly lit at that time of the night, her wheelchair got stuck in a deep crack on the tarmac and lost balance and she fell off her wheelchair," the spokesperson said. -- PTI

Rains lashed many parts of the city and neighbouring districts today, prompting the administration to announce holiday for schools. Ennore near Chennai recorded the highest rainfall of 11 cm in the last 24 hours ending 8.30 am today, the weather office said.


A low pressure area over Bay of Bengal which was lying there since November 10 had "strengthened slightly" today but would move northwards in the next two days, Director of Area Cyclone Warning Centre, S Balachandran said.


As a result, rains will gradually decrease in the next two days, he said. In the last 24 hours, rains lashed parts of north coastal Tamil Nadu.

The death toll in the Krishna river boat capsise incident has risen to 20 following the recovery of four more bodies this morning.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Monday visited the site earlier in the day.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid condolences to families who lost their loved ones in the incident.

The Prime Minister's Office tweeted: "Capsizing of a boat in the Krishna River is anguishing. My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives in this tragedy. Andhra Pradesh Government and @NDRFHQ have been working on rescue operations.


Image: An injured woman being taken to hospital after an overloaded boat carrying 38 people capsized in the Krishna river near Vijayawada on Sunday evening. PTI Photo

The National Green Tribunal caps the number of devotees allowed to visit the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir at 50,000 a day. Anyone above this number heading to the shrine would be stopped either at Ardhkumari or Katra. All new constructions taking place inside the shrine complex has also been stayed.

Jammu and Kashmir Police chief S P Vaid has said that there has been a 90 per cent dip in incidents of stone-pelting in Kashmir Valley this year as compared to the last year and credited the people of Kashmir for the improvement in the situation.


NIA raids, he said, were not alone responsible for the change in situation in the Kashmir Valley and maintained there were multiple factors at play including demonetisation and action against top militant commanders.


The Director General of Police said it was normal to witness 40-50 incidents of stone-pelting in a day last year. "(There is) a more than 90 per cent fall in stone pelting in Kashmir Valley (this year) as compared to the last year.It is a huge decrease", Vaid told PTI.


"There are weeks when there is not even a single case of stone pelting while in a day (last year) there used to be more than 50 incidents taking place.There is a huge change in the mood of people", he said.  -- PTI

Jammu and Kashmir summer capital Srinagar braved the coldest night of the season with the temperature dropping below the freezing point, as the Met office said the dry spell in the Valley was likely to end this week.


The temperature dipped to minus 0.7 degree Celsius - three notches below the normal - in Srinagar last night, a Met department official said. The minimum temperature at other places in the Valley, except in Kokernag in south Kashmir, stayed below the freezing point. Kokernag recorded a low of 3.6C.


The minimum temperature in nearby Qazigund settled at minus 0.4C, the Met department official said. He said Pahalgam, also in south Kashmir, recorded minus 1.7C, while the popular ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 0.6C.


The mercury in Kupwara, in north Kashmir, settled at a low of minus 2.3C; in Leh at minus 4.9C, while the nearby Kargil registered a minimum of minus 3.4C.  - PTI


File picture.

Out of the 13 IAS officers, who were transferred by the Haryana Government on Sunday, senior bureaucrat Ashok Khemka's name stood out, as it was the 46th time in 23 years when he was meted out this, after he exposed corruption in the departments he was posted in.


Responding to this, Khemka told ANI, "The transfer is fine, if it has been done in public interest, but saddening if done for vested interests.


"I feel as if a crash landing has happened, but I will overcome this. I will work in the new department with full energy," he added.


Khemka will now serve as the principal secretary in Youth Affairs and Sports department in Haryana Government. He earlier held the charge of principal secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment Department.


Earlier, following the transfer, Khemka took to Twitter and said, "So much work planned. News of another transfer. Crash landing again. Vested interests win. Deja vu. But this is temporary. Will continue with renewed vigour and energy."


The 1991-batch-IAS officer had reportedly cancelled a land deal between Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and realty developer DLF in 2012, and that is when he shot to limelight.Khemka, who was then served in Haryana revenue department, had also unearthed alleged illegal deals between Vadra and DLF. -- ANI

The air pollution problem in the national capital won't go away till we take action -- such as ban the use of dirty fuels, ramp up public transport and oversee crop burning, says environmentalist Sunita Narain. Read the column here.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will kick off the campaign for urban local body polls from the temple town of Ayodhya tomorrow. The civic polls, to be held in three phases from November 22, are seen as a litmus test for the Yogi Adityanath government's popularity.


The BJP came to the power in March after a landslide victory. "UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will address a rally each in all the 16 poll-bound municipal corporations.


The chief minister will start his campaign from Ayodhya on November 14. On the same day, he is likely to visit districts of Gonda and Bahraich," a senior UP BJP leader told PTI. As many as 652 urban local bodies across the state are going to polls, the highest number so far. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders at the opening ceremony of 31th ASEANSummit in Manila, Philippines.