The Babri Masjid Action Committee raised objections to the fanfare with which the Yogi Adityanath government celebrated Deepotsav in Ayodhya today and claimed that public money was "wasted" on the show.

Terrorists shot dead a special police officer in Tral area of Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir today, police said.

Earthen lamps being lit at the banks of Saryu river in Ayodhya.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath arrives in Ayodhya to take part in Diwali celebrations.

The event seeks to create the celebratory atmosphere witnessed in Ayodhya on Lord Rama's return along with wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after victory over Ravana, as narrated in the epic Ramayana, according to officials.

A chopper decorated as the mythological 'Pushpak Viman' descended on Ram Katha Park with artistes decked up to resemble Lord Ram, Sita and Laxman.

Artistes playing Bharat and Shatrughan welcomed them as well as the CM and Governor Ram Naik.

The CM garlanded the actors and performed an aarti.

Uttar Pradesh Tourism Minister Rita Bahuguna and several other ministers are also present. -- ANI , PTI

The Central Bureau of Investigation today said it would look into the 'facts and circumstances' of the Bofors scam mentioned by private detective Michael Hershmam, who alleged that the Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress government had sabotaged his investigation.

Hershman, who is the president of the United States-based private detective firm Fairfax, claimed in television interviews recently that Rajiv Gandhi was 'furious' when he had found a Swiss bank account 'Mont Blanc'.

Hershman, who was here last week to address a conference of private detectives, also alleged that the bribe money of the Bofors gun scandal had been parked in the Swiss account.

'The agency has learnt of the matter pertaining to the Bofors aired on certain TV channels containing interview of Michael Hershman,' CBI informationa officer and spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said in a statement.

'Facts and circumstances as mentioned in the interview will be looked into as per due process by the CBI,' he said.

Hershman was quoted as telling television channels that Rajiv Gandhi got very upset when 'our work was uncovered'.

He then established a Supreme Court commission to look into the circumstances surrounding then finance minister V P Singh's hiring of Fairfax.

In his interviews, Hershman has expressed his willingness to testify and help Indian agencies on the Rs 64 crore Bofors gun pay-off scandal but the effort has to be a credible one.  -- PTI

Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan today said a central team will be sent to Jharkhand to investigate the death of 11-year-old Simdega girl allegedly due to starvation.

The state government has also been asked to submit a detailed report, he said.

"If poor people die of hunger, it is a matter of concern. We will be sending a central team probe the matter," Paswan told PTI.

Meanwhile, the Jharkhand government has ordered a fresh probe in the matter and also announced Rs 50,000 as assistance to the girl's family.

The local activists had alleged that the girl died a fortnight ago after going without food for several days.

They said her family's ration card was cancelled for not being linked to the Aadhaar number.  -- PTI

A team of court commissioners,  lawyers, police and members of a cows protection NGO, which had gone to check illegal abattoirs at Yelahanka New Town in Bengaluru, was attacked by a mob.

The team members were 'heckled, chased, attacked and the windowpanes of police vehicles smashed' by the mob yesterday after it detected an illegal abattoir at Dodda Bettahalli, according to Kavitha Jain, a member of the Gau Gyan Foundation that works for the protection of cows and its progenies.

"The abattoir was running inside SS Garage. There were 15 cows and its progenies such as bulls, ox and calves in four canters. Apart from that, there was an open space where some  animals were tied. When we asked people there to open, they  refused. In no time, a mob of around 250 people surrounded us," Jain said.

"They started attacking us and abusing us...Somehow, we managed to escape in the police vehicles, whose glasses were also smashed by the mob," Jain said.

A complaint was lodged at Yelahanka police station, she said. Police confirmed the attack had taken place and said they were investigating the case.

No arrests had been made so far, they said. A meeting was held with local leaders of a minority community to find an amicable solution, police said.

Jain told PTI that she and Joshine Antony are the petitioners in a case pertaining to stopping illegal slaughter houses in the city.

"The court had asked us to show at least five such  illegal abattoirs in the city to pass an order. It also  appointed two court commissioners to oversee the operations,"  said Jain.

On October 14, the team located three illegal abattoirs at JJ Nagar, Chandra Layout and Shikari Palya.  -- PTI

Image only for representation.

Should the executive have a say in the appointment of members of higher judiciary? Will it lead to political interference? Has the judiciary been intruding into the space of the executive with its various orders and hearings?   

An early morning raid -- the authorities call it a check -- in Jawaharlal Nehru University's hostel rooms has riled its students, with many maintaining that attempts are being made to malign the university's scholars, especially its women.

Students alleged that a group of security personnel led by a lecturer entered the rooms of women and men students.

"Many girls found in boys' rooms," a newspaper headline screamed.

The students claimed 20-25 security guards led by JNU academic Buddha Singh entered the rooms, including those in the women's hostels, on October 5.

"The wardens of various hostels came for raids after 5 am. JNU being a residential campus has always maintained its character and built an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. But this raid was just the opposite. The wardens didn't even knock," said former JNUSU general secretary Satarupa Chakraborty.

Chakraborty also alleged that the raiding team entered the women's rooms when many students were sleeping.

Cupboards were opened and spot fines imposed on students found to be breaking hostel rules.

Neither Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar nor Registrar Pramod Kumar commented on the issue when contacted by PTI.

Singh confirmed that the checks had taken place, but refused to elaborate further. The students believed the outcry in a section of the media that followed was part of an exercise that started last year.

"Efforts are on to incite hatred against JNU," JNUSU general secretary Duggirala Srikrishna said, pointing out that last year there were stories about 3,000 used condoms being found in JNU every day.

"The RSS-BJP regime... has tried to malign JNU through fake stories of condoms, calling women students prostitutes as part of a #ShutDownJNU campaign," he said.

According to the JNU hostel manual, only men can stay in the men's hostels and women in the women's wings. They are required to return to their respective hostels by 11 pm.

While the manual prohibits men from entering women's hostels, it only says that women are not allowed into the dining hall of the men's hostels.

Wardens from time to time check the ids of room occupants to see if there are unauthorised guests.

A students' group called the Collective condemned the raid.

"While the issue of building more hostels on campus remains unresolved, students are being harassed and hostel rooms raided instead," it said on a social media site.

Residents of Periyar hostel passed a resolution demanding an explanation from the authorities on how the media was informed about the raid, while the hostel's elected representatives were kept in the dark.

The recent raid has earned the ire of the RSS-affiliated ABVP too. The students' group condemned the administration for the 'highhandedness and moral policing' in the name of hostel checks and the subsequent media reports which it felt 'covered the entire incident in a misogynistic and ludicrous manner'.

JNU Teachers' Association president Ayesha Kidwai said the attacks were 'nothing short of social terrorism'.

Students said they were being targeted by a section of right-wing forces.

Last year, when JNU was caught in a prolonged student protest, Haryana BJP leader Jawahar Yadav in a tweet drew a comparison between its students and sex workers.

"For the girls who are protesting in JNU, I only have one thing to say that prostitutes who sell their body are better than them because they at least don't sell their country," he tweeted.

Days after that, BJP MLA Gyandev Ahuja said 3,000 used condoms were found every day in JNU, and 'girls and boys dance naked' at cultural shows.

In April last year, some JNU teachers came up with a dossier alleging sex rackets on the campus. -- PTI

Image only for representation.

Kalli Purie has been named as the new vice chairperson of the Indian Today Group, replacing her father Aroon Purie, reports medianama.com.  

The Hindustan Times has crunched Twitter data to show that Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, hitherto a laggard when it comes to the social media, may have finally turned the corner, going purely by the number of retweets he gets.   

As many as 1,71,000 earthen lamps will glow on the banks of river Saryu as the Uttar Pradesh government's plans to project the heritage of Ayodhya will be on full display when Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will attend a mega event -- 'Deepotsav' -- in the evening.

The event will seek to create the celebratory atmosphere witnessed in Ayodhya on Lord Rama's return along with wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after victory over Ravana, as narrated in the epic Ramayana, according to officials.

A series of programmes have been scheduled to celebrate Diwali in the pilgrim town, Principal Secretary, Tourism, Awanish Awasthi said.

The 'Deepotsav' will be organised on the 'Ram Ki Paidi' where 1.71 lakh earthen lamps will be lit, he said.

Prominent buildings and ghats will be illuminated to attract tourists. The objective of the entire programme will be to promote Ayodhya, the birth place of Lord Rama, as a tourist destination, he said.

A heritage walk, a 'yatra' reminiscing the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya, and the launch of several schemes by the chief minister and other dignitaries will be part of the programme, Awasthi said.

A grand aarti of River Saryu will also be performed by Chief Minister Adityanath and Governor Ram Naik followed by a laser show.

During today's programme, Ramlila will be staged by artistes from Indonesia and Thailand.

Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma will be present on the occasion. The Union Tourism ministry has sanctioned Rs 133.70 crore for making Ayodhya a tourism hub.

To add a touch of fantasy to the event, a chopper decorated as the mythological 'Pushpak Viman', will descend on Ram Katha Park with artistes decked up to resemble Lord Ram, Sita and Laxman.

A 22-minute laser show with special sound effects on Ramayana will be the major attraction during the mega event at Ram Katha Park, Awasthi said.

"The aim of the programme is to attract tourists and showcase tourism spots and the potential of Ayodhya," he added.  -- PTI

The Panipat Police on Wednesday began investigation in singer Harshita Dahiya murder case.

Dahiya, a local singer and dancer, was shot dead on Tuesday by unknown assailants when she was leaving after a programme in Panipat's Israna.

The assailants came in a car and fired five to six shots at her before fleeing away.

Dahiya, 22, a resident of Nahra-Nahri village of Haryana's Sonipat, was living in Narela of Delhi.

She was on way to her home at around 4.15 pm when the incident occurred.

She was accompanied by a male singer, her assistant and driver.

The body of the deceased singer has been sent to the mortuary at a general hospital.

Dahiya had recently posted a mobile video on social media alleging death threats and had declared that she was not afraid. It is not known if she had alerted the police.

Meanwhile, Dahiya's sister Lata said, "She was killed by my husband because she was a witness in my mother's murder case."  -- ANI

Photograph: Harshita Dahiya/Facebook

Two Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs in Aligarh allegedly did not let Rajasthan officials detain doctors accused of conducting illegal pre-natal sex-determination test.

"Yes. Two MLAs asked the Rajasthan officials not to arrest some doctors and they were not allowed to take the doctors," Aligarh District Magistrate Rishikesh Yashod said.

However, BJP MLA Anil Parashar said the DM wrong.

"This is incorrect information. We believe in 'Beti bachao, beti padhao'. The DM is wrong. We only wanted fair inquiry," Parashar said.

'The truth is that, in recent times, it is more often than not the poor and the powerless who have been lynched for eating beef '" or merely the suspicion of doing so.'   

For most of us fed up of the online hatred, misogyny etc that trolls unload on Twitter, help seems to be at hand.   

China's ruling Communist Party today began its week long once-in-a-five-year Congress which will confirm a second five-year term for President Xi Jinping and elect new set of leaders.

A host of former leaders including former Presidents, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jimtao took part in the opening meeting.

The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will also elect a new generation of leaders to work with Xi.

The agenda for the key Congress, which will conclude on October 24, has been set at the preparatory meeting held yesterday.

Xi presided over the preparatory meeting at the Great Hall of the People which was attended by 2,307 party delegates and especially invited delegates, CPC spokesman Tuo Zhen told media yesterday.

A 22-member delegate credentials committee was approved at the meeting. A presidium of the Congress consisting of 243members was also approved.

The agenda of the party for the Congress includeexamining the work report about the progress achieved duringthe past five years, scrutinising report of the disciplineinspection relating to the massive anti-corruption carried outin which over 1.34 million party officials especially some topranking leaders were punished.

The meeting will also deliberate and adopt an amendmentto the party's Constitution, Tuo said.

It will also elect a new Central Committee and its 19thCentral Commission for discipline inspection.

Besides Xi and Premier Li Keqiang, the party was expected to elect a new generation of leaders for various powerful bodies of the party.  -- PTI

Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has resigned from the Weinstein Company board of directors, as his company tries to distance itself from the disgraced mogul.

Weinstein was fired as co-chairman on October 8, but he continues to own 22 per cent of the company's stock, and until today continued to hold a seat on the board, reported Variety.

The remnants of the Weinstein Company board, including the other co-founder, Bob Weinstein, convened on Tuesday at the Manhattan offices of Debevoise and Plimpton, a law firm hired by the studio to investigate allegations made against Weinstein.

In a statement, the three member board confirmed that Weinstein had stepped down and said it had '... ratified its decision to terminate' his employment.

The company now risks falling into a protracted legal battle with Weinstein, who alleges his firing was illegal.

Since the allegations against Weinstein first became public, most Weinstein Company board members have resigned, leaving only Tarak Ben Ammar, Lance Maerov and Bob Weinstein.  -- PTI

UPDATE: Four civilians injured in ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Balakote sector of Poonch.

American author George Saunders won Britain's renowned Man Booker Prize for his first full-length novel Lincoln in the Bardo.

Saunders became only the second writer from to win the prestigious English-language literary award.

The judges praised the book as 'utterly original' that chronicles the death of Abraham Lincoln's 11-year-old son Willie using the accounts of hundreds of narrators.

'The form and style of this utterly original novelreveals a witty, intelligent, and deeply moving narrative,' said Lola Young, chair of the judging panel, while announcing the prize in London.

Saunders, 58, said the award is a 'great honour'.

"I hope to live up to the honour with the rest of my work, for the rest of my life," he said.

He also made several thinly-veiled references to the controversial policies of United States President Donald Trump.

"We live in a strange time," he told the audience. "In the US now we're hearing a lot about the need to protect culture. Well, this tonight is culture."

This year's Man Booker Prize shortlist pitted three US and three British writers against one another.  -- Agencies

IMAGE: George Saunders, author of Lincoln in the Bardo, poses for photographers after winning the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2017 in London, on Tuesday. Photograph: Mary Turner/Reuters

Pakistan Army violated the ceasefire in Balakote sector of Poonch, and Manjakot sector of Rajouri on Wednesday morning.

The Indian Army is strongly retaliating to it and the firing is still on.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police also tweeted to confirm the news.

The tweet said, 'Today morning Pakistan violated ceasefire by resorting firing at Dabbi, Nijot & Basoni posts in Balakote Sector Mendhar. Army retaliating.'  -- ANI

IMAGE: Cars damaged in ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Balakote sector of Poonch. Photograph: ANI

United States President Donald Trump will start his five-nation tour from November 3 to call on the international community to pressurise North Korea over its nuclear programme.

During a five-nation Asia tour plus a stop in Hawaii from November 3 to 14, Trump will 'call on the international community to join together in maximising pressure on North Korea', said The White House in a statement.

North Korea has a military nuclear weapons programme and also has a significant amount of chemical and biological weapons.

Since 2003, North Korea is no longer a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

The country has come under sanctions after conducting a number of nuclear tests, beginning in 2006.

Trump, in his address at the United Nations General Assembly last month, said North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong-un is 'a rocket man, who is on a suicide mission'.

Trump will visit Japan from Nov 5 for talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and a meeting with the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, Kyodo News reports.

The Abe-Trump talks and Trump's meeting with the kin of abduction victims -- including the parents of Megumi Yokota who was abducted when she was 13 -- are expected to take place on Nov 6, Kyodo News quoted Japanese officials as saying.

According to the White House, Trump will also meet with US forces stationed in Japan and members of Japan's Self-Defence Forces.

In the bilateral summit, Abe and Trump are expected to affirm close coordination in addressing North Korea's nuclear, missile and abduction issues.

Japan officially lists 17 citizens as abduction victims and suspects North Korea's involvement in many more disappearances. While five of the 17 were repatriated in 2002, Pyongyang maintains that eight -- including Yokota -- have died and the other four never entered the country.

After visiting Japan, Trump will travel to South Korea for talks with President Moon Jae In on Nov 7. Trump will also speak at the National Assembly, at which he will celebrate the 'enduring alliance and friendship' between Washington and Seoul.

During a visit to Beijing from Nov 8, Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and attend a series of commercial and cultural events.

On Nov 10, Trump will travel to Danang, Vietnam, for a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and deliver a speech at an APEC business summit.

'In the speech, the president will present the United States' vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region and underscore the important role the region plays in advancing America's economic prosperity,' the White House said.

After meeting with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang in Hanoi on Nov 11, Trump will visit Manila the following day for summit meetings related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

According to the White House, Trump will attend a US-ASEAN summit and bilateral talks with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Nov 13 before heading back home, according to the White House.  -- ANI

Delhi Police has seized over 1,200 kg of firecrackers and arrested 29 people from 13 districts in a drive being carried out after the Supreme Court order temporarily banning sale of firecrackers.

After the Supreme Court order, Delhi Police commissioner Amulya Patnaik had directed the deputy commissioners of police of the 13 police districts to ensure that crackers are not sold in the city.

Special teams have been deployed in districts to monitor the situation.

In the crackdown, following the Supreme Court order, the police have seized 1,241 kilogram of firecrackers and registered 29 FIRs and arrested 29 people, said Madhur Verma, PRO, Delhi Police.

According to the data, eight cases have been registered in the north district against the people found selling firecrackers, the maximum among all the districts.

Police have seized 368 kilogram of firecrackers from the southwest district, the maximum among all districts with Rohini a close second at 344.5 kg.

Two Delhi Police personnel posted at the Mangolpuri police station in outer district were suspended for allegedly failing to curb the sale of firecrackers in their beat areas.  -- PTI

Representative image.

United States President Donald Trump celebrated Diwali in Oval Office of the White House along with senior Indian-American members of the administration, including Nikki Haley, Seema Verma and community leaders.

Cabinet ranking Haley is US Ambassador to the United Nations and Seema Verma is administrator of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Ajit Pai, chairman of the US Federal Communications Commission and Raj Shah his Principle Deputy Press Secretary were among those from his administration.

Daughter Ivanka Trump also joined the President in celebration of Diwali celebrations.

Last year Ivanka, who is now a presidential advisor, had visited Hindu temples in Virginia and Florida as part of Diwali.

Trump, then as the Republican presidential nominee, had addressed the Indian-American community from a public meeting in New Jersey wherein he lit the traditional diya.

The tradition of Diwali celebration was first started by former President George Bush.

During his term it was celebrated mostly in the India Treaty Room of the adjacent executive office building, which is part of the White House Complex.

Bush never personally participated in the White House Diwali celebrations.

In the first year of his presidency, his successor Barack Obama, lit the ceremonial diya in the East Rook of the White House.

Thereafter he made it a point in celebrating the festival of lights in one way or the year.  -- PTI

Image only for representation.