Another image from meeting of army personnel of India and China at Bum La Pass in Tawang. 

Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar today assumed charge as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff. 

Railway officer Vikram Singh was today appointed private secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind.

The Ahmedabad police has detained a passenger of a Mumbai-Delhi Jet Airways flight which was forced to make an emergency landing at the Ahmedabad airport today after a note stating that there were hijackers and a bomb on board was found in the washroom, a police officer said.


The passenger, identified as Birju Prasad Salla, a jeweller hailing from Rajula town in Gujarat's Amreli district, was taken into custody based on suspicion after the plane landed in Ahmedabad, he said.


Salla, who now lives in Mumbai, had in the past too done such a mischief with the airline out of some grudge, the police official said.


"Salla wrote in Urdu and got the translation from Google. He had problem with Jet on food so he planned this. We have found a letter in English and Urdu. Investigation is on, only then we can report the motive," Deepan Bhadran, DCP Crime said.


Earlier, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said the person responsible for the security threat on the Mumbai-Delhi Jet Airways flight had been identified and should be immediately put on the no-fly list.


"Salla was detained by police after preliminary investigation. He was on board the flight which made an emergency landing this morning. It was revealed that Salla had put the threat letter in the plane's washroom. We will take necessary action against him," the official said.


"This is the second time when Salla did such a mischief with Jet Airways. A few months ago, he tried to harass the airline using some other trick. It seems that Salla has some grudge against the airline," he said.


He was being questioned by senior police officials at an undisclosed location. Flight 9W 339, which had taken off from Mumbai at 2.55 am with 115 passengers and seven crew members, landed without incident at Ahmedabad around 3.45 am.


The Boeing 737-900 plane was parked at a remote bay and all 122 safely deplaned, a Jet Airways spokesperson said. The printed note, in Urdu and English, said the flight had 12 hijackers on board and a bomb in the cargo area and should be flown straight to PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir).

 -- PTI

US authorities have sent the body of 3-year-old Sherin Mathews to a funeral home but a medical report on how the Indian girl, adopted by an Indian-American couple, died is yet to come out, according to a media report. The cause of Sherin's death is still pending, a spokesman for the police department in Richardson city, Texas, told Fox News.


Sherin's body, found in a culvert on October 22, has been sent to a funeral home by the Dallas medical examiner, the report said. A spokesman for the Dallas County Medical Examiner said the body of Sherin was released on Saturday but did not say who has custody of the body.


It is not clear if Sherin's foster mother Sini Mathews will have a role in handling the funeral arrangements since Sherin's foster father, Wesley Mathews, is under the custody of the Dallas County Sheriff's Department in connection with the child's tragic death.


An online petition had requested authorities not to release Sherin's body to her foster parents and allow the people to give her a proper burial that she deserves.


Sherin's body was found inside a culvert in Richardson city, nearly 1 km from her home. Her body was discovered by cadaver dogs over two weeks after she went missing from her home.


Sherin was adopted by the couple from India last year. Wesley, 37, has been arrested on a charge of felony injury to a child with bond set at USD 1 million. He told police that Sherin had choked to death while drinking milk in the middle of the night on October 7.


Mathews changed his story on Sherin's disappearance, initially claiming he left her outside at 3 am on October 7 as punishment for not drinking her milk. Mathews' latest claim is that he tried to "physically assist" Sherin in drinking her milk, but she choked on it and died. Sherin's foster mother, Sini, has denied any role in the girl's death and says she is cooperating in the investigation. But Richardson police say Sini Mathews has not been as cooperative as she has said, the Fox News report said. --  PTI

The cricketer Chris Gayle has won his defamation case against Fairfax Media after a jury found a series of articles published in 2016 which alleged he exposed his penis to a masseuse were untrue. The jury at the supreme court in Sydney took less than two hours to answer no to all three questions it was asked to consider, including whether he had exposed himself and indecently propositioned her.  Read the full story here.

File pic.

Update: India and Pakistan hold DGMO-level talks on Islamabad'srequest, Army sources tell PTI. The Indian Director General of Military Operations tells Pakistani counterpart that support to terrorism by Pakistan Army is unacceptable.


In an unscheduled hotline interaction requested by Pakistan, Indian DGMO Lt Gen AK Bhatt spoke to his counterpart at 2 pm today. The Pakistan DGMO alleged that Indian security forces had resorted to unprovoked firing along the LoC. The Indian DGMO stated that retaliatory firing by Indian troops were only carried out in response to unabated support given by the Pak Army to terrorists. The Indian DGMO further clarified that the Indian Army always maintains impeccable standards of professionalism and does not target civilians.


The last DGMO meet between the two nations was held in July. Till June-end, 103 militants were killed in the Valley and on the LoC, while 72 terrorists were killed during the corresponding time last year. This year, till June end, over 260 ceasefire violations were reported, while last year it was just 14.

Talks between PM Modi and Italian PM are over; six agreements exchanged including ones on cooperation in railway safety, energy and investment.

PM Modi says the two countries discussed several aspects of cooperation between India and Italy in their detailed meetings today. "Both of us are committed to fight unitedly against terror and on the issue of cyber security. India and Italy are also committed to increase tourism and people-to-people ties between the two countries.

The verdict in the gang-rape case of a 72-year-old nun at Ranaghat in 2015 in Nadia district would be pronounced on November 7 after the trial of six accused concluded in a city court today.


The nun was gang-raped at a convent on March 14, 2015 allegedly by a group of suspected Bangladeshi nationals, who had then decamped with cash from the safe of the convent.


While six persons were arrested by the state CID which probed the case, one of the accused is absconding. The examination of witnesses and pleadings by lawyers representing the accused and the prosecution concluded before Additional District and Sessions Judge Kumkum Sinha here.


The judge said the verdict would be delivered on November seven. Investigation in the case was handed over to the CID by the state government soon after the incident.


The trial was shifted from a court in Ranaghat to the Kolkata sessions court in May 2016 by the Calcutta High Court on a petition by the nun. The nun, who had relocated to Delhi following the incident, had sought transfer of the case to Kolkata stating that she feared for her safety as the accused allegedly had strong links in Ranaghat.


The accused have been charged with and tried for gangrape, dacoity, attempt to cause death or grievous hurt, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means and criminal conspiracy. The six accused, who are in judicial remand, are Milan Kumar Sarkar, Ohidul Islam, Mohd Selim Sheikh, Nazrul Islam, Khaledar Rahman and Gopal Sarkar. --  PTI

China hints at once again blocking resolution to list JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by UN.

Former JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar is likely to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from the Begusarai seat in Bihar on a CPI ticket.


"The party is considering fielding Kanhaiya Kumar from the Begusarai Lok Sabha seat or any other seat in Bihar for the next Lok Sabha polls," CPI state secretary Satayanarayan Singh confirmed.


Kanhaiya hails from the Begusarai district, which is considered a stronghold of the CPI.


Singh clarified that the CPI has not formally decided to field Kanhaiya Kumar in the Lok Sabha polls, but the party is under tremendous pressure from the leaders and workers from different Lok Sabha constituencies including Begusarai, to field him.


"Kanhaiya is ready and has agreed to contest the polls as a CPI candidate," Singh said and added that Kanhaiya had visited his village and met party workers in his village.  At present, Bhola Singh is the BJP MP from Begusarai. Interestingly, both Kanhaiya and Bhola Singh belong to the powerful upper caste Bhumihars.


According to CPI leaders, the party is likely to join hands with the RJD and the Congress to contest the 2019 polls.


Last year, during his first visit to Bihar after his arrest in a sedition case booked against him, Kanhaiya Kumar hadf said that his roots are in Bihar. "I was born here. I am a son of Bihar and I know the state, an elated Kanhaiya had said after arriving in the state for the first time since his arrest in a sedition case booked against him.


Earlier,it was reported that Kanhaiya may contest from a Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala, a stronghold of left parties.

-- MI Khan in Patna/Rediff.com

"November 8 is a sad day for India," Rahul Gandhi said today after meeting Congress leaders ahead of first note ban anniversary. "The PM saying that November 8 will be celebrated conveys the message that he has not understood the pain and feelings of the people," the Congress vice-president said today. He added that the PM has hit the country's economy with two torpedoes of demonetisation and GST which have destroyed it.



Rahul chaired a meeting of party general secretaries to chalk out plans for the first note ban anniversary, being observed as a 'black day' across the country, by the Congress party.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced on November 8 last year that notes of higher denomination had been scrapped.

The Supreme Court directs the father of a Kerala woman, who converted and
married a Muslim man, to produce her before it on November 27. The court says it will interact with the woman in an open court hearing at 3 pm on that day.

The National Investigations Agency tells the court that there is a well-oiled machinery involving radicalisation and love jihad cases in Kerala.

The court today said that the consent of the girl was prime. "The consent of the girl is prime. She is a major," the court said. "Marriage is a personal affair. There is no law stating that a person can't marry a criminal. Don't try to curb individual cases," the court said, while adding that it will examine if parental authority can be exercised on a major.

The NIA has maintained that people with hypnotic expertise are employed to manipulate young women and that consent is manipulated by indoctrination and radicalisation.

Akhila Ashokan or Hadiya, a 25-year-old Hindu girl, converted to Islam after marrying 27-year-old Shafin Jahan. The girl had married Jahan and converted to Islam without her family's consent.

The Kerala High Court had sent the girl with her family after annulling the marriage.

I am informed that person responsible for Jet flt 339 (Mum-Del) incident causing landing at Ahmedabad, has been identified: Civil aviation minister A Gajapathi Raju.

A Jet Airways flight 9W 339, a Boeing 737-900 from Mumbai to New Delhi, was diverted to Ahmedabad in Gujarat on Monday due to the detection of an on board security threat.

Just in: An old iron bridge used as a walkway has collapsed in Chavara near Kollam, Kerala. Rescue operations underway. One person is believed to have died, while the number of injured is pegged between 20 and 57.  Details awaited.


Image: ANI

A Jet Airways flight 9W 339, a Boeing 737-900 from Mumbai to New Delhi, was diverted to Ahmedabad in Gujarat on Monday due to the detection of an on board security threat.


The aircraft landed without incident at Ahmedabad at 4.25 a.m. and was parked at a remote bay, where all 115 guests and seven crew members were safely deplaned. The flight departed at 0255 hours from Mumbai.


"Jet Airways is extending full cooperation to the security agencies who are investigating the matter and is not in a position to comment further at this stagem. The airline regretted the inconvenience caused to its guests and is making efforts to bring them to Delhi at the earliest," Jet Airways spokesperson said.


Jet Airways flight 9W 339 BOM-DEL diverted to Ahmedabad as pilot in command was informed by the crew that a note was found in toilet stating, "9W 339 is covered by hijackers and a/c should not land and flown straight to POK. 12 ppl on board. If you put landing you can hear the noise of people dying. Don't take it as a joke. Cargo area contains explosive bombs and will blast if you land in DEL. Allah is great."


Soon after receiving the message, the Bomb Threat Action Committee (BTAC) assembled at the Ahmedabad airport and started the investigation process.  -- PTI

Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, today moved the Supreme Court opposing a plea seeking reopening of the 70-year-old assassination case of the Mahatma.


A bench of Justices S A Bobde and M M Shantanagoudar questioned the locus of Tushar Gandhi in the case. Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for Gandhi, said she will explain the locus if the court moves ahead with issuing of notice.


The bench said there were several ifs and buts in the case and will like to wait for the amicus curiae (friend of the court) Amrender Sharan's report. Sharan sought four weeks time to file the report, saying he was yet to receive relevant documents from the National Archives.


Jaising said that she is opposing the reopening of the 70-year-old assassination case of Mahatma and also questioned the locus of the petitioner, Mumbai-based Pankaj Phadnis, a researcher and a trustee of Abhinav Bharat. The bench listed the matter after four weeks.


The apex court had on October 6 appointed senior advocate Sharan as amicus curiae to assist it in the matter. The bench had raised a volley of questions including how evidence could be collected now to order further investigation into the case which had led to the conviction and execution of Nathuram Vinayak Godse and Narayan Apte on November 15, 1949.


Gandhi was shot dead at point blank range in New Delhi on January 30, 1948 by Godse, a right-wing advocate of Hindu nationalism. Phadnis has sought reopening of the probe on several grounds, claiming it was one of the biggest cover-ups in the history. -- PTI

'Hindutva,' explained Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in 1923, is 'not a word, but a history.' It was introduced in a lengthy pamphlet, Essentials of Hindutva, which Savarkar wrote on the walls of his prison cell, and re-published in 1928 under the new title Hindutva: Who is a Hindu? 'A Hindu,' Savarkar declared, 'means a person who regards this land of Bharat Varsha''" a name for ancient India used in the Puranas, a set of foundational Hindu texts -- 'as his Fatherland as well as his Holy-Land, that is the cradle land of his religion.'  Read more

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley plans to revitalise the countrys state banks with a 2 trillion rupee injection money he wants to raise by selling those exact same financial institutions special bonds. Will such sorcery pay off? Read more

The SC issues notice to Centre on separate plea challenging linking of mobile phone numbers with Aadhaar, seeks reply within four weeks.

The Supreme Court responds to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee saying the state cannot challenge a Central Act. The court said she could challenge the Act as an individual but not as state.


Banerjee had challenged the mandatory Aadhaar rules in the Supreme Court and announced that she would rather have her phone disconnected than submit to the new rule requiring every citizen to link their Aadhaar card number to their mobile number.  


"I will not link #Aadhaar with my phone, if they want to disconnect my phone, let them," Banerjee said defiantly, addressing her Trinamool Congress party's core committee meeting.


All phone users have to link their Aadhaar card numbers to their mobile phones to avoid disconnection, a government notice said in March. The Aaadhaar number is also essential for subscribers going for new SIMs.

Tushar Gandhi, great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, moves the Supreme Court opposing the reopening of the assassination case of the Mahatma. Amicus curiae Amrender Sharan seeks four weeks time, saying he is yet to receive documents from the National Archives.

'Chinese engineers are testing techniques that could be used to build a 1,000km tunnel -- the world's longest -- to carry water from Tibet to Xinjiang, experts involved in the project say,' reports Stephen Chen in the South China Morning Post.   

Starting with the visits to New Delhi by Russian presidential envoy Zamir Kabulov and by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani soon thereafter, to the regional tour by the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, recent weeks have thrust the Afghanistan issue to the forecourt of regional politics. The emergent regional alignments hold dark forebodings that the Afghan problem is not going to be solvable in a near-term scenario, says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar on Rediff Blogs, here.