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Thu, 07 September 2017
Need to cut delays in supply of weapons to CRPF: Rajnath

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23:48   Need to cut delays in supply of weapons to CRPF: Rajnath
Home Minister Rajnath Singh today lamented the "delay" in supply of weapons and critical equipment to the CRPF by the defence ministry and said there was a need to develop a framework involving defence PSUs to address the issue.
Singh also called upon all defence public sector undertakings to focus on 100 per cent indigenisation of military equipment and platforms and effectively implement the Make in India initiative in defence production to bring
down import dependence.
Welcoming the appointment of Nirmala Sitharaman as defence minister, Singh exuded confidence that the key ministry will get "new energy and strength" under her as women symbolise "shakti" (strength).
Speaking at an event in DRDO, where equipment built by several DPSUs were handed over to the paramilitary CRPF, the home minister said procurement of weapons and other systems for paramilitary forces is largely handled by the defence ministry and delays in their supplies often affect them.
Sitharaman was also present on the occasion, the first event she attended as the defence minister.
"For the CRPF, I have seen that the procurement of equipment is done by the defence ministry. The CRPF does not get the priority it should. 
"There has been a delay in supply of equipment and weapons to them. There is a need to think over it as due to the delay, they suffer. I think a framework for it has to be developed," Singh said.
The CRPF was handed over various weapons and platforms developed by DPSUs which included armoured buses, bullet-proof jackets, assault rifles, all terrain vehicles, carbines and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
Sitharaman congratulated the Defence Research Development Organisation and other DPSUs involved in developing the critical platforms.

IMAGE: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with Home Minister Rajnath during an exhibition organised by Department of Defence Production of Ministry of Defence at DRDO Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo
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23:06   881 satellite TV channels operating in India: Govt
As many as 881 private satellite TV channels have been allowed to operate in India, with the government granting permission to 10 new channels since last month.
Out of these 881 channels, 387 are for 'news and current affairs' while 494 channels fall under 'non-news and current affairs' category as on September 5, according to data on the official website of the ministry of  information and broadcasting.
The ministry has so far cancelled permission of 216 channels.
Of the 10 channels granted permission since last month, two are news channels, while the rest are non-news channels.
Under news category, the ministry granted permission to 'Malai Murasu Seithikal' a Tamil language channel owned by Chennai Murasu Pvt Ltd and Anaadi TV, a multi-language channel owned by Asnani Builders and Developers Ltd.
Under non-news category, seven channels owned by 'Cinema 24x7 Pvt Ltd' and 'Bangla Talkies' channel of 'Media Worldwide Ltd' got the ministry's nod.

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23:03   Not Mallya, but fmr RBI chief had come back to India to exchange scrapped notes
We don't know whether Vijay Mallya or any black money holder came back to India to deposit demonetise money after the note ban. 

But former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan himself had to come back to India to exchange scrapped currency as he had no clue about the demonetisation date, though the process started during his governorship.
Rajan, who ended his three-year term as RBI Governor on September 4 last year, said he had taken some Indian currency with him to the US.

He added that he was not in favour of demonetisation as according to him the short-term cost of note ban would outweigh the long-term gains.
The former RBI Governor, currently professor of finance at the University of Chicago, was speaking at an event to launch his book 'I Do What I Do'.
Rajan said he was asked about his views on demonetisation by the government in February 2016 and he "gave it orally".

"There was absolutely no date fixed for demonetisation," Rajan said when asked if he too was taken by surprise on November 8, 2016 that Rs 500/1000 notes have been scrapped.
He said he had taken along Indian currency to the US and had to come back to India to "actually change that back" into valid currency notes.
Asked if he would be willing to return to India for another position or was happy teaching in the US, Rajan said he is not special among the diaspora and there were many people who, if called upon, would come back and do what is necessary.
"Many of us have certainly fairly comfortable lives there...coming back to India and doing what I did, gave a tremendous sense of fulfilment...I think it's very selfish thing to come back. Ya, if called upon...and if there is a
place where you can make a big difference, of course," he said. 
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22:49   Gauri would have been alive if she hadn't written against RSS, says BJP MLA
In a shocking statement, Bharatiya Janata Party's Karnataka MLA Jeevaraj said that if only Journalist Gauri Lankesh had not written about the celebration of the "death" of the Sangh Parivar, she would probably have been alive today.

According to an alleged video broadcasted by news channel, India Today, Jeevaraj, while addressing a public meeting of party workers, said several RSS workers have lost their lives in this Congress-ruled state but the Siddaramaiah government did not initiate any action against the culprits.  

"During the Congress government we have seen how RSS workers have lost their lives. Gauri Lankesh had written in her paper about  the slaughter of the RSS. Now if she had refrained from writing articles like that she would have probably been alive today," Jeevaraj can be heard saying in the video.
 
"Gauri is like a sister to me but the way she has written against us (BJP and Sangh), it is unacceptable," he added.

Lankesh, 55, known for her anti-establishment voice with acrid anti-right wing views, was shot dead from a close range by unknown assailants at her residence here on Tuesday.
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21:53   Gauri Lankesh murder: Police urge public to share information
The Bengaluru police today registered a case with regard to the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh and urged the public to share any information that they might have in connection with the incident.
Noting that a Special Investigation Team had been constituted under Inspector General of Police (Intelligence) B K Singh to investigate the killing, the Bengaluru police, in a statement, said a case had been registered at the
Rajarajeshwari Nagar police station under section 302 of the IPC (punishment for murder) and section 25 of the Arms Act.
The police also asked the public to share information regarding the case by dialling 9480800202 and or by sending e-mails to sit.glankesh@ksp.gov.in.
Lankesh, 55, known for her anti-establishment voice with acrid anti-right wing views, was shot dead from a close range by unknown assailants at her residence here on Tuesday.
Lankesh, a writer, publisher and an editor, had returned home in her car. As she was opening the gate of the vehicle, the motorcycle-borne assailants sprayed bullets on her with two hitting her in the chest and one on the forehead, the police had said.
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21:05   India, US to carry out joint military exercise next week
Armies of India and the United States will carry out a two-week long mega military exercise in Washington from September 14 at a time when tensions are rising in the Asia Pacific region.
The aim of the annual exercise "Yudh Abhyas" is to further strengthen 'jointmanship' and facilitate interoperability between the two armies to meet any unforeseen contingency across the globe, the Indian Army said.
It said the exercise, to be held at the Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington, will be one of the largest joint military training and defence corporation endeavours between the two countries.
The exercise assumes significance due to increasing tension in the Asia Pacific region following the nuclear test by North Korea and China's growing assertiveness in the South China sea.
 
"Multiple scenarios will be rehearsed during the exercise with a view to understand each-other's organisational structure and battle procedures... that would further facilitate interoperability between the armed forces of both
countries to meet any unforeseen contingency across the globe," the Army said.
It is the 13th edition of the joint military exercise.
It said both armies will jointly train, plan and execute a series of well-developed operations for "neutralisation of threats of varied nature".
"In the end a joint exercise will be undertaken by both countries in an operational setting under a UN mandate," said the Army.
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20:48   Government allows import of 3 lakh tonne sugar at 25% duty
The government today allowed import of 3 lakh tonnes of raw sugar at concessional duty of 25 per cent to augment domestic supplies ahead of the festive season.
It had hiked import duty on sugar in July to 50 per cent from 40 per cent to curb dumping of the commodity in India as international prices fell.
"To supplement the availability of sugar in southern India and to stabilise sugar price, import of 3 lakh MT of raw sugar through southern ports of India at 25 per cent import duty under Open General License (Tariff Rate Quota) has been allowed through millers/refiners," a statement from the food ministry said.
The imports will be allowed through the ports of Tuticorin, Karaikal, Chennai, Mangalore, Kakinada, Gangavaram and Vishakapatnam in the South, it added.
"The import shall be open to millers/refiners who have their own capacity to convert raw sugar into refined /white," the statement added.
Sugar production in India, the world's second largest producer, is estimated to decline to around 21 million tonnes in 2016-17 season ending September from 25 MT in the previous year. The annual demand is 24-25 MT.
National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories MD Prakash Naiknavre told PTI that the decision is "in right direction because southern states specially Tamil Nadu is reeling under third consecutive year of drought and not having adequate sugarcane for the next crushing season. As a result this crushing capacity with mills would have remained unutilised".
The raw sugar arriving at end October will be handy to attain adequate utilisation of crushing capacity, he added.
Asked about the impact on sugar prices, Naiknavre said: "This will not have an impact on prices on all-India basis because quantity is limited and arriving at restricted ports in southern states."
The government had in April allowed duty free import of 5 lakh tonnes of raw sugar to boost domestic supply.
Last month, the government had imposed stock limit on sugar mills for the next two months to keep prices in check during the festive season.
By the end of September, a mill cannot keep more than 21 per cent of its total sugar availability for the entire 2016-17 marketing year and a factory cannot hold more than 8 per cent at the end of October, according to the government notification issued last month.
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20:39   Number of terror camps across LoC has gone up: Army
The number of terror camps and launch pads across the Line of Control in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have gone up and around 475 terrorists are waiting to sneak into the Indian side, northern Army commander Lt Gen Devraj Anbu said today.
Internally, he said the National Investigation Agency raids on separatists and the killing of top terrorist leaders by security forces have helped in improving security situation in Kashmir.

He said 144 terrorists have been killed in the state so far this year and the situation is "well under control".
Gen Anbu said there have been a large number of infiltration attempts along the LoC in J&K this year but "very less" have been successful.
"We cannot tell you the exact number of the terrorists. But the terrorists, who are waiting to cross over to this side (via the LoC from PoK) are nearly 250 in north Kashmir and around 225 in south of Pir Panjal (Jammu region)," said the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Northern Command.
He was responding to questions from journalists after presenting gallantry and distinguished services medals to 103 army officers and jawans and certificates of appreciation to 31 units apart from 31 civilians at an investiture ceremony at the Northern Command headquarters in Udhampur.
Gen Anbu said the security situation along the LoC and in the hinterland in well under control.
"We are firmly in control of the situation along the LoC... (the number of) launching pads and terrorist camps along LoC has increased as compared to the previous years," he said.
"While infiltration attempts have increased, the success to infiltrate has been much less than previous years despite large number of infiltration attempts. That is because of our robust counter-infiltration grid that we have on LoC," he said.
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20:20   21,000 people disclose Rs 4,900 cr black money under PMGKY
Black money worth Rs 4,900 crore was disclosed by 21,000 people under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna, the stash money declaration window announced by the government post demonetisation, an official
said today.
The Income Tax Department, a top government official told PTI, has collected a tax of Rs 2,451 crore till now from these declarations.
"21,000 people disclosed Rs 4,900 crore of black money under the PMGKY scheme that closed on March 31 this year. These are now the final figures," the official said, adding that the I-T department is now following up the legal processes with the declarants in few cases.
The scheme was launched in December last year by the government to enable people with black money to come clean by paying tax and penalty of 50 per cent. It closed on March 31 this year.
The scheme was announced after Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared the demonetisation of two high-value currency notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 on November 8 last year.

Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia, after the closure of the PMGKY window, had said that the response to the scheme has "not been so good."
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said that the PMGKY was preceded by similar schemes and hence the response to it by the public should not be seen in isolation.
"Keep in mind that the PMGKY in that financial year was not an isolated scheme. You first had the IDS, then you had people depositing cash in banking system knowing it would incur a tax liability and the PMGKY was over and above that.

"When you look at the total amount of disclosures made, you have to look at all three of them collectively," the minister had said.
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19:46   Ivanka Trump to speak at entrepreneurship summit in Hyderabad
US President Donald Trump's daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump is expected to speak in a session at the 3-day Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderaba in November, said Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary of IT and Industries.
"She is coming here on November 28. She will attend the inaugural session on November 28. She will also be participating in a session on November 29 in the morning and then she will leave," Ranjan told reporters today.
The theme of the summit will be 'Women First, Prosperity for All', highlighting the critical role women play in fostering global growth and prosperity. Ivanka, Advisor to the President, would lead the US delegation, a US Embassy notification had earlier said.
"Honoured to lead the US delegation to GES2017 in India and meet with Prime Minister Modi and passionate entrepreneurs from around the globe!" Ivanka had earlier tweeted.
A senior state official said the Telangana government is in touch with the US Embassy and will reveal details about the programme in due course. 
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19:05   India can't afford to become intolerant society: Raghuram Rajan
Amid nationwide outrage over the murder of an outspoken journalist, former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan today said India cannot afford to become an intolerant society as tolerance is "extremely important" for its economic growth.
Rajan, who exited Reserve Bank of India a year ago, had courted controversy in 2015 lecture where he talked about growing intolerance in the country, deviating from his usual focus on monetary policy issues.
In an interview to PTI, he justified his comments saying public figures have a responsibility to "sometimes speak up on what is good for the country. I just think it had to be said".
That lecture was followed by the incident of beating to death of a Muslim man suspected of having eaten beef with various critics warning that protection of individual rights was giving way to a strident majoritarianism.
The murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh is unfortunate, Rajan said.
Lankesh, an outspoken critic of Hindutva politics, was shot dead in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
"Lady journalist killing has become an issue because people are concluding that it was because of what she was writing. I think it's early days to conclude anything. I think we should let the investigation happen and until we have more information it would be premature to jump to any kind of conclusion," he said.
He further said that the recent Supreme Court ruling privacy as Fundamental Right has expanded the realm of tolerance for certain kinds of behaviour.
Rajan went on to justify his October 31, 2015 lecture to students of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi saying it was "actually about tolerance". 
"It was about India's tradition of tolerance, the strength of India... It was emphasising India's strength as opposed to saying this is a problem and I feel very proud of that speech which was given to young people," he said.
Tolerance, Rajan said, was "extremely important for our economic growth, especially given the kind of service/innovative economy we were likely to want to be, that it was to my mind a strength we had and that we should be very careful not to lose it."
Rajan, the only central bank governor in two decades who did not get a second term, said India does not move linearly and there are reasons for certain amounts of hope in the Supreme Court judgement on privacy which expanded the realm of tolerance for certain kinds of behaviour.
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19:00   Fire at Army's ammunition depot in Bathinda
A fire broke out at the Army's ammunition depot in Bathinda early today, officials said adding that there was no report of any casualty.
"Fire broke out at the Army's ammunition depot here at 5:10 am. It was contained by 6:30 am," Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Diprava Lakra said.
There was no loss of life in the incident, he said adding that the assessment of the damage will be done by the Army.
A short circuit was stated to be the reason behind the fire, Lakra said.
Bathinda Senior Superintendent of Police Naveen Singla said that as a precautionary measure, the movement of trains was stopped for some time. Train movement was restored later, he said.
Local residents saw smoke billowing out of the cantonment area in the morning when the fire broke out.

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18:39   It's a hat-trick: Train derails in Khandala
Two wagons of a goods train derailed near the hill station of Khandala, the third train accident reported in the country today, a Central Railway spokesperson told PTI.

Two wagons of the train derailed at around 3:55 pm, even as the railways was dealing with two derailments which happened earlier in the day.

"Two wagons of the goods trains derailed in Khandala this afternoon. We are in the process of clearing the tracks," said Sunil Udasi, Chief Public Relations Officer, Central Railway. This is the third case of derailment today.

Seven coaches of Jabalpur-bound Shaktipunj Express jumped the rails near the Obra Dam station in Sonbhadra district in Uttar Pradesh at around 6:25 am, while the engine and power car of the Ranchi-Delhi Rajdhani Express derailed near Minto Bridge in Delhi at around 11:45 am. One person was injured in the second accident.
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18:36   When Venkaiah Naidu travels so does the governor
As Vice President, M Venkaiah Naidu has to travel often, zigzagging across India. In fact, Naidu has been notching up travel miles from the time he was BJP president to the last portfolio he held as urban development minister. Naidu does not stay overnight anywhere. He hops from one airport to another at least three times a day by the special aircraft he is now entitled to use.

Naidu has a habit of touching down in many cities in Andhra Pradesh when he goes to south India, which has put most of the governors there in a tight spot.

For example, Naidu recently visited Mumbai and Chennai. Protocol demands that the governor should receive the vice president on the tarmac at the airport. So Vidyasagar Rao had a unique problem since he is governor of both Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. The problem was solved with Rao travelling with Naidu from Mumbai to Chennai. At Chennai, he got off the plane first and received Naidu on the tarmac. Another governor who has to receive Naidu almost every week is ESL Narasimhan, the Governor of Andhra Pradesh. Naidu visits Vijayawada, Vizag, Guntur regularly to attend social engagements.
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18:26  
Bengaluru: Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by IGP BK Singh, formed to probe the Gauri Lankesh murder case.
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18:26   1 dead in grenade attack in Srinagar
J&K: Grenade attack by terrorists at Jehangir Chowk in Srinagar. One civilian has succumbed to his injuries in the Jehangir Chowk grenade attack in Srinagar. The SSP Srinagar said that a miscreant tried to throw a grenade on the deployment but reportedly it exploded close to him and he (miscreant) was injured. 
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18:18   Bike-borne attackers shoot journalist in Bihar
Journalist Pankaj Mishra from Bihar's Arwal shot at by two bike-borne assailants. The victim is said to be in a critical state. One accused who shot the journalist has been arrested. Dilip Kumar, SP Arwal, says it is a case of personal enmity.

In the wake of the murder of Gauri Lankesh, the Narendra Modi government has been heavily criticised for its intolerance to what is perceived to be dissent.

As of May, as many as 54 attacks on journalists were reported in 16 months, mainly by "lawmakers and law enforcers", a report compiled by media watchdog Hoot said. The report said the actual figure could be much higher.

Unidentified assailants gunned down the journalist-activist Lankesh outside her Rajarajeshwari Nagar house in Bengaluru. A SIT has begun a probe into the murder.
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17:34   Kamal Haasan condemns Gauri Lankesh's death
South superstar Kamal Haasan today condemned the killing of senior journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, saying violence is the "worst way to win a debate".


The 62-year-old actor, who has been vocal about his views on the current political and social scenario, took to Twitter to express his condolences.


"Silencing a voice with a gun is the worst way to win a debate. Condolence to all those who are grieving Gauri Lankesh's demise," Haasan tweeted.


The Kannada journalist-activist, known for her left- leaning outlook and forthright views on Hindutva politics, was shot dead by unidentified assailants at her residence on Tuesday night.
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17:24   Pak violates ceasefire along LoC in Poonch, 2 porters injured
Pakistani troops today violated the ceasefire by firing from small arms and automatic weapons along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, injuring two porters working with the Indian Army, officials said.


"Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms and automatic weapons from 1145 hours in Poonch sector along the Line of Control (LoC)," a senior army officer said.


Two people were injured in the firing and have been evacuated to the nearest hospital, the officer said, adding that their condition was stable. Indian Army personnel guarding the border retaliated strongly and effectively. "The firing stopped at 1155 hours," he said.


On September 4, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire twice by firing at forward posts along the LoC in Degwar and Maldalyan areas in Poonch and along the International Border (IB) in Arnia sector of Jammu, Indian security forces to retaliate. -- PTI

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17:06   Indrani's lawyer has 'headache', hearing to proceed tomorrow
Today, the atmosphere outside the road leading to the newer building of the Mumbai sessions court was different. Extra  barricades were set up and the area was bristling with OB news vans.   

The judgment in the 1983 Mumbai blasts case had been announced and Sudeep Pasbola's client, Abu Salem, had been sentenced to life imprisonment.   

Pasbola was due at the CBI court to continue his examination of Shyamvar Pinturam Rai, the second witness and Accused No 3 turned approver in the Sheena Bora murder case.   

Pasbola was late.   

Inside, on the third floor, in courtroom no 51, Judge Jagdale, his staff, the public prosecutors, Khanna's lawyer Shreyansh Mithare and a few assistant lawyers waited. When Pasbola walked in, over 15 minutes late, he requested a new date. He said he had a "severe headache".   

He sat pressing the bridge of his nose and waited.   

Jagdale accepted his request and the case will now proceed tomorrow.   Pasbola spent a few minutes with his client Indrani Mukherjea, who was dressed in a mehndi green Lucknowi, outside the courtroom.   

Khanna chatted with his brother, who had brought him a parcel from Theobroma, and his lawyer while Peter ate some pomegranate his sister had bought him.   

Twenty minutes later, a woman police officer, began chivvying the three prisoners on their way.

File photograph of Indrani Mukherjea.

-- Savera Someshwar
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16:53   As Nirmala Sitharaman takes charge, Sushma is being watched
Nirmala Sitharaman took charge as the Defence Minister of India today amid chanting from the Vedas and a puja by Tamil priests. Holding a little idol of Ganesha, Sitharaman took charge as defence minister as the priest chanted shlokas. Finance minister Arun Jaitley was there to witness her elevation as defence minister.

Her induction has already raised eyebrows and whispers can be heard about the perceived tension between Sitharaman and another woman minister.

In 2013, when Nitin Gadkari was the BJP President, Arun Jaitley had suggested that Nirmala Sitharaman be given a Rajya Sabha seat, but the suggestion was vehemently opposed by Sushma Swaraj, another parliamentary board member of the party.  

Four years later, things have changed and with Narendra Modi in the driver's seat, Sitharaman as became defence minister.   Now, Sushma Swaraj has to sit with Nirmala Sitharaman as members of the CCS -- Cabinet Committee on Security -- which is the highest policy making body of the Union Cabinet on national security matters.   The other members of the CCS are Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Sitharaman's elevation is an indication that for the PM, performance pays rich dividends, say BJP senior leaders.
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16:51   NIA raids: Yasin, Mirwaiz detained ahead of protest in Delhi
Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front chief Yasin Malik was on Thursday arrested while Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was put under house arrest, a day ahead of the planned sit-in by the separatists outside the National Investigation Agency headquarter in Delhi.

Malik was taken into custody from Srinagar and shifted to Central Jail till September 11, officials said.

They said the Mirwaiz was placed under house arrest to prevent the separatist leaders from going to Delhi tomorrow.

Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani is under house arrest for the past several years now.

Malik, Geelani and Mirwaiz yesterday announced that they will hold a dharna outside the NIA office in Delhi and court arrest against the alleged harassment by the NIA.

The NIA has recently been conducting raids and arresting people associated with the separatist leaders in connection with alleged money laundering and some other cases.

On Thursday, the NIA carried out searches at 10 places in Jammu and Kashmir and the national capital region in connection with its probe into the funding of terror and subversive activities in the Kashmir Valley and seized three arms from a close aide of separatist Shabir Shah.

Continuing with its raids in various parts of the Valley, Jammu, Delhi and Gurgaon, the NIA conducted searches at 10 locations, which included the ancestral residence of G N Sumji, a leader of the pro-Pakistan faction of the Hurriyat Conference, officials said.

This is for the first time the National Investigation Agency has made inroads into South Kashmir, which is considered as a hub of terrorist activities.

The NIA also raided the residence of prominent separatist Shia leader Aga Syed Hussain Badgami, who is also part of Syed Ali Shah Geelani-headed faction of the Hurriyat Conference.

One of the places where raids were conducted belonged to Abdul Razak, a close aide of separatist Shabir Shah.

NIA sleuths seized three arms -- a pistol, a double-barrel gun and a .315 bore rifle from there, officials said.

Razak has claimed the arms were licensed but has not been able to provide any documents so far. Among those raided were the chartered accountants of businessman Zahoor Watali in Delhi and Gurgaon.  -- PTI
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15:32   PM caps Myanmar trip with visit to Bahadur Shah's grave, puja at temple
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today wrapped up his Myanmar trip with visits to the 'mazar' of last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar and the 2,500-year-old Shwedagon pagoda, besides performing puja at the Kalibari Temple in Yangon.

Modi, on the last day of his three-day first bilateral visit to this Buddhist-majority country, visited the pagoda, considered to be the pinnacle of Myanmar's cultural heritage.

He also planted a Bodhi tree sapling at the pagoda complex, signifying common cultural heritage.

"Delighted to visit Myanmar's cultural landmark, the Shwedagon Pagoda," prime minister Modi tweeted.

The 2,500-year-old Shwedagon Pagoda enshrines strands of Buddha's hair and other holy relics.

Located west of the Royal Lake in Yangon, Shwedagon Pagoda is considered to be the most sacred and impressive Buddhist site for the Myanmarese people.

The Shwedagon Pagoda is covered with hundreds of gold plates and the top of the stupa is encrusted with 4,531 diamonds, the largest of which is a 72 carat diamond.

Modi also visited the Bogyoke Aung San Museum where he was accompanied by Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.

"I thank Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for the special gesture of showing me around the Bogyoke Aung San Museum. Paid tributes to General Aung San," Modi said.


He also visited the grave of Bahadur Shah Zafar and paid floral tributes. The prime minister also tweeted a picture of himself at the Mughal ruler's grave. Bahadur Shah Zafar, who was also a prolific Urdu poet and calligrapher, died at the age of 87 in then Rangoon, where he was exiled to by the British after the revolt of 1857.

Modi also paid his respects at the Martyrs' Mausoleum and performed 'puja' at the Kalibari Temple. "Performed Puja at Yangon's Kalibari Temple. Feeling extremely blessed," Modi tweeted along with a picture of himself at the temple.

Yesterday, Modi had visited the famous early 12th-century Ananda Temple in Myanmar's ancient city of Bagan. The temple is being renovated with India's assistance after it was damaged in a tremor last year.


Image: PM Modi at the Kali temple in Yangon.
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15:25  
Framing of charges to begin on September 28. Former Editor-In-Chief of Tehelka magazine Tarun Tejpal will have to be present at the Goa court. 
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14:45   Court to pronounce order on framing charges against Tarun Tejpal
The hearing of a rape case against the former Tehelka magazine editor, Tarun Tejpal, is set to be resumed today at additional district sessions court at Mapusa in Goa. The additional sessions court will pronounce an order on framing charges against Tejpal. The hearing is set to begin around 2.30 p.m.


Earlier in June, the Goa's Mapusa Court restricted the media from reporting any proceedings of the rape case accused.


The court passed the order under 327 (3) barring the media from covering the proceedings until completion of the trial.


Tejpal was slated to appear today before the fast track court here in lieu of the sexual harassment charges slapped against him.


On January 17, 2015, the Supreme Court had stayed the trial against Tejpal in connection with his alleged role in a sexual assault case for a period of three weeks.In November 2013, Tejpal was accused of sexually assaulting a female colleague in the elevator of a five-star hotel, at an event in Goa.


Subsequently, an FIR was filed against him and he was asked to step down from his post.
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14:27   Don't politicise Gauri's death, we only want culprits caught: Lankesh family
A day after Gauri Lankesh, 55, known for her left-leaning outlook and forthright views on Hindutva politics, was laid to rest, her siblings, Indrajit and Kavita hold a press conference on the probe into her murder.

Lankesh was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bangalore on Tuesday. She was the publisher and editor of Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a Kannada-language weekly.

Witnesses reported that she was fatally shot outside her home. Police said that the gunmen on motorbikes fired seven bullets at Lankesh as she was walking into her home from the front gate after returning from work. The gunmen escaped.

Indrajit Lankesh, her brother, said that Gauri was the best friend anyone could have. "I have lost my sister and a friend, I want the culprits caught."

The Karnataka Government has formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the murder. The SIT reached her Raja Rajeshwari Nagar residence today.

When asked about the SIT probe, the siblings said, "Let SIT first do it's job. We will wait. Then we will think of a CBI probe." Indrajit had said yesterday that the family wanted a CBI probe into the case. Today he added that the family would give all the cooperation the SIT needed. The BJP had also asked for a CBI probe into the case.

However, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said that he had nothing against the CBI and if family insisted then he would think of handing over the case to the CBI. But he would not do it under BJP pressure. Indrajit said he had appreciated the CM's gesture of being open about a CBI probe, but at the end of it, just wanted justice.


The Lankesh siblings asked that the incident not be given a political or ideological colour. They said Gauri had no personal enmities, only ideological adversaries.

"For 14 yrs she ran the publication without any advertising, from her savings. She continued our father's legacy, I am proud of her," Indrajit said.


They said Gauri had strong ideological views, be it about Naxals or the right wing. We are all together to ensure justice for my sister: What she did with the Naxals was admirable, she was trying to bring them to mainstream, but was not a Naxal sympathiser.

T Sunil Kumar, Bengaluru police commissioner has promised the police would do everything to solve the case.
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13:55   My friend and first love, Gauri Lankesh was the epitome of amazing grace
"If Gauri Lankesh read all the tributes and accolades for her, particularly those that refer to soul and afterlife and heaven, she'd have had a good laugh. Well, maybe not a laugh, but at least a chuckle. We had decided in our teens that heaven and hell and afterlife were a lot of b.s. There was enough heaven and hell on earth, and we should just leave god alone -- he has enough on his hands -- instead of begging him for things like many people do."


Chidanand Rajghatta pays tribute to his ex-wife, Gauri Lankesh. Do read
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13:42   Weapons Salem got was used to terrorise innocent Indians: Court
Update on the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts sentencing hearing: Extradited gangster Abu Salem was today sentenced to life imprisonment by a Mumbai court in the 1993 serial blasts case. Besides Salem, the court also sentenced Karimullah Khan to life imprisonment in connection with the case.


A special TADA court had in June convicted six persons, including mastermind Mustafa Dossa and Salem, in the blasts case, 24 years after the attacks left 257 people dead in the country's financial capital. It, however, let off accused Abdul Quayyum, for want of evidence.


This was the second leg of the trial. All the seven accused were facing multiple charges which included criminal conspiracy, waging war against the Government of India and murder. The court had earlier held that prosecution proved Salem was one of the main conspirators and he delivered three AK-56 rifles and ammunition and hand grenades to actor Sanjay Dutt (convicted in earlier phase of trial under the Arms Act).


Salem, who was close to (Dawood's brother) Anees Ibrahim and Dossa, took upon of himself to bring a part of arms and ammunition from Dighi to Mumbai, the court earlier said. This was "vital towards achievement of the conspiracy so that the weapons could be used to terrorise and torment innocent citizens of India," the court had said.


The trial of Salem, Mustafa Dossa, Karimullah Khan, Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan, Riyaz Siddiqui, Tahir Merchant and Abdul Quayyum was separated from the main case as they were arrested subsequently. Dossa died of cardiac arrest at J J Hospital in Mumbai, shortly after being convicted, on June 28.
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13:06   1993 Mumbai blasts: 2 convicts get death penalty
1993 Mumbai blasts sentencing: Abu Salem is convicted and sentenced to a life term for transporting arms and ammunition to Mumbai from Bharuch in Gujarat. The Tada Court also awards the death penalty to Tahir Merchant. Riyaz Siddique sentenced to 10 years in jail.

To encapsulate the pronouncement of the sentence:

Abu Salem: Life term and a fine of Rs 2 lakh
Karimullah Khan: Life term and a fine of Rs 2 lakh
Riyaz Siddique: 10 years in jail
Tahir Merchant: Death penalty
Firoz Khan: Death penalty




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12:55   1993 Mumbai blasts: Abu Salem gets life term
1993 Mumbai blasts case: The TADA court sentences convict Abu Salem and Karimullah Khan to life imprisonment.

Apart from Salem and Khan, three other convicts- Feroz Abdul Rashid Khan, Taher Merchant and Riyaz Siddiqui will hear the quantum of sentence today.

CBI had sought the death penalty for Feroz, Merchant and Karimullah, and life imprisonment for Salem and Siddiqui.

The mastermind of the 1993 serial blasts which had killed 257 and injured 713 people, Mustafa Dossa had been convicted by the Court on June 16 this year.


The case against Mustafa Dossa was closed because he died on June 28 while the sentencing arguments were going on in court.

257 people were killed and over 700 injured as a series of blasts ripped through the financial capital of India on March 12, 1993. The attacks were planned by Dawood Ibrahim, Indias most wanted fugitive who also has his name prominently figuring on the most wanted lists of the US and the Interpol.
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12:49   Engine of Rajdhani Express derails
Just in: The engine and power car of a Delhi-bound Ranchi Rajdhani Express derails at 11.45 am today near Delhi. No injuries.That's the second derailment today.


Seven coaches of Jabalpur-bound Shaktipunj Express derailed near the Obra Dam station in the Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh this morning, officials said. The train coming from Howrah went off the track around 6:25 am nearly 40 km from Sonbhadra but there was no report of any injury, Railway ministry spokesperson Anil Saxena said in New Delhi. Official sources said the train was running at a speed of about 40 km/hr which prevented any injuries being caused to the passengers.
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12:39   Is the halo missing?
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar State Counsellor shows PM Narendra Modi around the Bogoyoke Aung San museum, dedicated to her father. 
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12:21   Unreasonable to expect us to solve Rohingya issue in 18 months: Suu Kyi
A day after Nobel laureate and Myanmar's state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi made her first public comments on the fate of the persecuted Rohingyas, she spoke to news agency ANI saying it is the biggest challenge the country has to face.  


"It is a little unreasonable to expect us to solve the issue in 18 months. As the situation in Rakhine has been such since many decades and it goes back to pre-colonial times. We have to decide how to differentiate between terrorists and innocents.


"You in India would be well-versed with this. Our duty is to take care of our citizens and we will try our best. Our resources are not as complete and adequate as we would like them to be," she said.


She said the Rohingya issue was the biggest challenge Myanmar has had to face.


Suu Kyi has come under fire for failing to speak out against the mass killings and displacement of thousands of Rohingyas by her government, particularly given her image as a champion of human rights.
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11:52   CBI summons Lalu, Tejshwi in graft case that led to fallout with JD-U
The Central Bureau of Investigation has summoned Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Yadav and his son Tejashwi Yadav in the alleged IRCTC hotels scam case.

Lalu has been asked to appear on September 11 for questioning by the CBI, while Tejashwi has been summoned on September 12.

The case relates to alleged manipulation in awarding contracts for the maintenance of two hotels run by a subsidiary of the Indian Railways -- IRCTC -- when the RJD chief was railway minister in the United Progressive Alliance government.

Apart from Tejashwi and Lalu, former Bihar CM Rabri Devi has also been named as an accused by the CBI in the case.

The case also involves allegations of transfer of three acres of prime land in Patna to the Lalu family by two businessmen allegedly in return for the licences to run the IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri.

In July, the CBI conducted raids across four cities in connection with the case.

The controversy triggered by the raids and allegations led to the fall of Grand Alliance government in Bihar when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United snapped ties with the RJD and the Congress.

Kumar formed a new government by joining hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party, a decision which has divided the JD-U with founder leader Sharad Yadav being upset with Kumar over the move. -- PTI, Agencies
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11:27   Ajay Devgn's 'Baadshaho' to release in Pakistan tomorrow
Bollywood movie Baadshaho is set to release in Pakistan tomorrow, after it was delayed to avoid competition with domestic movies that hit the screens during Eid holidays.   

The Ajay Devgn-Ileana D'Cruz starrer was due to be released there on September 1.   

Film industry sources said the Pakistani filmmakers pressured the distributors and exhibitors not to release any big-budget Indian movie during Eid, when most of the big Pakistani films were set for their release.   

"To ensure that there was no competition for two big Pakistani films, Punjab Nahi Jaungi and Na Maloom Afraad 2, no screen was allocated for Baadshaho," an insider said.     

He said "Punjab... was released in 1,200 screens while Na Maloom... opened in 1,500 screens on Eid.   

"With these two films capturing all the screens, there was obviously no sense in releasing Baadshaho," a well-known film distributor said.
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11:09   PM visits tomb of Bahadur Shah Zafar in Yangon
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute at the tomb of the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar in Yangon earlier today.

He also Martyrs' Mausoleum in Yangon and paid his respects.

He has now left for New Delhi, winding up the visit. -- ANI

IMAGE: PM Modi at the tomb of Bahadur Shah Zafar in Yangon. Photograph: @MEAIndia/Twitter
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10:53   Brother says Gauri Lankesh was getting threats from Naxals
Indrajit Lankesh, brother of journalist Gauri Lankesh who was shot dead outside her house in Bengaluru on Tuesday, has said that she was getting threat letters from Naxalites.

Indrajit told several TV news channels that Gauri was successful in brining some Naxalites to mainstream and that's why she was getting threats from the left wing extremists.

However, Indrajit said that Gauri never informed the family about any specific threats.

He also said that the investigation is underway and he cannot come to a conclusion at this point. -- Agencies
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10:50   Sitharaman takes charge as defence minister
Nirmala Sitharaman takes charge as Defence Minister of India.

Arun Jaitley also present at the event.

Photograph: ANI
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10:36   NIA raids Hurriyat leader's house
The National Investigation Agency raids residence of Hurriyat's Aga Hassan in Budgam Districtof Jammu and Kashmir.

More details awaited.

Photograph: ANI
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10:22   Day 2 in Myanmar: PM visits Shwedagon Pagoda
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday arrived at the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, one of the most revered sites in Myanmar, on the second day of his two-day visit to the country.

The prime minister signed the guest book at the Shwedagon Pagoda. With a gold-plated, 99-meter tall (325 feet) spire encrusted with diamonds and rubies, the pagoda towers over Yangon and is the spiritual center of the Burmese Buddhism.

The PM will next visit the Kalibari Temple, where the security has been beefed up.

Yangon served as the capital of Myanmar until 2006, when the military government relocated the capital to the purpose-built city of Nay Pyi Daw in central Myanmar.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi visited the famous Ananda Temple in Myanmar's ancient city, Bagan, which was damaged in a tremor in 2016 and is being renovated with India's assistance.

The Archaeological Survey of India has carried out structural conservation and chemical preservation work of this temple.

The restoration work is being carried out after the damage due to an earthquake last year.

The temple, one of the surviving masterpieces of the Mon architecture, is believed to have been built around 1105 by King Kyanzittha, one of the greatest Burmese monarchs.  -- ANI

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Shwedagon Pagoda, one of the most revered sites in Myanmar, in Yangon on Thursday. Photograph: @MEAIndia/Twitter
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09:52   In India, Another Government Critic Is Silenced by Bullets
The New York Times writes on Gauri Lankesh's murder:

Gauri Lankesh, one of India's most outspoken journalists, was walking into her house on Tuesday night. It was around 8. The night was warm. She was alone.

As she stepped through her gate, just feet from her front door, several gunshots rang out.

She was killed instantly in what political opposition officials say appears to be yet another assassination of an intellectual who publicly criticised India's governing party and the Hindu agenda it has pursued.

In recent years, at least three other anti-establishment activists have been silenced by bullets.

Read full report
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09:12  
Indian railways PRO gives more information on Shaktikunj Express derailment:

The incident happened at 6:25 am near Obra in Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh.

All passengers are safe and no injuries have been reported.

Railway minister Piyush Goyal has been briefed. -- ANI
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08:56   Shaktikunj derailment update: Stranded passengers shifted
There are no reports of injuries in the  Howrah-Jabalpur-Shaktikunj Express derailment so far.

All stranded passengers shifted to non-derailed coaches of the train.

More details awaited. -- ANI

Photograph: ANI
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08:32   7 coaches of Shaktikunj Express derail in UP
JUST IN: Seven coaches of the Howrah-Jabalpur Shaktikunj Express derail near Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh, says railway spokesperson.

No reports of casualties so far.

More details awaited.

Image only for representation.
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08:17   15 states, DC sue Trump administration to save 'dreamers'
Fifteen states and the District of Columbia sued the United States government to block President Donald Trump's plan to end protection against deportation for young immigrants.

The lawsuit filed in federal court in Brooklyn sought the President's action involving the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme, or DACA, struck down as unconstitutional.

It called the move 'a culmination of President Trump's oft-stated commitments ... to punish and disparage people with Mexican roots'.

The attorneys general who brought the lawsuit all Democrats represent states where the population of DACA participants known as 'dreamers' ranges from hundreds to tens of thousands. They were brought to the US illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas.

The lawsuit filed says rescinding DACA will injure state-run colleges and universities, upset workplaces and damage companies and economies that include immigrants covered under the programme.

The lawsuit noted that Harvard University has over 50 DACA students while Tufts University has more than 25. Both schools are in Massachusetts.

'The consequence of the president's animus-driven decision is that approximately 800,000 persons who have availed themselves of the programme will ultimately lose its protections' and be exposed to deportation, the lawsuit says.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Tuesday the programme will end in six months so Congress can have time to find a legislative solution for people in the programme.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit are New York, Massachusetts, Washington, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.

California, one of the most solid Democratic states, was noticeably absent.

However, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra plans to file a separate lawsuit because a quarter of DACA recipients are California residents, his spokeswoman Bethany Lesser said.

Under Trump's plan, people already enrolled in DACA remain covered until their permits expire.

If that happens before March 5, they are eligible to renew them for another two years as long as they apply by Oct. 5. But the programme isn't accepting new applications. -- Agencies

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