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Thu, 21 September 2017
Pak continues to target border villages, 6 injured

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23:24   Pak continues to target border villages, 6 injured
After a two-day lull in cross-border firing and shelling, Pakistani troops targeted Indian border outposts and villages along the International Border in Jammu and Samba districts on Thursday, injuring six civilians, a senior Border Security Force officer said.
The officer said Pakistan targeted more than 15 BoPs. Indian troops retaliated effectively. The exchange of fire is going on intermittently, he said.
Earlier, Pakistani troops shelled Jerdha hamlet in the Ramgarh sector of Samba district, the officer said.
A policeman said Pakistan Rangers shelled more than 20 border hamlets in the Arnia Sector, injuring six people.
Arnia Khurd, Pindi, Kathar, Jabowal, Kol Khurd in the Arnia sector bore the brunt of the shelling.
Several houses were damaged and over a dozen cattle were killed in the firing, the police officer said.
There had been continuous firing and shelling by Pakistani troops along the IB and the Line of Control between September 13 and September 18.
A BSF jawan and a civilian were killed and 12 others injured in the shelling and firing by Pakistani troops in Jammu and Poonch districts during the period.
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22:55   Dawood is still in Pakistan, brother tells cops
Fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim is still in Pakistan, his brother Iqbal Kaskar has told the interrogators from the Intelligence Bureau and the Thane police's crime branch, officials said on Thursday.
Thane police arrested Kaskar two days ago in Mumbai in a case of extortion.
"Along with crime branch officials, Iqbal is also being questioned by the IB officials for the last two days and he has provided some vital information related to Dawood and his whereabouts," said a senior official of Thane police.
Kaskar, according to the official, confirmed that his brother, wanted in several cases including the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, is in Pakistan.
Dawood is of late wary of calling his relatives or his men in India on phone for fear of tapping, he said. 
Kaskar also told the interrogators that he has spoken with his other brother, Anees Ibrahim, who lives with Dawood, only four or five times in the recent past.
The information given by Kaskar will help in the investigation of several cases registered against the members of Dawood gang in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane, the official said.
According to the police, Dawood's drug business has spread to Africa and even South America, while Kaskar looks after his 'real estate business' in Mumbai area. 
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22:47   PV Sindhu zooms to second spot in BWF rankings
Star India shuttler P V Sindhu today jumped two places to second spot in the Badminton World Federation women's singles rankings, riding on her Korea Open Super Series title on Sunday. 

This is the second time in her career that Sindhu, the Olympics silver medallist, occupied the second spot. 

She was at the same second rank on April 6 this year. 

Chinese Taipei's Tai Tzu Ying retained her top spot. London Olympics bronze winner Saina Nehwal was static at the 12th spot. 

The reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin of Spain also remained at fifth while world champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan moved up one place to eighth. 

In the men's singles rankings, K Srikanth remained unchanged at eighth while B Sai Praneeth and H S Prannoy dropped one place each to be at 17th and 19th respectively. Ajay Jayaram also lost three places to be at 20th spot.
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22:13   Will put more sanctions on North Korea: Trump
United States President Donald Trump today said that he was putting more sanctions on North Korea, the country which has been carrying ballistic missile and nuclear tests in violation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions.
His statement comes two days after he warned North Korea of "total destruction" if its leader Kim Jong-Un, whom he mockingly described as a "Rocket Man", continued with his provocative behaviour.
"We will be putting more sanctions on North Korea," Trump told reporters in response to a question during his bilateral meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
North Korea fired a missile over Japan earlier this month and tested a hydrogen bomb, prompting Trump to insist that "all options were on the table" in an implied threat of pre-emptive military action.
In his maiden address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump said that no nation on Earth has an interest in seeing "this band of criminals" arm itself with nuclear weapons and missiles.
The UN Security Council recently held two unanimous 15- to-0 votes adopting hard-hitting resolutions against North Korea, he said. 

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22:03   Make public evidences of links of Rohingya with IS: Congress to Centre
The Congress today said that the Centre should make public "whatever evidences" it has about any links of some of the Rohingyas with the Islamic State and take action as per Indian law against those found having any such
connection. 
The party, however, said that "false allegations" should not be levelled against any person.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala made the statement after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said Rohingyas are illegal immigrants and not refugees who have applied for asylum in India. Singh also asked why some people were objecting to the deportation of Rohingyas when Myanmar was ready to accept them.
The government, three days ago, told the Supreme Court that some of the Rohingyas were part of a "sinister" design of Pakistan's ISI and terror groups such as the IS, whose presence in the country will pose a "serious" security threat to India.
"Whatever evidences the government has on any community's or a person's link to IS, they should be made public. If any individual has links to IS, action should be taken against him or her as per our laws. Deportation is not enough," Surjewala told reporters in New Delhi.
He said the government should do what is right when it comes to national security. Noting the issue is pending before the Supreme Court, Surjewala exuded confidence that the apex court will take a "right decision" in this
connection.  
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21:28   BJP to field Salariya from Vinod Khanna's Gurdaspur seat
The BJP today announced that businessman Swarn Singh Salariya will be its candidate for the by-poll to the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat that fell vacant following actor-turned-politician Vinod Khanna's demise.
Polling for the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat in Punjab will take place on October 11. The seat fell vacant after Khanna, a four-time BJP MP, passed away in April this year.

Salariya's name was decided by the party's central election committee, according to an official statement.
After deliberating over the candidate's name for many days, the party chose Salariya over Kavita Khanna, the wife of the late movie actor, according to party sources.
The Aam Aadmi Party has already named Major General (Retd) Suresh Khajuria as its candidate while the Congress yesterday announced that its state president Sunil Jakhar would contest the by poll.
"Swarn Singh Salariya will be the BJP candidate for the Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency bypoll," said Punjab BJP secretary Vineet Joshi.
Salariya has business interests in hospitality, aviation and other sectors, Joshi said.
Salariya is a native of the Chauhana village in Gurdaspur. He was an aspirant for the same seat in 2014 elections but the party opted for Khanna, who had represented the constituency earlier as well.
Salariya hails from the Rajput community which has substantial presence in the constituency.
Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat has been a stronghold of the BJP. Salariya will be in a triangular contest with Jakhar and Khajuria.
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20:46   Calcutta HC order unmasks communal Mamata govt: BJP
Accusing the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal of practising "communal politics" under the garb of secularism, the BJP today said the Calcutta high court order, which set aside its restrictions on Durga
idol immersions, had unmasked it.
BJP general secretary Kailash Vijarvargiya, who is in charge of the party's affairs in the state, said the Trinamool Congress government had no right to remain in power after the court's order.
"The order has exposed those who do communal politics under the garb of secularism. It has unmasked the state government. It is proved now that it can not maintain law and order in the state. It has no right to remain in power," Vijarvargiya told reporters.
The high court today allowed immersion of Durga idols on all days from Vijayadashami on September 30, including on Muharram, and directed the West Bengal government to make necessary security arrangements.
The state government had earlier imposed restrictions on Durga idol immersions on September 30, the Vijayadashami day, after 10 pm and said no immersion would be allowed on October one, the day Muharram is scheduled to be observed.
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20:36   I don't want Trump on my show, says Ellen DeGeneres
Popular TV presenter host Ellen DeGeneres has again said that she does not want to invite United States President Donald Trump on her show. 
The 59-year-old actor-host said she does not want to provide a platform to the POTUS as that will mean giving undue importance to him, reported FoxNews.com.
"There's nothing I'm going to say to him that's gonna change him and I don't want to give him a platform because it just... validates him.
"And I can't have someone that I feel is not only dangerous for the country and for me personally as a gay woman, but to the world. I don't want him on the show," Ellen said on her show.
The "Finding Dory" actor was in conversation with NBC anchor Megyn Kelly.
Kelly, 46, who has a bitter history with Trump, revealed that it was the current American president who pushed her to resign from Fox News after 12 years.
"Donald Trump has a way of clarifying one's life choices and that was true in my case, too. Just as I was wondering where I wanted to be and what I wanted to do, the universe came and showed... me what I wanted to do," she said on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show".
Trump had lashed out repeatedly at Kelly after she moderated a Republican presidential debate in August 2015 and the feud continued for a long time.
In May, Ellen had told "Today" show host Matt Lauer that she would not host Trump on her talk show as she would not be able to change his mind.
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20:19   Zardari responsible for Benazir's killing: Musharraf
Pakistan's former dictator Pervez Musharraf today claimed that Asif Ali Zardari was responsible for the killing of his wife Benazir Bhutto, saying the former president gained the most from the assassination of the country's first woman prime minister, media reports said.
The 54-year-old Pakistan Peoples Party chief and a two-time prime minister was killed along with more than 20 people in a gun and bomb attack in Rawalpindi's Liaquat Bagh during an election campaign rally on December 27, 2007. 
Former president and army chief Gen Musharraf, who was last month declared a fugitive by an anti-terrorism court which ordered seizure of his property in the Bhutto murder case, accused PPP co-chairman Zardari of "having the most to gain from Benazir Bhutto's murder" in a video posted on his official Facebook page.
"Asif Ali Zardari is responsible for the Bhutto family's demise and is involved in the deaths of Benazir and Murtaza Bhutto," he said in an address to the three Bhutto-Zardari children, the Bhutto family and the people of Sindh, Dawn news reported.
"Every time there is a murder, the first thing that needs to be seen is who has the most to gain from the death. In this case, I had everything to lose as I was in power and the murder put my government in a difficult situation," he said.

"There was just one person that had everything to gain from Benazir's assassination and that was Asif Ali Zardari," Musharraf said, adding that it was his analysis of the case.
Zardari was in power for five years, why did he not look into the case, why was the investigation not active -- because he was involved in Benazir's murder, Musharraf alleged.
"The evidence is clear that Baitullah Mehsud and his people were involved in the murder, but who had asked them to target Benazir Bhutto -- it could not have been me, the group hated me and the feeling was mutual.
"It is a known fact that I wanted Mehsud dead and so did the government of Pakistan, after his group had attempted to kill me," Musharraf said.
Zardari, on the other hand, had a great relationship with then Afghan president Hamid Karzai, a link he could have used to influence Mehsud and his people, he claimed.
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20:17   SpiceJet pilots grounded after plane skids off Mumbai runway
Aviation regulatory body the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has grounded two SpiceJet pilots after a plane carrying 183 passengers overshot a wet runway while landing at the Mumbai airport earlier this week.
With the Boeing 737 aircraft, flying from Varanasi to Mumbai, stuck in the mud, the main runway had to be closed for over 24 hours leading to nearly 180 flights being cancelled.
"The pilots have been grounded pending an inquiry. One of the issues is that if the aircraft is not stabilised, then you should do a go-around. The DGCA has also issued a circular informing pilots that there will be no inquiry against them if they do a go-around. All those issues will have to be established," an official at the DGCA said.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau will probe the incident.
A go-around refers to the procedure when a pilot aborts landing, flies the plane to a suitable height and prepares for another landing approach.
This is resorted to in situations like obstruction on the runway, lack of clearance for landing, or when a pilot is unable to establish a visual reference.
According to DGCA rules, since a go-around is a precautionary measure, it "does not call for any punitive action either by the Air Operator or the DGCA".
The DGCA also doesn't require such an incident to be reported.
The regulatory body also says that "pilots need to be encouraged to go-around when flight parameters or environmental conditions preclude a safe approach and landing".
The operations at the main runway resumed late last night after the the SpiceJet plane was moved to a paved area and subsequently a hangar.
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19:40   Sunanda Pushkar case: Police to pursue forensic psychology to probe death
The police today told the Delhi high court that it now intended to embark upon a new mode of investigation, called forensic psychology, after having explored all other avenues in the death case of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's wife Sunanda Pushkar.
A bench of Justices G S Sistani and Chander Shekhar, which gave a go-ahead to the Delhi Police to carry out the new mode of probe, was however anguished that the investigation in the three-year-old case was still dragging on.
The police said the investigation through forensic psychology would take another eight weeks to conclude and also entail the personal questioning of certain individuals.
The bench said the probe had started in 2014 and, now in September 2017, the agency wanted to pursue an additional and a new mode of investigation.
"Should any investigative agency drag the probe for so long," the court asked.
It also hoped there would not be any further delay in the submission of the final report as Pushkar's son, Shiv Menon, has moved the court as he was "extremely concerned" to know what happened.
"He is a blood relation. He wants to know. His concern should be of paramount importance," the bench said.
Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, appearing for the probe agency, said the police has not left any stone unturned and every possible angle has been examined, but towards the conclusion of the investigation, it came across the new methodology of forensic psychology.
Forensic psychology is an emerging field which forms an integral part of criminal investigation, prison and profiling systems, now being used in some developed countries.
Defending the decision to adopt the new mode of probe, the ASG said the police came across the methodology only recently and, as it did not want to leave any stone unturned, it decided to utilise this investigative tool as well.
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19:00   Samsung offers one-time replacement offer for broken phone screens
Mobile phone major Samsung India today announced the 'Never Mind' offer for buyers of Samsung smart phones wherein consumers can avail one-time replacement of a broken screen within 12 months of purchase of their
phone.      

Under the 'Never Mind' offer, consumers can replace the broken screens by paying Rs 990 at the time of repair within 12 months of purchase of phone.      

The offer is valid on purchases between September 21, 2017 and October 21, 2017.
     
"As part of the offer, we are giving our consumers the peace of mind of having screen replacement anytime during the period of 12 months from now of the purchase of their device," Samsung India Senior Vice President Asim Warsi told reporters.
     
"We came up with 'Never Mind' offer to acknowledge the love and trust of consumers in Karnataka for their overwhelming response to Galaxy J7 Pro and Galaxy J7 Max," Warsi said.
     
He added that Samsung Pay, is becoming quite popular with 1.5 million people using it.
     
The app is a disruptive payments platform allowing Samsung smart phone users to simply tap and pay with their phones without needing to carry the physical card.
     
It has also integrated mobile wallets like PayTM and MobiKwik along with the government's Unified Payments Interface in the Samsung Pay platform, he said.
     
Warsi said Samsung smartphone remains the leader in  Indian market.
     
"We have registered a double-digit growth rate.. While the company recorded good growth in previous calendar year, this year it performed even better," said Warsi.

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18:19   There's a conspiracy against us, says Mamata after HC order
Reacting to the Calcutta high court's order to revoke her government's restrictions on immersion of Durga idols, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said she will try her best to keep peace but asked who will take the responsibility if there's trouble.

"Someone can slit my throat but no one can tell me what to do. I will do what I can to keep peace," she said after the court order.

"I can take responsibility for peace but someone else will have to take responsibility if there's trouble," she added.

Mamata also alleged that there is a conspiracy against her government. 

"There's a conspiracy against us. They want to create a disturbance in Bengal," she said.

The court today allowed immersion of Durga idols on all days from Vijayadashami on September 30, including on Muharram, and directed the West Bengal government to make necessary security arrangements.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Rakesh Tiwari and Justice Harish Tandon asked the state government to chalk out designated routes for immersion and tazia processions.

It said that immersion of Durga idols would be held on all days from Vijayadashami on September 30 according to the Hindu almanac, including that on Muharram on October 1 when such processions were prohibited by the state administration.

The bench also directed the state government to put out advertisements giving information about the routes and also for ensuring amity and harmony between the communities.
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17:28   Tripura scribe murder: 4 IPFT activists arrested
Four activists of the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura were arrested in connection with Wednesday's incidents of violence and the killing of a journalist in the state, the police said.
Avijit Saptarshi, Superintendent of Police, Tripura West, said, "Sixteen police personnel were injured. Two vehicles were damaged by the IPFT activists at the Mandai and Khumulwung areas of the district."
He added that the police were attacked with bows and arrows and bottles and machetes.
"We fought pitched battles with the activists in at least five places," the SP said, adding that the situation was tense but under control.
Santanu Bhowmick, a journalist associated with the 'Dinrat' television news channel, was on Wednesday killed in West Tripura district while he was covering an IPFT agitation.
He was reportedly hit from behind and abducted at Mandai.
Bhowmick was subsequently found with serious stab injuries and was rushed to the Agartala Medical College and Hospital, where the doctors declared him "brought dead".
Internet services were suspended across the state in the aftermath of the incident to prevent rumour mongering, the SP said.
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17:11   State govt, Centre open to talks with 'all stakeholders' in Kashmir: Ram Madhav
The Jammu and Kashmir government and the Centre are open to having an unconditional dialogue with all stakeholders, including separatists, to address the Kashmir issue, Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary Ram Madhav said today. 
Madhav, who is in Srinagar on a two-day visit to take stock of party affairs, said that the Centre is confident that normalcy will be restored in the state soon.
"We have said from the beginning and we have maintained that our doors are open to all the stakeholders in the state, they are welcome to come and have a dialogue with the state government as well as whoever wants to talk to the central government, we are open to a dialogue," he told reporters when asked whether talks will be held with separatists in Kashmir.
However, the BJP general secretary said those who do not want to take part in the dialogue process should be questioned.
"But the question should be asked to those who do not want to go for the dialogue. Those who want to come for a dialogue, we are open to talking to everybody who wants to come and have a dialogue with us...without any preconditions," he said.
Madhav said that if the opposition parties also cooperate and do not engage in a "political game of provocations", very soon there will be complete normalcy in the state.

"As far as sporadic incidents like firing from across the border or terror incidents in the Valley are concerned, the recalcitrant neighbour that we have, it will continue to try and foment trouble here, but our security forces will ensure that the games that are being played from across the border will not be allowed to succeed," he said.
Condemning the attack in Tral today, Madhav termed it unfortunate and said the security forces will take measures to stop such sporadic incidents.
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16:03   Modi on 2-day visit to Varanasi from tomorrow
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin a two-day visit to his Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency tomorrow, during which he will inaugurate several
infrastructure projects and address public meetings, officials said today.

Varanasi District Magistrate Yogeshwar Ram Mishra said Modi would open the second phase of a trade facilitation centre for weavers and handicraft workers in Bada-Lalpur on September 22.
He will also inaugurate nearly 17 infrastructure projects, including the Ramnagar-Samne Ghat bridge and the Balua Ghat bridge, and lay the foundation of nearly six projects including Ramna Sewage Treatment Plant, said Sanjay Bhardwaj, the BJP's eastern Uttar Pradesh media in-
charge.

Modi is scheduled later offer prayers at the Tulsi Manas Temple and Durga Temple in Durgakund.

He will also release a commemorative stamp on the Ramayana, the official said. 
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16:01   UPDATE: BJP calling? Narayan Rane quits Congress party
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Congress strongman Narayan Rane has quit the party. 

The strongman is now likely to join the BJP in the coming days. Rane reportedly wants his two sons also to be accomodated in the BJP, which is in power in Maharashtra. 

The Shiv Sena may, however, prove to be a roadblock in Rane's induction in the BJP. The party is reportedly wary of the strong loyalty Rane enjoys in the Konkan belt which is also the Sena stronghold. 

Rane had joined the Congress in 2005 after being expelled from the Shiv Sena. Rane, who has pockets of influence in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, was expelled by Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray after he voiced displeasure over Uddhav Thackeray gaining prominence in the party.
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15:39   Dawood Ibrahim 'in talks' with Centre for his return, alleges Raj Thackeray
Raj Thackeray dropped a bombshell today as he claimed that India's most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim is trying to negotiate his return with the central government as "he wants to spend his last days" in his home country. 

The Maharashtra politician claimed that the ruling BJP wants to bring the don back to score in elections.

Dawood is "very sick and crippled", said the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief at a function to mark his Facebook debut.

"He is currently in talks for a 'setting' with the government for this and this could happen," he said, commenting that the BJP government would try to take credit for the gangster's return even though he wants to return to India.

"It is he (Dawood) who is keen to return... But, the BJP will claim credit for this to win the next elections," Thackeray predicted.

Dawood Ibrahim is the mastermind of the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts in which 257 were killed. India says there is proof he has been living in Pakistan's Karachi for decades, which has been confirmed by the UN.
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15:26  
Another upset from the Japan Open Superseries: Saina Nehwal loses to Spain's Carolina Marin by 16-21, 13-,21. 
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15:09   UPDATE: HC sets aside Mamata govt's restrictions on Durga idol immersion
The Calcutta high court set aside on Thursday the West Bengal government's controversial restrictions on Durga Puja idol immersion, a day after it rapped Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for creating communal divisions.

The court asked the administration to ensure separate routes for immersion and Muharram processions.

The state government had banned any idol immersion after 10 pm on September 30, the last day of the five-day festival, and on October 1 on account of Muharam. 

Banerjee had said the restrictions were necessary to maintain law and order at a time when tens of thousands of people are usually out on the streets.

On Wednesday, the court had said that the state could not hinder a citizen's right to practise religion on the basis of a mere assumption of law and order disruption and must provide sound reasons for doing so. "Let them (Hindus and Muslims) live in harmony, do not create a line between them," acting chief justice Rakesh Tiwary had said.
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14:58   Who will Modi induct into BJP parliamentary board?
Delhi Darbar is always abuzz with speculation, and the latest round revolves around two questions.   

One, who among the Union Council is closest to Prime Minister Narendra Modi?   

Two, who will be inducted into the BJP's parliamentary board following the elevation of M Venkaiah Naidu as the vice president?   

To answer the first question first, it is wellknown that the latest reshuffle in the Union Council has seen the emergence of ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Piyush Goyal as important power centres.   

Of them, Goyal, also the party treasurer, is said to be the link between Prime Minister Modi and the BJP chief Amit Shah, and hence the object of envy for many.   

On the other hand, Nirmala Sitharaman is not considered to be a political threat to anyone, but as someone who follows the rule book, who pores over files and prepares copious notes.   

Apart from them, Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh make up the quartet of Union ministers who are considered closest to PM Modi.   

Now to answer the second question of who will make it to the BJP parliamentary board.   

The parliamentary board is the highest decision making organ of the party, and whoever is nominated to it will have a decisive say in the distribution of tickets for the 2019 general elections.   

Two names that have been floating about for induction into this body are Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his Rajasthan counterpart Vasundhara Raje Scindia.   

However, like he caught the nation unawares with the elevation of Nirmala Sitharaman as defence minister, it is expected that here as well Prime Minister Modi will pull a rabbit out of the hat. 
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14:37   Politics the main course at Kamal, Kejriwal's lunch meeting
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and actor Kamal Haasan are all smiles as they meet in Chennai where they will be having lunch together. 

Earlier, Haasan's daughter Akshara received Kejriwal at the airport and escorted him to Haasan's residence. 

The two are believed to  have "political discussions", amid indications the veteran actor may join politics soon.
Haasan has been very active politically of late, often times levying corruption charges against the state government.
He had congratulated the CPI-M)-led LDF government in Kerala for "good governance" on its first anniversary in May this year. He fuelled speculation about his expected political plunge when he attended an event organised by the DMK party in Chennai last month.

The Delhi CM will also visit a Tamil Nadu government-run skill development centre in Chennai, he said.
Haasan had been opposing the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, whose political adversary DMK has voiced support for him.
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14:25   Nexon, Tata's first compact SUV, is here
Homegrown auto maker Tata Motors today launched its first compact SUV, Nexon, with a price tag starting from Rs 5.87 lakh for petrol and Rs 6.87 lakh for the diesel variant.   

"The Nexon is the result of our intent to breakaway from the conventional approach of segmentation," Tata Motors chief executive and managing director Guenter Butschek said while launching the much-awated SUV.   

With this rollout, Tata Motors aims to scale up its position to the third or fourth spot in the utility vehicle segment.   

Nexon is the first sub-4 metre sports utility vehicle from Tata Motors stable and and is expected to give a tough competition to the likes of Maruti's Vitara Brezza and Ford's EcoSport.   

The interiors come with a floating dashtop touchscreen and an exclusively-tuned 8-speaker surround system, an android auto feature which connects to your phone and lots more.   

ABS and dual airbags are offered in all four variants, the XE, XM, XT and the XZ+. The Nexon comes in five colours, with a standard warranty of 75,000 km or two years, whichever is earlier.
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14:12   Take advantage of your majority: Sonia to PM on women's reservation bill
Congress president Sonia Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to get the women's reservation bill passed in the Lok Sabha taking advantage of the BJP's majority in the House.

Gandhi also assured support of her party to the legislation, which she said would be a "significant" step forward in the empowerment of women.

The Rajya Sabha had passed the bill on March 9, 2010.

"I am writing to request you to take advantage of your majority in the Lok Sabha to now get the women's reservation bill passed in the Lower House as well," Gandhi said in the letter, dated September 20.

She also recalled that the Congress and its late leader Rajiv Gandhi had first mooted the provision for quota for women in panchayats and municipal bodies through Constitution amendment bills.

She said the bills were "thwarted" by the opposition in 1989, but were passed by both the Houses of Parliament in 1993. 
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13:56   Kejriwal's welcome party!
Kamal Haasan's daughter Akshara Haasan welcomes Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as he lands in Chennai. 

Kejriwal will meet Kamal Haasan in Chennai today and the two will have "political discussions", a member of the Aam Aadmi Party said, amid indications the veteran actor may join politics soon.

Haasan has been very active politically of late, often times levying corruption charges against the state government.
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13:43   Asianet TV office attacked in Kerala
The office of the Alappuzha bureau of Asianet TV channel in Kerala was attacked on Thursday after the news network reported alleged involvement of a state minister in land encroachment.

According to an anonymous source, the attack was result of the channel's series of reports on the alleged enchroachment of land by State Transport Minister Thomas Chandy at his plush resort.

The channel's reporter TV Prasad, who reported the encroachment, said he came to know about the attack in the morning.

"I had slept late around 2 am and this took place after I went to sleep. I have done 20 reports on the alleged irregularities against Chandy," said Prasad.

Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala condemned the attack saying that everyone knew the reason behind the attack as Asianet TV had regularly exposed the acts of the state minister.
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13:32   PV Sindhu crashes out of Japan Open Superseries
Upset alert: PV Sindhu knocked out of Japan Open Superseries after losing to Japan's Nozomi Okuhara, 18-21, 8-21.
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13:29   Bengal CPM set to bow out of Rajya Sabha
With two of its seven MPs in the Rajya Sabha set to retire, and the remaining elected from Kerala and Tripura, the Communist Party of India-Marxist will cease to be represented in the Upper House from West Bengal, a state that was once its bastion.
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13:12   UPDATE: Calcutta HC pulls up Mamata again on Durga idol row
Questioning the West Bengal government's curbs on Durga idol immersion, the Calcutta high court on Thursday said that the state was 'exercising extreme power without any basis.'

The Acting Chief Justice of Calcutta HC in scathing remarks told the state government, "Just because you are the state, can you pass arbitrary order? If you get a dream, that something will go wrong, you cannot impose restrictions."

Hearing three PILs challenging the restrictions on immersion of idols at the end of the five-day Durga Puja festival, a bench said a mere assumption that a law-and-order situation might arise, owing to Vijaya Dashami and Muharram falling one after the other, could not be the basis of imposing curbs on immersion timings.

Observing that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had herself told a public meeting that Hindus and Muslims lived together in harmony in the state, the bench said, "Listen to what the head of the state says and not a police officer."

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12:47   Tiff with Nitish costs Sharad Yadav his front row seat in RS
With Sharad Yadav finding himself on the wrong side of Nitish Kumar's alliance with the BJP, his seat in the Rajya Sabha has been pushed back from the first row to the eighth.  

The pride of place held by him, facing the chairman's podium along with BSP and SP leaders, has now been given to Ram Chandra Prasad Singh who has been nominated as the leader of the 10-member Janata Dal-United in the Rajya Sabha.   

The new seating will be effective from the winter session of Parliament, most likely to commence in the third week of November.   

Veteran Sharad Yadav, who after falling out with Nitish Kumar has been badmouthing the JD-U, is slowly emerging as one of the Opposition faces for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.   

As he is expected to continue his tirade against the JD-U, the winter session will see fireworks, what with Nitish Kumar building up a case for his disqualification from the House of Elders.  
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12:20   2 civilians killed in grenade attack in J-K's Tral area
Two civilians have been killed and several policemen have been injured after terrorists hurled grenades on a police party at a bus stand in Pulwama district's Tral.

The attack comes after Pakistani troops targeted Indian border
outposts along the International Border in Jammu district today, a senior BSF officer said.

There had been continuous firing and shelling by Pakistani troops along the IB and the Line of Control between September 13 and September 18.

A BSF jawan and a civilian were killed and 12 others injured in the shelling and firing by Pakistani troops in Jammu and Poonch districts during the period.
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12:08   UPDATE: Deporting Rohingyas not an issue, Myanmar will accept them: Rajnath
Amidst the discussion on Rohingyas and their status in India, Home Minister Rajnath Singh has clearly said that they aren't refugees, nor have they taken asylum. "Rohingyas are not refugees, nor have they taken asylum. They are illegal immigrants," said the home minister, adding that he failed to understand why some people were objecting to the deportation of Rohingyas when Myanmar was ready to accept them. 

On Tuesday, Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi in a televised address had said that the state was ready to start a refugee verification process for those who wished to return. 

On Wednesday, Trump said he wanted the United Nations Security Council to take "strong and swift action" to end violence against Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims. 
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11:14   Mumbai rains: Six days accounted for 40% of citys rain this year
The rains are not the same anymore. In recent years, instead of the monsoon being more or less evenly distributed across four months, the city saw a few days of intense rain that contributed to almost half the citys annual rainfall, according to experts. This, they said, could be the monsoon pattern from now on, which means Mumbai may become prone to floods.

This monsoon, just six days of very heavy to extremely heavy rain contributed to 40 per cent of the citys rainfall so far.

Read full story HERE
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11:01   PM deputes Sushma to allay Dhaka's Rohingya concerns
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had specifically asked Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj to use the personal camaraderie she shares with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to try and assuage Bangladesh's concerns over the Rohingya crisis, Charu Sudan Kasturi reports in The Telegraph, Kolkata, quoting senior officials.   

The minister  'is using tools of old-school diplomacy -- late-night phone calls, unannounced meetings and shows of support -- to placate Bangladesh that has been unhappy with New Delhi's public reluctance to criticise Myanmar over the Rohingya crisis,' he reports.   

Swaraj had telephoned Hasina on September 15, hours after her ministry had announced Operation Insaniyat -- a relief programme meant to supply seven million kilos of food and thousands of mosquito nets to Bangladesh for the refugees. Bangladesh is currently hosting over 400,000 Rohingya refugees, Charu Sudan Kasturi reports.   

She even took the same Etihad Airways flight that ferried Hasina from Abu Dhabi to New York for the UN General Assembly, and the two leaders had a brief conversation on the plane. The two leaders met again in New York on Monday, and Swaraj is now expected to visit Dhaka next month for bilateral talks, he writes.   

Bangladesh is the worst hit by the Rohingya refugee influx and recently conveyed to New Delhi to alter its stand towards Myanmar and impress upon it the need to control the violence against the Rohingyas. Soon after, India for the first time called for 'restraint and maturity' on the part of Myanmar's security forces.   

You can read more of Charu Sudan Kasturi's report here
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10:45   North Korea shrugs off Trump threat as 'dog's bark'
North Korea's foreign minister has brushed aside US President Donald Trump's fiery threat to destroy his nation, comparing it to a "dog's bark" and suggesting Pyongyang would not be deterred by the rhetoric.

Trump used his stormy maiden address at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to warn the North that Washington would "totally destroy" it if the US or its allies was attacked.

Arriving in New York for the UN meetings, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho was mobbed with questions from reporters about the Trump speech and replied with a proverb.

"There is a saying that marching goes on even when dogs bark," he said as he entered his hotel yesterday.

"If they are trying to shock us with the sound of a dog's bark they are clearly having a dog dream."
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10:13   Deepika is the fierce queen in 'Padmavati' first look
The first poster of Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Padmavati was released early morning on Thursday and it shows us the royal Deepika Padukone. 

Earlier she had said the first look will be revealed as the sun rises, heralding the beginning of Navratri festival which is celebrated with much fanfare in India.

Two posters of the upcoming film were released and both show Deepika wearing a red royal dress and heavy Rajasthani jewelry. One of them shows a group of women in veils standing behind Deepika even as the star stands with folded hands but with a royally confident attitude. 


Deepika essays the titular role of Rani Padmavati while Ranveer plays Alauddin Khilji. Shahid plays Padmavatis husband, Raja Rawal Ratan Singh in the film. Padmavati is an upcoming Indian period drama film jointly produced by Bhansali Productions and Viacom 18 Motion Pictures.

The film is slated to hit theatres on December 1.
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09:53   Pak's answer to India's Cold Start: short-range N-weapons
Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi today said his country has developed short-range nuclear weapons to counter the 'cold start doctrine' adopted by the Indian Army, reports PTI.   

Abbasi was also assertive of Pakistan's nuclear arsenals being safe and secure.   

"We have a very robust and secure command-and-control system over our strategic nuclear assets. Time has proved that it's a process that is very secure. It's a process that has complete civilian oversight through the NCA," Abbasi said in response to a question at the Council on Foreign Relations, a top American think-tank.   

The Nuclear Command Authority (NCA) of Pakistan is the authority responsible for command, control and operational decisions regarding the country's nuclear arsenals.   

"As far as tactical nuclear weapons (are concerned), we do not have any fielded tactical nuclear weapons. We have developed short-range nuclear weapons as a counter to the Cold Start doctrine that India has developed. Again, those are in the same command-and-control authority that controls the other strategic weapons," he said.
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09:46  
JUST IN: Income Tax raids houses and offices of senior BJP leader SM Krishna's son-in-law and Cafe Coffee Day founder VG Siddhartha
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09:45   Malala you're an undeniable force to be reckoned with: Priyanka
Priyanka Chopra recently met Nobel Laureate Malala Yousufzai and the actor is in awe of her.

Priyanka, who is the goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, shared a picture with Yousufzai on Instagram and hailed her for her efforts in empowering and inspiring young girls.

"I could write a novel about how smart, incredible, inspiring, encouraging and funny this young woman is... But I will keep it brief. Malala, you are an undeniable force to be reckoned with. The world knows that. You are a role model to all the girls and boys that want to make this world a better
place for the future.

"Spending a few hours with you and your incredible father Mr Yousafzai ( who reminds me so much of my father) , I realised you're also just a young girl with young dreams. Your jokes, your love for Hindi Films, your infectious laughter will always remind me of what a huge responsibility you have taken on at such a tender age... I'm so proud to know you my friend. You inspire women like me all over the world. Can't wait to speak to you in our secret Hindi/Urdu again," Priyanka wrote giving her fans an insight into her meeting with the young activist.
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09:22   Breakthrough in Gauri Lankesh case: SIT gets facial profile of attacker
The Special Investigation Team probing the murder of senior Kannada journalist Gauri Lankesh now has a facial profile of her attacker.

The images, which were developed by matching CCTV footage with eyewitness accounts, have given police enough leads to launch a massive manhunt.

Gauri Lankesh was murdered on September 5 at her Bengaluru residence. Journalists across the nation condemned the killing , and remembered a fearless scribe who was often critical of the right-wing.
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09:03   Journalist killed while covering violent clashes in Tripura
A journalist working for a local channel, Din Raat, was fatally attacked while covering a clash between the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura  and the ruling CPI-Ms tribal wing, Tripura Rajaer Upajati Ganamukti Parishad, in western Tripuras Mandai area, about 25 km from the state capital Agartala.

According to police, the journalist, Santanu Bhowmik, 28, was covering the road blockade called by the IPFT at Mandai when he was hit from behind and abducted. 

Police later found him with serious stab injuries and rushed him to the Govind Ballabh Pant Medical College and Hospital in Agartala, where he was declared brought dead.

IPFT, which is demanding the tribal state of Twipraland from the existing Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council, has been resorting to a series of violent protests in the poll-bound state of late.

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08:36   In New York, Rahul attacks Centre over intolerance
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi in a veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government said that incumbently divisive politics is being practiced in India.

While addressing a gathering at Times Square in New York, Gandhi said that people around the globe are questioning that why tolerance level in India is reducing and where is that harmony which once prevailed.

Asserting that for years, India has had a reputation of peace and harmony Gandhi noted that recently few forces which are trying to divide the nation are ruining nation's peaceful image.

"The single biggest thing most people told me and the questions raised outside India is what has happened to the tolerance that used to prevail in India? What has happened to the harmony in India? There are couple of challenges that India is facing. There is a divisive politics going on in India," said Gandhi.

"For 1000s of years, India has had a reputation of peace and harmony. There are forces dividing India and ruining our reputation abroad. . And it is very dangerous for the country," he added.

Gandhi further said India comprises of people of various religions and all are living happily because of Congress and its ideas.
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08:19   Google to buy part of HTC's smartphone operations for $1.1 billion
Google will acquire part of Taiwanese smartphone maker HTCs smartphone operations for $1.1 billion (Rs 7,073 crore), the companies said in a joint statement on Thursday.

Under the deal, Google will acquire a team of people who develop Pixel smartphones for the US firm and receive a non-exclusive licence for the Taiwanese firms intellectual property.

The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to close by early 2018. 
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07:54   Stranded plane moved but Mumbai airport remains crippled
The second day of downpour in Mumbai severely crippled air traffic with over 108 flights being cancelled and another 51 flights have been diverted to nearby airports. 

The SpiceJet Boeing 737 aircraft carrying 183 people was finally retrieved after 23 hours from the main runway. 

The aircraft overshot a wet runway while landing at the airport in rain-hit Mumbai and got stuck in the mud, officials said yesterday,
adding that all passengers were safely evacuated.

Following the downpour, several airlines issued travel advisories to passengers.
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00:17   Now, Kamal Haasan to meet Kejriwal, 'to discuss politics'
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will meet Kamal Haasan in Chennai on Thursday and the two will have "political discussions", a member of the Aam Aadmi Party said, amid indications the veteran actor may join politics soon.
Haasan has been very active politically of late, often times levying corruption charges against the state government.
He had congratulated the CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala for "good governance" on its first anniversary in May this year. He fuelled speculation about his expected political plunge when he attended an event organised by the DMK party in Chennai last month.
An AAP functionary, seeking not to be named, said: "Kejriwal will leave for Chennai on Thursday morning and meet Haasan."
They are expected to have "political discussions", the functionary said without giving any details.
The Delhi CM will also visit a Tamil Nadu government-run skill development centre in Chennai, he said.
Haasan had been opposing the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, whose political adversary DMK has voiced support for him.

IMAGE: Actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan with DMK Working President M K Stalin at the Diamond Jubilee celebration of the party's mouthpiece Murasoli in Chennai on August 11, 2017. Photograph: R Senthil Kuma/PTI Photo

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