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Wed, 24 December 2014
Live! Rajnath promises NIA probe into NDFB killings
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23:25 Sonia welcomes Bharat Ratna for Vajpayee, Malaviya
Congress President Sonia Gandhi tonight welcome the government's decision to honour former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and late freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malaviya with Bharat Ratna.
"I welcome the decision to confer Bharat Ratna to Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Madan Mohan Malaviya", she said. Vajpayee, whose consensual politics found acceptability across the political spectrum, and Malaviya were today picked for the country's highest civilian honour.
22:53 Policeman killed in Naxal attack in Jharkhand
A constable was today killed and two other jawans were injured in a Maoist assault at Itkhori in Chatra district, police said.
Superintendent of Police S N Jha said the Maoists attacked a police party, triggering an encounter near Bhadrakali temple under Itkhori police station. He said a constable was killed in action and two jawans were injured. The injured were admitted to a hospital in Hazaribagh.
22:41 Rajnath promises NIA probe into NDFB killings
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today assured Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi of an NIA investigation into the killing of 65 villagers by NDFB-S militants in three districts of the state.
Singh gave the assurance to Gogoi following a request by the latter, sources in the chief minister's office said.
The Union Home minister, who arrived in Guwahari this evening accompanied by his deputy Kiren Rijiju and Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, and held a high level meeting with the chief minister, and senior civil, police, army and para-military officials.
The chief minister also asked the Centre to provide 55 companies of additional forces and urged Singh not to withdraw the companies soon after.
Singh assured Gogoi that additional companies would be provided to the state to deal with the situation and prevent further outbreak of violence.
22:04 IS captures Jordanian pilot after warplane crashes in Syria
Islamic State militants have captured the pilot of a Jordanian warplane that crashed in northern Syria, Jordan's military has confirmed.
The jihadist group claimed it had shot down the jet with a heat-seeking missile near the city of Raqqa.It published photographs showing the pilot, who has been named as Flight Lieutenant Moaz Youssef al-Kasasbeh.
Read the full article HERE
22:02 Mumbai court drops MCOCA charges in IM terror email case
In a major setback to the Mumbai Police, a court here today dropped the charges under stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act against the 23 persons arrested for having links with terrorist group Indian Mujahideen.
A similar order had been passed earlier in the 2012 Pune serial blasts case. The crime branch of the police had arrested these men in connection with email sent to media houses and government offices minutes before blasts in Surat, Delhi and Hyderabad, allegedly carried out by the IM.
Mumbai Police's spokesperson Dhananjay Kulkarni said police will challenge the order. As the special MCOCA judge A L Pansare dropped the charges under the Act, the case is likely to be assigned to a regular court now.
22:00 China censors news on Sony hack
Censorship is a part of daily life in China. News articles are erased from online search engines, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are banned, and CNN is routinely blacked out for Chinese viewers.
Instagram was a huge hit in China -- until the government banned it during the Hong Kong protests."All good things must end," one young Chinese woman told me -- seemingly resigned to the fact that she can no longer post photos on Instagram.
Read the full article HERE
21:31 Ghar Wapsi programmes will continue: VHP
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat stoked controversy today after he said it was the responsibility of the organization to unite the society even as VHP insisted that ghar wapsi programmes will continue.
"The Sangh has to unite the entire society. It has to make an example of its character and it has to be fearless", he said at a function here but made no direct reference to the ongoing controversy over the conversion programmes being undertaken by various Sangh Parivar outfits.
Speaking on the occasion, VHP Patron Ashok Singhal insisted 'ghar-wapsi' events will continue.
He demanded that government bring anti-conversion law to stop conversion as population of Hindus is declining.
21:01 To avoid rape girls must not wear shorts: Rajkot BJP mayor
Rajkot city mayor Raksha Boriya today suggested that girls should not wear short tops to avoid rape and sexual assaults and to "conserve Indian values", drawing sharp criticism from several quarters.
"In the context of sexual assaults and other crimes on our young girls, I will say that our girls, keeping Indian culture in mind, should not wear short tops with jeans, so that crime against women in India can be brought under control," Rajkot city mayor Raksha Boriya of the BJP told reporters.
Boriya while addressing an event organised by non-resident Gujaratis yesterday, comprising college women, had said that girls should not wear tight and short dresses to avoid rape and conserve "Indian culture and values".
Boria's statement had invited criticism from several quarters, which led the BJP leader to make another statement today. However, she maintained that she had suggested that young girls to not wear short tops in the context of recent incidents of rape.
20:24 NDFB attacks new areas in Assam; opens fire, burns houses
The National Democratic Front of Bodoland has attacked new areas in Assam.
According to district police superintendent Bir Bikram Gogoi, the NDFB opened fire and burnt houses down in Udalguri district.
More details are awaited.
More details are awaited.
19:55 Lakhvi appeals to Pakistan govt seeking release
Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the key planner of 2008 Mumbai attacks, today submitted an application with the Pakistan government seeking an end to his detention under a public security order slapped on him soon after being granted bail in the 26/11 case.
"We have filed a representation (plea) with the interior ministry against the detention of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi under Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), which is illegal," Lakhvi's counsel advocate Raja Rizwan Abbasi said.
"Citing different references of law, we have requested the government to end Lakhvi's detention," Abbasi said.
Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Kausar Abbas Zaidi on December 18 had granted bail to Lakhvi citing lack of evidence against him, but before he could be released from the jail, the government detained him for three more months under Public Maintenance Order in Adiala Jail where the trial is being held.
19:41 Kerala VHP converts eleven Christians to Hinduism
In an yet another case of conversion since last week in Kerala, eleven persons belonging to three families embraced Hinduism near Kayamkulam in the District today under an initiative of Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
The ritual for conversion was held at a temple in Keyshavoor near Kayamkulam, VHP leader Prathap G Padikkal said.
"Some of these people's ancestors had converted to other religion years ago," he said.
A batch of 30 persons belonging to eight families of Scheduled Caste Christians had re-converted in district on December 21.
This conversion comes hot on heels of the recent controversy regarding similar ghar wapsis in Agra that had rocked the parliament's winter session.
19:34 FBI reaches out to theaters screening 'The Interview'
The FBI is reaching out to the slightly more than 200 theaters which plan to screen "The Interview" on Thursday, warning of potential threats.
The FBI on Wednesday night sent out a roster of those theaters to cyber task forces in FBI field offices. FBI agents will call or visit those theaters to inform them of possible threats they could face by screening the movie.
Read full story here.
19:22 PM to inaugurate Indian Science Congress in Mumbai on Jan 3
Prime Minister Narendra Modi isscheduled to inaugurate the 102nd Indian Science Congress hereon January 3, it was officially announced here today.
Nobel laureates, noted scientists as well as academics of global repute are scheduled to participate in the event hosted by Mumbai university.
The theme of the event, which will conclude on January 7 is, 'Science and Technology for Human Development'. The inaugural session and main sessions would be held at the Kalina campus of the Mumbai University.
It is expected that the five-day gathering would be attended by around 12,000 delegates, he said.
The last time the event was held in Mumbai was in 1969.
19:03 Shiv Sena demands Bharat Ratna for Bal Thackeray
Shiv Sena today demanded Bharat Ratna for its founder Bal Thackeray, a day when the country's highest civilian honour was bestowed on former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and late freedom fighter and educationist Madan Mohan Malviya.
19:02 HC refuses to lift ban on Uber cabs services in Delhi
The Delhi high court today refused to lift the ban on plying of Uber cab services in the national capital imposed after one of its drivers was arrested for allegedly raping a woman passenger.
Justice Vibhu Bakhru, however, asked petitioner Uber India Systems Pvt Ltd to give its representation to Delhi government's transport department on December 29.
18:47 Vinay Sahastrabuddhe BJP's choice for Rajya Sabha
Vinay Sahastrabuddhe is said to be BJP's choice to fill the Rajya Sabha vacated after the passing away of Congress leader Murli Deora.
The BJP Parliamentary Board informally discussed the issue but a final decision will be taken by party president Amit Shah.
Sahastrabuddhe is said to be close to the RSS and Amit Shah.
18:39 UN chief asks Lanka to cooperate with war crimes probe
UN chief Ban Ki-moon has asked Sri Lanka to cooperate with the UN-mandated probe into allegations of war crimes committed towards the end of the nearly three decades-long civil war, according to his spokesman.
18:06 Shinzo Abe returns as Japanese PM after snap election
Japan's parliament today confirmed Shinzo Abe for another term as prime minister after his election triumph, but the return to power stirred warnings from China over a bid to change the pacifist constitution.
The lower house voted overwhelmingly for 60-year-old Abe with 328 votes against 73 for acting opposition leader Katsuya Okada. That was followed by an upper house poll which officially confirmed Abe as premier.
18:05 S Korea hacking suspect used China IP addresses: investigators
A suspect in the hacking attack on South Korean nuclear reactors has used multiple Internet protocol (IP) addresses based in China, investigators said today.
The defence ministry's cyber warfare unit has increased its watch level against attacks after the publication last week of a variety of information about the South's nuclear power plant operator on Twitter.
17:45 Jordan confirms pilot captured by Islamic State
The Jordanian military has confirmed that one of its planes has crashed over northern Syria and that its pilot has been captured by Islamic State.
The jihadist group earlier said it had shot down the jet with a heat-seeking missile near the city of Raqqa.It published photographs showing the pilot, whom it identified as Flight Lieutenant Moaz Youssef al-Kasasbeh.
This is the first US-led coalition aircraft to be lost on IS territory since air strikes began in September.
17:12 First batch of e-auction of 24 mines to commence tomorrow
Paving the way for start of an auction process beginning tomorrow, the government today approved re-promulgation of the coal ordinance and necessary guidelines for mine allocations and said the coal-rich states stand to earn Rs 7 lakh crore over the next 30 years.
16:39 Saradha scam: Yet another Trinammol leader summoned by ED
Trinamool Congress leader Sankudeb Ponda has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED)in connection with the money laundering probe in the multi-crore Saradha chitfunds scam case. T
he agency has asked Ponda, who is TMC general secretary and former president of its youth wing, to depose before the investigators here on December 30.
16:19 Union Budget session to commence on February 24
President Pranab Mukherjee is likely to address the Joint Session of Parliament on February 24, which signals the commencement of the Union Budget session.
The presentation of the economic survey and the railway budget will follow the president's address. Budget day was earlier scheduled for Friday, February 27, but it its likely to be rescheduled to Saturday, February 26 or 28.
Sources say that astrologers asked Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu not to have the budget presented at 11 am on Friday as it is an inauspicious time (Fridays between 1030 hours to 1200 hours) A final call will be taken only in the middle of January.
16:03 BJP, PDP drawing up a CMP to govern J&K
Eight major points have been drafted for the Common Minimum Programme between People's Democratic Party and the BJP to form the government in J&K.
Economic growth and tourism will be main focus.
While the BJP will not discuss Article 370, it will create more awareness on the issue.
16:03 Sanjay Dutt comes out of Yerwada jail on parole
Actor Sanjay Dutt today walked out from the Yerwada Central Jail after being granted a 14-day furlough.
Dutt had applied for furlough which was granted by the police authorities yesterday.
The actor is serving a jail sentence in Yerwada Central Jail after being convicted under the Arms Act in 2013 in Mumbai bomb blast case. He has reportedly spent over 118 days out of jail, either on parole or furlough (temporary leave of absence) between May 2013 and May 2014.
He has already served 18 months of his five-year jail term.
15:37
The buzz in political circles in New Delhi is that if the PDP and BJP form the government in J&K, apart from the Common Minimum Programme there shall be a quid pro quo.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Council of Ministers will have 1 MOS (independent charge for PDP).
An unwritten agreement would be to get 2 Rajya Sabha seats for BJP and 1 for PDP in February 2015.
15:31 BJP promises to bring back Kashmiri Pandits if it forms govt in J&K
The Union ministry for urban development plans to include one percent allotment for Kashmiri Pandits in housing and commercial allotments in its planned 100 smart cities across the country.
The Bharatiya Janata Party says it will work towards the Ghar Wapsi (homecoming) of Kashmiri Pandits to Jammu and Kashmir if it forms the government in the state.
In case it supports the People's Democratic Party -- the Kashmiri Pandits issue will be in the Common Minimum Programme, say sources.
The Union ministry for urban development plans to include one percent allotment for Kashmiri Pandits in housing and commercial allotments in its planned 100 smart cities across the country.
15:27 US: Yet another police shooting; officer kills man who pulled gun
Police in St Louis County in the US state of Missouri say a police officer in the town of Berkeley shot and killed a man who pointed a handgun at him late Tuesday.
County police spokesman Sgt Brian Schellman says a Berkeley police officer was conducting a routine business check at a gas station around 11:15 pm on Tuesday when he saw two men and approached them.
Schellman says one of the men pulled a handgun and pointed it at the officer. The officer fired several shots, striking and fatally wounding the man. Schellman says that the second person fled and that the deceased man's handgun has been recovered.
The St Louis Post-Dispatch reported that a group of around 60 people had gathered at the site of the shooting. The paper said that the crowd included local ministers and people who have been involved with protests surrounding the Michael Brown grand jury decision. Berkeley is about two miles from Ferguson, where a white police officer shot and killed Brown, who was black, in August.
The St Louis region saw unrest after Brown's killing, and protests were renewed last month when a grand jury chose not to indict Wilson
14:10 Modi in Varanasi tomorrow for 'Good Governance Day'
To mark the 'Good Governance Day' tomorrow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi where he will attend a number of programmes on the occasion of the birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
He will visit Assi Ghat to inspect the progress of cleanliness drive launched by him last month, sources said here today.
Modi, on November 8, had wielded a spade to remove silt deposited at the Assi Ghat along the banks of the Ganga as part of his 'Swachh Bharat' campaign.
The prime minister had worked through an uneven muddy track to reach a makeshift stage where five priests were waiting for him to assist him in a special Ganga puja.
Modi will also visit Banaras Hindu University (BHU) where he will lay the foundation stone for an inter-university centre for teachers' education to be named after Madan Mohan Malviya.
The centre is expected to function as an autonomous body, the details of which will be spelt out during the prime minister's visit to the campus.
At the BHU, Modi is also expected to launch Varanasi Mahotsav.
13:46 Honour should have come earlier: Atal's niece on Bharat Ratna
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's niece, Karuna Shukla, has welcomed the announcement of the conferment of the nation's highest civilian honour -- the Bharat Ratna -- on her uncle and on freedom fighter Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya.
Welcoming the news, Karuna said, "It is a matter of great pride for us."
When asked whether the honour was being given after a long delay, she said that raising this issue was pointless, and what mattered was the recognition being given to two outstanding individuals by the nation.
"I don't have words to describe my feelings, extremely happy. I'm delighted, should have happened earlier, I extend my heartiest wishes to Modi ji for this," said Anoop Mishra, another relative of former prime minister Vajpayee.
13:20 Italian circus in trouble for disguising dogs as show pandas
Not so much an open-and-shut case; more of a black-and-white one. The owner of an Italian travelling circus has been charged with the use of false documents after it was discovered that two pandas in his show were, in fact, chow chow puppies that had been dyed.
A spokeswoman for the forestry corps, which in Italy deals with many of the offences involving animals, said audience members were encouraged to pay to have their photograph taken with the fake pandas. It happened regularly before the start of the show, she said.
Read more on this HERE
13:00 Atalji a giant among giants: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweets: @narendramodi: "Atal ji means so much to everyone.A guide, inspiration & giant among giants. His contribution to India is invaluable."
12:46 UP govt transfers 15 IPS officers
Uttar Pradesh government today transferred 15 IPS officers, including several district police chiefs.
ADG, SIT AKD Dwivedi has been made MD, UP Police Housing Corporation Limited replacing Kamlendra Prasad who has been transferred as Director General, Civil Defence, an official release issued in Lucknow said.
ADG, Civil Defence Mahendra Modi has been made ADG, SIT and IGs N Ravinder and Zaki Ahmad posted at Police Recruitment and Promotion Board N Ravinder has been made IG, PAC, Lucknow and Fire Services respectively.
IG, Fire Services Hari Ram Sharma has been sent to Intelligence Department in the same capacity while DIG, Anti Corruption Rakesh Pradhan has been sent to Police Recruitment and Promotion Board as DIG.
Commandant, PAC Sitapur KS Emanuel and Commandant, PAC Kanpur city, Kirit Kumar H Rathore have swapped place after transfer while SP, Food Cell Vajid Ahmad has been sent to Police Recruitment and Promotion Board in the same capacity.
Similarly, SP Food Cell Anis Ahmad Ansari has been made SP, State Crime Record Bureau.
SSP, Gorakhpur RK Bhardhwaj and SP, GRP Allahabad Dileep Kumar have swapped places after transfer while SP Unnao, Ratan Kumar Srivastava have been sent to Vigilance Department, Lucknow in the same capacity replacing Mahendra Pal Singh, who has been made new SP, Unnao.
12:29 Sensex sheds 100 points, Rupee slips
The BSE Sensex and Nifty fell over 0.50 per cent in afternoon trade amid across-the-board decline. Volatility was seen because of derivative expiry today.
The rupee also slipped past 63.50 levels after the dollar index moved above the key 90 level for the first time since March 2006 after strong US and UK economic data.
The Sensex fell over 150 points after it hit 27,342.80 at its day's low. Strong selling pressure in oil & gas stocks weighed on the benchmark index. Global oil prices slipped today, with brent futures falling towards $61 per barrel as the US dollar held near its highest level in nearly nine years on strong data.
Market heavyweights ONGC fell 1.5 per cent while RIL declined 0.4 per cent and Cairn India nearly 1 per cent.
At 12:16 pm, the Sensex was down 108 points to 27,397 while Nifty fell 31 points to 8,235.
12:27
JUST IN: Cabinet approves ordinances on raising FDI in insurance sector and coal block auction: Sources
12:22 Awarding Bharat Ratna to Malaviya is a mistake: Ramchandra Guha
Historian and Columnist Ramchandra Guha on Twitter: "Giving Vajpayee a Bharat Ratna is fine, but one should not award it to people dead or long dead. Awarding Malaviya is a mistake."
"If Malaviya, why not give Tagore, Phule, Tilak, Gokhale, Vivekananda, Akbar, Shivaji, Guru Nanak, Kabir, Ashoka, Bharat Ratnas too?"
12:19 Global arms treaty comes into force
A landmark treaty regulating the $85 billion global arms trade came into force on Wednesday, with UN chief Ban Ki-moon saying it will help prevent transfer of weapons to terrorists and human rights abusers and asked major arms exporters and importers to join the pact.
The Arms Trade Treaty, adopted by the UN General Assembly in April last year, is the first legally-binding multilateral agreement that prohibits nations from exporting conventional weapons to countries when they know those weapons would be used for genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes.
As of December 23, 60 nations had ratified the treaty and 130 had signed it, indicating that they intended to ratify. India was among the 23 nations that had abstained from voting on the treaty resolution last year, saying the draft treaty annexed to the resolution is weak on terrorism and non-state actors and these concerns find no mention in the specific prohibitions of the Treaty.
11:50 Sanjay Dutt granted 14-day leave from jail
Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt has been granted a 14-day furlough by the Yerawada Jail authorities. The actor had applied for a leave application earlier this month.
The 55-year-old actor will be released reportedly in a day or two, once the prison formalities are complete. Dutt, who is serving his remaining 42 month prison term in connection with the illegal possession of arms in 1993 Mumbai blasts, has been out on parole on several occasions.
In December last year, when his wife Manyata Dutt had fallen ill, he was granted a month-long break to take care of his two kids, which even got extented due to his spouse's poor health conditions. He also got a 30 day furlough on grounds of his own bad health in October that year.
Due to frequent parole applications, the Bollywood actor had sparked a controversy, where authorities were questioned over granting him leave.
11:36 Bharat Ratna for Vajpayee, Madan Mohan Malviya
The government has announced its decision to confer the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award, on former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and freedom fighter and educationist Madan Mohan Malaviya.
Confirmation of this came from the Rashtrapati Bhavan's Twitter account which posted: "PresidentMukherjee has been pleased to award Bharat Ratna to Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (posthumously) and to Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee."
The announcement about conferring India's highest civilian honour on Vajpayee comes on the eve of the veteran BJP leader's birthday, which falls on December 25. The day is also being celebrated by the central government, led by his party, as 'good governance day'.
Vajpayee is the first leader from the country's political right to be conferred the honour.
Confirmation of this came from the Rashtrapati Bhavan's Twitter account which posted: "PresidentMukherjee has been pleased to award Bharat Ratna to Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (posthumously) and to Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee."
The announcement about conferring India's highest civilian honour on Vajpayee comes on the eve of the veteran BJP leader's birthday, which falls on December 25. The day is also being celebrated by the central government, led by his party, as 'good governance day'.
Vajpayee is the first leader from the country's political right to be conferred the honour.
11:20 A leap of faith in Jammu and Kashmir
Rediff.com contributor M K Bhadrakumar writes: The results of the state assembly election in Jammu & Kashmir are on expected lines. The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Peoples Democratic Party were expected to do well and the ruling alliance of the National Conference and Congress was expected to be voted out.
No one really expected that any single party would muster absolute majority. All this duly happened.
What stands out is that the main victor is Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His charisma has caught the imagination of the people of J&K -- including among those who didn't vote for BJP. The states politics will no more be the same again.
Read more HERE
11:00 Modi sarkar slashes health budget; it's already among lowest in the world
The government has ordered a cut of nearly 20 percent in its 2014/15 healthcare budget due to fiscal strains, putting at risk key disease control initiatives in a country whose public spending on health is already among the lowest in the world.
Two health ministry officials told Reuters on Tuesday that more than 6000 crore rupees, or $948 million, has been slashed from their budget allocation of around 31,640 crores or $5 billion for the financial year ending on March 31.
Despite rapid economic growth over the past two decades, successive governments have kept a tight rein on healthcare expenditure. India spends about 1 percent of its gross domestic product on public health, compared to 3 percent in China and 8.3 percent in the United States.
But hopes were high that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was elected in May, would upgrade basic health infrastructure and make medical services more affordable for the poor
Read more HERE
11:00 Modi sarkar slashes health budget; it's already among lowest in the world
The government has ordered a cut of nearly 20 percent in its 2014/15 healthcare budget due to fiscal strains, putting at risk key disease control initiatives in a country whose public spending on health is already among the lowest in the world.
Two health ministry officials told Reuters on Tuesday that more than 6000 crore rupees, or $948 million, has been slashed from their budget allocation of around 31,640 crores or $5 billion for the financial year ending on March 31.
Despite rapid economic growth over the past two decades, successive governments have kept a tight rein on healthcare expenditure. India spends about 1 percent of its gross domestic product on public health, compared to 3 percent in China and 8.3 percent in the United States.
But hopes were high that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was elected in May, would upgrade basic health infrastructure and make medical services more affordable for the poor
Read more HERE
10:48 Delhi: Dense fog delays 65 trains, 4 cancelled
Dense fog in Delhi on Wednesday delayed at least 65 trains and led to the cancellation of four others.
An official of the Northern Railway said at least 57 trains coming to the city were running late, while eight trains departing from the national capital were rescheduled due to dense fog. Four trains have been cancelled, the official added.
The Met officials said the visibility at 8.30 am was 150 metres.
The minimum temperature settled three notches below the season's average at 5.3 degrees Celsius.
10:45 Delhi stares at acute water shortage
Areas across Delhi will face major water shortage from Wednesday as two major treatment plants in the capital were completely shut down on Tuesday after high-level of pollutants and ammonia were found in raw water supplied by Haryana.
The "abnormal rise" in pollutants in raw water forced Delhi Jal Board to close the Wazirabad and Chandrawal water treatment plants for the first time and Lt Governor Najeeb Jung has asked Haryana government as well as Central Pollution Control Board to intervene urgently.
Almost one third of Delhi's population residing in the Walled city, Central Delhi, South Delhi and parts of North Delhi will be affected and supply of water has already been hit in some areas, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) said yesterday.
10:45 Rahul Gandhi to review poll debacle with general secretaries today
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is expected to meet AICC general secretaries on Wednesday to review his party's dismal performance in the recently concluded Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand, the results for which were announced yesterday.
The Congress, despite hectic canvassing by its top brass and star campaigners, could win just 12 seats in Jammu and Kashmir. The party was largely wiped out in Jharkhand where it managed to get only 6 seats.
As per reports, today's meeting is expected to be attended by all general secretaries and the AICC in-charge of the two states besides Maharashtra and Haryana, which also saw Congress' crushing defeat after several years in power.
Gandhi had been holding interactions with young and old party leaders from various states in groups for the past few months to take their feedback on how to strengthen the party from the grass root and make a turnaround in Congress' fortunes.
10:27 Sensex down 36 points in cautious early trade
The benchmark BSE Sensex fell over 36 points in early trade today due to offloading of positions by participants in view of monthly expiry in the derivatives segment amidst sustained capital outflows.
The 30-share barometer, which had lost 195.33 points in the previous session, moved further down by 36.69 points, or 0.13 per cent, to 27,469.77 with stocks of infrastructure, oil & gas, metal, capital goods, healthcare and banking sectors leading the fall.
Also, the National Stock Exchange index Nifty shed 6.95 points, or 0.08 per cent, to 8,260.05.
Brokers said squaring-up of positions by speculators as today being the last trading session of December expiry and persistent selling by foreign funds, influenced sentiments.
They said, however, a firming trend at other Asian markets following overnight gains in US markets on robust economic growth in the third quarter, capped losses on the domestic bourses.
Among other Asian markets, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was up by 0.21 per cent, while Japan's Nikkei rose 1.17 per cent in early trade today. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.36 per cent higher in yesterday's trade.
09:55 Now 17 feels like a victory & 28 a defeat: Omar tweets
A day after being rejected by the J&K voter, former chief minister Omar Abdullah tweets:
@abdullah_omar: "Incidentally in 2002 Mufti became CM with 16 MLAs & NC with 28 sat in opposition so excuse me if I don't oblige by rolling over to play dead."
"Expectations were hyped & twisted to such an extent that now 17 feels like a victory & 28 a defeat. Go figure!!!!!"
"NC has 15+2 & we are very pleased, PDP has 28 & Mufti Sb hasn't been seen, much less heard. Clearly the more you have the more you want :-)"
"Expectations were hyped & twisted to such an extent that now 17 feels like a victory & 28 a defeat. Go figure!!!!!"
"NC has 15+2 & we are very pleased, PDP has 28 & Mufti Sb hasn't been seen, much less heard. Clearly the more you have the more you want :-)"
09:45 Ghar Wapsi: How Sikhs are countering the RSS
With the RSS and its affiliates having extended their 'ghar wapsi' programs to get Christians back to Sikhism in Punjab, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee -- the apex representative body of Sikhs -- has begun a concerted effort to get Sikhs, predominantly Mazhabi Sikhs, back to the fold.
As part of the initiative, the SGPC, controlled by the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, recruited 27 new preachers Tuesday.
The 27 qualified recruits, with either an MA in religion or having undergone the three-year course in missionary colleges run by the SGPC, will join a team of more than 150 preachers already working in different parts of the state.
The SGPC runs as many as nine missionary colleges, six of which are in Punjab. It runs three-year courses in these colleges focussing on Gurbani, Gurmat and Sikh principles.
Read more HERE
09:41 George HW Bush taken to hospital
Former US President George Bush Senior has been taken to hospital after suffering from a shortness of breath, his spokesman said.
Bush, 90, was taken to the Houston Methodist Hospital as a precaution, and "will be held for observation, again as a precaution", said Jim McGrath.
Two years ago, Bush was treated in the same hospital for more than two months for a bronchitis-related cough and other issues.
He was president from 1989 to 1993.
He is the oldest living former US president and a World War II veteran.
09:39 Saffron in Red corridor, BJP needs an anti-Maoist strategy
With its victory in Jharkhand, the BJP now controls two tribal-majority states, most affected by Left-wing extremism. Over the past few years, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have registered over 75 per cent of the total Maoist violence in the country.
The electoral success in Jharkhand now leaves a big task before the Centre and the governments in the two states to firmly tackle Maoist menace. The BJP had blamed the previous UPA government of being "soft" towards the Naxals.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose predecessor had termed Maoists the "biggest internal security challenge", is yet to unveil his agenda to tackle the issue. He did not even visit Chhattisgarh after 14 CRPF personnel were killed in a Naxal ambush in Sukma this month.
Due to fragmented polity, Jharkhand has witness sprouting up of several ultra-Left groups in the last decade. If Tuesday's results, reflect a yearning for stability, it cannot be achieved without tackling these outfits.
Read more HERE
09:12 Govt may announce Bharat Ratna for Vajpayee, Madan Mohan Malaviya today: sources
The announcement about conferring India's highest civilian honour on Vajpayee will reportedly be made on the eve of the veteran BJP leader's birthday, which falls on December 25. The day is also being celebrated by the central government, led by his party, as 'good governance day'.
NDTV reports: The government is all set to announce its decision to confer the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award, on former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and freedom fighter and educationist Madan Mohan Malaviya, sources said today.
PM Modi is expected to send a recommendation for the Bharat Ratna Awards on Wednesday afternoon to President Pranab Mukherjee, said sources.
The announcement about conferring India's highest civilian honour on Vajpayee will reportedly be made on the eve of the veteran BJP leader's birthday, which falls on December 25. The day is also being celebrated by the central government, led by his party, as 'good governance day'.
Vajpayee will be the first leader from the country's political right to be conferred the honour, said sources.
09:09 Delhi municipal schools shut till Jan 15 due to cold
Schools under the North Delhi Municipal Corporation will be closed from today till January 15 next year, in view of the extreme cold in the city.
The national capital has been reeling under intense cold cold conditions and today both minimum and maximum temperatures settled well below the normal mark.
In a mobile text message circulated through media, Director (Press & Information) of NDMC, Yogendra Singh Mann said, "North Delhi Municipal Corporation declares winter vacation from December 24 to January 15 next year, due to extreme cold weather."
Intense fog conditions also affected normal life and disrupted rail and air traffic.
09:07 Yusuf Pathan slaps spectator during Baroda's Ranji Trophy match
Yusuf Pathan got into trouble following an altercation with a spectator during the ongoing Ranji Trophy match with between Baroda and Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday at Reliance Cricket Stadium in Vadodara.
According to reports, the Baroda and India all-rounder got upset with some of the comments made by the spectator, while the cricketer was walking back to pavilion after getting out on 9 in the 84th over. A provoked Pathan then allegedly slapped the fan.
It's learnt that the fan also threw abuses towards Pathan's other Baroda teammates.
Baroda Cricket Association secretary Snehal Parikh was quoted as saying by PTI, "This youngster had been shouting and passing indecent comments against Pathan and other players, such as Ambati Rayudu, when they were batting. Pathan was in no mood to tolerate such a behaviour. Thus, after he got out, he called the youngster inside the dressing room and allegedly slapped him twice."
03:40 Chinese doctors punished for so-called 'surgery selfies'
Senior executives and a team of medical staff from a Chinese hospital in the northwestern province of Shaanxi have been punished for taking group photos next to apparently unconscious patients after surgery, state media reported on Monday.
Read this story HERE
01:22 China reluctant to join US in punishing North Korea over cyberattacks
China said Tuesday that there was no proof that North Korea was behind a cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment, signaling its reluctance to side with the United States over the incident, while also rejecting speculation that it could have cut off Pyongyang's Internet access as punishment.
Read the story HERE
01:21 60 Journalists Killed in 2014, Syria deadliest country: Report
On August 19 this year, a video that purported to show the beheading of freelance journalist James Foley horrified the world.
Read the full story HERE
Images of Foley dressed in orange kneeling next to a black-clad person claiming to be a member of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, flooded television news and social media and the footage was confirmed as authentic the next day.
Two weeks later, American-Israeli journalist Steven Sotloff was at the center of a similar video.
Read the full story HERE
00:54 Jesus was not born in a stable, says theologian
The birth of Christ may be the most famous Bible story of all, reprised annually in nativity scenes across the world each Christmas: Jesus was born in a stable, because there was no room at the inn. But evangelical scholar Rev Ian Paul has argued that the entire story may be based on a misreading of the New Testament, reviving an ancient theory that Jesus was not, in fact, born in a stable.
Read the article HERE
00:07 US cinemas to screen Sony film on Christmas Day
Sony Pictures has announced that The Interview will be given a limited theatrical release in the US on Christmas Day.The move comes just a week after the company cancelled its release after suffering a devastating cyber attack.
Sony Chairman Michael Lynton said he was 'excited' that the comedy, about a plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, would now be seen.
00:04 Top headlines of the last 24 hours
Militants kill over 34 tribals in Assam
PDP largest party in fractured J&K verdict; BJP to form govt in J'khand
Omar Abdullah to tender resignation on Wednesday
Cold wave unabated in N-India, 3 die in fog-related mishaps
Big winners and losers in J&K and Jharkhand
PDP, Cong alliance likely in J&K but BJP, NC cannot be ruled out
PDP largest party in fractured J&K verdict; BJP to form govt in J'khand
Omar Abdullah to tender resignation on Wednesday
Cold wave unabated in N-India, 3 die in fog-related mishaps
Big winners and losers in J&K and Jharkhand
PDP, Cong alliance likely in J&K but BJP, NC cannot be ruled out
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