LIVE! 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed moves court seeking ban on movie 'Phantom'

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Sat, 08 August 2015

26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed moves court seeking ban on movie 'Phantom'

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23:48 Modi govt giving 'roti' to minorities in place of 'topi':Najma

Prime Minister Narendra Modi might not be wearing skull cap and skipping Iftar parties but his government, unlike others in the past, was "sincerely" doing work to provide livelihood to minority communities, Union minister Najma Heptulla claimed. "Everybody in the past wore 'topi' but Prime Minister Narendra Modi government is the first which in place of 'topi' is working sincerely to provide 'roti' to minority communities," she said.

She did not give much credence to the Prime Minister not attending an Iftar party recently hosted by President Pranab Mukherjee. "In truth the 'Iftar' parties hosted by the rich are mostly photo-op events. Does anybody organise such 'Iftar' parties in 'garibo ki basti' (areas of poor)," she asked.

Police arrested the driver of the car in which people had come to first argue with the legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram and then opened fire at his car as well. Five men in a silver car had first argued with Wasim Akram and then opened fire at his car on August 5. After arresting a security guard belonging to a private company in Karachi, police also arrested the driver of the car

Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed filed a petition in the high court in Pakistan seeking a ban on the release of forthcoming Bollywood movie Phantom in Pakistan alleging that it contains "filthy propaganda" against his country.

Through his advocate A K Dogar, Saeed pleaded that the Indian film has "venom against Pakistan and JuD". "The film is about the 2008 Mumbai attack and global terrorism implicating the JuD. Filthy propaganda has been done in the film against Pakistan under subject of the world terrorism," he alleged.

The Governor-designate for Himachal Pradesh, Acharya Dev Vrat, lauded the BJP leadership for appointing a non-political social worker and educationist like him to the gubernatorial post and said he will continue to work for the nation. "I congratulate the BJP leadership for appointing a non- political person like me to the post of governor, taking my work as an educationist and social worker for the last 35 years as the sole basis for giving me this opportunity," Dev Vrat said.

21:31 PM Modi likely to visit UAE on August 16-17

Narendra Modi could visit the United Arab Emirates on August 16-17, marking the first trip by an Indian prime minister since Indira Gandhi went there 34 years ago. Modi is likely to visit Abu Dhabi on August 16 and head to Dubai the next day, sources said. "Preparations have started to organise a public meeting at Dubai Cricket Stadium on August 17," said one source.

After the Udhampur attack in which security officials were able to capture alive Pakistani terrorist, Home Minister Rajnath Singh has called for a high level security meeting in New Delhi. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Intelligence Bureau officials and other ministry of home affairs have been called to attend the meeting.

On Wednesday, Naved Usman and his accomplice opened fire on a BSF convoy in Udhampur, killing 2 officials. The BSF retaliated, killing Naved's accomplice.

In the aftermath of Udhampur attack, various kinds of rumours are circulating on social media about fresh terror threats and other issues, causing concern to the Authorities, which has warned of strict action against those spreading false information and creating panic.

Rumours circulating on Whatsapp are about 200 militants sneaking in, sighting of terrorist, capturing of terrorists in some areas, reports of encounter, feared attacks, emergency, closure of schools and so on, according to Udhampur District Magistrate Shahid Iqbal Choudhary.

He said this tendency has been viewed very seriously and more than a dozen Whatsapp groups have been put under scanner by district administration to identify the persons who are involved in this rumour mongering and creating panic among people.

20:44 Meet Indias beef-ban enforcers

Sitting outside a tiny office beneath a colorful portrait of a bull, members of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Cow Development Cell relive their recent exploits: setting up road blocks, stopping cattle trucks and freeing cows bound for the slaughterhouse."We have to do it to save our cow mother," says Subrata Gupta, head of the state of West Bengal's branch of the group, an official arm of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's political party.

Read more HERE

Just like Gita, an Indian who lived in Pakistan for nearly 15 years before efforts were initiated to bring her back, another 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' tale is unfolding as 24-year-old Salman Ahmed too needs India's assistance to get back home -- after over two decades.

"Thank you Sushma Swaraj for helping Gita," Pakistani human rights activist Ansar Burney, who has played a pivotal role in pursuing Gita's case with the Indian government, said, adding, "But it is my earnest request to her that she should help Salman Ahmed also. There should not be any discrimination on the basis of religion that Gita, a Hindu, received help, but Salman, a Muslim, did not."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to consult North Eastern states in finalisation of the details of the peace accord signed with NSCN-IM last week, Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh said amid a controversy over the issue.

The Manipur CM as also his Nagaland counterpart T R Zeliang separately met the Prime Minister during which the issue related to the Naga peace accord was discussed.

"Manipur chief minister was informed that everything would be discussed with the state governments concerned before finalisation of the accord," a state government statement. A similar assurance was given to Zeliang who was accompanied by his Home Minister Y Patton during the meeting with Modi, sources in the state government said.

Former UP Governor Aziz Qureshi said the Owaisi brothers are spreading communalism through their speeches and misleading the Muslim youth into thinking that Hindus are enemies of Muslims.

Answering a question regarding the hanging of Yakub Memon, he said that it was an unprecedented display of the Indian justice system at work where Yakub was given opportunity to place his plea before the court at 3 am. If someone still calls this injustice, then they should be hanged as traitors too.

The scribe of a Bengali daily, who surfaced after going missing for five days, has "confessed" that he had left his home in Alipurduar town due to "family problems", a senior CID officer said. Journalist Chayan Sarkar had surfaced at Coochbehar yesterday and had been brought to the CID office by his younger brother and a friend.

British PM David Cameron and wife, Samantha, begin their summer break with a relaxing beer in a harbour-side caf in a picturesque Portuguese fishing village. They started off their holiday with a drink in the pretty village of Alvor - known for its narrow cobbled streets and secluded coves - against an idyllic backdrop of sailing boats bobbing gently in the bay.

The British PM, a keen cricket fan, also found time to celebrate England's Ashes victory over Australia on Twitter. "Congratulations England on regaining Ashes. Thrilling victory. I'll never forget Botham in 81 & don't think I'll ever forget this either," he posted.

In what may show the intense fear of the accused in the mysterious Vyapam scam, 70 people who are lodged in Gwalior Jail of Madhya Pradesh have written to President Pranab Mukherjee seeking 'iccha mrityu' or suicide by legal sanction also known as euthanasia. The perceived death toll in the Vyapam scam has reportedly touched 49.

Earlier in July, five students from Madhya Pradesh's Gajra Raja Medical College who were accused in the Vyapam scam too had written to the President seeking permission to die.

A couple from a village in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh district has claimed that the deaf and mute Indian girl stuck in Pakistan for about 14 years is their daughter.

According to Anara Devi and her husband Ramraj Gautam of Thammohan village under Maheshganj police station, the girl, addressed as Geeta in Pakistan, is their daughter Savita who went missing since 2004, IG Law and order A Satish Ganesh said.

Devi claimed she had left the then four-year-old daughter with her brother Narain Das in Chhapra district of Bihar in 2004, the IG said. She said that a few days later, Savita went missing and a report was also lodged with the police station concerned, Ganesh said.

18:01 Imprisoned Sanjay Dutt goes hungry for 2 days

Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, who is currently in Pune's Yerwada Jail has reprtedly not eaten anything for two days. According to reports, the actor got upset after he got to know of the demise of his aunt, Rani Bali. Dutt, who is serving his remaining 42 month prison term in connection with the illegal possession of arms in 1993 Mumbai blasts wanted to attend the funeral of his aunt but couldn't get the required permissions.

Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam has called upon the people to come forward and fight together if the recent peace agreement between the Centre and National Socialist Council of Nagaland-IM group disturbed the territorial integrity of Manipur.

Demanding the details of the agreement reached on August 3, Gaikhangam who is also the president of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee, told reporters that the peace agreement was made without consulting the neighbouring states of Nagaland "which was very doubtful and also against Indian federalism".

Army today intercepted a group of militants near the Line of Control in Tangdhar area of north Kashmir, triggering a gunbattle, Army said.

Troops confronted a group of militants moving close to the LoC, an army officer said.

The militants were asked to surrender but they opened fire, he said, adding the troops retaliated and an encounter started.

The gunbattle was going on when the last reports came in, he said.

There was no immediate report of any casuality on either side, he said.

The officer said it was not immediately known whether the militants were trying to sneak into this side from across the border.

The National Investigation Agency on Saturday arrested three persons who are believed to have helped Pakistani terrorist Naved alias Usman Khan, captured three days ago after an encounter in Udhampur.

Among the arrested is a boy who gave shelter to Naved and a truck driver who helped the Pakistani terrorist reach Udhampur. The NIA made thye arrests in Awantipora (Pulwama district) and Kulgam district areas.

"The NIA team had taken Naved to Pulwama and Kulgam following disclosures made by him. It is likely that more arrests will take place following the leads given to interrogators by the accused," a police officer.

Naved, a member of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba terror outfit, was overpowered by villagers after he and a fellow Pakistani terrorist shot dead two Border Security Force (BSF) troopers on the Jammu-Srinagar highway in Udhampur district on August 5.

According to sources, Naved's handler in Pakistan, Qasim gave instructions to the terrorist about where to go and whom to meet.

16:21 Bihar and Himachal Pradesh get new governors

President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed Ram Nath Kovind and Acharya Dev Vrat as the new Governors of Bihar and Himachal Pradesh respectively.

The above appointments will take effect from the dates the incumbents assume charge of their respective offices, a Rashtrapati Bhavan release said.

Unhappy with the coverage related to hanging of 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yaqub Memon by ABP News, NDTV 247 and Aaj Tak, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has issued show-cause notice to them, asking why action should not be taken against them.

Official sources said that it was felt that some parts of the coverage of these news channels were inappropriate following which they have been asked to explain how their coverage does not violate the sections of the Programme Code.

Officials said that sections of the Programme Code lay down that no programme should be carried which contains anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and half-truths.

As per other sections of the Code, no programme should be carried which is likely to encourage or incite violence or contains anything against maintenance of law and order or which promote anti-national attitudes.

Another sections also tells channels not to carry anything which contains aspersions against the integrity of the President and Judiciary.

Officials said that in view of these provisions of the Programme Code, the ministry felt that there was a need to seek explanation from these channels.

India Today reports: In an another blow to Aam Adami Party, a woman has lodged a molestation case against AAP leader Kumar Vishwas. The case has been filed in a Delhi police station.

Earlier also, AAP leader Kumar Vishwas and his wife were summoned by Delhi Commission for Women after a party volunteer approached it claiming that "false rumours" of his having illicit relationship with her were ruining her reputation and that he should come forward to clarify.

She has alleged that Vishwas took no action towards dispelling the "rumours" while Kejriwal did not take note of her complaint.

Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim ensured maximum crowd at 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memon's funeral, who was executed at Nagpur Central Prison on July 30, a newspaper report said on Saturday.

According to the Times Of India report, Dawood, 1993 Mumbai bomb blast accused, had ordered his supporters to be present at Yakub's funeral.

Quoting some police sources the newspaper stated that Dawood and his close aide Chhota Shakel had telephoned all their loyalists in Mumbai asking them to be present at Yakub's funeral to show solidarity.

Police sources say Dawood's diktat was the main reason behind 10,000 strong crowd gathering at Marine Lines graveyard for the Mumbai blasts convict's last rites.

Over 30,000 personnel of Mumbai police, under the supervision of senior officers including City Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria, had been deployed both at Mahim and the Marine Lines graveyard.

Self-styled godwoman Mamtamai Radhe Guru Maa early Saturday broke down before mediapersons when reporters questioned her alleged involvement in a case of domestic violence and torture of one of her disciples Niki Gupta.

Giving a brief statement to the media persons, the self-styled godwoman said, I don't want to say anything, God will do justice to me.

Radhe Maa on Friday stayed at a hotel in the vicinity of the city, sources said in Aurangabad today.

Radhe Maa reached stayed at Hotel Meadows in Padegaon, eight kilometres away from the city.

She was interrogated by the city police for more than an hour but the police was tight-lipped about the details.

A woman has alleged that Radhe Maa instigated her husband and in-laws to demand dowry from her, even though she had given them jewellery worth over Rs.102 crore at the time of the marriage.

In her complaint lodged by the Kandivali police last week, the 32-year-old complainant has claimed that Radhe Maa allegedly asked her in-laws, including her chartered accountant husband, to make more dowry demands from her.

Activist-lawyer Falguni Brahmbhatt also lodged a separate complaint at Borivali police station against Radhe Maa for running a business disguised as religion and misleading people.

13:01 PM Modi cancels Bodh Gaya visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bodh Gaya during his trip to Gaya in Bihar on Sunday has been cancelled, an official said on Saturday.

Modi will address a rally in Gaya, about 100 km from here, ahead of the upcoming state assembly polls.

"Modi will not visit Bodh Gaya's Mahabodhi temple on his way to the airport. His programme to visit Bodh Gaya was cancelled...," an official in Gaya said.

Bodh Gaya, a holy place for Buddhists, is about 12 km from Gaya town and two kilometre from the international airport.

Modi will arrive in Gaya by a special plane to address his second rally after a public meeting in Muzaffarpur on July 25.

11:50 Pak hackers are preparing for a major strike!

NDTV reports: Pakistan intelligence agencies are planning to hack the computer networks of ministries like Defence and External Affairs, according to a government warning.

An advisory was issued today by the Home Ministry alerting that sensitive and classified information must be carefully protected from online exposure.

The advisory warns that Pakistani intelligence agencies will try to use a complex matrix of online proxies as cover for an attempted hack.

The warning comes amid escalating cross-border firing in Jammu and Kashmir and ahead of scheduled talks in Delhi between the National Security Advisors of India and Pakistan that is meant to focus on countering terror attacks.

The Amarnath yatra was suspended today due to closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in the wake of a landslide triggered by heavy rains in Udhampur district of the state.

"Due to heavy rains, a massive landslide closed the 300-km long Jammu-Srinagar National Highway at Kheri in Udhampur district late last night," SSP Traffic National Highway, Sanjay Kotwal said.

The authorities have also suspended the Amarnath yatra from Jammu base camp, he said, adding the other traffic was also not allowed on the highway.

The men and machines of Border Roads Organisation are working to clear the landslide and the highway is expected to reopen by this evening, he said.

Some vehicles were stranded on both sides of the highway, he added.

11:16

Just In: Cloud burst in Mandi submerges Dharampur bus station and 4 buses

11:08 Foreigners rescued as Mali hotel siege leaves seven dead

Five foreigners have been evacuated and a "number" of hostages freed after they were trapped by gunmen in a hotel standoff with soldiers in central Mali that left at least seven people dead, military sources said early today.

"We can not say that everything is finished, but a number of hostages" were freed by Malian forces deployed around the Hotel Byblos in Sevare, a source told AFP.

Another military source said Malian Special Forces had rescued the hostages, including five foreigners "who were evacuated to Bamako". The source was unable to specify their nationalities.

The attackers had stormed the hotel, frequented by foreign visitors and troops, at around 7:00 am (0700 GMT) Friday, according to the government.

Malian forces cordoned off the area but their efforts against the gunmen were made "sensitive" by the presence of hostages, a military source said yesterday.

It was not clear how many people were still being held by the attackers. Part of the UN peacekeeping mission (MINUSMA) was also staying in the hotel, the government said.

The government statement yesterday gave a provisional toll of "five dead, two injured" on the Malian army side and "two killed" on the insurgent side. Seven suspects had been detained, it added.

India has decided to boycott the Commonwealth Speakers' conference to be held in Islamabad later this month in protest against Pakistan's decision not to invite the Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, calling it a disputed territory.

"Today we held a meeting of the speakers from nearly 31 states and we have decided to write that if Jammu and Kashmir is not invited, we will not attend the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) meet in Pakistan," Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan told reporters in New Delhi.

As many as 53 Commonwealth countries, including India and Pakistan, constitute the CPA.

The members the London-based group, consisting of the heads of Parliaments of constituent countries and constitutional heads of their respective State legislatures (state branches), meet annually.

Read more HERE

04:48 Powerful Typhoon Soudelor slams into Taiwan

Typhoon Soudelor made landfall Saturday morning just north of the Taiwanese city of Hualien on the east coast of the island nation, bringing fierce winds and torrential rain.

Forecasters had predicted the storm would have maximum sustained winds at landfall of about 125 mph (200 kph), the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane.

Authorities in Taiwan had deployed more than 35,000 military personnel to help relocate residents of vulnerable areas as Soudelor made its way across the Pacific Ocean.

Parts of Northern Taiwan have already picked up over 12 inches (300 millimeters) of rain in the 24 hours ahead of the storm's approach, according to Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau.

As of Friday midnight, some 82,000 homes were without power, according to Taiwan Power Company.

Schools and government offices in some areas were closed Friday for all or part of the day. Taiwanese airlines have announced flight adjustments, canceling a number of domestic and international flights for Saturday, according to Taiwan's Central News Agency. Railways have likewise suspended high speed and regular train services, said the Agency.

The Central Weather Bureau has warned 16 cities and counties they're likely to experience intense rain and powerful winds from Soudelor.

Read more HERE.

Picture for representation only.

03:46 Not aware of Modi's planned visit: White House

The US has said it is not aware of any planned visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House during his trip to the country to attend 70th annual session of the UN General Assembly in New York next month.

"I'm not aware of any planned visits by Prime Minister Modi to the White House in conjunction with his travel to the US for the United Nations General Assembly," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said yesterday.

Responding to questions on possibility of Modi meeting President Barack Obama, Earnest said the White House was oblivious of any such development.

Modi is also expected to travel to San Francisco to address the Indian Diaspora on September 27 and meet corporate leaders in the Silicon Valley, becoming the fourth Indian Premier to visit US' West Coast.

In a five-day visit to the US in September last year, Modi had met Obama and sought investment from prominent CEOs besides exhorting the Indian-American community to take up a greater role in the development of India.

02:27 Eight dead as Mali hotel standoff continues

An unknown number of hostages was still being held in Mali by gunmen who stormed a hotel in the central town of Sevare, triggering a shootout that killed at least eight people, the military said Friday.

"The hostage taking is still going on. The death toll now is three dead soldiers and four wounded," a military source said. "Two terrorists have also been killed and there are three bodies lying in front of the hotel next to a burned-out minibus."

Earlier the authorities had said that four people, including two soldiers, had been killed at the Byblos hotel, which is popular with foreigners.

Attackers had stormed the Byblos hotel in the town of Sevare early Friday, in what military sources and local residents said may have been an attempt to kidnap Western hotel guests.

"It is a hostage-taking," the military source said, adding that two of the troops surrounding the Byblos hotel had been killed and another three injured.

A man wearing an explosives belt was shot dead, the source said, while the body of a white man was lying outside the hotel.

"It is still not over," the source added.

The UN today called on Bangladesh to initiate steps for preventing violence against writers and activists, including providing physical protection to potential targets, in the wake of the killing of a secular

blogger in the country.

The UN Special Rapporteurs on freedom of expression and extra judicial executions, David Kaye and Christof Heyns condemned the killing of 40-year-old secular Bangladeshi blogger Niloy Chakrabarty Neel by machete-wielding Islamists today.

"The violent killing of another critical voice in Bangladesh shows that serious threats to freedom of expression persist in the country. It is vital to ensure the identification of those responsible for this and the previous

horrendous crimes," the experts said in a statement.

Neel's murder is the fourth such brutal attack in the country. Machete-wielding masked men had in May hacked to death 33-year-old Ananta Bijoy Das, a secular blogger, in Sylhet city.

Assailants in February had killed 45-year-old Avijit Roy, a Bangladesh-born US national, while his wife narrowly escaped the attack.

A month after Roy's killing, another blogger Washiqur Rahman was murdered in similar fashion in Dhaka.

The Special Rapporteurs, independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, called for a "prompt and thorough investigation" into the killing of Neel.

The organized targeting of critical voices promotes a "culture of silence and fear" which has a ripple effect on society as a whole, the experts observed.

"The Bangladeshi authorities must not only continue to strongly condemn these horrendous acts against freedom of expression, but should also ensure that their words are followed by more effective efforts to ensure greater accountability and prevent this kind of violence," the Special

Rapporteurs said.

President Pranab Mukherjee returned here shortly after midnight tonight cutting short his visit to Odhisa after his wife Suvra fell ill and was

hospitalised.

On landing here, the President drove straight to the Army's Research and Referral Hospital in Cantonment area to see his wife.

Official sources said Suvra, who has been ill for sometime, was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital.

The President was on a two-day visit to Odhisa and he was scheduled to attend a convocation of National Law University at Cuttack.

A suicide bomber has killed 20 recruits at the Kabul police academy, Afghan officials have said, in the second major attack in the capital in less than 24 hours.

The incident, which happened as cadets were returning to the academy after their two-day weekend, marks a serious breach of security at a top training institute for Afghan security forces.

A suicide bomber on foot blew himself up near the academy, said deputy interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish. Heavy casualties are expected. Officials told Associated Press that 20 recruits had died.

Heavily armed security officials cordoned off the area and ambulances were seen rushing to the scene. Kabuls deputy police chief, Gul Agha Rouhani, confirmed it was a suicide attack.

Missing journalist Chayan Sarkar working with Bengal's Uttarbanga Sangbad was rescued by West Bengal police from Coochbehar late tonight.

He is being brought to Alipurduar, his native town.

According to sources, Sarkar has told the police that his abductors had kept him confined close to the forest areas of Coochbehar.

01:11 Top headlines in the last 24 hours

Members in Lok Sabha pitch for making voting compulsory

India to boycott Speakers' meet in Pak if Jammu and Kashmir not invited

How this Tamil Nadu man weaved his magic on PM Modi

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