Amid the ongoing spar on National Herald issue, senior jurist Shanti Bhushan today claimed that his father owned shares in Associated Journals Ltd and said he will challenge the decision of transfer of its ownership to Young Indians, in which Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi are majority shareholders.

The 90-year-old former law minister said his father Vishwamitra had bought shares of AJL and the decision to transfer the ownership of AJL to Young Indians was taken without the consent of the share holders.

"As Associated Journals is concerned, this company had been formed by large number of patriotic people which includes my father also. And, therefore, they (the shareholders) have the right to decide on how this company should be run," Bhushan said.

"All these facts have to (be) ascertained after looking at the records of the Company and Registrar of Companies. We will have (to) get signatures of all the heirs because when my father died he left a widow and 10 children," he said.

Officials in Kabul and Madrid said on Friday evening that a suicide bomber and several gunmen have attacked the Spanish embassy compound in the Afghan capital.

Gunshots were being heard following a loud explosion near the embassy, officials said.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, it said the target was a foreign guest house.

It was not immediately clear if the guest house was inside the embassy premises. The blast shook nearby buildings in Sherpur area in central Kabul..

The Afghan interior ministry confirmed a 'terrorist' attack was underway in Kabul, but declined to give further details.

There have been no reports of casualties so far.

Two French nationals were arrested in New Delhi for allegedly assaulting security personnel at Indira Gandhi International airport while they were being offloaded from a flight following which the Delhi police has sent a report to the ministry of home affairs in this regard.

The duo has been placed in 14-days' judicial custody by a Delhi court.

The incident was reported at around 11 am on Thursday when the two French nationals -- Victor Claude Carmelo Martinez and Morgan Paul Maurice Patenere -- both aged around 25 years, were being offloaded from an international flight for allegedly having consumed alcohol beyond the permissible limit and creating nuisance, said a police official.

"The youths allegedly assaulted security personnel while being offloaded and a case of obstructing public servant in discharge of duties and assaulting a public servant was registered in connection with the incident," said DCP (IGI airport) D K Gupta.

The youths were detained by a team of security personnel who later handed them over to the police.

Police has also communicated the matter to the French embassy.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party chief Imran Khan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday evening.

Khan was accompanied by Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the external affairs ministry said.   Khan also invited the PM to visit Pakistan, MEA said.

'The duo welcomed the recent developments in bilateral relations and expressed hope that these would lead to closer ties between the two countries,' the ministry said.

Recent reports indicate the blast in Kabul was close to Spanish embassy in the downtown.Insurgents have entered buildings housing local police forces: ANI.

The Supreme Court today said that it would hear on December 15 all matters relating to rising level of air pollution in the national capital, including a plea to ban diesel-run vehicles.

The apex court had on Thursday stepped into the raging debate on pollution and had agreed to examine a suggestion to ban entry of all diesel-run trucks, except those carrying essential goods, into the national capital.

It had also asked the Centre to come up with 'common minimum acceptable programmes' on the issue after consulting all stakeholders.

No new diesel vehicles will be registered in Delhi, the National Green Tribunal said, announcing another giant step for the critically-polluted capital after the odd-even rule.

Chinese internet giant Alibaba has confirmed it has struck a deal to buy Hong Kong's popular English-language newspaper, the South China Morning Post.The deal also includes licences for the Hong Kong editions of Elle, Cosmopolitan and Harper's Bazaar.Financial terms of the deal were not publicly revealed. SCMP has a market value of 3.04bn Hong Kong dollars

That's an honorary doctorate for Japan PM Shinzo Abe.

A girl from Hyderabad, who was allegedly in touch with the arrested executive of Indian Oil Corporation, has been kept under surveillance for her suspected links with ISIS.


"The girl in her mid-20s was radicalised online and deeply influenced by the activities of ISIS. She was in regular touch with many sympathisers of the terrorist group. She is under surveillance but efforts are on to de-radicalise her with the help of family and community leaders," a security official said.


Mohd Sirazudin, the arrested IOC executive, had formed closed groups of ISIS sympathisers, including the Hyderabadi girl and two youths from Maharashtra, in Facebook and Whatsapp and was allegedly spreading ISIS activities online and trying to recruit Indian youths in the Middle-East terrorist group.


"Sirazudin was taken into custody as he was on the verge of turning into a 'lone wolf'," the official said. A 'lone wolf' terrorist is one who indulges in violence in support of some group, movement or ideology but works alone, outside of any command structure and without material assistance from any group.


The Special Operation Group (SOG) and ATS of Rajasthan Police arrested Sirazudin, the marketing manager of IOC, in Jaipur yesterday. Sirazudin, who hails from Gulbarga in Karnataka, was accused of active in flaring up and encouraging Muslim youths for joining ISIS activities, police said. A number of issues of ISIS' online magazine "Dabik", pictures and video were recovered from him.

At least 12 students were arrested from their hostel rooms on Osmania University campus for allegedly organising a "beef festival" in defiance of a court order asking for a status quo on holding either beef or pork festival, police said today.


The students were arrested last night, a senior police official said, adding that, "We have arrested them under contempt of court case". The students were being produced in the court today.


Meanwhile, the situation on the OU is normal today against the backdrop of a mild tension yesterday. A students' group had declared that it would hold a 'beef festival' on the campus on December 10, coinciding with the World Human Rights Day, while another group also announced its plan to organise a 'pork festival' the same day, which had raised the possibility of confrontation.

"In the long run because of international pressure Headley's testimony will become credible in Pakistan also. And if Pakistan decides to examine him as a witness in their trial, then I think there is a chance of conviction against Hafiz Saeed and Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi," says former cop, YP Singh in an interview to Syed Firdaus Ashraf. Read

Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan will meet next month to discuss the details of the comprehensive bilateral dialogue that was announced during Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj's visit to Islamabad earlier this week, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry has announced.


On Wednesday, amid efforts by both nations to improve ties, Swaraj had announced in Islamabad that India and Pakistan will resume comprehensive bilateral dialogue.


"India and Pakistan are ready for talks. How this dialogue can be taken forward - the schedule and modalities will be decided in due course," Swaraj had said after meeting Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz.The discussions will involve "peace and security, CBMs, Jammu and Kashmir, Siachen... Economic and Commercial Cooperation, Counter-Terrorism... Humanitarian Issues, People to People exchanges and religious tourism," said a joint statement. "The Indian side was assured of the steps being taken to expedite the early conclusion of the Mumbai trial," the joint statement read.

The sessions court here today rejected bail pleas of Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel and two of his aides, who are behind the bars in a sedition case, observing that they may resort to similar unlawful activities and disturb law and order situation in Gujarat.


Additional Sessions Judge N G Dave dismissed the bail pleas in the second sedition case filed against Hardik and others saying that the "court cannot exercise discretion..in favour of the applicants in the larger interest of the society." Hardik and his aides Dinesh Bambhaniya and Chirag Patel, who are facing sedition charges and are at present lodged in jail, had filed their bail application last month.


While rejecting their bail plea, the court noted that prima facie a case of sedition does exist against the applicants.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will meet Congress leaders on 14th December on the issue of GST.

1957: PM of Japan, Nobusuke Kishi (Grandfather of Shinzo Abe) laying wreath on the samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi, Delhi.

India, Pakistan foreign secretaries to meet next month to discuss details of comprehensive dialogue.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday arrived in India on a three-day visit. Welcoming his Japanese counterpart in Delhi, Prime Minister Modi on Friday described him as a "phenomenal leader' and said his trip will further deepen the bilateral relations.


"Liked how PM @AbeShinzo describes India-Japan ties, the rich potential & cultural bond in his piece' in a newspaper, Modi tweeted.


EAM Sushma Swaraj meets Japan PM Shinzo Abe

The condition of veteran CPI leader A B Bardhan, who was admitted to a hospital in New Delhi on Monday after he suffered a paralytic stroke, is "critical but stable", CPI said today.


"Senior CPI leader Bardhan, a veteran of Left movement who was admitted to GB Pant Hospital after he complained of breathlessness, continues to be critical but stable. He had brain hemorrhage," CPI said in a statement. Doctors attending to him are making "all-out" efforts to save Bardhan, who still is in ICU, the party added.

RSS is no ISI but a band of patriots, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today said as he hit out at the Congress for "behaving like a fish without water after being out of power".


Asking the Congress to indulge in politics within the limits of decency, the former BJP chief said the opposition was trying to portray Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "villain".


"I am a complete RSS worker. I have done struggle...I left studies .. went to jail for nation's cause, PM has been pracharak of RSS....We are patriots... Is it a violation of Constitution or criminal procedure code if someone is of RSS," Gadkari fumed after Congress leader and former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar accused BJP of doing divisive politics in the country at the instance of RSS.


"RSS koi ISI organisation hai kya? (Is RSS an organisation like ISI?)...We take pride in it. Congress is behaving like a fish without water after being out of power," the senior BJP leader said. Both Gadkari and Ashwani were speaking at the programme 'Agenda Aaj Tak: Vikas ka Express Way' in New Delhi.


Gadkari said the opposition was all out trying to portray the PM as a "villain" to fulfil their political aspirations. He said the Congress insulted the entire judicial system of the nation when its vice-president alleged that the court order in the National Herald case was due to pressure from PM.

The chances of the GST Bill being passed in Parliament is bright with Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, declaring that the Congress is all for a smooth session from Monday.


The GST Bill is therefore likely to be introduced in the Upper House on Tuesday by Arun Jaitley.


Azad said that the BJP had created a smokescreen before the Congress that the Rajya Sabha had been log jammed due to protests over the National Herald case and that Congress is not for development.


Azad clarfied that at three separate occasions, the Congress had stalled the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha on the General VK Singh controversy and not on National Herald case.BJP minister Mukhtar Naqvi thanked the Congress leader for allowing the smooth functioning of the Upper House from Monday.


On that reconciliatory note, P J Kurien, the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha adjourned the house.So, why has the Congress suddenly changed its strategy in Parliament? Read the full story on Rediff.com shortly. 

Salman Khan's father Salim Khan says he is happy and relieved after his son's acquittal in the 2002 hit-and-run case. Yesterday, the Bombay High Court acquitted the 49-year-old actor of all charges in the case, seven months after a sessions court here convicted and sentenced him to five-year imprisonment in May.


"Everybody is happy...every person who is close to Salman emotionally, is happy. I am happy and relieved," Salim Khan told PTI. The veteran Bollywood scriptwriter feels people are oblivious to the ordeal that Salman faced in the case.


"People are saying he has just walked away... he has been in the jail for few days. He has spent over Rs 20-25 crores (on the case). Besides this, what about the tension that he and everyone went through all this time?" Salim said.


On September 28, 2002, Salman's car had rammed into a bakery shop in suburban Bandra killing one and injuring four others.

Welcoming his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe here, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today described him as a "phenomenal leader" and said his trip will further deepen the bilateral relations. 

Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has just landed in New Delhi for his three-day visit, during which he will hold annual summit talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

The three convicts in the Park Street rape have been awarded 10 years imprisonment. On Thursday, the Kolkata high court had found 3 guilty of raping a mother of two teenaged daughters nside a moving car in the posh Park Street area in Kolkata more than three years ago. 

'Self-styled' loyalists of 10, Janpath convinced Sonia Gandhi that it would be better to back P V Narasimsha Rao in 1991 as Prime Minister over him as the "Gandhi family was not about to let someone with independent mind" to get the top post, Sharad Pawar has claimed.


The loyalists including the late Arjun Singh, himself an aspirant for the prime minister's post played a "clever trick" to convince Sonia Gandhi in the decision to choose Rao over Pawar, says the NCP President, who became Defence Minister in Rao's cabinet.


Pawar has made these claims in his book 'Life on my terms-From the Grassroots and Corridors of Power', which was formally released in the presence of a galaxy of political leaders including Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the President and Vice President at a function to celebrate his 75th birth day, which is tomorrow.


He says that his name was considered for the top post in the party not only in Maharashtra but also in other states. He was personally more circumspect as he was aware that a lot depended on the inclination of 10 Janpath, where Sonia Gandhi resides.


"Though a senior leader, P V Narasimha Rao had withdrawn from mainstream politics for health reasons before the election. Given his long experience, there were suggestions to bring him back following the unforeseen exit of Rajiv," Pawar states in his book.


"Self styled loyalists of 10 Janpath started saying in private conversations that Sharad Pawar's election as prime minister would harm the First Family's interest in view of his young age. "'Woh Lambi Race Ka Ghoda Hoga' (He will hold the reins for a very long time), they argued. Among them who played a clever trick were M L Fotedar, R K Dhawan, Arjun Singh and V George.


"They convinced Sonia Gandhi that it would be safer for her to back Narasimha Rao because he was old and not in a good shape. Arjun Singh himself aspired to become prime minister and hoped to succeed Rao soon. Anyway, once Sonia Gandhi had bought the coterie's 'bring Rao' argument in 1991, the tide turned against me," Pawar says.

Welcoming Salman Khan's acquittal in the 2002 hit and run case, Shah Rukh Khan today expressed his happiness for his old friend.


"At a personal level without getting into anything generic or bigger, he is our friend and colleague. I have known him for years now. So, if there is anything happening nice for him then we feel happy. On that level yes, we are happy and in whichever way the judgement has gone is positive for him so we feel happy for him,' said Shah Rukh Khan.

SRK also said that he hasn't spoken to Salman yet and will do so as soon as he find time from his busy schedule.The Bombay High Court had on Thursday (December 10) acquitted Salman in the case, quashing the trial court order convicting and sentencing him for five years.Also read: Salman Khan breaks down after hearing the verdict in 2002 hit and run caseIt held that the prosecution had failed to prove "beyond reasonable doubt' that the actor was driving the vehicle at the time of accident and was drunk.

The Reserve Bank of India today said it is expecting the US Federal Reserve to raise rates next week by between one and 25 basis points and it is prepared to meet any eventuality arising out of the decision.


"The Fed has prepared the ground and we are expecting that it will raise rates anywhere between one and 25 basis points," RBI governor Raghuram Rajan told reporters after the central bank's board meeting today.


There is 70-75 per cent possibility that the rates would be increased, Rajan said. RBI deputy governor Urjit Patel said it is almost certain that the Fed will raise interest rates next week. "After analysing the language used by Fed, we are expecting that interest rates will be raised by the US central bank," Patel said. He added that one could expect some changes in financial flows in the markets. "Whatever decision the Fed takes, we are prepared for any eventuality", Rajan said.

The Jordan family in Kolkata has been floating in a state of jubilant joy all afternoon. Suzette Jordan, the "pivot" of their lives and the erstwhile "Park Street rape victim", was finally vindicated by a city sessions court, which found three men guilty of gang-raping her in 2012. The main accused is yet to be arrested, but today, Jordan's parents, daughters and siblings only have time for celebrations, prayers and tears of relief. Read more

News alert: RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan says, he expects up to 0.25 per cent rise in rate by US Federal Reserve next week.

Just in: No new diesel vehicles to be registered in Delhi, says the National Green Tribunal. The NGT directs the centre and state government not buy diesel vehicles for departments.

The Supreme Court yesterday threw its weight behind efforts to clean up Delhi's air, agreeing to explore various options including banning diesel cars from the Capital's roads and stopping trucks from passing through the city to tackle the growing menace of pollution.

The order comes amid spiralling pollution and could nudge the authorities in the city and at the Centre to work out an anti-pollution scheme which has wider acceptability and which they would be constrained to enforce.

As a radical step to cut down pollution, the Delhi government has announced that from the New Year, odd and even numbered cars will be allowed on alternate days. The system will be tested for 15 days, says the government.

Yesterday, the top court called the pollution in Delhi 'embarrassing'.

"Delhi has earned a bad name that it is the most polluted city. Last week a Judge came from International Court of Justice to Delhi. It is very embarrassing for us to tell him that this is the level of pollution in Delhi," said the court.

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy serves a notice to the Delhi High Court that the juvenile rapist and murderer in the Delhi gang-rape of December 16, 2012, should not be freed. Swamy said the rapist has been radicalised according to reports from the Intelligence Bureau.

Amid apprehension raised by Nirbhaya parents, the Union Home Ministry is contemplating to ask the juvenile convict to sign a legal bond affirming good behaviour after his release.

The bond as per Section 107 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) will act as security for keeping the peace after his release from a juvenile remand home.

"The Ministry is mulling on the option in this regard as it is legally not possible to keep him behind the bars," a senior official said.

As per the CrPC provision, when an executive magistrate receives information that any person is likely to commit a breach of the peace or disturb public tranquility and is of opinion that there is sufficient ground for proceeding, he may, require such person to show cause why he should not be ordered to execute a bond, with or without sureties, for keeping the peace for a period not exceeding one year.

Harish Kotian/Rediff.com reports: India are placed in a tough group for the ICC World T20 2016 drawn against arch-rivals Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand and a qualifier. India open its campaign against New Zealand on March 15 at Nagpur.The high-voltage clash between former champions India and Pakistan clash will take place on March 19 at Dharmshala.

Just in: India to play Pakistan in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, on March 19 in the ICC World Cup T20. The 6th edition of the World T20 will be held from March 11 to April 3 and will be hosted by India.

India is in the same group as Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand. India will play New Zealand in the ICC World T20 opener in Nagpur on March 15. The finals will be held on April 3 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Delhi and Mumbai will host semifinals of the ICC World T20 on March 30 and 31.

The ICC World Twenty20 India 2016 was launched at the St Regis hotel in Mumbai today. The event was be attended by ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar, ICC Chief Executive David Richardson and BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur.

Former law minister Shanti Bhushan has challenged the "wholly illegal" transfer of shares of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) to Sonia-Rahul Gandhi controlled private firm Young Indian Limited (YIL).


The Associated Journals Ltd shareholder Shanti Bhushan said he had inherited over 300 AJL shares which his father had bought in 1938.


"My father had taken the shares in 1938 in his name. I have initiated the process for substitution of his legal heirs as owners of those shares," said Bhushan.


On being asked, if he would challenge the transfer of AJL shares to YIL, Bhushan said, "Very surely I will challenge it in court. This transfer of shares is wholly illegal."


This will give a completely new dimension to the raging controversy over the trial court summoning Sonia and Rahul on the National Herald case filed by BJP member Subramanian Swamy.


"My father had 10 children. Three of them have passed away. I have to get the signatures of their legal heirs for substituting my father's name with ours as owners of these 300 shares," Bhushan said.


He also added, "This process of getting signatures of legal heirs will take some time. But surely I will challenge this illegal transfer of AJL shares."


The Congress has termed the court case against Sonia and Rahul as "vendetta" litigation in proxy by a vindictive BJP-led NDA government. It said Swamy has no locus standi as he did not own a single share in AJL.

-- India Today

Just in: Competition Appellate Tribunal sets aside CCI's Rs 6,316.59 crore penalty on cement manufacturers; asks regulator to hear matter afresh.

The National Green Tribunal questions the Delhi govt's odd-even formula for vehicles to check pollution in the national capital, says it may not achieve the desired purpose. NGT says that the odd-even formula for vehicles may make people to buy two cars.

The odd and even number operation of private vehicles for pollution control will come into effect on January 1, and will be implemented date-wise. Private cars with odd vehicle number plates will ply on odd dates and those with even number plates will ply on even dates.

On January 1, cars with numbers ending with 1,3,5, 7 and 9 will operate. Similarly on January 2, cars with numbers ending with 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 will be allowed to ply. There was a proposal to implement this day-wise but we received feedback saying people might find it difficult to remember the days on which odd and even numbers will be allowed to operate, Transport Minister Gopal Rai has said.

While the odd and even policy was among a slew of radical pollution control measures announced last week, the government on Tuesday clarified some of the aspects of implementation after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held a review meeting. The meeting was attended by ministers, senior Delhi government officials, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and Special Commissioner (Traffic) Muktesh Chander.

Rai said that in the first phase from January 1 to January 15, 2016, operation of odd and even number vehicles will be in effect from 8 am to 8 pm. Private vehicles with both odd and even numbers will be allowed to ply before 8 am and after 8 pm. Sundays will be exempted from this campaign. Everyone will be allowed to ply, said Rai.

A senior official of state-run Indian Oil Corporation was on Friday arrested for alleged links with terror organisation Islamic State, the police said.

The Special Operation Group and the anti-terrorism squad of Rajasthan Police arrested Mohd Sirazudin, the marketing manager of IOC in Jaipur. "Sirazudin, hailing from Gulbarga in Karnataka,... was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for his alleged involvement in (activities of) international terrorist organisation IS, supplying official inputs and recruiting organisation members in the country," Alok Tripathi, Additional Deputy General of Police (ATS and SOG), said.

"The accused was also active in flaring up and encouraging Muslim youths for (joining) ISIS activities," Tripathi said. On a complaint, SOG and ATS teams verified antecedents of the accused, and checked his WhatsApp and Facebook accounts.

Objectionable materials were seized from his residence in Jaipur, the ADG said, adding he used to contact youths through social media.

A number of issues of ISIS' online magazine "Dabik", pictures, and video were also recovered from him, he said.

Is the IS really invincible as its supporters claim? By deciding not to send ground troops to 'Syraq', Barack Obama has denied the IS prophecy, for now. But by not coming up with a comprehensive strategy to fight the group, the U.S. and its allies are actually helping the 'Caliphate' flourish. Read

Wailing over the outrage in Paris seems unending. National governments here, there and everywhere are expressing their condemnation of the espionage activities being indulged in by the Islamic State organization.  Read more

Veteran actress Saira Bano has wished a long and healthy life to her legendary actor husband Dilip Kumar, who turned 93 today. "I wish him long and healthy life. He is doing fine...in the last two-three months there were ups and downs, but now he is fine," Saira told PTI in an interview here.


"Lots of love to him and my services to him. I don't believe in giving materialistic things, that we do often," she said. In his free time, Dilip Kumar watches sports on TV and listens to music. "He goes for a walk everyday to the garden. He watches sports on television, like cricket, football. He likes classical music. He was an athletic person. He likes to travel ...he likes Ooty, Mahabaleshwar, London," she said.


Heaping praises on her husband, Saira further said, "He is like a saint, he is always wishing good things for everyone even if others are not."

'One cannot escape the conclusion that Pakistan has won the Paris-Bangkok-Islamabad round.' 'To be able to resume the composite dialogue even by another name without making any progress on the Mumbai attack trials is a dream come true for Pakistan,' says Ambassador T P Sreenivasan. Read more

Shah Rukh Khan has regained his position as India's top-earning celebrity with estimated earnings of Rs 257.5 crore this year, pushing Salman Khan to the second position in the latest Forbes list. Shah Rukh had lost his top rank to 'friend and archrival' Salman last year and had slipped to the third position, Forbes said in its annual India Celebrity List for 2015 today.


Incidentally, the list comes a day after Salman Khan was acquitted by Bombay High Court in a nearly 13-year-old hit and run case. Salman's estimated earnings, as per the latest list, stands at Rs 202.75 crore -- more than Rs 50 crore less than that of Shah Rukh Khan.


Amitabh Bachchan is at third position, down from his second position last year. Forbes said the total wealth of top 100 celebrities stood at Rs 2,819 crore, while cinema and cricket dominate the top-ten positions.


Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been ranked fourth and is followed by Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Deepika Padukone and Hrithik Roshan in top-ten.


Besides the earnings estimates, the overall Celebrity 100 list also takes into account the fame. "Their gross pre-tax earnings are combined with their fame scores to arrive at the Forbes India Celebrity 100 List," the magazine said.

SC issues notice to Nestle India Ltd on an appeal of food regulator FSSAI against Bombay HC verdict in Maggi case.

EAM Sushma Swaraj responds to the minor controversy surrounding her meeting with Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad during the Heart of Asia Conference between December 8 and 9.

The picture released by the MEA during the meeting with Sharif on December 9, showed the foreign minister and Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif seated before two flags. One flag was Pakistan's national flag, while the other was the standard of the Pakistan PM. Questions were raised over the missing tricolour. Generally, whenever two leaders meet, the flags of both nations are displayed in the backdrop.

Swaraj replied today saying, "I called on Prime Minister of Pakistan. This was not a bilateral meeting which has flags of both countries."

The other reason why the Indian flag was missing is because as per protocol, the Sushma Swaraj had met Pakistan PM as India's foreign minister. The tricolour would have been used if PM Modi had met his counterpart, Nawaz Sharif.

Twitter had exploded with indignation; here are some of the tweets:

CleviiC @cleviic Why there is no Indian flag ??
#JumlaJayegaPakistan

@mohan_amin #WhereIsOurTiranga I wish madam Sushmaji shud have given more importance to our Tiranga than to her green colour saree ! Jai Ho.

@deepak2626ad Another mistake by Indian DIplomats, Indian Flag is missing such a sham

It's a rare sight by any measure. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi were seen shaking hands and exchanging civilities at NCP chief Sharad Pawar's 75th birthday celebrations.

Rahul greeted the PM with a 'Namaste' before he was about to leave and then the two followed it up with a handshake, reports NDTV.

The programme had brought together the entire Indian political league on one stage -- PM Modi was seen sharing dais with Congress President Sonia Gandhi, arch-rival Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav. Others included BJP patriarch LK Advani, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Left's Sitaram Yechury.

Just in: Actor Salman Khan withdraws petition from the Supreme Court seeking to examine singer Kamaal Khan as witness in hit and run case. Khan's lawyer  had filed an application before the Bombay High Court last month seeking that the singer be summoned as a witness in the 2002 hit-and-run case.


Yesterday, the Bombay high court acquitted the Bollywood star of all charges in the 2002 hit-and-run case, quashing a trial court verdict that held him guilty of driving his Toyota Land Cruiser over people sleeping on a Bandra footpath.


Justice AR Joshi said the 49-year-old actor cannot be convicted because the "prosecution has failed to prove the charges against Khan on all counts'.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said his government will decide on "further course of action' after examining the high court judgment. Salman, who was sitting with a straight face along with sister Alvira and manager Reshma, reportedly broke down in tears once the verdict was read.

He left the courtroom after the judge directed him to furnish a fresh surety bond of Rs 25,000 and asked police to return his passport.

Justice Joshi took a strong stand against the prosecution for its failure to examine Kamaal Khan, who was in the country till 2007 before he settled abroad.

The court said the prosecution had failed to prove that the left front tyre of Salmans car burst after the accident that night. The actor had maintained all along that the car swung out of control and jumped onto the pavement following a tyre burst on Hill Road in Bandra

Congress leader Pramod Tiwari on Friday said that his party will continue to raise their voice in the Parliament against political vendetta over the National Herald case saying that the Bharatiya Janata Party had extended them the same courtesy during the UPA regime.

Security officials in Geneva have raised the security level to maximum as they have launched a manhunt for suspects in connection with the Paris attacks on 13 November.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius hinted at a consensus in the climate deal saying that the governments who have been trying to reach a climate change agreement in Paris have drawn "extremely close to the finish line."

Bangladesh lifted a ban on Facebook on Thursday, three weeks after blocking it in anticipation of protests after the Supreme Court upheld death penalties on two opposition leaders, a government official said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday wished President Pranab Mukherjee on his 80th birthday."

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will arrive in New Delhi on Friday on a three day visit to India to attend the annual summit and will hold delegation level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow.

David Headley turns approver in 26/11 attacks case