Claiming to be the "fittest" person to become the Prime Minister, senior Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan today said that he aspires to take up the top job and that "if Narendra Modi resigns and all MPs elect me the PM it will send a good message across the country and India will progress with each passing day".

Air India's first direct daily flight between London and Ahmedabad took off from Heathrow Airport today, meeting a long-standing demand of the Gujarati community in Britain.

Rupert Murdoch's newspaper The Australian, which published a cartoon drawn by Bill Leak showing Indians eating solar panels, defended it by citing 'freedom of expression'.

The cartoon was criticized worldwide for being 'shockingly racist'.

In a statement, The Australian clarified their position saying it is a 'strong example of Bill Leak and The Australian's exercise of its commitment to freedom of speech'.

'We stand by this cartoon. The cartoon does not intend to ridicule Indians but the climate change activists who would send poor people solar panels rather than give them something they need -- cheap power, aid and a hand up,' the news paper said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation registered cases against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's principal secretary Rajender Kumar and six others for alleged criminal conspiracy and misconduct.

Kumar is accused of misusing his position to give contracts to a private firm.  

The CBI raided the principal secretary's office on Tuesday morning in the case, sparking a war of words between the Delhi government and the Centre.

The Supreme Court is likely to pronounce tomorrow the verdict on bringing transparency in the collegium system of appointing judges in higher judiciary.  

The collegium system of judges appointing judges, which had come into being in 1993 and now stands revived after a five-judge constitution bench recently struck down Centre's legislation, the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act and enabling 99th Constitutional amendment.

The Constitution bench headed by Justice J S Khehar had reserved its order on November 19 after hearing suggestions by various lawyers, bar bodies and associations on improving the collegium system.

The Janata Dal-United today condemned the Central Bureau of Investigation raid at the office of Delhi chief minister's principal secretary, terming it as 'dictatorial and intimidatory tactics' by the National Democratic Alliance government and called upon all opposition parties to register their protest against it.

'The JD-U strongly condemns the CBI raid on the office of the Delhi chief minister. This raid is in continuation of the habit of the Bharatiya Janata Party controlled CBI, raiding CMs such as Virbhadra Singh of Congress on the day of his daughter's wedding,' party general secretary K C Tyagi said in a statement.

He also alleged that on the contrary incidents of corruption matters involving 'Dushyant Singh, son of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in Lait Modi scam, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Vyapam scam are conveniently forgotten and the CBI is quiet'.

All public schools in Los Angeles were closed on Tuesday over unspecified threat, local media reported.

The students who were already at school were sent back home.

Authorities said that closure of schools was due to 'an abundance of caution' after the nation's second largest school district received 'an electronic threat' on Tuesday morning.

Details regarding the threat were not immediately available.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation was notified and the threat is being analysed.

All schools are being searched by law enforcement agents.

JUST IN: Arvind Kejriwal's principal secretary Rajendra Kumar brought to the CBI headquarters in New Delhi for questioning.

In the midst of its biggest face-off with the Modi dispensation yet, a combative AAP government rejected claims of the CBI and the Centre that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was not the target of today's raid and insisted a room having "key" files and affidavits in his office were thoroughly examined by the agency.


Speaking to the media, a belligerent Kejriwal said, "I am not afraid of you PM Modi. You don't know what I'm made of. I'm ready to die for my country.

"Tomorrow if my son is found guilty of corruption, I will send him to jail as well.


"I don't think the raid was to probe allegations pertaining to 2007; files pertaining to the allegations were never sought. CBI aaj mere daftar mein kyun ayi hai? Why did the CBI come to my office? Kaun si file dhoond rahi hai, ye mujhe bataana zaroori ho gya hai. Yeh files DDCA ki files hain, jisme Arun Jaitley fass rahe hain. Jaitley is involved in corruption in the Delhi cricket body. I was about to order a commission of enquiry.


Rajender Kumar is just an excuse, I am the real target. I'm surprised by the CBI raids in my office. The CBI has targeted the cleanest cabinet. Why weren't the departments involved in the alleged scams raided?

Rajender to sirf bahaan hai, Kejriwal toh nishana hai. Kejriwal nahi darega agar mere shabd kharab hai, tumhare toh karm kharab hai. If you apologise for your deeds, I will apologise for my words."

Kiran Bedi slams her former India Against Corruption colleague and then, opponent in the Delhi chief ministerial elections, Arvind Kejriwal. "He deeply needs to regret what he said. It has shocked and saddened the people. He owes an apology to nation. PM Modi one of 10 most respected people in world and he's calling that person a coward and psychopath? This is unforgiveable.

One of US Navy's newest warships, costing a whopping USD 360 million, has broke down less than a month after it was commissioned, prompting calls for a thorough probe into the "alarming" incident.


The Littoral Combat Ship USS Milwaukee broke down last Thursday, days after the ship's crew discovered "fine metallic debris in the port combining gear filter system," the Navy said in a news release.


The crew later discovered similar debris in the ship's oil filter. The Navy described the breakdown as a "loss of propulsion." The ship had to be towed more than 40 nautical miles (74 km) to port after it broke down. The ship, commissioned on November 21, is now undergoing a full inspection in Little Creek, Virginia. The breakdown happened as the ship was on its way to its home port of San Diego after it was commissioned in Milwaukee.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to brief media shortly.

@TheDilipKumar Message from Saira: "Our gratitude to our family. Dilip Sahab is a truly blessed man and I thank Allah for the blessings showered on us"

The CBI raid on Delhi Chief Minister's office resonated in parliament with opposition today alleging a "serious attack on federal polity" even as the government insisted that the investigation had nothing do with Arvind Kejriwal but pertained to an official in his office.


The issue was raised by Trinamool Congress in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha leading to uproar and ruckus as opposition members alleged that an "undeclared emergency" had been imposed in the country.


Finance Minister Arun Jaitley responded in both the Houses, saying the members should not be "misled" as the CBI raid had nothing to do with Kejriwal or his tenure but pertained to a particular official in the Chief Minister's Office against whom complaint had been registered before the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power.


He said the CBI conducted searches at 14 places today in connection with the complaint of graft against the official.


"The Chief Minister's Office has not been raided. The raid has nothing to do with Arvind Kejriwal or his tenure. There is a corruption case against an officer of Delhi government. The raid is in relation to that officer. It is the officer (office) that has been searched," Jaitley said in Rajya Sabha amid noisy protests by opposition members.


An angry Opposition, however, forced three adjournments in the House over the issue by shouting slogans, alleging an "attack on federal structure" and an "undeclared Emergency" in the country.


The issue was earlier raised by Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien, who alleged that this was an "undeclared Emergency" in the country that the office of Delhi Chief Minister was being raided. "This is not a party issue. This is about the federal structure of the country. This is a federal issue," O'Brien said as some TMC members shouted slogans and entered the Well.


Joining him, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad accused the government of "murdering Constitution" and said the elected non-BJP state governments needed to be "saved from this BJP government (at Centre)".

Meanwhile, Congress members kept shouting slogans like "stop the murder of democracy" and "stop the murder of Constitution". Members of Left parties and JD-U were also standing in their seats when the issue was raised. In Lok Sabha, the issue was raised by Trinamool member Saugata Roy who said it is "not only religious intolerance but the present government also follows political intolerance".

Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the Paris attacks

"Charges against Rajendra Kumar substantial. Just because he happens to be Secretary to the Delhi CM, doesn't make the raid an act of political vendetta," said estranged AAP leader Prashant Bhushan. 

Former AAP member Anjali Damania tweets her outrage over the CBI raids: Have Sharad Pawar, Ambani, Adani Mayawati, Mulayam singh, Vasundhara Raje, Sushma Swaraj, Shivraj Singh ever been raided by the sick CBI???

Devpreet Singh, CBI spox on the raids at Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's secretary's office.


-- From 2007-2014, he (Rajender Kumar) along with six others abused his position to award contracts

-- After obtaining warrant from the competent court, searches are in progress in 14 locations in Delhi and UP.

-- Reports from certain quarters regarding search at Delhi CM's office are completely baseless.

Pic: CBI spokesperson Devpreet Singh.

NCP leader Praful Patel is holding a reception at his home tomorrow to celebrate the 75th birthday of party chief Sharad Pawar. Praful Patel has invited at least 2000 people from the media, all MPs and Union ministers. It promises to be the last mega even of 2015. 

Shah also went to the BJP Parliamentary Party office where he met party employees. He went up to each employee and asked about his welfare. Shah obviously understands how important the secretariat is in assisting elected MPs. A little TLC always works.  

BJP president Amit Shah was in Home Minister Rajnath Singh's chambers at Parliament House today, obviously on instructions from Prime Minister Modi. Shah also met senior Union Ministers like Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and discussed political developments, including the possible approach on GST in the last few days of the winter session of parliament. 

BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad holding a press conference on the CBI raids on the office of Rajender Kumar, the principal secretary of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. Prasad says a textbook case of corruption is being given a political colour. Highlights...


-- Neither the office nor the papers of Arvind Kejriwal have been touched. -- The CBI has got a search warrant from the court to conduct the raid.
-- The Delhi CM has called PM Narendra Modi a coward. It is uncalled for, unwarranted, shameful and condemnable.
-- We expect that he will issue a unqualified apology for the baseless allegation.
-- CBI has raided at 14 places with a search warrant.
-- CM Kejriwal's files have not been touched.
-- This is a textbook case of hypocrisy and double standards.  
-- Mr Kejriwal you emerged as an epitome of virtue in your fight against corruption, but did not bother to do due diligence on your own secretary Rajender Kumar.

The National Human Rights Commission today issued conditional summons to the Delhi chief secretary, police commissioner and the Union home secretary following their "failure" to produce reports on the release of juvenile convict in December 16, 2012 gang-rape case.


The Commission had issued a notice to these authorities on November 20, giving them two weeks' time to respond after taking cognizance of the "fears expressed" by parents of the victim.


The NHRC has now asked the city and state authorities to submit the same by the December 21 or personally appear before it.


The parents had requested the Commission to recommend to the government to prepare a plan to protect the citizens from such delinquent juveniles post their release and also to strengthen the extant laws on the subject.


On its part, the Commission had asked Delhi chief secretary to apprise it of any pre-release or post release plan prepared for the juvenile and also sought information as to whether the juvenile has been recently subjected to " psychological or psychiatric assessment".


The Union Home Secretary was asked by the Commission whether it had taken any action based on the representation submitted by the parents of the victim to the Home Minister.


The Commission had observed that "there is no doubt that the complainants have undergone extreme agony and pain after the incident of rape and murder of their daughter. The fears expressed by them need to be looked into."


Meanwhile, the Centre had yesterday asked Delhi High Court to extend the observation home stay of the juvenile convict who is scheduled to be released on Sunday, saying several mandatory aspects were missing from the post-release rehabilitation plan which needed to be considered before setting him free. The court was hearing its verdict on BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's PIL seeking stay on the juvenile's release and reserved its verdict on it.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi today visited GB Pant Hospital to enquire about the condition of CPI veteran AB Bardhan, who is admitted there following a paralytic stroke.


"Gandhi visited the hospital this morning to enquire about Bardhan's health. She was briefed about Bardhan's condition by doctors attending on him," CPI national secretary D Raja, who was present at the hospital during the Congress President's visit, said.


Raja said Bardhan was "critical" but there is "slight" improvement in his condition. "According to doctors treating him, he is stable and there is slight improvement in his condition. He is required minimal support from ventilator," the Rajya Sabha member added. The 92-year-old former CPI general secretary Bardhan is being treated at ICU of the hospital since last Monday after he suffered a paralytic stroke.

A day after the MNS-affiliated Chitrapat Karmachari Sena appealed people not to watch Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 'Dilwale', party chief Raj Thackeray sought to distance himself from the controversy, saying boycotting the actor's film was not his party's official stand.


MNS Chitrapat Karmachari Sena chief Amey Khopkar had yesterday appealed to people to not watch 'Dilwale', which is slated to release later this week, citing ignorance on part of the actor towards farmers' plight in Maharashtra.


"Shah Rukh Khan donated Rs 1 crore for people who have been affected by Chennai (floods) tragedy. But he has forgotten drought-hit farmers of Maharashtra. This has been condemned by the Chitrapat Sena," Thackeray said.


"What it (Chitrapat Sena) is saying is right. Coming to Maharashtra, becoming big, earning a name for yourself and then forgetting the state is not right. He (Shah Rukh) should understand this. Nevertheless, I want to make it clear that Chitrapat Sena's stand of boycotting the film is not an official stand of the party," Raj further said. Khopkar had yesterday alleged that Shah Rukh has made lot of money, but has not helped farmers in distress and that when his help is needed, he is not forthcoming.

CBI to brief the media on raid conducted at Delhi Secretariat, shortly. Stay with us.

CBI has recovered foreign currency worth over Rs 3 lakh from Rajender Kumar's (Principal secretary to Delhi CM) residence: CBI Sources

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday announced the formation of a 34-state Islamic military coalition to combat terrorism, according to a joint statement published on state news agency SPA.

New Zealand has confirmed that the black, white and blue silver fern design won a referendum to become a possible new flag, after the final votes were counted.


BBC reported that a second referendum will be held in March to decide whether to adopt the new flag or keep the current one. The design was named as a preliminary winner on Friday but this final tally factors in late and overseas votes. A similar design in red and blue came in a close second.

Arvind Kejriwal tweets: My question - had Rajender not been my secretary, then wud he have been raided? No. Then who is the target- Rajender or me?

Former AAP sympathiser and India Against Corruption member, BJP leader Kiran Bedi reacts to Arvind Kejriwal calling the PM a psychopath. "A very regrettable comment. I hope he regrets it. It's leaving a very bad and sad feeling amongst people at large," she said.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee tweets her outrage: @MamataOfficial  Sealing of a Chief Minister's office is unprecedented. I am shocked.


@ArvindKejriwal responds: Mamata Di. This is undeclared emergency.


Amid claims and counter-claims, CBI today raided the office of an officer of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a corruption case that led the AAP chief to call Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "coward and psychopath" and intensifying the face-off between AAP and Centre.


The Chief Minister, however, claimed that his office was raided which was denied by the CBI as well as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Rajya Sabha where the opposition created an uprorar and forced a couple of adjournments.


"CBI raids my office," Kejriwal claimed in a tweet. "When Modi cudn't handle me politically, he resorts to this cowardice. Modi is a coward and psychopath," he said in another tweet expressing his anguish over the raids.


A CBI spokesperson, however, said the searches were being conducted only at the office of the Principal Secretary Rajendra Kumar. Searches were being conducted at 14 locations in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.


CBI sources claimed the case is against Kumar and six more accused. In the Rajya Sabha, Jaitley said Kejriwal's office was not raided and that the raid was in relation to a case of alleged corruption against an officer of the Delhi government.


The CBI raid has nothing to do with Kejriwal or his tenure and that the graft case against the officer also pertains to his past, he added. This was countered by Kejriwal who tweeted, "FM lied in Parliament. My own office files are being looked into to get some evidence against me. Rajender is an excuse".


The BJP also hit back at Kejriwal with Union Minister Prakash Javadekar saying the CBI was only probing a complaint of corruption against an officer and maintained it has nothing to do with Kejriwal's office.


CBI sources said that a team of its officials went to the Delhi Secretariat, which houses office of Kejriwal and other ministers in the morning and conducted the search in the third floor of the building.


The CBI said it has registered a case against Rajendra Kumar on allegations of abusing his official position by "favouring a particular firm in the last few years in getting tenders from Delhi government departments."


"After taking warrants, searches are being conducted in the office and residence of Rajendra Kumar. The allegations against Rajendra Kumar were raised by Ashish Joshi, former Member Secretary, Delhi Dialogue Commission," the agency said.

ISIS has issued a fatwa to kill children suffering with Down's Syndrome. The Sharia Board of the deranged Islamic State group issued an oral fatwa to "kill newborn babies born with disabilities, with Down syndrome and congenital deformities," the Mosul Eye reported.


Mosul Eye is the pseudonym of a local historian who has been secretly documenting IS' activities in a blog since the militants overran the city of Mosul.


The group has confirmed it extricated more than 38 babies born with disabilities using either lethal injection or suffocation. The age of the victims ranged between a week to 3 months.


ISIS claims children suffering Down syndrome are born out of the marriage of 'foreign fighters' and Iraqi, Syrian and Asian women. 
Mosul Eye was reported saying, "as if it is not enough for ISIL (another name for ISIS) to kill men, women and the elderly, now they kill children."


The extremist militant group apparently share a common ideology with the Nazis, who too murdered disabled children, and perceived them to be a burden on the state.

Artist Hema Upadhayay murder case: Three accused sent to police custody till December 19 by a Mumbai court.

Amidst mounting opposition attack over her government on handling of the northeast monsoon, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today sought to assure the people that she would stand by with them at all times and that there was no need for concern.


Calling herself a "dear sister" of the people, the AIADMK supremo said that her thoughts constantly revolved around them. "I will be with you at any time; don't worry," she said in a party statement. The opposition parties including DMK had been critical of the ruling AIADMK's handling of the northeast monsoon, particularly training their guns against the government over the discharge of excess water from Chembarambakkam reservoir into Adyar river, claiming it had flooded the city. They had alleged red-tapism on the issue with DMK knocking the doors of Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah with a plea for a judicial probe into the matter even as others like CPI (M) and PMK have also been demanding an inquiry commission to probe the matter. The government had on its part denied any wrongdoing with the Chief Secretary K Gnanadesikan rejecting "malicious" the allegations by opposition that officers were awaiting Jayalalithaa's approval for releasing excess water.


Jayalalithaa, who thanked all those who were involved in the flood-relief activities with "selfless" dedication, said AIADMK MLAs and MPs will contribute their one month's salary towards flood relief activities. The AIADMK has 150 MLAs in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly and 49 MPs in both Houses of Parliament.


Jayalalithaa described the recent deluge which claimed over 300 lives and left a trail of destruction as "rarest of the rare" and also thanked all those who involved themselves in flood-relief activities. She said that her government was expeditiously carrying out flood-relief activities.

It is not the right thing to do, says Ram Jethmalani on CBI raid conducted at Delhi Secretariat.

CBI team at the residence of Rajendra Kumar, Principal Secretary to CM Delhi.

Searches on at 14 locations in Delhi and UP. Papers of three immovable properties and Rs. 2.4 lakh recovered from the residence of Rajender Kumar: CBI

If you have been following the story of the CBI raid on Arvind Kejriwal's office, read the report on the man who filed a complaint against the Delhi CM's principal secretary, which is why this came to pass.


Two months after he was sacked, former Delhi Dialogues Commission member-secretary Ashish Joshi has lodged a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Branch against Delhi's most powerful bureaucrat and secretary to the Chief Minister, Rajendra Kumar.


In his complaint, Joshi has alleged that Kumar, while he was posted as Director (Education) between 2002 and 2005, created two companies -- Caltoonz and EDUDEL MIS -- registered in Timarpur. The then office superintendent, Ashok Kumar, was appointed in-charge of Caltoonz.

"Later, Rajendra Kumar formed a company Endeavors Systems along with Dinesh Kumar Gupta (who supplied stationery to the education department) and Sandeep Kumar, a contractual programmer in Caltoonz. Rajendra Kumar and Ashok, who resigned from government service in 2009, are related,' Joshi's complaint said.

Read more

Arvind Kejriwal responds to the Arun Jaitley's statement in Parliament that the raids have nothing to do with the Delhi CM or his tenure. @ArvindKejriwal tweets: FM lied in Parliament. My own office files are being looked into to get some evidence against me. Rajender is an excuse."

AAP claims that officials were stopped from entering the Chief Minister's office on the third floor of the Delhi Secretariat and the CBI refused to give any reason.
 
The CBI denies raiding or sealing the Chief Minister's office and claims that it was searching the office and home of a senior bureaucrat in the Chief Minister's team, Rajender Kumar, accused of corruption in computer purchases.
 
"No one from the CBI has entered Kejriwal's room, the case is not connected to his tenure," CBI sources said.

TMC's Derek O'Brien raises the raid in Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's office in the Rajya Sabha. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley responds saying, "The raid  has nothing to do with Mr Kejriwal or his tenure."

Union minister Venkaiah Naidu: It has become a fashion with Arvind Kejriwal to blame Centre and drag PM Modi into everything. PM and the government has nothing to do with the CBI. We don't monitor the CBI. 


Vijender Gupta, BJP MLA: The language used by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for PM of India is highly abominable. In terms of fighting corruption he has only politicised it.


Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister, Delhi: Modi is trying to threaten us with a CBI raid. He won't succeed... People are with the truth. 

The CBI denies raiding or sealing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's office, and claims it was searching his principal secretary Rajendra Kumar's office. Kejriwal has accused the central agency of "lying".

Union minister Prakash Javadekar says Kejriwal's reaction on the CBI raid is 'atrocious'. "The CBI only raids when they receive a credible complaint. AAP came into existence on plank of anti-corruption movement, but now he's supporting corruption," Javdekar said.

Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu on the CBI raid: "It has become a fashion with Arvind Kejriwal to take the PM's name for everything."

The Aam Aadmi Party has said that the Modi sarkar was indulging in the worst kind of vendetta politics by getting the CBI to carry out raids at the Delhi CM's office.

The CBI has stated that the searches were being carried out against the Delhi CM's secretary Rajendra Kumar, on the allegation of abusing his official position by favouring a particular firm in the last few years in getting tenders from Delhi government departments.

Kejriwal tweeted, "If the CBI had any evidence against Rajendra, why didn't they share it with me? I would have acted against him. I'm the only CM who dismissed, on my own, a minister and a senior officer on charges of corruption and handed their cases to the CBI."

The Delhi CM's office on the third floor of the Delhi Secretariat has been sealed, the staff not being allowed to enter. Files are being searched on the  floor as well.

Delhi deputy CM tweeted, "Files in Delhi CM's office are being looked into, they should tell what do they want?"

Dismissing claims by the CBI that the searches are against Delhi CM secretary Rajendra Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal wrote on Twitter again, "CBI lying. My own office raided. Files of CM office are being looked into. Let Modi say which file he wants? They are just using Rajendra as an excuse to enter my office."

Minutes after the Aam Aadmi Party cried that the Modi sarkar was indulging in the worst kind of vendetta politics by getting CBI to carry out raids at the Delhi CM's office, the CBI has come out and clearly stated that the searches were being carried out against the Delhi CM's secretary Rajendra Kumar, on the allegation of abusing his official position .by favouring a particular firm in the last few years in getting tenders from Delhi government departments.

And after Somnath Bharti's tweet, Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia also took to Twitter, writing, "The Centre is trying to scare honest governments with CBI raids. But, the public knows the truth and they (the government) will not be successful."

AAP's Somnath Bharti also takes to Twitter to slam the CBI raid at the Delhi CM's office. The former state law minister wrote, "This is the darkest day of Indian democracy but bewildered of Delhi and Bihar defeat, @narendramodi can do anything."

Reports are coming in that the CBI's raid is against Kejriwal's Principal Secretary Rejender Kumar. Not against Kejriwal. The raids at four places. The CBI has said that the office has NOT been sealed. However, AAP and Kejriwal is insisting that the entire floor is sealed. 

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's office has been sealed after the CBI raided it this morning, said the Aam Aadmi Party. Taking to Twitter following the raid, Kejriwal said, "When Modi could not handle me politically, he resorts to this cowardice." The reason for the raid is still unknown. 

Extending support to those affected by the Chennai floods, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has directed all of her party's MPs and MLAs to contribute a month's salary towards flood-relief work. The CM addressing the affected said, "I will always stand by you, no need for any concern."

A central school in Uttar Pradesh's capital city, Lucknow, has recorded the highest level of suspended particulate matter, PM 2.5 today, followed by the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, while Delhi's Anand Vihar stood third according to the latest report by the Central Pollution Control Board. 

The Rajasthan Frontier of the Border Security Force has come up with a new health dictum for its personnel: get fit and get a posting of your choice. 

Two days after a six-month-old girl's death during a demolition drive in west Delhi's Shakurbasti area triggered a political slugfest, the girl's father in his statement to the cops said the girl died much before the drive began. 

The Supreme Court will hear all matters relating to rising level of air pollution in the national capital, including a petition to ban diesel-run vehicles today. It will hear a petition for banning diesel car from plying on Delhi's road, including 13 cities to tackle growing menace of pollution in the country. 

Pakistan high commissioner Abdul Basit has said that India does not know where underworld don Dawood Ibrahim was and that Indo-Pak dialogue would not get derailed in case of another terror attack. 

In North-West Delhi's Shakur basti, life came full circle over the weekend at two households, 50 metres from each other. 

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, along with his teammates Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina and Ravichandran Ashwin, among others, will be up for grabs for the two new IPL teams in the draft to be held today. 

A bus carrying Argentine border patrol officers has crashed into a ravine, killing 42 people.Another nine people were injured in the crash in the northern province of Salta on Monday, provincial emergency official Francisco Marinaro told local television.

US President Barack Obama today reviewed the anti-ISIS strategy with his army commanders and announced to send his Defense Secretary Ashton Carter to the Middle East to seek enhanced support from the countries in the region against this terrorist organisation.

Danger is an overused term in showbusiness. Thrown about almost as frequently as the word genius, it is often used to describe someone who either has a bad temper, is a difficult interviewee or makes art that requires a bit of heavy thinking.

The UK government today narrowly won its bid to block opposition Labour to lower the voting age to 16 for the planned referendum on the UK's membership of the EU in 2017.

Senior White House officials will hold meetings with Sikh and Muslim community leaders, a US presidential spokesman said today, as the country reels under a spate of hate-crimes directed against these communities in the aftermath of San Bernardino terrorist attack. "The White House is routinely engaged in an active dialogue with faith leaders across the country. There are a number of engagements today. The President does not plan to participate in any of the meetings that are planned," the White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters at his daily news conference.

Students of five educational institutions, including a women's college in Anna Nagar, were evacuated following an anonymous call about bombs being planted there, police said.

The US is hitting so-called Islamic State harder than ever, President Barack Obama has said.More air strikes were launched against the group in November than in any other month, he said in a Pentagon speech.

A British Muslim man has been convicted of preparing to carry out a knife attack in the British capital inspired by the Islamic State terror group.

2 poachers gunned down in Kaziranga National Park
BJP has suffered political untouchability in Kerala, says PM Modi
Prime suspect in Mumbai double murder case detained
Sushma rejects 'flip-flop' on dialogue with Pakistan
Jaitley invokes Nehru to prevent 'washout' of winter session
Rights of minorities must be respected, says President Mukherjee
Demolition row: Political slugfest intensifies; case of toddler's death lodged
'Racist' cartoon mocks India after climate deal