LIVE: Riot police use tear gas, water cannons against refugees in Hungary

LIVE

Wed, 16 September 2015

Timeline Refresh

23:43 Riot police use tear gas, water cannons against refugees in Hungary

Hungarian riot police are using tear gas and water cannons on refugees at the country's border with Serbia, a CNN team reports, after a group of migrants broke through a barrier in an attempt to enter the European Union.

The action began at around 3 pm local time, when the police presence was increased from normal patrols to include police cars speeding near the border crossing with a few ambulances in tow.

Pakistan today summoned India's deputy high commissioner here to lodge a protest over the killing of a solider in alleged firing by Indian troops.

Foreign Office said in a statement that a Pakistani soldier was killed yesterday, while a civilian was injured in Rawalakot today due to firing by Indian troops.

"The Indian Deputy High Commissioner (J P Singh) was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Director General (South Asia & SAARC) and a protest was lodged over the latest unprovoked ceasefire violations by India at the LoC," it said.

While condemning both the incidents, Pakistan expressed its deep concern over the continuous unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian side at the LoC and targeting of the civilian areas, the statement said.

"The Indian government was urged to stop forthwith the ceasefire violations and observe the 2003 Ceasefire Arrangement for restoration of peace and tranquillity at the LoC and the Working Boundary," it said.

It is for the first time since meeting of border security chiefs in New Delhi that an Indian diplomat has been summoned over border incident.

A Delhi-Goa IndiGo flight made emergency landing at the Ahmedabad airport this afternoon after a passenger allegedly misbehaved with a woman crew member and disregarded the safety rules, police said.

The incident took place on IndiGo flight no 6E 329. Sardarnagar police station arrested the passenger Rahul Grover (34), a Delhi-based businessman, after he was offloaded.

The Ministry of External Affairs says that the Saudi Arabian diplomat accused in a case of alleged rape has left India.

The Saudi have been seeking a way out of the impasse following a raid by Gurgaon police at the residence of the diplomat more than a week ago after receiving a complaint that the two Nepalese women were kept there in confinement and raped by the diplomat and his "guests" repeatedly.

The external affairs ministry, which had called in Saudi Arabian Ambassador Saud Mohammed Alsati last week and told him that the accused diplomat should cooperate in the probe into the case, was yet to get any response despite being in touch with the mission officials in New Delhi.

Ahmedabad Police Commissioner Shivanand Jha today told the Gujarat high court that police used excessive force during the Patel community's agitation for reservations last month and also accepted that policemen vandalised vehicles in a housing society in Sola area.

"The inquiry clearly identifies use of excessive police force to the extent of causing damage to private property of the petitioners," said Jha in a report submitted to Justice J B Pardiwala.

"Criminal culpability or otherwise of these acts of the policemen is subject matter of the investigation to be conducted after filing FIR before competent authority," he added.

On August 27, the High Court had directed the police to conduct an inquiry and file a report in response to a petition alleging that police had vandalised private property and fired in the air in Sola area here on August 25, the day the Patel community held a massive rally here to seek reservations.

Virat Popat and Tirth Bhatt, city-based lawyers, alleged in the petition that around 40 policemen entered their housing society `Astha Bungalows' and vandalised vehicles.

Police also lobbed teargas shells, they said.

22:12 Three more die of dengue in Delhi; toll 14

Dengue has claimed three more lives in Delhi, including a 7-year-old boy who succumbed to the vector-borne disease today.

Death of other two victims -- 41-year-old woman from south Delhi and 14-year-old boy -- both of whom died of the disease yesterday, were also reported today.

With three latest casualties the dengue death toll has risen to at least 14, even as the embattled Delhi government and the BJP-ruled civic bodies continued to grapple with the health menace.

A seven-year-old boy succumbed to dengue at the B L Kapur Hospital today.

"The patient was brought in a critical condition to the hospital and died today of dengue," an official of the hospital said.

Monika Bahl, a resident of Lajpat Nagar died yesterday at the Moolchand Hospital due to dengue shock syndrome leading to multi-organ failure.

According to doctors at Moolchand, the patient had come with complaints of fever and vomiting and was admitted to the hospital almost a week ago.

As the impasse over actor and BJP member Gajendra Chauhan's appointment as FTII head nears 100 days, the Centre today made a fresh offer to the striking students for talks but without preconditions.

The offer by the Information and Broadcasting ministry was made even as senior BJP leader Madhav Bhandari held informal talks with students' representatives today amid the continuing relay hunger strike by three protesters at the campus of the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune.

In a letter addressed to FTII Students Association President Harishankar Nachimuthu, the ministry said that on previous occasions progress towards ending the currrent stalemate could not take place because students had gone back and laid stiff preconditions. The letter was written by Joint Secretary (Films) K Sanjay Murthy.

Emphasising that the ministry is fully conscious of the seminal role FTII has played in shaping Indian Cinema, Murthy said that in case the students are keen to end the impasse they can contact him.

"In case you are keen to end the stalemate and resume the academics, you are welcome to discuss the issues with the ministry without any preconditions," he said. The impasse entered the 97th day today with the students insisting on removal of Chauhan.

The anti-BJP grand alliance today approached the Election Commission seeking suspension of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Mann Ki Baat' programme till Bihar polls are over, raising doubts he might use it to influence voters, but the poll panel indicated a "blanket ban" may not be possible.

A delegation of the three-party alliance comprising JD(U), RJD and Congress met the Election Commission with the plea to stop broadcast of the Prime Minister's monthly radio programme. "Permitting the Prime Minister to organise the Mann Ki Baat programme would be giving a completely unfair advantage to BJP and will upset the level playing field, essential to uphold the neutrality and majesty of the electoral process," it said in its petition.

"Even otherwise, BJP and its Union government has been misusing government's machinery, instances of which have already been brought out to the notice of the Commission," it said.

Union Minister and former Army chief General (retd) Vijay Kumar Singh today said there were other methods than agitation by retired soldiers to get 'One Rank One Pension' fulfilled.

"I feel that there could have been other methodologies than agitation to get OROP... I would have preferred agitation at the last and less intense," said Singh, who is also currently the Minister of State for External Affairs.

Addressing a press conference here, he said agitation for implementation of OROP has been going on for the last 43 years and only the NDA government resolved the issue.

"Only some minor perceptional issues have remained. These can be resolved by talking to each other. The defence ministry will solve these," Singh said, adding that the doubt over VRS for soldiers has been cleared. On militant camps in Myanmar, Singh said India has raised the issue with the neighbouring country.

Amid row over ban on beef sale in some states, Yoga teacher Ramdev today sought a prohibition on cow slaughter in the entire country and called for giving "national animal" status to it. Ramdev also slammed those, who have been justifying beef consumption on various grounds.

"The cow slaughter should be banned in the country and it should be declared a national animal," he told reporters.

Ramdev was here on a three-day visit to conduct Yoga sessions for BSF officials, personnel and guards and their family members. The three-day camp wrapped up today. The yoga teacher also warned against the growing use of chemical fertilisers in agriculture.

Pakistan today claimed to have killed over 200 militants and arrested 8,000 others in an operation in the restive Balochistan province since last year's Peshawar school attack.

The action was taken under the National Action Plan devised after the deadly school attack in December last year in which over 150 people were killed, most of them students, Home Secretary of Balochistan Akbar Hussain Durrani said.

He said that 1,840 intelligence based operations have been conducted in which over 8,000 suspected militants were nabbed.

"A total of 204 terrorists, including 100 high-profile terrorists were killed by security forces during operations and raids in the province," said Durrani.

JUST IN: Two Indians have been kidnapped from Sirte in war-torn Libya, the MEA has said.

It may be recalled that four Indians were kidnapped by Islamic State extremists in Libya's Sirte in July.

More details are awaited.

18:12 President greets people on Ganesh Chaturthi

President Pranab Mukherjee today greeted people on the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi and hoped that the occasion will reaffirm faith in all that is good, noble and virtuous.

In his message, the President said, "The celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi marks the birth of Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and the God of wisdom and good fortune."

"Let us on this auspicious occasion, reaffirm our faith in all that is good, noble and virtuous. May Lord Ganesha bestow his blessings on all so that obstacles in the path of our progress are removed and peace, happiness as well as prosperity abound in our country," he said.

18:11 More Patels withdraw bank deposits

The 'economic non-cooperation' by Patels for OBC reservation demand spread today as the community members queued up in large numbers at a bank in Sabarkantha district to withdraw money.

Even as the Patel community people recently banned the entry of politicians in their villages, the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS- which is spearheading the quota stir) has also called upon the women to protest at the venues of any official government or BJP function.

This led to protests by Patel community members, including women, today at many places in the state, including Jamnagar, Surendranagar, Amreli, Bharuch and Himmatnagar districts.

The Patel community residents of Kherol village under Talod taluka in Sabarkantha today withdrew their money from a co-operative bank.

Hospitals across the capital continued to wilt under huge rush of dengue patients as an embattled Delhi government directed all medical institutions to urgently increase bed capacity and employ more doctors and nurses to deal with the situation.

Chaos, unhygienic conditions and in some government hospitals, three patients were cramped on one bed due to unavailability of beds.

A day after warning private hospitals of strict punitive action including cancellation of license if they refuse treatment to dengue patients, the government issued a "blanket order" empowering hospitals run by it to recruit more doctors and nursing staff.

As hospitals and nursing homes across Delhi were inundated with patients, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain directed private hospitals to increase their bed capacity by 10-20 per cent as soon as possible to treat patients affected by the mosquito-borne disease.

Amid the rising cases of dengue in the city, Indian Medical Association today said the present serotype of dengue virus is "less fatal" than the one in 2013 and appealed to people not to panic or force doctors to admit patients unless in urgent cases.

Amid severe rush at hospitals, IMA's Secretary General, K K Aggarwal said that only suspected severe dengue cases need medical attention and admission. Most can be managed as OPD care. "There is no need of platelets transfusion unless a patient has active bleed and count of less than 10,000. Platelets counts by machine readings are not reliable and can have an error of upto 40,000. The reliable test is haematocrit and not platelet count," he claimed.

The Association also released dengue guidelines and appealed to people not to panic or force doctors to admit patients unless it is important. Aggrawal also claimed that the present serotype of dengue virus is "less fatal", and advised people not to get alarmed.

"Do not fill beds with patients not requiring admission. Make beds available for severe dengue cases," Aggarwal said. The IMA further said that unnecessary platelet transfusion can "cause more harm than good".

Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, will now have to undergo security checks at airports with the government today dropping his no-frisking privileges after his frequent barbs over the issue on social media.

Till now, 46-year-old Vadra, the businessman husband of Priyanka Gandhi, an Special Protection Group protectee, was exempted from frisking at airports when he travelled with an SPG protectee.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said,"The previous government gave Vadra the facility only when he was travelling with an SPG protectee. Now, he has himself asked to be removed from the list."

"The government has revised the list of no-frisking passengers at the domestic airports, and Vadra's name is not on it," a civil aviation ministry spokesperson said.

"Fantastic. I am happy with what they have done," Vadra reacted after the aviation ministry's orders. He later went on Facebook to comment, "I appreciate that my name will not appear in the VVIP list anymore. I hope thisis a dead issue now and will not be used against me. My best wishes."

Just in: A Lucknow court today ordered filing of FIR against Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav for allegedly threatening Indian Police Service officer Amitabh Thakur.

The court observed that Amitabh Thakur has primary facie evidence showing Mulayam threatening the former bureaucrat.

On July 10, Mulayam allegedly contacted Thakur on his residential number and threatened him of undesirable consequences if the former IPS did not mend his ways. According to Thakurs wife Nutan, Mulayam was referring to an incident back in 2006, when Thakur was serving as Firozabad SP and was cornered by then Samajwadi Party MLA Ramveer and few of his party goons.

The Uttar Pradesh government had suspended Thakur on July 13, 2015, and slapped with a 16 point charge-sheet, where the first charge is of filing PILs. In his reply to the UP government, he had said the Supreme Court has made it clear in case of UP cadre IAS officer Vijay Shanker Pandey that filing PILs by citizen, including government servants, is a constitutional right.

Thakurs complaint against Mulayam was rejected by Hazratganj police station, allegedly under pressure from the ruling SP government. A week later, on July 23, his wife Nutan Thakurs complaint was also refused to be registered by Lucknow SSP Rajesh Pandey.

A local court today sent Sameer Gaikwad, an accused in rationalist and Communist Party of India leader Govind Pansare's murder case, to seven-day police custody.

Gaikwad and his family have links with right-wing group Sanatan Sanstha, says police.

Gaikwad was earlier detained by the Special Investigation Team in Sangli region of Kohlapur district in connection with this case.

Pansare was gunned down outside his home in Sagar Mala locality of Kolhapur city on February 16 and succumbed to his injuries five days later in Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital.

This is without job the height of unemployment. In Uttar Pradesh, more than 23 lakh persons have applied against 368 posts of peon in the state secretariat, according to a report in The Times of India. The number is almost half the population of Lucknow, which is 45 lakhs.

What is even more shocking is that over two lakh applicants are at least graduate with BTech, BSc, MSc and MCom degrees. Applications also include 255 candidates with a PhD degree in hand, according to the report.

Read the full report here

The National Democratic Alliance in Bihar today suffered a jolt as a Lok Janshakti Party MP resigned from the party post of general secretary and two BJP MLAs, who were denied ticket met Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Vaishali Lok Sabha member Ramakishore Singh tendered his resignation as national general secretary of LJP as well chief whip of its parliamentary party, Singh said in a press statement. He also quit as party in-charge of Rajasthan, the statement said.

The LJP MP, who has been a long time associate of LJP chief and Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan, quit allegedly on being sidelined from decision making process of the party in the seat-sharing in the NDA.

The LJP got 40 seats in the coalition and this has left even senior party leaders miffed. Recently, Chirag Paswan, son of party chief and its Parliamentary Board head, had commented that Singh would be mollified. But, things did not improve and he quit party posts.

Singh had defeated RJD leader and former union minister Raghubansh Prasad Singh at Vaishali in the last general election. Meanwhile, peeved over denial of ticket, two BJP MLAs -- Aman Kumar and Ajay Mandal -- met Chief Minister Nitish Kumar this afternoon amid indication that they would join the grand secular alliance in the elections.

Three months after a attack on the Indian Army in Manipur, the government has banned the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang.

The ban comes soon after the National Investigation Agency last week declared rewards of Rs 10 lakh and Rs 7 lakh, respectively, on NSCN-K military commander Niki Sumi and chief SS Khaplang for their involvement in planning the ambush on the 6 Dogra Army convoy on June 4 in Manipur that left 18 army personnel dead.

The outfit had unilaterally abrogated the ceasefire with the Centre and conducted the attack on army on June 4. The Centre also blamed the NSCN-K for an ambush on the Assam Rifles in May that left eight security personnel dead.

The NIA would be able to freeze the assets and properties of NSCN-K leaders in India under the ongoing investigation in Manipur ambush case once the organisation is banned, The Economic Times reports.

Read here: What is NSCN-K? Who is SS Khaplang?

Just in: A man has been arrested for the murder of rationalist and Communist Party of India leader Govind Pansare seven months after his killing. The Maharahstra police claim to have cracked the case with the arrest.

Pansare was gunned down outside his home in Sagar Mala locality of Kolhapur city on February 16 and succumbed to his injuries five days later in Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital.

The arrest comes days after Pansare's family filed a petition demanding a special investigation team to probe the death as the Maharashtra police failed to make any progress in the case.

On September 9, the Bombay high court asked Maharashtra government to file its response within a week to the petition.

A Re 1 per litre hike in petrol and Rs 2.28 a litre increase in diesel prices necessitated due to firming global oil rates has been put off by State-owned oil companies apparently because of assembly elections in Bihar.

State-owned IOC, BPCL and HPCL were to revise petrol and diesel prices today as per the practice of adjusting retail pump rates every fortnight after taking into account the average international oil prices and foreign exchange rate in the previous 15 day period.

But the oil companies choose to skip the revision this time. "There will be no change in retail price this week," said an official at one of the three retailers, without giving reason for such an action.

An outfit of Kerala's Namboodiri Brahmins has demanded minority status for them, arguing that the community, which faced a socio-economic fall out after the implementation of land reforms act, is miniscule in the state.

President of the Yogakshema Sabha, Akkeeraman Kaladasan Bhattathirippad, also said the minority status should be calculated state-wise and not on the basis of national level assessment.

Calling for changes in reservation norms, he said it should be calculated on the basis of economic capacity of a person and the government's assistance in various forms, including reservation, are required for better living of many members of Kerala's Brahmin community.

Image alongside has been used for representational purposes only.

13:49 Government bans NSCN-K for five years

Just In: The Union government has banned the NSCN-Khaplang for five years.

This comes roughly six weeks after the framework peace accord was signed between the government's interlocutor, Ravindra Narayan Ravi, and the NSCN-IM.

Read Rediff.com's exclusive interview with R N Ravi here.

Amid outrage over the death of two children from dengue fever after they were allegedly refused treatment, the Delhi government has threatened to cancel the licenses of private hospitals that turn away patients.

Setting down strict guidelines, Aam Aadmi Party Satyendra Jain said, "No hospital can turn away patients affected with dengue and tests can't cost more than Rs. 600."'

He promised that 4,000 new beds to be added in 11 hospitals across the city. "If there is no bed, private hospitals are expected to stabalise patients before transferring them."

Jain said that action will be taken against chemists who sell medicines without a prescription. "Persons who have already been infected with dengue earlier need to be careful," he warned.

Turning to the Centre for help, he said, "I hope that Union Health Minister J P Nadda will take action on lack of beds at Safdarjung hospital."

Former Delhi law minister Somnath Bharti has reportedly surrendered to the Delhi police today to join the investigation in a case of domestic violence registered against him by his wife.

Bharti, an Aam Aadmi Party legislator from Malviya Nagar, had approached the Delhi high court for anticipatory bail on Tuesday, and surrendered hours after he was given protection against arrest till September 17.

Bharti, who had approached the High Court for anticipatory bail on Tuesday, surrendered just hours after being provided reprieve till September 17.

Following a late night brainstorming session on the issue with party members, he is understood to have been asked to join the investigation, reports The Hindu.

Just In: The Taml Nadu assembly has adopted a resolution asking the Centre to push for an international probe against Sri Lanka in the UN for alleged war crimes.

Al-Jazeera has made a firm decision announcing that it will stop using the umbrella term "migrants' when referring to the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean. Find out why here

Just in: The Jammu and Kashmir high court has issued a notice to the state government over ban of beef. It has given the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed-led government a week to respond.

The Jammu and Kashmir government yesterday shifted its additional advocate general Vishal Sharma from the state home department for his alleged failure to defend government on beef ban case in the high court. Last week, the court had ordered that a little-known law passed in 1932 banning cow slaughter and the sale of beef in the state be strictly enforced.

The order led to massive protests and the opposition National Conference said it would introduce a bill to bring changes in the 1932 law.

The court ruling came in response to a petition filed by Parimkosh Seth, lawyer and member of BJPs national executive wing -- who has since been appointed the states deputy advocate general -- seeking the implementation of an existing ban on beef that dates back to 1932. The division bench consisting of Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Janak Raj Kotwal said in its order that The government should strictly implement the existing order banning sale of beef in the state strict action shall be taken in accordance with law against those who indulge in this activity.

The ruling People's Democratic Party has said it was not in favour of a ban that impinges on people's personal choices. But sources in the government said it is also trying strike a balance with ally BJP.

Amid outrage over the death of two children from dengue after they were allegedly refused treatment, the Delhi government has threatened to cancel the licenses of private hospitals that turn away patients, reports NDTV.

The death toll due to the fever has mounted to 11. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said yesterday that his government was mulling bringing a law to enable temporary takeover of private hospitals during emergencies.

The Election Commission today ruled out a "blanket ban" on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Mann ki baat' radio programme amid reports that the Congress is likely to approach the poll body with such a demand alleging it "violates" the model code of conduct in force due to the Bihar assembly polls.

A senior EC official said they can take "cognizance" of any such demand only after finding that the programme's contents violate the model code. A regular radio broadcast in which Modi shares his thoughts on issues, Mann ki baat's next episode will be aired on Sunday.

"No blanket ban can be enforced on things like the cabinet meeting and Mann ki baat but the EC can take cognizance if the cabinet decision or the content of programme is in violation of the model code of conduct," the official said. He, however, made it clear that he was making a "matter off act" statement and was not aware of any such demand by the Congress or any other party. If such a complaint is made, the election watchdog goes through the recording as well as transcript of the episode and takes a decision, he said.

A similar complaint was made by Congress against the programme during the Haryana assembly polls, but the EC had not found anything "objectionable", he noted.

Vice President Hamid Ansari today held wild-ranging talks with Cambodian Premier Hun Sen to discuss a host of issues including shoring up of economic engagement and conveyed India's decision to support several projects in Cambodia under the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation.

Ansari held talks with Hun Sen at the the Peace Palace which was followed by delegation-level parleys and signing of two MoU -- one on tourism and the other on "quick impact projects".

Under the MoU on "quick impact projects", there were four projects two in healthcare, one on women's empowerment through information and communication technology and one on agriculture.

At the Peace Palace, Ansari was accorded ceremonial welcome and guard of honour. Earlier in the morning, the vice president visited the Independence Monument that was built in 1958 to symbolise Cambodian Independence from being a French protectorate.

He also visited the Royal Memorial, a 27-metre tall shrine that has a bronze statue of Late King Norodom Sihanouk. He also laid a wreath at the two places. School children had lined up along the rood to greet Ansari with flags and flowers.

After the talks, Ansari also delivered an address on Cambodia-India ties at the Office of the Council of Ministers. He then paid floral tributes at Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Phnom Penh . In his meeting with Hun Sen, Ansari conveyed the decision of the Indian government to support several projects under Mekong-Ganga Cooperation programme targeting the health sector, agriculture and women's empowerment.

Photograph: @AnnaMajHultgard/Twitter

The family of Rajendra Kasawa, who owned the godown in Jhabua that stored explosives illegally, was released by the police after being interrogated in connection with the blast incident. The explosion that ripped through a building left more than 90 people dead.

A case was registered against Kasawa for keeping gelatine sticks in his godown, which ultimately resulted in the explosion. Kasawa has been absconding after the mishap.

11:04 I was befooled by Arnab Goswami, rages Katju

Tuesday evening saw Justice Markandey Katju make an appearance on the Newhour on Times Now, also known as the Inquisition Hour, to defend his critical views on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Apparently things didn't go according to the script (in other words, it went as per Arnab's script), which has caused the judge to resolve never to tell the nation what it wants to know.

In a Facebook post, Katju has explained why Tuesday was the last time he has appeared on Times Now's popular show:

'Last evening Arnab Goswamy telephoned me and asked me to appear on his show on Times Now channel regarding Subhas Chandra Bose.

'I told him I would appear only in a one to one discussion. He said that some others may also appear so that the discussion may not appear one sided. I agreed, but said that since a furious attack had been launched against me on the issue by some people I must first be given a few minutes to explain my point of view uninterruptedly, and thereafter others can join. To this he agreed.

'When the show began I said that I had 3 points to make about Bose, but before I could even complete my first point Arnab started interrupting me. He accused me of not having any idea of facts and history (of which he obviously knows everything ).

'Right at the beginning of the show Arnab called my statement on Bose condemnable '. He then called me superficial and supercilious (arrogant ), and that I have the tendency of plunging into debate without knowing any facts. He also said that I don't believe anyone except myself. Is this the way a TV anchor should behave ? Is this not abuse ?

'The panelists then started abusing me. Ardhendu Bose said that I should have my head examined. Anuj Dar, who advanced a stupid theory that the Japanese would not have conquered India as it was the land of Buddha (as if the Japanese fascists cared for that ) said that I was a stooge of Nehru, and that I was spitting on the sun. He also made a stupid comment that there was nothing wrong in the Japanese imperialists grabbing markets and raw materials.

'When Ardhendu Bose said that I was a publicity seeker Arnab repeatedly agreed with him.

'I was befooled by Arnab Goswami into appearing on his show, and I told him I will never again do so as he does not know how to behave. He obviously thinks his channel's TRP rating goes up by his insulting people and not letting them speak.'

For those of you curious to know what transpired on Arnab's show last night, you can see it here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's radio show 'Mann ki Baat' must be stopped till the Bihar elections are over, demanded the Congress. It is expected to meet the Election Commission today with the request.

The party believes that Modi's show is a violation of the code of conduct ahead of the Bihar polls to be held between October 12 to November 8.

The PM has used the radio programme to speak on various issues related to the country. His latest edition is on Sunday, for which he has invited citizens to join in by posting voice messages on his government's interactive website.

Finally, Facebook is working on the long-sought dislike button.

In a Q&A session held at Facebook's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, founder Mark Zuckerberg said that the button would be a way for people to express empathy. He said Facebook was "very close" to having it ready for user testing. However he went on to say he did not want it to be a mechanism with which people could "down vote" others' posts, reports BBC.

A "dislike" button has been constantly requested by some users since the introduction of the now-iconic "like" button in 2009.

09:09

The Western Railway claims that services have resumed. But, BEST, which operates the buses in the city, has nevertheless jumped into action.

The BEST will be operating additional buses on S V Road and the Western Express Highway to facilitate commuters in peak hour traffic.

08:59 Mumbai: Services on Western Railway line resume

Update on Western Railway services in Mumbai: Services have resumed after all the four tracks affected because of Tuesday's derailment restored.

08:46 Pakistan firing targets Poonch, J&K

Just in: Pakistan has violated ceasefire yet again in the Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Army retaliated too. No casualties have been reported.

It was a terrible Tuesday for Mumbai after a train derailment on the Western Railway line yesterday. Services were hit leaving commuters with little choice but take the roads and causing nightmarish traffic snarls. So here's the latest this morning.

"At present fast trains are being diverted on slow tracks and running about 15 min late," the Western Railway informed in a tweet.

"The last derailed coach has been removed from the tracks and services will be started on fast tracks in an hour," the WR said about 30 minutes ago. It has requested the BEST to ply extra buses in the city.

According to officials, restoration work is still going on and is expected to complete till 9 am.

Image: A derailed coach is being removed from tracks. Photograph: @WesternRly/Twitter

Japan scrambled four fighter jets to intercept a foreign aircraft -- believed to have been Russian -- which briefly violated its airspace, the defence ministry was reported as saying today.

The plane entered Japanese airspace off the coast of the northernmost main island of Hokkaido, the Kyodo and Jiji news agencies said.

The Japanese Air Self-Defense Force scrambled four jets to head off the intruder on Tuesday, Jiji added.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has called his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in a bid to clarify the intent of Moscow's military build-up in Syria, a state department official said.

Kerry also warned that continued support for President Bashar al-Assad would only prolong the conflict, the official added.The US accuses Russia of boosting its military presence in Syria.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has called his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in a bid to clarify the intent of Moscow's military build-up in Syria, a state department official said.

Kerry also warned that continued support for President Bashar al-Assad would only prolong the conflict, the official added.The US accuses Russia of boosting its military presence in Syria.

The United States today urged North Korea to refrain from "irresponsible provocation" after the communist state confirmed the restarting of a nuclear reactor seen as its main source of weapons-grade plutonium.

Pyongyang's confirmation, by the head of the North's Atomic Energy Institute, came hard on the heels of suggestions by the chief of the national space agency of a possible satellite rocket launch next month.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said: "North Korea should refrain from irresponsible provocation that serve only to aggravate regional tensions."

A floatplane belonging to a fishing lodge has crashed with 10 people on board in southwest Alaska, authorities said, killing three people and injuring others. Alaska State Troopers said yesterday the three dead were from outside the state.

The injured passengers were being flown to Anchorage hospitals following the crash near the small community of Iliamna, 175 miles southwest of Anchorage. It's unclear how many people were hurt.

Rebel rocket fire into regime-held districts of Syria's northern city of Aleppo killed at least 38 people today, among them 14 children, a monitoring group said. "Rocket fire on government districts is still going on," said Rami Abdel Rahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

"It's one of the heaviest tolls yet from rebel bombardment of Aleppo," he said. He gave a toll of at least 150 wounded in the attacks on the west of the city which Syrian state media earlier said had killed at least 19 people and wounded 95.

Elton John said today that Vladimir Putin phoned him after the musician requested a meeting to discuss Russia's anti-gay environment but Putin's spokesman denied the report. There was no immediate way to reconcile the differing accounts.

On Instagram, the British star said "thank-you to President Vladimir Putin for reaching out and speaking via telephone with me today. I look to forward to meeting with you face-to-face to discuss LGBT equality in Russia."

A civilian staff member with the United Nations mission in Central African Republic is alleged to have committed sexual exploitation, bringing the total number of those accused of sexual abuse to 17 since the peacekeeping mission arrived to help stabilise the country, the UN said today.

The UN mission gave few details about the allegations other than to say that the suspect is a civilian. Thirteen of the 17 cases involve UN peacekeeping personnel, it said.

00:26 Show cause notice to private Gujarati channel

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry is learnt to have issued a show cause notice to a private Gujarati channel asking it to explain certain comments with regard to a "political leader" which it said appeared to have violated the norms.

In a notice issued in February this year by the I&B to Gujarati TV channel GSTV, the ministry as mentioned that in a news programme telecast on January 30, it commented on news regarding glorification of Nathuram Godse and building a temple in his name.

Hungarian police today arrested 174 people after harsh new laws came into force which punish "illegal border-crossing" with prison terms of several years, authorities said.

Under the new legislation, which came into effect at midnight (2200 GMT yesterday), police arrested 60 people for "cutting or damaging" a razorwire barrier along the Serbian border.

The professional hunter who helped an American dentist kill Zimbabwe's popular lion Cecil has been arrested for his alleged link with an illegal operation to smuggle 29 sable antelope out of the country.

Theo Bronkhorst, 52, was arrested yesterday in Zimbabwe's second largest city of Bulawayo, police said today. "He is facing charges of moving wild animals without a permit" and smuggling of wild animals, police spokeswoman Charity Charamba said in a statement.

The Maldives criticised the UN human rights chief's call to release the country's imprisoned former president, calling it an effort to circumvent rule of law.

The foreign ministry said in a statement yesterday that it rejects High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein's allegation that the law in the Maldives is being manipulated for political ends.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has accepted France's invitation to visit Paris in November, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said today, in what will be the first trip to France by an Iranian leader since 1999.

Speaking in parliament, Valls said President Francois Hollande would host Rouhani "because after the conclusion of an agreement on its nuclear programme, Tehran must weigh in positively in favour of a political solution" in Syria.

Cuban President Raul Castro is expected to address the annual United Nations gathering of world leaders later this month for the first time, the UN indicated today. This would be Castro's first trip to the United States as president, though it's not clear what else he has planned.

An updated UN list of speakers notes that the Cuban head of state will speak at the gathering on Sept 28, the same day that President Barack Obama is set to speak.

00:18 Top headlines in that last 24 hours

PHOTOS: Suburban train derails in Mumbai; one injured, services hit
Delhi dengue toll rises, govt to crack whip on hospitals that refuse patients
Patels withdraw bank deposits, ban politicians' entry in villages
Charlie Hebdo triggers outrage over cartoon on dead Syrian toddler
Second child dies of dengue after Delhi hospitals turn him away
'Reservations are not chocolates Hardik can pick up from the streets'
A grateful nation and a proud school
'Whoever works on Tipu Sultan movie is anti-Indian'

Yesterday's Live commentary

Timeline Refresh

TOP STORIES