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Wed, 10 August 2016
Libya pro-govt forces seize IS headquarters in Sirte
Timeline Refresh
23:49 Irani to meet soldiers at Siachen on Raksha Bandhan
Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani will be going to Siachen Base camp on Raksha Bandhan while seven other women ministers of the Narendra Modi government will be visiting soldiers elsewhere that day.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said Irani will visit the Siachen Base Camp on August 18.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, Women and Child Welfare Minister Maneka Gandhi will visit borders areas and interact with the soldiers. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Commerce; Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Minister of State in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries; and Anupriya Patel, Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will be also meeting soliders on Raksha Bandhan.
23:27 Expelled AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa lashes out at Jayalalithaa
Sasikala Pushpa, an All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP who was expelled recently, on Wednesday lashed out at the party saying it is full of "slaves", PTI has reported.
"I don't want to be a part of this slave gang," the Rajya Sabha MP told reporters.
Pushpa warned the party leadership that she will retaliate, while deploying the caste card to counter the allegations against her saying that it is her Nadar community which is being harassed.
"I will retaliate if the harassment continues as I am the one who is being harassed here. People will give a befitting reply in elections," she said.
"I belong to Nadar community and am not sacred. People are watching all this. I have the backing of my community. Nadar community is one amongst the most powerful in the southern districts of the state," Pushpa said against the backdrop of controversies related to her expulsion and registration of an FIR against her family in Tamil Nadu.
The domestic helps, who reportedly worked at Pushpa's house in Tamil Nadu, had filed a complaint to police alleging that Pushpa, her husband Lingeswara Thilakan and son Pradeep Raja had tortured them.
While alleging that the maids were instigated to complain against her family, Pushpa showed a letter, allegedly written by an AIADMK party worker, threatening to kill her in Delhi itself.
"If this is the type of atrocity and sufferings faced by an MP like me, just imagine the plight of grassroots-level workers and other office bearers," she said, adding that many leaders in AIADMK are happy that she had brought these issues into the public domain.
"AIADMK leaders were wondering who would bell the cat. Now many are happy," the MP said.
The Tamil Nadu government was on Wednesday restrained by the Delhi high court from taking any "coercive action" till Thursday against Pushpa, her husband and their son in connection with the harassment of domestic helps.
The court said this while hearing the anticipatory bail pleas of Sasikala Pushpa, her husband and son.
23:05 Libya pro-govt forces seize IS headquarters in Sirte
Pro-government forces in Libya said they seized control of the Islamic State group's headquarters in Sirte today as they push to oust the jihadists from the coastal city.
"The Ouagadougou centre is in our hands," the operations centre for forces loyal to Libya's Government of National Accord said.
Reda Issa, a spokesman for the forces, said IS jihadists remained in three residential areas of the city and in a villa complex near the seafront.
"The announcement of the liberation (of Sirte) will only be made once the entire city is liberated," he told AFP.
Capturing the Ouagadougou centre has been the key goal of pro-GNA forces as they have battled for weeks to oust IS from Sirte, which the jihadists seized in June last year amid the chaos that followed the 2011 ouster of Moamer Kadhafi.
The city's capture raised deep concerns in the West, with fears the jihadists were gaining an important foothold just across the Mediterranean from Europe.
Loyalist forces stepped up their fight for the city in recent days, and the Pentagon announced last week it had begun carrying out air strikes on IS positions in Sirte at the GNA's request.
22:52 45,000 IS fighters killed in past two years: US general
About 45,000 jihadists have been killed in Iraq and Syria since the US-led operation to defeat the Islamic State group began two years ago, a top general said today.
"We estimate that over the past 11 months, we've killed about 25,000 enemy fighters. When you add that to the 20,000 estimated killed (previously), that's 45,000 enemy (fighters) taken off the battlefield," said Lieutenant General Sean MacFarland, who commands the US-led coalition campaign against IS.
22:25
Terrorists open fire on a group of local civilians in Jammu and Kashmir's Keran sector, one youth killed.
22:13 EC defers hearing on AAP MLAs' disqualification plea
The Election Commission today posted to August 19 the hearing on a petition seeking disqualification of 21 Aam Aadmi Party legislators in an office of profit case after the MLAs questioned the validity of a second set of documents filed against them.
The AAP legislators, whose appointment as parliamentary secretaries is under challenge, said the EC should consider only the first petition filed by Prashant Patel, who moved the plea before the poll body on which the President had sought opinion of the Commission.
They said the Commission cannot consider the second set of documents filed by Patel after the President had already sought opinion on the first petition.
They insisted the second set of documents were not maintainable. Patel, however, argued that the second set was not a fresh petition but a response to details sought by the EC.
The MLAs were of the view that EC should have sought the details from Delhi government and not the petitioner.
Following the arguments, the commission posted the matter for another hearing on August 19.
Nineteen out of the 21 MLAs were present at the hearing. Two could not attend the proceedings. Some of the MLAs said their lawyers were not present, Patel said.
On July 27, the commission had rejected pleas of the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party and Delhi government to implead them as parties to the petition in the alleged office-of-profit case.
The EC issued notices to the AAP legislators in June after the petition was filed before it by Patel.
The AAP legislators, whose appointment as parliamentary secretaries is under challenge, said the EC should consider only the first petition filed by Prashant Patel, who moved the plea before the poll body on which the President had sought opinion of the Commission.
They said the Commission cannot consider the second set of documents filed by Patel after the President had already sought opinion on the first petition.
They insisted the second set of documents were not maintainable. Patel, however, argued that the second set was not a fresh petition but a response to details sought by the EC.
The MLAs were of the view that EC should have sought the details from Delhi government and not the petitioner.
Following the arguments, the commission posted the matter for another hearing on August 19.
Nineteen out of the 21 MLAs were present at the hearing. Two could not attend the proceedings. Some of the MLAs said their lawyers were not present, Patel said.
On July 27, the commission had rejected pleas of the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party and Delhi government to implead them as parties to the petition in the alleged office-of-profit case.
The EC issued notices to the AAP legislators in June after the petition was filed before it by Patel.
21:37 Irani to meet soldiers at Siachen on Raksha Bandhan
Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani will be going to Siachen Base camp on Raksha Bandhan while seven other women ministers of the Narendra Modi government will be visiting soldiers elsewhere that day.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said Irani will visit the Siachen Base Camp on August 18. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, Women and Child Welfare Minister Maneka Gandhi will visit borders areas and interact with the soldiers.
Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Commerce; Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Minister of State in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries; and Anupriya Patel, Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will be also meeting soliders on Raksha Bandhan.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said Irani will visit the Siachen Base Camp on August 18. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, Women and Child Welfare Minister Maneka Gandhi will visit borders areas and interact with the soldiers.
Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Commerce; Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Minister of State in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries; and Anupriya Patel, Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will be also meeting soliders on Raksha Bandhan.
21:13 Minor Dalit girl gang raped, sister molested in Haryana
A 15-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly gang raped while her minor sister was sexually assaulted by three men, including a relative of the victims, the Haryana police said on Wednesday..
The accused identified as Ajay, a distant cousin of victims, and his friends Balram and Pradeep were arrested on Wednesday, Sonipat's Baroda police station Inspector Rajpal said.
According to police, the girls were allegedly abducted from their schools by the accused on Tuesday and taken to agricultural fields in Banvasa village here where one of them was allegedly gang raped while her 16-year-old sister was sexually assaulted.
All the accused were booked under different sections, including 376 (rape), of the Indian Penal Code, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 and SC/ST Act, police said.
The girls were threatened of dire consequences if they disclosed the incident to anyone, police said, adding the victims' statements were recorded before a magistrate.
The accused identified as Ajay, a distant cousin of victims, and his friends Balram and Pradeep were arrested on Wednesday, Sonipat's Baroda police station Inspector Rajpal said.
According to police, the girls were allegedly abducted from their schools by the accused on Tuesday and taken to agricultural fields in Banvasa village here where one of them was allegedly gang raped while her 16-year-old sister was sexually assaulted.
All the accused were booked under different sections, including 376 (rape), of the Indian Penal Code, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 and SC/ST Act, police said.
The girls were threatened of dire consequences if they disclosed the incident to anyone, police said, adding the victims' statements were recorded before a magistrate.
20:38 AOL damaged Yamuna floodplains: expert panel to NGT
The National Green Tribunal today directed Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living to submit its response within three weeks on the inspection report of Yamuna floodplains in Allahabad by an expert committee which has concluded that its three-day 'World Culture Festival' extravaganza has caused damage to the riverbed.
A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the expert committee, headed by Shashi Shekhar, secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, to quantify the damage and furnish a tentative cost for restoration of the area within 45 days.
The green panel granted liberty to the committee, also comprising senior scientist from National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Professor C R Babu, Professor A K Gosain, Professor Brij Gopal and two more members, to seek assistance of a specialised agency in determining the cost of restoration.
"An inspection report by the expert committee dated July 28 has been placed before the tribunal. Copies of the report be furnished to all the counsel and three weeks time is granted to file replies," the bench said.
During the hearing, the counsel for AOL said the allegations of environmental damage are 'unscientific, biased and unsustainable' and sought a copy of the inspection report which was filed in a sealed cover to file its response.
The matter has now been listed for the next hearing on September 28. Earlier, AOL foundation had deposited Rs 4.75 crore 'environment compensation' with Delhi Development Authority as directed by the NGT for damaging Yamuna's biodiversity during its 'World Culture Festival' in March.
The green panel had on March 9 refused to prohibit the festival held between March 11 and 13 but asked it to pay a compensation of Rs 5 crore for damaging biodiversity and aquatic life of Yamuna.
On March 11, AOL had moved a plea seeking four weeks time for depositing the amount after which the tribunal allowed the foundation to deposit Rs 25 lakh on that day and granted three weeks time period to pay the balance amount.
A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the expert committee, headed by Shashi Shekhar, secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, to quantify the damage and furnish a tentative cost for restoration of the area within 45 days.
The green panel granted liberty to the committee, also comprising senior scientist from National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Professor C R Babu, Professor A K Gosain, Professor Brij Gopal and two more members, to seek assistance of a specialised agency in determining the cost of restoration.
"An inspection report by the expert committee dated July 28 has been placed before the tribunal. Copies of the report be furnished to all the counsel and three weeks time is granted to file replies," the bench said.
During the hearing, the counsel for AOL said the allegations of environmental damage are 'unscientific, biased and unsustainable' and sought a copy of the inspection report which was filed in a sealed cover to file its response.
The matter has now been listed for the next hearing on September 28. Earlier, AOL foundation had deposited Rs 4.75 crore 'environment compensation' with Delhi Development Authority as directed by the NGT for damaging Yamuna's biodiversity during its 'World Culture Festival' in March.
The green panel had on March 9 refused to prohibit the festival held between March 11 and 13 but asked it to pay a compensation of Rs 5 crore for damaging biodiversity and aquatic life of Yamuna.
On March 11, AOL had moved a plea seeking four weeks time for depositing the amount after which the tribunal allowed the foundation to deposit Rs 25 lakh on that day and granted three weeks time period to pay the balance amount.
20:17 Kidney racket: Hospital CEO, 4 doctors sent to police custody
A court in Mumbai today remanded L H Hiranandani Hospital chief executive officer and four doctors, arrested in connection with an alleged kidney transplant racket, in police custody till August 14.
Hospital CEO Sujit Chatterjee, medical director Anurag Naik, Mukesh Shetye, Mukesh Shaha and Prakash Shetye were arrested yesterday under the Transplantation of Human Organs Act on the basis of a report by the Director of State Health Services Department, which named them during the inquriy.
Police told the court of Local Metropolitan Magistrate, Ashwini Lokhande in Andheri that the arrested doctors were also attached with other hospitals in the city and that they wanted to probe if the racket was being run in other hospitals as well.
Police also wanted to find out if there was any exchange of money among the doctors, agents and donors in the alleged racket. Police are also studying the Call Detail Record of the doctors and the racketeers arrested earlier.
Hospital CEO Sujit Chatterjee, medical director Anurag Naik, Mukesh Shetye, Mukesh Shaha and Prakash Shetye were arrested yesterday under the Transplantation of Human Organs Act on the basis of a report by the Director of State Health Services Department, which named them during the inquriy.
Police told the court of Local Metropolitan Magistrate, Ashwini Lokhande in Andheri that the arrested doctors were also attached with other hospitals in the city and that they wanted to probe if the racket was being run in other hospitals as well.
Police also wanted to find out if there was any exchange of money among the doctors, agents and donors in the alleged racket. Police are also studying the Call Detail Record of the doctors and the racketeers arrested earlier.
19:53 BJP asks party's Dalit MPs, leaders to counter opposition charges
Under the opposition attack over issues concerning Dalits, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bharatiya Janata Party have asked the party's Dalit leaders to launch an aggressive campaign among the community, claiming that its 'success' in winning over a section of them has prompted the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party to launch a 'disinformation' campaign against it.
Dalit MPs and office-bearers of the BJP, besides state presidents of the party's SC Morcha, held a meeting yesterday evening where Krishna Gopal, a senior RSS functionary who is the Hindutva organisation's pointsman for BJP, besides party general secretaries Ramlal and Bhupendra Yadav spoke to them.
The meeting assumes significance in view of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls as BJP has been making sustained efforts to woo Dalits, who constitute over 20 per cent of the electorate. Many believe that the recent rows have harmed its campaign.
Its Dalit MPs and other leaders are likely to fan out to areas where the community's presence is significant to defend the party over the rows following cases of attack on Dalits in many states by cow vigilantes.
"The opposition has launched a disinformation campaign against us. Congress and BSP are together as they are worried over our success in winning over Dalits. Comments of our senior leaders are being distorted. We have to counter it aggressively and effectively," party spokesperson and Dalit leader Vijay Sonkar Shastri said.
Dalit MPs and office-bearers of the BJP, besides state presidents of the party's SC Morcha, held a meeting yesterday evening where Krishna Gopal, a senior RSS functionary who is the Hindutva organisation's pointsman for BJP, besides party general secretaries Ramlal and Bhupendra Yadav spoke to them.
The meeting assumes significance in view of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls as BJP has been making sustained efforts to woo Dalits, who constitute over 20 per cent of the electorate. Many believe that the recent rows have harmed its campaign.
Its Dalit MPs and other leaders are likely to fan out to areas where the community's presence is significant to defend the party over the rows following cases of attack on Dalits in many states by cow vigilantes.
"The opposition has launched a disinformation campaign against us. Congress and BSP are together as they are worried over our success in winning over Dalits. Comments of our senior leaders are being distorted. We have to counter it aggressively and effectively," party spokesperson and Dalit leader Vijay Sonkar Shastri said.
19:10 Ill-fated Mahad bridge was to be dismantled in December: Govt
Maharashtra government today said the ill-fated British era bridge on Savitri river at Mahad, which collapsed claiming over 20 lives, was supposed to be dismantled last December.
So far, 26 bodies have been recovered while nearly 14 are still missing and feared dead after two State Transport buses and some other vehicles fell in the river following the bridge collapse on Mumbai-Goa highway on August 2.
"This particular bridge was to be brought down last December but on public demand, it was kept in operation," Maharashtra PWD minister Chandrakant Patil told reporters here at Mantralaya.
The bridge on the Mumbai-Goa highway comes under the National Highway Authority of India. Union Minister for Surface Transport, Nitin Gadkari soon after the Mahad tragedy
had announced that NHAI would reconstruct the bridge within 18
months.
18:40 Second man arrested over French priest's murder
Police in southwest France arrested a 21-year-old man in connection with the jihadist killing of a priest in a Normandy church last month, judicial sources said today.
The man arrested on Monday in the Toulouse area is the second to be held in connection with the murder of 85-year-old Jacques Hamel, whose throat was slit in front of worshippers while he was celebrating mass in the town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray on July 26.
A police source said he had been in contact with the cleric's killers, Abdel Malik Petitjean and Adel Kermiche, who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.
The pair, both aged 19, were shot dead by police after a hostage drama in which a worshipper was seriously wounded.
The grisly attack -- the first committed in the name of IS against a church in the West -- came less than two weeks after a Tunisian ploughed a 19-tonne truck into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in the Riviera city of Nice, killing 85 people and wounding more than 300.
18:32 All-party meet on J&K on Friday, Modi to attend
"An all-party meeting will be held on Kashmir issue on August 12; the PM will also attend it," Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh told the Rajya Sabha.
"4,515 security personnel and 3,356 civilians have been injured during the protests in Kashmir, so far," the home minister added.
"Some LeT militants are trying to threaten our security personnel and their families in J&K," Sing stated.
"Duniya ki koi takat humse J&K ko nahi le sakti (now power in the world can take J&K away from us)," says HM Rajnath Singh in RS
"If there will be any talks with Pakistan, it will only be on PoK and not Kashmir," Singh told the Upper House.
18:07 'Whatever is happening in Kashmir is sponsored by Pakistan: Rajnath Singh tells Parliament
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh addresses the Upper House of the Parliament on the Jammu & Kashmir unrest.
"When I visited Srinagar and Anantnag on July 23 and 24, I met various delegations and J&K CM there to discuss the Kashmir issue," the home minister said.
"Have no hesitation in saying that whatever is happening in Kashmir is sponsored by Pakistan," Singh said.
"I'm not saying that ppl living in Kashmir are leading a normal life, but state Govt is trying its best to provide basic facilities," he added.
"State government trying its best to provide to provide basic facilities amidst unrest situation created by some vested interest & misguided elements," the home minister stated.
"Although 100 ambulances being damaged due to stone pelting in the Kashmir region, over 400 ambulances are still operating," Singh said.
"Security forces have been told to exercise as much restraint as they can," the home minister added.
17:34 'JD-U ensured me of full support; won't join their party though,' Irom Sharmila says
A day after ending her 16-year-long hunger strike to remove the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Manipur, Irom Sharmila spoke to the media of her plans for the future.
"Next plan is to enter into politics for the power, choice to repeal this draconian law," Irom Sharmila said.
"They (JDU) came here, even though I won't join their party, they ensured me of their full support," Sharmila added.
"They misunderstood me, about my real being," Sharmila said referring to the protests against her in Manipur.
"They have been seeing me from their own version without connecting with my heart," the activist stated.
17:25 Xinhua journalists have left upon expiry of extended visa:Govt
Three journalists of China's state-run news agency Xinhua, who were denied extension of visa, have departed India, Lok Sabha was informed today.
"The visa of the Xinhua Bureau Chief in New Delhi had expired on December 31, 2015 while visas of the two Xinhua correspondents in Mumbai had expired in March, 2016.
"Short Term extensions were given to them to facilitate smooth transition. As per information available, the journalists have departed India upon expiry of their extended visa," Minister of State for External Affairs V K
Singh said, replying to a question.
Last month, External Affairs Ministry had said the journalists were denied visa extension as there were issues relating to their "conduct not being in conformity" with the provisions of the visa rules.
16:56 612 killed in natural disasters in China in July
Over 600 people were killed in China last month due to floods, typhoons and a range of geological disasters which also caused an economic loss of USD 35 billion, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said today.
Over 1.87 million houses across China were damaged or destroyed in last month's natural disasters.
Natural disasters have caused 233.1 billion yuan (about USD 35 billion) in total direct economic losses, affecting nearly 7.3 million hectares of farmland, with more than 1.5 million hectares yielding no crops.
Floods that have hit 29 provincial-level regions have left 612 people dead.
In July, two typhoons made landfall on the Chinese mainland, affecting five provincial regions.
Typhoon Nepartak left 105 people dead or missing, the highest deaths caused by a typhoon in the last five years.
Typhoon Mirinae resulted in a direct economic loss of 300 million yuan.
16:41 Baghdad hospital fire: 11 babies die in maternity ward blaze
At least 11 babies died when a fire broke out in the maternity ward of a Baghdad hospital early Wednesday, the Iraqi Health Ministry said.
The babies were in the pre-term birth unit in Yarmouk Hospital and died of suffocation, said Ahmed al-Rdainy, a spokesman for the ministry.
A preliminary report provided by the Civil Defense indicates the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit.
Amateur footage from the scene, circulated on social media, showed nervous families congregating outside the maternity ward. Other footage showed firefighters entering the charred, water-logged building, and ambulances racing victims to other hospitals for treatment.
Read more HERE.
16:23 Modi-Putin-Jaya unveil Kudankulam N-plant
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin participated via video-conferencing today in an event focused on the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project built with Russian collaboration in Tamil Nadu.
The PM said he dedicated the plant to India's friendship with Russia.
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa also participated through video link.
Both units of the Russian technology Kudankulam plant have been made at a cost of over Rs. 22,000 crore and are 10 years behind schedule.The reactors at Kudankulam - India's largest - are being built jointly by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India and a subsidiary of Russia's nuclear regulatory body Rosatom.
The PM said he dedicated the plant to India's friendship with Russia.
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa also participated through video link.
Both units of the Russian technology Kudankulam plant have been made at a cost of over Rs. 22,000 crore and are 10 years behind schedule.The reactors at Kudankulam - India's largest - are being built jointly by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India and a subsidiary of Russia's nuclear regulatory body Rosatom.
16:01 Three months leave for victims of sexual harassment: Govt
Women employees who have complained of sexual harassment can get three months leave during the pendency of inquiry, Union Minister Jitendra Singh informed Lok Sabha today. The government does not maintain any centralised data on the number of sexual harassment complaints, he said.
Section 12 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 provides for grant of leave up to three months to an aggrieved woman employee during the pendency of inquiry in to her case, he said in a written reply.
Section 12 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 provides for grant of leave up to three months to an aggrieved woman employee during the pendency of inquiry in to her case, he said in a written reply.
15:44 LeT told me to throw grenades during Kashmir protests: Pak terrorist confesses
The NIA today said it has proof against alleged Pakistani terror suspect Bahadur Ali and can show a video of him talking about his training by terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir.
Ali, a resident of Jia Bagga village in Pakistani Punjab, was arrested in Jammu and Kashmir's on July 25 following an encounter with security forces in Kupwara district.
Four other terrorists were gunned down in the shootout. Counter terror officials said he was captured with weapons, communication equipment and material of Pakistani and international origin.
They said Ali, who was described by the government as a "big terror catch', had crossed over to India to attack security forces and fuel more unrest in the valley. He was on a fidayeen or suicide mission in Kashmir.
During a press conference on Wednesday, the National Investigation Agency said LeT has instructed its cadre to stay behind Kashmiris during protests in the valley that has witnessed a wave of violence after security forces gunned down Burhan Wani, a poster boy of the militant Hizbul Mujahideen.
"Bahadur Ali lays bare the Lashkar conspiracy to throw grenades amidst protesters in Kashmir," NIA DG Sharad Kumar told Hindustan Times.Kumar added that Ali tried throwing grenades from behind protesters twice.
According to the agency, Alli is the son of a former police constable in Pakistan's Punjab province and has six brother and two sisters. They said his family owns 12 canals or over 5,000 square feet of land in Jia Bagga near Lahore.
He dropped out of the government primary school in his village after Class 8 and also attended a local madrassa Jamia Qasmia affiliated to Tablighi Jamaat.
In 2008-09 when Ali was 13 or 14, he met an imam of Ahle-Hadith mosque and his son who motivated him to join the sect. At the same time, he also met Mohammad Yusuf and Hafiz Shehzad, who worked for LeT's parent outfit Jamaat Ud Dawa.
India on Tuesday called in the Pakistani envoy to lodge a strong protest over Islamabads continuing cross-border terrorism amid a sharp downturn in bilateral ties.
A strong demarche on Pakistans use of terrorism against India and the recent arrest of Ali was handed over to Pakistani high commissioner Abdul Basit by foreign secretary S Jaishankar. The demarche made specific reference to LeT terrorist and (Pakistani) national Bahadur Ali, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. Pakistans Foreign Office spokesperson strongly rejected Indian claim of any cross-LOC infiltration.
Ali, a resident of Jia Bagga village in Pakistani Punjab, was arrested in Jammu and Kashmir's on July 25 following an encounter with security forces in Kupwara district.
Four other terrorists were gunned down in the shootout. Counter terror officials said he was captured with weapons, communication equipment and material of Pakistani and international origin.
They said Ali, who was described by the government as a "big terror catch', had crossed over to India to attack security forces and fuel more unrest in the valley. He was on a fidayeen or suicide mission in Kashmir.
During a press conference on Wednesday, the National Investigation Agency said LeT has instructed its cadre to stay behind Kashmiris during protests in the valley that has witnessed a wave of violence after security forces gunned down Burhan Wani, a poster boy of the militant Hizbul Mujahideen.
"Bahadur Ali lays bare the Lashkar conspiracy to throw grenades amidst protesters in Kashmir," NIA DG Sharad Kumar told Hindustan Times.Kumar added that Ali tried throwing grenades from behind protesters twice.
According to the agency, Alli is the son of a former police constable in Pakistan's Punjab province and has six brother and two sisters. They said his family owns 12 canals or over 5,000 square feet of land in Jia Bagga near Lahore.
He dropped out of the government primary school in his village after Class 8 and also attended a local madrassa Jamia Qasmia affiliated to Tablighi Jamaat.
In 2008-09 when Ali was 13 or 14, he met an imam of Ahle-Hadith mosque and his son who motivated him to join the sect. At the same time, he also met Mohammad Yusuf and Hafiz Shehzad, who worked for LeT's parent outfit Jamaat Ud Dawa.
India on Tuesday called in the Pakistani envoy to lodge a strong protest over Islamabads continuing cross-border terrorism amid a sharp downturn in bilateral ties.
A strong demarche on Pakistans use of terrorism against India and the recent arrest of Ali was handed over to Pakistani high commissioner Abdul Basit by foreign secretary S Jaishankar. The demarche made specific reference to LeT terrorist and (Pakistani) national Bahadur Ali, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. Pakistans Foreign Office spokesperson strongly rejected Indian claim of any cross-LOC infiltration.
15:20 India's wrestling medal hope Narsingh Yadav leaves for Rio
Wrestler Narsingh Yadav has finally left for Rio. Yadav boarded a 4:40 am Rio-bound flight after he was given the go-ahead to represent India at the Olympics by the Wrestling Federation of India. Narsingh will participate in the 75kg freestyle category at the Olympics.
Wrestling Federation of India President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh confirmed that Narsingh will be definitely participating in his 75-kg weight category event and will not require any clearance from World Anti doping Agency (WADA).
-- Aruneel Sadadekar/Rediff.com
Wrestling Federation of India President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh confirmed that Narsingh will be definitely participating in his 75-kg weight category event and will not require any clearance from World Anti doping Agency (WADA).
-- Aruneel Sadadekar/Rediff.com
14:59 Sharmila under supervision of JNIMS doctors; on liquid diet
Manipur's 'Iron Lady' Irom Sharmila, who broke her 16-year-old hunger strike yesterday, is now under supervision at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) and has been put on a special liquid diet.
A senior JNIMS doctor told PTI that Sharmila was under supervision of their doctors since she had been on fast for so many years and was not in a position to shift to solid food immediately. She is being administered a liquid diet and perhaps would have to stay in the hospital room for some more days for medical back-up support until she is in a situation to take solid food and recover physically, the doctor said.
Meanwhile, armed police personnel were posted in the hospital compound in the wake of security threat to the activist with some groups opposing her decision to end the fast, a police officer said.
Outside a government hospital, a room of which was turned into a jail for her, the 44-year-old iconic rights activist turned emotional as she licked honey from her palm yesterday to end the fast that she undertook in protest against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
A senior JNIMS doctor told PTI that Sharmila was under supervision of their doctors since she had been on fast for so many years and was not in a position to shift to solid food immediately. She is being administered a liquid diet and perhaps would have to stay in the hospital room for some more days for medical back-up support until she is in a situation to take solid food and recover physically, the doctor said.
Meanwhile, armed police personnel were posted in the hospital compound in the wake of security threat to the activist with some groups opposing her decision to end the fast, a police officer said.
Outside a government hospital, a room of which was turned into a jail for her, the 44-year-old iconic rights activist turned emotional as she licked honey from her palm yesterday to end the fast that she undertook in protest against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
14:27 Sonia Gandhi's discharge from hospital delayed
Doctors have advised Congress president Sonia Gandhi to stay put in hospital for another two days. Gandhi was supposed to have been discharged today from Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, a week after undergoing a shoulder-reconstruction surgery.
A board of specialists created to treat her has reviewed her condition had said she was in good health.
The 69-year-old had dislocated and fractured her left shoulder last week during a road show in Varanasi, a part of the Congress' poll campaign in Uttar Pradesh.
Mumbai-based Dr Sanjay Desai was flown in for Gandhi's surgery as he specialises in shoulder reconstruction.
However, since Gandhi had suffered from massive electrolyte imbalance and had severe symptoms including acute diarrhoea and vomiting, doctors were waiting for her to regain strength before discharging her.
Image: Sonia Gandhi at the Varanasi road show on August 2 where she fell ill.
A board of specialists created to treat her has reviewed her condition had said she was in good health.
The 69-year-old had dislocated and fractured her left shoulder last week during a road show in Varanasi, a part of the Congress' poll campaign in Uttar Pradesh.
Mumbai-based Dr Sanjay Desai was flown in for Gandhi's surgery as he specialises in shoulder reconstruction.
However, since Gandhi had suffered from massive electrolyte imbalance and had severe symptoms including acute diarrhoea and vomiting, doctors were waiting for her to regain strength before discharging her.
Image: Sonia Gandhi at the Varanasi road show on August 2 where she fell ill.
14:03 BJP will have a 30-room office in Delhi soon
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation for the BJP headquarters in New Delhi on August 18. The seven-storyed building will have sophisticated architecture but keeping with the ideals of the RSS and the BJP.
BJP President Amit Shah and other senior leaders will be present at the occasion where Vedic hymns will be chanted as PM Narendra Modi lays the foundation stone.
Interestingly, the UPA government had allotted two acres at Deen Dayal Upadhay Marg in the heart of New Delhi for the building. It will be the tallest building for a party HQ as other political parties like RJD, AIADMK, JDU and TMC have two or three-storeyed buildingS. Most political parties have their offices in Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg.
The present BJP HQ is housed at 10 Ashoka Road and is a government bungalow and is rather cramped. But the new HQ is spread over 30,000 sq ft, has 30 rooms, a huge hall, and underground parking.
BJP is keen to complete construction of their headquarters by 2019. The cost of the construction is expected to be approximately Rs 8 crore.
BJP President Amit Shah and other senior leaders will be present at the occasion where Vedic hymns will be chanted as PM Narendra Modi lays the foundation stone.
Interestingly, the UPA government had allotted two acres at Deen Dayal Upadhay Marg in the heart of New Delhi for the building. It will be the tallest building for a party HQ as other political parties like RJD, AIADMK, JDU and TMC have two or three-storeyed buildingS. Most political parties have their offices in Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg.
The present BJP HQ is housed at 10 Ashoka Road and is a government bungalow and is rather cramped. But the new HQ is spread over 30,000 sq ft, has 30 rooms, a huge hall, and underground parking.
BJP is keen to complete construction of their headquarters by 2019. The cost of the construction is expected to be approximately Rs 8 crore.
13:45 Jyotiraditya Scindia's car meets with accident, 1 dead
Just in: MP and former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia's car meets with an accident, kills one person on NH-66 at Pattanakadu in Kerala. Details awaited.
13:11 Burhan Wani more dangerous dead than alive: Derek O'Brien in Parl
"Burhan Wani was more dangerous on internet than on streets. He's more dangerous dead than alive," says Derek O'Brien, TMC in RS as the House debates Kashmir. Five hours have been set aside for the debate in the Rajya Sabha with the Opposition led by Ghulam Nabi Azad demanding that PM Modi speak in Parliament on the issue.
Azad opened the debate saying, "Despite his presence in the parliament, Prime Minister is still not participating in the proceedings in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha." He also said that the PM Modi tweets about everything, why he did not say anything on Kashmir.
Meanwhile, militants fired at a security picket guarding a minority village in Shopian district of Kashmir, a police official said today.
Azad opened the debate saying, "Despite his presence in the parliament, Prime Minister is still not participating in the proceedings in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha." He also said that the PM Modi tweets about everything, why he did not say anything on Kashmir.
Meanwhile, militants fired at a security picket guarding a minority village in Shopian district of Kashmir, a police official said today.
12:58
Just In: Explosion at the gates of Manipur University in Imphal.
12:31 'Good friends' Modi and Obama's last meet to be in China
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to meet US President Barack Obama in Hangzhou, China, on the sidelines of the G20 summit on September 4-5 in what will probably be the last meeting between them before the US president leaves office early next year.
While Modi is not travelling to New York for this year's United Nations General Assembly meeting, he will be in Laos for just over 24 hours during the September 7-8 East Asia and India-Asean summits, making it difficult to squeeze in a meeting with Obama on that occasion.
The two sides are therefore trying to organise a meeting in China to review measures Obama and Modi have initiated to revitalise bilateral ties since mid-2014 besides discussing geopolitics and the geo-economic situation amid China's posture in the South China Sea and elsewhere.
Besides travelling to the US four times since becoming PM and hosting Obama for India's Republic Day celebrations in 2015, the two have met a number of times on the sidelines of various multilateral events.
11:55 Militants attack security picket in Shopian
Militants fired at a security picket guarding a minority village in Shopian district of Kashmir, a police official said. "Militants opened fire on a security picket at Zainapora in Shopian last night around 9.30 pm," the police official said.
No damage was reported in the incident. In another incident, a vehicle of the security wing of the police was damaged when it caught fire last night at Kursoo in Rajbagh area of the city, the official said.
He said the vehicle was deployed for the security escort of state health minister Bali Baghat. The vehicle was stationary when the incident took place. The official said the cause of the fire is being ascertained.
11:52 What upsets PM Narendra Modi
It would be cynical to doubt the sincerity of the prime minister when in a space of two days he exhorted gau rakshaks not to attack Dalits and castigated them for their lack of real love for the cow.
It would be even more cynical to ask why the PM chooses to speak publicly rather than directly ensuring that gau rakshaks do not take the law into their hands anywhere in the country.
The PM's emotional outburst that gau rakshaks better shoot him rather than harass Dalits is almost reminiscent of the Mahatma's statement that he would rather the cow be killed than a human being killed in the name of the cow.
Read more HERE
11:38 Vajpayee's words on Kashmir don't suit PM: Azad
Parliament debates Kashmir.
Ghulam Nabi Azad initiates the debate hitting out at the PM, saying he tweets on events around the world, why is he silent on Kashmir in the House? Highlights...
-- Atal Bihari Vajpayee's words don't suit PM.
-- Kashmiriyat, Jamhuriyat, Insaniyat murdered by pellet guns.
-- Modi spoke on Dalits in Telangana not in Parliament. PM addressed Kashmir from MP not from Parliament. Why is he silent on Kashmir in the House?
-- Separatism not the same as communalism.
-- A militant has no religion.
-- Don't just love the beauty of the Valley, love the people.
-- Kashmir integral part of India, but about integration?
-- J&K has no resources, state depends on Centre.
Breaking his silence on the turmoil in Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday advocated a path of democracy and dialogue to restore peace in the spirit of insaniyat (humanity), jamhuriyat (democracy) and Kashmiriyat.
Ghulam Nabi Azad initiates the debate hitting out at the PM, saying he tweets on events around the world, why is he silent on Kashmir in the House? Highlights...
-- Atal Bihari Vajpayee's words don't suit PM.
-- Kashmiriyat, Jamhuriyat, Insaniyat murdered by pellet guns.
-- Modi spoke on Dalits in Telangana not in Parliament. PM addressed Kashmir from MP not from Parliament. Why is he silent on Kashmir in the House?
-- Separatism not the same as communalism.
-- A militant has no religion.
-- Don't just love the beauty of the Valley, love the people.
-- Kashmir integral part of India, but about integration?
-- J&K has no resources, state depends on Centre.
Breaking his silence on the turmoil in Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday advocated a path of democracy and dialogue to restore peace in the spirit of insaniyat (humanity), jamhuriyat (democracy) and Kashmiriyat.
11:25 Speak about Kashmir in Parliament not in MP, Cong urges PM
Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad initiates the debate on Kashmir which is on its 33rd day of curfew. Azad says the PM should speak on Kashmir in Parliament and not in Madhya Pradesh.
PM Narendra Modi, on Tuesday finally broke his silence over the Kashmir issue. Evoking the Vajpayee model of 'insaniyat', the prime minister appealed for peace in Jammu and Kashmir, at a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Alirajpur district. In his speech, Modi made a direct appeal to the youngsters of Kashmir, saying that those who should be holding laptops, bats, balls in their hands and dreams in their hearts are the ones carrying stones.
Five hours have been allotted for the debate.
PM Narendra Modi, on Tuesday finally broke his silence over the Kashmir issue. Evoking the Vajpayee model of 'insaniyat', the prime minister appealed for peace in Jammu and Kashmir, at a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Alirajpur district. In his speech, Modi made a direct appeal to the youngsters of Kashmir, saying that those who should be holding laptops, bats, balls in their hands and dreams in their hearts are the ones carrying stones.
Five hours have been allotted for the debate.
11:12 ISIS threatens to bomb Miss Universe pageant in new tutorial video
The terror group Islamic State has threatened to attack Miss Universe pageant 2017, which is scheduled to be held in Philippines, through their tutorial video showing prospective martyrs how to make a suicide vest, reports India Today.
Addressing 'brothers who love martyrdom', a jihadi issued a widespread threat, urging terrorist supporters to 'target the blood of foreigners whose nations have participated in the war against ISIS', the Fox News reported.
The group shared a video on the encrypted messaging app Telegram where they recommended IS Philippines Supporters to 'create a bomb for Miss Universe'. The message called on 'everyone who can' to launch an attack at the event which is scheduled for January.
Addressing 'brothers who love martyrdom', a jihadi issued a widespread threat, urging terrorist supporters to 'target the blood of foreigners whose nations have participated in the war against ISIS', the Fox News reported.
The group shared a video on the encrypted messaging app Telegram where they recommended IS Philippines Supporters to 'create a bomb for Miss Universe'. The message called on 'everyone who can' to launch an attack at the event which is scheduled for January.
11:07 Maid files FIR against Sasikala Pushpa
Police register FIR against expelled AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa and her family members on a complaint filed by her maid. Maid filed a sexual harassment case against Pushpa and her family members (husband, mother and son).
11:03
Thoothukudi (TN): Police register FIR against Expelled AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa and her family members on a complaint filed by her maid.
10:41 Boy injured in blast near BSF camp near Imphal
Just in: Blast near BSF camp in Manipur, close to Imphal. A 7-year-old has been injured in the blast.
Two BSF personnel were injured when three powerful bombs exploded at Kangpokpi in Manipur's Senapati district on Monday. Police said the three IEDs exploded at a place 3 km from Kangpokpi town when the BSF personnel were trying to board a vehicle.
The Manipur police and BSF officials rushed to the spot and conducted search operation but no one was arrested, police said.The injured were given first aid by the Assam Rifles doctors at Kangpokpi and were referred to a hospital there.
Representational picture.
Two BSF personnel were injured when three powerful bombs exploded at Kangpokpi in Manipur's Senapati district on Monday. Police said the three IEDs exploded at a place 3 km from Kangpokpi town when the BSF personnel were trying to board a vehicle.
The Manipur police and BSF officials rushed to the spot and conducted search operation but no one was arrested, police said.The injured were given first aid by the Assam Rifles doctors at Kangpokpi and were referred to a hospital there.
Representational picture.
10:22 Students who dropped out fearing tigers return to school in TN
Forty-five children, who had stopped going to school out of fear of wild animals like tigers, have returned to their institution in Mudumalai, a tiger habitat in Nilgiris district, after the Tamil Nadu government provided jeep for their safe transportation. State Minister for School Education P Benjamin also said that state government's self-defence programme for girl children has developed confidence among them.
10:03
Three held in Hoshiarpur, Punjab for links to alleged terror plot. Three pistols and bulletproof jackets recovered from arrested persons.
09:59 Modi, Putin, Jaya to dedicate Kudankulam N-plant today
Nearly three decades after the first contract was inked between India and Russia -- a period that saw the collapse of the Soviet Union and the resultant change in world order, and as many as 10 governments at the Centre -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa will jointly dedicate Unit 1 of the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant on Wednesday afternoon.The function will be organised over video conferencing between the three leaders in their respective capitals and the fourth point will be at the plant site in Tirunelveli. Read more
09:27 Trump, Clinton debates on Sept 26, Oct 9 and 19, (T&C apply)
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said he wants to "debate very badly" with his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton but will first see terms and conditions of the three presidential debates scheduled for September and October.
"I will absolutely do three debates. I want to debate very badly. But I have to see the conditions," Trump told The Time magazine.
Debate is considered the most significant part of the US presidential elections, which very often decides the fate of a candidate.
The three presidential debates scheduled this time are September 26 (Hempstead, New York), October 9 (St Louis) and October 19 in Las Vegas.
The one vice-presidential debate is scheduled for October 4 in Farmville, Virginia. The non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which conducts the debate, had last September announced the dates, venue and terms and conditions for the debate.
The format of each 90-minute debate has already been set. Trump said that he had haggled with television networks over the terms of debates held during the GOP primary and might do so again.
"I renegotiated the debates in the primaries, remember? They were making a fortune on them and they had us in for three and a half hours and I said that's ridiculous. "I am sure they'll be open to any suggestions I have, because I think they'll be very fair suggestions. But I haven't (seen the conditions) yet. They're actually presented to me tonight," he said. Trump also said he reserved the right to object to the commission's choice of moderators, which have not yet been announced. "I'll have to see who the moderators are. Yeah, I would say that certain moderators would be unacceptable, absolutely. I did very well in the debates on the primaries.
According to the polls, I won all of them. So I look forward to the debates. But, yeah, I want to have fair moderators. I will demand fair moderators," he said.
Meanwhile, Politico reported that the Commission is preparing for a third seat on the podium of the debate in case any of the third party candidates get more than 15 per cent in recent national polls.
"I will absolutely do three debates. I want to debate very badly. But I have to see the conditions," Trump told The Time magazine.
Debate is considered the most significant part of the US presidential elections, which very often decides the fate of a candidate.
The three presidential debates scheduled this time are September 26 (Hempstead, New York), October 9 (St Louis) and October 19 in Las Vegas.
The one vice-presidential debate is scheduled for October 4 in Farmville, Virginia. The non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which conducts the debate, had last September announced the dates, venue and terms and conditions for the debate.
The format of each 90-minute debate has already been set. Trump said that he had haggled with television networks over the terms of debates held during the GOP primary and might do so again.
"I renegotiated the debates in the primaries, remember? They were making a fortune on them and they had us in for three and a half hours and I said that's ridiculous. "I am sure they'll be open to any suggestions I have, because I think they'll be very fair suggestions. But I haven't (seen the conditions) yet. They're actually presented to me tonight," he said. Trump also said he reserved the right to object to the commission's choice of moderators, which have not yet been announced. "I'll have to see who the moderators are. Yeah, I would say that certain moderators would be unacceptable, absolutely. I did very well in the debates on the primaries.
According to the polls, I won all of them. So I look forward to the debates. But, yeah, I want to have fair moderators. I will demand fair moderators," he said.
Meanwhile, Politico reported that the Commission is preparing for a third seat on the podium of the debate in case any of the third party candidates get more than 15 per cent in recent national polls.
09:22 On 2nd anniv of Ferguson riots, shots fired again
Gunfire broke out during a demonstration in Ferguson, Missouri, on the second anniversary of Michael Brown's death, disrupting what had been a peaceful gathering but apparently wounding no one.
Witnesses told an Associated Press reporter that a car sped through a group of protesters who were blocking a street during the demonstration marking two years since the unarmed black 18-year-old's fatal shooting by a white police officer.
They said the car struck a young man so hard that he flew into the air. As the car drove away, shots were fired, they said. "A lady came down and hit a protester and knocked the shoes off his feet," said Sharon Cowan, who was at the scene. "Hit him, and he rolled and he bounced." The man appeared to be badly injured and was put into a private car to be taken to a hospital, she said.
File pic of demonstrators during the 1st anniversary of the Ferguson riots.
Witnesses told an Associated Press reporter that a car sped through a group of protesters who were blocking a street during the demonstration marking two years since the unarmed black 18-year-old's fatal shooting by a white police officer.
They said the car struck a young man so hard that he flew into the air. As the car drove away, shots were fired, they said. "A lady came down and hit a protester and knocked the shoes off his feet," said Sharon Cowan, who was at the scene. "Hit him, and he rolled and he bounced." The man appeared to be badly injured and was put into a private car to be taken to a hospital, she said.
File pic of demonstrators during the 1st anniversary of the Ferguson riots.
09:14 Why Indian democracy has failed Irom Sharmila
By turning its back on Irom Sharmila, the State has reinforced the futility of peaceful protests in the public mind. This is a dangerous thing to do, writes Shoma Chaudhury. Read
09:13 CRPF Chief Compares Use Of Pellet Guns In Kashmir To Wife Beating
The Director General of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), K Durga Prasad, recently took up an analogy that blatantly reeked of violent misogyny when he was asked a simple question by a reporter -- 'When will you stop using pellet guns on Kashmiri protestors?'
Prasad's answer was a classical paradox. "This is like asking, 'When will you stop beating your wife?' or 'Have you stopped beating your wife?'" Yes, or no, no matter what the answer to that question is, it implicates the one answering. Prasad's quip exposes the misogyny deeply ingrained in Indian mindsets. He implied the job of maintaining peace in Kashmir is the equivalent of the patriarchal control of women, by the rod, if need be.
Read more
Prasad's answer was a classical paradox. "This is like asking, 'When will you stop beating your wife?' or 'Have you stopped beating your wife?'" Yes, or no, no matter what the answer to that question is, it implicates the one answering. Prasad's quip exposes the misogyny deeply ingrained in Indian mindsets. He implied the job of maintaining peace in Kashmir is the equivalent of the patriarchal control of women, by the rod, if need be.
Read more
08:58 PM on I-day hit list: Trees, beggars, balconies, windows under security radar
Security near the Red Fort has been beefed up in preparation for the Independence Day celebrations.
Everything that moves, or does not - from trees and windows, to residents and beggars - will be under the radar of security agencies who will take no chance as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hoist the national flag and deliver his speech, reports Mail Today.
For better security, police has also got over 3,000 trees pruned in and around the venue. These trees will be thoroughly checked and will be guarded by security personnel.
"There are around 3,140 trees in and around the Red Fort premises. All the trees are now pruned and lights are being installed on them. Around 2,400 trees are located inside the Red Fort premises and the rest are along the periphery. Security personnel will be deployed at each tree to rule out any security breach," officer said.
The Delhi Police is hiring additional 500 CCTV cameras, which keep a watch on the venue.
According to a senior Delhi police officer, the Prime Minister is on the target of a terror outfit and they are always looking for new ways to attack him.
Based on the inputs from other intelligence agencies we have mapped all the residents, trees and other vital set-up near the venue, he said.
Officials said that the panaromic view that the PM will face has been kept in mind and all buildings facing the Red Fort are being checked.
According to Delhi Police, close to 600 balconies and 100 windows open to a clear view of the monument."Security personnel will be deployed at such locations during the speech," senior police officer said.
Police have also divided areas facing Red Fort in several categories so that in case of emergency, a quick response team can immediately identify the house and reach the spot. NSG commandos will be present atop buildings facing the fort. All borders will be sealed at midnight the day before and opened only at 2pm on Independence Day.
Everything that moves, or does not - from trees and windows, to residents and beggars - will be under the radar of security agencies who will take no chance as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hoist the national flag and deliver his speech, reports Mail Today.
For better security, police has also got over 3,000 trees pruned in and around the venue. These trees will be thoroughly checked and will be guarded by security personnel.
"There are around 3,140 trees in and around the Red Fort premises. All the trees are now pruned and lights are being installed on them. Around 2,400 trees are located inside the Red Fort premises and the rest are along the periphery. Security personnel will be deployed at each tree to rule out any security breach," officer said.
The Delhi Police is hiring additional 500 CCTV cameras, which keep a watch on the venue.
According to a senior Delhi police officer, the Prime Minister is on the target of a terror outfit and they are always looking for new ways to attack him.
Based on the inputs from other intelligence agencies we have mapped all the residents, trees and other vital set-up near the venue, he said.
Officials said that the panaromic view that the PM will face has been kept in mind and all buildings facing the Red Fort are being checked.
According to Delhi Police, close to 600 balconies and 100 windows open to a clear view of the monument."Security personnel will be deployed at such locations during the speech," senior police officer said.
Police have also divided areas facing Red Fort in several categories so that in case of emergency, a quick response team can immediately identify the house and reach the spot. NSG commandos will be present atop buildings facing the fort. All borders will be sealed at midnight the day before and opened only at 2pm on Independence Day.
08:52 We threw ourselves to the floor, says journalists in bus attacked in Rio
Details on the attack on a bus at the Rio Olympics...
A bus carrying journalists at the the Rio Olympics came under attack today but it was not immediately clear whether two shattered windows were caused by bullets or stones, a reporter on the vehicle said.
A Belarus journalist suffered a cut hand in the incident, near Rio de Janeiro's notorious City of God favela, Gaston Sainz of the Argentinian daily La Nacion, who was on the bus, told AFP.
The incident came after a bullet hit a media centre and landed near a New Zealand team official on Saturday.
"We threw ourselves to the floor and two kilometers later the police came and escorted us to the main press centre with the broken windows," Sainz said.
"Two impacts on the right side of the bus shattered two windows. A reporter from Belarus suffered a cut hand. There is confusion as to whether it was bullets or stones," the reporter said.
The bus was carrying journalists returning from the Deodoro Olympic district to the main press centre at Barra da Tijuca.
A bus carrying journalists at the the Rio Olympics came under attack today but it was not immediately clear whether two shattered windows were caused by bullets or stones, a reporter on the vehicle said.
A Belarus journalist suffered a cut hand in the incident, near Rio de Janeiro's notorious City of God favela, Gaston Sainz of the Argentinian daily La Nacion, who was on the bus, told AFP.
The incident came after a bullet hit a media centre and landed near a New Zealand team official on Saturday.
"We threw ourselves to the floor and two kilometers later the police came and escorted us to the main press centre with the broken windows," Sainz said.
"Two impacts on the right side of the bus shattered two windows. A reporter from Belarus suffered a cut hand. There is confusion as to whether it was bullets or stones," the reporter said.
The bus was carrying journalists returning from the Deodoro Olympic district to the main press centre at Barra da Tijuca.
08:33 Pak continues to needle India: Sharif says he's obliged to raise voice for 'oppressed' Kashmiris
Needling India yet again, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that he was "obliged" to become the voice of the "oppressed" people of Kashmir and would "leave no stone unturned" to make the world understand the "plight" of the people in the Valley.
Sharif also shot off letters to UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon and UN high commissioner for human rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, urging efforts to end "persistent and egregious violation of basic human rights" of the Kashmiri people and also to implement UN Security Council resolutions.
07:56 Rio Olympics bus carrying journalists attacked, bullets suspected
A bus carrying Rio Olympics journalists came under attack this morning but it was not immediately clear whether two shattered windows were caused by bullets or stones, a reporter on the vehicle said.
A Belarus journalist suffered a cut hand in the incident, near Rio de Janeiro's notorious City of God favela, Gaston Sainz of the Argentinian daily La Nacion.
The bus was carrying journalists returning from the Deodoro Olympic district to the main press centre at Barra da Tijuca.
04:19 Vladimir Putin, Theresa May to meet in 'near future'
Russian President Vladimir Putin and British Prime Minister Theresa May have agreed to meet in "the near future", the Kremlin has said.
During a phone call initiated by London, the two leaders "planned to hold a private meeting in the near future," the Kremlin said in a statement without naming a date.
British relations with Russia have soured in recent years, notably over efforts to prosecute the case of Kremlin critic and former spy Alexander Litvinenko, who was murdered by radiation poisoning in London in 2006.
Britain has also been one of the most fervent supporters of Western sanctions against Moscow over Russia's role in the Ukraine crisis.
"While discussing topical issues in Russian-British relations, both sides expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of cooperation in the political, trade and economic spheres," the Kremlin statement said.
The leaders agreed to intensify "joint work on a number of fronts" including air transportation safety, the statement said.
When May took office last month, Putin said he was ready for "constructive dialogue" with the new British leader.
The Kremlin strongman had accused the British government of being "overconfident" and "superficial" in the June referendum that saw the UK vote to split from the European Union.
Putin warned that the move to leave the EU "will have consequences for the United Kingdom, for all of Europe and for us, of course."
Many observers have said that Brexit would play into Putin's hands as he has been accused of trying to drive a wedge between EU members.
But Putin in June said that Russia had never "interfered, never expressed our opinion on the matter" and dismissed attempts to associate Moscow with the vote.
03:26 BJP making us scapegoat: Kashmiri Pandit organisation
Accusing the BJP of making Kashmiri Pandits "scapegoats" in the ongoing unrest to "realise" its Kashmir dream, a Kashmiri Pandit organisation on Tuesday said the party was "punishing" the community for its lineage to
Jawaharlal Nehru.
"The BJP is punishing Kashmiri Pandits for their lineage to Jawaharlal Nehru and using them as baits, scapegoats to realise the so-called Kashmir dream without understanding the ground realities of Kashmir," said President of Citizens for Peace and Harmony, King Bharati.
He said the attitude of the BJP towards Kashmiri Pandits indicates that the party "wants to punish innocent Kashmiri Pandits" for the "blunders" committed by Nehru simply because he was a Kashmiri Pandit.
"Had it not been so the BJP would have come to the rescue of the agitating Kashmiri Pandit employees who were attacked in Kashmir," Bharati said.
He said that it seems that BJP leadership was "hell-bent" upon "sacrificing" Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir as they feel Nehru had "ditched" India at a crucial moment and "punishing" Kashmiri Pandits at this time would be "satisfying" for the party.
"Kashmiri Pandits are threatened on daily basis by posters and threat letters," he claimed.
03:02 Rio Games: India's Krishnan's middleweight bout begins
India's Vikas Krishnan takes on Charles Conwell of the United States in the 75kg boxing. A win here will take him to the quarter-final. 3-miute rounds in this middleweight category.
02:51 Trump stirs controversy with remarks on gun rights
Republican Donald Trump suggested in a speech on Tuesday that gun rights activists could stop his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton from nominating liberal justices to the Supreme Court, stirring another round of backlash during a week his US presidential campaign had hoped to steer clear of controversy.
"If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do folks," Trump said at a rally at the University of North Carolina. "Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I dont know," he continued. The US Constitution's Second Amendment guarantees a right to bear firearms.
Clinton's campaign called the comments "dangerous".
"A person seeking to be the president of the United States should not suggest violence in any way, it said.
02:49 Florida says four new locally transmitted Zika cases, Congress must act on funds
Florida has four new cases of people likely infected with Zika through mosquito bites in Miami, Governor Rick Scott said on Tuesday, as he urged Congress to reconvene and approve additional money to combat the virus.
The additional cases are all in a one-square mile area in Miami-Dade County that includes Miami's Wynwood district, Scott said, bringing the total of locally transmitted cases in the state to 21.
"Every day that passes that Congress and the president fail to come to an agreement hinders our national response to Zika," Scott said in a statement. "The federal government must stop playing politics and Congress needs to immediately come back to session to resolve this."
01:57 US approves $1.15 bn tank, weapons sale to Saudi: Pentagon
The United States has approved the possible sale of up to 153 tanks, hundreds of machine guns and various other military gear in a deal worth USD 1.15 billion, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.
The State Department has made a determination approving a possible foreign military Sale to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.
01:34 Latest polls show Clinton opening up bigger lead on Trump
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's lead over Republican rival Donald Trump increased to more than 7 percentage points in a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday, from less than 3 points on Thursday.
The shift came as Trump struggled to reset his campaign following a stretch of controversies.
About 42 percent of likely voters favored Clinton and about 35 percent preferred Trump, according to the Aug. 4-8 online poll of 1,152 likely voters, which had a credibility interval of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The others would either pick another candidate, would not vote, or "don't know/refused."
The results reflected a decline in support for Trump, rather than a boost for Clinton: In last Thursday's poll, 42 percent of likely voters favored Clinton and about 39 percent favored Trump.
01:29 How Frances super jihadi recruits teens to Syria
Sitting in front of his high-end computer, staring intently at the screen, chunky headphones on and mouse busily clicking away, Omar Omsen looks like a regular office worker.
Only the camouflage t-shirt and the tent walls billowing around him offer a hint that this is no ordinary workplace, but the epicenter of jihadi recruitment in Syria.
The clip he's working on is not a pop video or newsreel but a piece of radical Islamist propaganda, in praise of the "Charlie Hebdo" attackers who killed 12 people in Paris in January 2015.
Omsen -- a.k.a. Omar Diaby -- is France's "super jihadist."
01:25 US troops lost weapons to ISIS in firefight
American soldiers helping Afghan troops fight Islamic State militants in Afghanistan were forced to abandon sensitive equipment and weapons when their position came under fire, a US military official said on Tuesday.
Islamic State fighters recently circulated photos of a rocket launcher, grenades, ammunition, identification cards, and an encrypted radio among other equipment that they said they had seized.
US military spokesman General Charles Cleveland denied that any American positions or personnel were overrun.
"We have been able to determine that the I.D. card and most of the pictured equipment was lost during recent operations in southern Nangarhar," he said in a statement, referring to an eastern province.
The soldiers at the time had established a location to handle casualties, which is a routine step in any operation, Cleveland said.
At one point, the location came under "effective enemy fire" and the soldiers were forced to move to a safer position, he said.
"In the course of moving the (casualty collection point) to a safe location, some equipment was left behind," Cleveland said.
"For understandable reasons, the lives of soldiers were not put at risk to recover the equipment."
00:44 New images show Chinese hangars in South China Sea
Satellite photographs taken in late July show China appears to have built reinforced aircraft hangars on its holdings in disputed South China Sea islands, a Washington-based research group said.
The hangars on Fiery Cross, Subi and Mischief Reefs in the Spratly islands have room for any fighter jet in the Chinese air force, the Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a report on the photographs.
The images have emerged about a month after an international court in The Hague ruled against China's claims in the resource-rich area, a decision rejected by Beijing. China claims most of the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping claims.
The United States has urged China and other claimants not to militarize their holdings in the South China Sea.
CSIS said that apart from a brief visit to Fiery Cross Reef by a military transport plane earlier in the year, "there is no evidence that Beijing has deployed military aircraft to these outposts."
The rapid construction of the hangars, however, "indicates that this is likely to change."
A US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was unlikely the hangers would be used for civilian purposes.
00:20 Putin mends broken relations with Turkey's Erdogan
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday promised to reinvigorate ties after their first meeting since Ankara shot down a Russian warplane last November.
Erdogan's visit to Putin's hometown of Saint Petersburg is also his first foreign trip since the failed coup against him last month that sparked a purge of opponents and cast a shadow over Turkey's relations with the West.
"We lived through a very complicated moment in the relations between our states and we very much want, and I feel our Turkish friends want, to overcome the difficulties," Putin told journalists at a joint press conference after the encounter.
The Kremlin leader insisted it would take "painstaking work" and "some time" to return to previous trade levels as Russia looks to roll back a series of economic sanctions against Ankara, but both sides said they wanted to restart major energy projects hit by the crisis.
Erdogan said that he hoped Russian-Turkish relations would become "more robust" and stressed how important it was that Putin offered his support after the coup.
"We will bring our relations back to the old level and even beyond, both sides are determined and have the necessary will," he said.
The shooting down of a Russian fighter jet by a Turkish F-16 over the Syrian border last fall saw a furious Putin slap economic sanctions on Turkey and launch a blistering war of words with Erdogan that seemed to irrevocably damage burgeoning ties.
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