LIVE! Islamic State chief for Afghanistan & Pakistan killed by US drone: Report

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Fri, 12 August 2016

Islamic State chief for Afghanistan & Pakistan killed by US drone: Report

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23:55 Islamic State chief for Afghanistan & Pakistan killed by US drone: Report

The leader of Islamic State's branch in Afghanistan and Pakistan has been killed in a United States drone strike in an eastern Afghan province, Reuters has reported quoting the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan.

"I can confirm that ISIS Khurasan leader Hafiz Saeed Khan along with his senior commanders and fighters died in a US drone strike on July 26 in Kot district of Afghanistan's Nangharhar province," Afghan Ambassador Omar Zakhilwal told Reuters.

A spokesman for the US military coalition in Kabul said he could not confirm the reports but officials were investigating.

Khan, a former member of the Pakistani branch of the Taliban who swore allegiance to Middle East-based Islamic State, had earlier reported killed last year but the death was never confirmed.

Scientists are preparing to unveil a new planet in our galactic neighbourhood which is "believed to be Earth-like" and orbits its star at a distance that could favour life, German weekly Der Spiegel reported on Friday.

The exoplanet orbits a well-investigated star called Proxima Centauri, part of the Alpha Centauri star system, the magazine said, quoting anonymous sources.

"The still nameless planet is believed to be Earth-like and orbits at a distance to Proxima Centauri that could allow it to have liquid water on its surface, an important requirement for the emergence of life," said the magazine.

"Never before have scientists discovered a second Earth that is so close by," it said, adding that the European Southern Observatory will announce the finding at the end of August.

The report gave no further details.

NASA has announced the discovery of new planets in the past, but most of those worlds were either too hot or too cold to host water in liquid form, or were made of gas, like our Jupiter and Neptune, rather than of rock, like Earth or Mars.

Last year, the US space agency unveiled an exoplanet that it described as Earth's "closest-twin".

Named Kepler 452b, the planet is about 60 percent larger than Earth and could have active volcanoes, oceans, sunshine like ours, twice as much gravity and a year that lasts 385 days.

But at a distance of 1,400 light-years away, humankind has little hope of reaching this Earth-twin any time soon.

In comparison, the exoplanet orbiting Proxima Centauri, if confirmed, is just 4.24 light-years away.

This is a mere stepping stone in relation to the scale of the Universe but still too far away for humans to reach in present-generation chemical rockets.

According to NASA's Godard Space Center's website, it lies 39,900,000,000,000 kilometres away, or 271,000 times the distance of Earth to the Sun.

Proxima Centauri, discovered in 1915, is one of three stars in the Alpha Centauri system, a constellation mainly visible from the southern hemisphere.

22:32 Militants kill policeman, civilian in Kashmir

Militants on Friday shot dead a policeman and a civilian in Kulgam district in south Kashmir, police said. The militants opened fire on policeman Manzoor Ahmed at Chanser in Kulgam 8.30 pm, a police official said.

He said Manzoor and Farooq Ahmed, who was also hit in the firing, died on the spot, while two other civilians sustained injuries. The injured persons have been referred to a Srinagar hospital, they said.

The People's Democratic Party, which is in power in Jammu and Kashmir, today told the all-party meeting in New Delhi that the current unrest has a religious tinge which is different from the past such episodes.

Senior PDP leader Muzaffar Baig, who attended the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also said that unlike the past, the unrest is in rural areas and not in urban parts, according to sources.

Giving an insight into the violence that has been taking place in Kashmir for the last 34 days, Baig said it was different from the past episodes like in 2010 as this time there was a religious tinge to it, the sources said.

Two people have been killed and six others injured after suspected United Liberation Front of Assam militants opened fire in Bahbon village in Philobari area of Tinsukia district of Assam.

According to CNN News 18, the militant group targeted Hindi-speaking people.

The attack comes close on heels of Kokrajhar attack by Bodo militants in which killed 14 people in a market.

More details of the attack are awaited.

In a damage control exercise, the Sports Ministry today claimed that the alleged case of aggressive behaviour by one of its unaccredited officials in the Rio Olympic Games was a case of misunderstanding but it has still instructed him to strictly follow the rules set by the Organising Committee.

The Indian contingent in Rio has been left embarrassed after the Organising Committees Continental Manager Sarah Paterson threatened to cancel the accreditation of Sports Minister Vijay Goel for the aggressive and rude behaviour of his entourage in a letter to Chef-de-Mission Rakesh Gupta.

However, the ministry, in a statement issued today, denied receiving any such complaint either from the Rio OC or the IOA.

Attention of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has been drawn towards a letter written by an official of Rio Organising Committee to the Chef-de-Mission of Indian Olympic Association regarding entry of an un-accredited Indian Official accompanying the minister into some accredited area. One such official usually accompanies the minister on such visit, the ministry stated.

19:28

JUST IN: Islamic State group abducts around 2,000 civilians in north Syria, says AFP.

19:14 Overhead wire collapse brings Mumbai local train services to a standstill

The western lines service on the Mumbai railway network have been delayed due to overhead electrial line problems between Marine Lines and Charni Road stations.

According to reports, the breaking of overhead wires near Marine Lines have led to a complete breakdown of the railway services.

This comes hot on the heels of another disruption of suburban rail services on Friday, when irate commuters protesting over train delay blocked tracks at Badlapur station in neighbouring Thane district.

The commuters started protesting after a level-crossing gate signal caused a delay in suburban services of Central Railway by over 20 minutes early Friday morning.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also spoke about the use of pellet shot guns by the CRPF.

"An expert committee looking into it. This is a matter in which security implications also need to be examined," Jaitley said.

"It's only after the expert committee comes out with its opinion including alternate options, Govt will be in a position to decide," Jaitley stated.

"All parties were of the view that we can't compromise on issues of national security," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.

"Parties were also of the view that the problems being faced by the common man (in J&K) must be looked into," Jaitley added.

"Security forces have been advised to act with utmost restraint,curfew relaxed in several parts of J&K," Jaitley stated.

"As far as lives of ordinary people is concerned, we must ensure that life returns to normalcy at the earliest," he added.

The government said that in the recently concluded all party meet it was agreed that no compromises can be made with regards to national security.

"All parties put forth their concerns in one voice and with the right intent," Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on all party meet.

"PM said that the time has come for Pakistan to answer the world, on atrocities against people in Balochistan & PoK," Singh said.

"Centre has decided on a development package of over Rs 80,000 cr for the overall development of J&K & its people," the home minister stated.

Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan's UK visa was rejected today. Khan made this information public through the microblogging site Twitter.

"Shocked & appalled. #UK visa rejected. scheduled to perform at the #RoyalFestivalHall in Sep @HCI_London @MEAIndia @SushmaSwaraj @UKinIndia" Khan tweeted.

"My UK visa rejected. Extremely sad for artists who are spreading the message of love & peace @HCI_London @MEAIndia @UKinIndia @SushmaSwaraj," Khan added.

"Upset to have my visa rejected @HCI_London @MEAIndia @UKinIndia @SushmaSwaraj," the Sarod maestro added.

Khan's visa rejection comes on the same day as Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's detention at US' Los Angeles Airport.

"I'm grateful to all political parties for raising concerns with regard to prevailing situation in J&K," PM Modi said at the end of the all party meeting today.

"It's a matter of happiness that all parties have spoken in one voice on J&K," the prime minister said.

"We are committed to a stable and peaceful solution to the issue of J&K, we are committed to the welfare of J&K people," Modi added.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who has been hospitalised and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital for the last nine days after after taking ill during a roadshow in Varanasi, has shown improvement from infection.

"She had no fever today," stated a health bulletin released by the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital today.

"Sonia Gandhi is responding to antibiotics and has restarted her physiotherapy rehabilitation for shoulder," the hospital added.

An Indian-origin surgeon is being sued by 57 of his former patients in the UK over claims he carried out unnecessary operations on them.

Dr Arackal Manu Nair, who it is alleged gave prostate cancer treatment to patients who did not have the disease, is also being investigated by the UK's General Medical Council, it emerged today.

The consultant urologist is also alleged to have given some patients laser treatment - a high intensity focused ultrasound -- which was yet to be approved by the UK's National Institute for Clinical Excellence.

The GMC has placed a number of restrictions on the doctor's license until July 2017.

Around 170 men who had their prostate removed have been contacted by the Heart of England NHS Trust which runs Heartlands NHS Hospital in Birmingham, where Nair used to work, according to local media reports.

All-party meeting chaired by PM Narendra Modi on Kashmir situation, ends in parliament. The Opposition has suggested the lifting of AFSPA from civilian areas and ban on the use of pellet guns. Parties also suggested confidence-building measures to establish peace and stability.Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh said the the government must show that it is caring.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met leaders of national political parties to find a way of ending weeks of unrest in Kashmir, but some separatists said the talks would be futile if they did not include all the parties to the conflict. The PM said Pakistan Occupied Kashmir is a part of Jammu and Kashmir.

Modi held talks with all political parties on Friday on the Kashmir unrest, while the Parliament which adjourned sine die, had also passed a unanimous resolution appealing to the people of the Kashmir Valley to restore peace and harmony, adding that there cannot be any compromise on national security.

The Opposition also said talks must be initiated with all stake holders including separatists.

16:27 No bomb threat near Gateway of India

If you've been hearing reports of a bomb scare near Gateway of India, Colaba, here's what we found out.

Times of India journalist Swati Deshpande tweeted: "Bombhoax at Colaba Lansdowne building. Bomb squad found nothing. Life back to normal with tourists."

Earlier, Industrialist Anand Mahindra tweeted to say, "Asked to evacuate our office building in Mumbai due to suspicious bags found nearby. My compliments to the @MumbaiPolice for their alertness."

Mahindra Engineering & Chemical Products Ltd has its office at Gateway Building, Apollo Bunder.

The bomb squad which was called in has given the all clear.

Just in: Two people have been injured in a shootout in Zaragoza, Spain, near a shopping centre. The gunman began firing this morning in the Aragonia shopping centre in Zaragoza and is believed to be on the run. Details awaited.

Image: The shopping centre in Zaragoza. The picture was tweeted by
@CapaMagENG

The Supreme Court today ordered that exhumation and autopsy of the body of a 26-year-old man, who was killed allegedly by police at Tengpora in Batamaloo area of Srinagar on July 10, would be carried out under the supervision of the District and Sessions Judge.

Abdul Rehman Mir had alleged that his son Shabir Ahmad Mir was killed by police at his home on July 10 while the Jammu and Kashmir Police had claimed that he died during protests in the Valley.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi assured the court that the probe would have the highest level of transparency and that the authorities would leave no stone unturned to get to the bottom of the case.

The bench comprising justices P C Ghose and Amitava Roy said that the District amd Sessions Judge of Srinagar would be at liberty to have the assistance of officers of his choice for the impartial exercise of carrying out the exhumation and autopsy.

It said that all steps would be taken in accordance with the law and ordered that the entire exercise be completed within three weeks before posting the matter for further hearing on September 5. The bench observed that it is a serious matter and such a situation should be handled with humane approach and extreme sensitivity.

15:12 Consumers will pay more after GST

In an exclusive interview with Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier, M R Venkatesh, chartered accountant and commentator on business issues (seen, below) rips apart the belief that GST will increase India's GDP by 2 per cent, that it will lead to the ease of doing business, that GST will lead to one nation, one tax. Read more

15:05 Six wonderful Khichdi recipes!

Can there be anything more comforting than a bowl of hot khichdi it's raining? It's easy to cook and it's a one-pot meal that is nutritious and tasty at the same time. And there's even something called Butter Chicken Khichdi. Take a look.

Large diesel cars, mainly SUVs, can remain on Delhi's roads, the Supreme Court has said, but owners will have to pay a green fine to compensate for polluting the city's air.

Last year, the Supreme Court had temporarily banned the sale of large diesel cars in New Delhi, triggering strong appeals from manufacturers.

The Supreme Court today allowed registration of diesel vehicles of 2000 CC and above in Delhi-NCR on deposit of one per cent of ex-showroom price as green cess. One per cent green cess to be deposited before the Central Pollution Control Board which will open a separate account in a PSU bank, says SC.

The SC also keeps open for adjudication the Centre's opposition that such charge cannot be levied by the court. The court says it will decide later whether green cess can be levied on diesel vehicles of below 2000cc engine capacity.

14:50

SC allows registration of diesel vehicles of 2000 CC and above in Delhi-NCR on deposit of one per cent of ex-showroom price as green cess.

14:49 India must hold its nerve in Kashmir

There is a rising tide led by the chatterati/twitterati, the so-called liberal opinion, as well as some political pressure, on the government to do 'something' in the wake of violence in the urban areas of Srinagar.

There is a great danger of the Indian government getting stampeded into actions that could result in long lasting damage.

At a smaller level, what one is currently witnessing in the Kashmir valley is a re-run of Mohammed Ali Jinnah's 'direct action' ploy in August 1947.

Read Col Athale's column on Rediff.com.

14:34 Assam 1st state to give GST nod

The Assam Assembly unanimously passed the Constitution Amendment Bill on GST today, becoming the first state to ratify the crucial tax reform legislation.

"I declare the Bill, which was passed by both Houses of Parliament, to be ratified unanimously by Assam Assembly," Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass announced in the House. Though opposition Congress and AIUDF MLAs supported the Bill, they had earlier sought a discussion in the Assembly to evaluate GST's impact on Assam and people. But they were turned down by the Speaker. Following passage of the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty Second Amendment) Bill, 2014, Dass and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who introduced it in the House, exchanged sweets.

14:21 Parliament adjourned sine die

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned sine die before the lunch break. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan gave the valedictory address and the session ended with the Vande Mataram. The all-party meet on Kashmir began after the Parliament session ended.

"Not a single person I spoke to there believes that the Kundalkulam plant is safe. There is a huge trust deficit between the people and the government. The government has failed to convince the people about the safety of Kundalkulam," says journalist Minnie Vaid in an interview with A Ganesh Nadar/Rediff.com. Read

It has tentatively been christened the 'Chanakya Shakha' after the author of Arthshastra and the name sits just right. The newest Shakha is taking shape right in Lutyens Zone and it is an exclusive club of Swayamsewaks loaned out by the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh to BJP and is associated in official capacity with ministers, MPs and party seniors as personal assistants, additional private secretaries, private secretaries and officers on special duty. Read more

Those familiar with the Indian experiences with insurgencies may have noticed the recurrence of some catchphrases and keywords. The need to "win the hearts and minds" of the local population, the importance of assuaging the hurt "psyche" and, subsequently, to apply the "healing touch" are familiar features of political and well-meaning interventions. We saw this during the decade-long Punjab troubles in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star, the assassination of Indira Gandhi and the anti-Sikh riots. In the case of the Kashmir Valley that erupted after the kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed in 1989 and the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits, the platitudes were combined with pleas for even greater regional autonomy and the reversion to the state's pre-1953 status.
Read Swapan Dasgupta's column here.

Two pilots of Air India and Jet Airways have been suspended for four years by DGCA after they were found drunk on arrival of their overseas flights. The aviation ministry directs that an FIR be filed against the suspended pilots. Jet Airways says it has terminated services of the cockpit crew member who tested positive during a breath analyser test conducted on Aug 3.

Both the pilots had tested positive for alcohol earlier too, but always before a flight.

Jet Airways said in a statement that the airline has "zero tolerance" towards any action of its crew that violates safety rules and service conditions.

"In case of non-compliance, we take disciplinary action after due investigation as per company policy," said the airline. Jet Airways also said while other countries have random alcohol testing policy, the regulations of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in India call for 100 per cent screening for the crew before every flight.

13:36

Supreme Court slams government over delay in judges' appointment, says 'don't force us to pass orders to remove logjam'.

13:34 LS passes resolution on Kashmir, appeals for peace

Voicing concern over prolonged curfew, violence and loss of lives in Kashmir, Lok Sabha today unanimously passed a resolution, appealing for urgent steps to restore order and peace in the valley while asserting that there can be no compromise with the country's integrity and security.

In the resolution read out by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, the House appealed to all sections of the society in Jammu and Kashmir to restore the confidence among the people in general and youth in particular.

The House "conveys its deep sense of anguish and concern over the loss of lives and critical injuries caused by the deteriorating situation," it said.

Amid thumping of desks by members from all sides, the resolution asserted that the House "is of the firm and considered view that there cannot be any compromise on unity, integrity and national security. "It is equally an imperative that urgent steps are taken to restore order and peace for the alleviation of the sufferings of the people," it said.

The resolution was read out by the Speaker after opposition parties suggested that she instead of Home Minister Rajnath Singh should propose it. Earlier, leader of Congress Mallikarjun Kharge demanded that the House pass a resolution on Kashmir where the situation was turning complex and was deteriorating by the day.

Image: The all-party meet being held at the library in Parliament House after both houses were adjourned on the last day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

All-party meeting on Kashmir chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has begun inside the Parliament House.

The opposition wants the government to detail a political road map to resolve the crisis in Kashmir.The meeting has been called to find a solution to the cycle of violence in Kashmir, where at least 60 people have died and thousands injured following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8.

Before both houses were adjourned ahead the all-party meeting, the Lok Sabha passed a resolution to "restore the confidence of the people and youth of Kashmir".

Friday being the last day of the monsoon session of Parliament, most of the political parties are of the opinion that the government should start a dialogue process with the people of Kashmir Valley and send an all-party delegation to hold talks with people of the state.

"Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had shown us the way, and we will follow his footsteps. Insaniyat (Humanity), Kashmiriyat (Kashmiri values) and Jamooriyat (democracy) are the way forward. Freedom experienced by every Indian is also for every Kashmiri. Peace, unity and social harmony are the way forward; I urge the youth of Kashmir to take part in this process," Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said at a public meeting in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday.

NDA leaders have assured both the houses of Parliament that the government will speak to chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and prepare a ground for an all-party delegation to Jammu and Kashmir.

Image: PM Modi, HM Rajnath Singh and former PM Dr Manmohan Singh at the All Party meeting being held in the Parliament library

Television news channels are airing reports about the army and police launching search operations to track two persons who were suspiciously moving around in the Kunjwani area of Jammu.

ANI reported that security forces have formed a cordon outside the Carmel Convent School.

More details are awaited.

Photograph: ANI

12:52

Assam assembly unanimously passes the Constitution Amendment Bill on GST, the first state to do so

12:39 Hiranandani kidney racket: Doctors seek pre-arrest bail

The sessions court in Mumbai today dismissed the anticipatory bail applications of Dr Suvin Shetty and Dr Veena Swelikar in connection with the alleged kidney transplant racket at L H Hiranandani Hospital.

Both had said that they followed the rules while screening the donor and the recipient before kidney transplant procedure.

Police arrested hospital CEO Dr Sujit Chatterjee, medical director Dr Anurag Naik, Dr Mukesh Shete, Dr Mukesh Shaha and Dr Prakash Shete on August 9 under the Transplantation of Human Organs Act on the basis of a report by the Director of State Health Services Department.

The racket was exposed after the police were tipped off that a kidney transplant operation had been scheduled for July 14 at the privately run Hiranandani Hospital here where donor and recipient were not related.

The operation on Brijkishor Jaiswal, the recipient, was stopped at the last moment as police found that the woman who was donating him the kidney was not his real wife, contrary to the papers submitted by the duo.

Survivors unlikely on board IAF AN-32 plane which went missing over Bay of Bengal last month: MoS Defence in Lok Sabha

The AN-32 went missing off the radar enroute to Port Blair from Tambaram Air Force station on July 22 with 29 passengers, including six crew members onboard.

12:23

LS adopts resolution on Kashmir situation, expressing serious concern over prolonged curfew, violence and loss of lives there.

12:12 Sorry for the trouble at LAX @iamsrk: tweets US Ambassador to India

US Ambassador to India Rich Verma responded to Shah Rukh Khan whilst referring to his detention at the Los Angeles International Airport.

'Sorry for the trouble at LAX @iamsrk. We are working to ensure it doesn't happen again. Your work inspires millions, including in the US,' Verma tweeted after news broke of SRK's detention.

In response, SRK tweeted: "No trouble sir, respect the protocol & not expecting 2 b above it. Its just a tad inconvenient. Thx for ur concern."

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was "detained" at an United States airport; the third time in seven years that he has been stopped by US immigration officials at the country's airports.

A technical glitch in a signal at Bhivpuri led to delay in the running of local trains in Mumbai on Friday. Angry commuters protested at the Badlapur station after long delays were reported.

Tired of the local trains on Central Railway running behind its time every single day, angry commuters staged protest on Friday at the Badlapur station in Mumbai.

A huge mob of commuters gathered at the station and protested against the railway officials and stopped approaching trains by protesting on the train tracks.

Earlier, Indian Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu tweeted, "GM DRM, officers directed early morning to help passengers in #Badlapur, sort out their problems. Requesting all not to agitate, all steps taken."The delay had occurred after a signal failure at Bhivpuri station which meant there was no train running for more than half an hour during the peak hours. Locals who were agitated by then, gathered together and protested on the train tracks.

@Central_Railway then tweeted saying, "Services on the Karjat-Ambernath route restored from 10.55 hrs."

The 11010 Pune-CST Sinhagad Express and the 12124 Pune-CST Deccan Queen were diverted via the Karjat-Panvel-Diva section due to the agitation. The 11301 CST-KSR Bengaluru Udyan Express, which was scheduled to depart at 8:05 am was rescheduled to leave instead at 11:25 am.

India's sports minister Vijay Goel today defended the allegations of misbehaviour levelled against his entourage by the Organising Committee stating that nothing of that sort has happened.

Yesterday, Sarah Peterson, who is Continental Manager for Rio 2016 Organising Committee, in a letter to Indian Chef-de-Mission Rakesh Gupta threatened to cancel Goel's accreditation on grounds of misbehaviour and trying to enter venues with his entourage who don't have valid passes.

"I don't know who wrote the letter and what are his capacities and post. The letter written to Chef-de-Mission (Rakesh Gupta) states that they have some issue from our staff members, regarding misbehavior or access. I don't know any such things and they have not written against me, the letter also does not have anything against the sports minister," Goel said in his defence.

When asked about trying to forcibly enter the hockey arena, Goel said:"The volunteers had taken him to the field of play because otherwise how is he allowed to go? I couldn't have gone on my own. Next time, I had an upgraded pass with me provided by Organising Committee (OC).

"I went to the hockey pitch to cheer up our team only, and it is not a crime. We are here to cheer up our teams only. first they asked to have a pass, so the next time i went there with my pass." Goel said that he expected certain things to be communicated verbally before taking the matter straightaway to the Chef-de-Mission.

"They should have told things orally, we are not informed anything and they wrote straight away to Chef-de-Mission. Language is also a main problem here, may be there is a misunderstanding because of that.

"There is nothing against the Sports Minister and if it is because of staff, then I don't have any knowledge about it. If they bring things to me than only i can do anything," he said.

11:13 UN honour for MS Subbulakshmi

To honor the legacy of India's carnatic music legend M S Subbulakshmi, the UN will issue a stamp to mark her birth centenary next week, coinciding with the celebrations of India's 70th independence day.

The UN Postal Administration will issue the stamp to mark Subbulakshmi's birth centenary, India's Permanent Mission to the UN said in a press statement.

India's independence day will be commemorated at the world body's headquarters this year as Oscar winning composer A R Rahman will enthrall UN diplomats and international dignitaries at a special concert in the UN General Assembly hall on August 15.

Rahman will be the second Indian artist after Subbulakshmi to perform at the iconic UN hall, which is the usual platform for global leaders to address the world.

With separatists calling for protests across Kashmir on Friday, Jammu and Kashmir Police have asked the imams of mosques not to deliver "provocative" speeches."

India Today reports that imams and khateebs (preachers) are requested not to deliver provocative speeches so that the situation is not exploited by vested interests," a police spokesman said.

He said it has been observed for past one month that people were being forced to assemble after Friday prayers on the roads.

"Many a times these gatherings are manipulated to throw stones upon the police and security force deployments. In order to avoid such situations the parents are requested not to allow their children to take part in such activities. Youth are advised not to fall prey to such machinations," the spokesman said.

11:04

Central Railway @Central_Railway Services on the Karjat-Ambernath route restored from 10.55 hrs.

11:02 After India's NSG fiasco: Keen interest in Chinese FM's visit

Recent strains in the relationship between China and India, made worse by New Delhi's failure to become a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) - officially attributed to Beijing's opposition - has aroused keen interest in Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit beginning today.
Read more

After drawing a blank over the first six days vis--vis opening the coveted medal chest, India would be keenly watching action on day seven at the Rio Olympics today with Blue Riband athletics events making its bow.

It was a largely disappointing sixth day yesterday in which shuttlers Saina Nehwal, P V Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth shone even as the men's hockey team lost in the league and yet made it to the quarter finals after 36 years.

There were setbacks in women's archery where Deepika Kumari and L Bombayla Devi bowed out at the pre quarter final stage leaving male archer Atanu Das as the lone person standing to make amends today when he takes on formidable South Korean rival S Lee for a place in the last eight in the individual elimination phase.

Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza feels that there is "enough pressure" on them as elite athletes to even think of aspects like why India is yet to win an Olympic medal till the sixth day of the competitions.

"I don't feel any extra pressure. I just feel as responsible every time I step on the court, whether at the Olympics or Grand Slam. It's very tough. If you have to win the tournament you have to win everybody. You have to hope for the best," Sania said after she and Bopanna won their pre quarter-final match against Australians Sam Stosur and John Peers.

Asked whether the pressure of winning a medal with Indian contingent's dismal show till now will have an effect, the multiple Grand Slam champion replied:"People follow (Olympics) it every single day and morning. As athletes, we have dealt enough pressure, point after point. We can't think about other aspects what happened outside. Hopefully it's going to happen and we are going to win the medal or somebody else," the world No 1 in WTA doubles ranking said.

It's her third Olympics and a medal which has eluded her in the two earlier editions means a world to her. "Personally for me, it would be amazing to win a medal at the Olympics which I don't have. It would mean the world us. We would do whatever we can and put our best forward," Sania said. The Indians are set to meet British pair of Andy Murray and Heather Watson.

Singles tennis player Somdev Devvarman @SomdevD Somdev Devvarman reacts to the Rio Olympics' organisers threatening to cancel the accreditation of India's Sports Minister, Vijay Goel, if unaccredited people accompanying him do not end their "aggressive and rude" behaviour.

Devvarman tweets, "Typical entitled behavior.. The fact that it's not surprising is a big problem!! Totally unacceptable."

Sarah Peterson, the Continental Manager for the Rio 2016 Organising Committee, said in a letter to India's Chef-de-Mission, Rakesh Gupta, ""We have had multiple reports of your Minister for Sports trying to enter accredited areas at venues with unaccredited individuals. When the staff try to explain that this is not allowed, they report that the people with the Minister have become aggressive and rude and sometimes push past our staff."

London Olympic bronze medallist Saina Nehwal said that unheralded Brazilian opponent Vicente Lohaynny "surprised her" as the first round at major events are always "tricky and difficult to play".

"First round is always tricky and difficult to play. Definitely I was taken for a surprise. The crowd was cheering her a lot also so she had the (home) advantage. It was a confidence boost for her. It was not the best or worst match but I am happy with the way I played. The draw is very tough, I just want to take one match at a time," Saina said after her 21-17 21-17 win in 39 minutes.

The world No 5 said that every match will be tough in an event of this magnitude but those who can move on quickly after commiting mistakes and clinch the close matches. "It was a tough match. Every match will be tough in Olympics. At the highest level, you commit mistakes. But you must clinch those matches to give yourself a chance ahead. It's good to see the sport picking up in Brazil. She played really well. She does well at the International level as well. She got all the support from the local audience."

The World and All-England Championship silver medallist said that her coach Vimal Kumar told her to move well and concentrate on rallies.

The Rio Olympics' organisers have threatened to cancel the accreditation of India's Sports Minister, Vijay Goel, if unaccredited people accompanying him do not end their "aggressive and rude" behaviour.

"We have had multiple reports of your Minister for Sports trying to enter accredited areas at venues with unaccredited individuals. When the staff try to explain that this is not allowed, they report that the people with the Minister have become aggressive and rude and sometimes push past our staff," Sarah Peterson, the Continental Manager for the Rio 2016 Organising Committee, said in a letter to India's Chef-de-Mission, Rakesh Gupta. Goel is in Rio with the Indian contingent to monitor its requirements at the Games Village.

"As you can understand, this type of behaviour is not acceptable. Despite previous warnings, it would seem that even today the same incident occurred at the Rio Olympic Arena (Gymnastics venue) and Carioca Arena 3," she added. Peterson said the minister's accreditation could be cancelled because of this. "Should our protocol team be made aware of further examples of this type of behaviour, the accreditation of your Minister for Sports will be cancelled and his privileges at the Olympic Games withdrawn. We trust you will pass on this message urgently," she said.

Suburban trains were not running on the Karjat-CST corridor after commuters staged a rail roko at Badlapur station to protest against the delay in services on Central Railway (CR) on Friday morning.

Sources said that the trains were running late by 20 minutes because of technical problem in signal near Bhivpuri. As a result, commuters blocked the movement of trains since 6 am.

Authorities on Friday imposed curfew and restrictions across Kashmir to prevent protests called by the separatists.

Police said restrictions and curfew will remain in force in all the 10 district headquarters of the Valley in addition to Handwara, Kupwara, Sopore, Trehgam and Qaimoh.

"These precautionary measures have been taken to maintain law and order in the Valley," a senior police officer said in Srinagar.

Separatists again issued a protest calendar on Thursday extending the protest shutdown till August 18.

Separatists have called for a complete shutdown till August 18, but asked people to resume normal activities from 6 pm to 6 am for some specified days.

All senior separatist leaders continue to remain under preventive detention in Srinagar for the last 35 days.

A powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake has struck off the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu.

The US Geological Survey said the quake was 535km (330 miles) southeast of Vanuatu island.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued a local tsunami warning for areas close to the earthquake, though this was later cancelled.

There were no initial reports of damage or casualties.

Britain's senior-most Indian-origin Cabinet minister Priti Patel is set to meet the top Indian leadership during her three-day India visit starting today with a message of post-Brexit "golden era" for Indo-UK ties.

India is among Patel's first major overseas visits within weeks of assuming charge as the UK's international development minister under the new Theresa May-led government.

"I look at this (Britain's vote to leave the Europe Union) from a very optimistic point of view and it is very much about

the art of the possible. We are entering a golden era effectively," Patel said on the eve of her visit.

"It is business as usual. If anything, there will be new opportunities when it comes to trade, growing new relationships and taking the economic relationship to a new level," she said in reference to the message she wanted to convey in India following the EU referendum.

In New Delhi, Patel has meetings scheduled with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy.

She will also be visiting Bhopal, where she will be hosted by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan to review some of the work her Department for International Development (DfID) has been doing on the ground.

08:37 'Bharat Parv' festival at India Gate today

As part of Independence Day celebrations, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will today inaugurate 'Bharat Parv' festival at India Gate.

The inauguration ceremony of the festival, which will conclude on August 18, will also be attended by Union Ministers M Venkaiah Naidu and Mahesh Sharma.

"Bharat Parv is being organized by Government of India as part of Independence Day celebrations-2016. The prime objective of organizing the event is to generate a patriotic mood, promote the rich cultural diversity of the country and to ensure wider participation of the general public," Tourism Ministry Secretary Vinod Zutshi said.

He said the Ministry of Tourism has been designated as the nodal ministry for the event, highlights of which would include performances by the Armed Forces Bands (static and moving), a multi-cuisine food court, crafts mela, cultural performances from different regions of the country.

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is also setting up 'Azadi 70 Saal -- Yaad Karo Kurbani' a photo exhibition on the occasion of 70th Independence Day celebrations.

A Muslim woman is suing the city of Chicago and six officers who falsely singled her out as a potential terrorist on July 4, 2015, as she left a subway station wearing a headscarf, face veil and carrying a backpack.

Itemid Al-Matar's federal lawsuit filed today says officers pulled off her religious garb, arrested her and later strip-searched her. The 32-year-old was acquitted of obstructing justice.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations says "blatant xenophobia, Islamophobia and racial profiling" motivated the arrest.

A public police report says officers "were on high alert of terrorist activity" on the national holiday and that Al-Matar was exhibiting "suspicious behavior."

08:02 Shah Rukh Khan detained at Los Angeles airport

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan was detained at Los Angeles airport by the immigration department on Friday.

Venting his frustration at being repeatedly stopped at US airports, the actor wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter: "I fully understand & respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks."

The actor, however, seemed to keep his calm tweeting: "The brighter side is while waiting caught some really nice Pokemons."

This is not the first time that the actor has been detained at a US airport.

In 2012, he was detained at the New York airport for over two hours by immigration officials. The US customs and border protection authorities had expressed "profound" apologies for his detention then.

In 2009, Khan was also detained by immigration officials at the Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey because his name came up on an alert list.

One of three schoolgirls who left London in February of 2015 to join Islamic State has died, her family lawyer told Reuters on Thursday.

Attorney Tasnime Akunjee said the family of Kadiza Sultana learned of her death in Raqqa a few weeks ago.

The BBC said she was believed to have been killed in an air strike in Syria.Sultana, 16, along with two other friends, flew from London's Gatwick Airport to Turkey on Feb. 17, 2015.

The British Home office and British Interior Ministry could not be immediately reached for a comment.

The Obama administration has decided marijuana will remain on the list of most-dangerous drugs, fully rebuffing growing support across the country for broad legalisation, but said it will allow more research into its medical uses.

The decision to expand research into marijuana's medical potential could pave the way for the drug to be moved to a lesser category.

Heroin, peyote and marijuana, among others, are considered Schedule I drugs because they have no medical application; cocaine and opiates, for example, have medical uses and, while still illegal for recreational use, are designated Schedule II drugs.

The Drug Enforcement Administration said the agency's decision came after a lengthy review and consultation with the Health and Human Services Department, which said marijuana "has a high potential for abuse" and "no accepted medical use."

The decision means that pot will remain illegal for any purpose under federal law, despite laws in 25 states and District of Columbia that have legalized pot for either medicinal or recreational use.

Advocates have long pushed for the federal government to follow suit.

"If the scientific understanding about marijuana changes and it could change then the decision could change," DEA acting administrator Chuck Rosenberg wrote in a letter to the governors of Rhode Island and Washington, who sought the review of marijuana's classification in 2011.

"But we will remain tethered to science, as we must, and as the statute demands. It certainly would be odd to rely on science when it suits us and ignore it otherwise."

Members of the Kennedy family sternly rebuked Donald Trump on Thursday for joking about "the possibility of political assassination," joining the relatives of other slain or wounded US leaders in condemning recent

rhetoric by the Republican presidential nominee.

Trump alarmed many in the political world and beyond on Tuesday when he suggested that "Second Amendment people" -- those who support gun rights -- could act against his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton or the justices she would appoint to the US Supreme Court if she were president.

It was beyond the pale for the Kennedys, who wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that Trump's "dark and offensive rhetoric" should disqualify him from the presidency.

"Political violence is the greatest of all civic sins," wrote William Kennedy Smith and Jean Kennedy Smith, nephew and sister of Democratic president John F Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963, and senator Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 as he campaigned for president.

"Today, almost 50 years later, words still matter," the Kennedys wrote.

"So it was with a real sense of sadness and revulsion that we listened to (Trump) as he referred to the options available to 'Second Amendment people,' a remark widely, and we believe correctly, interpreted as a thinly veiled reference or 'joke' about the possibility of political assassination."

A Mississippi woman, who once sought to disguise a planned journey to join the Islamic State group as her honeymoon, was sentenced on Thursday by a federal judge to 12 years in prison on a terrorism charge.

Vicksburg native Jaelyn Young broke down in heavy sobs during her sentencing by US District Judge Sharion Aycock.

Young pleaded guilty in March to one count of conspiring to provide material support to a terrorist organisation.

Young had faced up to 20 years in prison. Her parents pleaded for leniency at the hearing. Young, amid sobs, said she was ashamed of her actions.

Her fiance, Muhammad Dakhlalla, pleaded guilty March 11 to a similar charge and is set to be sentenced August 24.

Prosecutors have said Young, who converted to Islam while studying at Mississippi State University, had prodded Dakhlalla into the plan.

The two were arrested in 2015 before boarding a flight from Columbus, Mississippi, with tickets for Istanbul, Turkey.

"I found the contacts, made arrangements, planned the departure," Young had written in a farewell letter to her family. "I am guilty of what you soon will find out."

Young and Dakhlalla were among a number of people arrested around the country for Islamic State sympathies. Like many, authorities said, they had developed views supporting the Islamic State in part by watching online videos and were arrested after social media posts attracted the attention of the FBI.

The daughter of a school administrator and a police officer who served in the Navy reserve, Young is a former honor student, cheerleader and homecoming maid at Vicksburg's Warren Central High School.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said he cares more about the Palestinian people than their leaders do, in his first response to allegations of aid theft by Hamas.

"I, the prime minister of Israel, care more about Palestinians than their own leaders do," Netanyahu said in a video posted online, which provoked outrage from the Palestinians.

"Israel cares more about Palestinians than their own leaders do," he added.

The Israeli leader said his comments were in response to allegations that the militant Islamic Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, stole aid from a major charity and the United Nations.

An Israeli court on August 4 charged World Vision's Gaza head Mohammed al-Halabi with funding "terror," while a UN engineer was indicted Tuesday on allegations of working with Hamas's military wing.

"Hamas, the terrorist organisation that runs Gaza, stole millions of dollars from humanitarian organisations like World Vision and the United Nations," said Netanyahu.

"Innocent and impoverished Palestinians were denied vital aid supplied from nations around the world," he added.

Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, said "the hate that Netanyahu has against the Palestinian people makes him invent a parallel history."

A Canadian man who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in a video was shot dead in a taxi after setting off an explosive device, police said on Thursday.

Aaron Driver, 24, was killed on Wednesday after a tip to Canadian authorities from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, who had intercepted the video, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police told a press conference.

RCMP Deputy Commissioner Mike Cabana said that on Wednesday they had received information from the FBI, including "a martyr video that had been prepared by an individual who at that time was unknown to us but who was clearly in the final stages of preparing an attack using homemade bombs."

Based on the information received, police believed an attack was possible "within the following 72 hours" in an "urban center," Cabana said.

Police and counterterrorism experts quickly identified the man in the video as Driver.

Meanwhile, Toronto's transit system was alerted about a "credible terrorist threat," and security was beefed up along its network of subways, bus lines and street cars used by 1.8 million people a day.

The RCMP said they intercepted Driver in Strathroy, Ontario, about 220 kilometers southwest of Toronto, outside the home where he lived with his sister, at about 4:30 pm local time on Wednesday.

He had just gotten into the back seat of a taxi that had just arrived.

When police approached, Driver detonated an explosive device in the back seat of the cab, causing minor injuries to the driver, before he was shot dead by officers, authorities said.

Last summer, President Obama unleashed his first official summer playlist. A year later, it's time for the encore.

Like last year, this summer's playlist is divided into two parts: "Songs for the Daytime' and "Songs for the Nighttime.'

For those lazy summer days, Obama's musical tastes are leaning toward soul artists like Leon Bridges and Janelle Monae, indie rockers likeCourtney Barnett and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, and rap artists like Jay Zand Common.

Click HERE to listen to Obama's playlists.

01:00 US military 'manipulated' intel in IS fight

United States military leaders painted an overly optimistic picture of American efforts to fight the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, a damning government report released found.

The interim report stems from a congressional task force investigating whistleblower allegations that intel bosses cherry-picked information that soft-pedaled the risk of IS while overstating US efforts to train local forces to fight the jihadists.

"From the middle of 2014 to the middle of 2015, the United States Central Command's (CENTCOM's) most senior intelligence leaders manipulated the command's intelligence products to downplay the threat from ISIS in Iraq," Republican Congressman Mike Pompeo said in a statement, using an IS acronym.

"The result: consumers of those intelligence products were provided a consistently 'rosy' view of US operational success against ISIS," he added, noting this "may well" have put US troops at risk.

Task force investigators surveyed dozens of CENTCOM analysts, with many viewing the leadership environment at the time as toxic.

"Forty percent of analysts respond(ed) that they had experienced an attempt to distort or suppress intelligence in the past year," the report states.

Additionally, CENTCOM disseminated press releases and gave public statements that were "significantly more positive" than reality, investigators found.

Further, senior CENTCOM leaders "violated regulations, tradecraft standards, and professional ethics" by modifying intelligence to present overly positive assessments of initial US efforts to train Iraqi security forces to fight IS.

The Pentagon's inspector general is currently running an internal investigation into the matter so officials could not comment directly on today's report.

"The intelligence community routinely provides a wide range of assessments based on multifaceted data related to the current security environment," Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Commander Patrick Evans said.

"These assessments and the expert analysts who develop them are absolutely vital to our efforts, particularly given the incredibly complex nature of the multi-front fights that are ongoing now in Iraq and Syria.

Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy on Thursday said the country was "far, far away" from realising the ambition of developing smart cities, a flagship programme of the Narendra Modi government.

"Since we are far, far away from smart cities, I did not talk about it," Murthy said, when asked why he did not mention the smart city project during his one-hour lecture on 'City Systems' in Mumbai.

"I am a doer, I am not just a talker," he said and asked the audience to visit Infosys's campus in Mysore to have a taste of what a smart city can be.

Earlier in the lecture, organised by JSW Literature Live, Murthy also came down heavily on the lack of infrastructure in cities.

"Poor infrastructure can drive away investments and talent," he said, and pointed out how Mumbai has suffered due to this continued neglect.

"Ten or 12 years ago, the desire was to position Mumbai as the Asian financial centre. We are nowhere near that dream for the very simple reason that investments are not coming in, talents are not simply available, productivity has gone down and growth has slowed down.

"We are still placing bandaids when there is a deeper cancer to be cured," he said.

The government should not compare our cities with those in the developed world, but should look at the emerging market peers like Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia which are taking great efforts to make cities better, Murthy said.

00:34 More than 100 rounds fired at Teotia

UPDATE: More than 100 rounds fired at senior BJP leader Brijpal Teotia and five others when they were attacked by armed assailants in Ghaziabad.

"Rifles, AK 47 have been used in the attack. We will soon probe the case," said additional director general (law and order) Daljeet Chaudhary.

"We are trying to arrest the culprits. Weapons used in the attack have been recovered," he added.

Union minister Mahesh Sharma visited the hospital where Teotia is undergoing an operation.

"Brijpal's life is in danger. He has been taken to operation theatre, doctors are trying to save him," Sharma said.

Fresh fighting hit Syria's Aleppo on Thursday, the first day of a promised Russian aid window the UN said was insufficient to bring relief for the city's desperate residents.

Even as Moscow pledged to pause strikes around the divided second city, it carried out raids further east on the Islamic State group bastion of Raqa that a monitor said killed 24 civilians.

Russia was meanwhile offered the possibility of joint operations against IS by Turkey, which has backed rebel groups against President Bashar al-Assad.

The offer came one day after crucial talks between President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan aimed at ending a crisis in ties.

A longtime ally of Damascus, Russia has provided air cover for pro-government forces for nearly a year, including in the escalating battle for Aleppo.

The city has been rocked by a recent surge in violence, with residents on both sides of the front line living in fear of being trapped by renewed hostilities.

The United Nations said Russia was considering expanding three-hour pauses in fighting every morning to bring in desperately-needed aid.

Senior BJP leader Brijpal Teotia and five others were seriously injured when they were attacked by armed assailants in Ghaziabad on Thursday.

According to Meerut zone IG Surjeep Pandey, at around 7.20pm, unidentified assailants came in a car and opened fire at Teotia and others at Raoli Road under Muradnagar police station.

The BJP leader and five others were seriously injured in the incident, he said, adding that even though the police launched a chase, the culprits managed to flee.

The injured were initially admitted at a hospital in Ghaziabad from where Teotia was referred to Fortis Hospital in Noida, the IG said.

Teotia, who had contested the 2012 Uttar Pradesh assembly election from Muradnagar constituency, was on his way to Ghaziabad when the incident occurred, he added.

00:00 1 dead, 10 injured in explosion at Thai resort

Two bombs exploded in the Thai seaside resort of Hua Hin on Thursday, killing one woman and wounding 10 people, a BBC correspondent tweeted, citing local police.

The bombs were hidden in plant pots and detonated by mobile phones, the police said, according to the BBC's Jonathan Head.

Hua Hin is a coastal resort on the Gulf of Thailand, which is a popular attraction for foreign tourists.

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