LIVE! Al-Qaeda paves way for break ties with Syria affiliate

LIVE

Thu, 28 July 2016

Al-Qaeda paves way for break ties with Syria affiliate

Timeline Refresh

23:52 Al-Qaeda paves way for break ties with Syria affiliate

Al-Qaeda prepared the ground today for a break with its Syrian affiliate, Al-Nusra Front, following several days of online chatter over a split between the jihadist groups.

"We direct the leadership of Al-Nusra Front to go ahead with what preserves the good of Islam and the Muslims, and protects the jihad of the Syrian people," Ahmed Hassan Abu al-Khayr said in an audio message released online by Al-Nusra.

"We urge them to take the appropriate steps towards thismatter," said Abu al-Khayr, who was identified as a deputy of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Al-Nusra's media arm, Al Manara Al-Bayda, also announced that the group's head, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, was to deliver a speech and posted a picture showing him for the first time.

The image shows a smiling young man, with curly black hair and a beard, dressed in military fatigues and with a turban on his head.

The autorickshaw and taxi unions today called off their three-day-long strike after the Delhi government assured them that most of their demands, including bringing a new policy for app-based cab services in the

national capital, will be fulfilled.

The announcement was made this evening after representatives of autorickshaw and taxi unions met Delhi Transport Minister Satyendar Jain to discuss their demands.

Rajendra Soni, a member of Joint Action Committee by 20 auto and taxi unions, said, "The government has given a written assurance to fulfil our demands."

"The government has assured us that it will soon bring a new policy for all app-based taxi services including Ola and Uber so that our business is not be affected," Soni said.

"Besides, the government has also agreed that it will take action against auto and taxis of other states for plying on local routes in Delhi even if they have Delhi-NCR permit," he added.

The home flight simulator belonging to the pilot of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 had a route plotted into it which ended in the Indian Ocean, officials have confirmed.

"The MH370 captain's flight simulator showed someone had plotted a course to the southern Indian Ocean," Joint Agency Coordination Center spokesman Scott Mashford confirmed to CNN in an email. He did not elaborate on who may have plotted the route.

The confirmation corroborates earlier reports that the device had programmed in it a route similar to the one which investigators believe the doomed flight took on its final voyage.

Read full story HERE.

Donald Trump said Thursday morning that he was only kidding when he appeared to encourage Russian intelligence agencies to find Hillary Clinton's thousands of deleted emails.

"Of course I'm being sarcastic," Trump said in a Fox News interview that aired the day after his comments sparked a national furor. "You have 33,000 emails deleted, and the real problem is what was said on the emails from the Democratic National Convention."

Trump was speaking after the recent hack of the Democratic National Committee, which led to the publication of thousands of emails on WikiLeaks. The emails showed officials criticizing Bernie Sanders during his primary campaign against Hillary Clinton, a time when the DNC claimed it was neutral in the race.

22:14

With reduced chances of La Nina weather event, the monsoon rainfall this year is likely to be normal and not 'above normal' as was predicted by the India Meteorological Department.

The July climate outlook issued by IMD's Regional Climate Centre for south Asia expects July, August, September rainfall over India to be more than 100% of the normal rainfall but not above normal (104% to 110%), as was forecast by the IMD. The weather office will issue its second stage monsoon forecast in a couple of days.

Here is the graph of the distribution of rainfall during June 1 to July 28.

21:45 President condoles death of Mahasweta Devi

President of India Pranab Mukherje today expressed grief at the death of writer Mahasweta Devi.

In a message to her grandson Tathagata Bhattacharya, the President said, I am sad to learn about the passing away of acclaimed writer and social activist, Smt. Mahasweta Devi.

"Mahasweta Devi enriched Bengali literature through her prolific writing and unique style. She was a powerful voice against all forms of oppression and injustice. Her writings reflected the life of downtrodden and her voice was seen as the collective conscience of society reflecting its yearning for justice and equality," Mukherjee said in his condolence message.

"Mahasweta Devi did not rest content with mere writing about issues. She actively engaged in social work and spent years researching and campaigning for the welfare of the tribals of Bengal. She was honoured by a grateful nation with a large number of awards during her lifetime including the Sahitya Akademi Award, Padma Shri, Jnanpith Award and Padma Vibhushan.

In her death, India has lost a creative genius who contributed immensely to literature and social change. But her works will remain forever inspiring the people to strive to build a better India," he said.

21:27 Middle East prepares for Hillarys war

The big question this week ought to be about Hillary Clinton's wars, if she gets elected as the next US president. Her hawkish temperament and her bandwagon comprising neoconservative ideologues, Israeli-Saudi lobbies, military-industrial complex and so on brings us to the epilogue of the 'Obama Doctrine' in US foreign policies.

Where will it be that Hillary will choose to wage her war? The high probability is that she will choose the Middle East '" not Eurasia or Asia-Pacific. Why is it so?

Click HERE to read more about it

German Chancellor Angela Merkel today rebuffed calls to reverse her welcoming stance toward refugees in the wake of a series of brutal attacks in the country.

Merkel, who interrupted a summer holiday to face the media in Berlin, said the four assaults within a week were "shocking, oppressive and depressing" but not a sign that authorities had lost control.

The German leader said the assailants "wanted to undermine our sense of community, our openness and our willingness to help people in need".

"We firmly reject this," she said at a wide-ranging news conference.

Merkel repeated her rallying cry from last year when she opened the borders to people fleeing war and persecution, many from Syria, which brought nearly 1.1 million migrants and refugees to the country in 2015.

"I am still convinced today that 'we can do it' -- it is our historic duty and this is a historic challenge in times of globalisation," she said.

"We have already achieved very, very much in the last 11 months."

Merkel was speaking after a axe rampage, a shooting spree, a knife attack and a suicide bombing stunned Germany, leaving 13 dead, including three assailants, and dozens wounded.

Three of the four attackers were asylum seekers, and two of the assaults were claimed by the Islamic State group.

Merkel said that she would not allow jihadists, following a series of deadly attacks in France, Belgium, Turkey and the US state of Florida as well as Germany, to keep her government from being guided by reason and compassion.

Despite not having enough evidence to prove the allegations of a sabotage, Narsingh Yadav today put up a brave face sounding hopeful that the NADA panel will give a proper verdict on his doping scandal.

"I have put forward my side of the story in front of the panel. I have told them the truth. Now I will have to wait for the panel's decision. I am hopeful that the panel will give a right decision," Narsingh told reporters after coming out of the hearing on the second day in New Delhi.

NADA's lawyer Gaurang Kanth said that Narsingh's claims of conspiracy are not backed by sufficient proof.

"The argument by NADA was that he is not eligible for remission which he has been asking. Narsingh did not produce the relevant circumstantial evidence that there could have been sabotage as had been claimed by them," Kanth said.

"They filed an affidavit that his drinks or water was spiked but they did not produce the evidence to prove it to satisfy NADA and WADA," he argued.

The suspense over Narsingh's Olympic participation was today prolonged further after the National Anti-Doping Agency deferred its final verdict on the doping scandal surrounding him to Saturday or Monday at the end of a two-day hearing.

The 26-year-old wrestler said he was continuing his practice as he feels that there is still chance for him to board the flight to Rio.

German police have been called to a labour office building in Cologne amid reports of a man with a gun.

Staff at the office have been ordered to stay inside, and police have told the loval Express newspaper that a search operation is underway.

According to German media outlet Bild, police had an arrest warrant for a person who was said to be inside the building.

More details awaited

The incident regarding Chinese troops entering the border district of Chamoli in Uttarakhand is that of "transgression" and not "incursion", the government said on Thursday.

Responding to queries from the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said the border has not been demarcated and the two sides have a "different perception" about it.

He said on July 22, two PLA soldiers entered 200 metres in Barholi area of Uttarakhand inside the Indian territory and the villagers warned them.

"The Line of Actual Control has not been formally demarcated. So there is different perception about this of both the sides," he said, adding that there are mechanisms like flag meetings by both the sides to resolve such issues.

"During such meetings, we have made our protests to the Chinese side. There was no incursion, only transgression," Parrikar said.

The minister said every year, there are about 400-500 incidents of transgression, but this year it has come down.

Parrikar also noted that it is the Indo Tibetan Border Police under the ministry of home affairs that takes care of the LAC and not the defence ministry.

The Chhattisgarh government has issued a show cause notice to IAS officer Alex Paul Menon for his recent post on Facebook questioning the Indian judiciary.

A 2006 batch officer, Menon, who is presently the chief electoral officer of Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society, had purportedly put up a Facebook post on June 18 'is there a bias in India's legal system with 94 per cent of Indians on death row being either Muslim or Dalit?'

The post drew criticism in social media dubbing it as a voice against the country's judicial system by an IAS officer.

'He (Menon) had posted a comment on social media which was construed as a violation of conduct as per All India Service rules. His comment was perceived as criticism of the judiciary which is a part of the government.

'Hence, a show-notice has been issued to him asking why an action shouldn't be taken against him,' State's General Administration Department Secretary, Nidhi Chibber said.

The Bombay high court has asked Maharashtra police to consider if any offence was made out against All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi and party MLA Waris Pathan over their alleged remark that they would not chant 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'.

A bench of Justices V M Kanade and M S Sonak was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Pune-based social activist Hemant Patil who alleged that the two leaders of the AIMIM had made speeches which amounted to spreading communal disharmony and hurting national integrity and unity of the country.

The bench, on July 25, asked the petitioner to make separate representations to the police stations concerned and further directed the police to take action, if required, on merits and in accordance with law, within four weeks.

The high court, accordingly, disposed of the petition while observing that 'representations made by the petitioner shall be considered on merits and in accordance with law as expeditiously as possible, in any case, within four weeks'.

The PIL urged the court to order an inquiry into the speeches made by the duo in the recent past in which they had allegedly showed dishonour to motherland by such remarks.

19:37 NADA hearing in Narsingh dope case over

Hearing has been concluded in Narsingh Yadav dope case today and the judgment will come out either on Saturday or Monday, National Anti Doping Agency Gaurang Kanth said.

Argument by NADA was that Narsingh is not eligible for remission which he has been asking.

How the substance entered his body, could not be well established by them. We have stated that plea taken by him that he is under no fault and negligence is not correct and that will not hold any ground, Kanth said.

"If at all, quantum can be four years, or it can be reduced to 2 years. Depends when the judgement will be coming out," he said.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday said Hizbul Majhideen commander Burhan Wani would have been given a chance had security forces known he was in a south Kashmir hideout where he was killed, triggering a deadly wave of unrest in the Valley.

She said intelligence agencies only knew of three terrorists in the area and wasnt aware of Wanis presence in the house. Considering that the situation was improving in the state, I think security agencies would have given him (Wani) a chance had they knew about his presence, she said.

She made the comments apparently to suggest that had anyone known that Wani was at the hideout, the government would have made proper arrangements to prevent the situation from turning to what it is today after his death.

However, she rejected charges of mismanagement during the clashes. Suggesting that the then chief minister Omar Abdullah had enough time to prepare security measures when parliament attack convict Afzal Guru was hanged, she said, When Afzal Guru was hanged, Omar knew (about it). So he made all the arrangements in advance. We knew nothing and we came to know suddenly. But despite that, we tried to impose curfew so that children do not come out, she said.

18:56 Dalit couple hacked to death over Rs 15

A Dalit couple was today hacked to death here allegedly by an upper caste man for refusing to part with a paltry Rs 15 so he could buy his daily fix of intoxicant, police said. Bharat Nat, 48, and his wife Mamta, 45, were attacked with an axe by Ashok Misra when they refused to give him Rs 15 in Kurra area in Lakhmipur village early this morning.

The incident occurred when the couple was going for paddy transplantation.

Superintendent of Police Deo Ranjan Verma and District Magistrate P C Gupta have rushed to the spot with reinforcements in view of the tension in the village.

Police said the accused Ashok, who had a grocery store in Mainpuri, has been arrested. He was demanding the money to buy some intoxicant and an argument over the matter led to the gruesome killing of the couple.

Meanwhile, the bodies of the couple have been sent for postmortem examination. The Nats are a nomadic community and eked out a living by providing entertainment by the roadside.

Many of the poor, landless Nats have abandoned their traditional occupation of rope dancing and jugglery and are mainly engaged as unskilled agricultural labourers.

18:11 Navjot Singh Sidhu to join AAP on August 15?

Navjot Singh Sidhu will join the Aam Aadmi Party on August 15 as their star campaigner and not their Punjab chief ministerial candidate, NDTV has reports, citing sources.

Earlier, Sidhu explaining why he resigned from his Rajya Sabha seat said that the Bharatiya Janata Party had asked him to stay away from Punjab and asserted that he will choose the state "hundred times" above any party or family.

The cricketer-turned-politician, who made clear his displeasure with BJP, parried queries on whether he would join Aam Aadmi Party, saying he will be standing wherever the interests of Punjab are served.

Afghanistan has alleged for the first time that the former leader of an outlawed Pakistani militant group, who is wanted in the United States and India, is overseeing attacks by Islamic State fighters in the war-torn country.

During a meeting between Afghan and Pakistani military officials in Kabul Tuesday, Afghan officials said "currently former leader of Lashkar-e-Tayiba, Hafiz Saeed, is managing activities' of Islamic State in Afghanistan, according to an Afghan defense ministry statement.

Read more HERE

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi appears to have toned down his strident opposition to the GST bill. At least that is the impression one got from the half an hour he spent with media-persons in the Central Hall of Parliament on Thursday.

Stating that he would get feedback from Congress leaders in the Rajya Sabha, Gandhi said he was confident that the GST issue was likely to be resolved soon.

Interestingly, Rahul Gandhi also said that Donald Trump was ahead in the US polls, at least that was the impression he got from media reports, he said.

While he refused to comment on his taking over as AICC chief, he nevertheless agreed that groupism is the Congresss main enemy.

China and Russia will hold "routine" naval exercises in the South China Sea in September, China's defence ministry said, adding that the drills were aimed at strengthening their cooperation and were not aimed at any other country.

The exercises come at a time of heightened tension in the contested waters after an arbitration court in the Hague ruled this month that China did not have historic rights to the South China Sea and criticised its environmental destruction there.

China rejected the ruling and refused to participate in the case."This is a routine exercise between the two armed forces, aimed at strengthening the developing China-Russia strategic cooperative partnership," China's defense ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said.

Senior IAS officer B K Prasad, who probed the Ishrat Jahan missing files case, was appointed as Secretary, National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-nomadic Tribes. Prasad, who is working as Additional Secretary in home ministry, was due to retire on May 31 after completing 60 years of age of superannuation.

He was, however, given two months extension which was to end on Sunday. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved appointment of Prasad to the new post for two years, an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training said.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said it was good that Home Minister Rajnath Singh will travel to Pakistan for the SAARC ministerial conference as the two countries need to remain engaged.

"Good to see that in spite of the rants on TV & the trolls on Twitter @rajnathsingh will travel to Pakistan," Omar wrote on Twitter. He was reacting to reports that the home minister will go to Pakistan to attend the SAARC conference.

"We need to remain engaged," Omar said. Rajnath will be on a two-day visit to Islamabad to attend the SAARC ministerial conference beginning August 3.

15:55 Writer Mahasweta Devi passes away

Veteran social activist and writer Mahasweta Devi passed away in Kolkata on Thursday. She was 90.

"Grandmom breathed her last at 3.16 pm today. I thank all of you for your concern and support," the writers grandson Tathagata Bhattacharya posted on Facebook.

The eminent litterateur had been in critical condition at the Belle Vue Clinic hospital in Kolkata.

The writer-activist, who was known for her dedicated service for the welfare of tribals in different parts of India, had been suffering from kidney and lung ailments, besides blood and urinary tract infections.

The Jnanpith, Padma Vibhushan and Magsaysay awardee had been admitted in the hospital for around two months.

Her notable works include Hajar Chaurashir Maa, Breast Stories, and Tin Korir Sadh, among many others. Several of her works have been adapted in films over the years.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi speaking on price rise issue in Lok Sabha. Here are highlights:

* I want to remind PM Modi about a promise he made to every Indian, and now has forgotten.

* You can make false claims on Startup India and Make in India, but not on rising prices.

* Not once has the issue of price rise been addressed by the Govt.

* Modi govt celebrated its second birthday, but did not talk about the rise in prices of pulses, tomato and potato.

* There is a difference of Rs 130 in MSP and market price of Toor Dal now. Where are these 100 Rs going? During our (UPA) tenure the difference between the MSP and market price was only Rs 30.

* Modi had said during the election campaign that he didn't want to be PM but a watchman. Today, theft is happening right under his nose.

* Mr PM, you can make as many hollow promises as you want but please give Parliament a date when the prices of essential commodities will come down.

15:06 Pak court allows 26/11 attack boat inspection

A top Pakistani court has allowed the examination of a boat used by the 10 LeT terrorists to reach India for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack, overturning an anti-terrorism court verdict which it termed as "flawed".

"The Islamabad High Court has set aside the verdict of trial court (Anti-Terrorism Court) in Mumbai case for not allowing sending of a commission to Karachi for inspection of Al-Fauz boat used by Mumbai attack terrorists," Chaudhry Azhar, prosecution chief in the Mumbai attack case, said.

He said the high court termed the trial court decision "flawed and not in accordance with law" and allowed examination of the boat in the port city of Karachi.

The prosecution in May had challenged the trial court's decision to reject its plea to form a commission to examine the boat 'Al-Fauz' used by Mumbai attack terrorists so that the vessel could be made "case property".

Al-Fauz is in the custody of Pakistani authorities in Karachi, from where the 10 terrorists, armed with AK-47 assault rifles and hand grenades, had left for India to carry out the Mumbai attack that claimed 166 lives.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's helicopter today made an emergency landing due to inclement weather in a village of Rajsamand district while she was on her way to Sirohi, officials said.

"All are safe," Mahendra Bharadwaj, press advisor of the CM said, adding, the helicopter took off at 10.27 am from Jaipur and landed after one hour in an open field in '73' village in Rajsamund, 334 kms from here.

Raje was on her way from Jaipur to Sirohi, 416 kms from Jaipur.

"The CM was onboard the helicopter along with the staff members when the helicopter made an emergency landing in '73' village due to bad weather," Rajsamand collector Archana Singh said.

14:34

SC refers to original bench, matter pertaining to 268 students accused of using illegal means to get admissions through Vyapam.

Three judge SC bench has asked the original bench to consider if only punishment should be granted or matter be heard again on merits

14:17 Bihar court orders FIR against Mayawati, other BSP leaders

A Vaishali district court today ordered registration of an FIR against BSP president Mayawati and three other party leaders for allegedly making inflammatory speeches last week spreading animosity in the society.

The three other BSP leaders are its national general secretary Nasimuddin Siddiqui, Uttar Pradesh unit president Ram Achal Rajbhar and state secretary Mewa Lal.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Jairam Prasad took cognizance of a complaint filed by Hajipur resident Ajit Singh and directed that an FIR be lodged against the four in Hajipur Town police station.

The petitioner, through his advocate, claimed that he felt aggrieved by the inflammatory speeches made by Mayawati and her partymen which have affected unity and integrity of the country.

At a public meeting in Lucknow on July 21, Mayawati instigated her party workers to target expelled BJP leader Dayashankar Singh's mother, wife and daughter during a protest in the wake of Singh's unsavoury remarks against the BSP chief, the petitioner alleged.

13:59

If Narsingh Yadav comes clean, there are other options for him: Brij Bhushan Singh, Chairman, Wrestling Federation.

13:43

Shot putter Inderjeet Singh, who has tested positive for a cocktail of banned substances, asks for his 'B' sample to be tested.

13:42 Gujarat Board: Aadhaar mandatory for board exams

While the Supreme Court in October 2015 allowed linking of Aadhaar cards for availing government schemes only to be on voluntary basis and no person shall be deprived of any benefit for want of Aadhaar, the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board on Wednesday made it compulsory for students of Class 10 and 12 with immediate effect.

The state education board passed a Government Resolution on Wednesday making it 'compulsory for students' applications for Class 10 and 12 board examinations to bear the Adhaar card number.'

Though this pertains to only regular students thus, exempting private and open board candidates from this diktat.

Read more HERE

The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, which was closed due to landslides triggered by heavy rainfall, was thrown open for traffic this morning.

"The highway that was closed yesterday was opened for movement of small vehicles this morning," a traffic police officer said.

The highway was closed due to landslides triggered by heavy rainfall at several places on the 300-km long highway.

"All passengers' vehicles stranded on the highway were cleared and small vehicles were allowed to move. However, heavy vehicles including trucks have been stopped at Nagrota," the officer added.

An IndiGo flight from Dubai to Kozhikode made an emergency landing at the Mumbai airport on Thursday morning following alleged unruly behaviour of a passenger.

"An IndiGo flight from Dubai to Kozhikode made an emergency landing at Mumbai airport at 0915 hrs due to unruly behaviour of a passenger," a Mumbai airport official said.

"After offloading them, the flight took off to its scheduled destination at 1050 hrs," he said.

The airport police said one passenger has been detained for questioning.

However, the official denied reports that the passenger raised pro-ISIS slogans. The details of the detained passenger were awaited.

12:32

Rajya Sabha adjourned for the third time till 2 PM amid uproar by Oppn over making Aadhaar compulsory for availing government benefits.

12:15 2006 arms haul case: Abu Jundal found guilty

Lashkar-e-Tayiba man Abu Jundal, who's also an accused in the 26/11 case, pronounced guilty by the MCOCA court in Mumbai in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case.

On May 8, 2006, a Maharashtra ATS team chased a Tata Sumo and an Indica car on Chandwad-Manmad highway near Aurangabad and arrested three terror suspects and seized 30kg of RDX, 10 AK-47 assault rifles and 3,200 bullets.

The Indica, allegedly driven by Jundal, managed to give police the slip. Jundal, who hails from Beed district of Maharashtra, drove to Malegaon and a few days later he escaped to Bangladesh from where he fled to Pakistan, according to the state police.

He was deported to India from Saudi Arabia in 2012.

No relief to absconding former BJP leader Dayashankar Singh as the Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court denied a stay on his arrest.

Dayashankar was expelled by the BJP from the post of vice-president the UP unit after being booked under the SC/ST Act for his disparaging remarks against BSP chief Mayawati.

Photographs had appeared a couple of days ago that showed the absconding Singh praying on Saturday at a famous temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in Deogarh in Jharkhand. He is seen in the pictures with local BJP leaders, who reportedly released the photographs.

11:43

Opposition forces adjournment of Rajya Sabha till noon over making Aadhaar mandatory for availing government benefits.

11:32 MP: 4 arrested for attack on Muslim women over beef rumour

Police in Madhya Pradesh has arrested 4 suspects who had beaten two women for allegedly carrying beef in Mandsaur, MP.

A mob slapped, punched and kicked two Muslim women on suspicion they were carrying beef in Madhya Pradesh, an incident that spurred the Opposition to attack the BJP-led government at the Centre in Parliament over increasing violence by cow vigilantes.

A veterinary test later revealed the 30kg of meat seized from the women at Mandsaur railway station on Tuesday was buffalo and not beef, state home minister Bhoopendra Singh said on Wednesday.

Aam Aadmi Party MP Bhagwant Mann, under criticism for live-streaming the visuals of security arrangements inside the Parliament House Complex on social media, has submitted a 5-page letter to the committee formed by Lok Sabha Speaker Mahajan.

According to reports, Mann has categorically denied committed any mistake.
.

As per reports, Mann is supposed to depose before the parliamentary panel before 3 pm today.

AAP's Sangrur lawmaker had on Tuesday tendered an ''unconditional apology'' to Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan for making video of his journey from home to Parliament House, including movement past various security check points, and posting it on the social media.

Mann was flaked from various quarters for putting Parliament complex security in danger.

"I explained my stand to Lok Sabha Speaker. She said what I did was not right and I should apologise. So I tendered an apology in writing saying that it was unintentional, I was only trying to make an educational video," said Mann in a press conference.

Earlier on Monday, Mann was advised by Mahajan not to attend Parliament until a panel set up to probe the video arrives at a decision. Mahajan formed a nine-member panel to probe Mann's breach of security posting a video of Parliament's interiors.

A nine-judge constitutional bench of the Supreme Court will on Thursday hear the plea of leading companies against the entry tax levied by states.

Senior advocate Harish Salve is leading a batch of petitions for oil companies, which have challenged the tax.

The Supreme Court had earlier shrugged off the Attorney General's suggestion that entry tax imposed by states no longer needs a debate as the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill will subsume it.

"There is no need for this. A detailed GST Bill has been introduced. Once it is ratified by all the states and is implemented, entry 52 (dealing with entry tax) will be abolished," the Attorney General told the bench.

However, Chief Justice T S Thakur brushed aside the argument and the bench pointed out that there were 15,000 entry tax related cases pending in various high courts at present.

Entry tax, imposed on inter-state transport of various goods and commodities, has been a major issue of contention between manufacturers, companies and dealers on one side and the states on the other.

10:42

Trinamool, Samajwadi Party, Biju Janata Dal give notices in Rajya Sabha to discus why benefits are being stopped for people without Aadhar cards

10:37 Amid tensions, Rajnath Singh to visit Pakistan

Amid ongoing tension with Pakistan over the Pathankot attack and the Kashmir issue, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will be travelling to Pakistan to attend SAARC Interior and Home Ministers' Conference.

According to Times of India, Singh will be travelling to Islamabad on August 3, marking the first visit by a senior Indian leader to Pakistan post attack on the Indian airbase.

"Home minister will be going to Pakistan for the two-day conference and may also have bilateral meetings with senior figures in the Nawaz Sharif government," the report said, quoting sources.

India and Pakistan are witnessing growing bitterness after Pakistan and its Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made provocative statements on the Kashmir situation in the wake of Hizbul Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani's killing on July 8.

Petrol pump owners on Wednesday said they will protest against the state's new 'no helmet, no petrol' directive, and will stop purchasing fuel from August 1.

"We will empty whatever stocks are at the pumps till July 31, after which there could be a shortage of fuel supply at the pumps," said Ravi Shinde of Petrol Dealers' Association.

If this happens, from August 2, there could be problem getting petrol or diesel for your car and two-wheelers at the 223 pumps across Mumbai.

The state government had issued the 'no helmet, no petrol' order last week to prevent the road accidents.

Read more HERE

The special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act court in Mumbai is likely to deliver the verdict in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case today.

The 22 arrested accused in the case include Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative and key plotter of the 26/11 terror attack case Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal.

"The court has completed the hearing of final arguments and is likely to give judgement today," a police officer said.

He was deported to India from Saudi Arabia in 2012.

The special court in Mumbai framed charges against the 22 arrested accused in August 2013. During the trial, the prosecution examined 100 witnesses while defence lawyers examined 16.

President Obama wound up his speech saying:

* Time and again, you have picked me up. I hope, sometimes, I picked you up, too. Tonight, I ask you to do for Hillary Clinton what you did for me. I ask you to carry her the same way you carried me. Because you are who I was talking about twelve years ago, when I talked about hope -- it has been you who have fueled my dogged faith in our future, even when the odds are great; even when the road is long. Hope in the face of difficulty; hope in the face of uncertainty; the audacity of hope!

* America, you have vindicated that hope these past eight years. And now I am ready to pass the baton and do my part as a private citizen. This year, in this election, I am asking you to join me -- to reject cynicism, reject fear, to summon whats best in us; to elect Hillary Clinton as the next President of the United States, and show the world we still believe in the promise of this great nation.

* Thank you for this incredible journey. Let us keep it going. God bless the United States of America.

... and then it was an all-out aasault on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump:

* In fact, it doesnt depend on any one person. And that, in the end, may be the biggest difference in this election the meaning of our democracy.

* Ronald Reagan called America "a shining city on a hill". Donald Trump calls it "a divided crime scene" that only he can fix. It doesnt matter to him that illegal immigration and the crime rate are as low as theyve been in decades, because hes not offering any real solutions to those issues. Hes just offering slogans, and hes offering fear.

* He is betting that if he scares enough people, he might score just enough votes to win this election. That is another bet that Donald Trump will lose. And the reason hell lose it is because hes selling the American people short.

* We are not a fragile or frightful people. Our power does not come from some self-declared savior promising that he alone can restore order. We dont look to be ruled. Our power comes from those immortal declarations first put to paper right here in Philadelphia all those years ago; We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that together, We, the People, can form a more perfect union.

President Barack Obama is speaking at the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia in support of presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Here are some highlights of his speech:

* "A lot has happened over the years. And while this nation has been tested by war and its been tested by recession and all manner of challenges, I stand before you again tonight, after almost two terms as your president, to tell you I am more optimistic about the future of America than ever before.":

* "Fair to say, this is not your typical election. Its not just a choice between parties or policies; the usual debates between left and right. This is a more fundamental choiceabout who we are as a people, and whether we stay true to this great American experiment in self-government."

* "Most of all, I see Americans of every party, every background, every faith who believe that we are stronger together --black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American; young and old; gay, straight, men, women, folks with disabilities, all pledging allegiance, under the same proud flag, to this big, bold country that we love. Thats the America I know.

* And there is only one candidate in this race who believes in that future, and has devoted her life to it; a mother and grandmother whod do anything to help our children thrive; a leader with real plans to break down barriers, blast through glass ceilings, and widen the circle of opportunity to every single American -- the next President of the United States, Hillary Clinton.

* "We battled for a year and a half. Let me tell you, it was tough, because Hillarys tough. She was doing everything I was doing, but just like Ginger Rogers, backwards and in heels. Every time I thought I might have that race won, Hillary just came back stronger."

"But after it was all over, I asked Hillary to join my team. She was a little surprised, but ultimately said yes -- because she knew that what was at stake was bigger than either of us. And for four years, I had a front-row seat to her intelligence, her judgment, and her discipline. I came to realize that her unbelievable work ethic wasnt for praise or attention -- that she was in this for everyone who needs a champion. I understood that after all these years, she has never forgotten just who she's fighting for."

08:49 PM to assess NITI Aayog's 15-year vision today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting of NITI Aayog today to give concrete shape to 15-year vision document for accelerating all round development of the country.

"During the meeting, NITI Aayog will make a presentation to the prime minister on the progress made so far on the vision document," a senior official said.

Modi, the chairman of NITI Aayog, will also take stock of the economy and progress over various government programmes which are monitored by the official think tank.

The meeting will be attended by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya and other members.

Besides, the task force on poverty alleviation will submit its report, and so will the task force on 'future development of agriculture'.

Both panels were set up during the first meeting of NITI Aayog on February 8 last year.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is expected to mount a scathing attack on the government in the Lok Sabha today on the issue of rising prices of essential commodities.

Party sources said that the House is expected to take up a short duration discussion on the issue.

With the prices of pulses and some other commodities skyrocketing in recent months, the main opposition party has launched a sharp attack on the Narendra Modi dispensation for hitting hard the common man.

Last week, Congress President Sonia Gandhi had targeted the government on the issue of price rise and asked party MPs to be aggressive and hold the government and its ministers accountable for it.

Picking holes in the government's claims of economic growth, she said "when it comes to growth and GDP figures that they tout, questions on their veracity are raised even by their own party leaders. BJP blocked every important FDI initiative of the UPA government. Yet now it has put in place a free-for-all policy even in sensitive areas like defence."

Security has been heightened across the Naxal-affected Jharkhand and Bastar division of Chhattisgarh which comprises districts of Dantewada, Bijapur, Bastar, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, Sukma and Kanker in view of the 'Martyrdom Week' that kicks off today.

Maoists observe 'Martyrdom week' every year from July 28 to August 4 to remember the "supreme sacrifices of the brave comrades who have laid down their lives in the effort to make the people's revolutionary war a success".

The yearly spectacle witnesses the construction of memorials by the rebels in the interior parts of Bastar and Gadchiroli districts of Maharashtra.

According to reports, in Maoists' calendar Martyrs' week assumes the place of highest significance. Maoist leaders gather villagers in inaccessible jungles where programmes are held to glorify the lives of communist revolutionaries like Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal, the founders of the Naxalbari movement.

They also urge people to join their ranks to further the revolutionary war against the state. Movements of Maoists from one place to another place to organize such meetings usually give police a chance to trap them.

The government is making last minute efforts to save an Indian man facing execution today in Indonesia in a drug related case.

Gurdip Singh (48) was found guilty by Indonesian authorities of trying to smuggle drugs into the country.

"Gurdip Singh is facing death sentence in a drug case in Indonesia.

"We are making last minute efforts to save him from execution on July 28," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in a series of tweets on Wednesday.

Singh was reportedly given death sentence by a district court in Indonesia's Tanggerang Banten province.

Singh, who hails from Jalandhar in Punjab, is among 14 people who are facing execution after the authorities decided to resume implementing death penalties. The decision was criticised by human rights organisations.

Air travel bookings to France have fallen by a fifth for August and September following the deadly jihadist attack in Nice, a specialist in traveller data said today.

Even before the July 14 attack, flight reservations to France were down by 16 percent for the two months compared to the same period in 2015 due to the Paris attacks in November, ForwardKeys said.

The Spanish-based company has access to databases of more than 200,000 online and physical travel agencies.

For Nice alone, air bookings from abroad have slumped 19 percent after the Bastille Day attack. They had already been projected to fall by 14 percent, ForwardKeys said in a statement.

US President Barack Obama will spearhead a Democratic effort to paint Donald Trump as unfit to be commander-in-chief today, hoping to capitalise on the mogul's missteps in an escalating scandal about alleged

Russian spying.

Trump courted outrage as Democrats gathered in Philadelphia for day three of their national convention by encouraging Moscow to hack the email of his election rival Hillary Clinton.

Obama will be one of a string of Democratic national security heavyweights -- from former CIA director Leon Panetta to Vice President Joe Biden -- who will appear before the convention to explicitly and implicitly question Trump's temperament.

In an interview, Obama warned that "anything is possible" when it came to November's election.

03:43 US Democrats nominate Tim Kaine as VP pick

Democrats gathered in Philadelphia formally selected Tim Kaine as their US vice presidential candidate today, completing the party's ticket

for the November election.

Kaine, a 58-year-old senator from the battleground state of Virginia, was nominated by voice vote, setting the stage for his address to the convention later in the evening.

Congresswoman and acting convention chair Marcia Fudge motioned to dispense with the roll call vote and nominate Kaine by acclamation, which led to a chorus of "Ayes."

"The motion to suspend the rules and nominate by acclamation is adopted," declared Fudge to loud cheers.

Parts of Union Station in the US capital was evacuated late Wednesday afternoon due to a bomb threat.

Metro Transit Police said that it is investigating a suspicious package near the Amtrak portion of the station. Police are using a K-9 unit to assist in the investigation.

The police also said that a number of entrances into the station are closed as police investigate the suspicious package.

As a mark of protest against the thrashing of Dalit youths at Una, Dalit writer Amrutlal Makwana today returned an award given by the Gujarat

government.

The 44-year-old writer had received the Dasi Jeevan Shreshth Dalit Sahitya Kruti Award for 2012-13 for his work "Kharapat Nu Dalit Lok Sahitya".

Makwana returned the award, including Rs 25,000 cash, at Ahmedabad District Collector's office.

"I have also given a short letter to the authorities saying that I am returning this award out of grief and pain due to the treatment meted out to Dalit youths in Una," he said.

Militants unleashed a series of attacks Wednesday in and around Baghdad, killing at least 18 people, officials said.

South of the Iraqi capital, a provincial council approved a decision allowing authorities to demolish homes of convicted militants and banish their families from the province.

The deadliest attack killed three policemen and three civilians when a suicide bomber on foot blew up his explosives-laden vest at a police checkpoint in Baghdad's Shiite neighborhood of Shula, a police officer said. At least 15 people were wounded in the explosion, he added.

In the town of Youssifiyah, 12 miles south of Baghdad, a bomb explosion in a commercial area killed at least three shoppers and wounded nine others, another police officer said.

Elsewhere three intelligence officers affiliated to the Interior Ministry were gunned down by drive-by shooters armed with pistols fitted with silencers in the northeastern suburb of Rashidiya, police added.

The Islamic State jihadist group released video footage today it said showed two men who killed a priest in a French church pledging allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The video, posted on the IS news agency Amaq, shows two young men with an IS banner, as one of them recites in Arabic in a strong non-native accent a traditional pledge of allegiance to the group's head.

00:45 Top headlines of the last hour

Trump tells Russia to hack Clinton's 'missing' emails

Modi may get me killed, says Kejriwal

Bihar court summons Owaisi for objecting Yakub Memon's hanging

Timeline Refresh

TOP STORIES