On a day heavy rains lashed the Maharashtra capital, the cab aggregator Ola today announced to do away with the peak pricing for the sake of commuters. 

World Bank India chief Junaid Ahmad today described the goods and services tax  as a "tectonic shift" in the country's taxation policy which has increased the possibility of 8 per cent plus growth. 

- Traffic moving slow due to water logging near Pannalal Compound, LBS road 

In a move that may result in lower call charges, telecom regulator Trai today slashed the rate paid by an operator for termination of mobile call on a rival network to 6 paise a minute, from the current 14 paise.

Security has been beefed up and patrolling by the Assam Rifles intensified along the Mizoram-Arakan (Myanmar) border in the state's Lawngtlai district, in view of the possibility of Rohingya Muslim militants and refugees attempting to enter the state.


A senior home department official said today that several meetings were held by the Mizoram police, paramilitary forces and intelligence agencies of both the central and state governments to review the security situation along the Myanmar border.


"Not a single Rohingya Muslim has so far entered Mizoram," he added. Mizoram shares a 404-km international border with Myanmar and a 318-km border with Bangladesh.


Meanwhile, around 170 refugees -- mainly Christians -- from Arakan in Myanmar, who entered Mizoram recently, had remained in the villages in the southern parts of the state, the official said. The refugees had fled Arakan in Myanmar's Rakhine state in the wake of clashes between the Myanmar Army and the Arakan Liberation Army.

Two trains derailed at the same spot in a span of 10 hours in Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh, but no casualties were reported. The engine of a goods train jumped the tracks near Sitapur Cantt station around 7.10 am today at exactly the same spot in Sitapur city in the district where the 54322 Burhwl- Balamau passenger train derailed around 9:40 pm yesterday, spokesperson of North Eastern Railway Alok Srivastava said.

"The track was repaired after the first derailment and services were restored around 1.20 am. Multiple trains ran on the same track without any hitch until the goods train derailed this morning," Srivastava added.

The spokesperson said the services on that route were held up for the second time when the engineers attended to the tracks this morning.

"The problem, however, was taken care of and train services were allowed once again after 10.20 am today," the spokesperson said, adding that an inquiry committee has been formed to investigate the twin derailments.

The divisional railway manager of North Eastern Railway, Alok Kumar, who rushed to the spot for inspection, said some trains were diverted following the second accident and the caution speed on the route was put at 10km/hr. There has been a spate of train accidents in Uttar Pradesh over the past two months. On September 7, seven carriages of the Shaktipunj Express derailed in Sonbhadra district.

The Haryana Government on Tuesday recommended that the Centre transfer the case of the murder of seven-year-old Pradhyumn Thakur to the CBI for further investigation, hours after it was revealed that probe agency was not contacted in this regard.


Haryana Home Secretary SS Prasad confirmed to ANI that the recommendation was indeed made to the government of India.


"The Haryana Government has recommended Government of India to transfer the case of Pradyuman Thakur to the CBI for further investigation," Prasad said.In this regard, he also wrote a letter to the CBI to initiate the investigation.


Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar had promised a CBI investigation into the murder a week ago.


However, the CBI, earlier in the day, stated that it did not receive any notification from the Haryana Government to take up the investigation.


Meanwhile, the school, which opened on Monday -- 10 days after the murder of Pradhyumn -- has been shut down again for a week.


The Punjab and Haryana High Court has declined the hearing of anticipatory bail application of Ryan Pinto, Grace Pinto and Francis Pinto - owners of the Ryan International Group.


On September 8, Pradhyumn was found dead inside the toilet of the Ryan International School, Gurugram, with his throat slit.

Just in: Underworld don Dawood's brother Iqbal Kaskar and 2 others sent to police custody for eight days by Thane court in an extortion case.


Two aides of Iqbal Kaskar, the brother of fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim, were today arrested in connection with an extortion case, a senior police official said.


Kaskar and his associates had allegedly been threatening a prominent builder in Thane, in Dawood's name since 2013 and extorted Rs 30 lakh and four flats from him, police said. Mumtaz Sheikh and Israr Ali Jamil Sayyad, who were earlier detained, were formally placed under arrest, Thane's Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh said.


Besides, Iqbal Parkar, a close relative of Haseena Parkar, Dawood's sister, and drug dealer Mohammad Yasin Khwaja Hussain were also detained in connection with the case, the officer said. Kaskar was last night taken into custody from his sister Haseena's house in Nagpada area of Central Mumbai, by a team led by encounter specialist and the anti-extortion cell's senior police inspector Pradeep Sharma.


He was questioned till late last night by the crime branch officials and then formally arrested, Singh said. The police are also investigating if Dawood Ibrahim had any role in the matter and if it is found, he will also be made an accused in the case.

The All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union protests in Itanagar against the move to grant citizenship to Chakma and Hajong refugees. The union also called for a 12-hour-strike against the move.


This comes in the aftermath of Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the Centre would urge the Supreme Court to modify its order of granting citizenship to Chakma-Hajong refugees so that the rights of the indigenous people of Arunachal Pradesh are not diluted.


"There is no decision of the Government of India to grant citizenship. It is the order of the Supreme Court. We are trying to tell the honourable Supreme Court that giving Chakmas and Hajongs the same rights as Arunachali is not acceptable to us," he said.


"People of Arunachal must appreciate that for the first time that the Government of India has not agreed.... So we are appealing to the apex court to modify this order... to ensure that rights of the indigenous people of Arunachal Pradesh are protected," the Minister of State for Home Affairs has said.

If there's one person who can immediately end the brutal scorched-earth campaign against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's Rakhine region, it is Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. But as the number of refugees fleeing the violence for neighbouring Bangladesh rapidly rises towards 400,000, there is little sign the 61-year-old military chief is considering a cessation of hostilities. Read more

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi said today her country does not fear international scrutiny and a "great majority" of Muslims within the conflict zone stayed and that "more than 50 per cent of their villages were intact. An estimated 412,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh in less than a month as their villages burned and hundreds were killed.

However, these satellite images of Rohingya villages, before and after the clashes, speak of a different story.

From the New York Times.

A top SoftBank executive stressed today the company is "absolutely' looking to invest in ride-hailing in the United States -- but said it's "not fair' to describe the Japanese conglomerate's strategy as merely spreading around its money. 
Read more

PM Narendra Modi tweets: Shubho Mahalaya! I pray that the festive season furthers the atmosphere of peace, prosperity and happiness in our society.

Punjab and Haryana High Court judge, Justice A B Chaudhari, today recused himself from hearing the anticipatory bail plea of three trustees of Ryan International School in connection with the murder of a boy in its Gurugram school.


The matter will now come up before a separate bench of the high court. The group's CEO Ryan Pinto and his parents Augustine Pinto, the founding chairman, and Grace Pinto, the group's managing director had approached the high court last week, seeking anticipatory bail.


The bail plea today came up before the bench of Justice Chaudhari who recused from hearing the anticipatory bail petition.


"The matter will now be listed before some other bench," said Ryan trustees' counsel Arshdeep Singh Cheema.


The anticipatory bail plea was filed in the High Court Registry on September 16. But it was filed again after removal of certain objections raised by the court Registry in the matter.


On September 14, the Bombay High Court had rejected the anticipatory bail pleas of the three trustees of Ryan Group in connection with the murder of the boy.


The Pintos, who are based in Mumbai, had approached the Bombay High Court as they had apprehended arrest in the case after the school was accused of negligence in the death of seven-year-old Pradyuman.


Class 2 student Pradyuman Thakur was found with his throat slit in the school washroom in Gurugram on September 8. Bus conductor Ashok was arrested in connection with the crime.

Pakistan Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday said he wanted enhanced interaction with parliament, reports the Dawn.

He was responding to questions raised by members of defence committees of the National Assembly and Senate who were visiting the General Headquarters (GHQ) for a briefing on military operations.


"The delegation...was given a detailed briefing on the evolving security environment including the situation at the borders and Pakistan's Army efforts for peace and security. The delegation also had an interactive session with General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS),' the Inter-Services Public Relations said in a press statement.

Malegaon 2008 blasts case: Two of the accused Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sudhakar Dwivedi granted bail by Mumbai NIA court.

Gujarat: Former Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela joins 'Jan Vikalp Morcha', a party formed by his supporters

The other big takeaway from Myanmar State Councillor Aung San Suu Kyi's address to her countrymen.

From today, the country is set to begin a verification process for the return of Rohingya refugees, who had fled the western Rakhine state, in a bid to aid those who wish to return.


"We are concerned about the number of Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh. We are prepared to start the verification process soon," she said, referring to the unprecedented exodus of the Rohingya Muslims to Bangladesh, in a nationally televised address, the first since an army crackdown on the minority community was branded as "ethnic cleansing" by the United Nations.


"It is not the intention of the Myanmar Government to apportion blame or to abdicate responsibility. We condemn all human rights violation and unlawful violence. We are committed to the restoration of peace, stability and rule of law throughout the state," she added.

Myanmar State Councillor Aung San Suu Kyi has broken her silence on the Rohingya crisis in the country and has said that the government does not fear scrutiny by the international community, even as more than 4,00,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from the northern Rakhine State.


"There have been allegations and counter-allegations that need to be investigated. The government still needs to find out what the real problems are," Suu Kyi said, in a nationally televised address, the first since an army crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim minority community was branded as "ethnic cleansing" by the United Nations.


Suu Kyi further stressed on the short time her government has been in power for, adding, "I am aware of the fact the world attention is focussed on the situation in the Rakhine State as a responsible member of the community of nations. Myanmar does not fear international scrutiny and is committed to bring peace and sustainable solution that will bring peace, stability and development for all communities within that state."


"We don't want Myanmar to be a nation divided by religious beliefs or ethnicities. Hate and fear are the main scourge and a transition for us is a transition to democracy after half a century or more of authoritarian rule. We now are in the process of nurturing our nation and yet imperfect democracy. Peace and stability have to be achieved after nearly 70 years of internal conflict that started on the day of our independence back in 1948," she stated.


Myanmar's de-facto leader added, "I want to share what challenges our country is facing and the steps that we are taking to overcome them. This year I shall not be travelling to New York to attend the U.N. session. People have voted for democracy. They, in fact, have entrusted to us the task of carrying out three responsibilities: democratic transition, peace and stability and development. None of these challenges are either easy or simple."


She further said that development has to be achieved after nurturing democratic values, establishing peace and stability and achieving sustainable development.


"Burma is a complex nation and its complexities are compounded by the fact that people expect us to overcome all these challenges in the shortest time as possible. I must remind you that our government has not been in power for even 18 months," she added.


"We too are concerned. We want to find out what the real problems are. We have to listen to every allegation. We have to make sure those allegations are based on solid evidence before we take any action," she further said.


Suu Kyi added that the majority of the Rohingya villages have not been affected by violence, adding that the military, which was accused of arson and indiscriminate killing, has been instructed to exercise restraint and avoid "collateral damage."


She also said that she was "deeply concerned" about the suffering of people caught up in the conflict."We are concerned to hear that numbers of Muslims are fleeing across the border to Bangladesh," she said, adding, "We want to find out why this exodus is happening."


Suu Kyi further said that an action would be taken against anyone, who goes against the law of the land or violates human rights, 'regardless of race or political position.'During the speech, she mentioned the Rohingyas by name only once, in reference to the armed militant group Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) seems to have got its mojo back, geared up by a recent electoral victory that has given it new momentum.

From MLAs staging a sit-in outside the Delhi Lt Governor's office to the party recently announcing it would contest the Gujarat polls, the Bawana by-poll victory appears to have revived the party.

AAP, which was maintaining a low profile after a series of defeats, has recovered its voice and sharpened its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government after winning the by-poll on August 28 by over 24,000 votes.

In the recent past, it has taken on the RSS-BJP over demonetisation, the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh and a range of other issues. The party recently also said it would contest the Gujarat assembly polls, a decision it had put in cold storage after AAP's poor show in the Punjab and Goa polls, and subsequently in the MCD local elections.

On August 30, 45 AAP MLAs parked themselves at the Raj Niwas for over six hours, demanding that Lt Governor Anil Baijal clear the mohalla clinic file -- for neighbourhood health centres -- at the earliest. The mohalla clinic project is a flagship project of the Delhi government. The file was cleared by Baijal in less than a week.

It may not have the magic of a Madison Square Garden community outreach, but Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's ongoing American visit culminates in a reception hosted by the Indian National Overseas Congress USA at the Marriott Marquis Hotel, Times Square, New York City on Wednesday evening.   

Ousted Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif today failed to appear before a court hearing corruption cases against him as he was in London to take care of his ailing wife.

The accountability court is hearing the corruption cases filed against 67-year-old Sharif after the Supreme Court on July 28 disqualified him in the Panama Papers scandal.

The court, which held its first hearing today, had summoned Sharif, his daughter Maryam, sons Hussain and Hasan and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar.

A shot in the arm for TTV Dinakaran. The Madras High Court agrees to hear the plea of 18 disqualified MLAs for an urgent hearing tomorrow. The MLAa had filed a plea challenging their disqualification by Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal.

Speaker P Dhanapal on Monday disqualified 18 AIADMK MLAs who are supporting sidelined party deputy general secretary Dinakaran. The MLAs were disqualified under Schedule 10 of the Indian Constitution, which deals with the anti-defection law.

"The Speaker has taken action under schedule 10 of the constitution and therefore the following MLAs are disqualified and therefore they lose their MLA post," said a statement issued by assembly secretary K Boopathy on Monday morning.

Former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid refused to give any comment on ex- Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah's tweet on Rohingyas issue.

Asserting that one who deals with the situation would know better Khurshid said, "When someone speaks of territory or land and people that they are associated with very closely as he is with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the ground situation of the state. I want to leave the field to them because they know better."

"This threat, at least in J&K, is a post 2014 development. No such intelligence reports ever came up for discussion in Unified HQ meetings" Abdullah tweeted soon after the Centre filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on deportation of Rohingya Muslims from India and said that the illegal influx of the refugees will adversely affect the fundamental rights of Indian citizens and cause a threat to the national security.

Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao today met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, a day after 18 rebel AIADMK MLAs loyal to sidelined leader TTV Dinakaran were disqualified under the anti-defection law.


During the 20-minute meeting, the governor is believed to have apprised the home minister about the current political developments in the southern state, officials said.


The disqualified MLAs had yesterday told the governor that they had no confidence in Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami, and accused him of being corrupt. Rao, who is governor of Maharashtra, is holding additional charge of Tamil Nadu. -- PTI

Twitter has hired Sriram Krishnan, a former ad tech executive from Facebook and Snap, but he wont be working on ads. Krishnan, who left Snap earlier this year, just a month before the companys IPO, is joining Twitter as senior director of product. That means hell be responsible for a lot of the core features inside the main app, internally referred to as Bluebird, including timeline, direct messaging and search.   Read more

India Today reports that Honeypreet Insaan has been sighted near Pokhra in Nepal.

There are lookout notices against Honeypreet -- Gurmeet Ram Rahim's adopted 'daughter' -- and another key aide following apprehensions that they would escape from India.

India Today reports that Honeypreet could have fled to Nepal right under the nose of the Haryana police. Top Dera aide Pradeep Goyal alias Vicky, who was arrested from Udaipur on Saturday, has told the police that Honeypreet is not in India and had fled to Nepal.

A team of SIT probing the Panchkula violence tracked down Pradeep Goyal to Udaipur after tracing him and Honeypreet's location to a shopping mall called Celebration Mall. However, the police team could only find Pradeep who is in-charge of  Rajasthan Dera unit.

A police official confirmed that the SIT arrested Pradeep who is yet to be produced before the court. The police will try to get his remand to extract leads.

The slow growth of the manufacturing sector has been a matter of concern for quite some time. The Congress government ceremoniously inaugurated a national manufacturing policy in 2011.


When he fought the 2014 general elections, the current prime minister coined the slogan, "Make in India". Although he did not specify what he wanted people to make, it was implicit that he wanted to attract more industry to India. It has not happened in these three years; industrial growth continues to languish below 5 per cent a year. What can be done about it?


Read Ashok V Desai's column here.

The Narendra Modi government's justification to the Supreme Court today for the possible deportation of Rohingya refugees threatens to push India into a direct confrontation with the UN and slam shut a window of compromise New Delhi has used with illegal migrants till now.


In an affidavit largely identical to the one that was leaked by "mistake" last week, the Centre bluntly declared that since India was not a signatory to the UN's 1951 Refugee Convention or Protocol of 1967, it was not obliged to desist from deporting refugees to a country where they may be persecuted.


Read more

PM Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to meet later today to discuss economic affairs in the country.

In other news, the Nifty advanced by around 26 points or 0.25 per cent to scale a new high of 10,178.95 while the Sensex rallied over 100 points in opening today on the back of persistent buying by domestic institutional investors amid positive Asian cues.

Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi delivers the State of the Union address in Nay Pyi Taw.

Her silence on the continued communal violence scorching through the Rakhine state of Myanmar has been condemned world over with demands that her Nobel Peace prize be recalled.

In this televised speech on the Rohingya refugee crisis she says Myanmar is ready to accept Rohingya refugees back into the country.

Around 40,000 Rohingyas have settled in India.

About 16,000 are registered with the United Nation's refugee agency.

Highlights of her speech.

-- Myanmar 'feels deeply for suffering' of all groups in Rakhine. Would like to find out why this exodus is happening, would like to talk to people.

-- Myanmar is a complex nation. People expect us to overcome all challenges in shortest time possible.

-- We condemn all human rights violations, we are committed to peace and rule of law. 

-- We do not fear international scrutiny. Peace and stability was something we had to achieve after nearly 70 years of internal conflict.

-- We are now starting another round of humanitarian aid.  She said the earlier round of humanitarian aid had reached 95 per cent of those affected.  

-- We are ready to start a verification process and refugees from Myanmar will be accepted back. We will start a verification process for those Rohingya who wish to return.

-- Action will be taken against those who broke the law and violated human rights.

-- Throughout the last year, we continued with our program of development and establishment of peace.

--  We are concerned to hear about Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh. But many Muslim villagers have remained, not all have fled.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday about Rohingya Muslims flooding into her country from Myanmar, but she expects no help from him as he has made clear how he feels about refugees.