He alleged that the government has earned a windfall of Rs 11 lakh crore by levying central taxes on petrol-diesel, but it cannot spend Rs 5000-7000 crore on the Indian Army. -- PTI

Father Nigel Barret, Spox to Archbishop of Mumbai on Kerala nun rape case: I feel that all that has happened and transpired by the Jalandhar bishop has damaged image of the Church. In the best interest of the Church, it would be advisable for him to step down and an impartial inquiry to be conducted."

Former Nagrota Corps commander, Lieutenant General Rajendra Ramrao Nimbhorkar, who participated in September 2016 surgical strike in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, said that the Indian Army carried leopard urine during the operation. He revealed that the soldiers did so in order to keep dogs away from them.Addressing an event on Tuesday, he said, "There was a possibility of dogs in villages barking at us on the route. I knew they are scared of leopards. We carried leopard urine with us and that worked and dogs didn't dare to come forward."


He added, "On 29th September 2016 at about 4:15 am there was Fajr namaz of the Muslim community. So we decided that we will not kill them (terrorists) when they pray. We decided to kill them before 4:15 am."

Lt Gen Nimbhorka was awarded Pune-based Thorle Bajirao Shaurya Puraskar for his contribution to the strikes.

The lawyer of liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Wednesday claimed that IDBI Bank officials were well aware of the losses incurred in the debt-ridden Kingfisher Airlines.


Mallya's lawyer told Westminster Magistrates Court in London, "IDBI bank officials were well aware of losses at Kingfisher. The emails from IDBI officials show that the government's accusation of Mallya hiding losses is baseless."


The lawyer further said, "There is no evidence that Mallya or Kingfisher applied for bank loans with bad intent."


Mallya, while heading inside the court in connection with his extradition case, said that he is ready for a comprehensive settlement.


On being asked if he has convinced the Court that he has the means to pay what he said he will, Mallya told media, "Obviously, that is why a settlement offer has been made."


The hearing is on September 18.


Mallya, an alleged financial offender, is facing charges of bank fraud and money laundering in India, amounting to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore.
-- ANI

Terming the ongoing nuns' protest against Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulackal as a "historical event", former nun Jesme lauded their courage for voicing their stand against the Bishop and the authority.


Jesme quit her convent life of 33 years a decade ago when she found the acts inside the church unacceptable. After leaving the church, she also wrote an autobiography, titled 'Amen', where she narrated incidents of alleged sexual abuse by priests in Kerala.


While talking to ANI, Jesme revealed the nuns are not allowed to speak against the convent, thus, this event should be the beginning of the voice to be heard from other nuns too.


"Anyone who voices their opinion is barred from the convent. That is the reason that the protesting nuns are now not part of the congregation until they stop their protest against the Bishop. Now, they might be living in the convent, but they are not supported by the congregation. I really appreciate their bravery and valour," she told ANI.


Jesme said that fear rules the convent and added that it is because of this reason that the nun, who has levelled rape allegations against Bishop Mulackal, could not speak out earlier.


Image: Jesme, a former nun, quit convent life of 33 years a decade ago when she found the acts inside the church unacceptable.

A leader of BJP's youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha has said that Congress president Rahul Gandhi is a "mental patient" who is dreaming of becoming the prime minister.


Abhijat Mishra, the national general secretary of BJYM, said the BJP need not worry till the Congress is headed by "Rahul baba".


Mishra, while addressing BJYM workers in Ahmedabad yesterday, also said that the youth should not idolize film actors Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan but great leaders like Maharana Pratap, Shivaji, Chandrashekhar Azad, Ramprasad Bismil, Mangal Pandey and Guru Gobind Singh.


Targeting Rahul Gandhi, the BJYM leader said, "I want to thank the Congress for making him the party's leader. This is good for us. We don't have to worry till Rahul baba is Congress president." Gandhi is "trying to compete with Narendrabhai (Modi)," Mishra said in the presence of several state BJP leaders and a minister.


"A mental patient, a boy, who was born with a silver spoon, is dreaming of becoming prime minister...People grown in a pot are trying to become a banyan tree. Such fools are dreaming to be the prime minister," Mishra said.

The Indian Embassy on Wednesday signed two agreements with Myanmar's Rakhine State Government to facilitate capacity building and economic development in the province. The pacts will help promote agricultural mechanisation and support computer literacy among the youth of Rakhine State to prepare them for employment opportunities in the software sector.

The Kerala police has asked Bishop Franco Mullakal of the Jalandhar diocese, accused by a nun of raping her, to appear before the investigating team on September 19, Inspector General of police Vijay Sakhare said Wednesday.


The decision to summon the clergyman was taken after a meeting chaired by Sakhare, IG (Ernakulam range), which was also attended by Kottayam District Superintendent of Police Harisankar and Vaikom Deputy Superintendent of Police K Subhash amid mounting pressure on police to initiate action against Mullakal.


The nun had recently sought urgent intervention of the Vatican for justice and demanded the bishop's removal as the head of the Jalandhar diocese, questioning why the church was "closing its eyes to the truth" when she mustered courage to make public her sufferings.


In a scathing letter to the Vatican that was made available to the media Tuesday, the nun also asked will the Church be able to give back what she has lost. She alleged that Bishop Franco Mulakkal was using "political and money power" to bury the case against him.


She had accused the clergyman of sexually assaulting her repeatedly between 2014 and 2016. The bishop had, however, dismissed the allegations as "baseless and concocted", insisting she levelled those as the catholic order had rejected her demand for favours. -- PTI

Buoyed by the recent landmark ruling on homosexuality in India, a Singaporean disc jockey has filed a court challenge against a law in the city state banning gay sex, saying it is inconsistent with parts of the constitution, a media report said Wednesday. 

Veteran BJP leader L K Advani has been renominated as the chairman of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. 

A defiant Vijay Mallya, who is facing money laundering charges in multi-crore fraud case in India, said on Wednesday that he had made a "comprehensive settlement" offer before the Karnataka high court that will help in paying off all his dues.   

Patidar quota leader Hardik Patel ended his 'fast unto death' Wednesday through the hands of leaders of two Patidar socio-religious bodies -- Khodaldham and Umiyadham. Hardik's close aide and one of the conveners of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti Manoj Panara announced this while addressing a press conference.

Hardik went on the indefinite fast on August 25 demanding reservations in government jobs and education for the Patidar community and waiver of farm loans. Later, he added another demand that his close aide Alpesh Kathiria, who was recently arrested in a 2015 sedition case by the city Crime Branch, be released.


The government had, in the last 14 days, not made any attempt to negotiate with Hardik, his supporters claimed. However, Gujarat Energy Minister Saurabh Patel said that "doors are open" for anyone who wanted to talk to the government.

The parole of Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam, and son-in-law Capt (retd) Mohammad Safdar was extended by three days on Wednesday to allow them to attend the funeral of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, according to a media report. The three were released from the Adiala Jail on parole, hours after Sharif's ailing wife Kulsoom, passed away at a hospital in London on Tuesday. They were initially released on a 12-hour parole. The Sharif family had requested that a five-day parole be granted to the three. -- PTI


Image: Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam at Abu Dhabi airport on July 12 before their arrest.  Pic courtesy: @MaryamNSharif

The police affidavit in the Kerala nun rape case has revealed that the victim was repeatedly raped by the Bishop of Jalandhar, Franco Mulakkal.


The affidavit, dated August 10, 2018, was filed in the Kerala High Court. It stated, "During the course of the investigation so far conducted and the available evidences collected so far, it is revealed that the accused Bishop Franco committed unnatural offence and committed rape repeatedly on different dates from September 23, 2016 to May 5, 2018."


This comes to light just a day after the accused Bishop cried foul over the rape allegations against himself. He had accused the 'anti-church elements' of falsely implicating him.


"I think some internal forces are using these nuns for some advantage. The antis in the church are pushing these nuns forward to raise their own issues. There is a conspiracy behind this. Few people are taking advantage of this. I will cooperate to all legal measures," Bishop Mulackal had told ANI.


The nun from Kerala had accused the 54-year-old priest of raping her on several occasions between 2014 and 2016. On Tuesday, the nun appealed to the Vatican seeking justice. -- ANI


Image: Nuns at a protest in Kochi on Saturday.

When author Aatish Taseer first came to Benares he was 18, the Westernised child of an Indian journalist and a Pakistani politician raised among the intellectual and cultural elite of New Delhi.


Nearly two decades later, Taseer leaves his life in Manhattan to go in search of the Brahmins, wanting to understand his own estrangement from India through their ties to tradition. And he comes out with "The Twice-Born - Life and Death on the Ganges", a deeply individual and acutely perceptive book revolving around questions of culture and politics that are going to define our future as a nation.


The book, published by HarperCollins India, will release on October 22.

A notice may be issued to Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar diocese to appear before an investigating team in the alleged rape of a nun. An affidavit will also be filed before the high court in this connection tomorrow.


On Monday, the Kerala High Court had directed the state government to inform it of the steps taken by the special investigation team probing the case of alleged rape of the nun by the Bishop.


While considering a plea filed by George Joseph K of the Kerala Catholic Church Reformation Movement seeking a court-monitored probe into the case, the court had said, "Law is above all other things and it will take its own course."


Slamming the public outcry over the alleged delay in action against Jalandhar Bishop, Auxilary Bishop of Changanassery Archdiocese, Thomas Tharayil sought to know whether declaring a person guilty without an investigation and trial was also a new Kerala model.  

Vijay Mallya will appear before a London court today for a hearing in his extradition case, during which the judge is expected to review a video of the Mumbai jail cell prepared by the Indian authorities for the embattled liquor tycoon.


The 62-year-old former Kingfisher Airline boss, who has been on bail on an extradition warrant since his arrest in April last year, is fighting extradition to India on charges of fraud and money laundering amounting to around Rs 9,000 crore.


At the previous hearing in July in the Westminster Magistrates' Court in, Judge Emma Arbuthnot had asked the Indian authorities to submit a "step by step video" of the Barrack 12 of Arthur Road Jail for "the avoidance of doubt" over the availability of natural light in the cell where the businessman is expected to be detained pre-trial, during trial and in the event he is convicted by the Indian courts. The Crown Prosecution Service arguing on behalf of the Indian government, had agreed to the request and the video has since been submitted to the court.


Mallya's defence team had demanded an inspection of the jail cell to ensure it meets the UK's human rights obligations related to extradition proceedings.


The CPS stressed that the Indian government had provided "adequate material' which rendered the need for an inspection unnecessary, leading to the demand for a video recording to be reviewed by the court.


The judge is also expected to hear the final closing arguments in the case, after which a timeline for her ruling is likely to become clearer. The extradition trial, which opened at the London court on December 4 last year, is aimed at laying out a prima facie case of fraud against Mallya. It also seeks to prove there are no "bars to extradition" and that the tycoon is assured a fair trial in India.  -- PTI 

A well-known artificial anti-oxidant, TEMPO, is up to 100 times more powerful than nature's best, and could help counteract everything from skin damage to Alzheimer's disease, a study has found.


Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that are naturally present in the body and are created during routine natural processes like breathing, according to researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada.


"Free radicals are a natural part of human metabolism. But when our bodies have too many, like when we are exposed to UV radiation from the Sun, when we smoke, or even when we drink alcohol, it can be a problem," said Gino DiLabio, a professor at UBC.


"These extremely reactive molecules can damage cells or DNA and can contribute to many different diseases, like Alzheimer's, and some researchers think they may even be responsible for aging," DiLabio said. -- PTI

Reham Khan, the ex-wife of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, has revealed that the Pakistan government has been orchestrating forced abductions of the Sindhi social activist and nationalists.


In a video posted by Baloch Republican Party spokesman Sher Muhammad Bugti on Twitter, Khan spoke about the disappearances in Pakistan's Sindh province, saying, "The abduction of Sindhi social activists and Sindhi nationalists is a grave injustice. They should be treated as per the constitution and law of the state. The families of these disappeared people need closure as to whether they are alive or dead."


Showing a bunch of papers containing a list of missing persons, Khan emphasised how the forced abduction of people from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has now spread to the Sindh region of the country, with a number of Sindhi activists going 'missing' without ever being found. -- ANI

Virat Kohli the batsman exorcised the ghosts of a horrendous 2014 series but his captaincy left a lot to be desired in the just-concluded series against England which again turned out to be a case of ''what it could have been''. Kohli is, in fact, right when he says that barring Lord's Test, they were not totally outplayed but England played better cricket during key moments during the 1-4 loss.


The series was testimony that batsman Kohli is head and shoulders above his peers not just in India but in world cricket. The 593 runs, with two hundreds and two half centuries, and his battle of attrition with old nemesis Jimmy Anderson will remain stuff of legends.


Where Kohli erred was not realising that his teammates were not as prepared for testing English conditions as he was. The Indian team reduced the duration of its lone practice game against County Champions Essex, a move that was criticised by none other than Sunil Gavaskar.


Kohli, however, differed stating that practice matches are worth it only if there is a good opposition to compete against and pitches of Test quality. ''Kohli should understand that if he doesn't play for a month, he would still come out and score runs. But others need practice. And in practice games you won't get Test quality attacks. But the batsmen and bowlers in match situation add miles to their legs. It's better than taking throwdowns," Gavaskar had said.  -- PTI

The Supreme Court on Wednesday extended the house arrest of five rights activists in the Koregaon-Bhima violence case till September 17.   

Two-time Academy Award-winner Sally Field has revealed that as a child, she was sexually abused by her stepfather. In an interview with The New York Times, about her new memoir, 'In Pieces', the 71-year-old spoke in detail about her troubled past.


Talking about the sexual abuse she faced at the hands of her stepfather, stuntman Jock "Jocko" Mahoney, Field recalled how he used to call her to his room until she was 14.


In her book, Field writes, "I felt both a child, helpless, and not a child. Powerful. This was power. And I owned it. But I wanted to be a child - and yet."


According to The Hollywood Reporter, she also writes, "It would have been so much easier if I'd only felt one thing, if Jocko had been nothing but cruel and frightening. But he wasn't. He could be magical, the Pied Piper with our family as his entranced followers."


In her memoir and the NYT interview, the 'Mrs. Doubtfire' star opened up about how she had a secret abortion at 17 in Mexico. It also includes abuse allegations against other men in Hollywood. -- ANI

Prime Minister Imran Khan, like others before him, has capitulated to bigotry. Read the column here.

Shares of Tata Motors Wednesday slipped as much as three per cent in morning trade on bourses after the Jaguar Land Rover issued a warning to the UK government of massive losses if Britain was to leave the European Union.


JLR CEO Ralf Speth, who was speaking at the Zero Emission Vehicle Summit in Birmingham, Tuesday said that fears of a so-called "no-deal" Brexit and lack of clarity over Britain's post-Brexit plans threatens the UK-based luxury carmaker's entire operational set up.  -- PTI

A Delhi court Wednesday granted bail to former Air Force Chief S P Tyagi and others in a money laundering case related to the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam. Special judge Arvind Kumar granted bail to Tyagi and his cousins involved in the case and asked them to furnish a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh with one surety of the like amount.


The bail was granted after they appeared before the court in pursuance to summons issued against them. The court had on July 24 summoned former AgustaWestland and Finmeccanica directors Giuseppe Orsi and Bruno Spagnolini, Tyagi and others as accused in the case.


The court had asked the accused to appear before it today, while issuing fresh non-bailable warrants against Italian middlemen Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke and Dubai-based businessman Rajeev Saxena in the case. Besides the six, the court also summoned as accused 28 Indian and foreign individuals and companies, including lawyer Gautam Khaitan, AgustaWestland and its parent company Finmeccanica SPA.  -- PTI

Earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale rocks Kokrajhar in Assam. Strong tremors were felt across northeast India and in West Bengal as well. It was not immediately known where the epicentre of the earthquake was but reports indicate it was in Assam. Tremors were felt in parts of Bangladesh as well.


Light tremors were felt in Jammu and Kashmir as well as in Haryana last night. An earthquake of magnitude 3.1 occurred at 5.43 am in Jhajjar, Haryana.


Image: Residents of Kokrajhar in Assam come out on to the streets after a 5.5 earthquake rocked the town. Pic: ANI

While on the IAF, Delhi's Patiala House Court granted bail to former Air Force Chief SP Tyagi and his brothers in the Agusta Westland case filed by the Enforcement Directorate. Other accused who did not appear including Carlo Gerosa, GR Heshke have not been granted bail.

No country in the world is facing the kind of grave threat that India is confronted with, Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa said Wednesday. He said intentions of adversaries can change overnight and the Air Force needs to match their force level. The air chief also said that India's neighbours are not sitting idle and countries like China are modernising its air force significantly.


Speaking at a seminar on 'IAF's force structure, 2035', the air chief said the government is procuring Rafale fighter jets and S-400 missile systems to enhance IAF's capability. He also justified procurement of only two Rafale jet squadrons, saying there were example of similar purchases. -- PTI

Suspected militants opened fire on police personnel on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway on Wednesday, an official said. No casualties have been reported in the incident that took place on the outskirts of Jammu city. Police personnel, posted at a check post on the highway, signalled a truck to stop, but it sped away.


The truck was intercepted by a police team after a chase and the suspected militants fired on them from the vehicle before fleeing. The driver and the conductor of the truck were taken into custody. An AK assault rifle and three magazines were seized from the truck. -- PTI

Former BJP leaders Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie along with advocate-activist Prashant Bhushan on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of violating the Defence Procurement Procedures while finalising the high-profile Rafale deal.


Alleging Prime Narendra Modi's "personal culpability" in the Rafale jet purchases, the trio asserted that the former bypassed every rule of defence procurement and "compromised national security".


"National security has been compromised by the Prime Minister and every rule of the defence procurement was flouted to unilaterally reduce the number of planes from 126 to 36. As per DPP, only the service headquarters can decide on the numbers," said Shourie, while addressing a press conference.

Shourie said that in just two days Prime Minister Modi "completely overturned" a process that was in progress for years, while adding that the latter had "absolutely no authority to do so."


He further alleged that the Central government had "spun a web of lies to protect Prime Minister's culpability in the connection". -- ANI

The BSE benchmark Sensex recovered by over 100 points and the NSE Nifty reclaimed the 11,300-mark in opening trade Wednesday following fresh purchases made by domestic investors ahead of key macroeconomic data to be released later in the day.


However, a weakening trend on other Asian bourses on worries over lingering trade conflict between the US and China forced investors to adopt a cautious approach.


The 30-share Sensex was up 133.29 points, or 0.35 per cent, at 37,546.42 with sectoral indices led by FMCG, power, IT, teck, infrastructure and PSU stocks trading in the positive zone.


The gauge had plunged 976.69 points in the previous two sessions as global trade war tensions rattled investor sentiment. Also, the NSE Nifty was trading higher by 52.60 points, or 0.46 per cent, at 11,340.10. -- PTI

Jammu-Kashmir local body elections may be deferred to January after local parties National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party boycotted the polls.