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Wed, 17 July 2019
SC to hear Ayodhya land dispute case tomorrow

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23:24   SC to hear Ayodhya land dispute case tomorrow
The Supreme Court is likely to peruse on Thursday a report on the 'progress of mediation' in the politically sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case in Ayodhya.

A five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, had on July 11 sought a report on the issue and said that a day-to-day hearing may commence from July 25 if the court decides to conclude the mediation proceedings.

The bench had requested former apex court judge Justice (Retd) F M I Kalifulla, chairperson of the three-member mediation panel, to apprise it by July 18 the progress of mediation till date and its present stage.

"It will be convenient to have the said report latest by July 18, on which date further orders will be passed by this court," the bench, also comprising justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer, had said on July 11.

It passed the order while hearing an application filed by a legal heir of one of the original litigants, Gopal Singh Visharad, seeking a judicial decision on the dispute and conclusion of the mediation process, alleging that nothing much was happening there.

It had said that the court would pass appropriate orders on July 18 after perusing the report filed by the mediation committee.

The panel, also comprising spiritual guru and founder of the Art of Living foundation Sri Sri Ravishankar and senior advocate and renowned mediator Sriram Panchu, was earlier granted time till August 15 by the apex court for completion of mediation after its earlier report had said that the mediators were 'optimistic' about an amicable solution.

The top court had fixed the seat for the mediation process in Faizabad of Uttar Pradesh, around 7 km from Ayodhya, and said adequate arrangements, including those related to the venue of the mediation, place of stay of the mediators, their security and travel, should be arranged forthwith by the state government so that the proceedings could commence immediately.

The bench was earlier told by Hindu bodies, except the Nirmohi Akhara, and the Uttar Pradesh government that they were not in favour of the court's suggestion for mediation. The Muslim bodies had supported the proposal.

Fourteen appeals have been filed in the apex court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment, delivered in four civil suits, that the 2.77-acre land in Ayodhya be partitioned equally among the three parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.

On December 6, 1992, the Babri Masjid, constructed at the disputed site in the 16th century by Shia Muslim Mir Baqi, was demolished.  -- PTI
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23:03   Representation of SCs, STs in govt jobs above prescribed percentage: Govt
The representation of SC and ST members in central government services is more than the prescribed percentage while that of other backward classes is lower, Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

Responding to a written question, Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said reservation of OBCs has shown an increasing trend since it started in September, 1993.

"As per available information, representation of OBCs, as on January 1, 2012, was 16.55 per cent, which has increased to 21.57 per cent, as on January 1, 2016," he said.

He said 78 ministries and departments have informed the representation of Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and OBCs under the central government was 17.49 per cent, 8.47 per cent and 21.57 per cent respectively till January 1, 2016.

"Representation of SCs and STs is more than the prescribed percentage of reservation, (15 per cent and 7.5 per cent respectively). The representation of OBCs in the central government services is 21.57 per cent, which is less, as compared to the prescribed percentage of reservation for them," he said.

Till January 1, 2016, 78 out of 79 ministries and government departments had submitted data about representation of SC, ST and OBC in jobs, Singh said.

"...as on January 1, 2017 and January 1, 2018, 75 and 61 administrative ministries and departments, respectively, have submitted such data," he said.

Singh said the Department of Personnel and Training monitors 10 ministries and departments which account for 90 per cent of employees in the central government.

The data provided by these ministries shows out of 92,589 backlog reserved vacancies -- 29,198 for SCs, 22,829 for STs and 40,562 for OBCs, 63,876 were filled up during the period from April 1, 2012 to December 31, 2016.

He said 28,713 backlog reserved vacancies -- 8,223 for SCs, 6,955 for STs and 13,535 for OBCs -- remained 'unfilled' as on January 1, 2017.

The 10 ministries and departments are Posts, Defence Production, Financial Services, Atomic Energy, Defence, Revenue, Railways, Housing and Urban Affairs, Human Resources Development and Home Affairs.

The minister said five out of these 10 ministries and departments have further informed that out of 21,499 backlog reserved vacancies, 12,334 were filled up as on December 31, 2017, and 9,165 remained 'unfilled' as on January 1, 2018.  -- PTI
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23:00   Indians received 67-72% of total US H1-B visas in last five years: MEA
Indian nationals have received between 67 and 72 per cent of the total H-1B visas issued by the United States in last five years, the External Affairs Ministry said on Wednesday.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

Replying to a question in Lok Sabha, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said no comprehensive changes have been made to the H-1B visa programme so far.

"The Indian government has closely consulted all stakeholders and engaged with the US administration and the Congress on issues related to the movement of Indian professionals, including those pertaining to the H-1B programme," he said.

"Most recently, issues of H-1B visa were raised during the visit of the US Secretary of State, Michael R Pompeo, to India on June 26, 2019. In our engagements, we have emphasised that this has been a mutually-beneficial partnership which should be nurtured," he added.

He gave out statistics according to which Indian nationals have received between 67 and 72 per cent of the total H-1B visas issued by the US in last five years.

According to the data, 125,528 Indian nationals were issued H1-B visas in 2018 while 129,097 Indian nationals were issued H1-B visas in 2017.

In 2016, 126,692 Indian nationals were granted H1-B visa while in 2015, as many as 119,952 Indian nationals were granted H1-B visa.

"H-1B visa has played an important role in facilitating the movement of talented Indian professionals. The US Government has adopted certain administrative measures with respect to the H-1B visa programme that have introduced greater scrutiny of H-1B applications and increased documentation requirements," he said.   -- PTI
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22:35   Ranchi court modifies 'donate Quran' order
A court in Ranchi on Wednesday modified its order asking a college girl, arrested for an offensive Facebook post, to donate copies of the Quran as a pre-condition for bail.

The court changing its order allowed her regular bail by furnishing bail bond of Rs 7,000 and two sureties of like amount each.

Judicial Magistrate Manish Kumar Singh modifying his Tuesday's order, said the court has granted a petition filed by the investigating officer cum-officer-in-charge of Pithoria police station praying for doing away with the condition of donating copies of the Quran because of the difficulties in its implementation.

The court retained its condition that one of the bailers should be a local resident of Ranchi district and another must be a relative of the of the petitioner.

Lawyers of the Ranchi civil court on Wednesday boycotted the court in protest against the order asking the girl to distribute copies of the holy book.

They ended the boycott at 4 p.m. following the modification in the judge's order.

The direction had evoked a huge outcry on social media with the hashtag #RichaBharti trending on Twitter on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old girl was arrested on July 12 for allegedly sharing an offensive post in the social media which reportedly hurt religious sentiments.

A complaint was filed by the Pithoria Anjuman committee for the post.

Lawyer Rampravesh Singh told PTI that now that the court itself has modified its order, there may not be a boycott Thursday.  -- PTI
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22:06   Expect Pak to give fair trial this time: Salve
Harish Salve, India's advocate in Kulbhushan Jadhav case, addresses media in London:

"I want to start by expressing gratitude of my country to the International Court of Justice for the manner in which it intervened in this case.

"It protected Kulbhushan Jadhav from being executed, in a hearing which was put together in a matter of days.

"Pakistan repeatedly played slides of what it claimed was passport it had recovered from Jadhav. Not only did the court get drawn into it, this displaying passport led to the court rejecting Pakistan's argument that Jadhav's nationality was uncertain.

"They (ICJ) said, a fair trial in accordance with the Pakistan constitution. If it's back in military court with the same rule where outside lawyers aren't allowed, we aren't allowed. Access isn't given, evidence isn't given. It won't meet standards.

"I have a degree of personal satisfaction that a lot of adjectives were used by Pakistan, even in replying at court I characterise them as unfortunate.

"I said it's my upbringing and India's tradition which stood in my way of replying to them in that language.

"Pakistan had based allegations of what we lawyers call 'abuse of process' and said that is another ground why India shouldn't be allowed the relief it seeks. That has been rejected.

"ICJ held that Pakistan is guilty of internationally wrongful acts. We expect Pakistan to do whatever it has to do including appropriate legislative measures to guarantee a fair trial.

"So Pakistan's conduct is under watch and if what they do is another farcical attempt, we will be back in the Court."
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21:31   Will proceed 'as per law': Pak after ICJ verdict
Pakistan on Wednesday said it will now proceed 'as per law' in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case after the International Court of Justice ruled that it must review the death sentence for the Indian national who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of 'espionage and terrorism'.

The Foreign Office in a statement said Pakistan as a 'responsible member' of the international community 'upheld its commitment' from the very beginning of the case by appearing before the court for the provisional measures hearing despite a very short notice.

"Having heard the judgment, Pakistan will now proceed as per law," the statement said.

The statement claimed that the Hague-based ICJ in its judgment did not accept India's plea to 'acquit/release' Jadhav.

The ICJ bench headed by Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf ordered an 'effective review and reconsideration' of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav.

Jadhav, 49, a retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by the Pakistani military court on charges of 'espionage and terrorism' after a closed trial in April 2017.

His sentencing evoked a sharp reaction in India following which New Delhi moved the world court.  -- PTI

IMAGE: Pakistan officials at International Courts of Justice during Kulbhushan Jadhav's verdict in Hague, Netherlands, on Wednesday. Photograph: PTI Photo
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20:37   ICJ verdict validates India's position: MEA
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Kulbhushan Jadhav verdict:

"We welcome the justice delivered just now by ICJ in Hague, in the favour of India. The court by a vote of 15-1 has upheld India's claim that Pakistan is in violation of Vienna Convention on several counts.

"We appreciate direction by ICJ that Pakistan should review and reconsider conviction and sentence given to Jadhav by Pakistani military court.

"We note that the court has directed that Pakistan is under an obligation to inform Jadhav without further delay of his rights to provide Indian consular officers access to him in accordance with Vienna Convention. We expect Pakistan to implement directive immediately.

"This judgement validates India's position on the case. We'll continue to work vigorously for Jadhav's early release & return to India."  -- ANI
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19:52   Safety system of 5 airlines found lacking
Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation has conducted safety audits of Air India Express, SpiceJet, AirAsia, IndiGo and GoAir and it found the implementation of their safety management system 'to be deficient', the government informed Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the audits also found that the flight crew rostering software was not upgraded and untrained staff were manning check-in counters.

The 'other staff' at check-in counters too did not have adequate knowledge to handle 'dangerous goods' despite being trained in Dangerous Good Regulations, he said in a written response to a question in the upper house.

In a serious lapse, the regulator found, there was a delay in carrying out the corrective actions for the 'FOQA exceedances', Puri said.

Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) is the process of obtaining and analyzing all kinds of data from flights to improve the safety and efficiency of flight operations.

Whenever a safety parameter limit is exceeded, it is called an 'exceedance' or 'event'.

The DGCA regularly conducts safety audits of scheduled and non-scheduled airlines as per the Annual Surveillance Plan. The last five audits were of these five airlines, the minister said.

During the audits, it was found that the 'quantum of Digital Flight Data Recorder analysed under FOQA was not as per the Indian safety regulators requirement', Puri said.

"Implementation of the safety management system was found to be deficient," he said.

The minister said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has directed the airlines to take corrective action regarding the deficiencies found during the audit.  -- PTI
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19:45   Search and rescue operation called off at building crash site
More than 24 hours after the collapse of a residential building in Dongri area here, the search and rescue operation for survivors was called off Wednesday, officials said.

No more survivors were found at the site of the building crash located in a congested lane in south Mumbai, they said.

The four-storey illegal building had caved in at around 11.40 am Tuesday, killing 14 people.

Multiple agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), had launched a search and rescue operation to locate survivors under the debris.

"The search and rescue operation has been called off after removal of the debris and search of the entire area," Sachidanand Gawde, PRO of the NDRF battalion engaged in the exercise, said.

NDRF personnel were at the site for over 28 hours.

He said a total of 23 people were taken out from the crash site, of which 14 died and nine were injured and admitted in hospital for treatment.

"Seven men, four women and three children succumbed to injuries, while two men, five women and two children are admitted in hospital," Gawde said.

High population density in the area and a large crowd of onlookers gathered at the site posed a challenge in carrying out the search and rescue operation, according to another NDRF official.

Speaking to PTI, Anupam Srivastava, Commandant, NDRF, said overcrowding hampered the use of equipment during the exercise.

"Broadly, we had three crucial equipment to locate people trapped under the rubble. These instruments can sense heartbeat, vibration and location of survivors.

"These machines need peaceful atmosphere. However, due to overcrowding, we faced a lot of difficulties while operating these instruments and had to carry out our operation using sniffer dogs," he said.

The structure that collapsed was an illegal extension of the `Kesarbai' building located on Tandel Street in Dongri, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) said.  -- PTI
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19:17   ICJ: Pak breached Vienna convention obligations
ICJ Verdict on Jadhav: Court finds that Pakistan deprived India of the right to communicate with and have access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, to visit him in detention and to arrange for his legal representation, and thereby breached obligations incumbent upon it under Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
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19:09  
Friends of  Kulbhushan Jadhav celebrate in Mumbai after International Court of Justice rules in favour of India.  -- ANI
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18:56   Lok Sabha passes demands for grants for 2019-20
The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a Bill allowing the central government to withdraw Rs 98.18 lakh crore from the consolidated fund to meet its expenditure during 2019-20.

The House approved the Appropriation (No. 2) Bill 2019, after the demands for grants for several ministries were collectively put to vote and passed by applying guillotine.

The Bill, moved by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, was passed by a voice vote.

The minister is scheduled to move the Finance Bill 2019, containing tax proposals of the government for the fiscal, for passage in the Lower House on Thursday.

The budgetary exercise for 2019-20 will be completed with the passage of the Finance Bill by Parliament. After its passage in the Lok Sabha, it will go to the Rajya Sabha.

The Lok Sabha has earlier discussed the demands for grants of different ministries including rural development, agriculture and farmers welfare, railways, youth affairs and sports, and road transport and highways.

In view of the general elections, the government in February came out with an interim Budget seeking Parliament nod for meeting expenses for four months (April-July 2019-20).

With the passage of the Appropriation bill No. 2, the government has sought the approval of the Lok Sabha for expenses for this entire financial year.  -- PTI
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18:35   Big win for India, ICJ stays Jadhav's execution
JUST IN: The International Court of Justice has stayed death sentence of Kulbhushan Jadhav till Pakistan reviews his conviction.

The ICJ has also given consular access to Jadhav that was earlier denied by Pakistan.

More details waited.
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18:17  
The Hague, Netherlands: India's Ambassador to the Netherlands Venu Rajamony and Ministry of External Affairs Joint Secretary (Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran) Deepak Mittal arrive at International Courts of Justice for Kulbhushan Jadhav case's verdict.

The verdict is to be delivered shortly.  -- ANI
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18:12   HC convicts one in British teenager Scarlett Keeling death case
The Bombay high court's Goa bench on Wednesday convicted a person in the 2008 British teenager Scarlett Eden Keeling death case, overturning his acquittal by the trial court.

Scarlett was found dead with bruises on her body at Anjuna beach in Goa on February 18, 2008.

Two locals, Samson D'Souza and Placido Carvalho, were accused of leaving her to die after drugging and sexually abusing her.

The Goa Children's Court had acquitted both last year. On appeal, the high court convicted D'Souza under Indian Penal Code Sections 328 (for administrating drugs), 354 (outraging woman's modesty), 304 (culpable homicide not amounting murder), and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and for child abuse under section 8(2) of the Goa Children's Act.

The arguments on quantum of sentence would be heard on July 19.

The high court, however, upheld the acquittal of Placido Carvalho.

The case, initially investigated by Goa Police, was handed over to the CBI by the state government after Scarlett's mother, Fiona Mackeown, raised doubts about the investigations.   -- PTI
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18:01   Rajya Sabha clears bill to give NIA more powers
National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Bill 2019 has been passed in Rajya Sabha.

The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday.

The bill gives more powers to the National Investigation Agency. with

Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that the law will be used to finish off terrorism and not to target any community.   -- ANI/PTI
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17:37   Hafeez Saeed sent to jail for 7 days
Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed on his way to jail. He was arrested this morning.  


The 2008 Mumbai attacks mastermind and UN-proscribed JuD chief was sent to seven-day judicial custody following his arrest on terror financing charges.


Speaking to ARY News, spokesperson of the Chief Minister of Pakistan's Punjab province Shahbaz Gill said that Hafiz's arrest was made under the ongoing National Action Plan.


The spokesperson refused to share any further details in this regard.


Saeed was arrested while he was on his way to an anti-terrorism court in Gujranwala to seek bail.


The development has come just two days after an anti-terrorism court in Lahore had granted interim bail to Saeed and three of his aides until August 31 against surety bonds of PKR 50,000 each.


On July 3, the top 13 leaders of the banned JuD, including Saeed and Naib Emir Abdul Rehman Makki, were booked in nearly two dozen cases for terror financing and money laundering under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
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16:58   Nine gunned down over land dispute in UP
Nine, including 3 women, gunned down; 19 injured in clash over land dispute in UP's Sonebhadra district, say police.
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16:52   MP govt to probe BJP regime's claim of planting 7 cr saplings
The Madhya Pradesh government on Wednesday announced a probe into the previous BJP regime's claim of planting seven crore samplings on a single day across the state in 2017. 


Congress member Kunal Choudhary, through a Call Attention motion in the state Assembly, alleged that fake payments running into several croreswere made under the one-day plantation drive, held on July 2, 2017, and sought an inquiry into it. 


Congress MLA Vinay Saxena and BSP legislator Sanjeev Singh supported the demand. Responding to it, state Finance Minister Tarun Bhanot said four departments, including his, would carry out the inquiry in a month.  Bhanot claimed that the previous government spent a whopping Rs 499 crore on the plantation in a futile attempt to get the feat registered in the Guinness Book of World Records. PTI
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16:47   Sensex ends 85 points higher
Extending gains for the third consecutive session, market benchmark BSE Sensex rose 85 points Wednesday, driven by gains in banking and IT stocks. After a volatile session, the 30-share index settled 84.60 points or 0.22 per cent higher at 39,215.64. It swung 203 points intra-day, hitting a high of 39,284.73 and a low of 39,081.14. The broader NSE Nifty ended 24.90 points or 0.21 per cent up at 11,687.50. 


During the day, the index hit a high of 11,706.65 and a low of 11,651.15. Top gainers in the Sensex pack included SBI, Tech Mahindra, HCL Tech, Kotak Bank, IndusInd Bank, Asian Paints, Infosys and TCS, rising up to 2.31 per cent. 


On the other hand, Yes Bank was the biggest loser, cracking 5.25 per cent ahead of its Q1 results. ONGC, Maruti, Bajaj Auto, NTPC, Axis Bank and Tata Motors were among the other losers, shedding up to 1.64 per cent.


Image: Yes Bank was the biggest loser, cracking 5.25 per cent ahead of its Q1 results. 
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16:41   Man held in TN for social media post inviting people to beef fest
A 33-year old man in this district has been arrested for uploading a post on social media inviting people to a 'beef festival' to be held in Kumbakonam soon, police said in Thanjavur, Wednesday.


S Ezhilan, founder-president of Tamil Nadu Kudiarasu Katchi, who hails from a place near Kumbakonam was arrested for posting the invite on Facebook, police added. 


He was booked under IPC sections 298 (uttering words with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person) 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505(2) statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill will between classes. 


Ezhilan is said to have posted the message on July 13 and an FIR was registered against him on a complaint by a Village Administrative Officer in the district. A man was held in Nagapattinam district a few days ago for uploading a picture of himself consuming beef soup. -- PTI
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16:37   BJP expels gun-toting MLA for 6 years
The Bharatiya Janata Party has expelled its MLA Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion for 6 years. He was suspended from the party last week after he uploaded a video where he was seen brandishing guns. 


In the immediate aftermath of the video, BJP's national media in-charge Anil Baluni said the party strongly condemns the MLA's behaviour and strict action will be taken against him."


A notice had been issued to the MLA seeking an explanation from him. 
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16:29   Inzamam-ul-Haq to step down as Pak's chief selector
Pakistan Cricket Board's chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq on Wednesday said that he will step down from the position after the completion of his tenure, scheduled to end on July 30.


"I think it is time to step down, I will complete my term that ends on July 30," Dawn.com quoted Inzamam-ul-Haq as saying. He also stated that he has informed PCB regarding this and thanked the Pakistan cricket governing body for respecting his decisions.


"When I returned [from United Kingdom], I told the Pakistan Cricket Board [PCB] that I did not want to continue with my position. I joined in 2016 and have spent a good time here. Now, I have decided that new people should come, with a new thinking and ideas. I thank the PCB and the team who respected my choices," he said.


However, former Pakistan cricketer Inzamam-ul-Haq said that he is open for any other role apart from selection. "I am a cricketer, this is my bread and butter. If the board offers me another role, apart from selection, I would consider it," Inzamam-ul-Haq said.


Pakistan finished on the fifth position on the points table of the recently concluded ICC Men's Cricket World Cup after the conclusion of league matches. 


Pakistan and New Zealand both had 11 points but due to a lower Net Run Rate (NRR), Kane Williamson-side qualified for the semi-finals.
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15:47   Goa: Congress may move court after MLAs defected to BJP
State Congress president Girish Chodankar on Wednesday said that the party is considering approaching the judiciary after a "proper study" of the manner in which 10 MLAs defected from the party last week.


"We are considering moving court after studying the issue," Chodankar told reporters at a press conference.


Chodankar, who resigned as state party president in the wake of the series of high profile resignations from Congress party office-bearers also said, "I would continue to work as state president because my resignation has not been accepted by the Congress national leadership."


Ten Goa Congress MLAs shifted allegiance to BJP on July 10. They joined BJP in the presence of its Working President J P Nadda and Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on July 11.With this, the Congress party which is grappling for survival in Karnataka suffered yet another blow on the formal induction of its 10 MLAs into the BJP. The strength of Congress on the floor of the Assembly was reduced to mere five.



These MLAs include -- Kavlekar, Isidore Fernandes, Francis Silveira, Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Jennifer, Atanasio Monserrate, Antonio Fernandes, Nilakanth Halarnkar, Clafacio Dias and Wilfred D'Sa.  -- ANI
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15:44  
Israel inks USD 50 million deal with India to supply surface-to-air missile systems. Details awaited.
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15:33   Cong's Shivakumar warns rebel MLAs of disqualification
Congress' chief troubleshooter in Karnataka, DK Shivakumar on Wednesday warned the Congress-JD(S) rebels of disqualification proceedings against them under the anti-defection law if they did not obey the whip and participate in the proceedings during the trust vote in the Assembly on Thursday.


"Some BJP friends are trying to misguide that whip is not valid. But the party can issue a whip and take the necessary action as per anti-defection law," he said responding to the Supreme Court verdict that rebel MLAs cannot be compelled to attend tomorrow's Assembly session.


"In today's judgement, the 10th schedule of the constitution was respected by the apex court. We have been following this law for long. Yes, no one can compel anyone to come anywhere. But BJP senior leader B S Yeddyurappa is misguiding everyone."


Hitting out at Yeddyurappa, the Karnataka minister said: "He says whip is not needed in the house. Whip does not have sanctity. Whenever a political party is in power, can anyone block the party from issuing a whip?


"I am sure the country law minister is better to guide the country and Yedyurappa whether whip is needed or not. When a person does not attend the Assembly. It is the duty of the political party to take necessary action. Yeddyurappa is misguiding the legislator, state and country saying that SC has said that whip is not essential."


He said that anti-law defection is there for those who skip Assembly session after whip is issued.


"This landmark judgement has given strength to the democratic process. The verdict is not for Karnatka, Chief Minister or BJP, it is a judgement for the country. This shows that justice has flown from the seat of Justice," he added.


Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court held that the 15 rebel Karnataka Congress-JD(S) MLAs cannot be compelled to participate in the trust vote in the Assembly tomorrow.
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15:23   Russia to deliver S-400 system by April 2023: Govt
The deliveries of the S-400 system from Russia will be made by April 2013, said Union MoS Defence Shripad Naik on Wednesday in the Lok Sabha.


"A contract had been signed on 5 October, 2018 for delivery of S-400 system from Russia. The deliveries are likely to be made by April, 2023," Naik said responding to a question about the details of S-400 deal signed with Russia.


New Delhi had signed a USD 5.43 billion deal with Russia for the purchase of five S-400s during the 19th India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit in New Delhi on October 5, last year, which Washington has indicated that the Russian S-400 systems may trigger Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) sanctions.


On June 26, US Secretary of States Michael Pompeo had said that India and the United States would look for ways to sort out issues pertaining to trade and the S400 missile deal between New Delhi and Moscow. -- ANI


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15:15   Will find, deport all infiltrators in India: HM
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the government will identify all illegal immigrants residing in the country and deport them as per the international law.


"We will identify all the illegal immigrants and infiltrators living on every inch of this country and deport them as per the international law," the BJP chief said in the Rajya Sabha.


This comes a day after the Central government has observed that it has adopted a multi-pronged approach to ensure effective surveillance and domination of international borders to check infiltration of illegal immigrants.


The Ministry of Home Affairs had said in a written reply to Parvesh Sahib Singh in Lok Sabha that physical infrastructure like border fencing, floodlighting, construction of border roads and establishment of border outposts have been created.


It had informed that border guarding forces conduct regular patrolling and establish observation posts and carry out anti-tunnelling exercises to stop illegal infiltration. 


However, some illegal immigrants are still able to enter into India in a clandestine and surreptitious manner, mainly due to difficult mountainous and riverine terrain in parts of the long international borders.


The Ministry had said that to deal with such illegal immigrants, the powers of the Central government under Section 3 of The Foreigners Act, 1946, have been enforced to detect detain and deport illegal foreign nationals. 
-- ANI
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15:05   Cong MPs slam govt over handling of floods in Assam, Bihar
Congress members from Assam and Bihar criticised the Union government in Lok Sabha on Wednesday over its handling of floods in Assam and Bihar, a charge refuted by the ruling BJP. 


Gourav Gogoi of the Congress asked the Centre to declare floods in Assam a national disaster and said 15 persons have been killed and over 43 lakh displaced by the natural calamity. 


Mohammad Jawed of the Congress said the Centre had extended no help to flood victims in Bihar. People have been forced to eat rats, he said. BJP's Ramkripal Yadav accused the Congress of misleading the House. He said over Rs 261 crore has been given to Bihar and both Union and state governments have been doing their utmost to provide relief to victims. -- PTI
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14:49   Our govt in K'taka next week: BJP gen secy
A BJP government is expected to take charge in Karnataka next week, party national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao claimed Wednesday. He said the BJP was confident that the Congress-JDS government, led by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, would lose the trust vote in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday. 


"You can expect," Rao told PTI when asked if a BJP government is expected to be in place in Karnataka next week. "We will not shy away from our responsibility," he added. The coalition government is in "clear minority" and should go, Rao said. 


The Supreme Court earlier on Wednesday directed that the 15 rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs "ought not" to be compelled to take part in the proceedings of the Assembly, which is slated to decide a confidence motion moved by the state government on Thursday. 


It further said Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar was free to decide on the resignations of the rebel legislators within such time-frame as deemed appropriate by him. 


Welcoming the apex court's direction, Rao said the speaker cannot be "arbitrary" and should take a decision within a reasonable time-frame. "Since now he (the speaker) has gone beyond a point, at least at this point, there should not be a compelling whip to participate.


"So, in a way, the Supreme Court while accepting speaker's domain, has created a situation where these MLAs should not be compelled to attend the trust vote. So, whip should not be the factor," he said. "So, the Supreme Court in a way has given protection to 15 MLAs while exercising their right. Now, in my view, disqualification (of rebel MLAs) is not possible," Rao contended.  -- PTI
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14:46   Govt working on revival of BSNL: Govt
The government is working for the revival of struggling PSU BSNL and its result could be seen soon, Union minister of state for telecom Sanjay Dhotre said in Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Dhotre also said the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is providing 2G, 3G and 4G (at few locations) mobile services in its Licensed Service Areas (LSAs). 


"The government is trying for the revival of the BSNL. You can see the results very soon," he said during the Question Hour. Reports suggest that the total debt on BSNL is around Rs 15,000 crore and it is struggling to pay regular salary to its employees. -- PTI 
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14:36   Afraid to face family, man fakes own kidnap after splurging money partying
A 20-year-old man has been arrested in Noida for allegedly concocting a story about his own abduction and misleading police with false information, officials said Wednesday. Rizwan did this because he had spent Rs 5,000 in partying with friends and was scared to face his family, the officials said. 


Sector 45 resident Mohd Shamsuddin had approached the Sector 39 police station Tuesday afternoon with a complaint that he was getting messages from Rizwan's phone that his son has been abducted, an official said. 


"The messages read that Rizwan has been abducted by four men who had come in an SUV. They have lifted his scooter and robbed him off Rs 5,000 and were taking him to jungles near Dadri to kill him," a police official said. 


Investigation was taken up immediately and Rizwan's phone number was tracked but his location was traced to Surajpur in Greater Noida, contrary to what was claimed in the messages, the official said. 


A police team reached the traced location of the phone number and found Rizwan alright near the Surajpur police station, he added. 


"When questioned, Rizan admitted that he had splurged Rs 5,000 in partying with friends and was scared to face his family and that is why he concocted the abduction and robbery story," the policeman said. 


Rizwan had parked his scooter at Botanical Garden parking and was texting his father while in Surajpur. The scooter's key and a parking receipt has been found from him, the official said. 


Rizwan has been arrested under CrPC section 151 and remanded in judicial custody, he added. PTI
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14:26   RBI should transfer surplus cash to govt: Panel
In a major development, a high-level panel led by former RBI governor Bimal Jalan, set up to decide the appropriate capital reserves that the central bank should maintain, Wednesday finalised its report. The six-member Jalan panel was appointed on December 26, 2018 to review the Economic Capital Framework for the RBI. 


The panel has finalised its report and no further meeting will take place, sources said after the meeting concluded in New Delhi.


RBI should transfer its surplus cash to the government over the next three-five year period, Jalan Committee, appointed by the Finance Ministry to assess surplus with the central bank, is believed to have recommended in its report. -- PTI
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13:58   Saradha chit fund case: Kunal Ghosh appears before ED
Former TMC MP Kunal Ghosh on Wednesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (for questioning in connection with Saradha chit fund case.


The ED had on Monday summoned Ghosh to appear before it.The Central Bureau of Investigation (had earlier questioned Ghosh and Rajeev Kumar, who headed the Special Investigation Team of the state police that probed the multi-crore scam case.


Ghosh was arrested by the state police on November 23, 2013. He sent to CBI custody on September 4, 2014 after the agency took over the investigation on the orders of the Supreme Court.


In 2016, the Calcutta High Court had granted interim bail to Ghosh against a bond of Rs 2 lakh.


Kumar, the former Kolkata Police commissioner, is accused of tampering with evidence in the case.


The CBI had earlier said that there was prima facie evidence against Kumar that he "tried to destroy or tamper with evidence and shield high and mighty" in the case.The probe agency had claimed that Kumar did not disclose any crucial information he was privy to. -- PTI
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13:47   India, China maintaining peace at border: Govt
India and China are respecting bilateral pacts to ensure peace and tranquillity along the border, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Making a statement on the prevailing situation along the Sino-Indian border, Singh said there is complete restraint by the armed forces of India and China at Doklam, which saw months long stand-off between armed forces of the two countries in 2017.
The defence minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a summit meeting at Wuhan where it was decided that peace and tranqullity will be maintained at the border.
Singh said specific guidance has been given to respective armies so that peace is maintained and the border is managed properly.
"India and China are respecting bilateral pacts to ensure peace and tranquillity along border," he said. -- PTI
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13:30   SC verdict has given strength to democratic process: Shivakumar
DK Shivakumar, Congress on the SC's verdict on Karnataka rebel MLAs case: "This landmark judgement has given strength to democratic process. Some BJP friends are trying to misguide that whip is not valid but the party can issue a whip & take necessary action as per anti-defection law."
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13:28   I am not finished yet: Dutee
Ace sprinter Dutee Chand Wednesday declared that she is not finished yet and the gold she won at the World University Games last week would spur her to achieve more despite the negative vibes from some quarters after her recent admission of same-sex relationship. 


The 23-year-old Dutee became the first Indian woman track and field athlete to clinch a gold medal in the World Universiade after she won the 100m dash event in Napoli, Italy on July 9. Dutte said the gold was an answer to her critics, who had written her off after her admission of same-sex relationship. 


"Many people have commented in bad languages. They said that Dutee is now focussed on her personal life and her athletics career will be over. I wanted to let them know that I am not finished yet," she told PTI in an interview. 


"Just like any other human being is concerned about his or her personal life, I also need to think about my personal life. That is why I came out and made everybody know about my relationship (with a girl of her village). 


"But that does not mean that I will neglect my athletics career. I have done (admitted the same-sex relationship) what I thought was needed and now I am focussing on my athletics more than even before," she added. After winning the yellow metal at the World Universiade, she had also tweeted: "Pull me down, I will come back stronger!" Dutee also described her history-scripting gold in the World Universiade as the "highlight" of her career but wants to keep her feet rooted to focus on the "tougher" tasks of qualifying for the World Championships and Olympics. She is yet to qualify for both the World Championships, to be held in Doha later this year, and next year's Olympics in Tokyo. -- PTI
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13:25   Pak is fooling the world on Hafeez Saeed's arrest: Nikam
Ujjwal Nikam, special public prosecutor in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case on the arrest of Hafiz Saeed: "Pakistan is fooling the world that they have arrested him, we have to see how they produce evidence in courts and how efforts are made to convict him, otherwise it is a drama."
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13:24   Now, Mumbai police begins #KhakiTwitter
If there's one tweet you should read today, let it be this. 

Mumbai's police department, which wields a witty mouse with its Twitter account, gets a foot in on the #SareeTwitter trend that seems to have taken social media by storm. 


@MumbaiPolice tweeted a few minutes ago with an image of cop looking natty in khaki saying, "Khaki has its own charm, doesnt it? #KhakiTwitter
A shout out to all our police friends across the country, lets share some #KhakiSwag in a uniform we all take pride in, with #KhakiTwitter Do tag fellow officers, more the Khakier.

Hope this catches on! 
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13:01   26/11 terrorist Hafeez Saeed sent to jail
Pakistan has arrested Mumbai terror attack mastermind and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed and sent him to judicial custody.


Saeed was arrested on Wednesday when he was on his way to Gujranwala from Lahore.


The Imran Khan government has been under pressure from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to act against terror outfits and terrorists operating out of Pakistan.


On Monday, Saeed and three aides were granted pre-arrest bail by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan, which stopped police from arresting them till August 3 in a land grabbing case for a seminary.


In February, Pakistan banned Saeed-led Jamat-ud-Dawah and its charity wing Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation, amid intense global pressure to rein in the militant groups following the Pulwama terror attack that killed 41 Central Reserve Police Force soldiers.
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12:43   No question of going to Assembly: Rebel MLAs
The rebel Karnataka MLAs in Mumbai said they would honour the Supreme Court's verdict. "We all are together. We stand by our decision. There is no question of going to the Assembly," they said.


The Supreme Court directed on Wednesday that the 15 rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs "ought not" to be compelled to take par in the proceedings of the Karnataka Assembly, which is slated to decide the confidence motion moved by the H D Kumaraswamy-led state government on Thursday. 


A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi further said Karnataka Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar was free to decide on the resignations of the rebel legislators within such time-frame as deemed appropriate by him. The court also said the speaker's decision be put before it. The bench, also comprising justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose, said the speaker's discretion in taking a decision on the resignation of the 15 MLAs should not be fettered by the court's directions or observations and he should be free to decide the issue. 


The bench, while pronouncing the order, said it was necessary to maintain the constitutional balance in the matter. The court said other issues raised in the matter would be decided at a later stage.

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12:26   Israel envoy shares 'saree swag' pic
Dr Ron Malka, Israel's ambassador to India, tweets this image with his wife, joining in the #SareeTwitter trend. "My beautiful wife Lea loves wearing #sarees and I think she has serious #sareeswag. I am proud to be accompanied by this graceful woman here in #India," he writes. 
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12:26   Priyanka: Robert Vadra, take me out for dinner!
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a late entrant on social media seems to have taken to it quite naturally. 


This morning, she joined in the trend that has become a rage on twitter with women sharing pictures of themselves draped in sarees.

Priyanka shared a throwback picture of herself in a saree from the morning of her wedding day.

Morning puja on the day of my wedding (22 years ago!) Priyanka posted on her Twitter handle along with the trending hashtag #SareeTwitter. Priyanka is seen seated wearing a saree with the pallu draped on her head.


Priyanka had married Robert Vadra on this day in a grand ceremony at 10 Janpath. She had got married in a silk temple saree with a pink and red border, said to be a favourite of her grandmother Indira Gandhi. 


When Twitterati began wishing her for her anniversary, she quipped, "Thanks for all the anniversary wishes...but it's just a throwback photo for the #SareeTwitter guys, my anniv is in Feb!"


And then quipped, with a wink emoji, "(@irobertvadra, you can still take me out for dinner)


Vadra, was today granted two more weeks to file his reply to a plea to the Enforcement Directorate seeking cancellation of his anticipatory bail granted by a trial court in a money-laundering case. The next date of hearing is 26th September.


Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, is facing allegations of money laundering in purchase of a London-based property at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million pounds (over Rs 17 crore).


The case is being probed under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act.


File pic. 
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12:13   Mumbai bldg collapse: Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia for kin of dead
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of those who died in the building collapse in Mumbai's Dongri area a day earlier.


He also announced a compensation of Rs 50,000 for the injured.


All medical expenses of the injured to be borne by the state government.


The death toll in the collapse of four-storeyed Kesarbhai building in the city's Dongri area rose to 14, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said on Wednesday.


The building collapsed at 11 am on Tuesday on Tandel Street in Dongri area. So far, nine people have been injured in the incident. The NDRF is currently carrying out search and rescue operation with the help of sniffer dogs.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the death of people in the building collapse, while the Maharashtra government has ordered an investigation into the incident.


The BMC has claimed that it had classified the building in the "C1 category" back in 2017. This classification meant the building was meant "to be evacuated for demolition at the earliest".


Image: Sniffer dogs at the site of the building collapse.
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12:06   Kulbhushan Jadhav's friends pray ahead of verdict
Kulbhushan Jadhav's friends wearing 'India with Kulbhushan' t-shirts offer special prayers ahead of International Court of Justice's verdict today. 


The International Court of Justice will deliver on Wednesday its verdict in a case relating to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, whose death sentence by a Pakistani military court based on an 'extracted confession' has been questioned by India.


Jadhav, 49, a retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by the Pakistani military court on charges of "espionage and terrorism" after a closed trial in April 2017. 


His sentencing evoked a sharp reaction in India.President of the Court Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf will read out the verdict during a public sitting which will take place at 3 pm (6.30 pm IST) on Wednesday at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands.
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11:39   Yeddy: Karnataka govt will fall
BS Yeddyurappa, BJP: Karnataka CM has lost his mandate, when there is no majority he must resign tomorrow. I welcome SC's decision, it's the victory of constitution and democracy, a moral victory for rebel MLAs. It's only an interim order, SC will decide powers of Speaker in future. The government will certainly fall. 
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11:19   K'taka Speaker: Will abide by Constitution
Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar: I will take a decision that in no way will go contrary to the Constitution, the Court and the Lokpal. I respect and welcome Supreme Court order with utmost humility.


The Supreme Court directed on Wednesday that the 15 rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs "ought not" to be compelled to take part in the proceedings of the Karnataka Assembly, which is slated to decide the confidence motion moved by the H D Kumaraswamy-led state government on Thursday. 


A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi further said Karnataka Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar was free to decide on the resignations of the rebel legislators within such time-frame as deemed appropriate by him. The court also said the speaker's decision be put before it. 


The bench, also comprising justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose, said the speaker's discretion in deciding the resignation issue of the 15 MLAs should not be fettered by the court's directions or observations and he should be free to decide the issue. The bench, while pronouncing the order, said it was necessary to maintain the constitutional balance in the matter. The court said other issues raised in the matter would be decided at a later stage. PTI
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11:15   Kumaraswamy must resign: BJP's Shettar
Jagadish Shettar, BJP on the SC's verdict on te Karnataka rebel MLAs case: There is anarchy in the state because of HD Kumaraswamy, he should resign immediately after this verdict and not wait for the trust vote.
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11:12   Rohatgi: MLAs not compelled to attend Trust Vote
Mukul Rohatgi, representing the Karnataka rebel MLAs in the SC says, "In view of the trust vote kept for tomorrow, the SC has said two important things -- 15 MLAs will not be compelled to attend the House tomorrow. All 15 MLAs are given the liberty that they may or may not go to the House tomorrow. The three-line whip issued against them (rebel MLAs) to attend the House tomorrow is not operative in view of the SC judgement. Secondly, the Speaker has been given time to decide on the resignations as and when he wants to decide."
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11:01   SC refuses to direct K'taka Speaker on MLAs
The Supreme Court is hearing the petition of dissident MLAs of Congress and JD(S) seeking a direction to the Karnataka Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar to accept their resignation and not proceed with the application for their disqualification.


The SC directs that the 15 rebel Cong-JD(S) MLAs ought not to be compelled to take part in the Assembly proceedings. The court permits the Assembly speaker to decide on resignations of 15 rebel MLAs within such time-frame as deemed appropriate by him. 


"The discretion of the Karnataka Assembly speaker in deciding the resignations should not be fettered by direction or observations of court," it said. It also directed the Speaker's decision on resignation of rebel MLAs be placed before it.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and comprising Justices Aniruddha Bose and Deepak Gupta heard the submissions made by the counsels of both the petitioners and the respondents.


Image: Karnataka Speaker Ramesh Kumar 
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10:53  
Equal rights activist Harish Iyer  says it the best: "Better late than Sari. #SariTwitter."
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10:08   Priyanka Gandhi jumps on to #SareeTwitter trend
Congress leader and UP general secretary joins the latest trend on Twitter with a throwback picture of her in a sari. 


#SareeTwitter has women posting their own pictures in saris and has been one of the top trends since Monday.


Politicians, artists, journalists, mothers' of politicians and people from several walks of life have been posting their sari pictures. 


Gandhi, who debuted on Twitter in February this year, just ahead of the general elections shared this beautiful picture writing, "Morning puja on the day of my wedding (22 years ago!) #SareeTwitter."


She is married to Delhi businessman Robert Vadra, who has been embroiled in a land deal case. 


So, where did this #SareeTwitter originate? Like much else on social media, we don't know, but enjoy the pictures. 


There is that Hindi saying about aam, remember? 
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09:55   Anari lag rahi thi: Dharmendra trolls Hema
BJP lawmaker Hema Malini's husband, veteran actor Dharmendra joined those who trolled his wife who had picked up a broom while participating in a cleanliness drive at Parliament on Saturday (June 13).


Dharmendra was asked on Twitter whether his wife had ever picked up a broom in her life.


"Yes, in films. She looked like a beginner to me too. I helped my mother during my childhood with household chores and I was very efficient at sweeping with brooms," the actor wrote in Hindi.


The 83-year-old actor accompanied his tweet with green leaves emoticons saying "I love cleanliness".


So far his tweet has garnered over 400 likes and he has been praised by Twitteratis for his honesty.


The 'Yamla Pagla Deewana' star said that people should praise the noble message of cleanliness propagated by his wife and try to imbibe it in their lives too.


"Ek paigam toh hai. Keep your Country Clean. Hema ke paigan par amal karo. My humble request to you all, feel from your soul for our New India," he tweeted.However, earlier on Wedesday , the actor wrote on Twitter that he will "never speak about broom".


After actor-politician Hema Malini's video of cleaning the Parliament complex with a broom along with BJP Minister Anurag Thakur as part of a cleanliness drive, surfaced on social media, netizens and several leaders of the opposition, including NCP chief Omar Abdullah, were quick to take a dig at her with interesting memes as appearing awkward with handling the broom. -- ANI
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09:47   Fire in SBI building, no casualty
A fire broke out on the sixth floor of the State Bank of India (SBI) building on Sansad Marg here on Thursday, Delhi Fire Services officials said. No injury was reported, they added. The fire department was alerted about the blaze at 8.10 am, following which seven fire tenders were rushed to the spot. 


 "The fire broke out in an office on the sixth floor of the SBI building," Chief Fire Officer Atul Garg said. The firefighters brought the blaze under control by 8.30 am, he said, adding that efforts were on to ascertain what caused the fire. -- PTI
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09:30   Death toll rises to 14 in Mumbai building collapse
The death toll in the collapse of four-storeyed Kesarbai building in the city's Dongri area rose to 14, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said on Wednesday.


So far, nine people have been injured in the incident.


The NDRF is currently carrying out search and rescue operation with the help of sniffer dogs.


The building collapsed at 11 am on Tuesday on Tandel Street in Dongri area, initially killing two persons and trapping over 40 people under its debris.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the death of people in the building collapse, while Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered an investigation into the incident.


Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi visited the spot and took stock of the rescue operations.


The BMC has claimed that it had classified the building in the "C1 category" back in 2017. This classification meant the building was meant "to be evacuated for demolition at the earliest". -- ANI
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08:59   Farmers' distress keeps LS working till 11:59 pm
The Lok Sabha sat till 11.59 pm on Tuesday to conclude the discussion on demands for grants for the agriculture and rural development ministries. This is for the second time in less than a week that the Lower House conducted business late in the night to conclude a debate. 


On July 11, it had worked till 11.58 pm to conclude debate on the Railway Ministry. 


Nearly 90 members participated in the debate which began around 2.45 pm. Speaker Om Birla said there were "technical" reasons and he has to adjourn the House at midnight otherwise he would have preferred to run the business till 3 am. 


Concerned over increasing number of farmers' suicide and 'worsening' agrarian situation, Opposition Members Tuesday suggested the government ensure adequate water, quality seeds and remunerative prices for farm produce in a bid to improve the plight of farmers. 


While the Opposition members attacked the government for not doing enough for the agriculture sector, the members of the ruling party stressed that farmers are benefiting from the host of schemes launched by the Modi government in the last five years. -- PTI
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08:47   Rajasthan govt to enact laws against mob lynching, honour killing: CM
Rajasthan Government has decided to enact strict laws to control incidents of mob lynching and honour killing, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said on Tuesday while replying to a debate in the state Assembly.


Showing concern over the rising incidents of mob lynching, the Chief Minister asserted that Congress-led government in the state will soon enact a law on the model of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to curb mob lynching incidents.


As per some reports, the Congress-led Madhya Pradesh government has also planned a similar law to curb the menace.Recently, Uttar Pradesh Law Commission had submitted a report to state Chief Minister Yogi Adiyanath suggesting ways to curb the incidents of mob lynching in the state and recommended life imprisonment along with a heavy fine for the crime.


The UP law commission has recommended that accused in mob lynching incidents be handed life imprisonment if the victim loses a life.


Referring to the recent incident where a newly-wed couple in Sirohi district was allegedly murdered over getting married, Gehlot opined that maybe families may not accept the inter-faith or inter-caste marriages of their children but "what right do they have to kill anybody?"


While speaking in the Assembly, he also talked about the government's effort to provide better education. He announced the decision to open 32 new government colleges. -- ANI
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08:42   Death toll in Mumbai blg collapse rises to 13
The death toll in a building collapse in south Mumbai's congested Dongri locality has risen to 13, the National Disaster Response Force said on Wednesday, even as rescue and search operation from the rubble was still on.
   
"So far, 13 people, including six males, four females and three children have been declared dead, while nine have got injuries and getting medical treatment," Sachidanand Gawde, the PRO of the NDRF battalion, told PTI.
 
Gawde said the search and rescue operations continued the whole night and was still on.
 
"It (search and rescue operations) will go on till the last piece of rubble is not removed from the spot," he said.
 
The official said his team members had been told that there were few customers at an eatery situated in the ground floor and no one knew the exact numbers. "So our job is still left to rescue those men," he said.
 
In a statement, Mumbai fire brigade chief P S Rahangdale said two kids -- one aged between six-eight and the other aged about four -- were rescued from under the debris by the fire fighters.
 
"Both kids were sent to Sir JJ hospital in 108 Ambulance, but they were declared dead," Rahangdale said, adding one fireman was also injured in the line of duty.
 
Mumbai police has made lightning arrangements to carry out rescue operation in night. It has so far registered an ADR into the mishap and will launch a detailed inquiry.
 
An official from the BMC disaster management cell said three more bodies had been recovered early on Wednesday morning and had been sent to nearby hospital, and awaiting doctors report about them.
 
"The death toll likely to up further," he said.
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00:05   Christine Lagarde resigns as IMF MD
French politician Christine Lagarde on Tuesday said she will resign as the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund with effect from September 12 after helping its members navigate an unprecedented set of challenges, including the impact of the global financial crisis and its aftershocks.

She has been nominated by the European Council as President of the European Central Bank. Her resignation has been accepted by the IMF Executive Board with effect from September 12.

"I have met with the Executive Board and submitted my resignation from the Fund with effect from September 12, 2019. The relinquishment of my responsibilities as Managing Director announced previously will remain in effect until then," Lagarde said in a statement.

The 63-year-old former French Cabinet minister has been head of the IMF since 2011.

David Lipton remains the IMF Acting Managing Director in the interim period.

In a separate statement, IMF Executive Board said that it has accepted the resignation of Lagarde and expressed its 'greatest appreciation' for what she did for the institution.

"Her legacy of achievements has made a lasting imprint on the Fund. Under her guidance, the Fund successfully helped its members navigate a complex and unprecedented set of challenges, including the impact of the global financial crisis and its aftershocks," the Board said.  -- PTI

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