Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday met Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray at 'Varsha', the latter's official residence Mumbai.

The 50-minute meeting between two partners in the ruling coalition in the state took place against the background of the Supreme Court staying implementation of the 2018 state law granting reservation to Marathas in education and jobs.

The meeting also took place amid a controversy over Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut comparing Mumbai to Pakistan- occupied-Kashmir and Thackeray's party, Shiv Sena, reacting strongly to her comment.   -- PTI

The comparison between Mumbai and its police force with Pakistan is 'outlandish', Maharashtra Nationalist Congress Party chief Jayant Patil said on Wednesday in a veiled attack on actress Kangana Ranaut over her tweets that have riled the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) dispensation.

Patil said it was 'painful' to come across people who are 'not grateful' to what Mumbai and Maharashtra has to offer in terms of opportunities, women safety, and tolerance.

'People comparing this great city and our police force to that of Pakistan is outlandish. At best, it is a baseless remark to gain publicity and limelight. #UddhavThackeray #BMCMumbai @DGPMaharashtra @MumbaiPolice,' Patil tweeted.

The water resources minister said Mumbai is the mother which does not discriminate.

He also called for being 'respectful' to the spirit of Mumbai and the dignity of the elected offices of the state.

"Don't bite the hands which feed you," Patil added.

Earlier in the day, the Mumbai civic body demolished 'illegal alterations' at the bungalow of Ranaut at Pali Hill in Bandra.

After arriving in Mumbai from her home state Himachal Pradesh, Ranaut once again equated Mumbai with Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

'I am never wrong and my enemies prove again and again this is why my Mumbai is POK now #deathofdemocracy,' she tweeted.

Ranaut also shared few photographs of BMC officials at her house, with the captions 'Pakistan...#deathofdemocracy' and 'Babur and his army #deathofdemocracy'.   -- PTI

The Drugs Regulator General of India (DCGI) has issued a show-cause notice to pharma giant Serum Institute of India (SII) asking for an explanation as to why the ongoing clinical trial of Covishield vaccine candidate has not been suspended till doubts about patient safety are cleared.

The drug regulator's move comes after AstraZeneca, which is developing the vaccine candidate against COVID-19 with researchers of Oxford University, paused its trial as a volunteer developed an unexplained illness.

The clinical trial has been put on hold across countries where it was being conducted -- the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa.

Referring to reports of AstraZeneca halting the trials in the UK, Serum Institute of India (SII), which is conducting the trials in India, said the UK trials have been paused for further review.

'We can't comment much on the UK trials but they have been paused for further review and they hope to restart soon. As far as Indian trials are concerned, it is continuing and we have faced no issues at all,' it said.

The notice to the Serum Institute has been issued by Drugs Regulator General of India Dr VG Somani.

'In view of the above Drugs Controller General of India and Central Licensing Authority hereby give you an opportunity to show cause as provided under rule 30 of the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules 2019 - why the permission granted to you on August 2 shall not be suspended till patient safety is established,' said the notice, a copy of which is with ANI.

It said that Serum Institute 'up till has not informed' the central licensing authority regarding pausing of clinical trial carried out by AstraZeneca in other countries and has 'also not submitted a casualty analysis of the reported serious adverse event with the investigational vaccine for the continuation of phase II/III clinical trial of the subject vaccine in the country in light of the safety concerns'.

"Your reply shall reach undersign immediately, else it shall be construed that you have no explanation to offer and action deemed fit will be taken against you," it added.

The country's apex drugs regulator had on August 2 granted permission to SII to conduct a phase II/III clinical trial of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 coronavirus vaccine (recombinant) at various clinical trial sites in the country to determine its safety and immunogenicity.

The vaccine will be manufactured by Serum Institute in India under technical collaboration with Oxford University/AstraZeneca and is called as Covishield (SII-ChAdOx1 nCoV-19).

Covishield vaccine contains replication-deficient simian adenovirus vector ChAdOx1 containing structural surface glycoprotein (spike protein) antigens of SARS-CoV-2. -- ANI

India and China held Brigade Commander level talks in Chushul from 11 am to 3 pm on Wednesday, Indian Army Sources said.

The two sides have also broadly agreed on holding Corps Commander level talks for which the date, modalities and agenda are yet to be finalised, they said.

More details awaited.   -- ANI 

Despite a sharp surge in COVID-19 cases in the national capital, which reported the highest single-day spike till date with 4,039 fresh cases on Wednesday, the Delhi government has ruled out possibility of another lockdown, with Health Minister Satyendar Jain asserting that the economy 'cannot be kept shut for eternity' as livelihoods of millions depend on it.

The minister also asserted that 'extreme caution and not panic' should be the response of the city, and people should exhibit greater alertness and responsibility in public places to deal with this health crisis.

In the first nine days of the month, Delhi has registered 26,417 fresh coronavirus cases, as the city breached the two lakh-mark on Wednesday with over 4,638 deaths due to COVID-19 so far.

Amidst an atmosphere of anxiety due to the massive surge in Delhi, especially after the coronavirus cases were steadily declining in August, Jain said, 'this is once in a century pandemic after the Spanish Flu of 1918. And, people will have to learn to live with COVID-19 as it is not going away so soon'.

"Also, one can't keep everything (economy) shut for eternity, as the livelihoods of milions depend on it," the Delhi health minister told PTI in an interview when asked if there could be another phase of lockdown in the city given the current scenario.

National capital's highest single-day tally was recorded three days after Delhi Metro resumed services in a calibrated manner.

Many feel that resumption of metro services may lead to further spike in the coronavirus infections.

Asked if it was a right decision to open the metro amid spurt in cases, he said, "people will have to be more alert and exhibit greater responsibility in public. If you don't wear a mask, not just metro, you can contract the infection anywhere".

Asserting that 'there is no need to panic', Jain said, 'like, I have said, we have to learn to live with COVID'.

"Earlier, it was believed that the virus will die out in summers or it will taper off in the monsoon. It is still there. It seems it will continue for a fairly long time."   -- PTI

The Supreme Court Wednesday granted bail to 21 members of Popular Front of India (PFI) accused of indulging in violence at Mangaluru on December 19 last year during anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests, resulting in the death of two persons.

The top court had earlier granted stay on bail granted to the protestors on the appeal filed by Karnataka government against the High Court order.

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde, A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian said that the applicants be released on bail on the condition that they will not participate in any violent activities or meetings.

Having regard to the observation of the high court that it was not possible to prima facie determine the presence of the accused persons at the spot and without treating the said observation as final finding of the fact, we consider it appropriate to direct that the applicants be released on bail on furnishing bail bonds in the sum of Rs 25,000 each to the satisfaction of the trial court.., the bench said.

The top court imposed two conditions for the bail that the accused shall report to the nearest police station on every alternative Monday and that 'they shall ensure that they do not participate in any violent activities/meetings'.

It said, We make it clear that the observations of the high court on question of fact and law are obviously made prima facie and shall not affect the trial.

On March 6, the top court had issued notice to the accused after taking note of the appeal filed by the Karnataka government against the grant of bail by the high court and granted an ad-interim stay on its operation.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, had earlier assailed the high court order saying that as many as 56 policemen got injured during the violent protests.

"The rioters attacked the police station and set it ablaze," the law officer had said, adding that two persons died during those violent protests.

The high court, while granting bail, had said that the records produced indicate that the 'identity of the accused involved in the alleged incident appear to have been fixed on the basis of their affiliation to PFI and they being members of the Muslim community'.

Two persons received bullet injuries in police firing and later succumbed at a hospital on December 19 last year as protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act turned violent in Mangaluru.

Police had lobbed tear gas shells and resorted to baton charge and fired in the air to disperse anti-CAA protesters in Mangaluru, as thousands of demonstrators had hit the streets in many cities and towns across Karnataka on December 19 last year defying prohibitory orders.   -- PTI

Around 15 persons, including some women, were detained on Wednesday for allegedly holding a protest against Mumbai civic body's act of demolishing a part of Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut's bungalow at Bandra in Mumbai, a police official said.

The protesters gathered outside Ranaut's bungalow in Pali Hill area in the afternoon to show solidarity with the actor after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished alleged illegal alterations at her property.

"The protesters raised slogans against the BMC and in support of Ranaut," senior inspector of Khar police station, Gajanan Kabdule, said.

"We detained around 15 people, including women, and brought them to the police station for illegally holding the protest. We are collecting information about them, including where they are from," he said.

None of them have been arrested so far, the official said.

Dismissing reports that the police lathi-charged the protesters, Kabdule said, "All these are just rumours."

Ranaut's recent remark comparing Mumbai to Pakistan- occupied-Kashmir (PoK) has drawn the ire of the ruling Shiv Sena, which also controls the BMC.

The BMC on Wednesday started demolishing 'illegal alterations' at her Bandra bungalow.

However, the Bombay high court later stayed the demolition process and sought to know how the civic body entered the property when the owner was not present.

The 33-year-old actor arrived in the city later in the day.   -- PTI

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) would conduct the Joint Admission Test for Masters (JAM) 2021 on February 14, director of IISc Govindan Rangarajan said on Wednesday.

The portal for applying for the test would be open to aspiring candidates from September 10 to October 15, 2020, a statement from IISc said in Bengaluru.

JAM is a qualifying examination for candidates seeking admission to various masters programmes.

The programmes are: MSc (two years), Masters in Economics (two years), Joint MSc-PhD, MSc-PhD Dual Degree, MSc-MS (Research) or PhD dual degree, and other post-bachelor degree programmes at IITs (Bhilai, Bhubaneshwar, Bombay, Delhi, ISM Dhanbad, Gandhinagar, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Jodhpur, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras, Mandi, Palakkad, Patna, Roorkee, Ropar, Tirupati, and BHU Varanasi), THE STAtement said.

The test score would be used by llSc Bangalore for admission to integrated PhD programmes.

It would also be used by other centrally funded technical institutions such as NITs, IIEST Shibpur, SLIET Punjab, and IISERs for admission to their programmes.

JAM 2021 is open to all nationals and there is no age restriction.

The score is valid for only one year. The test would have seven papers -- Biotechnology (BT), Chemistry (CY), Economics (EN), Geology (GG), Mathematics (MA), Mathematical Statistics (MS), and Physics (PH).

A new paper on EN was added this year and the purview of JAM is extended to social sciences to provide admissions to masters programmes in Economics at the IITs.

To reflect this, the name of the exam is changed to Joint Admission Test for Masters (JAM) from 2021.

The examination would be conducted as a computer-based test (CBT) in online mode only.

A candidate can appear for either one or two test papers. The examination would be conducted in various cities spread across the country.

The examination attracts over one lakh aspirants every year.   -- PTI

A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde issued the notice to the ministry of home affairs on the plea of Ahmedabad-based Gitarth Ganga Trust seeking opening of the places of worship in the country. 

"We are issuing notice just to explore possibility," said the bench, which also comprised Jusrices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, in the proceedings held through video conferencing.  

The trust, a religious research institute, filed the plea through lawyer Surjendu Sankar Das and said that it wanted to ensure "spiritual happiness" of all by opening of temples, mosques, churches and gurdwaras with necessary precautionary conditions in place. 

It said the MHA, in its May 30 order on 'Unlock 1.0', had allowed opening of religious places outside the containment zones from June 8. 

"Many of the state governments have not passed any order allowing the temples, mosques, churches, Jain temples, gurdwaras, etc to reopen even after passing of approximately three (3) months after such relaxation for religious places / places of worship by the central government," the plea said. 

It said the question which deserved consideration was whether and to what extent the states may set limits on numbers of worshipper participants, when no comparable limitations are imposed on activities like "manufacturing, retail merchandising or liquor stores". 

The plea said it has been filed with the "solemn and pious objective to protect the fundamental rights enshrined and guaranteed under Articles 14, 19(1)(a) and (b), 25, 26 and 21, in particular, of the residents of India pertaining to opening of the places of worship/ religious places throughout India which have been prohibited/restricted at present by many of the states".

Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday batted for actor Rhea Chakraborty, saying her arrest under the NDPS Act is 'ludicrous' and her father is entitled to seek justice, the basic tenet of the Constitution.

Chowdhury also said the trial by media is an 'ominous portent of our judicial system'.

'Rhea's father is a former military officer, served the nation. Rhea is a Bengalee Brahmin lady, justice to actor Sushant Rajput should not be interpreted as a justice to Bihari.

'Father of Rhea is also entitled to demand justice for his kids, trial by media is an ominous portent for our judicial system. Justice for all is one of the basic tenets of our constitution,' he said in a series tweets.

He said Rajput was an Indian actor, but the 'BJP turned him into a Bihari actor, only to score electoral brownie points'.

'Rhea Chakroborty has been indicted not for abetment of suicide nor murder nor any economic offences, she has been arrested under NDPS, ludicrous.

'To please the Political Masters Central agencies have played their roles, after churning the sea they have discovered drugs instead of nectar. Still they are groping in the dark to identify who is the murderer,' he added.

After three days of interrogation, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Tuesday arrested Chakraborty, 28, in a drugs case linked to Rajput's death, following which she was sent to judicial custody till September 22 by a local court.

She was shifted to Byculla jail in Mumbai Wednesday after the NCB said it did not want her custody.

The court earlier rejected Chakraborty's bail application.   -- PTI

India, Australia and France on Wednesday held talks for the first time under a trilateral framework with focus on enhancing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, a region that has been witnessing increasing Chinese military assertiveness.

The virtual meeting was co-chaired by foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, secretary-general in French ministry for Europe and foreign affairs Franois Delattre and secretary in Australian department of foreign affairs Frances Adamson.

'The focus of the dialogue was on enhancing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific Region,' the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

It said the 'outcome-oriented' meeting was held with the objective of building on the strong bilateral ties that the three countries share with each other and synergise their respective strengths to ensure a peaceful, secure, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific Region.

The MEA said the three sides agreed to hold the dialogue on an annual basis. It said the three sides discussed economic and geo-strategic challenges and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and domestic responses to the crisis.

'The three countries also had an exchange on the priorities, challenges and trends in regional and global multilateral institutions, including the best ways to strengthen and reform multilateralism,' the MEA said.

The MEA said cooperation on marine global commons and potential areas for practical partnership at the trilateral and regional level were also discussed, including through regional organisations such as ASEAN, Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and the Indian Ocean Commission.

The 10-nation ASEAN is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region. India and several other countries including the US, China, Japan and Australia are its dialogue partners.

The IORA is a regional forum with a focus on enhancing maritime and economic cooperation.

The members of the bloc include India, Australia, Bangladesh, Iran, Kenya, Comoros, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia and South Africa.  -- PTI

 The statement came after AstraZeneca Plc stopped giving shots of its experimental coronavirus vaccine after a person participating in the studies got sick. 

"We can't comment much on the UK trials," Serum Institute India (SII) said in a statement, adding, "As far as Indian trials are concerned, it is continuing and we have faced no issues at all." 

Serum Institute had entered into a manufacturing partnership with AstraZeneca to produce and supply 1 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Oxford University. The Indian firm is doing the clinical trials of AstraZeneca's vaccine candidate in India. 

Last month, the Drug Controller General of India had granted permission to the Pune-based SII to conduct phase two and three human clinical trials of the coronavirus vaccine candidate developed by Oxford University and British-Swedish pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca. 

The pause by AstraZeneca stemmed from a standard review of the company's vaccine trials after one person developed an unexplained illness, the firm said in a statement. The move was intended to give researchers time to examine safety data while maintaining the integrity of the trials, the British-Swedish company said.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's (HAL) indigenously-developed Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) completed the hot and high-altitude trials in Ladakh.

The trial was carried out at Daulat Beg Oldie at 3300 meters above mean sea level for about 10 days, the HAL said in a release.

The helicopter demonstrated its payload capability in the high altitude of Siachen glacier. During the trial, pilots landed the helicopter at the highest helipads of Amar and Sonam, it said.

"HAL has once again proved its indigenous capability in design and development. The Army version of LUH is now ready for Initial Operational Clearance," said R Madhavan, the CMD of HAL.

The flights were carried out by a composite trial team, which included pilots from HAL, Wg Cdr Unni Pillai Bengaluru, CTP (RW), Wg Cdr Anil Bhambani Bengaluru, Gp Capt Pupinder Singh (Retd), and Gp Capt V Panwar along with Gp Capt R Dubey, Sq Ldr Joshi from Indian Air Force and Lt Col R Grewal and Lt Col Pawan from the Indian Army.

Representatives from certification authority witnessed the trials, it was stated.

The Initial Operational Clearance for basic LUH was accorded by CEMILAC (Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification) for the IAF variant on February 7 this year during DefExpo 2020 at Lucknow, HAL said. -- ANI

However, the Bombay High Court later stayed the demolition process and sought to know how the civic body entered the property when the owner was not present. 

Talking to reporters outside the actor's office after the stay order, her lawyer Rizwan Siddiqui said, "The BMC is lying. It's lying on record (about illegal construction at the bungalow). They said they have given stop-work notice. But such notice is given when the construction process is underway." "There is no construction going on at the place. It was over about one-and-a-half years ago," he added. 

Siddiqui said that even as the BMC officials were told that they have moved the Bombay High Court against the demolition, the civic authorities did not stop the process.

"They rejected our reply at 10.19 am. Immediately, we moved the court (HC) and served the copies (of the plea) to BMC office as well the official present on the spot," the lawyer said. "I also told them that the matter is in the court. Despite that they didn't stop the demolition. The work stopped only after the HC gave a stay on it," he added.

Ranaut's recent remark comparing Mumbai to Pakistan- occupied-Kashmir (PoK) has drawn the ire of the ruling Shiv Sena, which also controls the BMC. The 33-year-old actor has alleged that the Maharashtra government is targeting her because of her fight with the Shiv Sena. The BMC on Tuesday pasted a stop-work notice at the actor's bungalow. The civic body said that during regular inspection it found several illegal constructions and modifications, which it claimed were carried out without necessary approvals from it. -- PTI

The Himachal Pradesh CM said, "The conduct of Maharashtra government is unfortunate, I condemn it. The daughter of Himachal Pradesh, Kangana Ranaut raised her voice and expressed her opinion. They (Maharashtra government) have done this out of vendetta. This is unfortunate. Don't want to talk about Saamna, I didn't read it but roots of Shiv Sena are being finished. The objective with which Shiv Sena was formed...its situation became like Congress ever since it came to power with them. They're saying this to safeguard their power."

However, testing will be conducted in accordance with the strategy/advisory issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and as per the orders issued by the Delhi government from time to time, it said. Concerned over the spurt in new cases, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday ordered that doctor's prescription will not be mandatory from now for those going voluntarily for RT/PCR test to detect COVID-19 infection in the national capital.

The High Court said people need to carry Aadhaar card for Delhi address proof and fill up a form as prescribed by the ICMR for Covid-19 testing. "We encourage more and more people to get tested if they feel they have corona, so that we can effectively control the spread of the virusin the national capital," Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's office said in a statement.

On Tuesday, Kejriwal had said he has directed Health minister Satyendar Jain that doctor's prescription should not be asked for COVID-19 testing in Delhi. On Tuesday, authorities conducted a record 45,797 tests. The city recorded 3,609 new cases -- the highest single-day spike in 76 days, according to the government's health bulletin.-- PTI

The plea came up before Justice Yogesh Khanna who asked the counsel for Hussain to place on record the judgements which he was referring to and listed it for hearing on Thursday.

"For his merit, I think he has done more trying to create peace between nations than most other Peace Prize nominees," Tybring-Gjedde, a four-term member of parliament who also serves as chairman of the Norwegian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, told Fox News.

Tybring-Gjedde also submitted a nomination for Trump in 2018, following the US president's summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump did not win the award.

Hundreds of nomineesTrump previously implied that he deserved the prize, after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won the award in 2019. In remarks made in January 2020, Trump claimed he, not Ahmed, was key in brokering peace in the African nation, and did not formally congratulate Ahmed.

"Total number of positive cases in the police force has risen to 17,972 including 3,523 active cases, 14,269 recoveries and 180 deaths till date," said the police.

Maharashtra is leading the COVID-19 tally in the country with 2,43,809 active cases currently. The state accounts for 27 per cent of the total active cases in the country.

India's COVID-19 case tally has crossed the 43-lakh mark with a spike of 89,706 new cases and 1,115 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Wednesday.

"The total case tally stands at 43,70,129 including 8,97,394 active cases, 33,98,845 cured/discharged/migrated cases and 73,890 deaths," the Ministry added. -- ANI

"This is the wheel of time, remember, it never stays the same," warned the 33-year-old actor.

The BMC demolished what it called illegal alternations at her office in Pali Hill.

The Bombay High Court ordered a stop to the demolition and served notice to the BMC, which is controlled by the Chief Minister's Shiv Sena.

She said she can now understand what the Kashmiri Pandits are going through and promised to make a film on their plight. 

'It is ironic that the forces who, in Rajput's lifetime, attacked his films and his high-profile stand against his very own influential community, now seek to appropriate him in death. Ironic because the characters he played in Kai Po Che, PK and Kedarnath refused to view human beings through the lens of their religious identity,' writes Anna MM Vetticad, in First Post, here.

According to the official, two of the accused claim that they are journalists of a leading English news channel. The incident took place three days after a caller allegedly threatened to blow up Thackeray's personal residence in Mumbai. 

"After reaching Bhilawali on Tuesday evening, the accused trio asked a man who was passing by in the village about the location of Thackeray's farmhouse there. The man, however, told them that he was not aware of it," the official said.

"After some time, the trio reached the chief minister's farmhouse and entered the premises. There, they found the same man working as its security guard. They started contronting him and asked why he lied to them. They allegedly abused and thrashed the guard," he added.

After a while, the trio left the area, he said. The security guard then approached Khalapur police station and lodged a complaint against them.

Accordingly, an offence under section 452 (house- trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 448 (punishment for house-trespass), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation), 34 of IPC against three persons, he said, adding that all three were arrested after some time.

On Saturday night, the chief minister's personal residence 'Matoshree' in Bandra here had received calls in which the caller allegedly threatened to blow it up, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) had said. The caller had claimed to be an aide of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, police had said. PTI

'The magnitude of such a crushing defeat is yet to sink in. We prefer not to think about it. Nonetheless, the virus is invidiously on the march across the subcontinent and is entering the inner cities and towns. Beyond, of course, lies the vast undefended countryside of the sprawling Indian hinterland, lying at its feet innocently to ravage. 

'Never in the tumultuous history of India was there an empire such as the one this virus hopes to establish -- outshining the Mauryas, the Guptas, the Marathas, the Satavahanas, the Mughals and even Imperial Britain.'

Ambassador MK Bhadrakumar's frank thoughts on the danger posed by the pandemic to India. You can read it here.

Kangana Ranaut landed in Mumbai from her home state Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, amid protests by Shiv Sena workers at the airport over her remarks on Mumbai police. 

Kangana, who flew from Chandigarh by a scheduled commercial flight, landed at Mumbai around 2.30 pm. Sena workers with black flags were seen outside the airport, shouting slogans against her. Workers of the RPI (A) and Karni Sena had also gathered in support of the actor. RPI (A) leader and Union minister Ramdas Athawale had declared that his party workers will protect Kangana while she is in Mumbai.

A bench headed by Justice L Nageshwar Rao, in its interim order, said that Chief Justice of India Sharad Arvind Bobde will later decide the larger bench and its composition for hearing the matter related to the Maratha reservation.

The bench held that no Maratha quota will be granted for jobs and admissions for the session 2020-21 and said that admissions to post graduate courses in the state will not to be altered.The bench was hearing two appeals, including one filed by J Laxman Rao Patil challenging the Bombay High Court order that upheld the constitutional validity of the quota for the Maratha community in education and government jobs in the state.

The Bombay High Court had on June 27, 2019, observed that the 50 per cent cap on total reservations imposed by the Supreme Court could be exceeded in exceptional circumstances. -- PTI

The former Union minister also said that he does not take seriously the threat calls he received earlier this week. Ranaut waded into controversy after she recently likened Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and said she feared the city Police more than the "movie mafia". 

"We are giving undue importance to those making such statements. We will have to see what influence such statements have on the people at large," Pawar told reporters.

"In my opinion, people do not take seriously (such statements)," the veteran leader said. Pawar said the people of Maharashtra and Mumbai have "years of experience" of how the state and city's police work.

"They (people) know the performance of the police. And hence, we need not pay heed to what one says," he added. Asked about the threat calls he received, Pawar said, "I have just been given the record of threat calls I received and from where those were made. "I have received calls in the past too. We don't take it seriously," the leader added. -- PTI

The Shiv Sena-controlled BMC on Wednesday came in for flak after demolishing portions of the Bandra bungalow of Kangana Ranaut, with some critics saying she was targeted while other defaulters were spared.The 33-year-old actor, has alleged that the Maharashtra government is targeting her because of her fight with the Shiv Sena. BJP MLA Ashish Shelar said the Uddhav Thackeray-led government in Maharashtra is playing vendetta politics. Kangana said the civic body should focus on the shoddy state of roads instead of targeting her bungalow. "BMC, these are mumbai road and all you are concerned about is DEMOLITION of an actress house who is exposing mafia. KUDOS to you..!! #DeathOfDemocracy," Kangana tweeted. She also posted a photo of a Mumbai road riddled with several potholes. "Tell Kangana to keep the faith. We are with her in this struggle," tweeted BJP MP Subramanian Swamy.  Senior journalist Nauzer Bharucha said, "If a forensic audit is done of most new buildings that have come up in Bandra-Khar area, it would reveal massive FSI manipulation, illegal floors, unauthorised balconies and construction areas much more than what is permissible." "The demolition of the unauthorised portion of Kangana Ranauts bungalow on Pali Hill is nothing but a muscular show of state power when much bigger construction crimes have been condoned," said Bharucha, who has been covering real estate for over two decades for a leading English newspaper."A few years ago, when comedian Kapil Sharma publicly accused BMC officials of seeking a Rs five lakh bribe from him, the civic administration promptly issued him a demolition notice for his Goregaon apartment," he said. PTI

The Shiv Sena-controlled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on Wednesday came in for flak after demolishing portions of the Bandra bungalow of Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, with some critics saying she was targeted while other defaulters were spared.

The 33-year-old actor, who is scheduled to reach later in the day, has alleged that the Maharashtra government is targeting her because of her fight with the Shiv Sena.

"Tell Kangana to keep the faith. We are with her in this struggle," tweeted BJP MP Subramanian Swamy.

Veteran Bollywood and television star Surekha Sikri, who was hospitalised after she suffered a brain stroke, is stable but still under observation in the ICU, her agent Vivek Sidhwani said on Wednesday.

  

The 75-year-old star was admitted to a hospital in suburban Mumbai on Tuesday.

"She is in the Intensive Care Unit. Her parameters are stable. In the next 48 to 72 hours, what needs to be seen is the effects the stroke has had on her," Sidhwani said.

A recipient of three national awards, Sikri is best known for her performance in "Tamas", "Mammo", "Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro", "Zubeidaa" and daily soap "Balika Vadhu", among others.

Sikri received wide spread acclaim for her role of a grandmother in Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer "Badhaai Ho" (2018). The 75-year-old actor won the 66th National Film award for the best supporting actress for "Badhaai Ho" and she arrived in a wheelchair to pick up her award.

She was last seen in Netflix's "Ghost Stories", directed by Zoya Akhtar. 

French Defence Minister Florence Parly will embark on an official visit to India on September 10, where she will attend the induction ceremony of the first batch of the Rafale fighter aircraft by the Indian Air Force at Air Force Station Ambala.

This will mark Parly's third official visit to India since 2017 and one of her first official trips since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, according to a statement by the French embassy in New Delhi. 

"On this occasion, Minister Parly will strengthen France's forward-looking defence cooperation with India, its foremost Asian strategic partner," the statement said.

During her visit the French Minister will meet her counterpart Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

Ranaut approached the Bombay High Court on Wednesday challenging the notice issued by the Mumbai civic body for 'illegal construction' at her bungalow here, and sought a stay on the demolition process. 

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on Wednesday demolished "illegal alterations" at the Bandra bungalow of Ranaut, a civic official said. Ranaut's recent remark comparing Mumbai to Pakistan- occupied-Kashmir (PoK) has drawn the ire of the ruling Shiv Sena which also controls the BMC. 

The 33-year-old actor, who is scheduled to reach here later in the day, has alleged that the Maharashtra government is targeting her because of her fight with the Shiv Sena. The BMC on Tuesday pasted a stop-work notice at the actor's bungalow at Pali Hill in suburban Bandra. -- PTI

The youth of this country want to make their voice heard, Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi using the hashtag '9 baje 9 minute yuvaon ki baat' and 'stop privatization save govt job'. The youth are raising their voice over stalled recruitments, exam dates, appointments and new jobs, the Congress general secretary said.

"Today, all of us need to support the youth in their fight for employment," she said. The Congress has stepped up its attack on the government over the state of the economy and alleged rise in unemployment after the gross domestic product contracted by 23.9 per cent in the first quarter this year as the coronavirus-related lockdowns weighed on the already-declining consumer demand and investment. -- PTI

Delhi Police has registered an FIR against Zubair on August 9 for alleged offences under the Information Technology Act for allegedly threatening and torturing a girl child on Twitter. He approached the high court seeking quashing of the FIR against him. He also sought a copy of the FIR. The court asked the police to provide him the copy of FIR so that he can respond to the allegations. Zubair refuted the allegation levelled in the FIR as an absolutely frivolous complaint. PTI

In its letter, the agency has underlined lapses in handling the rape case of the minor at Sengar's residence in Makhi village, Bangarmau, Unnao by the MLA and subsequent harassment of the family by his henchmen, they said. 

The CBI has not sought any disciplinary action instead it has only highlighted the lapses under these officers and left it on the Uttar Pradesh Government to take "appropriate action" in the light of the agency's observations, they said. -- PTI

The Covid-19 cases in Himachal Pradesh, with just about 70 lakh population, have reached 7,832, according to the data provided by the state health department till Tuesday. 

"That was why, the monthly meeting of doctors with ASHA workers was held under the open sky in Shimla on September 7 as open air and sunlight help in reducing the spread of the virus," she said.

The health and family welfare department of Shimla district has launched a campaign to hold routine meetings and workshops of the health department in the open in hospital premises and the September 7 meeting was a part of this campaign, she added. 

The CMO said wherever possible, the meetings and other programmes should be held in the open. A total of 59 coronavirus patients have succumbed to the virus in the hill state till now. -- PTI

"As per initial reports, there was no casualty or damage to property," Dahanu tehsildar Rahul Sarang said. The district has been experiencing such tremors since last Friday, including one of 4.0 magnitude on Saturday. Palghar's Dahanu area has been experiencing such tremors since November 2018, with most of them centered around Dundalwadi village. PTI 

The NCB launched an investigation after it received official communication from Enforcement Directorate, in which there were various chats related to drug consumption, procurement, usage and transportation in connection with the Sushant Singh Rajput death case.

The probe agency subsequently had formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by NCB Deputy Director KPS Malhotra, to probe this drug case.The ED had on July 31 registered an Enforcement Case Information Report in the actor's death case after a First Information Report was filed by Rajput's father KK Singh against Rhea in Bihar on July 28. Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14. -- ANI

An unusual column from one of India's leading political journalists with incredible contacts in politics and the police, Sheela Bhatt delves deep into the story behind Sushant Singh Rajput's life, and patches together a narrative of unbridled youth, limitless ambition, nagging impatience and incredible talent, all of which at the end proved too potent a cocktail for the youngster to handle.  

Sheela Bhatt reveals: Sushant told everyone -- his doctors, Rhea and his sisters -- that he wanted to go to South India to some quiet place. He found Mumbai too crowded.  

She discloses: 'Sushant and few colleagues allegedly tasted local intoxicants during their stay in Uttarakhand which formed into a deadly habit. It's not surprising as some sects inhabiting the mountains regularly take intoxicants. On his return to Mumbai, Sushant started getting insomnia.'  

'According to the Mumbai Police investigation, a host of psychiatrists were consulted by Sushant and all of them said that he was struggling with mental health issues. Sushant took heavy psychosomatic medicines. Two doctors told Mumbai Police that he took banned drugs too; use of which is rampant in the Mumbai film industry.'  

'On 15 November while talking to Dr Walker, his girlfriend Rhea said that Sushant was very frightened and didn't want to live any longer.' 

'On November 28, 2019 he met Dr Kersi Bomi Chavda along with Rhea in Hinduja Hospital where he had gotten admitted. Sushant told the doctor he is scared all the time. Dr Chavda wrote on Sushant's medical papers, "Evidence of Severe Anxiety plus Depression and Existential Crisis'.'

And finally, Sheela Bhatt writes: 'One of the doctors told the cops that Sushant might have taken the decision to commit suicide as a final resort as he may not have wanted his family to suffer because of his health issues.' 

'It is a real shame that this acutely sad story is messed up by media, investigative agencies and politicians,' Sheela writes, and we agree.  

You can read Sheela Bhatt's heart-rending account of Sushant and Rhea's love story, here.

The apex court had on September 4 dismissed petitions, including the one filed by ministers of six opposition-ruled states, seeking review of its August 17 order which had paved the way for holding NEET and JEE exams. 

The bench, also comprising Justices R S Reddy and M R Shah, said that all arrangements have been made by the authorities to hold the exam. Now everything is closed, even review is dismissed, the bench said, adding that only NEET exam is left now and JEE is over.

Senior advocate Arvind Datar, appearing for one of the petitioners, referred to the situation in Bihar and said, "Only two centres are made at Patna and Gaya. It should be postponed by few weeks."

 Senior advocate K T S Tulsi, who was appearing for one of the petitioners, said that people residing in containment zones are not allowed to come out of their house. "How can they give exams," Tulsi said. Advocate Shoeb Alam, who appeared for another petitioner, said that his plea is against the advisory of National Testing Agency which conducts the exam. -- PTI

"I am never wrong and my enemies prove again and again this is why my Mumbai is POK now," Kangana tweeted, soon after the demolition work began. She also posted photos of BMC staff engaged in the demolition work. (See alongside).

Trouble has mounted for Kangana as the Maharashtra government on Tuesday said the police will probe allegations that she took drugs, while alterations made at her bungalow came under the civic body's scanner. Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said the Mumbai police will probe allegations by actor Adhyayan Suman that Ranaut took drugs. 

The BMC Tuesday filed a `caveat' in a local court, saying it should be heard first if Ranaut challenges a stop- work notice issued to her.

Ranaut had recently said that she feared Mumbai Police more than the "movie mafia", and would prefer security either from Himachal Pradesh or the Centre. 

Union minister Ramdas Athawale, an ally of the BJP, said workers of his party RPI (A) will provide protection to Ranaut when she returns to Mumbai. "RPI (A) workers have geared up to protect Ranaut who is scheduled to reach Mumbai on Wednesday. Our party workers will offer protection to her at the airport as well as at her residence," Athawale said. -- PTI

Kangana tweeted, "As I am all set for Mumbai Darshan on my way to the airport, Maha government and their goons are at my property all set to illegally break it down, go on! I promised to give blood for Maharashtra pride this is nothing take everything but my spirit will only rise higher and higher."

Drama in progress. Watch this space.

Image: The BMC notice to Kangana Ranaut

The last date for filing nomination is September 11 till 12 pm.

Siva has been elected four times to Rajya Sabha. He was also elected to Lok Sabha in 1996 from Pudukkottai in Tamil Nadu.A senior opposition leader, who did not want to be named, told ANI that Siva's name was being discussed.

"Consultation is going on for election to the post of Deputy Chairman and we are discussing the name of T Siva. He will come to Delhi on September 10. We will then take a final call whether we should contest the election or not," he said.

Sources said opposition parties are weighing whether they should contest the poll and the decision will taken after deliberating various factors including their prospects.

The ruling NDA has not announced its candidate till now but JD-U member Harivansh is likely to be fielded again as the NDA nominee.The post fell vacant after his term ended.NDA is likely to announce the candidate's name for Deputy Chairman on September 10. 

The BJP has already started consultations to seek support for the NDA candidate. Sources said efforts are also being made for consensus so that there is a unanimous election to the post -- PTI

A colleague saw Tek Bahdur hanging from the ceiling around 3:30 am and raised an alarm. He was shifted to Base Hospital in Delhi Cantonment where he was declared brought dead. On preliminary enquiry, it is found that the jawan was suffering from acute lower back pain and high blood pressure, a senior police officer said. PTI

"Dr Reddy's Redyx is available in strength of 100 mg vial," it said. Chief Executive Officer of Branded Markets (India and Emerging Markets), Dr Reddys Laboratories, M V Ramana said, "We will continue our efforts to develop products that address significant unmet needs of patients. The launch of Redyx reaffirms our commitment to bringing in critical medicine for patients suffering from COVID-19 in India." PTI

The BMC has posted a second notice outside her bungalow, informing of the action the civic body is set to take, he said. Trouble has mounted for Kangana as the Maharashtra government on Tuesday said the police will probe allegations that she took drugs, while alterations made at her bungalow came under the civic body's scanner.

Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said the Mumbai police will probe allegations by actor Adhyayan Suman that Ranaut took drugs. The BMC Tuesday filed a `caveat' in a local court, saying it should be heard first if Ranaut challenges a stop- work notice issued to her. Ranaut had recently said that she feared Mumbai Police more than the "movie mafia", and would prefer security either from Himachal Pradesh or the Centre.

Union minister Ramdas Athawale, an ally of the BJP, said workers of his party RPI (A) will provide protection to Ranaut when she returns to Mumbai. "RPI (A) workers have geared up to protect Ranaut who is scheduled to reach Mumbai on Wednesday. Our party workers will offer protection to her at the airport as well as at her residence," Athawale said. PTI

"Reliance Industries Limited and Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd announced today that Silver Lake will invest Rs 7,500 crore into RRVL, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries," the statement said. This investment values RRVL at a pre-money equity value of Rs 4.21 lakh crore. Silver Lake's investment will translate into a 1.75 per cent equity stake in RRVL on a fully diluted basis. This marks the second billion-dollar investment by Silver Lake in a Reliance Industries subsidiary after the USD 1.35 billion investment in Jio Platforms announced earlier this year. 

"Reliance Retail Limited, a subsidiary of RRVL, operates India's largest, fastest growing and most profitable retail business serving close to 640 million footfalls across its about 12,000 stores nationwide," the statement said. PTI 

Reliance Industries Limited and Reliance Retail Ventures Limited on Wednesday announced that American private equity giant Silver Lake will invest Rs 7,500 crore into RRVL, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries.

The investment by Silver Lake values RRVL at a pre-money equity value of Rs 4.21 lakh crores and with this its investment will translate into a 1.75 per cent equity stake in RRVL on a fully diluted basis. 

Notably, this is the second billion-dollar investment by Silver Lake in a Reliance Industries subsidiary after the $1.35 billion investment in Jio Platforms announced earlier this year.

Commenting on the investment by Silver Lake, Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries, said, "I am delighted to extend our relationship with Silver Lake to our transformational efforts of building an inclusive partnership with millions of small merchants while providing value to Indian consumers across the country in the Indian retail sector."

"We believe technology will be key to bringing the much-needed transformation in this sector so that various constituents of the retail ecosystem can collaborate to build inclusive growth platforms. Silver Lake will be an invaluable partner in implementing our vision for Indian Retail," he added.

As per the Union health ministry's dashboard, India on Wednesday logged 89,706 cases and 1,115 deaths due to Covid-19, taking the tally and death toll to 4,370,128 and 73,890 respectively. The active cases have climbed to 897,394 whereas nearly 3.34 million have recovered so far.

Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit from the pandemic with over 943,000 Covid-19 cases followed by Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Meanwhile, Delhi recorded its highest single-day spike of 3,609 cases in more than 78 days which pushed the tally to over 197,000. The state government has ramped up testing amid fears of a second wave of the outbreak. 

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh received a threat call on Tuesday for criticising actress Kangana Ranaut during the assembly session on Tuesday. The threat call was received at the Minister's Nagpur office, an official confirmed on Wednesday.

"A girl (Kangana Ranaut ) from another state comes here to earn a livelihood and Mumbai accepts her but she insults the Mumbai Police. This is sad. What she said is irresponsible. If you insult Maharashtra, people will not tolerate it. Maharashtra belongs to the BJP too, all parties should condemn her," the NCP minister had said.

He later asked Mumbai Police to probe 'the Queen' actress into the alleged drug nexus.

This decision from Deshmukh comes at a time when Ranaut and Udhhav Thackeray-led government have been locked in a face-off ever since the actress stated that she has no trust in the Mumbai Police after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

US President Donald Trump attacked the Democratic Vice President nominee Kamala Harris saying, "people don't like her" and it would be "an insult" to the US if she becomes the president.

"It's very simple to remember -- if Biden wins, China wins, it is as simple as that. You have a situation where we build the greatest economy in the history of the world and we were forced to close it because the China plague came in and now we have opened it (the economy)," Trump said at a rally in North Carolina. 

"People don't like her (US Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris)--nobody likes her. She can never be the first woman president of the US. It will be an insult to our country," he added.

He further said that "it was clear" why China and the "rioters" want Biden to win because "they know his policies will be the downfall of America".

Further attacking Harris, Trump said that it was interesting that Biden picked her as his running mate in the upcoming elections despite she "left the race".

"She left the race (for president) and it's interesting that they picked her because, in theory, they should win California but I don't know, we will make them play for that. You always pick someone who is going up in the polls," Trump added.

Trump further said that he views the trade deal with China "much differently" now than he did before. "We signed a great trade deal (with China) but the ink was not dry when the plague (COVID-19) came in so I view that trade deal much differently than I did before," he said.

The US presidential elections are scheduled to be held on November 3, this year.

After the court rejected Chakraborty's bail application, she spent the night in the lockup at the NCB office and will be shifted to Mumbai Byculla Jail at 10 am today.

The NCB told the court that she was an "active member" of a drugs syndicate and procured drugs for Rajput, her boyfriend.

After her arrest, Rhea Chakraborty was taken for medical tests including Covid-19 test to the civic-run Sion hospital in Central Mumbai. Before leaving for the hospital in a vehicle with NCB officials, the actor, clad in black, waved at media persons.

At the hospital, her antigen test for Covid-19 came out negative, officials said.

Kangana Ranaut's second coronavirus test report has come out to be negative, paving way for her landing in Mumbai. Mandi Chief Medical Officer Dr Devendra Sharma confirmed that her test reports have come negative. Himachal government authorities had said that they will only allow Kangana to move out of Manali if she tests negative for Covid-19.

The nearest airport in Manali is located at Bhuntar, Kullu and the only flight between Mumbai and Kullu will leave at 11:30 on Tuesday. There are no flights on Wednesday.

As a result, Kangana is now scheduled to go to Chandigarh via road from where she will catch a flight to Mumbai at 12.15 pm.

Caught in a face-off with Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, Kangana had earlier announced that she will come to Mumbai on Wednesday.

Amid the ongoing confrontation with Shiv Sena leaders, Kangana Ranaut has been given Y category security. VIPs who enjoy Y category security in India have a security detail consisting 11 personnel, including commandos.

Late-stage studies of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine candidate are on temporary hold while the company investigates whether a recipient's "potentially unexplained" illness is a side effect of the shot.

In a statement, the company said its "standard review process triggered a pause to vaccination to allow review of safety data".

AstraZeneca didn't reveal any information about the possible side effect except to call it "a potentially unexplained illness".

The health news site STAT first reported the pause in testing, saying the possible side effect occurred in the United Kingdom. An AstraZeneca spokesperson confirmed the pause in vaccinations covers studies in the US and other countries.

Late last month, AstraZeneca began recruiting 30,000 people in the US for its largest study of the vaccine. It also is testing the vaccine, developed by Oxford University, in thousands of people in Britain, and in smaller studies in Brazil and South Africa.

Deputy Chief of the Russian embassy Roman Babushkin said his government would like to see 'de-escalation and disengagement' through talks in eastern Ladakh.

"We hope that India and China will find a solution to the border issues through dialogue," he said at an online interaction with journalists.

His comments came a day after tension escalated in eastern Ladakh following a fresh confrontation between Indian and Chinese troops in the region.    

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar left for Moscow on Tuesday on a four-day visit to attend a ministerial meeting of the eight-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

He is expected to hold talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the SCO meet on Thursday amid escalating tensions between the two countries in eastern Ladakh.

"We are not participating in the resolution of disputes between the two countries. We are focusing on the creation of a positive atmosphere for it," Babushkin said, ruling out the possibility of Russia playing the role of a mediator unless it is asked to do so by both India and China.

The Russian diplomat said though the SCO Charter doesn't allow any bilateral dispute to be taken up, the bloc provides a platform to create mutual trust and finding common ground between member countries.

He also said that Jaishankar will have a bilateral meeting with his Russian counterpart on the sidelines of the SCO meet.

Asked whether Russia will consider exporting weapons to Pakistan, he said "it is based sensitivities of the Indian side", virtually ruling out such a possibility.

Jaishankar's trip to Moscow comes days after Defence Minister Singh visited the Russian capital to attend a meeting of SCO defence ministers.

On Friday, Singh held an over two-hour meeting with Chinese Defence Minister Gen Wei Fenghe on the escalating border row between the two countries in eastern Ladakh.   -- PTI