The Vishva Hindu Parishad on Tuesday described Monu Manesar as an 'innocent gau-bhakt' and alleged that the Congress government in Rajasthan got him arrested ahead of assembly polls in the state with an eye on Muslim votes.

Cow vigilante Monu Manesar, who was booked by the Rajasthan Police for the murder of two Muslim men in February and is also accused of inciting communal hatred in his home state Haryana, was arrested Tuesday, officials said.

He was handed over to the Rajasthan Police after it obtained a transit remand for him from a court in Haryana's Nuh.

The arrest was made by the Nuh police, reportedly in Gurugram's Manesar. 

In a statement, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) working president Alok Kumar said his arrest by the Rajasthan Police will cost the ruling Congress 'heavily' in the state.

The VHP will provide all possible help to Monu Manesar and 'if necessary, will also protest' against his arrest, he added.

"Innocent 'gau bhakt' Monu Manesar has been arrested by the Rajasthan Police, whereas it had considered him innocent some time ago," Kumar claimed.

"Gau bhakt Monu has been arrested for the Muslim vote bank in the elections, which will cost them (Congress) heavily," he added.

Monu Manesar, whose official name is Mohit Yadav, was accused by some of being a trigger for the July 31 episode, in which a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession was targeted by mobs in Nuh -- leading to the deaths of six people in that district and neighbouring Gurugram.   -- PTI

The wife of the deceased Vikram, has accused a woman of blackmailing him and forcing her husband into suicide.

According to the complaint filed by Neeru, the wife, a native of Hisar, on Monday her husband Vikram had gone to a hotel in Sector 38 on the call of a female friend of his to celebrate her birthday.

"At the hotel, my husband was forced to commit suicide and even record it on Instagram Live. She was constantly blackmailing Vikram and demanding money from him. She had some objectionable videos of both of them which she threatened to make upload online.

"She tortured Vikram twice and forced him to kill himself," Neeru said in her complaint, according to the police.

The couple lives with its two children in the Rajendra Park area.

Following her complaint, an FIR was registered against the female friend under section 306 (abetment to suicide) of the IPC at Sadar Police Station on Monday.

"An FIR has been registered against Anshi, a native of Himachal Pradesh, as per the complaint. We are verifying the facts and action will be taken as per the law," said inspector Subhash Chand, SHO, Sadar police station. 

India had offered services of aircraft 'Air India One' to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after his special aircraft developed a technical glitch shortly before his departure from New Delhi after the G20 Summit, said sources.

The Canadian side, however, declined the offer and chose to wait for the backup aircraft, they added.

Canadian PM Trudeau and his delegation departed from the national capital on Tuesday afternoon after being stranded here for two days.

Trudeau, who arrived in India for the G20 Summit on Friday, had to extend his stay in the national capital after a technical snag on his Airbus plane on Sunday night.

This prompted the Canadian side to call for an alternate aircraft to take PM Trudeau and his delegate back to their country.

The alternate aircraft which was expected to arrive in New Delhi on Monday night also had an unscheduled diversion to London, further delaying the Canadian Prime Minister's departure from India.

According to sources, the Indian side had offered services of aircraft 'Air India One' to Canadian PM Trudeau and his delegation to fly back, after coming to know about the delay in the departure of the Canadian PM and accompanying delegation due to the glitch in their special aircraft.

However, the Canadian side declined the offer and instead chose to wait for the backup aircraft, sources said.

Earlier in the day, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State (MoS) for Electronics and Information Technology thanked Trudeau for his presence at the G20 Summit on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Canada-based CBC News reported that Trudeau continued to work from his hotel in New Delhi.   -- ANI

Rajendra Singh Bhati, State President of the Rajasthan Petroleum Dealers Association, said the protest will be held against high VAT on fuel in the state.

The petrol pumps across the state will remain closed from 10 am to 6 pm on Wednesday and Thursday, he added.

Bhati warned of an indefinite strike from 15 September if the state government fails to act on the issue.

"High VAT has not only affected pump operators but also the public. We have been repeatedly demanding from the state government to reduce VAT but the issue has not been addressed," he said.

Apple will be livestreaming the event on their official YouTube handle and the grand event is scheduled to begin at 1 pm ET, ie, around 10.30 pm IST. 

According to The Verge, an American technology news website, one of the biggest changes coming to this year's iPhone lineup is the addition of USB-C. 

For the first time, the iPhone 15 is expected to come with the widely used port instead of Apple's proprietary Lightning connector. 

This doesn't come as a surprise, as Apple confirmed last year that it would make the change to USB-C to comply with the European Union's incoming regulations. 

Although reports indicate that all phones in the iPhone 15 lineup will get the USB-C port, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuosays only the Pro and Pro Max will benefit from higher data transfer rates. 

Both premium models will come with "at least' USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3, while the base iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will support USB 2.0, according to Kuo, reported Variety. 

Apple may perhaps release a special Green hue variant of the iPhone 15 as well. 

While it is predicted that the iPhone 15 variants will go on sale on September 22, Apple will only formally confirm the exact release date during today's event. 

Reportedly, the iPhone 15 could launch at around $799, which is roughly similar to Rs 66,000, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max could launch at $1,299, which roughly translates to Rs 1,06,500.

The position of chairperson had become vacant after the sudden death of actor-filmmaker Satish Kaushik in March this year.

A theatre and cinema veteran of nearly four decades, Vashisht has worked in award-winning films such as Drohkaal (1994), Dil Se.. (1998), Ghulam (1998) and Taal (1999) as well as popular television shows Swabhimaan (1994), Hip Hip Hurray (1998) and Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki (2005).

The Allahabad high court on Tuesday fixed September 18 for further hearing on a petition challenging the maintainability of a suit seeking 'restoration' of a temple where the Gyanvapi mosque stands in Varanasi, after neither the petitioner nor the defendant appeared in the case.

The court of Chief Justice Pritinker Diwakar had allowed a virtual hearing in the case due to lawyers' strike.

The petition was filed by Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, the committee which manages the Gyanvapi mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple. 

The chief justice is hearing the suit which was earlier heard in the court of Justice Prakash Padia.

During the last hearing in the matter on August 28, the chief justice had accepted the mosque committee's plea seeking time to study the case afresh and adjourned the matter till September 12.

The court will also hear a petition challenging a Varanasi court direction in 2021 to conduct a survey of the Gyanvapi mosque by a commission headed by an advocate.   -- PTI

Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi handed them citizenship certificates at the district collector's office, said a state government release.

The refugees, who had migrated to India years ago, thanked Sanghavi and the district authorities for the speedy processing of their applications for citizenship, it said.

Sanghavi congratulated them for becoming Indian citizens and urged them to commit themselves "to build a new India," it added. Both the state and the central government were committed to help refugees in all possible ways and bring them into the mainstream of society, the minister added.

So far, 1,149 Pakistani Hindus have been awarded Indian citizenship by the Ahmedabad district collectorate, Sanghvi said.

Gazette notifications of 2016 and 2018 empower the district collectors of Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Kutch in Gujarat to grant Indian citizenship to the people of minority communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, said the release. 

Nine more people have died as heavy rains lashed Uttar Pradesh for the third day, taking the death toll to 28, while a red alert has been sounded on Tuesday in six districts including the worst-hit Barabanki and Gonda.

A senior official said that in the past 48 hours, more than 100 mm of rainfall was recorded in seven districts of the state and 10 other districts recorded 50 mm of rain.

Certain parts of Bahraich and Barabanki have received over 250 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours.

"Nine deaths were reported in the last 24 hours (from 6 pm on Monday till 6 pm on Tuesday). It included five due to lightning, two from excessive rainfall and one each due to drowning," the Relief Commissioner's office said in Lucknow.

These deaths included three in Mirzapur, two each in Prayagraj and Sitapur and one each in Sultanpur and Budaun, it said.

On Monday, 19 deaths were reported in rain-related incidents.

Four were from Hardoi, three from Barabanki, two each from Pratapgarh and Kannauj, and one each from Amethi, Deoria, Jalaun, Kanpur, Unnao, Sambhal, Rampur and Muzaffarnagar districts.

A red alert has been sounded in six districts -- Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich, Shrawasti, Sitapur, Barabanki and Gonda, while there is an orange alert in four districts -- Hardoi, Basti, Lucknow and Siddharthnagar -- for the day, the senior official of the Relief Commissioner's office said.

Heavy rains forced the closure of schools on Monday in some districts.

In Gonda and Barabanki, schools remained shut on Tuesday too but reopened in Lucknow with the skies clearing up.   -- PTI

Marilyn bought the palatial pad in the city's Brentwood area in 1962 after her divorce from Arthur Miller but was found dead in the property just months later, following an apparent drug overdose at the age of 36.        

The property was to be demolished by its current owner, who bought the 2,900-square-foot hacienda for USD 8.35 million. 

The residents of the neighbourhood became aware of the planned demolition after the owner filed for permits, according to CNN.

After a backlash from the residents, the Los Angeles officials intervened to block the demolition.

Unfortunately, the department of building and safety issued a demolition permit before my team and I could fully intervene and get this issue resolved, LA city councilwoman Traci Park said in a news conference last week.

Park said she received hundreds of calls urging her to save the Spanish colonial-style house.

On Friday, the city council unanimously approved Park's emergency motion to begin the process to designate the house a historic building.        Demolition is on hold until the city's Office of Historic Resources conducts a study and analysis of the home, according to Park.

The 2,624-square-foot home sits on an estate which boasts a swimming pool and citrus grove. It has four bedrooms and three bathrooms.

The high court said that declaring such an act as an offence would amount to intrusion of a person's privacy and interference with his personal choice.

The ruling by Justice P V Kunhikrishnan came while quashing a case of obscenity under Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code against a 33-year-old man who was back in 2016 caught by the police while watching porn videos on his mobile phone on the roadside near the Aluva palace in Kochi.

The order and ruling came on the accused person's plea to quash the FIR and the court proceedings against him in connection with that.

The court said pornography was in practice for centuries and the new digital age has made it more accessible, even to children.

"The question to be decided in this case is whether a person watching a porn video in his private time without exhibiting it to others amounts to an offence? A court of law cannot declare that the same amounts to an offence for the simple reason that it is his private choice and interference with the same amounts to an intrusion of his privacy," it said.

The court also noted that there was no allegation that the petitioner (accused) publicly exhibited the video.

"I am of the considered opinion that watching an obscene photo by a person in his privacy by itself is not an offence under Section 292 (obscenity) of IPC. Similarly, watching an obscene video by a person from a mobile phone in his privacy is also not an offence under Section 292 IPC.

"If the accused is trying to circulate or distribute or publicly exhibit any obscene video or photos, then the offence under Section 292 IPC is attracted," Justice Kunhikrishnan said.

The 33-year-old actor, who was summoned by the federal agency for questioning last week, was asked to clarify her role as the director of the real estate company besides other questions related to the investigation.

"I answered all the questions I was asked. Thank you so much," was her brief reply to questions by told reporters after coming out of the ED's office in the evening.

An ED official said that Jahan during the questioning was also asked about the huge loan (over Rs 1 crore) that she allegedly took from the company.

"She was asked how she repaid the loan. She has submitted some documents to our officers and they are being probed. Our officers also asked her to specify the respective roles of Rakesh Singh and small-time actor Ruplekha Mitra who were  co-directors in the company," he told PTI.

The ED has summoned Mitra for questioning in the same case.

The probe follows the lodging of a complaint by a group of senior citizens recently accusing a real estate company of cheating them by promising flats in the New Town area on the eastern fringes of the city.

Jahan has denied allegations of being involved in any fraudulent practice and said that she had resigned from the directorship of the company in March 2017. 

The TMC Lok Sabha MP from Basirhat said she had taken a loan from the company and repaid it with interest in May 2017.

The factory output growth measured in terms of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) stood at 2.2 per cent in July 2022.

The previous high was recorded at six per cent growth in February 2023. 

Thereafter, the growth rate declined to 1.9 per cent in March 2023 before rising to 4.6 per cent in April and further to 5.3 per cent in May. The IIP growth again decelerated to 3.8 per cent in June this year.

During April-July 2023-24, the IIP growth works out to be 4.8 per cent, down from 10 per cent in the corresponding period a year ago.

"The growth rates over the corresponding period of the previous year are to be interpreted considering the unusual circumstances on account of the Covid-19 pandemic since March 2020," an official statement said.

Additional Director General of Police, Jammu Zone, Mukesh Singh said an encounter broke out between terrorists and security forces in Narla village. 

"One terrorist was killed and three security personnel two Army jawans and one special police officer were injured in the gunfight," he said. 

The security forces launched a search and cordon operation in the forested Patrada area on Monday evening and fired a few rounds after noticing the suspicious movement of two persons, the officials said. 

However, they said, both the suspects managed to escape from the scene taking advantage of the darkness and thick foliage. They left behind a rucksack along with some clothes and other articles that were recovered by the search parties. 

The cordon and search operation was extended to nearby areas, including Bambel and Narla, to track down the terrorists, the officials said, adding that search operation in the area was underway.

Sarkar, the MoS for Education and MP of Bankura, was chairing a meeting around 1 pm when a group of BJP workers shouting slogans marched into the party's district office and locked him up.         

One of the protesters, Mohit Sharma, alleged that Sarkar was not giving importance to dedicated party workers and making people close to him members of the district committee.

"Some of us have been show-caused. We are protesting to save the party. This time, the BJP did not get any seat in Bankura municipality because of his incompetence. BJP won two wards in the previous election. They could not field candidates in many seats in panchayat. It is a shame," he alleged.

Amid the chaos, another group of BJP workers reached the spot, and a scuffle broke out between the two sides.

A large police contingent went to the party office and rescued Sarkar, a police officer said.

Terming the incident unfortunate, BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said that action will be taken against the party workers involved in the incident.

"Such incidents are unacceptable in a disciplined party like the BJP. If there are any grievances, there is a proper forum to raise those. We will look into the incident, and action will be taken against those involved," he said.

Bhattacharya said that Sarkar has no role in the district organisation, and the allegations against him stem from "misunderstandings".

Sarkar, however, could not be reached for comment.

Sharing a video clip of the incident on X, the ruling TMC claimed that with each passing day, the state BJP is crumbling as infighting is reaching its peak.

"In Bankura, vehement clashes erupted, & BJP workers locked Union Minister Subhas Sarkar in the party office. While unity within the party is a myth, BJP is a shining example of a weak foundation and misplaced priorities," it added.

The former chief minister was arrested for his alleged role in a multi-crore Skill Development Corporation scam and is currently lodged at Rajamahendravaram Central Prison after a local court in Vijayawada remanded Naidu in judicial custody for 14 days on Sunday. 

On Monday, a team of lawyers headed by senior counsel Siddharth Luthra representing Naidu had filed a petition to grant house custody to the former CM, citing threat perception. 

Naidu has been a Z-plus category security protectee for several years already, with a team of NSG commandos guarding him always. 

However, house arrest was not granted. The reason cited by the court for not giving house arrest is security, Naidu's lawyer Jayakar Matta told PTI. 

According to Matta, the court felt that Z-plus security will not be provided under house arrest, so, it is safer for Naidu to stay in jail than at home under house custody. 

Further, the court said it could have given house custody if it was possible to successfully provide Z-plus security to Naidu. 

The court said jail is better for security reasons. Matta said that Naidu's legal team will move the high court for house custody as soon as it receives the order copy from the ACB court which rejected the petition. 

 A video of Shekhawat making the purported remarks went viral on social media. He was speaking at a public rally in Barmer district of poll-bound Rajasthan last week during BJP's Parivartan Yatra. Reacting to the recent comments made by Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin against the Sanatan Dharma, Shekhawat said, "We have to stand up to the challenge. We will pull out the tongue of anyone who speaks against Sanatan. We will also gouge out those eyes raised against Sanatan. We challenge that no person who speaks against Sanatan will be able to maintain political position and power in this country. They try to attack our culture and history," he said. 

 On September 2, Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, had alleged that the Sanatan Dharma is against equality and social justice, and that it should be eradicated. 

He also likened Sanatan Dharma to coronavirus, malaria, and dengue fever. In the rally, Shekhawat also said the opposition INDIA alliance is a grouping of those who have been involved in various scams like fodder scam and others. 

He said opposition parties' objective is to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. (Congress president) Mallikarjun "Kharge says that if Modi wins, Sanatan will become powerful, hence there is a need to defeat him. Two days ago, the DMK Chief Minister's son made remarks against Sanatan. He (Udhayanidhi Stalin), while comparing it to coronavirus, says that Sanatan culture should be eliminated from the country," the Jodhpur MP said. 

 Shekhawat said that many invaders tried to weaken Indian culture for 2,000 years.

Police personnel, equipped with modern weapons, took Manesar to the court in Nuh in a convoy of about half a dozen vehicles.

The Bajrang Dal activist is a key accused in the murder of two Muslim men from Rajasthan, whose bodies were found in a car in Haryana in February. 

 AIUDF legislator Aminul Islam had introduced, 'The Assam Mob Lynching Prevention Bill, 2023' on the second day of the autumn session of the House. Islam, citing various instances of mob lynching in the state in recent years, said there is always a hue and cry after every such occurrence for a law against it. 

 The opposition MLA said the proposed law will have provision of imprisonment for all persons involved in any incident of mob lynching, among other steps to prevent it. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika, responding to the proposed bill, admitted that it deals with an important issue, with mob lynching being such an issue that no civilised person can accept. 

 He maintained that the government has been acting strongly against any person involved with any instance of mob lynching under relevant laws. "We already have different sections of IPC and CrPC to deal with mob lynching. Hence, we feel there is no need for a separate bill to deal with it," Hazarika added. Deputy speaker Numol Momin, who was in the chair, put the proposal to vote and it was rejected in a voice vote. PTI

 The average worth of assets per MP from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha is Rs 38.33 crores and 53 (seven per cent) are billionaires, the ADR said. 

 The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW) have analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 763 sitting MPs out of 776 seats of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. This data has been extracted from affidavits filed by the MPs prior to contesting their last elections and any subsequent by-elections.

 Four seats of Lok Sabha and one seat of Rajya Sabha are vacant and four Rajya Sabha seats of Jammu and Kashmir are undefined. 

 The affidavits of one Lok Sabha MP and three Rajya Sabha MPs could not be analysed as these documents were not available. 

 Out of the 763 sitting MPs analysed, 306 (40 per cent) sitting MPs have declared criminal cases against them and 194 (25 per cent) sitting MPs have declared serious criminal cases including cases related to murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, crimes against women, etc, it said. 

 Among the members of both Houses, 23 (79 per cent) out of 29 MPs from Kerala, 41 (73 per cent) out of 56 MPs from Bihar, 37 (57 per cent) out of 65 MPs from Maharashtra, 13(54 per cent) out of 24 MPs from Telangana and 5 (50 per cent) out of 10 MPs from Delhi have declared criminal cases against themselves in their self-sworn affidavits, the ADR said. 

 About 28 (50 per cent) out of 56 MPs from Bihar, nine (38 per cent) out of 24 MPs from Telangana, 10 (34 per cent) out of 29 MPs from Kerala, 22(34 per cent) out of 65 MPs from Maharashtra and 37 (34 per cent) out of 108 MPs from Uttar Pradesh have declared serious criminal cases in their self-sworn affidavits. -- PTI

 Priyanka Gandhi, who is visiting rain and flood-affected areas of Himachal Pradesh, said there has been a massive loss. The Congress leader told ANI that the farmers in the state were suffering due to decisions of industrialists concerning procurement and the central government's move on tariff reduction on apples coming from US will affect them adversely. 

 "...This will make the import (of American apples) easy and they will be sold easily. Prices of procurement of apples in Shimla have been brought down by big industrialists. When the apple growers are suffering here, who should be helped? They, or the farmers in the US?' she asked. The Congress leader said local farmers should be helped and they should get proper price for their produce. She was answering a query about Centre's decision of 20 per cent reduction in customs duty on apples imported from the US. 

 In June, the US and India agreed to terminate six outstanding disputes at the World Trade Organization. Also, India agreed to reduce tariffs on certain US products, including chickpeas, lentils, almonds, walnuts, apples, boric acid, and diagnostic reagents, a United States Trade Representative statement said on Friday. 

 An additional 20 per cent duty was imposed on US apples in 2019 in response to US' measure to increase tariffs on certain steel and aluminium products. There is no reduction on Most Favoured Nation (MFN) duty on apples which is still applicable on all imported apples including on the US at 50 per cent. 

 Political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, including former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, have also slammed the Centre's move to reduce tariff on apples imported from the United States.

Visiting G20 Heads of State, leaders and their spouses were presented with handcrafted artefacts signifying India's rich culture by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Brazil: The Government of India presented a Kashmiri Pashmina Stole in a Papier Mache box to the spouse of Brazil President Lula da Silva, Rosngela da Silva. 

Indonesia: Modi gifted an Assam stole in a Kadam Wood Box to Iriana Joko Widodo, the spouse of Indonesian President Joko Widodo. The stole has been crafted by skilled artisans using Muga silk and are known for their intricate designs and motifs. The stole was presented in a Kadam wood box. Kadam (Burflower tree) wood is considered auspicious in Indian culture and features in Indian religions and mythologies. This box has been handcrafted by the artisans of Karnataka. 

Japan: A Kanjivaram Stole to Yuko Kishida, the spouse of Japanese PM Fumio Kishida. The stole is handcrafted from pure mulberry silk threads, by skilled weavers. This stole was presented in a Kadam wood Jali box. 

UK: An elegant Banarasi stole for Akshata Murty, the spouse of UK's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.  

Mauritius: An Ikkat stole for PM Pravind Jugnauth, Kobita Ramdanee. It was presented in a Teak wood box. 

Argentina: A Banarasi Silk Stole in an Ebony Jali Box to the spouse of Argentina's President Alberto Fernndez, Marcela Luchetti. 

The other gifts included a Khadi scarf, Sheeshamwood Sandook with Brass Patti, Araku Coffee, Kashmir Saffron and many more.

 

 Congress whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore questioned why the 'Lotus' was being added and not a tiger or a peacock, the national animal and the national bird respectively. "Why lotus only? Why can't a peacock or why can't a tiger? Oh, they're not BJP party election symbol. Why this fall sir Om Birla," Tagore said on X, using the hashtag "#NewDressforParliamentStaff". 

 A media report suggested the Parliament staff will have a new dress code with the Lotus printed on it. 

 "Why is the government not ready to put Tiger in the Parliament staff's dress, because Tiger is the national animal. Why are they not ready to put the Peacock, which is the national bird, in the dress? But they chose to put the Lotus in the dress code of the Parliamentary staff, because the BJP's symbol is the Lotus," Tagore said in a statement. "How cheap they are. They did it in G20 also. Now also they are doing it and saying it is the national flower. 

 "This kind of pettiness is not right. Hope the BJP grows up and not make the Parliament a one-sided partisan thing," he alleged. Tagore said the Parliament is becoming a part of a party's symbol. "It is unfortunate. The Parliament was above all parties. It shows that the BJP is interfering in every other institution," he said. PTI

 He had also seen off US President Joe Biden on Sunday and taken a fanboy picture before Airforce One, saying, "One more item on my bucket list ticked The @usairforce #AirForceOne as i wait to see off  @POTUS #Fanboy #Aviator."

 The meeting lasted for about 90 minutes, but its details were not yet known. Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil and Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut were also part of the meeting, an NCP functionary said. 

 Pawar's party is a constituent of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) along with the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress. PTI

 Trudeau and his delegation, who were to leave Delhi after the G20 summit on Sunday, are stranded in Delhi due to a technical issue with the aircraft. "The technical issue with the plane has been resolved. The plane has been cleared to fly. The Canadian delegation is expected to depart this afternoon," the statement said.

A bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela Trivedi adjourned the hearing saying the matter requires a detailed hearing and asked senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Khalid, to file documents in the case. 

 The bench told Sibal, "List the case after four weeks... In this matter, we will have to go document-by-document. You have to show us what evidence is available and how it does not match with the charges against you."

 Sibal said certain provisions of the UAPA, including provisions concerning terrorism, raising funds for terrorist act and conspiracy did not apply in the case. 

 Khalid had approached the top court challenging an October 2022 Delhi High Court verdict that had denied bail to him. Khalid, arrested by Delhi Police in September 2020, in the High Court had sought bail on grounds that he neither had any "criminal role" in the violence in the city's North-East area nor any "conspiratorial connect" with any other accused in the case. The Delhi police had opposed the bail plea of Khalid.

"It is essential to clarify that there is no such proposal currently under active consideration by the government. 

"In line with our commitments to achieve Carbon Net Zero by 2070 and to reduce air pollution levels caused by hazardous fuels like diesel, as well as the rapid growth in automobile sales, it is imperative to actively embrace cleaner and greener alternative fuels. These fuels should be import substitutes, cost-effective, indigenous, and pollution-free."

Reports this morning said that the minister will seek a "pollution tax" in the form of additional GST of 10 per cent on diesel vehicles and gensets in order to cut down on air pollution.

 As the brand ambassador for Etihad, Katrina will be featured in a series of creative and engaging campaign videos, the airline said in a statement. 

 Her partnership with the airline bolsters its foothold in the Indian market further solidifying Etihad and aligns with the airline's strategy for sustained growth in India, it said. The United Aran Emirates' national airline currently flies from eight Indian cities.

 "I am excited to be part of a team that aims to create thoughtful connections. I look forward to representing Etihad and being a part of their journey," Kaif said.

Manesar is a key accused in the murder of two Muslim men from Rajasthan, whose bodies were found in a car in Haryana in February. 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been tranded along with his country's delegation after the plane they arrived on broke down.

Trudeau was expected to fly out on Sunday evening. 

A backup plane and spare parts were en route to India, but now that the plane has been repaired Team Trudeau are expected to fly out today. 

On this trip, even before the plane breakdown, Trudeau had been publicly criticized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly allowing the "anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada," a reference to Sikh groups that advocate for an independent homeland known as Khalistan.

 A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud declined the request of the Centre to defer the reference to a larger bench as Parliament is in the process of re-enacting the provisions of the penal code. 

 The bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, directed the apex court registry to place the papers before the CJI so that appropriate decision can be taken on the administrative side for constitution of a bench of "strength of at least five judges". 

 The apex court had on May 1 deferred the hearing on these pleas after the Centre had said it was at an advanced stage of consultation on re-examining the penal provision. 

 On August 11, in a landmark move to overhaul colonial-era criminal laws, the Centre had introduced in the Lok Sabha three bills to replace the IPC, CrPC and the Indian Evidence Act, proposing among other things the repeal of sedition law and introducing a new provision with a wider definition of the offence. 

 On May 11 last year, the top court had put on hold the penal law on sedition till an "appropriate" government forum re-examined it and directed the Centre and states to not register any fresh FIR invoking the provision. Besides the lodging of FIRs, ongoing probes, pending trials and all proceedings under the sedition law across the country will also be in abeyance, the top court had said. 

 The law on sedition, which provides for a maximum jail term of life under section 124A of the IPC for creating "disaffection towards the government", was brought into the penal code in 1890, a full 57 years before Independence and almost 30 years after the IPC came into being. PTI

The Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh hold great importance as they provide insights into the state's political landscape and could serve as a bellwether for national politics.

She will attend business summits to attract investments to the state.

 However, her flight was delayed by at least three hours due to technical glitches, sources in the chief minister's office told PTI. 

 A senior official of the airport said that the flight, which was supposed to take Banerjee and her team to the United Arab Emirates, arrived late from Dubai. Banerjee is scheduled to spend the night in Dubai due to the unavailability of connecting flights, before flying to Spain's capital Madrid the next day. 

 Speaking to reporters at the airport, Banerjee said, "It's been five years since we went abroad. Spain was the theme country of this year's International Kolkata Book Fair. They are good in manufacturing and other industries. We will be participating in business conferences there." 

 "They (foreign delegates) come here again and again. But we don't go. That's why we are going now. A business conference is also scheduled in Dubai. I will keep you people informed from time to time," she said. The CM was accompanied by Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi, other senior officials and one representative each from the football clubs of Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. -- PTI

 Addressing a press conference as part of the BJP 'Parivartan Yatra' in poll-bound Rajasthan's Dausa, Singh said India has proved its mettle to the world by successfully hosting the recently concluded G20 meeting in the national capital. 

 "PoK will become a part of India on its own, it's just a matter of time," the former army chief said in response to a question on Monday. He also said the grandeur of the G20 Summit has given India a unique identity on the world stage and the country has proved its mettle to the entire world. "The G20 meeting was unprecedented. 

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has proved its mettle to the world. The G20 group includes all the powerful countries of the world. All countries have praised India openly," Singh told reporters. 

 Targeting the Congress government in Rajasthan, he said the state has poor law and order and promises made to the youth and farmers by the government remain unfulfilled. "Therefore, the BJP has had to organise Parivartan Sankalp Yatra to go among the people and listen to them," he said. PTI

The 500 Mw wind energy projects would become part of the memorandum of understanding signed between India and Sri Lanka for renewable energy development in the island nation during  President Ranil Wickremesinghe's visit in July, said a report by the island's The Sunday Times newspaper.

The report cited the memorandum floated by Kanchana Wijesekera, Sri Lanka's minister of power and energy. Last year, there was a political furore in Sri Lanka over the awarding of wind energy projects to AGEL without any tendering process. 

Indian Opposition parties, too, had raised the issue. 

The memorandum moved by the Sri Lankan power and energy ministry justified lack of tender on the grounds that AGEL was recommended.

"The proposal of Adani Green Energy Limited of India is referred to. Accordingly, the cabinet of ministers having considered this proposal and reviewed the content of the draft MoU has authorised all the parties to enter into the said MoU and to proceed with the required future action as specified methodology given in the MoU carrying out this project' It can be strongly justified to consider the said proposal of Adani Green Energy Limited of India under the category of government-to-government basis as required under the Electricity Act," said the memorandum as cited by the Sunday Times.

-- Shreya Jai//Business Standard

 They said the assailants came in a vehicle and attacked the villagers between the Ireng and Karam areas located in the bordering areas of Imphal West and Kangpopki districts. This village is located in the hills and is dominated by the tribal people. 

 Manipur has been witnessing frequent clashes between the majority Meitei community and tribal Kukis since May 3 and more than 160 people have lost their lives so far. PTI

The department sent these intimations after analysing 'significant transaction' data for the previous financial year and the first quarter of the current financial year.

The department's analysis flagged around 2.5 million cases where there were no or less advance tax payments in FY23 by those taxpayers who had significant income and made high-value purchases.

 In several cases, the advance tax payment in the first quarter (April-June) of the current financial year indicated that taxpayers paid lower taxes when compared to their high-value spends, indicating mismatch, an official privy to the development told Business Standard.

The move comes ahead of the second instalment of advance tax due on September 15. Sources said that taxpayers escaping advance tax payment have increased significantly in the past three-four years, and such a drive will help deter non-compliance by assessees. 

Advance taxes are paid in four instalments in June, September, December, and March. These payments are based on taxpayers' assessment of projected income and they provide an indication of the possible tax collection in the months ahead.

Typically 15 per cent of the tax liability is paid in June, 45 per cent by September, 75 per cent by December, and a full payment by March.

With gross tax revenue between April and July up only 2.8 per cent year-on-year and net revenue witnessing a contraction of nearly 13 per cent, the government is looking at plugging leakages in direct taxes.

The significant transaction is typically such a transaction when there is a purchase of goods worth lakhs of rupees, stated turnover of 10 crore, purchase/ sale of immovable properties, withdrawal cash from bank/post office above Rs 20 lakh, payment via credit card of Rs 10 lakh and above, and so on.

-- Shrimi Choudhary/Business Standard

 The incident took place between August 9 and 12 and the body of the 28-year-old victim is yet to be found, they said. 

 The accused, a resident of Vasai area in Palghar, was arrested on Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Vasai, Padmaja Bade said. The victim's family filed a missing person's complaint with the Naigaon police on August 14, an official from Naigaon police station said, adding they suspect the accused disposed of the body in neighbouring Vapi town of Gujarat.

 A preliminary probe revealed the accused was angry as the victim had filed a rape complaint based on which a criminal case was registered against him, Bade said.

 The woman had refused to withdraw the complaint, hence the man allegedly kill her, the official said. 

 The Naigaon police registered an FIR against the accused on Monday under Indian Penal Code Sections 302 (murder) and 201(causing disappearance of evidence of offence) following a complaint by the victim's sister, she said. 

 The accused is also facing a case of abetment of suicide lodged against him at another police station in Mira Bhayander-Vasai Virar police limits, the official said without elaborating. PTI

A largely firm trend in global markets and fresh foreign fund inflows also added to the positive trend in equities in initial deals. 

 The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 412.02 points to 67,539.10 in early trade. The Nifty climbed 114 points to 20,110.35 -- its all-time high mark. Among the Sensex firms, Larsen & Toubro, ICICI Bank, Sun Pharma, JSW Steel, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Axis Bank and Bharti Airtel were the major gainers. NTPC, Maruti, Hindustan Unilever and Tata Motors were among the laggards. In Asian markets, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong were trading in the green while Seoul quoted lower. 

 The US markets ended in positive territory on Monday. 

 "Optimism regarding India's growth prospects in a low-growth world and a fast decelerating China has triggered this rally enabling the Nifty to cross the psychological 20,000 mark. FIIs, too, have joined the party with a buy figure of Rs 1,473 crore," V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services, said.

An anti-dumping duty of USD 613 per tonne has been imposed on flat-base steel wheels from China, according to a notification on Monday. Such duty on steel wheels was imposed in 2018 and now the ministry has recommended a continued imposition for another five years.

"The Indian industry does not gain any undue advantage on the extension of existing duties," it said.

"The evidence of export price indicates that the Chinese exporters are exporting the goods to third countries at significant dumped and injurious prices," the notification said, explaining the rationale behind the move.

The notification added there is healthy competition in the Indian market and continuation of the duties would not deprive the domestic industry of any requirements.

Simply put, anti-dumping duties are taxes imposed on imported goods in order to compensate for the difference between their export price and their normal value, if dumping causes injury to producers of competing products in the importing country

 Banerjee flew for Dubai from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose international airport at 9.40 am. She will spend the night at the West Asian city due to the unavailability of connecting flights, before flying to Spain's capital Madrid the next day. 

"We will stay in Madrid for three days, during which we will attend a business summit and meet non-resident Bengalis. From there, we will take a train to Barcelona, where we will participate in a two-day meeting for the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS)," she told reporters at state secretariat Nabanna on Tuesday. 

 She said this will be her first foreign tour in five years as the Centre "had not given her necessary permission earlier". Banerjee will be accompanied by Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi and senior office-bearers of renowned Kolkata football clubs Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting. She said former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly, who is currently in London, will join her team in Madrid. 

"Spain was the theme country of this year's International Kolkata Book Fair, and it also participated in our film festivals. They are good in (apparel) manufacturing. We hope they will participate in this year's BGBS," she said. 

At least 12 people, including a police officer and two other personnel, were injured in a clash between workers of the ruling BJP and opposition Tipra Motha in Tripura's Sepahijala district, police said.

 

The incident took place in tribal-dominated Jampuijala area when BJP workers took out a massive victory rally on Monday after its win in the recently held bypolls.

"A clash erupted after a group of Tipra Motha activists allegedly prevented some BJP workers from attending the rally," Assistant Inspector General (Law and Order) Jyotishman Das Chowdhury told PTI.

"At least 12 people, including workers from both the parties, were injured in the clash. They were taken to a nearby health facility," he said.

When a police team tried to intervene, Takarjala police station officer-in-charge Rathin Debbarma and two other personnel were pelted with stones, leading to injuries, following which the law enforcers used lathi-charge to disperse the clashing groups, he said.

The venue of the rally was later shifted to Tarkajala, where BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharjee, while addressing party workers, said, "Cadres of the saffron party were on the streets to prevent the opposition's attempts to disrupt peace." 

The Kerala Health Department sounded a health alert in Kozhikode district on Monday following two "unnatural" deaths suspected to be due to the Nipah virus infection.  

   

State Health Minister Veena George held a high-level meeting and reviewed the situation, the health department said in a statement on Monday night.  

It said two "unnatural" deaths following fever were reported from a private hospital, and it is suspected that these were due to the Nipah virus.  

Relatives of one of the deceased are also admitted to the intensive care unit, it said.

Deaths due to Nipah virus infection were reported in Kozhikode district in 2018 and 2021.  

The first Nipah virus (NiV) outbreak in south India was reported from Kozhikode on May 19, 2018.  

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic illness that is transmitted to people from animals and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly from person-to-person.  

Among infected people, it causes a range of illnesses, from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis. 

The virus can also cause severe disease in animals such as pigs, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers, WHO said. -- PTI 

As many as 685 farmers have committed suicide this year till August 31 in Maharashtra's Marathwada region, according to an official report, with the highest deaths at 186 reported from Beed, the home district of state Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde.

 

The arid region in central Maharashtra consists of eight districts -- Aurangabad, Jalna, Beed, Parbhani, Nanded, Osmanabad, Hingoli and Latur.

As per a report of the Divisional Commissioner's office here, 685 cultivators have ended their lives between January 1 and August 31, 2023, in the region and 294 of these deaths took place in three monsoon months alone (June to August).

Marathwada is currently facing 20.7 per cent rainfall deficit. The region has so far received 455.4 mm of rainfall (till September 11) as against 574.4 mm of average monsoon showers (during period under review), an official said.

The highest number of farmer suicides in the region at 186 was reported from Beed district, said the report.

Beed is the home district of rebel NCP leader Munde, who joined the Eknath Shinde-led government on July 2 as a cabinet minister and was given the agriculture portfolio around two weeks later.

Beed district is followed by Osmanabad (113 farmer suicides), Nanded (110), Aurangabad (95), Parbhani (58), Latur (51), Jalna (50) and Hingoli (22), said the report. -- PTI 

The entire process is being carried out in consonance of the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, it said. 

The civic body's response came a day after the G20 Leaders' Summit concluded in the national capital. 

"The dogs which were picked up for sterilisation/immunisation/observation are being released in their respective locations from where they were picked," it said in the statement. 

The civic body countered allegations that arose over the past few days over its handling of the dogs, calling the objections "against public spirit." 

"Unwarranted allegations/apprehensions just to gain brownie points and serve vested interests goes blatantly against the public spirit. The MCD is conscious of dogs' welfare and requests one and all to avoid shenanigans," it said. 

The MCD's decision to pick city's stray dogs en masse was challenged before the Delhi high court on Monday, the statement said. It said the writ petition was disposed of with directions that the MCD will conduct itself as per ABC Rules, 2023, which it said it was already bound to do. 

"It is once again assured, at the cost of repetition, that the entire exercise of lifting and releasing the dogs is being done in compliance of ABC Rules 2023. The MCD being a responsible organisation is sensitive to the cause and doing all the acts as per law," the statement said. 

Several animal activists had approached the MCD officials in connection with picking up of stray dogs and also submitted a memorandum demanding the stray dogs be sent back to their territories after the G20 summit. 

The Congress too waded into the controversy calling the act of detaining of dogs an act of cruelty, and posting a video on X which showed stray dogs being pulled by their neck with a leash. 

"Watch this video to witness the shocking cruelty inflicted upon innocent street dogs by the Modi government in preparation for the G20 summit. Dogs are being dragged by their necks, beaten with sticks and thrown into cages. They are being denied food and water, and they are being subjected to extreme stress and fear," the party wrote in its post earlier.