Chinkara case: Rajasthan Govt. requests SC for urgent hearing against Salman Khan’s acquittal

Jaipur [India]: The Rajasthan Government on Thursday requested the Supreme Court for an urgent hearing against Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s acquittal after moving the apex court on Wednesday challenging the Rajasthan High Court’s verdict in the twin Chinkara poaching cases.

The Rajasthan High Court on July 25 had acquitted Salman of all charges in the two cases related to poaching of Chinkaras in Jodhpur in 1998 while holding that the pellets recovered from the Chinkaras were not fired from Khan’s licensed gun.

The High Court’s decision were countering two trial court’s verdict convicting the Bollywood actor and handing him one and five years of imprisonment, following which the superstar had to spend 13 days in jail.

Salman was convicted by a lower court in 2006 in the two chinkara cases, but this was overturned by the High Court in its judgment Monday.



One of the animals was killed at Bhawad on the outskirts of Jodhpur on September 26, 1998, and the other at Ghoda Farms on September 28, 1998.

At that time, they were shooting for film ‘Hum Sath Sath Hain’.

Chinkara is an endangered animal accorded the highest protection under the Wildlife Protection Act

Arbaaz Khan to play double role in his next

Mumbai:Actor Arbaaz Khan will be seen playing a double role for the first time in a thriller film. The untitled film will be shot in Switzerland. “I am playing a double role in the film. But I can’t divulge more details. It’s an interesting script and the makers thought that I fit the part,” Arbaaz said in a statement.

Director Chandrakant Singh reveals that Arbaaz will play contrasting characters in the film. “One role will be that of Switzerland-based business tycoon, who gets married at the age of 40 to a much younger girl. The plot thickens after he is murdered,” Singh said without divulging further details.
The film also has Kannada superstar Aindrita Ray who will be making her debut in Bollywood through this venture.The film is produced by Mahendra Singh Namdev and Rakesh Datta.

Arbaaz Khan, who hasn’t had a successful acting career unlike his brother Salman Khan, earlier expressed that he is happy doing character roles and says he didn’t have any illusions that he will be the next romantic hero on the Bollywood block.

As an actor, Arbaaz has featured in films like “Daraar”, “Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya”, “Hello Brother”, “Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya” and “Dabangg”.



Arbaaz said, “I started my career as a negative actor. If I had illusions about myself that I am the next romantic hero, I woud have waited for that. I am pretty much sorted in my personality, which is more suited for the second lead, grey shades, and there is so much of work in that.”

Raipur: School bus driver held for attempting to rape 4-yr-old student

Raipur: A bus driver of a private school was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly attempting to rape a four-year-old student on the school premises in Durg district of Chhattisgarh, police said.

“The incident happened at an English medium school in Smriti Nagar area under Supela police station yesterday,” City Superintendent of Police (Bhilai Nagar) Virendra Sathpathy said.

The accused driver Netra Tandi (35) has been arrested based on the complaint filed by the victim’s relatives.

“As per complaint, the girl, a student of KG-2, was sexually abused by the accused on Tuesday in the store room of the school,” the officer said.



After the girl reached home, she narrated her ordeal to the parents, following which the crime came to light, he added.

Subsequently, parents along with some locals reached the school today and expressed their outrage and protested.

After being alerted, a police team rushed to the school and arrested the accused after registering an offence against him, the SP said adding that further probe was on.

Meanwhile, district authorities also reached the spot and assured the parents of appropriate action in the matter.

Delhi: Seven school children injured in mishap

New Delhi: Seven children sustained minor injuries as their school van rammed into a verge and overturned on National Highway 1 in Alipur area of outer Delhi this morning. Police said the accident occurred at the red light on the NH 1 near Khampur village when the school van carrying students of Jain Bharti Senior Secondary School at Budhpur, hit the central verge on the road around 7.30 am.

The van was coming from Lampur village after picking up 12 students of the school. All the children were sent to Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra Hospital in Narela where seven children were treated for minor injuries, said a senior police officer.

Police have seized the van and apprehended its driver Anil, 36, who belongs to Lampur village, he said.

HYDERABAD POLICE BUSTED FAKE CURRENCY RACKET

With the arrest of three persons, the Hyderabad police on Wednesday claimed to have busted a counterfeit currency racket linked to Pakistan.The police seized counterfeit Indian currency of the face value of Rs 9 lakh in denominations of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500.

A two-wheeler and three mobile phones were also seized.The arrested include Mohammed Aqeel Marfani alias Aqeel, who was smuggling the counterfeit Indian currency from Dubai through his maternal uncle Mohd.

Yaseen, a native of this Indian city but currently residing in Karachi, Pakistan.According to police, Aqeel (26), a resident of Moghalpura here, was trying to circulate the fake currency in Hyderabad through Ghiyas Mohiuddin (26) and Taufeeq Ahamed (27), also residents of the old city of Hyderabad.Deputy Commissioner of Police B.

Limba Reddy said Aqeel, who went to Dubai last year and was working as a carpenter, met his uncle Yaseen, living in Karachi.As Aqeel was in need of money, Yaseen offered him a deal to circulate counterfeit Indian currency of face value Rs 9 lakh in Hyderabad.

Aqeel demanded a share of Rs 3 lakh, to which his uncle agreed.On October 3, Aqeel brought the fake currency notes to Hyderabad concealed in a bag, which the airport authorities failed to detect.Aqeel then contacted his friend Ghiyas and through him Taufeeq for circulating the fake currency.On a tip-off, when Aqeel and Ghiyas reached Secunderabad to hand over the notes to Taufeeq, the police arrested them.The police said the possible involvement of other people and links with other places were being investigated.

2 DIVERS FOUND DEAD IN UNDERWATER CAVE IN FLORIDA

Two cave divers in Florida were found dead after they were reported missing over the weekend, according to police.Officers with the Hernando County Sheriff's Office were called to Eagle's Nest on Saturday around 6 p.m.

to help search for the missing divers, Patrick Peacock and Chris Rittenmeyer, police said.When police got there, they were met with a third diver, Justin Blakely, who had stayed closer to the surface as Peacock and Rittenmeyer explored the caves.

The two were both experienced divers who had been to Eagle's Nest several times in the past, police said.The pair had left Blakely around 2 p.m.

with plans to check in about an hour later, but they never came back, police said Blakely told them.Explorers Discover World's Deepest Known Underwater Cave in Czech RepublicEvery 30 minutes since the missed deadline, Blakely would check to see if Peacock and Rittenmeyer had returned.

By 6 p.m., he called authorities to let them know his friends were missing.

Rescue divers were unable to locate them that evening, but on Monday morning, a new group of rescue divers found them near each other in water about 260 feet deep.Peacock and Rittenmeyer were found in a very dangerous and complex area of the cave system, police said.Eagle's Nest, located near Weeki Wachee in the Chassahowitza Wildlife Refuge, is known as the Lost Sink for its extensive caves.

2 AMERICANS KILLED IN ATTACK IN KABUL, AFGHANISTAN

Two Americans have been killed and three others were injured in an attack near a coalition base near Kabul, Afghanistan, in what an Afghan official described as an insider attack."The two individuals were killed during an attack near a coalition base by an unknown assailant, who was later killed.

They were conducting duties as part of the larger NATO mission to train, advise, and assist the Afghan security services.

An investigation is being conducted to determine the exact circumstances of the event," according to a statement released by U.S.

Forces Afghanistan.

"One U.S.

service member and two U.S.

civilians also sustained wounds and are currently stable."Dawlat Waziri, a spokesman for the Afghan Defense Ministry, told ABC News that the shootings occurred during an insider attack.

According to Waziri, the attacker was wearing an Afghan National Army Uniform and was killed in an exchange of gunfire.A U.S.

official said the incident occurred at an Afghan military ammunition supply point near Camp Morehead, outside of Kabul.

According to the official, the Americans were visiting the facility as part of their train, advise and assist mission.The official said the attacker opened fire on them at the entry control point to the camp."Anytime we lose a member of our team, it is deeply painful," said Gen.

John W.

Nicholson, commander of U.S.

Forces-Afghanistan and Resolute Support.

"Our sympathies go out to the families, loved ones, and the units of those involved in this incident.

To those who continue to target coalition forces, ANDSF, and Afghan civilians, RS and USFOR-A will continue to pursue our train, advise, and assist mission to help our partners create a better Afghanistan."

SAUDI ARABIA DRAWS RECORD $67BN DEMAND FOR FIRST INTERNATIONAL BOND

DUBAI/LONDON: Saudi Arabia attracted massive investor demand of about $67 billion on Wednesday for its first international bond offer, as the Kingdom allayed concern about the impact of low oil prices on its finances.A source familiar with the offer said order books had come close to the $69 billion record for an emerging markets bond issue that was set by Argentina in April this year.Saudi Arabia expects to raise up to $17.5 billion through its bond offer, which involves five-, 10- and 30-year tranches, the source said.Argentina set the current record for an emerging market sovereign bond sale in April, selling $16.5 billion.The huge size of demand for Saudi debt was partly due to low global interest rates and funds’ frustration with a lack of high-yielding assets around the world.But Wednesday’s debt sale also marked a success for Saudi Arabia in reassuring investors that it could stabilize state finances and reduce its dependence on oil. In the days before the sale, senior Saudi officials held a series of meetings with top investors in London and the US.Riyadh ran a record budget deficit of $98 billion last year .15 percent of GDP — and is struggling to cut the gap this year.

It turned to the international markets to finance part of its deficit this year, easing pressure on its foreign reserves, which it has been drawing down to pay its bills.



The Saudi issue is expected to set a benchmark for the kingdom and pave the way for further international issues by the government in coming years, as well as bond sales by a string of big Saudi companies.Mohieddine Kronfol, chief investment officer for Middle East fixed income at major asset manager Franklin Templeton Investments, said the debut issue would invigorate Saudi financial markets.“Not only could the bond help develop the Kingdom’s debt markets by introducing a more sophisticated type of investor, but there are also positive ripple effects for Gulf Cooperation Council fixed income as well as more global investors to take a closer, and longer-term, look at the region.”The five-year tranche was expected to be priced later on Wednesday at 140 basis points over US Treasuries plus or minus 5 bps, the source said.That is cheaper than initial price thoughts of US Treasuries plus 160 bps.For the 10-year tranche, guidance tightened to 170 bps plus or minus 5 bps from a starting point of the plus 185 bp area.For the 30-year, Saudi Arabia set guidance at 215 bps plus or minus 5 bps; initial price thoughts were around 235 bps.

WORRIED PAKISTAN ASKS US TO HELP BRING INDIA TO TALKS, THE NATION NEWSPAPER SAYS

WORRIED PAKISTAN ASKS US TO HELP BRING INDIA TO TALKS, THE NATION NEWSPAPER SAYS Thu 20 Oct 2016, 15:25:51ISLAMABAD - Washington has responded to a worried Pakistan pressuring the US government to help bring India to the negotiating table, unnamed official Pakistani sources told the newspaper, The Nation.This, despite the US being " suspicious of Pakistan's+ anti-terror role", Pakistan foreign ministry sources added."Pakistan did not want the region to be pushed to war," a Pakistan foreign ministry official told The Nation."Washington has told us the whole West and India doubt Pakistan's credentials on anti-terrorism war.

They are convinced regarding our efforts for talks but believe India may be right to doubt us," an official is quoted by The Nation as saying."Pakistan had complained to the US that India was avoiding talks despite multiple offers from Pakistan", the official added.Another official told the paper that Washington had asked Pakistan to improve+ its "anti-terror image" as it tries to bring India to the dialogue table.Recent appeals by the US for dialogue between the two countries - usually communicated through near-daily US State Department briefings - were actually a result of Pakistan pressing Washington about persuading India for talks, the foreign ministry sources told The Nation."Like us they believe talks is the best way out but they still keep on asking us to do more.

We have been telling them all these weeks that we had nothing to do with Uri attack+ or any such incident," a Pakistan foreign ministry official told The Nation.In yet another stern warning to Pakistan, the US earlier this week said it is working very hard to push Islamabad to go after terrorist groups that seek safe haven on its soil and territory.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner added that Islamabad and New Delhi must adopt a "conciliatory approach" to resolve their issues.Tension between India and Pakistan has escalated following the Uri terror attack last month, and after India's retaliatory strikes in Pakistani-occupied-Kashmir.

The Uri attack killed 19 soldiers.

MUSLIM WOMEN WILL NOT TOLERATE INTERFERENCE IN SHARIA: AIMPLB

Women members of All Indian Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Wednesday said that Muslim women are safe and secure in Islamic sharia and will not tolerate any interference in it.Stating that no force on earth can change Muslim Personal Law, they said any attempt to impose Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will create conflict in the society.

Asma Zehra, one of the members of the apex body of Indian Muslims, said Sharia is oxygen for Muslim men and women and under no circumstances they will agree to any changes in it.She along with four other women members of AIMPLB were addressing a massive all-party public meeting here on Wednesday night for protection of Sharia.Hundreds of women attended the public meeting organised by AIMPLB at Darussalam, the headquarters of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).She said the boycott of Law Commission's questionnaire by AIMPLB and the huge response to signature campaign against UCC were be a clear message to the government that there can't be any compromise on Muslim Personal Law.She said the almighty 'Allah' made a law for the betterment and welfare of men and women."This law is by the creator and thus it is in tune with the human nature.

It's well balanced and has given status of respect and dignity to women.

They are protected, safe, secure and satisfied," she said while condemning attempts by what she called handful of people and a section of media to malign Sharia by using few self-styled Muslim women.She said divorce is not a problem but a solution to the problem.

"If a man and wife can't adjust, they can't be forced to live together for whole life.

Talaq (divorce) provides a way out," Asma said.She alleged that in the name of showing sympathy to women, attempts are being made to snatch the right to divorce.Another woman member of AIMPLB, Sabiha Siddiqi said the government was wasting its time and machinery in creating conflict in the society.She said Muslim women would be in the forefront in the efforts to protect Sharia.The speakers said the best response to the attempts to interfere in Muslim Personal Law is that Muslims strictly follow Sharia.

LADY HAJ PILGRIM FROM HYDERABAD DIES IN MAKKAH

A lady Haj pilgrim from the city passed away in Makkah due to illness.The pilgrim, Hurmatunnisa, of SBH Colony in Asifngar

, breathed her last in King Abdul Azia Hospital in Makkah on Tuesday.



She had gone on pilgrimage along with her husband Mohammed Ghouse on 23rd August and was scheduled to return back on October 11.

She fell ill after the Haj was over and was admitted in the hospital.

She was buried in the graveyard of Makkah this morning.Telangana State Haj Committee Special Officer Prof.

Shukoor condoled her death and prayed for peace to her soul.

He spoke to the Consul General Jeddah for making arrangements for early return of her husband to India

GHMC FIXES USER CHARGES FOR COLLECTION OF SOLID WASTE

The GHMC has fixed user charges for collection of solid waste across the city.

The charges vary from Rs 50 for domestic waste to Rs 5,000 for function halls and exhibitions, etc.Speaking to mediapersons after a day-long workshop to ensure the effective solid waste management system in the city, at the Administrative Staff College of India here on Wednesday,

GHMC Commissioner Janardhan Reddy said the Corporation had fixed Rs 50 for households and Rs 500 for commercial establishments, shops, eateries and coffee houses. He said that the Corporation would collect Rs 750 from all guest houses and restaurants (with no star rating), Rs 1,500 from 3-star hotels, Rs 3,000 from hotels above 3-star category, Rs 700 from governments offices, educational institutions and offices, Rs 400 from clinics, dispensaries and laboratories, Rs 1,000 from non hazardous industries (Rs 10 per kg solid waste) and Rs 5,000 from function halls, convention centres, exhibitions and others in an area of 3,000 sqmt and above.

 He said that the user charges to collect solid waste would be enhanced by 10 per cent every three years.The GHMC Commissioner said that the Corporation would impose heavy penalties for dumping solid waste in public places.

He also said that the Corporation would cancel the trade license and file criminal cases on violators.

TYPHOON HAIMA LEAVES AT LEAST 7 DEAD IN NORTHERN PHILIPPINES

Super Typhoon Haima weakened and blew out to sea Thursday after smashing the northern Philippines with ferocious wind and rain overnight.

Flooding, landslides and power outages were evident, but large casualties appeared to have been averted after nearly 100,000 people fled to safer ground.Haima's blinding winds and rain had rekindled fears of the catastrophe wrought by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, but there were no immediate reports of any major damage.

Several villages are cut off by fallen trees, landslides and floods, impeding communications and aid.Although storms are a part of life in the country's north, many villagers were still horrified by Haima's fury."In my age, I'm 60 years old, this is the strongest typhoon I have ever seen," village councilor Willie Cabalteja told The Associated Press in Vigan city in Ilocos Sur province.

"We haven't slept.

Trees were forced down, houses lost their roofs and fences and metal sheets were flying around all night."At least seven people were killed in the storm, officials said.

But the evacuations from high-risk communities helped prevent a larger number of casualties.Two construction workers died when a landslide buried their shanty in La Trinidad town in the mountain province of Benguet, officials said, while two villagers perished in another landslide and another was swept away in a river and remains missing in Ifugao province, near Benguet.

A 70-year-old man died apparently of a heart attack in an emergency shelter while another man died after being pinned by a fallen tree in Isabela province.

One other typhoon-related death was reported in northern Ilocos region but details were not immediately available.Haima, with sustained winds of 225 kilometers (140 miles) per hour, hit northeastern Cagayan province late Wednesday then barreled northwestward before blowing out into the South China Sea with sustained winds of 150 kilometers (93 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 185 kph (115 mph), according to forecasters.Although weakening, the typhoon was expected to blow toward China, Filipino forecasters said.After dawn, the extent of damage in Cagayan — about 500 kilometers (310 miles) north of Manila — and nearby regions became evident, with overturned vans, toppled or leaning electric posts and debris blocking roads.



Most stores, their window panes shattered and canopies shredded by the wind, were close.In northern Ilocos Sur province, ricefields resembled brown lakes under waist-high floodwaters, although cleanup operations had started."Search, rescue and retrieval operations are ongoing," Office of Civil Defense administrator Ricardo Jalad said in a statement.The region is still recovering from a typhoon last weekend that killed two people and displaced tens of thousands of villagers.President Rodrigo Duterte, on a state visit to China, urged people to heed orders by disaster agencies.

Duterte is to fly home Friday.About 20 typhoons and storms lash the Philippines each year, adding to the burdens in a country also at risk of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.In November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan struck the central Philippines with ferocious power, leaving more than 7,300 people dead and displacing more than 5 million others after leveling entire villages.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' will have a safe Diwali release: Mukesh Bhatt after meeting Rajnath Singh

New Delhi: Mukesh Bhatt, President of the Film and Television Producers Guild of India, on Thursday here met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who assured them of a "great Diwali" with a safe and secure release of Karan Johar's "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" on October 28 -- two days before the festival of lights.

Bhatt, along with singer-politician Babul Supriyo, met Singh to appeal for security amid vandalism threats from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which is against the movie's release as it features Pakistani actor Fawad Khan.






"We are entertainers. We are interested in working with artistes, and not whether they belong to Pakistan, China or Africa," Bhatt told the media after meeting Singh.
As the head honcho of the producers' guild, Bhatt had earlier met a Mumbai police representative to appeal for police protection to ensure that the city's theatres which will screen "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" remain safe.





Asked if they didn't have full faith in the Mumbai Police, he said: "I will give them 200 per cent marks to Mumbai police. But the film isn't releasing just in Mumbai. We want to safeguard ourselves, so who better than the home minister? It is his domain."
Before his meeting with Singh, Bhatt said that it is, as a citizen, that he feels it's his "right to feel safe".
"We want to celebrate Diwali. We want to get entertained with a good family entertainer film. I feel that the state is definitely going to give me support and protection against people who want to create violence for no reason," he said.
Bhatt also said "people are free to see the movie".
"India is a free country, but at least you should not stop people and then stop people violently. That is something I feel that the government of today should have zero tolerance towards, violence."
"Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" has become the first target of those who are against inclusion of Pakistani artistes in Indian films after the September 18 Uri attack which killed 19 Indian soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir. The attack was followed by surgical attacks that India conducted across LoC.
The subsequent bilateral unrest between India and Pakistan had a spill over in film industries on both sides of the border.
While the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) issued an ultimatum to Pakistani artistes to quit India, the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association passed a resolution asking producers to avoid working with talent from Pakistan.
Then, the Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association of India announced single screen theatres in Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat won't screen "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil". MNS has been open about condemning the idea of releasing of the movie.

Over 30 lakh debit cards may have been exposed to suspect ATMs

As many as 30 lakh debit cards are said to have been used in ATMs that are suspected to have exposed card and PIN details to malware at the back end, according to reports.


A timesofindia report stated that State Bank of India (SBI) has decided to reissue debit cards to six lakh customers who used their cards at suspect networks. Meanwhile, banks are also asking customers to change their ATM PIN. Further, many banks have been blocking international transactions that can be conducted without PIN, fearing security being compromised.

The timesofindia report further said that feared breach in the systems of Hitachi Payment Services, which manages ATM network processing for Yes Bank, has caused the panic. However, Yes Bank has maintained that no compromise had been detected in its ATM network. “Yes Bank has undertaken a review of its ATMs, and there is no evidence of a breach or compromise. Yes Bank continues to work with relevant stakeholders, including other public sector and private banks, and NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India), to ensure utmost safety and security of its ATM network and payment services which are completely safe to use," timesofindia quoted YES Bank as saying.





It may be noted that Yes Bank, in spite of having fewer number of ATMs, actually sees numerous third-party transactions on its machines. "The affected systems were quarantined and inspected and the cards that were exposed have been identified and each bank has taken action according to its risk management practices," a regulatory source told timesofindia.
Loney Antony, MD, Hitachi Payment Services, told the paper, “Prima facie the system does not appear to be compromised but I cannot comment until the final report is issued. I do not think it is necessary for any bank to reissue cards. Many banks have asked customers to change their PIN number, but this is a general practice to get customers to keep changing their password.”

Meet the brave old taxi driver who saved girl from goons in Mumbai

A cab driver from Mumbai saved a 25-year-old girl from sexual predaters when she was walking from a bus stop towards her home in the dead of the night.
The story was featured in the 'Humans of Bombay' Facebook page.

The driver from Mumbai said, "...I noticed a young girl, not over 25 walking from the bus stop, possibly towards her home. It was one of those dingy lanes where there aren't a lot of people. I noticed her, because she looked very anxious and when I looked behind her I saw these 2-3 drunk fellows whistling, and calling her names," he said, as he remember the spine chilling incident which unfolded that day.

The driver who was still across the street watching them got worried when they started chasing the girl which is when an idea struck him.
"....I decided to start honking continuously. The noise created enough alarm, because they were startled and immediately ran away in the other direction," he said.
Not only he managed to scare away the rowdies but also it was half the job done. He then crossed over the road to offer the girl a safe ride back home.
He said, "She was so terrified, she had gone completely pale. We drove in silence for those 2-3 minutes....her house was just around the corner, but when she stepped outside, she caught both my hands, started weeping and thanked me over and over again. Even though I said it's okay and that I would have done it for anyone, she insisted that I wait outside while she went in to get something."
She thanked him by giving a tin of rasgulla. Though the cab driver barely knew her for 10 minutes, this is one incident which he will never forget and nor will she. 

Mumbai Crime: 'Ghajini' poses as cop, rapes masseuses

Just by putting tattoo messages all over the back and giving oneself the nickname Chulbul Pandey doesn’t make one a hero, as this 42-year-old found out after landing behind bars for allegedly raping a woman on the pretext of giving her a job.

The Mulund police have arrested Gurusiddhappa Waghmare, who used to pose as an officer from the social service branch or crime branch and extort money from the owners of beauty parlours and massage parlours, threatening them with raids if they didn’t pay up.
Officers said the tattoos on his back are messages listing life threat to him from certain bar owners and police stations, including Thane (rural) police.

Luring the victim
Waghmare came in contact with the 27-year-old victim when he visited a massage parlour in Navi Mumbai in August. After availing the service, he took her contact details and got in touch with her a few days later. She then told him that she had left that parlour and was searching for a job. Waghmare assured her of one and took her to a massage parlour in Mulund. To show her gratitude, she befriended him.

After a few days, Waghmare visited that parlour for a massage from her, during which he allegedly forced himself on her and raped her. He threatened her of dire consequences if she told anyone about it. He raped her three more times after that. Fed up with the exploitation, the victim left the Mulund parlour.
Busted!
When Waghmare kept on calling her even after she quit the job, the victim made inquiries about him and found out that he was not a police officer but an extortionist. On Monday, she went to Mulund police station and lodged a complaint against him.
Read Story: Mumbai Crime: Nabbed for molestation, fake cop admits to another rape
“We arrested the accused under sections 376 (rape), 506 (2) (criminal intimidation) and 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication) of the Indian Penal Code,” said Senior Inspector Rajaram Vhanmane. Preliminary inquiry revealed that he has sexually assaulted other women as well and cases of extortion are registered against him at Mira Road, Vile Parle and Amboli police stations.

Bihar: Exorcist tries rape as a ‘cure’ for cancer, lands in jail

A man who was in the business of cheating victims of misfortune and exploiting women on the pretext of carrying out rituals of exorcism to ‘treat’ them, has landed in jail after a woman he was allegedly trying to rape, raised an alarm.

The incident took place at the ‘exorcist’ Dharmraj Gond’s ashram (house) at Dasaunti village under Mohania police station area of Kaimur district in south western Bihar last week.
Gond, 60, landed in the police net when the wife of a young man, who had come to him for being treated for ‘cancer’ through exorcism, suddenly found the exorcist getting physical with her and called out to her relatives who were outside the room.
The woman’s family members, one of them an army man, informed Kaimur superintendent of police Harpreet Kaur on phone, causing the police to rush to the spot and arrest Gond. Five human skulls, Rs 18,000 cash and fake cash memos were recovered from the house.
Initial inquiries revealed Gond had been running the business for over two decades, involving others members of his family in the charade. He had criminal history and was jailed in a road robbery case in 1993.
Narrating the sequence of events leading to the rape bid, the victim said when she brought her husband, a youth from the Kudra police station area, he told her that her husband’s cancer was in an advanced stage and could be cured after performing ‘pooja’ costing Rs 20,000.



The ‘deal’ was settled at Rs 15,000 and the couple was called at night to Gond’s house for the special ‘pooja’ that would ‘cure’ the husband. She was taken alone to a dark room around midnight where human forms meant to resemble ‘Goddess Kali’ and ‘Bhairav’ blessed her.
“I became suspicious when the voice of ‘Kali’ was the same as that of Gond’s daughter-in-law who I had met during our earlier visits. So, when I found Gond getting physical with me, I immediately raised an alarm and ran out of the room”, she told the police.
The man posing as “Bhairav’ was found to be a friend of Gond.
“Gond’s daughter-in-law and the man posing as Bhairav are absconding”, said Manoj Ram, sub divisional police officer, who led the raiding party. Investigations into the case were in progress, he added.
The arrested ‘exorcist’ told the police he had brought the ‘human skulls’ from his Guru’s place in Uttar Pradesh. Unsure whether they were really human skulls, the police have sent them to Forensic Science Lab (FSL), Patna, for identification.
The police have lodged cases under sections for cheating, criminal conspiracy and molestation.

3 policemen suspended for dancing with bar girls in Bihar

Three policemen were suspended after a video went viral on Wednesday showing them dancing with bar girls at a dance function in Bhojpur district in Bihar.
The policemen, including a station House officer (SHO) of Bhojpur district, were suspended after the video started making sounds on social media.

“We have suspended three policemen including an SHO, an ASI and a constable of Koilwar police station of Bhojpur district after a video footage went viral showing them dancing with bar girls at a function held at Koilwar, a small township in Bhojpur, the day before yesterday,” Patna Zonal IG Naiyar Husnain Khan told PTI.
The action was taken after verifying the video footage, he added.
Sources said that the dance programme was organised by a puja committee at Koilwar chowk on Vijayadashmi.
The three policemen who have been suspended with immediate effect include Koilwar police station SHO Sanjay Shankar, Assistant Sub-Inspector Devchandra Singh and a constable Bhushan, IG said.
“Bhojpur Superintendent of Police has also been asked to initiate departmental proceedings against these policemen for their improper conduct. We will not tolerate such conduct at any cost in which policemen, including SHO, were seen dancing publicly on a stage,” IG said, adding that this is not expected from a police officer.

Delhi: Man throws acid on wife for refusing to return home

A 19-year-old woman suffered 40% burns when her husband allegedly attacked her with acid outside her house in outer Delhi’s Rohini.

Police arrested Pradeep Singh (34), who works as a welder.
The incident took place on Tuesday when Amanpreet Kaur was on her way to her aunt’s house. Kaur had left her husband’s house ten days ago and was living at her mother’s place. Police said Singh threw acid on Kaur because she refused to reconcile with him and return home.
Kaur’s sister, Isha, told HT that at 8.30 pm they were going to their aunt’s house when they spotted Singh on the road. Singh allegedly forced them to accompany him to a nearby park, where his cousins Jeetu and Kapil were waiting.
“He started hitting me while my sister, Isha, tried to stop them. I was slapped several times. He had hidden the acid in a water bottle. He threw acid on my face but I managed to save my face. It fell on my hands and stomach,” Kaur told HT.
She said her sister, Isha, ran to her aunt’s house and alerted them about the incident. “When I reached there, I saw her lying in a critical condition with burns all over her body and we rushed her to a nearby hospital,” said Kaur’s aunt, Rajni.
Kaur was rushed to the nearby Ambedkar Hospital, from where they referred her to the Safdarjung Hospital burns ward. On Wednesday, she was discharged.
Police said investigation revealed Kaur had been staying with her mother for the past 10 days. On October 6, Singh had allegedly locked her in his room and thrashed her. Kaur alleged that Singh had tried to kill her by leaving left the gas on.
“My daughter somehow managed to escape and she came here to stay with me,” said Kaur’s mother, Nirmal.
The two had a court marriage in April, against the wishes of Kaur’s mother, Nirmal. They had then lived in Haryana for a few days before returning home. “After they came back, I had no choice but to accept them. I knew Singh’s intention right from the start. He is twice my daughter’s age and married her for money. He wanted to usurp my land and when I refused, he started abusing her,” she said.
Singh was arrested and sent to judicial custody, deputy commissioner of police (outer) MN Tiwari said. Police are also probing the role of Singh’s two cousins.

Philippines’ prez Duterte says ‘goodbye’ to US ties in Beijing

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said it was “time to say goodbye” to the US during a visit to China on Wednesday, as the combative leader reconfigures his country’s diplomatic alliances.

Duterte is in China for a four-day trip that is expected to confirm his tilt away from Washington and towards Beijing’s sphere of influence.
During a speech addressing the Filipino community in Beijing, the firebrand president said the Philippines had gained little from its long alliance with the US, its former colonial ruler.
“Your stay in my country was for your own benefit. So time to say goodbye, my friend,” he said, as if addressing the US.
“I will not go to America anymore. I will just be insulted there,” he added, before once again referring to US President Barack Obama as a “son of a whore”.
Duterte, who took office in late June, said he was fed up with the Philippines’ foreign policy being dictated by a Western agenda.
“What kept us from China was not our own making. I will charter a new course,” he said.
Foreign policy under Duterte has dramatically shifted from that pursued under predecessor Benigno Aquino, who took Beijing to an international tribunal over its extensive territorial claims in the South China Sea and won a resounding victory.
The move infuriated Beijing. But Duterte, who took office in June shortly before the tribunal ruling, has made a point of not flaunting the outcome.
He has also suspended joint US-Philippine patrols in the South China Sea, and has threatened an end to joint military exercises.

Retired central police officers asked to returned official vehicles, personnel

The Union home ministry has cracked the whip on security officials who have continued to use official vehicles and staff even years after their retirement.
Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi recently met the chiefs of central police organisations like the BSF, CRPF, ITBP, Intelligence Bureau, NIA and CISF and asked them to quickly take back the official vehicles and personnel retained by retired senior officials.

“During the meeting, BSF chief KK Sharma told Mehrishi that his force has a convention of providing a cook, orderly and a driver to the retired chiefs. But Mehrishi put his foot down and said such conventions cannot continue,” said a senior home ministry official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Sources said during the crackdown, it was found that a former CBI chief had retained around half a dozen paramilitary personnel. A former CRPF chief had not returned an official vehicle even after retirement. Even a former home secretary was found to be using the services of police personnel years after he retired.
“A former Intelligence Bureau chief had also not returned official vehicle years after retirement. The IB has deputed a senior official now to take back vehicles or staff retained by the retired personnel,” said a government source.
In all these cases, the official vehicles and staff that were retained by retired officials are now being withdrawn. The ministry said such incidents create a wrong impression in the mind of the public and are also against the basic decorum and discipline of government service.
Following Mehrishi’s meeting with chiefs of central police organisations, the home ministry issued an advisory to chief secretaries of all states, asking them to withdraw privileges like personnel at residence, vehicles and personal security within a month after the retirement of any police official.

Brick hurled at ‘cow protector’ Babul Supriyo, minister blames Trinamool

Union minister Babul Supriyo said he was attacked by ruling Trinamool Congress supporters with brickbats on Wednesday during a visit to Asansol, his constituency in West Bengal.

The alleged incident occurred around 4:15pm when the singer-turned-politician was on his way to a police station to lodge a complaint against ruling party activists, who had allegedly assaulted BJP supporters staging a “peaceful demonstration” in front of the residence of state labour minister Malay Ghatak.

“I was hit by a brick when I emerged from the car to speak to the ruling party supporters. I was lucky to escape with a minor injury. The glass panes of my car were shattered,” the minister told the media.
“Trinamool supporters vandalised more than 10 motorbikes of our supporters. They also smashed and badly damaged five cars. Strangely, the police arrested 60 workers and leaders of the BJP who were at the receiving end of the Trinamool ire,” said Anjan Mukherjee, a BJP leader of the district.
Police officers and Malay Ghatak declined to comment for this story.

After the incident, Supriyo went to Kolkata.
The genesis of the trouble can be traced to an incident on Tuesday afternoon, when Supriyo was proceeding towards the Asansol Rifle Club but was held up by about 40-50 cows blocking the road. The minister inquired and found out that the cows were brought from a rural cattle market at Lalganj and being taken to a nearby abattoir. The minister confronted the four people who were shepherding the cows and asked for documents.
Supriyo then asked the police to arrest the four. The police detained the cows but later released them after the men furnished documents related to the purchase.


Babul Supriyo locked in an argument with a police officer on Wednesday in Asansol. (Md Asif)

To protest what they described as “police inaction”, a group of BJP supporters started protesting outside the residence of Malay Ghatak around 2 pm on Wednesday.
“Bones of cows are being burnt in the town, which is spreading pollution here,” said Supriyo on Wednesday after the clash.
The ruling party supporters descended on the BJP workers questioning their gall to carry their protest in front of the minister’s house.
BJP secretary Siddharth Nath Singh condemned the incident. “The Union Minister is under special police protection and goons of TMC can openly attack a protected VIP shows how callous is Bengal police,” he said. “Since 2016 assembly elections, TMC rattled by BJP’s double-digit vote share has adopted violence on BJP workers. More than 200 workers have BJP has been targeted in last few months. We condemn this anarchist action of TMC.”
A large contingent of police was deployed to bring the situation under control in Asansol.

Now Airtel offers 10 GB data for just Rs. 259 to attract more consumers

If you are planning to take a new data connection, then this would be the right time as all telecom service providers such as Airtel, Vodafone and Idea are offering huge discounts on data as the industry is engulfed in a data price war.

Bharti Airtel on Wednesday said that it has started offering 9GB free 4G/3G data to customers purchasing any new 4G mobile handset in addition to the 1GB 4G/3G data benefit on a recharge of Rs. 259.

“1 GB data will be instantly credited to the customer’s account and the additional 9 GB data can be claimed by the customer through MyAirtel App. The data will be valid for 28 days. Users can avail a maximum of 3 recharges within 90 days, on the offer,” Ajai Puri, director of market operations at Bharti Airtel, said.
“This invitational offer has been designed for our data savvy customers who can now experience high speed broadband on Airtel’s 4G network with their new devices.”
The special offer, which was introduced in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh last week, has now been extended across India and is available across all brands of 4G handsets, the company said.
Airtel 4G is currently available in 18 circles across India. In non 4G circles, 3G data will be available to customers with their 4G devices.

Coca Cola drops Salman Khan as brand ambassador for Thums Up

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan is no longer the brand ambassador for the beverage giant Coca Cola India.
The company dropped Khan as brand ambassador for its soft drink ‘Thums Up’ after four years of association. The contract with Khan had expired last month and the company chose not to renew it due to actor’s association with reality show, Bigg Boss.

A joint statement released by Salman Khan and Coca Cola India on Wednesday night clarified that Khan was committed to an existing relationship with a daily TV show, which this year happens to be sponsored by a brand that competes with the Coca-Cola India product portfolio. “In light of this, both parties have mutually decided not to renew the current contract,” said the statement.
While the statement did not mention the name of the show and the competition brand, Salman Khan-anchored Bigg Boss, a reality show has signed up Parle Agro’s carbonated apple juice brand Appy Fizz as the show’s main sponsor, ending its two-year association with online retailer Snapdeal.
Parle Agro will pay Colors tv channel between Rs 35 crore and Rs 45 crore for the season, as per the media buyers.
According to the industry sources, Coca Cola India is in talks with actor Ranveer Singh to replace 50-year-old Khan. However, the company did not divulge details about the issue.
Khan has been among the top celebrity endorsers reportedly charging Rs 5 crore per year per brand. Recently, he had courted controversy when he supported Pakistani artists saying “they were not terrorists” in the wake of a debate on whether they should be allowed to work in Indian movies after the Uri attack.
Coca Cola India had roped in Salman as its brand ambassador for the second time to endorse its Thums Up brand in October 2012 replacing another Bollywood star Akshay Kumar. He had earlier endorsed the brand in early 2000s.
Earlier, Coca-Cola India had also signed an agreement with Being Human -- The Salman Khan Foundation -- to jointly promote, conceive and execute charitable and social activities.

Trump invites Obama’s half-brother to the final US presidential debate

The final presidential US presidential debate on is to be given “extra spice” after Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump invited President Barack Obama’s half-brother along to the event, US media reported.
As a Trump supporter, Malik Obama has already told the US media the tycoon “can make America great again”, Sky news reported on Wednesday (IST).

And in an interview with the New York Post, Malik Obama, who was born in Kenya and is an American citizen who splits his time between Kenya and the US, said he is “excited to be at the debate”.
He had voiced his support for Trump in July, saying he hoped to meet the Republican nominee. Trump’s feelings are mutual.
“I look very much forward to meeting and being with Malik,” Trump said. “He gets it far better than his brother.”
Malik Obama, who is three years older than his brother, himself attempted to run for office in Kenya in 2013, but lost his run for Governor of Siaya county, the Telegraph reported.
Malik Obama shares the same father with the president but has a different mother.

Apart from Malik, Trump has invited a ghost from Clinton’s past: Patricia Smith, the mother of Benghazi victim Sean Smith, who has accused the former secretary of state of “murdering” her son.
The New York Post reported that Malik Obama called now-deceased Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi one of his best friends -- a potential source of awkwardness for Smith.
He told the Post that he blames Clinton, who was secretary of state at the time Gadaffi was toppled and killed, for making the situation worse in Libya.
Hillary Clinton will be joined at the prime-time debate by two well-known billionaires who are backing her campaign, in what may be an attempt to rattle Trump, the controversial Republican nominee by subtly questioning his own net worth.
Meg Whitman, the Hewlett-Packard CEO and former Republican California gubernatorial candidate, and Mark Cuban, the outspoken billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks, will both be Clinton’s guests at Wednesday’s debate, CNN reported.
Clinton invited both Cuban and Whitman, campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri said, and the duo agreed to attend.
Current polls put Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton ahead , leaving the billionaire businessman with a tough battle to win over undecided voters.
The previous presidential debates were vitriolic affairs -- and the upcoming clash at the University of Nevada is likely to be just as tense.
Ahead of the debate, Trump has faced claims of sexual misconduct from a number of women, including a former contestant on the US version of The Apprentice, Sky news reported.
He has denied the claims, saying they are “outright lies” and his wife, Melania, has defended him in an interview where she accused the claimants of being attention seekers making “damaging and unfair” accusations.

Fears of bird flu in Delhi after H5N1 virus confirmed in dead migratory birds

The government on Wednesday put poultry farms, wholesale markets and avian hot spots under watch after the death of 10 migratory birds at the capital’s zoo sparked fears of what could be the first bird flu outbreak in Delhi.

The Delhi zoo has been closed for three days as a precautionary measure, Delhi development minister Gopal Rai said.
There was a possibility of the virus infecting humans if they consume or handle contaminated chicken, he said.
Though there are no known cases of human deaths from avian influenza in India, lakhs of poultry and other birds have been culled across several states over the years to contain the highly-contagious disease.
Worldwide, 60% of the humans infected by the H5N1 virus die, according to available data.
The World Health Organisation says the virus can cause fever, cough, sore throat, pneumonia, respiratory disease and, in severe cases, death in humans.

Experts said Delhi’s large pigeon population could potentially turn to carriers and spread the virus across the capital, a packed city-state with an estimated 1.86 crore people.

“We have decided to check entire Delhi. We have asked the department to check possible places where birds are likely to come. We have sent a team to the Okhla sanctuary and Nizamuddin, where birds are sold, Yamuna Diversity Park in Wazirpur, Najafgarh drain and Ghazipur apart from deploying a 10-member team at the zoo,” said Rai.

UNDERSTANDING H5N1 SPREAD

H5N1, or avian (bird) flu virus, infects and kills wild birds and domestic poultry
This is the first time it has been detected in migratory birds in Delhi
The last outbreak was in 2015 in Kerala

AMONG BIRDS

H5N1 does not usually infect people. Most human infection is from close contact with sick or dead infected poultry
There have been around 650 reported human infections globally since 2013, and 60% of them ended in fatalities

SYMPTOMS IN HUMANS

Fever, cough, breathing difficulty, abdominal pain, diarrhoea
Can lead to pneumonia, respiratory failure, shock, seizures, multiple organ failure and death.
The Ghazipur wholesale market is the source of poultry meant for consumption in Delhi. Officials said samples from the market have been sent to a lab in Jalandhar and a decision on shutting down poultry farms or the wholesale market will be taken after the report is received.
The animal husbandry department procured 200 personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, which will be used by personnel who enter the zoo and other infected places.
Zoo officials said the bird deaths were reported October 14 and 15 after which samples were sent to the Jalandhar lab, which detected symptoms of some virus. Re-tests at the High Security Animal Diseases Laboratory in Bhopal confirmed H5N1 virus in at least two birds.
On Monday, another one died while another carcass was found on Wednesday. These two have also been sent for tests.
“We are taking steps to prevent the spread of the virus. On Thursday, we will hold a meeting with officials of health, revenue and other departments concerned,” said Rai, who visited the zoo on Wednesday.
“If the virus spreads and its symptoms are spotted, we will put in place some restrictions,” he added.
On Friday, Delhi government officials will meet a team of officials from Maharashtra which had contained the virus after a severe outbreak this year.
The bird flu threat comes amid a record-breaking chikungunya outbreak and an equally widespread dengue flare-up that have stretched Delhi’s healthcare system.

US Presidential race: Clinton ahead of ‘whining’ Trump on eve of final debate

US Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton is going into the third and final presidential debate of the 2016 race for the White House with a widening lead as her Republican rival Donald Trump ratcheted up talk of a rigged, “stolen” election.

Clinton was leading her rival by 7.5 points in the RealClearPolitics average of national polls, up from two points on the eve of the first debate, and was ahead in some of the most crucial battleground states.

Clinton is opening up solidly Republican states such as Arizona, which voted Republican in 15 of the last 16 presidential elections. She led Trump by five points in a new poll released on Wednesday, just hours ahead of the debate. She was close behind in Texas, the reddest of states, by two to three points.
Her chances of winning at this stage stood at 87.2%, according to the FiveThirtyEight election forecast, with Trump at 12.7%.
The third debate takes place in Las Vegas (at 6.30 am IST on Thursday).

Trump takes on Hillary in the final presidential debate: All you need to know
Trump has taken to complaining in recent days about a “stolen” election, fraud and rigging , citing stray incidents that have had the reverse effect of making him look like he is preparing the ground for a defeat.
There have been only 31 incidents of election fraud (including multiple ballots) between 2000 and 2014, according to a widely cited study by law school professor Justin Levitt. The study included all polls, municipal, state and federal and even primaries. More than 1 billion votes were cast in the primaries and general elections in that time.

The unfounded alarm and Trump’s calls to supporters to monitor polling stations on election day have raised fears about voter intimidation — especially among minorities.

President Barack Obama ticked off Trump sharply on Tuesday, telling him to “stop whining”. He added, “I have never seen in my lifetime or in modern political history any presidential candidate trying to discredit the elections and the election process before votes have even taken place.”
Possibly stung by the rebuke, Trump invited the president’s Kenya-born half-brother Malik Obama as his guest at the final debate, saying “he gets it far better than his brother”. The brothers don’t get along and Malik Obama, who is older, has resented not getting enough help from the president for a foundation he runs in Kenya.

Trump has in the past used his guest list for the debates to make a point. He brought three women who had accused former President Bill Clinton of sexual assault to the second debate.

Play the US Presidential Debate Tambola
But on Wednesday night, Trump will have plenty of other issues to take on Clinton, whose campaign has been hit by new allegations over her use of a private email server as secretary of state between 2009 and 2012. The state department is alleged to have tried to negotiate a deal with FBI investigators to mitigate violations.
Also, hacked emails of her campaign chair John Podesta are being released in small bunches every day by WikiLeaks. Trump might bring them up.

Clinton is likely to continue to repeat her campaign’s key argument against Trump — one that is dutifully reprised by surrogates — that he is unfit to be president. She is likely to use reasons such as the way he treats women, talks about them and behaves with them.

The 2005 recording in which Trump boasted about groping women and forcing himself on them remains current, with his wife Melania Trump bringing it up earlier this week to describe it as “boy-talk”. That was a missed opportunity as Trump has tried to dismiss it as “locker-room talk” without any success.

US Warns Pakistan On Uri Terror Attack, Kerry Expresses Concern To Sharif

"Don't let terrorists use your territory as safe havens," Kerry apparently told Sharif. He also expressed his strong concern at the terror strike on Uri Army base to the Pakistan Prime Minister.

Sharif met John Kerry on the sidelines of the ongoing 71st UN General Assembly session. Sharif has urged the US to help resolve issues between Islamabad and New Delhi.

The Pakistan Prime Minister arrived in New York on Sunday. He is scheduled to address the session on Wednesday where he would specifically focus on the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

50 Dead In Clashes Between Congo Security Force, Protesters

The government earlier said that at least 17 had died in the violence in Kinshasa ahead of a planned opposition rally, but had warned that the death toll could rise. "The coalition (of opposition groups) deplores the number of victims, more than 50 dead at this point, victims of the firing of real bullets by the police and the republican guard," it said in a statement yesterday.

It also called on people to gather on Tuesday "to keep up without hesitation the demands made today." The rally, which the authorities cancelled, had been called to demand the resignation of President Joseph Kabila, who has ruled the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2001. Opponents fear he is planning to extend his rule unconstitutionally.

The clashes Monday were the worst violence in the capital since January 2015 when a police crackdown on another opposition protest left several dozen people dead. Interior Minister Evariste Boshab described the violence as an attempted "uprising" and said the victims included three police officers.

The main opposition parties had called for a nationwide demonstration to "give notice" to Kabila, whose mandate expires on December 20. Although Kabila is banned by the constitution from running again, he has not made any move to schedule elections, fuelling fears he will seek to extend his stay in office.

In May, the Constitutional Court said Kabila could remain in office in a caretaker capacity until an election is held, triggering a wave of angry protests. France yesterday described the unrest as "very dangerous and extremely worrying" and urged Kabila to lay out a clear timetable for a vote.

"What matters is the date of elections," French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told reporters in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. "If they're delayed endlessly, that means that Kabila intends to stay in power," he said. "That's a situation that is not acceptable."

Former colonial power Belgium called in a foreign ministry statement for "restraint" and urged all political groups to "quickly" organise elections. So far, there has been no move to schedule elections and at this stage, it appears practically impossible to organise a poll before the end of the year.

Tough Time For Nawaz Sharif At UN As Balochistan Activists All Set To Protest During His Address

The 'Coalition of American Friends of Balochistan' and Indian-American Organisations said they will hold a "peaceful protest" against Pakistan for "its state sponsored atrocities and terrorism on the people of Balochistan, Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir and minorities".

The Baloch National Movement of North America (BNM) said a joint protest of Baloch and Sindhi activists will be held outside the UN headquarters to protest the "ongoing military operations" in Sindh and Balochistan. "Baloch people have welcomed and are grateful for the support extended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at such a critical juncture when our nation is struggling to be free from the illegal military occupation of Pakistan since 1948," BNM said in a statement.

Sharif will address the General Debate tomorrow and has said he will raise the Kashmir issue at the UN. The group said that since 2003, more than 20,000 Baloch political activists have gone missing, "illegally abducted" by the Pakistani state security forces and victims of enforced disappearances are being "tortured and executed" in custody.

The group also blamed China for joining hands with Pakistan and causing displacement of people living in the tribal and coastal areas with its economic activity. "China is Pakistan's strategic partner in the
economic plundering and mass murder of Baloch civilians, particularly in the coastal belt of the Makran region of Balochistan," it said.

Strongly criticising the China-Pakistan economic corridor, the group said thousands of Baloch tribal people have been dislocated due to the development of the corridor.

India, Bangladesh And Afghanistan May Boycott SAARC Summit In Pakistan

As a token of support towards India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are also reported to boycott the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit to be held in Pakistan on November 9th and 10th.

‘Outsider' Amar Singh appointed as Samajwadi Party General Secretary

"You have been appointed general secretary of Samajwadi Party. I hope in the coming days you will strengthen the party in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections," Mulayam said in a handwritten letter to Amar.

The brief letter in Hindi signed by Mulayam on his Lok Sabha letter head was sent to media from state SP chief Shivpal Yadav's official e-mail id.

Though SP big wigs were strongly opposed to Amar Singh, often described as an ‘outsider’, Mulayam threw his weight behind him, first by making him a Rajya Sabha member some time back and now allotting him an important party post.

TERRORISM BIGGEST GLOBAL CHALLENGE: SUSHMA SWARAJ

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said that state-sponsored terrorism now posed the biggest global challenge.The international community could only ignore it at its own peril, Sushma added.“(The) BRICS has always been global in its approach and today, there is no bigger global challenge than state-sponsored and state-protected terrorism,” Swaraj said on Tuesday.

She was inaugurating a BRICS media forum.Her comment came two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted the 8th summit of the BRICS — a bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — in Goa.“While our economic engagement and political cooperation remained key factors in BRICS, there was a sharp realisation that global development and prosperity was very much dependent on continued peace and security,” the external affairs minister said referring to the discussion in the summit of the five-nation bloc.The BRICS held its summit in Goa less than a month after the Uri attack.

The terrorists, who carried out the attack on an Indian Army camp, had sneaked into India from areas under the control of Pakistan.

Altogether 19 soldiers of the Indian Army were killed in the attack, which escalated tension between India and Pakistan.

New Delhi was obviously keen to get the bloc strongly denounce terrorism.“Terrorism was universally recognised as a key threat to stability, progress and development.

Consequently, it featured strongly in the conference narrative and its eventual outcome,” Sushma said.During the summit in Goa, the prime minister repeatedly drew the attention of the other BRICS leaders — President Xi Jinping of China, President Vladimir Putin of Russia, President Michel Temer of Brazil and President Jacob Zuma of South Africa — to the fact that the epicentre of terror was in the neighbourhood of India.The “Goa Declaration”, however, avoided a direct reference to “cross-border terror”, even as it did remind all nations of their responsibilities to “prevent terrorist actions from their territories”.“There is a developing consensus that it cannot be business as usual.

We must be prepared to extract costs for those who sponsor and support terrorists, who provide them sanctuary, and who, despite their own claimed victim-hood, continue to make the false distinction between good and bad terrorists,” said Swaraj.

TEEN GIRL IMPRISONED FOR HAVING SEX OVER 70 TIMES WITH 13-YR-OLD BOY IN UK

A 19-year-old girl from Wales, UK, has been jailed after she was proven guilty of having sex with a ‘vulnerable’ minor schoolboy aged just 13, at least 70 times, with the least concern for his mental wellbeing.

 According to a report in the Daily Post, the girl, Deleah Poulton, was aged between 17 and 18 when she was engaged in the sexual act with  the young boy.The court heard that the girl, a resident of Eastville Avenue in Rhyl, put her personal gratification above the welfare of the boy.

The court was also told that there was no threat or violence involved and that the victim was compliant and was willing.Alcohol, purchased by Deleah, was also consumed by the two of them, but it was not used as an inducement.The court noted that Deleah was naïve, with no previous criminal history, lacking in social skills, and thus, ‘something of a sad individual.’The information came to light after the boy revealed to his mother last year that he was involved in a sexual relation with the girl.

The court also heard that the couple did not use any contraceptions and that they had sex at his home, her home and outside.

Deleah also admitted to five charges of sexual activity with the child, covering intercourse and sex.Texts of sexual nature were also found on Deleah’s phone.In a statement, the boy said that he experienced a range of emotions because of what happened.Deleah was given 16-months in a youth offender’s home, and has to register as a sex offender for ten years.

I AM TIRED OF THE INDUSTRY BEING A SOFT TARGET: ANURAG KASHYAP

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who was trolled for tweeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his Pakistan visit, today sought to difuse a row, saying he was not asking the PM to apologise but merely pointing out that film industry was made a scapegoat in the situation.

The 44-year-old director, in series of tweets recently, had questioned why should only Indian filmmakers be targeted for casting Pakistani actors when the PM also made a trip to Lahore last year.Kashyap said he has to unfortunately "explain my intention behind tweet" as his industry colleagues will suffer for his opinion."NO, Anurag Kashyap did not 'ask the PM to apologise' (which most of the headlines would want you to believe...), I merely questioned the fairness in judgement of a situation: the PM visited Pakistan for talks at the same time that a filmmaker was working with a Pakistani actor.

Neither was aware of future events or mood.

Yet only one pays the price," Kashyap wrote on his Facebook page.The director, who was speaking against the demand by a section to ban Karan Johar's film "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" because it has Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, said people from the industry are always the first to be bullied."I am tired of the film industry being soft targets.

We are damned if we do, damned if we don't! When we don't involve ourselves, they ask 'why is Bollywood quiet now?' When we involve ourselves, we become the scapegoats to distract you from the real news.

Either way they use us to sensationalise news," Kashyap said.The director said though the demand to ban the movies starring Pakistani artistes was not made by the government, the elected members should protect people from bullies."I'm also well aware that the government did not cry 'BAN' or demand that Pakistani artists be sent back.

Just as I'm aware that the PM himself doesn't censor my films.

But we elected them and so it is their responsibility to protect us from bullies - media or political parties."And when the governing party's designated members don't respond in hours of crisis because they are second guessing the mood of the PM then I would rather talk straight to the PM himself."Kashyap also questioned the trollers for asking proof of his patriotism."There was also sarcasm in the tweet that followed; 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' was for those mindless trollers who constantly ask for proof of your patriotism.

Apparently thats all it takes.

It was a jibe at them.

Patriotic slogans don't absolve you from it all.

I hope this explains ..

CUT ALL TIES WITH PAKISTAN TILL TERRORISM ENDS: GAUTAM GAMBHIR

Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir called for a complete freeze on ties with Pakistan till the time cross-border terrorism does not end, saying that "Indian lives are more important than sports"."I would not even think of playing cricket with Pakistan.

Indian lives are more important than sports," Gambhir told mediapersons here.Gambhir insisted that every Indian must put himself into the shoes of an army personnel before talking about keeping politics and sports separate."I absolutely endorse that we should not have any relation or ties with Pakistan until the time this cross border terrorism finishes.

People need to put themselves in army's shoes who have lost their kids, someone have lost their father, son."We can say this sitting in an AC room that cricket or bollywood should not be compared to politics as long as we don't think ourselves as Indians, or think for our own countrymen.

So I totally endorse that until the time we don't secure our own Indians, our own countrymen, all other things can be kept aside," the 35-year-old added.Gambhir, who had recently made a comeback to the India Test team against New Zealand, is not the first Indian sportsperson to express his views on the issue of Pakistan.India Test skipper Virat Kohli had condemned the Uri attack of September 18 on an army camp that claimed the lives of 19 Indian soldiers and former opener Virender Sehwag has also spoken out this on the social media.The Indian team has not played a bilateral series with Pakistan since the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai.

India were due to tour Pakistan in January 2009 but that series was cancelled following the attacks.

SPORTS CAR TORN IN TWO AFTER SMASH IN DUBAI

Two motorists were seriously injured after this Corvette ploughed into another car on Al Wasl Road in the early hours of Sunday morning.The sports car then smashed into a lamppost, almost cutting it into two.

Both drivers were seriously injured, police said.In another accident, a Pakistani driver was seriously hurt when he sped into the back of another car on the Dubai – Al Ain Road.On Saturday, police recorded two accidents in which pedestrians were run over.

One Asian man was killed on Mohamed bin Zayed Road, another was hurt crossing Al Nahda interchange.