Breaking News on December 18

The second India-US 2+2 dialogue began on Wednesday at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department here, during which the two countries are expected to discuss a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo along with Defense Secretary Mark Esper hosted their Indian counterparts External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for the highest level dialogue between the two countries.

Section 144 imposed in Bengaluru, effective from 6 am tomorrow till next three days. No protest can be held for next three days in Bengaluru. 

All schools in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad to remain shut on Thursday and Friday due to cold weather: Officials. 

Levy of penalty relaxed for non-filing of GSTR-1 from July 2017: Revenue Secretary after GST Council meeting.

Former JNU student's union president Kanhaiya Kumar joined the protest outside the Jamia Millia Islamia on Wednesday and said the demonstration was not just a fight to protect Muslims, but to protect the entire country

Two BJP MPs were arrested in West Bengal's Malda district on Wednesday while they were on their way to visit a railway station vandalised during the stir against the CAA, police said.

Nisith Pramanik and Khagen Murmu were taken into custody to prevent any breach of law and order when they tried to go to the Bhaluka Road station.

The MPs tried to proceed by breaking through the police cordon but were stopped.

Pramanik later accused the state government of fomenting disturbances.

Nirbhaya's mother broke down in the Patiala House court as the judge adjourned the case till Jan 7.

Four convicts to exhaust all legal remedies by January 7

Reports from inside the court suggest that Nirbhaya's family asked the court to set a timeline for hanging not beyond 14 days. "I request this court to fix a date and time beyond 14 days. If the convicts have any remedy remaining they can approach the necessary authority," Nirbhaya's mother said. 

Patiala House court has adjourned the hearing of the four convicts till January 7: Sources

Patiala House Court in Delhi is hearing the arguments on issuing death sentence for the convicts in Nirbhaya case

Lawyer of one of the convicts in Nirbhaya case has not reached the Court: Sources

Delhi Commission For Women chief Swati Maliwal on Wednesday welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to dismiss the plea filed by one of the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case.

"After 7 years, the time is nearing for justice to be done with Nirbhaya. The review petition of the rapist has been rejected from the Supreme Court. Hope now Patiala House Court will immediately issue the death warrant of all the four killers! Those four murderers should be hanged immediately!" she posted on Twitter.

As the Supreme Court dismissed the review plea of Nirbhaya rape case convict's Akshay Kumar Singh, now all eyes on Delhi's Patiala House Court where a plea to expedite death sentence given to Nirbhaya convicts will be heard at 2 pm. Nirbhaya's parents filed the plea to expedite all four convicts death penalty.

Nirbhaya gangrape-murder convict Akshay Kumar Singh's counsel AP Singh said he will file curative petitions first today. Singh said that he will then file a mercy petition within the next seven days. The convict has one week's time to file a mercy petition.

Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi on Wednesday hailed the Supreme Court verdict on one of the convict's review plea and said she is very happy with the order. She also said that all eyes will now be on Patiala House Court where Nirbhaya's parents have filed a petition to expedite death sentence given to the four convicts.

Rejecting review petition of convict Akshay Kumar Singh's, Supreme Court granted 7 days to convict's lawyer AP Singh to file a mercy petition before President Ram Nath Kovind.

Convict Akshay Kumar's counsel AP Singh asked Supreme Court for three weeks time to file a mercy petition before the President of India before any death warrant is issued. He said his client has legal right to file mercy petition.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta tells the court that seven days can be given to file review and that one week is the time prescribed to file a mercy petition before the President. Supreme Court said the Petitioner can avail the relief of mercy petition within the time stipulated.

Supreme Court rejects review petition of Akshay Kumar Singh, one of the convicts in the 2012 Delhi gang-rape case.

"We do not find any grounds to review the issue. Same averments raised cannot now be considered," SC said in its order.

Delhi's Patiala House Court to hear plea of Nirbhaya's parents seeking to expedite the execution/hanging of all the convicts in the case. All convicts will be produced through video conferencing before the court of ASJ, Satish Kumar Arora.

Four accused convicted under different sections, including Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 2008 Jaipur bomb blasts case. One other accused was acquitted by the court. Four accused Sarvar Aazmi, Mohammad Saif, Saifur Rahman, and Salman convicted. Another accused Shahbaaz acquitted after being given benefit of doubt. 71 people were killed & 183 were injured in the serial blasts in the city on 13th May 2008.

The Supreme Court bench has heard arguments of both sides and will be pronouncing its judgment on Akshay Kumar Singh's review petition at 1 pm.

A Bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde, Justice BR Gavai and Justice Surya Kant refuses to stay the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. Supreme Court says it will hear the pleas in January. Supreme Court also issues notice to the Centre on a batch of pleas challenging the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.

Akshay Kumar Singh's lawyer Dr AP Singh said that the reports submitted were forged and Akshay was falsely implicated. "Forged reports were prepared. Akshay Kumar Singh was falsely implicated in the case. All was fabricated to book him", AP Singh said.

Akshay Kumar's lawyer Dr AP Singh said that dying declaration of Nirbhaya was "doubtful", said Akshay Kumar Singh's lawyer AP Singh. He said the declaration was tutored.

"Dying declaration was doubtful. This was tutored. This was not voluntary. She (Nirbhaya) hasn't named Akshay as the accused who had committed the offence," AP Singh said.

" On the first dying declaration, she couldn't name anyone as the accused, who had committed the offence. The cause of death was Septicemia and drug overdose, he added.

Convict Akshay Kumar Singh's lawyer while reading the review petition said capital punishment should be abolished in India.

"The death penalty is a primitive method of punishment; execution kills the crime¬ the criminal, also said that use of the death penalty didn't seem to be a deterrent effect to criminals & convicts," AP Singh said.

Akshay Kumar Singh's lawyer AP Singh has started reading his client's petition. "The death penalty is against human rights and is a symptom of anti-Indian Culture. Gandhiji spoke against the death penalty. We are living in Delhi and the air condition is like a gas chamber, why death penalty?"

"The air quality and water quality in Delhi/NCR is toxic and poisonous. The life span of any average person is going from short to shorter. Why to execute death penalty on anybody in a situation like this?" said AP Singh while reading out Akshay Kumar Singh's review petition.

The convict Akshay Kumar Singh's lawyer Dr AP Singh said Delhi government is only interested in giving death penalty in this case and many death row convicts are still alive. He said everything is happening because of a political agenda.

Questioning evidence provided by the star witness in the Nirbhaya case was unreliable, AP Singh said his client Akshay Kumar is an innocent and poor man.

Convict Akshay Kumar Singh's lawyer Dr AP Singh raised question on Nirbhaya's friend and star witness in the matter, Amarinder Pandey. AP Singh said that his evidence and submissions in the case is unreliable.

Convict Akshay Kumar Singh's lawyer Dr AP Singh submits to SC that he now has new facts in the case. He says that the conviction was made against his client under media pressure, public pressure & political pressure etc and it is still there.

The newly constituted Supreme Court three-judge bench hearing the petition is being headed by Justice R Banumathi and also comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan as AS Bopanna.

Convict Akshay Kumar Singh's lawyer AP Singh starts his argument. Singh says evidence and investigation was flawed in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case.

Speaking to ANI on mercy review petition of Akshay Kumar Singh, Nirbhaya's father Badrinath Singh said that he is confident that the court will reject his review petition and a date for hanging all the four convicts will be announced today. "I'm feeling the same as the whole country, their (convicts) petition will definitely be rejected & the date of their hanging will be given," he said.

Supreme Court has begun hearing the review plea filed by Akshay Kumar Singh, one of the four convicts in the brutal Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case. Both sides will get 30 minutes to argue.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chaires the pre budget consultation meeting with Finance Ministers of states & union territories in connection with the Union Budget 2020-21.

Curfew was relaxed for 14 hours in Shillong on Wednesday even as the ban on mobile internet services will remain in force, officials said. The curfew was relaxed from 6 am in areas under Lumdiengjri police station and Sadar police station limits, an order issued by East Khasi Hills District Magistrate M W
Nongbri said.

The Delhi Police has arrested six people in connection with the violence that ensued in Seelampur following protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act.
Two FIRs were registered in connection with the case on Tuesday and six people were arrested on Wednesday, police said.

Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa: We will implement Citizenship Amendment Act in Karnataka

Delhi Joint Commissioner of Police: Section-144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) has been imposed in North East District

Nagpur Mayor Sandip Joshi had a narrow escape when two motorcycle-borne persons fired at his car on Wardha Road here in Maharashtra, a police official said on Wednesday. The incident took place just around 11.59 pm on Tuesday when Joshi was returning home along with his family members and friends after celebrating his 24th wedding anniversary at a restaurant, he said.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC): Entry & exit gates at all stations have been opened. Normal services have resumed in all stations.

• 'To protest is the democratic right of the people of India, no one can stop us from doing it. However, it is important that it is done in control, keeping our emotions in control is the most important part.'
• ' There is a difference between Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) & National Register of Citizens (NRC). One is CAA that has become a law, and the other is NRC that has only been announced, it has not become a law.'
• ' Under Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Muslim refugees who come to India from Pakistan, Afghanistan, & Bangladesh will not get Indian citizenship. It has nothing to do with the Muslims living in India.'

Sensex jumps 128.74 points to hit lifetime high of 41,480.91 in opening session; Nifty rises 34.05 pts to record peak of 12,199.05

• Road No. 13A between Mathura Road and Kalindi Kunj is closed for traffic movement. People coming from Noida are advised to take DND or Akshardham to reach Delhi. 
• Similarly people going to Noida from Mathura road are advised to take Ashram Chowk, DND or Noida link road. Okhla underpass going towards Kalindi Kunj is also closed for traffic movement. 

Supreme Court to hear today a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.

Supreme Court (SC) to hear today the review petition filed by Akshay Kumar Singh, one of the convicts in the 2012 Delhi gang-rape case. SC will also hear the petition filed by Advocate Sanjeev Kumar, seeking immediate direction to execute the culprits at the earliest.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Parliamentary delegation to meet President Ram Nath Kovind over Citizenship Amendment Act, today

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to chair the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council Meeting today

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC): Entry & exit gates of Jaffrabad and Maujpur - Babarpur stations are closed. However, interchange facility to continue towards Shiv Vihar is available at Maujpur. Normal service on all other stations and lines.

Angry protesters demanding scrapping of the amended citizenship law torched several motor bikes, pelted stones at police personnel and damaged buses and a police booth in Northeast Delhi's Seelampur area on Tuesday afternoon, in fresh violence in the national capital.

Police resorted to baton charge and fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesters. Plumes of smoke billowed from at least two localities as the standoff continued for around one-and-a-half hours. Police said the situation has been brought under control.

In a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Assam Association of North America urged that the Assam Accord of 1985 be implemented in its entirety, where it should prevail over the Act in case of any conflict.

"The recent passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, causes us concern that it will adversely impact the people of Assam and the northeast," said the association in its letter, dated December 14.