Breaking news on October 15

Amid concerns over possible data breaches, markets regulator Sebi on Tuesday put in place a detailed cybersecurity framework for KYC registration agencies, requiring them to define responsibilities of employees, including outsourced staff, who have privileged access to networks.

The Delhi government rolled out its ambitious project to procure electric buses by floating tenders for 300 such vehicles on Tuesday.

The tender for 300 low-floor buses has been floated, Transport minister Kailash Gahlot said, adding that the Delhi government under the leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is committed to strengthening public transport in the national capital.

Gold strips, gadgets and cigarettes worth Rs 31 lakh were seized from two passengers who arrived in Chennai from Dubai on Tuesday, the customs department said.

The officials, acting on a tip off, intercepted the two after their arrival. On examination, 700 grams of gold was found concealed in the rectum of the passengers and it was recovered, an official release said.

The national capital banned generator sets, barring those being used in essential and emergency services, on Tuesday, as the air quality in several places in the city and adjoining areas slipped to "very poor" level.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday apprised Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton about his country's relations with India and Afghanistan as the royal couple began their first visit to the country, described as the "most complex".

"Their Royal Highnesses (TRH) the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge today began their tour of Pakistan with a day of education, conservation and official engagements in Islamabad," British embassy said in a statement.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, both 37, held a cordial meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan at the Prime Minister House, where a lunch was hosted for the guests.

Madhya Pradesh government plans to introduce 2,200 electric buses into the public transport system in the next four years, state Urban Development and Planning Minister Jaivardhan Singh said on Tuesday.

Onion prices have stabilised and shown a declining trend with the arrival of Kharif (summer-sown) crops, the government on Tuesday said after reviewing the rates of essential commodities.

Retail prices of onion and tomatoes have been ruling high in the Delhi-NCR market on supply constraints. Tomato prices reached up to Rs 80 per kg while onion was costing Rs 60 per kg last week.

Grenade attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama. However, it didn't explode.

Government of India: Overall imports in April-September 2019-20 are estimated to be USD 312.16 billion, exhibiting a negative growth of 3.15% over the same period last year. 

Government of India: India’s overall exports (Merchandise & Services combined) in April-September 2019-20 are estimated to be USD 267.21 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 1.93% over the same period last year. 

Usha Shivakumar (wife of Senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar) and Gowramma (mother of DK Shivakumar) have moved Delhi High Court, seeking quashing of summons issued by ED (Enforcement Directorate) in the money laundering case. Hearing will take place tomorrow in the Delhi HC.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to convene the meeting of Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) at his residence in Delhi, tomorrow. 

Pakistan: One injured in a blast in Quetta, Balochistan. More details awaited.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects India's economic outlook growth at 7% in 2020.

Senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel summoned by Enforcement Directorate on October 18. His name had reportedly appeared in a land deal related to gangster Iqbal Mirchi.

RK Tiwari, UP Chief Secretary in Ayodhya: Administrative officials have taken stock of all the places where celebrations are to take place. On 'Deepotsava', more than 5.5 lakhs earthen lamps will be lit in Ayodhya. This will be historic as it will involve huge public participation.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended by four weeks the interim protection from arrest granted to civil rights activist Gautam Navlakha in the Koregaon Bhima violence case.

Veteran actor and BJP MP Sunny Deol held roadshow in Hadapsar constituency in Pune 

Jammu & Kashmir: A woman has lost her life in ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Poonch sector. More details awaited.

The Bombay High Court refused bail on Tuesday to activists Sudha Bharadwaj, Arun Ferreira and Vernon Gonsalves, arrested for allegedly inciting caste-based violence at Koregaon-Bhima in Pune and Maoist links, noting that they were "active members" of banned outfit CPI (Maoist).

A Delhi Court allows Enforcement Directorate (ED) to interrogate Congress leader P Chidambaram for 30 minutes in connection with INX media case. ED will interrogate him in Delhi's Tihar jail tomorrow.

2016 Narada sting operation case: Judicial custody of IPS officer SMH Mirza extended till October 30 by a Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court, in Kolkata.

Former finance minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday sought bail from the Supreme Court in the INX Media corruption case saying the CBI wants to keep him in custody to humiliate him.

RFL (Religare Finvest Limited) funds misappropriation case: Court sends Ranbaxy's former promoters Malvinder Singh, Shivinder Singh and former Chairman Sunil Godhwani to 2-day police custody. Court also sends former CEO Kavi Arora and finance chief Anil Saxena to 2-day judicial remand

Fourteen people were taken ill after apparently having opium-laced tea in Rajasthan's Alwar district. The victims had come to participate in the Baba Mohandas fair in the district and felt drowsy after having tea at a stall on Monday night. They were admitted to the Bhiwadi community healthcare centre from where eight were referred to a hospital, Alwar Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Om Prakash Meena said. He said apparently the devotees were served opium-laced tea.

Samples of the tea were taken and sent for forensic examination. A large number of people from Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh come here to attend the fair.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India would not allow its water to flow to Pakistan. "For 70 years, the water which belongs to India and the farmers of Haryana flowed to Pakistan. Modi will stop this water (from flowing into Pakistan) and bring to your houses," the Prime Minister said in an election meeting, the second in two days.

He said the farmers of Haryana and Rajasthan have the rights over the water that is flowing to Pakistan and was not being stopped by earlier Indian governments.

"Modi aapki ladai ladega (Modi will fight your battle)," he assured the people at the rally.

A constable in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district has been suspended for allegedly posting on social media some demands of policemen as well as his views on reforms needed in the department, an official said on Tuesday. Constable Shubham Bajpai allegedly uploaded such messages on social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter, Superintendent of Police Amit Singh said.

"Bajpai posted on social media some messages about policemen's demands and also shared his views on reforms needed in the police administration," Singh said. His act has harmed the image of Madhya Pradesh Police, he said.

A number of Afghan businessmen have called on the government to increase tariffs on Pakistan's seasonal exports, a media report said on Tuesday. The businessmen added that the government should impose tariffs not only on Pakistan, but Iran as well, for fruits and vegetables, TOLO news said in the report.

They said that domestic markets were currently full of Iranian and Pakistani fruits and vegetables -- which are also produced in Afghanistan, and the government is doing nothing to support domestic products.

"When our fruit season arrives, Pakistan imposes a high tariff and we have to sell our products for less," said Ashraf, a businessman.

"Import tariffs on products from Iran and Pakistan should be raised, which is in the favour of the government itself. If there are no high tariffs, the domestic agricultural market will suffer," said Qodratullah, another businessman.

Commuters travelling by the Delhi Metro's Yellow line on Tuesday faced issues due to a delay, forcing trains to move at a slow pace between Qutub Minar and Huda City Centre. The stretch is important for the people working in Gurugram.

"Delay in services between Qutub Minar and Huda City Centre. Normal service on all other lines," the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said in a tweet.

The delay lasted for about 30 minutes, after which the DMRC announced that normal services have resumed.

A court on Tuesday extended till October 25 the judicial custody of Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar, arrested in an alleged money laundering case. Also a former Karnataka minister, Shivakumar was produced before a special judge at Rouse Avenue Court on the expiry of his judicial custody. Shivakumar remains in jail after being arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) on September 3.

An Army jawan died in a mine blast in Nowgam sector of Kashmir's Kupwara district, an Army official said on Tuesday. The soldier was killed when he accidentally stepped on the mine while patrolling in Nowgam on Monday night.

Vigil has been stepped up along the border to counter any attempts of infiltration.

Justice Arup Kumar Goswami was on Tuesday sworn in as the new Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court. He was administered the oath of office by Governor Ganga Prasad at the New Raj Bhavan. Goswami succeeds Justice Vijai Kumar Bist.

Sikkim Chief Minister P S Tamang, Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai and Justice Bhaskar Raj Pradhan were among the eminent persons who attended the swearing-in ceremony of Goswami. 

Maharashtra BJP unit on Tuesday said it will ask the party-led NDA government at the Centre to confer Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, on
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, popularly known as Veer Savarkar. In its election manifesto, released by BJP working president J P Nadda, the state unit also sought the honour for social reformers Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule, a party leader said.

Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat on Tuesday pitched for greater inclusion of indigenous technology in the armed forces and asserted that India will fight and win the next war with home-grown solutions. In his address at the 41st DRDO Directors Conference, he also said the development of weaponry and other systems should be done keeping "future warfare" in mind.

"And, if we are looking at the contours of future warfare, it may not necessarily be contact warfare. So, there is realm of non-contact warfare. We need to start looking at development of cyberspace, space, laser, electronic warfare and robotics... and, along with that Artificial Intelligence (AI)," Rawat said.
"And, if we do not start thinking on it now, it will be too late," he said.

Election authorities in Maharashtra have issued notices to administrators of 12 WhatsApp groups for alleged violation of the model code of conduct, an official said on Tuesday. The notices were served following complaints received by the Nanded district administration of poll campaigning-related posts being circulated on these WhatsApp groups ahead the next week's state Assembly elections, he said.

In view of the complaints, the media certification and monitoring committee (MCMC) of Nanded district last week issued the notices to administrators of these 12 WhatsApp groups for allegedly violating the poll code, he said.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said India and the US do not have any trade disputes and both nations have huge bilateral trade and investment potential. Speaking during a ministerial panel discussion at India Energy Forum here, Goyal said, "There is no (trade) dispute (with the US). We had certain disagreements, but I don't think that there is... any relation where there are no disagreements at all. I think we welcome some 'nok jhok' (argument). Little bit of uncertainty helps in taking things forward."

Goyal's comments assumes significance in view of recent withdrawal of Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) or trade tariff incentives on Indian products by the US, especially when both countries are negotiating a trade agreement.

An elderly man died and his three children sustained injuries after a group of people allegedly attacked them outside their house in Miranpur town here, police said on Tuesday. The deceased's son, Shadab, in his complaint to police alleged that his father Mehtab (60) was beaten to death by four people who also attacked his brothers Farman, Shehvez and sister Chandni, they said.

Police have registered a case against Naushad, Naeem, Dilshad and Naushad Khan, who are absconding, Circle Officer D S Khushwaha said.
In another incident, the body of a 50-year-old man, who went missing on Sunday, was found in a sugarcane field at Naruttampur village under Titawi police station limits on Monday, police said.

Two bike-borne men snatched the mobile phone of a metropolitan magistrate in North Delhi's Kamala Nagar area, police said on Tuesday. The incident took place on Monday at around 8 PM. The victim was speaking on his phone when two bike-borne assailants snatched his phone and fled the spot, they said. The magistrate informed the police about the incident.

A case under sections 356 (assault or criminal force in attempt to commit theft of property carried by a person) and 379 (punishment for theft) has been registered.

The police are also analysing the CCTV footage of nearby areas to nab the accused, a senior police officer said.

A 51-year-old woman was allegedly beaten to death by her husband over some petty issue in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Tuesday.

Koushalya Devi was attacked by her husband Sardar Singh with an iron rod during a heated argument at their residence in Balli Nallah village late Monday night, causing critical head injuries to her, a police official said.

Devi was rushed to a hospital where she succumbed to injuries, he said, adding Singh was arrested and a murder case was registered against him.

A woman allegedly committed suicide by jumping into a well after throwing her three minor children in the well in Jharkhand's Seraikela-Kharswan
district, police said on Tuesday.

The woman and her husband, a daily wager, had a quarrel over some domestic matter on Monday night, the police said.

SMS services were withdrawn as a "precautionary measure" hours after the government restored post-paid mobile connections in Kashmir, officials said on Tuesday.

Mobile phone services for post-paid subscribers resumed in Kashmir after 72 days on Monday noon, but without any internet facilities. By about 5 pm, SMS services had been suspended too, dulling the euphoria of about 40 lakh subscribers delighted at the prospect of their phones coming back to life, officials said.

"SMS services were stopped last evening as a precautionary measure," said an official without elaborating further.

I don't come to Haryana for election rallies, I don't campaign for BJP in Haryana, I don't ask for votes in Haryana. Haryana itself calls me. I can't stop myself from coming here. You have given me so much love, PM Modi says in Charkhi Dadri 

Former MP and Congress leader Ratna Singh joins Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, in Pratapgarh.

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday refused bail to civil liberties activists Sudha Bharadwaj, Arun Ferriera and Vernon Gonsalves, arrested for allegedly inciting caste-based violence at Koregaon Bhima in Pune and having links with Maoists. Justice Sarang Kotwal rejected the bail pleas filed by the three activists.

The accused were initially placed under house arrest in August last year by the Pune Police in Maharashtra and were later taken into custody on October 26, after a sessions court in Pune rejected their bail pleas.

Armies that were better equipped always called the shots & decided the destiny of mankind. They were always the one which had higher technologies. India's own historical experience on this has been sad, we were the runner-up. There is no trophy for the runner up.

Either you're better than your adversaries or you're not there at all. In the modern world, technology&money are 2 things which will influence geopolitics. Who'll win, will depend upon who has preponderance over their adversaries on these 2? Of the 2, technology is more important.

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat at 41st DRDO Directors Conference: DRDO has made strides in ensuring that requirements of the services are met through home-grown solutions. We are confident that we will fight and win the next war through indigenised weapons systems and equipment.

We are looking at systems for future warfare. We have to start looking at development of cyber, space, laser, electronic and robotic technologies and artificial intelligence.

Jammu & Kashmir: Pakistan violated ceasefire in Qasba and Kirni sectors of Poonch at about 9:30 am today by initiating unprovoked firing of small arms & shelling with mortars. Indian Army is retaliating.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Working President JP Nadda and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis release party's manifesto for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.

A 51-year-old Sanjay Gulati, a Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank depositor passed away on Monday after taking part in a protest rally by depositors

Chhatarpur: Raids are being conducted by Lokayukta at properties of Alok Khare, Assistant Commissioner in MP state excise department, in matter of disproportionate assets. His properties in Bhopal, Indore, Raisen, Chhatarpur and other locations are being raided.

At least 5 people died after their car met with an accident near a bridge in Nainbagh of Tehri Garhwal district in Uttarakhand, last night. 7 people were in the car at the time of the incident. A team of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) is present at the spot.

Uttarakhand: At least 5 people died after their car met with an accident near a bridge in Nainbagh of Tehri Garhwal district, last night.

Seven people were in the car at the time of the incident. A team of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) is present at the spot.

Major pollutants PM 2.5 at 214 and PM 10 at 211 both in 'Poor' category, in Lodhi Road area, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI) data.

East Midnapore: Basudeb Mondal, TMC leader who was also the former Panchayat Pradhan of Bakcha village was  murdered by unidentified assailants on Monday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address public rallies in Charkhi Dadri and Kurukshetra in Haryana today.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to address rallies in Wani (in Yavatmal) and Arvi (in Wardha) in Maharashtra today. 

Uttar Pradesh DGP OP Singh will visit Ayodhya today, along with the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary. 

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to hold rallies in Pratapgarh, Kanpur and Lucknow Cantt today. 

The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar on Monday placed officials under suspension, withheld payment of salaries and issued show-cause notices to them after they were found wanting in the discharge of their duties during water-logging in Patna this month.

The chief minister held an hours-long meeting with members of his cabinet and top government officials. During the meeting that began at 4 pm, the accountability of officials was fixed, remedial measures discussed and instructions were issued for strict implementation.

Briefing journalists, Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar said many officials posted in the Patna Municipal Corporation and Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (BUIDCO) – were taken to task, while the project manager of the private company L&T, which has been carrying out the “Namami Gange project”, has been issued a show-cause notice.

Two illegal immigrants from Bangladesh were arrested from Kosi Kalan area here, a senior police officer said on Monday.

A PAN card, one watch, Rs 600 in cash and one mobile phone were recovered from their possession, Senior Superintendent of Police Shalabh Mathur said.

Tuhir Shekh and Dilip Mandal, both residents of Bangladesh, were nabbed near Idgah Kosi Kalan on Sunday evening, the SSP said.
Both have been sent to jail, he added.

A 36-year-old sweeper at a night shelter was allegedly killed by two men in a revenge attack after he denied them entry inside the premises, police said on Monday. Praveen Kumar, who hailed from Rohtak, also worked at the Central Hospital.

The incident took place around 7:30 am near Rajiv Gandhi Handicrafts Bhawan in Connaught Place. The accused attacked Kumar and another man near the gate of the night shelter, they said.

Police arrested the accused and a case of murder has been registered at the Connaught Place police station, a senior police officer said.

Kumar had reached the shelter with his friend Razi (30) for their morning duty when the incident happened.

In a bid to win the support of over 1.50 lakh taxi drivers and owners in the upcoming Delhi assembly elections, the AAP government is likely to relax various test fees and penal charges for them. Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Monday okayed a proposal for providing monetary reliefs to taxi drivers on various counts during a meeting of his department, said a senior government official.

In August, the government had waived the fitness test fee and significantly scaled-down various other charges, including penalties for autos.

In Transport Department meeting, it was decided to waive fitness test fee and GPS SIM charges and reduce the permit fee from existing Rs 2,000 to Rs 500, said the official.

The proposal will come into effect after its approval by the Delhi Cabinet.

The Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested two wanted criminals after separate encounters in the national capital on Monday evening, officials said.
In the first incident, a 32-year-old man was arrested after a brief exchange of fire from near Bhalswa landfill at around 9 pm, police said.

"The accused has been identified as Pratham Anand , a resident of Tilak Nagar. He was wanted in a case after his video of firing in a house in the area of Mahendra Park, Delhi went viral," said Pramod Singh Kushwah, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell).

A semi-automatic pistol and live cartridges were recovered from his possession, police said, adding he was involved in more than 25 criminal cases.
Around one dozen rounds were fired from both sides and Anand sustained an injury in his right leg.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Anand, along with his seven to eight associates, had forcibly entered a house in Mahendra Park on May 24 and fired many rounds aiming at Naresh Kumar and injured him.

As part of Indian Navy's overseas deployment, four indigenously built ships of its First Training Squadron — Tir, Sujata and Shardul and Indian Coast Guard ship Sarathi, are visiting Tanzania from October 14-17, officials said Monday. During the visit, the 1TS ships would be undertaking port calls at Dar Es Salaam on October 14 and Zanzibar from October 15-17, they said.

The senior officer of First Training Squadron is Captain Varun Singh, who is also commanding officer of INS Tir.

Britains' Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton on Monday arrived in Pakistan amid tight security for their "most complex" tour to date, the first royal trip to the country in more than a decade. The royal couple -- the Duchess of Cambridge in a long pale blue variation of the shalwar kameez, and the Duke in a dark suit -- were accorded a red-carpet reception on their arrival at the Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi, the garrison city adjacent to the capital Islamabad.

They were welcomed by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his wife.

Last week, Kensington Palace called the five-day trip "the most complex tour undertaken by The Duke and Duchess to date, given the logistical and security considerations".

The visit, which will end on October 18, has been organised at the request of the United Kingdom’s (UK) Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Protesting Turkey's military offensive into northeast Syria, US President Donald Trump on Monday announced he will authorise sanctions against Turkish officials, raise steel tariffs and end negotiations on a USD 100 billion trade deal. Turkey launched a cross-border assault on Kurdish fighters on Wednesday after the US decided to withdraw troops from Syria, a move criticised by the Republicans, with some terming it a "betrayal" of the Kurds.

"This (executive) order will enable the US to impose powerful additional sanctions on those who may be involved in serious human rights abuses, obstructing a ceasefire, preventing displaced persons from returning home, forcibly repatriating refugees or threatening the peace, security or stability in Syria," Trump said in a statement. 

The "unilateral invasion" of northern Syria has resulted in widespread casualties and destruction, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Monday.
This has also undermined the successful multinational "Defeat ISIS" mission in Syria, he said. Esper will be visiting NATO next week in Brussels and he plans to press members of the alliance to take collective and individual diplomatic and economic measures in response to Turkish actions.

"Despite the opposition and repeated warnings from the US and the international community, Turkish President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan ordered a unilateral invasion of northern Syria that has resulted in widespread casualties, refugees, destruction, insecurity, and a growing threat to US military forces," he said.