What is the real meaning behind Pete Hegseth's tattoos?

Kim Jong Un death rumours: State media shares photos to prove dictator is alive amid reports of brain haemorrhage

Two Indians among 28 arrested in California over alleged voter registration fraud, DOJ says

‘Nuclear-use decision should be taken by humans’: India flags AI risks at UN

Flying car race: Alef Aeronautics welcomes Tesla Roadster '11 years' later, but are the two models the same?

Dussehra 2025: Why is Ravana not burnt but worshipped in these places of India?

Shastri backs Shami comeback; lauds Bhuvi and warns Bumrah on format workload ahead of World Cup

Netanyahu rival Benny Gantz quits Israel election race, vows to push for unity government

US Midterm 2026: What do opinion polls and prediction markets say less than two weeks before voting

Mariah Carey wins $20 million legal battle over brother’s defamation lawsuit against her bestselling memoir

WATCH | Albania protesters set Supreme Court on fire as anti-Rama riots escalate

Indian Air Force turns to homegrown firefighting robot developed under iDEX programme

Pete Hegseth meets Benjamin Netanyahu during unannounced visit to Israel ahead of election

Ghaziabad is world's fastest-growing city; Surat, Patna, Rajkot also feature on list

'It's a joy to see the makers bring it on such a grand scale': SS Rajamouli on Ramayana

Dark fantasy, violence, adult themes: BBFC data reveals animation's shift towards older audiences

Far-left parties, global networks among 54 groups linked to France protests, only 16 are youth outfits: Report

WATCH | Japan launches historic mission to collect samples from Mars' moon Phobos

India begins National Red List Assessment of 1,211 bird species to boost conservation

PCB omits Atherton, Hussain from tri-series commentary panel over Imran Khan interview row

Trump calls on New Mexico to become 'New America', claims 'home values and incomes would rise'

Priyanka Chopra to Shilpa Shetty: 6 Bollywood actresses and their fitness secrets

Pujara says 'Samson and Vaibhav cannot be in Playing XI' for India on NZ tour

US midterms 2026: From Pooja Sethi to Vivek Ramaswamy, here are Indian-origin candidates to watch out for

New OTT releases this week (October 19-25, 2026): Gajab Raat to Chaar Yaar-8 titles to watch during Dussehra week on Netflix, Prime Video and more

Baby orangutan rescued in India returns to Indonesia

India moves to buy 10,000 more AI chips for a national compute pool open to startups

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle never accepted Queen Elizabeth’s terms for royal exit: Report

'Whatever I can do to end this war': Trump floats China Summit with Putin and Xi, questions Zelensky's role in peace talks

'We feel like Mr India': Gujarat’s undercover SHE team guard garba nights at Navratri

Cattle-feed bran in biscuits, detergent in milk: FSSAI acts against 3 companies

Feds obtain DNA evidence that could prove Ilhan Omar married her brother: Report

Ramayana advance booking: Ranbir Kapoor, Yash's film cross $500K ahead of Diwali release

AUS vs SA: Boland grabs opportunity with both ends to help Australia dominate

Union Home Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-result-2019-bjp-leaders-react-to-landslide-win-of-pm-narendra-modi-220885">Amit Shah</a> on Tuesday said that the situation in Kashmir valley is completely "normal" and not a single bullet was fired.

"The situation in Kashmir valley is completely normal. I can't make Congress's condition normal, because they had predicted bloodshed after the abrogation of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/article-370-abrogation-foreign-medias-india-bias-249191">Article 370</a>. Nothing of that sort happened, not one bullet was fired," Shah said in Lok Sabha today.

The Home Minister also said that 99.5 per cent of students gave the examination and 7 lakh patients visited OPD in Srinagar.

He also highlighted that curfew has been withdrawn from all police station limits in Jammu and Kashmir and not a single person died due to police firing.

In August, the government abrogated Article 370 that gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the region into two union territories- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that the situation in Kashmir valley is completely "normal" and not a single bullet was fired. "The situation in Kashmir valley is completely normal.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that the situation in Kashmir valley is completely "normal" and not a single bullet was fired. "The situation in Kashmir valley is completely normal. I can't make Congress's condition normal, because they had predicted bloodshed after the abrogation of Article 370. Nothing of that sort happened, not one bullet was fired," Shah said in Lok Sabha today. The Home Minister also said that 99.5 per cent of students gave the examination and 7 lakh patients visited OPD in Srinagar. He also highlighted that curfew has been withdrawn from all police station limits in Jammu and Kashmir and not a single person died due to police firing. In August, the government abrogated Article 370 that gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the region into two union territories- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Not one bullet fired, situation in Kashmir normal: Amit Shah

In India, the citizenship amendment bill 2019 passed by Lok sabha at midnight.

India: CITIZENSHIP AMENDMENT BILL 2019 PASSED IN LOK SABHA

Anaj Mandi fire puts focus on 'flouting of fire safety norms' in Delhi

Congress leader DK Shivakumar on Monday said that the party has accepted the public mandate and there is no need to be disheartened even as BJP is set to sweep the Karnataka bypolls.&nbsp;

"We have to agree with the mandate of the voters of these 15 constituencies. We have accepted defeat, I don`t think we have to be disheartened," Shivakumar said.&nbsp;

''It's clear that people have accepted the defectors, the disqualified MLAs of Congress and JD(S),'' he added.

 
The resignation of the 17 rebel MLAs and their subsequent disqualification in July led to the collapse of the Congress-JDS government, paving the&nbsp;way for the BJP to come to power.

In these by-polls, the BJP has fielded 13 disqualified legislators as party candidates from their respective constituencies.

As per Karnataka bypolls results trends by the Election Commission, BJP is leading on 12 seats, Congress is leading on 2 seats and an independent candidate is leading on 1 seat.

The results of these by-polls will seal the fate of the four-month-old B S Yediyurappa-led BJP government in Karnataka.

Counting of the votes commenced at 8 am&nbsp;and results are likely to be declared by this afternoon.

Yediyurappa confidently said that BJP will win at least 13 seats and the government will be "safeguarded".The elections were held for 15 Assembly seats which were left vacant after the legislators resigned in July, triggering the collapse of the Congress-JDS coalition and paving the way for the BJP to come to power.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Congress leader DK Shivakumar on Monday said that the party has accepted the public mandate and there is no need to be disheartened even as BJP is set to sweep the Karnataka bypolls.

Congress leader DK Shivakumar on Monday said that the party has accepted the public mandate and there is no need to be disheartened even as BJP is set to sweep the Karnataka bypolls. "We have to agree with the mandate of the voters of these 15 constituencies. We have accepted defeat, I don`t think we have to be disheartened," Shivakumar said. ''It's clear that people have accepted the defectors, the disqualified MLAs of Congress and JD(S),'' he added. The resignation of the 17 rebel MLAs and their subsequent disqualification in July led to the collapse of the Congress-JDS government, paving the way for the BJP to come to power. In these by-polls, the BJP has fielded 13 disqualified legislators as party candidates from their respective constituencies. As per Karnataka bypolls results trends by the Election Commission, BJP is leading on 12 seats, Congress is leading on 2 seats and an independent candidate is leading on 1 seat. The results of these by-polls will seal the fate of the four-month-old B S Yediyurappa-led BJP government in Karnataka. Counting of the votes commenced at 8 am and results are likely to be declared by this afternoon. Yediyurappa confidently said that BJP will win at least 13 seats and the government will be "safeguarded".The elections were held for 15 Assembly seats which were left vacant after the legislators resigned in July, triggering the collapse of the Congress-JDS coalition and paving the way for the BJP to come to power. (With inputs from ANI)

Karnataka bypolls results: Congress accepts defeat after BJP takes early lead in 12 seats 

Israel has shared its flagship connectivity plan that connects the Meditteranean with the gulf even as connectivity has become India's focus last few years both towards its west and east.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Israel Katz met India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Meditteranean dialogue last week and shared the “Tracks for Regional Peace” initiative. In November, Israel had shared its connectivity project with Oman.

Israel's FM, during his meet with EAM Jaishankar, called for the "need to increase the trade between the two countries and the measures required to encourage", according to the readout by Israeli foreign ministry.

The initiative is a rail transport plan that will connect the Meditteranean and the gulf and is based on two&nbsp;central ideas -- Israel will be a land bridge and Jordan will be the regional transportation hub.

A regional rail plan will transport people and cargo from the US and Europe to gulf states in the east. The initiative is inspired by the Hejaz railway that ran from Damascus to Medina during the Ottoman times.

Israel has valley rail line, opened in 2016 connects Haifa connects with Beit She'an and will be extended towards the east to Sheikh Hussein crossing in Jordan and the south towards Jalamah crossing so that Palestinians are also able to connect to it.

According to the Israeli govt the initiative will "build peace" and "encourage stability and create vibrant economies" by connecting middle east.

Both Indian and Israeli sides also "discussed the need to intensify bilateral cooperation on the issues of water, agriculture and technology" with FM Katz inviting EAM Jaishankar to Israel, and "the minister expressing interest in visiting Israel next year".

Israel has shared its flagship connectivity plan that connects the Meditteranean with the gulf even as connectivity has become India's focus last few years both towards its west and east.

Israel has shared its flagship connectivity plan that connects the Meditteranean with the gulf even as connectivity has become India's focus last few years both towards its west and east. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Israel Katz met India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Meditteranean dialogue last week and shared the “Tracks for Regional Peace” initiative. In November, Israel had shared its connectivity project with Oman. Israel's FM, during his meet with EAM Jaishankar, called for the "need to increase the trade between the two countries and the measures required to encourage", according to the readout by Israeli foreign ministry. The initiative is a rail transport plan that will connect the Meditteranean and the gulf and is based on two central ideas -- Israel will be a land bridge and Jordan will be the regional transportation hub. A regional rail plan will transport people and cargo from the US and Europe to gulf states in the east. The initiative is inspired by the Hejaz railway that ran from Damascus to Medina during the Ottoman times. Israel has valley rail line, opened in 2016 connects Haifa connects with Beit She'an and will be extended towards the east to Sheikh Hussein crossing in Jordan and the south towards Jalamah crossing so that Palestinians are also able to connect to it. According to the Israeli govt the initiative will "build peace" and "encourage stability and create vibrant economies" by connecting middle east. Both Indian and Israeli sides also "discussed the need to intensify bilateral cooperation on the issues of water, agriculture and technology" with FM Katz inviting EAM Jaishankar to Israel, and "the minister expressing interest in visiting Israel next year".

Isreal shares its regional connectivity plan with India 

As per a report published by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), India has climbed up a spot - from 130 - on the 2019 human development global index.&nbsp;

At 129, India follows countries like Iraq (120), Indonesia (111), Libya (110), Maldives (104) among other countries.

The index includes a total of 189 nations and is topped by Norway followed by Switzerland, Ireland, Germany, Hong Kong and &nbsp;Australia in the top slots.&nbsp;

Sudan, Haiti and Afghanistan were placed at the last three spots of the index respectively.&nbsp;

With respect global powers, Canada secured the 13th spot while the UK and the US stood at number 15 and 16 respectively.&nbsp;

China came 85th, Russia at the 49th spot.

In South Asia, Pakistan stood at 152, Nepal came 147th and Myanmar secured the 145th spot.&nbsp;

At number 71, Sri Lanka was ahead of most South Asian countries like Bangladesh (135) and Bhutan (134).

"The demonstrations sweeping across the world today signal that, despite unprecedented progress against poverty, hunger and disease, many societies are not working as they should, The connecting thread, is inequality." said the UNDP in its report.

The report analyses human development and inequality in three steps: "beyond income, beyond averages, and beyond today and proposes a battery of policy options to tackle it".

As per a report published by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), India has climbed up a spot - from 130 - on the 2019 human development global index. At 129, India follows countries like Iraq (120), Indonesia (111), Libya (110), Maldives (104) among other countries.

As per a report published by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), India has climbed up a spot - from 130 - on the 2019 human development global index. At 129, India follows countries like Iraq (120), Indonesia (111), Libya (110), Maldives (104) among other countries. The index includes a total of 189 nations and is topped by Norway followed by Switzerland, Ireland, Germany, Hong Kong and Australia in the top slots. Sudan, Haiti and Afghanistan were placed at the last three spots of the index respectively. With respect global powers, Canada secured the 13th spot while the UK and the US stood at number 15 and 16 respectively. China came 85th, Russia at the 49th spot. In South Asia, Pakistan stood at 152, Nepal came 147th and Myanmar secured the 145th spot. At number 71, Sri Lanka was ahead of most South Asian countries like Bangladesh (135) and Bhutan (134). "The demonstrations sweeping across the world today signal that, despite unprecedented progress against poverty, hunger and disease, many societies are not working as they should, The connecting thread, is inequality." said the UNDP in its report. The report analyses human development and inequality in three steps: "beyond income, beyond averages, and beyond today and proposes a battery of policy options to tackle it".

India climbs up a spot, moves to 129 in human development index: UNDP report 

BJP is leading in 10 seats while Congress and JD(S) in 2 seats apiece in the Karnataka bypolls, according to Election Commission trends. An independent candidate is leading in one seat.

BJP is leading in 10 seats while Congress and JD(S) in 2 seats apiece in the Karnataka bypolls, according to Election Commission trends. An independent candidate is leading in one seat. The counting of votes polled in the December 5 bypolls began at 8 am in 11 centres and all the results were most likely to be out by the afternoon. The results in the 15 Assembly constituencies will decide the future of the four-month-old BS Yedyurappa-led BJP government. The bypolls were necessitated to fill the vacancies caused by the disqualification of 17 rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs, whose revolt led to the collapse of the HD Kumaraswamy-led coalition government in July and paved the way for BJP to come to power. Twelve of the 15 seats were held by the Congress and three by JD(S). Bypolls were not held in two seats due to pending litigations in High Court. The outcome of the bypoll, which recorded 67.91% polling, is crucial for BJP, which needs to win at least six seats to remain in the majority. As of now, the BJP has 105 MLAs (including an independent), the Congress 66 and the JD(S) 34. Besides, there is one BSP member, a nominated MLA and the Speaker. All arrangements, including security, have been made for the counting of votes. Prohibitory orders restricting assembly of people around the counting centre and activities that could disturb law and order have been clamped, police said. With exit polls predicting a BJP win in 9 to 12 seats, the ruling party leaders are confident the government would complete its term.

Karnataka bypolls results: BJP leads in 10 seats, Congress & JDS in 2 seats each

The crucial by-poll results are out in Karnataka and Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) is rejoicing after bagging 12 out of the 15 constituencies that went into polls. But is it really the victory of BJP, or the re-emergence of BS Yediyurappa, the tallest leader that the party has seen in the state?&nbsp;&nbsp;

Yediyurappa's political career has braved quite a few storms - right from never completing a full term as CM despite swearing-in four&nbsp;times, to being jailed on corruption charges, to walking out and forming his own party.&nbsp;

So while Yediyurappa is elated with the victory, is the BJP really happy with the southern power centre getting stronger? Highly unlikely. Senior BJP leaders, who have been party loyalists have expressed displeasure over the involvement of Yediyurappa's son Vijayendra in the functioning of the government.

The party high command was reportedly upset with the Chief Minister after an activist highlighted the rampant involvement of Vijayendra in bureaucratic transfers in the state. Now with the Vijayendra largely being credited for the party's first victory in the Vokkaliga belt of Mandya, the reins have further loosened.&nbsp;

Added to that there is now the issue of defectors being inducted into the 34-member cabinet that already has 18 members. With Yediyurappa saying he sees no problems in all 11 defectors, who won the elections, getting cabinet berths, the loyalists are further perturbed.

The victory has also strengthened the bargaining power of the ageing leader, who plans to finalise the cabinet allotments with the high command in the coming few days. With age not on his side, Yediyurappa is evidently grooming his son to take over the party after proving his ability to consolidate the crucial Lingayat votes. Can other powerful camps within the BJP fight the Yediyurappa power, when he has successfully secured people's mandate?&nbsp;

Let's now turn our eyes to the second biggest party in the house. Congress has shrunk from 78 seats in 2018 to 68 now. The one state that was offering hope to the beaten-down party in 2018, has fallen as well. Siddaramaiah, the Leader of Opposition and Legislature Party Chief has resigned from the position. Dinesh Gundurao, KPCC President, has also taken responsibility for the sad showing and has tendered his resignation. Who will fill Congress' leadership vacuum now?

DK Shivakumar has often positioned himself as the next leader of the Karnataka Congress, but with the ED baggage and multiple failures in the Vokkaliga strong belt, it is unlikely the party will let him take the lead. ''Congress needs an alternative narrative. They left it to Siddaramaiah this time too, and he was functioning with a rather old-style narrative. He did get what he wanted in the two constituencies that they won. He showed his dominance in the Kuruba community, but that is not enough to win a state election'', says Narendar Pani, a political analyst.&nbsp;

Then there is the biggest loser of the lot - Janata Dal (Secular). It was only a few months back that HD Kumaraswamy of the JD(S) held the position of the Chief Minister. Today the party has not won a single seat in the by-poll and has also conceded seats to the BJP in its backyard, Mandya.

''It is clear that they are out of touch even with the Vokkaliga community. They are still functioning in the old farmer-based approach. But many in Mandya are moving out of agriculture'', says Pani. Despite Kumaraswamy directly appealing to the caste in his election campaign, and not to mention the contentious farm loan waiver, JD(S) drew a blank these elections and has its numbers at 34 in the 223 member house. The party which rose to power on the Cauvery dispute bandwagon and promised to champion the cause of farmers has lost its steam. What they need now is a new approach to new issues that the electorate faces.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The crucial by-poll results are out in Karnataka and Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) is rejoicing after bagging 12 out of the 15 constituencies that went into polls.

The crucial by-poll results are out in Karnataka and Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) is rejoicing after bagging 12 out of the 15 constituencies that went into polls. But is it really the victory of BJP, or the re-emergence of BS Yediyurappa, the tallest leader that the party has seen in the state? Yediyurappa's political career has braved quite a few storms - right from never completing a full term as CM despite swearing-in four times, to being jailed on corruption charges, to walking out and forming his own party. So while Yediyurappa is elated with the victory, is the BJP really happy with the southern power centre getting stronger? Highly unlikely. Senior BJP leaders, who have been party loyalists have expressed displeasure over the involvement of Yediyurappa's son Vijayendra in the functioning of the government. The party high command was reportedly upset with the Chief Minister after an activist highlighted the rampant involvement of Vijayendra in bureaucratic transfers in the state. Now with the Vijayendra largely being credited for the party's first victory in the Vokkaliga belt of Mandya, the reins have further loosened. Added to that there is now the issue of defectors being inducted into the 34-member cabinet that already has 18 members. With Yediyurappa saying he sees no problems in all 11 defectors, who won the elections, getting cabinet berths, the loyalists are further perturbed. The victory has also strengthened the bargaining power of the ageing leader, who plans to finalise the cabinet allotments with the high command in the coming few days. With age not on his side, Yediyurappa is evidently grooming his son to take over the party after proving his ability to consolidate the crucial Lingayat votes. Can other powerful camps within the BJP fight the Yediyurappa power, when he has successfully secured people's mandate? Let's now turn our eyes to the second biggest party in the house. Congress has shrunk from 78 seats in 2018 to 68 now. The one state that was offering hope to the beaten-down party in 2018, has fallen as well. Siddaramaiah, the Leader of Opposition and Legislature Party Chief has resigned from the position. Dinesh Gundurao, KPCC President, has also taken responsibility for the sad showing and has tendered his resignation. Who will fill Congress' leadership vacuum now? DK Shivakumar has often positioned himself as the next leader of the Karnataka Congress, but with the ED baggage and multiple failures in the Vokkaliga strong belt, it is unlikely the party will let him take the lead. ''Congress needs an alternative narrative. They left it to Siddaramaiah this time too, and he was functioning with a rather old-style narrative. He did get what he wanted in the two constituencies that they won. He showed his dominance in the Kuruba community, but that is not enough to win a state election'', says Narendar Pani, a political analyst. Then there is the biggest loser of the lot - Janata Dal (Secular). It was only a few months back that HD Kumaraswamy of the JD(S) held the position of the Chief Minister. Today the party has not won a single seat in the by-poll and has also conceded seats to the BJP in its backyard, Mandya. ''It is clear that they are out of touch even with the Vokkaliga community. They are still functioning in the old farmer-based approach. But many in Mandya are moving out of agriculture'', says Pani. Despite Kumaraswamy directly appealing to the caste in his election campaign, and not to mention the contentious farm loan waiver, JD(S) drew a blank these elections and has its numbers at 34 in the 223 member house. The party which rose to power on the Cauvery dispute bandwagon and promised to champion the cause of farmers has lost its steam. What they need now is a new approach to new issues that the electorate faces.

Karnataka bypolls: What it means for BJP, Congress, JD(S)

Telangana High Court to hear the encounter case in which four suspects of brutal gang-rape and murder of a woman veterinarian were shot down on December 6. The High Court had ordered the preservation of the bodies of the suspects till 8 pm on December 9.

Telangana High Court to hear the encounter case in which four suspects of brutal gang-rape and murder of a woman veterinarian were shot down on December 6. The High Court had ordered the preservation of the bodies of the suspects till 8 pm on December 9. The court also directed that the video of the post-mortem examination in a compact disc (CD) form or pen-drive should be handed over to the Principal District Judge, Mahaboobnagar, after the completion of the post-mortem examination of all the accused. The Principal District Judge, Mahaboobnagar received the same and handed it over to the Registrar General of the High Court of Telangana by on December 7. The Government District Hospital at Mahaboobnagar performed the autopsy on the four suspects under the supervision of the Superintendent of the hospital and a forensic team of doctors from the Gandhi Hospital, Hyderabad. Telangana government on Sunday constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the encounter. The eight-member SIT team will be headed by Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh M Bhagwat. The accused Mohammed Arif, Naveen, Shiva, and Chennakeshavulu were killed in the police encounter at Chatanpally, Shadnagar on December 6 morning. The veterinarian was brutally raped and killed by the accused, who burnt her body in Shamshabad area on November 27. Her charred body was recovered on November 28. (With inputs from ANI)

Telangana High Court to hear encounter case today

A fire broke out in the same building in Delhi's Anaj&nbsp;Mandi area where 43 people had died in a fire incident a day before, news agency ANI reported.

According to the report, four fire tenders have been rushed to the spot.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Delhi: A fire has broken out in the same building in Anaj Mandi, Rani Jhansi Road where 43 people had died in a fire incident yesterday. Four fire tenders have been rushed to the spot. <a href="https://t.co/f1heEaQ7dU">pic.twitter.com/f1heEaQ7dU</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1203868274481516544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

On Sunday, around 43 people died after a massive fire broke out in Delhi's Anaj Mandi, while&nbsp;62 people were also rescued from the building.

Soon after the incident, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal&nbsp;announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to families who lost a member in the&nbsp;fire tragedy and additional assistance of one lakh to those who were injured. The government has also ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and sought a report within seven days.

Meanwhile, Directorate General of Fire Services, Atul Garg&nbsp;said that the building did not have&nbsp;fire clearance from the Delhi Fire Service and no fire safety equipment were found in the premises.

A case has been registered under Section 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code against building owner Rehan, who had absconded after the fire broke out. Later in the day, Rehan&nbsp;was arrested by Delhi police.

The national capital is emerging as a tinderbox as data shows that there has been a constant increase in the number of fire calls received by Delhi Fire Services (DFS).

The data published in 2011 showed that the total fire calls had increased by almost 65 per cent in five years.

According to the data, the DFS had received a total of 18,143 calls in 2011, which increased to 22,581 in 2012.

Similarly, the number of calls received by the DFS increased consistently between 2013 and 2017 and saw a massive jump in the total number of calls received by the department.

 
&nbsp;

A fire broke out in the same building in Delhi's Anaj Mandi area where 43 people had died in a fire incident a day before, news agency ANI reported. According to the report, four fire tenders have been rushed to the spot.

A fire broke out in the same building in Delhi's Anaj Mandi area where 43 people had died in a fire incident a day before, news agency ANI reported. According to the report, four fire tenders have been rushed to the spot. Delhi: A fire has broken out in the same building in Anaj Mandi, Rani Jhansi Road where 43 people had died in a fire incident yesterday. Four fire tenders have been rushed to the spot. pic.twitter.com/f1heEaQ7dU — ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2019 × On Sunday, around 43 people died after a massive fire broke out in Delhi's Anaj Mandi, while 62 people were also rescued from the building. Soon after the incident, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to families who lost a member in the fire tragedy and additional assistance of one lakh to those who were injured. The government has also ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and sought a report within seven days. Meanwhile, Directorate General of Fire Services, Atul Garg said that the building did not have fire clearance from the Delhi Fire Service and no fire safety equipment were found in the premises. A case has been registered under Section 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code against building owner Rehan, who had absconded after the fire broke out. Later in the day, Rehan was arrested by Delhi police. The national capital is emerging as a tinderbox as data shows that there has been a constant increase in the number of fire calls received by Delhi Fire Services (DFS). The data published in 2011 showed that the total fire calls had increased by almost 65 per cent in five years. According to the data, the DFS had received a total of 18,143 calls in 2011, which increased to 22,581 in 2012. Similarly, the number of calls received by the DFS increased consistently between 2013 and 2017 and saw a massive jump in the total number of calls received by the department.

Delhi: Fire breaks out at same building where 43 died yesterday

A Romanian national was arrested by Kolkata Police on Monday for duping dozens for lakhs from Delhi.

“Romanian national Siliviu Florin Spiridon, a resident of Constanta, Romania has been arrested from Greater Kailash by officials of Detective Department of Kolkata Police,” said a senior official of Detective Department of Kolkata Police.

Kolkata Police officials recovered skimming devices, other accessories, magnetic chips, batteries, PIN hole camera chip from his possession.

While sources in Kolkata Police said that the arrested Romanian national confessed to have committed the crime, his associates are still at large and a lookout for them has begun.

Last Monday people residing in Jadavpur, West Bengal woke up to a shock when thousands and lacs were withdrawn from their bank accounts.

Over a span of two days, as many as 59 complaints were registered – 44 from Jadavpur area, 13 from Charu Market area, one from Karaya and one Netaji Nagar area.

According to officers in Lalbazar, Kolkata Police headquarters, 13.2 lakh rupees had been duped by the skimmers and the withdrawals were made between November 28 and December 3 from ATMs in Delhi.

Officers were also contemplating of questioning arrested Romanian nationals lodged in Bengal’s jails who had duped more than 70 people early this year.

Immediately after the scam coming to light, Kolkata Police began an awareness program on social media through its Twitter handle and Facebook page asking people to check for skimmers, suspecting cameras and other devices before transacting at any ATM.

A Romanian national was arrested by Kolkata Police on Monday for duping dozens for lakhs from Delhi. “Romanian national Siliviu Florin Spiridon, a resident of Constanta, Romania has been arrested from Greater Kailash by officials of Detective Department of Kolkata Police,” said a senior official of Detective Department of Kolkata Police.

A Romanian national was arrested by Kolkata Police on Monday for duping dozens for lakhs from Delhi. “Romanian national Siliviu Florin Spiridon, a resident of Constanta, Romania has been arrested from Greater Kailash by officials of Detective Department of Kolkata Police,” said a senior official of Detective Department of Kolkata Police. Kolkata Police officials recovered skimming devices, other accessories, magnetic chips, batteries, PIN hole camera chip from his possession. While sources in Kolkata Police said that the arrested Romanian national confessed to have committed the crime, his associates are still at large and a lookout for them has begun. Last Monday people residing in Jadavpur, West Bengal woke up to a shock when thousands and lacs were withdrawn from their bank accounts. Over a span of two days, as many as 59 complaints were registered – 44 from Jadavpur area, 13 from Charu Market area, one from Karaya and one Netaji Nagar area. According to officers in Lalbazar, Kolkata Police headquarters, 13.2 lakh rupees had been duped by the skimmers and the withdrawals were made between November 28 and December 3 from ATMs in Delhi. Officers were also contemplating of questioning arrested Romanian nationals lodged in Bengal’s jails who had duped more than 70 people early this year. Immediately after the scam coming to light, Kolkata Police began an awareness program on social media through its Twitter handle and Facebook page asking people to check for skimmers, suspecting cameras and other devices before transacting at any ATM.

Romanian national arrested for duping several through ATM skimming in Kolkata

Musaraf Ali, one of the 43 people who died in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/fire-hazard-parliament-house-among-100-buildings-in-lutyens-delhi-with-inadequate-countermeasures-266999">Anaj Mandi fire</a> on Sunday, made the last phone call to his friend -- Monu, asking him to look after his family and kids.

Minutes before his death, 30-year-old Musaraf Ali called up his friend and told him that he was going to die due to fire as "no fire tenders have come yet."

"Come to Karol Bagh. There is a fire. I am going to die. There is no way to escape. Look after my family. I am not able to breathe. I don't know how the fire broke out. There is no way. Monu, look after my family and my kids. Don't tell anyone (about Musaraf Ali) instantly. Fire is in the whole building. No fire tenders have come yet," Ali can be heard in conversation with his friend on the phone.

Ali's friend Monu kept asking him to look for a way to come out of the building.

Monu continuously asked Ali about fire tenders and kept telling him not to worry. In his last words, Ali told Monu,&nbsp;"I will die within a few minutes. Even if I die, I will be with you."

Delhi Police have arrested the owner of the building in which the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/anaj-mandi-building-had-no-safety-clearance-or-equipment-delhi-fire-services-266950">fire broke out earlier today</a>, which claimed the lives of 43 people.

"Rehan and his manager Furkan have been arrested. The police are also interrogating brothers of Rehan -- Shan and Imran. We are also looking for those who were running the factory. We are investigating the matter. From the information we have, more or less there is no possibility of more bodies being recovered," DCP, North, Monika Bhardwaj told reporters.

According to police, there was some part of the building, which Rehan had not given on rent.

A case has been registered under Section 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code against building owner Rehan, who had absconded after the fire broke out.

As many as 43 people died after the fire broke out in the factory at Anaj Mandi here in the wee hours on Sunday.

&nbsp;

Musaraf Ali, one of the 43 people who died in Anaj Mandi fire on Sunday, made the last phone call to his friend -- Monu, asking him to look after his family and kids.

Musaraf Ali, one of the 43 people who died in Anaj Mandi fire on Sunday, made the last phone call to his friend -- Monu, asking him to look after his family and kids. Minutes before his death, 30-year-old Musaraf Ali called up his friend and told him that he was going to die due to fire as "no fire tenders have come yet." "Come to Karol Bagh. There is a fire. I am going to die. There is no way to escape. Look after my family. I am not able to breathe. I don't know how the fire broke out. There is no way. Monu, look after my family and my kids. Don't tell anyone (about Musaraf Ali) instantly. Fire is in the whole building. No fire tenders have come yet," Ali can be heard in conversation with his friend on the phone. Ali's friend Monu kept asking him to look for a way to come out of the building. Monu continuously asked Ali about fire tenders and kept telling him not to worry. In his last words, Ali told Monu, "I will die within a few minutes. Even if I die, I will be with you." Delhi Police have arrested the owner of the building in which the fire broke out earlier today, which claimed the lives of 43 people. "Rehan and his manager Furkan have been arrested. The police are also interrogating brothers of Rehan -- Shan and Imran. We are also looking for those who were running the factory. We are investigating the matter. From the information we have, more or less there is no possibility of more bodies being recovered," DCP, North, Monika Bhardwaj told reporters. According to police, there was some part of the building, which Rehan had not given on rent. A case has been registered under Section 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code against building owner Rehan, who had absconded after the fire broke out. As many as 43 people died after the fire broke out in the factory at Anaj Mandi here in the wee hours on Sunday.

'Look after my family, kids': Delhi fire victim told friend in last phone call

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up for the launch of RISAT-2BR1 and on Monday shared a photograph of PSLV C48, which will launch it from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota on December 11.

"Top view of PSLV C48, prominently featuring the bulbous payload fairing that houses RISAT 2BR1 and nine customer satellites. Launch at 1525 hours IST (Indian Standard Time) on December 11, 2019," ISRO tweeted alongside the image.

According to the space agency, RISAT-2BR1, a Radar imaging earth observation satellite weighing about 628 kg, will be placed into an orbit of 576 km at an inclination of 37 degrees.

PSLV-C48 will also carry 9 customer satellites including one from Israel, one from Italy, one from Japan and six from the USA as "co-passengers".&nbsp;

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up for the launch of RISAT-2BR1 and on Monday shared a photograph of PSLV C48, which will launch it from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota on December 11.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up for the launch of RISAT-2BR1 and on Monday shared a photograph of PSLV C48, which will launch it from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota on December 11. "Top view of PSLV C48, prominently featuring the bulbous payload fairing that houses RISAT 2BR1 and nine customer satellites. Launch at 1525 hours IST (Indian Standard Time) on December 11, 2019," ISRO tweeted alongside the image. According to the space agency, RISAT-2BR1, a Radar imaging earth observation satellite weighing about 628 kg, will be placed into an orbit of 576 km at an inclination of 37 degrees. PSLV-C48 will also carry 9 customer satellites including one from Israel, one from Italy, one from Japan and six from the USA as "co-passengers".

Ahead of RISAT-2BR1 launch, ISRO shares top view of PSLV C48

Manipur will be included in the Inner Line Permit (IPL) system, Home Minister Amit Shah announced while moving the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, for passage in Lok Sabha on Monday.

"We are including Manipur in the Inner Line Permit system. This big issue has now been resolved. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi on behalf of people of Manipur for fulfilling this long-standing demand," the Home Minister told the House.

An ILP is a travel document that is issued by the Government of India for travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period.

This practice owes its origin to the British admin's the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations of 1873 and is seen as a security measure as well as an effort to conserve the ethnic-social demographics of certain societies.

Speaking on the bill, Shah said that the government is committed to protecting the identity of Northeast people.

"We are committed to protecting the socio, linguistic and cultural identity of people of Northeast," he said.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

Through this Bill, Indian citizenship will be provided to the members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from the three countries to India till December 31, 2014, to put an end to them being treated as illegal immigrants in the country.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Manipur will be included in the Inner Line Permit (IPL) system, Home Minister Amit Shah announced while moving the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, for passage in Lok Sabha on Monday.

Manipur will be included in the Inner Line Permit (IPL) system, Home Minister Amit Shah announced while moving the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, for passage in Lok Sabha on Monday. "We are including Manipur in the Inner Line Permit system. This big issue has now been resolved. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi on behalf of people of Manipur for fulfilling this long-standing demand," the Home Minister told the House. An ILP is a travel document that is issued by the Government of India for travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period. This practice owes its origin to the British admin's the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations of 1873 and is seen as a security measure as well as an effort to conserve the ethnic-social demographics of certain societies. Speaking on the bill, Shah said that the government is committed to protecting the identity of Northeast people. "We are committed to protecting the socio, linguistic and cultural identity of people of Northeast," he said. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Through this Bill, Indian citizenship will be provided to the members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from the three countries to India till December 31, 2014, to put an end to them being treated as illegal immigrants in the country.

Manipur to be included in Inner Line Permit system: Amit Shah informs Parliament

Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said that the results of the by-election on 15 seats in Karnataka has proved that people won't tolerate if someone tries to play with public mandate.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won 10 Assembly constituencies and is leading on two out of total 15 seats that went to bypolls in Karnataka, according to the Election Commission (EC).

"In the very first chance they get, this is how voters react to opportunist politics and stealing of mandate by rejected parties and coming together for the sake of power. Karnataka by-poll results prove that people won't tolerate if someone tries to play with public mandate and wish," Fadnavis tweeted.

"Many congratulations to BJP, Karnataka BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and (BS) Yediyurappa," he added.

While BJP candidates have been declared as winners from the Yellapur, Ranibennur, Vijayanagara, Krishnarajapete and Chikkaballapur among other constituencies, its candidates are leading on two more seats.

The elections were held for 15 Assembly seats which were left vacant after the legislators resigned in July, triggering the collapse of the Congress-JDS coalition and paving the way for the BJP to come to power.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said that the results of the by-election on 15 seats in Karnataka has proved that people won't tolerate if someone tries to play with public mandate.

Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said that the results of the by-election on 15 seats in Karnataka has proved that people won't tolerate if someone tries to play with public mandate. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won 10 Assembly constituencies and is leading on two out of total 15 seats that went to bypolls in Karnataka, according to the Election Commission (EC). "In the very first chance they get, this is how voters react to opportunist politics and stealing of mandate by rejected parties and coming together for the sake of power. Karnataka by-poll results prove that people won't tolerate if someone tries to play with public mandate and wish," Fadnavis tweeted. "Many congratulations to BJP, Karnataka BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and (BS) Yediyurappa," he added. While BJP candidates have been declared as winners from the Yellapur, Ranibennur, Vijayanagara, Krishnarajapete and Chikkaballapur among other constituencies, its candidates are leading on two more seats. The elections were held for 15 Assembly seats which were left vacant after the legislators resigned in July, triggering the collapse of the Congress-JDS coalition and paving the way for the BJP to come to power.

People won't tolerate if someone tries to play with public mandate: Fadnavis on Karnataka bypoll results

A Delhi court on Monday sent to 14-day police custody, the owner and manager of a factory in Anaj Mandi area where a massive fire claimed the lives of 43 people on Sunday.

Tees Hazari court sent factory owner Rehan and manager Furkan to police custody for interrogation in the matter.

Police had produced the two before the court seeking custody after they were arrested on Sunday.

A case has been registered under Section 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against building owner Rehan, who had absconded after the fire broke out.

According to the police, there are three different owners of separate portions of the property.

"Rehan is the owner and shareholder of the factory, whereas manager Furkan has worked here since 2003. Rehan and Furkan are childhood friends," police said.

As many as 43 people died and at least 63 others were injured after a massive fire broke out in the factory at Anaj Mandi here in the wee hours on Sunday.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

A Delhi court on Monday sent to 14-day police custody, the owner and manager of a factory in Anaj Mandi area where a massive fire claimed the lives of 43 people on Sunday.

A Delhi court on Monday sent to 14-day police custody, the owner and manager of a factory in Anaj Mandi area where a massive fire claimed the lives of 43 people on Sunday. Tees Hazari court sent factory owner Rehan and manager Furkan to police custody for interrogation in the matter. Police had produced the two before the court seeking custody after they were arrested on Sunday. A case has been registered under Section 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against building owner Rehan, who had absconded after the fire broke out. According to the police, there are three different owners of separate portions of the property. "Rehan is the owner and shareholder of the factory, whereas manager Furkan has worked here since 2003. Rehan and Furkan are childhood friends," police said. As many as 43 people died and at least 63 others were injured after a massive fire broke out in the factory at Anaj Mandi here in the wee hours on Sunday.

Delhi fire incident: Factory owner, manager sent to 14-day police custody

Former Karnataka chief minister and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Monday wrote a letter of resignation to Interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi and expressed his regrets for not being able to give `satisfactory results` in the bypolls held on 15 seats of the state.

"I express my sincere regrets for not being able to give satisfactory results in the recently concluded bye-elections held to Karnataka Legislative Assembly despite my sincere efforts," Siddaramaiah wrote in the letter.

"I deem it necessary to step down as Leader of CLP by taking moral responsibility. I solemnly pledge my loyalty to your esteemed leadership and to the Congress party at all times," he added.

Earlier today Siddaramaiah said that he has also resigned as the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly.

"I have also resigned as the Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly," he said.

Siddaramaiah further said that he will be sending a copy of his resignation to Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal and the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao.

"I had expected that the voters might vote against the disqualified MLAs, who sold themselves. I thought they will be punished and I had expected this to happen. My expectations have gone wrong," he added.

According to the latest trends of the by-elections held on 15 assembly constituencies in the state, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won 10 seats and is currently leading on two others whereas, Congress has won one and is leading on one other.&nbsp;

Former Karnataka chief minister and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Monday wrote a letter of resignation to Interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi and expressed his regrets for not being able to give `satisfactory results` in the bypolls held on 15 seats of the state.

Former Karnataka chief minister and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Monday wrote a letter of resignation to Interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi and expressed his regrets for not being able to give `satisfactory results` in the bypolls held on 15 seats of the state. "I express my sincere regrets for not being able to give satisfactory results in the recently concluded bye-elections held to Karnataka Legislative Assembly despite my sincere efforts," Siddaramaiah wrote in the letter. "I deem it necessary to step down as Leader of CLP by taking moral responsibility. I solemnly pledge my loyalty to your esteemed leadership and to the Congress party at all times," he added. Earlier today Siddaramaiah said that he has also resigned as the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly. "I have also resigned as the Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly," he said. Siddaramaiah further said that he will be sending a copy of his resignation to Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal and the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao. "I had expected that the voters might vote against the disqualified MLAs, who sold themselves. I thought they will be punished and I had expected this to happen. My expectations have gone wrong," he added. According to the latest trends of the by-elections held on 15 assembly constituencies in the state, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won 10 seats and is currently leading on two others whereas, Congress has won one and is leading on one other.

Karnataka: Siddaramaiah sends resignation to Sonia Gandhi, takes responsibility of bypoll results

Japanese trade minister Hiroshi Kajiyama will be meeting his Indian counterpart Piyush Goyal on Tuesday in New Delhi. Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will be the top focus during the meeting tomorrow.

Japan is keen that India joins the RCEP from which New Delhi had withdrawn in November during the East Asia Summit. India said that the outcome of the pact is not a balanced one and does not provide adequate protection against import surge among other things.

Earlier this month, the Japanese foreign minister said that, "Japan is making diplomatic efforts to realize the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) with the participation of all 16 countries, including India".

Explaining his government's position Kajiyama said, "what is driving our efforts is Japan’s firm conviction that the framework of the RCEP can truly boost the region’s economic potential only with the participation of India" which is the "world’s most populous democratic country and a major strategic player connecting the Asia-Pacific and the Indian Ocean."

RCEP deal is expected to go ahead with 15 countries. The negotiation for the deal started in 2012 in Cambodia and will be one of the biggest free trade agreement in the world. 
&nbsp;

Japanese trade minister Hiroshi Kajiyama will be meeting his Indian counterpart Piyush Goyal on Tuesday in New Delhi. Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will be the top focus during the meeting tomorrow.

Japanese trade minister Hiroshi Kajiyama will be meeting his Indian counterpart Piyush Goyal on Tuesday in New Delhi. Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will be the top focus during the meeting tomorrow. Japan is keen that India joins the RCEP from which New Delhi had withdrawn in November during the East Asia Summit. India said that the outcome of the pact is not a balanced one and does not provide adequate protection against import surge among other things. Earlier this month, the Japanese foreign minister said that, "Japan is making diplomatic efforts to realize the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) with the participation of all 16 countries, including India". Explaining his government's position Kajiyama said, "what is driving our efforts is Japan’s firm conviction that the framework of the RCEP can truly boost the region’s economic potential only with the participation of India" which is the "world’s most populous democratic country and a major strategic player connecting the Asia-Pacific and the Indian Ocean." RCEP deal is expected to go ahead with 15 countries. The negotiation for the deal started in 2012 in Cambodia and will be one of the biggest free trade agreement in the world.

With RECP in focus, Japanese trade minister to meet Piyush Goyal on Tuesday 

In what comes as a huge relief to the 4-month-old Yediyurappa-led government in Karnataka, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday won 12 out of the 15 seats in bypolls.&nbsp;

The rebellion within the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in July 2019 had brought down the year-old Kumaraswamy government in the state. The BJP had given tickets to 13 defectors out of the 15 seats, 11 of whom have emerged victorious.&nbsp;

In a major loss to former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Congress won only 2 seats despite expecting victory in at least 7.&nbsp;

"During the bypolls, the ruling party always has an edge. But ultimately we accept defeat. But we don't have to be disheartened, because as far as Karnataka is concerned the Congress is strong" said senior Congress leader, DK Shivakumar.&nbsp;

With the new additions, the BJP sits at comfortably with 117 seats in the 223 member house which puts them 5 figures above the magic number of 112 seats. The number could also go up to 118 with sources indicating that BJP rebel Sharath Bachchegowda is expected to return to the party fold after winning as an independent from Hosakote constituency. The Congress has improved its numbers marginally and sits with 68 members, whereas JD(S)' figures remain unchanged at 34. After a bitter fallout, the former coalition partners Congress and JD(S) had fought the bypolls separately on December 5.

Interestingly, the chaos resulting from the rebellion seems to have had a little damaging impact on the prospects of the MLAs in question. 13 of the 15 candidates who were given tickets by the BJP were rebels who were allowed to contest elections following a Supreme Court order on November 13.&nbsp;

Of the 13 candidates, only 2 rebel MLAs failed to get the required mandate. Interestingly, H Vishwanath, former JD(S) state president, who led the rebel MLAs to Mumbai in July, lost the bypoll in Hunsur to Congress candidate HP Manjunath.&nbsp;

The next big challenge for the Yediyurappa government will be the cabinet's expansion. It was the cabinet portfolio allotment that had unravelled the precariously placed Kumaraswamy government too.&nbsp;

The first round of cabinet expansion in August 2019 saw the internal rebellion of the party come to the fore. In the second round of expansion, the defectors will look to be accommodated with plum posts.&nbsp;

"11 of 12 winning BJP candidates will be accommodated in the cabinet. The Ranibennur MLA was not promised a berth. I do not see why the 11 others cannot be inducted. I will go to Delhi in the next 3-4 days and finalise it' said Yediyurappa.&nbsp;

However, senior BJP loyalists might not be thrilled with 11 'outsiders' being given the preference for cabinet berths. Despite the victory, it is going to be a tightrope walk for the 76-yr-old Chief Minister in the South Indian state.&nbsp;

In what comes as a huge relief to the 4-month-old Yediyurappa-led government in Karnataka, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday won 12 out of the 15 seats in bypolls.

In what comes as a huge relief to the 4-month-old Yediyurappa-led government in Karnataka, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday won 12 out of the 15 seats in bypolls. The rebellion within the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in July 2019 had brought down the year-old Kumaraswamy government in the state. The BJP had given tickets to 13 defectors out of the 15 seats, 11 of whom have emerged victorious. In a major loss to former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Congress won only 2 seats despite expecting victory in at least 7. "During the bypolls, the ruling party always has an edge. But ultimately we accept defeat. But we don't have to be disheartened, because as far as Karnataka is concerned the Congress is strong" said senior Congress leader, DK Shivakumar. With the new additions, the BJP sits at comfortably with 117 seats in the 223 member house which puts them 5 figures above the magic number of 112 seats. The number could also go up to 118 with sources indicating that BJP rebel Sharath Bachchegowda is expected to return to the party fold after winning as an independent from Hosakote constituency. The Congress has improved its numbers marginally and sits with 68 members, whereas JD(S)' figures remain unchanged at 34. After a bitter fallout, the former coalition partners Congress and JD(S) had fought the bypolls separately on December 5. Interestingly, the chaos resulting from the rebellion seems to have had a little damaging impact on the prospects of the MLAs in question. 13 of the 15 candidates who were given tickets by the BJP were rebels who were allowed to contest elections following a Supreme Court order on November 13. Of the 13 candidates, only 2 rebel MLAs failed to get the required mandate. Interestingly, H Vishwanath, former JD(S) state president, who led the rebel MLAs to Mumbai in July, lost the bypoll in Hunsur to Congress candidate HP Manjunath. The next big challenge for the Yediyurappa government will be the cabinet's expansion. It was the cabinet portfolio allotment that had unravelled the precariously placed Kumaraswamy government too. The first round of cabinet expansion in August 2019 saw the internal rebellion of the party come to the fore. In the second round of expansion, the defectors will look to be accommodated with plum posts. "11 of 12 winning BJP candidates will be accommodated in the cabinet. The Ranibennur MLA was not promised a berth. I do not see why the 11 others cannot be inducted. I will go to Delhi in the next 3-4 days and finalise it' said Yediyurappa. However, senior BJP loyalists might not be thrilled with 11 'outsiders' being given the preference for cabinet berths. Despite the victory, it is going to be a tightrope walk for the 76-yr-old Chief Minister in the South Indian state.

Karnataka bypolls: Bharatiya Janata Party wins 12 out of 15 seats 

New Delhi [India], Dec 9 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to pass any directions to the Centre on a plea seeking to formulate a policy related to linking social media accounts of individuals with Aadhaar and other identification proofs to weed out fake and ghost accounts.

A division bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and C Hari Shankar left over the central government to decide over any policy required to frame on this issue.

The court observed that to weed out the around 18 and 20 per cent fake and ghost account, date related to Aadhaar, Voter Id card, PAN card and other identification proof of 80 per cent genuine account holders will go to a foreign country.

"If such type of direction for linkage of Aadhaar, PAN or Voter ID is ordered by the court, there may be a situation where data of genuine account holder (who are 80 per cent of the total) will also go in a foreign country, which may be unnecessary," the court said.

The Centre apprised the court that the government is under consideration and also got some suggestions from law commission on this regard.

The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay seeking direction to the Centre to take appropriate steps to link social media accounts with Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID card or any other identification proof to weed out fake and duplicate accounts and to control fake and paid news which may affect the election process.

The plea, also sought direction to the central government to declare that the publication of `paid news` and political advertisements during the last 48 hours before polls is a "corrupt practise" under Section 123(4) in The Representation of the People Act, 1951.

"The publication of fake news involves the use of black money, under-reporting of election expenses of political parties and candidates and indulging in other kinds of malpractices. The influence of black money also has the potential to result in an imbalanced election between people of different financial statures," the plea claimed."

Thus, in order to have free and fair elections, which is a basic dictum of democracy, the level playing field is paramount and this cannot be achieved without mitigating the instances of fake news," the petition added.

Upadhyay, through his plea, sought Centre`s direction to take appropriate steps for deactivation of fake, duplicate and ghost social media accounts.

The plea claimed that the hundreds of fake Twitter handle and bogus Facebook accounts in the name of eminent peoples and high dignitaries including the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, Cabinet Ministers, Chief Justice of India and the judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts.

"These fake Twitter handles and bogus Facebook accounts use the real photos of the constitutional authorities and eminent people," the petitioner said.

The plea stated that fake and paid news prevents the free exercise of the right to vote due to the use of money and muscle power by candidates.

"It affects the rights of the ordinary citizens to get elected and puts them at a great disadvantage due to reduced win-ability factor as an independent. Use of fake and paid news is arbitrary and unfair because it invites and enables people with criminal backgrounds to buy tickets from national and state recognised political parties and contest elections," the petitioner claimed.

"A person convicted of rape, extortion, kidnapping and murder can come back into the electoral arena. A person guilty of corruption and terrorism can also become a candidate of national and state recognised parties. Take the case of 2G, CWG and Coalgate. The accused are coming back to the election arena through national or state recognised parties. Would they not affect the elections with money and muscle power, offsetting the valuable freedom to vote without fear or favour?" the plea added.

Upadhyay said that the principle of one man, one vote is based on the freedom to vote in a fair election, which is impossible without weeding out fake accounts.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

New Delhi [India], Dec 9 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to pass any directions to the Centre on a plea seeking to formulate a policy related to linking social media accounts of individuals with Aadhaar and other identification proofs to weed out fake and ghost accounts.

New Delhi [India], Dec 9 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to pass any directions to the Centre on a plea seeking to formulate a policy related to linking social media accounts of individuals with Aadhaar and other identification proofs to weed out fake and ghost accounts. A division bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and C Hari Shankar left over the central government to decide over any policy required to frame on this issue. The court observed that to weed out the around 18 and 20 per cent fake and ghost account, date related to Aadhaar, Voter Id card, PAN card and other identification proof of 80 per cent genuine account holders will go to a foreign country. "If such type of direction for linkage of Aadhaar, PAN or Voter ID is ordered by the court, there may be a situation where data of genuine account holder (who are 80 per cent of the total) will also go in a foreign country, which may be unnecessary," the court said. The Centre apprised the court that the government is under consideration and also got some suggestions from law commission on this regard. The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay seeking direction to the Centre to take appropriate steps to link social media accounts with Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID card or any other identification proof to weed out fake and duplicate accounts and to control fake and paid news which may affect the election process. The plea, also sought direction to the central government to declare that the publication of `paid news` and political advertisements during the last 48 hours before polls is a "corrupt practise" under Section 123(4) in The Representation of the People Act, 1951. "The publication of fake news involves the use of black money, under-reporting of election expenses of political parties and candidates and indulging in other kinds of malpractices. The influence of black money also has the potential to result in an imbalanced election between people of different financial statures," the plea claimed." Thus, in order to have free and fair elections, which is a basic dictum of democracy, the level playing field is paramount and this cannot be achieved without mitigating the instances of fake news," the petition added. Upadhyay, through his plea, sought Centre`s direction to take appropriate steps for deactivation of fake, duplicate and ghost social media accounts. The plea claimed that the hundreds of fake Twitter handle and bogus Facebook accounts in the name of eminent peoples and high dignitaries including the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, Cabinet Ministers, Chief Justice of India and the judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts. "These fake Twitter handles and bogus Facebook accounts use the real photos of the constitutional authorities and eminent people," the petitioner said. The plea stated that fake and paid news prevents the free exercise of the right to vote due to the use of money and muscle power by candidates. "It affects the rights of the ordinary citizens to get elected and puts them at a great disadvantage due to reduced win-ability factor as an independent. Use of fake and paid news is arbitrary and unfair because it invites and enables people with criminal backgrounds to buy tickets from national and state recognised political parties and contest elections," the petitioner claimed. "A person convicted of rape, extortion, kidnapping and murder can come back into the electoral arena. A person guilty of corruption and terrorism can also become a candidate of national and state recognised parties. Take the case of 2G, CWG and Coalgate. The accused are coming back to the election arena through national or state recognised parties. Would they not affect the elections with money and muscle power, offsetting the valuable freedom to vote without fear or favour?" the plea added. Upadhyay said that the principle of one man, one vote is based on the freedom to vote in a fair election, which is impossible without weeding out fake accounts.

Delhi HC refuses to pass directions to Centre to link social media accounts of individuals with Aadhaar

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who tabled the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 in the Lok Sabha on Monday, said that Muslims from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh won`t get the benefit of this amendment as they have not faced religious persecution.

"If any Muslim from these three (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh) nations applies for citizenship according to our law, then we will consider it, but the person won`t get the benefit of this amendment as the person has not faced religious persecution," said Shah in the Lower House.

"In Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Parsis and Jains have been discriminated against. So, this bill will give these persecuted people citizenship. Also, the allegation that this Bill will take away the rights of Muslims is wrong," he said.

"Why do we need this Bill today? After independence, if the Congress had not done the partition on the basis of religion, then today we would have not needed this Bill," he said.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

Through this Bill, Indian citizenship will be provided to the members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from the three countries to India till December 31, 2014, to put an end to them being treated as illegal immigrants in the country.

It is important to note that the Bill was passed by the Lower House of Parliament earlier this year but lapsed with the term of the previous Lok Sabha during the first term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi government at the Centre.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who tabled the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 in the Lok Sabha on Monday, said that Muslims from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh won`t get the benefit of this amendment as they have not faced religious persecution.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who tabled the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 in the Lok Sabha on Monday, said that Muslims from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh won`t get the benefit of this amendment as they have not faced religious persecution. "If any Muslim from these three (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh) nations applies for citizenship according to our law, then we will consider it, but the person won`t get the benefit of this amendment as the person has not faced religious persecution," said Shah in the Lower House. "In Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Parsis and Jains have been discriminated against. So, this bill will give these persecuted people citizenship. Also, the allegation that this Bill will take away the rights of Muslims is wrong," he said. "Why do we need this Bill today? After independence, if the Congress had not done the partition on the basis of religion, then today we would have not needed this Bill," he said. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Through this Bill, Indian citizenship will be provided to the members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from the three countries to India till December 31, 2014, to put an end to them being treated as illegal immigrants in the country. It is important to note that the Bill was passed by the Lower House of Parliament earlier this year but lapsed with the term of the previous Lok Sabha during the first term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

Muslims from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh won't get benefits of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill: Amit Shah

The All India United Democratic Front, an Assam-based political party, protested against the controversial <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/citizenship-amendment-bill-tabled-in-lok-sabha-267128">Citizenship (Amendment) Bill</a>, 2019 at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Monday.

Protestors marched with placards that read, `We oppose CAB` and `CAB is against the idea of India`.

"The Centre is trying to get illegal Bangladeshi immigrants into our state. We are against this Bill, and we will keep protesting against the Bill. The government can pass it but we will not let it be enforced into Assam," Nizamuddin Choudhury, a party legislator, told ANI.

"The CAB should be abolished because it is against our constitution. This is a religious bill, which violates the Assam Accord signed in 1985," said Sujabuddin Lashkar, a protestor.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, that seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, was tabled in Lok Sabha on Monday by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Also Watch:&nbsp;Citizenship Amendment Bill tabled in Lok Sabha

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-citizenship-amendment-bill-tabled-in-lok-sabha-267132/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

If passed, the legislation will enable Indian citizenship to the members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from the three countries to India till December 31, 2014, facing religious persecution and put an end to them being treated as illegal immigrants in the country.

The Bill has evoked mixed reactions from various sections of the society and the political parties. Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, had on Sunday said that the party will oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill "tooth and nail" in Parliament, calling it "violation" of the Indian Constitution.

Several Congress leaders including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Gaurav Gogoi and AK Antony had taken part in the meeting held at Gandhi`s residence late on Sunday.

Apart from this, several students and indigenous people`s rights organisations such as the All Assam Students` Union and the Indigenous People`s Front of Tripura , through marches and calling for strikes, have also carried out protests against the CAB.

The Bill was passed by the Lower House of the Parliament earlier this year but lapsed with the term of the previous Lok Sabha.

The All India United Democratic Front, an Assam-based political party, protested against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Monday.

The All India United Democratic Front, an Assam-based political party, protested against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Monday. Protestors marched with placards that read, `We oppose CAB` and `CAB is against the idea of India`. "The Centre is trying to get illegal Bangladeshi immigrants into our state. We are against this Bill, and we will keep protesting against the Bill. The government can pass it but we will not let it be enforced into Assam," Nizamuddin Choudhury, a party legislator, told ANI. "The CAB should be abolished because it is against our constitution. This is a religious bill, which violates the Assam Accord signed in 1985," said Sujabuddin Lashkar, a protestor. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, that seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, was tabled in Lok Sabha on Monday by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Also Watch: Citizenship Amendment Bill tabled in Lok Sabha × If passed, the legislation will enable Indian citizenship to the members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from the three countries to India till December 31, 2014, facing religious persecution and put an end to them being treated as illegal immigrants in the country. The Bill has evoked mixed reactions from various sections of the society and the political parties. Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, had on Sunday said that the party will oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill "tooth and nail" in Parliament, calling it "violation" of the Indian Constitution. Several Congress leaders including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Gaurav Gogoi and AK Antony had taken part in the meeting held at Gandhi`s residence late on Sunday. Apart from this, several students and indigenous people`s rights organisations such as the All Assam Students` Union and the Indigenous People`s Front of Tripura , through marches and calling for strikes, have also carried out protests against the CAB. The Bill was passed by the Lower House of the Parliament earlier this year but lapsed with the term of the previous Lok Sabha.

Assam's AIUDF protests against Citizenship Amendment Bill in Delhi

To protest against the passage of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-votes-in-favour-of-introduction-of-citizenship-amendment-bill-267153">Citizenship (Amendment) Bill</a>, many districts in Assam on Monday observed a 12 hour-shutdown and demonstrations were held in the several cities of the state.

Dirugarh, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal's constituency also participated in the shutdown.

All shops, markets remain closed and only a few people were seen out on the roads. Some protesters burnt rubber tyres but were soon detained by the police.

In Golaghat, some locals protested half-naked against the bill. Later, police resorted to lathi-charge in order to disperse the crowd.

Security forces have been deployed in many areas to keep the situation under control and avoid any untoward situation.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Union Home Minister Amit Shah today introduced the bill in Lok Sabha.

The Citizenship Amend Bill, 2019 was introduced after a division with 293 members voting in favour of the bill and 82 against it.

Through this bill, Indian citizenship will be provided to the members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from the three countries to India till December 31, 2014, to put an end to them being treated as illegal immigrants in the country.

The Bill was passed by the Lower House of the Parliament earlier this year but lapsed with the term of the previous Lok Sabha during the first term of the Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/saarc-needs-greater-collaboration-to-act-against-terrorism-pm-narendra-modi-266951">Narendra Modi</a> government in the Centre.

To protest against the passage of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, many districts in Assam on Monday observed a 12 hour-shutdown and demonstrations were held in the several cities of the state.

To protest against the passage of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, many districts in Assam on Monday observed a 12 hour-shutdown and demonstrations were held in the several cities of the state. Dirugarh, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal's constituency also participated in the shutdown. All shops, markets remain closed and only a few people were seen out on the roads. Some protesters burnt rubber tyres but were soon detained by the police. In Golaghat, some locals protested half-naked against the bill. Later, police resorted to lathi-charge in order to disperse the crowd. Security forces have been deployed in many areas to keep the situation under control and avoid any untoward situation. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Union Home Minister Amit Shah today introduced the bill in Lok Sabha. The Citizenship Amend Bill, 2019 was introduced after a division with 293 members voting in favour of the bill and 82 against it. Through this bill, Indian citizenship will be provided to the members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from the three countries to India till December 31, 2014, to put an end to them being treated as illegal immigrants in the country. The Bill was passed by the Lower House of the Parliament earlier this year but lapsed with the term of the previous Lok Sabha during the first term of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government in the Centre.

Shutdown, protests in Assam against Citizenship Amendment Bill

Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-extends-his-wishes-to-indian-forces-on-armed-forces-flag-day-266768">Narendra Modi</a> on Monday attacked Congress and JD-S while citing the result trends of Karnataka by-polls and asserted that the people of Karnataka had witnessed corruption and `laxity in development` during tenure of Congress-JD(S) government and hence have voted BJP.

He also said that the by-polls results of this state are a message for all those states where anyone betrays public mandate.

The Prime Minister`s comments came at a time when BJP was leading in as many as nine seats of Karnataka in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/karnataka-bypolls-results-bjp-leads-in-10-seats-congress-jds-leading-in-2-each-267073">by-poll results</a> and has emerged victorious on three.

Speaking at an election rally here, Modi said, "Today people of Karnataka have proved that Congress and JD-S won`t be able to betray them. This is a message for all states of the country that if someone will go against the public mandate and betray people, the citizens will punish them at the first opportunity".

Modi also spoke about the political tussle that the state of Karnataka had witnessed soon after the assembly election results.

"Earlier the people gave mandate to BJP to form the government but <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/karnataka-bypolls-results-congress-accepts-defeat-after-bjp-takes-early-lead-in-12-seats-267119">Congress</a> played behind the curtain and managed to stop the BJP government formation. But today people gave them punishment as BJP candidates are either winning or leading in most of the seats in the bye-elections," the Prime Minister said.

"I pay gratitude to the people of the state for choosing stability and development by showing confidence in the BJP," he added.

As of now, the BJP has won three seats and is leading on nine, while the Congress is leading on two seats and an Independent candidate on one.

The elections were held for 15 Assembly seats which were left vacant after the legislators resigned in July, triggering the collapse of the Congress-JDS coalition and paving the way for the BJP to come to power.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday attacked Congress and JD-S while citing the result trends of Karnataka by-polls and asserted that the people of Karnataka had witnessed corruption and `laxity in development` during tenure of Congress-JD(S) government and hence have voted BJP.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday attacked Congress and JD-S while citing the result trends of Karnataka by-polls and asserted that the people of Karnataka had witnessed corruption and `laxity in development` during tenure of Congress-JD(S) government and hence have voted BJP. He also said that the by-polls results of this state are a message for all those states where anyone betrays public mandate. The Prime Minister`s comments came at a time when BJP was leading in as many as nine seats of Karnataka in by-poll results and has emerged victorious on three. Speaking at an election rally here, Modi said, "Today people of Karnataka have proved that Congress and JD-S won`t be able to betray them. This is a message for all states of the country that if someone will go against the public mandate and betray people, the citizens will punish them at the first opportunity". Modi also spoke about the political tussle that the state of Karnataka had witnessed soon after the assembly election results. "Earlier the people gave mandate to BJP to form the government but Congress played behind the curtain and managed to stop the BJP government formation. But today people gave them punishment as BJP candidates are either winning or leading in most of the seats in the bye-elections," the Prime Minister said. "I pay gratitude to the people of the state for choosing stability and development by showing confidence in the BJP," he added. As of now, the BJP has won three seats and is leading on nine, while the Congress is leading on two seats and an Independent candidate on one. The elections were held for 15 Assembly seats which were left vacant after the legislators resigned in July, triggering the collapse of the Congress-JDS coalition and paving the way for the BJP to come to power.

Karnataka voted for stability, poll results a message for all states: PM Modi

Even as Pakistan is in the process of further legal steps on Kulbhushan Jhadav, authorities in Islamabad have told the Indian side that only a Pakistani can represent him in the court.&nbsp;

During the consular access given to Indian side on September 2, a power of attorney was signed by Jhadav under which the Indian high commission can represent him for further legal recourse. &nbsp;

In a tweet last month, the Pakistani army said, "various legal options for review and reconsideration" for Kulbhushan Jhadav are being considered and "final status shall be shared in due course of time".

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Speculations for amendment in Pak Army Act to implement ICJ verdict regarding convicted Indian terrorist Cdr Kulbushan Jadhav are incorrect. Various legal options for review and reconsideration of the case are being considered. Final status shall be shared in due course of time.
— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialDGISPR/status/1194593433203216385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The Pakistani army also dismissed reports of Pak Army act being amended to so that Jhadav can appeal in a civil court against the military court's order. Incidentally, Pakistan government sources had initially claimed that the process of amendment is being considered.

Last week, Ministry of External Affairs said, "Some communication which is going on India and Pakistan on this issue" and India is in touch with Pakistani side via diplomatic channels with New Delhi requesting for "immediate, effective and unhindered" consular access.

Earlier this year, India got a major diplomatic victory at the international court of justice after the world court asked Pakistan to provide consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

India got access on September 2 with India's Deputy High Commissioner (DHC) Gaurav Ahluwalia in Islamabad meeting Kulbhushan for two&nbsp;hours.

The Indian diplomat found Jhadav under "extreme pressure to parrot a false narrative to bolster Pakistan’s untenable claims", according to a release issued by MEA.

India maintains that Jadhav was abducted by Pakistani agencies from Iran and New Delhi was first informed about his custody by Pakistani authorities on March 25, 2016, after which in 2017, Islamabad announced that a military court has awarded death sentence to him.

Even as Pakistan is in the process of further legal steps on Kulbhushan Jhadav, authorities in Islamabad have told the Indian side that only a Pakistani can represent him in the court.

Even as Pakistan is in the process of further legal steps on Kulbhushan Jhadav, authorities in Islamabad have told the Indian side that only a Pakistani can represent him in the court. During the consular access given to Indian side on September 2, a power of attorney was signed by Jhadav under which the Indian high commission can represent him for further legal recourse. In a tweet last month, the Pakistani army said, "various legal options for review and reconsideration" for Kulbhushan Jhadav are being considered and "final status shall be shared in due course of time". Speculations for amendment in Pak Army Act to implement ICJ verdict regarding convicted Indian terrorist Cdr Kulbushan Jadhav are incorrect. Various legal options for review and reconsideration of the case are being considered. Final status shall be shared in due course of time. — DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) November 13, 2019 × The Pakistani army also dismissed reports of Pak Army act being amended to so that Jhadav can appeal in a civil court against the military court's order. Incidentally, Pakistan government sources had initially claimed that the process of amendment is being considered. Last week, Ministry of External Affairs said, "Some communication which is going on India and Pakistan on this issue" and India is in touch with Pakistani side via diplomatic channels with New Delhi requesting for "immediate, effective and unhindered" consular access. Earlier this year, India got a major diplomatic victory at the international court of justice after the world court asked Pakistan to provide consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. India got access on September 2 with India's Deputy High Commissioner (DHC) Gaurav Ahluwalia in Islamabad meeting Kulbhushan for two hours. The Indian diplomat found Jhadav under "extreme pressure to parrot a false narrative to bolster Pakistan’s untenable claims", according to a release issued by MEA. India maintains that Jadhav was abducted by Pakistani agencies from Iran and New Delhi was first informed about his custody by Pakistani authorities on March 25, 2016, after which in 2017, Islamabad announced that a military court has awarded death sentence to him.

Only a Pakistani national can represent Kulbhushan Jhadav in court, insists Islamabad

The cold wave has intensified in the Kashmir valley with extreme foggy conditions making it hard for the common man to resume normal work.&nbsp;

Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing heavy fog throughout the day leading to the cancellation of all flights from the city airport since Saturday last week.&nbsp;

Waterbodies in several rural areas of Kashmir has also started freezing much before the harsh winter period locally known as 'Chillai-Kalan'.

On Monday, the traffic department asked people to drive slow and use fog lights. The cold wave has also forced authorities to shut lower primary schools in the region with the decision to shut all schools is expected soon.&nbsp;

The residents of Srinagar say that they have never witnessed dense fog cover in the city in years.

"I have never seen fog making everything invisible during the daytime," said Abdul Ahad, who says he's in his 50's.

The morning flights from Srinagar on Monday couldn't take off due to low visibility, said an official. The Srinagar-Jammu national highway which connects valley from the rest of India was thrown open for traffic after remaining closed on Sunday.&nbsp;

The meteorological department has predicted heavy to moderate snowfall in the valley from Wednesday which according to them would provide relief to the residents from the fog but would further dip the temperature.&nbsp;

"The relative humidity is more than 70 per cent and the morning temperature is also below the freezing point, so these two conditions make the fog grow," said Mukhtar Ahmad, in charge, Indian meteorological department adding that people travelling in their vehicles should take precaution and the visibility would improve in the coming days.&nbsp;

Drass in Ladakh was the coldest place in entire India where temperatures soared to minus 21.4 degrees Celcius and freezing water bodies and taps.&nbsp;

Locals told WION that people were forced to adapt traditional methods to beat the cold.&nbsp;

The cold wave has intensified in the Kashmir valley with extreme foggy conditions making it hard for the common man to resume normal work. Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing heavy fog throughout the day leading to the cancellation of all flights from the city airport since Saturday last week.

The cold wave has intensified in the Kashmir valley with extreme foggy conditions making it hard for the common man to resume normal work. Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing heavy fog throughout the day leading to the cancellation of all flights from the city airport since Saturday last week. Waterbodies in several rural areas of Kashmir has also started freezing much before the harsh winter period locally known as 'Chillai-Kalan'. On Monday, the traffic department asked people to drive slow and use fog lights. The cold wave has also forced authorities to shut lower primary schools in the region with the decision to shut all schools is expected soon. The residents of Srinagar say that they have never witnessed dense fog cover in the city in years. "I have never seen fog making everything invisible during the daytime," said Abdul Ahad, who says he's in his 50's. The morning flights from Srinagar on Monday couldn't take off due to low visibility, said an official. The Srinagar-Jammu national highway which connects valley from the rest of India was thrown open for traffic after remaining closed on Sunday. The meteorological department has predicted heavy to moderate snowfall in the valley from Wednesday which according to them would provide relief to the residents from the fog but would further dip the temperature. "The relative humidity is more than 70 per cent and the morning temperature is also below the freezing point, so these two conditions make the fog grow," said Mukhtar Ahmad, in charge, Indian meteorological department adding that people travelling in their vehicles should take precaution and the visibility would improve in the coming days. Drass in Ladakh was the coldest place in entire India where temperatures soared to minus 21.4 degrees Celcius and freezing water bodies and taps. Locals told WION that people were forced to adapt traditional methods to beat the cold.

Cold wave intensifies in Kashmir, several flights cancelled

india-news

India, News on India, stories on India, articles on India, India stories at Wion, India news, India latest news

india news