Top news: Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Dawood Ibrahim declared terrorists under new anti-terror law

Amit Shah undergoes minor surgery for lipoma at Ahmedabad hospital

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday underwent a minor surgery for lipoma on the back of his neck at a hospital in Ahmedabad. The Bharatiya Janata Party said Shah was successfully operated on and was immediately discharged after the surgery at KD hospital in the city.

IMA writes to Narendra Modi seeking law to curb violence against healthcare professionals

The Indian Medical Association wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, calling for a central law to curb violence against health professionals and asked him to introduce an ordinance for it. The association’s letter came in the wake of protests in Assamagainst the mob lynching of a doctor in a tea estate last week.

Army says Pakistan has stepped up efforts to push terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir

The Indian Army on Wednesday said Pakistan has stepped up attempts to push as many terrorists as possible into Jammu and Kashmir. The Army added that they caught two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists during one such attempt. This came amid rising hostilities between the India and Pakistan since New Delhi revoked the state’s special status.

Punjab: At least 10 killed in blast at firecracker factory in Gurdaspur

At least 10 people were killed in a blast at a firecracker factory in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab on Wednesday. Several people were injured while around 50 are feared trapped under the debris.

Extension of President’s rule in Kashmir was not delayed: MHA says in reply to SC lawyer’s article

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday dismissed an article published in The Indian Express earlier in the day claiming that the Centre’s delay in extending President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir in June could put its decision to change the state’s constitutional status on shaky ground.

Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Dawood Ibrahim and Lakhvi declared terrorists under new anti-terror law

Jaish-e-Mohammad Chief Masood Azhar and Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed were declared as individual terrorists by the government under the new anti-terror law. The decision came a month afer the Parliament passed the amendments to The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act of 1967.

Maruti Suzuki to shut down production at Gurugram and Manesar plants for two days

Indian carmaker Maruti Suzuki on Wednesday announced that it had decided to shut down operations in its plants in Gurugram and Manesar in Haryana for two days – September 7 and September 9. Maruti Suzuki India’s announcement came days after it reported a 32.7% decline in the total vehicle sales in August.

Indian embassy in London vandalised as protests over Kashmir turn violent, two arrested

The Indian High Commission in London was vandalised on Tuesday after a protest by hundreds of people against the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status. The high commission posted a photo on Twitter of a broken window.

JCB Prize for Literature 2019: Debutants and first novels dominate the longlist

Four women and six men have been featured on the longlist of the JCB Prize for Literature 2019, the second edition of the richest award for Indian writing with a prize money of Rs 25 lakh for the winner. This year, an additional Rs 10 lakh was announced for the translator in case the winning book is a translation.

Kashmiri youth dies in Srinagar hospital a month after he got injured during protests: Army

A Kashmiri youth who was injured during protests last month died at a hospital in Srinagar early on Wednesday, officials said. Asrar Ahmad Khan’s death prompted authorities to impose some restrictions in Srinagar.

Shiv Sena asks government to take Manmohan Singh’s advice on the economy seriously

The Shiv Sena on Wednesday advised the central government to take former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s advice on the economy seriously. The party, an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government, also claimed that the economy has been destroyed in the last few years.

New Delhi and Mumbai slide down liveability index due to poor air, ‘deterioration in culture’

New Delhi and Mumbai have slid down in the Global Liveability Index for 2019, released by the Economist Intelligence Unit on Wednesday. The index ranked cities by five headline criteria. Stability, and culture and environment were the two most important categories, weighted equally at 25% of the total. The other criteria were healthcare, infrastructure, and education.

Kartarpur corridor: Indian and Pakistani delegations begin third round of talks

The third round of talks between India and Pakistan on the Kartarpur corridor project began at the Attari border on Wednesday. A 20-member delegation led by Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Mohammad Faisal met Indian delegates at the border post.

Schools in Mumbai closed as heavy rain inundates city, orange alert issued

Heavy downpour since Tuesday night innundated several parts of Mumbai, leading to traffic snarls and delays in train services in the city. Civic officials also declared a holiday for schools after the India Meteorological Department issued a warning of “heavy to very heavy rainfall” in parts of Maharashtra.

Government survey found only 20% of Mudra loan beneficiaries started new businesses: Indian Express

A survey by the Ministry of Labour and Employment conducted last year showed that only one in five beneficiaries of Mudra loans availed of the facility to start new businesses, The Indian Express reported. The rest used the funds to expand existing businesses.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Russia for two-day bilateral visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday arrived at the Vladivostok International Airport for a two-day visit to Russia. During the visit, Modi is expected to hold summit talks with President Vladimir Putin and attend the Eastern Economic Forum.

DK Shivakumar arrest: Bus set on fire in Congress leader’s constituency, stone pelting reported

The Congress called a strike across Karnataka on Wednesday to protest against the arrest of its leader DK Shivakumar by the Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday. The strike led to violence in some parts of the state. Meanwhile, Shivakumar was admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital in New Delhi.

Pakistan: Punjab governor says ‘forced conversion’ case resolved after talks with Sikh community

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday expressed relief after Pakistan announced that a 19-year-old Sikh woman who was allegedly abducted, converted forcibly and married to a Muslim man was free to return to her home.

J&K: Centre’s delay in extending President’s rule puts 370 move on shaky ground, SC lawyer notes

A Supreme Court advocate on Tuesday pointed out that a delay by the Centre in extending the President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir in June could put its decision to change the state’s constitutional status on shaky ground.

BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi says India needs a leadership that can argue with PM fearlessly

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Murli Manohar Joshi said on Tuesday that India needs a leadership that can fearlessly argue with the prime minister based on principles. The veteran politician made the remark at a memorial service organised for Congress leader and former Union minister S Jaipal Reddy, who died in Hyderabad on July 28.

Chandrayaan-2: ISRO says moon lander has successfully carried out second de-orbiting manoeuvre

The Indian Space Research Organisation said early on Wednesday that the Chandrayaan-2 moon lander Vikram had successfully carried out its second de-orbiting manoeuvre. On Tuesday, the spacecraft had completedits first de-orbiting manoeuvre.

DK Shivakumar arrest: Karnataka Congress calls for statewide bandh today

The Karnataka unit of the Congress has called for a bandh in the state on Wednesday to protest against the arrest of its leader DK Shivakumar in a money laundering case, The Indian Express reported. The Enforcement Directorate had arrested Shivakumar on Tuesday, claiming that he was not cooperating with the investigation.