Top news: BSF soldier shot dead by Bangladesh border guards in West Bengal

BSF soldier killed by Bangladesh border guards, one constable injured

Border Guards Bangladesh on Thursday opened fire on a Border Security Force party in West Bengal that was trying to trace a missing Indian fisherman, killing a constable. Relations between the two forces have been cordial so far.

Chennai receives intense spells of rainfall as Northeast monsoon sets in over parts of South India

A trough over the Bay of Bengal brought rain to Chennai on Thursday. Short and intense spells of rain were recorded in localities such as Shenoy Nagar, Aminjikarai, Anna Nagar, Nungambakkam and T Nagar.

‘Ayodhya settlement offer is a win-win for Hindus and Muslims,’ says Sunni Waqf Board lawyer

The lawyer for the Sunni Waqf Board, one of the Muslim parties in the Ayodhya land dispute case, on Thursday said the settlement plan advocated by a Supreme Court-appointed mediation committee was a “win-win” for both Hindus and Muslims.

Man enters lion enclosure in Delhi zoo, escapes unhurt; police say he is ‘mentally disturbed’

A 21-year-old man in Delhi was rescued on Thursday, moments after he jumped inside a lion enclosure at the National Zoological Park. Officials swiftly tranquilised the animal to save Rehan Khan, who was found in an inebriated state.

Sensex and Nifty 50 surge more than 1% after Brexit deal between UK and European Union

Indian markets on Thursday surged after the United Kingdom and the European Union reached a new deal on Brexit. The BSE Sensex rose 453.07 points to close at 39,052.06, while the NSE Nifty 50 ended 122.35 points higher at 11,586.35. This was the fifth straight day of gains for Indian markets.

NEET fraud: Madras High Court grants bail to student who was arrested in impersonation scam

The Madras High Court on Thursday granted bail to an MBBS student who was arrested in an impersonation scam during the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test. However, the court denied bail to his father, Venkatesan.

Mob lynchings have not increased under BJP rule, claims Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday denied that mob lynchings had increased under the rule of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government. He also said there was no need for a new law to stop lynchings.

Centre is obsessed with trying to blame opponents for economic slowdown, alleges Manmohan Singh

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said the Centre was “obsessed with” trying to blame its opponents instead of looking for solutions to revive the economy. Singh’s remarks came a day after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the “worst phase” of the Indian public sector banks was seen during Singh’s time as prime minister and Raghuram Rajan’s tenure as the Reserve Bank of India governor.

Mahua Moitra defamation case: Delhi HC sets aside sessions court order staying proceedings

The Delhi High Court on Thursday set aside an order by a sessions court staying proceedings in a defamation case filed by Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra against Zee News and its editor Sudhir Chaudhary. The order was passed by Justice Brijesh Sethi.

Kashmir’s special status was scrapped in India’s interest, not for political gain, says Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that the government took the decision to abrogate the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in the interest of the country and not for political gain, the Hindustan Times reported. He made the remark at an election rally in Parli town of Beed district in Maharashtra.

Odd-even: Vehicles carrying schoolchildren, two-wheelers are exempted, says Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said vehicles carrying schoolchildren and two-wheelers will be exempted from the odd-even scheme. This came days after the chief minister said that women will be exempted from the rule.

Kashmir: Indian diplomats brief US lawmakers on situation, say reports

Indian diplomats on Wednesday briefed American lawmakers on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, and India’s actions since August 5, when the state’s constitutional status was revoked. It is reportedly the first action of such a kind.

Amit Shah says Centre preparing for nationwide NRC amid reports of new detention centres

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the government was “preparing in advance” for the nationwide rollout of the National Register of Citizens by constructing detention centres all over the country.

‘Why Savarkar, why not Godse?’ Manish Tewari questions BJP’s Bharat Ratna promise in Maharashtra

Congress leader Manish Tewari on Thursday criticised the National Democratic Alliance and the Bharatiya Janata Party for promising that Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar would be awarded the Bharat Ratna in its election manifesto ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Tewari said the award should be conferred upon Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse instead of Savarkar, who was only accused of conspiring to kill Gandhi.

Where was Abhijit Banerjee born, asks Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy, irks social media users

Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy stoked a row this week by raising questions over Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee’s Indian roots. The governor asked where the economist was born and why his middle name was “Vinayak”. Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer won the 2019 Nobel Prize in economics “for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.”

India has ‘capitalist-respecting environment’, Nirmala Sitharaman tells investors in US

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said India has a “capitalist-respecting environment” as she pitched to international investors in the United States. She said the government was continuously working to bring reforms to cut down delays.

Ayodhya: Don’t speculate or show Babri demolition footage, broadcasters’ body tells TV channels

The News Broadcasting Standards Authority on Wednesday advised television channels to not show any archival footage of the demolition of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya and to exercise caution while reporting on the dispute. The advisory was issued while the Supreme Court was hearing closing arguments in the Ayodhya land dispute case. After 40 days of hearings, a five-judge Constitution Bench reserved its judgement on Wednesday evening. The judgement is expected before Chief Justice Gogoi retires on November 17.

US: Indian-origin man surrenders at police station with victim’s body, confesses to 3 more killings

An Indian-origin man was charged with four counts of murder on Wednesday, two days after he confessed to killing four of his family members in Roseville, United States. Shankar Nagappa Hangud had on October 14 brought one of the bodies when he surrendered before the Mount Shasta police in North California, about 350 km from Roseville.

‘Indistinctly unhelpful’: Shashi Tharoor rebukes Pakistan for raising J&K at another global forum

Indian parliamentarians on Wednesday criticised Pakistan for raising the Jammu and Kashmir matter at the Inter Parliamentary Union in Serbia. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who spoke for the Indian delegation, rebutted Pakistan’s allegations. “We expect better from parliamentarians then vituperative mudslinging,” he said.

J&K: Farooq Abdullah’s sister, daughter among 13 women released from jail after more than a day

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah’s sister and daughter and 11 other women agitators were released from Srinagar Central Jail on Wednesday evening, almost 30 hours after they were detained for protesting near the Lal Chowk area. It was the first women’s protest in Srinagar against the Centre’s August 5 order to revoke special status for Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370, split the state into two Union Territories

Rahul Gandhi says Global Hunger Index ranking reveals ‘colossal failure’ in government policy

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday held up the Global Hunger Index report to say that there was a “colossal failure” in the Centre’s policies. India’s rank in this year’s Global Hunger Index dropped to 102, which is considered to be in the “serious” category.

“India’s Global Hunger Index ranking, falling steadily since 2014, has now crashed to 102/117,” Gandhi tweeted. “This ranking reveals a colossal failure in Govt policy and blows the lid off the PM’s hollow “sabka vikas” claim, parroted by Modi.”

Ayodhya dispute: Supreme Court reserves judgement after second-longest hearing in its history

The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its judgement in the Ayodhya land dispute case after 40 days of daily hearings that began on August 6. The five-judge Constitution Bench that heard the matter said the parties in the case can make the rest of the submissions in writing in the next three days. The judgement is expected before Chief Justice Gogoi retires on November 17. “Supreme Court has reserved the order and has made it clear that the decision will come, in this case, within 23 days,” said Hindu Mahasabha’s lawyer Varun Sinha.

J&K: Apple trader from Punjab gunned down by suspected militants in Shopian district

Suspected militants shot dead an apple trader from Punjab in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district on Wednesday. This is the third civilian killing in Kashmir in less than two days.

The trader, identified as Charanjeet Singh, was killed in the district’s Trenz area around 7.30 pm, the police said. A man accompanying Singh was injured in the attack and was reportedly admitted to a district hospital in critical condition, they added.

‘RTI Act amendments are regressive, will have negative impact,’ says former SC judge Madan Lokur

Retired Supreme Court judge Madan Lokur on Wednesday criticised the amendments made to the Right to Information Act. The recent changes were regressive, and would have a negative impact on the functioning of the law, he added. At a public meeting organised by Satark Nagrik Sangathan in New Delhi, Lokur pointed out that the Centre had not yet framed the rules regarding the salary and tenure of information commissioners.

Ayodhya case: UP cancels leaves of field officers till November 30 hours after SC reserves verdict

The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday cancelled the leaves of all field officers in the state’s 75 districts till November 30, hours after the Supreme Court reserved its judgement in the Ayodhya land dispute case. The verdict is likely to be declared before Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi retires on November 17.