Top news: Global anti-terror watchdog FATF gives Pakistan four months to curb terror financing

Pehlu Khan lynching: Rajasthan government files appeal in High Court against acquittal of accused

The Congress government in Rajasthan has filed an appeal in the High Court against the acquittal of all six accused in the Pehlu Khan lynching case. “The appeal was filed in the Rajasthan High Court on Monday,” Additional Advocate General RP Singh said.

West Bengal governor granted Z-category security by Centre, Trinamool criticises move

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday granted Z-category security cover to West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar across India. This entitles him to protection by the Central Reserve Police Force.

Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee is Left-leaning, people rejected his views: Piyush Goyal

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday labelled Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee Left-leaning, and claimed that India had rejected his views. Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer won the 2019 Nobel Prize in economics earlier this week “for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.” The Indian-American economist had also helped conceptualise the Congress’ minimum income guarantee scheme called NYAY (Nyuntam Aay Yojana).

Pakistan uses Congress’ anti-government remarks to strengthen its case globally, PM says in Haryana

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday targeted the Congress, saying Pakistan uses the party’s reactions on the Centre’s decisions “to strengthen their case globally”. The prime minister, who addressed an election rally in Haryana’s Gohana city in Sonipat district, said the Opposition party had reacted negatively to his government’s decision to scrap Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status, the Balakot air strikes, and the Swachh Bharat cleanliness initiative.

Hindu Mahasabha leader Kamlesh Tiwari shot dead in Lucknow

Hindu Mahasabha leader Kamlesh Tiwari was on Friday shot dead in Lucknow. Tiwari was taken to a local hospital in a critical condition, where he succumbed to his injuries.

FATF says Pakistan failed to deliver on most targets, but gives it four months’ time

Global terror financing and money laundering watchdog Financial Action Task Force on Friday indicted Pakistan for failing to deliver on 22 out of 27 targets it had set for the country. The task force also warned Pakistan that it would be blacklisted if Islamabad does not achieve the targets in the next four months.

INX Media case: CBI names P Chidambaram, 13 others in chargesheet

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday filed a chargesheet in a Delhi court against former Finance Minister P Chidambaram in the INX Media case. The chargesheet names 14 accused, including Chidambaram’s son Karti Chidambaram, and former INX Media owners Peter Mukerjea and Indrani Mukerjea.

Adani coal imports case: Bombay HC quashes DRI’s requests seeking judicial help from foreign nations

The Bombay High Court on Thursday quashed all the letters rogatory sent by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in connection with its investigation into the overvaluation of coal imports by Adani Enterprises. Letters rogatory are formal requests to foreign countries to seek judicial help in investigating offshore entities.

Ayodhya dispute: Muslim parties except Sunni Waqf Board have rejected settlement, says lawyer

Muslim parties to the Ayodhya land title dispute case on Friday expressed shock at reports that the Sunni Waqf Board has decided to withdraw from the case. Advocate Eijaz Maqbool, who represented Muslim litigant M Siddiq in the case, said that all Muslim parties except the Sunni Waqf Board have rejected settlement, as the main Hindu parties were not part of the mediation process and its purported settlement.

PMC bank crisis: Supreme Court dismisses plea seeking removal of RBI restrictions on withdrawals

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a petition seeking the removal of restrictions placed on customers of the crisis-hit Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank. The petition, filed by account holders, sought complete insulation and insurance of the money deposited in the bank, besides the removal of restrictions on cash withdrawals imposed by the Reserve Bank of India.

Ravidas temple demolition: Centre willing to hand over 200 sqm area of same site to rebuild shrine

The Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that it will hand over 200 square metre area of the same site to a committee of devotees for reconstruction of the Guru Ravidas temple in South Delhi. The 15th-century temple was demolished on August 10 on the orders of the top court after a petition against encroachment by temple authorities.

‘Recalling what went wrong is necessary’: Nirmala Sitharaman continues spat with Manmohan Singh

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday rebutted former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement that the Centre was “obsessed with” trying to blame its opponents instead of looking for solutions to revive the economy. She told Indian media in Washington DC that she needed to discuss the UPA regime to provide context for the current situation.

CJI Ranjan Gogoi recommends Justice SA Bobde as his successor: Reports

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Friday sent a letter to the Centre, recommending Supreme Court Justice SA Bobde as his successor. Gogoi is set to retire on November 17, and Bobde is the second senior-most judge of the top court.

Hyderabad: BHEL employee commits suicide after alleged harassment, 7 officials booked for abetment

A 33-year-old accounts officer of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited committed suicide in Hyderabad on Thursday due to alleged harassment by officials at the public sector company. A case was registered against the deputy general manager (finance) and six others on the basis of a complaint from the woman’s husband.

SC transfers Assam NRC coordinator Prateek Hajela to Madhya Pradesh

The Supreme Court on Friday transferred Assam National Register of Citizens coordinator Prateek Hajela to Madhya Pradesh. The order was passed by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, and comprising Justices SA Bobde and Rohinton Nariman. When Attorney General KK Venugopal asked for a reason, Gogoi replied, “No order will be without a reason”.

Jammu and Kashmir: After three civilian killings, police chief asks traders to avoid interior areas

Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbag Singh on Thursday asked transporters not to go into interior areas of South Kashmir after the killings of three civilians this week. In three separate attacks this week, a truck driver from Rajasthan, a labourer from Chhattisgarh, and an apple trader from Punjab were killed in Shopian and Pulwama districts of the state.

Hapur custodial death: Murder charges to be filed against three policemen

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday said they will file a murder case against three policemen involved in the alleged custodial death of a security guard in Hapur district on October 13. But some reports said seven policemen will be charged with murder. Pradeep Tomar, a resident of Pilkhuwa, was called to the station for questioning on Sunday in connection with a murder case. He died hours later after the policemen allegedly assaulted him.

Bangladeshi border guards claim they fired at BSF soldiers in ‘self defence’

Bangladeshi Border Guards on Thursday said they fired in “self defence”, hours after an Indian Border Security Force jawan was killed and another suffered injuries after a “flag meeting” incident between the two sides. Earlier in the day, Bangladeshi troops opened fire on a BSF party that was looking for a missing Indian fishermen allegedly captured by the BGB.

India worked on fundamentals of its economy, but more structural reforms needed, says IMF

The International Monetary Fund on Thursday said India has worked on the fundamental aspects of its economy but there were problems, such as long-term drivers of growth, that need to be focused on. This came three days after the global body lowered India’s growth rate projection to 6.1% for the 2019-’20 financial year. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the country would have to continue including more women in the labour force. She said India has “very talented women, but they stay at home”.

Kolkata: Theatre actor accused of sexual harassment by student, quits as faculty at top college

Popular theatre actor and professor Sudipto Chatterjee has been accused of sexual harassment. The complainant – a student at privately-run Heritage College in Kolkata – alleged that the incident took place in March at Chatterjee’s home. Chatterjee resigned as faculty member of the college on October 15, a day after the student filed her complaint with the college authorities.

‘Congress is not against Savarkar, it only opposes his Hindutva ideology,’ says Manmohan Singh

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said the Congress was against the Hindutva ideology espoused by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and not the man himself. “As far as Savarkar ji is concerned, you would recall that Indira Gandhi had issued a postal stamp commemorating him,” Singh said at a press conference in Mumbai ahead of the Assembly elections in the state. “We are not against Savarkar ji, but we are not in favour of the Hindutva ideology that Savarkar ji patronised and stood for either.”

Chandrayaan-2: ISRO releases first illuminated image of lunar surface taken by spacecraft

The Indian Space Research Organisation on Thursday released the first illuminated image of Moon’s surface taken by Chandrayaan-2’s Imaging Infrared Spectrometer payload. The spacecraft has started spectroscopic studies of the lunar surface, it added. “The image covers part of the lunar farside in the northern hemisphere,” said the space agency. “Few prominent craters are seen in the image.”

Mexico deports ‘an unprecedented’ 311 undocumented Indian immigrants

Mexico has deported 311 undocumented immigrants from India because of United States President Donald Trump’s hardline position advocating crackdown on the surging number of immigrants crossing into America. In a statement, Mexico’s National Institute for Migration said the 310 men and one woman were deported from Toluca City International Airport on a Boeing 747 aircraft to New Delhi on Wednesday. They were detained by authorities in the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Baja California, Veracruz, Chiapas, Sonora, Mexico City, Durango and Tabasco, it added.