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LIVE! Kathua rape victim’s family drops lawyer, says she seldom came to court

17:50  Kathua rape victim’s family drops lawyer, says she seldom came to court:  

The family of the eight-year-old girl who was raped and murdered in Kathua has removed lawyer Deepika Rajawat as their advocate on record, saying she seldom appeared for hearings in the case, officials informed on Thursday.

 

The plea was moved on Wednesday by the family before the court of district and sessions judge in Pathankot which is hearing the case day-to-day following directions from the Supreme Court.

The court has issued notice to Rajawat, asking her to respond to the plea moved by her clients by November 20, officials said.

The father of the victim, who was identified and produced before the judge by advocate Mubeen Farooky, informed the court that he was withdrawing the agreement given in favour of Rajawat as she seldom appeared during the daily hearings which have been going on for the last five months.

The victim is already being represented by the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The case is being argued by two lawyers from the state and Pathankot District Attorney Jagdishwar Kumar Chopra.

The eight-year-old girl, belonging to a nomadic tribe, was allegedly kidnapped on January 10 and her body was found on January 17. It is alleged that she was gang-raped and later murdered. 

The Jammu and Kashmir Crime Branch has arrested eight people, including a juvenile in the case. 

The chargesheet has been filed against main accused Sanji Ram and his juvenile nephew, his son Vishal, special police officers Deepak Khajuria and Surender Verma and friend Parvesh Kumar alias Mannu. It also names head constable Tilak Raj and sub-inspector Anand Dutta — who allegedly took Rs 4 lakh from Sanji Ram and destroyed crucial evidence. 

The district and sessions court in Pathankot framed charges of rape and murder against seven accused (except the juvenile) in the case on June 8. 

Sanji Ram is alleged to have hatched the conspiracy with the other accused for kidnapping the girl as part of a strategy to remove the minority nomadic community from the area. — PTI

Image: Lawyer Deepika Rajawat


17:20  WhatApp group admin arrest for ‘anti-national’ messages:  The admin of a Whatsapp group was arrested for circulation of alleged “anti-national” messages in the social media group, police said Thursday. Naeem was arrested after receiving a complaint from Dipak Kumar of Bamnauli village in Baraut, a police officer said. According to Kumar’s complaint, a WhatsApp group named ‘Josh’ was circulating objectionable “anti-national” messages, the officer said.

After a probe, it was found that the group was run by Naeem, who runs ‘Jan Sewa Kendra’ (common services centre) in his village, he said, adding that the accused had been arrested. — PTI


17:05  Activist Shahidul Alam gets bail after 3 months in jail:  A court in Bangladesh has granted bail to 63-year-old Shahidul Alam, the award-winning photojournalist, teacher and activist  who was arrested on suspicion of spreading “propaganda and false information’ during widespread student protests, in a case widely seen as a test for freedom of speech ahead of a general election next month.

Alam has been in jail for a little over three months now.

He was picked up from his home by plainclothes policemen without a warrant, hours after conducting two Facebook Live sessions and after an interview to television channel Al Jazeera, in which he accused the government of extrajudicial killings and corruption — accusations the government dismissed.

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16:47  Naxal strike in Chhattisgarh :  Naxals torch vehicles which were being used in road construction and killed the contractor in Chhattisgarh’s Dornapal earlier today.


16:06  Did IAF mislead Supreme Court on Rafale deal?:  ‘At a day-long hearing of the case in the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi surprised everyone by seeking the views of the Indian Air Force on the finer aspects of the deal… However, what serving IAF officers submitted in the apex court has given rise to fresh controversy,’ writes Mohan Guruswamy in Asian Times.   

He adds:  ‘When Gogoi asked when the last induction of advanced fighter jets was, Air Vice-Marshal T Chalapati said these were in the 1980s in the shape of Mirage aircraft. Gogoi said: “That means from 1980s till date there have been zero additions”.’   

This is sheer hogwash, says Guruswamy. For, ‘the IAF has inducted Su-30MKIs from the mid-1990s onward and has more than 270 of these fighters. The more recent deliveries have electronics comparable to the current state of the art. The aircraft may be classified as 3.5 generation, but that is because it was designed in that time period. To impute that the same plane made in 2010 is limited to that period’s capability is also rubbish,’ Guruswamy writes, here.

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16:03  Gender equality need not be applied to Sabarimala: Sri Sri :  Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Thursday said tradition and sentiments of devotees should be respected on the issue of entry of women of all age groups in Sabarimala and gender equality need not be applied on matters relating to the Lord Ayyappa temple.

Kerala has witnessed widespread protests by Ayyappa devotees after the state government said it was bound to implement the Supreme Court’s verdict that lifted the centuries-old ban on the entry of women in the 10-50 age group to the temple, whose deity Lord Ayyappa is considered to be celibate.

Any change on matters relating to religion and faith should be done after consultations with spiritual leaders, Sri Sri said. There are several temples dedicated to Lord Ayyappa in the country and women are not barred anywhere else except in the hill shrine in Kerala.

“Then, it is a tradition…and people’s sentiments are also there…we have to respect it…” Sri Sri Ravi Shankar told PTI.

“It is not a matter of gender inequality here in this temple issue. In fact Indian culture always holds women in great reverence…True equality is when women are assured of safety, have equal opportunities in career and every girl child has access to quality education,” he said.

“However, this temple issue creates such an emotional hurt and shock to people… the devotees…, which could have been avoided..” he said.

The spiritual guru, however, said he was “glad” that the Supreme Court had agreed to hear the review petitions against its September 28 verdict.

The comments by Sri Sri come two days ahead of the two-month-long Mandala Makaravillakku pilgrimage season in Sabarimala that commences on November 17 and attracts millions of devotees from all over the country.  — PTI


15:18  Shatrughan Sinha @ShatruganSinha

On a lighter note: “Sherlock & the Curious Case Of Demonetisation” Sherlock: It was a colossal failure!
Watson :How can you say twas a failure?
Holmes : Elementary my dear Watson! If it was of any success we would see full page ads in all news papers on its second anniversary.


14:36  Oppn facing credibility crisis in Chhattisgarh: Rajnath Singh:  Congress and other opposition parties were facing a credibility crisis in Chhattisgarh and have lost people’s faith, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said Thursday. Speaking to reporters in Raipur in the second phase of the state Assembly polls on November 20, Singh said Congress is facing a credibility crisis in Chhattisgarh. “That is why it has not projected a chief ministerial candidate in the state. Other opposition parties are also grappling with the same problem,” he said.

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14:09  K’taka plans 125-ft statue of Mother Cauvery :  The Karnataka government has proposed to erect a 125 feet statute of Mother Cauvery at the Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir in Mandya district. The government has also proposed to build a museum complex, two glass towers measuring 360 feet providing a bird’s eye view of KRS reservoir.

A bandstand, an indoor stadium and a replica of historical monuments are being planned to boost tourism in the region.

The total estimated cost of the project is Rs 1,200 crore.

Karnataka Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar and Tourism Minister Sa Ra Mahesh held a meeting with officials on Tuesday.

DK Shivakumar said a new lake would be created next to the reservoir on which the structures will come up. The statue will be installed atop the museum complex and between the glass towers. The statute will be taller than the KSR reservoir. “Except land, the government isn’t making any investment,” Shivakumar said.

It is not exactly a statue, it will be like a tower. The land already belongs to the govt and we will be inviting investors to invest in it, no govt money will be used. It will be a tourist destination: Karnataka Minister DK Shivakumar on the proposed statue of Mother Cauvery

Image: A sketch of the Mother Cauvery statue.

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13:36  We killed two people: Murderers surrender at police station :  A fashion designer and her domestic help were allegedly killed by her tailor and his two accomplices in her home in south Delhi’s Vasant Kunj Enclave locality following a dispute over unpaid dues, police said on Thursday.

The bodies of 53-year-old Maya Lakhani, who ran a boutique called Tulsi Creations in Green Park, and her house help, 50-year-old Bahadur, were found with multiple stab injuries in the bungalow in the early hours of Thursday.

The accused looted jewellery and ransacked the house after killing the two Wednesday night, police said, estimating that the incident took place between 10 pm and 11.30 pm.

Rahul Anwar (24), the master tailor who worked with Lakhani, his cousin Rahmat (24) and his friend Wasim (25) have been arrested in connection with the killings, a senior police officer said.

Around 2.45 am, the three men went to the Vasant Kunj (south) police station and said they have killed two people in Vasant Kunj Enclave, following which officials rushed to the spot to verify the details.

They found the bodies lying in a pool of blood. A case has been registered and the three accused arrested, Devender Arya, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) said. Police said Lakhani had set up a tailoring workshop in her home.

During interrogation, the three said they had hatched a conspiracy to kill her. After committing the crime, they said they stole valuable items, including jewellery, from the house and left in Lakhani’s car. Anwar told police he had been working with Lakhani for a while. His payments were due for the last few months and he had received money in instalments, police said. — PTI

Image: Victim Maya Lakhani.


13:27  Can’t exercise? Take a hot bath :   For people who are unable to exercise, a hot water treatment could help improve inflammation and blood sugar (glucose) levels. The findings are published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

Physical stress such as exercise can cause the short-term elevation of inflammatory markers. After exercise, the level of inflammatory chemical IL-6 rises.

In a process called the inflammatory response, this activates the release of anti-inflammatory substances to combat unhealthily high levels of inflammation, known as chronic low-grade inflammation.

Recent research has shown that raising body temperature augments the inflammatory response and provides a rationale for identifying exercise alternatives that reduce low-grade inflammation in the body.

Previous studies have also found a connection between a spike in body temperature and nitric oxide production, a substance that aids blood flow and helps carry glucose throughout the body.

Researchers studied markers of inflammation and blood sugar and insulin levels in a group of sedentary, overweight men. The volunteers participated in both hot-water immersion and ambient room temperature (control) trials separated by at least three days. — ANI

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12:57  White blanket over Himachal :  Gorgeous Himachal Pradesh beckons: The Pangi area in Kinnaur district receives fresh snowfall. 


12:55  No car, but Telangana’s ex-CM KCR is richer by Rs 5.5 crore :  
Telangana caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is richer by nearly Rs 5.5 crore, and acquired 16 acres of agricultural land during the past four years, according to the affidavit he filed along with his nomination for Gajwel Assembly constituency.

However, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti supremo, whose party symbol is a car, does not own one, according to the affidavit he filed Wednesday.

The total value of his movable and immovable assets stood at Rs 22.61 crore in the latest affidavit against Rs 15.95 crore in 2014. His liabilities have grown by over Rs one crore to Rs 8.89 crore. It was Rs 7.87 crore in 2014, the affidavit says.

In the 2014 general elections, he showed that he owned 37.70 acres of agricultural land and the latest affidavit says that it is 54.24 acres. Rao says he is facing as many as 64 criminal cases related to the separate Telangana agitation. — PTI

File pic.

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12:54  Pak certainly needs to do more in its fight against terrorism: US:  Pakistan certainly needs to do more in its fight against terrorism and the Trump administration expects Islamabad to act against terror groups like the Haqqani network and Lashkar-e-Taiba in same way as it did against al-Qaeda after the 9/11 attacks, a top American official has said.

State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism Nathan Alexander Sales said during a Congressional hearing that the US was “very concerned” over the support for terrorism in any region of the world.

“And I can tell you we have communicated to the Pakistani government at the highest levels that we expect them to do more just like we expected them to act with us after 9/11,” Sales said on Wednesday.

“Pakistan has in the past been a very effective counterpart in taking the fight to al-Qaeda. We need them to do the same thing with respect to the Haqqanis, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and the other terrorist groups that are active in the region,” he said. Sales said Pakistan “certainly needs to do more” in the fight against terrorism. — PTI

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12:51  Air India eyes Rs 800 cr from sale of over 70 properties:  Loss-making national carrier Air India plans to mop up Rs 700-800 crore by selling over 70 residential and commercial properties spread across the country, a senior airline official said Thursday. This fresh bid is a part of the airline’s real estate assets monetisation plan approved by the then UPA government in 2012.

As per the plan, Air India had to the garner funds to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore between April 2014 and March 2021, with an annual target of Rs 500 crore from FY13 onwards. The properties, which are spread over 16 cities pan India, will be e-auctioned through the state-run auctioneer MSTC. — PTI

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12:49  I will fight defamation, truth will be heard: Vidya Krishnan’s statement :  Statement from Vidya Krishnan who has accused senior journalist Gaurav Sawant of sexual harassment.

“I shared my story to shine a light on the inequities faced by young female journalists in Indian newsrooms, at the hands of their powerful colleagues. My hope in providing this account is that another generation of talented female reporters should not have to dramatically alter their careers due to every day sexism, sexual harassment and outright sexual violence faced in the newsroom.

“Since last week, while I relive this trauma in front of the entire world, I have been accused of acting out of malice. Nothing can be farther from the truth.

“The account published in the Caravan is an accurate representation of what happened. It was independently verified by a reporter, after talking to those who corroborated the story I had shared. It is the reality and I stand by every word of it.

“It is my hope that women, who enjoy the same rights as men as guaranteed by our Constitution, are treated equally and fairly, so we can go on reach our full potential without having to negotiate sexual violence and abuse at every turn.

“I am not the least bit intimidated by the threat of defamation — which appears to be the only remedy that powerful men, accused of inappropriate behaviour, take recourse to. I will fight defamation and I will make sure my truth is heard by all.

Cc: All media houses Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC) TheNetwork of Women in Media, India (NWMI) Press Council of India Editors guild of India Press Club of India.”

Vidya Krishnan has alleged in an account published by the news magazine “The Caravan” that she was molested 15 years ago during an assignment by Gaurav Sawant, who allegedly also came to her hotel room and exposed himself before her.

Since the story was published, Sawant has has sent a defamation notice to Krishnan, The Caravan magazine, and Nixita Saxena, who reported the story.

Image: Gaurav Sawant.


12:37  Maneka asks for redressal of sexual harassment complaints in AIR :  Union Minister Maneka Gandhi has written to I&B minister RS Rathore over reports of women working as casual announcers in All India Radio being allegedly sexually harassed, asks him to ensure that a sensitive and fair system is put in place to address any such grievances in AIR. 

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12:25  High Command to decide on my constituency: Sachin Pilot:  Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sachin Pilot on Thursday said that it was up to the party high command to decide from where he would be contesting the December 7 assembly elections.

On Wednesday, the Congress had announced that former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Pilot would be contesting the ensuing Rajasthan Assembly elections.

Ever since the announcement was made, the party workers from Jaipur, Bhilwara, Alwar, Bharatpur, Dausa, Bundi, Kota, and Tonk among others have been urging Pilot to contest from their areas.

However, Pilot stated that he had left the final decision on the party high command.

“It is the party’s decision that I have to contest the elections. I am a diligent party worker. I have left the decision of choosing my constituency to the party,” Pilot told ANI.

He further said that the party has done a lot of brainstorming over the list of candidates which will be out soon. “It is a good sign that most of the leaders and party workers have agreed to the names the party has decided upon,” he said.

Reacting to former BJP MP Harish Meena’s decision to quit the ruling party and join the Congress, Pilot said, “If senior leaders like Meena are so unhappy with the BJP, one can imagine about the plight of common people.”

The assembly elections in Rajasthan will take place in a single phase for all 200 seats on December 7. The counting of votes will take place on December 11. — ANI

File pic: Sachin Pilot with Rahul Gandhi.


12:16  Prannoy Roy’s book on Indian elections soon :  This promises to be the must-read read on Indian elections…

Journalist, psephologist Prannoy Roy’s book on the Indian elections will be published by Penguin. Roy confirmed the news tweeting, “I’m working hard for once in my life.”

Pick it up when it releases.   

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11:56  Heartbreaking! Two tiger cubs killed by a train near Lohara forest area in Chandrapur, Maharashtra. 

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11:47  Signature Bridge scuffle: Manoj Tiwari names Kejriwal in FIR :  Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been named as an accused in a FIR lodged by the Delhi Police on the complaint of BJP state unit chief and Member of Parliament Manoj Tiwari in connection with the scuffle that took place during the inauguration ceremony of Signature Bridge.

On November 4, Tiwari got into a brawl with the Aam Aadmi Party workers and the Delhi Police at the event after which he wrote to Deputy Commissioner of Police North- East Delhi and filed a complaint against AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, Kejriwal and unknown persons.

Khan was caught on camera shoving Tiwari during the inauguration ceremony of the Signature Bridge.

In a video footage of the incident, Tiwari was seen standing at the edge of an elevated platform when Khan, an AAP MLA from Okhla, pushed the BJP’s Delhi unit chief, nearly causing him to fall. A large number of police personnel and AAP workers were also present on the occasion.

While speaking to ANI after the scuffle, Tiwari had claimed that the entire incident took place in front of Kejriwal. He had alleged that he was stopped by the police and AAP supporters from attending the event.

The bridge was inaugurated on November 4 and was opened for the public the next day. It was inaugurated by the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Announced in 2004, the 575-metre bridge over the river Yamuna aims at reducing travel time and traffic congestion between the north-eastern and northern parts of the national capital, and is the first asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge in India. — PTI

Image: The scuffle erupted after Manoj Tiwari (in pink shirt) standing at the edge of an elevated platform on the bridge was allegedly pushed by AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, nearly
causing him to fall. Pic: PTI

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10:58  Bigger than the Sum of his Imperfections:  He did a far better job of gaining knowledge of the larger sweep of history than any of his contemporaries. The confidence with which we condemn Nehru exposes the narrowness of our certainties more than it detracts from his achievements. Read Pratap Bhanu Mehta’s piece on Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru here

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10:47  PM interacts with NCC in Singapore :  
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today interacted with 20 cadets from National Cadet Corps of India visiting Singapore as part of an international cadet exchange programme. 


10:43  AAI postpones music festival :  Update: The Airports Authority of India announces: We would like to inform that due to some urgent engagements, ‘Dance & Music in the Park’ programme jointly organised by AAI & SPICMACAY, scheduled on 17&18 Nov has been postponed & new dates would be announced shortly. Inconvenience regretted.

10:40  AAI scraps TM Krishna concert after trolls call him anti-India:  A campaign by right-wing trolls has allegedly forced the organisers to call off a concert by T M Krishna in the national capital, scheduled to be held this Saturday. An unfazed Krishna, however, said: “Give me a stage anywhere in Delhi on November 17, I will come and sing. We just can’t let ourselves be cowed down by this kind of threats.”  Read more

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10:13  Cyclone Gaja likely to make landfall at Pamban this evening :  Cyclone Gaja lying 370 km south-east of Chennai and 370 km north-east of Nagapattinam is likely to make landfall between Pamban and Cuddalore on the evening of November 15 with wind speed of 80-90 gusting to 100 kmph.

The Indian Navy is on high alert in view of the approaching cyclone, officials
said.

  

Navy officials said the Eastern Naval
Command has assumed a high degree of readiness to render necessary
humanitarian assistance as the cyclone is poised to cross the coast of
the two states on Thursday evening.

“Two Indian
Naval ships — Ranvir and Khanjar — are standing by to proceed to the
most affected areas to undertake humanitarian aid and distress relief,”
said a Navy official.

He said these ships will
have additional divers, doctors, inflatable rubber boats, integral
helicopters and relief material on board.

The
official said helicopters, Dornier aircraft and one P8I aircraft are on
standby to undertake reconnaissance, rescue and casualty evacuation.

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10:05  Fresh snowfall in Shimla, Narkanda:   Narkanda in Himachal Pradesh receives fresh snowfall. Looks like it’s going to be white Christmas there. Keylong recorded -3.3 degree Celsius, Manali recorded -1.2 degree Celsius, Kalpa recorded-0.8 degree Celsius, Kufri recorded -0.3 degree Celsius, Shimla recorded 3.3 degree Celsius and Dharamshala recorded at 8.8 degree Celsius during past the 24 hours, says  IMD.

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09:56  Petrol, diesel prices continue to fall on Thursday :  Another bit of good news: Fuel prices continued to witness a slump in the national capital on Thursday, with petrol and diesel now being sold at Rs 77.28 per litre and Rs 72.09 per litre, respectively.

Compared to Wednesday, petrol and diesel prices witnessed a decrease of 15 and 10 paise, respectively in New Delhi.In the financial capital Mumbai, petrol prices slipped to Rs 82.80 per litre (decrease by Rs 0.14) while diesel saw a fall of Rs 0.11 and is now being retailed at Rs 75.53.The rates of the fuel across India have been slashing due to the fall in the prices of crude oil.

The United States recently softened its stand on Iran’s sanctions and given nod to eight oil countries to continue to import oil from Tehran temporarily. The list includes India, China, South Korea, Japan, Turkey, Italy, the United Arab Emirates and Taiwan. — ANI


09:41  Rupee rises 24 paise against USD :  The rupee appreciated 24 paise to 72.07 against the US dollar at the interbank foreign exchange Thursday on fresh foreign fund inflows and easing crude oil prices. Foreign institutional investors bought shares worth Rs 277.38 crore Wednesday, provisional data showed.

Dealers said the strength in the rupee was also supported by increased selling of dollars by exporters and the American currency’s weakness against some currencies overseas.

A higher opening of the domestic equity market too influenced the rupee, they said. The benchmark BSE Sensex was up 67.09 points, or 0.19 per cent, to quote at 35,209.08 in early trade. — PTI

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09:22  All-party meet today over SC’s decision to review Sabarimala order:  

The Kerala government has convened an all-party meeting today to discuss various issues relating to the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala, which witnessed widespread protests following the Supreme Court decision to permit entry of women of all ages into the shrine.

The decision to call the meeting came when the apex court refused to stay its September 28 verdict, lifting the centuries-old ban on girls and women in the 10-50 age group from entering the shrine and decided to hear a batch of review petitions in open court on January 22. 

The two-month-long annual ‘Mandala Makkaravillakku’ season will start on 17 November and the meeting will also take stock of the arrangements made for devotees.

The temple had witnessed a string of protests from devotees when it opened for monthly pujas for five days in October and for two days in November. 

Over 3,700 persons have been arrested so far and 546 cases registered against various people for violence during protests across the state after the top court permitted women of all ages to pray at the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala. Over 500 young women registered for darshan in the online queue website of Kerala police last week.

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09:12  Trump admin defends decision to revoke press pass of CNN reporter in court :  

The Trump administration defended in court its decision to suspend the press pass of a CNN reporter, arguing that no journalist has the first amendment right to enter the White House.

CNN filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump and several of his top aides, seeking the immediate restoration of the network’s correspondent Jim Acosta’s press pass to the White House which was suspended following a testy exchange with the US president.

The Justice Department, in a court filing, said: “No journalist has a First Amendment right to enter the White House”.

The filing was in response to a lawsuit filed by the CNN after the White House last week suspended the press pass of CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent Acosta.

The lawsuit filed in US District Court in Washington, DC on Tuesday alleged that Acosta and CNN’s First and Fifth Amendment rights are being violated by the ban.

“The president and White House possess the same broad discretion to regulate access to the White House for journalists (and other members of the public) that they possess to select which journalists receive interviews, or which journalists they acknowledge at press conferences,” the Department of Justice asserted.

During a White House press conference last Wednesday, Acosta challenged Trump’s use of the word “invasion” to describe a migrant caravan heading to the US from Central America.

When Acosta tried to ask a question about the Russia investigation into alleged interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump told him repeatedly “that’s enough” and “put down the mic”.

Hours after the encounter, seen across the world, the White House, in an unprecedented move, suspended Acosta’s press pass, known as a Secret Service “hard pass”. 

— PTI

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08:40  Navy put on high alert in view of cyclone Gaja:  

The Indian Navy is on high alert in view of cyclone Gaja approaching the coast of south Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, officials said.

  

Navy officials said the Eastern Naval Command has assumed a high degree of readiness to render necessary humanitarian assistance as the cyclone is poised to cross the coast of the two states on Thursday evening.

“Two Indian Naval ships — Ranvir and Khanjar — are standing by to proceed to the most affected areas to undertake humanitarian aid and distress relief,” said a Navy official.

He said these ships will have additional divers, doctors, inflatable rubber boats, integral helicopters and relief material on board.

The official said helicopters, Dornier aircraft and one P8I aircraft are on standby to undertake reconnaissance, rescue and casualty evacuation.

— PTI

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08:07  South African President Ramaphosa to be chief guest at R-Day parade: Report:  

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will be the chief guest at the Republic Day event next year, sources have told The Indian Express. 

Ramaphosa, who became South Africas President in February this year, has accepted the invitation. His acceptance comes after the fiasco over US President Donald Trump declining the Indian governments invitation to be the chief guest. 

While diplomatic channels had reached out to the US President, the White House said he was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict.

Sources said the US Presidents State of the Union address would be around the same time, so his administration could not confirm Trumps availability, especially since the Democrats have a decisive say in fixing the date.

Ramaphosa, who was Nelson Mandelas choice for future president of South Africa, is a keen Gandhi follower. 

In April this year, Ramaphosa led nearly 5,000 people at the annual Gandhi Walk in Lenasia, an Indian township south of Johannesburg, seeking to promote community awareness and fitness. This was the first time that a sitting head of the state joined the walk, now in its 33rd consecutive edition.

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00:17  Parrikar is stable, recovering: official:  

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s condition is stable and he is recovering, a government official said in Panaji on Wednesday.

There was speculation on social media that Parrikar’s condition was deteriorating.

Parrikar, 62, is recuperating at his private residence near here since he was discharged from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi.

He has been suffering from a pancreatic ailment.

“Posts on social media about his health are rumours.

He is stable and recovering,” a senior official in the Chief Minister’s Office told PTI.

Source: Rediff