As the year draws to a close, Rediff's Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya takes a look at the hits and misses, the highs and lows, the newsmakers and the dealbreakers in alphabetical order.
Mumbai Meteors produced a hard-fought win over Kochi Blue Spikers to consolidate their top spot in the Prime Volleyball League, in Hyderabad, on Tuesday.
Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has been taken into 18-day custody by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in India. Rana was extradited from the United States after years of legal battles and will be questioned to unravel the complete conspiracy behind the attacks.
The health condition of a 19-year-old woman who suffered serious injuries after being pushed out of a moving train by a drunk passenger near Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram district remains critical, hospital authorities said on Monday.
'Theatrics replace analysis. Public spectacle takes the place of public service.'
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He was sent to judicial custody on May 9 and lodged in Tihar jail after his custodial interrogation by the NIA.
The Maharashtra government informed the Bombay High Court that Faheem Ansari, acquitted in the 26/11 terror attack case, was denied a police clearance certificate due to ongoing suspicion of being a member of a banned terror organization. Ansari sought the certificate to operate an autorickshaw.
Mumbai Meteors continued their dominant run in the Prime Volleyball League with a commanding 15-9, 15-8, 15-12 win over defending champions Calicut Heroes at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, in Hyderabad, on Monday.
An advocate has requested the Attorney General's consent to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against a lawyer who attempted to throw a shoe at the Chief Justice of India in the courtroom. The incident involved shouting religious slogans and led to the lawyer's suspension.
Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the Election Commission's voters' list cleanup exercise, will commence in nine states and three Union territories from Tuesday.
Star Indian shuttlers P V Sindhu and H S Prannoy advanced to the second round of women's and men's singles competitions respectively with straight-game wins at the BWF World Championships in Paris on Tuesday.
'Pakistan's only concern has been while they were on the FATF watch list was to distance their State institutions and organs from any direct connection with the actual execution of militancy inside Kashmir.'
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'If she hadn't left Bangladesh, the militants had planned on killing her'
The United States has extradited Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Hussain Rana to India to face charges for his alleged involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. Rana, 64, was convicted in the US in 2011 for providing material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistani militant group responsible for the Mumbai attacks. The US Department of State said it has long supported India's efforts to bring those responsible for the attacks to justice and that the extradition is a critical step towards seeking justice for the victims. Rana's extradition comes after the US Supreme Court denied his last-ditch attempt to evade extradition. He will now face justice in India for his role in the attacks which killed 166 people, including six Americans.
Kash Patel pledged full support to India, calling the act a reminder of the constant threats that the world faces from the evil of terrorism.
All three, who were responsible for the heinous crime near the Coimbatore international airport on Sunday, were found to have been involved in criminal cases in the past, the police said on Tuesday.
A powerful explosion near the Red Fort metro station in Delhi killed at least eight people and injured 24 others, reviving memories of past terror attacks in the city.
Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge criticizes Home Minister Amit Shah, calling him 'incompetent' and demanding his resignation following a deadly blast in Delhi, citing intelligence failure and lack of accountability.
Pakistan on Saturday brought in a Constitutional amendment to create a new post of chief of defence forces to ensure greater coordination and unified command among the three services.
Tahawwur Rana, a Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan, was extradited to India to face charges related to his alleged role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The US Department of Justice said Rana allegedly commended the LeT terrorists who carried out the attacks and suggested they should be awarded Pakistan's highest gallantry award. Rana is accused of facilitating a fraudulent cover for his childhood friend, David Headley, to conduct surveillance in Mumbai for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist group. He is also accused of helping Headley submit false visa applications to Indian authorities. This extradition follows a lengthy legal process that began in 2020 with India's request for Rana's surrender. Rana, who was previously convicted in the US for providing material support to LeT, will now face trial in India on 10 criminal charges related to the Mumbai attacks.
A bench of the Bangladesh High Court ordered the release on bail of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was arrested in November on charges of defaming the country's national flag. The two-judge bench granted the bail after a final hearing on their previous rule asking authorities why he should not be granted bail. Das, a former ISKCON leader, was arrested at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on November 25.
Muhammad Shahzeb Khan was charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) terrorist organisation and attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries.
Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters' list commenced in nine states and three Union territories on Tuesday, amid objections from several parties with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee leading the anti-SIR offensive in West Bengal with a rally in Kolkata and alleging 'silent, invisible rigging' through the exercise.
Gangster-turned-politician Dular Chand Yadav, once known for rubbing shoulders with the who's who of politics in Bihar, was allegedly shot dead near the state capital during an election campaign on Thursday, police said.
The Supreme Court of India has cautioned against the dangers of unregulated social media, emphasizing that freedom of speech cannot be exercised at the expense of others' dignity and integrity. The court was addressing a plea related to a recent incident where a shoe was thrown at the Chief Justice of India.
Tahawwur Rana, accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has renewed his application to the US Supreme Court seeking a stay of his extradition to India. The Supreme Court will hear the application next month. Rana, currently detained in Los Angeles, claims his extradition would violate US law and expose him to torture in India due to his health and Muslim background. The US government has denied these claims and authorized his surrender to India, citing the Extradition Treaty between the two countries. The Supreme Court's decision will determine if Rana will face justice in India or remain in the United States.
Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, Rakesh Kishore said that he was hurt by the CJI's remarks while dismissing a plea seeking restoration of the structure of Lord Vishnu in the Javari temple in Khajuraho.
The FBI is offering a reward for information about an Indian national wanted in connection with the 2017 murder of an Indian woman and her son in New Jersey. US authorities are urging India to extradite the suspect, Nazeer Hameed.
The hope is that the film raises significant issues about the rights of women, and does not become a diatribe against a minority community that has happened with some recent films, points out Deepa Gahlot.
The 64-year-old Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman would also be questioned on his suspected links with the officials of Pakistan spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and his association with terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which had orchestrated the attacks.
'The elimination of terrorists does not imply the neutralisation of terrorism. That terrorist ecosystem continues to thrive in Kashmir.'
'Rahul Gandhi's problem is that he doesn't think big.' 'He looks more like an activist, while politics is like a game of chess. You attack and then defend and have a game-plan.'
Speaking to reporters at Tezpur, Sarma also said that he would be happy if Gogoi files a case against him for making such a remark.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of 'linguistic terror' and plotting to delete Bengali voters from electoral rolls, vowing to protect voting rights.
Luckily for us, a Russia that is desperate to stay relevant in an emerging multipolar world finds in India a reliable geostrategic partner. The Russian proximity to India also keeps China from exploiting its economic dominance vis a vis Russia, points out Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Gandhi alleged that assembly and Lok Sabha polls were being "stolen" across the country and there was a "conspiracy" in Bihar to do the same through the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Made at a time when an insidious agenda can be read into it, Haq is an important film that deals with a contentious subject with maturity, observes Deepa Gahlot.
