The Uddhav Thackeray-led regime is performing a veritable balancing act. The lack of coordinated strategies, the weakening authority of the leadership, growing disgruntlement among its constituents, the inability to set a narrative, and poor damage control mechanisms have seen it lurch from one crisis to another, reports Dhaval Kulkarni
The meeting has been convened by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and invitations have been extended to all major political parties.
A closure of the Indian mission in Kabul will be a Himalayan blunder at this historic juncture when the wheels of diplomacy and politics are set to accelerate in Afghanistan, argues Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said dedicated centres will be set up for the treatment of black fungus or mucormycosis cases at three city government-run hospitals.
The special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act court on Friday framed charges against 26/11 handler Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case. The court filed charges against Jundal under sections of MCOCA, the Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act, the Explosive Substance Act and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
The Centre has summoned to New Delhi the chief secretaries and directors general of police (DGPs) of Assam and Mizoram for a meeting on Wednesday while the restive inter-state border was calm, a day after armed clashes left six dead and over 50 injured, officials said.
Dubbing the explosion in Varanasi as "a heinous act of Jehadi terrorism", Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Tuesday demanded the holy city of Kashi be accorded the status of a "protected heritage site" and entry of non-Hindus into it be banned.
It discharged three accused -- Shyam Sahu, Shivnarayan Kalsangra and Praveen Takalki -- from the case.
Additional Sessions Judge Nivedita Anil Sharma convicted Md Amin Wani and Lutfur Rahman of various offences under the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the Explosive Substances Act.
The two blasts occurred within seconds at a sidewalk along the route of the Boston Marathon, where thousands of people had lined up to cheer on the marathoners.
"We will find out who did this (and) why they did this. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice," a grim but determined-looking Obama said in his White House statement to the press hours after the Boston blasts
The limited geographical area of the twin blasts rules out the involvement of a large team of terrorists. The objective of the perpetrators was obviously to cause fatalities as an act of reprisal, says B Raman
Investigators are looking into a possible terror attack as well as keeping an open mind to the motive of the subway blast, a Kremlin leader said.
As many as 47 injured people (of the total 201) were undergoing treatment at various hospitals. Rest were discharged.
Ganai and Hajjam were arrested on December 10, 2006, following a tip-off by a team of Delhi police special cell officials led by Inspector M C Sharma, who was killed in the Batla House encounter in Delhi last year. The police, which claimed to have recovered 1.5 kg explosives and Rs 6 lakh hawala money from their possession, however, could not prove the charges in court
The division bench said it deemed it appropriate to stay the special court's order and direct that the "accused person shall be treated to be in judicial custody till further orders".
In its application, the investigating agency stated that the accused need to be taken to Maharashtra and Rajasthan and it also wanted to question them on the possibility of recovering more explosives.
Suspected Indian Mujahideen operative Fasih Mahmood, who was deported from Saudi Arabia last year, was on Saturday chargesheeted for terror acts in connection with the 2010 Jama Masjid attack.
Army troops on Saturday busted a hideout of Lashkar-e-Tayiba in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district and recovered a cache of army, ammunition and explosive material.
At least 112 people were killed and 134 injured, most of them seriously, when a massive explosion and blaze caused by fireworks ripped through a packed nightclub in the Russian city of Perm in the Ural mountain region early on Saturday.
Swami Aseemanand, an accused in 2007 Samjhauta Express blast case, was granted bail by the Punjab and Haryana high court but he is unlikely to come out of jail as he is facing a trial in two other blast cases.
A city court on Wednesday disapproved of the Delhi police's handling of a case lodged in 1996 relating to recovery of explosives against Lashkar-e-Tayiba bomb expert Abdul Karim Tunda, saying there was no proper investigation. Additional Sessions Judge Bharat Parashar directed the special cell of the Delhi police to file their written submissions on framing of charges against the accused by June 30, the next date of hearing.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar was trying to save the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in view of allegations of corruption levelled by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh against state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.
The police charged the seven accused with various offences, including murder and attempt to murder, under the Indian Penal Code and invoked the provisions of Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Kunal Kapoor's bland portrayal cannot bring out Babur's fascinating persona or self-deprecating temperament, feels Sukanya Verma.
'I do not agree that the intent was to send a political message to China that the US treats friends and foes alike.' 'In any case, such acts do not ruffle a feather in China,' observes Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
Police on Wednesday detained the wife of prime accused Rajendra Kasawa, who is wanted in connection with last week's massive blast in Petlawad town that left 89 people dead.
'What this incident must do is provide a renewed impetus to urgently bring in police reforms; changes that will ensure that political patronage and extraneous pressure are reduced to a minimum and allow the police to function independently and honestly,' argues Vivek Gumaste.
The coronavirus has however infected increasing numbers of athletes and others involved with the Games, and authorities were on Friday trying to track down a Ugandan weightlifter who went missing from his training camp.
The apex court issued notices to the Centre, the Delhi government and the police on pleas seeking removal of protesters from Shaheen Bagh.
Bengal ministers Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee were taken to the Central Bureau of Investigation office on Monday in connection with the Narada sting operation, officials said.
There is no better way to address the security threat emanating from ISIS and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan than by co-opting the Taliban, asserts Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Terrorists and insurgents are getting "public support" in some parts of the country and unless this is stopped, India will continue to get hit by acts of terrorism.
The Obama administration on Thursday said that there is no bearing on the current aid structure to the House bill that freezes $ 700 million aid to Pakistan; which a United States State Department spokesperson argued only requires a certification and that too has a waiver clause.
Subhash K Jha picks five unforgettable Hindi films that capture the inequality of the caste system.
Police have launched a manhunt to arrest the person who stored a huge pile of explosives for mining work in a building which triggered off a series of explosions killing 89 people and injuring over 100 at Petlawad town in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh.
A senior police official informed that the police came to know about the explosive materials following the arrest of an ULFA militant in Guwahati on Thursday.
The Bombay high court on Thursday quashed the death penalty awarded to lone convict Himayat Baig in the 2010 German Bakery blast in Pune due to lack of evidence, but confirmed the life sentence imposed on him for possession of explosives.
If Sebi and RBI remain quiet about this brazenly illegal activity, will someone in the finance ministry or the NITI Aayog take a closer look, asks Debashis Basu.
Without naming Waze's accomplice, the National Investigation Agency said certain "incriminating material" was also taken out by someone from the joint locker of Waze and his aide, who is a suspect in the case, from a bank located in Versova area in Mumbai.
