At least 15 Kerala's youths go missing, families suspect IS links

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At least 15 youths from Kerala's Kasaragod and Palakkad districts who had travelled to the Middle East have gone missing for the last one month and their families suspect they may have joined the Islamic State. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has directed the police to launch a probe into the matter urgently, Kasaragod MP P Karunakaran said. The families of the youths, including a couple, have not heard from them for the past one month and fear that they have been radicalised after having gone to the Middle East for religious studies. Kasaragod District

The only Gandhi Left: Congress can make this audacious move with Priyanka Gandhi

Recent reports suggest the Congress party may formally induct Priyanka Gandhi, the sole Gandhi left who hasn't yet taken a shot at claiming leadership of India. Of course, since she is a Gandhi, she won't work her way up through the ranks. Much like Bollywood star launches, she is expected to straight away lead the upcoming UP election campaign. It's hard when a party needs a new leader and

Sahara seeks indefinite bail for Subrata Roy, deposits Rs 200 crore in SC

NEW DELHI: The Sahara Group on Friday deposited Rs 200 crore as per Supreme Court orders and requested it to indefinitely extend the bail granted to Subrata Roy and director Ashok Roy Choudhary. It also sought bail for incarcerated director R S Dubey. "In compliance of the May 11 order, the applicants are depositing Rs 200 crore, despite Sebi's non-cooperation, which establishes their bona fide. In addition, efforts are being made to further arrange approximately Rs 300 crore in

Civil service officers are competing to build toilets as part of Clean India Mission

BENGALURU: If the rural job guarantee scheme was the hallmark of excellence and passion for civil service officers working as deputy commissioners and zilla panchayat CEOs during the previous United Progressive Alliance regime, now it is the construction of toilets and the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission), even in Karnataka, a state ruled by the Congress party. 

PM Modi, Zuma hold talks after ceremonial welcome in Pretoria

PRETORIA,: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday sat down for bilateral talks with South African President Jacob Zuma after a ceremonial welcome accorded to him at the Union Buildings in Pretoria here. "Adding renewed vigour to an old friendship. PM @narendramodi & @SAPresident discuss India-SA ties," tweeted the Prime Minister's Office, tagging the photos of both leaders shaking hands. 

Centre-Delhi tussle: Supreme Court refuses to entertain AAP government's plea

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court today refused to entertain a Delhi government plea that the High Court be asked to first decide the preliminary issue as to whether it has the jurisdiction over disputes between the Centre and the state or is it "exclusively" triable by the apex court. The apex court also asked the Delhi government, which had moved the High Court seeking judgment on a acope of its powers under Article 239 AA of the Constitution, to approach it only after the Delhi High Court . 

Army can't use excessive force in disturbed areas: Supreme Court

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday said the army cannot use excessive force in its counter-insurgency operations in areas declared disturbed under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. 

The court held that criminal courts do have the jurisdiction to look into cases of alleged excesses by the armed forces in areas declared disturbed. A bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Uday

UP CM Akhilesh Yadav to embark on 'Samajwadi Rath Yatra' in UP in September

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will set out on a 'Samajwadi Rath Yatra' across the state in September as part of his party's re-election bid next year. The 'chariot ride', which he will take in a special van, would allow Akhilesh to make mass contact with people in all parts of the state and highlight the achievements of the government, a Samajwadi Party (SP) strategist said on

CM Devendra Fadnavis expands ministry, 11 sworn in, Uddhav Thackeray skips ceremony

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today expanded his council of ministers by inducting 10 new faces and and elevating BJP's Ram Shinde to Cabinet rank, leaving the bickering ally Shiv Sena to settle for two additional Ministers of State. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray skipped the swearing-in ceremony. The exercise, which reflected 45-year-old Fadnavis tightening his hold on

Law Commission runs into 2 legal hurdles on Uniform Civil Code

NEW DELHI: Tasked to examine the feasibility and desirability of a uniform civil code, the Law Commission has come across two major legal issues - the 80-year-old Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act and a Bombay high court judgment that gave Muslims the freedom to opt for the 1937 Act's provisions which govern marriage rules, including polygamy. The ruling was delivered by Justice M C Chagla who was the first Indian chief justice of the Bombay HC. Law Commission

India one of the most open economies: PM Narendra Modi tells South African CEOs

PRETORIA: Presenting India as the one of the most open economies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today invited South African businesses to participate in its transformation march and tap the huge opportunities by enhancing investment and diversifying the basket of trade. Addressing top business leaders of India and South Africa here, he invoked the "greatest leaders" Nelson Mandela and

Freeze Aircel spectrum, stop deal with Airtel, RCom: Prashant Bhushan

NEW DELHI: Activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan today demanded immediate freezing of spectrum held by Aircel, alleging that its Malaysian parent Maxis will "abscond" if the proposed deals with AirtelBSE -2.28 % and RCom are allowed to go through. Aircel has entered into an agreement with Bharti AirtelBSE -2.28 % to sell its 4G spectrum in eight circles for Rs 3,500 crore. Besides, the

Lalu Prasad has kind words for Smriti Irani, calls her 'innocent'

PATNA: RJD President Lalu Prasad today said Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani was an "innocent woman" who did some good work in the previous HRD ministry, but had no prospects in her new role as Textiles minister. "Smriti Irani innocent mahila hai (Smriti Irani is an innocent woman) who did some good work in her earlier ministry of HRD," Prasad told PTI while reacting to her shifting

Rajnath Singh never met Sadhvi Pragya Thakur: BJP

NEW DELHI: BJP today asserted that Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had never met Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and termed as "baseless" Congress leader Digvijay Singh's claim that Rajnath Singh had met the Malegaon blast accused in 2008. "Rajnath Singh never met Pragya Thakur. It is a baseless claim. BJP condemns Digvijay Singh for his comments," its National Secretary Shrikant

Congress has scored self-goal on telecom issue: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley

NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said the Congress has scored a "self-goal" by calling under-reporting of Rs 46,000 crore revenue by six telecom firms an NDA scam as the "impropriety" had taken place during the UPA regime. "Shrillness, non-application of mind and a belligerent rhetoric seem to be the strategy of the Congress party," he wrote in a Facebook blog titled 'An Empty Rhetoric by the Congress Party'. 

Army can't use excessive force in disturbed areas: Supreme Court

NEW DELHI: In a setback to the government and the armed forces, the Supreme Court on Friday ruled the army cannot use excessive force during counter-insurgency operations in areas declared disturbed under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and criminal courts do have the jurisdiction over cases of alleged excesses by security forces. "The use of excessive force or retaliatory force by the Manipur Police or the armed forces of the Union is not permissible," said a bench of Justice ..

Alliance partner was not consulted before VAT increase: Former CM Prafulla Kumar Mahanta

GUWAHATI: What may come as discomfort to ruling BJP, former chief minister and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta fires salvo stating that coalition partner was not consulted before increasing VAT on 127 items. Recently BJP led government has withdrawn partial exemption granted to oil companies on sale of liquefied petroleum gas for domestic use within

PM Narendra Modi traces back Mahatma Gandhi's historic South African train ride

DURBAN: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to mark a historic train journey by Indian independence leader Mohandas K. Gandhi during the final day of his South African visit. Modi's ride will commemorate the incident in which a young Gandhi in 1893 was ejected from a South African train when he refused an order to move from a first-class carriage because of his race. the encounter

Need to change the financial year? Centre sets up panel to answer the question

NEW DELHI: The government has constituted a committee to study the feasibility of adopting a new financial year. India currently follows the AprilMarch financial year as opposed to the calendar year in most countries. The committee headed by former chief economic advisor Shankar Acharya has to submit its report by December 31, 2016."The committee will examine the merits and demerits of various dates for the commen cement of the financial year inclu ding the exis ting date (April to ..

Maharashtra: Devendra Fadnavis to expand Cabinet tomorrow

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will expand his Cabinet tomorrow.
The 20-month-old Fadnavis government will fill up portfolios rendered vacant after the resignation of senior minister Eknath Khadse over corruption charges last month.The 10 portfolios handled by him are temporarily with Fadnavis."The Cabinet expansion will be held tomorrow," a senior government official told PTI this morning.