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Trump to address Hindu-American rally today

  Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will address Indian-Americans at a charity event organised for Hindu victims of terrorism in New Jersey.  The founder of Republican Hindu Coalition (RHC) Shalabh Kumar on Friday claimed that this is the first of its kind event where Trump is scheduled to address only one specific ethnic community. “This is a charity concert organised for the benefit of terror victims in various countries. The 50 per cent of the proceeds from this concert will go for the benefit of Kashmiri Pandits in India,” Kumar told reporters in New Delhi. Kumar is also Chairman of Indian American Advisory Council to the Republican Party. Kumar described the concert as a "Bollywood, Tollywood, Punjabi extravaganza" to benefit Kashmiri and Hindu refugees. "We look forward to celebrating our shared values of free enterprise, hard work, family values, and a strong American foreign policy," he said.

Rs 39,000 crore S-400 Triumf to boost India’s air defence

India and Russia signed a deal today for the former’s procurement of the S-400 Triumf air defence systems. The S-400 Triumf is an anti-aircraft weapon system. It has been developed by Russia’s Almaz Central Design Bureau. The system uses long range and medium range missiles. The S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems will cost India anywhere between Rs 39,000 crore to Rs 40,000 crore. This would be one of India’s biggest defence deals in recent times. It can engage multiple targets up to a range of 380 km. It also has a tracking range of 600 km and can hit targets at a speed of 17,000 km an hour, faster than any existing aircraft. The deals were announced following talks held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit being held here. The development comes as Russia hopes to stave off tough competition from the Americans and the Europeans to continue being India's foremost defence supplier .

Curfew lifted in Kashmir after 99days

  Following improvement in the situation, curfew has been lifted across Kashmir by the authorities. A police official said there is no curfew anywhere in Kashmir and the curbs on the movement of people have been lifted across the valley, including from the summer capital here, following improvement in the situation. However, restrictions on the assembly of people under Section 144 CrPc were in force throughout the valley. Normal life remained affected due to the unrest which erupted after killing of Hizbul Mujahideenterrorist Burhan Wani in July. The unrest, which has claimed 84 lives, including that of two cops, and left thousands of others injured in clashes between protestors and security forces, would complete 100 days tomorrow as shops, business establishments, petrol pumps and educational institutions remained closed, while public transport continued to be off the roads. 

2nd air pollution alert in Beijing in a month

Beijing issued the "yellow alert" for air pollution today for the second time this month as the Chinese capital remained blanketed by heavily-polluted haze, forcing city residents indoors. Moderate smog will fall over Beijing and northeast Hebei province from Saturday morning to Sunday morning, with some areas to see heavy smog, Xinhua news agency cited the National Meteorological Centre (NMC) as saying.China has a four-tier color-coded system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue. The authorities issue alerts when the AQI reaches 200 and severe air pollution is forecast to last at least one day. Beijing aims to keep average PM2.5 levels below 60 micrograms per cubic meters in 2017. This was the second time this month that Beijing issued a "yellow alert" after October 2.

Baghdad: Suicide bomber kills 31

  A suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest in the middle of a Shi'ite Muslim gathering in Baghdad, killing at least 31 people and wounding more than 30 on Saturday, police said. The explosion went off inside a tent filled with people taking part in Shi'ite Ashura rituals, mourning the killing of Prophet Mohammed's grandson Hussein in the 7th century. Some people were also there to mourn the death of a local resident, said authorities.No-one claimed the attack, though so-called Islamic State (IS) have carried out similar attacks in the past. Reports say a militant detonated a suicide vest in the tent at lunchtime, when it was full of pilgrims. The latest attack comes as Iraqi forces prepare for an offensive in northern Iraq on Mosul, the last IS-held major city in the country.

Stampede in Varanasi; 19 people killed

  A stampede took place near the historic Rajghat bridge on the river Ganga in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, where hundreds had gathered for a tribute organised for spiritual leader Jai Gurudev. Nineteen people, mostly women, were killed and many were injured in the stampede. The incident took place when thousands of followers of religious leader Jai Gurudev were on their way to Domri village on the banks of Ganga to take part in the two-day camp, police said. Rumours about the bridge collapsing fueled chaos, speculated policemen. Five of the injured are stated to be in a serious condition, district magistrate Chandauli, Kumar Prashant said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that he has asked officials to ensure all possible help to those affected. "Deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the stampede in Varanasi. Condolences to the bereaved families. Prayers with those injured." he tweeted.

Contract to UK SAS has been stayed by HC

  Hyderabad: The government of Andhra Pradesh’s decision to give ‘108 ambulance and health emergency services’ contract to a UK based Specialist Amublance Services BVG consortium has been stayed by the High Court of Hyderabad. An interim order has been given by the Hyderabad High Court’s Justice Suresh Kumar Kait while dealing with a petition which has been filed by GVK EMR, the present contractor. It has been contended by the petitioner that the association that has been selected didn’t satisfy the three-year experience condition in the area.  

Executive engineers inspect all roads

  Hyderabad: The stretch that has been damaged from Kondapur to Madhapur has been restored and the signatures of the residents have been sought by the Great Hyderabad Municipal Corporation certifying the repaired road. Dr B Janardhan Reddy, the commissioner of GHMC on this context said that, before and after photographs of the roads that were restored would be taken by GHMC, adding that, superintendent and executive engineers will be inspecting all the roads and the professors of JNTU as well as the third party engineers would perform inspections at regular intervals.

‘TRS failed to give funds to Arogyasri’

  Hyderabad: On Friday, Chief Minister of Telangana was dared by Komatireddy Venkata Reddy, the MLA of Congress party to participate again in elections from the assembly constituency of Gajwel. He said in a media conference that, the government of TRS failed to provide funds to Arogyasri and fee reimbursement schemes. Mr Reddy also said that the CM would not win from Gajwel this time and if TRS was confident, the party should let the MLAs quit from Nalgonda and should go for re-election, adding that, if they win he would not contest in the elections that would be conducted in the year 2019.

Merck enters into partnership with TG

  Hyderabad: The government of Telangana has been told by Merck, the Pharmaceutical giant that it is intending to join hands with the state in order control diarrhoea in infants. The offer has been made by the executive vice president of Merck, Dr Sanat Chattopadhyay, who said that Merck will set up a “Vaccine Centre of Excellence” in the city of Hyderabad so as to train the workers of pharmacy, in a meeting with IT and Industries Minister of Telangana, K T Rama Rao in New Jersey.

TG imposes ban on 250 junctions in GHMC

  Hyderabad: In order to curb traffic growls which occur at important junctions, it has been decided by the government of Telangana to prohibit construction of malls, hospitals, schools, shopping complexes and cinema theatres near those areas. The Municipal Administration and Urban Development department’s senior official said that, the ban would be imposed at 250 in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s limits alone, adding that, a majority of these junctions were already suffering from acute traffic issues because of the existence of huge establishments that were commercial in nature.

Akhilesh might not be the next UP CM candidate

  Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday said the party's Chief Ministerial candidate will be decided by elected party legislatures after the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Addressing a press conference to announce that the party's silver jubilee celebrations will begin from November 5 with a meeting of party workers and MLAs in Lucknow, Mulayam, responding to a media query on whether the party will contest the 2016 assembly elections with Akhilesh Yadav as the CM face, Mulayam said: "The decision will be taken by the elected leaders and parliamentary board ... this is how it is done." Dismissing reports of any rift within the family, the SP boss went on to add that the party had contested the 2012 assembly polls under his leadership. "Everybody knew who will be the CM then ... but I decided to make Akhilesh the CM instead," he said. The remarks come as another setback to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who was recently removed from party's state president post owing to an apparent feud in the first family of the state. 

India, Russia to sign 18 agreements in Goa

  India and Russia are expected to ink defence deals worth billions of dollars during the meeting in Goa on Saturday between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the BRICS summit. They include the procurement from Russia of four stealth frigates and five units of the S-400 anti-aircraft system, and the announcement of a joint venture for the manufacture of 200 Kamov-226T helicopters in India. In a game-changing arms acquisition, India is going to ink a Rs 39,000 crore deal for five new-generation Russian S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems, which can destroy incoming hostile aircraft, stealth fighters, missiles and drones at ranges of up to 400-km.  India and Russia are likely to sign as many as 18 agreements. Russia and India were close allies during the Cold War, but recently the relationship has become morecomplex. Talks have been held annually since 2000 and hosted alternately by Moscow and Delhi. Both sides will also approve a roadmap of measures timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Karunanidhi’s wife meets Sasikalaa over Jaya's health

The wife of DMK Chief M Karunanidhi, Rajathi Ammal, visited Apollo Hospitals in Chennai on Thursday night to enquire about the health conditionof Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa. Hospital sources said international specialist and consultant from Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, London, Dr Richard Beale, and the AIIMS team, comprising Dr G Khilnani, Professor of Department of Pulmonology Medicine, Dr Anjan Trikha, Professor of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, and Dr Nitish Nayak, Professor of Department of Cardiology, visited the hospital recently. "Rajathi Ammal wished the chief minister a speedy recovery," said a party leader. It is likely that Rajathi Ammal's daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi also would visit the hospital. Rajathi Ammal's visit comes close on the heels of DMK treasurer M K Stalin and senior leaders S Duraimurugan and K Ponmudi visiting the hospital on Saturday. The expert panel, during its earlier visit to the hospital on October 6, had drawn up a detailed medical management plan to treat the 68-year-old AIADMK supremo.

Jio effect; Airtel gives 100Mbps unlimited free internet

  India's number 1 telecom operator Airtel has launched its high-speed broadband service V-Fiber in India, which Airtel claims offers speeds up to 100Mbps. Airtel offered unlimited Internet for the next three months for free as a trial. Airtel V-Fiber is currently available in Chennai, but it will be expanded to 87 other cities in the next few weeks. Bengaluru and Delhi& NCR will follow Chennai's lead in getting the "superfast broadband." Airtel is currently offering up to 16Mbps speeds, which mark V-Fiber a major step up. Airtel is also accepting pre-orders for V-Fiber on its website and also notes that there would no increase in the monthly rental for those who opt for it. To a question on the tariff of the voice calls Jio said, "We would like to confirm that voice calls — local, STD and national roaming — are completely free and will remain so on the Jio network with any of the tariff packs".

When will AP SCS vacate DG’s bungalow: HC

  Hyderabad: On Thursday, Special Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh, P V Ramesh was given time until Monday by the division bench of Hyderabad high court comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice U Durga Prasad Rao to tell HC the amount of time he will be needing to vacate MCR HRD’s Director General’s official building. The institute’s estate officer served eviction notice, following which Ramesh has dared in the Hyderabad High Court and he was ordered by a single judge to vacate the bungalow in a month, because of which a written appeal has been filed by the ex DG.

KCR is backing his relatives: Revanth

  Warangal: On Thursday, the working president of state TD, A Revanth Reddy said, “The Chief Minister of Telangana is responsible for ryots incurring losses because of the sale of fake seeds”. He alleged that it was K Chandrasekhar Rao who was backing his relatives to supply spurious seeds and was causing the problem. The alleged negligence of the government of the state towards the peasants has been condemned by the working president who said, “The CM is saying that the ryots are very happy while they are upset about the loss of the crop which has been caused by fake seeds and heavy rains”.

YSR congress writes a letter to the PM

  Hyderabad: The President of YSR Congress Party in response to the allegations made by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N Chandrababu Naidu and his cabinet colleagues has written a letter on Thursday to Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India. In the letter the PM was asked to issue the list of 2016 IDS by the President of YSRCP who said, “If the allegations made by Mr Naidu are true, then that individual will be Mr Naidu’s benami as he is the one who revealed the secret figures accurately”.

A pay & play facility is approved by GHMC

  Hyderabad: A pay and play facility has been approved at twelve sports complexes by the standing committee of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation for the sports like cricket, badminton and Tennis. Additional sports commissioner of GHMC, Shiva Kumar Naidu K on this context said that, the pay and play concept was already functional at the Sports Authority of Telangana and now the GHMC wants to experiment with it. “The GHMC is yet to launch the website to make online bookings and it will display the rates too”, he added.