Modi meets US counterpart in New York

US President Barack Obama on Monday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his commitment to clean energy and said Indian leadership on climate change would be critical for decades to come. The two met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. After their meeting, Modi said that he shared Obama’s uncompromising commitment to fighting climate change without hurting development, and thanked him for his support on India’s permanent membership of a reformed United Nations Security Council. Modi also added that India-US defence cooperation is expanding.

ISI planning strikes, claim intelligence agencies

A group of terrorists from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, tutored on Sikh traditions and the Gurmukhi script, may infiltrate India to carry out strikes in Punjab, Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir, intelligence agencies have learnt. “The group consists of 15 to 20 terrorists and they have been specially briefed on the topography and maps of Punjab,” said a government official. Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence, has gathered top operatives from terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Hizbul Mujahideen and Khalistani outfits, Babbar Khalsa International and Khalistan Zindabad Force to plan the strikes, the official alleged.

SC rejects plea to ban animal sacrifice in festivals

Refusing to entertain a petition to ban animal sacrifices during religious festivals across all communities, the Supreme Court said on Monday that it could not, for the sake of societal balance and harmony, intervene in centuries-old customs of religious faith and tradition meant to appease the gods. A public interest litigation petition filed by a journalist named Varaaki contended that “religion cannot be allowed to become a tool for perpetuating untold miseries on animals”.

CBI gives Manmohan clean chit in coal case

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday told a special court that there is no prima facie evidence against former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a coal block allocation case allegedly involving Jindal group firms. Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda had filed a plea last month seeking summoning of Manmohan Singh in the case, but the CBI opposed it saying that the application was filed to delay the trial. Apart from Koda, Congress leader Naveen Jindal, former Union Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayan Rao, former coal secretary HC Gupta, and others have been named as accused in the case.

Radhe Maa gets reprieve from Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court on Monday dismissed a social worker’s plea seeking to intervene and oppose anticipatory bail sought by controversial self-styled godwoman Radhe Maa in a case of alleged dowry harassment. The application by Ramesh Joshi, who claims to be office bearer of several non governmental organisations, was dismissed by Justice Reveti Mohite-Dhere on the ground that his plea was without merit. The court also allowed Radhe Maa to appear at the police station only when required instead of every Wednesday as directed earlier.