Here are the day’s top updates:

Delhi court dismisses Congress leader DK Shivakumar’s bail plea in money laundering case

A special court in Delhi on Wednesday dismissed Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar’s bail application in connection with a money laundering case. Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar dismissed the petition to grant relief to Shivakumar, who is currently lodged in Tihar Jail till October 1.

NRC will be implemented in West Bengal, claims BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya

Bharatiya Janata Party National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Wednesday said that the National Register of Citizens will be implemented in West Bengal, and not a single Hindu will have to leave the country. Vijayvargiya claimed that some political parties and politicians are trying to spread fear in the minds of people about the NRC by spreading rumours.

Andhra Pradesh: Editors Guild says it is distressed by ‘unwritten ban’ on two Telugu news channels

The Editors Guild of India on Wednesday criticised the Andhra Pradesh government for allegedly imposing a ban on Telugu news channels TV5 and ABN Andhra Jyoti. The two channels have been off air in many parts of the state since mid-September, according to reports.

Bihar: Police officer files complaint against minister Ashwini Choubey for allegedly threatening him

A police official from Bihar’s Buxar area has filed a complaint against Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey for allegedly threatening him at an event for sending a notice to a local Bharatiya Janata Party worker.

UN should conduct plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir, says Pakistan foreign minister

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday wrote to the United Nations secretary general and the president of the United Nations Security Council complaining about India’s “illegal” occupation of Jammu and Kashmir. India had on August 5 scrapped special status for the state guaranteed under Article 370 of the Constitution.

Madhya Pradesh: Two Dalit children allegedly beaten to death for defecating on the street

Two brothers were arrested for allegedly beating two Dalit children to death for defecating on the street in front of a panchayat building in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district on Wednesday.

NRC panic in Bengal: Long queues seen outside civic bodies as people line up for birth certificates

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation and other municipal offices in West Bengal are witnessing a sudden increase in demand for birth certificates as panic over the National Register of Citizens grows in the state. The civic body in the state capital, which usually issues around 100 birth certificates daily, is now receiving over 250 applications every day on Wednesday.

‘Will not bow before Delhi’: Sharad Pawar says he will visit ED on Friday to discuss graft charges

Former Union minister and Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said he would visit the Enforcement Directorate on Friday in connection with a money laundering case filed by the agency against him. He and his nephew Ajit Pawar were booked on Tuesday in connection with the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank scam, just a month before Assembly elections in the state.

Rape-accused Chinmayanand is not a BJP member anymore, party spokesperson tells NDTV

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday denied any link with former Union minister Chinmayanand, who has been arrested after being accused of raping and physically exploiting a 23-year-old law student in Uttar Pradesh, reported NDTV. “Chinmayanand is not a member of the BJP anymore,” Harish Shrivastava, the party’s spokesperson for the Uttar Pradesh unit, told the news channel.

Earthquake in Pakistan, PoK: Toll rises to 34, more than 450 people injured

The toll in Tuesday’s earthquake that struck northern Pakistan and occupied Kashmir rose to 34 on Wednesday, Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority Chairman Lieutenant General Afzal told Express Tribune. The toll may rise as close to 160 people are said to be in a critical condition.

Ayodhya case: Sunni Waqf Board clarifies it does not accept Ram Chabutra as Hindu deity’s birthplace

The Sunni Waqf Board, one of the parties in the Ayodhya land dispute case, on Wednesday clarified that it had not accepted that Hindu deity Ram was born at a spot known as Ram Chabutra at the contested site, The Indian Express reported. Various media organisations had reported on Tuesday that the board had conceded that the platform in the outer courtyard of the site was the deity’s birthplace.

‘If NRC is implemented in Delhi, Manoj Tiwari will be the first to leave,’ says CM Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said Bharatiya Janata Party’s Delhi President Manoj Tiwari would be the first to leave the national capital if the National Register of Citizens was implemented in Delhi. Last month, Tiwari had called for the exercise to be replicated in Delhi to identify “illegal immigrants” and said the situation had become dangerous.

Delhi: Kerala Club cancels screening of demonetisation documentary after allegedly getting threats

The Kerala Club in Delhi on Monday cancelled the screening of a Malayalam documentary about a tea seller’s protest against the demonetisation exercise of 2016 because of alleged threats from pro-government activists, The News Minute reported on Wednesday. The screening was to be organised by the Clone Cinema Alternative, a group formed by Malayalis in Delhi, in association with the Kerala Club.

China misread India’s decisions on J&K’s status, says External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said China had misinterpreted India’s decision to abrogate Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and bifurcate it into Union territories, reported ANI. After the August 5 decision of the Centre, Beijing had said that making Ladakh a Union territory was unacceptable.

Imran Khan says he is disappointed with world community for not pressuring India over Kashmir

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday expressed disappointment with the international community for failing to pressure India in the Jammu and Kashmir matter, Hindustan Times reported. Khan blamed it on India’s appeal as a “market of one billion people”. “To be absolutely frank, I am a bit disappointed by the international community,” Khan told reporters at a press conference at the United Nations.

Leonardo DiCaprio should withdraw support to Jaggi Vasudev’s Cauvery campaign, says NGOs’ collective

The Coalition for Environmental Justice in India on Tuesday wrote to American actor Leonardo DiCaprio, voicing its concerns about his support to the “Cauvery Calling” campaign organised by Isha Foundation. The letter, endorsed by over 90 organisations and several individuals, came days after DiCaprio extended his support to the movement aimed at reviving the river.

White House says Trump ‘encouraged’ PM Modi to fulfil promise to improve lives of Kashmiri people

The White House on Tuesday said that United States President Donald Trump “encouraged” Prime Minister Narendra Modi to improve relations with Pakistan and fulfil his promise to make the lives of the people of Kashmir better, PTI reported. The statement came after the two leaders met on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly session in New York City.

Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa’s son and sister also issued notices by tax department: Report

Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa’s son Abir Lavasa and sister Shakuntala Lavasa are under the scanner of the Income Tax Department, The Indian Express reported on Wednesday. This came a day after it was reported that the department had sent the election commissioner’s wife a notice seeking clarifications about alleged discrepancies in her tax returns.

Unnao rape case: SC grants CBI 15 more days to complete investigation into car crash

The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted the Central Bureau of Investigation 15 more days to complete its investigation into the car crash that injured the Unnao rape complainant two months ago. The agency sought time to record the statement of the complainant’s lawyer, who too was injured in the crash.

The lawyer is still unconscious, the CBI told the bench headed by Justice Deepak Gupta. The court will hear the case again in October.

Gates Foundation employee quits in protest against award to Narendra Modi amid Kashmir situation

A staff member at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation resigned on Tuesday in protest against the organisation’s decision to give Prime Minister Narendra Modi the Global Goalkeeper Award for the Swachh Bharat Mission, reported TRT World. Communications specialist Sabah Hamid said it was a grave error to honour Modi at a time when he has imposed restrictions on communications and movement in Kashmir.

India denies trade deal talks with US failed, both countries say agreement expected very soon

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale on Tuesday said that India and the United States had “narrowed the areas of difference” during negotiations for a trade deal. He said both sides would continue discussions and “some kind of a trade agreement” would be reached in the near future.

Jammu & Kashmir: Situation in Valley very bad, no freedom of speech, says Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday said the situation in the Kashmir Valley was “very bad”. Azad, who is the leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, is currently on a six-day tour of Jammu and Kashmir.

‘Will be great if India-Pakistan work something out on Kashmir,’ says Donald Trump

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York. Before the meeting, Trump stressed the need for dialogue between India and Pakistan and said that it would be great if the two countries “can work out something on Kashmir”.

US: Modi receives Global Goalkeepers award for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan from Gates Foundation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday received the Global Goalkeeper Award from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The award was presented to Modi by Microsoft founder Bill Gates at a ceremony on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York.

Karnataka: Siddaramaiah and Kumaraswamy blame each other over collapse of Congress-JD(S) government

Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Tuesday engaged in a blame game on social media over the collapse of the Congress-Janata Dal (United) coalition government in the state.

Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar named in Rs 25,000 crore money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday filed a money laundering case against Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar in connection with the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank scam.

Actor Amitabh Bachchan to receive Dadasaheb Phalke Award

Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan will be given the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his contribution to the film industry, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar announced in a tweet on Tuesday.