Indian Sub-continent

New Delhi, Oct 3 (PTI) In a major setback to Opposition unity ahead of Lok Sabha elections due next year, BSP supremo Mayawati Wednesday announced that her party will contest assembly elections in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh either on its own or in alliance with regional parties but not with the Congress.

She accused the Congress of trying to "finish" the BSP, saying the grand old party is more interested in ending destroying her party than dislodging the BJP.

Agartala, Oct 2; GANASHAKTI: The registration of 'Daily Desher Katha', a mouthpiece of the Tripura CPI(M), has been cancelled by RNI triggering angry reactions from the party's senior leaders.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the action of the BJP state government of Tripura in cancelling the registration of Daily Desharkatha, a progressive newspaper.

New Delhi, Oct 3 (PTI) The Maharashtra government Wednesday moved the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court order allowing Gautam Navlakha, one of the five activists arrested in connection with the Koregaon-Bhima case, to be freed from house arrest.

The Delhi High Court freed Navlakha from house arrest on Monday, five weeks after he and four other rights activists were arrested in connection with the Koregaon-Bhima violence in Maharashtra.

New Delhi, Oct 3 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi was presented the UN's Champions of the Earth Award by United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres here Wednesday.

PM Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron were jointly awarded the UN's highest environmental honour for their pioneering work in championing the International Solar Alliance and promoting new areas of cooperation on environmental action.

Kochi, Oct 3 (PTI) The Kerala High Court Wednesday dismissed the bail plea of Roman Catholic Bishop Franco Mulakkal, arrested over allegations of repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting a nun.

Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan dismissed the bail plea while accepting the prosecution argument that the accused, holding a high position in society will try to influence witnesses in the case, if he is granted bail.

Police said the investigation in the case is progressing even after the arrest of the accused.

New Delhi, Oct 3 (PTI) Justice Ranjan Gogoi was Wednesday sworn in as the 46th Chief Justice of India

He succeeds Justice Dipak Misra

President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath to the 63-year-old Justice Gogoi at a brief ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan's Darbar Hall

Justice Gogoi will have a tenure of a little over 13 months and would retire on November 17, 2019.

Islamabad, Oct 2 (PTI) Irked by former dictator Pervez Musharraf's failure to come back to Pakistan and face ongoing cases against him, Chief Justice Saqib Nisar on Tuesday warned that if the "courageous commando" does not appear soon, he may be forced to return in a disgraceful manner.

Chief Justice Nisar made the remarks when Musharraf's lawyer told the three-judge bench that his client "respects the court" but was unable to return due to his medical condition and reservations over the provision of security, Dawn newspaper reported.

Ghaziabad, Oct 2 (PTI) As thousands of farmers tried to enter the national capital in a massive protest march, the government Tuesday announced that a committee of chief ministers will look into their demands, even as the protesters stayed put saying they were not "satisfied" with the assurance.

After meeting the protesting farmers at the Delhi-UP border here, Union Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the government was assuring the farmers to take forward their cause.

Congress Working Committee (CWC) met at Sevagram Ashram’s Mahadev Bhavan in the Wardha district of Maharashtra to celebrating 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, called for a “second freedom struggle” against BJP government.

Party asked public for “Second Freedom Struggle” to combat the ideology of “hate and violence” of BJP, and spoke of the “blatant hypocrisy” of the RSS which vilified Gandhi and his thoughts, but now proclaim to be his champion.

BJP MLA Ashish Deshmukh from Maharashtra has resigned from the state legislative assembly and from the primary membership of the party.

He is meeting Congress party president Rahul Gandhi, and may join the party.

Deshmukh accused the BJP-led state government of being ‘anti-farmer’ and indulging in divisive vote bank politics.