New Delhi, Sep 26 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea challenging the appointment of Justice Ranjan Gogoi as the next Chief Justice of India, saying the petition was "devoid of merits".

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said "We are of the view that it is not the stage to interfere (with the appointment)."

The petition against Justice Gogoi's appointment as the next CJI was filed by two lawyers.

New Delhi, Sep 26; PTI:  The Congress Wednesday welcomed the Supreme Court decision to strike down Section 57 of the Aadhaar act, which allowed private entities to access Aadhaar data, and termed it a "slap on the face of BJP".

The Supreme Court has declared the Centre's flagship Aadhaar scheme constitutionally valid.

It has also struck down Section 57 of the Aadhaar Act, which allows not only the State but also any "body, corporate or person" or private entity to demand an Aadhaar.

New Delhi, Sep 26, (PTI) The Supreme Court Wednesday agreed to live-streaming and video recording of court proceedings.

The apex court said that necessary rules for balancing rights of public and protecting dignity of litigants will be placed soon.

"Sunlight is the best disinfectant", the bench said while allowing live streaming of court proceedings.

Live-streaming of court proceedings will effectuate the "public right to know" and bring in more transparency in judicial proceedings, the court said.

Colombo, Sep 26; PTI:  An Indian national who was aware of an alleged plot to assassinate Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has been arrested, a court was told.

The Indian national, identified as M Thomas by Lankan media, was arrested on Tuesday from the residence of the Anti Corruption Movement operations director Namal Kumara, who exposed the assassination plot, CID Chief Inspector Ranjith Munasinghe informed the Fort Magistrate Court.

Guwahati, Sep 26 (PTI) The Assam government on Wednesday said it has purchased 60,000 books of the 15-volume biography of BJP ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya worth Rs 1.6 crore.

In a written reply to a query by the Leader of the Opposition, Debabrata Saikia, Cultural Affairs (Library and Archeology) Minister Keshab Mahanta said the government has purchased the books for different libraries, educational and other institutes.

New Delhi, Sep 25; PTI:  The Kerala government Tuesday sought a special grant of Rs 5,000 crore from the Centre for livelihood development in the flood-ravaged state.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here and submitted a memorandum listing the devastation in the state, rehabilitation works done and the assistance required for rebuilding Kerala after the deluge last month.

Vijayan, however, said that there is no change in the Centre's stand over the issue of accepting assistance from any overseas government.

MOSCOW, September 26. /TASS/. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Tuesday he was ready to meet with his US counterpart Donald Trump in person.

"I’m ready to talk to US President Donald Trump. I would like it to be a face-to-face meeting between Donald Trump and Nicolas Maduro," he said in a state TV channel broadcast.

The Venezuelan leader also said that sanctions against his country were useless.

Washington, Sep 26 (PTI) The US Congress has passed a crucial bipartisan bill that seeks to impose a visa ban on Chinese officials who deny American citizens, government officials and journalists access to Tibet.

The legislation, passed by a unanimous voice vote, comes amidst the Trump administration imposing massive trade import duties on China that has started impacting the Chinese economy.

TASS, September 10. Siberian researchers have put together a mathematical model of the Russian city of Krasnoyarsk’s transport network and used it to analyze the city’s traffic. The results of the study will help decrease traffic congestion in the city, the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education’s press service informed.

New Delhi, Sep 26 (PTI) The Supreme Court Wednesday declared the Centre's flagship Aadhaar scheme as constitutionally valid but struck down some of its provisions including its linking with bank accounts, mobile phones and school admissions.

PARIS; 24 Sep 2018; GANASHAKTI: The French government said on Sunday it feared damage to its relations with India after former president Francois Hollande stirred a massive controversy with his statements on the multi-billion-dollar Rafale fighter jet deal.

Mr Hollande, who left office in May last year, said Friday that French jet manufacturer Dassault Aviation had been given no choice about its local partner in a 2016 deal with India.

MOSCOW, September 24. /TASS/Russia’s defense ministry has presented data from the S-400 radar deployed at the airbase at Syria’s Hmeymim as evidence proving the Israeli air forces’ responsibility for the incident with the Russian Ilyushin-20 plane killing 15 servicemen.