Indo-Pak Talks: Controversy over missing Indian flag.

Sushma Swaraj's meeting with Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif came under some scrutiny when the tricolour was found missing from the backdrop, where both the leaders were sitting. Generally, whenever two leaders meet, the flags of both nations are displayed in the backdrop.

Earlier, the tricolour was hoisted upside down during PM Narendra Modi's photo with Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe before bilateral talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur. The missing national flag in Pakistan did not go down well with many Indians.

ISIS Considers Indian Recruits Inferior to Arabs, Treats Them as Cannon Fodder: Report

There are 23 Indians fighting with terror group ISIS in Syria and Iraq and another six are dead, says a report from a recent assessment by security agencies.

The report - drawn up with the help of the British Mi6, the Central Intelligence Agency of the USA and some Arab countries and shared at topmost level of the government - says in the ISIS, Indian, Pakistani, African and Bangladeshi fighters are considered "inferior to Arab fighters." 

They are "paid less" and are given inferior equipment in comparison to their Arab and Western counterparts. "There appears to be a clear hierarchy" among the fighters and "Arabs" are preferred, the report says. 

Indian, Pakistani and African fighters are also considered less motivated and therefore are generally "tricked" into carrying out "suicide bombings", the report says.

It describes how:  these fighters are likely to be given an explosive-laden vehicle and asked to go near "the target and call a certain number" for further instructions. However, the phone call activates a "pre-set mechanism" triggering an explosion, the report says.

It also notes that Indians are more likely to be used as cannon fodder "forced to fight in the frontline" as they are considered expendable.

The ISIS is known to lure fighters by promising them marriage to Syrian women, but even here, Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis are "lowest in the priority for Jihadi brides since they are considered ethnically inferior," the report states.

Islam in India - perhaps because of a softer approach - is considered "apostate and a departure from the original teachings of the Quran," the report says and adds that there is a "clear trust deficit" between the dominant Arab fighters and fighters from South East Asia. 

Amid reports that the ISIS, which seeks to establish a caliphate and controls large swathes of Syria and Iraq, has been attempting to lure more Indian youth to join it. More than a 1000 Indian Islamic scholars and clerics have issued a fatwa against it, describing its acts and actions as against the basic tenets of Islam.

Kapil Sharma Said He Didn't 'Misbehave' With Deepali Sayyad

Comedian Kapil Sharma defended himself against a Marathi actress' accusation that he misbehaved with her.

According to reports, actress Deepali Sayyad allegedly said that Kapil misbehaved with her at a wrap-up party to celebrate the International Marathi Film Festival Awards 2015.

When asked about it, the Comedy Nights With Kapil frontman said: "I don't know where this news came from. First of all I want to clarify that I was not present at the award function. I don't know who made a mountain out of a mole-hill. I believe everyone is like me, who loves everybody. But there are some people who made this news."

Kapil addressed the query about the issue at an event where he was feted as the PETA Person of the Year Award.

‘France is at war’: Hollande wants US, Russia to unite against IS

French President Francois Hollande called on the United States and Russia to join forces to destroy Islamic State in the wake of Friday’s attacks across Paris that killed at least 129 people, and announced a wave of measures to combat terror in France.

In a sombre speech to both houses of parliament after the coordinated suicide bombings and shootings that sent shock waves across the world, Hollande said he would increase funds for national security, strengthen anti-terror laws and boost border controls.

“France is at war. But we’re not engaged in a war of civilisations, because these assassins do not represent any. We are in a war against jihadist terrorism which is threatening the whole world,” he told a packed chamber at the gilded Versailles Palace near Paris on Monday.

Parliamentarians gave Hollande a standing ovation before singing the national anthem in a signal of political unity following the worst atrocity in France since World War II.

“The faces of the dead people, of the wounded, of the families don’t leave my mind,” Hollande declared after France and many allies observed a minute of silence in honour of the 129 killed and 350 wounded when three teams of IS attackers targeted the national stadium, a rock concert and four nightspots on Friday with assault gun fire and suicide bombs.

“In my determination to combat terrorism, I want France to remain itself. The barbarians who attack France would like to disfigure it. They will not make it change,” Hollande declared. “They must never be able to spoil France’s soul.”

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying they were in retaliation for French airstrikes in Iraq and Syria over the past year. 

Hollande said French forces would intensify its assaults and said he would meet US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin in the coming days to urge them to pool their resources.

“...We must combine our forces to achieve a result that is already too late in coming,” Hollande said.

A US-led coalition has been bombing Islamic State for more than a year. Russia joined the conflict in September, but US officials say it has mainly hit foreign-backed fighters battling its ally President Bashar al-Assad, not Islamic State.

Hollande said he would present a bill on Wednesday seeking to extend the prevailing state of emergency - granting the police and military greater powers of search and arrest, and local governments the right to suspend demonstrations and impose curfews - for another three months.

Speaking in Turkey at the same time as Hollande, Obama called Friday’s attacks a “terrible and sickening setback”, but insisted the US-led coalition was making progress. 

“Even as we grieve with our French friends... we can’t lose sight that there has been progress being made,” Obama said at a Group of 20 summit.

Much of France came to a standstill at midday for a minute’s silence to remember the dead. Metro trains stopped, pedestrians paused on pavements and office workers stood at their desks.

Investigators have identified a Belgian national living in Syria as the possible mastermind behind the attacks, which targeted bars, restaurants, a concert hall and soccer stadium, with Brussels seen as the springboard. 

“Friday’s act of war was decided upon and planned in Syria, prepared and organised in Belgium and carried out on our territory with the complicit of French citizens,” Hollande said.

Prosecutors have identified five of the seven dead assailants -- four Frenchmen and a foreigner fingerprinted in Greece last month. His role in the carnage has fuelled speculation that Islamic State took advantage of a recent wave of refugees fleeing Syria to slip militants into Europe.

Police believe one attacker is on the run, and suspect at least four people helped organise the mayhem.

“We know that more attacks are being prepared, not just against France but also against other European countries,” French Prime Minister Manuel Valls told RTL radio. “We are going to live with this terrorist threat for a long time.”

Islamic State warned in a video on Monday that any country hitting it would suffer the same fate as Paris, promising specifically to target Washington.

Shashank to replace Srinivasan as ICC head

Control for Cricket in India president Shashank Manohar will be the new BCCI representative at the International Cricket Council. He will replace former BCCI president N. Srinivasan who was elected the first chairman of the ICC in June 2014.

“By virtue of being the BCCI president at the ICC, Manohar will take over as chairman of the ICC,’’ said Anurag Thakur, secretary, BCCI. “I never aspired for this,’’ said Mr. Manohar who will be in office till June 2016.

Former BCCI and ICC president Sharad Pawar has been named the alternative representative in case Mr. Manohar is unable to attend. The house praised Mr. Srinivasan’s contributions as the ICC chairman.

The BCCI accepted in principle the proposed rules on conflict of interest and other amendments to its constitution. It also appointed retired Justice A.P Shah as the ombudsman, who will look into all conflict of interest disputes. 

Another important decision was that it woud meet every quarter and make professional appointments to strengthen the governance of the BCCI based on the report to be submitted by Deloitte.

2 US govt employees killed in Jordan shooting

WASHINGTON: 

A Jordanian policeman has opened fire at a police training centre outside Amman, killing two Americans, a South African and a Jordanian, officials say.

Two US government employees were killed and another two wounded in a shooting incident on Monday in Jordan's capital Amman, officials said. 

"A full investigation is taking place. We take this very seriously and we'll be working closely with the Jordanians to determine exactly what happened," President Barack Obama said. 

"But at this stage, I want to just let everyone know that this is something we're paying close attention to and at the point where the families have been notified, obviously, our deepest condolences will be going out to them," Obama said in a joint appearance with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

In addition, a South African police trainer was also killed and Jordanian and Lebanese individuals were wounded in the incident at the Jordan International Police Training Centre. 

An investigation is ongoing and it is premature to speculate on motive at this point, the US Embassy in Amman said in a statement. 

The US is working with Jordanian and local security services on a full and comprehensive investigation, it said. 

"We strongly condemn this incident and we deeply appreciate the cooperation and support received from our Jordanian partners," the statement said.

Govt. to impose 0.5% cess on services from 15th Nov.

All services, including Air travel, telephony, Eating outside & banking to become expensive.

After bihar elections, Modi govt. is going to increase your expenses by increasing service tax on the name of "Swacch Bharat Abhiyan". 

Service tax that you are paying for these services till now was 14%. But from the coming 15th nov. it will increase upto 14.50%.