News Digest: A smart, speedy recap of the day\'s headlines

Mumbai: Have you missed any news today? Here are the top national, international headlines of the day.

 

Rahul Gandhi takes a dig at Centre over Sharad Pawar's case: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday criticised the Modi-led BJP government calling it a vindictive move for targeting Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar in connection with a scam at Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank just a month before the Maharashtra elections.

Read | 'Vindictive govt targeting Sharad Pawar,' says Rahul Gandhi

Choksi's lawyer defends him after Antigua PM's remark: Every person who is facing any sort of accusations is presumed innocent until a court of law pronounces him guilty, said fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi's lawyer in an official statement on Thursday.

Read | 'Innocent until proven guilty': Choksi's lawyer after Antigua PM's remark

Congress accuses Karnataka BJP government of controlling EC: Congress general secretary K C Venugopal on Thursday took a jibe at the BJP-ruled government in Karnataka and said that the Election Commission (EC) is acting on state government's direction.

Read | 'EC acting on BJP's directions': K C Venugopal slams K'taka govt

Trump-Ukraine row: The whistleblower whose complaint has shaken the foundations of Donald Trump's presidency is a male officer of the Central Intelligence Agency who was seconded to the White House, the New York Times reported Thursday.

Read | Whistleblower in Trump Ukraine scandal a CIA officer: report

US urges rapid ease of restrictions on Kashmir: The United States wants New Delhi to quickly ease restrictions imposed in Kashmir, a senior official said after President Donald Trump met the leaders of India and Pakistan.

Read | 'Hope to see rapid action': US on easing Kashmir restrictions

Any hope for Chandrayaan-2?: NASA on Friday released high-resolution images captured by its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) during its flyby of the lunar region where India’s ambitious Chandrayaan-2 mission attempted a soft landing near the Moon’s uncharted south pole, and found Vikram had a hard landing.

Read |  'Hard landing, not able to locate lander,' says NASA on Chandrayaan-2

India-Pakistan faceoff: Ahead of the United Nations General Assembly sessions, the diplomatic flare-up between India and Pakistan reached ahead on Thursday as the latter's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi failed to turn up for Jaishankar's opening statement during the SAARC meeting.

Read |  Pak boycotts India's opening remarks at SAARC, brings up Kashmir issue

Sharad Pawar's ED visit: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar, who declared that he would go the Enforcement Directorate office on Friday, cancelled his visit citing law and order situation.

Read |  ‘Will not visit ED for now,’ says Pawar after meeting Mumbai Police officials

A ray of hope for NE: The Election Commission has decided that the registered voters in Assam who were not included in the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will not be marked "doubtful" and can keep voting in elections until a Foreigners' tribunal takes a decision on their case.

Read |  ‘People left out of Assam NRC can vote,’ says Election Commission

SC on Maradu flats: The Supreme Court on Friday directed that demolition of flats built on the coastal zone of Kochi's Maradu be completed in 138 days, in accordance with the time schedule provided by the Kerala government.

Read |  ‘Demolish all Kochi’s Maradu flats within 138 days,’ says Supreme Court

INX Media case: The latest development between Chidambaram and CBI in which the accused has denied meeting the approver in INX case whereas the CBI says he destroyed evidence.

Read | Chidambaram denies meeting Indrani; 'He destroyed evidence,' says CBI

PM Modi addressed United Nations General Assembly: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the the 74th United Nations General Assembly session in New York. Through the week the Prime Minister held bilateral meetings with US president Donald Trump and other world leaders, including Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian President Giuseppe Conte and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad.

Read | 'Harmony and peace is our message, not dissension ': PM Modi at UNGA

I-T officials sacked: The central government on Friday sacked 15 income tax officials for corruption and a few other charges that comes in accordance to Prime Minister Modi’s pledge to go after the ‘black sheep’ in the tax department.

Read | 15 senior I-T officials shown the door to purge department’s ‘black sheep’

Rajnath hits out at Pakistan: A big incident carried out by terrorists from a neighbouring country on India's coastline cannot be ruled out but the government is committed to coastal and maritime security, Defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday.

Read | 'Won’t let them rest in peace': Rajnath Singh's talks on terrorism in Kerala

Left wins it back after 54 years: The Left in Kerala on Friday won big in an assembly constituency when the Kerala Congress (M) founded by K M Mani has been in power for a record duration of 54 years.

Read | Left wins Kerala’s Pala after 54 years of Congress-led UDF govt