LIVE news: Delhi court sends Red Fort blast accused to 10-day NIA custody

LIVE news updates, Nov 17: Catch all the latest news developments here

President Donald Trump on Monday urged House Republicans to vote in favour of releasing files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, marking a sharp reversal after previously opposing the move.

 

“We have nothing to hide, and it's time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party,” Trump wrote on social media shortly after landing at Joint Base Andrews following a weekend in Florida.

 

Democrats and some Republicans have been pressing for a measure that would require the Justice Department to make additional documents from the case public.

 

Trump’s change in position signals an implicit recognition that backers of the proposal have enough votes to clear the House, though its prospects in the Senate remain uncertain.

4:41 PM

Brisk checking at Howrah, Sealdah stations amid nationwide vigil following Nowgam, Delhi blasts

Key railway hubs in West Bengal, including the state's two busiest stations Howrah and Sealdah, remain under tight security following the Delhi and Nowgam blasts, officials said on Monday. Barricades have been erected near both the stations and vehicles are being thoroughly checked before granted entry into parking lots, a senior police officer said. An RPF officer said bags of passengers are being thoroughly scanned and anyone found suspicious is being questioned.

4:14 PM

Will continue to consider terrorists and their backers alike: Army chief

India will continue to consider the terrorists and their supporters alike, and it will respond firmly to terrorism, Chief of Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwivedi said on Monday, in a firm message to Pakistan. In an interactive session, the Army Chief also broadly said that there has been improvement in India's relations with China in the last one year following talks between the leadership of the two countries.

3:48 PM

Nitish meets Guv after cabinet authorises CM to recommend dissolution of Assembly

The last cabinet meeting of the outgoing NDA government in Bihar on Monday “authorised” Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to recommend dissolution of the assembly. A resolution to this effect was unanimously passed in the meeting chaired by Kumar, which lasted for 10 minutes, they said. “The CM met Governor Arif Mohammad Khan soon after the meeting to apprise him about the decision of the cabinet. On November 19, Kumar will submit his resignation to the governor as head of the outgoing government,” PTI reported.

2:22 PM

Case registered against 28 drug dealers in Varanasi for smuggling spurious cough syrup

A case has been registered against 28 drug dealers, including a father-son duo, in Varanasi for allegedly smuggling codeine-laced cough syrup for intoxication, police said on Monday.They said that an investigation by the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department revealed that Shubham Jaiswal, a resident of Prahlad Ghat, Varanasi, and his father, Bholanath Prasad, supplied large quantities of the banned adulterated syrup to 26 Varanasi-based businessmen from their Ranchi-based firm, Shaili Traders.

2:21 PM

SC issues contempt notice to Telangana speaker, calls it 'grossest kind of contempt'

The Supreme Court on Monday issued a contempt notice to the Telangana speaker for not complying with its direction to decide disqualification pleas against 10 BRS MLAs, who had defected to the ruling Congress. On July 31, a top court bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai had directed the assembly speaker to decide in three months the matter of the disqualification of the 10 Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLAs.

1:01 PM

Relatives of Saudi bus accident victims urge govt to bring back bodies

A local resident in Hyderabad, Mufti Asifullah Qasmi, told ANI that seven members of his family went for a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. "We urge the government to allow us to go to Saudi Arabia. Seven members of my family went to Saudi Arabia," he said.

11:07 AM

Owaisi mourns victims, urges Centre to bring back bodies

Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday expressed deep grief over the Saudi Arabia bus accident involving Indian Umrah pilgrims. He called on the Union government and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to ensure the bodies of those who died are brought back to India.

10:00 AM

Any country doing business with Russia will be 'very severely' sanctioned: Trump

US President Donald Trump has warned that any country that does business with Russia will be “very severely sanctioned”, as his administration and Republican lawmakers push ahead with tough legislation targeting Moscow. Responding to questions from reporters on Sunday on whether it was time for Congress to pass measures aimed at pressuring Russia and President Vladimir Putin, Trump said, “I hear they're doing that, and that's okay with me.” “They're passing legislation... the Republicans are putting in legislation... very tough sanctioning... on any country doing business with Russia. They may add Iran to that... I suggested it,” he said.

9:26 AM

Jitan Manjhi, Upendra Kushwaha meet BJP's Dharmendra Pradhan ahead of govt formation in Bihar

Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) supremo Jitan Ram Manjhi and Rashtriya Lok Morcha president Upendra Kushwaha have held separate meetings with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was the BJP's election in-charge in Bihar, at his residence. The BJP's in-charge of political affairs in Bihar, Vinod Tawde, was also present.