Headlines at 9 pm: Former FM Yashwant Sinha: How would Ola, Uber cause truck sales to plummet

Former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Saturday questioned Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's claim that rise of Ola and Uber affected the automobile sector, asking why the sales of trucks should also decline.

"If companies like Ola and Uber caused a drop in passenger vehicle sales, then why there is a slowdown in sales of two-wheelers and trucks?" Sinha asked.

"Bihar's finance minister (Sushil Modi) said there is recession due to Sawan-Bhado (the rainy season). A Union minister (Piyush Goyal) is talking about Einstein's law of gravity," the former BJP leader said.

Terming the statements as "weird", he said such statements will not lead to betterment of economy. But they will definitely affect the government's image.

Judiciary putting off sensitive issues: Former Union minister Anand Sharma

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma on Saturday said the judiciary is putting off even sensitive matters which is resulting in India's criticism at the world stage and disappointment among citizens whose fundamental rights are in question, days after the Supreme Court referred a batch of pleas against the abrogation of Article 370 provisions for hearing in October.

The petitioners have challenged the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 and the presidential orders that followed.

Sharma said: "It has been seen, not in one case but many, that the country's judiciary, even on sensitive issues, instead of taking them up and deciding, is putting them off. There is neither denial, nor action and there is continuous delay."

Hamza bin Laden killed in US operation: Trump

US President Donald Trump on Saturday confirmed that Hamza bin Laden, the son of slain al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, was killed in an American counter-terrorism operation along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

RSS plans first major outreach to foreign press later this month

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will interact with members of foreign press later this month, in first such outreach by the Sangh "to clear misconceptions" about the outfit and its ideology, sources said here.

A Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary, who is coordinating the meeting, said invitation is being extended to 70 foreign media organisations from various countries barring Pakistan.

Sangh's functionaries said the aim of the 'briefing' was to discuss the RSS' views on various topics, as well as to address some "wrong narratives" about the organisation that have developed over the years. It will be an off-camera briefing by Bhagwat and will not be for reporting".

Three naxals killed in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district

Three naxals were gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Sukma district on Saturday evening, police said.

The gun-battle took place around 6 pm in a forest near Tadmetla-Mukram nullah under Chintalnar police station area when a team of police's District Reserve Guard was out on patrolling, Deputy Inspector General (anti-naxal operations) Sundarraj P told PTI.

On getting information that naxals had dug up a road near Tadmetla, security forces had launched the operation in the area, he said.

Congress expresses concern over 'deteriorating security situation' in Kishtwar

A day after suspected terrorists looted the service rifle of a policeman in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir unit of Congress on Saturday expressed concern over "deteriorating security situation" in the district and asked the government to take urgent steps to check the spread of militancy in the area.

"It (weapon snatching) is a serious incident which is fourth terrorist act in the district in the recent past...It has further added dimensions to the volatile situation and belied the tall claims of the state administration regarding elimination and control of militancy," chief spokesperson and former MLC Ravinder Sharma said.