Early snowstorm nearing US East Coast

State College, Pa.:  A classic nor'easter was chugging along up the East Coast and expected to dump anywhere from a dusting of snow to about 10 inches throughout the region starting Saturday, a decidedly unseasonal date for a type of storm more associated with midwinter.

Bangkok flood defenses hold off peak coastal tides

Bangkok:  Defenses shielding the center of Thailand's capital from the nation's worst floods in nearly 60 years mostly held at critical peak tides on Saturday, as the waters began to recede after killing almost 400 people. But the threat to central Bangkok was not over, the prime minister said, and the city's northern districts remained submerged along with much of the countryside.

Attack on NATO convoy kills 17 in Afghanistan

Kabul:  A Taliban suicide bomber rammed a vehicle loaded with explosives into an armored NATO bus Saturday on a busy thoroughfare in Kabul, killing 17 people, including a dozen Americans, in the deadliest strike against the U.S.-led coalition in the Afghan capital since the war began.

Advani in Tamil Nadu, attempts to woo allies

Madurai:  Half way through, BJP leader LK Advani's yatra has reached Tamil Nadu. The yatra is trying to mobilise not just the party cadre but also sending signals for future partnerships. 

Sikh gets job, USD 295,000 in discrimination case in US

Washington:  Six years after he was denied a job as a prison guard in California because he refused to shave off his beard, an Indian-American Sikh has been made a correctional officer at a California jail. He's also won $295,000 in damages.

Yeddyurappa's bail plea adjourned to Nov 3

Bangalore:  Jailed former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa on Friday moved the Karnataka High Court seeking anticipatory bail in three of the five cases against him relating to alleged irregularities in denotifying lands.

Kiran Bedi's two NGOs get Income Tax notices

New Delhi:  The Income Tax Department has sent notices to the two NGOs run by Team Anna member Kiran Bedi to find out whether they are engaged in commercial activities.

"We are not targeting any particular NGO or charitable trust. In fact, we have sent notices to several organisations, including those run by Kiran Bedi. We want to see if any one of these is engaged in commercial activities also," a senior Finance Ministry official said.

Decision on revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act deferred

Srinagar:  After considerable controversy over its decision to revoke the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from certain areas in Kashmir, the state government has reportedly decided to put the plan on hold. According to sources, the state cabinet will meet after November 10 in Jammu to take into account inputs from the Army - which is reportedly opposed to the move - as well as the Congress and other stakeholders.

Sanjiv Bhatt case: Missing key witness found

Ahmedabad:  A key witness in the Gujarat IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt's affidavit case, who had been missing for the last five days, has now been found. Shrenik Shah claims he was kidnapped by some rival land dealers and was let off near Balasinore in Gujarat's Sabarkantha district on Friday afternoon. 

Medha, Hegde, Anna won't attend core committee meeting today

New Delhi:  Amid deepening controversies over some of its most influential members, Team Anna's core committee meets today in Delhi. Anna, 74, will not attend; he has extended his "maun vrat" or vow of silence. Medha Patkar and Justice Santosh Hegde will also be absent. 

After chaos on Friday, Metallica cancels Delhi concert

Gurgaon:  First, the Metallica concert, scheduled for Friday evening in Gurgaon, was postponed to 4 pm on Saturday. Then, after angry fans trashed equipment, came reports that the Delhi gig has been cancelled altogether.

Delhi angry as Metallica cancels concert

Gurgaon:  First, the Metallica concert, scheduled for Friday evening in Gurgaon, was postponed to 4 pm on Saturday. Then, after some angry fans trashed equipment, came reports that the Delhi gig had been cancelled altogether.

NGO contradicts Jairam's claim, says didn't complain against Mayawati govt

Lucknow:  Union Minister Jairam Ramesh's letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati slamming the alleged irregularities in implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) scheme in her state has snowballed into a major controversy. First, Ms Mayawati called the letter "politically motivated", and now, an NGO mentioned by Jairam in his letter has contradicted his claim, saying it never complained against the BSP chief's government.

Organisers arrested for cheating after Metallica concert is cancelled in Delhi

Gurgaon:  Four people, including a senior executive of the event management company that has organised the Metallica concerts in India, have been arrested after the rock show scheduled for Friday evening in Gurgaon was cancelled. 
 

CBI questions Andhra Pradesh Home Minister in mining scam

Hyderabad:  The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddy in connection with an illegal mining case involving former Karnataka minister and mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy, sources said.

Metallica on why the Delhi show was cancelled

Gurgaon:  Here's the full text of the statement issued by Metallica on why the Delhi show was cancelled:

We arrived in Delhi on Friday very excited and ready to play our first show ever in India at the F1 Rocks concert. However, immediately at the end of our afternoon press conference at a hotel near the venue, we were notified that there was a serious question as to whether the show could proceed with regard to the safety of the concert audience. And our first and foremost concern is always for the safety of you, the fans.

Team Anna member Qasmi: Core committee will not be dissolved

Ghaziabad/New Delhi:  Amid deepening controversies over some of its most-influential members, Team Anna held its core committee meeting in Ghaziabad near Delhi today. The meeting lasted for four hours, after which member Mufti Shamoon Qasmi announced that the "committee will not be dissolved."

Government is targeting us and we will respond strongly: Kejriwal

Ghaziabad, UP:  Members of Team Anna held a meeting today to discuss the relevance of the core committee and other outstanding issues. Speaking to the media, this is what Team Anna member Arvind Kerjiwal had to say. These are some of the issues on which he spoke.