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Allahabad HC takes suo motu cognisance in Bulandshahr rape case, matter to be heard today

On 8 August, the Allahabad High Court has decided to take suo motu cognisance in the matter involving the recent gang rape of a woman and her minor daughter in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr.

The case will be heard by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Dilip Babasaheb Bhosale and Justice Yashwant Varma.

Another petition seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the incident had come up before the Lucknow bench of the High Court on Friday. The matter has now been posted for further hearing today.

2 shot dead in Telangana encounter

Two suspects were shot dead by security forces in Shadnagar, 50 kilometres away from Hyderabad on 8 August.

The two were gunned down in a joint operation carried out by the local police of Telangana and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

According to ANI, one of the suspects, has been identified as Naeem - most wanted gangster in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

At least 15 dead in bomb blast in Quetta

At least 15 people were killed and about 20 injured as a bomb blast ripped through Quetta's Civil Hospital in Balochistan on 8 August.

According to Pakistan media reports, however, the death toll stands at 20, and about 35 people are being reported to have sustained injuries.

The bomb went off near the emergency ward of the hospital. Panic stricken people rushed to safety, triggering a stampede and adding to injuries.

The attack is reported to be an aftermath of the murder of Balochistan Bar President Bilal Kasi at the hands of unidentified armed assailants on 8 August.

PM Modi likely to address Parliament as Lok Sabha gears up to ratify GST Bill

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to speak during the Lok Sabha proceedings on 8 August, as the Lower House of the Parliament gears up to ratify the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, that was passed by the Rajya Sabha with a unanimous majority last week.

The GST aims to put into place a single unified value added tax system, replacing a plethora of different state taxes. This move is expected to transform India into the world's biggest single market.

The GST Bill was first passed by the Lok Sabha in May 2015 and was then forwarded to the Rajya Sabha for ratification. It has now been sent back to the Lower House, to take into consideration the recommendations suggested by the Rajya Sabha.

The wait is over! Dipa Karmakar makes history, qualifies for Vault finals

Dipa Karmakar has created history. Tripura-girl Karmakar, taking part in her first ever Olympics, became the first Indian to qualify for the apparatus finals. Her score of 14.850 was good enough for eight in the qualifiers of the Vault event.

After subdivision 3 had finished, Dipa was temporarily placed sixth. Nearly five hours and 38 competitors later, her fate was known, and it was good news for the Indian. USA's Biles Simone, three-time world champion, with a score of 16.050 had pushed Karmakar down to seventh. Then came Canada's Olsen Shallon, with a score of 14.950, pushing Karmakar further down to eight.

Dipa's score of 14.850 was better than her score at the World Championship in 2015 in Glasgow. Over there she finished in fifth with 14.683. Her score of 14.850 would have been good enough for a fourth place finish in London 2012. In the all-round standings, Dipa finished 51st out of 98 gymnasts with a score of 51.665. She didn't enter the all-round compeition.

SC to decide on height of human pyramid in Maharashtra's Dahi-Handi festival

On 8 August, the Supreme Court is expected to take up the issue around the height of human pyramids for the Dahi-Handi celebrations in Maharashtra.

The Maharashtra Government moved the apex court on 3 August, seeking a clarification regarding the height of human pyramids for the celebrations after the Bombay High Court last week pulled up the government for its failure to obtain clarification from the apex court in this regard.

Hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) last month, the high court had directed the state government to approach the apex court on its order on the height of the human pyramids.

Giant planet that orbits two suns found

Scientists have reportedly discovered the existence of a planet as big as Jupiter that orbits a pair of binary stars.

The giant gas planet, which has been named Kepler-1647 b, has been spotted 3,700 light-years away in the Cygnus constellation.

The planet, which is estimated to be 4.4 billion years old, has the largest orbit of any circumbinary planet ever discovered.

It takes 1,107 days for Kepler-1647b - which is identical to Jupiter in terms of mass and diameter - to complete an orbit.

Sunflowers have an internal clock just like you

Sunflowers have a circadian rhythm just like animals, a new study has found.

The system sends messages to the cells in the stem, instructing it to grow longer and make the plant tilt westward during the day. During the night, the message reverses and the stem tilts back to the east.

"It's the first example of a plant's clock modulating growth in a natural environment, and having real repercussions for the plant," Stacey Harmer, professor of plant biology at University of California-Davis and senior author on the paper, said in a statement.

The study has been published in the journal Science.

Mathura: Jawan held for allegedly raping a blind Dalit girl

An Army jawan was arrested on 6 August for allegedly raping a blind Dalit girl in Ram Ka Nagla in Mathura district.

The incident occurred when the accused, who was posted as a jawan with Jat Reigment in Meerut, was visiting his native village, Ram Ka Nagla.

The 30-year-old accused allegedly raped the girl when she was alone at her house.

A case has been registered at the Naujheel police station of Mathura district under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the SC/ST Act.

Assam floods death toll up to 34

Over 36,000 in 54 villages in Assam continue to be affected by floods, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said.

The reported death toll stands at 34 across the state. The ASDMA reported that over 25,000 people were affected in Jorhat district.

Over 1,400 people have taken shelter in eight relief camp in two districts. The Brahmaputra's Dhansiri tributary is flowing above the danger mark in Golaghat.

70 rescued from flood-hit areas in Jammu

Over 70 people and some BSF troops have been rescued from flood-affected Niki Tawi area in Jammu. Continuous heavy rain has caused flash floods in Jammu.

The Tawi river's water level as on 8 August was 19-feet, two feet above the danger mark, PTI reported. Chenab was flowing at 34 feet, below the danger mark (34 feet), Basantar at seven feet against the danger mark of 5.5 feet, Devak was flowing at four feet, 0.25 feet above the danger mark (4.25 feet) and the maximum discharge level of Ujh was recorded at 1,19,000 cusecs against a danger level of 85,000 cusecs.

Madurai: Six Dalit children booked under POSCO for attacking 6 minors

The Madurai rural district police have registered a case of child abuse against six Dalit children - in the age group of 9-10 - in Ulaipatti.

Four girls and two boys were hospitalised after they were attacked by the juvenilles while passing through the Dalit colony. According to reports, the six were inappropriately touched, injured and were attacked with cow dung.

The accused, five boys and a girl from the Dalit community, were booked under the provisions of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. They have also been booked for wrongful restraint, causing hurt using dangerous weapons and criminal intimidation, the Hindu reported.