PTI reports: US President Barack Obama called up Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to convey condolences over the shooting incident at a Wisconsin gurdwara on Sunday

Obama assured the prime minister that the shooting incident, in which six people were killed, would be investigated.

PTI reports: Wisconson Gurdwara shooting suspect Wade Michael Page died of self-inflicted wounds, Federal Bureau of Investigation has said.

Previously it was reported that Page was killed by the police.

Former Haryana Minister Gopal Kanda today did not appear before police for questioning in the suicide case of a former airhostess with the police saying he is "absconding" and threatened to initiate proceedings to obtain non-bailable warrant against him.
 
Geetika Sharma (23), a former air hostess with Kanda's now defunct MDLR airline, alleged in her suicide note that she was ending her life due to harassment by Kanda and MDLR official Aruna Chaddha. Kanda and Chaddha had denied the allegations.
 
Kanda, who was served with a notice to appear before investigators today, sent his lawyers to Bharat police station seeking "two-three days" time to appear before them but it was not granted, a senior police official said.

Thursday's meeting of Empowered Group of Ministers on drought has been postponed and it is likely to take place only after Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's visit on August 11 to Punjab and Haryana, two other states hit by deficient rain, according to a senior government official.
    
"The EGoM meeting has been postponed and is likely to be rescheduled after the minister's tour to Punjab and Haryana this weekend," the official said.
     
Pawar heads the EGOM on drought. He is scheduled to visit these two states on August 11 and hold meeting with respective chief ministers.

As Parliament witnessed heated debate on Assam violence, the state government today said the situation in strife-torn areas are under control and around 1.5 lakh people have gone back to their homes from relief camps.
 
"The situation there is completely under control and there has been no report of any group clash since yesterday. Around 1.5 lakh people have already left for their homes," Industry and Commerce Minister of Assam Pradyut Bordoloi told the media in Guwahati.

He said a total of 309 cases have been registered and a Special Investigation Team headed by an additional director general of police (CID) has been constituted to investigate six important cases. The state government has already recommended CBI probe into the violence.

Taking strong exception to the disruption caused by UPA members in Lok Sabha when L K Advani was speaking on Assam violence, BJP today said the "arrogance and intolerance" of the government is now being manifest inside Parliament as well.

Advani's contention that UPA-II government is illegitimate had led to an uproar in Lok Sabha with Treasury Benches strongly objecting to it. BJP defended its senior leader and maintained that Advani was referring to the cash-for-vote scam and not the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

"Advani was very clear. He stands by what he had said. He was referring to the cash-for-vote scam. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has called Advani's remark disgraceful, should clarify whether the cash-for-vote scam was graceful...," BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.

The party said Advani had got the year wrong and that it was 2008 instead of 2009. "Advani stands by the word illegitimate. The UPA-I government survived in 2008 by using illegal means through cash-for-vote in the trust vote," Hussain said.

The main opposition described the disruption as "unprecedented". "Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the House and Parliamentary Affairs Minister could not control their MPs," Hussain said. The party alleged that instead of pacifying Congress members, Gandhi was actually provoking them "disgracefully".

Mary Kom apologises for not winning silver or gold medal at the Olympics. 

Meanwhile, in Assam... Four more bodies were recovered today in lower Assam, which witnessed fresh incidents of violence, taking the toll to 77, police said.

"Two bodies, that of a male and a female from the minority community, were recovered from Kokrajhar district, and one each from Baksa and Chirang districts," Assam IGP (law and order) L R Bishnoi said.

He said of the two bodies found from Kokrajhar, one was fished out from Champa river and another was recovered from Gossaigaon area.

"There were certain fresh incidents of violence but the police has taken timely action to prevent escalation," Bishnoi said. The rival Bodo and Minority communities had planned attacks but intelligence inputs had helped in prempting the violence. They had planned arson in several interior villages but were thwarted by security forces, the IGP claimed. Curfew is on in all four strife-torn districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Dhubri, he said.

Mary Kom, Bronze and Nicola Adams trending on Twitter.

@BabaUmarr #MaryKom wins bronze and the world gets to know there is a place called #Manipur too

@BDUTT Hey #Marykom youre still an absolute knockout! Bronze is a pretty cool way to go down fighting.

@cricketaakash Even though you have to settle for a bronze, Mary Kom you'll always be our Golden Girl. A true champion.

@ajaymaken Mary Kom playing in a higher weight category,played well but lost to a taller/younger/stronger player!Olymp Bronze is also a big achievement.

Moving on, the Supreme Court today deferred till August 16 its decision on the Italian government's plea to quash the ongoing trial of two of its marines for allegedly gunning down two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast in February this year.

Disappointing! Mary Kom loses the semis to Britain's Nicola Adams (11-6) and it's a bronze for India.  Always difficult to play in front of a home crowd.  

Nearly 90 firefighters battled a fire on the 88th floor of One World Trade Center this morning, nbcnewyork.com is reporting .The fire was reported around 7:45 a.m., according the station.

There is no official word on the size or cause of the blaze.According to WCBS, the fire was put out shortly before 8:30 a.m.Nbcnewyork.com reports that no one was inside the building when the flames erupted.The New York City Office of Emergency Management told WCBS 880 that road closures and traffic delays are to be expected in that area. Read more 

MC Mary Kom's bout with GB's world #2 Nicola Adams about to begin.  

Another 15 minutes for Mary Kom's bout to begin. Meanwhile, read this...    Newsweek decided to compile the finest, oddest, most memorable dining hotspots from Australia to Monaco and gathered 53 luminary chefs to help with the task. They've highlighted 101 eateries, from smoky Basque bars to bustling Asian markets. Bon apptit! 

Read

In a new twist to the Wisconsin gurdwara shooting that left six Sikhs dead, a former girlfriend of the slain gunman was today arrested after a weapon was found from her house, even as detectives remained clueless about the 'neo-nazi' shooter's motive.

The gunman Wade Michael Page's former girlfriend Misty Cook, a waitress and nursing student with reported ties to white supremacist organisations, was arrested as part of a joint investigation between the FBI and South Milwaukee Police Department "on the crime of felon in possession of a firearm."

"Charges (against her) will be sought through the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office," Milwaukee police said in a statement after the arrest of 31-year-old Cook.


Also read: Two children who helped save many lives.

Interesting read on the NYT: A single raindrop can weigh 50 times as much as a mosquito. So how can the insects fly through a downpour and come out alive?
Find out

And the Mary Kom we aren't familiar with...

Watch her sing Ajeeb dastaan hai yeh and Rula ke gaya sapna mera... on rediff.com.

M C Mary Kom is to be feted by the Manipur state government and also given a piece of land for setting up a boxing academy for her feat of ensuring a medal at the Olympic Games in London.

The five-time world champion and police woman had been promised a promotion and land by the state government after she became world champion for the fourth time in 2010, but the promise was not fulfilled.

"She was promised that she would be promoted to the Additional ASP's post in Manipur Police, besides a two acre piece of land for her academy. Two years have passed since the procedures were started by the state government and now they say that they would club it with her Olympic medal," Mary's husband Onler Kom said from London.

"Mary doesn't even know about this move by the government but if this is the case, we don't want any incentive. "It is unfair that a promise made two years ago is fulfilled by clubbing it with an altogether new achievement that has its own significance," he added.

GB boxer Nicola Adams, who is Mary Kom's opponent says she will use the height and weight advantage in the bout. Watch the clincher at 6.15 pm IST.

Also read the report on 'formidable Mary' on the Guardian.  

Just in: Former Punjab minister Jagir Kaur gets bail for four weeks after just four months in jail. The former cabinet minister Bibi Jagir Kaur was sentenced to five years in prison for conspiring to cause her daughters miscarriage 12 years ago. Besides IPC Section 313 (forcible abortion), Bibi Jagir Kaur was convicted of wrongful confinement (Section 344) and kidnapping (Section 365). She was acquitted of the charge of murder.

Jagirs daughter Harpreet Kaur died under mysterious circumstances in April 2000 and was cremated the following day without an autopsy or inquest. A week later, Kamaljit Singh of Jagirs native Begowal village petitioned Punjab and Haryana High Court alleging Harpreet had been murdered at Jagirs behest.

Kamaljit said Harpreet and he had secretly married and Harpreet was pregnant with his child. A month before her death, Harpreet had allegedly been sedated and a 27-week-old male foetus aborted.

In a dramatic turnaround of events, businessman Abhishek Verma and his wife were arrested today afresh by the CBI in a forgery case lodged on Sports Minister Ajay Maken's complaint, minutes after they were granted bail by a Delhi court in a corruption case.

The CBI sleuths effected arrest of Verma and his Romanian wife Anca Maria Neacsu in the court of Special CBI Judge Sanjeev Jain itself, soon after the couple were granted bail in the corruption case involving their bid to influence unknown officials to stall a government's move to blacklist a Swiss arms firm.

@ShivAroor Former vice chief Lt General Shantonu Choudhry tells #HeadlinesToday that Army shouldn't change rules for Subedar Vijay Kumar. "Wrong precedent."

@MaryKomIndia Ready for my match. Thanks all for your wishes. Hope to make my country proud. Jai Hind!

Watch her go for gold at 6.15 pm IST

PT Usha's prodigy, India's Tintu Luka qualified for the 800m semifinals. She came in third and clocked a time of 2:01.75 in a close finish. Tintu Luka took part in heat 2.

The audio of police communication the moment Lieutenant Brian Murphy is shot. He was shot eight times and remains in critical condition.

Seven people were killed and up to 25 people injured -- three of them critically -- when a gunman opened fire at a gurdwara in Wisconsin in an attack during Sunday morning prayers.

The gunman, Wade Michael Page, a suspected white supremacist, was shot dead by the police after he shot at law enforcement officers at the gurdwara.


Watch

And a reminder to watch Usain Bolt in the 200m semi-finals at 1910 GMT. 

Olympic stories... When Liu Xiang, China's track and field superstar, crashed to the ground at the London Olympic Games on Tuesday after stumbling over the first hurdle in his 110-meter men's hurdles heat, an announcer on the state broadcaster openly wept and subway riders thronging platform television screens gasped in horror. Read

On the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament, new MPs Rekha and Sachin Tendulkar (neither require an introduction) called on President Pranab Mukherjee accompanied by Rajeev Shukla, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs.

The President met them for around 20 minutes and during the meeting described some of the salient features of Indian Constitution, the history of Indian Independence and Parliamentary procedures.

After the meeting, Tendulkar described the interaction as highly enjoyable and educative while Rekha said it was a 'blessing'.

The Court allows the ED to interrogate Verma and his wife in Tihar jail and effect their arrest in new case there, if needed.

Enforcement Directorate seeks court's permission to arrest businessman Abhishek Verma and his Romanian wife in a money laundering case. The Court also permits CBI to arrest Verma and his wife in a forgery case lodged against them on Sports Minister Ajay Maken's complaint.

Last month, the Enforcement Directorate had registered a fresh money laundering case against arms dealer Abhishek Verma in its probe against him for allegedly receiving money from a Swiss defence firm to keep it out of the government's blacklist.

Verma has already been arrested by the CBI in this case.

The ED has registered the fresh complaint, under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), based on the contents of the FIR lodged by the CBI.

The agency has begun probe on the basis of the CBI complaint against Verma where he has been accused of taking USD 5,30,000 from Swiss firm Rheinmetall Air Defence AG (RAD) for using his influence to stall the blacklisting proceedings initiated by the government against it after the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) scam had surfaced.

Verma is already being probed by Enforcement Directorate in the Naval war room leak case for alleged irregularities of foreign exchange laws.

A radio kept in an abandoned bag close to the Assam secretariat here created bomb scare among people but explosive experts, after examining, declared it harmless, police said.

The bag with the radio was found lying at a road outside Bhrigu Market in the busy Ganeshguri area, following which the police cordoned off the area, they said. Bomb experts rushed to the spot and after examination, it was found harmless.

The area, barely half-a-kilometre from the state secretariat, had witnessed blast during the serial explosions that rocked the state on October 30, 2008 in which over 100 people died.

The Gu Kailai trial may not establish the truth about Neil Heywood's death -- but it promises to shine a light on the ruling elite. Read

Fifty Shades of Grey is UK's biggest selling book after publisher says 5.3million copies have been sold. Read more 

What do you call a five-day, five-night sumptuous stay in the hills in sweltering summer in India? A study tour, of course.A parliamentary panel of the coal ministry decided to undertake such a tour to Leh between June 11 and June 16 this year to study something that is yet to be disclosed.
Read more on the Daily Mail.  

On the Guardian: British women's hopes in the ring rest with Nicola Adams after the departures of Natasha Jonas and Savannah Marshall but in Mary Kom she faces a formidable opponent. Read

With boxer M C Mary Kom poised to fight for silver medal in the London Olympics this evening, a large number of people in Manipur today prayed for her success in temples and churches all over the state.

Many supporters walked through the streets of the capital and elsewhere with placards in hand and praying for her and another boxer from Manipur, Devendroo Singh's success in the 49kg class quarterfinal bout.

"I pray to God at the temple before and after the game of Mary Kom," said her first boxing coach Ibomcha Singh, expressing confidence that Mary would do well in the remaining two bouts.

Singh said Mary appeared to be tense in the beginning of her fights, but got back her nerves thereafter. Reports from some parts of the state said sports lovers and supporters of the two boxers prayed before temples and churches by offering flowers. Manipur Chief Minister Ibobi Singh also prayed for Mary's success.

Also read: Manipur prays for power to watch Mary

Sunday's shooting at a Sikh gurudwara, or temple, in Wisconsin left seven people, including the attacker, dead and spawned an outpouring of emotions from Sikhs in the US -- in emails, essays, blog posts, Tweets and phone calls. There was outrage. There was fear. There was shock, despair and resolve. Read

On a similar note, read the Firstpost.com report on why Saina's Olympic triumph is just the beginning. 

In Pune, Olympic bronze medallist Gagan Narang thanks everyone for his win -- his first meeting with the media since. 

A Congress MP, Paban Singh Ghatowar from Dibrugarh, is speaking in Assamese to "manoniyo prodhan montri" (honourable PM), but the speech needs translation. However, whatever he is saying is getting the rapt attention of the House. 

In Parliament, Advani ends his speech saying illegal immigrants should be deported and disenfranchised to ensure that they have no voting rights. 

The slain gunman Wade Michael Page, who shot dead six worshippers at a Gurudwara in Wisconsin, preached and espoused white supremacist views even while he served in the US Army from 1992 to 1998.

Former colleagues of the alleged gunman told US newspaper Star and Stripes, which reports on matter affecting the US armed forces, that Page did little to hide his white supremacist views among his servicemen.

Among other things, Page not only had racist tattoos, but also drove a Volkswagen Thing, a boxy vehicle resembling a Nazi Staff car, that he repainted from orange to red. With white trim and black tires, it mirrored the colours of the Nazi flag. "It's kind of amazing he was able to stay in, especially given what was going on around base at the time," Fred Lucas, a former soldier who served with Page at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in the 9th Psychological Operations Battalion, told Star and Stripes. According to the newspaper, among the open signs of Page's extremism were his tattoos.

The PM says Advani's comment that the UPA2 was illegitimate, was disgraceful and unfortunate. Parliament resumes.

Speaker Meira Kumar says that LK Advani has apologised for the remark. Advani continues the debate on Assam. He says he wants figures from the government on how many illegal immigrants there are in the country. He asked the Home Minister and Prime Minister to tell the House what steps the government is taking to tackle illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar today left for Chennai, where Union minister Vilasrao Deshmukh is "still critical" at a private hospital there, after being admitted for a liver-related ailment.

Chavan and Pawar left for Chennai soon after the state cabinet meeting. An official at the Global Hospitals, where the 67-year-old Deshmukh is under treatment, today said the Congress leader is "still critical and continues to be under observation". Meanwhile, people in Deshmukh's home town Latur today organised prayer meeting at the local Town Hall to wish their leader a speedy recovery.

Also read: Vilasrao Deshmukh still critical; family requests privacy

Bal Thackeray brings Team Anna back in the news, five days after they ended their fast and announced their entry into politics. Thackeray today said that their single-point agenda was to abuse politicians. "At first they managed to fool the country. India has seen the effects of their success in fooling people," the 86-year-old Sena patriarch said in an editorial in the party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

Ridiculing the decision to disband Team Anna, Thackeray said, "This should have been done much earlier. Their single point agenda was to heap abuses on politicians".

However, the question remains whether the team would reappear in another format, the Sena chief said. Leave aside curbing corruption, the blabbering of Team Anna proved torturous for the people of the country, he said.

"However, with the disbanding of the team, people must be free of that headache. Even Anna Hazare must be feeling relieved," Thackeray quipped. The country's constitutional format was endangered due to Team Anna, he added.

Christian website's automated filter changes name of US sprinter. The website's automated system ran a story about Tyson Gay qualifying for the Olympics, but ended up calling him Tyson Homosexual. Read

On August 5th, The Indian Express published a disturbing, supposedly investigative story on Soni Sori, implying both that she was guilty of the charge of being a Maoist as well as casting doubt on the activists in India and outside who support her, and who are mainly responsible for bringing into the open the fact that she was and continues to be tortured in prison.

Read the report on Kafila.org.

India's massive blackout is just the beginning. Read the report.

Investigation into the background of alleged shooter Wade Michael Page highlights practice of extremist groups to target prospects with a military background. Read

In other news, the lone injured person in the August 1 serial bomb explosions here -- Dayanand Patil -- discharged after treatment, is now being questioned further by the ATS officials, who have taken over the probe from the city crime branch, police sources said today.

Police have already stated that Patil, in whose carry bag, one of the explosives went off near the Balghandharva theatre, was not under detention or arrest and was under routine interrogation only to know the details of the events, leading to the blasts. No headway has so far been made in the investigations. 

Advani's debate that began with the violence in Assam has ended with censure from the Speaker for calling the UPA2 government illegitimate. Rarely has Sonia Gandhi lost her cool in Parliament, but the remark seems to have done her in.

The PM, however, has not reacted at all. Advani finally sits down saying "they don't seem to want me to continue" and asks for permission from the Speaker to conclude. The din continues.

And sure enough, the House is adjourned for lunch.

The senior BJP leader withdraws his remarks, but the House is in NO mood to relent. The baying for Advani's blood continues.

The entire House is on its feet with shouts of "Nahin chalega, nahin chalega" from the treasury benches.

House likely to be adjourned. Speaker Meira Kumar gets to her feet and tries to bring order to the House with firm, but placatory,  "baith jaiyes" directed at each member.

Advani now says he apologises for the remark and that he meant the 2008 confidence vote not the 2009 polls. But the treasury benches will not be appeased and the uproar continues. Advani had said the government was buying votes to survive in Parliament and was therefore illegitimate.

Sushma Swaraj tries to calm things down, but she's not allowed to speak.

Speaker Meira Kumar asks Advani to withdraw the words. Uproar continues unabated.

Sonia Gandhi looks livid.

Advani now says UPAII is an illegitimate government. An angry Sonia Gandhi tries to raise her voice over the immediate uproar from the Treasury benches. Leader of the House Sushil Kumar Shinde says Advani's remark is an insult to Parliament.

Speaker says Advani's remarks will be expunged.

Back in the Lok Sabha, Advani says that Assam violence should be examined from an Indian-foreigner perspective. And the onus lies with the central government, much more than the state government. He reiterates once again that the main problem in Assam was therefore about unchecked illegal immigration. "The whole country's security establishment is at risk because if this," he said.

Advani says that illegal immigrants from Bangladesh are posing to be security risks for the whole country and blaming the Centre, he says the first thing it should address is sending them back. He says the Assamese are becoming a minority in their own land.

Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 2 pm on the issue of Assam violence and desecration of Ambedkar's statues in UP.

In the Lok Sabha, Advani continues speaking.

Advani speaking in the Lok Sabha now. He says that by accepting the adjournment motion the government has shown that it felt responsible for the condition in Assam.

"When I went to the Kokrajhar district of Assam, Home Minister P Chidambaram was in Dhubri. I accept that when there is tension in the country people will lose their lives. Since there has been violence in these areas, people have obviously died," Advani says. "Women who met me in the camps expressed their concern that they wouldn't be able to return to their homes."

He says that the number of people displaced by the violence in Assam was unprecedented. "The problem in Kokrajhar is not a Hindu-Muslim conflict, but the problem is of who is from India and who is from outside the country. The truth will decide what the solution will be and what will work," said Advani.  

Finally, LK Advani begins speaking and initiates the debate on the Assam ethnic violence.

LK Advani moves adjournment motion on the Assam violence and is set to initiate the debate. Remember, the Lok Sabha was adjourned an hour ago over the Assam issue. MPs continue making a ruckus as Advani and Meira Kumar wait for them to pipe down.

Leader of the House Sushil Kumar hangs on to his headphones and wears a perturbed expression. Uproar continues.

Both houses of Parliament set to resume in a few minutes. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Bansal had said that there are around 31 pending bills. The bills will have to be discussed before the monsoon session ends on September. 7. The budget session of Parliamentary (March 12 to May 22) saw the approval of 21 bills.

Parliament resumes with the Speaker naming all the Olympic medal winners. 

Pakistan's Supreme Court has ordered PM Raja Pervez Ashraf to appear in court over his failure to reopen corruption cases against the president. The BBC reports that this comes two months after PM Ashraf's predecessor Yousuf Raza Gilani, was found guilty of contempt over the same issue and disqualified from office. There has been a long-running standoff between the government and the judiciary in Pakistan.Observers fear the move could lead to further political instability.

Pakistan Supreme Court issues show cause notice to Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf; summons him on August 27. Details awaited.

Amitabh Bachhan got his geography wrong in a tweet on MC Mary Kom, making many wonder if he deserved to carry the Olympic torch, reports the Hindustan Times.

Mary Kom!! wins boxing bout, insured (sic) a Bronze! What a story! A Mother of two from Assam, creates moment of pride for India!!" read his Twitter message on the boxer Manipur loves to call Magnificent Mary.

"A person of Bachhan's stature should at least brush up on geography before tweeting. What a shame that he does not where Mary comes from... How much more discrimination can Northeast get from the mainland?" asked Shillong-based rights activist Agnes Kharshiing.

"If Manipur is Assam, then probably Mumbai is Allahabad," said Imphal-based TV anchor Y Rupachandra."It is good that Big B is elated by Mary's achievement so far but sad that he has the Indian map all jumbled up."The actor later apologised for his gaffe.

In the Rajya Sabha earlier, the House was adjourned till noon after opposition uproar over desecration of Ambedkar's statues in UP and other issues. Finance Minister P Chidambaram said that CAG reports on coal blocks, DIAL and ultra-mega power project will be tabled in this monsoon session of Parliament. 

In other news, continuing his testimony in a Ghaziabad court in the Aarushi-Hemraj murder, CFSL expert P K Mahapatra on Tuesday produced 13 more forensic samples, including a pillow cover. Interestingly, this time he claimed that male DNA was found in the bloodstains on this pillow cover found in Aarushi's room.

During the last hearing, some other pillows from Aarushi's room had been produced but it was claimed that there was only female DNA on them. Mahapatra also claimed there were bloodstains on both the door and walls of Aarushi's room and both had male DNA.

More on the TOI

Ahead of the Parliament session, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said the government was "open" to discussing all issues in Parliament, including the violence in Assam.

"I am prepared to discuss, open at any time, even if till midnight we have to sit, yes we will sit and listen to the opposition and everyone," Shinde, who is the new Leader of Lok Sabha, told reporters on the first day of the monsoon session.

The session is expected to kick up a lot of heat and dust as Opposition parties are planning to raise issues like violence in Assam, rising prices, economy and drought.

Asked whether the government would accept the adjournment motion which will be moved by BJP on Assam violence, Shinde said he "will not speak (about it) at this moment. But we are open, we are prepared for discussion".

Seeking to corner the government, BJP has announced plans to raise on the very first day of Parliament the issue of clashes in Assam which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has termed as a blot on the nation. "

Rajya Sabha has also been adjourned till noon. 

Cacophony reigns and even as she repeatedly tries to convince the Opposition benches that their demand on adjournment motion on Assam has been accepted, they refuse to calm down. Meira Kumar watches with a beatific expression and adjourns the House till noon. 

Meira Kumar moves on to the Assam violence after finishing with the obituaries. The first promise of interruptions from opposition benches.

The House observes a two-minute silence for MPs who passed away for those who lost their lives in the violence in Assam. Seventy-three people have died in the ethnic clashes in the state.

She says the notice for the adjournment motion has been accepted and begins the Question Hour amid the usual cacophony. And of course, cries of 'baith jaiye, baith jaiye'.

As Speaker Meira Kumar reads out the obituary references, MPs talk among themselves. Meira Kumar looks up sternly and silence prevails. Sharad Pawar sitting next to Sonia Gandhi.
The Speaker pays her respects to Mrinal Gore and Rajesh Khanna.

The new home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde is introduced to members as the Leader of the House.

Obituaries being read out now.

Monsoon session of Parliament begins. Dimple Yadav, MP from Kannauj, UP, takes her oath. She is of course, UP CM Akhilesh Yadav's wife. 

Finance minister P Chidambaram has reached out to the top brass of the main Opposition BJP ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament to ensure smooth sailing for himself and some of the Bills he intends to get passed.

Chidambaram met Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley yesterday and discussed some of the important Bills he plans to move in this session. He is also understood to have discussed other issues that are likely to figure in the 20-day session.

On the Assam violence ssue, it is likely that the PM will make a statement on the floor of the House.

The NDA yesterday had said it would move an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha and a suspension of the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha to discuss the ethnic violence in Kokrajhar, Assam.

"NDA has decided that we will not let Parliament function on Wednesday unless the issue of ethnic violence in Assam is taken up for discussion," BJP President Nitin Gadkari said at a programme in Delhi on Tuesday.BJP parliamentary party chief LK Advani will move an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday during Question Hour to press for a discussion on this issue.

PM Dr Manmohan Singh said today that he hoped Parliament would be used as a forum for dialogue and discussion. He said he hoped parties would cooperate with the government in the running of the House. Speaking on the Assam issue, the PM said that the government was ready for any discussion in accordance with the rules and procedures in Parliament before the beginning of the monsoon session even as BJP said it will raise the issue of Assam ethnic violence.

Today is the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament. Here's the schedule in the Lok Sabha
Oath
Obituary references
National Accreditation Regulatory Authority for Higher Educational Institutions Bill, 2010
Protection of Women Against Sexual Harassment at Work Place Bill, 2010

In the Rajya Sabha, this is the agenda.
Oath or Affirmation
Obituary References
The Armed Forces Tribunal (Amendment) Bill, 2012 4.
The Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development Bill, 2012

There will be no Parliament session on Friday on account of Gokulashtami. Private members bill therefore be taken up on Thursday, which virtually means  no business will be transacted till Monday.

A parliamentary delegation from Bhutan led Namgay Penjore, chairperson, National Council of the Royal Government of Bhutan, has been  India from August 5, and the delegation is scheduled to witness the proceedings of the Lok Sabha today from the Special Box. Besides Delhi, the Bhutanese parliamentary delegation will visit Goa during their stay in India which concludes on the 10th.

As Parliament's monsoon session begins today, here's a look at the two new members scheduled to take oath, sign the Roll of Members and take their seats in the House: M Raja Mohan Reddy (Nellore parliamentary constituency, Andhra Pradesh), and Dimple Yadav (Kannauj parliamentary constituency, Uttar Pradesh)

Gunmen have shot dead at least 19 people in a church in central Nigeria, an army official has said.

Lieutenant Colonel Gabriel Olorunyomi told the AP news agency on Tuesday that the armed men had stormed a church building where worshippers had gathered to pray late on Monday in the town of Otite, near the city of Okene.
He said the pastor was killed and "many" were injured but he could not immediately give a figure because they had been taken to different hospitals.
Authorities are still searching for people who may have run into nearby bushes, he said.

Olorunyomi declined to say who was behind the attack.

Read the full story on Al Jazeera!

Tropical Storm Ernesto has reached hurricane strength while passing northern Honduras, and is approaching Belize and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

The US National Hurricane Centre said it is bringing heavy rains and winds of up to 130km/h (80mph).

It was 185 miles (298 km) east of Chetumal, Mexico, at about 18:00 GMT on Tuesday, and moving north-west.

Read the full story oin BBC!

Iran's security chief has told President Bashar al-Assad that Syria is part of a vital regional alliance that Tehran will not allow to be broken.

During talks in Damascus, Saeed Jalili said Syria was an essential part of an "axis of resistance".

The statement came a day after Syrian Prime Minister Riad Hijab defected to the opposition.

Vilasrao Deshmukh under observation: Doctors

Cong has tie-up with infiltrators from B'desh: Gadkari

'Partial male DNA' found on Aarushi's pillow

Gurdwara shooting: US flags to fly at half-staff till Aug 10

Alagiri's son booked in Rs 16,338 cr quarrying scam

Flash floods in Kerala, 9 washed away

Hamid Ansari re-elected India's 14th Vice President

Yeddyurappa slams Advani for blog slamming K'taka

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