After being forced out of BJP following by his bete noire Narendra Modi, Gujarat chief minister, Sanjay Joshi today attended a meeting of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Nagpur today.

When the media approached him with questions, he said, "I will talk to you tomorrow".

 
Joshi was at the concluding function of RSS' annual training camp at their headquarters at Reshimbagh.

    
At the function, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat accused successive governments at the Centre of failing to reclaim Pakistan Occupied Kashmir in the last 66 years.

England clung on for a share of the spoils as they recorded a 1-1 draw in their opening Group D clash with France in Euro Cip 2012 after taking the lead through Joleon Lescott's first goal for his country.

Lescott headed home a Steven Gerrard free-kick after half an hour only for Samir Nasri to level matters before half-time.

France were the better side in the second 45 minutes, with Yohan Cabaye impressive, but they could not make the breakthrough.

Read the full report here

Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, has cancelled royal engagements over the coming days as he continues to recover from a bladder infection, Buckingham Palace said today.

The Duke of Edinburgh, who turned 91 on Sunday, was taken to hospital last Monday, forcing him to miss the end of the queen's diamond jubilee celebrations marking her 60 years on the throne.

He was released from hospital on Saturday and was expected to resume his programme of engagements, but will instead spend more time recuperating.

The prize money given to Nobel laureates is to be cut by a fifth, the foundation behind the prestigious awards said on Monday, after a decade of overspending that has stretched its finances.

The Nobel Foundation said the money for the awards, given for excellence in the fields of science, literature and peace, would fall to 8 million Swedish crowns ($1.12 million).

The capital that forms the base for the awards was donated in the will of dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel and is managed by the foundation, which was set up in 1900.

The foundation said in a statement that costs had exceeded returns from interest and investments on the capital over the past decade, making it necessary to lower the prize money from the previous 10 million crowns.

Read the full story on Reuters

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said that she was yet to know details of discussions between Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee
and state Finance minister Amit Mitra on a special package for the state.

"I am yet to know details of the outcome of the routine meeting. Every time you raise this issue, but we return empty-handed. If am satisfied, I speak to you, otherwise not," Banerjee said at the state secretariat today. Mitra held an over two hour meeting with Mukherjee in Delhi during the day to seek a special package for the state, but the talks remained inconclusive.

India will supply 500 megawatts of electricity to Pakistan for which the transmission lines are being laid, Water Resources Secretary Dhruv Vijay Singhsaid today.   

"Pakistan has asked us for power, so we have decided to supply 500 megawatts to them immediately. We have power and they are in need. They asked us politely, we said sure. We said we will make transmission lines and you pay us international rates," Singh said at the Seventh Hydro Power Convention in Srinagar.  

He said India and Pakistan were cooperating on sharing electricity. "(But) water gets a bit emotional issue."

The Delhi Police have found fault with 11 supporters of Ramdev along with six policemen for the last year's violence at Ramlila Maidan in the capital during
the protest against blackmoney on June 4. 

The police action came after an investigation following the Supreme Court on February 23 ordering prosecution of police personnel involved in the midnight crack down. The apex court also directed the police to investigate whether Ramdev supporters indulged in violence.

Also read: Ramdev supporter Rajabala dies after police lathicharge

RJD chief Lalu Prasad who does not know his actual date of birth and relies on the one given in his educational documents today celebrated his 65th birthday saying he was as young as ever, while not sparing an opportunity to take a jibe at his bete noir Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

"Abhi to main jawan hoon (I am still young). My body may have become old, but my mind and soul remain young", Prasad said at his former chief minister wife Rabri Devi's official residence where he cut a 65 pound cake in the shape of hisparty symbol lantern. Lalu Prasad, however, did not spare the chief minister."Old age has not caught up with me and I am in a position to make my rivals retire", he claimed.

Hours after West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra met Pranab Mukherjee to seek a special financial package for the state, Congress today indicated the crisis-ridden state could be helped but dismmissed suggestions on any quid pro quo for the Presidential polls. 

"You need to de-segregate these two things. The state seemingly in financial distress reaches out to the central government for certain concessions. It is certainly not seeking quid pro quo for a political initiative or elections," party spokesperson Manish Tewari said.

He said these are "parallel tracks that do not meet".  "It was almost two years back that the Finance Commission had said that the financial conditions of West Bengal, Kerala and Punjab are not good. If any state government--be it Keralaor West Bengal--holds talks with Centre for improving its lot, it should not be linked with politics," Tewari said.

If you're a Nadal fan, it's unlikely you'd have forgotten this emotionally charged moment during the 2009 Australian Open. Nadal proves he's possibly the world's greatest tennis player and an even better person. Watch 

In more prosaic news, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today said his party would have no truck with either Congress or BJP in the next general elections and assembly polls in 2014. 

"BJD will have no truck with BJP and Congress for the 2014 general elections and assembly polls," Patnaik said. "It is June 2012 and the general election and assembly polls are about one and half years to go. But let me make it quite clear that my party BJD will have no truck with BJP," he said.

Patnaik said BJD's ties with BJP were over on March 7, 2009, when the party MP Chandan Mitra had left Naveen Niwas before the last general election.

Nadal has won seven times in eight appearances in the French Open and breaks Bjorn Borg's record of six French Open wins. Nadal won in four sets 6-4, 6-3, 2-6 and 7-5. Full report shortly.

Also read: How rain halted play before Nadal made history

Mubarak's health is reported to have collapsed since his June 2 conviction for failing to stop the killing of protesters during the uprising that overthrew him in 2011. His life sentence saw him transferred immediately to a prison hospital, instead of the military hospital and other facilities where he had been held since his April 2011 arrest.

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Former Egyptian Hosni Mubarak slips into a coma. Mubarak was slipping in and out of consciousness eight days after the ousted Egyptian leader was sent to prison to begin serving a life sentence. With rumors of the former president's death spreading rapidly, authorities granted his wife, former first lady Suzanne Mubarak, and the couple's two daughters-in-law special permission to visit him in Cairo's Torah prison early on Sunday morning 

Depression is not an exclusive British phenomenon. It would take a very optimistic, or indeed a very foolish, Indian to look jolly today amid the corruption of Delhi and disarray across the country. But when Indians seek comfort from their symbol of state, who do they get?

Pratibha Patil. That is descent to existential angst. I have a solution. Why shouldn't India borrow the Queen of England for a bit?

MJ Akbar in the aftermath of the celebrations marking the 60th year of Queen Elizabeth's reign. Read more

A textual analysis of the drafts presented by India and Pakistan during the talks on the Siachen issue in New Delhi in November 1992 reveals how a virtually done deal on this costly dispute was scuttled exactly 20 years ago. 

Read the opinion piece on The Hindu.

Ahead of the Indian delegation's meeting with Pakistani counterparts Indian Defence Minister A K Antony cautioned against expecting any breakthrough at the meeting of the Defence Secretaries. See our 12:23 pm post.

Standard & Poor's said on Monday that India could become the first of the so-called BRIC economies to lose its investment-grade status, sending the rupee and stocks lower, less than two months after cutting its rating outlook for the country.

Read the Reuters report.

After surging nearly 175 points, the stock markets erased the gains and closed 51 points lower, breaking a five-day uptrend, after S&P warned India could become the first BRIC nation to lose investment-grade rating. 

The BSE benchmark index, which had gained 754 points in the last five straight sessions, opened higher in the morning and advanced 174.94 points to touch a day's high of 16,893.81. 

However, an S&P report that cited slowing GDP growth and political roadblocks to economic policy-making as some worrying factors came up as a dampener and pulled down the index from the day's high level to 16,668.01, lower by 50.86 points from its previous close. 

Blue-chips RIL, SBI, ICICI Bank, L&T and Maruti were among the 18 counters that declined in the 30-share index.

The fact that the American media is stepping up its anti-Pakistan campaign was made evident after a US newspaper posed a question, saying,  "With a partner like Pakistan, who needs enemies?", to ''ridicule'' the country signifying intensification of an anti-Pakistan campaign in the American media, as Islamabad-Washington relations worsen.

In its commentary, The Kansas City Star said, "To speak of Pakistan as America's partner in the war against global terrorism is both an abuse of fact and an insult to the public''s intelligence", reports The Nation.

"The better description of that chaotic and incompetently governed nation is as a haven for Islamist radicals and a deliberate obstructer of the attempt by the U.S. and its coalition allies to establish a safe and civil society in neighbouring Afghanistan," it further said.

In other news, pop star Lady Gaga, who is currently in New Zealand for her 'Born This Way Ball tour', suffered concussion after she was accidentally hit on the head with a giant pole by one of her backing dancers. The 26-year-old 'You and I' hitmaker was performing on stage while attached to a rope hung over a vertically placed metal pole. When one of her backing dancers picked the pole up and was turning it from its vertical position to carry it off horizontally, Gaga raised her head and the pole came crashing down on her.

She later admitted to the audience that she had hit herself. "I want to apologise. I did hit my head and I think I may have concussion. But don't you worry, I will finish this show," she said.

Now there's a medical reason for her bizarre sartorial sense.

Mulayam Singh, who is addressing the press conference in New Delhi says the Congress hasn't contacte the SP over the presidential candidate. He says the SP will support the Congress to keep communal forces at bay.   

Mulayam Singh says the SP is still undecided on the presidential candidate but will back the person only after the name is announced. He says the candidate should have a political background and is not in favour of a bureaucrat. The former UP CM says Muslims should get a quota. He says he is unaware that the Congress party has named Pranab Mukherjee as a presidential candidate.

Mulayam Singh says not just West Bengal, even UP should get aid from the centre.

A day after Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had observed that the 'casteist' leaders had pushed Bihar to economic backwardness, his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar today asked the former to look at his situation
instead of making comments on others. "One should think about one's own situation (Bihar par tippani karne walon ko apne halaat ke bare me sochana
chahiye)", he told reporters in reply to a question eliciting his reaction on Modi's diatribe against the Bihar leaders. 

Without taking Modi's name, Kumar referred to two vernacular proverbs to apparently rebuke the former for casting aspersions on others when he himself faced crisis in the party and in public life. 

Apparently rejecting his Gujarat counterpart's contention about backwardness and lack of economic development in Bihar, Kumar said that the state has been marching on the path of development by taking care of various adversities and problems dogging it over the years. "Bihar has been a place of learning since ancient times", he said in an apparent rejection of Modi's assessment of the
state. 

The Gujarat Chief Minister had at the state BJP executive meeting in Rajkot yesterday attacked the Bihar politicians for their 'casteist' outlook and attributed it as the main reason of economic backwardness and lack of development in Bihar.

West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra today called on Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to seek a special package for the state, but talks remain inconclusive. 

"Discussions are going on ... when discussions are completed, we will speak to the Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee)", Mitra told reporters after the meeting which continued for more than two hours. 

The Mamata Banerjee government, which came to power in July last year, has been demanding special package in the form of interest moratorium. Banerjee, whose party is a crucial constituent of the UPA, had herself raised the issue with the Prime Minister and even issued a veiled threat to the Centre. The state government has a debt of about Rs 2 lakh crore and its current annual outgo towards interest payments is around Rs 22,000 crore. 

Sacked CWG Organising Committee chairman and MP Suresh Kalmadi was heckled at the Pune Municipal Corporation office today. Kalmadi was on a visit to the corporation office for the inauguration of the Sports committee office. Kalmadi was heckled by angry protesters, mainly from the BJP and the MNS, reports IBN Live.

Read more

Slowing GDP growth and political roadblocks to economic policymaking are just some of the factors pushing up the risk that India (unsolicited BBB-/Negative/A-3) could lose its investment-grade rating. That's according to a recently released report by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, titled "Will India Be The First BRIC Fallen Angel?"

Read the report on moneycontrol.com

Oh Kil-nam refuses to keep a single photo of his family in his home. He says it's just too painful. For more than 25 years, Oh has lived with the guilt of knowing his wife and two daughters are being held against their will in North Korea because of a choice he made.

Read

On June 8 police had lodged criminal cases against him and his followers for allegedly assaulting a mediaperson during a press conference at his Ashram.The FIRs were filed on complaints from a regional TV channel reporter and activists of Nava Nirmana Sene in connection with an altercation at the ashram the previous night. 

On a counter complaint by two followers of Nithyananda,police also registered two FIRs against the reporter and Sene activists for alleged outrage of modesty, physical assault and threat to life.  The reporter alleged he was assaulted and threatened after he asked a question at a press meet convened by the godman in the backdrop of charges of sexual abuse levelled against him by a US-based woman.

Police today issued a search warrant for the arrest of controversial godman Nityananda, who is reportedly absconding from his ashram near Bangalore. 

Nithyananda is facing criminal charges, including rape, on complaints from some former disciples last year. He was arrested and later released on bail.

In other news, Hebrew graffiti thanking the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler for the Holocaust and denouncing Zionism was sprayed inside the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem today. The main suspects are a small but active fringe group of extremist ultra-Orthodox Jews who are known for theirvitriolic opposition to the existence of the modern state of Israel.   

Seven giant slogans, including one which read: "Thank you Hitler for your wonderful Holocaust that you arranged for us, it's only because of you that we got a state at the UN," were sprayed in Warsaw Ghetto Square near the sculpture depicting the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. 

More graffiti was sprayed next to the cattle car memorial, which remembers how millions of Jews were transported from all over Europe to the Nazi death camps. Other slogans read: "The Zionist leadership wanted the Holocaust," and: "If Hitler hadn't existed, the Zionists would have invented him."

The home of Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd. and India's richest man, is difficult to miss. The 27-storey tower soars over Mumbai's skyline, though not necessarily to everyone's liking.

Read the WSJ story. And the Vanity Fair story which published the pictures of the interiors.

The United Nations today said it had begun evacuating staff from its base in western Myanmar where fierce sectarian unrest has seen deadly clashes between Muslims and Buddhists. Ashok Nigam, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Yangon, said roughly 44 workers and their families were leaving Maungdaw in troubled Rakhine state, which borders Bangladesh.

"It is most of the international staff but local staff based in Maungdaw will still be there," he said, adding the voluntary measure was "temporary" and "because of the insecurity and disturbance". A first group left Maungdaw yesterday followed by a second group today.

Our sources in New Delhi tell us that the Centre has told the DMK leadership that it is their moral responsibility to stop former telecom minister A Raja, who is also a key accused in the 2G scam, from making public statements against the UPA or against the PMO.

New Delhi is concened that Team Anna or Opposition parties could make use of A Raja's statements to use against the PM or the PMO. A Raja on Sunday made a statement that he would never drag the PM into controversy as he is confident enough to prove his innocence.

Our Delhi sources tell us that the President's Secretariat is busy packing the personal belongings of the first family. President Pratibha Patil is set to retire next month. Plans are on to send 20 truckloads of luggage to three destinations in Maharashtra, which will take a at least a month. A senior officer has been assigned with this task.
President Patil has also been handing over valuable gifts from foreign dignatories to the toshakhana at frequent intervals. The President cannot keep gifts given to her in her official capacity.

The Supreme Court has refused to stay the Andhra Pradesh HC order quashing the 4.5 per cent sub-quota for minorities within the 27 per cent OBC quota in educational institutions. The Apex court is to hear the matter on Wednesday and the government is to produce the records the same day.

The SC says it is unhappy over how the government has handled the issue.   The UPA government had moved a special leave petition in the Supreme Court against a recent order of the Andhra Pradesh high court, which "set aside" a decision to carve out a 4.5% sub-quota for minorities under the Other Backward Classes quota.

Our Delhi sources tell us that top officials from the Central Vigilance Commission -- retired as well as serving -- are heaving a sigh of relief with the suspension of BEML chief VS Natarajan. They speculate that Natarajan will be picked up for questioning by the CBI by this weekend. Natarajan apparently has been threatening the CVC officials with dire consequences. Immediately after his suspension Natarajan said he respects the government's decision, but will come out clean.

The move for suspending Natarajan comes a few days after the Defence Ministry issued a show cause notice to the BEML Chief for slapping a defamation notice against Gen V K Singh without its permission. 

"The Government has put the CMD of BEML V R S Natarajan under suspension following a recommendation by the CBI that he should be kept away from the post to ensure fair investigation.

The CBI is currently investigating into various charges against Natarajan," Defence Ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said. "The charge of CMD has been given to P Dwarkanath, the senior most functional Director in BEML," he said.

More details on that BEML story in a bit.

Meanwhile, an Indian man who tracked down his family after becoming separated from them as an infant 25 years ago says he has no plans to move back to the the village where he was born. And Saroo Brieley has also revealed he has found it difficult to forge a bond with his mother after so many years apart.

Read more

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) had slammed the Chairman and Managing Director of government-run BEML VRS Natarajan for threatening to sue the former Army Chief, General (retired) VK Singh.

The MoD categorically denied giving permission to Natarajan to serve a legal notice for filing a defamation suit on the former Army Chief, said a statement issued by Ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar last week. The Ministry had asked Natarajan to explain as to why he made such a statement to the media.

Natarajan while addressing a press conference on June 1 alleged that retired Army chief General VK Singh's remarks against Tatra trucks were damaging and defamatory. Natarajan says that no letter has been received that alleged that the trucks are sub-standard. Natarajan has issued a defamatory notice against Singh. Natarajan said that the statements made by Retd General Singh are demeaning of his stature.

Horrified UK PM David Cameron got home from a Sunday lunch with family and friends -- and discovered he had left his eight-year-old daughter in the pub.

Read

Ahead of the Indian delegation's meeting with Pakistani counterparts Indian Defence Minister A K Antony cautioned against expecting any breakthrough at the meeting of the Defence Secretaries. 

"Do not expect any dramatic announcement or decision on an issue which is very important for us, especially in the context of national security," he said. India has a "clear-cut position" on the Siachen issue which the Defence Secretary will explain to the Pakistani side during the talks, Antony said. India's Cabinet Committee on Security discussed the Siachen issue at a meeting last Thursday.

"I personally, strongly appeal to the major ruling party of Bengal (Trinamool Congress Party) that please endorse the sentiment and views of all Bengalis that Pranab Mukherjee be the best choice for this (post) from Bengal. But ultimately, we will announce and declare as Congress workers, but this will be finally decided by the high command on the issue of the candidature declared by Congress for the post of presidency," West Bengal Congress president Manas Bhunia said.

Meanwhile in Mumbai, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Supriya Sule said that her party would stand by UPA in its choice of president.

That was the first thought of Shubha Sharma, when she first heard the news that her husband, J Dey had been shot dead. On his first death anniversary, she recalls her life with her 'superhero' and reveals why the killers could never really reach his heart.

-- Mid Day's tribute to their investigations editor J Dey, slain this day, last year.  Read

And here's why the Sensex is not in the red.

The euro and stock markets have gained in Asia after a deal to shore up Spain's troubled banks eased concerns about a European currency break up. In Asian trade, the euro rose 1% versus the US dollar and Japanese yen. Stock indexes in Japan and Hong Kong rose 2%.

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The BSE Sensex advanced to a one-month high at 16,893.81 in early trade today on easing of euro-zone debt worries, but eased later.

The 30-share barometer had opened higher at 16,804.89 points and firmed further to a month's high at 16,893.81, before quoting at 16,849.84 at 1035 hrs, a net gain of 130.97 points, or 0.78 per cent, from its previous close. 

Markets opened on a positive note on easing of euro-zone worries after finance ministers of the euro-zone nations, in a emergency conference call last week, agreed to lend Spain up to 100 billion euros to stabilise its banks.

After showing the door to 101 striking pilots, the state-owned Air India is learnt to be in the process of firing the remaining 300-odd pilots who fly on the international sector and have been reporting "sick' for the past one month.

The move follows a recent statement by Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh that as far as the government was concerned, the strike was over. "This (sacking) is a mere technical issue. The airline management has to examine the next step, after all it has to see whether these pilots would remain on the payroll,' Singh had told The Indian Express.

India and Pakistan will hold Secretary level talks over the military standoff on the Siachen glacier, here on Monday, against the growing clamour to demilitarise the world's highest battlefield.

The two-day talks, part of the resumed dialogue process between the neighbours post 26/11, will be led by India's Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma, while the Paskistan side will be represented by Defence Secretary Nargis Sethi. Sharma will, reportedly, also hold talks with Pakistan''s Defence Minister Naveed Qamar Pakistan's Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has called for the resolution of Siachen issue after an avalanche killed 139 soldiers at a high-altitude army camp on April 7.

It's a year since Mid Day senior journalist J Dey was shot dead allegedly by gangster Chhota Rajan's men. A candlelight vigil has been organised between 6 pm and 8 pm at Hiranandani, Powai, near D-Mart, at the spot he was killed.

The accused named in the police chargesheet are Rohee Thangappan Joseph alias Satish Kalya, Abhijeet Shinde, Arun Dake, Sachin Gaikwad, Anil Waghmode, Nilesh Shendge, Mangesh Agawane, Vinod Asrani, Paulson Joseph and Deepak Sisodia. All of them, alongwith journalist Jigna Vora, are in custody. According to the police, Rajan was irked by two articles written by Dey, and by eliminating him, he wanted to send out a message to journalists not to tread on his toes.  

Pictured: Vigils held by journalists in June last year over the murder.

Yoga guru Ramdev met Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu here this morning to drum up support for his anti-corruption movement. This was the second meeting between the two in recent months on corruption and black money. 

Chandrababu has pledged support to Ramdev as well as Anna Hazare in the fight against corruption and has organised apolitical campaigns in this regard in Andhra Pradesh. In order to seek support for his movement against black money, Ramdev has been meeting various political leaders.

The CBI has renewed its list of Undesirable Contact Men (UCM) to caution the Government officials against dealing with these people. In the new list, the CBI has identified 23 lobbyists, power brokers and bribe givers/facilitators, mainly operating in major Ministries like Defence, Home, Finance, Coal and Power, Telecom and Shipping as UCM.

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Jagan Mohan Reddy's judicial custody has been extended till June 25. He was held in the disproportionat assets case on May 27.

The YSR Congress chief appeared before a CBI court in Hyderabad in connection with the alleged disproportionate assets case today as his 14-day judicial custody ends today.

This comes just a day before the crucial by-elections for 18 Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat in Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra Pradesh High Court had on Friday given Jagan's custody to the CBI for two days till June 10 and directed the agency to question him during the day in presence of his lawyers.

Former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta will not testify in his own defence at his insider trading trial, a decision taken after "substantial reflection and consideration", his lawyer has told a federal court. 

In a one paragraph letter dated June 10 to Judge Jed Rakoff, who is presiding over the case in Manhattan federal court, Gupta's lawyer Gary Naftalis said his team had spent the weekend "reviewing what we believe we need to present in the defence case".

Naftalis had last week told the court it was "highly likely" that Gupta would take the witness stand in his defence on June 12. The prosecution rested its case last Friday after Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein finished his testimony. "After substantial reflection and consideration, we have determined that Gupta will not be a witness on his own behalf in the defence case," Naftalis said.

With Air India considering further crackdown on the striking pilots, the government today said it is for airlines management to decide for how long to
keep them on their payroll when they are not working. 

It "is for the Air India management to take action now. These pilots have not come to work for more than 30 days....It is an illegal strike,. They have defied the High Court," Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said. "We have requested them again and again to come back to work. So, it is for the management to decide for how long can they keep them on their payroll when they are not working. And they have no intention of coming back," he told reporters. 

Around 400 Air India pilots owing allegiance to Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) have been on strike since May 7 and the services of 101 pilots have already been terminated. Sources in the state-owned airline have said "tough action" would be taken against the remaining 300-odd pilots and have given indications that they could be sacked.