Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, who ruled Egypt for three decades before his ouster in 2011, could be released from prison this week, according to his lawyer and judicial sources.

Passengers at the international air terminus here today had a narrow escape when a portion of the false ceiling in the departure area came crashing down this evening, airport sources said. 

The American journalist who has written stories based on leaked documents from former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden today said he would not be silenced by what he described as police harassment of his partner, who was detained for nine hours as he passed through Heathrow Airport. 

Railway Police today released the sketch of a suspect, who had allegedly attacked and robbed an American woman inside a running suburban train at Charni Road station in south Mumbai. 

Describing Kashmir as the "jugular vein" of his country, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today said India and Pakistan should join hands to tackle poverty and disease instead of wasting their resources on wars. 

Saudi Arabia today said that Arab and Islamic countries will step in to help Egypt if Western nations cut aid packages to Cairo over its deadly crackdown on Islamist protesters. 

European data protection agencies have asked the EU to help investigate the extent of US electronic spying revealed by intelligence leaker Edward Snowden, warning that the surveillance may have breached privacy laws. 

From a correspondent in Delhi: Union Food Minister KV Thomas on Monday evening reached SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's residence to seek the latter's help to pass the Food Security Bill in Parliament.

India has rushed a team of officials to Bandar Abbas port in Iran to look into the technical aspects concerning the oil tanker detained by Iranians eight days ago.        

At least 25 policemen were killed when militants ambushed them in the border city of Rafah today, in the deadliest attack in years, described by the government as a plot to "destabilise Egypt and terrify citizens".        

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today asked Sri Lanka to expeditiously return Indian fishermen while emphasising the need to treat this as a humanitarian issue, a day after that country ruled out their early repatriation.        

Two officers of Delhi Police's elite Special Cell, including DCP Sanjeev Yadav, were questioned by the National Investigation Agency today in connection with the arrest of alleged Hizbul Mujahideen 'militant' Liyakat Shah.

BJP leader L K Advani's former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni, an accused in the 2008 cash-for-vote scam, today told a court that the Delhi police had conducted a malafide investigation in the case in which his only role was to conduct the sting to expose "horse trading".        

A new judge was today assigned to conduct the hit-and-run trial involving actor Salman Khan, who is charged with the offence of culpable homicide for causing the death of one person and injuries to four others by rash and negligent driving in 2002.     

Congress leader N D Tiwari is likely to be cross-examined in the Delhi high court on August 21 in a paternity suit filed by a youth, seeking to declare the leader as his biological father.        

Times Now reports: Arrested terrorist Syed Abdul Karim Tunda on Monday named former Inter-Services Intelligence chief Hamid Gul as his handler, and has said that he was regularly in touch with the latter. Though, Gul has denied this claim.

More details are awaited.

IBNLive reports: RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's brother-in-law and Bihar Congress leader Sadhu Yadav has been expelled from the Congress Party on Monday.

The move came after Yadav met Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, saying that he had better qualities to become prime minister than Rahul Gandh.

Read the full story here

NDTV reports:The  launch of home-made massive rocket and a communications satellite, GSAT-14 has been delayed. "A leakage was detected," said officials at ISRO.

ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan said, "A leak in the fuel system was Observed  during the second stage of launch. We will announce a new date for laucnh after assesment of GLSV-D5."

The launch was scheduled for 4.50 pm today.

The Congress today removed Sadhu Yadav, the brother-in-law of RJD chief Lalu Yadav for praising Narendra Modi . Sadhu Yadav met Modi in Ahmedabad last week.   

Sources have told CNN-IBN that LeT operative Abdul Karim alias Tunda claims that he was told to smuggle in fake Indian currency notes by the ISI since 2005.

He has revealed that ISI used to provide him the fake Indian currency notes, say sources. Sources say that Tunda has named two majors of the ISI and a few brigadiers who provided him with the fake notes.

Read the full story here

Tina Ambani moves Delhi court seeking exemption from personal appearance as CBI witness on Aug 23 in connection with 2G case.

AIADMK and DMK today joined hands in Rajya Sabha to demand that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should not attend Commonwealth Summit in Sri Lanka in November.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, V Maitreyan (AIADMK) said his party chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha also wrote two letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in this regard but no reply was given by the PMO.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today expressed grief over the train accident in which 35 people, mostly pilgrims, have died and scores of others injured in Bihar's Khagria district.

As soon as the Chief Minister got information about the train accident at Dharmara Ghat station on Saharsa-Mansi sections under Samastipur division, he immediately spoke to the East-Central Railway General Manager at Hajipur to find out the details and directed to launch rescue and relief works to contain the number of casualties, officials said.

Talking about the INS Sindhurakshak tragedy in the Rajya Sabha, Antony said, "Initial reports suggest explosion due to fire in cabin. The fire was due to internal problems in the submarine. Efforts are on to pump out water from the compartments. None of the 18 navy personnel on board could escape."

Possible ignition of armaments could have causes the explosion, he added.    

Defence Minister talks about ceasefire violations in the Rajya Sabha. Specialised team of Pakistan army involved in the August 5 killings along the Line of Control.   

The Prime Minister will meet Congress leaders at 4.30 pm today to decide a strategy on Food Security Bill.   

NDTV reports: India will launch a home-made massive rocket and a communications satellite, GSAT-14 at 4.50 pm today. This is the second time in three years that an Indian-made cryogenic engine will be used for a rocket to deposit an advanced communications satellite in space.

The rocket has cost the country Rs 160 crore, and the satellite's price is Rs 45 crore. So the mission costs over Rs. 200 crore.

Read the full report here

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed deep sorrow and shock over the loss of lives of pilgrims in the railway accident in Bihar today. He has directed the railways ministry to deploy all available resources in the area for rescue and relief operations. He has also appealed for calm in the area so that the relief and rescue operations can be carried out without any hindrance.

Pakistani troops opened heavyfire on Hamirpur and Balakote border belts along the LoC inPoonch district of Jammu and Kashmir and also pounded civilianareas of Mankote and Mendhar belts here, an army official said today.   

"There was yet another firing by the Pak army along Hamirpurand Balakote border belts along the LoC in Poonch from last night," Defence Spokeman S N Acharya said today.

Angry locals have set the Rajyarani Express, which ran over 35 people t the Dhamara station near Saharsa, on fire. They have not allowed officials to reach the site, said railway PRO Amitav Prabhakar.

Two relief trains on their way to the spot were stopped midway seeing the mob fury. They proceeded after forces secured the site. One of the relief trains from Saharsa has reached the spot.

The Supreme Court today has asked all states to review VIP security. Use of red beacons by authorities is reminiscent of the British Raj.

There should be a regular review of VIP security, the SC said.

Heavy showers led to considerable drop in temperatures in the national capital today, leading to traffic snarls due to water logging in various parts of the city.

Massive traffic jams were witnessed in several parts of the city, including major intersections such as Ashram Chowk, Moolchand underpass, Dhaula Kuan and Nehru Place, among others.

According to MeT department, Lodhi road area received 1.8 mm rains, while Safdarjung in south Delhi received 2.4 mm showers.

The Bharatiya Janata Party today raised the issue of the missing files on coal-gate in the Rajya Sabha.

BJP MP Dharmendra Pradhan says it is shameful that some files related to the coal scam have gone missing. "The PMO should explain how the files went missing. Is it an attempt to save the Prime Minister? The Prime Minister should reply to the House," he said.

Two tremors today shook Kishtwar and Doda districts in Kashmir valley triggering panic among locals rattled by a series of quakes. The quake, measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale hit the area around 5.22 am, a MeT official said. It was followed by another tremor of 3.9 magnitude at 8.48 am, they said, adding that a minor aftershock was also witnessed around 6.42 am.

However, there was no immediate report of any casualty or injury, officials said, adding a house was collapsed in the area but no one was there when the tremor took place.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari calls all-party meet today to discuss possible changes in rules for smooth running of House.

The Supreme Court will hear contempt plea against the Uttar Pradesh government for action against Indian Administrative Service officer Durga Shakti Nagpal.

Nagpal was suspended by the Uttar Pradesh Government on July 27 ostensibly for taking on the sand mafia and for ordering the demolition of a wall of a mosque in the state's Gautam Buddh Nagar district, where she was posted as sub-divisional magistrate.

Verdict in December 16 Delhi gang rape case in which a minor has been accused has been deferred till August 31 by Juvenile Justice Board.

After 20 people were killed in a train mishap in Bihar, a violent mob reportedly assaulted the train driver, set trains on fire and held railway staff hostage. Eyewitnesses also say the station has been vandalised and damaged, reports NDTV.

At least 20 people have been feared trapped as a five-storey under construction building collapses in Bangalore.  

Paresh Gandhi reports from New York: Kisan Babu 'Anna' Hazare was to ring the bell at Nasdaq on Monday, August 19, but that is not to be.

Nasdaq says there is a clash of schedules, hence no bells will toll for Hazare.

Image: Anna Hazare at the India Day Parade in New York.

Photograph: Paresh Gandhi

At least 20 people have been killed by a speeding train near Saharsa in Bihar. The train ran over them as they were trying to alight from a local train at the Dhamara railway station.   

The Rajya Rani Express was heading to Patna from Saharsa.

Many more have been injured in the mishap.

After the incident, an angry crowd reportedly pulled out the driver of the Saharsa Express and beat him. Some railway staff have also reportedly been "held hostage" 

The rupee opened at an all-time low today, at 62.35 against the dollar surpassing the previous record low of 62.03 hit on Friday.

The currency has now decisively breached the 62 levels despite several measures announced by the Reserve Bank and the government.

More chaos is expected in the Parliament today with the BJP planning to target the government over the issue of the missing files pertaining to the coal scam. The party has announced that it will not tolerate the incident that came to light yesterday after Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal admitted that some crucial files from 1993 and 2004 had gone missing, reports NDTV. 

An American national was attacked and robbed of her mobile phone in the ladies' compartment of a local train in Mumbai.   

The incident took place last evening between Marine Lines and Charni Road stations of Western Railway when an unidentified man boarded the ladies compartment and tried to snatch the bag of Michelle Mark, a United States national,police said. When she resisted, he attacked her and after snatching her i-phone he fled.

Bharatiya Janata Party parliamentary party chief LK Advani surprised many at a party conclave when he praised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, against whom he had taken jibes on Independence Day for criticising the prime minister.   

Delivering the valedictory address at a meeting of the BJP election campaign committee yesterday, state unit presidents and general secretaries in New Delhi, the party patriarch praised the Gujarat chief minister for underscoring the need to strengthen the party at the booth level.   

Advani also praised Modi for an earlier campaign he hadl aunched asking young and first time voters, among others, to register themselves as voters with the Election Commission. The senior leader said these aspects are very important as the main aim is to bring the voters to the booth and ensure that they cast vote.

Karim Tunda sings in Delhi Police custody

Divers enter Sindhurakshak's front compartment

Pakistan is planning more LoC attacks!

Watch it, Pakistan! You're making a BIG mistake: Army

Yesterday's live commentary link