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Mon, 17 June 2013
Live! United Airlines passenger claims 'to have poisoned everyone onboard'

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22:31   United Airlines passenger claims 'to have poisoned everyone onboard'

Dailymail: A Newark-bound United Airlines flight is carrying a passenger who claims to have 'poisoned everyone on board.' The suspect is being restrained by others on board and there is no evidence that passengers have been poisoned, Eyewitness News reports.

 

The United Airlines flight, from Hong Kong, is set to land at 1:30 p.m (local time)

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21:18   Iran vote: Rouhani vows transparency on nuclear issue
Iran is ready to show more transparency on its nuclear programme, says President-elect Hassan Rouhani.

In his first news conference since Friday's election, Mr Rouhani described as "unfair" sanctions imposed on his country. He also said Tehran would not suspend uranium enrichment activities.

The West suspects Iran of trying to build nuclear weapons. Iran says its programme is entirely peaceful.
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20:44   CBI court reserve its order on Talwars' applications
A special CBI court, hearing the Aarushi-Hemraj murder case, today reserved its order on the pleas of dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar. 

Additional Sessions Judge Shyam Lal reserved the order for tomorrow. "Court today reserved its order on our applications. 

It has fixed June 18 for pronouncing its order on these applications," said Talwars' counsel Manoj Sisodia.
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20:20   Mobile roaming charges get cheaper effective July 1
Telecom regulator TRAI today allowed free mobile roaming on payment of a fixed fee from July 1 and reduced national roaming charges for others by up to 57 per cent.

TRAI, however, said making national roaming completely free of charges is not practical as of now.

"The authority has decided to reduce the ceiling (upper price for roaming call and SMS rates) across board, permitting telecom providers to issue special tariff voucher and mandating that a roaming plan will be offered (for post paid customers)," TRAI Chairman Rahul Khullar told reporters.

The ceilings on roaming charges prescribed by TRAI in 2007 were Rs 1.40 per minute for outgoing local calls and Rs 2.40 per minute for outgoing STD calls. These ceilings have been reduced to Re 1 per minute for outgoing local calls and Rs 1.50 per minute for outgoing STD calls. Similarly, the ceiling for incoming calls while on national roaming has been reduced from Rs 1.75 per minute to 75 paise per minute.
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20:11   Will consider return to NDA if Advani helms it: Sharad Yadav
NDTV reports: A day after his party, the Janata Dal-United ended a 17-year alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party, party president Sharad Yadav listed the terms for a possible reconciliation.

"We will see what happens if Advani returns to the central role," Yadav said.

Read the full report here

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19:25  
Times Now reports: A merchant vessel Mol Comfort sinks off Mumbai coast. The ship split into two.

More details are awaited. 
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18:50   PM: Will be very happy to see Rahul step into my shoes
The prime minister says he will be "very happy to see him step into my shoes." Referring to Rahul Gandhi, the PM spoke to the media immediately after the swearing-in ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan today. 
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18:43   Turkish government says it may use army to end protests
The Turkish government has said it could use the army to end nearly three weeks of unrest by protesters in Istanbul and other cities. The government would use "all its powers" and the armed forces if necessary, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said on state-run television. Read the full report on the BBC.
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18:29   PM 'confident of 3rd UPA win' woos JD-U: Nitish is secular
Buoyed by the induction of the eight new ministers (four ministers, four MoS) were inducted, the PM says the UPA will have a third term. "People will once again repose their faith in us," he said.

The Congress on Saturday made its first formal overture to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. It might seem a desperate move, but for Congress, which won only four of 243 seats in 2010 Assembly polls, the move is more of a compulsion that a choice. The party is staring at the prospect of a four-cornered contest in Bihar with JD (U), RJD and BJP.


Who got what? See our slideshow.
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18:16   Congress gets set for 2014 polls with eight new ministers
Among new Ministers of State, Manikrao Gavit gets Social Justice and Empowerment, Santosh Chowdhury Health & Family Welfare. Mallikarjun Kharge is the new Railways Minister.
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17:55   Girija Vyas gets Housing/Urban Devnt; Oscar gets Roads/Highways
Jesudasu Seelam is a Rajya Sabha member from Andhra Pradesh takes oath as MoS.  It was on his charge that Arvind Kejriwal had used abusive language against MPs that the Upper House issued a breach of privilege notice to the civil society activist. A former bureaucrat, the 60-year-old Seelam was first elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2004, and was re-elected in 2010.
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17:52  
Oscar Fernandes took the oath as Roads and Highways minister
Girija Vyas took the oath as Housing and Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation minister.
Sis Ram Ola took oath as Labour and Employment minister
K S Rao gets Textiles Ministry...
All cabinet rank ministers.
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17:51   EMS Natchiyappan takes oath as Mos Commerce and Industry
The 66-year-old EM Sudarsana Natchiyappan taking oath now as MoS. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, in 1999, and after that was elected member of the Rajya Sabha from the state in 2004 and 2010. He is a first-time minister and takes charge as Commerce and Industry.

J D Seelam becomes MoS Finance.
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17:47   MoS inductions begin
After the four ministers, the MoS inductions begin. First up is Manikrao Hodlya Gavit, a nine-term Congress MP, who represents Nandurbar in Maharashtra in the 15th Lok Sabha. The 79-year-old was first elected to the lower house in 1981, after which he has been a regular in Parliament. Despite his seniority, he was made a minister, a junior one at that, in the home ministry, in 2004.
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17:45   KS Rao takes oath as cabinet minister
Each inducted minister takes oath, greets the President, the PM, Sonia Gandhi and the ministers and then returns to his or her seat. 

KS Rao taking oath now. The 70-year-old KS Rao is a fifth-term MP from Eluru in Andhra Pradesh; he was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1984. Only last year he had made up his mind to leave the party to protest against what he said was the welcome shown to outsiders like the PRP and TDP, but was cajoled into not doing so by prime minister. Rao stayed back hoping for a Cabinet berth, and his wish has been fulfilled.
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17:42   Girija Vyas inducted
Girija Vyas, the Congress MP from Chittorgarh is inducted as a cabinet rank minister. The 67-year-old Vyas is a fourth-term MP from Chittorgarh, Rajasthan. She was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991, when she served as a deputy minister in the PV Narasimha Rao government. She was chairperson of the National Commission of Women for two terms. She had been implicated in the petrol pump scam.
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17:40   Cabinet rejig: Huge round of applause as Oscar Fernandes inducted
A huge round of applause for Oscar Fernandes. He too becomes a minister in the Union Cabinet. 69-year-old Oscar Fernandes is a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka. On Sunday he was dropped as a Congress general secretary to enable him to become minister today.
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17:38   Sis Ram Ola inducted into cabinet as a minister
Padmashri Sis Ram Ola, an 86-year-old MP from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan, was inducted as a cabinet minister. He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1996, and was a Union minister in the UPA, handling labour and employment, and mines.
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17:34   President Pranab Mukherjee arrives for the induction
Congress leaders from Karnataka are expected to be rewarded after last month's win in the state elections. Mallikarjun Kharge, who lost out in the Chief Minister's race, is likely to be the new Railways Minister. Oscar Fernandes, also from Karnataka, will be the new Surface Transport Minster, say sources.
Sonia Gandhi seated next to Gursharan Kaur, the PM's wife. All cabinet ministers present in the durbar hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The ministers will be inducted by President Pranab Mukherjee, who has just arrived. 
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17:30   Cabinet reshuffle before 2014 polls begins
Manmohan Singh will induct eight new ministers into union ministry today as he gears up for the 2014 general elections.

PM enters Rashtrapati Bhavan for the induction.

Eight new faces will be inducted in the Council of Ministers today, with Sisram Ola and Oscar Fernandes making a re-entry after a gap of four years. Ola, along with Girija Vyas and K S Rao, are to be inducted as Cabinet Ministers, sources said. The Ministers of State to be inducted are Manikrao Gavit, Santosh Chowdhury, J D Seelam, E M S Natchiappan. Ola and Fernandes were ministers in the UPA-I but did not find a place in the UPA-II government. With the new inductions, the strength of the Council of Ministers will go up to 77.
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17:18   Average age of ministers is 52: Cong
Congress general secretary Ajay Maken on the upcoming cabinet reshuffle, says the average age of ministers is 52 and the party is trying to get younger faces in the Cabinet. This is the last cabinet reshuffle before the polls next year.
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17:06  
Birender Singh has been made member of the Congress Working Committee.
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17:03   Ahead, a tough ride
Chief minister Nitish Kumar may well sense a new "secular' halo beginning to glow behind him, but beneath his feet he must also sense the cold discomfort of thin ice. If this is a leap of conviction, it is equally a lunge into uncertainty. Hereon, it is going to be a testing, if not also precarious, ride. Sankarshan Thakur writes for the Telegrap.Read
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16:54   Independent's Amol Rajan first non-white to head UK paper
Amol Rajan, the columnist and former adviser to Evgeny Lebedev, has been appointed editor of the Independent -- the first non-white editorial head of a UK national paper. Rajan replaces Chris Blackhurst, in a surprise move less than two years since he was named editor. He is currently editor of the Independent's comment section. Read
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16:47   Yuri Gagarin's mysterious death finally solved
Yuri Gagarin made history in 1961 when, aged just 27, he became the first man to journey into space.His single Earth orbit on April 12 lasted 108 minutes and was one of the Soviet Union's most enduring Cold War victories. Read more
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16:42   Modi's elevation threat to BJP: Azad
Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said the elevation of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has "strengthened" the Congress while dealing a set back to BJP as its allies were running away.

"Modi's coming (to prominence) has become a danger not for us but for BJP. Congress has become stronger while BJP has disintegrated and its allies have run away," Azad said on the sidelines of a function in Srinagar.

Welcoming the decision of Janata Dal (United) to snap its 17-year-old ties with BJP-led NDA over the elevation of Modi as the saffron party's poll campaign chief, Azad said "I want to congratulate them for the move which came very late though.

"I know Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav very well. They are secular people and I don't know what prompted them to join the BJP-led NDA at that time," he said.
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16:11  
Media is reporting that 40,000 ppl are stranded in Devprayag. I can tell u that Devprayag CANNOT accommodate that many ppl...not possible, tweets Alok Bhatt. 
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16:09   Mob damages 30 buses in Kolkata after mini bus hits cyclist
And in Mamata Banerjee's Kolkata, around 15-20 buses were damaged by a mob after a cyclist was hit by a minibus at the Mullick fatak area of Howrah town today, police sources said. The injured cyclist has been admitted to hospital, they added.
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15:59   West Bengal leads in crimes against women (or is that a CPM game plan?)
The National Crime Records have shown that in West Bengal there have been a staggering 29,133 reported incidents in 2011 accounting for 12.7 per cent of the total crime against women in India -- media, political parties and governments are sitting up and taking notice of a malaise that every woman has to live with in West Bengal. Read more

Also see: Barasat MP (where gang rape and murder took place) Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar's comment on the Park Street rape vicitm.
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15:54  
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals player Ajit Chandila has been remanded to further custody in the spot-fixing case. 
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15:50  
Barasat remains tense as locals blocked roads, hurled stones at vehicles, including that of a Trinamool MP, set fire to houses and gheraoed the local police station in protest against the gang rape and murder of a 20-year-old college girl on June 7.

The body of the victim, a second-year BA student of De Rozio College in Rajarhat, was found in a semi-naked condition beside a pond at Barasats Kamdhoni, around 25 km from Kolkata. The girl was returning home from tuitions on Friday evening when the incident occurred.

Women in Barasat have demanded more security from the government. This is the first time that Mamata has visited the victim's family since the rape on June 7.  In Kolkata, police had thrashed anti-rape protestors outside the CM's house.  Mamata today said all suspects in the case are CPM supporters. How she knows that is anyone's guess.
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15:44   Mamata loses her cool: Calls Barasat rapists CPM workers, protestors CPM cadre
Days after the brutal gang rape and murder of a 20-year-old girl in West Bengal's Barasat district, a group of women protestors on Monday shouted anti-government slogans and forced Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to leave the grieving family's house within five minutes of her arrival there. Sources say, she felt it was a deliberate ploy to insult her.

Mamata lost her cool and called the anti-rape protestors, almost all women, CPI-M cadres, and the rapists -- CPI-M workers. The CP--M is yet to react to her outburst, not by far, the first.

Left Front Chairman Biman Bose had alleged that the Mamata Banerjee government had been "totally silent" to take any action against the rapists "who have made school and college girls their soft targets". "No matter whether the national crime records bureau puts West Bengal on top of crime-prone states, it is to be seen what the state government does to deal with such spurt in criminal activities," he had said.  -- IBN Live

This is not the first time Mamata has called her critics CPM cadres. Remember Tanya Bhardwaj?
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15:07   25 dead, over 50 missing, 100 houses collapse as rain batters Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand has been battered by the rain fury. The torrential rain has caused landslips in the higher reaches and swept away several roads and bridges in Uttarkashi and Chamoli districts. It has also led to suspension of the Char Dham Yatra. Read the full report on NDTV.com
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15:00   Caste is not past
Caste is not a word that modernizing India likes to use. It has receded to the unfashionable background. Newspapers reserve their headlines for the newer metrics of social hierarchy: wealth and politics, and those powerful influencers of popular culture, actors and cricket stars. Read
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14:56   JD(U) can't poke nose into BJP affairs, asserts Naidu
Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu today criticised former NDA ally JD(U) for questioning the elevation of Narendra Modi in the party and advised the Sharad Yadav-led outfit not to "poke its nose into other parties".

"It is our right to decide who should preside, who should be the chairman of the campaign committee. If anyone says who should be the JD(U) President, I can't say," he said, commenting on the party breaking its 17-year-long alliance with BJP. Refusing to accept the reason (Narendra Modi's elevation) cited by JD(U) to walk out of the alliance, he said, "The reason given by JD(U) is not all satisfactory. There is something to it. JD(U) had itself earlier praised Modi's leadership. Why should there be any objection now?" Naidu demanded that JD(U) tender a reasonable reason for pulling out from the NDA alliance.

He said there would be a realignment of political forces before announcement of Lok Sabha elections.
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14:54   AIADMK decides to support D Raja,withdraws one of its nominees
The ruling AIDMK today acceded the plea of CPI for support to its candidate D Raja in the June 27 biennial elections to six Rajya Sabha seats and announced withdrawal of one of its nominee from the contest. The change of heart by Jayalalithaa to accommodate CPI came after Raja called on her this morning and sought support.
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14:11   CPI welcomes JD-U's decision to severe ties with BJP
CPI today welcomed JD(U)'s decision to break its 17-year ties with the BJP and said its legislators would vote in support of Nitish Kumar government in the confidence vote in the Bihar Assembly on Wednesday.

"This, however, does not mean any overall support for the Nitish Kumar Government whose every action will be judged on its merits," CPI Central Secretariat said in a statement.

The CPI and the CPI-ML (Liberation) also opposed the Bihar Bandh call given by the BJP tomorrow, with the former terming JD(U)'s move as "an important step following the elevation of Narendra Modi within BJP and in the battle against the divisive communal forces of Hindutva."
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14:08   Delhi begins week with heavy rains
In other news, heavy rains lashed New Delhi for the second day in a row causing water-logging and subsequent traffic chaos in various parts of the city.

According to the MeT department, Delhi received 21.9 mm rains from 5:30 last evening till 8:30 this morning. The rain gauges have measured a total of 58.5 mm of rain during the last 24 hours. The city had received 36.6 mm of rains till 5:30 pm yesterday which were the first monsoon showers of the season.

The rains gave much relief to Delhiites from the scorching heat, but also caused trouble as many parts of the city witnessed water-logging and traffic snarls including Laxmi Nagar, ITO and Kashmere Gate, Munirka, Dwarka and Dhaula Kuan.

Indira Gandhi International Airport also bore the brunt of a heavy downpour which crippled services at the airport. Palam area received 123.4 mm of rain during the last 24 hours ending at 8:30 in the morning.

The Met office has forecast more rains and generally cloudy sky for latter part of the day while maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to remain at 31 and 24 deg C respectively.

The maximum and minimum temperatures yesterday were 31.5 degrees Celsius and 23.7 degrees Celsius respectively. The maximum was eight and minimum was four notches below normal for this time of the year.

Pic: Image tweeted by Janlokpal of the Delhi airport last night.
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14:02  
Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Modi resigns as Chairman of Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers looking into GST implementation.
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14:00   India did NOT compromise to end standoff with China: Lt Gen Parnaik
Army's General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, K T Parnaik holds forth on China, AFSPA... to PTI. Parnaik says there were no compromises made to end the standoff with China. He said the army had received inputs on a threat to the Amarnath yatra. "The Army has not misused AFSPA. There is no need to disempower Army by partial revocation of AFSPA," he said. Details awaited. 


Lieutenant General K T Parnaik, the third highest ranking officer in the Indian Army, is responsible for guarding 1,896 kilometres of India's border with Pakistan and China. Read his interview to rediff.com's Archana Masih last year.
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13:43   8 ministers, four MoS to be sworn in today
Eight new ministers -- four Cabinet rank and four Ministers of State -- to be sworn in this evening. Cabinet Ministers to be sworn in are Sisram Ola, Oscar Fernandes, Girija Vyas and K S Rao. Ministers of State will be Manikrao Gavit, Santosh Chowdhury, J D Seelam, E M S Natchiappan.
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13:29   BJP to Nitish: Take care of your elder leader George Fernandes
First reactions from the BJP on Nitish Kumar's address to the media, a day after the JD-U parted ways from the NDA.
The BJP said Nitish Kumar should first take care of George Fernandes and not interfere in the internal matter of the BJP.

Nitish had said today that the BJP betrayed its elders... "They forgot Atal Behari Vajpayee and L K Advani, who are elders (in BJP). The elders are respected in the Indian culture. What is this culture in which the elders are sidelined," Kumar said in response to questions.

He also dismissed the charge that JD(U) treated veteran socialist Gerorge Fernandes in the same manner, saying that despite the fact that the the "pseudo supporters" of the ailing leader forced him into a contest in Lok Sabha election against the official nominee of his party, he was honoured and made a Rajya Sabha member later. "There is full respect for elders in our party....Our respect for him (Fernandes) is intact even today," he said 
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13:23   UK's eavesdropping agency snooped on foreign officials at G20 in 2009
UK''s eavesdropping agency, Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) had reportedly snooped on the emails and telephone records of the foreign politicians and officials during the G20 summit in 2009.

According to Sky News, the officials' computers and phone calls were intercepted on UK government''s orders of then prime minister Gordon Brown and the intelligence obtained was passed to ministers. South Africa and Turkey, traditionally friendly countries, were among the countries targeted by the government for snooping.

Turkish Finance Minister, along with his members and Russian leader Dmitri Medvedev were among those targeted and their phone calls were listened to by the intelligence agency.

According to the report, the government's priority for the G20 summit included GCHQ to ensure that intelligence relevant to HMG's desired outcomes for its presidency of the G20 reaches customers at the right time and in a form which allows them to make full use of it. 
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13:01   First English factory in India in ruins
Four hundred years ago, a maverick English sea captain, Thomas Best, sank four Portuguese galleons off the Surat coast with his two ships, Red Dragon and Hosiander. Captain Best and his crew's exploits in the naval Battle of Swally (corruption of Suvali) on October 28, 1612, impressed the Mughal governor of the province so much that he got them a treaty ratified by Emperor Jahangir, which translated to trading rights. By January 1613, the first East India Company factory had come up at Surat.

Here's what happened thereafter. Read
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12:53   Want a kidney? Just go online. Price negotiable
Desperate need for money, lack of adequate organs lead to mushrooming of cyber forums for illegal sales; agents involved claim to 'facilitate transplants' at various hospitals for hefty prices. Read
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12:52   Experiments With Democracy in Bhutan
Bhutan does things differently in South Asia, and nothing illustrates this so as much as the way it has conducted its transition to democracy. Read
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12:48   Kailash Mansarovar yatra suspended
The annual Kailash Mansarovar 'yatra' has been suspended today in view of heavy rains and landslides in Uttarakhand. "The yatra has been stopped in Buddhi in Uttarakhand in view of landslides and heavy rains. The pilgrims have been accommodated in various locations and the route will be opened again after things get normal," a senior ITBP official said. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) guards the yatra and pilgrims.

It may be recalled that danseuse Protima Bedi died during the yatra in the Malpa landslide near Pithoragarh in the Himalayas in 1998.

Also read: Record rains flood Mumbai, leave it limping
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12:40   The younger brother who ran like a 'khargosh'
Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar began their political careers as close friends during the 1974 movement started by Jayaprakash Narayan. Lalu referred to Nitish as his younger brother and the latter reciprocated by calling his friend his elder brother. They parted ways in 1994 when Nitish formed the Samata Party with George Fernandes. Read the story on Telegraph
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12:34   Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson roughed up by husband
In other news, graphic photographs have appeared of "domestic goddess' Nigella Lawson having her throat squeezed by her multi-millionaire art collector husband Charles Saatchi during a domestic row in a restaurant. What enraged Saatchi is not known but he was photographed attacking his wife no fewer than four times in full view of other customers at Scott's, a popular London seafood restaurant whose clients include Pippa Middleton, the sister-in-law of Prince William. Read
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12:25   R.I.P B Raman
It's with a sense of sadness and loss that we register the death of B. Raman, who needs no introduction for the regular readers of our website... Outlook's tribute to Mr Raman. Read
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12:21   A Kao-boy till the end
The Hindu's tribute to B Raman: One of India's first external intelligence agents, B Raman, died in Chennai on Sunday after a battle with cancer. He was 77. Raman served for 26 years in the Research and Analysis wing, right from the day it was carved out of the Intelligence Bureau in September 1968 on Indira Gandhi's orders, until his retirement in 1994. More
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12:16  
Meanwhile, Bahutkumbi Raman, one of the founders of the Research and Analysis Wing, India's external intelligence agency, and one of India's foremost security experts, passed away in Chennai on Sunday evening after a prolonged battle against cancer. He was 77.

Mr Raman was a prolific writer on terrorism and internal security, and was a regular contributor to Rediff.com till the very end.

We will miss him as a dear colleague and a friend. Read his columns for rediff.com here

This is what Narendra Modi tweeted after Mr Raman passed away yesterday:
Shri B Raman will be remembered for his insights on issues of national security. Sad to know of his demise. May his soul rest in peace.
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12:12  
The Union Cabinet reshuffle is slated for 5.30 pm today. Stay with us when that happens. 
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12:05   Morning after break-up, Nitish holds janata darbar
The morning after he unsubscribed from his alliance with the BJP, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pointedly held his usual weekly "janta darbar" to address the concerns and complaints of the public.Given the political whorl he unfurled by ending his 17-year-partnership with his ally, the Chief Minister appeared calm as he met over a hundred people, a smaller crowd than usual. Read the full report on NDTV.
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11:51   Speeches I made as rail minister not political: Nitish
Reacting to the BJP releasing Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's 2003 speech in which he praised Gujarat CM Narendra Modi as a leader with a future outside the state, Nitish Kumar said the speech was made as a railway minister and should not be taken as a political speech. "It is protocol to praise the host state, not criticise it or target it," he said today.

The speech was delivered at the inauguration of a railway project in Gujarat in 2003. 
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11:42   Why didn't Advani address our concerns if Atal is unwell: Nitish
"The split with the NDA is not a hasty decision. It was decided after due consideration and taken at the right time," he says dismissing the BJP's charge. He reiterated that the the JD-U had a cordial relationship with Sushil Modi, the deputy chief minister of Bihar, but "external forces changed that. I had no option but the sack BJP minister as they remained absent for the Cabinet meet."

 "I know Atalji has been unwell and we pray for his speedy recovery. But if he was unwell, Advaniji could have addressed our concerns," he added.
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11:35   NDA has moved away from principles: Nitish
Yesterday, the BJP called for a Bihar bandh on June 18, day before Chief Minister Nitish Kumar faces a floor test in the State Assembly. It also called upon Kumar to resign and get re-elected as the leader of the party before the vote of confidence. "Today is a black day in Bihar's politics. The JD (U) betrayed a 17-year-old alliance. The people of Bihar gave heavy majority to the National Democratic Alliance, which the JD (U) axed in one stroke. What happened is unfortunate and the people of Bihar will avenge this insult of their mandate,' Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said at a press conference yesterday.

Addressing the 'betrayal' factor, Nitish laughed and said, "Look who's talking about betrayal! They betrayed their party elders (an apparent reference to LK Advani). It's the BJP which has betrayed us. We cannot compromise on principles and NDA is moving away from its principles," he says.  
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11:29   How do we work with leaders who betray elders in the party: Nitish
Nitish Kumar said problems crept in (in the alliance) when the external influences started affecting the BJP state unit. Tell me, how do we work with leaders who betray the elders in the party. They talk about Indian culture and respecting elders, is this how they respect elders?" he said.

Nitish Kumar's presser today squarely puts the blame on the split with the NDA on the BJP. "The BJP has betrayed the JD-U. Our party never had a tie-up with the BJP in Gujarat," he says. 
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11:23   Live! Nitish: Advani-Atal era over, no looking back now
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar addressing a press conference in Patna. Yesterday, Nitish Kumar said that the, "foundational principles (of the BJP) have been irrevocably damaged. I'm not bothered about the consequence even if they harm us. It may be anything but the coalition has ended. It's a question of morality, not about holding on to power."

A day on, Nitish Kumar, says that the era of Vajpayee-Advani is over and now, there is no looking back. There are now problems with the central leadership of the BJP. When I had praised Atalji's work, I was criticised."
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11:16  
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid becomes the first minister from the new observer countries to visit the Arctic Council Secretariat.  
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11:14   Mining scam keeps getting bigger
The epic proportions of the illegal mining scam that was uncovered by the Karnataka Lokayukta in its 2011 report may actually have been just one act of a much larger, more complex and multi-layered drama. Read
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11:13   Joshis exit may kill two birds with one stone
C.P. Joshi's exit from the Union Cabinet was always on the cards for the twin reasons of resolving the power struggle in the victorious Karnataka unit of the Congress and the forthcoming Assembly election in Rajasthan. Read
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11:10   More mines, fewer schools in former Maoist stronghold
Villagers in Saranda in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district are still awaiting schools and health centres, even as mining companies have lined up to invest in the newly secured forests. Read
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11:06   Iran's golden moment
Another development over the weekend -- The vibrant elections that have unexpectedly thrown up Hassan Rouhani -- a moderate cleric -- as Iran's next President have once again exposed those quick to label Iranian democracy a sham. Rouhani's victory following an electoral landslide, brushing aside his supposedly favoured conservative rivals, has demonstrated that the expression of popular will and its capacity to breathe fresh life into the system is far from extinguished. Read
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11:02   The writing on the wall
Seventeen years ago, the Janata Dal (United)'s forerunner, the socialist Samata Party, stepped out of its ideological comfort zone to extend support to the Bharatiya Janata Party, thereby bringing the latter into the political mainstream.  Read
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11:01   Muslims that 'minority politics' left behind
The pasmanda's quest for empowerment will help democratise Indian Islam and deepen democracy in the country. Read
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10:55   PM takes oath as Rajya Sabha member from Assam
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh takes oath as member of Rajya Sabha after being re-elected from Assam. The much awaited reshuffle of the Union Cabinet will take place today, ahead of which C P Joshi also stepped down as Cabinet minister after Ajay Maken.  Resignations of both Joshi and Maken were accepted on Sunday by President Pranab Mukherjee with immediate effect, a Rashtrapati Bhawan communique said. The reshuffle-cum-expansion is expected to be utilised by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to fill up several vacancies in his Council of Ministers.
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10:02   Sensex up 80 pts in early trade ahead of RBI policy meet
The BSE benchmark Sensex rose nearly 80 points in early trade today as funds and investors made selective buying ahead of RBI policy meeting. 

The 30-share barometer gained 79.48 points, or 0.41 per cent, to 19,257.41 with stocks of healthcare, IT, oil and gas and capital goods leading the rise. 

The Sensex had gained 350.77 points in the previous session as slowing wholesale inflation and strengthening rupee revived hopes of rate cut by RBI. 

The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty up by 12.00 points, or 0.21 per cent, to 5,820.40. 

Brokers said fresh buying by participants before the Reserve Bank of India's policy meeting today, mainly attributed rise in stock prices. 

Besides, a firming trend in the Asian region also supported the upside, they said.

In the Asian region, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 0.18 per cent, Japan's Nikkei up by 1.20 points in early trade today today. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.70 per cent lower in the previous session on Friday. 
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10:01   Rupee down 33 paise against dollar in early trade
The rupee fell by 33 paise to Rs 57.84 per dollar in early trade on the Interbank Foreign Exchange market today, weighed down by dollar's gains against other currency. 

Forex dealers said besides dollar's gain against other currencies overseas, fresh demand for the American currency from importers put pressure on the rupee. 

They said, however, a higher opening in the domestic equity market, capped the rupee's losses. 

The rupee had bounced back by 47 paise to close at one-week high of 57.51 against the US dollar on Friday following strong recovery in local stocks and fresh dollar selling by exporters.

Meanwhile, the BSE benchmark Sensex higher by 79.48 points, or 0.41 per cent, to 19,257.41 in early trade today. 
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09:51   Jagan Reddy's judicial custody ends today
YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy, whose judicial custody ends on Monday, will be produced before a Hyderabad court via video conferencing. 

The Kadapa MP and the YSAR Congress chief has been lodged in Chanchalguda prison since his arrest by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on corruption charges.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had on May 31 frozen fixed deposits worth more than Rs 34 crore of a media firm owned by Reddy in connection with the money laundering probe against him and others. 

With this fourth attachment order, the agency has attached more than Rs 300 crore worth of assets and properties belonging to Jagan and others in the disproportionate assets case being probed jointly by the ED and CBI. 
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09:50   PM to take oath as Rajya Sabha member today
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was recently elected a member of the Rajya Sabha from Assam for the fifth consecutive term, will take oath Monday.

Singh, who is the Leader of the Upper House, will take oath in the chamber of Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari at 10 am. 

Another Congress member from Assam Santius Kujur will also take oath today. 

The election to the two Rajya Sabha seats from Assam had taken place on May 30 and Congress had won both the seats. 
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09:13   13 dead in monsoon havoc in Uttarakhand
Thirteen persons have been killed in Uttarakhand following incessant rains that lashed the hill state causing landslips in the higher reaches and sweeping away several roads and bridges in Uttarkashi and Chamoli districts.

Three persons of a family were killed when a house caved in at New Mithi Beri in Prem Nagar area of Dehradun this morning, Prem Nagar SHO Vikas Rawat said.

Both Mandakini and Alaknanda, major tributaries of the Ganga, are flowing over the danger mark and the bridge connecting Rudraprayag and Gaurikund has been damaged leading to its closure, she said.

Kedarnath yatra has been suspended in view of bad weather, the officer said.

Thousands of pilgrims headed for the Himalayan shrines of Gangotri and Yamunotri got stranded as the routes had to be closed due to landslips at various points including Pipalmandi, Baraki and Nalupani.
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08:46   Monsoon breaks its 53-year-old record in Delhi
Breaking its 53-year-old record, the monsoon arrived 13 days ahead of its schedule in the capital on Sunday. 

Heavy rains that lashed the city on Sunday brought along much-needed relief from scorching heat but commuters were at the receiving end due to water-logging in various places. 

"The monsoon has reached Delhi," the MeT office said, adding that the seasonal rains lashed the capital almost two weeks ahead of its scheduled arrival on June 29. 

Last year, the onset of monsoon was delayed by eight days. It had reached Delhi ahead of schedule in 2011 (June 26), but arrived late in 2010 (July five). 

While the earliest onset of monsoon in last 30 years in the capital was recorded in 2008 (June 15), the most delayed arrival occurred in 1987 (July 26). 

The weather office said 645.7 mm of rains is considered as normal for the capital during monsoon. 

It said monsoon was making rapid progress and will cover the entire country before the scheduled date of July 15. 
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08:44   Cabinet reshuffle today: Elevation for Meenakshi Natarajan?
The much awaited reshuffle of the Union cabinet will take place today, ahead of which C P Joshi also stepped down as Cabinet minister after Ajay Maken. 

The resignations of Joshi and Maken were on Sunday accepted by President Pranab Mukherjee with immediate effect, a Rashtrapati Bhawan communique said.

The reshuffle will take place on Monday evening, a Rashtrapati Bhawan spokesperson said. 

The names of Meenakshi Natarajan, considered close to party Vice President Rahul Gandhi, and Oscar Fernandes are being mentioned in Congress circles for a possible berth in the Union Council of Ministers. 

There was also speculation that Minister of State Charan Das Mahant, who hails from poll-bound Chhattisgarh where the Congress leadership was attacked by Maoists recently, will be elevated. 

Joshi, who was holding dual portfolios of surface transport and highways and railways, resigned following "directives" from the Congress high command, sources close to him said.

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