The Congress today decided to support estranged ally DMK for the June 27 Rajya Sabha polls from Tamil Nadu, with its five MLAs all set to vote for DMK nominee Kanimozhi.

TNCC president B S Gnanadesikan said AICC General Secretary and party's in-charge for Tamil Nadu Mukul Wasnik had informed him of the decision over phone. "Indian National Congress has decided to support Kanimozhi...accordingly, all five Congress MLAs will vote for her," he said in a statement.

The term of six Rajya Sabha MPs from Tamil Nadu ends next month.

The eight-year allies had parted ways in March this year over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, and today's development, being speculated for the past few days, is seen as part of a political realignment ahead of next year's scheduled Lok Sabha polls.

Congress today stepped up its attack on Narendra Modi accusing him of telling a "lie" and being "selective" when he claimed that he saved 15,000 people Gujratis, who were stuck in Uttarakhand flash floods.        

 

"In times of such tragedies, you cannot be selective about whom do you want to rescue. It's a very sorry state of affairs if some people engage in such things. During the times of such calamities, it should not matter to which caste or state people belong," party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary told reporters alluding to Modi's reported rescue act.        

 

Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh was acerbic in his criticism of the Gujarat Chief Minister saying "Feku comes and claims that he has rescued 15000 people. Don't lie this much."        

 

Feku was a hashtag on Twitter used by Congress supporters sometimes back to dismiss the Gujarat Chief Minister's claims on development and his other remarks.        

 

"It is strange that the Army, the Air Force, paratroopers are all engaged in rescue operations day and night and this man (Modi) comes in and claims he has rescued 15,000 people. Don't lie so much Mr Modi, the people aren't that stupid," Singh said.

The Congress has decided to support DMK in the June 27 Rajya Sabha election from Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has announced Rs 710 crore for expansion and upgradation of rural roads in Jammu and Kashmir.  

 

Dr Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi arrived in Srinagar earlier in the day on a two-day visit to the state. They also met the jawans injured in Monday's militant strike in Hyderpora.

Fifteen people have been reportedly injured in an explosion in West Bengal's Malda town. The blast took place in a motorcycle where explosive materials may have been kept, reports CNN-IBN.

As part of the strategy to spruce up its media presence, Congress has decided to facilitate live streaming of AICC press conferences on its website. Party sources said that it could happen within a month.

The move aims at spreading Congress' response to issues in real time to people as well party-men and PCC offices across the country. It is also expected to bring uniformity in the party's response on the key issues across the length and breadth of the country.

"The rescue chopper crash is a huge shock to me. The forces are doing heroic work in Uttarakhand," said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, as he spoke about the mishap which claimed eight lives in the flood-hit state. According to PTI, 19 are feared killed in the crash. So far, eight bodies have been found.  

The coalition for a GM Free India along with various farmer unions, national political parties and diverse social and environmental movements, including Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, Greenpeace-India, India Against Corruption, Bharat Swabhiman Trust, Volunteers for a Better India, etc launched a nation-wide campaign demanding that the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India Bill, 2013, be withdrawn immediately.

 

The dharna held to launch the campaign at Jantar Mantar was attended by hundreds of people from all walks of life. All of them joined hands in solidarity and vowed to fight the invasion of Genetically Modified crops and its proponents like Monsanto, the American multinational seed corporation, into India's food and farming, a media statement read.

 

"BRAI Bill is one more example of how the current government continues to sell the nation lock stock and barrel and pushes us away from Gandhiji's idea of Swaraj,' said Arvind Kejriwal of Aam Aadmi Party.  

 

Sitaram Yechury, Politburo Member and leader of the CPI-M in Rajya Sabha called BRAI another American appeasement law by the Manmohan Singh government.

 

Rajnath Singh, National President of the BJP in a written letter on Tuesday declared his wholehearted support to the struggle against BRAI and GM crops and said that BJP will stand by the interest of Indian public and fight BRAI tooth and nail.

The Indian Air Force said that the rescue operations will continue in flood-hit Uttarakhand despite the crash.  

Times Now reports that three choppers have been sent to Gaurikund to locate the crashed chopper. 

At Joshimath, Uttarakhand, an IAF MI-17 chopper brings in another batch of pilgrims stranded in the upper reaches. TV reports say there operations in the area will continue, but with decreasing visibility now, chopper rescue operations is likely to resume tomorrow. 

The death toll now stands at 830, up from 822 in the morning. More than 120 bodies were found earlier today in Kedarnath.

IAF, Army aviation and pvt chopper pilots have been pushing the limits in their rescue efforts. Today 5 of them paid with their lives. RIP, tweets NDTV's Nitin Gokhale.

At least 253 people have been evacuated by 24 helicopter sorties today, even as   approximately 1000 people are awaiting evacuation at Harsil, says an Army press release.

In the Badrinath sector, evacuation by air and a combination of foot and vehicle continued today with 740 people reaching Joshimath by evening.  260 people crossed Alaknanda at Lambagar using helicopter bridge and Burma bridge.  500 are still waiting to cross over 90 people have been evacuated by air from Bardinath by 18 heli sorties.              

Army launched another initiative today to provide assistance to take care of ponies and mules stranded on Hemkund axis.  Army helicopter inserted one veterinary doctor and two paramedics to render medical aid to the animals affected by the floods. 

Efforts are underway to provide similar assistance to agencies responsible for taking care of animals in Gauri Kund.              

In order to speed up evacuation, Army Engineers commenced construction of steel foot bridge across Alaknanda at Lambagar in Badrinath Valley. Once completed, evacuation by foot will be rapid.               

The IAF crash happened to the north of Gaurikund, this afternoon. TV reports suggest fog and therefore low visibility may have been the cause of the crash. 

The exact reason for the crash is not known yet. The helicopter was returning from Kedarnath, the epicentre of the devastation caused by heavy rain and landslides.

Choppers have been pressed into operation ever since the disaster happened since air rescue was the only way the stranded could be reached. Inclement weather, wind and rain has made flying difficult. This morning, all air operations had been stopped since visibility due to mist was low.

The rescue operation in Uttarakhand is the largest of its kind for the Air Force.

ANI reports that the Mi-17 V5 helicopter rescue mission to Guptkashi crashed in Gaurikund: 8 persons on board including 5 crew members sustained injuries.

Five IAF personnel and three civilians are feared dead.

Eight people are feared dead in the IAF plane crash, but no official confirmations yet. 

No details of whether the passengers or the pilot is safe.
Just three days ago a private helicopter carrying relief materials for the rain-affected people in Rudraprayag district today crashed near Gaurikund leaving the pilot injured, police said. The mishap occurred at a place in the Jungle Chatti area near Gaurikund, said Inspector General of Police Ram Singh Meena. The pilot was injured in the crash and has been brought to the Jollygrant Hospital for treatment.

India Today's Shiv Aroor tweets: IAF Mi-17 V5 chopper crashes in Gaurikund, #Uttarakhand. Was on a relief mission. Details awaited.

In other news, Arvind Kejriwal today dared Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for a public debate with him on issues relating to "inflated" power and water bills and women's safety among others.

AAP leader Kejriwal, who responded to Dikshit's Political Secretary Pawan Khera's letter objecting to targeting the Chief Minister, also rejected charges that he muddied the politics in New Delhi. "I invite you for a public debate. This debate may happen at Ramlila Maidan. Date and time will be of your (Dikshit) convenience. But I know you will not accept this challenge," he said in a letter to the Chief Minister.

Former South African President Nelson Mandela's condition remains unchanged in hospital, statement says. Despite intensive treatment at Pretoria's Mediclinic Heart Hospital, the 94-year-old's condition appears to have suddenly and dramatically deteriorated.

At Harsil relief camp in Uttarakhand, the green tokens fly first; the reds have to wait. Read

In its largest rescue operation ever, the Indian Air Force has pulled out all stops as it battles difficult terrain and hostile weather to bring out people stranded in Uttarakhand after floods ravaged the hill state last week. One if its innovations - introducing the Garuds for evacuation. Read the full report on NDTV.com

Author Jane Austen may replace Charles Darwin on the Pound 10 note. Read

Qatar's ruler, Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani has transferred power to the 33-year-old crown prince.

Shaikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani was appointed as crown prince in 2003 and now he serves as the chairman of the Qatar Investment Authority, the country's primary sovereign wealth fund.

While the focus is on pilgrims, nobody is talking about the fate of boys and men who came from their villages in the Mandakini valley to earn during the yatri season. Read

Springing back in action, after a large number of unclaimed dead bodies were recovered from the banks of river Ganga at several places in Uttar Pradesh including Badaun and its tributaries, the state government has constituted a special cell to identify the missing persons of the state from Uttarakhand during the recent natural calamities.

The cell will also identify all those whose dead bodies have been recovered from the river banks in UP. Read more on India Today.

Meanwhile, Google has an amazing app called a Person Finder for the Uttarakhand disaster, where you can key in the name of the person you are looking for, or, give information you may have about someone.  See

The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) says more bodies are feared buried under the rubble in Uttarakhand. The NDMA is using an instrument to detect the bodies. The Agency says that the disaster is of a national level and the central government has to be more involved. The death toll in the state is 822, so far. 

How bodies can be detected

The Haryana Government today sent a consignment of 11,000 tents to flood-ravaged Uttarakhand as a part of the relief supplies to help those affected by the natural calamity in the hilly state.

The tents have been sent by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on the demand of the Uttarakhand Government and the tents would reach there by this evening, an official release said here.

The release said that according to the reports received from control room set up by Haryana Government in Chandigarh, out of the total 1,044 pilgrims from the state stranded in Uttarakhand, 385 have safely reached their homes today by this afternoon.

The Uttarakhand government has asked DIG police headquarters Sanjay Gunjyal and DIG Garhwal range Amit Sinha to ensure that the cremation process, which could not begin yesterday due to rains, starts today at Kedarnath which was the worst hit by the calamity.

The IAF also landed its first big helicopter in the difficult Kedarnath area and dropped material needed for the mass funeral.

Search and rescue operations in Kedarnath and surrounding areas are over for all practical purposes.

"No survivors remain in the jungles around Kedarnath. They have all been brought out," Ravinath Raman, nodal officer of rescue operations in Rudraprayag district, said in Guptkashi. With rain in the morning hampering rescue operations from Badrinath where the majority of pilgrims remain stranded, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna appealed to their relatives not to run out of patience, saying they are safe with enough supplies of food and and medicines made available to them.

India-US Relations: The Search for a Transformative Moment, writes External Affairs Minister, Salman Khurshid. Read

The mystery of the spinning Egyptian statue has sent visitor numbers soaring at the Manchester Museum. Read

As the source of the Ganges River, the site of Hinduism's famous Char Dham pilgrimage and home to Rishikesh, the meditation retreat made famous by The Beatles, the India's northern Uttarakhand state justifies its title of "Land of the Gods."But environmentalists are warning that rampant development in the Himalayan state is tempting fate. Read

In other news: Russia says it has had no involvement in the travel plans of fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden.The exact whereabouts of Mr Snowden, who flew to Moscow from Hong Kong on Sunday, are unclear. But Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisted he had not crossed the Russian border. Read

Floods have washed away two villages that cared for the upkeep of the precincts around the World Heritage Site. Will its residents get a chance to rebuild their lives? Read

West Bengal government has arranged for chartered flight to bring back tourists and pilgrims from the state stranded in rain-battered Uttarakhand.

''Arrangements have been made in both Delhi and Dehradun to bring back tourists and pilgrims from our state stranded in rain-devastated Uttarakhand ... I pray the stranded visitors from West Bengal keep well and safely return home,'' Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat Writers' Buildings.

This was the first time that the state government had taken the initiative to arrange chartered flight to bring back stranded people back.

Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh took a dig at Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter saying "the VIPs should allow the administration to do their job in Uttarakhand instead of disturbing them with photo opportunity and doing politics".

Modi on Saturday visited the hill state to meet Gujarati pilgrims stranded due to cloudburst and flash floods.

"Modi is taking credit for people already evacuated by the administration and the troops," tweeted Digvijaya Singh. -- India Today

Digvijaya Singh said Rahul Gandhi, who is in Uttarakhand, was doing relief work quietly, unlike Modi who boasted about what he had allegedly achieved. 

In other news: The rumour mill in Andhra Pradesh is abuzz that there will be a decision on the Telangana issue by June 30, according to Members of the Telangana Congress.

However, sources in the union and state home ministry say that there is no such thing on the cards and the matter is still under discussion.

June 30 seems to be the date, since there's expected to be a major exodus to the Telangana Rastriya Samithi. Some 10 members of the Congress are already in talks with the TRS regarding moving out of the party.

Congress leaders say that if there is no decision on Telangana their political careers are effectively over. Telangana leaders say that the centre is planning on splitting Andhra Pradesh into two regions and would be called as Rayal-Telangana.

However, in Delhi there is no talk about it and all indications that there would be no announcement until the elections next year. Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy has been told to keep the flock together and ensure peace until the elections and only then will a decision be taken on the issue.
-- Vicky Nanjappa 

Helicopter rescue operations to evacuate around 9000 stranded people today picked up pace after rains and fog in the morning delayed the mission in calamity-hit Uttarakhand where the death toll mounted to 822 with 127 more bodies recovered from Kedarnath.

Fresh incidents of landslips were also reported from Tehri district in which a woman and a child were killed. Foggy and overcast conditions in Dehradun had delayed take off by choppers at Sahasradhara helipad and Jolly Grant Airport but air rescue operations resumed with improvement in the weather.

Four choppers made sorties to Badrinath today and evacuated 60 people, officials said. Official sources that 127 more bodies were recovered since yesterday from Kedarnath area.

At least 15 bodies of flash-flood victims were found floating in Ganga in different districts of Uttar Pradesh including Muzaffarnagar, Bulandshahr and Bijnore, taking the toll in the tragedy to 822.

Update on former South African president Nelson Mandela's health. Mandela remains critically ill with a lung infection, but is "at peace" and his family is praying for a "smooth transition", the daughter of the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader has said.

"All I pray for as a daughter is that the transition is smooth. He is at peace with himself. He has given so much to the world. I believe he is at peace," Makaziwe, the sole surviving child from his first marriage to Evelyn, said. Asked whether the family should let the former statesman go, Makaziwe said they would not because Mandela had not asked them to. "In our culture, the Tembu culture ... you never release the person unless the person has told you: 'Please, my children, my family, release me.' My dad hasn't said that to us," she was quoted a saying by the Timelive.com.

Concerned over the devastating floods in Uttarakhand, NHRC today sought reports from the Central and state governments on the steps taken for relief and rehabilitation and decided to send its own team for an on-the-spot assessment.

Expressing concern over the massive loss of human lives and destruction of property caused by floods and landslides, the NHRC said it hopes that the governments at the Centre and state will take appropriate steps for the evacuation and rehabilitation of these "unfortunate" people.

The Commission appreciates the efforts of the security forces and other agencies who are working admirably in difficult terrains and in appalling conditions to rescue the thousands who are affected, it said.

The NHRC was of the view that the state needed the "full support" of the Centre to tide over the "difficult" situation. It asked the Union Cabinet Secretary to submit a report providing details of the measures which the Centre has already taken and proposes to take to support the efforts of the state.

News Laundry: What made you come up with the idea of reporting while sitting on a person's shoulder?

Reporter: It wasn't my idea to begin with, but there was this man who took me to his home and asked me to report the damage he had suffered. His house was in a miserable condition and he had lost a lot in the flood, and was left with very little food and water. We helped him with some food and some money and he was grateful to us and wanted to show me some respect, as it was the first time someone of my level had visited his house. So while crossing the river he offered to help by carrying me on his shoulder, between which, I thought of reporting the flood. We offered Rs 50 as well for the help he gave me..
Watch

The Odisha police have arrested two people in the Naxal attack on Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh last month. 

For the second day in a row, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray has voiced criticism of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

The Sena is an ally of Modi's party, the BJP. Thackeray has been warning it to re-think any plans to project Modi as its prime ministerial candidate.

In an editorial in his party's newspaper today, Thackeray responded to reports that Mr Modi and his bureaucrats flew into Uttarakhand and rescued 15,000 Gujarati tourists in a day. "It would be better if Modi's propagandists exercise restraint in future," Thackeray said. Read

In its Action Taken Report, the Centre said a total of 1189 air sorties were done by the Indian Air Force while the Army has carried out 419 sorties.

By June 23, a total 96,500 people were evacuated by all agencies and free transport is being arranged for all people to reach their respective destinations and more than 4000 vehicles have been deployed to bring the stranded people to Haridwar and Dehradun, the ATR said.

The report said that 80 per cent of telecommunication facilities have been restored and 77 satellite phones have been distributed by the Centre to various agencies.

The state, in its ATR, assured the court that evacuation of all stranded pilgrims would be completed within next 72 hours and said the death toll has been estimated at 560.

It said there is no shortage of food items and essential supplies in the disaster affected areas and 50,000 bottles of water and 50,000 packets of biscuits and 45,000 ready to eat food packets have been made available and the government is organising relief camps for the disaster affected people at 62 different places.

The report said, that approximately four lakh chlorine tablets have been distributed in the affected districts and another five lakh would be sent in another two days.

Rain and fog today delayed rescue operations in Uttarakhand where the death toll in the calamity rose to 807 with 127 more bodies recovered from Kedarnath even as security forces began the process of cremating decaying corpses lying in the shrine premises.

Fresh incidents of landslips were also reported from Tehri district in which a woman and a child were killed.

Foggy and overcast conditions in Dehradun delayed take off by choppers at Sahasradhara helipad and Jolly Grant Airport but air rescue operations to evacuate around 9000 people have now resumed with improvement in the weather.

Official sources that 127 more bodies were recovered since yesterday from Kedarnath area, taking the death toll to 807.

With rain hampering rescue operations from Badrinath where the majority of pilgrims remain stranded, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has appealed to their relatives not to run out of patience saying they are safe with enough supplies of food and and medicines made available to them.

The Uttarakhand government has submitted a report on the rescue and rehabilitation operations in the flood-devastated state. The government says the top priority now remains indentification and disposal of the bodies. Evacuation will be completed in 72 hours if weather permits. Clearing of debris remains high on the agenda, the government said. 

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the central and Uttarakhand governments to provide immediate relief to those affected by the devastating floods in the state.

The help should include food, drinking water, medicines and fuel, judges A.K. Patnaik and Ranjan Gogoi said.

The apex court bench said relief material must be provided to the affected and stranded people without any discrimination.

The death of a 10-month-old baby in Maharashtra state's Latur District on Saturday blemishes India's record in fighting polio but won't impact the country's march toward being certified polio-free. Read

William Dalrymple looks at the present and future of Afghanistan as the US withdraws from the longest war in its history. Read

In other news: The Supreme Court today dismissed a PIL seeking a probe against Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd for allegedly manufacturing and selling substandard medicines due to lack of evidence against the company.

A bench of justices A K Patnaik and Ranjan Gogoi, however, allowed the petitioner advocate M L Sharma to file a fresh petition if he finds some evidence against the company in support of his allegation that the company is engaged in manufacturing and selling substandard drugs. The bench said that it cannot decide the plea against the company on the basis of a judgement passed by a US court against Ranbaxy.

In Uttarakhand, drones have been sent to retrieve bodies from inaccessible areas. 

A day after the militant strike in Srinagar left eight soldiers dead, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the entire country is standing united against terrorists and they will not succeed in their designs.

"I want to pay my tributes to the soldiers who laid down their lives while fighting the terrorists," Singh said in his speech after inaugurating 850 MW Rattle power project here along with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. The Prime Minister said the entire country is standing united against the terrorists.

"The terrorists will not succeed in their designs." Security is a pre-requisite for development, the Prime Minister said as he paid tributes to the soldiers killed in militant strike yesterday, asserting such attacks would not deter efforts to bring normalcy in the state.

Gandhi also condoled the death of army personnel in the militant attack. "Our analysis is that the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir has shown considerable improvement. The terrorist- related violence in 2012 had shown a sharp decline and was the lowest in last two decades," the Prime Minister said. However, Singh said there was a need to keep a constant vigil to prevent attacks like the one that took place yesterday at Hyderpora.

Reporter asks IAF pilot: So, how does it feel to be a Muslim rescuing Hindu pilgrims in Uttarakhand?

Read the appalling report. 

In its second missive since the disaster, the Supreme Court today asked the Centre to step up rescue operations in Uttarakhand.

The IAF, Army and Uttarakhand administration today launched a massive operation to send logistics like firewood and fuel for conducting last rites of those killed in the worst-hit Kedarnath Valley.

Multiple agencies undertaking relief and rescue operations are increasingly getting worried about the imminent spread of diseases and the rotting of the bodies in the temple town area as the tragedy is nine days old now.

But the weather, with heavy cloud cover and rains, is the biggest challenge as heavy choppers like Mi-17 are not able to enter the narrow airspace in the Kedarnath valley, just below Yamunotri.

"All efforts are directed to start the funeral in Kedarnath today. Once the helicopters enter the area we will drop the funeral items," a senior official said requesting anonymity. "Weather check sorties are being flown," a senior IAF officer said.

The Prime Minister recently reviewed the progress of various projects under the Prime Minister's Reconstruction Plan (PMRP). The PMRP for J&K contains 67 projects/schemes in four areas covering 11 sectors of the economy. Read

The eyes of the world are upon Nelson Mandela, the ailing former South African president and vanguard of human rights who was reported in critical condition Sunday evening. But for daughter Makaziwe Mandela, this is not a global event but a deeply personal and precious time for a daughter with her beloved father. Read

Today, Advani and Modi represent two visions of the party and its possibilities. Read

Two Everesters in a Himalayan rescue mission. The Tata Relief Committee, which got a yes from Uttarakhand government to conduct relief operations, will work in three remote villages in the flood-ravaged state that is still being pounded by heavy rains. Read

After the flood havoc in Uttarakhand, every day residents of Chandrapuri and other villages in Rudraprayag district wait for a jeep to deliver them food and water. For a week, they have been walking for more than 35 km daily to look for the jeep but in vain. One fine morning, someone finally comes to their rescue. Read

While the focus is on pilgrims, nobody is talking about the fate of boys and men who came from their villages in the Mandakini valley to earn during the yatri season. Read

ITBP helpline:  011-24362892, 9968383478
Army medical emergency helpline: 18001805558, 18004190282, 8009833388

Air rescue operations in Badrinath have been halted due to bad weather. 

Meanwhile, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who is in Kishtawar in Jammu and Kashmir, along with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh says she salutes the armed forces for carrying out the rescue work in Uttarakhand. 

A unit of army engineers, the 5 Sikh battalion and Army Aviation Corps pilots today rescued more than 800 people through a combination of engineering skills and daredevil-flying to bridge a chasm over the Alaknanda river with ropes and helicopters. More

The unbeatable Gauls may soon have a new member in their village to fight against their arch enemy, the Romans. And his name could be Gandhix, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi. Read

The death toll in Uttarakhand's flash floods could be far higher than all projected figures, if some volunteers and officials involved in rescue and relief operations are to be believed. Many of them are beginning to say that even the figure of 5,000 speculated by the state's disaster management minister Yashpal Arya on Sunday may not have captured the full extent of the disaster. Read the full report on the TOI.

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has been sentenced to a seven-year jail term for having sex with an underage prostitute.

MARCOS, the elite unit of the Indian Navy, has been deployed in the search and rescue operations going on in flood-hit Uttarakhand. 

Several Taliban militants, including suicide bombers, attacked the area around the Presidential palace in Kabul on Tuesday morning, according to reports. 

Joining the chorus of lawmakers with regard to economic reforms in India, a top American lawmaker cautioned that there is an increasing feeling in the Congress that the India-US relationship would hit a wall if New Delhi did not carry out the necessary reforms.        

A top American lawmaker has called on Russia to extradite Edward Snowden to the United States,arguing that the former CIA contractor is a fugitive deserving prosecution and not a whistleblower worthy of protection.       

Refraining from speculating on the impact the condition of Nelson Mandela could have on US President Barack Obama's upcoming South Africa trip, the United States has said the thoughts and prayers of Americans are with the ailing South African leader.        

Srinagar: 8 jawans killed in Hizb strike ahead of PM's visit 

Terrorists snatched bike, flagged army vehicle as they struck

'Modi's presence in Uttarakhand made the difference'

Will we treat Uttarakhand as just another disaster?