Slamming the latest hike in pricesof petrol and diesel, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalaithaatoday charged the Centre with "fooling" people by reducing the rates of petrol earlier with an eye on the just concluded Karnataka Assembly elections.

ibnlive reports: In yet another ceasefire violation, Pakistani troops fired at Indian positions along the Line of Control in Nawgam sector of Kashmir valley but there was no causality.

US President Barack Obama today said the American economy is starting to pick up steam with the creation of some seven million jobs in the past 38 months. 

In yet another ceasefire violation, Pakistani troops fired at Indian positions along the Line of Control in Nawgam sector of Kashmir valley but there was no causality. 

The US and Germany have called on Russia not to supply Syria's military with an advanced missile system they say could prolong the conflict there.

Two top BCCI officials - secretary Sanjay Jagdale and treasurer Ajay Shirke - have resigned their posts following the widespread criticism of the board's handling of the corruption issues in the IPL. 

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) today said it has not prescribed any dress code for Aadhaar number enrolment. 

The global death toll from a SARS-like virus has risen to 30, the World Health Organization said today after three people died of the illness in Saudi Arabia, which is bearing the brunt of the outbreak. 

The British soldier killed by suspected Islamist terrorists on a south-east London street last week was first run over by them before being attacked with a cleaver and a knife, a British court heard today. 

Police say two people were taken to a hospital after a two-seat plane crashed into the living room of a third-story apartment outside Washington. 

A Zimbabwean court has ordered Robert Mugabe to hold elections before the end of July, adding to a political dispute over the timing and funding of the vote in the country.

Swiss aviation major Pilatus, which has a tie-up with IAF for trainee aircraft, is looking to set up a manufacturing facility in India for its PC-12 nine-seat airliner, a top company official said. 

Iran's oil minister shrugged off the effects of sanctions on its oil industry today, claiming that a drop in crude exports was being made up for by international sales of gasoline and other refined products. 

A clear message from the Congress leadership against efforts to protect the scandal-tainted ruling clique in the BCCI and ally Sharad Pawar's entry into the battle have combined to throw a real challenge to N. Srinivasan's continuation. Read

BCCI president N Srinivasan is likely to announce the date of the governing body meet tomorrow.

... And Lalit Modi continues tweeting: "N Srinivasan along with leader of pop Arun Jaitley and Congress Minister Rajiv Shukla single handedly to blame for this cricket fiasco."

After an initial period of total silence, anyone who had anything to do with cricket/BCCI/IPL/ICC has been foisting their opinions whether asked or otherwise...

Former BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele today said that under-fire Board President N Srinivasan should be sacked from his post if he does not step down on his own in the wake of the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal.

"His (Srinivasan's) son-in-law is involved in betting. There was no one else's name. Why did the BCCI hide it? At that time only, the BCCI should have taken action against the Chennai Super Kings," said Lele.

"Now Mr Srinivasan has no excuse. He should be sacked if he doesn't go now," he added. Srinivasan is drawing flak from all quarters for not stepping down even as his son-in-law and CSK Team Principal Gurunath Meiyappan remains behind bars for alleged involvement in betting. Lele said along with Srinivasan, his franchise Chennai Super Kings should also be "removed".

An official of the anti-corruption unit of the highest governing body of international cricket had verbally asked Gurunath Meiyappan, son-in-law of BCCI president N Srinivasan, to steer clear of the bookies after the activities of the Chennai franchise honcho came to their notice, a top crime branch officer involved in the investigation said.

"Be careful, I have been warned," Meiyappan had told actor Vindoo Randhawa who is also under arrest in the case. This is part of Meiyappan's statement to the crime branch, the source said, adding Vindoo has corroborated it.

The source declined to reveal the name of the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) official and said they were yet to corroborate it with the ICC. "We are yet to corroborate Meiyappan's statement with ICC and we at the moment don't even know if any person by that name (given by Meiyappan) exists," he said.

BCCI president N Srinivasan reacts to the transcripts between his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan and Vindoo Dara Singh, which says that ICC officials had warned the BCCI that Meiyappan was involved with bookies. (See our 17:36 post)

Srinivasan said, "BCCI did not receive any warning from ICC on Gurunath. I have checked with BCCI officials, we have never received any warning."

BCCI Joint Secretary Anurag Thakur also says he has not received any information from the ICC. The ICC warning came immediately after IPL 6 began in April.

Former IPL chief Lalit Modi takes the high moral ground on the spot-fixing scandal. Modi who has been tweeting constantly on the issue, says today: If any 1 talks U R gagged. U R suspended. U R intimidated. U get govt 2 gun 4 U & mafia 2 gun 4 u. That's state of cricket 4 u

Acid attack victim Sonali Mukherjee may have won Rs 25 lakh on Kaun Banega Crorepati 6, but Jharkhand is yet to honour the job promise that former Chief Minister Arjun Munda had made to her. Bureaucratic hurdles have got in the way of Sonali getting a government job. Read more

Transcripts reveal Gurunath told Vindoo that the ICC anti-graft committe had given an oral warning to him for his dealings with bookies. The ICC has also sent a letter to BCCI president and secretary.

 Former BCCI president AC Muthiah tells CNN IBN that N Srinivasan must have known about the ICC warning about Gurunath Meiyappan , but he chose not to do anything .

Former captain Kris Srikanth says he is very shocked at what the transcripts say. "If it's true, why didn't the BCCI act on the warnings. Cricket needs to be cleaned up completely."

Former cricketer, Kirti Azad said that the BCCI should call for a general body meeting and then take a final decision, rather 'blowing smoke in the air'.Azad also said he feels ashamed of his association with BCCI.

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, on Friday said a Cabinet expansion of the Congress led UPA-II Government is under consideration. 

"There are some vacancies in the Cabinet. The issue of filling them up is being considered," Dr. Singh said on board his special aircraft Air India One while returning home after his successful two-nation visit to Japan and Thailand.

To a poser on whether the ruling Congress Party will reach out to the Left and Mamata Banerjee for UPA-III, Dr Singh said there are no permanent allies and no permanent enemies in politics.

"These possibilities, some people coming in, some people going out, I think they have to be accepted as they are," he added.

An asteroid is whizzing past Earth on Friday -- and it's traveling with its own moon in tow. 1998 QE2, as NASA has named it, will not come anywhere near enough to collide with our world. Read

A Delhi court dismisses the plea by DMK supremo M Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal seeking that she be dropped as a prosecution witness in the 2G spectrum case. The court summons Dayalu Ammal on July 8 to testify as witness in 2G case.

Meanwhile, read: There is a strong conservative streak beneath Mumbai's cosmopolitan surface and politicians know how to mine it. Read

First reactions from former cricketer Kirti Azad who says the transcripts are incriminating and asked for the resignation of the entire BCCI team. 

The transcripts show that Gurunath instructed Vindoo to lay bets on specific overs, players in other teams and the amount to be bet. It is believed that Gurunath placed bet between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore on IPL 6.  

CNN IBN which has transcripts of the conversation between Gurunath Meiyappan and Vindoo Dara Singh says that the ICC had warned the BCCI that Meiyappanwas involved with bookies. The transcripts also show Meiyappan telling Vindoo to be careful, saying, "ICC has warned BCCI about me."

The warning came before IPL6 began in April, but the BCCI chose to ignore the warnings. The CSK CEO also gave instructions on specific amounts to be placed on bet and about specific players. 

Both Meiyappan and Vindoo are in police custody till June 3.

Former Union Minister and Congress leader VC Shukla, who was injured in the Chhattisgarh Maoist attack, has shown further signs of improvement, but he is still critical and remains in ICU.

"He has shown further signs of improvement during the last 24 hours. He is still in ICU and remains critical. A team of multi-specialist doctors is taking care of him," A K Dubey, Medical Superintendent of Medanta Hospital told reporters today.

The 84-year-old veteran Congress leader was airlifted to Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon from Raipur on Sunday.

Maoists had ambushed a convoy of Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district on Saturday, killing 27 people including PCC chief Nand Kumar Patel, his son Dinesh, senior Congress leader Mahendra Karma and ex-MLA Uday Mudaliyar and injuring Shukla and 36 others.

Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Ajay Singh today rubbished state BJP president Narendra Singh Tomar's allegations that senior Congress leader Ajit Jogi was apparently behind the deadly Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh.

"I do not think that Jogi was involved in the attack in any way and instead of blaming him, Tomar should talk about the lapses made by the Chhattisgarh government which led to the attack," he told reporters.

Ajay said that a few days before the attack, Chief Minister Raman Singh had carried out a Vikas Yatra at the same place where the attack occured and over 3,000 police personnel were deployed but no such arrangement was made for the Congress rally, which was ambushed by Naxals in Bastar on May 25, killing 27 people including senior leaders Nand Kumar Patel and Mahendra Karma. Tomar had yesterday said that Jogi was apparently the part of the conspiracy regarding the Naxal attack on the Congress' convoy.

"The way Jogi was crying while reacting to the Naxal attack, it was apparent that he has a hand in the conspiracy," Tomar said at the BJP state executive meeting at Gwalior district in Madhya Pradesh.

Home minister Sushilkumar Shinde addressing a press meet in Raipur after meeting the victims and families of the victims of the Naxal attack on May 25. He said there was a primary failure in intelligence but unless there is a formal inquiry, it was not right to make statements.

"I had not returned to India as I had a doctor's appointment," he said on questions on his absence in the wake of the attacks.  "There will be special teams, teams like the Greyhounds to work on left wing terrorism. I have also ordered a judicial inquiry on the attack," he said. 

Emphasising its commitment to develop telecom infrastructure in naxal affected areas, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal today said the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has already cleared a proposal to set up 2,199 mobile towers in such zones.

"We are committed to develop the infrastructure in naxal affected areas...DoT has cleared the proposal and it will now be sent to Cabinet," Minister of Communications and IT Kapil Sibal said.

The Telecom Ministry has expeditiously cleared the three-year old proposal entailing Rs 3,046.12 crore amid the recent killings of 27 people, including senior Congress leaders, in Chattisgarh by Maoists.

Have 70 years of nuclear policy in Japan been based on a lie? Read

Few had expected India and Japan to sign a deal on civil nuclear co-operation during Manmohan Singh's just-concluded visit to Tokyo. But the joint statement issued after Mr Singh's meeting with Shinzo Abe is enough evidence that both sides are keener on the deal than before. Read the editorial on the Telegraph here.

Aruna Roy's decision to terminate her relationship with the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council has returned the spotlight to the ideological divide within the ruling establishment on welfare spending. Read

Manmohan Singh's visit to Japan holds out the hope that the two countries have turned the corner of a somewhat under-performing relationship. An agreement towards a civilian nuclear deal still looks some distance away. Read

The new Chinese leadership wants to reach out to India and New Delhi should make the most of the opportunity to move forward on the strategic and economic fronts. Read

Images obtained by Sky News show the room where Reeva Steenkamp was fatally shot. The images are disturbing. See

Here's a look at the Oscar Pistorius-Reeva Steenkamp story

A day after threatening to resign as the BCCI Treasurer over N Srinivasan's stance on Gurunath Meiyappan, Ajay Shirke today refused to deliberate further on the raging controversy and the demand for resignation of the Cricket Board President.

"I have spoken to the media at great length over the last two days and I had made my stand very clear. I think I have no further appearances to make to the media. I have clarified my position and all that has been said. I don't need to make any further clarification. Whatever I have said is very abundantly clear and known to public at large," he said.

Slamming Srinivasan for not calling a meeting of the Board to discuss his son-in-law Meiyappan's arrest on betting charges, Shirke had yesterday announced that he was mulling quitting from his post on the issue.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said he would like to "pre-judge" whether Congress will extend support to former UPA ally DMK's candidate for Rajya Sabha in Tamil Nadu.

"I can't say on behalf of the Congress High Command. These are matters which are discussed at the highest level in our party. It will not be proper for me to pre-judge what stand the Congress party will take," he told reporters on his way back from Japan and Thailand.

He was asked whether Congress would support if DMK approaches you its support from five party MLAs contingent for the Rajya Sabha seat. DMK has 23 members in Tamil Nadu Assembly and on its own it cannot ensure the victory of its candidate.

Two more people drop out of the National Advisory Council. Mihir Shah and Ashish Mondol relinquished their charges as Members of the NAC today. It was conveyed to Rita Sharma, Secretary NAC today. Their term ends today and they have requested that they be relieved of their responsibilities.

It may be recalled that civil society activist Aruna Roy, who quit the National Advisory Council two days ago, had expressed dissatisfaction with the way the body was run. "There has been a clear lack of political will (in taking up social welfare legislations) and disarray in Parliament, not only on the part of the government but also other political parties," she had said.

Her decision reflects the growing disillusionment of civil society leaders with the government after having helped shape Congress's social welfare agenda.

It's weekend in police custody for Gurunath Meiyappan and Vindoo Dara Singh. Their custody with the Mumbai police has been extended till June 3.

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had asked finance minister P Chidambaram to assume temporary charge as Union Minister for Home Affairs before he left for Japan and Thailand. The PM's order was to assume charge till the evening of May 30 or till such time home minister Sushilkumar Shinde resumes duty.

So, Chidambaram called for the files from the home ministry and acted on the Maoist attack on Congress leaders. He also briefed Shinde last evening about the Maoists attack and faxed a letter to Bangkok -- to the temporary office of the PMO - to inform about Shinde's return to North Block.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's dictum to party leaders connected with cricket associations or in the BCCI, is to relinquish their responsibility at the earliest. This was communicated to six senior Congress leaders of which three are union ministers.

This mandate comes after the media reported that BCCI chief N Srinivasan had reportedly said that if his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was to be jailed, the same rule should be applied to Robert Vadra, who is Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law. 

Rahul Gandhi told Sports Minister Jitendra Singh that the continuance of Congress leaders in the BCCI is unacceptable and they should be alerted to distance themselves from betting, match/spot fixing controversies.  

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also said there was no difference of
opinion between him and Sonia Gandhi. "We work together on almost all issues," says the PM dismissing perception of rift between the two leaders.

He said inflation would come down in coming months. He slammed the opposition for adopting obstructionist role in Parliament. "There are no permanent allies and no permanent enemies in politics," said Dr Singh on whether the Congress would reach out to the Left and Mamata Banerjee for UPA-III. 

PM Dr Manmohan Singh arrives in New Delhi after bilateral visits to Japan and Thailand. Speaking to the media, the PM said his trip was a success, reports Vipin Vijayan. Speaking briefly on the IPL scandal, he said, "I hope politics and cricket are kept separate. My biggest regret is the obstructive attitude of the opposition. I hope to further India's look-east agenda," he said.

Another development on the spot-fixing scandal is that IPL CEO Sundar Raman has filed an official complaint against India Cements, Gurunath Meiyappan and Rajasthan Royals. The three-member committee set up by the BCCI to probe the spot-fixing scandal will also probe this complaint. He filed the complaint on May 28.

Sachin Tendulkar finally breaks his silence on the spot-fixing scandal. He said today that the developments in the last two weeks have been shocking and disappointing. "It hurts me when cricket is in the news for the wrong reasons," he said.

For Arunima Sinha, the first female amputee to get to the top of Everest, climbing up the world's highest mountain was not as much of a struggle as getting down. Read

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde is expected to visit Chhattisgarh on Friday, days after Maoists wiped out most of the top state Congress leadership in Bastar District in an ambush.

On Thursday, Shinde condemned the Maoist attack in which 28 people, including two senior state Congress leaders, were killed.

Asked why he did not condemn the Maoist attack through a statement from the United States, Shinde said he did not feel the need for issuing any statement as he was in touch with officials of his ministry in the aftermath of the attack.

He said the government had information that the Maoists may try to target urban centres."There was specific information about Pune," Shinde said.

And Yo Yo Honey Singh makes it to stellar regions -- a story on the Foreign Policy review. Read 

CNN IBN reports that India has recorded a GDP growth of just 5 per cent in 2012-13, the lowest in 10 years. India's growth in the last quarter was 4.8 per cent.  

As investigations by different agencies into the Darbha massacre in Chhattisgarh gather momentum, it is now emerging that there may actually have been a last-minute change in the route of Congress cavalcade diverting it to Darbha Ghati where 28 people, including senior Congress leaders, were gunned down by Maoists in an ambush last Saturday. Read more

The South West Monsoon is likely to hit the Kerala coast by June 2, the Director of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday evening.

While the normal date for onset of monsoon in Kerala is June 1, last year the seasonal rainfall hit the state on June 5. In April, the weather office had forecast normal monsoon this year with overall rainfall expected to be 98 per cent of the long period average.

The monsoon had touched the Andaman Sea and parts of Bay of Bengal on May 17, three day''s before the normal onset date

A 10 to 12-year-old boy wielding a wireless set diverted traffic away from the site where Maoists had planned their May 25 ambush, Congress leaders said. Congress and NSUI members who trailed the convoy told TOI that the child stood near a felled tree and asked incoming traffic to turn back. Read

In hilarious slip-ups in the Aadhaar card enrolment process, some cards have ended up with pictures of an empty chair, a tree or a dog instead of the actual applicants.

Asked about the cases, where data collected from applicants were not reflected on the cards, Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI) deputy director general Ashok Dalwaisaid no system was foolproof. "There have been some errors," he said. Read more

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today left for Delhi at the end of his two-day visit to Thailand, during which he signed an extradition treaty that can pave the way for bringing back a key aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.        

Three countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq have accounted for the majority of terrorist attacks, fatalities and injuries during 2012, an annual official US report of terrorism said.        

A top US lawmaker today urged the FBI to start tracking and quantifying hate crimes against various religious communities residing in the United States.        

A suspicious letter sent to US President Barack Obama is "similar" to two poisoned letters mailed to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg this week, US officials have said.