A top rebel chief in east Ukraine today called for a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds after admitting government forces had surrounded the main insurgent stronghold of Donetsk. 

Russia today denied that it had attempted to send troops across the border under the guise of a humanitarian mission, and pledged it would not make such a unilateral intervention. 

Eight people were killed in continuing clashes today between supporters of influential Pakistani cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri and security forces with over 1,000 injured across Punjab province, the Canada-based religious leader's party claimed. 

President Barack Obama on Saturday proposed a broader long-term strategy to confront Islamic militants in Iraq, who have surprised U.S. intelligence with the fast pace of their approach on the Kurdish capital of Irbil.

Yesterday, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) went public with explosive claims regarding the 17 July shootdown of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 near Donetsk. 

Malaysia said it remains committed to locating Flight MH370 and will hold a tripartie meeting with China and Australia to extend search operation for the ill-fated plane that went missing five months ago. 

Fears mounted today in Ukraine of a possible Russian invasion in the guise of a "humanitarian" mission to the conflict-torn east where Kiev said another 13 of its troops died in fighting with pro-Moscow rebels. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Jaswant Singh at Army hospital. 

Two Gulf-based airlines today announced that they have re-routed flights over Iraq because of the deteriorating security situation there, even as Turkish Airlines said it has resumed flights to the northern Iraqi city of Irbil. 

Seeking to draw parallels between India and the US, American Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel today said there are few places in the world other than the two democratic countries where a tea-seller's son can become the Prime Minister or a Kenyan's child can become the President.

The Kolkata-bound Jammu Tawi Express had a narrow escape from a landslide today after timely detection by a pilot engine motorman between Gaya and Koderma stations in Bihar, just minutes before the train was about to cross that stretch, Railway sources said. 

An Egyptian court today ordered the dissolution of the Freedom and Justice Party, the political wing of the already banned Muslim Brotherhood movement, in yet another crushing blow to Islamists after the ouster of president Mohammed Morsi last year. 

Two days after Rahul Gandhi stormed the Well in Lok Sabha over "rising" communal violence, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today applauded his "political transformation" and said it is good sign for the Congress in these "difficult" times. 

Japan's weather agency today issued its highest alert as Typhoon Halong barrelled towards the southwest of the country, warning of heavy rain and strong winds from a storm that has grounded more than 470 flights. 

Just in: Poll dates for elections in four states is likely to be announced by August 20. The Election Commission has drawn a draft schedule to hold a discussion on assembly polls on Monday in its full bench meeting.

Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana are expected to go to polls later this year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the BJP's national council amid chants of 'Bharat mata ki jay.' The PM  receives a standing ovation as he begins his speech.

Modi begins wishing the nation on the eve of Raksha Bandhan.

"Rajnath Singh was the captain of the team that won the elections and Amit Shah was the man of the match," said Modi. "If Shah was not in the national team of the party, the nation would not be aware of his capabilities. I have known him very closely and I am confident that he excel in his role as the party chief." 

"There has been a lot of buzz over the WTO issue. We need not worry when the world criticises if we are looking a betterment of the poor," Modi says.

"I am not afraid of bad press on WTO. We won't snatch food from the poor," We choose feeding the poor over publicity. India will not compromise on farmers' interest," he adds.   

India has received a lot of flak for blocking the WTO agreement. India withheld its approval of a pact designed to streamline customs procedures that some economists estimated would save the world economy more than $1 trillion.

"Let us concentrate on 'rashtraniti' and let people take note that these are BJP members who are working without any elections around the corner. Each year, let us have one social focus. We will go to every home and every village. We will make sure that every home has a toilet. This is that work which is not 'sarkari'," the PM says at the national council.

"Let us take up issues like water conservation, girl education," he says.      

"The BJP should have 100 to 200 PMs in every poll booth. PM means primary member," says Modi amid laughter. "The party should expand vertically and horizontally and the BJP party man should make progress."       

"After forming the new government, the world has changed the way it looks at India, it deals with India. If our vision is clear we can take full advantage of this opportunity," he says.

PM Narendra Modi thanks all party workers for the BJP victory. "After a big win, we will live up to people's expectations."

"Political pundits had a tough time ahead of polls. They wondered if people knew of Modiji outside Gujarat," he says. 

He assures Advani that his advise will be implemented.

"In the polls, the janata has fulfilled its duties, now it is our turn."

"I am new to Delhi. I am not aware of the Parliament premises or the roads of Delhi. But people's verdict has given me confidence."

"A lot of time has gone in clean up and to change the world culture. in 60 days that I have been in power there has been a lot of change. But those who could not usher in change in 60 years are now asking for an account. But I want to assure the nation that we are moving in the right direction. This I say after my 60-day experience."         

"The BJP is a party with a difference and is not hungry for power. The 2014 election victory is outstanding. It is true that the BJP win is historic and verdict in Uttar Pradesh is phenomenal," said L K Advani at the BJP national council.        

Addressing the the national council, BJP patriarch L K Advani said, "It is for the first time I have seen such an organised session. I am pleased to see that literature on government's roadmap being shared among members."

"I had requested Amit Shah that it is the PM who must speak and not I. But he insisted that I should give a speech and I could not disobey our new chief," said Advani amid claps and laughter.             

The Congress has opposed an appeal filed by a Sikh group that challenged dismissal of the 1984 rights violation case against it, saying the group does not represent the victims and United States courts cannot rule on cases involving an incident that took place in India 30 years ago.

Indian-American attorney Ravi Batra, on behalf of the Congress party, filed opposition yesterday in federal court to the appeal by the Sikh for Justice.

The SFJ had in May challenged the dismissal of the 1984 rights violation case against the Congress party saying that the case "concerns" the US and it has "institutional standing" to seek judgment on behalf of the Sikh community.

Batra said US federal judge Robert Sweet was right to dismiss SFJ's case in April since the rights group is no victim and neither does it represents the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He argued that US courts must "honour India's sovereignty in a matter that arose 30 years ago in India by and between Indians," and so it must be dealt with in India alone.

Former Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jaswant Singh continues to be on life support systems after he was operated upon for a head injury at the Army Research and Referral Hospital in New Delhi after he had a fall at his residence.

He is under constant monitoring by a team of neurosurgeons and critical care experts at the hospital, an update on his condition issued by the defence ministry said. 

It said the former Union minister's vital parameters are stable but he continues to be in coma.

There is anger and dismay among the top brass of the Indian Navy against what is being seen as blatant favouritism in the naval headquarters, reports Nitin Gokhale for NDTV.

The navy HQ has bent its rules to facilitate the promotion of a key aide to the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Robin K Dhowan, allege some officials.

A circular issued a couple of months after Admiral Dhowan took over as the chief of the Indian Navy allows his long-serving Staff Officer Commander Satpal Singh to be promoted to the rank of captain without having served the mandatory time at sea.

In other words, the officer would be able to attain the rank of a captain without having had the experience of commanding a front line ship.

Image: Naval chief Admiral Robin K Dhowan

Read the full report here

Taking on the Congress, Amit Shah said, "The 2014 victory is a mandate against dynasty politics. The 130-yr-old Congress was not able to open its account in 14 states in this election. The Congress cannot even get a Leader of Opposition post; this is not a small change." 

Just days after a Sikh man was hitand dragged by a truck, another Sikh man and his mother were attacked in New York by a group of teenagers who called them 'Osama Bin Laden' in an apparent hate crime, sparking fresh outrage among the community members.   

The Sikh man, a physician scientist, said in a statement that he and his mother were attacked in a Queens neighbourhood on the night of August 7.  He said that in accordance with Sikh religious beliefs,both he and his mother wear turbans and maintain uncut hair.   

They were confronted by about 10 teenagers who calledt them "Osama bin Laden and told us to go back to your country."  The teenagers also used derogatory language against the man's mother and made fun of her facial hair.  

The Sikh man told them to stop, but the teenagers surrounded him and punched him in the face and neck. They also tried to throw a bottle at the Sikh man and then fled.

The United States military today conducted a second airdrop of large quantity of food and water for thousands of refugees trapped on Iraq's Sinjar mountain after fleeing the rampaging militants of the Islamic State.

Conducted from multiple airbases in the region, the airdrop was done by one C-17 and two C-130 cargo aircraft that together dropped a total of 72 bundles of supplies.

The cargo aircraft were escorted by two F/A-18s from the USS George H W Bush, the Pentagon said. The C-17 dropped 40 container delivery system bundles of meals ready to eat and was complemented by a C-130 loaded with an additional 16 bundles totaling 28,224 meals.

In addition, one C-130 dropped 16 bundles totaling 1,522 gallons of fresh drinking water, the statement said.

Amit Shah called on party men to ensure the BJP's victory in the four state elections --  Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana. He emphasised on the need for a victory in Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir.

"We have been in power for 75 days, the Congress has left us with a lot of problems. We need to strengthen the party's organisation, otherwise we cannot stay in power for long. Modi government has laid down a roadmap to strengthen the nation."   

After formally taking charge as the BJP chief, Amit Shah said, "The nation has elected Modi to tackle inflation and bad governance. Modi and Rajnath Singh have led the party to victory in the polls."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's aide Amit Shah takes charge of the chief of the BJP. Addressing the national council meet he said, "I thank all of you for showing faith in me."

"I began my career as a humble party worker. The BJP is the only party that gives opportunity to ordinary party men. My elevation is the victory of every party worker."

"BJP is moving ahead as a party that represents the interest of the poor. None of our leaders have come from dynasties. Rajnath Singh and Narendra Modi let us to victory in the polls."       

At the national council meet of the BJP, Rajnath Singh hands over the party baton to the new chief Amit Shah.  

Top BJP leaders from across the country are currently holding a meet at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

"I am handing over the party president's post to Amit Shah. He is ideal for the top job. His devotion to the party cannot be question. He is the only person who could deliver a victory for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh," said Rajnath.  

"The credit for BJP's goes to party workers and our PM. BJP is the only non-Congress party to get a clearly majority. It has become India's largest party," he added. 

The session will conclude with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address.

The American military operation in parts of Iraq against the Islamic State terrorists is "limited in scope and duration", US President Barack Obama has informed the Congress.

In a letter to John Boehner, speaker of the US House of Representatives, on War Powers Resolution regarding Iraq, Obama said he has authorised the armed forces to conduct targeted airstrikes in Iraq.

"These military operations will be limited in their scope and duration as necessary to protect American personnel in Iraq by stopping the current advance on Erbil by the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and the Syria and to help forces in Iraq as they fight to break the siege of Mount Sinjar and protect the civilians trapped there," he said.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi comments on communal violence have sparked a ward of words. "Communal riots in Uttar Pradesh are incited deliberately," Rahul said yesterday.

In comments made to a newspaper, the Congress leader said that the communal clashes in the state, ruled by the Samajwadi Party, were part of a deliberate strategy to "divide the poor and pit brother against brother".

The Bharatiya Janata Party slammed Gandhi scion today saying, "Rahul should introspect and decide the direction of his party."   

BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, "He should stop using his secularism formula. "People have rejected them (Congress) and he is still not able to understand," he added.
   

Top BJP leaders from across the country will meet in New Delhi today for a day-long meeting of the party's national council to ratify the appointment of party President Amit Shah.

The session, to be held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, will start with Mr Shah's ratification as the new party chief and conclude with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address.

The national council will also adopt a political resolution that will focus on the political and economic issues as well as the initiatives taken by the BJP-led NDA government and its roadmap ahead.

Pakistani troops have targeted Indian forward posts with small arms and automatic weapons along the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting Indian forces to retaliate.

"Pakistani troops opened unprovoked firing from small arms and automatic weapons at our forward posts in Bhimbher Gali sub-sector in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir around 22.30 hours yesterday," PRO Defence Lt Col Manish Mehta said.

The Indian Army troops took positions and responded with equal caliber weapons to Pakistan's firing which resulted in intermittent exchanges of fire, he said. "There was no loss of life or damage to property in the firing on this side of LoC," Lt Col Mehta said.

It was second ceasefire violation by Pakistan this month.

United States fighter jets and drones repeatedly bombed Sunni Islamic extremists in northern Iraq, targeting what officials described as ISIS artillery units and convoys advancing on the Kurdish regional capital of Irbil.

The airstrikes ramped up America's involvement in Iraq where ISIS, which calls itself the Islamic State, is seizing control of towns and key infrastructure in an advance that has forced hundreds of thousands to run for their lives, reports CNN. 

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