Greeks are hoarding cash and food amid mounting fears the economy could collapse, cracking open their wallets only to stock up on essentials and stripping supermarket shelves in the process. Mothers, elderly men and university students were spotted pushing heavily overloaded trolleys or coming out of shops weighed down by bags of food, with essentials such as sugar, flour and pasta top of the list.

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated President Barack Obama on Independence Day and expressed confidence that Russia and the United States can "find solutions" to international issues, the Kremlin said. In the message, Putin noted that while there are differences between Russia and the United States, "Russian-American relations remain the most important factor of international stability and security."

Hours after Akshay Singh, a Delhi-based journalist, died in Madhya Pradesh, investigating the Vyapam scam, Dr Ashok Bachani has said that the autopsy report did not show any foul play in Singh's death. The medical officer at Dahod civil hospital where Singh's body was brought said, "No external wounds were found on the body. To determine the reason behind death we have sent viscera for histopathology and forensic analysis. 

The defending champion and seeded number 2 at Wimbledon, Petra Kvitova has been dumped out of the tournament by Serbian Jelena Jankovic in the third round match. The 28 seed won 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. Jankovic will now play the 13th seed Agnieszka Radwanska. 

Aside from listening in on Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's phone calls, US spies also targeted top political and financial officials, according to new information released by WikiLeaks. The whistle-blowing website published a National Security Agency list of 29 Brazilian government phone numbers that the American spy group monitored.  "The publication proves that not only President Dilma Rousseff was targeted but also her assistant, her secretary, her chief of staff, her palace office and even the phone in her presidential jet," WikiLeaks said

A day after calls by some AAP MLAs for a hike in their allowances, the Arvind Kejriwal-led party appeared divided over the matter. Sanjay Singh, a senior AAP leader and member of its Political Affairs Committee -- the party's top decision-making body -- said it was not proper to demand a hike when distressed farmers were committing suicide in the country.   

Heightened security measures across New York are in place in response to a call for vigilance by the federal government. The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have issued an alert calling for local authorities and the public to remain vigilant for possible threats following recent calls for violence by Islamic State militants. In New York City, the nation's largest municipal police force assigned about 7,000 officers and nearly all its counterterrorism personnel to handle security around Independence Day events.

Tunisia's president has declared a state of emergency, a week after the terrorist attack in Sousse which killed 38 foreign tourists - most of them Britons. It was not immediately clear why he made the declaration now - whether it was in response to a specific threat, or just on the recommendation of his advisors. A state of emergency temporarily gives the government more flexibility and the army and police more authority, and restricts the right of public assembly.

In a bid to strengthen the party and improve its poll prospects, BJP president Amit Shah has made some fresh appointments, with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and general secretary Ram Madhav as election in-charges for Assam elections due in June 2016. Ram Madhav has also been assigned the task of coordinationwith Jammu and Kashmir government, where BJP shares power with PDP.

Who's this smartly blazered lady? It's Aseel Shaheen, a line judge who is one of around 350 men and women officiating at Wimbledon this year. The 41-year-old is the first Arab women in history to officiate at Wimbledon. The majority of umpires and line judges at the Championships are British, but around 60 are invited to take part from overseas. Shaheen is from Kuwait and became an official after enrolling on a course in 2002.

Tunisian police have arrested the girlfriend of the Islamic State gunman who wreaked havoc on a Tunisian beach on June 26. It has also emerged that Seifeddine Rezgui, who slaughtered 38 innocent holidaymakers in the resort town of Sousse, was spotted on the same beach just two weeks before the heinous attack which ended in him being shot dead by the police. Detectives investigating his final hours have now arrested a female student who was thought to be romantically involved with the killer over fears she helped plan the massacre.

Telangana prison officials denied reports that jailed Indian Mujahideen operative Yasin Bhatkal had called his wife using a mobile phone from Cherlapalli jail. "The allegation that Yasin Bhatkal called his wife with a mobile phone from inside the Cherlapalli Prison is baseless, factless and there is no truth... it is a false allegation,' Telangana Prisons DIG A Narasimha said.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had to cancel his scheduled trip to his parliamentary constituency on June 28 due to heavy rainfall, is now likely to visit on July 16. During the visit, Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate a trauma centre at Banaras Hindu University and launch the Integrated Power Development scheme. Apart from this, the PM will lay foundation stone of a ring road project, give nod for four laning of a road and also address a rally

A journalist working for a leading Delhi-based news channel on Saturday suddenly took ill and died after having interviewed parents of a girl who had been found dead near railway tracks after her name figured in the infamous Vyapam scam of Madhya Pradesh. The incident took place in Meghnagar near Jhabua town. Akshay Singh, who worked for TV Today group, after an interview started frothing at the mouth. He was rushed to civil hospital and later to a private hospital, but doctors failed to revive him. From there he was taken to another hospital in nearby Dahod in Gujarat, where he was declared brought dead.

The home ministry denied there was any threat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from right-wing elements in the wake of such reports in a section of media. The sources said the reports are baseless and unfounded and that no new security risk has been added for the PM. There was no report of any threat posed from right-wing elements, they said. It was reported recently that a new security dossier, prepared by Delhi Police ahead of the International Yoga Day event, lists a threat from right-wing fundamentalists because of Modi's attempts to woo the Muslim community.

In the 65 years since the Constitution came into effect, the republic has put down deep democratic roots. In the 40 years since the 1975 internal Emergency, public support for the ideals of the republic has significantly increased and the risk of the republic suffering a crippling attack has greatly reduced. 

The state of Gujarat has extended its ban on Nestle's Maggi noodles for another month as the company failed to produce safety standard reports. On June 4, the state had banned the 2-minute noodle after samples had failed tests. Of the 39 samples, 29 were detected with objectionable levels of metallic lead, among other things. 

The UK's royal family is gearing up for the christening of their newest member Princess Charlotte tomorrow where the two-month-old child of Prince William and his wife Kate will make her second public appearance. 

A complaint has been filed against External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhre Raje and former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi in a district court in Bihar. The complaint was lodged under IPC sections 120, 124 and Information Technology Act 2000. Referring to media reports, the complainant alleged that Lalit Modi through Twitter has tried to destabilise the country by dropping names of one leader after another in connection with some wrong practice.

The Congress launched a fresh attack on the BJP, demanding Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh's resignation for alleged involvement in a Rs 36,000-crore scam in a scheme for supplying rice through the public distribution system. 

Nationalist Congress Party supremo and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Sharad Pawar claimed that although senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani had given a proposition regarding the surrender of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's but it was 'conditional'.

"Ram Jethmalani gave a proposition thats true, but it was conditional. Condition was that after Dawood comes to Bombay; he will not be arrested but permitted to stay at home. How could we accept that? For a man who had so many cases against him, law had to take its course," Pawar told the media.

Read: 'Dawood offered to surrender'

The much-awaited civil services exam results were declared today with four women bagging the top ranks.

"Congratulations to all those who successfully cleared the Civil Services Exam & my best wishes as you begin the journey to serve the nation," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted. "To those who didn't clear the exam- such moments are a part of life. This must not deter you from your future endeavours. My best wishes." 

Amid a raging controversy over the alleged molestation at St Stephen's College, HRD Ministry today asked University Grants Commission to take "appropriate measure" to ensure the institute's internal complaints committee completes the inquiry "expeditiously" and "impartially".   

"Given the fact that the complainant has expressed apprehensions regarding the impartiality of the ICC, the ministry has asked UGC take appropriate measure to ensure that the committee completes the required inquiry expeditiously and impartially," sources in the ministry said.   

The ministry had earlier instructed the college to expedite the probe.The complainant in connection with the alleged molestation case involving her professor at St Stephen's college, has refused to appear before the ICC so far, saying she is"seeking redress elsewhere".   

"I would like to make it abundantly clear that I have withdrawn my complaint from your committee and do not wish to pursue the matter before it as I am seeking redress elsewhere. Given the present situation of my withdrawal, the need for my appearance before the committee does not arise," she said in an email to the ICC chairman.   

The research scholar had approached police on June 19 alleging that she was molested by Satish Kumar, an assistant professor in college's chemistry department. She had also accused college Principal Valson Thampu of "shielding" the accused when the matter was reported to the ICC.

Anant Vikram Singh, son of Rajya Sabha member and Congress leader Sanjay Singh was arrested today in connection with a murder case of a constable here, police said today.

Vijay Kumar Mishra, a constable was killed in September last year over a property dispute related to the ownership of Bhupati Bhawan, which is also the crime scene, Superintendent of Police Heera Lal said.

In this connection, an FIR was registered against hundreds of persons including, Anant, he said. Anant was arrested from the Bhawan, whose ownership of which is being claimed by several people of the Amethi's royal family. A local court had also issued a non-bailable warrant against him, the SP said.

Just in: A speeding truck ran over a group of children in Muzzafarnagar leaving two dead and three injured.

Protesting villagers clashed with police and pelted stones as they blocked the Delhi-Dehradun Highway.

The incident occurred when the five children were going to school and a speeding truck hit them from behind near Chaparral village. 

The government has decided to give cabinet minister's rank to the Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog Arvind Panagariya.

"Arvind Panagariya has been given cabinet minister rank by the government and the other two members would be given the rank of minister of state," a source said.

The post of Niti Aayog vice-chairman has cabinet minister rank as per warrant of precedence. However, the pay and allowances of the vice-chairman has been fixed at the cabinet secretary's level.

The other two members, Bibek Debroy and V K Saraswat, have the status of minister of state but they are getting salary of a secretary of central government. The source said that Panagariya will also be invited for cabinet meetings and a separate order will be issued for that.

NITI Aayog was set up on January 1 by a cabinet resolution to replace the erstwhile Planning Commission. The new order of the government will override the resolution for elevating the status and salary of the vice-chairman and members of Aayog.

Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of the erstwhile Planning Commission, had cabinet rank.

Aditya Sinha on how he got the former R&AW chief A S chief to open up.

Read the full column here   

Looking back, the most thoughtful part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Sri Lanka in March might have been his meeting with former president Mahinda Rajapaksa in Colombo. It was a brief meeting, but was highly symbolic, and was probably hastily arranged as an afterthought, since it took place on the premises of the Indian High Commissioner's residence in Colombo and was Modi's "last of 40 plus engagements'.

Apparently, it didn't deter Modi that Rajapaksa had alleged in an interview with the South China Morning Post that the American and Indian diplomats in Colombo worked to depose him from power; arguably, it spurred Modi to reach out to Rajapaksa, politician-to-politician, one-on-one, says M K Bhadrakumar in his blog.

Read the complete blog here

Just in: The results of the prestigious civil services examination, to select IAS and IPS officers, among others, have been announced. The results have been dominated by women as they sweep the top four positions.  

Ira Singhal, Renu Raj, Nidhi Gupta and Vandana Roa are the first four toppers, The Times of India reported.

Check the results here

It is the first time that the Union Public Service Commission declared the final results within four days of the closing date for the personality tests or interviews, a senior official said.

Senior advocate Ram Jethmalani today said that he spoke to underworld don and one of India's most wanted terrorists Dawood Ibrahim in the 1990s and he offered to return and was ready to face the trial.

Jethmalani said Dawood told him that he was not involved in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts and was willing to return to India to face trial but feared threat to his life, CNN IBN reports. Jethmalani added that he had kept the then Maharashtra chief minister Sharad Pawar in the loop.

Jethmalani comments came after a Dawood's close aide Chotta Shakeel told The Times of India that the government has turned down their proposal to return to the country. The report said Shakeel had contacted Jethmalani, however, the lawyer claimed that he had spoken to Dawood.  

Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay on Saturday alleged that the demands put forward by the Aam Aadmi Party leaders with regards to the hike in salary has exposed the two-faced nature their policies.

"The kind of demand that has been put forward by the MLAs for salary hike, I would like to say that no MLA from any party has ever demanded a salary hike. When the AAP was formed under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal, they created an atmosphere wherein they claimed to bring a different kind of governance in Delhi. They claimed to never support the VIP culture or use cars and bungalows or any kind of perks because they are 'common' people," Upadhyay told ANI.

Upadhyay rejected the allegations made against the opposition of misusing public money in the state.

Tamil Nadu Chief minister J Jayalalithaa took oath as member of legislative assembly, a few days after she was declared elected in a bypoll to R K Nagar constituency in north Chennai.

As per constitutional norms, the AIADMK leader, who was sworn in as chief minister on May 23 after an acquittal in a corruption case, should be elected MLA within six months, The Times of India reported.

Jayalalithaa won the June 27 by-election with a massive margin of 1.5 lakh votes. Her nearest rival and CPI candidate C Mahendran polled 9,710 votes and lost his deposit along with 26 independent contestants.  

Collision between a truck and a goods train left one dead and three injured in Purulia district of West Bengal. According to reports, around ten bogies were derailed.

Details awaited.

Indian Mujahideen founder Yasin Bhatkal, who was lodged in the Hyderabad prison, made a phone call to his wife saying that he would be a free man soon with help from Damascus, reported The Times of India.

This has triggered fears of Bhatkal getting support from Islamic State which is in control of a large part of Syria's capital.

The conversation has sent security officials in a tizzy. The security at the Hyderabad jail has been beefed up and they are looking for alternative places where Bhatkal can be kept impassioned, the report said.   

His fans may be waiting for years to see Bollywood superstar Salman Khan tie the knot but the popular actor is in no mood to get married anytime soon though he strongly believes in love.

Salman always comes up with a playful answer everytime the marriage question is asked. He recently said that he was open to the idea of arrange marriage but when asked last night about what qualities does he look for in a girl, the actor quipped, "Marriage is cancelled now... love is back."

The 49-year-old actor's love life has always made headlines right from his alleged affair with Somi Ali to Sangeeta Bijlani to Aishwarya Rai to Katrina Kaif.

Salman was speaking at the launch of a song, "Aaj ki party" from his upcoming film "Bajrangi Bhaijaan". Directed by Kabir Khan, the film, Salman's home production, also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in pivotal roles.

Days after launching the Digital India initiative, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted this morning "You, me & a #DigitalDialogue! Would love to hear your thoughts, insights & views on #DigitalIndia initiative. Come, let us talk digital."

"The overwhelming response along with a lot of insights & inputs on #DigitalIndia initiative has inspired me to have a #DigitalDialogue," he added.

"Inviting tech enthusiasts to share their views using #DigitalDialogue. Will try to answer some questions tomorrow."

India is reinvigorating an $18 billion campaign to provide fast internet connections for all, with a "digital week" aimed at popularising Modi's campaign promise to connect 250,000 villages in India by 2019. The government's tech push, which plans to provide electronic governance and universal phone connectivity across the country, aims to bridge India's digital divide, bringing in large investments in technology manufacturing.

 

Actor and BJP MP Hema Malini is discharged from Fortis Hospital in Jaipur.

The 66-year-old underwent a surgery after her Mercedes rammed into a car killing a four-year-old girl on Thursday night.  Hema Malini was doing fine, doctors attending to her said. She was also treated for a minor fracture on her nose.

"My mother is now much better and we hope to take her home very soon," said Hema Malini's daughter Esha Deol. "Mom's condition was not stable. That's why she did not enquire about the injured family," she clarified. 

Ramesh Chand Thakur, who was driving Hema Malini's car when it met with the accident in Dausa, 60 km from Jaipur, has been arrested at Kotwali Thana in Dausa.

The civil aviation ministry said last night that it has given a clean chit to Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju in the Air India flight controversy and the Prime Minister's Office has been apprised about it.

The ministry has informed the PMO that Mr Rijiju was not at "fault" for the delay in Air India's Leh-Delhi flight on June 24, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma told PTI.

The PMO had yesterday sought a report from the aviation ministry on allegations that Union Minister Kiren Rijiju had caused inconvenience to passengers of Air India owing to his VIP status.

Air India flight from Leh to Delhi was delayed by about an hour and three members of a family were offloaded from the plane to accommodate Rijiju, his aide and J&K Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh.

Here comes yet another tweet bomb from former Indian Premier League boss Lalit Modi and this time the target is Rahul Gandhi.

"My Q to #rahulgandhi and #robertvadra did you ever receive any hospitality from @lalitkmodi - and did u declare it to @INCIndia," he tweeted around eight hours ago.

"Let's wait for #RahulGandhi and #robertvadra to answer my Q. Clarification to this #awkward Q," he added.

Earlier, this week LaMo tweeted that he had met Rahul's estranged cousin and BJP MP Varun Gandhi who offered to "settle matters" with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. He had also claimed to have meet Priyanka Gandhi and her husband Robert Vadra in London.   

UNHRC adopts resolution on Palestine, India abstains