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Mon, 06 July 2015
'Visit of 5 Central Asian nations is start of a new journey' Modi says in Uzbek

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23:40   Darjeeling landslides: Toll reaches 41, rescue operations continue
One more person was found dead in the landslide-battered Darjeeling district, taking the toll to 41.

The body of Ramesh Rai (26) was retrieved from under rubble in the 8 Mile area of Kalimpong by NDRF and Civil Defence volunteers yesterday, district Disaster Cell Officer-in-charge Gopal Rai said.

Meanwhile, preliminary repair work was going on along those parts of the three national highways where damage by landslides was comparatively light, according to Public Works Department sources.

For major damages, tenders have to be floated according to PWD rules, they said. 
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22:57   Prez inaugurates 'Nakshatra Vatika'
President Pranab Mukherjee today inaugurated a 'Nakshatra Vatika' in the gardens of Rashtrapati Nilayam here, one of the Presidential Retreats.

He took a round of the garden and watered a plant representing 'Surya' or the Sun God.

He was accompanied by Governor of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh E S L Narasimhan and Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mohammad Ali, an official release said.

The garden will be open to public along with other gardens of the Nilayam in the first week of January 2016.

The layout of 'Nakshatra Vatika' has been developed in various geometrical combinations corresponding to the Sree Chakra of Vedic astrology on a 0.91 acre plot.

In the core, the formation is square shaped and accommodates nine squares to represent the 'Navagrah' (planets), it said.

Each square is planted with a particular tree or plant variety that represents the respective planet and is placed as per the astronomical direction. The first inner circular band is divided in 12 small circles at parts of 30 each corresponding to the 12 Rashi (zodiac sign). Each has a plant that represents the particular zodiac sign.

The outer circular band consists of 27 parts of 13- 20 each with small circles which represents each a Nakshatra (Stars), planted with a representative tree or plant of that particular star.
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22:49   'Visit of 5 Central Asian nations is start of a new journey' Modi says in Uzbek
Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is on an eight-day visit to five Central Asian countries and Russia, today arrived in Uzbekistan marking the start of his visit.

During his banquet speech Modi commented upon how his visit to the five great nations of Central Asia is the start of a new journey for an ancient relationship. 

He also thanked the Uzbek government for the permanent monument to former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Read the entire speech HERE.
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22:48   PM Modi greets Kazakh President on birthday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today greeted Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev on his 75th birthday, ahead of his visit to the Central Asian country tomorrow.

"Wishing President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan on his 75th birthday. I pray for his long life & good health," tweeted Modi.

Modi, who is Tashkent on the first leg of his eight-day visit to Central Asia and Russia, flies to the largest Kazakh city Almaty tomorrow for talks with Nazarbayev. 

He will travel to Russia on July 8.
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22:17   'Greece crisis unlikely to impact Indian economy'
The Greek crisis is unlikely to have any impact on the Indian economy since it has only negligible exposure to the troubled Mediterranean island, fund managers said here today.

"Despite what happened in Greece, the domestic market has not been affected since we have only negligible direct linkage with Greece," UTI MF Group President for Sales and Marketing Suraj Koeley told PTI.

"Going forward, it will depend on how other EU nations like Spain and Italy in particular, which are more indebted than Greece, react to these developments," he said.

Quantum Asset Management Company said that the Greek tragedy is not such a big event for the Indian economy, since most of its debt is owned by European governments. "The failure of Greece is not such a big event for the Indian economy, since most of its debt of 320 billion Euros is owned by other governments. However, the European Central Bank has ringfenced other EU members by stating that it would buy their bonds," Quantum AMC Fixed Income Head Murthy Nagarajan said.

"In the domestic context, the impact is not expected to be high since exposure is very low. However, the Greece issue would increase risk aversion towards emerging markets, which would affect capital flows to our markets in the short-term," Nagarajan said.
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22:15   Broccoli cream soup, lots of veggies for Modi at Uzbek banquet
After talks with Uzbek President Islam Karimov, Narendra Modi gets the first taste of Central Asia. At the banquet in honour of the PM, a special veterinarian menu was served.

Varaka with vegetables, samsa with spinach was served as snacks. Also on the menu was broccoli cream soup, steamed rice with veggies and biryani.

Yeh desh hai veer jawanon ka
, the famous patriotic song, was played at the dinner.

Photograph: @MEAIndia/Twitter           
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21:55   I have received no summons from ED, tweets Lalit Modi
Just in: The former IPL boss Lalit Modi has rubbished reports that he has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate.

"I have received no summons. They know where I live in london. Awaiting the same," he tweeted.

 
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21:15   'News of the World' journalist sentenced over hacking
The former features editor of Rupert Murdoch's now-defunct News of the World was today sentenced to four-month suspended jail for his part in a rampant phone-hacking scandal that sank the 168-year-old tabloid in 2011.

Jules Stenson had pleaded guilty in December 2014 to a conspiracy to hack phones and intercept voicemails. The 49-year-old is the ninth and final journalist from the erstwhile weekly to be convicted for phone hacking.

Justice Saunders also sentenced him to 200 hours of community service, a 5,000-pound fine for conspiring to hack phones, and ordered him to pay 18,000 pounds in legal costs. Stenson was charged with plotting to hack phones between January 1, 2003 and January 26, 2007.

The father-of-three broke down in the dock when he heard he would not be going to jail and thanked the judge before he left court. Outside, he apologised to the victims saying: "It was wrong and it should never have happened."

"It would be quite wrong for me to say that, as it has gone on so long and public interest is less, those convicted at the end of the series of trials should receive shorter sentences than those who were arrested earlier and sentenced in a blaze of publicity," Justice Saunders said.
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20:38   Pak parliamentary panel fails to approve Hindu marriage law
The minority Hindu community in Pakistan will have to wait more before they can register their marriages as the lawmakers today deferred till July 13 the final approval of the Islamic country's first Hindu marriage law.

The Hindus, who constitute 1.6 per cent of Pakistan's total population, have been struggling to get a specific marriage law since the country was founded in 1947. Hindu marriages can not be legalised or registered in Pakistan in absence of such a law. The National Assembly Standing Committee on Law, Justice and Human Rights headed by Chaudhry Muhammad Bashir Virk met here to discuss and finalise a set of laws to formalise and facilitate registration of Hindu marriages.

An official said that the committee deferred the approval till July 13 when it is expected to approve a final draft of 'The Hindu Marriage Bill, 2015' and 'The Hindu Marriage Bill, 2014'.

The 2014 bill was jointly presented in the parliament last year by Ramesh Lal of opposition Pakistan People's Party and Dr Darshan of ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

A separate but similar government law known as 'The Hindu Marriage Bill, 2015' had been tabled in the parliament by Law Minister Pervaiz Rashid in March this year.
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20:33   HC allows Greenpeace to correct the amount in defreezed a/c
The Delhi high court today allowed Greenpeace India Society's application to correct the amount indicated in one of its two accounts which were de-freezed for receiving and utilising fresh domestic donations for its day-to-day functioning.

Justice V P Vaish allowed Greenpeace's plea after the Centre and Yes Bank, with whom the NGO has the account, said they had no objection to the correction. The NGO has claimed that as per the May 27 order, by which the high court allowed it to use two of its accounts for receiving fresh domestic donations, one of the accounts was shown to have Rs 3,75,383, whereas the correct figure was Rs 2,00,868.

The court ordered the correction be made and disposed of the application of Greenpeace. The court on May 27 had granted the relief to Greenpeace saying it cannot be choked of funds.

It had also allowed the NGO to liquidate its fixed deposits, saying these and fresh donations be used for its aims and objectives and in accordance with law. The order had come on Greenpeace's plea challenging freezing of five of its accounts as well as cancellation of its registration under FCRA.
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20:30   ED issues summons to Lalit Modi: Report
Just in: The Enforcement Directorate has issued summons to former Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi, reports Times NOW in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act case.

He has been asked to explain charges against him.The ED has set a three-week deadline.

Agency officials were recently sent to Singapore and Mauritius to look into alleged deals made by him.   
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20:16   2 Indians jailed in Singapore for molestation
Two Indians, both in their early 50s, were today jailed in two separate cases of molestation in Singapore. Veerasamy Marimuthu, 53, an Indian-origin former associate social worker in Singapore, was today jailed for four months on charges of molesting a homemaker consecutively on two days. 

He admitted to one charge of outraging the modesty of the 39-year-old victim on January 6 this year and had another charge taken into consideration, The Straits Times reported.
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20:10   Iraqi fighter jet drops bomb over Baghdad, kills 12 people
An Iraqi Russian-made fighter jet accidentally dropped a bomb over a Baghdad neighborhood today, killing at least 12 people on the ground, Iraqi officials said. 

The plane one of several Sukhois used by Iraq in the fight against the Islamic State group was returning to base when the accident happened.
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19:30   Coast Guard commissions 3rd IPV 'Rani Durgavati' at Vizag
Indian Coast Guard today commissioned 'ICGS Rani Durgavati', the 3rd Inshore Patrol Vessel (IPV) of its kind, at the Coast Guard district headquarters.

The IPV, designed and built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited, is equipped with the most-advanced and sophisticated navigational communication sensors and equipment.
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19:29   Malala asks world leaders to choose books over bullets
Pakistani teenage child rights activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousufzai today called on world leaders to choose books over bullets and give every girl 12 years of free education. 

Writing in the Telegraph, Malala said, "I want world leaders to choose books over bullets. It may look as if I am naive. I'm still a teenager. But I measure the world in hope, not doubt. We can afford to give every girl 12 years of free education."
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19:01   Chargesheet likely in dean's death in Vyapam case: SIT
The SIT that is probing the Vyapam scam has said that while it is too early to comment on the dean's death, a chargesheet is likely to be filed.

The dean of a medical college in Madhya Pradesh, who was assisting the probe, was found dead in a Delhi hotel on Sunday. (Read the story here)
 

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has pointed out that the SIT is not working under the Madhya Pradesh government but under the supervision of the (Madhya Pradesh) High Court.
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18:36  
German economy minister Gabriel says Greece is now threatened with insolvency.
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18:35   PM gifts Amir Khusro's poems to Uzbek prez
PM Narendra Modi's gift to the President of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, a reproduction of the 13th century poet Amir Khusro's Khamsa-i-Khusrau.

The PM arrived in the Uzbekistan capital, Tashkent, today on the first leg of his eight-day visit to Central Asia and Russia, aiming to enhance strategic, economic and energy ties besides attending Summits of BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).


Modi was received at the airport by his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev and his cabinet colleagues. The Prime Minister also held a meeting with Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov and signed key agreements to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.


After Uzbekistan, Prime Minister Modi will visit Kazakhstan. Stressing on the importance of India-Kazakhstan relations, the Prime Minister had stated that New Delhi and Astana share a strategic partnership.
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18:08   On eve of 18th birthday, Malala asks world leaders to educate children
A week before her 18th birthday, Malala Yousafzai returns to Oslo, where she received the Nobel Peace Prize, to show world leaders how a fraction of their military spend can educate every child in the world. Read her first-person piece for the Telegraph.


Also read:Education is the best weapon against terrorism, says Nobel winner Malala
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18:01   'Impartial probe needed to dispel doubts about scribe's death'
Calling for an "impartial inquiry" into the death of TV journalist Akshay Singh while covering the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh, the Indian Women's Press Corps today expressed concern over reports of "untimely deaths of journalists" under "mysterious circumstances".


"His (Singh's) death is one among the many allegedly mysterious deaths that have occurred in the inquiry currently underway. "Any doubts about the cause of the death of Singh should be dispelled by conducting an impartial inquiry involving an independent agency. The employer should also adequately compensate his surviving dependents," the body said in a statement today.
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17:56  
MEA tweets on the India-Uzbekistan meet in Tashkent: Important issues at hand. A quiet tete-a-tete between the two leaders before delegation level talks begin.
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17:51   Barack Obamas Indian summer?
Given the constraints all US Presidents operate under, and given the additional burden Barack Obama carries because of his race, his recent winning streak is both unusual and likely temporary. It would be churlish to grudge him his moment of success. Read
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17:41   Burt's Bees co-founder Burt Shavitz dies aged 80
Burt Shavitz, the beekeeper who went on to co-found Burt's Bees, has died age 80.


In a statement, a spokeswoman for the company said Shavitz died of respiratory complications in Bangor, Maine, surrounded by family and friends.


Shavitz started Burt's Bees when he, a beekeeper making his own honey, encountered a hitchhiker called Roxanne Quimby, who started making products using his beeswax. The two became business partners in the 1980s. Read more
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17:33   'Modi's social media diplomacy can help build Sino-India ties'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's social media diplomacy in China can play a "constructive" role in Sino-India ties though no major progress has been made, with "irritants" like the border dispute remaining, a Chinese state-run think-tank said.


When Modi congratulated Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on his 60th birthday through his account in the Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo last week, he once again showed the high value he attaches to diplomacy through social media accounts, said an article by Zhao Gancheng, director of the Shanghai Institute for International Studies said.


His account on Weibo, akin to Twitter has tens of thousands of followers, the article carried by the web edition of the state- run Global Times said.


Noting that Modi's social media campaign is not exclusive to China as he "did the similar things" for the US, Russia and Japan, it said the move is aimed at delivering a message to the world that India is more open and is keeping up to date with the latest trends.
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17:10   Rajnath backs MP CM: NO CBI probe into Vyapam
Union Minister Rajnath Singh today backed Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and explained why he cannot order a CBI investigation into the Vyapam recruitment scam that has rocked the BJP government in the state after multiple mysterious deaths.


"As Home Minister I am ready for a CBI probe. But it is already being investigated by a special investigation team under the supervision of the High Court. The High Court has said no," Rajnath Singh said, after Chouhan briefed him on the case.

The Congress on Monday stepped up its attack on Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan over the Vyapam scam, saying that he should be sacked to allow an impartial probe and that he cannot escape responsibility for the "45 deaths" connected to it.

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the opposition party said he should explain and take moral responsibility for the events.
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16:58   No foul play suspected in Jabalpur college dean's death:Police
The Delhi Police today said that "no foul play" was suspected in the death of Jabalpur Medical college dean Arun Sharma at a city hotel yesterday as per prima facie evidence.


However, Police Commissioner B S Bassi said "nothwithstanding the initial reports, a medical board has been constituted at the Safdarjung Hospital to conduct postmortem of the deceased. Our crime team had inspected the site where the incident took place and a CFSL team had done the same. So no evidence went unnoticed," Bassi told reporters.


He said that police was in touch with Sharma's family as well for background check to make sure that there were no shortcomings in the investigation. CCTV footage was also being scanned, he said.


64-year-old Sharma, who was said to be probing fake examinees in the Vyapam scam, was found dead under mysterious circumstances at a hotel in south-west Delhi's Dwarka yesterday.
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16:53   Reddit Revolt: petition to sack CEO reaches 140,000 signatures in three days
And while on successful start-ups, Reddit one of the internet's most fortified communities -- billed as 'the front page of the internet' -- seems to be in trouble. A petition to oust interim CEO Ellen Pao  has reached more than 100,000 signatures in just three days as the community takes action against the future direction and management of the forum. Read
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16:46   Housing.com website hacked?
Housing.com, the website, Rahul Yadav, co-founded, was briefly hacked for a while today, or so it seems.

If you key in Housing.com, it opens to a page (pictured) that said #rahulyadav and #housingdown. And a promise (to themselves or the reader is not quite clear given the gobbledegook): "Yes, We will solve real estate.

 
Yadav, who was fired from the company on July 1, was instrumental in developing one of India's best-known startups.

While the news was on expected lines, the board consisting mainly of investors made its displeasure with Yadav obvious by severing all ties with him and blaming the IITBombay dropout for poor management of the company and bad behaviour with various stakeholders.
 

However, the website opened, shortly thereafter with the url, Housing.com/in, but has been hacked again.

Click on the picture for a larger image.
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16:08  
JUST IN: Greek govt official says PM Tsipras will hold phone talks with Russian President Putin within the day.
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16:07   AAP minister stays in jail till July 20
Jitender Singh Tomar's judicial custody extended till 20th July by Saket Court, Delhi.


The Delhi Police, which took Aam Aadmi Party leader and former law minister Jitendra Tomar to Faizabad and Ayodhya as part of its investigation, have found that his BSc degree is fake.
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16:05   Instant noodles' sales crash 90% after Maggi fiasco
One month after the ban of Maggi, instant noodles sales in India have crashed by over 90 per cent to just about Rs 30 crore from Rs 350 crore a month earlier, according to industry estimates.


With the key category facing an uncertain future, food processing industry players are worried that this could have an impact on their overall investment plans, while companies are now facing 'increased harassment from safety inspectors', according to a senior official of industry body Assocham. "


In the last one month the instant noodles category has suffered a massive drop in sales to about Rs 30 crore a month. Before the Maggi ban this category was around Rs 4,200 crore annually, which is about Rs 350 crore per month. There is a fear psychosis among consumers," the official said.
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15:50  
Sensex rises 115.97 pts to close at 28,208.76; Nifty gains 37.25 points at 8,522.15.
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15:43  
BJP-ruled Jharkhand is ready to serve eggs in child nutrition schemes. Read
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15:24   PM Modi gets to work in Tashkent
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tashkent on Monday as part of his eight-day tour to five central Asian countries and Russia and, well,  got to work. He was greeted at Tashkent airport by ‏his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev.


@narendramodi  tweeted: Hello Uzbekistan! I thank PM Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev for the warm welcome in Tashkent. Wonderful being here.


Half an hour later, the two PMs got to work. @PMOIndia  tweeted: The meetings begin instantly... PM @narendramodi meets PM Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev after landing at Tashkent. (Pictured)


The Prime Minister will also meet Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov and sign key agreements to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.


After Uzbekistan, Prime Minister Modi will visit Kazakhstan. Stressing on the importance of India-Kazakhstan relations, the Prime Minister had stated that New Delhi and Astana share a strategic partnership. Prime Minister Modi will then go to Russia to participate in BRICS and SCO Summit at Ufa.


After Russia, the Prime Minister will go ahead with his visit to Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Prime Minister Modi had said that he looks forward to strengthening India's relations with these countries during the visi
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15:11   Intimations of evil - The Vyapam deaths
If you google 'vyapam', the first hit on the first page takes you to the website of the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board, Bhopal. The Hindi for 'Professional Examination Board' is 'Vyavsayik Pareeksha Mandal'.
Read more
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15:06   St Stephen's principal offers to resign
Facing criticism over the handling of the research scholar molestation case, St Stephen's principal Valson Thampu on Monday said he would resign if it was proved that "he was a cause of embarrassment to the institution".
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15:01   Former S Korean first lady to visit North next month
The wife of late South Korean president Kim Dae-Jung will visit North Korea next month, his foundation said today, and possibly meet with leader Kim Jong-Un.


The Kim Dae-Jung Peace Centre in Seoul said the agreement on dates for the four-day visit by 93-year-old Lee Hee-Ho was reached following talks with officials in North Korea.


Lee has visited the North three times -- the last occasion being to pay her respects following the death of former leader Kim Jong-Il in December 2011. She is the widow of Kim Dae-Jung, who instituted the "sunshine policy" of engagement with North Korea that led to an historic summit with Kim Jong-Il in 2000.


It was not immediately clear if Lee would meet Kim's son and successor, Kim Jong-Un, who had initially extended Lee an invitation to visit last year, after she sent a wreath marking the third anniversary of his father's death.


The trip will ostensibly be a humanitarian one, with Lee planning to visit a children's hospital, a maternity home and an orphanage in Pyongyang.
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14:55  
AAP leader Kumar Vishwas files a petition in the Supreme Court; asks the SC to monitor the probe into the Vyapam scam.
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14:34   PM lands in Tashkent
PMO India @PMOIndia Tashkent: PM @narendramodi lands in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, marking the start of an important visit to Central Asia and Russia.
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14:16   Trainee 'Vyapam' cop had problems with husband over dowry: MP police
Trainee sub inspector Anamika Kushwaha had differences with husband, was troubled for dowry by her in-laws, Sagar IG K P Khare tells ABP News.


The high-profile Vyapam scam got even more murky today with the death of a trainee sub-inspector under mysterious circumstances in a lake in Sagar's district of Madhya Pradesh on Monday morning.


Anamika Kushwaha was recruited through Vyapam and was from 2014 batch. Eyewitnesses claimed that the death was a suicide.


Khushwaha was the third person connected with Vyapam who died in past three days. On Sunday, the dean of a medical college in the state Arun Sharma, who was assisting the Vyapam scam probe, was found dead in a Delhi hotel following the mysterious death of Aaj Tak journalist Akshay Singh. The back-to-back death have deepened the suspicious that people connected to the scam are being killed to save the real culprits.
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14:06   SC agrees to hear Pil on Vyapam
So, the supreme court has agreed to hear a petition on removing the MP governor in the Vyapam scam.
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13:45   Nigeria's Boko Haram crisis: Jos attack kills another 44
Two bomb attacks in the central Nigerian city of Jos have left at least 44 people dead, the BBC reports.


A restaurant and a mosque were targeted on Sunday night. No-one has claimed responsibility but militant group Boko Haram has attacked Jos before, even though it is not in north-east Nigeria where the Islamists normally operate.


The blasts are the latest in the series of deadly attacks in recent days which have seen more than 200 people killed.
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13:37   Death of Jabalpur dean cannot be linked to Vyapam probe: MP govt
The death of Jabalpur Medical College Dean Arun Sharma is not related to Vyapam scam, the MP government has said. Dr Arun Sharma, who had allegedly recently submitted 200 documents to the Special Task Force probing the Vyapam scam, was found dead in a hotel room in New Delhi on Sunday morning.


Dr Sharma had succeeded Dr D K Sakalle at the Jabalpur college after Dr Sakalle died mysteriously a year ago. Police reopened that case over the weekend, after Dr Sudhir Tiwari, president of Indian Medial Association, Jabalpur, alleged earlier in the week that Sakalle had been murdered.


Sharma was found dead in his bed by staff at Hotel Uppal near Indira Gandhi International Airport, who entered using a duplicate key after Sharma did not respond to repeated knocks.


An almost empty bottle of alcohol and vomit was found in the room. Forensic evidence has been collected and his body sent for post mortem.


Asked about reported links of Sharma with Vyapam scam, Joint Commissioner of Police (South West) Dipender Pathak said police is "covering all the angles" in its investigation.


Incidentally, Sharma was the second Dean of the medical college to have died under mysterious circumstances in the last one year. D K Sakalle, who was inquiring into admissions of candidates for whom proxies had allegedly appeared in the pre-medical test, had been found burnt at his residence.


"Dr Sharma was found dead at his room in a hotel in Delhi. We are shocked at the death, He was a very close to Dr Sakalle," Indian Medical Association Jabalpur district president Sudhir Tiwari told PTI.


Tiwari claimed Sharma had wept at the funeral pyre of Sakalle, claiming the latter had not committed suicide, as concluded by police after investigation.


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13:28   Two killed as heavy rains lash Uttarakhand
Heavy overnight rains lashed a number of places across Uttarakhand where two persons died in Nainital district after debris from a landslide hit nearly a dozen houses and the administration issued an alert for people living near lakes and rivers.


Schools in most districts, including Nainital, Dehradun and Haridwar, remained closed in view of the MeT department warning of heavy rain.


Official sources said that one person died as a tree uprooted by heavy rain fell over him in Nainital city whereas another drowned while attempting to cross a river near Ramnagar in the district, official sources said.
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13:26   Army hands over 11-year-old PoK boy to Pakistani side
The Army has handed over an  11-year-old boy from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) who had  inadvertently crossed into this side of the Line of Control  (LoC), to the Pakistani Army.


Sameer Kayani, a resident of Laswa area of Athmuqam in  PoK was intercepted by troops deployed in the forward areas  after he inadvertently crossed into this side on Thursday,  army officials said last night. The Army sent an urgent hot line message to the Pakistan side, after the boy was intercepted, they said.
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13:21  
Dr A Q Khan, the father of Pakistan's atom bomb, waxes eloquent on the poet Rumi. Read


Also read: 'Pakistan had the bomb by 1989'
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13:02   Exclusive! 'Sri Lanka will never pose a threat to India'
"We have nothing to gain by helping any other country to become a threat to India," former Sri Lanka president Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is on the comeback trail, tells Rediff.com senior contributor Nitin A Gokhale in an exclusive interview. Read
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12:52  
Nine myths about the Greece crisis (Yes, you can still holiday in Greece). Read
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12:47   Telegram sent to Hitler by his deputy may fetch 15,000 pounds
The infamous telegram which Hitler's deputy sent to the German dictator, asking him if he could take over the Nazi party in last days of the World War II, is expected to fetch 15,000 pounds at an auction. Hermann Goering, founder of Gestapo - the official secret police of Nazi Germany - sent the telegram to Hitler on April 23, 1945, asking for permission to assume leadership of the crumbling Third Reich.


The telegram sent Hitler in a frenzied rage and caused him to strip his hand-picked successor of power and appoint Admiral Karl Doenitz as his successor, Mirror.co.uk reported. An angry Hitler sent him a return message saying he had committed "high treason." The telegram will be auctioned in the US tomorrow where it is expected to fetch over 15,000 pounds. The telegram, received by Hitler's secretary Martin Bormann, was found in the Berlin bunker by an American soldier after the collapse of Nazism on May 8, 1945.


Captain Benjamin Bradin found the telegram along with other papers and brought them back to the US. The telegram was handed down to Bradin's son and in turn to his son's university professor who is now putting it up for sale at the Alexander Historical Auctions in Maryland.
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12:44   PM Modi, Nawaz Sharif to meet in Russia on July 10
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif will meet on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Russia on July 10.


According to sources, the two leaders, who will be present in Ufa to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, will be meeting on the sidelines of it.


However, the details of the meeting were not specified. Modi, who is embarking on a five-nation visit on Monday, will be in Russia to attend SCO as well as the BRICS Summit.


Modi and Sharif had last met in Kathmandu in November at the SAARC Summit where they did not, however, hold any bilateral meeting.
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12:30   Sena edit asks PM to ensure Muslims accept family planning
In controversial remarks (as expected), the Shiv Sena today said the increasing population of Muslims in the country will cause a language and geographical imbalance and has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that Muslims accept the necessity of family planning.


The Sena said that increasing the Hindu population to counter Muslims is not the solution and that the "Sangh" should pressurise the government to strictly impose family planning on all religions.


"From 2001-2011, the Muslim population increased by around 24 per cent and must have increased by another 5-10 percent till 2015. The increasing population will cause language, geographical and sentimental imbalance and will create cracks in the unity of the country," the Sena said in an edit in mouthpiece 'Saamana.'


"The Prime Minister should clearly tell Muslims to obey the law of the land and accept the necessity of family planning. The PM promised to address their issues even if they knock his doors midnight. But, will Muslims similarly run to help the country?" it questioned.


"More than the Lokpal, the country needs a Common Civil Code in place," it said. "Whoever wants to try Ghar Wapsi can do so. We do not oppose it. But this is not the solution to stop an Islamic onslaught on the country. Pakistan has an Islamic government. Even countries like Iraq have an Islamic government. But in those countries, human lives there do not have much dignity."
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12:22   Advani destroyed Agra summit with Pakistan: A S Dulat
L K Advani was an architect of the Agra summit between India and Pakistan in July 2001 and its destroyer. A S Dulat, former chief of the Research and Analysis Wing, India's external intelligence agency, tells Rediff.com. Read
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12:12   As toll rises to 46, MP CM says every death cannot be linked to Vyapam
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday termed the death of trainee sub inspector Anamika Kushwaha as 'unfortunate', adding that every death should not be linked to the Vyapam scam.


"Her death is an unfortunate incident but it is not related to the Vyapam scam investigation. Every death should not be linked," Chouhan said.


Kushwaha's body was found earlier in the day at the Jawaharlal Nehru Police Academy in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh has referred to her death as yet another casualty in theVyapam scam.


What started out as just another case of systemic corruption that is part of everyday life in the country has now possibly caused the deaths of 46 people and is being dubbed as one of the biggest scams in the country.


With three deaths in the last three days, the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board scam, known by its Hindi acronym Vyapam, has turned into a monster which Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan​ can ignore at his own peril.


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11:53   Why Modi retains his personal support
While on the PM, read Aakar Patel's column for Rediff.com.

"Modi has been given a longer leash by his fans than any other leader of our time. Will he be able to continue putting himself above the fray if other scandals continue to emerge in his term? No, the erosion will inevitably come, given the awful state of this country. But for now, he has managed to shine through a period that would have tarnished any other leader but him," says Aakar Patel. Read
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11:47   PM Modi leaves for five-nation tour
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left for a five-nation tour this morning to attend the BRICS summit in Russia and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).


Modi will visit five Central Asian nations including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan to deepen strategic footprints and energy cooperation.


With focus on enhancing strategic, economic and energy ties, Modi is scheduled to travel from July 6 to 13 to five Central Asian countries and Russia where he will attend the summits of BRICS and SCO.


The Prime Minister's visit will start with Uzbekistan from where he will go to Kazakhstan on July 7. He will then travel to Russia on July 8, before moving to Turkmenistan on July 10, Kyrgyzstan on July 11 and Tajikistan on July 12.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will also be leaving on a four-day visit to Russia to participate in the inaugural meeting of the BRICS backed New Development Bank.
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11:34   Greek finance minister resigns after 'no' vote against bailout
Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has just resigned after Greek voters delivered an overwhelming "No" vote in a referendum on whether to accept more austerity measures in return for new bailout cash.


"Soon after the announcement of the referendum results, I was made aware of a certain preference by some Eurogroup participants, and assorted 'partners', for my 'absence' from its meetings; an idea that the Prime Minister judged to be potentially helpful to him in reaching an agreement," Varoufakis wrote on his personal blog.


"For this reason I am leaving the Ministry of Finance today. "I consider it my duty to help [Prime Minister] Alexis Tsipras exploit, as he sees fit, the capital that the Greek people granted us through yesterday's referendum. And I shall wear the creditors' loathing with pride."


Read: Greeks defy Europe with overwhelming referendum 'No'
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11:31  
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that every death in the state cannot be linked to Vyapam. Details in a bit.
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11:27   Sensex down by 292 pts in late morning trade
The benchmark BSE Sensex cut initial losses but was still down by 292 points following selling pressure in metal, banking, IT, auto, teck, power and FMCG sectors triggered by weak Asian stocks amid Grexit fears.


The barometer index hit a low below the psychological 28,000 mark at onset of trading session.


The market breadth indicating the overall health of the market was also weak.


The Sensex resumed lower at 27,857.20 and hovered in a range of 27,946.68 and 27,774.80 before quoting at 27,800.40 at 1105 hrs a loss of 292.39 points or 1.04 per cent. 
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11:24   MP govt. keen to ensure 'fairest possible probe' into journalist's death: BJP
The BJP on Monday said that the Madhya Pradesh government is keen to ensure a 'fairest possible probe' is done into the death of journalist Akshay Singh.


"The family members of the deceased journalist, Akshay Singh, have requested that viscera sample tests be done at AIIMS in Delhi. The state government has immediately agreed to that request. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has directed Director General of Police yesterday to send the sample to AIIMS or CFSL in New Delhi so that the truth comes out," BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said.
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11:16  
Vyapam Scam: The Supreme Court agrees to hear the petition asking for the removal of the Madhya Pradesh governor.
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10:39   Guard at All India Radio complex in Delhi opens fire on intruders
In a major security scare, a guard posted at the All India Radio complex on Mall Road in the national capital opened fire on intruders.

According to media reports, the intruders were attempting to enter the complex by force.

Further details are awaited.
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10:39   Vyapam scam: Trainee woman cop 'commits suicide'
A trainee woman cop, recruited through Vyapam, reportedly committed suicide even as the mysterious deaths of people associated with the scam continued to rise on Monday.

The body of the trainee Sub-Inspector (SI), Anamika Kushwaha, was recovered from a pond under mysterious circumstances.

Recruited in February 2015, she was staying in a hostel in the Sagar Police Academy in Madhya Pradesh.

Shortly after the report of the death, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh tweeted, "Training Cop recruited through Vyapam commits suicide in Sagar Police Academy MP. 46th or 47th ?"

This is the third death reported in the past three days related to the mysterious Vyapam scam.

Investigative journalist Akshay Singh had suddenly died on Saturday when he had gone to interview the family of a deceased Vyapam scam accused in Madhya Pradesh.
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10:29   Chouhan row: Pallavi Joshi quits FTII society
Popular actress Pallavi Joshi has reportedly quit the Film and Television Institute of India society. 

Earlier filmmaker Jahnu Barua and well-known cinematographer Santosh Sivan also had reportedly written to the FTII asking them to not be considered as a part of the FTII society or its governing council. 

Speaking to an English daily, Joshi said that she does not want to be a part of the FTII society owing to the cloud of negativity that is surrounding currently. She maintained that she has no qualms with anybody being selected as the chairman, though she does not want to be a part of the negative environment. 

"I am not at all political and I have no views on who has been selected in the society. But my heart goes out to the students who have been so dignified and have conducted a peaceful protest so far. It is commendable how they are trying to have a dialogue with the ministry. I am a person of art and all I know is that art cannot prosper in such a negative environment," she said.

In 1992, Joshi had won the Special Jury Award at the National Film Awards.

Other well-known people who are a part of the FTII  society are: Shailesh Gupta, Cinematographer; Rajkumar Hirani, Filmmaker; Vidya Balan, actress; Rahul Solapurkar, actor; Pranjal Saikia, actor among others.
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09:45   In SC today: Can unwed mother be child's guardian without father's nod?
Can an unwed mother be the legal guardian of her child without the consent of the father?

On Monday, a Supreme Court bench led by Justice Vikramjit Sen will rule upon an appeal by a woman who has challenged the procedural necessity of involving the father of her child in a guardianship petition even though she never married him.

According to her petition, the father does not even know that the child exists.

The Guardians and Wards Act and the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act require that a notice be sent to the child's father to obtain his consent when a plea for guardianship is moved.

Read more HERE
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09:28   Drugs being sold and used openly across Delhi University campuses
Mail Today reports: As Delhi University gears up for a new academic session, a Mail Today investigation reveals that drugs -- from ganja and charas to the more hardcore LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), MDMA (methylenedioxyphenethylamine), ketamine and the new sensation Meow Meow (4-methylmethcathinone) -- are being sold and used openly across college campuses.

Read more on this story HERE
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09:27   Asian markets sink after Greece votes 'No' to austerity
Asian stocks fell Monday after Greek voters rejected more austerity demands from creditors, fuelling fears the country will crash out of the eurozone, but the euro recovered from initial losses as dealers wait for European leaders` next move.

Despite warnings from European leaders that Sunday`s referendum was effectively an in-out poll on the euro, more than 60 percent of the voters heeded the government`s call to vote "No".

In early trade Tokyo fell 1.43 percent, Seoul shed 1.14 percent, Sydney lost 1.69 percent and New Zealand was off 0.77 percent.

The euro was at $1.1020 and 135.05 yen, clawing back some of the losses suffered in New York electronic trade Sunday, when it fell to $1.0987 and 134.91 yen.

Shinya Harui, currency analyst at Nomura Securities in Tokyo, said the common currency was holding up as traders "assess the spill-over risks in the case of a Greek exit from the eurozone".
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09:13   Pak targets 6 BoPs, fires mortar shells along IB in Jammu
In continued ceasefire violations, Pakistani troops resorted to night-long firing and mortar shelling targeting six Border Out Posts along the Indo-Pak border in Jammu district, forcing the Border Security Force to retaliate effectively.

"Pakistani Rangers resorted to firing and mortar shelling targeting six BoPs along International Border in Arnia sector of Jammu district throughout the night", a BSF officer said in Jammu.

They used small arms and also fired 82 mm mortar shells  targeting BoPs in the sector triggering panic among villagers located along the borderline, the officer said. 

The BSF troops, guarding the borderline with Pakistan, took position and retaliated, resulting in exchanges which stopped at around 5 am on Monday, he said, adding that there was no firing since then.

There was no loss of life or damage to the property in the firing exchanges, he said, adding the situation is being monitored and troops have been alerted. 
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08:41   Indian aviation experts to inspect Nepal's second international airport today
A team of Indian aviation experts will arrive in Kathmandu on Monday to inspect any possible damage to Nepal's only international airport due to the powerful April 25 quake besides offering help in constructing a second international airport along the border with India.

The four-member engineering team led by executive director of Airport Authority of India HS Suresh will carry out inspection of the Tribhuvan International Airport and also pay a field visit to the Simara Airport proposed at Nijgadh in Bara district, 200 km south of Kathmandu, officials said.

According to a senior government official, the team is arriving here to assess possible damage caused by the two major earthquakes and the subsequent aftershocks at the country's only international airport and provide necessary support to ensure its faultless operation.

They will inspect whether the physical structure as well as communication and navigation system of the airport were damaged by the earthquake or not, said Suresh Acharya, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation.
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08:37   US crush Japan 5-2 to lift Women's World Cup
Carli Lloyd led from the front as the United States won the Women's World Cup for a third time with a crushing 5-2 victory over Japan on Sunday, the striker scoring the tournament's fastest ever hat-trick, including a spectacular long-range goal.

The American captain struck three times inside 16 minutes as the US stormed into an unexpected and unsurmountable 4-0 lead over their shell-shocked opponents.

Japan, winners four years ago, were utterly stunned as their opponent's deadly finishing ensured the U.S. added to their 1991 and 1999 titles and became the first nation to win the Cup three times.

The game, played in front of 53,341 spectators at a packed BC Place, was the highest-scoring Women's World Cup final ever and, for non-Japanese at least, was an entertaining finale to what has been an excellent tournament.

Read more HERE

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08:32   Merkel, Hollande call for special eurozone summit on Greece
German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the outcome of Greece's referendum with French President Francois Hollande in a telephone call, with both agreeing the 'No' vote must be respected, a German government spokesman said.

"Both were in agreement that the vote by the Greek people be respected. The Chancellor and the President are in favour of calling for a summit of eurozone heads of state and government heads on Tuesday," the spokesman said. 

The two leaders had sent a corresponding request to do the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, according to sources in the French presidency. 

There are no explicit provisions in EU rules for summits of eurozone leaders, but they can be held in exceptional circumstances. The last such summit was held in Brussels last month.

During the evening, Hollande spoke separately by telephone with Merkel, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, European Parliament head Martin Schulz and Tusk, the French sources said.
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08:30   Will PM Modi, Nawaz Sharif break the ice at Ufa?
The Russian city of Ufa, which will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting on July 9 and 10 might see some interaction between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines.

The Pakistani side seems keen to hold a meeting but conceded that no one had contacted them yet.

India and Pakistan suspended conversation over the Hurriyat attending a meeting in New Delhi at the residence of the Pakistan envoy, although India had requested him not to host the meeting ahead of the visit of the foreign secretary to Islamabad.

If it materialises, this contact at the highest level could be the much needed ice-breaker.
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08:27   This week will decide fate of monsoon in north India
As the monsoon advances, the week starting Monday will be crucial for rains. 

Although the Kosi and the Ganga in parts of Uttar Pradesh are in spate because of incessant rain, most north Indian states, including Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Bihar are reporting a shortfall. 

Bihar has got 27 per cent rain below normal rain and if it doesn't rain properly this coming week, paddy, maize and toor dal crops will be hit. 

At this point, because the soil does not have enough moisture, planting these crops is already a problem. 

If rains are delayed or is not enough, this will impact the crop. 

July 6 to 9 will decide if the monsoon has been effective or not in north India.
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08:01   BSF jawan killed as Pak troopers violate ceasefire in Kupwara
Mukhtar Ahmad reports: A Border Security Force jawan was killed when Pakistan troops violated the ceasefire at north Kashmir's Kupwara district on Sunday, resorting to heavy firing in the Nowgam sector.

Pakistani Rangers also violated the ceasefire in the Arnia sector of the international border in Jammu yesterday evening.

"Pakistan troops resorted to heavy firing in the Nowgam sector Sunday afternoon. A BSF trooper was killed in the firing," said a senior BSF officer.

He said, "Pakistan fire was effectively returned by our troops. The firing exchanges continued for some time."

In the Arnia sector, Pakistan troops resorted to small arms fire which too was returned by the BSF guarding the International Border.
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07:58   Modi set to reach out to Central Asia; may meet Pak PM in Russia
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for an eight-day official visit to five Central Asian countries and Russia, starting from Uzbekistan on Monday.

The tour will further take PM Modi to Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and to Ufa in Russia where he will attend the BRICS and SCO back-to-back summits.

Furthermore, according to news channels, on the sidelines of SCO summit in Russia this week, PM Modi will meet his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) is soon expected to make an official announcement about the same. This would be the first formal meeting between the leaders of both the South-Asian countries after May, 2014, when PM Modi had invited leaders of all SAARC nations to attend his swearing-in ceremony.

According to Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt, this visit may be short on glitz, but high on substance. 

READ her analysis HERE...
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07:53   Greeks reject demands for more austerity in key referendum
Voters in Greece have resoundingly rejected creditors' demands for more austerity in return for rescue loans, backing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who insisted the vote would give him a stronger hand to reach a better deal. 

The opposition accused Tsipras of jeopardising the country's membership in the 19-nation club that uses the euro and said a "yes" vote was about keeping the common currency.

With 87 per cent of the votes counted, the "no" side had more than 60 per cent. 

"Today we celebrate the victory of democracy," Tsipras, who gambled the future of his 5-month-old left-wing government on the vote, said in an address to the nation. 

Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said last night that creditors planned from the start to shut down banks to humiliate Greeks and force them to make a statement of contrition for showing that debt and loans are unsustainable.

On Sunday night's result, he said that "'no' is a big 'yes' to democratic Europe. It's a no to the vision of Europe an infinite cage for its people. It is a loud yes to the vision of the Eurozone as a common area of prosperity and social justice." 

Tsipras' high-stakes brinkmanship with lenders from the eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund resulted in Greece defaulting on its debts this week and shutting down its banks to avoid their collapse. He called the referendum last weekend, giving both sides just a week to campaign.
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07:52  
Good Morning...

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