John S Carroll, who led the Los Angeles Times to 13 Pulitzer Prizes during a five-year stint as editor, has died. He was 73. Carroll died at his home in Lexington, Kentucky, where he was once editor of the Lexington Herald-Leader, said his wife, Lee Carroll. He had been suffering from Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, a rare and debilitating neurological disorder.

Nine months after the Umbrella Revolution began, pro-democracy protesters again took to the streets of Hong Kong to demand a say in the way the city's leader is elected in polls slated for 2017.

A 17-year-old boy who left the United Kingdom to join the dreaded Islamic State terror group is believed to have become Britain's youngest ever suicide bomber after he reportedly blew himself up in Iraq. Talha Asmal was one of four suicide bombers who attacked security forces near an oil refinery south of Baiji, The Guardian reported. If confirmed, Asmal, from Dewsbury, would be Britain's youngest known suicide bomber. Another West Yorkshire teenager, Hasib Hussein, was almost 19 when he blew himself up on a London bus in the July 7, 2005 attacks.

Accusing the Union government of not taking "stern action" against pro-Pakistani separatists,Vishwa Hindu Parishad president Pravin Togadia said those who hoist Pakistani flags in Kashmir must be "shot".

A comet probe which ran out of power seven months ago, leading scientists to fear that crucial data about the early solar system had been lost, has woken up and is now communicating with Earth. There was jubilation at the European Space Agency when a signal from Philae was picked up. 

A 3-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by her neighbour at Philanj village of South Delhi. The police got information about the incident from Safdarjung hospital, where the girl was taken for treatment on Saturday night around 11 pm, said a senior police officer.

Defending his stance over Indian Army's surgical strike inside Myanmar, minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Sunday asserted that the military operation was an overt one and not covert as being described by some factions of the media. 

External Affairs Minister once again took to Twitter on Sunday defending her actions of helping scam-tainted Lalit Modi procure travel documents. On the social networking site, she said, "What benefit did I pass on to Lalit Modi -- that he could sign consent papers for surgery of his wife suffering from cancer. He was in London. After his wife's surgery, he came back to London. What is it that I changed?"

After BJP president Amit Shah backed External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on the Lalit Modi controversy, Home Minister Rajnath Singh also lent her support saying, "Whatever Sushma ji did was right. As that time, Sushma had said that the British government shoudl do what was right according to their rules and that the government was with her today. She did what she had to on humanitarian grounds. There was no wrong doing. We, as a government, think she was right."

Bharatiya Janata Party Amit Shah has said that the party will back External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj over the Lalit Modi visa controversy. He said that  Sushma has clarified her stand on the issue and that it was clear and that the party would support her. 

Defence officials say they are close to finding out the whereabouts of the missing Dornier aircraft with three members onboard. A spokesperson of the ministry of defence tweeted that the outcome in the submarine search for the plane is expected by late evening. 

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati welcomed the celebration of Yoga Day on June 21 but condemned the way BJP and its offshoots are playing "communal card" through it.  "Our party is not against programmes to be held on the International Yoga Day on June 21 and welcomes it. But we condemn the way BJP and its offshoots are trying to play dirty game of using communal card on the occasion," she said. She also accused the Narenda Modi government of starting "new controversial traditions" but did not elaborate.

A recording device has been allegedly recovered from the newly-appointedAnti-Corruption Branch chief MK Meena's office. An inquiry is on to ascertain whether the device was deliberately planted or left there by mistake. Sources added that Meena has alleged that a pen drive was found inside his table and clearance reportedly not given to file an FIR in the case. Recently, the Aam Aadmi Party came under fire for ordering the purchase of spying devices.The national capital also witnessed another major face-off between the Arvind Kejriwal government and Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung over Meena's appointment. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia alleged a conspiracy behind the move and questioned the hurry to appoint Meena.

A woman in the Uttar Pradesh capital found hundreds of dead worms in a pack of the Complan energy drink, prompting authorities to order a test just days after food giant Nestle withdrew its popular Maggi noodles across the country following food safety concerns. 

In the last five years, the small arms profile of India's paramilitary forces has emerged as significantly superior to that of the army, which continues to struggle to acquire even basic weapons for its infantry units. Since 2010, the army has operated without a carbine, and has been battling seemingly intractable Ministry of Defence bureaucratic processes to procure one. It is also struggling with similar self-defeating and hidebound acquisition procedures to acquire an assault rifle. It is still years away from selecting one, let alone inducting it into service.

Retired military personnel began protests in Delhi and across the country to pressure the National Democratic Alliance government to implement the "one rank one pension', saying the campaign will be intensified with the launch of an indefinite hunger strike. In Delhi, scores of former armed forces personnel gathered at Jantar Mantar for the protest. A series of 'mahasangram' rallies also were organised in cities around the country.

JUST IN: BJP cancels scheduled 1 pm press briefing at Delhi HQ.

Reacting to the report that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj helped ED defaulter Lalit Modi to procure travel documents, Congress senior leader Digvijaya Singh said, "I respect Sushma Swaraj. It wasn't expected from her to help Lalit Modi to procure travel documents. PM should now come clear about this visa issue. I appeal to Sushmaji that on moral grounds she should resign."

Doordarshan has readied plans for a Republic Day-like coverage of International Yoga Day event to be held at Rajpath where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be present. Doordarshan would be deploying more than 20 hi-definition cameras for the coverage of the event on June 21, declared as International Yoga Day by the UN.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday admitted that she helped expedite the travel documents of former Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi, enabling him to move to London, despite the red alert issued by the government. 

Earthquake-ravaged Nepal's cost of reconstruction is estimated to be approximately US $6.66 billion, according to an assessment survey carried out by the country's planning commission.   

Reconstruction of damaged physical infrastructure has become the most difficult task for the Nepal government after two major earthquakes jolted the Himalayan Nation on April 25and May 12, the post-disaster needs assessment report said.   

"Nepal needs approximately US $6.66 billion for brining the country back on track," Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala's office said in a press release after a meeting of the planning commission chaired by him.   

Bringing the dwindling economy back on track would be a very challenging task as the economy was badly affected by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that claimed over 9,000 lives and left a trail of destruction.     

According to Nepal's home ministry, the quake destroyed 5,10,762 private homes and damaged 2,91,707 homes partially. Economic losses in the tourism sector are the highest and cannot be recovered through investment equivalent to loss.

The police have registered cases against 100 CISF officials in connection with the clashes at Karipur airport between the central security personnel and the Airport Authority of India staff, leading to the death of a jawan on June 10.

The [olice said they have also registered a case against CISF Sub-Inspector S S Choudhary, from whose firearm a bullet accidently hit the jawan causing his death. The cases against 100 CISF personnel were registered on the basis of a complaint from the Airport Authority of India, police sources told PTI.

No arrests have been made so far. The police said they have taken the statement of Choudhary, who suffered burn injuries in his left palm during the incident and was undergoing treatment at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.

An FIR was filed against Choudhary last night under various sections of IPC including Sec 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 323 (punishment for voluntarilly causing hurt) and 324 (voluntarilly causing hurt by dangerous weapon), Police sources told PTI. The case was registered on a complaint filed by Airport director on the basis of the statement of AAI employee, Ajit Kumar, who is also undergoing treatment.

A submarine has joined the search for the Dornier aircraft that went missing off the coast of Tamil Nadu on Monday.

The submarine begins its search off the coast of Chidambaram, about 200 km south of Chennai. Meanwhile, a lab tests of a second oil slick in the search area failed to locate aviation fuel, reports NDTV. 

The submarine's entry into the search operations comes after a navy ship picked up beacon signals from what is likely to be from the aircraft, which went missing with three crew members on board.

INS Sandhyak picked up the signals south of Puducherry, between Port Novo and Karaikal, close to where the Coast Guard's aircraft is estimated to have disappeared.

Image: Donier aircraft

Ahead of the first UN Yoga Day to be observed on June 21, India-China Yoga college has been inaugurated at Yunnan Minzu University in Kunming, the first such government institution in China were the Indian spiritual art form has become very popular in recent years.  

 Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh along with Vice Governor of Yunnan Province Ding Shaoxiang unveiled the plaque of India-China Yoga College in Yunnan Minzu University yesterday.   

The MoU for establishing the Yoga College was signed during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to China last month. Singh, who is in Beijing to take part in the 3rd China-South Asia Expo in which India is the 'theme country, also unveiled the bust of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore presented by India to the University.   

Indian Ambassador to China Ashok Kantha said it is first yoga college in China. It will provide certification courses with Indian teachers helping with curriculum development and training.

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