The US Embassy in Cairo says America has delivered two vessels, known as fast missile craft, to Egypt's navy to help it secure vital waterways such as the Suez Canal and Red Sea. 

A North Carolina man is in the custody of federal authorities, who say he planned assassinations in the United States in support of the Islamic State terrorist group. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 1 will launch digital locker facility that will help citizens to digitally store their important documents like PAN card, passport, marksheets and degree certificates.

"The digital Locker will provide secure access to government issued documents. It uses authenticity services provided by Aadhaar," an official release said today.

It is aimed at eliminating the use of physical documents and enables sharing of verified electronic documents across government agencies. The digital locker provides a dedicated personal storage space in the cloud to citizens, linked to citizen's Aadhaar number. It is scheduled for a national launch on July 1, by the PM.

"The Digital locker will reduce the administrative overhead of government departments and agencies created due to paper work. It will also make it easy for the residents to receive services by saving time and effort as their documents will now be available anytime, anywhere and can be shared electronically," it said. It is an initiative under Digital India programme.

The bomb disposal squad checking an alert in the car pickup zone of the Mumbai domestic airport. The area had been cordoned off, and checks were being undertaken.

When a passenger remarked that this doesn't always happen, a cop replied, "Did you imagine 26/11 would happen?"

Six persons, including three "prime witnesses" in the Sunanda Pushkar death case, were put through a lie detector test, Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi said amid indication that a number of other witnesses may be asked to undergo the examination.

"Our investigation is continuing and whatever is required to be done will be done. So far we have carried out polygraph tests on six persons. If there is any requirement we will conduct further tests," Bassi said.

Last month, the Delhi police had approached a city court for permission to carry out polygraph test on Narain Singh, who is domestic help of Sunanda Pushkar's husband and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, driver Bajrangi and family friend Sanjay Dewan.

The toll in Mumbai's worst hooch tragedy rose to 102  with the death of five more victims who consumed spurious liquor in Malad area and another 46 are in hospitals with eight of them struggling to survive serious ill-effects of the killer brew.

Squarely blaming the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government for the tragedy, the Opposition Congress asked Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to step down owning moral responsibility and demanded a Central Bureau Investigation inquiry into it. So far seven persons have been arrested in the case and eight police and four excise officials suspended. All of those arrested are in police custody.

Stepping up the heat, Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam said, "The excise minister should take responsibility of this tragedy and quit. Since the home department is with the chief minister he should also resign."

The flood situation in Assam worsened today with over 27,000 people affected in more than 70 villages across the state.


The Assam state disaster management authority said in its daily flood report that an estimated 27,200 people are affected as of now in 72 villages across Barpeta, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Morigaon and Lakhimpur districts.

Till yesterday, over 19,100 people were hit across 62 villages under five districts across the state. The highest number of people are hit in Lakhimpur district with over 16,000 persons reeling under flood waters, followed by Dhemaji with more than 4,600 people affected at present, ASDMA said.

Authorities are running three relief camps in Tinsukia, where a total of 198 persons are sheltered presently, it added. Nearly 1,600 hectares of crop areas are under water, the report mentioned. The death toll in the first wave of flood in Assam remained at three - one each in Bongaigaon, Lakhimpur and Baksa districts.

MS Dhoni's captaincy is under the scanner after India's defeats in the ODIs against Bangladesh. However, cricketing great Sunil Gavaskar has come to his defence.

Speaking to NDTV, Gavaskar praised Dhoni for his contribution to Indian cricket. "Dhoni deserves respect. I don't think it is fair to ask him to step aside. You can't take the achievements away from him and he has been India's best skipper by far," said Gavaskar.

"Out of sheer respect for him, we should let him take a call on his future as captain of the ODI," he added.  

Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria submits a report to the Maharashtra government saying that his meeting with former Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi was not set up by any businessman. The report explaining meeting with  Modi was given to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

In the report, Maria maintained that he met Modi through his lawyer.

Amid the controversy over a meeting between Maria and Modi in London, former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan earlier in the day had denied any knowledge about the same.

The government today proposed income tax benefits for individuals making payment through debit or credit cards, NDTV reports.

The move is aimed at curbing the flow of black money and discouraging transactions in cash. "Tax benefits in terms of income tax rebates to be considered to consumers for paying a certain proportion of their expenditure through electronic means," the finance ministry's proposal said.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget speech had said that "one way to curb the on flow of black money is to discourage transactions in cash." The proposals also mandated settling of high value transactions of more than Rs 1 lakh, only by electronic means.

A Delhi court dismissed the bail plea of ex-Delhi Law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar and has sent him to 14 days judicial custody, in alleged fake degree case.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today condemned the attack on Afghan Parliament, terming it as a "despicable and cowardly act" and asserted that India stands shoulder to shoulder with people of that country in this hour.

Just in: A UN report has slammed both Israel and Palestinian militants and has said both may have committed war crimes in last year's Gaza conflict.

Former India skipper Bishan Singh Bedi today said Mahendra Singh Dhoni is "not 'Captain Cool' anymore" and suggested yoga sessions for the beleaguered cricketer to overcome the tough phase.


An agitated Dhoni said he was ready to relinquish ODI captaincy if that helps the team win matches after the Men in Blue lost their first series against Bangladesh last night.


Bedi feels Dhoni is certainly ruffled by the recent losses. "Ye pehli dafa hai ki woh behki behki baatein kar raha hai (It's the first time he is not making sense). And that is a clear indication that he is not 'Captain Cool' anymore. He looks ruffled. Having said that I still don't blame any individual but the team," Bedi said. 

Learning a lesson from one of the worst hooch tragedies that has claimed nearly 100 lives in last four days in suburban Malad, the Mumbai Police has decided to seize all stock of illicit liquor from the city's north zone to make it 'countrymade liquor-free' area.


So far, 99 people have died after consuming spurious liquor in Malad area of the city, police said.


"I have directed all the police stations and all other units of Mumbai Police that come under my jurisdiction to ensure that the entire zone is free of country made liquor, so that no further loss of life is reported due to this social evil," Additional Commissioner of Police, North Region, Mumbai, Fattesingh Patil said.

The death toll in the hooch tragedy has climbed to 98. Read more about what happened here.

The government is believed to be upset with BJP leader Ram Madhav for questioning Vice President Hamid Ansari's absence at Rajpath on International Yoga Day on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed asanas along with nearly 36,000 people setting two Guinness World Records.


Senior leaders in the government believe that Madhav stirred up a needless controversy by his tweets by questioning Dr Ansari's absence when he wasn't invited for the Rajpath mega show.


Late on Sunday night, Vice President Hamid Ansaris office clarified that he was NOT invited to the yoga day event in the capital after his absence was questioned by Madhav.


In a tweet, which has been deleted since the controversy erupted, Madhav said, "Two questions. Did RS TV that runs on tax payers money completely black out Yoga Day event? While President participated the VP gave a miss (sic).


As Twitter raged over the tweets, Madhav deleted them, later saying he had learnt that the VP was unwell.

However, the vice presidents office said that was not correct. Vice President was not sick. He was never invited for the yoga programme, it said, adding, the vice president only attends those programmes in which the minister concerned invites him as per protocol.


Pic: The tweet which has since been deleted. Click on the picture for a larger image.

With over 2,000 doctors of Delhi hospitals launching an indefinite strike, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said most demands of the striking doctors are "genuine" and that he has directed the Health Department to implement them.


The striking doctors of 20 hospitals run by the central and Delhi governments and civic corporations have been demanding adequate supply of life saving drugs, security at workplace, fixed duty hours and timely payment of their salaries.


"Most demands of striking doctors genuine. I have directed Health Department to implement them. Health Department should have resolved it earlier (sic)," Kejriwal said on Twitter.


In another tweet, Kejriwal said that his government was committed to providing best health facilities to the citizens.


"This government is committed to providing best health facilities to masses. It cannot be done without cooperation of doctors," he tweeted. Resident doctors at 20 Delhi hospitals Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College, Maulana Azad Medical College today launched the indefinite strike.


"The strike will affect OPD and private ward services but emergency services will not be interrupted," said a senior resident doctor at Lady Hardinge Medical College. According to a senior Delhi Government official, Health Minister Satyendar Jain had called the doctors for talks yesterday but they failed to make it. He has again invited them today for talks on the issues.

A senior journalist from Jammu and Kashmir was attacked, and his wife assaulted by cops escorting the cavalcade of state Agriculture Minister Ghulam Nabi Lone. The incident occured when the journalist went up to the minister to complain about his guards who were allegedly misbehaved with his wife, say TV reports.


This is the third attack on journalists in the country over the last 10 days. Two journalists in UP were burnt to death in retaliation over their reports on the mining mafia.

Andhra Pradesh Police, probing the case of alleged tapping of phones of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, ministers and others by Telangana government, has slapped notices on 12 telecom firms here asking their representatives to appear before it.


The AP government had last week constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to handle cases registered against Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and others in various police stations of the state over alleged phone tapping by his government.


Accordingly, as part of further investigations into the cases, the notices were issued to 12 telecom service providers, Vijayawada Police Commissioner A B Venkateswara Rao said.


"They (telecom firms) have been asked to appear before the police today and tomorrow," Rao said. Some of their (telecom firms) representatives have already started appearing before the SIT. The SIT wants to know if tapping was done, has it been done after following due procedures, besides it also seeks to know under what circumstances and under whose directions the firms intercepted the phones, a senior CID official said.


"...In case interceptions (tapping) of phones was carried out, what procedures they adopted...on whose authority it has been done and whether prior permissions were taken in this regard," the official told PTI.


The phone tapping episode is linked to the cash-for-vote scam centred around TDP's Telangana MLA Revanth Reddy, who is currently behind bars.


Telangana nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson had earlier lodged a complaint with ACB alleging that he was offered Rs 5 crore by the TDP MLA to vote in favour of a Telugu Desam MLC nominee in Telangana Legislative Council polls held on June 1.


On June 7, a Telugu TV news channel had played an audio having purported conversation of Chandrababu Naidu with Stephenson. After this 87 cases were registered against the Telangana Chief Minister and others across Andhra Pradesh.


On June 17, the AP government constituted SIT and named Mohd Iqbal, a DIG rank officer to head the team and inquire into these cases.

They are in there, often unnoticed. The words that have become part of everyday English. Loot, nirvana, pyjamas, shampoo and shawl; bungalow, jungle, pundit and thug. What are the roots, and routes, of these Indian words? How and when did they travel and what do their journeys into British vernacular -- and then the Oxford English Dictionary -- tell us about the relationship between Britain and India? Read

The Uttar Pradesh government has announced a Rs 30 lakh compensation for the family of murdered journalist, Jagendra Singh.

The government had suspended five policemen, suspected to be involved in the murder of the scribe in the Shahjahanpur district of the state. The action against the policemen came a day after Governor Ram Naik took up the matter with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav after a massive outcry against the incident in which a minister Ram Murti Singh Verma allegedly conspired.


Jagendra Singh was allegedly set on fire during a police raid at his house in Awas Vikas Colony of Sadar Bazar area on June 1. His family alleged that the police officials set him on fire. Singh succumbed to the injuries on June 8. The journalist invited Verma's ire by posting reports on Facebook about illegal mining activities and land grabbing against the minister. The minister is reportedly absconding.


The FIR lodged against the minister by Singh's son alleged that the minister sent the team of policemen to his house, who doused Singh with kerosene oil and set him on fire. From his death bed, he narrated the incident to IG Amitabh Thakur and in his dying declaration went viral on news channels.

If a picture is worth a 1000 words, that's former PM Indira Gandhi when she declared Emergency in 1975. 

Former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan says he was never informed about Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria's meeting with tainted IPL chief Lalit Modi in London in July 2014. Speaking to CNN IBN, Chavan, who was CM during the same period said, Maria did not speak to him after returning from London and did not brief him about the Lalit Modi meeting. Chavan said he also had no idea that Maria had been to London.


A fresh controversy broke out on Saturday in the Lalit Modi episode after it emerged that Maria had met the tainted ex-IPL boss in London in 2014, when the latter sought the help of Mumbai police in view of the "threat" to his life by the underworld in that country.


Admitting that he had met Modi at the insistence of the latter's lawyer, Maria on Saturday clarified that he apprised the home minister about the meeting soon after returning from London.


Issuing a statement, Maria said, "In the month of July 2014, I officially attended a conference in London. At the conference, I was approached by an advocate representing Lalit Modi who stated that Lalit Modi wanted to meet me regarding a grave threat to his life and that of his family in London.


"Modi, the first commissioner of Indian Premier League, and others are facing probe by the Enforcement Directorate in alleged forex violation cases.

'It may be recollected that as joint commissioner of police, crime, Mumbai, in year 2009-10, the crime branch under me had foiled an attempt on his (Modi's) life by the Mumbai underworld," Maria said.

Three small steps and one giant leap. Negotiating the upper berth on Indian Railways means that for most travellers. Finally, the Railways is ready to lend a hand.


Engineers at the Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, and Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, where the Linke Hofman Busch (LHB) coaches are manufactured, are poring over designs and prototypes of numerous possible "ladders' to pick the one that will, hopefully, permanently ease the problem of climbing up to, or coming down from, the upper berth.
Read more

A powerful improvised explosive devise (IED) was detected by security forces at Dhekiajuli in Sonitpur district of Assam today, a police official said. The IED, weighing about five kg, was planted under a culvert. was safely defused by the army. Investigations were on to find out those responsible for planting the explosive.

In RK Nagar, Tamil Nadu, CM J Jayalalithaa to start her election campaign from today, workers from the state have assembled for the road show. The constituency is going in for a by-election on June 27 with Jayalalithaa and CPI nominee C Mahendran being the key contestants.

French Ambassador to India, Francois Richier, tweets this picture: France fetes International Yoga Day. Paris to Vizag: naav pe yoga by French & Indian navy officers on French-carrier BPC 

Just in: All six terrorists who attacked the Afghan Parliament killed. Taliban militants attacked the Afghan parliament today, with gunfire and a huge explosion rocking the building, sending lawmakers running for cover in chaotic scenes relayed live on television.


The militants swiftly claimed responsibility for the attack which came as the Afghan president's nominee for the crucial post of defence minister was to be introduced in parliament.


A major assault on such a high-profile target in downtown Kabul raises fresh questions about security as Afghan forces battle a resurgent Taliban without the aid of NATO forces, who ended their combat mission in December. A thick plume of smoke was seen rising from the building.

So, union minister Nitin Gadkari's meeting with Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje is over. And the outcome is Gadkari says, "All allegations against her are baseless. I have assured her (Vasundhara Raje) that the government and the BJP stand strong with her. The whole party is behind her. She has done nothing illegal."


This is the BJP's first statement after the controversy broke, supporting Raje. So far, the BJP has been unstinting in its support for union minister Sushma Swaraj but chose to remain silent over its defence of the Rajasthan CM. 


Raje and Sushma Swaraj have been singed in the numerous controversies surrounding former IPL chief Lalit Modi.  A set of documents released by Lalit Modi to the media last week showed that Raje had secretly supported his application before UK authorities to stay in the country. 


Relief for Raje came on Saturday when the BJP finally came out in defence of the beleaguered Rajasthan CM in the controversy surrounding her support of the former IPL boss when BJP's national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said no "technical or legal" wrongdoing has been proved against Raje until now.

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechuri being given the short shrift on Twitter for his statement yesterday that the mass mobilisation on International Yoga Day by the BJP-led NDA government is an attempt to promote Hindutva agenda at the cost of India's secular democratic fabric.


Yechuri said holding yoga sessions on such a large scale was an attempt to propel Hindutva agenda in a country known for its diversity.

Islamic State (Isis) fighters have dug into positions around Palmyra, planting mines and bombs in ancient parts of the Syrian city, according to a group that monitors the conflict.


The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday that it was so far unclear whether Isis was preparing to destroy the city's ancient Roman ruins or whether the bombs were intended to deter attackers. Read the full report here.

The Enforcement Directorate today conducted searches at multiple locations in and around the metropolis in connection with two cases registered against former Maharashtra PWD minister Chhagan Bhujbal.


"We are conducting searches at multiple locations of those persons who are connected to the cases," said an ED official.


"The searches will continue throughout the day," the official said refusing to name the persons whose premises are being searched. Last week, the ED had registered two Enforcement Case Information Reports (ECIRs) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against the NCP leader suspecting illegal transactions to the tune of Rs 900 crore in all, even as it summoned four individuals of a Singapore-based firm in which Bhujbal's company Armstrong Energy has invested.

Meanwhile, in Maharashtra, there has been a landslide in Dabhol village in  Ratnagiri after heavy rainfall. Early reports say three houses and 12 people are feared buried. An NDRF team is on its way and rescue operations are on. The landslide occurred at around 3:30 am today.

MPs inside the Afghan Parliament moments after the attack. The picture was tweeted by @KarimAmini1 of TOLONews, a news channel in Afghanistan.

Afghan Parliament attack: Early reports say explosion in the Lower House of Parliament was detonated the second the vice president entered to introduce the nominee for the ministry of defence. 

Reuters reports that the Afghan Parliament was in session and gunfire was heard shortly afterwards.

Television was broadcasting live from the building in the west of the capital, Kabul, when the explosion struck and lawmakers were seen leaving the building.


It was not immediately clear what caused the blast or whether they were casualties. "It was a huge blast that shook the building and shattered windows. We are right now in a safe place," said lawmaker Shukria Barekzai.


Militant attacks in Kabul have risen in the past two months after a lull at the beginning of the year. 

Just in: Multiple explosions have taken place around the Afghan parliament in the capital Kabul, reports BBC.


A security official told Reuters that gunfire was also heard outside the building. Early reports say that the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.


Live television footage showed lawmakers being evacuated amid smoke.It is not immediately clear what has caused the blast or whether there are any casualties. Local media report another explosion in the Dahmazang area of Kabul city.

The candidate for the Afghan defence ministry, Massoum Stanikzai was scheduled to go to Parliament on a vote of confidence today.


Pic: Smoke rises from the Parliament house in Kabul.

The BJP government in Gujarat has planned to return the 'favour' diamond tycoon Laljibhai Patel had done by purchasing PM Narendra Modi's monogrammed suit for Rs 4.31 crore in February.


All arrangements have been made through the BJP-controlled Surat MC to "return' 12,000 sq m on the outer ring road of the Surat city to a Patel-owned sports club for the construction of an "international standard sports complex".


The disputed land, priced around Rs 54 crore, was earlier marked by the civic body as "reserved for social infrastructure', which could have included construction of roads, hospitals or any other public utility service.

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Early reports coming in say IIT-Roorkee students staying in the hostel are being forced to attend yoga classes. Attendance has been made compulsory. 

Union minister Shripad Naik, who handles the AYUSH portfolio, reacts to the outrage over Vice presdient Hamid Ansari's perceived snub on yoga day. The vice president was NOT invited to Rajpath as India showcased yoga on International Yoga day on Sunday.


Naik cited protocol saying it was inappropriate to invite the vice president since the PM was the chief guest.


However, the vice-president's office rubbished the protocol issue saying the vice president can be invited by the concerned ministry, but this time he wasn't. Had he been invited he would have attended the event. Dr Ansari practices yoga regularly, his office said.

Hamid Ansari has said that he was not invited to the yoga day event in Delhi after his absence was questioned by senior Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader Ram Madhav.


Madhav had deleted a tweet questioning Ansari's absence and then apologised to him saying he later learnt that the vice president was unwell.

The vice president's office said that was not correct. "Vice president was not unwell. He was never invited for the yoga programme," it said, adding, "The vice president only attends those programmes in which the minister concerned invites him as per protocol."

Madhav, a national general secretary of the BJP, had in the tweet questioned whether Rajya Sabha TV had blacked out Yoga Day and whether Ansari had given the event a miss. Though he deleted the tweet, several Twitter users shared screenshots of it. 

If you're heading towards Mumbai from Pune, heads up. Early reports say there has been a major landslide near the Khandala tunnel on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway. Mumbai-bound traffic has been stalled and no quick relief is anticipated.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari meets Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje. This comes after a meeting took place between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday night.


The meeting changed the course of the BJP's action with  regard to the conduct of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and her son Dushyant Singh in realtion to former IPL chief Lalit Modi.For now, the party has decided to defend both External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Raje and will be gunning for Lalit Modi.

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre and the UP govt to respond on a plea seeking a CBI probe into the alleged killing of a journalist in the state.

The government's stand off with ex-servicemen over the grant of One Rank One Pension is set to turn uglier. Ex-servicemen have now decided to boycott the golden jubilee celebrations of the 1965 war with Pakistan. Ex-servicemen have been on a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar since June 14 demanding the grant of One Rank One Pension promised by the NDA government. 

The death toll in the Malvani hooch tragedy rose to 97 on Sunday even as more than forty others were battling for their life in private and government hospitals. The Maharashtra government has announced a relief aid of Rs. 1 lakh each to the victims' families. The incident, which occurred at the Laxmi Nagar slum near Gamdevi Jurassic Park in Malvani in suburban Malad on Wednesday night, is the worst hooch tragedy in Mumbai in a decade. 

The Indian Navy launched a massive rescue operation after a merchant vessel, with 20 people onboard, began sinking off the Mumbai coast on Monday. At least 19 crew members of the sinking merchant vessel were safely rescued and taken to the INS Shikra Naval Air Station in Colaba at around 9 am.

Two militants and a civilian have been killed during an encounter in Kashmir's Kulgam district. Acting on a tip-off about the presence of militants in Redwani Bala village of the district, a joint team of the police and the army launched a search operation, police said.

Ahead of the Bihar elections, while other parties have announced their candidate for the position of CM, the Bharatiya Janata Party has announced that it has decided to go into the elections without declaring their CM nominee. 

The Indian Navy deployed a helicopter for assistance after a merchant vessel with 20 persons onboard listed off the Vasai coast in neighbouring Palghar district.  "Information was received around midnight by the Indian Navy that a vessel in distress Jindal Kamakshi which was 40 nautical miles from Mumbai harbour and 25 nautical miles off Vasai coast had listed heavily," a defence spokesperson said.  "The distress message said the vessel listed heavily, with 20 persons onboard and requested assistance," the official said, adding the cause of the listing was not confirmed.

Vice President Hamid Ansari said that he was not invited to the yoga day event in Delhi after his absence was questioned by senior Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader Ram Madhav. Madhav had deleted a tweet questioning Ansari's absence and then apologised to him saying he later learnt that the vice president was unwell.