Iran has released a commercial cargo ship more than a week after it was seized by Iranian naval forces, the ship operator confirmed Thursday.

A girl, aged around 16, was allegedly gang-raped by five minor boys at Kanboodi village in the district today, police said. 

After MNS chief Raj Thackeray, Congress MLA Nitesh Rane and NCP leader Ganesh Naik today called upon actor Salman Khan, who was convicted by a sessions court in the 2002 hit-and-run case and is on interim bail till tomorrow, at his residence in suburban Bandra.

Nitesh, son of former chief minister Narayan Rane said that though Salman is disturbed with the verdict, he has remained calm and not lost his composure. "I have relations with him beyond politics and films. There are certain relations which are beyond our respective works and interests. It was just a friendly visit which I had made without bringing politics in between. Eventually whatever the court has given a verdict, I respect that. If he has done wrong, he has paid for it," Rane told PTI.

Dreaded Islamic State terror group has purportedly opened its own 5-star hotel complete with 262 rooms, restaurants, ballrooms and gym in Iraq's Mosul city for its jihadist commanders, according to a media report.

The hotel is believed to be the Ninawa International Hotel, which received a number of positive reviews before being overtaken by militants and stripped of its branding, The Independent reported.

Pictures circulated by Islamic State-affiliated social media accounts show members tending to a well-maintained garden, polishing floors and cleaning windows, expansive swimming pools and two black ISIS flags flying at the front of the multi-storey building. It has 262 rooms, two restaurants, two ballrooms and a gymnasium, among other facilities, the report said.

BBC reports: Italy has cancelled dozens of flights to and from its busiest airport -- Fiumicino in Rome -- after a fire gutted part of its international terminal.

The airport was closed for several hours but officials are working to get it fully operational again.The overnight blaze -- now extinguished -- gutted a shopping area at terminal three. Nobody was killed but a few people were treated for smoke inhalation.

Thousands of passengers were hit by delays and many flights were diverted.The fire broke out at about midnight on Wednesday and took some five hours to bring under control.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray today called on Bollywood actor Salman Khan, who was convicted by a sessions court in the 2002 hit-and-run case and is on interim bail till tomorrow, at his residence in suburban Bandra. 

However, the ruling BJP disapproved of the gesture, saying a politician paying visit to a person convicted by a court of law is not a "good precedent".  Thackeray, known to be close to the actor, met Salman and his family members at his Galaxy apartment in the poshsuburb.  

The MNS chief did not interact with the media. Before him, actor-producer Aamir Khan also called on Salman.  

BJP's Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar said though calling on a person is a personal issue but one should take cognisance of the verdict in the case.   "Meeting a person at his home is a personal issue. But meeting somebody who has been convicted by court is not a good precedent as far as politicians are concerned," Shelar said in a statement.

Just in: The government will introduce land acquisition bill in Lok Sabha by noon tomorrow.

Passage of the bill has become a prestige issue for the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government despite vehement protests from the Opposition, rights groups, affiliated groups of Sangh Parivar and some of its allies.

The Opposition, which is in a majority in the Rajya Sabha, has rallied behind the Congress, saying the proposed legislation was anti-farmer and it cannot be passed in its present form, according to a report in The Indian Express.    

Bangladesh today thanked India for clearing the operationalisation of the Land Boundary Agreement that provided for exchange of territories even as it was exploring a possible visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to that country in first week of next month.

"Today is a very historic and landmark day (for Indo-Bangladesh ties) as the demarcation of the land boundary between the two country has completed after 41 years. Whatever little bit work is left will be completed soon. We thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for...." Bangladesh High Commissioner in New Delhi Syed Muazzem Ali told reporters.

The Bangladesh envoy also said that today's development settles an old issue and will prepare new grounds for enhancing bilateral ties especially in economic sector.

"We are also exploring a possible visit by Modi to Bangladesh in first week of next month. However, the dates were yet to be finalised," Ali added. Ali, who was present in the visitor's gallery in Lok Sabha to witness the passage of the constitutional amendment bill to ratify LBA, said the approval will make the region more stable.

The bill was passed in Rajya Sabha yesterday.

And you can read the first reviews for Amitabh-Deepika-Irrfan starrer Piku HERE and HERE.

Former Gujarat Chief Secretary Achal Kumar Jyoti appointed election commissioner: Law ministry.

Days after the government was left red faced over the location of fugitive terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said there was "no confusion" about his whereabouts and that he would make a statement on it in Parliament soon.

France is offering India 36 Rafale fighter jets in fly-away condition at the same price which it pays to French defence major Dassault Aviation to equip its own air force, defence sources said.

A representative body of British Hindus was forced to remove from its website an open letter in support of Prime Minister David Cameron led Conservative party in today's general election after the UK's charity regulator found that the post went against its guidance.

Two fresh tremors were felt today in Nepal devastated by the massive earthquake that claimed nearly 8,000 lives, even as survivors dressed in white robes participated in mass prayers chanting Vedic mantras to end a 13-day mourning period.

Just in: Parliament passes historic Indo-Bangla Land Boundary Bill for land swap with Bangladesh.  Parliament clears bill to ratify the Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh.  The map of India as we know is set to change.  

Tens of thousands of Nepalese who lost their homes in the devastating earthquake are in a quandary over how to rebuild their houses ahead of the monsoon beginning next month.


The Home Ministry said that a total of 2,79,234 houses have been completely damaged and 2,37,068 partially damaged due to the quake and with monsoon approaching there is little time left to rebuild the houses.


The monsoon is expected in the next two months and the hilly terrain usually experience heavy rain. The devastating 7.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25 has claimed over 7,500 lives and injured another 16,390 people.

Just in: Salman Khan will not have to be present in the High Court for this bail hearing tomorrow. Supreme Court lawyer and a former Solicitor General of India, Harish Salve had framed his appeal for interim bail yesterday. Salve will also be appearing in court on behalf of the actor tomorrow when his interim bail ends.


Salman was sentenced to five years in jail in the 2002 hit-and-run case which had gripped the nation's attention and sparked a fierce debate on social media. The popular actor -- who has starred in some of Bollywood's most successful films -- however, escaped being sent to jail after the Bombay high court granted him interim bail till May 8, barely a few hours after the sessions court handed him the five-year term.


Sessions court judge DW Deshpande said all the charges against the star, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, had been proved, 12 years after the actor drove into a Mumbai pavement killing a homeless man after a night out drinking. The judge said 49-year-old Khan was driving the car at the time of the accident and the defence's contention that his driver Ashok Singh was at the wheel was not probable.

Isis has purportedly opened its own luxury hotel in Iraq's second city Mosul   for members of the extremist group to stay in while visiting. Pictures circulated by Isis-affiliated social media accounts show members tending to a well-maintained garden, polishing floors and cleaning windows, expansive swimming pools and two black Isis flags flying at the front of the multi-storey building. Read more

For the 13 years the Salman Khan hit-and-run case was in trial, it was one of 18.5 million criminal cases pending in India's district and lower courts, and the 50-year-old Bollywood star was one of 22.2 million people under trial. Read

Omar Abdullah @abdullah_omar welcomes Rahul Gandhi on Twitter, rather RG's office on Twitter: "@OfficeOfRG welcome to @twitter"

If @OfficeOfRG wants to get the tone right on Twitter, there's no better person to follow than @abdullah_omar or for that matter, Shashi Tharoor ‏@ShashiTharoor. The Thiruvananthapuram Cong MP tweeted: "Welcome to Twitter, RG's team! Next step is2get RG himself to make time for social media, but v.glad4verified voice."

Time Magazine interviewed PM Narendra Modi over two hours. Excerpts of the interview shortly on Rediff.com, but this question, especially caught our interest. 


Q. On whether he would like to have the kind of authoritarian power that China's leader has.
A. India is a democracy; it is in our DNA.  As far as the different political parties are concerned, I firmly believe that they have the maturity and wisdom to make decisions that are in the best interests of the nation. So if you were to ask me whether you need a dictatorship to run India, No, you do not. Whether you need a powerful person who believes in concentrating power, No, you do not. If you were to ask me to choose between democratic values and wealth, power, prosperity and fame, I will very easily and without any doubt choose democratic values.

Read more

An artificial lake in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir burst this morning and caused flash floods in the area, prompting authorities to launch an evacuation operation in the affected villages, officials said.


"The artificial lake on river Phuktal, in Zanskar area of the frontier district, burst suddenly at 8:10 am causing flash floods," Deputy Commissioner Kargil, Hassan Khan said.Khan said there were no reports of casualty but there was damage to infrastructure.

Just in: The Lok Sabh is likely to be extended till May 13. The budget session was supposed to end tomorrow.

So much for PM Modi's 'revolutionary move' allowing government documents to be self attested.



The government today admitted in the Rajya Sabha that there have been complaints of officials refusing to accept self-attested documents from people despite its push to abolish sworn affidavits.


"Yes sir... two references of public grievances were received on non-acceptance of self-certification by different authorities. A number of applications under the RTI Act seeking clarification on the subject have also been received," Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh informed the Upper House in a written reply.


He was asked whether government has received any representation/ grievances/complaints from general public regarding non-acceptance of self-attested documents by officials. 

The Juvenile Justice bill, that provides for treating boys aged 16 and above at par with adults for punishment for heinous crimes like rape, was passed in the Lok Sabha today.


A day ago, several members had opposed the bill stating that rehabilitation and not retribution should be the policy, while expressing concern over amendments to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2014.


The bill has been prepared against the backdrop of public outcry over the Delhi gang-rape case of 2012 in which a juvenile accused got away with a lighter punishment because of his age.

News at this hour.

-- Pappu Yadav expelled from RJD for six years for anti-party activities.

--  Juvenile Justice Bill passed in the Lok Sabha.

Mirroring losses in India's equity markets, the rupee too came under pressure and fell to its lowest level in 20 months, below 64/USD on Thursday.


Traders said the uptick in non-deliverable forwards traded in Singapore was hitting sentiment for the local unit and prompting custodian banks to sell the rupee, Reuters reported.


The report further added that the fall in currency was weighed down by concerns over the government's taxa taxation policies that threaten to reduce the allure of local assets for foreign institutions, while a global debt sell-off also hurt. 

At least 48 million British voters will decide today who they want to rule the world's fifth-largest economy in a tight election, that has seen Prime Minister David Cameron and other leaders eyeing undecided voters and wooing the 615,000 voters of Indian origin.


Bend it Like Beckham director Gurinder Chada votes.

Rabindranath Tagore would have turned 154 today.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to the Nobel Laureate saying, "Gurudev Tagore blended the wisdom of India's past with a promise of its future through his Literature, Art and Music. He taught us the power of free thinking while inspiring us to dream of a 'Heaven of Freedom' where the mind is without fear and the head can be held high. We proudly remember Gurudev Tagore's immense contribution in the making of our Nation."


An unusual picture of a young, clean-shaven Rabindranath Tagore wearing a suit, instead of the usual robe. The picture was tweeted by  @SrBachchan Amitabh Bachchan. 

BJP Member of Parliament from Ballia, Bharat Singh, on Wednesday dropped a bombshell in the parliamentary party meeting when he said that the government was talking about its achievements at the end of NDA's one year in power but things were not that visible on the ground. Read

West Indies and Kolkata Knight Riders spinner Sunil Narine has been cleared to bowl once again by the BCCI's Suspect Bowling Action Committee but he has been given a "final warning," according to a media release.

The BCCI has however warned that any suspected illegal bowling action during the course of this season will automatically mean that Narine is banned from bowling for the rest of the season. "The player has therefore been cautioned to be careful not to again deviate from his remodelled action," the press release said.

Britain's political parties have fielded a large number of Indian-origin candidates in the general election today to woo voters from the Indian diaspora in the UK which is set to play a crucial role in the polls.


The last elections in 2010 had set a new record with eight Indian-origin candidates, including two women -- ruling Conservatives' Priti Patel and Opposition Labour's Valerie Vaz -- being elected to the British Parliament. Seema Malhotra for Labour added to that women in politics presence when she went on to win a by-election in 2011.


In the 2015 election, each of the major parties have pledged a larger presence of ethnic minority MPs within their fold in an attempt to attract a larger chunk of the ethnic minority vote.

In a remarkable initiative in West Bengal, poor people in Burdwan town are being treated to a healthy meal at only Rs 10, according to a top district official. The meal consists of rice, dal, a sabzi (curry), bhaja (fry) and chutni.


"The scheme was launched on May 1. At present it is confined to around 2,000 meals (lunch) per day for four hours (12 noon to 4 pm), but we will shortly extend the timings to make it a 12-to-14-hour service," Burdwan District Magistrate Saumitra Mohan told PTI.


Mohan said that though the scheme, being run by the Burdwan Annapurna Foundation (BAF) with patronage from the town's business community and above all the district administration, philanthropic organisations and ordinary citizens, was basically meant for poor people, others could also have the food.


Already, Rs 40 lakh has been received as donation and more is expected, the DM said adding that the donations were received both in cash and kind which was audited, he said. Mohan said that citizens would be encouraged to render voluntary service at the BAF's restaurant.

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking cancellation of the interim bail been granted to Salman Khan by the Bombay High Court.

In what promises to be fresh trouble for the actor, a Special Leave Petition alleges that the Bombay HC hurriedly decided Salman's matter and that Salman's bail plea got an out of turn hearing.

Salman, who has been pronounced guilty by a Mumbai Sessions Court of all charges in the 2002 hit-and-run case, was granted interim bail for two days in 2002 hit-and-run-case.

What's brewing? MNS chief Raj Thackeray at Salman's residence. 

In a horrific incident, four young female athletes attempted suicide at the Sports Authority of India centre in Kerala, prompting a rattled Sports Ministry to launch an inquiry and promise the strictest possible action against any SAI official found guilty.


One of the athletes, a 15-year-old, died and three others, all undergoing training at Water Sports Centre of SAI in Alapuzha, were hospitalised after they ate a poisonous fruit in an apparent suicide pact following alleged harassment by seniors.


The Sports Ministry swung into action by ordering an inquiry and directing SAI Director General Injeti Srinivas to rush to Kerala for an on the spot assessment.


"I am deeply aggrieved by the incident that has happened in Kerala. The young girl who has died was a very promising sportsperson. It is a big loss to the country in general and Sports Authority of India and sports fraternity in particular. I convey my condolences to the bereaved family. We will give all possible help to the bereaved family," Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said in a statement.


"Three girls are still undergoing treatment. I pray for their speedy recovery. To provide them the best possible treatment is our top priority. Local police is investigating the matter. I have also directed the Director General of SAI to rush to the spot and give me a factual report. I have specifically directed him to ensure that the best possible treatment is made available to the three girls who are undergoing treatment.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi has finally made the leap to social media. Rahul has always carefully stayed away from Twitter, despite senior Congress leaders advising him to join in.


But in signs of a changed Rahul (ever since he returned from his sabbatical) his office opened a Twitter account on Tuesday night -- @OfficeOfRG.


While @OfficeOfRG has just tweeted twice, it already has nearly 20,000 followers. Among the followers include a couple of Congress leaders like AICC secretary Suraj Hegde, Priyanka Chaturvedi, NSUI president Roji John and Tamil Nadu Congress chief E V K S Elangovan.


He has been following just three handles -- @nsui -- the National Students' Union of India handle, the @IYC -- the Youth Wing of the - Indian National Congress and @INCIndia -- the Indian National Congress.


Since his office only plans to tweet his activities, speeches and details of public programs, don't expect any tweets that seem remotely personal.

So far his office has tweeted that Rahul will embark on a 15 kilometre padyatra in Telangana's Adilabad district.


Either go the whole hog and tweet like the @PMO or don't.

And a followup to the big story yesterday -- Salman Khan's conviction and sentencing.

Today, his sister Arpita Khan thanked supporters for being with them in their tough time and says the family is leaving everything to God. Salman, 49, was sentenced by a sessions court to five years' rigorous imprisonment in the 2002 hit-and-run case, but he swiftly moved the Bombay High Court which granted him interim bail till May 8 to hear his appeal against conviction.


"Today was a day filled with ups and downs, highs and lows. We leave the rest to God and hope and pray for the best. Thank you all for being with us!," Arpita posted on Twitter last night.


The "Dabangg" star's two brothers, sisters and parents were by his side when he visited the court yesterday. Arpita tied the knot with Aayush Sharma last year in a grand ceremony hosted by Salman.

Rajnath Singh's rebuttal: "Rahul Gandhi just said that an entity initially sold at Rs 2 is later bought at Rs 10, he knows little. Potatoes worth Rs 2 are sold in forms of Rs 50-75 per packet too, not just Rs 10. Yeh jaadu humne nahi kiya, yeh jaadu inki sarkar ne kiya hai."

The home minister, however, assured Rahul that he would look into the Amethi foodpark issue. Rahul is the the Lok Sabha MP from Amethi and has faced severe criticism for neglecting his constituency.

A resurgent Rahul Gandhi attacks the government over the closing down of the Food Park in Amethi, his Lok Sabha constituency. Looking at the Treasury Benches, Rahul, says, "Mein bhaiyya suit ki baat nahin, aalu ki kar raha hoon."


Rahul speaking about the low price of farmer compensation for their produce. "Saathi kisan ne poocha, hum aloo bechte hai Rs2 per kg, lekin jab hamare bachche chips kharidtein hai to Rs10 ka packet hota hai.Yeh kaisa jaadu hai?

"All I want to say is the Food Park in Amethi will bring a massive change in the lives of farmers, please don't cancel it," he said.

This is the third time Rahul is speaking in Parliament in this session of Parliament. Rahul had attacked the Modi government in his earlier speech calling it suit boot ki sarkar.

Home minister Rajnath Singh responds saying he was in a farmer's family and says Rahul knows little about farmers.

On 12th May, Rahul Gandhi, will begin a 15-km padyatra in Telangana's Adilabad District covering five villages, starting from Wadial Village, tweets Rahul's office. Mr G is finally on Twitter. Possibly one of the many things he 'introspected' about on his two-month long leave.


Extending his outreach to farmers, the Congress vice president will embark on a two-day tour of Telangana on 11 May, wherein he would undertake a 'padyatra' and interact with farmers in Adilabad district. Gandhi will stay at Nirmal in the district on 11 May night and start his padyatra next morning.

"I don't expect to change the minds of any of the 35 writers who have now joined the protest against PEN America giving an award to Charlie Hebdo magazine.


"Some of the signatories I respect hugely, one or two sycophantic wind-vane weasels on the list I would normally ignore, and at least one of the signatories is a close friend, someone who I'm sure has given this whole business much thought. How this motley bunch ends up signing one ill-judged letter I don't know, but they're wrong. Here's why."

Read Ruchir Joshi's piece on the protest against the Charlie Hebdo award.

Polling stations across the United Kingdom have thrown open their doors. A total of 650 Westminster MPs will be elected, with about 50 million people registered to vote. According to the Guardian, it looks like another hung parliament is in the offing, with the Labour and the Conservatives tied at 35per cent votes each.

Sympathising with the actor, the politician says it feels like a sword hanging over your neck at all times.

The death toll from the devastating earthquake that struck Nepal jumped to 7,757 with another 16,390 people injured. A majority of these deaths are from Sindupalchowk district, which has witnessed a massive devastation after the quake, Nepal police said. The Nepal home ministry said that a total of 2,79,234 houses have been completely damaged and 2,37,068 partially damaged due to 7.9 magnitude quake.

The death toll from the devastating earthquake that struck Nepal jumped to 7,757 with another 16,390 people injured. A majority of these deaths are from Sindupalchowk district, which has witnessed a massive devastation after the quake, Nepal police said. The Nepal home ministry said that a total of 2,79,234 houses have been completely damaged and 2,37,068 partially damaged due to 7.9 magnitude quake.

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday issued a notice to the Punjab government and Orbit Aviations in the Moga molestation case. The bench headed by Hemant Gupta also directed the Punjab government to give details of government-run buses, buses run by private owners and ownership pattern of these private buses. Orbit Aviation has also been impleaded as party in the case. The HC has also sought details of action taken against driver conductors and others in the case. The next hearing has been fixed for May 15.

A local court will take up today the appeals filed by Satyam Computers founder B Ramalinga Raju and nine others, seeking suspension of their sentences in the multi-crore accounting fraud in the erstwhile IT company.  Raju, the kingpin of the scam, and nine other convicts, currently lodged in Cherlapally Central Prison, had filed the appeals in the MSJ court on Monday, challenging their conviction by the Additional Chief Metropolitan Sessions Court in the over Rs 7,000-crore scandal that came to light in 2009.

Former chief ministers of Karnataka B S Yeddyurappa and HD Kumaraswamy have been booked under several sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the IPC for their actions in the denotification of land in Bengaluru. The two leaders are accused of denotifying land at Matadahalli Layout in R T Nagar, now a prime neighbourhood. 

There's only an hour left to go before Britain begins its polling in its 2015 grand election. Ahead of the crucial vote, the Labour and the Conservatives are tied neck and neck at 35 per cent each according to the preliminary results of the final Guardian/ICM campaign poll.

At least 11 people were killed and four others injured in an explosion in a firecracker factory at Pingla in West Midnapore district, the police said.   "So far 11 bodies were recovered. Four others were injured and hospitalised,' district Superintendent of Police Bharati Ghosh said.   When asked about the reason for the blast, she said, "We are looking into it. Probably something went wrong during manufacturing of crackers.'   Police said all the victims were staff members of the firecracker factory where the blast occurred.

A day after Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas failed to appear before Delhi Commission for Women, Delhi Commission for Women's chief Barkha Shukla Singh said the panel has written to the home ministry, Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi and Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung seeking intervention in the matter. Singh said despite being summoned Vishwas twice, the AAP leader did not appear before the DCW. "We just wanted to protect life of a woman," said Singh.

More bad news for Salman? Public Prosecutor Pradeep Gharat has announced he will appeal the high court to enhance Salman's Khan punishment in the 2002 hit-and-run case. 

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will address the Lok Sabha today, said sources. The Congress VP is supposed to raise the issue of Amethi food park, which was scrapped by the Modi sarkar. The Rs 200-crore project was inaugurated in October 2013 by the Congress scion was supposed to bring investment to UP and give employment to 40,000 youths in Amethi and surrounding districts.

The US ambassador to India Richard R Verma rebuked the government's crackdown on non-governmental organisations, saying it could have a "chilling effect" on civil society.

Human traffickers could try to target vulnerable women and children displaced by a devastating earthquake in Nepal. The deadly earthquake that struck on April 25 killed thousands of people and made many more homeless.

A Japanese zoo has apologised after naming a baby monkey Charlotte in honour of the newborn British princess. The Takasakiyama Zoo, in southern Japan, was inundated with complaints after announcing the female macaque monkey's name on Wednesday. 

After much hesitation that has left him with a lot to catching up to do, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has reportedly joined Twitter. Gandhi's Twitter handle, called @officeof RG, had no bio on it and is yet to send out any tweet. The account, which carries a profile picture of the 44-year-old Gandhi, had more than 6,000 followers. 

Secretary of State John Kerry traveled to the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh on Wednesday to move forward a Saudi pledge to suspend its air war in Yemen as humanitarian conditions there continue to deteriorate.

The use of a personal email account run through a private server by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is not acceptable and happened without official's knowledge, the US State Department has told lawmakers. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clinched a deal to form a new government on Wednesday just before a deadline expired, but his coalition will rule by the slimmest of majorities in Israel's turbulent parliament.

Niger troops have deported more than 3,000 Nigerian fishermen and refugees escaping Boko Haram, forcing them to undertake a brutal three-day trek in which at least a dozen people died, an official and witnesses said today. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Kolkata on May 9 and is likely to visit the ailing Swami Atmasthanand Maharaj of Ramakrishna Math and Mission Order. 

Sudanese anti-aircraft crews shot down an "aerial target" near Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman, a military spokesman said today, after witnesses reported hearing explosions in the area. 

A co-pilot who purposely crashed a Germanwings A320 plane into the French Alps appeared to have rehearsed sending the jet into a deadly descent on another flight just two hours earlier, investigators said today. 

Thai authorities investigating people-smuggling said six more bodies were found today in the same patch of jungle bordering Malaysia where the remains of dozens of migrants were exhumed last week. 

More than 400 child soldiers have escaped the grip of armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo this year thanks to a string of operations targeting militants, the UN mission said today. 

After much hesitation that has left him with a lot to catching up to do, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday joined Twitter.