Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy, who has a strained relation with party supremo Mamata Banerjee, has expressed his desire to join Congress and also met the party vice-president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi, West Bengal Congress President Adhir Chowdhury said.

"Mukul Roy has expressed his desire to us that he wants to join Congress. He had also met our party leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi a few days back. His appeal to join the party is pending before the high command which is looking into it and will take the final call," Chowdhury told PTI.

Roy, however, neither denied nor accepted the claim. He told PTI when contacted, "Till now I am a member of the Trinamool Congress. This is not the right time to comment on this matter. I will say whatever I have to at the appropriate time."

"Several other parties are in touch with me, but I am still a member of the TMC," he added.

West Bengal Congress leader Abdul Mannan also said that Roy had two meetings with other state Congress leaders -- both in Delhi and in Kolkata.

Roy, who was once the number two in the TMC hierarchy, was shunned by the party leadership after he spoke against it on several occasions ever since he was interrogated by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the Saradha scam and much of his powers were taken away.

NDTV reports: A 25-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped by five men in South East Delhi's Dakshinpuri on Saturday evening.

All five accused have been arrested. The woman was travelling in an auto from Uttam Nagar in West Delhi to Defence Colony in South Delhi, when four people came in a Santro car and pulled the woman from the auto into their vehicle, she has alleged in her police complaint.

They then took her to Dakshinpuri in South Delhi, where along with another person, they gang-raped her, the woman added. After the incident, the accused dropped the woman to Defence Colony.

Taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi over his repeated attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today said the Congress Vice President should first do his homework well before levelling allegations on others.

"You never bothered to console those families at that time... neither the (AICC) president (Sonia Gandhi) nor the vice president (Rahul Gandhi), because your party was ruling at that time," Naidu told reporters, citing National Crime Records Bureau data that 1.6 lakh farmers committed suicide in the last 10 years in the country.

"Now that you are out of power and you just came here (Rahul's tour of Telangana) for a one-day trip and criticised the prime minister, ministers and the state and central governments," the Union minister for Parliamentary Affairs said.

Stepping up the attack on Gandhi, Naidu questioned the UPA government on low compensation paid to farmers who had relinquished their land under land acquisition processes. "What is that you (UPA government) have done. During your regime of 10 years, more than two lakh acres of farm land was acquired with a nominal compensation from farmers of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and also Harayana."

The RCB game against Delhi Daredevils was washed out but the Bengaluru skipper's spirits were far from being dampened. RCB have made it to the playoff and to make things even better girlfriend Anushka was there.   

Virat Kohli was spotted having a candid conversation with Anushka at the Chinnaswamy stadium today while play was halted.

The #RCBvsDD game in Bengaluru has been called off due to rain. Teams get a point each. #RCB are in #IPLplayoffs, @IPL tweets.

Photograph: PTI 

Former Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and Madhepura MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav today announced the formation of Jan Karanti Adhikar Morcha aimed at providing a "strong third option" to Bihar voters.

The move came after a marathon meeting held in Patna with his supporters, including people from various walks of life, and hours after Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said Bihar assembly elections scheduled later this year will be held in September-October.

"We are forming Jan Kranti Adhikar Morcha to provide a strong third option to the people of Bihar, who have been cheated by various political parties for the last 67 years. It will fight all wrongs in the society, it will fight the anti-people system, and bring in a revolution for development," Yadav told media persons.

He added that the front will stay away from segregations on the lines of caste, community and religion, and work for the people of Bihar. However, stopping short from announcing that JKAM will be a full-fledged political party, Yadav said a core committee of his supporters was being formed, which will decide on this aspect within two weeks.

Model and actor Shikha Joshi was found dead with her throat slit in the bathroom of her apartment in Mumbai residence today.

Shikha had worked in critically acclaimed Bollywood film BA Pass along with Shilpa Shukla.

She is originally from Delhi.

More details are awaited.

The last remaining section of Antarctica's Larsen B Ice Shelf, which partially collapsed in 2002, is quickly weakening and may disintegrate completely before the end of the decade amid warming climate, NASA has warned.

The study predicts that Larsen B Ice Shelf measured 11,512.5 square kilometres in January 1995. It went down to 6,664.04 square kilometres in February 2002 after the major disintegration, and a month later Larsen B was down to 3,462.81 square kilometres.

At present the Larsen B remnant is about 1,600.61 square kilometres, less than half the size of Rhode Island, the smallest US state. The NASA study found the remnant of the 10,000-year-old Larsen B Ice Shelf is flowing faster, becoming increasingly fragmented and developing large cracks.

Two of its tributary glaciers also are flowing faster and thinning rapidly. Ice shelves are extensions of glaciers and function as barriers. Their disappearance means glaciers potentially will diminish more quickly, as well, increasing the pace at which global sea levels rise.

A team led by Ala Khazendar of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, found evidence of the ice shelf flowing faster and becoming more fragmented. The flow is creating large cracks in the ice shelf. "These are warning signs that the remnant is disintegrating," Khazendar said.

AIADMK legislator P Vetrivel resigned today and his resignation has been accepted, the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly secretary said.

A statement issued by assembly secretary AMP Jamaludeen said Vetrivel -- who represented the Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency --resigned from the membership of the assembly and it has been accepted. No reason for his resignation was given in the statement and Vetrivel was not available for comments, India Today reports.

The development led to speculation that AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa may contest from Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency in north Chennai in her bid to get re-elected to the assembly.

Read the complete story here

Mukhtar Ahmad reports from Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today exhorted the withdrawal of the travel advisories imposed by several European nations on Kashmir as "it was as safe to travel to as any other destination in the world'.  

Mufti highlighted the issue at a meeting with Michael Steiner, ambassador of Germany to India. The ambassador who called on the chief minister is on a three-day visit to the Valley.  

During their meeting, Mufti discussed with the German ambassador several issues of mutual interest, especially those related to increasing footprint of tourists to Kashmir from European countries, adopting best practices in solid waste management and developing skills through vocational training.   

Steiner, according to an official statement informed the chief minister that Germany officially recommends its citizens to travel to Kashmir. He offered to cooperate on changing the negative perception created about safety of tourists while visiting the valley.   Mufti also referred to the 'Jammu and Kashmir Travel Mart' that Kashmir is hosting for the first time since 1988. "Delegates from 20 countries are also participating in the Mart which I think should do a lot in changing perceptions back home on travelling to the Paradise on Earth,' he stated.

Germany's foreign intelligence agency helped the Central Investigation Agency track down Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, before the Al Qaeda leader was killed by US special forces in May2011, according to a media report today.   

Germany's BND spy agency informed the CIA that bin Laden was hiding in Pakistan with the knowledge of Pakistani security authorities, German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle said citing a Bild am Sonntag report.   

The report said that German spy agency received the information from an informant within Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency. This knowledge is said to have confirmed CIA suspicions.   

The BND provided help before the operation that killed bin Laden, using its base in the Bavarian town of Bad Aibling to monitor telephone and email traffic in northern Pakistan, it said.   

Pakistan has denied that it had any knowledge about  bin Laden hiding within its territory. It has also denied that it received any information about the US special forces' operation that killed bin Laden in May 2011 in the garrison city of Abbottabad, the West Point of Pakistan.   

The German newspaper said that ultimately the US tracked down bin Laden by shadowing one of his couriers. The US has also maintained that position.

With Parliament approving the historic Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh, the RSS has demanded that it should be followed up by sealing of borders to check illegal immigration from the eastern neighbour.   

While welcoming the Indo-Bangladesh deal as "landmark", the RSS warned the Government of a "Jammu and Kashmir-like imbroglio on India's eastern border" if illegal immigration from Bangladesh is not checked.   

"This landmark deal should be followed up with the illegal migration issue. Otherwise, in future, we will have to deal with another Jammu-Kashmir like imbroglio on the eastern border... Now with borders marked, it is time to address the issues pertaining to illegal immigration," an editorial in the latest edition of RSS mouthpiece Organiser said.   

It made a case to stop "illegal immigration" on the grounds that it had altered the demography of the county and compromised national security.    "The illegal migration and subsequent changes in demography have resulted in vote bank considerations surpassing national security concerns," it says accusing both the previous Left government and the incumbent TMC dispensation led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of not reining in the trend.   

There are an estimated 1.5 crore illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in India, it alleged.

Mongolian Prime Minister Chimediin Saikhanbileg hosts a special dinner for Narendra Modi and the Indian dlegation at official residence Ikh Tenger.

"We Mongolians take immense pride in our long historic &  cultural bonds with the people of India," said Saikhanbileg.

"In space of a day we have given our ancient relationship new strength & momentum." Modi said at the State Dinner. 

Photograph: @MEA/Twitter

A woman Maoist was killed and another injured in an encounter while eight others were arrested by the security forces in Bihar's Gaya district, a senior CRPF official said today.

Acting on a tip off that some Maoists had gathered near Tiletand locality to collect Rs 2 crore from a construction company last night, four companies of CRPF's COBRA battalion rushed there and in the ensuing encounter which continued throughout the night a woman Maoist was killed and another injured, CRPF IG (Bihar-Jharkhand) Arun Kumar said.

The gunbattle between the security forces and the Maoists was still on, he said. A walkie talkie, an Insas rifle and a haul of ammunition were recovered from the spot, Kumar said.

The eight-year-old SUV used by social activist Aanna Hazare during various agitations, including Jan Lokpal movement, was today sold for Rs nine lakh in an auction at his native Ralegan Siddhi village in Ahmednagar district.

Pravin alias Atul Lokhande from Ahmednagar, who is closely associated with Hazare's activities, purchased the Mahindra Scorpio for Rs 9,11,000, Hazare's aide Datta Awari said. Apart from Lokhande, 14 people participated in the auction.

A new Innova car is likely to be purchased for Hazare, he said after the auction. "Anna needs a new vehicle because he is suffering from back pain, and travelling in the eight-year-old SUV, a Mahindra Scorpio, is aggravating it," Awari had earlier said.

The SUV is owned by Hazare's Swami Vivekanand Krutudnata Nidhi, a trust formed to govern the funds received by Hazare by way of awards. "This vehicle took Anna from place to place when he launched the Jan Lokpal movement," he said.

The Enforcement Directorate questioned Trinamool Congress MP and actor Mithun Chakraborty in connection with the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam.

During the questioning, the actor assured the agency that he would soon return the amount given to him by the said firm. Official sources said the TMC MP was questioned earlier this week at the fortified guest house of a central police organisation in Kolkata where his statement was recorded under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. 

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today accused senior bureaucrat Shakuntala Gamlin, who was appointed as the acting Delhi chief secretary by the Lt Governor, of favouring power companies and claimed that she wanted to trick the government into signing documents which would give Rs 11,000 crore to these firms.   

At his 'Auto Samwaad' public meeting in north Delhi's Burari, Kejriwal also alleged that the Narendra Modi government wanted to make the AAP dispensation "fail".   

"When our government was formed, she came to our power minister to sign a letter, saying that Reliance-owned power companies have applied for a loan of Rs 11,000 crore. She wanted the minister to sign the document and said it was just a formality. When our minister got this letter checked, it turned out to be a guarantee letter. If Reliance-owned power companies failed to pay the loan, the burden would come on the people and the rates in Delhi would have increased two-three fold,"he said.

He added that his government would keep a tab on Gamlin's work as acting chief secretary for the next 10 days and would ensure that every file going to the chief secretary's office passes through the Chief Minister's Office.

Kejriwal said that Gamlin was appointed the chief secretary of Delhi despite objections raised by his government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said mineral-rich Mongolia could benefit from India's expertise and high growth while praising the Buddhist country as the new bright light of democracy in the world.   

Modi, who was given a rare honour by Mongolia to address its Parliament on Sunday, a holiday, said, "I bring the greetings of your 1.25 billion spiritual neighbours. There is no higher form of a relationship; no bonds more sacred than this. We in India are honoured that you think of us this way."   

The PM said India and Mongolia are at an important juncture because the two countries are celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations and Mongolia is celebrating 25 years of democracy. "Mongolia is the new bright light of democracy in our world," Modi told the lawmakers at the State Great Hural -- the Parliament.   

"Today, Indians and Mongolians are telling the world that the bonds of hearts and minds have the strength to over comethe barriers of distance," he said, adding friendship between them will give lessons and hold lessons for the whole world.   

The Bihar Assembly elections may be months away, but political parties have already sounded the poll bugle. Although it is expected to be a bipolar fight, neither side seems to be ready for what promises to be a fierce battle, says Satyavrat Mishra in Business Standard. 

Foes turned friend, Lalu Prasad of the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal-United, along with the Congress, may claim to represent 45 per cent of votes as per the 2014 Lok Sabha elections data.

However, the baggage both political groups carry is so heavy as to prevent them from moving forward; and the anti-incumbency factor is making several JD-U legislators nervous.

And then, there are differences over the seat-sharing arrangement. These differences have finally forced the RJD chief to rule out a full JD-U-RJD merger ahead of the Bihar elections.

The JD-U leadership, which has tried very hard to forge a new party with the merger of six parties born out of the erstwhile Janata Dal, is now wondering whether the idea is feasible at all. The Bharatiya Janata Party, while still basking in the glory of last year's impressive victory, is trying not to repeat the mistakes it made in last year's by-polls for the state Assembly. In August 2014, the saffron party was routed by the JD-U-RJD-Congress combine in the by-polls and could win only four out of 10 seats.

There was also substantial erosion in the BJP's vote share from 45 per cent to 37 per cent and that too in just three months after the Lok Sabha elections.

The party is a divided house in Bihar and it is not in a position to project anyone as a chief ministerial candidate, which has not gone down well with its traditional voters. The odds still seem to favour the party but leadership differences seem too deep to paper over.

Read the full column here

Just in: Elections in Bihar will be held sometime in September-October: Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi tells PTI.

He said extensive central forces to be deployed in the state to check muscle power. A reworked expenditure monitoring system will be deployed to curb money power, he added.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today outlined the road map for the second year of the NDA government which includes making taxation more reasonable and improving the ease of doing business in India.

Maintaining the speed of reforms and eliminating discretion would be the thrust areas of the government going forward as it completes one year in office, he told PTI in an interview.

The finance minister also dismissed any perception that nothing has moved on the ground on the policy front in reviving the economy and said that view was confined only to a section of critics. Answering a question about voices from India Inc. complaining that the government was not walking the talk, Jaitley said there was no such "overwhelming perception".

Some of the reports complaining about the economy not having taken off were "inspired news items referring to a dozen people without naming a single", he said.

A section of corporates voicing disappointment were those who were used to a "system of largesse", according to the minister. As for taxation, he said, the effort would be to make it "more reasonable".

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will approach President Pranab Mukherjee over appointment of acting chief secretary.

The confrontation over the appointment turned into a full blown war between AAP government and Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, with Kejriwal asking him to work "within the confines" of Constitution and alleging that he was trying to take over the administration.

Hours after senior bureaucrat Shakuntala Gamlin took charge as acting chief secretary despite being asked not to do so by the AAP government, Kejriwal shot off a strongly-worded letter to Jung, accusing him of trying to render the elected government "ineffective" and violating laid down norms. 

"We have proof that Gamlin was lobbying for power companies," said Kejriwal. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is having a busy day in Mongolia.

After visiting the Gandan Tegchilen monastery, addressing the Parliament, laying foundation stone of IT Centre at the Mongolian University of Science and Technology, he visited the National Cancer Center of Mongolia, Ulan Bator where he handed over the Bhabhatron equipment.

He is now enjoying the mini Naadam festival at Chingisiin Khuree Camp where he tried is hand at archery. The festival celebrates Mongolia's nomadic past.  

Two policemen and two Maoists were today killed in a gunbattle between security personnel and ultras in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district.   

A police jawan was also injured in the incident. The face-off between the security personnel and Naxals took place in a dense forest under Mirtur Police Station limits this morning, Bijapur Additional Superintendent of Police Indira Kalyan Elesela said.   

A joint contingent of STF and district police force was on an anti-Naxal operation in Gangaloor and Mirtur areas, around 450 km away from the state capital. When the team reached Mirtur forests, a group of armed rebels opened indiscriminate firing on them following which the police personnel retaliated, he said.   

After the gun fight that lasted for around two hours,the Naxals escaped into the core forests. "A special task force jawan and another from district police force died in the incident while one was injured. Besides, two Naxals were also killed in the incident," he said.

Giving the Modi government 7 out of 10 for its first year's performance, industry body Assocham today said it still needs to cover some ground on tax issues and a lot more needs to be done on improving ease of doing business.

The country's macro-economic situation has improved in the past one year with decline in inflation, stability in currency and attractive financial markets, it said. "However, the NDA government has to cover some ground in terms of taxation issues, particularly with regard to FIIs' problems on retrospective liabilities and in taking big-ticket infrastructure projects off the ground," Assocham said in a statement.

It also said a lot more needs to be done on improving ease of doing business at the state level. "The industry and the commentators must realise that an economy of two trillion dollars, well integrated with the world, can't be catapulted into high growth, just with the change of the government. "

However much the government is sincere, policy tweaking, legislative changes and revival of investment appetite need to be followed by increase in consumer demand, and would take time of say, 24-30 months.

"And then, a lot would also depend on the global markets which are subdued," Assocham said.

The war of words over appointment of Delhi's acting chief secretary today continued with Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju accusing the AAP government of indulging in character assassination of a lady IAS officer from the Northeast and "disobeying" the Constitution.   

The minister said the officer's appointment was made by the LG as per the rules and the Delhi government was making allegations against her without any proof. "This is nothing but character assassination of a lady IAS officer from the Northeast. They are saying she is incapable. What are the charges against her. If she is involved in any corruption, bring charges against her. By making public statements against her, they are just indulging in character assassination, it is an insult to the people of Northeast," he told PTI.   

Rijiju's comments came in the wake of the controversy over Arvind Kejriwal government's opposition to the appointment of Shakuntala Doley Gamlin as acting chief secretary of Delhi by Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung. Gamlin hails from Assam.   

The minister said the officer's appointment was made by the LG as per the rules and the Delhi government was making allegations against her without any proof.  "What are charges against her. If you have proof, show it," he said.

And more selfie diplomacy. After a selfie with Chinese Premier  Li Keqiang which was hailed by western media as one of the most "power-packed selfie in history", today Modi took a selfie with Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj  

In Mongolia, PM Narendra Modi ays the foundation stone of IT Centre at the Mongolian University of Science and Technology.

Just in: Kabul police say the suicide attack took place close to an airport entrance used by foreign military vehicles.

Two teenage girls were killed in the attack, with more casualties feared and at least 20 wounded, reports BBC. 

A spokesman for the interior ministry, Najib Danish, told reporters that one foreign vehicle and two civilian vehicles were damaged in the attack.

A police spokesman told Reuters news agency that the suicide attack appeared to have been targeting NATO troops.

Details awaited.

Narendra Modi becomes the first Indian prime minister to visit Mongolia. He tweeted, "I am delighted to visit Mongolia, a country of great people and a land infinite beauty."

Addressing the Parliament in Mongolia, Modi said earlier this morning, "India and Mongolia are at an important milestone. We are celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations."

"Bonds of hearts and minds have the strength to overcome the barriers of distance," Modi said in his address to the Mongolian Parliament.

"But, I have no doubt that our relations will progress along every avenue of the new age," he added. "Convergence of Buddhism and democracy provides us a path to build an Asia of peace and cooperation, harmony and equality."

Just in: A large explosion outside airport rocks Afghan's capital Kabul, reports BBC. Causalities are feared. 

A police spokesman said the blast took place near the aviation directorate office outside the airport.

The attack comes three days after a group of gunmen targeted the Park Palace guest house in Kabul's Kolola Pushta area. Six Indians were in the building at the time, attending a concert by well-known Afghan classical singer Altaf Hussain. Fourteen civilians, among them four Indians, were dead in the attack.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for Wednesday's siege.

India today announced a creditline of USD 1 billion to Mongolia to expand its economic capacity and infrastructure, as they decided to upgrade their relationship from Comprehensive to "Strategic Partnership". 

Myanmar's government has said it is not responsible for the migrant boat crisis in south-east Asia, and may not attend an emergency summit on the issue.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's two brothers, Tony and Hugh Rodham, could be a problem for her presidential campaign. Over the years, the pair has been at the center of multiple controversies for their business dealings and Republicans are already using them to attack Clinton.

Snatched by people traffickers in his native Bangladesh and forced onto a migrant boat, 14-year-old Absaruddin endured a weeks-long nightmare in which he almost starved to death, saw his relatives killed and was forced to jump overboard after being attacked. 

At least 48 civilians, including nine children, were killed today in regime air raids on Syria's northwest province of Idlib, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. 

One of the most important eyewitnesses to the Boston Marathon bombing never took the stand and never said a word to the jury. But what Bill Hoenk saw that day in April 2013 was key to the prosecution's case against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 

U.S special forces killed a man identified as a senior Islamic State leader during a raid into Syria, US officials said, as the jihadists battled for the Iraqi city of Ramadi and ancient Palmyra in Syria.

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Jihadists from the Islamic State group seized control today of the northern part of Syria's ancient desert city of Palmyra after fierce clashes with government forces, a monitoring group said.