The Gujarat government today announced a fresh relief of Rs 3 crore from Chief Minister's Relief Fund in addition to Rs 2 crore announced last week for victims of Uttarakhand disaster.

The decision was taken at a high-level disaster management meeting chaired by Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Last week, the Gujarat government had announced Rs 2 crore for the relief of those who were stranded in Uttarakhand after heavy rains, landslides and cloudbursts wrecked havoc there.

In today's meeting, held to take stock of the latest situation and chalk out plans for assisting those trapped there, a decision to grant Rs 2 lakh as compensation to the kin of those who had lost their lives in Uttarakhand was also taken, an official press release issued here said.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today condemned the militant attack on an army convoy here, saying such strikes would not demoralise the security forces.        

 

Immediately after the attack in which five army men were killed, the Chief Minister spoke to the Corps Commander of 15th Corps, Lt Gen G Singh, and expressed his condolences at the loss of lives.      

 

"Such high-profile attacks are aimed at restoring the shattered morale of militants while trying to demoralise the security forces," he said.           However, such strikes would not lower the morale of the security forces who have had great success in the past against militant groups, Omar said.

Defence Minister A K Antony today said the armed forces will continue their rescue efforts in rain-ravaged Uttarakhand till the last survivor is brought out safely.    

 

In a meeting to review the ongoing operations to provide help to the affected people in Uttarakhand, the Defence Minister complimented the IAF and the Army for continuing their missions despite bad weather conditions.    

 

"Our efforts will continue till the last survivor is rescued to safety," he said at the review meeting attended by the National Security Adviser, the three Services chiefs and top ministry officials.   

 

The meeting is understood to have discussed briefly role of the armed forces in reconstruction work in the hill state after the relief and rescue operations get over.

Downplaying questions over the belated visit of Rahul Gandhi to Uttarakhand, Congress today said it was not necessary that all leaders visit the calamity-hit state together and hamper relief and rescue work.        

 

The party also hit out at BJP for criticising the state government over the tragedy saying it has become an "obsessive compulsion disorder" of the latter to criticise.        

 

"Rahul Gandhi is not going there as a VIP. He is going there as a citizen, as the Vice President of Congress to oversee that the relief materials reach in place. Rahul did not say I am a Rambo and I did this and I did that," party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary told reporters as she tried to make a difference between Rahul's visit and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's tour of flood-hit area.        

 

"There are some people who have it in their habit to publicise everything that do. Had he been able to do this during Godhra, the situation would not have gone to that extent," she said.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna today said the remaining stranded people-- numbering about 10,000 -- in the flood-ravaged state are safe and that the mammoth multi-agency evacuation process will be completed in two to three days.    

"Worst is over now. All are safe in Badrinath, Harsil and Gangotri. The army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and National Disaster Response Force
are present there. It will take two to three days to finish the rescue work. Kedarnath valley is almost evacuated," Bahuguna told PTI over phone.   

As the state tries to recover from the floods and landslides triggered by the monsoon rain on June 16, Bahuguna said precautionary measures have been taken  in the wake of the forecast by the weather office that heavy to very heavy rainfall will hit the state over the next three days.   

"There are people stranded in Badrinath and Harsil but they are looked after. Army, ITBP and NDRF are present there.All the arrangements of food and water are made. As soon asthe weather permits, they will be evacuated," he said.    

Bahuguna also said the state did not require helicopters from other states.

Andhra Pradesh government today said that eight pilgrims from the state were killed in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand out of the total 2624 tourists.   

 

So far, 1500 pilgrims have either returned home or reached the AP Bhavan in New Delhi, a press release from the Chief Minister's Office said this evening.     Another 140 persons were staying in the AP Bhavan. Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who was on a tour of Visakhapatnam, spoke to his Uttarakhand counterpart Vijay Bahuguna over phone and discussed the rescue and relief operations.     

 

He thanked the Uttarakhand government for extending all possible help to the AP pilgrims.

All pilgrims stranded at Hemkunt Sahib in flood ravaged Uttarakhand have been safely evacuated, Punjab state government officials said today.        

 

Punjab Housing and Urban Development secretary A Venu Parsad, who is stationed at Rishikesh to oversee relief and rescue operations of pilgrims from Punjab said, till last night five thousand pilgrims have been safely dispatched to the state.        

 

Divulging details of rescue operations, DIG Punjab Police Khubi Ram said a fleet of 36 mini buses has been sent from Rishikesh to Joshi Math to bring back the stranded pilgrims.       

 

Punjab government has set up a base camp at Gurdwara Sahib in Rishikesh, which is 248 km from Joshi Math, Ram said adding that the Punjab Police is setting up its own wireless system at Joshi Math to enhance the communication network.

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Monday advised VIPs not to visit rain-ravaged Uttarakhand saying such visits created difficulties in relief and rescue operations.

"We advise all VIPs not to visit Uttarakhand now. All agencies are engaged in relief and rescue efforts...Such visits hamper their works," he told reporters in New Delhi.

Shinde's advise came on a day when Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi was visiting the disaster-hit hill state. The home minister said if any VIP does not listen to the advice he may not be given landing permission in Uttarakhand.

BBC reports: Former South African President Nelson Mandela remains in a critical condition in hospital, President Jacob Zuma says. Zuma said the doctors were doing everything they could to make the former leader comfortable, but he could not give any more medical details.

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According to an army spokesperson, four jawans have been killed and seven injured in militant attack on army convoy in Srinagar on eve of PM's visit.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will go ahead with his visit to Kashmir tomorrow despite the terror attack in Srinagar today. PMO sources said there is no change in the Prime Minister's schedule. Singh will be undertaking a two-day visit along with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to Jammu and Kashmir from tomorrow. During the visit, Singh is expected to announce a package for border areas of the state.

He was a witness to the plight of people affected by the devastating flash flood in Uttarakhand and it is no wonder that cricketer Harbhajan Singh has decided to help the victims in his own small way.

The India international will contribute Rs 10 lakh which will be utilised for the benefit of the victims of the tragedy. "I have decided to contribute Rs 10 lakh. A part of it will be donated to the Prime Minister's relief fund and the remaining part will go to the Punjab government's relief fund," Harbhajan told PTI today.

Exuding confidence that a strong third front would emerge after the Lok Sabha elections, Samajwadi Party general secretary Kiranmoy Nanda said even if his party bagged 40 seats, its chief Mulayam Singh Yadav would become the prime minister. 

A Delhi court has asked Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray to appear before it on July 26 in connection with a complaint about his alleged hate speeches against Bihar natives, rejecting his plea for exemption from personal appearance. 

CNN-IBN reports: Hizbul Mujahideen claims responsibility for attack on army convoy near Srinagar that claimed the life on two jawans.  

Reports our correspondent from New Delhi: Buzz from the DMK internal politics is that A Raja has fallen from grace of the DMK leadership. With the Congress getting closer to the DMK, the condition put forth by the Congress is that Raja should be silenced from demanding that the prime minister be summoned before JPC probing the 2G spectrum scam.

Reports our correspondent from New Delhi: Ghulam Nabi Azad is rushing to Chennai on Tuesday to meet Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi to assure him of the five votes of Tamil Nadu Congress MLAs to ensure the victory of his daughter Kanimozhi to the Rajya Sabha. Mukul Wasnik, who was appointed as general secretary in charge of Tamil Nadu is new to the DMK politics. Hence, Sonia Gandhi deputed Azad to mollify the DMK chief.

Reports our correspondent in New Delhi: The joke doing the rounds of the BJP headquarters in New Delhi: Is Rahul Gandhi vice-president of the International Congress Committee as he is a frequent traveller to Sweden, London, Italy and many a times to the Maldives. Incidentally, soon after BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi made a sarcastic comment on the issue during a press conference, Rahul Gandhi rushed back to India and made a special guest appearance at the AICC function to flag off relief supplies to the flood-ravaged state and later rushed to Uttarakhand.

Reports our correspondent in New Delhi: July is likely to be a crisis month for the UPA-2 as the Supreme Court to take up Coalgate on July 10. The Monsoon Session of Parliament to commence from July 22. The government will face the wrath from of the Bharatiya Janata Party for mishandling the Uttrakhand disaster. 

Mukhtar Ahmad reports: Ahead of the Prime Minister's visit to J&K tomorrow, a firing was reported at an army convoy in the Haidarpura area near Srinagar, the police said. Two jawans have been killed when terrorists attacked an army convoy near the Jammu-Muzzafarabad highway, according to a police source.

According to the source, paramilitary reinforcements have been called in.

Just In: The Uttarakhand government will not allow any other state government to undertake unilateral rescue effort, reports PTI quoting sources. The decision has obviously been taken following Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's blitz into the disaster-hit zone last week.

Bollywood Actor Salman Khan's review plea in the 2002 hit-and-run case has been rejected by the Mumbai's sessions court. The actor will be tried for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. He has been given a month's time to appear before the court.

If convicted for this charge, Salman faces a 10-year jail term.

One person was killed and four others were injured when an SUV ran over a group of people sleeping on the pavement outside a bakery in suburban Bandra on September 28, 2002.  

After a day's relief, the BSE benchmark Sensex today fell 233.35 points to close at its lowest level in over two months, as foreign funds resumed selling, mainly in realty and consumer durables sector stocks, after rupee fell to near record lows. 

United States Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday said US Vice President Joe Biden will visit India in July to continue talks between India and the US. 

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to announce a package for border districts of Jammu and Kashmir when he travels there tomorrow along with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on a two-day visit. 

The central government on Monday said that while over 8,000 people had been rescued from the flood-ravaged parts of Uttarakhand, 15,000 people were still feared trapped there.

Slamming the appointment of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as BJP's poll campaign committee chief, Congress MP Francisco Sardinha today said that the saffron party has gone "eight feet down" by making such a move.        

The state-owned NHPC today said power generation at Dhauliganga power station in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand has been stalled due to heavy damages to the plant and its infrastructure.        

Delhi Police will contribute Rs one crore from its personnel's salaries to Prime Minister's Relief Fund for Uttarakhand flood victims.        

Elaborate arrangements have been made to ensure the safe return of pilgrims from Tamil Nadu, who are stranded in Uttarakhand's calamity-hit Kedarnath and Badarinath, state government officials said today.        

A Gujarat high court judge today recused himself from hearing the petition filed by Addl DGP P P Pandey seeking the quashing of an FIR filed against him by the CBI in the 2004 Ishrat Jahan encounter killing case. 

Much to the embarrassment of the politicians and bureaucrats present at the venue, an air-conditioner stopped working during the joint press conference by United States Secretary of State John Kerry and External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.

A day before his concert in Los Angeles, teen pop star Justin Bieber tumbled down the stairs, injuring his neck. 

The National Disaster Management Authority, which has been under flak for its tardy response to the massive floods in Uttarakhand, on Monday defended its actions.

A MiG-29 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force has crashed near a village in Jamnagar in Gujarat.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday said former President Pervez Musharraf will be put on trial for treason for subverting the constitution.

CPI-M today termed as "very unfortunate and sad" political leaders claiming publicity over relief efforts in flood-devastated Uttarakhand.        

A senior Congress leader today asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to sanction a financial package for Goa to bail out people hit by the mining crisis.     

Andy Murray has admitted he may never win Wimbledon, as he prepares for another shot at the title.   

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who faced flak from the opposition for his absence at the time of the Uttarakhand disaster, will visit the flood-hit state today.        

The BCCI today announced monetary incentives for the members of the Indian cricket team including the support staff for winning the ICC Champions Trophy. 

The 4th India-US strategic dialogue meeting began in Delhi today.

The death toll in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand may cross the reported 1,000 mark after the debris is cleared, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said today.        

Banned organisation Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the killing of nine foreign tourists and their guide in Gilgit-Balitistan.   

Senior Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who is currently being held by Pakistani authorities, was instrumental in bringing the militant leadership to the negotiating table, according to a media report.        

Nearly 300 to 400 people from Madhya Pradesh are still missing in flood-hit Uttarakhand and efforts are going on to trace them, State Culture and Public Relations Minister Laxmikant Sharma today said.        

Fourteen American tourists -- stuck at Banjar camp in Himachal Pradesh's rain-ravaged Kinnaur district -- were evacuated and brought to Rampur as rescue operations to airlift 200 tourists and locals resumed today morning.        

The UN is closely monitoring the situation in north India, where torrential rains have triggered floods and landslides that have killed hundreds of people.        

Here is another 'divine' conspiracy theory about why Uttarakhand has been the target of nature's uninhibited fury recently.

The Supreme Court today dismissed Mamata Banerjee government's plea challenging a Calcutta high court order for a CBI probe into the alleged custodial death of a Trinamool Congress worker in Dhaniakhali police station area in Hooghly district of West Bengal. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping today hinted at a major expansion of China's space programme, saying the country is poised for "bigger strides" in space exploration after the success of various manned missions.        

Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi today flagged off relief material for the victims of flash floods in Uttarakhand.        

Vicky Nanjappa reports: A herd of 15 elephants have wrecked havoc and killed four persons at Kolar near Bangalore. 

ITBP personnel have suspended air rescue operations in Uttarakhand after a cloud cover formed near the Kedarnath and Badrinath axis, reports CNN-IBN.

An unattended bag outside the headquarters of the Indian Army's 15 Corps in Srinagar led to a bomb scare, resulting in a massive traffic jam on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway today.        

A senior police officer and his driver were gunned down by suspected militants in the restive Peshawar city of northwest Pakistan today, officials said.        

Two more landslides were reported in rain-ravaged Uttarakhand on Monday morning.

Much before it became a tourism hotspot, the grand temple of Kedarnath was a remote destination in a scantily populated region.

The BJP today criticised the Congress for making political statements over the Uttarakhand tragedy, saying the ruling party's leaders in the state and the Centre should instead focus on relief and rescue operations.        

The Opposition Congress has decided to boycott the monsoon session of the Chhattisgarh Assembly starting from July 15 to protest against the state government's 'failure' to provide security, which, it said, led to the Naxal attack on the convoy of party leaders in Bastar on May 25.        

Visitors from India, Pakistan, Nigeria and other Asian and African countries deemed 'high-risk' will be forced to pay a hefty cash bond of 3,000 pounds before they can enter the United Kingdom.       

Mumbai Police, who are probing an ATM skimming fraud, have established the identity of two foreign nationals involved in the case.        

Whistle-blower Edward Snowden 'betrayed' America by leaking information about its secret surveillance programmes, the US National Security Agency said today, as authorities sought cooperation from other countries where the former CIA operative attempts to seek refuge.

As many as 45 Improvised Explosive Devices set serially to target security forces were discovered near Maoist-affected Jhumra Hills in Bokaro district today, police said.        

The condition of former President Nelson Mandela is critical, the South African presidency has said, two weeks after the 94-year-old anti-apartheid icon was admitted to a hospital with a recurrent lung infection.        

Trinamool Congress would like to chart it own course and not have any alliance with the Congress or the NDA, TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said today.       

Pakistan today condemned a brazen terrorist attack on a mountaineering camp in a remote northern region that left at least nine foreign tourists dead, saying the incident was aimed at disrupting relations with China and other friendly countries.        

Union Tourism Minister T Chiranjeevi today criticised YSR Congress Party chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who has been in jail in connection with a disproportionate assets case.        

The United States today asked countries not to allow American whistleblower Edward Snowden to proceed ahead with any other international travel except for coming back home.