A dejected US President Barack Obama today strongly condemned the "senseless murders" of nine Americans by a white gunman inside a historic black church, saying such type of mass violence does not happen in other advanced countries.

France today said it is looking forward to conducting more joint naval exercises with India as part of its move to deepen strategic and defence ties with New Delhi.

The three-day 'Dakshin Abhyas' exercise which aims at practicing the operational plans of Southern Air Command concluded here today.

The man suspected of fatally shooting nine people at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, was given a gun by his father as a 21st birthday present in April, his uncle said.

Minister of State for External Affairs General V K Singh asserted that one-rank one-pension scheme would certainly be implemented.  "The prime minister has made a promise regarding OROP. It would be implemented. There was some delay because calculations are going on. Therefore it is taking time. Let's not lose heart. I have full faith in the PM. It would be implemented exactly as wanted by the retired armymen," Singh said.

Seeking to promote the International Yoga Day mid-air, state-run carrier Air India will on June 21 show a film on yoga across its flights, along with special in-flight announcement. Starting Sunday, the airline will hold the celebrations mid-air for the entire week, besides, conducting specific yoga and meditation courses during the period to mark the global event.

Shots have been fired at a separate church in the nearby state of Tennessee.   An unknown gunman have opened fire on a church in the 2000 block of Pendleton Street, Memphis. Police were reported to be on the scene, where a bullet was lodged in a wall of the church. There have been no reports of casualties.

Bhagvad Gita, a sacred ancient Indian scripture, has made its debut in China after its Chinese version was released during an international Yoga conference being held in the Communist nation. 

Breaking his silence over ongoing probe by ACB against his party colleague Chhagan Bhujbal, NCP chief Sharad Pawar came out in strong defence of the former deputy chief minister saying the investigators are more interested in "publicity" than conducting a "fair" inquiry. "Instead of conducting a fair probe, the investigators are more interested in leaking information to the media. This is surprising. I have handled the home department and this is not the manner in which investigation is done," Pawar said. 

Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam has come out in support of the Mumbai Audi crash victim's family's demand of revoking Jahnvi Gadkar's license.       

A French prosecutor says a judicial investigation has begun into the Germanwings jet crash that killed all 150 people on board. 

The Bombay High Court today directed unions of autorickshaw and taxi drivers to file an affidavit stating the reason behind their strike on June 15 and 17 in Mumbai. 

Police and federal law enforcement agencies were in the midst an all-out manhunt Thursday morning for the gunman they say is responsible for killing 9 people in a Charleston, South Carolina church Wednesday night in what police described as a hate crime.

An aftershock measuring 4.1 magnitude was recorded in Nepal today, nearly seven weeks after the Himalayan nation was jolted by one of the worst earthquakes that killed over 9,000 people. 

BJP patriarch L K Advani's concerns that "forces that can crush democracy are stronger" now and that Emergency like situation could emerge were seen by Congress as being aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi while AAP felt it is the "first indictment" of his politics.


As the remarks by the former deputy prime minister drew support from the opposition parties, the JD(U) said it should be considered seriously.


In the midst of a turf battle with the Centre on a range of issues, AAP leader and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wondered whether Delhi was the "first experiment" towards clamping Emergency while JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said his state was "facing" such situation on a daily basis".


Congress latched on to Advani's remarks, saying he was indeed hinting at "emergency-like" situation under Modi's rule. "Advaniji is vocal. What he had to say, he has said," Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said.

The CBI on Thursday initiated an inquiry against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his family members for allegedly amassing wealth of Rs 6.1 crore disproportionate to the known sources of income while serving as Union Minister of Steel.


CBI sources said the preliminary inquiry is against Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh, son Vikramaditya Singh, daughter Aparajita Singh and an LIC agent Anand Chauhan.

 
The PE will probe with a disproportionate assets perspective the alleged unexplained income of Rs 6.1 crore during the period 2009-11 when he was serving as the Minister of Steel in the UPA Government, the sources said.

 
They said it is alleged that Singh while serving as the Union Minister has invested Rs 6.1 crore in life insurance policies in his and his family members' names through LIC agent Chauhan.

Asserting that the BJP is not embarrassed by Sushma Swaraj helping Lalit Modi, Union Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda today hit back at the Congress saying it was the previous UPA government that allowed the former IPL chief to "run away" from the country.


"As far as Sushma Swaraj is concerned, the party is not embarrassed. Doing something for a person who is suffering from cancer (Modi's wife) is not an issue to be discussed," he said.


Gowda said the BJP and government was behind Swaraj because she helped Modi out of humanitarian consideration and did not make any attempt to stall the proceedings against the former IPL chief, who is facing money laundering and other charges.


On the political firestorm over Vasundhara Raje, who allegedly backed Modi's immigration plea and face trouble over reports that the former IPL chief had invested Rs 11.63 crore in a firm owned by her son Dushyant Singh in 2008, Gowda said the party would "certainly" look into the matter.


"As far as Raje's case is concerned, my party will certainly look into the matter. Our party will go into the details and only after getting the particulars take a decision on what needs to be done," Gowda added.

The Charleston police released this picture of the suspect who is believed to have shot dead nine people at a church last night. The shooter, is believed to be a white male, is currently at large. Police described the shooter as a clean-shaven white man, approximately 21-years-old wearing a grey sweatshirt, blue jeans and Timberland-style boots.


Nine persons, including a state senator, were killed on Thursday when a white gunman opened fire inside a historic black church in Charleston in the US state of South Carolina, in what police called a "hate crime".

Minister R S Rathore virtually rejects demand for Vasundhara Raje's resignation. Says she has been leading us and will continue to do so.

British MP Keith Vaz re-elected as chairperson of the select committee, Home Affairs. Vaz is also in the news courtesy external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who had met former IPL chief Lalit Modi at a hotel in London hotel in October 2014. She also met the British parliamentarian and Gopi Hinduja on the same trip.

Just in: The NIA arrests Noor-ul-Haque, alleged member of the banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, a Bangladeshi terror outfit, in Kolkata, in connection with the Burdwan blasts. 

At least 21 Indian soldiers taking part in a joint military exercise with UK injured in road accident in Salisbury.


The BBC reports that the army personnel were injured in a collision between three troop carriers on Salisbury Plain.


Two people with life-threatening injuries have been flown to Southampton General Hospital and eight with "serious injuries" to Salisbury. The collision happened in a field near Larkhill Camp at 18:30 UK time.


More than 100 soldiers from the First Battalion of the Kumaon Regiment of the Indian army are currently in Britain as part of a joint exchange exercise codenamed Ajeya Warrior.

It is not known who was involved in the crash. Wiltshire Police said four or five people had suffered "life-changing injuries". 

Representational image.

Among the smorgasbord of dinosaurs that feature in this summer's biggest blockbuster, Jurassic World, is the little-known Pachycephalosaurus.


It is pronounced (pak-ee-sef-a-low-sor -us), and the lizard-like creature has a habit of escaping its enclosure, reports the Independent.


Now, this is a fast-paced action film so there is no time for such lengthy paleontological words, leading a character to at one point abbreviate and shout: "The Pachys are out of containment!"


Phonetically this sounds like a wildly racist slur (Pakis), and it has left some viewers squirming uncomfortably in their seats. 

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has neither sought an appointment with BJP chief Amit Shah nor has she been denied a meeting, her office today said amid claims that the party leadership had distanced itself in the wake of allegations against her in the Lalit Modi scandal.


In a statement in Jaipur, the Press Advisor of the Chief Minister's Office said that a few news channels showed that Raje desired an appointment from Shah but she was denied a meeting, which was "untrue".  It also refuted reports that 30 BJP MLAs went to Delhi in support of Raje.


The CMO advised media that they should confirm news contents before publishing or broadcasting them.


After it was alleged that Raje had supported scam-tainted former IPL chief Lalit Modi's immigration plea in Britain, she had yesterday called up Shah and explained her position. Sources had said Raje discussed with Shah the claims made by Lalit Modi and told the party chief that she did share family ties with the former IPL boss but there is no wrongdoing on her part.


They said Raje has sought to explain her ties between the two families and her friendship with Modi's wife but the documents being circulated in the media are "unverified and unsigned".

The Monsoon session of Parliament is likely to begin on July 20. On the agenda during the session will getting the Land Acquisition Bill, GST and other important bills passed.


The parliament is expected to be in session for 20 days, possibly till August 14, after which it will adjourn sine die. 


The Lalit Modi-Sushma Swaraj-Vasundhara Raje Scindia is likely to disrupt the session and therefore it is being curtailed by four working days.


A decision has to be taken before Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on his five-nation tour from July 5.


A internal note accordingly from the Union Ministry of  Parliamentary Affairs is being prepared for the consideration of the Prime Minister's Office and also for the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs.


Earlier indications were that that the monsoon session would begin from July 13, Monday, but the Prime Minister is returning that afternoon, so the session will be summoned mid week, beginning July 20 .


Modi will visit Russia to attend 7th BRICS Summit slated for July 8 and 9. He will also visit five central Asia countries thereafter.

Congress leader Ajay Maken decodes LK Advani's Emergency fears: "If the PM thinks and wants to act as the PM, FM, HM and EAM all-in-one, then thats not possible.  This attribute is what I think Advaniji was pointing at."


Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader LK Advani ruffled party feathers by saying that an Emergency-like situation can happen again in India.

'I do not say that the political leadership is not mature. But I dont have the confidence that Emergency cannot happen again," Advani has said in an interview in the Indian Express, days ahead of the 40th anniversary of the imposition of the Emergency on June 25, 1975.

A rare picture of Pandit Nehru doing yoga. This is what what he wrote on the shirasana.

"Among my exercises one please me particularly -- the shiorshasana, standing on the head with the palms of the hands, fingers interlocked, supporting the back of the head, elbows on the floor, body vertical, upside down. I suppose physically this exercise is very good; I liked it even more for its psychological effects on me. The slightly comic position increased my good humour  and made me a little more tolerant of life's vagaries."

Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) on the Sushma Swaraj-Lalit Modi issue: "This has to be thoroughly probed. Accountability must be fixed and guilty be punished. Till the probe is over neither EAM nor the CM of Rajasthan should continue to remain in office.  

Aakar Patel has worn a lot of hats in his time. Stockbroker, editor, publishing salesman, columnist, media agency director, podcaster and from today, Executive Director of Amnesty International India.


The renowned journalist, who is known for being more than forthright with his views, is set to take charge of the non-governmental organisation at a time when the government has made it clear that it isn't very favourably disposed towards activists of the human rights' tribe.

Read more

Narendra Modi tweets: From the Siachen Base Camp -- the Indian Army Personnel practising Yoga, all geared up for #YogaDay!

Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan appeared before a city court to depose in relation to the infamous 2012 midnight brawl case. The actor had allegedly assaulted an NRI businessman named Iqbal Sharma and his father-in-law, following an unpleasant altercation. The court has referred the matter for mediation after consent from both the parties.

Lalit Modi's travel diaries with Naomi Campbell, Paris Hilton.... See

Yet another controversy surrounding Lalit Modi. After his links with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, it has now emerged that the former IPL chief had contacted a Mumbai lawyer last October to seek advice on the murder case involving two Italian Marines in India.


The Indian Express reports that the Modi's lawyer Zulfikar Memon had  visited Modi in London while on his way back to India from a trip to New York in October, and handed over a report prepared by him on the case. Memon said he also asked Modi what his interest was in the case. He just said someone higher-up wanted to know," Memon told the Indian Express.


The murder case involves two Italian Marines Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone who were arrested for allegedly shooting dead two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast in 2012, after mistaking them for pirates.

NRI businessman brawl case: Saif Ali Khan appears before Qila Court, Mumbai.

Rahul Gandhi today visited the family of a debt-ridden Punjab farmer who committed suicide last week, barely a month after he had met the Congress Vice President to apprise him of farmers' distress due to unseasonal rains. Rahul, who reached Daduwal village here this morning, consoled the family members of 60-year-old Surjit Singh and assured them of all support.


Surjit, who met Rahul in Sirhind on April 28, had committed suicide by consuming poison on June 10 after suffering heavy crop loss.


Today was the 'bhog' (a post-death ritual) ceremony. Rahul spent around 20 minutes with Surjit's family and other villagers. He did not interact with the media.


Local Congress MLA Kuljeet Singh Nagra accompanied Rahul. No senior party leader was present as the visit was kept low profile by Congress, party sources said. Surjit's family members said that Rahul assured them that he will take up the issue with the Centre.


They alleged that no one from the ruling Akali Dal and BJP had bothered to enquire about their plight. Surjit had briefed the Congress leader during his visit to three grain markets in Punjab recently to take stock of "tardy" wheat procurement in Punjab.


While explaining the farming community's distress to Rahul, he had said: "If the farmers' issues remain unresolved, many farmers might commit suicide." Rahul had visited Punjab shortly after he came back from his 57-day break from active politics.

Scores of passengers waiting at a public bus stand in Kalpetta - a small town lying on the Kozhikode-Mysore National Highway in Wayanad district of Kerala, were left shocked after the TV screens across the KSRTC depot started playing porn.


The passengers and bus depot officials were treated to a full 30-minute of X-rated porn on Tuesday morning.  Read more

"We are all behind Sushma Swaraj. And I am sure any good acts done in the government can't be positioned the way they are being positioned," says BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy

Lalit Modi's claim yesterday that his wife who has been fighting metastatic cancer for 17 years could walk away after treatment in a Portugal clinic doesn't surprise oncologists.


Senior doctors who are not associated with the treatment of Minalini Modi say there could be circumstances in which patients could quickly return to their daily activities after treatment for relapse of their cancers. "Every cancer, every patient is different - without details, we would only be speculating but recovery periods can vary from person to person, it can be long for some, quick for others," said Ashok Vaid, a medical oncologist based in New Delhi.

Read more

Having weathered many political storms since it was founded by Bal Thackeray to take up the cause of "regional identity" in 1966, Shiv Sena faces the challenge of positioning itself as "numero uno" in Maharashtra again as it turn 50 tomorrow.


"At present because of peculiar circumstances, Shiv Sena is playing second fiddle," Sena MP Sanjay Raut, who is also the executive editor of party mouthpiece 'Saamana', said in an apparent reference to former ally BJP upstaging it as the dominant partner.


"Shiv Sena has accepted the challenge to become numero uno again," he says as the party prepares for a year-long Golden jubilee celebrations.


The party was founded on June 19, 1966 in Mumbai. The 2017 Mumbai municipal elections will be a litmus test of the BJP-Sena alliance where a resurgent BJP is likely to assert itself in the seat sharing talks with Shiv Sena that has been ruling Asia's richest civic body for more than two decades.

The saffron alliance had split ahead of the 2014 state Assembly polls only to reunite to form the BJP-led government.

AIADMK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who is contesting the June 27 bypoll to Radhakrishnan Nagar assembly constituency, will hit campaign trail on June 22, the party said today.


In her one-day programme, she will campaign in different places and address two public rallies. Jayalalithaa has set up a 50-member election committee which includes 28 ministers, to work for AIADMK's victory.

A 28-year-old Bangladeshi, one of the main accused in the sexual assault of a septuagenarian nun at a Ranaghat convent school, has been arrested from Sealdah railway station in Kolkata.


Nazrul aka Nazu was arrested from Sealdah station while he was getting down from a local train late last evening, SS CID Chittaranjan Nag said today.


"Our sources informed us that Nazrul was trying to reach Kolkata. Working on the tip-off, our officers were waiting for him at Sealdah station and caught him when he was getting down from Bongaon local (suburban train)," Nag said.


Asked where he was hiding since the crime took place in March, Nag said, "He was hiding somewhere in the border areas of Bangladesh. Probably after he was chased by the police there, he sneaked past the border to get into India. He was trying to flee somewhere."


Read this for a backgrounder of the case: Ranaghat robbery and rape: 'Nuns had received threatening calls'

At least nine persons were killed today when an unidentified gunman opened fire inside a historic black church in Charleston in the US state of South Carolina, whose governor is Indian-American Nikki Haley.


Eight persons died inside the church, while another one was declared dead at a hospital. The police is searching for a suspect. "We're still gathering information so it's not the time yet for details," Charleston Mayor Joe Riley said.


"I will say that this is an unspeakable and heartbreaking tragedy in this most historic church, an evil and hateful person took the lives of citizens who had come to worship and pray together," he said in a statement.


A meeting was going on at the time of the shooting at the church at around 9 pm local time. South Carolina Governor Haley said her family was praying for the victims and families touched by the senseless tragedy.


It is one of the worst mass shootout in the history of the State. "While we do not yet know all of the details, we do know that we'll never understand what motivates anyone to enter one of our places of worship and take the life of another," she said in a statement.


"Please join us in lifting up the victims and their families with our love and prayers," she added. The police said it is looking for a clean-shaven slender white male in his 20s. No information has been released yet about the victims. A man was later seen being led away by police officers, but it was unclear whether he was the suspected gunman. Helicopters were seen hovering above the area.

Monied American Muslims are more and more inclined to travel eastwards for the holy month of Ramadan.

In the latest instance of a big company trying to silence the common man, an Indian techie who exposed an Israeli firm which has been helping Airtel to 'spy' on users and make money from them without their permission, has been threatened with a criminal lawsuit.

A Los Angeles man ordered fried chicken from a KFC restaurant in Willowbrook but instead got a plate of crispy, breaded fried rat, he claims.

Russia accused NATO on Wednesday of reviving the ghost of the Cold War by encroaching close to its borders and seeking to change the strategic balance of power, as Germany denounced Moscow's nuclear weapons build-up as a Soviet-style reflex.

Jane Corbin for the BBC: A recent controversial account of the death of Osama Bin Laden claims there was a conspiracy at the highest levels of the US and Pakistani government to assassinate him.

The police have shot and killed a white tiger that killed a man Wednesday in Tbilisi, Georgia, a ministry of internal affairs representative said, after severe flooding allowed hundreds of wild animals to escape the city zoo.

Do you swear on Whatsapp? Do you live in the UAE? Then you'd better stop. A new federal law governing internet users says that using cuss words on the messaging app could cost you a Dh250,000 ($68,000 approx) fine and jail time.

The state government will amend section 1 of the Maharashtra Rajyabhasha Act, 1964, to remove the existing ambiguity and clearly mention Marathi as the official language, Education Minister Vinod Tawde said here today.

The Palestinian unity government resigned on Wednesday in a deepening rift with Gaza as the blockaded territory's de facto rulers Hamas held separate, indirect talks with Israel.

Possible Modi-Sharif meeting in Russia next month?
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BJP, Cong leaders meet UP governor, demand justice for scribe
Congress workers burn PM, Swaraj effigies over Modigate
Make sure Lalit Modi returns to face trial: Chidambaram tells govt
Militants blow up primary school in Pakistan
'Charles Correa was the international face of Indian architecture'

The state government will amend section 1 of the Maharashtra Rajyabhasha Act, 1964, to remove the existing ambiguity and clearly mention Marathi as the official language, Education Minister Vinod Tawde said here today.