Italy beat defending champs Spain 2-0 to set up quarter-final clash with Germany. This is Italy's first win over Spain in a major tournament since the 1994 World Cup.

An online petition signed by more than 3.5 million people calling for a second referendum on whether Britain should leave the EU was started by a Leave campaigner who says it has been "hijacked" by unhappy Remain voters.

Rajinikanth has gone to the United States for some medical tests and he will be back in Tamil Nadu ahead of the release of his much-expected Tamil flick Kabali, a elder brother said today.

"He has gone for (medical) test to USA. He will be back before the release of the movie (Kabali) which has been scheduled for July 15," elder brother of Rajinikanth, Sathyanarayana, told reporters in Thanjavur.

Earlier, he offered prayers at the Lord Shiva temple in Thanjavur, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation world heritage site, and said his family was indebted to the people for their love and affection for Rajnikant.

"The film is good," he said on a brief remark on Kabali adding his brother "Rajinikanth is doing well." Earlier this month, some 'rumours' about the actor's health caused concern among his fans, but his publicist had then said Rajnikant was taking rest in the US.

The National Commission for Women today said that the body has taken Bollywood actor Salman Khan's controversial rape remark 'very seriously' and will issue summons to him soon.

"We had written a letter to him last week asking why he made such a remark but he has not replied so far," NCW chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam said.

"We have taken his remarks very seriously and will issue summons to him immediately as he has failed to reply to the letter in which we had asked him to apologise within seven days," she told reporters at the end of the day-long regional consultation on Draft National Policy for Women, 2016.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has said that the United Kingdom will not trigger formal exit talks with the European Union at this stage.

He said the referendum result is 'not the outcome I think is best for Britain' but says the result must be respected and implemented in the 'best possible way'.

The Conservative Party leader said there will be no immediate changes for EU citizens now living in the UK.

He says an EU exit will be 'far from plain sailing' for Britain's economy, but adds that the UK's financial institutions have 'robust' plans and can withstand the uncertainty of a Brexit.

JUST IN: Bomb scare at a shopping mall in near the venue of England-Iceland Euro 2016 soccer match in Nice, France. Police evacuates the mall. 

That's a fan installed at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. The fan is the size of a helicopter. 

David Cameron's successor as Britain's prime minister will be appointed by September 2, it was revealed. 

Britain today announced the set up of a new governmental unit to lead the intensive and complex civil services work to negotiate its exit from the European Union. 

ARNAB: So the hot heads who make extreme comments, is there a necessity to control them? So that there is no politics in the name of religion.

PM MODI: Firstly, I am of the firm belief that the nation should progress on the issue of development. And it is necessary that the country moves forward on the issue of development. I would like to tell the media not to make heroes out of those people who make such comments.

ARNAB: But they keep making such comments.

PM MODI: Don't make them heroes, they will stop.

ARNAB: We don't make them heroes, we make them villains.

PM MODI: But why do you make them so big? I see such statements by people on TV, whose faces I haven't even seen and they end up becoming spokesmen on TV.


ARNAB: Self styled spokesmen.

PM MODI: I don't know why such people are encouraged.


Representational pic: BJP MP Yogi Adityanath.

ARNAB: This statement [talk with every country] that you just made is also apt in the context of America where you gave a speech in the U.S Congress. By the way Mr Prime Minister it was a fantastic speech.

PM MODI: Thank you.

ARNAB: There was a lot of humour. You were laughing and cracking jokes while you delivered the speech which was very unique. They also appreciated it. Was the speech impromptu?

PM MODI: I have a humorous side but these days humour can be a risky thing.

ARNAB: Why do you say that?

PM MODI: In this era of 24/7 news channels, anybody can lift a small word and make a big issue out of it. But I will tell you the truth, the reason for the absence of humour in public life is this fear. I am myself scared . Earlier when I used to make speeches, I would make it so humorous but there would never be any issues.

ARNAB: Have you become more conscious now?

PM MODI: I am not conscious. I am in fear, there is no humour left in public life because of this fear. Everyone is scared. I am in fear. My speeches used be humourous. I see it in Parliament, that humour is finished there too. It is a matter of concern. I will quote one proverb.

ARNAB: Yes, go ahead.

PM MODI: Even if you mention a proverb, they will connect it with something else and begin a conversation. The one who is saying the proverb does not know for what he is speaking.

ARNAB: But you should not lose your sense of humour Mr Prime Minister.

PM MODI: But it is true that my trip to the United States of America, my speech in their Congress and the respect shown towards India created a lot of hype. Had it not been hyped so much, there would not have been so much criticism on the NSG issue. Government is being criticized not for any mishandling of the NSG issue but because we were so successful over there (in the USA).

Notwithstanding China objecting to India's entry into Nuclear Suppliers Group, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today exuded confidence that the country will get membership of the bloc and the process for it has begun on a "positive note".

Modi said India has a number of problems with China and efforts are on to resolve them one-by-one through talks.

Asked during an interview whether he was disappointed as China blocked India's bid for membership of the NSG and how close it was to getting it, Modi only said things will move forward as per rules. The Prime Minister said successive governments have made consistent efforts for getting membership of the UN Security Council, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and NSG

"First thing is that India has taken up such efforts consistently whichever government was in power -- be it membership of UN Security Council, SCO or MTCR or NSG. All of us made efforts.

"It is not only this government which has done this. This is in continuity. It is true that in our tenure, SCO has been achieved, MTCR membership has been achieved. I am fully confident that we have begun efforts in the direction of the NSG (membership), formally.

"The process has begun on a positive note. Everything is governed by its own rules. Things will move forward as per rules," he told Times Now channel.

Asked about China scuttling India's NSG bid and its efforts to get Masood Azhar banned by the UN despite Modi's frequent interactions with Chinese President Xi Jingping, the Prime Minister said efforts are on to resolve issues with that country through talks. "We have an ongoing dialogue with China and it should continue. In foreign policy, it is not necessary to have similar views to have a dialogue. Even when there are contradictions, talks are the only way forward and problem should be resolved through dialogue.

"We do not have one problem with China, we have a whole lot of problems pending with China. There are so many issues. Slowly and steadily efforts are on to find solutions to them one-by-one," said Modi.

He said China has also been cooperative towards finding solutions. "But there are some issues in which we differ from them and they differ from us. But the most important thing is that we are now talking to China eye-to-eye and raising the issues of Indian interests boldly. Three days back I met the Chinese President and put forward issues relating to India's interests strongly," he said.

Narendra Modi's first interview to the Indian media as the Prime Minister. PM Modi speaking to Arnab Goswami, Times Now.

Highlights...

-- In a short span, the nation has moved ahead and it is not only in one or few sectors. All aspects have been touched.

-- There was a spirit of disappointment and pessimism when we assumed office. A new spirit of trust had to be created.

-- We had said that within a time frame we will open bank accounts for the poor, something that has not been done till now.

Times Now questions Modi's foreign policy, calling it at once, proactive, balanced and diverse.


The PM's reply:

--  For 30 years we had an unstable government. The government had not got a clear cut mandate for the last 30 years. The world measures a nation by the way it is treated in its own country. Countries and world leaders have changed their perpsective of India. Biggest strength of our foreign policy - political stability. After 30 years a government with a full majority was elected.

-- The world did not know me. The world wants to know who is the head of the state. If the world would know Modi through the eyes of the media, it would be disillusioned. I am not from a political family. I was not born into a political family so meeting world leaders was not something I had done as a regular part of my life.

-- We work as a team -- finance ministry, defence ministry, foreign ministry -- the teams work together.  Earlier the party and the leader would differ in their comments.

--  I came without a baggage, can talk to Saudi Arabia, US, Russia with the same amount of respect. I do not consider small countries insignificant. We have been living under the shadow of bigger countries, I changed that.
Geo-politics has changed. World is more inter-dependant and  interconnected. People-to-people ties matter tremendously.

Having taken risky initiatives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India will have to be "alert and conscious" all the time but wondered with whom in Pakistan red lines can be drawn for conducting talks -- with the elected government or "other actors". He also said that India would have to drive home the advantage on the fact that the world is now convinced of its views on terrorism from across the border by continuing to put forth its views on this matter.


"The first thing is that with whom in Pakistan you will decide about laxman rekha--with an elected government or with other actors. So India will have to be alert and conscious all the time. There should not be any laxity and negligence," he told Times Now channel.


Modi was asked what is the 'lakshman rekha' for holding talks Pakistan because in 2014 it was said it will be only talks between the two countries and not with Hurriyat, the second was 26/11 and now Pathankot.


He said because of his consistent efforts like the visit to Lahore or inviting the Pakistan Prime Minister here that he no no longer has to convince the world about India's stand on terrorism.


"The world in one voice is praising India's role. Pakistan is finding it difficult to answer. The world is watching. If we remain an obstacle then we will have to convince the world that we are not like this. "Earlier the world would not buy India's theory on terrorism and sometime it would even treat it as out law and order problem. Now the whole world is accepting what India says on terrorism. It is accepting the loss caused to India by terrorism, the loss caused to humanity by terrorism. I believe India will have to continue putting forth its view on this matter," the prime minister said. 

The Bombay High Court on Monday asked the CBI for its response on the bail plea of former media baron Peter Mukerjea, arrested for his alleged involvement in the murder of his wife Indrani's daughter Sheena Bora.

Justice Revati Mohite Dere who issued notice to CBI, posted Peter's application for hearing on July 7.

He has approached the high court seeking bail after the sessions court rejected his plea on two occasions.

Peter, who was arrested in November last year by the agency, in his bail application on Saturday assailed the lower court orders rejecting his petition, and said there is nothing incriminating against him in the charge sheet.

File pic of Peter Mukerjea

After its biggest drop in over four months last week, market today remained sandwiched in a tight band by ending with measly gains amid mixed global conditions.

There was an element of choppiness too ahead of the June derivative contract expiry coming up on Thursday.

Investors still are a worried lot as they tried to digest the full impact of the Brexit fallout. However, the broader markets came up a little better as they outperformed Sensex, with the small-cap index rising 1.52 per cent and the mid-cap 0.80 per cent.

Narendra Modi @narendramodi Does the nation want to know what I frankly shared with Mr. Arnab Goswami? Find out 6 PM onwards on @timesnow.

Rooting for complete eradication of Naxalism from the country, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today hoped that Jharkhand becomes the first state to be freed of extremism among other Naxal-affected states.

"Solution to the Maoist problem in Jharkhand will be found," Singh said, adding that he was convinced of the capability of Jharkhand Jaguar (special force) to root out Naxalism. Addressing jawans after inaugurating an administrative building, parade ground and other newly constructed buildings in Ranchi, Singh appreciated the valour of the Jharkhand Jaguar force.

He said that the martyrs not only shed blood for Jharkhand but also for the country. He said even a single incident of killing in the hands of extremists had pained him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Emphasising that infrastructure should be adequate so that the forces would not face difficulties, Singh regretted that the special infrastructure scheme (SIS) had been stopped two years ago.

Women and Child Development minister Maneka Gandhi reacts to the gang-rape and tattooing of a woman who could not pay dowry. "
I am deeply shocked and pained over this incident. Have asked NCW to look into this matter immediately," Gandhi tweeted.

In a shocking incident from Rajasthan, a 30-year-old woman was allegedly gangraped by her husband and his two brothers who tattooed expletives on her forehead and hand after her family could not fulfill their dowry demand in Alwar district, police said today.

The victim was married to Jagannath in Reni village. She alleged that since her marriage in January 2015, her husband and in-laws used to beat her up and demand dowry of Rs 51,000, they said.

"Her husband and brothers-in-law allegedly raped her and tattooed profanities on her forehead which her parents later made an attempt to get removed," a police official said.

She has been living with her parents since then, Mahila police station SHO Abdul Wahid said, adding the woman has still marks on her forehead and hand.

An FIR has been registered under sections of 498-A (Protection of Women Against Domestic Violence Act), 376 (punishment for rape)and 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust) of IPC and an investigation in the case has been initiated, he said.


Image: Profanities were tattooed on the woman's hands and her forehead.

Turkey, Israel make up but romance's gone forever, read MK Bhadrakumar's column here.

"We are in shock. It is as we feared. Our exit from the European Union may be the greatest step backwards we have ever taken, and one we will rue. The populists, the isolationists, the petty nationalists, have prevailed. Although the house where I sit is still standing, the countryside still lies around us, the summer green and peaceful, we have been hit by an earthquake that has shattered our present and may darken the future of our country for who knows how many years to come. This morning we stand on the edge of an abyss down which the pound sterling has already crashed, stocks are tumbling and confidence has been smashed."

Read the column on the Telegraph.

Over 240 people on board a Singapore Airlines flight to Milan had a narrow escape today as their plane caught fire while making a dramatic emergency landing here after the jet was forced to turn back due to a mid-air engine problem. All passengers on board Flight SQ368 are safe, the airline and airport officials said as the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, with flames leaping from the plane's wing, touched down at Changi Airport.

The flight departed from Changi Airport for Milan at 2.05 am today but about two hours into the flight, the pilot announced that there was a problem in the engine and the flight had to turn back to Singapore.


The SIA said in a statement that Flight SQ368 was en route from Singapore to Milan when an "engine oil warning message" forced it to turn back. "The aircraft's right engine caught fire after the aircraft touched down at Changi Airport at around 6:50 am," the statement said. "The fire was put out by airport emergency services and there were no injuries to the 222 passengers and 19 crew on board. Passengers disembarked through stairs and were transported to the terminal building by bus," it said.

Changi Airport also issued a statement saying that the fire was extinguished "within minutes" by the Airport Emergency Service team, which was already on standby.

Just In: Delhi court dismisses bail plea of Aam Aadmi Party MLA Dinesh Mohaniya, who was charged with assault.

Heat and humidity. The two reasons that made President Pranab Mukherjee cancel his two-day visit to  Kolkata, beginning today.  

Narendra Modi's Alpha-male image of a domineering individual, a la Barabara Cartland's romantic fiction, has been severely dented by the antics of Subramanian Swamy, a seemingly out-of-control saffron gadfly.


Initially presumed to have been elevated to the ranks of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs to needle the Nehru-Gandhis in parliament, Swamy has veered off the designated course, like an authentic maverick, and is now picking off one target after another -- Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan first and Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian next.

But, apart from Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's disapproval of personal attacks, there was not a squeak from the others. The prime minister even told the Wall Street Journal that it wasn't the media's business to be interested in the tenures of central bankers.

If anything, the dismissive remark suggested that he was on Swamy's side, although the fact that Modi does not hold press conferences probably means that he believes that nothing should be of interest to the media any way.
However, it is when Swamy trained his guns on Arvind Subramanian that Jaitley jumped to the latter's defence by asserting how valuable the adviser is.

A BJP spokesman also said that the party does not agree with Swamy's views and that they were "completely his personal opinion".
 

Narendra Modi in his first interview to as the prime minister says those who create controversies are being unjust to RBI chief Raghuram Rajan.

The PM will speak to Times Now in an hour-long interview at 6 pm today.

The PM said that he believes Rajan's patriotism "is no less than any of ours".

This is the first time that the government has come out in support of the RBI governor since
BJP MP Subramanian Swamy asked for his head.

On May 17, Swamy had written to the Prime Minister seeking the immediate sacking of the former IMF Chief Economist while alleging he was "mentally not fully Indian" and has "wilfully" wrecked the economy.

"The reason why I recommend this is that I am shocked by the wilful and apparently deliberate attempt by Dr Rajan to wreck the Indian economy," he wrote adding his concept of raising interest rates to contain inflation was "disastrous."

Also, bad loans with public sector banks has doubled to Rs 3.5 lakh crore in two years, he said.

Rajan was appointed RBI Governor by the previous UPA government in September 2013 for a three-year term, which can be extended.

"These actions of Dr Rajan lead me to believe that he is acting more as a disrupter of the Indian economy than the person who wants the Indian economy to improve.

The Saket court holds in-chamber hearing of AAP MLA Dinesh Mohaniya's bail plea. The court will pronounce its order at 4 pm today.

Mohaniya was on Saturday arrested on charges of molestation and sexual harassment amidst high drama when he was addressing a press conference, triggering an angry reaction from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of declaring an "emergency" in Delhi.

Mohaniya, who is also vice chairman of Delhi Jal Board, was virtually dragged from his seat by a police official when he was talking to reporters at his office in Khanpur in South Delhi, at around 12.10 pm.

"Mohaniya has been arrested under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354 A (Sexual harassment), 354 B (Assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe) and 354 C (Voyeurism), said Joint Commissioner of Police(south East) RP Upadhyay.

Reacting sharply to the arrest of the party MLA, Kejriwal said in a tweet, "Modi declares emergency in Delhi. Arresting, raiding, terrorising, filing false cases against all those whom Delhi elected (sic)."

In another tweet, the Delhi CM said, "Dinesh mohaniya arrested from his press conference in front of all TV cameras. What msg does Modi want to give to everyone?"

Mohaniya is the eight AAP MLA to be arrested by Delhi Police since the party came to power for the second time in Delhi February 2015.  

The MLA was booked on June 23 for allegedly misbehaving with a group of women, who approached him with a complaint regarding water crisis in their locality. An FIR under Sections 323, 506 and 509 was registered in south Delhi's Neb Sarai police station.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah has sounded an early alarm for the national Opposition saying Narendra Modi is an "electoral juggernaut" who will be tough to defeat in 2019.

"People do want an alternative but we are not giving them one," Abdullah said. "Someone has to bite the bullet."

He was also critical of the way the Congress is conducting itself: "A Band-Aid is not going to work, the Congress requires drastic surgery."

Abdullah spoke to The Telegraph at his Srinagar residence on a wide range of subjects. Read

Asha Kumari, who was appointed Congress in-charge of poll-bound Punjab, today met party chief Sonia Gandhi amid indications that she may not be removed in the wake of a controversy over her conviction in a land grab case.

Kumari, who is an MLA from Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh, was given one-year imprisonment by a Chamba court in February this year but is currently on bail. "Kumari will continue to be in-charge of Punjab and would focus on the poll-bound state.

However, she would not continue as AICC Secretary in charge of Haryana, a responsibility she was handling for quite some time under the AICC General Secretary concerned," AICC sources said. Kumari was yesterday appointed party in-charge of Punjab to succeed Kamal Nath, days after he resigned following an uproar by BJP, SAD and AAP over his alleged role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The insurrection against Arun Jaitley in the BJP and the larger divided Hindu family of the Sangh was waiting to happen.

With Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy's daily onslaught against the Union finance minister, a deathly silence from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah and his cabinet colleagues is eloquent testimony to his lack of support.Jaitley who lost from Amritsar in Lok Sabha 2014 by a huge margin, despite the Modi wave, has no political base of his own. Read more

Tusshar Kapoor is a proud father. The actor, who is single, decided to walk the surrogacy way to welcome his first child, a baby boy named Laksshya. Laksshya is the first grandchild of Jeetendra and Shobha Kapoor.

The grandparents voiced their happiness in a statement released to the media, "We could not be more excited to be grandparents to Laksshya, and are completely supportive of Tusshar's decision. This is certainly a tremendous blessing, and an exciting time in our lives. Tusshar is a wonderful son, and he has proven, with responsibility, independence and kindness, that he will be a great father to Laksshya." Read more

Dr Subramanian Swamy has brought disrepute to the BJP government, feel party insiders. As a damage control measure before the Union Cabinet reshuffle and before the Monsoon session of Parliament begins next month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has begun to interact with select media from today.

First on, is the PM's interview to Times Now. The interview with Arnab Goswami, Frankly Speaking, will be telecast at 6 pm today. The PM will speak on 18 topics for 30 minutes. In fact, Modi's first interview when he was PM designate was with the channel in May 2014. From Thursday onwards, the PM will meet the media in groups at his residence at 7 Racecourse Road.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is reportedly upset with his party for not condemning Subramanian Swamy's volley of attacks on his aides. Jaitley has returned to Delhi from an official trip to China at a time when Swamy's tirade is being seen as a thinly-disguised campaign against the minister himself, rather than his advisers. The BJP MP has in the past advertised his own suitability for Finance Minister.

Britain should only trigger Article 50 to leave the EU when it has a "clear view" of how its future in the bloc looks, finance minister George Osborne said today following last week's shock referendum.

The surprise decision to leave the EU sparked the resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron, who had backed the unsuccessful Remain campaign -- but has left the activation of Article 50, which triggers the departure, to his successor.

"The prime minister has given us time as a country to decide what that relationship should be by delaying the decision to trigger the Article 50 procedure until there is a new prime minister in place for the autumn," Osborne said in his first public comments since the result.

The remarks, given at a Treasury press conference in central London, were timed to calm investor jitters ahead of the opening of European stock markets at 0700 GMT.

Democrat Hillary Clinton took a swipe at Republican rival Donald Trump's stance on Brexit, saying that "bombastic comments" do more harm than good during such times.

Trump has hailed Britain's vote to leave the European Union as "fantastic," telling reporters during a visit to Scotland on Friday that he thinks the Brexit is "a great thing."

Clinton, who was speaking to the US Conference of Mayors, did not mention Trump by name, but told city leaders that the United States should be governed by those "who put the interest of the American people ahead of their personal business interests."

Trump was in Scotland for the ceremonial re-opening of his refurbished Trump Turnberry golf course. America needs leaders "who understand that bombastic comments in turbulent times can actually cause more turbulence," Clinton said. "And that's why steady, experienced leadership is so important at times like these."

The Pakistan government has said that it will decide whether or not to allow Indian investigators to visit the country in connection with their probe into a deadly terror attack on an Indian airbase after Eid-ul-Fitr.

On January 2, 2016, a heavily armed group attacked the Pathankot Air Force Station, part of the India's Western Air Command, killing six Indian security personnel.New Delhi has blamed Pakistan-based jihadi group Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) for orchestrating the brutal assault.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande have said they are in "full agreement" on how to handle the fallout from the UK's decision to leave the European Union, reports the BBC.


Hollande warned that "separated, we run the risk of divisions, dissension and quarrels".The two will hold talks later in Berlin amid a flurry of diplomatic activity in the wake of so-called "Brexit".


The pound fell further in early trading in Asia on Monday as markets reacted. UK Chancellor George Osborne made a statement before the start of trading in the UK in a bid to calm markets.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today expanded his cabinet for the seventh time, inducting three new faces and reinstating sacked minister Balram Yadav, while showing the door to cabinet minister Manoj Kumar Pandey.

The expansion comes ahead of the Assembly elections in the state next year. The new ministers were administered oath by Governor Ram Naik at a function organised at Raj Bhawan in the presence of the CM.

However, senior cabinet minister Shivpal Singh Yadav was conspicuous by his absence. Balram Yadav, who was dropped Tuesday last apparently for facilitating merger of Quami Ekta Dal (QED) of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari with the ruling Samajwadi Party, has been re-inducted as cabinet minister. Similarly, Narad Rai, who was also removed from the post, was administered oath as the cabinet minister. Ziyaudin Rizvi, who was not present in the city, could not be administered oath.

The Election Commission on Monday initiated internal exercises to conduct the Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Manipur, Goa and Uttarakahand assembly polls. This is SOP by the EC, done six months before the end of the term of any assembly.

What happens is that the EC takes congnizance of the legal, political and other angles and formulates the groupings of states and dates of polls, and estimates the requirement of para military forces to ensure free and fair polls. It also analyses the earlier assembly polling dates to see how many phases these polls should be held over.

The Deputy Election Commissioner first prepares a note and then circulates it to the Chief Electoral Officers of the five states. The exercise will begin in mid July in earnest, but today, the initial exercise to determine the electoral process began at the level of the Deputy election commissioner. The terms of these assemblies end on the following dates:
Uttar Pradesh: May 27, 2017
Uttarakhand: March 24, 2017
Goa: March 18, 2017
Punjab: March 18, 2017
Manipur: March 18, 2017 

Ten people were injured Sunday after violence broke out between a white supremacist group and counter-protesters, said authorities in Sacramento, California.Two of the injured had critical stab wounds, Sacramento Fire Department spokesman Chris Harvey said. Read more

Adding to the worries of actor Salman Khan, a survivor of a gang rape in Hisar on Saturday has served a Rs 10-crore damage notice on him while asking him to tender a public apology over his alleged remark about rape victims, reports the Times of India. The notice has been sent to Salman's West Mumbai's Bandra address.

Last week, the actor made a remark linked to rape victims during a show. The remarks had gone viral on TV, print and social media. The actor had even clarified later and tendered an apology.

Reshma (name changed) fell prey to a group of 10 goons who allegedly raped her after kidnapping her in Hisar four years ago. Following this, the victim's father had even committed suicide.

Four out of 10 accused have been sentenced with life imprisonment and the victim has moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking death penalty for them.

"My client has felt and is passing through very troublesome period of psychological trauma by heart and mind by your statement of the rape victims-like feelings in the print media and social media. Your statement dated 21-06-2016 is solely responsible for her mental and psychological degradation and she is in touch with psychiatrist for counselling,'' the legal notice read as further.

"Your statement dated 21-06-2016 is wrong, illegal and against the spirit of Constitution of India and you are liable for every type of civil, criminal liabilities," the notice served by lawyer said further.

UP CM Akhilesh Yadav inducts three cabinet and two Ministers of State (Independent Charge). Balram Yadav back as cabinet minister.

The Prime Minister's Office and the External Affairs Ministry will announce with a great fanfare (expectedly) India's entry into to 34-nation Missile Technology Control Group. Prime Minister is likely to address the nation late Monday evening on Doordharshan. India will sign the papers in the presence of the ambassadors of France, Netherlands and Luxembourg on Monday. 

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has rushed to New Delhi from Beijing to be in time for a top-level review by his ministry over Britain's exit from the European Union. Jaitley was to have returned on Tuesday morning, but he advanced his return by a day in order to hold a meeting with Finance Secretary  Ashok Lavasa, the  Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan to formulate a strategy on India's approach to Brexit.

The UK voted on Thursday to leave the European Union in a decision that left global financial markets reeling and raised doubts over the fate and composition of the economic and political bloc.

Concerns that the financial market ructions would spill over to the global economy also rocked assets in emerging markets including India, which is the world's fastest-growing major economy.

In the immediate aftermath of the Brexit, Jaitley said that India was strongly committed to macro-economic stability, while its fundamentals were sound with "a very comfortable external position, a rock-solid commitment to fiscal discipline and declining inflation."

Further, he said that India's external firewalls were solid in the form of a healthy reserve position.

Jaitley, who arrived in Beijing on June 23, was scheduled to attend the annual Financial Dialogue at the ministerial level with his Chinese counterpart Mr Lou Jiwei on June 27.

The dialogue at the level of finance secretaries has been postponed to July because of inability of India's Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das to travel to Beijing for the meeting. Das was asked to stay in Delhi to deal with implications of the Brexit vote for India.

Lionel Messi says he is retiring from international football after losing Copa America final.

Wimbledon 2016 begins today. 

Reuters reports: List of candidates for next RBI governor whittled down to four; 3 economists, one banker: Govt official.

Hyderabad MeT Dept forecasts heavy rains for next 5 days in Telangana.

A moderate 4.7 magnitute earthquake struck the India-Bangladesh border region on Monday morning. 

JUST IN: Chile are champions of South America once again!