Blast in Assam Kills One, Injures Three Others

Goalpara:  One person was killed and three others injured in a blast in front of a police station in Assam's Goalpara district today.

Police say at around 8 am, an IED or Improvised explosive device allegedly planted on a bicycle exploded outside the Krishnai police station.

The injured have been taken to hospital where they are being treated.

Shiv Sena MPs Accused of Forcing Muslim Staff to Eat In Maharashtra Sadan Row

Parliamentarians of the Shiv Sena allegedly forced a Muslim catering supervisor, who was fasting for Ramzan, to eat a chapati during a row over food at the Maharashtra Sadan last week.

The Sena leaders have been accused of misbehaving with the staff for not serving them Maharashtrian food.

The Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Company or IRCTC has reportedly stopped catering for the state guest house in protest, alleging that their resident manager, Arshad, was forced to eat a chapatti.

Close Shave for Rajdhani Train After Maoists Blow up Track in Bihar

Gaya:  A major disaster was averted after a pilot engine detected a damaged railway track near Gaya in Bihar just hours before a Rajdhani train was to pass though that area. Maoists had allegedly blown up the track last night.

The incident happened around 11 pm last night when the driver of the engine alerted authorities about the track between Islampur and Rafiganj. It was running ahead of the New Delhi-Howrah Rajdhani as also a Rajdhani that was headed from New Delhi to Bhubanewswar.

JD-U inching closer to forging alliance with Lalu's RJD: Vashisht Narayan Singh

The chief of the Bihar unit of the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) party, Vashisht Narayan Singh, on Tuesday, said that his party is inching closer to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), but added that the timing of meeting RJD chief Lalu Yadav is yet to be decided.

Singh said, "Time has not been fixed (to meet Lalu) till now. When talks will be done with him (RJD chief) and time will be fixed, then, I will be able to say something. But this is for sure that we are coming closer and supporting each other. We expect that this will give way to our future plans as well."

Twelve killed, over 20 injured as bus falls into ravine in AJK

MUZAFFARABAD: At least 12 people were killed and over 20 others were injured Monday when a speeding bus fell into a ravine in Azad Kashmir’s Mirpur area, DawnNews reported.

The bus carrying passengers from Bhimber was travelling to Samahni when the driver lost control at Poona due to speeding. As a result, the bus fell into a ravine.

On receiving information, police and rescue team personnel reached the site of incident and retrieved the dead bodies and injured persons out of the bus with the assistance of locals present in the area.

Pakistan asks Afghan authorities to ensure border security

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan here on Thursday called on Afghan authorities to ensure their border security so that attacks emanating from their soil are stopped. Speaking during her weekly press briefing, the Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam has said that that Pakistan condemns all forms of terrorism.

Eight killed as taxi plunges into Chenab river in Jammu

JAMMU: Eight people were killed after their vehicle plunged into the Chenab river in Kishtwar district of Jammu region on Wednesday, police said.

"A taxi went out of the driver's control and fell into the river at Dachan," a police officer said. "Eight passengers were killed in this accident."

Iraq crisis: Over 90 Indians left Baghdad, other regions, says MEA

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs on Monday said that several Indians trapped in Iraq have left for India as the country battles ongoing militant onslaught.

While speaking to the reporters, MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said that from Karbala, 30 Indians have left Iraq today and the rest 100 will leave in next 3 to 4 days.

"From Najaf, 60 Indian have left today. For 31 papers will be processed tomorrow and for the remaining 30 it will be done a day after.

President Pranab Mukherjee congratulates ISRO team over PSLVC23 launch

President Pranab Mukherjee today congratulated space agency ISRO for the successful launch of rocket PSLV-C23, saying it is a significant milestone in the progress of the country's space capabilities. India launched five foreign satellites from four countries on board PSLV-C23 rocket which placed them in orbit.

At least 38 killed in DR Congo ethnic violence: govt

KINSHASA: A total of 38 people died in ethnic violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo at the weekend, many massacred when a church was set ablaze, the government said Tuesday.

The killings took place overnight Friday in Mutarule, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of Bukavu, the capital of Sud-Kivu province.

Earlier, local sources said the toll was at least 30 men, women and children, and that most of the victims were ethnic Bafuliru.

Blue Star anniversary: Radical groups clash at Golden Temple, shut down in Amritsar

Amritsar Police on Friday detained at least eight persons belonging to various groups over a clash between task force volunteers of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and radical Sikh activists on Friday during the 30th anniversary of the army's Operation Blue Star at the Golden Temple.The military's 1984 assault on the Golden Temple was aimed at flushing out militants holed up inside demanding an independent Sikh homeland.

India visit a success, insist Sharif aides

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returned to the federal capital on Tuesday evening where he was greeted by a volley of criticism from the media, which was up in arms that he had not mentioned Kashmir during his visit to India while he had been greeted by the T word (terrorism).

However, it did not take long for the prime minister’s senior aides to jump into action and address the criticism. They tried hard to convince many that the meeting had been a success.

Eighty eight year-old Congress veteran ND Tiwari marries Ujjwala Sharma

Lucknow: Two months after ND Tiwari admitted that Rohit Shekhar is his biological son, the 89-year-old Congress veteran leader married Ujjwala Sharma at his residence in Lucknow. Sharma, a former college professor in Delhi, is the mother of Rohit Shekhar.The 67-year-old Ujjwala had earlier deposed that at the time of Rohit's birth, she had talked to the Congress leader regarding giving his name as the father of the child, but she was "not allowed" to do so.

On Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Last Day at Work, a Cabinet Meeting, Many Farewells

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will chair a cabinet meeting, meet his staff and attend elaborate farewells on his last day at work today as he prepares to demit office on Saturday, a day after the results of the general election are announced.

His last engagement at the South Block, his office of 10 years, is a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, in which the government is expected to clear Foreign Direct Investment in the pharma sector.

Dr Singh, 81, had announced earlier this year that he would not seek a third term should the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) secure a third successive win.

Thirteen killed as train rams into vehicle in Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow: Thirteen people were killed late Thursday when a passenger train hit a Bolero SUV at an unmanned level crossing in Uttar Pradesh, an official said Friday.

Three people were critically injured in the accident that took place at Horilapur village of the Maharajganj district.

The Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), full of passengers returning from a marriage, was crossing an unmanned railway level crossing at Narkatiya when the passenger train hit the vehicle, smashing it into pieces.

CBI can probe graft charges against senior babus without govt nod: SC

New Delhi: In a historic verdict, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will not need permission from the government to conduct an inquiry in corruption cases against senior bureaucrats.

A constitutional bench of the apex court upheld the primacy of Article 14 of the Constitution - equality before law – to bring senior bureaucrats – Jt Secretary and above – at par with the junior officers and others.

Supreme Court Accuses Sahara Chief of 'Mind Games', Rejects Bail

Subrata Roy, the chief of the unlisted Sahara conglomerate, was refused bail by the Supreme Court today for his company's failure to refund investors in illegal bonds schemes.

The judges used strong language to censure Sahara and Mr Roy for repeatedly defying court orders and for "calculated mind games" to claim that his detention is illegal.

Kashmiri students beaten, forced to shout anti-Pak slogans in Greater Noida

NOIDA/SRINAGAR: Three Kashmiri students from a private university in Greater Noida have alleged that fellow students misbehaved with them and forced them to shout anti-Pakistan slogans, drawing a sharp reaction from the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister who said UP authorities should admit their "inability" or "unwillingness" to protect them.

The latest incident comes two month after over 60 Kashmiri students were expelled from a Meerut university after cheering for Pakistan cricket team during an Asia Cup match against India.

Fodder scam: SC rejects Lalu Prasad's plea to change judge

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected RJD chief Lalu Prasad's plea for transfer of trial court judge hearing the case against him in the fodder scam.

A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam, which had on July 9 restrained the trial court from passing the judgement in fodder scam case, gave its order on Tuesday on Lalu's plea.

Defence Minister will not apologise for statement, says government

New Delhi: The government has said that Defence Minister AK Antony's controversial statement in Parliament yesterday on the killing of five Indian soldiers in Kashmir was based on facts and that he would not issue an apology for it.

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said today, "What the defence minister said was very carefully calibrated and is final, is based on Army's facts," adding, "There is no question of the defence minister apologising." (Track live updates)