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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

LoC attack: Kamal Nath defends Antony amid opposition attack on his statement

NEW DELHI: Under attack for his statement on the killing of five Indian soldiers on LoC, defence minister A K Antony on Wednesday maintained that his contention about the involvement of terrorists in the assault was based on "whatever information" he had.

He told Rajya Sabha that he will get back to the House if he got more details about Tuesday's incident in Poonch after the visit of Army chief Gen Bikram Singh to Jammu on Wednesday.

India halts dialogue process with Pakistan: Indian media

NEW DELHI: Indian media claimed on Thursday that the country has halted dialogue process with Pakistan while Indian Minister of External Affairs Salman Khurshid told that it is before time to say anything yet, Geo News reported.

According to the India media reports, Pakistan-India talks over several issues including the controversial Sir Creek have been discontinued.

India creates 29th state

HYDERABAD: After decades of struggle and suicides by hundreds of youths over the years, Telangana will emerge as the 29th state of India, with the Congress Working Committee endorsing the decision to bifurcate the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday.

The demand for a separate Telangana state has been going on for the past five decades, and has seen two phases of violent agitations — in 1969 and now in the past few years. According to Telangana protagonists, at least 600 youths and students had committed suicide for the cause in the past three years alone.

Bandh in Rayalaseema, coastal Andhra against Telangana formation

Normal life was disrupted in Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions on Wednesday as a shutdown began in the two regions against the decision of the Congress and the UPA to create Telangana state out of Andhra Pradesh.

Educational institutions, commercial establishments remained closed and the services of state-run Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) were suspended in Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra districts such as Kadapa, Chittoor, Visakhapatnam and Krishna.

Telangana effect: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha calls indefinite shutdown in Darjeeling

Darjeeling: Hours after the UPA and the Congress Working Committee endorsed statehood for Telangana, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) announced an indefinite strike in the Darjeeling Hills from Saturday to press for its Gorkhaland demand.

GJM chief Bimal Gurung resigned as chief executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration - an autonomous and elected hill development council which the party has been running for a year.

Now, Farooq Abdullah says you can fill your stomach for rupee 1

NEW DELHI: After Congress spokesperson Raj Babbar and Rajya Sabha MP Rasheed Masood's claim of 'super cheap' food available on the streets of India, another minister is of the view that one can have a filling meal for just Re 1.

Union minister of new and renewable energy and National Conference party leader Farooq Abdullah said that one can fill his stomach for just Re 1.

Batla House encounter genuine, main accused guilty of killing inspector MC Sharma: Court

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Thursday ruled that 2008 Batla House encounter was genuine and convicted lone suspected Indian Mujahideen operative Shahzad Ahmed for killing Delhi police inspector MC Sharma.

Additional sessions judge Rajender Kumar Shastri had on July 20 reserved the judgement after conclusion of final arguments by the prosecution and the defence.

Eight dead in Karnataka bus mishap, two critical

Hassan, Karnataka: Eight people drowned when a Karnataka State Road Transport  Corporation bus plunged into Vishnusamudra lake at Belur today, with police and locals rescuing 40 passengers.

Eleven passengers were admitted to a local hospital where two were stated to be critical, police said.

Representational image. PTI Representational image. PTI

The bus proceeding from Sakleshpur to Belur had several students on board, police said. There were reports that the bus was carrying 50-60 passengers.

Justice Sathasivam sworn in as chief justice of India

New Delhi : President Pranab Mukherjee Friday administered the oath of office to Justice P. Sathasivam as the chief justice of India (CJI).

Justice Sathasivam, 64, is the 40th CJI and the first from Tamil Nadu. He will remain in office till April 26, 2014. He succeeded CJI Altamas Kabir, whose last day in office was Thursday.

Congress prays to Lord Jagannath to give 'Sad Buddhi' to Narendra Modi

Alleging that Modi had been playing divisive politics which could spell disaster for the country, Hariprasad said BJP's national election campaign committee chairman should be blessed with good sense to refrain from such kind of politics.

A day after Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi offering pujas at Sri Jagannth Temple at Puri, Congress today prayed that the Lord give "Sad Budhi" (good sense) to BJP leader.

"I pray that Lord Jagannath give 'Sad Budhi' to Modi so that he will not attempt to divide the country in the name of religion," said B K Hariprasad, the AICC general secretary in-charge of Odisha.