India

Srinagar, Jun 29: A stable Afghanistan and Iran are critical to India's energy security as these two countries can provide greater access to Central Asian region which has abundance of hydrocarbon wealth, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said today. "We are looking at re-energising the national North-South Corridor to connect India with Central Asia and Russia through Iran, we are looking

New Delhi, Jun 29: The Election Commission is mulling issuing a notice to BJP leader Gopinath Munde on his statement that he had spent Rs 8 crore in the last Lok Sabha elections much above the prescribed ceiling as the Congress stepped up the demand for his disqualification as MP. Sources said the Election Commission is gathering evidence regarding Munde's comments at a programme in Mumbai two

New Delhi: Jun 29: The government is considering giving natural gas to power and fertiliser sectors at reduced cost to help them cope with the two-fold increase in gas prices effective from April next year. The move is expected to increase the country’s annual subsidy burden by $1 billion, contrary to the efforts being made over the past few years to phase out subsidies. But the government says

New Delhi, Jun 28: Petrol price was today hiked by a steep Rs 1.82 a litre, the third increase in rates this month, as falling rupee made imports costlier. An increase in diesel rates is expected early next week. Oil companies raised petrol rates by Rs 1.82 a litre, excluding local sales tax or VAT, with effect from midnight. Actual increase will be higher and will vary from city to city depending

New Delhi, Jun 28: Gold prices on Friday tumbled to a 23-month low by losing Rs 1,150 to Rs 25,650 per 10 grams in the national capital on heavy selling by stockists and investors, triggered by a steep fall in overseas markets. All round selling by stockists on free-fall in overseas markets and investors shifting their funds to surging equities mainly pulled down the gold prices to a level last

Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 28: The Kerala government has decided to withdraw the controversial circular allowing registration of Muslim marriages below the existing minimum age limit of 21 for men and 18 for women. The government conveyed the decision to the high court on Thursday in response to petitions filed by various organisations challenging the circular ?issued by the Local Self Government

Srinagar, Jun 28: India on Friday said the composite dialogue with Pakistan will be resumed after the new government in the neighbouring country settles down, and pending confidence building measures between the two countries are implemented. “It is not good that we say everything right at the outset. The atmosphere is good at the moment. Let it improve further to be conducive for talks,” External

Gauchar, Jun 28: Sending a word of assurance, Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh today said the armed forces will continue their operations till all the people are rescued from various locations in flood-hit Uttarakhand. Gen Singh, who is on a day-long visit to affected areas, said he had asked his commanders to launch relief operations in "very, very difficult conditions" in a proactive manner, without

Beijing, Jun 28: China today said it was ready to "break new ground" with India to resolve the boundary dispute as the Special Representatives of the two countries held 16th round of border talks to find a solution to the vexed issue. "I stand ready to work with you to build on the work of our predecessors and break new ground to strive for the settlement of the China-India boundary question and

Dehradun, Jun 28: With the weather improving, the rescue operations in Uttarakhand on Friday picked up pace, with 17 choppers being flown to evacuate people still stranded at various locations. Mass cremation of bodies in Kedarnath, the worst-affected in flood fury, was on, as authorities were racing against time to minimize risks of epidemic outbreak. As the sun shone bright this morning