India

New Delhi, Jun 20: A report claimed on Thursday that India has put in place an elaborate surveillance system that would allow the government and its various agencies and departments, including income tax officials, to tap e-mails and phone calls of unsuspecting individuals. The report said such surveillance would not have any oversight by courts or Parliament. The government claims the programme

Dehradun/Shimla, Jun 20: The Himalayan tragedy continued to unfold on Thursday with fears that thousands of pilgrims staying in 90 rest houses in Uttarakhand may have been washed away in flash floods even as rescue operations were stepped up with additional IAF choppers pressed into service to evacuate stranded people in Kedarnath area. In its report to the Union home ministry, the Uttarakhand

New, Delhi, Jun 20: After the promotion of Narendra Modi catapulted the BJP into crisis, the party is trying to arrange the peaceful co-existence of its top leaders. LK Advani met today with Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the BJP's powerful ideological mentor, the Rashtryia Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS. Mr Advani reportedly emphasized the need for "collective leadership" for the National Democratic Alliance

Mumbai, Jun 20: The rupee on Thursday plunged by a whopping 130 paise to hit life-time low of 60 against the US dollar in early trade on the Interbank Foreign Exchange on strong demand for the American currency from banks and importers. Besides, dollar's strength against major currencies overseas on comments by Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke that the central bank may scale back its monetary

Lucknow, Jun 20: With Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi taking charge of the BJP’s election campaign, the saffron party could once again return to the “Hindutva” plank in Uttar Pradesh in an attempt to reap electoral dividends in the forthcoming general election. Modi’s protege and BJP general secretary Amit Shah, who concluded a two-day visit to UP after being appointed in-charge of the state

Patna, Jun 19: After dumping ally BJP, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday comfortably won a vote of confidence in the Bihar Assembly. A total of 126 votes, including four of the Congress and one of the CPI, were cast in favour of the confidence motion while 24, including 22 of Lalu Prasad-led RJD, voted against the motion as the BJP members staged a walkout before the vote. Those who

New Delhi, Jun 19: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi will on Wednesday make an aerial survey of rain-ravaged areas in Uttarkhand where flash floods have claimed over a hundred lives and left thousands of pilgrims for Himalayan shrines stranded. The situation created by the heavy rains and floods in the state was discussed at the Congress Core Group meeting this

Dehradun/Shimla, Jun 19: The famous Kedarnath shrine was virtually submerged in mud and slush where 50 people died in the unprecedented flash floods that claimed over 131 lives in Uttarkhand and Himachal Pradesh and left over 70,000 pilgrims for Himalayan shrines stranded. The shrine, one of the four holy dhams, in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand bore the brunt of torrential rains. About 500

Dehradun, Jun 18: More than 30 people died and 57,000 pilgrims visiting the Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri shrines were stranded in Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts on Monday as unprecedented rains wreaked havoc on Uttarakhand. Rains also pounded Himachal Pradesh and several parts of Haryana, which were flooded after the level of the Yamuna rose alarmingly. Reports from

New Delhi, Jun 17: Monsoon woes gripped several parts of north India today as heavy rains wreaked havoc in the hill states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, leaving over 50 people dead and hundreds stranded, while several parts in Haryana were flooded after water level of Yamuna rose alarmingly. Flashfloods in the Ganga and its tributaries triggered by incessant rains for over 48 hours left a