India

Kolkata, June 30: For a few hours between Thursday night and Friday noon, a website error dissolved one of the world's great divides - between civilian and military. An Air India flight chartered for the Border Security Force (BSF) found its way into the regular bookings section of the airline's website, allowing civilians book their seats in the exclusive military-only aircraft. One of those who

New Delhi, June 30: President Abdul Kalam raised no objection to Sonia Gandhi becoming Prime Minister in 2004. Instead, he had been prepared to swear her in despite intense pressure from various parties and politicians, as that was the only “Constitutionally tenable” option available to him if the Congress chief had staked her claim. Mr. Kalam says this in his forthcoming memoir, Turning Points

New Delhi, June 30: The Indian Army appears to be caught in the cross-hairs of a big new controversy - in 2008, it may have acted too quickly in accepting that a serving military intelligence officer, Lt Col Prasad Purohit, was linked to a right-wing terror group. In 2008, a bomb exploded on a Friday evening near a mosque in the town of Malegaon, killing six people. One month later, the Anti

Amritsar, June 29: Freed after a high decibel drama following Pakistan’s alleged flip-flop of first announcing the release of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh and later clarifying that it was Surjeet Singh who was to be repatriated, Surjeet Singh — who on Thursday crossed over to India from Pakistan after spending more than 30 years in prison — claimed that Sarabjit had “converted to Islam” and was

Raipur, June 29: Twenty naxalites were killed and six CRPF jawans injured after a fierce overnight encounter in the jungles of Dantewada in Chhattisgarh. The encounter, which took place in the jungles of Silger, a "liberated" Maoist zone between the naxal hotbed of Jagargunda and Basaguda in Dantewada, was launched last night by the CRPF from three directions. Two Maoists have also been arrested

New Delhi, June 29: BJP today expressed disappointment at the cut of just Rs 2.46 per litre in price of petrol and demanded that it should be slashed by Rs 7.50, the amount by which it was hiked recently. "When the international price of petroleum was $120 per barrel, the government increased the prices here in domestic market but when prices went down to $80 they continued with the earlier prices

New Delhi, June 29: Taking charge of the Finance portfolio after the resignation of Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has kindled hopes of a rethink on the controversial tax measures the departing Minister leaves behind. While the Finance Ministry maintained on Thursday that there were no plans to defer the roll-out of the General Anti-Avoidance Rules (GAAR) beyond April 1, 2013, it

New Delhi, June 29: Oil companies have cut petrol prices by Rs. 2.46 per litre, starting midnight. The cut is based on global crude prices and the exchange rate of the rupee vs the dollar. The reduction in price varies from Rs. 2.46 per litre to Rs. 3.22 per litre, depending upon local taxes in different states. Petrol now costs Rs. 67.78 a litre in Delhi and 73.35 per litre in Mumbai. In other

Phulbani, Odisha, June 28: Twenty-five persons allegedly involved in the Kandhamal communal riots in Odisha in 2008 were acquitted by a local court on Wednesday due to lack of proper evidence against them. Additional Sessions Judge (Fast Track) B N Mishra acquitted 25 persons who were booked on charges of rioting and arson. According to the prosecution, one Chitrasen Digal of Kakadabadi village

New Delhi, June 28: UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee and NDA candidate P.A. Sangma on Thursday filed their nomination papers for the July 19 presidential elections in the presence of a host of leaders from both the sides. Pranab Mukherjee was accompanied by prominent leaders in the UPA and other parties including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Mr. Mukherjee handed