India

New Delhi, Jul 30: Sonia Gandhi declined to become Prime Minister in 2004 because of strong opposition from her son Rahul Gandhi who was afraid she would be killed like his father and grand mother if she accepted the post, former External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh claimed today. Singh(83), an estranged Gandhi family friend who quit the Congress in 2008 after he had to resign from the UPA-I

Pune, Jul 31: The death toll in the landslide at Malin village near here rose to 23 this morning even as rescue workers resumed operations, which were hampered during the night due to rains and poor visibility. As many as 44 houses were crushed in Malin village, situated in Ambegaon taluka, some 120 kms from the district headquarters here in Western Maharashtra, by the massive landslide that

Thanjavur, Jul 30: 10 years after a fire at a primary school in Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu killed 94 children, the Thanjavur district principal sessions court on Wednesday convicted 10 of the 21 accused in the case. The court pronounced Krishna English Medium School founder Pulavar Palanichamy, his wife and school correspondent Saraswati, headmistress Santhanalakshmi and others guilty under section

Lucknow, Jul 30: A United States report stating that Uttar Pradesh saw the highest number of deaths in communal violence in India last year has raised the political temperature in the state, with opposition political parties charging the ruling Samajwadi Party government with complete failure of law and order in the State. The Akhilesh Yadav government has also been accused of sullying the image

New Delhi, Jul 30: Two affiliates of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or the RSS-Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM) and the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS)-met Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar and claimed a decision granting approval for field trials of genetically-modified (GM) crops has been put on hold. The government, however, said no decision has been taken as yet. "Government has not taken any

Saharanpur, Jul 29: It was a quiet gathering of around 5,000 that offered prayers at the main Idgah in Saharanpur under the hawk eye of the top administrators in the riot-torn city. Curfew was relaxed in parts of the district from 7am to 11am on the occasion of Eid. However, curfew will be in place on Ambala Road, the main access route to the Idgah, where rioters torched dozens of shops, vehicles

Mumbai, Jul 29: CID directed to probe case involving his threats to get women related to CPI(M) members raped. The Calcutta High Court on Monday has given the police 72 hours to file an FIR against Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Pal for his controversial comments against women and directed that the CID investigate the matter. The court was responding to a PIL filed against Pal for his remarks where

Mumbai, Jul 28: The police action against Marathi-speaking people at Yellur in Karnataka has prompted protests by political parties in Maharashtra, with the Shiv Sena calling it as an act of "terror" and seeking Centre's intervention in the "disputed" region. "It is the reign of goondas. Even we can do this goondagiri but we won't do that. We demand that the Centre immediately declare the border

Panaji, Jul 28: Goa's Deputy Chief Minister Francis D'Souza Monday apologized for his comment that India was already a Hindu nation. "My opinion could be wrong for others. I accept it. I don't say it is the most correct opinion. You might say I am wrong. If anyone's sentiment is hurt, I apologise," D'Souza said. "Hindu is my culture, Christianity is my religion. When I say Hindu, it means culture

New Delhi, Jul 28: They have been the most bitter rivals for over two decades. But a common need to defeat the BJP has brought Bihar stalwarts Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav on the same side of an electoral battle. The two former chief ministers will share stage while campaigning for by-elections to 10 assembly seats to be held on August 21. Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), decimated in the