India

New Delhi, Jul 17: Bypassing security concerns, the government on Tuesday decided to throw open country’s telecom sector fully to foreign investors. In defence production, it retained the right to approve proposals beyond 26 per cent on condition that it involves state-of-the-art technology. The move will allow companies such as Vodafone, Telenor, Sistema and others to operate on Indian soil

Chapra (Bihar), Jul 16: As many as 11 students died and 48 others fell ill today after consuming mid-day meal served to them at a government primary school in Bihar's Saran district, police said. The tragedy took place at the government primary school in Dahrmasati Gandawan village at Mashrakh block, about 25 km from here, they said. The children fell ill soon after eating the meal, which

Gaya, Jul 16: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), probing the serial bomb blasts in Bodh Gaya recently, on Tuesday released two sketches of a suspect on the basis of eyewitness accounts and CCTV footage. NIA released two sketches, one in which the suspect is wearing a mask and another bare face, on its website. Sources in NIA said that the sketches have been released on the basis of details

New Delhi, Jul 16: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed Congress leader Sajjan Kumar’s plea against a trial court order framing charges against him in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case relating to the killings of six persons. The court also dismissed a plea by riot victim Sheela Kaur to frame conspiracy charge against the Congress leader and four others in the case. Besides Mr. Kumar, co-accused

New Delhi, Jul 16: The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the right of bar dancers to pursue their profession subject to dancing bars taking licence from the state authorities. The apex court bench of Chief Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice S S Nijjar upheld the right of bar dancers as it rejected the Maharashtra government's plea against the Bombay High Court verdict striking down the police orders

Mumbai, Jul 16: The rupee on Tuesday gained a hefty 64 paise to 59.25 in early trade at the Interbank Foreign Exchange market on fresh dollar selling by exporters after the RBI announced a slew of measures to stem the local currency’s volatility. Forex dealers said measures announced by the RBI on Monday night, including hiking the lending rates for banks and sucking up of Rs. 12,000 crore to stem

Mumbai, Jul 16: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Monday came out in support of Narendra Modi for describing himself as a patriotic Hindu. "Modi has said nothing wrong. Is it a crime to call yourself a Hindu in this country?" Uddhav asked. He was talking to mediapersons after inaugurating the party's renovated headquarters at Nariman Point. Uddhav said that Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar

New Delhi, Jul 15: The RBI on Monday imposed fines totalling Rs 49.5 crore on 22 private and public sector banks including SBI, PNB and Yes Bank for violating know your customer/anti-money laundering norms. It also gave cautionary letters to seven including Citibank and Stanchart following an expose made by an online portal. "After considering the facts of each case...Reserve Bank came to

New Delhi, Jul 15: A day after Narendra Modi listed what he described as the many failures of the government, the Congress issued a detailed rebuttal, challenging what it sardonically described as the BJP leader's "gyaan." At the top of its list was to challenge Mr Modi's accusation that the Congress falls upon the "burqa (veil) of secularism" when it is mired in a multitude of shortcomings. "I

Burdwan (WB), Jul 15: A CPI(M) gram panchayat candidate’s husband was on Monday killed and another party candidate beaten up allegedly by Trinamool Congress supporters in Burdwan district in the second phase panchayat elections in West Bengal, police said. Mohammed Sheikh Hasmat, husband of Monowara Bibi, who is a candidate of Madhudanga gram panchayat, was killed when bombs were hurled at him