ICICI, HDFC raise Home Loan rates by 0.50% - 0.75%

After the State Bank of India hiked the interest rates on home loans and car loans by 50 basis points or 0.50 percent, the leading private banks ICICI and HDFC have raised their interest rates by 0.50% - 0.75%. The new rates will take effect from tomorrow.

The minimum floating rate of HDFC will be raised by 0.75% to 11% for new customers. The existing customers will have to pay 10.75%. The new fixed rate will be 14%. the ICICI Bank has increased the floating rate by 0.75% to 13.50%. The benchmark rate of ICICI Bank for corporate will be fixed at 16.50%, up by 0.75%. The HDFC Bank announced an increase of 0.50% in its deposit rates, while the ICICI Bank has raised interest rates on fixed deposits by 0.50 - 1 percent.

Arushi Murder Update: Krishna's bail plea rejected on technical ground

There was no relief for Dr. Rajesh Talwar's compounder Krishna in the Arushi-Hemraj murder case, as the Ghaziabad court dismissed his bail plea on technical grounds. The CBI Court Magistrate referred to Article 437 of theCriminal Procedure Code (CrPC) while rejecting Krishna's bail plea. It was noted that Krishna does not come under the category of disabled, senior citizen or woman and thus was not eligible for relief.

The Court agreed to the arguments of CBI prosecutor that magistrate court was not competent to grant Krishna bail at this stage. The Ghaziabad court asked Krishna's lawyer to move to Sessions Court to seek his bail.

SBI hikes interest rates on Home, Car Loans

If the pressure of fuel price hike and rising inflation were not enough for the consumers across the country, the State Bank of India (SBI) gave another shocker to people by hiking the interest rates by 50 basis points on all types of home and car loans. In all probability, all other nationalized banks and private banks will raise their interest rates on these loans sooner or later.

Euro 2008: Spain ends 44-year drought to win the Crown

It was a historic moment for Spain, as the country became the king of Europe after beating Germany 1-0 in the grand finale of Euro 2008. Fernando Torres' solitary goal gave Spain their first major trophy win in the last 44 years. Germany fought hard, but could not beat Spain that extended their winning streak to 22 matches in a row.

The last time Spain had won the Euro Cup was in 1964. Then they had beaten the erstwhile USSR to win the crown. Although Spain reached the final in 1984, they lost to France 2-0. The entire population of the country erupted in joy, when the referee blew the final whistle to endorse the Euro 2008 winner. David Villa, who missed out the final due to injury, won the Golden Boot award for scoring highest number of goals (4) in the tournament.

Naxal Attack: 36 Greyhound Jawans feared drowned in Balimela Resorvoir, Orissa

Over 36 Greyhound jawans from Andhra Pradesh and Orissa Police were feared drowned in Balimela resorvoir in Malkangiri district of Orissa, as Naxalites opened fire at their boat, which ultimately sunk deep in the water. The Naxalites had an advantage, as they were on a hill top and the jawans were travelling in water. The Naxalites could successfully capsize the boat by targeting its operator.

At least 24 jawans managed to swim ashore with bullet injuries. They were immediately rushed to Vishakhapatnam for further treatment. Search operations are going on to locate other jawans who went missing. The incident took place near Alampetta village when nearly 64 jawans of Greyhound Force were on their way to Chitrakonda to launch a joint operation against the Maoists.

Amarnath Shrine Row: J&K Government takes control of Amarnath Yatra

Breaking News! In order to resolve the impasse over the allotment of 100 acres of forest land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, the Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to take control of the Amartnath Yatra with immediate effect. Now onwards, Shri Amarnath Shrine Board won't be responsible for any issues related to Amarnath Yatra and state government will take all responsibilities into its hand. The decision of transfer of 100 acres of forest land to Amarnath Shrine Board, has been reversed with immediate effect.

The decision was taken by CM Ghulam Nabi Azad on the advice of J&K Governor N N Vohra. the Governor is the Chairman of the Amarnath Shrine Board. The row over land transfer to Amarnath Shrine board had generated widespread communal violence in Jammu and Kashmir. With the latest development, it is expected that current crisis will be over soon.

The ruling Congress party received a severe jolt yesterday, when its coalition partner PDP withdrew support to the government on this issue, reducing the government into a minority. The CM has decided to act tough and sent the resignation letters to the Governor for approval.

PDP withdraws support to Jammu & Kashmir Government

It's official now! The People's Democratic Party (PDP), which played a significant role in creating a communal divide in Kashmir, finally withdrew support to the Congress-ruled government in Jammu and Kashmir over the allotment of forest land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board.

Both Congress and PDP had formed the government in 2002. As per the power sharing agreement, PDP ruled the state for 30 months. The Congress has almost completed its tenure and elections are due in the state later this year. The decision to withdraw support to the government was announced by PDP President Mehbooba Mufti. The ministers belonging to PDP, have submitted their resignation to the J&K Governor.

The Congress-led coalition government was reduced to a minority with the PDP pulling out of the coalition. PDP has 18 MLAs in the 87-member assembly, while the Congress has 21 members. The coalition also has the support of eight independent MLAs and two CPM legislators. J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad criticized the political parties for playing politics over religious issues.

CBI: Rajkumar confessed to involvement in Arushi Murder Case

July 11, 2008: More shocking revelations have been made and Dr. Rajesh Talwar and Dr. Nupur Talwar have been given a clean chit by the CBI. Krishna, Rajkumar and Vijay Mandal have been named as Killers. Read more here:

Dr. Rajesh Talwar gets clean chit (http://www.breakingnewsonline.net/2008/07/arushi-murder-mystery-no-evidence.html)

Did CBI REALLY crack the case? (http://www.breakingnewsonline.net/2008/07/did-cbi-really-crack-arushi-murder-case.html)

The sensational Arushi murder case took a dramatic turn, as the CBI today claimed that Dr. Anita Durrani's servant Rajkumar has confessed to his involvement in Arushi-Hemraj murder case. Rajkumar reportedly admitted that he had switched off and later destroyed Arushi's mobile phone. According to CBI, Rajkumar has agreed to help locate the murder weapon and Hemraj's mobile phone.

The Ghaziabad court sent Rajkumar to a 14-day CBI custody. The CBI claimed that they just began cracking the case and there are many more twists and turns in this murder mystery. Earlier in the morning, CBI took Krishna and Rajumar to Talwar's residence and interrogated Dr. Nupur Talwar in their presence. The CBI has not yet given a clean chit to Arushi's parents Dr. Rajesh Talwar and Dr. Nupur Talwar.

Reality bites: Kolkata Girl Shinjini lose speech after Judges' rebuke

Breaking News! In a shocking development that might generate a debate over the reality shows hosted by various TV channels, 16-year old Shinjini Sengupta from Kolkata lost her speech and got paralyzed after the judges of a Bangla reality show pulled her up in public over her "poor" performance. Shinjini is a class XI student from a reputed school in Kolkata.

The girl lost out in the race and then got a rude shock from the judges. She was so shell-shocked that she went into depression and finally lost her speech. Shinjini is in a semi-paralyzed state. Currently, she is being treated at NIMHANS Hospital in Bangalore. The entire country is outraged over this shocking development and people across India have demanded either a complete ban on reality shows or a curb on their activities.

Violent Protests continue in Kashmir, Centre remains mute

The violence continued unabated in Jammu & Kashmir over the forest land allotment to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. Even as the Valley continues to burn for the sixth consecutive days, the Centre has preferred to remain a mute spectator to the developments. Although J&K is a sensitive state from India's point of view, not a single word has come out from the UPA government at the Centre.

It seems that UPA government is only worried about its own stability in the wake of threats and warnings from Left parties. Neither PM Manmohan Singh nor Home Minister Shivraj Patil has reacted to the violent agitation that has taken a communal shape.

If some radical parties take advantage of the situation and play the communal card, the entire country will be on the boil and it will be tough for the government to protect the minorities elsewhere in the country. It's high time the UPA government wake up and take appropriate action to contain the violence and resolve the impasse.

Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw cremated at Ooty

Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, who led India's famous victory over Pakistan in 1971 and was instrumental in the creation of Bangladesh, was cremated with a state honour at Ooty. He had been living at Wellington near Ooty since 1973. Manekshaw passed away on Friday at the age of 94.

Sam Manekshaw fought the World War II as a young soldier and even won the prestigious Military Cross. His finest moment came when he led Indian Army to a victory over Pakistan in 1971. He was the Chief of Army Staff when 1971 Bangladesh War took place. Manekshaw was known as a man of determination. Even a tough person like Indira Gandhi personally admired him. He always meant business and did not allow political interference in his military affairs.

Sam Manekshaw became India's first Field Marshal in 1973. He retired in the same year and then lived in Wellington till his death. His cremation was held as per the Parsi rituals with full military honour. An era in Indian military history came to an end with his death. Long Live Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw! The nation salutes you!

Arushi Murder Case: Rajkumar arrested after blood stains confirmed on his T-Shirt

Breaking News! The CBI arrested Dr. Anita Durrani's servant Rajkumar after forensic reports confirmed blood stains on the T-Shirt found from his room. The T-Shirt was earlier sent for forensic tests. It was confirmed that Rajkumar's 'washed' T-Shirt contained human blood stains. It will be further examined to ascertain whether the blood stains were of Arushi or Hemraj or any other person. Rajkumar's arrest was confirmed by CBI Jt. Director Arun Kumar.

Rajkumar was earlier subjected to lie detector and brain mapping tests. Meanwhile, Dr. Rajesh Talwar's compounder and one of the prime accused in the Arushi-Hemraj murder case, Krishna has been sent to 14-day judicial custody. His lawyers have been applied for bail, which will be heard on June 30.

Inflation surges to 11.42%, BSE Sensex crashes

The inflation rate continued its upward turn, as it reached a 13-year high of 11.42% during the week ending June 14. During the previous week, it was 11.05%. The rise was triggered by a sharp increase in wholesale prices and food commodities.

Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex crashed by 4.3 percent to close at 13,802, down by 620 points. Shares of banking, auto, power, metal, realty, public sector companies, IT and capital goods lost heavily during the mayhem at Sensex. The index fell after global crude oil prices reached an all-time high of $141.71 a barrel. Other Asian stock markets too witnessed a sharp decline during the day's trade.

India, Pakistan hold foreign ministry level talks in New Delhi

India and Pakistan today held crucial foreign ministers' level talks in New Delhi. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and visiting Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi addressed a joint press conference to brief the media on the progress on the bilateral talks.

Pakistan has extended a fresh invitation to PM Manmohan Singh to visit the country. Mr. Pranab Mukherjee said that both countries have to be "unambiguous" in fighting terrorism. Kashmir, terrorism and Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline prominently figured in the talks between the foreign ministers.

1971 War Hero Sam Manekshaw passes away

Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, popularly known as "Sam Bahadur", passed away in the Military Hospital in Wellington, Tamil Nadu. He was 94. Sam Manekshaw led Indian Army to a famous victory over Pakistan in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. He was the recipient of the Padma Vibhushan and Military Cross. Sam Manekshaw was suffering from a lung disease and slipped into coma yesterday.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, President Dr. Pratibha Patil, Defence Minister A K Antony and many other eminent leaders have condoled the death of Sam Manekshaw. Manekshaw was associated with Indian Army for nearly four decades. He was one of the 40 cadets of the first batch that passed out from the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun. Manekshaw became the 8th Chief of Army Staff when he succeeded General Kumaramangalam on June 7, 1969.

EURO 2008: Spain and Germany enter Final

The Euro 2008 reached its final stage, as Germany and Spain qualified for the grand finale. Riding on Philipp Lahm's last minute goal, Germany beat Turkey 3-2 to reach the final. Spain crushed Russia 3-0 in the second semi-final.

Interestingly, Spain has been undefeated in the last 21 matches and is looking forward to win the Euro 2008 to extend its winning streak to 22. The final will be held on Sunday.

Kashmir on Boil, Police open fire in Anantnag

The violent protests and agitations continued for the fourth consecutive day in several parts of Jammu & Kashmir over the transfer of forest land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB). The police had to open fire to control the mob at Anantnag. The valley witnessed a complete shutdown across the state following clashes between protesters and police. The violent clashes have claimed 3 lives and injured over 100 so far.

The People's Democratic Party (PDP), which is dubbed as a communal party, is playing its communal cards and instigating the violence, while the state government remains a mute spectator. The state politicians have communalised the issue to such an extent that protesters are not showing any sign of calm and peace.

The protesters did not even spare the innocent tourists and Amarnath pilgrims. The vehicles carrying Amarnath pilgrims were attacked elsewhere in the valley. If the violence continue unabated, the President Rule will remain the only option left to restore law and order in the state. Meanwhile, the state government has ordered that all schools and colleges across the Valley will remain closed on Friday and Saturday.

BJP announces candidates for Six Lok Sabha Seats

As the UPA and Left are heading for a formal split over the Indo-US nuclear deal, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) started its campaign in style by announcing candidates for six Lok Sabha constituencies including that of their Prime Ministerial candidate L K Advani. According to BJP's Central Elections Committee, the party would announce all its candidates by the end of August.

L K Advani will be contesting from his traditional seat Gandhinagar in Gujarat. Navjot Singh Sidhu will fight from Amritsar, while Vinod Khanna will be contesting from Gurudaspur. The other three names announced by the party are Sripad Rao Naik (Panjim, Goa), Anurag Thakur (Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh) and Lt. General T P S Rawat (Pauri, Uttarakhand).

UPA, Left avoid 'Nuclear' Showdown, to meet again

The hectic political activities involving the Congress, UPA allies and Left parties, finally yielded success, as the government survived for the time being. Both UPA and Left members met at External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's residence and decided to meet again.

The 'nuclear' showdown between UPA and Left, which looked imminent after CPI General Secretary issued a veiled warning saying, "UPA government is safe only till 5 PM". However, no such thing happened and it was averted. Both Pranab Mukherjee and Sitaram Yechury addressed a joint press conference after the meet. While the government has almost decided to go ahead with the nuclear deal, it is buying time to avoid immediate by-elections.

SC permits Sahara to rebuild fencing at Sahara Saher

The Supreme Court allowed Sahara Grup to rebuild the demolished boundary walls of Sahara Saher in Lucknow. Both Sahara India Commercial Corporation (SICC) and the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) had filed contempt charges against each other. However, the court disposed both petitions, while ordering the status quo. The SC has also appointed a supervisor who will look after the fencing work. The apex court pulled up the LDA officials for carrying out the demolition in an improper and deliberate manner.

Meanwhile, UP CM Mayawati has sacked LDA Vice Chairman Harminder Singh for allegedly mismanaging the whole affair. Mukesh Mesram has been appointed as the new Vice Chairman of LDA. Principal Secretary (Housing) Abbas has also been removed from duty with immediate effect.

Malaysian Players accused of fixing the Azlan Shah Cup tie against India

In a shocking development, the Mayalsian Hockey Federation has accused some of its players of fixing the crucial match against India in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup last month. India had won the match 2-1 and entered the final , which was won by Argentina. Even the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has taken note of the allegations.

The Malaysian Hockey Federation has lodged a formal police complaint and also launched its own inquiry into the allegations. The latest development shocked the hockey fans across the world. The India team management has denied knowledge any such developments. Chairman of the selection committee, Aslam Sher Khan categorically said that there was no Indian involvement.

Political Parties go communal over land transfer to Amarnath Shrine

The transfer of forest land to Amarnath Shrine Board has triggered a communal divide in the Valley and the political parties PDP and Congress are responsible for it. The police have been forced to use lathis, tear gas shell and blank firing to control the mob that went berserk in several parts of the state. Normal life has come to standstill in Jammu & Kashmir.

The tension began when then J&K Governor Lt. Gen. S K Sinha had approved the transfer of 100 acres of forest land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. Separatist parties such as Hurriyat Conference has alleged that it is a conspiracy to settle non-local Hindus in the Valley.

According to latest reports, the Gulam Nabi Azad government in J&K has decided to stop the constructions on the transferred land. The decision was taken by the CM after an all-party meeting. Meanwhile, Hindu groups have threatened protests and agitations if the transferred land is taken back from the Amarnath Shrine Board.

Nation salutes its Heroes on 25th Anniversary of 1983 World Cup Win

Millions of cricket fans across the world celebrated India's famous World Cup victory in 1983. On June 25, 1983, Kapil's devils had brought glory to the country by beating West Indies in the final of the Prudential World Cup. The BCCI has already felicitated Kapil Dev and his team a few days ago.

Legendary Sunil Gavaskar will be hosting a special banquet for the world cup winning team at Lord's where Kapil's devils created history exactly 25 years ago.

Barack Obama gets a giant Hanuman idol from India

Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama, who beat Hillary Clinton to win the Democrats' nomination, will receive a unique gift from India. The Sankat Mochan Dham Hanuman Temple in New Delhi will present Obama with a gold-plated giant idol of Lord Hanuman with a prayer for his success in the upcoming US elections.

During the presidential campaign, it was found that Obama has kept a tiny idol of Lord Hanuman as a good luck charm. That's why the priests at the Sankat Mochan Dham Hanuman Temple have decided to gift him with this unique idol. he 15-kg Hanuman idol was presented to Carolyn Sauvage-Mar, chairperson of Democrats Abroad-India.

RBI hikes Repo Rate to 8.5% and CRR to 8.75%

Breaking News! In order to fight the rising inflation, the RBI has decided to hike the repo rate and Cash Reserve Ratio. The repo rate was hiked by 50 basis points to 8.50 percent. Similarly, the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) has been hiked by 50 basis points to 8.75 percent.

RBI's repo rate hike to 8.5 percent is the highest since 2002. The CRR hike of 50 basis points will be implemented in two phases from July 19. It is believed that home loans, personal loans, auto loans and all other types of loans will become costlier because of this repo rate hike.

UPA Allies step in to save the Government, Left adamant

Even as the UPA allies stepped in to save the government from a collapse, the Left parties remained adamant on the Indo-US nuclear deal. Senior UPA leaders, Sharad Pawar, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan met Sonia Gandhi yesterday and expressed home that government won't collapse and last its full term. Later, the UPA partners held separate talks with Left leaders Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechury and A B Bardhan.

According to the latest reports, the UPA allies have come up with a formula that will help both parties. However, the Left is adamant on this issue and does not want to give in an inch on Indo-US nuclear deal. Several rounds of talks may take place between UPA, Left and the Congress before a final decision is taken.

Nawaz Sharif barred from contesting polls in Pakistan

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been barred from contesting the parliamentary by-election slated to be held this week. The Lahore High Court upheld a previous ruling that made Sharif ineligible to contest polls because of a 1999 court conviction.

The court's decision came as a major setback for Nawaz Sharif, who has staged a war against President Pervez Musharraf. Latest Update on June 25, 2008: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has postponed the by-elections in which Sharif was a candidate. The decision came after the government moved the apex court against the Lahore High Court decision to bar Sharif from contesting polls.

Sikhs apologize to Mumbai for brandishing swords during recent protest

The Sikh Sabha in Mumbai apologized to the Mumbaikars for brandishing swords in the public during their recent agitation against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Baba Ram Rahim Singh. The also assured the people that such things won't happen in future.

The apology came amid the reports that Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray is reportedly unhappy with the way Sikhs staged protests across Mumbai by brandishing swords at common people.

Arushi Murder Update: Krishna sent to 4-day CBI Custody

In a sensational revelation before the Ghaziabad court, Dr. Rajesh Talwar's compounder Krishna, who is one of the prime accused in the Arushi-Hemraj murder case, said that he was subjected to physical torture by the CBI during his remand period. However, the Ghaziabad court remanded him to a 4-day CBI custody, as the CBI said they have reached a crucial stage in this mysterious murder case and required four day custody of Krishna.

The CBI admitted that they have not recovered anything from Krishna, but said the results of the forensic tests may provide crucial breakthrough in this case. Meanwhile, Arushi's mother Dr. Nupur Talwar expressed confidence that her husband Dr. Rajesh Talwar is innocent and would be released on bail within a few days.

Indian Prisoner dies in Pakistan Jail

In a shocking development, Bhagwan Das, an Indian prisoner in a Pakistan jail, died of electric shock today. Bhagwan Das was a fisherman, who was arrested for entering Pakistani waters and was held in Landhi Jail in Karachi.

The jail officials said that Bhagawan Das died of electic shock when he was washing clothes. However, former Human Rights minister Ansar Burney has asked the authorities to conduct a probe into this incident, as Das died in "mysterious circumstances".

Celebrating 1983 World Cup Victory: BCCI felicitates Kapil's Devils

With the 25th anniversary of India's historic win in 1983 World Cup comes nearer, the BCCI felicitated then skipper Kapil Dev and his team at a grand ceremony in New Delhi yesterday. It could be recalled India beat West Indies in a dream final on June 25, 1983 to lift the Prudential Cup at Lord's.

Kapil Dev, 13 other cricketers and then manager P R Mansing, were present at the felicitation ceremony, which was organized to mark the silver jubilee of the famous World Cup win. BCCI president Sharad Pawar welcomed the team members and congratulated them. Each member of the team was presented with 2.5 million rupees and a citation.

Kapil Dev looked emotional and attributed that memorable victory to the team efforts. Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Mohinder Amarnath, Madan Lal, Yashpal Sharma, Sandeep Patil, Balwinder Sandhu, Syed Kirmani, Kirti Azad, K Srikanth, Roger Binny, Ravi Shastri and Sunil Valson. A special dinner will be hosted for the 1983 World Cup winning team at Lord's on June 25. A diamond bat signed by all team members will be put for auction.

Navjot Singh Sidhu arrested, Police resort to Lathicharge on his Rally

Breaking News! Cricketer-turned-Politician Navjot Singh Sidhu was arrested during a protest rally in Chandigarh. Sidhu and a group of BJP activists were protesting against the fuel price hike and spiralling food prices. The police first used tear gas and water canons to disperse the protesters. Later, they resorted to lathicharge and arrested Sidhu and scores of his supporters. Sidhu was later released.

Sidhu has criticized the UPA government at the centre for the unprecedented rise in prices of fuel and essential commodities. He also vowed to intensify his protest.

Breaking News! Sarabjit Singh to get pardon?

Breaking News! In a significant development that came as a big relief for the millions of Indians, Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh is all set to get pardon from the Pakistan government. The news was confirmed by former Pakistani Human Rights Minister Ansar Burney. Burney said he got the news from Prime Minister Gillani.

Gillani is said to have commuted all death sentences and sent the recommendation to President Pervez Musharraf. If we believe Burney, now it remains a formality that Sarabjit Singh will get freedom and return to India.

Once Musharraf signs the recommendation, all prisoner facing death charges will get a life term. People like Sarabjit, who have already served the required jail term, will be released. Along with Sarabjit Singh, two other Indian prisoners, who are facing death sentence, could be released.

BSP withdraws support to UPA Government at Centre

In an inconsequential move, which may not have any impact on the coalition government at the centre, Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) withdrew support to the UPA government with immediate effect. BSP supremo and UP CM Mayawati has formally written to the President in this regard. The BSP has 17 MPs in the Parliament.

Mayawati's move came after it apparently became clear that Congress is inching closer to her bete noire Mulayam Singh Yadav and the Samajwadi Party. Mayawati has been criticising the UPa government for the past few months.

Mumbai: Sikhs call off Protest after Maha Dy. CM's assurance

A section of agitating Sikhs in Mumbai called off their protest in Mumbai for the day, after Maharashtra Dy. CM R R Patil assured them that strict action will be taken against the guilty who were involved in yesterday's violence, which claimed one life and injured two people. The state government has announced a compensation of Rs. 2 lakh for the dead and Rs. 25,000 each for the injured. However, some other Sikh groups are still adamant on continuing their protest till Dera chief Ram Rahim is arrested.

Earlier in the day, the anti-Dera Sikhs went on a rampage, disrupting normal road and rail traffic. Armed with swords, they forced the shopkeepers close their shops. In some places, the Sikhs clashed with the police. Even as the CRPF have been deployed in various parts of Mumbai, violent clashes have been reported from some places and situation seems to be far from normal.

According to the latest update, the Sikh groups have resorted to protests and agitations in Punjab and Haryana. Trains have been stopped near Bhatinda and some other places. RAF and CRPF personnel have been deployed in Punjab, Haryana and Maharashtra to contain the violence.

Meanwhile, Dera Chief Baba Ram Rahim Singh's bodyguard who is accused of killing a Sikh protester, was produced in a Mumbai court along with the two other accused. The guard is charged under Section 102 of IPC. The accused have been remanded to police custody till July 2.

Clash between Dera Supporters and Sikhs in Mumbai, 1 killed, 2 injured

Breaking News! At least one people was killed and two more injured in a violent clash between Dera Sacha Sauda supporters and a section of Sikh community at Nirmal Lifestyle Mall in Mulund, Mumbai. The agitating Sikhs accused Baba Ram Rahim's guard of shooting. The allegations were denied by the Dera Sacha spokesperson. The police have arrested the guard who allegedly opened fire and three other people.

Meanwhile, the Sikh community have blocked the adjacent roads in Mulund and stages a sit-in. Some Sikh supporters have burnt the effigy of Ram Rahim in Pune. The security forces have been put on high alert in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra. The Sikh community have demanded the immediate arrest of Baba Ram Rahim. Protests and agitations have been reported from several parts of the country.

Inflation surges to a 13-year High of 11.05%

Breaking News! Even as the UPA government struggles to avoid a mid-term poll aftermath fallout with the Left on the Indo-US nuclear deal, it received another setback from the market. The inflation surged to a 13-year old high of 11.05% during the week ended June 07. This unprecedented rise has been attributed to the domestic fuel price hike.

If we go back to the history, inflation rate was at 11.11% last time on May 06, 1995 when Congress government was in power. The inflation may go up further when the data is received for the week ending June 14. The sensex reacted sharply with the BSE index going down below 15,000. Experts believe that interest rates may go up because of the high inflation.

Lenovo launches IdeaPad U110 in Indian Market

Lenovo finally launched the IdeaPad U110 consumer notebook PC in Indian market. The high-end portable notebook (laptop) looks amazingly sleek and stylish and will be available at a price of Rs. 98,000. Here are some of the key features of Lenovo IdeaPad U110:

1) It has dimensions of 10.8-inches x 7.7-inches x 0.72 to 0.88-inches
2) Weight - 2.42 pounds with 4-cell battery and 2.92 pounds with 7-cell battery
3) 1.60GHz Intel Core 2 Duo L7500 processor
4) 120 GB hard drive with up to 3 GB memory
5) Built-in Web Camera, WLAN, Ethernet, Bluetooth Connectivity
6) External DVD Burner
7) Runs on Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium operating system.
8) Hard drive is temporarily parked in case the notebook crashes.
9) Features Dolby Home Theater and Multimedia Control Center.

Setback to Mayawati, as Allahabad High Court stops demolition at Sahara Shahar

The bitter feud between UP CM Mayawati and her bete noire Mulayam Singh Yadav and his friend Subroto Roy Sahara, reached the courtroom after the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) demolished portions of Sahara Shahar in the Gomti Nagar area. In a major relief to the Sahara India Group, the Allahabad High Court directed that the land that had been vacated in the demolition exercise be restored to Sahara. The High Court also allowed reconstruction on it.

The HC pulled up the LDA for carrying out the demolition late in the night without serving a notice. The court also It also ordered the state g