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Monsoon rage in Uttarakhand: Kedarnath almost submerged

5,000 evacuated to safe areas, govt sets up 19 relief camps

India, June 20 -- Pandit Uttam Jyotishi, 60, quietly sat on the roof of his house at Yamuna Bazar, watching the area inundate…

  • RBI likely sold dollars after rupee hit record low of 59.93 Reuters
    RBI likely sold dollars after rupee hit record low of 59.93

    MUMBAI (Reuters) - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) likely sold dollars via state-run banks after the rupee slid to a record low on Thursday, several dealers said, as fears of foreign outflows from India are roiling domestic bond and stock markets. The intervention was spotted when the rupee hit 59.90 to the dollar or below, these traders said. The rupee fell after the Federal Reserve signalled an end to its monetary stimulus and after China turned the screw on credit even as factory activity in the world's second largest economy hit a nine-month low. ...

  • India to take action to stem rupee fall as necessary: Rajan Reuters
    India to take action to stem rupee fall as necessary: Rajan

    NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The government is not short of options to tackle the fall of the rupee and will take actions as necessary, the top adviser in the finance ministry told reporters on Thursday, after the rupee fell to a record low. Raghuram Rajan also said the central bank would take action to support the rupee as appropriate. The rupee fell a day after U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke confirmed the Fed would begin winding down its stimulus spending later this year, and data showed China's factory activity weakened to a nine-month low in June. ...

  • Asia assets hammered on China fears, Fed upset Reuters
    Asia assets hammered on China fears, Fed upset

    By Chikako Mogi and Wayne Cole TOKYO/SYDNEY (Reuters) - Asian markets buckled badly on Thursday after the Federal Reserve heralded an eventual end to free money and China turned the screw on credit even as factory activity in the world's second largest economy hit a nine-month low. Shares, currencies and commodities all crumbled as spooked investors rushed to unwind crowded trades in emerging markets. ...

  • "Hazardous" air, murky skies in Singapore from Indonesian fires Reuters
    "Hazardous" air, murky skies in Singapore from Indonesian fires

    By Kevin Lim SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore's air quality deteriorated to "hazardous" levels on Thursday as smoke from forest fires in Indonesia obscured skies over the wealthy city-state and parts of Malaysia and disrupted some businesses and travel. In Singapore, air traffic controllers gave more time for aircraft between taking off and landing at Changi Airport, a major aviation hub, because of poor visibility. Work at several Singapore construction sites slowed with few workers seen outdoors and fast-food operator McDonald's suspended its delivery service across the city-state. ...

  • India has no plan to increase H1 inflation-linked bond issuance - source Reuters

    NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India has no plans to increase the size of its inflation-indexed bond issuance in the first half of the current fiscal year, a senior finance ministry official told Reuters on Thursday, declining to be identified. The Reserve Bank of India has said it will sell 10 billion rupees of 1.44 percent 2023 inflation-indexed government bonds on June 25. The sale would mark the second tranche of up to 150 billion rupees of inflation-linked paper scheduled to be offered at monthly intervals during the current fiscal year, which started in April. ...

  • High FII holding makes private banks vulnerable after Fed - analysts Reuters
    High FII holding makes private banks vulnerable after Fed - analysts

    Reuters Market Eye - Shares of large cap private banks fall as traders fear that high foreign holding in these stocks makes them more vulnerable, as a sell-off after the Federal Reserve heralded an eventual end to free money. ICICI Bank Ltd , with 37.94 percent FII holding, falls 4 percent, while HDFC Bank , where FIIs hold 34.07 percent of total shares, is down 3 percent. "A liquidity squeeze by Fed if US economy grows will obviously reduce the flows that were coming to EMs like India, making stocks with high FII holding vulnerable for the short term, analysts say. ...

  • INSIGHT - Chinese whispers: Who wants to bet on the 'Nicaragua Canal'? Reuters
    INSIGHT - Chinese whispers: Who wants to bet on the 'Nicaragua Canal'?

    By Ivan Castro and Lomi Kriel MANAGUA/PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - For centuries since the colonization of the New World, entrepreneurs have dreamed of building a canal spanning Nicaragua to make it easier to tap Asia's riches. Sixteenth century Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes yearned to cleave the isthmus, and ever since, French, American and Dutch financiers have all made abortive, Quixotic attempts to bisect the Central American country's volcano-studded terrain. Now it's the turn of the Chinese. And skepticism is as strong as ever. ...

  • Lawyers for accused Colorado gunman barred from psychiatric exam Reuters
    Lawyers for accused Colorado gunman barred from psychiatric exam

    By Keith Coffman DENVER (Reuters) - Lawyers for James Holmes, who has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to killing 12 moviegoers in a Colorado theater last year, cannot be present during his court-ordered psychiatric examination, the judge in the murder case ruled on Wednesday. Arapahoe County District judge Carlos Samour Jr. rejected a motion by Holmes' public defenders, who argued that they should be allowed to attend the exam - especially since prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against their client. ...

  • Dotcom decries 'largest data massacre' after company deletes files Reuters
    Dotcom decries 'largest data massacre' after company deletes files

    WELLINGTON (Reuters) - The founder of the outlawed Megaupload file-sharing site denounced on Thursday "the largest data massacre in the history of the internet", after a European firm wiped out private photos, videos and documents stored on servers used by the site. Dutch firm LeaseWeb said it had in February erased 630 servers rented by Megaupload, about a year after U.S. authorities closed the site and charged its operators with facilitating online piracy, racketeering and money laundering. ...

  • New generation of elite universities rises around the globe Reuters

    By Stephanie Simon (Reuters) - Watch out Ivy League, there's a new generation of elite universities on the rise around the globe, according to a new "100 Under 50" report from Times Higher Education magazine. The report, published on Wednesday, ranks the best young universities - defined as those founded no more than 50 years ago - in categories including research prowess, student-to-faculty ratio and international reputation. South Korea's Pohang University of Science and Technology came out on top. ...

  • Government bond trading bands removed for day - FIMMDA CEO Reuters

    MUMBAI (Reuters) - Indian government and state bonds will have no trading bands for Thursday, chief executive officer C.E.S. Azariah told Reuters, after trading in some debt had been halted earlier in the day due to circuit breakers. Trading in the Indian government bond market resumed after the relaxation in limits. The most-traded 8.33 percent 2026 bond rose 15 basis points to 7.60 percent from its previous close. The benchmark 10-year government bond was up 10 bps from its previous close. (Reporting by Archana Narayanan and Mumbai Treasury Desk; Editing by Rafael Nam)

  • Lawmaker, university spar over 'control' of Chinese dissident in U.S. Reuters
    Lawmaker, university spar over 'control' of Chinese dissident in U.S.

    By Paul Eckert WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. congressman who has been blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng's main champion in Washington said people working for New York University have tried to keep him from meeting Chen, barging into a meeting on Capitol Hill and pulling Chen out on one occasion. U.S. Representative Chris Smith, an outspoken supporter of Chinese dissidents since the 1980s, described repeated instances of various people he says were from NYU interfering in his attempts to meet with Chen. ...

  • Finance minister holds meeting with officials over rupee fall Reuters
    Finance minister holds meeting with officials over rupee fall

    NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Finance Minister P. Chidambaram held a meeting with his top civil servants on Thursday about the fall of the rupee, which has plunged to a record low level. The rupee has fallen to 59.9350 to the dollar, a day after the U.S. Federal Reserve indicated a tapering of its monetary stimulus, and data showed China's factory activity weakened to a nine-month low in June. (Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh and Manoj Kumar, editing by Anurag Kotoky)

  • CORRECTED - Q2 ThomsonReuters/INSEAD Asia Business Sentiment Survey - by economy Reuters

    (Corrects final paragraph to show Singapore's previous reading was 61, not 63) SYDNEY, June 19 (Reuters) - Optimism among Asia's top companies gathered momentum in the second quarter despite lingering concerns about the global economy and rising costs, the latest Thomson Reuters/INSEAD Asia Business Sentiment Survey published on Wednesday showed. ...

  • Brazilians mock Pele appeal to end protests Reuters
    Brazilians mock Pele appeal to end protests

    SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian soccer great Pele has called on thousands of protestors demonstrating over poor quality public services and corruption to leave the streets and focus on football, an appeal that was quickly met with derision on social media. Brazil is currently hosting the Confederations Cup which began on Saturday, a tournament seen as a dry-run before it hosts the World Cup next year expected to draw an estimated 600,000 visitors to the country. ...

  • Yamuna recedes in Delhi but flows above danger mark IANS

    New Delhi, June 20 (IANS) The water level in the Yamuna started receding in Delhi Thursday morning but stayed above the danger mark of 204.83 metres. Many low-lying areas in the city also remained inundated, a government official said.

  • Mexican police nab one of FBI's 10 most wanted IANS

    Cancun (Mexico), June 20 (IANS/EFE) Police at the Mexican sea resort of Playa del Carmen arrested one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, a former college professor accused of sexually exploiting children.

  • I don't like being compared with Rajnikanth: Dhanush IANS

    Chennai, June 20 (IANS) Tamil actor Dhanush, who is awaiting the release of his first Hindi film "Raanjhanaa", says even though superstar Rajnikanth has a lot of influence on him, he doesn't like being compared with his father-in-law because he considers him a "legend".

  • Vast Mayan city discovered in Mexico jungle IANS

    Mexico City, June 20 (IANS/EFE) Archaeologists have discovered a previously unknown Mayan city in the southeastern state of Campeche, which for its vastness and characteristics is believed to have been a seat of government some 1,400 years ago.

  • Bolivia, Venezuela collaborate in search for oil IANS

    La Paz, June 20 (IANS/EFE) Petroandina, a 60/40 joint venture of Bolivian state oil company YPFB and Venezuelan counterpart PDVSA, will invest an additional $35 million this year in a search for oil and gas in La Paz province.

  • A smartphone app on baby care IANS

    Thiruvananthapuram, June 20 (IANS) The Kerala-headquartered Mind Media Innovations Pvt. Ltd has developed a new smartphone app on baby care to help young parents with baby rearing tips.

  • Odisha business group chief held in chit fund scam IANS

    Bhubaneswar, June 20 (IANS) Prashant Dash, head of an Odisha-based business group, has been arrested in Mumbai in connection with an alleged chit fund scam, police said Thursday.

  • 10-year-old prodigy to enter Harvard this fall IANS

    Mexico City, June 20 (IANS/EFE) He's only 10-years old but thanks to an IQ similar to Albert Einstein's, Luis Roberto Ramirez will begin the next school year studying applied quantum physics at Harvard University.

  • Brad Pitt to open Moscow film fest with `World War Z' IANS

    Moscow, June 20 (IANS/EFE) Brad Pitt will open the 35th Moscow International Film Festival with the apocalyptic movie "World War Z", recently premiered in New York.

  • Flydubai launches business class service IANS

    Dubai, June 20 (IANS/WAM) Dubai-based Flydubai airline Wednesday announced launch of business class services, based on its passengers' feedback from across its network of 60 destinations.

  • Hear Sonam Kapoor `speak' in Tamil in 'Raanjhanaa' IANS

    Mumbai, June 20 (IANS) What Mani Ratnam couldn't do, Aanand Rai has succeeded in doing. Audiences will be getting to hear Bollywood actress Sonam speak in Tamil for the first time in "Raanjhanaa".

  • Katie Price having 'difficult pregnancy' IANS

    Los Angeles, June 20 (IANS) Model Katie Price says she is going through a "difficult" pregnancy as certain things have gone "wrong".

  • Daniel Radcliffe wants to be a Bond villain IANS

    Los Angeles, June 20 (IANS) "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliff wants to play a villain in the popular James Bond film franchise.

  • Russell Crowe to direct his first feature film IANS

    Los Angeles, June 20 (IANS) Actor Russell Crowe is set to director his first feature film. The project is set in the aftermath of World War I.

  • Johnny Depp opens up about vision problem IANS

    Los Angeles, June 20 (IANS) Actor Johnny Depp, who often sports tinted glasses, has revealed he has been "basically blind as a bat" in his left eye.