GUWAHATI: Braving incessant rains and a boycott call by militants, tens of thousands celebrated Independence Day and in other parts of Assam on Friday.

NEW DELHI: The fear of drought has receded further with Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday predicting better rainfall during August-September. Though the Met downgraded the prediction for the overall Monsoon rainfall from "below normal" to "deficient", it ruled out any possibility of drought.

JAISALMER: There has been slight improvement in the health of former external affairs minister Jaswant Singh, who has been admitted to Army Hospital, New Delhi. However, he is still on life support and unconscious.

NAGPUR: A pro-Vidarbha woman activist on Tuesday caused commotion when she tried to hurl her 'chappal' (footwear) at deputy chief minister and NCP stalwart Ajit Pawar at Chamorshi in Gadchiroli on Tuesday.

 RANCHI: The court of special CBI judge AK Mishra on Tuesday rejected Lalu Prasad's petition challenging trial in a case (RC68A/96) related to the multi-crore fodder scam in which the RJD chief is an accused.

LEH: Underlining his government's resolve to fight graft which has "ruined" the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed his willingness to take along people from various parties who have been fighting corruption.

LEH(Jammu & Kashmir): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated two hydroelectric power projects in the Ladakh region and praised the people of the region for extending support to him.

NEW DELHI: The issue of rehabilitation of Kashmiri pandits took a personal turn in the Lok Sabha on Monday with BJP member Anurag Thakur taking a veiled dig at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of not even raising the issue in so many years. Thakur refrained from taking Rahul's name.

VARANASI: The water level of the Ganga may cross the danger mark in Ballia by Tuesday morning, the swelling river continued its rising trend on Monday right from Allahabad to Ballia.

NEW DELHI: West Bengal Congress chief and MP from Baharampur Adhir Ranjan Choudhury may have had a number of criminal cases registered against him, but he lists his profession as "social reformer," according to the Parliament website.