Congress workers on Saturday assembled at the party headquarters on Akbar Road to celebrate the 40th birthday of party general secretary Rahul Gandhi. Though the scion of the Gandhi family is abroad, enthusiastic party workers offered cakes to his posters while dancing to drums and bursting fire-crackers.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s move of returning the flood relief money led to sharp criticism from some BJP leaders, including Patna Sahib MP Shatrughan Sinha, who charged Bihar chief minister of showing “arrogance”. The RJD and the LJP also criticised Bihar chief minister.

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi might be an asset for the BJP in the state but outside he is becoming a liability, felt the Congress against the backdrop of strained relations between the BJP and the Janata Dal (United) ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls.

Indian top seed Achanta Sharath Kamal stormed into the semifinals of the Indian Open ITTF Pro Tour at the Yamuna Sports Complex here on Saturday, reports our correspondent. Sharath made short work of Young Sik Jung of South Korea 8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 7-11, 11-8, 12-10.

A 25-year-old woman employed with a MNC collapsed and died at the popular Wet’n’Wild resort at Manesar on Saturday. So far, the initial medical reports of the deceased attributed the death due to a heart attack. The deceased, Deepika Jain, had come to Gurgaon from Indore to get her brother admitted to a management institute.

A major fire broke out at a three-storied cloth godown in Chandni Chowk area of central Delhi on Saturday, causing damages worth lakhs of rupees.
The police officials said the fire broke out at shop number 2011 and 2012 in Kinari Bazar of Chandni Chowk area at around 12.30 pm when smoke was seen billowing out of the first floor of the building by the surrounding traders in the market. A call was made to the police control room which rushed its team to the site.

The police claimed to have recovered documents related from the house of industrialist Anil Nanda while questioning him in connection with the murder of his driver Janeshwar. Mr Nanda has denied any involvement in the murder.

A day after the Delhi government’s transport department assured hikes in taxi and autorickshaw fares, the commuters in Delhi might also have to pay more for Blueline bus tickets.

The BJP on Friday suspended three party MLAs for cross-voting in the just-concluded Rajya Sabha polls. MLAs Banwari Ram from Bihar, Bhimsen Chaudhary from Orissa and Ram Chandra from Jharkhand were suspended for not voting in favour of the BJP candidate or abstaining in the biennial polls on Thursday.

Pakistan foreign secretary Salman Bashir, who will hold talks with his Indian counterpart Niru-pama Rao in Islamabad on June 24, expects “detailed talks” on a framework for fighting terrorism, including, possibly, a revamp of the joint anti-terrorism mechanism.