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The rupee slid after Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said yesterday that the Fed could begin to ratchet down its key stimulus programme later this year, signalling a growing confidence in the US economy. 'Govt not short of options to tackle Re fall'

Once thick friends and now rivals, the end of the Janata Dal United ties with the BJP has also changed their personal equations. Shekhar Iyer reports.

Rivers have exacted their revenge. Choked by rampant construction and bullied to change their course in the name of development, angry rivers of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh left behind massive devastation in the last few rain-swept days. Chetan Chauhan reports.

The United States has not scheduled talks with the Taliban, the State Department said, after reports that discussions with the Afghan insurgent group could begin this week in Qatar. Terror and talks

The Madras High Court took strong objection to criticism of its verdict holding sexual relations between a woman and man of marriageable age, prior to tying the knot, as "a valid wedding" and stoutly defended the order.

A day after Left veteran Gurudas Dasgupta shot his third letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking oil minister Veerappa Moily's removal, the minister hit back accusing Dasgupta of acting upon vested interest to derail key policy decisions. HT reports.

Close to 63,000 people remained stranded or cut off in rain-ravaged Uttarakhand on Wednesday as the toll touched 150 and the rain finally let up after three days, helping authorities step up rescue and relief operations. Death toll is much higher: ITBP

The famous Kedarnath shrine located in the Himalayan ranges in rain-ravaged Uttarakhand is safe but will remain out of bounds for at least one year, chief minister Vijay Bahuguna said today.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleged today that the Centre and its agencies, along with the CPI(M), Congress, Maoists and a section of the media have joined hands to murder her. HT reports.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai says he has suspended talks with the US on a new security deal to protest the way the Americans are reaching out to the Taliban in efforts to find a political solution to the war.

The Supreme Court today agreed to give an urgent hearing to a PIL on the issue of US National Security Agency snooping on Internet data from India and seeking to initiate action against Internet companies for allowing the agency to access the information.

With a large number of bodies, which are trapped in the debris at different places across Uttarakhand beginning to decay, the threat of an outbreak of epidemic also looms large on the hill state, officials said. Kedarnath temple stays intact | Uttarakhand helpline numbers: 0135-2710334, 0135-2710335, 0135-2710233

Speculation is rife that the reign of SD Shibulal as chief executive officer and managing director of Infosys may draw to a close this year, much before his term ends in 2015. Vivek Sinha reports.

Having won the first round of the battle to control the BJP, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday met his chief detractor LK Advani, the party patriarch who is bitterly opposed to his elevation as campaign chief. HT reports.

The shrine of Shiva, visited by Hindu pilgrims from across the world, was only partly damaged amid the death and destruction cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides caused in various parts of Uttarakhand. It’s raining disaster | Uttarakhand helpline numbers: 0135-2710334, 0135-2710335, 0135-2710233