This massive devastation has claimed over 130 lives in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh with alone 50 people in Kedarnath area and have left over 70, 000 pilgrims for Himalayan shrines stranded.

The ‘Jyotirlinga’ in Rudraprayag district is one of the most esteemed Hindu pilgrimage places where lacs of people pay their visit every year during ‘Char Dham Yatra‘. The ‘Char Dham Yatra‘ has been suspended after continuous rain fury that has caused damage to roads and buildings earlier this week, leaving over 100 dead in the state.

The holy town of Kedarnath, stands at the height of 11, 760 feet and surrounds by majestic snowcapped peaks. On Tuesday the flooding Mandakini River caused havoc on the place, killing many people and many went missing.

As per reports, there are over 50 bodies lying in the areas adjacent to Kedarnath shrine and it is feared that even more than that are below the debris. The areas in the released aerial pictures can show the massive destruction with several hotels and shops being devastated in the floods.

Almost 500 people, including local residents and several pilgrims, are missing in the area. However, some other reports claim that more than 6000 people are stuck in the Kedarnath Valley.

Search and rescue operations started late due to adverse climatic situations. Multiple teams including Army and Para-Military forces, Disaster Management Force are working on war footing to provide help and aid to the stranded pilgrims and local residents.

Flash flood in the Ganga and its tributaries triggered by incessant heavy rains for more than 48 hours left a trail of death and destruction across Uttarakhand killing 37 people, injuring 34 and damaging 164 buildings.

The grave situation in Uttarakhand led to suspension of the annual Kailash Mansarovar yatra owing to the relentless heavy rains and consequent landslides.

The monsoon rains, which started on Saturday, have continued for the past 2 days. The Met department says the rains in the month of June have since broken an 88-year record.

More than 72,000 pilgrims visiting the Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines were stranded in Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts on Monday as heavy rains wreaked havoc on Uttarakhand, while 15 people were killed in Uttar Pradesh.

The vote pitches a divided conservative camp against a moderate candidate who enjoys the backing of the reformists.

The supreme leader of Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who votes in the first minutes after the opening of the polls, motivated people to vote en masse.

“Inshallah (God willing), the Iranian people will create a new political epic. I advise all people to vote and do so in the early hours of the morning,” said the Iranian leader in a live broadcast on state television. He also attacked US criticism of the presidential poll. Some US officials had said they did not recognise the presidential election, he noted. “The hell with you” who do not agree with the way the election is being run, Khamenei said.

“The Iranian people… will do what is in their interest,” he added. US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki, noting the way the field had been narrowed down to six candidates, had told reporters in Washington yesterday: “By international standards, this election is not free, fair or transparent.

“The candidates were chosen by the Guardian Council, which is unelected and… an unaccountable body. Nonetheless, the Iranian people will make some choice among the small choices that they have,” she added.

Subsequently, A court here ordered a two-week judicial remand of the former army chief.

Musharraf will stay at his farmhouse for the duration of the remand. The farmhouse, at Chak Shahzad, a village in Islamabad, had earlier been announced a sub-jail.

Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti was killed in August 26, 2006 during a military operation ordered by General Musharraf, who was president and army chief at the time.

Akbar Bugti headed an armed insurgency to media for provincial autonomy and a greater share of profits from Balochistan’s natural resources.

The indicted personnel are in the process of facing disciplinary action on various counts in the incident which happened around a couple of years ago, Sources said.

The sensitive details could have been compromised because of leakage of a top secret letter written by the Tezpur-based 4 Corps to the Rangia-based 21 Mountain Division which is learnt to have information about operational plans and other such crucial details related to the sensitive China border, they said.

sources said, the 21 Mountain Division was being commanded by Maj Gen N S Ghei, who was later promoted to the rank of Lt Gen and is presently strong the Bathinda-based 10 Corps along Pakistan border. The letter went missing within a week of its receipt by the 21 Mountain Division and it is still untraceable.

The Military is in the process of developing its capabilities along the boundary with China which involves raising of additional 90,000 soldiers under a yet-to-be-raised Mountain Strike Corps.

According to the reports, India’s 141st ranking among 161 countries for least peaceful nations to live in is ironically an improvement as the country has improved its ranking by three places since the 2011 survey, as per a news report.

The survey claims violence in the India revealing loss of 799 lives in 2012, with at least two persons being killed each day.

Iceland has named as the most peaceful country in the GPI survey.

In the GPI list – Central African Republic was ranked the most violent country and countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and South Sudan were also named as violent.

The GPI ranks the countries on different steps such as safety and security levels in the society and national and international conflict of the states.

Of late, the call for Aref’s withdrawal was growing stronger within the reformist section to the advantage of the moderate contender Hassan Rowhani. He was recently endorsed by Khatami’s Advisory Council as the candidate for the reformist camp.

Rowhani has served as the top security official during the tenure of the former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and still enjoys his support. He was also the country’s chief nuclear negotiator under Mohammad Khatami.

Aref’s is the second candidate in two days to pull out from the contest. Previously Ex-parliamentary speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel quitted the race. Though he was not a strong contestant for the polls, he was considered as close to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader.

Nelson Mandela’s condition reportedly deteriorated today and he was shifted to a Pretoria hospital.

The president said he wished Nelson Mandela a quick recovery on behalf of the Govt and the nation.

This is the 4th time in seven months Nelson Mandela has been hospitalised.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate moved down as president in 1999 after one term in office and has been eliminated from politics for a decade.

Mandela has not been seen in public since the World Cup final in 2010. He appeared in a brief television clip aired by state television in April during a visit to his home by Zuma.

Nelson Mandela served as South Africa’s 1st black president from 1994 to 1999 and is widely regarded as the father of the nation for leading the struggle against apartheid and for democracy.

The two leaders shook hands at the Sunnylands estate under a shaded walkway, just outside Palm Springs. This meeting will be the first meeting between the two, since Mr. Xi Jinping became Chinese President in March.

With the meeting, Barack Obama has expressed the hope that these informal and extended talks will enhance cooperation and relations between the two countries.

“Our decision to meet so early in Mr.Xi’s term signifies the importance of the US-china relationship,” Obama said at the summit. He also said that the American states welcomed the rise of peaceful China and wanted “economic order where nation are abiding by the same rules”.

American President Obama has called this summit as way by which two countries will work together to address cyber security. He also said that this is in the interest of both of the countries to work together and sort out the areas of tension between the two countries.

Chinese President Xi, in his opening comments said, his meeting with President Obama is for charting the future of China-US Relationship. Speaking through a translator, Xi said that the world has gained huge benefits from relationship between US-China and it’s time to think creatively and act energetically towards our better relationship.

He gave hints about more exchange for economic stability and international challenges. He also said that he is confident that meeting will bring a fresh momentum to the relationship of the two countries.

The end of the marriage of Vladimir Putin and Lyudmila Putina, less than two months before their 30th anniversary, came on state television after an evening that started out like a model of domestic contentment —  devoted husband taking his wife to the ballet.

After a ballet performance of “Esmeralda” at the Great Kremlin Palace, the two came into a luxurious room to speak to a reporter.

“Excellent. Great music, excellent production,” Mr Putin said, and Lyudmila echoed his praise.

After about a minute, the reporter asked about rumours that the two did not live together. Mr Putin smiled slightly, like a boy caught misbehaving, and turned his head toward Lyudmila. “This is so,” he said.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether this meant just separate homes. After a few more comments, the reporter gently prodded: “I am afraid to say this word divorce.”