Monsoon falls short by 43% in June
12th instance in 113 years, says pvt forecast agency 
Some respite likely in first week of July, says Met
New Delhi, June 29
While monsoon has already missed its date with northwest India this season, the overall rain deficiency for June has crossed 43 per cent, a private forecast agency today said. Skymet termed it “the 12th instance in the past 113 years when rain shortfall was over 30 per cent” in the first month.

Iraq crisis
India gets Gulf envoys’ support for evacuation
New Delhi, June 29
Gulf countries today responded positively to India’s request for their assistance in evacuating Indians from strife-torn Iraq as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj reviewed the situation in the Arab nation at a high-level meeting with top diplomats here.

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Follow ‘Capt Modi’, Advani tells MPs
Surajkund (Faridabad), June 29
Terming the party performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections as unprecedented and a matter of pride for the party, LK Advani, the veteran BJP parliamentarian, asked the party MPs to work hard to help the party and the Modi government emerge stronger with their performance.
LK Advani is welcomed by Union Minister Prakash Javadekar.

Incursion bids by pla troops in Ladakh
Leh/New Delhi, June 29
Chinese troops are learnt to have made several attempts to enter Indian waters at Pangong Lake, nestled in the higher reaches of Ladakh, with the latest incident reported on Friday. Reports reaching government agencies in Delhi said the Army had a face-off in the lake with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on June 27 when they tried to enter the Indian waters.

Saina clinches Australian Open
Sydney, June 29
Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal lifted her first Super Series title in two years, clinching the $ 750,000 Star Australian Open after outplaying Spain's Carolina Marin in the summit clash here today.

Punjab Police bust global drug ring, seize 27-kg heroin
Chandigarh, June 29
Punjab Police today claimed to have busted an international drug smuggling racket involving Pakistan, Burundi and Indian nationals. Six persons, all Punjabis, have been arrested and 27 kg of heroin recovered from them. The contact with the smugglers was made through two convicts, one of them a Burundi national who is behind bars in the Burail Jail here in a drug smuggling case.