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Santos reelected Colombia's president

Bogota, June 16 (IANS) Colombia's incumbent President Juan Manuel Santos won a second four-year term in the presidential election runoff held Sunday. Santos won the second round of the vote, with 50.89 percent of the votes in his favour (7,759,204 ballots), compared to 45.06 percent of the votes for the opposition candidate Oscar Ivan Zuluaga, the country's National Civil Registry said, Xinhua reported. The National Civil Registry said 99 percent of the votes have been counted.

US steps up embassy security in Iraq

Washington, June 16 (IANS) The US said Sunday that it was boosting security for its embassy in Baghdad amid worsening situation in Iraq as Islamic militants were sweeping across the northern part of the country. "As a result of ongoing instability and violence in certain areas of Iraq, embassy Baghdad is reviewing its staffing requirements in consultation with the State Department," Xinhua quoted spokesperson Jennifer Psaki as saying in a statement.

Four insurgents, two police men killed Afghanistan

Kabul, June 15 (IANS) At least four insurgents and two policemen were killed in an exchange of fire in Afghanistan's Kandahar province Sunday, police said. Rahmatullah Atrafi, the deputy provincial police chief, said four insurgents and two policemen were killed in the exchange of fire. No civilians were injured in the incident

In poll mode, Hooda enhances reservation

Chandigarh, June 15 (IANS) With a clear eye to assembly polls likely to be held October this year, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda Sunday announced his government's decision to increase the quantum of reservation for backward classes, special backward classes and economically backward classes. The enhancement of reservation benefit for these categories will be in direct recruitment in Class I and II posts, a state government spokesman said here. The decision was taken by the state cabinet at its meeting here Sunday.

Modi receives rousing welcome in Bhutan, stresses on B2B ties (Intro Roundup)

Thimphu, June 15 (IANS) Bharat to Bhutan ties got a major fillip as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared his intent to expand "B2B" relations on his maiden visit abroad to the neighbouring Himalayan country with which India shares long-standing close and friendly ties. Modi, who chose Bhutan as his first port of call to stress the importance accorded to the neighbourhood in the new government's foreign policy, described relations between the two countries as "B2B" or "Bharat to Bhutan" ties

Syrian troops recapture key border town near Turkey

Damascus, June 15 (IANS) The Syrian forces Sunday recaptured a northern border town near Turkey after eliminating large numbers of "terrorists," media reported. The government forces have restored security and stability to Kasab, a strategic town in the northern coastal province of Latakia on the borders with Turkey, SANA news agency reported. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Saturdat that the Al Qaeda linked Nusra Front and other terrorist groups pulled back as the Syrian troops, backed by the Lebanese Hezbollah group, advanced toward Kasab after recapturing areas adjacent to the town

Man crossing LoC held by army, handed over to police

Jammu, June 15 (IANS) The Indian army Sunday apprehended a man who crossed the Line of Control (LoC) into India in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir and handed him over to the police, an official said. "A civilian named Muhammad Hussain Faryab crossed the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector into our side from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Alert troops arrested him at 9.30 a.m

'Congress will disintegrate without Nehru-Gandhi family'

New Delhi, June 15 (IANS) Congress Working Committee member Anil Shastri Sunday said the party would "disintegrate" without the Nehru-Gandhi family leading it. "Without the 'family' leading the Congress, it will disintegrate and cease to exist," Shastri, son of late prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and a special invitee to Congress Working Committee, said on Twitter

Israeli war jets launch intensive airstrikes on Gaza

Gaza, June 15 (IANS) Israeli war jets Saturday night carried out a series of intensive and successive airstrikes on various military targets in southern, central and northern Gaza Strip, injuring one person, officials said. Israeli war jets, which hovered over the coastal enclave at night, fired several air- to-ground missiles at various targets that belong to militant groups, security officials in Gaza told Xinhua. The officials said that the war jets fired one missile at a training facility that belongs to Islamic Jihad in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, while two other missiles targeted areas used for launching rockets into southern Israel

Mourning for Mandela ends

Johannesburg, June 15 (IANS) The six-month mourning period declared for former South African president Nelson Mandela, who died of lung disease last December aged 95, ended Sunday.