Ukraine has called for a UN Security Council emergency meeting to help deal with the crisis in its eastern regions and stop alleged aggression from Russia, Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk said Thursday.
“We are ready to provide proof that the Russian side made attempts to escalate the conflict and bloodshed, capture Ukrainian border crossings and disrupt the presidential elections,” Xinhua quoted Yatsenyuk as saying.
It’s been 39 years since India won their only hockey World Cup. After that they never came anywhere near a podium finish, let alone winning.
India were third in the inaugural edition in 1971, runners-up in the next
edition before winning the Cup in Kuala Lumpur when the tournament was
played biennially. After it became quadrennial in 1978, India’s best finish came in 1982 and then 1994. From then on they were making up the 9-12 numbers and in 2010 they ended up eighth.
Former Intelligence Bureau chief Rajiv Mathur was Thursday sworn-in as the new chief information commissioner, Rashtrapati Bhavan said.
The oath was administered to Mathur by President Pranab Mukherjee, said a statement.
Mathur, a 1972 batch Indian Police Service officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, served in the Intelligence Bureau for nearly three decades, including 15 years in Washington.
He took over the reins of the agency in January 2009, and retired Dec 31, 2010.
In an effort to further boost India-Africa business collaborations, an “Africa-India Partnership Day” is being organised Thursday on the sidelines of the African Development Bank’s annual general meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, May 19-23.
The second such event, being organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Exim Bank, has as its theme “Sharing India’s Experiences with Africa”, FICCI said here Thursday.
Activist Irom Chanu Sharmila, on a fast-unto-death since the past 10 years against alleged rights violations by security forces, wants to meet Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi to secure his help in getting AFSPA repealed in Manipur, her lawyer said Thursday.
“She has expressed a desire to meet Prime Minister(-designate) Narendra Modi to highlight the sufferings of the people through the imposition of AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act) in Manipur and in other northeastern states as well,” Sharmila’s counsel Khaidem Mani told IANS.
The highest turnout of voters in the Lok Sabha election was recorded in the northeastern state of Nagaland, with 87.82 percent of electors exercising their franchise, while the lowest turnout of 49.52 percent was in Jammu and Kashmir, the Election Commission Thursday said.
“The highest male turnout was reported in Nagaland (88.15 percent) while the highest female turnout was reported in Lakshadweep (88.42 percent),” the poll panel said in a press release.
Indian cricket board’s interim president Sunil Gavaskar Thursday expressed concern over the recent leak of testimonies given by star New Zealand cricketers to the ICC’s anti-corruption and security unit (ACSU).
The leak has “encroached” upon the confidentiality that players depend on while giving such statements to the investigators, Gavaskar said, adding “it’s a cause of concern”.
BCCI interim president Sunil Gavakar Thursday said a couple of cases of players being approached by “outsiders” during the ongoing Indian premier League (IPL) have been reported to the anti-corruption officials.
Replying to a query whether there were cases during the ongoing IPL where players were approached by outsiders, allegedly “bookies”, Gavaskar said: “There were a couple of cases, which have been reported to the anti-corruption officials.”
Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi’s initiative to invite leaders of all SAARC countries for his swearing-in ceremony has evoked a warm response with the Afghan, Maldivian and Sri Lankan presidents and the Bhutanese and Nepalese prime ministers confirming their participation. Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif was yet to take a decision about participating.
Bangladesh will be represented at the ceremony by its parliament speaker.
Apart from leaders from SAARC countries, Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam will also attend the swearing-in.
Gautam Singhania will take part in the open drift event of the Nissan Extreme Torque Show to be held in Sunderland, England, May 25-26 as an official Indian entry endorsed by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI).
The UN Thursday launched a year-long campaign aimed at mobilising governments and people in favour of gender equality.
The campaign was launched to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the historic fourth world conference on women in Beijing that drew an unprecedented 17,000 participants.
During the past two decades, much progress has been made in women’s legal rights, educational achievements, and participation in public life.
The self proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine Thursday declared martial law and asked Russia to send troops to protect civilians, a media report said.
“I order the imposition of martial law and declare full mobilisation on the territory of the Luhansk Republic,” Xinhua quoted Valery Bolotov, the self-proclaimed head of the republic, as saying.
Bolotov also released a video addressed to Russia’s leadership asking for “peacekeeping troops” in a bid to “resist aggression against civilians”.
Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has decided to attend the swearing in ceremony of India’s new prime minister Narendra Modi Monday, it was announced Thursday.
Koirala will fly to New Delhi Monday. A team of government officials will also take part in the oath taking ceremony, Minister for Information and Communication Minendra Rijal said Thursday.
Koirala is expected to interact with Modi and other South Asian leaders who will also be attending the ceremony in New Delhi.
Thai army chief Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha Thursday declared a coup, saying the army has seized power in order to prevent further tensions in Bangkok, media reported.
Chan-ocha announced on national television that the Peace and Order Maintaining Command (POMC) has now seized power from the caretaker government, the Bangkok Post reported.
He said this step was absolutely necessary to curb the ongoing political crisis.
All government agencies have continued to work normally, foreign relations are not being affected, and movement of weapons have been banned.
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav Thursday dissolved its Uttar Pradesh executive and 15 other wings following the party’s debacle in the Lok Sabha election.
But Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav remains the president of the state executive.
A senior leader said the action had the nod of Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose desire to send maximum number of MPs to the Lok Sabha was foiled by the BJP’s spectacular electoral showing.
An angry Mulayam Singh Yadav indicated two days back that he was in no mood to spare anyone after the party’s humiliating defeat.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to field first against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Eden Gardens here Thursday.
Both the teams made two changes. While KKR brought in pacers R Vinay Kumar and Morne Morkel dropping Piyush Chawla and Pat Cummins, Royal Challengers replaced Varun Aaron and Parthiv Patel with Ashok Dinda and Yogesh Takawale.
Teams:
Visthar, a Bangalore based non-profit organisation and All India Secular Forum, Mumbai, proposes to hold a meeting on reflection on the theme of ‘Challenges to Indian Democracy: a post electoral analysis’ by Dr. Ram Puniyani and Irfan Engineer here at the Institution of Agricultural Technologists, Queens Road from 5:30pm – 7:30pm on June 2.
Indo-Kuwait Friendship Society (IKFS), a leading non-profit socio-cultural NRI Friendship Association in Kuwait has sent congratulatory messages to Narendra Modi for his great win in the Indian elections.
American Consulate General’s special officers visited the Al-Ameen Educational Society here recently.
Mrs. Monica – A – Sledjeski and Anjana Chatterji, special officers of the consulate held a dialogue on ‘Freedom of Religion in South India’ in its premises. Professor Y. Azeez Ahmed, assistant secretary ; Mr. Atheeq Ahmed, president of Jamia Ul Uloom, Bangalore ; Mr. M.A Siraj, BBC reporter and Mr. Mustaq Ahmed, former chairman of the District Waqf Board, Tumkur also participated in the dialogue.Courtesy:Karnataka Muslims
The Border Security Force (BSF) said Thursday it had gunned down a Pakistani national trying to sneak into India.
The incident happened Wednesday night near a border outpost Naushera Dhalla in the Amritsar sector of the border with Pakistan, around 40 km from here.
A BSF spokesman said the intruder had crossed the border and was moving close to the barbed wire fence located inside Indian territory.
“He was challenged by the BSF but he continued with his aggressive posture. BSF troopers then fired at him. His body was recovered (Thursday) morning,” the spokesman said.
Parents of the 11-month-old baby girl, who was sent on a solo parasailing trip to a height of about 40 feet at a beach here, have landed in trouble along with the the organisers as police registered a case against them under the Juvenile Justice Act.
Police registered a case under Section 23 of Juvenile Justice Act against them, as per which they can be punished with imprisonment for six months or a fine or both.
Kannur Superintendent of Police P N Unniraja told PTI that the statements of the parents and the organisers would be taken today.
Teacher-turned politician Anandiben Patel, who took over the reins of Gujarat from Narendra Modi today, has built a reputation as a tough administrator and hard taskmaster in her long innings as a state minister.
A strict disciplinarian, the 73-year-old Modi loyalist, the first woman Chief Minister of Gujarat, was seen as a natural heir to the Prime Minister-designate as she headed the group of ministers tasked with the responsibility to run the state’s day-to-day affairs during his hectic Lok Sabha campaign.
The Aam Aadmi Party today decided to launch a door-to-door contact programme to apprise people about the circumstances leading to party chief Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest in a criminal defamation case instead of holding protest against it.
The decision was taken at a meeting a number of AAP leaders had with Kejriwal at the Tihar Jail this morning where the former chief minister has been lodged since yesterday.
Opposition RJD today announced support to the new JD(U) government in Bihar headed by Jitan Ram Manjhi.
The announcement was made by RJD legislature party leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui here and has come as a boost for the new ministry ahead of the trust vote tomorrow.
Manjhi, who has been nominated by Nitish Kumar after he resigned following the JD(U) debacle in the state in the Lok Sabha polls, has called a special session of the Assembly tomorrow to seek the trust vote.
Restrictions were imposed outside Tihar jail here after AAP supporters staged a protest outside the prison in the wake of party leader Arvind Kejriwal being taken to jail Wednesday following a court’s order sending him to judicial custody, police said Thursday.
The restrictions under Section 144 of the IPC prohibit mass gathering, a police officer said.
More than two companies of the Delhi Police have been stationed in and outside the jail premises. Water canons, barricades and other security measures have been put in place.