Gali Nagaraja

Deputy UN Secretary-General Jan Eliasson has said peacebuilding remains at the core of UN activities in conflict-affected countries, but lack of funding continues to hold back UN peacebuilding efforts, media reported on Wednesday.

Speaking at the 2nd Annual Session of the UN Peacebuilding Commission, Eliasson said that the lack of “sufficient and predictable funding for critical peacebuilding priorities” continues to hold back the UN’s efforts, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Islamic State (IS) militant group has published a gruesome video purportedly showing over a dozen men being murdered in northern Iraq, including five alleged spies being drowned inside a cage in a swimming pool.

The 16 ‘spies’ were drowned, beheaded or blown up using a rocket-propelled grenade, IS’s media arm claimed in the seven-minute video, recorded with religious backing music.

Images showed the men being split into groups and dressed in orange jumpsuits to be murdered.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has ordered special facilities for Muslim prisoners observing ‘Roza’ (fast) during the holy month of Ramadan, a state government spokesman said on Tuesday.

Following his instructions, under humantarian and health grounds, all such prisoners would be provided material for ‘Sehri’ and ‘Aftari’ (pre- and post-fast meals).

A day after China blocked India’s move in the United Nations for action against Pakistan for the release of Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Zaki Ur Rehman Lakhvi from jail, New Delhi on Tuesday clarified that the government’s concerns with regard to the 26/11 mastermind’s release had been conveyed to the Chair of the 1267 Committee on the United Nations, noting that the decisions of the committee are binding on all member countries.

Parents nowadays have to make a tough choice between breast-feeding and new formulas as a new study has shed light on which option is rewarding for both mother and baby.

According to Slate.com, it has been recommended that babies be breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months. Beyond that, breastfeeding is encouraged until at least 12 months, and longer if both the mother and baby are willing.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealed to resident doctors in the city who have gone on strike to resume their duties, warning that his government would take ‘harsh steps’ against those who fail to return to work.

Kejriwal shared his thoughts via a series of tweets.

“We hv agreed to all demands of docs. I personally intervened. Yet they r not calling off strike. Why? What else is left now?”

“Patients suffering.I appeal 2 docs 2 return 2 duty.I am their biggest well wisher.If dey have more demands, v will agree to them also”

At least 162 civilians have been killed since September last year when the US-led international coalition started to carry out bombing raids against Islamic State positions in Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday.

According to the latest figures released by Observatory, 2,896 people, including civilians and militants, were killed since the beginning of the airstrikes on September 23, 2014.

You may want to get rid of your “skinny” jeans, as a new study has shown that squatting in the tight pants for long could damage muscle and nerve fibres in the legs, making it hard to walk.

A case study of a 35-year-old woman revealed that after she spent many hours squatting in the uncomfortable jeans while emptying cupboards, she arrived at hospital with severe weakness in both her ankles.

Lok Janshakti Party president Ram Vilas Paswan on Tuesday said that his party will support the NDA’s Bihar chief ministerial candidate, adding that no person from his political organisation shall be in the running for the top post in the state.

“We have maintained two things from the beginning: we will let Narendra Modi decide who will be the chief minister of Bihar. The second is that no LJP candidate will be a chief ministerial candidate in the elections. We will support whoever Narendra Modi selects for the top post,” he said.

Pakistan has said that Operation Zarb-i-Azb, aimed at eliminating militancy from the Islamic Republic, will continue unhindered across the country and will utilise the environment created due to the ‘phenomenal success’ of the offensive’s first phase.

The federal government asserted that the year-long offensive will be taken to its logical conclusion regardless of the cost, and terrorists and criminals would be hunted down indiscriminately.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi while discussing the arrest of his former law minister Jitender Singh Tomar.

Speaking after the BJP created a commotion in the Delhi assembly over Tomar’s arrest, Kejriwal compared the development with the demands now being raised for External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s resignation.

The prime minister, Kejriwal said, should take a cue from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The private coaches of India’s limited overs skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Test captain Virat Kohli have spoken to TV channels, giving indications that all is not well in the dressing room.

Some Indian channels are putting up screaming headlines like ‘Knives out after humiliating defeat in Bangladesh’, reports bdnews24.com.

Dhoni’s coach Chanchal Bhattacharjee told a TV channel that the Indian skipper was “tense”. “The dressing room atmosphere is worrying him, he is not able to concentrate on the game.”

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Tuesday requested President Pranab Mukherjee to launch “Telanganaku Haritaharam”, a massive plantation programme on July 3 in the state’s Nalgonda district.

In a letter to the president, KCR said his participation would add more significance to this programme that is slated to kick from Yadgirigutta next month and will enthuse all sections of the society to actively participate in it.

Terming the Congress as the most communal party of the country, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday said that looking at Yoga Day celebrations through the eyes of communalism is only a Congress mindset.

“On Rajpath itself, citizens from 84 countries not only participated in International Yoga Day celebration but also practised yoga there. People of all religious denominations were there. Where is communalism in yoga,” asked union minister Prakash Javadekar.

A 12-year-old blind Kerala boy who swam across the Periyar river now wants to scale greater heights.

The proud parents of M.S. Naveenath, who swam 400 metres from one bank to another across the river on Monday, said they would do their best to help their son.

“We have decided that we will do our best to help him take swimming to the next level,” his father Sunil Kumar told IANS.

“We will give our son all that we can so that he can train to take his swimming to the next level,” said Kumar, who is a pump operator with the state owned irrigation department.

The Afghan parliament on Tuesday praised the security forces for their efforts in foiling Monday’s Taliban suicide attack on the parliament complex here, while some members accused Pakistan of being involved in the dastardly assault, media reported.

At least seven militants on Monday attacked Afghanistan’s Wolesi Jirga (Lower House of Parliament). One militant detonated a car bomb at the gate while others tried to storm the building. However, alert security forces managed to prevent them from entering.

Political parties opposed to the ruling AIADMK on Tuesday welcomed the appeal filed by the Karnataka government against the acquittal of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa in a disproportionate assets case.

PMK founder S. Ramadoss in a statement issued here welcoming the Karnataka government’s decision said the government should also appeal to the apex court to decide the case within a stipulated period.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday condoled the death of Mother Teresa’s successor Sister Nirmala.

Sister Nirmala, 81, who succeeded Mother Teresa as superior general of the Missionaries of Charity, died in Kolkata on Tuesday.

In a message, Sonia Gandhi described her as a worthy successor of Mother Teresa and said that Sister Nirmala would be deeply missed by the millions whose lives she touched in the service of humanity.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday handed over permit papers to 17 investors, whose applications to set up new industrial units or expand the existing ones were approved within 10 days under the state’s new industrial policy.

The chief minister handed over the package of permit papers to representatives of 17 companies who will be investing Rs.1,500 crore.

While nine companies will set up their units, eight others will expand their existing operations.

Then prime minister Indira Gandhi seemed visibly relieved when she was told that she had lost the 1977 general election, her former aide R.K. Dhawan has said.

Dhawan, who in June 1975 was Indira Gandhi’s trusted private secretary, also told India Today Television that the person who should be blamed for the Emergency rule is then West Bengal chief minister Siddhartha Shankar Ray.

On the eve of a new round of high-level talks, China and the US agreed to work to enhance strategic trust, media reported on Tuesday.

A strategic security dialogue was held on Monday before the annual Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED), Xinhua news agency reported.

The budget session of Delhi Assembly will begin on Tuesday having six sittings and will conclude on June 30.

The budget will be presented for the remaining nine months of the running financial year.

In March, the Delhi government had presented a vote-on-account in the Assembly for April to June.

According to reports, five government bills are scheduled to be tabled during the session including Delhi Legislative Assembly Members (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill, 2015 and Delhi Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2015. (ANI)

TRS had assured that after the formation of Govt. of Telangana, it will take steps to fill up vacant posts in various Departments but it seems that this promise has been forgotten. GHMC has decided to acquire the services of its retired employees instead of appointing new candidates. Commissioner of GHMC has issued a notification to conduct an interview of the retired employees on Wednesday, 24th June. It is reported that 42 posts of Engineers in Town Planning Dept. would be filled up by retired employees. It may create unrest among the fresh candidates.

–Siasat News

Government of India has agreed to sanction a project to the tune of Rs. 38 crore for the restoration of the grandeur of Dairutul Maarif. This was revealed by Dr. Maya Ram, Secretary, Ministry of Minorities Affairs, Govt. of India in a review meeting held at Hyderabad yesterday. Present in the meeting were Mr. Syed Omer Jaleel, IAS, Secretary, Dept. of Minorities Welfare, Telangana State, Mr. Mohammed Jalaaluddin Akbar, IFS, Director of Minorities Welfare, Govt. of Telangana, Prof. Mohammed Mustafa Shareef, Director of Dairutul Maarif, Mr. Mohammed Asadullah, EO of Wakf Board and Mr.

Wakf Committee of HEH The Nizam is opposing the draw for the allotment of accommodation in Nizam Rubath in Makkah. It sent a letter to Central Hajj Committee which might create problems.

It may be noted that due to the efforts of Mr. Mahmood Ali, Dy. CM of Telangana and Mr. Zahid Ali Khan, Editor of Siasat Urdu Daily ensured accommodation for 598 Hajj pilgrims in Makkah. Hajj Committee of Telangana arranged draw in the presence of Mr. Husain Mohammed Shareef. Mr. Shareef acquired two more buildings for accommodating Hajj pilgrims in order to save money of the Hajj pilgrims.