Gali Nagaraja

A car bomb near a mosque in Yemen’s capital today killed two people, as Saudi-led warplanes bombarded second city Aden, after peace talks in Geneva ended without agreement.

The explosion in Sanaa, controlled by Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels, went off outside the Kobbat al-Mehdi mosque as Shiite Muslims emerged from midday prayers, witnesses and security sources said.

As well as the two dead, another 16 people were wounded, medical officials said.

The Lokayukta Police on Saturday registered three FIRs against former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa in connection with the illegal de-notification of land.

The complaint was lodged based on the CAG’s report on de-notification of land by the government and allotment of sites by the Bangalore Development Authority.

Jayakumar Hiremath, the complainant, has alleged that Yeddyurappa had in 2010 de-notified land acquired by the Bangalore Development Authority, thereby misusing his official position during his tenure as the chief minister. (ANI)

A new study has revealed that berries, grapes and other fruits convert excess white fat into calorie-burning “beige” fat, providing new strategies for the prevention and treatment of obesity.

In the Washington State University study, mice were fed a high fat diet. Those receiving resveratrol in amounts equivalent to 12 ounces of fruit per day for humans gained about 40 percent less weight than control mice. Resveratrol is a polyphenol, a type of antioxidant found in most fruits.

A 16-year-old girl was today allegedly set afire by her father after she refused him money to buy liquor, a police official said.

The girl suffered severe burn injuries and was rushed to Mhow Civil Hospital by neighbours from her village Jamli near here.

She was later referred to government-run M Y Hospital in Indore, 25km away, for better treatment, said Badgonda Police Station’s Assistant Sub-Inspector Gulab Singh Yadav.

Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt has managed to get a following of five million fans on Twitter and she’s excited about it.

Thanking her fans, Alia, who made her debut in tinsel town with Karan Johar’s “Student Of The Year”, tweeted: “Aaaah !!! 5M now.. Wohoo 😉 Thank youuuuuuu, you make me so happy !!!! On this note let’s chat today at 6pm??? Been tooooooo long.”

The “Highway” actress, 22, keeps her fans entertained by frequently sharing tidbits on social media about her professional and personal lives.

Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev on Saturday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance and urged Congress president Sonia Gandhi to join the International Yoga Day celebrations at the Rajpath.

Ramdev said Prime Minister Modi is running the governance in the country with focus and sanctity describing his rule as raj yoga.

“I would like to request from this stage that honourable Sonia Gandhiji should accept Modi ji ‘s invitation and join the International Yoga Day celebrations at Rajpath,” said Ramdev.

Islamic State terrorists have kidnapped dozens of Sunni tribesmen in northern Iraq, media reported on Saturday.

The Sunni radical group abducted 70 men from the Dulaim tribe, west of Tikrit, the capital of Salahuddin Province, Arabic-language al-Forat news agency reported.

There was still no word on the whereabouts of those abducted or whether the kidnappers have made any demands.

Members of the IS terrorist group have on numerous occasions kidnapped tribesmen in areas they control in Iraq and Syria.

Self-styled ‘godman’ Asaram Bapu, who is in jail since September 2013 for allegedly raping a minor, was today denied bail by a court here, the sixth time his plea for relief has been turned down.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Manoj Kumar Vyas rejected the bail application of 73-year-old Asaram, stating that an accused in a crime of such nature does not deserve bail.

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had yesterday argued on Asaram’s behalf. He had contended that the entire case had been fabricated and Asaram deserved to be released on bail.

Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani on Saturday waived the admission fees for two brothers from Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh who cleared the IIT entrance exams but did not have money to pay the fees.

“Informed family that registration fees will be waived off and will be eligible for scholarships that cover tuition, mess and other charges,” the minister posted on Twitter, replying to a tweet by a user urging the government to help the boys.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in New York on Saturday for the International Yoga Day celebrations.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted to share this information.

“Namaste to the Big Apple! EAM @SushmaSwaraj arrives in JFK Airport, for First International Day of Yoga celebrations,” he tweeted.

Swaraj will participate in the International Yoga Day event being organised by the Indian Mission at the United Nations.

The External Affairs Minister had earlier tweeted about her visit to New York.

“Does Modi do yoga?” That was the question posed by Russian President Vladimir Putin when he was told that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had started a Ministry of Yoga.

BJP today sought to dismiss speculation over apprehensions voiced by L K Advani on Emergency in the country, saying the remarks were in the context of values in politics going down.

“When values are degraded like this such situations may emerge. It was in this context that Advaniji is indicating in that direction,” party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said.

He said Advani is one of the senior-most leaders in Indian politics and “What he has said is right”.

The ousted leader of Aam Aadmi Party, Yogendra Yadav, today said the Land Acquisition Bill should be revoked and demanded compensation for farmers whose crops were destroyed.

Yadav was talking to reporters in Rampur Maniharan town.

He hit out at the Centre, saying due to its “wrong” policies, farmers are committing suicide.

He appealed to farmers to march to the national capital on August 10.

—PTI

Thirty companies of security personnel will guard Rajpath and surrounding areas on International Yoga Day as elaborate security arrangements have been made for the June 21 celebration.

Around 5,000 armed security personnel including Delhi policemen will be deployed to secure the yoga venue and area around it as thousands of yoga practitioners including Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the early morning programme.

The leading Sunni Muslim seat of learning, Al-Azhar, condemned China today for imposing restriction on fasting in its mainly Muslim Xinjiang region during the holy month of Ramadan.

China has banned civil servants, students and teachers in Xinjiang from fasting during Ramadan which began yesterday, and ordered restaurants to stay open.

Western sanctions have not crippled the Russian economy, President Vladimir Putin said in a speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

“I would like to point out that at the end of last year we were warned — and you know this well — that there would be a deep crisis. It has not happened,” he said on Friday.

“We have stabilised the situation, put out the negative vibrations of the environment and are confidently passing through the period of difficulties,” Putin said.

Indian-American Louisiana Governor and presidential aspirant Bobby Jindal today lashed out at Barack Obama for his “shameful” statements on the church shooting, saying the US President was trying to “score cheap political points” barely hours after the grisly attack.

“Now is the time to be hugging these families, now is the time to be praying for these families, now is the time to be coming together.

“I think it (Obama’s statement) was completely shameful.

The BJP on Friday came out in support of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who is facing allegations of testifying in favour of former IPL chief Lalit Modi’s British immigration application in 2011, even as the Congress kept up pressure for her resignation and its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, after a meeting between Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah on Thursday evening, decided to staunchly support Vasundharar Raje and reject demands for her resignation.

Noting that Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba “continues to operate, train, rally, propagandize, and fundraise in Pakistan”, US Friday acknowledged that India remains one of the most persistent terror targets.

Pakistan itself “continued to experience significant terrorist violence, including sectarian attacks”, and “Pakistani military undertook operations against groups that conducted attacks within Pakistan such as TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan)”, a State Department report said.

Union Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Friday that the political alliance of Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad is bound to fail in the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar.

Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United leader Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad recently joined hands ahead of the assembly elections in the state.

The combination of both leaders is not at all formidable, Paswan said during a press conference here.

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy today argued for bail to Asaram Bapu, jailed in a sexual assault case, before a court here, which reserved the decision till June 20.

The arguments on the bail application lasted for about an hour after which the court kept the decision reserved till tomorrow.

After the arguments, Swamy said that he has done his best and hoped that the order would be in Asaram’s favour. “I have done my best to prove that he (Asaram) has been implicated and has been kept in prison on the basis of circumstantial evidence,” he said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday said that Congress does not understand the importance of yoga and only knows ‘natmastak aasana,’ over the party’s remark in connection with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former IPL chairman Lalit Modi.

“Congress only knows ‘natmastak aasana’; they don’t understand the importance of yoga,” said BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra.

Former Delhi Law Minister Jitender Singh

Tomar’s police custody, who has been accused of possessing two fake degrees: a law degree and a BSC degree, has been extended by two days.

An FIR was lodged against him under IPC Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120B for criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery.

Last week, Tomar was arrested in connection with his fake law degree. He has so far maintained that his degree is not fake and accused the Centre of hatching a conspiracy into the entire episode. (ANI)

Islamic State (IS) flag was today waved during a rally organised by a separatist outfit in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

A youth, who had his face masked, waved the flag of the terror group during the rally organised by Ummati Islami to commemorate the death anniversary of separatist leader Qazi Nisar Ahmad.

This is the second week in succession that Islamic State flag has been waved during a rally.

Last week, IS flag was waved during a protest rally at Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area of the city.

Alluding to an “unholy” nexus between Lalit Modi and the BJP government, the Congress on Friday reiterated the demand for the resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia.

“Documents which have surfaced in the public domain show it is not just a case of impropriety but an unholy nexus,” former union minister Jairam Ramesh told the media.