Gali Nagaraja

Congress party general secretary Digvijay Singh on Sunday called for External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to hand in her resignation on ‘moral grounds’, after she admitted that she had helped expedite the travel documents of former Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi, despite the red alert issued by the government.

“I respect Sushma Swaraj and I did not expect this from her. This whole situation is very serious, where the government is helping someone who has been proved guilty. The government should come clear on this issue,” Digvijay Singh told ANI.

Tina Ahuja, daughter of actor Govinda, is making her Bollywood debut in “Second Hand Husband” and the newbie actress is confident about creating her own space in the Hindi Film industry.

Tina said she is not scared of the competition and is following her father’s advice.

“I am not scared of the competition at all. My father told me, ‘You do your work and don’t get caught up in the competition’. I will follow just that,” she told PTI.

Directed by Smeep Kang, “Second Hand Husband” also stars Punjabi singer-actor Gippy Grewal and Dharmendra.

A delegation of United States’ Republican senators met with Cuban First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and discussed bilateral relations and other issues.

Senators Jeff Flake, Susan Collins and Pat Roberts met with Diaz-Canel at the Palace of the Revolution on Saturday and discussed the “progress made in the modernisation of Cuba’s economic and social model”, current bilateral relations and the “need to end the embargo”, state-run National Information Agency (AIN) reported.

Recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD) in men is associated with lower bone density, a new collaborative study has found.

The use of anti-depressants was also associated with lower bone mineral density (BMD), but this association was dependent on the person’s weight and site of bone measurement.

Osteoporosis is a common disorder and an underlying factor in fragility fractures.

Especially in women, the menopause increases the risk of osteoporosis.

Rain delayed the start of play in the fifth and final day of the one-off cricket Test between India and Bangladesh, here today.

Bangladesh were 111 for three in their first innings in reply to India’s 462 for six declared. Bangladesh still trail by 351 runs.

The Test is definitely meandering towards a tame draw after more than 200 overs were lost due to frequent rain interruptions in the previous four days.

Only 30.1 overs could be squeezed in the opening session yesterday when bad light stopped play with Imrul Kayes (59 batting) and Shakib Al Hasan (0 batting) at the crease.

Efforts to form a grand ‘secular’ alliance against BJP in Bihar Assembly elections have suffered a setback with the Left parties reluctant to join such a formation and likely to fight as a separate bloc.

JD(U) sources said their proposal to the Left parties had so far not elicited any positive response and they have indicated that they would be going to the hustings as a separate formation.

The South Korean health ministry on Sunday reported seven new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), bringing the total to 145.

Among the new cases, four people caught the virus from the 14th patient at the Samsung Medical Centre in Seoul, Xinhua news agency reported.

The total number catching the corona virus at the Samsung hospital rose to 72.

So far, there have been 14 deaths.

After a week-long on-site inspection, a World Health Organisation (WHO) team on Saturday termed the outbreak as “large and complex”.

A total of 2,763 terrorists have been killed in a military operation launched in Pakistan’s North Waziristan region a year ago, a media report said on Sunday.

As many as 347 officers and soldiers were also killed during the “Zarb-e-Azb” miltary operation, the News International quoted the Pakistan Army’s media wing as saying.

Uncapped Somerset all-rounder Craig Overton has been included in the England side for the third one-day international to be played against New Zealand on Sunday.

Overton, who claimed 20 wickets in four Championship matches this season, has been brought in as a cover for injured fast bowler Chris Jordan, the BBC reported.

Jordan endured a side injury during his team’s 13-run defeat against the visitors on Friday. (ANI)

Transport Minister of Telangana State, Mr. P. Mahinder Reddy while addressing a press conference at Rajinder Nagar yesterday told that developmental works to the tune of Rs. 16 crore have been started in Rajindra Nagar area. Foundation stone was laid for two electric substation, CC Road and Godowns. Water bodies are being cleaned. Poor people who are in possession of Govt. lands will be given pattas. He further TRS Govt. is serious to solve the problems of the public and all the possible arrangements are being made for it. Present on this occasion were Mr. Abdul Muqeet Chanda, Mr.

Press Club Hyderabad is organizing “Career Counseling for students after 10th and 12th standards and interview / group discussion tips for graduating students “by Shiva Makutam on June 14 at press club Hyderabad, Somajiguda premises from 10 am to 1 pm. This is open to all journalists and their children.

Several Andhra Pradesh ministers today met Governor ESL Narasimhan and complained to him about the alleged high-handed behaviour of Telangana government in the common capital city of Hyderabad.

“We met Governor and explained the developments in the last few days. In the last one year since the state bifurcation, though Hyderabad is common capital, they are treating the Andhra Pradesh government here as a subordinate government, without letting us feel that this is a common capital,” Andhra Pradesh HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao told reporters.

The Pakistani government has imposed a moratorium on executions during the upcoming holy month of Ramazan.

A notification was issued on Friday by the federal interior ministry and provincial governments have also been requested to comply with the order, Dawn reported.

During the month of Ramazan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, and refrain from eating and drinking.

ACP of Meer Chowk, Mr. Gangadhar told that Rain Bazar police registered a criminal case against MBT leaders and SP MLA of Maharashtra, Mr. Abu Asim Azmi for allegedly making speeches against the encounter of the victims of the under trial Muslim prisoners held at Alair. Criminal cases have been registered against Mr. Majeedullah Khan Farhad and Mr. Amjadullah Khan Khalid (MBT) leaders and also Mr. Abu Asim Azmi, SP MLA of Mumbai. Mr. Gangadhar told that the protest meeting continued even after the prohibitory hours and hateful speeches were made in the meeting.

Hitting out at Uttar Pradesh Minister Mohd Azam Khan, who has adviced Yogi Adityanath to offer namaz, controversial BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj today dared the senior SP leader to say ‘Jai Shri Ram’.

“Azam is one person, who never speaks truth. He is advising Yogi Adiyanath to offer namaz,” the BJP MP, who was here to attend a private function said.

He was only misleading muslims, Maharaj alleged.

“We people belong to Indian culture, where there is no difference between Allah, Bhagwan or God. We can say Allah-o- Akbar, if Azam has courage then he should say Jai Shri Ram,” he said.

Leyton School in UK issued a letter to the parents of the students that the students don’t have to fast during Ramazan. In support of this letter they quoted the guidance they sought from the Ulema that as per the Islamic law children are not required to fast in the month of Ramazan. However they can fast when they become adult. Noted English Daily carried this news item and reported that the school authorities that the age of adulthood is disputed. However, according to Islamic Law the health of the person was given top priority.

A 25-year-old woman was allegedly raped by her brother-in-law in Jasana village here, police said today.

The victim, a resident of Shahbad Dairy, alleged that she was raped and threatened by her brother-in-law Subash, who took advantage of her husband Surjit’s mentally unstable condition, in March 2013, police said.

The victim also alleged Subash of harrassing the husband-wife duo and said that her in-laws turned a deaf ear to her repeated complaints, police added.

Uttar Pradesh Minister Azam Khan today accused BJP of giving a religious hue to yoga which, he said, is “secular” and belongs to everyone.

“Yoga is secular. People from all the religion practice yoga as it is a form of physical exercise, but BJP in the last 2-3 days made yoga a Hindu practice. Yoga has no religion, it belongs to everyone. It is sad that BJP is associating it with one religion,” Khan said here.

He mocked at the Centre, saying that yoga helps increasing appetite but due to rampant inflation under the NDA rule, people can’t even afford to eat.

Several leaders of hardline Hurriyat Conference including chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani were today put under house arrest by authorities to foil the plans of the amalgam to hold a controversial seminar tomorrow that was dubbed as ‘ant-national’.

A posse of policemen has been deployed outside the residence of Geelani and no one is allowed to enter or leave the premises, a spokesman of the Hurriyat said.

The police action came even as Jammu and Kashmir government said it will not allow “anti-India” activities in the state.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday dubbed Pakistan Army Chief General Raheel Sharif’s accusation against India of ‘creating instability’ through ceasefire violations and supporting militancy in different areas of the country as ludicrous and said that Islamabad should instead focus on tackling terrorism on its soil.

“To say such things to others is laughable. Pakistan should first think of how to tackle terrorism in their own country. They are nurturing terrorists in their country. Pakistan is a terrorist sponsoring country,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told ANI here.

Former IPS officer and BJP leader Kiran Bedi on Saturday assured her presence at the Rajpath on International Yoga Day to be held on June 21.

“Will be the at the Rajpath for Yoga day in full strength. Very happy and honoured to be part of Yoga celebs making it to the Guinness Book..,” Bedi tweeted.

Security has been stepped up in the national capital ahead of the celebrations.

Delhi Police personnel have been keeping a tight vigil along with the bomb disposal squads and sniffer dogs patrolling the streets to ensure no untoward incident takes place on the occasion.

Iran is not bound by the deadline for talks over a comprehensive deal on the country’s nuclear programme, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said here on Saturday.

“Iran is serious in the nuclear talks and is not after buying time. But we do not limit ourselves to a specific time to achieve a good deal,” Rouhani said in a press conference.

If the Western side did not pose excessive demands — bringing about new bargainings, elongating the talks and postponing the deal — the agreement was possible in the agreed time frame, he said.

BJP chief Amit Shah met Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan here on Saturday as part of seat-sharing talks with NDA allies for the forthcoming Bihar assembly elections with the alliance partners deciding to have a joint campaign in the state.

Paswan said after the meeting that the NDA constituents – the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party and his LJP – will campaign jointly in the state.

Three Syrian officers were killed when their helicopter was downed by Islamic State (IS) militants in the northern province of Aleppo, a monitor group reported on Saturday.

The helicopter was downed by the IS overnight in the vicinity of the Kwers airbase, which is besieged by the IS militants in the eastern countryside of Aleppo, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

The UN refugee agency has said that more than 14,000 South Sudanese civilians had fled to Sudan during the past two weeks due to the violence in their home country’s oil-rich areas.

“In the last week we have an influx of about 7,000, and in the last two weeks about 14,000 arriving and that’s considered an emergency within an emergency,” Ann Encontre, UNHCR’s regional refugee coordinator for South Sudan said, in a statement on Saturday, Xinhua reported.