Press Trust of India A close look at Narendra Modi’s bandhgala suit that he wore for a joint appearance with US President Barack Obama here, showed it was a customised marvel — with the prime minister’s full name ‘Narendra Damodardas Modi’ written in pinstripes.
Pomp and pageantry marked the 66th Republic Day celebrations, as people took part with great enthusiasm in events in Mumbai and across Maharashtra.
The main state function was held at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai where Governor C.V. Rao unfurled the tricolour and took the salute at a parade.
Equatorial Guinea and Republic of Congo have become the first teams to qualify for the knock out stage of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) tournament here.
The hosts scored through Javier Angel Balboa’s second half penalty (55th minute) and another goal by substitute Ivan Edu Salvador to beat Gabon 2-0 at the Bata Stadium Sunday, reports Xinhua.
Coach Claude Le Roy’s team also humbled 2013 finalists Burkina Faso 2-1 in another Group A match.
Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government of playing politics, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Monday askedy why its leader and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was not invited to the Republic Day celebrations.
The party also questioned BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi being given a seat in the front row of the enclosure designated for parliamentarians.
“Kiran Bedi is invited/given front row. Arvind was not even extended invitation for Republic Day parade. Politics even this pious day? Shame,” AAP leader Ashutosh tweeted.
US President Barack Obama was the cynosure of all eyes at the ‘At Home’ hosted by President Pranab Mukherjee Monday at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Obama shook hands with and waved to the large number of invitees, which included many prominent faces like Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and cabinet ministers and their spouses.
Obama had high tea sitting beside Modi, who was dressed in a red jacket and a cream-coloured shawl. Modi and Obama chatted with each other.
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Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala Monday lauded the Congress-led state government for launching many welfare schemes and public services like Mobile One project across the state on the occasion of 66th Republic Day.
In a brief address on this special occasion, Governor Vala hoisted the national flag and said that the state government has made remarkable progress in many fields, especially in public services, welfare and development schemes.
The Congress and the BJP Monday blamed the Odisha government over the rejection of the state tableau for this year’s Republic Day parade at New Delhi, while the ruling BJD termed the rejection as ‘unfortunate’.
Former Congress MP Pradeep Majhi said in a tweet: “Wondering why Odisha didn’t send a tableau, bcoz its so easy just put plaster of Paris Naveen (Patnaik) sleeping on a bed of notes.”
North Korea has asked the Cambodian government to ban the screening of the US film “The Interview”, which caricatures North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, arguing that its distribution could harm bilateral relations, South Korean media reported Monday.
The North Korean embassy in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh sent a note to the Cambodian ministry of foreign affairs to take measures to prevent the distribution of the Sony Pictures Entertainment comedy film, according to public broadcaster KBS.
US President Barack Obama Sunday praised Narendra Modi for his “legendary work ethic”, and described him as tough and stylish. He praised the Indian prime minister’s sartorial elegance and said he was also thinking of wearing a “Modi kurta”.
Speaking at the dinner banquet hosted by President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Obama marvelled at how Modi, the son of a tea vendor, became prime minister of the world’s largest democracy.
Writer-lyricist and ad guru Prasoon Joshi feels humbled and motivated on being conferred with the Padma Shri.
“When years of hard work gets recognised especially by the government, one feels humbled and motivated. Amongst my other awards, this honour is the most special because it would mean a lot to my parents and elders in the family and make them happy,” Joshi, known for his heart-warming lyrics in song “Maa” from “Taare Zameen Par”, said in a statement.
Greenpeace India Sunday expressed its disappointment that the India-US bilateral talks on climate change did not go beyond “rhetoric” and “platitudes”.
In response to the joint agreement between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama on strengthening partnership in clean and renewable energy efforts, the environmental NGO, in a statement, expressed disappointment over the announcement that “didn’t go beyond rhetoric and the usual platitudes”.
Sending a clear message that he will act tough on corruption, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao Sunday dropped his deputy T. Rajaiah from cabinet and inducted Lok Sabha member Kadiam Srihari in his place.
Rajaiah, who was holding the medical and health portfolio, was sacked in the wake of allegations of corruption in his office and amidst criticism that the health department failed to take immediate steps to check spread of swine flu, which has claimed over 20 lives so far.
At least 56 people were killed in clashes between security forces and Islamic State (IS) militants across Iraq, while nine people were killed in bomb attacks targeting restaurants in the capital Baghdad Sunday, security sources said.
In Iraq’s Diyala province, the security forces backed by Shia militiamen and aircrafts retook control of eight villages in the rural area of the volatile town of Maqdadiyah, some 100 km northeast of Baghdad, after fierce clashes with the IS, which left at least 35 members of the Sunni radical group killed, an interior ministry statement said.
Two members of the medical fraternity were Sunday named for the Padma Bhushan, while 16 were selected for the Padma Shri.
Among the Padma Bhushan awardees is Ambrish Mithal, who is presently the chairman and head of the endocrinology and diabetes division at Medanta, the Medicity, where he has established one of India’s premier diabetes and endocrinology centres.
Eleven people were killed Sunday during protests across Egypt to mark the fourth anniversary of the January 2011 uprising against Hosni Mubarak, state-run Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.
The ministry of health announced the death of 11 people in clashes with security forces nationwide during demonstrations to observe the fourth anniversary of the revolution that toppled the former president, Xinhua quoted the website as saying.
At least 30 people and five policemen were also injured during the protests.
US President Barack Obama Sunday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “legendary work ethic”, and described him as tough and stylish.
Speaking at the dinner banquet hosted by President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Obama marvelled at how Modi, the son of a tea vendor, became prime minister of the world’s largest democracy.
BJP leader L.K. Advani, spiritual leader and philanthropist Aga Khan, actors Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal are among the nine awarded India’s second highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan, Sunday.
Seventeen people from other countries, including a few of Indian origin, are among 104 people chosen for the Padma awards.
Karim Al Hussiani Aga Khan of France has been conferred with the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian award.
Manjul Bhargava, David Frawley, Bill Gates and Melinda Gates – all from the US – and Saichiro Misumi from Japan will receive the Padma Bhushan.
Visiting US President Barack Obama’s 60-vehicle motorcade which drove down the roads of the Indian capital Sunday included his two Beasts, the armoured presidential limousines, on the first day of his three-day visit.
The huge motorcade was also escorted by Delhi Police gypsies. The route was out of bounds for the general public during the US president’s movement.
It took just five minutes in the forenoon for the motorcade to reach ITC Maurya Hotel from Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, which is 10 km away.
A minor fire broke out at the Russian embassy here Sunday morning, an official said.
The fire broke out around 10 a.m. at the ground floor of the Mini Health Club at the Russian embassy in Chanakyapuri diplomatic enclave.
Six fire tenders were rushed to the spot and they took an hour to douse the fire, said an official of the Delhi Fire Service.
Police said the fire broke out due to an electrical short circuit in a refreshing room.
Veteran actress-social activist Shabana Azmi Sunday said actresses should make “informed” choices on accepting item numbers as such sequences lead to sexualisation of children.
“I am saying let it be an informed decision. I am not going to dictate this is what you should do. But be aware that when you do a song like that it is leading to the sexualisation of children and there are four-year-old girls dancing at all kinds of weddings to really really bad songs.
President Pranab Mukherjee said Sunday that the presence of US President Barack Obama at the Republic Day parade will demonstrate to the world the growing ties of friendship and trust that bind the two democracies closely.
Senior nuclear scientist M.R.Srinivasan, welcoming the agreement reached between India and the US in the nuclear power field Sunday, said the challenge now is on discussions on the cost of the plants to be imported from the US.
Onn the day when India and the US achieved a “breakthrough” to the logjam to allow their 2008 civil nuclear deal move forward, Srinivasan, who had negotiated on behalf of India with Russia for supply of reactors for Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP), was named as one of the Padma Vibushan awardees.
Airlifting of people stranded in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ladakh region, due to the landslide blockade of a river, began Sunday, the state government said.
“Following the directions of Governor N.N. Vohra, the divisional commissioner, Kashmir has made arrangements for airlifting of people from Zanskar who have been stranded due to the stoppage of movement of people on the Chadar route,” said an official statement here.
It said the Indian air force carried out five sorties Sunday), airlifting 47 passengers from Leh to Padum (Zanskar) and back.