M Somasekhar
Teesta and Her Husband Javeed Will Not Be Arrested, SC
NEW DELHI: Social activist Teesta, accused of embezzling funds meant for a museum for riot victims, will not be arrested, the Supreme Court told the Gujarat police today.
On the questioned of Gujarat police court said “The value of freedom cannot even be compared to the stars in the sky,”
The Gujarat government had said that Ms Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand must be arrested to enable an investigation into allegations that they misused money that they raised for a “Museum of Resistance” at the Gulbarg Society in Ahmedabad, where over 60 people were killed during the 2002 riots.
Narendra Modi credits all PMs for India’s progress
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday praised all his predecessors and previous governments for contributing to India’s development.
“All prime ministers, previous governments have contributed (to develop the country),” Modi said in his maiden Independence Day address from the Red Fort here.
“All governments in the states have also contributed. I offer my respects to them.”
Modi went on: “Let us walk together, think together, and make a determination to take ahead the nation together.”
The prime minister underlined the need for national consensus.
Narendra Modi: Planning Commission will be axed as it has outlived its utility
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said a new institution will be set up soon to replace the 64-year-old Planning Commission, of which he is chairman, since it had outlived its utility.
“In a short time, we will initiate a new institution that will work in the place of the Planning Commission,” Modi said in maiden speech from the Red Fort on Independence Day.
Being a former chief minister himself who had to knock on the doors of the commission for money, Modi said the importance of federalism in India was increasing and institutions must address this reality.
Obama sanctions airstrikes in Northern Iraq
Wellington, United States President Barack Obama has sanctioned airstrikes in Northern Iraq against the Islamic State fighters to avoid a possible ‘genocide’.
According to Stuff.co.nz, Obama said that he allowed use of American air power to protect American workforce in the Kurdish capital Arbil.
The U.S., after withdrawing its forces from Iraq at the end of 2011, did not intend to get involvesd into a war again, said Obama. He added that the Iraqi government had requested help from the Unites States.
Gaza conflict: ‘Terrorists’ breached ceasefire agreements, say Israeli Forces
New York, : ‘Terrorists’ in the Gaza strip violated a ceasefire a few hours before it was to end as they fired rockets into the Israeli territory, said Israeli Defense Force in a tweet.
Hamas had threatened Israel a few hours before the ceasefire deadline that they would launch rocket attacks if the demands for removing a crippling barrier on Gaza were not met, reports the New York Post.
While indirect negotiations continue in Cairo, a senior Hamas official said that the discussions were not making any development.
Ebola outbreak an International Health Emergency: WHO
Geneva, The World Health Organisation (WHO) Friday declared the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa as an International Health Emergency.
“A coordinated international response is deemed essential to stop and reverse the international spread of Ebola,” the WHO said in a statement issued after a two-day meeting here of its emergency committee.
“It was the unanimous view of the committee that the conditions for a Public Health Emergency of International
Concern (PHEIC) have been met,” it added.
Youth Congress holds protests in Raipur
Raipur, : Youth Congress members in Raipur held a protest in the city on Thursday, demanding that ration should be provided to the ration card holders.
The General Secretary of Indian Youth Congress (IYC), Vikas Upadhyay, said that the BJP leaders have not fulfilled their promise made at the time of campaign.
Upadhyay told ANI, “BJP has collected votes in the name of Ration card, both in Lok Sabha as well as Rajya Sabha.
Sushma Swaraj to begin visit to Myanmar from today
New Delhi,: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will undertake a four-day visit to Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, from today.
It would be her fourth visit to a neighbouring country since she assumed office. She had earlier visited Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Briefing reporters in New Delhi earlier this week, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said Swaraj will attend the India-ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meeting, the East Asian Summit meeting for Foreign Ministers, and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Myanmar.
FIR against nine-year-old boy in Firozabad invites strong condemnation
New Delhi, : In a surprising incident, a nine-year-old boy studying in class three, was booked under Section 107 of the Indian Penal Code in Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh, for disrupting peace, reportedly after the police cleared his name following an inquiry.
While senior police officials have assured that action will be taken against the policemen found guilty of booking the minor student for disrupting the peace, political leaders have unanimously criticized the incident.
Girl gangraped on gunpoint
New Delhi: A Class X student was allegedly gangraped by five persons at gunpoint, including two minors, in Uttam Nagar area of west Delhi.
The girl alleged in her complaint that the accused also made an MMS of the act and threatened to upload it on the Internet if she revealed her ordeal to any person.
Police said the incident took place on July 19 when she was going to school.
Militants fly their black flags over Iraq refinery
Baghdad: Sunni militants have hung their black banners on watch towers at Iraq’s largest oil refinery, a witness said on Thursday, suggesting the vital facility had fallen to the insurgents in control of vast territories across the country’s north. A top Iraqi security official, however, said the government still held the facility.
Germany opens criminal probe over Angela Merkel phone tapping
Germany’s federal prosecutor said on Wednesday he had opened an investigation over alleged snooping by the US National Security Agency (NSA) on Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone.
“I informed parliament’s legal affairs committee that I have started a preliminary investigation over tapping of a mobile phone of the chancellor,” Harald Range said.
The long-anticipated probe, which follows an explosive allegations last year that US spies had eavesdropped on Merkel’s mobile in the past, is against unnamed persons, Range said after addressing the committee.
Taliban video shows handover of US soldier Bowe Bergdahl
The Taliban on Wednesday released a video showing the handover of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl to U.S. forces in eastern Afghanistan, touting the swap of the American soldier for five Taliban detainees from Guantanamo as a significant achievement for the insurgents.
The 17-minute video, emailed to media, shows the moment of Bergdahl’s handover. He was freed on Saturday after five years in captivity, and exchanged for the five Guantanamo detainees who were flown to Qatar, a tiny Gulf Arab country which has served as a mediator in the negotiations for the swap.
Russia would do nothing detrimental to India
Ruling out any change in its policy, Russia on Wednesday said it is in talks with Pakistan for supply of Mi 35 defence helicopters but said it would do nothing “detrimental” to the strategic relationship with India.
Moscow’s Ambassador here Alexander M Kadakin said that Russia had never imposed any arms embargo on Pakistan and that its technical and military cooperation with the country dates back to 1960s.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes oath; Rajnath, Sushma, Jaitley, Gadkari sworn in as ministers
Narendar Damodar Das Modi on Monday took the oath of office as India’s 15th prime minister in a high-profile ceremony attended by top leaders of neighbour countries.
Dressed in a white full sleeve kurta, a beige waistcoat and a white pajama, Modi arrived at Rashtrapati Bhawan for the event around 6pm.
A day after the PM designate’s office indicated a smaller size of the next government and clubbing of ministries for smarter governance, a total of 44 ministers excluding Modi will also be sworn in, according to sources.
Ukrainians vote in first-round presidential poll on Sunday
Ukrainians are widely expected to give a resounding endorsement to the overthrow of their last elected leader by voting on Sunday for presidential candidates promising close ties with the West, in defiance of Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
But the absence of more than 15 percent of the electorate, in Russian-annexed Crimea and two eastern regions where fighting with pro-Moscow rebels continued on Saturday, may mar any result – and leave the Kremlin questioning the victor’s legitimacy, for all of a pledge by Putin to respect the people’s will.
VHP compares Modi to Prithviraj Chauhan: He will restore Hindutva rule
Comaparing Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi to Rajput king Prithviraj Chauhan, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Ashok Singhal on Saturday said the new government will help restore “Hindutva’s lost rule” by facilitating the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya, imposing a Common Civil Code and banning cow slaughter.
“There was a large section in the country that dreamt of the return of our lost rule. After Prithviraj (Chauhan), it is now that Hindutva has got the reins of Bharat,” Singhal told a press conference here.
Marriage will take time: Sushmita Sen
Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen, who completed two decades of having been crowned ‘Miss Universe’ recently, says marriage has not beckoned her yet.
The model turned actress, who has adopted two daughters – Renee and Alisah – was speaking at an event to celebrate her 20 years of winning the beauty peagent with some cancer patients here.
“I think you save the best for the last. I don’t think rules set by the society need to be followed by everyone, like getting educated by age of 18 years, marrying at 25 and becoming parent by 27. I don’t believe in this,” she said.
PTI