Malaysian prime minister Saturday called on all peace-loving Muslims around the world to unite against the extremists who are using their religion as an excuse to commit violence, stressing that moderation is the key to winning the battle being waged for the future of Islam.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al- Moallem said Saturday that the ongoing crisis in Syria could end within weeks if countries that support the rebels in Syria halted their support.
Moallem made the remarks during an interview with the Russia TV channel after the UN General Assembly session in New York, during which he said that as long the US, Europe and some Gulf countries were supporting the terrorist group, the crisis would continue, Xinhua reported.
The toll in Friday’s four-storey building crash here mounted to 61, with eight more bodies recovered from the debris Sunday morning, authorities said.
After nearly 48 hours of efforts, the combined rescue operations were called off early Sunday as the possibility of finding more bodies was ruled out, as the weather continued to play truant.
Yogesh Pawar, 31, a journalist with Sakal newspaper, and his father Anant Pawar, a civic employee, were among the victims in the state’s second worst building collapse tragedy this year.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif are set to meet later Sunday amid relentless warnings from India to its neighbour to shun terrorism if it really wants to make peace.
Intel has reportedly announced a significant investment in Google Glass rival Recon Instruments, in a bid to enter the wearable computing market.
Intel said that the investment will help fund Recon’s product development, marketing and global sales expansion and will also benefit from Canadian firm’s expertise in manufacturing, operations and technology.
General Manager of New Devices Group at Intel, Mike Bell said that Recon Instruments shows compelling technology and a solid strategy to capitalize on the wearable revolution, CNet reports.
Asserting that Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the ordinance on convicted lawmakers indicated imbalance in views of the ruling UPA, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader M. Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh should quit without any further delay if there is any self-respect left in him.
The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, on Saturday said India supports strongly the elimination of chemical weapons material and equipment in Syria.
Addressing the 68th session of United Nations General Assembly here, Dr. Singh said the increasingly lethal conflict in Syria is not only a tragedy for the people of Syria, but also threatens stability and security in the region and beyond.
“It has been made worse by the use of chemical weapons. The use of chemical weapons, whosoever may have deployed them, must be condemned in the strongest terms,” he added.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Saturday highlighted the need to renew the commitment, especially at the UN, for concerted, cohesive and continuing global action against terrorism.
“There can be no tolerance for states sheltering, arming, training or financing terrorists. Nor can they absolve themselves of the responsibility to prevent their territories from being used to launch acts of terrorism,” he said, while addressing the 68th session of United Nations General Assembly here.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Saturday said poverty remains a major political and economic challenge and its eradication requires special attention and a new thrust.
“This priority should anchor the post-2015 Development Agenda, which should be shaped by the member states so that it enjoys the broadest possible support and acceptance,” he said, while addressing the 68th session of United Nations General Assembly here.
Dr. Singh said growth and inclusive development are naturally important for all our countries.
Playing with blocks may help preschoolers develop the kinds of skills that enhance later learning in science, technology, engineering and math, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of Delaware and Temple University studied more than a hundred 3-year-olds belonging to various socioeconomic levels.
Children who were better at copying block structures were also better at early math, the study found.
Among the skills tested were whether children could figure out that a block belongs above or below another block and whether they aligned the pieces.
Philippines beauty Megan Young was today crowned Miss World 2013 after beating 130 contestants across the globe.
This is the first time Miss Philippines has been awarded the title in the 63rd Miss World grand final pageant on the resort island of Bali.
Megan, 23, who is a student of filmmaking, is excited to have taken over the crown from 2012’s Miss World winner Wenxia Yu of China.
Actress Aditi Rao Hydari is totally against the term “item song”. She says she won’t mind being a part of a “dance number” as long as it is graceful.
“I hate the word item song. For me, an item song is when a girl wears small clothes and looks sexy…I don’t want to look cheap. For me, grace is important. So I don’t think I will do item number. But yes, if it’s a dance number, I would love to do it,” Aditi said here.
A six-year-old girl, who was today rescued from a 400-feet borewell in a village in Tiruvannamalai district after a nine-hour battle, died in hospital.
Her condition was very critical when she was brought to the hospital and she died due to hypothermia (subnormal body temperature) and lack of oxygen supply, Dean-in-charge of Vellore Government Medical College and Hospital, Dr Sivakumar said.
A teenager and a 23-year-old woman allegedly committed suicide in separate incidents in the capital.
15-year-old Laxmi, a seventh class student, committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan on Friday evening in New Seemapuri area, police said.
No suicide note was recovered and after the medical examination, the girl’s body was handed over to the family,”
said a police official.
In a similar incident in North-East district, a 23-year-old woman allegedly commitetd suicide on Friday night,
police said.
28-year-old man allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself after his wife refused to return from her paternal house.
Joginder, a painter, had a scuffle with his wife four days ago following which she left for her parents’ house and
had refused to return since then, police said today.
He went into deep depression after his wife refused to come back and last night he committed suicide by hanging
himself from a ceiling fan at his Siyani Gate residence here, the victim’s father told police.
The Union Cabinet is likely to meet on October 3 or 4 to take a call on possible withdrawal of the controversial Ordinance on convicted lawmakers, whose fate appears to have already been sealed after Rahul Gandhi’s strong denunciation of it.
As the party crisis managers got into a damage control mode, Government sources indicated today that a meeting of the Union Cabinet to deliberate on the Ordinance is likely to take place on October 3 or 4.
Lawyers of the Orissa High Court, who are boycotting work against the state’s move to establish permanent Benches of the court in other parts of the state, today asked the government not to make any recommendation regarding this.
There is no legal standing behind making recommendation for creation of Benches of the Orissa High Court,” said
Shyamnanda Mohapatra, an advocate, after a delegation of lawyers met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to apprise him about its views.
The Chief Minister has assured us that the state government will take steps as per the law,” Mohapatra said.
Two members of an auto-lifter gang active in Delhi-NCR were arrested and four stolen motorbikes recovered from them, police said today.
Ajay Kumar and Ankit were arrested in Sahibabad area late last night.
A police patrol team stopped the duo riding on a motorcycle, but they turned the bike on opposite direction and
sped away.
The patrol team chased them and arrested, a police officer said, adding a case had been registered against them.
——————–PTI
India today strongly pitched for a political settlement to the Syrian crisis, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying there is no military solution to the lethal conflict that threatens regional stability.
Addressing the UN General Assembly, Singh endorsed efforts by the US and Russia to bring Syria’s chemical stockpiles under the international watch and eventually destroy the weapons. He called for the holding of a multilateral conference on the conflict as quickly as possible.
Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) today allowed four students, convicted in the Aman Kachroo ragging case, to resume studies for their MBBS degree.
The decision was taken in the meeting of Executive Council of HPU after the Law department of the government gave
its opinion in favour of the convicted students, who had completed their sentence, a spokesman of the varsity said.
Aman Kachroo (19), a first year MBBS student had died at Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College, Tanda in Kangra district after he was subjected to ragging by four seniors on March 7, 2009.
With over a billion people living in abject poverty globally, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today emphasised the need for “inclusive growth” and said poverty alleviation should be a top priority for the international community.
The problems of over a billion people living in abject poverty around the world need to be attacked more directly,” Singh said in his address to the UN General Assembly.
Poverty remains a major political and economic challenge and its eradication requires special attention and a new
thrust, he said.
Former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and tennis ace Leander Paes were Saturday presented the lifetime achievements awards instituted by the West Bengal government from this year.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee handed out the honours to Ganguly, while the racket great’s reward was accepted by his father Vece Paes, who was himself presented the Kriraguru award. Leander could not make to the event as he is now busy in a tournament abroad.
The life time award comprises a cheque of Rs.5 lakh, a memento, a scarf and a blazer.
India’s under-21 hockey team drew 3-3 against hosts Malaysia at The Sultan of Johor Cup here Saturday ahead of Sunday’s final between the two.
India started well with goals in the first-half by Satbir Singh (10th minute) and Ramandeep Singh (33rd).
Trailing by two goals in the second half, the hosts came back in the last eight minutes of the contest, scoring three goals — Shahril Saabah (62nd), Rashid Baharom (64th) and Shahril (68th).
Yousuf Affan helped India earn the last goal in the 69th minute leading the match to a draw.
——-IANS
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj today set December as the deadline for Congress to get the bill for creation of Telangana state passed in Parliament, failing which, she said, her party would lead “second round” of the the struggle for the separate state.
Addressing a rally organised by BJP here this evening, Swaraj also debunked the talk that her party took a ‘U-turn’ on the Telangana issue as it was seeking to re-establish the ties with Telugu Desam Party.
We will wait till December. If Telangana Bill is passed in Parliament in the winter session, I will come here
The Chennai Super Kings won their third consecutive match to become the first team to qualify for the Champions League Twenty20 semifinals by beating Brisbane Heat by eight wickets at the JSCA International Stadium here Saturday.
Chasing Heat’s target of 138 in 20 overs, the Super Kings achieved it with 4.1 overs to spare and bag four points for the win to go top of the Group B standings with a total of 12. Brisbane Heat, on the other hand, have lost all their three matches in the tournament and cannot progress to the last four stage.