Indian Oil Corp (IOC) Thursday posted a fall of 35.30 percent in net profit for the fourth quarter ended March at Rs.9,389.85 crore, as compared to Rs.14,512.81 crore for the same quarter in the previous year.
However, the state-run oil marketer’s total income from operations rose by 5.75 percent at Rs.134,867.42 crore for the quarter in question, as compared to Rs.127,534.77 crore for the quarter ended March 2013.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Thursday officially designated Rami Hamdallah to form the interim unity government that was agreed upon with the Gaza-based Islamist Hamas movement.
After handing Hamdallah “a letter of designation” to form the unity government, Abbas said “I wish him success in this difficult mission”, Xinhua reported citing the official Wafa news agency.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Thursday called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi and conveyed Beijing’s desire to establish a “robust partnership” with the new Indian government. Modi told Li “China was always a priority in India’s foreign policy”.
According to an official statement from the Prime Minister’s Office here, Li congratulated Modi on his victory in the recent election and conveyed his government’s desire to “establish robust partnership with the new government in India for further development of relations between the two nations”.
A 50-year-old man died today after being hit by a car allegedly belonging to a Samajwadi Party MLA, following which an FIR was registered. The case was, however, registered against an unidentified person as the identity of the man behind the wheel is yet to be ascertained, they said.
Vibhuti Narain was hit by the MLA’s SUV this morning in Sarpatha area here after which the unidentified driver drove
away with the vehicle, they added. The FIR was lodged on the complaint of the victim’s brother Bhanu Pratap Singh, police said, adding, they were investigating into the matter. PTI
Budding designers and students of fashion designing displayed their creativity during A La Mode 2014, organised by French fashion school Mod’ Art International.
Held here Wednesday, the glittering showcase witnessed a range of models donning creations by the graduating batch of 2014. Choreographed by Ketan Bhatia, the show comprised of 48 individual pieces, judged by stylist Rishi Raj and designer Shivali Misra of Purple Paper Bag fame.
CCTV cameras for children’s shelter homes
(19:14)
New Delhi, May 29 (IANS) The government has decided to install CCTV cameras in all shelter homes for children in the country following reports of sexual abuse of minors at such a place in Maharashtra.
Taking note of the incident where children were reportedly sexually abused in a children’s shelter home in Raigad district of Maharashtra, the ministry of women and child development has decided to install CCTV cameras in all shelter homes, an official release said here Thursday.
Keen to fast-track key issues, Home Minister Rajnath Singh today asked his officials to come up with out of the box ideas for internal security and better coordination between the Centre and states.
Directing his Ministry to prepare an actionable blueprint, he said this should also contain ideas to resolve border disputes with neighbouring countries without compromising national interests, official sources said.
During a three-hour-long interaction with senior Home Ministry officials, Singh said internal security is his top
most priority area and asked them to think innovatively.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is arriving in India June 8 as special envoy to President Xi Jinping, official sources said Thursday.
Wang’s visit comes days after SAARC leaders attended the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi May 26.
Modi spoke on telephone with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang earlier Thursday during which he extended an invitation to President Xi to visit India this year.
(IANS)
Make-up Revolution London is now available in India. Their products like eye shadow palettes, mascara and lipstick can be bought online by the consumers in the country.
Available at shopping portal Jabong.com, it has been brought by importer, distributor and retailer Kanvar group to India, said a statement.
The price starts from Rs.420 and also offers foundation and face products for all skin tones with 300 desirable products in the range.
At least three soldiers were killed in a bomb explosion in Pakistan’s northwest tribal area of North Waziristan Thursday, officials said.
Inter Services Public Relations, the mouthpiece of the Pakistan army, said in a statement that explosive materials planted along the roadside targeted a team of soldiers patrolling on foot near Nosher Fort area of North Waziristan, a semi-autonomous tribal area along the Pakistan-Afghan border, Xinhua reported.
A bomb disposal squad said the militants used an improvised explosive device (IED) to kill the troops.
Saudi Arabia’s Health Ministry says 13 people have died over the last two weeks from the Middle Eastern respiratory virus. The ministry says 186 people in total have died from the virus since it was discovered in 2012. The ministry said late yesterday another 565 people had contracted the virus in Saudi Arabia.
The recent figures indicate that the rate of infections and deaths may have slightly dipped in the last two weeks
after a sharp rise in infections and deaths in April and the first half of May.
Actor Ayushmann Khurrana, a non-smoker off-screen, had a hard time learning how to smoke for his upcoming film “Dam Laga Ke Haisha”.
For the first time, he will be seen holding a cigarette in a film.
When Ayushmann was described the scene, he requested director Sharad Kataria to change the smoking part but it was essential, said a statement.
So, he practiced smoking and even mastered the art after a couple of initial glitches and coughs. He is said to have given a natural and effortless shot.
Releasing next year, Bhumi Pednekar also features in the film.
(IANS)
The cost incurred for treating diseases caused by tobacco use was an estimated Rs 16,800 crore in 2011, but if one were to take into account the associated indirect morbidity and premature mortality due to it, it touches a staggering Rs 1.04 lakh crore, a report said today.
The report, ‘Economic Burden of Tobacco Related Diseases in India’, which was released today by Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, highlights the huge economic and productivity loss caused by tobacco use.
Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, whose Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won the qualifier one match at the Eden Gardens to enter the finals, enjoyed gorging on fish fry with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee here.
The actor visited Banerjee’s residence post the victory celebrations here Wednesday.
“My KKR how beautiful were they tonight. Fish fry with Mamata Di, ride along the Kolkata roads with all celebrating,” Shah Rukh posted on his Twitter page Wednesday.
Mamata too congratulated Shah Rukh for KKR’s victory.
Two Delhi Police constables sustained injuries when a speeding car ran over them here, police said Thursday.
The incident took place around 6.40 p.m. Wednesday at the city’s Mandir Marg area when the constables were checking vehicles, a police official said.
The driver of the car was arrested for rash driving.
The constables – identified as 24-year-old Sunil Kumar and 25-year-old Rakesh – were admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital.
The official said they were out of danger.
(IANS)
Choreographer-director Remo D’ Souza, who is back on the judge’s panel of the seventh season of celebrity dance reality show “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa”, says the reason he chose to judge the show is that it’s a learning experience for him.
” ‘Jhalak…’ is a learning process for me as a technician. I get to learn a lot from the choreographers who showcase their talent on the dance floor,” Remo told IANS.
Alongside Remo, the show will be co-judged by filmmaker Karan Johar and actress Madhuri Dixit.
With Shiv Sena MP Anant Geete finally assuming charge as Minister of Heavy Industries in Narendra Modi cabinet after ‘haggling’ over “significance” of the portfolio, the NCP today termed the saffron party as a “paper tiger” who is shown the “right place” by its alliance partner BJP in allocation of berths.
“In BJP’s view, Shiv Sena is worth only one ministry and the party’s objections were also overruled. The lone Shiv Sena minister Anant Geete had to fall in line by taking charge of the Heavy Industries portfolio,” NCP president Bhaskar Jadhav told reporters here.
The Delhi High Court Thursday dismissed a plea seeking direction to the city government to take immediate steps to prevent supply of synthetic milk in the city and to not hike the price of milk further.
A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice R.S. Endlaw dismissed the plea filed by two social workers, Sharad Tiwari and Sanjeev Agnihotri, asking the court to constitute a monitoring committee to keep a watch on the cost of production of milk and its sale price.
A court here Thursday fixed May 30 to deliver its order on a plea by Shahid Usman Balwa, an accused in the 2G spectrum allocation case and Swan Telecom promoter, seeking withdrawal of answers he filed in response to the court’s query.
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge O.P. Saini, who was scheduled to deliver the order Thursday, said he will pronounce it Friday as the order was not ready.
Brazil and Chelsea teammates Oscar and David Luiz have reportedly gone ‘head-to-head’ in a ‘ football tennis’ match in a living room.
According to the Mirror, the two players showed off their skills in the ‘footvolley’ challenge, as a part of Gillette ‘s Brasil Global Tour, where they had to loop the ball over a sofa.
With the scores tied at 2-2, Luiz managed to lift the ball into a chandelier – which went crashing to the deck – leading to the match being abandoned, the report added. (ANI)
A letter signed by more than 50 researchers and public health specialists has urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to “resist the urge to control and suppress e-cigarettes”.
The letter says that the devices – which deliver nicotine in a vapour – could be a “significant health innovation”, the BBC reported.
But the UK’s Faculty of Public Health says it is too early to know whether benefits outweigh potential risks.
The WHO said it was still deciding what recommendations to make to governments.
The toppers in the CBSE Class 12 examinations who got near-perfect scores were Thursday ecstatic, with one of them saying the results were “unbelievable”.
Delhi girl Surbhi Sharma topped the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 examinations in the humanities stream in Delhi region.
A student of the Government Girls Senior Secondary School in Roop Nagar in north Delhi, Surbhi scored 96.4 percent with 99 in psychology.
The Ecuadorian football team, under Colombian coach Reinaldo Rueda, arrived in Dallas to play a friendly match against Mexico Saturday before the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Rueda shortlisted 24 players from the 30-member provisional for the Mexico clash at the AT&T Arena stadium in Arlington, Dallas, reports Xinhua.
“It’s an important game for selection, and we will try to make things right,” said Ecuador captain Antonio Valencia, who plays Manchester United, Wednesday on arrival in Dallas.
Porn star Nikki Benz has announced her candidacy against Rob Ford for Toronto mayor.
The veteran porn star, whose prior work includes starring in ‘Strap on Sally’ and ‘Meet the F—–s 6’, has promised to cut taxes and bring the porn industry to Toronto, the New York Daily News reported.
She has claimed that she would do a better job than Ford, who is currently undergoing drug rehab, at running Canada’s largest city. (ANI)
Telecom and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Thursday said interest of telecom consumers would be given priority and criteria for better governance in the telecom department will be laid down.
Interacting with officials, he asked them to follow the objectives of national interest, economic growth and consumer interest, an official statement issued here said.
He laid down three main criteria for better governance — prompt decision making, fairness and transparency and having clearly laid down rules of business.