It’s been a clean-up week in central government offices with cobwebs being cleaned up, corridor clutter removed, old furniture discarded or overhauled, and office environs spruced up, tidied and polished like never before.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will now symbolically wield a broom and reach out to all Indians to make cleanliness a mass movement by launching the Swatchh Bharat Abhiyan or Clean India Mission.
Pakistan maritime authorities arrested 25 Indian fishermen and took into custody their four boats for illegal fishing in the country’s territorial waters, confirmed a police official.
The arrest came after Pakistan detained 29 Indian fishermen on September 27, making a total number of detainees to 54 in two days.
The arrested fishermen were handed over to police in the southern port city of Karachi for necessary legal action.
Scientists have found that ventilation while cooking with a gas stove is essential, as the lack of it was linked to childhood asthma.
According to the researchers from Oregon State University, though they can’t say that gas stove use without ventilation causes respiratory issues, but the new study clearly showed an association between having asthma and use of ventilation.
Lawyers of former Tamil Nadu chief minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) chief J. Jayalalithaa today filed a memo with the registrar of the Karnataka High Court requesting that the matter of the 18-year-old disproportionate assets case and the appeal for bail thereof be discussed with the Chief Justice of Karnataka D H Waghela, and added that it should be treated as a special case.
In volatile trade, a benchmark index of Indian equities markets closed Tuesday’s trade flat — up only 33 points or 0.13 percent — even as the Reserve Bank decided to keep key interest rates unchanged in its fourth bi-monthly policy review.
Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi arrived in Jammu on Tuesday to meet the flood victims from the Jammu region and the relatives of the people who had died in the Nowshera bus accident.
They were accompanied by senior Congress Party leaders Ambika Soni, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Saifuddin Soz.
A bus accident in Nowshera region of Rajouri district had claimed 66 lives when a passenger bus carrying a marriage party was washed away in the flash floods triggered due to incessant rain on September 4.
The Venezuelan government has initiated a voluntary arms exchange programme under which its citizens can surrender their firearms in return for work tools or a scholarship.
The plan, which began Monday, is part of the government’s strategy to disarm the population and bring down instances of violence in the country.
“We have received a considerable number of pistols, revolvers (and) shotguns, and have ordered several incentives and tools for activities that are socially productive,” said Interior Minister Miguel Rodriguez Torres.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived early on Tuesday morning at the Gandhi Statue located in front of the Indian Embassy here to pay tribute.
His convoy of cars arrived at the venue amidst tight security. He got out of his car after his security detail gave an all clear, and thereafter, he mingled with enthusiastic and cheering Indian Americans. He also waved at the crowd that had gathered at the venue.
The Prime Minister, dressed in a yellow and white attire, later paid floral tribute at the feet of the statue and offered his salutations.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi Tuesday said the Congress-NCP split has not come about because of Rahul Gandhi or her.
Speaking to media on the sidelines of her visit to flood-affected areas here, the Congress president said: “Neither Rahul nor I am responsible for the NCP breaking its alliance with the Congress”.
She was replying to a question whether Rahul Gandhi’s handling of alliance affairs had resulted in the NCP parting ways with the Congress at the Centre and in Maharashtra.
Afghanistan and the US Tuesday signed the long-awaited Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) to allow a limited number of troops to remain in Afghanistan after the drawdown later this year of the NATO-led troops in the country.
Afghan Presidential Advisor on National Security Mohammad Hanif Atmar and US Ambassador to Afghanistan James B. Cunningham signed the agreement on behalf of their respective governments, Xinhua reported.
Under the agreement, the US would keep around 10,000 military service members in Afghanistan to train and advise the Afghan security forces.
The Afghanistan government and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Tuesday signed the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) here.
Afghan Presidential Advisor on National Security Mohammad Hanif Atmar and NATO’s senior civilian representative to Afghanistan Maurits R. Jochems signed the agreement, Xinhua reported.
Under the agreement, a limited number of NATO forces, probably more than 2,000 service members, would remain in Afghanistan after the 2014 pullout of troops to provide training and advice to Afghan security forces.
(IANS)
Finance Minister Etela Rajender on Tuesday informed that the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Civil Supplies has suggested hike in the monthly quota of ration through Public Distribution System.
Spain’s Constitutional Court has suspended the referendum on Catalonian independence set for Nov 9 while justices study arguments from the Spanish government, which strongly opposes the poll, and the Catalan regional authority, which is just as strongly determined to make it happen.
In addition to a temporary freeze on plebiscite plans, the court Monday temporarily nullified the law passed by the Catalonian parliament that sidesteps articles in the Spanish constitution reserving to the central government the right to hold what the Catalans term a “consultation”.
Education Minister Jagadeshwar Reddy on Tuesday directed all universities of Telangana to digitise the records of all certificates issued by them in the last 30 years to facilitate their online verification.
The 14-day “Yudh Abhyas 2014” India-US military exercise to strengthen and broaden inter-operability and cooperation between the two armies concluded Tuesday.
The exercise, which commenced Sep 17, brought together troops of a mountain brigade of the Indian Army and a company and brigade headquarters of the US Army, and was held in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.
“A magnificent joint parade by contingents of both armies marked the successful completion of the exercise,” an official statement said.
The Indian women’s handball team ended eighth at the Asian Games after losing their 7th-8th position playoff against Thailand 30-31 in a thrilling penalty shoot-out at the Seonhak Handball Gymnasium here Tuesday.
Both the teams were tied at 26-all after full time which led to the shoot-out where Thailand scored five goals to India’s four.
Earlier, India led the match 14-12 at half time but the south east Asian country came back well in the second half to level the contest at 26-all.
(IANS)
Tata Starbucks Limited, a 50-50 joint venture between Starbucks Coffee Company of US and Tata Global Beverages, Tuesday expanded its operations to the sixth city in India by opening its flagship store in Hyderabad.
The store has come up in upmarket Jubilee Hills and is the first in Hyderabad and the 58th in India.
Tata Starbucks CEO Avani Davda said the store, designed in tune with the city’s history and culture, is consistent with their long-term strategy to strengthen the presence in south India.
She told reporters that the company will soon open another store in the city.
Deputy CLP leader in Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir strongly condemned the lethargic approach of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in waiving off the farmers loans which resulted in Telangana farmers losing crop insurance for Khariff season.
The Telangana State Government has launched a global online campaign to promote Bathukamma, which has been accorded State festival status recently.
Taking a serious view of a four-year-old Upper KG child being locked up in a kennel as punishment by a teacher for talking during classes, the Kerala government today ordered the closure of the private school.
The swift action was taken on the basis of the report of the Deputy Director of Education who found serious violation of rules in the functioning of the school located at Kudpapanakunnu on the outskirts of the state capital, which has classes from LKG to the Class VII.
A Kerala court Tuesday granted bail to a private unaided school’s woman principal who had kept a six-year-old under-kindergarten student in a kennel.
She had been arrested Monday night.
The court of Thiruvananthapuram First Class Judicial Magistrate granted the bail Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the district administration has for the time being decided to take over the school after numerous complaints against the educational institution surfaced following the episode becoming public.
Finding time to work out during hectic professional life is difficult but what if ten minutes of your time can help in gaining a positive effect on your fitness and health. Following some easy to do cardio exercises can do wonders in your life, says an expert.
Simple Sculptathon, created by fitness expert Anna Reich, comprises a mix ocardio and toning dance moves such as ballet and Pilates thereby helping in acquiring that perfect body and mind, reports femelafirst.co.uk.
The Haryana chief secretary and other senior officials have been asked not to hold meetings or organise video conferences with district officials to review poll preparedness, progress on electoral rolls’ preparation or revision and other such activities, a senior election official said Tuesday.
The Delhi High Court Tuesday directed various internet and telecom service providers to block access to 72 websites hosting the yet-to-be released Hrithik Roshan starer “Bang Bang”.
Justice Manmohan Singh said the court is totally against the piracy of copyrighted material, including movies, and “it is almost equivalent to duplicating currencies”.
The Indian men’s kabaddi team brushed aside arch-rivals Pakistan 23-11 to top Group A and entered the semi-finals of the event at the 17th Asian Games here Tuesday.
The Rakesh Kumar-led Indian team, which defeated Bangladesh and Thailand earlier, put in another dominating performance to trounce Pakistan at the Songdo Global University Gymnasium.