Month: February 2015

Delhi polls: PM Modi to hold rally in Dwarka today

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally in west Delhi’s Dwarka on Sunday, as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ongoing election campaign in the city.

BJP president Amit Shah will also reportedly hold three rallies in different parts of the city, while Congress president Sonia Gandhi is going to address a rally at Meethapur Chowk in Badarpur today.

The BJP has stepped up its poll campaign ahead of the crucial Delhi assembly polls, with Prime Minister Modi on Saturday urging the city electorate to vote for those who would serve them better rather than ‘backstabbers’.

VHR slams Telangana Congress leaders

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Rajya Sabha MP of Congress, Mr. V. Hanumanth Rao criticized Senior Congress leaders for flattering TDP M.P. Mr. KVP Rama Chandra Rao. Even after the bifurcation of Telangana State, Mr. Ramchandra Rao is dominating Telangana Region.

‘Birth control pill’ chemist Carl Djerassi passes away at 91

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Carl Djerassi, an Austrian-born US chemist who developed the birth control pill, has passed away at the age of 91.

Stanford University spokesman Dan Stober said that Djerassi died of complications of cancer in his San Francisco home, the Guardian reported.

He was most famous for leading a research team in Mexico City that in 1951 developed norethindrone, a synthetic molecule that became a key component of the first birth control pill.

“The pill,” as it came to be known, radically transformed sexual practices and women’s lives.

National Conference on e-Governance concludes

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The two-day 18th National Conference on e-Governance with the theme “Digital Governance-New Frontier” has concluded in Gandhinagar.

Addressing the valedictory session on Saturday, Governor of Gujarat, Om Prakash Kohli said e-Governance is important because it is the most easy, effective and economical governance. He said it is one of the most useful fields of Information Technology and brings about Empowerment, Equity, Efficiency besides being the most economic mode of governance.

IS fighters admit defeat in Syrian town of Kobane

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The Islamic State group has acknowledged for the first time that its fighters have been defeated in the Syrian town of Kobane and vowed to attack the town again.

In a video released by the pro-IS Aamaq News Agency yesterday, two fighters said the airstrikes by the US-led coalition were the main reason why IS fighters were forced to withdraw from Kobane.

On Monday, activists and Kurdish officials said the town was almost cleared of IS fighters, who once held nearly half of the town.

Tendulkar stars as chaotic National Games kick off

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Sachin Tendulkar was there to bring a capacity crowd on its feet and the cultural splendour was there for all to see as the 35th National Games were declared open here today with a colourful opening ceremony even as organisational chaos continued to take sheen off the event.

–PTI

Swaach Bharat high level committee formed

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CM of Telangana State, Mr. K. Chandrasekhara Rao constituted high level committee for Swaach Bharat Mission. This committee will be headed by Dr. Rajiv Sharma. The other members Principal Secretary of Municipal Administration and Urban Development, Principal Secretary of Health, Secretaries of School Education, Finance, Environment, Forest and Commissioner of GHMC and Director of Municipal Administration.

Secret to healthy ageing unlocked

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Ageing is inevitable, but the secret to why some people age more gracefully could lie in the functioning of a protein in our body.

Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) protein could be the key to maintain the health of ageing blood stem cells as loss of this protein affects their ability to regenerate blood normally, a study indicates.

Try food-workout combo to cut body fat

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If you are on a mission to get rid of body flab, try out strength training and nutritious snacks.

Here are a few tips to help you increase your muscle mass, reports femalefirst.co.uk:

Strength training: It is one of the best ways to increase muscle mass and burn fat. If you regularly incorporate it into your workouts, it will help to create a leaner and more defined figure.

Eat after training: After training, you must eat a nutritious snack rich in carbohydrates and proteins. Chicken and sweet potato is a good option.

Russia lowers 2015 growth forecast, amid oil price slump

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Russia revised its economic growth projection for 2015, predicting a 3 percent contraction in its GDP, in the wake of a slump in global oil prices.

According to a Xinhua report, based on a presumed global oil price of $80 a barrel, the Russian economic development ministry had earlier estimated that the country’s GDP would fall by 0.8 percent for the year. The revised projections have factored in the current oil price of around $50 per barrel.

IS executes second Japanese hostage, PM says ‘despicable act’

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The Islamic State (IS) militants claimed in a video to have beheaded a second Japanese hostage, according to media reports Sunday. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned the purported killing as “a despicable terrorist act”.

Freelance journalist and film-maker Kenji Goto, 47, was believed to have been executed by the IS, after his compatriot Haruna Yukawa was killed only a few days back. Goto was known to have gone to Syria in October to secure Yukawa’s release.

Power cut likely from mid February

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Summer is likely to set in. Undeclared power cut has been continuing due to the exhibition. Sources indicated that declared series of power cut is likely to start from Mid February. A plan has been finalized to operate power cut 4 hours daily. Power will be cut two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening. According to Telangana Power Distribution Corporation, plan has been prepared for power cut. In Rural areas people have to suffer power cut for 6 to 8 hours. Industrial Sector is also likely to face difficulties.

–Siasat News

Kejriwal used Anna Hazare: Uma Bharti

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Uma Bharti today accused AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal of “using” Anna Hazare and said the party does not deserve another chance as its government “ran away” from responsibilities after remaining in power for 49 days.

“I urge the voters to give them only sympathy but no votes. They even used Anna Hazare who is a Mahapurush. Arvind Kejriwal used him to enter politics and forgot him after forming the government,” she said addressing a rally at Rajinder Nagar.

School teacher sentenced to life-term for raping minor

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A local court today awarded life imprisonment to a teacher for raping a 14-year-old student in a school in the year 2013.

Valsad district and sessions court Magistrate B G Doshi convicted the teacher Kiran Lalu Patel under Protection of Children against Sexual Offences act (POCSO), 2012 and IPC section 376 (rape) and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

The court also slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 on him, failing which, he will have to remain in jail for six more months.

PMO wanted Sujatha to have no reference of PM Modi in her letter

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Her offer to take early retirement was rejected as Prime Minister’s Office wanted to delete a reference that she was doing so on the instructions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh, whose tenure was abruptly “curtailed”, said today.

Singh said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had informed her on January 28 afternoon that the PM wanted to appoint S Jaishankar as the Foreign Secretary.

Second Japanese hostage executed, IS claims

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A video has been released which purports to show the beheading of Japanese hostage Kenji Goto by the Islamic State (IS) militants, after his compatriot Haruna Yukawa was executed earlier, according to media reports Sunday.

Goto, 47, a well-known freelance journalist and film-maker, was known to have gone to Syria in October to secure Yukawa’s release, according to a BBC report.

The Japanese government said that it was trying to authenticate the video.

The video, which bore the same symbols as previous ones released by the IS, showed a militant with a British accent beheading Goto.

Somalia air strike kills over 40 Al-Shabaab militants

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Over 40 Al-Shabaab militants were killed and several others injured in an air strike targeting a militant base in southern Somalia, officials said Saturday.

Abdulkadir Mohamed Nor Sidi, Governor of the Lower Shebelle region in southern Somalia, told Xinhua that the air strike hit an Al-Shabaab convoy and a training camp in the Dugale village.

“Over 40 militants were killed in the air strike and a number of others have been injured. The camp has also been completely destroyed,” Sidi said over telephone.

Palestine slams Israel’s new settlement plan

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A top Palestinian official Saturday slammed the new Israeli plan to build 450 settlement units in West Bank’s Jewish areas, terming the expansion of settlements “a war crime”.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told Xinhua that such actions were “certainly a war crime and need an international accountability”.

He said that the settlement plan was against international law and accused Israel of insisting on ruining the principle of the two-state solution.

On Friday,Israel published tenders for building 450 new housing units in settlements in the West Bank.

Shahid Kapoor, Kangna Ranaut bag best actor Filmfare awards

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Shahid Kapoor won the Filmfare award for Best Actor (Male) for his performance in the film “Haider”, while Kangna Ranaut received the Best Actor (Female) award for “Queen”, at the 60th Britannia Filmfare Awards ceremony here Saturday.

Rajat Kapoor’s critically acclaimed film “Ankhon Dekhi” won the Best Film (Critics) award. The prize for the Best Male Actor (Critics) went to Sanjay Mishra for “Ankhon Dekhi” and the Best Female Actor (Critics) award was given to Alia Bhatt for her performance in “Highway”.

US drone strike in Yemen kills four militants

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A US drone strike in southern Yemen killed at least four Al Qaeda terrorists, Xinhua reported Saturday, citing a government official.

“The US strike pounded a vehicle with three missiles in a mountainous area in Shabwa province, killing about four members of the Al Qaeda terrorist group,” the local government official said on the condition of anonymity.

A local tribal chief confirmed to Xinhua that “the US drone floated over the area and then fired rockets on a car”.

Foiled 11 infiltration bids last month, says BSF

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Alert troopers of the Border Security Force (BSF) last month foiled 11 infiltration bids by militants along the international border in Jammu and Kashmir, a senior BSF official said.

“Eight infiltration bids were made by militants during the last 15 days, while they made a total of 11 such attempts in the month of January, to sneak into our side of the international border…” the official told IANS in Jammu.

Turkey to stop foreign jihadis crossing into Syria

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Turkey said that it has beefed up security to prevent foreign fighters from using its soil as a transit route to Syria, media reported Saturday.

“In this context, we are pursuing a considerable struggle,” Turkish Foreign Minister Efkan Ala said in a televised interview Friday.

He noted that 700 people suspected of being linked to the Islamic State (IS) jihadi group had already crossed into Syria through Turkey.

“If we confirm that they committed crimes, we will do what is required when they come back. We have taken the necessary measures against them,” Ala clarified.