Month: May 2015

Economic policy ‘directionless’, minorities anxious: Shourie

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Arun Shourie, a BJP minister in the Vajpayee Cabinet, today hit out at the Narendra Modi government, saying its economic policy was “directionless” while the social climate was causing “great anxiety” among the minorities.

The 73-year-old journalist-turned politician said the one-year rule of Modi was “good in parts”, his transformation as prime minister was good in foreign policy, but the promised turnaround in economy has not happened.

TPCC slams Centre, State for diluting labor laws

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Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee here on Friday celebrated May Day at Gandhi Bhavan. TPCC president Uttam Kumar Reddy hoisted INTUC flag on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Uttam Kumar Reddy charged Centre and State governments with trampling the labour laws and rights of working class for the sake of procuring investments from abroad. He said successive Congress governments had brought several laws for the protection and welfare of the toiling workers.

Planning Commission treated CMs as beggars: KCR

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Appreciating Centre for launching NITI Ayog to provide ample space for all the states to pour in their woes and seek more funds, Chief Minister K Chandarsekhar Rao today alleged that previous Planning Commission used to ill treat the chief ministers seeking funds for development as beggars.

Talasani opens porridge distribution in Gandhi, NIMS

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Minister for Commercial Taxes and Cinematography Talasani Srinivas Yadav on Friday called upon voluntary organizations to come forward to held poor in-patients in the government hospitals.

The minister was speaking after inaugurating a porridge distribution (Ambali) program organized in Gandhi General Hospital in Secunderabad under the supervision of Sircilla MLA Koneru Konappa. Later the minister inaugurated another porridge distribution program in the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences at Punjagutta.

May Day celebrated in grand manner

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Workers and laborers celebrated May Day on grand note in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh States on Friday. In Hyderabad, May Day celebrations were held at MB Bhavan. CPM Telangana State Council secretary Thammineni Veerabhadram, CPM Politburo member B V Raghavulu participated.

YSRCP flays TDP Govt’s “anti-worker” policies

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The YSR Congress Party has said that TDP has been continuing with its anti-worker policies and is showing undue favour to privatization and also demanded to roll back the oil prices which would burden all sections of society.

“Though the global prices of crude oil has drastically fell, the Centre and State Governments have increased the prices of petrol and diesel drastically which will have a cascading effect in the market economy and we demand the rollback of prices,” party official spokesperson Jogi Ramesh told reporters here on Friday.

Girls in Kashmir learn art of self defence

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To combat rising incidents of crime against women, Kashmir Taekwondo Association has organised camps across the state to teach self-defence to girls.

The camp, set up in Tangmarg area of Baramulla district, encouraged many girls in rural areas of the Valley to participate.

More than 30 girls from different schools showed keen interest to take part in the training sessions at one such camp on Thursday.

Nepal quake: They survived an eight-storey fall

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Two young people, who survived when the iconic Dharhara tower collapsed here during a massive earthquake, can scarcely believe their good luck.

Ramila Shrestha, 19, and her friend Sanjeev Shrestha were the survivors in the Dharhara tower collapse after the earthquake ravaged Nepal on April 25. The toll in the temblor has now risen to over 6,000.

“It came crashing down. I could hear people shouting and running but we could not escape because of the falling debris,” Ramila, who has suffered head injury, bruised left cheek and fracture on her left hip, told IANS here on Friday.

Mumbai Indians post challenging 187/5 against Rajasthan Royals

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A late cameo from Ambati Rayudu (53; 27b, 4×4 3×6) ensured that Mumbai Indians reached a challenging 187/5 against Rajasthan Royals in their Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter at the Wankhede Stadium here on Friday.

Put in to bat, Mumbai Indian got off to a flying start with openers Parthiv Patel and Lendl Simmons striking the ball to all parts of the park scoring at over nine runs per over in the first four.

Six Baltimore policemen charged in death of black man

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Six members of the Baltimore City Police Department will face charges for the death in custody of black man Freddie Gray, the prosecutor handling the case said on Friday.

Maryland state prosecutor announced criminal charges against all officers involved in the death of the 25-year-old black man Gray, reports Efe.

The state’s attorney for Baltimore City Marilyn Mosby said that the arrest of Gray, who died on April 19 of a deadly spinal cord injury, was “illegally” and that the state medical examiner ruled Gray’s death a homicide.

Rahul visits Nepal embassy; condoles quake deaths

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Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Friday visited the Nepal embassy here nearly a week after the devastating earthquake struck the Himalayan nation and condoled the deaths.

“Over the last week the world has watched in horror as the true scale of the tragedy in Nepal unfolded before us. Some wounds will never heal, but as Nepal faces the hard task of rebuilding each broken life and broken buildings, the people of India stand with you in strength and solidarity.

Sikhs explain meaning of turban to US lawmakers

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Sikhs have to explain to American people what the turban means because that is the immediate source of their identification, according to the author of a new report on Sikhs in America presented to US lawmakers.

“Sikhs have to explain what it symbolizes and what values it represents,” said Geoff Garin, former political strategist for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton presenting the key findings of the report at a briefing arranged by the National Sikh Campaign (NSC).

Extra two minutes walking can add years to your life

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Adding just two minutes of walking each hour to your routine can offset the health hazards of sitting for long periods of time, says a study led by an Indian-origin researcher.

A “trade-off” of sitting for light intensity activities for two minutes each hour is associated with a 33 percent lower risk of dying, the findings showed.

Numerous studies have shown that sitting for extended periods of time each day leads to increased risk for early death, as well as heart disease, diabetes and other health conditions.

Kejriwal launches ‘Shramik Vikas Mission’ for labourers

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Assuring easy access to healthcare and education for labourers in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched the ‘Shramik Vikas Mission’ at an event here on the occasion of Labour Day.

Stressing on the need to give priority to the working class, Kejriwal on Friday said under the new project, action would be taken against employers who do not pay minimum wages to workers, while financial entitlements for construction workers will be enhanced.

In addition, those employed in the unorganised sector will get pension under the ‘Dilli Swavlamban Yojna’.

Death toll exceeds 6,300 in Nepal

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The death toll in last week’s devastating earthquake in Nepal has exceeded 6,300 with over 14,000 people being injured in the Himalayan nation’s 26 affected districts, officials here said on Friday.

The death toll in the April 26 temblor was updated after several wounded people died in hospitals and many dead bodies were pulled out from the quake-hit sites.

Among the dead, the number of women was significant in Kathmandu and outside, police said.

Pak flags waved at Geelani rally in J-K

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Hurriyat hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani stoked controversy on Friday after numerous Pakistani flags were waved during his rally in Tral.

“It is being said that our Pandit brothers, who left, have to be resettled. We have never opposed their settling in Kashmir. We have been saying for years that they should be brought back, but they should be allowed to live amongst us. The creation of separate neighbourhoods for them is not acceptable to us,” Geelani said, while addressing the rally.

India shouldn’t be stereotyped by “isolated” cases: BJP

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Reacting sharply to the US Congress panel report on religious freedom in India, BJP today said the country should not be judged through the issue of NGO licences and not stereotyped through “some isolated” cases.

“It would not be proper on the part of those who are ignorant of India’s culture, society, customs and constitution to give a certificate about the country’s social harmony and religious freedom,” Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.

Ahmed Patel ridicules PM Modi’s rule as ‘hologram government’

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Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel today labelled the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government as a “hologram government” for failing on all fronts after coming to power almost a year ago.

Patel cited Modi’s recent visit to Germany, where Patel claimed that Modi had a high-level meeting with businessmen to lure them to invest in India, showing them a graphic representation of a ‘Make In India’ logo, a lion made of industrial parts.

32 terrorists killed in Pakistan

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At least 32 terrorists and five security persons were killed during fierce clashes in a Pakistani tribal region, an official statement said on Friday.

Five terrorists were killed when they clashed with security forces in Tirah Valley of the Khyber Agency on Friday, an Inter Services Public Relations release said. On Thursday five soldiers, including an officer, were killed in clashes with terrorists. During these clashes, 27 terrorists were killed, said the release.

During the ongoing military operation — Khyber II — security forces have achieved a huge success, said the release.