Month: June 2015

The Islamic State group has executed more than 3,000 people in Syria, including hundreds of civilians, in the year since it declared its self-described “caliphate,” a monitor said on Sunday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based group monitoring Syria’s conflict, said it had documented 3,027 executions by IS since June 29, 2014. Among those executed are 1,787 civilians, including 74 children, said the Observatory.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Sunday launched the book ‘Transcendence’ written by former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in Ahmedabad.

The book describes Kalam’s spiritual experiences with Pramaukh Swami Maharaj.

The function was attended by Governors of Gujarat and Karnataka, Ministers, top industrialists including Torrent Group’s Mehta and Arvind Group’s Sanjay Lalbhai among others.(ANI)

Organisers of the party at the water park in Taiwan have been detained after a cloud of coloured powder exploded in the air during a live event.

According to BBC, more than 500 people were injured in the incident, when a coloured powder apparently ignited after being discharged from the stage onto the audience.

No deaths have been reported with reports suggesting that most of the people suffering burns were in their 20s.

The video taken at the scene showed the flames erupting among the crowd at the event called ‘Color Play Asia’.

Qatar is to create work opportunities for about 20,000 Palestinians as Qatar agreed in January 2014 to grant work visas to 20,000 Palestinians, following 20 years in which Palestinians had been unable to apply for work in the prosperous Gulf state.

The country planning to host the first group of Palestinian workers after the holy month of Ramadan, the Palestinian ambassador to Qatar said Saturday. The embassy had asked Qatari officials to employ Palestinian refugees living in the Diaspora as well.

A 24-year-old Indian student, studying in USA, on Sunday died at Toronto in Canada due to fever, family members said.

Salman Abdul Rehiman was the son of C H Abdul Rehman, general secretary of Indian Union Muslim League, Mumbai committee.

Salman was studying in Buffalo city of United States and planning to return to India after completing his studies.

As he fell ill, he moved to one of his relative’s home in Toronto for treatment. He hailed from Payyoli town in Kerala, they said.

A new study has revealed that leaving children to go to work may have significant benefits on them later in life.
working mothers, children, Lifestyle, benefits, Gender Studies Image for representational purposes only. Getty Images
A new study has revealed that leaving children to go to work may have significant benefits on them later in life.

Kuwait today identified the suicide bomber behind an attack on a Shiite mosque as a Saudi national, after a series of arrests in connection with the blast that left 26 dead.

Friday’s attack also wounded 227 worshippers in the first bombing of a mosque in the tiny Gulf state, and Kuwait’s security services have vowed to catch and punish those responsible.

The Islamic State group’s Saudi affiliate, the so-called Najd Province, claimed the bombing and identified the assailant as Abu Suleiman al-Muwahhid.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has stopped tall left-arm pacer Muhammad Irfan from competing in the ongoing Ramazan Twenty20 events so that he faces no fitness issues ahead of team selection for the ODI series in Sri Lanka.

“He is under consideration for the five ODIs and T20 matches in Sri Lanka and he has just recovered from a serious injury after nearly three and half months. We have called him to report at the national cricket academy to keep him under watch before the team is announced,” Chief selector Haroon Rasheed said.

Talks between Iran and major powers on finalising a historic nuclear deal will go beyond the June 30 deadline, a spokesman for the Iranian delegation in talks in Vienna said today.

“Because there is still lots of work to do the delegations will remain beyond Tir 10 (July 1) to continue the negotiations and reach a good overall deal,” the spokesman said.

“At the same time there is no desire or discussion yet on a long-term extension,” he said.

Officials have said that the deadline may be missed by a few days but until now no officials have confirmed that it will.

Twenty six people died today of high temperatures in Pakistan’s Karachi, taking the death toll to around 1,300 as residents grappled with the week-long heatwave that has crippled life and overwhelmed the healthcare system.

Weather experts forecast the temperatures, which have been as high as 45 degrees Celsius in the past week, are again likely to soar in the next few days in Karachi, the country’s biggest city and the financial capital.

The real meaning of ‘jihad’ was not harming others, but to use “constructive emotion” to combat destructive emotions, the Dalai Lama today said as he used his appearance at famed Glastonbury music festival to describe Islamic State’s violence as “unthinkable”.

In a 30-minute speech before hundreds of rain-soaked campers, the Tibetan spiritual leader stressed the importance of the oneness of the planet’s seven billion people, and made a rare comment on the conflict in the Middle East and days after the Islamic State militants launched terror attacks in Kuwait and Tunisia.

Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Sunday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would launch the National Skill Mission at Vigyan Bhavan on July 15 at Vigyan Bhavan.

“The Prime Minister has decided to launch the national skill mission at Vigyan Bhavan on the 15th of July. I am sure this programme which affects youngsters, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi will be a success but we cannot reveal the details as of now,” said Rudy. (ANI)

New Delhi, June 28 (IANS) Huma Nassr, widely known as the first Pakistani entrepreneur in India, is set to launch a ‘Shaan-e-Pakistan’ event at the country’s high commission here where fashion designers from the two countries will share the stage in a cross-border cultural exchange rising above starchy political and official ties between the two countries.

A cultural row in Iran over concerts being cancelled was reignited today when the country’s judiciary chief appeared to criticise President Hassan Rouhani’s liberal remarks on the subject.

Music and other public performances are a sensitive matter in the Islamic republic given concerns among religious conservatives about creeping “Westernisation”. But there is a desire from other groups, particularly younger citizens, for greater artistic freedom.

Permissions are tightly controlled by the culture ministry but even officially approved events have recently been halted at short notice.

A seven-year-old girl, who fell into a borewell in Rajasthan’s Sikar district yesterday, was rescued on Sunday.

The girl was rescued 32 hours after the incident took place. She has been admitted to the hospital.

The incident took place at around 9 a.m. yesterday when the girl, while playing in her father’s agriculture field, went to have a look into an open borewell in their neighbours farm and fell into it. (ANI)

In a shocking incident, two minor sisters were sold by their parents for a price of rupees 20,000 to an unknown woman in Pathria district of Madhya Pradesh.

“”An aunt of the victim had filed a complaint in the police station. She has alleged that the sisters, sisters aged 16 and 17, have been sold off somewhere in Madhya Pradesh. Our team has left from Madhya Pradesh. Once they are able to trace the sisters will be able to take the investigation further,” said a police official.

Police have detained the victim’s parents Manbhula and Prabhasini for questioning.

(IANS) A Tripura youth has been arrested for posting nude photographs of his former girlfriend on Facebook after she rejected him, police said here on Sunday.

West Bengal’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) made the arrest.

“A CID team from Kolkata with the help of Tripura Police arrested Arup Deb from Khowai (in western Tripura) and took him to Kolkata on Saturday,” a police official said.

The CID personnel seized four mobile phones and a computer hard disc from the accused.

Andhra Pradesh HRD Minister Ganta Srinivas Rao on Sunday declared the results of intermediate second year supplementary examinations.

Ganta informed that the 44.20% candidates have cleared the intermediate second year supplementary examinations. While the pass percentage of girls was 45.43%, it was 43.37% for boys. He said that the cumulative pass percentage of regular and supplementary candidates has increased to 84.95%. The candidates can apply for re-correction till July 6.

President of India Pranab Mukherjee will visit the Rashtrapati Nilayam, Secunderabad for a 10-day Southern sojourn from June 29 – July 8.

During his Southern sojourn, the President will visit Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh on July 1.

On July 3, the President will receive first copy of the book ‘Uniki’ written by Ch Vidyasagar Rao, Governor of Maharashtra at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC). He will also inaugurate a ‘Nakshatra Vatika’ at Rashtrapati Nilayam, Bolarum on July 6. (INN)

IANS) The Reserve Bank of India has extended the deadline for exchanging pre-2005 currency notes of various denominations, including Rs.500 and Rs.1,000, by six months till December-end.

“The Reserve Bank of India has extended the date for the public to exchange their pre-2005 banknotes till December 31, 2015,” the central bank said in a press release.

RBI had, in December 2014, set the last date to exchange these notes as June-end, asking the public to deposit the old design notes in their bank accounts or exchange them at a convenient bank branch.

AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh has asked Congress workers to take the forthcoming GHMC elections as a challenge and win them.

TRS MP B Vinod Kumar on Sunday announced that the Telangana Government would include a chapter in the school syllabus on the life and achievements of former Prime Minister late PV Narasimha Rao.

IANS) The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday acknowledged having received former cricket administrator Lalit Modi’s confidential e-mail — in which he accused three international players of being involved in betting — and sharing it with the Indian cricket board’s anti-corruption unit.

ICC said the information was also provided to its Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) and it dealt with it in accordance with its procedures.

TPCC former president Ponnala Lakshmaiah has strongly condemned Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for not attending the official ceremony of 94th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister P.V.Narasimha Rao.

Despite formation of separate State of Telangana, some forces from Andhra are trying to stall the development of new State.