Politics

India, Sri Lanka Sign Civil Nuclear Deal

Both sides held talks on the issue of peace and reconciliation process in the island nation.

Feb 16, 2015

Bahraini protesters march on fourth anniversary of uprising

Bahraini police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of Shiite protesters who took to the streets for Saturday's fourth anniversary of an uprising that deeply divided the key US ally. Duration: 00:42

Feb 16, 2015

Egypt bombs Islamic State targets in Libya after militant group released mass beheading video

Egypt, Feb 16 (ANI): Egyptian warplanes launched air strikes against Islamic State targets in Libya on Monday, hours after a video of mass killing of Christians was published on the Internet, enraging Cairo. Egypt's military said in a statement on state television that it had carried out an air strike against Islamic State targets in Libya at dawn on Monday, a day after the group released a video appearing to show the beheading of 21 Egyptians there. The attack focused on Islamic State camps, training sites and weapons storage areas in Libya, where Islamist militants have thrived amid chaos. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has repeatedly said militants based in Libya pose a serious security threat to Egypt, a strategic US ally that is fighting insurgents in the Sinai who have pledged allegiance to Islamic State. The video released earlier showed 21 Egyptian Christians, who had gone to Libya in search of jobs, being marched to a beach, forced to kneel, and then beheaded.

Feb 16, 2015

Renewed friendship between India, Sri Lanka would benefit both the countries: Maithripala Sirisena

New Delhi, Feb 16 (ANI): Sri Lanka's newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena met Narendra Modi for bilateral talks in New Delhi as part of his four-day trip to India. Sirisena said he hoped the renewed friendship would benefit both the countries. Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that India and Sri Lanka civil nuclear agreement was a sign of mutual trust between the two neighbours. The two countries also signed a slew of memorandums on agriculture, economic cooperation, cultural ties and connectivity.

Feb 16, 2015

Salman Khan had no driving license during hit and run case, says prosecution

Mumbai, Feb 16 (ANI): Bollywood actor Salman Khan did not have a driving license when his car rammed into a pavement in Mumbai in 2002, killing one person and injuring four others, said prosecution on Monday. Khan is accused of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in the hit-and-run case, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. On Monday, the statement of a local Road Transport Officer (RTO) was recorded before the court. Khan has been booked under Section 304 A of the Indian Penal Code (rash and negligent driving), 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing minor injuries), 338 (causing major injuries) and 427 (negligence) in regard to the 2002 case. His trial began in Bandra Magistrate Court in Maharashtra in 2006. The actor was earlier being tried on the charge of death by negligence which carries a maximum prison term of two years.

Feb 16, 2015

UN special envoy Michael Bloomberg meets Finance Minister Arun Jaitley

New Delhi, Feb 16 (ANI): UN Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, Michael Bloomberg, on Monday (February 16) met India's Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu in New Delhi with bids to help India develop smart cities and move closer to cleaner energy. Bloomberg, the founder of financial software, data and media company Bloomberg L.P., is also slated to meet Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, later in the day. As per reports, Bloomberg's charitable foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies will assist India's Urban Development Ministry to handpick cities for the smart-city project on the basis of urban reforms like sanitation and ease of doing business, to be implemented in a 10-year period. Modi has pledged among other development goals, to establish 100 new 'smart' cities, creating new logistic hubs and residential townships.

Feb 16, 2015

Former Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil dies after prolonged illness

Mumbai, Feb 16 (ANI): Former Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil, who was suffering from oral cancer, passed away at the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai on Monday. Earlier today, Dr Sanjay Ogeymoghe, who was monitoring his treatment at the hospital, had said that Patil was on life support system and his condition was "critical but stable". Patil had been undergoing treatment at the Lilavati Hospital in Bandra for oral cancer. Patil, who also served as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, was operated upon last December at Breach Candy Hospital. The 57-year-old Patil was shifted to the ICU in January and was on ventilator support for a long time. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and former Deputy CM Ajit Pawar later visited Lilavati Hospital after the news broke.

Feb 16, 2015

Sri Lanka and India sign nuclear deal

Sri Lanka's new president Maithripala Sirisena signs a nuclear cooperation agreement with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Duration: 00:40

Feb 16, 2015

North Korea celebrates Kim Jong Il's birthday

North Korea celebrates the birthday of its late leader Kim Jong-Il, who ruled the secretive communist nation for 17 years before his death in 2011. Duration: 00:37

Feb 16, 2015

Different religions celebrate and pay homage at annual Urs of Wamik Mian in Bareilly

Bareilly, Feb 16 (ANI): India is a country of multiple faiths. The people in the country are living in peace and harmony, preached by the saints of different religions. Wamik Main, who established his base in Bareilly, is one such saint who sermonized oneness among the people of different faiths. Every year, devotees gather at his shrine in Bareilly to celebrate the annual urs and pay homage to him. The Celeberation goes for several days, marked by prayers and singing of Qawallis. Devotees, who come from different parts of the country and also from abroad, hold prayer to seek blessings of the saint. Similarly clerics threw light on the life and teachings of the saint, which aim to lead a righteous life. The harmony being visible during the urs celebrations symbolizes the fact that people of India still believe in oneness and stand united for each other.

Feb 16, 2015

Patna HC stays all decisions taken by Manjhi since Feb 7

Patna, Feb 16 (ANI): The Patna High Court on Monday stayed all the decisions taken by Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi since February 7. Manjhi's party the ruling Janata Dal-United had expelled him for six years on February 9 for anti-party activities and asked him to step down.

Feb 16, 2015

Annual Maulana Azad theatre fest in Aurangabad promotes message of unity & communal amity in country

Aurangabad, Feb 16 (ANI): Maulana Abul Kalam Azad alias Maulana Azad played a significant role during India's struggle for freedom from British colonial rule. Besides being a freedom fighter, his message of brotherhood and amity through his literary work is still being prevailed today. A theatre group in Aurangabad city of Maharashtra is one such example which seeks to convey the message of former freedom fighter through their plays. What fascinates the most about this theatre group is that it includes artists belonging to Hindu community, who perform in Urdu language, as Azad was Muslim by religion and his work are Urdu based. Through the play artists of the group convey the message of Azad, which he aimed at spreading while living. The theatre presentation by this group makes us believe that people like Maulana Azad devoted his entire life in strengthening the spirit of communal harmony, which has been our tradition from centuries.

Feb 16, 2015

Calcutta HC grants bail to Rajat Majumdar in Saradha scam

Kolkata, Feb 16 (ANI): The Calcutta High Court on Monday granted bail to Trinamool Congress (TMC) vice-president Rajat Majumdar in connection with the Saradha chit-fund scam case. Majumdar, a former Director General of Police, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in September 2014 for his alleged involvement in the scam. He was allegedly associated with Saradha Group, which has been accused of duping thousands of investors with crores of rupees.

Feb 16, 2015

Governance became biggest casualty after BJP-JD (U) split: Sushil Modi blaming Nitish Kumar for Biha

New Delhi, Feb 16 (ANI): BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Monday slammed JD (U) senior leader Nitish Kumar and said that governance became the biggest casualty in Bihar after BJP- JD (U) split. He said that the last there is a political drama in Bihar for the last 20 months and as a result of which the state has been pushed back by 20 years. Hitting out at Kumar, Sushil Modi said that this is the fourth resignation by the former state CM and as usual, he wants to make a comeback after few months of his resignation. He went on to say that Nitish Kumar made three major mistakes, that is, splitting JD (U) from BJP, allying with Lalu Prasad Yadav and Congress and resigning as chief minister. Asked if Jitan Ram Manjhi is to join BJP, he said that the membership to the party is even open to Kumar and that even he can join the party by dialing a number.

Feb 16, 2015

Prakash Javadekar wields broom in Ratnagiri, takes forward cleanliness drive

Ratnagiri, Feb 16 (ANI): Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar wielded broom and picked up garbage on Monday in n Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district as a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Clean India' mission. Around 6, 000 students from 21 schools had gathered for cleanliness drive and took oath along with Javadekar to keep the surroundings clean. The campaign was launched by Modi in October last year with an aim to modernize sanitation within five years. Bollywood singer Kailash Kher was also present at the event.

Feb 16, 2015