Politics

India exports first warship to Mauritius

Kolkata, Dec 21 (ANI): India for the first time exported an indigenous warship, ‘Barracuda’, to Mauritius. The 1,300-tonnes ship was made by Garden Reach Shipyard & Engineers Limited. The offshore patrol vessel (OPV) is the first order ever received by India from another country. Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh handed over Barracuda to Mauritius at Kolkata dock and congratulated the shipyard for delivering the ship on time. He further said that they have received two orders from Sri Lanka for OPV, which are being developed in Goa shipyard. The vessel is capable of delivering a top speed of 22.5 knots (42 kilometres an hour).

Dec 21, 2014

Pakistan to challenge bail to Lakhvi: Abdul Basit

New Delhi, Dec 21 (ANI): Pakistan High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit said that mastermind of 2008 Mumbai attacks was put under house arrest immediately after a court granted him bail. Pakistani prosecutors are to appeal against a court decision to grant bail to a man accused of plotting a militant assault that killed 166 people and seriously strained ties between the nuclear-armed neighbours. The decision on Thursday to grant bail to Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi came two days after Pakistan's worst ever militant attack in a school in Peshawar city. Basit said that the Pakistani government will challenge court’s order. The Pakistani government appeared to have been taken by surprise by the court decision and state prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar said it would be challenged.

Dec 21, 2014

Hosiery industry cheers winters as sales pick up

Ludhiana, Dec 20 (ANI): The onset of winters has brought cheers to India's largest hosiery industry in Ludhiana city, which was battling a huge stockpile of its unsold inventory. As temperatures have dipped to sub-zero levels in several north Indian states, this hosiery manufacturing hub in Punjab is witnessing a jump in sales. Owners say they hope to clear unsold stocks now. Ludhiana accounts for nearly 90 percent of the country's woolen hosiery industry and employs 400,000 people. The hosiery goods of Ludhiana are not just popular in domestic market but are also in great demand in Europe, Dubai, America and Russia as well. The hosiery industry is likely to surpass China in a race for global expansion as French buyers prefer Indian products over Chinese products.

Dec 21, 2014

Migrants haunted by memory of tsunami missing in Thailand

Described as the forgotten victims of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, Myanmese migrant workers in Thailand are still trying to piece together what happened 10 years ago.

Dec 21, 2014

Protesters march through Macau for free leadership elections

Dozens of pro-democracy protesters march through Macau's historic centre calling for free leadership elections as Chinese President Xi Jinping wraps up his two-day visit to mark the 15th anniversary of the handover from Portugal. Duration: 00:43

Dec 20, 2014

Long-delayed elections kick off in Ebola-hit Liberia

Liberians began voting Saturday in much-delayed elections to fill half the seats of the Senate in the Ebola-ravaged west African country. Duration: 00:49

Dec 20, 2014

Burdwan blast accused Shanhnoor Alam sent to 14 days judicial custody

Guwahati, Dec 20 (ANI): A city court on Saturday remanded Burdwan blast accused Shahnoor Alam to 14 days judicial custody in Guwahati. He was allegedly the inancial brain of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) terror group and was arrested by National Investigation Agency (NIA) with the help of central security agencies from Nalbari district of Assam on December 6. NIA had last month arrested his wife but Alam had been on the run since the blast. The blast took place at a house in Burdwan area, killing two JMB militants and injuring another.

Dec 20, 2014

Haven't broken any rule of conduct, clarifies Devyani Khobragade

Akola, Dec 20 (ANI): Diplomat Devyani Khobragade on Saturday clarifying her statement said that government official has to make sure that he/she clarifies that the given statement is a personal view if they engage with any public medium. She added that she didn't say anything that could be taken as criticism of government or that may embarrass the relation between India and any foreign government.

Dec 20, 2014

Jharkhand polls' final phase witnesses 71.25% voter turnout

New Delhi, Dec 20 (ANI): Jharkhand Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha on Saturday said that overall voting turnout recorded for all phases in the entire Jharkhand State is 66.03%. He added that the overall polling percentage recorded for 5th phase of Jharkhand Assembly election is 71.25%. He further stated that it has been the highest turn out as compared to any election in the state of Jharkhand.

Dec 20, 2014

J and K Assembly Polls: State witnesses highest turnout in the last 25 years; overall voting turnou

New Delhi, Dec 20 (ANI): Deputy Election Commissioner of India Vinod Zutshi on Saturday said that Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections witnessed the highest turnout in the last 25 years. He added that the overall voting turnout recorded for all phases in the entire J and K state is 65%. He further stated that overall polling percentage recorded for 5th phase of the assembly election is 76%. As many as 18,28,904 eligible voters, comprising 9,59,011 men and 8,69,891 women exercised their franchise at 2,366 polling stations.

Dec 20, 2014

Mohan Bhagwat's 'bhule-bhatke' remark draws flak, BJP-RSS support him

New Delhi/ Nagpur, Dec 20 (ANI): RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat's 'bhule-bhatke' remark over religion conversion on Saturday drew flak from various political and religious leaders. Congress leaders, Salman Khurshid, Former SP leader Kamal Farooqui and BSP leader Sudhindra Bhadoria condemned the remark and said that this is against the constitution of India. Chief Imam of All India Imam Organisation, Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, said that converting religion by choice is not wrong but doing it forcefully is completely against law. Meanwhile, BJP leader Ashwini Chaubey and RSS Supporter Virag Pachpore supported Mohan Bhagwat's statement.

Dec 20, 2014

Indian Navy's globe-trotting vessel docks at Vishakhapatnam port

Visakhapatnam, Dec 20 (ANI): The Indian Navy vessel, INSV Mhadei lowered its anchor at port city of Visakhapatnam after circumnavigating the world twice. Mhadei was part of a pioneer project 'Sagar Parikrama' (Sea Navigation), aimed at undertaking a solo world trip on an Indian built vessel. It uses its sails and does not operate on fuel. The vessel has now completed over 100,000 nautical miles since it left Indian shores in 2009. Mhadei's Skipper, Commander Dilip Donde, completed his first solo navigation across the world on the vessel between August 2009 and May 2010 sailing for 157 days, and became the first Indian to complete the feat.

Dec 20, 2014

Enact law against religion conversion, if you don't like it: Bhagwat

Kolkata, Dec 20 (ANI): Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Saturday said that efforts should be made to bring back people who were converted from Hinduism by greed. Bhagwat, who was addressing a rally in Kolkata, iterated that Hindus were ‘looted’ away by force. He also called the Hindu society to be united in an effort to ‘save the world’ and spoke of a Hindu awakening. Bhagwat also accused Pakistan and Bangladesh of committing crimes and infiltrating India.

Dec 20, 2014

Seven killed in a road mishap in Uttar Pradesh

Jalaun, Dec 20 (ANI): Seven people were killed and few others injured after a lorry fell into a ditch in Uttar Pradesh state on Saturday. The accident took place in Jalaun district in the state. Police said the lorry was carrying around 40 people who were returning after offering prayers in a shrine. Police Commissioner, KR Mohan Rav, visited the local hospital where the injured have been admitted. The injured said that it was very foggy when they were returning.

Dec 20, 2014

Xi warns Hong Kong and Macau in 'one China' message

Chinese President Xi Jinping warns Hong Kong and Macau to remember they are part of "one China", as pro-democracy campaigners in both semi-autonomous territories call for free leadership elections. Duration: 01:12

Dec 20, 2014