Politics

Cosmopolitan new Afghan first lady backs French veil ban

Afghanistan's cosmopolitan new first lady backs France's controversial ban on the niqab, comparing the full veil to "blinders" as she prepares to campaign for more respect for women in her conservative adopted homeland. Duration: 01:00

Oct 31, 2014

EU, Russia, Ukraine seal breakthrough gas accord

Russia agrees to resume gas deliveries to war-torn Ukraine through the winter in an EU-brokered, multi-billion dollar deal signed by the three parties in Brussels. Duration: 01:10

Oct 31, 2014

Indians worship Sun god for betterment of family

Mumbai/Varanasi/Allahabad, Oct 31 (ANI): Scores of devotees across India, thronged banks of rivers and other water bodies to celebrate Hindu religious festival, 'Chhath', and prayed to the rising sun. 'Chhath puja', the four day festival, is celebrated on sixth day after Diwali and holds significance for married women who observe fast and stand in waist-deep river water, present religious offerings to the Sun god. According to tradition, on the first day, devotees, mostly women, take a dip in the river, pray to the setting sun and begin fasting. The following day, devotees abstain from eating anything and worship the setting sun. Next day, devotees worship the sun early in the morning and break their fast. The Sun, considered as the god of energy and life-force, is worshiped for well-being, prosperity and progress. The rituals observed during 'Chhath puja' include holy bathing, fasting and abstaining from drinking water, standing in water for long hours and giving offerings to the setting and rising sun. Devotees across the country celebrate this festival with great gusto as women wear jewellery and bright coloured traditional attire. Chhath is considered as one of the most significant and auspicious festivals of eastern Bihar state and in parts of the neighbouring northern Utta

Oct 31, 2014

EAM Sushma Swaraj to visit Mauritius on 1st November- Part - 2

New Delhi, Oct 31 (ANI): MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin on Friday informed that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj would be visiting Mauritius from November 1st to 3rd. He added that India and Mauritius have truly exceptional relations of friendship and share historical and cultural heritage. Swaraj would be meeting the top leadership including her counterpart, President and the Prime Minister of Mauritius. Akbaruddin also informed that Swaraj would play host to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitryi Olegovich Rogozin later in the month.

Oct 31, 2014

EAM Sushma Swaraj to visit Mauritius on 1st November- Part - 1

Oct 31, 2014

Cyclone Nilofar has weakened, says MeT department

New Delhi, Oct 31 (ANI): India's Meteorological Department, on Friday said that cyclone Nilofar, has weakened and has turned into a depression and its impact will only be moderate rainfall. Nilofar is expected to make a landfall on Gujarat coast on Saturday. Head of cyclone warning division, India's meteorological department Mrityunjay Mahapatra, said the strong winds along the coast were blowing and the impact of the weakened Nilofar will only be rainfall for next 24 hours. As a precautionary measure, people from around 40 villages have already been evacuated and nine teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed to tackle any untoward incident.

Oct 31, 2014

Security forces recover Improvised Explosive Device in Kashmir

Shopian, Oct 31 (ANI): Security forces recovered Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Shopian district of India’s northern state of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday (October 31), weeks ahead of the assembly elections in the state. The IED, weighing about four kilograms, was hidden inside a small gas cylinder. Indian army official, Major Vishal Kumar, said it was apparently planted to target security forces passing through the area. The traffic on the road was stopped briefly till the cylinder was recovered and taken to a safe place. The army official added the IED was later defused through a controlled explosion by the Bomb Disposal Squad.

Oct 31, 2014

Devendra Fadnavis takes oath as Maharashtra CM

Mumbai, Oct 31 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the 23rd Chief Minister of Maharashtra on Friday (October 31). The oath taking ceremony was held in the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. It was the first time that a Chief Minister's oath taking ceremony was being held in a stadium. BJP core committee members Eknath Khadse, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Vinod Tawde, Pankaja Munde, former Mumbai BJP president Prakash Mehta, Palghar district tribal leader Vishnu Sawra, and Chandrakant Patil also took oath as cabinet ministers. Dilip Kamble and Vidya Thakur were sworn in as ministers of state. The ceremony was attended by close to 30, 000 people including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu and BJP senior leader LK Advani.

Oct 31, 2014

Sri Lankan cricket team arrives in India for One Day International series

Bhubaneswar, Oct 31 (ANI): Sri Lankan cricket team arrived in Odisha on Friday, to play five-match One Day International (ODI) series against India. The Indian and Sri Lankan teams will attend practice sessions on Friday and Saturday before their matches. The first match will be played at the Barabati Stadium in Odisha's Cuttack city on Sunday. According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), Sri Lanka is the fourth most successful team in the ODIs in 2014, a rank below India. While India will play sans captain MS Dhoni, Sri Lanka is set to battle without two of their best bowlers, Lasith Malinga and Rangana Herath. Earlier this month, Sri Lanka was called in to fill the void by the West Indies team, which abandoned its India tour after a pay dispute between the players and the cricket board.

Oct 31, 2014

Peshmerga at Turkish border to reinforce besieged Kobane

Iraqi Peshmerga fighters were waiting on Friday at the Turkish Syrian border to enter Kobane and support the Kurdish forces in this city. Duration: 00:28

Oct 31, 2014

First litter born to new dog breed in Slovakia

First ten puppies born to new dog breed the Tatra Hound. The parents are the product of over two years of development, working with hunters and professionals. Duration: 00:41

Oct 31, 2014

Fire rips through 10-storey building in Bangladesh

A fire rips through a ten-storey building in the Bangladeshi capital, it took firefighters two hours to bring it under control. Duration: 00:34

Oct 31, 2014

Malaria threat in Liberia as fight against Ebola rages

Focus on treating the Ebola epidemic in Liberia means that treatment for malaria, itself a killer, is hard to come by. MSF are now undertaking the mass distribution of antimalarials in Monrovia. Duration: 00:38

Oct 31, 2014

Not bothered about militants' plan to assassinate me, says Sheikh Hasina

Dhaka, Oct 31 (ANI): Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she is not at all worried about the suspected plan by banned militant group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) to assassinate her. During a press conference in capital Dhaka, Hasina said she will die only after completing all her work for Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Hasina said all South Asian countries are working unanimously towards prevention of militancy and thus they share information on a regular basis.

Oct 31, 2014

Traders hail increased trade between India and Pakistan

Poonch, Oct 31 (ANI): Indian and Pakistani traders hailed cross-border trade between both the countries, which has crossed rupees 10 billion mark. India and Pakistan had announced new Confidence Building Measures (CBM), including increase in number of trading points along the Line of Control (LoC), when the foreign ministers of the two countries had met in New Delhi in 2011. President of Cross LoC Traders Association, Pawan Anand said people of India's Jammu and Kashmir have significantly taken part in the development of the trade.

Oct 31, 2014