Politics

Arun Jaitely on Indo-Pak secretary level talks called off

New Delhi, Aug 18 (ANI): Expressing disappointment, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday said that provocations like ceasefire violations and more seriously holding talks with Kashmiri separatists show that Pakistan does not want to normalize relationship with India. In a strong message to Pakistan, Jaitley asserted that Indian armed forces are fully prepared to respond to any ceasefire violation by it.

Aug 18, 2014

Calling off Foreign Secretary level talks between India and Pak unfortunate: Shabir Shah

New Delhi, Aug 18 (ANI): Moments after Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah held a meeting with Pakistan envoy over Kashmir, India expressing strong disappointment called off the Indo-Pak secretary level talk that was scheduled to be held on August 25. Reacting on the same, Shah said that calling off the meeting was unfortunate.

Aug 18, 2014

Zoroastrians celebrate their New Year day across India

Surat/ Nagpur, Aug 18 (ANI): Zoroastrians in India celebrated their New Year, Navroz, with much enthusiasm and fervour on Monday. Navroz, the New Year in the Persian calendar, is also referred to as Persian New Year. As a part of their tradition and custom known as spring clean, the Parsi community clean their homes and make preparations to welcome the new spring season with freshness. A visitor to the fire temple in Surat, Mahrooq, explained in detail the activities carried out in the day and how the Parsi community celebrates the festival. Nargis Broacha, a Zoroastrian woman in Nagpur, said the preparation start 10 days in advance for the New Year. The Parsi New Year is celebrated by visiting temples, eating sweets, by putting torans, pictures and performing prayers.

Aug 18, 2014

Sri Lankan Buddhist pilgrims perform special prayers for peace, tranquillity in Bihar

Bodh Gaya, Aug 18 (ANI): Around 160 Buddhist pilgrims from Sri Lanka performed a special prayer for world peace and tranquillity at holy town Bodh Gaya of Bihar on Monday. Monks prayed and chanted lines from their holy texts under the sacred Bodhi tree under which Lord Buddha gained enlightenment some 2500 years ago, which still exists.

Aug 18, 2014

Foreign Secretary level talks between India and Pakistan called off

New Delhi, Aug 18 (ANI): Taking a strong stand after Pakistan envoy held an hour-long meeting with Kashmiri separatist leaders in Delhi on Monday, India has called off its Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan. Amidst a staunch criticism from the opposition leaders, the government called off the talks which were scheduled to be held on August 25.

Aug 18, 2014

Kashmiri separatist leader meets Pak envoy

New Delhi, Aug 18 (ANI): Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah on Monday said that the separatist leaders have asked for a trilateral talk between India, Pakistan and representatives of Kashmir. Shah said this after holding a meeting with Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit. Shah also added that no controversy should be raised over their meeting as they share a good relation with both India and Pakistan

Aug 18, 2014

Jhargram resident brings people closer, establishes Muslim shrine adjacent to a temple

West Bengal, Aug 18 (ANI): India is a land of great saints and free thinkers. It is known for its amazing diversity. But, this does not come in the way of good relations between people of different communities. This ethos is visible across the country. One such example comes alive in Jhargram district of West Bengal where a Hindu, Narayan Chandra Acharya has established a Muslim shrine adjacent to a temple.

Aug 18, 2014

Pak envoy's invitation to Kashmir separatist leaders irks Indian leaders

New Delhi/Nagpur /Leh, Aug 18 (ANI): The Indian government as well as Muslim clerics on Monday reacted sharply to Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit's invitation to Kashmiri separatist leaders for talks in New Delhi. The controversy comes ahead of India-Pakistan secretary-level talks scheduled to be held on August 25 in Islamabad. The talks between separatist leaders and Basit will take place on August 18-19. Criticizing the move by Basit, junior minister in Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Jitendra Singh, called the event unfortunate, especially as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is putting in efforts for better relations between the two countries. RSS leader Virag Pachpore resonated Singh's views. Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi condemned the invite by Pakistan and blamed Modi for being a mute spectator to Pakistan's activities. Meanwhile, a Muslim cleric, Mufti Mukkaram, said the talks should not be halted due to any reason and both the countries should work towards maintaining good relations.

Aug 18, 2014

Lena Dunham goes blonde

New Delhi, August 18 (ANI): Lena Dunham has dyed her hair blonde, as she posted a picture on Instagram of her friend's wedding, sporting the brand new hairdo. The 'Girls' star, who had surprised her fans on the photosharing site by posting a pic of herself with her new platinum blonde bowl cut, had also captioned it saying change is new, a leading daily reported. It was earlier speculated that Dunham may have put on a wig, but the recent pic of the wedding confirmed that her new look was indeed for real.

Aug 18, 2014

Christina Aguilera welcomes daughter with fiance

New Delhi, August 18 (ANI): Christina Aguilera has given birth to her second child, this time a baby girl. The 33-year-old singer, who already has a 6-year-old son, Max, from her previous marriage to Jordan Bratman, welcomed her first baby with fiance Matt Rutler a leading web portal reported. Aguilera had first met Rutler, who's a production assistant, while filming for 'Burlesque' back in 2010 and the duo had announced their engagement in February 2014, at which time, the 'Feel This Moment' star was already expecting.

Aug 18, 2014

Bipasha Basu promotes movie 'Creature 3D'

Mumbai, August 18 (ANI): Bollywood diva Bipasha Basu promoted her upcoming movie 'Creature 3D' in India's showbiz hub Mumbai recently. She appeared at the Umang Festival in a pale pink Nikasha outfit. 'Creature 3D' is slated to hit the theaters on 12th September 2014.

Aug 18, 2014

Religious differences fade away as visually challenged Hindu and Muslim children recite Ramayana tog

Agra, Aug 18 (ANI): India is a land of amazing diversity. Yet, people from different communities have lived together for centuries in the country in harmony. This is visible across the country. One such example comes from Agra in Uttar Pradesh. Here a blind school houses children belonging to different communities, who learn not just life skills but also about other religions. The school recently organised a gathering where children recited the Ramayana, the story of Hindu god Ram, with equal enthusiasm.

Aug 18, 2014

Saharanpur Riots: Blame Game Rolls on as BJP Leader Adityanath Slams SP

Dismissing SP's allegations, Adityanath stated that BJP did not instigate the riots, and in fact helped end it.

Aug 18, 2014

Donetsk residents queue for water after citywide shut-off

Donetsk residents on Monday morning queued up on the street to fill plastic bottles with mineral water after mains water was switched off in the rebel hub due to shelling damage. Duration: 00:36

Aug 18, 2014

Assange says will leave London embassy _soon_

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Monday he would _soon_ leave Ecuador_s embassy in London but his organisation played down the comment, saying he would not depart until there was an agreement with Britain_s government. Duration: 01:11

Aug 18, 2014