Politics

Syrian war 'forgotten' as focus shifts to Gaza

Analysts fear the world is losing interest in the deadly conflict in Syria, in the face of violence in Gaza and Iraq. The Syrian conflict has killed more than 170,000 people and forced nearly half the population to flee their homes. Duration: 01:23

Aug 6, 2014

Besieged Iraqi Turkmen town cries for help

All 34 villages around Amerli are under jihadist control but the small Turkmen town is holding out, in one of the longest and most dramatic sieges of Iraq's latest conflict. Duration: 00:38

Aug 6, 2014

Soldier killed in fierce gun battle with militants in Kupwara

Kupwara, Aug 06 (ANI): An army jawan was on Wednesday killed in a fierce gun battle with militants in Kupwara district near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir after a search party was attacked by the militants. According to sources a joint operation was launched by Army and state police at Gogoldara Bahak in the frontier district of Kupwara following a tip off about the presence of some militants.

Aug 6, 2014

Walkathon encourages people to donate organs in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam, Aug 06 (ANI): In a bid to encourage organ donation, authorities of health department organized a walkathon in Visakhapatnam city in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday. The awareness walk also saw participation of local hospitals, doctors, non-governmental organisations (NGO) and paramedical workers, who walked seven kilometres to mark World Organ Donation Day. Activists marched on roads and held posters bearing encouraging messages to donate organs. The Andhra Pradesh government has cleared a new comprehensive scheme, Jeevandan (donating life) to give a fillip to organ transplantation.

Aug 6, 2014

Coastal districts in Odisha on flood alert

Bhubaneswar/Bhadrak, Aug 06 (ANI): Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, on Wednesday said the officials were working to control the flood situation. Special Relief Commissioner, PK Mohapatra, said the state government evacuated 47,000 people to safer places in 11 districts. He said district administrations have been asked to stay on high alert as around 12 lakh cusecs water will be released in Mahanadi river. The state government has taken steps to evacuate people from low lying areas and made arrangements to open free kitchens for the flood affected people, keep strict vigil on the weak river embankments. However residents of Bhadrak district complained no official had visited them.

Aug 6, 2014

India vows to clampdown on rampant healthcare corruption

New Delhi/ Gurgaon, Aug 06 (ANI): India is contemplating tougher laws to stamp out corruption from the country's $74 billion healthcare sector following revelations of an unholy nexus between test laboratories and doctors, with laboratories offering kickbacks to doctors for referring patients to their diagnostic centres. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has ordered a thorough probe into such incidents of impropriety by doctors and laboratories.

Aug 6, 2014

Electric rickshaw operators protest Delhi High Court's ban

New Delhi, Aug 06 (ANI): Drivers of electric rickshaws converged at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Wednesday to protest against Delhi High Court's decision of banning them. The High Court intervened after a child died on July 30 as he fell from his mother's lap into a frying pan of a sweet shop after the woman was hit by an e-rickshaw. The tragic incident sparked a furious debate between political parties on regularization of the e-rickshaws in the national capital. Delhi High Court on July 31 directed the Delhi government to stop e-rickshaws from running on city roads till the next hearing on August 14. Vice-chairman of Battery Rickshaw Welfare Association, Chaudhary Ishwar Singh, said they had assembled to protest the ban and request the court to let rickshaws ply until government submits its proposed guidelines on regulating them.

Aug 6, 2014

Two Maoists surrender in Bhubaneshwar

Bhubaneswar, Aug 06 (ANI): Two hardcore Maoists surrendered to police in Malkangiri district of Odisha on Tuesday. Bhima Sodhi (28), who was carrying a reward of rupees four lakh on his head, surrendered with his wife Nangi Kunjami. Inspector General of Police, South Western Range, Jaswant Jethwa, said Sodhi had joined Communist Party of India-Maoist in 2009 and became the area commandant of a local Maoist organisational squad of the outfit in 2011. He was actively involved in a series of bomb blasts that happened between 2009 and 2014 in the district. Later, his wife Kunjami also joined the organisation in 2012. Jethwa encouraged other Maoists to give up arms and surrender themselves under the Odisha government's rehabilitation scheme.

Aug 6, 2014

MEA on Sushma Swaraj's Myanmar visit

New Delhi, Aug 06 (ANI): As part of the Narendra Modi government's neighbourhood outreach, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj will be visiting Myanmar from 8th August to 11th August. This will be Sushma's fourth visit to a neighboring country. She will also set the stage for Prime Minister Modi's visit to Myanmar in November this year to attend East Asia Summit/Asean-India Summits.

Aug 6, 2014

Politicos on forced conversion and gang-rape of girl in Meerut

New Delhi, Aug 6 (ANI): Politicos on Wednesday reacted over the force conversion and gang rape of a 20 year old girl in Meerut. BSP chief, Mayawati said that her party condemns the incident. BJP leader, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that condition of UP is very sad and it is painful to see its condition. Congress leader, Shobha Oza said that culprits should be punished. NCP leader, Tariq Anwar said that UP government is totally helpless. SP leader, Naresh Agarwal said that all this is a conspiracy to defame UP government.

Aug 6, 2014

Decades later, Argentina activist finds stolen grandson

An Argentine grandmother whose rights group has fought to find babies stolen during the 1976-1983 military dictatorship finally finds her long-lost grandson, 36 years after he was snatched from his mother. Duration: 01:30

Aug 6, 2014

Trapped commuter freed after Australians tilt train

Dozens of Australians tilt a train to free a commuter whose leg was trapped between carriage and platform. Duration: 01:32

Aug 6, 2014

Spanish region uses wineries to draw tourists inland

The Spanish region of La Rioja is known globally for the wine made there, and local producers are capitalising on the area's fame to lure a growing number of tourists to the province. Duration: 02:18

Aug 6, 2014

National Herald Case: HC exempts Sonia and Rahul from appearing in Court till Aug 13

New Delhi, Aug 06 (ANI): Congress leader and advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Wednesday said that the High Court has exempted Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi from appearing in the Court till August 13. Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had filed a petition alleging misappropriation of assets worth Rs 2000 crore of the National Herald newspaper. Swamy had also accused Sonia, Rahul and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by just paying Rs 50 lakh by which Young Indian obtained the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore which the Associate Journal Limited had owed to the Congress party.

Aug 6, 2014