News from India & World - International Business Times India : page 3455

News

Tourists throng travel fest in Kerala

Kochi, Sept 21 (ANI): Tourists thronged the eighth edition of tourism mart, in Kochi city of Kerala. The fest is organised once in every two years in a bid to bring new business prospects and initiatives to the state. The Kerala Travel Mart Society hosted this mega event in partnership with the government to bring together the business entrepreneurs behind tourism products and services of Kerala on a single platform. It is perhaps the largest gathering in the tourism Industry of Kerala that facilitates the meeting and interaction of Buyers, Sellers and the Media. Tour Operators, Hotels, Resorts, Home stays, Houseboats, Ayurveda Resorts, cultural art centres and many others showcased their products and services at the fest. Ever since its inception, there has been an overwhelming response from national and international buyers, which has reflected in the steady escalation of the variety of products and in the number of participants. British tourist, James Sheen, said that Kerala is a very important destination for people who have not visited India, earlier.

Sep 21, 2014

Play

BJP says Thackerays proposal not acceptable, suggests seat sharing to defeat Congress

New Delhi, Sep 21 (ANI): After Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday put forward his ‘last proposal’ to save the BJP- Shiv Sena alliance and offered 119 seats to them, BJP leader Vinod Tawde said that the proposal is not acceptable to the party. While addressing mediapersons in Delhi, party leaders Vinod Tawde and Eknath Khadse said that seat sharing between the two parties will eventually benefit the alliance against the Congress party. Tawde said that the party had earlier demanded 135-135 seats for both the parties, but later agreed to 130 seats. He said that the party is making all the compromises to save the alliance and that Shiv Sena is not ready to make any. The leaders also said that there is no final proposal in any alliance. Khadse proposed that Shiv Sena should reallocate the seats wherein the party is getting defeated since past 25 years and that same applies to the BJP.

Sep 21, 2014

Play

Tourism takes a back seat in flood-hit Kashmir

Gulmarg, Sep 21 (ANI): Floods mayhem in Jammu and Kashmir badly affected the tourism industry resulting in disrupting the livelihood of local businessmen. Both the Indian and Pakistani sides of the disputed Himalayan region have seen extensive flooding this month, with Srinagar particularly hard hit. Hundreds of people have been killed and tens of thousands are homeless. A Gondola Cable Car Employee in Gulmarg hill station, Mohammad Ashraf, said on Sunday that the devastation due to floods in the entire valley has scared tourists. Meanwhile, an Office Manager at a resort in Gulmarg, Sajid, said that the hill station which is among the major tourist attractions in Kashmir, has no tourists at the moment.

Sep 21, 2014

Play

Kerry says Iran could help 'take out' IS

United Nations, Sep 21 (ANI): US Secretary of State John Kerry has said that Iran could play a crucial role in defeating the Islamic State group. Even while the US refrained from inviting Iran from joining the US-led military coalition, Kerry said that Iran could help "take out" IS. Kerry said in a meeting of the United Nations Security Council that it was about taking out an entire network, decimating and discrediting a militant cult masquerading as a religious movement. He added that there is a role for nearly every country in the world to play, including Iran.

Sep 21, 2014

Play

Congress ready to compromise, but NCP remains adamant: Manikrao Thakre

New Delhi, Sept 21 (ANI): Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) Chief Manikrao Thakre said in New Delhi on Sunday that the Congress is ready to consider suggestions of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) over the seat sharing issue but if they remain adamant on particular figures then things will not work out this way. Yesterday, NCP leader Praful Patel appeared to send an unmistakable signal to the Congress party that it should offer more seats to his party in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly polls and asked the latter to take a decision within 24 hours. The Congress has reportedly offered only 125 seats to its ally keeping the rest of the seats with itself to contest in the upcoming state assembly polls. The stalemate between the Congress and NCP over seat sharing is brewing with the latter not willing to contest in less than 136 seats.

Sep 21, 2014

Play

First-ever veterans' football tournament held in Guwahati

Guwahati, Sep 21 (ANI): The first ever 'Challenge Veteran Football’ began in Guwahati to refresh and rejuvenate soccer players past their prime. The two-day event which was inaugurated by eminent journalist and writer, Homen Borgohainon, on September 20 was organized with the aim to encourage young footballers and also pay respect to the ex-players who contributed to the game. United Brothers Club (UBC), the main organizer of the tournament, said that the event has given players a platform to sweat it out at 40 plus and a motivation to stay fit and healthy through playing this game. The tournament will be a prelude to the Indian Super League which is scheduled to begin in October. A player, Abdul Azim Lashkar said that playing at this age was a challenge but pleasure.

Sep 21, 2014

Play

Indo-Pak talks must be handled delicately, says Majid Memon

New Delhi, Sep 21 (ANI): NCP leader Majid Memon on Sunday said the talks between New Delhi and Islamabad must be appreciated and added that this issue must be handled delicately in the best national interest of India. According to reports, senior officials from India and Pakistan have held two meetings between themselves and the first such meeting took place between National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit K Doval and Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit while the second meeting took place between Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh and Basit.

Sep 21, 2014

Play

Uddhav Thackeray declares last proposal, offers 119 seats to BJP

Mumbai, Sep 21 (ANI): Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday admitted that there is an ongoing ‘tug of war’ in alliance with the BJP and said that he is making his last efforts to save the alliance. Offering BJP the ‘last formula’ for seat sharing in the alliance, Thackeray said that Shiv Sena will contest on 151 seats, BJP will contest on 119 seats and the rest 18 seats would be given to the allies. Thackeray further said that Sena needs power to serve the people and they will get it. He also said that many faces have been unmasked during the election time and that he has taken a decision and will announce it when the right time comes.

Sep 21, 2014

Play

Reactions flow as BJP-Shiv Sena seat sharing in Maharashtra remains undecided

New Delhi, Sep 21 (ANI): Politicos reacted on Sunday as BJP-Shiv Sena seat sharing remained undecided for the upcoming Maharashtra elections. BJP leader Satyapal Singh said that he is hopeful that BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will stay and that it would be beneficial for both the parties as well as for the people of Maharashtra. RJD leader Manoj Jha said that BJP seems to be emerging as a party which feels that it can manage the politics of the whole nation single-handedly and fails to realize the importance of an alliance.

Sep 21, 2014

Play

US attorney office confirms White House intruder had a knife

Washington, Sep 21 (ANI): According to US attorney’s office, Omar Gonzalez, the man arrested after climbing the fence at the White House was armed with a knife. Previously, the US Secret Service had said Gonzalez was unarmed. Gonzalez made his way into the executive mansion, though President Barack Obama and his family were not there. Gonzalez was charged with unlawfully entering a restricted building or grounds while carrying a “deadly or dangerous weapon”, according to an affidavit released by the US attorney’s office. Armed Secret Service officers raced through the West Wing area of the White House during the intrusion and ordered journalists and staff members to evacuate.

Sep 21, 2014

Pope Francis talks with Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner during a private audience at the Vatican September 20, 2014.

Play

In Lebanon, jihadist threat breeds fear and farce

Advances by the Islamic State jihadist group, and their brutal beheading of two Lebanese soldiers, have sown fear in Lebanon but also bred a strain of dark humour mocking the group. Duration: 01:53

Sep 21, 2014