News

BJP and Congress in war of words after Rajnath says govt formation not possible in JandK without BJP

New Delhi, Dec 28 (ANI): BJP and Congress engaged themselves in war of words after Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that a new government in JandK is not possible without the BJP. Congress leader Manish Tewari said that BJP's presence in the state government is not at all important but will prove to be negative for the state. Meanwhile, BJP supporting Singh's statement said that people have given a mandate in favour of BJP and the party respects the same. Sambit Patra said that the party has made clear that it is open for alliance with whichever party offering to come together.

Dec 28, 2014

Justin Bieber buys private jet for himself on Christmas

New Delhi, Dec 28 (ANI): Justin Bieber recently bought a private jet for himself this Christmas. The 'Baby' hit maker wished everyone a merry Christmas and posted a picture of his new private plane with its luxurious interior on Instagram, and captioned it as the new jet for Christmas , and it's beautiful, an online portal reported. The Canadian singer's plane comes with shiny paneled walls, cream-colored leather seats and gold pillows with other luxurious features.

Dec 28, 2014

2004 Tsunami 10th Anniversary Photos: Tributes Pour in for Asia's Worst Disaster Ever [VIDEO]

Indonesia was the hardest-Tsunami-hit country, which had more than one lakh casualties, followed by Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.

Dec 28, 2014

Aviation expert expresses concern over missing AirAsia flight

New Delhi, Dec 28 (ANI): Expressing concern over the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501, Aviation Expert Harshvardhan on Sunday said it is an extremely worrying situation and prayed to god for the safety of the passengers. He, however, also said that there could be some internal problem but didn't rule out any external problems or the sabotage or such issues. Earlier in the day, AirAsia Indonesia confirmed that flight QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore lost contact with ATC at 07:24 (Surabaya LT). A statement released by Air Asia informed that nationalities of passengers and crew onboard include one from Singapore, one from Malaysia, three from South Korean and 157 Indonesia.

Dec 28, 2014

Northern India under dense fog conditions: IMD

New Delhi, Dec 28 (ANI): Director of Indian Meteorological Department BP Yadav said on Sunday that the entire northern India is under the grip of dense fog conditions. Yadav said that chilly winds from hilly areas continue to lower temperature in areas of Punjab, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. He also said that weather during day is colder than expected but at night it is normal.

Dec 28, 2014

Raghubar Das sworn-in as Jharkhand CM; PM Modi skips ceremony due to bad weather

Ranchi, Dec 28 (ANI): BJP leader Raghubar Das was sworn in as the first non-tribal chief minister of Jharkhand on Sunday. He was administered oath of office and secrecy by Jharkhand Governor Syed Ahmed at the Birsa Munda Football Stadium in Ranchi. Four cabinet ministers Nilkanth Singh Munda, Chandreswar Prasad Singh, Chandraprakash Choudhary and Louis Marandi were also sworn in along with Raghubar Das. Elaborate arrangements were made for the function which was attended by a host of leaders although Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah were unable to attend the ceremony due to bad weather conditions. Union Ministers Venkaiah Naidu and Nitin Gadkari were also present at the ceremony. Das, a five-time MLA from Jamshedpur East since 1995, retained the seat this time as well after he defeated Anand Bihari Dubey of the Congress.

Dec 28, 2014

Pakistani Man Sent to 26 Years in Jail for Making Hoax Bomb Threats

Prosecutors said Saturday that a man was sentenced to 26 years in jail by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan for making two hoax calls to police claiming that he had planted bombs in crowded public places in the Multan district of Punjab province.

Dec 28, 2014

Tourists throng Shimla to enjoy ice skating

Shimla, Dec 28 (ANI): Domestic tourists thronged hill town of Shimla in Himachal Pradesh and enjoyed ice skating. As per reports, it is Asia’s oldest skating clay surface rink and got a natural coating of thick ice for the first time. People, including locals, thronged the rink with their skates and instructors also helped them to skate with ease. A tourist from Delhi, Luv, said he had a wonderful experience of ice skating for the first time. The secretary of the ice skating club in Shimla, Manpreet Singh, said that if sub-zero temperatures continue, the rink will be open for a month. The ice skating club in Shimla was established in 1920 and since then it has been attracting tourists and locals.

Dec 28, 2014

People in Kerala creates world record for largest Santa Claus gathering

Thrissur, Dec 28 (ANI): Largest gathering of people dressed at Santa Claus entered Guinness Book of World Records during an event in Kerala. Total 18,112 people gathered at a place and participated in ‘Buon Natale 2014’ in Thrissur district and broke Northern Ireland’s record of largest gathering of people dressed as Santas. Last year, the event saw 5,000 Santas taking part in it but this year the participants broke the existing record of 13,000 Santa gathering. One of the organisers of the event, Father Injodikkaran, said a cultural programme was organised for the participants and other people.

Dec 28, 2014

PM Modi lauds Guru Gobind Singh's courage as Sikhs celebrate his birth anniversary

New Delhi/ Amritsar/ Patna, Dec 28 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded Guru Gobind Singh's courage and spirit of sacrifice on his birth anniversary. "The life and ideals of Guru Gobind Singhji inspire eternally. He epitomised ultimate courage and a spirit of sacrifice. I bow to him," the Prime Minister tweeted. Meanwhile, people in Amritsar celebrated the Sikh leader's birthday. They took a dip in the holy pond and sought blessings from the almighty. Guru Gobind Singh formed the Khalsa by selecting five persons from different castes belonging to different regions. He baptised them as Sikhs, thus giving a lesson of casteless society and national integration. Community kitchens are also being organised.

Dec 28, 2014

AirAsia flight QZ8501 from Indonesia to Singapore missing with 162 on board

London, Dec 28 (ANI): AirAsia flight QZ8501 travelling from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore with 162 people on board has lost contact with air traffic control. The airlines' authorities said in a statement that the rescue operations and search for the flight were being conducted under the guidance of Civil Aviation Authority. An official with the transport ministry said that the plane lost contact over the Java Sea between Surabaya and Singapore. The Air Asia also said in a statement that 162 passengers and crew were onboard of which 1 is from Singapore, 1 from Malaysia, 3 from South Korean & 157 from Indonesia.

Dec 28, 2014

Tourists throng hill resort of Shimla after fresh snowfall

Shimla, Dec 28 (ANI): Revellers are thronging the hill resort of Shimla city after it witnessed fresh spells of snowfall. Shimla, the summer capital during the British Raj, witnesses a rush of tourists during Christmas and New Year. Officials say there has been a significant rush this year with both domestic and foreign tourists visiting Shimla and nearby tourist destinations of Kullu, Manali and Kufri. Tourists, mostly from southern and northern states, visit Shimla to enjoy the cold weather. Vice-Chairman of Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Board, Vijay Singh Mankotia said hotels were offering discounts to lure the visitors. Most of the budget hotels have full occupancy due to unprecedented rush of the tourists.

Dec 28, 2014

North Korea Suffers Second Internet Outage

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea suffered internet and 3G mobile network outage for a second time on Saturday evening amid the hacking row involving Sony's 'The Interview'.

Dec 28, 2014

Human skulls, skeletal remains found in Imphal

Imphal, Dec 28 (ANI): Around seven human skulls and other skeletal remains were found while digging a school compound for the construction of a new market complex in Imphal city. The discovery has created a tension among the families whose members have reportedly gone missing in the past few decades. The deputy Chief Minister of Manipur, G. Gaikhangam, said one can reach the conclusion only after thorough investigation. The school which has been shifted to a different locality was housing paramilitary forces and state police commandos before it was brought down for the construction of the market place. General Secretary of Families of the Involuntarily Disappeared’s Association in Manipur, Muhammud Baniyamin, said DNA profiling of the remains would provide the missing link.

Dec 28, 2014

Security arrangement in place in Bodh Gaya, says Bihar DGP

Bodh Gaya, Dec 28 (ANI): Director General of Police (DGP) of Bihar, PK Thakur visited holy town Bodh Gaya to monitor security measures. Security has been tightened at holy Buddhist shrine Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya after the recent Taliban attack in a school in Peshawar. The DGP took stock of the situation in and around the temple and expressed satisfaction with the security. The holy shrine was last year in July hit by a series of bomb blasts that were described as “terror” attacks by the government. Two people were injured. The Mahabodhi Temple complex is the place where the Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment. Buddhist scriptures describe Bodh Gaya as the "Navel of the Earth", where pilgrims and tourists from Sri Lanka, China, Japan and the entire of southeastern Asia throng to this holiest of Buddhist shrines every year.

Dec 28, 2014