Politics

Tuk Tuk enthusiasts embark on a ride to raise funds for impoverished children

Chennai, Oct 06 (ANI): Twenty two drivers from around the world began their drive through seven Indian cities from Chennai to Goa in ten customized Tuk Tuk rickshaws to raise funds for impoverished children in India and Singapore. The aspiring adventurers who hailed from Ireland, UK, Italy, Australia and Singapore participated in the event to see India closely and contribute to the noble aim of raising financial aid for the poor children. The rally which was flagged from Chennai's MRC Nagar on Sunday witnessed tuk tuks clad in bright colours of orange and yellow taking to the streets of the city. This auto rickshaw journey is set to cover a stretch of 1087 kilometers as the drivers would travel to Goa, in six days. Eamonn Ling, organizer of the event said the idea of raising fund for impoverished children in this unique way has become big in a year's time.

Oct 6, 2013

Pak envoy says reports of infiltrations into India baseless

Hyderabad, Oct 06 (ANI): Pakistan High Commissioner, Salman Bashir, on Sunday that said reports of incursion and infiltrations into the Indian Territory were baseless. The Pakistan High Commissioner to India also indirectly hit out at Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, who asserted that infiltrators are not coming from heaven. He asked the Indian government to hold dialogue with Pakistan to resolve the issue instead of whipping up frenzy and hysteria.

Oct 6, 2013

Cultural festival in Nagaland brings people together

Nagaland, Oct 06 (ANI): Dimapur recently hosted the Northeast Youth Peace and Cultural Festival under the theme of "Peace Building through Reconciliation". The three-day-long event was organized by Peace Channel and People's Forum for Peace, Dimapur.Over 600 students from Assam, Manipur, Arunachal, Mizoram and Nagaland participated in the program. As a part of the event, the participants took out a rally, raising slogans on the importance of peace building. The main objective of the event was to create cultural awareness, prevent future conflicts and build capacity for strengthening peace among youth. The event gave a chance to students from the region to engage in discussions on peace and harmony within the community.

Oct 6, 2013

Prez's strong remark against Pak hasn't inspired govt yet: BJP

New Delhi, Oct 06 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday said that Congress had not learnt any lesson from the strong remarks of President Pranab Mukherjee on the regular ceasefire violations by Pakistan on the Kashmir border. BJP spokesperson, Ravi Shankar Prasad, while speaking to mediapersons in New Delhi said that Mukherjee had sent a strong message to Pakistan but the central government was only looking to have dialogue with its nuclear-armed neighbour. India has for decades faced opposition to its rule in the divided Muslim-majority Himalayan region though violence by Muslim separatist rebels has fallen off significantly in recent years.

Oct 6, 2013

Privatization of Air India is not the solution: CPI on Ajit Singh's statement

New Delhi, Oct 06 (ANI): Reacting to Union Aviation Minister Ajit Singh's statement that privatization of Air India could be considered if there is political consensus, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D Raja on Sunday said that Air India is a national carrier and pride of the nation and it should not be privatized.

Oct 6, 2013

Government withdraws export incentives for cotton yarn

Coimbatore, Oct 06 (ANI): Yarn exporters in Coimbatore believed that the withdrawal of incentives for exports of cotton and yarn, a value-added product used by textile mills would turn out to be a move that could cut exporters' margins in the world's second-biggest exporter of the fibre. The removal of Focus market scheme (FMS) will affect the exporters in losing the credibility in the international market. Chairman, South India Mills Association (SIMA) T. Rajkumar said that abruptly withdrawing the scheme would end up loosing markets for Indian cotton yarn.

Oct 6, 2013

Asaram, son booked for fresh sexual assault cases; wife, daughter helped?

Surat, Oct 6 (ANI): Fresh sexual assault complaints have been registered against controversial self-styled godman Asaram Bapu and his son Narayan Sai. Surat Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana informed that two sisters have accused the duo of abusing them. According to Asthana, allegations have also been made against the controversial guru's wife, Lakshmi, and his daughter, Bharti, that they both helped Asaram and Narayan Sai in committing these acts. He further said that the complaint against Narayan Sai has been registered at Jhangirpura police station in Surat, while the one against his father Asaram has been transferred to Ahmedabad as the alleged incident happened there. Asaram, 75, was arrested in August on charges of sexually assaulting a minor girl and has been in prison at Jodhpur in Rajasthan since then.

Oct 6, 2013

Investigation will be done in fair manner: Surat Police on fresh charges against Asaram, son

Surat, Oct 6 (ANI): Surat Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana on Sunday stated that fair and honest investigation would be done in wake of the fresh allegations of sexual assault against Asaram and his son Narayan Sai. Asthana informed that two sisters have accused the duo of abusing them. He further said that the complaint against Narayan Sai has been registered at Jhangirpura police station in Surat, while the one against his father Asaram has been transferred to Ahmedabad as the alleged incident happened there. Asaram, 75, was arrested in August on charges of sexually assaulting a minor girl and has been in prison at Jodhpur in Rajasthan since then.

Oct 6, 2013

Milkha Singh flags off marathon held to save girl child

New Delhi, Oct 06 (ANI): Residents of New Delhi organized a marathon to create awareness among people to save the girl child on Sunday (October 06). Hundreds of residents including children participated in the marathon which began from the Iconic India gate. The marathon was flagged off by former Indian track and field sprinter, Milkha Singh. While talking to reporters, Singh said that it was important for people to save the girl child as she goes on to give her life to her family give birth to future kings, great men.

Oct 6, 2013

Bashar al-Assad admits 'making mistakes' in Syrian civil war

New Delhi, Oct 06 (ANI): Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has reportedly admitted that he has made mistakes, saying that no side in his country's civil war is entirely free of blame. According to an interview, Assad acknowledged 'personal mistakes by individuals', although it was not elaborated on what those mistakes might have been. Assad admitted that even a president like him could make mistakes, adding that there were 'grey tones' as far as the question of blame was concerned. Declaring a willingness to call elections before his term ends in August, Assad, whose authoritarian rule prompted a bloody civil war with over 100,000 dead, however, said that he has not yet decided whether to run for the presidency again, adding that he would not stand in the elections if he does not have the backing of his people behind him. Keywords: Bashar al-Assad, Civil War, Elections, Authoritarian Rule

Oct 6, 2013

Gujarat govt working to reduce child malnutrition rate: BJP

New Delhi, Oct 06 (ANI): Talking about the CAG report on Gujarat which speaks of malnourished and underweight children in the State, Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said that malnutrition is a national problem and Gujarat is progressing and doing well for the issue of Child malnutrition. He also said that the situation of all the states under the rule of Congress except Maharashtra is worse

Oct 6, 2013

Obama says Iran 'still year away' from building nuclear weapon

New Delhi, Oct 06 (ANI): US President Barack Obama has said that Iran is still 'a year or more away' from building a nuclear weapon. Obama's statement, which he quoted from US intelligence assessments, comes as a sharp contrast with Israel, which said that Iran is just months away from being able to build a bomb. However, Obama admitted that the American intelligence estimates are 'more conservative' than those of Israel, although he warned Israel President Shimon Peres to be wary of 'any kind of talk' from Iran after Israel dismissed Iran's outreach to US. Obama also said that the world must 'test' whether Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is serious about resolving its nuclear dispute diplomatically, although he insisted that the US would not take a 'bad deal' from Iran.

Oct 6, 2013

Meem Afzal on Telangana turmoil

New Delhi, Oct 06 (ANI): Even as Union Cabinet approved the formation of Telangana from the existing state of Andhra Pradesh Congress leader Meem Afzal said that there is no politics involved in the telangana decision and it has been in public demand since many years.

Oct 6, 2013

IAF Glider makes emergency landing in Delhi's Shastri Park

New Delhi, Oct 06 (ANI): A microlite aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was forced to make an emergency landing in east Delhi's Shastri Park on Sunday. According to reports, the two-seater glider developed a technical glitch. No one has been injured. Further details are awaited.

Oct 6, 2013

It's for us to decide if we live in peace or 'perpetual tension' with neighbour: Pranab Mukherjee

On Board, Oct 06 (ANI): President, Pranab Mukherjee, who is traveling to Belgium and Turkey on state visits, said that countries could not choose their neighbours but had the capacity to choose whether to maintain good or bad relations with them.

Oct 6, 2013