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Iraq's Kurds vote amid rows, regional tensions

Iraq's Kurds voted in Arbil on Saturday in their first election in four years as their autonomous region grapples with disputes with Baghdad while fellow Kurds fight bloody battles in neighbouring Syria. Duration: 01:03

Sep 21, 2013

Merkel makes last-minute plea for votes

German Chancellor Angela Merkel makes a last-minute plea for votes one day before Sunday's elections in which she is the favourite, saying she hopes to continue her governing coalition with the Liberal party. Defending her record at a final Berlin campaign rally, Merkel says she will continue to stabilize the euro, but remains opposed to pooling eurozone debt into eurobonds. Duration: 01:03

Sep 21, 2013

Syria, Iran top agenda at UN General Assembly

Sep 21, 2013

Dutch student team sets world land-speed record

Sep 21, 2013

It happens: Ganpati Visarjan

Mumbai/Bhopal/Agra, Sept 20,(ANI): It was a sea of humanity that spilled over onto the streets and main thoroughfares across India as thousands of devout Hindus gave a tearful and colourful farewell to the elephant God Ganesha ahead of his idol's immersion. This event marked the culmination of the ten-day long festival of 'Vinayaka Chaturthi' as thousands of idols of Ganesha made of mud and straws, are immersed in water bodies like rivers, streams, ponds, lakes and even in seas. The immersion ceremony known as 'Visarjan' is regarded as the divine entities returning to their abodes after being the guests of the devotees on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. At Mumbai, there was a beeline of devotees walking across the streets with huge idols of Ganesha carried by trucks and other vehicles. The devotees danced on the streets to appease the God for one last time before another year long wait for the elephant deity to descend on earth. The picture showcasing mirth, divinity and the spiritual vivacity of Indians was no different in other Indian cities. Be it the central Bhopal or northern Agra city, devotees of Lord Ganesha thronged on the banks of water bodies to immerse their respective idols and engaged in performing the last-minute rituals.

Sep 20, 2013

It happens: Pitru Paksha Rituals

Gaya, Sept 20,(ANI): Devout Hindus converged on the banks of sacred river Falgu in India's eastern Bihar state to perform 'Pitru Paksha' as they paid homage to their ancestors and prayed for the salvation of their souls especially through food offerings. The devotees offered prayers and performed religious rituals on the banks of the river at the holy city of Gaya. Pitr-paksha generally falls in the month of September or October every year. According to traditional belief, the eldest son of a family performs Pind Daan and pays homage to their ancestors. The devotees also get their heads tonsured as a part of the ritual for the departed souls. The food is usually cooked in silver or copper vessels and placed on banana leaves. Devotees believe that once the ritual is performed, the souls of their ancestors shall be relieved of all the sins and they would be freed from the cycle of birth and death.

Sep 20, 2013

It happens: Viswakarama Puja

Ranchi/Jalpaiguri, Sept 20,(ANI): Indians in eastern provinces of the country celebrated Hindu festival associated with worshipping of the god of engineering and architecture, Lord Viswakarama. Artisans, craftsmen, mechanics, welders, industrial or factory workers offered prayers to Vishwakarma to ensure smooth functioning of machine parts and their tools. In eastern Ranchi city of Jharkhand state, workers in an automobile factory refrained from using their machines and worshipped them along with photographs of Lord Viswakarma. Workers at a powerhouse station also kept aside their tools today and performed the Hindu rituals to appease their God of engineering. Meanwhile, it was a Thanks giving Day for elephants at the eastern Indian wildlife sanctuary. Captive elephants, used by the forest officials to supervise the area, enjoyed a royal treat at the Jaldapara Sanctuary in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal state. On the occasion of Vishwakarma puja, the jumbos got the much-awaited annual holiday. The day started with a special bathing session for these jumbos, who were then decorated by the mahouts with coloured cloths and by drawing floral designs on their heads. Lord Viswakarma is the presiding deity of all craftsmen and is regarded as the principle architect of the universe i

Sep 20, 2013

My speech was not provocative: BJP MLA Suresh Rana

Lucknow, Sep 20 (ANI): Arrested BJP MLA Suresh Rana has claimed that he has not given any controversial speech that incited communal violence in Muzaffarnagar. Rana was arrested on Friday, 72 hours after the arrest warrants were issued against 16 politicians accused of inciting communal violence through inflammatory speeches. Rana claimed that he was being targeted by the Samajwadi Party as he asked for Azam Khan's resignation.

Sep 20, 2013

Muzaffarnagar violence: BJP MLA Suresh Rana arrested

Lucknow, Sep 20 (ANI): 72 hours after the arrest warrants were issued against politicians accused of inciting communal violence through inflammatory speeches in Muzaffarnagar, the Akhilesh Yadav government has arrested BJP MLA Suresh Rana. Rana had been attending Uttar Pradesh Assembly session for the last few days even as police officials had been waiting outside the building to arrest political leaders accused of making inflammatory speeches.

Sep 20, 2013

CBI closes Mulayam___s DA case, Petitioner calls it mere opinion

New Delhi, Sep 20 (ANI): Even as the CBI on Friday closed the disproportionate assets case against Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, petitioner in the case, Vishwanath Chaturvedi said that it was mere opinion and not a closure report since no FIR had yet been filed against Mulayam.

Sep 20, 2013

Mulayam DA case: CBI closes corruption probe citing lack of evidence

New Delhi, Sep 20 (ANI): In a major relief to Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, the CBI on Friday closed its investigation into a corruption case against him citing lack of evidence. This comes two months after a CBI officer recommended closing the six-year-old investigation into whether the SP chief and his son, Akhilesh Yadav, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, had accumulated wealth beyond their known sources of income. The agency says it had investigated all the assets and properties mentioned by petitioner Vishwanath Chaturvedi, who had petitioned the Supreme Court for a probe in 2007.

Sep 20, 2013

Govt mulls action against those responsible for misusing intelligence unit

New Delhi, Sep 20 (ANI): Information and broadcasting ministers Manish Tewari said on Friday that the government would initiate action against those found guilty of misusing the intelligence unit after reports emerged in the national English daily that former chief of the Army General (Retd) Vijay Kumar Singh allegedly tried to topple government of Jammu and Kashmir. Tewari, termed the allegations serious since they concerned the national security of the country. Tewari also lashed at the BJP and said that it might be the secret handiwork of the party which always jumps to help such individuals.

Sep 20, 2013

Muzaffarnagar: How can I be satisfied when so many lives are lost, asks Khurshid

New Delhi, Sep 20 (ANI): On the sidelines of the number of lives lost in Muzaffarnagar communal clashes, Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid said that there is no question of being satisfied with either government's attitude or any measures when so many lives are lost. He also said that the guilty will be punished sharply and that the Union ministers will be helping the state in whatsoever help needed.

Sep 20, 2013

Muzaffarnagar communal riots: SP, BJP MLAs scuffle in UP Assembly

Lucknow, Sep 20 (ANI): The Samajwadi Party and Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs engaged in a scuffle in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Friday over the Muzaffarnagar communal riots. The scuffle broke out when UP Minister Pawan Pande was making a statement on the riots.

Sep 20, 2013

Must reflect on our individual and collective obligations to promote secularism: PM

New Delhi, Sep 20 (ANI): Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh on Friday said that sad developments such as the Muzaffarnagar communal riots should make us all reflect on our individual and collective obligations to promote goodwill and amity in our polity and society.

Sep 20, 2013