Timeline Refresh
An American lawmaker and a panel of four experts today decried alleged "violence" against religious minorities in
At a Congressional hearing organised jointly by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and American Sikh Congressional Caucus, literature containing testimonies of experts and details of speeches distributed to members spoke of violence against religious minorities, with a map of
Opening the hearing, Congressman Patrick Meehan, Co-Chair of the American Sikh Congressional Caucus, alleged that "violence" against religious minorities has increased in
The Congress Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha said India has had a consistent and firm position on the rights of Palestinians for a state of their own since the days of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
"So, there has to be balance. This Prime Minister has actually undermined that balance in India's foreign policy because he has not engaged with the countries of the Middle East, countries of the Gulf. He has diluted India's firm, consistent position on Palestine," he said.
The former Union minister said the PM has also not engaged with Africa and Latin America.
Earlier in the day, the Delhi government banned sales of Maggi noodles for 15 days, the brand from Swiss foods major Nestle, from its stores after it found lead and monosodium glutamate in the eatable beyond permissible limit.
Ten out of 13 samples tested for lead content in the popular food item were found to have amounts higher than permissible limits.
However, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday said there have been no negative reports about the samples tested so far.
The Delhi government on Wednesday banned sales of Maggi noodles for 15 days, the brand from Swiss foods major Nestle, from its stores after it found lead and monosodium glutamate in the eatable beyond permissible limit.
Ten out of 13 samples tested for lead content in the popular food item were found to have amounts higher than permissible limits.
However, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday said there have been no negative reports about the samples tested so far.
Authorities cited security concerns and protection of 'sanctity' of a religious place for the restriction, saying other religions do not allow non-followers to enter their sacred places.
"Shree Somnath Jyotirling is a pilgrimage for Hindus. Non-Hindus will have to obtain permission from General Manager's Office (of the temple) to enter the sacred pilgrim-place," said a notice put up by temple authorities at the main entrance gate.
Daily thousands of devotees from across the country visit the temple, which is very heavily protected by police.
The famous Shiva temple, located near Veraval town of Gir-Somnath district, is governed by a trustee board headed by former Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP leader L K Advani are other trustees.
Misleading ads will incur penalty under the unfair trade practices act, says Paswan. Fast food culture is very prevalent and the Maggi mess is a serious issue, he said. Paswan also assured that the contents in Maggi will be carefully tested. "If excessive amount of lead is found in Maggi, then action will be taken against the company," he said.
Rumor has it that cricket greats Warne and Tendulkar are planning to start a new Twenty20 competition for former international players. They were in Dubai for an ICC meet.
"The samples (of Maggi) which were drawn from state's markets did not have any ingredient which is harmful," said Goa Food and Drug Administration's Deputy Director, Jyoti Sardesai.
She said the samples were taken from the market and also from the North Goa-based Nestle factory. "The (results of) tests for monosodium glutamate (MSG) and lead (have) come negative. The samples were produced (for testing) in Goa and in Punjab facility," Sardesai said.
The samples of Maggi noodles are being subjected to laboratory examination across the country following detection of monosodium glutamate and lead in excess of the prescribed limit in the noodles.
Nestle India had already claimed it has got samples tested in an external laboratory as well as in-house and that the product was found "safe to eat".
Announcing the ban, health minister Satyendra Jain said the Delhi government would revise the adulteration act and has asked Nestle India to lift all existing stocks of Maggi from the market immediately since 80% of samples tested were found to be unfit for human consumption. Jain also said that noodles of other brands will also be tested. A fresh decision will be taken after 15 days after rechecking the new Maggi stocks in government labs, Jain announced.
Several other states were also testing the product, even as Kerala banned the sale of Maggi yesterday.
Nestle reportedly told the Delhi government not to go by media reports. Its officials said the media is misleading and health and safety were a priority.
The Food and Drug Administration, meanwhile, has asked all state governments to get Maggi samples tested.
State governments from Delhi to Kerala, and from Tamil Nadu to Haryana, Maharashtra, Punjab and West Bengal, have randomly collected Maggi samples of different batches and dates for testing the safety of its content.
Last week, a case had been lodged against Nestle India by state food regulator FSDA in a local court at Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh over safety standards of its Maggi, while actors Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta have also been dragged into it for promoting the 'two-minute' noodles brand.
The move -- the first by a retailer in the country -- follows country-wide probe against the 'two-minute' instant food brand for alleged presence of lead and taste enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG) beyond permissible limits.
"In the interest of consumer sentiment and concerns, we have taken Maggi noodles off the shelves from all our stores for the time being. We will wait for more clarity from authorities to take any further course of action," a Future Group spokesperson said.
Modern retail outlets like Big Bazaar run by the Future Group contribute a large chunk of sales for FMCG firms, including Nestle. The Future Group operates retail formats under brands such as Big Bazaar, Easy day, KB's and Nilgiris, with 570 stores across 243 cities.
In their statements, they said that they have not seen or heard anything regarding the molestation and also pleaded with the police not to involve them in the case, police said.
The five passengers were traced on the basis of their cell phone tower locations, they said. They have been identified as Tarsem, a horticulture officer, Vijay Kumar, resident of Bathinda, Gagandeep Singh, resident of Jalalabad, Paramjit Singh and his wife Amarjit Kaur, residents of Bathinda, police said.
Some of these passengers had even said they were sleeping in the bus at the time of incident, they said. Moga police had, earlier, appealed to passengers to come forward and help them in the investigation.
The Hanumandhoka Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, Bouddhanath, Pashupatinath, and Changunarayan area are the major sites visited by the tourists.
The number of tourists arriving in the country has suddenly decreased in the aftermath of the earthquakes that claimed over 9,000 lives on April 24.
Parrikar, who was addressing a seminar on 'Design and Make In India-Electronics,' was talking about the importance of government's flagship initiative.
The Minister said he often gets statues of Gods, especially Ganesha, as gifts when he attends programmes. "I found that nowadays the eyes are becoming smaller and smaller. One day I turned it back and found Made in China," he said leaving the audience at Vivekananda International Foundation in splits.
He said Indians have imagined the facial features of Goddess Saraswati and Ganesha among others based on the paintings of Raja Ravi Verma. "Don't be surprised if it slowly changes. So we have to start 'Make in India' right from Diwali gifts to our own Gods. I think it is quite serious," he said, talking about the Chinese edge over India in manufacturing.
Last week, a case had been lodged against Nestle India by state food regulator FSDA in a local court at Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh over safety standards of its Maggi, while actors Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta have also been dragged into it for promoting the 'two-minute' noodles brand.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government may likely ban Maggi noodles after 80 per cent of samples were found to be unsafe. Ten out of 13 samples tested for lead content in Maggi noodles were found to have amounts higher than permissible limits. Several other states were also testing the product, even as Kerala banned the sale of Maggi yesterday.
Nestle reportedly told the Delhi government not to go by media reports. Its officials said the media is misleading and health and safety were a priority.
The Food and Drug Administration, meanwhile, has asked all state governments to get Maggi samples tested.
State governments from Delhi to Kerala, and from Tamil Nadu to Haryana, Maharashtra, Punjab and West Bengal, have randomly collected Maggi samples of different batches and dates for testing the safety of its content.
Last week, a case had been lodged against Nestle India by state food regulator FSDA in a local court at Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh over safety standards of its Maggi, while actors Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta have also been dragged into it for promoting the 'two-minute' noodles brand.
Witnesses alerted police when they saw a man loitering near the upmarket Lindt cafe in the city's financial heart at the time of the alleged attack in the early hours.
Luke Martin, widely reported to be a former National Basketball League player with the Sydney Kings, was subsequently arrested and denied bail after appearing in court on multiple charges.
Police allege that Martin threw rocks at the cafe, was involved in a police pursuit and broke the jaw of an officer trying to arrest him.
His car was stopped in the area after it was spotted being driven on the wrong side of the road. He allegedly resisted arrest and assaulted the officer. The incident coincided with an inquest into the siege underway nearby.
Iranian-born Man Haron Monis, a self-styled cleric, took more than a dozen customers and staff hostage at the cafe on December 15.
"I will not comment on specifics but any arms sale to Pakistan is a concern to India," he said.
He was replying to a question about continued American sale of arms to Pakistan. He was also asked if this issue would be raised during his meeting with Carter later in the evening.
The US has given military hardware, including F-16 fighter planes, to Pakistan amounting to a whopping USD 5.4 billion since the 9/11 terror attacks, according to a latest Congressional report. Sale of F-16 combat aircraft and related equipment account for nearly half of this.
The military hardware given to Pakistan in the 10-year framework has been argued as supplies needed by Islamabad for capacity building to fight terrorists in its border areas. But most of the arms and equipment supplied to Pakistan have been those which could be used for conventional war with India.
And one of them is none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His picture appears, not once, but thrice in the first 12 images!
Other names in the results are Al Capone, Osama Bin Laden, Dawood Ibrahim, Hafiz Saeed, drug baron Joaquin Guzman, George Bush, OJ Simpson.
Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha @JhaSanjay tweeted with a saradonic,
"I agree with you. If I was Mr Modi, I would stop tweeting for a few days in protest. #Top10Criminals."
Click on the picture for a larger image.
"Kashmir is an unfinished agenda of partition. Kashmir and Pakistan are unseparable," General Sharif said and added that the Pakistan army was capable enough to defeat the nefarious designs of the enemy.
"Contours of future wars are fast changing. Our enemies are supporting terrorism to stoke sub-conventional conflicts and destabilise our country," he said, while speaking at National Defence University in Islamabad.
The statement from the Pakistan Army chief comes just hours after New Delhi raised strong objections to Islamabad's plan to hold election in the Gilgit-Baltistan area of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The election, which is scheduled to be held on June 8, is as an attempt by Islamabad "to camouflage its forcible and illegal occupation of the regions" and to deny its people their political rights, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup had said.
"India's position is well known. The entire state of Jammu and Kashmir, which includes the regions of Gilgit and Baltistan, is an integral part of India," Swarup added. -- India Today
"We have taken almost 60 samples of Maggi noodles collected from various parts of the state for laboratory testing," Punjab Heath and Family Welfare Minister Surjit Kumar Jayani said.
He said that the samples have been sent for testing in a government laboratory in Amritsar.
"We will soon receive the report of the samples," the minister said. "If any lapse is found as per food safety standards, then appropriate action will be taken in this regard," said Jayani, who is a BJP MLA.
The minister said a probe is being conducted by various states into the alleged lapses in food safety standards in popular instant food.
Yesterday, Haryana government had ordered random collection of Maggi noodles samples from across the state. The probe been expanded across the country following detection of monosodium glutamate and lead in excess of the prescribed limit in the noodles.
Hawking, 73, suffers from motor neurone disease, and has argued that keeping someone alive against their own wishes is the "ultimate indignity".
In 2013, Hawking had said that terminally ill patients should have access to assisted suicide, as long as there are checks to prevent abuse.
In an interview for a new BBC programme, the scientist disclosed he suffered bouts of loneliness, because people can be afraid to talk to him or let him answer.
When asked about his support for assisted dying, and what condition he would have to be in to consider it for himself, the physicist said: "To keep someone alive against their wishes is the ultimate indignity.
"I would consider assisted suicide only if I were in great pain or felt I had nothing more to contribute but was just a burden to those around me," he said.
But, Hawking added: "I am damned if I'm going to die before I have unravelled more of the universe."
Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani Sunday said Pakistan flags "would continue to be hoisted' in the Kashmir Valley, days after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh warned of strict action against those indulging in such acts. "Pakistan is our benefactor. It is supporting the right of self determination to Kashmir. People here love Pakistan," Geelani said addressing a seminar at his Hyderpora residence in Srinagar.
"The Pakistan flag is being hoisted in Kashmir since 1947. And it (Pakistan flag) would continue to be hoisted in future as well."
With 15 million followers, #HappyAnniversaryABJB began trending on Twitter. The actor will however not be able to spend the day with his wife as Jaya Bachchan is not in the country at the moment.
He blogged, "Self wishes are the order of the day .. they serve both ways. They convey to you the Ef, of my marriage anniversary and they inform the wife that she has not been forgotten even though she is not in the country at this moment ."
Four others sleeping at the same spot escaped with injuries. The teenagers who rode the bike were arrested by police from a hospital nearby.
One of the most famous 'Make in India' logos comprises a lion with industrial wheels, while a similar picture has been noticed in the advertisement campaign of Cantonal Bank of Zurich.
Soon after a news website reported about this resemblance, after spotting the Swiss bank's ad campaign on the outer body of a train in Zurich, social media went abuzz with comments that the 'Make in India' logo was copied from Switzerland.
Seeking to dispel such suggestions, Secretary in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) Amitabh Kant posted pictures of all 30 Make in India logos on Twitter and said all of these had "vibrant and dynamic" lions and none of them resembled the "dull, boring and monotonous Swiss or Cuban Lions".
He further tweeted that "wheel in Ashoka Chakra forms the centerpiece of India's national flag. "Wheel denotes peaceful progress and dynamism."
He also said that "since time immemorial, lion has been the official emblem of India" and it stands for "courage, tenacity and wisdom -- all Indian values".
Delhi government may also follow Kerala in banning Maggi after 10 out of 13 samples tested for lead content were found to have amounts higher than permissible limits.
State governments from Delhi to Kerala, and from Tamil Nadu to Haryana, Maharashtra and West Bengal, have deployed officials to randomly collect Maggi samples of different batches and dates for testing the safety of its content
Several other states were also testing the product, if Maggi fails these tests, the product could face a ban across India.
Shares in Nestle, the company that makes Maggi noodles, dropped nearly 10 per cent in morning trade on Wednesday.
The reply: "Army horses and dogs are evaluated for their fitness with respect to the performance of duties. The animals which are considered unfit for one month active service are disposed of by humane euthanasia."
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