LIVE! Schools reopen in areas of Nepal worst hit by earthquakes

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Sun, 31 May 2015

Schools reopen in areas of Nepal worst hit by earthquakes

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21:05 Modi to visit Israel, 1st by an Indian PM

Narendra Modi will be travelling to Israel, the first by an Indian Prime Minister to the Jewish country with which bilateral defence cooperation is on an upswing.

No dates have been finalised for Modi's visit which will take place on mutually convenient dates, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said. Swaraj said she will be travelling to Israel this year, besides Palestine and Jordan.

Congress today hit back at Narendra Modi over his "suitcase" riposte to Rahul Gandhi's "suit boot ki sarkar" jibe, with senior party leader Digvijaya Singh accusing the Prime Minister of carrying "tijori" (coffer) in the form of "big industrialists" during his foreign tours.

"Modi carries "tijori" (coffer) during his foreign visits. Big industrialists accompany Modi wherever he goes during his foreign visits. These industrialists are his coffers," Digvijaya told reporters.

Bangladesh police said they will press murder charges today against the owner of a garment factory that collapsed and killed more than 1,100 people in 2013, the worst industrial disaster in the country's history.

Sohel Rana, owner of the Rana Plaza factory complex on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka, was among those who were expected to be formally charged over the disaster, lead investigator Bijoy Krishna Kar said.

Thousands of schools across the districts worst hit by two major earthquakes in Nepal reopened Sunday.With most school buildings damaged or unsafe, the Education Ministry ordered that classes be held in temporary classrooms.

The earthquakes on April 25 and May 12 killed 8,693 people and injured 22,221 others. It's estimated that more than 90 percent of schools were destroyed in the worst-hit districts of Gorkha, Sindhupalchok and Nuwakot. Almost 24,000 classrooms were damaged or destroyed.

18:51 China rejects US criticism of sea reclamations

China today rejected US demands to stop reclamation works in the South China Sea, saying it was exercising its sovereignty and using the controversial outposts to fulfil international responsibilities.

Admiral Sun Jianguo, deputy chief of the general staff department in the People's Liberation Army, told a security summit in Singapore that "the situation in the South China Sea is on the whole peaceful and stable, and there has never been an issue with the freedom of navigation."

No decision has yet been taken on Indo-Pak cricket series, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today. Her remarks came in the backdrop of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Shaharyar Khan's recent visit to India to push for resumption of Indo-Pak cricket ties.

A Libya militia spokesman says a suicide car bomber from an Islamic State affiliate struck at an entrance to the western city of Misrata, killing five people.

Twitter accounts of IS supporters posted a claim of responsibility identifying the attacker as a Tunisian. Mohammed al-Shami, a spokesman for the Misrata-based Libya Dawn militia, said the attack today killed five people and wounded seven.

Britain's former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg is among a secret list of 89 Western leaders declared persona non-grata by Russia, prompting the UK government to say that there was no justification for the move.

Clegg, the outgoing Liberal Democrat leader appears to have angered the Kremlin by calling for Russia to be stripped of the 2018 football World Cup in an interview with 'The Sunday Times' last July, after President Vladimir Putin's aggression in Ukraine.

India has decided to buy only 36 Rafale fighter jets scrapping the earlier plan to acquire 126 of the French aircraft on grounds of huge cost.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar termed as "economically unviable" the previous UPA government's 20 billion USD deal for purchase of the 126 Rafale fighter planes more than three years after France's Dassault Aviation was declared the lowest bidder.

"We are not buying the rest. We are only buying the direct 36," Parrikar told PTI in an interview when asked what will happen to rest of the requirement.

17:47 Kerry breaks leg in bike crash in France

US Secretary of State John Kerry, a cycling enthusiast, today broke his leg in a bike accident in France and will return home for further treatment. Kerry, 71, who was flown by a helicopter to the Geneva University Hospital is in stable condition.

Kerry broke his right femur during the crash. Kerry "is stable and... did not lose consciousness," the State Department said in a statement. He met with the accident while bicycling near Scionzier, France, some 40km south-east of the Swiss border.

Spurred by two agreements signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to France, work on the Jaitapur nuclear power plant is likely to start in the next two years, senior French government officials have said.

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) and Areva had last month during Modi's visit to France signed a pre-engineering agreement that discussed technical and financial modalities on how to take the project forward.

16:28 Prince William wades into FIFA controversy

Britain's Prince William has waded into the corruption scandal engulfing world football's governing body FIFA demanding that it put the "sport first" and initiate reforms to clean up the game.

The second-in-line to Britain's throne is a fan of what is referred to as the "beautiful" game and is also the President of the UK's Football Association (FA).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today expressed sadness at the passing away of Beau Biden, the eldest son of US Vice President Joseph Biden. "Saddened to learn about the passing away of Beau Biden, the eldest son of US Vice-President Joseph Biden, at a young age.

Apart from a deep loss to the family, a promising public career has been tragically cut short. Our deepest condolences to the Biden family, " Modi said in a message.

The Finance Ministry today came out with new three-page income tax return forms, dropping the controversial provision for mandatory disclosure of foreign trips and dormant bank accounts, while it also extended the last date of filing to August 31.

The new forms -- ITR 2 and ITR 2A -- will have only three pages and other details will have to be filled in schedules, said a Finance Ministry statement.

Completing one year in office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the 'manthan' (debate) about the performance of his government is good for democracy as it would help him know what was "lacking".

During his monthly 'Mann Ki Baat' radio programme, he said the entire nation has conducted analysis of the first year of his government and there has been "criticism" even while "many gave distinction to us".

14:23 Islamic State recruiter arrested in Bangladesh

A suspected Islamic State recruiter has been arrested here by Bangladeshi police, the third operative belonging to the dreaded terror group to be held in the country within a week.

"The members of our detective branch arrested him last night raiding a house at Baridhara area (in Dhaka) acting on a secret tip off," an official of the Dhaka metropolitan police told PTI.

Abdullah Al Ghalib, who was arrested by police, appeared to be in his early 30s and was believed to be a trained recruiter of the outfit.

A fire broke out today in a building of the office of Jammu and Kashmir Cements, a public sector undertaking, which also caused damage to the headquarters of opposition National Conference party.

"Fire broke out at 6.00 am in the building housing office of JK Cements which spread to nearby Nawai-e-Subah (headquarters of National Conference)," an official of the Fire and Emergency Services department said.

Seismologists today warned Japan to stay vigilant for the next "Big One" after a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of the quake-prone nation, injuring a dozen people.

Buildings swayed for around a minute in Tokyo and its vicinity last night as the quake struck at a remote spot in the Pacific Ocean around 874 kilometres south of the capital, the US Geological Survey said.

People will have to shell out more from tomorrow while using mobiles, eating out and travelling as the service tax rate goes up to 14 per cent.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget had proposed to raise service tax from 12.36 per cent (including education cess) to 14 per cent.

The proposal takes effect from June 1. The tax is levied on all services, expect a small negative list.

The death toll due to the scorching heat wave conditions in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana has rose to over 2000.

Meanwhile, authorities in Andhra Pradesh have cancelled doctors' leave and advised people not to head outside in the middle of the day to avoid the worst of the heat.

All living things contain within them some measure of madness that moves them in strange, inexplicable ways," wrote Yann Martel in Life of Pi. And the tiger known as T24, currently under scrutiny for his mauling of forest guard Rampal Saini on May 8, and his subsequent relocation to Sajjangarh Biological Park in Udaipur on May 17, was filled with it.

"You could always see it in his eyes," says tiger expert Valmik Thapar. T24 watched you, even when his back was turned. In return, Thapar never took his eyes off him, especially when his wife Sanjna and child were in the vicinity. Ranthambore forest guard's killing by maneater tiger an accident, says official.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the programme 'Mann ki Baat' says his government will implement One Rank, One Pension for armed forces personnel.

Modi says political parties have played games on the issue for the past 40 years but his govt will be the one to implement it.

"It is a complex issue, a vexed issue. You have been patient for 40 years. Give me some time to address it," PM tells ex-servicemen in 'Mann ki Baat'.

The Army today intercepted a group of heavily-armed infiltrators near the Line of Control in Tangdhar sector in Jammu and Kashmir in the early hours today, triggering a fierce gunbattle.

No casualties have been reported so far.

The final arguments in a 2G scam related money laundering case, in which ex-telecom minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and 17 others are facing trial, will commence tomorrow before a special court.

Special CBI judge O P Saini had on April 17 fixed the case for commencement of final arguments tomorrow after concluding the recording of evidence in the case in which the Enforcement Directorate had named 19 accused, including nine firms, in its chargesheet.

10:23 Blues legend B B King laid to rest

A funeral for blues icon BB King was held at the Bell Grove Missionary Baptist Church in his "spiritual hometown" of Indianola, Mississippi.

Hundreds of fans including Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant paid their final respect to the late blues icon before he was laid to rest, reported Ace Showbiz.

"For those of us here in Indianola and around the world, BB King is a legend, an icon, a musical giant, a world class entertainer," Rev Herron Wilson delivered the eulogy. "But to those of you seated before me, he is family and for that reason, we and the world extend our deepest sympathy to you."

Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson read a letter from President Barack Obama. "The blues has lost its king and American has lost a legend," Obama wrote.

10:20 PM to flag off 160-kmph Gatimaan Express

Gatimaan Express, the first semi high-speed train service between Delhi and Agra which would touch speeds of up to 160 kmph, is likely to be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the second week of June.

The trials of the semi-high speed train have already been conducted twice on the 200-km-long tracks between the two destinations and awaited now is the mandatory clearance from the Commissioner of Railway Safety.

"The clearance from CRS is expected any time and we are gearing up to launch the train by June 9," said a senior rail ministry official.

Equipped with a 5,400HP electric locomotive and 12 modern coaches, the train will run at a maximum speed of 160 kmph and is expected to cover the 200-km distance in about 105 minutes.

10:18 US vice president loses eldest son to cancer

Beau Biden -- son of US Vice President Joe Biden -- has died after battling brain cancer for several years. He was 46.

Beau, the oldest son of the US vice president and the rising star of a family dynasty, had been admitted recently to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda as he fought the cancer, a battle that his father largely kept private.

"The entire Biden family is saddened beyond words. We know that Beau's spirit will live on in all of us -- especially through his brave wife, Hallie, and two remarkable children, Natalie and Hunter," Vice President Biden said in a statement released last night.

Come December, the government will roll out for persons with disabilities universal identity cards having a unique number with which their details can be accessed by the click of a button.

The initiative will help in a big way in ensuring the authenticity of disability certificates and eliminate hassle of having to carry the certificates for different purposes, as various details, including the type of disabilities, would be made available online.

"We are aiming at issuing the first universal disability ID card on December 3. We have almost zeroed in on the software provider, who would also be tasked with the responsibility of uploading disability certificates," joint secretary in the department of empowerment of persons with wisabilities, Awanish Kumar Awasthi, said.

The Singapore police today shot one person dead and detained two others following a shootout near a hotel where a high-level international conference on security and defence is underway.

The incident took place early today near the Shangri-La Hotel when the police opened fire at a vehicle carrying three persons after it crashed through police barricades.

The trio was stopped at a police vehicular checkpoint set up along Ardmore Park, the entrance to the hotel where international dignitaries including defence ministers and armed forces chiefs are attending the annual Shangri-La Dialogue.

00:06 Islamic State blows up prison complex in Syria

Islamic State blew up a major prison complex in the central Syrian city of Palmyra, according to a group monitoring the war, destroying an important symbol of government control in the jihadist-held city.

The prison was empty of people at the time of the detonation, said Rami Abdulrahman from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Islamic State announced the explosion in a statement on social media and supporters posted pictures of huge clouds of grey smoke above the sprawling complex in the city, also known as Tadmur.

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