Category: -Top News
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Modi accepts Hasina’s invitation
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accepted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s invitation to visit Dhaka, a statement from his office said Thursday. In a letter handed over to the Bangladesh prime minister by visiting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Modi also has extended an invitation to Sheikh Hasina to visit India at her earliest convenience.…
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World cup ends for Suarez
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Uruguay striker Luis Suarez Thursday was banned for nine games and four months by world body FIFA for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during the team’s 1-0 win in their last World Cup group match in Natal on Tuesday. The ban was imposed on Suarez with immediate effect and he will miss Uruguay’s pre-quarterfinal match…
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ISIS, #NO2ISIS war escalates on Net
A propaganda war is escalating across the social media between members of the ISIS and a growing number of its opponents, who are publicly countering the terrorist organisation through a successful #NO2ISIS campaign, The Muslim News from London reported. ISIS, formally an insular group, based in Syria and now Iraq, is now using the social…
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HOW TO WRECK A CAREER ? Indian Style
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DAILY DOSE By Bikram Vohra This is the recording of a meeting between a corporate boss and two of his lieutenants held to discuss the probable promotion of a Manager to their level. The boss is very much in favour of upgrading the wunderkind but the two top executives are evidently not keen on getting…
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US targets LeT fronts
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The US has added various front organisations of the Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Taeba (LeT) to its list of foreign terror organisations, saying the action would help cut off their funding and prevent future attacks. LeT which “has claimed responsibility for the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks that killed at least 163 people,” was also “responsible for the…
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Water can stem child obesity
A group of nutritional scientists said children should be given only water to drink with meals to help tackle the obesity crisis, BBC reported. The experts said sugary drinks were empty calories and people had got “out of the habit of drinking water” with meals. The call comes as Public Health England prepares to publish its…
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SPECIAL COLUMN- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
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Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says there are three ways to overcome addictions- Love, fear and greed. Today (26th June is INTERNATIONAL DRUG ABUSE DAY) There is one real culprit for crime and corruption, that is, addiction to drugs and alcohol. Addiction starts with the repeated experience of the same sense object. The repeated association with a…
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Messi stars again as Argentina win
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Argentina put in their best attacking performance in the 2014 FIFA World Cup as they beat Nigeria 3-2 in Group F courtesy a Lionel Messi brace at the Estadio Beira-Rio here Wednesday. Messi, who has been regularly criticised for his performance in international matches, scored his fourth goal of the tournament, making him the joint…
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UK joins Islamic banking with Sukuk
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UK become the first country outside the Islamic world to issue sovereign Sukuk The British government has cemented Britain’s position as the western hub for Islamic finance by becoming the first country outside the Islamic world to issue sovereign Sukuk, the Islamic equivalent of a bond. The government confirmed that £200 million of Sukuk, maturing…
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Nouri rejects national govt
Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has rejected calls for a national salvation government to help counter the offensive by jihadist-led Sunni rebels, BBC reported. Such calls represented a “coup against the constitution and an attempt to end the democratic experience”, he warned. The US has led appeals to the country’s political leaders to rise above…
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Indian TV serials get ugly
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Arpana in her column Bollywood Country says wife-beating is new TRP mantra for TV soaps It seems TV content is getting regressive by the day. After saas-bahu sagas, now TV shows like second season of “Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon?…Ek Baar Phir” and “Doli Armaano Ki ” are capitalising on domestic violence to get eyeballs. “Iss…
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INTERVIEW: Dr Shashi Tharoor
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Ranjana Narayan talks to Dr Shashi Tharoor MP, former Deputy secretary general of UN and a former minister of India. Dr Tharoor feels Modi’s style of governance would soon bring out the “strengths and limitations of one-man rule”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image as a decisive leader, of a “man on a white stallion”, may have…
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Why Punjabis taking Iraq jobs?
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Jaideep Sarin and Parminder Singh Bariana visit Hoshiarpur in Punjab and Yamunanagar in Haryana to find out the reason for youths taking risky jobs in civil-war hit Iraq. Joblessness, better money drives youth to Iraq Joblessness, poor land holdings, vice-like grip of the drug mafia and, of course, the lure of better money is what drives…
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SPECIAL REPORT: Civil nuclear power
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Biswajit Choudhury reports from Obninsk in Russia on the 60th anniversary of civil nuclear power It might have had a mere 5 MW capacity but it was on June 26, 1954, that Soviet scientists connected the world’s first nuclear power plant here to an electricity grid. The Obninsk plant, which was visited by India’s first prime minister…
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HR & HATCHET JOBS,THE BIG CON GAME
DAILY DOSE By Bikram Vohra The big bully in the corporate world today is HR. Where did this lot come from? Knowing very little about the job and functions of the staff there they are pruning and cutting and snipping away at the bottom line like berserk gardeners bent on destruction. Their only aim is…
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NRI’s lobbying for Congress invite for Modi
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Indian-American groups have launched a campaign to win more lawmakers’ support for a move to invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address a joint session of US Congress when he visits US in September. The ball was set rolling last week with Ed Royce, Republican chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee…
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GALLERY: Queen pays tribute to Titanic
It is the first time for almost 50 years that the Queen has been in City Hall in Belfast. She was warmly welcomed by hundreds of well-wishers outside while a tight security cordon was in place right around the city centre. The Queen gave the short speech at a special banquet in her honour after visiting Crumlin…
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Thousands forged English Results
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Immigration Minister James Brokenshire said about 48,000 immigrants may have fraudulently obtained English language certificates despite being unable to speak English. Mrs Brokenshire told the Commons that an inquiry into abuse of the student visa system had found evidence of criminal activity, which would now be investigated fully, BBC reported. Of the 48,000 certificates, 29,000 were invalid and…
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Suarez bites into Italian pizza
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Uruguay’s Luis Suarez today was involved in another World Cup controversy as he appeared to bite Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during their Group D clash. Suarez pushed his head towards Chiellini’s shoulders in the penalty area just before Diego Godin’s Uruguay winner reported BBC. Chiellini pulled his shirt down to show the referee an apparent…
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Queen’s historic visit to Belfast
Hard-core Republican and former IRA commander Martin McGuinness have shaken hands for the first time. It happened at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast, during an event organised by a charity, Co-Operation Ireland, which works to bring communities together. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh toured several landmarks in Belfast including the 19th century Belfast prison…
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Andy’s Guilty Verdict Rocks British Media
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Kaliph Anaz says the fall of Andy will be the end of a darkest episode in Britain’s tabloid journalism. Nowadays few remember the preaching of a pioneer named Charles Prestwich Scott. People are doomed if they fail to learn lessons from the history The guilty verdict in the phone hacking charges against former News of the world…
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WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM?
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DAILY DOSE By Bikram Vohra This is a slightly sensitive subject. But we will truly become civilized when we get over the social hang up of keeping silent over two conditions. Bad breath and body odour. I have never understood why we have to tolerate it or not mention it. The other party is not…
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Pakistan rejects Afghan claims
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Pakistan refutes Afghan claim on cross-border incursions Pakistan rejected as “baseless” the remarks by the Afghan foreign ministry that Pakistani troops have intruded into its territory and killed security personnel and civilians. Kabul was demanding a response to the Pakistani firing that killed three soldiers and eight civilians in eastern Kunar province this week, the…
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GOTCHA! Caulson Guilty!
Andy Coulson, the prime minister’s former spin doctor, has been found guilty at the phone-hacking trial while his former colleague Rebekah Brooks was cleared of all charges. The former News of the World editor was convicted on the 138th day of the Old Bailey trial, while ex-News International chief executive Mrs Brooks was cleared of all charges, BBC…
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Education, education, education!
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Prantick Majumder focus on a group of women who are gaining educationto uplift their communities How do you help your backward community living in remote, virtually inaccessible villages to progress if most of them are uneducated? Simple, finish your own studies, train as teachers and then use your knowledge to spread the cause in your home –…
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China to improve ties with Dhaka
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Subir Bhaumik says while India plays politics, Beijing woos Dhaka Competitive radicalism between political parties has again denied India a chance to take forward its relations with Bangladesh. If the BJP’s opposition, coupled with that of Trinamul Congress and Asom Gana Parishad, prevented the Congress from formalizing the land boundary agreement and signing the Teesta water…
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Abu Dhabi to fund Manchester homes
Abu Dhabi United Group, which owns Manchester City football club, will invest in a plan by Manchester City Council to build new homes, Abu Dhabi United Group is an investment company owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Nahyan and was formed to enable him to buy Manchester City Football Club in 2008. It has also…
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Amnesty welcomes move to resettle Pandits
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Amnesty International Tuesday welcomed the NDA government’s resolve to bring back the Kashmiri Pandits to the Kashmir Valley, but urged it to consult all communities before resettling about 150,000-200,000 displaced Pandits. “Amnesty International-India welcomes the recent overtures made to rehabilitate families of an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 Kashmiri Pandits… urges the new government to take…
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US asked to explain immunity to Singh
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A US court has asked the US government to respond by July 10 to a Sikh group’s challenge to “suggestion of immunity” to former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh in a human rights violation case. “The United States may have until July 10, 2014, to respond to Plaintiffs’ Response to its suggestion of immunity,” a…
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Curfew in Sopore
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An indefinite curfew was imposed in Sopore town in Kashmir Tuesday following the death of a youth in security force firing Monday. Heavy deployments of police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) blocked road crossings, using coils of concertina wires, in the town to enforce the curfew. Shops, public transport, businesses and educational institutions…
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ISIS link shocks Cardiff Muslims
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Cardiff has an ongoing problem with the radicalisation of young Muslims, said an academic who has studied the issue, BBC reported. Dr Suraj Lakhani, of Cardiff University, who recently completed his doctorate – A Social Analysis of Radicalisation in the UK, told BBC Radio Wales: “As far as I’m aware, there has been an issue…
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Pakistan, Nawaz to taste ‘Arab Spring’
Cleric Qadri to launch what he vows will be “Pakistan’s Arab Spring — a people’s revolution” Pakistan is heading for another phase of chaos as Canada-based preacher turned politician Tahirul Qadri arrived at Benazir Bhutto International Airport near Islamabad on Monday. The authorities, fearing an escalation of unrest, diverted the commercial flight to the eastern…
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Indians in captivity in Iraq safe
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Indians held captive by suspected Sunni militants in Mosul town of Iraq were unharmed, the government said Monday even as efforts continued to secure their release from their abductors in the violence-hit Gulf country. External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin told reporters here that efforts were being made to move out Indians from conflict zones…
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Air India to join Star Alliance
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National carrier Air India is likely to be inducted into one of the largest interline networks of the world by Tuesday, a senior airline official said. “A meeting of the board of the Star Alliance in London is going to take a call on a vote whether to induct Air India or not. We are…
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Biokon’s Kiran bags Top Prize
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India’s biotechnology queen and Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has been awarded the coveted Global Economy Prize for business by the Kiel Institute in Germany during its centenary celebrations. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is the first Indian woman and fourth Indian to be conferred this prize,” the Bangalore-based biotech company said in a statement. The German institute is…
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New start for Indo-Japan ties
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Bilateral strategic and economic relations between India and Japan are at their best and the governments of both countries are keen to further strengthen them, an advisor to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said. Addressing an event here through a video call from Tokyo, Tomohiko Taniguchi, special advisor to the cabinet of the Japanese prime…
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Rise of India’s Creative Class
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Amit Kapoor & Hardik Dedhia look into India’s creative class in their column: Active Voice According to a leading economist and social scientist Richard Florida, the creative class is the key driving force for economic development. It’s the class of workers who engage in problem finding and problem solving at various levels of our society. This creative class could…
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HS3 to Link Manchester & Leeds
A high-speed rail link between Manchester and Leeds could help to create a “northern global powerhouse”, Chancellor George Osborne has said. He told the BBC better road and rail links would allow cities across northern England from Liverpool to Hull “to take on the world”, as London did. The chancellor said the plan could cost…
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Egypt sentences three Al Jazeera journalists
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An Egyptian court Monday sentenced three Al Jazeera journalists to seven years in prison, media reported. The guilty verdicts were delivered against Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, Al Jazeera reported. Greste and Fahmy were sentenced to seven years in prison while Baher Mohamed was sentenced to an additional three years for possessing arms.…
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Lanka told to probe violence
Human Rights Watch asks Lanka to probe anti-Muslim violence The Sri Lankan authorities should urgently investigate deadly violence against Muslims by Buddhist hardliners, Human Rights Watch said. The violence, which began June 15 after a rally led by the Buddhist Bodhu Bala Sena (BBS), left at least four Muslims dead, 80 injured, and numerous homes…
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AND ANOTHER STAR IS BORN
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DAILY DOSE By Bikram Vohra I am very impressed with myself. Right through yesterday till late in the evening when Nandini’s baby girl was born making us grandparents for the third time I was strong and commanding and so much ‘all there.’ It is a rare talent. You see men like us are made of…
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Isis crisis affects Indian stocks
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Vatsal Srivastava in his column Currency Corner says Indian equities should remain uptrend despite Iraq oil crisis Militant insurgency and violence in Iraq have put the brakes on the great Indian rally. Investors are weighing in the potential impact of higher energy prices as the possibility of a supply disruption from the world’s sixth biggest oil exporter is…
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BBC to recruit more from BAME
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BBC announces three new apprenticeship schemes to help people gain employment and make career progress at the BBC On the announcement of the BBC’s plans to address the on and off screen representation of the Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community at the BBC, Sadiq Khan MP, Shadow London Minister, said: “I warmly welcome the new…
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Efforts on for release of abducted Indians
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The Indian government is in touch with agencies and countries that can be of help in securing the release of Indians who were rounded up by suspected Sunni militants in Mosul town of violence-hit Iraq, official sources here said Sunday. They said that all efforts were being made to secure release of the 39 Indian…
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Isis capture key border posts
Isis militants have reportedly captured two more key border crossings, to Jordan and Syria, in western Iraq. Now the rebels control three border crossings in Anbar province, Iraq’s largest, BBC reproted. Meanwhile, in the north, reports say the airport in the town of Tal Afar has also fallen to the rebels. The militants’ gains in large parts of…