Committed to provide transparent, predictable tax regime, says PM Modi at ASEAN Summit
With a slew of measures putting back the economy on track, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said reforms are "just a way station" to transforming India and vowed to provide a transparent and predictable tax regime as well as protection to Intellectual Property Rights. Speaking at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in Kuala Lumpur, he said government actions in the past 18 months have led to bringing down inflation while at the same time leading to higher GDP growth and foreign investment. While productive public investment has been substantially increased, carbon taxes on fossil fuels has been imposed to show India's commitment to climate change, he said.
UN approves resolution urging action against IS
File Photo
The UN Security Council unanimously approved a French-sponsored resolution calling on all nations to redouble and coordinate action to prevent further attacks by Islamic State terrorists and other extremist groups. The resolution says the Islamic State group "constitutes a global and unprecedented threat to international peace and security" and expresses the council's determination "to combat by all means this unprecedented threat." The measure is the 14th terrorism-related resolution adopted on Friday by the UN's most powerful body since 1999. It was adopted a week after violent extremists launched a coordinated gun and bomb assault that killed 130 people in Paris which the Islamic State claims it carried out.
Mali declares 10-day state of emergency following hotel attack that killed 27 people
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Mali's government declared a 10-day nationwide state of emergency after a jihadist attack on a hotel in the capital Bamako that left least 27 people dead. Following a crisis cabinet session presided over by President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita the government "declared a state of emergency across the nation" starting yesterday for 10 days, a statement read on national radio said. It also called for three days of mourning for the victims of the attack, which was claimed by the Al-Murabitoun group of notorious Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar in an audio recording broadcast by Al-Jazeera television.
J&K: terror plot foiled, 3 kg IED recovered near Narbal
In a major breakthrough, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), today recovered three kilograms of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on the HMT-Narbal route near Beacon Huts in Lawapora area in the outskirts of Srinagar.
The CRPF along with team of 2 Rashtriya Rifles regiment recovered the IED at around 07:30 am.
In prima facie it appeared that the IED was targeted at security forces deployed in the area. IED or Improvised Explosive Device is an explosive device often used in unconventional warfare.
Sukhbir Badal accuses 'anti-national' Congress of having links with ISI
Photo: Patrika
Accusing the Congress Party of being an 'anti-national' organisation, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today said that the grand old party is creating an alliance with the terrorist organizations, having links with Pakistan's ISI, just for the sake of political gains.
"Everyone knows what Punjab went through in the 1980s. Those fifteen years of militancy, disturbance, where thousands of Punjabis were killed, there was communal as well as full disturbance of peace in the state of Punjab," said Badal at a press conference.
French President Francois Hollande to be chief guest for 2016 Republic Day celebrations
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Remember the 2015 Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi that had US President Barack Obama as the chief guest alongside Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Pranab Mukherjee? Worry not, 2016 will have an international guest as well - French President Francois Hollande. According to news reports, French President Francois Hollande is going to be the chief guest at the 67th Republic Day ceremony on 26 January next year.
Some reports have, meanwhile, suggested that apart from Hollande, UK Prime Minister David Cameron and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy Brey were among global leaders considered to be invited as the chief guest for the 2016 Republic Day celebrations.
Prakash Singh Badal burnt Indian constitution during Khalistan movement, says Congress
Rejecting charges that Congress was supporting radical and anti-national forces, party's Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Amarinder Singh today claimed that Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal was trying to shift the blame for his own failures on Congress.
"We in Congress do not need any lessons on patriotism and nationalism from someone like Sukhbir Badal, whose father and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal still takes pride in having burnt the copies of the Constitution of India during Khalistan movement," he alleged.
Oxford picks it's word of the year...and it's not even a word
Representational Image/ File Photo
Oxford just picked its word of the year, and language purists beware, its not even a word. Oxford's word of the year for 2015 is an emoji! The emoji, called "face with tears and joy" was selected as Oxford felt it best reflected the mood and ethos of 2015. The emoji beat out eclectic words like 'on fleek' and 'lumbersexual' as well as some duller words like 'they' and 'ad blocker' as well as slightly more depressing words like 'refugee'
Greedy pharma company suffers multi-million dollar losses
The pharmaceutical company that came under fire earlier this year for hiking the price of AIDS medicine manifold has suffered huge quarterly losses. Martin Shkreli's Turing Pharmaceuticals which hiked the price of Daraprim close to 5,500% has reported losses of $14.6 million for the most recent financial quarter. The company defended the losses claiming to have invested in new drugs. Company owner Shkreli has promised to reduce the price of Daraprim since the outcry but the company is still to do so.
1,111 carat diamond found
Photo: AFP
The alrgest diamon found in over a century was discovered at a mine in Botswana. The diamond, clocking in at a whopping 1,111 carats was discovered by the Lucara Diamond Corp. The diamond comes in second only to the Culinan diamond which was discovered as far back as 1905 in South Africa. Company shares shot up almost 34% once the find was announced. While the diamond is yet to be properly evaluated, experts are already suggesting that it will be one of the world's most expensive gems ever. Botswana is the world's second biggest diamond producer. .
A good sign for Odisha's wildlife, endangered turtles return for mating
Photo: AFP
Wildlife enthusiasts are reportedly overjoy at the return of the endangered olive ridley turtles to the waters of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary in Odisha. This signals the beginning of their breeding and nesting.
According to media reports, forest personnel on patrol duty have sighted pairs of mating turtles.
Gahirmatha beach in Kendrapara district is considered to be the world's largest nesting ground of these aquatic animals.
The mortality rate of these endangered species is quite high. An Olive Ridley turtle usually lays about 120 to 150 eggs, but not all of these remain intact as predators devour many of them.
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