Tanzanian envoy plays down racist angle in Bengaluru attack
After meeting Karnataka home minister G Parameshwar and state police chief Om Prakash in Bengaluru on Friday, Tanzanian high commissioner John WH Kijazi told the media: "I don't want to dwell too much on racism. We are not here to discuss racism." This comes a day after he had said the Tanzanian woman who had been assaulted, stripped and paraded naked in Bengaluru on Sunday had been attacked because she was black. An inspector and a constable were suspended over the incident, and nine people, including a BJP panchayat member, were arrested in all. The envoy urged the city's African community to respect the law and "live peacefully by integrating with locals".
Centre wants to discuss Muslim women's rights in meeting with Muslim organisations
Even as Mumbai-based Jamiat-i-Ulama moved the Supreme Court on Friday, saying that any exercise by the court to evolve a uniform civil code would amount to interference with personal laws, the Centre is planning a meeting with Muslim organisations, including the personal law board, to discuss the rights of Muslim women, reports The Telegraph. "The government has decided to call a meeting of prominent Muslim organisations, including Muslim women representatives, to address the age-old problem faced by women," said a government official. Mumbai-based 70,000 member-strong Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan had written to the Prime Minister, law commission and the National Commission for Women last November asking for reforms in the Sharia law.
37 dead, 24 injured in bus accident in Gujarat
An accident involving a state transport bus killed 37 people and injured 24 when the bus fell into the Purna river from a 20-foot high bridge in Navsari district, reports the Hindustan Times. Survivors said the bus driver had lost control of the vehicle, and it crashed through the railings of the bridge. The injured have been taken to hospitals in Navsari, from where the seriously injured might be shifted to Surat.
Met Oommen and his family many times: Saritha S Nair
Saritha S Nair, one of the chief accused in Kerala's solar scam case, said on Friday that she met Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy several times and was close to his family, reports The Indian Express. This belies Chandy's deposition to a judicial commission investigating the case that he had met Saritha only three times. Saritha said: "I was never a stranger to him or his family. I had the freedom to enter his house anytime. the kind of freedom to enter another person's kitchen, I was that close. I was a frequent visitor." In response, Chandy said: "These are all false claims."
Supreme Court undecided about reopening Salman Khan case
Despite the fact that the Maharashtra government called actor Salman Khan's acquittal in the 2002 hit-and-run case "a travesty of justice", a Supreme Court bench said it is still deliberating over whether to reopen the case at all, reports The Indian Express. "We are still making up our minds. We must remember it is an appeal against an acquittal," said Justices J S Khehar and C Nagappan, after hearing Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi arguing on behalf of the Maharashtra government which believes that the Bombay High Court's decision to acquit the actor in the hit-and-run case was erroneous.
Aussie national suspected to be IS sympathiser deported from IGI Airport
An Australian national of Malaysian origin was deported by India on Thursday due to "strong indications" that he was a sympathiser of Islamic State (IS), reports The Indian Express. Ahmad Fahim Bin Hamad Awang arrived at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport from Perth, Australia, on Thursday night, and was detained for questioning after a tip-off. Officials searching his luggage found jihadi literature and IS propaganda on his laptop, as well as photographs of him posing with firearms. A security official said: "After scouring through the contents of his laptop, a call was taken that it was too dangerous to allow him to enter India, and he was sent back to Perth."
NASA Scientists try to grow Peruvian potatoes on "Mars"
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, consuming a single russet-type potato can add nearly 10 percent of the daily recommended caloric load, providing four grams of fiber, five of protein and only two of sugar.
This data has motivated a group of scientists from NASA to team up with the International Potato Center in Peru to conduct an experiment growing potatoes in conditions similar to Mars, with the hope of generating food for possible future manned missions to the Red Planet.The study began in January and scientists hope to have the first results in three months.
Potatoes to the rescue!
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, consuming a single russet-type potato can add nearly 10 percent of the daily recommended caloric load, providing four grams of fiber, five of protein and only two of sugar.This data has motivated a group of scientists from NASA to team up with the International Potato Center in Peru to conduct an experiment growing potatoes in conditions similar to Mars, with the hope of generating food for possible future manned missions to the Red Planet.The study began in January and scientists hope to have the first results in three months.
Top Gear finally gets its international trade launch
Chris Evans and his Top Gear team lead the talent heading to Liverpool as part of the BBC 's Worldwide Showcase.The Warrington -born DJ will be visiting as the new-look motoring show gets its international trade launch at the event later this month.Chris joins a host of TV stars who will be in attendance including James Norton, Keeley Hawes and Ben Miller.
Gucci hosting fashion show in Westminster Abbey
In an unprecedented commercial move that has ruffled some of the Church of England's more conservative feathers, Gucci will host it's fashion show in Westminster Abbey. The show, which will display the cruise collection of the Italian label will be held in June this year. This will be the first time a fashion house of any nationality has been permitted to show there. The venue, with it's 1000 year history will see models strut over graves of monks, perhaps a valid representation of our times.
3 million died in Bangladesh liberation war, says International Crimes Tribunal
3 million Bangladeshi people sacrificing their lives to free their country against Pakistan's Army during Bangladesh's Liberation war of 1971 is an 'undisputed' and 'settled' history, declared the International Crimes Tribunal on Tuesday.
The tribunal also said that lakhs of women lost their dignity and crores of people had to migrate to India. This statement is significant against the backdrop of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia's statement which questioned the authenticity of martyr numbers and the recent verdict of executing two war criminals by the Tribunal.
Trans-Pacific Partnership signed in Auckland, New Zealand
The Trans-Pacific Partnership - the world's biggest multinational trade deals - was signed in Auckland, New Zealand, on Thursday by ministers from its 12 signatory countries. The deal is aimed at facilitating investment and eliminating nearly all tariffs among states across the Pacific Rim. These include the United States, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Chile and Peru, which account for 40% of the global economy.
The pact however continues to face opposition. Streets around Auckland's central business district, where the deal was signed, saw protestors blocking roads, while others clashed with police. The opposition stems from the belief that the agreement will lead to job cuts, impact sovereignty in the Asia-Pacific states, and benefit big corporates rather than workers.
Opposition parties stalling "pro-poor" bills in the Rajya Sabha
Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks that the opposition parties were stalling "pro-poor" bills in Rajya Sabha, CPI(M) on Tuesday demanded that these be brought to the House.
"PM speaking about pro-labour and pro-poor bills. Why so secretive? Where are they, please bring them to the House," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury tweeted.
He also targeted the Prime Minister on his Dalit welfare comments, and questioned why the NDA government did not act on the Left party's demand for enacting three laws for SC and STs during Parliament's special sitting to commemorate B R Ambedkar's 125th birth anniversary recently.