Page 105 - Human Interest
Ambedkar given Bharat Ratna out of compulsion, not by heart: Owaisi
Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, was conferred on B R Ambedkar out of compulsion and not by heart, said All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi."Tell me out of the total Bharat Ratna awards given how many were Dalit, Adivasi, Muslim, poor, upper caste and Brahmin? Babasaheb (Ambedkar) was given Bharat Ratna, but out of compulsion and not by heart (Mujhe yeh batao ki jitne Bharat Ratna ke award diye gaye usmein se kitne dalit, adivasi, musalmanon, garibon, upper caste aur Brahminon ko diye gaye? Babasaheb ko Bharat Ratna diya par dil se nahi diya majboori ki halat mein diya)," Owaisi said at the Vanchit Bahujan Sabha on Sunday.His statement comes days after the central government announced the names of former President Pranab Mukherjee, late legendary singer Bhupen Hazarika, and late social activist Nanaji Deshmukh as the recipients of the coveted honour this year.
Hardik Patel weds long-time girlfriend in a simple ceremony
Firebrand Patidar leader Hardik Patel on Sunday tied the knot with his long-time girlfriend Kinjal Parekh in a simple ceremony at a community temple in a village in Gujarat's Surendranagar, nearly 150 km from here.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray's son ties knot with Mitali Borude
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray's son Amit Thackeray Sunday got married to his fiancee and fashion designer Mitali Borude at a star hotel in Lower Parel. The marriage ceremony was attended by politicians of various hues, Bollywood celebrities and noted personalities from the field of industry. Amit and Mitali, who had been dating for years and friends-turned-sweethearts, got engaged in December 2017. Prominent politicians who attended the ceremony were Union minister Nitin Gadkari, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar. Raj's estranged cousin and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray showed up with his family members. Top industrialists Ratan Tata and Anand Mahindra also graced the occasion. Noted historian Babasaheb Purandare, who is conferred with Padma Vibhushan, also attended the event.
Syria's first lady undergoes operation over cancer: Presidency
The wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has undergone a "successful" operation as part of treatment for early-stage breast cancer, the presidency said on Sunday. "Asma al-Assad continues her treatment against the malignant tumour," it said on its Facebook page. "Breast surgery at the Damascus military hospital has been successful," it added. The presidency announced in August that the first lady had begun treatment for "a malignant tumour in the breast that was discovered at an early stage". Since then, the presidency's social media accounts have often showed her with a scarf knotted elegantly around her head, visiting children cancer patients, wounded soldiers, or attending charity events. On Saturday, it published a video of her visiting a triple amputee wounded in Syria's nearly eight-year conflict, inside what appeared to be his family home. Born in 1975, the British-born former investment banker styled herself as a progressive rights advocate and was seen as the modern side .
China honours Pak, Lanka, Maldives envoys with BRI awards
China has bestowed special awards on the envoys of Pakistan, the Maldives and Sri Lanka for their contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of which the controversial China Pakistan Economic Corridor is a flagship project. The ambassadors of Pakistan, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Malta, and Bosnia-Herzegovina in China were conferred with Silk Road Super Ambassador Awards in Beijing on January 24, state-run Global Times reported on Sunday. The BRI which aims to build major infrastructure projects with Chinese investments around the world is modelled on the ancient silk route. India has protested to China over CPEC as it traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The huge Chinese investments evoked concerns of debt traps after China acquired Sri Lanka's Hambantota port on a 99-year lease as part of a debt swap. Similarly, huge Chinese loans obtained under the previous Abdullah Yameen government stoked similar fears in Maldives. The present government headed by Ibrahim ...
British media outlet apologises to Melania Trump
A British media outlet has apologised "unreservedly" to US First Lady Melania Trump over an inaccurate article it published earlier this month, and agreed to pay "substantial damages" along with covering legal costs borne by her "as a mark of regret"."Following last Saturday's (January 19) Telegraph magazine cover story 'The mystery of Melania', we have been asked to make clear that the article contained a number of false statements which we accept should not have been published," the media outlet stated in an article published on its website."We apologise unreservedly to The First Lady and her family for any embarrassment caused by our publication of these allegations," the outlet highlighted.The article, written by an American author Nina Burleigh, has since been removed by the newspaper, according to CNN.The First Lady had sought corrections to the article through her attorney. Amongst them, the British media outlet has clarified that Melania's father, Viktor Knavs, was not a ...
MP:'Collarwali' tigress gives birth to 4 more cubs; now mother
A 13-year-old tigress, popularly known as "Collarwali" from Madhya Pradesh's Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR), has given birth to four cubs, making her the mother of 29 cubs born in different litters in the last ten years, which forest officials feel could be a rare record. Tourists Sunday spotted the Royal Bengal tigress 'T-15' with four cubs in the PTR, field director Vikram Singh Parihar told PTI Sunday confirming the births. The tigress hit headlines in April 2017 for expanding her litters by giving birth to four cubs. Responding to a query on whether 'Collarwali' has now become the first such tigress in the world to have given birth to so many cubs in its life-span, Parihar said he has not come across such a feline, and that he is checking it out. Talking about the latest births, Parihar said this was the eighth litter of the "Collarwali". "(Earlier) It had given births ot 25 cubs in seven different litters," Parihar said, adding that the tigress is a prolific breeder and a
Booker Prize loses title sponsorship from UK hedge fund
The Booker Prize is on the lookout for a new sponsor after it lost its title sponsor, hedge fund Man Group, after an 18-year partnership. One of the world's most famous literary awards for fiction writing in English, won by Indian authors such as Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy and Aravind Adiga in the past, will lose out on the annual 1.6-million pounds backing of the UK-based financial major after this year's award. The Booker Prize Foundation said it is in discussion with a new sponsor and is "confident that the new funding will be in place for 2020. "We would like to put on record the Foundation's appreciation of Man Group's sponsorship," said Helena Kennedy, chair of the Booker Prize Foundation. "However, all good things must come to an end and we look forward to taking the prizes into the next phase with our new supporter," she said. In recent years, the Man Group's link with the 50,000 pounds award has been seen as slightly uneasy, with novelist Sebastian Faulks last year calling
Five killed in road accident in Gujarat
Five persons were killed and two others injured Sunday when their car lost balance and overturned after hitting a road divider in Rajkot district of Gujarat, police said. The victims were returning from a marriage ceremony when the mishap took place on the Rajkot-Bhavnagar highway near Jangwad village under Jasdan taluka, around 200 kms from here. While four persons died on the spot, one succumbed to injuries at the civil hospital in Rajkot, an official of the Atkot police station in Jasdan said. The two injured were undergoing treatment at the hospital, he said. All seven were returning from a marriage ceremony in Junagadh when the car driver lost balance over the steering wheel after hitting the divider, causing the vehicle to turn upside down, the police official said. The deceased were identified by the police as Lakhman Kuvadiya (32), Nileshbhai Chavda (26), Rakesh Chavda (23), Bharat Keroshiya (26) and Kalpesh Keshoriya (26).
Snow leopards will again be seen at Kufri zoo
A pair of snow leopards will again be seen at the Himalayan Nature Park in Kufri next month, an official said Sunday. A male-female pair of leopards will be brought here most probably by February 10 from the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling in West Bengal under animal exchange programme, said Kufri Range Forest Officer (RFO) Himanshu. A team of six people, including two veterinary doctors, a forest guard and two animal attendants, left for Darjeeling on January 26, he said. Himanshu told PTI that the two leopards will be brought to Kufri in a specially constructed caged truck. The team most probably will leave for Darjeeling on February 2 and is likely to reach Kufri by February 10, he added. As per guidelines of the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), the leopards will be quarantined for one month before being put on display in March for visitors. The snow leopard has been declared as vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), he ...
Backstabbing is in the DNA of Malayalees: K.J.Alphons
The lone Keralite in the Narendra Modi Cabinet, bureaucrat-turned-politician K.J. Alphons, on Sunday expressed his ire at the way Malayalees behave and attributed it to a DNA issue where backstabbing is common.
'Fortnite' gets 'X-Ray' Llamas to show you what you buy
The latest 7.30 update to 'Fortnite' replaces the V-Buck Llamas in favour of X-Ray Llamas that will show you what you will get when you buy them.Until now, the V-Buck Llamas were eliminated from the game's signature battle royal mode, but now they will be out of the Save the World mode too, Engadget reported.Any Llama available in the V-bucks store will show its contents without requiring to shell out 50 V-Bucks. If you don't like what is on offer, you can wait until the next day for the offering to be refreshed.With the introduction of X-Ray Llamas, the option to get paid Llamas in bulk has been removed. However, you can still buy specific items directly using the in-game currency and other Llamas you earn through gameplay are still blind.
Minor girl dies in roof collapse
A 14-year-old girl died while her parents sustained injuries when the roof of their dilapidated house collapsed here on Sunday, the police said. Circle officer of Najibabad Arun Kumar Singh said, "The incident took place in the morning when the roof of their old house in Sahanpur area collapsed." Sahreen (14) died, while her parents Wahid and Shakila were hospitalised, the police officer said.
Being chosen for Padma Shri is just pure happiness, says famous footballer Sunil Chhetri
It is a matter of "just pure happiness" for being chosen to receive the prestigious Padma Shri award, Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri has said."At the moment, it is just pure happiness. It hasn't sunk in as yet. I need some time to feel it. I need some time to understand what the recognition actually means," AIFF quoted Chhetri, as saying."Seeing people around me being happy makes me happier. The buzz around has been so wonderful. I feel blessed to be surrounded with people who find more happiness in my achievements," he said."People around me have been jumping with joy. Looking back, this wouldn't have been possible without the help of so many people," added Chhetri.The striker, who has the highest number of international goals for India to his credit, dedicated the award to his family, football fraternity, teammates and fans around the world."My mom and dad stay on the top of that list. We owe it all to our parents. My wife Sonam has always been an inspiration. This is ...
Being an Adivasi woman, I never thought will get Padma Vibhushan: Folk artist Teejan Bai
Being an Adivasi woman, I never thought that I would be considered for the Padma Vibhushan award, India's second highest civilian honour, said noted folk artist Teejan Bai on Sunday.Speaking to ANI, Teejan Bai said: "I am from Adivasi community. The mindset of this community is very different. I never thought that I will receive such an honour."The Central government on Friday announced to confer Padma Vibhushan award on Balwant Moreshwar Purandare, Teejan Bai, Anil Manibhai Naik, and Ismaïl Omar Guelleh.Talking about her journey, the 61-year-old said: "I have faced a lot of problems, but despite these difficulties, I kept moving forward."It is worth noting that Bai was awarded Padma Shri in 1987 and Padma Bhushan in 2003.In 1995, she was bestowed with Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's national academy of music, dance and drama, located in New Delhi.
Unfortunate that no sanyasi awarded Bharat Ratna in 70 years: Ramdev
Asserting that no sanyasi (seer) has been awarded Bharat Ratna since independence, Yog Guru Ramdev on Sunday demanded that seers in the country should also be conferred with the highest civilian honour for their contributions."I respect all the people who were given Bharat Ratna. Whoever contributes in the developmental works, they should be given Bharat Ratna. If it can be given to players and artistes then why not to a Sanyasi? Is the contribution of Maharishi Dayananda and Swami Vivekananda less than any politician or artiste? Mother Teresa can get it because she was a Christian but no seers because they are Hindus. Is being Hindu a crime in this country?"Claiming that not even one seer has been awarded the Bharat Ratna since its beginning, he further said: "It is unfortunate that in the last 70 years, not even one sanyasi has been awarded Bharat Ratna, be it Maharishi Dayananda Saraswati or Swami Vivekananda, Shivakumara Swami Ji. All these saints who have contributed so much must
Why no Bharat Ratna for 'Sanyasis', asks Baba Ramdev
Yoga Guru Ramdev on Sunday vented anger over the Centre for not conferring Bharat Ratna to ascetics in the country.Speaking exclusively to ANI, Ramdev said: "It is unfortunate that in the last 70 years, not even one sanyasi (seer) has been awarded Bharat Ratna, be it Maharishi Dayananda Saraswati or Swami Vivekananda, Shivakumara Swami Ji. All these saints who have contributed so much must also be conferred with the Bharat Ratna.""Contribution by Maharishi Dayananda or Swami Vivekananda are no less than a national leader. Till now why any Sanyasi has not got Bharat Ratna? They have given Mother Teresa this award as she was a Christian, but they will not give to others seers as they are Hindus," he added.The Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award accorded in India.This year, former President Pranab Mukherjee, late legendary singer Bhupen Hazarika, and late social activist Nanaji Deshmukh were the recipients of the coveted honour.A number of politicos in Karnataka, including former .
Celebrities attend Amit Thackeray's big day!
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray's son Amit Thackeray tied the knot with fashion designer Mitali Borude on Sunday.The wedding ceremony took place at St. Regis Hotel in Lower Parel, Mumbai earlier today. Many celebrities including cricketer Sachin Tendulkar with wife Anjali Tendulkar, Aamir Khan, Sajid Khan, Lata Mangeshkar and Riteish Deshmukh along with his brother and sister-in-law were seen in attendance.Raj Thackeray's cousin and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray also attended the ceremony.Aamir Khan kept his look minimal yet ethnic, opting for a pink coloured kurta coupled with black spectacles.Sachin Tendulkar graced the wedding ceremony with his wife Anjali Tendulkar. The couple sported traditional ensembles for the occasion. Anjali looked beautiful as ever in a red silk saree coupled with traditional jewellery to complete the look. She also rocked a stunning 'nath' in addition to a huge neckpiece and earrings. While Sachin looked his stylish best in an ...
Padma Awards 2019: Shabbir Sayyad conferred with Padma Shri for protecting cattles in Beed
The family of Shabbir Sayyad, awarded with Padma Shri for his contribution to the welfare of cows, is overjoyed ever since they received news of the national honour.55-year-old Sayyad who hails from a village in Beed, the epicentre of drought in Marathawada, has been taking care of his 102-strong cattle herd for decades despite belonging to the traditional butchers' community."My father dreamt about saving cattle. As a child, I also started taking care of cows. Due to a dearth of drinking water and feed for the animals, we face difficulty in looking after them. There are some people in the village who donate money for the welfare of the animals," Sayyad told ANI.Apart from Sayyad, Ramesh Babaji Maharaj from Uttar Pradesh has also been awarded the Padma Shri for his efforts towards the welfare of animals.Similarly, Saalumarada Thimmakka from Karnataka and Jamuna Tudu of Jharkhand have been awarded the Padma Shri for their laudable work in the field of environmental preservation.
Martyred Army major honoured with bravery award in Thane
Major Kaustubh Rane, who was martyred in an encounter on the Line of Control (LOC) in August last year, was posthumously honoured with a gallantry award by an organisation here in Maharashtra on January 26. The "Maharana Pratap Shourya Puraskar" consists of Rs 11,000 in cash and a citation, and has been instituted by the Hindi Bhashi Ekta Parishad. Major Rane (29) was martyred in north Kashmir's Gurez sector of Bandipora district along with three Army soldiers while fighting terrorists. He was a resident of Mira Road in Thane district. The function, organised by the Hindi Bhashi Ekta Parishad and the Rajastani Seva Samiti, was held in the Ram Ganesh Gadkari Rangayatan near Masunda Lake here. The audience, several of them teary-eyed, stood and cheered when the martyred Army major's parents went up on stage to collect the award. Justices Kamal Kishore Tated and Makarand Karnik of the Bombay High Court presented them with a bouquet.