Page 205 - Human Interest
Elaborate throne for Japan's next emperor arrives in Tokyo
The monumental imperial throne for the coronation of Japan's new emperor has arrived in Tokyo from an ancient imperial palace in Kyoto more than a year ahead of time, officials said Wednesday. Crown Prince Naruhito will become Japan's next emperor on May 1 of next year, the day after his 84-year-old father, Emperor Akihito, abdicates. The Takamikura throne will be used at a ceremony in October 2019, when Naruhito formally announces his succession. Naruhito will ascend to the elevated, octagonal structure to proclaim his enthronement before selected guests from around the world. The 6.5-metre-high canopied structure, decorated with lacquerware, gold and other ornaments, has been used for coronations and other key imperial rituals since around the eighth century, according to the Imperial Household Agency. It was last used by Akihito in 1990 and has since been stashed away at the Kyoto palace. The structure was taken apart for its delivery to Tokyo, where it will be repaired, fine-tuned
Qatar Airways condoles death of its toddler passenger
An 11-month-old baby died on Wednesday, while travelling from Doha to Hyderabad in a Qatar Airways flight.Upon reaching Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, the family called for medical assistance. The team of doctors at the airport declared the boy brought dead, adding that the toddler died of breathing problems.Offering condolence, Qatar Airways, in a statement, said the baby passed away at the Hyderabad airport."We are aware of the very sad news that a young child passed away at Hyderabad International Airport this morning. Our heartfelt sympathy and thoughts are with the affected family," read the statement.
Pregnancy empowers you, doesn't make you handicapped: Sania Mirza (IANS Interview)
She was at the peak of her career when she decided to step into motherhood, but tennis star Sania Mirza, who is due to deliver next month, always believed in moving forward in her life.
Trump brings laughter while boasting about achievements
US President Donald Trump triggered laughter at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) while giving an exaggerated speech about his economic achievements to the world stage.
Shivpal's Morcha 'not demoralised' with Mulayam's presence in
Determined to "move ahead" with its "socialist" agenda despite Mulayam Singh Yadav making his stand obvious by attending Samajwadi Party events, the Samajwadi Secular Morcha (SSM) said Wednesday it was working on strengthening its organisation and will continue to "honour" the SP founder. SSM spokesman Deepak Mishra told PTI they were not demoralised after the presence of Mulayam Yadav at an SP event in New Delhi. "We are moving ahead with our socialist agenda and working to strengthen our oganisation," he said. Referring to reports by a section of media that Mulayam Yadav's photos went missing after he attended the SP cycle yatra conclusion ceremony, Mishra said, "Who is saying this? We respect him and will continue to do so. If his photographs are missing from some banners of posters, it might be due to some errors or other reasons." Some SSM insiders said the missing photographs in fresh publicity material were a reaction to Mulayam Yadav's literal snub to Shivpal Yadav. Though SSM
Belgium's Queen Paola suffers stroke in Venice: media
Queen Paola, mother of King Philippe of Belgium, suffered a stroke while on a visit to Venice, Belgian and Italian media reported on Wednesday. Paola, 81, will be repatriated to Belgium by plane on Wednesday, said Belgian state broadcaster RTBF. Contacted by AFP, the Royal Palace in Brussels declined to comment. "A communication is in preparation," the palace said. Queen Paola has already faced health problems: in September 2015, she was forced to respect a "total rest period" after heart trouble. In 2017 she also broke her hip less than two months after fracturing a vertebrae. A native of Italy, Paola was queen of Belgium during the twenty years of the reign of her husband, King Albert II, who ruled from 1993 until his abdication in 2013. Paola is best known to Belgians for importing a touch of "dolce vita" to the Belgian monarchy in the 1960s, before becoming Queen after the sudden death of King Baudouin, Albert II's brother. Born Princess Paola Ruffo di Calabria, she spent her ...
UK police arrest man suspected of stealing Mr Muk, a cat
British police have made an unusual arrest of a man accused of stealing a cat. Scotland Yard said Wednesday a 22-year-old man is being questioned at a north London police station in connection with the theft of a cat in August. The cat is a large Siberian Forest ginger cat called Mr. Muk. He has been returned to his owner. Police say the man was arrested late Tuesday night in the West Hampstead neighbourhood in north London. He has not been identified or charged.
Hundreds attend funeral prayers of militant in Sopore
Shouting pro-independence slogans, hundreds of mourners on Wednesday attended the funeral prayers of a militant killed by security forces in Sopore in Jammu and Kashmir.
Mithila loves being 'girl in the city'
After working on three seasons of "Girl in the City", actress Mithila Palkar says she got to fall in love with Mumbai city that she had grown up in.
PM Modi congratulates National Sports Awards winners
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli, weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu and others for being conferred with the National Sports Awards.In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister congratulated all the athletes and coaches who have been conferred with the awards and stated that this is the result of years of hard work, dedication and excellence in the field."I congratulate all the athletes and coaches who have been conferred the National Sports Awards. These awards are the result of years of hard work, dedication and excellence on the field. India is phenomenally proud of our sportspersons!" he said.In another tweet, Prime Minister Modi wished Kohli for his future endeavours and said that he has brought immense joy to the nation."Dear @imVkohli, congratulations on being conferred the Khel Ratna. As a batsman and Captain, you have brought immense joy for the nation. Your popularity among young India is also tremendous. Best ...
Men wanted for killing and torturing kangaroos in Australia
Three men accused of torturing and killing kangaroos are being hunted by police in Australia, just days after a man was arrested for intentionally mowing down emus in another high-profile animal cruelty case. Police in Western Australia on Wednesday released images of the men wanted for questioning over separate incidents in June and May during which "two kangaroos were tortured and killed". A man was seen brandishing knuckle-dusters in one of the pictures, alongside another suspect with his face pixelated and wearing a similar weapon on his hand. The hunt for the alleged kangaroo killers comes on the heels of an arrest made after sickening footage of a driver running over emus in the outback sparked a social media storm. The video, described as "horrific cruelty" by animal welfare groups, showed a man ploughing into at least a dozen of the ostrich-like birds in his four-wheel drive, counting and laughing loudly each time he hit one. A 20-year-old man was arrested in Victoria late ...
Indian-American model Padma Lakshmi says she was raped at 16
Padma Lakshmi, a prominent Indian-American model host, has alleged that she was raped by her boyfriend at the age of 16, saying she wanted to bring out this secret in the wake of allegations of sexual assault on US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Lakshmi, a former wife of controversial author Salman Rushdie, explained in an article in The New York Times that she kept quiet for 32 years as she feared fingers would point at her for bringing it upon herself. The 48-year-old model and actress wrote that she was reminded of her feelings about the incident last week by allegations surrounding US President Donald Trump's choice for the Supreme Court. "I have been turning that incident over in my head throughout the past week, as two women have come forward to detail accusations against the Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh," Lakshmi said in the opinion piece revealing that she was raped on New Year's Eve, just few months after she started dating her boyfriend. The 'Top Chef' host .
Meghan Markle makes first solo royal appearance
The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, stepped out solo for the first time after getting married to Prince Harry, for the inauguration of the new Oceania art exhibit at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.For Tuesday's milestone event, Meghan paired her black Givenchy dress with Aquazzura heels and a Givenchy clutch, E!Online reported.Last week, Meghan hosted her first event at Kensington Palace with Harry and her mom Doria Ragland by her side. The event honored the launch of her cookbook 'Together'. During the event, Meghan also delivered a speech in front of attendees about the cookbook and what it means to her.Next month, Meghan and Harry will go on a royal tour to Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, and Fiji..
BCCI congratulates Virat, Smriti for national awards
The BCCI on Tuesday congratulated skipper Virat Kohli and Smriti Mandhana on being honoured with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and the Arjuna award respectively.
BCCI congratulates Kohli and Mandhana for bagging national awards
The BCCI on Tuesday congratulated Virat Kohli and Smriti Mandhana for being honoured with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Arjuna award respectively. They were bestowed with the award in a ceremony at the Rashrapati Bhavan. "We are extremely proud that Virat Kohli and Smriti Mandhana are being conferred with top honours by the Government of India. Virat is just the third Indian cricketer to receive the prestigious Khel Ratna award. This is a testimony to his work ethic, dedication and unwavering focus," said COA chairman Vinod Rai in a BCCI statement. "He has led India with distinction and at the same time, set new records with the bat. Playing different formats of the game, Virat has shown amazing consistency leading the side by example. This Indian team is one of the fittest sides in world cricket and a lot of credit must go to the Indian captain for bringing about this transformation, he added.
Trump says US will only give aid 'to our friends'
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States would only give aid to countries that it regarded as allies. "We will examine what is working, what is not working, and whether the countries who receive our dollars and our protection also have our interests at heart," Trump said in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly. "Moving forward, we are only going to give foreign aid to those who respect us and frankly are our friends.
Jharkhand CM condoles death of commentator Jasdev Singh
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Tuesday condoled the death of commentator Jasdev Singh, who passed away after a prolonged illness. In his condolence message, Das said the entire nation liked his voice and commentary style. Das prayed that his soul rest in peace, according to an official release here. Singh was considered the voice of Indian sports on Doordarshan.
Punjab govt announces 'big jump' in cash awards to sports persons
There is going to be a "big jump" in the cash awards given to Punjab's sports persons who excel at Olympics, Commonwealth Games and other sporting events, Sports Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi said Tuesday. The state's new sports policy is likely to be discussed in the next cabinet meeting scheduled on September 27, he said. "There is going to be a big jump in the cash awards in our new sports policy," Sodhi said. On being asked about the quantum of hike, the minister said, "It will not be a small amount". The Congress leader said the state's sports policy would be "much better" than that of Haryana. The matter assumes significance as there is a huge difference between the cash awards offered by the Punjab and Haryana governments to their respective medal winners. Punjab offers Rs 2.25 crore for Olympic gold medal winners, Rs 1.10 crore for silver medal winners and Rs 51 lakh for bronze medal winners. For Commonwealth Games, the award money is Rs 16 lakh for gold medal winners, Rs .
Mallika Sherawat supports FIAPO to promote veganism
Actress Mallika Sherawat has extended support to the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) to promote veganism in India, and has urged fans to try a vegan diet for 21 days.
WGAI blames IGU for golfer Aditi missing Arjuna award
In a scathing attack on the Indian Golf Union for failing to nominate Aditi Ashok for this year's Arjuna award, the Women's Golf Association of India (WGAI) on Tuesday said it will approach Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore while not ruling out the possibility of a parallel body for governing women's golf in the country.