Page 89 - Human Interest
Japan crown prince vows close public ties as Akihito abdication looms
Japan's Emperor-in-waiting Naruhito has pledged to maintain the royal household's close ties to the public as he prepares to assume the throne in about two months with a "solemn feeling". At a press conference earlier this week to mark his 59th birthday, Crown Prince Naruhito also asked the public to "warmly" monitor the gradual recovery of his wife Crown Princess Masako, who has struggled for years with a stress-related illness. "When I think about the time ahead, I have a very solemn feeling," he said in the press conference, released Saturday. "As (the current emperor and empress) have done, I wish to be always close to the people and share the joys as well as the sorrows to fulfil my duty as a symbol of the state." Current Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will abdicate on April 30 from the Chrysanthemum Throne after a three-decade reign, making way for Naruhito and Masako to replace them the following day. The status of the emperor is sensitive in Japan given its 20th-century ..
204 lions died in Gir in last two years: Gujarat govt
Over 200 lions died in the Gir forest region in the last two years, the Gujarat government told the legislative Assembly Friday. Only 27 of these deaths were because of "unnatural" causes such as getting hit by a train or falling into a well, it said. To a query by Congress' Bhagabhai Barad, forest minister Ganpat Vasava, in a written reply, said 110 lions and 94 cubs died in 2017 and 2018. Of the 110 adult lions, 43 died in 2017 and 67 in 2018. Thirty-eight cubs died in 2017 and 56 in 2018, the reply said. Of the 204 deaths, 27 (21 lions and six cubs) were because of "unnatural causes" such as falling into a well or being run over by a train, the minister said. Vasava also said that 331 leopards, including 75 cubs, died in Gujarat forests in the last two years, adding the state government was taking various steps to prevent deaths due to unnatural causes. Some of these preventive measures are building parapets around wells, fencing railway tracks, construction of speed
JSPL wins FICCI CSR Award for Women Empowerment
Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) has been honoured with the prestigious 'FICCI CSR Award' for Women Empowerment, a company release said Friday. JSPL won the award for its innovative and high impact women empowerment programmes, implemented by the companys CSR Arm - JSPL Foundation, across its operational areas in the country, the release said. Director, JSPL and the Co-Chairperson of JSPL Foundation Shallu Jindal received the award from Union Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu at a function held in Delhi on Thursday, it said. Shallu Jindal said JSPL Foundation strongly believes that women are the fulcrum of holistic improvement in the lives of families and the prime mover of development of the nation. "Our multi-dimensional women empowerment programmes are being implemented across the country covering more than six lakh women enhancing their quality of life and decision making power," she said.
Swede gets 4.5 years for royal jewels heist
A 22-year-old Swede was sentenced Friday to four and a half years in prison after he was convicted of stealing 17th-century Swedish royal treasures estimated to be worth 65 million kronor (USD 7 million) from a cathedral last year. The Eskiltuna District Court said Johan Nicklas Backstrom stole two crowns and an orb used at the funerals of King Karl IX and Queen Kristina. The jewels, dating from 1611, had been on display in Strangnas Cathedral, west of Stockholm. On the closing day of his trial last week, Backstrom confessed to stealing the items on July 31. His confession came after prosecutors said his DNA was found on the jewels, which were discovered February 5 in a garbage bin north of Stockholm. Backstrom said he cut himself when smashing the alarmed glass case during the theft. The court noted that the king's crown was damaged, and some of the ornamental stones had fallen off. The heist made international headlines because two thieves were seen dashing away from the ...
Beware of conmen collecting money claiming to represent us: Infosys Foundation
Infosys Foundation, the philanthropic arm of IT major Infosys, Friday said it has been alerted about certain entities collecting money claiming to represent the foundation, and appealed to public not to fall prey to such attempts. "It (the foundation) has been alerted about some individuals and groups engaged in collecting money from unsuspecting members of public, traders and other business entities claiming to represent the Infosys Foundation, and that the said contributions will go for the philanthropic activities of the foundation," Infosys said in a regulatory filing. It added that it also has copies of appeals for funds that have been typed on a fake letterhead of the foundation and bear forged signatures of Infosys Foundation Chairperson Sudha Murty. "Infosys Foundation is shocked by these activities. Infosys Foundation neither requests for nor accepts donations for its activities...The Foundation uses its own funds for all its projects and programmes," it said. It appealed to .
Keith Sequeira returns to anchoring
Actor-model Keith Sequeira is back to sports anchoring after five years.
Modi conferred with Seoul Peace Prize
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred the 14th Seoul Peace Prize at a function here on Friday.
PM Modi receives Seoul Peace Prize for 2018
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday received the prestigious Seoul Peace Prize for 2018 for his contribution to international cooperation and fostering global economic growth. The award was presented to him by the Seoul Peace Prize Foundation at a grand ceremony here. A short film on the life and achievements of Prime Minister Modi was also screened at the event. While conferring the award on Modi, the award committee recognised his contribution to the growth of Indian and global economies, crediting 'Modinomics' for reducing social and economic disparity between the rich and the poor. The committee also credited him for his contribution toward reginal and global peace through a proactive policy with countries around the world. Modi is the 14th recepient of the award and the past laureates included former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and renowned international relief organizations like Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam. The Seoul Peace Prize was .
Cardi B supports Khloe Kardashian amid cheating scandal
American rapper Cardi B is standing up for American reality star Khloe Kardashian.Khloe has officially called it quits with basketball player Tristan Thompson amid allegations of him cheating on her with Kylie Jenner's best friend Jordyn Woods, reported People.Cardi B defended Khloe and spoke out against the trolls, who are finding fun in the cheating scandal."Obviously this whole Khloe Kardashian thing...everybody is just like celebrating that that happened to her and it's like why?" the Grammy-winning rapper said in a recent Instagram Live.Cardi pointed out that Khloe had already faced a scandal like this before, referencing to the videos of Thompson that got leaked, in which he was seen getting close to another woman just days before Khloe welcomed their daughter True Thompson in April."Whatever karma that y'all felt like they deserve, I think they already have it, so it's like why do you guys keep wishing that on a woman? Especially a woman that has a daughter?," she asked.The ...
Student attempts suicide at university in AP
A 23-year-old man undergoing an internship programme at a state university attempted suicide on Thursday by consuming pesticide at the campus in Krishna district, police said. T Yuvaraju, who has completed BTech and is undergoing internship in Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge and Technology in Nuzvid, reportedly attempted to take the extreme step after he got to know that his mother was ill, police said. Yuvaraju's father had passed away last year. He hails from Macherla of Guntur district, police said. Nuzvid DSP told PTI that Yuvaraju was admitted to a government hospital here and his condition was slated to be normal.
After fight on Tinder, woman threatens to blow up Rashtrapati Bhavan; cops on lookout
A 30-year-old man, preparing for CA, ended up calling the Police Control Room after a woman he was in touch with on a dating app threatened to blow up the Rashtrapati Bhavan and warned of a nuclear attack on Delhi, police said Thursday. The man was jointly interrogated by the Intelligence Bureau, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police and officials of the local police station, they added. The man, a resident of Laxmi Nagar, is preparing for CA, said a senior police officer. He was chatting with a woman on Tinder and they had a fight on Wednesday. According to police, the woman then told him "you don't know who I am. When there will be a nuclear attack on Delhi and the Rashtrapati Bhavan will be blown up with a bomb, you will get to know". After that he stopped chatting, he informed the police around 10.30 pm, following which he was interrogated the whole night and let off on Thursday morning. The man is also suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and is undergoing treatment, ...
Looking forward to maiden stint in sports administration: Lt Gen Thodge
Lt. Gen. Ravi Thodge, who has been appointed the third member of the Committee of Administrators (CoA) running the BCCI, Thursday said he is looking forward to his maiden stint in sports administration. Thodge will join Chairman Vinod Rai and former women's captain Diana Edulji in the panel entrusted with the job of running the BCCI by the apex court. "I am absolutely honoured that I have been given this opportunity by the honourable SC to serve as CoA member," Thodge, who is expected to attend Friday's CoA meeting in New Delhi, told PTI. "I hope I can live up to whatever is expected of me. I have been actively involved in sporting activities during my time in the Indian Army. But yes, this is my first foray into sports administration," he added. According to his profile on a defence portal, Thodge, a Param Vishisht Seva Medal awardee, has been involved in counter-insurgency operations in Punjab, North East and Jammu and Kashmir. He was commissioned into 1st Gorkha Rifles in 1977 and .
Devendra Fadnavis is romantic, emotional person: Wife Amruta
The rough-and-tumble of politics may have made Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis appear a hard-nosed leader, but according to his wife, deep inside he is a romantic and emotional person. Amruta Fadnavis, a professional banker herself, shared nuggets of her personal life in a candid chat with actor Riteish Deshmukh at an event here and also broke into a popular Hindi romantic song with her smiling husband by her side, much to the delight of the audience. The event was organised by the Lokmat group Wednesday night. Asked whether Devendra Fadnavis (48), the first BJP chief minister of Maharashtra, is a romantic person at heart, Amruta was forthright in her reply. "He (Devendra) never notices what I wear or how my hairstyle is...or whether I have lost or gained weight. He is so engrossed loving me that he can not differentiate the changes in me...and therefore, I think he is very romantic person. "And the most romantic thing which he has given to me ...is my ...
Never stopped anyone from clicking Taimur's photos but constant attention not good: Kareena
Taimur Ali Khan is already a household name thanks to the constant media attention on the two-year-old but mother Kareena Kapoor Khan says the scrutiny is sometimes too much. The actor said while she and husband Saif Ali Khan don't believe in stopping the paparazzi from clicking pictures of their son, the media should be a little more responsible. When asked how does she look at the massive popularity of Taimur, Kareena told PTI, "We view it as something socially irresponsible because we have been such good parents, we haven't shied away, we never hid Taimur's face. In Hollywood, they don't allow children's faces to come (publish). But because Saif and I took the modern approach, we can't do that." The 38-year-old actor said both Saif and her don't want to to cover Taimur's face when they are out as it will "probably scar him more." "He would think 'what is happening?' I don't want him to grow up in that fear. I want him to grow up and fly, that's what parents want their children to ..
Modi unveils Gandhi's bust at South Korean university
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unveiled the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in South Korea's premier Yonsei University and said the occasion assumes greater significance in light of Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary.
India lose by not playing Pak in World Cup, says Gavaskar; urges Imran to act
India stand to lose by boycotting Pakistan in the upcoming World Cup, feels former captain Sunil Gavaskar, who said the country can continue to "hurt them" by shunning bilateral ties. Led by former India spinner Harbhajan Singh, calls for a complete cricketing boycott against Pakistan has grown ever since the terror attack in Pulwama last week killed more than 40 CRPF personnel. India are scheduled to play Pakistan on June 16 during the World Cup. "Who wins if India decide against playing Pakistan in the World Cup? And I am not even talking about the semis and the finals. Who wins? Pakistan win because they get two points," Gavaskar told 'India Today'. "India have so far beaten Pakistan every time in a World Cup, so we are actually conceding two points when by beating Pakistan, we could make sure that they don't advance in the competition. "(But) I am with the country, whatever the government decides, I am with it totally. If the country wants we shouldn't play Pakistan, I am with ...
HIGHLIGHTS AT 1400 HOURS
Following are the top stories at 2 pm TOP STORIES: LGD6 SC-LD RAFALE SC to consider listing of pleas seeking review of Rafale verdict New Delhi: The Supreme Court Thursday said it would consider listing of pleas seeking review of its December 14 verdict dismissing the need for an investigation into the deal to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets from France.
I don't like defining people or be defined: Lisa Ray
Actress Lisa Ray, who plays a lesbian in web series "Four More Shots Please", says she doesn't like the idea of labelling or defining people, especially when it comes to one's choice of partner.
Birth anniversary of Mother of Aurobindo Ashram observed
A large number of people from across the country thronged the Aurobindo Ashram here Thursday to pay homage to Mother (Mirra Alfasa), spiritual coordinator of saint-philosopher Sri Aurobindo, on the occasion of her 141st birth anniversary. Special arrangements were made for the people to offer tributes at the memorial. Mass meditation before the memorials of Aurobindo and the Mother were held. People were permitted to visit the chambers of the spiritual leaders. While Sri Aurobindo passed away on December 5, 1950, the Mother died on November 17, 1973. Sri Aurobindo established the ashram in 1926.
Kim Kardashian sues fashion company
Reality TV star Kim Kardashian West has filed a lawsuit against an online retailer for using her name and image without permission to advertise their own designs.