Welcome growth in Sikh,Indian communities in Victoria:Napthine
Victorian Premier Denis Napthine today paid his first-ever visit to a gurdwara here and acknowledged the growing role and contributions made by the Punjabi community in the key Australian state. Wearing a headgear as mark of respect in the Blackburn Gurdwara, Napthine walked across the premises along with his Multicultural Affairs minister Matthew Guy and Amita Gill, the first Sikh woman to stand for the state polls as a Liberal Party candidate.

Vizag will be developed on par with Hyderabad: Naidu
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minster N Chandrababu Naidu today said that Vizag, the largest city in the truncated state, will be developed on the lines of Hyderabad. Naidu, who arrived here from Vijayawada after the Collectors' Conference, said that emphasis will be laid on developing Tourism, Information Technology and Film industry in the district. It will be developed on par with Hyderabad, he said.

Jaswant Singh suffers head injury, in critical condition
Former BJP leader Jaswant Singh is in a critical condition after being operated upon for a head injury at the Army Research and Referral Hospital here following a fall at his residence. The 76-year-old former Defence Minister was admitted to the hospital at around 11 PM yesterday after he fell down, sources said.

3 killed in rain related incidents
Three persons were killed in separate rain related incidents in Kota and two others are trapped near Kural river in Bundi as heavy rainfall has thrown normal life out of gear causing flood like situation here. In the first incident, 16-year-old Shantanu Keswani, was electrocuted in Rajiv Nagar area of Kota last evening while he was returning from a coaching institute, Sub Inspector Suraj Singh said.

Govt says no politics behind sacking of Beniwal
Amid opposition charge of political vendetta in the sacking of Mizoram Governor Kamla Beniwal, Government today said the decision was prompted by "serious allegations" against her and insisted there was no politics behind it. Beniwal, who had a running battle with Narendra Modi when he was Gujarat Chief Minister, was sacked last night as Governor of Mizoram just two months before her tenure comes to an end.

Syndicate Bank shares slump after chairman's arrest
Shares of Syndicate Bank today plunged over 8 per cent after the CBI arrested its Chairman and Managing Director S K Jain for allegedly taking bribe of Rs 50 lakh for increasing credit limit of some companies. Syndicate Bank's scrip slumped 8.57 per cent to Rs 132.25 on the BSE. At the NSE, it tumbled 8.45 per cent to Rs 132.10.

Rupee gains 29 paise against dollar in early trade
The rupee recovered from over four-month low by strengthening 29 paise to 60.89 against the dollar in early trade today at the Interbank Foreign Exchange market on increased selling of the US currency. Forex dealers said a higher opening in the domestic equity market also supported the rupee but the dollar's gain against other currencies overseas limited the rise. The domestic currency had lost 63 paise to close at over four-month low of 61.

Air India to pay Rs 15K for loss of flyer's bag during flight
A consumer forum here has directed Air India to pay Rs 15,000 to a man for loss of his baggage during a flight from Kolkata to Delhi, saying it was imperfect and deficient in rendering services.

"Israel announces 7-hr humanitarian truce in Gaza"
Israel will hold its fire in most of the Gaza Strip for a seven-hour "humanitarian window" today, the military said, four weeks into its bloody conflict with Hamas. According to an army statement, the ceasefire will take place between 0700 GMT (1230 IST) and 1400 GMT (1930 IST) in all of the Palestinian enclave besides the area east of southern city Rafah, "where clashes were still ongoing and there was Israeli military presence.

Landslide disaster toll climbs to 109, 50 more feared trapped
With the recovery of three more bodies from under the massive landslide debris at Malin village near here, the death toll in the calamity has climbed to 109, even as the NDRF operation to locate possible survivors entered the sixth day today amid intermittent showers. The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has issued a advice to rescue team and district officials to evacuate remaining houses near the landslide site.

Indian hockey team to tour Bangladesh for 3-match series
Fresh from a Commonwealth Games silver medal in Glasgow, the Indian men's hockey team is now eyeing the Asian Games and will tour Bangladesh for a three-match series starting August 6 to tune-up for the challenge in Incheon, South Korea. The series is expected to provide international exposure to the young players just before the Asiad in South Korea from September 19 to October 4.

Woman drowned in a club swimming pool
A 30-year-old woman drowned in a swimming pool of a posh club near Garfa Bridge area in Howrah district, police said today. Suvanjita Basak (30), a resident of Garia in south 24 Parganas district, came to the club to attend a party and fell into its swimming pool in a drunken state last evening.

Efforts on to rescue boy trapped in borewell
Intense efforts were underway today to pull out a six-year-old boy trapped in an abandoned borewell at a farm in nearby Sulikeri village. Teams from National Disaster Relief Force, nearby Hutti gold mines and fire brigade were engaged in the operation to rescue Thimmanna Hatti, reportedly stuck at a depth of 160 feet in the 300 feet borewell, officials said.

14 aircraft grounded in 2014 after DGCA surprise checks
A total of 14 aircraft have been grounded by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation this year following surprise checks conducted as part of its oversight activity to ensure strict compliance of safety regulations. Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati said in Lok Sabha that the aircraft were grounded after DGCA conducted 55 surprise special surveillance drive till June. "Safety is a prime concern.

India to be developed as refinery hub: Govt
India refines more oil than the domestic requirement and the government seeks to develop the country as a refinery hub, Lok Sabha was informed today. Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said domestic requirement is 160 MMT, while India refines 215 MMT. He said it helps the country earn foreign exchange. Pradhan said the country also seeks to fulfil the need of SAARC countries and other developing economies.

Blackmailing case accused Ruksana, Bindhya surrender
Ruksana and Bindhya the main accused in the blackmailing sex racket case who have been absconding after released from jail have surrendered before police late Saturday. Police had issued look-out notice against the two. The two accused surrendered at the IG's office after they arrived there along with their lawyer. Ruksana and Bindhya have stated that they would reveal the big names involved in the case. Abdulla Kutty, MLA and former MLA, Sarathchandra Prasad have Hawala links. Both...

Ministers respond to queries on conditions of road
‘There are no roads in Kottayam, just potholes’ say the public. The situation is such that one cannot even walk there, leave alone driving. Have you seen the condition of the road? Don’t any of you travel this way? Why isn’t anything being done? When will the state of the roads improve? Given below are the responses of the people’s representatives including ministers from Kottayam district when Manorama approached them with these three questions. The people of...

Chicken in state are also given antibiotic
It has been found that chicken in the state are fed with antibiotics. The drugs which are applied to check diseases in poultry eventually lead to weight loss. So the chickens are then sold out soon after they are given the drugs, revealed some poultry farmers in the state. The Centre for Science and Environment which conducted a study in Delhi-NCR region has found several antibiotic residues in chickens. The use of antibiotics in poultry industry might be linked to growing antibiotic...

Salman Khan's 'Kick' collects Rs.178.28 crore in first week
Salman Khan's 'Kick' is not just ruling the silver screens in India but is also doing brisk business abroad. The film is now in the race of entering the top 10 highest Bollywood grossers overseas. According to a report in Koimoi, while it is about to enter the Rs 200 crore club soon, it has crossed Rs 50 crores at the overseas box office. As per the latest update on Koimoi, the film made Rs 26 crores on the first day of its release and stands at Rs 183. 7 crores at...

Holiday for schools in Palakkad, Idukki, Kottayam, Alappuzha
District collector in Idukki has declared holiday on Monday for all educational institutions including professional colleges in the district following heavy rains. In Kottayam all schools up to Plus Two have been given holiday on Monday. Meanwhile all educational establishments except professional colleges in Alappuzha district barring Kuttanad Taluk have been given holiday on Monday. In Kuttanad all educational institutions including professional colleges have been given holiday. In...

PM arrives in Nepal to a rousing welcome
With an aim of starting a "new chapter" in India's relations with Nepal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here today to a rousing welcome with his counterpart in a special gesture receiving him at the airport. Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to pay a bilateral visit to Nepal in 17 years, was received at the Tribhuvan International Airport here by Prime Minister Sushil Koirala who deviated from protocol for the purpose.

Nearly 200 missing after massive landslide in Nepal
Nearly 200 people were missing after a massive landslide in northeast Nepal that blocked Sunkoshi river, turning it into a huge lake and putting dozens of villages both in Nepal and India at risk of flash floods. A huge hill had suddenly collapsed at last morning burying 100 homes before dumping mud and stones into the Sunkoshi river at Mankha village in Sindhupalchowk district, 75 km northeast of the capital Kathmandu.

20-year-old woman's body found in Muzaffarnagar
The body of a 20-year-old woman, who was allegedly abducted along with her sister, was found at Kairana town in Shamli district here, police said today. The 20-year-old woman, identified as Shiba, is suspected to have been strangulated to death by some unidentified persons. Her body was found yesterday, they said. Shiba and her sister Rizwana(15) were allegedly abducted by 12 people from Kairana town on July 25.

Welfare board for transgenders in limbo
Maharashtra Government's proposal to set up a welfare board for the transgender community is not moving ahead for want of exact population of the third gender. The proposal has been prepared by the Women and Child Development Department (WCD) and sent to Planning Department, which is suppose to earmark funds for the body and clear it for submission before the State Cabinet.

Incessant rains damage houses, bridges in Koraput
At least 235 houses, four bridges and 10 small culverts were damaged in incessant rains that lashed Odisha's Koraput district between July 27 and July 29. District Emergency Officer of Koraput Rameswar Pradhan said today that Jeypore and Borigumma blocks were the worst-hit in the downpour that threw normal life out of gear.

Non-lethal weapons to continue at Indo-Bangla border: BSF DG
The Border Security Force, which guards the Indian border with Bangladesh, has decided to deploy more non-lethal weapons with its patrol troops as it feels the practice is helping maintain security at the frontier. "Bangladesh is a friendly neighbour and I think the policy to use non-lethal weapons on this frontier should continue. There is no need to review this arrangement for the time being," BSF chief D K Pathak told PTI.

Bail plea of riot accused rejected
A local court has rejected the bail plea of a man accused of murdering a villager during the riots in the district last year. Additional District and Sessions Judge Jitender Kumar yesterday rejected the bail plea of the accused Kala alias Vijai in the murder case in Kharad village of the district.

Rainfall deficiency in Punjab at 59 pc, Haryana 55 pc
Punjab and Haryana, the two leading agrarian states of the country, have received poor monsoon rains this year so far with deficit as high as 59 and 55 per cent respectively. Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, has also received poor rains this season with a deficit of 52 per cent, a MeT Department official told PTI. According to the data available between June 1-August 2 this year, Punjab had received a rainfall of 100.

Stupid justice: Anderson, Jadeja found not guilty by ICC Judicial Commissioner
England fast bowler James Anderson and India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja have been found not guilty of breaching the International Cricket Council (ICC) code of conduct and are free to play in next week's fourth Test. The ICC made the announcement after a six-hour video-conference hearing on Friday into an alleged incident during the first Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. "Witnesses, including some Indian and English players, provided evidence and were cross-examined by the...

Apex court tells govt to fast-track criminal cases
The Supreme Court Friday asked the government to fast-track the criminal justice system in India for ensuring good governance and gave it four weeks time to come out with a comprehensive framework on how the task could be achieved. A bench headed by Chief Justice RM Lodha said speedy disposal of criminal cases cannot be a piece-meal effort. Earmarking courts to hear special cases such as those involving lawmakers or senior citizens and women-related offences was not the...