India's largest selling Urdu weekly, now also in English
The Indian women’s kabaddi team registered their second win at the ongoing 2018 Asian Games as they defeated Thailand 33-23 here on Monday.
Led by raider Payel Chaudhari, the Indian eves rode on their attack to lead the first half 12-10.
They also dominated the second half as their raiders were successful in breaking the opponent’s weak defence and the team finished the game 33-23.
India had earlier crushed Japan 43-12 in their campaign opener on Sunday.
[IANS]
Saudi Meteorology Authority announced on Sunday of the possibility of floods in Mecca because of medium to heavy thundery rain, the Al Akhbariya reported.
No warning was issued concerning the safety of pilgrims who will leave for Arafat area by the dawn of Monday.
Al Arabiya’s images and videos on social media showed the Kaaba’s Kiswa, an embroidered cloth that wraps around Islam’s most sacred site, being moved out of place due to the high winds in Mecca on Sunday evening.
Hajj season is being managed in Saudi with tight security and high safety standards to ensure the wellbeing of pilgrims.
The Kerala government on Sunday informed the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) that the situation in the flood-ravaged state was gradually improving, even as some rainfall was forecast for the coastal state from Monday onwards.
The information was shared in an NCMC review meeting — the forth consecutive meeting since August 16 — which was attended by Secretaries of Defence, Health, Civil Aviation, Food Processing and Power Ministries, Chairman of Railway Board and senior officers of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The NCMC meeting is held to coordinate rescue and relief operations in Kerala.
“Kerala Chief Secretary (Tom Jose) participated in the NCMC meeting through videoconference. He said that the situation is gradually improving (in Kerala),” said the Union Home Ministry on Sunday.
A Ministry statement said that “India Meteorological Department has forecast less rainfall from Monday onwards in Kerala”.
Cabinet Secretary P.K. Sinha, during the meeting, directed all Ministries concerned to focus on emergency supplies of food, water, medicines and restoration of essential services as flood waters recede.
He said thousands of defence force personnel, NDRF and paramilitary forces were engaged in rescue and relief operations with support of dozens of helicopters, aircraft, and motorboats and the “operations will continue till the situation becomes normal”.
The Indian Railways said that two special trains will be run on Monday from Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam to Kolkata and that the train services are expected to be restored on all lines in Kerala by Monday evening.
The Railways said it would provide blankets and bedsheets to the affected people in Kerala.
“A train with 14,00,000 litres of water and a Navy ship with 800,000 litres of water will reach Kerala by Monday. Commercial flights will also start operating from Kochi Naval Base from Monday. All logistic arrangements have been put in place. Over 50,000 metric tonnes of food grains have made available, with more quantities in the pipeline. Arrangements are being made to airlift 100 metric tonnes of pulses by Mondy, with more to be sent by train.
“Over 9,300 kilolitres of kerosene has been made available while another 12,000 kilolitres will be allocated. The LPG bottling plant in Kochi has also been reopened,” the NCMC was told.
The Civil Aviation officials informed the NCMC that Air India has offered to airlift relief material free of cost, while the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that it was airlifting 60 tonnes of medicines on Monday and put six specialised medical teams on standby in the state.
The NCMC, which commenced its meetings on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s directions, will meet again on Monday.
In the worst ever torrential rains in Kerala in this monsoon season, 370 lives have been lost and 724,649 persons evacuated to 5,645 camps so far.
Sixteen members of newly-elected Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s 21-strong cabinet took oath at a ceremony held on Monday at the President House here.
President Mamnoon Hussain administered the oath to the nominated federal ministers, reports Dawn news.
The new cabinet comprises 16 federal ministers and five advisers.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) vice chairman Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi will be the country’s new foreign minister, a position which he previously held between 2008-13 under then President Asif Zardari and former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
Qureshi had resigned from the cabinet after developing differences with the party leadership during a reshuffle in the cabinet.
Asad Umar has been made Minister for Finance and Revenue whereas the portfolio of the Information and Broadcasting has been given to PTI’s information secretary Fawad Chaudhry.
Ghulam Sarwar Khan, who defeated Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) estranged leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in the July 25 elections in two constituencies, has been allocated the portfolio of Petroleum Ministry.
Shireen Mazari has been given the portfolio of human rights, whereas former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak is the country’s new Defence Minister.
Meanwhile, the new Prime Minister has retained the vast interior portfolio, for at least the time being.
Khan was sworn-in as Pakistan’s 22nd Prime Minister on Saturday, in a ceremony marking the second peaceful democratic transition from one civilian government to another in the country’s 71-year history.
India’s women’s hockey team began its 18th Asian Games campaign in an emphatic fashion, flooring hosts Indonesia 8-0 in a Pool A contest at the Gelora Bung Karno Hockey Field here on Sunday.
Drag-flicker Gurjit Kaur scored a hat-trick in the 17th, 22nd and 57th minutes, while striker Vandana Katariya (14th and 28th), Navneet Kaur (25th and 50th) and Udita (nint) scored the goals for India.
For Indonesia, it was a tough debut in the Asian Games for their women’s hockey team as it came up against the continent’s top-ranked side which had claimed a bronze medal at the 2014 Asiad.
India started the first quarter by winning three consecutive penalty corners in the first six minutes, but the Indonesian defence did well to block the first two attempts and the third attempt saw Gurjit force a save by the Indonesian goalkeeper Selly Amalia Florentina.
In the 9th minute though, Namita Toppo’s shot from the edge of the circle was stopped by the Florentina but Udita put the rebound into the back of the net to give India the lead.
India continued to dominate the possession in the later stages of the first period and extended their lead in the 14th minute as Vandana played a one-two with Navjot Kaur inside the striking circle before producing a fine finish to make it 2-0 for India.
Gurjit then joined the party by converting two penalty corners in the 17th and 22nd minute to make it 4-0.
The Indian team kept thriving forward and the fifth goal arrived soon when Navneet wriggled past two Indonesian defenders and got a reverse shot away, which made its way into the back of net in the 25th minute.
Three minutes later, Vandana converted from a penalty corner to mark India’s sixth goal inside the half-time.
The Indian team earned two more penalty corners in the early stages of the third quarter, but the Indonesian defence held firm to keep out the Indians.
In the 37th minute, captain Rani Rampal forced the Indonesian goalkeeper to make a double save, and then earn her team another penalty corner. However, Rani’s resulting shot was well saved by Florentina again.
A minute later, India won another penalty corner which was taken by Gurjit Kaur but hit the first rusher’s body and was deemed dangerous by the umpire.
The start of the fourth quarter saw India win four consecutive penalty corners in the 49th minute as they kept the pressure on their opponents, but the visitors could not make the most of their opportunities as Indonesia defended well.
However, it was Navneet who scored her second goal in the 50th minute as she deflected Monika’s pass from the right flank into the back of the net.
Gurjit then completed her hat-trick in the 57th minute to end India’s scoring in the match as Sjoerd Marijne-coached side eased to an 8-0 triumph.
[IANS]
The Indian women badminton team is out of the medal race in the 2018 Asian Games as they lost 1-3 to Japan in the Women’s Team quarterfinal event here on Monday.
Out of the four games, only P.V. Sindhu was able to win as she defeated Akane Yamaguchi 21-18, 21-19.
In two other women’s double affair, Sikki Reddy, who teamed up with Arathi Sara, went down in straight games to Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hiroto 15-21, 6-21.
The other pair comprising P.V. Sindhu and Ashwini Ponnappa lost 13-21, 12-21 to Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahasi.
In another single, Nozomi Okuhara beat Saina Nehwal 21-11, 23-25, 21-16 as Japan advanced to the semifinals.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi along with his mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi paid homage to his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 74th birth anniversary on Monday.
They were accompanied by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, her husband Robert Vadra to the Veer Bhumi here, where many Congress veterans and leaders, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also paid tributes at the Rajiv Gandhi Samadhi.
Rahul Gandhi tweeted his father was “a kind, gentle and affectionate man whose untimely death left a deep void in my life”.
“I remember the times we had together and the many birthdays we were lucky to celebrate with him when he was alive. He is greatly missed, but his memory lives on,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tribute to Rajiv Gandhi. “Tributes to our former Prime Minister Shri Rajiv GandhiJi on his birth anniversary. We remember his efforts towards the nation.”
Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ashok Gehlot also visited the former Prime Minister’s memorial and paid tributes.
All India Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted: “Fondly remembering our former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhiji on his birth anniversary”.
Born on this day in 1944, Rajiv Gandhi served as the seventh Prime Minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He took to office after the 1984 assassination of his mother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
He was the youngest Prime Minister of India at 40. He was assassinated by a suicide bomber in 1991 in Tamil Nadu’s Sriperumbudur during an election campaigning.
At least five people were killed and 40 others injured as two quakes measuring 6.5 and 6.9 on the Richter scale jolted Indonesia’s Lombok Island where several previous tremors have already claimed over 400 lives since July, an official said on Monday.
The jolts on Sunday morning and night amplified damages resulted from the 6.4 and 7.0 magnitude quakes hitting the island earlier on July 27 and August 5, head of emergency unit of disaster management agency Agung Pramudja said.
The latest figure put the total death toll from the quakes since July 27 to at least 465.
The official said that a preliminary report indicated that at least 200 houses were seriously destroyed by the temblor.
“The shakes incited significant damages and many residents have fled home and taken shelters in makeshift encampment,” he told Xinhua.
The official said that the assessment of the further risks of the jolts is being undertaken.
No tsunami alert was issued.
The first quake struck the island at 11.10 a.m. with epicentre at 32 km East Lombok of West Nusa Tenggara province in western parts of the island and a depth of 10 km, the agency said.
The second one took place at 9.56 p.m. with an epicentre at 30 km northeast East Lombok district of West Nusa Tenggara province and a depth of 10 km, it said.
Indonesia is prone to quake as it lies on a vulnerable quake-hit zone of “the Pacific Ring of Fire”.
Fifteen people were injured on Monday in a road accident in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, police said.
Two vehicles collided head-on at around 8 a.m. in Mandi area.
“The injured have been shifted to hospital,” the police added.
Actor Harshvardhan Kapoor has his goals set when it comes to choosing films — a script that reads new to him. He says that he is not here to revamp movies that others have been doing for long.
“I feel like doing films basis whatever inspires me on the page. I am not here to do movies that others have been doing for a long time and repackage, revamp the same and present it to the audience.
“I am here to do new films, and if I read something on the page that I have never read before… that gets me going to ‘want’ to do it. I want to do new things,” Harshvardhan told IANS in an e-mail interview.
The actor unveiled the Fall Winter 2018 collection of the brand Reebok in Mumbai last week. He and actress Esha Gupta were the muses of stylist Tanya Ghavri who conducted a “Fashionably Fit” Masterclass where she picked the top looks and styles from the collection giving attendees “must haves” for their wardrobe this season.
The 27-year-old actor, who made his Bollywood debut with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s 2016 film “Mirzya”, was last seen in “Bhavesh Joshi Superhero” on the big screen.
Asked how much does the box office success matter to him, he said: “I have always worn my heart on my sleeve and jumped head-first into ideas that excite me. When I’m choosing films to work on, the first question I ask myself is, does this story stir my passion?
“And the next question is, can I do justice to the character and his contribution to the story? If the answer to these questions is a yes! I’m all in.
“If the the genre of the film or the story itself makes it a blockbuster, that’s a bonus that I don’t always account for. In such cases, I would count my blessings and continue to choose films that I truly believed in, hoping that my work speaks for itself.”
He also said that a low budget well scripted film will be his first choice.
“I think it is always about the sincerity and honesty with which you do something. You should never attempt to do something average, it can be bad or good, but at least you know you tried to do something different,” said the son of actor Anil Kapoor.
So how often does he take his father’s advice while selecting roles?
“I always take his advice and talk to him about film choices on a daily basis. However, when you say yes to a film, you have to be on set and believe it in yourself. The belief is very important and eventually my choices are always mine,” he said.
Nowadays, the industry is seeing a great experimentation in the roles taken on by female actors. Does he see something similar happening with the male actors?
“I would like to see the big, mainstream actors experiment with their roles. I feel I have done that being a newcomer and of course, have seen Alia (Bhatt) and Sonam (Kapoor) doing it all the time in their choice of roles.
“Once you are a movie star, there is a certain pressure because of a loyal fan base and they want to see you in a certain way. Luckily, I am a newcomer and don’t have those kind of expectations right now and can experiment with my roles.
“However, if the big stars do this, it exposes new films to the audience and we need to take new genres to a wider audience so, I would like to see it more,” he said.
How “fashionably fit” is he in day-to-day life?
“Have you met my dad? If that man doesn’t give you serious fitness goals, no-one ever will. Living with him has been a constant source of inspiration for me. I’ve come to understand, appreciate and respect the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
“If we expect our bodies to perform miracles, we need to nourish them with the right fuel and maintenance. Not only is this crucial to our performance, but it’s key to our peace of mind and general sense of well-being,” said Harshavardhan.