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4 Indian nurses among 16 dead in gun attack on Yemen care home

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Yemen

Aden: Four Indian nurses were among at least 16 people killed today when gunmen opened fire at an elderly care home in Yemen’s main southern city of Aden, security officials said.

Four gunmen stormed the care home in Aden’s Sheikh Othman district, killing a guard and shooting randomly at residents, the officials told AFP. Dozens of stricken family members arrived at the site following the attack, witnesses said.

One official said the attackers were “extremists” and blamed the Islamic State group, which has been gaining ground in Aden in recent months.

But no group claimed responsibility for the attack, the first of its kind in Yemen, where the internationally- recognised government is grappling with an Iran-backed rebellion on one side and a growing jihadist presence on the other.

President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi has declared Aden Yemen’s temporary capital as Sanaa remains in the hands of the Huthi rebels and their allies since they seized it in September 2014.

Al-Qaeda and IS have stepped up attacks in Aden despite the efforts of the government and its backers in a Saudi-led coalition battling the Huthis and their allies to secure it.

However, most of the jihadists’ attacks have targeted coalition forces and pro-government Yemeni troops.

On Monday, a suicide car bombing, also in Sheikh Othman, hit a gathering of loyalist forces killing four people and wounding five others, according to a security official said.

On February 17, a suicide bombing claimed by IS killed 14 soldiers. The rebels controlled Aden for months before government loyalists pushed them out in July.

Because of the unrest gripping Aden, Hadi himself and many senior officials in his government spend most of their time in Riyadh.

(AFP)

Former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma passes away

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P A Sangma

New Delhi: Former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno Agitok Sangma died of a heart attack here on Friday. He was 68.

Parliament sources said the end came this morning after he suffered a heart attack.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan announced the news of his death in the House, which was adjourned for the day.

While expressing deep grief over Sangma’s passing away, Ms. Mahajan said he knew how to run the House with a smile and “I learnt this from him.”

“A man of masses, Sangma strove relentlessly for the amelioration of the marginalised sections,” the Speaker said.

Condoling the death of Sangma, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “a self-made leader whose contribution towards the development of the North East is monumental.

Saddened by his demise.Sangma’s tenure as Lok Sabha Speaker “is unforgettable”. His down-to-earth personality and affable nature endeared him to many,” he said, adding “Sangmaji was deeply influenced by Netaji Bose.”

Sangma was a nine-time member of Lok Sabha and the Speaker in the 11th Lok Sabha. He had also held important portfolios in the central government.

He was also the Chief Minister of Meghalaya from 1988 to 1990 and Leader of Opposition in the assembly from 1990 to 1991.

Born on September 1, 1947 in village Chapahati in the picturesque West Garo Hills District of Meghalaya, Sangma grew up in the small tribal village and struggled hard to rise in life.

After completing his graduation from St Anthony’s College, he went to Dibrugarh University in Assam for his Masters degree in International Relations. Subsequently, he also obtained a degree in Law.

A Congressman who was one of the founding members of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), was expelled from it in July 2012 when he refused to accept his party’s decision to quit the race for India’s President. In January 2013, he had formed the National People’s Party.

(Agencies)

Assembly polls in 5 states from April 4 to 16, counting on May 19

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Nasim Zaidi- Chief Election Commisioner. File photo: PTI

Nasim Zaidi- Chief Election Commisioner. File photo: PTI

New Delhi: The elections to five state assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry will be held between April 4 and May 16 and counting of votes on May 19, the Election Commission announced today.

Assam will go to polls in two phases on April 4 and 11 while election in West Bengal will be held in six phases on April 4 and 11 (under Phase one), 17, 21, 25, 30 and May 5.

The single-phase elections for Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry assemblies will be held on May 16, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi told a press conference here.

Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry assemblies have 126, 140, 234, 294 and 30 constituencies respectively.

The elections will also see for the first time a symbol, which has been created by the National School of Design, allotted to NOTA (None of the above) that will be placed at the bottom of the list of candidates.

Noting that voters are in the focus of the Commission, Zaidi said all booths will have seven basic facilities and there will also be all-women polling booths.

Mobile squads will have GPS-fitted vehicles and be accompanied by central forces to ensure that they quickly attend to complaints.

(Agencies)

Farmers block roads in protest in Bengaluru

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freedom_park

Bengaluru: Traffic movement on the busy Kempegowda International Airport Road had come to stand still when thousands of farmers driving tractors marched into the city to lay siege to the Vidhana Soudha, demanding permanent water solution for Kolar and Chickballapur districts.

Although the situation is under control now, earlier, farmers got agitated when the police tried to barricade their entry into the city. The police also lathi-charged to disperse the agitating farmers after the latter tried to break the barricades.

The police agreed to their demands and allowed them to park their tractors at Palace Grounds. The protestors, then, marched to Freedom Park.

(Agencies)

Iba Halal Care: India’s first halal cosmetics brand launched in Bengaluru

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Iba Halal Care

Bengaluru: After scoring success in Gujarat and Aurangabad, Iba Halal Care now opens its franchisee store in Bengaluru near Safina Plaza, Commercial Street area; this marks the brand’s entry into Southern India market. Iba Halal Care – India’s first halal cosmetics brand was launched in Ahmedabad with two company-owned stores in Sept 2014. This was followed by stores in Surat, Vadodara and Aurangabad.

Halal cosmetics are a new range of beauty and personal care products that are free of non-halal ingredients such as alcohol, pig fat and other animal derived ingredients, and harmful chemicals like sulfates and parabens.

Iba Halal Care

Iba Halal Care

“India is home to world’s second largest Muslim population, yet there is no cosmetics brand in the market that caters adequately to the ethical needs of this large consumer segment. Iba Halal Care aims to fill this gap by making available a range of Halal certified products that are also vegan and cruelty-free to offer peace of mind to Muslims as well as vegetarians”, says Mauli Teli, CEO and Managing Partner at Ecotrail Personal Care, the company which has launched Iba Halal Care in the market.

Halal is an Arabic word for ‘that which is lawful or permitted’. The concept of Halal is rooted in science and ensures that all products are free from impurities, are ethical, safe and effective.

Iba offers over 80 products for head to toe halal care – face creams, lotions, hair oil, shampoos and conditioners, lipsticks, kajal, foundations, hair colors, soaps, attars, men’s deos, exotic fragrances and more. Unlike ordinary personal care and cosmetic products each Iba product is certified halal as a proof of its quality standard and purity. Iba is unique since it is not only a halal certified range but is vegan and cruelty-free as well.

“Careful research and high quality standards have been maintained throughout development and manufacturing to ensure that our products have Halal integrity, are of world class quality and are safe and effective for daily use”, highlights Grishma Teli, VP of R&D and Managing Partner at Ecotrail Personal Care. “Source of every ingredient going into our products is thoroughly researched and confirmed to ensure that our products are 100% free of non-halal ingredients such as pig fat, other animal derived ingredients, alcohol as well as harsh chemicals”.

“What has found great acceptance across consumers in Ahmedabad and other cities where there are Iba stores and among online buyers across the country is the high quality standards and affordable prices at which Iba products are available – Rs. 40 – Rs. 350. This is indeed an advantage to a large segment of customers”, says Ali Hussain Momin, founder of Ummat Infomedia and a regular Iba customer.

Iba Halal Care products are also becoming available through shop-in-shop counters in local supermarkets. Mr. Nadeem Jafri, founder of Hearty Mart Supermarkets in Gujarat says “We have launched Iba products in our supermarket chain across Central & North Gujarat; given its high quality and affordable price range, Iba is finding acceptance in consumers and its own space amongst other cosmetics brands that are sold in our shops”.

Mr. Dilip Vadgama, Chief Operating Officer, Ecotrail Personal Care says “the halal trigger in cosmetics has led to consumers switching to Iba products. Majority of customers coming to our store appreciate the quality and value that the brand offers and hence are not only loyal customers but they also buy a variety of products from us such as fairness cream, face wash, hair oil, fragrances. Lipsticks are their favorite as they didn’t have a halal option available and can now use them with ease. We have also made Iba products available in many leading cosmetics and medical stores across Aurangabad which has substantially added to their sales”.

In order to meet demand and increase accessibility to Iba products across cities and in smaller towns, the company also offers a ‘shop-in-shop’ model. Currently the brand is available in 100+ cosmetics shops, medical stores and supermarkets in Western India.

Company plans are underway to further expand into South India with franchisee stores planned in Mysore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kozhikode and Mallapuram among other cities. Till then the consumers can meet their need for halal cosmetics through online purchases from Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, Purplle & Nykaa.

Iran: GCC’s terrorist label for Hezbollah is a mistake

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Tehran says decision to label the Lebanese group a terrorist organisation undermines peace and the unity of Lebanon.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said Iran was 'proud' of Hezbollah [Misha Japaridze/AP]

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said Iran was ‘proud’ of Hezbollah [Misha Japaridze/AP]

by Al Jazeera

Iran’s deputy foreign minister has said that a decision by a Saudi-led bloc of Gulf Arab states to label the Lebanese group Hezbollah a terrorist organisation was a “mistake”.

Iranian state TV on Thursday quoted Hossein Amir Abdollahian as saying that the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) move would undermine peace in the region and the unity of Lebanon.

He said it was a “new mistake” by the GCC and that Iran was “proud” of Hezbollah.

On Wednesday, GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif al-Zayani said that the six Gulf monarchies took the decision because “the [Hezbollah] militia recruited young people [from the Gulf] for terrorist acts”.

Hezbollah, a Shia political organisation with an armed wing, fights in neighbouring Syria to support the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

The Sunni-dominated GCC comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Gulf nations have taken a series of measures against Hezbollah since Saudi Arabia last month halted a $4bn programme funding French military supplies to Beirut.

Hezbollah is backed by Saudi Arabia’s regional rival Iran, with whom relations have worsened this year. The two nations are on opposing sides in conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

Announcing the military funding cut last month, a Saudi official said that the kingdom had noticed “hostile Lebanese positions resulting from the stranglehold of Hezbollah on the state”.

Riyadh would be conducting “a comprehensive review of its relations with the Lebanese republic”, the unnamed official told the AFP news agency.

He specifically cited Lebanon’s refusal to join the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in condemning attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran in January.

Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran after demonstrators set fire to its embassy and a consulate following the Saudi execution of a prominent Shia cleric.

‘Spare Lebanon’

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah lashed out at Saudi Arabia during a televised speech on Tuesday.

“The kingdom is trying to put pressure on the Lebanese to try to silent us but we will not be silent on the crimes the Saudis are committing in Yemen and elsewhere,” Nasrallah said.

“Does Saudi Arabia have the right to punish Lebanon, its state and its army because a certain party has decided to raise its voice?” he asked.

“If they have a problem with us, let them keep it with us, and let them spare Lebanon and the Lebanese,” Nasrallah added.

Jamal Abdullah, head of the Gulf Studies Unit at the Al Jazeera Centre for Studies, said he did not believe that the Gulf decisions targeted Lebanon as a whole.

“The relations between Gulf states and Lebanon are governed by diplomatic norms and strong links from their shared membership in the Arab League,” Abdullah said.

The GCC supported Hezbollah throughout the past three decades in its resistance against Israel. However, the bloc has always condemned Hezbollah’s military intervention in Syria.

“This was a milestone in the nature of the relationship between Hezbollah and Gulf countries,” Abdullah said.

Two-wheeler taxi services uberMOTO, Ola Bike launched

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ubermoto

Bengaluru: Leading app-based cab aggregator rivals Uber and Ola on Thursday launched pilot on-demand two-wheeler taxi services uberMOTO and Ola Bike, respectively.

“We are very excited to pilot uberMOTO in Bangalore — pairing our on-demand technology platform with motorbikes… uberMOTO will offer another affordable mobility option that will help people save time and money while helping cut congestion in our cities over time,” said Uber India president Amit Jain in a statement.

uberMOTO’s minimum fare is pegged at Rs.15 followed by Rs.3 per km and Re.1 per minute of travel time.

About Ola’s motorcycle taxi offering Ola Bike, COO Pranay Jivrajka said: “We are excited to launch the pilot of Ola Bike in Bangalore today.”

“This will help users get to where they want to be within minutes, especially in traffic-prone cities like ours,” Jivrajka said.

Ola Bike comes with a minimum fare of Rs.30, Rs.2 per km and Re.1 per minute of trip time.

Both uberMOTO and Ola Bike motorcycle taxis have made arrangement to provide helmets to pillion riders and put safety measures like driver details displayed upfront, SOS, GPS tracking, two-way feedback and the ability to share trip details with family and friends in place.

Uber also highlighted that two-wheeler owners can become drivers on its platform and recoup expenses for their trips.

Currently, uberMOTO is available at Jakkur, Banaswadi, Whitefield, Sarjapura, Begur, Kothnur, Hosakerehalli, Vijaya Nagar and Yeshwantpur areas in Bengaluru.

(IANS)

SBI seeks Vijay Mallya’s arrest, seizure of passport: Report

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Vijay Mallya. Photo: Reuters

Vijay Mallya. Photo: Reuters

Mumbai: Top state-run lender State Bank of India (SBI) has sought arrest of Vijay Mallya, and also impounding of his passport, as the bank approached Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) seeking action against the UB Group promoter for defaulting on loans.

State Bank of India, which heads the consortium of 17 lenders to the grounded Kingfisher Airlines, moved the Debt Recovery Tribunal in Bengaluru against the airline’s chairman Mallya in its bid to recover over Rs. 7,000-crore dud loans from him.

According to sources, SBI has moved four applications at the DRT in Bangalore, seeking impounding Mallya’s passport, getting him arrested, securing the lenders’ first right on the payout from Diageo and getting full disclosure of his assets in the country and abroad.

The immediate objective of the lenders moving the DRT is to secure a first right on the $75 million severance package that Mallya will be getting for quitting Diageo-owned United Spirits (USL) as its chairman last week.

An SBI official confirmed to Press Trust of India that they have moved the DRT seeking right on $75 million severance package, as the borrower Mallya who has already been declared by the bank a wilful defaulter, has decided to leave the country and settle down in London.

Mallya and Kingfisher Airlines owed Rs. 7,800 crore to a consortium of 17 lenders led by State Bank which had an exposure of over Rs. 1,600 crore to the now defunct airline.

Since January 2012, the loan was not serviced. Other lenders include Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Federal Bank, Uco Bank and Dena Bank among others. Last year, SBI declared Mallya as wilful defaulter. Last month, Punjab National Bank had also declared him, his group holding company United Breweries Holdings and the long-defunct Kingfisher Airlines as wilful defaulters.

As part of a deal, Diageo said it would pay $40 million immediately to Mallya with the balance being payable in equal installments over the next five years. It will also absolve Mallya of all liabilities over alleged financial lapses at the company founded by his family.

Last year Diageo auditors had found that Mallya had diverted Rs. 7,200 crore of United Spirits Limited (USL) funds to the airline, which was again diverted elsewhere.

The England-based Diageo is the majority shareholder of USL with a 54.78 per cent holding, excluding the 2.38 per cent owned by the USL Benefit Trust.

Mallya personally held a small stake of 0.01 per cent in USL at the end of December 2015, while his group firms owned further 3.99 per cent stake. However, more than half of these shares are pledged with banks.

The 17-member lenders consortium led by SBI has also decided to auction Kingfisher House in Mumbai on March 17 this year in a bid to recover a part of Rs. 6,963 crore debt due from Kingfisher, as lenders since January 2012 has recovered around Rs. 1,200 crore by selling pledged shares of group companies and other physical assets.

Banks are charging 15.5 per cent compounded interest on this principal amount, which has not been serviced since January, 2012.

(PTI)

No direct link of Kanhaiya with anti-India slogans: DM’s report

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Kanhaiya-Kumar

New Delhi: “No direct link” has been found between Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and anti-India sloganeering at the campus on February 9, said a Delhi government report.

“I have submitted the report to the Delhi government late last (Wednesday) night,” District Magistrate, New Delhi, Sanjay Kumar, who conducted the inquiry, told IANS.

The report also stated that the role of Umar Khalid, another JNU student accused of raising anti-India slogans, needs to be further investigated.

“Umar Khalid was visible in many videos. His support for the role of Kashmir and Afzal Guru is known and he was the organiser of the event. His role needs to be further investigated,” the report states.

Sanjay Kumar refused to divulge the details but an official privy to the report, who did not want to be named, said: “The DM report says they could not find any link between what Kanhaiya Kumar said and the anti-India slogans raised at the gathering.

“No witness or video available to me could support allegation against him,” Sanjay Kumar stated in the report.

But the official said that “anti-India slogans were indeed raised in the campus. There is no doubt about it”.

“Anti-national slogans were indeed raised on the campus of the JNU. The university administration has identified few faces who were clearly heard raising anti-India slogans. Whereabouts of them should be found out and their role must be investigated further,” the report stated.

The official said that seven videos were sent to Truth Labs, Hyderabad, of which three were found to be doctored. “In those doctored versions, video has been edited and voices added,” the official said.

The state government had ordered a magisterial probe into the matter on February 13.

On February 9, a cultural event was organised at JNU to commemorate the hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

During the event, anti-India slogans were allegedly raised, following which JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested by Delhi Police on February 12.

Kanhaiya Kumar was granted interim bail for six months by Delhi High Court on Wednesday.

(IANS)

W Bengal: 800 fall ill after eating ‘prasad’ served in a ceremony

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Prasad

Barasat: About 800 people have fallen ill after consuming ‘prasad’ distributed in a religious function at Mitpukuria in North-24 parganas district, a health official said today.

The affected people include those from neigbouring villages of Kalikapur, Sardarhati and Mallikpara.

They all complained of stomach pain, loose motion and vomiting after eating ‘prasad’ at the ceremony on Tuesday night, the district’s Chief Medical Officer (Health) Proloy Acharya said.

All 800 of them were admitted to several hospitals and Primary Health Centres on the following day, he added.

About 300 people continued to be under treatment in different health facilities including the Barasat hospital, Acharya said adding, that even today many people are coming for treatment with similar ailments.

The Health department has collected samples of the ‘prasad’ served on Tuesday, he said.

(PTI)

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