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Bengaluru: Pro-kannada organistaion is planning for a Bengaluru bandh on February 4 and a state bandh on January 25.
It has been reported that PM Modi will be in the city on February 4 and the activist are holding a bandh demanding his intervention in solving the disputes in Mahadayi case.
Addressing the media, the committee mentioned that they are planning for a Karnataka Bandh that is from 6 am to 6 pm on January 25 and Bengaluru Bandh on February 4.
(Agencies)
Heera Gold’s Founder & CEO Dr. Nowhera Shaik was presented with the Asian Arab Award 2018 in Bangalore on Monday. Dr. Nowhera Shaik received the award for her outstanding contribution in the field of Business & Entrepreneurship.
The Asian Arab Awards is nominated by the Jury from more than 21 countries and Dr. Nowhera Shaik was chosen for the landmark service given to the cause of social service and Entrepreneurship.
Asian Arab Chamber of Commerce (AACC) is focusing on strengthening economic, commercial and cultural relations between Asia and Middle East continent. To deepen this economic engagement, the governments of India and various countries have established institutional mechanisms and entered into agreements aimed at providing added impetus to trade and investment flows between the various continents. AACC is the platform to facilitate all these engagements.
The organization is being run by a consortium of National and international professionals under the guidance of an eminent board of senior bureaucrats, professionals and Industrialists globally.
The award ceremony was organized by Asian Arab Chamber of Commerce. In the ceremony delegates from France, Bosnia and Arab countries were also present.
Mr. Rizwan Asad Receives the Asian Arab Chamber of Commerce Award 2018, along with his wife Mrs. Husna Rizwan (Managing Editor, Nasheman).
The Asian Arab Awards is nominated by the Jury from more than 21 countries and Mr. Asad was chosen for the landmark service given to the cause of Journalism in India with the publication of The Nasheman Weekly.
Asian Arab Chamber of Commerce (AACC) is focusing on strengthening economic, commercial and cultural relations between Asia and Middle East continent. To deepen this economic engagement, the governments of India and various countries have established institutional mechanisms and entered into agreements aimed at providing added impetus to trade and investment flows between the various continents. AACC is the platform to facilitate all these engagements.
The organization is being run by a consortium of National and international professionals under the guidance of an eminent board of senior bureaucrats, professionals and Industrialists globally.
The award ceremony was organized by Asian Arab Chamber of Commerce. In the ceremony delegates from France, Bosnia and Arab countries were also present.
Mumbai: Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare has alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has an “ego of his Prime Ministership”, adding that it was the reason why Modi was not responding to his letters.
Hazare was speaking at a public rally in Atpadi tehsil in Sangli district on Sunday.
Hazare said, “I have written more than 30 letters to PM Modi in the last three years but he never replied to them. Modi has an ego of his Prime Ministership, hence he did not respond to my letters.”
Hazare had, earlier, announced that he was going to stage another round of agitations in New Delhi from March 23.
The rally at Atpadi on Sunday was the first of the three rallies Hazare will be addressing in an effort to mobilise support for the March 23 agitation.
“It will be a never-seen-before kind of massive agitation that will be a warning to the government,” he said.
“I have no intention of garnering votes through my rallies and agitations. The way there was a huge rally for Jan Lokpal, I believe there will be a similar agitation on farmers’ issues,” he said.
Hazare said that his demands included implementation of the Lokpal, appointment of a Lokayukta, a pension of Rs 5,000 to farmers and higher rates for farm produce.
(PTI)
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said the controversy surrounding the death of Special CBI court judge B.H. Loya is “serious” and it will look into the circumstances leading to his death in November 2014.
Judge Loya was holding the trial into the staged shootout deaths of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and two others.
“Matter is serious. We are examining the material on record. Our conscience should not suffer…,” the bench said as it directed all the matter relating to Loya’s death and the circumstances leading to it should be placed before it.
The top court bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra transferred to itself two petitions pending before the Bombay High Court and its Nagpur bench relating to the matter.
The court directed the next hearing on February 2.
(IANS)
Davos/New Delhi: The richest 1 per cent in India cornered 73 per cent of the wealth generated in the country last year, a new survey showed on Monday, presenting a worrying picture of rising income inequality.
Besides, 67 crore Indians comprising the population’s poorest half saw their wealth rise by just 1 per cent, as per the survey released by the international rights group Oxfam hours before the start of the annual congregation of the rich and powerful from across the world in this resort town.
The situation appears even more grim globally, where 82 per cent of the wealth generated last year worldwide went to the 1 per cent, while 3.7 billion people that account for the poorest half of population saw no increase in their wealth.
The annual Oxfam survey is keenly watched and is discussed in detail at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting where rising income and gender inequality is among the key talking points for the world leaders.
Last year’s survey had showed that India’s richest 1 per cent held a huge 58 per cent of the country’s total wealth — higher than the global figure of about 50 per cent.
This year’s survey also showed that the wealth of India’s richest 1 per cent increased by over Rs 20.9 lakh crore during 2017 — an amount equivalent to total budget of the central government in 2017-18, Oxfam India said.
The report titled ‘Reward Work, Not Wealth’, Oxfam said, reveals how the global economy enables wealthy elite to accumulate vast wealth even as hundreds of millions of people struggle to survive on poverty pay.
“2017 saw an unprecedented increase in the number of billionaires, at a rate of one every two days. Billionaire wealth has risen by an average of 13 per cent a year since 2010 — six times faster than the wages of ordinary workers, which have risen by a yearly average of just 2 per cent,” it said.
In India, it will take 941 years for a minimum wage worker in rural India to earn what the top paid executive at a leading Indian garment firm earns in a year, the study found.
In the US, it takes slightly over one working day for a CEO to earn what an ordinary worker makes in a year, it added.
Citing results of the global survey of 70,000 people surveyed in 10 countries, Oxfam said it demonstrates a groundswell of support for action on inequality and nearly two-thirds of all respondents think the gap between the rich and the poor needs to be urgently addressed.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the WEF meeting in Davos, Oxfam India urged the Indian government to ensure that the country’s economy works for everyone and not just the fortunate few.
It asked the government to promote inclusive growth by encouraging labour-intensive sectors that will create more jobs; investing in agriculture; and effectively implementing the social protection schemes that exist.
Oxfam also sought sealing of the “leaking wealth bucket” by taking stringent measures against tax evasion and avoidance, imposing higher tax on super-rich and removing corporate tax breaks.
The survey respondents in countries like the US, UK and India also favoured 60 per cent pay cut for CEOs.
The key factors driving up rewards for shareholders and corporate bosses at the expense of workers’ pay and conditions, Oxfam said, include erosion of workers’ rights; excessive influence of big business over government policy-making; and the relentless corporate drive to minimise costs in order to maximise returns to shareholders.
About India, it said the country added 17 new billionaires last year, taking the total number to 101. The Indian billionaires’ wealth increased to over Rs 20.7 lakh crore — increasing during last year by Rs 4.89 lakh crore, an amount sufficient to finance 85 per cent of the all states’ budget on health and education.
It also said India’s top 10 per cent of population holds 73 per cent of the wealth and 37 per cent of India’s billionaires have inherited family wealth. They control 51 per cent of the total wealth of billionaires in the country.
Oxfam India CEO Nisha Agrawal said it is alarming that the benefits of economic growth in India continue to concentrate in fewer hands.
“The billionaire boom is not a sign of a thriving economy but a symptom of a failing economic system. Those working hard, growing food for the country, building infrastructure, working in factories are struggling to fund their child’s education, buy medicines for family members and manage two meals a day. The growing divide undermines democracy and promotes corruption and cronyism,” she said.
The survey also showed that women workers often find themselves at the bottom of the heap and nine out of 10 billionaires are men.
In India, there are only four women billionaires and three of them inherited family wealth.
“It would take around 17.5 days for the best paid executive at a top Indian garment company to earn what a minimum wage worker in rural India will earn in their lifetime (presuming 50 years at work),” Oxfam said.
(PTI)
Bengaluru: Revelation 2018 – The Flagship Event of Symbiosis Institute of Business Management ended after three days of magnificence on 21st January 2018. This year, the fest came with the theme of Aether Infinium to convey the message of defining one’s limitless zenith. The 3-day event, which took place from 19th to 21st of January, 2018 had Management, Cultural and Sports festivities celebrated by approximately 1172 participants from around 160 colleges across the length and breadth of the country.
The fest had a total of 17 events, of which Infernum – The Data Analytics Competition was a new addition to the fest this year. There was a mix of indoor and outdoor events which were conducted on SIBM Bengaluru’s campus as well as across Electronic City and Koramangala.
The first day of the event began with Pratishthan – The Business Plan Challenge of the fest. The event was judged by Kritika Murugesan – Director, 10,000 Start-ups, NASSCOM and AkshaySasikumar, Business Head at Greenpool Carpooling.
This was followed by Symposio– The International Student Research Conference of Revelation 2018, with the theme “Innovation and Excellence”. The event went International this time with students from leading international colleges like San Jose State University, California, United States and IESEG School of Business and Management, Lille, Paris presenting their papers at the conference.
Concours – The Business Quiz saw epic battles among 8 participant teamsin which the contestants tested their grey matter while they tried to answer the questions of the Quizmaster MukunthRaghavan.
After the brain wrenching events, the dancing shoes took to enthralling the audience in Razzmatazz – The Dance Competition which witnessed performances intraditional dance forms, hip-hop, salsa, and freestyle among many.
The carnival progressed with mesmerising voices taking the centre stage in Rhapsody – The Singing Competition of the event in the form of solo and duet performances.
The first day of Olympiada – The Sports Event of Revelation 2018 witnessed nothing but passion for sports, enthusiastic participation and above all, sportsmanship in its truest form. The day began with the participants sweating it out on the badminton court at Shuttler, the badminton competition. The healthy competition continued for Slam Jam, where the teams scored one smashing basket after another, proving that the only statistic that mattered was the final score. The football skills of the participants were put to test by Footie on the second day of the event.
Inexspectatus – The Informal Event of Revelation 2018 happened in full swing as the participants ran, bargained and found their way to the treasure. Their enthusiasm transcended the boundaries of SIBM Bengaluru as they raced around the city, all the way to Koramangala to reach their final destination.
En Vogue – The Fashion Show, judged by Ms.Paromita Das, Owner, Urban Purple Fashion Studio, and Ms. EimanGani, a celebrity make-up artist showcased the true definition of fashion – more than just pretty dresses, a mix of elegance, poise and the right attitude. The ramp was lit up by teams from various colleges, in which the team from Bishop Cotton College, Bengaluru took the crown.
After the Cultural Events, it was time for the Model United Nations, a UNIC (United Nations Information Centre) certified event in which students from several schools and colleges debated, deliberated and decided solutions to several world issues.
The Management Events which took place on the second day of Revelation 2018 wereMarkurious(Marketing), Finascere(Finance), Opsathena(Operations), and The Prime Cohort (Human Resources). While the specialisation events put the domain-specific knowledge of the participants to test, Colossal Clash – The Best Manager Event looked for the all-rounder with nerves of steel to excel under pressure.
The third day of Revelation saw a unique event called Wargasm that brought together the participants from all the specialisation events and the finalists from Colossal Clash.
The amazement just ceased to wane on the third day as Euphony – The Battle of The Bands saw 16 bandsfrom Bengaluru and elsewhere enthralling the audience with melodies spread across different genres of music.
After all the rigorous and straining events, it was time to unwind with the DJ Night. DJ Johnson Patrick dropped all the right beats as the audience took to dancing to his tunes.
“Revelation, each year, keeps getting better. Ihave been a part of the Revelation organising team for the past two years and I can vouch for the fact that organising an event as grand as this is a big learning experience.”,Eshani Shah, the head of the organising team, said as she recalled her experiences at Revelation.
The 2018 event surpassed all expectations that the event last year left us with. With intense competition, a healthy competitive spirit and a chance to prove one’s true mettle, the event ended on the note that the theme for this year –AetherInfinium had come to convey – that of proving the eternality of one’s zenith.
Date19th – 21stJanuary, 2018.
Time: 8:30 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
Venue: Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM) Bengaluru
#95/1, #95/2, Electronic City Phase-1, Hosur Road, Bengaluru 560100
Newly launched All India Mahila Empowerment Party’s (MEP), leader Dr. Nowhera Shaik kickstarted her party’s drive for the Assembly elections from Chikkaballapur district, challenging the political bigwigs on her campaign.
Addressing to a Public meeting, Dr. Shaik said:
A migrant holds a sign decrying neo-Nazis in the Greek capital [Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters]
by Al Jazeera
A neo-Nazi organisation has threatened the Muslim Association of Greece and pro-migrant organisations, amid an uptick in anti-immigrant violence in the Greek capital.
On Thursday, the organisation said it had received a menacing phone call from Crypteia, a far-right group that attacked the home of an Afghan child last year.
“We are the group that kills, burns, hits and tortures immigrants, mainly Muslims,” the caller said, according to Anna Stamou of the Muslim Association of Greece.
The caller contacted the organisation from a blocked number and identified himself as part of Crypteia.
He boasted of the group’s attack on the home of an 11-year-old Afghan refugee, identified only as Emir in Greek media, in November.
Then, masked men had attacked the boy’s home after he gained national attention for being prevented from carrying a Greek flag during a school parade. They threw beer bottles and stones at the home, shattering the windows, and left a note reading: “Go back to your village. Leave.”
“We reported [Thursday’s phone call] to officials here, then late at night we discovered that many organisations had the same threat,” Stamou told Al Jazeera, explaining that the Greek Forum for Migrants and others received similar phone calls.
Other civil society groups, which requested anonymity, confirmed that they were among those threatened.
“We are not intimidated as groups, Muslims or anti-fascists. The whole society is being targeted by these actions,” Stamou added. “We don’t accept threats.”
Crypteia’s name is an apparent reference to a group of ancient Spartans who were notorious for attacking slaves. The vigilante outfit is believed to have stemmed from the neo-fascist Golden Dawn party, which has 16 seats in the Greek parliament.
Greek police were not immediately available for comment.
There are around 200,000 Muslims in Athens, according to the Muslim Association of Greece, a civil society group advocating for indigenous Muslims, Greek converts, refugees, migrants and others.
In 2010, the Pew Research Center said there were 500,000 Muslims in the country, but this number has increased with refugees and migrants, most of whom come from Muslim-majority countries.
Tina Stavrinaki, legal officer at the Racist Violence Recording Network, said it was clear that “Muslims are the target”.
“They said the same thing [to all the groups threatened],” she told Al Jazeera.
“They said they take responsibility for attacks against migrants almost everywhere.”
Rising hate crimes
Racist violence is rising in Greece, targeting migrant labourers in neighbourhoods in Piraeus, a port city near Athens.
Between December 25 and January 5, the anti-racist activist group Keerfa recorded attacks on the homes of more than 30 migrant labourers, mostly Pakistanis, in Renti and Nikaia, two neighbourhoods in Piraeus.
While 48 hate crimes motivated by race, skin colour or national origin took place in Greece in 2016, 47 incidents were recorded during the first six months of last year alone, according to police statistics provided to Al Jazeera.
Although Golden Dawn has a long history of attacks on immigrants and political opponents, it has scaled back its violence in recent years.
That decline has coincided with the Golden Dawn’s ongoing trial, which saw 69 of its members arrested and charged with running a criminal organisation after one of the party’s members murdered anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas in September 2013.
Most of those threatened by Crypteia are witnesses in the Golden Dawn trial, Stamou said.
“This is a hate crime,” she said.
The Muslim Association of Greece has had pigs’ heads thrown at its office entrance in recent years and been mailed threatening letters.
“We will chop you up like chickens,” one of the notes read.
“This is their routine,” Stamou said. “We are not surprised.”
The Lebanese army said it is continuing to search for other displaced people trapped in the snow [Jamal Saidi/Reuters]
by Al Jazeera
The bodies of nine Syrian refugees who crossed into Lebanon were found frozen in a mountainous area near the border with Syria, according to the Lebanese army.
The military said in a statement that the bodies were discovered on a people-smuggling route in the early hours of Friday after a snowstorm hit the Masnaa area, where Lebanon’s largest official border crossing with Syria is located.
“The army saved six other displaced Syrians, one of whom died later in a hospital from frostbite,” the statement added, raising the death toll to 10.
“The bodies were taken to the hospitals in the area, and the army continues to search for other displaced people trapped in the snow, in order to evacuate them and provide medical treatment for them.”
10 bodies of Syrians were found near the Lebanon-Syria border crossing in Masna'a. 5 refugees were found alive. It appears they died while trying to cross into Lebanon. All countries bordering on Syria have locked their borders to refugees. https://t.co/I7mlmDaSJe via @chehayebk pic.twitter.com/58xxSGYtlE
— Elizabeth Tsurkov (@Elizrael) January 19, 2018
The identities of the Syrian refugees were not immediately known. According to some reports, at least one child was found among the bodies.
Two other Syrian nationals were arrested and charged with people-smuggling, the army added.
‘We are deprived of everything’
Temperatures dropped on Friday as winter storms battered the Lebanon-Syria border, making the lives of the more than 357,000 Syrian refugees living in makeshift tents in the Bekaa Valley, some 60km north of Masnaa, even more difficult.
Reporting from the region, Al Jazeera’s correspondent Zeina Khodr said that Syrian refugees “face many challenges during the winter months”.
“They live in tents that are made out of plastic sheeting, which does little to protect them from the cold and the rain,” she said.
Hammadi Chelbi, a Syrian refugee who has been living in Bekaa Valley after he fled the Syrian conflict in its first year, told Al Jazeera that he and his family are living in misery.
“We have nothing but pain, sickness and suffering,” he said. “We are deprived of everything.”
There are one million registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon, although government officials estimate that the number is closer to 1.5 million.
The UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) says it is not getting the money it needs to help Syrian refugees in Lebanon through another harsh winter.
Last year, it requested $228m but received less than 60 percent of that, prompting it to warn that life in the camps was getting worse.