Author: Samikhsya Bureau

(UNI) President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Monday that fuel theft makes Mexico lose between 2.9 and 3.9 billion U.S. dollars a year, vowing to combat the crime.

Lopez Obrador told reporters that he would soon unveil a plan to fight the growing scourge, saying “it is a serious problem because they steal between 60 and 80 billion pesos (around 2.95 and 3.93 billion U.S. dollars) a year” from state-owned pipelines.

“We have already appointed a coordinator … and all government agencies are working together” on a strategy to tackle the problem, he said.

Fuel stealers include not only organized crime groups, but also corrupt employees of the state-owned oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos (Penex), said Lopez Obrador.

(UNI) Jammu and Kashmir may reel under President’s rule tomorrow after the recommendation made by Governor Satya Pal Malik.

As per sources a proclamation to this effect is expected to be issued by the President Ram Nath Kovind soon.

“The Governor had recently recommended to the Union Home Ministry the imposition of President’s rule in the state of Jammu and Kashmir after expiry of six-month Governor’s rule in the State on December 19,” sources said.

The Governor’s Rule was imposed in the state on June 20 after BJP called it a day with PDP, who were running a coalition government having Mehbooba Mufti as Chief Minister.

(UNI) India on Tuesday lost the second Test against Australia by 146 runs after Kangaroos bowled them out for 146 runs in the second Test of the four-match series at Optus stadium in Perth here on Tuesday.

With the comprehensive win, the hosts levelled the Test series 1-1 with two more matches to be played in Melbourne and Sydney. As a captain this is Tim Paine’s first win.

Australia’s Spinner Nathan Lyon shined once again as claimed eight wickets in the match to help the hosts to to level the Test series.

(UNI) Opening fierce attack on Congress party president Rahul Gandhi, Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Srikant Sharma said Congress president keeps levelling allegations against Central government without any proof and grounds which reflects that Rahul was suffering from attention disorder and Congress should help him in his treatment.

Addressing the media here, Mr Sharma said ,” Apex court has cleared that nothing was fishy in Rafale deal but Congress president made derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Central government in that reference. He said BJP government at the centre was clear about the deal and took honest decisions.

(UNI) Honor, a leading smartphone e-brand under the Huawei Group, on Monday announced the launch of Honor Band 4 at the price of Rs 2,599.

The Band 4 will be available in three colour variants – Meteorite Black, Midnight Navy and Dahlia Pink exclusively on Amazon.in from Tuesday.

Supported by Real Time Heart Rate Detection and HUAWEI TruSleep monitoring technology, the new Band 4 acts like a personal fitness trainer which monitors user’s health and activities efficiently, Suhail Tariq, CMO at Huawei Consumer Business Group, said.

The Band 4 display comes with a large 2.5D curved screen, which is a 0.95-inch Amoled 240×120-colour display with full touch screen.

It is incorporated with user-friendly icons that are clear and crisp and can be navigated by intuitive scroll gestures and a HOME button for one-click return. Moreover, it comes with a stylish pattern and improved buckle design keeping it fixed to the user’s wrist.

Band 4 comes packed with some handy smart features like online number identification, answering and rejecting calls and message notifications. It can last up to 17 days under normal use on a single charge.

(UNI) Congress stalwart Kamal Nath was on Monday sworn in as Madhya Pradesh’s 18th Chief Minister in the presence of party President Rahul Gandhi, former Premier Manmohan Singh and numerous apex leaders of the United Progressive Alliance’s constituent units.
Governor Anandiben Patel administered the oaths of office and secrecy at about 1430 hrs to Mr Nath during a grand ceremony at the state capital’s Jamboree Ground. The Chief Minister was sworn in alone. His Council is to be formed in the near future.

The Congress has made a comeback to power in Madhya Pradesh after an interval of one-and-a-half decades.

(UNI) Fuel prices raised; petrol costs Rs 70.53 a litre in Delhi
New Delhi, Dec 17 (UNI) Fuel prices registered a hike of 19-20 paise a litre on Monday.

In Delhi, petrol retailed at Rs 70.53 a litre ? the third hike in five days.

In Mumbai petrol costs Rs 76.15 a litre, in Kolkata it is retailing at Rs 72.62 a litre, in Chennai petrol costs Rs 73.19 and in Bengaluru Rs 71.10 per litre.

Similarly, diesel prices went up by 9-10 paise. In Delhi, diesel retailed at Rs 64.47 a litre, in Kolkata Rs 66.23, in Mumbai Rs 67.47, in Chennai Rs 68.07 and in Bengaluru Rs 64.82.

Recovering from a pancreatic ailment the chief minister of Goa, Manohar Parrikar was shown in a picture where he was shown inspecting a bridge at the Mandovi river with a tube in his nose. Parrikar in fact is still under treatment for the pancreatic issue which was detected few months back. Undeterred by health issue he had inaugurated the NIT campus a day before.

It was a special occasion for Hillary Clinton who revisited a place she had visited way back in 1995. It was a Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in Gujarat and Hillary  was overwhelmed by the growth   achieved by those women. ” I am so inspired by these women” she added ” I will never forget the sight of thousands of women now sharing how SEWA changed their lives “.

After Elon Musk its the billionaire founder of the Spaceflight company Virgin Galactics Richard Branson is eager to risk a spaceflight for the first time in few months from now. This was revealed by him saying ” i think I can pretty confidently say that today’. Virgin Galactics ‘ rocket completed its first ever trip almost to the edge of the space on last Tuesday.

It may have become fun but for political dispensation in Pakisthan did not go well with Google when the Pak prime minister Imran Khan appeared when searched for term ‘Bhikari’ (beggar) . It was when people searched for term Beggar in Urdu and the photos of Imran Khan appeared which has prompted the Pakisthani govt to take it seriously as a suspected conspiracy.

(UNI) The Cyclonic Storm ‘PHETHAI’
over westcentral Bay of Bengal moved further northwards
with a speed of 19 kmph during past 6 hours on Monday
and lay centred at 1130 hrs over westcentral Bay of
Bengal near latitude 16.2°N and longitude 82.2°E,
85 km south-southwest of Kakinada and 60 km
east-southeast of Narsapur in Andhra Pradesh.
It is very likely to move nearly northwards and cross
Andhra Pradesh coast around Kakinada during this
afternoon between (1500 To 1700 Hours IST).
However, due to unfavourable environmental conditions,
it is likely to cross coast as a ‘cyclonic storm’ with a wind
speed of 70-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph.
Thereafter, it is very likely to move north-northeastwards
and weaken gradually, India Meteorological Department
in a bulletin said.

(UNI) The Congress member from Gurdaspur in Punjab Sunil Jakhar on Monday made a petition to the Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Majahan praying for a privilege motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what he said “deliberately misleading the Supreme Court and Parliament” in connection with the Rafale fighter jet deal.
In his petition, a copy of which was made available here, Mr Jakhar alleged that there was “serious miss representation of vital, significant facts” to the Supreme Court.
He accused that the government has “not only misled” the apex court but also “casts aspersion” on Parliament and the Public Accounts Committee.
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan amid din told the House that she has received “some” motions of breach of privilege but the issues are under her consideration.

(UNI) The death toll in the Sulwadi Maramma Temple food poisoning incident in Chamarajanagara district has gone up to 14 with one more women dying in a private hospital here on Monday.

Hospital sources said 35-year-old Mallibai breathed her last on Monday as she failed to respond to the treatment .

Incidentally husband Krishna Naik had also died in the same tragedy when over 100 people eat prasad which was contaminated, allegedly due to some one mixing poison in it. The couple leaves behind two daughters.

At least 66 persons are being treated at eight private hospitals and 28 more in the State-run K.R. Hospital. Relatives continued to throng the hospitals to see the patients.

Hospital sources said, most of the patients have been shifted to wards on Monday as their condition improved. However, six to seven were being treated in intensive care units as their condition was still serious.

According to Chamarajanagara district administration , the samples from patients and food that was served as prasad have been sent to Central Food Technological Research Institute and the Forensic Science Laboratory for examination and reports are expected in a day or two.

Biju Janata Dal has up its ante over the Minimum Selling Price (MSP) of paddy in a bid to exert pressure on the NDA government to pay the due to the farmer. For which the party has plans to go for sit-on ‘Dharna’ in the parliament premises on the 8th of next month. An issue that relates to the livelihood of farmers the BJD has criticised the central government for failing to pay the existing MSP of Rs.1750 even.

(UNI) Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday appealed to all political parties to arrive at a consensus and ensure passage of Women’s Reservation Bill for providing reservation to women in Parliament and state legislatures.

“Reservation of seats for women in Panchayats and Municipalities has proved to be successful,’ he said addressing a gathering at the Women Entrepreneurship Platform Conclave and after presenting Women Transforming India Awards 2018, organised by the NITI Aayog, WEP and UN in India, here.

The Vice President said the contribution of Indian women to GDP, currently at 17 per cent, was well below the global average of 37 per cent. Only 27 per cent of women in India were gainfully employed.

It was not a day for India when the lady from India Nehal Chudasama could not make it for Miss Universe . Philipines’ Catriona Elisa Grey has been crowned the Miss Universe 2018 at a grand ceremony while the second and third position were conferred to the representatives from South Africa and Venenzuela. Gray was ecstatic as she took her first walk as Miss Universe .

(UNI)Born in Punjab (India) Indian-American Shree Saini got her cherished dream fulfilled when she was crowned Miss India Worldwide 2018 at the 27th Annual Global pageant held in the Fords City of New Jersey.

Sakshi Sinha of Australia and Anusha Sareen from United Kingdom were adjudged the first and second runner ups.

Shree Saini said, “the dream of mine of one day competing for a world title started when I was just in elementary school and watching an international pageant on TV.

“I was instantly inspired by the contestants’ confidence when they proudly said their countries’ name on stage and I was so mesmerized by their community work.

(UNI)The government on Monday welcomed the Delhi High Court verdict that convicted senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, a former MP, for the 1984 anti-Sikh mayhem and went onto say that the Congress party and the “Gandhi family legacy” will continue to pay for the sins.”Sajjan Kumar’s conviction by the Delhi High Court is a delayed vindication of Justice. The Congress and the Gandhi family legacy will continue to pay for the sins of 1984 riots,” Finance Minister Arun Jaitley tweeted.