Ashwani Lohani on Friday assumed duties as Chief Managing Director of the state-owned Air India. He took over from Pradeep Singh Kharola, who was made Civil Aviation Ministry Secretary recently. This is the second tenure of Mr Lohani — a retired Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineering (IRSME) officer — as Air India chief. He was given the charge of the carrier for one year. On February 13, the Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved the appointment of Mr Ashwani Lohani to the post of the CMD, Air India, as per the usual terms and conditions applicable to re-employed Central…
Author: Samikhsya Bureau
Day after a major terror attack in South Kashmir’s Awantipora area, a suicide bomber targeted a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy, killing at least 37 CRPF personnel and wounding others, the cricket fraternity on Friday condemned the deadly attack and wished for speedy recovery of the injured jawans. Cricketers including Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir, VVS Laxman, Rohit Sharma ,Virender Sehwag, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina and Mohammed Kaif took to Twitter to condemn the attack and to send their condolences to the families of the martyrs. Former India opener Gautam Gambhir, who likes to play with a straight bat even…
The District Unit of Shiv Sena on Friday held demonstration at Kranthi Chowk here to condemn Pulwama attack in Jammu and Kashmir by the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad,in which 37 CRPF jawans were martyred. Led by the District Chief Ambadas Danve,the agitators raised anti-Pakistan slogans while burning the map of the neighbouring nation. Similar protests have also been reported from the district of Parbhani,where the Shiv Sena party activists burned the national flag of Pakistan to express deep anguish over the killings of jawans. Talking to mediapersons,Mr Danve said when the BJP-led NDA swept power in 2014,we thought that the…
In a bid to promote women’s volleyball in India, RuPay Pro Volleyball League organizers on Friday announced an All-Star Women Volleyball match to be played on the day of the finals i e February 22 at the Nehru Indoor Stadium here. The match will serve as a platform to showcase the Indian women volleyball talent on national television and will be played between Team Blue and Team Yellow. Alexa Chitra Strange, a presenter for the league, will represent Team Blue. She plays as a Universal and is also a professional beach volleyball player playing on the Association of Volleyball Professionals…
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Friday sent out a clear message that the force will not forget the heinous, cowardly terrorist attack and their soldiers’ sacrifice in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir and not forgive those who are behind it. The CRPF said that they will for sure avenge the terror attack and not forget the sacrifice of their 37 bravehearts. Taking to microblogging site twitter, the CRPF said: “WE WILL NOT FORGET, WE WILL NOT FORGIVE:We salute our martyrs of Pulwama attack and stand with the families of our martyr brothers. This heinous attack will be avenged.’…
E-Cigarettes are effective at helping smokers quit and are almost twice as successful as products like patches or gum for smoking cessation, according to a study. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine recently, found that e-cigarettes were nearly twice as effective as conventional nicotine replacement products, like patches and gum, for quitting smoking. The success rate was still low — 18 per cent among the e-cigarette group, compared to 9.9 per cent among those using traditional nicotine replacement therapy — but many researchers who study tobacco and nicotine said it gave them the clear evidence they…
Vande Bharat Express, India’s first semi-high speed indigenous train is eagerly gazed at by the onlookers on the tracks and crossings as it proceeds on its maiden inaugural run on Friday to Varanasi via Kanpur and Allahabad. Onlookers looked eager, excited to have the first look of the Train-18, from the production house of Chennai’s Integral Coach Factory. All of them want to record its video on their personal phone, thanks to the technology. Onlookers hold their smart phones high in their hands, recording the running train, which is plush white from outside with soothing interiors inside. Children or elderly,…
Sushil Chandra on Friday assumed charge as the new Election Commissioner of India and joined the Commission with Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa. Born on May 15, 1957, Mr Chandra is a 1980 batch Indian Revenue Service Officer. In the IRS service, he has rendered his service in various states — Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Acquiring his academic proficiency from Roorkee University and LLB from DAV College, Dehradun, Mr Chandra has worked extensively in the areas of International Taxation and Investigation at various places. He brings rich experience from his position of…
After gaining massive appreciation at the Berlin Film Festival, the makers of ‘Photograph’ have decided to release the film on March 15. Starring Nawazuddin Siddique and Sanya Malhotra in the lead roles, the makers took to their social media sharing a poster along with the new release date. The makers tweeted the new poster and wrote, “Two worlds met with the help of a #PhotographMovie Releases in India on 15th March.@riteshbatra @Nawazuddin_S @sanyamalhotra07”. ‘Photograph’ was earlier premiered at the Sundance Film Festival along with one of the most prestigious international film festivals – Berlin Film Festival, where it received great…
History TV18 is all set to premiere ‘Battle Factory’, a 14 part series every weekend from February 16. Each episode is a story in itself, which will excite the viewer for its very format of never-before-seen factories that are secretive and kept hush-hush. It gives audience a preview of the engineering mastery that goes into making the bullet-proof helmets, fuel bladders and Zippo lighters. Every item’s manufacturing process is shot using state-of-the-art equipment and techniques for a look and feel that really brings the machines and process to life. ‘Battle Factory’ gives unprecedented access and reveals how these items are…
National Geographic is all set to premiere brand new season of it’s funny and highly informative show ‘Science of Stupid’ from February 18. The new season will once again witness popular host Maniesh Paul, explaining to viewers the science behind misadventures of people – from motorbike crashes and trampoline mishaps to unexpected explosions and novice lumber jacking. The idea is to bring science in an interesting, quirky and easy to understand manner. The show will take its viewers a step closer to all the scientific facts hidden in common and not-so-common experiences, and decode the science behind our everyday activities.…
Versatile actor Jim Sarbh who has been a delight to watch on big screen in movies such as ‘Sanju’, ‘Neerja’ and ‘Padmavat’ is soon going to make his debut on television with Discovery Channel’s new series ‘Planet Healers’. Jim Sarbh will host the thought provoking, first of its kind series featuring eight start-ups, who are working tirelessly to find innovative solutions to environmental hazards that we face today. Jim will give the audience a deep dive into how these start-ups are focusing on complex and the same time extremely important issues like unplanned urbanization, electronic waste management, air pollution, fuel…
Zoya Akhtar’s directorial ‘Gully Boy’ has opened up on a big note, as the film rakes in Rs 18.70 crore on day one at the box office. ‘Gully Boy’ was released on Thursday on the occasion of Valentine’s Day and is expected to witness an upward trend over the weekend. The film is being screened in the five big metros, especially Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore with the big multiplexes giving a huge ratio of the collections. ‘Gully Boy’ is a story inspired by slum rappers of Dharavi in Mumbai, the movie has gone ahead to create immense buzz amongst the…
Hours after Cabinet Committee on Security presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi empowered the Ministry of External Affairs to take steps to isolate Pakistan due to its involvement in Pulwama attack, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale on Friday summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood. Mr Mahmood was summed to the Ministry of External Affairs at 1400 hours and issued a “very strong demarche” in connection with the terrorist attack on Thursday. “He (Foreign Secretary) conveyed that Pakistan must take immediate and verifiable action against the JeM and that it must immediately stop any groups or individuals associated with terrorism operating…
The Central Reserve Police Force on Friday observed a two-minute silence to pay homage to the CRPF personnel, who were martyred in the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama. It paid homage to martyrs across all formations. The CRPF flag will remain half mast today in every CRPF establishments throughout the country. The mortal remains of the martyred soldiers are being brought to Delhi by Air Force transport aircraft C-17 Globemaster after the wreath-laying ceremony at Srinagar. So far, the Force has released the 36 names of the martyrs.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s alleged sympathy for a “semi-Brexit” is the likely cause behind continued divisions in her ruling Conservative Party, with yet another defeat in the parliament on Thursday set to hamper efforts at achieving unity over the withdrawal process, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain Robert Griffiths told Sputnik. UK lawmakers voted on Thursday to reject May’s motion asking the legislature to reaffirm support for her efforts to seek changes to the divorce agreement after the original deal was voted down on January 15th. May also once again failed to heal divisions within her own…
The UN-brokered agreement between Athens and Skopje to formally recognize the “Republic of North Macedonia”, is a welcome, “historical” step that should be supported by regional and international Member States, António Guterres has announced. In a statement following on from the entry into force of the Prespa Agreement between the two countries on Tuesday, the UN Secretary-General confirmed that he had received official notification of the development, which settles a near 30-year dispute between the two neighbours. Mr Guterres congratulated the two sides and Prime Ministers Alexis Tsipras, of Greece, and Zoran Zaev, of North Macedonia, “on their determination in…
Pakistan foreign office late night on Thursday condemned the devastating terror attack by Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant outfit at Awantipora in south Kashmir district of Pulwama in which 44 CRPF personnel’s have been martyred. The attack had drawn international condemnation and the US, France, Russia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives were among the first to slam the attack while Pakistan said that the terror attack is a matter of grave concern. “We have always condemned heightened acts of violence in the Valley. We strongly reject any insinuation by elements in the Indian government and media circles that seek to…
A number of neighbouring countries and the UN have condemned the terror attack at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir and underlined the need for closer cooperation in fight against the ‘common enemy’. “The Govt of Afghanistan expresses its condolences and sympathy with the people and the government of the friendly country of India due to the loss of 40 personnel and once again stresses the need for solidarity and closer cooperation of countries in the fight against this common enemy,” spokesperson and Director General of Communication – Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Afghanistan Sibghatullah Ahmadi said. Bhutan Foreign Minister Tandi…
Paying homage to martyred soldiers in Pulwama’s terror attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that every such conspiracy of the neighbouring country will be rebutted by 130 crore people of India. ‘Our neighbouring country, which is undergoing through bad phase of economy, thinks that it can create havoc by such terror activities. Such ambitions of theirs will never be fulfilled,’ Mr Modi said on the occasion of flagging off country’s first semi-high speed trainset Train 18, titled the Vande Bharat Express, from New Delhi Railway station. Every such conspiracy will be rebutted by 130-crore people of India, he…
A European Parliament delegation will travel to Venezuela on Sunday to meet with opposition leader Juan Guaido, who proclaimed himself the country’s interim president amid political turmoil, media have reported. The delegation would include six parliamentarians who would stay in Caracas through Tuesday, the EFE news agency reported on Thursday. It added that the lawmakers would also meet with ambassadors of EU member states in Venezuela. It is not clear if the delegation will meet with President Nicolas Maduro. In late January, the European Parliament recognized Guaido as Venezuela’s acting president in a non-binding vote and advised EU member states…